What’s the weekly mettle maker? Training tips and educational information in support of our free programs, that’s what! What’s mettle? According the American Heritage Dictionary, mettle is, “The ability to meet a challenge or persevere under demanding circumstances; determination or resolve.”
Mettle Maker #342
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Self-Defense: Next week is grappling week. Let’s do a grappling-specific constitutional. Here are your seven exercises. See if you can get 25 reps of each in 15 minutes: BKF, GUP, DDU, SPL, SHT, SDF, and RSQ. Wait — you don’t know what those abbreviations stand for? Well, if you’re doing Heritage Self-Defense, you should be using the Constitutional Sheet which contains all of the abbreviations, and if you need to see them demonstrated, you should reference the video above/right. Looking for a comprehensive, mind-body-spirit self-defense training course? Click here to sign up for the 100% free Heritage Self-Defense Distance Learning Program.
Fitness: Fat burning zones: true or false? Well, both! Sometimes the facts stand in the way of the greater truth! Yes, it’s true that activities that put you in the “fat-burning range” (about 50% - 60% of max heart rate) do indeed burn more fat than more strenuous activities as a percentage of total calories burned. But more strenuous activities burn more calories over all, which means that even though the fat percentage burned per minute is lower, if the training sessions are of equal time, the total fat burned for the more strenuous training session is still greater. If getting lean (either to look good or for athletic performance) is the issue, the biggest bang for your time and effort is in the kitchen. Also to be considered is the wear and tear on your body — making sure that your fat cutting doesn’t affect your overall training program. Need help designing a training program? Click here — we can help.
Wildwood: Do you know your first-aid basics? Here’s short recap from the Wildwood Workbook, the textbook for this program. Click here to sign up — it’s totally free!
First Aid Recap
I’m not a doctor, nurse, EMT, and this is not a substitute for a good first aid manual or first aid class. The American Red Cross provides both for free — the first aid manual is available free here (click this link to view, print, or save on your computer). In the meantime, here are the first aid bullet points when someone is hurt.
* Stay calm. You’re no good if you’re flustered.
* Assess danger. Ensure the area is safe for yourself and the injured person.
* Check for a response. Ask his or her name. Squeeze hands and shoulders.
* If non-responsive, call 9-1-1 if you can.
* Place victim on his or her side in Recovery Position, upper leg bent, lower leg straight (see illustration).
* Remember ABC -- Airway, Breathing and Circulation -- in that order.
* Establish open airways. Make sure nothing is stopping up nose or mouth. If so, clear them.
* Check breathing. Look and listen for 10 seconds. Administer the Heimlich maneuver to a choking adult. If an infant or toddler is choking, place them face down on a decline with head lower than feet and carefully pat them on the back.
* If person is not choking but breathing is still not normal, start CPR if you know how. If you don’t, learn.
* If breathing is OK, check for bleeding. Apply direct pressure to open wounds.
* Assess for signs of shock: weakness, rapid heart rate, fast breathing, sweating, and confusion. If you believe the person is going into shock, cover them with whatever you have to get them warm, and elevate feet about 12 inches. Keep them talking if they are conscious. Speak soothingly and keep them calm.
Holy Communion is now LIVE on YouTube every Sunday at 9AM. Due to YouTube LIVE processing times, the weekly Holy Communion video is often partial until late afternoon or evening. If you attempt to view the video, and running time is less than 40 to 45 minutes, please check back later.
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Homily for the Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time, 2/12/23 – Archdeacon Mitch
Readings: Sir 15:15-20, Ps 119:1-2, 4-5, 17-18, 33-34, 1 Cor 2:6-10, Mt 5:17-37
Matthew 5:17-37 World English Bible Catholic Edition
17 “Don’t think that I came to destroy the law or the prophets. I didn’t come to destroy, but to fulfill. 18 For most certainly, I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not even one smallest letter† or one tiny pen stroke‡ shall in any way pass away from the law, until all things are accomplished. 19 Therefore, whoever shall break one of these least commandments and teach others to do so, shall be called least in the Kingdom of Heaven; but whoever shall do and teach them shall be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven. 20 For I tell you that unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, there is no way you will enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.
21 “You have heard that it was said to the ancient ones, ‘You shall not murder;’✡ and ‘Whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.’ 22 But I tell you that everyone who is angry with his brother without a cause § will be in danger of the judgment. Whoever says to his brother, ‘Raca!’ * will be in danger of the council. Whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of Gehenna.†
23 “If therefore you are offering your gift at the altar, and there remember that your brother has anything against you, 24 leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. 25 Agree with your adversary quickly while you are with him on the way; lest perhaps the prosecutor deliver you to the judge, and the judge deliver you to the officer, and you be cast into prison. 26 Most certainly I tell you, you shall by no means get out of there until you have paid the last penny.‡
27 “You have heard that it was said, § ‘You shall not commit adultery;’✡ 28 but I tell you that everyone who gazes at a woman to lust after her has committed adultery with her already in his heart. 29 If your right eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out and throw it away from you. For it is more profitable for you that one of your members should perish than for your whole body to be cast into Gehenna.* 30 If your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off, and throw it away from you. For it is more profitable for you that one of your members should perish, than for your whole body to be cast into Gehenna.†
31 “It was also said, ‘Whoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorce,’✡ 32 but I tell you that whoever puts away his wife, except for the cause of sexual immorality, makes her an adulteress; and whoever marries her when she is put away commits adultery.
33 “Again you have heard that it was said to the ancient ones, ‘You shall not make false vows, but shall perform to the Lord your vows,’✡ 34 but I tell you, don’t swear at all: neither by heaven, for it is the throne of God; 35 nor by the earth, for it is the footstool of his feet; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. 36 Neither shall you swear by your head, for you can’t make one hair white or black. 37 But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes’ and your ‘No’ be ‘No.’ Whatever is more than these is of the evil one.
The expression “the spirit of the law” is widely used by Christians and non-Christians alike, and I believe today’s gospel reading is its origin. We are all well aware of the problem. We know that we must have laws and rules. Without them we’d be crippled by the chaos of contention, confusion, and conflict. But for every set of rules there will always be people who specialize in exploiting the gaps between the rules in order take advantage, rather than attempting to sincerely adhere to them.
We all know what this looks like. In sports, when one team is ahead, it’s perfectly legal to run out the clock. But it’s not in the true spirit of competition to win a basketball game by dribbling, passing, and playing keep-away; nor is it in the true spirit of sport for a quarterback to take a knee to prevent the other team from having any opportunity to get a turnover and score a last-second touchdown.
Lawyers are another great example. “What’s the difference between a vacuum cleaner and a law office? Nothing – they’re both filled up with dirt-bags.” We laugh at the joke because it diffuses the tension and discomfort we feel when attorneys twist, manipulate, and take advantage of the rules — because we’re well aware how profoundly dangerous it is for them to do so. Miscarriages of justice are the result – the guilty go free, the innocent are punished, and the only winner is the attorney, who happily banks his fees.
It's good that we appreciate the true intent of laws and rules, and that we push back against perversions and exploitations of them. That’s great, as far as it goes. But Jesus tells us in today’s reading, that we need to go far, far deeper than that. He wants us to embody the spirit of the law – the Holy Spirit. He wants us to keep God’s laws inherently, by naturally embodying the characteristics that conform to the laws. He’s looking for fundamental change through the power of the Holy Spirit.
We are far too weak and faulty to do this by sheer force of will. If we’re to have any hope of being absent of anger, we need the Holy Spirit. If we’re going rid ourselves of the lust of our eyes, we need the Holy Spirit. If we’re to be completely faithful in our obligations, we need the Holy Spirit. Let us pray that the Holy Spirit may descend upon us as it descended upon Christ and in turn upon the disciples at Pentecost, and that, to the highest degree possible in keeping with our human nature, we might personify the consciousness of Christ.
‡5:18 or, serif
✡5:21 Exodus 20:13
§5:22 NU omits “without a cause”.
*5:22 “Raca” is an Aramaic insult, related to the word for “empty” and conveying the idea of empty-headedness.
†5:22 or, Hell
‡5:26 literally, kodrantes. A kodrantes was a small copper coin worth about 2 lepta (widow’s mites)—not enough to buy very much of anything.
§5:27 TR adds “to the ancients”.
✡5:27 Exodus 20:14
*5:29 or, Hell
†5:30 or, Hell
✡5:31 Deuteronomy 24:1
✡5:33 Numbers 30:2; Deuteronomy 23:21; Ecclesiastes 5:4