Andrew was the first disciple of Christ, & he brought his brother Simon—St. Peter—to Jesus as His disciple. He is said to have been put to dead tied to a cross… He lived two days in that state of suffering, still preaching to the people who gathered around.Quoth the Holy Family bulletin:
St. Andrew is one of the twelve Apostles. Originally a disciple of St. John the Baptist, he is the brother of St. Peter. After the dispersion of the Apostles, he preached the Gospel in Scythia, Sogdiana, Colchis, & Greece. It is even believed that he carried the Gospel as far as Russia, Poland, & Byzantium. He suffered martyrdom at Patras in Achaea. He was crucified on a cross in the form of an X. His relics are now in the Cathedral of Amalfi in Italy.
Saint quote of the week comes from the Gospel of John, 1:40-41 as we celebrate the feast of St. Andrew the Apostle on 30 November:
40 Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, was one of the two who heard John & followed Jesus. 41 He first found his own brother, Simon (Peter) & told him, "We have found the Messiah." Then he brought him to Jesus.
"I'm a man of simple taste,
No whiskey or caviar,
And what I feel is what I say,
I'm not trying to be smart…
"I like girls, girls and fast cars!
It's cheap and it's pathetic,
But you can't hate me just because
I like girls, girls and fast cars!
You too will feel this shallow
When one melts your little heart…"
There is genius in Catholicism. The human heart yearsn for happiness, & God wants us to be hapy. But we only experience this happiness, & the fulfillment that accompanies it, when we are changing, growing, becoming more like Jesus Christ & through Him becoming (sic) the-best-version-of-ourselves. Catholicism is the dynamic lifestyle & learning system divinely designed to assist us in this transformation. I love the Church. To me, Catholicism is a gift that can never be fully appreciated, described, or understood,. But in order to even begin to appreciate Catholicism in all its beauty we must experience it. My travels have affirmed that people love the Church. The press may attack the Church, fallen-away Catholics may criticize it, & even practicing Catholics may ridicule it, but I firmly believe these are curious expressions of love. At the very least, they are expressions of a desire for the Church to be the beacon of light it should be in the world. Sometimes love goes sour, as it has for many modern Catholics in their relationship with the Church. When love goes sour, it is usually for one of four reasons: misunderstanding, indifference, selfishness,of the pride that makes a person unwilling to apologize or forgive. Sometimes it is a combination, & usually both parties are at fault to some extent.
"It's made me kind of look at the world as, as just not as epic as I thought it was. I've got some situations."
"I'd like to open up by making a suggestion,
One that I suggest you're open to,
And then I'll open up the floor and take a question,
After that it's time to tilt a few (you and you and you).
"A reason to toast,
A reason to cheer,
A reason to celebrate:
It's nice being here!
"You might be wondering just why I called this meeting
And let another moment pass,
Before we move on, please, let's rearrange the seating,
After that it's time to raise a glass.
"I'll raise my glass up high to all the friendly faces,
Here and wherever they may be,
I don't know why I never thought 'til now to say this,
But you mean the world to me.
"A reason to toast,
A reason to cheer,
A reason to celebrate:
It's nice being here!
"Let's raise a glass up high because we're here together,
What better reason could exist?
Hey, lads, let's raise a glass, what could be better than this?
If you're without a glass, then let's see your fist!
(Get 'em up there, boys!)
"A reason to toast,
A reason to cheer,
A reason to celebrate:
It's nice being here!…"
Maxentius's blind fury against St. Catherine is symbolic of the anger of the world in the face of truth & justice. When we live a life of truth & justice, we can expect the forces of evil to oppose us. Our perseverance in good, however, will be everlasting.Quoth the Holy Family bulletin:
St. Catherine is honored as one of the Church's foremost virgin martyrs. She is counted among the "fourteen holy helpers," the saints most often turned to for help in need. Her martyrdom inspired great popular devotion for many centuries, especially in the Middle Ages. The courage of this young woman in professing faith in Jesus Christ continues to inspire us today. She is traditionally depicted with a spiked wheel, the instrument of her torture.Scripture of the Day
Honor your father & your mother, as the LORD, your God, has commanded you, that you may have a long life & prosperity in the land which the LORD, your God, is giving you.Block "M" ATHW25
"The Parable of the Ten Virgins"JOSH1 9
"The Parable of the Talents"
"the Judgement of the Nations."
I command you: be firm & steadfast! Do not fear nor be dismayed, for the LORD, your God, is with you wherever you go.
"If I only had one helmet,Bonus! Song of the Day
I would give it to you, give it to you…
"She has her arms around your waist,
With the balance that will keep her safe,
Have you ever felt the warm embrace
Of a leather seat between your legs?…"
"If I only had one juice box,
I would give it to you, give it to you…
"A chance to go outside and play,
Parents there to keep us safe,
Have you ever felt the sweet embrace
With the swing that goes around your legs?…"
"Another fool would go down to the only placeBonus! Song of Taco Tuesday
She ever went to lose herself.
She's gone to the movies now
And she don't need your help…
"Another fool would dig the broken car out
From the snow and drive to find the show.
She's gone to the movies now
And she's not coming home…
"And he wonders if the car will start tomorrow,
Or he'll have to take the bus instead.
"Any other fool would be out on the roadway
Trying to spot her rusted Pontiac,
She's gone to the movies now
And she's not coming back.
She's gone to the movies now
And she's not coming back."
"Well, there's not a taco big enough for a man like me,
That's why I order two or three,
Let me give you a tip:
Just try a nacho chip,
It's really good with bean dip…"
Andrew Dũng-Lạc was one of one hundred seventeen [persons] martyred in Vietnam between 1820 & 1862. Members of this group were beatified on four different occasions between 1900 & 1951. All we canonized by (Pope) St. John Paul II (22 October).Quoth the Holy Family bulletin:
St. Andrew Dũng-Lạc & one hundred seventeen others gave their lives during several persecutions of the eighteenth & nineteenth centuries in Vietnam. Despite extreme tortures they had to endure, they heroically witnessed to the faith. They gave their lives that the Gospel might take root & spread in Vietnam.Scripture of the Day
Pope Clement I is the first successor of St. Peter of whom anything definite is known & he is the first of the "Apostolic Fathers." He has left one genuine writing, a letter to the Church of Corinth.Quoth the Holy Family bulletin:
St. Clement became the'Tis also the Optional Memorial of Saint Columban, Abbot (543-615, A.K.A. Columbanus): Saint-link ūnus, Saint-link duo, & Wikipedia-link.thirdfourth pope around the year 91. St. Irenaeus (28 June) states that Clement knew the apostles & was strongly influenced by them. Clement wrote a scripturally-based letter to the Corinthians encouraging them to unity, charity, & holiness. He is believed to have suffered martyrdom around the year 100.
Columban & his followers founded monasteries throughout France, Germany, Switzerland, & Italy. His denunciations of the immoral practices of the royal court & the general populace led to his exile from France & Switzerland.'Tis also the Optional Memorial of Blessed Miquel Agustín Pro, Priest & Martyr, S.J. (1891-1927), martyred during the Cristero War: Martyr-link ūnus, Martyr-link duo, & Wikipedia-link.
Miguel, a Mexican Jesuit priest executed under the presidency of Plutarco Elías Calles on trumped-up charges of bombing & attempted assassination of former Mexican president Álvaro Obregón.Quoth the Holy Family bulletin:
Saint quote of the week: "If I met any long-faced saints there (heaven), I will cheer them up with a Mexican hat dance!" Blessed Miguel Pro, whose feast day is 23 November.Scripture of the Day
During the Mexican revolution of the 1920s, Father Miguel Pro went about clandestinely celebrating Mass, hearing confessions, & visiting the sick. He had a great sense of humor. He was arrested & killed by a firing squad by those who opposed the Catholic faith. His last words before being short were "Viva Cristo Rey," which means, "Long live Christ the King!"
"Times have changed,
Everything's strange,
Nothing's what it seems,
Is a friend someone who drops in
Or a face of a telephone screen?
When my chips are down and I'm feeling low
Who I'm 'pposed to call?
Who gonna help me stand on my feet after I fall?
"So, ladies and gentlemen,
And boys and girls,
This one goes out to the people
Who help me most in the world.
"So lift your spirit
And toast a cheer,
To all the good times
Throughout the years.
And just remember,
It ain't where you're from
It's where you're at,
It ain't who you know,
It's who's got your back…"
The embrace of individualism in today's society moves Jesus from the central role He is meant to occupy in the lives of Christians. This feast allows us to reaffirm & refocus our faith & respect in the kingship of Jesus just as it did when it was first established (in 1925).Otherwise, on 22 November we would remember Saint Cecilia, Virgin & Martyr (second century), martyred under the emperor Marcus Aurelius: Martyr-link ūna, Martyr-link duae, & Wikipedia-link.
A native of Rome, St. Cecilia made a vow of virginity at an early age. Her parents forced her to mary a noblemen named Valerian. She converted him & his brother Tibertius to the faith of Christ. They all were martyred for the faith between the years 161 & 192. St. Cecilia is the patron saint of musicians.Scripture of the Feast of Christ the King
Three or four years ago, my brother Andrew gave me a copy of a book titled Letters to a Young Poet. It is a small book that contains a collection of letters written by the great German lyric poet Rainer Maria Rilke to Franz Kappus, who at the time was a young aspiring poet. In one of the letters, Rilke penned some words that have remained ingrained on my heart since I read & underlined them in that small volume:
"Be patient toward all that is unresolved in your heart & try to love the questions themselves like locked rooms & like books that are written in a foreign tongue. Do not now seek the answers, which cannot be given you because you would not be able to love them. And the point is, to live everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps you will then gradually, without noticing it, live along some distant day into the answer."
"I am intrinsically no good,
I have a heart that's made of wood,
And I am only biding time,
Only reciting memorized lines.
"And I'm not fit to touch the hem of your garment,
No, no, I'm not fit to touch the hem of your garment.
"I have no love, but only goals.
How very empty is my soul.
It is a soul that feels no thrill.
It is a soul that could easily kill.
"And I'm not fit to touch the hem of your garment,
No, no, I'm not fit to touch the hem of your garment."
Mary's parents, (Ss.) Joachim & Anne (26 July), who had been childless, received a heavenly message that they would have a child. In thanksgiving for the gift of their daughter, they brought her, when still a child, to the Temple in Jerusalem to consecrate her to God.Quoth the Holy Family bulletin:
This feast celebrates an event not recorded in scripture, but in theProtoevangelium of James, which dates from the second century. Mary was presented in the Temple at Jerusalem at the age of three. This feast reminds us of Mary's total consecration to God.Scripture of the Day (Saturday)
Vatican Hill was a simple cemetery where believers gathered at St. Peter's tomb to pray. In 319 Constantine built a basilica on the site. St. Paul's Outside-the-Walls [is] where St. Paul is believed to have been beheaded [&] stands over [his] grave.Quoth the Holy Family bulletin:
This feast commemorates the dedication of the basilica of St. Peter in the Vatican in 350 & the dedication of the basilica of St. Paul in 390. This feast goes back to the eleventh century.'Twas also the Optional Memorial of Saint Rose Philippine Duchesne, Virgin, R.S.C.J. (1769-1852): Saint-link ūna, Saint-link duae, & Wikipedia-link.
St. Rose was a French religious sister & educator, & an early member of the Religious Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. She founded the congregation's first communities in the United States & spent the last half of her life teaching & serving the people of the Midwestern & Western United States.Quoth the Holy Family bulletin:
St. Rose manifested certain religious traits in her early teen years: zeal for the foreign missions, a strong attraction to religious life, a preference for ascetical practices, & above all, a deep-seated devotion to the Sacred Heart & the Blessed sacrament. At the age of eighteen she joined the Visitation nuns but because of the outbreak of the French Revolution the community had to disperse. She joined the Religious of the Sacred Heart. In 1818, at the ge of forty-nine, she landed in New Orleans with four other religious. She founded a school & an orphanage in St. Charles, Missouri. At the age of seventy-two, St. Rose Philippine Duchesne went with three other sisters to open a school for Indian girls at Sugar Creek, Kansas. The Indians called her, "The Woman Who Prays Always," & they loved & respected her. She spent the last ten years of her life in prayer & died in 1852.Scripture of the Day (Wednesday)
"The pig is an amazing animal. You feed a pig an apple, it makes bacon. I find that impressive. Let's see Michael Phelps do that, huh! The pig, the pig is turning an apple—essentially garbage—into bacon."Also, Foxtrot is actually Foxtrot Whiskey's middle name. His first name is Kilo—Kilo Foxtrot Whiskey, though as mentioned he goes by Foxtrot. His K. of C. membership card erroneously gives his name as Foxtrot Kilo Whiskey.
"Who controls the British crown?
Who keeps the metric system down?
We do! We do!
"Who keeps Atlantis off the maps?
Who keeps the Martians under wraps?
We do! We do!
"Who holds back the electric car?
Who makes Steve Gutenberg a star?
We do! We do!
"Who robs cavefish of their sight?
Who rigs every Oscar night?
We do! We do!"
After her husband, Louis, [died], Elizabeth left the court, made arrangements for the care of her children, & in 1228, renounced the world, becoming a tertiary of St. Francis. She built the Franciscan hospital at Marburg & devoted herself to the care of the sick until her death at the age of twenty-four.Quoth the Holy Family bulletin:
St. Elizabeth was born in Hungary, the daughter of King Andrew II. At the age of fourteen, she married Louis IV of Thuringia. She became the mother of three children. Her husband died when she was only twenty years old. She left the castle at Wartburh & dedicated the rest of her life to extraordinary works of charity. She refused to marry a second time. Instead, she founded a hospital in honor of St. Francis of Assisi (4 October), & donned the grey habit of the Franciscan tertiaries. She died at the age of twenty-four.Scripture of the Day
St. Albert was a prolific writer on sacred Scripture, theology, philosophy, & the natural sciences. He contributed greatly to the adoption of Aristotle's philosophy for the study of theology. From 1254 to 1257 he was Provincial od the German Dominican Province & in 1260 was named bishop of Regensburg. He attended the Council of Lyons in 1274, & in 1278 he traveled to Paris to defend the teaching of St. Thomas Aquinas (28 January), his student, who had died in 1274. St. Albert died at Cologne in 1280. In 1941, Pope (Venerable) Pius XII named him the patron of students of the natural sciences.Scripture of the 3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time
Mass is not about whom you sit next to. It's not about which priest says Mass. It is not about what you wear or who is there. Mass is not about the music. It's not even about the preaching. It's about gathering as a community to give thanks to God for all the blessings he fills our lives with. It is about receiving the Body & Blood of Christ, not just physically, but spiritually. Perhaps you have been receiving the Eucharist physically every Sunday for your whole life. Next Sunday, prepare yourself, be conscious of the marvel, the wonder, the mystery, & receive spiritually.The Rebel Black Dot Song of the Lord's Day
St. Margaret is credited with having a civilizing influence on her husband, King Malcolm III, by reading him stories from the Bible. She instigated religious reform, striving to make the worship & practices of the Church in Scotland conform to those of Rome.Quoth the Holy Family bulletin:
St. Margaret, born in Hungary, Queen of scotland for thirty years, was the personification of heroic virtue. She introduced the observance of Lenten fast, sanctified Sunday, & abolished superstitious practices. Her acts of charity were numberless. She died after a long illness in 1093.'Tis also the Optional Memorial of Saint Gertrude, Virgin, O.S.B. (1256-1302, A.K.A. the Great): Saint-link ūna, Saint-link duae, & Wikipedia-link.
St. Gertrude lived the mystic life of the cloister, a life hidden with Christ in God. She was characterized by great devotion to the Sacred Humanity of Our Lord in His Passion & in the Blessed Eucharist, & by tender love for the Blessed Virgin.Quoth the Holy Family bulletin:
At the age of five, St. Gertrude entered the Benedictine monastery. She was professed as a nun at age twenty-six & began to receive revelations from God. She was extremely devoted to the mystery of the Incarnation expressed in the Sacred heart of Jesus & the Holy Eucharist.Scripture of the Day (Monday)
Saint quote of the day: "O Sacred Heart of Jesus, fountain of eternal life, Your Heart is a glowing furnace of Love. You are my refuge & my sanctuary." St. Gertrude, whose feast is November 16th
"I love Paris in the springtime,
I love Paris in the fall,
I love Paris in the winter, when it drizzles,
I love Paris in the summer, when it sizzles.
"I love Paris every moment,
Every moment of the year…"
Italian-American religious sister, who founded the Missionary Sisters of the sacred Heart, a Catholic religious institute that was a major support to the Italian immigrants to the United States. She was the first naturalized citizen of the United States to be canonized… on 7 July 1946.Quoth the Holy Family bulletin:
Ever since she was a young girl, Francesca desired to be a missionary. She applied to enter several religious communities but was always turned down because of frail health. She was advised by the bishop to start a religious community herself. She founded the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart. Early in 1889, Pope Leo XIII asked her to go to the United States where there were many Italian immigrants. Within a few months of her arrival, she open an orphanage & a school. She founded sixty-seven charitable institutions & houses of her Congregation. She obtained many favors through her prayers. She died in Chicago in 1917.
Saint quote of the week: "Carry your cross then but carry it joyfully. Thank that Jesus loves you very much. And in return for such love, don';t lose yourself in so many desires, but accept daily with serenity whatever comes your way."—St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, whose feast day is 13 November
He was caught in a battle between Catholic & Orthodox, Latin & Byzantine, & found himself criticized & opposed on every side: by the Orthodox for being Catholic & by the Latins for being Byzantine. He held firmly to Catholic unity against the Orthodox & just as firmly to Byzantine rights against the Latins. At that period of history, it was a no-win situation, & he is the great martyr to the cause of unity.Quoth the Holy Family bulletin:
St. Josaphat is one of the most dramaic figures in the history of ecumenism. His efforts to unite the Slav-Ruthenian Church to the Church of Rome triggered a cruel & ruthless persecution. Originally namd John Kuncevic, he was born into an Orthodox family in 1580 but joined the Uniate Ruthenian Church after abandoning a business career in Vilna. He was convinced that only the monks, who were ascetics & promoters of the liturgy, could unite the Orthodox Ruthenians to the Catholics. In 1604, he became a Basilian monk & took the name Josaphat, & began to work for the reform of the Basilians. He preached union & wrote a book in which he demonstrated from exclusively Slavic texts the unity of the Church. Eventually he became archimandrite, the equivalent of an abbot in the Latin Church. He was accused of endangering civil peace & was murdered by a mob & thrown into the Dvina River in the year 1623.Forgive me, but I cannot help but think of Principal Skinner's line from The Simpsons: "There's no justice like angry mob justice!"
Bishop of Tours, whose shrine in France became a famous stopping-point for pilgrims on the road to Santiago de Compostela in Spain. He has become one of the most familiar & recognizable… saints. As he was born in what is now Szombathely, Hungary; spent much of his childhood in Pavia, Italy; & lived most of his adult life in France, he is considered a spiritual bridge across Europe.Quoth the Holy Family bulletin:
Born in Hungary to a Roman official & educated at Pavia, Italy, Martin enlisted in the imperial guard. It is said that he gave half of his cloak to a beggar in 334 & later Christ appeared to him in a dream, wearing the same cloak. He was baptized a Christian in 337 after spending six years as a catechumen. He went back to Hungary & converted his mother. He lived the life of a hermit at a place that later became the site of the first monastery in France. After bringing back to life a catechumen, Martin had a reputation of being a miracle worker & was elected bishop of Tours in 371, dedicating his efforts to evangelization. He resisted representatives of the Roman Empire & gained liberty for the Church. He was criticized by some bishops & priests who would not accept the austere life that Martin expected of them. He died at a rural parish where he was trying to pacify the divided clergy. Traditionally the period in late autumn is called "St. Martin's summer" because the leaves are falling from the trees, the people enjoy the new wine, which is a symbol of Christian virtue. The example of St. Martin reminds us to see Christ in our neighbor.
"The Fallen Subaltern"
by Herbert Asquith* (1881-1947)
The starshells float above, the bayonets glisten;
We bear our fallen friend without a sound;
Below the waiting legions lie and listen
To us, who march upon their burial ground.
Wound in the flag of England here, we lay him;
The guns will flash and thunder o'er the grave;
What other winding sheet should now array him,
What other music should salute the brave?
As goes the Sun-god in his glorious chariot,
When all his golden banners are unfurled,
So goes the soldier, fallen but victorious,
And leaves behind a twilight in the world.
And those who come this way, in days hereafter,
Will know that here a boy for England fell,
Who looked at danger with the eyes of laughter,
And on the charge his days were ended well.
One last salute; the bayonets clash and glisten;
With arms reversed we go without a sound:
One more has joined the men who lie and listen
To us, who march upon their burial ground.
"Valley of the Shadow"
by John Galsworthy (1867-1933)
God, I am traveling out to death's sea,
I, who exulted in sunshine and laughter,
Thought not of dying death—is such waste of me!
Grant me one comfort: Leave not the hereafter
Of mankind to war, as though I had died not—
I, who in battle, my comrade's arm linking,
Shouted and sang—life in my pulses hot
Throbbing and dancing! Let not my sinking
In dark be for naught, my death a vain thing!
God, let me know it the end of man's fever!
Make my last breath a bugle call, carrying
Peace o'er the valleys and cold hills, for ever!
He persuaded Emperor Valentinian to recognize the primacy of the Bishop of Rome in an edict in 445. The doctrine of the Incarnation was formed by him in a letter to the Patriarch of Constantinople, who had already condemned Eutyches. At the Council of Chalcedon this same letter was confirmed as the expression of Catholic Faith concerning the Person of Christ.Quoth the Holy Family bulletin:
In the year 440 when Leo was in France trying to reconcile warring factions, he was called upon by the clergy & the people to succeed Sixtus III as Pope. He defended the faith against heresy & in 443 convoked an assembly to expose the errors of the Manicheans. He also opposed the Nestorians, the Priscillianists, & the Arians. He defended the doctrine of the Incarnation through the Council of Chalcedon in 451. St. Leo was able to convince Attila the Hun to retreat peacefully from Italy & the Vandal Genseric not to murder the civilians [nor] burn the city.
This is the oldest & highest ranking of the four major basilicas in Rome. This basilica is the cathedral of the Diocese of Rome, the official ecclesiastical seat of the Holy Father.Quoth the Holy Family bulletin:
The basilica of St. John Lateran in Rome, not St. Peter's basilica, is the cathedral of the diocese of Rome. It was erected around the year 324 by the emperor Constantine. This feast began to be celebrated universally in 1565. This feast reminds us that although we may belong to different parishes, we are all united in the universal Church of which this basilica is a symbol. Traditionally, the Pope celebrates Mass of the Lord's Supper in St. John Lateran on Holy Thursday.We also remember Saint Ursinus of Bourges (third century), bishop: Saint-link & Wikipedia-link.
