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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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Health Notes |
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Beat the Bloat
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You know sodium
best as table salt, but salt and sodium are
hidden in all kinds of products, including
packaged foods, fast foods, frozen foods,
canned foods, and condiments, to name a few.
When you eat sodium, the excess sodium is
deposited just beneath the skin where it
attracts water, which is retained in your
cells. This makes you look puffy and feel
bloated.
You don't
have to make yourself crazy over this, because
there is sodium in everything! But here are a
few tips: |
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Read labels to
check the sodium content of what you're
eating. |
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Replace
processed foods with fresh. |
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Avoid
prepackaged and canned foods. |
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Be wary of
salt-laden condiments and use very little soy
sauce, mustard, and table salt. |
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Go easy on
dairy, and avoid processed meat (hot dogs,
jerky, bologna, corned beef), anything pickled
(pickles, capers, sauerkraut), relish,
ketchup, and butter. |
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Here are some
sodium-free substitutes you can use instead:
garlic, lemon, olive oil, vinegar, pepper,
basil, cayenne, chili powder, cilantro, cumin,
curry, dill, garlic powder, ginger, lemon,
lime, mint, onion powder, oregano, paprika,
parsley, rosemary, sage, tarragon, and thyme. |
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Go Veggies!
Diuretic veggies will also help because they
contain potassium, which can help prevent fluid
retention and metabolic slowdown. Spinach,
lettuce, all greens (mustard, collard, beet,
dandelion), parsley, arugula, watercress,
asparagus, and cucumber all have diuretic
qualities. So eat up! |
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Who
is |
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Daniel
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(From the Book of Daniel) |
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In the third
year of Cyrus, king of Persia, a revelation
comes to Daniel that a great war is coming.
Mourning, Daniel refuses to eat or drink, nor
does he anoint himself for three weeks.
After this period of mourning, Daniels goes to
the bank of the river Tigris and sees a man
dressed in linen with a belt of fine gold
around his waist. His body is like chrysolite,
his face shines like lightning, his eyes are
like fiery torches, his arms and feet look
like burnished bronze, and his voice sounds
like the roar of a multitude.
Daniel alone sees this vision but nevertheless
great fear seizes the men who are with him
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they flee and hide
themselves. Left alone and seeing this great
vision Daniel’s strength leaves him and he turns
the color of death.
When Daniel hears the sound of his voice he falls
face forward fainting. But then a hand touches
Daniel and raises him to his hands and knees.
While Daniel is trembling before the man he gives
Daniel his mission. He tells Daniel not to fear
for he heard his prayers from the very moment that
he made up his mind to acquire understanding and
humble himself before God. He has come to make
Daniel understand what shall happen to his people
in the days to come; for there is yet a vision
concerning those days.
Faint of fear Daniel feels a man's hand touches
his lips. Daniel’s mouth opens and he tells the
man that he is in great fear.
The man reassures Daniel once again not to fear
for he is safe. The man tells Daniel to take
courage and be strong. The man tells Daniel that
Michael the protector of his people has come to
help him. |
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To
be continued... |
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Good morning,
and congratulations for being here. All of you
have been blessed. A lot of young Catholic men
and women around the world would love to be here
in Sydney today, and they can't be. So let's
remember them by making the most of this great
opportunity for conversion and renewal as
faithful Christians.
Our theme today is "Called to live in the Holy
Spirit." Describing the Holy Spirit isn't easy.
One of the great minds of early Christian
history, St. Augustine, wanted to write a book
explaining the Holy Trinity, the fundamental
Christian belief that God is one God in three
Divine Persons. There's a legend that one day
Augustine was walking along the beach at Hippo,
his diocese in North Africa. He was trying to
figure out the mystery of the Trinity. And as he
moved along, he saw a boy running back and forth
from the surf, carrying water in a bucket and
pouring it into a small hole in the sand.
Augustine was
curious. He asked the child what he was doing.
The boy responded: "I'm pouring all that water"
-- meaning the ocean - "into this hole."
Augustine said: "That's impossible. The ocean is
huge, and your hole in the sand is tiny." The
boy responded: "Then how can you expect to put
the mystery of the Holy Trinity into that little
head of yours?" And then the boy disappeared.
Augustine
didn't stop thinking about the Trinity. In fact,
he gave the Church her single most important
Christian reflection on the Trinity, called De
Trinitate, which is as profound and powerful
today as it was 1,600 years ago.
But Augustine
did learn to be humble. He learned that no
matter how hard he thought about mysteries like
the Trinity, he would never fully understand
them. The same is true for us. We'll always need
faith to guide us in our lives. In all our
searching for God, we need to remember what Pope
John Paul the Great taught us: Our minds need to
fly on two wings -- faith and reason. We need
both. They're meant to go together.
All of you
will recall what we say every Sunday at Mass
when we profess the Creed. The Creed is the
summary of what we believe as Catholics. It's a
public statement of our Christian faith. In the
Creed, we use our first wing, the wing of faith.
The Creed describes the Holy Spirit as "The Lord
the giver of Life". Now let's use our reason.
Let's think about those words: "The giver of
Life!"
What do we
thirst for more than anything else in the world?
Life. We want as much life as we can get. We
want a long life, a happy life, a healthy life.
Everything we hope for is somehow summarized in
that powerful word, "life."
In everyday
slang we speak of "having a life." We all worry
about "the meaning of life." We especially like
to tell annoying people to "go get a life." We
make big plans for our future. We spend huge
energy and resources to "build a life." And yet
the Church has been telling us all along that
the Holy Spirit is none other than the "giver of
life," a kind of fusion engine of love who runs
the whole thing. So maybe we should pay a little
more attention to Him.
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For the original
article of Most Rev. Charles Chaput,
please click here.
For more articles and address of the Most Rev.
Charles Chaput,
please click here. |
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What
you might want to know about our Faith |
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The
Sacrament of Confirmation |
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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. |
Give chapter and
verse, or the quote, for a biblical reference for
what became known as the
sacrament of Confirmation.
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Which of the
following is
false
about Confirmation?
Pick any combination of the following. |
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It perfects
Baptismal grace |
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It gives us
the Holy Spirit |
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It helps us
bear witness to the faith in words and
deeds |
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It is the
second plank of salvation |
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e. |
Anyone can
administer Confirmation to another in
grave necessity |
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True or false.
Since Confirmation gives the Holy Spirit to
strengthen the believer in his witness to the
world, the denial of one's faith requires a
re-Confirmation to restore the Spirit of Witness.
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4. |
True or false.
The administration of Confirmation directly
following infant Baptism, and immediately followed
by the Eucharist, is illicit in the Catholic
Church. |
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5. |
Why, in the Latin
Church, does
Confirmation
not immediately follow Baptism?
Pick any combination of the following. |
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The Latin
Church no longer considers Confirmation a
sacrament of initiation. |
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A desire
for the confirm and to make his own free
will choice. |
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In order to
emphasize the importance of baptismal
entry into the faith of the Church. |
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The Church
wants the bishop to confirm, in order to
signify the strengthening of the bond to
the Church and its apostolic origins. |
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The Church
wants to administer this sacrament after
the age of reason. |
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6. |
The one to
receive the
sacrament of
Confirmation must:
Pick any combination of the following.
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be
confirmed only by the local Ordinary |
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b. |
be in the
state of grace |
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have the
intention of receiving the sacrament |
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d. |
have
received the sacrament of Reconciliation
prior to confirmation |
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e. |
be prepared
to assume the role of disciple and witness
to Christ |
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7. |
Which of the
following are the essential elements of the
Roman rite of
Confirmation?
Pick any combination of the following. |
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The words:
"Be sealed with the gift of the Holy
Spirit." |
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b. |
The laying
on of the minister's hand. |
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c. |
A symbolic
slap on the cheek. |
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d. |
The
anointing of the forehead with sacred
chrism. |
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e. |
The
reception of Holy Communion. |
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8. |
True or false.
Because Baptism and Confirmation are not
celebrated at the same time, the connection of
Baptism to Confirmation is expressed by the
renewal of baptismal vows. |
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9. |
Which of the
following real or symbolic uses of oil
parallel the symbolism of
anointing in the rite of
Confirmation?
Pick any combination of the following. |
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It is a
sign of abundance and joy. |
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b. |
It
cleanses. |
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c. |
It limbers
the limbs of athletes and wrestlers.
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It heals,
since it is soothing to bruises and
wounds. |
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e. |
It
signifies beauty, health, and strength. |
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10. |
In Confirmation
we are "sealed" with the Gift of the Holy
Spirit. What is the
symbolism of a "seal"?
Choose any combination of the following.
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A symbol of
a person |
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A sign of
maturity |
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A sign of
personal authority |
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A sign of
ownership of an object |
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An
authentication of a juridical act |
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To
learn more about Our Faith, please
click here. |
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Thirteenth
Sunday in Ordinary Time :
SeventeenthSunday in Ordinary Time
July 27,
2008
And so I say to you, you are Peter,
and upon this rock I will build my
Church, and the gates of the
netherworld shall not prevail against
it. Mat 16:18 |
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First Reading from the First Book of Kings |
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1 Kgs 3:5, 7-12 |
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The LORD appeared
to Solomon in a dream at night.
God said, “Ask
something of me and I will give it to you.”
Solomon answered:
“O LORD, my God, you have made me, your servant,
king to succeed my father David; but I am a mere
youth, not knowing at all how to act.
I serve you in the
midst of the people whom you have chosen, a people
so vast that it cannot be numbered or counted.
Give your servant,
therefore, an understanding heart to judge your
people and to distinguish right from wrong. For
who is able to govern this vast people of yours?”
The LORD was pleased that Solomon made this
request.
So God said to him:
“Because you have asked for this—
not for a long life for yourself,
nor for riches,
nor for the life of your enemies,
but for understanding so that you may know what is
right—
I do as you requested.
I give you a heart
so wise and understanding that there has never
been anyone like you up to now, and after you
there will come no one to equal you.” |
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Responsorial From the Book of Psalms |
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Ps 119:57, 72,
76-77, 127-128, 129-130 |
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R. Lord, I love
your commands.
I have said, O LORD, that my part
is to keep your words.
The law of your mouth is to me more precious
than thousands of gold and silver pieces.
R. Lord, I love your commands.
Let your kindness comfort me
according to your promise to your servants.
Let your compassion come to me that I may live,
for your law is my delight.
R. Lord, I love your commands.
For I love your command
more than gold, however fine.
For in all your precepts I go forward;
every false way I hate.
R. Lord, I love your commands.
Wonderful are your decrees;
therefore I observe them.
The revelation of your words sheds light,
giving understanding to the simple.
R. Lord, I love your commands. |
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Second Reading from the Letter to the Romans |
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Rom 8:28-30
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Brothers and sisters:
We know that all things work for good for those
who love God, who are called according to his
purpose.
For
those he foreknew he also predestined to be
conformed to the image of his Son, so that he
might be the firstborn among many brothers and
sisters.
And those he predestined he also called; and those
he called he also justified; and those he
justified he also glorified. |
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Reading From the Gospel of Matthew |
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Mt 13:44-52 or
13:44-46 |
Jesus said to
his disciples:
“The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure
buried in a field, which a person finds and
hides again, and out of joy goes and sells all
that he has and buys that field.
Again, the
kingdom of heaven is like a merchant
searching for fine pearls. When he finds a
pearl of great price, he goes and sells all
that he has and buys it.
Again, the
kingdom of heaven is like a net thrown into
the sea, which collects fish of every kind.
When it is full they haul it ashore and sit
down to put what is good into buckets.
What is bad
they throw away. Thus it will be at the end of
the age.
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The angels will
go out and separate the wicked from the righteous
and throw them into the fiery furnace, where there
will be wailing and grinding of teeth.
“Do you
understand all these things?”
They answered,
“Yes.”
And he replied,
“Then every scribe who has been instructed in the
kingdom of heaven is like the head of a household
who brings from his storeroom both the new and the
old.”
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or |
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Jesus said to his
disciples:
“The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure buried
in a field, which a person finds and hides again,
and out of joy goes and sells all that he has and
buys that field.
Again, the
kingdom of heaven is like a merchant searching for
fine pearls. When he finds a pearl of great price,
he goes and sells all that he has and buys it.”
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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)
-
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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Our Engine |
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This newsletter
and the website is powered by Site Build It!
It really is a "Genie In A Box."
Don't forget to check out the Quick Tour Slide
Show!
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the "Genie In A Box?"
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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.
