Rachel’s Corner
· Tomorrow is the Feast of Saint Cecilia my patron saint
· do a personal eucharistic stations of the cross.
· How to celebrate Nov 21st
o Start your unique day by setting a positive tone with a “hello” to those around you. Embrace the spirit of World Hello Day by reaching out to friends, family, or even strangers with a cheerful greeting.
o As you go about your day, reflect on deep thoughts and engage in philosophical musings inspired by World Philosophy Day. Take a few moments to ponder life’s big questions and consider different perspectives.
o Amidst your philosophical reflections, take a break to watch your favorite TV show or a captivating movie in honor of World Television Day. Allow yourself to unwind and enjoy some well-deserved downtime.
o As the day winds down, savor a delicious meal with loved ones celebrating National Gingerbread Cookie Day and National Stuffing Day. Share laughter and stories over a homemade feast, creating cherished memories together.
§ Try oyster dressing my grandfather’s favorite
o Before you retire for the night, take a moment to appreciate the rural landscape and nature around you on National Rural Health Day. Go for a peaceful stroll, breathe in the fresh air, and soak in the tranquility of the outdoors.
o End your day by raising a toast to good health and wellness on Great American Smokeout and World Pancreatic Cancer Day. Reflect on the importance of self-care and making positive choices for your well-being.
Best Place to visit in November:
Havasupai Falls is sure to take your breath away as soon as you set your eyes on the bright blue water. Although it’s about a 10-mile hike to get to the falls, the trip is totally worth it. While temperatures might be too cold to enjoy swimming in the water in November, you might still be able to take a dip if you’re feeling brave.
The main reason why November is ideal for seeing Havasupai Falls is that the usual Arizona heat is much milder. Considering the length of the hike, you’ll be glad to enjoy those cooler temps.
The area is closed during the winter, starting in December, and both October and November see fewer visitors. This means more opportunities for moments of solitude like the one in the photo!
Thursday Feast
Thursday is the day of the week that our Lord gave himself up for consumption. Thursday commemorates the last supper. Some theologians believe after Sunday Thursday is the holiest day of the week. We should then try to make this day special by making a visit to the blessed sacrament chapel, Mass or even stopping by the grave of a loved one. Why not plan to count the blessing of the week and thank our Lord. Plan a special meal. Be at Peace.
Dinner Menu
- Drink: Beaujolais Nouveau
- hors d'oeuvre Bacon-wrapped Scallops
- appetizer Beaujolais goes great with French charcuterie like patés, terrines, rillettes, and saucisson sec. You can also serve it with cornichons, fresh radishes, and a crusty baguette
- main course Poached salmon or seared tuna and salmon
- Dessert: Cheese Cake with Red Fruit
World Television-Great
American Smokeout-World Philosophy Day
Tobit here is instructing his son
Tobiah in the three virtues characteristic in his own life: Truth
(fidelity), righteousness, and almsgiving. The instruction to almsgiving is
the lengthiest. Tobit tells his son to care for his burial just as his father
has cared for the burial of others. He instructs Tobiah to pay servants wages
immediately to feed the hungry and to clothe the naked and to give alms in
proportion to what he has. Almsgiving will be for him a protection from death
and will be a worthy offering, a worthy worship to God.[1]
Tobit[2]
1.
Later on he washed, but he still decided to spend the
night in the courtyard. Even though he had no problems polluting himself
by having contact with a corpse, he was considerate of others and maintained
his distance until the time of purification was over.
2.
That night, swallow droppings fell into his eyes and a
white film formed, impairing his vision.
3.
The more he sought medical help, the worse his eyesight
was until one day he was totally blind.
4.
The irony is sharp. His misfortune occurred on
Pentecost because he wanted to share his provisions with the homeless, to
dutifully bury a Jewish body, and to keep the law regarding purification.
Those “good works” led to blindness. Yet, there is no evidence that he
railed against God or even lamented this misfortune.
5. For the first two years of Tobit’s blindness, Ahiquar supported him, but then he was transferred to Elymais, which scholars think was located south of Media.
6.
This transfer meant that Ahiquar’s financial support
ended, and life became very difficult for Tobit and his family.
7.
Since Tobit was completely blind, his wife went out to
do “women’s work.” This is not specified, but most think she would have
been working in someone’s household.
8.
Surely this was a blow to Tobit’s image and
esteem. After all, this was the person who had a big position in the
king’s court. Now he was disabled and unemployed.
9.
One day in addition to paying her for her services,
Hannah’s employers gave her a goat to take home. It might have been for
an upcoming feast day, which would suggest that she was working for a Jewish
family.
10. When
the goat started to bleat, Tobit assumed she had stolen it and accused her of
doing so. It highlights his inability to see; he didn’t know it was there
until it started making noise. Scholars don’t know why he did this.
Nothing in Hannah’s character suggested she’d be the person to steal
something. So maybe this was yet another affront to his ego and lashing
out was his poor way of handling things. It shows how tense things had
become and the stress they were under.
11. Hannah
yelled back saying, “And look what your good deeds have gotten us!”
12. There
was little that Tobit could say to that. He prayed deeply, asking for
forgiveness for himself as well as the nation. Then he asked God to take his
life in order to end his suffering.
13. On
the very same day in Ecbatana, another righteous person was praying – Sarah.
14. The
distance between Nineveh and Ecbatana was about 185 miles.
15. Sarah’s
name means “Mistress.”
16. At
that moment, one of her servant girls was insulting her because she had been
given in marriage to seven men, but each night the demon, Asmodeus, killed them
off before the marriage could be consummated.
17. If it’s a Hebrew word, Asmodeus means something like “Destroyer.” He was known as the demon of lust. The idea was that he loved Sarah and would not allow any other man to be with her.
18. The
servant didn’t know about the demon, so she assumed that Sarah was doing the
killing.
19. Sarah
thought about hanging herself, but she was an only child and couldn’t imagine
bringing such shame to her parents.
20. So
she also prayed that God would take her life and put her out of her misery.
21. At
this point, these two incidents seem totally separate, though both people are
of the tribe of Naphtali. Later, readers will find out that they are
close kinsmen.
22. Nonetheless,
both of their prayers were heard in the glorious presence of God.
23. God
decided to send the angel, Raphael, to heal them both.
24. Raphael,
the angel’s name, means “God has healed.”
25. God’s
plan was to give Sarah in marriage to Tobias and to heal Tobit’s blindness.
26. This
information is given to readers but not to any of the characters in the story.
27. As
Tobit prepared to die, he remembered the money he had given his cousins in
Media for safekeeping.
28. He
called Tobias and started by counseling him on the major issues of life.
29. First, he was to provide a proper burial for Tobit, and then he needed to take care of his mother. He was also to follow in Tobit’s footsteps, always doing good and being true to the Lord.
30. There
is some irony here because of the fact that Tobit’s life had not been blessed
despite all of his good works. This comes at a time in Jewish history when they
believed good works would be rewarded with great blessings. Tobit’s life
had not turned out that way. Still, he expected integrity and
faithfulness from Tobias, which indicates that Tobit was a very righteous man.
31. Only
after he had counseled him in all these aspects did Tobit mention the ten
talents awaiting him in Media.
32. His
final counsel was: “You have great wealth if you fear God, flee from all sin,
and do what is good in the sight of the Lord your God.” Obviously, Tobit
believed that God really was going to end his life.
Feast of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary[3]
THE Blessed Virgin was presented in
the temple at Jerusalem by her pious parents, Joachim and Ann, there to be
educated in the service and the law of the Lord in order that she might be
guarded against the defilements of the world. From this we learn:
Joachim and Ann offered to the Lord
their only and most beloved child and gave her up entirely to His service.
Great as the sacrifice was, they yet made it. The preservation of the innocence
of their daughter was to them above all else. Parents, God requires of you that
you should not merely offer your children to Him in the temple, but that you
should take care to keep them pure and holy, as living temples which have been
consecrated in Baptism.
Mary gives and dedicates herself to God as soon as she
is capable of serving Him, and that without any reservation, for all time, and
irrevocably.
·
When
then, shall we give ourselves in earnest to God? True, we have been given to
Him in holy Baptism, we have been consecrated as His temples, we have renounced
the devil and the world, we have vowed to live only for God, and this vow we
have, perhaps, often renewed; but have we kept it?
·
What
we gave with one hand have we not taken it away with the other? Have we not
denied the temple of our hearts by shameful lusts, lived for the world and
vanity more than for God? Ah, when shall we give ourselves up to God sincerely
and forever? Perhaps when we are old! But will God accept our offering then?
·
Will
He be pleased that we begin to serve Him only when we can no longer serve the
world? That we first begin to live for Him when our life is soon to cease? No;
God is a jealous Lord and is not pleased with a heart divided between Him and
creatures. He requires us to love Him with all our heart and all our soul, and
to serve Him with all our powers. Let us, then, do this, and do it from our
youth; let us keep ourselves in body and soul undefiled for the Lord; such
love, and such love only, will He reward as perfect.
Prayer.
O God, Who wast pleased that the blessed Mary, ever
vir gin, the habitation of the Holy Ghost, should oh this day be presented in
the temple, grant, we beseech Thee, that by her intercession we may deserve to
be presented in the temple of Thy glory.
EPISTLE. Ecclus. xxiv. 14-16.
From the beginning, and before the world, was I
created, and unto the world to come I shall not cease to be, and in the holy
dwelling-place I have ministered before Him. And so was I established in Sion,
and in the holy city likewise I rested, and my power was in Jerusalem. And I
took root in an honorable people, and in the portion of my God His inheritance,
and my abode is in the full assembly of saints.
GOSPEL. Luke xi. 27, 28.
And it
came to pass, as He spoke these things, a certain woman from the crowd lifting
up her voice said to Him: Blessed is the womb that bore Thee, and the paps that
gave Thee suck. But He said: Yea rather, blessed are they who hear the word of
God and keep it.
Explanation.
By His
answer Jesus would have us understand that His Mother was not to be blessed
merely because she bore Him, the Son of God, but rather because she at all
times endeavored to keep the word of God in her heart and to observe it in her
life. If you would be blessed, learn to be not only a hearer, but a doer, of
the word of God.
Things to Do[4]
·
Meditate
on the mystery of Mary's temporary dwelling in the sanctuary of the Old
Covenant as preparation for the approaching season of Advent.
·
Locate
the order of contemplative nuns closest to you and visit their monastery (you
may want to request their prayers and you might consider supporting them
financially), they are the privileged souls who, by the grace of their
vocation, are even here below dwellers in the house of the Lord.
·
Spend
30 minutes reading the Bible.
·
Learn
more about Mary in the
Byzantine Liturgy and say one of the beautiful
prayers of the Eastern liturgy in honor of Mary.
Catechism of the Catholic Church
PART
TWO: THE CELEBRATION OF THE CHRISTIAN MYSTERY
SECTION
ONE-THE SACRAMENTAL ECONOMY
CHAPTER
TWO-THE SACRAMENTAL CELEBRATION OF THE PASCHAL MYSTERY
Article 1-CELEBRATING
THE CHURCH'S LITURGY
Day
162
IV. Where is the Liturgy Celebrated?
1179 The worship "in Spirit and in truth" of
the New Covenant is not tied exclusively to any one place. the whole earth is
sacred and entrusted to the children of men. What matters above all is that,
when the faithful assemble in the same place, they are the "living
stones," gathered to be "built into a spiritual house." For
the Body of the risen Christ is the spiritual temple from which the source of
living water springs forth: incorporated into Christ by the Holy Spirit,
"we are the temple of the living God."
1180 When the exercise of religious liberty is not
thwarted, Christians construct buildings for divine worship. These visible
churches are not simply gathering places but signify and make visible the
Church living in this place, the dwelling of God with men reconciled and united
in Christ.
1181 A church, "a house of prayer in which the
Eucharist is celebrated and reserved, where the faithful assemble, and where is
worshipped the presence of the Son of God our Savior, offered for us on the
sacrificial altar for the help and consolation of the faithful - this house
ought to be in good taste and a worthy place for prayer and sacred
ceremonial." In this "house of God" the truth and the
harmony of the signs that make it up should show Christ to be present and
active in this place.
1182 The altar of the New Covenant is the Lord's
Cross, from which the sacraments of the Paschal mystery flow. On the
altar, which is the center of the church, the sacrifice of the Cross is made
present under sacramental signs. the altar is also the table of the Lord, to
which the People of God are invited. In certain Eastern liturgies, the
altar is also the symbol of the tomb (Christ truly died and is truly risen).
1183 The tabernacle is to be situated "in churches in
a most worthy place with the greatest honor." The dignity, placing,
and security of the Eucharistic tabernacle should foster adoration before the
Lord really present in the Blessed Sacrament of the altar.
The sacred chrism (myron), used in anointings as the sacramental sign of the
seal of the gift of the Holy Spirit, is traditionally reserved and venerated in
a secure place in the sanctuary. the oil of catechumens and the oil of the sick
may also be placed there.
1184 The chair (cathedra) of the bishop or the priest "should express his office of presiding over the assembly and of directing prayer."
The lectern (ambo): "The dignity of the Word of God requires the church to have a suitable place for announcing his message so that the attention of the people may be easily directed to that place during the liturgy of the Word."
1185 The gathering of the People of God begins with
Baptism; a church must have a place for the celebration of Baptism (baptistry)
and for fostering remembrance of the baptismal promises (holy water font).
The renewal of the baptismal life requires penance. A church, then, must lend
itself to the expression of repentance and the reception of forgiveness, which
requires an appropriate place to receive penitents.
A church must also be a space that invites us to the recollection and silent
prayer that extend and internalize the great prayer of the Eucharist.
1186 Finally, the church has an eschatological
significance. To enter into the house of God, we must cross a threshold, which
symbolizes passing from the world wounded by sin to the world of the new Life
to which all men are called. the visible church is a symbol of the Father's
house toward which the People of God is journeying and where the Father
"will wipe every tear from their eyes." Also, for this reason,
the Church is the house of all God's children, open and welcoming
World
Television Day[5]
World Television Day celebrates the
daily value of television as a symbol of communication and globalization.
Television is one of the single greatest technological advances of the 20th
century, serving to educate, inform, entertain and influence our decisions and
opinions. It is estimated that approximately 90% of homes around the
world have televisions; however, with the introduction of internet
broadcasting, the number is declining in favor of computers. World Television
Day was proclaimed by the United Nations
in 1996. It is celebrated annually on November 21.
World Television Day Facts &
Quotes
·
TV
stimulates the economy by providing countless avenues for jobs. Over 1.2
million people in the European Union alone are employed in the media sector.
·
In
France, 63% of children
between the age of 0 and 15 live in a household with 4 screens (TV, computer,
tablet etc.).
·
Television
creates authority. When something is shown on TV it has a particular authority
about it because you know that you and millions of other people are seeing it
and that professionals have produced it.
·
In
Canada, nearly 95% of people aged 18-34 watch TV each month, which results in
12 and a half hours of weekly TV watching.
·
Television
is a medium because anything well done is rare. - Fred Allen, American comedian
and radio show host
Donate to catholic
Television today if you can!
Great
American Smokeout[6]
The Great American Smoke out is an
informal holiday aimed at encouraging citizens to quit or plan to quit smoking.
Smoking is a habit that involves consumption of tobacco smoke, which has been
shown to cause a variety of cancers, most notably lung and mouth cancer. Lung
cancer is currently the leading cause of Cancer death in the United States and
the most preventable type of cancer worldwide. The Great American Smokeout is
promoted by the American Cancer
Society and is held on the third Thursday of November each year in an effort to
reduce cases of preventable cancers, reduce secondhand smoke and improve the health
of all Americans.
Great American Smokeout Facts &
Quotes
·
The
holiday began in 1970, when a man in Massachusetts asked people to give up smoking
for one day, and donate the money saved to the local high school scholarship
fund.
·
According
to the Center for Disease Control, smoking is responsible for 1 in 3 cancer-related
deaths, and 1 in 5 deaths from any cause. Worldwide, tobacco use causes
more than 5 million deaths per year.
·
The
Center for Disease Control state that life expectancy for smokers is 10 years
less than that of non-smokers.
·
The
Center for Disease Control states that middle-aged man who smokes, triples his
risk of dying from some type of heart disease.
·
More
Doctors Smoke Camels than Any Other Cigarette - line used in 1949 commercial
for Camel Cigarettes.
Great American Smokeout Top Events
and Things to Do
·
If
you are a smoker, call 1-800-QUIT-NOW for support in quitting. You can
also get help from organizations like smokefree.gov
and ucanquit2.org.
·
Organize
a sporting
event like soccer or softball as a way to have fun and otherwise help smokers
take their minds off of smoking.
·
Talk
to someone you know who smokes and challenge them to quit for the day.
·
Give
out sugarless gum to otherwise smokers as friendly gesture to promote an
alternative.
·
Watch
movies and documentaries that aim to uncover the tobacco industry and impact of
tobacco addictions:
1) The Insider (1999)
2) Addiction Incorporated (2011)
3) Dying for a Smoke (1992)
4) Smoke & Mirrors: A History of Denial (2000)
World
Philosophy Day[7]
Shit Happens! Forrest Gump
World Philosophy Day seeks to
promote human thought, new ideas and critical thinking to confront today's
challenges. Philosophy refers to the study of knowledge, experience,
existence and reality. According to the United Nations, philosophy provides the
conceptual bases of principles and values on which world peace
depends: democracy,
human rights,
justice and equality. World Philosophy Day was proclaimed by UNESCO
in 2005. Since then, every third Thursday of November has served as a
celebration of philosophical knowledge.
World Philosophy Day Facts &
Quotes
·
Rene
Descartes is considered to be the father of modern Western philosophy. He is
widely credited with being the first to use the concept of reason to develop
the natural sciences.
He lived from 1596 to 1650.
·
Thales
of Miletus is widely considered to be the father of philosophy. He was a Greek
philosopher, mathematician and astronomer that lived around 624-546BC.
·
Truth
in philosophy means that concept and external reality correspond. – George
Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel, a German philosopher of the late enlightenment period.
World Philosophy Day Top Events and
Things to Do
·
Spread
awareness on social media by using the hashtags #WorldPhilosophyDay,
#PhilosophyDay and #PhilosophyandCooperation.
· Tune in to the live webcast of the philosophical debates on UNESCO’s website. It can be streamed in French or English at the UNESCO site.
·
Watch
a movie that touches on philosophy. Some suggestions are: The Matrix
(1999), Blade Runner (1982) and Being There (1979).
·
Donate
to the Philosophy Foundation. Any money raised is put towards providing
specialist teachers to schools that need it most but can’t afford it. The
organization aims to support young people in higher education studying
philosophy.
·
Read
a book on philosophy. Some suggestions are Plato’s Republic, Critique
of Pure Reason and A History of Western Philosophy.
Daily Devotions/Practice
·
Unite in the work of the Porters of St. Joseph by joining them
in fasting: Today's Fast: For
the intercession of the angels and saints
·
Offering to
the sacred heart of Jesus
·
Rosary
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