Monday Night at the Movies
Luis Bunuel, Nazarin, 1959.
Christopher’s Corner
·
Let
Freedom Ring Day 37 Freedom from Sloth
o
To
fight this deadly sin, we must look to the cardinal virtue of justice. Justice
helps us to assume our responsibilities and to give to others what it
rightfully their due. Justice provokes us away from a slavish devotion to
comfort and provokes to use the God given abilities and talents we have to the
greater good. It provokes us to treat those tools God has given us (body, mind,
and soul) in such a way as to be able to fulfill whatever it is that God has
set for us to do. It helps us take care of those tools. Justice helps us be
wise and diligent stewards of God's gifts in our lives and helps us be diligent
in the duties and relationships we are called to live in. The purpose of our
exercise in prayer, fasting, and abstinence is to detach ourselves from worldly
comfort, looking to another and higher goal.
o
At
the end of these 40 days, let us remember the motto of Bl. Pier Giorgio
Frasatti, 'verso l'alto' (to the heights) and let the good habits we have engaged in
lead us to a greater holiness and life in Christ.
- With this week being Tea Week we did have tea occasionally while we were stationed in Belgium and my dad did take us to London and even Harrod's. As there was seven of us it was mostly my dad who drank the tea or coffee while we look on. I think we sometimes got a apple juice. I think most of my dad's money went for toilet visits as it cost a $1.00 to go to the toilet.
- The girls were always having to go and my dad was constantly doing headcount to ensure we weren't lost or kidnaped. I remember when I was about 15 years old I straggled behind as I was mesmerized by a chocolate brazier prominently displayed in a shops window front. As I was eminently transfixed staring at the generous image before my eyes here comes my dad yelling at me for dawdling when he comes up to me and looks at the ample bosom that I was staring at; he laughs and just tells me to come along.
AUGUST 12 Monday
INTERNATIONAL
YOUTH DAY
Judges, Chapter 8, Verse 19-20
19“They were my brothers, my mother’s sons,” he said. “As the
LORD lives, if you had spared their lives, I would not kill you.” 20Then he said to his firstborn, Jether, “Go, kill them.” But the
boy did not draw his sword, for he was AFRAID,
for he was still a boy.
Gideon Ushers In a
Golden Age of Israel[1]
·
Gideon's
army continues to pursue the fleeing Midianites, led by their kings Zebah and
Zalmunna.
·
They
pass through the towns of Succoth and Penuel, and both refuse to give food to
Gideon's army. This is rude, and Gideon promises he'll make them pay when he's
done with Zebah and Zalmunna.
·
His
army defeats Midian and captures Z&Z.
·
On
their way back, Gideon captures a young man from Succoth, who identifies the
elders and princes of the city that were so inhospitable before.
·
Gideon
beats them with thorns and briars. That'll teach them!
·
He
also returns to Penuel and breaks down their tower and kills the men of the
city. Seriously—don't mess with Gideon.
·
While
interrogating Z&Z, Gideon finds out that they killed his brethren in Tabor.
Their life expectancy suddenly plummets dramatically.
·
Gideon
tells his oldest son, Jether, to kill these fools. Jether is still just a boy,
though, and he doesn't want to.
·
Z&Z
say, "You know what, Gid? Why don't you do the honors? You're
stronger anyway" (see KJV 8:21).
·
So
he does, and he takes the ornaments from their camels' necks because, hey, free camel jewelry.
·
Israel
asks Gideon to be their king, and his sons after him, because he's delivered
them from Midian.
·
Gideon
refuses and tells them that the Lord will be their king.
Jether was still a boy when asked
by his father to continue the cycle of violence. Sometimes children are wiser
than parents. Children instinctively know that being fair starts with
understanding your own shortcomings and listening to that small voice of
conscience.
The reverend Martin Luther
King, Jr. (1929-1968) knew the value of conscience when he stated:
Hate begets hate; violence begets
violence; toughness begets a greater toughness. We must meet the forces of hate
with the power of love. Our aim must never be to defeat or humiliate the white
man, but to win his friendship and understanding. “The ultimate weakness of
violence is that it is a descending spiral begetting the very thing it seeks to
destroy, instead of diminishing evil, it multiplies it. Through violence you
may murder the liar, but you cannot murder the lie, nor establish the truth.
Through violence you may murder the hater, but you do not murder hate. In fact,
violence merely increases hate. Returning violence for violence multiplies
violence, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness
cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate;
only love can do that.”[2]
Afternoon Tea Week[3]
My mother loved
everything about tea, so I posted this.
Sometimes the wait for
dinner is just way too long, and lunch has passed far too many hours ago. It’s
obvious that the length of the day is starting to wear on everyone!
When this happens, it’s
time to heat the kettle and then get started with a warm cup of tea and some
light sandwiches–and perhaps something sweet to finish it off. This is the
opportunity to take some time to appreciate the day, and bolster up for the rest
of the evening!
Afternoon Tea Week taps
into the British Tradition of having afternoon tea. It is meant to help bring a
bit of elegance and pomp to an otherwise unremarkable time of day in the later
part of the afternoon.
History of Afternoon Tea
Week
Afternoon Tea Week was
established to help secure a tradition that has graced British afternoons since
the 1840’s. In those days, dinner often wasn’t served until 8pm. Since a full
lunch wasn’t actually a thing, what was a hungry person to do in the hours of
the afternoon? Create a new mini-meal in the middle of the day of course!
Even though it is called
“tea”, there is far more than just a beverage being served in the afternoon!
Traditionally this light meal contains tiny finger sandwiches, as well as
scones with jam and clotted cream. Plus, this time is also likely to reveal sweet
dainties such as cakes and pastries to help lift the spirits, bolster energy,
and see people through the rest of the day.
After a while, what
started out as a simple afternoon meal grew into a social event, especially for
those who spent their lives in the upper echelons of the day’s society. This
became even more prominent once Queen Victoria herself took part in this tradition.
At that point the concept of the ‘tea reception’ was born. This type of event
included lavish and fancy afternoon repasts that could host anywhere from a
close collection of friends to a couple hundred of society’s most important
faces.
As the name suggests,
drinking hot tea was a very important part of this meal, which was a tradition
started by Anna, the 7th Duchess of Bedford. She often found herself feeling
weary or worn down in the middle of the day, and a pot of tea with a snack just
seemed to be the best way to take care of it. She soon invited friends to join
her for walks in the field, and thus began the tradition that would eventually
turn into Afternoon Tea.
The tradition continues
and it is time, once again, to celebrate Afternoon Tea Week!
How to Celebrate Afternoon
Tea Week
Celebrating Afternoon Tea
Week is simple. For the length of a week, simply commit to taking a pause for
Afternoon Tea as a part of each day. Enjoy warm tea, a few sweets, and a small
repast that will help lift those spirits and drive the momentum for the rest of
the day. Or try these other ideas for celebrating:
Host an Afternoon Tea Week Event
Those who really want to
go all out can organize and host a special tea reception where friends and
family can be invited. Gather those tea pots filled with loose leaf English
Breakfast or Earl Grey tea, and get started! It might be fun to even go so far
as to wear a Victorian Costume to honor the delightful history of this day.
Enjoy a Restaurant for Afternoon Tea
Traditional Afternoon Tea
is usually served based on the number of people joining. A reservation might be
made as a tea for two or tea for four. The meal will be served with a pot of
tea as well as three different courses of food that are usually displayed on a
tall, three-tiered stand.
Typically, the stand will
contain tea sandwiches, which are meant to be eaten first. After this,
traditional scones will be eaten and usually served with clotted cream as well
as fresh jam. Finally, after this, a plate full of sweets and pastries will be
available.
Visit England for Afternoon Tea
No one can challenge the
fact that the best place to have afternoon tea is in England. Sure, it might be
a bit overpriced, but why not pop over to London to enjoy some of the best
afternoon tea that can be found at one of these places:
- The
Tea Rooms at Harrods Department Store. Served in style,
sandwiches here will often include smoked salmon or salt beef. Since
Harrods began as a shop with a special interest in tea, the pot is the
star of the show here.
- Diamond
Jubilee Tea Salon at Fortnum & Mason. Since this company has
been selling tea for more than 300 years, it is safe to say this is a
trustworthy experience. The tearoom is decorated in the style of a
Georgian Drawing Room and boasted a visit from Queen Elizabeth herself on
its opening in 2012.
- BB
Bakery Afternoon Tea Bus Tour. An alternative to the traditional,
this tearoom offers a slightly more casual feel as it takes place on a
vintage London Bus as it moves about the city!
But even for people who
only have time for a simple cup of tea each day, remember Afternoon Tea Week.
And, of course, it’s the perfect occasion to take a few breaths in the very
British tradition that lets people “Keep Calm and Carry On.”
International Youth Day[4]
International
Youth Day seeks to raise awareness to the cultural and legal issues faced by
youth throughout the world. The United Nations
defines youth as people between the ages of 15 and 24 years, although locally,
youth can be interpreted in a more flexible manner. In 1995, the General
Assembly of the United Nations (UN) adopted the World Program of Action for
Youth with the intention of establishing guidelines and policies for action and
support that would lead to a brighter future for tomorrow's youth. The World Program
of Action for Youth, which consists of 15 priority areas, including education,
employment, hunger and poverty, health,
environment and drug abuse,
paved the way for the UN's declaration of International Youth Day in 1999.
Since its inception on August 12, 2000, International Youth Day has served to
increase the quality and quantity of opportunities available to the youth to
actively participate in society. In 2009, the UN Economic and Social Council
further expanded each of the 15 youth priority areas by developing goals and
targets for monitoring youth progress, an expansion that now serves as the
basis for International Youth Day's annual theme. Each year, the theme is
selected based upon immediate and relevant issues that youth are facing today.
International
Youth Day Facts & Quotes
·
Of
the 1.8 billion youth in the world today, half survive on less than $2 per day.
·
Young
people should be at the forefront of global change and innovation. Empowered,
they can be key agents for development and peace.
If, however, they are left on society's margins, all of us will be
impoverished. Let us ensure that all young people have every opportunity to
participate fully in the lives of their societies. - Kofi Annan,
Secretary-General of the United Nations.
Check
out the United States Congresses program for youth: www.congressionalaward.org
Catechism of the Catholic Church
Day 59
413 "God did not make
death, and he does not delight in the death of the living. . . It was through
the devil's envy that death entered the world" (Wis 1:13; 2:24).
414 Satan or the devil and
the other demons are fallen angels who have freely refused to serve God and his
plan. Their choice against God is definitive. They try to associate man in
their revolt against God.
415 "Although set by
God in a state of rectitude man, enticed by the evil one, abused his freedom at
the very start of history. He lifted himself up against God, and sought to
attain his goal apart from him" (GS 13 # 1).
416 By his sin Adam, as the
first man, lost the original holiness and justice he had received from God, not
only for himself but for all human beings.
417 Adam and Eve transmitted
to their descendants human nature wounded by their own first sin and hence
deprived of original holiness and justice; this deprivation is called
"original sin".
418 As a result of original
sin, human nature is weakened in its powers, subject to ignorance, suffering
and the domination of death, and inclined to sin (this inclination is called
"concupiscence").
419 "We therefore hold,
with the Council of Trent, that original sin is transmitted with human nature,
"by propagation, not by imitation" and that it is. . . 'proper to
each'" (Paul VI, CPG # 16).
420 The victory that Christ
won over sin has given us greater blessings than those which sin had taken from
us: "where sin increased, grace abounded all the more" (Rom 5:20).
421 Christians believe that "the world has been established and kept in being by the Creator's love; has fallen into slavery to sin but has been set free by Christ, crucified and risen to break the power of the evil one. . ." (GS 2 # 2).
Daily
Devotions
·
Unite in the work of the Porters of St. Joseph by joining them
in fasting: Holy Priests, Consecrated, & Religious
·
Eat waffles and Pray for the assistance of the Angels
·
Religion
in the Home for Preschool: August
·
Litany of the Most Precious
Blood of Jesus
·
Offering to
the sacred heart of Jesus
·
Monday: Litany of
Humility
·
Rosary
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