Sunday, January 19, 2025
Claire’s Corner
· Today in honor of the Holy Trinity do the Divine Office giving your day to God. To honor God REST: no shopping after 6 pm Saturday till Monday. Don’t forget the internet.
· Dolly Parton's birthday-when my dad was stationed in KY he took the family to Dollywood-we had a good time but froze.
· Bucket List trip: Saltzburg Austria Mozart Week (Jan 23-Feb 2)
· Religion in the Home for Preschool: January
· Carnival Time begins in Catholic Countries.
· Spirit Hour: San Sabastion Punch
· Try[10]: Café Liégeois
· How to celebrate Jan 19th
o Picture this: you wake up to a world filled with possibilities. Start your day by brewing a unique potion to kickstart your adventure. Channel your inner artist by creating a masterpiece that embodies your rebellious spirit. As you revel in your creativity, indulge in some popcorn to keep your energy up. Take a moment to appreciate the different religions around the world on World Religion Day, perhaps by reading about different faiths or visiting a place of worship in your community.
o Feeling inspired by the diversity of beliefs, venture outside to celebrate World Snow Day. Build a snowman or have a snowball fight; embrace the childlike joy of playing in the snow. In between snow activities, take a few moments to reflect on your memories, honoring Good Memory Day by reminiscing about happy moments from your past.
o As the day continues, get resourceful on National Tin Can Day. Repurpose tin cans into quirky decorations or useful organizers. Embrace your inner outlaw by breaking a few artistic rules on Artist as Outlaw Day. Experiment with unconventional art techniques or visit a local art exhibit to appreciate rebel artists.
o Before the day ends, dive into the world of science on World Quark Day. Learn about this unique subatomic particle or treat yourself to a delicious quark-based dessert. End your day with a moment of gratitude for the eclectic mix of experiences you’ve had, knowing that even the most seemingly unrelated holidays can come together to create a day filled with whimsy and wonder.
- Soak in hot springs
- Hit the snow slopes
- Ride a snowmobile
- Go for a dog sled ride
- Ride a hot air balloon
January 19 Second Sunday after Epiphany
Jeremiah,
Chapter 46, Verse 27-28
27
But you, my servant Jacob, do not fear;
do not be dismayed, Israel! Listen! I will deliver you from far-off lands; your
offspring, from the land of their exile. Jacob shall again find rest, secure,
with none to frighten him. 28 You, Jacob my servant, must not FEAR—oracle of the LORD—for I am with
you; I will make an end of all the nations to which I have driven you, But of
you I will not make an end: I will chastise you as you deserve, I cannot let
you go unpunished.
The Lord embraces Israel and gives hope and
correction but warns against Egypt.
Against Egypt[1]
·
This chapter is a prophecy in poetic form
against Egypt. It begins with God speaking about Pharaoh Neco, who gets
defeated by Nebuchadnezzar at the River Euphrates in Mesopotamia.
·
It's kind of like, "Get on your horses,
Egyptians! Put on your armor and shields! Oh wait, you're retreating? You're
getting slaughtered? What a shame."
· Like the floodwaters of the Nile, Egypt tries to spread over the earth and destroy cities.
·
God urges the Egyptian warriors and their allies
to get ready for battle. Then he says that they're just another sacrifice to
his glory. They're next up to get clobbered by Babylon.
·
God sarcastically tells Egypt to seek a
medicinal balm in Gilead. But there's no healing for them: they're toast.
· God predicts that Nebuchadnezzar will invade and destroy Egypt.
·
God says to tell the Egyptians to get ready for
their slaughter.
·
He also mocks their bull god, Apis, who's zero
help to them.
·
The Egyptians stumble home in defeat and the
Pharaoh earns the nickname "Braggart Who Missed His Chance." Oh,
snap!
·
Egypt should pack its bags for exile—they're in
for it.
·
Egypt's like a "beautiful heifer" who
gets stung and driven nuts by a gadfly from the north (Babylon).
·
Egypt will be put to shame, slithering away in
retreat like a snake, and being flattened like a forest cut down by the
Babylonian war axes.
·
God's bringing punishment on Amon of Thebes,
Pharaoh, and all the Egyptian gods and kings.
·
Pharaoh and those who trust in him will be
captured, but afterwards Egypt will be inhabited again like it used to be.
· In concluding the chapter, God again promises Israel that it will be freed from captivity. God will destroy the nations that have oppressed Israel, but not Israel itself. The people will return to their homeland under God's protection.
Life First[2] 9 Days
for Life day four
INTENTION-May every father of a preborn child lovingly support the mother of his child in welcoming new life.
PRAYERS-Our Father, 3 Hail Mary’s, Glory Be
REFLECTION-Fatherhood has its origins in God, who chose to reveal Himself to us as Our Father, sending his only Son for the sake of our salvation. Fathers therefore have a special role “in revealing and in reliving on earth the very fatherhood of God” (Familiaris consortio 25). Fathers are called to exhibit “generous responsibility for the life conceived under the heart of the mother” (FC 25). They are uniquely entrusted with the protection and defense of both mother and child and, in this way, in safeguarding the sanctity of human life.
As evidenced in our world today, the role of the father “is of unique and irreplaceable importance” (FC 25). Often women choose abortion because they do not have the support of the child’s father, or—even worse—the father of the child pressures her to make the decision to abort. At the same time, it is important to acknowledge with compassion that men can also be overwhelmed by an unexpected pregnancy and that society increasingly tells them that they should have no say in their children’s lives. In the face of these false messages, we pray that fathers of preborn children will find courage in the example of Saint Joseph—who embraced the role of father amid difficult circumstances—and offer loving, life-affirming support to the mothers of their children.
ACTS OF REPARATION (Choose one.)
· Pray a decade of the Rosary for all fathers of preborn children, that through her intercession, Our Lady may inspire in them the virtues of Saint Joseph.
· Offer some other sacrifice, prayer, or act of penance that you feel called to do for today’s intention.
ONE STEP FURTHER-Research continues to show that one of the top reasons a woman chooses abortion is due to a lack of financial resources. Read "Poverty and Abortion: A Vicious Cycle," which explores the connections between abortion and poverty, and how the absence of fathers contributes to this ongoing cycle.
ON KEEPING THE LORD'S DAY HOLY[3]
CHAPTER II
DIES CHRISTI
The Day of the Risen Lord
and of the Gift
of the Holy Spirit
The first day of the week
21. It was for this reason that, from
Apostolic times, "the first day after the Sabbath", the first day of
the week, began to shape the rhythm of life for Christ's disciples (cf. 1
Cor 16:2). "The first day after the Sabbath" was also the day
upon which the faithful of Troas were gathered "for the breaking of
bread", when Paul bade them farewell and miraculously restored the young
Eutychus to life (cf. Acts 20:7-12). The Book of Revelation gives
evidence of the practice of calling the first day of the week "the Lord's
Day" (1:10). This would now be a characteristic distinguishing Christians
from the world around them. As early as the beginning of the second century, it
was noted by Pliny the Younger, governor of Bithynia, in his report on the Christian
practice "of gathering together on a set day before sunrise and singing
among themselves a hymn to Christ as to a god". And when Christians spoke
of the "Lord's Day", they did so giving to this term the full sense
of the Easter proclamation: "Jesus Christ is Lord" (Phil 2:11;
cf. Acts 2:36; 1 Cor 12:3). Thus, Christ was given the same title
which the Septuagint used to translate what in the revelation of the Old
Testament was the unutterable name of God: YHWH.
Second Sunday after Epiphany[4]
Christ manifests His
divinity and His mystical union with the Church with His first miracle at the
Wedding of Cana.
THE
Introit the Church invites us to thank God for the incarnation of His only
begotten Son: “Let all the earth adore Thee, and sing to Thee, O God; let it
sing a psalm to Thy name, shout with joy to God, all the earth, sing ye a psalm
to His name, give glory to His praise”.
Prayer.
Almighty
and everlasting God, “Who dost govern all things in heaven and on earth,
mercifully hear the prayers of Thy people, and grant us Thy peace in our days”.
Amen.
EPISTLE.
Rom. xii. 6-16.
Brethren: We have
different gifts, according to the grace that is given us: either prophecy, to
be used according to the rule of faith, or ministry in ministering, or he that
teacheth in doctrine, he that exhorteth in exhorting, he that giveth with
simplicity, he that ruleth with carefulness, he that showeth mercy with
cheerfulness. Let love be without dissimulation. Hating that which is evil,
cleaving to that which is good: loving one another with the charity of
brotherhood: with honor preventing one another: in carefulness not slothful: in
spirit fervent: serving the Lord: rejoicing in hope: patient in tribulation:
instant in prayer; communicating to the necessities of the saints: pursuing
hospitality. Bless them that persecute you: bless, and curse not. Rejoice with
them that rejoice, weep with them that weep: being of one mind one towards
another: not minding high things, but consenting to the humble. Be not wise in
your own conceits.
What lesson does the
Apostle give us in this epistle?
That we
should hate that which is evil, and love that which is good; that we should
love one another, and practice works of mercy; that we should be solicitous and
fervent, as in the service of God. We should cooperate with the grace of God,
and pray instantly.
PRACTICAL
INSTRUCTIONS FOR SUPERIORS.
They
must expect a severe judgment who seek office only for the sake of emolument,
caring little for their duty, and regarding bribes and presents rather than
justice.
Aspiration.
O God, give
us Thy grace to follow faithfully what St. Paul teaches us of humility and
charity, that we may have compassion on all who are in need, and not exalt
ourselves above our neighbors, but, humbling ourselves with the humble, may
merit, with them, to be exalted. Amen.
GOSPEL.
John ii. 1-11
At
that time there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee, and the Mother of Jesus was
there. And Jesus also was invited, and His disciples, to the marriage. And the
wine failing, the Mother of Jesus saith to Him: They have no wine. And Jesus
saith to her:
Woman,
what is to Me and to thee?
My hour is not yet come. His Mother saith to the
waiters: Whatsoever He shall say to you, do ye. Now there were set there six
water-pots of stone, according to the manner of the purifying of the Jews,
containing two or three measures apiece. Jesus saith to them: Fill the
water-pots with water. And they filled them up to the brim. And Jesus saith to
them: Draw out now and carry to the chief steward of the feast. And they
carried it. And when the chief steward had tasted the water made wine, and knew
not whence it was, but the waiters knew who had drawn the water: the chief
steward calleth the bridegroom, and saith to him: Every man at first setteth
forth good wine, and when men have well drank, then that which is worse; but
thou hast kept the good wine until now. This beginning of miracles did Jesus in
Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory, and His disciples believed in Him.
Why was Jesus present at the
wedding with His Mother and disciples?
1.
In order there to reveal His majesty, and by that means to establish and
confirm the belief in His divinity.
2.
To show that marriage is pleasing to God.
3.
To let us understand how pious the bridegroom and bride were.
4.
To teach us that those pleasures are permitted which are in accordance with
reason and Christianity, and neither sinful nor leading to sin.
Why did Mary intercede for the
bride and bridegroom when the wine was failing?
She was sorry for them, for she is the tender-hearted mediatrix of the afflicted and destitute. Besides, the number of the guests had been considerably increased by the presence of Jesus and His disciples, so that the wine was not sufficient for all.
What is the meaning of the words, “Woman, what is that to Me and to thee?”
According
to the idiom of the Hebrew language, they mean as much as, Mother, be not
anxious; I will provide the wine as soon as the hour appointed by My Father is
come. Jesus did not mean to rebuke His Mother, but He thus gave her and all who
were present, to understand that He had not received the power of working
miracles as the son of woman, but that He possessed it as the Son of God and
should use it according to the will of His Father.
Lent is a month away[5]
The Second Sunday in Ordinary Time is
exactly 31 days before Ash Wednesday. The Church has entered Tempus ad Annum,
"The Season Throughout the Year," most commonly referred to as "Ordinary
Time" and will soon enter the six-week period of Lent culminating in
the heart of the Liturgy and the Liturgical Year: Easter, the Paschal Feast. Although
not a liturgical season of the Church, the weeks after Christmas are
unofficially known as "Carnival," a season of balls, parades, parties
and rich food. There is no set beginning as Carnival begins on various dates
all over the world. Rio de Janeiro and Venice begin two and a half weeks before
Ash Wednesday. Most Americans are familiar with the South Louisiana Mardi Gras
which begins on Epiphany.Regardless of when Carnival begins or how it is
celebrated, the celebration intensifies the closer it gets to the beginning of
Lent and comes to screeching halt on Ash Wednesday.
The word "carnival" literally means "farewell to meat." In earlier times in the Church, Lenten fasting, and abstinence had more stringent rules. Foods such as meat, butter, cheese, milk, eggs, fat, and bacon were all forbidden in Lent, so Carnival was a time to indulge and use up (and not waste) these foods. While Lent doesn't have the formerly strict regulations, the word carnival in a broad sense is also saying farewell to fleshly or worldly pleasures (even if they are mere indulgences and not sinful) before our Lenten penances and mortifications.
Carnival's Spiritual Connections
For centuries, all over the world,
this has been known as a time for preparing for Lent. "Preparing for
Lent" is an odd way to describe what goes on during Carnival, but it does
have religious connections. Perhaps some have forgotten the original intention,
but Carnival is a time of mental and physical preparation for the Lenten time
of self-denial. This is a time for family, food and fun before we face Ash
Wednesday and fill our days with prayer, fasting and almsgiving.
Although it seems like such a secular
and materialistic celebration, without the spiritual grounding there can be no
Carnival. As Josef Pieper explains:
Wherever festivity can freely vent itself in all its
possible forms, an event is produced that leaves no zone of life, worldly or
spiritual, untouched.... There are worldly, but there are no purely profane,
festivals. And we may presume that not only can we not find them, but that they
cannot exist. A festival without gods is a non-concept, is inconceivable. For
example, Carnival remains festive only where Ash Wednesday still exists. To
eliminate Ash Wednesday is to eliminate the Carnival itself. Yet Ash Wednesday
is obviously a day in Christendom's liturgical year (Josef Pieper, 1963, pp 33-34).
And Bernard Strasser elaborates on
this spiritual connection:
These carnival days in particular contain a remarkable
lesson of spirituality for us. According to their origin and the Church's
intention they are anything but days of thoughtless conviviality, and certainly
not of dissolute merrymaking. They are not a carryover from pagan times, of
which the Church was unable to destroy the memory and observance. Rather are
they an integral part of the Church year, with the significant task of
illustrating graphically the first part of the Church's sermon text for this season:
"You are fools, all of you who seek your final end in earthly things! I
your Mother will during the coming weeks of Lent show you where true happiness
may be found, Who it is that brought it, and how He merited it for us" (Carnival
and Ashes, Orate Fratres: A
Liturgical Review, Vol. XVII, No. 4,
146).
Of course, over the centuries there
have been abuses of extremes, and the Church has counterbalanced by providing
spiritual balance, such as encouragement for Shriving (confessions), Eucharist
Adoration, especially the Forty Hours devotion before Ash Wednesday.
There is a juxtaposition of Carnival
and Lent. As Pieper mentioned that Carnival festivity "leaves no zone of
life, worldly or spiritual, untouched," similar to our observance of Lent.
The Church gives us this time to reexamine and reorder all aspects of our life.
We can see the contrast of Carnival indulgence and Lenten fasting not just in
foods, but all areas of life.
Balancing Family Fun Time
Maria von Trapp in Around the Year
with the Trapp Family recognized Carnival as a time for family celebration.
She suggested using this time of "merry-making" for dancing, singing,
games, parties and gatherings with family and friends. Perhaps some of her
suggestions seem subdued and old-fashioned for a very electronically connected
generation, but her emphasis was to enjoy the togetherness. Our attention is
focused outward nurturing family connections and friendships, with
opportunities in practicing dancing and music. The opposite is true in the
season of Lent: it is a season to reduce social activities, to turn off the
extra noise and visuals (electronics) and to turn inward to talk to and listen
to God.
In the modern world our lives are not
as connected to the days and the seasons of nature except as inconvenience or
enjoyment. Many of us are also disconnected to the rhythm of the Liturgical
Year, with its contrasting seasons and feasts. Maria von Trapp explained this
so beautifully:
Nobody could stand a Thanksgiving Day dinner every day of
the year. There can only be mountains if there are also valleys. It is a pity
that the Reformation did away not only with most of the sacraments and all of
the sacramentals, but also, unfortunately, with the very breath of the Mystical
Body — that wonderful, eternal rhythm of high and low tide that makes up the
year of the Church: times of waiting alternate with times of fulfillment, the
lean weeks of Lent with the feasts of Easter and Pentecost, times of mourning
with seasons of rejoicing. Modern man lost track of this. Deep down in the
human heart, however, is imbedded the craving to celebrate, and, in a dumb way,
the other craving to abstain, perhaps to atone. In general, these cravings are
no longer directed in seasonal channels, as they are for the Catholic, or even
for the aborigine who participates in some tribal religious belief.....
It should be our noble right and duty to bring up our children in such a way that they become conscious of high tide and low tide, that they learn that there is "a time to weep, and a time to laugh, a time to mourn, and a time to dance." The rhythm of nature as it manifests itself in the four seasons, in day and night, in the individual's heartbeat and breathing — this rhythm we should learn to recognize, and to treat with more reverence. Modern man has become used to turning day into night and night into day according to his whim or pleasure. He has managed to lose contact completely with himself. He has lost the instinct for the right food and drink, stuffing himself with huge quantities of the wrong things and feeding himself sick. But worst of all, and this sounds almost ridiculous, in the process of growing up he forgot the right kind of breathing....
Again, it is our faithful friend, Holy
Mother Church, who leads her children first back to nature in order to make
them ready to receive supernatural grace. "Gratia supponit naturam."
Looked upon in this light, the weeks
of Carnival are a most necessary time for the individual as well as for
families and communities. This period is set aside for us to "let off
steam," "to have a good time." And for this we need company.
Therefore, Carnival is most obviously the season for parties and family
get-togethers...with the avowed intention of having that good time together.
Carnival is the time to be social, to give and to receive invitations for
special parties. It is the time to celebrate as a parish group... (Maria von
Trapp, Around the Year with the Trapp Family, Carnival
or Mardi Gras).
Mrs. Trapp shared different activities
that her family enjoyed, such as folk dancing, singing folk songs, and playing
games. Growing up my family enjoyed similar ideas, even though we weren't as
musical as the Trapp Family. We loved to learn songs in rounds or harmony to
sing together. Other ideas: taking hikes that end singing around a campfire,
and Bunco parties, which any age can enjoy. Our local homeschool group just had
a sock-hop open to all ages, and checkers and chess tournaments on cold winter days.
Some gatherings can be quiet, like family movie nights with popcorn. And don't
forget just nurturing mothers with little social gatherings, maybe with themes
like a little craft or recipe exchange or just coffee or wine and adult
conversation. I have hosted socials where my friends and family come to learn
and practice writing pysanky (Ukrainian Easter eggs). Later in Lent we have
quiet times where we work on our eggs as meditative work, but during Carnival
time it's more of a fun social gathering. The object is to enjoy this time with
others.
Carnival is a season with a spiritual focus that encompasses the entire person. It provides contrasts with the spiritual and material, with feasting and fasting, and with Ordinary Time and Lent. We can embrace this time and find ways for merry making, focusing on family and friends to highlight those contrasts in preparation for Lent. Happy Carnival Time!
Catechism of the Catholic Church
Day 221
Virginity for the sake of the Kingdom
1618 Christ is the center of all Christian life. The bond
with him takes precedence over all other bonds, familial or social. From
the very beginning of the Church there have been men and women who have
renounced the great good of marriage to follow the Lamb wherever he goes, to be
intent on the things of the Lord, to seek to please him, and to go out to meet
the Bridegroom who is coming. Christ himself has invited certain persons
to follow him in this way of life, of which he remains the model:
"For there are eunuchs who have been so from birth,
and there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by men, and there are eunuchs
who have made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. He who
is able to receive this, let him receive it."
1619 Virginity for the sake of the kingdom of heaven is an
unfolding of baptismal grace, a powerful sign of the supremacy of the bond with
Christ and of the ardent expectation of his return, a sign which also recalls
that marriage is a reality of this present age which is passing away.
1620 Both the sacrament of Matrimony and virginity for the
Kingdom of God come from the Lord himself. It is he who gives them meaning and
grants them the grace which is indispensable for living them out in conformity
with his will. Esteem of virginity for the sake of the kingdom and
the Christian understanding of marriage are inseparable, and they reinforce
each other:
Whoever denigrates marriage also diminishes the glory of
virginity. Whoever praises it makes virginity more admirable and resplendent.
What appears good only in comparison with evil would not be truly good. the
most excellent good is something even better than what is admitted to be good.
II. THE CELEBRATION OF MARRIAGE
1621 In the Latin Rite the celebration of marriage between two Catholic faithful normally takes place during Holy Mass, because of the connection of all the sacraments with the Paschal mystery of Christ. In the Eucharist the memorial of the New Covenant is realized, the New Covenant in which Christ has united himself for ever to the Church, his beloved bride for whom he gave himself up. It is therefore fitting that the spouses should seal their consent to give themselves to each other through the offering of their own lives by uniting it to the offering of Christ for his Church made present in the Eucharistic sacrifice, and by receiving the Eucharist so that, communicating in the same Body and the same Blood of Christ, they may form but "one body" in Christ.
1622 "Inasmuch as it is a sacramental action of
sanctification, the liturgical celebration of marriage ... must be, per se,
valid, worthy, and fruitful." It is therefore appropriate for the bride
and groom to prepare themselves for the celebration of their marriage by
receiving the sacrament of penance.
1623 According to Latin tradition, the spouses as ministers
of Christ's grace mutually confer upon each other the sacrament of Matrimony by
expressing their consent before the Church. In the tradition of the Eastern
Churches, the priests (bishops or presbyters) are witnesses to the mutual
consent given by the spouses, but for the validity of the sacrament their
blessing is also necessary.
1624 The various liturgies abound in prayers of blessing and epiclesis asking God's grace and blessing on the new couple, especially the bride. In the epiclesis of this sacrament the spouses receive the Holy Spirit as the communion of love of Christ and the Church. The Holy Spirit is the seal of their covenant, the ever-available source of their love and the strength to renew their fidelity.
Daily Devotions
·
Unite in the work of the Porters of St. Joseph by joining them
in fasting: Today's Fast: Reparations
for offenses and blasphemies against God and the Blessed Virgin Mary
·
Offering to
the sacred heart of Jesus
·
Rosary
[2]http://www.usccb.org/about/pro-life-activities/january-roe-events/nine-days-of-prayer-penance-and-pilgrimage.cfm
[4]Goffine’s
Devout Instructions, 1896.
[6]http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/calendar/day.cfm?date=2017-01-20
[8]https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/prayers/view.cfm?id=1125
[10] Sheraton, Mimi. 1,000 Foods To Eat Before You Die: A
Food Lover's Life List. Workman Publishing Company. Kindle Edition.
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