Wednesday, April 27, 2022
Wednesday of the Second
Week of Easter
Then the captain and the court
officers went and brought them in, but without force, because they were AFRAID
of being stoned by the people.
The apostles were brought before the Sanhedrin for trial. These temple priests which were instrumental in causing the crucifixion of Christ were now enflamed with jealousy over the apostles, who by the resurrection of Christ no longer feared death or taxes. The people began to believe, and the world was never the same.
The apostles after their release immediately resumed public teaching, they rendered unto God what was God’s.
The apostles filled with the Holy Spirit were not afraid anymore. They practiced obedience, commitment, healthy relationships, and faith. They had generous hearts.
Building Generosity into your life[1]
Effective leaders gather for others then give it away. This is God’s economy which is radically different. By releasing our grasp and not clinging to our possessions we become more like Him who had nothing; the one who gave the only resource He had--Himself.
Building Generosity
1. Be grateful for whatever you have.
2. Put people first.
3. Don’t allow greed to control you.
4. Regard money as a resource.
5. Develop the habit of giving.
“I now pray, not for more of this
world’s goods and greater blessings, but to be worthy of that which I already
have.” Napoleon Hill[2]
Roméo Dallaire
John McCain in his book
Character is Destiny examined the character traits exemplified by Roméo
Dallaire who in 1993, was appointed Force Commander for the United Nations
Assistance Mission for Rwanda (UNAMIR), where he witnessed the country descend
into chaos and genocide, leading to the deaths of more than 800,000 Rwandans.
When the rest of the world looked away, he stayed behind in a manmade evil for
the sake of duty and justice. Dallaire was in charge of a small overwhelmed
African peacekeeping force, he could have left but he refused and witnessed the
genocide. He is ashamed he could have not done more and the reaction of the
world that stood by for 100 days doing nothing allowing the devil to reap
carnage, terror and hopelessness. Dallaire was the one candle in a darkened
room of despair created by the collective failure of mankind’s conscience along
with the apathy and deceitfulness of world governments toward Rowanda’s plight.
McCain writes of Dallaire’s dilemma:
The U.S.
government, our allies, and the United Nations went to extraordinary and
ridiculous lengths to avoid using the term, “genocide”, aware that once
genocide was acknowledged, they would have to act. Day after day, long night
after long night, for over three months, more men, women, and children were
added to the rolls of the victims by their hate-crazed persecutors. Romeo
Dallaire soldiered on, saving those he could and agonizing over those he
couldn’t, all the while begging the UN, and the world, to send more troops, to
do something, anything, to help. In his telling, his mission was to keep peace;
peace was destroyed by unimaginable violence, and many thousands died. He
failed. He tried to convince his superiors to send him more men. He failed. He tried
to get the United States and other powerful countries to listen to their
consciences and help. He failed. He tried to persuade the world to stop
genocide. He failed. And while many, many people who had a responsibility to
stop the killings looked the other way and never had a moment of doubt or a
night of troubled sleep, Romeo Dallaire took his failures very, very
seriously.
A
righteous person, no matter how blameless, will always take humanity’s failures personally.
Rwanda Lessons Learned[3]
·
The first and enduring lesson of the Rwandan genocide – not unlike
the Holocaust – is that they occurred not only because of the machinery of
death, but because of state-sanctioned incitement to hate and genocide. It is
this teaching of contempt, this demonizing of the other – this is where it all
begins. Indeed, as the jurisprudence of the Rwandan tribunals has demonstrated,
these acts of genocide were preceded by – and anchored in – the
state-orchestrated demonization and dehumanization of the minority Tutsi population
– using cruel, biological ascriptions of Tutsis as “inyenzi” (cockroaches) –
prologue and justification for their mass murder.
·
The second lesson is the danger of indifference and the
consequences of inaction. The genocide of Rwandan Tutsis occurred not only
because of the machinery of death and a state-sanctioned culture of hate, but
also because of crimes of indifference and conspiracies of silence. What makes
the Rwandan genocide so unspeakable is not only the horror of the genocide, but
that this genocide was preventable. Simply put, while the UN Security Council
and the international community dithered and delayed, Rwandans were dying.
·
The third lesson is the danger of a culture of
impunity. If the last century was the age of atrocity, it was also the age of
impunity. Few of the perpetrators were
brought to justice. Just as there cannot be a sanctuary for hate or a
refuge for bigotry, neither can there be a haven for the perpetrators of the
worst crimes against humanity.
·
The fourth lesson is the danger of the vulnerability of
the powerless and the powerlessness of the vulnerable – the brutalized
children, women victimized by massive sexual violence, the slaughter of the
innocents – all the first targets of mass atrocity. It is our responsibility to
empower the powerless while giving voice to the voiceless, wherever they may
be.
·
The fifth lesson is the cruelty of genocide denial —
an assault on memory and truth – a criminal conspiracy to whitewash the Rwandan
genocide. In the obscenest form of genocide denial – as in the case also of
Holocaust denial – it actually accuses the victims of falsifying this “hoax.”
Remembrance of the Rwandan genocide is itself a repudiation of such denial –
which tragically becomes more prevalent with the passage of time.
·
The sixth lesson is the importance of remembering the
heroic rescuers, those who remind us of the range of human possibility; those
who stood up to confront evil, prevailed, and transformed history.
Finally, and most important, we must remember and
pay tribute to the survivors who endured the worst of inhumanity – of crimes
against humanity – and somehow found in the resources of their own humanity the
will to go on, to contribute and to make our society a better and more
compassionate community. And so, this anniversary must be an occasion not only
to remember but to learn the lessons of the crime whose name we should even
shudder to mention – namely genocide – and most important: to act on these
lessons.
Catechism of the Catholic Church
PART ONE: THE PROFESSION OF FAITH
SECTION TWO I. THE CREEDS
CHAPTER ONE-I BELIEVE IN GOD THE FATHER
Article 1 "I BELIEVE IN GOD THE FATHER
ALMIGHTY, CREATOR OF HEAVEN AND EARTH"
Paragraph
3. THE ALMIGHTY
268
of all the divine attributes, only God's omnipotence is named in the Creed: to
confess this power has great bearing on our lives. We believe that his might is
universal, for God who created everything also rules everything and can do
everything. God's power is loving, for he is our Father, and mysterious, for
only faith can discern it when it "is made perfect in weakness".
"He does whatever he pleases"
269
The Holy Scriptures repeatedly confess the universal power of God. He is called
the "Mighty One of Jacob", the "LORD of hosts", the
"strong and mighty" one. If God is almighty "in heaven and on
earth", it is because he made them. Nothing is impossible with God,
who disposes his works according to his will. He is the Lord of the
universe, whose order he established and which remains wholly subject to him
and at his disposal. He is Master of History, governing hearts and events in
keeping with his will: "It is always in your power to show great strength,
and who can withstand the strength of your arm?
"You are merciful to all, for you can do all
thing"
270
God is the Father Almighty, whose fatherhood and power shed light on one
another: God reveals his fatherly omnipotence by the way he takes care of our
needs; by the filial adoption that he gives us ("I will be a father to
you, and you shall be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty"): finally
by his infinite mercy, for he displays his power at its height by freely
forgiving sins.
271
God's almighty power is in no way arbitrary: "In God, power, essence,
will, intellect, wisdom, and justice are all identical. Nothing therefore can
be in God's power which could not be in his just will or his wise
intellect."
The mystery of God's apparent powerlessness
272
Faith in God the Father Almighty can be put to the test by the experience of
evil and suffering. God can sometimes seem to be absent and incapable of
stopping evil. But in the most mysterious way God the Father has revealed his
almighty power in the voluntary humiliation and Resurrection of his Son, by
which he conquered evil. Christ crucified is thus "the power of God and
the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness
of God is stronger than men." It is in Christ's Resurrection and
exaltation that the Father has shown forth "the immeasurable greatness of
his power in us who believe".
273
Only faith can embrace the mysterious ways of God's almighty power. This faith
glories in its weaknesses in order to draw to itself Christ's power. The
Virgin Mary is the supreme model of this faith, for she believed that
"nothing will be impossible with God” and was able to magnify the Lord:
"For he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his
name."
274
"Nothing is more apt to confirm our faith and hope than holding it fixed
in our minds that nothing is impossible with God. Once our reason has grasped
the idea of God's almighty power, it will easily and without any hesitation
admit everything that [the Creed] will afterwards propose for us to believe -
even if they be great and marvellous things, far above the ordinary laws of
nature."
IN
BRIEF
275
With Job, the just man, we confess: "I know that you can do all things,
and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted" (Job 42:2).
276
Faithful to the witness of Scripture, the Church often addresses her prayer to
the "almighty and eternal God" (“omnipotens sempiterne Deus. .
."), believing firmly that "nothing will be impossible with God"
(Gen 18:14; Lk 1:37; Mt 19:26).
277
God shows forth his almighty power by converting us from our sins and restoring
us to his friendship by grace. "God, you show your almighty power above
all in your mercy and forgiveness. . ." (Roman Missal, 26th Sunday,
Opening Prayer).
278
If we do not believe that God's love is almighty, how can we believe that the
Father could create us, the Son redeem us and the Holy Spirit sanctify us?
Every Wednesday is Dedicated to St. Joseph-
The Italian culture has
always had a close association with St. Joseph perhaps you could make
Wednesdays centered around Jesus’s Papa. Plan an Italian dinner of pizza or
spaghetti after attending Mass as most parishes have a Wednesday evening Mass.
You could even do carry out to help restaurants. If you are adventurous, you
could do the Universal Man Plan: St. Joseph style. Make the evening a family
night perhaps it could be a game night. Whatever you do make the day special.
· Devotion to the 7 Joys and Sorrows of St.
Joseph
· Do the St. Joseph Universal Man Plan.
Build Personal Holiness[4]
Personal holiness is not centered in the fight against sin
but in love for Christ, who shows Himself to us as being truly human, fully
aware of everything about us. The love of God for men and of men for God is a
love of mutual friendship. And one of the specific characteristics of
friendship is relationship. In order to love Our Lord, it is necessary to know
Him, to speak to Him. We get to know Him by meditating on His life in the Holy
Gospels. In them He shows Himself to us as being endearingly human and very
close to our life. We meet Him in prayer and in the Sacraments, especially in
the Blessed Eucharist.
·
Day 1 of Novena to the
Holy Face in preparation for the First Friday of the Month of May.
April 27th Wednesday-King’s
Day in Amsterdam
o Honor St. Joseph-father of our King-Mass
Daily
Devotions
·
Unite in the work of the Porters of St. Joseph by joining them
in fasting: Today's Fast: Protection
of Life from Conception until natural death.
·
Litany of the Most Precious
Blood of Jesus
·
Manhood of
the Master-week 10 day 4
·
Offering to
the sacred heart of Jesus
· Make reparations to the Holy Face
[1] John Maxwell, The Maxwell Leadership
Bible.
[2] Napoleon Hill, Outwitting the Devil.
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