Friday, November 17, 2023

- November 11, 2023

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SAINT ELIZABETH OF HUNGARY

The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever; the ordinances of the LORD are true, all of them just.

2 Maccabees, Chapter 14, Verse 22

Judas had posted armed men in readiness at strategic points for FEAR that the enemy might suddenly commit some treachery. But the conference was held in the proper way.

During our last episode we see that our Hero Judas, with the help of the All Seeing Almighty vanquishes the enemy. Judas wants peace and returns home but the enemy the devil never sleeps, and snip snap the Syrians invade again. This time under the leadership of a gangster called Nicanor; a crafty little snake who wants a peace treaty. In this verse we see Judas is being ready and prepared for any trouble; and his fear is justified.

Making and Breaking Treaties[1]

"When the Jews heard of Nicanor's coming, and that the Gentiles were rallying to him, they sprinkled themselves with earth and prayed to Him Who established His people forever, and Who always comes to the aid of His heritage." —2 Maccabees 14:15

Nicanor was sent again to fight Judas (8:9). Instead of fighting, he made a peace treaty and became a good friend of Judas. But this didn't last long. Soon Nicanor was hunting down Judas, blaspheming the Temple, and murdering the faithful Jewish elders. "Cursed is the man who trusts in human beings, who seeks his strength in flesh" (Jer 17:5). "Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose hope is the Lord" (Jer 17:7).

Prayer: Father, may I make a peace treaty with You by repenting of sin and surrendering my life to You.

Promise: "Therefore, O Holy One, Lord of all holiness, preserve forever undefiled this house, which has been so recently purified." —14:36

Lesson: When you play with snakes they often bite; don’t make treaties with the Devils children.

St. Elizabeth of Hungary[2] Scrutiny of the Powerful

St. Elizabeth, Duchess of Thuringia, it is said that the servant of God lost her mother, Gertrude, Queen of Hungary, about the year 1220. In the spirit of a holy Christian daughter, she gave abundant alms, redoubled her prayers and mortifications, exhausted the resources of her charity for the relief of that dear soul. God revealed to her that she had not done too much. One night the deceased appeared to her with a sad and emaciated countenance; she placed herself on her knees next to the bed, and said to her, weeping, “My daughter, you see at your feet your mother overwhelmed with suffering. I come to implore you to multiply your suffrages, that Divine Mercy may deliver me from the frightful torments I endure.

Oh! how much are those to be pitied who exercise authority over others? I expiate now the faults that I committed upon the throne. Oh! my daughter, I pray you by the pangs I endured when bringing you into the world, by the cares and anxieties which your education cost me, I conjure you to deliver me from my torments.” Elizabeth, deeply touched, arose immediately, took the discipline to blood, and implored God, with tears, to have mercy on her mother, Gertrude, declaring that she would not cease to pray until she had obtained her deliverance. Her prayers were heard.

St. Elizabeth of Hungary[3]

Elizabeth was the daughter of the Hungarian King Andrew II. At the age of four (b. 1207), she was brought to the court of her future husband, Ludwig, landgrave of Thuringia. After her marriage in 1221, she very conscientiously fulfilled her duties both toward her husband and as a servant of God.

During the night she would rise from bed and spend long periods in prayer. Zealously she performed all types of charitable acts; she put herself at the service of widows, orphans, the sick, the needy.

During a famine she generously distributed all the grain from her stocks, cared for lepers in one of the hospitals she established, kissed their hands and feet. For the benefit of the indigent, she provided suitable lodging. After the early death of her husband (in 1227 while on a crusade led by Emperor Frederick II), Elizabeth laid aside all royal dignities in order to serve God more freely. She put on simple clothing, became a tertiary of St. Francis, and showed great patience and humility.

Nor was she spared intense suffering - the goods belonging to her as a widow were withheld, she was forced to leave Wartburg. In Eisenach no one dared receive her out of fear of her enemies. Upon much pleading a shepherd of the landgrave permitted her to use an abandoned pig sty. No one was allowed to visit or aid her; with her three children, of whom the youngest was not more than a few months old, she was forced to wander about in the winter's cold.

In 1228 she took the veil of the Sisters of the Third Order of St. Francis at Marburg and there built a hospital with some property still belonging to her. She retained for herself only a small mud house. All her strength and care were now devoted to the poor and the sick, while she obtained the few things she needed by spinning. Young in years but rich in good works, she slept in the Lord in 1231, only twenty-four years old.

Things to Do

· Love for the poor is characteristic of every genuine follower of Christ, those lacking the truth are the poorest of the poor, spend some time on a regular basis studying your faith (by reading or taking a home study course) so that you will be prepared to feed those who are hungry for the truth.

· Teach your children the Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy and give them practical examples.

· Have your children help you bake bread like St. Elizabeth and distribute some to your neighbors.

· St. Elizabeth is the patroness of the Franciscan Third Order (tertiary) and of all Catholic Charities. Find out more about what a third order is, particularly the Franciscan Third Order.

· See Nameday Ideas for St. Elizabeth, including dessert and symbols and prayers.

· Follow these links for some wonderful works of art of St. Elizabeth:

o Anonymous Sienese medallion (XIV Century): St. Elizabeth of Hungary

o Collinson, James: St. Elizabeth of Hungary

o Martini, Simone: St. Clare and St. Elizabeth of Hungary.

o Martini, Simone: St. Elizabeth, St. Margaret and Henry of Hungary

National UnFriend a frenemy[4]

National UnFriend Day (NUD) is an unofficial holiday designed to promote unfriending other Facebook users that are not true friends. Social media now provides access to just about anyone, anywhere on the globe.

However, this easy global access exposes personal information to theft or misuse and unnecessary cluttering by other's junk posts. In this digital age, it is imperative that identities remain protected, and that time spent on social media be reduced and replaced by face-to-face human interaction. National UnFriend Day was originally conceived and proposed by TV personality Jimmy Kimmel on November 17, 2010 in an effort to remind society of the true meaning of friendship. Kimmel believes that there are many Facebook offenses that can lead to unfriending someone, some of which include, posting too much, spell-checking too little, repetitively posting the same kind of material, not googling before asking questions, being on Facebook all the time and sending in-app Facebook requests for games. In addition to unfriending irritating offenders, it is advisable to unfriend those whom you no longer have steady contact with and any unknown users that may have access to your information and posts.

National UnFriend Day Facts & Quotes

· According to a report by Common Sense Media, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping navigate the world of media and technology, teenagers spend about 9 hours a day consuming media, 1.5 hours of which is spent on social media.

· As of January 2016, compared to other social networks, Facebook is the leading social network with approximately 1.6 billion active monthly users. This is in comparison to WhatsApp (900 million active monthly users), Instagram (400 million active monthly users) and Twitter (320 million active monthly users).

· The average Facebook user has 338 friends. 27% of young Facebook users have more than 500 friends, compared an average of 100 friends for 72% of Facebook users who are older than 65 years of age.

· 36% of Facebook users strongly dislike it when someone shares too much information or photos about themselves, as well as when they post photos of others without asking for permission.

· I encourage you to cut out some of the friend fat in your life. A friend is someone you have a special relationship with. It's not someone who asks which Harry Potter character you are. - Jimmy Kimmel, November 2010

National UnFriend Day Top Events and Things to Do

· Go through your privacy settings on Facebook. Keep in mind that some of the people that you have previously friended may not be friends at all. Your privacy settings can control who is able to see your content and whose content will show up on your news feed.

· Decide who you are going to unfriend on Facebook. Facebook also offers the possibility of making friends into acquaintances. Your acquaintance list can then be separated from your friend list, allowing you to publish and read 'friend-only' content.

· Review your posting habits. Have you been posting too much content, or have you been posting photos of your friends, without receiving permission? Check to see whether you have also violated any Facebook UnFriend Day Offenses as defined by Jimmy Kimmel.

· Watch movies about friendship. Here are some to consider:
1) Stand by Me (1986)

2) The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (2005)
3) Good Will Hunting (1997)
4) The Intouchables (2011)
5) The Social Network (2010)
6) The Bucket List (2007)
7) As Good as it Gets (1997)

Fitness Friday

Recognizing that God the Father created man on Friday the 6^th day I propose in this blog to have an entry that shares on how to recreate and renew yourself in strength, mind, soul, and heart.

9 Workouts the Rockettes Do In the Off-Season[5]

Dancing and rehearsing are a workout in itself, but during the off-season, it’s still our job as Rockettes to stay in tip-top shape (after all, during the Christmas season we perform up to 16 shows a week!). But one of the cool things about the off-season is we get to try out fun, energetic workouts to spice things up. From taking interval-based classes to channeling our inner yogi, here’s how we like to stay in shape when we’re not rehearsing and performing:

1. Barre. “I love taking barre classes. The small isometric movements you do in class are very helpful in building strength and long lean muscle.” —Rockette Katelyn G.

2. Cycling. “When I’m not rehearsing, the one thing I need in a workout is a major sweat sesh; and cycling does that for me! I always walk out of class feeling strong and ready for the day. It also pushes me to the limit cardiovascularly, and gives the same endurance training as a strenuous rehearsal process would.” —Rockette Sarah S.

3. Running Outdoors. “When I’m not teaching dance-cardio based fitness classes at Body By Simone here in New York City, I’ll go for an outdoor run no matter what time of year. Taking my workout outdoors also helps me to explore the city in a way I wouldn’t normally experience on my daily commute!” —Rockette Sarah G.

4. Ballroom Dancing. “My go-to workout regimen right now is ballroom dancing. I take lessons four to five days a week at Dance With Me Midtown. It keeps me moving and dancing but also works muscles that I don’t always use in shows. But most importantly, it’s an absolute blast!” —Rockette Alissa L.

5. Jump Rope. “When I’m not in Rockettes season, I love getting fit with a new NYC-based workout called The Rope! It works out your entire body with a jump rope. It’s one the coolest workouts in the business, creative to the core and not to mention, fun!” —Rockette Lindsay H.

6. HIIT and Pilates. “I like to make sure I have a variety of different workout classes in my weekly workout routine. I take at least one dance class daily and then do a mix of HIIT (high-intensity interval training) and SLT (a total-body workout that ties together cardio, strength training and pilates) workouts.” —Rockette Megan L.

7. Yoga. “While I love spinning because it is such great cardio (I love the classes at Flywheel for HIIT!), yoga is a great complement to spinning. It helps ground me and is an excellent way to work on my flexibility.” —Rockette Courtney R.

8. Barry’s Bootcamp. “I love Barry’s Bootcamp. It’s an interval-based class that focuses on a certain body part a day, combined with sprints on the treadmill. I always leave that class feeling inspired and majorly strong.” —Rockette Sam B.

9. Dance Cardio. “I prefer more social workouts where I’m busting my butt and having too much fun to realize I’m getting a workout. But dance cardio classes are my favorite. They help me maintain and strengthen my technique, challenge myself with varying styles and enjoy good music. I’m in a full sweat and smiling at the end of every class. To me, that’s a win.” —Rockette Danelle M.

November 17-1 The Rockettes Christmas

Let’s go girls! Those sky-high kicks, those naughty smiles -- oh, it certainly wouldn’t be a notoriously fun November without the Rockettes. During the holiday season, the legendary dance company kicks it into high gear with five shows a day, seven days a week. See the grand show unfold in the Radio City Christmas Spectacular, presented at Radio City Music Hall.

Catechism of the Catholic Church

PART TWO: THE CELEBRATION OF THE CHRISTIAN MYSTERY

SECTION TWO-THE SEVEN SACRAMENTS OF THE CHURCH

CHAPTER THREE-THE SACRAMENTS AT THE SERVICE OF COMMUNION

Article 7-THE SACRAMENT OF MATRIMONY

1601 "The matrimonial covenant, by which a man and a woman establish between themselves a partnership of the whole of life, is by its nature ordered toward the good of the spouses and the procreation and education of offspring; this covenant between baptized persons has been raised by Christ the Lord to the dignity of a sacrament."

Daily Devotions/Practices

· Today's Fast: Unite in the work of the Porters of St. Joseph by joining them in fasting: Today's Fast: Individuals with Mental Illness

· Offering to the sacred heart of Jesus

· Drops of Christ’s Blood

· Friday Fish: Fish Curry

· Iceman’s 40 devotion

· Universal Man Plan

· Operation Purity

· Rosary.