Dara’s Corner Try an “Alphonso Mango”
· Martin Luther King Jr. birthday 1929-1969
· Bucket List Trip: Los Cabos
· Spirit hour: Spanish Monk
· Dry January or Ginuary
· Plan winter fun:
o Soak in hot springs
o Hit the snow slopes
o Ride a snowmobile
o Go for a dog sled ride
o Ride a hot air balloon
o Start your day with a fresh bagel for breakfast, then spend some time reading interesting articles on Wikipedia. If it’s snowing outside, embrace the winter wonderland and participate in some snow-related activities. Don a hat to stay warm and stylish while enjoying the cold weather.
o For lunch, sip on some freshly squeezed juice to stay refreshed. Consider donating to a charity or volunteering to celebrate the spirit of giving on the Feast of the Holy Child. Thank your elementary school teacher for their hard work on Elementary School Teacher Day.
o Indulge in a scoop of strawberry ice cream for dessert and brew a batch of homemade kombucha to celebrate National Booch Day. Take some time to learn about different religions and appreciate diversity on World Religion Day.
o While driving, be mindful of potholes on National Pothole Day and advocate for better road maintenance. Take a moment to honor the bravery and sacrifices of the Indian Army on Indian Army Day.
o End your day by cooking a traditional meal for Pongal, a South Indian harvest festival. Reflect on the importance of agriculture and celebrate the bounty of the harvest season.
January 15 Wednesday
Hebrews, Chapter 2, Verse 14-15
14 Now since the children share in blood and flesh, he likewise shared in them, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, 15 and free those who through FEAR of death had been subject to slavery all their life.
Science
is not God, but God endows man by his intellect to use science for man’s
benefit. God frees man from the fear of death through science: using a heart
and lung transplant was able to save the life of Jamie Gavin who was recorded
as the youngest transplant patient.
Jamie
Gavin[1]
Jamie Gavin made
headlines worldwide in 1985 when he became the world's youngest heart and lung
transplant patient in Harefield hospital, Middlesex. Jamie's surgery was
regarded as a success, and he returned to Dublin to his brother John and his
three sisters Leslie, Katie and Melanie. He was able to live a normal life to a
certain extent and attended school with his friends, despite having to
regularly return to England for tests and checkups, as well Crumlin hospital in
Dublin. The bravery of Jamie was recognized a year after his surgery when
Princess Diana presented him with a child of courage award. Tragedy
struck the household when Jamie passed away from lymphoma at the age of 11.
Science is a great gift to
mankind, yet it does not erase the fear of death; only Christ can do this. In
fact, we are engaged in a great spiritual battle where our fears are the very
chains that enslave us. Napoleon Hill writes in his tale “Outwitting the Devil”[2]
his thoughts on fear during an imaginary interview with the devil to obtain his
secrets.
Q.
Go ahead and describe your clever tricks, Your Majesty.
A. One of my cleverest
devices for mind control is fear. I plant the seed of fear in the minds of
people, and as these seeds germinate and grow, through use, I control the space
they occupy. The six most effective fears are the fear of poverty, criticism,
ill health, loss of love, old age, and death.
Q. Which of
these six fears serves you most often, your majesty?
A.
The first and the last-poverty and death! At one time or another during life I
tighten my grip on all people through one or both of these. I plant these fears
in the minds of people so deftly that they believe them to be their own
creation. I accomplish his end by making people believe I am standing just
beyond the entrance gate of the next life, waiting to claim them after death
for eternal punishment. Of course, I cannot punish anyone, except in that
person's own mind, through some form of fear-but fear of the thing which does
not exist is just as useful to me as fear of that which does exist. All forms
of fear extend the space I occupy in the human mind.
Although Napoleon Hills thoughts may not be
theologically correct; he still makes a strong case as does our God that fear is the root of sin.
Catechism of the Catholic
Church
Day 217
PART TWO: THE CELEBRATION OF THE CHRISTIAN
MYSTERY
SECTION TWO-THE SEVEN
SACRAMENTS OF THE CHURCH
CHAPTER THREE-THE SACRAMENTS AT THE SERVICE OF
COMMUNION
ARTICLE 6-THE SACRAMENT OF HOLY ORDERS
VII. The Effects of the Sacrament of Holy
Orders
The indelible character
1581 This sacrament
configures the recipient to Christ by a special grace of the Holy Spirit, so
that he may serve as Christ's instrument for his Church. By ordination one is
enabled to act as a representative of Christ, Head of the Church, in his triple
office of priest, prophet, and king.
1582 As in the case of Baptism and Confirmation this share in Christ's office is granted once for all. The sacrament of Holy Orders, like the other two, confers an indelible spiritual character and cannot be repeated or conferred temporarily.
1583 It is
true that someone validly ordained can, for a just reason, be discharged from
the obligations and functions linked to ordination or can be forbidden to
exercise them; but he cannot become a layman again in the strict
sense, because the character imprinted by ordination is forever. The
vocation and mission received on the day of his ordination mark him
permanently.
1584 Since it
is ultimately Christ who acts and effects salvation through the ordained
minister, the unworthiness of the latter does not prevent Christ from
acting. St. Augustine states this forcefully:
As for the proud minister, he
is to be ranked with the devil. Christ's gift is not thereby profaned: what
flows through him keeps its purity, and what passes through him remains dear
and reaches the fertile earth.... The spiritual power of the sacrament is
indeed comparable to light: those to be enlightened receive it in its purity,
and if it should pass through defiled beings, it is not itself defiled.
The grace of the Holy Spirit
1585 The grace
of the Holy Spirit proper to this sacrament is configuration to Christ as
Priest, Teacher, and Pastor, of whom the ordained is made a minister.
1586 For the
bishop, this is first of all a grace of strength (“the governing spirit":
Prayer of Episcopal Consecration in the Latin rite): The grace to guide
and defend his Church with strength and prudence as a father and pastor, with
gratuitous love for all and a preferential love for the poor, the sick, and the
needy. This grace impels him to proclaim the Gospel to all, to be the model for
his flock, to go before it on the way of sanctification by identifying himself
in the Eucharist with Christ the priest and victim, not fearing to give his
life for his sheep:
Father, you
know all hearts.
You have
chosen your servant for the office of bishop.
May he be a
shepherd to your holy flock,
and a high
priest blameless in your sight,
ministering
to you night and day;
may he
always gain the blessing of your favor
and offer
the gifts of your holy Church.
Through the
Spirit who gives the grace of high priesthood grant him the power
to forgive
sins as you have commanded
to assign
ministries as you have decreed
and to loose
from every bond by the authority which you
gave to your
apostles. May he be pleasing to you by his gentleness and purity of heart,
presenting a
fragrant offering to you,
through
Jesus Christ, your Son....
1587 The
spiritual gift conferred by presbyteral ordination is expressed by this prayer
of the Byzantine Rite. the bishop, while laying on his hand, says among other
things:
Lord, fill
with the gift of the Holy Spirit
him whom you
have deigned to raise to the rank of the priesthood,
that he may
be worthy to stand without reproach before your altar
to proclaim
the Gospel of your kingdom,
to fulfill
the ministry of your word of truth,
to offer you
spiritual gifts and sacrifices,
to renew
your people by the bath of rebirth;
so that he
may go out to meet our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, your only Son,
on the day
of his second coming,
and may
receive from your vast goodness
the
recompense for a faithful administration of his order.
1588 With
regard to deacons, "strengthened by sacramental grace they are dedicated
to the People of God, in conjunction with the bishop and his body of priests,
in the service (diakonia) of the liturgy, of the Gospel, and of works of
charity."
1589 Before
the grandeur of the priestly grace and office, the holy doctors felt an urgent
call to conversion in order to conform their whole lives to him whose sacrament
had made them ministers. Thus St. Gregory of Nazianzus, as a very young priest,
exclaimed:
We must
begin by purifying ourselves before purifying others; we must be instructed to
be able to instruct, become light to illuminate, draw close to God to bring him
close to others, be sanctified to sanctify, lead by the hand and counsel
prudently. I know whose ministers we are, where we find ourselves and to where
we strive. I know God's greatness and man's weakness, but also his potential.
[Who then is the priest? He is] the defender of truth, who stands with angels,
gives glory with archangels, causes sacrifices to rise to the altar on high,
shares Christ's priesthood, refashions creation, restores it in God's image,
recreates it for the world on high and, even greater, is divinized and
divinizes.
and the holy Cure of Ars: "The priest continues the work of redemption on
earth.... If we really understood the priest on earth, we would die not of
fright but of love.... the Priesthood is the love of the heart of Jesus."
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.
·
Do the St.
Joseph Universal Man Plan.
·
Devotion to the 7 Joys and Sorrows of St.
Joseph
·
Be a model worker.
What does the Catholic Church teach about work?[3]
Here are some excerpts from the USCCB, which detail several of the Church's teachings at work.
LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - Work is an important part of who we are. It is a common boast how long people work and how much they earn as a result of their labor. We identify so powerfully with our work that a common question upon meeting another person tends to be,
"What do
you do for work?"
While
the question isn't always welcome, for it suggests the dignity of a person is
primarily attached to their work, it tells a lot about our society. And indeed,
work does build dignity.
We spend a lot of
time talking about work, the value of labor, and what we should do with those
who cannot or choose not to work.
What should the
poor do?
Should the
working poor be paid more?
Or should they
work doubly hard for the same pay?
While
we grapple, sometimes fiercely with these questions, the Catholic Church has
already provided some direction. Read these excerpts, courtesy of the USCCB,
and then consider these questions again.
Do these
statements change your mind?
Or to reinforce
what you already know?
Scripture
Genesis 2:1-3
God rests on the seventh day.
Genesis 2:15
God settles man in the garden of Eden to cultivate and care for it.
Deuteronomy 5:13-15
The Sabbath is for everyone-all are allowed to rest from their work.
Deuteronomy 14:28-29
The Lord blesses our work so that we may share its fruits with others.
Deuteronomy
24:14-15
Do not withhold wages from your workers, for their livelihood depends on them.
Sirach 34:20-22
To deprive an employee of wages is to commit murder.
Isaiah 58:3-7
To observe religious practices, but oppress your workers is false worship.
Jeremiah 22:13
Woe to him who treats his workers unjustly.
Matthew 20:1-16
All workers should be paid a just and living wage.
Mark 2:27
The Sabbath was made for people, not people for the Sabbath.
Luke 3:10-14
Practice integrity in your work.
Luke 12:13-21
One's worth is not determined by an abundance of possessions.
James 5:1-6
Those who become rich by abusing their workers have sinned against God.
Tradition
Work
is, as has been said, an obligation, that is to say, a duty, on the part of
man. . . Man must work, both because the Creator has commanded it and because
of his own humanity, which requires work in order to be maintained and
developed. Man must work out of regard for
others, especially his own family, but also for the society he belongs
to, the country of which he is a child, and the whole human family of which he
is a member, since he is the heir to the work of generations and at the same
time a sharer in building the future of those who will come after him in the
succession of history. On Human Work (Laborem Exercens)
Work
is a good thing for man-a good thing for his humanity-because through work man
not only transforms nature, adapting it to his own needs, but he also achieves
fulfilment as a human being and indeed, in a sense, becomes "more a human
being." On Human Work (Laborem Exercens)
The obligation to earn one's bread by the sweat of one's brow also presumes the right to do so. A society in which this right is systematically denied, in which economic policies do not allow workers to reach satisfactory levels of employment, cannot be justified from an ethical point of view, nor can that society attain social peace. The Hundredth Year (Centesimus Annus)
In
many cases, poverty results from a violation of the dignity of human work,
either because work opportunities are limited
(through unemployment or underemployment), or "because a low value
is put on work and the rights that flow from it, especially the right to a just
wage and to the personal security of the worker and his or her family."
Charity in Truth (Caritas in Veritate)
All
people have the right to economic initiative, to productive work, to just wages
and benefits, to decent working
conditions, as well as to organize and join unions or other associations. A Catholic Framework for
Economic Life.
All
these rights, together with the need for the workers themselves to secure them,
give rise to yet another right: the right of association, that is to form
associations for the purpose of defending the
vital interests of those employed in the various professions. These
associations are called labor or trade unions. On Human Work (Laborem
Exercens)
As
the Church solemnly reaffirmed in the recent Council, "the beginning, the
subject and the goal of all social institutions is and must be the human
person." All people have the right to work, to a chance to develop their
qualities and their personalities in the exercise of their professions, to
equitable remuneration which will enable them and their families "to lead
a worthy life on the material, social, cultural and spiritual level" and
to assistance in case of need arising from sickness or age. A Call to Action
(Octogesima Adveniens)
The
economic sphere is neither ethically neutral, nor inherently inhuman or opposed
to society. It is part and parcel of human activity and precisely because it is
human, it must be structured and governed in an ethical manner. Charity in
Truth (Caritas in Veritate)
I
would like to remind everyone, especially governments engaged in boosting the
world's economic and social assets, that the primary capital to be safeguarded
and valued is man, the human person in his or her integrity: "Man is the
source, the focus and the aim of all economic and social life." Charity in
Truth (Caritas in Veritate), quoting The Church in the Modern World. (Gaudium
et Spes)
National Bagel Day-Munch on this doughy, holey bread at every meal, bake your own or host a bagel party to sample a variety of delicious fillings and toppings.[4]
National Hat Day-National Hat Day seeks to celebrate the different styles and types of hats. This day encourages everyone to wear their favorite hat whether that be one that is comfortable, stylistic, or that stands out. People have worn hats for thousands of years whether to protect themselves from the elements or to show status. Today, people still wear hats for similar reasons. No matter the reason, on National Hat Day all hats are celebrated today.[5]
Daily Devotions
·
Unite in the work of the Porters of St. Joseph by joining them
in fasting: Today's Fast: For
the Poor and Suffering
·
Offering to
the sacred heart of Jesus
·
Rosary
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