Wednesday, November 6, 2024

 

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 2:1920; Eph 5:25).[1]

Dara’s Corner

Don't forget to pray for the Poor Souls in Purgatory from November 1 to the 8th.


·         Talk Money Week

o   Here is free financial software you can download

§  https://archive.org/details/MSMoneySunset

·         How to celebrate Nov 6th

o   Start your day with a calming activity to celebrate Stress Awareness Day. Try yoga or meditation to relax your mind and body.

o   Incorporate healthy eating by preparing a nutritious breakfast.

§  Open an advent calendar and enjoy a plate of nachos on National Nachos Day.

o   Explore Benjamin Banneker’s legacy by learning about African American history or stargazing.

o   Embrace the spirit of Wobbly Wednesday by trying a new workout or dance routine.

o   Watch a survival movie to channel the theme of being Marooned Without a Compass.

o   Engage in coding tutorials to support National Ladies Learning Code Day.

o   Host a movie night with your dog in honor of the Dog Film Festival.

o   Educate yourself about healthcare fraud prevention for Report Home Health Care Fraud Day.

o   Listen to soothing saxophone music for National Saxophone DayI have been to where the Saxophone was invented in Dinant Belgium when my father as stationed there in the Army.

o   Wear a cozy sweater for International Sweater Vestival.

o   Shoot some hoops to celebrate National Basketball Day.


NOVEMBER 6 First Wednesday 

Hosea, Chapter 10, Verse 5

5 The inhabitants of Samaria are AFRAID for the calf of Beth-aven; its people mourn for it and its idolatrous priests wail over it, —over its glory which has departed from it. 

This verse speaks of a people who want to be God's people while at the same time they want to worship pagan gods-they want it all.  They want freedom without truth.  No society can last long feeding on a diet of moral relativism. 

 

Moral relativism is the view that moral judgments are true or false only relative to some particular standpoint (for instance, that of a culture or a historical period) and that no standpoint is uniquely privileged over all others. 

According to Dr. Peter Kreeft[1], author and professor of philosophy at Boston College there are four different kinds of freedom and one false freedom. 

The first freedom men often seek deliverance from is are obstacles or external wants of life such as poverty, material needs, dishonor, weakness, disease/death, pain, oppression, slavery and defeat. 

The second freedom is more internal and spiritual in nature. Man seeks to be free to 1) have a free mind; to understand and to obtain wisdom 2) pursue human happiness and emotional well-being and 3) man wants his free will. 

The third freedom is a belief that all men have a right to freewill. If we believe otherwise, we treat others as objects and may justify and rationalize the use of violence against them. 

The fourth freedom is liberty that is given by the Holy Spirit when we turn our freewill over to Christ and obtain freedom from sin via the new covenant which gives us eternal life. 

The fifth freedom is a false freedom or myth of autonomy with no dependence on God. This false freedom comes in three forms

1) Individualism (Pride-self-esteem-I’m OK; your OK livelihood) 

2) Hedonism (lust-pleasure)

3) Materialism (Greed). In order to have true freedom we should seek poverty, chastity and obedience.  Surely the poor are freer than the rich.

Professor Kreeft recommends 10 steps or paradigms to true freedom.

 There are many types of freedom.

  1. These freedoms must be in the right order.
  2. We must put our freedoms in the right order.
  3. Freedoms are political.
  4. To be free we need detachment.
  5. Everything is from God.
  6. Use lower freedoms do not let them use you.
  7. You are free in Christ; without Him you make your own prison.
  8. Christ is our true freedom.
  9. Only Christ.



[1] Peter Kreeft, Lecture at Catholic Men’s Conference, Phoenix, Arizona, 3/21/2015. 

First Wednesday[2]

 Our Heavenly Father desires all three hearts of Jesus, Mary and Joseph to be honored. And so along with devotion to Jesus on First Fridays, and to Mary on First Saturdays, Our Father longs for us to add devotion to St. Joseph on each First Wednesday of the month. 

"The Sacred Hearts of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph have been chosen by the Most Holy Trinity to bring peace to the world." It is at God's request that "special love and honor be given to them" to help us "imitate" their love and their lives, as well as "offer reparation" for the sins committed against them and their love. 

The St. Joseph First Wednesday devotion is: 

1. Pray the Joyful Mysteries of the Rosary - remembering St. Joseph's love, his life, his role and his sufferings 

2. Receive Holy Communion - in union with the love St. Joseph had for Jesus the first time and each time he held him - his son, his God and Savior - in his arms. 

In the approved apparitions of Our Lady of America, St. Joseph revealed: 

·         "I am the protector of the Church and the home, as I was the protector of Christ and his Mother while I lived upon earth. Jesus and Mary desire that my pure heart, so long hidden and unknown, be now honored in a special way.  

·         Let my children honor my most pure heart in a special manner on the First Wednesday of the month by reciting the Joyful Mysteries of the Rosary in memory of my life with Jesus and Mary and the love I bore them, the sorrow I suffered with them.  

·         Let them receive Holy Communion in union with the love with which I received the Savior for the first time and each time I held Him in my arms.  

·         Those who honor me in this way will be consoled by my presence at their death, and I myself will conduct them safely into the presence of Jesus and Mary."

 

Consecration to St. Joseph[3]


 

Today would be a good day to start or renew the 33-day Total Consecration to St. Joseph that would end on December 10th The Feast of Loreto (the holy home of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph).

St. Louis de Montfort (1673-1716) popularized a consecration to Jesus through Mary, recognizing that placing one’s life into the hands of Mary as mother and queen would provide a surer way of coming close to her Son. De Montfort developed a 33-day preparation period and act of consecration, renewing one’s baptismal vows, on a major feast day of Our Lady. Drawing upon this important devotional practice, Father Donald Calloway proposes a similar consecration to her spouse, St. Joseph, in his new book, Consecration to St. Joseph: The Wonders of Our Spiritual Father (Marian Press, 2020). The book leads through a 30-day preparation period through its three sections, the first of which examines Joseph’s titles in his litany, the second of which looks at the wonders related to his life and role in the Church, and the final of which offers prayers to him. Although his arrangement may be new, the book contains acts of consecration to St. Joseph written by St. Alphonsus Liguori, St. Bernadine of Siena, and St. Peter Julian Eymard.

Father Calloway explains the importance of this devotion to St. Joseph and why one should make a consecration to him: It “means that you acknowledge that he is your spiritual father, and that you want to be like him. To show it, you entrust yourself entirely to his paternal care so that he can lovingly help you acquire his virtues and become holy. Total consecration to St. Joseph means you make a formal act of filial entrustment to your spiritual father so that he can take care of your spiritual wellbeing and lead you to God. The person who consecrates himself to St. Joseph wants to be as close to their spiritual father as possible, to the point of resembling him in virtue and holiness Saint Joseph, in turn, will give those consecrated to him loving attention, protection, and guidance”. For those who have already done the consecration to Jesus through Mary, Father Calloway recommends this consecration as well: “God desires that all his children be committed to the love and care of a mother and a father” (ibid.).

Father Calloway rightly points out that now is the time of St. Joseph. We need Joseph right now as a protector of the Church so that she may experience renewal. We also need him as a protector of purity and the sanctity of family. We need him as a guide for working and living in the world in faith and obedience. In order to strengthen our daily devotion to him, I would also propose the following prayer based on the Bible’s references to his role (including the prefigurement of the Old Testament):

Joseph, Son of David, you are the just man the Lord placed over His house. You did what the angel commanded and so we go to you in time of need.  O adopted father of Jesus, pray to your Son for us. Amen.

Every Wednesday is Dedicated to St. Joseph

The Italian culture has always had a close association with St. Joseph perhaps you could make Wednesdays centered around Jesus’s Papa. Plan an Italian dinner of pizza or spaghetti after attending Mass as most parishes have a Wednesday evening Mass. You could even do carry out to help restaurants. If you are adventurous, you could do the Universal Man Plan: St. Joseph style. Make the evening a family night perhaps it could be a game night. Whatever you do make the day special.

·         Devotion to the 7 Joys and Sorrows of St. Joseph

·         Do the St. Joseph Universal Man Plan.

·         Novena to St. Joseph

Catechism of the Catholic Church

PART TWO: THE CELEBRATION OF THE CHRISTIAN MYSTERY

SECTION ONE-THE SACRAMENTAL ECONOMY

CHAPTER ONE THE PASCHAL MYSTERY IN THE AGE OF THE CHURCH

Article 1 THE LITURGY - WORK OF THE HOLY TRINITY

Day 147

II. Christ's Work in the Liturgy

Christ glorified . . .

1084 "Seated at the right hand of the Father" and pouring out the Holy Spirit on his Body which is the Church, Christ now acts through the sacraments he instituted to communicate his grace. the sacraments are perceptible signs (words and actions) accessible to our human nature. By the action of Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit they make present efficaciously the grace that they signify.

1085 In the liturgy of the Church, it is principally his own Paschal mystery that Christ signifies and makes present. During his earthly life Jesus announced his Paschal mystery by his teaching and anticipated it by his actions. When his Hour comes, he lives out the unique event of history which does not pass away: Jesus dies, is buried, rises from the dead, and is seated at the right hand of the Father "once for all."8 His Paschal mystery is a real event that occurred in our history, but it is unique: all other historical events happen once, and then they pass away, swallowed up in the past. the Paschal mystery of Christ, by contrast, cannot remain only in the past, because by his death he destroyed death, and all that Christ is - all that he did and suffered for all men - participates in the divine eternity, and so transcends all times while being made present in them all. the event of the Cross and Resurrection abides and draws everything toward life.

. . . from the time of the Church of the Apostles . . .

1086 "Accordingly, just as Christ was sent by the Father so also he sent the apostles, filled with the Holy Spirit. This he did so that they might preach the Gospel to every creature and proclaim that the Son of God by his death and resurrection had freed us from the power of Satan and from death and brought us into the Kingdom of his Father. But he also willed that the work of salvation which they preached should be set in train through the sacrifice and sacraments, around which the entire liturgical life revolves."

1087 Thus the risen Christ, by giving the Holy Spirit to the apostles, entrusted to them his power of sanctifying: they became sacramental signs of Christ. By the power of the same Holy Spirit they entrusted this power to their successors. This

"apostolic succession" structures the whole liturgical life of the Church and is itself sacramental, handed on by the sacrament of Holy Orders.

. . . is present in the earthly liturgy . . .

1088 "To accomplish so great a work" - the dispensation or communication of his work of salvation - "Christ is always present in his Church, especially in her liturgical celebrations. He is present in the Sacrifice of the Mass not only in the person of his minister, 'the same now offering, through the ministry of priests, who formerly offered himself on the cross,' but especially in the Eucharistic species. By his power he is present in the sacraments so that when anybody baptizes, it is really Christ himself who baptizes. He is present in his word since it is he himself who speaks when the holy Scriptures are read in the Church. Lastly, he is present when the Church prays and sings, for he has promised 'where two or three are gathered together in my name there am I in the midst of them."'

1089 "Christ, indeed, always associates the Church with himself in this great work in which God is perfectly glorified and men are sanctified. the Church is his beloved Bride who calls to her Lord and through him offers worship to the eternal Father."

. . . which participates in the liturgy of heaven

1090 "In the earthly liturgy we share in a foretaste of that heavenly liturgy which is celebrated in the Holy City of Jerusalem toward which we journey as pilgrims, where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God, Minister of the sanctuary and of the true tabernacle. With all the warriors of the heavenly army we sing a hymn of glory to the Lord; venerating the memory of the saints, we hope for some part and fellowship with them; we eagerly await the Savior, our Lord Jesus Christ, until he, our life, shall appear and we too will appear with him in glory."

World Saxophone Day[4]


November 6 is Saxophone Day, an unofficial holiday that celebrates the woodwind instrument popularly used in jazz, classical music, and military ensembles. The day honors saxophonists and commemorates the birth anniversary of its inventor Adolphe Sax. Born in Belgium in 1814, Sax was an instrument maker and musician who designed and introduced the Saxophone in 1840. It was first adopted for use in military bands and soon became a popular instrument played in a concert band and in chamber music. Chamber music is a type of music played by a group of small instruments - ones that usually can fit into a small room or chamber. Today, the Saxophone is used extensively in jazz and other kinds of dance music and in symphony orchestras around the world.

Many Different Types

The Saxophone comes in many different varieties, though most saxophonists usually use one of the four most popular types. These are tenor, baritone, alto, and soprano saxophones. The tenor saxophone is usually used in jazz and rock music bands, while the baritone saxophone tends to be reserved for jazz solos. The Alto Saxophone is easy to play and therefore used to train beginners. The Soprano plays the highest pitch among all saxophones and is also often played in jazz bands. Other saxophones include Mezzo Soprano, Sopranino, Tubax, Bass and Contrabass.

How to Celebrate?

·         Are you a saxophonist? Bring out your instrument and play some music with a band or solo for your family and friends.

·         Attend a chamber music, jazz or symphony orchestra concert. Keep an ear out for the Saxophone notes.

·         If you have always wanted to learn how to play the Saxophone, today is the day to get started.

Daily Devotions

·         Unite yourself in the work of the Porters of St. Joseph by joining them in fasting: Today's Fast: Authentic Feminism

·         Litany of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus

·         Offering to the sacred heart of Jesus

·         Resurrection of the body

·         Drops of Christ’s Blood

·         Universal Man Plan

·         Rosary

  


Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Thursday, January 23, 2025

Thursday, May 27, 2021

Friday, August 26, 2022

Monday, October 3, 2022

Saturday, February 15, 2025

Friday, February 7, 2025

Sunday, February 16, 2025

Wednesday, January 29, 2025

Wednesday, February 12, 2025