NIC’s Corner
My people will live in a peaceful country, in secure dwellings and quiet resting places. Isaiah 32:18
· Bucket List trip: Rich vs Poor Tour: 6-Macau vs. 217-Madagascar
o Macau ranks among the top globally in GDP per capita—around $76,000—thanks to its booming casino-driven economy, small population, and low tax environment. While it offers high safety, rich cultural heritage, and strong public finances, quality of life is mixed due to high living costs, dense population, and environmental concerns. It's a place of striking contrasts: wealthy and vibrant, yet crowded and uneven in personal prosperity.
o Madagascar ranks 217th in GDP per capita—around $500—due to widespread poverty, limited infrastructure, and a fragile, agriculture-based economy. While it boasts extraordinary biodiversity and a rich cultural heritage, daily life is marked by poor access to healthcare, education, and basic services. The quality of life is low overall, but the island’s natural beauty and strong community traditions remain sources of resilience.
o Verdict: Which is Better?
§ Choose Macau if you value urban amenities, access to Asia, and a cosmopolitan lifestyle.
§ Choose Madagascar if you're seeking natural immersion, lower costs, and a slower, more grounded life—especially if you're involved in conservation, NGOs, or cultural exploration.
§ For Catholic’s:
· Macau offers a structured, multicultural Catholic environment with rich liturgical life and opportunities for theological study.
· Madagascar provides a vibrant, community-centered faith with strong missionary and social outreach, rooted in local culture.
o Choose Macau for formation and tradition. Cost of Living: Higher than many Asian cities. A single expat might spend $2,500–$3,500/month including rent.
o choose Madagascar for immersion and service. Cost: Around $1,500–$2,000/month depending on lifestyle
o Cheat: Pura Vida
§ Stay at home: Pura Vida Bone Broth
§ Caviar
· Spirit Hour: Goa Nights
· Get an indulgence
· Let Freedom Ring Day 12 Freedom from Pornography
o So, what can parents do to protect their children from exposure to pornography?
First, parents should make use of the protections and filters available to them. Since most of the digital device’s kids use are portable (laptops, smartphones, and tablets), parents should consider device filtering (as opposed to filters that work at the modem level). There are several companies that offer this. Educate and Empower Kids names these specifically as the best internet and phone filters of 2018:
§ K9Webprotection.com
§ Netnanny.com
§ Covenanteyes.com
§ Norton Family
§ Qustodio
§ 120 Chapter 5
§ KidLogger
§ McAfee
§ Wigito
§ Surfie by Pure Sight
o When your child gains access to a digital device — their own, a friend, or at school — it is time to start the discussion.
o Maybe you’re thinking this subject doesn’t apply to you. You’d never allow your children to view pornography! Keep reading. Don’t make the mistake of thinking your child will never be exposed to it – either by accident or intentionally. Pornography is too easy for a child to stumble upon, or seek out, or be shown by a friend. And it is toxic. Beyond the fact that it obscures the truth of God’s plan for sex, it can do harm in ways you might not expect.
· July 18-19 California Wine Festival (Santa Barbara, California)[7]
Head to one of the biggest wine festivals under the sun! Celebrate wine harvest season this July with a visit to California wine country. Held this year in Santa Barbara, the annual California Wine Festival showcases vintage wines, along with gourmet appetizers including artisan breads and cheeses.JULY 18 Friday
St.
Camillus De Lellis-Nelson Mandela Day-St. Ann Day 2
Matthew, Chapter 21,
verse 26
26 But if we say, ‘Of human origin,’ we FEAR the crowd, for they all regard John as a prophet.”
The chief priests and the elders of the people were master politicians during Christ’s time. Some of them were faithful in thought word and deed, but many were as Christ pointed out like marble sepulchers which are pretty on the outside but inside full of death and rottenness within. Many of them put on the airs of piety but in reality were agnostic in nature.
Here we see the priest and elders were afraid of the people. I think in our time a similar thing occurred with Saint John Paul II’s struggle with communism in Poland. John Paul was a John the Baptist of his time. Poles like the Jews of the Baptists time identified with John Paul and were hungry for a chance to cleanse themselves of the compromises they had to make to live under the rule of the communists. I believe John the Baptist message to have been very similar to John Paul’s.
“He told them to be good, not to compromise
themselves, to stick by one another, to be fearless, and that God is the
only source of goodness, the only standard of conduct. 'Be not afraid,' he
said. Millions shouted in response, 'We want God! We want God! We want God!'
The regime cowered. Had the Pope chosen to turn his soft power into the hard
variety, the regime might have been drowned in blood. Instead, the Pope simply
led the Polish people to desert their rulers by affirming solidarity with one
another. The Communists managed to hold on as despots a decade longer. But as
political leaders, they were finished. Visiting his native Poland in 1979, Pope
John Paul II struck what turned out to be a mortal blow to its Communist
regime, to the Soviet Empire, [and] ultimately to Communism."[1]
For
as the heavens are high above the earth, so surpassing is his kindness toward
those who fear him.
Copilot
Matthew 21 is rich with
symbolic action and parables that, from a Catholic perspective, offer profound
lessons on fear—especially the fear that hinders faith, distorts authority, and
resists conversion. Here are some key insights:
🌿
1. Fear of Losing Control: The Cleansing of the Temple (vv. 12–17)
·
Context: Jesus drives out the money changers,
asserting divine authority over the Temple.
·
Lesson: The religious leaders feared losing
their influence and reacted with hostility rather than humility.
·
Catholic Insight: Fear rooted in pride can blind
us to the presence of Christ. True reverence requires surrender, not control.
The Church teaches that holy fear (filial fear) is a gift of the Holy
Spirit—not terror, but awe and humility before God’s majesty.
🌳
2. Fear of Fruitlessness: The Withered Fig Tree (vv. 18–22)
·
Context: Jesus curses a fig tree that bears no
fruit, symbolizing judgment on empty religiosity.
·
Lesson: Fear of being spiritually barren should
lead to repentance, not despair.
·
Catholic Insight: The fig tree represents
Israel—and by extension, any soul—that appears vibrant but lacks the fruit of
faith. The Catechism emphasizes that faith without works is dead (cf. James
2:26). Fear becomes holy when it drives us to deeper trust and action.
👬
3. Fear of Obedience: The Parable of the Two Sons (vv. 28–32)
·
Context: One son refuses to obey but later
repents; the other agrees but fails to act.
·
Lesson: Fear of commitment or failure can
paralyze us—but God honors repentance and action over empty words.
·
Catholic Insight: This parable echoes the
Church’s call to ongoing conversion. Even if we initially resist God’s will,
grace enables us to return. The sacrament of Reconciliation is a remedy for
fear that keeps us from obedience.
🪧
4. Fear of Truth: The Challenge to Jesus’ Authority (vv. 23–27)
·
Context: The chief priests question Jesus’
authority but fear the crowd’s reaction.
·
Lesson: Fear of human opinion can prevent us
from acknowledging divine truth.
·
Catholic Insight: This is the fear of man over
the fear of God. The Church Fathers often warned against this spiritual
cowardice. Courage (fortitude) is another gift of the Holy Spirit, enabling us
to witness to truth even when it costs us.
✝️
Summary: Catholic Lessons on Fear in Matthew 21
|
Scene |
Fear Exposed |
Catholic Response |
|
Cleansing the
Temple |
Fear of losing
power |
Surrender to
Christ’s authority |
|
Withered Fig Tree |
Fear of
fruitlessness |
Cultivate faith
through action |
|
Two Sons |
Fear of obedience |
Embrace repentance
and conversion |
|
Questioning
Authority |
Fear of truth |
Seek courage to
follow Christ |
St. Camillus de Lellis is today’s saint. This saint was 6’
6” and was born on May 25th and is a man who was a man who found it
difficult to control his passions but after God intervene became a model for
training against impure thoughts. Interestingly my youngest is 6’6” was and was
born on May 25th and he is a wild man too, but his heart loves the
Lord.
Novena
of St. Ann[2]
Daily Prayer to Saint Ann
O
glorious St. Ann, you are filled with compassion for those who invoke you and
with love for those who suffer! Heavily burdened with the weight of my
troubles, I cast myself at your feet and humbly beg of you to take the present
intention which I recommend to you in your special care.
Please recommend it to your daughter, the Blessed Virgin Mary, and place it
before the throne of Jesus, so that He may bring it to a happy issue. Continue
to intercede for me until my request is granted. But, above all, obtain for me
the grace one day to see my God face to face, and with you and Mary and all the
saints to praise and bless Him for all eternity. Amen.
Our Father, . . . Hail Mary . . .
O Jesus, Holy Mary, St. Ann, help me now and at
the hour of my death. Good St. Ann, intercede for me.
SECOND
DAY
From the depths of my heart, good St. Ann, I
offer you my homage this day and ask you to shelter me under the mantle of your
motherly care. You know, good mother, how much I love you, how gladly I serve
you, how happy I am to praise you, how eager I am to call on you in time of
distress.
Good St. Ann be pleased to extend your helping
hand in all my wants. Listen to my prayers, for I place my trust in your
gracious bounty. Make all my thoughts and desires worthy and righteous.
Jesus, I thank You for all the graces which in
Your infinite goodness You have lavished upon St. Ann; for having chosen her,
among all women, to be Your grandmother on earth and exalted her in heaven with
such great and miraculous powers. In the name of her merits, I humbly recommend
myself to Your infinite mercy.
Bible in a
Year-Day 30
Fr. Mike explains how God is doing something new in this period, and shows us
how much God desires to pour out his mercy on us. Today we read Exodus 6-7,
Leviticus 5, and Psalm 47.
Nelson Mandela International Day[3]
Nelson Mandela Day seeks to
celebrate the political and social achievements of former South African
President Nelson Mandela. Mandela, who spent three decades in prison for his
political activism, became the first black president of the Republic of South
Africa in 1994. His presidency ended the long-standing apartheid in which
whites ruled over blacks and saw the birth of democracy
and equality among all citizens. He was also active in combatting poverty,
encouraging land reform, expanding health
services, supporting education and setting an example of peace,
anti-racism and human rights
adherence for other nations.
Nelson Mandela International Day was designated by the United Nations
and the Nelson Mandela Foundation in 2009. It is celebrated on Mandela's
birthday, July 18th, in an effort to recognize the impact of Mandela's values
and his contribution to humanity. Mandela passed away in December of
2013 at the age of 95.
Nelson
Mandela International Day Facts & Quotes
·
Nelson
Mandela has received several awards including the Nobel Peace
Prize in 1993, the Bailiff Grand Cross of the Order of St. John and the Order
of Merit from the Queen Elizabeth II and the Order of Canada.
·
When
Nelson Mandela was born his name was Rolihlalala Mandela, which meant, to pull
a branch off a tree and troublemaker. He was given the name Nelson in school
when he was seven years old.
·
Nelson
Mandela was sentenced to life in prison and ended up spending over 27 years in
prison. He was eventually released from prison due to secret talks he had with
the president of South Africa at the time, F.W. de Klerk.
·
It
is easy to break down and destroy. The heroes are those who make peace and
build. - Nelson Mandela
·
We
must use time wisely and forever realize that the time is always ripe to do
right. – Nelson Mandela
Things to do.
·
Devote
67 minutes of your day to helping others (volunteering, helping mom, cleaning,
etc.). For 67 years, Nelson Mandela fought for humanity and on every July 18th,
Mandela's birthday, the UN and the NMF ask citizens of the world to devote 67
minutes of time to helping others.
·
Watch
one of the movies detailing the life of Nelson Mandela or apartheid. Some
suggestions are Mandela: Long Walk
to Freedom (2013), Invictus
(2009), and Mandela and de Klerk (1997).
·
Nominate
someone or an organization that you think serves every day. If you think
they make a positive change in your community, you can nominate those you think
deserve acknowledgement as a Madiba Change Maker by sharing their stories on
social media with the hashtag #Time2Serve.
·
Spread
awareness by using the hashtags #NelsonMandelaInternationalDay, #MandelaDay and
#mandela.
·
Research
South African history to gain a better understanding of how the apartheid
system came about, what it entailed and learn more about the segregation in the
country. Books such as The History
of South Africa and South African History shed light on the colonial periods
and the beginning of state-run segregation.
Forgiveness-Nelson Mandela
John McCain portraits the life of “Nelson Mandela” as a
model for the power of Forgiveness. One can only forgive if they have the
capacity to love. Our study is based on developing our character by starting
with a foundation of love to which we develop a core of strength by being
hopeful, confident, Industrious and so forth. After we have advanced these
traits sufficiently, we need to apply our firm purpose and
work on having an understanding heart. Everything is based on love
and love is the key to understanding the trait of forgiveness.
John says of Nelson Mandela:
He was a prisoner who forgave his jailer, and helped his
countrymen forgive one another. Nelson Mandela believes “no one is born hating
another person because of the color of his skin, or his background, or his
religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be
taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its
opposite.” Africa has been saved from the ravages of racial hatred is
due, in large part, to Mandela’s noble character, among whose virtues has been
the ability to forgive the wrongs done to him and his people during the
oppression from apartheid. Mandela believes truly that love is the natural
condition of the heart, and that hatred is as much a burden to the hater as it
is to the hated. Mandela tried peaceful means to end apartheid but to no avail
and eventually turned to violence when no other means for saving his country
was within his power. He was eventually captured and jailed for 29 years. At
his trial he conducted his own defense; he argued that an all-white judicial
system could not possibly try black opponents of the system fairly. His
riveting closing statement from the dock has become one of the most celebrated
speeches in modern political oratory: “I have fought against white domination,
and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the ideal of a
democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and
with equal opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope to live for and achieve.
But if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die.”
As apartheid began to crumble, Mandela was escorted to
meetings with the South African president that would eventually lead to
Mandela’s release and then to a genuine multiracial South African democracy.
Mandela was finally released in 1990 and was inaugurated the first truly
democratically elected South African president.
Fitness
Friday-The 5 Switches of Manliness: Physicality[4]
This
post begins our series on the
five switches of manliness. The five switches of manliness are the
power switches that are connected to our primal man and deeply ingrained and
embedded in the male psyche. When they’re turned off, we feel restless, angry,
and apathetic. When they’re turned on, we feel alive, invigorated, motivated to
be our best, and just plain manly. The two principles behind these posts that
must be adopted in order for the recommendations to be successfully integrated
are: 1) the switches are simply either on or off, and 2) turning them on requires
only small and simple changes in behavior. The biggest obstacle to flipping the
switches will be pride–the belief that firing up our masculinity requires
arduous, mystical, and/or perfectly “authentic” tasks. Just because you cannot
do everything does not mean you cannot do something. The maxim to adopt
is this: “By small and simple means I will flip the switches of manliness.”
When
seeking to activate the deeply encoded parts of primitive masculinity, there is
no better place to start than physicality. Primitive man used his body all day
every day: building, hunting, walking, dancing, fighting.
For
modern man, these activities have been replaced with sitting. Many of us
sit for twelve hours or more a day. Sit down for breakfast, sit in the car on
the way to work, sit at your desk all day, sit in your car on the way home from
work, sit in front of the tv at night…. Rinse and repeat.
Sitting
represents the ultimate in passive living; it practically shuts your body
down–your heart rate, calorie burn, insulin effectiveness, and levels of good
cholesterol drop as your risk of obesity and diabetes goes up. Or, as Dr. James
Levine, leader in the emerging field of “inactivity studies,” puts it: when you
sit, “the muscles go as silent as those of a dead horse.”
“Excessive
sitting,” Dr. Levine says, “is a lethal activity.” And he’s not kidding. A study
found that men who sit for more than six hours of their leisure time each day
had a 20% higher death rate than those who sat for three hours or less. The
epidemiologist who conducted the study, Alpha Patel, concluded that excessive
sitting literally shortens a person’s life by several years (not to mention the
years that are simply wasted from sitting as opposed to doing anything).
Another study
showed that men who sat for 23 or more hours a week had a 64% greater chance of
dying from heart disease than those who sat for 11 hours per week or less.
Not
only is sitting around literally killing us, but it’s also throwing a wet rag
on our manliness.
Let’s
get Physical-Physical-St
Joseph Workout
What
was the Physicality of Christ like?
Here is what
I got from Co-pilot:
In the tapestry of Jesus Christ’s life, His teachings,
miracles, and spiritual legacy are threads that have woven a history-changing
narrative. Yet, among these divine aspects, the humble profession of carpentry
attributed to Jesus during His time on Earth offers a unique perspective on His
human experience.
According to biblical references, Jesus was indeed a
carpenter. Mark 6:3 explicitly
asks, “Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and
Joses, and of Juda, and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?” This
direct association with carpentry provides a rare glimpse into Jesus’s
day-to-day life before His public ministry began.[5]
Carpentry during Jesus’s era in Galilee demanded skill
and an intimate knowledge of materials like wood and possibly stone. Being
referred to as a carpenter underscores Jesus’s integration into the
socio-economic fabric of His time, reflecting both humility and the inherent
dignity of labor. Symbolically, the
profession of carpentry resonates with themes of construction and restoration,
mirroring Jesus’s mission to rebuild and renew the spiritual lives of those He
encountered.
The term “tekton,” used in the original Greek
scriptures to describe Jesus, broadly translates to “craftsman” or “builder,”
suggesting He may have worked with both wood and stone. This interpretation
aligns with the architectural practices of His region and time, presenting a
broader view of Jesus’s craftsmanship abilities.
While the New Testament does not specify when Jesus
began His carpentry apprenticeship, historical and cultural contexts suggest it
would likely have been in His early teens. This initiation into
carpentry marked the start of many years dedicated to learning and practicing
the trade, paralleling the journey of many young men in ancient Jewish society.
Traditionally, Joseph, Jesus’s earthly father, is
believed to have been His mentor in carpentry. This familial
apprenticeship would have seen Jesus learning the trade hands-on from Joseph,
in line with the era’s traditions of vocational inheritance.
In summary, Jesus’s occupation as a carpenter reflects His humble upbringing and choice to live a simple life, working with His hands. Carpentry represents humility, hard work, and the importance of shaping our lives with love and compassion.[6]
Corner-Daily Devotions
·
Unite in the work of the Porters of St. Joseph by joining them
in fasting: Conversion
of Sinners
·
Litany of the Most Precious
Blood of Jesus
·
Offering to
the sacred heart of Jesus
·
Rosary
[1] Angelo
M. Codevilla, "Political Warfare: A Set of Means for Achieving Political
Ends", in Waller, ed., Strategic Influence: Public Diplomacy,
Counterpropaganda and Political Warfare (IWP Press, 2008.)
[2]Blessed Sacrament Fathers, ST. ANN’S SHRINE, Cleveland, Ohio
[5] Jesus as a Carpenter in the Bible:
Discovering the Earthly Profession of Christ (churchleaders.com)
[7]https://www.californiawinefestival.com/santa-barbara
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