Prayers before and after Mass

Saturday, October 12, 2024

 


National Farmers Day

OCTOBER 12 Saturday

COLUMBUS DAY

 

2 SAMUEL, Chapter 23, Verse 3-4

3 The God of Israel spoke; of me the Rock of Israel said, “One who rules over humankind with justice, who rules in the FEAR of God, 4 Is like the light at sunrise on a cloudless morning, making the land’s vegetation glisten after rain.”

 

The Rock of Israel (Hebrew: צור ישראל‎, Tzur Yisrael) is a concept in Judaism that alludes to God, and in Zionism and politics, to the cultural and historical heritage of the Jewish people and the foundation of the State of Israel.[1]


God fearing leaders are life giving and not life taking for they have a Holy Fear of God. Traditionally in Judaism there are seven names given for God. The seven names of God that, once written, cannot be erased because of their holiness are the Tetragrammaton, El, Elohim, Eloah, Elohai, El Shaddai, Tzevaot.

 

Tetragrammaton is YHWH or I am that I am.

 

El simply means God and is used in the names of IsraEL, AngEL.

 

Elohim means He is power of powers Eloah is the singular form of Elohim.

 

Elohai mean “My God”.

 

El Shaddai means “God Almighty”

 

Tzevaot means “God the armies of Israel”.


Names are important. Most of us remember the elementary school playground and the mean names kids called each other. Author and speaker, Kary Oberbrunner[2], states that we all have a secret name that the One who made us gives us. Oberbrunner said, “My name is Kary, and I have a girl’s name.” He was no stranger to mean names on the playground. He went on to say that each of us has three names:

1.      Our birth name – the name assigned to us when we arrive in this world

2.      Our given names – the names assigned to us as we walk through the world. These names can be positive and negative, ranging from successful, beautiful, star athlete to those names assigned by mean kids, like concentration camp victim, stupid, addict.

3.      Our secret name – the name granted to us by God Oberbrunner said the problem is our birth names and given names don’t ever fill up the void inside us. We pretend and wear masks.

What would God call you?

 

When Christ called his apostles; He revealed to some of them God’s name for them. Sons of Thunder for John and James and for Simon son of John, He called him Peter which means “Rock”.


The Mighty Men of David[1]

Then the three mighty men broke through the camp of the Philistines and drew water out of the well of Bethlehem that was by the gate and carried it to David. But he would not drink of it. He poured it out to the LORD. 2 Samuel 23:16

The Old Testament contains some of the most remarkable stories. Many of these tales revolve around a young shepherd boy named David who grew up to become the great King of Israel. His ascension to the throne was not without difficulties. Shortly after he was anointed by the prophet Samuel, David fell out of favor with the establishment and had to flee for his life. He hid out in the wilderness outside of Jerusalem with a group of his loyal followers. The Bible calls this group “David’s mighty warriors.” C. David Jones, in his book David’s Mighty Men, describes David’s entourage as a magnificent, special elite force of fearless warriors. They were extraordinarily strong, courageous, unflinchingly brave, and completely committed to David. They were thirty-seven of the most fierce and dedicated warriors that ever lived. Jones writes,

They were a combination of combat commandos, stealth rangers, navy seals, green beret, special ops, and Delta forces who had acquired the skills of battle demanded to survive and conquer in hand-to-hand warfare. They engaged in clandestine operations and were often outnumbered by staggering odds pitted against them, yet they stood their ground. Time after time on fields of battle they were the last men standing.

One story in 2 Samuel recounts a time when David’s mighty men overheard King David say, “Oh that someone would give me water to drink from the well of Bethlehem which is by the gate!” (2 Samuel 23:15). At this point in time, Israel’s hated enemies, the Philistines, had taken control of the city of Bethlehem. It was heavily guarded. The three mighty men, on their own, went down and fought their way through the lines of the Philistines. They made their way to the well in Bethlehem, where they drew water to take back to the young King. They eluded the pursuing Philistines, returned to their hideout, and presented the water to David. To their surprise, David would not drink the water they had risked their lives to retrieve. He poured it on the ground instead. David was not rejecting the sacrifice of the men who had gotten water for him. Rather, he was pronouncing their sacrifice too holy for him to selfishly consume. What an inspiring picture of the way Christians are called to live their lives. The Apostle Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 5:15 that because Christ died for us, “…those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.” This Old Testament story vibrantly illustrates the fact that we should not selfishly live our lives for ourselves. David poured the water out on the ground as a sacrifice to the Lord. Likewise, we are to take the priceless gifts that God has given us and pour them out as a sacrifice in service to Him and to our fellow man. This is what the Bible calls stewardship.

Stewardship is one of the most important and practical themes laid out in the Bible, and yet is often overlooked or minimized by Christians today. The Bible says a great deal about stewardship because this concept touches every area of our lives.

The Disciple’s Study Bible defines stewardship as, a way of living that involves one’s daily activities, values and goals for life, and the use of all possessions. It begins with God and His plans for creation and purposes for humankind. The steward is God’s responsible representative and manager of all creation.

[1]https://tifwe.org/davids-mighty-men-stewardship-in-action/


Catechism of the Catholic Church

            Day 121

The apostolate

 

863 The whole Church is apostolic, in that she remains, through the successors of St. Peter and the other apostles, in communion of faith and life with her origin: and in that she is "sent out" into the whole world. All members of the Church share in this mission, though in various ways. "The Christian vocation is, of its nature, a vocation to the apostolate as well." Indeed, we call an apostolate "every activity of the Mystical Body" that aims "to spread the Kingdom of Christ over all the earth."

 

864 "Christ, sent by the Father, is the source of the Church's whole apostolate"; thus the fruitfulness of apostolate for ordained ministers as well as for lay people clearly depends on their vital union with Christ. In keeping with their vocations, the demands of the times and the various gifts of the Holy Spirit, the apostolate assumes the most varied forms. But charity, drawn from the Eucharist above all, is always "as it were, the soul of the whole apostolate."

 

865 The Church is ultimately one, holy, catholic, and apostolic in her deepest and ultimate identity, because it is in her that "the Kingdom of heaven," the "Reign of God," already exists and will be fulfilled at the end of time. the kingdom has come in the person of Christ and grows mysteriously in the hearts of those incorporated into him, until its full eschatological manifestation. Then all those he has redeemed and made "holy and blameless before him in love," will be gathered together as the one People of God, the "Bride of the Lamb," "the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God, having the glory of God." For "the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb."


IN BRIEF

 

866 The Church is one: she acknowledges one Lord, confesses one faith, is born of one Baptism, forms only one Body, is given life by the one Spirit, for the sake of one hope (cf Eph 4:3-5), at whose fulfillment all divisions will be overcome.

 

867 The Church is holy: the Most Holy God is her author; Christ, her bridegroom, gave himself up to make her holy; the Spirit of holiness gives her life. Since she still includes sinners, she is "the sinless one made up of sinners." Her holiness shines in the saints; in Mary she is already all-holy.

 

868 The Church is catholic: she proclaims the fullness of the faith. She bears in herself and administers the totality of the means of salvation. She is sent out to all peoples. She speaks to all men. She encompasses all times. She is "missionary of her very nature" (AG 2).

 

869 The Church is apostolic. She is built on a lasting foundation: "the twelve apostles of the Lamb" (Rev 21:14). She is indestructible (cf Mt 16:18). She is upheld infallibly in the truth: Christ governs her through Peter and the other apostles, who are present in their successors, the Pope and the college of bishops.

 

870 "The sole Church of Christ which in the Creed we profess to be one, holy, catholic, and apostolic, . . . subsists in the Catholic Church, which is governed by the successor of Peter and by the bishops in communion with him. Nevertheless, many elements of sanctification and of truth are found outside its visible confines"(LG 8). 

Columbus Day[3]

Columbus Day is the celebration of the arrival of Christopher Columbus in the Americas on October 12, 1492. Christopher Columbus was an Italian-born explorer who discovered the Americas for the Spanish King Ferdinand of Spain. Columbus set off into the Atlantic with three ships, the Nina, the Pinta and the Santa Maria. Two months later he would set foot on the Bahamas and establish settlements on Hispanola Island (now Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Upon his return to Spain, he spoke of gold in the New World and thus the Americas were opened up for European colonization. In 1937, President Franklin D. Roosevelt declared October 12th every year as Columbus Day. In the US, Columbus Day is celebrated by all US states except for Hawaii, South Dakota and Alaska.  Columbus Day now occurs on the second Monday in October each year.  

Columbus Day Facts & Quotes

·         Colorado was the first state to officially recognize and celebrate Columbus Day in 1906.

·         Christopher Columbus' first settlement on Hispaniola Island was called Villa de Navidad (Christmas Town)

·         In 1971, the official holiday was moved to the second Monday in October in order to give workers in the US a long weekend. This was part of the Uniform Monday Holiday Act.

·         Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly. - Robert F. Kennedy

·         You can never cross the ocean unless you have the courage to lose sight of the shore. - Christopher Columbus

Columbus Day Top Events and Things to Do

·         Attend the Columbus Day Parade.  The parade in New York City is one of the largest.

·         Eat some good Italian food.

·         Watch a parade.

·         Visit the Library of Congress's online exhibit 1492: An Ongoing Voyage.

·         Host a scavenger hunt for the neighborhood kids and let them become Explorers for the afternoon.

Knights of Columbus[4] 

Thanks to the efforts of Father Michael J. McGivney, assistant pastor of St. Mary’s Church in New Haven and some of his parishioners, the Connecticut state legislature on March 29, 1882, officially chartered the Knights of Columbus as a fraternal benefit society. The Order is still true to its founding principles of charity, unity and fraternity. The Knights was formed to render financial aid to members and their families. Mutual aid and assistance are offered to sick, disabled and needy members and their families. Social and intellectual fellowship is promoted among members and their families through educational, charitable, religious, social welfare, war relief and public relief works. The history of the Order shows how the foresight of Father Michael J. McGivney, whose cause for sainthood is being investigated by the Vatican, brought about what has become the world's foremost Catholic fraternal benefit society. The Order has helped families obtain economic security and stability through its life insurance, annuity and long-term care programs, and has contributed time and energy worldwide to service in communities. The Knights of Columbus has grown from several members in one council to 15,342 councils and 1.9 million members throughout the United States, Canada, the Philippines, Mexico, Poland, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Panama, the Bahamas, the Virgin Islands, Cuba, Guatemala, Guam, Saipan, Lithuania, Ukraine, and South Korea.


Vinny’s Corner-I’m 6’7” but Wilt was taller

·         Basketball player Wilt Chamberlain died 1999

o   Just because you are over 6 feet don’t forget about your smaller friends

§  Dwarfism Awareness Month

·         How to celebrate Oct 12th

o   How about starting your day with some brain boost? Dive into a game of chess to celebrate National Chess Day. Challenge a friend or play online to sharpen your strategic skills.

o   Today is national farmers day: The average farm can grow enough to feed over 160 people according to the U.S Farm Bureau.

§  Cook up a storm in the kitchen or support a local restaurant Celebrate cultural diversity on Yerevan Day by cooking a Spanish dish for National Day of Spain. Get fresh ingredients from a farmers’ market on National Farmers Day. Swap recipes with friends and have a virtual cooking session.

§  Wrap up your day with a burst of flavor on National Pulled Pork Day and National Gumbo Day.

·         Then, take a break under the open sky on International Astronomy Day. Grab a blanket, head to a park, and stargaze while contemplating our place in the universe.

·         Feeling crafty? On I Love Yarn Day, try your hand at knitting or crochet. Create a cozy scarf or a cute ornament. Visit a local yarn shop or browse online for inspiration.

·         Next, immerse yourself in music on Universal Music Day. Explore new genres, attend a virtual concert, or even create your own playlist.

·         Embrace nature on Urban Wildlife Conservation Day. Take a walk-in a nearby park, observe the wildlife, and learn about conservation efforts.

·         Don’t forget to visit your local bookshop on Love Your Bookshop Day. Pick up a new read or donate a book to spread the love of reading.

·         Finally, unwind with a good book on Bookshop Day. Let your imagination soar as you get lost in the pages.

Daily Devotions

·         Unite in the work of the Porters of St. Joseph by joining them in fasting: Today's Fast: Holy Priests, Consecrated and Religious.

·         Saturday Litany of the Hours Invoking the Aid of Mother Mary

·         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

Comments

Prayer consecrating the upcoming election in the United States to the Blessed Virgin Mary

Prayer consecrating the upcoming election in the United States to the Blessed Virgin Mary
Voting now till November 5-we hope?!