Go to Mass tonight to honor St. Joseph after Mass try the 1800 tequila.
Saints, Feast, Family
- Traditions passed down with Cooking, Crafting, & Caring -
July 17
Saint of the day:
Saint Alexius of Rome
Patron Saint of Alexians; beggars; belt makers; nurses; pilgrims; travellers; Kalavryta
Dara’s Corner
·
Let
Freedom Ring Day 18 Freedom from Jealousy
·
It is traditional in Spain to make a yearly
pilgrimage to St. James of Compostela on July 24. Read
more about this custom. From Catholic Culture's Library: Pilgrimage
To The Stars and Cycling
through time on the Camino de Santiago.
·
Today is International
Day of Self Care
o
There are Seven Pillars of Self Care
§
Pillar 1:
Knowledge & Health Literacy
§
Pillar 5: Risk
Avoidance & Mitigation
§
Pillar
7: Responsible Use of Self-Care Products & Services
NATIONAL TEQUILA DAY
Joshua, Chapter 2, Verse 24
They assured Joshua, “The LORD has
given all this land into our power; indeed, all the inhabitants of the land
tremble with FEAR because of us.”
Secularist
and pagans still tremble with fear because of God.
Why?
People
fear what they do not understand or have to compete with. Every person is born
with the spirit of God within them; it is the spirit of truth which they have
lost or suppressed. Christ referred to this when he told the parable of the
Sower. The seed is the spirit of truth (spirit of God) that the Sower sows.
Christ
tells us,
“A Sower went out to sow. and as he sowed, some seed
fell on the path, and birds came and ate it up. Some fell
on rocky ground, where it had little soil. It sprang up at once because the
soil was not deep, and when the sun rose it was scorched,
and it withered for lack of roots. Some seed fell among
thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it. But some
seed fell on rich soil, and produced fruit, a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold. Whoever has ears ought to hear.” (Mt. 13:3-9)
What
do you think would have happened to the pagan inhabitants of Jericho if it had
responded to the truth of God and had opened the gates to Israel before the
fall?
I
would think it would have been spared like the city of Nineveh when it listened
to the spirit of truth.
Jonah
then left the city for a place to the east of it, where he built himself a hut
and waited under it in the shade, to see what would happen to the city. And
when the LORD God provided a gourd plant that grew up over Jonah’s head, giving
shade that relieved him of any discomfort, Jonah was very happy over the plant.
But the next morning at dawn God sent a worm that attacked the plant, so that
it withered. And when the sun arose, God sent a burning east wind; and the sun
beat upon Jonah’s head till he became faint. Then Jonah asked for death,
saying, “I would be better off dead than alive.” But God said to Jonah,
“Have
you reason to be angry over the plant?”
“I
have reason to be angry,” Jonah answered, “angry enough to die.” Then the LORD
said,
“You are concerned over the plant
which cost you no labor and which you did not raise; it came up in one night
and in one night it perished. And should I not be concerned over Nineveh, the
great city, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand persons
who cannot distinguish their right hand from their left, not to mention the
many cattle?” (Jon 4:5-11)
Let
us remember that we are Sowers of the Lord’s truth and not be angered but take
on the spirit of Christ at the crucifixion when he said, “Father,
forgive them, for they do
not know what they are doing.” (Lk: 23:34)
Vigil of St. James the Greater[1]
In the Tridentine Calendar, July 24th is the Vigil of St. James the Greater. We call to mind St. James the Greater today as his feast day is tomorrow.
Collect: Sanctify and protect Your people, O Lord. Let the assistance of Your apostle James strengthen them that they may serve You with confidence and please You by their conduct. Through our Lord . . .
The following is an excerpt from the soon-to-be-released book on the 12
Apostles written by Frances Spilman of CatechismClass.com. This can serve as a meditation as we prepare
for the Feast of St. James the Greater
Catholics know that death is not the end but the beginning of a new life and so it proved with St. James. His tomb in Spain is a place of religious pilgrimage for hundreds of thousands of people every year. In the past, the Spanish people were inspired by St. James as they reconquered their country from the Muslims.
In 711, General Tariq Ibn-Ziyad led a force of Islamic Moors of Arab and Berber descent to conquer most of Iberia. Fortunately, the Islamic force was halted by Charles Martel and his army at the Battle of Tours in 732. Yet most of Spain was still under foreign rule and, according to legend, Charlemagne (742-814) was recruited to rectify this situation.
“Charlemagne saw a path of stars in the sky, beginning in the Frisian Sea and extending through Germany and Italy, Gaul and Aquitaine, passing directly over Gascony, Vasconia, Navarre and Spain to Galicia, where the body of Saint James lay buried and undiscovered. Looking upon this stellar path several times every night, he began to mediate its meaning. A knight of splendid appearance, more handsome than words can describe, appeared to Charlemagne one evening in a vision as he sat in deep meditation.
“What are you doing, my son?” the knight asked.
To which the king responded,
“Who are you, sir?”
“I am Saint James the Apostle, disciple of Christ…and whose body lies forgotten in Galicia, a place still shamefully oppressed by the Saracens. I am deeply disturbed by the fact that you, who have conquered so many cities and nations, have not liberated my lands from the Saracens… The path of stars that you have contemplated in the sky is the sign indicating that you must take a great army from here to Galicia to do battle with those perfidious pagans, to free my path and my lands and to visit my basilica and my tomb. After you, all peoples from sea to sea will walk there as pilgrims, begging forgiveness for their sins and proclaiming the greatness of the Lord…” (Kevin R. Poole, editor and translator of The Chronicle of Pseudo-Turpin, Book IV of the Liber Sancti Jacobi (New York: Italica Press, 2014) pgs. 5-6)
The historical Charlemagne was forced to retreat from the Muslims in Spain and then tragically, the Basques attacked his baggage train and killed Roland, the warden of the Breton March. The incident inspired the Song of Roland but brought the Spanish people no closer to freedom. However, the Reconquista had already begun in 718 when Pelagius defeated an Islamic Umayyad patrol in the Battle of Covadonga in Galencia. Although there were occasional forays into Galencia, the Muslims never controlled this part of Spain. Galencia was incorporated into Asturias, a Christian kingdom in the northwest of Spain.
In 812, Bishop Teodomiro, Bishop of Iria Flavia in Galencia, Spain, was visited by a group of men in his diocese. They told him that the anchorite Palagio with other devote men had seen a bright star over the hill of Libredon. Not only this, but they had seen lights moving among the forest while unseen voices sang religious chants. Stirred by this miracle, the Bishop determined to investigate the area with his canons and some prominent citizens on July 25th. After clearing away the underbrush, the men discovered a cave. Inside of the cave were three stone coffins. The largest of the coffins was in the middle with its occupant identified as Saint James – “Here lies Santiago, son of Zebedee and Salome, brother of St. John, whom Herod beheaded in Jerusalem. He came by sea borne by his disciples to Iria Flavia of Galicia…”
King Afonso II of Asturias, with the nobles of his court, journeyed to the shrine and ordered that a church be built to honor Saint James. Pope Leo III informed the Archbishops and the Bishops of the discovery. A small town grew up near the cave called Santiago de Compostela and the body of Saint James was moved there in 829. A beautiful Church was constructed during the reign of Afonso III in 893. (Catherine Gasquoine Hartley The Story of Santiago de Compostela (London: J. M. Dent & Sons, Ltd., 1912) pgs. 22-27)
The pilgrimage of St. James became very popular – third in popularity after Jerusalem and Rome. Even a Moorish ambassador was astonished at the crowds:
“When Ali-ben-Yussuf, the Almoravide, sent an embassy to Dona Urraca about 1121, the ambassadors were amazed at the throngs of pilgrims who choked the road. They asked the subaltern detailed to escort and assist them, the Centurion Peter..:
‘Who is it the Christians so revered, for whom so great a multitude comes and goes, from this side and the other of the Pyrenees, so that the road is scarcely cleared for us?’
And Peter answered with a fine gesture: ‘He who deserves such reverence is St. James whose body there is buried…’” (Georgiana Goddard King, The Way of Saint James, Volume 1 (New York: G. P. Putnam’s Sons, 1920) pg. 107)
In 1122, Pope Calixrus II granted a Holy Year to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela when July 25th (Saint James’ feast day) falls on a Sunday. On that year, the Holy Door is open from January 1st to December 31st and pilgrims are granted special indulgencies. The years 2004, 2010, 2021 and 2027 were or will be Holy Years and there are usually more pilgrims during these years. The Codex Calixtinus, an illustrated manuscript of the 12th century, is a description of the pilgrimage to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela and includes music, stories of St. James, miracles and advice about the route. Despite its name, it was not written by Pope Calixrus II but by unknown authors and organized by Aymeric Picaud, a French scholar.
St. Francis of Assisi, like many others, went to Santiago de Compostela with a few of his companions:
“At the beginning and commencement of the Order, when as yet there were few brothers and the Houses had not been taken into possession, Saint Francis for his devotion went to Saint James’s of Galicia… Having won thither, while he was spending the night in prayer in the church of St. James, it was revealed by God unto Saint Francis, that it behooved him to take possession of many places throughout the world, because his Order must needs grow and increase into a vast multitude of brothers” (The Little Flowers of Saint Francis translated by T.W. Arnold (London: J. M. Dent and Co., 1907) pg. 11)
Throughout the ages, pilgrims have had different reasons to visit the tomb of St. James. Some came to worship, others to fulfil a vow, still others petitioned the saint to alleviate their or other’s distress. Fray Miguel Capeller and Fray Leonardo de Gratia, for instance, were sent to ask St. James to stop the plague in Barcelona in 1465 (The Way of Saint James, pg. 123).
Church authorities sometimes required penitents to make the pilgrimage to atone for their sins. There were several official roads to Santiago – the one from France being one of the most popular. Most pilgrims purchase a credencial - a small book which is marked by the local church or town hall with an official St. James stamp as the pilgrim progresses on his or her journey. The pilgrim must travel at least 100 km by foot or 200 km by bicycle (about 62 and 127 miles respectively) to receive the Compostela. The Compostela is a certificate of achievement given by the Pilgrim’s Office to those who arrive at Santiago de Compostela after traveling the required distance. According to the Confraternity of Saint James, the pilgrimage is still popular with 272,135 receiving the Compostela in 2010 (a Holy Year) and 262,469 in 2015.
St. James is often shown with a seashell and a pilgrim’s hat and staff to emphasize his protection over the pilgrims who visit Santiago. However, St. James represents more than a protector of pilgrims. As we saw above, St. James appeared to Charlemagne as a great knight. St. James was an inspiration to the Spanish as they attempted to reconquer their land from the Moors. The great warrior El Cid invokes St. James as his army of four thousand prepares to fight the Moorish force of fifty thousand:
“Our bishop, good Don Jerom, an early mass shall say, And give us absolution before the dawn of day. Then we shall sally forth and assault them in the names Of the Lord and His Apostle our worthy good St. James”
There are legends of St. James on his white horse leading the Spanish to
victory against the Moors. The Spanish
achieved their final victory in 1492 when Ferdinand and Isabella defeated the
last Moorish army and Spain was finally free.
Novena of St. Ann[2]
Daily Prayer to Saint Ann
O
glorious St. Ann, you are filled with compassion for those who invoke you and
with love for those who suffer! Heavily burdened with the weight of my
troubles, I cast myself at your feet and humbly beg of you to take the present
intention which I recommend to you in your special care.
Please recommend it to your daughter, the Blessed Virgin Mary, and place it
before the throne of Jesus, so that He may bring it to a happy issue. Continue
to intercede for me until my request is granted. But, above all, obtain for me
the grace one day to see my God face to face, and with you and Mary and all the
saints to praise and bless Him for all eternity. Amen.
Our Father, . . . Hail Mary . . .
O Jesus, Holy Mary, St. Ann, help me now and at
the hour of my death. Good St. Ann, intercede for me.
EIGHTH
DAY
Hail, St. Ann! I rejoice at your exalted glory.
You gave birth to Mary, whose divine Son brought salvation to our lost world by
conquering death and restoring life and hope to sinners. Pray to Him who, for
love of us, clothed Himself with human flesh in the chaste womb of your
daughter.
Glorious St. Ann, with your blessed daughter,
deliver me from everything that is displeasing in the sight of God. Pray to
your gentle and powerful Grandson that He may cleanse my soul in His precious
blood, that He may send His Holy Spirit to enlighten and direct me in all that
I do, always obedient to His holy inspirations.
Good mother keep a watchful eye on me. Help me
bear all my crosses. Give me the fullness of your bounty and sustain me with
courage.
Catechism of the Catholic Church
Day 40
Paragraph 4. THE CREATOR
279 "In the beginning God
created the heavens and the earth." Holy Scripture begins with these
solemn words. the profession of faith takes them up when it confesses that God
the Father almighty is "Creator of heaven and earth" (Apostles'
Creed), "of all that is, seen and unseen" (Nicene Creed). We shall
speak first of the Creator, then of creation and finally of the fall into sin
from which Jesus Christ, the Son of God, came to raise us up again.
280 Creation is the foundation
of "all God's saving plans," the "beginning of the history of
salvation" that culminates in Christ. Conversely, the mystery of
Christ casts conclusive light on the mystery of creation and reveals the end
for which "in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth":
from the beginning, God envisaged the glory of the new creation in Christ.
281 And so the readings of the
Easter Vigil, the celebration of the new creation in Christ, begin with the
creation account; likewise in the Byzantine liturgy, the account of creation
always constitutes the first reading at the vigils of the great feasts of the
Lord. According to ancient witnesses the instruction of catechumens for Baptism
followed the same itinerary.
I. CATECHESIS ON CREATION
282 Catechesis on creation is
of major importance. It concerns the very foundations of human and Christian
life: for it makes explicit the response of the Christian faith to the basic
question that men of all times have asked themselves: "Where do we
come from?" "Where are we going?" "What is our
origin?" "What is our end?" "Where does everything that
exists come from and where is it going?" the two questions, the first
about the origin and the second about the end, are inseparable. They are
decisive for the meaning and orientation of our life and actions.
283 The question about the
origins of the world and of man has been the object of many scientific studies
which have splendidly enriched our knowledge of the age and dimensions of the
cosmos, the development of life-forms and the appearance of man. These
discoveries invite us to even greater admiration for the greatness of the
Creator, prompting us to give him thanks for all his works and for the
understanding and wisdom he gives to scholars and researchers. With Solomon
they can say: "It is he who gave me unerring knowledge of what exists, to
know the structure of the world and the activity of the elements. . . for
wisdom, the fashioner of all things, taught me."
284 The great interest accorded
to these studies is strongly stimulated by a question of another order, which
goes beyond the proper domain of the natural sciences. It is not only a
question of knowing when and how the universe arose physically, or when man
appeared, but rather of discovering the meaning of such an origin: is the
universe governed by chance, blind fate, anonymous necessity, or by a
transcendent, intelligent and good Being called "God"? and if the
world does come from God's wisdom and goodness, why is there evil? Where does
it come from? Who is responsible for it? Is there any liberation from it?
National Tequila Day[3]
Another Hedonistic
progressive holiday--Note: Humility and its source is where all goodness comes
from; the Spirit of God, and not this spirit.
National Tequila Day is
dedicated to recognizing Tequila, a distilled alcoholic beverage made from the
blue agave plant and the main alcohol in a margarita. Blue agave plants
produce sugars such as fructose, which are ideal for preparing tequila. The
plant only grows in the rich and sandy soil of Jalisco, Mexico at altitudes of
1,500 meters.
To make tequila, the heart or piña of the plant is removed when the plant is
approximately 12 years old and weighs around 40-90kg. The heart is then
heated to extract sap which is fermented and distilled into tequila.
According to history, the Aztecs created fermented beverages from the
agave plant prior to arrival of Spaniards in 1521. The origins of
National Tequila Day are not well understood; however, it appears that National
Tequila Day began to emerge around the late 1990s. This holiday is celebrated
every year on July 24.
National
Tequila Day Facts & Quotes
·
During prohibition, tequila became more popular
because smuggling liquor into the country was easiest from Mexico.
·
According to Guinness World Records, the most
expensive bottle of tequila was worth $225,000 in 2006. The Platinum
& White Gold Tequila bottle was sold by Tequila Ley .925 to a private
collector. The tequila was harvested from 100% blue agave plants that had
been aged 6 years.
·
As per the Official Mexican Standard for Tequila
(NOM-006-SCFI-2005), the alcohol content of tequila ranges from 35-55%.
·
As per the Consejo Regulador del Tequila
(Tequila Regulatory Council), Mexico produced 118.9 million liters of 100% pure
agave tequila, of which 77.9 million liters were exported.
·
I wanted to do my part to help preserve that
golden age of travel… I step aboard the Patron Tequila Express railcar, and I
go back in time to the days when a long journey was something fun and very
special. - Billionaire John Paul DeJoria, Owner of the Patron Spirits Company
National
Tequila Day Top Events and Things to Do
·
Try the World's Best Tequila. Winner of
the World's Best Tequila Award 2015, 1800 Anejo is produced by La Rojena.
· Attend a tequila festival. Here are some popular ones to consider:
1) Day of the Dead Tequila Festival
2) South Florida Tequila Festival
3) Northwest Tequila Fest
4) Texas Tequila and Margarita Festival
·
Tour tequila distilleries along the tequila
trail in Jalisco, Mexico. The distilleries offer insight into the production
process and offer ample opportunity to sample a variety of tequilas.
·
Try different categories of tequila. These
include:
1) Blanco (white) tequila which is unaged or has been aged for less than two
months.
2) Joven (gold) tequila which is unaged silver tequila that is flavored with
either caramel coloring or sugar-derived syrups, etc.
3) Resposado tequila which has been aged for a minimum of two months but less
than 1 year in oak barrels.
4) Anejo tequila which has been aged for at least 1 year, but less than 3 years
in oak barrels.
5) Extra Anejo tequila which has been aged for at least 3 years.
·
Try a tequila twist in your favorite recipes.
Many recipes can be infused with tequila, for example:
1) Citrus and tequila infused cupcakes. Add some citrus zest and
sprinkles of tequila to the cupcake frosting.
2) Tequila glazed chicken. Just add a few spoons of tequila to your
favorite chicken glaze recipe.
3) Barbecued tequila and lime pork spareribs. Add lime and tequila to an
overnight sparerib marinade.
Today is my millennial daughter
Nicole Patience’s (Victorious Patience) birthday; hopefully she is eating cake
and not slamming shots! I ask your prayers.
"Vaya con Dios, mi amor"
Every Wednesday is
Dedicated to St. Joseph
The Italian culture has
always had a close association with St. Joseph perhaps you could make
Wednesdays centered around Jesus’s Papa. Plan an Italian dinner of pizza or
spaghetti after attending Mass as most parishes have a Wednesday evening Mass.
You could even do carry out to help restaurants. If you are adventurous, you
could do the Universal Man Plan: St. Joseph style. Make the evening a family
night perhaps it could be a game night. Whatever you do make the day special.
·
Devotion to the 7 Joys and Sorrows of St.
Joseph
·
Do the St.
Joseph Universal Man Plan.
·
Total Consecration
to St. Joseph Day 6
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