Monday Night at the Movies
Fred Zinnemann, A Man for All Seasons, 1966
Introduction to Revelation[1]
The
Apocalypse, or Revelation to John, the last book of the Bible, is one of the
most difficult to understand because it abounds in unfamiliar and extravagant
symbolism, which at best appears unusual to the modern reader. Symbolic
language, however, is one of the chief characteristics of apocalyptic
literature, of which this book is an outstanding example. Such literature
enjoyed wide popularity in both Jewish and Christian circles from ca. 200 B.C.
to A.D. 200. This book contains an account of visions in symbolic and
allegorical language borrowed extensively from the Old Testament, especially
Ezekiel, Zechariah, and Daniel. Whether or not these visions were real
experiences of the author or simply literary conventions employed by him is an
open question. This much, however, is certain: symbolic descriptions are not to
be taken as literal descriptions, nor is the symbolism meant to be pictured
realistically. One would find it difficult and repulsive to visualize a lamb
with seven horns and seven eyes; yet Jesus Christ is described in precisely
such words. The author used these images to suggest Christ’s universal (seven)
power (horns) and knowledge (eyes). A significant feature of apocalyptic
writing is the use of symbolic colors, metals, garments, and numbers (four
signifies the world, six imperfection, seven totality or perfection, twelve
Israel’s tribes or the apostles, one thousand immensity). Finally, the
vindictive language in the book is also to be understood symbolically and not
literally. The cries for vengeance on the lips of Christian martyrs that sound
so harsh are in fact literary devices the author employed to evoke in the
reader and hearer a feeling of horror for apostasy and rebellion that will be
severely punished by God. The lurid descriptions of the punishment of Jezebel
and of the destruction of the great harlot, Babylon, are likewise literary
devices. The metaphor of Babylon as harlot would be wrongly construed if
interpreted literally. On the other hand, the stylized figure of the woman
clothed with the sun, depicting the New Israel, may seem to be a negative
stereotype. It is necessary to look beyond the literal meaning to see that these
images mean to convey a sense of God’s wrath at sin in the former case and
trust in God’s providential care over the church in the latter. The Book of
Revelation cannot be adequately understood except against the historical
background that occasioned its writing. Like Daniel and other apocalypses, it
was composed as resistance literature to meet a crisis. The book itself
suggests that the crisis was ruthless persecution of the early church by the
Roman authorities; the harlot Babylon symbolizes pagan Rome, the city on seven
hills. The book is, then, an exhortation and admonition to Christians of the
first century to stand firm in the faith and to avoid compromise with paganism,
despite the threat of adversity and martyrdom; they are to await patiently the fulfillment
of God’s mighty promises. The triumph of God in the world of men and women
remains a mystery, to be accepted in faith and longed for in hope. It is a
triumph that unfolded in the history of Jesus of Nazareth and continues to
unfold in the history of the individual Christian who follows the way of the
cross, even, if necessary, to a martyr’s death. Though the perspective is
eschatological—ultimate salvation and victory are said to take place at the end
of the present age when Christ will come in glory at the parousia—the book
presents the decisive struggle of Christ and his followers against Satan and
his cohorts as already over. Christ’s overwhelming defeat of the kingdom of
Satan ushered in the everlasting reign of God. Even the forces of evil unwittingly
carry out the divine plan, for God is the sovereign Lord of history. The Book
of Revelation had its origin in a time of crisis, but it remains valid and
meaningful for Christians of all time. In the face of apparently insuperable
evil, either from within or from without, all Christians are called to trust in
Jesus’ promise, “Behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age”. Those
who remain steadfast in their faith and confidence in the risen Lord need have
no fear. Suffering, persecution, even death by martyrdom, though remaining
impenetrable mysteries of evil, do not comprise an absurd dead end. No matter
what adversity or sacrifice Christians may endure, they will in the end triumph
over Satan and his forces because of their fidelity to Christ the victor. This
is the enduring message of the book; it is a message of hope and consolation
and challenge for all who dare to believe. The author of the book calls himself
John, who because of his Christian faith has been exiled to the rocky island of
Patmos, a Roman penal colony. Although he never claims to be John the apostle,
whose name is attached to the fourth gospel, he was so identified by several of
the early church Fathers, including Justin, Irenaeus, Clement of Alexandria,
Tertullian, Cyprian, and Hippolytus. This identification, however, was denied
by other Fathers, including Denis of Alexandria, Eusebius of Caesarea, Cyril of
Jerusalem, Gregory Nazianzen, and John Chrysostom. Indeed, vocabulary, grammar,
and style make it doubtful that the book could have been put into its present
form by the same person(s) responsible for the fourth gospel. Nevertheless,
there are definite linguistic and theological affinities between the two books.
The tone of the letters to the seven churches is indicative of the great
authority the author enjoyed over the Christian communities in Asia. It is
possible, therefore, that he was a disciple of John the apostle, who is
traditionally associated with that part of the world. The date of the book in
its present form is probably near the end of the reign of Domitian (A.D.
81–96), a fierce persecutor of the Christians.
OCTOBER 10 Monday
COLUMBUS DAY HOLIDAY-World Mental Health Day
Revelation, Chapter 1, Verse 17-18
17 When
I caught sight of him, I fell down at his feet as though dead. He touched me
with his right hand and said, “Do not be AFRAID.
I am the first and the last, 18 the
one who lives. Once I was dead, but now I am alive forever and ever. I hold the
keys to death and the netherworld.
All have
sinned; all are unjust. Have you ever thought “Now comes the reckoning for his
blood” as Joseph’s brothers did (OT: coat of many colors)? Yet, the Lord has
touched us, and it is important to
note that he has touched us with his right hand; signifying power, forgiveness
and authority saying, “Do not be afraid”.
Saint Pope John Paul II was an
example of someone who walked through the valley of the shadow of death and feared
no evil. The Lord’s rod and staff sustained him through the nightmare of the
Nazis and the Communists. Both were evil empires devoted to the destruction of
life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness for all except for the few selected elites. These empires systematically replaced God
with the rule of the chosen ones of the State. People from both the Fatherland
and the Motherland sat by and watched the evil grow without taking decisive
action, making the adage ‘All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that
good men (or women) do nothing.’ Remember to measure our nation and our
politics with Gods Rod (Rods were
often used in ancient times to measure) and not the political States or the
media nor the opinion of the rich and the powerful. Let us be ever ready to
speak up for what is righteous using Gods rod, which are His laws of justice
and mercy, working tirelessly and remember Saint Pope John Paul II words of
encouragement, “I plead with you –
never, ever give up on hope, never doubt, never tire, and never become
discouraged. Be not afraid.”
Let us also carry with us for the journey the
Staff of God which is truth, not worldly truth but Gods truth. “The word of
truth, publicly, indeed almost liturgically, proclaimed was the antidote the
Rhapsodic Theater sought to apply to the violent lies of the Occupation. The
tools for fighting evil included speaking truth to power.” [2]
Satan has in the past assailed us by evil governments; is it any wonder that having been unsuccessful; that now the attack comes from within. Let us remember it is Christ who holds the keys to death and the netherworld.
Columbus Day[3]
Columbus Day is the celebration of the arrival of Christopher Columbus in the Americas on October 12, 1492. Christopher Columbus was an Italian-born explorer who discovered the Americas for the Spanish King Ferdinand of Spain. Columbus set off into the Atlantic with three ships, the Nina, the Pinta and the Santa Maria. Two months later he would set foot on the Bahamas and establish settlements on Hispanola Island (now Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Upon his return to Spain, he spoke of gold in the New World and thus the Americas were opened up for European colonization. In 1937, President Franklin D. Roosevelt declared October 12th every year as Columbus Day. In the US, Columbus Day is celebrated by all US states except for Hawaii, South Dakota and Alaska. Columbus Day now occurs on the second Monday in October each year.
Columbus
Day Facts & Quotes
·
Colorado was the first state to officially
recognize and celebrate Columbus Day in 1906.
·
Christopher Columbus' first settlement on
Hispaniola Island was called Villa de Navidad (Christmas Town)
·
In 1971, the official holiday was moved to the
second Monday in October in order to give workers in the US a long weekend.
This was part of the Uniform Monday Holiday Act.
·
Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever
achieve greatly. - Robert F. Kennedy
·
You can never cross the ocean unless you
have the courage to lose sight of the shore. - Christopher Columbus
Columbus
Day Top Events and Things to Do
·
Attend a Columbus Day Parade. The parade
in New York City is one of the largest.
·
Eat some good Italian food.
·
Watch a parade.
·
Visit the Library of Congress's online exhibit 1492:
An Ongoing Voyage.
·
Host a scavenger hunt for the neighborhood kids
and let them become Explorers for the afternoon.
Thanks to the efforts
of Father Michael J. McGivney, assistant pastor of St. Mary’s Church in New
Haven and some of his parishioners, the Connecticut state legislature on March
29, 1882, officially chartered the Knights of Columbus as a fraternal benefit society.
The Order is still true to its founding principles of charity, unity and
fraternity. The Knights was formed to render financial aid to members and their
families. Mutual aid and assistance are offered to sick, disabled and needy
members and their families. Social and intellectual fellowship is promoted
among members and their families through educational, charitable, religious,
social welfare, war relief and public relief works. The history of the Order
shows how the foresight of Father Michael J. McGivney, whose cause for
sainthood is being investigated by the Vatican, brought about what has become
the world's foremost Catholic fraternal benefit society. The Order has helped
families obtain economic security and stability through its life insurance,
annuity and long-term care programs, and has contributed time and energy
worldwide to service in communities. The Knights of Columbus has grown from
several members in one council to 15,342 councils and 1.9 million members
throughout the United States, Canada, the Philippines, Mexico, Poland, the
Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Panama, the Bahamas, the Virgin Islands, Cuba,
Guatemala, Guam, Saipan, Lithuania, Ukraine, and South Korea
World
Mental Health Day[5]
World Mental Health Day
seeks to raise awareness of mental health illnesses while educating the population
and mobilizing efforts to support mental health. Mental health, which includes
a person's emotional, psychological and social well-being, has become
increasingly important in recent decades as an estimated 350 million people
worldwide suffer from depression. In 1992, the World Federation for Mental
Health (WFMH) established World Mental Health Day in an effort to promote
education and advocate for mental health sufferers. The Foundation aims
to provide further awareness and assistance for those suffering from a wide
range of mental disorders in the hopes of saving lives and increasing quality
of life for these individuals. World Mental Health Day is celebrated annually
on October 10th.
World Mental Health Day Facts &
Quotes
·
Depression
can lead to suicide. More than 800,000 people worldwide take their own lives
every year. Compare this to the 200,000 from COVID to get an idea of the
problem.
·
Suicide
is the third leading cause of death in the world for individuals 15 to 44.
Suicide rates have increased by 60% over the past 45 years.
·
10-20%
of children
in the world experience a mental disorder. It is the leading cause of
disability in youth.
·
I
used to think that the worst thing in like was to end up alone. It's not. The
worst thing in life is to end up with people who make you feel alone. - Robin
Williams, actor who committed suicide in 2014
World Mental Health Day Top Events
and Things to Do
·
Volunteer
your time at an organization that works with child mental health. Depression is
a growing concern among children and organizations such as Big Brothers and
Sisters of America, Teen Mental Health, NAMI and Children's Mental Health can
help you find a local area to help your youth.
·
Watch
a movie that touches on mental health issues or particular disorders. Some of
our favorites are
1) Bipolar: Silver Linings Playbook (2012)
2) Schizophrenia: A Beautiful Mind (2001)
3) OCD: As Good as It Gets (1997)
4) Suicide: The Virgin Suicides (1999)
5) Alzheimer's: Still Alice (2014)
6) Borderline Personality: Girl, Interrupted (1999)
7) Depression: Inside Out (2015)
8) Post Traumatic Stress: Jacob's Ladder (1990)
·
Read
a book about mental disorders. Some of our picks: The Bell Jar, Thirteen
Reasons Why and All the Bright Places
·
Evaluate
your own mental well-being or that of someone you are close to.
- Are you always sad?
- Do you have suicidal thoughts?
- Do you feel that you have no reason to live?
·
Visit
a psychologist to discuss any problems that have overwhelmed you lately.
Keys to Healthier Mind Development[6]
Emotional intelligence (EI) is defined as the ability to monitor one’s own emotions, as well as those of other people, to discriminate between different emotions, and to label them appropriately. while applying EI, we are guiding our thinking and behavior with an educated focus on healthier mind development.
Emotional
quotient (EQ) is a testing measurement of our ability to understand and apply
our own minds emotionally. Although a comprehensive ambition, EQ testing is
meant to reveal how well we have learned to manage the harmful and helpful
effects of emotions for the purpose of facilitating healthful thoughts,
communication, and behavior. Researchers now realize that emotional literacy
helps to prevent and solve myriad problems that we experience in our personal
and professional lives. The more we understand about our mind’s emotional
component, the more valuable assets we possess as individuals-namely emotional
stability, security, overall intelligence, and physical health, as well as our
ability to treat other people and other things in healthier, more meaningful. Emotional
intelligence is the secret to building healthier minds, getting the best out of
life, and developing a behaviorally safer world. With the emotional state of
the world today, emotional intelligence is our strongest hope for an optimistic
future.
Epigenetics[7]
Epigenetics is a relatively new branch of genetics that has been heralded as the most important biological discovery since DNA. Until recently, it was believed you were stuck with the genes you were born with. But now it’s known that your genes get turned on and off and are expressed to greater or lesser degrees depending on lifestyle factors. Let’s take a look at what epigenetics is, how it works, and what you can do to improve your chances in the health lottery.
What Is Epigenetics?
The “epi” in
epigenetics is derived from the Greek word meaning “above” or “over.” Epigenetics is
defined as the study of any process that alters gene activity
without changing the DNA sequence. More simply, it is the study of gene
expression — how external factors turn genes on and off, and up and down. The
Human Genome Project has identified 25,000
genes in human DNA. DNA is widely regarded as the code the body uses to build and
rebuild itself. But genes themselves need instructions for what to do, and
where and when to do it. Epigenetic modifications, also called
“tags,” provide the instructions. Several of these tags have been
discovered, but the two main ones involve methyl groups (made of carbon and
hydrogen) and histones (a type of protein). To imagine how tags work, think of
a gene as a lamp. Methyl groups act as an on-off switch that turn a gene
on or off. Histones, on the other hand, act like a dimmer switch, regulating
gene activity up or down. It’s thought that we have four
million of these switches that are triggered by lifestyle and environmental
factors.
Lifestyle Factors Affect Your Genes
Dr. Rudolph Tanzi is a professor of neurology at
Harvard University Medical School and he states “You are not simply the sum total of the
genes you were born with. You are
the user and controller of your genes, the author of your biological story. No
prospect in self-care is more exciting.” It means that you’re
not at the mercy of your genetic makeup at birth. You actually have a great
deal of control over your health and your future no matter what genetic hand
you have been dealt. The field of epigenetics is in its infancy and there
is still much to learn, but so far, the evidence shows that there are many
fundamental lifestyle factors that can alter gene expression.
Not surprisingly, diet
can affect the health of your DNA. A diet high in refined carbohydrates that
promotes high blood glucose attacks your DNA. On the other hand,
compounds like sulforaphane (found in broccoli), curcumin
(turmeric), epigallocatechin gallate (green tea), and resveratrol (wine)
can slow or potentially reverse
DNA damage. Inadequate sleep also disrupts genetic activity. A team of
researchers that included sleep science and genetics experts examined the
influence of sleep on gene function and discovered that just a single week
of insufficient sleep altered
the activity of over 700 genes. It’s well accepted that physical
exercise is one of the best things you can do for your overall health and
mental well-being. Now there’s evidence that physical exercise can positively
affect gene
expression. A recent study of the brains of elderly mice found 117 genes
that were expressed differently in the brains of animals that ran regularly,
compared to those that were sedentary. If you are interested in starting a
program of fitness try the Iceman’s Universal Man Plan.
Stress, Relationships, And Thoughts
Not only do tangible
factors like diet, sleep, and exercise affect your genes, so do
intangibles like stress, your relationships with others, and your thoughts. One
of the most powerful stress reduction techniques, mindfulness
meditation, turns down the expression of pro-inflammatory
genes thus reducing inflammation. Chronic
inflammation is an underlying cause of seven of the top ten
leading causes of death including cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and
Alzheimer’s. You might expect that you’d have to meditate for
years to change
gene expression sufficiently, but measurable changes have been observed in
as little as eight hours of meditation. However, these effects were stronger in
experienced meditators than in those new to the practice. Dr. Dawson
Church is an award-winning author whose bestselling book, Genie in
Your Genes: Epigenetic Medicine and the New Biology of Intention, has been
hailed as a breakthrough in the field of epigenetics. In his book, Church cites
over 400 scientific studies that show how intangibles like the expression
of gratitude, acts of kindness, optimism, and mind-body healing techniques like
the Emotional Freedom Technique positively
affect the expression of genes. And just as in the meditation study, these epigenetic benefits
were often experienced immediately. It’s not only positive habits that
affect your genes though. So do the bad ones. Substance abuse, addictions,
inactivity, malnutrition, and exposure to toxins negatively
affect the way your genes express themselves. Researchers have
found that emotional factors such as trauma
and stress can activate harmful epigenetic changes.
There are numerous
diseases thought to have an epigenetic
component including asthma, Alzheimer’s, cancer, diabetes, immune disorders,
kidney disease, glaucoma, muscular dystrophy, and pediatric syndromes as well
as many psychiatric
disorders including autism, schizophrenia, and bipolar
disorder. In 2008, the U.S. National Institutes of Health committed to
investing $190 million into epigenetics
research to hopefully find new and better ways to treat
these diseases.
Catechism
of the Catholic Church
PART THREE: LIFE IN CHRIST
SECTION ONE-MAN'S VOCATION LIFE IN THE
SPIRIT
CHAPTER ONE THE DIGNITY OF THE HUMAN
PERSON
Article 2-OUR VOCATION TO BEATITUDE
Article 3-MAN'S FREEDOM
IN BRIEF
1743
"God willed that man should be left in the hand of his own counsel (cf Sir
15:14), so that he might of his own accord seek his creator and freely attain
his full and blessed perfection by cleaving to him" (GS 17 # 1).
1744
Freedom is the power to act or not to act, and so to perform deliberate acts of
one's own. Freedom attains perfection in its acts when directed toward God, the
sovereign Good.
1745
Freedom characterizes properly human acts. It makes the human being responsible
for acts of which he is the voluntary agent. His deliberate acts properly
belong to him.
1746 The
imputability or responsibility for an action can be diminished or nullified by
ignorance, duress, fear, and other psychological or social factors.
1747 The
right to the exercise of freedom, especially in religious and moral matters, is
an inalienable requirement of the dignity of man. But the exercise of freedom
does not entail the putative right to say or do anything.
1748
"For freedom Christ has set us free" (Gal 5:1).
Daily
Devotions
·
Unite in the work of the Porters of St. Joseph by joining them
in fasting: Today's Fast: Restoring
the Constitution
· Eat waffles
and Pray for the assistance of the Angels
·
Religion
in the Home for Preschool: October
·
Litany of the Most Precious
Blood of Jesus
·
Offering to
the sacred heart of Jesus
· Monday: Litany of
Humility
·
Rosary
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