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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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Food for (Positive) Thought |
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As you now
know, in addition to restricting your caloric
intake, it's essential to eat the right kinds
of food to build muscle, strengthen your
immune system, stay energized, and, in
general, feel good in your everyday life.
Eating
"clean" will help to keep you in tip-top
shape, but if you find yourself battling a bad
mood, a few particular foods might help
improve your attitude. Check 'em out: |
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- Low-fat,
low-protein, high-carbohydrate snacks are good
for chasing away the blues. Try air-popped
popcorn or whole-wheat bread with honey.
- To ward off
depression, go for fish. Omega-3 fatty acids are
reputed to ease mood swings.
- Fight stress
with high-fiber foods, such as apples, pears,
olives, beets, squash, zucchini, asparagus,
spinach, lentils, beans, tofu, barley, brown
rice, buckwheat, and couscous.
- Drink water
for a quick pick-me-up. Regular hydration will
keep you from feeling fatigued, and it can also
help you burn calories.
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Highs and Lows
Caffeine, alcohol, sugar, and chocolate are all
known for mood-altering effects, ranging from
waking you up to calming you down, but they can
also trigger mood swings, irritability, and
feelings of anxiety and stress. Experts suggest
moderating your intake of these substances so you
can stay on an even keel.
And,
remember......CONSISTENCY IS KEY!!! |
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From a Company
Newsletter |
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Who
is |
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Daniel: Visions of the End Times |
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(From the Book of Daniel) |
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The man dressed
in linen with a belt of fine gold around his
waist continues and tells Daniel that there
shall arise Michael, the great prince,
guardian of his people at the time of
unsurpassed distress since nations began.
At that time
his people shall escape, everyone who is found
written in the book. He said that many of
those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall
awake. Some shall live forever but for others
shall be an everlasting horror and disgrace.
He continues that the wise shall shine
brightly like the splendor of the firmament,
And those who lead the many to justice shall
be like the stars forever.
The man dressed in linen tells Daniel to keep
secret the message and seal the book until the
end time. He warns that many shall fall away
and evil shall increase. |
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Daniel sees two
others, one standing on either bank of the river.
One of them asks the man clothed in linen how long
it shall be to the end of these appalling things.
The man clothed in linen lifts his right and left
hands to heaven. Daniel hears the man swear by him
who lives forever that it should be for a year,
two years, a half-year; and that, when the power
of the destroyer of the holy people is brought to
an end, all these things should end. |
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Daniel hears
this but does not understand. Daniel asks what
will follow this.
But the man tells Daniel to leave because the
words are to be kept secret and sealed until
the end time.
He says that many shall be refined, purified,
and tested, but the wicked shall prove wicked;
none of them shall have understanding, but the
wise shall have it. |
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From the time that
the daily sacrifice is abolished and the horrible
abomination is set up, there shall be one thousand
two hundred and ninety days.
He says that blessed is the man who has patience
and perseveres until the one thousand three
hundred and thirty-five days.
The man in white line orders Daniel to go, take
his rest, for he rises he shall rise for your
reward at the end of days. |
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To
be continued... |
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World
Youth Day 2008:
Theology on Tap "Mission Possible: This
double-life will self-destruct"
Delivered by the
Most Rev. Charles J. Chaput, O.F.M.
Cap.
Archbishop of
Denver, Colorado USA, in Sydney Australia July
2008
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You hear a lot of
stories when you're in a pub having a pint. So I
thought I'd start our time together tonight with a
story. Now, some of the tales you hear when you're
sitting with friends over a beer might stretch the
truth a little. But I promise: the one I'm about
to tell you is true.
It's about a young
man named Franz who lived about 60 years ago in a
small village in Austria. Franz was the
illegitimate son of a farmer who later died in
World War I. He was a wild kid. Everyone recalls
he was the first one in the village to drive a
motorcycle. And I don't think that's because he
drove safely or kept to the posted speed limits.
Franz was the
leader of a gang that used to fight rival gangs in
neighboring villages with knives and chains. He
was something of a cad, too, and a womanizer. He
got a girl pregnant and was forced to leave town.
People said he went to work for a while in an iron
mine.
For reasons
nobody knows, Franz came back a changed man. He
had always gone to church, even during his wildest
days. But when he returned, he was a serious
Catholic, not just a Sunday-Catholic. He started
making payments to support the child he had
fathered out of wedlock. He married a good
Catholic woman and settled down to become a good
farmer, husband and father, raising three children
and serving as a lay leader in his local parish.
I'll tell you
the rest of the story later. But I want to quote
something Franz wrote in a letter to his godson.
He wrote: "I can say from my own experience how
painful life often is when one lives as a halfway
Christian. It is more like vegetating than
living."
I remembered
Franz and those words when I started thinking
about tonight's topic: "Mission Possible: This
Double-Life Will Self-Destruct." Most of you
aren't Americans, and you're all too young to
remember the original "Mission Impossible" TV
series that aired in the States in the '60s and
'70s. But I suppose the organizers of my talk
figured you'd all seen the Tom Cruise movies that
came out a few years back. |
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To read the rest of
this article by the 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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Our
Faith: What you might want to know about |
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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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2. |
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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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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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 confirmand 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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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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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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The laying
on of the minister's hand. |
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A symbolic
slap on the cheek. |
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The
anointing of the forehead with sacred
chrism. |
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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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It
cleanses. |
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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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It
signifies beauty, health, and strength. |
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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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d. |
A sign of
ownership of an object. |
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e. |
An
authentication of a juridical act. |
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To
learn more about Our Faith, please
click here. |
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Twentieth
Sunday in Ordinary Time
August
17,
2008
“I was sent only to the lost sheep
of the house of Israel.” Matt
15:24
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First Reading from the Book of Isaiah |
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Is 56:1, 6-7 |
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Thus
says the LORD:
Observe what is right, do what is just; for my
salvation is about to come, my justice, about to
be revealed.
The foreigners who join themselves to the LORD,
ministering to him, loving the name of the LORD,
and becoming his servants—
all who keep the sabbath free from profanation and
hold to my covenant, them I will bring to my holy
mountain and make joyful in my house of prayer;
their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be
acceptable on my altar, for my house shall be
called a house of prayer for all peoples. |
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Responsorial From the Book of Psalms |
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Ps 67:2-3, 5, 6, 8 |
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R. O God, let all the nations praise you!
May God have pity on us and bless us;
may he let his face shine upon us.
So may your way be known upon earth;
among all nations, your salvation.
R. O God, let all the nations praise you!
May the nations be glad and exult
because you rule the peoples in equity;
the nations on the earth you guide.
R. O God, let all the nations praise you!
May the peoples praise you, O God;
may all the peoples praise you!
May God bless us,
and may all the ends of the earth fear him!
R. O God, let all the nations praise you! |
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Second Reading from the Letter to the Romans |
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Rom 11:13-15, 29-32 |
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Brothers and sisters:
I am speaking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch as I am
the apostle to the Gentiles, I glory in my
ministry in order to make my race jealous and thus
save some of them.
For if their rejection is the reconciliation of
the world, what will their acceptance be but life
from the dead?
For the gifts and the call of God are irrevocable.
Just as you once disobeyed God but have now
received mercy because of their disobedience, so
they have now disobeyed in order that, by virtue
of the mercy shown to you, they too may now
receive mercy.
For God delivered all to disobedience, that he
might have mercy upon all. |
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Reading From the Gospel of Matthew |
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Mt 15:21-28 |
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At that time, Jesus withdrew to the region of
Tyre and Sidon.
And behold, a Canaanite woman of that district
came and called out,
“Have pity on me, Lord, Son of David! My
daughter is tormented by a demon.”
But Jesus did not say a word in answer to her.
Jesus’ disciples came and asked him,
“Send her away, for she keeps calling out
after us.”
He said in reply,
“I was sent only to the lost sheep of the
house of Israel.”
But the woman came and did Jesus homage,
saying, |
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“Lord, help me.” |
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He
said in reply,
“It is not right to take the food of the children
and throw it to the dogs.”
She said, “Please, Lord, for even the dogs eat the
scraps that fall from the table of their masters.”
Then Jesus said to her in reply,
“O woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for
you as you wish.”
And the woman’s daughter was healed from that
hour. |
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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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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.
