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Saints, Feast, Family
- Traditions passed down with Cooking, Crafting, & Caring -
Dara’s
Corner-
·
Let Freedom Ring Day 32 Freedom from Irreverence
o Fear of the Lord is the entry point; this is the trigger that ignites all of the other gifts of the Holy Spirit. Without this "trigger," we are prone to reduce our faith/religion to merely another organization that has a sense of social responsibility. Jesus is then reduced to an historic figure to emulate. Mass is just a social gathering that many may say (without saying), "it had better have good entertainment if you are going to make me endure this for an hour." So then, why not just throw on our worst recreational attire for Mass, and get in line to grab Jesus like we're reaching for a potato chip? Where is the desire to be filled with the supernatural power of grace?
§ Irreverence is spreading through modem society like a
cancer. It is metastasizing and has infected virtually every facet of our
everyday life. The authentic meaning of “culture” refers to a refinement, an
elevation, a spiritualization of everyday life—that is, it aims to put the
seal of the Spirit on our daily activities. Today, however, the word “culture”
refers to whatever has been most recently produced. We have forgotten that true
culture elevates; it does not drag down. I dare say that much of what we see
today is an anti-culture. It certainly cannot be read as a sursum corda (Lift
up your hearts)—a call to look upward, triggering gratitude in our souls. It
was typical of Plato's genius that he would warn us that one of the main aims
of education is to train a child to "love what is lovable, and hate what
is mean and ugly." This is the antidote to the disease of irreverence that
is ravaging our society and sickening our culture. When will we avail ourselves
of it?
AUGUST 7 First Wednesday
NATIONAL LIGHTHOUSE DAY
Judges, Chapter 6, Verse 23
The LORD answered
him: You are safe. Do not FEAR. You
shall not die.
Unlike
Gideon, whom this verse is about, most of us do not have an angel appear from
heaven to tell us that we will not die and to not be afraid. Yet, we have something greater than an angel here; we have
the Lord Jesus Christ telling us-Do not fear.
We
are blessed because we are the receivers of the apex of God’s graces through
Jesus Christ, His mother and the action of Divine Mercy. If you are afraid to start again or are discouraged
by failure it is because you do not understand you can do nothing without
Christ. Therefore, if you have sinned go to confession and receive His Body and
Blood: being renewed. I remember in 2006 when I and my wife Mary were blessed
with being able to make a trip to Israel. I was reflecting upon the grace I had
received. I was thanking the Lord for I had touched the spot on the earth where
He was born, and I had touched the spot where He had died, and I had touched
the spot where He had ascended into heaven. I was prideful and thought how
lucky I am. Then my Lord reminded me that a greater grace still awaits me and
everyone in the Holy Eucharist. Be honest, humble yourself and make a sincere
effort. Leave all else in His hands-saying: Jesus I Trust in You!
Pride wants immediate success. Be brave as Gideon and renew your intentions, make a resolution daily to do the will of God and seek to please Him.
First Wednesday[1]
Our Heavenly Father desires all three hearts of Jesus, Mary and Joseph to be honored. And so along with devotion to Jesus on First Fridays, and to Mary on First Saturdays, Our Father longs for us to add devotion to St. Joseph on each First Wednesday of the month.
"The Sacred Hearts of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph have been chosen by the Most Holy Trinity to bring peace to the world." It is at God's request that "special love and honor be given to them" to help us "imitate" their love and their lives, as well as "offer reparation" for the sins committed against them and their love.
The St. Joseph First Wednesday devotion is:
1. Pray the Joyful Mysteries of the Rosary - remembering St. Joseph's love, his life, his role and his sufferings
In the approved apparitions of Our Lady of America, St. Joseph revealed:
·
"I
am the protector of the Church and the home, as I was the protector of Christ
and his mother while I lived upon earth. Jesus and Mary desire that my pure
heart, so long hidden and unknown, be now honored in a special way.
·
Let my
children honor my most pure heart in a special manner on the First Wednesday of
the month by reciting the Joyful Mysteries of the Rosary in memory of my life
with Jesus and Mary and the love I bore them, the sorrow I suffered with them.
·
Let them
receive Holy Communion in union with the love with which I received the Savior
for the first time and each time I held Him in my arms.
·
Those
who honor me in this way will be consoled by my presence at their death, and I
myself will conduct them safely into the presence of Jesus and Mary."
National Lighthouse Day[2]
National Lighthouse Day
celebrates the important role lighthouses have played throughout history. Being
symbolic beacons of hope and safety, lighthouses have not only guided sailors
to safe shores but have also represented the unwavering spirit of the maritime
community. This commemorative day aims to raise awareness about the
preservation of these historical structures and their significance in American
culture.
The origin of National
Lighthouse Day dates back to August 7, 1789, when the U.S. Congress enacted a
law transferring lighthouses from individual states to the federal government,
which led to the establishment of the United States Lighthouse Service. Since
then, lighthouses have played a crucial role in the nation's development and
expansion by ensuring the safety and navigation of countless ships. In 1989, as
part of the 200th anniversary celebration, President George H. W. Bush
officially designated August 7th as National Lighthouse Day. The observance
pays homage to the dedicated services of lighthouse keepers and the rich
maritime heritage of America.
On National Lighthouse
Day, people across the United States come together to celebrate and appreciate
these iconic structures. Lighthouse preservation organizations and maritime
museums host various events, including open houses, guided tours, and educational
presentations. Communities gather to share stories, engage in historical
discussions, and promote the efforts to preserve the nation's lighthouses for
future generations to cherish. Mark your calendars for August 7th and join the
celebrations honoring the enduring legacy of American lighthouses.
National Lighthouse Day
facts
- The
first lighthouse to be built in the world is believed to be the Pharos of
Alexandria. According to howstuffworks, it is thought to have been
constructed around 270 B.C in ancient Egypt. It is one of the Seven
Wonders of the Ancient World and is believed to have been the tallest
structure on the planet at the time, 450 feet (137.16 meters) tall.
- The
oldest and still functioning lighthouse in the world is the Tower of
Hercules. It was built by the Romans in northern Spain during the 1st
century A.D.
- The
US Congress passed an act in 1789 that provided for the establishment and
support of lighthouses, beacons, buoys, and public piers. By 1900 the US
had built more than 1,000 lighthouses. National Lighthouse Day was
established in 1989 in celebration of the 200th anniversary of this act.
It was also the day of the first federally commissioned lighthouse.
National Lighthouse Day would again be recognized in 2013 but only as an
unofficial holiday.
- The
US National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act of 2000 detailed a
process in which the coast guard can transfer decommissioned lighthouses
to nonprofit groups and other organizations. This method allows the
history and aesthetics of lighthouses in the US to be preserved. If no
organizations claim the lighthouse, it goes up for auction to the public.
Top things to do in the US
for National Lighthouse Day
- Visit
a lighthouse. Some of the most notable are the Boston Light on Little
Brewster Island, Massachusetts, and the Cape Hatteras in North Carolina.
Another notable lighthouse is the St. George Reef in Crescent City,
California. It is one of the most expensive lighthouses ever built in the
US ($700,000).
- Watch
a special
edition video from the US Lighthouse Society. The video looks at
Congress' act of 1789 which established lighthouses. It also celebrates
National Lighthouse Day.
- Watch
a movie about lighthouses and the struggles that come from maintaining
one. Here are our suggestions:
The Lighthouse (2019)
The Vanishing (2018)
The Light Between Oceans (2016)
Catechism of the Catholic Church
PART
ONE: THE PROFESSION OF FAITH
SECTION TWO-I. THE CREEDS
CHAPTER ONE-I BELIEVE IN GOD THE FATHER
Article
1-"I BELIEVE IN GOD THE FATHER ALMIGHTY, CREATOR OF HEAVEN AND EARTH"
Paragraph 7. THE FALL
Day
54
385 God is infinitely good and
all his works are good. Yet no one can escape the experience of suffering or
the evils in nature which seem to be linked to the limitations proper to
creatures: and above all to the question of moral evil. Where does evil come
from? "I sought whence evil comes and there was no solution", said
St. Augustine, and his own painful quest would only be resolved by his
conversion to the living God. For "the mystery of lawlessness" is
clarified only in the light of the "mystery of our
religion". The revelation of divine love in Christ manifested at the
same time the extent of evil and the superabundance of grace. We must
therefore approach the question of the origin of evil by fixing the eyes of our
faith on him who alone is its conqueror.
I. WHERE SIN ABOUNDED, GRACE
ABOUNDED ALL THE MORE
The reality of sin
386 Sin is present in human
history; any attempt to ignore it or to give this dark reality other names
would be futile. To try to understand what sin is, one must first recognize the
profound relation of man to God, for only in this relationship is the evil of
sin unmasked in its true identity as humanity's rejection of God and opposition
to him, even as it continues to weigh heavy on human life and history.
387 Only the light of divine
Revelation clarifies the reality of sin and particularly of the sin committed
at mankind's origins. Without the knowledge Revelation gives of God we cannot
recognize sin clearly and are tempted to explain it as merely a developmental
flaw, a psychological weakness, a mistake, or the necessary consequence of an
inadequate social structure, etc. Only in the knowledge of God's plan for man
can we grasp that sin is an abuse of the freedom that God gives to created
persons so that they are capable of loving him and loving one another.
Original sin - an essential
truth of the faith
388 With the progress of Revelation, the reality of sin is also illuminated. Although to some extent the People of God in the Old Testament had tried to understand the pathos of the human condition in the light of the history of the fall narrated in Genesis, they could not grasp this story's ultimate meaning, which is revealed only in the light of the death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ. We must know Christ as the source of grace in order to know Adam as the source of sin. the Spirit-Paraclete, sent by the risen Christ, came to "convict the world concerning sin", by revealing him who is its Redeemer.
389 The doctrine of original
sin is, so to speak, the "reverse side" of the Good News that Jesus
is the Saviour of all men, that all need salvation and that salvation is
offered to all through Christ. the Church, which has the mind of Christ, knows
very well that we cannot tamper with the revelation of original sin without
undermining the mystery of Christ.
How to read the account of the
fall
390 The account of the fall in Genesis 3 uses figurative language, but affirms a primeval event, a deed that took place at the beginning of the history of man. Revelation gives us the certainty of faith that the whole of human history is marked by the original fault freely committed by our first parents.
Daily
Devotions
·
Unite in the work of the Porters of St. Joseph by joining them
in fasting: Protection
of Traditional Marriage
·
Religion
in the Home for Preschool: August
·
Litany of the Most Precious
Blood of Jesus
·
Offering to
the sacred heart of Jesus
·
Rosary
[2] https://www.wincalendar.com/Lighthouse-Day
FROM LAST YEAR
Extraordinarily accurate analysis from a foreign country. 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."
II. THE CHURCH IS CATHOLIC
First Wednesday
David’s family life after the murder of Uriah reads like a mafia tale (or politics as usual) with David being the Don and all his son’s vying for power.
Amnon was the heir-apparent to David's throne; Amnon though is best remembered for the rape of his half-sister Tamar, daughter of David with Maachah. Despite the biblical prohibition on sexual relations between half-brothers and sisters, Amnon had an overwhelming desire for her. He acted on advice from his cousin, Jonadab the son of Shimeah, David's brother, to lure Tamar into his quarters by pretending to be sick and desiring her to cook a special meal for him. While in his quarters, and ignoring her protests, he raped her, and then expelled her from his house. King David was angry about the incident, but could not bring himself to punish his eldest son, while Absalom, Amnon's half-brother and Tamar's full brother, nursed a bitter grudge against Amnon for the rape of his sister. Two years later, to avenge Tamar, Absalom invited all of David's sons to a feast, and then had his servants kill Amnon after he had become drunk with wine.[1]
David’s sin had found him out. After he killed Uriah, it was like killing his own self and now he was not holding his children accountable. They became monsters. David’s youthful heart of gratitude and love for God was sorely wounded. David never regained the law of the Sacrifice. Yet, from David’s line comes Jesus Christ; His sacrifice saves us all and you can, “Stand erect and raise your heads because your redemption is at hand.” (Lk. 21:28)
Novena in Honor of Saint John Marie Vianney[4]
Exquisite Purity
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