AUGUST
August--We may come to appreciate more deeply the various landforms (mountains, deserts, rock formations, valleys, and plains) during vacation time. They give us bearing, direction, and the geological history of our lives. This is the beginning of awareness of the "here" in our lives. The Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord shows us the "hereness" of the risen Lord, and the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary speaks of God's power to the blessed. While we can choose to extend the Savior's redeeming power to our wounded earth, we also can choose to withdraw from this awesome challenge.
Overview of August[1]
August is often considered the transitional month in our seasonal calendar. It is the time of the year we begin to wind-down from our summer travels and vacations and prepare for Autumn — back to school, fall festivals, harvest time, etc. The Church in her holy wisdom has provided a cycle of events in its liturgical year which allow the faithful to celebrate the major feasts in the life of Christ and Mary. Most notably, during August, we celebrate the feast of the Transfiguration (August 6) and the feast of the Assumption (August 15).
The days of summer have provided a welcome change of pace. However, while vacations afford us the time to relax and refresh, the change of habits and routines can also have a negative impact on our spiritual lives. As if to re-ignite us, the Church offers us in the plethora of August feasts vivid examples of the virtue of perseverance: six martyrs — two who are named in Canon I of the Mass and two who were martyred during World War II; seven founders of religious congregations, as well as three popes and two kings; the apostle, St. Bartholomew; the great Doctor of the Church, St. Augustine and St. Monica, his mother; the humble patron saint of parish priests, St. John Vianney, and the patron of deacons, St. Lawrence, who joked with his executioners while being roasted alive.
It is never too late to begin — as the life of the reformed sinner, St. Augustine teaches us — nor too difficult to begin again, as demonstrated by the conversion of the martyr, St. Teresa Benedicta (Edith Stein). We present-day members of the Mystical Body are certain of the reward to which we are called, for Christ's Transfigured body (August 6) is a preview of that glory. Moreover, in the Assumption of his Mother (August 15), Our Lord has demonstrated his fidelity to his promise. Her privilege is "the highest fruit of the Redemption" and "our consoling assurance of the coming of our final hope — the glorification which is Christ's" (Enchiridion on Indulgences).
The Blessed Virgin Mary is the most perfect example of Christian perseverance, but she is also our advocate in heaven where she is crowned Queen of Heaven and Earth (August 22). Mary is the "Mother of Perpetual Help", the patroness of the Congregation founded by St. Alphonsus Liguori (August 1). "No one who has fled to her protection is left unaided" is the claim of the Memorare of St. Bernard (August 20). Heretics have returned to the faith by the prayers of her Rosary, first preached by St. Dominic (August 8) in the twelfth Century, and hearts have been converted by the graces received while wearing her Miraculous Medal, promoted by St. Maximillian Kolbe (August 14) and adopted as the "badge" for the Pious Union he founded. Hail, holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, our life, our sweetness and our hope!
August Travel[2]
· State Fair Season
State fair season kicks off in August; see the stars of the season like the Orange County Fair, which draws more than 1.5 million fairgoers, or the Minnesota State Fair, which Andrew Zimmern calls his own slice of heavenly obsession. With state fair staples like ice-cold lemonade and fried treats, we can see why.
Technically the world's largest yard sale, the flea market known as the 127 Corridor is certainly the LONGEST outdoor market. Beginning on a highway in Jamestown, TN, this flea stretches hundreds of miles through North Covington, Kentucky, and continues all the way to Gadsden, Alabama. There are more than 2,000 vendors along this tour who clear their schedules for 3 weeks every August. One can imagine the caravan of Winnabagos that make this annual pilgrimage. Countless treasures and billions of collectibles hide among bric-a-brac and junk, but the people-watching and Southern hospitality alone are worth the trip.
Escape the heat, and take in awe-inspiring glacial views, with a cruise to Alaska. Cruise ships dock alongside towns from Seward, along Alaska’s Kenai Peninsula, to Ketchikan, in the Alexander Archipelago. Cruise ships also dock near Katmai National Park, where July is prime time to see bears gulp up Atlantic salmon on their run. And if cruise prices prove too high in July, fret not: Alaska’s prime cruise season stretches through September.
· July 31-Aug 4th-Maine Lobster Festival (Rockland, ME)
The annual Maine Lobster Festival kicks off this month, and you won't want to miss a moment of it! Over the course of the 5-day festival, more than 20,000 lbs. of lobster will be served -- lobster rolls, lobster wraps, lobster Caesar salad. Did we say lobster? Plus, see the annual Lobster Crate Race, cooking contest and the Maine Sea Goddess coronation!
· August 9-17-Elvis Week (Memphis, TN)
Shake, rattle and roll! Memphis, TN, marks its annual Elvis Week celebration each August. There's always something for Elvis fans, including the big draw each year, the annual Elvis Tribute Artists contest. Who will be crowned the King?
o September 19 - 21, 2024 The Arizona Elvis Festival
· August 14-17 August Doins Rodeo (Payson, AZ)
Slip on a pair of boots, and head to the World’s Oldest Continuous Rodeo. First held in 1884, the August Doins Rodeo takes place each August in Arizona’s cool mountain town of Payson. Hold on to your hats, you’re in for some heart-stopping action!
· August 21-Happy Birthday, Hawaii!
Do your patriotic duty, and honor the Aloha State with a visit this month -- August 21 marks Hawaii’s admittance as the 50th state. Lap up the waves on Oahu's North Shore; and for culinary fare, we've got the inside scoop on 4 ways to eat like a local on Oahu.
· August 29-31-Cowal Highland Gathering (Dunoon, Scotland)
Nice legs! See big, brawny men in flowing Scottish skirts compete in the largest Highland games in the world -- the Cowal Highland Gathering. Also known as the Cowal Games, the annual event is held in the Scottish town of Dunoon, attracting more than 23,000 spectators to celebrate Scottish and Celtic culture.
Iceman’s Calendar
· August 2nd Fri. MASS First Friday
· August 3rd Sat. MASS First Saturday
· August 4th Sun. Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost
· August 6th Tue. Feast of the Transfiguration
· August 7th Wed. MASS First Wednesday
· August 10th Sat. Feast of St. Lawrence
· August 11th Sun. Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost
· August 15th Thu. Assumption Blessed Virgin Mary
· August 18th Sun. Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost
· August 19th Mon. Full Sturgeon Moon
· August 22nd Thu. Queenship of Mary
· August 24th Sat. St. Bartholomew, Apostle
· August 25th Sun. Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost
· August 29th Thu. Passion of John the Baptist
Saints, Feast, Family
- Traditions passed down with Cooking, Crafting, & Caring -
August 1
Saint of the day:
Patron Saint of Pagani, Cancello, Naples; arthritis, confessors, moralists
Rachel’s
Corner-Chill in Idaho
For thus said the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel:
By waiting and by calm you shall be saved, in quiet and in trust shall be your
strength. Isaiah 30:15
Coeur
D’Alene, Idaho
Idaho is
probably not the first place, nor even the twentieth place, that people think
of when they are planning a trip. Coeur D’Alene, however, should make you
reconsider. August is a great time to visit to make the most of water sports on
the lake, rafting on one of the nearby rivers, or relaxing on the lakeside
beach in the warm weather. For music fans, the city park hosts the “Live After
Five” series of weekly concerts throughout the summer. For adventure seekers,
you can even go skydiving and zip-lining in Coeur D’Alene. There are also
several trails and forests nearby for hiking enthusiasts.
The shops
and restaurants are primarily independently owned, and a few local wineries
have tasting rooms in the city. Grab a coffee from The Vault or Evans Brothers
Coffee and go for a stroll on the Floating Boardwalk. Head to Beverly’s for
dinner for some truly excellent seafood and steaks and enjoy views of the lake
with your food. It might be a surprising location to recommend, but it is one
of the best places to visit in the USA in August, especially if you are on
a road
trip
through the Northwest United States.
·
Where to
Stay: Coeur D’Alene Resort Hotel
·
Nearest
Major Airport: Spokane
International Airport
·
Average
Temperature: 84℉ //
58℉
·
Let Freedom Ring Day 26 Freedom from Pride
o
Humility opposes
pride. Not that we are called to let ourselves be a "whipping boy" to
bolster others' lust for superiority. Humility is a reverence for the truth; a
reverence for who we are and what we are called to be; a reverence for the reason
we even exist - God. Humility opens the door to the spirit of
"gratitude." In our abundant gratitude for all God has done
(beginning with setting us into existence) and is doing, we say "YES"
to God, and a big fat "NO" to the incessant propaganda of a "new
normal" of lies that directly oppose the will of God.
o
God
help the USA.
Some people have the vocabulary to sum up things in a way that you can quickly
understand them. This quote came from the Czech Republic. Someone over there
has it figured out. It was translated into English from an article in a Prague
newspaper.
§ "The danger to America is not Joe
Biden, but a citizenry capable of entrusting a man like him with the
Presidency. It will be far easier to limit and undo the follies of a Biden
presidency than to restore the necessary common sense and good judgment to a
depraved electorate willing to have such a man for their president. The problem
is much deeper and far more serious than Mr. Biden, who is a mere symptom of
what ails America. Blaming the prince of the fools should not blind anyone to
the vast confederacy of fools that made him their prince. The Republic can
survive a Biden, who is, after all, merely a fool. It is less likely to survive
a multitude of fools, such as those who made him their president."
·
Today is “Lammas”
Day
Thursday Feast
Thursday is the day of the week that
our Lord gave himself up for consumption. Thursday commemorates the last
supper. Some theologians believe after Sunday Thursday is the holiest day of
the week. We should then try to make this day special by making a visit to the
blessed sacrament chapel, Mass or even stopping by the grave of a loved one.
Why not plan to count the blessing of the week and thank our Lord. Plan a
special meal. Be at Peace.
·
According
to Mary Agreda[1] in
her visions it was on a Thursday at six o'clock in the evening and at the
approach of night that the Angel Gabriel approached and announced her as Mother
of God and she gave her fiat.
American West Coast Menu
- Mojito
- Hearty Potato Soup
- Cobb Salad
- Pork Chile Verde
- Washington State Apple Pie
A
PRAYER BEFORE MASS (THURSDAY)
(By
Saint Ambrose)
For
Thou hast mercy upon all, O Lord, and hatest nothing that Thou hast made. Remember
how frail our nature is, and that Thou art our Father and our God. Be not angry
with us forever and shut not up Thy tender mercies in displeasure. For it is
not for our just works that we present our prayers before Thy face, but for the
multitude of Thy tender mercies. Take away from us, O Lord, our iniquities, and
mercifully kindle in us the fire of Thy Holy Spirit. Take away from us the
heart of stone, and give us a heart of flesh, a heart to love and adore Thee, a
heart to delight in, to follow, and to enjoy Thee. And we entreat Thy mercy, O
Lord, that Thou wouldst look down graciously upon Thy family, as it pays its
vows to Thy most holy name; and that the desire of none may be in vain, and the
petitions of none unfulfilled, do Thou inspire our prayers, that they may be
such as Thou delightest to hear and answer.
Amen.
AUGUST 1 Thursday-Saint Alphonsus Liguori
SAINT PETER IN CHAINS
The
LORD said to Joshua, “Do not FEAR
them, for by this time tomorrow I will present them slain to Israel. You must
hamstring their horses and burn their chariots.”
The
enemy was defeated; why destroy their horses and chariots? Horses and chariots
were the tanks of that time. God knows the human heart we tend to trust in our
human strength, or our clout, or our wealth, or weapons. God knows and He wants
us to trust in Him not any of these things. Even to this very day we have not
learned this lesson we in America have learned to trust in the strength of our
Army, which is the greatest Army in the world and have forgotten the true basis
of our strength which is printed on our money: In God We Trust. Many people in
high offices like to play the prophet: but “A wise person is superior to a
prophet” (Bava Basra 12a) Think a prophet can see the future but a wise person
can see the present. God asks us to be present to each other every day. Live in
the Present!
Words
of wisdom Saint Teresa of Avila:
“I am
afraid that if we begin to put our trust in human help, some of our Divine help
will fail us.”
“The most
potent and acceptable prayer is the prayer that leaves the best effects. I
don’t mean it must immediately fill the soul with desire . . . The best effects
[are] those that are followed up by actions—–when the soul not only desires the
honor of God, but really strives for it. “
“You pay
God a compliment by asking great things of Him.”[1]
Saint Peter in Chains[2]
Today commemorates St.
Peter’s miraculous escape from prison by the hand of an angel. He had been
incarcerated by Herod Agrippa, who had already killed St. James the Greater and
intended to bring St. Peter before the people also after Easter. But, as the
Acts of the Apostles tells us, “Prayer was made without ceasing by the church
unto God for him”, and he was delivered by an angel who awoke him in the night,
led him past the guards and out of prison.
The
chains of St. Peter in Rome
Though no longer included
in the general liturgical calendar, the feast of St. Peter in Chains is
nonetheless an important day for the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter. The
pilgrims who joined the Fraternity on our 30th Anniversary Pilgrimage to Rome
last October visited the Basilica of St. Peter in Chains, where they were able
to venerate the chains of St. Peter.
Also commemorated today
are the seven Maccabees, the holy brothers who were tortured and killed before
the eyes of their mother in the 2nd century before Christ for refusing to
abandon the Jewish faith. Please pray today for the priests of our Fraternity,
that, through the intercession of our patron St. Peter and the holy Maccabees,
we may ever possess the same fortitude and love for the Faith that enabled them
to endure all things for its sake. “And Peter coming to himself, said: Now I
know in very deed, that the Lord hath sent his angel, and hath delivered me out
of the hand of Herod, and from all the expectation of the people of the Jews.”
This
is an extraordinary demonstration of God’s mercy in removing the chains of sin
from those who devoutly and faithfully seek to gain the indulgence by
completing its requirements. It is said that St.
Francis was given this day by Our Lord because the Feast of the Chains of St.
Peter celebrated on August first is the day Peter was released from prison and
his chains removed.
Conditions
The
conditions to obtain the Plenary Indulgence of the Forgiveness of Assisi is
(for oneself or for a departed soul) is as follows:
·
Sacramental
Confession to be in God’s grace (during eight days before or after.)
·
Participation in the
Holy Mass and Eucharist
·
Recitation of The
Apostles Creed, Our Father and also a prayer for the Pope’s Intention (such as
an Our Father, Hail Mary, etc.).
The
Portiuncula Indulgence is a grace not to be missed—not only for yourself but
for the many suffering souls in Purgatory. Mark your calendar for the Feast of
Our Lady of the Angels beginning at Vespers (Noon) on the First of August to
August 2nd at Midnight.
Novena
in Honor of Saint John Marie Vianney[4]
Dispeller
of Satan
O Holy Priest of Ars, the
infamous attacks of the devil which you had to suffer and the trials which
disheartened you by fatigue would not make you give up the sublime task of
converting souls. The devil came to you for many years to disturb your short rest,
but you won because of mortification and prayers. Powerful protector, you know
the tempter’s desire to harm my baptized and believing soul. He would have me
sin, by rejecting the Holy Sacraments and the life of virtue. But good Saint of
Ars dispel from me the traces of the enemy. Holy Priest of Ars, I have
confidence in your intercession. Pray for me during this novena especially for
... (mention silently your special intentions).
Our
Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be.
Our
first path to holiness is through the Eucharist! Yes, prayers, confessions, the
rosary and the saints, angels and our Lady help us in that path to holiness,
but when we receive honorably, we become the resurrected Christ to others and us
radiant His presence. Today make the Eucharistic Stations of the Cross.
Catechism
of the Catholic Church
II. THE VISIBLE WORLD
337 God himself created the
visible world in all its richness, diversity and order. Scripture presents the
work of the Creator symbolically as a succession of six days of divine
"work", concluded by the "rest" of the seventh day. On
the subject of creation, the sacred text teaches the truths revealed by God for
our salvation, permitting us to "recognize the inner nature, the
value and the ordering of the whole of creation to the praise of God."
338 Nothing exists that does
not owe its existence to God the Creator. the world began when God's word drew
it out of nothingness; all existent beings, all of nature, and all human
history are rooted in this primordial event, the very genesis by which the
world was constituted, and time begun.
339 Each creature possesses its
own particular goodness and perfection. For each one of the works of the
"six days" it is said: "and God saw that it was good."
"By the very nature of creation, material being is endowed with its own
stability, truth and excellence, its own order and laws." Each of the
various creatures, willed in its own being, reflects in its own way a ray of
God's infinite wisdom and goodness. Man must therefore respect the particular
goodness of every creature, to avoid any disordered use of things which would
be in contempt of the Creator and would bring disastrous consequences for human
beings and their environment.
340 God wills the
interdependence of creatures. the sun and the moon, the cedar and the little
flower, the eagle and the sparrow: the spectacle of their countless diversities
and inequalities tells us that no creature is self-sufficient. Creatures exist only
in dependence on each other, to complete each other, in the service of each
other.
341 The beauty of the universe:
the order and harmony of the created world results from the diversity of beings
and from the relationships which exist among them. Man discovers them
progressively as the laws of nature. They call forth the admiration of scholars.
the beauty of creation reflects the infinite beauty of the Creator and ought to
inspire the respect and submission of man's intellect and will.
342 The hierarchy of creatures
is expressed by the order of the "six days", from the less perfect to
the more perfect. God loves all his creatures and takes care of each one,
even the sparrow. Nevertheless, Jesus said: "You are of more value than
many sparrows", or again: "of how much more value is a man than a
sheep!"
343 Man is the summit of the
Creator's work, as the inspired account expresses by clearly distinguishing the
creation of man from that of the other creatures.
Today is my deceased
father’s birthday.
My father was not always a blameless and upright man, but he
had a great devotion to St. Jude. He always swore it was St. Jude’s prayers and
intercession that brought him home from the war in the pacific and maybe it
was. He got my grandmother to sign the papers and he was in combat before his
18th birthday. He was a ghost diver during WWII; his job was to scuba dive in
before invasions and set up radio beacons for the invasion and avoid detection
or capture. He went on 26 missions with 11 others in frogman teams. The normal
mortality rate for these teams was 50%.
After the war, my father drank a lot to forget. As his
disease of alcoholism ramped up, he stopped going to church refusing to go to
church drunk. I don’t know if my father was aware St. Jude admonishes false
teachers who used the church as a sort of country club and caroused fearlessly
looking after themselves. My father did not see the church as a social
institution but as a place where one encounters our Holy God, our Holy mighty
one; our Holy immortal one.
My father knew he was a sinner. He always said that St. Jude
was his patron saint because; St. Jude is the patron saint of lost causes, and
my father swore that’s what he was. As his disease progressed, he stopped going
to church but built a shrine to our Mother Mary. Every day he would cut fresh
roses for the shrine and sit at twilight, with beer and cigarette in hand;
silently staring at the shrine.
In the end my father did receive his last rights and was
ushered into our Lord by our Lady and St. Jude.
Prayer of St. Alphonsus Dc Liguori to the
Sacred Heart.
O adorable heart of my Jesus, heart created expressly for the love of men, until now I have shown towards Thee only ingratitude. Pardon me, O my Jesus. Heart of my Jesus, abyss of love and of mercy, how is it possible that I do not die of sorrow when I reflect on Thy goodness to me and my ingratitude to Thee? Thou, my Creator, after having created me, hast given Thy blood and Thy life for me and, not content with this, Thou hast invented a means of offering Thyself up every day for me in the Holy Eucharist, exposing Thyself to a thousand insults and outrages. Ah, Jesus, do Thou wound my heart with a great contrition for my sins, and a lively love for Thee. Through Thy tears and Thy blood give me the grace of perseverance in Thy fervent love until I breathe my last sigh. Amen.
Daily
Devotions
·
Unite in the work of the Porters of St. Joseph by joining them
in fasting: End
to abortion
·
Religion
in the Home for Preschool: August
·
Litany of the Most Precious
Blood of Jesus
·
Offering to
the sacred heart of Jesus
·
Rosary
[4]http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/prayers/view.cfm?id=1129
[5] Venerable Mary of Agreda. The
Mystical City of God: Complete Edition Containing all Four Volumes with
Illustrations (p. 770). Veritatis Splendor Publications. Kindle Edition
Comments
Post a Comment