Epistle Eph. 4, 7-14
Every Wednesday is
Dedicated to St. Joseph
The Italian culture has
always had a close association with St. Joseph perhaps you could make
Wednesdays centered around Jesus’s Papa. Plan an Italian dinner of pizza or
spaghetti after attending Mass as most parishes have a Wednesday evening Mass.
You could even do carry out to help restaurants. If you are adventurous, you
could do the Universal Man Plan: St. Joseph style. Make the evening a family
night perhaps it could be a game night. Whatever you do make the day special.
· Devotion to the 7 Joys and Sorrows of St.
Joseph
· Do the St. Joseph Universal Man Plan.
Rogationtide Wednesday
PINOT GRIGIO DAY
Deuteronomy, Chapter 13, Verse 11-12
11You shall stone that person to
death, for seeking to lead you astray from the LORD, your God, who brought you
out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. 12And
all Israel shall hear of it and FEAR,
and never again do such evil as this in your midst.
What
is worst to kill a person’s body or to kill a person’s soul?
When
a person leads you astray from the Lord they indeed are killing your soul. The
soul is meant to be free to do the will of God and when the soul is busy doing
the will of God we are indeed happy; even in abject poverty. When a soul is
hampered from doing the will of God by another or your own free will this is a
form of slavery and God is reminding us that He brought us out of the house of
slavery. We are to stone anyone or thing that leads us away from God for it
kills the soul.
To
stone something is to bury it not in earth but in stone so that it will never
rise again. What are the things that are leading you astray from God? Stone
them!
Five
Enslaving Habits We Must Avoid[1]
While
the horror of slavery is thankfully dead as an institution, it sadly lives on
in many other forms in many lives today, all around us, in ways maybe not
considered slavery by some. I hope to get you to reconsider. But let’s first
define our terms:
Slave: “One that is totally subservient to a dominating influence.” ~ Merriam-Webster-There are 5 basic areas of life in which we can become totally subservient to dominating influences, and thereby live less-than-ideal and something less than happy lives.
5 Ways Slavery is still with us.
1.
Slavery
to addictions.
Whether we are talking about being enslaved to tobacco or alcohol, or whether
we’re talking about enslavement to illicit material online or simply to the TV
or to junk food or gossip, any addictions rob us of a measure of freedom and
independence. But freedom is required for happiness. So anything that enslaves
us limits the degree of joy we can have in life.
2. Slavery to the office: When spouse and family and our
spiritual lives are playing second fiddle to the office, things are likely out
of whack. Of course, there will be times, like the first few years of starting
a business, when things will be lopsided. But if the office always is
master and you are always its servant, then change may be needed for the
fullness of a happy life to be experienced. Remember, your family is not a
footnote to your journey. They are there in the thick of things, experiencing
it with you, alongside you, maybe, in some ways, because of you. So, give them the
time of day, from time to time!
3. Slavery to success: When success becomes more
important than integrity or honor or self-respect, then our subservience to the
call of the dollar sign becomes self-destructive, as all addictions are.
Happiness is robbed of its internal rewards when our insides are all twisted
inside out as we compromise our values in the pursuit of wealth.
4. Slavery to pleasure: Is the pursuit of pleasure hurting
your relationship with your spouse? Are you pursuing pleasure at the expense of
your spouse’s pleasure? Is that pursuit violating sacred vows and trusts? Are
you spending your family into debt as you chase pleasure from one mountain top
to another – or one casino to another – or one vacation to another – or one,
well, you get the idea.
5. Slavery to fear: Does fear and worry prevent you from taking steps to break free of a dissatisfying life? Do you wish for something more, but keep the door closed and locked and continue to do what you’ve always done? Are you trapped in a cycle of sameness, worried that if you tried to start a business, or tried to learn a skill, or tried an adventure on for size, or tried to learn to write or sing or climb, that you would fail and fall and sink and drown?
Afterthoughts
Slavery may be dead as a formal institution of human bondage, but it is alive and well in the hearts and minds and lives of too many people who could loosen the shackles, but haven’t exercised the courage to do it yet.
Preparing for Battle[2]
Know Your Weapons
Worship
is a spiritual weapon. When we worship God, we enter into His presence in a
powerful way. Because demons tremble at His presence, they are reluctant to
follow us there.
·
Frequent
Mass attendance, then, is an effective weapon of our warfare.
Rogationtide Wednesday[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 TREASURE (yes money/tithe) and look at in what ways we may offer our money to Christ to help build a harvest for His Kingdom. It has been said that money is the root of all evil. Yet, this is not exactly true for the real root of all evil is not money but the LOVE of money. Those who fear the Lord know that money is a gift from God. It is not to be buried but sown. This is the correction that God wishes us to accept. We are all sowers, and we are to spread the seeds or gifts that God gives us out. Does God need a tithe from us? Or Does God need our hearts free from the love of money? Do not make my house a marketplace. For love of money or the lust for money is what corrupts men not the money itself.
Donate a
Day Wages to a Charity Day[4]
We all have causes that we care about,
problems we want to see erased from society, and issues that have affected us
deeply throughout our lives. However, most people are busy and haven’t had the
time or opportunity to dedicate as much as they would want to charities and
causes of their choice. Donate A Day’s Wages To Charity Day is there to change
that. Whether you have trouble keeping up with charitable donations and you
want to make a difference or you believe that you should make a pledge that
matters once a year, it’s the day to do it.
Your Money or Your Life[5]
At this tense moment in our history, when external wars and internal violence make us so conscious of death, an affirmation of the sanctity of human life by renewed attention to the family is imperative. Let society always be on the side of life. Let it never dictate, directly or indirectly, recourse to the prevention of life or to its destruction in any of its phases; neither let it require as a condition of economic assistance that any family yield conscientious determination of the number of its children to the decision of persons or agencies outside the family. Stepped-up pressures for moral and legal acceptance of directly procured abortion make necessary pointed reference to this threat to the right to life. Reverence for life demands freedom from direct interruption of life once it is conceived. Conception initiates a process whose purpose is the realization of human personality. A human person, nothing more and nothing less, is always at issue once conception has taken place. We expressly repudiate any contradictory suggestion as contrary to Judeo-Christian traditions inspired by love for life, and Anglo-Saxon legal traditions protective of life and the person. Abortion brings to an end with irreversible finality both the existence and the destiny of the developing human person.
·
Conscious
of the inviolability of life, the Second Vatican Council teaches: God, the Lord
of life, has conferred on man the surpassing ministry of safeguarding life, a
ministry which must be fulfilled in a manner that is worthy of man. Therefore,
from the moment of its conception life must be guarded with the greatest care
while abortion and infanticide are unspeakable crimes (Gaudium et Spes, 51).
· The judgment of the Church on the evil of terminating life derives from the Christian awareness that men are not the masters but the ministers of life. Hence, the Council declares: Whatever is opposed to life itself, such as any type of murder, genocide, abortion, euthanasia, or willful self-destruction, whatever violates the integrity of the human person...all these things and others of their like are infamies indeed. They poison human society, but they do more harm to those who practice them than those who suffer from the injury. Moreover, they are a supreme dishonor to the Creator" (Gaudium et Spes, 27)
Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.
Are
these words just words highlighted by men during the age of enlightenment or
are they the inspired will of the creator? America is special in that the
founders realized this when they wrote our constitution which was established
to ensure that laws are enacted and enforced that support life, liberty and the
pursuit of happiness. Much of our misery in this country is caused by laws that
reverse the order ensuring that wealth trumps liberty and liberty trumps life.
No, it must be life first.
The
transmission of human life is a most serious role in which married people
collaborate freely and responsibly with God the Creator. It has always been a
source of great joy to them, even though it sometimes entails many difficulties
and hardships.
The
fulfillment of this duty has always posed problems to the conscience of married
people, but the recent course of human society and the concomitant changes have
provoked new questions. The Church cannot ignore these questions, for they
concern matters intimately connected with the life and happiness of human
beings.
The protection of Life has primacy.
·
If we are the children of the creator, we know
that life must be protected at conception to its natural end.
·
We must seek the dignity of the unborn, the
living and the aged in our laws and traditions.
Are
you into composting?[6]
When Americans die, most are buried or
cremated. Washington could soon become the first state to allow another option:
human composting. The novel approach, known as “recomposition,” involves
placing bodies in a vessel and hastening their decomposition into a
nutrient-dense soil that can then be returned to families. The aim is a less
expensive way of dealing with human remains that is better for the environment
than burial, which can leach
chemicals into the ground, or cremation, which releases
earth-warming carbon dioxide.
“People
from all over the state who wrote to me are very excited about the prospect of
becoming a tree or having a different alternative for themselves,” said state
Sen. Jamie Pedersen, a Democrat, who is sponsoring a bill in Washington’s
Legislature to expand the options for disposing of human remains. The
recomposition bill would also make Washington the 17th state to allow alkaline
hydrolysis, the dissolving of bodies in a pressurized vessel with water and lye
until just liquid and bone remains. Pedersen plans to introduce the bill when
the new legislative session begins next month.
Well,
I guess we wouldn’t have to depend on Russia for fertilizer
This is scary,
sounds like the movie “Soylent Green” was prophetic. Maybe if you are over fifty you need to stay healthy
as possible for as long as you can.
Pinot Grigio Day[7]
The Pinot Grigio complements any
meal but sometimes it’s best by itself. Lorrie C
If you’re a wine aficionado, you know that there’s nothing quite like the fresh taste of a great vintage of wine to go with an incredible meal. There are so many vintages to choose from it can sometimes be a challenge to find the perfect pairing. Thankfully, there’s Pinot Grigio, an incredible wine that’s been known for hundreds of years in the world’s most respected wine regions. Pinot Grigio Pinot Grigio Day celebrates this astonishing wine and its ability to be paired with just about anything, or just enjoyed on its own.
History of Pinot Grigio Day
Pinot
Grigio has a long history, as we already mentioned above, and shares part of
its genetic heritage with Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris. As the years went by it
came to be one of the most popular vintages to be grown and produced, with over
15,000 Hectares being used to grow the grape necessary to produce it. If you’ve
never had this fine wine and want to know how it tastes, it has been described
as having an acidic, lighter-bodied flavor, most of the noted as having a
recognizable ‘spiciness’ to them.
Depending
on where you’re getting your Pinot Grigio from it may come under a different
name, with examples being the Auxerrois Gris from Alsace, the Grauer Monch from
Germany, and the Rulander from Romania. While the basic profile of the wine
remains the same, there are variations based on where and how its produced that
lead to sweeter and drier varieties being available. Pinot Grigio Day is your
opportunity to go out and buy a bottle or ten and start sampling a delicious
variety of what the world has to offer in the way of excellent wines.
How to celebrate Pinot Grigio Day
As
we already mentioned there’s no better way to celebrate this day than by
getting yourself a fine bottle of Pinot Grigio and pouring it out with some
friends. Given that there are multiple varieties of this wine it could be good
to schedule a wine tasting where everyone brings a bottle of Pinot Grigio from
a different region, to ensure that everyone gets the chance to enjoy the wide
world of Pinot Grigio. Don’t let this holiday pass you by without taking the
time to appreciate one of viticultures finest products.
Things
you can do with Pinot Grigio besides drinking it!
Of
course, having a delicious glass of Pinot Grigio is the best way to celebrate
this day! However, there are a number of other things that you can do with
Pinot Grigio, aside from drinking it. There are so many different recipes that
call for Pinot Grigio. So, why not celebrate with a delicious meal
incorporating Pinot Grigio and a glass of the wine to wash it down with? Fish
dishes always work really well with this type of wine. Nevertheless, there are
many other recipes whereby Pinot Grigio can be incorporated.
Did
you know that you can use Pinot Grigio in a pie and tart crust? You have
probably heard about creating a tender pie crust with vodka. However, you can
also use this delicious white wine. The science is very similar. Unlike water,
gluten is not created when flour and alcohol or mixed together. If you overwork
gluten, baked goods can end up tough. Therefore, you can enjoy a much more
tender crust if you use less gluten. Moreover, the touch of Pinot Grigio is
going to add a bit of sweetness to the crust as well, so it’s a win-win!
If
you’re looking for a great dinner idea to go with your bottle of white wine on Pinot
Grigio day, how about a chicken cacciatore? In some countries, the tomato-based
version of this dish is more well-known. However, with this version, chicken is
served with a white sauce. You can prepare this with red chillis, oil, and
garlic. You can then add some olives and a bottle of pinot grigio, cooking it
for a long time so that all of the flavors are melded together properly. Ten
minutes before you are finished cooking, add plenty of fresh rosemary to the
sauce.
If
this doesn’t sound like the right dish for you, how about a pasta carbonara?
You can add more flavor to your pasta dish by adding a splash of Pinot Grigio
to the pan after the pancetta has been sauteed. You won’t look back after
trying this version. There is a gamey aftertaste to the smoked pancetta cubes.
However, you can get rid of this with the Pinot Grigio, which makes the pure
pancetta flavor outstanding. It really takes your dish to the next level, and
this is a sort of concept that can be applied to a lot of different dishes when
it comes to adding Pinot Grigio.
Last
but not least, why not create your own cocktail with Pinot Grigio? Of course,
you’re still going to be technically drinking it, but we’ve bent the rules a
little bit for this one! There are some amazing Pinot Grigio cocktails on the
Internet. Spend some time looking for a recipe you love. One of our favorites
is a Hugo Spritzer. To make this cocktail, you will need your favorite Pinot
Grigio (or any old bottle!) combined with soda water, elderflower syrup, mint leaves,
some wedges of lime, and some ice. It’s a refreshing cocktail, which goes down
a treat.
Armed Forces Day Build
US Navy[8]
John Barry, an Irish
Catholic, was the "Father of the American Navy." He has been
forgotten by all but a few historians, but he outranks John Paul Jones and was
the official father of the Continental and U.S. Naval forces. He went to sea at
a young age in Ireland and settled in Philadelphia. In October 1775, John was
given command of the Continental Congress vessel, the Leviathan, and his
commission, the first issued, was dated Dec. 7, 1775. When the war began, John
Barry served in a spectacular manner. If his ship was shot out from under him,
he and his crew battled on land. They were with George Washington at Trenton
and Princeton. At the end of the war, Congress enacted on March 27, 1794, a law
establishing the U.S. Navy. The U. S. Senate issued the appointments of
officers made by George Washington, and John Barry's commission reads:
"Captain of the U.S. Navy...to take rank from the 4th day of June,
1784...registered No. 1." With victory in hand at the end of the
Revolutionary War, Americans in cities, towns and villages chanted a new ditty:
'Irish Commodore'
"There
are gallant hearts whose glory
Columbia
loves to name,
Whose
deeds shall live in story
And
everlasting fame.
But
never yet one braver
Our
starry baner bore,
Then
saucy old Jack Barry,
The
Irish Commodore."
Please pray for the intentions of my dear friend from my South Pole adventure and the Godfather of my daughter Claire, the eminent Navy Chief James Grace.
Whether it’s a Navy SEAL or a Saint, we admire those who put it all on the line — go “all in!” — Those who are totally dedicated to the mission … and God admires them too. Throughout salvation history, we have seen how God responds to this resolute and determined kind of prayer, just as Jesus taught His disciples. It was in Nineveh that the entire city turned back to God and did all that they could, through prayer and penance, to “demonstrate to” God that they were absolutely resolute in this “turning.” God saw how “serious” they were about this, and He was moved (Jonah 3:3-10). This is yet another story that demonstrates how God – a perfect Father – compels His children to be truly resolute and quite serious when calling out to Him.
St. Bernard of
Clairvaux wrote,
“Timid prayer does not pierce heaven, because immoderate fear binds the soul so that prayer, far from flying upward, cannot even come out. Being lukewarm, it grows weak in its flight and falls because it has no strength. Prayer that is faithful, humble, and fervent will undoubtedly pierce heaven and it will certainly not return fruitless.”
The time is now for us to marshal everything we’ve got to see this through. Prayer Warriors (those who join) will be challenged to enter into a period of prayer and mortification. “Mortification,” at its essence, means to “die to yourself.” This will be our time to let go of bad and sinful habits and to embrace better and healthier and Godly habits.
The research in the behavioral sciences says that 90 days is about the time needed to change bad habits. We will also be using some of the tried and true very powerful supernatural elements. Namely, the Brown Scapular, 54 Day Rosary Novena, and the 33 Day Preparation for Marian Consecration.
We believe supernatural strength increases to the degree we are detached from worldliness. “He must increase, but I must decrease” was the call of St. John the Baptist. This is our time to “make straight a path for the Lord.” To put aside everything that stands in the way of Christ to fill us up completely with His Divine Life. THIS is the way we become “strong in the Lord and in His mighty power!” God will surely hear and answer this throng of tens of thousands detached from the world and resolute in our plea to end the culture of death. I am certain of it!
Nineveh 90 – Ten Elements
For these 90
days, resolve to let go of repetitive sin you struggle with (e.g., acts of
impurity, over-eating, alcohol, etc.)
1. Wear Brown
Scapular (Scapular
Medal allowed) – Akin to Sackcloth
2. Daily Mass
(If you are able)
3. Confession
(at least once a month … immediately following grave sin)
4. Support System: Create
or join a “Nineveh 90 Squad” of 3+ people. Maybe create a Facebook group. Also,
try to join together with an “Accountability Buddy.”
5. Daily Prayer
(Developing a quality Catholic Prayer Life)
7. Angelus (6, Noon,6)
8. Rosary
9. Holy Hour (or at
least 20 minutes of quiet prayerful reflection time. Does not need to be before
the Blessed Sacrament. This is normally done at home or your favorite prayer
space … maybe create a “God Cave” in your home)
10. Bedtime Prayers
For 90
Days, Commit to …
·
Regular
and challenging exercise
·
Seven
hours of sleep is essential
·
No alcohol
·
No desserts & sweets
·
No soda or sweetened drinks
·
Limit television or movies (news allowed)
·
Only music that lifts the soul to God
·
Limit televised sports (maybe one per week)
·
Limit recreational computer time (only use for personal needs and
fulfillment. May be needed for Nineveh 90 too)
·
54 Day
Rosary Novena (Basic
Training in Holiness)
o Prayer
Intentions for 54 Day Rosary Novena:
§
End to abortion
§
Personal holiness
§
For the conversion of loved ones.
· 33 Day Preparation for Consecration to Mary
Sundays and Solemnities: May
be a day of relaxed discipline, but not abandoned. (Sleep in an extra hour,
cream in your coffee, a dessert, a beer, etc.)
Apostolic Exhortation[10]
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
13. The Eucharist is the
supernatural food that keeps us going along the difficult journey towards the
Promised Land of eternal salvation: “Whoever eats my flesh has eternal
life”. To see the truth of these words, we must turn to the context for
which they were spoken.
I. The Mass as the new Exodus from
Slavery of Sin
14. The Eucharist comes to us
through the Mass. Our normal experience of the Eucharist is at Mass, the
central ritual – or liturgical – celebration which takes place every day and is
a weekly obligation for the faithful. What we often call the Sacrifice of the
Mass is the place where the Church has always believed we eat and drink the
Body and Blood of Christ. The Mass must be understood within the context of the
Last Supper where “Jesus took bread […] and gave it to his disciples,
saying, ‘Take and eat; this is my body’ […] Then he took a cup, […] he gave it
to them, saying, ‘Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant’”
(Mt 26:26-28).
15. At the Last Supper, which
the Church commemorates today, Jesus took part in and forever transformed the
Jewish Passover ritual meal. It is here we see the context in which Jesus
desires His Body and Blood to be consumed as food. This is the context where we
discover the beauty of the grand mystery of the Eucharist as the fulfillment of
both the Jewish Passover and the Covenant of Israel.
. To be continued…
Catechism
of the Catholic Church
PROLOGUE
VI. Necessary Adaptations
23 The Catechism emphasizes the exposition of
doctrine. It seeks to help deepen understanding of faith. In this way it is
oriented towards the maturing of that faith, its putting down roots in personal
life, and its shining forth in personal conduct.
24 By design, this Catechism does not set out to
provide the adaptation of doctrinal presentations and catechetical methods
required by the differences of culture, age, spiritual maturity, and social and
ecclesial condition among all those to whom it is addressed. Such indispensable
adaptations are the responsibility of particular catechisms and, even more, of
those who instruct the faithful:
Whoever teaches must become
"all things to all men" (I Cor 9:22), to win everyone to Christ. . .
Above all, teachers must not imagine that a single kind of soul has been
entrusted to them, and that consequently it is lawful to teach and form equally
all the faithful in true piety with one and the same method! Let them realize
that some are in Christ as newborn babes, others as adolescents, and still
others as adults in full command of their powers.... Those who are called to
the ministry of preaching must suit their words to the maturity and
understanding of their hearers, as they hand on the teaching of the mysteries
of faith and the rules of moral conduct.
Above all - Charity
25 To conclude this Prologue, it is fitting to
recall this pastoral principle stated by the Roman Catechism:
The whole concern of doctrine and its teaching
must be directed to the love that never ends. Whether something is proposed for
belief, for hope or for action, the love of our Lord must always be made
accessible, so that anyone can see that all the works of perfect Christian
virtue spring from love and have no other objective than to arrive at love.
Daily
Devotions
·
Unite in the work of the Porters of St. Joseph by joining them
in fasting: Individuals
with Mental Illness note: We pray for
Politian’s separately
·
Litany of the Most Precious
Blood of Jesus
·
Offering to
the sacred heart of Jesus
· Rosary
[1]http://meanttobehappy.com/quote-13-from-the-great-emancipator-slave-part-1/
[2]Thigpen, Paul. Manual for Spiritual
Warfare. TAN Books.
[4]https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/donate-a-days-wages-to-charity-day/
[5]http://usccb.org/issues-and-action/human-life-and-dignity/abortion/excerpts-from-human-life-in-our-day.cfm
[6]https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/washington-could-become-first-state-legalize-human-composting-n952421
[7] https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/pinot-grigio-day/
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