Monday, May 6, 2024
- Traditions passed down with Cooking, Crafting, & Caring -
Rogation Monday
Job, Chapter 37, Verse 24
Therefore, people FEAR him; none can see him, however wise their hearts.
We cannot see God, but we can see His justice which condemns self-righteousness and is good to all; both the evil and the virtuous. Elihu proclaims God’s majesty is revealed in the entire universe and due to this majesty men are fearful.
Who has seen God[1]
The First Letter of John
begins: “Beloved, if God so loved us, we also must love one another. No one
has ever seen God. Yet, if we love one another, God remains in us, and his love
is brought to perfection in us.” “No one has ever seen God”?
Wait
. . . we definitely believe Jesus is God, and lots of people saw Jesus during
his lifetime; doesn’t that count? What’s going on?
Also
John 1:18
(“No one has ever seen God. The only son God, who is at the Father’s side,
has revealed him.”) and 1 Timothy 6:16 (“. . . the King of kings and
Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light,
and whom no human being has seen or can see”).
Not even Moses saw God;
although he talked to the LORD “face to face” (Deuteronomy 34:10) – meaning in a conversational
manner – the Scripture is clear that he didn’t really see God’s face
(see Exodus 33:18-23). In addition it took a few
centuries for mortal minds to fully wrap around the idea of the Trinity, even
though it’s clearly in the Gospels (see, for example, Matthew 28:19). So, it’s understandable that
they say things that seem a bit askew to modern ears. And yet . . . is there
more wisdom to be gleaned here?
In
Mark we see how Jesus walked on water after the miracle of feeding the five
thousand. “But at once he spoke with them, ‘Take courage, it is I, do not be
afraid!’ He got into the boat with them, and the wind died down. They were
completely astounded. They had not understood the incident of the loaves. On
the contrary, their hearts were hardened.” Christ’s answer of “It is I” is
literally translated as “I am,” which points to the divine revelation found –
among other places – in Exodus 3:14
(“God replied, ‘I am who am,’ Then he added, ‘This is what you shall tell
the Israelites: IAM sent me to you.'”). Look at the last two sentences from
Mark: “They had not understood the incident of the loaves. On the contrary,
their hearts were hardened.”
What did they not
understand? Why were their hearts hardened?
Simply
put, they didn’t understand the signs of Christ’s divinity. Their hearts were
hardened to the truth that was before them: That Jesus was God. If you
were walking along the street two thousand years ago and saw Jesus, you would
not immediately know he was God. You would not “see” him. Similarly, if a
nonbeliever saw the Eucharist, he would not “see” Christ, even though we know
Scripture and Tradition clearly indicate he is physically there with us during
that Sacrament. And even if we believe we are practicing Catholics, in our
hearts, are we sure we are “seeing” Christ?
About
half of American Catholics don’t believe that – during Communion – the bread
and wine become the body and blood of Jesus. (I can’t find statistics
worldwide, but I suspect there are a large number of Catholics across the globe
who don’t understand or accept the doctrine of transubstantiation.) In the
Gospel of Mark, we learn of those who saw the truth but didn’t believe, and
their hearts were hardened. Let us remain ever vigilant that – through
Sacraments, Scripture, prayer, and more – we have ample opportunity to know
God. If we fail to do so, the fault is with us.
1376 The Council of
Trent summarizes the Catholic faith by declaring: "Because Christ our
Redeemer said that it was truly his body that he was offering under the species
of bread, it has always been the conviction of the Church of God, and this holy
Council now declares again, that by the consecration of the bread and wine
there takes place a change of the whole substance of the bread into the
substance of the body of Christ our Lord and of the whole substance of the wine
into the substance of his blood. This change the holy Catholic Church has
fittingly and properly called transubstantiation."
1413 By the consecration the
transubstantiation of the bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ is
brought about. Under the consecrated species of bread and wine Christ himself,
living and glorious, is present in a true, real, and substantial manner: his
Body and his Blood, with his soul and his divinity.
Rogation
Days[2]
THE
Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday before the Ascension are observed as days of
solemn supplication, and are called Rogation Days. These three Rogation days
serve also as a preparation for the feast of the ascension, which reminds us
that we have the most powerful intercessor in our savior, who is now enthroned
at the right hand of the father. Since 1929
many churches in the
United States have
observed Rogation Sunday as Rural Life
Sunday, or Soil Stewardship
Sunday. Services on this day examine
the religious aspects
of rural life. In 1969 the Roman Catholic Church cancelled
the Rogation Days.
In their place Church
authorities instituted days of prayer for
human needs, human
works, and the
fruits of the earth.
Local bishops may
now set appropriate
dates for these
observances in their dioceses.
Things to Do:[3]
Rogationtide
Monday[4]
Rogation Days are a Roman Catholic "baptism" of the Robigalia, a pagan procession to gain favor from the Robigo, the Roman god of grain. Since the Church had no objection to praying for the harvest, it threw out Robigo while keeping the procession and prayers. Today would be a good day to reflect on what we want to harvest this fall; so like farmers we must till the soil of our soul reflecting this day on our use of our TIME and look at in what ways we may offer our time to Christ to help build a harvest for His Kingdom.
Time
Consider
that Christ was on the cross from noon to 3 p.m. Three hours that must have
seemed an eternality to literally buy us back from damnation.
Reflect
today if you in turn can sacrifice 3 hours a week to give back to the Lord.
Yes, time is a precious commodity:
Consider:
·
Sunday
Mass is one hour can you give more?
·
Each
day has 24 hours.
o
Normally
you use 8 hours for sleep-offer your sleep to the Lord.
§
If
you wake in the middle of night give an hour to prayer and go back to sleep in
the Lord.
o
Normally
you use 8 hours to earn your daily bread and a place to sleep.
§
Before
you eat your bread and place your head on your “my pillow” thank the Lord.
o
Normally
you have 8 hours to bake the bread, make your bed; make sure your fed; wash
your head. Exercise and make use of your squatty potty, etc.
o
Brother
can you spare some time for the Lord
·
The
rosary takes 20 minutes.
Catechism
of the Catholic Church
PART FOUR: CHRISTIAN PRAYER
SECTION ONE-PRAYER IN THE CHRISTIAN LIFE
CHAPTER THREE-THE LIFE OF PRAYER
Article 2-THE BATTLE OF PRAYER
2725 Prayer
is both a gift of grace and a determined response on our part. It always
presupposes effort. the great figures of prayer of the Old Covenant before
Christ, as well as the Mother of God, the saints, and he himself, all teach us
this: prayer is a battle. Against whom? Against ourselves and against the wiles
of the tempter who does all he can to turn man away from prayer, away from
union with God. We pray as we live, because we live as we pray. If we do not
want to act habitually according to the Spirit of Christ, neither can we pray
habitually in his name. the "spiritual battle" of the Christian's new
life is inseparable from the battle of prayer.
PRAYERS AND TEACHINGS OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH
Prayer to Patron Saint
Great Saint N., who at my
baptism was chosen as my guardian and under whose patronage I became an adopted
child of God and solemnly renounced Satan, his works and allurements, assist me
by your powerful intercession in the fulfillment of these sacred promises. Amen
Christopher’s
Corner
26th Annual Eagle Festival
at Mason Neck State Park
Mason neck state park, 7301 high point rd. Lorton, va
22079
(703) 339-2385
10:00 am TO 4:00 pm
May 11, 2024
Overview
Join US FOR A FULL DAY OF LIVE ANIMAL SHOWS, HANDS ON
EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES, AND OUTDOOR RECREATION CLINICS THAT ALL AIM TO
HIGHLIGHT THE RICH NATURAL HISTORY OF northern virginia AND FOSTER STEWARDSHIP
OF OUR ENVIRONMENT.
see LIVE WILDLIFE UP CLOSE
learn ABOUT OUR RESIDENT BALD EAGLES AND SEE THEM FLY
OVERHEAD
visit EXHIBITS FROM OUR MANY CONSERVATION PARTNERS
enjoy LIVE MUSIC, FOOD, AND MORE
All EVENTS FOR THE FESTIVAL ARE FREE FOR EVERYONE TO ENJOY!
Today is Orson
Welles' birthday.
May 6th (1915)
In honor of him we
will be also watching
5 Life Lessons from the
Film ‘Citizen Kane’[5]
·
Seek Challenges… Not Comfort
“If I hadn’t been very rich, I might have been a really
great man.” — Charles Foster Kane
As a young boy, Charles Kane is sent away by his parents in
rural Colorado to live under the guardianship of an austere banker. After a
valuable gold mine was discovered on the Kane family property, his mother
wanted him to be raised in a manner befitting his future inheritance. Later in
life, Kane saw this wealth as a curse, shielding him from the adversity that
could have forged him into a “great man.”
·
Set Goals… Then Work to Achieve Them
“There's only one person who's going to decide what I'm
going to do and that's me.” - Charles Foster Kane
Kane resolved as a young adult to direct his energy towards
making a positive impact on his country. He grew a floundering city newspaper
into a national media empire, and ran for Governor of New York on a progressive
and anti-corruption platform.
·
On Friendship: Quality Beats Quantity
“I know too many people. I guess we’re both lonely.” —
Charles Foster Kane
Although he was always surrounded by people, Kane kept most
of his acquaintances at arm’s length. Demanding loyalty from his friends and
colleagues, but offering little in return. As a consequence, he often felt
lonely and isolated.
·
Principles Are More Valuable Than
Possessions
When Kane took the helm of that first newspaper, he promised
(via a front page cover story), to operate the periodical according to the
principles of truth and honesty. As his empire expanded however, he chose to
compromise these principles in service of his ambition.
Kane attempted to fill the resulting void in his life by
collecting art and curios from around the world. In the end, he died alone in
his cavernous mansion, surrounded by his collection destined for an auction
house or incinerator.
Scene from end of Citizen Kane
- We Are All Tapestries of Diversity
“Mr Kane was a man who got everything he wanted, and then
lost it. Maybe Rosebud was something he couldn't get or something he lost.
Anyway, it wouldn't have explained anything. I don't think any word can explain
a man's life. No, I guess Rosebud is just a piece in a jigsaw puzzle… a missing
piece.”
— Jerry Thompson
Daily
Devotions
·
Unite in the work of the Porters of St. Joseph by joining them
in fasting: Today's Fast: Authentic
Feminism
·
Eat waffles and Pray for the assistance of the Angels
·
Litany of the Most Precious
Blood of Jesus
·
Offering to
the sacred heart of Jesus
·
Make
reparations to the Holy Face
·
Monday: Litany of
Humility
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