Wednesday, September 13, 2023
Quiet Day[1]
Noise is everywhere, on the crowded train, in the busy
office, in the pub, the school playground, and even at home. We simply can’t
seem to get away from the buzz of everyday life. Sometimes it’s just all too
much. We know that peace and quiet are good for the both the body and the mind,
but it’s increasingly difficult in today’s world to experience real quiet, and
that’s why a National Quiet Day is so important.
” Everything
that’s created comes out of silence. Your thoughts emerge from the nothingness
of silence. Your words come out of this voice. Your very essence emerged from
emptiness. All creativity requires some stillness.”
~ Wayne Dyer
Every day we are surrounded by the chatter of TV, the
radio, even our friends and family. Few are the opportunities we have to engage
in a little quiet contemplation, giving our vocal chords a rest to simply
listen to the world around us and simply experience it. Quiet Day is dedicated
to taking a little time to free your voice and mind from the rigors of
conversation.
History of Quiet Day
Quiet Day was established to remind us to slow down and
give silence a chance. During this celebration, you are encouraged to simply
not speak, and preferably to take a chance to not communicate at all. The
sounds of our voices, and in fact our active interaction with others has served
to keep us spiritually silent and separated from the world around us, and in
some odd ways from the very people we interact with every day. Quiet Day allows
you to engage the world around you by removing the shield that is the wall of
words we use every day. In India, there are meditation retreats where time is
spent kneeling and in contemplation, sometimes as many as 10 days in
succession. These are called Vipassana retreats, a word which means “to see
things as they really are” and comes from ancient Buddhist practices. While
Quiet Day is just one day, the principles included in these retreats can be
applied to your one Day of Silence. The peace and clarity it can bring has the
possibility of opening your mind to things about your life that have long since
been buried in verbal noise.
How to Celebrate Quiet Day
The best way to celebrate Quiet Day is to head somewhere to
experience your time in silence uninterrupted. If the weather is pleasant, you
can head out to a park or to walk among the trees, just getting out in nature
and letting your mind wander and find peace. If you must go in and go to work
or encounter other people, carry a card that says “I’m spending a day in
silence.” that you can flash, letting people know that you are attempting to
not speak for the day. Let Quiet Day be your vacation from vocalization!
Peace and quiet is good for you, both physically and mentally. Studies have
shown that taking time for quiet can have a positive effect on your body and in
some cases can even lower blood pressure and reduce the heart rate. However, it
is increasingly difficult in today’s world to experience real quiet, and that’s
why we are establishing the first ever Quiet Day. In these busy times, more
people are suffering from stress. Often made worse by the relentless invasion
of unwanted noise in our lives, stress levels can be lowered by reducing your
exposure to noise and taking a little sanctuary in silence.
Silence is often the sound of humility.[2]
We don’t pretend to have experience that we actually don’t.
We don’t presume to instruct someone who hasn’t asked for our help. We don’t
assume that our own lives and experiences are as interesting to others as they
are to ourselves (hint: they usually aren’t). The person who only asks one good
question or makes one insightful comment often does so to encourage others to
participate or to enrich the conversation.
When we have an accurate assessment of our own abilities
and an active interest in others’ talents or experiences, we will frequently be
silent.
DAY 29 - MARY, TOWER OF IVORY, PRAY FOR US!
Join us for Rosary Coast to Coast!
In the Battle of Lepanto, the Turks believed Christianity had become so weak, it was time to move in and "deal the last blow." Outnumbered, Pope St. Pius V called upon the world to pray the rosary. Miraculously, victory was won on October 7, 1571, which brought the Feast of Our Lady of Victory.
Here we are again, my brothers and sisters. The enemy appears to be attempting to "deal the last blow." There is no doubt we are living in diabolically influenced times. This, while Godless leaders and influencers in our nation have usurped the phrase, “This is a battle for the soul of America,” as their evil abominations unto God easily become a “new normal” in the lives of our loved ones?! Those who choose to stand in the “Spirit of Truth” are mocked, persecuted, abandoned and put out?! The time is now to do the "Lepanto thing!"
PLEASE join us for Rosary Coast to Coast on the Feast of Our Lady of Victory, October 7, 2023 at 3:00pm CST to pray the Glorious Mysteries as a nation. It simply means to gather with a group of 2 or more outside (if possible) as we call upon the powerful intercession of Our Lady to Heal Our Land!!
Go to RosaryCoasttoCoast.com to find more information and register your group.
Let’s … UNITE AT THE FOOT OF THE CROSS!!
DAY 30 - MARY, HOUSE OF GOLD, PRAY FOR US
SANCTIFY YOURSELF
Pope Urban II launched the First Crusade in 1095 with the primary goal of the Christian re-conquest of the sacred city of Jerusalem and the Holy Land. So great was the pope’s speech in Clermont, France, on that day that the crowd was inspired to cry out: “Deus Vult! Deus Vult!” (“It is the will of God! It is the will of God!”). This became the battle cry of brave and noble knights who sought to recover that holy ground.
In our vastly secularized modern world, the need has never been greater to reclaim the surrendered ground of the sacred. While it was nearly a millennium ago that Pope Urban II challenged would-be warriors to “reclaim the sacred,” in our day it was Pope John Paul II, in his January 6, 2000, Apostolic Letter, Novo Millennio Ineunte, who made his clarion call for us to put aside all fear and pursue daring apostolic goals which are rooted deeply in prayer. This is a call to return to our first priority, the Universal Call to Holiness: “All Christian faithful … are called to the fullness of the Christian life and to the perfection of charity.”
The spiritual devastation of the last few decades compelled Pope John Paul II to draw up his master plan for the new millennium. In his plan, he emphasized the importance of “starting afresh from Christ”: “No, we shall not be saved by a formula but by a Person.” Thus, he called for pastoral initiatives that would focus on “Training in Holiness” and “Schools of Prayer.” St. Francis of Assisi affirms this training in holiness as the fundamental starting point: “Sanctify yourself and you will sanctify society.”
Pope John Paul II challenges us to consider, “since baptism is a true entry into the holiness of God through incorporation into Christ and the indwelling of his Spirit, it would be a contradiction to settle for a life of mediocrity, marked by a minimalist ethic and a shallow religiosity … ‘Do you wish to become holy?’ It means to set before you the radical nature of the Sermon on the Mount: ‘Be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect’ (Mt 5:48).” (Excerpt from my book, Church Militant Field Manual).
PRAYERS FOR TRADITIONAL 54 DAY NOVENA
THE GLORIOUS MYSTERIES OF THE HOLY ROSARY
Prayer before the recitation: Sign of the cross. Hail Mary.
In petition (first 27 days): Hail, Queen of the Most Holy Rosary, my Mother Mary, hail! At thy feet I humbly kneel to offer thee a Crown of Roses, full-blown white roses, tinged with the red of the passion, to remind thee of thy glories, fruits of the sufferings of thy Son and thee, each rose recalling to thee a holy mystery, each 10 bound together with my petition for a particular grace. O Holy Queen, dispenser of God’s graces, and Mother of all who invoke thee! Thou canst not look upon my gift and fail to see its binding. As thou receivest my gift, so wilt thou receive my petition; from thy bounty thou wilt give me the favor I so earnestly and trustingly seek. I despair of nothing that I ask of thee. Show thyself my Mother!
In thanksgiving (last 27 days): Hail, Queen of the Most Holy Rosary, my Mother Mary, hail! At thy feet I gratefully kneel to offer thee a Crown of Roses full blown white roses, tinged with the red of the passion, to remind thee of thy glories, fruits of the sufferings of thy Son and thee each rose recalling to thee a holy mystery; each ten bound together with my petition for a particular grace. O Holy Queen, dispenser of God s graces, and Mother of all who invoke thee! thou canst not look upon my gift and fail to see its binding. As thou receivest my gift, so wilt thou receive my thanksgiving; from thy bounty thou hast given me the favor I so earnestly and trustingly sought. I despaired not of what I asked of thee, and thou hast truly shown thyself my Mother.
Say: The Apostles’ Creed, Our Father, 3 Hail Marys, Glory Be.
For each of the following Mysteries, say: Our Father, 10 Hail Marys, Glory Be.
The Resurrection – Our Father, 10 Hail Marys, Glory Be.
Concluding Prayer: I bind these full-blown roses with a petition for the virtue of faith and humbly lay this bouquet at thy feet.
The Ascension – Our Father, 10 Hail Marys, Glory Be.
Concluding Prayer: I bind these full-blown roses with a petition for the virtue of hope and humbly lay this bouquet at thy feet.
The Descent of the Holy Spirit – Our Father, 10 Hail Marys, Glory Be.
Concluding Prayer: I bind these full-blown roses with a petition for the virtue of charity and humbly lay this bouquet at thy feet.
The Assumption of Mary – Our Father, 10 Hail Marys, Glory Be.
Concluding Prayer: I bind these full-blown roses with a petition for the virtue of union with Christ and humbly lay this bouquet at thy feet.
The Coronation of the Blessed Mother – Our Father, 10 Hail Marys, Glory Be.
Concluding Prayer: I bind these full-blown roses with a petition for the virtue of union with thee and humbly lay this bouquet at thy feet.
Say: The Hail Holy Queen.
Spiritual Communion: My Jesus, I believe that You are present in the Most Holy Sacrament. I love You above all things, and I desire to receive You into my soul. Since I cannot at this moment receive You sacramentally, come at least spiritually into my heart. I embrace You as if You were already there and unite myself wholly to You. Never permit me to be separated from You. Amen.
In petition (first 27 days): Sweet Mother Mary, I offer thee this spiritual communion to bind my bouquets in a wreath to place upon thy brow. O my Mother! Look with favor upon my gift, and in thy love obtain for me (specify request, see below). Hail Mary …
In thanksgiving (last 27 days): Sweet Mother Mary, I offer thee this Spiritual Communion to bind my bouquets in a wreath to place upon thy brow in thanksgiving for (specify request, see below) which thou in thy love hast obtained for me. Hail, Mary, etc.
PETITION: May our Church and our country find hope as we unite at the foot of the cross. (Please add your own petitions to this powerful novena)
All of the daily Novena Prayers and Reflections are found in this book: 54 Day Basic Training in Holiness
All of the daily Novena Prayers and Reflections are also posted at usgraceforce.com
You can join the United State Grace Force Facebook group HERE, to receive the reflections each day.
Spanish language Novena prayers and reflections are available at https://rosarycoasttocoast.
Those who would like to pray with others via The Telephone Rosary, call 1-951-799-9866 daily at 6 pm Eastern.
Enroll in the worldwide Confraternity of the Most Holy Rosary! Click here: https://championshrine.
You are welcomed to join Fr. Richard Heilman as he prays the rosary "over our country" at sunrise from a lookout tower atop Blue Mounds State Park:
Tobit, Chapter 4, Verse 8
Tobit here is instructing his son Tobiah in the three virtues characteristic in his own life: Truth (fidelity), righteousness, and almsgiving. The instruction to almsgiving is the lengthiest. Tobit tells his son to care for his burial just as his father has cared for the burial of others. He instructs Tobiah to pay servants wages immediately to feed the hungry and to clothe the naked and to give alms in proportion to what he has. Almsgiving will be for him a protection from death and will be a worthy offering, a worthy worship to God.[1]
Tobit[2]
- Later on he
washed, but he still decided to spend the night in the courtyard.
Even though he had no problems polluting himself by having contact with a
corpse, he was considerate of others and maintained his distance until the
time of purification was over.
- That night,
swallow droppings fell into his eyes and a white film formed, impairing
his vision.
- The more he
sought medical help, the worse his eyesight was until one day he was totally
blind.
- The irony is
sharp. His misfortune occurred on Pentecost because he wanted to
share his provisions with the homeless, to dutifully bury a Jewish body,
and to keep the law regarding purification. Those “good works” led
to blindness. Yet, there is no evidence that he railed against God
or even lamented this misfortune.
- For the first
two years of Tobit’s blindness, Ahiquar supported him, but then he was
transferred to Elymais, which scholars think was located south of Media.
- This transfer
meant that Ahiquar’s financial support ended, and life became very
difficult for Tobit and his family.
- Since Tobit
was completely blind, his wife went out to do “women’s work.” This
is not specified, but most think she would have been working in someone’s
household.
- Surely this
was a blow to Tobit’s image and esteem. After all, this was the
person who had a big position in the king’s court. Now he was
disabled and unemployed.
- One day in
addition to paying her for her services, Hannah’s employers gave her a goat
to take home. It might have been for an upcoming feast day, which
would suggest that she was working for a Jewish family.
- When the goat
started to bleat, Tobit assumed she had stolen it and accused her of doing
so. It highlights his inability to see; he didn’t know it was there
until it started making noise. Scholars don’t know why he did
this. Nothing in Hannah’s character suggested she’d be the person to
steal something. So maybe this was yet another affront to his ego
and lashing out was his poor way of handling things. It shows how
tense things had become and the stress they were under.
- Hannah yelled
back saying, “And look what your good deeds have gotten us!”
- There was
little that Tobit could say to that. He prayed deeply, asking for
forgiveness for himself as well as the nation. Then he asked God to take
his life in order to end his suffering.
- On the very
same day in Ecbatana, another righteous person was praying – Sarah.
- The distance
between Nineveh and Ecbatana was about 185 miles.
- Sarah’s name
means “Mistress.”
- At that
moment, one of her servant girls was insulting her because she had been
given in marriage to seven men, but each night the demon, Asmodeus, killed
them off before the marriage could be consummated.
- If it’s a
Hebrew word, Asmodeus means something like “Destroyer.” He was known
as the demon of lust. The idea was that he loved Sarah and
would not allow any other man to be with her.
- The servant
didn’t know about the demon, so she assumed that Sarah was doing the
killing.
- Sarah thought
about hanging herself, but she was an only child and couldn’t imagine
bringing such shame to her parents.
- So she also
prayed that God would take her life and put her out of her misery.
- At this point,
these two incidents seem totally separate, though both people are of the
tribe of Naphtali. Later, readers will find out that they are close
kinsmen.
- Nonetheless,
both of their prayers were heard in the glorious presence of God.
- God decided to
send the angel, Raphael, to heal them both.
- Raphael, the
angel’s name, means “God has healed.”
- God’s plan was
to give Sarah in marriage to Tobias and to heal Tobit’s blindness.
- This
information is given to readers but not to any of the characters in the
story.
- As Tobit
prepared to die, he remembered the money he had given his cousins in Media
for safekeeping.
- He called
Tobias and started by counseling him on the major issues of life.
- First, he was
to provide a proper burial for Tobit, and then he needed to take care of
his mother. He was also to follow in Tobit’s footsteps, always doing
good and being true to the Lord.
- There is some
irony here because of the fact that Tobit’s life had not been blessed
despite all of his good works. This comes at a time in Jewish history when
they believed good works would be rewarded with great blessings.
Tobit’s life had not turned out that way. Still, he expected
integrity and faithfulness from Tobias, which indicates that Tobit was a
very righteous man.
- Only after he
had counseled him in all these aspects did Tobit mention the ten talents
awaiting him in Media.
- His final counsel was: “You have great wealth if you fear God, flee from all sin, and do what is good in the sight of the Lord your God.” Obviously, Tobit believed that God really was going to end his life.
The Catholic Defender: Our Lady's Words At Fatima September 13,
1917[3]
Our Lady: Continue to pray the Rosary to obtain the end of the war. In October, Our Lord will also come, as well as Our Lady of Sorrows and Our Lady of Mount Carmel, and Saint Joseph with the Child Jesus, to bless the world. God is pleased with your sacrifices, but He does not want you to sleep with the ropes; wear them only during the day. (The children were wearing ropes around their waists as a sacrifice for sinners.)
Our Lady: Yes, I will cure some, others not. In October, I will perform a miracle for all to believe.
When looking at the above dialogue between Our Lady and Lucia, there is not a whole lot of information that is specific. Would Lucia or Jacinta, Francisco know who Our Lady of Sorrows would be, or Our Lady of Mount Carmel? Probably not! But what does this tell us even though it is 100 years later?
There are some very significant points to gleam from these few words. First, Our Lord will come as the King of kings. Why is this important? This shows that what is happening at Fatima has the Lord's full will taking place. Hebrews 4:14-16 states, "Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we have not a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sinning. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need."
Jesus appearance at Fatima is an important sign of His commitment to Mercy and His intention that we listen to the message which is the Gospel. Fatima is all about the Gospel Message.
Second, Mary will show herself as "Our Lady of Sorrows"! There were seven sorrows that are part of a devotion:
1. The Prophecy of Simon (Luke 2:29-35)
2. The Escape and flight to Egypt (Matthew 2:13-15)
3. Jesus lost for three days and then found in the Temple (Luke 2:41-52)
4. Jesus meets His Mother (Passion)
5. The Crucifixion (Matthew 27:32-55), (Mark 15:21-41), (Luke 23:26-49), (John 19:17-37)
6. Piercing of the side of Jesus (John 19:34-37)
7. Burial of Jesus (Matthew 27:57-61), (Mark 15:42-47), (Luke 23:50-56), (John 19:38-42)
Through this devotion we walk with the Virgin Mary in these seven sorrows. Suffering has a very important lessen for growing in our faith. As Our Lord suffered, and as a result, Our Lady suffered, we unite our suffering with our Lord. We offer it up.
Third, Mary will show herself again as "Our Lady of Mount Carmel" which I find this one to have deep meaning identifying who this Lady truly is. 1 Kings 18: 20-39 tells the story of Elijah's triumph over the priests of Baal. At this time there had been a serious drought for three years because of the sin of the nation. The drought ends with a very interesting sign.
1 Kings 18:41-45 states, "And Elijah said to Ahab, Go up, eat and drink; for there is a sound of the rushing of rain. So Ahab went up to eat and to drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; and he bowed himself down upon the earth, and put his face between his knees. And he said to his servant, Go up now, look toward the sea. And he went up and looked, and said, There is nothing. And Elijah said, Go again seven times. And at the seventh time, he said, Behold, a little cloud like a man's (foot) hand is rising out of the sea. And Elijah said, Go up, say to Ahab, Prepare your chariot and go down, lest the rain stop you. And in a little while the heavens grew black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain."
You might be wondering what this has to do with anything, I am about to tell you! Remember 1 Kings 18:44 specifically here, "Go again seven times. And at the seventh time, he said, Behold, a little cloud like a man's (foot) hand is rising out of the sea." The Douay-Rheims version of the bible says foot while many others say hand, obviously the image of the cloud held the vision of an extremity.
Our Lady of Mount Carmel connects 1 Kings 18:44 with the prophetic sign given to Isaiah 7:14, "Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, a young virgin (woman) shall conceive and bear a son and shall call his name Immanuel.
Both signs uniquely points to Our Lady identifying her as the Virgin Mary. The cloud rising up from the sea is a symbol relating to Our Lady as Mary is recognized as a fulfillment that the cloud represents rain. But this is not a waterfall rain, but something much more important.
From the Carmel story, the seven tries of Elijah's servant to go see the sign of Elijah becomes a spiritual typology representing the seven ages of the world. What are the seven ages of the world you might be asking:
1. Adam to Noah
2. Noah to Abraham
3. Abraham to David
4. David to the Babylonian Captivity
5. Return of Israel to Jesus
6. Jesus to present
7. Present to the Parousia.
This is where it gets really interesting! The seventh age represents the Salvation of the world. Jesus refers to the coming of this age Matthew 28:19-20, "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age."
How does this fit into the Prophetic sign of Isaiah? Here we go:
There are four Marian identifiers embodied in the sign of Elijah and revealed by Isaiah.
1. THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION - Because the Virgin would arise as a cloud out of the salty sea water saturated with the guilt of humanity, having the same nature of the water but without it's bitterness. Our Lady was conceived without Original Sin and not marred by sin.
2. THE VIRGINITY OF MARY - Because Mary arose out of Mount Carmel and like a man's foot (Douay-Rheims), this means Mary would follow the path of Elijah who ascended Carmel through voluntary virginity as Elijah and completed the pure works (hands).
3. THE TIME OF THE VIRGIN BIRTH - Because Elijah's servant saw the cloud on his seventh try so would the world witness the advent of the Virgin preparing for the Seventh Age.
4. THE VIRGINAL MATERNITY - Because in the little cloud, God would come down like a sweet rain, without noise of human collaboration (except Mother Mary), that is, without violating Mary's purity.
The sign of the cloud revealed rain, the sign of the Virgin with child revealed grace.
Do you really think the Children of Fatima understood all this with the Virgin Mary's words? Not likely, but does this have relevance for us today, 100 years later? Most certainly. This is the Gospel message, "For God so loved the world that He gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life." John 3:16
Finally, Saint Joseph with the Child Jesus, blessing the world offers great hope! As Christians, we are to lift up our heads in confidence when we see what is taking place in the world. "And there will be signs in the sun and the moon and stars, and upon the earth distress of nations in perplexity at the roaring of the sea and the waves, men fainting with fear and with foreboding of what is coming on the world; for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. And then they will see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. Now when these things begin to take place, look up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near." (Luke 21:25-28)
The last words of Our Lady, "Yes, I will cure some, others not. In October, I will perform a miracle for all to believe." I find this very interesting as well. Remember St. Paul's request of Our Lord, "And to keep me from being too elated by the abundance of revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan, to harass me, to keep me from being too elated. Three times I besought the Lord about this, that it should leave me; but he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." (2 Corinthians 12:7-8)
I recall the Prophet Elisha instructing Namaan to dip himself seven times in the Jordan River and on the seventh try was healed of leprosy. Seven represents wholeness, completeness, and perfection. It represents Christ. We also see this in the seven Sacraments of the Church.
Sometimes Our Lord takes away an affliction, sometimes He shares His suffering with us. It's not because He loves some more than others, His compassion is limitless. We see this more regarding the great miracle of Fatima, October 13, 1917. Be looking for our commentary regarding this great biblical epic!
Positive Thinking Day[4]
Positive Thinking Day is a time set aside each year to concentrate on all things positive. An American entrepreneur started this day in 2003 so that people could commemorate the many rewards that can be found in thinking positively.
How to Celebrate Positive Thinking Day
If you are not sure what to do to celebrate, here are a few suggestions. Start the day positively by saying “Today is going to be a good day!” This will set the tone for the day ahead of you.
Say some affirmations. These are positive sentences about you or your circumstances that can give you boldness, confidence and self-esteem.
·
Hang around with positive people.
·
Show gratitude for the simple things in life.
·
Read or watch positive, motivational books and
movies.
·
Be kind to someone today.
·
Finally, the best thing you can do for yourself
and others, today and every day is to simply smile.
Today is also National Gym
Day
·
St.
Ignatius Universal Man Plan
·
St.
George Universal Man Plan
·
St.
Peter Universal Man Plan
·
St.
Joseph Universal Man Plan
Catechism of the Catholic
Church
PART TWO: THE CELEBRATION OF THE CHRISTIAN
MYSTERY
SECTION ONE-THE
SACRAMENTAL ECONOMY
CHAPTER TWO-THE SACRAMENTAL CELEBRATION OF
THE PASCHAL MYSTERY
Article 2-LITURGICAL DIVERSITY AND THE UNITY OF THE MYSTERY
Liturgical traditions and the
catholicity of the Church
1200 From the first community of
Jerusalem until the parousia, it is the same Paschal mystery that the Churches
of God, faithful to the apostolic faith, celebrate in every place. The mystery
celebrated in the liturgy is one, but the forms of its celebration are diverse.
1201 The mystery of Christ is so
unfathomably rich that it cannot be exhausted by its expression in any single
liturgical tradition. The history of the blossoming and development of these
rites witnesses to a remarkable complementarity. When the Churches lived their
respective liturgical traditions in the communion of the faith and the
sacraments of the faith, they enriched one another and grew in fidelity to
Tradition and to the common mission of the whole Church.
1202 The diverse liturgical
traditions have arisen by very reason of the Church's mission. Churches of the
same geographical and cultural area came to celebrate the mystery of Christ
through particular expressions characterized by the culture: in the tradition
of the "deposit of faith," in liturgical symbolism, in the
organization of fraternal communion, in the theological understanding of the
mysteries, and in various forms of holiness. Through the liturgical life of a
local church, Christ, the light and salvation of all peoples, is made manifest
to the particular people and culture to which that Church is sent and in which
she is rooted. the Church is catholic, capable of integrating into her unity,
while purifying them, all the authentic riches of cultures.
1203 The liturgical traditions or
rites presently in use in the Church are the Latin (principally the Roman rite,
but also the rites of certain local churches, such as the Ambrosian rite, or
those of certain religious orders) and the Byzantine, Alexandrian or Coptic,
Syriac, Armenian, Maronite and Chaldean rites. In "faithful obedience to
tradition, the sacred Council declares that Holy Mother Church holds all
lawfully recognized rites to be of equal right and dignity, and that she wishes
to preserve them in the future and to foster them in every way."
Liturgy and culture
1204 The celebration of the
liturgy, therefore, should correspond to the genius and culture of the
different peoples. In order that the mystery of Christ be "made known
to all the nations . . . to bring about the obedience of faith," it
must be proclaimed, celebrated, and lived in all cultures in such a way that
they themselves are not abolished by it, but redeemed and fulfilled: It is
with and through their own human culture, assumed and transfigured by Christ,
that the multitude of God's children has access to the Father, in order to
glorify him in the one Spirit.
1205 "In the liturgy, above
all that of the sacraments, there is an immutable part, a part that is divinely
instituted and of which the Church is the guardian, and parts that can be
changed, which the Church has the power and on occasion also the duty to adapt
to the cultures of recently evangelized peoples."
1206 "Liturgical diversity can
be a source of enrichment, but it can also provoke tensions, mutual
misunderstandings, and even schisms. In this matter it is clear that diversity
must not damage unity. It must express only fidelity to the common faith, to
the sacramental signs that the Church has received from Christ, and to
hierarchical communion. Cultural adaptation also requires a conversion of heart
and even, where necessary, a breaking with ancestral customs incompatible with
the Catholic faith."
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.
Daily Devotions
·
Unite in the work of the Porters of St. Joseph by joining them
in fasting: Today's Fast: Victims
of clergy sexual abuse
·
Religion
in the Home for Preschool: September
·
Litany of the Most Precious
Blood of Jesus
·
Offering to
the sacred heart of Jesus
·
Rosary
[1]The Collegeville Bible Commentary,
1986.
[2]http://www.biblewise.com/bible_study/characters/tobit-and-tobias.php
[3]https://www.deepertruthcatholics.com/single-post/2017/08/30/The-Catholic-Defender-Our-Ladys-Words-At-Fatima-September-13-1917#:~:text=The%20Catholic%20Defender%3A%20Our%20Lady%27s%20Words%20At%20Fatima,with%20the%20Child%20Jesus%2C%20to%20bless%20the%20world.
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