Sunday, February 9, 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.
· Bucket List trip: The Spas of Budapest, Hungary
· Spirit Hour: Wine from the Loire Valley France
· Carnival Time begins in Catholic Countries.
· It is Random Acts of Kindness week
· Try[7]: Carpet Bag Steak
· How to celebrate Feb 9th
o Start your day by relaxing with a good book in a warm bath. Make the most of National Read In The Bathtub Day by grabbing your favorite novel or magazine, lighting some candles, and soaking away your worries. If you’re feeling hungry, why not order a delicious pizza to celebrate National Pizza Day? Treat yourself to your favorite toppings and enjoy a cozy meal either alone or with loved ones.
o Indulge your sweet tooth on Chocolate Day by whipping up some homemade chocolate treats. Whether it’s brownies, cookies, or a rich hot cocoa, there are plenty of ways to satisfy your chocolate cravings. Consider sharing your creations with friends or family as a festive gesture.
o Celebrate World Marriage Day by spending quality time with your significant other. Plan a special date night, revisit cherished memories, or simply express your love and appreciation. It’s a great opportunity to strengthen your bond and create new moments together.
o Combat the stress of daily life on National Toothache Day by practicing self-care. Treat yourself to a DIY spa day, complete with face masks, soothing music, and herbal teas. Take time to unwind and pamper yourself, focusing on relaxation and rejuvenation.
o Embrace the freedom of National Cut the Cord Day by unplugging from screens and enjoying the world around you. Take a nature walk, visit a local park, or engage in a creative hobby. Disconnecting can help clear your mind and inspire fresh ideas.
o Start your morning off right with a classic bagel and lox breakfast to honor National Bagel and Lox Day. Whether you prefer plain, everything, or sesame seed bagels, there’s no wrong way to enjoy this traditional combination. Share a meal with friends or family for a fun and casual gathering.
o Explore new interests and hobbies on National Develop Alternative Vices Day. Experiment with activities like painting, gardening, or dancing to add variety to your routine. Trying something different can spark creativity and passion in unexpected ways.
o With a little creativity and resourcefulness, you can make the most of these peculiar national holidays. Enjoy a day full of relaxation, indulgence, connection, and self-discovery. Whether you celebrate one holiday or all of them, the important thing is to embrace the spirit of fun and spontaneity. Let these quirky holidays inspire you to break away from the ordinary and experience something out of the box
· Plan winter fun:
- Soak in hot springs
- Hit the snow slopes
- Ride a snowmobile
- Go for a dog sled ride
- Ride a hot air balloon
· Today’s Saint is the patron of tooth aches and guess what? Today is National Toothache Day-Dude!?
· Chill Out at Saranac Lake Winter Carnival
o January 31-February 9 Party Adirondack style. Since its start back in 1897, the Saranac Lake Winter Carnival has grown into one of the oldest winter carnivals in America. The 10-day event showcases plenty of winter magic, from an ice palace made from blocks of ice to the coronation of a winter carnival king and queen
February 9 Fifth Sunday After
Epiphany
MARRIAGE WEEK-Super Bowl-Pizza Day
Luke, Chapter 5,
verse 9-10:
9 For astonishment at the catch of fish they had made seized him and all those with him, 10 and likewise James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners of Simon. Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be AFRAID; from now on you will be catching men.”
When
the boat came to shore these men these fishermen; forsook everything. They gave
up their careers, businesses, families and were committed 100 percent to the
mission of Christ and they followed Him.
Is
there anything or anyone in this world that you would give up everything to
follow?
These
men were not perfect specimens as disciples; yet; our Lord chose them: and
through them as imperfect as they were, He created His bride the Holy Roman
Catholic church; which is still ran by far from perfect men.
If
today, you hear his voice saying do not be afraid; follow Him!
Are
willing to exalt the cross in your life and follow Christ?
Fifth Sunday After Epiphany[1]
The Church, mixed with good and bad (as in the Parable of the Sower), prays that "wavering hearts" may be guided by God.
GOSPEL. Matt. xiii. 24-30
At that time Jesus spoke this parable to the multitude, saying: The kingdom of heaven is likened to a man that sowed good seed in his field: but while men were asleep, his enemy came and oversowed cockle among the wheat, and went his way. And when the blade was sprung up, and had brought forth fruit, then appeared also the cockle. And the servants of the good man of the house coming said to him: Sir, didst thou not sow good seed in thy field? whence then hath it cockles? And he said to them: An enemy hath done this. And the servants said to him: Wilt thou that we go and gather it up? And he said: No; lest perhaps gathering up the cockle, you root up the wheat also together with it. Suffer both to grow until the harvest, and in the time of the harvest, I will say to the reapers: Gather up first the cockle and bind it in bundles to burn; but the wheat gather ye into my barn.
What is to be understood by the kingdom of heaven?
The Church of God, or the congregation of the faithful upon earth.
What are we to understand by the good seed and the cockle?
By the good seed is meant good Christians, children of God, who bring forth thousandfold fruit of good works; the cockle denotes heretics, infidels, and bad men. We are also to understand by the good seed the word of God, and by the cockle false doctrines and principles.
Who are they that are asleep?
1. Those secular and ecclesiastical superiors who neglect the Obligations of their office, fail to watch over their flock, and to punish the guilty. In this case it is easy for the devil to corrupt the congregation by false doctrine, by mockery of religion, by bad example, and immoral books.
2. Those Christians who cease to use the means of salvation by absenting themselves from divine service, by omitting to receive the sacraments, to hear the word of God, or to do good works.
Why does not God gather up the wicked, who are the cockle, ard destroy them?
1. On account of
His long-suffering and patience towards the sinner, whom He gives the
opportunity of doing penance.
Aspiration. O Jesus, who hast sown the good seed of Thy divine word in our hearts, grant that it may bring forth in us, many fold, the fruit of eternal life. Defend us against the enemy, that he may not sow in us false and wicked doctrines to destroy our good works; preserve us from the sleep of sin and sloth, that we may watch against the temptations of the world, the devil, and the flesh, and, having overcome them, may die happily. Amen.
National Marriage Week-Woman in Marriage[2]
Woman's nature is admirably adapted to her functions as
wife and mother. The responsibilities of the family develop her powers and
mature her spiritually, mentally, and physically.
Spiritually, a woman becomes
mature through surrender, through finding the particular role in which she can
accomplish her total dedication to God. The young woman who has found her
vocation in life in marriage and is wholly given to her task of bringing her
family to God is a mature person whatever her age. She will have that air of
serenity and peace which are the sign of the basic fulfillment of her being.
The woman who has never surrendered wholeheartedly to any purpose outside
herself remains immature all her life, like a bud which never unfolds itself.
In marriage, woman can develop a spirit of selflessness which makes her
dedication deeper and richer with the years. Her service to her family both
expresses her love of God and increases her power of loving. The woman who has
no outlet for her love, no one for whom she can spend herself, is apt to become
hard, bitter, selfish, because she has no one but herself to consider. The
woman who is constantly concerned with the needs of her family can unfold the
qualities of love, tenderness, and unselfish devotion which make her truly
great and truly happy.
Mentally, a woman's mind matures under the stimulus of the varied practical activities she performs for those she loves. In the concrete, living experience of the family, she can develop sound judgment and a keen insight into human nature. Lombroso's observation can readily be verified. "The mother of a large family who has had no time to study, having been occupied with her children and her household, has more life, more breadth of ideas, than the old maid of the same age who has done nothing else than to potter about at universities and libraries." The responsibilities of her family life exercise all woman's mental powers. Her intuition and powers of observation are called into play constantly to discover the unexpressed desires of her family, particularly the needs of the helpless child. She has need of her intuition, too, as well as her tact, to help her solve the hundred problems of human relations and practical affairs that arise in the course of her day. Providing for the family helps to develop woman's natural ingenuity and inventiveness. It is to the ingenuity of women intent on meeting the needs of their families that we owe the discovery of many of the most important arts: horticulture, for example, the creative arts of weaving, pottery, basketry; the domestic arts of food preparation and preservation; the uses of medicinal herbs in healing.
Physically, too, marriage and
childbearing represent a development and completion for the normal woman,
giving her new beauty and vitality. The mother of a large family experiences a
physical fulfillment with the birth of each child which gives her fresh vigor
and health. Dr. Alexis Carrell observes that women attain their full
development as a rule only after the birth of several children. He writes in Man
the Unknown: "Women who have no children are not so well balanced and
become more nervous than the others. The importance to woman of the generative
function has not been sufficiently recognized. Such function is indispensable
to her optimum development. It is therefore absurd to turn women against
maternity."
Catechism of the
Catholic Church
Day
241 1803-1811
PART THREE: LIFE IN CHRIST
SECTION ONE-MAN'S VOCATION LIFE IN THE
SPIRIT
CHAPTER
ONE-THE DIGNITY OF THE HUMAN PERSON
Article 7-THE VIRTUES
1803
"Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is
pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence, if
there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things."
A virtue is an habitual and firm disposition to do the good. It allows the
person not only to perform good acts, but to give the best of himself. The
virtuous person tends toward the good with all his sensory and spiritual
powers; he pursues the good and chooses it in concrete actions.
The goal of
a virtuous life is to become like God.
I. The Human Virtues
1804 Human
virtues are firm attitudes, stable dispositions, habitual perfections of
intellect and will that govern our actions, order our passions, and guide our
conduct according to reason and faith. They make possible ease, self-mastery,
and joy in leading a morally good life. the virtuous man is he who freely
practices the good.
The moral virtues are acquired by human effort. They are the fruit and seed of
morally good acts; they dispose all the powers of the human being for communion
with divine love.
The cardinal virtues
1805 Four
virtues play a pivotal role and accordingly are called "cardinal";
all the others are grouped around them. They are: prudence, justice, fortitude,
and temperance. "If anyone loves righteousness, [Wisdom's] labors are
virtues; for she teaches temperance and prudence, justice, and
courage." These virtues are praised under other names in many
passages of Scripture.
1806 Prudence
is the virtue that disposes practical reason to discern our true good in every
circumstance and to choose the right means of achieving it; "the prudent
man looks where he is going." "Keep sane and sober for your
prayers." Prudence is "right reason in action," writes St.
Thomas Aquinas, following Aristotle. It is not to be confused with
timidity or fear, nor with duplicity or dissimulation. It is called auriga
virtutum (the charioteer of the virtues); it guides the other virtues by
setting rule and measure. It is prudence that immediately guides the judgment
of conscience. the prudent man determines and directs his conduct in accordance
with this judgment. With the help of this virtue we apply moral principles to
particular cases without error and overcome doubts about the good to achieve
and the evil to avoid.
1807 Justice
is the moral virtue that consists in the constant and firm will to give their
due to God and neighbor. Justice toward God is called the "virtue of
religion." Justice toward men disposes one to respect the rights of each
and to establish in human relationships the harmony that promotes equity with
regard to persons and to the common good. the just man, often mentioned in the
Sacred Scriptures, is distinguished by habitual right thinking and the
uprightness of his conduct toward his neighbor. "You shall not be partial
to the poor or defer to the great, but in righteousness shall you judge your
neighbor." "Masters, treat your slaves justly and fairly,
knowing that you also have a Master in heaven."
1808 Fortitude
is the moral virtue that ensures firmness in difficulties and constancy in the
pursuit of the good. It strengthens the resolve to resist temptations and to
overcome obstacles in the moral life. the virtue of fortitude enables one to
conquer fear, even fear of death, and to face trials and persecutions. It
disposes one even to renounce and sacrifice his life in defense of a just
cause. "The Lord is my strength and my song." "In the world
you have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world."
1809 Temperance is the moral virtue that moderates the attraction of pleasures and provides balance in the use of created goods. It ensures the will's mastery over instincts and keeps desires within the limits of what is honorable. The temperate person directs the sensitive appetites toward what is good and maintains a healthy discretion: "Do not follow your inclination and strength, walking according to the desires of your heart." Temperance is often praised in the Old Testament: "Do not follow your base desires, but restrain your appetites." In the New Testament it is called "moderation" or "sobriety." We ought "to live sober, upright, and godly lives in this world."
To live well
is nothing other than to love God with all one's heart, with all one's soul and
with all one's efforts; from this it comes about that love is kept whole and
uncorrupted (through temperance). No misfortune can disturb it (and this is
fortitude). It obeys only (God) (and this is justice), and is careful in
discerning things, so as not to be surprised by deceit or trickery (and this is
prudence).
The virtues and grace
1810 Human
virtues acquired by education, by deliberate acts and by a perseverance ever
renewed in repeated efforts are purified and elevated by divine grace. With
God's help, they forge character and give facility in the practice of the good.
the virtuous man is happy to practice them.
1811 It is not
easy for man, wounded by sin, to maintain moral balance. Christ's gift of
salvation offers us the grace necessary to persevere in the pursuit of the
virtues. Everyone should always ask for this grace of light and strength,
frequent the sacraments, cooperate with the Holy Spirit, and follow his calls
to love what is good and shun evil.
Super
Bowl[3]
The Super Bowl is the season final championship game of National Football League (NFL) in the United States of America. The matchup for this game is the winning teams of the National Football Conference (NFC) and the American Football Conference (AFC). Super Bowl 1 was held in February of 1967. The 2016 game was Super Bowl 50. The Super Bowl is one of the most watched television events in the United States. Nielsen Media Research, in had over 114.4 million viewers in 2015.
Super
Bowl Facts
·
Super Bowl Sunday is the second biggest
eating day of the year - after Thanksgiving. According to the National
Chicken Council, in 2015 a total of 1.25 million chicken wings were eaten
during the game.
·
The winner receives the Vince Lombardi
Trophy. Vince Lombardi was the coach for the Green Bay Packers who won
the first two Super Bowls back-to-back.
·
The record for the most points scored by a
single team during a Super Bowl, is held by San Francisco. San Francisco
scored a total of 55 points against Denver in Super Bowl XXI.
Super
Bowl Top Events and Things to Do
·
Attend the Super Bowl. You can
purchase second-hand tickets through various online marketplaces. According to
Seat Geek, the average price for a ticket in 2015 was $2,670.
·
Have a Super Bowl party with friends and
family.
·
Organize or purchase boxes in a football
pool. A football pool is a table that contains all of the score
combinations based on the last digit of each team’s score. The score
numbers are drawn at random after all boxes are assigned. Because of
this, the odds of winning are the same regardless of each participant’s
knowledge of the game.
· Watch the Super Bowl commercials. Commercials for the big game are the most expensive on TV and for many, more entertaining than the game.
· Make guacamole. This is the quintessential (and healthy!) super bowl dip.
The Rise of Sports and the Decline of the Church[4]
Afterall
isn’t Football our national religion?
Super Bowl may have been a
bust as a football game, but it was a blockbuster as a cultural event. The
telecast of the event attracted a record 111.5 million viewers, making it the
most-watched television event of all-time. That record will most likely be
eclipsed by the next Super Bowl, and the trajectory shows no signs of
dissipating. America takes its sports seriously, and Americans take football
with the most seriousness of them all. In a real sense, big-time sports
represent America’s new civic religion,
and football is its central sacrament. The relationship between sports and
religion in America has always been close, and it has often been awkward. The
“muscular Christianity” of a century ago has given way to a more recent
phenomenon: the massive growth of involvement in sports at the expense of
church activities and involvements. About fifteen years ago, the late John
Cardinal O’Connor, then the Roman Catholic Archbishop of New York, lamented the
fact that Little League Baseball was taking his altar boys away on Sundays.
“Why is it religion that must always
accommodate?” asked the Archbishop. “Why must
Little League and soccer league games be scheduled on Sunday mornings? Why
create that conflict for kids or for their parents? Sports are generally
considered good for kids. Church is good for kids.” The Archbishop blamed
secularization for this invasion of Sunday: “This is the constant erosion, the
constant secularization of our culture, that I strongly believe to be a serious
mistake.” So the cardinal took on Little League and the youth soccer league in
New York City. And he lost. Nevertheless, he was right about the problem. The
massive rise of sports within the culture is a sign and symptom of the
secularization of the larger society. New evidence for this pattern comes from
academics Chris Beneke and Arthur Remillard in an essay recently published in The Washington Post. Writing
with Super Bowl in view, Beneke and Remillard note: “American sports fans have
forged imperishable bonds with the people, places and moments that define their
teams. You might even call this attachment religious. But that would be
unfair—to sports.” In other words, the
attachment many Americans now have to sports teams far exceeds attachment to
religious faith—any religious faith.
The two academics then
make their central case:
“While teams and fans are
building powerful, cohesive communities—think Red Sox Nation or the legions of
University of Alabama faithful who greet one another with ‘Roll Tide’—churches
are losing followers. According to a 2012 survey by researchers at
the University of California at Berkeley and Duke University, 20 percent
of Americans ‘claimed they had no religious preference,’ compared with an
unaffiliated population of 8 percent in 1990. Roughly two out of three
Americans, a 2012 Pew report noted, are under the impression that
religion is losing influence in the country.” That impression is growing
because it is true to the facts. Religion is losing ground and losing influence
in American society. The fastest-growing segment of the American public in terms
of religious identification is the “nones,” designating those who identify with
no religious tradition at all. At the same time, a religious dedication to
sports has been growing. While correlation does not prove causation, the links
between these two developments are haunting. Interestingly, Beneke, who teaches
history at Bentley University, and Remillard, who teaches religious studies at
St. Francis University, document the dramatic increase in the percentage of
Americans who consider themselves to be sports fans. Just a half-century ago,
only three in ten Americans identified themselves as sports fans. Fast forward
to 2012 and the percentage is greater than 60 percent. At the same time, church
attendance and other marks of religious activity (especially the number of
hours each week devoted to church activities) have fallen sharply. Beneke and
Remillard describe the current picture in vivid terms: “Modern sports stadiums
function much like great cathedrals once did, bringing communities together and
focusing their collective energy. This summer, the Archdiocese of New York is
expected to outline plans to close or merge some of its 368 parishes; 26
Catholic schools in the archdiocese have ceased operation. By contrast, the
city and the state of New Jersey spent hundreds of millions to build new
baseball and football stadiums.” Cardinal O’Connor would no doubt see the
pattern and lament it, but a good many evangelical Christians seem both unmoved
and unconcerned. The problem is quite ecumenical in this respect. The youth
minister or pastor at your local evangelical church is almost sure to tell you
the same story. Team sports activities or other forms of organized athletics
have taken many evangelical families away from church activities. Many children
and adolescents know very little of church involvements, but they and their
parents (and often their grandparents as well) would not miss a scheduled
practice, much less a game or competitive event. The same is increasingly true
of spectator sports. Beneke and Remillard conclude by asserting that “when it
comes to the passionate attachments that sustain interest and devotion, it’s
time to acknowledge that sports have gained the edge. And they show no sign of
relinquishing the lead.” In the larger society, this is most certainly the
case. This dramatic shift could only come to pass if the larger culture has
been largely secularized. In this case, secularization does not necessarily
mean the disappearance of religious faith, but merely the demotion of religious
involvement and identification to a level lower than those granted to sports. Americans may not know who their god is, but
you can be sure most know who their team is.
Whose team is yours? [5]
Let us never forget that Satan
does his utmost to destroy mankind. In a thousand ways he plots and wars
against God and tries to usurp His throne. On this subject, the following
instruction given by Our Blessed Mother to Venerable Mary d' Agreda, is worth
quoting: "My daughter," she says, "by no power of human words
wilt thou in this mortal life ever succeed in describing the evil of Lucifer
and his demons against men, or the malice, astuteness, deceits and ruses, with
which, in his wrath, he seeks to bring them into sin and later on to eternal
torments. He tries to hinder all good works . . . All the malice of which his
own mind is capable, he attempts to inject into souls. Against these attacks,
God provides admirable protection if men will only co-operate and correspond on
their part." Among the means provided by God for our protection, is the
ready recourse we may have at all times to the strengthening Blood of Christ.
"This Blood," declares St. John Chrysostom, "has the power to drive
away the evil spirits and to draw to our side the good angels, aye, the King of
Angels, and to blazen the way to Heaven." Fortified by the Precious Blood,
let us place ourselves under the leadership of St. Michael and unfurl
everywhere the banner of our Faith, without fear
of godlessness. If Satan tries to induce us to sin, and promises honors,
riches, happiness on conditions that we omit a good work, or commit an evil
deed, let us ever oppose the tempter with the energetic words: Who is like unto
God? God is my only treasure, my highest Good, His Blood is upon me, and
"though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I shall fear no evil." If in time of
temptation, we have the courage to rebuke the evil one and call upon the
assistance of our leader, St. Michael, the enemy will surely be put to flight.
But if we wish to enjoy the great Archangel's protection, we must also imitate
his virtues, particularly his humility and his zeal for God's glory.
"O great St. Michael,
take us 'neath thy shield, Thy mighty power in our favor wield!"
National Pizza Day[6]
National
Pizza Day is dedicated to appreciating pizza, a baked flatbread that is topped
with tomato sauce and cheese. Many toppings and sauces can be added to
pizzas, including vegetables, meats and seafood. Pizza was invented in
Naples, Italy around the 10th century, and has since grown to become one of the
most popular foods in America. In 1905, America’s first pizzeria, Lombardi’s,
opened in New York. Since then, pizza consumption in America has
increased greatly and many pizza chains, such as Pizza Hut, Domino’s and Papa
John’s have emerged. The origin of National Pizza Day is not well understood
although accounts of National Pizza Day began to emerge around the 2000s.
National
Pizza Day Facts & Quotes
·
According
to a study done in 2013 by food delivery provider Foodler, 37% of North
American consumers order plain cheese pizza, 52% order meat toppings and the
three most ordered pizza toppings are: pepperoni, mushrooms and onions.
o
According
to gross sales earned by pizza chains, the top five American pizzerias are:
1) Pizza Hut, gross sales of $13.4 Billion
2) Domino’s, gross sales of $8.9 Billion
3) Little Caesars, gross sales of $3.4 Billion
4) Papa John’s, gross sales of $3.3 Billion
5) Papa Murphy's, gross sales of $7.85 Million
·
If
I could eat whatever I wanted every day, I would have Domino's pizza with pasta
carbonara inside every slice. And at night, I would have Neapolitan ice cream
until I felt absolutely toxic. And then I would drift off telling myself, 'It's
going to be O.K... It's going to be O.K. you're going to train in the morning'.
- Robert Downey, Jr., Actor
National
Pizza Day Top Events and Things to Do
·
Visit
your favorite pizzeria. Most pizzerias will offer discounts and specials
to celebrate National Pizza Day.
·
Make
your own pizza at home from scratch. Make the dough, perhaps gluten-free or
whole wheat, make the sauce using tomatoes and spices, grate the cheese and
finally cover it up with all of your favorite toppings.
·
Try
a pizza with unique toppings. Here are some of our favorites:
1) Chicken Tikka Masala Pizza
2) Beer Battered Fried Calamari Pizza
3) Butternut Squash and Sage Pizza
4) Fried Chicken Pizza
5) Brown Butter Lobster and Spinach Pizza with Bacon and Fontina
Daily Devotions
·
Today's Fast: Unite in the work of the Porters of St. Joseph by joining them
in fasting: Purity
·
Offering to
the sacred heart of Jesus
·
Rosary
[1]Goffine’s Devout Instructions, 1896.
[3]http://www.wincalendar.com/Super-Bowl
[4]http://www.albertmohler.com/2014/02/04/the-new-american-religion-the-rise-of-sports-and-the-decline-of-the-church/
[7] 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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