Friday Email 13-11-2020

Hello Faith Pals,

Well, Happy Friday!  I didn’t realize until yesterday that it was going to be Friday the 13th.  Here is some information for you.  I wrote it up on my Word Doc, because I was having problems with my email earlier this morning:

Friday the 13^th is considered an unlucky day in Western superstition.  Friday the 13^th occurs in any month that begins on a Sunday.  This irrational fear of the number 13 has been given a scientific name:’ triskaidekaphobia.’  It is thought that the unlucky nature of the number 13 may have originated in Norse myth, about 12 gods having a dinner party at Valhalla.  The trickster god, Loki, was not invited.  He came, as the 13^thguest, arranged for Balder (a god, son of Odin) to be killed.  Then the earth went dark. 

The superstition may have arisen in Christianity; another dinner party-the Last Supper!  Thirteen people present in the Upper Room.

In Spanish-speaking countries, instead of Friday, it is Tuesday the 13^th that is a day considered to be unlucky, and in Italy, it is Friday the 17^th (not the 13^th) that is their unlucky day.  The origin of this belief can be traced in the writing of the number 17 in Roman numerals: XV11.  If you reorder the numbers, you could make the word V1X1 (‘I have lived’-implying death in the present) so the number 17 is seen as bad luck.  In 2000 the film ‘Shrek: If You Know What I Did Last Friday the Thirteenth’ was released in Italy with the title ‘Shrek: Do You Have Something To Do on Friday the 17^th?’

In the United States, an estimated 17-21 million people are so affected by their fear of this day that they avoid going to work, taking flights, or even getting out of bed.  Approximately $800-900 million is lost in business on Friday the 13^th in the United States.

Well, I think numbers are God given, so there is nothing to fear.

If we want a religious flavour today, it is the feast day of St Diego Alcala (also known as Didacus of Alcala). He was a Franciscan lay brother of the fifteenth century who lived on the Canary Islands off the coast of Spain.  He was the cook and doorkeeper.  His kindness to the poor who came to his kitchen door and his gift of healing caused him to be declared a saint before his death in 1463.  When he felt that the end of his life was drawing near, he asked for an old and worn out habit, so that he might die in it as a true son of the poor St Francis. With his eyes fixed on the crucifix, he died, saying the words, “O faithful wood, O precious nails! You have borne an exceedingly sweet burden, for you have been deemed worthy to bear the Lord and King of heaven.”

Later he was also granted the status of saint by the wider church through the efforts of the king of Spain, whose son was cured by Diego. Now, to cook and to serve meals with love is not only ‘good medicine’ it is also a glimpse of heaven.  When Jesus sat down to eat, he invited all.  Perhaps the door to the dining room, or to the kitchen could be a door where we glimpse heaven for a moment?

Here is a prayer:

‘Humble Saint Diego, be a blessing

to all who prepare meals and work in the kitchen.

May all of us who take up that humble yet holy task

strive to insure that not only the food

but our hospitality and table conversation

will make all meals doorways to heaven.’

Amen (prayer by Edward Hay)

For many of us, lockdown has been hard because of the absence of people at our table.  Now that there is a lifting of restrictions, we will enjoy our times together even more, I think.

News: Alan Kingsbury’s results have continued to rise.  He is going to have a bone and deep body scan (probably next week) to determine the next course of treatment.  Alan wrote in an email to me last night: ‘… kindly state my health is not good news but I’m resolved to be  positive and patient that GOD will show me the correct path.’  Please keep Alan and Fredrica in your prayers.

Also Rohini and Jaya.  Lex and Leora: Lex is making slow and steady progress, which is good.  Still quite tired, which is understandable.  Shirley Edwards is improving a little, now that she is at home.  Margaret Wills is still in hospital, coping with the two bouts of physio each day in the gym.  She will probably have some idea next week about how long she will be remaining in hospital.  She thanks you for your thoughts and prayers.  Jack made it through his operation, but still has a long way to go re recovery.  Please keep Elv, Noy, Martin and Jack in your thoughts and prayers.

This was forwarded to me from a friend: HOW TRUE!  Feel free to forward on to others!

 

This explains why friends forward jokes. A man and his dog were walking along a road  The man was enjoying the scenery when it suddenly occurred to him that he was dead.  He remembered dying and that the dog walking beside him had been dead for years.  He wondered where the road was leading them.  After a while, they came to a high, white stone wall along one side of the road. It looked like fine marble. At the top of a long hill, it was broken by a tall arch that glowed in the sunlight. When he was standing before it, he saw a magnificent gate in the arch that looked like mother-of-pearl and the street that led to the gate looked like pure gold.  He and the dog walked toward the gate, and as he got closer, he saw a man at a desk to one side. When he was close enough, he called out, “Excuse me, where are we?” “This is Heaven, sir,” the man answered. ”Wow! Would you happen to have some water?” the man asked. ”Of course, sir. Come right in, and I’ll have some ice water brought right up.” The man gestured, and the gate began to open. “Can my friend,” gesturing toward his dog, “come in, too?” the traveller asked.  ”I’m sorry, sir, but we don’t accept pets.” The man thought a moment and then turned back toward the road and continued the way he had been going with his dog.  After another long walk, and at the top of another long hill, he came to a dirt road leading through a farm gate that looked as if it had never been closed. There was no fence. As he approached the gate, he saw a man inside, leaning against a tree and reading a book.  ”Excuse me!” he called to the man. “Do you have any water?”  ”Yeah, sure, there’s a pump over there, come on in.”  ”How about my friend here?” the traveller gestured to the dog  ”There should be a bowl by the pump,” said the man. They went through the gate, and sure enough, there was an old-fashioned hand pump with a bowl beside it.  The traveler filled the water bowl and took a long drink himself, then he gave some to the dog.  When they were full, he and the dog walked back toward the man who was standing by the tree.  ”What do you call this place?” the traveler asked. “This is Heaven,” he answered. ”Well, that’s confusing,” the traveler said. ”The man down the road said that was Heaven, too.” ”Oh, you mean the place with the gold street and pearly gates? Nope. That’s Hell.”  ”Doesn’t it make you mad for them to use your name like that?” ”No, we’re just happy that they screen out the folks who would leave their best friends behind.”  So-o-o-o. Now you see, sometimes, we wonder why friends keep forwarding stuff to us without writing a word.  Maybe this will explain it. When you are very busy, but still want to keep in touch, guess what you do? You forward emails!  When you have nothing to say, but still want to keep contact, you forward jokes!  When you have something to say, but don’t know what, and don’t know how . . . . You forward stuff!  A ‘forward’ lets you know that . . . . . . You are still remembered, . . . You are still important, . . . You are still loved, . . . You are still cared for.  So, next time if you get a ‘forward’, don’t think that you’ve been sent just another forwarded joke, but that you’ve been thought of today and your friend on the other end of your computer wanted to send you a smile.  You are welcome at my water bowl anytime !!  So here’s to keeping in touch . . . Even if it means only forwarding on an email!

 

Blessings and love,

Barbara

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