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 #360
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Fitness and Self-Defense combo: Breathing exercises — yea or nay? “Cleansing breaths” seem to be a universal and perennial favorite. But are they useful? Do they do anything? If so, what exactly do they do? Before you poo-poo them, I suggest giving them a try. I’ve been doing the Farmer Burns breathing exercises for a while now (see video on the left), right at the beginning of every training session, and and I have to say that I really like them. Can I quantify it? Do I have data? Nope. They’re just fun, and I feel like my training sessions are more relaxed and yet focused now that I’m doing them. I’d love to hear your thoughts and impressions after giving them a good try — not just once mind you, but at the beginning of every training session for a couple of months. Want to learn more old-school fitness and martial arts material? Need a Rough ‘n’ Tumble coach so you can learn more practical self-defensey sort of stuff? Need a fitness coach to help you design a training program that works for you? Click here to participate in one of our free programs!
Blephilia ciliata a.k.a. Downy Wood Mint. Use leaves and flower petals for tea.
Wildwood outdoor skills: When was the last time you went camping? Got outside for a couple of days to see what you could see? My youngest daughter took me out into the woods for a Father’s Day camping trip and we saw all kinds of cool stuff (photo set below) including tons of beaver sign, a blue-tailed skink, enough oxe-eye daisy to fill up an 18-wheeler, and a nice-sized patch of Blephilia ciliata a.k.a. Downy Wood Mint (right). Leaves and flower petals make a mild tea. Want more inspiration, and education, regarding outdoor skills? Click here and sign up for the 100% free Heritage Wildwood distance learning program!
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 the Eleventh Sunday of Ordinary Time, Sunday 6/18/23 – Archdeacon Mitch
Readings: Ex 19:2-6a, Ps 100:1-2, 3, 5, Romans 5:6-11, Matthew 9:36—10:8
Matthew 9:36—10:8 World English Bible Catholic Edition
36 But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion for them because they were harassed§ and scattered, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest indeed is plentiful, but the laborers are few. 38 Pray therefore that the Lord of the harvest will send out laborers into his harvest.”
1 He called to himself his twelve disciples, and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every sickness. 2 Now the names of the twelve apostles are these. The first, Simon, who is called Peter; Andrew, his brother; James the son of Zebedee; John, his brother; 3 Philip; Bartholomew; Thomas; Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus; Lebbaeus, who was also called† Thaddaeus; 4 Simon the Zealot; and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him.
5 Jesus sent these twelve out and commanded them, saying, “Don’t go among the Gentiles, and don’t enter into any city of the Samaritans. 6 Rather, go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 7 As you go, preach, saying, ‘The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!’ 8 Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers,‡ and cast out demons. Freely you received, so freely give.
Brothers and sisters, this week we have no holiday, no solemnity, and no feast. It’s not Easter, or Christmas, or any of that. And yet in this week’s readings we find a message that is one of the most profound and important in all the Gospel.
In our reading of Romans 5:6-11, Paul says, “God commends his own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” And then he adds, “For if while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we will be saved by his life.” He’s saying in essence, “If you think Christ’s Passion reconciled you to God, you ain’t seen nothing yet -- wait until you see what comes with accepting Christ’s Resurrection!”
Imagine if we allowed ourselves to be crucified and resurrected in Christ. What might we be capable of? What might we be able to achieve? We might be able to become “a kingdom of priests and a holy nation” as we heard in our first reading from Exodus. It might even be possible for us to go forth, as the disciples are charged to do in today’s Gospel reading, to “heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, and cast out demons” -- freely giving as we freely received.
Why freely giving? Because Christ freely gave his life for us. And also because, as Ezekiel says in Ezekiel 17:24, it is the Lord who brings low the high tree and lifts up the low tree; who withers up the green tree and makes the withered tree bloom. It is God who decides who is blessed and who is damned, who will wither in the wilderness of falsehood and who will take root and blossom in his truth. And so, it’s not for us to decide to whom we should and should not freely give our love.
Next Saturday, June 24th, 2023 on the Feast of the Solemnity of St. John the Baptist, I will be vested as a priest. During last night’s session of the final class I’m required to take in preparation for the service, Father Clyde Kuemmerle told us that in the old days, priests used to frequently walk their parishes, speaking to everyone they met, getting to know each and every neighbor, offering help and assistance to the baptized and the unbaptized alike. He said that I would do well to emulate the old ways.
And that’s great advice for us all. Each and every one of us should strive to be a priest, and everyone we meet should be our neighbor. And let’s not forget that our assignment is to love our neighbor as ourselves (Mt 22:39-40).
§ 9:36 TR reads “weary” instead of “harassed”
† 10:3 NU omits “Lebbaeus, who was also called”
‡ 10:8 TR adds “raise the dead,”