Monday Night at the Movies
On the Waterfront
Christopher’s Corner
· Beans Month bursts into July with a celebration of one of the world’s favorite and most versatile ingredients—beans!
· Eat waffles and Pray for the assistance of the Angels
· Spirit Hour: lemon drop martini cocktail
§ The Rhinoceros in Missoula
· Bucket List trip[2]: USA 70-degree year trip:
· Foodie- Chickpea-Potato Chaat
· Monday: Litany of Humility
· Be forgiving and be Honest; tell the truth even in a world that doesn’t know what truth is.
JULY 7 Monday
Philippians, Chapter 2, Verse 12
So then, my beloved, obedient as
you have always been, not only when I am present but all the more now when I am
absent, work out your salvation with FEAR
and trembling.
Be
good even when no one is watching is the old man’s advice. We who are chosen by
the Lord are the light bearers showing the way to the will of God in a dark
world. The world is a turbulent place fraught with evil beyond imagining. We
must be wise as parents of children who build a home with both a prayer room
and a storm cellar for the times when a tornado might come. Our church is such
a home both a prayer room and storm cellar against the world.
Copilot
Philippians
2 offers one of the most profound reflections on fear and humility in
the New Testament, especially from a Catholic perspective. The key verse—“Work
out your salvation with fear and trembling” (Philippians 2:12)—is often
misunderstood, but in Catholic tradition, it carries rich spiritual meaning.
Here are the central lessons:
1. Fear
as Reverent Awe, Not Terror
·
The
phrase “fear and trembling” does not imply dread or anxiety, but rather holy
fear—a deep reverence for God’s majesty and our responsibility before Him.
·
As
St. Paul emphasizes, this fear is rooted in humility, not despair. Catholics
are called to cooperate with grace, recognizing that salvation is a
gift, but one that requires our free and faithful response.
2. Fear
Keeps Us Spiritually Vigilant
·
St.
Paul warns against presumption. Even though we are saved by grace, we must not
become complacent. Fear, rightly ordered, keeps us watchful and dependent on
God, not on our own merits.
·
This
aligns with Catholic teaching on the need for ongoing conversion and
perseverance in faith.
3. Fear
Is Balanced by Confidence in God’s Work
·
Immediately
after the call to work out salvation, Paul says, “For God is the one who,
for his good purpose, works in you both to desire and to work” (Phil 2:13).
This means we are never alone in our efforts—God is the one empowering
us.
·
Catholic
theology sees this as a beautiful tension: we act, but God acts first and
most deeply.
4.
Christ’s Humility as the Model
·
Earlier
in the chapter, Paul presents the Christ Hymn (Phil 2:6–11), where Jesus
humbles Himself even to death on a cross. This is the ultimate model of holy
fear: obedience born of love, not compulsion.
·
Catholics
are invited to imitate this humility, trusting that exaltation comes through
surrender.
In short,
Philippians 2 teaches that fear, when rooted in reverence and humility, is not
a weakness but a strength. It keeps us grounded in grace, alert to temptation,
and open to the transforming work of God.
Let Freedom Ring: 40 Days to
Freedom from the Devil[1]
July 7-August 15, 2021
Goal:
Through acts of
reparation, fasting, penance, charity, and prayer (both personal and
sacramental) we call upon the power of God to release ourselves, our families,
our parishes, our dioceses, and our nation from all demonic influence and
oppression.
Method:
Each
day will be broken into prayer, reflection, and reparation.
Reflection:
A reflection
(rotating from Fr. Peckman, Fr. Altman & Fr. Heilman) will be written for
each day on a particular manifestation of the demonic and the sin it leads to.
It will commend a corresponding virtue to cultivate.
Prayer:
Prayers of
reparation and exorcism will be followed by a litany
·
Monday:
Litany of Humility
Acts of
Reparation and Penance:
Factoring into
this will be variables of age, ability, and availability.
*
To pray a Rosary for the Intention of exorcism of the day's area of
reflection
*
To pray a Divine Mercy Chaplet in reparation for the sin caused by the area of
the day's reflection
*
To commit one act of either a spiritual or corporal works of mercy for either
one who has been harmed by our sin or who has harmed us by their sin.
*
To commit to fasting or abstinence days as prescribed below.
*
To commit to a prescribed time of exercise based on one's abilities
*
To commit to going to confession once a week (where available)
*
To refrain from all use of the conventional media throughout the 40 days and to
limit one's use of social media to one hour a day for non-business or
evangelical use.
Prayer for Freedom from the Devil
(We will all pray the following
prayer each day)
My Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, at
a word from You the devil and his minions flee in terror. You are the source of
all truth. You are the source of all strength. By the power of Your Cross and
Resurrection, we beseech You, O Lord To extend Your saving arm and to send Your
holy angels to defend us as we do battle with Satan and his demonic forces.
Exorcise, we pray, that which oppresses Your Bride, the Church, so that within
ourselves, our families, our parishes, our dioceses, and our nation We may turn
fully back to You in all fidelity and trust. Lord, we know if You will it, it
will be done. Give us the perseverance for this mission, we pray.
Amen.
Our Lady of the
Immaculate Conception ... pray for us
St. Joseph ...
pray for us
St. Michael the
Archangel ... pray for us
(the patron of
your parish) ... pray for us
(your
confirmation saint) ... pray for us
Let Freedom Ring: Freedom from Fear-Day 1
By Fr. Bill Peckman
In the Garden of Eden, the Devil
tempts Adam and Eve. He lies to them. His lie is effective because it taps into
fear. The fear is simple: God does not want what is good for you. The Devil
sells a fear to Adam and Eve that God wishes them to be perpetually ignorant of
good and evil (even though they already knew the good), that they are missing
out without that knowledge. Fear finds its roots in a disbelief in God's
providence and care. God knows this and in the Scriptures. He tells us 365
times to not be afraid. Overcoming fear is trusting in God.
Fear rules our nation now. It used to
be that the American Dream was the ability to act rightly and freely and set
one's course independent of one's socioeconomic status. In the last 100 years
the American Dream transformed into accumulation of possessions and status. Now
the American dream had turned into a nightmare of anarchy by which the dream is
complete autonomy and self-determination independent of God, science, or
reason. The fear comes from a belief that this life is all that there is, and
we must create a reality conducive to my personal truth. Anyone who challenges
this is to be feared and despised.
Fear rules within most churches now.
Fear has reduced the evangelical call of the Great Commission to a call for the
comfortable and non-challenging. It has stilled out tongues on moral issues. It
has gutted our catechesis. It has emptied our seminaries and decimated the
priesthood. Being Catholic has always carried a stigma in this country. With
the scandals in the Church, fear of being accused of things one would never do
is a strong deterrent to answering God's call. It was for me. When the
purveyors of fear have raised their voices, in fear we Catholics have allowed
ours to be silenced. A fearful person who will not stand up against the lies of
a human being will never stand up to the lies perpetrated by the father of
lies, the Devil. We would do well to heed Jesus's rebuke of His apostles in
Mathew 8:26, "Why are you fearful, ye of little faith?" He says this
as they are being tossed on the sea by a strong storm.
It might be said that courage is the virtue to cultivate to fight fear. It goes deeper. The virtue to cultivate is the theological virtue of faith. To countermand the Devil's use of fear, in believing that God does not want what is good for us or will abandon us if we follow Him, we must cultivate faith so as to be able and willing to put our trust in His goodness and plan.
Because it is a theological
virtue, the virtue only grows with the assistance of the grace of God. We will
not be able to cultivate faith without the sacramental life of the Church. Even
when circumstance prevents our participation in the sacramental life of the
Church, the fervent desire to participate in the sacramental life of the Church
allows that opening for God to flood us with the grace to grow our faith. Such
desire has aided the imprisoned, the ill, and the exile.
Faith must lead to conversion. If not,
then the grace of God is squandered. We shall have to answer for this.
Conversion is an outward and inward sign of the trust we faith we have in God.
Conversion sets the devil on his heels. It calls out his lie. Faith will lead
us to a place where we can stand out against the rising tide and fight against
the diabolical. Dead men flow downstream, weak men float downstream, but live
men can walk against the current and move forward. Faith is the power train to
give us such abilities.
Prayer of Reparation
My Lord and my God, we have allowed
the temptation of the devil to move our hearts to doubt in your goodness. We
have still our tongues in the face of evil. We have been too fearful to stand
out in our culture, allowing the strong storms to quell our trust in you. In
our fear, we have allowed the ancient foe to advance. We turn to you Lord, in
our sorrow and guilt, and beg your forgiveness for our fear and timidity. We
beg for the grace of your goodness to build up within us what you sought to
build up in your apostles in that tempest tossed boat.
We know, Lord, if you will it, it will
be done.
Trusting in you, we offer our prayer
to you who live and reign forever.
Amen
Prayer of Exorcism
Lord God of Heaven and Earth, in
your power and goodness, you created all things. You set a path for us to walk
on and a way to an eternal relationship. By the strength of your arm and Word
of your mouth cast from your Holy Church every fearful deceit of the Devil.
Drive from us manifestations of the demonic that oppress us and beckon us to
faithlessness and fear. Still the lying tongue of the devil and his forces so
that we may act freely and faithfully to your will. Send your holy angels to
cast out all influence that the demonic entities in charge of fear have planted
in your church. Free us, our families, our parish, our diocese, and our country
from all trickery and deceit perpetrated by the Devil and his hellish legions.
Trusting in your goodness Lord, We
know if you will it, it will be done in unity with Your Son and the Holy
Spirit, One God for ever and ever. Amen.
Litany of St. Joseph
Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, hear us.
Christ, graciously hear us.
God the Father of Heaven,
Have mercy on us.
God the Son, Redeemer of the world,
Have mercy on us.
God the Holy Spirit,
Have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, One God,
Have mercy on us.
Holy Mary, pray for us.
Saint Joseph, pray for us.
Illustrious son of David, …
Light of the patriarchs,
Spouse of the Mother of God,
Chaste guardian of the Virgin,
Foster-father of the Son of God,
Watchful defender of Christ,
Head of the Holy Family,
Joseph most just,
Joseph most chaste,
Joseph most prudent,
Joseph most valiant,
Joseph most obedient,
Joseph most faithful,
Mirror of patience,
Lover of poverty,
Model of workmen ,
Glory of domestic life,
Guardian of virgins,
Pillar of families,
Solace of the afflicted,
Hope of the sick,
Patron of the dying,
Terror of demons,
Protector of Holy Church,
Lamb of
God, Who takest away the sins of the world,
Spare us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, Who
takest away the sins of the world,
Graciously hear us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, Who
takest away the sins of the world,
Have mercy on us.
He made him the lord of His
household,
And prince over all His possessions.
Let Us Pray.
O God, Who in Thine ineffable
providence didst choose Blessed Joseph to be the spouse of Thy most Holy
Mother, grant that as we venerate him as our protector on earth, we may deserve
to have him as our intercessor in Heaven, Thou Who livest and reignest forever
and ever. R. Amen.
Bible
in a Year-Day 19
Fr. Mike zeroes in on the dynamic between Joseph and his older brothers and shows us how the sin of envy is a distorted desire to be loved. Today's readings are Genesis 37, Job 27-28, and Proverbs 3:25-27.
Daily
Devotions
·
Unite in the work of the Porters of St. Joseph by joining them
in fasting: Protection
of Traditional Marriage
·
Novena
to Our Lady of Mount Carmel-Day 1
·
Litany of the Most Precious
Blood of Jesus
·
Offering to
the sacred heart of Jesus
·
Rosary
[2] Schultz, Patricia. 1,000 Places to See Before You
Die: A Traveler's Life List Workman Publishing Company. Kindle Edition.
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