ICEMANforChrist: Monday, October 16, 2023

This blog is based on references in the Bible to fear. God wills that we “BE NOT AFRAID”. Many theologians state that the eighth deadly sin is fear. It is fear and its natural animal reaction to fight or flight that is the root cause of our failings to create a Kingdom of God on earth. By “the power of the Holy Spirit” we can be witnesses and “communicators” of a new and redeemed humanity “even to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:7 8). This blog is dedicated to Mary the Mother of God.

Tuesday, October 10, 2023

Monday, October 16, 2023

Monday Night at the Movies

Tommy Lee Jones, The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada, 2005.

Margaret Mary ALACOQUE-Shemini Atzeret-World Food Day

²The Jews mustered in their cities throughout the provinces of King Ahasuerus to attack those who sought to do them harm, and no one could withstand them, for fear of them fell upon all the peoples. ³Moreover, all the officials of the provinces, the satraps, governors, and royal procurators supported the Jews out of fear of Mordecai; ⁴ for Mordecai was powerful in the royal palace, and the report was spreading through all the provinces that he was continually growing in power.

The Jews destroyed their tormentors, and the feast of Purim was established but what the heck is a satrap.

Satrap[1]

Satraps were the governors of the provinces of the ancient Median and Achaemenid Empires and in several of their successors, such as in the Sasanian Empire and the Hellenistic empires. The word satrap is also often used metaphorically in modern literature to refer to world leaders or governors who are heavily influenced by larger world superpowers or hegemonies and act as their surrogates.

Satraps today

· It is also used in modern times to refer (usually derogatorily) to the loyal subservient lieutenants or clients of some powerful figure (with equal imprecision also styled mogul, tycoon, or the like), in politics or business.

· In Portuguese, Italian and Spanish, the word sátrapa not only carries the aforementioned ancient historical meaning, but in modern usage also applies to people who abuse power or authority. It can refer as well to those living in luxurious and ostentatious conditions or to individuals who act astutely and even disloyally.

· The College of 'Pataphysics used the title Transcendent Satrap for certain of its members, including Marcel Duchamp, Jean Baudrillard and the Marx brothers.

· In the Serbian language, satrap is used to mock a person who displays servile tendencies to an authority figure.

· THRUSH, the primary antagonist organization in the TV series The Man From U.N.C.L.E., was divided into satrapies, based on geographic location.

Is the New World order a Satrap?[2]

The New World Order (NWO) is a conspiracy theory in which adherents believe that a cabal of powerful elites is secretly implementing a dystopian international governing structure that will grant them complete control over the global populace. Under this regime, dissidents will be arrested, and the masses enslaved. Supporters of the conspiracy theory claim that most global leaders are complicit in the establishment of this “New World Order,” aiding the NWO through the manufacturing of global events (such as the coronavirus pandemic and mass shootings) and controlling their associated narratives to sow civil unrest.

The NWO conspiracy theory can be found in the online chatter of fringe conspiracy theorists. While the associated rhetoric within these online groups can appear innocuous at first, this conspiracy theory presents a real-world danger, as it promotes a fatalistic worldview for adherents, possibly inciting them to commit violence against communities, infrastructure, and individuals deemed complicit in the NWO’s implementation. This cabal narrative is commonly associated with other anti-Semitic conspiracy theories that claim Jewish culpability, alleging that they are behind the orchestration of the NWO, leading to an increased danger towards Jewish communities.

The NWO conspiracy theory has a complex history with a high degree of believability and a broad support base. Its malicious elements give its adherents the agency to threaten violence against any individual or group deemed complicit in the NWO agenda. Not only that, the conspiracy theory acts as a gateway to further hate and violence and has provided the foundation for more radical movements. If NWO-adjacent rhetoric is left unchecked on social media platforms, it can lead to further dehumanization, radicalization, and violence.

St. Margaret Mary Alacoque[3]

A self-effacing nun in the Visitation Convent at Paray-le-Monial, France, was inspired by the Lord Jesus to establish the devotion of the Holy Hour. Her name was St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, and from the age of seven, when she received her first Holy Communion, she had always manifested an intense love of the Most Blessed Sacrament. Our Lord appeared to her often, usually as the Crucified Christ. Her simplicity caused her to feel that these apparitions were also granted to others who had recourse to Jesus in the sacrament of His love. Once the Master appeared to the young girl as she was returning from a dance and reproached her for not espousing Him. When twenty-four years of age, Margaret entered the cloister, choosing the most menial tasks. Gifted with intelligence and common sense, she made great progress in holiness. Our Lord entrusted to her the mission of establishing the reign of the Sacred Heart among the children of men. Criticism did not hamper her zeal, and her charity toward her opponents won them over to the cause of the Master. In the first revelation of the Sacred Heart to the nun, Our Lord made known His burning desire to be loved by all men, and His design of manifesting to them His Sacred Heart with its treasures of mercy. Margaret Mary communicated Our Lord's wish that the faithful receive Holy Communion on the first Friday of each month and observe the Feast of the Sacred Heart on the Friday after the octave of Corpus Christi. After nineteen years in the convent, St. Margaret Mary died October 17, 1690. Many pilgrims to her tomb have sought and obtained favors. Through her apostolate of devotion to the Sacred Heart many sinners have repented and found grace with God.

Patron: against polio; devotees of the Sacred Heart; loss of parents; polio patients.

Things to Do:

Learn more about St. Margaret Mary:

St. Margaret Mary's body is laid to rest at Chapelle des Apparitions (Chapel of the Apparitions) at Paray-la-Monial, France, which is also the church where she received the visions of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
Find out more about the Jansenist heresy.

Read the Twelve Promises of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Accept the challenge to fulfill the obligation for the Nine First Fridays.
Find out more about the Enthronement of the Sacred Heart, and establish this practice in your home. A book to read on this is Enthronement of the Sacred Heart by Francis Larkin, SS.CC. Find out more information from Congregation of the Sacred Hearts Online.

Married Couples Prayer to the Sacred Heart[4]*

Description:

For the ideal union in love of husband for wife and wife for husband, God's examples are before you—Joseph and Mary. Your marriage is something to be appreciated ever more deeply. From time to time meditate on its precious character, as, for example, is suggested in the following prayer to the Sacred Heart of Jesus for husband and wife to say in their own behalf. We can summarize the spirit of Christian married life no better than in this prayer.

Prayer

O most Sacred Heart of Jesus, King and center of all hearts, dwell in our hearts and be our King; grant us by Your grace to love each other truly and chastely, even as You have loved Your spotless Bride, the Church, and have given Yourself up for her.

Bestow upon us that mutual love and Christian forbearance which are so highly acceptable in Your sight, and a mutual patience in bearing each other's defects; for we are certain that no living creature is free from them. Do not permit even the slightest defect to mar that full and gentle harmony of spirit, the foundation of the mutual assistance in the many and varied hardships of life, that is the end for which woman was created and united inseparably to her husband.

** O Lord God, grant that between us there may reign a perpetual holy rivalry toward a life perfectly Christian, by virtue of which there may shine forth more and more clearly the divine image of Your mystic union with Your Holy Church, as You have deigned to imprint it upon us on the auspicious day of our being made one.

Grant, we beseech You, that our good example of Christian living may serve as a powerful inspiration to our children to conform their own lives to Your holy law; and finally, after this exile may we ascend into heaven, where by the help of Your grace, for which we earnestly pray, we may merit to be joined with our children forever and praise and bless You through everlasting ages, Amen.

(**If there are no children, the prayer from this point reads: O Lord God, grant that between us there may reign a perpetual holy rivalry toward a life perfectly Christian, by virtue of which there may shine forth more and more clearly the divine image of Your mystic union with Your Holy Church, as You have deigned to imprint it upon us on the auspicious day of our being made one, and so living, may both of us ascend into heaven, and merit to praise You and bless You forever. Amen.)

Prayer Source: Family for Families, The by Francis L. Filas, S.J., The Bruce Publishing Company, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 1947

World Food Day[5]

World Food Day is recognized in order to raise awareness about hunger and encourage the public to support efforts to eradicate world hunger. Food plays an essential role in life; many people go without it and cannot guarantee when they will eat their next meal, while others waste large amounts of food every day. World Food Day is organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations. The FAO was founded on October 16, 1945 in an effort to help the world with its constant battle against hunger and malnutrition. World Food Day was officially established in 1979 and today, it is observed in over 150 countries. It is celebrated annually on the same day as the FAO's founding, October 16th. Since 1981, a different theme has been adopted each year based on current issues. The day is also heavily promoted by organizations that are concerned with food security and insecurity.

World Food Day Facts & Quotes

· Approximately 1/3 of all food produced worldwide, about $1 trillion dollars’ worth, is wasted. The biggest culprits are industrialized countries; they waste almost as much food as the entire production weight of sub-Saharan Africa- 222 million vs 230 million tons.

· The quest for food security can be the common thread that links the different challenges we face and helps build a sustainable future. – José Graziano da Silva, United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Director-General

· In a world of plenty, no one, not a single person, should go hungry. But almost 1 billion still do not have enough to eat. I want to see an end to hunger everywhere within my lifetime. – Ban Ki-Moon, United Nations Secretary-General

World Food Day Top Events and Things to Do

· Do not waste food. World Food Day promotes Think. Eat. Save. as a way to reduce waste so, t=Think about what you’re buying, plan meals and shop smart. Eat mindfully. Are your eyes too big for your stomach? Save food, save money, save the environment.

· Lobby your government to change its laws on waste. France passed a law banning supermarkets from throwing away destroying unsold food, instead making them donate it to charities and food banks.

· Watch a documentary about the food production process. Food Inc. (2008), Super-Size Me (2004) or Fresh (2009) are all documentaries about food production and waste.

· Read a book about food activism, eco- and ethical farming why not try one of these books that may help us find sustainable solutions to feed the 9.6 billion people that will to be fed by 2050. Our picks:

1) The Big Pivot: Radically Practical Strategies for a Hotter, Scarcer, and More Open World by Andrew S Winston
2) Feeding Frenzy: Land Grabs, Price Spikes, and the World Food Crisis by Paul McMahon
3) The Political Economy of Arab Food Sovereignt by Jane Harrigan

Catechism of the Catholic Church

PART TWO: THE CELEBRATION OF THE CHRISTIAN MYSTERY

SECTION TWO-THE SEVEN SACRAMENTS OF THE CHURCH

CHAPTER TWO-THE SACRAMENTS OF HEALING

Article 4-THE SACRAMENT OF PENANCE AND RECONCILIATION

II. Why a Sacrament of Reconciliation after Baptism?

1425 "YOU were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God." One must appreciate the magnitude of the gift God has given us in the sacraments of Christian initiation in order to grasp the degree to which sin is excluded for him who has "put on Christ." But the apostle John also says: "If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us." and the Lord himself taught us to pray: "Forgive us our trespasses," linking our forgiveness of one another's offenses to the forgiveness of our sins that God will grant us.

1426 Conversion to Christ, the new birth of Baptism, the gift of the Holy Spirit and the Body and Blood of Christ received as food have made us "holy and without blemish," just as the Church herself, the Bride of Christ, is "holy and without blemish." Nevertheless the new life received in Christian initiation has not abolished the frailty and weakness of human nature, nor the inclination to sin that tradition calls concupiscence, which remains in the baptized such that with the help of the grace of Christ they may prove themselves in the struggle of Christian life. This is the struggle of conversion directed toward holiness and eternal life to which the Lord never ceases to call us.

Daily Devotions

· Unite in the work of the Porters of St. Joseph by joining them in fasting: Today's Fast: For the Poor and Suffering

· Religion in the Home for Preschool: October

· Litany of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus

· Offering to the sacred heart of Jesus

· Make some Autumn Tea

· Drops of Christ’s Blood

· National Liqueur Day

· Iceman’s 40 devotion

· Universal Man Plan

Rosary