Posts
Friday, September 19, 2025
NIC’s Corner
The work of justice will be peace, the effect of justice, calm and security forever. Isaiah 32:17
· How to celebrate Sep 19th
o Arr matey! Set sail on a day of adventure fit for the high seas. Start by greeting your crew with hearty pirate phrases to set the mood. Embrace the swashbuckling spirit and dress up in makeshift pirate costumes using old clothes and bandanas. Engage in fun activities like a treasure hunt in your backyard or local park, with clues leading to a hidden “treasure chest” filled with treats. Keep the pirate theme going with a movie marathon featuring classic pirate films. Serve up some rum-less grog and pretend you’re celebrating aboard a pirate ship.
o Lights, camera, action! Transform your living room into a cozy home theater for a movie marathon. Pick out a mix of classic films or showcase independent cinema, creating your very own Wales International Film Festival. Don’t forget the popcorn and movie snacks for the full cinematic experience. Discuss and analyze the films with your fellow cinephiles, sharing thoughts and recommendations.
o End the day on a sweet note by celebrating National Butterscotch Pudding Day. Whip up a quick and easy batch of homemade butterscotch pudding or grab a ready-made option from the store. Gather around the table with loved ones and enjoy this delicious dessert together, savoring each spoonful. Share stories and memories while indulging in this comforting treat.
Our Lady Of La Salette-Saint Januarius, Bishop & Martyr
Psalm
49, Verse 6-7
Why should I FEAR in evil days, with the iniquity of my assailants surrounding me, of those who trust in their wealth and boast of their abundant riches?
Trust in Christ our savior and live the virtues
of our Lady: humility, generosity, chastity, patience, temperance and love of
fellow man. Do not put your faith in coin for the bankruptcy of our cultural
heart is that we allow the innocent to be killed in this nation. God cries over
the sacrifices of future unborn children for the dreams of the mother. No
amount of future happiness or gain in independence is worth the life of an
innocent. Know that life is greater than liberty and liberty is greater than
wealth.
Beloved: Teach and urge these things. Whoever
teaches something different and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord
Jesus Christ and the religious teaching is conceited, understanding nothing,
and has a morbid disposition for arguments and verbal disputes. From these come
envy, rivalry, insults, evil suspicions, and mutual friction among people with
corrupted minds, who are deprived of the truth, supposing religion to be a
means of gain. Indeed, religion with contentment is a great gain. For we brought
nothing into the world, just as we shall not be able to take anything out of
it. If we have food and clothing, we shall be content with that. Those who want
to be rich are falling into temptation and into a trap and into many foolish
and harmful desires, which plunge them into ruin and destruction. For the love
of money is the root of all evils, and some people in their desire for it have
strayed from the faith and have pierced themselves with many pains. But you,
man of God, avoid all this. Instead, pursue righteousness, devotion, faith,
love, patience, and gentleness. Compete well for the faith. Lay hold of eternal
life, to which you were called when you made the noble confession in the
presence of many witnesses. (Tm. 6:2-12)
If we truly wish to make our nation great
again, we ourselves must grow in
holiness and then in turn our families will build holy communities, and holy
communities will build a Holy Nation.
Copilot’s Take
✨ Commentary: Ember Friday with Our
Lady of La Salette & Saint Januarius
Theme:
Holiness in a Culture of Wealth and Wounding
On
this Ember Friday, the Church invites us to pause, fast, and reflect—not merely
on the changing seasons of nature, but on the shifting seasons of the soul. The
station church “With the Twelve Apostles” reminds us that we are not alone in
this struggle. We stand in communion with those who bore witness before us,
even unto martyrdom.
💧 The Tears of
La Salette
Our
Lady’s apparition at La Salette is not a gentle whisper—it is a weeping
mother’s lament. She mourns a world that has forgotten Sabbath, scorned
reverence, and traded innocence for indulgence. Her virtues—humility,
generosity, chastity, patience, temperance, and love—are not quaint ideals
but spiritual weapons against a culture that glorifies wealth and autonomy at
the expense of life itself.
“God
cries over the sacrifices of future unborn children for the dreams of the
mother.”
This is not condemnation—it is compassion. It is the voice of a God who
grieves, not a judge who scolds. And it is a call to reorder our values:
Life > Liberty > Wealth.
A hierarchy not of oppression, but of sacred priority.
🩸 The Blood of
Januarius
Saint
Januarius, whose blood miraculously liquefies, reminds us that martyrdom is not
a relic—it is a present reality. His feast is a challenge to live visibly,
sacrificially, and courageously. In a world that tempts us to privatize faith
and monetize virtue, his witness says: Faith must be public, and holiness
must be costly.
📜 Paul’s
Exhortation to Timothy
The
passage from 1 Timothy 6 is a spiritual diagnostic. It names the sickness—envy,
rivalry, greed—and prescribes the cure:
·
Avoid: conceit, disputes, corruption
·
Pursue: righteousness, devotion, faith, love,
patience, gentleness
·
Compete well: not for gain, but for eternal life
This
is a rule of life for the man of God, the woman of virtue, the family seeking
holiness.
🕊️ A Holy Nation
Begins at Home
“If
we truly wish to make our nation great again, we ourselves must grow in
holiness…”
This is not political rhetoric—it is spiritual strategy. Holiness is not
imposed from above; it is cultivated from within. Holy individuals form holy
families. Holy families form holy communities. Holy communities form a Holy
Nation.
EMBER
FRIDAY Station "With the Twelve Apostles"[1]
Who
is wise, and he shall understand these things? (Epistle)
The
Church leads us today to the "the twelve apostles," on whom the Lord
conferred His power to forgive and retain sins. Bearers they are of those
precious keys that open the merciful heart of God as well as the contrite heart
of man, uniting the latter to the former by means of the cleansing and
sanctifying blood of Jesus Christ.
Formerly
the reconciliation of penitents on Maundy Thursday took place in this stational
church of "the twelve apostles." Here sinners who had undergone their
prescribed course of penance were granted on that day the remission of all
their sins and were admitted once more to full participation in the eucharistic
Banquet. "Ex-communication" was turned into "Communication"
by the keys which the Lord had placed in the hands of His apostles and, through
them, in the hands of His Church.
With
the penitential spirit of the penitents of old, and with the sorrow and
humility of Mary Magdalen (gospel), let us keep this ember Friday. Often do we
commit sins, but how often do we perform penance for them? "Return, O
Israel, to the Lord thy God; for thou hast fallen down by thy iniquity"
(epistle). No the "Assyria" of worldly achievements, nor the high
"horses" of worldly ambitions, nor the "gods"--money,
position, human applaus--"the works of our hands shall save us"
(epistle), but penance, faith and love. "Many sins are forgiven her,
because she hath loved much. Thy faith hath made thee safe; go in peace"
(gospel).
This
is a day of fast and abstinence. Let us gladly observe both. Let the heart of
them rejoice that seek the Lord and be strengthened; seek His face ever
more (introit). This ember Friday is an appropriate occasion for giving our
weekly "Friday-abstinence" a new spirit. So often we observe the day
thoughtlessly--perhaps even reluctantly. On the Great Friday the Good Shepherd
gave up His flesh and blood for His sheep. In gratitude for such love His sheep
give up every Friday flesh-meats for their Good Shepherd. Observing abstinence
in that spirit will gladden both the Good Shepherd and His sheep; will
make us "bring forth fruits worthy of penance"; will widen and deepen
the spirit of repentance to the end that "the gifts of our fasting will be
pleasing in God’s sight, and atoning for our sins will make us worthy of God's
grace and lead us to the eternal happiness promised by Him" (secret).
Give
your soul a new direction by a fruitful "ember confession." The more
humility and sorrow we carry into the confessional, the more peace and joy we
shall carry out therefrom. The sacrament of penance is the sacrament of liberty
which frees us from the disgracing chains of our sins. Nothing approaches
innocence more closely than a courageous, sincere confession of our guilt. True
humility and sorrow are oil from the Holy Spirit which make the "keys of
forgiveness" turn with heavenly smoothness. "Remove from me reproach
and contempt, because I have sought out Thy commandments, O Lord; for They
testimonies are my meditation" (communion).
"Who
is wise, and he shall understand these things?"
On September 19, 1846, the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to Maximin Giraud and
Melanie Calvat on the mountain of La Salette, France. After thorough
investigation the Catholic Church gave approval to the message and secret of La
Salette as written by Melanie. The account was published in Lecce on November
15, 1879, with the imprimatur of Bishop Zola of Lecce. Mary's message was much
the same as at Fatima, "If my people do not wish to submit themselves, I
am forced to let go of the hand of my Son. It is so heavy and weighs me down so
much I can no longer keep hold of it." She lamented with tears those who
do not keep Sunday holy and who take the name of the Lord in vain. She
indicated that if men did not stop offending Our Lord the potato crop would fail.
She gave Maximin his secret which he never revealed. She then turned to Melanie
and gave her a secret which Melanie revealed 30 years later only to the Holy
Father, who gave orders that it was never to be revealed.
St. Januarius[2]
Little is known about St. Januarius. He was Bishop of Benevento in Campania. He died near Naples, about the year 305, martyred under the persecution of Emperor Diocletian. Around the year 400 the relics of St. Januarius were moved to Naples, which honors Januarius as a patron saint. He supposedly protected Naples from a threatened eruption of the volcano Mt. Vesuvius. The "miracle of Januarius" has world-wide fame. At least three times a year—on his feast day, December 16 and the first Sunday of May—the sealed vial with congealed blood of the saint liquifies, froths and bubbles up. This miraculous event has occurred every year, with rare exceptions. Popular tradition holds that the liquefaction is a sign that the year will be preserved from disasters. (In 1939, the beginning of World War II, the blood did not bubble up.)
Things to Do:
·
Find
out more about this "miracle of Januarius", including pictures.
·
Have
an Italian dinner.
·
If
you live close to New York city you can participate in The Feast of
San Gennaro celebrated in lower Manhattan.
·
Read
more about St. Januarius at EWTN.
NIC’s Fitness Friday[3] Certified Health
& Well-being Coach
Top 10 Things You Can
Do TODAY to Improve Your Health
I love a good “Top
Ten” list. It’s probably because I’m an impatient reader (ok, probably an
impatient human in general but I’m working on it) and have been known to skip
to the last chapter of a novel to see what happens. Who has time for plot
development? We’re all rushed and over-busy. We leave little to no time for
ourselves to do the things we should be doing: exercising, planning and eating
healthy meals, taking time to do things we enjoy – it all gets pushed to the
backburner during our crazy busy days. But I embolden you to take a few minutes
to read this article… I’ll keep it short and sweet. This is my “Top Ten” list
of the things that I feel make the biggest difference in the lives of my
patients. True wellness happens when we pay attention to what matters most. To
me, these are the things that truly matter.
1. Be a nighttime creature of habit. Getting
a good night’s sleep is paramount to improved health and wellbeing. We all know
that we don’t feel very good when we don’t sleep well, but more importantly,
chronic sleep deprivation can contribute serious health problems such as high
blood pressure, increased stress hormones, and irregular heartbeat. To get a
better night’s sleep, create nighttime habits that prepare your body and mind
for sleep such as drinking herbal tea, taking a warm bath, meditation, and unplugging
from all electronics an hour before bed.
2. Drink more water. Think about how your
house plants look after you forget to water them and imagine your body organs
the same way when you’re dehydrated. The health benefits of water are numerous
and include improved kidney function, weight management, and improved bowel
function. So how much should you drink? Here’s an easy calculation: body weight
x 2/3 = oz of water to consume daily. Increase and adjust for exercise.
3. Practice daily meditation. In a recent
article, published in the medical journal JAMA , researchers from John Hopkins
University showed that mindfulness meditation can help ease anxiety, depression
and pain. The practice of mindfulness meditation is simply sitting quietly and
comfortably, focusing on your breathing, and bringing your mind’s attention to
the present. Even 5 minutes of meditation per day (optimal is 30 minutes twice
per day) can help balance both mind and body.
4. Move your body every day. Yes, EVERY DAY.
If I had to choose the single most important thing on this list to improve all
aspects of health, exercise would win hands down. The goal should be to
exercise 45-60 minutes 4-5 days per week, but it all counts! Park in the
furthest parking spot (better yet, just walk!), take the stairs, do some squats
while brushing your teeth – it all counts. Our bodies are meant to move and the
more sedentary we are, the faster our bodies will break down. Make a commitment
to break a sweat once a day.
5. Eat more… (plants that is). With all the
fad diets out there, it’s no wonder people are confused. This year has everyone
back in hunter gatherer mode eating wild wildebeest cooked on a spit. I say,
keep it simple – whole foods, no processed, mostly plants. A plant based diet
is where it’s at. I love the quote from Michael Pollan, author of The
Omnivore’s Dilemma, “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants”. If you fill your
plate with mostly plants and eat sensible portion sizes of food that your great
great grandmother would recognize as such, you’re probably doing ok.
6. Take a good multivitamin and an extra D.
You never know which vitamin or mineral you might be missing and depletion of
only one essential nutrient can set off imbalances in a wide range of metabolic
pathways. Poor diet, poor soil quality, and lack of variation in food intake
are some of the reasons we find deficiencies. Eating a wide array of local, in
season, organic fruits and veggies, taking a good multivitamin and a little
extra vitamin D are all good things to do to ensure your body is functioning at
its best.
7. Connect with nature. “Go get your mind
right” is something my husband tells me when he sees me stressing out or
worrying, and this is my cue to go outdoors and clear my head. Nature puts
things into perspective, and I can’t help but feel less stressed when I stand
next to the ocean or go for a hike. Seeing the vastness and beauty of nature
has a way of making problems seem less huge and horrifying. Managing and
decreasing stress are vital to good health, so get YOUR mind right and get
outdoors.
8. Connect to the people you love. Did you
know that loneliness is a risk factor for early death? I almost fell out of my
seat when I recently read this in the medical journal, Science. To quote the
authors, “Social relationships, or the relative lack thereof, constitute a
major risk factor for health – rivaling the effect of well-established health
risk factors such as cigarette smoking, blood pressure, blood lipids, obesity
and physical activity.” I find it so fascinating and incredibly sad that being
lonely can affect our physiology so much that it can increase our risk of early
death. So connect with those you love, mend broken relationships, seek social
connection, join a club or church group. Better yet, notice those around you
who might be facing isolation and loneliness and reach out to them. Invite a
neighbor to dinner. Not only will you improve your own health, but you just
might increase the lifespan of someone around you. How amazing is that?
9. Boost your health with a daily dose of
gratitude. Research studies in mental health show that grateful people tend to
be healthier than their not so grateful counterparts. They tend to engage in
healthier lifestyle traits such as regular exercise and eating a healthy diet.
Those who practice daily gratitude also tend to have better immune function,
antioxidant function, and handle stress better which has all sorts of awesome
health benefits such as decreasing the risk of heart disease and cancer. So here’s
your prescription: Start your day either thinking about or writing down five
things that you are grateful for. Dose it daily and you’ll be healthier and
happier this year and years to come.
10. Get a checkup. According to a recent
study, nearly 50% of Americans have either high blood pressure, high
cholesterol, diabetes or a combination of the three. All three are major risk
factors for heart disease which is the leading cause of death in this country.
What’s more, close to 10% of patients with high blood pressure and high
cholesterol don’t know they have it; 3% for diabetes. Take care of your ticker
– go get a physical and some blood work. Knowledge is power!
Be well.
Daily Devotions
·
Unite
in the work of the Porters of St.
Joseph by joining them in fasting: Today's Fast: Conversion
of Sinners
·
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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