ICEMANforChrist

This blog is based on references in the Bible to fear. God wills that we “BE NOT AFRAID”. Many theologians state that the eighth deadly sin is fear. It is fear and its natural animal reaction to fight or flight that is the root cause of our failings to create a Kingdom of God on earth. By “the power of the Holy Spirit” we can be witnesses and “communicators” of a new and redeemed humanity “even to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:7 8). This blog is dedicated to Mary the Mother of God.

Friday, August 8, 2025

NIC’s Corner

May your mercy, LORD, be upon us as we put our hope in you.

Psalm 33:22

· Wear Your Mother’s Jewelry Day

· Global Sleep Under the Stars Night

o Clear Sky Resorts

o Mosquito tent

· Dustin Hoffman’s birthday

· Eat Fish on Fridays

o Foodie Cheat: Queenies

§ National Whataburger Day

· Spirit Hour: Master of the Hounds

· Iceman’s 40 devotion

· Get an indulgence

· Operation Purity

· Bucket List trip: Rich vs Poor Tour: 9-Isle of Man vs. 214-South Sudan

o The Isle of Man boasts a high GDP per capita, driven by low taxes, specialized industries like ICT and offshore banking, and a small population. Beyond wealth, it offers safety, stunning nature, and a high quality of life, with free healthcare, flexible work options, and a welcoming community. It's a unique blend of economic opportunity and exceptional living standards.

o South Sudan’s low per capita income stems from ongoing conflict, heavy reliance on oil, and weak infrastructure. Most people live in poverty, face food insecurity, and lack access to education and healthcare. Despite challenges, its fertile land and young population offer long-term potential if stability improves.

Here’s the cost-of-living comparison between the Isle of Man and South Sudan, all in U.S. dollars 💵:

🏠 Average Monthly Living Costs

Category	Isle of Man 🇮🇲	South Sudan 🇸🇸
Single (incl. rent)	$2,900–$3,480	~$520
Family of Four	$5,300–$6,700	~$1,230
Rent (1BR city center)	$1,130–$1,330	~$215–$1,010
Internet (monthly)	$50–$90	~$27–$100
Basic groceries	High (e.g., milk $1.70, eggs $4.60)	Low (e.g., milk $1.17, eggs $1.60)

🌍 Quality of Life Snapshot

Metric	Isle of Man 🇮🇲	South Sudan 🇸🇸
Life Expectancy	~81 years	~58.6 years
Healthcare Access	Public + private, UK standard	NGO-supported, limited infrastructure
Education	Strong curriculum	Low literacy (~27%)
Safety & Stability	Politically stable, low crime	Fragile, conflict-prone
Infrastructure	Robust and modern	Inconsistent, rural areas often inaccessible

In short: the Isle of Man delivers a high cost with a high standard of living. South Sudan has low expenses but also faces serious development challenges. If you're comparing for spiritual retreats or global pilgrimage plans, I’d be happy to tailor suggestions based on your goals.

🧭 Summary

· Isle of Man offers a high cost of living but also a high quality of life, with excellent healthcare, education, safety, and scenic beauty.

· South Sudan has a very low cost of living, but faces serious challenges in infrastructure, healthcare, education, and safety. However, it has long-term potential due to its youthful population and natural resources.

Here’s a snapshot of expat job opportunities in both the Isle of Man and South Sudan, tailored to two very different landscapes:

🇮🇲 Isle of Man – High-Skill, Stable Market

Top Sectors Hiring Expats:

· Finance & Accountancy – Strong demand for accountants, auditors, and compliance officers.

· Engineering & Manufacturing – Precision engineering and aerospace roles.

· Healthcare & Education – Nurses, teachers, and support staff are regularly recruited.

· Hospitality & Tourism – Seasonal and year-round roles in hotels, restaurants, and cultural venues.

Where to Search:

· Locate Isle of Man – Jobs in Demand

· JobHunt.im – Recruitment Agencies

· Isle of Man Government Job Portal

· Indeed UK – Isle of Man Listings

Perks:

· Competitive salaries

· Relocation assistance

· Low crime and high quality of life

🇸🇸 South Sudan – Humanitarian & Development Focus

Top Sectors Hiring Expats:

· NGOs & UN Agencies – Roles in health, education, logistics, and peacebuilding.

· Agriculture & Infrastructure Projects – Engineers, agronomists, and project managers.

· Remote International Roles – Some positions allow remote work with regional travel.

Where to Search:

· South Sudan NGO Forum

· UN Jobs in South Sudan

· SouthSudanJob.com – Local & Remote Listings

· U.S. Embassy in South Sudan – ERA Portal

Considerations:

· Security risks and limited infrastructure

· Most expat roles are short-term contracts with hardship allowances

· Strong humanitarian impact and career growth in global development

The quality of life for Catholics varies dramatically between the Isle of Man and South Sudan, shaped by spiritual freedom, infrastructure, and community support.

🇮🇲 Isle of Man – Peaceful, Culturally Rich Catholic Life

· Freedom & Stability: Catholics enjoy full religious freedom, with six active parishes and a co-cathedral in Douglas.

· Community & Heritage: The island has deep Celtic Christian roots, including pilgrimage sites like St. Patrick’s Isle and Lag ny Keeilley.

· Lifestyle: High safety, excellent healthcare, and scenic beauty support a contemplative, sacramental life. Festivals, coastal walks, and UNESCO Biosphere status enrich spiritual and sensory rhythms.

🇸🇸 South Sudan – Resilient, Mission-Driven Catholic Life

· Faith Under Pressure: Despite poverty and conflict, over 50% of South Sudanese identify as Catholic.

· Church as Lifeline: The Church is often the only functioning institution, providing education, healthcare, and peacebuilding.

· Spiritual Vitality: Vocations are strong, and grassroots efforts like youth groups and orphan ministries reflect deep faith and hope.

· Challenges: Infrastructure is weak, and many Catholics rely on foreign aid and missionary support to sustain daily life.

🧭 Summary

· On the Isle of Man, Catholic life is peaceful, well-supported, and historically rich.

· In South Sudan, it’s marked by courage, service, and spiritual endurance amid hardship.

· Let Freedom Ring Day 33 Freedom from Theft

o Dear family, most of us - excluding the rioters, looters, burners and shooters - know that we should not steal tangible things. How about for today let us ponder how so many of us steal intangible things - like time - like God's time? As part of our next Confession - how about if we examine our consciences and ask ourselves how much time have we stolen. That is an important examination, dear family, because stealing time makes us thieves. To help with that examination - let us ask ourselves if we have made it a point to do what Jesus told us to do: spend an hour a day with our Lord in this life, so we really can spend an eternity with Him in the next. Then let us, in these troubled, troubled times, resolve to be free from our attachment to time, and start giving back the Lord one hour for every 23 other hours of the day He gives us.

AUGUST 8 Friday

Saint Dominic-Elvis Week

1 Corinthians, chapter 2, Verse 3-5

3I came to you in weakness and FEAR and much trembling, 4and my message and my proclamation were not with persuasive (words of) wisdom, but with a demonstration of spirit and power, 5 so that your faith might rest not on human wisdom but on the power of God.

It is God’s desire that we be wise not in the way of the world but in the ways of eternity.

Human wisdom[1]

Greek tradition of wisdom was based in argumentations. The Greeks lived to argue. Arguments (discussions) & logics were entertainments. Interests in philosophies and rhetoric was based not only what is said, but how it is said. Always looking for something profound (deep meaning)

Jews have their wisdom tradition which includes the wisdom Literatures.

1. Job – story of a man who did right & suffers

2. Psalms – classic wisdom, praise, laments, etc

3. Proverbs – classic wisdom: do right & no suffering

4. Ecclesiastes – meaning of life

5. Song of Songs – intimate relationship with God

Gnostics tradition of wisdom and knowledge was a heresy in the early church, a bad theology based on “Secret knowledge” that is needed for salvation. All matters are evil, spirit is good. Gnostics denied the humanity of Christ “For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel –not with words of (human) wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power (made void)” “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved, it is the power of God.” The Cross – is the Message. “For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength.”

Copilot

🔥 Paul’s Posture: Weakness, Fear, and Power

· Paul’s approach in 1 Corinthians 2:3–5 is strikingly countercultural—he comes not as a skilled rhetorician but in humility and trembling.

· His purpose? That faith would not hinge on eloquence or clever reasoning, but on the raw, transforming power of God’s Spirit.

· This flips the expectations of both Greeks and Gnostics, where knowledge and style could easily become idols.

🏛️ Greek Wisdom: Argument as Art

· In the Greco-Roman world, the value of speech was often found in its polish and persuasion.

· Deep meanings were pursued through logic and debate—an intellectual sport, yes, but also a deeply embedded cultural tradition.

· Paul’s message, by contrast, looks “foolish” in style but holds eternal truth in substance.

📜 Jewish Wisdom Literature: A Rich Tapestry

Book	Theme	Lens of Wisdom
Job	Righteous suffering	Mystery of divine justice
Psalms	Praise and lament	Emotional wisdom and trust
Proverbs	Righteous living	Practical moral guidance
Ecclesiastes	Questioning life’s purpose	Sobriety and paradox
Song of Songs	Divine intimacy	Mystical love and longing

These books underscore that Jewish wisdom isn’t monolithic—it probes suffering, praises joy, wrestles with meaning, and celebrates love.

🕳️ Gnosticism: A Spiritual Shortcut?

· The Gnostic appeal to secret knowledge posed a serious theological threat—it bypassed grace in favor of elite enlightenment.

· Their dualism (matter = evil, spirit = good) gutted the Incarnation’s radical claim: that God became flesh and dwelt among us.

· Paul’s rebuke of human wisdom aligns with the danger of gnostic detachment—where mystery becomes elitism and faith turns into abstraction.

✝️ The Cross as Wisdom

· The ultimate paradox: the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom.

· The Cross doesn’t “argue” in human terms—it wounds, saves, humbles, and transforms.

· Paul insists that the true power of preaching is not in rhetorical victory, but in spiritual encounter.

Saint Dominic[2]

St. Dominic had for many years preached against the errors of the Albigenses and other heretics, with such zeal and profound ability that they were often convinced. But nevertheless, the results were unimportant; but few returned to the bosom of the Catholic Church. In this discouraging state of things St. Dominic redoubled his prayers and works of penance, and in particular besought Mary for support and assistance. One day Mary appeared to him and taught him the Rosary. He zealously labored to introduce everywhere this manner of prayer, and from that time preached with such success that in a short period more than one hundred thousand heretics and sinners were converted. The divine origin of the Rosary is testified to by the bull of Gregory XIII. of the year 1577.

In his life Christ prayed the Shema Israel every day stating worship of God must be with the whole heart, mind, soul and strength. Now using Mary’s Rosary given to St. Dominic we can meditate on the mysteries of the rosary and see how Christ and Mary lived the Shema and follow their lead.

Mind=Joyful mysteries

Heart=the Luminous mysteries

Soul=the Glorious mysteries

Strength=the Sorrowful mysteries

Copilot

There is a harmony between Christ’s daily prayer and the rhythm of the Rosary and a bridge between the ancient Shema and the contemplative path of Catholic meditation, showing how each mystery embodies a facet of total devotion.

Let’s unfold this devotional architecture:

🧠 Mind – Joyful Mysteries

These celebrate Incarnation, humility, and divine promise.
The Annunciation and Nativity draw us into a contemplative gaze—how Christ entered our world, inviting us to receive God with full awareness.
A mental act of receptivity: pondering, remembering, choosing joy in mystery.

❤️ Heart – Luminous Mysteries

Focused on the public ministry of Christ, the light breaking forth.
His Baptism, the Wedding at Cana, and the Institution of the Eucharist stir our affections and deepen love.
To meditate here is to allow divine radiance to expand the heart—becoming more attuned, compassionate, Eucharistic.

🌬️ Soul – Glorious Mysteries

These lift our gaze to resurrection, ascension, and heavenly glory.
A soul’s journey into transformation—imbued with hope, longing for union, drawn toward divine fulfillment.
Mary’s Assumption and Coronation especially reveal the soul’s destiny in grace.

💪 Strength – Sorrowful Mysteries

The Passion mysteries draw us into sacrifice, perseverance, and redemptive suffering.
To meditate here is to fortify the spirit—to stand with Christ in Gethsemane, to shoulder the cross, and witness love poured out.
Strength becomes not self-reliance, but surrender sustained by grace.

This schema not only invites a deeper way of praying the Rosary—it also offers a life-map of Christian discipleship. A soul praying the Shema through the Rosary seeks to become fully attuned to God with every faculty of being. It’s a devotional choreography where the mysteries of salvation become the grammar of wholeness.

Ten Reasons to Pray the Rosary[3]

Motivation is the key to carrying out any worthy enterprise. Great men and great women have clear goals and strong motivations. They know what they want, and they have a clear plan before their eyes.

CEOs in successful companies know what they want, have goals, deadlines, and concrete steps to attain those goals. Professional athletes have a determined determination to win. They study their opponents’ weak points, capitalize on their own strengths and play for victory. Therefore, to attain any goal there must be a clear plan and strong motivations.

Spiritual Goals and Objectives

Even more important for the human person created in the image and likeness of God should be the goal and the motivation to attain that goal. Our goal is very clear—to get to heaven. One of the most efficacious means to attain eternal salvation with God in heaven is through prayer. Prayer is the key to salvation. What oxygen is to our lungs so is prayer to the life of our soul. For that reason, Saint Augustine asserted: “He who prays well lives well; he who lives well dies well; and he who dies well, all is well.”

Still there is a powerful means and intercessor before the throne of God who can help us to get to heaven and to help us in our prayer life and motivate us to focus our energies on God and God alone—the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Mary’s Favorite Prayer

Our Lady has a prayer that fills her heart with joy—the Hail Mary and the most Holy Rosary. Every time the Hail Mary is prayed with attention and sincere heart, Our Lady’s heart is filled with joy. Therefore, let us offer ten points to motivate us to pray the most Holy Rosary.

1. Our Lady of Fatima. Our Lady of Fatima appeared in Fatima, Portugal six times to three little shepherd children: Jacinta, Francisco, and Lucia. In every one of these six apparitions Our Lady said: “Pray the Rosary.”

2. Her Title. Finally at the end of her apparitions Our Lady gave herself the title: “Our Lady of the Rosary.” Therefore, if Our Lady insisted six times to pray the Rosary and actually called herself “Our Lady of the Rosary,” common sense tells us that she really wants us to pray the Rosary!

3. Pope St. John Paul II. This great modern saint, as well as spiritual giant, strongly encouraged the world to pray the most Holy Rosary. In his writing The Blessed Virgin Mary and the Rosary, the Vicar of Christ insisted that we pray the Rosary. He himself said at the start of his pontificate that the Rosary was his favorite prayer.

4. For the Sake of the Family. In this same document Saint Pope John Paul II insisted that we pray the Rosary for the sake of the family which is under attack and in crisis. With the growing numbers of separations and divorces, with the legalization of same-sex unions, with so many children without the warmth of the family, now more than ever we must pray the most Holy Rosary. The Holy Father quotes the Rosary-priest, Father Patrick Peyton: “The family that prays together stays together.”

5. For World Peace. The document of Saint Pope John Paul II came in the wake of the terrorist attack in New York City with the Twin Towers. Therefore, another reason to pray the Rosary now, more than ever, is for the sake of world peace. With the threat of ISIS, nuclear arsenals, and general tensions growing among nations, the Rosary can be our shield and safeguard. At the end of the First World War Our Lady of Fatima stated clearly that wars come as a result of sin; and if people did not stop sinning, then a worse World War would erupt. Within twenty years, the Second World War broke out. Venerable Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen states that world wars are the net result of many individual wars waging in the hearts of sinners, that spread out to towns, cities, countries and continents, and then boom—the huge war explodes. Sin produces war; prayer produces peace of heart, mind and soul and harmony among peoples!

6. To Save our Children. Never have we lived in a society with so many dangers, especially with respect to our children and teens. Of great importance is the virtue of purity. The mass media, the modern electronics media, the modern school and teaching agenda, billboards and posters, modern movies and TV programs militate fiercely against the virtue of purity. And to be honest, we live in a pornographic society! Devotion to Our Lady and the family Rosary can serve as a shield against this onslaught and deluge of filth that is descending upon the world, especially our children and young people. In a word, we must shield our children in the most pure and Immaculate Heart of Mary; she is an oasis, a refuge, and ark of safety and protection! If you like Noah and his family as well as the animals sought refuge and protection from the deluge in the Ark. We must find refuge in the ark of Our Lady’s Immaculate Heart—most certainly a safe refuge!

7. To Order our Disorders. As a result of the Original Sin that we all inherit in the moment of our conception, our life is marked with disorder. Our thought process, our will, our emotional state of being, our soul, our intentions, our family and social life—all have a certain disorder. Saint Ignatius of Loyola suggests that we do the Spiritual Exercises so as to order the disordered in our lives. Sin causes disorder; prayer brings order. Prayer to Our Lady communicates to our soul and lives the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit is a God of order. Our Lady of Guadalupe with her own hands ordered the roses in the tilma of Saint Juan Diego. By praying the most holy Rosary Our Lady can help to order the disordered in our lives.

8. For Interior Peace of Mind and Soul. Another wonderful effect of praying the most Holy Rosary is peace of mind, heart and soul. We all desire peace and Our Lady of the Rosary also known with the title “Queen of peace” can definitely attain for us this peace that our hearts so ardently yearn. Saint Augustine defines peace as the tranquility of order. As the hymn reminds us: “Let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me.”

9. It’s a Biblical Prayer. Pope St. John XXIII stated that the Rosary is a summary of the whole of the Gospel. They are truly based on the Bible, even the prayers of the Our Father and the Hail Mary have their foundation in the Gospels. Therefore, by praying the Rosary fervently, we get to know Jesus and Mary better and better as presented from the Word of God, we fall in love with them and then we become their fiery and ardent Apostles in a world marked with so much coldness and indifference. As Pope Francis reminded us in his Lenten message: There is a widespread globalization of indifference because there is a lack of love of God in the world. This love can be planted and ignited through love of Our Lady and the Holy Rosary—a summary of the Gospels and a true Biblically centered prayer.

10. To Conquer our Adversities. David had to fight against the ferocious and malicious giant Goliath. Strategically, there was no way that the smaller, inexperienced, unprepared shepherd boy could conquer the giant Goliath. It was like an ant against an elephant. However, the Bible teaches us a very certain truth: Nothing is impossible with God. David went with a total trust in His God, the Lord of heaven and earth. We all know the ending! David shot a stone from his slingshot; the stone riveted itself in the brow of Goliath, who cascaded to the ground unconscious. David quickly drew the sword of Goliath and cut off his head! Victory, due to the intervention of God! Today we are surrounded by so many “Goliaths”, almost too many to count! However, our help is in the name of the Lord who made heaven and earth. Let us turn to the Queen of Heaven and earth and pull out our spiritual slingshot which is the most Holy Rosary and win the battle. Jesus is the King of Heaven and earth and Our Lady is the Queen. Let us find sure refuge under her heavenly mantle!

The Fourteen Holy Helpers[4]

The Fourteen Holy Helpers are invoked as a group because of the Black Plague which devastated Europe from 1346 to 1349. Among its symptoms were the black tongue, a parched throat, violent headache, fever, and boils on the abdomen. The victims were attacked without warning, robbing them of their reason, and killed within a few hours; many died without the last Sacraments. No one was immune, and the disease wreaked havoc in villages and family circles. The epidemic appeared incurable. The pious turned to Heaven, begging the intervention of the saints, praying to be spared or cured. Each of these fourteen saints had been efficacious in interceding in some aspect for the stricken during the Black Plague. The dates are the traditional feast days; not all the saints are on the General Roman Calendar.

Let us invoke these 14 Holy Helpers for help during the current real and political afflictions that are assaulting us during the COVID 19 crisis.

St. Blaise (also Blase and Blasius) (February 3rd), bishop and martyr. He is invoked against diseases of the throat. Blessing of the throats takes place on his feast day.
St. George (April 23rd), soldier-martyr. Invoked for protection for domestic animals and against herpetic diseases. Also, patron of soldiers, England, Portugal, Germany, Aragon, Genoa and Venice

St. Acathius (also Acacius) (May 8th), martyr. Invoked against headaches and at the time of death's agony
St. Erasmus (also St. Elmo) (June 2nd), bishop and martyr. He is invoked against diseases of the stomach and intestine, protection for domestic animals and patron of sailors.
St. Vitus (also St. Guy) (June 15th), martyr. Invoked in epilepsy, chorea ("St. Vitus' dance"), lethargy, and the bites of poisonous or mad animals and against storms. Also, protection for domestic animals. Patron of dancer and actors.
St. Margaret of Antioch (July 20th), virgin and martyr. Invoked against backache. Patron for women in childbirth.
St. Christopher (also Christophorus) (July 25th), martyr. Invoked against the plague and sudden death. He is the patron of travelers, especially motorists, and is also invoked in storms.
St. Pantaleon (July 27th), bishop and martyr. Invoked against consumption, protection for domestic animals and patron of physicians and midwives.
St. Cyriacus (also Cyriac) (August 8th), deacon and martyr. Invoked against diseases of the eye and diabolical possession. Also interceded for those in temptation, especially at the time of death.
St. Giles (also Aegidius) (September 1st), hermit and abbot. Invoked against the plague, panic, epilepsy, madness, and nightmares and for a good confession. Patron of cripples, beggars, and breastfeeding mothers
St. Eustace (also Eustachius, Eustathius) (September 20th), martyr. Invoked against fire — temporal and eternal. Patron of hunters. Patron in all kinds of difficulties, and invoked in family troubles.

St. Denis (also Dionysius) (October 9th), bishop and martyr. Invoked against diabolical possession and headaches.
St. Catherine of Alexandria (November 25th), virgin and martyr. Invoked against diseases of the tongue, protection against a sudden and unprovided death. Patroness of Christian philosophers, of maidens, preachers, wheelwrights and mechanics. She is also invoked by students, orators, and barristers as "the wise counselor."
St. Barbara (December 4th), virgin and martyr. Invoked against fever and sudden death. Patron of builders, artillerymen and miners. Also invoked against lightning, fire and sudden death.

Bible in a Year Day 51 Israel's Worship of God

As we finish our reading of Exodus, Fr. Mike recaps the events of Israel and how God shaped his people in worship. Today's readings are Exodus 39-40, Leviticus 27, and Psalm 83.

August 8-16-Elvis Week (Memphis, TN)

Shake, rattle and roll! Memphis, TN, marks its annual Elvis Week celebration each August. There's always something for Elvis fans, including the big draw each year, the annual Elvis Tribute Artists contest. Who will be crowned the King?

Elvis and the Miracle of the Rosary[5]

Known by his fans as the “King of Rock n’ Roll,” Presley’s religious faith is often listed simply as being a follower of the Assembly of God. Although this was the Christian group that Presley attended as a boy, his religious adherence to any Christian denomination was at best vague, his faith being more private than public. Of course, Gospel-singing was close to his heart, and he is quoted as saying that it was his favorite form of music, but whether this was because of the folk and cultural influences of his youth rather than any deep religious sentiment is open to conjecture.

What is known is that Presley had a keen, if eclectic, interest in religion. While in Hollywood in the early 1960s he became fascinated by various esoteric beliefs and later was to construct his own belief system out of this. One biographer succinctly summed up Presley’s beliefs as “a personalized religion [made] out of what he’d read of Hinduism, Judaism, numerology, theosophy, mind control, positive thinking and Christianity.”

Among his Gospel songs, there is one that is curious to say the least. It is a song called Miracle of the Rosary. The writer of the sleeve notes on one collection of his Gospel music, while able to place Presley’s other Gospel songs in the religious and social context of the American South, is clearly at a loss as to how to categorize Miracle of the Rosary in that, or, indeed, any way. This is not surprising, as the song appears to be about the powerful intercession of Our Blessed Mother in the End Times. The track may be short, running for just over two minutes, but there is still time for Elvis to fully intone the Hail Mary.

The origins of Miracle of the Rosary are odd too. The song appeared on the 1972 album Elvis Now, but Presley had recorded it earlier in May 1971. The song was written by one of Elvis’s childhood friends, Lee Denson. Denson was the son of a Pentecostal minister. It remains unclear as to why a son of a Pentecostal minister should write a song about the power of the Rosary and then why a non-Catholic singer should choose to record it.

Only one female co-star appeared in two of Presley’s films: Dolores Hart. To the shock of the movie business, she left Hollywood to enter religious life. In 1970, the then-film star entered the Benedictine Abbey of Regina Laudis, Connecticut, where she remains a cloistered nun to this day. The night before she entered the monastery, Presley unexpectedly called her to wish her well in her vocation. He was one of the few in her former Hollywood circle that did so. Later, long after his death in 1977, she was to say that she had never stopped praying for Elvis.

The name of the Benedictine monastery in Connecticut dedicated to Our Lady, Regina Laudis, in English means “the Queen of Praise.” Shortly after Hart’s entry there, mysteriously, a “king” was to praise that same Queen by singing Miracle of the Rosary.

Fitness Friday-The 5 Switches of Manliness: Nature[6]

In this Switches of Manliness series, we’ve been talking about those unique parts of a man’s psyche that have fallen into disuse in the modern world and need to be reactivated. But there’s likely some overlap between the needs of men and the needs of women; for example, primitive women used to be quite physical too, and I think modern women need to have an element of physicality in their lives as well. But with this switch, there’s definitely more than a little overlap. The Switch of Nature is for everyone. Men. Women. Children. Squirrels. Well, I think squirrels have it down pretty well. But it’s for everyone and their mom. Literally—your mom needs it too.

Man’s Separation from Nature: The Third “Frontier”

With the rest of the switches, there was a good amount of theorizing going on as we looked back in time and tried to uncover the life and perspective of primitive man. But with this switch, we don’t have to speculate—we can say this with 100% certitude: primitive man spent a lot more time outside in nature than modern man does. Primitive people were surrounded by nature all day, every day. Their lives revolved around it: they supped from it; they created with it; they protected themselves from it; they even worshipped it.

A life that centered on a deep, vital connection to nature was the norm for humans for tens of thousands of years. This connection would only fall apart when the rise of settled agriculture and then the Industrial Revolution made it possible for more and more people to make a living in a way that did not involve the land.

Nature and a Man’s Health

Every organism has an ideal habitat; take it out of its habitat and it could die, or at least suffer ill effects.

· Time spent outdoors is linked with lower levels of obesity.

· Nature keeps you mentally sharp. Cities, with their constant noise, crowds of people, and lack of natural surroundings, can tax the human brain. In fact, studies have shown a link between being brought up in the city and the chance of a person developing schizophrenia and other psychotic illnesses.

· Researchers have found that a walk in nature, where stimuli makes a much less dramatic play for our involuntary attention, allows our directed attention to have a rest, leaving it primed and ready to tackle difficult cognitive tasks once more.

· Nature promotes calmness and fights depression. In a study done in Japan, researchers found that after a 20-minute walk in the forest, participants had “lower concentrations of cortisol, lower pulse rate, lower blood pressure, greater parasympathetic nerve activity, and lower sympathetic nerve activity” than those who spent time in the city instead.

· Those with children, especially boys, should know that studies have also shown that spending time in nature can alleviate the symptoms of ADHD.

· Nature boosts your testosterone.

· Nature fights cancer. In another study done in Japan, researchers had participants spend 3 days and 2 nights in the woods; the participants took long walks in the forest during the day and stayed at a hotel near the forest at night. The participants showed a 50% increase in “natural killer cells” (a component of the body’s immune system that fights cancerous growths), as well as an increase in other anti-cancer proteins. This boost in NK activity lasted for a month after the experience, showing that even if you can only tear out into the woods once in a while, it is certainly worth it.

Nature and Man’s Soul

“Man’s heart away from nature becomes hard; [The Lakota] knew that lack of respect for growing, living things soon led to a lack of respect for humans too.” –Standing Bear

Cynicism. I personally believe it is one of the biggest, if not the biggest threat to manliness. Cynicism makes a man jaded and saps his ability to experience wonder and amazement; nature restores it. Nature gives a man back a bit of the heart of a boy, a heart that can acknowledge some mystery in the world.

Nature increases your humility. Some studies have shown that narcissism is on the rise among young people. Parents coddle their kids and build up their self-esteem to the point they feel invincible. And technology caters to our every whim, molding itself to our personal interests and preferences.

Nature is pretty and soothing…. but it can also literally kill you. It’s not just lovely sunsets and breathtaking canyon views. It’s also grizzly bears and perfect storms. Out in nature you get a renewed sense of your vulnerability. At the foot of a mountain, you sense your true smallness in the world. And nature quickly shatters any notion that the universe revolves around you; it doesn’t stop raining just because you picked that day to go camping.

Nature heightens your senses. We talk through phones and computers. We are entertained through our televisions. We get our food through the grocery store. All of our experiences are mediated through middlemen.

When was the last time you had a direct, primary experience?

Nature lets you take in all the elements in their most primitive forms, before they’ve been packaged for your consumption.

Nature heightens your creativity. Studies that observed children at play found that they engaged in more imaginative, explorative, and creative play when they played in open, green spaces than when they played on asphalt and in structured spaces. Free of the structure of our daily lives, the lines and rules that rein us in, the minds of adults too, are free to wander. Nature allows both your body and mind to explore, which can lead you to fresh insights about life.

Nature heightens your spirituality. If you’re a religious guy, perhaps the best way to feel close to the Creator is to wander among His creations. The experiences I’ve had where I’ve felt closest to God have not happened in a church pew, but out in the woods.

Nature centers you. It’s an ineffable feeling that I’ve found nowhere else. The jangled pieces of my life that have been rattling around inside my head just fall into place. And I feel a stillness and a peace.

How to Turn the Switch of Nature

Of all the Switches of Manliness, the Switch of Nature is perhaps easiest to turn. There are so many small things you can do to get a bit more of the outdoors inside of yourself. Remember, even looking through a window at nature helps people (so for goodness’s sake, stop putting those tv’s in the back of your car for the kids!).

You may live in the country, have a job that keeps you outside all day, or be lucky enough to know someone with a farm or ranch where you can go hang out whenever you’d like. But I know there are some men out there whose only time outside is when they’re walking to and from their car during the day. For these guys, make it a goal to spend at least an hour outside every day. It doesn’t seem like much, but it can make a big difference—remember, small and simple changes add up and can turn the switch to the on position. Here are a few suggestions to get started:

· Do your workout outside. A study found that “compared with exercising indoors, exercising in natural environments was associated with greater feelings of revitalization and positive engagement, decreases in tension, confusion, anger, and depression, and increased energy.”

· Go to a park to eat your lunch. If there’s no park near your workplace, at least eat in the car with the windows down.

· Go for a nightly after dinner walk.

· Do chores like mowing the lawn and raking leaves yourself instead of hiring someone to do it for you.

· Read, surf, or work on the patio or apartment balcony.

· On nice days, open your windows at home and in the car. On a cloudless 70-degree day most of the windows in our apartment complex are closed and everyone is driving around with the windows up in their cars. It makes me wonder sometimes if the whole world has gone mad.

· Go on a picnic date.

· Walk to your errands.

· Ride your bike to work.

· Find a hobby or sport that requires you to be outside. There are dozens to choose from: Skiing, skateboarding, surfing, running, gardening, geocaching, hunting, fishing, and so on and so forth.

· Go camping. Talk about a no brainer. But you need to stop thinking about camping like it has to be a long, elaborately planned trip. Even one night helps. I know you’ll feel inertia—you’ll feel like getting everything together and driving to the campsite won’t be worth it. Even one night is worth it. It will refresh you.

Daily Devotions

· Unite in the work of the Porters of St. Joseph by joining them in fasting: Protection of Traditional Marriage

· Religion in the Home for Preschool: August

· Litany of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus

· Offering to the sacred heart of Jesus

· Drops of Christ’s Blood

· Universal Man Plan

· Rosary