·
Imagine
waking up to a day filled with ginger pride, horse races, fireworks, takeout
cravings, and football frenzy – all rolled into one exciting day!
o
Start
your morning by flaunting your fiery locks for National Love Your Red Hair Day.
Embrace your unique hair color and feel confident in your own skin.
§ Next, immerse yourself in the
thrilling world of horse racing with Melbourne Cup Day. Place friendly bets
with friends or family, or simply enjoy the excitement of the races.
o
As
the day transitions into evening, join in the festivities of Bonfire Night and
Guy Fawkes Night by organizing a cozy bonfire with friends. Delight in the
crackling flames and dazzling firework displays while reminiscing over the
historical significance of the night. Craving a quick and delicious meal?
§ Celebrate National Chinese Takeout
Day by ordering your favorite Chinese dishes to enjoy by the bonfire.
·
Cap
off the day with the adrenaline of American Football Day. Gather your friends
for a friendly game or watch a match together while munching on some snacks.
Whether you’re a sports enthusiast or a casual viewer, football day is all
about bonding over a shared love for the game.
NOVEMBER 5 Tuesday
ELECTION
DAY / GUY FAWKES NIGHT
Jonah, Chapter 1, verse 16:
16 Seized
with great FEAR of the LORD, the men
offered sacrifice to the LORD and made vows.
Those
leaders, who stop seeking new challenges; stop growing, inevitably stop
leading. John Maxwell states, “When we stop sacrificing, we stop succeeding.”[1]
If you want
to become a great leader, you must be willing to make sacrifices.
1.
There
is no success without sacrifice. Every person who has achieved any success in
life has made sacrifices to do so.
2.
Leaders
are often asked to give up more than others. Leaders have to give up their
rights. Leaders need to learn how to put others ahead of themselves. It’s not
easy, but you need to give up more than the people you lead.
3.
You
must keep giving up, to stay up. John Maxwell takes the Law of Sacrifice even
further when he states that ‘If leaders have to give up to go up, then they
have to give up even more to stay up’. Today’s success is the greatest thread
to tomorrow’s success. There’s always a cost involved in moving forward. The
day you stop being willing to pay the price is the day when you stop creating
the results you desire.
4.
The
higher the level of leadership, the greater the sacrifice. You’ve probably
noticed that the higher the position, the fewer the number of people able to
step in. It’s not because there’s a lack of capable people. It’s simply because
there’s not enough people willing to pay the price. From my childhood I
remember learning about the utopia of communism – they tried to make everybody
equal. Everybody should have the same rights and the same pay. The problem with
this is the law of sacrifice. There will always be some who will be willing to
sacrifice more, while others will not be willing to do anything extra. No
philosophy of equality will ever be able to overcome this mindset. It’s the
inner job. You must decide for yourself how much time, effort or other
sacrifice you’re going to assign to a specific job, project or task. The Law of
Sacrifice states that those who do will go up. And those who continue doing
this will stay up.[2]
Catechism of the Catholic
Church
PART TWO: THE CELEBRATION OF THE CHRISTIAN
MYSTERY
SECTION ONE-THE
SACRAMENTAL ECONOMY
Day 146
1076 The
Church was made manifest to the world on the day of Pentecost by the outpouring
of the Holy Spirit. The gift of the Spirit ushers in a new era in the
"dispensation of the mystery" the age of the Church, during which
Christ manifests, makes present, and communicates his work of salvation
through the liturgy of his
Church, "until he comes." In this age of the Church Christ now
lives and acts in and with his Church, in a new way appropriate to this new
age. He acts through the sacraments in what the common Tradition of the East
and the West calls "the sacramental economy"; this is the
communication (or "dispensation") of the fruits of Christ's Paschal
mystery in the celebration of the Church's "sacramental" liturgy.
It is therefore important first
to explain this "sacramental dispensation" (chapter one). the nature
and essential features of liturgical celebration will then appear more clearly
(chapter two).
I. The Father-Source and Goal
of the Liturgy
1077
"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed
us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he
chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and
blameless before him. He destined us before him in love to be his sons through
Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his
glorious grace which he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved."
1078 Blessing
is a divine and life-giving action, the source of which is the Father; his
blessing is both word and gift. When applied to man, the word
"blessing" means adoration and surrender to his Creator in
thanksgiving.
1079 From the
beginning until the end of time the whole of God's work is a blessing. From the
liturgical poem of the first creation to the canticles of the heavenly
Jerusalem, the inspired authors proclaim the plan of salvation as one vast
divine blessing.
1080 From the
very beginning God blessed all living beings, especially man and woman. the
covenant with Noah and with all living things renewed this blessing of
fruitfulness despite man's sin which had brought a curse on the ground. But
with Abraham, the divine blessing entered into human history which was moving
toward death, to redirect it toward life, toward its source. By the faith of
"the father of all believers," who embraced the blessing, the history
of salvation is inaugurated.
1081 The
divine blessings were made manifest in astonishing and saving events: the birth
of Isaac, the escape from Egypt (Passover and Exodus), the gift of the promised
land, the election of David, the presence of God in the Temple, the purifying
exile, and return of a "small remnant." the Law, the Prophets, and
the Psalms, interwoven in the liturgy of the Chosen People, recall these divine
blessings and at the same time respond to them with blessings of praise and
thanksgiving.
1082 In the
Church's liturgy the divine blessing is fully revealed and communicated. the
Father is acknowledged and adored as the source and the end of all the
blessings of creation and salvation. In his Word who became incarnate, died,
and rose for us, he fills us with his blessings. Through his Word, he pours
into our hearts the Gift that contains all gifts, the Holy Spirit.
1083 The dual
dimension of the Christian liturgy as a response of faith and love to the
spiritual blessings the Father bestows on us is thus evident. On the one hand,
the Church, united with her Lord and "in the Holy
Spirit," blesses the Father "for his inexpressible gift in
her adoration, praise, and thanksgiving. On the other hand, until the
consummation of God's plan, the Church never ceases to present to the Father
the offering of his own gifts and to beg him to send the Holy Spirit upon that
offering, upon herself, upon the faithful, and upon the whole world, so that
through communion in the death and resurrection of Christ the Priest, and by
the power of the Spirit, these divine blessings will bring forth the fruits of
life "to the praise of his glorious grace."
Election Day[3]
Election
Day refers to the day on which general elections in the United States are held.
Presidential elections are held every 4 years and the elected president
will then be sworn in and take office the following January 20th, a day known
as Inauguration Day. Election Day is always held on the first Tuesday in
November in the US.
Election Day Facts
& Quotes
·
Elections
held for federal offices only occur on even-numbered years.
·
There
is no law in the Constitution or
Federal mandate which requires electorates to vote in accordance with the
popular vote of their state.
·
There
are 538 Electoral College members. In order to win the vote for President of
the United States, a candidate must
obtain at least 270 of these votes.
·
Nobody
will ever deprive the American people of the right to vote except the American
people themselves and the only way they could do this is by not voting. -
Franklin D. Roosevelt
·
Let
each citizen remember at the moment he is offering his vote that he is not
making a present or a compliment to please an individual--or at least that he
ought not so to do; but that he is executing one of the most solemn trusts in
human society for which he is accountable to God and his country. - Samuel
Adams, The Writings of Samuel Adams, Harry Alonzo Cushing, editor (New York:
G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1907), Vol. IV, p. 256.
Election Day Top
Events and Things to Do
·
Register
to vote prior to Election Day.
·
Attend
a local polling place and cast your vote.
·
If
voting by absentee ballot or mail-in ballot, make sure it arrives on or before
Election Day.
·
Be
informed about the candidates and new amendments on the ballot before going to
the polling place.
· Attend an Election Day party.
2240 Submission to authority and co-responsibility for the common good make it morally obligatory to pay taxes, to exercise the right to vote, and to defend one's country:
Pay to all of them their dues, taxes to
whom taxes are due, revenue to whom revenue is due, respect to whom respect is
due, honor to whom honor is due.
[Christians] reside in their own nations,
but as resident aliens. They participate in all things as citizens and endure
all things as foreigners. . .. They obey the established laws and their way of
life surpasses the laws. . .. So noble is the position to which God has
assigned them that they are not allowed to desert it.
The Apostle exhorts us to offer prayers and thanksgiving
for kings and all who exercise authority, "that we may lead a quiet and
peaceable life, godly and respectful in every way."
Prayer:[4]
Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us.
Holy Souls, Pray for us.
For the souls of our families We pray Thee, O God.
For the souls of our friends, We pray Thee, O God.
For the souls of our enemies, We pray Thee, O God.
For the souls of all pagans, We pray Thee, O God.
For the souls of all priests, We pray Thee, O God.
For the souls of all religious, We pray Thee, O God.
For the souls of the just, We pray Thee, O God.
For the souls of all sinners, We pray Thee, O God.
For the Holy Souls in Purgatory, We pray Thee, O God.
For those who have none to pray for them, We pray Thee, O God.
O almighty and eternal God, we beg Thee to have mercy on the Holy Souls in
Purgatory, especially those for whom we are bound to pray; and we ask Thee also
to listen to the prayers of the Blessed Souls in our behalf. Amen.
Guy Fawkes Night[5]
Known as Guy Fawkes Night or Fireworks Night, Gunpowder Day focuses on the plot by
Guy Fawkes and other conspirators to blow up Britain’s parliament in 1605.
Rebelling against the persecution of Catholics by King James I, they planned to
kill the monarch during his visit to parliament. But the scheme was foiled, and
the traitors executed. Families construct an effigy of Guy Fawkes to be burned
on a bonfire that evening. Fireworks are also set off to add to the
celebrations. Public displays are also held, and the biggest celebration of
Gunpowder Day is in Lewes in East Sussex, England. Six bonfire societies host
their own fireworks displays and gargantuan bonfires. After sunset, a large
procession of all of the societies moves through Lewes. Many members carry
flame torches and a river of fire can be seen flowing through the town during
the evening.
·
Smell the smoke? Don't
forget to pray for the Poor
Souls in Purgatory from November 1 to the 8th.
Hatred of All Things
Catholic[6]
The Gunpowder Plot is debated to this day. Some see it as a widespread Catholic plot instigated and led by the Jesuit priests living underground in England—much like it was painted in the 1606 trials of the conspirators. Others argue that there was no conspiracy at all; it was a government-inspired fabrication created by double-agents to use in the propaganda war against Catholics. Conspiracy theories aside, here’s what we know of the Gunpowder Plot. It began in an atmosphere of harsh anti-Catholic persecution. After the excommunication of Queen Elizabeth in 1570 and the threatened invasion of the Spanish Armada in 1588, Catholics were viewed with suspicion in England. They were an alien force that could rise up at any moment on papal orders, overthrow the Crown and eradicate English Protestantism. Or at least that was the excuse. While English leadership would always argue that its concern with Catholicism was purely political and not based on religious beliefs, in fact it harbored a deep hatred of all things Catholic.
As the 17th century began, a
host of harsh legal penalties punished Catholics in England for practicing
their faith. Mass could not be legally celebrated anywhere. Those laity caught
attending a clandestine Mass could face heavy fines or jail. Priests caught
saying Mass—or simply exposed as priests—were jailed, deported, or executed as
traitors. Even rosary beads were considered contraband. Children could not be
baptized or married according to Catholic rites. Every person over the age of
16 was required to attend the local Protestant Church every Sunday or face
heavy fines. Mass, therefore, was said in secret in private homes by priests
who were hidden by the Catholic community itself. Those Catholics willing—and
able—paid the fines for not attending Protestant services. Others remained
Catholic at heart, attending Mass when they could, but went to Protestant
services either because they could not afford the fines or because they feared
public retribution.
Hopes Raised—and Dashed
But by the turn of the 17th century, many within the English Catholic community
had some hope for relief. With childless Queen Elizabeth growing older, they
pinned their hopes on a successor that would lift these onerous restrictions.
While some daydreamed of a Catholic prince or princess from the Continent—a
foreign invasion by an alliance of Catholic sovereigns—others fixed their hopes
on King James VI of Scotland. Son of Mary Queen of Scots, whom many believed to
be a martyr for the faith after her execution in 1587 for allegedly plotting to
overthrow Elizabeth, James was the most likely successor. He was married to a
Catholic convert, Anne of Denmark, and rumors swirled within Catholic circles
(including the Holy See) that James might be open to conversion himself, or at
the very least open to Catholic toleration. James did absolutely nothing to
discourage such rumors and, particularly with the papacy, encouraged them.
After James, while in Scotland, misled Pope Clement VIII about his potential
conversion, the pope certainly looked favorably on him. So, when Elizabeth died
on March 24, 1603, and James was formally declared her successor, Catholic
hopes soared. Such hopes dimmed almost immediately, however, as Catholics
noticed that, in honor of his succession, the new King James granted routine
pardons to everyone but murderers and Catholics. When the first Parliament of
his reign was called for the spring of 1604, King James made his position on
Catholics very clear. In February of 1604 he demanded that all priests be
thrown out of his realm, and in March he complained bitterly of alleged
Catholic growth to Protestant leaders. In April a bill was introduced to class
all Catholics as outlaws.
Clever like a Fawkes
A younger generation of
Catholics in England had grown up with Elizabeth’s persecution and the hope for
relief under her successor. Sick of a world where advancement could only come
through denying the faith, a small number had become truly militant. They
longed for a new Spanish invasion after the disastrous defeat of the Spanish
Armada. Among those who travelled to Spain in the hopes of securing a promised
invasion was a young soldier named Guy Fawkes. Once James was enthroned and a
Protestant succession secured through his heirs, the desperation among these
young Catholics only grew. The Spanish, looking to end the age of conflict with
England, were making it clear through negotiations with the new monarch that
they were willing to sell out their fellow English Catholics. The pope, who had
also made his desire for peace known, disapproved any acts of violence. The
Jesuits in England made very clear that they supported the papal position. By
and large, this reflected the position of English Catholics. Though their hopes
were dashed by the apparent hostility of King James to Catholic toleration,
they knew that any violence would only make a bad situation intolerable. The
Bye Plot of 1603, a scheme to hold the king in the Tower of London until he
granted Catholic toleration, had involved disgruntled Catholics. But the Plot
was nipped primarily because underground Jesuit priests tipped off the
government. King James was so grateful that he extended some pardons to a few
Catholics jailed for their faith. In May 1604, a group of disaffected young
Catholics held a meeting. Abandoned by Spain, the plotters believed that every
peaceable means had been tried and failed. The decision was made to blow up
King James and his Parliament, a plan they believed would lead to a foreign
invasion, a Catholic uprising, or the restoration of a Catholic monarchy. After
making their pledge, they attended a Mass celebrated by a Jesuit priest who was
completely ignorant of what had taken place. Parliament was suspended out of
fear of the plague, so the handful of plotters spent their time drawing a few
more into the conspiracy. Fawkes began to stockpile gunpowder in the cellar of
a house that extended under the Parliament building. In a world overrun with
spies and double-agents, Fawkes was already known to English authorities as a
dangerous man.
Catholics Reveal the Plot
In late June of 1605, Fr. Henry Garnet heard the
confession of another Jesuit priest, who revealed to him the outline of a plot
that had been confessed to him earlier. Horrified, Fr. Garnet—who could not
reveal what he knew because of the seal of the confessional—wrote to Rome
asking the new pope, Paul V, for a blanket papal condemnation of violence. When
it was announced that Parliament would be delayed again, Fr. Garnet believed
that the danger had passed. He was mistaken. The plotters proceeded, even when
an anonymous letter was sent to a Catholic lord, warning him to stay away when
Parliament opened in the fall. The lord passed the letter on to Robert Cecil,
Earl of Salisbury, secretary of state to Elizabeth and King James, and a
persecutor of all things Catholic. On November 1, 1605, Cecil informed the king
of the mysterious letter. The cellar under Westminster was searched, cords of
firewood to ignite the blast were discovered, and Fawkes, found skulking about,
was arrested. The rest of the conspirators fled. The Gunpowder Plot was foiled.
The core conspirators were tracked down and a number were killed in an ambush.
The survivors were arrested. It was at this point that Cecil began his campaign
to recast the Gunpowder Plot as a Jesuit conspiracy, though the Jesuits in
England had been outspoken against violence. Taking advantage of the paranoia
after the plot was revealed, Cecil made certain that the Gunpowder Plot was not
viewed as a conspiracy by a handful of fanatical Catholics. Instead, it became
a vast Catholic intrigue against the throne and English Protestantism caused by
"the perfidious and cursed doctrine of Rome." The Venetian ambassador
described the anti-Catholic talk that was everywhere in London: "Here they
attend to nothing else but great preparation for the annihilation of the
Catholic religion."
Annihilate the Catholics
After the original plotters
were executed, a virtual program against Catholics began, focusing on the
Jesuits. Fr. Garnet was eventually arrested, tortured, and executed on
trumped-up charges of complicity. He refused to renounce the faith and was
venerated as a martyr for generations. Though never formally canonized, to this
day many believe him to be a saint. The impact of the Gunpowder Plot on English
thinking was so great that not until 1828 would Catholics be finally
"emancipated" in England and allowed a full range of common English
rights, including the right to vote. As a point of comparison, in America that
number of years would have denied Catholics the ballot from 1776 to the
incumbent candidacy of the second George Bush.
Fact Check
A few quick points to remember about the Gunpowder Plot:
·
Prior to his
accession, King James I deceived Catholics about what toleration he would
allow, even misleading the pope about a possible conversion. His duplicity had
its own role in generating the Gunpowder Plot.
·
The Gunpowder Plot,
although real, was not a widespread Catholic conspiracy. Most Catholics were
horrified when it was discovered, knowing that it would lead to heightened
persecution. That it most assuredly did—over two centuries’ worth.
·
The actual
conspirators were a small handful of young Catholics. While it cannot be said
for certain what involvement double-agents might have had in an era where men
such as Robert Cecil were creating the world’s first police state in England
(aimed specifically at Catholics), there were young Catholic men willing to
engage in the plot, even if they were duped.
·
The Jesuits in
England did not devise, guide, or lead the Gunpowder Plot. In fact, they tried
to deter any violence based on the limited knowledge they had of the plot. The
Jesuit superior in England thought he had successfully put the plot to rest.
·
Cecil’s attack on
the Jesuits was a calculated plot against all things Catholic. His propaganda
campaign was meant to show that the enemy was not limited to the conspirators
in the Gunpowder Plot but comprised the Catholic Church itself.
·
The Gunpowder Plot
established the climate for the infusion of anti-Catholicism into every aspect
of English life.
·
The number of
Catholic urban legends created as a result of the Gunpowder Plot is legion.
Standard stereotypes and canards include the conniving Jesuit, priests seducing
innocent women, the sacrament of penance as a tool to "forgive" sin
before the sin has been committed, Catholic plots to overthrow states,
Catholics owing a secular allegiance to the papacy, Catholics as unreliable
aliens—the list goes on and on.
Shortly after the Gunpowder Plot was discovered,
Parliament declared that November 5 would be celebrated annually as a day of
thanksgiving. It became known as "Guy Fawkes Day" and the common
practice was to have bonfires and to burn the pope in effigy—a practice that
continues in parts of England to this day.
Daily Devotions
·
Unite yourself in the work of the Porters of St. Joseph by joining them
in fasting: Today's Fast: True Masculinity
·
Litany of the Most Precious
Blood of Jesus
·
Offering to
the sacred heart of Jesus
·
Rosary
Introduction to Hosea
Hosea, a prophet
from the Northern Kingdom, preached in his homeland, which he addresses as
Israel, Jacob or, frequently, Ephraim. Hosea began his mission in a period of
prosperity, the last years of Jeroboam II (783–743 B.C.). This was followed by
a period of internal instability, with intrigues at the royal court leading to
the assassination of several kings. Hosea witnessed the revival of Assyria, the
Syro-Ephraimite war, and the numerous treaties the Israelite kings made with
Egypt and Assyria to survive. Hosea’s long ministry (ca. 750–725) seems to have
ended before the capture of Samaria in 722/721. The only information the text
provides us about the life of Hosea concerns his marriage. Even if we cannot
reconstruct what happened exactly, the text as it now stands speaks of three
moments in the relationship: first love, separation, reunion. This marriage is
a symbol of the covenant between the Lord and Israel. Hosea speaks about the
first love, the short period of Israel’s loyalty in the desert, which was then
followed by a long history of unfaithfulness lasting until his day. Hosea
accuses Israel of three crimes in particular. Instead of putting their trust in
the Lord alone, the people break the covenant: (1) by counting on their own
military strength, (2) by making treaties with foreign powers (Assyria and
Egypt), and (3) by running after the Baals, the gods of fertility. Israel thus
forgets that the Lord is its strength, its covenant partner, and giver of
fertility. This unfaithful behavior will lead to Israel’s destruction by
Assyria, but God’s love will have the last word. The back and forth movement
from doom to salvation is typical of the Book of Hosea. Hosea began the Old
Testament tradition of describing the relation between the Lord and Israel in
terms of marriage (e.g., Jer 3:1;
Ez 16:23; Is 50:1).
The New Testament uses the marriage imagery to describe the union between
Christ and the Church (e.g., Mk 2:19–20;
Eph 5:25).[7]
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