Posts
Wednesday, September 3, 2025
Dara’s Corner
- Bucket List Trip: “The World” next port of call:
- Ah September 3rd aboard The World is a poetic moment in motion. According to the 2025 Journey overview, The World is transitioning between its Atlantic and African arcs, likely sailing from the Canary Islands toward the Mediterranean or South Atlantic. While exact port details for that specific date aren’t published, we can craft a symbolic itinerary that mirrors its rhythm: a week of contemplative hospitality, sensory devotion, and liturgical resonance aboard your imagined sanctuary at sea.
- 🌍 Aboard The World: September 3–9, 2025
- Theme: Thresholds & Transfigurations — sailing from volcanic solitude to Mediterranean grace
- 🕊️ Day 1: September 3 — Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (Anchor Point)
- Morning: Rosary at sunrise on deck, invoking Our Lady of the Volcanoes
- Midday: Symbolic meal of grilled octopus, volcanic salt, and citrus—honoring the island’s fire and fruit
- Evening: Sunset cigar and bourbon ritual at 6:15 PM, paired with Psalm 104: “You make the winds your messengers”
- 🌊 Day 2: September 4 — At Sea
- Fast-before-feast: Light fasting until sunset, honoring the journey’s liminal nature
- Reflection: Readings from Doctor Zhivago on exile and return
- Ritual: Anointing with ritual oil of myrrh and bergamot—“for the crossing”
- 🏛️ Day 3: September 5 — Casablanca, Morocco
- Pilgrimage: Visit to Hassan II Mosque or imagined Marian shrine
- Meal: Tagine with preserved lemon and olives, paired with Domus Vinea rosé
- 🌿 Day 4: September 6 — At Sea
- Neuroscience & Mercy: Reflect on healing pathways—pair with Psalm 147: “He heals the brokenhearted”
- Symbolic Meal: Lentil stew with pomegranate—bitterness and sweetness entwined
- Sunset Ritual: Smoke and silence, invoking the Holy Spirit as wind and breath
- 🕯️ Day 5: September 7 — Valletta, Malta
- Feast Day: Our Lady of Victory (Malta’s patroness)
- Meal: Rabbit stew with rosemary, Eucharistic bread, and Marian wine
- Reflection: “Victory through surrender”
- 🍷 Day 6: September 8 — Feast of the Nativity of Mary
- Celebration: Sunrise Rosary, Marian hymn playlist, white garments
- Meal: Fig tart, honeyed goat cheese, Domus Vinea white
- Hospitality Arc: Invite fellow pilgrims to share stories of birth and renewal
- 🌅 Day 7: September 9 — At Sea or Docked in Sicily
- Closing Ritual: Sunset Examen, gratitude for thresholds crossed
- Meal: Sicilian caponata, crusty bread, and contemplative wine
- Reflection: “The World as Womb: Sailing into Marian Time”
· Foodie- To honor Merchant Navy Day, why not indulge in some maritime-inspired activities? Head to a body of water if you can and spend some time soaking in the tranquil surroundings. You could also whip up a seafood dish for dinner or indulge in some fish and chips for a taste of the sea.
o Finally, end your day on a cozy note with a warm and comforting dish like Welsh rarebit in honor of National Welsh Rarebit Day. This simple yet delicious dish is perfect for a relaxing evening in, enjoyed with a movie or a good book.
· Spirit Hour: Prosecco
How to celebrate Sep 3rd
o As the day progresses, why not dedicate some time to organizing a closet or space in your home for National Another Look Unlimited Day? Take out those items that have been gathering dust and give them a new lease on life by incorporating them back into your wardrobe or decor. Not only will this help declutter your space, but it will also make you feel accomplished and refreshed.
o For a bit of friendly competition, consider hitting the lanes for US Bowling League Day. Gather a group of friends or family members and head to your local bowling alley for a few games. Don’t worry too much about scores; the aim is to have a blast and enjoy each other’s company. Plus, most bowling alleys offer budget-friendly deals during the day.
o As the day draws to a close, celebrate National Skyscraper Day by taking a virtual tour of some of the world’s tallest buildings. Many famous skyscrapers offer online tours or live streams, allowing you to marvel at their architecture and history from the comfort of your home. Alternatively, try your hand at building a mini skyscraper with materials you have on hand, like playing cards or blocks.
· 30 DAY TRIBUTE TO MARY 20th ROSE: Carrying of the Cross
o 30 Days of Women and Herbs – Frauendreissiger
MEDICINAL PLANTS Day 20 ANTIBIOTIC PROPIERTIES-Revealed by Heaven to Luz De María
Europe Scientific name: Origanum vulgare Family: Lamiaceae America Scientific name: Lippia graeolens Family: Verbenaceae
OREGANO Very powerful antibiotic, with anti-inflammatory action. Fight microbes (fungus and bacteria). Relieves cough, eliminates viruses, treats flu, stimulates the immune system. Reduces skin infections. Fights free radicals and delays aging due to the antioxidant effect. Useful pain reliever in case of sprains, light pobalgias, arthritis, toothache, burns, cuts and scratches.
SEPTEMBER 3 First Wednesday-Gregory
the Great, Pope
Skyscraper Day
They hoisted it aboard, then used cables to undergird the ship. Because of their FEAR that they would run aground on the shoal of Syrtis, they lowered the drift anchor and were carried along in this way.
Seamen of Paul’s time often to save a ship in heavy seas would pass a cable several times under and around a ship and tightening it on deck, to prevent the working and parting of the timbers and planks in a gale. Additionally to prevent the ship from getting stuck in the quicksand of the shoal of Syrtis the seamen lowered the drift anchor.
The church is our boat using a metaphor and with the current world situation with the persecution of Christians, not only in the Middle East, but throughout the world; to which could be added the storms given the church by secularists and atheists; our church is being assaulted by an evil Northeasterner. We need to pass the cables around our church and put out the drift anchor to keep from being lost.
The cables that bind our
church are the seven sacraments. We need to use them all.
·
If
single, consider Holy Orders.
·
get
married, if you are living with another, and be open to children.
·
if
parents encourage your children in seeking vocations.
·
go
to confession and mass.
·
baptize
your children and be confirmed by the priests.
· seek healing of your body and soul when seriously ill.
Let your prayers be your drift anchor.
Only one thing is important --
eternal salvation.
Only one thing, therefore, is to be feared--sin?
Sin is the result of ignorance, weakness, and indifference The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Light, of Strength, and of Love. With His sevenfold gifts He enlightens the mind, strengthens the will, and inflames the heart with love of God. To ensure our salvation we ought to invoke the Divine Spirit daily, for "The Spirit helpeth our infirmity. We know not what we should pray for as we ought. But the Spirit Himself asketh for us."[1]
Copilot’s Take
🛶 Cables, Drift Anchors, and the Sacramental Hull
Acts 27:17 becomes a living metaphor: the
Church as a storm-tossed vessel, lashed together by sacramental cables and
steadied by the drift anchor of prayer.
- The Seven Sacraments as structural
reinforcements—each one a brace against spiritual fragmentation.
- Prayer as drift anchor—slowing our drift
into despair, keeping us tethered to hope.
- Fear of Syrtis becomes fear of sin—not
panic, but holy vigilance.
🕊️ First Wednesday Devotion to St. Joseph
First Wednesday and First Fridays and
Saturdays. The triad of Sacred Hearts—Jesus, Mary, and Joseph—becomes a
stabilizing triangle in turbulent times.
Devotional Actions:
- Pray the Joyful Mysteries, focusing on
Joseph’s hidden strength.
- Receive Holy Communion in union with
Joseph’s paternal love.
- Reflect on the promises from Our Lady of
America—especially Joseph’s role as protector and guide at the hour of
death.
Creative Extensions:
- Host a St. Joseph Family Night: Italian
dinner, game night, storytelling about Joseph’s virtues.
- Begin or continue the Consecration to
St. Joseph.
- Explore the Universal Man Plan
🏙️ Skyscraper Day: Building Heavenward
Skyscrapers rise because their foundations
are deep, and their steel is strong.
On this day, we ask: Are we building lives
that reach heavenward?
- Let the sacraments be your steel.
- Let Scripture be your blueprint.
- Let the Holy Spirit be your
elevator—lifting you beyond human limits.
🕯️ St. Gregory the Great’s 30 Masses
The origin of Gregorian Masses is a story of
mercy, repentance, and liturgical power. After a monk named Justus died in
disgrace, Pope Gregory ordered 30 consecutive Masses for his soul. On the 30th
day, Justus appeared in a vision, freed from purgatory.
This tradition reminds us:
- Mercy is not abstract—it’s liturgical.
- Purgatory is not punishment—it’s
purification.
- The Mass is not symbolic—it’s salvific.
You might consider offering a 30-Mass
devotion for someone in need of healing or release.
First Wednesday[2]
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."
St. Gregory the Great’s 30 Masses[3]
The history of the “Thirty Mass” practice goes back to the year 590 A.D. in St. Andrew’s Monastery in Rome, founded by St. Gregory the Great in his own family villa around 570. It is now known as the Monastery of St. Gregory the Great. The account of the incident which gave rise to it is recounted by St. Gregory himself in his Dialogues.
After his election as Pope in 590, one of the monks, Justus by name, became ill. So he admitted to a lay friend, Copiosus, that he had hidden three gold pieces among his medications years before, when he was professed a monk. Both, in fact, were former physicians. And sure enough, the other monks found the gold when seeking the medication for Justus.
The founder and former abbot of the monastery, now Pope Gregory, hearing of this scandalous sin against the monastic Rule, called in the new Abbot of his beloved monastery, and ordered the penalty of solitary confinement for Justus, even though he was dying, and ordered that his burial not be in the cemetery but in the garbage dump. Copiosus told his wretched friend of this decision. Moreover, the community were to recite over his dreadful grave the words of St. Peter to Simon the Magician: “May your money perish with you” (Acts 8:20).
Let us pray here for all the Bishops and Priest who chose Gold over the Eucharist in response to the COVID 19 and the new world religion.
The Pope’s desired result was achieved: Justus made a serious repentance, and all the monks a serious examination of conscience. Justus then died, but the matter did not, for thirty days later Pope Gregory returned to the monastery filled with concern for Justus, who would now be suffering the grim temporal punishment of Purgatory’s fire for his sins. “We must,” said Gregory to the Abbot, “come by charity to his aid, and as far as possible help him to escape this chastisement. Go and arrange thirty Masses for his soul, so that for thirty consecutive days the Saving Victim is immolated for him without fail.” And so, it was done.
Some days later, the deceased
monk, Justus, appeared in a vision to his friend Copiosus and said, “I have
just received the Communion pardon and release from Purgatory because of the
Masses said for me.” The monks did a calculation and noted that it was exactly
thirty days since the thirty Masses had begun for Justus. They shared this
great consolation with each other, with their Abbott and with Pope Gregory. The
Pope included a full account of this episode.
Bible in a Year Day 76 War Against Midian
Fr. Mike breaks down the battle against Midian and explains why God would allow destruction and warfare that can seem brutal. He also highlights how we can learn from Israel's weakness by destroying the things in our lives that lead us away from God. Today's readings are Numbers 31, Deuteronomy 30, and Psalm 116.
Skyscraper Day[4]
The construction of tall buildings has become so
commonplace in cities around the globe that the general public gives little
thought to the visionaries responsible for creating a city’s unique skyline.
Skyscraper day provides the opportunity to learn more about the architects who
commit a dream to paper and the construction crews that make it reality.
Whoever it was that first considered placing dwellings on top of each other
instead of side-by-side would be astounded at how modern buildings literally seem
to touch the sky. What they may also find interesting is the status that is
often attached to living or working at the highest level. Although this analogy
is obvious there is another to be drawn from the consequences of a power
failure. These are just a few aspects to ponder on a day that is set aside to
reflect on man’s apparent conquest of upper space.
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 Day 11 of the
Consecration to St. Joseph.
·
Do the St.
Joseph Universal Man Plan.
Daily Devotions
·
Unite yourself in the work of the Porters of St. Joseph by joining them
in fasting: Today's Fast: The
Pope
·
Religion
in the Home for Preschool: September
·
Litany of the Most Precious
Blood of Jesus
·
Offering to
the sacred heart of Jesus
·
Rosary
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