Sunday, December 11, 2022
Worldwide
Candle lighting Day[1]
For hundreds of years, lighting a
candle has been a way to show respect for those that have died. This beautiful
gesture shows that although someone may be gone from this world, their memory
will endure, and the light of their flame will continue to inspire and guide
others. Worldwide Candle Lighting Day is a celebration of solidarity and
memory. It’s a day on which people around the world gather to light candles for
children who have died and to show that they will always be loved and never
forgotten. The candles are lit at the same time in every time zone, meaning
that a consistent warm glow passes around the planet for a full 24-hour day.
The History of Worldwide Candle Lighting Day
Worldwide Candle Lighting Day was a
gift to the bereavement community from The Compassionate Friend. The
Compassionate Friend’s Worldwide Candle Lighting Day started in the United
States in 1997 as a small internet observance in honor of children who lived
tragically short lives for any number of reasons, from sickness, to accidents,
to war, but has since spread throughout the world. Nowadays, hundreds of formal
candle lighting events are held in many different countries and thousands of
informal candle lightings are conducted in homes as families gather in quiet
remembrance of children who have died, but will never be forgotten. many
organizations join in to observe this holiday, some f which are local
bereavement groups, churches, funeral homes, hospitals, hospices, children’s
gardens, schools, cemeteries, and community centers, and remembrance services
have ranged in size from just a few people to nearly a thousand over the years
since the creation of this special day. All of this just goes to show how
necessary it was to set this day aside for this purpose.
How to Celebrate World Candle Lighting Day
As mentioned before, this day is
celebrated with a quiet elegance: at 7 p.m. local time, people light candles
for one hour to remember their loved ones. It is a moving occasion that
bypasses geographical and cultural divides. As everyone lights their candles at
seven pm local time, far-flung parts of the world get illuminated in turn, so
that eventually the light has moved all around the globe. If you have
experienced the loss of a child in your lifetime, this is a good moment to
honor his or her memory by taking part in the candle lighting. You could also
invite some close family members to spend this time with you and light their
own candles for the late child.
This doesn’t only have to be a sad
occasion, however. Children’s lives are mostly filled with fun and laughter, so
reminiscing about all of the things the child you are honoring managed to enjoy
before he or she passed may should serve to lighten the atmosphere up a little
bit. Of course, nothing will ever make up for the loss of a child, but there is
some solace to be taken in the fact that the child’s life was a good one,
however short. No matter whether you’ll be lighting a candle at home or joining
a gathering Worldwide Candle Lighting Day it is a way to show love and
community.
DECEMBER 11 Third (Gaudete) Sunday
of Advent
SPIRITUAL crib-MOUNTAIN DAY
Psalm 146, verse 6-8:
6 The maker of heaven
and earth, the seas and all that is in them, who keeps faith forever, 7 secures justice for
the oppressed, who gives bread to the hungry. The Lord sets prisoners free; 8 the Lord gives sight
to the blind. The LORD raises up those who are bowed down; the Lord LOVES the
righteous.
Men of power like to pretend they are the maker of heaven and earth (you go Brandon) and without a cap on their power become men like Henry VIII of England. They take what they want, oppress; ignore problems that cause men to beg or succumb to food stamps.
Free men are only prisoners when they are silenced by
their own fears. Faith gave men like Thomas More a belief in truths that others
were blind too, and although bowed down by Henry he still speaks to us today
telling us to be “The
Kings good servant; but God’s first.”
ON KEEPING THE LORD'S DAY HOLY[1]
CHAPTER I
DIES DOMINI
The Celebration of the Creator's
Work
"God blessed the seventh
day and made it holy" (Gn 2:3)
13. The Sabbath precept, which in the
first Covenant prepares for the Sunday of the new and eternal Covenant, is
therefore rooted in the depths of God's plan. This is why, unlike many other
precepts, it is set not within the context of strictly cultic stipulations but
within the Decalogue, the "ten words" which represent the very
pillars of the moral life inscribed on the human heart. In setting this
commandment within the context of the basic structure of ethics, Israel and
then the Church declare that they consider it not just a matter of community
religious discipline but a defining and indelible expression of our
relationship with God, announced and expounded by biblical revelation. This
is the perspective within which Christians need to rediscover this precept
today. Although the precept may merge naturally with the human need for rest,
it is faith alone which gives access to its deeper meaning and ensures that it
will not become banal and trivialized.
Third Sunday of
Advent[2]
THE nearer the coming of the Lord the more earnestly the Church calls upon us to rejoice; and to-day, therefore, at the Introit of the Mass, she sings in the words of St. Paul: “Rejoice in the Lord always; again, I say, rejoice. Let your modesty be known to all men: The Lord is nigh. Be nothing solicitous, but in everything by prayer let your petitions be made known to God.” (Phil. iv. 4-6.) “Lord, thou hast blessed Thy land; Thou hast turned away the captivity of Jacob”.
Prayer.
We beseech Thee, O Lord, mercifully incline Thine ear unto our prayers, and enlighten the darkness of our minds by the grace of Thy heavenly visitation.
EPISTLE. Phil. iv. 4-7.
Rejoice in the Lord always; again, I say, rejoice. Let your modesty be known to all men: The Lord is nigh. Be nothing solicitous, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your petitions be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasseth all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus our Lord.
What does it mean to rejoice in the Lord?
It means to be glad in remembering the grace by which God called us to the true faith, and gave us the hope of eternal salvation, and to rejoice even in all our tribulations and adversities for the Lord’s sake, as St. Paul did (n. Cor. vii. 4). It also admonishes us to give a good example by modesty and an edifying life, and to fix our desires on God, Who will never fail us if we make our wants known to Him by prayer and supplication, and give Him thanks for benefits received.
In what does the peace of God consist?
It
consists in a good conscience, such as St. Paul enjoyed. It is this peace, this
tranquility of the soul, which sustained the holy martyrs in their agonies, and
consoled others under persecution for Christ’s sake (St. Matt. v. 11, 12).
Aspiration.
O Lord grant that Thy peace, which Thou hast given us, and which the world knows not, may keep our hearts and minds in Thee. O wisdom! proceeding from the mouth of the Highest, and reaching to the ends of the world, who governest with power and grace, come and direct us all, that we may walk in the path of wisdom and of the peace which surpasseth all understanding. Amen.
THE BEST REMEDY IN THE HOUR OF SORROW.
In need,
sorrow, and dejection the best means to relieve our distressed hearts is humble
and confiding prayer, in which we can pour out our hearts before God, and give
ourselves up to His love and mercy, as did Anna, the sorrowful mother of Samuel
the prophet, Josaphat in painful uncertainty, Susanna falsely accused and
condemned to death, and innumerable other servants of God. These all prayed to
God and were delivered from their afflictions, receiving help and consolation.
St. James therefore admonishes us, “Is any one of you sad? let him pray” (James
v. 13); and St. Paul, in the epistle for this Sunday, encourages us not to be
solicitous about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with
thanksgiving, to let our requests be known to God. Are you, then, sad and
discouraged? Lift up your soul to God, and say with David, “Give joy to the
soul of Thy servant, for to Thee, O Lord, I have lifted up my soul” (Ps. Ixxxv.
4).
GOSPEL. John i. 19-28.
At that time: The Jews sent from Jerusalem priests and Levites to John to ask him, Who art thou? And he confessed and did not deny and he confessed: I am not the Christ. And they asked him: What then? Art thou Elias? And he said: I am not. Art thou the prophet? And he answered: No. They said, therefore, unto him: Who art thou, that we may give an answer to them that sent us? what sayest thou of thyself? He said: I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Isaias. And they that were sent were of the Pharisees. And they asked him and said to him: Why then dost thou baptize, if thou be not Christ, nor Elias, nor the prophet? John answered them, saying: I baptize with water; but there hath stood One in the midst of you, Whom you know not. The same is He that shall come after me, Who is preferred before me: the latchet of Whose shoe I am not worthy to loose. These things were done in Bethania, beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing.
Why did the Jews send messengers to John to ask him who he was?
Because his baptizing and preaching, with his life of austerity and penance, made such an impression that the people took him not for an ordinary prophet, but for the Messias Himself.
Why did the messengers ask John whether he was Elias or the prophet?
The Jews believed that either Elias or another of the prophets would return to earth to prepare the way for the coming of Christ; and from St. John’s denying that he was the Christ they concluded that he was either Elias or that prophet.
Why did St. John say that he was not that prophet, but only the voice of one crying in the wilderness?
He said so out of humility; but he uttered no untruth, since he was not the prophet predicted by Moses (Deut. xviii. 15), but only the voice of one crying in the wilderness,” Make straight the way of the Lord”, as the prophet Isaias said (Is. Ix. 3).
How do we make straight the way of the Lord?
By sincere penance, which consists not merely in going to confession, and making hollow resolutions, but in bringing forth fruits worthy of penance (Matt. iii. 8; Luke iii. 8).
How do we bring forth fruits worthy of penance?
If we wish to bring forth fruits worthy of penance, we must endeavor to make amends for what is past and use all possible means to avoid in future those sins to which we have been most given; we must love and serve God as much as and more than we before loved and served the world.
What was the baptism of John, and what was the effect of it?
It was a baptism of penance,
for the forgiveness of sins; thus, it was a preparation for the Baptism of
Christ, through which sins are actually forgiven, and the Holy Ghost received
(Mark i. 4, 5).
What are we further taught by this gospel?
We are taught to always speak the truth, like St. John; not to desire to appear more, or better, than we are; and, in particular, to make a good and sincere confession. We should, therefore, before confession often ask ourselves, Who am I? How do I live? How do I stand before God? How do I deal with my neighbor?
We learn also from St. John to confess our sins without reserve, neither concealing nor excusing them; above all, we learn to be humble, for although he might have passed for the Messiah had he chosen to, he refused that honor, and held himself unworthy to loose the latchet of Christ’s shoe.
Prayer.
O Lord banish from my heart envy, self-love, and pride; give me grace so to know Thee and myself that, in contemplation of Thy majesty, omnipotence, love and wisdom, and other perfections, I may love Thee above all things, and in regarding my own nothingness, misery, and sins may always humble myself before Thee, and be little in my own eyes. Grant also that I may judge my neighbor with justness and tenderness, and love him as myself.
Gaudete Sunday[3]
A joyful warning comes
from the Lord's heralds. "Rejoice: The Lord is nigh."
As Christmas draws near, the Church emphasizes the joy which should be in our
hearts over all that the birth of our Savior means for us. The great joy of
Christians is to see the day drawing nigh when the Lord will come again in His
glory to lead them into His kingdom. The oft-repeated Veni
("Come") of Advent is an echo not only of the prophets but also of
the conclusion of the Apocalypse of St. John: "Come, Lord Jesus," the
last words of the New Testament. Today is known as Gaudete Sunday. The term
Gaudete refers to the first word of the Entrance Antiphon, "Rejoice".
Rose vestments are worn to emphasize our joy that Christmas is near, and we
also light the rose candle on our Advent wreath.
Spiritual Crib[4]
A special devotion that can be performed during Advent to prepare for the coming of the Infant Savior. It can be adapted for adults and/or children and applied as is appropriate to your state in life.
· 1st day, December 11th: THE STONES—Pure Intention By pure intention today, we will bring together the materials for the stable. The Wagon to carry the stones shall be the pure intention, the Horses the great fervor in the service of God, and the stones we collect by making 100 aspirations to the most Sacred Heart of our dear Redeemer.
International Mountain Day[5]
In certain areas of the world, they are also a source of
unique agriculture, providing ample space for the production of those products
that grow best on their slopes. Coffee, Cocoa, Herbs, Spices, and the form of
handicrafts that spring from the minds of those who live in the unchanging
protection of these towering edifices to geology. International Mountain Day is
your opportunity to head out and appreciate these unique landforms, and all
they have to offer. Established in December of 2003, the United Nations General
Assembly created this day to help bring awareness to all of the things we rely
on mountains for. Whether it’s all of the glories mentioned above, or how
necessary they are for the health and well-being of the flora and fauna that
call them their home, International Mountain Day promotes them all.
How to Celebrate International Mountain Day
International Mountain Day can be
celebrated in a cavalcade of fun and educational ways. Head out to your local
mountain to discover all the things it has to offer. Whether it’s a day in the
numerous parks and hidden places that can be found in their craggy terrain, or
amazing tourist towns like Leavenworth, WA, get on out there and explore.
Hiking enthusiasts will find the many trails and secret places a joy, as well
as being able to enjoy the far-flung places that so few ever visit. Due to the
challenges of developing them, there is almost always an opportunity to enjoy
nature in all its glory. Even better, once you’ve hiked your way into the far
reaches of untouched wilderness, you can settle down to camp away from the
light pollution and noise of city life. Or maybe you prefer to drive, the
twisting winding roads that navigate the mountainsides have some of the most
beautiful country that can be found, near or far. Snugged down between the
rising cliff-face and the sheer drop into the valley, the view is simply
unmatched, and such a thing can be refreshing to the human soul. International
Mountain Day is a call to get out into the wild and see what it has to offer!
10 Sacred Mountains Around the World[6]
Since ancient
times various mountains around the world have been held sacred. Here are 10
worth visiting for a spiritual high.
1. Mount
Nebo, Jordan (2,330 ft)
According to the
final chapter of Deuteronomy, Mount Nebo is where the Hebrew prophet Moses
beheld the promised land that God would give to the Jewish people. On a clear
day you can see the Dead Sea, Bethlehem, Jerusalem, the River Jordan, Jericho
and the Mount of Olives. The remains of a 4th century monastery was discovered
on this windy peak in western Jordan in 1933, and the church features an
impressive collection of ancient mosaics.
2. Mount Croagh Patrick, Ireland (2,507 ft)
As many as one million pilgrims trek this peak annually to
pray at the stations of the cross, participate in Mass, or just enjoy the
spectacular view over Ireland’s western coast. Pre-Christian Celts believed the
deity Crom Dubh lived on the mountain and later St. Patrick who introduced
Christianity to Ireland “is believed to have spent 40 days and nights fasting
and praying atop the mountain.
3.
Mount Olympus, Greece
The legendary home
of the Greek Gods and throne of Zeus is the highest mountain in Greece at 9,577
feet. The 2-3-day hike to the summit features a close-up look at the roughly
1,700 different species of flora that grow on the mountain.
4.
Mount Agung, Bali
The Balinese
consider the volcanic Mount Agung to be the center of the universe. It rises
10,308 feet high in eastern Bali. The Mother Temple of Besakih, the largest and
holiest temple in Bali, sits roughly 3,000 feet up its slopes.
5.
Mount Fuji, Japan
This snowcapped
mountain west of Tokyo is sacred in both Buddhism and Shintoism. During the
July and August climbing season more than 200,000 people hike to the top of
this 12,388 ft. peak. Also, an active volcano, Mount Fuji has been venerated as
the home of a fire god, a Shinto goddess and Dainichi Nyorai, the Great Sun
Buddha.
6. The
San Francisco Peaks, Arizona
More than a dozen Native American tribes consider this volcanic chain in the Coconino National Forest to be sacred, including the Hopi, who believe the peaks are the mythological home of the Kachina People. In order to protect the area as much as possible, there are no paved roads to the summit. The 9-mile Humphreys Peak Trail is a strenuous round-trip journey that leads to the highest point in Arizona at 12,633 feet.
7.
Mount of the Holy Cross, Colorado
Legends of a giant cross hidden deep in the Rocky Mountains proved true when photographer William Henry Jackson returned from an expedition in 1873 with a picture of this mythical peak, the northernmost 14,000 ft mountain in the Sawatch Range. Mount of the Holy Cross is named for the distinctive cross-shaped snowfield that adorns its northeastern face and is a popular Christian pilgrimage site.
8. Popocatepel, Mexico (17,802 ft)
This volcanic peak located roughly 45 miles southeast of
Mexico City figures largely in both Aztec and Nahua legends and among local
Nahua today El Popo, as its called for short, is a living, breathing entity.
Spanish missionaries built 14 monasteries on El Popoâs slopes during the 16th
century, and they’ve been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
9. Mount Kailash, China/Tibet (21,778 ft)
Thousands of Buddhists,
Hindu, Jain and Bonpo pilgrims’ journey to the remote Himalayan town of Darchen
each year to make koras, ritual circuits, around the base of Mount Kailash.
Setting foot on the mountain is considered to be a sacrilege, but one 32-mile
kora around the base is believed to erase a lifetime of sins.
10. Mount Everest, Nepal/China border
Tibetans call
Mount Everest the Goddess Mother of the Universe; the Nepalese call it Goddess
of the Sky. At 29,029 feet, it the highest mountain on the planet. Everest is
part of the Himalayan Mountain range and it a day hike from the Rongbuk
Monastery in Tibet to Base Camp.
Catechism
of the Catholic Church
PART THREE: LIFE IN CHRIST
SECTION ONE-MAN'S VOCATION LIFE IN THE
SPIRIT
CHAPTER THREE-GOD'S SALVATION: LAW AND
GRACE
Article 2-GRACE AND JUSTIFICATION
IV.
Christian Holiness
2012 "We know that in everything God works for good with
those who love him . . . For those whom he fore knew he also predestined to be
conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the first-born
among many brethren. and those whom he predestined he also called; and those
whom he called he also justified; and those whom he justified he also
glorified."
2013 "All Christians in any state or walk of life are
called to the fullness of Christian life and to the perfection of
charity." All are called to holiness: "Be perfect, as your
heavenly Father is perfect."
In order to reach this perfection the faithful should use
the strength dealt out to them by Christ's gift, so that . . . doing the will
of the Father in everything, they may wholeheartedly devote themselves to the
glory of God and to the service of their neighbor. Thus the holiness of the
People of God will grow in fruitful abundance, as is clearly shown in the
history of the Church through the lives of so many saints.
2014 Spiritual progress tends toward ever more intimate union
with Christ. This union is called "mystical" because it participates
in the mystery of Christ through the sacraments - "the holy
mysteries" - and, in him, in the mystery of the Holy Trinity. God calls us
all to this intimate union with him, even if the special graces or
extraordinary signs of this mystical life are granted only to some for the sake
of manifesting the gratuitous gift given to all.
2015 The way of perfection passes by way of the Cross. There is
no holiness without renunciation and spiritual battle. Spiritual progress
entails the ascesis and mortification that gradually lead to living in the
peace and joy of the Beatitudes:
He who climbs never stops going from beginning to
beginning, through beginnings that have no end. He never stops desiring what he
already knows.
2016 The children of our holy mother the Church rightly hope
for the grace of final perseverance and the recompense of God their Father for
the good works accomplished with his grace in communion with Jesus. Keeping
the same rule of life, believers share the "blessed hope" of those
whom the divine mercy gathers into the "holy city, the new Jerusalem,
coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her
husband."
Daily Devotions
·
Today in honor of the
Holy Trinity do the Divine Office giving your day to God. To honor God REST: no
shopping after 6 pm Saturday till Monday. Don’t forget the internet
·
Unite in the work of the Porters of St. Joseph by joining them
in fasting: Today's Fast: End
Sex Trafficking Slavery
·
Jesse
Tree ornament: Jesse: 1 Sam. 16:1-13 Symbols: crimson robe,
shepherd's staff
·
Religion
in the home: Preschool for December
·
Offering to
the sacred heart of Jesus
·
Make
reparations to the Holy Face
·
Light
a candle for a loved one
·
Rosary
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