How many slaves do you have working for you? take this survey!

As you might know, I am taking a Social Justice course this semester.  (It's the last class I have before I graduate!  Pray for me!!)   This past week I had a very interesting assignment and want to share part of it with you:


We were told to go to the following website and take a survey which would tell us how many “forced laborers” ( ie: SLAVES) we have working around the world for us so that we can live our current lifestyle.  I was appalled at my score.  Although I live what I think is simply, ie:  I don’t have a cell phone; I don’t have cable TV; I recycle; I drive a vehicle with over 200,000 miles on it etc … I scored a not nice looking number.   :(


Now I am trying to discern what I need to do so that I can better that score and make it fewer than before.  … God gave us all a dignity which no other creature He made has.  We are His Image!  We are made to commune with Him.  We are made to reflect Him to others.   How can we travel this journey better?  


Take the survey.  See how you are moved.  And if you so desire to chat with me about it, feel free to do so.   We’re all on this journey together.  Let’s ease someone else’s load if we can! 


http://slaveryfootprint.org/#where_do_you_live.   

remember to look at the links page and the about us page too!

What is another good site to find answers to Catholic/faith questions? - Missy

Missy
I love that you asked for "another good site" for answers!! That means that you like some of the things here.  Yay!!  (Make sure you tell your friends about this site!!)

Depending on the type of question I have determines where I go for research to answers for my questions.  I often go to the Catechism of the Catholic Church (USCCB site).  I think I go there more than anywhere.  However, we do have a link page on this blog site.  I use any number of the links for information regarding the faith.  As you continue to ask questions and look for answers, you will find the places that touch your intellect in the way you need/want.  My suggestion is to use those links and build from there.   Many of those links came from the Our Sunday Visitor Catholic Newspaper.  When I read something and it recommends a site, I check it out and go from there.  Do the same and pretty soon I'll be asking you for answers instead of the other way around!!

 

Thanks, Missy.

 

I am honored that you are using this site for your research.  Thanks. 

 

 

I have a couple of students in my Religious Ed class who have asked me what the first prayer was. - Missy

Missy,

I love the question your kids asked!  It shows they are thinking about their faith in more ways than just "what the rules are."  They are trying to figure out how things fit together!  That means you are stimulating their thoughts about God too!  Kudos to both you and your students!!

So, in response to the first part of your question.  What was the first prayer?  ... Let me respond in the manner Jesus does:  He responds to a question with another question!   What is prayer? ...
Yes, it's conversation with God.   So ... it can be any type of talk with Him, right?   My answer would be that whatever Adam's first conversation with God was would have been the first prayer!  It could have been, "Wow, God, what an awesome thing you have done!  Look, I was mud/dirt/earth before You breathed life into me.  Now I'm the spittin' image of YOU!" 

I am assuming that this makes you a little frustrated.  That there is no clear answer to that question.  I can tell you that the Jews, God's chosen people from the very beginning have a special prayer they teach their children before they teach them others.  It is called the Shema  (pronounced SHAY  MA - accent on the second syllable)  It is the central prayer of their prayer book and many Jews pray it twice a day, morning and evening.  It comes from Deuteronomy 6:4-9 which stresses the command to Love the Lord God with all your heart, soul, and might.    It is so revered that they often put parts of it in their mezuzahs (those little prayer boxes next to their doorways - which they touch when entering)

The Shema goes like this:  "Hear oh, Israel the LORD is our God; the Lord is one.
You can read more about this on  Hebrew4christians.com by John J. Parsons  www.hebrew4christians.com/scripture/Torah/The_Shema/the_shema.html

Hope this helps you some!  Keep the questions coming!!

I heard there was a religious origin behind the song, "Twelve Days of Christmas." Is that so? ... wondering

Dear Wondering,
I heard that too.  Thank you to our parish secretary, Ina, for finding and typing out the answer to your question! 

Here is a site that explains the meaning. http://www.articleseen.com/Article_the-meaning-of-the-twelve-days-of-christmas_119672.aspx

 

On the 1st day of Christmas my true love gave to me...

A Partridge in a Pear Tree - The partridge in a pear tree is Jesus the Christ, the Son of God, whose birthday we celebrate on December 25, the first day of Christmas. In the song, Christ is symbolically presented as a mother partridge that feigns injury to decoy predators from her helpless nestlings, recalling the expression of Christ's sadness over the fate of Jerusalem: "Jerusalem! Jerusalem! How often would I have sheltered you under my wings, as a hen does her chicks, but you would not have it so . . ." (Luke 13:34)

 

On the 2nd day of Christmas my true love gave to me...

Two Turtle Doves - The Old and New Testaments, which together bear witness to God's self-revelation in history and the creation of a people to tell the Story of God to the world.

 

On the 3rd day of Christmas my true love gave to me...

Three French Hens -  The Three Theological Virtues:

1) Faith, 2) Hope, and 3) Love (1 Corinthians 13:13)

 

On the 4th day of Christmas my true love gave to me...

Four Calling Birds - The Four Gospels: 1) Matthew, 2) Mark, 3) Luke, and 4) John, which proclaim the Good News of God's reconciliation of the world to Himself in Jesus Christ.

 

On the 5th day of Christmas my true love gave to me...

Five Gold Rings - The first Five Books of the Old Testament, known as the Torah or the Pentateuch: 1) Genesis, 2) Exodus, 3) Leviticus, 4) Numbers, and 5) Deuteronomy, which gives the history of humanity's sinful failure and God's response of grace in the creation of a people to be a light to the world.

 

On the 6th day of Christmas my true love gave to me...

Six Geese A-laying -  The six days of creation that confesses God as Creator and Sustainer of the world (Genesis 1).

 

On the 7th day of Christmas my true love gave to me...

Seven Swans A-swimming - The seven gifts of the Holy Spirit listed in Paul's letters: 1) prophecy, 2) ministry, 3) teaching, 4) exhortation, 5) giving, 6) leading, and 7) compassion (Romans 12:6-8; cf. 1 Corinthians 12:8-11)  ** Traditionally, we Catholics celebrate wisdom, understanding, knowledge, counsel, piety, fortitude, and fear of the Lord as the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit.  This is derived from Isaiah 11:1-3.

 

On the 8th day of Christmas my true love gave to me...

Eight Maids A-milking - The eight Beatitudes: 1) Blessed are the poor in spirit, 2) those who mourn, 3) the meek, 4) those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, 5) the merciful, 6) the pure in heart, 7) the peacemakers, 8) those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake. (Matthew 5:3-10)

 

On the 9th day of Christmas my true love gave to me...

Nine Ladies Dancing - The nine Fruits of the Holy Spirit which are listed in Galations: 1) love, 2) joy, 3) peace, 4) patience, 5) kindness, 6) generosity, 7) faithfulness, 8) gentleness, and 9) self-control. (Galatians 5:22-23)  

 **  We Catholics traditionally celebrate 12 fruits, to include goodness, modesty, and chastity with those nine fruits. 

 

On the 10th day of Christmas my true love gave to me...

Ten Lords A-leaping - The ten commandments: 1) You shall have no other gods before me; 2) Do not take God's name in vain; 3) Keep the Sabbath Day Holy; 4) Honor your father and mother; 5) Do not murder; 6) Do not commit adultery; 7) Do not steal; 8) Do not bear false witness; 9) Do not covet your neighbor's things. 10) Do not covet your neighbor's spouse.  (Exodus 20:1-17)

 

On the 11th day of Christmas my true love gave to me...

Eleven Pipers Piping  - The eleven Faithful Apostles: 1) Simon Peter, 2) Andrew, 3) James, 4) John, 5) Philip, 6) Bartholomew, 7) Matthew, 8) Thomas, 9) James bar Alphaeus, 10) Simon the Zealot, 11) Judas bar James. (Luke 6:14-16). The list does not include the twelfth disciple, Judas Iscariot who betrayed Jesus to the religious leaders and the Romans.  ** Judas was later replaced by Matthias in the book of Acts of the Apostles, bringing the number of apostles back up to 12.

 

On the 12th day of Christmas my true love gave to me...

Twelve Drummers Drumming - The twelve points of doctrine in the Apostles' Creed: 1) I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth. 2) I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord. 3) He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. 4) He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell [the grave]. 5) On the third day He rose again. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of power. 6) He will come again to judge the living and the dead. 7) I believe in the Holy Spirit, 8) the Holy catholic (small c meaning 'universal') Church, 9) the communion of saints, 10) the forgiveness of sins, 11) the resurrection of the body, 12) and life everlasting.

Priorities for 2015

     At the beginning of a New Year it is common for people to make resolutions.   A wonderful article in the Our Sunday Visitor (OSV) talked about resolving to have a less stressful 2015.  How so?  By setting priorities, turning off our devices, clearing our calendars, and limiting our time on social media sites.   Here's the gist of the article: 

People are extremely stressed in America.  Between 42 – 52% of them claim they don’t sleep well because they are stressed.  Why?  Because they feel so overwhelmed.   They feel like they are sooo busy they don’t have time to do everything. Well, this is actually an illusion we live with here in our fast paced lives.   In his book “The Time Management Workbook:  A Catholic Approcah” (Pauline Books and Media, $9.95) author Marshall Cook reminds us that we aren’t really busier than our counterparts from the 1950s & 1960s.  They spent 14 hours a day working at the factory.  

A recent survey sound that we actually work fewer hours and watch more tv than they did.  So why do we perceive ourselves as so busy?  Because we live in a “culture of distraction.”  It’s due in large to technology. 

Americans are so busy developing their resumes.  ( Captain of the X club, member of the Y team, etc).  Much blame goes to the sue of social media.  Social media usage takes time, time which could be used to do other things.  There’s an urgency to check one’s emails, check ones text messages, respond to them, answer the ring, ensure that they take a photo of whatever they are doing, post it on their sites.   So much is a stressful waste of time.  People are just reacting to those little electronic devices. 

What are they missing out on?  True relationships, commitments which satisfy.  The ones they make online are shallow and perhaps not even with  ‘real’ people.  How can we help ourselves slow down?   Take breaks from the electronics.  Put them away while eating.   Go Exercise.  Enjoy an activity.   Better yet, enjoy a relationship.  How about one with God?!  That doesn’t mean one has to totally forget about FaceBook or Twitter.  It means one should schedule the time for them.  Limit the number of times you check your email in one day. 

“For the chronically overscheduled, Cook also recommends not taking on new commitments without dropping old ones, plus leaving more time between scheduled activities — essentially planning on things taking more time than expected. Lastly, he said, it’s important to leave time for things that aren’t important — watching television, working on crossword puzzles and just doing nothing — all of which can help lower stress levels and stimulate creativity. “Being bored isn’t a bad thing,” he explained. ‘Boredom is where a lot of creativity comes from.’  In the end, perhaps the best advice comes from St. Paul in Ephesians 5, who urges Christians to ‘look carefully then how you walk ... making the most of the time.’ ‘It all comes back to intentionality and an eternal perspective,’ ” ... Sarah Christmyer, co-developer of the Great Adventure Bible study program says. “We only have so much time. How are we going to spend it? What are we here for? How are we going to be Christ to those around us? That’s what matters.”

New year, new priorities For a less stressful 2015, clear your calendars, turn off your devices and tune into what matters most Emily Stimpson OSV Newsweekly - See more at: https://www.osv.com/OSVNewsweekly/ByIssue/Article/TabId/735/ArtMID/13636/ArticleID/16638/New-year-new-priorities.aspx#sthash.EJTlLDgU.dpufT

 

I heard of something called the Octave of Christmas. What does that mean? Pierre

Pierre,

     Simply put, the Octave of Christmas is a way of continuing the celebration of Christmas so that we can better understand the Incarnation of Jesus. 
     Unpacking what that means will take a little more time.  Here's how I understand it:  Sometimes an event is so significant that it is impossible to take that event in all at one time.  An example might be visiting the Grand Canyon, or the Basilica of St. Peter - or even reading the Bible.  There is so much to take in, that it is virtually impossible to comprehend it all in one viewing, or in one visit.   So, we return to it - again and again in order to soak in all that it has to offer.   That's the way it is with the mystery of the Incarnation (God becoming Man).  It's so huge that we need more time to ponder the mysterious ways of God in all that this entails.
     At one time there were as many as 15 'octaves' on the Catholic Liturgical Calendar.   However, in 1969, all were removed except for Christmas and Easter.  The Octave of Christmas starts on Christmas Day and extends for seven more days through January 1st.  That makes eight days - and the word octave means eight.  Each one of the days reflects back on the Nativity and the impact of that Birth.The liturgies on those days honor someone who loved Jesus without question.  
Dec 25th is the Nativity itself.
Dec 26th remembers St. Stephen who was the first martyr who died because he believed that Christ, whom we celebrate on the Nativity, was truly God.
Dec 27th is St. John the Evangelist who was the only Apostle at the Crucifixion.
Dec 28th is dedicated to the Holy Innocents.  Those are the baby boys under the age of two who were killed by King Herod because he was afraid that the new 'King' whom the Jews were awaiting, and was sought by the Magi, was among them.   
This year (2014) the feast of the Holy Family is celebrated on the 28th the because this Feast is to fall on the first Sunday after Christmas and it pre-empts all the other feasts celebrated during the octave - except the solemnity of the Blessed Mother.  When Her Solemnity falls on that 1st Sunday after Christmas, then the feast of the Holy Family is moved to the 30th of December.
Dec 29th is St. Thomas Becket.  He was Martyred because he defended the Church from being taken over and run by King Henry II.
Dec 30th Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph.  We are to emulate their love and faith in God.  Because we celebrate this day on the 28th this year, the 30th will just be called the 6th day in the Octave of the Nativity of the Lord.
Dec 31st the life of Saint Pope Sylvester I.  He supported the Council of Nicea in 325AD where the Church proclaimed Jesus and both human and divine, and as consubstantial (of the same substance) with God the Father. 
Jan 1st ends the Octave with the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God.  The Gospel reading of the day focuses on her obedience to the law and the circumcision and naming of Jesus on the 8th day after His birth.  It is a Holy Day of Obligation on which we honor Mary's role in salvation history. 

Hope this helps!
(from Our Sunday Visitor (OSV) December 28, 2014  "The Christmas octave:  Continuing the celebration."  D.D. Emmons.  P6 & 7)