He's Only God

One of the choices for the Morning Hymn was the song, All Good Gifts, with an odd placement of the word, "only." The credits say: text: Wir pilugen und wir streuen by M. Claudius, 1740-1815.  The translator was Jane N. Campbell.

I know the meaning and I think most people would sing it thinking that God alone is the Creator of all.  But to me, saying "only" sounds like, "That's all you did?  You only made one cake? Didn't you make something else?  Only one cake!!!"

Do you see what I mean?

He only is the maker
Of all things near and far;
He paints the wayside flower,
He lights the ev'ning star.
The winds and waves obey him,
By him the birds are fed:
Much more to us his children,
He gives our daily bread.

And curiously, this is the second verse that is omitted in all the YOUTUBE videos I watched and listened to.

Reasons for Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus

Haurietis Aquas, an encyclical by Pius XII, gives six reasons why the Church gives the highest form of worship to the Heart of Jesus.

1. We recognize that His Heart is hypostatically united to the Person of the Divine Word. This is an article of faith defined in the general Council of Ephesus and the Second Council of Constantinople. 
2. Jesus' Heart, more than all the other members of His body, is the natural sign and symbol of His boundless love for us. Leo XIII told us it is "the symbol and express image of the infinite love of Jesus Christ that moves us to love in return."
3. God's love for us is proclaimed and insisted upon in the Old and New Testaments by the kind of images which strongly arouse our emotion.
4. Jesus had a human body and heart but Jesus Christ is hypostatically united to the Word with divine charity and infinite love itself which Jesus shares with the Father and the Holy Spirit.
5. It is the perfect symbol of divine love.
6. Since, therefore, Sacred Scripture and the official teaching of the Catholic faith instruct us that all things find their complete harmony and order in the most holy soul of Jesus Christ, and that He has manifestly directed His threefold love for the securing of our redemption, it unquestionably follows that we can contemplate and honor the Heart of the divine Redeemer as a symbolic image of His love and a witness of our redemption and, at the same time, as a sort of mystical ladder by which we mount to the embrace of "God our Savior."     Paragraph 58

News Used to Manipulate

I'm working on writing an article on how to spot "fake news."  As I come across information that I think is worthwhile, I'll share it in a post.

Here are some examples of misinformation:

satire

misleading headline that really isn't discussed in the article

pictures that look photoshopped

information without data

outlandish claims obviously meant to deceive people

complete fabrication--the whole story is false

Did you know that Hitler founded the Ministry of Public Enlightenment and Propaganda under Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels?  And that Goebbels got his ideas from Hollywood's advertising, which were obviously using manipulation to publicize their movies.


Joseph Goebbels

Resurrected Purple Shamrocks

When I first was given this plant, I didn't understand why it was called a "Purple Shamrock."  Shamrocks are clovers with three parts.  This plant wasn't a clover but it did have three parts.  They weren't rounded but rather pointed.  I think of it as three triangles.

  

Although this picture shows flowers, my plant didn't have anything.  I didn't know what to think of a purple shamrock.  Anyway, the thing died. The leaves would hang down very low.  Eventually, the leaves would shrivel up.  Next time I looked at it, the stems were thread-thin.  When you touched the stem, it fell off in your hand.  But I was too busy to throw it out, besides where. It was winter with a snow-covered ground. I put out on my deck and forgot about it.

In the spring I was going to see if I could reuse the soil and pot, but by the time I got around to it, a miracle had happened.  It resurrected itself.  Yes and more beautiful than ever.  I couldn't throw away such a miraculous plant!

I brought it back into the house and put it in my garden window.  It was so big it blocked a lot of the light!  Better!  Eventually it bloomed pretty white flowers. 

And I thought the plant was a loser!  Reminds me of “what good comes out of Nazareth” (John 1: 43-46. 

No Violation of Justice

In the parable of the Workers in the Vineyard, you have the owner paying his laborers all the same wage.  It didn't matter whether they worked all day or only one hour.  Everyone received the same pay.

As a Union Steward, this really got my goat. I didn't buy the explanation that the owner can do what he wants; it's his money.  The owner may be showing his generosity but it was at the expense of the poor fools who slaved away all day. I would have slapped that employer with a grievance, for sure.

I understand I would have lost that grievance because there was no violation of justice. He paid what he said he would pay, and more.

And I understand also that I was thinking like a Pharisee.  And that Jesus used the parables to keep the Pharisees off his back.  While the Pharisees were trying to figure out the meaning, Jesus was explaining everything to His disciples.

As a disciple, I understand the parable to give me hope.  That even Dismas, on the cross with Jesus could enter heaven, just like the ones who had believed Jesus was the Lord, from the beginning. For some reason, this explanation didn't impress me.

However, this morning I was reading the parable and a footnote enlightened my mind.  The laborers who worked all day were the Jews.  They were the chosen people.  They believed from the beginning of Abraham.  The last workers hired were us Gentiles.  Now God was allowing the Gentiles to receive exactly what the faithful Jews were going to receive.


Why does this same fair and the union workers grievance not acceptable?  

Lectio:

The Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe

Reading 12 SM 5:1-3

In those days, all the tribes of Israel came to David in Hebron and said:

"Here we are, your bone and your flesh.

In days past, when Saul was our king,

it was you who led the Israelites out and brought them back.

And the LORD said to you,

'You shall shepherd my people Israel

and shall be commander of Israel.'"

When all the elders of Israel came to David in Hebron,

King David made an agreement with them there before the LORD,

and they anointed him king of Israel.

Studium:

David was a chosen king.  He was already anointed by Samuel, by God's command.  Then the people anointed him as king of Judah. In this reading, David is anointed again over all the tribes Israel.  He was chosen for three reasons:

     1.  David was related to the same ancestors.

     2.  David was a strong military leader.

     3.  The Lord told David to shepherd His people.

As a result, David made a covenant with the people.  David agreed to be their king and the people promised him their loyalty.

Mediatio:

Jesus is the King of the Jews.  He is my King, also.  He is a strong shepherd.  He takes care of His people like a good shepherd.  I make a covenant with Jesus to be loyal to Him.

Oratio:

Jesus, thank you for loving me.  Help me be worthy of Your Love.

Contemplatio:

Jesus, I love You.

Resolutio:

I have to remember to act worthily of Jesus' expectation.

Crime and Punishment on the Solemnity of Christ the King

If you're a follower, as I am, of These Stone Walls, then you know the story of Father Gordon Macrae and Pornchai Maximilian Moontri. Crime and Punishment on the Solemnity of Christ the King 

 Well, Max is getting out.  Sadly, that's good news.  Click on the link to read what I mean.