· Colic Awareness Month-Get some Gripe Water
o I was a Colic baby Mom and Dad found Gripe Water when my parents were in Bermuda as my Day was in the Navy Seabees overlaying the runway where I was born.
· 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: Alaska's Kenai Peninsula
· 30 Days with St. Joseph Day 4
· Endometriosis Awareness Month
· Try[8]: Celery leaf Salad
MARCH 23 Third Sunday of Lent
Ester, Chapter 4D, Verse 13
We
fear the rich and the powerful, yet we often have no fear of God and continue
in our inability to rise above our weaknesses. It is when we like Ester rise
above our fears that we can live up to our potential.
The Law
of the Sacrifice[1]
·
Ester
is willing to give her life for the people.
·
A
leader must be willing to give up to go up.
·
Leaders
only do this when their cause becomes more important than their life.
·
Likewise,
Jesus a descendent of Ester, called on his staff to deny themselves, take up
their cross and follow Him.
·
Christ
stated that those who wished to save their lives would lose them and those who
gave up their lives would save them.
· True leadership places the cause of the people above the instinct for self-preservation.
Third Sunday of Lent
We beseech Thee, Almighty God,
regard the prayers of Thy humble servants, and stretch forth in our defense the
right hand of Thy majesty.
EPISTLE.
Ephesians v. 1-9.
Brethren: Be ye therefore followers
of God, as most dear children. And walk-in love as Christ also hath loved us,
and hath delivered Himself for us, an oblation and a sacrifice to God for an
odor of sweetness. But fornication and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it
not so much as be named among you, as becometh saints: or obscenity, or foolish
talking, or scurrility, which is to no purpose: but rather giving of thanks.
For know ye this and understand that no fornicator, nor unclean, nor covetous
person (which is a serving of idols), hath inheritance in the kingdom of Christ
and of God. Let no man deceive you with vain words. For because of these things
cometh the anger of God upon the children of unbelief. Be ye not therefore
partakers with them. For you were heretofore darkness, but now light in the
Lord. Walk ye as children of the light: for the fruit of the light is in all
goodness, and justice, and truth.
Explanation. St.
Paul here declares it to be the duty of every Christian, not only to walk in
love, but also to abstain from fornication, impurity, and equivocal and
immodest talk. No one, therefore, who is addicted to these vices can have any
inheritance in the kingdom of Christ.
Aspiration.
O Lord, free my heart from all inordinate desires for temporal goods and
sensual pleasures. May a childlike fear of Thee guard my tongue, that I may not
speak foolish or sinful words.
GOSPEL.
Luke xi. 14-28.
At
that time Jesus was casting out a devil, and the same was dumb; and when He had
cast out the devil, the dumb spoke: and the multitudes were in admiration at
it: but some of them said: He casteth out devils, by Beelzebub, the prince of
devils. And others tempting, asked of Him a sign from heaven. But He seeing
their thoughts said to them: Every kingdom divided against itself shall be
brought to desolation, and house upon house shall fall. And if Satan also be
divided against himself, how shall his kingdom stand? because you say, that
through Beelzebub I cast out devils. Now if I cast out devils by Beelzebub, by
whom do your children cast them out?
Therefore,
they shall be your judges. But if I by the finger of God cast out devils,
doubtless the kingdom of God is come upon you. When a strong man armed keepeth
his court: those things are in peace which he possesseth. But if a stronger
than he come upon him and overcome him: he will take away all his armor wherein
he trusted and will distribute his spoils. he that is not with Me is against
Me: and he that gathereth not with Me, scattereth. When the unclean spirit is
gone out of a man, he walketh through places without water, seeking rest: and
not finding, he saith: I will return into my house whence I came out. And when
he is come, he findeth it swept and garnished. Then he goeth and taketh with
him seven other spirits more wicked than himself and entering in they dwell
there. And the last state of that man becometh worse than the first. And it
came to pass as He spoke these things, a certain woman from the crowd lifting
up her voice said to Him: Blessed is the womb that bore Thee, and the paps that
gave Thee suck. But He said: Yea rather, blessed are they who hear the word of
God and keep it.
What are we to understand here by
the dumb devil?
The evil spirit, who so controls
those of whom he has possession that they are dumb, and through a false shame
keep away from confession.
By what power did Christ cast out
the devil?
By His divine power, which worked
so suddenly and perfectly that the possessed was at once freed and able to
speak.
How did Christ show the Jews that
He did not cast out devils by Beelzebub?
1. By the parable in which He
explains to them that the kingdom of Satan cannot stand if one evil spirit is
cast out by another.
2. By pointing to their own
children, some of whom were enabled to cast out devils by the power they had
received from God (Mark ix. 37, 38).
3. By His whole life, and His
works, which were in direct opposition to the devil.
Prayer.
O
Jesus, conqueror of the dumb devil, strengthen me, that if I should have the
misfortune to sin against Thy holy commandments, I may have courage to overcome
my false shame, and confess my sins in sincerity and humility. O my Savior, be
Thou my leader in the fight, that I may foil those arms of the devil: my evil
inclinations, idleness, bad company, bad books, and human respect, and grant
that I may never relapse into sin, but serve Thee with perseverance. Amen.
Lenten Calendar[2]
Read:
Take time to read the readings before going to Mass today. You
can sign up to receive the daily readings.
Pray:
Pray in solidarity with refugees around the world.
Act:
When confronted with your own weakness during Lent,
don’t
give in to anger, frustration, and self-pity. Be patient and see yourself as
God does, with unconditional love.
Third
Sunday of Lent[3]
Christ again foreshadows His victory (this time over the devil), but as we move closer to Passiontide, He also hints at the way in which this will be done.
Third
Sunday of Lent is called Oculi, from the first word of the Introit. In
the primitive Church, it was called Scrutiny-Sunday, because it was on
this day that they began to examine the Catechumens, who were to he admitted to
Baptism on Easter night. All the Faithful were invited to assemble in the
Church, in order that they might bear testimony to the good life and morals of
the candidates. At Rome, these examinations, which where called the Scrutinies,
were made on seven different occasions, on account of the great number of
the aspirants to Baptism; but the principal Scrutiny was that held on
the Wednesday of the Fourth Week We will speak of it later on. The Roman
Sacramentary of St. Gelasius gives us the form, in which the Faithful were
convoked to these assemblies. It is as follows. “Dearly beloved Brethren: you
know that the day of Scrutiny, when our elect is to receive the holy
instruction, is at hand. We invite you, therefore, to be zealous and assemble
on N., (here, the day was mentioned,) at the hour of Sext; that so we
may be able, by the divine aid, to achieve without error, the heavenly mystery,
whereby is opened the gate of the kingdom of heaven, and the devil is excluded
with all his pomp’s.” The invitation was repeated, if needed, on each of the
following Sundays. The Scrutiny of this Sunday ended in the admission of
a certain number of candidates: their names were written down, and put on the Diptychs
of the Altar, that they might be mentioned in the Canon of the Mass. The same
also was done with the names of their Sponsors. The Station was, and still is,
in the Basilica of Saint Laurence outside the walls. The name of this,
the most celebrated of the Martyrs of Rome, would remind the Catechumens, that
the Faith they were about to profess, would require them to be ready for many
sacrifices.
·
The
holy Church gave us, as the subject of our meditation for the first Sunday of Lent, the Temptation
which our Lord Jesus Christ deigned to suffer in the Desert. Her object was to
enlighten us with regard to our own temptations and teach us how to conquer
them.
·
Today,
she wishes to complete her instruction on the power and stratagems of our
invisible enemies; and for this she reads to us a passage from the Gospel of
St. Luke. During Lent, the Christian ought to repair the past, and provide for
the future; but he can neither understand how it was he fell, nor defend
himself against a relapse, unless he have correct ideas as to the nature of the
dangers which have hitherto proved fatal, and are again threatening him.
·
Hence,
the ancient Liturgists would have us consider it as a proof of the maternal
watchfulness of the Church, that she should have again proposed such a subject
to us. As we shall find, it is the basis of all today’s instructions.
Assuredly, we should be the blindest and most unhappy of men, if, - surrounded
as we are by enemies, who unceasingly seek to destroy us, and are so superior
to us both in power and knowledge, - we were seldom or never to think of the
existence of these wicked spirits. And yet, such is really the case with
innumerable Christians now-a-days; for, truths are diminished from among the
children of men [Ps. xi. 2].
·
So
common, indeed, is this heedlessness and forgetfulness of truth, which the Holy
Scriptures put before us in almost every page, that it is no rare thing to meet
with persons who ridicule the idea of Devils being permitted to be on this
earth of ours! They call it a prejudice, a popular superstition, of the
Middle-Ages! Of course, they deny that it is a dogma of Faith. When we read the
History of the Church or the Lives of the Saints, they have their own way of
explaining whatever is there related on this subject. To hear them talk, one
would suppose that they look upon Satan as a mere abstract idea, to be
taken as the personification of evil.
·
When
they would account for the origin of their own or others’ sins, they explain
all by the evil inclination of man’s heart, and by the bad use we make
of our free-will.
·
They
never think of what we are taught by Christian doctrine; namely, that we are
also instigated to sin by a wicked being, whose power is as great as is the
hatred he bears us. And yet, they know, they believe, with a firm faith, that
Satan conversed with our First Parents, and persuaded them to commit sin, and
showed himself to them under the form of a serpent. They believe that this same
Satan dared to tempt the Incarnate Son of God, and that he carried him through
the air, and set him first upon a pinnacle of the Temple, and then upon a very
high mountain. Again, they read in the Gospel, and they believe, that one of
the Possessed, who were delivered by our Savior, was tormented by a whole
legion of devils, who, upon being driven out of the man, went, by Jesus’
permission, into a herd of swine, and the whole herd ran violently into the
sea of Genesareth, and perished in the waters. These, and many other
such like facts, are believed, by the persons of whom we speak, with all the
earnestness of faith; yet, notwithstanding, they treat as a figure of speech,
or a fiction, all they hear or read about the existence, the actions, or the
craft of these wicked spirits.
·
Are such people Christians, or have
they lost their senses?
o One would scarcely have expected
that this species of incredulity could have found its way into an age like
this, when sacrilegious consultations of the devil have been, we might almost
say, - fashionable. Means, which were used in the days of paganism, have been
resorted to for such consultations; and they who employed them seemed to
forget, or ignore, that they were committing what God in the Old Law, punished
with death, and which, for many centuries, was considered by all Christian
nations as a capital crime. But if there be one Season of the Year more than
another in which the Faithful ought to reflect upon what is taught us both by
faith and experience, as to the existence and workings of the wicked spirits, -
it is undoubtedly this of Lent, when it is our duty to consider what have been
the causes of our last sins, what are the spiritual dangers we have to fear for
the future, and what means we should have recourse to for preventing a relapse.
Let us, then, hearken to the Holy Gospel. Firstly, we are told, that the devil
had possessed a man, and that the effect produced by this possession
was dumbness.
·
Our
Savior casts out the devil, and, immediately, the dumb man spoke. So that, the
being possessed by the devil is not only a fact which testifies to God’s
impenetrable justice; it is one which may produce physical effects upon them
that are thus tried or punished. The casting out the devil restores the
use of speech to him that had been possessed.
·
We
say nothing about the obstinate malice of Jesus’ enemies, who would have it,
that his power over the devils, came from his being in league with the prince
of devils: - all we would now do is, to show that the wicked spirits are
sometimes permitted to have power over the body, and to refute, by this passage
from the Gospel, the rationalism of certain Christians.
·
Let
these learn, then, that the power of our spiritual enemies is an awful reality;
and let them take heed not to lay themselves open to their worst attacks, by
persisting in the disdainful haughtiness of their Reason. Ever since the
promulgation of the Gospel, the power of Satan over the human body has been
restricted by the virtue of the Cross, at least in Christian countries; but
this power resumes its sway as often as faith and the practice of Christian
piety lose their influence. And here we have the origin of all those diabolical
practices, which, under certain scientific names, are attempted first in
secret, and then are countenanced by being assisted at by well-meaning
Christians. Was it not that God and his Church intervene, such practices as
these would subvert society? Christians! Remember your baptismal vow! You have
renounced Satan: take care, then, that by a culpable ignorance you are not
dragged into apostacy. It is not a phantom that you renounced at the Font; he
is a real and formidable being, who, as our Lord tells us, was a murderer
from the beginning [St. John, viii. 44].
·
But,
if we ought to dread the power he may be permitted to have over our bodies; if
we ought to shun all intercourse with him, and take no share in practices over
which he presides, and which are the worship he would have men give him;
- we ought, also, to fear the influence he is ever striving to exercise over
our souls. See, what God’s grace has had to do in order to drive him from our
soul! During this holy season, the Church is putting within your reach those
grand means of victory, - Fasting, Prayer, and Alms deeds.
·
True
sweets of peace will soon be yours, and, once more, you will become God’s
temple, for both soul and body will have regained their purity. But be not
deceived; your enemy is not slain. He is irritated; penance has driven him from
you; but he has sworn to return. Therefore, fear a relapse into mortal
sin; and in order to nourish within you this wholesome fear, meditate upon the
concluding part of our Gospel. Our Savior tells it, that when the unclean
spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through places without water. There
he writhes under his humiliation; it has added to the tortures of the hell he
carries everywhere with him and to which he fain would give some alleviation,
by destroying souls that have been redeemed by Christ.
·
We
read in the Old Testament that, sometimes, when the devils have been conquered,
they have been forced to flee into some far-off wilderness: for example. The
holy Archangel Raphael took the devil that had killed Sara’s husbands
and bound him in the desert of Upper Egypt [Tob. viii. 3]. But the enemy
of mankind never despairs of regaining his prey. His hatred is as active now,
as it was at the very beginning of the world, and he says: I will return
into my house, whence I came out.
·
Nor
will he come alone. He is determined to conquer; and therefore, he will, if he
thinks it needed, take with him seven other spirits, even more wicked
than himself. What a terrible assault is this that is being prepared for
the poor soul, unless she be on the watch, and unless the peace, which God
has granted her, be one that is well armed for war! Alas! with many souls the
very contrary is the case, and our Savior describes the situation in which the
devils finds them on his return: they are swept and garnished, and that
is all! No precautions, no defense, no arms. One would suppose that they were
waiting to give the enemy admission.
·
Then
Satan, to make his re-possession sure, comes with a seven-fold force. The
attack is made; - but there is no resistance, and straightway the wicked
spirits entering in, dwell there; so that, the last state becometh
worse than the first; for before, there was but one enemy, - and now
there are many. In order that we may understand the full force of the
warning conveyed to us by the Church in this Gospel, we must keep before us the
great reality, that this is the acceptable time. In every part of the
world, there are conversions being wrought; millions are being
reconciled with God; divine Mercy is lavish of pardon to all that seek it. But
will all persevere? They that are now being delivered from the power of Satan,
- will they all be free from his yoke, when next year’s Lent comes round?
· A sad experience tells the Church, that she may not hope so grand a result. Many will return to their sins, and that too before many weeks are over. And if the Justice of God overtake them in that state - what an awful thing it is to say it, yet it is true, - some, perhaps many, of these sinners will be eternally lost! Let us, then, be on our guard against a relapse; and in order that we may ensure our Perseverance, without which it would have been too little purpose to have been for a few days in God’s grace, - let us watch, and pray; let us keep ourselves under arms; let us ever remember that our whole life is to be a warfare. Our soldier-like attitude will disconcert the enemy, and he will try to gain victory elsewhere.
Pray
for Ukraine, Russia and the World for the Victory of the Holy Spirit
In Hungary today is the feast of Our Lady of Victories, (there are nine separate days in honor of Our Lady of Victory, the main being October 7) Today's feast commemorates the victory in Hungary. On August 6, 1716, Prince Eugene of Savoy defeated a large invading Ottoman army at Peterwardein, Hungary. The victory set the stage for the reconquest of Hungary from the Turks.
O Mary, merciful Refuge of Sinners and Mother of all mankind! Behold how many souls are lost every hour! Behold how countless millions of those who live in India, in China, and in barbarous regions do not yet know Our Lord Jesus Christ! See, too, how many others are far from the bosom of Mother Church, which is Catholic, Apostolic, and Roman! O Mary ... life of our hearts ... let not the Precious Blood and fruits of Redemption be lost for so many souls!
Grant that a ray of Heavenly light may shine forth to enlighten those many blinded understandings and to enkindle so many cold hearts. Intercede with thy Divine Son, and obtain grace for all pagans, Jews, heretics, and schismatics in the whole world to receive supernatural light and to enter with joy into the bosom of the true Church. Hear the confident prayer of the Supreme Pontiff that all nations may be united in one faith, that they may know and love Jesus Christ, the blessed fruit of thy womb... And then all men shall love thee also, thou who art the salvation of the world, arbiter and dispenser of the treasures of God ... And, glorifying thee, O Queen of Victories, who, by means of thy Rosary, dost trample upon all heresies, they shall acknowledge that thou givest life to all nations, since there must be a fulfillment of the prophecy: "All generations shall call me blessed." Amen.
The Rosary is the foremost daily method of meditative prayer used by popes and saints alike. There are many forms of praying the Rosary such as the “The Seven Sorrows” Rosary and recently Pope John Paul II added the luminous mysteries. The Rosary has even been adapted to pray for the United States. Pious Germans have the custom of improvising a mystery-specific insertion for each Hail Mary. For example, while meditating on the annunciation, they pray, “Blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus” (and they insert the words) “who died for our sins” then start again with “Holy Mary...The Rosary works, on a human level, because it engages the five senses. It involves our speech and our hearing. It occupies our mind and incites our emotions. We feel the beads with our fingertips. If we pray before a sacred image or better before the Blessed Sacrament we are transported into the lives of Mary and Jesus. The Rosary works best when we stop working and abandon ourselves like children to the time we are spending with our mother. The best place to pray the Rosary is with the family. Mother Teresa of Calcutta after enduring a vision of Calvary stated that Mary reassured her to: “Fear not. Teach them to say the Rosary—the family Rosary—and all will be well.” To God and to the Blessed Virgin, all our efforts at prayer are precious, when we persevere in praying the Rosary, we become like little children, children of Mary, children of our heavenly Father.
·
Seven Sorrows of Mary Rosary
Catechism
of the Catholic Church
Day
280 2156- 2167
PART THREE: LIFE IN CHRIST
SECTION TWO-THE TEN COMMANDMENTS
CHAPTER
ONE-YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR
SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND
Article 2 THE SECOND COMMANDMENT
III. The Christian Name
2156 The
sacrament of Baptism is conferred "in the name of the Father and of the
Son and of the Holy Spirit." In Baptism, the Lord's name sanctifies
man, and the Christian receives his name in the Church. This can be the name of
a saint, that is, of a disciple who has lived a life of exemplary fidelity to
the Lord. the patron saint provides a model of charity; we are assured of his
intercession. the "baptismal name" can also express a Christian
mystery or Christian virtue. "Parents, sponsors, and the pastor are to see
that a name is not given which is foreign to Christian sentiment."
2157 The
Christian begins his day, his prayers, and his activities with the Sign of the
Cross: "in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen." the baptized person dedicates the day to the glory of God and calls
on the Savior's grace which lets him act in the Spirit as a child of the
Father. The sign of the cross strengthens us in temptations and difficulties.
2158 God calls
each one by name. Everyone's name is sacred. The name is the icon of the
person. It demands respect as a sign of the dignity of the one who bears it.
2159 The name
one receives is a name for eternity. In the kingdom, the mysterious and unique
character of each person marked with God's name will shine forth in splendor.
"To him who conquers . . . I will give a white stone, with a new name
written on the stone which no one knows except him who receives
it." "Then I looked, and Lo, on Mount Zion stood the Lamb, and
with him a hundred and forty-four thousand who had his name and his Father's
name written on their foreheads."
IN BRIEF
2160 "O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in
all the earth" (Ps 8:1)!
2161 The second commandment enjoins respect for the Lord's
name. The name of the Lord is holy.
2162 The second commandment forbids every improper use of
God's name. Blasphemy is the use of the name of God, of Jesus Christ, of the
Virgin Mary, and of the saints in an offensive way.
2163 False oaths call on God to be witness to a lie.
Perjury is a grave offence against the Lord who is always faithful to his
promises.
2164 "Do not swear whether by the Creator, or any
creature, except truthfully, of necessity, and with reverence" (St.
Ignatius of Loyola, Spiritual Exercises, 38).
2165 In Baptism, the Christian receives his name in the
Church. Parents, godparents, and the pastor are to see that he be given a
Christian name. The patron saint provides a model of charity and the assurance
of his prayer.
2166 The Christian begins his prayers and activities with
the Sign of the Cross: "in the name of the Father and of the Son and of
the Holy Spirit. Amen."
2167 God calls each one by name (cf Isa 43:1).
Atheist
Day[6]
Agnostic Holiday
Christmas. Basant. Diwali.
Eid al-Adha. Easter. Yom Kippur. Vesak. Hanukkah. Ramadan. There is no shortage
of religious holidays celebrated every year. According to recent studies, there
are approximately 7.1 billion people currently living in this world, 31% of
whom are Christians, 23% of whom are Muslims, 13% of whom are Hindus, and
almost 7% of whom are Buddhists. There are also millions of other people who
follow religions such as Judaism, Jainism, and Spiritism. But what about those
of us who do not believe in a god or gods? An estimated 2% of the world’s population does not adhere to any
religion.
Last
Words of famous Atheists[7]
Thomas
Hobbs [political philosopher]
·
I
say again, if I had the whole world at my disposal, I would give it to live one
day. I am about to take a leap into the dark."
Thomas
Payne [the leading atheistic writer in American colonies
·
"Stay
with me, for God's sake; I cannot bear to be left alone, O Lord, help me! O
God, what have I done to suffer so much? What will become of me hereafter?
"I would give worlds if I had them, that The Age of Reason had never been
published. Lord help me! Christ help me! …No, don't leave; stay with me! Send
even a child to stay with me; for I am on the edge of Hell here alone. If ever
the Devil had an agent, I have been that one."
Voltaire
famous anti-Christian atheist:
·
"I
am abandoned by God and man; I will give you half of what I am worth if you
will give me six months' life." (He said this to Dr. Fochin, who told him
it could not be done.) "Then I shall die and go to hell!" (His nurse
said: "For all the money in Europe I wouldn’t want to see another
unbeliever die! All night long he cried for forgiveness.
Napoleon
Bonaparte, the French emperor, and who, like Adolf Hitler, brought death to
millions to satisfy his greedy, power-mad, selfish ambitions for world
conquest:
·
"I
die before my time, and my body will be given back to the earth. Such is the
fate of him who has been called the great Napoleon. What an abyss between my
deep misery and the eternal kingdom of Christ!”
In a
Newsweek interview with Svetlana Stalin, the daughter of Josef Stalin, she told
of her father's death:
·
"My
father died a difficult and terrible death. God grants an easy death only to
the just. At what seemed the very last moment he suddenly opened his eyes and
cast a glance over everyone in the room. It was a terrible glance, insane or
perhaps angry. His left hand was raised, as though he were pointing to
something above and bringing down a curse on us all. The gesture was full of
menace. The next moment he was dead."
Daily Devotions
·
Unite in the work of the Porters of St. Joseph by joining them
in fasting: Today's Fast: An end
to the use of contraceptives.
·
Offering to
the sacred heart of Jesus
·
Make
reparations to the Holy Face
[1]John Maxwell, The Maxwell Leadership
Bible.
[2]http://www.usccb.org/prayer-and-worship/liturgical-year/lent/march-24.cfm
[5] Hahn, Scott, Signs of Life; 40
Catholic Customs and their biblical roots. Chap. 35. Rosary.
[8] 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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