ST.
RAPHAEL-UNITED NATIONS/BOLOGNA/TRIPE DAY
1 Maccabees, Chapter 3, Verse 30
This
was the fear of a powerful King; that he would run out of money for bribery.
When you have no just cause nor are loved by men this is the only power you can
rely on; for such types they have long abandoned the faith in He that Is. I
wonder if this was the fear of the Clintons leaving the White House dead broke
before the establishment of the Clinton Foundation.
The
Reaction of King Antiochus[1]
·
Angry
at defeat he seeks vengeance.
·
He
needs a great army.
·
He
needs a pile of cash.
·
He,
however, is short of cash because of mismanagement and foolish policies.
·
He
needs to squeeze the middle class in Persia for cash.
·
Going
to Persia himself to get the shekels he needs he leaves his second in charge
Lysias with orders to destroy Jerusalem.
·
Yet,
Judas Maccabee does not falter. His primary reliance is upon prayer to God.
Three
Prayers of a Warrior[2]
1.
The
first prayer of a warrior is to the Holy Spirit. He responds directly to us. A
warrior knows to ask for His help for a warrior to be successful must be filled
not with the spirit of vengeance or anger but with peace and resolve to finish
the fight. In prayer we can find our way out of every situation that has no
exit. The Madonna of Medjugorje has said, “Satan cannot defeat you, not even a
little, because you are God’s children and He is watching over you. Pray and
let the rosary always be in your hands as a sign to Satan that you belong to
me. She further instructs, “Open your hearts to the Holy Spirit. Especially
during these days...surrender your hearts and surrender your life to Jesus. The
most important thing is to ask for the gift of the Holy Spirit. Come Holy Spirit. The weapons and
shields, the equipment of battle, all lay in prayer, and prayer to the Holy
Spirit is the first prayer of the prayer-warrior. “Begin by calling on the Holy Spirit each day” says Mary of
Medjugorje.
2.
The
second prayer of the warrior is the prayer of deliverance.
Purge us all, oh Holy Spirit. Lead
us to the proper way of deliverance, in obedience always to the Church. Guide
us every inch of the way. Send us new battalions of angels. Send us the great Archangel
Michael, and Saint Francis of Assisi, and the dragonslayer, Saint George.
Deliver us from the energies that jump at us from social evils too numerous to
name. Come, oh Lord Jesus, and break all bondage. Break the bondages of anger,
sloth, addiction, pride, envy, promiscuity, gluttony, lust, resentment,
un-forgiveness, hatred, false prophecy, and the occult. Free us from
ungodliness of all kinds. Purge us of any demons we may have picked up. Let us
not be deceived, oh Lord! Free us too, of any demonic forces that have come
through the family tree. Free us of oppression, depression, discouragement, and
every mental torment.
3.
The
third prayer of a warrior is the prayer for spiritual wisdom.
Lord Jesus, as the strongest Man,
please bind all spirits that come against us. Please open our spiritual eyes.
Please set us forth to understand what we should understand. Please grant us
proper spiritual wisdom. Teach us to be wise. Teach us how sin attracts demons,
or is inspired by evil to begin with. Grant that we carry forth out Christian
duty without undue curiosity. Teach us that the more we sin, the harder and
colder we get, the greater is our bondage.
FEAST
OF SAINT RAPHAEL THE ARCHANGEL – 24th OCTOBER[3]
St. Raphael is one of the seven
Archangels who stand before the throne of the Lord, and one of the only three
mentioned by name in the Bible. He appears, by name, only in the Book of Tobit.
Raphael’s name means “God heals.” This identity came about because of the
biblical story that claims he “healed” the earth when it was defiled by the
sins of the fallen angels in the apocryphal book of Enoch.
Disguised as a human in the Book of
Tobit, Raphael refers to himself as “Azarias the son of the great Ananias” and
travels alongside Tobit’s son, Tobiah. Once Raphael returns from his journey
with Tobiah, he declares to Tobit that he was sent by the Lord to heal his
blindness and deliver Sarah, Tobiah’s future wife, from the demon Asmodeus. It
is then that his true healing powers are revealed, and he makes himself known
as “the angel Raphael, one of the seven, who stand before the Lord” Tobit
12:15.
The demon Asmodeus killed every man
Sarah married on the night of the wedding, before the marriage could be
consummated. Raphael guided Tobiah and taught him how to safely enter the
marriage with Sarah.
Raphael is credited with driving the
evil spirit from Sarah and restoring Tobit’s vision, allowing him to see the
light of Heaven and for receiving all good things through his intercession.
PRAYER TO SAINT RAPHAEL
Glorious Archangel Saint Raphael,
great prince of the heavenly court, you are illustrious for your gifts of
wisdom and grace. You are a guide of those who journey
by land or sea or air, consoler of the afflicted, and refuge of sinners.
I beg you, assist me in all my needs
and in all the sufferings of this life, as once you helped the young Tobias on
his travels. Because you are the medicine of God, I humbly pray you to heal the
many infirmities
of my soul and the ills that afflict my body.
I especially ask of you the favor (Make your request here…) and the great grace
of purity to prepare me to be the temple of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
PRAYER TO SAINT RAPHAEL
Glorious Archangel St. Raphael, great
prince of the heavenly court, you are illustrious for your gifts of wisdom and
grace. You are a guide of those who journey by land or sea or air, consoler of
the afflicted, and refuge of sinners. I beg you, assist me in all my needs and in
all the sufferings of this life, as once you helped the young Tobias on his
travels.
Because you are the “medicine of God”
I humbly pray for you to heal the many infirmities of my soul and the ills that
afflict my body. I especially ask of you the favor (here mention your special
intention), and the great grace of purity to prepare me to be the temple of the
Holy Spirit. Amen.
ARCHANGEL RAPHAEL FEAST PRAYER
Saint Raphael, the Archangel, help us
in all the needs and trials and the journey of this earthly life, as you,
through the power of God, didst restore sight and gave guidance to young Tobit.
We humbly seek your aid and intercession, that our souls may be healed, our
bodies protected from all ills, and that through divine grace we may become fit
to dwell in the eternal Glory of God in heaven. Amen.
United Nations Day[4]
United Nations Day celebrates the anniversary of the ratification
of the United Nations Charter which occurred on October 24, 1945. The United
Nations is an international organization engaged in diplomatic and peaceful
communication between the countries of the world. The organization oversees
issues like human rights, international security, political freedoms and
democracy with an end goal of achieving world peace. The UN Charter was
officially signed on June 26th, 1945, but it could not come into existence
until the signatory states had ratified it and deposited notification to the
effect with the US Department of State. This occurred on October 24th, 1945.
The organization's Charter has now been ratified by most countries in the
world. The United Nations is a global organization with six official languages,
English, French, Spanish, Russian, Chinese and Arabic. United Nations Day is
observed on October 24th each year.
Pray that the UN will be a force
for building the kingdom of heaven and not a secular force oppressing the
religious rights of the people of God.
Bologna
Day[5]
When most of us think of bologna, we think of the smooth off-pink meat that comes with the red ring of plastic around it at the grocery store. While it’s true that this is one type of Bologna, most people are unaware that there is an entire range of bologna, and that it’s all named after the country of its origin. Bologna Day is your chance to learn a little something about this traditional lunch meat and where it came from. We know that most of you consider bologna to be a childhood favorite lunchtime meat, but there’s so much more to it than just that simple meat. Bologna can be made from any number of meats, including beef, turkey, venison, chicken, and even a vegetarian soy protein. What makes bologna is the seasonings used in its preparation, a combination of nutmeg, black pepper, coriander, allspice, celery seed, and the secret ingredient, myrtle berries. This final ingredient is what gives the meat its distinctive taste, and it also happens to be found in mortadella. There are a few common forms of bologna, though most of us are familiar with the pre-sliced variety. If you’ve ever seen Kielbasa then you’re familiar with the shape of Ring Bologna, though it is a completely different meat. Ring bologna is commonly sliced and used as a topping on crackers, though it is also occasionally pickled to help aid its storage. Rag bologna comes in the form of a long stick and is typically sold in a swatch of cloth, hence its name. Unlike rag bologna or sliced bologna, it has a much higher fat content and texture, being made with milk solids, spices, cereal, and flour to help give it bulk. Finally, it’s put through a bath of lactic acid and then coated with paraffin wax. If the only bologna you’ve ever had is sliced bologna, then Bologna Day is going to be a special occasion for you!
How to Celebrate Bologna Day
It all starts with a nice
serving of bologna in the morning, and we suggest having it fried with an egg
and toast on the side. Later in the day, you can indulge in a traditional bologna
sandwich, and we usually make ours with mayonnaise and mustard and not much
else. Once you’ve
had these two dishes, it’s
time to expand your palate with a dive into the other forms of bologna. If you
can find it, we especially suggest South African Polony, but it’s often hard to find in the United
States.
One wonders if it was part of His
divine plan to have UN day and Baloney Day coincide. Too add insult to injury
today is also Tripe Day-Dude!
Tripe Day[6]
Tripe, it’s a word that has come to mean ‘pointless’, ‘silly’, or ‘false’. These terms are only appropriate in how the reputation of tripe as a culinary component has been undermined. Tripe is the edible lining of farm animals, primarily cattle. While it sounds off-putting to the average palette tripe can be formed into an incredible meal full of flavor. World Tripe Day celebrates this much-reviled dish and strives to return it to a place of honor among meats. While we in English speaking countries rarely see tripe available in the store, and even less common in restaurants, it’s a popular meal in other countries throughout the world. In places like Italy, it’s so common that it’s actually served from street-side vendors as a form of on-the-go food, served with a small fork or even on a roll. There are multiple kinds of tripe, even from one animal. Take the cow, for instance. Cows have a four-chambered stomach, and each stomach is the source of a different form of tripe. Blanket Tripe (also known as smooth, flat, or plain tripe) is from the first stomach and is the least popular among those who love tripe. Honeycomb tripe comes from the second stomach, specifically from the lowest part of the same. It has a tender and meaty flavor and retains its shape during preparation. Its honeycomb texture makes it great tripe to serve with sauces. The second stomach is also the source of “pocket tripe”. Book tripe comes from the third stomach and reed tripe from the fourth.
How to Celebrate World Tripe Day
World Tripe Day is best celebrated by opening yourself to a
new culinary experience if your family isn’t one of those who indulge in tripe
as part of their normal diet. There is a rich experience to be had by consuming
tripe, and when it is properly prepared it is a cultural favorite loved all
around the world. Maybe it’s time that the English-speaking countries develop a
stomach for the stomach, and World Tripe Day serves as the perfect opportunity
to learn a love of something new. Your stomach will thank you, for eating stomach!
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
IX. The Effects of This Sacrament
1468 "The whole power of the
sacrament of Penance consists in restoring us to God's grace and joining us
with him in an intimate friendship." Reconciliation with God is thus
the purpose and effect of this sacrament. For those who receive the sacrament
of Penance with contrite heart and religious disposition, reconciliation
"is usually followed by peace and serenity of conscience with strong
spiritual consolation." Indeed the sacrament of Reconciliation with
God brings about a true "spiritual resurrection," restoration of the
dignity and blessings of the life of the children of God, of which the most
precious is friendship with God.
1469 This sacrament reconciles us
with the Church. Sin damages or even breaks fraternal communion. the sacrament
of Penance repairs or restores it. In this sense it does not simply heal the
one restored to ecclesial communion, but has also a revitalizing effect on the
life of the Church which suffered from the sin of one of her members. Re-established
or strengthened in the communion of saints, the sinner is made stronger by the
exchange of spiritual goods among all the living members of the Body of Christ,
whether still on pilgrimage or already in the heavenly homeland:
It must be recalled that . . . this
reconciliation with God leads, as it were, to other reconciliations, which
repair the other breaches caused by sin. the forgiven penitent is reconciled
with himself in his inmost being, where he regains his innermost truth. He is
reconciled with his brethren whom he has in some way offended and wounded. He
is reconciled with the Church. He is reconciled with all creation.
1470 In this sacrament, the sinner,
placing himself before the merciful judgment of God, anticipates in a certain
way the judgment to which he will be subjected at the end of his earthly life.
For it is now, in this life, that we are offered the choice between life and
death, and it is only by the road of conversion that we can enter the Kingdom,
from which one is excluded by grave sin. In converting to Christ through
penance and faith, the sinner passes from death to life and "does not come
into judgment."
Daily
Devotions
·
Unite in the work of the Porters of St. Joseph by joining them
in fasting: Today's Fast: An end
to the use of contraceptives.
·
Make
reparations to the Holy Face-Tuesday
Devotion
·
Pray Day 5 of
the Novena for our Pope and Bishops
·
Tuesday:
Litany of St. Michael the Archangel
·
Religion
in the Home for Preschool: October
·
Litany of the Most Precious
Blood of Jesus
·
Offering to
the sacred heart of Jesus
·
Rosary
[1]The Collegeville Bible Commentary,
1986.
[2]Michael H. Brown, Prayer of the
Warrior.
[6] https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/world-tripe-day/
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