Tuesday, May 16, 2023
US Marine Corp[1]
Where
the mighty go; God goes with them!
·
At
Iwo Jima, Marine Chaplain Father Charles Suver celebrated Holy Mass shortly
before the raising of the U.S. flag on Mount Suribachi by the Marines. Debate
has been inconclusive whether it was the first less known or the second more
well-known raising of the flag that is now immortalized in history. Regardless
of which flag raising it was Father Suver could still hear Japanese voices
in the nearby caves as he said the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass!
·
Fr.
Charles Watters in Vietnam shortly before his death in November, 1967. Chaplain Watters was awarded the Medal of
Honor for bravery
under fire. Once he linked up with the Marines they told him to leave as it was
too dangerous. Father McGonigal refused and ministered aid and Last Rites to
the wounded and dying. He was killed on February 17, 1968 trying to rescue a
wounded Marine. The Marines later dedicated a chapel at Camp Pendleton in his honor
to the service he gave to the Marines at Hue.
Rogationtide Tuesday
ST. SIMON STOCK
27 When the jailer woke up and saw the prison doors wide open, he drew [his] sword and was about to kill himself, thinking that the prisoners had escaped. 28 But Paul shouted out in a loud voice, “Do no harm to yourself; we are all here.” 29 He asked for a light and rushed in and, trembling with FEAR, he fell down before Paul and Silas. 30 Then he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
In this work of God’s Mercy, Christ frees the jailer from the jail of fear and sin.
Freeing of the Jailer of his jail[1]
Paul was not overwhelmed
by circumstances. The earthquake had not numbed him with fear. He had no abject
terror of death. Paul had his wits about him. He heard the jailer's cry, heard
the sword being drawn - perhaps, he saw the shadow of it cast by the dim
lamplight upon the prison wall and spoke out in mercy to save the man's life
from the consequences of sin.
The penal consequence of sin
is death. There are three kinds of death that result from sin. Sinners are dead
to God. There is no real communion between God and us. He has withdrawn and no
longer walks with us in the cool of the day. All men physically die. Our old
bodies will not last forever. Finally, for those who remain God's enemies at
heart there is ultimately the destruction of both body and soul.
Our fallen natures
continually drag us down. We have little power to withstand the inclination to
sin when it is strong upon us. We scarcely live a day of our lives without
falling short of the standards we set ourselves let along the standards that
God sets. It is very doubtful that the Philippian jailer thought along these
lines exactly - nor do most people who are converted! The jailer just knew that
he needed saving from the way he was. He compared himself with Paul and Silas
and he was disgusted with the life he led. He hadn't the fortitude, inner joy,
peace or consideration for others that Paul exhibited. The jailer feared death.
He had no sort of relationship with God. He had no hope of life beyond the
grave because he had no assurance that God was interested him let alone loved
him. The jailer was lost, and he knew it.
Paul and Silas replied to the jailer's question as one: "Believe
in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved - you and your household."
Paul did not point the jailer to Jesus' saving work but to Jesus himself. This
is because in the first instance the human heart must submit to Jesus. A sinner
has to answer, "I will," to that command of Paul and Silas. Saving
faith involves submitting, surrendering and yielding to Jesus. The rebel has to
shoulder arms and say to the Savior, "I give in. Please rescue me."
Rogationtide Tuesday[2]
The Lesser Rogation Days
prior to the Ascension were especially important in rural communities dependent
on agricultural bounty. They were also the inspiration for a number of
semi-liturgical imitations, where farmers would take holy water and douse their
fields for protection and blessing. Perhaps this would be a good time to have
one's garden blessed. Another interesting feature of Rogationtide is the
tradition of having parishioners end resentments or conflicts that had been
festering between them. Edman Duffy's The Stripping of the Altars includes
vivid accounts from pre-Reformation England of some of these reconciliations.[3]
Today
would be a good day to reflect on what we want to harvest this fall; so, like
farmers we must till the soil of our soul reflecting this day on our use of our
TALENTS and look at in what ways we may offer our abilities to Christ to help
build a harvest for His Kingdom.
Human
Work[4]
Saint John Paul II wrote
the Encyclical "Laborem Exercens" in 1981, on the occasion of the
90th anniversary of Leo XIII's Encyclical "Rerum Novarum" on the
question of labor. In it he develops the concept of man's dignity in work,
structuring it in four points: the subordination of work to man; the primacy of
the worker over the whole of instruments and conditioning that historically
constitute the world of labor; the rights of the human person as the
determining factor of all socio-economic, technological and productive
processes, that must be recognized; and some elements that can help all men
identify with Christ through their own work.
Work is one of these
aspects, a perennial and fundamental one, one that is always relevant and
constantly demands renewed attention and decisive witness."
The Church considers it
her task always to call attention to the dignity and rights of those who work,
to condemn situations in which that dignity and those rights are violated, and
to ensure authentic progress by man and society." "Human work is a
key, probably the essential key, to the whole social question, if we try to see
that question really from the point of view of man's good. And if the solution
- or rather the gradual solution - of the social question, which keeps coming
up and becomes ever more complex, must be sought in the direction of 'making
life more human', then the key, namely human work, acquires fundamental and
decisive importance."
Work and Man
John
Paul, "work is a fundamental dimension of man's existence on earth."
This conviction is found in the first pages of Genesis: "Be fruitful and multiply
and fill the earth and subdue it." "Man's dominion over the earth is
achieved in and by means of work. ... The proper subject of work continues to
be man," and the finality of work "is always man himself." It is
a question of the objective and subjective meaning of work: although both are
important, the second takes precedence; "there is no doubt that human work
has an ethical value of its own, which clearly and directly remains linked to
the fact that the one who carries it out is a person, a conscious and free
subject, that is to say a subject that decides about himself." Although
technology fosters an increase in the things produced by work, sometimes it
"can cease to be man's ally and become almost his enemy, as when the
mechanization of work 'supplants' him, taking away all personal satisfaction
and the incentive to creativity and responsibility, when it deprives many
workers of their previous employment, or when,
through exalting the machine, it reduces man to the status of its slave."
"in order to achieve social justice in the various parts of the world, in
the various countries, and in the relationships between them, there is a need
for ever new movements of solidarity of the workers and with the workers."
"Work is a good thing
for man - a good thing for his humanity - because through work man not only
transforms nature, adapting it to his own needs, but he also achieves
fulfillment as a human being and indeed, in a sense, becomes 'more a human
being'."
Conflict: Labor and Capital in the
Present Phase of History
The Pope observes that
during the period which has passed since the publication of "Rerum
Novarum" (1891), "which is by no means yet over, the issue of work
has of course been posed on the basis of the great conflict that in the age of,
and together with, industrial development emerged between 'capital' and
'labor'." This antagonism "found expression in the ideological
conflict between liberalism, understood as the ideology of capitalism, and
Marxism, understood as the ideology of scientific socialism and communism,
which professes to act as the spokesman for the working class and the
world-wide proletariat." Later, he recalls the principle of "the
priority of labor over capital." The first "is always a primary
efficient cause, while capital, the whole collection of means of production,
remains a mere instrument or instrumental cause." Thus appears the error
of economism, "that of considering human labor solely according to its
economic purpose." John Paul II then refers to the right to private
property, emphasizing that the Church's teaching regarding this principle
"diverges radically from the program of collectivism as proclaimed by
Marxism," and "the program of capitalism practiced by liberalism and
by the political systems inspired by it." "The position of 'rigid'
capitalism continues to remain unacceptable, namely the position that defends
the exclusive right to private ownership of the means of production as an
untouchable 'dogma' of economic life. The principle of respect for work demands
that this right should undergo a constructive revision, both in theory and in
practice." For this reason, regardless of the type of system of
production, it is necessary for each worker to be aware that "he is
working 'for himself'."
Rights of Workers
The Holy Father highlights
that the human rights that are derived from work are a part of the fundamental
rights of the person.
·
He
discusses the need to take action against unemployment, which is a true social
calamity and a problem of a moral as well as an economic nature. Starting with
the concept of the "indirect employer," in other words, "all the
agents at the national and international level that are responsible for the
whole orientation of labor policy," he notes that in order to solve the
problem of unemployment, these agents "must make provision for overall
planning." This "cannot mean one-sided centralization by the public
authorities. Instead, what is in question is a just and rational coordination,
within the framework of which the initiative of individuals ... must be
safeguarded."
·
Speaking
of the rights of workers, he recalls the dignity of agricultural work and the
need to offer jobs to disabled people. As for the matter of salaries, he writes
that "the key problem of social ethics in this case is that of just
remuneration for work done."
·
In
addition, "there must be a social re-evaluation of the mother's
role." Specifically, "the whole labor process must be organized and
adapted in such a way as to respect the requirements of the person and his or
her forms of life, above all life in the home, taking into account the
individual's age and sex."
·
It
is fitting that women "should be able to fulfill their tasks in accordance
with their own nature, without being discriminated against and without being
excluded from jobs for which they are capable, but also without lack of respect
for their family aspirations and for their specific role in contributing,
together with men, to the good of society."
·
Besides wages, there are other social benefits
whose objective is "to ensure the life and health of workers and their
families." In this regard, he notes the right to leisure time, which
should include weekly rest and yearly vacations.
·
The
Pope then considers the importance of unions, which he calls "an
indispensable element of social life." "One method used by unions in
pursuing the just rights of their members is the strike or work stoppage. This
method is recognized by Catholic social teaching as legitimate in the proper
conditions and within just limits," but must not be abused.
·
As
for the question of emigration for work reasons, he affirms that man has the
right to leave his country to seek better living conditions in another.
"The most important thing is
that the person working away from his native land, whether as a permanent
emigrant or as a seasonal worker, should not be placed at a disadvantage in
comparison with the other workers in that society in the matter of working
rights."
Elements for a Spirituality of Work
·
Labor
has meaning in God's eyes. Thus, "the knowledge that by means of work man
shares in the work of creation constitutes the most profound motive for
undertaking it in various sectors."
·
Labor
is participation in the work of the Creator and the Redeemer. Jesus Christ
looks upon work with love because he himself was a laborer.
·
This
is a doctrine, and at the same time a program, that is rooted in the
"Gospel of work" proclaimed by Jesus of Nazareth. "By enduring
the toil of work in union with Christ crucified for us, man in a way
collaborates with the Son of God for the redemption of humanity. He shows
himself a true disciple of Christ by carrying the cross in his turn every day
in the activity that he is called upon to perform."
St. Simon Stock[5]
Saint Simon Stock was born to a very illustrious family in Kent County, England (c. 1165), of which his father was governor. His mother was devoted to the Virgin Mary, and Simon was not yet one year old when he was heard clearly articulating the Angelic salutation several times. When he was twelve, Simon began to live as a hermit in the hollow of a trunk of an oak, where he got the nickname “stock” or “trunk”. Within this wilderness retreat, his continual prayers ascended to heaven and he spent twenty years in the most complete solitude, feeding his soul with the celestial delights of contemplation.
Having
voluntarily chosen to deprive himself of human conversation, he was favored
with that of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the angels who urged him to persevere
in his life of sacrifice and love. The Queen of Heaven told him that some
hermits from Palestine would soon land in England, adding that he should join
those men whom she considered as her servants.
Indeed, Lord
John Vesoy and Lord Richard Gray of Codnor returned from the Holy Land,
bringing with them several hermits from Mount Carmel. Simon Stock joined them
in 1212 and was elected Vicar General of the Carmelite Order in 1215. He begged
the Virgin Mary by fervent prayers and tears to defend this Order, which was
devoted to her, and she appeared in a dream to Pope Honorius III, so the pope
finally confirmed the Rule of Carmelites in 1226.
Another time
the Mother of God appeared to Simon, surrounded by a dazzling light and
accompanied by a large number of blessed spirits, with the scapular of the
order in her hand. This scapular she gave him with the words:
“Hoc erit tibi et cunctis Carmelitis privilegium, in hoc
habitu moriens salvabitur” –
This shall be
the privilege for you and for all the Carmelites, that anyone wearing this
habit shall be saved.
Through Saint
Simon Stock the devotion of the scapular spread throughout the world, not only
among the people, but also among kings and princes who found themselves very honored
to wear the sign of the servants of the Blessed Virgin. Stock breathed his last
in the city of Bordeaux while visiting monasteries, in the 20th year of his
office as Vicar General. The Church added his last words to the Angelic
salutation: “Holy Mary,
Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death.”
Mary’s
Promise to Those Who Wear the Scapular
Our Lady gave St. Simon a scapular
for the Carmelites with the following promise, saying: Receive, My beloved son,
this habit of thy order: this shall be to thee and to all Carmelites a
privilege, that whosoever dies clothed in this shall never suffer eternal fire
…. It shall be a sign of salvation, a protection in danger, and a pledge of
peace.
Another important aspect of wearing
the Scapular is the Sabbatine Privilege. This concerns a promise made by Our
Lady to Pope John XXII. In a papal letter he issued, he recounted a vision that
he had had. He stated that the Blessed Virgin had said to him in this vision, concerning
those who wear the Brown Scapular: “I, the Mother of Grace, shall descend on
the Saturday after their death and whomsoever I shall find in Purgatory, I
shall free, so that I may lead them to the holy mountain of life
everlasting.”
Conditions and Rituals Attached to The Scapular
According to Church tradition, there
are three conditions necessary to participate in this Privilege and share in
the other spiritual benefits of the Scapular: wear the Brown Scapular, observe
chastity according to your state in life, and pray the Rosary. In addition to
the Sabbatine Privilege, enrollment in the Brown Scapular also makes a person
part of the Carmelite family throughout the world. They therefore share in all
of the prayers and good works of the Carmelite Orders. Participation in the
Carmelite family also, of course, places you in a special relationship with the
Carmelite saints, especially St. Elijah, St. Teresa of Avila, St. John of the
Cross, St. Therese of Lisieux, and, most importantly, Our Lady of Mount Carmel.
In order to receive the spiritual
blessings associated with the Scapular, it is necessary to be formally enrolled
in the Brown Scapular by either a priest or a lay person who has been given
this faculty. Once enrolled, the enrollment is for life and need not be
repeated. Anyone, adult or infant, who has not previously been enrolled may be
enrolled in the Brown Scapular.
Value and Meaning of The Scapular
Many popes and saints have strongly
recommended wearing, the Brown Scapular to the Catholic Faithful, including St.
Robert Bellarmine, Pope John XXII, Pope Pius Xl, and Pope Benedict XV. For
example, St. Alphonsus said: “Just as men take pride in having others wear
their livery, so the Most Holy Mary is pleased when Her servants wear Her
Scapular as a mark that they have dedicated themselves to Her service, and are
members of the Family of the Mother of God.”
Pope Pius XII went so far as to say:
“The Scapular is a practice of piety which by its very simplicity is suited to everyone
and has spread widely among the faithful of Christ to their spiritual profit.”
In our own times, Pope Paul VI said: “Let the faithful hold in high esteem the
practices and devotions to the Blessed Virgin … the Rosary and the Scapular of
Carmel” and in another place referred to the Scapular as: “so highly
recommended by our illustrious predecessors.”
Today is Horse Rescue Day[6]
Adopt a (Army)
Caisson Horse
The Caisson Horses of The Old Guard participate in
all Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps Full Honors Funerals performed in
Arlington National Cemetery. These magnificent animals serve with the men of
the Caisson Platoon daily to ensure final honors are given in a dignified,
professional, and respectful manner; and they love their job. Each Caisson
Horse offered for adoption has served on average for over a decade. During the
course of their service, they participate in thousands of funerals for our
nation’s heroes. Because of the long and distinguished service of each and
every horse in our stables, The Old Guard has introduced the Caisson Horse
Adoption Program to ensure each horse is rewarded with a great home following
its well-earned retirement.
The primary goal of the Caisson Horse Adoption
Program is to select a home for a retiring Caisson Horse. The program publishes
Horses ready for retirement to a website, identifies potential adopters, and
selects the best candidate from a pool of applicants seeking to adopt a retired
Caisson Horse. The specifics of the Caisson Horse Adoption Program is governed
by The Old Guard Regimental Policy Letter #13 – Horse Adoption.
Apostolic Exhortation[7]
Veneremur Cernui – Down in Adoration
Falling
of The Most Reverend Thomas J. Olmsted, Bishop of
Phoenix,
to Priests, Deacons, Religious and the Lay Faithful of the Diocese of Phoenix
on the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist
My beloved Brothers and Sisters in
Christ,
Part I
Eucharist –
Mystery to Be Revered
10. We cannot speak of the
Eucharist without being confronted by its awesome mystery. It is no wonder that
it is the central point of division between Catholics and other Christians. As
early as the second century, we have record of Christians being accused of
cannibalism by the pagan Romans because they ate and drank the Body and Blood
of Christ (cf. First and Second Apologies of St. Justin Martyr). Since
the Protestant Reformation, many Christians stopped believing in the real
presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. Instead, they hold a certain religious
service on Sundays but not the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.
11. The perennial biblical verse where
the Christian conflict begins and ends is the Bread of Life discourse: “Very
truly, I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his
blood, you have no life in you. Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood have
eternal life, and I will raise them up on the last day; for my flesh is true
food and my blood is true drink” (Jn 6:53-55).
12. Jesus meant exactly what He said –
He is truly present in the Eucharist. Some say that these words are figurative
or that Jesus was only speaking symbolically when He said, “Whoever eats my
flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life”. However, if Jesus had meant it
as a symbol, He would not have repeated this message seven times in this
dialogue: “My flesh is true food, my blood is true drink”. The Jews
understood what He really meant, and they responded with incredulity, “How
can this man give us His flesh to eat?”. Despite the uproar caused by His
teaching, Jesus did not soften His claim. On the contrary, He strengthened it.
Up to this point, the Gospel of Saint John uses the ordinary Greek word for
“eat” (phagein). After the indignant question from the Jews, John shifts
to a stronger word “to chew” or “to munch” (trogein). To capture the
force of this word, we could translate, not as: “Whoever eats my flesh”;
but “Whoever feeds on my flesh”.
To be continued…
Catechism of the
Catholic Church
PROLOGUE
V. Practical Directions for Using
this Catechism
18 This catechism is conceived as an organic
presentation of the Catholic faith in its entirety. It should be seen therefore
as a unified whole. Numerous cross-references in the margin of the text
(numbers found at the end of a sentence referring to other paragraphs that deal
with the same theme), as well as the analytical index at the end of the volume,
allow the reader to view each theme in its relationship with the entirety of
the faith.
19 The texts of Sacred Scripture are often not quoted
word for word but are merely indicated by a reference (cf.). For a deeper
understanding of such passages, the reader should refer to the Scriptural texts
themselves. Such Biblical references are a valuable working-tool in catechesis.
20 The use of small print in certain passages
indicates observations of an historical or apologetic nature, or supplementary
doctrinal explanations.
21 The quotations, also in small print, from
patristic, liturgical, magisterial or hagiographical sources, are intended to
enrich the doctrinal presentations. These texts have often been chosen with a
view to direct catechetical use.
22 At the end of each thematic unit, a series of
brief texts in small italics sums up the essentials of that unit's teaching in
condensed formulae. These "IN BRIEF" summaries may suggest to local
catechists brief summary formulae that could be memorized.
Daily
Devotions
·
Unite in the work of the Porters of St. Joseph by joining them in
fasting: For the Poor and Suffering
· National Barbecue Day-Better to
smoke in this life than the next.
· Make reparations to the Holy Face-Tuesday Devotion
· Pray Day 7 of the Novena for our Pope and Bishops
· Tuesday: Litany of St. Michael
the Archangel
·
Litany of the Most
Precious Blood of Jesus
·
Offering
to the sacred heart of Jesus
·
Make reparations to the Holy Face
·
Drops
of Christ’s Blood
·
Universal
Man Plan
· Rosary
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