National
Doughnut Day[1]
National
Doughnut Day is a day of appreciation of Salvation Army volunteers who
distributed doughnuts to servicemen during World War I. Doughnuts are
fried circular pieces of dough that are usually topped with sugar syrups,
chocolate, nuts and other flavorings. National Doughnut Day began in 1938 as a
fundraiser for Chicago's Salvation Army. The fundraiser aimed to support
the needy and honor the Salvation Army volunteers who donated their time during
World War I to hand out doughnuts to the soldiers. When the US entered
the war in 1917, Salvation Army huts were formed where many female volunteers
were deployed to mother the soldiers. During this time, women began to
make doughnuts for the servicemen who began to refer to the women as, Doughnut
Dollies. This national holiday is celebrated each year on the first Friday in
June.
National Doughnut Day Top Events
and Things to Do
·
Visit
your local doughnut store for specials and promotions to celebrate National
Doughnut Day. Many doughnut stores offer free doughnuts or specials.
·
Try
to make your own doughnuts with your favorite toppings, or try new blends of
sweet and savory toppings. Some interesting twists include maple bacon
doughnut, smoked salmon doughnut and grilled cheese doughnuts!
·
Become
a volunteer with The Salvation Army. According to The Salvation Army, more than 30
million Americans received assistance from the Salvation Army's officers,
employees and 3.4 million volunteers in 2014.
·
Pick
up a large box of doughnuts on your way to work or school to share with
friends, family, colleagues or fellow students
[1]https://www.wincalendar.com/Doughnut-Day
NIC’s Corner
“Give thanks to the LORD for he is good,
his mercy endures forever!
(Psalm 107:1)
· National Migraine and Headache Awareness Month
o Cheat:
o Spirit Hour: Vodka-say it in Russian
§ Wine Days Festival in Armenia
· Bucket List trip: Armenia
· Get an indulgence
· Exercise that requires strength, beauty, courage and a little stupidity. Kinda like going out into the desert where there are snakes and pointy things.
All forms of aerial arts can be incredibly dangerous since your whole body will be suspended in the air and your entire weight will be held up by what is essentially a piece of fabric.
Aerial silks (also known as aerial contortion, aerial ribbons, aerial tissues, fabric, ribbon, or tissu) is a type of performance in which one or more artists perform aerial acrobatics while hanging from a specialist fabric. The fabric may be hung as two pieces, or a single piece, folded to make a loop, classified as hammock silks. Performers climb the suspended fabric without the use of safety lines and rely only on their training and skill to ensure safety. They use the fabric to wrap, suspend, drop, swing, and spiral their bodies into and out of various positions. The fabric may also be used to fly through the air, striking poses and figures. Some performers use rosin (dried or mixed with rubbing alcohol) on their hands and feet to increase the friction and grip on the fabric. Aerial silks is a demanding art and requires a high degree of strength, power, flexibility, courage, stamina, and grace to practice.[11]
· Today is also National Drive-In Movie Day
· Today is the feast of St. Norbert take time to go to adoration
St. Norbert-Although a cleric, Norbert led a very worldly life for a number of years. The decisive change took place suddenly in 1115. While riding one day, he was overtaken by a thunderstorm. A flash of lightning struck the ground before him, the horse threw him, and he seemed to hear a voice upbraiding him for his conduct.
As in the case of St. Paul, the experience wrought a complete transformation. Norbert decided to give away his property and income rights, and to lead a life of abnegation, devoting himself particularly to preaching. In 1120 he founded the Order of Premonstratensians (the first monastery was at Premontre) according to the rule of St. Augustine; approval came from Pope Honorius II in 1126.
In 1125, he was named archbishop of Magdeburg. On July 13, 1126, Norbert entered the city and came barefoot to the cathedral. About to enter the archepiscopal palace, he was refused admission by the porter, who failed to recognize a bishop so poorly dressed. "You know me better and see me with clearer eyes than those who are forcing me to this palace. Poor and wretched man that I am, I should never have been assigned to this place," Norbert answered when the porter later sought his pardon.
—Excerpted from The Church's Year of Grace, Pius Parsch
JUNE 6 First Friday of the Sixth Week of Easter
Eid al-Adha-D-DAY-Fish and Chips Day-Gardening Exercise Day
Acts, Chapter 18, verse 9-10
9
One night in a vision the Lord said to
Paul, “Do not be AFRAID. Go on speaking, and do not be silent, 10 for I am with you. No one will attack and harm you, for I have many
people in this city.”
When we remain silent in the presence of evil, out of fear, this is wrong. Our Lord suffers with every injustice. We must speak out against evil our Lord tells us, “Go on speaking, and do not be silent, for I am with you.”
One such evil is the murder of the unborn. The good news is we can do something.
"Silence in the face of evil is itself evil.
God will not hold us guiltless.
Not to speak is to speak.
Not to act is to act"
~
Deitrich Bonhoeffer.
The
Virtue of Intolerance[1]
Intolerance has a bad reputation. And with good reason too. Still, I’m not so sure it should be thrown out with the bathwater quite yet. As a matter of fact, I’m actually an advocate of having a good healthy dose of it.
Surprised?
Keep reading. I think you’ll agree.
You see, the problem with
intolerance is not so much the intolerance per se as much as what our
intolerance is directed at. It’s the object of
intolerance that makes it a moral issue. Change the object and the morality of
your intolerance changes too. There are certainly things in life we should
tolerate like human differences, the incessant questions from children, clumsy
attempts by good-meaning people to offer help, bad fashion and the like. But
there are times when intolerance is an outright virtue. Read on to see what I
mean …
10 Things Worthy of Our Intolerance
1.
Be Intolerant of Naysayers
Pursuing
our dreams and reaching our goals are hard enough on their own. Trying to swim
upstream as others throw rocks at us makes it unnecessarily harder. So be wary
of sharing your goals with those who habitually doubt and criticize and put
down. Wet blankets are wet blankets no matter what the relationship. Choose who
you confide in wisely. Those
who tolerate pessimism (from themselves or others) are those who volunteer to
climb the mountain of life with one arm tied behind their back and one leg cut
off. Still, don’t
confuse pessimism with wisdom or prudence. Optimism is not intellectual
laziness. Positive thinking does not grant absolution from responsibility or
honest self-evaluation of your assets, abilities and commitment. It doesn’t excuse you from
the hard work of preparation. Optimists still buy life insurance. But where pessimism itself is
creating deep caverns of difficulty between you and your dreams, a quiet and
respectful yet sturdy and firm intolerance may be the most appropriate
response.
2. Be Intolerant of Hate
Don’t tolerate racist
jokes and comments. Don’t
accept hateful barbs thrown at you or others. Never look the other way or
excuse the bully regardless of the bully’s background. To do otherwise is to enable and empower the
hate, to turn your back on the bullied, give tacit approval to the intolerable
behavior and abandon its object to a miserable fate. Don’t tolerate your own
hate either. Hatred is a cancer
that must be removed before it metastasizes into the bone marrow of your soul.
But be careful not to accuse every disagreement as being motivated by
hate. Be tolerant of opposing ideas even if intolerant of the hate that may
motivate some who articulate them.
3.
Be Intolerant of Dishonesty
Don’t accept lies.
Period. Don’t
tell them. Don’t
accept them. Live your life in such a way as to not feel the need to hide
behind them. Don’t
allow others (or yourself) the opportunity to nestle into their own cowardice.
That is, after all, what lying is. It’s an attempt to get around the
consequences of our decisions. Or perhaps it’s a way to avoid the overreaction
of someone close or who has authority over us. Even so, have the courage to let
the person overreacting choose how to deal with an honest life, not a pretended
one. Then have the courage to accept their response.
4.
Be Intolerant of Hypocrisy
Do you expect from others what you
don’t expect from yourself? Do you impose a set of rules on others you won’t
accept as an imposition on you?
That’s what hypocrisy is, you know.
Hypocrisy is the act of living a lie, pretending to be something you’re not or requiring
others to live by a set of rules you reject for yourself. If you tolerate hypocrisy from others, stop it! Demand an equal
playing field. Anything less is a form of servitude. Refuse to be a slave to
someone else’s
unwillingness to treat you like an equal.
But remember that hypocrisy is not the same as inconsistency or human
frailty. We are all inconsistent at living up to all we value. Otherwise, we
would be perfect – or would have no ideals, standards or values we would have
to bother trying to live up to. So be decidedly tolerant of people
inconsistently trying to live up to their values and intolerant of those who
would hide behind their values or impose them on others while ducking the
imposition themselves.
5.
Be Intolerant of Excuses
Excuses
are messy things. They squirm and whine and reshape themselves like playdough
pushed into cracks and crevasses. They defuse and deny, weaken and stifle
greatness. Stay away from the
numbing poison of excuses. Providing reasons is not the same as
giving excuses, though. Reasons give an accounting, while excuses justify.
Reasons accept responsibility, while excuses seek to pin fault on someone else’s lapel. Reasons
explain, while excuses try to divert attention and hide motive. So never give in to the self-defeating urge
to give excuses for balls dropped and wrong turns made. And
while you’re
at it, don’t
accept them from others either. Hold yourself and others accountable for the
decisions you and they make. Be compassionate, forgiving and patient as we all
learn to accept responsibility for our choices, but intolerant of the excuses
we may try to irresponsibly hide behind in the meantime.
6. Be Intolerant of Gossip
If
you are not intolerant of gossip you will become a steppingstone for it to
spread its social damage. Gossip
not shared but tolerated is fueled. Refuse to tolerate it. Stop it dead in its tracks. Ask for
evidence. Make those dishing it out explain themselves. Suggest going to the
person being gossiped about for their side as a concerned friend or neighbor or
associate. Be the person
responsible for killing the words that whisper and sneak behind backs and
cowardly hide behind anonymity. Gossip is a form of cowardice.
Cowardice dies in the light. Shine the light.
7. Be Intolerant of Timewasters
The
respect you have for yourself and others can be seen in the way you treat your
time and theirs. Don’t
get me wrong, socializing and recreation are not wastes of time. They are
essential to renew and befriend and experience many of life’s little joys. But
to spend hours on end in no particular endeavor, as a pattern of repeated
behavior, stealing the moments otherwise available for more meaningful
activities is to fundamentally misunderstand what life was meant to be … and, most
tragically, what you could have
become and accomplished had time been used more wisely.
8. Be Intolerant of Ingratitude
Ingratitude
is a particularly ugly form of selfishness. It’s taking others’ kindness for
granted, indifferent to their thoughtfulness.
Ingratitude is intolerable because it fails to
recognize the humanity of the person who has done something kind.
Even Jesus asked the 10th leper where the other nine were he had healed when
the 10th was the only one to thank him. Help people grow by gently and lovingly
and compassionately reminding them to express gratitude more freely. You will
be helping them lay a foundation for greater and deeper and more consistent
levels of happiness. Still, the most effective way to encourage gratitude in
others is to be grateful yourself. Lead by example, not in spite of it.
9. Be Intolerant of Self-condemnation
The
words we use when we talk to ourselves or about ourselves matter tremendously.
They matter because our words tend to gel into belief. And belief sets the
parameter for action. We will never do what we are sure can never
be done. So our self-talk,
the tone and words and meaning we use in our internal dialogue, shapes us,
affecting (sometimes infecting) our attitudes and reactions to life. When we
criticize and condemn, we start to believe we’re less, unworthy,
inevitable screw-ups and good for very little. Don’t tolerate it.
Correct it. Argue against it. Push the little whiny weasel into the corner and
out the backdoor …
then lock it! And never allow the weasel back in. Tolerate mistakes and human
imperfection. Don’t
tolerate the self-abusive contempt we sometimes internalize when we inevitably
stumble.
10. Be Intolerant of Fear
Fear
of bee stings is a good thing if you’re deathly allergic and standing at
the edge of a field of flowers swarming with the little buggers as a friend (or
enemy?) waves you out into the field. But it’s not a
good thing if it keeps you from ever going outside. Context and degree are important factors to
consider when evaluating the psychological health of your fear. But
here are a few basic questions that should help:
•
Is your fear limiting your ability to live life to its fullest?
•
Is it tearing you apart from the inside?
•
Is it harming relationships, self-esteem, self-respect, work performance or
otherwise getting in the way?
•
Is it chronic and debilitating?
•
Does it control you?
•
Is it overwhelming?
If your answer is yes to any of those questions, you are tolerating a response to a perceived threat that may not be as threatening as you think it is. If you can, confront it. If you can’t, get help from someone who can walk you through it or around it or away from it. Remember, fear is only a perceived obstacle to the path you want to travel. It does not control you. It’s nothing more than a feeling, an emotional response to a perceived outcome. Change the perception and the fear starts to dissipate.
First Friday
Promises[2]
Those who faithfully complete the
First Friday devotion for nine consecutive months are promised the following,
as told to Roman Catholic nun St. Margaret Mary Alacoque by Our Lord Jesus Christ:
1.
I
will give them all of the graces necessary for their state of life.
2.
I
will establish peace in their homes.
3.
I
will comfort them in all their afflictions.
4.
I
will be their strength during life and above all during death.
5.
I
will bestow a large blessing upon all their undertakings.
6.
Sinners
shall find in My Heart the source and the infinite ocean
of mercy.
7.
Tepid
souls shall grow fervent.
8.
Fervent
souls shall quickly mount to high perfection.
9.
I
will bless every place where a picture of my heart shall be set up and honored.
10. I will give to priests the gift of
touching the most hardened hearts.
11. Those who shall promote
this devotion
shall have their names written in My Heart, never to be blotted out.
12. I promise you in the excessive
mercy of My Heart that My all-powerful love will grant all to those who
communicate on the First Friday in nine consecutive months the grace of final
penitence; they shall not die in My disgrace nor without receiving their sacraments;
My Divine Heart shall be their safe refuge in this last moment.
To gain these
blessings there are just three simple requirements to complete each month.
- Attend Holy Mass
- Receive Communion
- Go to Confession if not in a state of grace
Have you made the 9 first Fridays not many have. Reflecting on this I decided to enlist the aid of these 14 holy helper in my making the nine consecutive first Fridays requested by our Lord making them a part of my "master mind group". Problem? 14 does not go in nine. Then I realized that I also want to completed the 5 first Saturdays. Bingo 9+5=14.
Today's holy helper is St. George.
Saint George, a victim of the Diocletian persecution. What little is known about this popular saint comes by way of Saint Ephrem the Syrian. George was born in Cappadocia (Turkey) but moved with his noble mother to Palestine after the death of his father. Being of robust body he enlisted in the army and advanced to a high rank of tribune. When the persecution of Diocletian broke out George rebuked him for his cruelty. Consequently, the brave tribune was cast into prison in the city of Lydda and tortured. No torment could move him to renounce Christ. Rather, he said to the judge, “It were better for you to acknowledge the true God and seek His kingdom.” While being tortured and tied to a spiked wheel, George was encouraged by a vision of Our Lord. Many witnesses were converted by his steadfast firmness of faith. Finally, he was sent to heaven by being beheaded. The year was 303. Saint George is invoked against diseases of the skin and palsy.
I will ask St. George to pray for me and guide me to our Lord's heart and in relay fashion hand me off at the approach of the 2nd first Friday to Saint Blaise on the first Friday of September.
You need simply watch; the punishment of the wicked you will see.
Because you have the LORD for your refuge and have made the Most High your stronghold,
No evil shall befall you, no affliction come near your tent.
For he commands his angels with regard to you, to guard you wherever you go.
With their hands they shall support you, lest you strike your foot against a stone.
You can tread upon the asp and the viper, trample the lion and the dragon. Psalm 91:8-13.
What are the seven wounds or scars of Christ?[3]
God’s love for sinners led Him to give all for their salvation (Romans 5:8). Jesus Christ bore the chastisement necessary to give guilty humans peace with God. “But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5). Our Savior shed His blood to save humanity from eternal death (Romans 6:23). He did this because, “Without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sins” (Leviticus 17:11, 14; Hebrew 9:22). Every animal sacrifice pointed forward to the ultimate sacrifice of the “Lamb of God, which takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). Therefore, “the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 1:7). The Bible records the following seven wounds or scars of Jesus:
1-The wounds on His head
Matthew wrote,
“And plaiting a crown of thorns, they put it on His head… (ch. 27:9, also John 19:5).
The type of thorns that were grown in Jerusalem were called the Arabian
Nebulae. This plant had sharp thorns that were up to 4 inches long. It is
estimated that the cruel crown had over 100 spicules or thorns. This crown was
pushed into Jesus’ head causing deep wounds. The prophecy given to Ezekiel
appears to apply not only to him in his day, but also of Jesus. “And he said unto me, Son of man,
I send thee to the children of Israel, to a rebellious nation that hath
rebelled against me: they and their fathers have transgressed against me, even
unto this very day… And thou, son of man,
be not afraid of them, neither be afraid of their words, though briers and
thorns be with thee, and thou dost dwell among scorpions: be not afraid of
their words, nor be dismayed at their looks, though they be a rebellious house”
(Ezekiel 2:3, 6). In
addition, Jesus received blows on his face on two different occasions. This
could have caused additional wounds or scars. Matthew wrote,
“Then they spat in His face and beat Him; and others struck Him with the palms
of their hands” (Matthew 26:67;
John 18:22). This was a fulfillment to the Old Testament prophecy. “I
gave My back to those who struck Me, and My cheeks to those who plucked out the
beard; I did not hide My face from shame and spitting” (Isaiah 50:6).
2-The wounds on His back
“Then
Pilate therefore took Jesus and scourged Him” (Matthew 27:20; John 19:1). The
Romans used the brutal cat-of-nine tails whip to scourge prisoners. At the tips
of the whip were nine strands of leather which had sharp bones or metal balls
attached with nails. As the whip was lashed on the back of the prisoners, it
would tear out the flesh causing intense bleeding. According to the law,
victims could be whipped up to 40 times.
However, the punishment would frequently end at 39 lashes because the effects
were often fatal.
This was a fulfillment of several Old Testament prophecies to the wounds or scars of Jesus. “The plowers plowed on my back; they made their furrows long” (Psalms 129:3). “I gave My back to the smiters” (Isaiah 50:6). Also, “They shall smite the Judge of Israel with a rod” (Micah 5:1). Jesus indeed endured suffering and pain for those whom He loves.
3 and 4-The wounds on His two hands
Perhaps
the most notable scars or wounds of Jesus are those on His hands from the
crucifixion. “So Pilate, wanting to gratify the crowd, released Barabbas to
them; and he delivered Jesus, after he had scourged Him, to be crucified” (Mark 15:15
also Matthew 27:26, 35; John 19:1, 17). The nailing of Jesus’ hands was a
fulfillment to a Messianic Psalm. “For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of
the wicked have inclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet” (Psalm 22:16). Also,
the prophet Zechariah foretold of the Messiah’s pierced
hands. “And one shall say unto Him, what are these wounds in Thine hands?…”
(ch. 13:6). He also added, “They shall look upon Him Whom they have pierced” (Zechariah 12:10).
After the resurrection, Jesus invited Thomas “the doubter” to see and touch His nail-pierced hands for himself. “Reach your finger here, and look at My hands… Do not be unbelieving, but believing” (John 20:27).
5 and 6- The wounds on His two feet
The
New Testament records that Jesus was crucified by nailing His feet. “And when
they were come… to Calvary, there they crucified Jesus” (Luke 23:33;
John 19:16-18). This was a fulfillment to the Old Testament prophecy that
stated, “For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have enclosed
me: they pierced my hands and my feet” (Psalm 22:16). Also, “They shall look
upon Him Whom they have pierced” (Zechariah 12:10). The piercing of the feet was an important part
of the crucifixion. When the victim was nailed in the feet to the cross,
this was essential to them being able to breathe. As they hung with arms
extended, breathing was very difficult, and the person would have to push up
with their legs onto their nail-pierced feet in order to inhale. It caused
excruciating pain with
every breath, but it was how the victim temporarily survived. This is why the
guards would break the legs of the victim in order for the person to expire.
However, it was prophesied of Jesus that none of His bones would be broken. “He
keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken” (Psalm 34:20).
“The Jews therefore, because it was the preparation, that the bodies should not remain upon the cross on the sabbath day, (for that sabbath day was an high day,) besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away… But when they came to Jesus, and saw that he was dead already, they brake not his legs… For these things were done, that the scripture should be fulfilled, A bone of him shall not be broken” (John 19:31, 33, 36).
7- The wound on His side
In
order to verify Jesus’ death,
“one of the soldiers with a spear pierced His side, and forthwith came there
out blood and water” (John 19:34). This fulfilled the Old Testament prophecy
that stated, “They shall look upon Him Whom they have pierced” (Zechariah
12:10). After the resurrection, Jesus invited Thomas “the
doubter” to put his hand also into His side saying, “Reach your finger here…and
put it into My side…” (John 20:27). This final piercing of Jesus showed the state of His
heart. The fact that both water and blood came out demonstrates the extreme
stress and trauma He was under. It was so intense that it brought about a
condition known as pericardial effusion. This is where fluid builds around the
heart and can be fatal. It is often said that this event shows that Jesus
died of a broken heart.
Jesus’ wounds of love
God
demonstrated inexplicable love for the lost race in enduring this sacrifice for
us. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son,
that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John
3:16). “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for
his friends” (John 15:13).
The
scars or wounds on Christ’s glorified body will remain throughout eternity to
testify to the Creator’s
infinite love for humanity. “And one shall say unto him, What are these wounds
in thine hands? Then he shall answer, those with which I was wounded in the
house of my friends” (Zechariah 13:6).
Apostolic Exhortation[4]
Veneremur
Cernui – Down in Adoration Falling
of The Most
Reverend Thomas J. Olmsted, Bishop of Phoenix,
to Priests, Deacons, Religious and the Lay Faithful of the Diocese of Phoenix
on the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist
My beloved Brothers and
Sisters in Christ,
Part III
Loving and Adoring the
Eucharistic Lord
III. Increase your time of
Eucharistic adoration.
79. Friends deepen their love
and affection by spending time together. The same is true of our relationship
with Christ. Eucharistic adoration prolongs the mystery of Jesus’ self-offering
in the Mass. To adore the Eucharistic Jesus is to lovingly savor and delight in
His sacramental presence. It is not opposed to the Mass or a substitute to the
Mass. Rather, Eucharistic adoration flows from the sacred liturgy and back to
it again. As lovers’ eyes linger in a shared gaze after and before their kiss,
so adoration before the Eucharist shares a natural rhythm of the “kiss” of Holy
Communion. Love survives on both contemplation and union, on the gaze and the
kiss.
80. Saint Augustine teaches us
this when, in speaking about the Eucharistic Body of Christ, he said that “we
consume what we adore, and we adore what we consume.” To enter into this
circle of adoration and consummation is to know a foretaste of the beatitude
which the Lord desires us to know. The Saints are the best teachers of the
power of Eucharistic adoration. Saint Dominic Savio once wrote: “To be happy
nothing is lacking for me in this world; I lack only the vision in Heaven of
that Jesus, whom with the eyes of faith I now see and adore on the altar.” Once
a person complained to Saint Teresa of Avila that his faith in Jesus would have
been stronger if he could have seen the Lord during the days of his earthly
ministry. The Saint quickly responded, “But do we not have in the Eucharist the
living, true and real Jesus present before us? Why look for more?”. Who can forget the moving wisdom of the farmer
who, when asked by Saint John Marie Vianney what he does for hours in front of
the tabernacle, responded: “I look at Him and He looks at me.” Venerable J.J.
Olier wrote: “When there are two roads which will bring me to some place, I
take the one with more churches so as to be nearer the Blessed Sacrament. When
I see a place where my Jesus is, I could not be happier, and I say, ‘You are
here, my God and my All’.”
81. Extended time in
Eucharistic adoration deepens our prayer in marvelous ways. Pope Francis spoke
of this prayer as a kind of necessity during a homily in 2016: “We cannot know
the Lord without this habit of worship, to worship in silence, adoration. If I
am not mistaken, I believe that this prayer of adoration is one of the least
known by us, it’s the one that we do the least. Allow me to say this: waste
time in front of the Lord, in front of the mystery of Jesus Christ. Worship
him. There in silence, the silence of adoration. He is the Savior and I worship
him”.
An
HOUR’S Adoration before the Blessed Sacrament
To be continued…
Catechism of the Catholic Church
Day 354 2765-2772
PART FOUR: CHRISTIAN PRAYER
SECTION TWO-THE LORD'S PRAYER
Article 1-"THE
SUMMARY OF THE WHOLE GOSPEL"
II. The Lord's Prayer
2765 The traditional expression "the Lord's
Prayer" - oratio Dominica - means that the prayer to our Father is taught
and given to us by the Lord Jesus. the prayer that comes to us from Jesus is
truly unique: it is "of the Lord." On the one hand, in the words of
this prayer the only Son gives us the words the Father gave him: he is the
master of our prayer. On the other, as Word incarnate, he knows in his human
heart the needs of his human brothers and sisters and reveals them to us: he is
the model of our prayer.
2766 But Jesus does not give us a formula to repeat
mechanically. As in every vocal prayer, it is through the Word of God that
the Holy Spirit teaches the children of God to pray to their Father. Jesus not
only gives us the words of our filial prayer; at the same time he gives us the
Spirit by whom these words become in us "spirit and life." Even
more, the proof and possibility of our filial prayer is that the Father
"sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, 'Abba! Father!'" Since
our prayer sets forth our desires before God, it is again the Father, "he
who searches the hearts of men," who "knows what is the mind of the
Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of
God." The prayer to Our Father is inserted into the mysterious
mission of the Son and of the Spirit.
III. The Prayer of
the Church
2767 This
indivisible gift of the Lord's words and of the Holy Spirit who gives life to
them in the hearts of believers has been received and lived by the Church from
the beginning. the first communities prayed the Lord's Prayer three times a
day, in place of the "Eighteen Benedictions" customary in Jewish
piety.
2768 According
to the apostolic tradition, the Lord's Prayer is essentially rooted in
liturgical prayer:
[The Lord]
teaches us to make prayer in common for all our brethren. For he did not say
"my Father" who art in heaven, but "our" Father, offering
petitions for the common body.
In all the liturgical
traditions, the Lord's Prayer is an integral part of the major hours of the
Divine Office. In the three sacraments of Christian initiation its ecclesial
character is especially in evidence:
2769 In
Baptism and Confirmation, the handing on (traditio) of the Lord's Prayer
signifies new birth into the divine life. Since Christian prayer is our
speaking to God with the very word of God, those who are "born anew".
. . through the living and abiding word of God" learn to invoke their
Father by the one Word he always hears. They can henceforth do so, for the seal
of the Holy Spirit's anointing is indelibly placed on their hearts, ears, lips,
indeed their whole filial being. This is why most of the patristic commentaries
on the Our Father are addressed to catechumens and neophytes. When the Church
prays the Lord's Prayer, it is always the people made up of the
"new-born" who pray and obtain mercy.
2770 In the
Eucharistic liturgy the Lord's Prayer appears as the prayer of the whole Church
and there reveals its full meaning and efficacy. Placed between the anaphora
(the Eucharistic prayer) and the communion, the Lord's Prayer sums up on the
one hand all the petitions and intercessions expressed in the movement of the
epiclesis and, on the other, knocks at the door of the Banquet of the kingdom
which sacramental communion anticipates.
2771 In the
Eucharist, the Lord's Prayer also reveals the eschatological character of its
petitions. It is the proper prayer of "the end-time," the time of
salvation that began with the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and will be
fulfilled with the Lord's return. the petitions addressed to our Father, as
distinct from the prayers of the old covenant, rely on the mystery of salvation
already accomplished, once for all, in Christ crucified and risen.
2772 From this
unshakeable faith springs forth the hope that sustains each of the seven
petitions, which express the groanings of the present age, this time of
patience and expectation during which "it does not yet appear what we
shall be." The Eucharist and the Lord's Prayer look eagerly for the
Lord's return, "until he comes."
Eid al-Adha[5]
Eid al-Adha (Arabic: عيد الأضحى) commemorates Prophet Abraham's willingness to sacrifice
everything for God, including his son, Ismael. God became impressed with
Abraham's sincerity and gave him a ram to sacrifice instead. For that
reason, Muslims who can afford to do so also sacrifice an animal on any one of
the three days of Eid al-Adha. A third of the meat is kept, a third is
shared with family members, and a third is given away to needy people. Eid
al-Adha is a time of sacrifice for Muslims.
Eid Al-Adha Facts
·
Unlike regular prayers, prayers for Eid al-Adha
takes place in any large, open field. There Muslims from many mosques
congregate together. Usually, mosques collaborate together to find a
field that is convenient for everyone to go to. In the United States, Eid
prayers often occur in parks.
·
Festivities begin with a prayer service,
followed by a brief sermon on the morning of the first day. During the
prayer, Muslims recite verses from the Quran, lead by an Imam, prostrate to
God, and send their peace to Muhammad and Abraham.
·
Since this festival occurs immediately after the
Day of Arafah, many of those who go to pilgrimage celebrate it in Mina (Saudi
Arabia), where thousands of animals are slaughtered for sacrifice.
·
It is customary for Muslims perform a ritual
body washing shower, called "ghusl," before walking to the place of
prayers. This is in accordance with the tradition of the Prophet
Muhammad.
Eid al-Adha Top Events and Things to Do
·
Often, a large party is thrown by Muslims on one
of the three days of Eid al-Adha. Meat from slaughtered animals is
served.
·
It is customary for Muslim men who have lost
loved ones visit graveyards on Eid al-Adha.
·
It is Islamic tradition to wear your most
beautiful clothes on the first day of Eid al-Adha. A few days before Eid
al-Adha, Muslim’s shop for their new Eid clothes. Merchants in Islamic
countries often hold their biggest sales before Eid al-Adha.
·
As Christian’s
let us learn to sacrifice everything for God,
like the Muslims.
D-Day Memorial
The men who took the beach at D-Day were afraid because they too knew what may happen to them, yet too, they were succored by our Lord and our nation’s prayers.
This is the prayer originally entitled "Let Our Hearts Be Stout" written by President Franklin D. Roosevelt as Allied troops were invading German-occupied Europe during World War II. The prayer was read to the Nation on radio on the evening of D-Day, June 6, 1944, while American, British and Canadian troops were fighting to establish five beach heads on the coast of Normandy in northern France.
The previous night, June 5th, the President had also been on the radio to announce that Allied troops had entered Rome. The spectacular news that Rome had been liberated was quickly superseded by news of the gigantic D-Day invasion which began at 6:30 a.m. on June 6th. By midnight, about 57,000 American and 75,000 British and Canadian soldiers had made it ashore, amid losses that included 2,500 killed and 8,500 wounded.
"Let Our Hearts Be Stout"
President Franklin D. Roosevelt
My
Fellow Americans:
Last
night, when I spoke with you about the fall of Rome, I knew at that moment that
troops of the United States and our Allies were crossing the Channel in another
and greater operation. It has come to pass with success thus far.
And
so, in this poignant hour, I ask you to join with me in prayer:
Almighty God: Our
sons, pride of our nation, this day have set upon a mighty endeavor, a struggle
to preserve our Republic, our religion, and our civilization, and to set free a
suffering humanity.
Lead them straight
and true; give strength to their arms, stoutness to their hearts, steadfastness
in their faith.
They will need Thy
blessings. Their road will be long and hard. For the enemy is strong. He may
hurl back our forces. Success may not come with rushing speed, but we shall
return again and again; and we know that by Thy grace, and by the righteousness
of our cause, our sons will triumph.
They will be sore
tried, by night and by day, without rest -- until the victory is won. The
darkness will be rent by noise and flame. Men's souls will be shaken with the
violence’s of war.
For these men are
lately drawn from the ways of peace. They fight not for the lust of conquest.
They fight to end conquest. They fight to liberate. They fight to let justice
arise, and tolerance and goodwill among all Thy people. They yearn but for the
end of battle, for their return to the haven of home.
Some will never
return. Embrace these, Father, and receive them, Thy heroic servants, into Thy
kingdom.
And for us at home
-- fathers, mothers, children, wives, sisters, and brothers of brave men
overseas, whose thoughts and prayers are ever with them -- help us, Almighty
God, to rededicate ourselves in renewed faith in Thee in this hour of great
sacrifice.
Many people have
urged that I call the nation into a single day of special prayer. But because
the road is long and the desire is great, I ask that our people devote
themselves in a continuance of prayer. As we rise to each new day, and again
when each day is spent, let words of prayer be on our lips, invoking Thy help
to our efforts.
Give us strength,
too -- strength in our daily tasks, to redouble the contributions we make in
the physical and the material support of our armed forces.
And let our hearts
be stout, to wait out the long travail, to bear sorrows that may come, to
impart our courage unto our sons wheresoever they may be.
And, O Lord, give
us faith. Give us faith in Thee; faith in our sons; faith in each other; faith
in our united crusade. Let not the keenness of our spirit ever be dulled. Let
not the impacts of temporary events, of temporal matters of but fleeting moment
-- let not these deter us in our unconquerable purpose.
With Thy blessing,
we shall prevail over the unholy forces of our enemy. Help us to conquer the
apostles of greed and racial arrogances. Lead us to the saving of our country,
and with our sister nations into a world unity that will spell a sure peace -- a
peace invulnerable to the scheming’s of unworthy men. And a peace that will let
all of men live in freedom, reaping the just rewards of their honest toil.
Thy
will be done, Almighty God. Amen.
President
Franklin D. Roosevelt - June 6, 1944
Top things to do in the US
for D-Day Anniversary[6]
- Participate
in an eletronic
field trip that explores the historic invasion site in Normandy,
France.
- Visit
the D-day
memorial in Bedford, Virginia.
- Watch
a documentary
about the battle for the bridge at La Fière.
The power
of Diligence
In John McCain’s book Character is Destiny[7] he perceived the character traits exemplified by Winston Churchill who best displays the characteristic of DILIGENCE. Churchill persevered through every trial and misfortune to alert his countrymen to the approaching danger of Nazi Germany, and to save them when they ignored his warning.
We must be just as diligent in our pursuit to do the will of God in our lives.
Churchill’s most famous quote is,
“Never give in. Never give in. Never, never, never, never—in nothing great or small, large or petty—never give in, except to convictions of honor and good sense.”
Winston never did give in he led his country at the age of 67 living a life of many failures to become the prime minister of England during their greatest need.
McCain says of Churchill:
This extraordinarily diligent man, who would not give in to many bitter trials that would have forced most of us to surrender to a cruel and unrelenting fate, who had fought, been beaten, and risen again so many times to take his place among the great democratic leaders of world history, would, by the power of his speech and the unyielding courage of his example and convictions, lead his country through the most dangerous experience of its long history. He stood alone first, and then as Britain’s leader as she stood alone, letting no defeat, no danger, no impossibly overwhelming odds destroy his courage or his will. He would not give in. Never, never, never, never. And, due in great part to the courage he inspired in others, neither would his country.
The New D-Day[8]
Today we battle an enemy of dark and demonic forces not on the shores of Normandy but in our homes as these demonic forces make their final assault on the family via the contempt of the modernist elitists. Never give in. We may not have an Eisenhower (where is our general?) (Is the Pope or the president Catholic?) It may our Lady and the Holy Spirit that has to lead us.
Here are three ways to resist the spirit of defeat and maintain faith in the family.
·
Make a renewal
of the marriage promises.
·
Do family
retreats.
·
Weekly
Family
Holy Hour in a church.
Fish and Chips Day[9]
Rich, delicious, and flavorful, and
utterly satisfying, that’s
the best way to describe this treat. There’s
something about the tang of salt and the oil-stained newspaper that just speaks
of a meal so steeped in tradition it only seems appropriate that it comes
wrapped in the day’s
news. Fish and Chips Day commemorates
this fundamental meal of the working class, and while its roots may lay on
Britannia’s foggy
shores, there are few places in the world that this comfort food hasn’t found its way to.
To talk of the history of this
holiday is, as in the case of so many others, to speak of the origins of that
which it celebrates. Fish and Chip seem an odd thing to have become the
foundation for an entire cultures working class, but much comes into focus when
you understand the economy and industry of the time it took hold. In the late
1800’s, trawl
fishing became a major part of the industry in the North Sea, resulting in a
growing availability of fresh fish in areas further inland, especially within
the cities. Anyone who understands economics knows that ‘easily available’ means ‘cheaper to get your hands on’. Cheap, filling, and high caloric
food created an excellent foundation for a working class that held incredibly
physically demanding jobs. Thus, it was that “Chippers” started cropping up all over major
population centers, the vendors that served fish and chips to the people on the
street. From there, the meal spread all over the world and is now popular all
over Canada (being sold from ‘Chip
Wagons’) and
throughout the USA. In the America’s
it can be found in everything from corner burger shops as part of their fry
menu, to some of the most upscale restaurants which provide them with only the
best cod and sides. It really is a meal that crosses all the boundaries of
culture, class, and status.
How
to Celebrate Fish and Chip Day
Well, it starts off simple enough,
doesn’t it?
Pop on over to your favorite Chipper and get yourself a paper-full of this
delicious and filling meal. Try it, however, you like it, with a little tartar
sauce in the US, a bit of mayonnaise in Canada, or whatever strikes you as your
favorite thing to flavor your dish with. Malt vinegar is a very popular
addition, and with the delicious tang, it will make your Fish and Chip Day
flavorful and authentic!
Fitness Friday-Gardening Exercise
Day[10]
Research indicates that Gardening Exercise Day originates with gardening clubs and groups. It is a day when people are encouraged to get off the couch, head out into the garden, and tend their patches. Not only does this help ensure that the garden looks good, but it also offers a healthy means of getting some exercise, while enjoying the benefits that fresh air can bring. To enjoy Gardening Exercise Day, all that is really required is to head out and water the plants, mow the lawn, and do some weeding, but more active people may choose to increase the intensity of their gardening efforts to really reap the rewards of exercise. Participants can consider using hand tools instead of electric and power tools, squatting instead of sitting, and bending from the back to limber the body up. Regardless of the type of exercise, any additional exercise will help the body, and being outside will mean a healthy and natural intake of vitamin D.
Daily
Devotions
·
Unite in the work of the Porters of St. Joseph by joining them
in fasting: Authentic
Feminism
·
Litany of the Most Precious
Blood of Jesus
·
Offering to
the sacred heart of Jesus
·
Rosary
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