Friday, October 18, 2024

 


NIC’s Corner-Drink Commandaria & eat beef-Thank you St. Luke

Love is patient, love is kind. It is not jealous, [love] is not pompous, it is not inflated, it is not rude, it does not seek its own interests, it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury, it does not rejoice over wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth. (1 Corinthians 13:4-6)

·         Catholic Recipe: Beef Bourguignon

·         What? Fasting on a Feast Day?

·         How to celebrate Oct 18th

o   How about starting your day with a mammography appointment to stay on top of your health?

o   After, enjoy a comforting plate of mashed potatoes for lunch to treat yourself.

o   Consider biking to work to fit in some exercise for Ride to Workday.

o   Show appreciation for healthcare aides with a thoughtful gesture or thank you note.

o   Embrace your professional side by donning a necktie for the day.

o   Take some time to learn about developmental language disorders and spread awareness.

o   If you have facial hair, why not participate in No Beard Day by giving yourself a clean shave?

o   Extend your thoughts to those in Zambia on National Prayer Day by sending positive vibes.

o   Indulge in a decadent chocolate cupcake for a sweet treat.

o   Lastly, educate yourself about menopause on World Menopause Day to show support for women in your life. Mix and match activities to create a personalized day of celebration!


Introduction to Chronicles 1

Déjà vu[1], that strange feeling we sometimes get that we've read something before. What we're reading now has already been read. In 1 Chronicles, the author decides to retell the entire history of Israel from the first week of creation all the way to the people's return from exile in Babylon in 538 BCE.

After all, those really long genealogies from Numbers were so fun, who wouldn't want to hear them again?

But seriously, why would anyone want to retell stories from the Bible?

Those tales about the prophet Samuel and King David were pretty darn awesome the first time around.

If the originals are not broken, don't fix them, right?

Not quite. See, the author of Chronicles lived about 500 years after the death of King David. A whole lot of distressing stuff has happened since then. Israel had a string of terrible kings, it fractured into two separate countries, and it was nearly annihilated by the big boys from Assyria and Babylon. It was a rough half-millennium.

1 Chronicles is written as the people return to Jerusalem after spending nearly 70 years in exile in Babylon. They're struggling to put their lives back together. Whether they're reestablishing the city, rebuilding the Temple, or renewing their relationship with God, these guys have got a lot on their plates.

So, what better time than now to retell a classic and inspiring story about Jerusalem's Golden Age?

Think about it. Some of our favorite books and movies are just rehashes of older tales. Easy A is The Scarlet LetterTen Things I Hate About You is The Taming of the ShrewMy Fair Lady is Pygmalion. Heck, even Twilight is loosely (very loosely) based on Pride and Prejudice. By telling a story again in a new and different way, you're saying that it's valuable, important, and still has something to teach. Trust us, being timelessly wise is no easy feat. So take a trip down memory lane as we examine the phenomena of déjà vu, that strange feeling we sometimes get that we've read something before. What we're reading now has already been read. 

Why Should I Care?

We all need a hero. It's totally true. People do need heroes. We need them to give us hope, show us the way, and to fight for everything that's good in this crazy world. And no one needed a hero more than the Chronicler and his friends in Jerusalem. They had really been through some stuff. Death. Destruction. War. Exile. But now they've come back to the city they once lost and they're looking to rebuild. Late at night they toss and they turn and they dream of what they need. They need a hero. That's why the Chronicler decides to write about King David. In his eyes, this ancient king is the ultimate hero. Not only is he unbelievably handsome, he's also incredibly loyal, faithful, humble, and strong. The guy is a kick-butt warrior. A just and fair king. A devoted servant of God. He's the total package. Seriously, the Chronicler loves David so much we're guessing he drew little hearts around his name every time he wrote it. Of course, this isn't the first time King David's heroic story has been told. But their portrayal of him is a little more, um, complicated.

Do you remember the time David's own son tried to usurp his throne?

Or that other time when he slept with a married woman, got her pregnant, and then had her husband killed so he could marry her?

Well, none of that is in 1 Chronicles. It's not that the author is trying to hide all this stuff from us (he knows his readers already have all the dirt on David and Bathsheba). But he also knows his people need a story that will uplift them and give them hope for the hard work that's ahead. No one wants to read about an angry, brooding Superman who's struggling to find his place in this world. They need a handsome, confident Christopher Reeve-style Superman who fights for truth, justice, and the Yahweh way.

We all long for strong leaders who'll protect us from our enemies, unify the country and really care about us. Every four years, a few people try to convince us that they're exactly what we're looking for and that God's on their side. We can read about King David and think, "if only…" OTOH, we realize that, as much as we'd like to worship our leaders, there's no perfect leader, that running a country is way more complicated than invading foreign countries, citing Scripture, and handing out free food. We can relate to the author of Chronicles because we're willing to overlook a lot of moral failings and personal shenanigans in a charismatic political leader who makes us feel good about our country.

Could the David of 1 Chronicles get elected today?

We report. You decide.

 

OCTOBER 18 Friday-Feast of Saint Luke, Evangelist

 

1 Chronicles, Chapter 13, Verse 12

David was AFRAID of God that day, and he said, “How can I bring in the ark of God to me?”

 

See, the eyes of the LORD are upon those who fear him, upon those who hope for his kindness, to deliver them from death and preserve them in spite of famine.

David was afraid because he had just witnessed Uzzah being struck dead because he touched the Ark, the supreme object of Israelite liturgical worship as prohibited in the Torah. (2 Sam. 6:7)

Stand in Awe[2]

It is obviously no surprise that liberal Catholics have traditionally placed a low value on the quality of liturgical celebrations; I say not on liturgy itself, because progressive Catholics think liturgy is extremely important - that is, so long as it is an anthropocentric, horizontal affair. It is not liturgy per se they disparage, but liturgy done well - that is, liturgy that is transcendent and centered on the dignified worship of God. "Why be so finicky about the liturgy?" they say. "There are more important issues to get upset about! Issues like poverty, war, abortion and social justice!

Why get all worked up about liturgical reform?

It is just a matter of aesthetics anyhow!" Unfortunately, it is also common for more conservative Catholics to hold a dismissive attitude towards the liturgy as well, adopting a minimalist approach that the externals of liturgical action are "mere" externals, that they can be discarded or changed without consequence, that all that matters is having a valid Eucharist, etc. Similarly, the charismatic movement tends to foster an attitude of undue familiarity and casualness in the presence of the Lord. All of these are deficient approaches to the Sacred Liturgy which do not fully respect the importance of this holy action. Care of the poor is certainly important. Economic and social justice are important. But while the aforementioned topics are certainly worthy of attention, liturgy takes a special place because in the Divine Liturgy we worship God Himself.

Remember when Judas was indignant with Mary of Bethany for anointing the feet of Jesus?

"Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?"

Jesus said, "Let her alone...the poor you have with you always, but you do not always have me" (John 12:5,7). When we adore and worship Jesus, we are performing a supremely important action; in fact, it is the action we were created to do.

How important is liturgy in the larger scheme of things?

One way of telling how important something is to God is seeing how many people He has struck dead over it. We don't mean to be facetious; consider the following facts: God did not strike Adam dead when he committed the first sin, nor did He smite Cain for murder. He did not smite Noah for drunkenness, nor did He kill Joseph's brothers for selling him into slavery. Aaron was not even smitten for making the golden calf and David was not struck down for his adulterous and murderous affair with Bathsheba. Even wicked Manasseh of Judah was not killed by God when he sacrificed babies to Moloch in the Valley of Hinnom. Yet, Scripture is replete with examples of persons who were struck dead in wrath for violating the dignity surrounding the Hebrew liturgy and the ceremonial worship of God.

The Bible furnishes us with the following examples of people who were smitten by God in divine anger:

·         Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, are consumed by divine flame for offering unholy fire before the Lord, fire "such as the Lord had not commanded them" (Lev. 10:1-3). 

·         A man is put to death under God's Law for not honoring the day of rest by picking up sticks (Num. 15:32-36). The day of rest was supposed to be the day on which God was worshipped. 

·         Korah, Dathan Abiram and their party are consumed by fire and swallowed up into the earth because they sought to usurp the priestly role of Aaron. Their heresy was that they asserted that "all the congregation is holy, every one of them, and the Lord is among them" (Num. 16:1-40). 

·         Hophni and Phineas, the two wicked sons of Eli the High Priest are marked out for death by God because they partook of consecrated meat from the offerings made to the Lord at the Tent of Meeting (1 Sam. 2:12-4:11). 

·         King Saul offers a sacrifice because the priest Samuel is late in arriving for the ceremony. As a result, God rejects him from being King, he becomes tormented by evil spirits and is slain on Mount Gilboa (1 Sam. 13:8-14). 

·         Seventy men of Beth-Shemesh were struck dead by God for looking into the Ark (1 Sam. 6:12). As lay people and non-Levites, the touching of the sacred object of the Hebrew liturgy and sign of God's presence was a profanation. 

·         King Uzziah of Judah is smitten with leprosy "to the day of his death" for trying to offer incense in the Holy Temple in violation of the law permitting only priests and levites from doing so (2 Chr. 26:16-21). 

·         King Belshazzar of Babylon arouses the wrath of God by using Israelite liturgical vessels for profane uses (Dan. 5). He is slain and his kingdom is lost. 

·         St. Paul warns the Corinthians that improper reception of the Holy Eucharist is a profanation of Christ's Body and can lead to death (I Cor. 11:27-33).

Judging by all of these examples, it would seem that God's wrath was more provoked by Korah and Dathan usurping the priestly role of Moses than by Manasseh slaughtering infants. We know from Scripture that Manasseh was taken into captivity, had time to repent, and indeed did repent of his wickedness. But we know that Uzzah, Dathan, Korah, Nadab and all the rest on this list were slain immediately without time for afterthought or repentance. All of the people on this list died because they violated Old Testament prescriptions regarding the proper worship of God in one way or another. In all of our good deeds, we serve God in our brothers and sisters, but in the liturgy, we come into contact with God Himself, which gives opportunity for greater blessing, but also increases the condemnation of those who participate in it unworthily or profane it.

Therefore, let anybody who is tempted to think that the proper worship of God is not important (supremely important!), that it does not matter whether we use Gregorian Chant or guitars and bongos in Mass, that accurate liturgical translations are not vital, that God is not outraged by Clown Masses, Guitar Masses and all the rest of the abominations we hear about, that there is no difference between the Traditional Latin Mass and the nonsense at your typical liberal parish, let them remember St. Paul's admonition in the epistle to the Hebrews: "A man who has violated the Law of Moses dies without mercy at the testimony of two or three witnesses. How much worse punishment do you think will be deserved by the man who has spurned the Son of God and profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified and outraged the Spirit of Grace. For we know Him who said, "Vengeance is Mine, I will repay." And again, "The Lord will judge His people." It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God" (Heb. 10:28-31).

Feast of Saint Luke[3] 

This day celebrates the life of St. Luke, one of Jesus' disciples.  Luke was thought to be an educated Gentile, or non-Jew, and may have even been a physician.  Some biblical historians believe he may have even been a slave. Luke wrote two books in the New Testament -- the Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles. The Gospel of Luke focuses on converting non-Jews to Christianity. 

St Luke Facts 

·         Luke worked with the apostle Paul, and traveled with him throughout Asia Minor, proclaiming the Good News of Jesus Christ.

·         The Gospel of Luke describes a popular passage referred to as the 'The Parable of the Good Samaritan'.   In it a traveling man is attacked by robbers who strip and beat him.  A priest and a Levite pass by without helping him.  A Samaritan stops and cares for him, taking him to an inn where the Samaritan pays for his care. (Luke 10:25-37)

·         What became of Luke is unclear.  Some accounts say he was martyred, while others say that he lived to an old age and died in Greece.

·         The feast Day for St. Luke is held on October 18 in the Roman Catholic, Orthodox Church and some Protestant churches.  The Orthodox Church refers to this day as the Feast of the Holy Apostle and Evangelist Luke. 

St Luke Top Events and Things to Do 

·         Read the second chapter of the Gospel of Luke.  This is the story that is most often read at Christmas time about the birth of Jesus Christ.

·         Read the popular 'Parable of the Good Samaritan'.  Use this to inspire you to go out of your comfort zone to help someone in need.

·         Some traditions believe that St. Luke, in addition to being a writer and physician, was a painter.  Do a little artwork today to honor the saint.

·         Go get a checkup.  Luke was a physician. Take care of your body in honor of St. Luke.

·         Pray for doctors and those who care for the sick through the intercession of St. Luke, patron of physicians.

·         Foods this day to honor St. Luke would include some beef dish, as he is known as the "ox" and is the patron of butchers. For dessert, bake some raisin Banbury Tarts to evoke the festivals of England on this day, or a cake in the shape of a book with decorations of a calf or ox for this evangelist.

·         Today is also known as "Sour Cakes Day" in Scotland, because baked cakes were eaten with sour cream in Rutherglen.

St. Luke’s Little Summer

Lovely, summerlike days that occur around October 18 are called Saint Luke’s Little Summer in honor of the saint’s feast day. Around this time, Saint Luke’s feast day, there is a period brief period of calm, dry weather. Of course, it’s difficult to generalize today across the vast continent of North America, but the temperature is usually mild, and the leaf colors are turning a gorgeous color. It’s a good time for a brief vacation or visit to a park. In Venice, Italy, they say: “San Luca, El ton va te la zuca” (Pumpkins go stale on St Luke’s Day), but here in North America, pumpkins are enjoying their finest hour. Saint Luke is the patron saint of physicians and surgeons, so it seems only fitting that the good doctor give us these calm days. In olden days, St. Luke’s Day did not receive as much attention in the secular world as St. John’s Day (June 24) and Michaelmas (September 29), so it was to keep from being forgotten that St. Luke presented us with some golden days to cherish before the coming of winter, or so the story goes. Some folks call this Indian Summer, but that officially occurs between November 11 and November 20.

Cyprus’s Painted Churches[4] 

Above seaside Lemosos and on the eastern flank of 6,500-foot Mt. Olympus, you’ll also find ten magnificent medieval churches and monasteries, whose modest exteriors stand in contrast to their rich interiors, embellished with some of the finest Byzantine frescoes and icons in the Mediterranean. At the ornate 11th-century Kykkos Monastery, even the cloisters are richly frescoed, and a golden icon of the Virgin ascribed to St. Luke is said to work miracles. Agios Nikolaos tis Stegis (St. Nicholas of the Roof) is covered entirely in wall paintings. The monks who lived here were not only gifted artists but also master vintners, following a 5,500-year-old wine-making tradition in Cyprus. Stop at Chrysorrogiatissa Monastery for a visit to the region’s oldest wine-making site. The dark amber– colored Commandaria, a sweet wine that was a favorite elixir of medieval crusaders, is thought to be the world’s oldest appellation and is made from centuries-old vines in the Troodos foothills. For something with a little more kick, stop in any village bar for a glass of zivania, a centuries-old Cypriot beverage produced from the residue of grapes. With 45 percent (and up) alcohol content, it is also used to treat wounds and sore throats.

Catechism of the Catholic Church

            Day 127

III. THE CONSECRATED LIFE

914 "The state of life which is constituted by the profession of the evangelical counsels, while not entering into the hierarchical structure of the Church, belongs undeniably to her life and holiness."

Evangelical counsels, consecrated life

915 Christ proposes the evangelical counsels, in their great variety, to every disciple. the perfection of charity, to which all the faithful are called, entails for those who freely follow the call to consecrated life the obligation of practicing chastity in celibacy for the sake of the Kingdom, poverty and obedience. It is the profession of these counsels, within a permanent state of life recognized by the Church, that characterizes the life consecrated to God.

916 The religious state is thus one way of experiencing a "more intimate" consecration, rooted in Baptism and dedicated totally to God. In the consecrated life, Christ's faithful, moved by the Holy Spirit, propose to follow Christ more nearly, to give themselves to God who is loved above all and, pursuing the perfection of charity in the service of the Kingdom, to signify and proclaim in the Church the glory of the world to come.

One great tree, with many branches

917 "From the God-given seed of the counsels a wonderful and wide-spreading tree has grown up in the field of the Lord, branching out into various forms of the religious life lived in solitude or in community. Different religious families have come into existence in which spiritual resources are multiplied for the progress in holiness of their members and for the good of the entire Body of Christ."

918 From the very beginning of the Church there were men and women who set out to follow Christ with greater liberty, and to imitate him more closely, by practicing the evangelical counsels. They led lives dedicated to God, each in his own way. Many of them, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, became hermits or founded religious families. These the Church, by virtue of her authority, gladly accepted and approved.

919 Bishops will always strive to discern new gifts of consecrated life granted to the Church by the Holy Spirit; the approval of new forms of consecrated life is reserved to the Apostolic See.

The eremitic life

920 Without always professing the three evangelical counsels publicly, hermits "devote their life to the praise of God and salvation of the world through a stricter separation from the world, the silence of solitude and assiduous prayer and penance."

921 They manifest to everyone the interior aspect of the mystery of the Church, that is, personal intimacy with Christ. Hidden from the eyes of men, the life of the hermit is a silent preaching of the Lord, to whom he has surrendered his life simply because he is everything to him. Here is a particular call to find in the desert, in the thick of spiritual battle, the glory of the Crucified One.

Consecrated virgins

922 From apostolic times Christian virgins, called by the Lord to cling only to him with greater freedom of heart, body, and spirit, have decided with the Church's approval to live in a state of virginity "for the sake of the Kingdom of heaven."

923 "Virgins who, committed to the holy plan of following Christ more closely, are consecrated to God by the diocesan bishop according to the approved liturgical rite, are betrothed mystically to Christ, the Son of God, and are dedicated to the service of the Church." By this solemn rite (Consecratio virginum), the virgin is "constituted . . . a sacred person, a transcendent sign of the Church's love for Christ, and an eschatological image of this heavenly Bride of Christ and of the life to come."

924 "As with other forms of consecrated life," the order of virgins establishes the woman living in the world (or the nun) in prayer, penance, service of her brethren, and apostolic activity, according to the state of life and spiritual gifts given to her. Consecrated virgins can form themselves into associations to observe their commitment more faithfully.

Fitness Friday:

15 Qualities You Need to Develop Mental Toughness[5]

Mental toughness is a huge indicator of success.

Here’s how to know if you’ve got it.

When Thomas Edison's factory burned to the ground in 1914, destroying one-of-a-kind prototypes and causing $23 million in damage, Edison's response was simple: "Thank goodness all our mistakes were burned up. Now we can start fresh again." Edison's reaction is the epitome of mental toughness—seeing opportunity and taking action when things look bleak. There are habits you can develop to improve your mental toughness. In fact, the hallmarks of mentally tough people are actually strategies that you can begin using today.

1. Emotional intelligence. Emotional intelligence is the cornerstone of mental toughness. You cannot be mentally tough without the ability to fully understand and tolerate strong negative emotions and do something productive with them. Moments that test your mental toughness are ultimately testing your emotional intelligence (EQ). Unlike your IQ, which is fixed, your EQ is a flexible skill that you can improve with understanding and effort. It's no wonder that 90 percent of top performers have high EQs, and that people with high EQs earn $28,000 more annually (on average) than their low-EQ counterparts. Unfortunately, EQ skills are in short supply. TalentSmart has tested more than a million people, and we've found that just 36 percent of these are able to accurately identify their emotions as they happen.

2. Confidence. "Whether you think you can or think you can't—you're right." —Henry Ford. Mentally tough people subscribe to Ford's notion that your mentality has a powerful effect on your ability to succeed. This notion isn't just a motivational tool—it's a fact. A recent study at the University of Melbourne showed that confident people went on to earn higher wages and get promoted more quickly than others did. True confidence—as opposed to the false confidence people project to mask their insecurities—has a look all its own. Mentally tough people have an upper hand over the doubtful and the skittish because their confidence inspires others and helps them to make things happen.

3. The ability to neutralize toxic people. Dealing with difficult people is frustrating and exhausting for most. Mentally tough people control their interactions with toxic people by keeping their feelings in check. When they need to confront a toxic person, they approach the situation rationally. They identify their emotions and don't allow anger or frustration to fuel the chaos. They also consider the difficult person's standpoint and are able to find common ground and solutions to problems. Even when things completely derail, mentally tough people are able to take the toxic person with a grain of salt to avoid letting him or her bring them down.

4. Knowing how to embrace change. Mentally tough people are flexible and are constantly adapting. They know that fear of change is paralyzing and a major threat to their success and happiness. They look for change that is lurking just around the corner, and they form a plan of action should these changes occur. Only when you embrace change can you find the good in it. You need to have an open mind and open arms if you're going to recognize, and capitalize on, the opportunities that change creates. You're bound to fail when you keep doing the same things you always have in the hope that ignoring change will make it go away. After all, the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.

Lucy must be running for President

5. Saying no. Research conducted at the University of California in San Francisco showed that the more difficulty you have saying no, the more likely you are to experience stress, burnout, and even depression. Mentally tough people know that saying no is healthy, and they have the self-esteem and foresight to make their no’s clear. When it's time to say no, mentally tough people avoid phrases such as "I don't think I can" or "I'm not certain." They say no with confidence because they know that saying no to a new commitment honors their existing commitments and gives them the opportunity to successfully fulfill them. The mentally tough also know how to exert self-control by saying no to themselves. They delay gratification and avoid impulsive actions that cause harm.

6. Knowing that fear is the No. 1 source of regret. Mentally tough people know that, when all is said and done, they will lament the chances they didn't take far more than they will their failures. Don't be afraid to take risks. I often hear people say,

"What's the worst thing that can happen to you?

Will it kill you?"

Yet, death isn't the worst thing that can happen to you. The worst thing that can happen to you is allowing yourself to die inside while you're still alive. It takes refined self-awareness to walk this tightrope between dwelling and remembering. Dwelling too long on your mistakes makes you anxious and gun shy, while forgetting about them completely makes you bound to repeat them. The key to balance lies in your ability to transform failures into nuggets of improvement. This creates the tendency to get right back up every time you fall down.

7. Embracing failure … Mentally tough people embrace failure because they know that the road to success is paved with it. No one ever experienced true success without first embracing failure. By revealing when you're on the wrong path, your mistakes pave the way for you to succeed. The biggest breakthroughs typically come when you're feeling the most frustrated and the most stuck. It's this frustration that forces you to think differently, to look outside the box, and to see the solution that you've been missing.

8. … Without dwelling on mistakes. Mentally tough people know that where you focus your attention determines your emotional state. When you fixate on the problems that you're facing, you create and prolong negative emotions and stress, which hinders performance. When you focus on actions to better yourself and your circumstances, you create a sense of personal efficacy, which produces positive emotions and improves performance.

Mentally tough people distance themselves from their mistakes, but they do so without forgetting them. By keeping their mistakes at a safe distance, yet still handy enough to refer to, they are able to adapt and adjust for future success.

9. Refusing to let anyone limit your joy …When your sense of pleasure and satisfaction is derived from comparing yourself with others, you are no longer the master of your own happiness. When mentally tough people feel good about something they do, they won't let anyone's opinions or accomplishments take that away from them. While it's impossible to turn off your reactions to what others think of you, you don't have to compare yourself with others, and you can always take people's opinions with a grain of salt. Mentally tough people know that regardless of what people think of them at any particular moment, one thing is certain—they're never as good or bad as people say they are.

10. … And not limiting the joy of others. Mentally tough people don't pass judgment on others because they know that everyone has something to offer, and they don't need to take other people down a notch to feel good about themselves. Comparing yourself with other people is limiting. Jealousy and resentment suck the life right out of you; they're massive energy-stealers. Mentally tough people don't waste time or energy sizing people up and worrying about whether or not they measure up. Instead of wasting your energy on jealousy, funnel that energy into appreciation. When you celebrate the success of other people, you both benefit.

11. Exercising. A study conducted at the Eastern Ontario Research Institute found that people who exercised twice a week for 10 weeks felt more socially, intellectually, and athletically competent. They also rated their body image and self-esteem higher. Best of all, rather than the physical changes in their bodies being responsible for the uptick in confidence, which is key to mental toughness, it was the immediate, endorphin-fueled positivity from exercise that made all the difference.

12. Getting enough sleep. It's difficult to overstate the importance of sleep to increasing your mental toughness. When you sleep, your brain removes toxic proteins, which are by-products of neural activity when you're awake. Unfortunately, your brain can remove them adequately only while you're asleep, so when you don't get enough sleep, the toxic proteins remain in your brain cells, wreaking havoc by impairing your ability to think—something no amount of caffeine can fix. Mentally tough people know that their self-control, focus, and memory are all reduced when they don't get enough—or the right kind—of sleep, so they make quality sleep a top priority.

13. Limiting caffeine intake. Drinking excessive amounts of caffeine triggers the release of adrenaline, the source of the fight-or-flight response. The fight-or-flight mechanism sidesteps rational thinking in favor of a faster response to ensure survival. This is great when a bear is chasing you but not so great when life throws you a curve. When caffeine puts your brain and body into this hyper-aroused state of stress, your emotions overrun your behavior. Caffeine's long half-life ensures you stay this way as it takes its sweet time working its way out of your body. Mentally tough people know that too much caffeine is trouble, and they don't let it get the better of them.

14. Not waiting for an apology to forgive. Mentally tough people know that life goes a lot smoother once you let go of grudges and forgive even those who never say they're sorry. Grudges let negative events from your past ruin today's happiness. Hate and anger are emotional parasites that destroy your joy in life. The negative emotions that come with holding on to a grudge create a stress response in your body and holding on to stress can have devastating consequences (both physically and mentally). When you forgive someone, it doesn't condone their actions; it simply frees you from being their eternal victim.

15. Being relentlessly positive. Keep your eyes on the news for any length of time, and you'll see that it's just one endless cycle of war, violent attacks, fragile economies, failing companies, and environmental disasters. It's easy to think the world is headed downhill fast.

And who knows?

Maybe it is. But mentally tough people don't worry about that because they don't get caught up in things they can't control. Instead of trying to start a revolution overnight, they focus their energy on directing the two things that are completely within their power--their attention and their effort.

Bringing it all together.

Mental toughness is not an innate quality bestowed upon a select few. It can be achieved and enjoyed.

Fear the LORD, you his holy ones, for nought is lacking to those who fear him.


Daily Devotions

·         Unite in the work of the Porters of St. Joseph by joining them in fasting: Today's Fast: Absent Fathers (physically & spiritually)

·         Religion in the Home for Preschool: October

·         Litany of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus

·         Offering to the sacred heart of Jesus

·         Drops of Christ’s Blood

·         Universal Man Plan

·         Rosary




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