Candace’s Try “Benton’s Bacon”
· Phoenix Home & Garden’s Garden Tour
April 20
o The pages of PHOENIX’s sister publication come to life as patrons enjoy exclusive access to a curated selection of the Valley’s most enchanting home gardens during this annual self-guided tour. Attendees will also have the unique opportunity to mingle with Phoenix Home & Garden’s editorial staff as well as architects and designers featured in the magazine. VIP, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.; GA, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. $85-$125, Various Valley locations, phgmag.com
· Spirit Hour: Liebfraumilch in honor of Mary Lady Finger Cocktail
· Bucket List trip: Travel by rail from Vancouver to Toronto
· Pray Day 7 of the Novena for our Pope and Bishops
· Tuesday: Litany of St. Michael the Archangel
· Total Consecration to the Eucharist Day 7
· 30 Days with St. Joseph Day 6
· Soup
MARCH 25 Tuesday-Solemnity of the Annunciation of
the Lord
J. R. Tolkien Reading Day-Aretha Franklin
Get
to Mass as today is a Solemnity
Luke, Chapter 1,
verse 30:
30 Then
the angel said to her, “Do not be AFRAID, Mary, for you have found favor
with God.
Mary had no fear of the world or man, yet,
when the angel appeared she was immersed in holy fear. Let us follow Mary’s
example and bravely face the day saying YES to God.
Mary
Garden[1]
The joy over the appearance of new plants and flowers in
spring prompted man to attribute to them a special power of protection and
healing. People planted special spring flower gardens; they brought branches of
early-blossoming plants, like pussy willows, into their homes; they decorated
themselves and their living rooms with wreaths of flowers and clusters of
blossoms. A striking Christian variation of these nature rites was the medieval
custom of planting "Mary gardens," which were made up of all the flowers
and herbs that are ascribed by love and legend as a special tribute to the
Blessed Virgin. This charming and inspiring tradition has been revived in many
places in Europe and more recently in this country.
Directions
In a typical Mary Garden, the statue of the Madonna
occupies a place of honor, either in the center or in a grotto against the
wall, with, usually, a birdbath or bubbling fountain built in front of it. Some
of the more familiar plants of the many that belong in a typical Mary Garden
are:
· Columbine and Trefoil are said to have sprung forth at the touch of Mary's foot, and consequently bear the popular names Our Lady's shoes or Our Lady's slippers.
·
Marigold (Mary's bud) has bell-shaped
blossoms of vivid yellow. An old legend says, "Her dresses were adorned
with Marigold." This flower was used to decorate her shrines for the Feast
of the Annunciation (March 25) and during the month of May.
·
Lily-of-the-valley (Our Lady's tears).
This delicate flower is still widely used in Germany, there it is called Maiglockchen
(May bells), to decorate the Mary shrines in churches and homes during the
Virgin's month (May).
·
Foxgloves thrive in moist and shaded
places; they blossom in many colors and present a most attractive sight with
their clusters of little bells, which were called Our Lady's thimbles in
medieval times.
·
Snowdrop. This charming flower is the
first herald of spring in Europe. It often blossoms as early as Candlemas
(February 2) between batches of melting snow, hence the name. In Germany it is
called "Snow bell" (Schneeglocklein). Little bouquets of
snowdrops are the first floral tribute of the year at the shrines of the
Madonna on Candlemas. It is a popular emblem of Mary's radiant purity and of
her freedom from any stain of sin.
·
Lily. This stately and dignified flower
has been associated from ancient times with Jesus and Mary, and is called
Madonna lily in many parts of Europe. At Easter its brilliant and fragrant
blossoms symbolize the radiance of the Lord's risen life. Later in the year it
is used to decorate the shrines of Mary, especially on July 2, the Feast of the
Visitation. It also is an old and traditional symbol of innocence, purity, and
virginity.
·
Rosemary produces delicate and fragrant
blossoms of pale blue color in early spring. according to legend, the plant
originally bloomed in white; however, it turned blue (Mary's color) in reward
for the service it offered when Our Lady looked for some bush on which to
spread her Child's tiny garments after having washed them on the way to Egypt.
The bushes do not grow very tall but as they grow older, they spread out and
thicken, forming a dense bush. There is an old superstition that "the
rosemary passeth not commonly the height of Christ when he was on earth."
· Violets are dedicated to Mary as symbols of her humility. They are said to have blossomed forth outside her window when she spoke the words, "Behold, I am a handmaid of the Lord." Leaving her, the angel of God blessed the little flowers in passing, thus endowing them with the tenderest and most beautiful fragrance of all plants.
·
Roses were associated with Mary from
early times. Saint Dominic (1221) is credited with the spreading of the
familiar devotion called the "Rosary (rosarium) of the Blessed
Virgin Mary." The word "rosary" originally meant a rose garden
but was later used in the sense of "rose garland." Three colors are
especially consecrated to Mary: white roses as symbols of her joys, red roses
as emblems of her sufferings, and yellow (golden) roses as heralds of her
glories.
Feast
of the Annunciation[2]
The feast commemorates the
most sublime moment in the history of time, the moment when the Second Divine
Person of the most Holy Trinity assumed human nature in the womb of the Virgin
Mary. Thus, it is a feast of our Lord, even as it is of Mary, although the
liturgy centers wholly around the Mother of God. — The Church's Year
of Grace,
Pius Parsch
969 "This motherhood of Mary
in the order of grace continues uninterruptedly from the consent which she
loyally gave at the Annunciation and which she sustained without wavering
beneath the cross, until the eternal fulfillment of all the elect. Taken up to
heaven she did not lay aside this saving office but by her manifold
intercession continues to bring us the gifts of eternal salvation. . ..
Therefore, the Blessed Virgin is invoked in the Church under the titles of
Advocate, Helper, Benefactress, and Mediatrix."
973 By pronouncing her
"fiat" at the Annunciation and giving her consent to the Incarnation,
Mary was already collaborating with the whole work her Son was to accomplish.
She is mother wherever he is Savior and head of the Mystical Body.
Things to Do[3]
·
This
feast is very important in the defense of the life of unborn children. Even
with small children, this is a good day to begin teaching about the high value
God places on human life. He loved us so much that he became one of us, took on
our human nature and became an innocent, completely dependent infant.
·
This
is a Solemnity, so when this feast falls during the Lenten season, our Lenten
penance obligations are lifted. We should celebrate by some special food or
dinner. This feast day forecasts the blessed event of Christmas and illustrates
how the liturgical year is an endless circle of days. To celebrate this circle
or cycle, serve a cake, coffee rings, or wreath-shaped cookies, or foods shaped
in ring molds for this feast day. A perfect symbolic food would be an angel
food cake for the archangel Gabriel, baked in a tube pan for the endless
circle, decorated with the frosting highlighted with blue for Mary.
·
A
traditional food for this day is waffles. "Lady Day" or Annunciation
is the only feast of Mary that Sweden still celebrates since the Lutheran faith
became the state religion in 1593. In most of Europe, waffles are a traditional
feast day food, but on the feast of the Annunciation in Sweden this is THE
"Waffle Day" (Vaffeldagen), where waffles are served either for
breakfast, lunch or dinner, with lingonberries or cloudberries.
Annunciation of the Lord (New, Trad)[4]
- Annunciation
Waffles
- Annunciation
Blueberry Oatmeal Coffee CakeBaked
Blueberry & Pecan Crusted French ToastLady
Day Feasting (Swedish Waffles and Ukrainian Poppy Seed Bread)
- Lily
Sandwiches
- Mother
Most Pure Calla Lily Sandwiches
- Marian
Blueberry ParFIAT
- Annunciation
Pineapple Upside Down Cake
- Bride's
Cake with Blueberry Filling
- All
Recipes for the Blessed
Virgin Mary
Feast
of the Annunciation[5]
THIS
feast is so called from the announcement to the Blessed Virgin, by the archangel
Gabriel, that she was to be the mother of the Messias. In the Introit of the
Mass the Church refers to this high dignity of Mary’s: All the rich shall
entreat thy countenance; after her shall virgins be brought to the King; her
neighbors shall be brought to thee in gladness and rejoicing. My heart hath
uttered a good word, I speak my works to the King.
Prayer.
O
God, Who didst please that Thy Word should take flesh, at the message of an
angel, in the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary, grant to Thy suppliants that we,
who believe her to be truly the Mother
of God, may be blessed by her intercession with Thee.
EPISTLE.
Isaias vii. 10-15.
In those days the Lord spoke to Isaiah,
saying: Ask thee a sign of the Lord thy God, either unto the depth of hell, or
unto the height above. And Isaiah said I will not ask, and I will not tempt the
Lord. And he said: Hear ye therefore, O house of David: Is it a small thing for
you to be grievous to men, that you are grievous to my God also?
Therefore, the Lord Himself shall
give you a sign. Behold a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and His name
shall be called Emmanuel. He shall eat butter and honey, that He may know to
refuse the evil and to choose the good.
Instruction on The Angelic Salutation, Or Hail Mary.
Why
is this prayer called the Hail Mary, Angelic Salutation?
Because
it begins with the words which the archangel Gabriel addressed to the Blessed
Virgin when he announced to her that she should be the Mother of God.
Of what does the Angelic Salutation
consist?
1. Of the words of
the archangel Gabriel.
2. Of the words of
St. Elizabeth.
3. Of words which
have been added thereto by the Catholic Church.
Which
are the words of the archangel Gabriel?
Hail [Mary], full
of grace, the Lord is with thee, blessed art thou among women.
What
is the meaning of these words?
The words; Hail
Mary indicate that profound veneration for the Blessed Virgin which was
felt by the archangel Gabriel, and which we, in imitation of his example, ought
also to cherish. The words full of grace remind us that God bestowed
upon the Blessed Virgin greater graces than upon all men and angels together;
and that not for herself alone, but for us also; they therefore encourage us to
pray to Mary with fervor and confidence, that by her powerful intercession she
will obtain for us the graces necessary for our salvation. The Lord is with
thee; these words express the peculiar complacency with which God has
regarded her, on account of which He wrought in her special miracles of wisdom,
omnipotence, and benignity. Let us rejoice with Mary over these prerogatives,
and implore her to intercede for us, that God may be with us also, to sustain
us by His almightiness, to govern us by His wisdom, to incite us to all that is
good by the fire of His infinite love. Finally, the words Blessed art thou
among women are as much as to say: Thou art the happiest of all women,
since thou alone of them all hast no stain of sin on thee; thou art chosen to
be the Mother of God; thou shalt conceive Him by the Holy Ghost, and shalt
bring Him forth without losing thy virginity. Thus, it was that the angel
saluted the most blessed Virgin, and yet there are men who are ashamed thus to
salute Mary, and to give praise for the graces which God conferred upon her.
Which
are the words of Elizabeth, and what do they mean?
And blessed is
the fruit of thy womb; the word blessed is equivalent to praised. In saying
these words, therefore, we desire that the fruit of Mary’s womb, Jesus, may be
worshipped and praised by all men.
Which
are the words which the Catholic Church has added?
To the words
Blessed is the fruit of thy womb she has added; Jesus; in order thereby
to explain them, and to indicate that this prayer is to be offered in the name
of Jesus. There upon follow the words, Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us
sinners, now, and at the hour of our death. Amen.
What
do these words mean?
With the words, Holy
Mary, we apply to her who is full of grace as our intercessor, and thereby
are reminded to strive to imitate her holiness, if we would be sure of her
intercession, and of being heard before God. We call her Mother of God, because
she brought forth Jesus, the Son of God. Thereby we at the same time remind her
that she is our mother also, and pray her to care for us as a mother; not as
though we believed she could of herself help us, but with the design that she
should offer to God her all-prevailing prayers for us; hence we say, Pray
for us, adding, sinners. By these words we remind Mary of our
misery, and ourselves of our powerlessness for good, and of our guiltiness in
the sight of God, praying her to procure for us the grace of God to do true
penance, to acquire virtues, and to gain true peace, and that; now, inasmuch as
at every moment, and throughout our whole life, we have so many dangers to
meet, so many virtues to gain; and at the hour of our death, that we may
overcome the temptations of the last decisive hour, and stand complete victors
before the throne of the eternal Judge. Amen, so may it be, is, as it
were, to repeat and make stronger the whole prayer.
GOSPEL.
Luke i. 26-38.
At
that time the angel Gabriel was sent from God into a city of Galilee, called
Nazareth, to a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of
David, and the virgin’s name was Mary. And the angel being come in, said unto
her: Hail, full of grace: the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.
Who having heard, was troubled at his saying, and thought with herself what
manner of salutation this should be?
And
the angel said to her: Fear not, Mary, for thou hast found grace with God.
Behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and shalt bring forth a son, and thou
shalt call His name JESUS. He shall be great and shall be called the Son of the
Most High, and the Lord God shall give unto Him the throne of David His father:
and He shall reign in the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there
shall be no end. And Mary said to the angel: How shall this be done, because I
know not man?
And
the angel answering, said to her: The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the
power of the Most High shall overshadow thee. And therefore, also the Holy
which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. And behold thy
Cousin Elizabeth, she also hath conceived a son in her old age: and this is the
sixth month with her that is called barren: because no word shall be impossible
with God. And Mary said: Behold the handmaid of the Lord, be it done to me
according to thy word.
Salutation to the Most Blessed
Virgin Mary.
Hail,
Mary, full of grace! I rejoice, and give joy to thee, that thou hast been
chosen the Mother of the Most High, and the queen of heaven and earth. With
thee is the Father Who begot, from all eternity, Him Whom thou didst bring
forth as God-man in time; with thee is the Son, Whom thou didst bear in thy
virginal womb; with thee is the Holy Ghost, overshadowed by Whose power thou
didst become the Mother of the Redeemer of the world. Praised, therefore, be
thou, thou blessed among women; thou daughter of the Most High; thou bride of
the Holy Ghost; thou joy of heaven; thou ornament of the Church of God; thou
honor of Christians. Oh, pray God for us, now and at the hour of our death.
Amen.
Solemnize the Day[6]
Therefore, is it that we, the children
of Adam, who have been snatched by Mary's obedience from the power of hell,
solemnize this day of the Annunciation. Well may we say of Mary those words of
Debbora, when she sang her song of victory over the enemies of God's people:
‘The valiant men ceased, and rested in Israel, until Debbora arose, a mother
arose in Israel. The Lord chose new wars, and He Himself overthrew the gates of
the enemies.’ Let us also refer to the holy Mother of Jesus these words of
Judith, who by her victory over the enemy was another type of Mary: 'Praise ye
the Lord our God, who hath not forsaken them that hope in Him. And by me, His
handmaid, He hath fulfilled His mercy, which He promised to the house of
Israel; and He hath killed the enemy of His people by my hand this night. . ..
The almighty Lord hath struck him, and hath delivered him into the hands of a
woman, and hath slain him.'
Excerpted
from The Liturgical Year, Abbot Gueranger O.S.B.
The Angelus[1]
The
traditional Catholic midday prayer is called the Angelus. Christians have
always paused for prayer at the noon. In apostolic times, it was called the
prayer of the “sixth hour”, counting from sunrise. It was also at the sixth
hour that Jesus was crucified. Though Catholics most commonly recite the
Angelus at noon, some pray it at six in the morning and six in the evening. For
those who wish to make personal change this is a good time to examine our day
so far and offer ourselves us to our God. It is at the turning point of our day
that we recall the turning point of history: the moment when the angel appeared
to a young woman named Mary.
The Angelus[2]
The Angel of the Lord declared to Mary:
And she conceived of the Holy Spirit.
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord
is with thee; blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy
womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour
of our death. Amen.
Behold
the handmaid of the Lord: Be it done unto me according to Thy word. Hail Mary…
And
the Word was made Flesh: And dwelt among us. Hail Mary…
Pray
for us, O Holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of
Christ.
Let us pray:
Pour
forth, we beseech Thee, O Lord, Thy grace into our hearts; that we, to whom the
incarnation of Christ, Thy Son, was made known by the message of an angel, may
by His Passion and Cross be brought to the glory of His Resurrection, through
the same Christ Our Lord.
Amen.
[1] Hahn, Scott, Signs of Life; 40
Catholic Customs and their biblical roots. Chap. 13. The Angelus
Catechism of the
Catholic Church
Day 282 2177-2183
The Sunday Eucharist
2177 The
Sunday celebration of the Lord's Day and his Eucharist is at the heart of the
Church's life.
"Sunday is the day on which the paschal mystery is celebrated in light of
the apostolic tradition and is to be observed as the foremost holy day of
obligation in the universal Church."
"Also to be observed are
the day of the Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ,
the Epiphany,
the Ascension of Christ,
the feast of the Body and Blood of Christi,
the feast of Mary the Mother of God,
her Immaculate Conception,
her Assumption,
the feast of Saint Joseph,
the feast of the Apostles Saints Peter and Paul, and the feast of All
Saints."
2178 This
practice of the Christian assembly dates from the beginnings of the apostolic
age. The Letter to the Hebrews reminds the faithful "not to neglect
to meet together, as is the habit of some, but to encourage one another."
Tradition
preserves the memory of an ever-timely exhortation: Come to Church early,
approach the Lord, and confess your sins, repent in prayer.... Be present at
the sacred and divine liturgy, conclude its prayer and do not leave before the
dismissal.... We have often said: "This day is given to you for prayer and
rest. This is the day that the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in
it."
2179 "A
parish is a definite community of the Christian faithful established on a
stable basis within a particular church; the pastoral care of the parish is
entrusted to a pastor as its own shepherd under the authority of the diocesan
bishop." It is the place where all the faithful can be gathered
together for the Sunday celebration of the Eucharist. the parish initiates the
Christian people into the ordinary expression of the liturgical life: it
gathers them together in this celebration; it teaches Christ's saving doctrine;
it practices the charity of the Lord in good works and brotherly love:
You cannot
pray at home as at church, where there is a great multitude, where exclamations
are cried out to God as from one great heart, and where there is something
more: the union of minds, the accord of souls, the bond of charity, the prayers
of the priests.
The Sunday obligation
2180 The
precept of the Church specifies the law of the Lord more precisely: "On
Sundays and other holy days of obligation the faithful are bound to participate
in the Mass." "The precept of participating in the Mass is
satisfied by assistance at a Mass which is celebrated anywhere in a Catholic
rite either on the holy day or on the evening of the preceding day."
2181 The
Sunday Eucharist is the foundation and confirmation of all Christian practice.
For this reason the faithful are obliged to participate in the Eucharist on
days of obligation, unless excused for a serious reason (for example, illness,
the care of infants) or dispensed by their own pastor. Those who
deliberately fail in this obligation commit a grave sin.
2182
Participation in the communal celebration of the Sunday Eucharist is a
testimony of belonging and of being faithful to Christ and to his Church. The
faithful give witness by this to their communion in faith and charity. Together
they testify to God's holiness and their hope of salvation. They strengthen one
another under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
2183 "If
because of lack of a sacred minister or for other grave cause participation in
the celebration of the Eucharist is impossible, it is specially recommended
that the faithful take part in the Liturgy of the Word if it is celebrated in
the parish church or in another sacred place according to the prescriptions of
the diocesan bishop, or engage in prayer for an appropriate amount of time
personally or in a family or, as occasion offers, in groups of families."
Tolkien Reading Day[7]
Although founded in 2002, the First Tolkien Reading Day wasn’t until March 25th, 2003. This is because a journalist from New York enquired as to whether or not there was such an event for Tolkien in January 2002 and the society liked the idea so much, they adopted it – although they didn’t have time to prepare anything for that year and postponed it. The society chose an important date from the book for the reading day. March 25th is the Downfall of Sauron.
In recent years The
Tolkien Society have provided information packs, bookmarks and posters for
schools taking part in this event. They have also provided free posters for
events held by libraries and the general public taking place near to the event,
rather than on the 25th.
With the popularity of the
Lord of The Rings film trilogy firmly influencing the popularity of the books,
Tolkien Reading Day was set up with hopes of getting even more people reading
and discovering that there is much more to Tolkien than just The Lord of the
Rings.
Typical events consist of
readings and discussions, but some groups re-enact scenes from the Lord of the
Rings books.
Lord
of the Rings[8]
A
battle against evil alone does not make The Lord of the Rings fundamentally
Christian and Catholic; and yet there are many ways that it is.
Here are some of the ways The
Lord of the Rings is a Christian myth.
2.
The One Ring
illustrates how evil can entice and enslave. Beautiful gold rings are enticing
to wear. But when we slip them on our fingers, we announce our devotion and
loyalty to their owner.
3.
Gandalf and Saruman,
while not analogous, have traits, goals, and experiences similar to those of
Jesus and Satan. Gandalf is even tempted in a battle with Saruman not unlike
Christ is tempted by Satan in the wilderness.
4.
Evil is parasitic and
can only destroy that which was created. Everything that (God) created in
Middle-earth (and in our world) is good. It is the perversion and corruption of
what was created that is evil. Good can exist on its own. Evil can only live off
what is good.
5.
Like all Christians,
Frodo is called to risk his life through great peril to save others. Frodo,
like us, does not appear to be up to the task. He does not have any obvious
talent suited for war. But he is chosen, as we are. We are all necessary for
God's grand plan to be fulfilled; and even the most unlikely and disgusting
Gollum-like beast in our life is necessary. And when Frodo asks, "What can
a little hobbit do?" — Isaiah answers, "A little child will lead
them" (11:6).
6.
In the Shire, the
Hobbits come naturally to living a beatific life that Christ calls Christians
to live by. The Hobbits are the meek that inherit the earth, the merciful who
receive mercy, the pure in heart, and the peacemakers. (Mt. 5:3-12)
7.
Like all Christians,
Tolkien's characters are called to play roles in a story that is much greater
and more important than they are aware. Just as we are not aware of all that
has happened before us, so Gandalf, at the end of The Hobbit, says to
Bilbo, "You don't really suppose, do you, that all your adventures and
escapes were managed by mere luck, just for your sole benefit? "you are
only quite a little fellow in a wide world after all!"
8. There is a longing for the return of the king. As Christians long for the return of Christ the King, so the free people of Middle-earth long for their kingdoms to be once more united in peace and justice under the rightful heir. Did I mention that Aragorn looks like Christ?
9.
The Fellowship of the
Ring is constituted of different characters with different gifts suited for
battling evil — the diversity keeps them united. This is not unlike the
diversity of spiritual gifts and temporal talents given to the different
members of the Christian community for the unity of the body — so that we might
be dependent on each other.
10. Upon leaving Lorien, each of the Fellowship members are
given custom fitted Elvish hooded cloaks not unlike St. Paul's armor in
Ephesians 6:10-17. Again, Tolkien disliked allegory; so, the cloaks are not
exactly like St. Paul's armor of salvation. But they do have mystical traits of
great aid that keep them safe in their battle with evil.
A Catholic Core the Lord of the Rings is also Catholic.
11. There are sacraments not symbols. For their journey,
Galadriel graciously bestows upon the Fellowship — a representation of the
church — seven mystical gifts: no mere symbols these, but glimmering
reflections of the Church's seven sacraments — the conveying of spiritual grace
through temporal rites. And at her Mirror, Galadriel derides the Reformers'
taunt of Eucharistic magic in the Mass when she says: "For this is
what your folk would call magic, I believe; though I do not understand clearly
what they mean; and they seem to use the same words for the deceits of the
enemy."
12. As grace and creation is experienced through a sacrament,
so control and destruction is experienced through an anti-sacrament — the One
Ring. The ring that Frodo bears is not symbolic, but rather operates as an
anti-sacrament. Dependent on a person's spiritual disposition, a sacrament
literally allows grace and life to flow into a person through the physical
realm. Likewise, in Middle-earth, the characters' spiritual disposition makes
them more or less susceptible to the anti-sacrament power of the ring, which if
worn, literally brings evil and destruction upon the bearer.
13. The protagonists pursue absolutes, rejecting any willingness to compromise or relativize. In Middle earth there is an absoluteness of what is right and wrong. There is no hint of moral relativism that separates the different peoples, races, or creators of the freelands. Aragorn says to Eomer: "Good and ill have not changed since yesteryear; nor are they one thing among Elves and Dwarves and another among men."
14. The protagonists embrace suffering as a requirement of
working out their salvation. It isn't enough to simply believe or have faith to
be free of the tyranny of evil each of our protagonists must sacrifice and work
hard through great peril to secure their salvation and the right ordering of
their world.
15. The Shire, described as the ideal community, reflects the
social teachings of Catholicism. The Hobbits benefit from a community structure
with little formal organization and less conflict. They work only enough to
survive and otherwise enjoy each other's company. There is no jealousy, no
greed, and rarely does anyone do anything unexpected. There is a wholeness and
graciousness about it that seems to come naturally out of selflessness.
16. Gandalf, the steward of all things good in the world,
reflects the papacy. Gandalf is leader of the free and faithful. He is steward
of all things good in the world, but he claims rule over no land. As the Popes
of history did with kings and emperors of our world, so Gandalf crowns the king
and blesses him to rule with justice and peace.
17. Middle-earth ideology reflects a corporate moral hierarchy
and not individualism. There is no democracy or republic in Middle-earth. There
are spiritual leaders like Gandalf, and Kings like Theoden and Elessar with
lords and vassals. There is no defense of individualism, no claim of choice,
and no justification for an individual to follow his conscience.
18. There is a mystical Lady, like The Blessed Mother, who
responds miraculously to pleas for help. The Lady is named Varda (or in Elvish,
Elbereth or star-queen) and although she is never seen, she's is
described as holy and queenly; and when her name is invoked — "O Elbereth!
Gilthoniel! — as Frodo and Sam do on occasion, miracles follow that protect the
quest and defeat the present enemy.
19. The sign of the cross. At the end of the first movie (and the beginning of the second book) Aragorn kneels beside the mortally wounded Boromir — and as he dies, Aragorn makes a rudimentary sign of the cross touching first his forehead and then his lips. It is a salute to Avatar, the One who created all.
20. There is a last sharing of cup and bread, not unlike O.T.
manna and its fulfillment in The Eucharist.Before the Fellowship departs from
Lorien, Galadriel bids each to participate in a farewell ritual and drink from
a common cup. More significant is the mystical Elvish food given to the
fellowship — lembas or waybread. A small amount of this supernatural
nourishment will sustain a traveler for many days.
All of this should make viewing or reading The Lord of the Rings a more
interesting and insightful experience for both Christians and Catholics.
Aretha Franklin[9]
Aretha Franklin, born on March 25, 1942, in Memphis, Tennessee, became a music legend. Her voice captivated millions, earning her the title “Queen of Soul.”
Personal Note: My sister in September 1970 was a radio
station groupie and via her skill in calling in to the station won tickets to
an Aretha Franklin concert. I had just gotten my license to drive, and she was
too young, so I was forced to go and take her to the concert. I had no clue who
Aretha was, and I was totally surprised that we were about the only white
people at the concert which made me a little anxious, but I found that despite
my being white we were treated with dignity and respect, and we had front row
seats. The concert was incredible.
Daily Devotions
·
Unite in the work of the Porters of St. Joseph by joining them
in fasting: Today's Fast: The
sanctification of the Church Militant.
·
Offering to
the sacred heart of Jesus
·
Make
reparations to the Holy Face
[2]http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/calendar/day.cfm?date=2017-03-25
[4]https://catholiccuisine.blogspot.com/2012/02/recipes-for-march-month-dedicated-to-st.html
[5] Goffine’s Devout Instructions, 1896
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