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NIC’s Corner Give thanks to the LORD, who is good, whose love endures forever; (1 Chronicles 16:35) · Total Consecration to St...
Chaplet of Divine Mercy
3 PM
Sunday, March 9, 2025
Claire’s Corner
· Today in honor of the Holy Trinity do the Divine Office giving your day to God. To honor God REST: no shopping after 6 pm Saturday till Monday. Don’t forget the internet.
· Bucket List trip: Winchester Cathedral England
· Spirit Hour: Have a DouDou Special
· Try[8]: Crispy Orange Beef
Sunday Dinner-Today’s Menu is from IOWA
· Beef Vegetable Soup
· Stuffed Iowa Chops
· Candy Bar Apple Salad
After Dinner Cigars
· Daytona, Florida-Bike Week February 28-March 9- Rev up for a week of diesel and fun at Daytona Bike Week. The annual motorcycle rally attracts some of the fiercest bikers, clad in leather (and sometimes little else) to celebrate the freedom of the open road.
March 9 First Sunday of Lent, Called “Invocabit”
Meatball Day-Daylight Saving Time Begins Tomorrow
Daniel,
Chapter 13, Verse 57
57This is how you acted with the daughters of Israel, and in their FEAR, they yielded to you; but a daughter of Judah did not tolerate your lawlessness.
The internet is a great tool and benefit to mankind; however, it is also used by evil men; as in this chapter of Daniel; to enslave.
Today we see that many on the internet kill the life of men and women by enslaving them. Many of our beautiful youth are caught up in human trafficking and the production of pornography. Daniel in this chapter freed the woman Susanna from powerful men who tried to get her to yield her body to them or be killed.
Today let us emulate Daniel in freeing women from this type of slavery by never treating women as an object of desire and by avoiding any and all use of pornography or venues of entertainment that use women as object to fulfill men’s lusts. This could even include our selection of music and TV shows we watch.
We could also offer our prayers for these women by a monthly fast; thus, giving up a portion of our body to redeem their bodies for the Lord.[1]
When I was stationed in Belgium there in the town of
Mons was an annual celebration of the killing of a dragon called the Dudu. In
one of the local museums, we were shown the large skull of a crocodile (two
foot by 5 foot) which was according to the legend to be the Dragon killed by
St. George. . The Ducasse de Mons, or "Doudou,"
a traditional folk festival in Mons, Belgium, takes place every year on the
weekend of Trinity Sunday (57 days after Easter).
The lesson here is that if we allow evil to grow like the crocodile it
may get so large that we cannot defeat it. The sex industry is a dragon that we
must slay. Unfortunately, the dragon only approaches those who feed it. If you
are struggling with the dragon stop feeding it and it will die.
Help
for the Enslaved
·
No Fap
First Sunday of Lent, Called
“Invocabit”. [2]
THIS,
Sunday is called Invocabit from the first word of the Introit. All the Sundays
of Lent and those from Easter to Pentecost take their names from the Introits
of the Mass. In the Introit of this day, we are told: He shall cry to Me, and I
will hear him; I will deliver him and glorify him; I will fill him with length
of days. He that dwelleth in the aid of the Most High shall abide under the
protection of the God of heaven (Ps. xc. 15, 16, 1).
Prayer of the Church
O God, Who dost purify Thy Church by the yearly
observance of Lent, grant to Thy servants that what they endeavor to obtain of
Thee by abstinence they may secure by good works.
EPISTLE, Cor. vi.
1-10.
Brethren:
We do exhort you, that you receive not the grace of God in vain: for He saith:
In an accepted time have I heard thee: and in the day of salvation have I
helped thee. Behold now is the acceptable time: behold now is the day of
salvation; giving no offence to any man, that our ministry be not blamed: but
in all things let us exhibit ourselves as the ministers of God, in much
patience, in tribulation, in necessities, in distresses, in stripes, in
prisons, in seditions, in labors, in watching’s, in fasting’s, in chastity, in
knowledge, in long-suffering, in sweetness, in the Holy Ghost, in charity
unfeigned, in the word of truth, in the power of God, by the armor of justice
on the right hand and on the left, by honor and dishonor, by evil report and good
report: as deceivers, and yet true: as unknown, and yet known: as dying, and
behold we live: as chastised, and not killed: as sorrowful, yet always
rejoicing: as needy, yet enriching many: as having nothing, and possessing all
things. By this epistle the Church admonishes us to profit by Lent as a season
of grace, to spend it in earnestly combating sin and in the diligent
performance of good works.
GOSPEL. Matt. iv.
1-11.
At that time: Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert, to be
tempted by the devil. And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights,
afterwards He was hungry. And the tempter coming, said to Him: If Thou be the
Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. Who answered and said: It
is written, not in bread alone doth man live, but in every word that proceedeth
from the mouth of God. Then the devil took Him up into the holy city, and
set Him upon a pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him: If Thou be the Son of
God, cast Thy self-down; for it is written that He hath given His angels charge
over Thee, and in their hands shall they bear Thee up, lest perhaps Thou dash
Thy foot against a stone. Jesus said to him: It is written again:
Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. Again, the devil took Him up into a very high
mountain: and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them,
and said to Him: All these will I give Thee, if falling down Thou wilt adore
me. Then Jesus saith to him: Begone, Satan: for it is written:
The Lord thy God shalt thou adore and Him only shalt thou serve. Then
the devil left Him: and behold angels came and ministered to Him.
Our
Savior was led by the Holy Ghost into the desert there to prepare by fasting
forty days and nights for His holy ministry. Here the tempter approaches and
seeks to betray Him. After He had overcome the Evil One’s angels came and
ministered to Him: by which we learn that they who overcome temptations enjoy
the consolation and assistance of the angels. This should encourage us to
combat joyfully to the end.
What is temptation?
Temptation
is an inducement to transgress the commandments of God. Temptation comes from
our own concupiscence (James i. 14) for the flesh lusteth against the spirit (Gal.
v.17.)
How does the devil tempt us?
He
moves the natural concupiscence to such sins as he sees men particularly
inclined to, and then deceives and confuses the man’s mind, that he may not see
clearly either the temporal loss, or the dishonor and danger of sin. He can,
however, do nothing but what God permits. St. Augustine therefore compares him
to a chained dog that can hurt only those who put themselves within his reach.
Does God also tempt us?
St.
James says (i. 13), Let no man, when he is tempted, say that he is tempted by
God; for God is not a tempter of evils, and He tempteth no man; But He allows
us to be tempted, sending us manifold trials.
Does God permit us to be tempted beyond our strength?
No;
for He combats with us and gives you always as much strength as is required to
conquer temptations, and even to gain advantage from them (i. Cor. x. 13).
When do we consent to temptation?
When
we decide of our own free will to do the evil proposed; as long as we resist,
however little, we do not consent.
What are the best means to overcome temptation?
1.
Humility and prayer.
2.
The consideration of the suffering which follows sin, and of the happiness
which awaits those who resist temptation.
3.
Invoking the aid of the Blessed Virgin, our guardian angel, and all the saints.
4.
Praying devoutly, lead us not into temptation, and calling on the holy name of
Jesus.
Lenten Calendar[3]
Read: Today’s Gospel tells
the story of Jesus’s
journey into the desert to be tempted by the devil.
Reflect: Every day, but particularly in
Lent, Christians must face a struggle, like the one that Christ underwent in
the desert of Judea, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil, and then
in Gethsemane, when he rejected the most sever temptation, accepting the Father’s will to the very end.
It
is a spiritual battle waged against sin and finally, against Satan. It is a
struggle that involves the whole of the person and demands attentive and
constant watchfulness.”
(Pope Benedict XVI, Homily, March 1, 2006)
Pray: Say something from your heart.
Act: With
Jesus’s response of “One does not live on bread alone” in mind, think of what ways you
can feed your spiritual life this Lent. Decide to do something during this
Lenten season that will nurture your relationship with God. Consider reading
one of the Psalms on Saturdays, challenge yourself to fast from speaking any
negative or critical word on Fridays, or do an act of generosity on
Mondays.
Christ is the
model for our fasting
Christ in the
desert, and the kinds of temptations we can expect to encounter.
"Not
by bread alone does man live, but by every word that comes forth from the mouth
of God".
1.
The devil tries to tempt us with the bread of fleshly desire. "Now
is the acceptable time" to "ration" our self-indulgence, our
worship of physical culture, and to feed our souls with the Divine Word. This
temptation calls for the mortification of self.
2.
The "pinnacle of the temple", recalls the pride of usurping
God's power, of trying to live beyond His reach. We must topple
ourselves from the pinnacle of pride and lift ourselves up by prayer to
the pinnacle of God Himself.
3.
The "kingdoms of the world," are those who covet mere earthly
"glory." To offset this temptation there must be almsgiving or
devoting one's talents to the service of one's neighbor.
The
Epistle exhorts us not to receive "in vain" this plan of personal
reformation, first by warning, then by encouraging us in the eternal struggle
between Christ and Antichrist.
Excerpted from My Sunday Missal, Confraternity of
the Precious Blood
Aids
in Battle[4]
The Power of God’s Word
When Our Lord overcame the
Devil in the wilderness, He quoted Scripture. In Scripture, the Devil and his
demons go by several names and are portrayed by several vivid images, each one
pointing to some important aspect of
their nature and activity. To know these names and images is to understand
better the kind of opponents we face in spiritual warfare.
·
The
Devil, literally, “one who hurls
[himself] across” the path of God’s plan; Mt 4: 1.
·
Satan, literally, “adversary, attacker”;
Job 1: 6; Mt 4: 10.
·
Beelzebul, the prince of demons, the name of
a pagan Canaanite god meaning “the Prince-God”; the Jews interpreted the word
as “prince of demons” because they identified false gods with demonic spirits;
Mt 12: 24– 27. The form Beelzebub, used in some Bible translations, is a
contemptuous adaptation of the name that means “Lord of the flies”; see also
Baalzebub as a reference to the Canaanite god in 2 Ki 1: 2– 6.
·
The
Serpent, the malicious intruder in
the Garden of Eden who led our first parents into sin; Gn 3: 1; Rv 12: 9.
·
Demon, from the ancient Greek term for a
lesser deity; St. Paul identified such pagan gods with demonic spirits; 1 Cor
10: 20– 21.
·
Unclean spirit, in the sense of morally unclean
or impure; Mt 10: 1.
Devotion to the Trinity[5]
The Trinity is the sum, substance, subject and object of our prayer. We are baptized in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. One God, who is three persons, is a mystery too deep for anyone to fathom. St. Teresa of Avila had a vision on the Trinity she stated, “What was represented to me were three distinct persons, for we can behold and speak to each one. Afterward I reflected that only the Son took human flesh, through which this truth of the Trinity was seen. These persons love, communicate with, and know each other…and this is a very great truth…In all three persons there is no more than one will, one power, and one dominion, in such a way that one cannot do anything without the others.”
St. John Paul II stated also, “God in his deepest mystery is not a solitude but a family, since he has in himself fatherhood, sonship, and the essence of family, which is love.” We are created for the sake of love.
According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, (234) the mystery of the Most Holy Trinity is the central mystery of Christian faith and life. It is the mystery of God in Himself. It is therefore the source of all the other mysteries of faith, the light that enlightens them. It is the most fundamental and essential teaching in the "hierarchy of the truths of faith". The whole history of salvation is identical with the history of the way and the means by which the one true God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, reveals himself to men "and reconciles and unites with himself those who turn away from sin".
God the Father sent the Son so that we might receive the Spirit. God
became what we are, so that we might become what He is. He assumed our nature,
so that we might share in His. Heaven is nothing other than the sharing, that
communion, and it has begun with our baptism. All the sacraments and all
Catholic liturgy are about the Blessed Trinity. We have been taken up into the
life of the Trinity, even now. We do not have to wait to live in heaven, Heaven
has come to us—though we still await the day of consummation, when we shall be
like Him, for we shall see Him as He is (Jn. 3:2). Our very nature speaks of
the trinity through our Mind, emotions and will. Will to serve!
Catechism
of the Catholic Church
Day
266 2017-2029
PART THREE: LIFE IN CHRIST
SECTION ONE-MAN'S VOCATION LIFE IN THE
SPIRIT
CHAPTER THREE-GOD'S SALVATION: LAW AND
GRACE
Article 2-GRACE AND JUSTIFICATION
IN BRIEF
2017 The grace of the Holy Spirit confers upon us the
righteousness of God. Uniting us by faith and Baptism to the Passion and
Resurrection of Christ, the Spirit makes us sharers in his life.
2018 Like conversion, justification has two aspects. Moved
by grace, man turns toward God and away from sin, and so accepts forgiveness
and righteousness from on high.
2019 Justification includes the remission of sins,
sanctification, and the renewal of the inner man.
2020 Justification has been merited for us by the Passion
of Christ. It is granted us through Baptism. It conforms us to the
righteousness of God, who justifies us. It has for its goal the glory of God
and of Christ, and the gift of eternal life. It is the most excellent work of
God's mercy.
2021 Grace is the help God gives us to respond to our
vocation of becoming his adopted sons. It introduces us into the intimacy of
the Trinitarian life.
2022 The divine initiative in the work of grace precedes,
prepares, and elicits the free response of man. Grace responds to the deepest
yearnings of human freedom, calls freedom to cooperate with it, and perfects
freedom.
2023 Sanctifying grace is the gratuitous gift of his life
that God makes to us; it is infused by the Holy Spirit into the soul to heal it
of sin and to sanctify it.
2024 Sanctifying grace makes us "pleasing to
God." Charisms, special graces of the Holy Spirit, are oriented to
sanctifying grace and are intended for the common good of the Church. God also
acts through many actual graces, to be distinguished from habitual grace which
is permanent in us.
2025 We can have merit in God's sight only because of God's
free plan to associate man with the work of his grace. Merit is to be ascribed
in the first place to the grace of God, and secondly to man's collaboration.
Man's merit is due to God.
2026 The grace of the Holy Spirit can confer true merit on
us, by virtue of our adoptive filiation, and in accordance with God's
gratuitous justice. Charity is the principal source of merit in us before God.
2027 No one can merit the initial grace which is at the
origin of conversion. Moved by the Holy Spirit, we can merit for ourselves and
for others all the graces needed to attain eternal life, as well as necessary
temporal goods.
2028 "All Christians . . . are called to the fullness
of Christian life and to the perfection of charity" (LG 40 # 2).
"Christian perfection has but one limit, that of having none" (St.
Gregory of Nyssa, De vita Mos.: PG 44, 300D).
2029 "If any man would come after me, let him deny
himself and take up his cross and follow me" (Mt 16:24).
National Meatball Day[6]
Just the word meatball is
enough to bring to mind great family meals for most people. These little balls
of various meats can be found throughout the world in almost every culture.
Most people may associate them with Italian cuisine, though spaghetti and
meatballs are an American dish. No matter your background, you can jump in and
enjoy Meatball Day! There are many times in history that meatballs have been
recorded in culinary records. In Turkey, there is a dish called kofte which has
many different variations. In China, there is a record of a recipe that can
date back to 221 BC! Ancient Rome can add a claim to meatballs as there is a
surviving cookbook that holds a variety of recipes with balls of meat. It is
easy to see that people have been enjoying meatballs for a very long time.
Meatballs are made by taking ground or minced meat that has been mixed with
spices, breadcrumbs, eggs or other ingredients and then rolled into a ball to
be cooked. Cooking methods vary and include frying, braising, or baking. There
is no wrong way to choose to make your version of the meatball. Just remember
to make a large enough batch so that all your friends and family will get to
try them!
How to Celebrate Meatball Day
·
Meatball
day, like other culinary holidays, should be enjoyed with family or friends
gathered around. The most difficult part of preparing for Meatball Day is going
to be picking what nation’s recipe you will use. Lucky for you, this is a
yearly occurrence, so you can pick a new nation each year to try if you like.
Or you could be truly adventurous and try more than one at a time!
·
Meatballs
can be an appetizer, a side dish or the star of the meal. To celebrate, you and
your friends who like to cook can have a playful evening by letting each person
bring their own dish and then you can select a favorite! Think if it as the
home version of Iron Chef! With a little craftiness, a prize could even be
offered to grace the winner’s mantle.
·
What
is your favorite way to enjoy meatballs? There are so many ways to make them.
Have you added them added to your pizza or on a sandwich? Do you prefer to
stick to the traditions of your family or try to create something new? This is
the time to shine! An entire day devoted to meatball goodness.
·
It
doesn’t matter if you are a chef or a first-time cook. Making a meal with
meatballs is easy but has the wonderful side effect of making you look like the
star of your kitchen. Just do a search with your favorite search engine for meatball
recipes and pick the one that sounds yummy (that might be all of them!). Don’t
forget to record your adventure by taking a few pictures and use #meatballday
on social media to share!
Daylight Saving Time Begins Tomorrow[7]
Daylight Savings time had
begun in an effort to help save energy and provide workers with more hours of
serviceable daylight during the long summer days. Daylight Savings
Time was first introduced in the U.S. in 1918. However, it was not until
1966, when the Uniform Act was passed, that all states had to either observe
DST or pass a state law to abstain.
Daylight Saving Time Begins
Facts
·
Benjamin Franklin first
proposed the idea of DST in 1784. He wrote An Economical Project for the
Journal of Paris, wherein he discussed the cost of oil for lamps as well as
working while it was dark and sleeping while it was day.
·
Daylight Savings Time changes
at 2:00 a.m. This time is selected in an effort to provide the least
amount of inconvenience to businesses and citizens.
·
Hawaii and Arizona do not use
DST. Up until 2006, Indiana only used DST in part of the state.
Daylight Saving Time Begins
Top Events and Things to Do
·
Move your clocks forward 1
hour before bed on Saturday night before the Daylight-Saving Time Day in March.
·
Go to bed an hour earlier
Saturday night before the Daylight-Saving Time Day.
·
Get outside and enjoy the
extra hour of daylight.
·
Replace the batteries in the
smoke alarm and carbon dioxide monitors.
· Clean out the medicine cabinet. Dispose of all medicines properly.
Today
imagine that God came to you and said you can move back time for two hours for
any moment in your life. What would you change? Think of that before going to
confession.
Daily Devotions
·
Unite in the work of the Porters of St. Joseph by joining them
in fasting: Today's Fast: Purity
·
Total Consecration
to St. Joseph Day 24
·
Offering to
the sacred heart of Jesus
·
Make
reparations to the Holy Face
[2] Goffine’s Devout Instructions, 1896
[4]Thigpen, Paul. Manual for Spiritual
Warfare. TAN Books.
[5] Hahn, Scott, Signs of Life; 40 Catholic
Customs and their biblical roots. Chap. 34. Devotion to the Trinity.
[8] Sheraton, Mimi. 1,000 Foods To Eat Before You Die: A
Food Lover's Life List. Workman Publishing Company. Kindle Edition.
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