Candace’s Corner-Try “Jewish Moroccan fish chraime”
· Pray Day 4 of the Novena for our Pope and Bishops
· Bucket List trip: Inside Passage & Glacier Bay
· Tuesday: Litany of St. Michael the Archangel
· Carnival Time begins in Catholic Countries.
· Spirit Hour: Gin Fizz
· How to celebrate Mar 4th
· Start your day with a hearty breakfast of pancakes to celebrate the delicious National Pancake Day. Get moving and dance your way through the day in honor of National Dance The Waltz Day, whether it’s in your living room or along the sidewalk. Share some love and appreciation for the sons in your life on National Sons Day by reaching out with a thoughtful message or spending quality time together.
· As you continue your day, consider the importance of brain health on Brain Injury Awareness Day. Take a moment to engage in activities that stimulate your mind, such as puzzles or learning something new. Embrace sportsmanship and fair play on National Sportsmanship Day by participating in a friendly game or competition with friends or family.
· Indulge in a delicious snack to celebrate National Snack Day, trying out new and unique flavors you haven’t experienced before. Explore the great outdoors on National Backcountry Ski Day, even if it just means taking a walk in a nearby park or nature reserve. Get creative and preserve your memories on International Scrapbooking Industry Day by gathering old photos and mementos to create a scrapbook.
· Show gratitude and support for those who have served in the military on National Hug a G.I. Day by sending a care package or donating to a veteran’s organization. Take a moment to appreciate the diverse names people have on Unique Names Day by sharing the story behind your own name or learning about the meanings of different names.
· As the day comes to a close, end it on a sweet note with a slice of pound cake in celebration of National Pound Cake Day. Reflect on the history and significance of town meetings on National Town Meeting Day by familiarizing yourself with local government processes and attending a community meeting if possible.
· Overall, mix and match these holiday themes to create a day filled with movement, creativity, appreciation, and reflection. Let the spirit of each holiday guide your activities and interactions, making the most of this eclectic combination of celebrations.
Today’s Menu for Mardi Gras
- Chicken-Andouille Gumbo
- Instant Pot Red Beans and Rice
- Crawfish Dip
- Mini Muffuletta Sandwiches
- Creole Bread Pudding with Bourbon Sauce
- After Dinner Cigars
March 4 Shrove
Tuesday
Mardi Gras
Psalm 15, Verse 1-5
1 LORD, who may abide in your tent? Who may dwell on your holy mountain? 2 Whoever walks without blame, doing what is right, speaking truth from the heart; 3 Who does not slander with his tongue, does no harm to a friend, never defames a neighbor; 4 Who disdains the wicked, but honors those who FEAR the LORD; Who keeps an oath despite the cost, 5 lends no money at interest,* accepts no bribe against the innocent.
In life we are always moving toward the future. Our destination is life eternal with our creator. In our little sailboat of life, we tend to be either moving toward God by taking advantage of His graces which provide the wind for our sails, or we do nothing but drift.
Napoleon Hill noted in his manuscript on a book he never published entitled “Outwitting the devil” stated drifting was one of the tools the devil uses to keep us off tack and not sailing towards God’s mountain.
Protection against drifting lies within easy reach
of every human being who has a normal body and a sound mind. The self-defense
can be applied through these simple methods:
1.
Do your own thinking on all occasions. The fact that human beings
are given complete control over nothing save the power to think their own
thoughts is laden with significance.
2.
Decide definitely what you want from life; then create a plan for
attaining it and be willing to sacrifice everything rather than accept
permanent defeat.
3.
Analyze temporary defeat, no matter of what nature or cause, and
extract from it the seed of an equivalent advantage.
4.
Be willing to render useful service equivalent to the value of all
material things you demand of life and render the service first.
5.
Recognize that your brain is a receiving set that can be attuned
to receive communications from the universal storehouse of Infinite
Intelligence, to help you transmute your desires into their physical
equivalent.
6.
Recognize that your greatest asset is time, the only thing except
the power of thought which you own outright, and the one thing which can be
shaped into whatever material things you want. Budget your time so none of it
is wasted.
7.
Recognize the truth that fear generally is a filler with which the
Devil occupies the unused portion of your mind. It is only a state of mind
which you can control by filling the space it occupies with faith in your
ability to make life provide you with whatever you demand of it.
8.
When you pray, do not beg! Demand what you want and insist upon
getting exactly that, with no substitutes.
9. Recognize that life is a cruel taskmaster and that either you master it or it masters you. There is no half-way or compromising point. Never accept from life anything you do not want. lf that which you do not want is temporarily forced upon you, you can refuse, in your own mind, to accept it and it will make way for the thing you do want.
10.
Lastly, remember that your dominating thoughts attract, through a
definite law of nature, by the shortest and most convenient route, their
physical counterpart. Be careful what your thoughts dwell upon.
A
simple formula combining all the ten points:
Be definite in everything you do and never leave
unfinished thoughts in the mind. Form the habit of reaching definite decisions
on all subjects.
Question for the
devil. Can the habit of drifting be broken, or does it become permanent once it
has been fanned?
Devils Answer: The
habit can be broken if the victim has enough willpower, providing it is done in
time. There is a point beyond which the habit can never be broken. Beyond that
point the victim is mine. He resembles a fly that has been caught in a spider’s
web. He may struggle, but he cannot get out. Each move he makes entangles him
more securely. The web in which I entangle my victims permanently is a law of
nature not yet isolated by, or understood by, men of science.
More from Kamil: KamilsView on YouTube and http://www.kamilsview.com/
Shrove
Tuesday occurs the first Tuesday before Ash Wednesday. It officially ends the
season of Epiphany and is the vigil for the start of Lent. Traditionally viewed
as a day of repentance, Shrove Tuesday has become the last day for celebration
and feasting before the period of fasting required during the Lenten season.
The name "Shrove Tuesday" is derived from the word
"shrive", which means to confess and receive absolution. The name
denotes a period of cleansing, wherein a person brings their lusts and appetites
under subjection through abstention and self-sacrifice.
The
concept behind this practice is found in 1 Corinthians 9:27, where the Apostle
Paul states: "I buffet my body and make it my slave..." Ironically,
Shrove Tuesday has evolved into a day of frivolity and indulgence, during which
people participate in as much pleasure and self-gratification as they can
before Lent begins. Shrove Tuesday originated during the Middle Ages. As in
contemporary times, food items like meats, fats, eggs, milk, and fish were
regarded as restricted during Lent. To keep such food from being wasted, many
families would have big feasts on Shrove Tuesday in order to consume those
items that would inevitably become spoiled during the next forty days.
The
English tradition of eating pancakes on Shrove Tuesday came about as a way to
use as much milk, fats, and eggs as possible before Ash Wednesday began. In
France, the consumption of all fats and fatty foods on this day coined the name
"Fat Tuesday" or Mardi Gras. Originally beginning on Sunday,
Shrove Tuesday was a three-day celebration that culminated in large feasts on
Tuesday night. By the beginning of the 20th century, however, the event was
restricted to the Tuesday observance. Carnival became associated with
Shrove Tuesday, in part from the Spring Equinox celebrations that were
practiced by the Romans and the ancient tribes of Europe. The word
"carnival" comes from the Latin carnem levare, meaning
"to take away the flesh".
However,
in the New Orleans and Rio de Janiero celebrations, public revelry and
carousing have become the tradition for Carnival around the world. It was
mostly as a result of the Carnival celebrations that the Church restricted the
observance to a single day. Shrove Tuesday has a variety of customs that have
derived from different regions around Europe and the Americas. As previously
mentioned, England began the tradition of serving pancakes, and for this reason
the day is known as "Pancake Day". In addition, there are the annual
Pancake Day Races, where contestants dress in aprons and scarves and race down
a course flipping a pancake in a frying pan or skillet. In Eastern Europe, the
Carnival celebrations include boisterous processions where people in large
masks parade around and play jokes on bystanders. The masks are often
caricatures of individuals from traditional folklore. Men and women will dress
as one another and engage in gendered mimicry. The day is filled with eating,
drinking, fortune telling, and practical jokes.
Perhaps
the most prominent customs are the balls and pageants in New Orleans and Rio de
Janiero. Like Eastern European celebrations, participants wear masks and
costumes, many of which are quite flamboyant and elaborate. Rio has a parade of
multi-colored feathers, which include hundreds of dancers dressed in costumes
decked with feathers, all dancing the samba. In New Orleans, Mardi Gras
includes a variety of parades featuring grand floats and giant effigies of
eccentric characters. There is much eating, drinking, and dancing, as well as
practical jokes and humorous street plays. For many Protestant believers,
Shrove Tuesday holds no particular significance. For Catholics and Anglicans,
however, the day is still observed with confession and absolution, in addition
to modest feasting and rejoicing.
Shrove Tuesday[2]
Here are a few suggestions to help
you celebrate the final day before Lent.
·
Today
is Fat Tuesday, or Mardi Gras! Try some of the traditional recipes linked here.
When eggs were among the foods that were forbidden by the Church during Lent,
people would use them up on Fat Tuesday by mixing up large quantities of
pancakes or doughnuts (also known as fastnachts).
·
Read
Maria von Trapp's explanation of the traditions associated with Carnival, or
Fat Tuesday here.
·
Sing
this American favorite, Turkey
in the Straw,
with your children as part of your Mardi Gras celebrations.
·
Discuss
Jesus' Gospel teaching for today, He who would be first must be last,
with your children and ask them how they can put others in the family before
themselves. Keep it simple and practical — setting the table, washing the
dishes, folding laundry, watching the littler ones, doing homework right away.
·
What
does it mean to become a child spiritually, that we may enter Heaven and be
received by Christ Himself? We can learn much from St. Therese of the Child
Jesus about spiritual childhood. Begin reading her Story of a Soul.
·
Read
Fr. William Saunder's article, Shrove
Tuesday and Shrovetide,
from the Catholic Culture Library.
Shrove Tuesday
(Pancake Day) Top Events and Things to Do[3]
·
Eat
pancakes! Catholics and other Christians use Shrove Tuesday to get rid of all
sugar, fats and eggs in the house by making pancakes, which not only reduces
waste but also temptation.
·
Decide
what you will sacrifice for Lent. If you are not Christian or don’t observe
Lent, then consider refraining from a habit such as smoking, eating junk food
or buying fast food.
·
Participate
in a Pancake Competition. Every year since 1950, women from the county of
Liberal, Kansas compete against women from Olney, Buckinghamshire, England.
Dressed in aprons and holding pancakes in frying pans, women compete against
one another in this great trans-Atlantic Pancake Race.
·
Attend
a Mardi Gras festival and parade. Here are some recommendations:
1) Mardi Gras, New Orleans
2) St. Louis Mardi Gras, St. Louis, Missouri
3) Pensacola Mardi Gras, Pensacola, Florida
4) Galveston Mardi Gras, Houston, Texas
5) Mobile Mardi Gras, Mobile, Alabama
·
Try
a twist on traditional maple syrup pancakes. Here are some suggestions:
1) Mint Chocolate Chip Pancakes made with mint extract and chocolate chips. Add
a few drops of green color for a burst of color.
2) Red velvet pancakes with cream cheese frosting. Add cocoa powder and red
food coloring to the pancake batter.
3) Caramel banana pancakes made by layering pancakes with caramel and topping
with sliced bananas
4) Blueberry peach cobbler pancakes made by layering pancakes with peach jam
and topping with fresh blueberries.
Forty
Hours' Devotion[4]
Since
the Shrovetide celebrations became prone to excess and scandal, Pope Benedict
XIV instituted in 1748 the Forty Hours
of Carnival, especially in those areas prone to such reveling. During
this devotion the Blessed Sacrament is exposed during the day and Benediction
held in the evening.
Mardi
Gras[5]
Mardi
Gras marks the end of the Carnival season, a period observed by many Roman
Catholics that starts at Epiphany on January 6 and ends on the Tuesday before
Ash Wednesday (Mardi Gras). Since Mardi Gras is the last day before lent (a
solemn period observed by prayer, repentance, fasting, and moderation), it is
often associated with lavish Carnival-like celebrations.
Mardi
Gras Facts
·
Some
families eat a festive King Cake on Mardi Gras. Although it is traditionally
served on Epiphany, many cultures, especially the people of Louisiana, savor
the sweet cake the night before Ash Wednesday. Mardi Gras cakes are often
decorated with a toy baby to represent the baby Jesus.
·
Although
the holiday is rooted in the Christian calendar, not many churches observe it
with a worship service. Most observances include festive parties, balls, and
parades.
·
Green,
gold, and purple are the official colors of Mardi Gras, and they all have roots
in Christianity. Green represents faith, while purple symbolizes justice. Gold
stands for power.
·
Mardi
Gras is not celebrated as an official church holiday, but is celebrated because
the following day starts Lent, a 40-day period of preparation and penitence
before Easter. Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent, so
Mardi Gras, French for "Fat Tuesday", is often the last day that
people may indulge before beginning dietary restrictions. In Roman Catholic
tradition, the faithful refrain from eating meat during Lent except on Sundays.
Fish is acceptable in some Latin American countries.
Mardi
Gras Top Events and Things to Do
·
Attend
the largest Mardi Gras celebration, in New Orleans, Louisiana.
·
Make
your own King cake and serve it to your family and friends.
·
Wear
purple, green, and gold beads to celebrate the day.
·
Attend
a local Mardi Gras event. Many local communities organize street fairs and
celebrations for this day.
Feast of the Holy Face[6]
Jesus Wants His Holy Face to be More Honored
Why
do you think Jesus miraculously printed His Body on the holy shroud on Easter
Morning? Jesus Himself gave the answer to Sister Pierina on the First Friday of
Lent in 1936:
"I
firmly wish that My Face reflecting the intimate pains of My Soul, the
suffering and love of My Heart, be more honored! Whoever gazes upon Me, already
consoles Me"...
Principal
reasons why we must honor the Holy Face of Jesus
Jesus asked
it of Sister Pierina on the First Friday of Lent, as we read above. This reason
should be enough but for those Thomases who still doubt, there are more. Thirty-Three Popes have
spoken in favor of The Holy Shroud. Here are the statements of a few of them: Leo XIII declared
enthusiastically that this photograph of The Holy Shroud with its undeniable
revelation of the true likeness of Christ was a providential event and "a
means well-adapted in our time to stimulate everywhere a revival of the religious
spirit." St. Pius X referred
to the photograph as the "true image of The Holy Shroud" and declared
it can be a very effective aid in meditating on the Passion and Death of our
Divine Savior.
St.
Pius X expressed the desire that this image be published and seen around the
world and venerated in every Christian family. He recommended it to all bishops
and priests and gave a
special blessing to all who
propagate the image and devotion to Jesus Christ pictured on the Holy Shroud.
Why
do we so rarely see the picture of The Holy Face of Jesus in Catholic churches,
religious orders and Catholic homes? Why are so many Catholics not more devoted
to The Holy Face of Jesus? Why?
Because there is a plot of silence!
Demons do not like The Holy Face of Jesus and are doing everything to stop the
devotion to The Holy Face of Jesus.
How can we not fall
in love with Jesus seeing His Holy Face?
Catholic churches, religious
families, Catholic families have nice human pictures of Jesus. Why not have the
miraculous Holy Face of Jesus given to us on Easter Morning by the risen Jesus,
just as St. Pius X recommended?
When
I have to choose between a picture made by a man or by Jesus, the choice is
easy for me. I have The Holy Face of Jesus in my office, in my living room, in
my room, in my Bible, in my Breviary, in my many books. The result: I am always
walking in the presence of Jesus, thinking, loving, adoring and speaking of
Jesus. Then it is also impossible not to live in the presence of the Immaculate
Heart of Mary, Jesus' Mother and ours.
·
St. Pius X expressed the desire
that the image of The Holy Shroud of Jesus be seen around the world and
venerated in every Christian family. When
Catholics will see The Holy Face of Jesus in their churches and hear their
priests preaching St. Pius X's call to devotion to The Holy Face of Jesus, then
the devotion to The Holy Face will be spread all over the world like the
devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. If you want to please a father, speak
nicely of his son and publish his picture everywhere. If you want to
please God the Father, speak nicely of Jesus, and publish and show The Holy
Face of Jesus
everywhere. Believe me, doing so is a special way to have
the Heavenly Father shower on you and your family graces and blessings so
abundantly that you will be obliged to say: Heavenly Father, please stop,
because my heart will burst with joy and happiness.
·
Pius XII asked
the faithful to spread knowledge and veneration of so great and sacred a relic.
On the occasion of the golden jubilee of Sister Celine Martin, sister of Saint
Theresa of the Child Jesus of The Holy Face (her full religious name!), he sent
her his photograph and the one of The Holy Face of Jesus! He was truly a pope
with faith and without fear of the truth.
·
John XXIII, on
seeing the relic, said, "This
can only be the Lord's doing... There we see the finger of God."
·
Paul VI added
these words: "The Holy Face of Jesus printed on The Holy Shroud of Turin
appeared to us so true, so profound, so human and divine, that we admired and
loved it like no other image..."
·
John Paul I has
been named "The Pope of The Holy Shroud."
·
John Paul II said
"The Holy Shroud is the most splendid relic of the Passion and
Resurrection [of Our Lord Jesus Christ]. People say: `Who will make us see
happiness? Raise the light of Thy Face over us!' We become what we
contemplate... Why don't we contemplate the Icon of Icons: The Holy Face of
Jesus!" Instead of icons made by man, let us venerate the greatest icon of
all: The Holy Face of Jesus!
·
Saint Peter Chrysologus, Father of
the Church, tells us: "A
love that desires to see God may not have reasonableness on its side, but it is
the evidence of filial love. It gave Moses the temerity to say: 'If I have
found favor in Thine eyes, show
me Thy face'. It inspired the psalmist to make the same
prayer: 'Show me Thy
Face'. Even the pagans made their images for this purpose;
they wanted to see what
they mistakenly revered."
Mass
of the Holy Face
The feast of
The Holy Face is always on Shrove
Tuesday, the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday. Pius XII confirmed that
feast on April 17, 1958 and gave the Mass of The Holy Face of Jesus for all
dioceses and religious orders who ask for the Indult from Rome in order to
celebrate it. Papal documents like this can be forgotten unless priests preach
on them often. I hope the devotion and Mass to the Holy Face will become as
popular as the feast of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. Priests who go to
the Basilica of St. John, in
Turin, Italy, can
celebrate the Mass of The Holy Face on
the very altar above which is a silver box that contains The Holy Shroud on which is imprinted
the Holy Face of Jesus. There they can incense the Holy Shroud
itself. I myself celebrated the Mass of The Holy Face and incensed The Holy
Shroud three times, in three separate visits with my pilgrims. Great Saint Theresa of the Child Jesus and
of The Holy Face, one of the greatest saints of our modern
time, Patroness of Missions with St. Francis Xavier, was also one of the
greatest apostles of the Holy Face. Let us all be apostles of the Holy Face of
Jesus. Let us speak up and write on the Holy Face. Let us stop doubting like
St. Thomas, but believe, venerate, and distribute copies and show the world the
Holy Face of Jesus. I think, and I really hope that one day the Holy Face of
Jesus will be seen in all Catholic churches. The Holy Face of Jesus is already
in many Catholic cathedrals and churches in Montréal, Quebec City and
elsewhere.
What
should Catholics think and do about the devotion to the Holy Face?
Why not have a nice, large,
beautiful Holy Face picture in your living room, your bedroom, in your Bible,
Breviary and in your spiritual books? Like St. Paul, you will be thinking and
talking only of Jesus.
To
encourage the faithful to honor the Holy Face of Jesus, Jesus made wonderful
promises, just as He did with the twelve promises for those who practice the
devotion to His Sacred Heart.
Eight
promises of Our Lord to those devoted to His Holy Face
1.
I will grant them contrition so perfect that their very sins shall be changed
in My sight into jewels of precious gold.
2.
None of these persons shall ever be separated from Me.
3.
In offering My Face to My Father they will appease His anger and they will
purchase as with celestial coin pardon for poor sinners.
4.
I will open My Mouth to plead with My Father to grant all the petitions that
they will present to Me.
5.
I will illuminate them with My light, I will consume them with My love, I will
render them fruitful in good works.
6.
They will, as the pious Veronica, wipe My adorable Face outraged by sin, and I
will imprint My Divine Features in their souls.
7.
At their death, I will renew in them the image of God effaced by sin.
8.
By resemblance to My Face, they will shine more than many others in eternal
life and the brilliancy of My Face will fill them with joy.
These
priceless promises are drawn from the works of St. Gertrude, of St. Mechtilde
and from the writings of Sister Maria de Saint-Pierre, a Carmelite, who died at
Tours, in the odor of sanctity.
Family
Consecration to the Holy Face of Jesus
O Lord Jesus, we believe most
firmly in Thee, we love Thee. Thou art the Eternal Son of God and the Son
Incarnate of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Thou art the Lord and Absolute Ruler of
all creation. We acknowledge Thee, therefore, as the Universal Sovereign of all
creatures. Thou art the Lord and Supreme Ruler of all mankind, and we, in
acknowledging this, Thy dominion, consecrate ourselves to Thee now and forever.
Loving Jesus, we place our family under the protection of Thy Holy Face, and of
Thy Virgin Mother, Mary most sorrowful. We promise to be faithful to Thee for
the rest of our lives and to observe with fidelity Thy Holy Commandments. We
will never deny before men, Thee and Thy Divine rights over us and all mankind.
Grant us the grace to never sin again; nevertheless, should we fail, O Divine
Savior, have mercy on us and restore us to Thy grace. Radiate Thy Divine
Countenance upon us and bless us now and forever. Embrace us at the hour of
death in Thy Kingdom for all eternity, through the intercession of Thy Blessed
Mother, of all thy Saints who behold Thee in Heaven, and the just who glorify
Thee on earth, O Jesus, be mindful of us forever and never forsake us; protect
our family. O Mother of Sorrows, by the eternal glory which thou dost enjoy in
Heaven, through the merits of thy bitter anguish in the Sacred Passion of thy
Beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, obtain for us the grace that the Precious
Blood shed by Jesus for the redemption of our souls, be not shed for us in
vain. We love thee, O Mary. Embrace us and bless us, O Mother. Protect us in
life and in death. Amen.
Glory
be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy
Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without
end. Amen.
Iceman
and the Face[7]
Here is
an excerpt from my book on my South Pole adventure and my experience with the
Holy Face of Christ.
“I
thought about my experiences in Barbados, West Indies where I had a friendly
relationship with a Jesuit Priest on the Island. I was stationed in Barbados
after “A-School;” just prior to my assignment with MCB 71. It was luck or maybe
providence that I got my first assignment to Barbados, West Indies. At the end
of “A School”, I ended up having the highest-grade average-probably because I
studied and drank less than the others drank. The Chief had six orders for
Vietnam and one set of orders for Barbados. I was given the orders to Barbados.
It was
while I was in Barbados that I was examining my Catholic Faith and was
considering a faith change because I was also involved with a non-Catholic
Pentecostal religious group and because my Father had not practiced the
Catholic Faith. I was at a point where I had to decide to be a Catholic or not.
I was praying about it and one night I had a horrid dream where a horribly
disfigured face appeared in white on a dark background. I woke up in a sweat.
Why me?
Why did he appear to me sinner that I was; I knew not. Yet, because of the memory of this call from Christ, I knew I had to consent to bring his precious body to my brother Seabees. The priest also left me a book to read. The book explained the Catholic faith. As I read it, I knew and understood my faith better. I was especially taken by an Old Catholic symbol and I drew it on a small red flag and wore that symbol on my back declaring myself an ICEMAN for Christ. The symbol means “Jesus Christ Conqueror” Now instead of a blue ribbon of pain. I had a flag for victory. I still was the same old sinner, but the flag reminded me of God’s ever presence; even here at the bottom of the world.”
The Devil and Temptations[8]
There
are many and varied ways in which sin and evil are presented to us in an
attractive way.
In the Home--Seeking
God's Presence
·
Although you are not a priest, as a
baptized Catholic you have a power that you do not realize. St. Paul, in his
letter, told the Ephesians this truth (Eph. 1:19): "How very great is his
power that works in us is the same as the mighty strength which He used when He
raised Christ from death and seated Him at his right side in the heavenly
world. " Think about that for a while! The power of prayer is greater than
we know.
·
Although we do not have the power of an
ordained priest, we can ask God to protect and bless our homes. It is good for
us to keep blessed water in our homes and use it frequently. If we wish to ask
God's blessing on our own homes, we can say a simple prayer of blessing and
then sprinkle holy water in each room. Such a prayer of blessing could be
something like the following:
·
"Heavenly Father, we ask your blessing
upon our home. In the name of your Son Jesus we ask to be delivered from sin
and all evil influence. Protect us from sickness, accidents, theft and all
domestic tragedies. We place our home under the Lordship of Jesus and
consecrate ourselves to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. May all who live here
receive your blessing of peace and love."
·
An "Our Father" and "Hail
Mary" could also be recited.
·
The consecration of the family and the home
to the Sacred Heart of Jesus is another beautiful Catholic custom. We need to
have a crucifix and pictures of the Sacred Heart and Our Blessed Lady in our
homes. We want home to be a sacred place.
·
There needs to be a place in the home where
the members of the family come together to pray. In some Mexican families the
custom of having a little altar with pictures or statues, not only of Jesus,
Mary and the saints, but also pictures of members of the family is observed. It
reminds us to pray for them.
Catechism
of the Catholic Church
Day
261 1987-1995
PART THREE: LIFE IN CHRIST
SECTION ONE-MAN'S VOCATION LIFE IN THE
SPIRIT
CHAPTER THREE-GOD'S SALVATION: LAW AND
GRACE
Article 2-GRACE AND JUSTIFICATION
I. Justification
1987 The grace
of the Holy Spirit has the power to justify us, that is, to cleanse us from our
sins and to communicate to us "the righteousness of God through faith in
Jesus Christ" and through Baptism:
But if we
have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him. For we know
that Christ being raised from the dead will never die again; death no longer
has dominion over him. the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the
life he lives he lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves as dead to
sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.
1988 Through
the power of the Holy Spirit we take part in Christ's Passion by dying to sin,
and in his Resurrection by being born to a new life; we are members of his Body
which is the Church, branches grafted onto the vine which is himself:
(God) gave
himself to us through his Spirit. By the participation of the Spirit, we become
communicants in the divine nature.... For this reason, those in whom the Spirit
dwells are divinized.
1989 The first work of the grace of the Holy Spirit is conversion, effecting justification in accordance with Jesus' proclamation at the beginning of the Gospel: "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." Moved by grace, man turns toward God and away from sin, thus accepting forgiveness and righteousness from on high. "Justification is not only the remission of sins, but also the sanctification and renewal of the interior man.
1990
Justification detaches man from sin which contradicts the love of God, and
purifies his heart of sin. Justification follows upon God's merciful initiative
of offering forgiveness. It reconciles man with God. It frees from the
enslavement to sin, and it heals.
1991
Justification is at the same time the acceptance of God's righteousness through
faith in Jesus Christ. Righteousness (or "justice") here means the
rectitude of divine love. With justification, faith, hope, and charity are
poured into our hearts, and obedience to the divine will is granted us.
1992
Justification has been merited for us by the Passion of Christ who offered
himself on the cross as a living victim, holy and pleasing to God, and whose
blood has become the instrument of atonement for the sins of all men.
Justification is conferred in Baptism, the sacrament of faith. It conforms us
to the righteousness of God, who makes us inwardly just by the power of his
mercy. Its purpose is the glory of God and of Christ, and the gift of eternal
life:
But now the
righteousness of God has been manifested apart from law, although the law and
the prophets bear witness to it, the righteousness of God through faith in
Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: since all have
sinned and fall short of the glory of God, they are justified by his grace as a
gift, through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as
an expiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's
righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former
sins; it was to prove at the present time that he himself is righteous and that
he justifies him who has faith in Jesus.
1993
Justification establishes cooperation between God's grace and man's freedom. On
man's part it is expressed by the assent of faith to the Word of God, which
invites him to conversion, and in the cooperation of charity with the prompting
of the Holy Spirit who precedes and preserves his assent:
When God
touches man's heart through the illumination of the Holy Spirit, man himself is
not inactive while receiving that inspiration, since he could reject it; and
yet, without God's grace, he cannot by his own free will move himself toward
justice in God's sight.
1994 Justification is the most excellent work of God's love made manifest in Christ Jesus and granted by the Holy Spirit. It is the opinion of St. Augustine that "the justification of the wicked is a greater work than the creation of heaven and earth," because "heaven and earth will pass away but the salvation and justification of the elect . . . will not pass away." He holds also that the justification of sinners surpasses the creation of the angels in justice, in that it bears witness to a greater mercy.
1995 The Holy
Spirit is the master of the interior life. By giving birth to the "inner
man," justification entails the sanctification of his whole being:
Just as you once yielded your members to impurity and to greater and greater iniquity, so now yield your members to righteousness for sanctification.... But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the return you get is sanctification and its end, eternal life.
Daily Devotions
·
Unite in the work of the Porters of St. Joseph by joining them
in fasting: Today's Fast: An
increase of the faithful
·
Religion in the Home for
Preschool: March
·
Total Consecration
to St. Joseph Day 20
·
Offering to
the sacred heart of Jesus
·
Make
reparations to the Holy Face
* [15:5] Lends no money at
interest: lending money in the Old Testament was often seen as
assistance to the poor in their distress, not as an investment; making money
off the poor by charging interest was thus forbidden.
[7]Havermale,
Richard, The Ice is Nice and Chee Chee is Peachy, 2012
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