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.             Health Notes   Food for (Positive) Thought 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:   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.   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!!!       From a Company Newsletter               Who is   Daniel: Visions of the End Times   (From the Book of Daniel)   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.   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.       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.   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.     To be continued...                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         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.       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.       Our Faith: What you might want to know about The Sacrament of Confirmation   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. 1. Give chapter and verse, or the quote, for a biblical reference for what became known as the sacrament of Confirmation. 2. Which of the following is false about Confirmation? Pick any combination of the following. a. It perfects Baptismal grace. b. It gives us the Holy Spirit. c. It helps us bear witness to the faith in words and deeds. d. It is the second plank of salvation. e. Anyone can administer Confirmation to another in grave necessity. 3. 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. 4. True or false. The administration of Confirmation directly following infant Baptism, and immediately followed by the Eucharist, is illicit in the Catholic Church. 5. Why, in the Latin Church, does Confirmation not immediately follow Baptism? Pick any combination of the following. a. The Latin Church no longer considers Confirmation a sacrament of initiation. b. A desire for the confirmand to make his own free will choice. c. In order to emphasize the importance of baptismal entry into the faith of the Church. d. The Church wants the bishop to confirm, in order to signify the strengthening of the bond to the Church and its apostolic origins. e. The Church wants to administer this sacrament after the age of reason. 6. The one to receive the sacrament of Confirmation must: Pick any combination of the following. a. be confirmed only by the local Ordinary. b. be in the state of grace. c. have the intention of receiving the sacrament. d. have received the sacrament of Reconciliation prior to confirmation. e. be prepared to assume the role of disciple and witness to Christ. 7. Which of the following are the essential elements of the Roman rite of Confirmation? Pick any combination of the following. a. The words: "Be sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit." b. The laying on of the minister's hand. c. A symbolic slap on the cheek. d. The anointing of the forehead with sacred chrism. e. The reception of Holy Communion. 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. 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. a. It is a sign of abundance and joy. b. It cleanses. c. It limbers the limbs of athletes and wrestlers. d. It heals, since it is soothing to bruises and wounds. e. It signifies beauty, health, and strength. 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. a. A symbol of a person. b. A sign of maturity. c. A sign of personal authority. d. A sign of ownership of an object. e. An authentication of a juridical act.     To learn more about Our Faith, please click here.           Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time August 17, 2008 “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” Matt 15:24     First Reading from the Book of Isaiah Is 56:1, 6-7   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.     Responsorial From the Book of Psalms Ps 67:2-3, 5, 6, 8 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!   Second Reading from the Letter to the Romans Rom 11:13-15, 29-32       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.           Reading From the Gospel of Matthew Mt 15:21-28 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,   “Lord, help me.”       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.         Suggested Readings 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. Praying With Frederic Ozanam (Companions for the Journey Series) - Paperback, by Ronald Cm Ramson (Author) Praying With Louise De Marillac (Companions for the Journey Series) by Audrey Gibson (Author), Kieran Kneaves (Author) Praying with Vincent de Paul (Companions for the Journey) 2004, by Thomas McKenna     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 is already the subject of much fanfare. "Anyone who has puzzled over Christianity's rise to dominance... must read it," ... Read the first page.   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) "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."   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 simple language for all who seek a better understanding of their Faith. I highly recommend it for Catholics, both young and old.   The Power of Intention: Learning to Co-create Your World Your Way From Amazon: After years of spiritual study and reflection, inspirational speaker and  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."