Rogationtide
Wednesday
ST. MARY MAGDALENE
DE PAZZI
Daniel,
Chapter 6, Verse 27-28
27
I decree that throughout my royal domain the God of Daniel is to be reverenced
and FEARED: “For he is the living
God, enduring forever, whose kingdom shall not be destroyed, whose dominion
shall be without end, 28
A savior and deliverer, working signs and wonders in heaven and on earth, who
saved Daniel from the lions’ power.”
This
is the summation of the story of Daniel in the lion’s den. In this chapter
Daniel is a type of Christ like figure. He is falsely accused by those who are
jealous of him. They use legal tricks to entrap Daniel and have him condemned
to the lion’s den. He is even put inside; the den is sealed over with a giant
boulder, thus mirroring Christ’s tomb. In the end Daniel is not eaten by the lions
but those who conspired against him are thrown into the lions and eaten. The
story reflects the glory of Christ’s victory over Satan and the demons.
Decision
Making: Choices Confirm or Compromise Values[1]
Daniel
when presented with a law that opposed the laws of God had to decide whether he
would submit or stay true to his convictions. He chose his life principles. He
likely followed the principles of:
1.
Weighting
out the options before you.
2.
Ask
if those choses force you to compromise personal values.
3.
Seek
wise counsel.
4.
Count
the cost.
5.
Decide
based on principles.
6.
Act
on your decision swiftly and firmly.
Daniel
maintained a set of values and principles that enabled him to make decisions
quickly and confidently. If you take too much time making decisions often it is
too late to act. Do not wait to survey the pulse of your people and paralyze
your organization. Do the right thing!
Rogationtide
Wednesday[2]
Today would be a good day to reflect on what we want to harvest this fall; so, like farmers we must till the soil of our soul reflecting this day on our use of our TREASURE (yes money/tithe) and look at in what ways we may offer our money to Christ to help build a harvest for His Kingdom. It has been said that money is the root of all evil. Yet, this is not exactly true for the real root of all evil is not money but the LOVE of money. Those who fear the Lord know that money is a gift from God. It is not to be buried but sown. This is the correction that God wishes us to accept. We are all sowers, and we are to spread the seeds or gifts that God gives us out. Does God need a tithe from us? Or Does God need our hearts free from the love of money? Do not make my house a marketplace. For love of money or the lust for money is what corrupts men not the money itself.
Donate a
Day Wages to a Charity Day[3]
Your Money or Your Life[4]
At this tense moment
in our history, when external wars and internal violence make us so conscious
of death, an affirmation of the sanctity of human life by renewed attention to
the family is imperative. Let society always be on the side of life. Let it
never dictate, directly or indirectly, recourse to the prevention of life or to
its destruction in any of its phases; neither let it require as a condition of
economic assistance that any family yield conscientious determination of the
number of its children to the decision of persons or agencies outside the
family. Stepped-up pressures for moral and legal acceptance of directly
procured abortion make necessary pointed reference to this threat to the right
to life. Reverence for life demands freedom from direct interruption of life
once it is conceived. Conception initiates a process whose purpose is the
realization of human personality. A human person, nothing more and nothing
less, is always at issue once conception has taken place. We expressly
repudiate any contradictory suggestion as contrary to Judeo-Christian
traditions inspired by love for life, and Anglo-Saxon legal traditions
protective of life and the person. Abortion brings to an end with irreversible
finality both the existence and the destiny of the developing human person.
·
Conscious
of the inviolability of life, the Second Vatican Council teaches: God, the Lord
of life, has conferred on man the surpassing ministry of safeguarding life, a
ministry which must be fulfilled in a manner that is worthy of man. Therefore,
from the moment of its conception life must be guarded with the greatest care
while abortion and infanticide are unspeakable crimes (Gaudium et Spes, 51).
·
The
judgment of the Church on the evil of terminating life derives from the
Christian awareness that men are not the masters but the ministers of life.
Hence, the Council declares: Whatever is opposed to life itself, such as any
type of murder, genocide, abortion, euthanasia, or willful self-destruction,
whatever violates the integrity of the human person...all these things and
others of their like are infamies indeed. They poison human society, but they
do more harm to those who practice them than those who suffer from the injury.
Moreover, they are a supreme dishonor to the Creator" (Gaudium et Spes,
27)
Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.
Are
these words just words highlighted by men during the age of enlightenment or
are they the inspired will of the creator? America is special in that the
founders realized this when they wrote our constitution which was established
to ensure that laws are enacted and enforced that support life, liberty and the
pursuit of happiness. Much of our misery in this country is caused by laws that
reverse the order ensuring that wealth trumps liberty and liberty trumps life.
No, it must be life first.
The
transmission of human life is a most serious role in which married people
collaborate freely and responsibly with God the Creator. It has always been a
source of great joy to them, even though it sometimes entails many difficulties
and hardships.
The
fulfillment of this duty has always posed problems to the conscience of married
people, but the recent course of human society and the concomitant changes have
provoked new questions. The Church cannot ignore these questions, for they
concern matters intimately connected with the life and happiness of human
beings.
The protection of Life has primacy.
·
If we are the children of the creator, we know
that life must be protected at conception to its natural end.
·
We must seek the dignity of the unborn, the
living and the aged in our laws and traditions.
Are
you into composting?[5]
When Americans die, most are buried or
cremated. Washington could soon become the first state to allow another option:
human composting. The novel approach, known as “recomposition,” involves
placing bodies in a vessel and hastening their decomposition into a
nutrient-dense soil that can then be returned to families. The aim is a less
expensive way of dealing with human remains that is better for the environment
than burial, which can leach
chemicals into the ground, or cremation, which releases
earth-warming carbon dioxide.
“People
from all over the state who wrote to me are very excited about the prospect of
becoming a tree or having a different alternative for themselves,” said state
Sen. Jamie Pedersen, a Democrat, who is sponsoring a bill in Washington’s
Legislature to expand the options for disposing of human remains. The
recomposition bill would also make Washington the 17th state to allow alkaline
hydrolysis, the dissolving of bodies in a pressurized vessel with water and lye
until just liquid and bone remains. Pedersen plans to introduce the bill when
the new legislative session begins next month.
Well,
I guess we wouldn’t have to depend on Russia for fertilizer
This is scary, sounds like the movie “Soylent Green” was
prophetic. Maybe if you are over fifty you need to stay healthy as possible for
as long as you can.
Senior Health & Fitness Day[6]
For
Grandma, Grandpa, Granny, Gramps, Nana, Papa and all our well-loved elders, Senior Health & Fitness Day is a
time to explore the many senior-friendly physical activity options, and to
understand the importance of exercise and nutrition for ongoing health and
illness-prevention. A healthy diet can boost energy and immunity, and regular
exercise is necessary to retain bone mass and lower the risk of fractures, and
to build muscle strength and reduce the risk of falls. Various community events
will be staged on Senior Health & Fitness Day, and seniors are encouraged
to attend for health screenings and diet and exercise information sessions.
Low-impact, non-competitive exercise program choices may include stretching,
walking and swimming, all designed to increase strength and flexibility. And
although Grandma is probably an excellent cook, she may be able to pick up a
few healthy tips to make her legendary meals even more delicious and nutritious
Apostolic
Exhortation[7]
Veneremur
Cernui – Down in Adoration Falling
of The Most
Reverend Thomas J. Olmsted, Bishop of Phoenix,
to Priests, Deacons, Religious and the Lay Faithful of the Diocese of Phoenix
on the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist
My
beloved Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Part I
II. The Mass as the eternal
memorial of Christ’s Sacrifice on the Cross
22. For the title of this
Exhortation, I have chosen the words “Veneremur cernui” which comes from
the hymn Tantum Ergo that we sing at the end of solemn adoration and
benediction. These words composed by Saint Thomas Aquinas can be translated as “may
we adore with body prostrated” or “down in adoration falling”. My
dear sons and daughters, Jesus our Lord and God is present to us in the
Sacrament of the Eucharist in His self-offering to the Father and His merciful
outpouring of love for us. Let us adore Him with ever increasing reverence!
23. Whether we may be weak or
strong, I encourage you to pray for the grace of faith in God’s presence in the
Eucharist as well as the grace to worship as the angels do. This is what the
Church prays when she ends the preface and begins the Eucharistic prayer with
the words, “May our voices, we pray, join with theirs in humble praise, as
we acclaim: Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God of hosts” (Roman Missal,
Preface of Eucharistic Prayer I).
24. It is in the Eucharist
where Our Lord meets us and becomes our faithful companion along every instance
of our life. After Mass, the remaining consecrated Hosts are reserved in the
tabernacle so that Holy Communion can be brought to the sick and throughout the
week we can come and pray in His presence. He wants to remain with us so that
whenever we need Him, we will find Him there to be our light, strength,
comfort, and guidance.
25. “I will be with
you always until the end of times.” (Mt 28:20). Since that Last Supper
of Holy Thursday until now, Our Lord Jesus has faithfully kept His promise –
wherever there is a tabernacle in the world that contains the Eucharist, there
is Jesus truly present among us. His presence is not like a memory or a symbol
that a person keeps in a photo album. He is truly, really, and substantially
present in the Eucharist. The Catechism affirms: “In the most blessed
sacrament of the Eucharist, the body and blood, together with the soul and
divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ and, therefore, the whole Christ is truly,
really and substantially contained” (CCC 1374). The same Jesus that walked
the countryside of Palestine, the same Jesus that preached, cured the sick and
raised the dead, the same Jesus who suffered, died, and rose is truly present
in the Eucharist. Indeed, our Lord is ever near us, and we might recall with
joy the exultant words of Deuteronomy 4:7: “What great nation is there that
has a god so near to it as the Lord our God is to us?”.
26. Immeasurable is the value
of every Mass! Unfathomable is the grace made so accessible to us in the Mass,
where Jesus Christ is ever present! It is here that a quality and abundance of
life beyond this world is given to us.
To be continued…
Devotions for Holy Communion[8]
PREPARATION FOR COMMUNION.
St.
Francis de Sales says that Our Savior can never be seen more amiable and more
tender, in all that He has done for us, than in holy communion, in which He, so
to say, annihilates Himself and becomes food, that He may unite Himself to the hearts
and bodies of His faithful.
Therefore,
the learned Gerson used also to say, that there was no means more efficacious
than holy communion whereby to enkindle devotion and the holy love of God in
our souls. And, indeed, if we speak of doing something agreeable to God, what
can a soul do more agreeable to Him than to receive communion?
St.
Denis teaches us that love always tends towards perfect union; but how can a
soul be more perfectly united with Jesus than in the manner of which He speaks
Himself, saying: He that eateth My flesh,
and drinketh My blood, abideth in Me, and I in him " (John vi. 57) St.
Augustine says that if every day you receive this sacrament, Jesus will be
always with you, and that you will always advance in divine love.
Again,
if there be question of healing our spiritual infirmities, what more certain
remedy can we have than holy communion, which is called by the sacred Council
of Trent a remedy whereby we may be freed from daily faults, and be preserved
from mortal sins? Whence does it come, asks Cardinal Bona, that in so many
souls we see so little fruit with such frequent communions, and that they
constantly relapse into the same faults?
He
replies: The fault is not in the food, but in the disposition of him who
receives." "Can a man," says Solomon, "hide fire in his
bosom, and his garments not burn?" (Prov. vi. 27.) " God is a
consuming fire." He comes Himself in holy communion to enkindle this
divine fire; how is it, then, says William of Paris, that we see such a
diabolical miracle as that souls should remain cold in divine love, in the
midst of such flames?
All
comes from the want of proper dispositions, and especially from want of
preparation. Fire immediately inflames dry but not green wood; for this latter
is not disposed to burn. The saints derived great benefit from their communions
because they prepared themselves with great care. St. Aloysius Gonzaga devoted
three days to his preparation for holy communion, and three days he spent in
thanksgiving to his Lord. To prepare well for holy communion, a soul should be
disposed on two main points: it should be detached from creatures and have a
great desire to advance in divine love.
In
the first place, then, a soul should detach itself from all things, and drive
everything from its heart which is not God. He that is washed, saith Jesus,
needeth not but to wash his feet, but is clean wholly" (John xiii. 10);
which signifies, as St. Bernard explains it, that in order to receive this
sacrament with great fruit, we should not only be cleansed from mortal sins,
but that our feet also should be washed, that is, be free from earthly
affections; for being in contact with the earth they excite a sort of
repugnance in God, and soiling the soul prevent the effects of holy communion.
St. Gertrude asked Our Lord what preparation He required of her for holy
communion, and He replied: I only ask
that thou shouldst come empty of thyself to receive Me.
In
the second place, it is necessary in holy communion to have a great desire to
receive Jesus Christ and His holy love. In this sacred banquet, says Gerson,
only those who are famishing receive their fill; and the most blessed Virgin
Mary had already said the same thing: He hath filled the hungry with good
things (Luke i. 53). As Jesus, writes the venerable Father Avila, only came
into this world after He had been much and long desired, so does He only enter
a soul which desires Him; for it is not becoming that such food should be given
him who has a loathing for it. Our Lord one day said to St. Matilda: No bee
flies with such impetuosity to flowers, to suck their honey, as I fly to souls
in holy communion, driven by the violence of My love.
Since,
then, Jesus Christ has so great a desire to come into our souls, it is also
right that we also should have a great desire to receive Him and His divine
love by holy communion. St. Francis de Sales teaches us that the principal
object which a soul should have in view in communicating should be to advance
in the love of God; since He Who for love alone gives Himself to us should be received
for love.
St.
Mary Magdalene de Pazzi[9] Carmelite
mystic from Italy
Baptized Caterina, and affectionately known as "The Passion Flower
of the Eucharist," St. Mary Magdalene was taught mental prayer, also known
as meditation, at the tender age of nine, at the request of her mother. By age
10 she received her First Holy Communion and began experiencing mystical
ecstasies. When one experiences ecstasy, one is so filled with the Divine
Presence that the faculties of the soul (intellect, will, etc.) are
"suspended" and one is utterly filled with the love of God that you
might even fall unconscious.
Saint Mary Magdalene's first ecstasy happened at the sight of a beautiful
sunset. She was so struck by the beauty of God's creation that she trembled and
became speechless. Have you ever spent time just taking in the beauty of God's
creation? Especially now that summer is set to begin, take time to put down the
cell phone, shut off the television, and go outside and enjoy a gorgeous summer
sunset. Take in the grandeur of God's creation, and find the Creator of Love in
the simplest of things, or rather, let Him find you.
Soon after her first ecstasy and intimately encountering her Beloved,
Mary Magdalene made a private vow of virginity to the Lord. When her parents
wanted her to marry, as she was their only daughter, she revealed to them her
vow to the Lord, and she soon entered a Carmelite monastery. Her great love and
devotion to the Eucharist is what led her to enter the Carmel of St. Mary's of
the Angels, who had a special dispensation to daily receive Communion, which
was almost unheard of at the time. In her first ecstatic experience after
entering, her sisters found her weeping before a crucifix and crying out,
"O Love, you are neither known nor loved." She experienced within her
soul the pain that her Beloved Jesus experiences from the rejection of so many
souls on the earth. No doubt her tears, prayers, and penances brought
consolation to the wounded heart of Jesus, and you too can console his heart by
your prayers and penances. You may or may not have emotional experiences or
ecstasies in this lifetime, but your meditation on His passion and your prayers
and penances in reparation for those who reject His love can bring great
consolation to His heart.
For the majority of her time as a religious, St. Mary Magdalene endured
great physical suffering and illness. While experiencing excruciating
suffering, our Lord consoled her with His overwhelming presence and love. Mary
Magdalene was quite embarrassed by the attention this brought her. Some sisters
ridiculed her, and some sisters wished they experienced ecstasy like her. She
would say to those sisters that they should be thankful that they are strong
enough to advance in holiness without the Lord Jesus having to give extra graces
to keep them going. She was convinced of her misery and weakness because Jesus
would grant her so many graces while in suffering. That being said, she also
endured a five-year period of great dryness and severe temptations against
purity and to suicide. She received visions of the souls in Purgatory during
her time of purification and also received the sacred stigmata invisibly, as
she begged the Lord to keep it hidden. What is at the heart of this lesson is
being thankful for whatever season you are in with the Lord in your life.
Whether in a time of great consolation or desolation, the key is to persevere
in prayer and penance, in gratitude for God and always seeking His will.
Lastly, St. Mary Magdalene was known to have
playful, bantering tones with Jesus. One account given was that of Jesus
offering her a crown of thorns and a crown of flowers. She always insisted on
the crown of thorns, desiring to suffer for Jesus, but He would always insist
on giving her the crown of flowers. When He admonished her, "I called and
you didn't care," she came back with, "You didn't call loudly
enough" and told the Lord to shout His love. I would encourage those of
you reading this to grow in your personal relationship with Jesus. Talk with
Him throughout your day, make Him your best of friends, because He wants to be!
Don't be afraid to "be real" with Him, to share your struggles and
emotions, and also thank Him! Get to know Jesus, love Jesus, and ask for St.
Mary Magdalene de Pazzi's intercession so that her cry, "O Love, you are
neither known nor loved," can be changed to, "You are known and
loved!"
Please
pray for the intentions of my youngest son Vincent Michael (Conqueror-Who is
like God) whose birthday is today.
Catechism
of the Catholic Church
PART ONE: THE PROFESSION OF FAITH
SECTION TWO I. THE CREEDS
CHAPTER THREE-I BELIEVE IN THE HOLY
SPIRIT
ARTICLE 8-"I BELIEVE IN THE HOLY SPIRIT"
I. The
Joint Mission of the Son and the Spirit
689 The One whom the
Father has sent into our hearts, the Spirit of his Son, is truly
God. Consubstantial with the Father and the Son, the Spirit is inseparable
from them, in both the inner life of the Trinity and his gift of love for the
world. In adoring the Holy Trinity, life-giving, consubstantial, and
indivisible, the Church's faith also professes the distinction of persons. When
the Father sends his Word, he always sends his Breath. In their joint mission,
the Son and the Holy Spirit are distinct but inseparable. To be sure, it is
Christ who is seen, the visible image of the invisible God, but it is the
Spirit who reveals him.
690 Jesus is Christ,
"anointed," because the Spirit is his anointing, and everything that
occurs from the Incarnation on derives from this fullness. When Christ is
finally glorified, he can in turn send the Spirit from his place with the
Father to those who believe in him: he communicates to them his
glory, that is, the Holy Spirit who glorifies him. From that time on,
this joint mission will be manifested in the children adopted by the Father in
the Body of his Son: the mission of the Spirit of adoption is to unite them to
Christ and make them live in him:
The notion
of anointing suggests . . . that there is no distance between the Son and the
Spirit. Indeed, just as between the surface of the body and the anointing with
oil neither reason nor sensation recognizes any intermediary, so the contact of
the Son with the Spirit is immediate, so that anyone who would make contact
with the Son by faith must first encounter the oil by contact. In fact there is
no part that is not covered by the Holy Spirit. That is why the confession of
the Son's Lordship is made in the Holy Spirit by those who receive him, the
Spirit coming from all sides to those who approach the Son in faith.
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.
Daily
Devotions
·
Unite in the work of the Porters of St. Joseph by joining them
in fasting: The
sanctification of the Church Militant.
·
Litany of the Most Precious
Blood of Jesus
·
Offering to
the sacred heart of Jesus
· Total
Consecration to Mary Day 28
· Rosary
[1] John Maxwell, The Leadership
Bible.
[3]https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/donate-a-days-wages-to-charity-day/
[4]http://usccb.org/issues-and-action/human-life-and-dignity/abortion/excerpts-from-human-life-in-our-day.cfm
[5]https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/washington-could-become-first-state-legalize-human-composting-n952421
[6] https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/senior-health-fitness-day/
[8] Goffine’s Devout Instructions, 1896
[9]https://www.thedivinemercy.org/articles/who-was-st-mary-magdalene-de-pazzi
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