This is the beginning of the Jewish New Year 5781. I may not have a full grasp of the rich traditions in the celebration of this High Holy Day, but I do know the greatest Jewish man that ever lived. Jesus celebrated this holiday with great reverence because he knew the One True God, His Father, and He was raised by Jewish parents.

Rosh Hashanah

This year Rosh Hashanah began on September 18th and ended on the 20th. This High Holy Day lasts two days, but both days are considered one long day of 48 hours. It is celebrated on the seventh month of the Hebrew calendar. Rosh Hashanah is also known as the Feast of Trumpets, when the shofar is blown. According to tradition, this is a time of great repentance, when God judges all creatures.  During the ten Days of Awe between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, God inscribes the names of the righteous in the “Book of Life:” those who fail to make the list are condemned. Those unfortunate souls must perform a “Teshvah” or repentance. You have ten days to look inward and atone for all your sinful behavior. This is a time for the Jewish people to remember their history and to pray for the Jewish nation of Israel.

Yom Kippur

Yom Kippur is the holiest of all the Jewish holidays. Traditionally on this day the Jewish High Priest would set aside seven days away from his normal family life to prepare for the sacred Day of Atonement.

Leviticus 8:33 New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition

The High Priest withdrew to his chambers in the Holy Temple. Throughout the week he would immerse himself in the studies of the Law relating to the task that he had to perform on the sacred day. There was always a designated High Priest in case he inadvertently became defiled. On the Day of Atonement no one was permitted to witness the performing of the incense because they followed the strict rules of the Torah.

The Red Heifer

Once a year the High Priest would sacrifice a red heifer. He would sprinkle the blood from the cow on the Mercy Seat, and the ashes were used for purification of the Jewish people. It has been 2,000 years since the Israelites have atoned for the sin of their nation in this manner. The red heifer was used on the Day of Atonement in both Temples; the First Temple was destroyed by the Babylonians, and the Second Temple destroyed by the Romans.

On several of our visits to Jerusalem we have visited The Temple Institute. This organization has dedicated their time and efforts to reconstruct all the vessels needed to build the Third Temple. One of the last things they needed was the red heifer. This cow cannot have any blemish and no white hair can be detected. The last time I visited the Temple Institute, they were still working on the DNA for the red heifer. Two years ago two red heifers were born; they are closely monitored for any defects. The news of the birth of these special cows can only mean that Jews are going to build their Temple in anticipation of the Messiah. This cow can not be older than four years. These are strict Levitical rules they must adhere to.

Dear Heavenly Father, I pray for our nation to come together in peace during Yom Kippur. Lord, You are our High Priest, and we wait in anticipation of Your Second Coming. Lord, fill the earth with the sweet-smelling scent of Your holy incense. Allow us to hear the trumpets as they hail Your holy presence. We place all of our petitions upon Your Holy Mercy Seat. Consume them, and let them be a pleasing sacrifice. Forgive us of all transgressions, and bless us to become better servants in Your Kingdom. Amen.

When Mike and I were newlyweds  his father would always tell me about a small village in Spain named Ciriza. Miguel, Mike’s father, wanted us to know his  ancestry. I never forgot his stories about this small village in Spain; I neatly tucked them away in my mind for another time. Mike and I had been to Europe several times before we considered visiting the land of our ancestors. A cousin of Mike’s took on the task of tracing the family name back to the Moors. His cousin Chris blessed us with this thick report  but because, it was mostly written in Spanish, it was too time consuming to read. I filed it away for safekeeping. We had arranged to meet Chris, but something came up and we had to cancel our meeting. After all that painstaking research, Mike’s cousin took his own life. We never met, and, sadly, Chris left behind a young wife and child.

Transition

When we sold our business Mike needed to rejuvenate. Larry, one of Mike’s dear friends, has a buddy named Jose who has family in Spain.  While he was visiting he went to “Ciriza” and texted a photo of a sign  to Larry. Mike received the text that same day. This stirred up something sentimental in Mike, so before long a trip to Ciriza was planned. I’m a missionary, so if I’m going to Europe, it’s going to be for a religious purpose as well. I remember looking at a map of Spain;  there in the tiniest font was Ciriza. I looked to the north and about three inches away was Lourdes, France. Now I needed to convince Mike that if we traveled up three more inches on the map, we could go on a pilgrimage to Lourdes. Mike was not having it, so I started to pray. Finally, after much pleading, he agreed.

Ciriza

When we arrived at our quaint hotel in the heart of Pamplona, we inquired about hiring a guide to visit Ciriza. It was as if God’s hand was used in the details of the trip. We were told about a lady, Maria (Tota) from Pamplona, who was an excellent guide. The irony was that she and her family have a home in the village of Ciriza. We arranged to meet with her the following day. Tota picked us up in her car and we drove to Ciriza. This small village is about 20 minutes from Pamplona. Since our tour guide is from this village of less then 150 inhabitants, everyone knows each other. In Ciriza the main street leads to San Miguel Catholic Church. We were privileged to have the sanctuary opened for us by a friend of  Tota’s.  As we passed through the over- sized wooden doors we were in awe of the simple, unscathed beauty of this tiny church with cathedral ceilings. We walked up to the balcony,  breathed in the holiness and prayed for our loved ones.  In the village’s recreational room, casually hanging on the wall is the Ciriza Coat of Arms. Mike took several pictures but accidentally deleted them. Ciriza produces its own wine, but the winery was closed on the day we visited. This village is surrounded by windmills set high on top of the Echauri mountain range. Its pristine scenery was left in my memory bank, so when I close my eyes it all comes back to me.

The Bullfighters

I was piecing it all together: Mike’s father Miguel was a bullfighter who loved the sport and wanted us to experience first hand where his family tree originated. In his youth  Miguel was a brave  bullfighter in the large arenas in Chihuahua, Mexico. When Mike was younger his father took him to Spain on several occasions to watch the bullfights.  Mike can still name some of the famous bullfighters he and his father saw in Madrid: Paco Camino and “El Cordobes.” El Cordobes  had long hair, and the fans would waves their combs while cheering him on when he came out to the arena.

San Fermin

On the route of the running of  the bulls in Pamplona is a statue of San Fermin. Before running with the bulls the participants ask for the saint’s protection by touching his permanent icon set in the old city walls. St. Fermin is the patron saint of Pamplona. He was the first bishop of Pamplona during the time of the Roman persecution of Christians. San Fermin was beheaded in Amiens, France. The connection between St. Fermin and the Running of the Bulls stems from his master San Saturinus’ martyrdom, not  St. Fermin. the legend says that San Saturinus was arrested and condemned to death because of his faith. Saturinus was tied by his feet to a bull and dragged through the city until he finally died.  Another legend:  the farmers needed to transport their bulls to market, so in order to make the bulls move faster, they coaxed them into running. This soon became a contest as whose bulls  could reach the stalls first.

We ate wonderful paella and for several days strolled through this town made famous by Ernest Hemingway in his 1926 novel   “The Sun Also Rises.”

Genealogy

Both Mike and I have ancestral roots in Spain, so I am still researching my maiden name Urquidez. This name also has a Basque heritage, originally it was spelled Urquidi.

When we are aware of our background, we can understand who we are. According to Ancestry. com  I am 46% Spaniard and 46% Mexican. My family’s background has always been Catholic on both sides. Father Arturo Lozano Ciriza, Mike’s uncle, was a Jesuit priest. From Chris’s research, I found the baptismal records of Mike’s grandfather in San Miguel Catholic Church in Ciriza. The time and effort that Chris Ciriza put into his research is greatly appreciated. I wish I could thank him and tell him that what he accomplished for the Ciriza family was an unselfish act of love.

The beauty in this discovery is that you do not have to come from nobility to be engrafted into the family of God. In the end we are all His children, and this is the only place where you will find peace. God called us from every race and creed and welcomed us into His family. I sing praises to Your Name, Lord, and give You the glory for You are my Heavenly Father.

My Prayer

Dear Lord, I pray for the repose of the soul of Christopher Aaron Ciriza. Father God, Chris was searching for his identity but did not find it on earth. Embrace this precious soul and allow him to feel Your loved. Lord, I pray for all lost souls contemplating suicide. Father, speak to them in night visions and give them a reason to live. Surround them with people who will help them find meaning in this crazy world. Comfort their brokenness and allow them to hear Your powerful, still small voice. Amen.

If you are not making a difference in life, what are you doing? God has called me to write this Blog, He did not tell me that it would be of any great success, or that it would go viral, He gives me ideas and I obediently write away. Perhaps by reaching several people to tug at their hearts, to motivate them to seek what God has intended for your life, Am I making a difference? I pray so.

We were all born for a certain time, you were chosen by God to witness life as it is now. And the direction you choose will make all the difference; you will either serve God or yourself.

Becoming a Lover of Self

When a individual reaches this level of self-love it comes with a hefty price. There is little room in your delusional, compart-mentalized heaven for others. Humility is a quality that will not fit your narrative. The Bible clearly states that men will become lovers of themselves. Once you reach this pentacle, and anyone or anything that gets in your way must bow down to you or be destroyed. Lover of themselves need be to fed a lot of affirmation to continue to rule their tiny mind kingdoms. Are these people gifted? Sometimes yes, but they are using their gifts perversely. I cannot stress enough that God has given special gifts for us all. The misguided believe that the gifts were created by their own means, because they have become their own deity. They have been persuaded that their gifts were earned through their own intellect. Their narcissistic beliefs can carry them to new levels of godship.  By using words like blessings and becoming involved with philanthropy, they hide their real character. They only have one thing in mind: to gain more recognition and to continue to climb up that unattainable mountains. They have no God, and they will never experience the joy of  purpose.

The Real Mountain

We as Christians have our own peaks and valleys as we carry our proverbial crosses in life. Unlike the lovers of self, our mountain is always visible; we can and eventually attain our goals. Do you remember the story of Moses when he met God on Mt. Sinai? What were the Israelites doing at the bottom of the hill? Were they praying and waiting for Moses to come down from the mountain? No, they grew impatient and did the unthinkable, they built a false idol! We reach the mountain through meditation in prayer, we draw closer and closer the more we give up the things of the world. Our goal is not to reach the top of the mountain and beat our chest saying “I’m the king of the hill!” No! we are spiritually satisfied because we’ve broken through in perseverance and patience, in knowing that God was always at our side.

God did not put you on earth to protest, destroy private property or to block freeways. The way I see it, we have on our hands a generation of lost souls searching for their purpose in life. These people are filled with passion, that is mixed with pent up anger.

Unresolved anger festers in the spirit, it churns up old hurts from the past. It could be a bad relationship with your mother or father, or a trauma that continues to trigger an emotion. When you add unforgiveness to anger, you created a potion of hatred. This type of hatred will surface in a playback of your mind. You visualize the trauma, hearing every word of pain as if it were being done in person. These reminders are in your subconscious left in your memory bank to control your emotions. God created our subconscious but being delivered of our past hurts will free us from these strongholds. You can seek the advice of a godly therapist and/or pray that the Lord heal you. God wants us whole, and He has allowed us to experience pain so that we can help others get past their distress. If someone who has been in prison comes to me for help, I will do my best, but an ex-prisoner can better understand the person’s situation because they’ve experienced it and have the compassion to guide much better than I can. We have all witness the anger that surrounds us, we’ve become a divided nation, leaving the door wide open for the Devil to come and stake his claim. Satan is the master manipulator, distorting facts in order to cause mass confusion and polarization.

⁴ who consoles us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to console those who are in any affliction with the consolation with which we ourselves are consoled by God.

Confusion

I really don’t  know who or what to believe in this COVID-19 situation. So many mixed messages has put me in the state of doubt. When I attend daily Mass, I sit outdoors, about 20 steps from the door of the church, why can’t I go and serve God inside the church? I obediently wear a mask whenever I’m in public, but when this all started no specialist were sure if it made a difference. I watched the news last night reporting on the unrest and protest in different parts of our country. Clearly there were hundreds of people, but the report casually mention that they were protesting. The news immediately switched to a beach scene, showing hundreds of beachgoers but this time it was about them spreading COVID-19.

This type of bias reporting is confusing because in both cases you are susceptible to catching COVID-19. God gave me a free will and a clear, reasoning mind to think independently; therefore I do not fall for every wind of doctrine and I certainly do not believe the lies that we are all being trained to follow. I’m not a rebel but I recognize a political con and the motives behind it.

54 Day Novena

On August 15th I joined a novena. The Latin meaning of novena is derived from the word “novem” or nine. A novena is typically a nine day prayer. This prayer comes from the Book of Acts, (Acts 1:12-13) before Jesus ascended into heaven He asked his Apostles to pray. For nine days they prayed in the Upper Room preparing for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. The 54 day novena is not uncommon, I, along with millions of other Catholics are praying the same prayer. Lately I have been praying in my back yard early evening. My cat Prudie and I will walk around the back yard praying the Rosary. Durning this petition I am asking our Blessed Mother’s intersession on behalf our our nation. We are praying for peace in the up coming elections. We pray the Joyful, Sorrowful and Glorious mysteries of the Rosary.

My Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, just as the Apostles waited for the outpouring of Your Holy Spirit, we anxiously wait for You to answer all of our petitions. Lord, keep us safe and healthy during these calamitous times. Grant us peace in knowing that You are ever present. Amen.