- Foodie- Bouillabaisse
- Bucket List Trip: “The World” next port of call: Cannes, France
- Celebrate the Ommegang Pageant
- National Disco Day
- Spirit Hour: Ricard
· National Synesthesia Awareness Day
o A rare neurological condition that blends sensory information through unexpected places, synesthesia impacts up to 4% of the population. This genetic condition causes individuals to experience unique combinations of senses, or more than one sense at the same time. For example, this might include seeing shapes when a person hears music, tasting a certain food when seeing a word, or experiencing music as a color.
§ National Synesthesia Awareness Day is here to increase knowledge and understanding about this fascinating anomaly and show some appreciation for those who experience it!
JULY 2 First Wednesday
The chief priests and the scribes came to hear of it and were seeking a way to put him to death, yet they FEARED him because the whole crowd was astonished at his teaching.
This was after Jesus had overturned the money changers tables. The priests were not afraid of the man Jesus, for they did not know or care if He was the Messiah. They only respected money, power, or the ability to sway or manipulate the crowd.
In this chapter of Mark’s gospel, he also included the story of the fig tree. The fig tree was cursed by Jesus before He entered the temple because it although was healthy and looked as if it held much fruit, was barren. After the incident in the temple the same tree had withered and died because it did not produce. It did not live up to its created purpose.
Mark records it thus, “Early in the morning, as they were walking along, they saw the fig tree withered to its roots. Peter remembered and said to him, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree that you cursed has withered.” Jesus said to them in reply, “Have faith in God. Amen, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen; it shall be done for him. Therefore, I tell you, all that you ask for in prayer, believe that you will receive it and it shall be yours. When you stand to pray, forgive anyone against whom you have a grievance, so that your heavenly Father may in turn forgive you your transgressions.”
A man then who believes, without fear, and has total faith can move mountains; go therefore with all faith and produce the fruit for which you were created.
Copilot
Mark 11 offers a
rich tapestry of moments where fear—both holy and misguided—intersects with
faith, authority, and transformation. From a Catholic perspective, here are the
key lessons about fear in this chapter:
- Fear of Christ’s
Authority – When Jesus
cleanses the temple, the chief priests and scribes begin to plot His
death.
Why?
“They feared him,
because the whole crowd was astonished at his teaching” (Mark 11:18). This fear
isn’t reverence—it’s insecurity in the face of divine truth. Catholic teaching
warns that fear rooted in pride or power can blind us to grace.
- Holy Fear and
Reverence – The triumphal
entry into Jerusalem, with crowds shouting “Hosanna,” reflects a moment of
awe and recognition. Though not explicitly labeled as fear, this scene
evokes holy fear—a reverent acknowledgment of Jesus as the Messiah.
In Catholic spirituality, this kind of fear is a gift of the Holy Spirit,
drawing us into deeper worship.
- Fear and
Fruitlessness – Jesus curses
the barren fig tree, a symbolic act that unsettles the disciples. It’s a
sobering reminder that spiritual barrenness has consequences.
Catholics interpret this as a call to examine our lives:
are we bearing
fruit, or are we avoiding the demands of discipleship out of fear or
complacency?
- Fear Transformed by
Faith – When Peter marvels at
the withered fig tree, Jesus responds, “Have faith in God” (Mark 11:22).
The Catholic view here is clear: fear of judgment or failure must be
met with trust in God’s mercy and power. Faith doesn’t erase fear—it
transforms it into courage and action.
In all, Mark 11
challenges us to discern the kind of fear we carry: is it the fear that resists
truth, or the fear that bows before it?
The Catholic path invites us to choose the latter—fear that leads to reverence, repentance, and renewal.
First Wednesday[1]
Our Heavenly Father desires all three hearts of Jesus, Mary and Joseph to be honored. And so along with devotion to Jesus on First Fridays, and to Mary on First Saturdays, Our Father longs for us to add devotion to St. Joseph on each First Wednesday of the month.
"The Sacred Hearts of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph have been chosen by the Most Holy Trinity to bring peace to the world." It is at God's request that "special love and honor be given to them" to help us "imitate" their love and their lives, as well as "offer reparation" for the sins committed against them and their love.
The St. Joseph First Wednesday devotion is:
1. Pray the Joyful Mysteries of the Rosary - remembering St. Joseph's love, his life, his role and his sufferings
2. Receive Holy Communion - in union with the love St. Joseph had for Jesus the first time and each time he held him - his son, his God and Savior - in his arms.
In the approved
apparitions of Our Lady of America, St. Joseph revealed:
·
"I
am the protector of the Church and the home, as I was the protector of Christ
and his mother while I lived upon earth. Jesus and Mary desire that my pure
heart, so long hidden and unknown, be now honored in a special way.
·
Let my
children honor my most pure heart in a special manner on the First Wednesday of
the month by reciting the Joyful Mysteries of the Rosary in memory of my life
with Jesus and Mary and the love I bore them, the sorrow I suffered with them.
·
Let them
receive Holy Communion in union with the love with which I received the Savior
for the first time and each time I held Him in my arms.
·
Those
who honor me in this way will be consoled by my presence at their death, and I
myself will conduct them safely into the presence of Jesus and Mary."
Every Wednesday is
Dedicated to St. Joseph
The Italian culture has
always had a close association with St. Joseph perhaps you could make
Wednesdays centered around Jesus’s Papa. Plan an Italian dinner of pizza or
spaghetti after attending Mass as most parishes have a Wednesday evening Mass.
You could even do carry out to help restaurants. If you are adventurous, you
could do the Universal Man Plan: St. Joseph style. Make the evening a family
night perhaps it could be a game night. Whatever you do make the day special.
·
Devotion to the 7 Joys and Sorrows of St.
Joseph
·
Do the St.
Joseph Universal Man Plan.
·
Total Consecration
to St. Joseph Day 2
Bible in a Year-Day 14
Fr. Mike compares the sacraments with Isaac's blessing to Jacob in Genesis 27-28, Job 17-18, and Proverbs 3:1-4.
Daily Devotions
·
Unite in the work of the Porters of St. Joseph by joining them
in fasting: Restoring
the Church
·
Litany of the Most Precious
Blood of Jesus
·
Offering to
the sacred heart of Jesus
·
Rosary
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