Wednesday, July 5, 2023
First Wednesday
Judges, Chapter 14, Verse 11
Out of their FEAR of him, they brought thirty men to
be his companions.
This
verse is about Sampson the strongman of the bible, who struck fear into the
hearts of the pagan Philistines. Nevertheless, how different was Sampson from
his pagan neighbors? Justyn Rees has an interesting, shortened tale of the
tragedy of Sampson that is available online that is a quick thought-provoking
read in his book entitled, “Old Story New”.[1]
Sampson
who was born endowed with great physical strength started out following God but
failed to continue walking in the spirit of He that Is. John Maxwell[2]
points out that like Gideon many men fail toward the end of their life because
they dilute the vision God had given them and have become too comfortable with
their success and lack the self-control to overcome their weaknesses. John’s
advice to leaders is to be self-disciplined using a quote from Plato, “The first and best victory is to conquer
self.” John points out a five-step plan to develop self-discipline in your
life.
1.
Develop and follow your priorities. Time is a precious commodity, do
what’s important first and release yourself from the rest.
2.
Make a disciplined lifestyle your
goal. Set up
systems and routines to ensure you feed the mind, body, spirit and love of your
neighbor daily.
3.
Challenge your excuses. We all make them; push the
envelope.
4.
Remove rewards until you finish the
job. Eat your
vegetables first.
5.
Stay focused on results. Focus on the outcomes and not the
difficulties in accomplishing it; envision the change.
Our model for transformation: Jesus went up to the mountain to pray, and he spent the night in prayer to God. (Luke 6:12)
First Wednesday[3]
Our Heavenly Father desires all three hearts of Jesus, Mary and Joseph to be honored. And so along with devotion to Jesus on First Fridays, and to Mary on First Saturdays, Our Father longs for us to add devotion to St. Joseph on each First Wednesday of the month.
"The Sacred Hearts of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph have been chosen by the Most Holy Trinity to bring peace to the world." It is at God's request that "special love and honor be given to them" to help us "imitate" their love and their lives, as well as "offer reparation" for the sins committed against them and their love.
The St. Joseph First Wednesday devotion is:
1. Pray the Joyful Mysteries of the Rosary - remembering St. Joseph's love, his life, his role and his sufferings
2. Receive Holy Communion - in union with the love St. Joseph had for Jesus the first time and each time he held him - his son, his God and Savior - in his arms.
In the approved
apparitions of Our Lady of America, St. Joseph revealed:
· "I am the protector of the Church and
the home, as I was the protector of Christ and his mother while I lived upon
earth. Jesus and Mary desire that my pure heart, so long hidden and unknown, be
now honored in a special way.
· Let my children honor my most pure heart in a
special manner on the First Wednesday of the month by reciting the Joyful
Mysteries of the Rosary in memory of my life with Jesus and Mary and the love I
bore them, the sorrow I suffered with them.
· Let them receive Holy Communion in union with
the love with which I received the Savior for the first time and each time I
held Him in my arms.
· Those who honor me in this way will be
consoled by my presence at their death, and I myself will conduct them safely
into the presence of Jesus and Mary."
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.
·
Total Consecration
to St. Joseph Day 2
Catechism of the
Catholic Church
PART ONE: THE PROFESSION
OF FAITH
SECTION
TWO-I. THE CREEDS
CHAPTER TWO
I
BELIEVE IN JESUS CHRIST, THE ONLY SON OF GOD
ARTICLE 2-"AND IN JESUS CHRIST, HIS ONLY SON, OUR LORD"
IN BRIEF
452 The
name Jesus means "God saves". the child born of the Virgin Mary is
called Jesus, "for he will save his people from their sins" (Mt
1:21): "there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we
must be saved" (Acts 4:12).
453 The
title "Christ" means "Anointed One" (Messiah). Jesus is the
Christ, for "God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with
power" (Acts 10:38). He was the one "who is to come" (Lk 7:19),
the object of "the hope of Israel" (Acts 28:20).
454 The
title "Son of God" signifies the unique and eternal relationship of
Jesus Christ to God his Father: he is the only Son of the Father (cf Jn 1:14,
18; 3:16, 18); he is God himself (cf Jn 1:1). To be a Christian, one must
believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God (cf Acts 8:37; 1 Jn 2:23).
455 The
title "Lord" indicates divine sovereignty. To confess or invoke Jesus
as Lord is to believe in his divinity. "No one can say 'Jesus is Lord'
except by the Holy Spirit'" (I Cor 12:3).
Daily
Devotions
·
Unite in the work of the Porters of St. Joseph by joining them
in fasting: True
Masculinity
·
Litany of the Most Precious
Blood of Jesus
·
Offering to
the sacred heart of Jesus
·
Rosary
[1]https://books.google.com/books?id=Ya4KBAAAQBAJ&pg=PA81&lpg=PA81&dq=burn+you+and+your+family+philistines&source=bl&ots=0UWpCsxdDc&sig=AVZOJtLIcSvCrAzCdgZl5lvhjoE&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0CEoQ6AEwCWoVChMIq5bd_dLkyAIVA9pjCh0MGwvM#v=onepage&q=burn%20you%20and%20your%20family%20philistines&f=false
[2] John Maxwell, The Leadership Bible, 1982.
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