Claire’s Corner
· Today in honor of the Holy Trinity do the Divine Office giving your day to God. To honor God REST: no shopping after 6 pm Saturday till Monday. Don’t forget the internet.
·
· Bucket List trip: Baku Marathon
· International Firefighters’ Day
· Spirit Hour: Dark Side
· Try Water
On Sundays Pray:
O Glorious Queen of Heaven and Earth, Virgin Most Powerful, thou who hast the power to crush the head of the ancient serpent with thy heel, come and exercise this power flowing from the grace of thine Immaculate Conception. Shield us under the mantle of thy purity and love, draw us into the sweet abode of thy heart and annihilate and render impotent the forces bent on destroying us. Come Most Sovereign Mistress of the Holy Angels and Mistress of the Most Holy Rosary, thou who from the very beginning hast received from God the power and the mission to crush the head of Satan. Send forth thy holy legions, we humbly beseech thee, that under thy command and by thy power they may pursue the evil spirits, counter them on every side, resist their bold attacks and drive them far from us, harming no one on the way, binding them to the foot of the Cross to be judged and sentenced by Jesus Christ Thy Son and to be disposed of by Him as He wills.
St. Joseph, Patron of the Universal Church, come to our aid in this grave battle against the forces of darkness, repel the attacks of the devil and free the members of the Auxilium Christianorum, and those for whom the priests of the Auxilium Christianorum pray, from the strongholds of the enemy.
St. Michael, summon the entire heavenly court to engage their forces in this fierce battle against the powers of hell. Come O Prince of Heaven with thy mighty sword and thrust into hell Satan and all the other evil spirits. O Guardian Angels, guide and protect us. Amen.
MAY 4 Third Sunday of Easter
ST.
FLORIAN-Star Wars-May the fourth be with you
1 Maccabees, Chapter 8, Verse 12
They subjugated kings
both near and far, and all who heard of their fame were AFRAID of them.
This verse is
referring to the Romans (150 B.C.) and Judas Maccabee was impressed with the
romans for, “Judas had heard of the reputation of the Romans. They were valiant
fighters and acted amiably to all who took their side. They established a
friendly alliance with all who applied to them. He was also
told of their battles and the brave deeds that they performed against the Gaul’s.”
(1 Maccabees 8:1-2) Judas sent envoys to Rome, probably before the death of
Nicanor, to conclude a treaty of alliance between Rome and the Jewish nation.
Without precise chronology, the pertinent data are gathered into a unified
theme. The image of the Roman Republic greatly impressed the smaller Eastern
peoples seeking support against their overlords, because of Roman success in
war and effective aid to their allies. Numerous interventions by Rome in the
politics of the Near East bear witness to its power and prestige in the second
century B.C. With the increased Roman control of Palestine after 63 B.C., the
Republic and later the Empire became heartily detested. The eulogy of Rome in
this chapter is one of the reasons why 1 Maccabees was not preserved by
the Palestinian Jews of the century that followed.[1]
Fall of the Roman Republic[2]
Considering the
current politics in America could we have the fall of the American Republic?
In 133 BC, Rome was a
democracy. Little more than a hundred years later it was governed by an
emperor. This imperial system has become, for us, a by-word for autocracy and
the arbitrary exercise of power. At the end of the second century BC the Roman
people was sovereign. True, rich aristocrats dominated politics. In order to
become one of the annually elected 'magistrates' (who in Rome were concerned
with all aspects of government, not merely the law) a man had to be very rich.
Even the system of voting was weighted to give more influence to the votes of
the wealthy. Yet ultimate power lay with the Roman people. Mass assemblies
elected the magistrates, made the laws and took major state decisions. Rome
prided itself on being a 'free republic' and centuries later was the political
model for the founding fathers of the United States. The system was weighted to
give more influence to the votes of the wealthy. By 14 AD, when the first
emperor Augustus died, popular elections had all but disappeared. Power was located
not in the old republican assembly place of the forum, but in the imperial
palace. The assumption was that Augustus's heirs would inherit his rule over
the Roman world - and so they did. This was nothing short of a revolution,
brought about through a century of constant civil strife, and sometimes open
warfare. This ended when Augustus - 'Octavian' as he was then called - finally
defeated his last remaining rivals Mark Antony and Cleopatra in 31 BC and
established himself on the throne.
ON KEEPING
THE LORD'S DAY HOLY[3]
CHAPTER III
DIES ECCLESIAE
The Eucharistic Assembly:
Heart of Sunday
The Sunday Eucharist
34. It is true that, in itself, the
Sunday Eucharist is no different from the Eucharist celebrated on other days,
nor can it be separated from liturgical and sacramental life as a whole. By its
very nature, the Eucharist is an epiphany of the Church; and this is most
powerfully expressed when the diocesan community gathers in prayer with its
Pastor: "The Church appears with special clarity when the holy People of
God, all of them, are actively and fully sharing in the same liturgical
celebrations — especially when it is the same Eucharist — sharing one prayer at
one altar, at which the Bishop is presiding, surrounded by his presbyters and
his ministers". This relationship with the Bishop and with the entire
Church community is inherent in every Eucharistic celebration, even when the
Bishop does not preside, regardless of the day of the week on which it is
celebrated. The mention of the Bishop in the Eucharistic Prayer is the
indication of this.
But because of its special solemnity
and the obligatory presence of the community, and because it is celebrated
"on the day when Christ conquered death and gave us a share in his
immortal life",(44) the Sunday Eucharist expresses with greater emphasis
its inherent ecclesial dimension. It becomes the paradigm for other Eucharistic
celebrations. Each community, gathering all its members for the "breaking
of the bread", becomes the place where the mystery of the Church is
concretely made present. In celebrating the Eucharist, the community opens
itself to communion with the universal Church, imploring the Father to
"remember the Church throughout the world" and make her grow in the
unity of all the faithful with the Pope and with the Pastors of the particular
Churches, until love is brought to perfection.
Third Sunday of Easter[4]An exhortation on how Christ's
flock is to conduct itself and an oblique allusion to the Ascension.
Easter Patronage of St. Joseph
EPISTLE. Gen. xlix.
23-26.
JOSEPH
is a growing son, a growing son and comely to behold: the daughters run to and
fro upon the wall. But they that held darts provoked him, and quarreled with
him, and envied him. His bow rested upon the strong, and the bands of his arms
and his hands were loosed, by the hands of the mighty one of Jacob: thence he
came forth a pastor, the stone of Israel. The God of thy father shall be thy
helper, and the Almighty shall bless thee with the blessings of heaven above,
with the blessings of the deep that lieth beneath, with the blessings of the
breasts and of the womb. The blessings of thy father are strengthened with the
blessings of his fathers: until the desire of the everlasting hills should
come; may they be upon the head of Joseph, and upon the crown of the Nazarite
among his brethren.
GOSPEL. Luke iii.
21-23.
At that time:
It came to pass when all the people were baptized, that Jesus also being
baptized and praying, heaven was opened: and the Holy Ghost descended in a
bodily shape as a dove upon Him: and a voice came from heaven: Thou art My
beloved Son, in Thee I am well pleased. And Jesus Himself was beginning about
the age of thirty years, being (as it was supposed) the son of Joseph.
WHAT WE ARE TO BELIEVE CONCERNING THE
EVANGELICAL COUNSELS
In what does the perfection of the Christian life
consist?
In
the perfection of love (Col. iii. 14). The more a man separates himself from
the world, and unites himself with God, the more perfect he will be. We can
attain to the perfection of the Christian life by means of certain excellent
practices known as the evangelical counsels which Jesus Christ lays before us,
and to which He calls us, without directly commanding us to adopt them. So that
the difference between the commandments and the evangelical counsels consists
in this: that the commandments bind us by an indispensable obligation, but the
evangelical counsels do not. The evangelical counsels are:
1. Voluntary poverty. By voluntary
poverty is understood a free-will renunciation of the riches and goods of this
world in order to follow Jesus Christ in His poverty.
2. Perpetual chastity. By perpetual
chastity we understand a free-will, life-long abstinence, not only from
everything that is contrary to purity, but also abstinence from marriage, in
order to live only for God and His holy service in virginal purity.
3. Entire obedience under a spiritual
director. By entire obedience we are to understand a voluntary renunciation of
one’s own will in order to follow the will and command of a superior whom one
chooses for himself.
evangelical counsels there are three points to be observed, in order that they may serve, or help to eternal salvation:
·
They
must be practiced with a pure intention, seeking thereby nothing else than to
please God and to praise His holy name.
·
With
great humility, in no way giving ourselves preference over others.
·
By
great fidelity in observing not only what one has vowed, but also what is commanded. Also, one should live diligently
and strictly according to the commandments, otherwise the practicing of the evangelical
counsels will be of no avail.
Saint Florian[5] is the patron saint of firefighters, and many things associated with either fire or
water. His feast day is celebrated today.
Saint
Florian was born in
the mid-third century A.D., perhaps around the year 250, somewhere around
current-day Austria. He rose through the Roman army ranks to become a
commander. Besides his duties to the military, he was charged with leading the
firefighting brigade of the day. Florian was a Christian in a time when the
Roman emperors were trying to eliminate Christianity throughout their realm. At
one point he was ordered to offer up a sacrifice to the Roman gods, something
in which he did not believe. Other stories state that he refused to participate
in the ongoing persecution of Christians, in which the army had been ordered to
participate.
In either case, Florian's
beliefs became known. When questioned, he again stated that he was a Christian.
The popular method of disposing of Christians in that day was to burn them to
death, and it was suggested that Florian suffer the same fate. He, however,
stated his intention to "climb to Heaven on the flames"
of the funeral pyre being prepared for him. The soldiers decided at that point
to dispense with him via another route: he was flogged, then flayed, then a
large stone was tied around his neck and he was thrown into the Ennis River to
drown. A faithful lady recovered and buried his body, which was later moved to
the Augustinian Abbey of St. Florian, near current-day Linz, Austria. In 1138
some of St. Florian's relics were given to King Casimir of Poland and
the Bishop of Cracow. Since his relics arrived in Poland, he has been regarded
as the patron saint of that country. Because of his association with fire, St.
Florian is the patron saint of firefighters and chimney sweeps and has been
invoked for protection from both fire and water. A statue of St. Florian
installed at the front of the main firehouse in Vienna, Austria survived a 1945
bombing with barely a scratch.
Please
pray the Stations
of the Cross for our firefighters from 911 and
The Yarnell Hill Firefighters;
which were lost in a wildfire near Yarnell, Arizona, ignited by lightning on
June 28, 2013. On June 30, it overran and killed 19 City of Prescott
firefighters, members of the Granite Mountain Hotshots.
It was the third deadliest U.S. wildfire since the 1991 East Bay Hills fire,
which killed 25 people; and the 2017 Northern California wildfires, which
killed over 40, the deadliest wildland fire for U.S. firefighters since the
1933 Griffith Park Fire, which killed 29; and the deadliest incident of any
kind for U.S. firefighters since the September 11, 2001, attacks, which killed
343. It is the sixth-deadliest American firefighter disaster overall and the
deadliest wildfire ever in Arizona.
Catechism
of the Catholic Church
Day 322 2488-2499
PART THREE: LIFE IN CHRIST
SECTION TWO-THE TEN COMMANDMENTS
CHAPTER
TWO-YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF
Article 8-THE EIGHTH COMMANDMENT
IV. Respect for the Truth
2488 The right
to the communication of the truth is not unconditional. Everyone must conform
his life to the Gospel precept of fraternal love. This requires us in concrete
situations to judge whether or not it is appropriate to reveal the truth to
someone who asks for it.
2489 Charity
and respect for the truth should dictate the response to every request for
information or communication. the good and safety of others, respect for
privacy, and the common good are sufficient reasons for being silent about what
ought not be known or for making use of a discreet language. The duty to avoid
scandal often commands strict discretion. No one is bound to reveal the truth
to someone who does not have the right to know it.
2490 The secret of the sacrament of reconciliation is sacred, and cannot be violated under any pretext. "The sacramental seal is inviolable; therefore, it is a crime for a confessor in any way to betray a penitent by word or in any other manner or for any reason."
2491
Professional secrets - for example, those of political office holders,
soldiers, physicians, and lawyers - or confidential information given under the
seal of secrecy must be kept, save in exceptional cases where keeping the
secret is bound to cause very grave harm to the one who confided it, to the one
who received it or to a third party, and where the very grave harm can be
avoided only by divulging the truth. Even if not confided under the seal of
secrecy, private information prejudicial to another is not to be divulged
without a grave and proportionate reason.
2492 Everyone
should observe an appropriate reserve concerning persons' private lives. Those
in charge of communications should maintain a fair balance between the
requirements of the common good and respect for individual rights. Interference
by the media in the private lives of persons engaged in political or public
activity is to be condemned to the extent that it infringes upon their privacy
and freedom.
V. The Use of the
Social Communications Media
2493 Within
modern society the communications media play a major role in information,
cultural promotion, and formation. This role is increasing, as a result of
technological progress, the extent and diversity of the news transmitted, and
the influence exercised on public opinion.
2494 The
information provided by the media is at the service of the common
good. Society has a right to information based on truth, freedom, justice,
and solidarity:
The proper
exercise of this right demands that the content of the communication be true
and - within the limits set by justice and charity - complete. Further, it
should be communicated honestly and properly. This means that in the gathering
and in the publication of news, the moral law and the legitimate rights and
dignity of man should be upheld.
2495 "It
is necessary that all members of society meet the demands of justice and
charity in this domain. They should help, through the means of social
communication, in the formation and diffusion of sound public
opinion." Solidarity is a consequence of genuine and right
communication and the free circulation of ideas that further knowledge and
respect for others.
2496 The means
of social communication (especially the mass media) can give rise to a certain
passivity among users, making them less than vigilant consumers of what is said
or shown. Users should practice moderation and discipline in their approach to
the mass media. They will want to form enlightened and correct consciences the
more easily to resist unwholesome influences.
2497 By the
very nature of their profession, journalists have an obligation to serve the
truth and not offend against charity in disseminating information. They should
strive to respect, with equal care, the nature of the facts and the limits of
critical judgment concerning individuals. They should not stoop to defamation.
2498
"Civil authorities have particular responsibilities in this field because
of the common good.... It is for the civil authority ... to defend and
safeguard a true and just freedom of information." By promulgating
laws and overseeing their application, public authorities should ensure that
"public morality and social progress are not gravely endangered"
through misuse of the media. Civil authorities should punish any violation
of the rights of individuals to their reputation and privacy. They should give
timely and reliable reports concerning the general good or respond to the
well-founded concerns of the people. Nothing can justify recourse to
disinformation for manipulating public opinion through the media. Interventions
by public authority should avoid injuring the freedom of individuals or groups.
2499 Moral
judgment must condemn the plague of totalitarian states which systematically
falsify the truth, exercise political control of opinion through the media,
manipulate defendants and witnesses at public trials, and imagine that they
secure their tyranny by strangling and repressing everything they consider
"thought crimes."
May the Farce Be with You[6]
May 4th has become commonly known as Star Wars Day. And
who could be surprised? The words, “May the 4th” seem to beg the rest of the
catchphrase be uttered. Regardless of whether you prefer Star Wars or Star
Trek, or if are even a sci-fi aficionado at all, the influence of George Lucas’
Star Wars on pop culture is undeniable.
The History of Star Wars Day
Star Wars, an epic space opera written
and directed by George Lucas, premiered in 1977 and became an almost instant
cult classic. Even today, almost 40 years later, Star Wars remains one of the
most financially successful films of all time. The franchise it began remains
the most successful one of all time, earning over 2.5 billion dollars since the
release of the first film. However, the money it’s earned over the years is
hardly the most impressive aspect of Star Wars. As famous film critic Roger
Ebert put it: “Like The Birth of a Nation and Citizen Kane, Star Wars was a
technical watershed that influenced many of the movies that came after.” Star
Wars was a real game-changer, beginning a new era of special effect-packed
motion pictures bursting with excitement, adventure and imagination that
appealed enormously to younger audiences as well as older ones. Many of today’s
most acclaimed film directors, such as Peter Jackson, Ridley Scott, Christopher
Nolan and James Cameron, cite Star Wars as a great influence on their careers.
Star Wars has also had enormous cultural impact on other areas besides
filmmaking, including politics–the Reagan Administration’s Strategic Defense
Program was mockingly nicknamed “Star Wars”. As recently as 2013, President
Barack Obama used the phrase “Jedi mind meld” to describe what some people were
expecting him to do on his opposition to make them accept his ideas. “May the
Fourth be with you” was first used by Margaret Thatcher’s political party to
congratulate her on her election on May 4th, 1979, and the saying quickly
caught on. However, the first celebration of May 4th took place much later, at
the Toronto Underground Cinema in 2001. This first official Star Wars Day’s
festivities included a costume contest and a movie marathon. Fans’ favorite
parodies of the franchise were also enjoyed, as were some of the most popular mashups
and remixes. Since then, Star Wars Day has gained popularity and is celebrated
by Star Wars Fans worldwide.
How to Celebrate Star Wars Day
The way you celebrate Star Wars day
will depend on how well you know this cultural phenomenon. If you are a
longtime fan of the franchise, you might want to get a group of friends
together and attend one of the many Star Wars events organized in different
parts of the world. Such events range from costume contests to museum exhibits
to tours of space centers. And if you’re not feeling up to going out, there’s
no reason why a Star Wars Day party organized by you at home should be any less
fun. Movie marathons with friends, Star Wars trivia games and even Star Wars
themed snacks (Death Star piñata, anyone?) will guarantee this day is full of
fun as well as being very educational. “Vadering” another person has also
become an extremely popular thing to do on this day, and the photos you take of
this are sure to bring a smile to your face for years to come. Because Star
Wars itself is such an enormous topic, the ways of celebrating the day
dedicated to it are virtually endless. So, choose one, have fun, and May the
4th be with you!
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
·
Litany of the Most Precious
Blood of Jesus
·
Offering to
the sacred heart of Jesus
·
Make
reparations to the Holy Face
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