ICEMANforChrist

This blog is based on references in the Bible to fear. God wills that we “BE NOT AFRAID”. Many theologians state that the eighth deadly sin is fear. It is fear and its natural animal reaction to fight or flight that is the root cause of our failings to create a Kingdom of God on earth. By “the power of the Holy Spirit” we can be witnesses and “communicators” of a new and redeemed humanity “even to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:7 8). This blog is dedicated to Mary the Mother of God.

Wednesday, February 28, 2024

Tuesday, March 5, 2024

Tuesday in the Third Week of Lent

SEABEE

Daniel, Chapter 3, Verse 40-42

⁴⁰So let our sacrifice be in your presence today and find favor before you; for those who trust in you cannot be put to shame. ⁴¹ And now we follow you with our whole heart, we FEAR you and we seek your face. Do not put us to shame, ⁴² but deal with us in your kindness and great mercy.

Has your Lenten sacrifice been less than you wanted? Well? Welcome to the human condition. Emotions are what being human is about. Imagine the emotions of Peter after the resurrection. If your emotions or sinfulness which for some reason you have committed despite your best efforts have left, you flat. You are human. Remember the disciples on the road to Emmaus; they were left utterly defeated at the loss of Christ. Like Peter they felt they could have done more. Today walk with our Lord tell Him all.

Tuesday in the Third Week of Lent[1]

Prayer.

GRACIOUSLY hear us, O almighty and merciful God, and~ favorably grant to us the gifts of wholesome self-denial. Amen.

EPISTLE, iv. Kings iv. 1-7.

In those days a certain woman of the wives of the prophets cried to Eliseus, saying: Thy servant my husband is dead, and thou knowest that thy servant was one that feared the Lord, and behold the creditor is come to take away my two sons to serve him. And Eliseus said to her: What wilt thou have me do for thee? Tell me, what hast thou in thy house? And she answered: I thy handmaid have nothing in my house but a little oil, to anoint me. And he said to her: Go, borrow of all thy neighbor’s empty vessels not a few. And go in, and shut thy door, when thou art within, with thy sons: and pour out thereof into all those vessels, and when they are full take them away. So, the woman went, and shut the door upon her, and upon her sons: they brought her the vessels, and she poured in. And when the vessels were full, she said to her son: Bring me yet a vessel. And he answered: I have no more. And the oil stood. And she came and told the man of God. And he said: Go, sell the oil, and pay thy creditor: and thou and thy sons live on the rest.

GOSPEL. Matt, xviii. 15-22.

At that time Jesus said to His disciples: If thy brother shall offend against thee, go, and rebuke him between thee and him alone. If he shall hear thee, thou shalt gain thy brother. And if he will not hear thee, take with thee one or two more: that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may stand. And if he will not hear them: tell the Church. And if he will not hear the Church, let him be to thee as the heathen and publican. Amen I say to you, whatsoever you shall bind upon earth, shall be bound also in heaven: and whatsoever you shall loose upon earth, shall be loosed also in heaven. Again, I say to you, that if two of you shall consent upon earth, concerning anything whatsoever they shall ask, it shall be done to them by My Father Who is in heaven. For where there are two or three gathered together in My name, there am I in the midst of them. Then came Peter unto Him and said: Lord, how often shall my brother offend against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? Jesus saith to him: I say not to thee, till seven times; but till seventy times seven times.

Lenten Calendar[2]

Read: The Seven Penitential Psalms, Day One:

(During times when we wish to express repentance, and especially during Lent, it is customary to pray the seven penitential psalms. The penitential designation of these psalms’ dates back to the seventh century. Prayerfully reciting these psalms will help us to recognize our sinfulness, express our sorrow and ask for God’s forgiveness.)

Today we will focus on Psalm 6.

Reflect: Read this reflection on Psalm 6—Prayer in Distress.

Pray: “Have pity on me, LORD, for I am weak; heal me, LORD, for my bones are shuddering.” (Ps 6:3, NABRE)

Act: In this psalm, the psalmist proclaims his weakness before God, with tears and sighing. Yet he lifts his prayers to the Lord, confident in the Lord, who is merciful.

Listen to a recording of Psalm 6 as you read along with your Bible.

Tuesday Personal Adoration

Prayer.

"What happiness is mine, O my Savior, to hold communion with Thee, to thank Thee for the immense love of Thy heart for mankind, to offer Thee some reparation for the outrages unceasingly committed against Thee. But sinner as I am, how can I worthily acquit myself of so holy a duty? O Jesus, unite my prayers to Thine, offer to Thy heavenly Father the holy dispositions of Thy divine heart in order to supply for my deficiencies, Holy Virgin, lead me to the heart of thy divine Son, that sanctuary of grace and virtue. I unite myself to the homage rendered Him by thy immaculate heart. Ye blessed spirits, ever humbly prostrate before that adorable heart, I unite myself to your profound adorations; communicate to me your love and recollection, present to Him my prayers; and ye saints of heaven and just ones of the earth, come and let us adore together the heart of our Redeemer. Place yourself in the presence of God, make an act of faith? and-say with the prodigal son: My Father, I have sinned against heaven and in Thy sight. 1 am no longer worthy to be called Thy child. Make me as one of Thy hired servants. I desire nothing more. Place yourself in spirit near the heart of Jesus, at the foot of the throne of mercy; approach with confidence, listen to the loving words Our Lord addresses to you, and pray to Him with earnestness and devotion.

Preparing for Battle-Know Your Enemy[3]

Be sober, be watchful! For your adversary the Devil, as a roaring lion, goes about seeking someone to devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith. (1 Peter 5: 8– 9)

Like it or not, you are at war. No matter who you are— whether or not you know it— you have a mortal enemy who wants to destroy you, not just in this life, but in the next. No matter where you live on this planet— whether or not you can see it— you live on a hotly contested battlefield, and you can’t escape the conflict. It’s a spiritual war with crucial consequences in your everyday life. And the outcome of that war will determine your eternal destiny. The first rule of any type of warfare is to know your enemy.

· Your adversary is the Devil, with his army of demons. Your battle with him rages not only all around you, but also within you, a fierce conflict for control of your mind, your heart, and your ultimate destiny.

· Those who deny the devils existence are easy prey.

Seabees[4]

The Navy Construction Battalion – better known as the Seabees – is responsible for building much of the temporary and permanent infrastructure at U.S. military locations around the world.

With roots dating back to World War II, the Seabees were formally established on March 5, 1942, to meet the Navy’s growing need to build bases, camps and other structures as part of the war effort. In the over seven decades since its founding, Seabees have gone on to serve in most major U.S. conflicts.

Here are nine things to know about the Seabees’ monumental history:

1. The Seabee Motto is “Construimus, Batuimus.”

The Latin phrase, which means “We build, We fight,” was the brainchild of Rear Adm. Ben Moreell, who is considered the father of the Seabees.

2. The Nickname “Seabee” Comes From the First Letters of the Words That Make Up the Unit’s Formal Name, “Construction Battalion.”

When said together as one word, the letters “C” and “B” sound like the word “Seabee,” hence the battalion’s iconic nickname.

3. True to Their Motto, Seabees Can Build Just About Anything, Anywhere.

“The men and women of the Seabees have been deployed globally in every theater around the world constructing bases, building airfields, conducting underwater construction and building roads, bridges and other support facilities while providing protection for themselves and those around them,” wrote Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Heather Salzman in a 2020 DVIDShub.net story.

4. The Seabees Have One Medal of Honor Recipient, Marvin G. Shields.

During the Vietnam War in 1965, Navy Construction Mechanic 3rd Class Marvin G. Shields, then just 25 years old, showed great heroism when a camp he and his fellow Seabees were constructing suddenly came under attack. Despite being wounded several times, Shields continually ignored his own injuries to defend the area and stay in the fight for roughly 14 hours. His actions helped save 15 Seabees and Green Berets who were at the camp. Ultimately, Shields’ injuries proved fatal, and he died before the survivors were rescued. He was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor in 1965, which his wife and young daughter accepted on his behalf.

5. Seabees Used to Celebrate the Battalion’s Birthday With a “Seabee Ball” That Featured a “Seabee Queen.”

The tradition started in 1943 at Port Hueneme, California, and featured Susan Hayward, who co-starred alongside John Wayne in the film “The Fighting Seabees,” as the first queen. As time went on and the tradition expanded to other areas where Seabees were stationed, Seabee Queens grew to include other famous faces or relatives of the Seabees themselves. This tradition was discontinued in 1992.

6. Seabee Units Were Some of the First Fully Integrated Units in the Navy at the end of WWII.

During World War II, Seabees erect a steel tank constructed deep in the jungles of one of the South Pacific bases.

During WWII, over 12,500 Black service members enlisted in Seabee battalions – notably the 34th, 20th (Special) and 80th. Many of these units deployed all around the world. As they fought for our nation, these pioneering Black sailors also fought against racial prejudices and paved the path toward a fully integrated U.S. military.

7. Seabees Helped Build Some of the First Structures at the South Pole.

After WWII, Seabees first traveled to Antarctica in 1946 to help the Navy establish a research base on the continent.

As part of Deep Freeze 73, Seabees deployed to Antarctica to construct a six-story high dome at South Pole Station. The dome covered and protected most of the buildings at South Pole Station.

Over the next several decades, Seabees continued to deploy to the harsh frozen environment to build the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station, which features the iconic South Pole dome. This remote research area is extremely isolated and is located 1,000 miles away from the continent’s larger McMurdo Station.

8. There is a Seabees Memorial.

Located just outside of Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia, the Seabees Memorial was dedicated in 1972 and was sculpted by Felix de Weldon, a Seabee veteran himself. De Weldon also sculpted the United States Marine Corps Memorial, which is also located in Arlington, Virginia.

9. You Can Spot Seabees by Looking Closely at Their Uniforms.

Seabees sport a unique sewn-in logo, or patch, on their left chest pocket. The embroidered patch features the battalion’s official “Fighting Bee” logo along with the word “Seabees.”

Catechism of the Catholic Church

PART THREE: LIFE IN CHRIST

SECTION TWO-THE TEN COMMANDMENTS

CHAPTER TWO-YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF

Article 5-THE FIFTH COMMANDMENT

You shall not kill.
You have heard that it was said to the men of old, "You shall not kill: and whoever kills shall be liable to judgment." But I say to you that every one who is angry with his brother shall be liable to judgment.

2258 "Human life is sacred because from its beginning it involves the creative action of God and it remains for ever in a special relationship with the Creator, who is its sole end. God alone is the Lord of life from its beginning until its end: no one can under any circumstance claim for himself the right directly to destroy an innocent human being."

Coffee with Christ

Christ sips his coffee and looks at me and says, “In order to maintain your strength and not to yield to evil rest is necessary; for this reason, the Father established a Sabbath Rest from work for the people of God. Sundays are the Sabbath of my resurrection from the dead. On Sunday’s it is necessary to do no work and to receive me in the Eucharist for the promised strength that only the Holy Spirit can give by the receiving of my body and blood.”

Daily Devotions

· Unite in the work of the Porters of St. Joseph by joining them in fasting: Today's Fast: True Masculinity