Fidelity to Daily Prayer

October 5, 2021 Tuesday of the Twenty-Seventh Week in Ordinary Time Readings for Today Blessed Francis Xavier Seelos, Priest—USA Optional Memorial Saint Faustina Kowalska, Virgin—Optional Memorial

Video Martha, burdened with much serving, came to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me by myself to do the serving? Tell her to help me.” The Lord said to her in reply, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things. There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her.”  Luke 10:40–42 In many ways, this statement of our Lord summarizes the most important and central message of the Gospel. We are all called to choose “the better part” every day. Jesus was close friends with Martha, Mary and Lazarus. He frequently visited their home, which was only a short distance from Jerusalem. On this occasion, when Jesus was visiting their home, one of these siblings, Mary, had placed herself at Jesus’ feet, listening to Him and conversing with Him. Martha was busy with the important details of hospitality and appeared to be upset with Mary, so she confronted Jesus, asking Him to tell Mary to help her. But in so doing, she was also unknowingly trying to dissuade Mary from the most important purpose of her life. As Mary sat at the feet of Jesus, she gave us an example of the most important focus we must have in life. Though our days will be filled with many necessary duties, such as cooking, cleaning, working, entertainment, and caring for others, we must never forget that which we were made for and that which we will be doing for all eternity: adoration of our glorious God. Consider all that occupies your day. Though most of what you do may be important, do you daily take time out to adore our Lord, listen to Him and glorify Him through your prayer? We can often make time for many other important duties in life, as well as those that are not so important. We may spend hours on chores, immerse ourselves in movies, devote whole evenings to reading, fulfill our duties in the workplace, but only devote a minute or two each day, if even that, to silent prayer and adoration of our God! What would happen to your life if you chose “the better part” for a full hour every day? What if you decided that the first hour of your day would be dedicated to an imitation of Mary in the Gospel passage and that you would do nothing but adore Jesus through silent prayer and meditation? At first, you may think of the many other tasks you could be doing at that moment. You may decide that you do not have the time for extended prayer every day. But is that true? Perhaps you are actually being Martha to yourself, saying to yourself that you should do more important things with your time and that Jesus will understand if you do not spend time with Him alone in adoration and prayer every day. If that is you, then be very attentive to this Gospel passage. In many ways, Jesus deeply desires to say this about you. He wants to say of you that you have chosen the better part for an extended period of time every day and that this will not be taken from you. Reflect, today, upon that which is most important in life. Dispel excuses and temptations to simply fulfill all the other important duties of life, neglecting that which is most important. Reflect upon the simple truth that Jesus does want you to devote much time to Him every day for silent prayer and adoration. Do not give into excuses and distractions. Commit yourself to remain at the feet of Jesus, adoring Him, listening to Him and loving Him. If you do, you will find that your life is more ordered and that the time you spend in prayer bears more good fruit than every other important duty you fulfill every day. My inviting Lord, I do believe that adoration of You in silent and devout prayer is the most important duty I have to fulfill every day. May I never be deterred from adoring You every day, devoting as much time as You desire to silent and loving prayer. May I discover this gift of prayer, dear Lord, and sit at Your feet with Mary and with all the glorious saints. Jesus, I trust in You.

What is it like to live in Saudi Arabia?

Areej Musaed

Here is how I view life in Saudi Arabia as a Saudi woman:

• Saudi Arabia is unbelievably safe! It is ranked the safest among G20 countries—safer than the US, the UK, France, China and Russia! I’m 28, and I have never felt unsafe as a woman in Saudi Arabia, even when I walk alone at night!

• It is one of the most developed countries in the world. Saudi Arabia has the best road networks, infrastructure, education and healthcare system.

• Saudi Arabia has one of the most diverse populations in the world as it is the third country in the world with the most immigrants. More than 10 million expatriates from different religious and ethnic backgrounds live and work in Saudi Arabia.
• Everything is done electronically. Everything you need from renewing your passport, buying or selling property, opening bank accounts, or even issuing a marriage certificate are all done electronically from the comfort of your home!
• No income tax and only 15% VAT.
• One of the cheapest gas prices in the world (I fill my car’s tank to the brim with only $29).

• Women right’s have been drastically improved (abolished the male-guardianship system, Hijab is no longer compulsory, increased women’s participation in the workforce, etc.). These reforms were part of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 which aims to transform Saudi Arabia socially and economically.

• The weather is actually nice most of the year except for the very hot summer months (June until September). But even in summer, some regions in the kingdom enjoy great weather (averaging 25 C in August!). It is always a great time for outdoor activities (sunny with a cool breeze). We as Saudis spend most of our free time on the beach, outdoor restaurants and cafes or camp in the desert!

What's it like to live in the Netherlands?

Bas Leijser

It’s hell on Earth.

• There’s a village without any roads. No roads, I tell you! And this is the 21st century?

• We’re just downright cruel to colourblind people.

• We have no interesting historic fortifications, like the French.

• As a wildlife animal, you can easily get lost because your habitat just doesn’t end anywhere.

• Roads may suddenly disappear underwater. We also care more about rivers crossing the street rather than vice versa.

• If you arrive in the Netherlands from the sea, sorry, but the gate is closed for today. Get lost squidward.

• We have houses that float on water. Some of them can even move from city to city. So, instead of losing your house key, you can lose your entire house here.

• The food sucks.

• Our cities lack atmosphere and we have no interesting architecture.

• We lack any interesting museums or famous artists

• Nobody cares about cyclists and there are almost no special facilities for them, like bicycle highways.

• We are far less successful than Moses at splitting water bodies.

• Being such a small country, we can barely set a positive example for becoming more sustainable.

• We’ve taken it upon ourselves to clean the world’s oceans. Sounds like hard work.

• And last but not least, we have a terrible sense of humour. It’s mostly sarcasm, where we say the opposite of what we actually mean.

Openness to the Gospel

October 4, 2021 Monday of the Twenty-Seventh Week in Ordinary Time Readings for Today Saint Francis of Assisi—Memorial

Video There was a scholar of the law who stood up to test Jesus and said, “Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Luke 10:25 The question is very good. We should all seek to understand, with all our hearts, what we must do to inherit eternal life. Of course the problem is that this scholar of the law did not ask this question with sincerity and openness. Rather, he asked Jesus this question to test our Lord. This scholar, as well as other scribes, Pharisees, Sadducees and elders, was envious of Jesus and sought to find fault with Him. This scholar appeared to be concerned that Jesus was teaching contrary to the Law of Moses. But what does our Lord do? He says nothing more than to put the question back to the scholar, asking him, “What is written in the law? How do you read it?” The scholar answers correctly, according to the Law of Moses, and Jesus responds to him, “You have answered correctly; do this and you will live.” Thus, the test was passed. What’s interesting and helpful to ponder in this exchange is the way Jesus responds to this scholar. Because Jesus knew the scholar’s heart, and because He knew that this scholar was not asking with humility and openness, Jesus responded with great prudence, inviting the scholar of the law himself to answer his own question. Though we are not able to read another’s heart in the way our Lord did, we should learn a lesson from Him on how to respond to others who have as their goal to trick, trap, test, and twist our words if they disagree with us. This is especially important in matters of faith and morality. If you are striving to live the Gospel with all your heart and you encounter the “testing” of others as a result of the holy life you are striving for, ponder Jesus’ actions here. Too often, when another challenges us or tests us, we become defensive and even offended. As a result, we can enter into arguments back and forth that bear little or no fruit. Jesus did not argue. He did not allow this test to trip Him up. Rather, He only offered responses that could not be doubted. Jesus knew that this scholar was not interested in the deepest spiritual truths. He was only interested in finding fault. Therefore, the deeper and fuller Gospel message could not be offered. We should also learn from this passage the importance of coming to Jesus with an open heart, sincerely seeking the deepest spiritual answers to life. We ought never test Jesus. Instead, in humility, we must believe that He is the source of all truth and that He has every answer in life that we seek. Reflect, today, upon two things. First, reflect upon how completely open you are to all that Jesus has to say. If you were to ask our Lord this question, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?,” what would Jesus say to you? Would He only be able to offer you general answers in the form of questions? Or would Jesus see the open and sincere nature of your heart and be able to speak in great depth and detail to you? Second, reflect upon anyone with whom you constantly have to defend yourself for the practice of your faith. If this is your experience, perhaps reexamine your approach, realizing that the deepest pearls of your faith should only be shared with those who are sincerely open and are seeking to embrace them with all their heart. My deep and wise Lord, You and You alone have every answer to life. You and You alone can reveal to me all that I need to know in life so as to achieve holiness and fulfillment. Please open my heart so that I can come to You with humility and sincerity, open to all that You wish to reveal to me. Jesus, I trust in You.

Is "foutre" rude (expressions, French)?

François Chevalier 

“Foutre” is a very interesting French verb. It is actually an irregular third group conjugation verb with a past participle in “foutu”. It has a complete set of conjugations.

It is colloquial without being necessarily vulgar, depending on the context. I heard it routinely used by teachers, doctors, work colleagues. Not yet politicians, but who knows what’s coming. Avoid it in formal contexts, but if you manage to use it properly as a foreigner, you will sure create complicity!

The etymology of “foutre” is unclear, but the verb has an impressive range of meanings.

It can mean “do”.
Qu’est-ce tu fous ? What are you doing?

It can mean “put”
Fous-moi ça dehors! Put this outside!

It is very widely used in the reflexive form “se foutre de”.
Which means “not caring”, or “kidding”, “mocking”, “bullshitting”.

Je m’en fous. I don’t care
A Piaf song song went “J’m’en fous pas mal”, which would be “I couldn’t care less”. This indicates that even back then, it was familiar but not obscene. Until after WW2, it was more convenient for respectable people to use the verb “ficher” instead.

Tu te fous de moi? Are you kidding me?
It is often used with “gueule” (face, guts) as in “il se fout de ma gueule” : he’s bullshitting me, kidding me. “Se foutre du monde” is hard to translate, roughly taking people for idiots. Both can be combined in “se foutre de la gueule du monde”.

“Foutre en l’air” means to waste, to fuck up.
“Se foutre en l’air” is committing suicide.
“Foutre la paix” : leave (someone) alone, in peace
“Foutre à la porte” : throw (someone) out
“Foutre le camp” : get away
“Foutre le bordel, la merde” : wreak havoc, mess up
“Foutre les jetons” : scare
A complete list would be impossible to make, as it can be combined with almost anything.

“Foutre” is vulgar when used with sexual connotations. “Se faire foutre” is getting buggered, so “va te faire foutre!” is basically “go fuck yourself”. Friends may use to joke among themselves, but it’s preferable to be used with caution. Also, “foutre” as a noun is a coarse name for sperm.

There are a vast number of number of words that have been built around the root “foutre”.

“Je m’en fous” can be emphasized by “je m’en contrefous”.
(But the verb “se contrefoutre de” has no other use).
“J’en ai rien à foutre”, often abridged in “rien à foutre”, is punchier

“Foutu” means lost, wasted.
“La journée est foutue” : it was a wasted day.

“Bien foutu” is well done.
In case of a person, it means sexy.

“Foutu de” can mean “able to”, whereas “unable to” becomes “pas foutu de”, or even better, ”infoutu de”.

“le foutoir” means a mess.

“Foutage “ can be heard in “du foutage de gueule” : bullshit, rip-off, fraud. Some old fashioned expressions are “foutaise” (rubbish), a “jeanfoutre” or a “foutriquet”(an incompetent person), comically archaic today.

“Foutre” and all its cognates and conjugated forms are valid at the scrabble.

Your Protector and Guide

Saturday, October 2, 2021 Memorial of the Holy Guardian Angels Readings for Today

Video “See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven always look upon the face of my heavenly Father.”  Matthew 18:10 The reality of angels is fascinating to most people, especially to children. The Guardian Angels, in particular, are often pictured in sacred art as walking hand-in-hand with children. And though this is true, they also walk hand-in-hand with each one of us throughout our lives. This is their sacred duty given to them by God. In quoting Saint Basil, the Catechism of the Catholic Church explains the existence of Guardian Angels by saying: “From its beginning until death, human life is surrounded by their watchful care and intercession. ‘Beside each believer stands an angel as protector and shepherd leading him to life’” (#336). Imagine, in an earthly sense, that you had a personal bodyguard to look after you day and night throughout your life. Perhaps this evokes two different sentiments. First, it would most certainly comfort you when there is imminent danger around. You would know you are not alone and that you would be kept safe from physical harm. Another sentiment it may invoke is that of a loss of personal privacy. If someone were watching over you, day and night, you would always be aware of their watchful eye. Everything you said and did would be noticed. For some, this may not always be welcome. Why? Because this means they see all you do, including your sin. Fear of judgment, the loss of personal privacy and the like may be difficult to accept. But now imagine that this “bodyguard” is one who offers no judgment, acts with perfect love for you, keeps confidentiality with perfection and cares only for your well-being. Though it may be hard to imagine that such a person could exist, that person does exist in the person of your guardian angel. Your guardian angel is real, has a keen and powerful intellect, has a will perfectly united with the will of God, and was created for the single purpose of protecting you and leading you into the fulfillment of God’s will. When you sin and stray, your guardian angel’s only concern is to guide you back to God. When you are fearful or in trouble, your guardian angel’s only care is to protect you and fill you with God’s peace and courage. And though God could have provided you with all of these graces directly, without the mediation of an angel, He chose to do so through the mediation of your personal guardian angel. Only in Heaven will we fully understand the profound depth of love, protection, and care given to us by these angelic beings. Reflect, today, upon the intimate knowledge that your guardian angel has of you. As you ponder this reality, rejoice that someone knows you so well and loves you with a perfect love. This angel of yours not only loves you perfectly but also has been entrusted with great power from God to protect you and shepherd you to the fulfillment of your life mission. Prayerfully acknowledge the great gift that your guardian angel is to you and entrust yourself more fully to this angelic mediation. Angel of God, my guardian dear, to whom God’s love commits me here, ever this day be at my side, to light and guard, to rule and guide. Amen. Guardian angel, pray for me. Jesus, I trust in You.

Public Repentance

October 1, 2021 Friday of the Twenty-Sixth Week in Ordinary Time Readings for Today Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus, Virgin and Doctor—Memorial

Video Jesus said to them, “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty deeds done in your midst had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would long ago have repented, sitting in sackcloth and ashes.” Luke 10:13 Have you ever sat in sackcloth and ashes? In the Gospel passage above, Jesus gives clear indication that doing so is a holy sign of responding to His preaching. He states that the pagan towns of Tyre and Sidon would have certainly sat in sackcloth and ashes if they would have been privileged to witness the mighty deeds done in the Jewish towns of Chorazin and Bethsaida. “Sackcloth and ashes” were a common sign used to indicate interior repentance and sorrow for sin. There are many times throughout the Old Testament when this happened. Recall, for example, that when Jonah preached to the people of Nineveh, everyone from the king down to the common citizen responded by expressing their repentance in this way (Jonah 3:5–7). Sackcloth was a rough and uncomfortable material usually made out of black goats hair, symbolizing the rejection of the false consolation of sin. Ashes symbolized desolation and destruction resulting from purifying fire. Of course, all of us do sit in ashes every Ash Wednesday as an external manifestation of our desire to repent. And though putting on actual sackcloth for clothing today may not be our literal practice, it is good to see the spiritual fruitfulness of these actions and to consider ways in which these actions can still be performed in our day and age. How might you sit in sackcloth and ashes today? What practical action can you take to publicly manifest your desire to turn from sin and toward the Gospel? First of all, to properly answer this question, it’s important to recognize the fact that turning from sin should not only be a personal and interior act, it must also be exterior and manifest for others to see. Sin not only does harm to us individually, but it also damages others in varying degrees. Therefore, if your sin has done clear harm to others, it’s important to realize that you not only need to repent to God but that you must also repent in such a way that others see your repentance and sorrow. So how might you repent in sackcloth and ashes today? There are many ways to do this. The essential quality present in such an act will be that it is clear to others that you are sorry for your sin and that you are attempting to change. If the sin you have committed toward another is grave, then your interior repentance must match the seriousness of your sin, and the exterior manifestation of that repentance must also measure up. Reflect, today, upon some practical ways in which God is calling you to publicly manifest your “sitting in sackcloth and ashes” as a sign of your sorrow toward those against whom you have sinned. For example, if your sin is that of anger and you have regularly harmed another by that sin, then don’t only repent to God, look also for external ways to manifest your sorrow to them. Perhaps do some form of manifest service for them. Or engage in a public act of penance, such as fasting, as a way of showing them you are sorry. Manifest charitable good works, service, prayer, public penance and the like are all ways that you can spiritually and practically sit “in sackcloth and ashes” today. My merciful Lord, You call me to daily repent of my sin and to do so through the manifest signs of sitting “in sackcloth and ashes.” Give me the grace of true sorrow for my sins and help me to sincerely repent as I trust in Your mercy. As I do, please also guide me so that I may humble myself and express my sorrow in manifest ways toward those against whom I have sinned. May this humble act bring healing and unity in You. Jesus, I trust in You.