Thursday, April 20, 2023
Thursday of the Second Week of Easter
WEED DAY
Deuteronomy, Chapter 2, Verse 4
Command the people: You are now about to pass through the territory of your relatives, the descendants of Esau, who live in Seir. Though they are AFRAID of you, be very careful.
Those that are beloved by God are those who revere and
follow His commandments. When we are infused with the Spirit of God others can
see it because the spirit within us is reflected in our physical presence. When
we receive the blessing of God; those who are not in the spirit can become
afraid of you. Our Lord wants to remind us even those who are close to us, even
those who are relatives will be afraid of us and we must be very vigilant and
be able to see in them simultaneously the humanity of Christ; to have peace
while waging a war with evil. This peace comes because while in the presence of
the Holy Spirit we have heard things that cannot be put into words and we have
experienced the truth mystically. By this truth we are compelled to follow
Christ and at times we too must pass
through the territory of our relatives; yet ever continuing our journey with
Him. For in truth those who do His Fathers will are His brothers and sisters.
All I have seen teaches
me to trust the Creator for all I have not seen. (Ralph Waldo Emerson)
The Practices of a Committed
Catholic Man[1]
Given
these reflections on Catholic manhood, we move to the practical, that is, how
to live like a Catholic man. What practices can help us to take up our cross
and follow our King?
If
we think of soldiers who do not remain in strong physical and mental shape and
who fail to practice the essential combat arts, we know they will not be ready
for battle and will be a danger to themselves and their comrades in arms. The
same is true for Catholic men; those who do not prepare and strengthen themselves
for spiritual combat are incapable of filling the breach for Christ.
While
there are many habits and devotions that a Catholic man can form, I charge you
with keeping these seven basic practices on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis.
If these practices are not (yet) part of your life, start now!
Daily
Pray every day. Each Catholic man must start his
day with prayer. It is said, “Until you realize that prayer is the most
important thing in life, you will never have time for prayer.” Without prayer,
a man is like a soldier who lacks food, water, and ammunition. Set aside some
time to speak with God first thing each morning. Pray the three prayers
essential to the Catholic faith: the Our Father, the Hail Mary, and the Glory
Be. Pray also at every meal. Before food or drink touches your lips, make the
Sign of the Cross, say the “Bless us, O Lord” prayer, and end with the Sign of
the Cross. Do this no matter where you are, with whom or how much you are
eating. Never be shy or ashamed about praying over meals. Never deny Christ the
gratitude that is due to Him. Praying as a Catholic man before every meal is a
simple but powerful way to keep strong and fill the breach.
Examine your conscience before going to sleep. Take a few moments to review the
day, including both your blessings and sins. Give God thanks for blessings and
ask forgiveness for sins. Say an Act of Contrition.
Go to Mass.
Despite the fact that attending weekly Mass is a Precept of the Church, only
about one in three Catholic men attend Sunday Mass. For large numbers of
Catholic men, their neglect to attend Mass is a grave sin, a sin that puts them
in mortal danger. The Mass is a refuge in the Spiritual Battle, where Catholic
men meet their King, hear His commands, and become strengthened with the Bread
of Life. Every Mass is a miracle where Jesus Christ is fully present, a miracle
that is the high point not only of the week, but of our entire lives on Earth.
In the Mass, a man gives thanks to God for his many blessings and hears Christ
send him again into the world to build the Kingdom of God. Fathers who lead their
children to Mass are helping in a very real way to ensure their eternal
salvation.
Read the Bible. As St. Jerome so clearly tells us, “Ignorance of the
Sacred Scriptures is ignorance of Christ.” When we read God’s word, Jesus is
present. Married men, read with your wife and your children. If a man’s
children see him read the Scriptures, they are more likely to remain in the
Faith. My brothers in Christ, this I can assure you: men who read the Bible
grow in grace, wisdom, and peace.
Keep the Sabbath. From the creation of Adam and Eve, God the Father
established a weekly cycle ending with the Sabbath. He gave us the Sabbath to
ensure that one day out of seven we will give thanks to God, rest, and be
refreshed. In the Ten Commandments, God asserts anew the importance of keeping
the Sabbath. With today’s constant barrage of buying and selling and the cacophony
of noisy media, the Sabbath is God’s respite from the storm. As Catholic men,
you must begin, or deepen, keeping the holiness of the Sabbath. If you are
married, you must lead your wives and children to do the same. Dedicate the day
to rest and true recreation, and avoid work that is not necessary. Spend time
with family, attend Mass, and enjoy the gift of the day.
Monthly
Go to Confession. At the very start of Christ’s public ministry, Jesus
calls on all men to repent. Without repentance from sin, there can be no
healing or forgiveness, and there will be no Heaven. Large numbers of Catholic
men are in grave mortal danger, particularly given the epidemic levels of
pornography consumption and the sin of masturbation. My brothers, get to
Confession now! Our Lord Jesus Christ is a merciful King who will forgive those
who humbly confess their sins. He will not forgive those who refuse. Open your
soul to the gift of our Lord’s mercy!
Build fraternity with other Catholic men. Catholic friendship among men has
a dramatic impact on their faith lives. Men who have bonds of brotherhood with
other Catholic men pray more, go to Mass and Confession more frequently, read
the Scriptures more often, and are more active in the Faith. Proverbs tells us:
“As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another” (27:17). I call on each of
our priests and deacons to draw men together in their parishes and to begin to
rebuild a vibrant and transforming Catholic fraternity. I call on laymen to
form small fellowship groups for mutual support and growth in the faith. There
is no friendship like having a friend in Christ.
Bible
Study[2]
The
Bible is a weapon and in the hands of the untrained, “You could shoot your eye
out kid”. Therefore, the Bible should be handled with care. We should approach
scripture reading in light of the liturgy and church Dogmas. “Dogma is by
definition nothing other than an interpretation of Scripture.” (Pope Benedict
XVI) Dogmas are the Church’s infallible interpretation of Scripture. In the
1970’s the Catholic Church revised its lectionary—the order of scriptural
readings for the Mass. The readings now unfold in a three-year cycle and
include almost all the books of both testaments of the Bible. The great thing
about lectionary is that it presents the scriptures and also teaches us a
method of understanding the Scriptures: Showing us a consistent pattern of
promise and fulfillment. The New Testament is concealed in the Old, and the Old
is revealed the New. Perhaps a good practice would be for us to read the daily
scripture in the lectionary, maybe even before Mass.
Lectio
Divina[3]
"Lectio Divina", a Latin term, means
"divine reading" and describes a way of reading the Scriptures
whereby we gradually let go of our own agenda and open ourselves to what God
wants to say to us. In the 12th century, a Carthusian monk called Guigo,
described the stages which he saw as essential to the practice of Lectio
Divina. There are various ways of practicing Lectio Divina either individually
or in groups, but Guigo's description remains fundamental.
1.
He said that the first stage is lectio (reading) where we read the Word of God,
slowly and reflectively so that it sinks into us. Any passage of Scripture can
be used for this way of prayer but the passage should not be too long.
2.
The second stage is meditatio (reflection) where we think about the text we have chosen and
ruminate upon it so that we take from it what God wants to give us.
3.
The third stage is oratio (response) where we leave our thinking aside and simply let our
hearts speak to God. This response is inspired by our reflection on the Word of
God.
4. The final stage of Lectio Divina is contemplatio (rest) where we let go not only of our own ideas, plans and meditations but also of our holy words and thoughts. We simply rest in the Word of God. We listen at the deepest level of our being to God who speaks within us with a still small voice. As we listen, we are gradually transformed from within. Obviously this transformation will have a profound effect on the way we actually live and the way we live is the test of the authenticity of our prayer. We must take what we read in the Word of God into our daily lives.
These stages of Lectio Divina are not fixed rules of procedure but simply guidelines as to how the prayer normally develops. Its natural movement is towards greater simplicity, with less and less talking and more listening. Gradually the words of Scripture begin to dissolve, and the Word is revealed before the eyes of our heart. How much time should be given to each stage depends very much on whether it is used individually or in a group.
The practice of
Lectio Divina as a way of praying the Scriptures has been a fruitful source of
growing in relationship with Christ for many centuries and in our own day is
being rediscovered by many individuals and groups. The Word of God is alive and
active and will transform each of us if we open ourselves to receive what God
wants to give us.
Weed Day[4]
April 20 has become a counterculture holiday in North
America, where people gather to celebrate and consume cannabis. Some
events have a political nature to them, advocating for the legalization of
cannabis. North American observances have been held at Hippie Hill in San
Francisco's Golden Gate Park near the Haight-Ashbury district, the University
of Colorado's Boulder campus, Ottawa, Ontario, at Parliament Hill
and Major's Hill Park, Montreal, Quebec at Mount Royal monument, Edmonton,
Alberta at the Alberta Legislature Building, as well as Vancouver,
British Columbia at the Vancouver Art Gallery. The growing size of
the unofficial event at UC Santa Cruz caused the Vice Chancellor of Student
Affairs to send an e-mail to parents in 2009 stating: "The growth in scale
of this activity has become a concern for both the university and surrounding
community."
Up in Smoke[5]
Q: I have a question regarding
the use of marijuana and whether it is considered a sin to smoke it
recreationally now that it is legal in Washington state. I have a Catholic
friend who smokes it and doesn’t seem to think that there is anything wrong
with doing so. What does the church teach about using marijuana recreationally
— is it a sin?
A: During the period of
continuing formation following my ordination, I was introduced to Stephen
Covey’s well-known book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. The second
habit has always stuck with me: “Begin with the end in mind.” It means that
before we start something, we need to think it out and make sure our present
actions will help us toward our future goals.
Covey’s second habit can be applied to
the spiritual life. The goal of our spiritual lives is ultimately to love God
and others to the fullest possible extent, and ultimately to make it to heaven.
What we do in the present should assist us in these spiritual goals.
So, to your question, with the
understanding that marijuana is a legally prescribed therapeutic drug for
certain mental and physical conditions: Does recreational marijuana use help or
hinder us in reaching this goal of our Christian life?
The Catechism of the Catholic Church,
quoting Vatican II, says the following: “God willed that man should be ‘left in
the hand of his own counsel,’ so that he might of his own accord seek his
Creator and freely attain his full and blessed perfection by cleaving to him.”
(1730) God doesn’t force us to seek and love him; it is something that he has
left us free to do.
Marijuana affects the limbic system of
the brain, which deals with emotion, behavior, motivation, long-term memory,
and sense of smell and time. Using this substance, as many studies show, causes
both physical and psychological effects in the user, including heightened heart
rates, short-term memory loss, delayed reaction, depression and even anxiety.
When a person smokes marijuana, they are placing chemicals in their nervous
system that alter their consciousness and have the potential to produce future
emotional and physical damage.
Marijuana certainly is not beneficial
to the spiritual life, and if it becomes a serious impediment to growth in the
spiritual life and drawing closer to God and our ultimate goal, heaven, the
church would consider its recreational use a sin. It’s important to remember
that there is a big difference between recreational and therapeutic drug use
and this understanding does not apply only to marijuana.
YouCat, the youth catechism of the
Catholic Church, says: “Every time a person loses or forgets himself by
becoming intoxicated, which can also include excessive eating and drinking,
indulgence in sexual activity, or speeding with an automobile, he loses some of
his human dignity and freedom and therefore sins against God. This should be
distinguished from the reasonable, conscious, and moderate use of enjoyable
things.” (389)
When we forget ourselves in this way
through “intoxication” of any kind, we run the risk of forgetting what the
purpose and goal of our lives are, and certainly are not considering this
ultimate goal in the present.
St. Paul says, “Do you not know that
your body is a temple of the holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God,
and that you are not your own?” (1 Corinthians 6:19) We were created to be good
and responsible stewards of God’s creation, including our bodies, which are
sacred. Recreational marijuana use can be an impediment to the fullness of life
that God wants to share with us and so can become a hindrance to being a good
steward of what God has created. Do you want to be a Dude or a Dud?
Catechism
of the Catholic Church
PART FOUR: CHRISTIAN PRAYER
SECTION ONE-PRAYER IN THE CHRISTIAN LIFE
CHAPTER THREE-THE LIFE OF PRAYER
SECTION TWO-THE LORD'S PRAYER
I. "OUR FATHER!"
2759 Jesus "was praying at a certain place, and when he
ceased, one of his disciples said to him, 'Lord, teach us to pray, as John
taught his disciples.'" In response to this request the Lord entrusts
to his disciples and to his Church the fundamental Christian prayer. St. Luke
presents a brief text of five petitions, while St. Matthew gives a more
developed version of seven petitions. The liturgical tradition of the
Church has retained St. Matthew's text:
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.
2760 Very early on, liturgical usage concluded the Lord's
Prayer with a doxology. In the Didache, we find, "For yours are the power
and the glory for ever." The Apostolic Constitutions add to the
beginning: "the kingdom," and this is the formula retained to our day
in ecumenical prayer.
The Byzantine tradition adds
after "the glory" the words "Father, Son, and Holy Spirit."
the Roman Missal develops the last petition in the explicit perspective of
"awaiting our blessed hope" and of the Second Coming of our Lord
Jesus Christ. Then comes the assembly's acclamation or the repetition of
the doxology from the Apostolic Constitutions.
PRAYERS AND TEACHINGS OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH
Consecration to the Blessed Mother[6]
O Mary, Virgin most powerful and Mother of mercy, Queen of Heaven and Refuge of sinners, we consecrate ourselves to thine Immaculate Heart.
We consecrate to thee our very being and our whole life; all that we have, all that we love, all that we are. To thee we give our bodies, our hearts and our souls; to thee we give our homes, our families, our country.
We desire that all that is in us and around us may belong to thee, and may share in the benefits of thy motherly benediction. And that this act of consecration may be truly efficacious and lasting, we renew this day at thy feet the promises of our Baptism and our first Holy Communion.
We pledge ourselves to profess courageously and at all times the truths of our holy Faith, and to live as befits Catholics who are duly submissive to all the directions of the Pope and the Bishops in communion with him.
We pledge ourselves to keep the commandments of God and His Church, in particular to keep holy the Lord's Day.
We
likewise pledge ourselves to make the consoling practices of the Christian
religion, and above all, Holy Communion, an integral part of our lives, in so
far as we shall be able so to do.
Finally, we promise thee, O glorious Mother of God and loving Mother of men, to devote ourselves whole-heartedly to the service of thy blessed cult, in order to hasten and assure, through the sovereignty of thine Immaculate Heart, the coming of the kingdom of the Sacred Heart of thine adorable Son, in our own hearts and in those of all men, in our country and in all the world, as in heaven. so, on earth. Amen.
Daily
Devotions
·
Unite in the work of the Porters of St. Joseph by joining them
in fasting: Today's Fast: Reparations
for offenses and blasphemies against God and the Blessed Virgin Mary
·
Litany of the Most Precious
Blood of Jesus
·
Offering to
the sacred heart of Jesus
· Make reparations to the Holy Face
[2] Hahn, Scott, Signs of Life; 40
Catholic Customs and their biblical roots. Chap. 16. Bible Study.
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