Vinny’s Corner-Who is like God?
· The Roots of our faith stems from Judaism if you can go to a Selichot prayer ceremony.
· Is there a Fire Dragon dance in your area? If not the dragon’s in your life and community.
· Remember: Through Mary we meet Christ; through Mary’s prayers we are brought closer to Christ.
o Saturday Litany of the Hours Invoking the Aid of Mother Mary
· So, you wake up and it’s International Rabbit Day®? Hop to it and start your day with a healthy breakfast, maybe a carrot smoothie.
o Since it’s also National Good Neighbor Day, why not bake some extra muffins to share with the neighbors?
· As the day progresses, honor Czech Statehood Day by exploring some Czech history online and King Wenceslaus or try cooking a Czech dish for dinner. Save Your Photos Day is a great reminder to back up your precious memories, so spend some time organizing your digital photo collection.
o When National Drink Beer Day rolls around, treat yourself to a cold one and maybe even host a virtual beer tasting with friends.
· Embrace National North Carolina Day by researching the state’s attractions or cooking up a Southern-inspired meal. Indulge in a slice of National Strawberry Cream Pie in the afternoon.
· For National Hunting and Fishing Day, head outside for a nature walk or try your hand at fishing if you’re near a body of water.
o Family Health and Fitness Day reminds us to stay active, so gather the family for a dance party or a yoga session.
· On a more serious note, National Public Lands Day encourages us to appreciate and protect our natural spaces. Take a walk in a park or participate in a local clean-up event.
o World Rabies Day is a reminder to keep our furry friends safe, so schedule a check-up for your pets.
· Wind down the day by embracing International Lace Day; try your hand at a simple lace craft or admire some intricate lace designs.
SEPTEMBER 28 Saturday
ST. WENCESLAUS
Luke, Chapter 9, Verse 44-45
44
“Pay attention to what I am telling you. The Son of Man is to be handed over to
men.” 45 But they did not understand this
saying; its meaning was hidden from them so that they should not understand it,
and they were AFRAID to ask him about
this saying.
The
apostles were so caught up with the glory of Christ and their own dreams of
power that they dared not look at the truth. We often prefer to live in fantasy
rather than face the present and see what is really going on. We like the
apostles must “Pay Attention.” We must be mindful of others and support them
where we can, we must check in with others, exercise forgiveness and engage in
service to others (first to our families, charity begins at home-there should
be no orphans in your family) and our community.
If we want to grow in our spiritual lives, we
must do the following[1]:
·
Learn
to love our Blessed Mother: Through Mary we meet Christ; through Mary’s
prayers we are brought closer to Christ. The Blessed Mother is our mother. She
should be our constant companion in the spiritual life.
·
Learn
from those who came before us: The
Church has canonized innumerable saints. These are our examples. They have
walked the road of holiness, and their lives show us the many ways that
closeness with Christ can be achieved. We must learn about the saints; we must
study their lives, read their writings and pray for their intercession.
·
Improve
our relationship with others: Spiritual growth transforms the outer life.
There are some people who pray regularly, who go to Mass nearly every day, who
are punctilious about every religious rule and regulation. At the same time
they are indifferent to the needs of others. At times they may even be cruel.
This is a tragic failure. Their relationship with Christ is damaged. Perhaps
they only believe it exists. When we are in real relationship with Christ, we
come to see that each human being is created in the divine image and is of infinite
value. To grow in the spiritual life is to grow in the love of others — to find
Christ in them and to serve Christ in them.
·
Encounter
Christ in the Scriptures: Reading
the Scriptures meditatively can be of enormous help in coming to know Christ.
Here we find his earthly words, his actions. Here we see again and again his
enormous love for us, his great sacrifice for us. Through the Scriptures we
come to know Our Lord in a deeper and deeper way and thus our relationship with
him grows.
·
Develop
a life of prayer: Every moment is an opportunity for prayer.
How often do we take advantage of these opportunities? Read Father Groeschel’s
book “Praying Constantly: Bringing Your Faith to Life.”
Here Father Groeschel shows that prayer can pervade our lives, that it can come
in many different and unexpected forms, that we never have to be far from a
moment of prayer. Each time we pray we draw closer to God. Every moment of
prayer, whether it involves the Rosary or the Liturgy of the Hours or simply a
few spontaneous words of our own is a conversation with Christ.
·
Take
advantage of confession: Sinfulness is part of the human condition —
one that separates us from Christ. Christ offers us a way to put our sins
behind us and to experience once again his loving embrace through the Sacrament
of Reconciliation. What possible reason can there be for ignoring this? If we
stay in our sins we push Christ away from us and we have no hope of growing in
the spiritual life. Our sins should weigh heavily on us; we should yearn for
confession, which offers us Christ again.
·
Truly
participate in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass:
Many people attend Mass in a distracted frame of mind. Yet in the Mass we
encounter Christ in a unique and unsurpassable way. We must be fully present
and prepared. We should not rush into Church thinking of a thousand things. We
must enter Church filled with joy and gratitude, knowing that we go to meet our
great love. Our time at Mass should be suffused with prayer. It should also be
filled with anticipation, for during Communion Christ comes to us and lives
with us and offers us infinite love. After Mass we should linger before the
tabernacle filled with thanksgiving for what we have so graciously been given.
These are only a few of the most obvious ways for a Catholic to deepen
his spiritual life, yet many of them are not thought to be very important
today. For the Catholic they are essential. Your spiritual life is not truly
Catholic if such things do not play a large part in it.
Feast of St. Wenceslaus[2]
St. Wenceslaus, duke of
Bohemia, was born about the year 907 at Prague, Bohemia (now the Czech
Republic). His father was killed in battle when he was young, leaving the
kingdom to be ruled by his pagan mother.
Wenceslaus was educated by his grandmother, Ludmilla, also a saint.
·
Throughout
his life he preserved his virginity unblemished.
·
As
duke he was a father to his subjects, generous toward orphans, widows, and the
poor.
·
On
his own shoulders he frequently carried wood to the houses of the needy.
·
He
often attended the funerals of the poor, ransomed captives, and visited those
suffering in prison.
·
He
was filled with a deep reverence toward the clergy; with his own hands he sowed
the wheat for making altar breads and pressed the grapes for the wine used in
the Mass.
·
During
winter he would visit the churches barefoot through snow and ice, frequently
leaving behind bloody footprints.
Wenceslaus was eighteen
years old when he succeeded his father to the throne. Without regard for the
opposition, he worked in close cooperation with the Church to convert his pagan
country. He ended the persecution of Christians, built churches and brought
back exiled priests. As king he gave an example of a devout life and of great
Christian charity, with his people calling him "Good King" of
Bohemia. His brother Boleslaus, however, turned to paganism. One day he invited
Wenceslaus to his house for a banquet. The next morning, on September 28, 929,
as Wenceslaus was on the way to Mass, Boleslaus struck him down at the door of
the church. Before he died, Wenceslaus forgave his brother and asked God's
mercy for his soul. Although he was killed for political reasons, he is listed
as a martyr since the dispute arose over his faith. This king, martyred at the
age of twenty-two, is the national hero and patron of the Czech Republic. He is
the first Slav to be canonized.
King
Wenceslas used Arbinger before
it was invented[3]
Our
mindset connects or disconnects us with others—there are a number of ways we
can “see” others from an inward mindset. Traditionally, Arbinger has
categorized these three ways of seeing others as obstacles, vehicles or simply
irrelevant.
1. When I’m seeing someone as an
obstacle, I see them as “in my way”, or as a hindrance to what I’m seeking to
accomplish.
2. When I’m seeing someone as a vehicle, I use
them to get me what I want, or where I need to go. They might have information
or connections that are valuable to me, so I “play nice” until I get what I
want.
3. When someone is irrelevant to me, I
don’t care about them and likely don’t allow their humanity to impact me in any
way.
All
three of these labels are ultimately ways that I objectify others. When I’m
seeing someone as an obstacle, vehicle or irrelevancy, I’m not seeing them as a
human being with needs, concerns, hopes and fears similar to my own. Think of
someone who you struggle to see as a person. Perhaps they get on your nerves
frequently, or perhaps you avoid them at all costs. This person might be a
coworker, a family member, a neighbor—someone with whom you feel your
relationship could improve.
How do you see this particular
person?
Are they often an obstacle?
A vehicle to get you what you want?
Mostly irrelevant?
If
the person you have in mind feels like an obstacle to you, consider how you
might not be receiving their goodness or kindness.
If
this person feels more like a vehicle to you, contemplate what needs they might
have that you’re failing to see?
Are
you looking to simply “get”, or are you willing to give?
For
someone you’re seeing as irrelevant, what must it feel like for him or her to
feel ignored, barely noticed or hardly cared about?
Have
you ever been seen as an obstacle, a vehicle or irrelevant?
How
did it feel?
Ponder
what underlying qualities you might be missing in the person you’re thinking
of. What might the people who love them see in them?
Things to
Do
·
Learn more about Prague
and the Czech Republic and St. Vitus Cathedral, supposedly started by St.
Wenceslas in the 10th century as a small chapel to house relics of St. Vitus
and where in the 14th century St. John Nepomucene was buried after being
executed for refusing to violate the seal of the confessional.
·
Teach your children the Christmas carol, Good
King Wenceslas and discuss his life and virtue. If you can find a copy, a
wonderful book with music and illustrations is called Good King Wenceslas: A
Legend in Music and Pictures by Mary Reed Newland, published by Seabury
Press, 1980.
·
Read about the Infant Jesus of Prague
and pray the chaplet.
·
Bake
a loaf of bread for dinner and serve wine in honor of St. Wenceslaus.
·
Novena
of the Infant Jesus of Prague
Michaelmas Eve[4]
·
In the British Isles,
Michaelmas is celebrated on September 29. As the Feast of St. Michael within
the Catholic church, this date is often associated with the harvest because of
its proximity to the autumn equinox. Although it's not a Pagan holiday in the
true sense, Michaelmas celebrations often included older aspects of Pagan harvest customs, such as the weaving of corn dolls from the last sheaves of grain.
·
Like
many other celebrations falling during harvest time, Michaelmas can trace some
of its traditions to early Pagan practices in Europe. One of the most popular
harvest customs that was adapted by Christians and integrated into the
Michaelmas celebration was that of a corn doll. A corn doll is often associated
with the period between Lammas, the first grain harvest, and the autumnal
equinox.
·
By
the Middle Ages, Michaelmas soon became recognized as one
of the so-called quarter days. The term is derived from a system in the
British Isles in which four specific days each year were marked as a time to
collect rents, hire new servants, and resolve legal matters. In England and
Wales, the original quarter days were Lady Day, Midsummer, Michaelmas, and
Christmas—corresponding with the spring equinox, the summer solstice, the
autumnal equinox, and the winter solstice, all of which were days of great
significance for early Pagans.
·
During
the medieval period, Michaelmas was considered one of the holy days of
obligation for Christians, although that tradition ended in the 1700s. Customs
included the preparation of a meal of goose which had been fed on the stubble
of the fields following the harvest (called a stubble-goose). There was also a
tradition of preparing special larger-than-usual loaves of bread, and St.
Michael's bannocks, which was a special kind of oatcake.
·
By
Michaelmas, the harvest was typically complete, and the next year's farming
cycle would begin as landowners saw reeves elected from among the peasants for
the following year. The reeve's job was to watch over the work and make sure
everyone was doing their share, as well as collecting rents and donations of
products. If a holding's rent fell short, it was up to the reeve to make it
up—as you can imagine, no one really wanted to be reeve. This was also the time
of year when accounts were balanced up, annual dues paid to local guilds,
workers were hired on for the next season, and new leases taken for the
following year.
·
Michaelmas
was considered the official beginning of winter, which lasted until Christmas.
It was also the time at which winter grains were sown, such as
wheat and rye, for harvesting the following year.
·
In
a symbolic sense, because Michaelmas is so close to the autumnal equinox, and
because it is a day to honor St. Michael's accomplishments, which include
slaying a fierce dragon, it is often associated with courage in preparation for
the darker half of the year.
o Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance (Hong Kong) September 28-30. Top off Mid-Autumn Festival celebrations with the
Tai Hang fire dragon dance. This 3-day-long event, held during the Mid-Autumn
Festival, carries on a tradition that’s more than 100 years old. In the Hong
Kong community of Tai Hang, some 300 performers take to the streets, dancing,
waving incense sticks and animating a 220-foot-long dragon.
·
Michael
was the patron saint of sailors, so in some seafaring areas, this day is
celebrated with the baking of a special cake from the grains of the final
harvest.
Catechism of the Catholic
Church
Day 107
II. THE CHURCH'S ORIGIN,
FOUNDATION AND MISSION
758 We begin our investigation
of the Church's mystery by meditating on her origin in the Holy Trinity's plan
and her progressive realization in history.
A plan born in the Father's
heart
759 "The eternal Father,
in accordance with the utterly gratuitous and mysterious design of his wisdom
and goodness, created the whole universe and chose to raise up men to share in
his own divine life," to which he calls all men in his Son. "The
Father . . . determined to call together in a holy Church those who should
believe in Christ." This "family of God" is gradually
formed and takes shape during the stages of human history, in keeping with the
Father's plan. In fact, "already present in figure at the beginning of the
world, this Church was prepared in marvelous fashion in the history of the
people of Israel and the old Advance. Established in this last age of the world
and made manifest in the outpouring of the Spirit, it will be brought to
glorious completion at the end of time."
The Church - foreshadowed from
the world's beginning.
760 Christians of the first
centuries said, "The world was created for the sake of the
Church." God created the world for the sake of communion with his
divine life, a communion brought about by the "convocation" of men in
Christ, and this "convocation" is the Church. the Church is the goal
of all things, and God permitted such painful upheavals as the angels'
fall and man's sin only as occasions and means for displaying all the power of
his arm and the whole measure of the love he wanted to give the world:
Just as
God's will is creation and is called "the world," so his intention is
the salvation of men, and it is called "the Church."
The Church - prepared for in
the Old Covenant
761 The gathering together of
the People of God began at the moment when sin destroyed the communion of men
with God, and that of men among themselves. the gathering together of the
Church is, as it were, God's reaction to the chaos provoked by sin. This
reunification is achieved secretly in the heart of all peoples: "In every
nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable" to God.
762 The remote preparation for
this gathering together of the People of God begins when he calls Abraham and
promises that he will become the father of a great people. Its immediate
preparation begins with Israel's election as the People of God. By this
election, Israel is to be the sign of the future gathering of All
nations. But the prophets accuse Israel of breaking the covenant and
behaving like a prostitute. They announce a new and eternal covenant.
"Christ instituted this New Covenant."
The Church - instituted by
Christ Jesus
763 It was the Son's task to
accomplish the Father's plan of salvation in the fullness of time. Its
accomplishment was the reason for his being sent. "The Lord Jesus
inaugurated his Church by preaching the Good News, that is, the coming of the Reign
of God, promised over the ages in the scriptures." To fulfill the
Father's will, Christ ushered in the Kingdom of heaven on earth. the Church
"is the Reign of Christ already present in mystery."
764 "This Kingdom shines
out before men in the word, in the works and in the presence of
Christ." To welcome Jesus' word is to welcome "the Kingdom
itself." The seed and beginning of the Kingdom are the "little
flock" of those whom Jesus came to gather around him, the flock whose
shepherd he is. They form Jesus' true family. To those whom he thus
gathered around him, he taught a new "way of acting" and a prayer of
their own.
765 The Lord Jesus endowed his
community with a structure that will remain until the Kingdom is fully
achieved. Before all else there is the choice of the Twelve with Peter as their
head. Representing the twelve tribes of Israel, they are the foundation
stones of the new Jerusalem. The Twelve and the other disciples share in
Christ's mission and his power, but also in his lot. By all his actions,
Christ prepares and builds his Church.
766 The Church is born
primarily of Christ's total self-giving for our salvation, anticipated in the
institution of the Eucharist and fulfilled on the cross. "The origin and
growth of the Church are symbolized by the blood and water which flowed from
the open side of the crucified Jesus." "For it was from the side
of Christ as he slept the sleep of death upon the cross that there came forth
the 'wondrous sacrament of the whole Church.'" As Eve was formed from
the sleeping Adam's side, so the Church was born from the pierced heart of
Christ hanging dead on the cross.
Selichot[5]
Selichot
(Hebrew: סליחות)
means 'sorry/forgiveness prayers'. Selichot are recited from the Sunday
before the Jewish New Year until the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur).
Selichot are aimed for both the individual and communities to atone their
sins between man and God. They are intended for Jews to reflect on their
actions of the past year and to refrain from committing the same sins in the
next New Year.
Selichot
Facts
· For many Orthodox Jews, Selichot
prayers are added to the daily cycle of religious services. Selichot are
recited before normal daily shacharit (morning prayers) service. They add
about 45 minutes to the regular daily service in a typical service.
· A fundamental part of selichot
service is the repeated recitation of the Thirteen Attributes, a list of God's
thirteen attributes of mercy that were revealed to Moses after the sin of the
golden calf (Ex 34:6-7): Ha-shem [1], Ha-shem [2], God [3], merciful [4], and
gracious [5], long-suffering [6], abundant in goodness [7] and truth [8],
keeping mercy unto the thousandth generation [9], forgiving iniquity [10] and
transgression [11] and sin [12], who cleanses [13].
· This is the season to begin the
process of asking forgiveness for wrongs done to other people. According
to Jewish tradition, God cannot forgive us for sins committed against another
person until we have first obtained forgiveness from the person we have
wronged.
· Many of the Selichot prayers are in
the form of a main Selichah (forgiveness) prayer and a Pizmon (chorus), which
is repeated after each changing Selichah prayer. Some of these Selichot have
cantorial music for the Selichah and a repeating tune for the chorus.
Selichot
Top Events and Things to Do
· Consider your position in life and
ask God for forgiveness. Use this time to reset your daily habits and think how
to change them to the better.
· Use this period of time to forgive
others and as well as ask others for forgiveness. This is often most difficult
to do between life partners, parents and children.
· Many people visit cemeteries at
this time, because the awe-inspiring nature of this time makes us reflect on
our own life, death, and mortality. Consider visiting the graves of your
ancestors, soldiers, or anyone who may have made a positive impact on society.
· Attend to a Selichot prayer
ceremony or watch one on YouTube. A popular Selichot rendition is by Yitzchak Meir Helfgot.
Daily Devotions
·
Unite in the work of the Porters of St. Joseph by joining them
in fasting: Today's Fast: Binding
and suppressing the Devils Evil Works.
·
Religion
in the Home for Preschool: September
·
Litany of the Most Precious
Blood of Jesus
·
Offering to
the sacred heart of Jesus
·
Rosary
[4] https://www.learnreligions.com/michaelmas-2562303
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