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via The House of Prayer

The Holy Constitutional Empire of Cretoia-Slrathria

Peace and All Good!

Today is the 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐒𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐭 𝐉𝐨𝐡𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐆𝐨𝐝, 𝐑𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬

In the name of the Father, ✠
and of the Son,
and of the Holy Spirit,
𝗔𝗺𝗲𝗻.

𝐓𝐨𝐝𝐚𝐲'𝐬 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 is from the book of the prophet 𝕰𝖟𝖊𝐤𝖎𝖊𝖑 28:1-10
New American Bible (Revised Edition)

CHAPTER 28

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗧𝘆𝗿𝗲. 1 [a]The word of the Lord came to me: 2 Son of man, say to the prince of Tyre: Thus says the Lord God:

Because you are haughty of heart,
you say, “I am a god!
I sit on a god’s throne
in the heart of the sea!”
But you are a man, not a god;
yet you pretend
you are a god at heart!
3 Oh yes, you are wiser than Daniel,[b]
nothing secret is too obscure for you!
4 By your wisdom and intelligence
you made yourself rich,
filling your treasuries with gold and silver.
5 Through your great wisdom in trading
you heaped up riches for yourself—
your heart is haughty because of your riches.
6 Therefore thus says the Lord God:
Because you pretend you are a god at heart,
7 Therefore, I will bring against you
strangers, the most bloodthirsty of nations.
They shall draw their swords
against your splendid wisdom,
and violate your radiance.
8 They shall thrust you down into the pit:
you shall die a violent death
in the heart of the sea.
9 Then, face to face with your killers,
will you still say, “I am a god”?
No, you are a man, not a god,
handed over to those who slay you.
10 You shall die the death of the uncircumcised
handed over to strangers,
for I have spoken—oracle of the Lord God.

𝐑𝐞𝐟𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: No, you are a man, not a god.

The divinity of Jesus, is a topic very much debated throughout the centuries. Even if they believed, Jesus was born of the Virgin and the Holy Spirit, he rose again from the dead, he healed many sick, there are still people that resort to. In the Catholic Church, it is called Nestorianism, and it is condemned.

Recently, I have been contemplating on the thought of Jesus humbling himself, not using his power to the full extent while he lived. To his enemies, he laid no finger; to those he looked with compassion, he took his power and helped them. Now the reading is about a man being condemned as to having pride that he thinks he "is god". Nobody is God except... God. We must draw that humility of Jesus.

In my opinion, Jesus knew the effects if he showed his full power. And it is not part of the plan. If we think that Jesus is God, then he had all the opportunity to save himself. But he didn't. Instead he showed the fullness of his love, by the patience of his suffering, death. Patience, Love, and Humility, the virtues that we must imitate from Christ. Believe in the Divinity of Christ or not, what must we imitate is His great love. His message of love should always be in our hearts.

What Jesus said was actually true, "The humble will be exalted, and the proud shall be brought low." Where the king of Tyre was brought down in the Oracle of the Lord, so does another Prophesy of the Lord exults the true king, Jesus the Emmanuel Christ (Isaiah 53:11-12):

11 Because of his anguish he shall see the light;
because of his knowledge he shall be content;
My servant, the just one, shall justify the many,
their iniquity he shall bear.
12 Therefore I will give him his portion among the many,
and he shall divide the spoils with the mighty,
Because he surrendered himself to death,
was counted among the transgressors,
Bore the sins of many,
and interceded for the transgressors.

This is more than lent, this is the Christian Faith. To believe in Jesus' death as the greatest offering to God; an unblemished lamb sacrifice.

𝐏𝐫𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐫: Modified from the Divine Office

Look with favour on your family, Lord,
and as at this time we restrain the desires of the body,
through the discipline of Lent,
may our hearts burn with love of You.
Help us to grow in our desire for You.

𝘛𝘳𝘶𝘭𝘺 𝘐 𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘺𝘰𝘶, 𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘥𝘪𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘦, 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘥𝘪𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘦. 𝘊𝘰𝘮𝘦, 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘣𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘺 𝘍𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳, 𝘪𝘯𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘥𝘰𝘮 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥.

Lord, you filled the heart of Saint John of God
with compassion for his fellow-men.
Grant that, loving our neighbour as he did,
we may be called to share with your saints in the joys of your kingdom.

Enflame our Love, O Lord,
that we may love You, our neighbour,
and the whole of creation,
complete, as Your Son, Jesus Did at the Cross,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.

In the name of the Father, ✠
and of the Son,
and of the Holy Spirit,
𝗔𝗺𝗲𝗻.

Post self-deleted by Cretoia-Slrathria.

via The House of Prayer

The Holy Constitutional Empire of Cretoia-Slrathria

Cretoia-Slrathria wrote:
Peace and All Good!

In the name of the Father, ✠
and of the Son,
and of the Holy Spirit,
𝗔𝗺𝗲𝗻.

𝐓𝐨𝐝𝐚𝐲'𝐬 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 is from the 𝟏st Letter of Saint Paul to the 𝕮𝖔𝖗𝖎𝖓𝖙𝖍𝖎𝖆𝖓𝖘 14:20-40
New American Bible (Revised Edition)

𝗙𝘂𝗻𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝗚𝗶𝗳𝘁𝘀. 20 [g]Brothers, stop being childish in your thinking. In respect to evil be like infants, but in your thinking be mature. 21 It is written in the law:

“By people speaking strange tongues
and by the lips of foreigners
I will speak to this people,
and even so they will not listen to me,

says the Lord. 22 Thus, tongues are a sign not for those who believe but for unbelievers, whereas prophecy is not for unbelievers but for those who believe.

23 [h]So if the whole church meets in one place and everyone speaks in tongues, and then uninstructed people or unbelievers should come in, will they not say that you are out of your minds? 24 But if everyone is prophesying, and an unbeliever or uninstructed person should come in, he will be convinced by everyone and judged by everyone, 25 and the secrets of his heart will be disclosed, and so he will fall down and worship God, declaring, “God is really in your midst.”

𝗥𝘂𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗢𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗿. 26 [a]So what is to be done, brothers? When you assemble, one has a psalm, another an instruction, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. Everything should be done for building up. 27 If anyone speaks in a tongue, let it be two or at most three, and each in turn, and one should interpret. 28 But if there is no interpreter, the person should keep silent in the church and speak to himself and to God.

29 Two or three prophets should speak, and the others discern. 30 But if a revelation is given to another person sitting there, the first one should be silent. 31 For you can all prophesy one by one, so that all may learn and all be encouraged. 32 Indeed, the spirits of prophets are under the prophets’ control, 33 since he is not the God of disorder but of peace.

As in all the churches of the holy ones,[b] 34 women should keep silent in the churches, for they are not allowed to speak, but should be subordinate, as even the law says. 35 But if they want to learn anything, they should ask their husbands at home. For it is improper for a woman to speak in the church. 36 Did the word of God go forth from you? Or has it come to you alone?

37 If anyone thinks that he is a prophet or a spiritual person, he should recognize that what I am writing to you is a commandment of the Lord. 38 If anyone does not acknowledge this, he is not acknowledged. 39 So, [my] brothers, strive eagerly to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues, 40 but everything must be done properly and in order.

𝐑𝐞𝐟𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: Everything should be done for building up.

Many would go on to attack the bible for the passage that speaks about the Subordination of Women to men. We can understand in their culture. But again Jesus enriched the law so that everyone would be equal as we always are in the sight of the Lord.

But what else does the scripture tells us? The gift of tongues, like the other miracles, are designed not for the unbelievers to believe. But there is also a need to understand, because tongues are tongues. Saint Paul tells us in the previous chapter (1 Corinthians 13:1): «1 𝘐𝘧 𝘐 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘬 𝘪𝘯 𝘩𝘶𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘤 𝘵𝘰𝘯𝘨𝘶𝘦𝘴[𝘣] 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘥𝘰 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦, 𝘐 𝘢𝘮 𝘢 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘨𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘳 𝘢 𝘤𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘤𝘺𝘮𝘣𝘢𝘭.» If we speak blindly, without heart or understanding, we just speak and utter. But if we understand, we put it into heart and preach with love.

And with the gift of tongues, we are able to speak to people we cannot communicate. It was helpful to the apostles especially since most of them were Jews. On that day, the birthday of the Church, the descent of the Holy Spirit, it was given to them first the greatest fire of love and fear of God, and the gift of tongues. I like that story.

All of them were Galileans, but each of those who listened knew they were speaking their native languages, without having to learn them. I imagine it as having someone speak and the language is dubbed over. Jesus did not use the gift of tongues since it is not the plan. He is the speaker to the Jews, and the gentiles were given for the apostles to preach to.

Now, Paul added, if everyone speaks in tongues, how would an outsider understand? If he speaks the native language as all the other church goers, but does not speak in tongues, to them the others are like «𝘢 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘨𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘳 𝘢 𝘤𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘤𝘺𝘮𝘣𝘢𝘭.» That is why, for the sake of orderliness and mutual understanding, Paul tells there must be an interpreter. If no interpreter, he must keep quiet.

Lastly, humility. No person capable of speaking in tongues, prophesizing; a deeply religious, or spiritual person, had the talent from himself. Just like Jesus, Mary, Elijah and all the Prophets, Ezra and all the priests, Paul and all the Apostles, Augustine and all the Saints and Doctors; we all are sent a mission. It is not for vanity that we understood deeply the scripture, or we are able to speak or write prolifically.

We are sent on a mission to love, and be accustomed to love. Because heaven is love. And heaven should start in our hearts.

𝐏𝐫𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐫: A prayer of Mother Teresa of Calcutta

Give us a heart as beautiful, pure, and spotless as yours.
A heart like yours, so full of love and humility.
May we be able to receive Jesus as the Bread of Life,
to love Him as you loved Him,
to serve Him under the mistreated face of the poor.
We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

In the name of the Father, ✠
and of the Son,
and of the Holy Spirit,
𝗔𝗺𝗲𝗻.

Read dispatch

You can view the dispatches of my puppet nation, and you can find the Past Daily Readings, Reflections, and Prayers.

via The House of Prayer

The Holy Constitutional Empire of Cretoia-Slrathria

Peace and All Good!

𝐍𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐬/𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝: Yesterday I wasn't able to post and I was busy, and I could not finish it. So I moved that part next week.

Today is the 𝐒𝐚𝐛𝐛𝐚𝐭𝐡 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐖𝐞𝐞𝐤 𝐨𝐟 𝐋𝐞𝐧𝐭

In the name of the Father, ✠
and of the Son,
and of the Holy Spirit,
𝗔𝗺𝗲𝗻.

𝐓𝐨𝐝𝐚𝐲'𝐬 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 is from the 𝕸𝖎𝖗𝖗𝖔𝖗 𝖔𝖋 𝐋𝖔𝖛𝖊 by Saint Ælred, Abbot

The perfection of brotherly love lies in the love of one’s enemies. We can find no greater inspiration for this than grateful remembrance of the wonderful patience of Christ. He who is more fair than all the sons of men offered his fair face to be spat upon by sinful men; he allowed those eyes that rule the universe to be blindfolded by wicked men; he bared his back to the scourges; he submitted that head which strikes terror in principalities and powers to the sharpness of the thorns; he gave himself up to be mocked and reviled, and at the end endured the cross, the nails, the lance, the gall, the vinegar, remaining always gentle, meek and full of peace.

In short, he was led like a sheep to the slaughter, and like a lamb before the shearers he kept silent, and did not open his mouth.

Who could listen to that wonderful prayer, so full of warmth, of love, of unshakeable serenity – Father, forgive them – and hesitate to embrace his enemies with overflowing love? Father, he says, forgive them. Is any gentleness, any love, lacking in this prayer?

Yet he put into it something more. It was not enough to pray for them: he wanted also to make excuses for them. Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing. They are great sinners, yes, but they have little judgement; therefore, Father, forgive them. They are nailing me to the cross, but they do not know who it is that they are nailing to the cross: if they had known, they would never have crucified the Lord of glory; therefore, Father, forgive them. They think it is a lawbreaker, an impostor claiming to be God, a seducer of the people. I have hidden my face from them, and they do not recognise my glory; therefore, Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.

If someone wishes to love himself he must not allow himself to be corrupted by indulging his sinful nature. If he wishes to resist the promptings of his sinful nature he must enlarge the whole horizon of his love to contemplate the loving gentleness of the humanity of the Lord. Further, if he wishes to savour the joy of brotherly love with greater perfection and delight, he must extend even to his enemies the embrace of true love.

But if he wishes to prevent this fire of divine love from growing cold because of injuries received, let him keep the eyes of his soul always fixed on the serene patience of his beloved Lord and Saviour.

𝐑𝐞𝐟𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: If someone wishes to love himself he must not allow himself to be corrupted by indulging his sinful nature.

We live in a world of Hedonism. We have all the pleasures we have. There are a lot of our technology that does the work for us. But we should not indulge in the world. If we love the world too much, how can we love the Lord with everything we have.

But if we love ourselves wouldn't we want the best for us? Something that makes us happy? I've always pondered on that paradox. When will some good things be good, and some be bad? We can never say bad things are good since we already know they are bad. But with ignorance, reluctance, and stubbornness, no one can tell anyone what is right or wrong.

Like most Chinese Philosophies tackle, there should always be balance. Fasting, for example, is not obliged to peoples 18 below, 59 above, those with medical deficiencies and if it handles employment. Fasting is good to keep you in shape, especially when you are out of shape. Fasting is good to keep yourself in control towards your desires. But fasting would not be good when it leads you to anger, when you are irritated, and most especially when it harms your health, employment, etc.

When you let your ascetism harm you, it becomes ineligible; void of its purpose. Because ascetism aims to control yourself of your desires, and become closer to God. We would not be closer to God if we see the sorrow instead of the Joy. We would go away from God if by our penance we sin.

The paradox of sinning while doing penance is a personal mystery. The mystery when we understood ourselves we could prevent. The mystery which Christ showed us the answer. Jesus, our example of true sacrifice. Being with Jesus means we have to let go many of the worldly things. And I can relate to the rich man who has a lot of possessions and cannot let go. We have more than enough to live, but less than scarce to be happy, because we enjoy ourselves and this world too much. That is the call for the Lenten Sacrifice of Fasting and Abstinence.

To lessen the burden, we could think of it as a bonding with Christ, Suffering with Christ. He fasted for 40 days, while most Catholics only fast for 2 days. We abstain from meat every Friday, but Jesus on his forty days did not eat anything. He was tempted by the devil within that forty days, but unlike us He did not give into temptation.

But aside from all the physical sacrifices, we should also learn to sacrifice our pride to love even our enemy. We need to sacrifice our standards, our partiality and judgement, to love the needy and poorest of the poor. Jesus made us His brother to His Father, God, and through Jesus' example should we live to love.

𝐏𝐫𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐫: The answer to the previous question, «If we love ourselves wouldn't we want the best for us? Something that makes us happy?» shall be left to the reader. The hint though: trust the Almighty God who can do anything, who is faithful, and is Himself Love.

【Who is Jesus to me?】 by Mother Teresa of Calcutta

Jesus is the Word made Flesh.
Jesus is the Bread of Life.
Jesus is the Victim offered for our sins on the Cross.
Jesus is the Sacrifice at Holy Mass for the sins of the world and mine.

Image of St Mother Teresa
Jesus is the Word – to be spoken.
Jesus is the Truth – to be told.
Jesus is the Way – to be walked.
Jesus is the Light – to be lit.
Jesus is the Life – to be loved.
Jesus is the Joy – to be shared.
Jesus is the Sacrifice – to be given.
Jesus is the Bread of Life – to be eaten.
Jesus is the Hungry – to be fed.
Jesus is the Thirsty – to be satiated.
Jesus is the Naked – to be clothed.
Jesus is the Homeless – to be taken in.
Jesus is the Sick – to be healed.
Jesus is the Lonely – to be loved.
Jesus is the Unwanted – to be wanted.
Jesus is the Leper – to wash his wounds.
Jesus is the Beggar – to give him a smile.
Jesus is the Drunkard – to listen to him.
Jesus is the Little One – to embrace him.
Jesus is the Dumb – to speak to him.
Jesus is the Crippled – to walk with him.
Jesus is the Drug Addict – to befriend him.
Jesus is the Prostitute – to remove from danger and befriend her.
Jesus is the Prisoner – to be visited.
Jesus is the Old – to be served.

To me Jesus is my God,
Jesus is my Spouse,
Jesus is my Life,
Jesus is my only Love,
Jesus is my All in All,
Jesus is my Everything. Amen.

In the name of the Father, ✠
and of the Son,
and of the Holy Spirit,
𝗔𝗺𝗲𝗻.

Read dispatch

via Vatican IV

The Holy Loush Throne of Loush Catholic Conference

Peace upon you!

https://youtu.be/OUx8ZWbCpuw

Today's Biblical Quote:
"Give your burdens to the Lord, and He will take care of you"
- Psalm 55:22

Reflection:
Our struggle in Christ does not have to burden our daily lives. Because in the beginning, humans cannot be alone, there is always another helper that God has given for salvation and comfort in our lives. Hold fast in God and all things God will show to those who rely on God. Amen.

via The House of Prayer

The Holy Constitutional Empire of Cretoia-Slrathria

Peace and All Good!

Today is the 𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐒𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐋𝐞𝐧𝐭

In the name of the Father, ✠
and of the Son,
and of the Holy Spirit,
𝗔𝗺𝗲𝗻.

𝐓𝐨𝐝𝐚𝐲'𝐬 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 is from the holy gospel according to 𝕸𝖆𝖙𝖙𝖍𝖊𝖜 5:17-20

𝗧𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗟𝗮𝘄. 17 [m]“Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. 18 Amen, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or the smallest part of a letter will pass from the law, until all things have taken place. 19 Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do so will be called least in the kingdom of heaven. But whoever obeys and teaches these commandments will be called greatest in the kingdom of heaven.[n] 20 I tell you, unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter into the kingdom of heaven.

𝐑𝐞𝐟𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: I have come not to abolish but to fulfill.

Today's ferial Gospel is about the Transfiguration of Jesus. The law of God given to the Israelites is very complex. The prophecies of the prophets have a lot of hidden meanings. Most of the prophecies either tell of the messiah, a destruction of a kingdom that would not repent, or the final judgement of God and His wrath. Saint Paul wrote that the fulfillment of the law is simple, and Jesus set the example of how to fulfill the law and the prophets: love.

Love of Neighbour and Love of God are the two commandments Jesus had shown. Jesus went up to the mountain to pray, He went to a secluded garden to pray, He went to the desert to pray. He defended the sanctity of the temple. He proclaimed the wonders of God's right hand, His kingdom, and His plans. Jesus showed love for God at the cross. He let Himself die, because of the Love of the Father, and the plan of the Father. He let Himself die, to fulfill the law, and to show true love.

Jesus loved us, that He came down from the Highest of Glories, to the lowest of shame. He bore patiently the mistreatment He endured on the way to the cross. He showed compassion to the sick, those possessed, and the mourning family of the dead. Jesus was moved to compassion for those sick, suffering, oppressed. His message is that each one of those shall be set free.

Many would argue that, Leviticus is obsolete. Even I am guilty of saying that the Ancient Law has become obsolete, because I focus on Christ's renewal of the law. But looking at it, it isn't fully obsolete. The qorban, or the sacrificial offering made by the Jews was completed through Jesus. Jesus, the perfect unblemished male, that was offered to God, and is continued to be offered to God, in the sacrifice of the mass. However most of it, purifications rites, circumcision, clean and unclean meats, were either by history became obsolete at the destruction of the temple, or Jesus proved that (just like what food can and cannot be consumed) are just unnecessary.

Through Jesus, the law that was made for sinners, was renewed in the glory and splendour that was made for Victors. The message of the prophets of God's love was strengthened through the action of self-sacrifice. And this sacrifice of lent, we are called not just to think about our sins, but to be glad at the sacrifice of the Lamb. When the Lamb of God is to be beheld, may we be happy and grateful to be called at the banquet of the Lord.

𝐏𝐫𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐫:

Jesus in full splendour and glory, You have shown us the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophecies. You are the Law and the Prophecy, and through Your wonderful sacrifice, You have set us free. We thank Your wonderful heart, filled with divine love and mercy. In our human nature we sin. Forgive us, and help us to forgive. Cleanse our bodies, minds, and hearts, and renew our spirit, so that we may be pure. There is nothing more that I could ask for, than to be worthy to be with You. We ask this through the Father, and the Spirit whom lives and reigns with You and our Father.

In the name of the Father, ✠
and of the Son,
and of the Holy Spirit,
𝗔𝗺𝗲𝗻.

Read dispatch

via Sanctum

Elite leomonade

ok

via The House of Prayer

The Holy Constitutional Empire of Cretoia-Slrathria

Peace and All Good!

I hope people would take the time, the reading is very long.

𝐓𝐨𝐝𝐚𝐲 is Link𝐖𝐡𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐃𝐚𝐲, and also Link𝐏𝐢 𝐃𝐚𝐲.

March 14, one month after LinkValentine's Day, when people give reciprocal gifts to those who gave them gifts received on Valentine's Day. It began in Japan in 1978; since then, its observance has spread to several other Asian nations. 𝘍𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘞𝘪𝘬𝘪𝘱𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘢

In the name of the Father, ✠
and of the Son,
and of the Holy Spirit,
𝗔𝗺𝗲𝗻.

𝐓𝐨𝐝𝐚𝐲'𝐬 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 is from Leviticus 19
International Children’s Bible

𝗢𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗟𝗮𝘄𝘀
1 The Lord said to Moses, 2 “Tell all the people of Israel: ‘I am the Lord your God. You must be holy because I am holy.

3 “‘Each person among you must respect his mother and father. And you must keep my Sabbaths. I am the Lord your God.

4 “‘Do not worship idols. Do not make statues of gods for yourselves. I am the Lord your God.

5 “‘You may sacrifice a fellowship offering to the Lord. If you do, you must offer it so you will be accepted. 6 You may eat it the same day you offer it. And you may also eat it on the next day. But if any is left on the third day, you must burn it up. 7 If any of it is eaten on the third day, it is unclean. It will not be accepted. 8 Anyone who eats it then will be guilty of sin. This is because he did not respect the holy things that belong to the Lord. He must be separated from his people.

9 “‘You harvest your crops on your land. But do not harvest all the way to the corners of your fields. If grain falls onto the ground, don’t gather it up. 10 Don’t pick all the grapes in your vineyards. And don’t pick up the grapes that fall to the ground. You must leave those things for poor people. You must also leave them for people traveling through your country. I am the Lord your God.

11 “‘You must not steal. You must not cheat people. You must not lie to each other. 12 You must not make a false promise by my name. If you do that, you will show that you don’t respect your God. I am the Lord.

13 “‘You must not cheat your neighbor. You must not rob him. You must not keep a hired worker’s salary all night until morning. 14 You must not curse a deaf man. And you must not put something in front of a blind person to make him fall. But you must respect your God. I am the Lord.

15 “‘Be fair in your judging. You must not show special favor to poor people or great people. You must be fair when you judge your neighbor. 16 You must not spread false stories against other people. You must not do anything that would put your neighbor’s life in danger. I am the Lord.

17 “‘You must not hate your brother in your heart. If your neighbor does something wrong, tell him about it. If you do not, you will be partly to blame. 18 Forget about the wrong things people do to you. You must not try to get even. Love your neighbor as you love yourself. I am the Lord.

19 “‘Obey my laws. You must not mate two different kinds of cattle. You must not sow your field with two different kinds of seed. You must not wear clothing made from two different kinds of material mixed together.

20 “‘A man might have physical relations with a slave girl of another man. But this slave girl has not been bought or given her freedom. If this happens, there must be punishment. But they are not to be put to death. This is because the woman was not free. 21 The man must bring a male sheep as his penalty offering. He must bring it to the Lord at the entrance to the Meeting Tent. 22 The priest will offer the male sheep as a penalty offering before the Lord. It will be for the man’s sin. The priest will perform the acts to remove the sins of the man so he will belong to the Lord. Then the man will be forgiven for his sin.

23 “‘In the future you will enter your country. You will plant many kinds of trees for food. After planting a tree, wait three years before using its fruit. 24 In the fourth year the fruit from the tree will be the Lord’s. It will be a holy offering of praise to him. 25 Then in the fifth year, you may eat the fruit from the tree. The tree will then produce more fruit for you. I am the Lord your God.

26 “‘You must not eat anything with the blood in it.

“‘You must not try to tell the future by signs or black magic.

27 “‘You must not cut the hair on the sides of your heads. And you must not cut the edges of your beard. 28 You must not cut your body to show sadness for someone who died. Do not put tattoo marks on yourselves. I am the Lord.

29 “‘You must not make your daughter become a prostitute. That only shows you do not respect her. If you do this, the country will be filled with all kinds of sin.

30 “‘Obey the laws about Sabbaths. You must respect my Most Holy Place. I am the Lord.

31 “‘Do not go to mediums or fortune-tellers for advice. If you do, you will become unclean. I am the Lord your God.

32 “‘Show respect to old people. Stand up when they come into the room. Show respect also to your God. I am the Lord.

33 “‘Do not mistreat foreigners living in your country. 34 Treat them just as you treat your own citizens. Love foreigners as you love yourselves, because you were foreigners one time. That was in Egypt. I am the Lord your God.

35 “‘Be fair when you judge people. And be fair when you measure and weigh things. 36 Your weighing baskets should be the right size. And your jars should hold the right amount of liquid. Your weights and balances should weigh correctly. I am the Lord your God. I brought you out of the land of Egypt.

37 “‘Remember all my laws and rules, and obey them. I am the Lord.’”

𝐑𝐞𝐟𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: You must be holy because I am holy.

This is a lengthy law of the Lord. Yesterday it was made known Jesus does not want to abolish the law but strengthen it. Jesus knew that the Law had become what it should not become, a way for people to sin. Many Israelites may grow higher with pride seeing, and knowing, that they are the beloved land and children of God. God extended his hand to the pagans, such as Jonah to Nineveh, and other prophets to Edom, because God is filled with love and compassion, not just to his servant Israel, but to the entirety of His children, His creation.

Most of the Pharisee's would think highly of themselves knowing, "They are Holy" because they keep the law. This angered my father whenever we watch the Passion Of Christ, when it is played at national TV. "You must not eat anything with blood," I know a certain religion that follows this strictly, but as Christians, we are called and broken free from the shackles of the Law for the Sinful and bound to the Holiness of Love.

The Holiness of Love is the Law of Christianity. Jesus didn't focus too much on the specific, "do not eat", "do not sleep with", "do not do such acts". He promoted our exercise of free will, and ignites our minds and conscience to what truly is a good life in the eyes of God. Jesus quoted Isaiah (Is 29:13); The Lord says:

“These people say they love me.
They show honor to me with words.
But their hearts are far from me.
The honor they show me
is nothing but human rules they have memorized.

What are rules, when it is far from God. There are a lot of these rules, no tattoos, no shellfish, penalty offerings for sleeping with another man's slave. All of these rules, do we not do it for ourselves? For the sake of just doing it, to have favour in God's eyes? If that is the case, the obedience to the precepts are invalid. There are a lot of traditions, rituals, even prayers, but if we do it for ourselves and our enjoyment, we neglect the real reason for it.

You may go to mass everyday, go to confessions every month or week, quote the bible, pray completely the Liturgy of the Hours (or the Agpeya). You could donate everything you have for the poor and the Church. You could live ascetically in the desert. But if we act for ourselves, nothing is gonna change. If we fast for the sake of fasting, but continue to sin, you shouldn't fast. If you abstain and resist yourselves, but grew resentment towards, God, other people, and the universe, why resist.

In everything, there should be Love because that is what God is. God is love. All of these laws are brilliant. They stand for public and private morality, God, respect, kindness, and public and private health. But if we continue to be sinful, what is the use of our sin-offerings. If we continue to hate, what is the use of donation. If we continue to lust, what is the use of fasting. If we continue to hate on our neighbour, what is the use of loving God.

We cannot hate and love simultaneously. Jesus gave us rules, rules that brings us closer to God and our brethren. The law written here in Leviticus is not obsolete, it was only stained by the nature of the world. That is why Jesus renewed the law, so that the law is not of the World but of God again. A law of Heaven and not of earth.

𝐏𝐫𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐫: I mentioned today is White day. Through the love of the Tri-united God; the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; and of course towards our brothers and sisters in Christ. What is there that we can do to show that we reciprocate their love for us? We also don't have to reciprocate anything. It would be best if we were the ones to start a chain of Love. As we also celebrate Pi day and its significance to the number 3.14, let us remember God's love as infinite, but never stale (in a repeating pattern), constant, but ever unique everyday that renews it, as the digits of Pi.

𝘈 𝘱𝘳𝘢𝘺𝘦𝘳 𝘣𝘺 𝘚𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘵 𝘉𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘤𝘵

O Lord, I place myself in your hands and dedicate myself to You.
I pledge myself to do your will in all things:

To love the Lord God with all my heart, all my soul, all my strength.
Not to kill. Not to steal. Not to covet. Not to bear false witness.
To honour all persons. Not to do to another what I would not wish done to myself.
To chastise the body. Not to seek after pleasures. To love fasting. To relieve the poor. To clothe the naked. To visit the sick. To bury the dead. To help in trouble. To console the sorrowing.
To hold myself aloof from worldly ways.
To prefer nothing to the love of Christ.
Not to give way to anger. Not to foster a desire for revenge.
Not to entertain deceit in the heart. Not to make a false peace.
Not to forsake charity. Not to swear, lest I swear falsely.
To speak the truth with heart and tongue.
Not to return evil for evil.
To do no injury: yea, even to bear patiently any injury done to me.
To love my enemies. Not to curse those who curse me, but rather to bless them.
To bear persecution for justice’ sake.
Not to be proud. Not to be given to intoxicating drink.
Not to be an over-eater. Not to be lazy.
Not to be slothful. Not to be a murmured.
Not to be a detractor. To put my trust in God.
To refer the good I see in myself to God.
To refer any evil in myself to myself.
To fear the Day of Judgment.
To be in dread of hell.
To desire eternal life with spiritual longing.
To keep death before my eyes daily.
To keep constant watch over my actions.
To remember that God sees me everywhere.
To call upon Christ for defence against evil thoughts that arises in my heart.
To guard my tongue against wicked speech.
To avoid much speaking. To avoid idle talk.
To read only what is good to read.
To look at only what is good to see.
To pray often.
To ask forgiveness daily for my sins, and to seek ways to amend my life.
To obey my superiors in all things rightful.
Not to desire to be thought holy, but to seek holiness.
To fulfil the commandments of God by good works.
To love chastity. To hate no one.
Not to be jealous or envious of anyone.
Not to love strife. Not to love pride.
To honour the aged.
To pray for my enemies.
To make peace after a quarrel, before the setting of the sun.
Never to despair of your mercy, O God of Mercy. Amen.

℣. Let our prayers be sanctified by the works of our hands.
℟. Amen.

(𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘪𝘤𝘭𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘢𝘥𝘥𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘺 𝘮𝘦)

In the name of the Father, ✠
and of the Son,
and of the Holy Spirit,
𝗔𝗺𝗲𝗻.

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via The House of Prayer

The Holy Constitutional Empire of Cretoia-Slrathria

In the name of the Father, ✠
and of the Son,
and of the Holy Spirit,
𝗔𝗺𝗲𝗻.

𝐓𝐨𝐝𝐚𝐲'𝐬 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 is from the 𝟏st book of 𝕮𝖍𝖗𝖔𝖓𝖎𝖈𝖑𝖊𝖘 28:1-10
The Message

𝗗𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗱’𝘀 𝗩𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗔𝗱𝗱𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀
28 David called together all the leaders of Israel—tribal administrators, heads of various governmental operations, military commanders and captains, stewards in charge of the property and livestock belonging to the king and his sons—everyone who held responsible positions in the kingdom.

2-7 King David stood tall and spoke: “Listen to me, my people: I fully intended to build a permanent structure for the Chest of the Covenant of Gᴏᴅ, Gᴏᴅ’s footstool. But when I got ready to build it, Gᴏᴅ said to me, ‘You may not build a house to honor me—you’ve done too much fighting—killed too many people.’ Gᴏᴅ chose me out of my family to be king over Israel forever. First he chose Judah as the lead tribe, then he narrowed it down to my family, and finally he picked me from my father’s sons, pleased to make me the king over all Israel. And then from all my sons—and Gᴏᴅ gave me many!—he chose my son Solomon to sit on the throne of Gᴏᴅ’s rule over Israel. He went on to say, ‘Your son Solomon will build my house and my courts: I have chosen him to be my royal adopted son; and I will be to him a father. I will guarantee that his kingdom will last if he continues to be as strong-minded in doing what I command and carrying out my decisions as he is doing now.’

8 “And now, in this public place, all Israel looking on and Gᴏᴅ listening in, as Gᴏᴅ’s people, obey and study every last one of the commandments of your Gᴏᴅ so that you can make the most of living in this good land and pass it on intact to your children, insuring a good future.

9-10 “And you, Solomon my son, get to know well your father’s Gᴏᴅ; serve him with a whole heart and eager mind, for God examines every heart and sees through every motive. If you seek him, he’ll make sure you find him, but if you abandon him, he’ll leave you for good. Look sharp now! Gᴏᴅ has chosen 𝘺𝘰𝘶 to build his holy house. Be brave, determined! And do it!”

𝐑𝐞𝐟𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: Gᴏᴅ has chosen 𝘺𝘰𝘶 to build his holy house. Be brave, determined! And do it!

The house of Gᴏᴅ is holy, it where he lives. It is His house. Regardless of anything, the house of the Lord is a holy place. Gᴏᴅ didn't even command David to create Him a dwelling place, aside from his infidelity, David is known to be a man of war. Solomon, on the other hand, was young and innocent, so the Lord instructed Solomon to build.

Priests go through rigorous discernment to become what they are. And after they became, they have to keep their purity. Being a priest, a bishop, a deacon, is never about being above the people. They too are humans and subject to sin. They too have opinions that differ from everyone else. There isn't perfection, but we strive to be. But as we still are not perfect, we still are subject to wrong.

When Gᴏᴅ commands, you cannot run away from it; just like Jonah. When Gᴏᴅ wills, it is the right thing to do. Even Jesus feared the suffering and the death, but he accepted it, because of Love. But we, imperfect in our ways, how can we know what Gᴏᴅ wants for us?

Saint Paul wrote in the letter to the Romans (Rom. 12:2): «And be not conformed to this world; but be reformed in the newness of your mind, that you may prove what is the good, and the acceptable, and the perfect will of God.» But this subjects us to thinking highly of ourselves. We must never forget that we are low. We can never be above. We are sinful in nature, but through the grace of God through Jesus Christ, we are renewed.

And through this renewal, we are called to live a holy life. A holy life as stated in Leviticus, because we are of God's image and likeness. As respect to the love and being of Gᴏᴅ, let us respect what He makes holy. Let us place with high reverence: His dwelling place, His statutes and commandments, His holy men that He has called, His creation that He had made, His people that He loved, ourselves whom Gᴏᴅ loves.

𝐏𝐫𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐫:

Lord teach us to love You, our neighbour, Your creation, Your gift of life, and ourselves. Open our eyes to see You in all the things we do. Open our minds to know You and understand You. Open our hearts to accept You and love You. We lift to You ourselves, renew us. So that we become worthy of You. Amen.

In the name of the Father, ✠
and of the Son,
and of the Holy Spirit,
𝗔𝗺𝗲𝗻.

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via The House of Prayer

The Holy Constitutional Empire of Cretoia-Slrathria

I kinda made an oopsie because of fatigue, and took a reading that was supposed to be for today. Since Third day's (Tuesdays) use the Prophetic Books + Revelation, and Fourth day's (Wednesdays) use the Historical Books of the Old Testament.

Today is the 𝐅𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐭𝐡 𝐃𝐚𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐖𝐞𝐞𝐤 𝐨𝐟 𝐋𝐞𝐧𝐭

In the name of the Father, ✠
and of the Son,
and of the Holy Spirit,
𝗔𝗺𝗲𝗻.

𝐓𝐨𝐝𝐚𝐲'𝐬 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 is from the book of 𝕵𝖊𝖗𝖊𝖒𝖎𝖆𝖍 4:23-31
New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised Catholic Edition

23 I looked on the earth, and lo, it was waste and void;
and to the heavens, and they had no light.
24 I looked on the mountains, and lo, they were quaking,
and all the hills moved to and fro.
25 I looked, and lo, there was no one at all,
and all the birds of the air had fled.
26 I looked, and lo, the fruitful land was a desert,
and all its cities were laid in ruins
before the Lord, before his fierce anger.

27 For thus says the Lord: The whole land shall be a desolation; yet I will not make a full end.

28 Because of this the earth shall mourn,
and the heavens above grow black;
for I have spoken, I have purposed;
I have not relented nor will I turn back.

29 At the noise of horseman and archer
every town takes to flight;
they enter thickets; they climb among rocks;
all the towns are forsaken,
and no one lives in them.
30 And you, O desolate one,
what do you mean that you dress in crimson,
that you deck yourself with ornaments of gold,
that you enlarge your eyes with paint?
In vain you beautify yourself.
Your lovers despise you;
they seek your life.
31 For I heard a cry as of a woman in labour,
anguish as of one bringing forth her first child,
the cry of daughter Zion gasping for breath,
stretching out her hands,
‘Woe is me! I am fainting before killers!’

𝐑𝐞𝐟𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: In vain you beautify yourself.

We live in a world of pleasure. I have used that intro before. But the word here today is vanity. Vanity can be known as something in excess of what is essential. What are the essentials? These are food and water, air, shelter, clothing/armour/protection, and most recently: connectivity. Are these vanity? No, because they have a reason. It becomes vanity when you put in, style, class, when you put fragrance to the air, the house you adorn with a lot of plants or decorations, etc.

But is it wrong? No. It is not wrong to enjoy ourselves once in a while. We have free will, and we need to know how to exercise free will perfectly, so that we could attain heaven.

There was an uproar in my class, when my values teacher spoke of her opinions about crop-tops. I agreed on the students, because they claim that: "No one can tell anyone what to wear," liberalism, etc. I told my parents the story, and they agreed with the teacher. They said that, it is due to respect. In my values education, we are told that, the true exercise of free will is when it helps someone.

Do we help other people in doing this? Or do we just help ourselves?

It is important to note that enjoying ourselves is important, but to the point of gaining an addiction is not good. We enjoy ourselves, but we also should know how to maintain control over ourselves. Our desires should not be above us, or even God. God is the only one that should be transcendentally above all of us. God is above your enemies and fears. God is above temptation. God is above past offences, iniquities, and sinfulness. God is above the entirety of creation. God is above the hurricanes, typhoons, cyclones; and the rainbow after the rain.

If we see God above all, we can never mourn, fear, or shaken. Jeremiah speaks of a vision of disasters, calamities, fire and brimstone. But we must have hope. For thus says the Lord: «The whole land shall be a desolation; yet I will not make a full end.» God is merciful above all. We must hope in the Divine Mercy and have faith. And as we live our days, we must do it for Love; Love of God, Fellow, and Creation.

𝐏𝐫𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐫:

Steady our boat of pilgrimage, Lord. We fear Your wrath, we fear Your anger. But we hope in Your mercy. Forgive us. Strengthen our Faith and Hope. We believe through You, nothing is impossible, because You are God of everything. Keep us away from evil deeds. Make us see you in our activities and inactivities. Let all our deeds bear fruit for Your name. All of these we ask in Your mighty name:

In the name of the Father, ✠
and of the Son,
and of the Holy Spirit,
𝗔𝗺𝗲𝗻.

This painting represents the Dutch "Vanitas" (Latin for vanity) by Adam Bernaert,[1] The Walters Art Museum. from Wikipedia

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via Ladanvia

Piperladavia

via The House of Prayer

The Holy Constitutional Empire of Cretoia-Slrathria

Peace and All Good!

Today is the 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐒𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐭 𝐏𝐚𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐤, 𝐁𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐩 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐌𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐲

Saint Patrick is a Roman-British Missionary Bishop of what is now Ireland. He is known as the Apostle to Ireland, and have shown great example of Christian Faith and Life. He drove out snakes, and performed other miracles. He also is patient in the evangelization of the Pagans. He is known for having a shamrock in his hands, particularly explaining the trinity. More on Wikipedia.

In the name of the Father, ✠
and of the Son,
and of the Holy Spirit,
𝗔𝗺𝗲𝗻.

𝐓𝐨𝐝𝐚𝐲'𝐬 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 is from the 𝟏st letter of Saint Paul to 𝐓𝖎𝖒𝖔𝖙𝖍𝐲 3:14-4:5
New American Bible (Revised Edition)

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗢𝘂𝗿 𝗥𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗶𝗼𝗻.14 I am writing you about these matters, although I hope to visit you soon. 15 But if I should be delayed, you should know how to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of truth. 16 Undeniably great is the mystery of devotion,

Who was manifested in the flesh,
vindicated in the spirit,
seen by angels,
proclaimed to the Gentiles,
believed in throughout the world,
taken up in glory.

CHAPTER 4

𝗙𝗮𝗹𝘀𝗲 𝗔𝘀𝗰𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗺. 1 Now the Spirit explicitly says that in the last times some will turn away from the faith by paying attention to deceitful spirits and demonic instructions 2 through the hypocrisy of liars with branded consciences. 3 They forbid marriage and require abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. 4 For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected when received with thanksgiving, 5 for it is made holy by the invocation of God in prayer.

𝐑𝐞𝐟𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: for it is made holy by the invocation of God in prayer.

An Orthodox Priest of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia (ROCOR) named Father Spyridon, spoke in one of his videos about the Demonic Fasting. In our culture, the term demonic takes us to a place of fear and trembling. It is something we should fear for ourselves, but we should know God is above.

What did he speak about? He said that "Fasting without prayer is the Devil's Fast. Because the devil does not eat, and does not pray." The second part of the reading reminds us the reason for our Fasting or Feasting, it is God. What makes ascetism (or self punishment, self mortification) hypocritic, is when we don't do it for good, and for God. We lack the reason for doing such things. We do it in vain. As Qoheleth goes in Ecclesiastes, "It is all vanity, a chase after the wind."

The second thing we have to note down is gratitude. God made the heavens and the earth. The earth shaped by His hands bore fruit. The animals made by God bears nutrition. And we are thankful for God's loving providence. But the first of our kind has sinned, and we were punished. But 2000 years earlier, we were restored.

We are happy and grateful to be called to the banquet of the Lamb. The banquet is not just a feast, but it is the same victory with which Christ delivered us from the cross. With that victory, He redeemed the spark of lasting Joy on Earth. Joy that can never be recreated by anything worldly. All that we have lost from Adam and Eve was brought back by Jesus and Mary. This is the wonder of our faith, to be happy for the death of the Son of God, and to be happy to share in His Resurrection.

The third part of the reading, puts the context of Christ in another form. Three of its points are stated in our creed; the incarnation(being flesh), hypostatic union(flesh and divinity), and ascension(being divine). The other three was more of a pseudo-prophetic style; seen by angels (the glorious presence of Jesus before the incarnation), proclaimed to the gentiles (the present mission of every Christian), believed in throughout the world (the vision of every Christian in hope that everyone attains salvation through Grace and Love of God).

The poetic structure of this part of the letter tells the Mission and Vision of Christians. Why do we do what we do? Because we believe in a God of Love, who came down to be flesh, and as he was being conceived he is both man and God. Who died for us, cried for us, was patient at us, and rose again on the third day for us. Who came up to heaven at the witness of the apostles. And by that same love called us to the Kingdom. And through that same love we call others to the kingdom, to live and reign forever and ever with the Father. Amen.

𝐏𝐫𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐫:

Lead us to Your Kingdom, Lord, as we are truly Your Children. Guide our feet through the Spirit, the lamp and inspiration of our activities. Teach us to discern Your will for us, that we may live according to the greatness of Your love. May we never forget our sins but not despair on them. Humble us, but grant us peace. And as you blest Saint Patrick, whom we commemorate today with great Joy in memory of Your acts through him, we ask that you send Your Spirit upon us to make us strong in faith and active in good works.

All of these we ask through You, with Your son, and the Holy spirit, our one Lord and God who lives and reigns forever and ever. Amen.

In the name of the Father, ✠
and of the Son,
and of the Holy Spirit,
𝗔𝗺𝗲𝗻.

Read dispatch

via The House of Prayer

The Holy Constitutional Empire of Cretoia-Slrathria

Peace and All Good!

Today is 𝐒𝐢𝐱𝐭𝐡 𝐃𝐚𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐖𝐞𝐞𝐤 𝐨𝐟 𝐋𝐞𝐧𝐭.

Every Friday of Lent, it is common to have a devotion to the stations of the cross; meditating on Jesus' suffering.

The 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗿𝗼𝘀𝘀 or the 𝗪𝗮𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗿𝗼𝘀𝘀, also known as the 𝗪𝗮𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗦𝗼𝗿𝗿𝗼𝘄𝘀 or the 𝗩𝗶𝗮 𝗖𝗿𝘂𝗰𝗶𝘀, refers to a series of images depicting LinkJesus Christ on the day of his Linkcrucifixion and accompanying Linkprayers. The objective of the stations is to help the Christian faithful to make a spiritual Linkpilgrimage through contemplation of the LinkPassion of Christ. It has become one of the most popular devotions and the stations can be found in many LinkWestern Christian churches, including LinkAnglican,Link[1] LinkLutheran,Link[2] LinkMethodist,Link[3] and LinkRoman Catholic.This will be done individually or in a procession most commonly during LinkLent, especially on LinkGood Friday, in a Linkspirit of reparation for the sufferings and insults that Jesus endured during his passion.Link[4][5] Link[6] 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘸𝘪𝘬𝘪𝘱𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘢

In the name of the Father, ✠
and of the Son,
and of the Holy Spirit,
𝗔𝗺𝗲𝗻.

𝐓𝐨𝐝𝐚𝐲'𝐬 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 is from the Book of Sirach (Ecclesiasticus)
Dhouay-Rheims 1899 American Edition

15 Take care of a good name: for this shall continue with thee, more than a thousand treasures precious and great.
16 A good life hath its number of days: but a good name shall continue for ever.

𝗧𝗿𝘂𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗙𝗮𝗹𝘀𝗲 𝗦𝗵𝗮𝗺𝗲
17 My children, keep discipline in peace: for wisdom that is hid, and a treasure that is not seen, what profit is there in them both?

18 Better is the man that hideth his folly, than the man that hideth his wisdom.
19 Wherefore have a shame of these things I am now going to speak of.
20 For it is not good to keep all shamefacedness: and all things do not please all men in opinion.

21 Be ashamed of fornication before father and mother: and of a lie before a governor and a man in power:
22 Of an offence before a prince, and a judge: of iniquity before a congregation and a people:
23 Of injustice before a companion and friend: and in regard to the place where thou dwellest,
24 Of theft, and of the truth of God, and the covenant: of leaning with thy elbow over meat, and of deceit in giving and taking:
25 Of silence before them that salute thee: of looking upon a harlot: and of turning away thy face from thy kinsman.
26 Turn not sway thy face from thy neighbour, and of taking away a portion and not restoring.
27 Gaze not upon another man's wife, and be not inquisitive after his handmaid, and approach not her bed.
28 Be ashamed of upbraiding speeches before friends: and after thou hast given, upbraid not.

CHAPTER 42

1 Repeat not the word which thou hast heard, and disclose not the thing that is secret; so shalt thou be truly without confusion, and shall find favour before all men: be not ashamed of any of these things, and accept no person to sin thereby:

2 Of the law of the most High, and of his covenant, and of judgment to justify the ungodly:
3 Of the affair of companions and travellers, and of the gift of the inheritance of friends:
4 Of exactness of balance and weights, of getting much or little:
5 Of the corruption of buying, and of merchants, and of much correction of children, and to make the side of a wicked slave to bleed.
6 Sure keeping is good over a wicked wife.
7 Where there are many hands, shut up, and deliver all things in number, and weight: and put all in writing that thou givest out or receivest in.
8 Be not ashamed to inform the unwise and foolish, and the aged, that are judged I by young men: and thou shalt be well instructed in all things, and well approved in the sight of all men living.

𝐑𝐞𝐟𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: Take care of a good name

Delicadéza, or the tagalized Delikadésa, is more than a non-english word. In the Filipino setting, Delikadésa, is a character, a value. It can be considered as the integrity of someone, but it can also be the honour, piety, and dignity. In the Spanish translation, it is related to the word Delicate in english, "To be free from fault", "gentleness, softness, delicacy (as in being delicate, not exotic food), and tactfulness."

Maybe it would be racist of me to say, it something most Asians hold so dearly; since as I said, it is about honour. Out of "Delikadésa" most people resign to avoid shame. Out of Delikadésa, most become prudent. Out of Delikadésa, people learn to respect. It could be theorized, since the majority of the Philippines is Catholic, Delikadésa originated from biblical and/or catholic virtue.

Today's reading speaks about shame, being ashamed. Sirach spoke about the things to be ashamed about, impurity, dishonesty, offences, and iniquities. We have already established this concept of morality, and it is present in many cultures, not just asian/eurasian countries. Delikadésa avoids shame at all cost, and we need to have the sense of it. Without this value, there would be rudeness, misconduct, and loss of honour.

Sirach also tells of the things that we should not be ashamed off. These are the things that are right, and deemed right, they can never be made wrong since it is a constant. Just like how the sum of two fours is an eight (4+4=8) or that the sun always rises in the east. It is a fact that you cannot change. There is a difference between discussing your facts and your opinions.

Father Dave Concepcion would always share in his homilies, "You cannot tell me that you are offended by my statement. If you have a gound, you have a gound. Because it is the truth." In another homily he would rephrase, "If you have bad breath, you have bad breath. It is not offensive because it is the truth." Even the Spirit of the Lord through Sirach tells us to let no one sin against these.

Like God, we cannot deceive the Truth. But in our offenses we should be ashamed. With Delikadésa, we have to learn how to step down, be shamed, and repent, reconcile, atone for our iniquities, shortcomings, and impurities. Because God made us who we truly are, like Him, though not perfectly, but to be perfected and tried by fire.

𝐏𝐫𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐫: «11 Finally, brothers, rejoice. Mend your ways, encourage one another, agree with one another, live in peace, and the God of love and peace will be with you. 9 For we rejoice when we are weak but you are strong. What we pray for is your improvement.» 2 Corinthians 13:11, 9

Psalm 86 (Revised Grail Psalms)

Purify me, O Lord, cleanse me of my iniquities. Create a clean heart and renew my spirit within me. Try me by fire, and perfect me in Your image.

11 Teach me, O LORD, your way,
so that I may walk in your truth,
single-hearted to fear your name.

12 I will praise you, Lord my God, with all my heart,
and glorify your name forever.
13 Your mercy to me has been great;
you have saved me from the depths of the grave.

14 The proud have risen against me, O God;
a band of the ruthless seeks my life.
To you they pay no heed.

15 But you, O God, are compassionate and gracious,
slow to anger, O Lord,
abundant in mercy and fidelity;
16 turn and take pity on me.

O give your strength to your servant,
and save the son of your handmaid.
17 Show me the sign of your favor,
that my foes may see to their shame
that you, O LORD, give me comfort and help.

1 Turn your ear, O LORD, and answer me,
for I am poor and needy.
2 Preserve my soul, for I am faithful;
save the servant who trusts in you, my God.

3 Have mercy on me, O Lord,
for I cry to you all the day long.
4 Gladden the soul of your servant,
for I lift up my soul to you, O Lord.

5 O Lord, you are good and forgiving,
full of mercy to all who call to you.
6 Give ear, O LORD, to my prayer,
and attend to my voice in supplication.

7 In the day of distress, I will call to you,
and surely you will answer me.
8 Among the gods there is none like you, O Lord,
nor works to compare with yours.

9 All the nations you have made shall come;
they will bow down before you, O Lord,
and glorify your name,
10 for you are great and do marvelous deeds,
you who alone are God.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit
As it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be world without end.
Amen.

Purify me, O Lord, cleanse me of my iniquities. Create a clean heart and renew my spirit within me. Try me by fire, and perfect me in Your image.

In the name of the Father, ✠
and of the Son,
and of the Holy Spirit,
𝗔𝗺𝗲𝗻.

Read dispatch

via The House of Prayer

The Holy Constitutional Empire of Cretoia-Slrathria

Peace and All Good!

Today is the 𝐒𝐨𝐥𝐞𝐦𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐒𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐭 𝐉𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐩𝐡, 𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐕𝐢𝐫𝐠𝐢𝐧 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐲

In the name of the Father, ✠
and of the Son,
and of the Holy Spirit,
𝗔𝗺𝗲𝗻.

𝐓𝐨𝐝𝐚𝐲'𝐬 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 is from the Apocryphal book, the 𝐏𝖗𝖔𝖙𝖔𝖊𝖛𝖆𝖓𝖌𝖊𝖑𝖎𝖚𝖒 𝖔𝖋 𝕵𝖆𝖒𝖊𝖘 12:3-14:8

(3) Then, Mary went gladly to her cousin Elizabeth. (4) And she knocked at the door and when Elizabeth heard, she threw down her scarlet thread and ran to the door and opened it for her. (5) And she blessed her and said, "Where have you come to me from? Why should the mother of my Lord come to me? See how the child in me leaps and blesses you."

(6) But Mary had forgotten the mysteries which the angel Gabriel had told her. And looking into heaven she said, "Who am I, Lord, that all the generations of the earth will bless me?"

(7) She spent three months with Elizabeth. (8) Day after day, her womb swelled and she was afraid to go to her house and hid herself from the children of Israel. (9) Mary was sixteen years old when these mysterious things happened to her.

CHAPTER 13
(1) In the sixth month of her pregnancy, Joseph came from his house-building and went into the house to find her swelling. (2) And he struck his face and threw himself on the ground in sackcloth and wept bitterly, "How can I look to the Lord God? What will I pray about her, for I took her as a virgin from the temple of the Lord and did not guard her? (4) Who has set this trap for me? Who did this evil in my house? Who stole the virgin from me and defiled her. (5) Has not the story of Adam been repeated with me? For while Adam was glorifying God, the serpent came and found Eve alone and deceived her and defiled her - so it has also happened to me."

(6) And Joseph got up from his sackcloth and called her and said to her, "After having been cared for by God, what have you done? (7) Did you forget the Lord your God? You who were raised in the holy of holies, you who received from the hand of an angel, do you know how much you have humiliated yourself?"

(8) Then, she wept bitterly, saying, "I am pure and I did not know a man."

(9) And Joseph said to her, "Where did this thing in your womb come from then?"

(10) But she said, "As the Lord my God lives, I do not know where it came from."

CHAPTER 14
(1) Then, Joseph was extremely frightened and kept quiet about her, pondering what he should do. (2) And Joseph said to himself, "If I hide her sin, I will be rebelling against the law of the Lord. (3) And if I expose her to the children of Israel ... well, I am afraid that the child in her might be angelic and I will be betraying innocent blood to a judgment of death. (4) What then will I do about her? I will send her away from me secretly."

(5) And night overtook him. And suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Do not fear this child. For the child in her is from the Holy Spirit. (6) She will bear a son for you and you will call his name Jesus. For he will save his people from their sins."

(7) And Joseph arose from his sleep and glorified the God of Israel who had given grace to him. (8) And he guarded the child.

𝐑𝐞𝐟𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: Then, Joseph was extremely frightened

I like this story because it shows a dynamic interaction between Mary and Joseph. But we should note that this is Apocryphal to the Catholic tradition.

Since the time of Saint Jerome the Western or the Latin (Roman) side of the church agreed on the perpetual virginity of Joseph. If you would read this document completely, you would find that Saint Joseph was a widower, he had three sons, and his marriage by Mary was done by casting lots.

Though the discrepancy between the Canon and the not, this is still a great story remembering the Nativity scene.

I love how in this apocrypha, we can definitely say, Joseph was a righteous man. Which he is indeed described in the Holy Gospels.

The "About Today" of Universalis said that, through Jesus' character, we can say Joseph taught him well. Joseph knew his task. He is not just the father, but the protector of the Son of God. Funny how Father Dave Concepcion, Homilied on the Gospel that Joseph was anxious because he lost the Child. A child that wasn't even his but was only assigned to him.

Joseph had the sense of responsibility on both the Gospel and on Today's Reading. Joseph had Delicadeza. Saint Joseph is more than a model of Fathers, Workmen, those bound by Chastity, Obedience. Saint Joseph is a model of Jesus Christ. Without Joseph's yes, Jesus would've not been what he is.

𝐏𝐫𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐫:«The Greatest in the Kingdom. 1 At that time the disciples[b] approached Jesus and said, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” 2 He called a child over, placed it in their midst, 3 and said, “Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children,[c] you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5 [d]And whoever receives one child such as this in my name receives me.» (Matthew 18:1-5 NABRE)

We run to You, as Your children, Father, with great love. We seek Your second Coming, we seek our Brother's return. Help us to wait patiently and inspire us to do good, O Holy Spirit, so that we may greet Father and Brother Jesus with wholesomeness and love.

In Your wisdom, You have sent Saint Joseph to be a father to us as we make our pilgrimage. Grant that through his intercession, we may come to share in Your grace, and grant our lives peace. We ask this in the mighty name of the Trinity:

the Father, ✠
and of the Son,
and of the Holy Spirit,
𝗔𝗺𝗲𝗻.

Read dispatch

The VRCC Bishopric of CrimsonScribbles

O Prince of Peace, once more we hear the guns
of war, once more we see the faces of
frightened children. We pray for the people of
Ukraine that they may be granted peace.
We pray for the people of Russia that they may
demand peace. We pray for our country that
we may be a positive part of peacemaking in
this world. O Prince of Peace, lead us from this
dark time to a deeper understanding of the
global human family so that all may break
bread together in the secure embrace of
peace.
Amen.

via The House of Prayer

The Holy Constitutional Empire of Cretoia-Slrathria

𝐓𝐨𝐝𝐚𝐲'𝐬 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 is from the Book of 𝕰𝖝𝖔𝖉𝖚𝖘 39:1-31
The Message

1 Vestments. Using the blue, purple, and scarlet fabrics, they made the woven vestments for ministering in the Sanctuary. Also they made the sacred vestments for Aaron, as God had commanded Moses.

2-5 Ephod. They made the Ephod using gold and blue, purple, and scarlet fabrics and finely twisted linen. They hammered out gold leaf and sliced it into threads that were then worked into designs in the blue, purple, and scarlet fabric and fine linen. They made shoulder pieces fastened at the two ends. The decorated band was made of the same material—gold, blue, purple, and scarlet material, and of fine twisted linen—and of one piece with it, just as God had commanded Moses.

6-7 They mounted the onyx stones in a setting of filigreed gold and engraved the names of the sons of Israel on them, then fastened them on the shoulder pieces of the Ephod as memorial stones for the Israelites, just as God had commanded Moses.

8-10 Breastpiece. They made a Breastpiece designed like the Ephod from gold, blue, purple, and scarlet material, and fine twisted linen. Doubled, the Breastpiece was nine inches square. They mounted four rows of precious gemstones on it.

First row: carnelian, topaz, emerald.
11 Second row: ruby, sapphire, crystal.
12 Third row: jacinth, agate, amethyst.
13-14 Fourth row: beryl, onyx, jasper.

The stones were mounted in a gold filigree. The twelve stones corresponded to the names of the sons of Israel, twelve names engraved as on a seal, one for each of the twelve tribes.

15-21 They made braided chains of pure gold for the Breastpiece, like cords. They made two settings of gold filigree and two rings of gold, put the two rings at the two ends of the Breastpiece, and fastened the two ends of the cords to the two rings at the end of the Breastpiece. Then they fastened the cords to the settings of filigree, attaching them to the shoulder pieces of the Ephod in front. Then they made two rings of gold and fastened them to the two ends of the Breastpiece on its inside edge facing the Ephod. They made two more rings of gold and fastened them in the front of the Ephod to the lower part of the two shoulder pieces, near the seam above the decorated band of the Ephod. The Breastpiece was fastened by running a cord of blue through its rings to the rings of the Ephod so that it rested secure on the decorated band of the Ephod and wouldn’t come loose, just as God had commanded Moses.

22-26 Robe. They made the robe for the Ephod entirely of blue. The opening of the robe at the center was like a collar, the edge hemmed so that it wouldn’t tear. On the hem of the robe they made pomegranates of blue, purple, and scarlet material and fine twisted linen. They also made bells of pure gold and alternated the bells and pomegranates—a bell and a pomegranate, a bell and a pomegranate—all around the hem of the robe that was worn for ministering, just as God had commanded Moses.

27-29 They also made the tunics of fine linen, the work of a weaver, for Aaron and his sons, the turban of fine linen, the linen hats, the linen underwear made of fine twisted linen, and sashes of fine twisted linen, blue, purple, and scarlet material and embroidered, just as God had commanded Moses.

30-31 They made the plate, the sacred crown, of pure gold and engraved on it as on a seal: “Holy to God.” They attached a blue cord to it and fastened it to the turban, just as God had commanded Moses.

I remember reading about something in the Epistles.

𝐑𝐞𝐟𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: just as God had commanded Moses.

God had made Israel a holy nation, a kingdom of priests. This is a really long description of what priests wore at their time. What is the meaning of putting on vestments like the one written in 𝕰𝖝𝖔𝖉𝖚𝖘? We are made holy, therefore we must wear something that is Holy to the Lord.

Why do we do that? Out of respect of the God who saves us. God placed them out of Egypt. The Israelites therefore have something that is called 'utang na loob' or a 'debt of one's inner self.'

Filipinos take debts seriously. Especially this type of debt. This debt is above all debts because it is a debt of gratitude. When someone did something great to you, saved you, released you from burden, you owe them something out of gratitude for that person.

"Why do we owe them anything, they only did the bare minimum of helping people?" And so must we repay the bare minimum of gratitude. There are no reasons to not be thankful for, but there are plenty reasons to smile and be grateful for.

When Jesus died, what is our way of saying, "Thank you." God would not expect something greater than you. He who knows the inner workings of the heart wants what is in Your Heart: to love and be a friend. God wants us to be pure, to be kind, to be generous.

My theory for that is, when we go to heaven, everyone is kind, loving, caring. So God wants to prepare us, make us pure, make us loving souls. First theory: so that we can be acclimatized to what heaven is. Second, so that we can be, in a mystical union or dissolution, we can be one with God.

When we mix coffee and water, it forms one liquid. But it is coloured brown. Let us imagine the colour to be, our sins. Our spirit is the water, and our sins is the dirt that is dissolved in our water. Let's imagine God as another liquid, something pure, something we can never imagine. But it is only miscible to the purest of waters. Our souls, our waters, therefore that are sinful, fail to mix with God.

That is how sins work. We create a layer between two liquids. There is a clear separation between God and Man, our souls from a state of grace. That is why we are called to live a holy life. Holy, that is, exceptionally God's.

I don't know if there are Catholics, who are into God's love, but has an affinity for the world's pleasure that chose Purgatory. I wish it was just my imagination, but, if there are, let us effort. Like the saints that we revere today, let us be saints. Let us be priests and arm ourselves with the whole armour of God.

𝕰𝖕𝖍𝖊𝖘𝖎𝖆𝖓𝖘 6:10-17 (NABRE) speaks: «The Whole Armour of God

«10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his power. 11 Put on the whole armour of God, so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For our[b] struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armour of God, so that you may be able to withstand on that evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. 14 Stand therefore, and fasten the belt of truth around your waist, and put on the breastplate of righteousness. 15 As shoes for your feet put on whatever will make you ready to proclaim the gospel of peace. 16 With all of these,[c] take the shield of faith, with which you will be able to quench all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.»

𝐏𝐫𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐫:«18 Pray in the Spirit at all times in every prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert and always persevere in supplication for all the saints. 19 Pray also for me, so that when I speak, a message may be given to me to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel,[d] 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it boldly, as I must speak.» (𝕰𝖕𝖍𝖊𝖘𝖎𝖆𝖓𝖘 6:18-20)
(NABRE)

Psalm 27
1 The LORD is my light and my salvation;
whom shall I fear?
The LORD is the stronghold of my life;
whom should I dread?

2 When those who do evil draw near
to devour my flesh,
it is they, my enemies and foes,
who stumble and fall.

3 Though an army encamp against me,
my heart would not fear.
Though war break out against me,
even then would I trust.

4 There is one thing I ask of the LORD,
only this do I seek:
to live in the house of the LORD
all the days of my life,
to gaze on the beauty of the LORD,
to inquire at his temple.

5 For there he keeps me safe in his shelter
in the day of evil.
He hides me under cover of his tent;
he sets me high upon a rock.

6 And now my head shall be raised
above my foes who surround me,
and I shall offer within his tent
a sacrifice of joy.
I will sing and make music for the LORD.

7 O LORD, hear my voice when I call;
have mercy and answer me.
8 Of you my heart has spoken,
“Seek his face.”

It is your face, O LORD, that I seek;
9 hide not your face from me.
Dismiss not your servant in anger;
you have been my help.

Do not abandon or forsake me,
O God, my Savior!
10Though father and mother forsake me,
the LORD will receive me.

11 Instruct me, LORD, in your way;
on an even path lead me
because of my enemies.
12 Do not leave me to the will of my foes,
for false witnesses rise up against me,
and they breathe out violence.

13 I believe I shall see the LORD’s goodness
in the land of the living.
14 Wait for the LORD; be strong;
be stouthearted, and wait for the LORD!

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit

As it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end,
forever and ever. Amen.

In the Father, ✠
and of the Son,
and of the Holy Spirit,
𝗔𝗺𝗲𝗻.

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The Holy Constitutional Empire of Cretoia-Slrathria

Today is the 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐝 𝐃𝐚𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐝 𝐖𝐞𝐞𝐤 𝐨𝐟 𝐋𝐞𝐧𝐭

In the name of the Father, ✠
and of the Son,
and of the Holy Spirit,
𝗔𝗺𝗲𝗻.

𝐓𝐨𝐝𝐚𝐲'𝐬 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 is from the book of the prophet 𝐙𝖊𝖕𝖍𝖆𝖓𝖎𝖆𝖍 1:7-18
New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised Catholic Edition

7 Be silent before the Lord God!
For the day of the Lord is at hand;
the Lord has prepared a sacrifice,
he has consecrated his guests.
8 And on the day of the Lord’s sacrifice
I will punish the officials and the king’s sons
and all who dress themselves in foreign attire.
9 On that day I will punish
all who leap over the threshold,
who fill their master’s house
with violence and fraud.

10 On that day, says the Lord,
a cry will be heard from the Fish Gate,
a wail from the Second Quarter,
a loud crash from the hills.
11 The inhabitants of the Mortar wail,
for all the traders have perished;
all who weigh out silver are cut off.
12 At that time I will search Jerusalem with lamps,
and I will punish the people
who rest complacently[a] on their dregs,
those who say in their hearts,
‘The Lord will not do good,
nor will he do harm.’
13 Their wealth shall be plundered,
and their houses laid waste.
Though they build houses,
they shall not inhabit them;
though they plant vineyards,
they shall not drink wine from them.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗚𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝗗𝗮𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗟𝗼𝗿𝗱
14 The great day of the Lord is near,
near and hastening fast;
the sound of the day of the Lord is bitter,
the warrior cries aloud there.
15 That day will be a day of wrath,
a day of distress and anguish,
a day of ruin and devastation,
a day of darkness and gloom,
a day of clouds and thick darkness,
16 a day of trumpet blast and battle cry
against the fortified cities
and against the lofty battlements.

17 I will bring such distress upon people
that they shall walk like the blind;
because they have sinned against the Lord,
their blood shall be poured out like dust,
and their flesh like dung.
18 Neither their silver nor their gold
will be able to save them
on the day of the Lord’s wrath;
in the fire of his passion
the whole earth shall be consumed;
for a full, a terrible end
he will make of all the inhabitants of the earth.

𝐑𝐞𝐟𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: The great day of the Lord is near

First of all, even I am scared of the bible sometimes. But I did say this once in this daily, we should not be scared because we are called by God to be with Him. And why would we be scared if we did not do anything bad? God is merciful will bring us mercy. But God is also just and he will bring justice to the oppressed.

Personally, I guess I got a bit too complacent to be Joyful this Lent. Lent is my favourite of all the seasons even though it is a time to be sorrowful. Æsthetically, I like the colour purple. And liturgically, I love to think that Jesus died for our sins, for our salvation. That makes me happy, because of his love. I might've been too complacent too that I forgot my sins, my promises, and not repent.

God's might is strong. To those who did good, they glory and marvel at the Lord. Those who did wrong, they fear the Lord. But I think even if we did wrong, we have to take glory into the Lord because He is not a God of War and Wrath. His anger is to those who is filled with hatred. His love is to those who are filled with love.

I said this once, «We should not despair because despair leads us far to the greater love of God.» If we love God and trust in Him, we should learn to trust in His love. In our sins, we are and truly we should be sorry. We are sinners, we are big sinners. None of us are pure and not sinful.

After the fall of Adam and Eve, after we ate the fruit of the tree Good and Evil, we get a sense of what is Good and Evil. Many scholars say that we are 𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘥 to sin, after the fall. I think the fruit of that Tree, was that there had been Knowledge of the pleasures of what is evil. We get the sense of thrill of the disobedience; to lie, to cheat, to hate, to hurt; much extreme of this thrill is to kill, to rape, to fornicate. Sadly, there are people that has no psychopathic conditions, but by bad habits, created a bad future for themselves. (edited)

Saint Augustine theorized that we lost control over our pleasures, during the fall, and that the pleasures were innate. So through the passion of Jesus, we are called to be children of God. But to be children of God we are to give ourselves to God, and to suffer. The most extreme of this example are the Desert Fathers and Mothers, who truly left their old life to live in the desert.

Saint Mary of Egypt was very penitent, and lived in the desert with no spare clothes, no food, no water, no shelter, and no human interaction (until Saint Zosimas of Palestine appeared). But as we, little children of God in our weakness of our generation, we are called to deny ourselves of our sinful pleasure, much more but not just on Lent, take up the cross, and follow the way of Jesus.

𝐏𝐫𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐫: We come to You, O God, and accept our sacrifice of humble and contrite hearts. Cleanse it, purify it, renew it. Inject in us Your love, and let it run through the veins of our soul. We come to You to confess;

I confess to Almighty God,
to blessed Mary ever Virgin,
to blessed Joseph her most Chaste Spouse,
to blessed Michael the Archangel,
to blessed John the Baptist,
to the holy Apostles Peter and Paul,
to all the Saints, and to you, brethren,
that I have sinned exceedingly
in thought, word and deed:
through my fault, through my fault,
through my most grievous fault.
Therefore I beseech blessed Mary ever Virgin,
blessed Michael the Archangel,
blessed John the Baptist,
the holy Apostles Peter and Paul,
all the Saints, and you, brethren,
to pray for me to the Lord our God. Amen.

Father, with penitent soul, and a contrite heart, I ask for Your mercy. I trust in Your Divine Mercy. Forgive me, and give me strength to seek forgiveness to others. So that I may be forever with You, joyfully in heaven. Amen.

We ask this through Christ our Lord, Jesus Christ, with the grace of the Holy Spirit who lives and reigns with You and Jesus. Amen.

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The Holy Constitutional Empire of Cretoia-Slrathria

Peace and All Good!

𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐒𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐭 𝐓𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐛𝐢𝐮𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐣𝐨, 𝐁𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐩

He was consecrated as Archbishop of Lima (Viceroyalty of Peru) in 1580. He studied humanities and law at University of Salamanca. He established many convents, churches, seminaries, chapels. He assembled synods and councils to make the Church strong, organized, and above all holy. According to many sources, his apostolic zeal and virtue set examples to many to make reforms. He defended the rights of the natives who were persecuted by the Spanish colonizers. He was beatified by Pope Innocent XI on July 2, 1679; canonized by Pope Benedict XIII on December 10, 1726.

𝐓𝐨𝐝𝐚𝐲'𝐬 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝖎𝖘 𝖋𝖗𝖔𝖒 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝟏𝖘𝖙 𝖇𝖔𝖔𝐤 𝖔𝖋 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝐏𝖗𝖔𝖕𝖍𝖊𝖙 𝐒𝖆𝖒𝖚𝖊𝖑 2:12-17, 22-26, 27, 31-35

12 Now the sons of Eli were scoundrels; they had no regard for the Lord 13 or for the duties of the priests to the people. When anyone offered sacrifice, the priest’s servant would come, while the meat was boiling, with a three-pronged fork in his hand, 14 and he would thrust it into the pan, or kettle, or cauldron, or pot; all that the fork brought up the priest would take for himself.[e] This is what they did at Shiloh to all the Israelites who came there. 15 Moreover, before the fat was burned, the priest’s servant would come and say to the one who was sacrificing, ‘Give meat for the priest to roast; for he will not accept boiled meat from you, but only raw.’ 16 And if the man said to him, ‘Let them burn the fat first, and then take whatever you wish’, he would say, ‘No, you must give it now; if not, I will take it by force.’ 17 Thus the sin of the young men was very great in the sight of the Lord; for they treated the offerings of the Lord with contempt.

𝐑𝐞𝐟𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: Now the sons of Eli were scoundrels

In different translations, I have read that Hophni and Phileas were described as corrupt (NKJV), scoundrels (NIV), or Son's of Belial (KJV). It is written in the scripture, clearly, what they did. They had impure relations with the women serving in the temple, they were cheating the LORD, making kickbacks on the offerings that was supposed to be for the Lord. Integrity. I was actually thinking about this before I came across today's reading for the Daily. What do we do when no one is looking is worth more than what we do when people are aware.

I think it is written in the gospel, or much better is that Jesus said it, that when people saw what you did and they praised you, you already gained the reward, but when it is done in secret, God will be the one to reward you when you come to heaven. And I think that is better.

But people might become much more self-righteousness, since it is God Himself that would reward us. So I would like to remind that, we are all sinners. We are all sinners trying to be saints. But to enlighten all of us, I would like to quote C.S. Lewis, "We are not humans trying to be holy. We are holy trying to be humans." This mindset, I hope, would help us to not sin, avoid sin, and say no to sin. We are still imperfect, but through the merits of Jesus Christ whom is both flesh and divine, we are called to be Holy, just like Jesus had been.

We are in war with the world, and the evil forces of the devil. Some in the most slight way that we can have. And to attract us like butterflies, the evil forces, the temptation, will show us the greatness in evil. Thankfully we have a conscience. We have the Law and the Prophets. Most of all... WE HAVE THE LITERALLY SON OF GOD to tell us and guide us through the holy Gospels. And the rest, we have to work on ourselves. We have to do it, we cannot be leeches to God. Because God wants us to learn, to stand up by ourselves, and to fight the pleasures of the world. So that worthily, we can become Children of God, and not children of Belial (or some other demon).

𝐏𝐫𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐫: May we put our mitres, crowns, and diadems down, in honour of God, whom is above our powers. Let us remember that we are only humans made by God. Let us humble ourselves and pray
𝘍𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘓𝘪𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘨𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘏𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴

𝐋𝐞𝐭 𝐮𝐬 𝐩𝐫𝐚𝐲.
Schooled by our Lenten observance, Lord,
and nourished on your word,
may we give you whole-hearted service through our self-denial,
and through our prayer become one in heart and mind.

𝘐𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘬: 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘱𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘍𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘬𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶.
Lord, through the pastoral care and zeal for truth of Saint Turibius,
you built up your church in Peru.
Grant that the people of God
may continually grow in faith and holiness.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.

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The Holy Constitutional Empire of Cretoia-Slrathria

Peace and all Good!

Today is another Sabbath, the 𝐒𝐚𝐛𝐛𝐚𝐭𝐡 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐝 𝐖𝐞𝐞𝐤 𝐨𝐟 𝐋𝐞𝐧𝐭

In the name of the Father, ✠
and of the Son,
and of the Holy Spirit,
𝗔𝗺𝗲𝗻.

𝐓𝐨𝐝𝐚𝐲'𝐬 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 is from the 𝐀𝖈𝖙𝖘 𝖔𝖋 𝕱𝖆𝖎𝖙𝖍, 𝐇𝖔𝖕𝖊, 𝐋𝖔𝖛𝖊, 𝖆𝖓𝖉 𝐒𝖔𝖗𝖗𝖔𝖜 (ibreviary)

ACT OF FAITH

My God, I firmly believe
that you are one God in three divine Persons,
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Father, I believe that your divine Son became man
and died for our sins and that he will come
to judge the living and the dead.
I believe these and all the truths
which the Holy Catholic Church teaches
because you have revealed them
who are eternal truth and wisdom,
who can neither deceive nor be deceived.
In this faith I intend to live and die. Amen.

ACT OF HOPE

Lord God,
I hope by your grace
for the pardon of all my sins
and after life here
to gain eternal happiness
because you have promised it
who are infinitely powerful, faithful, kind, and merciful.
In this hope I intend to live and die. Amen.

ACT OF LOVE

Lord God, I love you above all things
and I love my neighbor for your sake
because you are the highest, infinite and perfect good,
worthy of all my love.
In this love I intend to live and die. Amen.

ACT OF SORROW

O God of of my soul,
I am sincerely sorry
for not having loved you.
Instead of having loved you,
I have, for the sake of my pleasures,
offended and despised your infinite goodness:
I have turned my back on you;
in a word, O my God,
I have lost you through my own will.
Lord, I am sorry,
from the bottom of my heart,
for all my sins.
I hate above all things the offences,
which I have committed against you.
You have already cleansed me
from the stain of sin
in the sacrament of penance,
but I desire to become still purer in your sight.
Wash in your Blood this soul,
and make it your dwelling place.

𝐑𝐞𝐟𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧:...I firmly believe...I hope...I love...I am sincerely sorry...

There are said to be three theological virtues; faith, hope, and love; by which we as Christians and Orthodox, Catholics, Protestants, live by. With faith we believe in the truth. With hope we look forward with Joy to everlasting. With love we experience the fullness of truth, anticipation, and joy.

As Saint Paul had stated (1 Cor. 13:13):«And now Faith, Hope, and Love remains, these three; but the greatest of these is Love (Charity).» Love exceeds all our human activity, our capability, our faith, our hope. It leads us to the other four cardinal virtues: prudence, justice, fortitude, and temperence. Without love we have nothing that connects us with God. Without love the gifts of the Holy Spirit is in vain.

But today we have another: sorrow. Sorrow is humility; knowing that we have done wrong and we were at fault. Sorrow is reconciliation, seeking forgiveness, hoping reparation, doing repentance. Sorrow is not despair; the loss of hope of the Divine Mercy of God. Sorrow is knowing God's mercy, accepting it, and living a new life. It is not enough that we believe and we hope. For people believe and hope, but their hearts are hardened with pride. It is not enough to love, because those who can love but not feel remorse over themselves love inadequately. They fail to love themselves in the way that abhors sins.

John wrote in his epistle: «We lie when we say we do not sin.» Everyone is subject to sin, though not mortal, or cardinal; some venial and light.

But does this mean Jesus sin? No. First, it would be blasphemous to think God sins; that is if you believe Jesus is God. And second, even if he is not God, the Grace of God the Father cannot enter his being without Jesus being pure. If people sin we cannot enter the fullness of God's grace. We are immiscible liquids to the pureness and divinity of God. Jesus cannot proclaim the Kingdom of God, cannot envision the future, cannot: heal the sick, cast away demons, forgive sins, preach prolifically, and most of all endure suffering, if he strays from the blessing of God. Canaan to Egypt had a distance that can be travelled by foot shorter than a month, but the Israelites (in the time of Moses) travelled for 40 years. And here we have the son of the virgin, performing miracles, driving out demons, healing the sick. Truly the hand of God was with him. That includes Mary, as the angel did say, "Hail Mary, full of grace," saying that she is filled with the grace of God.

But we are not perfect, rather trying to be perfect. Not unless God told you, "You are perfect, you do not sin and unable to commit sin." But that is rare, and as Augustine had pointed out, that after the fall, "We are inclined to sin."

It was through the disobedience of our ancestors, and the temptation of the devil, the shape of society and of the world, that tells us to go and "do as thou wilt." "You only live once." "Do not resist the urges of the flesh." And the thought of death and leaving behind the world and all its pleasures scares people. The following is also a message to me. When I am tempted I asked myself: "Isn't God enough?" Then I repeat Psalm 23: «The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.» What else can we want other than God who is everything already? But sadly I gave in to that temptation. I have grown addicted to a certain pleasure. Even I despair. But we shouldn't lose hope. We should be sorry, but happy at the same time. For God is a merciful God, and I think He waits for our full recovery from sin and vanity, and the addiction to them.

There are people that gets the conversion instantly. And there are just the people who need to take it slow. I am one of them, and we shouldn't be ashamed of falling. Jesus fell 3 times carrying the cross, because of his human nature. He falls down but humbled himself with prudence and temperance, not showing off the full splendour of His divinity. But Jesus could've done that. He could've picked up the cross with his pinky finger and zoomed towards calvary. But with his prudence, his humility, his patience to show us the way, he lets himself fall.

Jesus himself said, "The spirit is strong, but the flesh is weak," when the three of his apostles slept instead of keeping watch. Jesus himself knew the limitations of our bodies. So should we too accept that we are no superhumans. We fail. We fall. We rise again. The beauty of human resilience is made wonderful and complete through Jesus Christ's resurrection. We could not attain resilience, if we are adamant. We should be sorrowful because it is part of our human nature. Let us embrace our human nature, the true nature that Jesus showed us.

Jesus showed us a nature of humanity, not of animals. He is the completeness of the three virtues of Faith, Hope, and Love. His Faith to the Father, His love to creation, and His Hope for our salvation through Himself.

With faith, we believe and are enlightened. With hope, we seek and are strengthened. With love, we are completed as we complete others. With sorrow, we are raised up. The beatitudes show that whoever is down will be raised up; whoever is in darkness, will be brought to light. So must we, as we ask to be increased in faith, hope, and love, must also be increased in sorrow.

𝐏𝐫𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐫: Increase the faith, the hope, the love, and the sorrow in me, O God.

Increase my faith, that I may trust You and not worry.
Increase my hope, that I may never lose the strength to fight the world.
Increase my love, because that is what I want to do: to love You, and the brothers I have through You.
Increase my sorrow, because I do not want a hardened heart that fails to say sorry.

All of these I ask, with the peace that comes from Your Light.

I live in darkness, shine on Me.
I'll bring a mirror, the next time You'll shine Your light.
That the world may be freed from darkness and sin,
and may they more believe You, be strengthened at Your reward, be caring as You did, and repent for themselves and the whole world.
Amen.

In the name of the Father, ✠
and of the Son,
and of the Holy Spirit,
𝗔𝗺𝗲𝗻.

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The Holy Constitutional Empire of Cretoia-Slrathria

Peace and All Good!

Today is 𝐋æ𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐒𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐲!

Liturgical colour: rose (or violet)

Rose is a lighter version of violet, because today the penitential violet is mixed with the white of the approaching festival.
It is part of human nature that we cannot go on being penitent for a long time, or we sink into a settled and insincere gloom rather than working at the definite and active spiritual exercise called penance. The Church knows human nature, and both in Advent and Lent there is a moment where the atmosphere of penance and preparation is brightened by a shaft of light from the glorious season we are preparing ourselves for.

The third Sunday of Advent tells us ‘Gaudéte, rejoice!’ because the Lord is near and the fourth Sunday of Lent says ‘Lætáre, Ierúsalem, be joyful, Jerusalem, and all who love her!’ because she herself is loved by the Lord. On Gaudete and Laetare Sundays, therefore, the dark penitential violet may be lightened to what the documents call ‘rose’ but most laymen would call ‘pink’.

This happens where it is traditional, and appropriate, and vestments of this extra colour are available. Otherwise there is nothing wrong in keeping violet as violet. Ultimately the liturgical colours are there to serve us, not we to serve them. 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘴

In the name of the Father, ✠
and of the Son,
and of the Holy Spirit,
𝗔𝗺𝗲𝗻.

𝐓𝐨𝐝𝐚𝐲'𝐬 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 is from the Holy Gospel according to Saint 𝕸𝖆𝖙𝖙𝖍𝖊𝖜 26:20-25

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗲𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘆𝗲𝗿. 20 When it was evening, he reclined at table with the Twelve. 21 And while they were eating, he said, “Amen, I say to you, one of you will betray me.” 22 Deeply distressed at this, they began to say to him one after another, “Surely it is not I, Lord?” 23 He said in reply, “He who has dipped his hand into the dish with me is the one who will betray me. 24 The Son of Man indeed goes, as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed. It would be better for that man if he had never been born.” 25 Then Judas, his betrayer, said in reply, “Surely it is not I, Rabbi?” He answered, “You have said so.”

𝐑𝐞𝐟𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: You have said so.

"Gaudéte, Lætáre," "Rejoice and be Glad." But how can we rejoice when it is a time of sorrow. I have mentioned yesterday the virtues, Faith, Hope, Love, and Sorrow. I would like to continue on that topic today.

Sorrow is not despair. These two are different. Despair is the loss of hope. According to the Merriam Webster Dictionary, Sorrow is: (1a) deep distress, sadness, or regret; (1b) resultant unhappy or unpleasant state; (2) a cause of grief or sadness (3) a display of grief or sadness. Both are forms of depressions; too much of both (and when used wrongly) leads to depression. Both creates personal changes in our lives.

Despair loses the spark and drive. Despair makes us depress and live in the darkness of the world. Sorrow, as a state of mind, leads us to lament the darkness of the world. When we despair we see the world as a dark place that has lost its light. When we are sorrowful, we see the world as a dark place, needing light.

So today calls us to be joyful in sorrow. These two are contradicting. To create joy, let us be hopeful, but to be sorrowful, let us not forget our sins. We seek the mercy of God with joy. Through His love, He sent His son to be mortal. His son humbled himself to die a suffering; a lamb. The holy spirit is patient and never ceases compassion to light our hearts to see the glory of the Father and the Son, and to see our sinful ways, that we can join the One-Three God.

Now the reading tells us, the story of Judas Iscariot. Palm Sunday gospels will tell us again how Jesus suffered. I remember reading one of the prayers of the Stations of the Cross, "My adorable Jesus, it was not Pilate, no, it was my sins that condemned You to die." It was for our sins, so that we are forgiven, that Jesus died as a sacrifice, atonement to God. Like the old temples that they would have a lot of holocausts, Jesus is the ultimate sin-offering, for ages past, present, and future.

Now before this reading, if you would skim through the chapter, Judas already had contact with the High Priests, so this dialogue of the two increases how Judas was a bad person. Now instead of being in sorrow of his sins, he despaired and ended his life. The Lord God is merciful, it is said within the psalms, the canticles, the books, the prophets and the law. But he despaired. It is a warning, not to despair. There will always be hope. Love surpasses all things greatly, love is the greatest among the three virtues.

Now what else is said in the chapter (Matthew 26:16): «and from that time on he looked for an opportunity to hand him over.» In my opinion, Judas lost all hope, faith, and even love for Jesus. And we do the same too, when we choose to hurt when we want to achieve something pleasurable; especially something that wouldn't help others but ourselves. As the Acts continued on the story of Judas' death, Judas too had lost all sorrow. Rather, Judas lost all the hope in sorrow, that made him despair and acted the way he did.

When we sin, let us not forget the Divine Mercy of God. God who is loving and endless brings joy to those who mourns, hope to those who are troubled, faith to those whom are shaken, and love to those who are hated. Let us not betray the Lord by losing what He gave us: faith, hope, love, and sorrow.

𝐏𝐫𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐫:𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘴𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘵-𝘧𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘢.𝘤𝘰𝘮
As St. Faustina writes, «The Love of God is the flower - Mercy the fruit. Let the doubting soul read these considerations on Divine Mercy and become trusting.»

Divine Mercy, gushing forth from the bosom of the Father, I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, greatest attribute of God, I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, incomprehensible mystery, I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, fount gushing forth from the mystery of the Most Blessed Trinity, I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, unfathomed by any intellect, human or angelic, I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, from which wells forth all life and happiness, I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, better than the heavens, I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, source of miracles and wonders, I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, encompassing the whole universe, I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, descending to earth in the Person of the Incarnate Word, I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, which flowed out from the open wound of the Heart of Jesus, I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, enclosed in the Heart of Jesus for us, and especially for sinners, I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, unfathomed in the institution of the Sacred Host, I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, in the founding of Holy Church, I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, in the Sacrament of Holy Baptism, I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, in our justification through Jesus Christ, I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, accompanying us through our whole life, I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, embracing us especially at the hour of death, I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, endowing us with immortal life, I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, accompanying us every moment of our life, I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, shielding us from the fire of hell, I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, in the conversion of hardened sinners, I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, astonishment for Angels, incomprehensible to Saints, I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, unfathomed in all the mysteries of God, I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, lifting us out of every misery, I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, source of our happiness and joy, I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, in calling us forth from nothingness to existence, I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, embracing all the works of His hands, I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, crown of all of God's handiwork, I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, in which we are all immersed, I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, sweet relief for anguished hearts, I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, only hope of despairing souls, I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, repose of hearts, peace amidst fear, I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, delight and ecstasy of holy souls, I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, inspiring hope against all hope, I trust in You.

+ Eternal God, in whom mercy is endless and the treasury of compassion inexhaustible, look kindly upon us and increase Your mercy in us, that in difficult moments we might not despair nor become despondent, but with great confidence submit ourselves to Your holy will, which is Love and Mercy itself.

+ O incomprehensible and limitless Mercy Divine, To extol and adore You worthily, who can? Supreme attribute of Almighty God, You are the sweet hope for sinful man.

Into one hymn yourselves unite, stars, earth and sea, and in one accord, thankfully and fervently sing of the incomprehensible Divine Mercy.
(Diary, 949)

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via The House of Prayer

The Holy Constitutional Empire of Cretoia-Slrathria

In the name of the Father, ✠
and of the Son,
and of the Holy Spirit,
𝗔𝗺𝗲𝗻.

𝐓𝐨𝐝𝐚𝐲'𝐬 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 is from the Book of 𝕲𝖊𝖓𝖊𝖘𝖎𝖘 39:1-23
The Message (MSG)

CHAPTER 39

1 After Joseph had been taken to Egypt by the Ishmaelites, Potiphar an Egyptian, one of Pharaoh’s officials and the manager of his household, bought him from them.

2-6 As it turned out, God was with Joseph and things went very well with him. He ended up living in the home of his Egyptian master. His master recognized that God was with him, saw that God was working for good in everything he did. He became very fond of Joseph and made him his personal aide. He put him in charge of all his personal affairs, turning everything over to him. From that moment on, God blessed the home of the Egyptian—all because of Joseph. The blessing of God spread over everything he owned, at home and in the fields, and all Potiphar had to concern himself with was eating three meals a day.

6-7 Joseph was a strikingly handsome man. As time went on, his master’s wife became infatuated with Joseph and one day said, “Sleep with me.”

8-9 He wouldn’t do it. He said to his master’s wife, “Look, with me here, my master doesn’t give a second thought to anything that goes on here—he’s put me in charge of everything he owns. He treats me as an equal. The only thing he hasn’t turned over to me is you. You’re his wife, after all! How could I violate his trust and sin against God?”

10 She pestered him day after day after day, but he stood his ground. He refused to go to bed with her.

11-15 On one of these days he came to the house to do his work and none of the household servants happened to be there. She grabbed him by his cloak, saying, “Sleep with me!” He left his coat in her hand and ran out of the house. When she realized that he had left his coat in her hand and run outside, she called to her house servants: “Look—this Hebrew shows up and before you know it he’s trying to seduce us. He tried to make love to me but I yelled as loud as I could. With all my yelling and screaming, he left his coat beside me here and ran outside.”

16-18 She kept his coat right there until his master came home. She told him the same story. She said, “The Hebrew slave, the one you brought to us, came after me and tried to use me for his plaything. When I yelled and screamed, he left his coat with me and ran outside.”

19-23 When his master heard his wife’s story, telling him, “These are the things your slave did to me,” he was furious. Joseph’s master took him and threw him into the jail where the king’s prisoners were locked up. But there in jail God was still with Joseph: He reached out in kindness to him; he put him on good terms with the head jailer. The head jailer put Joseph in charge of all the prisoners—he ended up managing the whole operation. The head jailer gave Joseph free rein, never even checked on him, because God was with him; whatever he did God made sure it worked out for the best.

𝐑𝐞𝐟𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: He wouldn’t do it.

Joseph son of Jacob and Rachel was a righteous man. Righteousness is envied by his brothers, this in turn led to him being sold to the Ishmaelites. He was the favoured by their father, Jacob. Now this story tells about the grace of God being with Joseph. The grace of God was with Joseph that is why he had great strength resisting the temptation of Potiphar's wife.

If he obeyed his master's wife, he would've committed adultery against his master. It would shame not only him, but his master, and his master's wife. It would mostly shame God whom Joseph believes. What I can take from this story and from other sources, is that the grace of God is there, but we still have to effort. Being idle and lazy is a choice. God's grace can show you how and what you can and should do, but it will be on our own terms that we do somethings.

Let us take the annunciation for example. Mary was presented with the messiah at the age around 12-16 (as scholars estimated). It was troubling for a little girl. The grace of God had been with Mary, but she has a choice to say no. A famous Filipino saying is that, "When you want something there are plenty ways. When you don't want something there are plenty reasons."

Out of all the doubt, of all the possible bad things that could happen, what if it isn't God or His messenger that spoke to Mary. Mary still chose to say yes, "For nothing is impossible with God." The Orthodox, that adheres to the Protoëvangelium of James, believes that Mary was raised in the temple because she was offered by her mother (like Samuel). Especially a woman who grew up in the temple, believing in the mighty works of God in Egypt and so on in history, Mary chose to believe in her faith, hope, and love of God.

Another righteous man named Joseph son of Jacob (and allegedly Rachel) whose ancestor is David, was also annunciated with the good news, but in a dream. This Joseph was betrothed to Mary, and like Joseph in the reading, he remained chaste. The Orthodox claims that Mary was given to Joseph by drawing lots. Joseph respected the virginity of Mary, since she was a temple girl that is consecrated to God. The Catholic Church neither teaches nor condemns this. More so having the news, and seeing for himself that Mary conceived a child, Joseph was greatly troubled. The canon in the Holy Bible continues with the story.

Even if the angel told Joseph, "She was telling the truth. The child is the son of God." There could still be in him an inner dialogue of doubts: pros and cons. But amidst the doubts, the bad premonition, Joseph, like Mary, held on to their Faith, their Hope, and their Love of God. Which until time proved was true. The characters' conscience were clear. Saint Ignatius emphasizes the conscience, the emotions, the subconscious feelings, as a way for God to connect with us.

Joseph knew what was right and wrong, he chose not to have relations with Potiphar's wife. Neither Mary nor Joseph had known the validity of the Angel's message, but chose to believe. Like the story of Joseph and Potiphar's wife, God would not fail us. God would not fail or put us into injustice. God would not let us be tortured without a justifiable reason. The innerworkings of the Most Brilliant Mind of God cannot be understood by people who live by the way of the world.

Saint Paul now tells us, «do not conform to the world,» and «live by the spirit.» These things he with all the saints knew this because the gratifying the flesh corrupts the souls. Saint Paul said that he does what he hates to do. I'm not sure how the text actually went, but what he meant was what Christ taught: to deny ourselves, taking up the cross, and follow. I had lots of epiphanies about theology and stuff, and most of them are short phrases that came to my mind.

"Follow me, and I will give you freedom from sin."

"Whoever has been rewarded in this world had already recieved his reward. So whoever has not been rewarded at this world will be rewarded in the next." This phrase, I know it is said by Jesus in the Holy Gospels, and we must remember this. I share this because if it applies to me, I hope it would apply to others. Denying ourselves, being humble, silent, and prudent, is not an easy task, but God did it, and so can we.

𝐏𝐫𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐫: «Take heed that you do not your justice before men, to be seen by them: otherwise you shall not have a reward of your Father who is in heaven.» Matthew 6:2

𝐋𝐞𝐭 𝐮𝐬 𝐩𝐫𝐚𝐲

O Lord, Almighty God, King of heaven and earth, Saviour of the world, bless, lead, rule and govern our hearts and bodies, our senses, words and deeds today, following thy law and commandments, that here and for eternity with thy help we shall be saved in freedom.

Bless our efforts through this Lenten pilgrimage, and with joyful sorrow accept our sins and turn back to You. Strengthen us like You did with Joseph against temptation, and so I promise to be with better efforts to fight temptation for the joy of being with You. The thought of being with You gives us hope, with that hope I know, my beloved God, I will be living to love You in eternity, and on earth through my Brothers and Sisters, who share Your face.

You who live and reign forever and ever as one God:
the loving Father, ✠
the humble Son,
and the generous Holy Spirit,
do we acclaim our praise, thanksgivings,
present our iniquities,
and trust throughout our lives.

Thanks be to God.

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via The House of Prayer

The Holy Constitutional Empire of Cretoia-Slrathria

In the name of the Father, ✠
and of the Son,
and of the Holy Spirit,
𝗔𝗺𝗲𝗻.

𝐓𝐨𝐝𝐚𝐲'𝐬 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 is from the 𝟏st Letter of Saint 𝕵𝖔𝖍𝖓 4:7-21

𝗚𝗼𝗱’𝘀 𝗟𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗖𝗵𝗿𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝗟𝗶𝗳𝗲. 7 Beloved, let us love one another, because love is of God; everyone who loves is begotten by God and knows God. 8 Whoever is without love does not know God, for God is love. 9 In this way the love of God was revealed to us: God sent his only Son into the world so that we might have life through him. 10 In this is love: not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as expiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also must love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God. Yet, if we love one another, God remains in us, and his love is brought to perfection in us.

13 This is how we know that we remain in him and he in us, that he has given us of his Spirit. 14 Moreover, we have seen and testify that the Father sent his Son as savior of the world. 15 Whoever acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God remains in him and he in God. 16 We have come to know and to believe in the love God has for us.

God is love, and whoever remains in love remains in God and God in him. 17 In this is love brought to perfection among us, that we have confidence on the day of judgment because as he is, so are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear because fear has to do with punishment, and so one who fears is not yet perfect in love. 19 We love because he first loved us. 20 If anyone says, “I love God,” but hates his brother, he is a liar; for whoever does not love a brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. 21 This is the commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.

𝐑𝐞𝐟𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: God is love

Now, I haven't been posting for a while, due to personal reasons. Now, who here is pure and sinless. That is no one. No one except a person that is truly built to be sinless, and has all the strength and the grace of the spirit to be sinless. But even so, we cannot get to the perfection of Jesus' sinlessness. We may be sinless, but we might not be doing what God had intended. Father Dave repeatedly emphasizes that our common mistake is doing what is good, but not what God intended.

How should we live? How should we gauge what God wants us to do? Jesus in his humanity followed God. We are not Jesus, but through Him, we can be followers of God's will. He told us in the bible, "If you want to follow me: deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow me." There are two things that come side by side.

Denying ourselves, hating ourselves for God, does not mean self mutilation. It means sacrifice of Charity. Charity being the best among the three: Faith, Hope and Love. Now Charity and Love are one and equal words in Latin. In Greek, it is many. Denying ourselves by hating the world does not mean that you oppose everything. We must deny the world in a way that we hate what is bad, love what is good, seek pleasures from God, deny pleasure that pleases ourselves. Here comes the paradox that puzzles me. "How can we love ourselves but hate ourselves?"

To which, I answer: If we really love ourselves, we know what is right and loving, even if it is painful, that is how we should. This comes the second part that comes with denying ourselves. Jesus knew what happens when we deny ourselves and make sacrifices, it hurts. That is why Jesus told us to carry the cross. Carry the cross not loudly. It wouldn't help, and it would increase the sorrow of suffering. Carry the cross quietly, not telling anyone that we are suffering. Jesus told that too in the gospels: «Don't let your left hand know what your right hand is doing.»

Now, doing all of these is vanity. Doing all of these would result to nothing. Everything we do is done for nothing when we do not love. We are like machines that suffers. We have no emotions, no reason to suffer for. What increases our sorrows is a lack of reason or drive. We carry the cross everyday but we come home drained because we lack love. We are papers burnt with fire. It returns to ashes and does not bear fruit of anything. It becomes carbon, a dull, black, and toxic material. With fire the ingots are tested, and we should come out pure and shining; radiant like the Lord.

Being Christians, whatever denomination there is, choose love. Now the world has tainted the word "love" with pleasure, emotions, pop culture. That is why we should keep in our hearts like the Israelites did. Never must we forget what love is. Love is God, and God is Love. In Him, one in three beings, Love is present through Sacrifice. Without sacrifice love bears no fruit. Without love sacrifices are in vain. What is the point of offering if we have nothing to offer about? What is the point of living if there is nothing to live for? With love we see what we are. We see what the world is. The world and the entirety of creation bears the trace of the Love of God.

How He cares for each plant, making genetic mutation and evolution a thing. How He cares for every animal, that every tree, land structure, or body of water, is a safe place for their living. How He cares for the stars and the sun and the moon and the planets, that their being there affects the gravitational balance of each other. How he cares for everything that hungers, that breathes, that bears fruits, that dies, that in everything that transpires in the universe, a reason has been given to it.

Why do we fall? Rather, if an apple from a tree falls, why does the moon not fall? Sir Isaac Newton asked that, and by the grace of God he founded physics. Why do we breathe? Why did Christ die? Why do we celebrate lent? To that, the most simple answer is the love of God.

Now bringing this back to us, how do we care? How do we care about anything in the world? Do we even care? When did we stop? Following our God of Love, should we stop caring? Do we just fear the sacrifice? The burden? The responsibility? We cannot freeload the God who loves us. At the very least, our love is the greatest form of gratitude to the Love of God.

𝐏𝐫𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐫: As we act, we should ask, "Does what we do emanate the love of God?"

Divine Love of God, I run to you.
Divine Love of God, I trust in you.
Divine Love of God, I believe in you.
Divine Love of God, I fall down on you in shame.

You emanate from the heart of our God. Help us to live in this world, just as our Brother Jesus had through You. You encompass creation, govern life and death. In you is wisdom, justice, love of peace, and compassion. With you wrath is quenched, envy is forgotten, lust is turned away from, gluttony is controlled, sloth is hard worked. As you had helped Jesus in this world as he is tempted in human flesh, so I ask through you that we might be helped as well. Especially in this world where pleasure rules our joys, comfort, and necessity. Teach us your love. The love that lives and reigns, emanating from the Father, the son, and the holy spirit. To whom, the Triunity we plead to. Amen.

In the name of the Father, ✠
and of the Son,
and of the Holy Spirit,
𝗔𝗺𝗲𝗻.

℟. Thanks be to God!

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Team-lennox

Here to praise God's holiness!

via The House of Prayer

The Holy Constitutional Empire of Cretoia-Slrathria

Today is the 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐒𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐭 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐄𝐠𝐲𝐩𝐭 (𝑴𝒂𝒓𝒊𝒂 𝑨𝒆𝒈𝒚𝒑𝒕𝒊𝒂𝒄𝒂)

Mary of Egypt (Coptic: Ϯⲁⲅⲓⲁ Ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁ Ⲛⲣⲉⲙⲛ̀ⲭⲏⲙⲓ; Egyptian Arabic: مريم المصرية/ماريا المصرية; c. 344 – c. 421) was an Egyptian saint, highly venerated as a Desert Mother in the Eastern Orthodox and Coptic Churches. The Roman Catholic Church commemorates her as a patron saint of penitents.

Orthodox keeps her feast day on the April 1, so do Roman Catholics. Her life, half of her life, was first filled with fulfilling the pleasures that her flesh craves for. My mother thinks she might be a nymphomaniac. But upon not entering the church to participate in a church service, she was barred from entrance and pleaded with Mary through her image to let her in and renounce her ways. She lived in a desert for more than 40 years, until she was made known to a priest named Zosimas.

𝘍𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘞𝘪𝘬𝘪𝘱𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘢.
𝘍𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘝𝘪𝘵𝘢 𝘣𝘺 𝘚𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘵 𝘚𝘰𝘱𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘪𝘶𝘴.


In the name of the Father, ✠
and of the Son,
and of the Holy Spirit,
𝗔𝗺𝗲𝗻.

𝐓𝐨𝐝𝐚𝐲'𝐬 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 is from the Book of 𝕰𝖈𝖈𝖑𝖊𝖘𝖎𝖆𝖘𝖙𝖎𝖈𝖚𝖘 (𝐒𝖎𝖗𝖆𝖈𝖍) 42:9-14
New Catholic Bible (NCB)

𝗠𝗮𝘆 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗗𝗮𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗡𝗼𝘁 𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗔𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗺𝗲𝗱[𝗮]
9 A daughter is a treasure that makes her father anxious,
and in his worry about her he loses sleep:
when she is young, for fear she may never marry,
and when she is married, for fear her husband may hate her;

10 when she is a virgin, for fear she may be seduced
and become pregnant in her father’s house;
when she has a husband, for fear she may prove unfaithful,
and after marriage, for fear she may prove to be barren.

11 Keep a close watch on a headstrong daughter,
lest she make you an object of ridicule to your enemies,
causing you to be the talk of the town, the subject of gossip,
and an object of derision in public gatherings.
Make sure that her room has no lattice,
no spot that overlooks the approaches to the house.

12 Do not allow her to parade her beauty before any man
or spend her time with married women;

13 for just as out of clothes comes the moth
so from a woman comes woman’s wickedness.

14 Better is the wickedness of a man than a woman’s goodness,
but better is a religious daughter than a son without shame.

[a] Women constituted a mystery in the eyes of the ancients. Their virtue seemed threatened, and moreover, they seemed to be a plague along the path of men (see vv. 12-14). We find this mistrust and this paradox among many ancient Jewish authors. But we would do the author an injustice if we did not recall how beautifully he sang the praises of the good wife (see Sir 26:1-4, 15-18; 36:21-27).

𝐑𝐞𝐟𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: A daughter is a treasure that makes her father anxious

This is the continuation of that part in the daily, when I posted about Sirach on the 𝐒𝐢𝐱𝐭𝐡 𝐃𝐚𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐖𝐞𝐞𝐤 𝐨𝐟 𝐋𝐞𝐧𝐭. I want to first emphasize how society was back then, male-oriented. It is still going on right now, and we are still fighting to achieve equality. We are a learned society and have grown from misogyny. We learned to understand better what women are, what men are, psychology developed, science, and the Church too.

But misogyny isn't today's topic. It is fatherly love. I would like to make this analogy:

We are called to be children of God through Christ. And in keeping ourselves with being part of God's family, we are called to be holy and consecrated. This is how Israel was, they are also called to be pure and consecrated, but they did not. The world proposed too much pleasure, and they did not fight back.

Now God as a father, cannot push commands like, "do this," "do that," "you can't," "stop that." He could only say once and explain to us how and why this is. He is the most loving of fathers, and respects our decisions and free will. Though silently and unaware, He cries because of our disobediences and His unfailing justice. But if we turn ourselves to God, he would have the greatest joy and happiness. God can be much more than what I can imagine, but in the littleness of our minds this is how we can understand love.

Now, the father is anxious as to how his daughter would be after she had grown up. If a father on earth is anxious about our welfare, how can God who made the anxious heart not be anxious at our own welfare? Our predestination? Our Father wants what's best for us, as a whole. Individually, it can be what is worst for us because there will always be a bigger picture; a bigger picture of love. What is best for everyone in the will of God, can be suffering momentarily on earth. That is why we have hope and the clear image of the resurrection.

How prized we are;
How great worth we cannot see in ourselves,
that God can see in us?

Saint Mary of Egypt when she saw the image of Mary, she was struck. Her virginity and purity made her shamed. In Saint Sophronius' account, she prayed on to the Ikon, "O ever-virgin, who didst keep thy body and soul in purity. Rightly do I inspire hatred and disgust before thy virginal purity." Her father must've been unhappy with her running away at the age of 12 to fulfill her sensual desires. At the same age of 12 (or 16) Mary was announced at by the Angel. After Mary came back from Elizabeth's house in her 6th year, Joseph was truly shaken and feared that Mary had conceived.

Joseph stood as a father figure to Mary as well, and I think that is what husbands are. Saint Mary of Egypt renamed herself in honour of the Blessed Virgin Mother. I will repeat the line I said:

How prized we are;
How great worth we cannot see in ourselves,
that God can see in us?

As children of God, how do we show respect to our Father? And at our earthly homes, do we bring our own parents to shame? The commandment, honour your father and your mother, does not just say obey. To honour is to bring them not shame. To honour is to build yourself as a good person. To honour is to love them very much with great reverence. The homily that Fr. Dave, gave yesterday was, "How do you show gratitude to the little Moses whom beg to God for you?"

This was linked to the First Reading, Psalm, and Gospel of yesterday. Moses pleaded on their behalf, and Jesus told them "you place your hopes on Moses, and Moses will be your accuser."

Gratitude is an act of love. By loving you obey, honour, and are grateful.

𝐏𝐫𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐫: "O loving Lady, thou hast shown me thy great love for all men. glory to God Who receives the repentance of sinners through thee. What more can I recollect or say, I who am so sinful? It is time for me, O Lady to fulfil my vow, according to thy witness. Now lead me by the hand along the path of repentance!" Saint Mary of Egypt in the Vita by Saint Sophronius.

Many times I have failed to acknowledge Your love, but You continue to shower them all throughout. I am a sinful child, and through this lent I ask You to grant me Your Divine Sorrow. So that I may see clearly and understand what I have done wrong. I may amend what I need to amend, in ways that is fitting and acceptable in Your eyes. Even if in my sins, I have put shame in You, Father, I ask that You accept me as Your child. May I be a fitting bride to the King of Kings, that is through the guidance and love of You, my Father. Amen.

In the name of the Father, ✠
and of the Son,
and of the Holy Spirit,
𝗔𝗺𝗲𝗻.

℟. Thanks be to God!

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via The House of Prayer

The Holy Constitutional Empire of Cretoia-Slrathria

I would be out tomorrow, so this is the Daily for tomorrow.

Today is the 𝐒𝐚𝐛𝐛𝐚𝐭𝐡 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐭𝐡 𝐖𝐞𝐞𝐤 𝐨𝐟 𝐋𝐞𝐧𝐭,
Today is also the 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐒𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐭 𝐅𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐏𝐚𝐨𝐥𝐚, 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐢𝐭

Literally translated to «rest» or «cessation». Following the 7 days of work that God had done in creating the universe, Exodus tells the story of the law and one of them is keeping the Sabbath Day Holy. For God rested at that day. Jesus made it void saying good acts or good works need not to be kept from being done. 𝘍𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘸𝘪𝘬𝘪𝘱𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘢.

𝑻he holy Confessor Francis of Paola, founder of the Order of Friars Minim, [in the year 1507.] He was famous for his graces and miracles, and Leo X enrolled his name among those of the Saints. 𝘍𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘋𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘶𝘮𝘖𝘧𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘶𝘮: 𝘔𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘺𝘳𝘰𝘭𝘰𝘨𝘪𝘶𝘮

In the name of the Father, ✠
and of the Son,
and of the Holy Spirit,
𝗔𝗺𝗲𝗻.

𝐓𝐨𝐝𝐚𝐲'𝐬 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 is from a sermon of 𝐏𝐨𝐩𝐞 𝐒𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐭 𝐋𝐞𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐆𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭, 𝐃𝐨𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐡𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝕮𝖔𝖓𝖙𝖊𝖒𝖕𝖑𝖆𝖙𝖎𝖓𝖌 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝕷𝖔𝖗𝖉'𝖘 𝖕𝖆𝖘𝖘𝖎𝖔𝖓
From Universalis: Spiritual Readings of Thursday 31 March, Thursday of the 4th Week of Lent

The earth – our earthly nature – should tremble at the suffering of its Redeemer. The rocks – the hearts of unbelievers – should burst asunder. The dead, imprisoned in the tombs of their mortality, should come forth, the massive stones now ripped apart. Foreshadowing of the future resurrection should appear in the holy city, the Church of God: what is to happen to our bodies should now take place in our hearts. No one, however weak, is denied a share in the victory of the cross. No one is beyond the help of the prayer of Christ. His prayer brought benefit to the multitude that raged against him. How much more does it bring to those who turn to him in repentance.

Ignorance has been destroyed, obstinacy has been overcome. The sacred blood of Christ has quenched the flaming sword that barred access to the tree of life. The age-old night of sin has given place to the true light. The Christian people are invited to share the riches of paradise. All who have been reborn have the way open before them to return to their native land, from which they had been exiled. Unless indeed they close off for themselves the path that could be opened before the faith of a thief.

The business of this life should not preoccupy us with its anxiety and pride, so that we no longer strive with all the love of our heart to be like our Redeemer, and to follow his example. Everything that he did or suffered was for our salvation: he wanted his body to share the goodness of its head. First of all, in taking our human nature while remaining God, so that the Word became man, he left no member of the human race, the unbeliever excepted, without a share in his mercy. Who does not share a common nature with Christ if he has welcomed Christ, who took our nature, and is reborn in the Spirit through whom Christ was conceived?

Again, who cannot recognise in Christ his own infirmities? Who would not recognise that Christ’s eating and sleeping, his sadness and his shedding of tears of love are marks of the nature of a slave? It was this nature of a slave that had to be healed of its ancient wounds and cleansed of the defilement of sin. For that reason the only-begotten Son of God became also the son of man. He was to have both the reality of a human nature and the fullness of the godhead.

The body that lay lifeless in the tomb is ours. The body that rose again on the third day is ours. The body that ascended above all the heights of heaven to the right hand of the Father’s glory is ours. If then we walk in the way of his commandments, and are not ashamed to acknowledge the price he paid for our salvation in a lowly body, we too are to rise to share his glory. The promise he made will be fulfilled in the sight of all: Whoever acknowledges me before men, I too will acknowledge him before my Father who is in heaven.

𝐑𝐞𝐟𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: The sacred blood of Christ has quenched the flaming sword

I read this on a spiritual reading, before I retired to bed. Even if I half-ly understood what it meant, when I read it, I know, this is the reading for the Saturday. We draw near to Palm Sunday, where the retelling of the passion of Christ takes place. Today is the vigil of the 5th Sunday of Lent, the last of the Sundays. The Order of Minims is known for having a special 4th vow; a vow of perpetual Abstinence.

This makes me think a lot, especially contemplate on my own sins. Christ being tempted, Christ being sad, sorrowful, mournful, even if He is God, he is as man as we are. But it comes down to the exercise of free will, and Jesus is the greatest example of the best exercise of free will. If Jesus as God and Man chose to do what is pleasurable and worldly, I can't imagine a world that has order as we have now.

Humanity could've been lost, rather, we have no salvation because his work had not been written. Yesterday the Ferial Gospel quoted Jesus saying, "It is not by my own accord, but by the one who sent me." I said also yesterday, what is good for everyone might not be your own bed of roses. Jesus suffered and died. He suffered the most painful way, psychologically, emotionally, bodily, spiritually too I guess.

So do we suffer, everyday with our normal lives. Some suffer more than us, on the brink of death, being an oppressed slave to a master, being tortured, killed for Faith. Does dying for faith make God a bad person? No. Dying for faith is the best way of showing how we honour God. Saint John Mary Vianney lived a life of Priesthood, Saint Patrick of Ireland lived a life of preaching, Mother Teresa lived a life of Charity, Saint Francis of Assisi lived a life of humility and penance, Saint Benedict of Nursia lived a monastic life, Saint Francis de Paula lived an eremitic life, Saint Mary of Egypt lived an extreme ascetic life.

℣. And elsewhere many other holy martyrs, confessors, holy virgins, venerable, and saints.
℟. Thanks be to God.

These people, died to their self in either Service, Prayer, or Worldly Care. I do not say any of these is a bad way of living, because each have their strengths, weaknesses, and devotions. What is common between these people is the Lord they died for. Saint Mary of Egypt and many desert fathers and mothers was the extreme of them, living with nothing, no people, no clothing, no food, no water, unless God provides. She lives under the mantle of God's protection, covered under the sky, cleansed by the rain (though it be a desert), clothed with her bodily hair, fed by whatever is to be foraged in the ground, for 47 (I think) years.

These saints, these people, died first before they lived. When will we die to ourselves? That is not our actual death, but our death to the pleasures of the world. God Jesus put to death the flesh and rose in the spirit. When do we commit to the death on the cross; a death to what our flesh wants and what pleases us. When will we fulfill our responsibility as humans, basic humans to fail to please ourselves rather please others (not in a self centered way) and most of all please God?

God does not need our praises, our prayers, our glorification. But out of respect, reverence; out of honour and gratitude... out of love, let us show God, through the example of Jesus, practicing until the day comes so that we live for God and others.

This is NOT a call to suicide, suicide is a sad account of things. I hope people would understand and make known the message. We die to sin, to flesh, even if we still live in the world. So that as we live, we live how God wants it to be.

𝐏𝐫𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐫: As Jesus, true God and Man at once, lived and died. So do we also rise again from our sins and have hope in God. Let us not just pray, but act. This is an act of consecration to Jesus' mother, Mary the Immaculate Virgin Mother Assumed into heaven. Let us not speak these words but fulfill it.

O Immaculata, Queen of Heaven and earth, refuge of sinners and our most loving Mother, God has willed to entrust the entire order of mercy to you. I, (name), a repentant sinner, cast myself at your feet, humbly imploring you to take me with all that I am and have, wholly to yourself as your possession and property. Please make of me, of all my powers of soul and body, of my whole life, death and eternity, whatever most pleases you.

If it pleases you, use all that I am and have without reserve, wholly to accomplish what was said of you: "She will crush your head," and "You alone have destroyed all heresies in the whole world." Let me be a fit instrument in your immaculate and merciful hands for introducing and increasing your glory to the maximum in all the many strayed and indifferent souls, and thus help extend as far as possible the blessed kingdom of the most Sacred Heart of Jesus. For wherever you enter you obtain the grace of conversion and growth in holiness, since it is through your hands that all graces come to us from the most Sacred Heart of Jesus.

℣. Allow me to praise you, O Sacred Virgin
℟. Give me strength against your enemies

Amen.

A shorter version of the prayer can be used for the daily renewal of the consecration:

Immaculata, Queen and Mother of the Church, I renew my consecration to you for this day and for always, so that you might use me for the coming of the Kingdom of Jesus in the whole world. To this end I offer you all my prayers, actions and sacrifices of this day.

𝘍𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘸𝘪𝘬𝘪𝘱𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘢.

In the name of the Father, ✠
and of the Son,
and of the Holy Spirit,
𝗔𝗺𝗲𝗻.

℟. Thanks be to God!

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