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What’s the weekly mettle maker?
Training tips and educational info in support of our free programs, that’s what! What’s mettle? Mettle is, “The ability to meet a challenge or persevere under demanding circumstances; determination or resolve.”
Mettle maker #436: Updates and Amendments
Last week I reminded the kind folks involved in the Heritage Rough ‘n’ Tumble part of the charity’s mission, that if you ain’t doin’ two constitutionals a week, you ain’t doing Heritage Rough ‘n’ Tumble. But those folks who’ve been around since the old days will tell you that we approach constitutionals somewhat differently than we did in the old days:
New Way of Doing Constitutionals vs. Old Way
Lower reps (usually 25 per exercise) as opposed to High reps (often 50 or 100)
Low impact instead of high impact
Accent on martial rather than fitness relevance
Restoration instead of perspiration
To do one the new way, check out our newer stuff — like the video above.
WE MADE THAT UPDATE SEVERAL YEARS AGO. THERE HAVE BEEN SOME OTHER MAJOR UPDATES LATELY.
Various Updates and Amendments
Major overhaul of the YouTube Channel ongoing. There has been such major evolution in my thinking on matters material, martial, and spiritual since since I started the YouTube channel back in 2009, and there were so many older videos behind which I could no longer stand, that we’ve started taking down some of the older ones.
The deletion of the YouTube videos has caused some broken links on the list of feats. Updates on the way!
December Fellowship meeting is moving to Thurs the 19th this month. Mitch has a family get-together on the 20th. Click here on the 19th at 8 PM: https://meet.google.com/fyf-hofz-abq
One more thing: December is Spirit Month, during which we always engage in some kind of special activity related one of the eight spiritual disciplines. This year we’re embodying service by donating money, food, and time to FeedMore, an esteemed Virginia charity providing food to folks who are hungry. Click here to make a donation.
If you haven’t done so already, consider signing up for a totally free mind-body-spirit program that incorporates self-defense, fitness, outdoor skills, and spiritual development — sign up for our free Rough ‘n’ Tumble Distance Learning Program!
Holy Eucharist is LIVE on YouTube every Sunday at 10 am EASTERn. Click HERE to watch live. To view and print a copy of the program for holy Eucharist, CLICK HERE.
Homily for the Third Sunday of Advent 12/15/24 – Father Mitch
Readings: Zep 3:14-18a, Is 12:2-3, 4, 5-6, Phil 4:4-7, Lk 3:10-18
Luke 3:10-18 World English Bible
The multitudes asked John the Baptist, “What then must we do?”
11 He answered them, “He who has two coats, let him give to him who has none. He who has food, let him do likewise.”
12 Tax collectors also came to be baptized, and they said to him, “Teacher, what must we do?”
13 He said to them, “Collect no more than that which is appointed to you.”
14 Soldiers also asked him, saying, “What about us? What must we do?”
He said to them, “Extort from no one by violence, neither accuse anyone wrongfully. Be content with your wages.”
15 As the people were in expectation, and all men reasoned in their hearts concerning John, whether perhaps he was the Christ, 16 John answered them all, “I indeed baptize you with water, but he comes who is mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to loosen. He will baptize you in the Holy Spirit and fire. 17 His winnowing fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly cleanse his threshing floor, and will gather the wheat into his barn; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”
18 Then with many other exhortations he preached good news to the people.
Today’s gospel reading immediately follows John the Baptist’s fiery speech saying, “You offspring of vipers… produce fruits worthy of repentance” for every tree “that doesn’t produce good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.” The people, having been warned, understandably ask, “Teacher, what must we do?”
The Baptizer replies, “He who has two coats, let him give to him who has none. He who has food, let him do likewise.” Sharing is often seen as a small thing, something taught in kindergarten. But it is far, far more than that. It is the small miracle of which each and every human being is capable. And truly a miracle it is! In this world there is every reason to get and keep what is ours. Why in heaven’s name, if we are to believe the materialists and the atheists, would anyone stoop to share anything? Without God, the question would always be “What’s in for me?” And yet, welling up in the human heart, in, through, and down the ages since time immemorial, we see a spark of the divine placed there by our Lord and God. That acts of selfless sharing are enacted at all is proof of the compassion and love placed in our breasts by our maker. When someone shares with us, or we see an act of sharing, we are more likely to share with others. In this way, we are acting out, and reenacting, Jesus’ multiplication of the loaves and fishes. Sharing is contagious. All of this, brothers and sisters, is proof that we are made in God’s image.
And to the tax collectors, John the Baptist says, “Collect no more than that which is appointed to you.” We should remember that a Roman tax collector, known as a publican, was a contractor. Publicans would bid on contracts to collect tax in a given area. If they won the bid, the total amount of tax was considered a loan which they had to pay back to Rome. Any amount over and above the loan which they were able to collect was their profit for having done the tax gathering work. So John is telling the publicans not to take advantage of their fellow citizens, to be reasonable in what they take for their profits. To the soldiers he answers in much the same way, telling them not use their strength and position to mistreat the people in their community.
All three of John’s answers are essentially calls to “love thy neighbor as thyself” – the theme of Leviticus 19:18 which Jesus later proclaims in Matthew 22:39 to be like unto the greatest commandment. These passages beautifully encapsulate why John the Baptist is called the Precursor and the Forerunner. Here he begins to suggest in part the radical ideas that Jesus Christ will proclaim in full. And when it is suggested that perhaps he might be the Christ, John announces the truth of what is really going in his ministry – namely that the healing work of baptism he has begun in the human dimension will be taken up into the spiritual dimension by the only one who can do so – our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.