Day 27
Saving Grace: (2 Minutes) Friday is a day of spiritual battle. Put on your armor by saying the following prayer, taken from St. Patrick's Breastplate. I love this prayer...bring on the fasting.
I arise today, through
The strength of heaven,
The light of the sun,
The radiance of the moon,
The splendor of fire,
The speed of lightning,
The swiftness of wind,
The depth of the sea,
The stability of the earth,
The firmness of rock.
I arise today, through
God's strength to pilot me,
God's might to uphold me,
God's wisdom to guide me,
God's eye to look before me,
God's ear to hear me,
God's word to speak for me,
God's hand to guard me,
God's shield to protect me,
God's host to save me
From snares of devils,
From temptation of vices,
From everyone who shall wish me ill,
afar and near.
Christ with me,
Christ before me,
Christ behind me,
Christ in me,
Christ beneath me,
Christ above me,
Christ on my right,
Christ on my left,
Christ when I lie down,
Christ when I sit down,
Christ when I arise,
Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me,
Christ in every eye that sees me,
Christ in every ear that hears me.
For the entire prayer, go to http://www.ourcatholicprayers.com/st-patricks-breastplate.html
Athletics: (5 minutes) We will use the acronym S.P.O.R.T.S to focus on 6 virtues that will keep you focused all 40 days.
Virtue of the day: Self discipline...this virtue comes from within and take courage. The root of the word courage is "cor" the latin word for heart. There is a part of the race where the body says stop and the heart says to push on. Courage is about listening to the heart. Do not be afraid. It's not about how hard you can hit....it's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward...watch this scene from Rocky https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Z5OookwOoY
Instructor's Manual: (5 minutes) Get the memo.... http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/
Need to Know Him (20 Minutes) If you want to know Jesus, walk with him on his way to the cross. My mother used to bring me to the Stations of the Cross every Friday night during lent. I pretended I didn't want to go, but I loved going to the stations...smell the incense and listen to the story of the human side of Jesus and the suffering he went through for you and me. It becomes so real. Experience the power of the stations this lent. The Stations of the Cross are a powerful way to get to know God. If you are able and the stations are available at your parish....go. If not, pray your own favorite version in a quiet place. Don't rush through it. Soak in the story. Here is my favorite version in which Jesus speaks to us as "my other self"....a reminder that we are one with Jesus, and we must pick up the crosses of our ordinary life and carry them with heroic virtue for the sake of the Kingdom....just like Jesus. http://www.the-latinmass.com/id79.html
Theology of the Body: (2 minutes) Question of the Day...
Is killing ever justified? For instance, is the death penalty ok?
The catechism does justify using the death penalty in the situation where there is no other way to stop a criminal from harming society. However, it goes on to say that such instances are "very rare, if not practically non-existent" in today's society. Most especially in the Unites States, we have ways of keeping criminals at bay without killing them. Killing a human person can not be the intention of the act. For example, if somebody breaks into your house and your family is in immediate danger of harm, you can and should protect your family from the invader. If your defense results in the unintentional death of the intruder, there in nothing immoral about your actions. The death of the intruder was not your intention (you should not purposely kill them in anger or revenge), you were simply keeping your family safe and defending them. There is also the possibility of a "just war", but many specifications must be met before considering military action (see CCC paragraph 2309 for those). In any case, our intention and desire should not be the death of another person.
Embryonic stem cell research and in-vitro fertilization are two examples in which we are also trying to save or create life. However, in these two examples, other innocent human beings are destroyed in the process. Life begins at conception, and destroying a human embryo is killing a human being. Adult stem cell research or using placental cord blood is considered perfectly good and moral because it does not destroy a person, it simply uses stem cells from a person without doing them any harm, much like donating blood. When watching my TOB video yesterday I realized I worded this very poorly in my talk so wanted to clarify. My reference to stem cell research in the video and the statement that "it is not ok to take life to save life" was referring to the act of destroying innocent human life, such as the case of embryonic stem research. It was not referring to self defense. Hopefully that makes sense.
SACRIFICE AND SERVICE: (No time! It will actually give you more time) Today is Friday, a day of fasting. I recommend you don't eat meat and don't eat between meals, the same as you would on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. Also, eat healthy. Don't eat and drink junk food/drink. Remember, these are not rules to follow. It is not an arbitrary hoop to jump through. The purpose is to make a sacrifice and offer it for other souls, but in doing so you will be freeing yourself. You will become master of your body. The body makes a wonderful servant, but a horrible master. We find ourselves by giving ourselves away, but you can't give what you do not first possess. That is why you can not serve unless you are willing to sacrifice. Don't forget to offer up your sacrifices of this day for a particular person.
Saving Grace: (2 Minutes) Friday is a day of spiritual battle. Put on your armor by saying the following prayer, taken from St. Patrick's Breastplate. I love this prayer...bring on the fasting.
I arise today, through
The strength of heaven,
The light of the sun,
The radiance of the moon,
The splendor of fire,
The speed of lightning,
The swiftness of wind,
The depth of the sea,
The stability of the earth,
The firmness of rock.
I arise today, through
God's strength to pilot me,
God's might to uphold me,
God's wisdom to guide me,
God's eye to look before me,
God's ear to hear me,
God's word to speak for me,
God's hand to guard me,
God's shield to protect me,
God's host to save me
From snares of devils,
From temptation of vices,
From everyone who shall wish me ill,
afar and near.
Christ with me,
Christ before me,
Christ behind me,
Christ in me,
Christ beneath me,
Christ above me,
Christ on my right,
Christ on my left,
Christ when I lie down,
Christ when I sit down,
Christ when I arise,
Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me,
Christ in every eye that sees me,
Christ in every ear that hears me.
For the entire prayer, go to http://www.ourcatholicprayers.com/st-patricks-breastplate.html
Athletics: (5 minutes) We will use the acronym S.P.O.R.T.S to focus on 6 virtues that will keep you focused all 40 days.
Virtue of the day: Self discipline...this virtue comes from within and take courage. The root of the word courage is "cor" the latin word for heart. There is a part of the race where the body says stop and the heart says to push on. Courage is about listening to the heart. Do not be afraid. It's not about how hard you can hit....it's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward...watch this scene from Rocky https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Z5OookwOoY
Instructor's Manual: (5 minutes) Get the memo.... http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/
Need to Know Him (20 Minutes) If you want to know Jesus, walk with him on his way to the cross. My mother used to bring me to the Stations of the Cross every Friday night during lent. I pretended I didn't want to go, but I loved going to the stations...smell the incense and listen to the story of the human side of Jesus and the suffering he went through for you and me. It becomes so real. Experience the power of the stations this lent. The Stations of the Cross are a powerful way to get to know God. If you are able and the stations are available at your parish....go. If not, pray your own favorite version in a quiet place. Don't rush through it. Soak in the story. Here is my favorite version in which Jesus speaks to us as "my other self"....a reminder that we are one with Jesus, and we must pick up the crosses of our ordinary life and carry them with heroic virtue for the sake of the Kingdom....just like Jesus. http://www.the-latinmass.com/id79.html
Theology of the Body: (2 minutes) Question of the Day...
Is killing ever justified? For instance, is the death penalty ok?
The catechism does justify using the death penalty in the situation where there is no other way to stop a criminal from harming society. However, it goes on to say that such instances are "very rare, if not practically non-existent" in today's society. Most especially in the Unites States, we have ways of keeping criminals at bay without killing them. Killing a human person can not be the intention of the act. For example, if somebody breaks into your house and your family is in immediate danger of harm, you can and should protect your family from the invader. If your defense results in the unintentional death of the intruder, there in nothing immoral about your actions. The death of the intruder was not your intention (you should not purposely kill them in anger or revenge), you were simply keeping your family safe and defending them. There is also the possibility of a "just war", but many specifications must be met before considering military action (see CCC paragraph 2309 for those). In any case, our intention and desire should not be the death of another person.
Embryonic stem cell research and in-vitro fertilization are two examples in which we are also trying to save or create life. However, in these two examples, other innocent human beings are destroyed in the process. Life begins at conception, and destroying a human embryo is killing a human being. Adult stem cell research or using placental cord blood is considered perfectly good and moral because it does not destroy a person, it simply uses stem cells from a person without doing them any harm, much like donating blood. When watching my TOB video yesterday I realized I worded this very poorly in my talk so wanted to clarify. My reference to stem cell research in the video and the statement that "it is not ok to take life to save life" was referring to the act of destroying innocent human life, such as the case of embryonic stem research. It was not referring to self defense. Hopefully that makes sense.
SACRIFICE AND SERVICE: (No time! It will actually give you more time) Today is Friday, a day of fasting. I recommend you don't eat meat and don't eat between meals, the same as you would on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. Also, eat healthy. Don't eat and drink junk food/drink. Remember, these are not rules to follow. It is not an arbitrary hoop to jump through. The purpose is to make a sacrifice and offer it for other souls, but in doing so you will be freeing yourself. You will become master of your body. The body makes a wonderful servant, but a horrible master. We find ourselves by giving ourselves away, but you can't give what you do not first possess. That is why you can not serve unless you are willing to sacrifice. Don't forget to offer up your sacrifices of this day for a particular person.
