Sunday, January 29, 2023

- January 23, 2023

Novena for Purification Day 6

Description:

This novena prayer, although short is sufficient. It would be better of course to add, if time permits, three Hail Marys or say five times the Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory be to the Father, or to use some of the many well-loved novena prayers from other sources. Remember that prayers must be said with the lips in order to gain the indulgences. This novena starts on January 24 and ends on February 2.

Prayer:

O Blessed Mother of God, who went up to the Temple according to the law with your offering of little white doves, pray for me that I too may keep the law and be pure in heart like you.

Sweet heart of Mary, be my salvation.

300 days. Plenary, under usual conditions, if said daily for a month. S. C. Indulg., Sept. 30, 1852.

Prayer Source: All Day With God by Blanche Jennings Thompson

Fourth Sunday After Epiphany

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.”

Four things that Conservative Americans Must Do[1]

· First, we must put our faith in God, not men. We need a conservative movement that is profoundly Christian, and that defends natural law and the Ten Commandments before all else. Our crisis today is, deep down, a religious one. Only a return to God and His order will make a defeat of the left possible. We must defend traditional morality and the traditional family, especially against the culture of death and the LGBT revolution. We must restore the notion of good and evil that has almost disappeared in our relativistic age. This must start in our personal lives.

· Second, we must recognize that the “progressive” left is not advocating progress, nor even a revolt, but a revolution. Critical race theory, the Green New Deal, LGBT tyranny (especially transgenderism), unrestricted abortion, Modern Monetary Theory, illegal immigration, and Medicare for All are weapons in the same army that wants to burn what remains of Christian civilization to the ground. Conservative Americans must understand that they are in a titanic struggle for civilization itself. We must study and understand the nature of this revolution, its characteristics, tactics, and driving forces. And if the enemy is waging a revolution, the only proper response is a counter-revolution. The book Revolution and Counter-Revolution by Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira is a good place to start.

· Third, we must resolve not only to elect godly statesmen to office but also to act directly on public opinion through a cultural counter-revolution. Politics, it is often said, is downstream from culture. The left has subverted America and especially our youth through culture: music, fashions, movies, television, schools, technology and many others. Like the early Christians, we must fight a counter-cultural crusade against the perverse society in which we live. We need to act on public opinion, one person, one family, one neighborhood at a time. We need to be more dedicated to our cause than the revolutionaries have been to theirs, to prevail in the battle for public opinion inch by inch. Only culture imbued with Christian principles and defended by men and women of strong religious convictions is capable of resisting and defeating the cultural steamroller of our times. The future belongs to those who fight.

· Finally, we need to pray to Our Lord Jesus Christ, through the intercession of His Holy Mother Mary, for graces of repentance, wisdom and fortitude. God sent His Mother Mary to the world at Fatima, Portugal, in 1917, to warn about the errors of Russia and the future chastisements that would come. If mankind did not convert, she said, many nations would be annihilated. We are now witnessing the final fulfillment of those prophecies. It is not too late for America and the world to turn back to God with a humble and contrite heart.

ON KEEPING THE LORD'S DAY HOLY[2]

CHAPTER II

DIES CHRISTI

The Day of the Risen Lord
and of the Gift
of the Holy Spirit

The weekly Easter

20. According to the common witness of the Gospels, the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead took place on "the first day after the Sabbath" (Mk 16:2,9; Lk 24:1; Jn 20:1). On the same day, the Risen Lord appeared to the two disciples of Emmaus (cf. Lk 24:13-35) and to the eleven Apostles gathered together (cf. Lk 24:36; Jn 20:19). A week later — as the Gospel of John recounts (cf. 20:26) — the disciples were gathered together once again, when Jesus appeared to them and made himself known to Thomas by showing him the signs of his Passion. The day of Pentecost — the first day of the eighth week after the Jewish Passover (cf. Acts 2:1), when the promise made by Jesus to the Apostles after the Resurrection was fulfilled by the outpouring of the Holy Spirit (cf. Lk 24:49; Acts 1:4-5) — also fell on a Sunday. This was the day of the first proclamation and the first baptisms: Peter announced to the assembled crowd that Christ was risen and "those who received his word were baptized" (Acts 2:41). This was the epiphany of the Church, revealed as the people into which are gathered in unity, beyond all their differences, the scattered children of God..

Fourth Sunday after Epiphany[3]

Prayer.

O God! Who knowest that, placed amidst so many dangers, we cannot, through human frailty, stand, grant us safety of mind and body, that we may, by Thy aid, surmount those things which we suffer for our sins. Amen.

EPISTLE. Rom. xiii. 8-10.

Brethren: Owe no man anything, but to love one another; for he that loveth his neighbor hath fulfilled the law. For thou shalt not commit adultery: Thou shalt not kill: Thou shalt not steal: Thou shalt not bear false witness: Thou shalt not covet and if there be any other commandment, it is comprised in this word: Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. The love of our neighbor worketh no evil. Love, therefore, is the fulfilling of the law. How are we to understand those words of St. Paul, " He that loveth his neighbor hath fulfilled the law"? St. Augustine explains them as follows: " Our love towards our neighbor must have its origin in the love of God; for if we love our neighbor, we must love him for God’s sake. Now he who loves God keeps the first four commandments, for he believes in God, hopes in Him, loves Him, and honors Him, while he also loves and honors his parents. But he who loves his neigh bor keeps the rest of the commandments also, since that love prevents him from doing any injury to his neighbor, so that he will not kill, nor steal, nor calumniate, nor bear false witness; thus, he fulfills the law, for " upon these two commandments depend the whole law and the prophets " (Matt. xxii. 40).

GOSPEL. Matt. viii. 23-27.

At that time, when Jesus entered into the boat, His disciples followed Him: and behold a great tempest arose in the sea, so that the boat was covered with waves, but He was asleep. And His disciples came to Him, and awakened Him, saying: Lord, save us, we perish. And Jesus saith to them, why am you fearful, O ye of little faith? Then rising up He commanded the winds, and the sea; and there came a great calm. But the men wondered, saying, what manner of man is this, for the winds and the sea obey Him?

Why did Jesus’ sleep while a great tempest arose in the sea?

1. He thereby tested the faith of His disciples and confirmed it by the miracle of their escape.

2. He, by this occasion, taught the just and pious not to be scandalized or discouraged if God should visit them with affliction, such as sick ness, poverty, or other miseries.

3. He teaches us also to seek refuge in Him and encourages us to hope for help.

Why did Our Savior reprove His disciples?

Because they showed a want of faith and confidence. Ever had they been then drowned; such a death would have been to them the entrance to eternal life. Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, . . . but blessed be the man that trusteth in the Lord " (Jer. xvii. 5, 7). Let us, therefore, in any adversity or danger be firm in our belief that God cares for us and have confidence in Him and He will hear our prayers, if it be for our good, as He quieted the wind and the sea with His almighty word.

What can we further learn from this gospel?

1. How willingly Jesus assists us.

2. That He will protect His Church in all storms and persecutions, since He, the Almighty, is always with her.

3. How willingly we should follow Jesus, since even the winds and waves obey Him.

4. That we should not look with indifference at the wonders of God’s omnipotence and benevolence, but from them learn to raise our thoughts in love to Him. For if those men wondered, saying, " Who is this? for even the winds and the sea obey Him," how much rather should we know and love God from the innumerable miracles of His love and power.

Aspiration.

Grant us, O most benign Jesus, great confidence in Thy divine assistance whenever we are in need and allow us not to be of little faith. Be our Savior in the many dangers that surround us; make use of Thy omnipotence against our enemies; command the impetuous winds and sea of persecution that they may be calm; and give peace and quiet to Thy Church, which Thou hast redeemed with Thy precious blood, that we may serve Thee in sanctity and justice, and come safely to the wished-for haven of eternal happiness. Amen.

Toto We are not in Kansas anymore[4]

Kansas Day Facts

Kansas was the first state to ratify the 15th amendment, thus allowing African American men the right to vote. The 15th amendment reads, the right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude.
Kansas is one of the highest producing agricultural states in the U.S. It is believed that they produce enough wheat in one year to provide everyone in the world with several loaves of bread.
The state of Kansas gets its name from the Kansa people, a Native tribe of Siouan who lived along the Kansas and Saline rivers. The name comes from the Siouan-language phrase meaning, people of the south wind.

Kansas Day Top Events and Things to Do

Visit the Old Cowtown Museum in Wichita, Kansas. It is one of the U.S's oldest history museums and is home to more than 50 historic and re-created buildings.
Visit the Strataca Underground Salt Museum Museum in Hutchinson, Kansas. It is a popular museum built within one of the world's largest deposits of rock salt. It lets visitors explore tunnels and travel 650 feet underground.
Watch a movie representative of Kansas and its notable figures. Here are our suggestions:
Amelia (2009)
The Wizard of Oz (1939)
The Texans (1938)

Catechism of the Catholic Church

PART THREE: LIFE IN CHRIST

SECTION TWO-THE TEN COMMANDMENTS

ARTICLE 4-THE FOURTH COMMANDMENT

III. The Duties of Family Members

The duties of children

2214 The divine fatherhood is the source of human fatherhood; this is the foundation of the honor owed to parents. the respect of children, whether minors or adults, for their father and mother is nourished by the natural affection born of the bond uniting them. It is required by God's commandment.

2215 Respect for parents (filial piety) derives from gratitude toward those who, by the gift of life, their love and their work, have brought their children into the world and enabled them to grow in stature, wisdom, and grace. "With all your heart honor your father, and do not forget the birth pangs of your mother. Remember that through your parents you were born; what can you give back to them that equals their gift to you?"

2216 Filial respect is shown by true docility and obedience. "My son, keep your father's commandment, and forsake not your mother's teaching.... When you walk, they will lead you; when you lie down, they will watch over you; and when you awake, they will talk with you." "A wise son hears his father's instruction, but a scoffer does not listen to rebuke."

2217 As long as a child lives at home with his parents, the child should obey his parents in all that they ask of him when it is for his good or that of the family. "Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord." Children should also obey the reasonable directions of their teachers and all to whom their parents have entrusted them. But if a child is convinced in conscience that it would be morally wrong to obey a particular order, he must not do so.
As they grow up, children should continue to respect their parents. They should anticipate their wishes, willingly seek their advice, and accept their just admonitions. Obedience toward parents ceases with the emancipation of the children; not so respect, which is always owed to them. This respect has its roots in the fear of God, one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

2218 The fourth commandment reminds grown children of their responsibilities toward their parents. As much as they can, they must give them material and moral support in old age and in times of illness, loneliness, or distress. Jesus recalls this duty of gratitude.

For the Lord honored the father above the children, and he confirmed the right of the mother over her sons. Whoever honors his father atones for sins, and whoever glorifies his mother is like one who lays up treasure. Whoever honors his father will be gladdened by his own children, and when he prays he will be heard. Whoever glorifies his father will have long life, and whoever obeys the Lord will refresh his mother.
O son, help your father in his old age, and do not grieve him as long as he lives; even if he is lacking in understanding, show forbearance; in all your strength do not despise him.... Whoever forsakes his father is like a blasphemer, and whoever angers his mother is cursed by the Lord.

2219 Filial respect promotes harmony in all of family life; it also concerns relationships between brothers and sisters. Respect toward parents fills the home with light and warmth. "Grandchildren are the crown of the aged." "With all humility and meekness, with patience, [support] one another in charity."

2220 For Christians a special gratitude is due to those from whom they have received the gift of faith, the grace of Baptism, and life in the Church. These may include parents, grandparents, other members of the family, pastors, catechists, and other teachers or friends. "I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you."

The duties of parents

2221 The fecundity of conjugal love cannot be reduced solely to the procreation of children, but must extend to their moral education and their spiritual formation. "The role of parents in education is of such importance that it is almost impossible to provide an adequate substitute." The right and the duty of parents to educate their children are primordial and inalienable.

2222 Parents must regard their children as children of God and respect them as human persons. Showing themselves obedient to the will of the Father in heaven, they educate their children to fulfill God's law.

2223 Parents have the first responsibility for the education of their children. They bear witness to this responsibility first by creating a home where tenderness, forgiveness, respect, fidelity, and disinterested service are the rule. the home is well suited for education in the virtues. This requires an apprenticeship in self-denial, sound judgment, and self-mastery - the preconditions of all true freedom. Parents should teach their children to subordinate the "material and instinctual dimensions to interior and spiritual ones." Parents have a grave responsibility to give good example to their children. By knowing how to acknowledge their own failings to their children, parents will be better able to guide and correct them:

He who loves his son will not spare the rod.... He who disciplines his son will profit by him.
Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.

2224 The home is the natural environment for initiating a human being into solidarity and communal responsibilities. Parents should teach children to avoid the compromising and degrading influences which threaten human societies.

2225 Through the grace of the sacrament of marriage, parents receive the responsibility and privilege of evangelizing their children. Parents should initiate their children at an early age into the mysteries of the faith of which they are the "first heralds" for their children. They should associate them from their tenderest years with the life of the Church. A wholesome family life can foster interior dispositions that are a genuine preparation for a living faith and remain a support for it throughout one's life.

2226 Education in the faith by the parents should begin in the child's earliest years. This already happens when family members help one another to grow in faith by the witness of a Christian life in keeping with the Gospel. Family catechesis precedes, accompanies, and enriches other forms of instruction in the faith. Parents have the mission of teaching their children to pray and to discover their vocation as children of God. The parish is the Eucharistic community and the heart of the liturgical life of Christian families; it is a privileged place for the catechesis of children and parents.

2227 Children in turn contribute to the growth in holiness of their parents. Each and everyone should be generous and tireless in forgiving one another for offenses, quarrels, injustices, and neglect. Mutual affection suggests this. the charity of Christ demands it.

2228 Parents' respect and affection are expressed by the care and attention they devote to bringing up their young children and providing for their physical and spiritual needs. As the children grow up, the same respect and devotion lead parents to educate them in the right use of their reason and freedom.

2229 As those first responsible for the education of their children, parents have the right to choose a school for them which corresponds to their own convictions. This right is fundamental. As far as possible parents have the duty of choosing schools that will best help them in their task as Christian educators. Public authorities have the duty of guaranteeing this parental right and of ensuring the concrete conditions for its exercise.

2230 When they become adults, children have the right and duty to choose their profession and state of life. They should assume their new responsibilities within a trusting relationship with their parents, willingly asking and receiving their advice and counsel. Parents should be careful not to exert pressure on their children either in the choice of a profession or in that of a spouse. This necessary restraint does not prevent them - quite the contrary from giving their children judicious advice, particularly when they are planning to start a family.

2231 Some forgo marriage in order to care for their parents or brothers and sisters, to give themselves more completely to a profession, or to serve other honorable ends. They can contribute greatly to the good of the human family.

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: The Sick, afflicted, and infirmed.

· Offering to the sacred heart of Jesus

· Don’t be a Curmudgeon

· Drops of Christ’s Blood

· Universal Man Plan

· Rosary

Day 15