Wednesday, January 24, 2024
Life First[1] 9 Days for
Life
Day Nine:
Intercession: May the tragic practice of abortion come to an end.
Prayers: Our Father, 3 Hail Mary’s, Glory Be
Reflection: Today, on this 47th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, we mourn the many children’s lives ended by abortion and remember in prayer those who suffer the aftermath. The Church comes together today to pray for the protection of all unborn children and to make reparation for abortion, trusting that the Lord hears our prayers. Pope Saint John Paul II wrote, “A great prayer for life is urgently needed, a prayer which will rise up throughout the world. Through special initiatives and in daily prayer, may an impassioned plea rise to God, the Creator and lover of life, from every Christian community, from every group and association, from every family and from the heart of every believer” (Evangelium vitae, 100). May that prayer arise in our hearts today and each day forward until every human being is protected in law and welcomed in life.
Acts of Reparation (Choose one.)
·
Abstain
from snacking today. Eat three meals only.
·
Learn
how to pray the Angelus (www.usccb.org/angelus), and consider saying it every day
for the next week—on awakening, at noon, or at 6 p.m. (or all three times).
·
Offer
some other sacrifice, prayer, or act of penance that you feel called to do for
today’s intention.
[1]http://www.usccb.org/about/pro-life-activities/january-roe-events/nine-days-of-prayer-penance-and-pilgrimage.cfm
SAINT FRANCIS DE SALES
Psalm 102, Verse 16-18
16 The nations shall FEAR
your name, LORD, all the kings of the earth, your glory, 17 once the LORD has
rebuilt Zion and appeared in glory, 18 heeding the plea of the lowly, not
scorning their prayer.
This psalm proclaims the Lord’s eternal love and that he will in the end bring about the salvation of those who love him for “Who is like unto Him”.
Prayer to St. Michael the Archangel
Great prince of heaven, St. Michael, to thy protection I commend my soul and body, and, by the glory which thou possessest in heaven, I beseech thee that thou wouldst ever assist me, particularly at the close of my life; that thou wouldst strengthen my faint-heartedness, and obtain for me from God the remission of my sins, and an entire submission to His holy will, that my soul may depart full of comfort. Then receive it, and bring it, under the guidance of the holy angels, before the face of God, to enjoy the contemplation of Him for all eternity. Amen.
Saint Francis de Sales[1]
Let
us therefore take the advice of St. Francis and prepare ourselves for every
communion.
St.
Francis de Sales says that Our Savior can never be seen more amiable and more
tender, in all that He has done for us, than in Holy Communion, in which He, so
to say, annihilates Himself and becomes food, that He may unite Himself to the
hearts and bodies of His faithful. Therefore, the learned Gerson used also to
say, that there was no means more efficacious than Holy Communion whereby to
enkindle devotion and the holy love of God in our souls. And, indeed, if we
speak of doing something agreeable to God, what can a soul do more agreeable to
Him than to receive communion?
St.
Denis teaches us that love always tends towards perfect union; but how can a
soul be more perfectly united with Jesus than in the manner of which He speaks
Himself, saying: “He that eateth My flesh, and drinketh My blood, abideth in
Me, and I in him” (John vi. 57) St. Augustine says that if every day you
receive this sacrament, Jesus will be always with you, and that you will always
advance in divine love. Again, if there be question of healing our spiritual
infirmities, what more certain remedy can we have than Holy Communion, which is
called by the sacred Council of Trent a remedy whereby we may be freed from
daily faults, and be preserved from mortal sins?
Whence
does it come, asks Cardinal Bona, that in so many souls we see so little fruit
with such frequent communions, and that they constantly relapse into the same
faults?
He
replies: The fault is not in the food, but in the disposition of him who
receives. Can a man, says Solomon, hide fire in his bosom, and his garments not
burn? (Prov. vi. 27.)
God
is a consuming fire. He comes Himself in Holy Communion to enkindle this divine
fire; how is it, then, says William of Paris, that we see such a diabolical
miracle as that souls should remain cold in divine love, in the midst of such
flames?
All
comes from the want of proper dispositions, and especially from want of
preparation. Fire immediately inflames dry but not green wood; for this latter
is not disposed to burn. The saints derived great benefit from their communions
because they prepared themselves with great care. St. Aloysius Gonzaga devoted
three days to his preparation for Holy Communion, and three days he spent in
thanksgiving to his Lord. To prepare well for Holy Communion, a soul should be
disposed on two main points: it should
be detached from creatures and have a great desire to advance in divine love.
In the first place, then, a soul should
detach itself from all things, and drive everything from its heart which is not
God. He that is washed, saith Jesus, needeth not but to wash his feet, but is
clean wholly (John xiii. 10); which signifies, as St. Bernard explains it, that
in order to receive this sacrament with great fruit, we should not only be
cleansed from mortal sins, but that our feet also should be washed, that is, be
free from earthly affections; for being in contact with the earth they excite a
sort of repugnance in God, and soiling the soul prevent the effects of Holy
Communion. St. Gertrude asked Our Lord what preparation He required of her for
Holy Communion, and He replied I only ask that thou shouldst come empty of
thyself to receive. In the second place, it is necessary in Holy Communion to
have a great desire to receive Jesus Christ and His holy love. In this sacred
banquet, says Gerson, only those who are famishing receive their fill; and the
most Blessed Virgin Mary had already said the same thing: He hath filled the
hungry with good things (Luke i. 53). As Jesus, writes the venerable Father
Avila, only came into this world after He had been much and long desired, so
does He only enter a soul which desires Him; for it is not becoming that such
food should be given him who has a
loathing for it. Our Lord one day said to St. Matilda: No bee flies with such
impetuosity to flowers, to suck their honey, as I fly to souls in Holy
Communion, driven by the violence of My love. Since then, Jesus Christ has so
great a desire to come into our souls, it is also right that we also should have a great desire to receive
Him and His divine love by Holy Communion. St. Francis de Sales teaches us that
the principal object which a soul should
have in view in communicating should
be to advance in the love of God; since He Who for love alone gives Himself to
us should be received for love.
Tu Bishvat[1]
Tu Bishvat (Hebrew: ט״ו בשבט, literally: the 15th of the Lunar Month of Shevat) is the New Year for trees (similar to Arbor Day). It falls in January or February each year, typically when almond blossom is seen in Israel. It is one of the four New Years in the Jewish Calendar. According to the Jewish Law (Halachah), the 'New Year for trees' defines the beginning of the year for separating tithes for the poor and Levite. Tithes are 10% portions of a product, which are allocated as charity to either the Levites or the poor. Torah Law requires, that when the Holy Temple was standing, these tithes would be removed from the produce, before it was 'fit for consumption'. There was a seven-year cycle, culminating in the Shimittah year, when fields lay fallow. After every seven seven-year cycles, a Jubilee, 50th year was celebrated.
Tu Bishvat Facts & Quotes
·
It is customary on Tu Bishvat to eat fruits of
the Land of Israel, particularly those of the Biblical verse A land of wheat,
and barley, and vines, and fig trees, and pomegranates; a land of oil olive,
and honey (Deuteronomy 8:8). The honey in this verse refers to date
honey, according to tradition. Another custom is to plant trees in
Israel.
·
On Tu Bishvat, we remember that Man is a Tree of
the Field (Deuteronomy 20:19). It explains that we may not cut down
trees during the siege of a city. The tree of the field is man's life to
be used in and after the siege.
·
The Code of Jewish Law states that on Tu
B'Shevat fasting and eulogies are forbidden, and all penitential prayers are
omitted. One of the most important authorities, the Magen Avraham, adds
(131:16): It is the custom to eat many different kinds of fruit. The
Arizal suggested the eating of fifteen kinds of fruit (on the fifteenth of the
month).
· It should be noted that all Jewish holidays begin at sundown one the eve before the Gregorian date specified for the holiday.
Tu Bishvat Top Events and Things to Do
·
Make a Tu Bishvat Fruit Plate. Magen
Avraham, a leading Jewish authority suggested the eating of fifteen kinds of
fruit (on the fifteenth of the month).
·
Say Blessings for new Fruit. Two blessings
are said for new fruits (which have not yet been eaten that year), namely the
standard blessing for fruits ..Who created the fruits of the tree and ..Who
kept us alive, and sustained us and allowed us to reach this day.
·
Attend a Tu Bishvat tisch which is popular in
Hasidic communities. A Tisch is the Yiddish word for table. It
refers to a festive meal with Holy Land fruits, wine, bread, fish and other
foods.
·
Sing a Tu Bishvat Song. There are many songs on YouTube about Tu
Bishvat in both Hebrew and English.
"we will plant Trillions of Trees now"[2]
Trees are “our most powerful weapon in the fight against climate change,” Crowther told The Independent. Combining forest inventory data from 1.2 million locations around the world and satellite images, the scientists estimate there are 3 trillion trees on Earth — seven times more than previous estimates. and they also found that there is abundant space to restore millions of acres of additional forests, not counting urban and agricultural land.
“There’s 400 gigatons [of CO2 stored] now in the 3 trillion trees,” Crowther said. “If we were to scale that up by Planting trillions of more trees now, because that’s in the order of hundreds of gigatons captured from the atmosphere – and anthropogenic emissions will completely be wiped out.”
Planting Trillions of Trees will Cancel Out a Decades of CO2 Emissions,
Scientists Find. How to erase 100 years of carbon emissions? Plant trees—lots of them.
and there are more than 2000 species of trees with edible fruits and nuts and
berries and olives and trees have medicinal properties.
Tu Bishvat
"we will plant Trillions of Trees now"
[2]https://www.christianforums.com/threads/trump-says-we-will-plant-trillions-of-trees-now-because.8147047/
Every Wednesday is Dedicated to St. Joseph
The Italian culture has
always had a close association with St. Joseph perhaps you could make
Wednesdays centered around Jesus’s Papa. Plan an Italian dinner of pizza or
spaghetti after attending Mass as most parishes have a Wednesday evening Mass.
You could even do carry out to help restaurants. If you are adventurous, you
could do the Universal Man Plan: St. Joseph style. Make the evening a family night,
perhaps it could be a game night. Whatever you do, make the day special.
·
Do the St.
Joseph Universal Man Plan.
·
Devotion to the 7 Joys and Sorrows of St.
Joseph
Virtues of St. Joseph Every Man can follow[2]
St. Joseph is the model of a man with no hesitancy of mind he is the man God chose to raise his son.
Justice-One of the few descriptors of St. Joseph found in Scripture is that he was a "just man," also translated as a "righteous man" (Matthew 1:19). Justice includes the virtues of fairness, honesty, and respect for others.
Obedient to God's will-Several times, angels came to St. Joseph in dreams and directed his course of action. They told him to marry Our Lady when he had thought of a quiet divorce, to flee to Egypt, and to return to Nazareth. In all these instances, he did as they said without question, giving us a model of surrender to God's will.
A protector-When Herod threatened the infant Jesus, St. Joseph went to great lengths to guard the baby from harm. We know little of St. Joseph's daily life, but we can imagine the kind of honorable and self-sacrificing man to whom God the Father would entrust the care and upbringing of His only begotten son.
Responsible-Caring for the two holiest people who ever lived, Jesus and Mary, must have seemed an immense task, but St. Joseph undertook it bravely. He was trustworthy enough to rise to the challenge of being responsible for their livelihood and well-being.
Chaste-One of the things we know about St. Joseph is that he and Our Lady lived together without consummating their marriage. He is a model of purity and would be a fitting intercessor for any man striving to live this virtue.
Faithful-St. Luke repeatedly emphasizes in his Gospel how St. Joseph acted in compliance with "the law of the Lord," that is, the ritual requirements of an observant Jewish man. He was a devoutly religious believer, and his faithfulness is an example for all men.
Watch: St Joseph: Our Spiritual Father
Catechism
of the Catholic Church
PART THREE: LIFE IN CHRIST
SECTION ONE-MAN'S VOCATION LIFE IN THE
SPIRIT
CHAPTER THREE-GOD'S SALVATION: LAW AND
GRACE
Article 1-THE MORAL LAW
1950 The
moral law is the work of divine Wisdom. Its biblical meaning can be defined as
fatherly instruction, God's pedagogy. It prescribes for man the ways, the rules
of conduct that lead to the promised beatitude; it proscribes the ways of evil
which turn him away from God and his love. It is at once firm in its precepts
and, in its promises, worthy of love.
1951 Law is
a rule of conduct enacted by competent authority for the sake of the common
good. The moral law presupposes the rational order, established among creatures
for their good and to serve their final end, by the power, wisdom, and goodness
of the Creator. All law finds its first and ultimate truth in the eternal law.
Law is declared and established by reason as a participation in the providence
of the living God, Creator and Redeemer of all. "Such an ordinance of
reason is what one calls law."
Alone among all animate beings, man can boast of having
been counted worthy to receive a law from God: as an animal endowed with
reason, capable of understanding and discernment, he is to govern his conduct
by using his freedom and reason, in obedience to the One who has entrusted
everything to him.
1952 There
are different expressions of the moral law, all of them interrelated: eternal
law - the source, in God, of all law; natural law; revealed law, comprising the
Old Law and the New Law, or Law of the Gospel; finally, civil and
ecclesiastical laws.
1953 The
moral law finds its fullness and its unity in Christ. Jesus Christ is in person
the way of perfection. He is the end of the law, for only he teaches and
bestows the justice of God: "For Christ is the end of the law, that
everyone who has faith may be justified."
Catholic Prayer: Novena
for Purification
Description:
This novena prayer, although short is sufficient. It would be better of
course to add, if time permits, three Hail Marys or say five times the Our
Father, Haily Mary and Glory be to the Father, or to use some of the many
well-loved novena prayers from other sources. Remember that prayers must be
said with the lips in order to gain the indulgences. This novena starts on
January 24 and ends on February 2.
Prayer:
O Blessed Mother of God, who went up to
the Temple according to the law with your offering of little white doves, pray
for me that I too may keep the law and be pure in heart like you.
Sweet heart of Mary, be my salvation.
300 days. Plenary, under usual conditions,
if said daily for a month. S. C. Indulg., Sept. 30, 1852.
Prayer Source: All Day With God by
Blanche Jennings Thompson
Daily
Devotions/Activities
·
Unite in the work of the Porters of St. Joseph by joining them
in fasting: Today's Fast: The
sanctification of the Church Militant.
·
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
·
Rosary.
[1]Goffine’s
Devout Instructions, 1896.
[2]https://aleteia.org/slideshow/slideshow-6-virtues-of-st-joseph-that-all-men-can-imitate/2/
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