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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.”
Announcements!
You may have noticed some changes. First, Heritage Self-Defense is now Heritage Rough ‘n’ Tumble. We feel like this more accurately reflects what we do. Second, our Sunday worship Service is now called Holy Eucharist instead of Holy Communion. Why? Because back when Fr. Mitch was a deacon, he was only able to present Holy Communion of the Reserved Sacrament (using pre-consecrated hosts provided by his bishop). But now that he’s been elevated to the priesthood, Fr. Mitch is able to perform a more traditional Holy Eucharist service.
Apologies from Fr. Mitch for the livestream crash of Holy Eucharist last week morning — technical difficulties — we’ll do better going forward.
Heritage Rough ‘n’ Tumble: Get your submissions straight. For the last month or so we’ve been working on your “get on top IQ.” Now we’re going to focus on building a solid vocabulary of submission hooks — starting with the 11 moves in the video on the left. Should you watch the video? Sure! But you should also practice them with a friend and/or on a some kind of human analog. What would be a good human analog? Stay tuned — a video will be coming out next week containing DIY instructions for a $5 training option that will blow your mind!
Looking for a 100% free mind-body-spirit martial arts program? Join the martial arts club in Richmond, VA or click here to sign up for the Heritage self-defense distance learning program!
Heritage Fitness: Constitutionals — we’ve been doing them since 2009, 15 years strong, and they’re still the twice/week prescription for foundational fitness. Twice a week, come hell or high water, knock out a constitutional (“CNL”). You won’t regret it — I promise. What’s a CNL? 7 calisthenics, 25 reps each, back to back, with as little rest as possible, with a target time of <20 mins.
This week’s CNL is a mobility set designed to build functional strength when moving around on the ground. Why does ground mobility matter? Well, you wouldn’t want to do a reenactment of that famous “I’ve fallen and I can’t get up!” commercial, would you? And if you live an active life, some ground mobility is really useful if you have to go underneath your house to shut off the water because of a leak, when working on a vehicle, in a survival situation, for self-defense, and so on.
Ground Mobility Constitutional (“CNL”)
Bear Walk (100 yards)
Shrimp (25 reps)
Crawl (100 yards)
Shin Box (25 reps)
Back Bridge (25 reps)
Sit-Outs (25 reps)
Pikes (25 reps)
Don’t know these exercises? Ask me in the comments and maybe I’ll shoot a video.
Want more old-school training tips, or a free fitness coach to help develop an old-school fitness program that suits your specific needs and goals? Click here to sign up for one of our free programs!
Heritage Wildwood Outdoor Skills: Moon phase matching quiz.
Moonrise times vary by phase and time of year, but are predictable within a certain range. Match the phase with the moonrise time (left). Click here to view the answers.
Why does it matter? Here are three good reasons:
1. If you’re lost somewhere at night without a light source, you need to know when the moon is going to rise and illuminate your surroundings.
2. The moon rises in the east and sets in the west (roughly), the same way the sun does. Watch the moon rise or set and you can get your bearings when lost.
3. A moon phase cycle is about 29 days, which means there’s about a week between each of the four phases. If you’re on the move at night for an extended period of time, to avoid the desert heat, pursuers in a self-defense situation, etc. you can predict when the moon is, or is not, going to be in the sky and how bright it will, or will not, be.
Don’t know this stuff? Get with the program – the free Heritage Wildwood distance learning program! Click here to sign up!
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 Sunday, 4/21/24 – Father Mitch
Readings: Acts 4:8-12, Ps 118:1, 8-9, 21-23, 26, 28, 29, 1 Jn 3:1-2, Jn 10:11-18
John 10:11-18 World English Bible Catholic Edition
“I am the good shepherd.* The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12 He who is a hired hand, and not a shepherd, who doesn’t own the sheep, sees the wolf coming, leaves the sheep, and flees. The wolf snatches the sheep and scatters them. 13 The hired hand flees because he is a hired hand and doesn’t care for the sheep. 14 I am the good shepherd. I know my own, and I’m known by my own; 15 even as the Father knows me, and I know the Father. I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 I have other sheep which are not of this fold.* I must bring them also, and they will hear my voice. They will become one flock with one shepherd. 17 Therefore the Father loves me, because I lay down my life, * that I may take it again. 18 No one takes it away from me, but I lay it down by myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. I received this commandment from my Father.”
Jesus says, “I am the good shepherd” who “lays down his life for the sheep.” Steeped as we are in Christianity and its values, this is easy to hear in a certain familiar way. Jesus is Lord, his church is his flock, we follow his lead and obey his commandments, he leads us good pasture which is eternal life, and so on. This is familiar ground for us. But we must not let this become so familiar that it gets boring. We cannot afford to nod off. We can’t snooze on this point.
Jesus’ words were very scandalous at the time. There’s a reason why, immediately following this, in Verse19, we read,
“[A] division arose again among the Jews because of these words. 20 Many of them said, “He has a demon and is insane! Why do you listen to him?” 21 Others said, “These are not the sayings of one possessed by a demon. It isn’t possible for a demon to open the eyes of the blind, is it?”
Why were these words, so tame to our Christian ears, so inflammatory? Because the theme of the shepherd king is as old as the Hebrews’ most revered prophets, and Jesus is invoking their ancient words of criticism.
Jeremiah scolded the kings of Israel for their abuses, proclaiming,
“Behold, the days come,” says the LORD,
“that I will raise to David a righteous Branch;
and he will reign as king and deal wisely,
and will execute justice and righteousness in the land.
6 In his days Judah will be saved,
and Israel will dwell safely.
This is his name by which he will be called:
The LORD our righteousness. (Jer 23:5-6)
And Ezekiel picked up the same theme, saying,
11 “ ‘For the Lord GOD says: “Behold, I myself, even I, will search for my sheep, and will seek them out. 12 As a shepherd seeks out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered abroad, so I will seek out my sheep. I will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day. 13 I will bring them out from the peoples, and gather them from the countries, and will bring them into their own land. (Ezekiel 34:11-13)
Yes, Jesus’ words angered the leaders of his day because he echoed accusations they had heard many times, from the mouths of Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and also Zechariah, to whom the Lord said,
“Woe to the worthless shepherd who leaves the flock! The sword will strike his arm and his right eye. His arm will be completely withered, and his right eye will be totally blinded!” (Zecharaiah 11:17).
We need to hear the words of Jesus right now, just as the Jews heard them then. Because merely human shepherds of all kinds – religious leaders, political leaders, social, community, and educational leaders – are always waxing and waning. Some openly work evil. Some do great things for a time and then lose their way. Ultimately, all fall short of the glory of God.
But God is eternal. He will not fail us. And this, brothers and sisters, is the thing that Jesus implied that most angered the leaders of his day. This is the fact we take for granted that was so scandalous at the time: that Jesus is the Good Shepherd who lays down his life for his sheep. That Jesus is the Son of God who came to earth to gather together his flock from all the peoples of the earth – who laid down his life for his sheep, and then took it up again, rising from the dead.
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*10:11 Isaiah 40:11; Ezekiel 34:11-12,15,22
*10:16 Isaiah 56:8
*10:17 Isaiah 53:7-8