Monday, July 31, 2023

- July 25, 2023

· Eat waffles and Pray for the assistance of the Angels.

Monday Night at the Movies

Marta Meszaros, The Seventh Room, 1996.

ST. IGNATIUS OF LOYOLA

2 Samuel, Chapter 10, Verse 19

When Hadadezer’s vassal kings saw themselves vanquished by Israel, they made peace with the Israelites and became their subjects. After this, the Arameans were AFRAID to give further aid to the Ammonites.

God was with David, and he now defeats the Syrians and the Ammonites. The life of David was that of a warrior and this was David’s last victory before his fall with Bathsheba and the murder of Uriah from David’s hand. All life is a battle and sometimes we fail but like David let us always return to the Lord.

Do not be afraid of anything that you are going to suffer. Indeed, the devil will throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will face an ordeal for ten days. Remain faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life. (Rv. 2:10)

Let us build up our gratitude to the Lord for his saving graces.

“Lord Jesus Christ, you are the strength or the weak and the confidence of those who trust in you. Be my secure confidence and my abundant strength! Teach me to understand myself and to believe in effectiveness of your saving grace. Grant me the courage not to stop trying and teach me the humility to trust in you when I tend to be discouraged by my weakness.[1].

Feast of St. Ignatius^{^[2]}

Ignatius, by nation a Spaniard, was born of a noble family at Loyola, in Cantabria. At first, he attended the court of the Catholic king, and later on embraced a military career. Having been wounded at the siege of Pampeluna, he chanced in his illness to read some pious books, which kindled in his soul a wonderful eagerness to follow in the footsteps of Christ and the saints. He went to Montserrat and hung up his arms before the altar of the Blessed Virgin; he then watched the whole night in prayer, and thus entered upon his knighthood in the army of Christ. St. Ignatius strongly recommends making a daily examination of conscience.

Examination of Conscience

Prayer before Examination:

I am perfectly sensible, O my God, that I have in many ways offended Thy divine majesty and provoked Thy wrath by my sins; and that if I obtain not pardon, I shall be cast out of thy sight forever. I desire, therefore, at present to call myself to an account, and look into all the sins whereby I have displeased Thee; but O my God, how miserably shall I deceive myself if Thou assist me not in this work by Thy heavenly light. Grant me, therefore, at present, thy grace, whereby I may discover all my imperfections, see all my failings, and duly call to mind all my sins: for I know that nothing is hidden from Thy sight. But I confess myself in the dark as to my own failings: my passions blind me, self-love flatters me, presumption deludes me, and though I have many sins which stare me in the face, and cannot be hidden, yet how many, too, are there quite concealed from me! But discover even those to me, O Lord! enlighten my darkness, cure my blindness, and remove every veil that hides my sins from me, that I may be no longer a secret to myself, nor a stranger to my own failings, not ever flatter myself with the thoughts of having repented, an at the same time nourish folly and vice within my breast. Come, Holy Ghost, and by a beam of Thy divine light illumine my understanding, that I may have a perfect view of all my sins and iniquities, and that, sincerely repenting of them, I may know Thee, and be again received into Thy favor.

A Method of Examination of Conscience, according to the threefold Duty we owe: (I) To God (II) To our Neighbor (III) To ourselves.

I-In Relation to God:

· Have you omitted morning or evening prayer, or neglected to make your daily examination of conscience?

· Have you prayed negligently, and with willful distraction?

· Have you spent your time, especially on Sundays and holidays, not in sluggishly lying abed, or in any sort of idle entertainment, but in reading, praying, or other pious exercises; and taken care that those under your charge have done the like, and not wanted the instructions necessary for their condition, nor time for prayer, or to prepare for the sacraments?

· Have you spoken irreverently of God and holy things?

· Have you taken his name in vain, or told untruths?

· Have you omitted your duty through human respect, interest, compliance, etc.?

· Have you been zealous for God's honor, for justice, virtue and truth, and reproved such as act otherwise?

· Have you resigned your will to God in troubles necessities, sickness, etc.?

· Have you faithfully resisted thoughts of infidelity, distrust, presumption, impurity, etc.?

II-In Relation to Your Neighbor

· Have you disobeyed your superiors, murmured against their commands, or spoken of them contemptuously?

· Have you been troubled, peevish, or impatient, when told of your faults, and not corrected them?

· Have you scorned the good advice of others, or censured their proceedings?

· Have you offended any one by injurious threatening words or actions? Or lessened their reputation by any sort of detractions, or in any matter of importance?

· Or spread any report, true or false, that exposed your neighbor to contempt, or made him undervalued?

· Have you been carrying stories backward and forward, created discord and misunderstanding between neighbors?

· Have you been forward or peevish towards any one in your carriage, speech, or conversation?

· Or taken pleasure to vex, mortify, or provoke them to swear, curse, or any ways offend God?.

· Have you mocked or reproached them for their corporal or spiritual imperfections?

· Have you been excessive in reprehending those under your care, or been wanting in giving them just reproof?

· Have you borne with their oversights and imperfections, and given them good counsel?

· Have you been solicitous for such as are under your charge, and provided for their souls and bodies?

III-In Relation to Yourself

· Have you been obstinate in following your own will, or in defending your own opinion, in things either indifferent, dangerous or scandalous?

· Have you taken pleasure in hearing yourself praised, or yielded to thoughts of vanity?

· Have you indulged yourself in overmuch ease, or any ways yielded to sensuality?

· Has your conversation been edifying and moderate; or have you been forward, proud, or troublesome to others?

· Have you spent too much time in play, or useless employments, and thereby omitted, or put off your devotions to unseasonable times? If such as confess often fall into any of the more grievous sins not here mentioned, their own memory will easily suggest them, since it is impossible for a tender soul to forget any mortal offense, which must of necessity afflict her; and therefore, it may not be necessary for them to turn over the following table of sins, which is chiefly intended for general confessions.

An Examination for Confession

The First Commandment is Broken

First, by Sins against Faith

· To be ignorant of the principal mysteries of Christianity; of the Creed, of the Commandments of God and his Church, or of the Sacraments.

· To give God's honor to any created being or thing whatsoever; to pay divine worship, or to ascribe God's exclusive powers or attributes, to any being except God himself.

· Willfully to doubt, or obstinately to err, in any point of faith, or of human respect, interest, fear etc.

· To favor heretics or wicked men, in supporting or approving their opinions or actions.

· To endanger our faith by reading their books with pleasure.

· To examine divine mysteries with curiosity, and secrets of Providence by pure human reason.

· To disrespect or deride holy things.

· To abuse the words of the Holy Scripture, by perverting them to a wicked or profane sense, making them subservient to jests, or other ill purposes.

· To desire to know things to come, which belong to God alone, or things past or present, which are hid from us, and for this end to employ unlawful means, as fortune tellers, or other superstitious inventions.

· To give credit to dreams, or make superstitious observations; to employ prayers or sacred names to ill uses; to use charms etc.

Secondly, by Sins against Hope

· By distrusting the mercies of God and despairing of the pardon of our sins.

· By presuming on God's goodness, without the least concern of amendment.

· By deferring our conversion or repentance till the end of life.

· By exposing ourselves to the danger of offending God either by company, reading, or otherwise, which is called tempting God.

· By exposing ourselves, without necessity, to some corporal danger; as sickness, wounds or death.

· By neglecting the remedies which God has appointed in these dangers, as physic for the body, or prayer and the sacraments for the soul.

Thirdly, by Sins against Charity

· By not loving God above all things, but rather choosing willfully to offend him, than suffer any loss of honor, riches, etc.

· By preferring the love of man before the love of God; or offending him through fear of being jeered or slighted.

· By omitting our duty through shame, or human respect.

· By thinking seldom of God or being ashamed to speak of him; or by not hearkening to his inspirations, by forgetting his benefits, or neglecting to give him thanks.

Fourthly, by Sin against Religion

· By not adoring God or praying to him but seldom.

· By praying without attention, and with willful distractions.

· By a want of respect to God in time of prayer; or by talking or being present in holy places without a becoming modesty and gravity in our looks, words and actions.

Fifthly, by Sins against the Care we ought to have of our Salvation.

· By a love of idleness.

· By being too solicitous in temporal concerns and neglecting the means of salvation.

· By deferring amendment of life, or immediately desisting, after having begun it.

· By neglecting the means of salvation; as the sacraments, prayer, good works, or performing them without devotion.

The Second Commandment is Broken

· By taking the name of God in vain.

· By swearing to what one knows or doubts to be false.

· By swearing to what is unjust, or prejudicial to others.

· By swearing without necessity, though the thing itself be true and just.

· By blaspheming God or holy things.

· By cursing one's self or others or taking pleasure in hearing others swear or curse; or by provoking them to it.

· By not reprehending them when one could and ought.

· By making a vow to do what is impossible to fulfill; or to do what is evil and displeasing to God; or to do what one never intends to perform.

· By breaking lawful vows or deferring to fulfill them without just cause.

The Third Commandment is Broken.

· By doing servile works on Sunday or causing others to do the like without necessity.

· By employing a considerable part of Sundays or holidays in temporal affairs, as is often the case with merchants, advocates, solicitors, etc.

· By omitting to hear Mass, or not hearing it with due attention and reverence.

· By spending Sundays and holidays in idleness, gaming, dancing, feasting, and other recreations.

· By not dedicating a considerable part of those days to reading and praying, and by not taking care that those under your charge to the like.

The Fourth Commandment is Broken

I. By children:

· Not paying due respect to their parents, or by despising them either in their hearts or actions.

· By not loving them, but wishing their death, or some misfortune; or by forsaking them in their necessities.

· By not cheerfully obeying them; or by obeying them in things unlawful.

· By slighting their representations and resisting their corrections.

· By putting them into a passion, and not taking care to pacify them.

· By not executing their last will and testament, or by delaying doing so.

II. By parents not discharging their duty towards their children.

· In not loving them and supplying their corporal necessities.

· In not being careful of their salvation.

· In not correcting them when it is necessary; in flattering their passions or indulging their evil inclinations.

· In treating them with too much severity.

· In not setting them good example.

· In forcing them in the choice of their state in life.

The Fifth Commandment is Broken

· By anger, quarreling, or threatening, or by injurious or reproachful words, or actions against our neighbors.

· By revenge, or deliberate thoughts or desires of revenge.

· By provoking, striking, challenging, wounding, or being the cause of another's death.

· By bearing malice, refusing to salute or speak to any neighbor out of hatred or aversion, or refusing to be reconciled to him.

The Sixth Commandment is Broken

I. By the hearing.

· In willingly giving ear to immodest words, discourses, songs, etc.

II. By the sight.

· In looking on immodest objects,

· In reading or keeping immodest books; lending them to others; or neglecting to suppress them when we may.

III. By the tongue.

· In speaking immodest words.

· In relating improper stories or wicked actions of ourselves or others.

IV. By the touch.

· In using indecent actions.

V. By thoughts.

· By entertaining impure thoughts willfully and with delight.

VI. By immodest actions.

· In committing the sin of impurity, and whether effected by soliciting, seducing with promises, or forcing, whether it be fornication, adultery, or incest.

· In sins against nature.

The Seventh Commandment is Broken.

· By taking another's goods, and to what value.

· By retaining what we know belongs to another.

· By denying our debts, or willfully delaying payment, to the prejudice of our neighbors.

· By making unjust bargains or contracts, into which every trade or profession ought to make a strict inquiry.

· By causing any damage to our neighbors.

· By putting off false and counterfeit money.

· By desiring another's property.

· By not giving alms when necessity requires.

· By not paying dues to our pastors, or by not contributing to the decent support of religious worship.

· By simony.

The Eighth Commandment is Broken

· By witnessing what is false, or defending a false accusation, as in lawyers and solicitors; or condemning the innocent, or discharging the guilty, as judges and arbitrators.

· By detraction, either in laying something false to another's charge, or reporting for truth what is merely doubtful; or in revealing something as yet secret and unknown, though true, to the prejudice of some third person; with a declaration, whether it be done out of levity and indiscretion, or out of malice or ill-will; whether in the presence of many, or in a matter of importance.

· By lying or speaking what we judge to be otherwise than we say, whether out of custom, or to the considerable prejudice of others.

· By hypocrisy, which is a lie in action.

The Ninth and Tenth are Broken

· By all unlawful and willful desires of impurity and theft, which have been already mentioned in the sixth and seventh commandment.

The Precepts of the Church

I. To keep certain appointed days holy, with the obligation of hearing Mass, and resting from servile works.

II. To observe the days of abstinence and fasting.

III. To confess our sins to our pastors, at least once a year.

IV. To receive the Blessed Sacrament at Easter, or thereabouts.

V. To contribute to the support of our pastors.

VI. To obey the laws of the Church concerning Matrimony.

VII. To participate in the Church's mission of Evangelization of Souls.

The Seven Deadly Sins

(The sins of covetousness, luxury, and sloth have been already examined in the first, sixth, and seventh commandments.)

The Sin of Pride consists:

· In entertaining too great and opinion of ourselves, or in valuing others less than ourselves and maintaining a just and noble self-love.

· In publishing what we think good in ourselves, that we may be esteemed by others.

· In arrogance, by attributing to ourselves the good we have not.

· In presumption and ambition, by confiding too much in our own strength, conceiving ourselves capable of accomplishing things above our abilities, and in rashly attempting them.

· In contempt of others, on account of the good opinions we have of ourselves, and when this contempt is manifested by words or actions or by being severe and exacting on inferiors.

· In want of submission to our superiors, by disobeying them, blaming their conduct, or murmuring against them.

· In not acknowledging our faults, or when, in confessing the facts, we maintain we have done well, or at least allege false excuses.

· In contempt of admonitions and corrections.

· In discord.

· In hypocrisy.

· In curiosity, which inclines us to know things prejudicial to our salvation.

· By ingratitude for God's benefits.

The Sin of Gluttony

· In eating or drinking to excess, as far as they are prejudicial, either to our health or our reason, or any ways scandalous, or of ill example to others.

The Sin of Envy

· Trouble at the good success of our neighbor, or when we endeavor to do him an unkindness, or speak often against him, or create an ill opinion of him in the mind of another.

· When we rejoice at our neighbor's harm.

The Sin of Anger

· Not to endure anything contrary to our inclinations.

· To suffer ourselves to be hurried away by the emotions of wrath against those that give us any trouble.

· To proceed to quarrels, injurious language, oaths, curses, threats; to take revenge, or to desire and wish to be in a capacity of exercising it.

· To refuse to pardon injuries, or to be reconciled to our enemies, or to such of our neighbors with whom we have had some misunderstanding or falling out.

A Prayer for Obtaining Contrition

I have now here before me, O Lord, a sad prospect of the manifold offenses whereby I have displeased thy divine Majesty, and which I am assured will appear in judgment against me if, by repentance and a hearty sorrow, my soul be not prepared to receive thy pardon. But this sorrow and this repentance, O Lord, must be the free gift of thy mercy, without which all my endeavors will be in vain, and I shall be forever miserable. Have pity, therefore, on me, O merciful Father, and pour forth into my heart thy grace, whereby I may sincerely repent of all my sins; grant me true contrition, that I may bewail my base ingratitude, and grieve from my heart for having offended so good a God. Permit me not to be deluded by a false sorrow, as I fear I have been too often, through my own weakness and neglect; but let it now be thy gift, descending from thee, the Father of Lights, that so my repentance may be accompanied by an amendment and a change of life, that being thus acquitted from the guilt of my sins, I may once more be received into the number of thy servants. Amen.

Novena in Honor of Saint John Marie Vianney

Confessor of Souls

O Holy Priest of Ars, you knew how important was a good confession for the Christian life. It was to procure the happy fruits of millions of souls that you agreed to be in an uncomfortable confessional, which was like a prison, up to 15 to 16 hours on certain days. I will try to develop the habit of frequent confession, to prepare properly each time and to have always regret for my sins, so that the grace of final perseverance but also the sanctification of my soul will be assured. Ask this grace for me. Holy Priest of Ars, I have confidence in your intercession. Pray for me during this novena especially for ... (mention silently your special intentions).

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be

Catechism of the Catholic Church

PART ONE: THE PROFESSION OF FAITH

SECTION TWO-I. THE CREEDS

CHAPTER THREE-I BELIEVE IN THE HOLY SPIRIT

ARTICLE 8-"I BELIEVE IN THE HOLY SPIRIT"

Paragraph 2. THE CHURCH - PEOPLE OF GOD, BODY OF CHRIST, TEMPLE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

I. THE CHURCH - PEOPLE OF GOD

781 "At all times and in every race, anyone who fears God and does what is right has been acceptable to him. He has, however, willed to make men holy and save them, not as individuals without any bond or link between them, but rather to make them into a people who might acknowledge him and serve him in holiness. He therefore chose the Israelite race to be his own people and established a covenant with it. He gradually instructed this people.... All these things, however, happened as a preparation for and figure of that new and perfect covenant which was to be ratified in Christ . . . the New Covenant in his blood; he called together a race made up of Jews and Gentiles which would be one, not according to the flesh, but in the Spirit."

Characteristics of the People of Got

782 The People of God is marked by characteristics that clearly distinguish it from all other religious, ethnic, political, or cultural groups found in history:
- It is the People of God: God is not the property of any one people. But he acquired a people for himself from those who previously were not a people: "a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation."
- One becomes a member of this people not by a physical birth, but by being "born anew," a birth "of water and the Spirit," that is, by faith in Christ, and Baptism.
- This People has for its Head Jesus the Christ (the anointed, the Messiah). Because the same anointing, the Holy Spirit, flows from the head into the body, this is "the messianic people."
- "The status of this people is that of the dignity and freedom of the sons of God, in whose hearts the Holy Spirit dwells as in a temple."
- "Its law is the new commandment to love as Christ loved us." This is the "new" law of the Holy Spirit.
- Its mission is to be salt of the earth and light of the world. This people is "a most sure seed of unity, hope, and salvation for the whole human race."
-Its destiny, finally, "is the Kingdom of God which has been begun by God himself on earth and which must be further extended until it has been brought to perfection by him at the end of time."

A priestly, prophetic, and royal people

783 Jesus Christ is the one whom the Father anointed with the Holy Spirit and established as priest, prophet, and king. the whole People of God participates in these three offices of Christ and bears the responsibilities for mission and service that flow from them.

784 On entering the People of God through faith and Baptism, one receives a share in this people's unique, priestly vocation: "Christ the Lord, high priest taken from among men, has made this new people 'a kingdom of priests to God, his Father.' the baptized, by regeneration and the anointing of the Holy Spirit, are consecrated to be a spiritual house and a holy priesthood."

785 "The holy People of God shares also in Christ's prophetic office," above all in the supernatural sense of faith that belongs to the whole People, lay and clergy, when it "unfailingly adheres to this faith . . . once for all delivered to the saints," and when it deepens its understanding and becomes Christ's witness in the midst of this world.

786 Finally, the People of God shares in the royal office of Christ. He exercises his kingship by drawing all men to himself through his death and Resurrection. Christ, King and Lord of the universe, made himself the servant of all, for he came "not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." For the Christian, "to reign is to serve him," particularly when serving "the poor and the suffering, in whom the Church recognizes the image of her poor and suffering founder." The People of God fulfills its royal dignity by a life in keeping with its vocation to serve with Christ.

The sign of the cross makes kings of all those reborn in Christ and the anointing of the Holy Spirit consecrates them as priests, so that, apart from the particular service of our ministry, all spiritual and rational Christians are recognized as members of this royal race and sharers in Christ's priestly office. What, indeed, is as royal for a soul as to govern the body in obedience to God? and what is as priestly as to dedicate a pure conscience to the Lord and to offer the spotless offerings of devotion on the altar of the heart?

II. THE CHURCH - BODY OF CHRIST

The Church is communion with Jesus

787 From the beginning, Jesus associated his disciples with his own life, revealed the mystery of the Kingdom to them, and gave them a share in his mission, joy, and sufferings. Jesus spoke of a still more intimate communion between him and those who would follow him: "Abide in me, and I in you.... I am the vine, you are the branches." and he proclaimed a mysterious and real communion between his own body and ours: "He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him."

788 When his visible presence was taken from them, Jesus did not leave his disciples orphans. He promised to remain with them until the end of time; he sent them his Spirit. As a result communion with Jesus has become, in a way, more intense: "By communicating his Spirit, Christ mystically constitutes as his body those brothers of his who are called together from every nation."

789 The comparison of the Church with the body casts light on the intimate bond between Christ and his Church. Not only is she gathered around him; she is united in him, in his body. Three aspects of the Church as the Body of Christ are to be more specifically noted: the unity of all her members with each other as a result of their union with Christ; Christ as head of the Body; and the Church as bride of Christ.

"One Body"

790 Believers who respond to God's word and become members of Christ's Body, become intimately united with him: "In that body the life of Christ is communicated to those who believe, and who, through the sacraments, are united in a hidden and real way to Christ in his Passion and glorification." This is especially true of Baptism, which unites us to Christ's death and Resurrection, and the Eucharist, by which "really sharing in the body of the Lord, . . . we are taken up into communion with him and with one another."

791 The body's unity does not do away with the diversity of its members: "In the building up of Christ's Body there is engaged a diversity of members and functions. There is only one Spirit who, according to his own richness and the needs of the ministries, gives his different gifts for the welfare of the Church." The unity of the Mystical Body produces and stimulates charity among the faithful: "From this it follows that if one member suffers anything, all the members suffer with him, and if one member is honored, all the members together rejoice." Finally, the unity of the Mystical Body triumphs over all human divisions: "For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus."

"Christ is the Head of this Body"

792 Christ "is the head of the body, the Church." He is the principle of creation and redemption. Raised to the Father's glory, "in everything he (is) preeminent," especially in the Church, through whom he extends his reign over all things.

793 Christ unites us with his Passover: all his members must strive to resemble him, "until Christ be formed" in them. "For this reason we . . . are taken up into the mysteries of his life, . . . associated with his sufferings as the body with its head, suffering with him, that with him we may be glorified."

794 Christ provides for our growth: to make us grow toward him, our head, he provides in his Body, the Church, the gifts and assistance by which we help one another along the way of salvation.

795 Christ and his Church thus together make up the "whole Christ" (Christus totus). the Church is one with Christ. the saints are acutely aware of this unity:

Let us rejoice then and give thanks that we have become not only Christians, but Christ himself. Do you understand and grasp, brethren, God's grace toward us? Marvel and rejoice: we have become Christ. For if he is the head, we are the members; he and we together are the whole man.... the fullness of Christ then is the head and the members. But what does "head and members" mean? Christ and the Church.

Our redeemer has shown himself to be one person with the holy Church whom he has taken to himself.

Head and members form as it were one and the same mystical person.

A reply of St. Joan of Arc to her judges sums up the faith of the holy doctors and the good sense of the believer: "About Jesus Christ and the Church, I simply know they're just one thing, and we shouldn't complicate the matter."

The Church is the Bride of Christ

796 The unity of Christ and the Church, head and members of one Body, also implies the distinction of the two within a personal relationship. This aspect is often expressed by the image of bridegroom and bride. the theme of Christ as Bridegroom of the Church was prepared for by the prophets and announced by John the Baptist. The Lord referred to himself as the "bridegroom." The Apostle speaks of the whole Church and of each of the faithful, members of his Body, as a bride "betrothed" to Christ the Lord so as to become but one spirit with him. The Church is the spotless bride of the spotless Lamb. "Christ loved the Church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her." He has joined her with himself in an everlasting covenant and never stops caring for her as for his own body:

This is the whole Christ, head and body, one formed from many . . . whether the head or members speak, it is Christ who speaks. He speaks in his role as the head (ex persona capitis) and in his role as body (ex persona corporis). What does this mean? "The two will become one flesh. This is a great mystery, and I am applying it to Christ and the Church." and the Lord himself says in the Gospel: "So they are no longer two, but one flesh." They are, in fact, two different persons, yet they are one in the conjugal union, . . . as head, he calls himself the bridegroom, as body, he calls himself "bride."

III. THE CHURCH IS THE TEMPLE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

797 "What the soul is to the human body, the Holy Spirit is to the Body of Christ, which is the Church." "To this Spirit of Christ, as an invisible principle, is to be ascribed the fact that all the parts of the body are joined one with the other and with their exalted head; for the whole Spirit of Christ is in the head, the whole Spirit is in the body, and the whole Spirit is in each of the members." The Holy Spirit makes the Church "the temple of the living God":

Indeed, it is to the Church herself that the "Gift of God" has been entrusted.... In it is in her that communion with Christ has been deposited, that is to say: the Holy Spirit, the pledge of incorruptibility, the strengthening of our faith and the ladder of our ascent to God.... For where the Church is, there also is God's Spirit; where God's Spirit is, there is the Church and every grace.

798 The Holy Spirit is "the principle of every vital and truly saving action in each part of the Body." He works in many ways to build up the whole Body in charity: by God's Word "which is able to build you up"; by Baptism, through which he forms Christ's Body; by the sacraments, which give growth and healing to Christ's members; by "the grace of the apostles, which holds first place among his gifts"; by the virtues, which make us act according to what is good; finally, by the many special graces (called "charisms"), by which he makes the faithful "fit and ready to undertake various tasks and offices for the renewal and building up of the Church."

Charisms

799 Whether extraordinary or simple and humble, charisms are graces of the Holy Spirit which directly or indirectly benefit the Church, ordered as they are to her building up, to the good of men, and to the needs of the world.

800 Charisms are to be accepted with gratitude by the person who receives them and by all members of the Church as well. They are a wonderfully rich grace for the apostolic vitality and for the holiness of the entire Body of Christ, provided they really are genuine gifts of the Holy Spirit and are used in full conformity with authentic promptings of this same Spirit, that is, in keeping with charity, the true measure of all charisms.

801 It is in this sense that discernment of charisms is always necessary. No charism is exempt from being referred and submitted to the Church's shepherds. "Their office (is) not indeed to extinguish the Spirit, but to test all things and hold fast to what is good," so that all the diverse and complementary charisms work together "for the common good."

IN BRIEF

802 Christ Jesus "gave himself for us to redeem us from all iniquity and to purify for himself a people of his own" (Titus 2:14).

803 "You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's own people" (1 Pet 2:9).

804 One enters into the People of God by faith and Baptism. "All men are called to belong to the new People of God" (LG 13), so that, in Christ, "men may form one family and one People of God" (AG 1).

805 The Church is the Body of Christ. Through the Spirit and his action in the sacraments, above all the Eucharist, Christ, who once was dead and is now risen, establishes the community of believers as his own Body.

806 In the unity of this Body, there is a diversity of members and functions. All members are linked to one another, especially to those who are suffering, to the poor and persecuted.

807 The Church is this Body of which Christ is the head: she lives from him, in him, and for him; he lives with her and in her.

808 The Church is the Bride of Christ: he loved her and handed himself over for her. He has purified her by his blood and made her the fruitful mother of all God's children.

809 The Church is the Temple of the Holy Spirit. the Spirit is the soul, as it were, of the Mystical Body, the source of its life, of its unity in diversity, and of the riches of its gifts and charisms.

810 "Hence the universal Church is seen to be 'a people brought into unity from the unity of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit'" (LG 4 citing St. Cyprian, De Dom. orat. 23: PL 4, 553).

Daily Devotions

· Unite in the work of the Porters of St. Joseph by joining them in fasting:

· Litany of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus

· Religion in the Home for Preschool: July

· Offering to the sacred heart of Jesus

· Let Freedom Ring Day 25 Freedom from Wrath

· Drops of Christ’s Blood

· Universal Man Plan

· Rosary

AUGUST

August--We may come to appreciate more deeply the various landforms (mountains, deserts, rock formations, valleys, and plains) during vacation time. They give us bearing, direction, and the geological history of our lives. This is the beginning of awareness of the "here" in our lives. The Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord shows us the "hereness" of the risen Lord, and the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary speaks of God's power to the blessed. While we can choose to extend the Savior's redeeming power to our wounded earth, we also can choose to withdraw from this awesome challenge.

Overview of August[3]

August is often considered the transitional month in our seasonal calendar. It is the time of the year we begin to wind-down from our summer travels and vacations and prepare for Autumn — back to school, fall festivals, harvest time, etc. The Church in her holy wisdom has provided a cycle of events in its liturgical year which allow the faithful to celebrate the major feasts in the life of Christ and Mary. Most notably, during August, we celebrate the feast of the Transfiguration (August 6) and the feast of the Assumption (August 15).

The days of summer have provided a welcome change of pace. However, while vacations afford us the time to relax and refresh, the change of habits and routines can also have a negative impact on our spiritual lives. As if to re-ignite us, the Church offers us in the plethora of August feasts vivid examples of the virtue of perseverance: six martyrs — two who are named in Canon I of the Mass and two who were martyred during World War II; seven founders of religious congregations, as well as three popes and two kings; the apostle, St. Bartholomew; the great Doctor of the Church, St. Augustine and St. Monica, his mother; the humble patron saint of parish priests, St. John Vianney, and the patron of deacons, St. Lawrence, who joked with his executioners while being roasted alive.

It is never too late to begin — as the life of the reformed sinner, St. Augustine teaches us — nor too difficult to begin again, as demonstrated by the conversion of the martyr, St. Teresa Benedicta (Edith Stein). We present-day members of the Mystical Body are certain of the reward to which we are called, for Christ's Transfigured body (August 6) is a preview of that glory. Moreover, in the Assumption of his Mother (August 15), Our Lord has demonstrated his fidelity to his promise. Her privilege is "the highest fruit of the Redemption" and "our consoling assurance of the coming of our final hope — the glorification which is Christ's" (Enchiridion on Indulgences).

The Blessed Virgin Mary is the most perfect example of Christian perseverance, but she is also our advocate in heaven where she is crowned Queen of Heaven and Earth (August 22). Mary is the "Mother of Perpetual Help", the patroness of the Congregation founded by St. Alphonsus Liguori (August 1). "No one who has fled to her protection is left unaided" is the claim of the Memorare of St. Bernard (August 20). Heretics have returned to the faith by the prayers of her Rosary, first preached by St. Dominic (August 8) in the twelfth Century, and hearts have been converted by the graces received while wearing her Miraculous Medal, promoted by St. Maximillian Kolbe (August 14) and adopted as the "badge" for the Pious Union he founded. Hail, holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, our life, our sweetness and our hope!

August Travel[4]

· State Fair Season

State fair season kicks off in August; see the stars of the season like the Orange County Fair, which draws more than 1.5 million fairgoers, or the Minnesota State Fair, which Andrew Zimmern calls his own slice of heavenly obsession. With state fair staples like ice-cold lemonade and fried treats, we can see why.

· 127 Corridor

Technically the world's largest yard sale, the flea market known as the 127 Corridor is certainly the LONGEST outdoor market. Beginning on a highway in Jamestown, TN, this flea stretches hundreds of miles through North Covington, Kentucky, and continues all the way to Gadsden, Alabama. There are more than 2,000 vendors along this tour who clear their schedules for 3 weeks every August. One can imagine the caravan of Winnabagos that make this annual pilgrimage. Countless treasures and billions of collectibles hide among bric-a-brac and junk, but the people-watching and Southern hospitality alone are worth the trip.

Alaska Cruise Season [5]

Escape the heat, and take in awe-inspiring glacial views, with a cruise to Alaska. Cruise ships dock alongside towns from Seward, along Alaska’s Kenai Peninsula, to Ketchikan, in the Alexander Archipelago. Cruise ships also dock near Katmai National Park, where July is prime time to see bears gulp up Atlantic salmon on their run. And if cruise prices prove too high in July, fret not: Alaska’s prime cruise season stretches through September.

· August 2-6-Maine Lobster Festival (Rockland, ME)

The annual Maine Lobster Festival kicks off this month, and you won't want to miss a moment of it! Over the course of the 5-day festival, more than 20,000 lbs. of lobster will be served -- lobster rolls, lobster wraps, lobster Caesar salad. Did we say lobster? Plus, see the annual Lobster Crate Race, cooking contest and the Maine Sea Goddess coronation!

· August 9-17-Elvis Week (Memphis, TN)

Shake, rattle and roll! Memphis, TN, marks its annual Elvis Week celebration each August. There's always something for Elvis fans, including the big draw each year, the annual Elvis Tribute Artists contest. Who will be crowned the King?

o September 21 - 23, 2023 The Arizona Elvis Festival

· August 16-19 August Doins Rodeo (Payson, AZ)

Slip on a pair of boots, and head to the World’s Oldest Continuous Rodeo. First held in 1884, the August Doins Rodeo takes place each August in Arizona’s cool mountain town of Payson. Hold on to your hats, you’re in for some heart-stopping action!

· August 21-Happy Birthday, Hawaii!

Do your patriotic duty, and honor the Aloha State with a visit this month -- August 21 marks Hawaii?s admittance as the 50th state. Lap up the waves on Oahu's North Shore; and for culinary fare, we've got the inside scoop on 4 ways to eat like a local on Oahu.

· August 24-26-Cowal Highland Gathering (Dunoon, Scotland)

Nice legs! See big, brawny men in flowing Scottish skirts compete in the largest Highland games in the world -- the Cowal Highland Gathering. Also known as the Cowal Games, the annual event is held in the Scottish town of Dunoon, attracting more than 23,000 spectators to celebrate Scottish and Celtic culture.

Iceman’s Calendar

· August 1-Full Sturgeon Moon

· August 2^nd MASS First Wednesday

· August 4^th MASS First Friday

o Feast of St. John Vianney

· August 5^th MASS First Saturday

· August 6^th Feast of the Transfiguration

· August 10^th Feast of St. Lawrence

· August 11^th Feast of St. Claire

· August 13^th Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost

· August 15^th The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

· August 20^th Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost