FEAST DIVINE MATERNITY- Day of the Girl
Revelation, Chapter 2, Verse 10
Do not be AFRAID of anything that you are going to suffer. Indeed, the devil
will throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will face
an ordeal for ten days. Remain faithful until death, and I will give you the
crown of life.
Christians
today are pressed on all sides. Yes, we are being tested by our government, the
press, and the workplace. We may even find opposition by our own families and
neighbors. This is the work of the evil one; resist him and he will flee.
Remain faithful until death by not giving up hope and when you fall, get back
up and follow our Lord.
Suffering
with Jesus Christ[1]
“Christ also suffered for you,
leaving you an example that you should follow in His footsteps.” (1 Peter 2:21)
Suffering– it is part of the human condition, and it also human nature to avoid
it whenever possible. Even among those rare souls who “suffer well” by
following Christ’s example, suffering can be a seemingly unending trial that
wears one down. Illness and suffering “can lead to anguish, self-absorption,
sometimes even despair and revolt against God.” (CCC 1501) In times of
suffering people could turn to distractions, inward on themselves, or turn
their eyes to the Face of Jesus Christ.
It is He who suffers, and no one has suffered more than Him. When He
took our human flesh at the Incarnation, He accepted all the suffering of
humanity, though completely innocent, to redeem us from our sin.
How do we follow in Christ’s footsteps when we are faced with suffering?
“‘He committed no sin, and no
deceit was found in His mouth.’
When He was insulted, He
returned no insult, when He suffered, He did not threaten; instead, He handed
Himself over to the One who judges justly. He Himself bore our sins in His body
on the Cross, so that, free from sin, we might live for righteousness. By His
wounds you have been healed. For you had gone astray like sheep, but you have
now returned to the shepherd and guardian of your souls.” (1 Peter 2: 22-25) For
many though, their suffering may not be a physical one. There is another
terrible suffering, experienced worldwide: the separation from our loved ones.
And even more painful, the suffering of being separated from “The Loved One,”
Jesus, in the sacraments. Again, it is Christ who suffers most, in the
Eucharist, isolated in every tabernacle throughout the world.
Perhaps this isolation from loved ones is a warning from Our Loving God
of what happens when we turn away from the Face of God by unrepented mortal
sin. The result is a painful separation from the love of God for all eternity,
which is the suffering of Hell.
What can one do “to suffer with Christ” by staying alone at home? As a
Discalced Carmelite nun, St. Edith Stein, contemplated a life of separation
from the rest of the world in the cloister. She wrote, “Whoever enters Carmel
is not lost to their own but is theirs fully for the first time; It is our
vocation to stand before God for all.”
In quarantine each of us may suffer with Jesus by seeking His Christ’s
Face with hearts of prayer, as the Blessed Virgin Mary did at the foot of the
Cross – “to stand before God for all.”
“For whoever would love life
and see good days must keep his tongue from evil lips, from speaking deceit,
must turn from evil and do good, seek peace and follow after it. For the eyes
of the Lord are on the righteous and His ears turned to their prayer, but the
Face of the Lord is against evildoers.”
(1 Peter 3:10-12)
Prayer to the Holy Face for
the liberation from the coronavirus
Lord Jesus, Savior of the world, hope that will never disappoint us, have
mercy on us and deliver us from all evil! Please overcome the scourge of this
virus which is spreading, heal the sick, preserve the healthy, support those
who work for the health of all. Show us your face of mercy and save us in your
great love. We ask you through the intercession of Mary, Your Mother and ours,
who faithfully accompanies us. You who live and reign forever and ever. Amen.
+ Bruno Forte Archbishop
of Chieti – Vasto (Italy)
Feast of the Divine
Maternity[2]
“On this occasion the heavenly Lady was full of the Holy Ghost and moreover bore within Her, as His Mother, the Divine Word, who proceeds from the Father and the Holy Ghost. Saint Joseph received special enlightenment and the plenitude of divine graces, and altogether renewed in fervor of spirit he said:
“Blessed art Thou, Lady, among all women,
fortunate and preferred before all nations and generations. May the Creator of
heaven and earth be extolled with eternal praise, since from his exalted kingly
throne He has looked upon Thee and chosen Thee for his dwelling place and in
Thee alone has fulfilled the ancient promises made to the Patriarchs and
Prophets. Let all generations bless Him: for in no one has He magnified his
name as He has done in thy humility; and me, the most insignificant of the
living, He has in his divine condescension selected for thy servant.” In these
words of praise and benediction Saint Joseph was enlightened by the Holy Ghost,
in the same manner as Saint Elizabeth, when she responded to the salutation of
Our Queen and Mistress. The light and inspiration received by the most holy
spouse was wonderfully adapted to his dignity and office. The heavenly Lady,
upon hearing the words of the holy man, answered in the words of the
Magnificat, as She had done on her visit to Saint Elizabeth, and She added
other canticles. She was all aflame in ecstasy and was raised from the earth in
a globe of light, which surrounded Her and transfigured Her with the gifts of
glory. At this heavenly vision Saint Joseph was filled with admiration and
unspeakable delight; for never had he seen his most blessed Spouse in such
eminence of glory and perfection. Now he beheld Her with a full and clear
understanding, since all the integrity and purity of the Princess of heaven and
mystery of her dignity manifested themselves to him. He saw and recognized in
her virginal womb the humanity of the infant God and the union of the two
natures of the Word. With profound humility and reverence, he adored Him and
recognized Him as his Redeemer, offering himself to his majesty. The Lord
looked upon him in benevolence and kindness as upon no other man, for He
accepted him as his foster-father and conferred upon him that title. In
accordance with this dignity, He gifted him with that plenitude of science and
heavenly gifts which Christian piety can and must acknowledge.
International
Day of the Girl
International Day of the
Girl aims to recognize girls' rights and the unique challenges that they face
around the world. Every day, young girls everywhere face challenges
involving their rights, access to education, inequality, discrimination, domestic violence and child
marriage. Gender inequality is so prevalent in the world that the United
Nations introduced a Gender Inequality Index (GII) to measure gender disparity
in countries.
Day of the Girl Facts & Quotes
·
It is estimated that over 100 million women from
the world are missing. Female infanticide and selective abortion are still
commonly practiced in Asia and have led to uneven ratios of men and women all
over Asia.
·
In India, there are laws that prevent expecting
mothers from finding out the sex of the baby due to selective abortions and
discrimination against baby girls.
·
One-third of girls in the developing world are
married before the age of 18, increasing the risk of HIV, unwanted pregnancy
and discontinued education.
·
To call woman the weaker sex is a libel; it is
man's injustice to woman. If by strength is meant brute strength, then, indeed,
is woman less brute than man. If by strength is meant moral power, then woman
is immeasurably man's superior. Has she not greater intuition, is she not more
self-sacrificing, has she not greater powers of endurance, has she not greater
courage? Without her, man could not be. If nonviolence is the law of our being,
the future is with woman. Who can make a more effective appeal to the heart
than woman? - Mahatma Ghandi
Day of the Girl Top Events and
Things to Do
·
Get active for girls on social media. Use one of
UNICEF's recommended social networking hashtags: #dayofthe girl,
#mylifeat15, #girl4president and #girlhero!
·
Take out a girl in your life (your daughter,
niece, granddaughter, family friend). Take her out to do her favorite activity
on her special day.
·
Watch movies that empower young girls and
portray strong female characters.
1) Brave (2012)
2) Bend it like Beckham (2002)
3) Anne of Green Gables (1985)
4) Mulan (1998)
·
Attend one of many events held nationally and
internationally. Look for an event organized in your local community by schools
and girl clubs, if not attend the online event. The online event involves
sharing baby photos of yourself (if you're a girl), or daughters, sisters and
other girl family members and discuss your/their dreams while growing up.
Words of Wisdom from a Superman[3]
Although he never planned
it that way, Christopher Reeve[4]
became a hero for our time. His legacy of determination, commitment, compassion
and courage continues to inspire men and women across the globe. Playing the
role of Superman in the movies he became, to many of us, “The Man of Steel.”
When a riding accident changed his life forever, we cried, and we worried… but
somehow knew the super man within would prevail. And he did. The way he lived,
and the amazing way he spoke about living, became a powerful source of
motivation and inspiration for people living with paralysis and
disabilities. His words have touched all our hearts. We share some of our
favorite Christopher Reeve quotes.
·
What is a Hero? "I think a hero is an
ordinary individual who finds strength to persevere and endure in spite of
overwhelming obstacles."
·
Once
you choose hope anything is possible.
·
"Either
you decide to stay in the shallow end of the pool, or you go out in the
ocean."
·
"If
I can laugh, I can live."
·
"You've
got to give more than you take."
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 4
THE MORALITY OF HUMAN ACTS
1749 Freedom makes man a moral subject. When he acts
deliberately, man is, so to speak, the father of his acts. Human acts, that is,
acts that are freely chosen in consequence of a judgment of conscience, can be
morally evaluated. They are either good or evil.
Daily
Devotions
·
Unite in the work of the Porters of St. Joseph by joining them
in fasting: Today's Fast: End
Sex Trafficking, Slavery
·
Make
reparations to the Holy Face-Tuesday
Devotion
·
Pray Day 4 of
the Novena for our Pope and Bishops
·
Tuesday:
Litany of St. Michael the Archangel
·
Religion
in the Home for Preschool: October
·
Litany of the Most Precious
Blood of Jesus
·
Offering to
the sacred heart of Jesus
·
Rosary
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