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Wednesday, May 21, 2025

  Dara’s Corner Try Bucket List Trip: The Alps National Month of Hope ·          Fairness is giving animals their due too this is “ Res...

Traditional Latin Mass

Saturday, May 17, 2025

 


Vinny’s Corner

·         Saturday Litany of the Hours Invoking the Aid of Mother Mary

·         Spirit hour:  Whiskey or Whine & Cheese

·         Bucket Item trip: Go to the Preakness

·         Autism Acceptance Month

·         Don’t lead by the mushroom concept

o   Feed people shit and keep them in the dark

§  Don’t pick one-time mushrooms

May 17 BEST. EXPERIENCE. EVER.  Phoenix Raceway

o   Welcome to NASCAR Racing Experience.  DRIVE a NASCAR race car by yourself on the Phoenix Raceway- A 1 mile, low-banked tri-oval racetrack with 8 to 9 degrees of banking in the turns. Following drivers meeting with training and instruction, you’ll drive a NASCAR race car for timed racing sessions. There’s no lead car to follow and no instructor rides with you. Get one-on-one instruction from a spotter over in-car radio. In between every 8 minutes of Track Time get to a brief pit stop and head back on the track to work on driving faster speeds.  Pass the slower cars as you catch them... YES, passing is allowed! 




MAY 17 Saturday of the Fourth Week of Easter

Pinot Grigio Day

 

2 Maccabees, Chapter 7, Verse 29

Do not be AFRAID of this executioner, but be worthy of your brothers and accept death, so that in the time of mercy I may receive you again with your brothers.”

 

People of virtue are often a stumbling block for the rich and the powerful yet know that they, the rich and the powerful, are only the physical workers of the devil and his cohort, while we are the children of God. Take courage therefore and wrap yourself in the virtues our Lord may give you. For some are martyrs and some are priests and religious and some are holy hermits, and some are holy spouses and parents. In Maccabees the progressives now push for the abolition of Judaism. Today we also realize the same push from the progressive tools of the devil. Will there ever come a time when in our society virtuous people are treated like the mother with her seven martyred sons. We report—you decide!

 

Martyrdom of a mother and Her Seven Sons[1]


 

HANNAH AND HER SEVEN SONS, a story told in II Maccabees, Chapter 7, of seven brothers who were seized along with their mother by Antiochus IV Epiphanes, presumably shortly after the beginning of the religious persecutions in 167/166 B.C.E., and commanded to prove their obedience to the king by partaking of swine's flesh. The brothers defiantly refused to do so. Encouraged in their resolve by their mother, they were executed after being put to frightful tortures. When the mother was appealed to by the king to spare the youngest child's life by prevailing upon him to comply, she urged the child instead to follow in the path of his brothers, and she herself died shortly thereafter.

Apostolic Exhortation[2]

Veneremur Cernui – Down in Adoration Falling

of The Most Reverend Thomas J. Olmsted, Bishop of Phoenix,
to Priests, Deacons, Religious and the Lay Faithful of the Diocese of Phoenix on the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist

My beloved Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Part I

Eucharist – Mystery to Be Revered

13. The Eucharist is the supernatural food that keeps us going along the difficult journey towards the Promised Land of eternal salvation: “Whoever eats my flesh has eternal life”. To see the truth of these words, we must turn to the context for which they were spoken.

I. The Mass as the new Exodus from Slavery of Sin

14. The Eucharist comes to us through the Mass. Our normal experience of the Eucharist is at Mass, the central ritual – or liturgical – celebration which takes place every day and is a weekly obligation for the faithful. What we often call the Sacrifice of the Mass is the place where the Church has always believed we eat and drink the Body and Blood of Christ. The Mass must be understood within the context of the Last Supper where “Jesus took bread […] and gave it to his disciples, saying, ‘Take and eat; this is my body’ […] Then he took a cup, […] he gave it to them, saying, ‘Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant’” (Mt 26:26-28).

15. At the Last Supper, which the Church commemorates today, Jesus took part in and forever transformed the Jewish Passover ritual meal. It is here we see the context in which Jesus desires His Body and Blood to be consumed as food. This is the context where we discover the beauty of the grand mystery of the Eucharist as the fulfillment of both the Jewish Passover and the Covenant of Israel.

. To be continued…

Catechism of the Catholic Church

Day 335 2607-2615

Jesus teaches us how to pray

2607 When Jesus prays he is already teaching us how to pray. His prayer to his Father is the theological path (the path of faith, hope, and charity) of our prayer to God. But the Gospel also gives us Jesus' explicit teaching on prayer. Like a wise teacher he takes hold of us where we are and leads us progressively toward the Father. Addressing the crowds following him, Jesus builds on what they already know of prayer from the Old Covenant and opens to them the newness of the coming Kingdom. Then he reveals this newness to them in parables. Finally, he will speak openly of the Father and the Holy Spirit to his disciples who will be the teachers of prayer in his Church.

2608 From the Sermon on the Mount onwards, Jesus insists on conversion of heart: reconciliation with one's brother before presenting an offering on the altar, love of enemies, and prayer for persecutors, prayer to the Father in secret, not heaping up empty phrases, prayerful forgiveness from the depths of the heart, purity of heart, and seeking the Kingdom before all else. This filial conversion is entirely directed to the Father.

2609 Once committed to conversion, the heart learns to pray in faith. Faith is a filial adherence to God beyond what we feel and understand. It is possible because the beloved Son gives us access to the Father. He can ask us to "seek" and to "knock," since he himself is the door and the way.

2610 Just as Jesus prays to the Father and gives thanks before receiving his gifts, so he teaches us filial boldness: "Whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you receive it, and you will." Such is the power of prayer and of faith that does not doubt: "all things are possible to him who believes." Jesus is as saddened by the "lack of faith" of his own neighbors and the "little faith" of his own disciples as he is struck with admiration at the great faith of the Roman centurion and the Canaanite woman.

2611 The prayer of faith consists not only in saying "Lord, Lord," but in disposing the heart to do the will of the Father. Jesus calls his disciples to bring into their prayer this concern for cooperating with the divine plan.

2612 In Jesus "the Kingdom of God is at hand." He calls his hearers to conversion and faith, but also to watchfulness. In prayer the disciple keeps watch, attentive to Him Who Is and Him Who Comes, in memory of his first coming in the lowliness of the flesh, and in the hope of his second coming in glory. In communion with their Master, the disciples' prayer is a battle; only by keeping watch in prayer can one avoid falling into temptation.

2613 Three principal parables on prayer are transmitted to us by St. Luke:

- the first, "the importunate friend," invites us to urgent prayer: "Knock, and it will be opened to you." To the one who prays like this, the heavenly Father will "give whatever he needs," and above all the Holy Spirit who contains all gifts.
- the second, "the importunate widow," is centered on one of the qualities of prayer: it is necessary to pray always without ceasing and with the patience of faith. "and yet, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?"
- the third parable, "the Pharisee and the tax collector," concerns the humility of the heart that prays. "God, be merciful to me a sinner!" the Church continues to make this prayer its own: Kyrie eleison!

2614 When Jesus openly entrusts to his disciples the mystery of prayer to the Father, he reveals to them what their prayer and ours must be, once he has returned to the Father in his glorified humanity. What is new is to "ask in his name." Faith in the Son introduces the disciples into the knowledge of the Father, because Jesus is "the way, and the truth, and the life." Faith bears its fruit in love: it means keeping the word and the commandments of Jesus, it means abiding with him in the Father who, in him, so loves us that he abides with us. In this new covenant the certitude that our petitions will be heard is founded on the prayer of Jesus.

2615 Even more, what the Father gives us when our prayer is united with that of Jesus is "another Counselor, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth." This new dimension of prayer and of its circumstances is displayed throughout the farewell discourse. In the Holy Spirit, Christian prayer is a communion of love with the Father, not only through Christ but also in him: "Hitherto you have asked nothing in my name; ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full."

Pinot Grigio Day[3]


 

The Pinot Grigio complements any meal but sometimes it’s best by itself. Lorrie C

 

If you’re a wine aficionado, you know that there’s nothing quite like the fresh taste of a great vintage of wine to go with an incredible meal. There are so many vintages to choose from it can sometimes be a challenge to find the perfect pairing. Thankfully, there’s Pinot Grigio, an incredible wine that’s been known for hundreds of years in the world’s most respected wine regions. Pinot Grigio Pinot Grigio Day celebrates this astonishing wine and its ability to be paired with just about anything, or just enjoyed on its own.

 

History of Pinot Grigio Day

 

Pinot Grigio has a long history, as we already mentioned above, and shares part of its genetic heritage with Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris. As the years went by it came to be one of the most popular vintages to be grown and produced, with over 15,000 Hectares being used to grow the grape necessary to produce it. If you’ve never had this fine wine and want to know how it tastes, it has been described as having an acidic, lighter-bodied flavor, most of the noted as having a recognizable ‘spiciness’ to them.

 

Depending on where you’re getting your Pinot Grigio from it may come under a different name, with examples being the Auxerrois Gris from Alsace, the Grauer Monch from Germany, and the Rulander from Romania. While the basic profile of the wine remains the same, there are variations based on where and how its produced that lead to sweeter and drier varieties being available. Pinot Grigio Day is your opportunity to go out and buy a bottle or ten and start sampling a delicious variety of what the world has to offer in the way of excellent wines.

 

How to celebrate Pinot Grigio Day


 

As we already mentioned there’s no better way to celebrate this day than by getting yourself a fine bottle of Pinot Grigio and pouring it out with some friends. Given that there are multiple varieties of this wine it could be good to schedule a wine tasting where everyone brings a bottle of Pinot Grigio from a different region, to ensure that everyone gets the chance to enjoy the wide world of Pinot Grigio. Don’t let this holiday pass you by without taking the time to appreciate one of viticultures finest products.

 

Things you can do with Pinot Grigio besides drinking it!

 

Of course, having a delicious glass of Pinot Grigio is the best way to celebrate this day! However, there are a number of other things that you can do with Pinot Grigio, aside from drinking it. There are so many different recipes that call for Pinot Grigio. So, why not celebrate with a delicious meal incorporating Pinot Grigio and a glass of the wine to wash it down with? Fish dishes always work really well with this type of wine. Nevertheless, there are many other recipes whereby Pinot Grigio can be incorporated. 

 

Did you know that you can use Pinot Grigio in a pie and tart crust? You have probably heard about creating a tender pie crust with vodka. However, you can also use this delicious white wine. The science is very similar. Unlike water, gluten is not created when flour and alcohol or mixed together. If you overwork gluten, baked goods can end up tough. Therefore, you can enjoy a much more tender crust if you use less gluten. Moreover, the touch of Pinot Grigio is going to add a bit of sweetness to the crust as well, so it’s a win-win! 

 

If you’re looking for a great dinner idea to go with your bottle of white wine on Pinot Grigio day, how about a chicken cacciatore? In some countries, the tomato-based version of this dish is more well-known. However, with this version, chicken is served with a white sauce. You can prepare this with red chillis, oil, and garlic. You can then add some olives and a bottle of pinot grigio, cooking it for a long time so that all of the flavors are melded together properly. Ten minutes before you are finished cooking, add plenty of fresh rosemary to the sauce. 


 

If this doesn’t sound like the right dish for you, how about a pasta carbonara? You can add more flavor to your pasta dish by adding a splash of Pinot Grigio to the pan after the pancetta has been sauteed. You won’t look back after trying this version. There is a gamey aftertaste to the smoked pancetta cubes. However, you can get rid of this with the Pinot Grigio, which makes the pure pancetta flavor outstanding. It really takes your dish to the next level, and this is a sort of concept that can be applied to a lot of different dishes when it comes to adding Pinot Grigio. 

 

Last but not least, why not create your own cocktail with Pinot Grigio? Of course, you’re still going to be technically drinking it, but we’ve bent the rules a little bit for this one! There are some amazing Pinot Grigio cocktails on the Internet. Spend some time looking for a recipe you love. One of our favorites is a Hugo Spritzer. To make this cocktail, you will need your favorite Pinot Grigio (or any old bottle!) combined with soda water, elderflower syrup, mint leaves, some wedges of lime, and some ice. It’s a refreshing cocktail, which goes down a treat.

 

Armed Forces Day Build Up


 

US Coast Guard[4]

The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is the coastal defense, search and rescue, and maritime law enforcement branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the country's eight uniformed services. The Coast Guard is a maritime, military, multi-mission service unique among the U.S. military branches for having a maritime law enforcement mission with jurisdiction in both domestic and international waters and a federal regulatory agency mission as part of its duties. It operates under the U.S. Department of Homeland Security during peacetime, and can be transferred to the U.S. Department of the Navy by the U.S. President at any time, or by the U.S. Congress during times of war. Congressional authority transfers happened twice: in 1917, during World War I, and in 1941, during World War II. Created by the U.S. Congress on 4 August 1790 at the request of Alexander Hamilton as the Revenue-Marine, it is the oldest continuous seagoing service of the United States. As Secretary of the Treasury, Hamilton headed the Revenue-Marine, whose original purpose was collecting customs duties at U.S. seaports. By the 1860s, the service was known as the U.S. Revenue Cutter Service and the term Revenue-Marine gradually fell into disuse. The modern Coast Guard was formed by a merger of the U.S. Revenue Cutter Service and the U.S. Life-Saving Service on 28 January 1915, under the U.S. Department of the Treasury. In 1939, the U.S. Lighthouse Service was also merged into the Coast Guard. As one of the country's six armed services, the Coast Guard has been involved in every U.S. war from 1790 to the Iraq War and the War in Afghanistan.

Coast Guard Physical Health[5]


Coast Guard Fitness Policy Overview

Fitness is embedded in our culture. Coast Guard members must submit a Personal Fitness Plan, and spend a minimum of 180 minutes per week of dedicated physical fitness activity – workload and operations permitting. Civilian employees are authorized to participate in physical fitness activities during the work day, up to three hours per week, workload and operations permitting.

Coast Guard Fitness Program
Resources are available to help you begin your fitness training—either individualized or for your whole team. Tools will help you track your progress and access resources, while getting coaching and encouragement along the way.

Health Coach
CG SUPRT provides free, one-on-one health coaches. Call 1-855-CGSUPRT (247-8778).

Health Promotion Resource Manuals and Forms

Fitness Resources

Nutrition and Weight Resources

Weight Probation Resources

Command shall refer member to their Primary Care Manager (PCM) by filling out Section 1 of the (SF-600 Command Weight Referral Form). PCM's shall fill out Section 2. Members shall inform command of any medical problems with losing weight or starting an exercise program. Additional resources are located on the Body Fat Probation Resources page.

Choosemyplate.gov

A delicious resource full with information on food groups, health goals and your budget—all to promote a healthier eating lifestyle.

Tobacco Cessation

Trying to break the habit of smoking? This site shares basic information on tobacco that you should know, including unsavory facts on tobacco consumption on our bodies. It also shares resources and tips on how to take control and quit for good.


Armed Forces Day[1]



Armed Forces Day is a day to recognize members of the Armed Forces that are currently serving. In 1947, the Armed Forces of the US were united under one department which was renamed the Department of Defense. In 1949, President Harry S. Truman supported the creation of a day for the nation to unite in support and recognition or our military members and their families. On August 31, 1949, Secretary of Defense Louis Johnson announced that Armed Forces Day would take the place of other individual branch celebrations, and all branches of the military would be honored this single day.  Armed Forces Day takes place on the third Saturday in May.

·         According to the US Dept of Defense, as of 2017, there are 1,281,900 personnel serving in active duty in the United States.

·         One of the best ways to keep peace is to be prepared for war. - General George Washington

Armed Forces Day Top Events and Things to Do

·         Attend a parade or a military air show.

·         Send a care package to military personnel stationed overseas. Free flat-rate boxes are available at USPS. Use these to mail to military bases for a low cost.

·         Fly the American Flag.

·         Visit a local Veteran's Hospital or Nursing Home to show your gratitude.

·         Honor Military Working Dogs by donating to the ASPCA or other charitable organizations that protect and serve these heroic animals.

 

10 habits of mentally strong people[2]



Despite West Point Military Academy’s rigorous selection process, one in five students drop out by graduation day. A sizeable number leave the summer before freshman year, when cadets go through a rigorous program called “Beast.” Beast consists of extreme physical, mental, and social challenges that are designed to test candidates’ perseverance. University of Pennsylvania psychologist Angela Duckworth conducted a study in which she sought to determine which cadets would make it through the Beast program. The rigorous interviews and testing that cadets went through to get into West Point in the first place told Angela that IQ and talent weren’t the deciding factors. So, Angela developed her own test to determine which cadets had the mental strength to conquer the Beast. She called it the “Grit Scale,” and it was a highly accurate predictor of cadet success. The Grit Scale measures mental strength, which is that unique combination of passion, tenacity, and stamina that enables you to stick with your goals until they become a reality. To increase your mental strength, you simply need to change your outlook. When hard times hit, people with mental strength suffer just as much as everyone else. The difference is that they understand that life’s challenging moments offer valuable lessons. In the end, it’s these tough lessons that build the strength you need to succeed. Developing mental strength is all about habitually doing the things that no one else is willing to do. If you aren’t doing the following things on a regular basis, you should be, for these are the habits that mentally strong people rely on.

  1. You have to fight when you already feel defeated.

A reporter once asked Muhammad Ali how many sit-ups he does every day. He responded, “I don’t count my sit-ups, I only start counting when it starts hurting, when I feel pain, cause that’s when it really matters.” The same applies to success in the workplace. You always have two choices when things begin to get tough: you can either overcome an obstacle and grow in the process or let it beat you. Humans are creatures of habit. If you quit when things get tough, it gets that much easier to quit the next time. On the other hand, if you force yourself to push through a challenge, the strength begins to grow in you.

  1. You have to delay gratification.

There was a famous Stanford experiment in which an administrator left a child in a room with a marshmallow for 15 minutes. Before leaving, the experimenter told the child that she was welcome to eat it, but if she waited until he returned without eating it, she would get a second marshmallow. The children that were able to wait until the experimenter returned experienced better outcomes in life, including higher SAT scores, greater career success, and even lower body mass indexes. The point is that delay of gratification and patience are essential to success. People with mental strength know that results only materialize when you put in the time and forego instant gratification.

  1. You have to make mistakes, look like an idiot, and try again — without even flinching.

In a recent study at the College of William and Mary, researchers interviewed over 800 entrepreneurs and found that the most successful among them tend to have two critical things in common: they’re terrible at imagining failure and they tend not to care what other people think of them. In other words, the most successful entrepreneurs put no time or energy into stressing about their failures as they see failure as a small and necessary step in the process of reaching their goals.

  1. You have to keep your emotions in check.

Negative emotions challenge your mental strength every step of the way. While it’s impossible not to feel your emotions, it’s completely under your power to manage them effectively and to keep yourself in control of them. When you let your emotions overtake your ability to think clearly, it’s easy to lose your resolve. A bad mood can make you lash out or stray from your chosen direction just as easily as a good mood can make you overconfident and impulsive.

  1. You have to make the calls you’re afraid to make.

Sometimes we have to do things we don’t want to do because we know they’re for the best in the long-run: fire someone, cold-call a stranger, pull an all-nighter to get the company server back up, or scrap a project and start over. It’s easy to let the looming challenge paralyze you, but the most successful people know that in these moments, the best thing they can do is to get started right away. Every moment spent dreading the task subtracts time and energy from actually getting it done. People that learn to habitually make the tough calls stand out like flamingos in a flock of seagulls.

  1. You have to trust your gut.

There’s a fine line between trusting your gut and being impulsive. Trusting your gut is a matter of looking at decisions from every possible angle, and when the facts don’t present a clear alternative, you believe in your ability to make the right decision; you go with what looks and feels right.

  1. You have to lead when no one else follows.

It’s easy to set a direction and to believe in yourself when you have support, but the true test of strength is how well you maintain your resolve when nobody else believes in what you’re doing. People with mental strength believe in themselves no matter what, and they stay the course until they win people over to their ways of thinking.

  1. You have to focus on the details even when it makes your mind numb.

Nothing tests your mental strength like mind-numbing details, especially when you’re tired. The more people with mental strength are challenged, the more they dig in and welcome that challenge, and numbers and details are no exception to this.

  1. You have to be kind to people who are rude to you.

When people treat you poorly, it’s tempting to stoop to their level and return the favor. People with mental strength don’t allow others to walk all over them, but that doesn’t mean they’re rude to them, either. Instead, they treat rude and cruel people with the same kindness they extend to everyone else, because they don’t allow another person’s negativity to bring them down.

10.   You have to be accountable for your actions, no matter what.


 People are far more likely to remember how you dealt with a problem than they are to recall how you created it in the first place. By holding yourself accountable, even when making excuses is an option, you show that you care about results more than your image or ego.

Daily Devotions

·         Unite in the work of the Porters of St. Joseph by joining them in fasting: Individuals with Mental Illness note: We pray for Politian’s separately

·         Litany of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus

·         Offering to the sacred heart of Jesus

·         Drops of Christ’s Blood

·         Universal Man Plan

·         Rosary

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