Friday of the Third Week of Easter
ST. LOUIS DE MONTFORT-ARBOR DAY
Deuteronomy, Chapter
4, Verse 9-10
9 However, be on your guard and be very careful not to forget the things your own eyes have seen, nor let them slip from your heart as long as you live, but make them known to your children and to your children’s children, 10 that day you stood before the LORD, your God, at Horeb, when the LORD said to me: Assemble the people for me, that I may let them hear my words, that they may learn to FEAR me as long as they live in the land and may so teach their children.
Moses’ use of the word fear here not in the sense of “be terrified,” but rather “manifest
reverence or awe.” Christ’s mission of love was to move our hearts from
reverence or awe of pure love: A love in which the heart of the beloved longs
to do good works secretly in emulation of the God that is good to saint and
sinner alike. Our church often instructs us to increase in ourselves Faith,
Hope and Charity.
Lord,
teach me to be generous. Teach me to serve you as you deserve; to give and not
to count the cost…to labor and not to ask for reward, except to know that I am
doing your will. (Saint Ignatius, Prayer for Generosity)
Lord, let me not fear
death with an empty fear, but
with a wise and holy fear. An empty fear does not make men any better, but a
wise and holy fear urges them to
improve their lives. I will prepare for death by trying today to please you
more and more in my thoughts, desires, words and actions. If I live this day as
You desire, I shall be ready at any moment, and death will be nothing worse
than Your loving call. Amen[1]
St. Louis Mary de Montfort[2]
Louis'
life is inseparable from his efforts to promote genuine devotion to Mary, the
mother of Jesus and mother of the church. Totus tuus (completely yours) was
Louis's personal motto; Karol Wojtyla chose it as his episcopal motto. Born in
the Breton village of Montfort, close to Rennes (France), as an adult Louis
identified himself by the place of his baptism instead of his family name,
Grignion. After being educated by the Jesuits and the Sulpicians, he was
ordained as a diocesan priest in 1700. Soon he began preaching parish missions
throughout western France. His years of ministering to the poor prompted him to
travel and live very simply, sometimes getting him into trouble with church
authorities. In his preaching, which attracted thousands of people back to the
faith, Father Louis recommended frequent, even daily, Holy Communion (not the
custom then!) and imitation of the Virgin Mary's ongoing acceptance of God's
will for her life. Louis founded the Missionaries of the Company of Mary (for
priests and brothers) and the Daughters of Wisdom, who cared especially for the
sick. His book, True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin, has become a classic
explanation of Marian devotion. Louis died in Saint-Laurent-sur-Sevre, where a
basilica has been erected in his honor. He was canonized in 1947.
Excerpted
from Saint of the Day, Leonard Foley, O.F.M.
Things to
Do
·
Read a longer biography of St. Louis de Montfort's life.
·
Read some of St.
Louis de Montfort's works and/or read articles
about his spirituality.
·
Consider making the consecration to
Mary recommended by St. Louis de Montfort.
·
Resolve to pray the rosary daily starting today.
·
Learn about the Missionaries
of the Company of Mary (Montfort Missionaries) and support their work with
your prayers, sacrifices and financial offerings.
·
From the Catholic Culture Library The
Spiritans and Under
the Banner and Protection of Mary.
20 best days of the year to start
Consecration to Mary[3]
·
Start January 9 to end on February 11, the feast
of the Apparation at Lourdes
·
Start February 20 (or 21st in a leap year) to
end on March 25, the feast of the Annunciation
·
Start April 10 to end on May 13, the feast of
Our Lady of Fatima
·
Start April 21 to end on May 24, the feast of
Mary, Help of Christians
·
Start April 28 to end on May 31, the feast of
the Visitation
·
Start May 25
to end on June 27, the feast of Our Lady of Perpetual Help
·
Start June 13 to end on July 16, the feast of
Our Lady of Mount Carmel
·
Start July 13 to end on August 15, the feast of
the Assumption
·
Start July 20 to end on August 22, the feast of
the Queenship of Mary
·
Start August 6 to end on September 8, the feast
of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary
·
Start August 10 to end on September 12, the
feast of the Holy Name of Mary
·
Start August 13 to end on September 15, the
feast of Our Lady of Sorrows
·
Start September 4 to end on October 7, the feast
of Our Lady of the Rosary
·
Start October 17 to end on November 19, the
feast of Our Lady of Divine Providence
·
Start October 19 to end on November 21, the
feast of the Presentation of the Virgin Mary
·
Start October 25 to end on November 27, the
feast of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal
·
Start November 5 to end on December 8, the feast
of the Immaculate Conception
·
Start November 9 to end on December 12, the
feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe
·
Start November 29 to end on January 1, the feast
of Mary, Mother of God
·
Start December 31 to end on February 2, the
feast of the Presentation of Our Lord.
Arbor Day[4]
Arbor
Day is a celebration of trees and their importance to providing shelter,
stabilization for the ground, and beauty to the beholder. While Arbor Day is a
US holiday, several other countries have adopted similar observances including
Japan, Australia, Korea and Yugoslavia. In 1970, President Richard Nixon
declared Arbor Day a federal holiday and it is observed the last Friday in
April each year.
Arbor
Day Facts & Quotes
·
The
first Arbor Day was celebrated April 10, 1872, in the State of Nebraska. More
than 1 million trees were planted in Nebraska as they celebrated the first
Arbor Day.
·
A
single tree can absorb as much as 48 pounds of carbon dioxide per year and can
sequester 1 ton of carbon dioxide by the time it reaches 40 years old.
·
Newspaper
editor, Julius Sterling Morton began Arbor Day to help bring attention to the
importance of trees.
·
Since
the Yellowstone Fires of 1988, the Arbor Day Foundation has partnered with the
US Forest Service. Through this partnership, over 25 million Arbor Day
Foundation trees have been planted.
·
The
best time to plant a tree is twenty years ago. The second-best time is now.
–Proverb
Arbor
Day Top Events and Things to Do
·
Plant
a tree.
·
Visit
a nursery and consider buying some plants.
·
Organize
a neighborhood beautification project.
·
Hold
a paper drive. Use the recycling proceeds to purchase a special tree.
Catechism
of the Catholic Church
PART
FOUR: CHRISTIAN PRAYER
SECTION TWO-THE LORD'S PRAYER
Article 2 "OUR FATHER WHO ART IN HEAVEN"
III. "Our" Father
2786 "Our"
Father refers to God. the adjective, as used by us, does not express
possession, but an entirely new relationship with God.
2787 When we say
"our" Father, we recognize first that all his promises of love
announced by the prophets are fulfilled in the new and eternal covenant in his
Christ: we have become "his" people and he is henceforth
"our" God. This new relationship is the purely gratuitous gift of
belonging to each other: we are to respond to "grace and truth" given
us in Jesus Christ with love and faithfulness.
2788 Since the Lord's
Prayer is that of his people in the "endtime," this "our"
also expresses the certitude of our hope in God's ultimate promise: in the new
Jerusalem he will say to the victor, "I will be his God and he shall be my
son."
2789 When we pray to
"our" Father, we personally address the Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ. By doing so we do not divide the Godhead, since the Father is its
"source and origin," but rather confess that the Son is eternally
begotten by him and the Holy Spirit proceeds from him. We are not confusing the
persons, for we confess that our communion is with the Father and his Son,
Jesus Christ, in their one Holy Spirit. the Holy Trinity is consubstantial and
indivisible. When we pray to the Father, we adore and glorify him together with
the Son and the Holy Spirit.
2790 Grammatically,
"our" qualifies a reality common to more than one person. There is
only one God, and he is recognized as Father by those who, through faith in his
only Son, are reborn of him by water and the Spirit. The Church is this
new communion of God and men. United with the only Son, who has become
"the firstborn among many brethren," she is in communion with one and
the same Father in one and the same Holy Spirit. In praying
"our" Father, each of the baptized is praying in this communion:
"The company of those who believed were of one heart and soul."
2791 For this reason,
in spite of the divisions among Christians, this prayer to "our"
Father remains our common patrimony and an urgent summons for all the baptized.
In communion by faith in Christ and by Baptism, they ought to join in Jesus'
prayer for the unity of his disciples.
2792 Finally, if we
pray the Our Father sincerely, we leave individualism behind, because the love
that we receive frees us from it. the "our" at the beginning of the
Lord's Prayer, like the "us" of the last four petitions, excludes no
one. If we are to say it truthfully, our divisions and oppositions have to be
overcome.
2793 The baptized
cannot pray to "our" Father without bringing before him all those for
whom he gave his beloved Son. God's love has no bounds, neither should our
prayer. Praying "our" Father opens to us the dimensions of his love
revealed in Christ: praying with and for all who do not yet know him, so that
Christ may "gather into one the children of God." God's care for
all men and for the whole of creation has inspired all the great practitioners
of prayer; it should extend our prayer to the full breadth of love whenever we
dare to say "our" Father.
PRAYERS AND TEACHINGS OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH
Act
of Faith
O my God, I
firmly believe that You are one God in three Divine Persons: Father, Son, and
Holy Spirit. I believe that Your Divine Son became man and died for our sins,
and that He will come to judge the living and the dead. I believe these and all
the truths which the Holy Catholic Church teaches, because You revealed them,
who can neither deceive nor be deceived. Amen.
Fitness Friday
· Try the St.
Joseph Universal Man Plan May 1st is the Feast of St. Joseph the
worker.
TODAY
IS ALSO Biological Clock Day
Biological
Clock Day offers a variety of opportunities to pay respect and attention to our
bodies. Perhaps implement some of these ideas in celebration of the day:
Re-Regulate the Body
It might
be a good idea to celebrate Biological Clock Day by setting aside some time to
re-regulate the body. This will likely take more than a 24-hour period, but the
day can perhaps be a good catalyst. Get started by creating a regular bedtime
routine that allows plenty of time for relaxing and falling asleep at night.
Limit Artificial Light
One of
the most basic ways to observe Biological Clock Day might be to get back to a
rhythm the way nature intended it to be. Try unplugging those electronics and turn
off the lights at a set time in the evening. Pick up an actual book with pages
instead of scrolling through the phone.
See what
happens when nature takes its course and there’s no human intervention of
technology to hijack the processes the body really needs. It might take a bit
of time for the body to detox and reset itself, but the effort will certainly
be worth it in the end!
Practice Sleep Hygiene
Need some
additional tips on how to get the body to engage with its natural rhythms on
Biological Clock Day? Try some of these sleep hygiene ideas:
- Go to sleep and wake up at the same time every
day
- Try to avoid taking naps if they seem to inhibit
the ability to fall asleep at the right time at night
- Stop eating and exercising at least two hours (or
more) before bedtime and avoid chemical stimulants like caffeine and
nicotine during these hours
- Try wearing glasses that block blue light
Events
· Feast
of St. Louis De Montfort
· New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival
· Coffee & Cannolis for St. Gianna
View all
recipes for St. Gianna here.
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
·
Litany of the Most Precious
Blood of Jesus
·
Offering to
the sacred heart of Jesus
· Make reparations to the Holy Face
[1] Paone, Anthony J., S.J. My Daily
Bread, Confraternity of the Precious Blood.
[2] www.catholicculture.org
No comments:
Post a Comment