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My Prayer Box
the
Newsletter of My Catholic Tradition
“You cannot strengthen the
weak by weakening the strong.
You cannot help the
wage earner by pulling down the wage payer.
You
cannot help the poor by destroying the rich.
You
cannot help men permanently by doing for them what
they could and should do for themselves.” -
Abraham Lincoln
To subscribe to the newsletter, please follow this
link. |
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Who
is |
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Daniel
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(From the Book of Daniel) |
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Introduction |
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King
Nebuchadnezzar has a bronze statue of himself
made and orders everyone to worship his image.
However, Hananiah, Mishael, and
Azariah refuse to do so and earns extreme anger
from the king.
The king then
orders his nobles to throw the three Jews to
the fiery furnace.
Then the
angel of the LORD goes down to the furnace
with Azariah and his companions. He drives the
flames out of the furnace and makes the inside
of the furnace as though a dew-laden breeze
were blowing through it. The fire in no way touch
them or cause them pain or harm.
Upon seeing
what happened, the king orders his nobles to
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take the three Jews
out of the furnace and worships their God. |
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Part III: The Second Dream |
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Nebuchadnezzar
again has a terrifying dream as he lays on his
bed in his palace, content and prosperous. So
he issues a decree that all the wise men of
Babylon should be brought before him to give
the interpretation of the dream.
When the magicians, enchanters, Chaldeans, and
astrologers come in the king relates the dream
before them; but none of them could tell him
its meaning.
Finally there comes before him Daniel, whose
name is Belteshazzar after the name of his
god, and in whom is the spirit of the holy
God. The king repeats the dream to Daniel.
The king tells Daniel that he saw a tree of
great height at the center of the world. It
was large and strong, with its top touching
the heavens, and it could be seen to the ends
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of the earth.
Its leaves were beautiful and its fruit
abundant, providing food for all. Under it the
wild beasts found shade, in its branches the
birds of the air nested; all men ate of it.
In the
vision he saw a holy sentinel came down from
heaven, and cried out to cut down the tree and
lop off its branches, strip off its leaves and
scatter its fruit; let the beasts flee its
shade, and the birds its branches. The
sentinel continued and said to leave in the
earth its stump and roots, fettered with iron
and bronze, in the grass of the field. Let him
be bathed with the dew of heaven; his lot be
to eat, among beasts, the grass of the earth. |
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Let his mind be changed from the human; let
him be given the sense of a beast, till seven
years pass over him. By decree of the
sentinels is this decided, by order of the
holy ones, that all who live may know that the
Most High rules over the kingdom of men: He
can give it to whom he will, or set over it
the lowliest of men.'
Then the king
asks Daniel the meaning of the dream.
Then Daniel is appalled for a while, and
terrified by his thoughts. The king tells
Daniel not to let not the dream or its meaning
terrify him.
Daniel then says to the king that this dream
should be for his enemies, and its meaning for
his foes. Daniel says that the king was the
large, strong tree that he saw. The holy
sentinel that came down from heaven means that
he shall be cast out from among men and dwell
with wild beasts. Daniel continues that the
king shall be given grass to eat like an ox
and be |
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bathed with the dew
of heaven. Seven years shall pass over him, until
he will know that the Most High rules over the
kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will.
Daniel continues that the command that the
stump and roots of the tree are to be left
means that his kingdom shall be preserved for
him, once you have learned it is heaven that
rules. Then Daniel advices
the king to atone for his sins by good deeds, and
for his misdeeds by kindness to the poor; then his
prosperity will be long.
All this happen to King Nebuchadnezzar. |
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Twelve months later, as he is walking on the roof
of the royal palace in Babylon, the king says that
the greatness and splendor of Babylon was built
with his great strength.
While these words are still on the king's lips, a
voice speaks from heaven to tell him that it has
been decreed for him, King Nebuchadnezzar that his
kingdom is taken from him.
The voice tells him that he shall be cast out
from among men, and shall dwell with wild |
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beasts. He
shall be given grass to eat like an ox, and seven
years shall pass over him, until he learns that
the Most High rules over the kingdom of men and
gives it to whom he will.
At once Nebuchadnezzar is cast out from among men.
He eats grass like an ox, and his body is bathed
with the dew of heaven. His hair grows like the
feathers of an eagle, and his nails like the claws
of a bird. |
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When this period
is over Nebuchadnezzar raises
his eyes to heaven. His reason is restored, and he
blesses the Most High, praises and glorifies him
who lives forever: His dominion is an everlasting
dominion, and his kingdom endures through all
generations.
All who live on the
earth are counted as nothing; he does as he
pleases with the powers of heaven as well as
with those who live on the earth. There is no
one who can stay his hand or say to him, "What
have you done?"
At the same time the king’s reason return his
kingdom, his majesty and his splendor return to
him. His nobles and lords seek him out. The king
is restored to his kingdom, and becomes much
greater than before.
With that
Nebuchadnezzar praises, exalts and |
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glorifies the
King of heaven, because all his works are
right and his ways just; and those who walk in
pride he is able to humble. |
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To
be continued... |
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Why do people do evil? |
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An article by
Dennic Prager, a conservative thinker. |
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Decent people have
sought to identify the roots of evil since the
first indecent person inflicted cruelty on an
innocent person. And people have come up with one
or more of nine explanations, most of which are
indeed valid.
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The devil (or
whatever name the devil goes by in any given
culture). I do not believe in a devil, but
when one observes the seemingly inexplicable
cruelty engaged in by some people, it is
understandable that people have attributed it
to some evil being that has taken over that
person. |
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Genes. The
contemporary term for devil is "genes." Just
as with the devil, when we observe a person
engaging in evil behavior for which we have no
rational explanation, we speak of it as coming
from the person's genes. |
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Parents. After
genes, parents have become another popular
explanation for much evil. "How was he
raised?" we wonder when we read about
evildoers, especially those who deliberately
hurt children. There is no question that
parental upbringing has both good and ill
effects on children. But there are too many
bad people raised in homes that did not abuse
them, and too many good people who were raised
in awful homes to allow us to make parents the
primary explanation for evil. |
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Religion.
Religion is a popular culprit these days. And
it is undeniable that religion can be a source
of evil – it certainly is in the case of the
true believing Islamic terrorist. And it was
in the wars over theology that racked Europe
for centuries. But two facts mitigate against
regarding religion as the primary explanation
for evil. One is that religion itself was
often developed precisely in order to reduce
human evil. Whatever evil individual
Christians may have ever engaged in, it is
hard to find advocacy of evil within Christian
scriptures. The other is that secular
ideologies and regimes – Nazism and Communism,
for example – have murdered and tortured far
more people than any religion has. |
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To read the rest of this
great article, please click here. |
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So
you think you know -
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Anointing of the Sick |
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The Office of Catechism
of the United States Congress of Catholic Bishops
website puts our knowledge of the Catholic
Faith to a test!
This
is just a sample. |
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1. |
Cite the biblical
reference commonly used as the basis for the
Sacrament of the Anointing
of the Sick. |
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2. |
True or false.
This sacrament gives a special grace to those
experiencing difficulties stemming from grave
illness or old age. |
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True or false.
The sacrament is to be given only at the point of
death. |
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4. |
True or false.
The sacrament may be given more than once during
the same illness. |
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True or false.
In time of imminent danger of death when no priest
is present, any believer may give the Anointing of
the Sick. |
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The principal
element in the
sacrament
include:
Choose any combination of the following. |
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The
reception of Holy Communion |
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Anointing
with oil |
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The priest |
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Laying
hands on the sick |
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Prayers
over them |
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What effects does
the special grace of the sacrament of the
Anointing of the Sick
have?
Choose any combination of the following. |
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Preparation
for eternal life |
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The
possible restoration of health |
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Forgiveness
of sins |
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The union
of the sick person to the passion of
Christ |
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Strength,
peace, and courage in their suffering |
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8. |
True or false.
The sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick,
when administered to a person at the point of
death, is called Viaticum. |
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9. |
True or false.
The effect of physical healing depends on the
intensity of the prayers for the sick person |
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10. |
Which of the
following
signs
do we know that Christ used to heal? |
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Spit |
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Laying on
of hands |
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c. |
Mud |
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d. |
Washing |
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e. |
Oil |
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To
learn more about Our Faith, please
click here. |
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Eleventh
Sunday in Ordinary Time
June 15, 2008
The harvest is abundant but the
laborers are few; so ask the master of
the harvest to send out laborers for
his harvest. - Matthew 9:37-38 |
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First Reading from the Book of Exodus |
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Ex 19:2-6a |
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In
those days, the Israelites came to the desert of
Sinai and pitched camp.
While Israel was encamped here in front of the
mountain, Moses went up the mountain to God.
Then the LORD called to him and said,
“Thus shall you say to the house of Jacob;
tell the Israelites:
You have seen for yourselves how I treated the
Egyptians and how I bore you up on eagle wings and
brought you here to myself.
Therefore, if you hearken to my voice and keep my
covenant, you shall be my special possession,
dearer to me than all other people, though all the
earth is mine. You shall be to me a kingdom of
priests, a holy nation.” |
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Responsorial From the Book of Psalms:
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Ps 100:1-2, 3, 5 |
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R. We
are his people: the sheep of his flock.
Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands;
serve the LORD with gladness;
come before him with joyful song.
R. We are his people: the sheep of his flock.
Know that the LORD is God;
he made us, his we are;
his people, the flock he tends.
R. We are his people: the sheep of his flock.
The LORD
is good:
his kindness endures forever,
and his faithfulness to all generations.
R. We are his people: the sheep of his flock.
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Second Reading from the Second Letter to the
Romans |
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Rom 5:6-11
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Brothers and sisters:
Christ, while we were still helpless, yet died at
the appointed time for the ungodly.
Indeed, only with difficulty does one die for a
just person, though perhaps for a good person one
might even find courage to die.
But God proves his love for us in that while we
were still sinners Christ died for us.
How much more then, since we are now justified by
his blood, will we be saved through him from the
wrath.
Indeed, if, while we were enemies, we were
reconciled to God through the death of his Son,
how much more, once reconciled, will we be saved
by his life.
Not only that, but we also boast of God through
our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now
received reconciliation. |
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Reading From the Gospel of Matthew |
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Mt 9:36—10:8 |
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At
the sight of the crowds, Jesus’ heart was moved
with pity for them because they were troubled and
abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd.
Then
he said to his disciples,
“The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few;
so ask the master of the harvest to send out
laborers for his harvest.”
Then he summoned his twelve disciples and gave
them authority over unclean spirits to drive them
out and to cure every disease and every illness.
The names of the twelve apostles are these: |
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first, Simon called Peter, and his brother Andrew;
James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John;
Philip and Bartholomew, Thomas and Matthew the tax
collector;
James, the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddeus;
Simon from Cana, and Judas Iscariot who betrayed
him.
Jesus sent out these twelve after instructing them
thus,
“Do not go into pagan territory or enter a
Samaritan town. Go rather to the lost sheep of the
house of Israel.
As you go, make this proclamation: ‘The kingdom of
heaven is at hand.’ Cure the sick, raise the dead,
cleanse lepers, drive out demons. Without cost you
have received; without cost you are to give.” |
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Suggested Readings |
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Happiness Is a Serious
Problem: A Human Nature Repair Manual
by Dennis Prager.
In this unique blend of self-help and moral
philosophy, talk-radio host Dennis Prager
asserts that we're actually obligated to be
happy, because it makes us better people.
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Praying With Frederic Ozanam
(Companions for the Journey Series)
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Paperback, by Ronald Cm Ramson (Author) |
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Praying With Louise De
Marillac (Companions for the Journey Series)
by Audrey Gibson (Author), Kieran Kneaves
(Author) |
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Praying with Vincent de
Paul (Companions for the Journey)
2004, by Thomas McKenna
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The Rise of Christianity:
How the Obscure, Marginal, Jesus Movement Became
the Dominant Religious Force ....
(Paperback) by Rodney Stark
(Author)
From the Publisher
"... this account of Christianity's remarkable
growth within the Roman Empire |
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is already the subject of much fanfare. "Anyone
who has puzzled over Christianity's rise to
dominance... must read it," ...
Read the first page. |
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Living Liturgy:
Spirituality, Celebration, and Catechesis for
Sundays and Solemnities, Year A,
2008 (Paperback) by C.PP.S. Joyce Ann Zimmerman
(Author), Thomas A. Greisen (Author), S.N.D. de
N. Kathleen Harmon (Author), M.S. Thomas L.
Leclerc (Author) |
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"Perfect for home use or to prepare for weekly
liturgy . . . It includes help for the
celebration, ideas for catechesis on the
particular event, and ways to understand the
readings more deeply. Finally, it includes
sample questions from which priests, deacons,
lay groups, ministers and others can jump off
into deeper discussion." |
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Straight Answers, Answers
to 100 Questions about the Catholic Faith
by Ph.D Rev. William P.
Saunders (Author)
Review by: Reverend William G. Curlin Bishop of
Charlotte
Straight Answers offers Catholics a simple and
direct response to the many questions concerning
the Catholic Church. It spells out profound
truths in very |
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simple language for all who seek a better
understanding of their Faith. I highly recommend
it for Catholics, both young and old. |
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The Power of Intention:
Learning to Co-create Your World Your Way
From Amazon:
After years of spiritual study and reflection,
inspirational speaker and |
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bestselling
author Wayne Dyer has emerged a highly esteemed
teacher. His current message about tapping into
the power of intention may sound like good old
positive thinking: just stay focused on what you
want, rather than focusing on the lack of having
what you want. But the teaching here goes deeper
than just controlling thoughts (although he does
acknowledge that thought control is a
surprisingly challenging and significant
endeavor).
This book might
help readers land a better job, but it's more
relevant for those who are ready to detach from
an ego-driven life filled with quick fixes of
happiness and step into a more authentic,
joyful, and spiritually fulfilling life. His
core teachings speak to tapping into a universal
source of energy that can also be called the
"power of intention." |
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The Chariot of Israel:
Exploits of the Prophet of Elijah
THE CHARIOT OF ISRAEL: When Elijah was caught up
to heaven, his disciple Elisha cried out, "the
chariot of Israel, and its horsemen." Elisha was
referring not to the chariot but to the prophet.
This study of Elijah’s life will captivate you
as it walks you through a pivotal period in
Israel’s history, and illustrative maps will
give you a better picture of the physical
geography of this ancient land. |
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Read
more about the Liturgical Year |
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The Origins of the
Liturgical Year (Pueblo Books)
by Thomas J. Talley (Author) The Rev. Dr.
Thomas J. Talley, Professor of Liturgics
at the General Theological Seminary in New
York, is one of the leading liturgists in
the country. He gives us a fresh
examination of the complex history of the
Liturgical Year. |
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The Cultural World
of Jesus: Sunday by Sunday, Cycle C.
(Bestseller! the Cultural World of Jesus:
Sunday by Sunday)
by John J. Pilch (Author)
Reader
Review: The book by Pilch provides those
who not only fill the pulpits across this
country but also all interested in the
cultural world in which Jesus lived with a
lot of pertinent information that sheds
light on a lot of areas that have been
"muddled" in the past. Yes, I highly
recommend this book. - James Mauldin |
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Learn
more and read the Old Testament. |
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Preaching from the
Old Testament
by Elizabeth Achtemeier (Author) Reader
Review: The author of these thirty-two
short chapters begins and ends with the
assumption that problems we experience
with the Old Testament are our problem,
not the Bible's. This subordinating of the
Bible reader to the well-weathered book he
holds in his hand opens doors, not to
forced harmonisations of problematic
passages, but to fresh reappraisal of
difficult texts on their own terms. -
David A. Baer |
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The Navarre Bible:
Pentateuch (The Navarre Bible: Old
Testament)
This volume helps you make the first five
books of the Old Testament a vital part of
your spiritual reading and practical
growth in the Christian life. It contains
the full English and Latin texts of these
books, along with extensive and faithfully
Catholic commentaries. Like other volumes
in the world-renowned Navarre Bible
series, these commentaries draw on Church
documents, the exegesis of Fathers
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and Doctors of the Church, and the works of
contemporary spiritual writers — particularly
St. Josemaría Escrivá, who initiated the
Navarre Bible project. |
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Comments and Suggestions are Most Welcome.
If you have any comments or contributions,
please
use the form in this link.
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This
volume of commentary on the New English Bible text of the First Book of Kings
follows the pattern of the now well-established series on the Old and New
Testaments. The main divisions of the text are those provided by the New English
Bible itself, but these are further subdivided for the purposes of the
commentary, which is printed in short sections following the relevant portion of
the text.
