Tuesday, June 11, 2024

- June 04, 2024

Saints, Feast, Family

- Traditions passed down with Cooking, Crafting, & Caring -

June 11

Saint of the day:
Saint Barnabas

Patron Saint of Cyprus, Antioch, against hailstorms, invoked as peacemaker

Tuesday Memorial of Saint Barnabas, Apostle

SHAVNOT begins at sunset

Deuteronomy, Chapter 2, Verse 25

This day I will begin to put a FEAR and dread of you into the peoples everywhere under heaven, so that at the mention of your name they will quake and tremble before you.

This verse sounds a bit like in the beginning with Adam and Eve when God puts the fear of man into all creatures. It appears that men that are devoid of any connection with God who are nothing more than mere animals have a deathly fear of God’s own. These worldly creatures may see God’s people as clinging to their guns and their Bibles but in truth they have a fear of God’s people. Often this fear is expressed in stubbornness in mind, obstructionism and obstinacy in heart.

St. Barnabas[1]

Strictly speaking, Barnabas was not an apostle, but the title has been bestowed upon him since very early times. His first name was Joseph; Barnabas (etymology: "son of consolation") was a surname. He belonged to the tribe of Levi. He was a Hellenist, that is, a Jew who lived outside of Palestine and spoke the Greek tongue. Born in Cyprus, he embraced the faith soon after the death of Christ, becoming a member of the original Jerusalem community. His first noteworthy deed was to sell his belongings and place the money at the feet of the apostles. It is to his lasting credit that he befriended the neo-convert Paul and introduced him to the apostles when everyone was still distrusting the former persecutor. More noteworthy still was his service to the universal Church by being the first to recognize Paul's potential for the cause of Christ; it was Barnabas who brought him from Tarsus to teach at Antioch. The first missionary journey (about 45-48 A.D.) the two made together, and Barnabas seems to have been the leader, at least at the beginning (Acts 13-14). Barnabas' appearance must have been dignified and impressive, otherwise the inhabitants of Lystra would not have regarded him as Jupiter. He was present with Paul at the Council of Jerusalem (ca. 50). While they were preparing for the second missionary journey, there arose a difference of opinion regarding Mark; as a result, each continued his labors separately. Barnabas went to Cyprus with Mark and thereafter is not referred to again in the Acts of the Apostles or in any other authentic source. From a remark in one of Paul's letters we know that he lived from the work of his own hands (1 Cor. 9:5-6). The time and place of his death have not been recorded. It is claimed that his body was found at Salamina in 488 A.D. His name is mentioned in the Canon of the Mass since ancient times.

Excerpted from The Church's Year of Grace, Pius Parsch

Patron: Antioch; Cyprus; against hailstorms; invoked as peacemaker.

Things to Do:

Read the passages from the Acts of the Apostles about St. Barnabas: Acts 4:36-37; 9:26-29; 11:27-30; 12:24-25; 13:1-12; 13:27-30; 13:44-52; 14:1-14; 14:21-23; 14:36-40.
Read the Catholic Encyclopedia's account of the life of St. Barnabas.

Epistle of Barnabas[2]

CHAP. I. — AFTER THE SALUTATION, THE WRITER DECLARES THAT HE WOULD COMMUNICATE TO HIS BRETHREN SOMETHING OF THAT WHICH HE HAD HIMSELF RECEIVED.

All hail, ye sons and daughters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, who loved us in peace. Seeing that the divine fruits of righteousness abound among you, I rejoice exceedingly and above measure in your happy and honored spirits, because ye have with such effect received the engrafted spiritual gift. Wherefore also I inwardly rejoice the more, hoping to be saved, because I truly perceive in you the Spirit poured forth from the rich Lords of love. Your greatly desired appearance has thus filled me with astonishment over you. I am therefore persuaded of this, and fully convinced in my own mind, that since I began to speak among you I understand many things, because the Lord hath accompanied me in the way of righteousness. I am also on this account bound by the strictest obligation to love you above my own soul, because great are the faith and love dwelling in you, while you hope for the life which He has promised. Considering this, therefore, that if I should take the trouble to communicate to you some portion of what I have myself received, it will prove to me a sufficient reward that I minister to such spirits, I have hastened briefly to write unto you, in order that, along with your faith, ye might have perfect knowledge. The doctrines of the Lord, then, are three: the hope of life, the beginning and the completion of it. For the Lord hath made known to us by the prophets both the things which are past and present, giving us also the first-fruits of the knowledge of things to come, which things as we see accomplished, one by one, we ought with the greater richness of faith and elevation of spirit to draw near to Him with reverence. I then, not as your teacher, but as one of yourselves, will set forth a few things by which in present circumstances ye may be rendered the more joyful. (To be cont.)

Shavuot – The Holiday that Nurtures Our Souls[3]begins at sunset

Shavuot is one of the three major Jewish festivals and comes exactly fifty days after Passover. After being redeemed from Egyptian slavery, the Jews arrived on Mount Sinai and received the Torah from God. This wonderful event took place 3,319 years ago. The word Shavuot means “weeks.” It marks the completion of the seven weeks, 49 days, between Passover and Shavuot during which the Jewish people prepared themselves for the giving of the Torah. During this time period they prepared themselves spiritually and entered into an eternal covenant with God with the giving of the Torah. Shavuot also means “oaths.” With the giving of the Torah, the Jewish people and God exchanged oaths, forming an everlasting covenant, not to forsake one another. Every year on this day we celebrate and renew our acceptance of God’s gift and our eternal bond with Him. There are several interesting customs associated with this holiday. We stay up all night learning Torah, read the Ten Commandments and the book of Ruth, and eat milk products, especially cheesecake. The custom of learning is especially fitting for the holiday that commemorates the giving of the Torah. The custom of dairy products seems surprising. Among the different explanations given for this custom, one points out that the Hebrew word for milk is chalav. When the numerical value of the letters in this word are added together – 8; 30; 2 – the total is forty. Forty hints to the number of days Moses was on Mount Sinai receiving the Torah. I would like to present another, perhaps more personal and spiritual reason for this custom. Unlike meat that nourishes the flesh, milk is full of calcium which nourishes the bones. The Hebrew for bones is “Atzmot תמוצע ” which is also the word that means “essence.” This custom hints to the fact that on this holiday we absorb the Torah which nourishes our essence. Additionally, milk is the most basic of foods that a nursing mother shares with her infant. The mother literally gives of her essence and nurtures the essence of the baby. This relationship parallels the personal bond and love that a mother shares with her child. On Shavuot we celebrate the personal relationship that we have with God, when He gives over His essence, the Torah, and we absorb it into the essence of our soul.

Shavuot Facts[4]

· On Shavuot, it is customary to adorn the Synagogue and home with flowers and green plants. This is in memory of the foliage around Mount Sinai

· On Shavuot, it is customary to eat milk products. Many Jewish houses, replace the normal meat/chicken dinners with a festivity of milk products, including cheesecake, blintzes, cheeses and ice cream. This custom commemorates the acts of the children of Israel at Sinai. Having received the Law, they understood that their dishes were no longer Kosher, having been used for milk and meat together. They also were in need of teaching on the intricate details of ritual slaughter (Shechitah). Lacking these, they opted to eat only milk products.

· It is customary in Orthodox and some traditional communities to partake in Bible/Jewish Law lessons throughout the eve and night of Shavuot. This is in order to accept the Torah for their generation. In Jerusalem, many people learn the whole night through until dawn and then walk to the Western Wall at sunrise and pray the morning and festival prayer from around 5-8 am. Thereafter, they go home for a hearty festive breakfast and then sleep the rest of the morning.

· The Book of Ruth is read in the Synagogue in the Morning of Shavuot. Ruth converted to Judaism and it is her descendant, David, who became King in Israel. The book of Ruth demonstrates that achieving a high level in Judaism, is neither ethnic nor genetic.

· It is customary to wear new clothes on Shavuot. In the seven weeks (the Omer) preceding Shavuot, people refrain from purchasing major clothing items.

Shavuot Top Events and Things to Do

· Visit Mount Sinai (Egypt) or Israel.

· Read the Book of Exodus, Joshua or Ruth in the Bible.

· Watch the epic film Moses with Burt Lancaster, available for viewing on Youtube

· Eat Milk products.

Catechism of the Catholic Church

PART ONE:

THE PROFESSION OF FAITH

SECTION ONE

"I BELIEVE" - "WE BELIEVE"

CHAPTER ONE-MAN'S CAPACITY FOR GOD

IV. How Can We Speak about God?

39 In defending the ability of human reason to know God, the Church is expressing her confidence in the possibility of speaking about him to all men and with all men, and therefore of dialogue with other religions, with philosophy and science, as well as with unbelievers and atheists.

40 Since our knowledge of God is limited, our language about him is equally so. We can name God only by taking creatures as our starting point, and in accordance with our limited human ways of knowing and thinking.

41 All creatures bear a certain resemblance to God, most especially man, created in the image and likeness of God. the manifold perfections of creatures - their truth, their goodness, their beauty all reflect the infinite perfection of God. Consequently we can name God by taking his creatures" perfections as our starting point, "for from the greatness and beauty of created things comes a corresponding perception of their Creator".

42 God transcends all creatures. We must therefore continually purify our language of everything in it that is limited, imagebound or imperfect, if we are not to confuse our image of God --"the inexpressible, the incomprehensible, the invisible, the ungraspable"-- with our human representations. Our human words always fall short of the mystery of God.

43 Admittedly, in speaking about God like this, our language is using human modes of expression; nevertheless it really does attain to God himself, though unable to express him in his infinite simplicity. Likewise, we must recall that "between Creator and creature no similitude can be expressed without implying an even greater dissimilitude"; and that "concerning God, we cannot grasp what he is, but only what he is not, and how other beings stand in relation to him."

Apostolic Exhortation[5]

Veneremur Cernui – Down in Adoration Falling

of The Most Reverend Thomas J. Olmsted, Bishop of Phoenix,
to Priests, Deacons, Religious and the Lay Faithful of the Diocese of Phoenix on the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist

My beloved Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Part III

Loving and Adoring the Eucharistic Lord

V. Brother priests, make the Eucharist the source of all your priestly fruitfulness.

95. My beloved brother priests, let us make the Eucharist the source and beating heart of our priestly ministry, our refuge, our consolation, and our only reward!

96. So, I invite each priest to consider how he might be able to renew and deepen his priestly commitment to make the Eucharist the true source of his life and ministry. Here are some simple ways to consider:

Set aside time before the Blessed Sacrament each morning before engaging in pastoral work.
Do a Eucharistic Holy Hour daily.
Spend 30 minutes or more in adoration with fellow priests weekly or monthly.
Start or join a Jesus Caritas group to provide fraternal love and support ordered around Jesus’ Eucharistic love for His priests.
Celebrate the Mass each day, including days-off and vacations.

VI. Pastors, have one Eucharistic procession each year in your parish.

97. The well-known American author Willa Cather was not a Catholic. Nevertheless, she wrote of the impact of experiencing a Eucharistic procession. It awakened in her a deep longing for what they had. The sensual beauty and sheer public display of Catholic faith in the Eucharist made a deep impression on her imagination and her soul. Though Eucharistic processions have waxed and waned in popularity, we should consider the special opportunity provided today by this form of Eucharistic piety. It is true that the “native environment” of the Eucharist is the Mass offered in churches. At the same time, centuries of Catholic practice suggest that there is indeed something uniquely enchanting, affective, and symbolic when a procession happens.

To be continued…

Candace’s Corner-Go to a nice place to eat

In the shadow of Arizona’s famed Camelback Mountain, theà, named after the Goddess of light, serves as a haven where guests can indulge in simple pleasures and extravagant moments sky high. With breathtaking views and lively DJ energy, théa sets the stage for an unforgettable evening that transports you to the sun-drenched shores of the Mediterranean.

The menu explores the vast preparations of Mediterranean mezze, pasta and coastal seafood with dips, flatbreads, perfectly prepared vegetables and marinated protein skewers, all designed to be shared. théa’s cocktail program is equally as rooted in fresh and house-made ingredients that combine the classic with the unexpected. But the cocktails are not to be outdone by one of the country’s most extensive rosé collections.

As the sun sets over the horizon, theà’s contagious energy lingers in the open air, beckoning you back for more, whether for a lively dinner or a leisurely weekend brunch. Immerse yourself in the laid-back sophistication of this unique restaurant in Phoenix.

June is National Steakhouse Month

Go out for Steak or order online grass-fed beef

In 1947, The Stockyards, Arizona’s Original Steakhouse, opened its doors for the first time with a menu focused solely on its historical past: beef. Staying true to its heritage, The Stockyards’ menu continues to feature only the finest corn-fed, aged steaks and prime rib. With an emphasis on hearty flavors, The Stockyards' “New West Cuisine” embraces the culture and culinary trends of the Southwest, utilizing the freshest and highest quality indigenous ingredients in new and innovative ways. To date, The Stockyards remains a part of local history and a favorite gathering place for Arizonans.

In honor of St. Barnabas my grandma loved Barnabas, but he was not a Saint.

· St. Anthony Novena 1-on thirteen consecutive Tuesdays.

o Saint Anthony died on Friday, June 13th, 1231.
He was buried on the following Tuesday, June 17th.

o No miracle had occurred during the interval, but on that Tuesday his funeral procession was changed into a continuous triumphal ovation on account of the number and greatness of miracles by God occurring thru the intercession of St. Anthony.