Thursday, February 1, 2024
FEBRUARY
Soil under our feet goes unnoticed, though this first foot of soil is where most living organisms’ dwell. The health of the fragile skin of our earth is of utmost importance. Humility comes from the Latin word for soil, "humus." From and unto dust is the humbling message to each of us. Soil is rich and fertile but also prone to erosion and pollution.
Overview of February[1]
This year the
first half of February falls during the liturgical season known as Tempus
per Annum or Ordinary Time (formerly Time After Epiphany),
which is represented by the liturgical color green. Green is a symbol of hope,
as it is the color of the sprouting seed and arouses in the faithful the hope
of reaping the eternal harvest of heaven, especially the hope of a glorious
resurrection. The liturgical color green is worn during prayer of Offices and
Masses of Ordinary Time. The remaining days of February are the beginning of Lent. The liturgical color changes to violet or
purple — a symbol of penance, mortification and the sorrow of a contrite heart.
Though the
shortest month of the year, February is rich in Liturgical activity. It
contains a feast (Presentation of our Lord) that bridges two other seasons
(Christmas and Easter)! The Feast of the Presentation of the Lord on February 2nd harkens back to the
Christmas mystery of Light except that now, Christ, the helpless babe, is “the
Light of Revelation to the Gentiles who will save his people from their sins.”
Candles, symbolizing Christ our Light, will be carried in procession this day,
as will be the Paschal candle during the Easter Vigil Liturgy. In addition, the
faithful may receive in February three of the four major public sacramentals
that the Church confers during the liturgical year: blessed candles and the blessing
of throats and blessed ashes.
"The Light of Revelation" shines more brightly with each successive Sunday of Ordinary Time, until its magnificence–exposing our sinfulness and need for conversion–propels us into the penitential Season of Lent. We prepare to accept the cross of blessed ashes on Ash Wednesday (February 22) and plunge ourselves into anticipating the major exercises of Lent–fasting, prayer, almsgiving–laying our thoughts and prayers on the heart of our Mother Mary. She, who offered her Son in the temple and on the Cross, will teach us how to deny ourselves, take up our cross daily, and follow after her Son.
Members of each family or domestic church have the opportunity to have the candles for their home altar blessed on Candlemas Day (February 2nd); and the next morning, on the Feast of St. Blaise, all might receive the Blessing of the Throats. Always a solicitous Mother, the Church offers this sacramental during the wintry month of February, and also sets aside the World Day of Prayer for the Sick on February 11, the feast of Our Lady of Lourdes.
February Travel?[2]
· Take a Horse-Drawn Sleigh Ride (All Month)
Enjoy a gorgeous winter wonderland in Yellowstone and the surrounding areas. National Elk Refuge is closed to vehicle traffic but not to horse-drawn sleighs. The open-air rides offer a unique and amazing way to see elk, bison, eagles, foxes and other wildlife species. Yellowstone and the Jackson Hole area offer a variety of other family activities including snow tubing, skiing, snowmobiles and a year-round roller coaster.
·
Party in Quebec City Through February 11
For fabulous winter fun, head to the annual Winter Festival in Quebec City. Snow
rafting, ice canoe racing, a bartending competition, snow baths (clothing
optional), a snow sculpture competition and a masquerade ball are among the
many activities.
·
See Punxsutawney Phil's Prediction
o
February 2
Bundle up, grab some hot coffee and bring your lawn chair to Gobbler’s Knob
before dawn on Groundhog Day. Then watch as Punxsutawney Phil, the Seer of
Seers, the Prognosticator of Prognosticators reveals his end-of-winter
prediction.
·
Chill Out at Saranac Lake Winter
Carnival
o
February
2-11
Party Adirondack style. Since its start back in 1897, the Saranac Lake
Winter Carnival has grown into one of the oldest winter carnivals in
America. The 10-day event showcases plenty of winter magic, from an ice palace
made from blocks of ice to the coronation of a winter carnival king and queen.
·
February
11-Watch the Big Game
o
Welcome to Super Bowl LVIII!
§
Super Bowl LVIII will be played at Allegiant
Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada on Sunday, February 11, 2024. Throughout Super
Bowl Week, enjoy events such as Opening Night and Super Bowl Experience with immersive
experiences for fans of all ages.
·
March in a Mardi Gras Parade Through
February 13
Fat Tuesday — the day before Ash Wednesday — is the biggest party of the year
in cities like New Orleans
and Rio de Janeiro.
If you can’t make it to one of those places, try Mobile, Alabama; Nice, France; Venice Italy or Binche, Belgium.
· Smell the Flowers at Tulipmania
Head to San Francisco’s iconic Pier 39 for Tulipmania. You’ll see over 39,000 blooming tulips and other garden favorites. Guided tours and gardening tips are provided by Pier 39’s landscaping experts. The tours start at 10 a.m. daily at the Crab Statue in the Entrance Plaza and end with a special treat from Trish’s Mini Donuts. The tulips typically begin blooming in early February and last through mid-March.
·
Celebrate Valentine’s Day International Style
o
February
14
Many cultures celebrate Valentine’s Day, but they do it in a variety of ways.
In Germany, not only do people exchange chocolate and flowers, they also give
pigs (toy ones mostly) because they symbolize luck and lust. In Denmark, people
send one another poems and rhymes on stationery cut into the shapes of flowers
and snowdrops.
·
Attend a Horse Show
o
February
15-25
Visit the 64th annual Arabian Horse Show in Scottsdale,
Arizona to watch over 2,400 horses compete for a chance at winning the coveted
gold title. In between the competitions, there are plenty of kids’ activities
like an ice cream social, pony painting (ceramic ponies, not real ones), and
art contests. And the best part, kids 17 and under are free.
Iceman’s Calendar-February
·
Arizona
Renaissance Festival All Month
o
Saturdays,
Sundays, and Presidents Day Monday from February 3 - March 31 ~~ 10:00am to
6:00pm
· Go Back in Time to The Old West in Tombstone
o Just like the Arizona Renaissance Festival, Tombstone, Arizona, beckons visitors to step back in time during February. However, instead of transporting you back to a mystical medieval era, Tombstone brings visitors to the rough and tumbling times of the Old West.
o For those seeking a reprieve from the cold and yearning for breathtaking hikes, Saguaro National Park is an excellent choice. With average winter temperatures soaring into the high 60s, it stands out as a premier destination to thaw out and partake in outdoor adventures in February. Upon entering the vast 143-square-mile park, you’ll be captivated by the towering saguaros. Some of these cacti reach an impressive 50 feet and live a lifespan of up to 125 years. The park is divided into two distinct sections: East Saguaro, characterized by its mountainous terrain and abundant hiking and backpacking trails, and the West side, home to a denser Saguaro Forest.
· Wickenburg, Arizona
o
75th
Annual Gold Rush Days & Senior Pro Rodeo
§
FEBRUARY 9-11, 2024
·
Check
out Yarnell-St. Joseph of the mountains.
·
Feb. 1-St.
Brigid
·
Feb. 2-MASS
Candlemas
·
Feb. 3-St.
Blasé Blessing of throats
·
Feb. 4-Sexagesima-Start Novena
to Holy Face to end on Shrove Tuesday
·
Feb 5- St.
Agatha.
·
Feb 7-First
Wednesday
·
Feb 8-Carnival
Thursday
·
Feb 9-Carnival
Friday
·
Feb10 Carnival
Saturday
o
§ 📍
St. Patrick Roman Catholic Parish, 100 Higgins hill, Bisbee, AZ
·
Feb 11-Quinguagesima
·
Feb 12-Shrovetide
Monday
·
Feb 13-Shrove
Tuesday
· Feb 14-Ash Wednesday
·
Feb 18-First
Sunday of Lent
·
Feb 19-Presidents
Day
·
Feb 21 FAST Ember
Wednesday
·
Feb 22 Washington’s
Birthday
·
Feb 23 FAST Ember
Friday
·
Feb 24 St.
Matthias
o
FAST Ember
Saturday
·
Feb 25 Second
Sunday of Lent
·
Feb 29 Leap Day
3-THREE
OFFERINGS
Pope Leo XII. of blessed memory, by an autograph rescript, dated Oct. 21, 1823, granted to all faithful Christians—
i. The Indulgence of 100 days, for every time that they shall devoutly recite the following three offerings to the Most Holy Trinity, to obtain a good death,
ii. The Plenary Indulgence, to those who shall recite them every day for a month; to be gained at the end of the said month, on any one day when, having Confessed and Communicated, they shall pray according to the intention of the Sovereign Pontiff.
THE OFFERINGS.
i. We offer to the Most Holy Trinity the merits of Jesus Christ, in thanksgiving for the Precious Blood which Jesus shed in the garden for us; and by His merits we beseech the Divine Majesty to grant us the pardon of all our sins.
Pater, Ave. Gloria.
ii. We offer to the Most Holy Trinity the merits of Jesus Christ, in thanksgiving for His most precious death endured on the cross for us; and by His merits we beseech the Divine Majesty to grant us the pardon of all our sins.
Pater, Ave. Gloria.
iii. We offer to the Most Holy Trinity the merits of Jesus Christ, in thanksgiving for His unspeakable charity, by which He descended from heaven to earth to take upon Himself our flesh, and in It to suffer and die upon the cross; and by His merits we beseech the Divine Majesty to bring our souls to the glory of heaven after our death.
Pater, Ave. Gloria.
FEBRUARY
1 Thursday
FEAST
OF ST. BRIGID
Psalm 111, verse 10
The FEAR of the LORD is the
beginning of wisdom; prudent are all who practice it. His praise endures
forever.
Fear
of the Lord is reverence for God.
Is
there any reverence for anything left in America?
What happened to Reverence?[4]
The sixth chapter of St.
John’s gospel takes us to the core of our Church. Everything and anything
Catholic flows from the Real Presence of Jesus Christ here in the Blessed
Sacrament. Christ’s Presence among us in the Blessed Sacrament is the summit
and source of our lives together in the Church. It is the heart of the matter.
I can remember as a boy participating in Forty Hours Devotions, Eucharistic
Adorations, Corpus Christi Processions, Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament,
reciting prayers of thanksgiving after Mass, genuflection to the Presence,
visits to the Blessed Sacrament, fasting from midnight prior to receiving Holy
Communion the next morning, and other practices – all built up from and
pointing toward our contact with Jesus Christ truly and really present in the
Blessed Sacrament. We were careful always to refer to the consecrated host as
the Body of Christ; we never spoke of it simply as “the bread”. We referred to
the consecrated wine as the Precious Blood, never “the wine”. In those days,
when Catholic men passed by a Catholic church, they tipped their hats (in those
days men wore hats) to acknowledge and reverence the Presence of Christ in the
tabernacle. Women covered their heads with hats, shawls, babushkas and even
hankies while in church.
·
In
recent years I’ve seen both boys, and men as well, wearing baseball caps in
church, oblivious to the irreverence.
·
And
certainly, when I was young everyone — man, woman and child — dressed up to
attend Mass. Attending Mass in, T-shirts, tank tops, blue jeans, cutoffs, and
what have you was UNTHINKABLE. Church was special, not ordinary. The church was
supposed to be extraordinary. The inside of a Catholic Church was holy space;
it was sacred space. God in His holiness dwelled therein — and people dressed
accordingly.
And today? Well . . .
whatever happened to reverence? As a matter of fact, what DO we Americans’ reverence
. . . if anything?
As
a nation of people, we no longer kneel to anything. (Exemption is the NFL) There are even those who advocate that we
abolish kneeling in church and during the Eucharistic Prayers of Mass. But in
my view, kneeling during worship is the only thing left for us by which we can
express our profound reverence for God’s presence. Kneeling is our last
remaining experience of reverence and awe in God’s closeness to us. I am not
here to scold you or to harangue you. I’m here trying to hold up a vision
before your eyes. For it does appear to me that in our American culture little
is revered . . . except, perhaps, for the popstar, singer who calls herself
Madonna. Even human life itself is no longer revered. If human life gets in the
way now, we kill it, either in its beginning, or lately at its end (and a whole
lot of the rest of the time during our lifetime!) I am distressed, to say the
least, at what has happened. I’m saddened to see how we lack respect for each
other; we’ve lost reverence not only in the way we live but for human life
itself, and how we seem to be losing reverence and respect for the Presence of
Christ in the Blessed Sacrament.
So, whatever happened
to sacred space? Remember when the interior of a church was regarded as sacred
space?
Now
it’s regarded as an auditorium in which loud talk and joking around occurs
(especially so during wedding rehearsals). Some even treat it as a playpen.
Some eat in church, or drink soda pop, read newspapers, or simply sit there
bored out of their minds with absolutely no awareness of God’s Presence in this
sacred space. I’ve even had people come to receive Holy Communion while chewing
gum! (And I’m not talking about kids, either.)
If we dress up to go to
a party, why can’t we dress up to attend the Lord’s Supper, the Wedding Feast
of the Lamb? Ever see anyone go to a friend’s wedding dressed in cutoffs and a
t-shirt?
There’s nothing
hypocritical in dressing up to go to church . . . any more than there’s
anything hypocritical in dressing up to go over to a friend’s house for a
special dinner or party. Nobody ever claims THAT is hypocritical. And as for
talking in church-well, there’s certainly a way of talking that reverences
other people.
Where better to
reverence another, and pay quality attention to what they have to say, than in
church, talking with them in that holy space, in front of Christ present in the
Blessed Sacrament?
You
see, we need to learn to reverence the Presence of the Holy Spirit in other
people while at the same time reverencing the Presence of Christ in the Blessed
Sacrament. As a matter of fact, all social justice, and all economic justice
flow from the central reality. As Catholic Christians we judge our political, economic,
and political systems on the truth that each human person is sacred unto the
Lord; each person is a temple of God’s Holy Spirit. The communion of the
Mystical Body of Christ flows from the Holy Communion we share in the
Eucharist. We need to revere His presence in a whole lot of different ways, not
just in church. Reverence of God, I think, is multidimensional; it takes many
forms. We need to reverence the Son of God, present for us here in the
Eucharist. We need to reverence the presence of the Holy Spirit in other
people, along with the Presence of God in all His creation. We’ve lost
reverence for the presence of God in our world, in the trees and natural
resources, in nature’s pure waters, in animals, in all of God’s creatures. We
regard them today merely as useful, as things to exploit for profit. We’ve lost
our reverence for them. Perhaps if we recovered a sense of reverence, our world
would be a whole lot better place in which to live. There was a time when the
things of nature, water, trees, and natural resources were seen as given to us
by God as His stewards, to be used to accomplish His work.
Today?
Well,
water, resources and the environment are only useful for their owners, as
things to be sold for profit, as things to be exploited. A sense of reverence
perhaps would return balance to the way in which we treat our environment and
our natural resources. The recovery of reverence, it seems to me, ought to be
one of our chief goals, particularly in the context of the “culture” that
surrounds us.
Isaac victim of Abraham’s Reverence for God[5]
Genesis
22:9-10 “When they came to the place of which God had told him, Abraham built
the altar there and laid the wood in order and bound Isaac his son and laid him
on the altar, on top of the wood. Then Abraham reached out his hand and took
the knife to slaughter his son.”
Just as the knife was
being hurled downward, the angel of the Lord said “Do not lay your hand on the
boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have
not withheld your son, your only son, from me” (Gen 22:12), and “because you
have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely
bless you, and I will surely multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and
as the sand that is on the seashore. And your offspring shall possess the gate
of his enemies, and in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be
blessed, because you have obeyed my voice” (Gen 22:16-18).
Feast of St. Bridget, Abbess, and patroness of Ireland[6]
BRIDGETT
was born about the year 453 at Fochard, in Ulster. When about twenty years old
she received the veil from St. Mel, the nephew and disciple of St. Patrick. So
many sought the religious life under her direction that a convent, the first in
Ireland, was erected for her and she was made superior. From this parent stem
branched forth other convents in different parts of Ireland, all which
acknowledged her as their mother and foundress. Several churches in England and
Scotland are dedicated to God under her name, and some also in Germany and in France.
After
seventy years devoted to the practice of the most sublime virtues, corporal
infirmities admonished our saint that the time of her dissolution was nigh. For
half a century she had irrevocably consecrated herself to God, and during that
period great results had been attained. The day on which our abbess was to quit
this life, February 1, 523, having arrived, she received the blessed body and
blood of her Lord in the Blessed Eucharist, and, as it would seem, immediately
after her spirit passed forth, and went to possess Him in that heavenly country
where He is seen face to face and enjoyed without danger of ever losing Him.
Her
body was interred in the church adjoining her convent, but was some time after
exhumed, and deposited in a splendid shrine near the high altar. In the ninth
century, the country being desolated by the Danes, the remains of St. Bridget
were removed to Down-Patrick, where they were deposited in the same grave with
those of St. Patrick. Their bodies, together with that of St. Columba, were
translated after wards to the cathedral of the same city, but their monument
was destroyed in the reign of King Henry VIII. The head of St, Bridget is now
kept in the church of the Jesuits at Lisbon.
The
Introit of the Mass is as follows: Thou hast loved justice and hated iniquity;
therefore, O God, Thy God hath anointed Thee with the oil of gladness above Thy
fellows. My heart hath uttered a good word. I speak my works to the King."
Prayer.
Give
ear to us, O God our Savior, that, as we celebrate with joy the solemnity of
blessed Bridget Thy virgin, so we may improve in the affection of piety. Amen
EPISTLE, ii. Cor. x 17, 18; xi. 1, 2.
Brethren:
He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord. For not he who commendeth himself
is approved, but he whom God commendeth. "Would to God you could bear with
some little of my folly, but do bear with me. For I am jealous of you with the
jealousy of God. For I have espoused you to one husband that I may present you
as a chaste virgin to Christ.
GOSPEL. Matt. xxv. 1-13.
At that
time Jesus spoke to His disciples this parable: Then shall the kingdom of
heaven be like to ten virgins, who, taking their lamps, went out to meet the
bridegroom and the bride. And five of them were foolish, and five wise: but the
five foolish, having taken their lamps, did not take oil with them: but the
wise took oil in their vessels with the lamps. And the bridegroom tarrying,
they all slumbered and slept. And at midnight there was a cry made: Behold the
bridegroom cometh, go ye forth to meet him. Then all those virgins arose and
trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise: Give us of your oil: for
our lamps are gone out. The wise answered, saying: Lest perhaps there be not
enough for us and for you, go you rather to them that sell, and buy for
yourselves. Now whilst they went to buy, the bridegroom came: and they that
were ready went in with him to the marriage, and the door was shut. But at last
came also the other virgins, saying: Lord, Lord, open to us. But He answering said:
Amen I say to you, I know you not. Watch ye therefore because you know not the
day nor the hour.
Feast Day
of St Brigid of Ireland[7]
Bridget (Brigid, Bride, Bridey) of Kildare was born around 450 into a Druid
family, being the daughter of Dubhthach, court poet to King Loeghaire. At an
early age, Brigid decided to become a Christian, and she eventually took vows
as a nun. Together with a group of other women, she established a nunnery at
Kildare. She was later joined by a community of monks led by Conlaed. Kildare
had formerly been a pagan shrine where a sacred fire was kept perpetually
burning. Rather than stamping out this pagan flame, Brigid and her nuns kept it
burning as a Christian symbol. (This was in keeping with the general process
whereby Druidism in Ireland gave way to Christianity with very little
opposition, the Druids for the most part saying that their own beliefs were a partial
and tentative insight into the nature of God, and that they recognized in
Christianity what they had been looking for.) As an abbess, Brigid participated
in several Irish councils, and her influence on the policies of the Church in
Ireland was considerable.
Things to
Do
- Read
Amy Steedman's biography of Saint Brigid of Ireland to gain a greater
appreciation and devotion for this holy woman, who had a great tenderness
for mothers and their children.
- Read
Saint Brigit: The Mary of the Gael (Catholic Culture
Library) or go to this fascinating page St. Brigit - The Giveaway where you will find some
folklore and recipes.
- Saint
Brigid always recognized Christ in the sick and the poor. Visit Christ in
a nursing home or hospital today, and pray for the grace of clear vision,
even when you encounter Him in a distressing disguise.
- Meditate
on 1 Corinthians 12:31-13:13. Is this the kind of love you share with your
family? Pray to Saint Brigid for the grace to be patient, kind, and gentle
with those entrusted to your care.
- For more recipes and for a craft go to Brigid's Day Foods and How to Make a Traditional St. Brigid's Cross.
BEWARE
Tonight, the night
before the feast of the presentation of Jesus in the Temple begins the black
mass of magic spring
say your rosary it is
a weapon and a shield against evil.
The Black Mass[8]
The black mass is a parody of [the Catholic]
Mass, in which one adores and exalts Satan. Usually it is officiated at night,
because the darkness permits greater secrecy and because during the night fewer
people are found at prayer, which disturbs the ritual. During the celebration,
the words and the external signs of the Eucharistic liturgy are used, but
always in a contrary sense, in order to manifest opposition to God. There is
always a satanic priest officiating who wears blasphemous vestments, an altar
represented by a nude woman, possibly a virgin, on whom very serious acts of
profanity of the Eucharist (usually stolen from a church), are performed, with
words of consecration proclaimed in a contrary sense and an overturned
crucifix. Only members of the satanic sect, who are sworn to secrecy, may
participate. Nonmembers are never permitted to attend unless it is hoped that,
having already been seduced by the perversions and the illusion of power, they
may decide to enter the sect.
In general, the black masses are celebrated
by small groups of ten or at most fifteen of the “faithful.” Once the ritual is
concluded, the woman who functions as the altar is raped in turn by all the
participants: first by the one who exercised the “rites” of the priest, then by
all the others. This woman may have freely accepted that role, or she may have
been led there against her will; and aside from the physical violence, she
often suffers the terrible consequences of the ritual: [diabolical] possession.
As in the Church, some of the official rites
are required and are tied to particular feast days.
·
The most important is Halloween, which falls on
the night between October 31 and November 1 of each year: it is considered the
magic New Year. Therefore, it is necessary to understand the extreme danger for
our children and youth who participate in the feast of Halloween on that date.
·
The second precedes our feast of the
presentation of Jesus in the Temple on February 2. The night before, in fact,
begins the magic spring.
The officiator of these rites is usually
someone who is consecrated to Satan, and although it is not stated, this person
is also usually possessed by the devil. Often during these rituals, the
Eucharistic hosts are profaned, [having been] stolen from tabernacles or taken
by some of the faithful at Communion during Mass and not consumed.
More pagan worship: Serpent Day[9]
Serpent Day is a day
of reflection and coming to grips with our fears. It’s dedicated to
pondering our reactions to the prime material behind that expensive
high-fashion snake-skin handbag. Its unique, slithering form has long been
associated with wisdom and power, used for either good or evil. Serpents have
been both feared and revered, at times simultaneously, in many different
periods of human history. Quetzalcoatl is a Mesoamerican deity, the
worship of which was first known documented in Teotihuacan in the first century
BCE or first century CE. The veneration of the figure appears spread throughout
Mesoamerica between 600–900 AD.
Quetzalcoatl, also called
“the Plumed Serpent,” played a dominant role as a god, model, myth, historical
figure and symbol in Aztec culture. According to legend, he was incarnated
on earth and founded the fabulous capital of the Toltecs, Tollan. Quetzalcoatl
represented the universal quest for meaning in life, and was
the guardian of water and rain, a precious resource of the Aztecs.
In the Hindu regions of Asia,
the serpent, or naga, is considered a nature spirit. As in
the Aztec belief system, Naga is the protector of springs, wells, and rivers,
and so serpents bring rain, and fertility. The serpent is also a
fascinating biblical symbol. Perhaps the most common is the portrayal of
the serpent as an enemy in general, or as Satan in particular.
However,
a serpent is later used to foreshadow Jesus’ death on the cross and the
salvation it makes possible when a bronze serpent appears on a cross that the
severely ill Israelites looked upon to recover, which can be found in John
3:14-15. Anthropologists have argued that the serpent as a symbol of death
is built into our unconscious minds because of evolutionary history, as for
millions of years, snakes were mainly just predators of
primates. Nowadays, a snake wrapped around the Rod of Asclepius is on the
Star of Life, the worldwide symbol of medical aid.
Better to smoke in this life than the next[10]
Cigars are great for contemplation.
Let’s face it: Many of us need a lot more contemplation in life. Our fast-paced world encourages us to quickly go from one thing to the next, and to always stay busy. We then become consumed by this world and forget to let our souls breathe and take some time to contemplate the true, good, and beautiful. A cigar is our giant NO to a world that doesn’t want us to think for ourselves, that merely wants us to comply. There’s nothing quite like kicking back with a good cigar and letting your thoughts rise to the heavens on wisps of smoke. Those who have never tried cigars don’t realize just how much cigars can inspire deep thoughts. But there’s a reason why many great, insightful writers, artists, and thinkers smoked cigars!
The Mill Brothers know what we’re talking about. To quote their song “Smoke Rings”:
“Where do they go, the smoke rings I blow each night? What do they do,
those circles of blue and white? O little smoke rings I love, please take me
above!”
Cigars represent the spirited part of the human person.
Author Michael P. Foley has compared pipes,
cigarettes, and cigars to Plato’s view of the tripartite soul. The pipe
corresponds to the rational part of the soul. You often see photos of
professors with pipes — we bet that J.R.R. Tolkien popped into some of your
minds! For Foley, the cigarette corresponds to the appetitive part of the soul.
We often go for cigarettes when we simply need a smoke right now. The cigar
corresponds to that noble-spirited part of us — the chest. That’s because a
cigar is more about what you blow out than what you inhale. It’s therefore no
surprise that great speakers and politicians — such as Winston Churchill —
loved cigars. Of course, we will never find full satisfaction in any earthly
thing. True happiness is only obtained in heaven. But God in His mercy has
given us little foretastes of joy sprinkled here and there. Some of us find
echoes of this joy in cigars. Let’s offer this joy back to God and let our
smoking fuel beautiful, holy thoughts!
Thursday
Feast
Thursday
is the day of the week that our Lord gave himself up for consumption. Thursday
commemorates the last supper. Some theologians believe after Sunday Thursday is
the holiest day of the week. We should then try to make this day special by
making a visit to the blessed sacrament chapel, Mass or even stopping by the
grave of a loved one. Why not plan to count the blessing of the week and thank
our Lord. Plan a special meal. Be at Peace.
·
According to Mary Agreda[11]
in her visions it was on a Thursday at six o'clock in the evening and at the
approach of night that the Angel Gabriel approached and announced her as Mother
of God and she gave her fiat.
February 1st, St. Brigid (Hist.):
- St.
Brigid's Bread
- St.
Brigid's Oaten Bread
- Irish
Soda Bread
- Irish
Beef and Guinness Stew
- Irish
Potato Pancakes
- St.
Brigid Vegetable Soup
- Traditional
Irish Soda Bread
- After Dinner Cigars
Daily
Devotions/Activities
·
Unite in the work of the Porters of St. Joseph by joining them
in fasting: Today's Fast: End
to abortion
·
Offering to
the sacred heart of Jesus
·
Plan
winter fun:
o
Soak in hot
springs
o
Hit the snow slopes
o
Ride a
snowmobile
o
Go for a
dog sled ride
o Ride a hot air
balloon
·
Rosary.
[1]https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/overviews/months/02.cfm
[2]https://www.travelchannel.com/interests/travels-best/photos/fun-things-to-see-and-do-in-february
[3]https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/The_Raccolta_(1857)/Three_Offerings,_with_three_Pater_nosters,_etc.
[6] Goffine’s Devout Instructions, 1896.
[8]Amorth, Fr. Gabriele. An Exorcist Explains the Demonic: The Antics of Satan and His Army of Fallen Angels
[10]https://pintswithaquinas.com/why-cigars-are-awesome/?utm_source=pwa&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=email&utm_content=cigars
[11] Venerable Mary of Agreda. The Mystical City of God: Complete Edition Containing all Four Volumes with Illustrations (p. 770). Veritatis Splendor Publications. Kindle Edition
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