Saints, Feast, Family
- Traditions passed down with Cooking, Crafting, & Caring -
Tuesday of the Fourth Week of Easter
Saint George
Job, Chapter 9, Verse 33-10:1
33 Would that there
were an arbiter between us, who could lay his hand upon us both 34 and
withdraw his rod from me, So that his terrors did not frighten me; 35
that I might speak without being AFRAID
of him. Since this is not the case with me, I loathe my life.
It
certainly sounds as if Job is suffering from post-traumatic stress
syndrome.
The
Pained Spirit[1]
·
Job
decides he won't take this lying down.
·
This
is his "why me?" moment. He asks God why he specifically has become
God's target.
·
He's
in such pain that even death would be better.
·
Bildad
(friend #2) tells Job to repent. Why? He thinks it could have been his kids who
sinned and brought this misery upon Job.
·
Then
he gets all poetic, comparing Job's suffering to a garden sown with bad seeds
from his past or from his offspring.
·
Bildad
is just trying to give the situation some sense for his buddy.
·
Job
wants a mediator. Can't someone just judge who's right—him or God? Because
really, if God is omniscient and omnipotent, then what he did was really, really mean.
·
He
laments that there is no justice between mortals and immortals, and then he demands
a trial with God.
Trauma
and Spirituality[2]
How does one discuss
Spirituality in the same breath as Trauma? Can they both coincide?
The
answer to these questions cannot be revealed in an article or by anyone else
but the survivor. This article is about Spirituality and how the survivor can
reclaim it in his or her life.
It is often said that
"if there was a God, why did _____ happen?"
This
article is not about philosophical answers and does not wish to push any
religious agenda. It is not about God unless the survivor called his or her
Higher Power God. It is about defining what spirituality in one's life and
being able to draw strength from it. Trauma can cause a disconnection from
various parts of a person's being. This disconnect happens as a defense
mechanism again feeling the effects of the trauma. Unfortunately, this
disconnect can also be prolonged and present itself in survivor's relationships
with family, friends, and a Higher Power. In this complex world, it is best to
have full access to all of them to survive. Many survivors of trauma become
angry at God or the Entity they believe in. There are questions such as
"Where were
you?" "Why didn't you protect me?" or simply, "Why
me?"
Survivors
may feel as if they are broken or not worthy of love. It seems like having a
connection is for those who are able to have faith and trust. For many
survivors, it is important to recapture their spirituality in order to aid
their healing. It is essential that they be given permission to create a Higher
Power of their understanding. It is possible to create a new connection, one
that is based on love, acceptance, and safety. These qualities are often shaken
when an individual experiences trauma. They are replaced with feelings of
judgment and shame.
Here are some suggestions
on reclaiming one's spirituality. It is not meant to be exhaustive, nor will it
feel right for every individual. It is suggested that you do this with a
friend, counselor, or spiritual advisor. It may help to confront one's trauma
with someone else's help. It may be a place too scary to go alone.
Step
One: Validate the effects the trauma has had on your life. Trauma affects lives
in so many different ways. It is important to honor how it has affected you. It
may have had an impact on your relationships, self-esteem, feelings of safety,
and the list could go on ad nauseam. These are scars that only you know about
and it's time to share them with others and lessen the shame associated with
them.
Journal Exercise: Write a list of the effects the
trauma has had on you in the following areas.
·
Physical
·
Emotional
·
Sexual
·
Relational
·
Self-esteem
·
Financial
·
Occupational
Step
Two: Write a list of characteristics you want in a Higher Power or Spiritual
practice. There are no boundaries here. You have the right and permission to
create a Higher Power of your understanding who you always wanted and needed.
One suggestion is to think of characteristics you want in a best friend or a
parent.
Journal Exercise:
·
Write a list of characteristics of a friend or
someone you know whom you admire or feel safe with.
·
Write out a list of characteristics of your new
Higher Power.
Step
Three: Surround yourself with a loving and understanding person with whom you can
share your spiritual journey. This is a delicate matter; you want to choose
someone you see practicing spirituality themselves. You want someone you can be
honest with about your experience and how you are feeling.
Exercise:
·
Tell someone you trust that you need his or her
help.
·
Share some of your journaling exercises with
this individual.
·
Initiate a conversation on how they found
spirituality.
Journal Exercise: Journal what it felt like to tell
someone about what had happened and discuss the concept of spirituality and
what you may have learned from this conversation.
Step
Four: Recognize your Spirituality or Higher Power. Try and envision your Higher
Power. Next, recognize where you see your Higher Power or witness Spirituality
in the world. Make a list of characteristics that you see in daily life that is
evidence of a spiritual presence. An example of this is seeing the concept of
"peace" within the ocean or witnessing "strength" in the
eyes of a child. Make your Spirituality or Higher Power something you can see
in your daily life.
Journal Exercise:
·
Write out what your Higher Power looks like,
feels like and smells like.
·
Write down some things that your Higher Power
would say to you.
·
Recognize in the world where you see evidence of
the characteristics of your Higher Power. There are an infinite number of
answers to this question.
Step
Five: Communicate with your Higher Power. Have a dialogue with this new Higher
Power on a regular basis. Write letters if it best suits you. Remember, there
is no wrong way to have a dialogue.
Journal Exercise:
·
Write out a few things you say on a daily basis.
These can be "prayers" or take the form of affirmations. Type them up
and put them in places where you will see them daily. Be specific. If there is
something that you are struggling with, write a prayer or affirmation about it.
·
Note where you see your Higher Power work in
your life. If you are able to get through something that was difficult and feel
as if a Presence got you through it or may have contributed to your strength,
then write it down. Perhaps you felt an instance of peace where you used to
have none. Put it on paper. Feel the presence in your life.
This is not an easy journey. It may take time for you to
develop this relationship. As with any relationship, it takes time and effort.
I have witnessed strength in survivors where they thought there were none. I
have seen them capture spirituality that they thought was beyond them. It
starts with a willingness to believe in Something. Remember this is a journey,
not a destination.
Saint George[3]
The traditional legends have offered a historicized narration of George's encounter with a dragon. The modern legend that follows below is synthesized from early and late hagiographical sources, omitting the more fantastical episodes. Saint George likely was born to a Christian noble family in Syria Palaestina, during the late third century between about 275 AD and 285 AD. He died in Nicomedia in Asia Minor. His father, Gerontios, was from Cappadocia, an officer in the Roman army; his mother, Polychronia, was a native of Lydda. They were both Christians from noble families, so their child was raised with Christian beliefs. They decided to call him Georgios, meaning "worker of the land" (i.e., farmer). At the age of 14, George lost his father; a few years later, George's mother, Polychronia, died. Eastern accounts give the names of his parents as Anastasius and Theobaste. George then decided to go to Nicomedia and present himself to Emperor Diocletian to apply for a career as a soldier. Diocletian welcomed him with open arms, as he had known his father, Gerontius — one of his finest soldiers. By his late 20s, George was promoted to the rank of Military Tribune and stationed as an imperial guard of the Emperor at Nicomedia. On 24 February AD 303, Diocletian (influenced by Galerius) issued an edict that every Christian soldier in the army should be arrested and every other soldier should offer a sacrifice to the Roman gods of the time. However, George objected, and with the courage of his faith, approached the emperor and ruler. Diocletian was upset, not wanting to lose his best tribune and the son of his best official, Gerontius. But George loudly renounced the emperor’s edict, and in front of his fellow soldiers and tribunes he claimed himself to be a Christian and declared his worship of Jesus Christ. Diocletian attempted to convert George, even offering gifts of land, money, and slaves if he made a sacrifice to the Roman gods; he made many offers, but George never accepted. Recognizing the futility of his efforts and insisting on upholding his edict, Diocletian ordered that George be executed for his refusal. Before the execution, George gave his wealth to the poor and prepared himself. After various torture sessions, including laceration on a wheel of swords during which he was resuscitated three times, George was executed by decapitation before Nicomedia's city wall, on 23 April 303. A witness of his suffering convinced Empress Alexandra and Athanasius, a pagan priest, to become Christians, as well, so they joined George in martyrdom.
St. George, soldier-martyr.[4]
Invoked for protection for domestic animals and against herpetic diseases.
Also, patron of soldiers, England, Portugal, Germany, Aragon, Genoa and Venice.
He is pictured striking down a dragon.
St. George is venerated by the Eastern
Church among her "great martyrs" and "standard-bearers." He
belonged to the Roman army; he was arrested and, probably, beheaded under
Diocletian, c. 304. The Latin Church as well as the Greek honors him as patron
of armies. He is the patron of England, since 800. Many legends are attached to
Saint George. The most famous is the one in The Golden Legend. There was
a dragon that lived in a lake near Silena, Libya. Not even armies could defeat
this creature, and he terrorized flocks and the people. St. George was passing
through and upon hearing about a princess was about to be eaten, he went to
battle against the serpent, and killed it with one blow with his lance. Then
with his great preaching, George converted the people. He distributed his
reward to the poor, then left the area.
Troops of Saint George[5]
The Troops of Saint George (TSG) is a fraternal Catholic nonprofit apostolate for priests, men, and young men looking for a life of adventure coupled with virtue. Initially founded in 2013 by Catholic author and professor Dr. Taylor Marshall, we have become a collection of troops that do the following:
·
experience
reverent and beautiful Masses on mountaintop vistas.
·
pray
the Rosary with other men around fire pits in the freezing cold.
·
catch
a Fish Friday meal by fly fishing for trout.
·
go
to confession with our priests while kneeling on moss in the woods.
·
teach
our sons archery, rock climbing, marksmanship, fishing, survival skills…and
Catholic virtues.
·
foster
a love for the priesthood and a reverence for the sacrament of Matrimony.
·
support
our local parish, our priests, our bishops, and community by being available
for works of mercy and service.
Mission Statement
“The Troops of Saint
George apostolate aims to use the outdoors as our canvas and the sacraments as
our path to light the way for the formation of Holy Catholic men and boys.
Whether called to the vocation of the priesthood, the religious life, or that of
Holy fatherhood, our fathers and sons will take a prayerful pilgrimage together
to fulfill Christ’s desire for them to grow in virtue and in their Holy
Catholic faith as they journey toward heaven.”
Saint George Trinitarian Salute
The Troops of Saint George
salute their officers, the flag, banners of the saints and Our Lady, and
crucifixes with the “Trinitarian Salute” – three fingers of the right hand
(index, middle, ring) out, and with the pinky and thumb joined signifying that the
divine nature of Christ is joined to His human nature: fully God and fully man
as taught at the Catholic Council of Chalcedon in AD 431.
Prayer Customs: ad orientem
The cadets usually carry a
compass with them. Even when they do not, they should be able to find East.
Like the early Christians, the Troops of Saint George pray facing the East in
response to Gospel according to Saint Matthew 24:27:
“For as lightning cometh
out of the east, and appears even into the west: so, shall the coming of the
Son of man be.”
The Church believed that
Christ’s Second Coming would be revealed “from the east to the west.” The
rising sun was an image of the Resurrected Christ.
So, at times of prayer
(for example, at the Angelus at noon), the Captain or one of the boys should
shout “ad orientem” and the men and boys should turn to face East, unless there
is already a suitable image or crucifix erected nearby.
The Role of Proverbs for the Troops
of Saint George
Each man or young man
among the Troops of Saint George must study the biblical book of Proverbs,
since it is the Book of the Bible that instructs men how to become wise and
virtuous. There the man will learn why he should resist sexual impurity,
alcoholism, quarreling, and financial debt – the chief ways by which men lapse.
He will also learn from the Proverbs the riches of knowing God and the blessing
of a godly wife and family.
While
stationed in Mons we were chased by the Doudou
The
Doudou of Mons[6]
Thousands of bystanders stand with
necks craned, cheering on Saint George as he goes into battle with the
ferocious dragon in a small circle in the middle of Mons’ Grand-Place. The curious scene is
a highlight of the Belgian city’s Doudou festival, an ancient feast of lush
parades, fights with wicker monsters, and buckets of crowd participation.
Up in the forested Belgian Ardennes, slightly bizarre folkloric celebrations
have long been a part of the annual diet – just think of Binche’s
carnival with its
white-masked, orange-pelting figures, or Andenne with its bear-filled streets.
Local identity and pride in one’s cultural heritage play a major part in these
festivities, and they are, in fact, the reason they still exist today, and this
is no less true in Mons’ case. The 800-year-old Ducasse de Mons on Trinity
Sunday, lovingly dubbed ‘le Doudou’ by locals, is perhaps the most raucous of
them all. As Saint George on horseback and a giant wicker dragon make their way
to the middle of the main square for their epic brawl, members of the crowd
jump forward to try and grab a handful of straw from the mythical beast’s tail.
A handful of its hairs, legend has it, will bring brave audience member’s luck.
Before the meticulously choreographed
“Battle of the Lumeçon” begins, however, visitors are reminded that the dragon
isn’t the only adversity Mons has had to reckon with in its history. Indeed,
true fans have started the day’s celebrations off much earlier in the
Sainte-Waudru Collegiate Church. Here, the shrine of Sainte Waudru, foundress of
the city and miracle worker, is taken out in the morning to meet a temple
overflowing with worshippers. Believed to have saved Mons from a sweeping
plague in the 14th century, the holy woman’s relics are loaded onto an
elaborately decorated wagon called the Car d’Or (“the Golden Cart”).
A whole parade of local organizations dressed up in medieval garb join the procession, and when the draft horses pulling the ornate wagon invariably struggle on one particularly steep alley, the watchful masses never fail to reunite forces and help them up the slope. Locals especially have a stake in this: superstition has it that if the cart doesn’t get up in one try, bad things await the city. Meanwhile, the daredevils who plan on doing some tail-grabbing later have had the opportunity to gain a little liquid courage at the food and drink stalls lining the parade’s route. With each victory – getting the cart up the hill, the slaughter of the wicker dragon – the audience yells out joyously: “Et les Montois ne périront pas!” (“And the people of Mons will not perish!”). Folklore fans who are longing to join in know where and when to plan their next trip.
The next Ducasse de
Mons takes place May 22-June 2
Catechism
of the Catholic Church
PART FOUR: CHRISTIAN PRAYER
SECTION ONE-PRAYER IN THE CHRISTIAN LIFE
CHAPTER ONE-THE REVELATION OF PRAYER - THE
UNIVERSAL CALL TO PRAYER
Article 3-IN THE AGE OF THE CHURCH
IN BRIEF
2644 The
Holy Spirit who teaches the Church and recalls to her all that Jesus said also
instructs her in the life of prayer, inspiring new expressions of the same
basic forms of prayer: blessing, petition, intercession, thanksgiving, and
praise.
2645
Because God blesses the human heart, it can in return bless him who is the
source of every blessing.
2646
Forgiveness, the quest for the Kingdom, and every true need are objects of the
prayer of petition.
2647
Prayer of intercession consists in asking on behalf of another. It knows no
boundaries and extends to one's enemies.
2648
Every joy and suffering, every event and need can become the matter for
thanksgiving which, sharing in that of Christ, should fill one's whole life:
"Give thanks in all circumstances" (1 Thess 5:18).
2649
Prayer of praise is entirely disinterested and rises to God, lauds him, and
gives him glory for his own sake, quite beyond what he has done, but simply
because HE IS.
PRAYERS AND TEACHINGS OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH
Prayer after Meals[7]
We
give Thee thanks for all Thy benefits, O Almighty God, who livest and reignest
forever; and may the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God,
rest in peace. Amen.
Full Pink Moon
According to the almanac today we are having a Full Pink Moon; plan to spend some with the women in your life and develop a true friendship.
Candace’s
Corner
Today is St.
George and on April 25th is the Feast of St. Mark the patron saint
of Venice. Perhaps we should indulge in a little fantasy in Las Vegas with a
Stay in the Excalibur
Hotel followed by a stay in the Venetian
with a stay at the Pink
Flamingo due to a full pink moon with stop to marvel at the Hoover Dam.
Marvel at the Hoover Dam[8]
The Hoover Dam has been a
popular Arizona attraction since it was constructed in 1935. The dam is an
engineering marvel on the Colorado River. Visitors can either drive or walk
across the dam that stretches across the river for 1,244 feet. Regarded as one
of the greatest engineering wonders of the world, Hoover Dam is a popular
destination for people visiting Northern Arizona and Las Vegas. If you have
time, be sure to take one of the guided tours of the dam to witness its
grandeur up close.
Daily Devotions
·
Unite in the work of the Porters of St. Joseph by joining them
in fasting: Today's Fast: An end
to the use of contraceptives.
·
Make
reparations to the Holy Face-Tuesday
Devotion
·
Pray Day 7 of
the Novena for our Pope and Bishops
·
Tuesday: Litany
of St. Michael the Archangel
·
Litany of the Most Precious
Blood of Jesus
·
Offering to
the sacred heart of Jesus
[4]https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/activities/view.cfm?id=886
[5]https://troopsofsaintgeorge.org/about/
[6]https://theculturetrip.com/europe/belgium/articles/a-brief-history-of-belgiums-doudou-and-why-you-should-attend/
[8]https://thegetaway.com/destinations/arizonas-10-must-visit-attractions-gallery/3/
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