First Friday
TWELFTH NIGHT evening prior to epiphany
Psalm 49, Verse 17
Do not FEAR when a man becomes rich, when the wealth of his house grows great.
The next verse drives the point: for his glory shall not descend with him!
Inheritance vs. Legacy[1]
Fix your eyes on that which endures. In the movie Centennial it portrays a young Arapahoe child in the year 1756, who learns his father has just been killed in battle and is taught the lesson that 'only rocks live forever'. God encourages us to fix our eyes on the eternal. Leaders become consumed with the momentary but forget the lasting. Christ tells us that leaders must not pursue wealth or power for true greatness comes from inside out. Even our own bodies make a testimony to this by accomplishing the healing from the inside out. True leaders pursue a legacy rather than wealth. What does any man take with him to the grave? Only a vision came outlive a man. Think of Washington, Jefferson, and Lincoln. A huge difference exists between a legacy and an inheritance. Anyone can leave an inheritance. An inheritance is something you leave TO your family or loved ones, and it also fades. A legacy is something you leave IN your family and loved ones.
·
An
inheritance is something tangible you give to others, but a legacy is something
you place in others.
·
An
inheritance brings temporary happiness but a legacy transforms life.
·
An
inheritance is spent but a legacy is renewed.
· An inheritance may or may not pay off, but a legacy always propagates.
Live,
Love, Learn and Leave a Legacy[2]
One of the great achievements of Steven Covey was the coining of the phrase “To Live, To Love, To Learn, To Leave a Legacy”. Beyond the beautiful wording, it taught that a fulfilling life requires recognizing the existence, importance, and differences of four human dimensions.
·
Physical-The first dimension is the the
physical dimension. It is the world of action, the world of survival, the world
of physical pleasure. It’s easy to access this dimension through an activity
like eating, but the pleasure is short-lived and ends shortly after the last
bite.
·
Emotional-Next up is the emotional dimension.
It’s the world of belonging, caring, connecting, and loving. It takes more work
to properly access this dimension because it involves other people. The
pleasure is much deeper and more meaningful than the physical. A litmus test is
that one would not trade the true love of a spouse or a child for even
$1billion, which can buy a lot of physical pleasure.
·
Mental-Higher up is the mental dimension.
It’s the world of learning, understanding, and creating. These activities
require more time, thought and effort than emotional activities. They are the
activities at the root of self-actualization, and they help us keep our
emotional and physical activities within the proper measure. It is the
dimension that powers the political, business, and altruistic worlds in which
people often sacrifice their emotional relationship in pursuit of solutions to
big problems.
·
Spiritual-The highest dimension is the
spiritual dimension. It goes beyond self-actualization to self-transcendence,
higher purpose and leaving a legacy. It is the realm of belief and dedication
to a Higher Power. It is all the dimension of free will and doing the
intrinsically right thing.
When a person is actively
cognizant and living within these four human dimensions he is functioning at a
higher level. Understanding them is a key component of health, happiness, and
meaning.
First
Friday and the Sacred Heart of Jesus[3]
ALTHOUGH
many pious souls had been accustomed, in the silence of their secluded lives,
to venerate the sacred Heart of Jesus with great devotion, still our divine
Savior desired that the boundless love of His Heart might be known by all men,
and that a new fire of love should thereby be kindled in the cold hearts of
Christians. For this purpose, He made use of a frail and little-known
instrument in the person of Margaret Mary Alacoque, a nun of the Order of the
Visitation, at Parayle-Monial, France. One day, when, according to her custom
during the octave of Corpus Christi, she was deeply engaged in devotions before
the Blessed Sacrament, the divine Savior appeared to her, showed her His Heart
burning with love, and said: “Behold this Heart, which has so loved men that it
has spared nothing, even to exhausting and consuming itself, in order to
testify its love. In return I receive from the greater part only ingratitude,
by their irreverence and sacrilege, and by the coldness and contempt they have
for Me in this sacrament of love. And what is most painful to Me is that they
are hearts consecrated to Me. It is for this reason I ask thee that the first
Friday after the octave of Corpus Christi be appropriated to a special feast to
honor My Heart by communicating on that day and making reparation for the
indignity that it has received. And I promise that My Heart shall dilate to
pour out abundantly the influences of its love on all that will render it this
honor or procure its being rendered. Margaret obeyed, but met everywhere the
greatest opposition, until finally, when she became mistress of novices, she
succeeded, by the help of her divine Spouse, in animating her young charges to
venerate the sacred Heart of Jesus. But this was not sufficient for her zeal. She
persevered until she softened the opposition of the nuns and kindled in all an
equal devotion towards the most sacred Heart. Thence the devotion spread to the
adjoining dioceses, where confraternities in honor of the most sacred Heart of
Jesus soon sprung up. Pope Clement XIII., after having instituted a most
rigorous examination of the whole affair, commanded that the feast of the Most
Sacred Heart of Jesus should be solemnly celebrated throughout the whole
Catholic Church every year, on the first Friday after the octave of Corpus
Christi.
The
Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus
1. Object of this Devotion.
In
the divine Heart of Our Savior, we must
not imagine an inanimate heart, separated from the person of Christ, but the
living heart of the God-Man, the center of all His affections, the fountain of
all His virtues, the most touching emblem of His infinite love to man. The
Church venerates the cross, the blood, and the wounds of the divine Savior, by
feasts which have their proper masses and lessons, in order, by meditation upon
these objects, to awaken in us a more fervent devotion to the Redeemer. How
much more worthy, then, of our devotion is the sacred Heart of Our Savior,
since all its thoughts, movements, and affections aim at our salvation, and it
is always ready to receive truly penitent sinners, to pardon them, to restore
them again to God s favor, and make them partakers of eternal happiness!
2.
Excellence
of this Devotion.
It
is, writes the venerable P. Simon Gourdan:
a.
A
holy devotion, for therein men venerate in Christ those affections and motions
of His Heart by which He sanctified the Church, glorified His Heavenly Father,
and showed Himself to men as a perfect example of the most sublime holiness.
b.
An
ancient devotion of the Catholic Church, which, instructed by St. Paul, the
great apostle, has at all times acknowledged the great beneficence of the
divine and sacred Heart of Jesus.
c.
An
approved devotion, for the Holy Scriptures everywhere admonish us to renew the
heart, by changing our lives; to penetrate it with true sorrow, to inflame it
with divine love, and to adorn it by the practice of all virtues. When,
therefore, a new heart is promised us, by which to direct our lives, that can
be no other than the Heart of Jesus, which is to us the pattern of all
excellence, and which we must follow if we would be saved.
d.
A
perfect devotion, as being the origin of all other devotions. For the Heart of
Jesus is the inexhaustible treasury from which the blessed Mother of God, and
all other saints have derived their graces, their virtues, their life, their
spiritual goods. Filled first with treasures from this source, different
servants of God have instituted and established other devotions.
e.
A
profitable devotion, for thereby we have brought before our eyes the very
fountain of life and grace, and can draw directly from it, increasing in
ourselves all virtues, by adoring this divine Heart, meditating on its holy
affections, and endeavoring to imitate them.
f.
A
devotion pleasing to God, for thus we adore God, as Christ requires, in spirit
and in truth, serving Him inwardly in our hearts, and endeavoring to please
Him. Finally, it is:
g.
A
useful devotion, since its whole object is to unite us most intimately with
Christ as members of Him, her head, to make us live by and according to His
spirit, to have one heart and soul with Him, and through grace finally to
become one with Him, which is and must be the object of all devotions.
As
this devotion is, then, so excellent, we cannot sufficiently recommend it to
all who are anxious for their salvation. While everyone can practice this
devotion, and adore the sacred Heart of Jesus, by himself, there is a greater
blessing when pious souls unite and form a confraternity for practicing the
devotion. Hesitate not, Christian soul, to engage in this devotion, and to join
in the adoration of that sacred Heart of Jesus in which all men find
propitiation, the pious, confidence; sinners, hope; the afflicted, consolation;
the sick, support; the dying, refuge; the elect, joy and delight.
An Offering to the Most Sacred
Heart of Jesus
Whoever
says the following prayer before the image of the most sacred Heart of Jesus,
with sincere sorrow for his sins, gains each time an indulgence of one hundred
days; and by saying it daily for a month, he can on any one day gain a plenary
indulgence, if he makes his confession, receives communion, and prays according
to the intention of the Church:
“My loving Jesus, I (N.N.) give
Thee my heart; and I consecrate myself wholly to Thee, out of the grateful love
I bear Thee, and as reparation for all my unfaithfulness; and with Thy aid I
purpose never to sin again.”
The Twelfth Night[4]
But what exactly are the Twelve Days of Christmas? They are the days between Christmas and the Feast of the Epiphany that constitute an unbroken period of joy and celebration. Epiphany is considered the twelfth day of Christmas (in fact it is sometimes called "Twelfth Day") while the Eve of Epiphany is called "Twelfth Night." Shakespeare's play, "Twelfth Night," takes its name from the Vigil because during this period festivals (such as the Feast of Fools or the Feast of the Ass) used to be held in which everything was turned upside-down -- a little like the reversed identities of the characters in the play. These "preposterous" observances, incidentally, were a joyful mimicry of the inversion of almighty God becoming a lowly man, of the King appearing as a humble infant.
The twelve nights of
Christmas were primarily a time of rest from unnecessary labor and joyful prayer. On each of these
nights the Christmas tree lights and the Christmas candle would be lit, while the family
would gather around the manger to recite prayers and sing carols
and hymns. Similar services are held in some churches during these nights as
well.
Twelfth day
of Christmas is represented by the Twelve Drummers drumming in the song which
of course represents the twelve points of the Apostles Creed. It is
interesting to note that these 12 points are indeed pointing to the abode of
God and that our Lord is the gate of heaven.
1.
I
believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.
2.
I
believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord.
3.
He
was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary.
4.
He
suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried.
5.
He
descended into hell. On the third day he rose again.
6.
He
ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of God the Father
Almighty.
7.
He
will come again to judge the living and the dead.
8.
I
believe in the Holy Spirit,
9.
the
holy catholic Church, the communion of saints,
10. the forgiveness of sins,
11. the resurrection of the body,
12. and life everlasting.
Additionally,
the 12th Station of the Cross Jesus dies. Today would be a good day
to do the Eucharistic Stations of the Cross.
Activities for the Twelfth Day of
Christmas[5]
At the time of St. John
Neumann's episcopate there was a strong anti-Catholic sentiment in Philadelphia
and having had two churches burned and another barely saved, priests were
advising the Bishop, not to proceed with introducing the 40 Hours of
continual adoration of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, believing it would
somehow increase the hostility already directed against the Church. The Bishop
had a decision to make and then something happened to make up his mind to
proceed with the devotion of the 40 Hours of Adoration:
One night, he was
working very late at his desk and fell asleep in his chair. The candle on the
desk burnt down and charred some of the papers, but they were still readable.
He awoke, surprised and thankful that a fire had not ignited. He fell on his
knees to give thanks to God for protection, and heard His voice saying,
"As the flames are burning here without consuming or injuring the writing,
so shall I pour out my grace in the Blessed Sacrament without prejudice to My
honor. Fear no profanation, therefore; hesitate no longer to carry out your
design for my glory." He introduced the practice of 40 Hours Devotion at
the first diocesan synod in April 1853, and the first devotions began at St.
Philip Neri Parish, an appropriate place since that St. Philip had begun that
very devotion in the city of Rome. The holy Bishop then introduced the program
for the whole diocese, so that each parish would have Forty Hours Devotion
during the course of the year. He wrote a booklet for the devotions and
obtained special indulgences for the faithful attending them. The Forty Hours
Devotion was so successful it spread to other dioceses. At the Plenary Council
of Baltimore in 1866, the Forty Hours Devotion was approved for all Dioceses of
the United States. Excerpted from St. John Neumann and the 40 Hours Devotion
by Joseph Mary
We suggest that today
would be an excellent time to make a family holy hour (or holy half hour) at an
adoration chapel or in your parish church. If you can't make a visit to the
Blessed Sacrament your family can pray this litany at home. The activity can by
brought to conclusion by singing Christmas carols and enjoying Christmas
cookies and the Christmas bread, Vanocka.
St. John Neumann - Day
Twelve[6]
John
Neumann was born in Bohemia on March 20, 1811. Since he had a great desire to
dedicate himself to the American missions, he came to the United States as a
cleric and was ordained in New York in 1836 by Bishop Dubois. In 1840, John
Neumann entered the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer (Redemptorists). He
labored in Ohio, Pennsylvania and Maryland. In 1852, he was consecrated bishop
of Philadelphia. There he worked hard for the establishment of parish schools
and for the erection of many parishes for the numerous immigrants. Bishop
Neumann died on January 5, 1860; he was beatified in 1963.
·
Day Twelve activity (Visit to the Blessed Sacrament)
·
Day Twelve recipe (Vanocka)
Catechism
of the Catholic Church
PART THREE: LIFE IN CHRIST
SECTION ONE-MAN'S VOCATION LIFE IN THE
SPIRIT
CHAPTER
ONE-THE DIGNITY OF THE HUMAN PERSON
Article 8-SIN
II. The Definition of Sin
1849 Sin is an offense against
reason, truth, and right conscience; it is failure in genuine love for God and
neighbor caused by a perverse attachment to certain goods. It wounds the nature
of man and injures human solidarity. It has been defined as "an utterance,
a deed, or a desire contrary to the eternal law."
1850 Sin is an offense against God:
"Against you, you alone, have I sinned, and done that which is evil in
your sight." Sin sets itself against God's love for us and turns our
hearts away from it. Like the first sin, it is disobedience, a revolt against
God through the will to become "like gods," knowing and
determining good and evil. Sin is thus "love of oneself even to contempt
of God." In this proud self-exaltation, sin is diametrically opposed
to the obedience of Jesus, which achieves our salvation.
1851 It is precisely in the
Passion, when the mercy of Christ is about to vanquish it, that sin most
clearly manifests its violence and its many forms: unbelief, murderous hatred,
shunning and mockery by the leaders and the people, Pilate's cowardice and the
cruelty of the soldiers, Judas' betrayal - so bitter to Jesus, Peter's denial,
and the disciples' flight. However, at the very hour of darkness, the hour of
the prince of this world, the sacrifice of Christ secretly becomes the
source from which the forgiveness of our sins will pour forth inexhaustibly.
Fitness Friday[7]
BRIGHT MINDS
Program, which is designed to identify and treat all 11 risk factors that
contribute to memory problems. Here is what the words BRIGHT MINDS stand for:
B – Blood Flow
R – Retirement/Aging
I – Inflammation
G – Genetics
H – Head Trauma
T – Toxins
M – Mental Health
I – Immunity/Infection Issues
N – Neurohormone Deficiencies
D – Diabesity
S – Sleep Issues
Watching your weight being 20 pounds overweight has a number of BRIGHT MINDS vulnerabilities, including low blood flow to the brain as well as high blood glucose, homocysteine and ferritin, or iron—all tied to faster aging.
In addition to getting older, the general risk factors associated with living past retirement age are:
·
Not
working or working less than half-time
·
Social
isolation
·
A lack
of new learning
· Having attained less than a high school education
It is a good idea to have a checkup with your health-care provider to evaluate your current state of health. Request these specific lab tests:
·
Ferritin
· Telomere length (telomeres are casings at the ends of chromosomes that shorten with age; people with longer telomeres tend to live longer)
You can take these simple steps to make sure your mind and memory are sharp for years to come:
·
Spend at
least 15 minutes a day learning something new, such as a language, a musical
instrument or dance moves.
·
Take
your health seriously—eat well, exercise, get seven hours of sleep a night.
·
Eat more
antioxidant-rich foods like cocoa, walnuts, blueberries, artichokes and
pomegranates, and more choline-rich foods like eggs, chicken, turkey, beef,
scallops, shrimp, salmon, cod, chickpeas, and lentils.
·
Limit
your consumption of charred meats.
·
Supplement
your diet with a good multivitamin/mineral, extra vitamin D, omega-3 fatty
acids EPA/DHA and the following nutraceuticals to strengthen your brain: PS
(phosphatidylserine), alpha GPC (alpha-glycerylphosphorylcholine), ALCAR
(acetyl-L-carnitine), huperzine A, saffron (standardized extract), sage.
·
Try a
daily 12-to-16-hour fast to help your brain clear out debris (if dinner is at 7
pm, breakfast should be no earlier than 7 am)
·
Get the
social support you need so you aren’t isolated or lonely.
·
Volunteer
for an organization you believe in
·
Donate
blood if your ferritin is too high.
Daily Devotions/Practices
·
Today's Fast: Unite in the work of the Porters of St. Joseph by joining them
in fasting: True
Masculinity
·
Have
a drink; prohibition
repealed Dec 5, 1933
· Offering to the sacred heart of Jesus
- Ride a snowmobile
- Go for a dog sled ride
- Ride a hot air balloon
[1]Maxwell, John. The Maxwell,
Leadership Bible.
[3] Goffine’s Devout Instructions, 1896.
[6]https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/calendar/day.cfm?date=2019-01-05
[7] https://www.amenclinics.com/blog/retirement-aging-brain/
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