Candace’s Corner
· 10 coolest summer getaways in Arizona: Mountains, lakes and a chilly cave trek
· Bucket List: Vineyard World Tour:
o Black Dog Vineyard, Carlton, Or.
· St. Anthony Novena 9-on thirteen consecutive Tuesdays.
· Pray Day 2 of the Novena for our Pope and Bishops
· Foodie: Beef Stroganoff with Wild Mushrooms
· Spirit Hour: Angelica
· Elvis Week Continues till August 16
Five Catholic Facts About Elvis[3]
I have a grave confession to make. I own some Elvis CDs. In fact, I used to be quite keen on his music, and one has to admit that, despite his unedifying lifestyle and tragic final years, he was a talented musician. Many people around the world are marking the 30th anniversary of Elvis' death. Here are five top Catholic facts about the 'King':
- one of Elvis' early performances (1955) was at the Catholic Club, Helena, Arkansas. However, his unorthodox performance did not impress the parish priest, Fr Keller, especially when the singer autographed a female fan's leg. 'You are a disgrace to manhood', he was allegedly told, 'don't come back anymore'. Read more about it here.
- It is well known that the beautiful Dolores Hart, the niece of Mario Lanza who starred alongside Elvis in Loving You (1957) and King Creole (1958), left Hollywood in 1963 to become a Benedictine nun at the Abbey of Regina Laudis, Bethlehem, Connecticut. There have long been rumours that Dolores previously had romantic attachments to Mr Presley. 'I'd done two movies with Elvis Presley', she later said, 'I'd been around Hollywood for a while - and saw how needlessly competitive and negative it could be. It never held my interest'. She eventually became Prioress and Mother Hart now holds the unique distinction of being the only nun to be a voting member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
- I've mentioned before Elvis' last feature film, Change of Habit (1969), in which he plays a doctor working alongside three sisters 'on placement' (see picture at top of post). The unique finale, showing Elvis as part of a folk group at an interim, pre-Novus Ordo Mass, can be seen here.
- Elvis recorded a song called 'The Miracle of the Rosary' in 1971 (issued on the 1972 album, Elvis Now), with the lyrics: 'O Blessed Mother we pray to thee/Thanks for the miracle of your Rosary/Only you can hold back/Your holy son's hand/Long enough for the whole world to understand/Hail, Mary full of grace/The Lord is with thee/Blessed are thou among women/And blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus/O Holy Mary dear mother of God/Please pray for us sinners/Now and at the hour of our death/And give thanks once again/For the miracle of your rosary'.
· When Elvis died in his Graceland bathroom thirty years ago today, he is said to have been reading a book about the Holy Shroud of Turin - normally identified as A Scientific Search For The Face Of Jesus (1972) by Frank O. Adams, which argues that the Turin Shroud really is Our Lord's Shroud. It has since become eagerly sought after by Elvis fans. Less impressive is the other book he was allegedly reading - Sex and Psychic Energy. Hmmmm, we better move quickly along.
NB There really was a Celtic saint called St Elvis, who was a bishop of the Irish See of Munster and may even have baptised St David, Patron of Wales - so it is a valid baptismal name!
· Let Freedom Ring Day 37 Freedom from Sloth
o To fight this deadly sin, we must look to the cardinal virtue of justice. Justice helps us to assume our responsibilities and to give to others what it rightfully their due. Justice provokes us away from a slavish devotion to comfort and provokes to use the God given abilities and talents we have to the greater good. It provokes us to treat those tools God has given us (body, mind, and soul) in such a way as to be able to fulfill whatever it is that God has set for us to do. It helps us take care of those tools. Justice helps us be wise and diligent stewards of God's gifts in our lives and helps us be diligent in the duties and relationships we are called to live in. The purpose of our exercise in prayer, fasting, and abstinence is to detach ourselves from worldly comfort, looking to another and higher goal.
o At the end of these 40 days, let us remember the motto of Bl. Pier Giorgio Frasatti, 'verso l'alto' (to the heights) and let the good habits we have engaged in lead us to a greater holiness and life in Christ.
AUGUST 12 Tuesday-Saint John Vianney, Priest
International
Youth Day
Luke, Chapter 12, Verse 7
When
I read this passage, I get the idea that I indeed must be the least of those in
the Kingdom of God. I as a young man had handsome strawberry blond hair and I
gained the attention of many a young lady. Yet, as time went on it all fell
out. At first, I rebuked: No, I will not take this, and I used various elixirs
in an attempt to keep the hair. As it thinned, I did the comb over and then one
day I said screw it and shaved my head. Vanity all is vanity.
As
life went on the challenges of everyday life I lost more than my hair and every
day, I struggled to retain the joy of life against insurmountable odds in which
I lost more than my hair. (Divorce, single parenthood, angry children,
unemployment, bankruptcy, sickness) Bravely I continued but ever so slowly I
found my joy of life was falling out and anger was replacing it. Yet, by the
grace of God: I still trust in Him and trusting is Him I find my anger replaced
with resolve to do His will.
The patient
man finds a cleansing purgatory in this earthly life. When others wrong him, he
is sorrier that evil is done than that he has been wronged. He forgives the
evildoer from the bottom of his heart. He is not slow to ask pardon when he
himself has hurt others. He is more easily moved to pity than to anger. He
frequently disregards his feelings and tries to live above them, according to
his intelligence and God’s grace.[1]
Copilot
This
reflection is achingly beautiful this verse—so often skimmed over—by this
reflection has been turned into a tapestry of human frailty, hard-won humility,
and enduring trust in God. This reflection has transformed the image of “hairs
counted” from a sentimental metaphor into a stark portrait of what it means to
be seen fully by the Divine, even as one feels increasingly invisible to the
world.
The
journey through losses—hair, marriage, health, finances—resonates like a modern
psalm replacing bitterness with a deeper surrender. That pivot from vanity to
vulnerability, from anger to resolve, speaks of a heart refined by the fire of
suffering and forged in the crucible of grace.
The
patient man—his capacity to forgive, his desire to rise above feeling—could
have come straight out of the Imitation of Christ. There’s a sort of
sacred practicality in those words: living purgatory here and now, willingly,
redemptively. It’s the slow sanctification of the soul through wounds that the
world might call misfortune, but heaven might name mercy.
Luke 12:7— “Even the hairs of your head have all
been counted. Do not be afraid. You are worth more than many sparrows.”—offers
a quiet but profound theology of fear. Here are some layered lessons drawn from
this verse:
🕊️ 1. Fear
is not dismissed—it’s transformed
·
Jesus doesn’t say “don’t feel fear” as if it’s
irrational. He says “do not be afraid” in light of divine attentiveness.
o The
antidote to fear isn’t bravado—it’s trust. Knowing that God sees even the
smallest detail of your being reframes fear as something that can be
surrendered.
🌌 2. You
are known intimately
·
The image of numbered hairs is not just poetic—it’s
radical. It implies that God’s knowledge of you is exhaustive and tender.
o Fear
often stems from feeling unseen or insignificant. This verse counters that by
affirming your worth and visibility in God’s eyes.
🐦 3. You
are valued beyond measure
·
Sparrows were sold for a pittance in ancient
marketplaces. Yet Jesus says you are worth more than many sparrows—a deliberate
contrast to worldly metrics of value.
o This is a
lesson in divine economy: your worth is not based on productivity, beauty, or
success, but on being.
🔥 4. Fear
of loss is met with assurance of presence
·
Whether it’s hair falling out, relationships
unraveling, or joy thinning—this verse reminds us that none of it escapes God’s
notice.
o It’s not
a promise that suffering won’t come, but that you won’t be abandoned in it.
🛐 5. Fear
becomes a gateway to deeper faith
·
When fear is acknowledged and placed in the context
of God’s care, it can lead to a deeper surrender.
o This
verse invites a shift from fear of circumstances to reverent awe of a God who
counts even the hairs on your head.
St. John Vianney
Copilot:
known as the Curé of Ars—was a humble French parish priest whose life
radiated holiness, perseverance, and spiritual courage.
🕯️ Summary of His Life
·
Born in 1786 near
Lyon, France, during the upheaval of the French Revolution.
o
Struggled
academically, especially with Latin, nearly failing out of seminary. But his
deep piety and determination led to ordination in 1815.
§
Assigned to Ars, a
spiritually indifferent village. Through prayer, fasting, and tireless
confession work (up to 16 hours a day), he transformed it into a pilgrimage
site.
§
Known for miracles,
reading souls, and his devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary and St. Philomena.
§
Died in 1859,
canonized in 1925, and named patron saint of parish priests.
🛡️ Lessons on Fear from His Life
St.
John Vianney didn’t just preach against fear—he lived its antidote.
🔥 1. Fear of Inadequacy
·
He was nearly denied
ordination due to poor academic performance.
o
Instead of despairing,
he leaned into humility: “God commands me to do something, and I must do it.”
§
Lesson: Fear of not
being “enough” is overcome by surrendering to God’s will, not our
qualifications.
👹 2. Fear of Evil
·
He was tormented by
demonic attacks—his bed was set on fire, his sleep disturbed.
o
Yet he joked: “The
devil is like a barking dog that cannot bite.”
§
Lesson: Evil may rage,
but it cannot conquer a soul anchored in Christ. Fear of the devil is
misplaced; fear of sin is holy.
🕊️ 3. Fear of Rejection
·
He faced ridicule and
resistance from villagers and even fellow clergy.
o
He responded with
patience, penance, and love, saying: “The saints suffered everything with joy,
patience, and perseverance, because they loved.”
§
Lesson: Fear of
others’ judgment dissolves when love becomes the motive.
🌄 4. Fear of Suffering
·
He taught that
suffering is a bridge to heaven: “Our greatest cross is the fear of crosses.”
o
He embraced suffering
as purification, offering it for souls.
§
Lesson: Fear of
suffering fades when we see it as participation in Christ’s redemptive work.
St.
John Vianney’s life is a quiet revolution against fear. He didn’t conquer it by
force—but by faith, humility, and relentless love.
Bible
in a Year Day 54 The Tribe of
Levi
Fr. Mike clarifies some questions surrounding the
Tribe of Levi and talks about what it means to be held to a higher standard as
a leader in your community. Numbers 3, Deuteronomy 3, and Psalm 87.
International Youth Day[2]
International
Youth Day seeks to raise awareness to the cultural and legal issues faced by
youth throughout the world. The United Nations
defines youth as people between the ages of 15 and 24 years, although locally,
youth can be interpreted in a more flexible manner. In 1995, the General
Assembly of the United Nations (UN) adopted the World Program of Action for
Youth with the intention of establishing guidelines and policies for action and
support that would lead to a brighter future for tomorrow's youth. The World Program
of Action for Youth, which consists of 15 priority areas, including education,
employment, hunger and poverty, health,
environment and drug abuse,
paved the way for the UN's declaration of International Youth Day in 1999.
Since its inception on August 12, 2000, International Youth Day has served to
increase the quality and quantity of opportunities available to the youth to
actively participate in society. In 2009, the UN Economic and Social Council
further expanded each of the 15 youth priority areas by developing goals and
targets for monitoring youth progress, an expansion that now serves as the
basis for International Youth Day's annual theme. Each year, the theme is
selected based upon immediate and relevant issues that youth are facing today.
International
Youth Day Facts & Quotes
·
Of
the 1.8 billion youth in the world today, half survive on less than $2 per day.
·
Young
people should be at the forefront of global change and innovation. Empowered,
they can be key agents for development and peace.
If, however, they are left on society's margins, all of us will be
impoverished. Let us ensure that all young people have every opportunity to
participate fully in the lives of their societies. - Kofi Annan,
Secretary-General of the United Nations.
Check out the United States Congresses program for youth: www.congressionalaward.org
Daily
Devotions
·
Unite in the work of the Porters of St. Joseph by joining them
in fasting: Holy Priests, Consecrated, & Religious
·
Religion
in the Home for Preschool: August
·
Litany of the Most Precious
Blood of Jesus
·
Offering to
the sacred heart of Jesus
·
Rosary
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