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Rejoice and Give
"What should we do?" the crowds ask John the Baptist in this Sunday's Gospel. This simple question permeates our earthly lives. What should we do with our time, treasure, and talent? What should we do in school, in our careers, in our community? What should we do with our lives?
As we prepare to celebrate the Third Sunday of Advent, we can look to the Scriptures to help us answer this resounding question. In the readings for Sunday, we hear responses that can be boiled down to two words: "rejoice" and "give." These words can guide not only our Advent journey, but our entire spiritual lives.
"Rejoice in the Lord always," St. Paul writes to the Philippians in the second reading. This is not a suggestion, but a command—one coming from a man who has experienced beatings, stoning, shipwreck, cold, hunger, and robbery. This call comes from a man who, by human standards, has no cause to rejoice. What, then, sets Paul apart from the average human person? A relationship with Jesus Christ. It is this relationship, which nothing can break, that enables us to rejoice regardless of our circumstances.
During this time of year, it is fitting to be merry and to rejoice. Decorations and lights fill stores and homes, festive music plays, and social engagements abound. The world rejoices over the coming of our Savior on Christmas Day. He has already come and opened the doors of salvation, and he continues to invite each generation into this wonderful gift as we celebrate his birth each year.
But what does this rejoicing look like for Christians?
Herein lies the second piece of advice from this Sunday's readings: rejoice through giving. This, too, is something our culture thinks about during the Advent and Christmas seasons. We participate in "Secret Santa" gift exchanges with friends or colleagues; our parishes collect gifts for families in need; we exchange gifts on Christmas Day with family and loved ones. The prayer attributed to St. Francis says, "it is in giving that we receive." Do we not feel this in a special way at Christmas time?
The capacity with which we rejoice cannot exist in its fullness without our capacity to give. The more fully our "kindness is known to all," as St. Paul wrote to the Philippians, the more fully we experience the true joy that comes from Christ. Our acts of service make us more capable of truly rejoicing.
The Christian life is one of both prayer and action. In the Gospel, John the Baptist directs the Jews asking him "what should we do?" to works of mercy--Catholic Social Teaching in seed form.
"Whoever has two tunics should share with the person who has none. And whoever has food should do likewise…Stop collecting more than what is prescribed…Do not practice extortion, do not falsely accuse anyone, and be satisfied with your wages," he responds to the crowds, tax collectors, and soldiers.
These seem like simple, almost obvious, directions. But we need to be reminded of them again and again. This Advent, may we be "filled with expectation" as we rejoice in Christ. As we seek to answer "what should we do?", let us ask for the intercession of St. Paul and St. John the Baptist to more fully rejoice by modeling kindness through our daily acts of service and charity.
Questions for Reflection: How are you rejoicing this Christmas season? How can you participate in the spirit of giving?
Kate Fowler is the Blog Editor for the Catholic Apostolate Center. She received her Master's in Leadership for the New Evangelization at the Augustine Institute.
Everyday Holiness (Part 2): 10 Quotes from Pope Francis' Apostolic Exhortation to Help You Be Holy in Today's World
On April 9, the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord, Pope Francis released his latest Apostolic Exhortation: Gaudete et Exsultate (Rejoice and Be Glad): On the Call to Holiness in Today's World. This is the third Apostolic Exhortation of his papacy, following Evangelii Gaudium, the Apostolic Exhortation on the Proclamation of the Gospel in Today's World and Amoris Laetitia, a post-synodal Apostolic Exhortation on Love in the Family. What was his goal? "To re-propose the call to holiness in a practical way for our own time, with all its risks, challenges and opportunities" (GE 2). Without delving too much into a theological or heady definition of holiness, Pope Francis invites us simply and straightforwardly to open ourselves to the specific and unique mission God has created us for. In this, he says, lies true joy and freedom. Our Holy Father takes us back to the Source of Holiness, Jesus Christ, and encourages us to look to the Beatitudes as guides for holiness. Below, I've compiled some of my favorite quotes and key take-aways from this approachable, yet profound, exhortation.
1."A person's perfection is measured not by the information or knowledge they possess, but by the depth of their charity."-GE 37
It is tempting to leave the task of holiness to theologians, the clergy, or those who work for the institutional Church. Here, Pope Francis reminds us that holiness is not all about intellectual knowledge, our ability to quote the latest Church document, or the Catechism. While knowledge of the Faith certainly is important, our holiness is measured by the amount of love with which we infuse all of our actions. I can't help but think of St. John of the Cross's quote: "In the twilight of life, God will not judge us on our earthly possessions and human successes, but on how well we have loved.
2. "Jesus explained with great simplicity what it means to be holy when he gave us the Beatitudes (cf. Mt 5:3-12; Lk 6:20-23). The Beatitudes are like a Christian's identity card…In the Beatitudes, we find a portrait of the Master, which we are called to reflect in our daily lives." -GE 63
I love that Pope Francis ultimately leads us to Scripture and to Jesus Christ Himself as the model and teacher of holiness. It can get overwhelming trying to be holy and define holiness in our modern world. The Beatitudes, Pope Francis says, are like a "Christian's identity card." They point us directly to holiness and guide us along the way. Spending time reflecting on each of the Beatitudes will help us to better understand what it means and looks like to be holy.
3. "It is true that the primacy belongs to our relationship with God, but we cannot forget that the ultimate criterion on which our lives will be judged is what we have done for others. Prayer is most precious, for it nourishes a daily commitment to love. Our worship becomes pleasing to God when we devote ourselves to living generously, and allow God's gift, granted in prayer, to be shown in our concern for our brothers and sisters." –GE 104
Here, Pope Francis is reminding us that our prayer must lead to action. We cannot be holy in a vacuum, but are called to live out holiness amidst our brothers and sisters. Service to the world, as promoted by Catholic Social Teaching, is crucial if we are to be true followers of Christ. While our relationship with God always comes first, this relationship turns our gaze outward in order to foster and build relationships of love, service, and communion with our brothers and sisters.
4."Far from being timid, morose, acerbic or melancholy, or putting on a dreary face, the saints are joyful and full of good humour. Though completely realistic, they radiate a positive and hopeful spirit." -GE 122
Holiness leads to joy – this is the true fruit of our living a holy life. As Christians, we are called to exude the joy of the Resurrection and of the Gospel in the midst of a world plagued by sin, brokenness, and suffering. While holiness is joyful, is does not exist in an alternate reality, but embraces the truth of the world in which we live. Pope Francis says that this holiness is "realistic" and allows us to engage the world while still looking beyond it to the glory of eternal life.
5. "God is eternal newness. He impels us constantly to set out anew, to pass beyond what is familiar, to the fringes and beyond. He takes us to where humanity is most wounded... God is not afraid! He is fearless! He is always greater than our plans and schemes. Unafraid of the fringes, he himself became a fringe (cf. Phil 2:6-8; Jn 1:14). So if we dare to go to the fringes, we will find him there; indeed, he is already there." –GE 135
The theme of going outside our comfort zone has been one Pope Francis has promoted since the beginning of his papacy. He calls us as Christians and as the Church to wake up, open our doors, and shake the dust off ourselves by imitating God who is "eternal newness." Holiness, therefore, means being active, bold, and unafraid. It means meeting Christ in the fringes of society and finding him outside the confines of our Church walls.
6."Let us allow the Lord to rouse us from our torpor, to free us from our inertia. Let us rethink our usual way of doing things; let us open our eyes and ears, and above all our hearts, so as not to be complacent about things as they are, but unsettled by the living and effective word of the risen Lord." –GE 137
Here, Pope Francis continues to invite the Church to an examination of conscience. Are we doing things out of habit, because we've always done something a certain way, or are we open to the promptings and workings of the Holy Spirit as we approach our task of holiness and evangelization? The example and word of Jesus Christ should always "unsettle" us to some degree. We do not achieve perfect holiness at some point in our life and then rest on our haunches! The journey lasts throughout our lifetime.
7."Are there moments when you place yourself quietly in the Lord's presence, when you calmly spend time with him, when you bask in his gaze? Do you let his fire inflame your heart? Unless you let him warm you more and more with his love and tenderness, you will not catch fire. How will you then be able to set the hearts of others on fire by your words and witness? If, gazing on the face of Christ, you feel unable to let yourself be healed and transformed, then enter into the Lord's heart, into his wounds, for that is the abode of divine mercy." -GE 151
I love this passage from Gaudete et Exsultate. Pope Francis takes on a more reflective tone here and invites us to be prayerful along our journey to holiness. He gets to the heart of holiness by asking us some profound but unavoidable questions. Essentially, he's asking if we have truly encountered Jesus Christ and his infinite love. This is fundamental to holiness, for our encounter with Christ's love is what will carry us forward on our journey and sustain us. Take some time to pray with these questions and ask the Lord for a deeper encounter with his love.
8."For this spiritual combat, we can count on the powerful weapons that the Lord has given us: faith-filled prayer, meditation on the word of God, the celebration of Mass, Eucharistic adoration, sacramental Reconciliation, works of charity, community life, missionary outreach. If we become careless, the false promises of evil will easily seduce us." –GE 162
As with any journey, we will encounter setbacks and temptations as we strive for holiness. Pope Francis devotes a section of his exhortation to the reality of evil and our need to acknowledge it. Pursuing holiness also means engaging in spiritual combat. We not only face our own weaknesses or the sins of others, we also face an actual opponent: the devil. Here, Pope Francis encourages us to count on "the powerful weapons that the Lord has given us." We are not alone as we face evil, but find our strength in the Church, the sacraments, our brothers and sisters, etc.
9. "Discernment is necessary not only at extraordinary times, when we need to resolve grave problems and make crucial decisions. It is a means of spiritual combat for helping us to follow the Lord more faithfully. We need it at all times, to help us recognize God's timetable, lest we fail to heed the promptings of his grace and disregard his invitation to grow." –GE 169
Discernment is a way of life. It means inviting the Lord into our actions and decisions and asking for his guidance as we go about our day. Pope Francis reminds us that discernment is not reserved only for major life decisions such as a move, our vocation, a job opportunity, etc. Discernment should be engrained into our spiritual life and helps to ensure that we are living our lives according to God's plan rather than our own.
10."Mary is the saint among the saints, blessed above all others. She teaches us the way of holiness and she walks ever at our side. She does not let us remain fallen and at times she takes us into her arms without judging us. Our converse with her consoles, frees and sanctifies us." -GE 176
We cannot pursue holiness without looking to the perfect model of human holiness: the Blessed Virgin Mary. Pope Francis concludes his exhortation by inviting us not only to look to Mary, but to go to her and build a relationship with her. She always guides us closer to her Son. Mary is a gift to us given by Christ himself to journey alongside us on the path to heaven, don't forget to use her as a resource!
**This is part two of a two-part series of quotes from Pope Francis' latest Apostolic Exhortation: Gaudete et Exsultate.
For more information and resources on Gaudete et Exsultate, please click here.
Questions for Reflection: How does Pope Francis challenge your idea of holiness? Do you agree with the Holy Father's definition? Where do you see holiness being lived out today?
The First World Day of the Poor
This past September, a colleague and I traveled to three cities in the U.S. to discuss with local ministry leaders ways in which Catholic Relief Services (CRS) could engage young adults. Our basic question was this: How can CRS contribute to the conversations folks in their 20s and 30s are already having around issues of peace, justice, and global solidarity?
Two very clear, and slightly discordant, ideas emerged. The first: folks in their 20s and 30s want to offer their time to serve those in need. The second: we as Church might do better to shift from doing good for a world in need to being good for our world.
What do I mean by this? The instinct to do good—to be a service to others, to give of ourselves, to respond in charity to the Gospel invitation to love our neighbor—is something to be applauded. In fact, integrating service into young adult ministry was a priority we heard time and again during our conversations.
But not all world-changing, do-good ideas are created equal. In fact, some can be quite harmful. (For one example from some of CRS' work that illustrates this general point, check out our Changing the Way We Care initiative on orphanages.)
I'm not saying we shouldn't dedicate time, talent, and treasure to helping those in need—both in our own communities and around the world. But we should challenge ourselves to be intentional about our initiatives, to investigate the real impact of our efforts—both intended and unintended. We should also ask ourselves who we are really serving: our own sense of self-worth or the real common good.
I write all this by way of reflection on Pope Francis' calling for a World Day of the Poor, the first of an annually recurring day that begins November 19, 2017. (Click here to read about it in the pope's own words.) When we think of poverty, our knee-jerk reaction may be to rush to the nearest shelter with old clothes in hand. It may be to donate to a worthy cause. It may be to jump on a plane and fly across the world ready and able to build a house for a family without one.
None of those things are bad, right? People need and deserve clothing and shelter, and charitable donations fuel so many organizations like my own. But intentionality demands that we challenge our own assumptions. Is the local shelter looking for the kinds of clothing I'd like to give, and do they have capacity to sort through them? Does that distant country need me to build a house, or is there a local engineer who is better able to accomplish the job? Do I know what percentage of donations an organization puts toward actually helping those in need?
These are questions I myself have had to wrestle with, and the answers are different in every situation. But they must be asked. Why? Because they help me remove my own ego from the situation and instead make room for the true needs—and solutions—of others.
Pope Francis challenges us to go beyond the doing—which is unmistakably important—to inhabit a new way of living: "We may think of the poor simply as the beneficiaries of our occasional volunteer work, or of impromptu acts of generosity that appease our conscience. However good and useful such acts may be for making us sensitive to people's needs and the injustices that are often their cause, they ought to lead to a true encounter with the poor and a sharing that becomes a way of life."
So, then, as we reflect on this first World Day of the Poor, I challenge all of us to not simply do good, but to be good—to integrate God's vision for humanity not simply into our acts of charity but into our daily choices, our lifestyles, and our long-term goals.
Question for Reflection: How can you follow Eric's advice and not only do good, but be good?
Interested in joining CRS in conversation around these issues? Join our new initiative for folks in their 20s & 30s CROSSROADS en el camino.
To learn more about Catholic Social Teaching, please click here.
Eric Clayton works at Catholic Relief Services as part of the U.S. Church Engagement Division. He holds an MA in International Media from American University and a BA in International Studies & Creative Writing from Fairfield University. He currently lives in Baltimore, MD with his wife and hedgehog.
One Body, Many Parts
Now you are Christ's body, and individually parts of it. –1 Corinthians 12:27
I commute to work every day by train through Chicago's "loop." It's the perfect place for
people-watching. Recently, I was on a busy sidewalk when a woman who looked rather tired and disheveled pushed a stroller near the crowd with her child. Behind me were two very elegantly dressed women in a hurry. The woman with the stroller asked the passing crowd, "Can you spare some change for our next meal?" It's a question that I've heard too often downtown. I felt a pang of sadness and guilt. Often, I am unsure how to respond. The women behind me continued on past her and began commenting: "What a horrible mother"; "Of course I'm not going to help her out. Why would I want to give her my money?" Those comments hurt even more than seeing this poor mother and child suffer.
In the first letter to the Corinthians, St. Paul writes, "As a body is one though it has many parts, and all the parts of the body, though many, are one body, so also Christ. . . . If [one] part suffers, all the parts suffer with it; if one part is honored, all the parts share its joy." The mother and her baby, the women behind me, and all those who are a part of my community of friends and family are of one body. As stated in Lumen Gentium, "By communicating His Spirit, Christ made His brothers, called together from all nations, mystically the components of His own Body.
In that Body the life of Christ is poured into the believers who, through the sacraments, are united in a hidden and real way to Christ who suffered and was glorified." We live as one with Christ and with one another even amidst the poverty, injustice, and messiness we experience.
This letter from Paul to the early Church deepens their understanding of the Body of Christ and its physical makeup. Each person has a function within it which works alongside the other members and promotes the common good. As the Catechism of the Catholic Church notes, "The unity of the Mystical Body produces and stimulates charity among the faithful." I often fall into the temptation of removing myself from a group who seems holier than me, those who are more involved in their community or are outspoken in ways that I'm not. I even tend to exclude myself from the community of pedestrians walking down the sidewalk. I forget that we make up the Body of Christ and that if others suffer, I suffer. If others rejoice, I rejoice. I also share a part of myself with each of them. One of my mentors once said, "Our goal is always to connect. Even if it's uncomfortable, we are made for relationship." As a Christian, I am called to notice those in the community around me and to connect with them.
Mystici Corporis Christi, the encyclical from Pius XII, also outlines the meaning of being a part of the Mystical Body of Christ. "Each member of the Church, of the Mystical Body of Christ, if authentic, is integrally bonded in soul, and hopefully in heart, through the Incarnation, by the Spirit, with Jesus, Son of God, and son of Mary, divine and human," wrote Msgr. Owen F. Campion. We are bonded in soul and heart because of Christ's physical and spiritual sacrifice as the Son of God. We become whole in him and in relation to others. As members of the Church, we are called to be a family who loves and cares for others, even those outside of our communities.
In all circumstances, the Body of Christ leads me to a holier life. When I am doubtful or uncertain, my faith community allows me to grow. When I'm overwhelmed, others will kindle the fire of faith within me. I fully experience joy when I experience it with others and share the Good News and the love of Jesus. I may do this differently from a trained hand who provides, or a speaker with a gifted tongue, but I'm using my gifts as a member of the Body of Christ. We are called to take part of this community through our unique identity with authenticity.
I paused that day on my commute because of this mystical experience of community. I witnessed the pain of the poor mother and child on the Chicago sidewalk, and the harshness of the response of the two women who were walking near me. I became more aware of this truth in the wounds and challenging emotions I experienced. I feel pain because I am connected to all people in some way. Conversely, I can feel joy if I make small choices to build up the Body of Christ. St. Paul outlines this for us, and we hear it in St. Teresa of Avila's words, "Yours are the hands, yours are the feet, yours are the eyes, you are his body. Christ has no body now on earth but yours." We must pay attention like Jesus would, and love our physical and mystical body.
Questions for Reflection: What unique gifts can I share with others as a member of the Body of Christ? How can I become more aware of the communities I live in?
Sophie Lorenzo works in social media marketing for a Catholic publisher in Chicago. An alum of the Echo Program at the University of Notre Dame, she enjoys bridging her background in theology with online ministry.
I Chose Service: Faith Yusko, Bon Secours Volunteer Ministry
When you are preparing to graduate, you have lots of options. This series from the Catholic Volunteer Network highlights people who chose service, and how the volunteer experience has made an impact on their lives.
Name: Faith Yusko
Volunteer Program: Bon Secours Volunteer Ministry
Hometown: West Islip, NY
College: The University of Scranton, Class of 2016. International Studies Major
How did you first learn about post-graduate service? I learned about post-graduate service through friends and role models of mine who have done post-graduate service.
What other options were available to you, and why did you decide on your service program? I had considered jumping directly into the work force, but I definitely felt called to serve others through volunteering and I wanted to deepen my spiritual growth and development!
Tell us about your service experience. I serve as a Child Care Aide in the Bon Secours Early Head Start Child Development Classroom. In my role I work as part of a team serving children ranging in age from two months to three years old and their families. This program helps support families and children so that they can develop a love of learning to carry with them throughout their lives. My fellow volunteer community members and I live and serve in West Baltimore, and have been learning from the pillars of our program centered around practicing God's justice, learning through service with others, developing community, growing spiritually, and living simply. In addition to allowing me to share my gifts, my service year has humbled me through the community I am learning from and that I am a part of.
What benefits have you gained from this experience that you might not have received otherwise? I am learning different ways to apply Catholic Social Teaching and spiritual well-being practices into my everyday life. It has helped me to continue to grow spiritually after transitioning out of a Catholic undergraduate institution.
What advice do you have for someone considering post-graduate service? Take the leap of "Faith" and you won't regret it! There are opportunities to learn and grow through service each day!
Question for Reflection: How has an experience of service impacted your personal life or faith?
*This post was originally published on the Catholic Volunteer Network Blog and was re-posted with permission.
To learn more about post-grad service opportunities, check out Catholic Volunteer Network's RESPONSE directory, listing thousands of opportunities across the United States and abroad.
Resting in Brokenness
"I am the resurrection and the life, says the Lord; whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will never die."
Today's Gospel challenged my understanding of what it means to be compassionate. When Jesus learned that a loved one was ill, He responded in a peculiar manner. He didn't rush to the sick one's side or hurry to comfort His beloved's family. Rather, He waited two days.
Why did He wait two days? I sure wouldn't have done that. If He knew all along that He would raise Lazarus, why would He prolong the wounded agony of Mary and Martha? How could Jesus desert those He loved in their moment of need? It seems almost like a test, a cruel and unnecessary test.
Yet I suspect Jesus had a different intention. By waiting two extra days He was not punishing or testing Mary and Martha but inviting them to examine their own brokenness. The idea of resting in brokenness, rather than avoiding it, has been a particularly challenging concept for me. I first encountered it in Bryan Stevenson's book Just Mercy, in which Stevenson says "We can embrace our humanness, which means embracing our broken natures and the compassion that remains our best hope for healing. Or we can deny our brokenness, forswear compassion, and, as a result, deny our own humanity."
It seems that Jesus chose the former. When He finally arrived in Bethany and witnessed the woundedness of those He loved, He "became perturbed and deeply troubled." Then, "Jesus wept." Knowing that Jesus wept helps me reclaim my own brokenness and affirms that truly embodying compassion requires entering into the chaos of woundedness, both my own and that of the "other" person.
Prayer: God of grace, help me rest in my woundedness. When I feel most alone and deserted, remind me of Jesus' constant refrain "Do not be afraid." Help me remember that Jesus Himself, the almighty Son of God, wept for the pain of His community. Let me never forget that one of Jesus' greatest miracles of raising Lazarus from the dead was precipitated by His solidarity in suffering with those He loved dearly. Amen.
Focus on: Social Justice
How have you been wounded by the, as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. puts it, "sickness of racism, excessive materialism, and militarism?" How can you – and your surrounding communities – enter into this brokenness and encounter healing compassion?
Service Inspiration: My mother, Sue, understands part of my volunteer experience, but struggles with other components. However, I recently babysat for a colleague's children, a two-and-a-half year old and a six-month old. When I left, I was exhausted. I realized later that I watched two boys the same age difference as my brother and I, but only for a few hours. My mom did it for years, and then became my teacher and homeschooled us. She served as an enormous role model, never asking for thanks or recognition, silently taking on her children's struggles. She is an inspiration and reminder of Jesus here on Earth.
*This Lenten reflection was originally published on the Catholic Volunteer Network Blog and was posted with permission.
Greg Hamilton attended Saint Michael's College in the grace-filled Green Mountain State of Vermont and is currently serving as a Jesuit Volunteer in Washington D.C. at the Campaign for the Fair Sentencing of Youth. Most days, Greg finds a way to involve his favorite poet, Mary Oliver, in his routine.
On the Catholic Wisdom of "Both/And..."
Sometimes it is not one or the other, but rather both/ and. I have been thinking and praying about this a lot over the last two weeks. I live on Capitol Hill in Washington D.C. and have witnessed some of the largest marches and demonstrations that I have seen in the last twenty years. I've also been reading a lot of signs that the marchers and protesters carried. If you looked only at the signs, you would think we live in a world defined by competing principles and all of us are being called to take sides and battle it out until one side goes down in defeat. This serves no one well.Some of our most volatile issues of the day are not a battle of competing goods, but rather a battle that accepts no middle ground. We often lack the humility to recognize we might actually be talking about complementary principles and goods. For example, take the question of immigration. Most people would agree that a country has a right to secure its borders and most people agree that we have an enormous problem at present where many people's homelands have become unlivable. Most people would agree that people have a right to seek justice and peace, in a safe community. It seems the discussion we should be having is how we manage to control our borders and respond to the need for safe passage to safer communities for millions of refugees who are displaced from their homelands. Who is having that conversation? Well, the Catholic Church, for one!
Our faith is grounded in balancing in a life-giving creative way the tension of both/and. After all, we talk about how belief is rooted in faith and reason. We believe that justice should be wrapped in mercy. We know that with sin, there is always the possibility of grace. This ability to see the complementary goods has never been on bigger display than this past week.
The week began with the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops issuing a strongly worded statement opposing President Trump's executive order on Immigration. They write "We strongly disagree with the Executive Order's halting refugee admissions. We believe that now more than ever, welcoming newcomers and refugees is an act of love and hope."
Here the Church draws on its principles of Catholic Social Teaching which holds both the right of people to migrate to "sustain their lives" and the right of a country to "regulate its borders and control immigration" (Catholic Social Teaching on Immigration and the Movement of Peoples).
In the same week, many bishops and Catholic Pro-Life marchers welcomed the presence of Vice-President Pence who supports the work of the Pro-Life Movement. The Church both preaches against the sin of abortion and the right of every woman to have all the support she needs from the government and community to bring her child into the world. The Church will continue to advocate against abortion and, through ministries like Project Rachel, offer healing and hope to women and men touched by the experience of abortion.
These two issues in the span of a week, highlight what many people find so confounding about the advocacy of the Catholic Church on behalf of social issues. We seem to some to be "always changing sides." And that is just it, we don't take sides. We stand in the truth of the Gospel of Life. Rather than getting tied up in political platforms and ideologies, the Church looks to the Gospel and in the harmony of truth and reason seeks always and everywhere to protect the dignity of the human person through the exercise of mercy and justice.
Now, more than ever, our country needs the wisdom of a church that can navigate toward the common good by exercising both/and. We need to identify the common good within the issues on which we are so quick to take sides– and work together toward a shared good.
What does a country look like that has a secure border and the ability to welcome people seeking peace, a job, a place for their children to thrive. What do support networks look like that would say we are a community who know women deserve better than having to choose an abortion and can provide for their care. What does a country look like that can promote the dignity of the human person and the common good of the community? These are questions that the Church has thought about for centuries and has some wisdom to share.
Pope Francis believes that sharing that wisdom is part of our mission to the world today. He writes in The Joy of the Gospel, "Despite the tide of secularism which has swept our societies, in many countries – even those where Christians are a minority – the Catholic Church is considered a credible institution by public opinion, and trusted for her solidarity and concern for those in greatest need. Again and again, the Church has acted as a mediator in finding solutions to problems affecting peace, social harmony, the land, the defense of life, human and civil rights, and so forth. And how much good has been done by Catholic schools and universities around the world! This is a good thing! (65).
Today, we all have an opportunity to bring this good thing to bear in our conversations and in our advocacy. Let's be one of those schools!
This post was originally published on the St. Joseph's College of Maine Theology Blog and was re-published with permission.
Susan Timoney is Secretary for Pastoral Ministry and Social Concerns for the Archdiocese of Washington and serves as an advisor for the Catholic Apostolate Center
Christ in Disguise: Bon Secours Volunteers Reflect on the Corporal Works of Mercy
"The Corporal Works of Mercy are found in the teachings of Jesus and give us a model for how we should treat all others, as if they were Christ in disguise." -United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB)
The above description of the Corporal Works of Mercy reminds us that Christ lives within all of creation, unifying every living being. When we experience this sacred reality, we come to understand our actions as a means by which we may bring healing and wholeness to the Body of Christ. As our Bon Secours Ministry Volunteers practice the Corporal Works of Mercy through their service, they develop a deeper appreciation for the web of relationships which connects each of them in both an intimate and a personal way to all those they meet in their daily lives. In the reflections below, the BSVM volunteers share encounters which illustrate this growth. It is in the act of responding to their neighbor's hunger and thirst for dignity through the Corporal Works of Mercy that our volunteers meet Christ in service. - Olivia Steback, Program Manager, Bon Secours Volunteer Ministry
Feed the Hungry and Give Drink to the Thirsty
By Gerard Ondrey
When I bring a patient a container of apple juice or a pack of graham crackers, it often doesn't register in my mind as a significant action. After all, most patients get three meals a day while in the hospital, something many of them do not receive outside the care of Bon Secours Baltimore Hospital. However, during my year of service I have come to realize the importance of these gestures lies not in their magnitude, but in the greater recognition of the human dignity these acts symbolize.
The patients I encounter, many of whom struggle with poverty, homelessness, drug addiction, and other afflictions which contribute to their marginalization from mainstream society, are not used to being waited on or served. On the other hand, I am accustomed to going out to restaurants with family or friends, people taking my order, cooking my food, filling up my drink glass, and removing my dishes when I am done. When offering a patient a snack, I don't quite have the selection of a five-star restaurant to choose from, but when I am asking a question as simple as, "Would you prefer apple, cranberry, or orange juice?" I feel I am embodying the ways in which I have been served. "Waiting" on patients, taking their "orders", bringing them food, and clearing things away when they are done, feel like true acts of mercy. I am showing them that I find them important by honoring their requests and responding in a full and prompt manner.
In my mind, this is what it means to live out the Corporal Works of Mercy of feeding the hungry and giving drink to the thirsty. In the above scenarios, the acts are not important because the people I am serving are in danger of starving to death in that moment, but because of the dynamic they represent; seeing and honoring Christ's presence in all people elicits the desire to serve.
Shelter the Homeless
By Alex Yeo
Through my ministry in the emergency room I have been able to work with many of the homeless men and women who reside in our community. These individuals come to the hospital seeking medical care and assistance with their social problems. My role, when I first meet them, is to ensure that their non-medical needs are addressed. One of the main organizations the hospital partners with is Healthcare for the Homeless, a nonprofit that provides medical care and social service assistance. With their aid, I have been able to provide patients the support and resources needed to help them transition out of homelessness.
Visit the Sick
By Mackenzie Buss
Our volunteer community has been fortunate enough to avoid sickness so far (thank you Lord!) but, every day at the hospital, we work with those from the greater West Baltimore community who are ill. In my experience, it is often the sickest patients who are the most difficult to 'be present to'. All of our renal patients have a lot going on in their lives, from physical ailments, comorbidities, and actual disability to the myriad social problems that living in an impoverished neighborhood presents. In spite of the massive obstacles that all our patients face, there is still a huge range in energy levels and general overall health. The chipper, friendly, energetic patients are often the easiest to build relationships with. At first, I was daunted by the prospect of talking to the older, quieter, sicker renal patients. As I have grown and learned with Bon Secours Volunteer Ministry this year, I have come to understand that our service isn't necessarily about entertaining patients, solving little problems, or even listening to them. It's about being there for them with your whole soul.
That is the mentality that empowered me to smile a bit and sit down next to one of our elderly, quiet, very sick nursing home patients. Sometimes, I'll hold her hand or say something that I am thinking of, but mostly I just sit there beside her. It's really a silent visit, a moment of being present to one of my sisters in Christ in the only way I know how - to just be together. I don't have much else to offer her, but something about those tiny moments, no matter how small and simple, just feels right. It's like a little slice of the Holy Spirit is there in right relationship with us as we sit and simply be together.
Visit Prisoners
By Elizabeth Modde
It is not unusual to pass a man or woman walking down the hallway in handcuffs, flanked by two security guards. Bon Secours Hospital in Baltimore ministers to patients from the Department of Corrections. In fact, some patients admitted to St. Martin's Hall Inpatient Unit will be discharged to the police. Seeing these patients, shackled to their beds, I find myself trying to imagine what they must be feeling. Some are visibly anxious. With a small idea of the dehumanization that can be experienced in prison, I feel privileged to extend warmth and kindness to our prisoners at the hospital. Recognizing basic humanity and dignity, of both patients and the guards in their rooms, can be as simple as smiling and offering a cup of water.
Bury the Dead
In the ER, you rarely get the opportunity to develop a lasting relationship with a patient. There is a very specific process: triage, treat, and either discharge or admit to the inpatient floor. The focus is on efficiency not casual conversation. Regardless, many of the patients that come to the ER frequently are often too intoxicated or incapacitated to engage in conversation. This year, however, I had the privilege of meeting a patient, let us call him David, who had developed a lasting relationship with the ER staff.
David, admittedly, was not the most pleasant patient to work with; a homeless alcoholic he had been cycling through the ER for over twenty years. I was always impressed that despite how frustrating it was for the staff to see him constantly return to the hospital, they were able to retain hope for his future. He was always given a place to rest out of the cold, a warm meal, and often times new clothes. The ER staff was his family. Their relationship may have begun begrudgingly but was now one of love and concern. When David passed away this winter, the mood in the ER was one of sadness and relief. Knowing that he had moved on to a better place brought solace to those who had worked with him.
Being one of the last people to work with him, I was given the task of organizing his memorial service. Visiting the different departments of the hospital to raise publicity about the service, I was amazed at how many people in the hospital knew of him or had stories about caring for him. The hospital staff had given him many resources and much love, but he also gave back to us. During those difficult and frustrating moments of caring for him, he taught us how to love and to be patient; how to look past one's impulsive judgments and tap into a deeper desire to care for one another as members of God's creation. For those lessons we are eternally grateful and his presence will be greatly missed.
Give Alms to the Poor
By Nicole Odlum
Through my ministry, I had the privilege to deliver Christmas gift bags to the many seniors I visit every month for blood pressure screenings. Around Christmastime each year, women from local Baltimore churches donate gift bags filled with simple personal hygiene products, laundry and dish detergent, and hand-knit scarves. For many of the residents, this may be the only Christmas present they receive. When I told them they could keep the entire bag of gifts, the look on their faces was humbling. The gratitude and appreciation they expressed was inspiring; this simple, unexpected gift bag brought them so much joy. One woman actually came back down from her apartment after leaving with her gift bag to thank us again for the things we gave her. That was an extremely powerful moment for me, because I realized how much these simple items, items most people consider a necessity, meant to the seniors.
Pope Francis writes that, "Mercy is the force that reawakens us to new life and instills in us the courage to look to the future with hope." Please continue to remember our volunteers in your prayers as they take Pope Francis' words to heart and strive to courageously live lives of mercy and hope.
To learn more about the Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy, click here.
This post was originally written and posted on the Catholic Volunteer Network Blog.
For more Catholic Volunteer Blog Posts please visit the CVN Blog Page.
The Catholic Apostolate Center is proud to partner with the Catholic Volunteer Network by developing faith formation resources for volunteers and alumni, assisting in its efforts to provide and advocate for faith-based volunteerism and collaborate in many additional ways.
Spilling the Beans on the Church's Best Kept Secret
I had lived in Baltimore for only a few months when some friends came to town. They insisted we see the Inner Harbor, and so off we went, adventuring on foot.
I'll be very honest: having grown up in the suburbs of Philadelphia, I was still getting used to the number of individuals on the streets asking for money. My instincts always screamed: KEEP WALKING; DON'T MAKE EYE CONTACT; YOU HAVE NO MONEY TO GIVE. And usually by the time my inner voices settled down, I was a block or two past the questioner.
But when my friends and I decided on crepes for lunch, I found myself unable to keep walking past the homeless man who was hunkered down directly in front of the door to our intended restaurant. In my mind, of course, it became a game of lowered eyes, mumbled replies and a quick grab for the doorknob.
Not so, for my friends. While I was shuffling past the man and his quiet request for help, my two friends stopped, asked his name, and shook his hand. "I'll tell you what, buddy," my one friend replied. "I don't carry any cash. But why don't I buy you a crepe?" The gentleman thought that would be just fine, and so in we all went to place our orders.
I don't remember that man's name, what we discussed, or what kind of crepe he got. But I do know that my comfortable, ready-made response to those I encountered on the streets asking for money suddenly became embarrassingly out-of-touch and morally questionable. What's more, I was awestruck by the knee-jerk reaction of my two friends: where I cast my eyes down, they looked another human being in the face and smiled.
If you hear anything about Catholic Social Teaching, you often hear that it's the Church's best kept secret. Why is that? Because we sometimes don't realize that popes, theologians, saints and everyday Catholics have been thinking, praying, and writing about issues of hunger, war, poverty, and injustice for a very long time. And, as a result, we have a pretty elaborate, intellectually rigorous and philosophically challenging framework within which to address the most pressing issues of our day.
So often, those who are in on this best kept secret are often intimidated because they think they need a degree just to wrap their minds around Catholic Social Teaching. Not so. Certainly don't miss out on the chance to study these teachings, but prayer is what helps us get at the heart of the matter.
I spent a lot of time over the following weeks reflecting on that encounter between me, my friends, and that man outside the crepe shop. Why was I so struck, so inspired? Could this have been what the disciples saw in Jesus, why they were so attracted to him? Did they see an individual who met the gaze of those in need with a smile and an outstretched hand?
Let us take the person of Jesus—God, who we meet in prayer and life's daily joys and struggles—and go from there. That's the heart of Catholic Social Teaching.
We realize that every person we come across in our day—those we intend to meet, and those who stop us for money—are lived expressions of God in our world, opportunities to meet Christ. It becomes a lot harder to ignore them. What's more, we begin to see that as we encounter Christ in others, we find ourselves drawn deeper into the plight of those most in need. We ask ourselves, "how can such injustice be allowed to exist?" And God responds, "Well, then do something."
That's now what I find myself forced to grapple with when I encounter individuals on the street, in the news, wherever. Because if I admit that we are all part of God's family, that my existence here and your existence there are less about what we're doing and more about what God's doing, my perspective has to change. I have a responsibility to act, to live my life in a more intentional way.
At Catholic Relief Services, we throw the word solidarity around like it's a Frisbee on the beach. But that doesn't make it any less important. It is, after all, a key element of Catholic Social Teaching. And it calls us to live beyond ourselves, to recognize God in all things and all people and to work for a world that is just and peaceful for all.
And sometimes, that work begins with the guy you passed on the street outside the crepe shop who's asking for some change.
Want to learn more about Catholic social teaching? Check out these resources:
Foundational Documents (USCCB)
Key Principles (USCCB)
CST 101 Video Series (Catholic Relief Services)
Eric Clayton serves as a Program Officer for Catholic Relief Services, developing resources for faith formation based in Catholic social teaching.
Climbing to the Heights with Pier Giorgio Frassati
This upcoming summer, the Church will be celebrating World Youth Day in Kraków. The Church invites all of us, not just those pilgrims in Poland, to celebrate and participate in this great event. The Catholic Apostolate Center announced a few weeks ago that it will be partnering with the USCCB and the Archdiocese of Washington in a number of World Youth Day celebrations both here and abroad, including the event "Kraków in the Capital," which celebrates World Youth Day stateside in Washington, D.C. As I was helping prepare for the celebration, I came across the fact that the body of Bl. Pier Giorgio Frassati will be present for the World Youth Day celebrations in Kraków. I knew very little about this extraordinary young man and I decided that I needed to learn about him. I feel like my introduction to him was perfect timing. Much like Pier Giorgio, I have a great love for the outdoors and for sports. I will gladly spend hours watching games and discussing Sidney Crosby and my Pittsburgh Penguins, the New York Giants, and why the 1969 Mets were the greatest World Series team. Some of my fondest memories include hiking in the Scottish Highlands, climbing mountains in the Adirondacks, and backpacking in New Mexico. I've always regarded these as great activities, but found it challenging to incorporate them into my spiritual life. I knew that being in nature connected me closer to God, but did not know how that could affect my spiritual journey. This young man showed me how.
Pier Giorgio Frassati was born to a prominent family in Torino, Italy on April 6, 1901. His father was the founder of the La Stampa national newspaper (which is still in print today) and was very active in national politics as a member of left wing parties. Growing up, Pier Giorgio took an active role in his life of faith and developed a deep spiritual life. He could often be found praying before the Blessed Sacrament and reflecting on the Beatitudes. During World War I, he served the sick and helped servicemen reintegrate back into society. Like his father, Pier Giorgio got involved with politics but joined the People's Party, which was based on Rerum Novarum and Catholic Social Teaching. He would often be found climbing mountains, going to the theater and to the opera, but never let these pastimes interrupt his service to the poor and the outcast. He would be seen giving bread and sometimes his own clothing to the beggars in the streets. While still a young man, Pier Giorgio was photographed climbing a mountain. He signed the photograph 'Verso L'Alto', which means 'Go to the Heights'. This would serve as his personal motto and means more than simply mountain climbing. It is also a figure speech referring to the climb towards Christ. Pier Giorgio felt that he was drawn to the heights of the Beatitudes and to the Blessed Sacrament. He encouraged all those around him to also climb to these heights of the spiritual life.
Pier Giorgio's family disapproved of his activities and of his faith. They could not understand Pier Giorgio's passion for the poor and for the spiritual life. As he grew older, he grew deeper in his devotion and eventually joined the Third Order of Saint Dominic (Lay Dominicans) in 1922. Before graduating from university, Pier Giorgio contracted a very aggressive form of polio and grew extremely ill. It was during this short period that his grandmother passed away, drawing ire from his family because they felt that Pier Giorgio did not show enough grief for her death due to his own illness. On the night before Pier Giorgio himself passed away, he requested that his medication be given to a poor man he had been visiting. Pier Giorgio succumbed to his illness on July 24, 1925. His family expected very few people to come to his funeral, only some family and personal friends. When the family departed for the funeral, they were completely stunned to find the streets completely lined with thousands of people whom he had cared for. Simultaneously, the people lining the streets were shocked to find that he was from such a prominent family.
Pier Giorgio's legacy continued not only in Torino, but also throughout the world. While visiting Torino in 1989, Saint John Paul II made a pilgrimage to his tomb. A year later, on May 20th, Pier Giorgio Frassati was beatified in Saint Peter Square. His body was then moved from the family plot and reinterred in the Cathedral of Torino for pilgrims to visit. St. John Paul II said, "He (Frassati) testifies that holiness is possible for everyone". In researching his life, I have found encouragement from this great man. He shows us how to have zeal not only for life, but also for our faith. He gives us courage and inspiration. As I prepare for the World Youth Day celebrations, I look forward to diving deeper into the life and spirituality of Pier Giorgio.
Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati, pray for us!
Pat Fricchione is the Research & Production Associate for the Catholic Apostolate Center,


An early career as a specialist white-collar crime prosecutor under advocate Billy Downer, the deputy director of public prosecutions for the Western Cape responsible for the conviction of businessperson Schabir Shaik, has greatly influenced Steven Powell's choices.
Now the director of forensics for law firm Edward Nathan Sonnenberg, Powell's early grounding in forensic research and his continued interest in it is one of the main reasons he is now considered one of the foremost anti-corruption experts in Africa.
Legal action and the resulting fines imposed by foreign governments on companies suspected of engaging in bribery or corrupt practices has raised the need for South African companies in the global marketplace to become compliant with international regulations. Two recent cases have brought home the importance of compliance, namely the US-based court case against MTN regarding its operations in Iran, and revelations this week that dual-listed Net 1 UEPS Technologies is being investigated in the US for corruption under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA). The investigating allegedly relates to the awarding of the social grant contract in South Africa.
Powell was approached a while ago to take part in an initiative introduced by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and the Law Society of Southern Africa to train the South African legal profession in anti-corruption requirements.
These include the OECD's recommendations on bribery, to which South Africa is a signatory, as well as the United Kingdom Bribery Act and the United States Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, two radical and far-reaching sets of anti-bribery laws that can apply to local companies doing business with companies in those countries.
What he found concerned him.
Powell's main message to local companies is that they are bound by anti-corruption legislation, both locally and overseas, and as more enter the international arena they may find themselves facing large fines should they be found to have failed to comply with extraterritorial anti-corruption legislation.
The United States, in particular, has handed out hefty fines to erring companies in terms of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.
The anticorruption educational initiative was prompted by concerns in the OECD and the UN about corruption in developing countries. South Africa has slid more than 20 places down the transparency index in the past five years, driven by the arms deal scandal, the conviction of former police commissioner Jackie Selebi on corruption-related charges and the removal of his replacement, Bheki Cele, in connection with a questionable police lease deal.
"South Africa occupies 64th position out of 189 countries that participate in the Transparency International Corruption Index," said Powell.
"In the present global environment, South African companies can no longer afford to be ignorant of local and international anti-bribery and corruption legislation and I am not just referring to listed companies," he said, pointing out that companies can now be held accountable for the illicit actions of a subsidiary, or an agent, and even if they are ignorant of such illicit conduct.
Powell said South Africa was under increased scrutiny internationally and so South African companies would need to be extra vigilant.
"The investigation regarding Net 1 shows that South African companies are on the radar screen of the US Department of Justice," said Powell.
New regulations in the Companies Act bind unlisted and medium-sized companies as well as all state-owned companies to comply with anti-corruption measures.
Powell, who studied law, found himself in the justice department as a specialist white-collar crime prosecutor after being advised to get some court experience before looking for a pupillage.
"I learned so much about fraud and corruption under Downer and former attorney general Frank Kahn that I eventually joined Deloitte, which was looking for a forensic lawyer to complement its forensic team, at that stage comprised mainly of accountants. I was a bit arrogant when I saw Deloitte's advert. I called them and said 'I am your man'. Fortunately, they agreed," Powell said.
Within six months he was head of the unit and two years later he was made a partner at Deloitte, where he remained for six years until moving to Sonnenberg, Hoffman and Galombik. It became the first law firm in South Africa to offer a dedicated forensic service to its clients. In 2006, Sonnenberg merged with Edward Nathan to form Edward Nathan Sonnenberg.
According to Powell, the firm's forensics department offers a combination of legal, accounting and investigative services, which have flourished as a private-sector commercial crime team after the disbanding of the specialised units.
The anti-corruption compliance needs of a major multinational client, spurred by the implications of the far-reaching UK Bribery Act, led Powell to studying the Act and other global anti-bribery legislation.
What he found was that any South African company associated with the UK, listed or otherwise, needed not only to be familiar with the Act, but also to take concrete action to comply with the legislation.
The most radical innovation brought about by the UK Bribery Act is the introduction of a new corporate offence called the failure by a commercial organisation to prevent bribery. This compels businesses to take proactive steps to prevent bribery or face potential prosecution.
The FCPA has proved successful in the US largely because of its substantial penalties for contravention and its provisions that reward whistle-blowers with a mandatory minimum bounty of between 10% and 30% of the penalties recovered from offending companies.
"Of course, critics of the Act argue that its penal provisions have been used as a revenue-generating mechanism by the US regulator to target non-US-based firms," Powell said.
Siemens was fined $1.6-billion in 2010 for charges related to the conduct of its subsidiaries in Argentina, Venezuela and Bangladesh.
"It is important to note that the US has made it clear that it will found jurisdiction in respect of bribes paid to foreign government officials simply if payments are routed through US dollar accounts or emails are merely transmitted through US-based servers," said Powell.
The new UK Bribery Act, which prohibits not only bribes to officials but also to anyone else, applies to companies not in the UK that are incorporated or formed in the UK, or a business that carries on business or part of its business in the UK.
Apart from the legal implications for corrupt practices, Powell is concerned about increasing corruption in South Africa, in general.
He has called for the government to create an independent body to fight corruption. Although admitting that the Scorpions team had its weaknesses, he said a prosecutor-driven, multi–disciplinary team comprising lawyers, accountants, investigators and digital forensic practitioners remained the best way to address these difficult cases.
Among other things, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development requires that companies not pay or demand bribes, have anti-bribery or anti-corruption policies in place, develop internal processes to mitigate the bribery risk, and perform due diligence on agents, intermediaries and consultants to ensure that they do not pay bribes on behalf of the company. Companies must also prohibit and discourage facilitation payments. They must educate employees, partners and agents on antibribery processes and procedures and should not make illegal political donations.
This applies to every state-owned and listed company and medium-sized companies that qualify in terms of employees and income.
The regulations stipulate, among other things, the establishment of a social and ethics committee to monitor the company's activities, ensure compliance with the OECD's recommendations regarding corruption, uphold compliance of other acts, including the Employment Equity Act and the Broad-based Black Economic Empowerment Act, and report, through its members, to stakeholders.


text:
Q: How to fill a DevExpress GridControl with string and date fields? Should I put in a project with VS2010 and DevExpress in C # interface that covers a UserControl, which has a GridControl and its objective is to fill the grid of all the operations performed by the user log.
I made a list

ObservableCollection <LogStruct> loglist <LogStruct> = new ObservableCollection ();
        public ObservableCollection <LogStruct> loglist
        {
            get {return loglist; }
        }

and a data structure
public class LogStruct
    {
        public string Message {get; the set; }
        public DateTime Date {get; the set; }

        public LogStruct (string mess, DateTime date)
        {
            Message = mess;
            Date = date;
        }

I also wrote the property in xaml
<dxg:GridControl Name="grid_logoperations" AutoGenerateColumns="None" ItemsSource="{Binding Path=DataLog}">
        <dxg:GridControl.View>
            <dxg:TableView x:Name="tableview" AutoWidth="True" NewItemRowPosition="Bottom"/>
        </ Dxg: GridControl.View>
        <dxg:GridControl.Columns>

            <dxg:GridColumn FieldName="LogMessage" x:Name="columnmess" ReadOnly="True" Width="Auto" HorizontalHeaderContentAlignment="Center" UnboundType="String"/>
            <dxg:GridColumn FieldName="LogDate" x:Name="columndata" ReadOnly="True" Width="Auto" HorizontalHeaderContentAlignment="Center" UnboundType="DateTime"/>

        </ Dxg: GridControl.Columns>

    </ Dxg: GridControl>

My question is: how do I write on the GridControl and to appear in video messages Log?
Thanks to those who help me :)

A: You should specify names of the corresponding properties as the GridColumn.FieldName property value (in your case "Message" and "Date", not "LogMessage" and "LogDate"). You should not also assign the UnboundType property when columns are bounded to the real data source.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Litalien (en italien : ) est une langue appartenant au groupe des langues romanes de la famille indo-européenne. Il existe un très grand nombre de dialectes italo-romans.

Comme beaucoup de langues nationales, l'italien moderne est un dialecte qui a « réussi » en s'imposant comme langue propre à une région beaucoup plus vaste que sa région dialectale originelle. En l'occurrence, c'est le dialecte toscan, de Florence, Pise et Sienne, qui s'est imposé, quoique dans sa forme illustre (koinè littéraire à base florentine enrichie par des apports siciliens, latins et d'autres régions italiennes), non pas pour des raisons politiques comme c'est souvent le cas, mais en raison du prestige culturel qu'il véhiculait. Le toscan est en effet la langue dans laquelle ont écrit Dante Alighieri, Pétrarque et Boccace, considérés comme les trois plus grands écrivains italiens de la fin du Moyen Âge. C'est aussi la langue de la ville de Florence, réputée pour sa beauté architecturale et son histoire prospère. C'est donc sans surprise que l'italien fut pendant longtemps la langue internationale de la culture et des arts, et que le vocabulaire de toutes les langues européennes conserve jusqu'à nos jours un grand nombre de termes italiens (notamment en musique, lesquels sont même repris dans d'autres langues comme le japonais).

Les normes générales de grammaire italienne ne furent pourtant fixées qu'à la Renaissance, avec la réforme linguistique de Pietro Bembo, érudit vénitien collaborateur d'Alde Manuce, qui en exposa les idées fondamentales dans .

Présence dans le monde
On estime que dans le monde environ  de personnes parlent ou étudient l'italien dont un million en France. L'italien est parlé essentiellement en Italie (et à Saint-Marin), où il est langue nationale, mais aussi en Suisse essentiellement dans le sud (Tessin et Grisons), où il est langue nationale (il représente environ 8 % des locuteurs suisses). Au Vatican, il est seconde langue officielle avec le latin.
Notez aussi que la plupart des linguistes considèrent le corse comme faisant partie du système linguistique italien.

En outre, il y a de nombreuses communautés italophones en Croatie (Istrie et Dalmatie), en Slovénie et en ex-Yougoslavie. Il est langue officielle en Slovénie dans certaines villes, notamment Koper/Capodistria, et en Croatie en Istrie, en particulier dans les villes de Parenzo/Poreč, Pola/Pula, Umago/Umag et Rovigno/Rovinj.

Il est aussi parlé à  Malte (où il a été langue officielle jusqu'en 1934, actuellement 66 % des Maltais le parlent), en Albanie, en Vallée de la Roya, aux États-Unis (environ  de locuteurs), au Canada (particulièrement à Montréal), en Amérique du Sud (Argentine, Brésil, Uruguay, Venezuela), en Amérique centrale (Costa Rica), en Australie, en Éthiopie, en Érythrée, en Libye (elle y est la langue commerciale avec l'anglais), et en Somalie (elle y a été langue universitaire jusqu'en 1991) et dans le Sud de la Belgique, où de nombreux Italiens sont venus travailler dans les mines après la Seconde Guerre mondiale, ainsi qu'au Luxembourg. Aussi dans d'autres pays européens, comme en France, Allemagne, Pays-Bas, Autriche et Royaume-Uni, avec les migrants et leurs descendants.

L'italien a influencé l'espagnol tel qu'il est parlé en Argentine et en Uruguay en raison de l'afflux massif de migrants italiens.

Instruments de promotion de la langue italienne dans le monde

Communauté radiotélévisée italophone
Constituée le , par une collaboration institutionnelle entre radiotélévision de service public – Rai, RSI, Rtv Koper-Capodistria, Radio Vatican et San Marino RTV – la Communauté italophone radiotélévisée naît comme instrument de valorisation de la langue italienne.

Enseignement de l'italien en France
En France, l'italien est la quatrième langue étrangère apprise dans l'enseignement secondaire, après l'anglais, l'espagnol et l'allemand. D'après l'Eurobaromètre, environ 5 % des citoyens français savent parler italien assez bien pour avoir une conversation. De nombreuses universités comprennent un département d'italien.

La formation des professeurs est assurée par l'agrégation d'italien, fondée en 1900, et le CAPES d'italien.

Certaines associations italiennes et franco-italiennes dispensent des cours à différents niveaux et pour des publics divers.

Écriture

L'italien utilise vingt-et-une lettres de l'alphabet latin. Les lettres j, k, w, x et y ne sont utilisées que dans les mots d'emprunt. On trouve toutefois le j () ainsi que l'y ( ou ) et le w () dans certains toponymes et noms ou prénoms.

On marque la voyelle d'une syllabe accentuée quand celle-ci est la dernière du mot. Les voyelles portent alors un accent grave, sauf s'il s'agit d'un « é » ou d'un « o » fermé ( ou ) ; on met alors un accent aigu :  et .
Si l'accent tombe sur une autre syllabe, il n'est généralement pas marqué par un accent graphique, sauf dans un but didactique (dictionnaires ou manuels de langue) et dans de rares cas où il y aurait homonymie. Par exemple, certains mots monosyllabiques homophones sont différenciés par un accent : , article singulier féminin, et , adverbe de lieu. Les mots d'emprunts étrangers, notamment issus du français, peuvent conserver leur orthographe d'origine, accent inclus.

Aucun mot italien autochtone ne se finit par un o fermé ().  apparait donc rarement et seulement dans des mots d'emprunts (, aussi prononcé et écrit ), ou bien pour différencier des homographes, come  (« tonneau ») vs  (« coups »), ou , pluriel d' (« articulateur ») vs , pluriel d' (« articulatoire »).

Il existe une autre convention avancée par le poète Giosuè Carducci, qui prévoit qu'on utilise l'accent aigu pour les voyelles accentuées dont la prononciation est toujours fermée (, ), l'accent grave pour le  (dont la prononciation est toujours ouverte) et l'accent correspondant au degré d'ouverture de la prononciation pour le  et le , c'est-à-dire  ou , et  ou . Cette convention n'est pas standard aujourd'hui.

Occasionnellement, on utilise aussi l'accent circonflexe sur la lettre i pour indiquer que le mot est la forme plurielle d'un mot finissant par -io au singulier. Par exemple, le pluriel de  (« vice ») peut s'écrire soit , soit . Aussi, on peut écrire , pluriel de  (« principe »), pour le distinguer  toujours sans accent, pluriel de  (« prince »).

Orthographe
Comme le croate, l'espagnol, le tchèque, le portugais et le roumain, l'italien présente une transparence presque sans faille dans la transcription grapho-phonémique. Selon Claude Piron, .

Phonétique et prononciation
L'alphabet phonétique international pour l'italien décrit tous les sons utilisés dans la langue italienne, qui doit sa sonorité à son vocalisme particulier (conservation des voyelles finales, même atones, et chute des consonnes finales) et à ses consonnes géminées (consonnes doubles). L'accent tonique est le plus souvent placé sur l'avant-dernière syllabe mais aussi très souvent sur la syllabe précédente pour les mots d'au moins trois syllabes. Il y a des cas rares où il se place sur la dernière syllabe, et la dernière lettre comporte obligatoirement un accent graphique grave ou aigu. Dans certaines formes verbales comme celles de la  du pluriel, l'accent tonique se place sur la syllabe située avant l'antépénultième : (abitano ). Enfin, l'enclise des pronoms forme parfois des mots accentués sur la syllabe encore précédente : (evita + me + lo = evitamelo ).

À la différence du français, il n'y a pas de voyelles nasales, et  et  sont prononcés en toute position. En général, les voyelles italiennes sont moins fermées qu'en français.

Il y a aussi des consonnes trompeuses : le  suivi de  ou  indique , alors qu'il se prononce  lorsqu'il est suivi par a, o ou u. Pour avoir le son  devant les voyelles ,  ou , on ajoute un  : chiamo se prononce donc . Pour avoir le son  devant les autres voyelles, on ajoute un  : ciao se prononce donc  (le i n'est pas prononcé). Il en va de même pour le groupe sc, palatisé ( ch français de chien, cher) si suivi de i ou e (it. scimmia, scena), vélaire (sk) si suivi d'autres voyelles ou d'un h (it. scarto, schiena).

De la même façon, devant  ou ,  se prononce  ; il se prononce  (comme dans gamme) devant les autres voyelles. Un  ou le  est écrit après le g pour définir sa prononciation. Ainsi, giacca se prononce .

Le trigramme  note le phonème  (l mouillé), et le digramme   (n mouillé).

Les voyelles accentuées sont prononcées comme des voyelles brèves dans une syllabe fermée ou dans la dernière syllabe d'un mot, comme des longues lorsqu'elles terminent la syllabe. Ce phénomène détermine la musicalité particulière de la langue.
Cet accent tonique est aussi très utile pour différencier les homonymes (rares) à l'oral (ancóra = encore ; àncora = ancre).

Notes :
  est un xénophonème utilisé dans les mots d'emprunts, notamment français. Il est aussi employé couramment dans la prononciation régionale toscane à la place de .
 * n'est pas un phonème de l'italien mais un allophone de .
Par ailleurs, l'italien connaît un phénomène de sandhi particulier appelé gémination phonosyntaxique.

Exemples

Grammaire

Histoire

Variantes régionales

Notes et références

Voir aussi

Bibliographie

Articles connexes
 linguistique
 liste de langues
 langues par famille
 langues indo-européennes
 langues romanes
 langues italo-romanes
 langues par zone géographique
 Langues en Italie
 grammaire italienne
 Liste de grammairiens italiens
 liste Swadesh de l'italien
 Accademia della Crusca
 Agrégation d'italien
 Sicilien et italien
 Piémontais en comparaison de l'italien et du français
 Prononciation de l'italien

Liens externes

 Conjugaison des verbes italiens
 Description de la prononciation de l'italien
 L'édition multimédia (2007) du DOP (Dictionnaire d'orthographe et de prononciation), publié par la télévision publique (RAI)
 Moteur de recherche pour la conjugaison des verbes italiens

Inventaire de langues
Langue italo-romane
Langue officielle
Langue officielle de l'Union européenne
Langue en Italie
Langue en Croatie
Langue à Malte
Langue à Saint-Marin
Langue en Suisse
Langue au Vatican
Langue dans la Vallée d'Aoste

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Political institutions are the decision norms and organizations that govern political life. Academic and policy interest in such institutions is flourishing as many previously authoritarian states seek to craft their first democratic political institutions or constitutions. This basic course introduces students to major political institutions and the debates about their relative merits. Readings, assignments, and class discussions and presentations will focus on the alternative institutional structures of contemporary polities, including parliamentary and presidential systems; federal and unitary arrangements; plurality and proportionality in electoral designs; formal and informal political institutions; the nature of hybrid political systems; the challenge of institutional design in democratizing and post-conflict states; and illustrative country cases.


The Model Cook Daniel Green takes you through an easy but delicious way to make Tuna Tartare inspired by his favourite culinary city, Bangkok. Working on the patio of the luxurious Ku De Ta on the 39th floor of Sathorn Square Tower, Daniel creates a dish which matches his surroundings.
Cut tuna into small cubes and finely chop the chilli peppers. Combine in a bowl with sesame oil, chopped shallots and cilantro. Add soy sauce and cubed avocado to taste. Then mix, plate and serve.


Are you in urgent need to automatically export your orders from Google Drive to a CRM?
Salesmate CRM quick Google Drive and Team Drive integration could save you plenty of time. Salesmate provides integration with Google Drive so that you can have a hassle-free management of your common business documents and start importing them into our CRM.
How can you use Google Drive in Salesmate?
Google Drive icon appears in the Files sub-tab in contacts, organizations, opportunities and projects. To link to files in your own Google Drive or shared Google Drive folders, click the icon to display the search window. You will be able to easily connect your Google Drive to start linking documents to make your sales team more efficient.
Efficiency: You can upload a file in Google Drive and share it across multiple records, hence increasing your efficiency.
Fresh Data: The latest version of the document is always linked with your records so that you and your teammates have fresh information available at your fingertips.
Quick Editing: Google drive provides online document editing functionality. And its integration with Salesmate record gives you the freedom of editing them from Salesmate itself, using quick file previews.
Faster File Uploads: You can upload files to Google drive on the fly. Just select google drive option at the time of uploading files and you can upload multiple files together with ease.
Accessibility: You can easily access a file using Salesmate or Google Drive. Google drive also comes with local drive sync and native apps too. So, you can also access and update your files without any issues.


text:
"""Database v1 Quota action implementations"""

from osc_lib import utils as osc_utils
from osc_lib.command import command

from troveclient.i18n import _
from troveclient import utils

class ShowDatabaseQuota(command.Lister):
    _description = _("Show quotas for a project.")
    columns = ['Resource', 'In Use', 'Reserved', 'Limit']

    def get_parser(self, prog_name):
        parser = super(ShowDatabaseQuota, self).get_parser(prog_name)
        parser.add_argument(
            'project',
            help=_('Id or name of the project.'),
        )
        return parser

    def take_action(self, parsed_args):
        db_quota = self.app.client_manager.database.quota
        project_id = utils.get_project_id(
            self.app.client_manager.identity,
            parsed_args.project
        )
        quota = [osc_utils.get_item_properties(q, self.columns)
                 for q in db_quota.show(project_id)]
        return self.columns, quota

class UpdateDatabaseQuota(command.ShowOne):
    _description = _("Update quotas for a project.")

    def get_parser(self, prog_name):
        parser = super(UpdateDatabaseQuota, self).get_parser(prog_name)
        parser.add_argument(
            'project',
            help=_('Id or name of the project.'),
        )
        parser.add_argument(
            'resource',
            metavar='<resource>',
            help=_('Resource name.'),
        )
        parser.add_argument(
            'limit',
            metavar='<limit>',
            type=int,
            help=_('New limit to set for the named resource.'),
        )
        return parser

    def take_action(self, parsed_args):
        db_quota = self.app.client_manager.database.quota
        project_id = utils.get_project_id(
            self.app.client_manager.identity,
            parsed_args.project
        )
        update_params = {
            parsed_args.resource: parsed_args.limit
        }
        updated_quota = db_quota.update(project_id, update_params)
        return zip(*sorted(updated_quota.items()))

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Mala Pristava je naselje v Občini Pivka.

Sklici in opombe

Glej tudi
 seznam naselij v Sloveniji

Naselja Občine Pivka
Kraji v poštnem okolišu Pivka


Same-old, same-old is not for you and your decorating style expresses your individuality. You appreciate the talent it takes to create fine art and you love to have it in your home. You'd love to have the colors and patterns of the fabric on your wing chair reflected in the chest of drawers under the window. Our hand painted pieces are just what you are looking for!


text:
Origine
Come ci conferma la Historia de los condes de Urgel, Tomo I, fu il figlio primogenito del Signore di Cabrera, Visconte di Gerona e Visconte d'Àger, Ponzio III di Cabrera e di Marchesa di Urgell, la figlia secondogenita del conte di Urgell, Ermengol VII di Valencia e della moglie, Dolce di Foix ( † 15 febbraio 1209), figlia del conte di Foix, Ruggero III e della moglie, Jimena di Barcellona, figlia del conte di Barcellona Ramon Berenguer III e di Maria Díaz de Vivar (ca. 1081-1105), seconda figlia del Cid Campeador) e della cugina del re di León e Castiglia, Alfonso VI, doña Jimena, figlia del conte di Oviedo e delle Asturie Diego Fernández e della contessa Cristina Fernández (secondo alcuni storici Jimena di Barcellona era la figlia diRamon Berenguer III e di Almodis de Mortain ( † tra il 23 novembre 1111 ed il 3 febbraio 1112, data del matrimonio con Dolce I di Provenza), di cui non si conoscono gli ascendenti.Ponzio III di Cabrera, fu l'unico figlio del Signore di Cabrera, Visconte di Gerona e Visconte d'Àger, e che, come ci mostra il documento n° 608 del volume V delle Preuves de l'Histoire Générale de Languedoc, datato 27 gennaio 1156, si riconosce suddito di Ermengol VII di Valencia, citato col titolo di conte di Urgell, che gli riconosce la proprietà del castello di Albesa Guerau III di Cabrera ( † dopo il 1165) e della moglie, Berenguela de Queralt, di cui non si conoscono gli ascendenti).

Biografia
Secondo la Historia de los condes de Urgel, Tomo I, vi è un documento del 1195, in cui suo padre Ponzio, rivolgendosi al conte di Urgell, Ermengol VIII, come suo signore (Ermengaudo domino meo), gli promette la proprietà del castello d'Àger, ed è controfirmato da Marchesa (moglie di ponzio e madre di Guerau) e da Guerau stesso.

Nel 1199, alla morte del padre, Guerau gli subentrò, sotto tutela, in tutti i suoi titoli di Signore di Cabrera, Visconte di Gerona e Visconte d'Àger).

Successivamente al 1204, Guerau sposò Eilo Perez de Castro ( † dopo il 10 febbraio 1243), che secondo il Nobiliario di Pietro Alfonso, conte di Barcelos, era la figlia di Pedro Fernández de Castro el Castellano, signore della Casa di Castro e della moglie, Maria Sanchez.

Secondo la Ex gestis comitum Barcinonensium, Guerau, dopo la morte del conte di Urgell, Ermengol VIII, nel 1209, accampò delle pretese sulla contea, che era stata ereditata dalla cugina, Aurembiaix, sotto la tutela della madre, Elvira Perez, che chiese la protezione del re d'Aragona, Pietro II, il quale a più riprese sconfisse e fece prigioniero Guerau, con moglie e figli; Guerau, però dopo la morte di Pietro II, alla battaglia del Muret, nel 1213, riottenne la libertà e poté tornare nella contea di Urgell, dove si proclamo conte di Urgell, mettendosi in competizione con Elvira Perez, che rappresentava la figlia, Aurembiaix, che dopo il matrimonio con il signore della Casa di Castro, Álvaro Pérez de Castro «el Castellano», che secondo il Nobiliario di Pietro Alfonso, conte di Barcelos, era figlio di Pedro Fernández de Castro el Castellano, signore della Casa di Castro e della moglie, Maria Sanchez, si era trasferita nel regno di Castiglia.

Dopo la morte, avvenuta dopo il 1220, della madre di Aurembiaix, Elvira, Guerau, approfittando della minor età del nuovo re di Aragona, Giacomo I, riuscì ad impossessarsi della contea di Urgell.

Dopo che il matrimonio tra la cugina e cognata, Aurembiaix, ed Álvaro Pérez de Castro era stato annullato, nel 1228, ed in quello stesso anno, Aurembiaix aveva firmato un accordo di concubinaggio con l'ex fidanzato, Giacomo I, che prevedeva, che in mancanza di eredi la contea di Urgell andasse a Giacomo I (il contratto ci viene fornito dalla Historia de los condes de Urgel, Tomo I), il re di Aragona, Giacomo I, intervenne in Urgell, riuscendo a scacciare Guerau dalla contea di Urgell.

Secondo la Historia de los condes de Urgel, Tomo I, Guerau, privato della contea di Urgell e abbandonato da tutti, decidendo di dedicarsi ad una vita religiosa, si ritirò nell'ordine dei Templari, dove passò il resto della sua vita; anche la Ex gestis comitum Barcinonensium, conferma che Guerau entrò nell'ordine dei Templari e vi morì.

Discendenza
Guerau da Eilo ebbe cinque figli:
 Ponzio I (1216 - † 1243), conte di Urgell
 Guerau ( † 1242), Signore di Cabrera, Visconte di Gerona e Visconte d'Àger
 Alemanda, che sposò Guglielmo Signore di Cervallón
 Rodrigo Ponzio ( † 1259), Signore di Cigales, Mucientes e Santa Olalla
 Rodrigo, Signore di Viacampo e Benavarri.

Note

Bibliografia

Fonti primarie
   Preuves de l'Histoire Générale de Languedoc, tome V.
   Rerum Gallicarum et Francicarum Scriptores, tomus XIX.

Letteratura storiografica
 Rafael Altamira, La Spagna (1031-1248), in «Storia del mondo medievale», vol. V, 1999, pp. 865–896
  Historia de los condes de Urgel, Tomo I.

Voci correlate
 Conti di Urgell
 Regno d'Aragona
 Conti di Barcellona
 Tabella cronologica dei regni della Penisola iberica

Collegamenti esterni

Conti di Urgell


text:
Q: Slow PostgreSQL query I'm building a search interface for a web site that currently searches through approximately 2 million pieces of real estate with approximately 60 million attributes (address, city, state, ZIP, beds, baths, assessed value, etc).
The tables are laid out so that there is a LEAD table (2 million rows) with one entry for each piece of real estate and a corresponding LEAD_DETAIL table (60 million rows) that holds name/value pairs for the attributes.
The LEAD table has the following structure:
LEAD_ID BIGINT PRIMARY KEY
LEAD_TYPE_NAME VARCHAR(50)
CREATED_DATE_TIME TIMESTAMP
MODIFIED_DATE_TIME TIMESTAMP
RECEIVED_EMAIL_ID BIGINT
NEW_LEAD SMALLINT
FDOLD_ID INTEGER

And the LEAD_DETAIL table has the following structure:
LEAD_DETAIL_ID BIGINT PRIMARY KEY
LEAD_ID BIGINT
NAME VARCHAR(100)
VALUE_STRING VARCHAR(1000)
VALUE_NUMERIC NUMERIC
VALUE_DATE DATE

The LEAD table has the following indexes (I've tried lots of indexing strategies to try and get this to work):
"lead_pkey" PRIMARY KEY, btree (lead_id)
"lead_created_date_time_idx" btree (created_date_time)
"lead_created_date_time_idx1" btree (created_date_time DESC)
"lead_created_date_time_lead_id_idx" btree (created_date_time DESC, lead_id)
"lead_fdold_id_idx" btree (fdold_id)
"lead_lead_id_created_date_time_idx" btree (lead_id, created_date_time DESC)
"lead_lead_id_lead_type_name_created_date_time_idx" btree (lead_id, lead_type_name, created_date_time DESC)
"lead_modified_date_time_idx" btree (modified_date_time)

And the LEAD_DETAIL table has the following indexes:
"lead_detail_pkey" PRIMARY KEY, btree (lead_detail_id)
"lead_detail_lead_id_name_key" UNIQUE CONSTRAINT, btree (lead_id, name)
"lead_detail_name_value_date_idx" btree (name, value_date)
"lead_detail_name_value_numeric_idx" btree (name, value_numeric)
"lead_detail_name_value_string_idx" btree (name, value_string)
"lead_detail_upper_value_string_idx" btree (name, upper(value_string::text))

Here is the query that I'm generating:
SELECT   lead.lead_id
FROM     lead, lead_detail
WHERE    lead_detail.name = 'State'
AND      UPPER(lead_detail.value_string) = 'FL'
AND      lead.lead_id = lead_detail.lead_id
ORDER BY lead.created_date_time DESC
LIMIT 5000

Now, the distribution of the data is such that currently every lead is in the state of FL, so this is not exactly a highly "selective" query.  More selective queries, e.g. for a small county, are quite fast.
Here is the explain plan on explain.depesz.com
My question is, given that we are not preventing users from issuing non-selective queries, how can we quickly return the top-n results for large results?  I was hoping to use an INDEX on the CREATED_DATE_TIME column in conjunction with an ORDER BY and a LIMIT to produce the results quickly.
I've been working on this for hours and could really use some help.  Thanks in advance!

A: Looks like (I'm by no means a Postgres expert) you have about two million rows in LEAD_DETAIL table that satisfy the state condition... those two million rows are retrieved, hash joined to leads, the result sorted to return the top 5000 rows. Could you move the state to leads table, so that it becomes a column there? Create and index on (upper(state), created_date_time) and try again (of course, rewriting your query to use the new state column in leads table).
And by the way, most of your indexes on leads table are useless. Why have lead_created_date_time_idx and lead_created_date_time_idx1 - they are the same, an ascending index can be used also for DESC sorts. Furthermore, why include lead_id in indexes (except the one supporting the primary key constraint)?


Vampire facials are facials that involve using people's own blood to improve the health of their skin and reduce the signs of aging.
Vibration involves using a hammer and peg to send a ripple vibration throughout the body that is similar to a ripple in the water. The ripple vibration relaxes the person to the point that they are in an altered state of consciousness.
Acupuncture has become a popular form of natural medicine for pain, anxiety, sleep, and many more ailments. Spas are utilizing it to make the spa treatments relaxing and healing.
While relaxing music has always been a universal characteristic of a day spa, spas are now combining the music with vibrations and energies to provide an even more relaxing aura to the day spa experience.
Though previously considered taboo, spas are now serving bugs (e.g. worms, beetles and spiders) for people to eat because they are rich in nutrients.
Spas are wanting to make the experience more enjoyable for millennials, who value memorable experiences and social media. Spas are bringing in Instagram and selfie stations, chatbots, and NFC payment methods. A massage student is also more likely to be hired because spas believe that a young massage student would form better connections with millennials and be more knowledgeable about recent massage trends.
In addition to expanding their market to millennials, spas are also looking to expand their market to men by offering men's grooming services (e.g. hair, shaving, and massages).
People are becoming more wary of the harsh chemicals in products. Natural beauty products are becoming a trend in spas because people will want to rest assured that their products to be free of harsh chemicals.
Cannabis, more commonly known as marijuana, is being made part of the spa experience in areas where marijuana is legalized. The cannabis is being given to spa clients in the form of edibles and as massage topicals to promote healing because cannabis is a form of natural medicine for many ailments.
The science of spas used to be considered a soft science because it was simply about how to relax people. Spas are now expanding to healing people by relaxing them and treating them medically. Spas are now leaning towards hard science for their spa treatments because they are giving DNA tests, treating cellulite, and educating people on losing weight and changing their lifestyle.


This is an Open Registration for a Traditional Single Blind Date that will be in OKC and will be for a man and a woman ages 65 and Older. The day, time and location of this date may be changed once a member registers.
The definition of this Blind Date is that you won't know the identity of your date until you meet him/her at the event location. There is no pressure for romance on the date, and you do not need to be a member of the City Social Club Matchmaking Service to attend this event.


text:
Q: Assistance with circuit design Ok, so for the past few days, i've been getting more and more interested in Peltier Modules, and i've finally decided to make a portable mini fridge with one. After MANY long hours of research, part selection, crying, and cussing, I finally came up with a circuit diagram that seemed pretty solid.
That is, until I showed it to my chemistry teacher. (He is VERY experienced with computing and circuits)
He says that if I hook up this circuit, it will most likely overload and die out, but he doesn't know why, because his teachers didn't explain it in great detail. He said that I should hook up a resistor and a fuse, but didn't tell me the specifics: how many Ohms, voltage, etc...
Keep in mind, this isn't my first time playing around with circuits. I have grasped the basics and I understand some stuff. However, this is my first time messing around with batteries in a major way. I.E: I have used batteries, like 2 AA batteries for my small breadboard projects; NEVER have I used a 12V, 20 AMPHOUR battery before! So when it comes to the big stuff, i'm a total noob.
I would appreciate it if someone can help me fix my circuit before I turn it on for real! I really would not like to throw away $160 in parts!
A picture of my diagram is below: NOTE: Some stuff has changed, like the temperature sensor now being one unit, not a probe and main unit.
Edit:
ATTENTION!
If anyone can provide me a diagram or design schematic of my fridge that works without overloading or not working in general, you will receive my eternal respect and gratitude!!!

A: Wire your loads in parallel instead of in series.
Make sure your temperature switch can handle the current required.
ADD A FUSE ON YOUR BATTERY DAMN!!
Batteries are excellent for starting fires. A 12V lead acid battery will happily put out enough current to heat your wires red hot, melt them, and set everything on fire.
Add an overtemperature safety. When one fan fails, or someone covers the "do not cover" heat sink, or dust accumulates, etc... the Peltier will overheat and destroy itself. It is not cheap.
Add an undervoltage lockout. Discharging lead-acid batteries too deep will very quickly render them unusable. Check minimum allowable voltage for your battery.
Now, you have 3 inputs to your switch:

*

*Fridge temperature: run

*Peltier too hot: stop

*Battery low: stop

It would be a bit complex to wire all this with relays, so I suggest keeping your mechanical temperature switch (if you already bought it...) and wire a dead simple safety for the rest: a low-RdsON MOSFET, a LM339   comparator, TL431 for low-battery check, and your choice of thermistor.
Test the setup using a current-limited bench power supply, not your beefy battery.
EDIT: I upvoted your question to compensate for the -1 you had because, although you clearly gonna need lots of help, you took the time to explain your problem clearly...

A: While @peufeu has given a perfectly good answer, I'll give you my own take on it.
I think you may have misunderstood your chemistry teacher's answer a bit. Your circuit as shown will basically have both fans being driven at half their rated voltage, and almost no voltage across the TEC. So you'll get the fans blowing slowly and no cooling. You won't actually damage anything, but it won't exactly be useful, either.
Assuming your temperature switch is a simple mechanical on/off switch which turns on for high temperature, your circuit should look like

simulate this circuit – Schematic created using CircuitLab
You'll note that this does not incorporate some of peufeu's safeguards, but it may serve you as a starter, just to assure yourself that the idea is sound. It can also be used to get an idea if your TEC is up to the task, and if your heat sink/fans are properly functioning.
Wiring should not be that big an issue. 5 amps is not a great deal, and 20 gauge wire should do you fine. Also, the TEC is the big current hog, and the fans will run on much less (which is why they would limit the TEC current in your original design).
Over-discharging a lead-acid battery is not a good idea, but one or two incidents probably won't be an issue. It's not uncommon, for instance, for car batteries to get drawn down, and they usually are usable afterwords for quite some time. That's not to say that it's a good idea, but it's not as catastrophic as peufeu may have led you to believe. It's worth pointing out that discharging to less than 50% of capacity will typically limit battery lifetime to several hundred charge/discharge cycles, as opposed to several thousand for 10% levels.
Precision control of the voltage is not necessary. A fully-charged lead-acid battery under load will drop to about 12 volts almost instantly. For the sort of load you're proposing, you can expect the battery to be at about 11.5 volts when the battery is 50% discharged, and that is an excellent target as a cutoff point. Note that this cutoff is 10 amp-hours, and at 5 amps (more or less) this will only take 2 hours. Even if you're willing to run the battery flat, you'll only get about 4 hours of cooling.
If you experiment with your cooler, you'll see that you want to get your contents cold BEFORE you put them in the cooler. It simply will not cool things quickly. What it will do is keep them cool.


text:
Walt Disney Imagineers Talk Immersive Storytelling at Disney Parks
by Charles Stovall, Public Relations Manager
For me, one of the great privileges of working here is the chance to meet so many extraordinarily creative, intelligent and inspirational cast members – including our incredible Imagineers, who are the the creative force that imagines, designs and builds all Disney theme parks, resorts, attractions and cruise ships worldwide.
Recently, we had the pleasure of hosting 25 of the country's top female journalists at the Walt Disney Imagineering (WDI) Campus in Glendale, California. Members of the Online News Association's Women's Leadership Accelerator Program took time from a week-long event at the USC Annenberg School of Journalism to tour of the campus.
The visit included a panel of some of our top creative executives, who discussed the art, passion and creativity of storytelling in a way that captures the hearts of our guests around the world. The panel was moderated by our own Disneyland PR Director Michele Himmelberg, who was also an award-winning journalist. Panelists included:
Charita Carter, Producer: Charita's scenic illusion team is responsible for advancing new creative technologies to bring storytelling to the next level, including Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway at Disney's Hollywood Studios.
Jeanette Lomboy, Regional Executive WDI Pacific: Jeannette has been a creative force at Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa in Ko Olina, Hawaii, and Pandora – The World of Avatar at Disney's Animal Kingdom, among others.
Robin Reardon – Executive Creative Producer: Robin is one of the top creative executives working tirelessly on Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge at Disneyland Park and Disney's Hollywood Studios.
The Imagineers discussed their unique work at WDI and how it impacts our guests every day. Take a look at the video below for more, and stay tuned on the Disney Parks Blog to see updates on the exciting projects our Imagineers are bringing to life at Disney Parks.
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Destinations: Walt Disney World Resort, Walt Disney Imagineers Talk Immersive Storytelling at Disney Parks
Topics: Star Wars at Disney Parks
Mia on April 11, 2018 at 10:01 am
This sounds fascinating! Is there a way to watch the entire panel?
Johnamarie on April 7, 2018 at 10:20 am
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