Saints, Feast, Family
- Traditions passed down with Cooking, Crafting, & Caring -
May 7
The month of Mary: A Marian Month
Saint of the day:
St. Agathius
Patron Saint of soldiers; Squillace; Guardavalle; invoked against headache
Rogationtide Tuesday
COSMO DAY
Acts,
Chapter 16, verse 27-30
27 When the jailer woke up and saw the prison doors wide open, he drew [his] sword and was about to kill himself, thinking that the prisoners had escaped. 28 But Paul shouted out in a loud voice, “Do no harm to yourself; we are all here.” 29 He asked for a light and rushed in and, trembling with FEAR, he fell down before Paul and Silas. 30 Then he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
In this work of God’s Mercy, Christ frees the jailer from the jail of fear and sin.
Freeing of the Jailer of his jail[1]
Paul was not overwhelmed
by circumstances. The earthquake had not numbed him with fear. He had no abject
terror of death. Paul had his wits about him. He heard the jailer's cry, heard
the sword being drawn - perhaps, he saw the shadow of it cast by the dim
lamplight upon the prison wall and spoke out in mercy to save the man's life
from the consequences of sin.
The penal consequence of
sin is death. There are three kinds of death that result from sin. Sinners are
dead to God. There is no real communion between God and us. He has withdrawn
and no longer walks with us in the cool of the day. All men physically die. Our
old bodies will not last forever. Finally, for those who remain God's enemies
at heart there is ultimately the destruction of both body and soul.
Our fallen natures
continually drag us down. We have little power to withstand the inclination to
sin when it is strong upon us. We scarcely live a day of our lives without
falling short of the standards we set ourselves let along the standards that
God sets. It is very doubtful that the Philippian jailer thought along these
lines exactly - nor do most people who are converted! The jailer just knew that
he needed saving from the way he was. He compared himself with Paul and Silas
and he was disgusted with the life he led. He hadn't the fortitude, inner joy,
peace or consideration for others that Paul exhibited. The jailer feared death.
He had no sort of relationship with God. He had no hope of life beyond the
grave because he had no assurance that God was interested him let alone loved
him. The jailer was lost, and he knew it.
Paul and Silas replied to the jailer's question as one: "Believe
in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved - you and your household."
Paul did not point the jailer to Jesus' saving work but to Jesus himself. This
is because in the first instance the human heart must submit to Jesus. A sinner
has to answer, "I will," to that command of Paul and Silas. Saving
faith involves submitting, surrendering and yielding to Jesus. The rebel has to
shoulder arms and say to the Savior, "I give in. Please rescue me."
Rogationtide Tuesday[2]
The Lesser Rogation Days
prior to the Ascension were especially important in rural communities dependent
on agricultural bounty. They were also the inspiration for a number of
semi-liturgical imitations, where farmers would take holy water and douse their
fields for protection and blessing. Perhaps this would be a good time to have
one's garden blessed. Another interesting feature of Rogationtide is the
tradition of having parishioners end resentments or conflicts that had been
festering between them. Eoman Duffy's The Stripping of the Altars includes
vivid accounts from pre-Reformation England of some of these reconciliations.[3]
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
TALENTS and look at in what ways we may offer our abilities to Christ to help
build a harvest for His Kingdom.
Human
Work[4]
Saint John Paul II wrote
the Encyclical "Laborem Exercens" in 1981, on the occasion of the
90th anniversary of Leo XIII's Encyclical "Rerum Novarum" on the
question of labor. In it he develops the concept of man's dignity in work, structuring
it in four points: the subordination of work to man; the primacy of the worker
over the whole of instruments and conditioning that historically constitute the
world of labor; the rights of the human person as the determining factor of all
socio-economic, technological and productive processes, that must be
recognized; and some elements that can help all men identify with Christ
through their own work.
Work is one of these
aspects, a perennial and fundamental one, one that is always relevant and
constantly demands renewed attention and decisive witness."
The Church considers it
her task always to call attention to the dignity and rights of those who work,
to condemn situations in which that dignity and those rights are violated, and
to ensure authentic progress by man and society." "Human work is a
key, probably the essential key, to the whole social question, if we try to see
that question really from the point of view of man's good. And if the solution
- or rather the gradual solution - of the social question, which keeps coming
up and becomes ever more complex, must be sought in the direction of 'making
life more human', then the key, namely human work, acquires fundamental and
decisive importance."
Work and Man
John
Paul, "work is a fundamental dimension of man's existence on earth."
This conviction is found in the first pages of Genesis: "Be fruitful and
multiply and fill the earth and subdue it." "Man's dominion over the
earth is achieved in and by means of work. ... The proper subject of work
continues to be man," and the finality of work "is always man
himself." It is a question of the objective and subjective meaning of
work: although both are important, the second takes precedence; "there is
no doubt that human work has an ethical value of its own, which clearly and
directly remains linked to the fact that the one who carries it out is a
person, a conscious and free subject, that is to say a subject that decides
about himself." Although technology fosters an increase in the things
produced by work, sometimes it "can cease to be man's ally and become
almost his enemy, as when the mechanization of work 'supplants' him, taking
away all personal satisfaction and the incentive to creativity and responsibility,
when it deprives many workers of their previous employment, or when, through exalting the machine, it
reduces man to the status of its slave." "in order to achieve
social justice in the various parts of the world, in the various countries, and
in the relationships between them, there is a need for ever new movements of
solidarity of the workers and with the workers."
"Work is a good thing
for man - a good thing for his humanity - because through work man not only
transforms nature, adapting it to his own needs, but he also achieves
fulfillment as a human being and indeed, in a sense, becomes 'more a human
being'."
Conflict: Labor and Capital in the
Present Phase of History
The Pope observes that
during the period which has passed since the publication of "Rerum
Novarum" (1891), "which is by no means yet over, the issue of work
has of course been posed on the basis of the great conflict that in the age of,
and together with, industrial development emerged between 'capital' and
'labor'." This antagonism "found expression in the ideological
conflict between liberalism, understood as the ideology of capitalism, and
Marxism, understood as the ideology of scientific socialism and communism,
which professes to act as the spokesman for the working class and the
world-wide proletariat." Later, he recalls the principle of "the
priority of labor over capital." The first "is always a primary
efficient cause, while capital, the whole collection of means of production,
remains a mere instrument or instrumental cause." Thus appears the error
of economism, "that of considering human labor solely according to its
economic purpose." John Paul II then refers to the right to private
property, emphasizing that the Church's teaching regarding this principle
"diverges radically from the program of collectivism as proclaimed by
Marxism," and "the program of capitalism practiced by liberalism and
by the political systems inspired by it." "The position of 'rigid'
capitalism continues to remain unacceptable, namely the position that defends
the exclusive right to private ownership of the means of production as an
untouchable 'dogma' of economic life. The principle of respect for work demands
that this right should undergo a constructive revision, both in theory and in
practice." For this reason, regardless of the type of system of
production, it is necessary for each worker to be aware that "he is
working 'for himself'."
Rights of Workers
The Holy Father highlights
that the human rights that are derived from work are a part of the fundamental
rights of the person.
·
He
discusses the need to take action against unemployment, which is a true social
calamity and a problem of a moral as well as an economic nature. Starting with
the concept of the "indirect employer," in other words, "all the
agents at the national and international level that are responsible for the
whole orientation of labor policy," he notes that in order to solve the
problem of unemployment, these agents "must make provision for overall
planning." This "cannot mean one-sided centralization by the public
authorities. Instead, what is in question is a just and rational coordination,
within the framework of which the initiative of individuals ... must be
safeguarded."
·
Speaking
of the rights of workers, he recalls the dignity of agricultural work and the
need to offer jobs to disabled people. As for the matter of salaries, he writes
that "the key problem of social ethics in this case is that of just
remuneration for work done."
·
In
addition, "there must be a social re-evaluation of the mother's
role." Specifically, "the whole labor process must be organized and
adapted in such a way as to respect the requirements of the person and his or
her forms of life, above all life in the home, taking into account the
individual's age and sex."
·
It
is fitting that women "should be able to fulfill their tasks in accordance
with their own nature, without being discriminated against and without being
excluded from jobs for which they are capable, but also without lack of respect
for their family aspirations and for their specific role in contributing,
together with men, to the good of society."
·
Besides wages, there are other social benefits
whose objective is "to ensure the life and health of workers and their
families." In this regard, he notes the right to leisure time, which
should include weekly rest and yearly vacations.
·
The
Pope then considers the importance of unions, which he calls "an
indispensable element of social life." "One method used by unions in
pursuing the just rights of their members is the strike or work stoppage. This
method is recognized by Catholic social teaching as legitimate in the proper
conditions and within just limits," but must not be abused.
·
As
for the question of emigration for work reasons, he affirms that man has the
right to leave his country to seek better living conditions in another.
"The most important thing is
that the person working away from his native land, whether as a permanent
emigrant or as a seasonal worker, should not be placed at a disadvantage in
comparison with the other workers in that society in the matter of working
rights."
Elements for a Spirituality of Work
·
Labor
has meaning in God's eyes. Thus, "the knowledge that by means of work man
shares in the work of creation constitutes the most profound motive for
undertaking it in various sectors."
·
Labor
is participation in the work of the Creator and the Redeemer. Jesus Christ
looks upon work with love because he himself was a laborer.
·
This
is a doctrine, and at the same time a program, that is rooted in the
"Gospel of work" proclaimed by Jesus of Nazareth. "By enduring
the toil of work in union with Christ crucified for us, man in a way
collaborates with the Son of God for the redemption of humanity. He shows
himself a true disciple of Christ by carrying the cross in his turn every day
in the activity that he is called upon to perform."
New Orleans Founded May 7, 1718[5]
St. Louis Cathedral, the country’s oldest continuously operating cathedral, faces Jackson Square. Melding French, Spanish, Italian, and Afro-Caribbean cultures, New Orleans is a city that is at once elegant and debauched. And while it was gravely impacted by Hurricane Katrina in 2005, the Big Easy has shown formidable resilience. Many of the city’s myriad pleasures are packed within the lively grid of streets that make up the Vieux Carré (aka the French Quarter). It is New Orleans’s most touristy area, yet also its heart. The French laid out the Quarter’s 90 blocks of narrow streets in the 1720s, and the Spanish—who ruled during the mid- to late 18th century—further developed it. Indeed, despite its name, the neighborhood looks more Spanish than French. Wherever you stroll, you risk sensory overload, from jazz on boisterous Bourbon Street to the smell of café au lait and beignets (deep-fried dough dusted with powdered sugar) wafting from Café du Monde in Jackson Square. Decatur Street offers souvenir stands, offbeat boutiques, and charming restaurants. It’s also home to Central Grocery, an old-fashioned Italian deli whose claim to fame is having perfected (some say invented) one of the city’s classic sandwiches, the muffuletta. Royal and Chartres streets are your best bets for upscale shopping. Be sure to pop into the tacky but fun Pat O’Brien’s to sample their Hurricane, a fruity—and potent—rum cocktail in a glass shaped like a hurricane lamp. Charming Soniat House is comprised of 30 antiques-filled rooms in a cluster of three 19th-century Creole town houses overlooking an interior courtyard garden where guests breakfast on warm biscuits and homemade preserves. For a big-hotel experience, and a big dose of history, it’s hard to beat the lavish 600-room 1886 Hotel Monteleone. Stop by its revolving circus-themed Carousel Bar for a Sazerac cocktail before dinner. The Windsor Court, arguably the finest hotel in the Big Easy, is known for its palatial accommodations, award-winning restaurant, the Grill Room, and museum-quality art collection—yes, that’s a Gainsborough.
Visitor
info: www.neworleansonline.com.
Cosmo Day[6]
Cosmopolitans are probably one of the most famous cocktails out there, where people can go out at night and enjoy and fun night dancing, laughing, and singing in clubs. If you love cosmos, then you’ll love Cosmopolitan Day. This drink has been making the rounds for a while, and it highlights the 90’s as one of the best drinks of its time. Let’s check out Cosmopolitan Day! Although the day itself is coined by freelancer writer, Jace Shoemaker-Galloway, who writes about non-traditional holidays, the history of the Cosmo itself is very murky. According to Vinepair.com, the first tracked origins of the cosmo go back to the late nineteenth century, where a cocktail known as the Daisy emerged as a drink with a recipe that called for spirit, sweetener and citrus. Although this isn’t exactly a cosmo, a more direct line for its origins comes from 1968, when Ocean Spray wanted to advertise cranberry juice to adults. They named the drink “The Harpoon” and it called for an ounce of vodka, an ounce of cranberry and a squeeze of lime, which was close to the Cosmo recipe but missed the Cointreau and/or Triple Sec.
Although
legends differ that the Cosmo came from the gay subculture of Miami Beach,
Florida and Provincetown, Massachusetts, the formal invention of the drink is
credited to a bartender named Toby Cecchini, who made the drink while working
at the famous Odeon in Manhattan’s
Tribeca neighborhood in 1987. Its
popularity spread into celebrity culture, where it ended up in The Rainbow
Room, where Madonna is pictured drinking it at a Grammy after party. However,
it was brought into mainstream culture by the famous Tv Show Sex and the City,
where it appeared multiple times throughout the show, creating a cultural
impact on the U.S.
How to Celebrate
Cosmopolitan Day
Want a Cosmo?
Here’s an
amazing recipe you can easily make at home. In a cocktail shaker, mix 1 1/2
ounces vodka (or citrus vodka), 1-ounce Cointreau orange liqueur, 1/2-ounce
lime juice (fresh), and 1/4-ounce cranberry juice. Strain into a chilled
cocktail glass dipped in sugar, then garnish with an orange peel and voila!
Cosmo’s can be
as strong or tame as you like it, but because it has vodka in it, it isn’t exactly the most innocent drink
out there as far as cocktails go. You can also hashtag #CosmopolitanDay on your
social media and share you drinking your fancy cocktail with your friends.
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
I. Objections to Prayer
2726 In the battle of prayer, we must face in ourselves and around us erroneous notions of prayer. Some people view
prayer as a simple psychological activity, others as an effort of concentration
to reach a mental void. Still others reduce prayer to ritual words and
postures. Many Christians unconsciously regard prayer as an occupation that is
incompatible with all the other things they have to do: they "don't have
the time." Those who seek God by prayer are quickly discouraged because
they do not know that prayer comes also from the Holy Spirit and not from
themselves alone.
2727 We must also face the fact
that certain attitudes deriving from the mentality of "this present
world" can penetrate our lives if we are not vigilant. For example, some
would have it that only that is true which can be verified by reason and
science; yet prayer is a mystery that overflows both our conscious and
unconscious lives. Others overly prize production and profit; thus prayer,
being unproductive, is useless. Still others exalt sensuality and comfort as
the criteria of the true, the good, and the beautiful; whereas prayer, the
"love of beauty" (philokalia), is caught up in the glory of the
living and true God. Finally, some see prayer as a flight from the world in
reaction against activism; but in fact, Christian prayer is neither an escape
from reality nor a divorce from life.
2728 Finally, our battle has to
confront what we experience as failure in prayer: discouragement during periods
of dryness; sadness that, because we have "great
possessions," we have not given all to the Lord; disappointment over
not being heard according to our own will; wounded pride, stiffened by the
indignity that is ours as sinners; our resistance to the idea that prayer is a
free and unmerited gift; and so forth. The conclusion is always the same: what
good does it do to pray? To overcome these obstacles, we must battle to gain
humility, trust, and perseverance.
Candace’s
Corner
May 12 Solemnity of the Ascension of
the Lord
The Ascension of the Lord
- Sunday, May 12th, 2024. In the Diocese of Phoenix, as with most Dioceses in
the United States, the Solemnity of the Ascension is not observed on its
traditional Thursday, rather it is transferred to the following Sunday.
All-inclusive Wellness Resort in Mexico Feels Just Like
Summer Camp — With 40 Miles of Hiking Trails and Cooking Classes
Holistic spa treatments, an on-site culinary school,
and desert hikes await.
Named one of the best destination spas in the world by Travel
+ Leisure Rancho La Puerta is a special place.
Rancho La Puerta has been family-owned and operated since 1940 and is widely recognized as the pioneer of the 20th-century wellness movement in the U.S. In the wake of World War II, Edmond Szekely, a Jewish Romanian scholar known as “the Professor,” and his wife, Deborah, were forced to move south across the border to Mexico after his immigration status expired. The couple found a scrap of land at the base of sacred Mount Kuchumaa with a bare-bones storage shed to live in, and not long after, Rancho La Puerta was born.
- The
expansive grounds span 4,000 acres, with 40 miles of hiking trails and 32
acres of landscaped gardens.
- A
daily sunrise hike concludes with breakfast at the ranch’s culinary
school, set on an organic farm.
- There’s
a huge, diverse selection of fitness activities and spa treatments to
choose from.
- The
villa accommodations have private patios and wood-burning indoor
fireplaces.
Daily
Devotions
·
Unite in the work of the Porters of St. Joseph by joining them
in fasting: Today's Fast: Holy
Bishops and Cardinals
·
Make
reparations to the Holy Face-Tuesday
Devotion
·
Pray Day 6 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
·
Make
reparations to the Holy Face
[5]Schultz, Patricia. 1,000 Places to
See Before You Die: Revised Second Edition
Comments
Post a Comment