Tuesday, January 16, 2024
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Religious freedom day
Psalm 76, Verse 12-13
12
Make and keep vows to the LORD your God. May all around him bring gifts to the
one to be FEARED, 13 who checks the
spirit of princes, who is fearful to the kings of earth.
Why
are the powerful so reluctant to make and keep vows to God? Do they not know
that if they humble themselves before Him; He will exalt them. God gives all
men gifts and talents of spirit, mind and beauty. Today consider letting a more
qualified Other defend your ego.
7 Ways to Getting Rid of Ego[1]
Confident people respect themselves no
matter what. Their ego will never run their show. After all, you’re human and
you’re doing the best you can. So here are some tips to get you in the right
headspace so you can kill your ego.
1. Take responsibility. Focus on the
aspects of life which you can change. Taking responsibility for these aspects
will give you a sense of control. For example, if you didn’t make up your bed
this morning, do it now (and do it every day).
2. Stop beating yourself up. Life is
pretty tough and everyone makes mistakes. If you know you’re doing the best you
can, that’s all that matters.
3. Focus on growth. The outcome
doesn’t matter as much as your transformation. As long as you’re growing as a
person, the outcome will follow.
4. Take care of yourself. Don’t feel
ashamed for taking time off. Do something that you enjoy without feeling guilty
about it. You’re allowed to live your life the way you want to.
5. Don’t speak badly about yourself.
The words you say to yourself become part of your identity. Unconsciously, your
brain registers everything you say. And if you keep telling yourself that
you’re not good enough, your confidence will sink.
6. Show kindness to others. Whether
you’re an introvert or not, we all thrive on social connections. And when you
show kindness to the people around you, you’ll be in a much better place in
your own head too.
7. Don’t value other people’s opinions
(both good and bad). This idea comes from the legend, Gary Vaynerchuk. But
think about it. The moment you value good opinions from others, it makes you
vulnerable to bad opinions too. Appreciate compliments but don’t allow this to
become the validation of your self-worth.
In addition, check out these
innovative strategies to become more confident in life.
Religious Freedom Day[2]
Religions and religious organizations
have been responsible for a great deal of good being done in the world, from
the founding of worldwide charity organizations to simply inspiring people to
be kinder and humbler daily, as well as more sympathetic to the plight of his
fellow man. Unfortunately, an often-observed characteristic of many religions
is that their faithful often try to convert others to their faith, and when
those others refuse, the consequences can be grave. From the Roman persecutions
of Christians in the ancient times, to the infamous Spanish Inquisition, to the
witch hunts of Puritan America, to the Islamic Jihads (or secular progressives for that matter) still occurring today, it
is easy to see how dangerous religions can be if not checked, and how
overzealous believers in a certain god or no god at all can be in attempting to
force everyone else to believe as they do. This is why it is enormously important
to make sure religious freedom is granted and protected to all, and this is why
the Founding Fathers of the United States of America saw this as such.
On January 16, 1786, soon after the
United States of America came into existence as a sovereign nation, the
Virginia General Assembly adopted Thomas Jefferson’s landmark Virginia
Statute for Religious Freedom. This statute then became the basis for what we
know today as the First Amendment, which guarantees religious freedom to all
people residing in the U.S.A. Every year since then, a statement is released on
this same day by the president of the United States officially proclaiming
Religious Freedom Day.
How to Celebrate Religious Freedom Day
A good way to celebrate Religious
Freedom Day is to do some research about what life used to be like before
religious freedom was protected, and every person had the right to believe as
he or she chose.
·
“The Name of the Rose” is both an excellent book
and an excellent movie, which quite accurately depicts what life was like
during the Inquisition, and how far the inquisitors were willing to go to find
and punish people they suspected of sorcery.
· The young adult novel titled, “The Witch of Blackbird Pond” can also help one understand what it was like to be the least bit different from the rest of the villagers in 17th century New England, and just how dangerous it was to avoid church.
·
1951’s Quo Vadis, on the other hand,
demonstrates how badly Christian were persecuted during the reign of the
Emperor Nero in Ancient Rome.
· “The Diary of a Young Girl”, written by Jewish teenager Anne Frank during the height of the Nazi persecution of Europe’s Jewish population is both interesting a heartbreaking when one thinks about all the other innocent children like Anne who died horrible deaths for simply being of the wrong religion.
·
The works of Salman Rushdie could also prove to
be a very insightful read, as the author himself received years of death
threats after the release of his acclaimed novel “The Satanic Verses”, which
was critical of Islam was published.
· Now. What if you refuse abortion tainted vaccines?
It could also be an interesting idea to have several of your friends of different faiths get together for coffee and discuss how positively religious freedom and the freedom to not practice any religion at all impact all your lives and help make them better. Religious freedom is a wonderful thing, that should be fully appreciated and celebrated.
Catechism
of the Catholic Church
PART THREE: LIFE IN CHRIST
SECTION ONE-MAN'S VOCATION LIFE IN THE
SPIRIT
CHAPTER TWO-THE HUMAN
COMMUNION
Article 2-PARTICIPATION IN SOCIAL LIFE
III. Responsibility and Participation
1913 "Participation"
is the voluntary and generous engagement of a person in social interchange. It
is necessary that all participate, each according to his position and role, in
promoting the common good. This obligation is inherent in the dignity of the
human person.
1914 Participation is achieved
first of all by taking charge of the areas for which one assumes personal
responsibility: by the care taken for the education of his family, by
conscientious work, and so forth, man participates in the good of others and of
society.
1915 As far as possible
citizens should take an active part in public life. The manner of this
participation may vary from one country or culture to another. "One must
pay tribute to those nations whose systems permit the largest possible number
of the citizens to take part in public life in a climate of genuine
freedom."
1916 As with any ethical
obligation, the participation of all in realizing the common good calls for a
continually renewed conversion of the social partners. Fraud and other
subterfuges, by which some people evade the constraints of the law and the
prescriptions of societal obligation, must be firmly condemned because they are
incompatible with the requirements of justice. Much care should be taken to
promote institutions that improve the conditions of human life.
1917 It is incumbent on those
who exercise authority to strengthen the values that inspire the confidence of
the members of the group and encourage them to put themselves at the service of
others. Participation begins with education and culture. "One is entitled
to think that the future of humanity is in the hands of those who are capable
of providing the generations to come with reasons for life and optimism."
Today is my sister’s birthday Denise Gail (her name means “To be devoted …to the joy of the father); please pray for her intentions.
Daily Devotions
·
Unite in the work of the Porters of St. Joseph by joining them
in fasting: Today's Fast: Individuals
with Mental Illness
·
Make
reparations to the Holy Face-Tuesday
Devotion
·
Pray Day 8 of
the Novena for our Pope and Bishops
·
The
Week of Prayer for Christian Unity-Day 1
·
Tuesday:
Litany of St. Michael the Archangel
·
Offering to
the sacred heart of Jesus
·
Plan
winter fun:
o
Soak in hot
springs
o
Hit the snow slopes
o
Ride a
snowmobile
o
Go for a
dog sled ride
o Ride a hot air
balloon
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