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Thursday, March 20, 2025
Rachel’s Corner
“Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” (Luke 2:14)
· National Cherry Blossom Festival in D.C.
o The nation’s capital comes abloom every spring with the annual National Cherry Blossom Festival. See the famed cherry blossom trees, lining the Tidal Basin, while strolling by iconic sites like the Jefferson and Martin Luther King memorials.
· Plan ahead for next year:
o Skiing- Also known as downhill skiing, Alpine skiing began as a club sport in 1861 at Kiandra in Australia. Today, most alpine skiing occurs at ski resorts with ski lifts that transport skiers up the mountain.
· Bucket List trip: Bali Biking & Hiking Adventure Tours
· Religion in the Home for Preschool: March
· do a personal eucharistic stations of the cross.
· Motivating Children to Perform Good Deeds
· Fred Rogers, born on March 20, 1928-2003
· Won’t You Be My Neighbor Day
· 30 Days with St. Joseph Day 1
· Spirit Hour: Bock Beer Day
Thursday Feast
Thursday is the day of the week that our Lord gave himself up for consumption. Thursday commemorates the last supper. Some theologians believe after Sunday Thursday is the holiest day of the week. We should then try to make this day special by making a visit to the blessed sacrament chapel, Mass or even stopping by the grave of a loved one. Why not plan to count the blessing of the week and thank our Lord. Plan a special meal. Be at Peace.
According to Mary Agreda[9] in her visions it was on a Thursday at six o'clock in the evening and at the approach of night that the Angel Gabriel approached and announced her as Mother of God and she gave her fiat.
Best Places to Visit in March
In Salt Lake City, you can expect the last of the snow to be falling in March. The Utah city is surrounded by the Wasatch Mountains, which house dozens of ski resorts. So, if you visit in March, you can still head out to enjoy the slopes and some adrenaline-inducing activities. At this time, the climate in the city center is much milder, though, which is ideal for city sightseeing. Some of the best things to do in Salt Lake City involve sightseeing outdoors, so March is a great time to get the best of both worlds.
Today’s Menu is from UTAH
2025 Airshow Calendar-You Don't Want to Miss This
Davis-Monthan AFB Welcome to the Thunder & Lightning Over Arizona Air Show! On the weekend of March 22-23, we are opening the gates and inviting everyone to enjoy a free, weekend-long event packed full of entertainment. Come out and see dynamic aerial displays, memorable planes, and SO much more! The world-renowned United States Air Force Thunderbirds will be headlining this event. Limited premium seating available. Click Here to Purchase Tickets
The Iceman’s Air Show
When I was about 10 years old my father worked for an intercom company called Executone. This was an intercom company that installed communication equipment in large areas such as auditoriums. As so happens my father was assigned to take a flight in a small aircraft the Cessna 150 and I was allowed to come along because I was loved and I could run the small wires in tight places because I was a skinny boy. The trip would take us by this aircraft from Phoenix to Nogales. After we finished the work we got back into the aircraft and on the way back the pilots son who was a year or two older than me was allowed to steer the plane; but then too my surprise the pilot asked me if I wanted to fly (note on this plane the steering wheel could be switch to the passenger side but the pedals were controlled only by the pilot) of course I said YES! The pilot’s son and I switched seats. Once up front in my excitement I grabbed the steering wheel and pulled it back all the way to my chest. Immediately the small plane responded and started a steep climb and the engine started to stall. I could hear the pilot yell. “Put the wheel forward we are stalling.” Immediately I responded by pushing the wheel all the way forward. Again, the plane responded by making a deep dive and started to spin and made the sound like a German Dive Bomber. I could see the ground coming up fast and hear the pilot say, “Pull it up-Pull it up-O God.” I immediately responded and tried to pull the wheel up but in the deep dive it was very hard to pull it up as I pulled with all my strength my arms started to shake and gradually to plane pulled out of the dive sounding like it was falling apart and slowly started to rise after we nearly missed the ground. After that I was able to gain control of the Aircraft when I heard his son say. “Wow we are really going to enjoy this flight.” I flew the plane all the way into Phoenix, but the Pilot wouldn’t let me land it. My father was as silent as St. Joseph. Amen.
March 20 Thursday in the Second Week of Lent
Vernal Equinox-Happiness Day
Ester, Chapter 4C, Verse 30
O God, whose power is over all,
hear the voice of those in despair. Save us from the power of the wicked, and
deliver me from my FEAR.”
Ester
has determined here that she must overcome fear and risk death in order to save
her people. To enter the Kings Throne room without, being called by him, was a
taboo of the Persian court and to violate it carried an immediate sentence of
death. Ester determined that to save her people she must appear to the King and
risk death for her people.
Queen
Ester and Our Lady of Fatima[1]
Queen
Esther is in anguish because Haman, the wicked aide has convinced the King to
issue an order to kill all the Jews in his Empire. Haman did this because
Mordecai, Esther’s cousin who raised her as a daughter, would not bow down and
prostrate himself as Haman passed as the King had ordered. The date set for
destruction was the 13th of the month of Adar which corresponds to our month of
February. It is also the very day that the Maccabees liberated Israel after a
four-year battle with the Seleucid Empire. Sister Lucia to whom Our Lady of Fatima appeared died on this date. Our
Lady of Fatima’s first appearance to the three shepherd children was May 13,
1917. Her last appearance was October 13,1917. On May 13, 1981, Pope John
Paul II survived an assassination attempt. He credits Our Lady of Fatima with
saving his life.
Queen
Esther clothed herself in sackcloth and ashes. She fasted from food and
water for three days and asks the Jews to do the same. After three days,
she approached the King without being summoned. She did this even though
she was aware that the King could have sentenced her to death for doing so.
When the Queen enters into the King’s presence, he extends his scepter thus
sparing her life. He was so impressed by her courage and beauty that he
promised her up to half of his kingdom. Instead, she invites him to two
banquets and invites Haman – the man responsible for the order of the genocide
of her people. At the second banquet she pleads for her life and the life of
her people. The King is horrified by what Haman has done and orders him
to be hung on the same gallows he had prepared for Mordecai. Persian law
did not permit the King to reverse his decree, but he issued another decree
that the Jews could defend themselves. Instead of being destroyed, the
Jewish people were saved and defeated their enemies in battle. The Jews
celebrate this triumph each year as their Feast of Purim. It doesn’t
always fall on the same day. March 23-24 this year.
Many
see Queen Esther as a type of Mary and the Book of Esther as a type of the
Apocalypse. A figure type is a person, place, thing or event foreshadowing a
New Testament archetype (a perfect model or type). The New Testament archetype
is always greater than its Old Testament figure type. For example, Jonah’s time
in the belly of the great fish is a type of Jesus in the tomb. Moses is a type
of Jesus. The Jewish people were saved through the intercession of Queen
Esther, so Mary intercedes for her people today. The Apocalypse foretells
a great persecution of Christians at the end of time, but the Book of
Revelation speak about the Ark of the Covenant appearing in the sky and the
Woman crushing the head of the dragon. (Revelation 12) When the Blessed Mother
appeared at Fatima, she wore the Star of Esther. In the Old Testament of the
Hebrew text, her name was Hádássah - meaning myrtle, a white, five-pointed,
star-shaped flower. In the Hebrew text, her name was Hádássah - meaning myrtle,
a white, five-pointed, star-shaped flower.
Like
Esther, Mary came to Fatima to spare her children from destruction. She asked
people to repent of sin, pray the rosary, go to confession, and receive the
Eucharist worthily. On July 13, 1917, Our Lady said to the child Lucia: “…I
shall come to ask for the consecration of Russia to My Immaculate Heart, and
the Communion of Reparation on the First Saturdays. If my requests are heeded,
Russia will be converted and there will be peace; if not, she will spread her
errors throughout the world, causing wars and persecutions of the Church. The
good will be martyred, the Holy Father will have much to suffer, and various
nations will be annihilated. ... In the end, My Immaculate Heart will triumph.
The Holy Father will consecrate Russia to me, and she will be converted, and an
era of peace will be granted to the world.” Had her requests been heeded the
world would have been spared the horrors of World War II in which over 50
million people died, and countless other wars and persecutions provoked by
Communists throughout the world. In 1920, Russia was also the first country to
legalize abortion. In 1913, Communist leader Vladimir Lenin demanded “the
unconditional annulment of all laws against abortions or against the
distribution of medical literature on contraceptive measures.” Great evils
threaten our world. Sin increases. So many hearts are hardened. We need to call
on Our Lady in prayer. Heed her requests to Fatima and Lourdes. Do
penance, do the Five First Saturday devotion by going to confession, receiving
the Eucharist, praying the rosary and meditating 15 minutes on the mysteries
for five first Saturdays of the month in a row. Queen Esther asked her
people to do pray and penance with her. We must listen to the Blessed Mother
today and ask her to intercede with her Son that he might spare us, our nation
and our world.
Thursday in the Second Week of Lent
Prayer.
GRANT us, we beseech Thee, O Lord,
the help of Thy grace, that we, dutifully engaged in fasting and prayer, may be
freed from all enemies of body and soul.
EPISTLE. Jer. xvii. 5-10.
Thus, saith the Lord God: Cursed be
the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart
departeth from the Lord. For he shall be like tamaric in the desert, and he
shall not see when good shall come but he shall dwell in dryness in the desert
in a salt land, and not inhabited. Blessed be the man that trusteth in the
Lord, and the Lord shall be his confidence. And he shall be as a tree that is
planted by the waters, that spreadeth out its roots towards moisture: and it
shall not fear when the heat corneth. And the leaf thereof shall be green, and
in the time of drought it shall not be solicitous, neither shall it cease at
any time to bring forth fruit. The heart is perverse above all things, and
unsearchable, who can know it? I am the Lord that search the heart and prove
the reins: Who give to everyone according to his way, and according to the
fruit of his devices, saith the Lord Almighty.
GOSPEL. Luke xvi. 19-31.
At
that time Jesus said to the Pharisees: There was a certain rich man, who was
clothed in purple and fine linen: and feasted sumptuously every day. And there
was a certain beggar named Lazarus, who lay at his gate, full of sores,
desiring to be filled with the crumbs that fell from the rich man’s table, and
no one did give him: moreover, the dogs came and licked his sores. And it came
to pass that the beggar died and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s
bosom. And the rich man also died: and he was buried in hell. And lifting up
his eyes when he was in torments, he saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his
bosom: and he cried, and said: Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send
Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, to cool my tongue, for
I am tormented in this flame. And Abraham said to him: Son, remember that thou
didst receive good things in thy lifetime, and likewise Lazarus evil things:
but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. And besides all this, between
us and you there is fixed a great chaos: so that they who would pass from hence
to you cannot, nor from thence come hither. And he said: Then, father, I
beseech thee that thou wouldst send him to my father’s house; for I have five
brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of
torments. And Abraham said to him: They have Moses and the prophets; let them
hear them. But he said: No, Father Abraham, but if one went to them from the
dead, they will do penance. And he said to him: If they hear not Moses and the
prophets, neither will they believe if one rise again from the dead.
Aids in Battle[2]
Declarations of Victory from the Word of God
When you become weakened
and the outcome of the war seems uncertain, recall in faith that God’s ultimate
triumph is secure.
·
You
are of God, dear children, and have overcome him, because greater is He who is
in you than he who is in the world. 1 Jn 4: 4
·
The
LORD goes forth like a mighty man, like a man of war He stirs up His fury; He cries
out, He shouts aloud; He shows Himself mighty against His foes. Is 42: 13
·
The
LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the
stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? The LORD is my light and my
salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life; of whom
shall I be afraid? Though a host encamp against me, my heart shall not fear;
though war arise against me, yet I will be confident. One thing have I asked of
the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all
the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to inquire in His
temple. For He will hide me in His shelter in the day of trouble; He will
conceal me under the cover of His tent, He will set me upon a high rock. And
now my head shall be lifted up above my enemies round about me; and I will
offer in His tent sacrifices with shouts of joy; I will sing and make melody to
the LORD. . . . I believe that I shall see the goodness of the
LORD in the land of the living! Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your
heart take courage; yes, wait for the LORD! Ps 27: 1– 6, 13– 14
·
For,
behold, your enemies, O LORD, for, behold, your enemies shall perish; all
evildoers shall be scattered. Ps 92: 9
Catechism
of the Catholic Church
Day
277 2127-2141
PART THREE: LIFE IN CHRIST
SECTION TWO-THE TEN COMMANDMENTS
CHAPTER
ONE-YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR
SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND
Article 1-THE FIRST COMMANDMENT
Agnosticism
2127
Agnosticism assumes a number of forms. In certain cases the agnostic refrains
from denying God; instead he postulates the existence of a transcendent being
which is incapable of revealing itself, and about which nothing can be said. In
other cases, the agnostic makes no judgment about God's existence, declaring it
impossible to prove, or even to affirm or deny.
2128
Agnosticism can sometimes include a certain search for God, but it can equally
express indifferentism, a flight from the ultimate question of existence, and a
sluggish moral conscience. Agnosticism is all too often equivalent to practical
atheism.
IV. "You Shall Not Make For Yourself a Graven Image . .
."
2129 The divine injunction included the prohibition of
every representation of God by the hand of man. Deuteronomy explains:
"Since you saw no form on the day that the Lord spoke to you at Horeb out
of the midst of the fire, beware lest you act corruptly by making a graven
image for yourselves, in the form of any figure...." It is the
absolutely transcendent God who revealed himself to Israel. "He is the
all," but at the same time "he is greater than all his works." He
is "the author of beauty."
2130 Nevertheless, already in the Old Testament, God
ordained or permitted the making of images that pointed symbolically toward
salvation by the incarnate Word: so it was with the bronze serpent, the ark of
the covenant, and the cherubim.
2131 Basing itself on the mystery of the incarnate Word,
the seventh ecumenical council at Nicaea (787) justified against the
iconoclasts the veneration of icons - of Christ, but also of the Mother of God,
the angels, and all the saints. By becoming incarnate, the Son of God
introduced a new "economy" of images.
2132 The Christian veneration of images is not contrary to
the first commandment which proscribes idols. Indeed, "the honor rendered
to an image passes to its prototype," and "whoever venerates an image
venerates the person portrayed in it." The honor paid to sacred
images is a "respectful veneration," not the adoration due to God
alone:
Religious worship is not directed to images in themselves,
considered as mere things, but under their distinctive aspect as images leading
us on to God incarnate. The movement toward the image does not terminate in it
as image, but tends toward that whose image it is.
IN BRIEF
2133 "You shall love the Lord your God with all your
heart, and with all your soul and with all your strength" (Deut 6:5).
2134 The first commandment summons man to believe in God,
to hope in him, and to love him above all else.
2135 "You shall worship the Lord your God" (Mt
4:10). Adoring God, praying to him, offering him the worship that belongs to
him, fulfilling the promises and vows made to him are acts of the virtue of
religion which fall under obedience to the first commandment.
2136 The duty to offer God authentic worship concerns man
both as an individual and as a social being.
2137 "Men of the present day want to profess their
religion freely in private and in public" (DH 15).
2138 Superstition is a departure from the worship that we give
to the true God. It is manifested in idolatry, as well as in various forms of
divination and magic.
2139 Tempting God in words or deeds, sacrilege, and simony
are sins of irreligion forbidden by the first commandment.
2140 Since it rejects or denies the existence of God,
atheism is a sin against the first commandment.
2141 The veneration of sacred images is based on the
mystery of the Incarnation of the Word of God. It is not contrary to the first
commandment."
Spring Begins[3]
Spring
traditionally marks the end of winter and
the beginning of a season that signifies longer days and warmer temperatures.
The first day of Spring is also known as the Vernal Equinox. This
marks the day that the Sun's path is directly over the equator. This day
also contains equal amount of daytime and nighttime. This day typically
occurs each year on March 20, and on March 21 on some years.
The First Day of
Spring is also called the Vernal Equinox.
·
The
Vernal Equinox is the day of the year where there are exactly 12 hours of
daylight and 12 hours of dark in the Northern Hemisphere.
·
On
the vernal equinox, the Sun crosses the equator into the Northern Hemisphere.
This has the effect of making the days longer in the Northern Hemisphere
until the Summer Solstice occurs.
·
The
Egyptian Great Sphinx points directly at the Sun on this day.
Vernal Equinox-Spring Begins Top
Events and Things to Do
·
Visit
a nursery and purchase seeds or plants.
·
Start
your spring cleaning.
·
Plan
your flower beds and garden.
· Put away winter clothes and prepare summer clothes.
International Day of Happiness[4]
The International Day of
Happiness seeks to celebrate and promote world happiness as a fundamental human
goal. It recognizes the need for a more inclusive, equitable and balanced
approach to economic growth, one that promotes sustainable development, poverty
eradication, happiness and well-being of all people.
At the UN Conference on Happiness in 2012, the United Nations proclaimed the
International Day of Happiness. The day was celebrated for the first time on
March 20, 2013 in an effort to highlight the importance of global happiness and
its impact on world development and peace.
International
Day of Happiness Facts & Quotes
·
There
are currently about 1.8 billion young people
in the world, more than ever before, creating an unprecedented opportunity for
economic and social progress. Many studies have proved the link between
happiness and productivity.
·
Happiness
is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony. - Mahatma
Ghandi
· At this time of grave injustices, devastating wars, mass displacement, grinding poverty and other manmade causes of suffering, the International Day of Happiness is a global chance to assert that peace, well-being and joy deserve primacy. — UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon
International Day of Happiness Top Events and Things to Do
·
Print
out and hang up posters of the Ten Keys to Happier
Living. Research
has proven that these ten keys have a positive impact on happiness and
well-being.
·
Make
the effort to cross an item off of your bucket list. We all have dreams and
goals and fulfilling them creates happiness and a sense of accomplishment.
·
Give
to others. Whether it's donating to a charity
of your choice, volunteering or giving a thoughtful gift, studies have found
that giving makes us happier.
·
Reduce
the stress in your life. According to the American Psychological Association,
these are the 5 best ways to manage stress:
1) Take a break from the stressor
2) Exercise
3) Smile and laugh
4) Get social support
5) Meditate
· Watch a movie about happiness. Our suggestions: Hector and the Search for Happiness (2014), Eat, Pray, Love (2009), The Pursuit of Happiness (2008), Bruce Almighty (2003), Click (2006) and The Bucket List (2007).
Don’t Worry Be Happy[5]
Action for Happiness has developed the 10 Keys to Happier
Living based on a review of the latest scientific research relating to
happiness. Everyone’s path to happiness is different, but the research suggests
these Ten Keys consistently tend to have a positive impact on people’s overall
happiness and well-being. The first five (GREAT) relate to how we interact with
the outside world in our daily activities*. The second five (DREAM) come more
from inside us and depend on our attitude to life.
Giving-Do things for others
Relating-Connect with people
Exercising-Take care of your body
Awareness-Live life mindfully
Trying out-Keep learning new things
Direction-Have goals to look forward to
Resilience-Find ways to bounce back
Emotions-Focus on what’s good
Acceptance-Be comfortable with who you are
Meaning-Be part of something bigger
True
Happiness[6]
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- True
happiness can be found by strengthening one's friendship with God through a
love for sacred Scripture and the sacraments, Pope Benedict XVI said.
Christians today can find many role models in the saintly men and women who
lived throughout history. The pope described the life of the 13th-century
Benedictine mystic, St. Gertrude the Great. Far from being a historical figure
stuck in the past, this "exceptional woman" remains for today's
faithful "a school of Christian life, a principled life, and she shows us
that at the heart of a happy and real life is friendship with Jesus". St.
Gertrude entered the monastery at a very young age and was an extremely
talented student. She loved literature and music and was diligently devoted to
her studies. However, when she was 24, she grew disgusted with her secular
pursuits. She said the sense of turmoil and anxiety she felt was a gift from
God, who was giving her a sign that she needed to "tear down that tower of
vanity and curiosity." While her ardent love of learning helped bring her
to religious life, the saint said it had gone too far and it was driven by
pride. From that moment on, St. Gertrude began to intensify her relationship
with God. She switched her studies from humanistic subjects to theological
works, and in her monastic life, she went from living what she called being
"negligent" to a life of intense prayer and missionary zeal. St.
Gertrude represents one of the most famous female mystics in church history,
and she's called "the Great" because of her "exceptional natural
and supernatural gifts." She displayed "a very profound humility, an
ardent zeal for the salvation of others, an intimate communion with God through
contemplation and a readiness to come to the aid of the needy". "True
happiness is the goal in our life," and the only way to find that kind of
happiness is in forging a friendship with God. "This friendship you learn
through a love for sacred Scripture, a love for the liturgy and (by
cultivating) a deep faith and a love for Mary in order to truly get to know God
better".
Litany
of Humility[7]
O Jesus! meek and humble of heart, Hear
me.
From the desire of being esteemed,
Refrain: Deliver me, Jesus
From the desire of being loved...
From the desire of being extolled ...
From the desire of being honored ...
From the desire of being praised ...
From the desire of being preferred to others...
From the desire of being consulted ...
From the desire of being approved ...
From the fear of being humiliated ...
From the fear of being despised...
From the fear of suffering rebukes ...
From the fear of being calumniated ...
From the fear of being forgotten ...
From the fear of being ridiculed ...
From the fear of being wronged ...
From the fear of being suspected ...
That others may be loved more than I,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be esteemed more than
I ...
That, in the opinion of the world, others may, increase and I may decrease ...
That others may be chosen and I set aside ...
That others may be praised and I unnoticed ...
That others may be preferred to me in everything...
That others may become holier than I, provided that I may become as holy as I
should…
Daily Devotions
·
Unite in the work of the Porters of St. Joseph by joining them
in fasting: Today's Fast: Reparations
for offenses and blasphemies against God and the Blessed Virgin Mary
·
Offering to
the sacred heart of Jesus
·
Make
reparations to the Holy Face
[2]Thigpen, Paul. Manual for Spiritual
Warfare. TAN Books.
[5]http://www.actionforhappiness.org/media/80220/10_keys_summary.pdf
[6]http://www.catholicnews.com/services/englishnews/2010/true-happiness-is-found-in-close-friendship-with-christ-pope-says.cfm
[7]https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/prayers/view.cfm?id=914
[8] Sheraton, Mimi. 1,000 Foods
To Eat Before You Die: A Food Lover's Life List (p. 892). Workman Publishing
Company. Kindle Edition.
[9] Venerable Mary of Agreda. The
Mystical City of God: Complete Edition Containing all Four Volumes with
Illustrations (p. 770). Veritatis Splendor Publications. Kindle Edition
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