Christopher’s Corner
· Scarborough Renaissance Festival--April 5-May 26th --Travel back to the 16th century at the Scarborough Renaissance Festival. This annual fest in Waxahachie, TX, kicks off the first weekend in April, drawing crowds upwards of 200,000 to view some 200 performances.
· Eat waffles and Pray for the assistance of the Angels
· Religion in the Home for Preschool: May
· Monday: Litany of Humility
· Bucket List trip[1]: World Vineyard Tour: Douro Valley
· Foodie-Blue berry Cheesecake
· Spirit Hour: Port
[1] Schultz, Patricia. 1,000 Places to See Before You Die: A Traveler's Life List Workman Publishing Company. Kindle Edition.
MAY
26 Rogation Monday
Memorial Day
2 Maccabees, Chapter 15, Verse 23
And now, Sovereign of
the heavens, send a good angel to spread FEAR
and trembling ahead of us.
It
is said that Judas was a man who was ever in body and soul the chief defender
of his fellow citizens and had maintained from youth his affection for his
compatriots. He believed and acted accordingly.
If your faith waivers now call upon our sovereign Lord to send the good angel to spread fear among the world and the devil and his demons thus allowing our faith, hope and love to grow for the battle ever rages. Be of stout heart.
Rogationtide
Monday[1]
Rogation
Days are a Roman Catholic "baptism" of the Robigalia, a pagan
procession to gain favor from the Robigo, the Roman god of grain. Since the
Church had no objection to praying for the harvest, it threw out Robigo while
keeping the procession and prayers. Today would be a good day to reflect on
what we want to harvest this fall; so like farmers we must till the soil of our
soul reflecting this day on our use of our TIME and look at in what ways we may
offer our time to Christ to help build a harvest for His Kingdom.
Time
Consider
that Christ was on the cross from noon to 3 p.m. Three hours that must have
seemed an eternality to literally buy us back from damnation.
Reflect
today if you in turn can sacrifice 3 hours a week to give back to the Lord.
Yes, time is a precious commodity:
Consider:
·
Sunday
Mass is one hour can you give more?
·
Each
day has 24 hours.
o
Normally
you use 8 hours for sleep-offer your sleep to the Lord.
§
If
you wake in the middle of night give an hour to prayer and go back to sleep in
the Lord.
o
Normally
you use 8 hours to earn your daily bread and a place to sleep.
§
Before
you eat your bread and place your head on your “my pillow” thank the Lord.
o
Normally
you have 8 hours to bake the bread, make your bed; make sure your fed; wash
your head. Exercise and make use of your squatty potty, etc.
o
Brother
can you spare some time for the Lord
·
The
rosary takes 20 minutes.
Apostolic Exhortation[2]
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,
I. The Graces of Holy Communion
ii. We become “One Body and One
Spirit in Christ.”
43. The “re-education camp”
divided the prisoners into groups of fifty who slept on the floor as their bed.
Each man had a foot and a half wide space. Of the fifty prisoners with Cardinal
Van Thuan, only five others were Christians. With the cooperation of the
non-Christian prisoners, they made arrangements so that at night they would be
near each other. When lights went out at 9:30, then he quietly said Mass and
distributed Communion to the Catholics. He kept one consecrated Host always in
his shirt pocket. During the night, the prisoners took turns for adoration.
During the day, even amid the cruelty of prison life, Cardinal Van Thuan and
the few Christians focused their attention on Jesus. For them, Jesus in the
Eucharist became a true companion. As a result of the Eucharistic presence that
was clandestinely introduced into the prison camp, the Christian prisoners
regained the fervor of their faith during those difficult times and even other
non-Christians converted to the faith. The strength of Jesus’ love in the
Eucharist is irresistible. The silent presence of Jesus in the Eucharist
brought consolation to those who suffered, strength to a weakened faith and
especially a fortified bond of unity among them.
44. How much we need the
Eucharist in our world today! We are also struggling through a challenging
time. We are emerging from a pandemic that has crippled many with FEAR
and left much suffering in its wake. Throughout this time, we have also
experienced great division within our country and even within our Church. A
tangible and rapid decline of our culture produces empty noise and vain
pleasures that drown out God’s invitation to enter into a loving relationship
with Him.
45. What can we do to bring
peace, justice and love to a world that is starving for God and His love? By
ourselves, we can do nothing. But, in the Eucharist, God Himself is our
nourishment and strength. We cannot transform our lives nor change the world with
our own strength alone. The Eucharist as a Sacrament of communion and love
motivates us inwardly to work tirelessly towards reconciliation and the
restoration of justice; to work together to restore respect for the dignity of
all men and women made in the image and likeness of God.
To be continued…
Catechism of the Catholic Church
Day 344 2683-2691
PART FOUR: CHRISTIAN PRAYER
SECTION ONE-PRAYER IN THE CHRISTIAN LIFE
CHAPTER TWO-THE TRADITION OF PRAYER
Article 3-GUIDES FOR PRAYER
A cloud of witnesses
2683 The witnesses
who have preceded us into the kingdom, especially those whom the Church
recognizes as saints, share in the living tradition of prayer by the example of
their lives, the transmission of their writings, and their prayer today. They
contemplate God, praise him and constantly care for those whom they have left
on earth. When they entered into the joy of their Master, they were "put
in charge of many things." Their intercession is their most exalted
service to God's plan. We can and should ask them to intercede for us and for
the whole world.
2684 In the
communion of saints, many and varied spiritualities have been developed
throughout the history of the churches. the personal charism of some witnesses
to God's love for men has been handed on, like "the spirit" of Elijah
to Elisha and John the Baptist, so that their followers may have a share in
this spirit. A distinct spirituality can also arise at the point of
convergence of liturgical and theological currents, bearing witness to the
integration of the faith into a particular human environment and its history.
the different schools of Christian spirituality share in the living tradition
of prayer and are essential guides for the faithful. In their rich diversity
they are refractions of the one pure light of the Holy Spirit.
The Spirit
is truly the dwelling of the saints, and the saints are for the Spirit a place
where he dwells as in his own home since they offer themselves as a dwelling
place for God and are called his temple.
Servants of prayer
2685 The
Christian family is the first place of education in prayer. Based on the
sacrament of marriage, the family is the "domestic church" where
God's children learn to pray "as the Church" and to persevere in
prayer. For young children in particular, daily family prayer is the first
witness of the Church's living memory as awakened patiently by the Holy Spirit.
2686 Ordained
ministers are also responsible for the formation in prayer of their brothers
and sisters in Christ. Servants of the Good Shepherd, they are ordained to lead
the People of God to the living waters of prayer: the Word of God, the liturgy,
the theological life (the life of faith, hope, and charity), and the Today of
God in concrete situations.
2687 Many
religious have consecrated their whole lives to prayer. Hermits, monks, and
nuns since the time of the desert fathers have devoted their time to praising
God and interceding for his people. The consecrated life cannot be sustained or
spread without prayer; it is one of the living sources of contemplation and the
spiritual life of the Church.
2688 The
catechesis of children, young people, and adults aims at teaching them to
meditate on the Word of God in personal prayer, practicing it in liturgical
prayer, and internalizing it at all times in order to bear fruit in a new life.
Catechesis is also a time for the discernment and education of popular
piety. The memorization of basic prayers offers an essential support to
the life of prayer, but it is important to help learners savor their meaning.
2689 Prayer
groups, indeed "schools of prayer," are today one of the signs and
one of the driving forces of renewal of prayer in the Church, provided they
drink from authentic wellsprings of Christian prayer. Concern for ecclesial
communion is a sign of true prayer in the Church.
2690 The Holy
Spirit gives to certain of the faithful the gifts of wisdom, faith and
discernment for the sake of this common good which is prayer (spiritual
direction). Men and women so endowed are true servants of the living tradition
of prayer.
According to
St. John of the Cross, the person wishing to advance toward perfection should
"take care into whose hands he entrusts himself, for as the master is, so
will the disciple be, and as the father is so will be the son." and
further: "In addition to being learned and discreet a director should be
experienced.... If the spiritual director has no experience of the spiritual
life, he will be incapable of leading into it the souls whom God is calling to
it, and he will not even understand them."
Places favorable for prayer
2691 The
church, the house of God, is the proper place for the liturgical prayer of the
parish community. It is also the privileged place for adoration of the real
presence of Christ in the Blessed Sacrament. the choice of a favorable place is
not a matter of indifference for true prayer.
- For personal prayer, this can be a "prayer corner" with the Sacred
Scriptures and icons, in order to be there, in secret, before our
Father. In a Christian family, this kind of little oratory fosters prayer
in common.
- In regions where monasteries exist, the vocation of these communities is to
further the participation of the faithful in the Liturgy of the Hours and to
provide necessary solitude for more intense personal prayer.
- Pilgrimages evoke our earthly journey toward heaven and are traditionally
very special occasions for renewal in prayer. For pilgrims seeking living
water, shrines are special places for living the forms of Christian prayer
"in Church."
Memorial Day[3]
Today
is Memorial Day and we honor those who have paid the supreme sacrifice of
devotion watching our nation. Pray today for the souls of those taken in
battle. In the communion of saints, it is our duty; no, our honor to pray for
the souls of those in our company who have died; especially those who have
passed through the valley of fear in the heat of battle.
Memorial Day, first established in 1866 to honor Union soldiers of the Civil War, is now a day set aside to remember all of the American soldiers who have died in war in the subsequent 15 decades -- about 1.2 million in all. This number, while representing a tremendous loss, pales in comparison to the number of war-related deaths globally for the same time period. Estimates run from 60 to 85 million for the number of lives lost during World War II alone.
While stationed in Mons, Belgium I learned there is the legend of the Angels of Mons, where it was reported the British soldiers were saved by heavenly forces.
One thing is certain: There are no atheists in foxholes.
To honor our fallen let us stop what we are doing at 1500
hrs. (3 pm) and offer the Divine Mercy Prayer for those who have fallen in
service of our nation.
God of power and
mercy,
you destroy war and put down earthly pride.
Banish violence from our midst and wipe away our tears,
that we may all deserve to be called your sons
and daughters.
Keep in your mercy those men and women
who have died in the cause of freedom
and bring them safely
into your kingdom of justice and peace.
We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord.
R/. Amen[4]
Memorial Day Top
Events and Things to Do
·
Attend a Memorial Day parade. One popular parade
is the National Memorial Day Parade in Washington DC.
·
All Americans are encouraged to pause for one
minute at 3:00 pm (local time). Think of the sacrifices made by U.S. soldiers
to provide freedom for all.
·
Visit the grave of a fallen soldier.
·
Have a picnic or go boating.
·
Donate to a
charity that serves veterans.
Memorial Day Facts & Quotes[5]
· There have been over 2.7 million US military deaths since 1775.
·
The deadliest US War was the Civil War with
about 600,000 US deaths.
·
It is customary to fly a US flag at half-staff
till noon on Memorial Day.
·
It is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who
died. Rather we should thank God that such men lived. - George S. Patton
Today
in honor of Memorial Day I remembered my friend Paul Wolff-The Wolf of the Ardennes
Men are frequently blinded by fear
and as a result often harmed themselves. The grace of God gives confidence to
see the right and to stand when called. Father Paul was called to stand and
became General Patton’s guide during the “Battle of the Bulge” while he was
still a teen. Father Paul Wolff was 15 years old when he first joined the
Belgium resistance during the years of the Nazi occupation of World War II. He
was the youngest member of the Belgium resistance. Unfortunately, he and other
members of his group were captured and at 17 he was tortured, condemned to
death and imprisoned in the Nazi Prison in Liege, Belgium. There he languished
yet his faith would not allow him to lose all hope and the resistance still
worked to get him and the others (256) out. Part of the plan was to get a radio
to the prisoners. To do this the resistance secreted small parts of a crystal
radio inside bars of soap. Interestingly these were “Lever” brother bars of
soap and were large about the size of a brick. Father Paul related that during
the Nazi occupation not all Jews were in German prisons if they were of use to
the Nazi’s. In this case the soap bars were made by the Lever Jews and the
radio parts were easily hidden inside the soap bars. Father Paul stated that
when they received the soap, they then washed their hands raw in wearing away
the soap to get to the radio part. Then after several bars they constructed the
radio which was the Morse code type. Father Paul typed in code in English which
he spoke along with German and French the words over and over “SOS SOS 256
prisoners in Liege prison condemned to death SOS SOS.” They hoped someone would
get the message and somehow, they would be rescued. All they had was hope.
Father also related that it drove
the Nazi’s crazy because they intercepted the message but never suspected it
was coming from the prison. Father Paul said that in the cell they were in
there was only one barred window, but it was so high that to look out it
required a person to stand on the shoulders of a fellow prisoner. He further
relayed that they when they would see women that were friendly with the guards
coming and going, they would call them the nastiest things they could think of
calling them. Yet one day during an air raid while the guards were hiding as
deep as they could go; one of these young women (secret agent) came and taking
the heel of her shoe wrote on the pavement that during the air raid they are
going to be rescued by commandoes, and they were. Father Paul stated neither he
nor the others ever lost hope.
After his escape he went underground. He was a friend of
King Leopold III. He served as General Patton's Belgian guide during the battle
of the bulge.
December
24, 1944
Father Paul communicated to me the tale about the battle of
the bulge that has not been recorded in history. During WWII the US Army was
segregated and black men were not mixed with white men. Black men mostly served
in support roles such as transportation and as cooks, etc. During the course of
the Battle of the Bulge’ Hitler sent in a special operations team to confuse
and destroy the American Army. It was composed of American NAZI’s and German’s,
who spoke perfect American slang, knew the culture, baseball stuff, etc. These
Spec Ops were equipped with American Uniforms and equipment that was captured
by Gen. Rommel from North Africa. Father Wolff was at a meeting with Gen.
Patton, Bradley, Eisenhower and the English Gen. Montgomery in Luxembourg City
on the evening of Dec. 24th, 1944. The Generals were very excited and afraid
because of the effect these NAZI spec ops were having in the warzone and due to
the fact that they had murdered many men. They did not know what to do. Patton
who was a visionary, suddenly stood up and said, I know exactly what to do.
From this time forward, nothing in the American Army will move without a black
American in the group. Patton knew there were no black NAZI’s. As a result,
black units were moved forward and integrated and as far as I know this was the
first time in American History since the Civil War. As a result, the NAZI spec
ops team was neutralized.
My
daughter Candace Faith in light of Memorial Day invited me to participate in
the annual Murph. The Murph Challenge is the Official annual fundraiser of the
LT. Michael P. Murphy Memorial Scholarship Foundation, presented by Forged®. It
is also one of the primary means of funding for the Foundation on an annual
basis. YOUR support is what drives our success!
Since
2014, Forged®
has raised over $1,000,000+ for the LT. Michael P. Murphy Memorial Scholarship
Foundation through The Murph Challenge campaign. In 2018, The Murph Challenge
Fundraiser
provided a vehicle to raise nearly $250,000 in order to begin construction on
the LT Michael P. Murphy Navy SEAL Museum/Sea Cadet
Training Facility
in Long Island, NY! In addition to that, and ONLY with such overwhelming
support and success, the Foundation was also able to add four additional
scholarships in 2018, now providing the opportunity to award 27 or more
scholarships each and every year!
Daily Devotions
·
Unite in the work of the Porters of St. Joseph by joining them
in fasting: For the men of the Porters of St. Joseph
·
Litany of the Most Precious
Blood of Jesus
·
Offering to
the sacred heart of Jesus
·
Rosary
[3] http://www.huffingtonpost.com/diane-husic/the-memorial-day-message-that-is-missing_b_7433224.html
[7] Schultz, Patricia. 1,000 Places to See Before You
Die: A Traveler's Life List Workman Publishing Company. Kindle Edition.
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