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 #357
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Self-Defense: It’s wrestling week this week. Do 25 Bridges per day, every day this week. A proper Bridge and roll is a wonderful thing. It’s supremely useful for getting off the bottom and should be your bread-and-butter. Make it happen and thank us later. Arch your back as high as you can. Begin your turn. Transfer weight from the heel to the side of the heavy foot, and from the back/crown of the head to the side of the head and/or shoulder. Lift the light foot and swing it over as you complete your roll. At no point should any part of your body touch the floor except your head/shoulder and feet. Reapeat until the cows come home. If none of this makes sense, sounds like you need a Rough ‘n’ Tumble self-defense coach! Join the Heritage Self-Defense club in Richmond, VA. Or, if distance learning is your thing, click here to enroll in the Heritage Self-Defense distance learning program!
Fitness: Old school breathing exercises? Who needs ‘em? Maybe you do. The old-timers all swore by deep breathing exercises, something that modern folks have mostly left behind. Here are the three advocated by the great Martin “Farmer” Burns. Try them and I guarantee you will like them.
First Exercise: Heels together, feet at 90 degrees. Place hands above shoulders as pictured in Plate 1. Breathe in slowly and deeply as you raise your hands to the position indicated (this should take about 4 seconds). Time your breath and your arms precisely such that lungs are full to the maximum just as hands are extended above the head. Hold position with lungs full and airways open – do not clamp down on the breath – for about 4 seconds. Slowly lower arms and place hands at shoulders as you exhale. Again, time your movements to ensure that lungs are empty at the exact point fingertips are at the shoulders. This too should take about 4 seconds. Hold position with lungs empty and airways open for about 4 seconds. Repeat 10 times.
Second Exercise: Heels together, feet at 90 degrees. Start leaning forward, lungs empty, bent slightly at the waist, hands palms down and extended in front of the body as shown in Plate 2. Breathe in slowly and stand straight and bring your arms back into a “T” with palms facing up. This should take about 4 seconds. Time breath and arms precisely such that lungs are full to the maximum just as hands are extended above the head. Hold position with lungs full and airways open – do not clamp down on the breath – for about 4 seconds. Slowly lean forward and extend arms as you exhale, returning to starting position. Again, time your movements to ensure lungs are empty at the exact point arms are extended with palms down. This too should take about 4 seconds. Hold position with lungs empty and airways open for about 4 seconds. Repeat 10 times.
Third Exercise: Heels together, feet at 90 degrees. Grasp left wrist with right hand. Raise arms slowly, inhaling as you go, reaching as high as you can. Make this take about 4 seconds. Time breath and arms precisely such that lungs are full to the maximum just as arms are extended above the head. Hold position with lungs full and airways open – do not clamp down on the breath – for about 4 seconds. Slowly exhale, returning to starting position. Again, time your movements to ensure lungs are empty at the exact point arms are back to starting position in Plate 3. This too should take about 4 seconds. Hold position with lungs empty and airways open for about 4 seconds. Repeat 10 times.
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Wildwood outdoor skills: Mountains — get there.
“The early settlers of this earth, when standing at the foot of a mountain and looking up to where its head vanishes in the clouds, could not help feeling overawed by these stupendous giants. We take all these things for granted, and we have learnt to know what is beyond these mountains; nay, how they were made, and how they can be unmade. But to the early people a mountain-range marked the end of their little world. They saw the dawn, the sun, the moon and the stars rising above the mountain-tops, the very sky seemed to rest on them ; but what was beyond or beneath or above, no one could guess. In later times the highest mountains were often believed to be the seats of the gods, and the highest points were often chosen as the most appropriate for building temples to the gods. “ (Natural Religion by by Max Muller, 1898, page 151)
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Holy Communion is now LIVE on YouTube every Sunday at 9AM EASTERn. Click HERE to watch live and, to view and print a copy of the program for holy communion, CLICK HERE.
Homily for Pentecost Sunday 5/28/23 – Archdeacon Mitch
Readings: Acts 2:1-11, 104:1, 24, 29-30, 31, 34, 1 Cor 12:3b-7, 12-13, Veni, Sancte Spiritus, Jn 20:19-23
Acts 2:1-11 World English Bible Catholic Edition
1 Now when the day of Pentecost had come, they were all with one accord in one place. 2 Suddenly there came from the sky a sound like the rushing of a mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. 3 Tongues like fire appeared and were distributed to them, and one sat on each of them. 4 They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other languages, as the Spirit gave them the ability to speak.
5 Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men, from every nation under the sky. 6 When this sound was heard, the multitude came together and were bewildered, because everyone heard them speaking in his own language. 7 They were all amazed and marveled, saying to one another, “Behold, aren’t all these who speak Galileans? 8 How do we hear, everyone in our own native language? 9 Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and people from Mesopotamia, Judea, Cappadocia, Pontus, Asia, 10 Phrygia, Pamphylia, Egypt, the parts of Libya around Cyrene, visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, 11 Cretans and Arabians—we hear them speaking in our languages the mighty works of God!”
Flame? Tongues of fire? Tongues of fire that came down to rest on each of the disciples? What is this flame that gives them the ability to communicate with people of all cultures and fills them with miraculous energy, dedication, drive, and fearlessness, such that they are able to face persecution, torture, and execution in order to spread the message?
This is the same flame that set a bush alight without consuming it, drew Moses aside from his path, and signaled that he must take on a new life’s mission – to lead his people out of bondage.
This is the same flame that, after the people have escaped Egyptian tyranny, appears as a pillar of fire to lead them through the wilderness by night. In Deut 4:24 we read, “Our God is a consuming fire.” And Isaiah declares,
Who among us can live with the devouring fire?
Who among us can live with everlasting burning?
He who walks righteously
and speaks blamelessly,
he who despises the gain of oppressions,
who gestures with his hands, refusing to take a bribe,
who stops his ears from hearing of bloodshed,
and shuts his eyes from looking at evil –
he will dwell on high. (Isa 33:14b-16a)
And so we see now that this is the flame that does not consume our flesh but, if we allow it, burns away our desire to sin and shows us a way through the darkness we encounter in daily life. This is the flame that burns away our appetite for money, power, and fame, and lights us up with passion to do God’s work.
This is the fire that, as we try to walk the footsteps of Jesus Christ, burns away the dead wood and renews the forest of our heart, mind, and soul.
This is the flame that so purified the and illuminated St. Paul that he was able to proclaim, “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live but Christ who lives in me.” (Gal 2:20)
This is the fire of the Holy Ghost. Let us all, my brothers and sisters, burn with this fire. Let us give our lives to Christ and proclaim him to the nations as the disciples did. And let us all pray, as the priest does in Mass after he has incensed the altar, “May the Lord enkindle within us the fire of His love and the flame of everlasting charity.”