Happy Birthday, Myrna!!!
The celebration of a person's birthday celebrates that person and
his/her life. Each such person is a gift of God to the world, and each
brings his/her own special touch to this world that He made.
You are a truly blessed person, and I am grateful to have you in my
life. The gift that you are has touched me (and a multitude of others)
in a variety of good ways. Thank you for the many ways You open yourself
to the blessings God sends Your way! Thank you for being a blessing to
me and to each person whose life you touch!
May this day, and each day of the upcoming year, be filled with an outpouring of the Lord's choicest blessings!
30 September 2022
Birthday Blessings, Myrna!!!
Happy Belated Birthday, Jim!
Belated birthday greetings to Jim Kirch, husband of niece Lori, whose birthday was the day before yesterday!!! May the upcoming year be filled with the Lord's choicest blessings!!!
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Symphony No. 31 in D major
It's time for some classical music. This is a presentation of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's Symphony No. 31 in D major (Paris Symphony), as played by the Vienna Philharmonic, conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt:
Bless Those Who Labor
Last month, Pope Francis made a prayer intention "for small businesses," and he asked for this intention to be observed throughout all of August to highlight the importance of these ventures in the face of growing economic difficulties. He prayed for "stores, workshops, cleaning businesses, transportation businesses, and so many others. The ones that don't appear on the world's richest and most powerful lists, and despite the difficulties, they create jobs, fulfilling their social responsibility."
Pope Francis highlighted the creative force at work in so many small businesses and their ability "to contribute solutions from the bottom up." He noted that small businesses have made it possible for society to function throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and asked for prayers "for small and medium-sized businesses, hard hit by the economic and social crisis, so they may find ways to continue operating, and serving their communities."
These are such important words delivered by our Holy Father after a period when one in four companies lost half of their sales during the global pandemic. Small businesses so often form the backbone of our communities and are run by people who dedicate themselves to providing a service that enriches our lives. These endeavors often give our communities their unique character, and we should continue to pray for the success of creative people in our midst who take the risk to bring their talents to the marketplace on their own terms.
We can also invoke some interesting saints in praying for the success of small to midsized entrepreneurs, saints who demonstrate how personal character can manifest itself in the lives of small business owners in ways that transform people's lives. Consider the story of Saint Peter Wu Guosheng, an 18th century hotel owner in the Guangxi region of China. He was known for having a loud and assertive personality, and when he heard the story of Christ, he began to utilize that assertiveness to share the Gospel with as many people as possible, turning his hotel into the center of a thriving Christian community, until finally being martyred for his faith.
Another martyr was Blessed Salvador Huerta Gutierrez, who was called the "magician of cars" and went from a state of poverty to owning his own business. He became known as the best mechanic in Guadalajara, Mexico. Writing about entrepreneur saints for Aleteia, Meg Hunter-Kilmer says of Blessed Salvador, "He saw it as his job to form his employees as men and Christians as well as to direct the business, and modeled Christian life by visiting the Blessed Sacrament every morning on his way to work." A father of 12, Blessed Salvador was martyred in the Cristero Wars in 1927, along with his brother, Blessed Ezequiel Huerta Gutierrez, who was the father of 10 and a successful entrepreneur in his own right in his pursuits as a musician.
The small business world abounds with entrepreneurs who carry their faith in Christ with them in all they do. So, let's continue to pray for great leaders to emerge within our communities to share their talents and to demonstrate the full expression of what it means to be human. As Pope Francis says, "with courage, with effort, with sacrifice, they invest in life, creating well-being, opportunities, and work." And let's support the creative instincts of those in our midst who dare to venture forth in these challenging economic times, bringing goods and services into our communities in a spirit of generosity and hope in the future.
This essay is a recent "Light One Candle"
column by Father Ed Dougherty, M.M., The Christophers' Board of Directors ; it is one of a series of
weekly columns that deal with a variety of topics and current
events.
Background information:
The Christophers
Reflection Starter from St. Jerome
"Begin now what you will be hereafter." - Saint Jerome, whose memory the Church celebrates today (30 September)
29 September 2022
National Recovery Month
September has been designated as Recovery Month, an observance designed to promote the societal benefits of prevention, treatment, and recovery for mental and substance use disorders, celebrate people in recovery, laud the contributions of treatment and service providers, and promote the message that recovery in all its forms is possible.
For more information about Recovery Month, please visit:
U.S. Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration: Recovery Month
Presidential Proclamation - National Recovery Month, 2022
Background information:
U.S. Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration
Steel Rhythm: "Both of Them"
It's time for some steelpan (or steel drum) music, a type of music I enjoy. In this video, Steel Rhythm is presenting "Both of Them":
Fr. Luigi Maria Epicoco on God Acting in Our Lives through Angels
"On the feast of the Holy Archangels, the liturgy has us read the first
dialogue Jesus has with Nathanael in which he not only brings to light
the truth of his heart but also refers to a mysterious image which
mentions, precisely, the angels. . .:
In a recent commentary, Father Luigi Maria Epicoco reflected on the ordinary way in which God acts in our lives through angels..
To access Fr. Epicoco's complete post, please visit:
Aleteia: Fr. Luigi Maria Epicoco: Angels: The ordinary way God acts in our lives (29 SEP 22)
Reflection Starter from C. S. Lewis
"Relying on God has to begin all over again every day as if nothing had yet been done." - C. S. Lewis
28 September 2022
We Forgot: "When I Lift Up My Head"
It's time for some more barbershop harmony. Here is a presentation of "When I Lift Up My Head" by We Forgot:
On Pope Francis' Advice to Practice Listening
")n September 26, 2022, Pope Francis received in audience a group of women religious from 34 countries, the Capuchin Tertiary Sisters of the Holy Family, in Rome for their general chapter. The Pope spoke with them about the art of listening, based on the theme of their meetings.
"'It
is nice, this thing of sending the tongue on holiday and devoting
oneself to listening,' he said, bringing laughter from the sisters, 'that you work more on hearing than on speaking.'"
Writer Kathleen N. Hattrup, Church and Spirituality Editor for Aleteia English, reflected on how, according to Pope Francis, our world is full of noise and on the importance of "seek[ing] out silence, [detaching] ourselves from the world, from noise."
To access Ms. Hattrup's complete post, please visit:
Reflection Starter from Eric Hoffer
"The hardest arithmetic to master is that which enables us to count our blessings." - Eric Hoffer
27 September 2022
National Chimney Safety Week
This week, the week of 25 September-1 October (the week before Fire Prevention Week), is being observed as National Chimney Safety Week.
According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, an average of 17,600 chimney fires occurred annually in the United States between 2015 and 2017,. In addition, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that over 500 people die per year due to carbon monoxide poisoning.
Background information:
Ancestor Appreciation Day
Today, 27 September, is being observed as Ancestor Appreciation Day.
Related media:
U.S. Census Bureau: Ancestor Appreciation Day: September 27, 2022
National Today : Ancestor Appreciation Day - September 27, 2022
Preservation Maryland: Ancestor Appreciation Day: What About The Unsavory Legacies?
The Gospel Plowboys: "Where We’ll Never Grow Old"
As we continue to live this week, I offer this version of The Gospel Plowboys presenting "Where We’ll Never Grow Old":
Br. Nicodemus Thomas, O.P., on Seeing Angels
"There is something remarkable about the
angels. Since everything we naturally know comes to us through our
senses, these beings that we cannot see, hear, touch, taste or smell are
mysterious. We cannot form an image of an angel or a demon in our mind,
and neither renaissance artists nor Hollywood actors have ever truly
been able to depict these non-bodied beings. It is impossible for us to
comprehend a spirit the way we can comprehend a tree, a dog, or another
human person because the angel is beyond us. This could restrict the
spiritual realm of angels to the philosopher and theologian, yet this
realm is not a mere metaphysical jungle-gym accessible only to the
philosophically-inclined. Rather, because God has spoken to us and has
elevated our nature we are called not just to speculate about the angels
but even to enjoy fellowship with them. . . . "
In a recent commentary, Brother Nicodemus Thomas, O.P., reflected on angels and their.presence in our lives.
To access Br. Nicodemus' complete post, please visit:
Dominicana: You Will See Angels (27 SEP 22)
Reflection Starter from St. Vincent de Paul
"We should spend as much time in thanking God for his benefits as we do in asking him for them." - Saint Vincent de Paul, whose memory the Church celebrates today (27 September)
26 September 2022
Grand Dominion Jazz Band: "There Are Smiles"
It's time for some jazz, a genre of music I enjoy. Here is a presentation of "There Are Smiles" by the Grand Dominion Jazz Band:
Bishop Tobin on the Pluses and Minuses of Growing Old
"You've probably heard the saying, 'Age is just a number.' Well, I'm here to say, 'No, it isn't.' Age is much more than a number. There are lots of things that come along with growing older, some of which are good, and some, not so much."
In a recent commentary, Bishop Thomas J. Tobin, of the Diocese of Providence (RI), reflected on growing old as a combination of good and bad attributes and most of all as a time "to reflect with gratitude upon God’s providence and plan in our lives."
To access Bishop Tobin's complete essay, please visit:
The Imitation of Christ: "Age Is Just A Number." No, It Isn’'! (22 SEP 22)
Reflection Starter from St. Maximilian Kolbe
"When you kneel before an altar, do it in such a way that others may be able to recognize that you know before whom you kneel." - Saint Maximilian Kolbe
25 September 2022
"Whatsoever You Do"
As we continue our Sunday celebration, I offer this version of the St. Francis de Sales Church Choir (Ajax, Ontario, Canada) presenting Fr. Willard Jabusch's "Whatsoever You Do":
Twenty-sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Today the Church celebrates the Twenty-sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time. The assigned readings are Amos 6:1a, 4-7; 1 Timothy 5:11-16;
and Luke 16:19-31. The Responsorial Psalm is from Psalm 146 (Psalm 146:7-10).
For one version of the Responsorial Psalm set to music, please visit:
YouTube: Psalm 146: Praise the Lord, My Soul (Mark Haas)
The Gospel reading is as follows:
Jesus said to the Pharisees: "There was a rich man who dressed in purple garments and fine linen and dined sumptuously each day. And lying at his door was a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who would gladly have eaten his fill of the scraps that fell from the rich man's table. Dogs even used to come and lick his sores. When the poor man died, he was carried away by angels to the bosom of Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried, and from the netherworld, where he was in torment, he raised his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. And he cried out, 'Father Abraham, have pity on me. Send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am suffering torment in these flames.' Abraham replied, 'My child, remember that you received what was good during your lifetime while Lazarus likewise received what was bad; but now he is comforted here, whereas you are tormented. Moreover, between us and you a great chasm is established to prevent anyone from crossing who might wish to go from our side to yours or from your side to ours.' He said, 'Then I beg you, father, send him to my father's house, for I have five brothers, so that he may warn them, lest they too come to this place of torment.' But Abraham replied, 'They have Moses and the prophets. Let them listen to them.' He said, 'Oh no, father Abraham, but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.' Then Abraham said, 'If they will not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded if someone should rise from the dead.'"
Reflections on these readings:
Oblates of St. Francis de Sales: Salesian Sunday Reflections: Twenty-six Sunday in Ordinary Time (September 25, 2022)