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Thursday, September 4, 2025
Rachel’s Corner
· do a personal eucharistic stations of the cross.
· Bucket List: Military Hop
· Foodie: 50 Traditional Japanese Foods
· Spirit Hour: Plum Wine
Rachel’s Corner
Best Place to visit in September: Santa Fe, New Mexico
September and November are ideal for visiting this unique city, with temperatures remaining comfortably warm around 77 degrees.
For starters I recommend taking a wander around the Historic Plaza and exploring the wonderful adobe buildings, art galleries, boutiques and excellent restaurants.
Many festivals also take place here during this month including Fiestas de Santa which celebrates local history, the tasty Wine and Chile Fiesta, and the charming El Rancho De Las Golondrinas harvest festival.
The historic harvest festival is a favorite of mine and features a cute pumpkin patch, a chance to make cider, live music, and lots of entertainment!
- Address for Santa Fe Visitors Center: 491 Old Santa Fe Trail Santa Fe, NM 87501
- Map Location
My highlights…
- Witnessing the gorgeous color change of the leaves in the picturesque Santa Fe Mountains.
- Discovering a variety of local produce and handmade crafts at the year-round farmer’s market (held in the Railyard District).
- Exploring the art galleries, shopping boutiques and historic homes along the vibrant Canyon Road.
Thursday Feast
Thursday is the day of the week that our Lord gave himself up for consumption. Thursday commemorates the last supper. Some theologians believe after Sunday Thursday is the holiest day of the week. We should then try to make this day special by making a visit to the blessed sacrament chapel, Mass or even stopping by the grave of a loved one. Why not plan to count the blessing of the week and thank our Lord. Plan a special meal. Be at Peace.
· According to Mary Agreda[1] in her visions it was on a Thursday at six o'clock in the evening and at the approach of night that the Angel Gabriel approached and announced her as Mother of God and she gave her fiat.
- Acai Cooler
- Calabacitas
- Green Chili Chicken Enchiladas
· Start September 4 to end on October 7, the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary
· How to celebrate Sep 4th
o Move on to celebrating wildlife by taking a walk in nature or visiting a local animal sanctuary. Embrace your inner sweet tooth with an extra dessert (or two) – it’s National Eat an Extra Dessert Day after all!
· 30 DAY TRIBUTE TO MARY 21st ROSE: Carrying of the Cross
o 30 Days of Women and Herbs – Frauendreissiger
§ Stinging Nettle (Urtica dioica)
MEDICINAL PLANTS Day 21 EPIDEMICS AND PANDEMICS-Revealed by Heaven to Luz De María
EVERY MEDICATION GIVEN BY HEAVEN CONTAINS THE MAIN INGREDIENT THAT IS FAITH.
GOOD SAMARITAN OIL (*) Important: Keep in mind that the oil is to PREVENT viral diseases NOT a medicine. (**) The quantity of the head of a pin on the earlobes means a very small quantity.
“Great pestilences, plagues generated by unknown viruses are advancing upon humanity: use the oil of the Good Samaritan as protection faced with a case of a highly contagious disease where you live – the quantity of the head of a pin on the earlobes will suffice (**). If the number of those infected increases, you should put it on both sides of your neck and on the wrists of both hands.” Blessed Virgin Mary, 01.28.2020
The plague is approaching and continue to use the Oil of the Good Samaritan, Eucalyptus leaves inside the homes, burning the leaves when necessary. Saint
Michael the Archangel, 12.15.2020
Pray My children, be careful: the virus has not disappeared, use the oil of the Good Samaritan to prevent contagion, always accompanied by Faith. Blessed Virgin Mary, 06.25.2020
SEPTEMBER 4 Thursday
Acts,
Chapter 27, verse 22-25
I urge you now to keep up your courage; not one of you will be lost, only the ship. For last night an angel of the God to whom (I) belong and whom I serve stood by me and said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul. You are destined to stand before Caesar; and behold, for your sake, God has granted safety to all who are sailing with you.’ Therefore, keep up your courage, men; I trust in God that it will turn out as I have been told.
God calls all peoples to the one covenant whether they be Jew, Muslim, and Catholic or in this case roman pagans. Courage only the ship will be lost. As men we make ourselves ships; ships which are the symbol of our values and our idealism. If our values and idealism is not in compliance with the covenant our ship will break up.
Jeremiah 31:31-34: "Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, not like the covenant which I made with their fathers when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant which they broke, though I was their husband, says the LORD. But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put my law within them, and I will write it upon their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And no longer shall each man teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, `Know the LORD,' for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, says the LORD; for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more."
Copilot’s Take
The pairing of Acts 27 with Jeremiah 31 sets the tone beautifully: the ship may be lost, but the covenant endures. And your reflection on men as ships—vessels of values and idealism—anchors the meditation in both poetic and prophetic truth.
🌅 Thursday, September
4 – Courage and Covenant
🔹 Scripture Meditation
Acts 27:22–25
"Keep up your courage; not one of you will be lost, only the
ship..."
Paul’s words echo across time—not just to Roman pagans, but to all who sail the
stormy waters of life. The angel’s assurance is not just about survival, but
about vocation: “You are destined to stand before Caesar.” The covenant
preserves the person, even when the vessel breaks.
Jeremiah 31:31–34
"I will write it upon their hearts..."
The new covenant is not etched in stone or sealed in ritual alone—it is
inscribed in the soul. This is the promise that binds Jew, Muslim, Catholic,
and every seeker of truth: a law of love, forgiveness, and belonging.
🕯️ Devotional
Reflection
We are ships—crafted from ideals, values, and dreams. But
if our hull is built from pride, violence, or false doctrine, it cannot weather
the covenantal storm. The Lord does not promise the preservation of our
constructs, but the salvation of our souls. Courage, then, is not clinging to
the ship, but trusting the One who walks on water.
🌌 Thursday Evening Adoration & Meditation
🕰️
6:15 PM – Begin 1-Hour Adoration
Set the tone with candlelight, incense, and silence. Let the Stations guide
your prayer.
✝️ First Station: Jesus in
Agony in the Garden
- Theme: Redemptive
suffering
- Symbol: Olive
oil—pressed, poured, consecrated
- Reflection: In agony, Jesus prays. In suffering, we are invited to do the same. Let your own trials be united to His.
Suggested
Ritual:
Anoint your hands with olive oil. Pray for those who suffer in silence. Offer
your own pain as intercession.
✝️ Second Station: Betrayal
and Restraint
- Theme:
Nonviolence and fidelity
- Symbol: A
kiss—intimate, yet treacherous
- Reflection: Jesus
restrains Peter. Love is stronger than the sword. Even betrayal becomes a
moment of mercy.
Suggested Ritual:
Place a crucifix near a bowl of water. Dip your fingers and bless yourself.
Pray for peace in your family, your community, and the world.
✝️ Third Station: Condemnation
by the Sanhedrin
- Theme: Injustice
and serenity
- Symbol: Torn
robes—righteous indignation misused
- Reflection: Jesus
is silent before false judgment. His strength is not in defense, but in
truth.
Suggested Ritual:
Write down a moment when you were misjudged. Fold the paper and place it
beneath the crucifix. Pray for those who misunderstand you—and for the grace to
forgive.
🍷 Closing Reflection:
Hospitality as Witness
After adoration,
gather for a symbolic meal—a simple bread and wine pairing, perhaps with Marian
tones. Let the conversation be gentle, the laughter holy, and the presence
intentional. You are not just hosting; you are witnessing to the covenant
written on your heart.
Thursday Evening Devotion
make a 1-hour adoration and meditate on the FIRST; SECOND and THIRD STATIONS
Pope Benedict XVI
Stations of the Cross
FIRST STATION
Jesus in agony in the Garden of Olives
From the Gospel
according to Saint Luke. 22:41-44
Jesus withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, and knelt down and prayed, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me; nevertheless not my will but yours be done.” And there appeared to him an angel from heaven strengthening him. And being in agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down upon the ground.
MEDITATION Jesus was in agony. Grief and anguish came upon him. The sin of all mankind weighed on him heavily. But the greater his pain, the more fervently did he pray. Pain always remains a challenge to us. We feel left alone. We forget to pray, and break down. Some even take their lives. But if we turn to God, we grow spiritually strong and go out to help our fellow-beings in trouble. Jesus continues to suffer in his persecuted disciples. Pope Benedict XVI says that even in our times “the Church does not lack martyrs”. Christ is in agony among us, and in our times. We pray for those who suffer. The mystery of Christian suffering is that it has a redemptive value. May the harassments that believers undergo complete in them the sufferings of Christ that bring salvation.
PRAYER Lord Jesus, enable us to delve deeper into the great “mystery of evil” and our own contribution to it. As sufferings came into human life through sin, it was your plan that humanity be saved from sin through suffering. May none of the little annoyances, humiliations, and frustrations that we undergo in our daily lives and the great shocks that take us by surprise, go to waste. Linked with your own agony, may the agonies we endure be acceptable to you and bring us hope. Lord, teach us to be compassionate, not only to the hungry, thirsty, sick, or those in some special need, but also to those inclined to be rude, argumentative and hurtful. In this way, as you have helped us in all our troubles, we may in turn “comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort that we ourselves have received”.
SECOND STATION
Jesus is betrayed by Judas, and restrains Peter from violence
From the Gospel
according to Saint Luke 22:47-50 and according to Saint Matthew 26:52.56
While Jesus was still speaking, there came a crowd, and the man called Judas, one of the twelve, was leading them. He drew near to Jesus to kiss him; but Jesus said to him, “Judas, would you betray the Son of man with a kiss?” And when those who were about him saw what would follow, they said, “Lord, shall we strike with the sword?” And one of them struck the slave of the high priest and cut off his right ear. Then Jesus said to him, “Put your sword back into its place; for all who take the sword will perish by the sword.” Then all the disciples forsook him and fled.
MEDITATION It is one of his trusted friends that betrays Jesus, and with a kiss. The way Jesus confronted violence has a message for our times. Violence is suicidal, he tells Peter: it is not defeated by more violence, but by a superior spiritual energy that reaches out in the form of healing love. Jesus touches the High Priest’s slave and heals him. The violent man today too may need a healing touch that comes from a love that transcends the immediate issues. In times of conflict between persons, ethnic and religious groups, nations, economic and political interests, Jesus says, confrontation and violence are not the answer, but love, persuasion and reconciliation. Even when we seem to fail in such efforts, we plant the seeds of peace which will bear fruit in due time. The rightness of our cause is our strength.
PRAYER Lord Jesus, you consider us your friends, yet we notice traces of infidelity in ourselves. We acknowledge our transgressions. We are presumptuous at times and over-confident. And we fall. Let not avarice, lust or pride take us by surprise. How thoughtlessly do we fly after ephemeral satisfactions and untested ideas! Grant that we may not be tossed to and fro and carried about by every wind of doctrine… but speaking the truth in love, grow up in every way into Christ the head. May truth and sincerity of purpose be our strength. Restrain, Lord, our impetuosity in situations of violence, as you restrained Peter’s impulsive character. Keep us unruffled in spirit before opposition and unfair treatment. Convince us that “A gentle answer quiets anger” in our families, and that “gentleness” combined with “wisdom” restores tranquility in society. “Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace.”
THIRD STATION
Jesus is held guilty by the Sanhedrin
From the Gospel
according to Saint Matthew 26:62-66
And the High Priest stood up and said, “Have you no answer to make? What is it that these men testify against you? But Jesus was silent. And the High Priest said to him, “I adjure you by the living God, tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God.” Jesus said to him, “You have said so. But I tell you, hereafter you will see the Son of man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven.” Then the High Priest tore his robes, and said, “He has uttered blasphemy. What do we still need witnesses? You have now heard his blasphemy. What is your judgement? They answered, “He deserves death.”
MEDITATION In every land, there have been innocent persons who suffered, people who died fighting for freedom, equality or justice. Those who struggle on behalf of God’s little ones are promoting God’s own work. For he presses for the rights of the weak and the oppressed. Whoever collaborates in this work, in the spirit of Jesus, brings hope to the oppressed and offers a corrective message to the evildoer himself. Jesus’ manner of struggling for justice is not to rouse the collective anger of people against the opponent, so that they are led into forms of greater injustice. On the contrary, it is to challenge the foe with the rightness of one’s cause and evoke the good will of the opponent in such a way that injustice is renounced through persuasion and a change of heart. Mahatma Gandhi brought this teaching of Jesus on non-violence into public life with amazing success.
PRAYER Lord,
often we judge others in haste, indifferent to actual realities and insensitive
to people’s feelings! We develop stratagems of self-justification and explain
away the irresponsible manner in which we have dealt with “the other”. Forgive
us! When we are misjudged and ill-treated, Lord, give us the inner serenity and
self-confidence that your Son manifested in the face of unjust treatment. Keep
us from an aggressive response which goes against your Spirit. On the contrary,
help us to bring your powerful word of forgiveness into situations of tension
and anxiety, so that it may reveal its dynamic power in history. “In His will
is our peace.”
Bible in a Year Day 77 God is Faithful
Fr. Mike points out why it's important that the tribes of Reuben and Gad agree to fight in Numbers 32 and also reflects on how God knows that his people will be faithless, and yet He remains faithful to them. The readings are Numbers 32, Deuteronomy 31, and Psalm 117.
Daily
Devotions
·
Unite yourself in the work of the Porters of St. Joseph by joining them
in fasting: Today's Fast: An Increase of the Faithful
·
Religion
in the Home for Preschool: September
·
Litany of the Most Precious
Blood of Jesus
·
Offering to
the sacred heart of Jesus
·
Rosary
[1] Venerable Mary of Agreda. The
Mystical City of God: Complete Edition Containing all Four Volumes with
Illustrations (p. 770). Veritatis Splendor Publications. Kindle Edition
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