Day: May 29, 2009

Faith is a wonderful part of our human existence. It is not something that we can do without as we deal with it in all our daily lives. For instance I trust that you will do the right thing by me. Just as I trust my friend to be a good friend to me. We have to have faith in all we do as without it we will surely perish. It is not only spiritual but to a certain extent physical. I trust that I can carry the load to the car. Perhaps on a metaphysical plain. Faith is what keeps me going day by day doing the things I need to do at work and at home. For me it is more spiritual than physical as without that special gift to feel and know faith I cannot exist.

Why because it keeps me alive. To trust all those around me to be a good friend or family. We have to trust even strangers to guide us on our daily path. As Pentecost descends upon us and Easter comes to a close I feel that I am lost without my faith not just being a catholic but by being a person. If you do not have faith in your ability to live, can you. Will you not drown in your internal self. Believe in yourself and have faith.

A feast of the universal Church which commemorates the Descent of the Holy Ghost upon the Apostles, fifty days after the Resurrection of Christ, on the ancient Jewish festival called the “feast of weeks” or Pentecost (Exodus 34:22; Deuteronomy 16:10). Whitsunday is so called from the white garments which were worn by those who were baptised during the vigil; Pentecost (“Pfingsten” in German), is the Greek for “the fiftieth” (day after Easter).

Whitsunday, as a Christian feast, dates back to the first century, although there is no evidence that it was observed, as there is in the case of Easter; the passage in 1 Corinthians 16:8 probably refers to the Jewish feast. This is not surprising, for the feast, originally of only one day’s duration, fell on a Sunday; besides it was so closely bound up with Easter that it appears to be not much more than the termination of Paschal tide.

That Whitsunday belongs to the Apostolic times is stated in the seventh of the (interpolated) fragments attributed to St. Irenæus. In Tertullian (On Baptism 19) the festival appears as already well established. The Gallic pilgrim gives a detailed account of the solemn manner in which it was observed at Jerusalem (“Peregrin. Silviæ”, ed. Geyer, iv). The Apostolic Constitutions (Book V, Part 20) say that Pentecost lasts one week, but in the West it was not kept with an octave until at quite a late date. It appears from Berno of Reichenau (d. 1048) that it was a debatable point in his time whether Whitsunday ought to have an octave. At present it is of equal rank with Easter Sunday. During the vigil formerly the catechumens who remained from Easter were baptized, consequently the ceremonies on Saturday are similar to those on Holy Saturday.

The office of Pentecost has only one Nocturn during the entire week. At Terce the “Veni Creator” is sung instead of the usual hymn, because at the third hour the Holy Ghost descended. The Mass has a Sequence, “Veni Sancte Spiritus” the authorship of which by some is ascribed to King Robert of France. The colour of the vestments is red, symbolic of the love of the Holy Ghost or of the tongues of fire. Formerly the law courts did not sit during the entire week, and servile work was forbidden. A Council of Constance (1094) limited this prohibition to the first three days of the week. The Sabbath rest of Tuesday was abolished in 1771, and in many missionary territories also that of Monday; the latter was abrogated for the entire Church by Pius X in 1911. Still, as at Easter, the liturgical rank of Monday and Tuesday of Pentecost week is a Double of the First Class.

In Italy it was customary to scatter rose leaves from the ceiling of the churches to recall the miracle of the fiery tongues; hence in Sicily and elsewhere in Italy Whitsunday is called Pascha rosatum. The Italian name Pascha rossa comes from the red colours of the vestments used on Whitsunday. In France it was customary to blow trumpets during Divine service, to recall the sound of the mighty wind which accompanied the Descent of the Holy Ghost. In England the gentry amused themselves with horse races. The Whitsun Ales or merrymakings are almost wholly obsolete in England. At these ales the Whitsun plays were performed. At Vespers of Pentecost in the Oriental Churches the extraordinary service of genuflexion, accompanied by long poetical prayers and psalms, takes place. (Cf. Maltzew, “Fasten-und Blumen Triodion”, p. 898 where the entire Greco-Russian service is given; cf. also Baumstark, “Jacobit. Fest brevier”, p. 255.) On Pentecost the Russians carry flowers and green branches in their hands.

Source: http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/15614b.htm

Sound l a little procrastination but that is what we all say sometimes. Someday I will clean out that cupboard. Someday I will throw it away but for now I need it. If only I had the time, If only I did it yesterday. but what do we do for now keep it I guess.

Cheers to the weekend

They say that laughter is the best medicine. When we are not ourselves we often do silly things especially when we had one too many to drink. I don’t think that I have got to a state that I did not know what I was doing but then again if I did I would not remember it so there you have it. The following made me smile and I hope that it makes your day too. It’s all a matter of perspective.

"Sometimes when I reflect back on all the wine I drink
I feel shame.Then I look into the glass and think
about the workers in the vineyards and all of their hopes
and dreams ..If I didn’t drink this wine, they might be out
of work and their dreams would be shattered.
Then I say to myself, "It is better that I drink this wine and let theirdreams come true than be selfish and worry about my liver."

WARNING: The consumption of alcohol may leave you wondering what the hell
happened to your bra and panties.
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"I feel sorry for people who don’t drink. When they
wake up in the morning, that’s as good as they’re
going to feel all day. "
~Frank Sinatra

WARNING: The consumption of alcohol may create the illusion that you are tougher, smarter, faster and better looking than most people.
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"When I read about the evils of drinking, I gave up reading."
~ Henny Youngman

WARNING: The consumption of alcohol may lead you to think people are laughing WITH you.
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"24 hours in a day, 24 beers in a case. Coincidence? I think not."
~ Stephen Wright

WARNING: The consumption of alcohol may cause you to think you can sing.
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"When we drink, we get drunk. When we get drunk,
we fall asleep. When we fall asleep, we commit no sin.
When we commit no sin, we go to heaven. So, let’s all
get drunk and go to heaven!"
~ Brian O’Rourke

WARNING: The consumption of alcohol may cause pregnancy.
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"Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy."
~ Benjamin Franklin

WARNING: The consumption of alcohol is a major factor in dancing like a spaz.
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"Without question, the greatest invention in the
history of mankind is beer. Oh, I grant you that the
wheel was also a fine invention, but the wheel does
not go nearly as well with pizza."
~ Dave Barry

WARNING: The consumption of alcohol may cause you to tell your friends over and over again that you love them.
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To some, it’s a six-pack, to me it’s a Support Group. Salvation in a can!
~Dave Howell

WARNING: The consumption of alcohol may make you think you can logically converse with members of the opposite sex without spitting.
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And saving the best for last, as explained by Cliff Clavin,of Cheers.
One afternoon at Cheers, Cliff Clavin was explaining the Buffalo Theory to his buddy Norm.Here’s how it went:

" Well ya see, Norm, it’s like this… A herd of buffalocan only move as fast as the slowest buffalo. And whenthe herd is hunted, it is the slowest and weakest ones at the back that are killed first. This natural selection is good for the herd as a whole, because the general speed and health of the whole group keeps improving by the regular killing of the weakest members. In much the same way, the human brain can only operate as fast as the slowest brain cells. Excessive intake of alcohol, as we know, kills brain cells. But naturally, it attacks the slowest and weakest brain cells first. In this way, regular consumption of beer eliminates the weaker brain cells, making the brain a faster and more efficient machine. That’s why you always feel smarter after a few beers."

WARNING: The consumption of alcohol may make you think you are whispering when you are not