Tuesday, October 25, 2022

John 20, Verse 26

Now a week later his disciples were again inside, and Thomas was with them. Jesus came, although the doors were locked, and stood in their midst and said, “PEACE be with you.”

Are the doors of you heart locked? Are you without faith? Perhaps Christ will stand someday in your midst as he did Thomas.

I came to you in weakness and fear and much trembling,
and my message and my proclamation
were not with persuasive words of wisdom,
but with a demonstration of spirit and power,
so that your faith might rest not on human wisdom
but on the power of God.

Doubt[1]

Preachers have called Thomas the "Doubter." Few have touched upon his cynicism. Over and over, Thomas heard the witness of the followers. But, Thomas wanted more than proof positive. ("Inspect and touch," literally meant "to see and thrust.") He stepped beyond skepticism into cynicism. A week later, Jesus again appear with the greeting of "Shalom." Turning to Thomas, Jesus answered the challenge of cynicism with the challenge of faith. Thomas responded with two titles for Jesus: Lord and God. Thomas acknowledged the rightful place of Jesus as Lord; he also saw God working through the Risen Christ. Thomas finally received Christ's gift of Shalom. In contrast to Thomas, Jesus blessed those who believed without seeing him raised from the dead. John uses the word "believe" in two senses: to trust ("believe in") and to hold onto the truth ("believe (something) about..."). Blessed were those who placed their personal trust in Christ (believe in); they do not need proof of his resurrection, for they know he is alive. But, even blessed are those who hold onto the truths of faith (believe...about), for, with an open heart, they will soon experience the risen Christ. Belief in these two sense stood against the cynicism found in Thomas.

Catechism Themes: CCC 651-655

Without the Resurrection, Christianity would be nothing more than a school that taught the wisdom of a great teacher. With the Resurrection, however, Christianity became a road to intimacy with God. The Resurrection justifies the life, works, and teachings of Jesus. Through the lens of the Resurrection, we can see this life, these works and teachings in the context of Scripture and realize "Jesus is Lord." Faith in the Resurrection leads us to the conclusion Jesus is true God and true man. Through the Resurrection, we receive the gift of a new eternal life, free from evil. We become one with our Savior who died and rose for us. And, as he rose, Christ assures us that we, too, will rise on the last day.

How does the cynicism of the world affect you? How does faith keep you from cynicism?

Vincent Price-RIP Oct 25, 1993[2]

Growing up in the 50’s and 60’s Vincent was a staple of the Halloween season. Trained on the London stage, Price started out as an actor for mainstream films in the 1940s, and worked for prestigious directors like Joseph L. Mankiewicz, Otto Preminger and Cecil B. DeMille. But he never really made his mark in the film business until he segued into the horror genre. Despite being immensely talented, at 6’4”, Vinnie was just too tall to make it as a Hollywood leading man, where the ideal male height was around 6’, give or take an inch or two on either side. (Price’s great friend and fellow horror icon, Sir Christopher Lee, faced the same problem: at 6’5” he was even taller than Vinnie.) In addition to the height issue, as the 50s marched on, Vinnie’s classic, stage-trained acting style would eventually be considered “old-fashioned,” and pushed aside in favor of the more “naturalistic” acting styles of younger actors such as Marlon Brando, James Dean, and Paul Newman.

In classic horror, however, a stage-trained acting style and perfect diction—which Price had in spades—were considered assets, because so many plots featured evil aristocrats, sinister industrialists, or cultivated mad scientists. He made so many horror films that by the time he passed on in 1993 at the age of 82, Price had become world-famous, beloved by millions.

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 7-THE VIRTUES

1803 "Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things."
A virtue is an habitual and firm disposition to do the good. It allows the person not only to perform good acts, but to give the best of himself. the virtuous person tends toward the good with all his sensory and spiritual powers; he pursues the good and chooses it in concrete actions.

The goal of a virtuous life is to become like God.

Daily Devotions

· Unite in the work of the Porters of St. Joseph by joining them in fasting: Today's Fast: The sanctification of the Church Militant.

· Make reparations to the Holy Face-Tuesday Devotion

· Pray Day 5 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

· Drops of Christ’s Blood

· Universal Man Plan

· Rosary