Monday Night at the Movies
Monday
ST. BASIL-9th Day-MOTIVATION
Psalm 98, Verse 1-3
1 A psalm. I Sing a new song to the LORD, for he has done marvelous deeds. His right hand and holy arm have won the victory. 2 The LORD has made his victory known; has revealed his triumph in the sight of the nations, 3 He has remembered his mercy and FAITHFULNESS toward the house of Israel. All the ends of the earth have seen the victory of our God.
This is a hymn extolling God for Israel’s victory. All nations and even inanimate nature are summoned to welcome God’s coming to rule over the world.
Marvelous deeds victory: the conquest of all threats to the peaceful existence of Israel, depicted in the Psalms variously as a cosmic force such as sea, or nations bent on Israel’s destruction, or evildoers seemingly triumphant. His right hand and holy arm: God is pictured as a powerful warrior.
This Psalm is fulfilled in our day and even applicable to us. We must become warriors for our church every ready to shed our blood, if need be, for the faith. To get to that level of devotion we must control our sexual passions. Warriors for Christ must be in complete control of their mind, heart, and soul’s passions. We must offer our sexuality as well as our blood to the service of Christ.
2331 "God is love and in himself
he lives a mystery of personal loving communion. Creating the human race in his
own image. God inscribed in the humanity of man and woman the vocation, and
thus the capacity and responsibility, of love and communion. "God created
man in his own image male and female he created them"; He blessed them and
said, "Be fruitful and multiply" "When God created man, he made
him in the likeness of God. Male and female he created them, and he blessed
them and named them Man when they were created."
2332 Sexuality affects all aspects of
the human person in the unity of his body and soul. It especially concerns
affectivity, the capacity to love and to procreate, and in a more general way
the aptitude for forming bonds of communion with others.
2333 Everyone, man and woman, should
acknowledge and accept his sexual identity. Physical, moral, and spiritual
difference and complementarity are oriented toward the goods of marriage and
the flourishing of family life. The harmony of the couple and of society
depends in part on the way in which the complementarity, needs, and mutual
support between the sexes are lived out.
2334 "In creating men 'male and
female, God gives man and woman an equal personal dignity." "Man is a
person, man and woman equally so, since both were created in the image and
likeness of the personal God."
2335 Each of the two sexes is an image
of the power and tenderness of God, with equal dignity though in a different
way. The union of man and woman in marriage is a way of imitating in the flesh
the Creator's generosity and fecundity: "Therefore a man leaves his father
and his mother and cleaves to his wife, and they become one flesh." All
human generations proceed from this union.
2336 Jesus came to restore creation to
the purity of its origins. In the Sermon on the Mount, he interprets God's plan
strictly: "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall not commit
adultery.' But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman lustfully has
already committed adultery with her in his heart." What God has joined
together, let not man put asunder.
The tradition of the Church has understood the sixth commandment as encompassing the whole of human sexuality.
9th day of Christmas
The
nine lady’s dancing is a sign of the fruits of the Holy Spirit for those who
are not afraid: love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness,
goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. It also reminds us
of the nine choirs of angels which are commanded by God to assist us in our
journey. Today reflect on the nine choirs and call upon their aid. Devotion
to the Angels.
Christmas
Calendar[1]
Read: Today we read about St. Basil the Great, revered as a Doctor of the
Church.
Reflect: "St. Basil, in a much-quoted
homily, once declared that the bread we clutch in our hands belongs to the
starving, the cloak we keep locked in our closet belongs to the naked, the
shoes we are not using belong to the barefooted. In these ways in the
post-biblical age Christians strove to keep a religious perspective on their
use of material things."
Pray: As many prepare to return to work
after this Holy season, say a prayer for
work.
Act: St. Basil once wrote, "Do
everything possible to make yourself worthy of the Kingdom. Do not disdain the
invitation you have received" (Exhortation to Baptism, 7-8).
When
I think of all this, I am left terrorized and swallowed up with fear that,
because of fickleness of heart or preoccupation with things of no importance, I
may weaken in my love of God and even become a reason of shame or disorder for
Christ.”
St. Basil’s Bread[2]
In the Eastern
Churches St. Basil's Bread is blessed on his feast day. This blessing has been
adapted for home use. The family gathers at the table where the bread is placed
along with an icon of St. Basil (if available). The parts marked leader are
done by the father or other suitable person.
Prayer
Leader: Through the prayers of our holy fathers, O Lord Jesus
Christ, Son of God, have mercy on us!
All: Amen.
Holy God, Holy Mighty,
Holy Immortal, have mercy on us. (three times) Glory to the Father, and
to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and forever. Amen.
Most holy Trinity, have
mercy on us. Lord, cleanse us of our sins. Master, forgive our transgressions.
Holy One, come to us and heal our infirmities for Your Name's sake.
Lord, have mercy. (three
times)
Glory to the Father, and
to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and forever. Amen.
Our Father, who art in
heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it
is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as
we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation but
deliver us from evil.
Leader: For
Thine is the kingdom, and the power and the glory, Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
now and ever, and forever.
All: Amen.
Troparion - Tone 1 Your voice resounds throughout the world * which has
excepted the lessons so well taught by you. * You have given explanation of
divine truths. * You have clarified the nature of created things. * You have
made a rule of life for men. * By your royal priesthood, O venerable father
Basil, * intercede with Christ to save our souls.
Glory to the Father, and
to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and forever. Amen.
Kondakion - Tone 4 O venerable and heavenly inspired
Basil, * you were a firm foundation of the Church * by giving to all treasure *
and impressing them with your teachings.
Leader: Let
us pray to the Lord. All: Lord, have mercy.
Prayer of
Blessing
Leader: O
Lord, King of the Ages and Creator of all things; You are abounding in mercy and
plenteous in goodness! You accepted the gifts of the Wise Men in Bethlehem. You
are the Bread of Life Who came down from heaven. You put times and years under
Your authority and hold our lives in Your hands. Hear us on this auspicious day
of the beginning of this New Year of (name the year) and bless + this sweet
bread which is offered for Your glory and honor and in memory of our Father
among the Saints Basil the Great, Archbishop of Caesarea in Cappodocia. O
Generous One, look down from heaven and send down Your heavenly gifts upon us,
those who prepared this bread and all who shall partake of it, because we have
placed our hope in You, the Eternal Living God! Bless our coming and going,
enrich our lives with Your abundant blessings and direct our steps in the
working of Your Divine commandments, because we shall not live by bread alone.
Through the intercessions of Your all-pure and holy Mother, of our Father among
the Saints, Basil the Great, and of all Your Saints, who have pleased You over
the ages.
All:
Amen.
The leader takes a
knife and incises the sign of the Cross in the bottom of the loaf. It is then
cut. It is eaten after the prayers are complete.
Closing
Prayers
All:
Lord, have mercy. (three
times)
Glory to the Father, and
to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and forever. Amen.
More honorable than the
Cherubim, and beyond compare more glorious than the Seraphim, who, a virgin,
gave birth to God the Word, true Birth-giver of God, we magnify you!
Leader: Lord
Jesus Christ, our true God, circumcised in the flesh, through the prayers of
His most pure Mother, of Saint Basil the Great, whom we honor this day and of
all the saints, have mercy on us and save us.
All:
Amen.
Motivation and
Inspiration Day[3]
It’s January 2nd, the beginning of a whole new year, and you’ve just gotten over your hangover—what time could possibly be better to be motivated and inspired? You have a whole 365 days ahead of you, and now is the time to start making them count! Even though to many, January 2nd is in fact just about finally getting over your New Year’s Party hangover, the history of Motivation and Inspiration Day is much more somber. National Motivation & Inspiration Day was passed by The United States Congress on December 18th, 2001, after the tragic events of September 11th, 2001. That was when Kevin L. McCrudden became the first and so far, only motivational and leadership speaker to ever have had such a day passed by Congress, acknowledging the importance of “motivation” and “inspiration” in our daily lives. After the tragedy that was September 11th, 2001, McCrudden felt that all Americans needed something to remind them that there were still many things to live on for. The reality was bleak at that time, and many people felt sad, scared or lost—especially those whose family members or friends had gotten killed suddenly in the World Trade Center attacks of just a few months before. McCrudden originally intended for this day to be dedicated to helping people become the best they can be and maximize their potential through the creation of annual goals. The idea caught on quite quickly, and Motivation and Inspiration Day is now celebrated in different places across the world as well as in the United States, encouraging people everywhere to change their lives for the better.
There are a few things you
can do to celebrate this special day. Firstly, taking into consideration the
events of September 11th, 2001 that led to the creation of Motivation and Inspiration
Day, it would be good to just spend a minute or two in silence out of respect
for the men and women who lost their lives to terrorism so suddenly that
day. And then honor their memory by appreciating your own life and making
it better! There are many ways to do this. One is to think of someone in your
life who inspires you, whether it’s your mother, father, spouse or friend and
find a way to show them an appreciation for being who they are. The gesture
doesn’t have to be a grand one—take your mother, father or friend out to lunch
and talk about their life and what helped to make them as strong as
they are, thank them for showing you how to deal with life’s challenges.
Buy a nice bottle of wine for your spouse and be sure to spend the evening with
him or her, telling them how glad you are to be able to share your life with
them. All too often in life, people take their close ones for granted, but we
should never miss a chance to tell people who are special and inspirational to
us just how much we appreciate them. You can also start doing something you’ve
wanted to do for a long time but have kept putting off. Sign up for a martial
arts class, start learning a new language, make a list of books to read, or buy
a cookbook full of healthy recipes to make for your family instead of eating
takeout every evening. Whatever way you decide to celebrate Motivation and
Inspiration Day, make sure it changes your life for the better and helps you
appreciate life more!
Daily Devotions
·
Unite in the work of the Porters of St. Joseph by joining them
in fasting: Today's Fast: Restoring
the Church
·
Offering to
the sacred heart of Jesus
·
Try a buffet after Mass it is national buffet day.
·
Make
reparations to the Holy Face
· Monday: Litany of
Humility
· Rosary
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