Monday Night at the Movies
Black Robe
Christopher’s Corner Try[6]:
· Eat waffles and Pray for the assistance of the Angels
· Bucket List trip[7]: Yellowstone, USA
· Religion in the Home for Preschool: May
· Monday: Litany of Humility
Yogi Berra, Baseball Player born 1925
George Carlin, born on May 12, 1937
The Paradox of Our Age
We have taller buildings, but shorter tempers;
Wider freeways, but narrower viewpoints;
We spend more, but have less;
We buy more, but enjoy it less.
We have bigger houses, but smaller families;
More conveniences, but less time;
We have more degrees, but less sense;
More knowledge, but less judgement;
More experts, but more problems;
More medicine, but less wellness.
We spend too recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast, get too angry too quickly,
Stay up too late, get up too tired, read too seldom, watch TV too much, and pray too seldom.
We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values.
We talk too much, love too seldom, and lie too often.
We’ve learned how to make a living, but not a life;
We’ve added years to life, not life to years.
We’ve conquered outer space, but not inner space;
It’s time when there is much in the show window, and nothing in the stock room.
George Carlin, Comedian
Full Flower Moon
Today according to the almanac is a Full Flower Moon; bring flowers to all the women in your life. Christ always brought His mother Lilies of the Valley.
MAY 12 Monday of
the Fourth Week of Easter
Armed Forces Week
1 Maccabees, Chapter 12, Verse 52
This
is true if you are sheep, and you look to the leadership of man to save you. To
a true Israelite their leader was Yahweh. Israel knew that if they followed His
covenant, He would never abandon them. All true leadership comes from God.
A True Leader[1]
Jesus summoned the twelve and
said to them, “You know that those who are recognized as rulers over the
Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones make their authority over them
felt. But it shall not be so among you. Rather, whoever wishes to be great
among you will be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you will be
the slave of all.”
This is certainly easier said than
done. This passage reveals one serious temptation that those “who are
recognized as rulers” may fall into. This is the temptation of an abuse
of power and a lack of humble leadership.
For example, tradition states that at
the heart of the fall of lucifer and the demons was a desire for power.
“I will not serve” are the words attributed to lucifer. In other words,
the desire for power and to be served by others was real and very powerful for
these fallen angels. So, it is with each one of us.
Though we may not be in a position of
great power over others, we will most likely all struggle with the desire for
power. This can happen in just about any context. Take, for
example, a friendship. Very often when there is the slightest
disagreement on something, we want our own way. We want to be in
charge. Or take the example of home life.
How many enter into family life
with a desire to serve others and to humbly submit to the others’ wills?
This is hard to
do. It’s much easier to want to be the boss and to dictate to others what
is to happen in this or that situation.
In the passage above, Jesus makes it
clear to His Apostles that when they exercise their “authority” over others
they are not to make it “felt” by others. In other words, Jesus was not
calling His Apostles to be leaders by brute force, intimidation, manipulation
or by any other severe exercise of their authority. The authority that
Jesus wanted was much different.
Christian authority is centered in love and humility. It’s a “leadership” that is lived in true humility. This leadership wins over hearts, minds and wills of others and invites them to follow in charity and love. This must happen within the family, among friends, at church and within society.
Reflect, today, upon how you lead
others. Do you expect to be the “boss” and expect others to follow you
because of your authority?
Or do you lead others by humility
and love drawing them to Christ through your goodness?
Commit yourself to
Christian leadership as Jesus intended and you will be amazed at the effect it
has within your family, among friends and within the larger community.
Lord,
help me to be a humble leader. Help me to let Your heart of love and
mercy shine forth and to lead by the goodness and kindness of Your merciful
heart. Help me to set aside all pride and egotism and to become a servant
of all. Jesus, I trust in You.
Catechism
of the Catholic Church
Day 330 2566-2573
PART FOUR: CHRISTIAN PRAYER
SECTION ONE-PRAYER IN THE CHRISTIAN LIFE
CHAPTER ONE-THE REVELATION OF PRAYER - THE
UNIVERSAL CALL TO PRAYER
2566 Man is in
search of God. In the act of creation, God calls every being from nothingness
into existence. "Crowned with glory and honor," man is, after the
angels, capable of acknowledging "how majestic is the name of the Lord in
all the earth." Even after losing through his sin his likeness to
God, man remains an image of his Creator, and retains the desire for the one
who calls him into existence. All religions bear witness to men's essential
search for God.
2567 God calls man first. Man may forget his Creator or hide far from his face; he may run after idols or accuse the deity of having abandoned him; yet the living and true God tirelessly calls each person to that mysterious encounter known as prayer. In prayer, the faithful God's initiative of love always comes first; our own first step is always a response. As God gradually reveals himself and reveals man to himself, prayer appears as a reciprocal call, a covenant drama. Through words and actions, this drama engages the heart. It unfolds throughout the whole history of salvation.
Article 1-IN THE OLD
TESTAMENT
2568 In the
Old Testament, the revelation of prayer comes between the fall and the
restoration of man, that is, between God's sorrowful call to his first
children: "Where are you? . . . What is this that you have
done?" and the response of God's only Son on coming into the world:
"Lo, I have come to do your will, O God." Prayer is bound up
with human history, for it is the relationship with God in historical events.
Creation - source of prayer
2569 Prayer is
lived in the first place beginning with the realities of creation. the first
nine chapters of Genesis describe this relationship with God as an offering of
the first-born of Abel's flock, as the invocation of the divine name at the
time of Enosh, and as "walking with God. Noah's offering is pleasing
to God, who blesses him and through him all creation, because his heart was
upright and undivided; Noah, like Enoch before him, "walks with
God." This kind of prayer is lived by many righteous people in all
religions.
In his indefectible covenant with every living creature, God has always
called people to prayer. But it is above all beginning with our father Abraham
that prayer is revealed in the Old Testament.
God's promise and the prayer of
Faith
2570 When God
calls him, Abraham goes forth "as the Lord had told
him"; Abraham's heart is entirely submissive to the Word and so he
obeys. Such attentiveness of the heart, whose decisions are made according to
God's will, is essential to prayer, while the words used count only in relation
to it. Abraham's prayer is expressed first by deeds: a man of silence, he
constructs an altar to the Lord at each stage of his journey. Only later does
Abraham's first prayer in words appear: a veiled complaint reminding God of his
promises which seem unfulfilled. Thus one aspect of the drama of prayer
appears from the beginning: the test of faith in the fidelity of God.
2571 Because
Abraham believed in God and walked in his presence and in covenant with
him, the patriarch is ready to welcome a mysterious Guest into his tent.
Abraham's remarkable hospitality at Mamre foreshadows the annunciation of the
true Son of the promise. After that, once God had confided his plan,
Abraham's heart is attuned to his Lord's compassion for men and he dares to
intercede for them with bold confidence.
2572 As a
final stage in the purification of his faith, Abraham, "who had received
the promises," is asked to sacrifice the son God had given him.
Abraham's faith does not weaken (“God himself will provide the lamb for a burnt
offering."), for he "considered that God was able to raise men even
from the dead." and so the father of believers is conformed to the
likeness of the Father who will not spare his own Son but will deliver him up
for us all. Prayer restores man to God's likeness and enables him to share
in the power of God's love that saves the multitude.
2573 God
renews his promise to Jacob, the ancestor of the twelve tribes of Israel. Before confronting his elder brother Esau, Jacob wrestles all
night with a mysterious figure who refuses to reveal his name, but he blesses
him before leaving him at dawn. From this account, the spiritual tradition of
the Church has retained the symbol of prayer as a battle of faith and as the
triumph of perseverance.
Armed Forces Week
It is more than one day of
honor. It’s an entire week! Join us as we celebrate a week of Military
Appreciation Days – May 15 through May 17, 2024 – for each branch of the Armed
Forces followed by a special lunch on Armed Forces Day on May 18, 2024.
Starting on Monday, May 13,
2024, all active-duty service members, and veterans can enjoy a Free Sandwich
on their designated day. These brave men and women have fought for our freedom,
and we are proud to honor them. Please join us in this weeklong celebration.
The celebration continues
on Armed Forces Day. Join us for a special Lunch with Our Heroes on Saturday,
May 20 between 11 am and 2 pm. All active duty service members and veterans
will receive a Free Sandwich. And we will have a special live performance of
our National Anthem at noon. We look forward to celebrating this special day
with Our Heroes!
Armed Forces Day Build Up
Every
day from now to Armed Forces Day I ask your prayers for each service and all of
our defenders.
US Army[2]
As priest-chaplains of the
Archdiocese for the Military Services we invite you to join with us in prayer.
In times of joy and difficulty, in times of fear and doubt, in moments of
distress and in times of peace, a simple prayer that comes from the heart becomes
the place of your encounter with God’s love, mercy and protection.
Prayer for Troops[3]
Let us pray for our
brothers and sisters as they go forth with courage and determination to face
the forces of violence, weapons of destruction and hearts filled with
hate.
RESPONSE: THROUGH THE DARKNESS BRING US TO
THE LIGHT.
For our President
and Commander-In-Chief, and our political and military leaders that they may
tirelessly seek peaceful settlements to international disputes; we pray to the
Lord:
Through the Darkness Bring Us to
the Light.
That the Lord may preserve
the members of our Army, Navy, Marines, Coast Guard and Air Force from all
harm; we pray to the Lord:
Through the Darkness Bring Us to
the Light.
That even in war, we may
keep clearly before us the defense of all human rights, especially the right to
life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness; we pray to the Lord:
Through the Darkness Bring Us to
the Light.
That the families,
relatives and friends of our military members may be strengthened in this time
of concern and anxiety; we pray to the Lord:
Through the Darkness Bring Us to
the Light.
That the Lord may help
families with men and women in the armed forces to cope with daily challenges
in the absence of their loved ones; we pray to the Lord:
Through the Darkness Bring Us to
the Light.
That our homeland will be
preserved from violence and terrorism; we pray to the Lord:
Through the Darkness Bring Us to
the Light.
That the nations of the
world will seek to work together in harmony and peace; we pray to the Lord:
Through the Darkness Bring Us to
the Light.
That the hearts of all men
and women will be moved to pursue true peace and justice; we pray to the Lord:
Through the Darkness Bring Us to
the Light.
That violence may be
overcome by peace; that weapons of destruction be transformed into tools of
justice, and hate give way to true charity; we pray to the Lord:
Through the Darkness Bring Us to
the Light.
That we may be grateful
for and inspired by those veterans who have given their lives for our country
and that we may bravely face the challenges ahead; we pray to the Lord:
Lord God, Almighty Father, creator of mankind and author of peace, as
we are ever mindful of the cost paid for the liberty we possess, we ask you to
bless the members of our armed forces. Give them courage, hope and strength.
May they ever experience your firm support, gentle love and compassionate
healing. Be their power and protector, leading them from darkness to light. To
you be all glory, honor and praise, now and forever. Amen.
Real
Men ask God what they should do[4]
The special need for more frequent Communion is on the part of the men and the older boys. No man can afford to "keep his religion in his wife's name." The man is by nature the head of the family, and the family usually ends up where he leads. He can't expect his family to continue to live a very vital Catholic life unless he sets the example. As an Army captain can't hole-up in some rear line trench and cry out, "Onward, Christian soldiers!” neither can the husband and father expect his wife and children to do much in the Church Militant if he is a non-combatant, "too proud to fight."
An interesting evidence of
the power of example of the adult male in encouraging devout religious practice
was had in England during World War II. In a certain Catholic orphanage, the
larger boys were refusing to obey the Sisters' directives to approach the
Communion rail with folded hands. In the neighborhood of the orphanage was a GI
camp whose soldiers soon became heroes to the orphan lads. One day a crowd of
the GI's came to Mass in the orphanage and went to Communion, of course with
hands devoutly folded as is done in our country. When the orphan boys saw Tex
and Bill and Tom properly approaching the Communion rail, the troubles of the
Sisters with the boys were over. "Example is the school of mankind, and
they will learn in no other way."
Patron Saint of Soldiers
Joan of Arc, canonized 104 years ago[5]
Joan sets us an example of
a laywoman who refuses to be cowed by threats and intimidations from
'authority,' even legitimate authority abusing its powers. May 14, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) — On May
16, 1920, in a
ceremony attended by over 30,000 people — including over a hundred descendants
of her family — Pope Benedict XV canonized St. Joan of Arc (c. 1412–1431), the
Maid of Orléans.
St. Joan of Arc is
remarkable in so many ways. I would like to draw attention to a few aspects of
her life and character that hold pointed lessons for us today.
First, as a young woman, Joan practiced
a deep, humble, and serious piety. The age-old practices of the Catholic faith
were enough to take her to the heights of sanctity and the gift of herself for
her country and her Lord. She listened to the Lord’s voice as He spoke to her
through the saints and through circumstances, and she obeyed His will
unflinchingly. St. Michael the Archangel addressed her as “Jehanne the Maid,
Child of God,” for this is what she was and always remained. Instead of
allowing herself to be distracted by worldly motivations, she followed the path
God set for her, in spite of its difficulty. She is, in other words, the exact
antithesis of churchmen today who would water down the demands of God’s law,
the necessity of self-denial in adhering to it, and the supernatural motives
that should sustain us.
Second, Joan boldly stepped into a public
role at God’s behest, but without losing her femininity. She did not wage war
with the soldiers, but simply led them in formation. She would not, in
principle, kill or wound anyone. There is not the remotest chance that she
would ever condone women fighting in the military and being trained to kill —
the absurdity of actual or potential nurturers of life taking it voluntarily.
In this, she is an example of true Christian womanhood: strong and courageous,
willing to stick her neck out, willing to lead (as she herself was willing to
be led by her Master), but not stupidly trying to be a man. She did not think
equality with maleness as something to be grasped but emptied herself and
became a servant. In this way she provided an example of being true to her
identity and vocation that is resoundingly necessary for both women and men
to heed in a world that has become confused about how many sexes there are and
who belongs to which “division” of the human race. (And it is indeed a division
— but it need not be an opposition or antagonism, in the way that both male
chauvinism and feminism imagine it to be, each feeding off the other. Real
difference makes possible a deeper communion and cooperation than uniformity
and replaceability, even as, in the Church, the priest’s role as mediator is
seen to be essentially different from that of the laity, since he acts on their
behalf in persona Christi capitis, in the person of Christ the Head of
the Church. In a similar way, the husband in a family has the calling to
imitate and represent the headship of Christ. As St. Paul explained so well,
one cannot have a functional organic body if it’s made up only of arms or hands
or eyes or, for that matter, heads. Real difference and distinction, when
embraced in a spirit of servanthood, confer a mutual benefit that far exceeds
what one could obtain independently. Hierarchy and unity are correlative, not
opposed, as democracy falsely assumes.)
Third, Joan is a model of the virtues of
chastity and purity. Feminists like to point out that she donned a man’s
clothing at a time when this was considered immoral. Yet all historians are
agreed that the reason Joan wore a man’s clothing during her public service,
and later in prison, was to protect herself against the danger of rape from the
soldiers and enemies among whom she had to dwell. The ordinary women’s clothing
of the time offered no such defense, and she would not have had the leisure or
the talent to create a new and better fashion de novo. She complained to
the tribunal that an English lord had attempted to violate her in prison. Like
St. Maria Goretti, St. Joan prized the gift of her virginity and defended it.
She knew her worth and her dignity as a woman and a human being.
Fourth, Joan was condemned by an
ecclesiastical kangaroo court presided over by a corrupt bishop, Pierre
Cauchon, with the complicity of corrupt clergy. As everyone knows who has read
Joan’s life, she was falsely charged with heresy and condemned to be burnt at
the stake. The trial was later re-evaluated by the Church and found to be
gravely defective and irregular on numerous counts — indeed, not to mince
words, it was a wicked sham, an excuse for murdering an inconvenient and too
popular figure who could not be readily controlled by those in power. We live
today in a world in which most of episcopacy is corrupt on several levels —
doctrinally, through failing to teach the Catholic Faith in its integrity, if
not positively adhering to modernist views, or morally, due to practicing
sexual abuse, or covering it up, or tolerating its existence, or liturgically,
by refusing to model right worship or to correct impious deviations, or,
indeed, all three at once. Joan sets us an example of a laywoman who refuses to
be cowed by threats and intimidations from “authority,” even legitimate
authority abusing its powers, and who would rather die for a right conscience
than falsely admit to wrongdoing. She ought to be recognized as the patron
saint of those who have been victimized by the Church’s hierarchy.
St. Joan of Arc, the Maid of
Orléans,
patroness of France,
pray for us.
Daily Devotions
·
Unite in the work of the Porters of St. Joseph by joining them
in fasting: Today's Fast: Holy Priests, Consecrated, & Religious
·
Litany of the Most Precious
Blood of Jesus
·
Offering to
the sacred heart of Jesus
·
Make
reparations to the Holy Face
[5]https://www.lifesitenews.com/blogs/joan-of-arc-canonized-100-years-ago-consoles-those-victimized-by-church-hierarchy
[6] Sheraton, Mimi. 1,000 Foods To Eat Before You Die: A
Food Lover's Life List (p. 800). Workman Publishing Company. Kindle Edition.
[7] Schultz, Patricia. 1,000 Places to See Before You
Die: A Traveler's Life List Workman Publishing Company. Kindle Edition.
No comments:
Post a Comment