Thursday, March 7, 2024
Thursday of the Third Week of Lent
SAINTS FILICITY AND PERPETUA
1 Maccabees, Chapter 3, Verse 25
Then Judas and his brothers began
to be FEARED, and dread fell upon the
Gentiles about them.
The Battle of Beth Horon
was fought in 166 BC between Jewish forces led by
Judas Maccabaeus and an army of the Seleucid Empire under the command of Seron.
The rebel army led by Judas Maccabeus was growing in strength. They had just
inflicted a crushing defeat upon the Seleucid General Apollonius and now they
faced the forces of the Syrian Governor Seron, who was widely overconfident.
With Maccabeus' superior knowledge of the terrain, he prepared his forces to
ambush the larger Seleucid force. Seron had anticipated this and spread out his
force, but the Maccabees exhibited superior tactical skill by decimating the
general's leading unit and killing Seron himself. With their leader dead, the
shocked and disconcerted remnants of the Seleucid army took to the hills and
ran. The stubborn Seleucids refused to give up their slow phalanx-based tactics
when compared to the lightweight and quick Maccabean militia thus always
creating problems for them on the battlefield. Another force was soon sent
against Maccabaeus, which led to the Battle of Emmaus.[1]
Reflecting on this constant struggle between the culture of death and the culture of life; I have just received a communique that my UNION is endorsing a PRO-CHOICE candidate. Ah now comes the rub. So begins the battle of sorts. I called 3 times to get a call back. The answer well union dues are not used to support the candidate (killing of children) but if I want to quit the union 1) I must draft a letter stating I want out and 2) ask for a window (2 weeks) of when I can request again the stoppage of my union dues. (We got your money-ha, ha, ha) or I can divorce myself and remain silent because I am not responsible. Hmm. I would appreciate getting feedback on this from my readers. My feeling it is like being silent during the holocaust but please let me know your thoughts.
On the "Pro-Choice" Position on Abortion[2]
But responsibility likewise falls on the legislators who have promoted and approved abortion laws, and, to the extent that they have a say in the matter, on the administrators of the health-care centers where abortions are performed. ... In this sense abortion goes beyond the responsibility of individuals and beyond the harm done to them and takes on a distinctly social dimension. It is a most serious wound inflicted on society and its culture by the very people who ought to be society's promoters and defenders.
Pope
John Paul II, Evangelium vitae (1995), no. 59.
When
a parliamentary or social majority decrees that it is legal, at least under
certain conditions, to kill unborn human life, is it not really making a
'tyrannical' decision with regard to the weakest and most defenseless of human
beings?....While public authority can sometimes choose not to put a stop to
something which – were it prohibited – would cause more serious harm, it can
never presume to legitimize as a right of individuals – even if they are the
majority of the members of society – an offense against other persons caused by
the disregard of so fundamental a right as the right to life. Id., nos. 70, 71.
Laws
which legitimize the direct killing of innocent human beings through abortion
or euthanasia are in complete opposition to the inviolable right to life proper
to every individual; they thus deny the equality of everyone before the law. Id., no. 72.
Utilitarianism
is a civilization of production and of use, a civilization of
"things" and not of "persons", a civilization in which
persons are used in the same way as things are used. In the context of a
civilization of use, woman can become an object for man, children a hindrance
to parents, the family an institution obstructing the freedom of its members.
To be convinced that this is the case, one need only look at certain sexual
education programmes introduced into the schools, often notwithstanding the
disagreement and even the protests of many parents; or pro-abortion tendencies
which vainly try to hide behind the so-called "right to choose"
("pro-choice") on the part of both spouses, and in particular on the
part of the woman. Pope John Paul II,
Letter to Families, February 2, 1994, no. 13
On "social sin":
Also
social is every sin against the rights of the human person, beginning with the
right to life and including the life of the unborn or against a person's
physical integrity...The term social can be applied to sins of commission or
omission-on the part of political, economic or trade union leaders, who though in a position to do so, do not work
diligently and wisely for the improvement and transformation of society
according to the requirements and potential of the given historic
moment...Whenever the church speaks of situations of sin or when the condemns
as social sins certain situations or the collective behavior of certain social
groups, big or small, or even of whole nations and blocs of nations, she knows
and she proclaims that such cases of social sin are the result of the
accumulation and concentration of many personal sins. It is a case of the very
personal sins of those who cause or support evil or who exploit it; of those
who are in a position to avoid, eliminate or at least limit certain social evils
but who fail to do so out of laziness, fear or the conspiracy of silence,
through secret complicity or indifference; of those who take refuge in the
supposed impossibility of changing the world and also of those who sidestep the
effort and sacrifice required, producing specious reasons of a higher order.
The real responsibility, then, lies with individuals. Pope John Paul II, Reconciliation and Penance (1984),
no. 16
Thursday
of the Third Week of Lent[3]
Prayer. MAY heavenly propitiation increase Thy
people subject to Thee, O Lord, we beseech Thee, and make them ever servants of
Thy commandments.
EPISTLE.
Jer. vii. 1-7.
In those days the word of the Lord came to me, saying Stand in the
gate of the house of the Lord, and proclaim there this word, and say: Hear ye
the word of the Lord, all ye men of Juda, that enter in at these gates, to
adore the Lord. Thus, saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Make your
ways and your doings good: and I will dwell with you in this place. Trust not
in lying words, saying: The temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, it is
the temple of the Lord. For if you will order well your ways, and your doings:
if you will execute judgment between a man and his neighbor, if you oppress not
the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, and shed not innocent blood in
this place, and walk not after strange gods to your own hurt, I will dwell with
you in this place: in the land which I gave to your fathers from the beginning
and forever, saith the Lord Almighty.
GOSPEL.
Luke iv. 38-44.
At that time Jesus,
rising up out of the synagogue, went into Simon’s house. And Simon’s wife’s
mother was taken with a great fever, and they besought Him for her. And
standing over her, He commanded the fever, and it left her. And immediately
rising, she ministered to them. And when the sun was down, all they that had
any sick with divers’ diseases brought them to Him. But He laying His hands on
every one of them, healed them. And devils went out from many, crying out and
saying: Thou art the Son of God. And rebuking them He suffered them not to
speak, for they knew that He was Christ. And when it was day, going out He went
into a desert place, and the multitudes sought Him, and came unto Him: and they
stayed Him that He should not depart from them. To whom He said: To other
cities also I must preach the kingdom of God: for therefor am I sent. And He
was preaching in the synagogues of Galilee.
Lenten
Calendar[4]
Read: The Seven Penitential Psalms, Day
Three:
(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 38.
Reflect: Read this reflection on Psalm 38—Prayer of an Afflicted Sinner.
Pray: “LORD, do not punish me in your anger,
in your wrath do not chastise me!” (Ps 38:2)
Preparing
for Battle[5]
Know Your Weapons
The weapon of Sacred Sacraments
1. Baptism. Baptism is a sacrament of liberation and deliverance
from Satan and his realm.
2. Reconciliation. Each time we sin, the Devil strengthens his
grip on us; that is why it’s so important to go to sacramental Confession
regularly.
3. The Eucharist. Mass is a great defense against the assault of
the Devil. Before Him the all-conquering power, the demons must flee. “We must
return from that Table like lions breathing fire, having become terrifying to
the Devil!”
4. Confirmation. To confirm means to make strong.
5. Anointing of the Sick. Illness, especially serious illness,
can be a trial in which Satan comes to tempt us to be overcome by fear,
discouragement, doubt, and even despair.
6. Matrimony. The Devil’s first attack on the human race was
focused on a married couple. The home must become a sanctuary, a holy place, a
fortress against Satan’s assaults.
7. Holy Orders. The sacrament through which Christ’s mission for
the Church continues to be exercised until the end of the world.
Holy Order of Porters[6]
In
the last 50 years, various minor orders in the church, including porter,
exorcist, and the major order of subdeacon simply no longer exist in the Latin
Church who no longer felt they were necessary [all of the minor orders and
the subdiaconate are still used within the Independent Sacramental
Movement]. What is the theology behind these orders and why were they
abolished?
As
early as the third century, certain roles of service, including deacon,
subdeacon, lector, and acolyte, were present in the church. These orders over
time became linked to preparation for the priesthood and were divided between
“minor orders” (porter, exorcist, lector, and acolyte) and “major orders”
(subdeacon, deacon, and priest). Each order was received, and its function
performed for a suitable time before a man was ordained to the
priesthood.
The
roles were varied but served a legitimate purpose in the early church, usually
related to the Mass. For instance, the porter was the doorkeeper, responsible
for opening and closing the church and guarding the door during the celebration
of Mass.
Together
the orders constituted ministries of service that developed in the church
according to need. Yet over time, many of them lost their function. The orders,
especially porter and exorcist, became symbolic. The loss of these functions
occasioned a revision of the orders after the Second Vatican Council.
The
Ordination of Porters.
This
order confers the office of caring for the dignity of the house of God and of
maintaining order therein. During the early persecutions it was necessary to
indicate to the faithful the time and place of divine service, and to keep the
doors of the place of meeting locked against intruders. This was the duty of
the “porters” and “messengers of God.” The duties of this office are pointed
out by the bishop to be: “To strike the cymbal and ring the bell, to open the
church and the sanctuary, and the book of him who preaches.” These duties are
symbolic for the still higher duty “of closing to the devil and opening to God,
by their word and example, the invisible house of God, namely, the hearts of
the faithful.”
The
matter of this order is the presenting of the keys of the church to the clerics
to be touched by their right hand, and the form is the accompanying admonition:
“Conduct yourselves as having to render an account to God for those things
which are kept under these keys.”
The
bishop then invites all present to pray with him “that these porters may be
most diligent in their care of the house of God.”
Although
the Ostiariate is no longer a distinct institution in the Church, still for
that very reason every pastor ought to be a true ostiary, consumed with zeal
for the house of God. He must love the church, frequently visit it, banish from
it all uncleanliness, disorder, and irreverence, procure decent vestments and
ornaments, and guard against the loss or profanation of anything consecrated to
divine service. He must himself be punctual and urge others to punctuality in
divine service.
Still
greater care must he bestow on the “invisible house of God, the hearts of the
faithful,” that they may be closed to the devil and opened to the graces and
blessings of God, promoting thus the interior service of God by word and deed.
MISSION STATEMENT
The
Porters of Saint Joseph is a volunteer apostolate with the mission to imitate
St. Joseph as the Protector of the Holy Church, Pillar of Families, and Terror
of Demons.
We
do this by providing a safe environment at our parishes so the faithful can
worship God in peace and security. We build teams of faithful men who have felt
the call to get involved but have not yet found the opportunity to put their
courageous, heroic, masculine heart at the service of their parish, while at
the same time, forming a bond of Christian brotherhood with like-minded men.
Fulfill
our successor to the apostle’s call to step into the breach and join the
Porters of St. Joseph!
SERVING
& PROTECTING
PHOENIX
SAN DIEGO
TUCSON
“The Porters of St. Joseph are a very
active and important ministry for men in our parish. They provide support to
the parish and to me as the Pastor in many ways, most especially as security
and medical assistance during Masses. Recently we had two instances where
members of the parish had medical emergencies during Mass. The Porters of St.
Joseph immediately assisted these parishioners, getting them to safety and
assessing their need for treatment without a disruption to the congregation or
the Mass. The Porters of St. Joseph also provided our parish with a safety
assessment and a plan to increase safety on our parish campus. I highly
recommend this ministry to any Pastor who would love to mobilize the men of
their parish to grow in their spirituality and devotion to the Blessed
Sacrament, while providing a much needed ministry.” Fr. John Muir
// Vicar General // Diocese of Phoenix
ESTABLISH YOUR CHAPTER
Contact us and let us get you everything you’ll
need to start a chapter and schedule training for your Porters.
Martyrdom of Felicity and Perpetua[7]
Perpetua was twenty-two, well born, married and the mother of a tiny son still at her breast. Felicitas, an expectant mother, was a slave. They were among five catechumens whose arrest and imprisonment were meant as a warning to the other Christians in Carthage in the year 203. Tormented by her father who was a pagan and wanted her to apostatize, terrified by the darkness and stifling heat of the dungeon where they were imprisoned, Perpetua's greatest suffering nevertheless was for her baby who was with her.
Baptism, however, drove away her fears and with the coming of the Holy
Spirit she was at peace and the prison became to her as a palace; in visions
she learned the manner of their martyrdom and caught glimpses of what awaits
souls in the life after death. Among these was a vision of Purgatory where she
saw her little brother Dinocratus suffering.
Dinocratus had died when he was
only seven, painfully ulcerated about the face. Perpetua saw him "coming
out of a dark place where there were many others," dirtily clad, pale,
with the wound still on his face, and he was very hot and thirsty. Near him was
a fountain but its brim was higher than he could reach and, though he stood on
tiptoe, he could not drink. By this vision she knew he needed her prayers, and
she prayed for him night and day. On the day the Christians were put in stocks,
she had another vision and saw Dinocratus freed. This time he was clean and
finely clothed, on his face was a clean scar and beside him a low fountain
reaching only to his waist. On the edge of the fountain was a golden cup ever
full of water, and Dinocratus drank. "And when he had drunk, he came away
— pleased to play, as children will."
In the meantime, Felicitas was
worried for fear her baby would not
be born in time for her to die for Christ with her companions. There was a law
which forbade throwing even a Christian woman to the wild beasts if she was
with child. Three days before they were to go to the arena, they prayed God
would permit the birth of her child, and as soon as their prayers were done,
her labor began. She gave birth to a little girl who was afterward adopted by
her sister.
At last, the scene of their
martyrdom and in its Perpetua and Felicity were told to put on the garments of
pagan priestesses, the two refused and so were stripped naked, covered with
nets, and sent to face assault by a maddened cow said to have been used in
insult to their womanhood and their maternity. Strangely enough the audience —
screaming for blood though it was — yet was touched by the sight of these two
so young and so valiant, and the people shuddered.
Perpetua and Felicitas were called
back and clothed in loose robes. Now Perpetua was thrown, her garment rent, and
her thigh gored. Regaining her feet, she gathered her tunic over her thigh so
in suffering she would not appear immodest and looking about found her fallen
hair ornament and repinned her hair least one soon to be a martyr seem to
grieve in her glory. Looking for Felicitas, she gave assistance to her and
standing together they awaited another attack. But the mob cried,
"Enough," and the two were led off to the headsman's block. Catching
sight of her brother, Perpetua cried out: "Stand fast in the faith and
love one another; and do not let our sufferings be a stumbling block to
you." Felicitas was struck down first then Perpetua — but only after the
nervous swordsman had struck her once and failed to sever her head. The second
time she guided his sword with her own hands. So brave, and so full of love;
perhaps if she were dying now, she would exhort us to be brave and full of love
in slightly different words. Perhaps she would cry out, "Stand fast in the
faith and love one another; and do not let our color be a stumbling block to
you." Perpetua was white, and Felicitas was black.
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
II. Respect for the Dignity of Persons
Respect for the souls of
others: scandal
2284 Scandal is an attitude or
behavior which leads another to do evil. The person who gives scandal becomes
his neighbor's tempter. He damages virtue and integrity; he may even draw his
brother into spiritual death. Scandal is a grave offense if by deed or omission
another is deliberately led into a grave offense.
2285 Scandal takes on a
particular gravity by reason of the authority of those who cause it or the
weakness of those who are scandalized. It prompted our Lord to utter this
curse: "Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin,
it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened round his neck
and to be drowned in the depth of the sea." Scandal is grave when
given by those who by nature or office are obliged to teach and educate others.
Jesus reproaches the scribes and Pharisees on this account: he likens them to
wolves in sheep's clothing.
2286 Scandal can be provoked by
laws or institutions, by fashion or opinion.
Therefore, they are guilty of
scandal who establish laws or social structures leading to the decline of
morals and the corruption of religious practice, or to "social conditions
that, intentionally or not, make Christian conduct and obedience to the
Commandments difficult and practically impossible." This is also true
of business leaders who make rules encouraging fraud, teachers who provoke
their children to anger, or manipulators of public opinion who turn it
away from moral values.
2287 Anyone who uses the power
at his disposal in such a way that it leads others to do wrong becomes guilty
of scandal and responsible for the evil that he has directly or indirectly
encouraged. "Temptations to sin are sure to come; but woe to him by whom
they come!"
Respect for health
2288 Life and physical health
are precious gifts entrusted to us by God.
We must take reasonable care of them, taking into account the needs of others
and the common good.
Concern for the health of its citizens requires that society help in the
attainment of living-conditions that allow them to grow and reach maturity:
food and clothing, housing, health care, basic education, employment, and
social assistance.
2289 If morality requires
respect for the life of the body, it does not make it an absolute value.
It rejects a neo-pagan notion that tends to promote the cult of the body, to
sacrifice everything for it's sake, to idolize physical perfection and success
at sports.
By its selective preference of the strong over the weak, such a conception can
lead to the perversion of human relationships.
2290 The virtue of temperance
disposes us to avoid every kind of excess: the abuse of food, alcohol, tobacco,
or medicine. Those incur grave guilt who, by drunkenness or a love of speed,
endanger their own and others' safety on the road, at sea, or in the air.
2291 The use of drugs inflicts
very grave damage on human health and life. Their use, except on strictly
therapeutic grounds, is a grave offense. Clandestine production of and
trafficking in drugs are scandalous practices. They constitute direct co-operation
in evil, since they encourage people to practices gravely contrary to the moral
law.
Respect for the person and
scientific research
2292 Scientific, medical, or
psychological experiments on human individuals or groups can contribute to
healing the sick and the advancement of public health.
2293 Basic scientific research,
as well as applied research, is a significant expression of man's dominion over
creation. Science and technology are precious resources when placed at the
service of man and promote his integral development for the benefit of all. By
themselves however they cannot disclose the meaning of existence and of human
progress. Science and technology are ordered to man, from whom they take their
origin and development; hence they find in the person and in his moral values
both evidence of their purpose and awareness of their limits.
2294 It is an illusion to claim
moral neutrality in scientific research and its applications. On the other
hand, guiding principles cannot be inferred from simple technical efficiency,
or from the usefulness accruing to some at the expense of others or, even
worse, from prevailing ideologies. Science and technology by their very nature
require unconditional respect for fundamental moral criteria. They must be at
the service of the human person, of his inalienable rights, of his true and
integral good, in conformity with the plan and the will of God.
2295 Research or
experimentation on the human being cannot legitimate acts that are in
themselves contrary to the dignity of persons and to the moral law. the
subjects' potential consent does not justify such acts. Experimentation on
human beings is not morally legitimate if it exposes the subject's life or
physical and psychological integrity to disproportionate or avoidable risks.
Experimentation on human beings does not conform to the dignity of the person
if it takes place without the informed consent of the subject or those who
legitimately speak for him.
2296 Organ transplants are in
conformity with the moral law if the physical and psychological dangers and
risks incurred by the donor are proportionate to the good sought for the
recipient. Donation of organs after death is a noble and meritorious act and is
to be encouraged as a manifestation of generous solidarity. It is not morally
acceptable if the donor or those who legitimately speak for him have not given
their explicit consent.
It is furthermore morally inadmissible directly to bring about the disabling
mutilation or death of a human being, even in order to delay the death of other
persons.
Respect for bodily integrity
2297 Kidnapping and hostage
taking bring on a reign of terror; by means of threats they subject their
victims to intolerable pressures. They are morally wrong. Terrorism threatens,
wounds, and kills indiscriminately; it is gravely against justice and charity.
Torture which uses physical or moral violence to extract confessions, punish
the guilty, frighten opponents, or satisfy hatred is contrary to respect for
the person and for human dignity. Except when performed for strictly
therapeutic medical reasons, directly intended amputations, mutilations, and
sterilizations performed on innocent persons are against the moral law.
2298 In times past, cruel
practices were commonly used by legitimate governments to maintain law and
order, often without protest from the Pastors of the Church, who themselves
adopted in their own tribunals the prescriptions of Roman law concerning torture.
Regrettable as these facts are, the Church always taught the duty of clemency
and mercy. She forbade clerics to shed blood. In recent times it has become
evident that these cruel practices were neither necessary for public order, nor
in conformity with the legitimate rights of the human person. On the contrary,
these practices led to ones even more degrading. It is necessary to work for
their abolition. We must pray for the victims and their tormentors.
Respect for the dead
2299 The dying should be given
attention and care to help them live their last moments in dignity and peace.
They will be helped by the prayer of their relatives, who must see to it that
the sick receive at the proper time the sacraments that prepare them to meet
the living God.
2300 The bodies of the dead
must be treated with respect and charity, in faith and hope of the
Resurrection. the burial of the dead is a corporal work of mercy; it
honors the children of God, who are temples of the Holy Spirit.
2301 Autopsies can be morally
permitted for legal inquests or scientific research. the free gift of organs
after death is legitimate and can be meritorious.
The Church permits cremation, provided that it does not demonstrate a denial of
faith in the resurrection of the body.
Thursday
Feast
Thursday
is the day of the week that our Lord gave himself up for consumption. Thursday
commemorates the last supper. Some theologians believe after Sunday Thursday is
the holiest day of the week. We should then try to make this day special by
making a visit to the blessed sacrament chapel, Mass or even stopping by the
grave of a loved one. Why not plan to count the blessing of the week and thank
our Lord. Plan a special meal. Be at Peace.
· According to Mary Agreda[8] in her visions it was on a Thursday at six o'clock in the evening and at the approach of night that the Angel Gabriel approached and announced her as Mother of God and she gave her fiat.
Today’s Menu is from IOWA
- Iowa:
Blue Water Margarita
- Beef
Vegetable Soup
- Stuffed
Iowa Chops
- Home Fries
- Candy
Bar Apple Salad
After
Dinner Cigars
Brain Tumor Awareness Month
According to the almanac we are having a Full Worm Moon-plan to take your family or grandchildren fishing! Hummingbirds are migrating North now; look for them.
Daily Devotions
·
Unite in the work of the Porters of St. Joseph by joining them
in fasting: Today's Fast: Holy
Bishops and Cardinals
·
do
a personal eucharistic stations of the cross.
·
Total Consecration
to St. Joseph Day 21
·
Offering to
the sacred heart of Jesus
·
Make
reparations to the Holy Face
[2]www.usccb.org
[3] Goffine’s Devout Instructions, 1896
[5]Thigpen, Paul. Manual for Spiritual
Warfare. TAN Books.
[6]https://celtichermit.com/2021/12/09/a-look-at-minor-orders-the-porter-exorcist-lector-and-acolyte/
[8] Venerable Mary of Agreda. The
Mystical City of God: Complete Edition Containing all Four Volumes with
Illustrations (p. 770). Veritatis Splendor Publications. Kindle Edition
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