Monday Night at the Movies
John Huston, Wise Blood, 1979
Monday in the first week of Advent
CYBER MONDAY-FRENCH TOAST DAY-BLUE CHRISTMAS
John,
Chapter 5, Verse 20
For the Father LOVES his Son and shows him everything that he himself does, and he
will show him greater works than these, so that you may be amazed.
Does God derive anything from having us fear Him? His only wish is to see us truly growing and fruitful. He made us and as a loving father knows our needs both physical and spiritual. If we have a loving fear of our father, we are compelled by the Holy Spirit into spiritual leadership avoiding sloth which often comes as a result of being stuck in a victim mentality or not letting go of rage by forgiving the offender.
Today seek the Father’s compassion by going to confession then arise and grow in spiritual leadership.
As we grow in our spiritual leadership[1] we tend to be:
· Confident in God
· Know God
· Seek God’s will
· Self-sacrifice
· Serve all
· Motivated by love
· Trust the Holy Spirit
· Lead others
Monday in the First
week of Advent[2]
Advent is the time for renewal or repentance for the coming
of Christ. "Interior repentance is a radical reorientation of our whole
life, a return, a conversion to God with all our heart, an end of sin, a
turning away from evil, with repugnance toward the evil actions we have
committed. At the same time, it entails the desire and resolution to change
one's life, with hope in God's mercy and trust in the help of his grace. This
conversion of heart is accompanied by a salutary pain and sadness which the
Fathers called animi
cruciatus (affliction of spirit) and compunctio cordis (repentance of
heart)" (CCC, 1431). Today's Gospel (Matthew 8:5-11) of the
Centurion and his servant illustrates both the invitation for all, from both
East and West, to come to Christ. The Centurion gives us words for our heart
for trust and mercy in his grace, "Lord, I am not worthy to have you enter
under my roof: only say the word and my servant will be healed."
Cyber
Monday[3]
(another secular
event)
This Christmas season
when you make out your gift list try to give a gift to those you love that
truly helps them to prosper!
Cyber Monday seeks to sell
massive quantities of goods through online stores at a sale price. Marketing
companies created the term Cyber Monday as a catchphrase to persuade people to
shop online. In 2014, Cyber Monday sales were a record 2.68 billion dollars,
making it one of the biggest shopping days of the year. Cyber Monday is not an
official holiday, but it is an international day recognized by consumers. The
term Cyber Monday developed naturally overtime as online sales following Thanksgiving
spiked. This was seen as an opportunity to brand the new shopping occasion;
much the same way black Friday was years earlier. Cyber Monday was first
originally held November of 2005. The day it is held varies from year to year,
but it is always held the Monday following Thanksgiving in the US.
Cyber Monday Facts & Quotes
Since 2010, Cyber Monday
has been the highest online spending day in the year in the US. Sales numbers
on Cyber Monday have gradually increased by at least $100 million each year
since the term was first coined. According to a survey by the National Retail
Federation, 90% of online shoppers surveyed said low prices were the most
important part of their shopping experience on Cyber Monday. The top 3 products
purchased online on Cyber Monday are: Apparel, books/DVDs/Videos/Games and
Consumer electronics. You may have heard of Black Friday and Cyber Monday. There's another
day you might want to know about: Giving Tuesday. The idea is pretty
straightforward. On the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, shoppers take a break from
their gift-buying and donate what they can to charity.
– Bill Gates, creator of Microsoft.
Cyber Monday Top Events and Things
to Do
Buy
something! You can buy just about anything online these days, so treat yourself
or a loved one to something you have been saving up for. Chances are it is at a
reduced price on Cyber Monday! Fill your online shopping cart with all the
things you were thinking of buying at all retail shops. Total up the cost of
all the things you were going to buy, and instead of buying them, donate that
exact amount of money to a charity of your choice. Spread awareness on social
media by using the hashtag#CyberMonday, #CyberDeals and #DealsDealsDeals.
Promote your favorite retailers over social media using their hashtags and by
reposting their posts. Save your money today and wait until Giving Tuesday
tomorrow to donate it all or use it to purchase items for donation.
Today
is a day for any last-minute shopping. Remember that “A happy heart is better than a full Purse.”
Ponder on the thought that God wants us to study the world, fall in love with its creator, and live happily forever after. “Lord my God, teach my heart where and how to seek you, where and how to find you.” Anselm of Canterbury
French Toast Day[4]
There’s a blend that just makes our morning fantastic, and it’s a blending of eggs, milk, and cinnamon with bread dipped in. There’s something about the savory sweet smell of it, and the anticipation of having it painted with butter and drizzled with syrup, with a side of breakfast sausage and a tall glass of orange juice that’ll get us out of bed on even the worst of days. French Toast Day is honoring this amazing breakfast delight and encourages you to enjoy it for breakfast with a few friends. The breakfast favorite French toast goes by many names depending on where it’s being served up – eggy bread, German toast, poor knights’ pudding, Bombay toast – but it’s always made of the same key ingredients. Egg, milk – or cream – and bread. This delicious, sweet snack is often served with sugar or syrup and fruit and consists of bread slices fried in a mixture of milk and egg. In France, its name is ‘pain perdu’, which literally means ‘lost bread’, because it would often be made with stale or old bread. Although we tend to call it French Bread, the dish isn’t known to have come from France. Some ancient Latin recipes from the 4th century mention soaking bread in milk before frying, and in fourteenth Century Germany the term ‘poor knights’ pudding’ was coined for the sweet treat because it was seen as an affordable meal for those without too much money to spend. Today, it’s eaten across the world as a breakfast meal or a sweet snack. In Italy, there’s a savory version, called ‘mozzarella en carrozza’, which sees the egg-soaked bread sandwiching slices of mozzarella cheese before it is fried. Its name literally means ‘mozzarella in a carriage’. So you can have eggy bread for your main meal, and your pudding!
How to Celebrate
French Toast Day
So how can
you celebrate French Toast Day? If you’ve got any stale bread in the kitchen,
this is a great way to use it up. The recipe tends to call for bread that’s at
least a day old because older slices will be able to soak up the tasty egg and
milk mixture without falling apart. Then, once you’ve fried it up, you can
slather on as much jam, syrup, fruit or honey as you like. If you’re feeling
extra indulgent, why not pop a swirl of cream on top?
Ferdinand Magellan[5] on this
date crossed from the Atlantic to the Pacific via the straits of Magellan.
The late Senator McCain states Ferdinand Magellan
was a man who is the best example of the virtue of Aspiration.
He left the service of one king and won the support
of another so that he could pursue an ambition as big as the world he
discovered. Ferdinand Magellan claimed the most daunting and marvelous prize.
By the greatest feat of seamanship in history, he was the first European to go
around the unknown world. At court, the young Magellan received an excellent
education in the arts and sciences as well as the martial arts. In 1505, he
joined the fleet of the first Portuguese governor of India, and over the course
of several years’ service became a skilled navigator and a brave and capable
soldier of fortune. Soldiers of fortune were constantly searching for a faster
route to the prized Spice Islands. Whether Magellan had indeed reached them
while he was in service to the Portuguese crown, there is little doubt that
like all adventurers of the age, he held them as the richest prize on earth,
and surely dreamed of sharing in the wealth and reputation they offered.
Magellan believed that a passage between the Atlantic Ocean and that uncharted
sea to the west, and through it a western route to the Spice Islands, existed
at the unexplored end of the South American continent. He was determined to
locate it. On September 10, 1519, five small ships, the San Anto
nio, the
Concepción, the Victoria, the Santiago, and the Trinidad, carrying 265 men, a
sizable arsenal of arms and munitions, and a less-than-adequate store of food
and water, left the Spanish port of San Lucar de Barrameda for South America.
The ships’ captains were Spaniards. The fleet’s ultimate destination was kept
secret from the ships’ crews, who believed that they were sailing for South
America, and not for the unknown world beyond its shores. It would not have
been possible to find a crew willing to embark on such a perilous, if not impossible,
journey. Their Portuguese commander, Ferdinand Magellan, sailed aboard the
Trinidad, flying the imperial standard of Spain, the flag of Castile. Only one
of the ships would ever return.
Stella Maris Chapel, Cape
Horn Island
Next to the lighthouse on Cape Horn Island lies a tiny
wooden chapel dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary. It serves the sacramental
needs of the researchers and staff at this station, which lies between South
America’s Tierra de Fuego and the Antarctic continent. The first Catholic,
let alone human being, to visit the area was Ferdinand Magellan on his
round-the-world-trip across the straits that still bear his name. Oddly, the 90
researchers and support staff of the Italian Mario Zucchelli Station at Terra
Nova Bay don’t have a permanent chapel, despite lay Italian Catholics offering
to build one for free. In fact, a German shipping company offered to transport
the prefab chapel to Terra Nova Bay gratis. Despite this, the Italian
government is dragging its feet, to the detriment of the devout scientists and
staff on the base. The Worldwide Antarctic Program (WAP) is spearheading the
construction of a Catholic chapel at the base. So far, the plan is on ice.
Blue
Christmas[6]
Christmas normally is a
time for joy. Decorations are set up, parties ensue, presents are given, and
laughter commences. Not many people realize that those in law enforcement work
tirelessly during the holiday season to keep people safe. Blue Christmas is a
holiday dedicated to those who work in that field, giving them an opportunity
to be thanked for their services and celebrate Christmas their own
way. While Elvis made the term “A Blue Christmas” popular to describe
Christmas blues, this holiday is for those who work in law enforcement, such as
police, firefighters, EMTs, and 911 dispatchers. For them, it is rough. Long
nights in the wet, cold snow or long nights in the office can be particularly
dangerous, especially for those who have the potential factor of being shot at,
having emotional trauma from an emergency situation, and so forth. Because of
their job, they keep people safe and save lives, but it comes at a cost. They
miss out on spending time with their families and lose out on enjoying what
Christmas is all about. That’s why when it comes to the holiday season, Blue
Christmas gives people a chance to give to others by giving gifts and thanking
them for their services. While some may be cheerful doing their job, because
they know that Christmas is about helping others, Blue Christmas helps raise
awareness for the behind-the-scenes action that the people working in law
enforcement and the medical field are the ones truly making the holiday seasons
special. With the potential dangers involved, they deserved their thanks and
gifts the most.
How to celebrate Blue Christmas
To take part in a Blue
Christmas, you can easily do so by displaying a blue light throughout the
winter holidays. It can be a single porch light, blue candles in the window, or
blue Christmas lights as part of the display. If you know someone who works in
law enforcement or the medical industry, buy or make them a gift and take the
time out to thank them for what they do to keep society and the holidays going.
Share this holiday on social media using the hashtag #bluechristmas and let
everyone know how important it is to see those who don’t ask for much in
return.
Daily Devotions
·
Unite in the work of the Porters of St. Joseph by joining them
in fasting: Today's Fast: Binding
and suppressing the Devils Evil works.
·
Offering to
the sacred heart of Jesus
·
Make
reparations to the Holy Face
·
Go to MASS
· Rosary
[1] John Maxwell, The Maxwell
Leadership Bible.
[2]https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/calendar/day.cfm?date=2021-11-29
[3]http://www.wincalendar.com/Cyber-Monday
[5]Character
Is Destiny Inspiring Stories Every Young
Person Should Know and Every Adult Should Remember is a 2005 book by United States Senator John
McCain with Mark Salter.
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