Saints, Feast, Family
- Traditions passed down with Cooking, Crafting, & Caring -
April 26
Arbor Day
Arbor Day (or Arbour; from the Latin arbor, meaning tree) is a holiday in which individuals and groups are encouraged to plant trees.
Today,
many countries observe such a holiday. Though usually observed in the
spring, the date varies, depending on climate and suitable planting
season.
I think it would be amazing to honor a tree every month like the Celts. With each new moon, a different tree or plant would be honored.
April
Honoring the Beautiful Alder Tree!
Old World Customs
At the time of the Spring Equinox, or Ostara, the Alder is flourishing on riverbanks, roots in the water, bridging that spiritual space between both heaven and earth. The Alder tree, called Fearn by the Celts, and pronounced fairin, is a time for making spiritual decisions. Whistles were once made out of Alder shoots, so it's an ideal wood for making a pipe or flute if you're musically inclined.
Friday of the
Fourth Week of Easter
OUR LADY OF GOOD COUNSEL
Acts, Chapter 13, verse 26
My brothers, children of the family of Abraham, and those others among you who are GOD-FEARING, to us this word of salvation has been sent.
Is there no end to the Hubris of man, who has no fear of God, making himself the purveyors of good and evil?
In the United States and France, during the Age of enlightenment two forms of government were established; one was God fearing and the other made reason, science, and the Egoism of Man into modernist gods.
America’s
revolution although immersed in the ideology of the age of enlightenment
retained its fear of God which was indeed been our salvation. Whereas France
lost its fear of God and as a result found no salvation in man; thus, began the
reign of terror and Napoleonic wars. God is no tyrant; his church although
flawed is his Kingdom on earth there is no other way to salvation.
A number of novel ideas about religion developed
with the Enlightenment, including Deism and talk of atheism. Deism, according
to Thomas Paine, is the simple belief in God the Creator, with no reference to
the Bible or any other miraculous source. Instead, the Deist relies solely on
personal reason to guide his creed, which was eminently agreeable to many
thinkers of the time. Atheism was much discussed, but there were few
proponents. Wilson and Reill note that, "In fact, very few enlightened
intellectuals, even when they were vocal critics of Christianity, were true
atheists. Rather, they were critics of orthodox belief, wedded rather to
skepticism, deism, vitalism, or perhaps pantheism." Some followed Pierre
Bayle and argued that atheists could indeed be moral men. Many others like
Voltaire held that without belief in a God who punishes evil, the moral order
of society was undermined. That is, since atheists gave themselves to no
Supreme Authority and no law, and had no fear of eternal consequences, they were
far more likely to disrupt society. Bayle (1647–1706) observed that in his day,
"prudent persons will always maintain an appearance of [religion].".
He believed that even atheists could hold concepts of honor and go beyond their
own self-interest to create and interact in society. Locke said that if there
were no God and no divine law, the result would be moral anarchy: every
individual "could have no law but his own will, no end but himself. He
would be a god to himself, and the satisfaction of his own will the sole
measure and end of all his actions".[1]
Our Lady of Good
Counsel[2]
On the Feast of Saint Mark, April 25, 1467, the people of Genazzano, Italy witnessed a marvelous sight. A cloud descended upon an ancient church dedicated to Our Lady of Good Counsel. When the cloud disappeared, an image of Our Lady and the Child Jesus was revealed which had not been there before. The image, on a paper-thin sheet, was suspended miraculously. Soon after the image's appearance many miracles were attributed to the intercession of Our Lady of Good Counsel. Because of this, Pope Paul II ordered an investigation and the results have been preserved. It was later discovered that the very same image had been seen in a church dedicated to the Annunciation in Scutari, Albania. The image in this church was said to have arrived there in a miraculous manner. Now, the image had been transported from Albania miraculously to avoid sacrilege from Moslem invasion. A commission of enquiry determined that a portrait from the church was indeed missing. An empty space the same size as the portrait was displayed for all to see. Many miracles continue to be attributed to Our Lady of Good Counsel. Pope Saint Pius V, for example, credited victory in the Battle of Lepanto to Her intercession. Several Popes have approved the miraculous image. In 1682 Pope Innocent XI had the portrait crowned with gold. On July 2, 1753, Pope Benedict XIV approved the Scapular of Our Lady of Good Counsel, and was the first to wear it.
Arbor Day[3]
Arbor
Day is a celebration of trees and their importance to providing shelter,
stabilization for the ground, and beauty to the beholder. While Arbor Day is a
US holiday, several other countries have adopted similar observances including
Japan, Australia, Korea and Yugoslavia. In 1970, President Richard Nixon
declared Arbor Day a federal holiday and it is observed the last Friday in
April each year.
Arbor
Day Facts & Quotes
·
The
first Arbor Day was celebrated April 10, 1872, in the State of Nebraska. More
than 1 million trees were planted in Nebraska as they celebrated the first
Arbor Day.
·
A
single tree can absorb as much as 48 pounds of carbon dioxide per year and can
sequester 1 ton of carbon dioxide by the time it reaches 40 years old.
·
Newspaper
editor, Julius Sterling Morton began Arbor Day to help bring attention to the
importance of trees.
·
Since
the Yellowstone Fires of 1988, the Arbor Day Foundation has partnered with the
US Forest Service. Through this partnership, over 25 million Arbor Day
Foundation trees have been planted.
·
The
best time to plant a tree is twenty years ago. The second-best time is now.
–Proverb
Arbor
Day Top Events and Things to Do
·
Plant
a tree.
·
Visit
a nursery and consider buying some plants.
·
Organize
a neighborhood beautification project.
·
Hold
a paper drive. Use the recycling proceeds to purchase a special tree.
Catechism
of the Catholic Church
PART FOUR: CHRISTIAN PRAYER
SECTION ONE-PRAYER IN THE CHRISTIAN LIFE
CHAPTER TWO-THE TRADITION OF PRAYER
Article 1-AT THE WELLSPRINGS OF PRAYER
IN BRIEF
2661 By a living transmission -Tradition - the Holy Spirit in the
Church teaches the children of God to pray.
2662 The Word of God, the liturgy of the Church, and the virtues
of faith, hope, and charity are sources of prayer.
PRAYERS AND TEACHINGS OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH
Examination
of Conscience
What sins have I committed of thought, word, deed and omission, against
God, neighbor, and self?
Fitness Friday
· Try the St. Joseph Universal Man Plan May 1st is the Feast of St. Joseph the worker.
NIC’s Corner
Local action. Nationwide impact. This is
PanCAN PurpleStride, the ultimate walk to end pancreatic cancer!
On April 27, 2024, pancreatic cancer
survivors, families, caregivers, researchers and supporters will take steps
together at nearly 60 PurpleStride events across the nation to honor everyone
affected by the disease. It’s an inspirational day to celebrate survivors,
honor those we lost and turn the nation purple!
Your participation and fundraising help
pancreatic cancer patients in your community by:
- Offering
free, personalized support and resources through PanCAN Patient Services
- Providing
molecular testing at no cost through PanCAN's Know Your Tumor®
- Supporting
PanCAN’s research priorities of finding an early detection strategy and
accelerating treatments
- Creating
hope – because a five-year survival rate of 13% is just not acceptable
Ready to take action to improve outcomes
for pancreatic cancer patients? Register
for free and start fundraising today!
Event
Shenandoah
Apple Blossom Festival—April 26 thru May 5-- Take
in the small-town charm of Winchester, VA, in this 6-day celebration of spring.
First held in 1924, the annual festival packs a wallop of more than 30 events
into its lineup: band competitions, dances, parades, carnival, a 10K race, the
coronation of Queen Shenandoah and so much more, attracting crowds in excess of
250,000.
Daily
Devotions
·
Unite in the work of the Porters of St. Joseph by joining them
in fasting: Today's Fast: Growth
of Catholic Families and Households
·
Litany of the Most Precious
Blood of Jesus
·
Offering to
the sacred heart of Jesus
·
Make
reparations to the Holy Face
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