OCTOBER
TREES DECLARE THEIR OWN SERMON in
brief autumn's painted landscape. We note their size and type and variety and
beauty. Trees serve as symbols of the gift-giving aspects of our lives. Trees
provide fruit, wood, climatic modification, wind and sun protection, prevention
of soil erosion, and a host of other benefits. This is the time to plant trees
and to prepare them for winter. Should we not give more attention to how our
lives can bear fruit in Christ and in the protection of our forests?
Overview of October[1]
The
month of October is dedicated to the Holy Rosary. The
Memorial of Our Lady of the Rosary is celebrated on October 7. October falls
during the liturgical season known as Ordinary Time,
which is represented by the liturgical color green. During October, as in all
of Ordinary Time (formerly known as Time After Pentecost), the Liturgy
does not focus on one particular mystery of Christ but views the mystery of
Christ in all its aspects. We follow the life of Christ through the Gospels and
focus on the teachings and parables of Jesus and what it means for each of us
to be a follower of Christ.
Autumn
Festivities
October
usually is an enjoyable time of the year in the United States. The autumn
season manifests itself with wonderful fall foliage in many parts of the
country. The temperatures are cooler, inviting people outdoors for nature
walks, apple or pumpkin picking. The celebrations of the Church for the month
of October are also wonderful and unique. The feasts of some of the most
popular saints of the universal Church are celebrated during this month: St.
Therese the Little Flower (France), St. Francis of Assisi (Italy) and St.
Teresa of Avila (Spain). These saints come from different countries, and in
honoring these saints we can include cultural dishes or activities from each
country to make the feast day even more special. Read more about the lives of
these saints. Perhaps the family can pick one virtue that each saint practiced
well and try to implement it.
The
feasts in October also include two of the most popular, time-honored devotions
of Catholics, the devotion to the Holy Rosary (October 7) and the Guardian
Angels
(October 2). In October 2002 our Holy Father John Paul II wrote the Apostolic
Letter Rosarium
Virginis Mariae
(the Rosary of the Virgin Mary)."
This letter introduced five new mysteries, called the Luminous or Mysteries of
Light, which are (1) Jesus' Baptism in the Jordan, (2) Jesus' self-manifestation
at the wedding of Cana, (3) Proclamation of the Kingdom of God, with the call
to conversion, (4) the Transfiguration, and (5) the Institution of the
Eucharist. Try to make a more concerted effort to pray the Rosary together as a
family during the month of October, read the Apostolic Letter to understand the
beauty of this devotion more deeply, and pray the new Luminous mysteries.
October 16 is known as "Pope Day" on which we celebrate the gift of
the papacy and our current pope.
Every
person has a guardian angel assigned to them, and October 2 the Church
celebrates the role of these Guardian Angels. We should show devout gratitude
to God for placing these angels at our service. Having a guardian should give
us confidence during all of life's difficulties. Every Catholic should know the
Angele Dei (Angel of God) prayer and pray it often. The Directory on
Popular Piety suggests that families pray it at morning and evening prayers
or after the Angelus.
All
Hallows' Eve or Halloween heralds the month of November with emphasis on the
Communion of Saints, especially the Church Suffering (the Poor Souls in
Purgatory) and the second coming of Christ or parousia. This last day
of October on the secular calendar is second only to Christmas in commercial
preparations. The secular festivities center on ghouls, witches and devils, but
the Christian counterpart focus on the communion of saints. As Christians
living a "Catholic Culture", we should try to explore the Christian
roots of the Halloween festivities.
October:
Respect Life Month[2]
We mark the month of
October as Respect Life Month. Looking back over the last year, there's been a
lot of uncertainty, suffering, and heartache. Between tragedies that occur in the public eye and trials that take
place in our personal lives, there's no shortage of reasons we cry out to God.
At such times, we may feel alone and unequipped to handle the circumstances.
But we have an anchor of hope to cling to. With words that echo through
thousands of years into the corners of our hearts, God says to us, "Do not
fear: I am with you" (Isaiah 41:10). God isn't a detached, distant
observer to our pain; the Eternal Son became man and Himself experienced
immense suffering—for you and for me. His wounds indicate the very essence of
our identity and worth: we are loved by God. There are times we may doubt the
value of our own lives or falter at the thought of welcoming and embracing the
life of another. But reflecting on the healed wounds of the Risen Christ, we
can see that even our most difficult trials can be the place where God
manifests his victory. He makes all things beautiful. He makes all things new.
He is the God of redemption. That's powerful. That's something to hold onto.
And, He is always with us. Jesus promised this when he gave the disciples the
same mission, he gives to each of us: Go. As followers of Jesus Christ, we know
that our identity and our mission are two sides of the same coin; like the
apostles, we are called to be missionary disciples. We are not only invited to
follow and take refuge in God, our stronghold, but we are also commissioned to
reach out to one another, especially to the weak and vulnerable. Building a
culture of life isn't something we just do one month of the year, or with one
event or initiative—it's essential to who we are. It happens through our daily
actions, how we treat one another, and how we live our lives. How do we respond
when our aging parents are in failing health? Do they know how much we love
them and cherish each day given? Do we ensure they know they are never a burden
to us? In our own challenging times, do we ask for support? When others offer a
helping hand, do we receive it? When our friend becomes pregnant in difficult
circumstances, do we show compassion that tangibly supports her and helps her
welcome the life of her new little one? Sometimes, we may not be sure exactly
what to do, but let's not allow the fear of doing the wrong thing or saying the
wrong thing keep us from living out our missionary call. We don't need to have
everything figured out all at once. Let's remember the guidance of Our Blessed
Mother, the first disciple: "Do whatever he tells you" (John 2:5). https://www.usccb.org/prolife
Reverence
Life[3]
From the time we are knit
together in our mothers’ wombs
until we take our final breaths, each moment of our lives is a gift from God.
While every season of life brings its own challenges and trials, each season
also gives us new opportunities to grow in our relationship with God. Today the
gift of life is threatened in countless ways. Those who are most vulnerable,
rather than receiving the protection they deserve, are all too often seen as a
burden and as expendable. As new attacks on human life continue to emerge, we
can be tempted to despair, but Christ instead offers us unfailing hope. Hope is
not false optimism or empty positivity. Christian hope is something much more
profound and goes to the very depths of our identity as followers of Christ.
Hope is the virtue “by which
we desire the kingdom of heaven and eternal life as our happiness, placing our
trust in Christ’s
promises and relying not on our own strength, but on the help of the grace of
the Holy Spirit” (CCC,
1817).
Like us, Christ entered
the world through the womb of a woman. He willingly experienced the fullness of
human suffering. He breathed his last on the Cross at Calvary in order that He
might save us. Therefore, “God
is the foundation of hope: not any god, but the God who has a human face and
who has loved us to the end”
(Spe salvi 31).
Christians know “they have a future: it is not that
they know the details of what awaits them, but they know in general terms that
their life will not end in emptiness”
(SS 2).
For this reason, a woman
experiencing a difficult pregnancy can find the strength to welcome her
precious child into the world. A man facing a terminal diagnosis can see that
the end of his earthly life is only the beginning of eternal life with Christ.
The Church teaches us that “the
one who has hope lives differently”
(SS 2).
Christ’s promise of salvation does not
mean that we will be spared from suffering. Rather, the promise of salvation
ensures that even in the darkest moments of our lives, we will be given the
strength to persevere. By virtue of this Christian hope, we can face any
challenge or trial. When the seas of life swell and we are battered by the waves,
hope allows us to remain anchored in the heart of God. May we hold fast to
Christ our hope, from the beginning of life to its very end.
October
Travel and Events
September 30-Oct 23---Texas State Fair (Dallas)
“Our state fair is a
great state fair.” How can it not be when it’s in Texas? Beginning the last
Friday in September, the annual Texas State Fair unfolds over 24 days in
Dallas, TX, with plenty of fun for the whole family, including the chance to
ride this Ferris wheel – the largest in North America.
September 17-Oct. 3---Oktoberfest
Raise a stein to Oktoberfest. This annual, 16-day celebration of all thing’s beer kicks
off in late September in Munich. Can’t make it to Germany? Bring your taste for
brewski to these US Oktoberfest events.
Grand Canyon (Arizona)
Take advantage of
off-season travel to popular landmarks such as the Grand Canyon. Each October, the 1.2-million-acre
park sees half its summer crowds. Enjoy cooler temperatures (in the 70s), as
well as the deepening colors of aspen, oak and birch trees that adorn this
national treasure.
Race for the Cure
On your mark, get set …
join one of the hundreds of Race for the Cure events taking place in cities
across the US this month. Go pink for Breast Cancer Awareness Month at any
number of walks and races occurring nationwide, and make it a Pinktober to
remember.
Acadia National Park
(Maine)
Catch a glimpse of
Maine’s gorgeous fall colors at Acadia National Park this month. Each October,
600,000 visitors enter the park, but with 47,000 acres to explore, you’ll have
plenty of leaf-peeping options. Looking for something closer to home? Check out
our favorite fall foliage road trips.
October 6 & 8---Ironman World Championship
(Kailua-Kona, HI)
See some of the world’s
most elite athletes compete in the big daddy of Ironman events. More than 2,000 athletes from
around the world will set out on a 140.6-mile triathlon race from Kona, HI.
Come as a participant, spectator or volunteer because this is one competition
you won’t soon forget.
October 6-9---New York
Comic Con
Gear up as the X-Men or
any other favorite action hero at the largest comic and pop culture celebration
on the East Coast. Showcasing the latest in comics, graphic novels, video
games, anime and more, New York Comic Con kicks off at the Jacob K. Javits
Convention Center.
Begin October 7th---MLB
World Series
Head to one of America’s
most iconic baseball stadiums and take in the spirit of the World Series. One
of our favorite stadiums remains Yankees Stadium, home to 27 World Series wins.
Whatever your stadium of choice, you’re likely to have a hard time passing up
all the mouthwatering ballpark food.
October 7-14---Austin
City Limits (Austin, TX)
Head to the most
extraordinary 3-day music fest of its kind in the US. Held each year in
Austin’s Zilker Park, Austin City Limits draws more than 130 music acts,
showcasing the best in indie, rock, country and more, across 8 stages.
October 10---Chicago
Marathon
Lace up your running
shoes and head to the Windy City for the Chicago Marathon. One of the 6 major marathons,
this annual race welcomes both elite athletes and everyday runners from all 50
states and more than 100 countries. Even if you’re not participating, join
runners as they cross the finish line in Chicago’s Grant Park for the post-race party, which features live
entertainment and vendors.
Iceman’s Calendar
·
October 1st MASS First
Saturday
·
October 2nd Seventeenth
Sunday after Pentecost
o Feast
of the Guardian Angels
·
October 4th St.
Francis of Assisi
·
October 5th MASS
First Wednesday
·
October 7th MASS
First Friday
·
October 9th Eighteenth
Sunday after Pentecost
·
October 10th Columbus
Day Monday day off no mail
·
October 15 St.
Teresa of Jesus
·
October 16th Nineteenth
Sunday after Pentecost
·
October 18th Feast
of St. Luke
· October
23rd Twentieth
Sunday after Pentecost
·
October 24th Feast
of St. Simon and Jude
·
October 30th Twenty
First Sunday after Pentecost
·
October 31st All
Hollows Eve
[2]http://www.usccb.org/about/pro-life-activities/respect-life-program/2017/2017-respect-life-statement.cfm
[3]https://docs.wixstatic.com/ugd/20d9f7_6b7f9951fc3b4422bd2ddcce9a234d47.pdf?index=true
OCTOBER 1 First Saturday
THÉRÈSE Of the Child Jesus-INTL COFFEE DAY
By faith Moses was hidden by his parents for three months after his birth, because they saw that he was a beautiful child, and they were not afraid of the king’s edict.
Moses parents must have had a great enjoyment of life for how else they could have refused to kill a beautiful child of God and be not afraid of the king’s edict. Their fear was set aside by their love and by the faith they had in the love of their God.
Christ advices us in today’s gospel
that “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord, ‘will enter the Kingdom of
heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven.” (Mathew
7:21) The will of the Father is that we be filled with love. God is love
therefore if we are to have a covenant with God the highest and holiest point
of this relationship and the very condition for eternal life is the union of
the soul to God by love. Christ was reiterating that life cannot exist where
the love of God is not, and the love of God cannot exist where there is
rebellion against Him. The Ten Commandments that Moses gave began with “thou
shall not” were summed up by Christ into two great commandments which is “Thou
shalt love God” and “Thou shalt love thy neighbor”. Therefore, the yielding of
the mind and heart to selfish sins or thoughts of lust, murder or any dozens of
evil actions is as sinful as the act. The core of sin is the soul of man
twisting itself out of the right relationship with God.[1]
First Saturday[2]
The Five First
Saturday’s devotion is one of the principal points of the Fatima message. It
centers on the urgent need for mankind to offer reparation and expiate for the
many injuries that the Immaculate Heart of Mary suffers from the hands of both
impious and indifferent men.
On the First Saturday during 5 Consecutive
Months, the Devotion consists of:
1. Going to Confession,
2. Receiving the Sacrament of Holy Communion,
3. Saying five decades of the Rosary,
4. Meditating for 15 minutes on the mysteries of the Rosary.
All this offered in REPARATION for the sins of
blasphemy and ingratitude committed against the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
During the third apparition on July 13, 1917, Our Lady
revealed that she would come to ask for the consecration of Russia to her
Immaculate Heart and for the Communion of Reparation of the Five First
Saturdays. Consequently, she asked for the devotion in 1925 and the
consecration in 1929. While staying at the House of the Dorothean Sister in
Pontevedra, Portugal, Sister Lucia received a vision on December 10, 1925,
where the Blessed Mother appeared alongside a Boy who stood over a luminous
cloud. Our Lady rested one hand on the Boy’s shoulder while she held on the
other hand a heart pierced with thorns around it. Sister Lucia heard the Boy
say, "Have pity on the Heart of your Most Holy Mother which is covered
with thorns with which ingrate men pierce it at every moment with no one to
make an act of reparation to pull them out." Our Lady expressed her
request in the following words, "See, my daughter, My Heart surrounded
with thorns with which ingrates pierce me at every moment with blasphemies and
ingratitude. You, at least, make sure to console me and announce that all those
who for five months, on the first Saturdays, go to confession, receive
Communion, say five decades of the Rosary and keep me company for 15 minutes
meditating on the mysteries of the Rosary, with the purpose of making
reparation to Me, I promise to assist them at the hour of death with all the
graces necessary for the salvation of their souls." A few days
afterward, Sister Lucia detailed this vision in a letter addressed to Monsignor
Manuel Pereira Lopes, her confessor when she resided in the Asylum of Vilar in
the city of Oporto, Portugal.
Why Five Saturdays?
Sister Lucia’s confessor questioned her about the reason
for the five Saturdays asking why not seven or nine. She answered him in a letter
dated June 12, 1930. In it she related about a vision she had of Our Lord while
staying in the convent chapel part of the night of the twenty-ninth to the
thirtieth of the month of May, 1930. The reasons Our Lord gave were as follows:
The five first Saturdays correspond to the five kinds of offenses and
blasphemies committed against the Immaculate Heart of Mary. They are:
1.
Blasphemies against the Immaculate Conception
2.
Blasphemies against her virginity
3.
Blasphemies against her divine maternity, at the same
time the refusal to accept her as the Mother of all men
4.
Instilling, indifference, scorn and even hatred towards
this Immaculate Mother in the hearts of children
5.
Direct insults against Her sacred images
Let us keep the above reasons firmly in our minds.
Devotions have intentions attached to them and knowing them adds merit and
weight to the practice.
Modifications to the Five First Saturdays
Devotion to facilitate its observation
The original request of Our Lady asks one to confess and
receive Communion on five consecutive first Saturdays; to say five decades of
the Rosary; to meditate during 15 minutes on the mysteries of the Rosary for
the purpose of making reparation to the Immaculate Heart of Mary in reparations
for the sins of men. In subsequent private visions and apparitions however,
Sister Lucia presented to Our Lord the difficulties that devotees encountered
in fulfilling some conditions. With loving condescension and solicitude, Our
Lord deigned to relax the rules to make this devotion easy to observe:
·
Confession may be done on other days other than
the First Saturdays so long as one receives Our Lord worthily and has the
intention of making reparation to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
·
Even if one forgets to make the intention, it
may be done on the next confession, taking advantage of the first occasion to
go to confession.
·
Sister Lucia also clarified that it is not
necessary to meditate on ALL mysteries of the Rosary on each First Saturdays.
One or several suffice.
With much latitude granted by Our Lord Himself, there is no
reason for the faithful to hesitate or delay this pious practice in the spirit
of reparation which the Immaculate Heart of Mary urgently asks.
This devotion is so necessary in our days
The culture of vice and sin remains unabated even as one
reads this. Abortion, blasphemy, drug abuse, pornography, divorce and bad
marriages, religious indifference, the advances of the homosexual agenda and
others are just some of society’s many plagues that cut deeply into the
Immaculate Heart of Mary. We must
console Our Lady amidst all these insults and injuries to her and her Divine
Son. She asks for reparation, she pleads for our prayers, she hopes for our
amendment of life. Let us listen to her maternal pleas and atone for the
ingratitude of men. The First Five Saturday’s devotion stimulates the spirit of
reparation; it instills a tender love for the Holy Sacraments of Confession and
the Blessed Eucharist. It nurtures a holy affection for the Immaculate Heart of
Mary and the Rosary. Above all, it is an excellent means to maintain one in the
state of grace while immersed in the daily spiritual battles and prosaic
existence in the neo-pagan world that we live in. Let us not delay in observing
this devotion for it too gives us hope for eternal salvation.
Memorial of Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus[3]
VATICAN
CITY (CNS) -- Pope Benedict XVI called St. Therese of Lisieux's autobiography,
"The Story of a Soul," a wonderful authentic "treasure" and
invited everyone to read it. The 19th-century Carmelite saint's teaching of
"the 'little way" of holiness has been so influential in our
time." His catechesis was a continuation of a series of talks dedicated to
the "doctors of the church," men and women who made important contributions to Catholic
theological understanding. St. Therese, who was born in 1873 in France, died at
the age of 24 of hemoptysis, or bleeding of the lungs. Her spirituality
"centered on the contemplation of God's love revealed in the mysteries of
the incarnation and redemption," the pope said. The saint "sought to
be little in all things and to seek the salvation of the world," he said.
Her autobiography was published a year after her death and was enormously
successful in many parts of the world, he said. "I would like to invite
all of you to rediscover this great little treasure, this glowing commentary on
the Gospel fully lived," the pope said. The book is "a wonderful
story of love, told with such
authenticity, simplicity and freshness that the reader will be nothing but
captivated," he said. "Therese shows all of us that Christian life is
fully living the grace of baptism," by fully giving oneself over to God
and by living like Christ, he said. The pope said "her example and prayers
help us to follow 'the little way of trust and love' in spiritual childhood,
abandoning ourselves completely to the love
of God and the good of souls." A childlike faith in God entails giving
oneself fully to him and putting one's life completely in his hands, the pope
said. Such faith is "inseparable from true love," which is a total giving of self, he said. The pope said
the faithful need to tell God every day that "we want to live out our love for him and others." St.
Therese's life and teachings are "a guide for everyone" especially
for theologians, he said, because she approached the sacred Scriptures with "humility
and charity, faith and hope."
Things to
Do[4]
·
Find
photographs of St. Therese and her family.
Her sister Celine and cousin Marier Guerin had become interested in the art of
photography, and when Celine entered the Carmelites with her sisters, she was
given permission to bring her equipment and use it in the convent. A wonderful
out-of-print book with all the photographs of this saint is called The Photo
Album of St. Therese of Lisieux.
·
Read
St. Therese's autobiography The Story of a Soul: The Autobiography of St.
Therese of Lisieux. The translation by John Clarke is considered the most
accurate. Find biographies suitable for your children.
·
The Institute
of Carmelite Studies
has a wonderful collection of writings by St. Therese and other books about
her.
·
Read
more about her confidence in God, an excellent book is I Believe in Love: A
Personal Retreat Based on the Teaching of St. Therese of Lisieux by Father
Jean C. J. d'Elbee .
·
St.
Therese belonged to the Discalced order of Carmelites, which means unshod or
barefoot. Find out more about the order of Carmelites.
·
From
the Catholic Culture Library:
o Pope Saint John Paul II from 1997 Divini Amoris
Scientia (Apostolic
Letter Proclaiming St. Therese of Lisieux a Doctor of the Church)
o Pope Saint John Paul II from 1997 Homily at Mass
proclaiming Therese to be Doctor of the Church
o Apostolic Exhortation of Paul VI
from 1975 On Christian Joy
(Gaudete in Domino).
He speaks of St. Therese:
In more recent times, St. Therese of Lisieux shows us
the courageous way of abandonment into the hands of God to whom she entrusts
her littleness. And yet it is not that she has no experience of the feeling of
God's absence, a feeling which our century is harshly experiencing:
"Sometimes it seems that the little bird (to which she compared herself)
cannot believe that anything else exists except the clouds that envelop it....
This is the moment of perfect joy for the poor, weak little thing.... What
happiness for it to remain there nevertheless, and to gaze at the invisible
light that hides from its faith."
o Short
Autobiography of St. Therese
o Therese of
Liseiux — No Plaster Saint
·
Learn
about the Society of the Little Flower.
·
There
is the historic National Shrine of the Little
Flower in Royal
Oak, Michigan, a Basilica of the
National Shrine of the Little Flower
in San Antonio, Texas.
·
Bake
a cake or brownies and frost. Decorate with roses, either real, artificial,
marzipan, icing, candy or other. Let your imagination go! See top bar for
marzipan suggestions.
·
Learn about St. Therese's sacrifice
beads, purchase or learn to make them.
· Do some rose crafts or recipes today. St. Therese's dying words were: "I will let fall a shower of roses after my death." Catholic Culture has some wonderful old-fashioned rose recipes.
International
Coffee Day[5]
International
Coffee Day seeks to celebrate coffee from around the world while honoring the
farmers, traders, roasters and baristas responsible for creating the coffees
that are enjoyed by so many people worldwide. According to an Ethiopian
legend, coffee, a black bean enclosed in red berry, was discovered by a goat
herder in the Ethiopian highlands when he noticed that his goats had become
overly energetic after eating the berries. Slowly, the herder's discovery
spread throughout the Arabian Peninsula, into Europe and finally to the New
World, increasing the demand for coffee and making it the second most sought
after commodity in the world today (crude oil being the first). Organized by
the International Coffee Organization and its 75 Member States, International
Coffee Day was first celebrated on October 1, 2015 in Milan, Italy at Expo
2015. The International Coffee Organization is an intergovernmental
organization that unifies coffee exporting and importing governments through
international cooperation with the aim of creating a sustainable coffee market
and lowering poverty levels in developing countries that harvest coffee.
International Coffee Day Facts
& Quotes
·
Based on the Food Regulation Standing Committee
and Caffeine Working Group, Red bull has an average caffeine content of 32.0
mg/100ml, compared to a cappuccino which has caffeine content of 101.9
mg/100ml. Espresso style coffee made from ground coffee beans has 194.0
mg/ml of caffeine content. According to the Mayo Clinic, up to 400mg of
caffeine is the safe limit for most adults
·
Kopi Luwak is one of the most expensive coffees
brewed in the world. Kopi Luwak it is made with digested coffee beans
that had been eaten and defecated by an Asian toddy cat (Asian palm civet).
This rare coffee can cost between $35-80 US dollars for a single cup.
·
Long-term caffeine intake can lead to a caffeine
addiction/dependence, which has been medically recognized as a disorder.
When individuals with a caffeine addiction abstain from caffeine, they
may experience withdrawal symptoms including headache, fatigue, difficulty
concentrating and mood changes.
·
According to the Coffee Organization, 143
million 60kg bags of coffee were produced in 2015 and Brazil was the leading
exporter of coffee, with more than 18,953 60kg bags of coffee exported between
August 2015 and January 2016.
· I am a coffee fanatic. Once you go to proper coffee, you can't go back. You cannot go back. - Hugh Laurie, Dr. House actor
Coffee with Christ[6]
The idea of this book is
to seek friendship with God through Christ, the Holy Spirit and His
mother-Mary. Prayer is, in its purest sense, a personal journey or intimacy
with Our Lord. There is no greater help in our life’s journey in this world
than through friendship with Jesus Christ and His mother. The imaginary premise
of this book is to have a regular “Coffee Clutch” with Christ and gather for
coffee and conversation through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Ideally
this book will serve as encouragement for you to enter into your own “coffee
clutch” with
Catechism
of the Catholic Church
PART THREE: LIFE IN CHRIST
SECTION ONE-MAN'S VOCATION LIFE IN THE
SPIRIT
Article 1
MAN: THE IMAGE OF GOD
1701 "Christ, . . .
in the very revelation of the mystery of the Father and of his love, makes man
fully manifest to himself and brings to light his exalted vocation." It
is in Christ, "the image of the invisible God," that man has
been created "in the image and likeness" of the Creator. It is in
Christ, Redeemer and Savior, that the divine image, disfigured in man by the
first sin, has been restored to its original beauty and ennobled by the grace
of God.
1702 The divine image is present in every man. It shines forth
in the communion of persons, in the likeness of the union of the divine persons
among themselves (cf chapter two).
1703 Endowed with "a spiritual and immortal" soul, The
human person is "the only creature on earth that God has willed for its
own sake." From his conception, he is destined for eternal beatitude.
1704 The human person participates in the light and power of
the divine Spirit. By his reason, he is capable of understanding the order of
things established by the Creator. By free will, he is capable of directing
himself toward his true good. He finds his perfection "in seeking and
loving what is true and good."
1705 By virtue of his soul and his spiritual powers of
intellect and will, man is endowed with freedom, an "outstanding
manifestation of the divine image."
1706 By his reason, man recognizes the voice of God which urges
him "to do what is good and avoid what is evil." Everyone is
obliged to follow this law, which makes itself heard in conscience and is
fulfilled in the love of God and of neighbor. Living a moral life bears witness
to the dignity of the person.
1707 "Man, enticed by the Evil One, abused his freedom at
the very beginning of history." He succumbed to temptation and did
what was evil. He still desires the good, but his nature bears the wound of
original sin. He is now inclined to evil and subject to error:
Man is divided in himself. As a result, the whole life of men, both individual
and social, shows itself to be a struggle, and a dramatic one, between good and
evil, between light and darkness.
1708 By his Passion, Christ delivered us from Satan and from
sin. He merited for us the new life in the Holy Spirit. His grace restores what
sin had damaged in us.
1709 He who believes in Christ becomes a son of God. This
filial adoption transforms him by giving him the ability to follow the example
of Christ. It makes him capable of acting rightly and doing good. In union with
his Savior, the disciple attains the perfection of charity which is holiness. Having
matured in grace, the moral life blossoms into eternal life in the glory of
heaven.
Daily
Devotions
·
Unite in the work of the Porters of St. Joseph by joining them
in fasting: Today's Fast: End
to abortion
· Saturday Litany of the Hours
Invoking the Aid of Mother Mary
·
Religion
in the Home for Preschool: October
·
Litany of the Most Precious
Blood of Jesus
·
Offering to
the sacred heart of Jesus
·
Rosary
[1] F. J. Sheed, Map of Life, 1954.
[3]http://www.catholicnews.com/services/englishnews/2011/pope-urges-everyone-to-rediscover-st-therese-s-autobiography.cfm
[4]https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/calendar/day.cfm?date=2020-10-01
[5] http://www.wincalendar.com/International-Coffee-Day
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