Posts
Thursday, September 18, 2025
Rachel’s Corner
· How to celebrate Sep 18th
o After getting your workout in, take a moment to appreciate the importance of water on World Water Monitoring Day. Stay hydrated throughout the day and consider ways you can contribute to water conservation efforts in your community.
o As the day continues, make time to read an ebook in the afternoon. It’s a relaxing way to unwind and celebrate Read An Ebook Day.
o If you’re feeling particularly creative, why not write a heartfelt greeting card to someone special on Hug A Greeting Card Writer Day? It’s a small gesture that can brighten someone’s day.
o For dinner, why not cook a meal with rice and enjoy a delicious Rice Krispies treat for dessert in honor of Rice Krispies Treats Day?
o Embrace the spirit of Chile’s Independence Day by trying out a new recipe inspired by Chilean cuisine.
o As the evening approaches, take a moment to reflect on the importance of respect on National Respect Day. Whether it’s respecting others, yourself, or the environment, small acts of kindness can make a big difference.
o Before you wind down for the night, consider the impact of diesel engines on the world as you plan for Global Company Culture Day. Think about ways you can promote a positive work environment or support businesses with strong company culture.
Best Place to visit in September: Kenai Fjords, Alaska[4]
Home to over forty glaciers, gorgeous fjords, and unspoilt islands, Kenai Fjords National Park is a unique and beautiful spot!
The temperatures remain mild this month, and I love that the days are still long. Amidst the crisp air, icy waters, and lush forests, the park’s diverse wildlife continues to thrive!
My favorite activity was spotting seals and puffins; they’re adorable and fun to watch. I also highly recommend whale-watching, hiking the impressive Harding Icefield, kayaking, and going on one of the many boat tours and cruises on offer here.
- Visitor Center Address: 1212 4th Avenue Seward, AK 99664
- Map Location
- Average temperature – 45 to 55
My favorite highlights…
- Going on an incredible whale-watching tour with Major Marine Tours.
- Visiting Exit Glacier and hiking the very photogenic Glacier Overlook Trail.
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.
- Italian Wine
- Minestrone
- Salad
- Pasta
- Tiramisu
🇺🇸 Day 2 – Principle 2: A Free People Cannot Survive Under a Republican Constitution Unless They Remain Virtuous and Morally Strong
🧭 Summary
The Founders believed that liberty is not self-sustaining—it requires a moral foundation. A republic depends on the character of its citizens. Without virtue, freedom decays into license, and the people become vulnerable to tyranny.
This principle echoes the classical idea that freedom is only safe in the hands of a virtuous people. The Constitution provides the structure, but it’s the moral compass of the people that keeps it upright.
🗣️ Founders’ Wisdom
“Only a virtuous people are capable of freedom. As nations become corrupt and vicious, they have more need of masters.”
— Benjamin Franklin
🔍 Reflection Prompt
- What practices in your daily rhythm cultivate virtue—personally and communally?
- How might hospitality, symbolic meals, or sunset rituals reinforce moral strength in your circle?
🗳️ Action Step
- Support moral education: Whether through blogging, teaching, or community gatherings, promote virtue as the bedrock of freedom.
- Engage in civic life: Virtue isn’t passive. Participate in local decisions, vote with conscience, and model integrity.
National Cheeseburger Day
John, Chapter 7, verse 13:
Still, no one spoke openly about him because they were AFRAID of the Jews.
The people were divided over Jesus and he was
either loved or hated. Even today you must decide to follow Christ or follow
the world for there is no middle ground.
Building up the Kingdom[1]
Scripture and the Church teach us that we have
three divinely ordained purposes that give our lives meaning:
1.
Salvation — seeking to save our eternal souls
and help save the souls of others (that salvation, the Church teaches, is God's
free gift but requires our cooperation through faith in God, obedience to his
commandments, and repentance of our grave sins).
2.
Service — using our God-given talents to build
God's kingdom here on earth.
3.
Sanctity — growing in holiness.
The third of these life goals, sanctity, is central to building Catholic character. At the end of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus says something that is stunning: "Be thou made perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect" (Mt 5:48). St. Gregory put it this way: "The goal of a virtuous life is to become like God." Scripture tells us, "God is love" (1 Jn 4:16). If we want to be like God, our vocation is to love. The essence of love is to sacrifice for the sake of another, as Jesus did. Love is self-gift. What, then, is our goal if we want to develop Catholic character in our children and ourselves? Look to the character of Christ: A life of self-giving.
Natural Virtues
The high goal of Christ-like character builds
on a base of what the Church calls "natural virtues." Among the
natural virtues that families and schools should nurture are the four advanced
by the ancient Greeks, named in Scripture (Wis 8:7), and adopted by the Church
as "the cardinal virtues": prudence, which enables us to judge what
we should do; justice, which enables us to respect the rights of others and
give them what they are due; fortitude, which enables us to do what is right in
the face of difficulties; temperance, which enables us to control our desires
and avoid abuse of even legitimate pleasures. These natural virtues are
developed through effort and practice, aided by God's grace.
To develop a Christ-like character, however, we
need more than the natural virtues. We also need the three supernatural, or
"theological," virtues:
Spiritual Virtues
1.
Faith in God, which enables us to believe in
God and the teachings of his church.
2.
Hope in God, which leads us to view eternal
life as our most important goal and to place total trust in God.
3.
Love of God, which enables us to love God above
all things and our neighbor as ourselves for the love of God.
The three theological virtues are considered supernatural because they come from God and have as their purpose our participation in God's divine life. As the Catechism (1813) teaches, the theological virtues are not separate from the natural virtues; rather, they "are the foundation of Christian moral activity; they animate it and give it its special character." The Catholic writer Peter Kreeft points out, "The Christian is prudent, just, courageous, and self-controlled out of faith in God, hope in God, and love of God." The supernatural virtues, like the natural virtues, grow stronger through our effort and practice, in cooperation with God's grace.
Instruction on Intemperance[2]
“Be sober and watch.” I. Peter v. 8.
St. Peter prescribes sobriety and watchfulness as necessary means for resisting the attacks of the devil, who by day and night goes about seeking whom he may devour. Woe to those who, by reason of their drunkenness, (The term drunkard applies to any person who is caught up in the addiction cycle, whether it is drink, gambling, drugs or sex.) live in a continual night and lie in the perpetual sleep of sin! How will it be with them if, suddenly awakened from this sleep by death, they find themselves standing, burdened with innumerable and unknown sins, before the judgment-seat of God? For who can number the sins, committed in and by reason of drunkenness, which the drunkard either accounts as trifles, easily pardoned, or else, not knowing what he has thought, said, and done in his fit of intoxication, considers to be no sins at all? Will the divine Judge, at the last day, thus reckon? Will He also find no sin in them? Will He let go unpunished the infamous deeds and the scandals of their drunkenness? He Who demands strict account of every word spoken in vain, will He make no inquiry of so many shameful, scandalous, and blasphemous sayings, of so much time wasted, of so much money squandered, of so many neglects of the divine service, of the education of children, of the affairs of home, and of innumerable other sins? Will they be able to excuse themselves before this Judge by saying that they did not know what they were doing? Or that what they did was for want of reflection, or in jest? Or that they were not strong, and could not bear much? Will not such excuses rather witness against them that they are the worthier of punishment for having taken more than their strength could bear, thereby depriving themselves of the use of reason, making themselves like brutes, and, of their own free will, taking on themselves the responsibility for all the sins of which their drunkenness was the occasion? What, then, awaits them? What else than the fate of the rich glutton who, for his gluttony, was buried in hell? (Luke xvi. 22.) Yes, that shall be the place and the portion of the drunkard! There shall they in vain sigh for a drop of water. There, for all the pleasures and satisfactions which they had in the world, as many pains and torments shall now lay hold of them (Apoc. xviii. 7); there shall they be compelled to drain the cup of God’s anger to the dregs, as they, in life, forced others into drunkenness. This is what they have to hope for, for St. Paul says expressly that drunkards shall not possess the kingdom of God (i. Cor. vi. 10). What then remains for them but to renounce either their intemperance or heaven? But how rare and difficult is the true conversion of a drunkard! This is the teaching of experience. Will not such a one, therefore, go to ruin?
Reflect on your use of
TV, internet, media, food, etc.; alcohol is only one form of intemperance-keep
your heart free of all that tarnishes love.
Copilot’s Take
🔥 Divided Over Christ
Even in Jesus’ time, the crowd was split—some drawn
to his truth, others silenced by fear. That division persists. Today, we must
choose: Christ or the world. There is no neutral ground. Silence, when born of
fear, is not virtue—it is evasion.
🧭 No
Neutral Ground: A Reflection on John 7:13 and the Witness of Charlie Kirk
“Still, no one spoke openly about
him because they were afraid…” — John 7:13
Charlie
Kirk’s public witness offers a modern echo of this Gospel tension. In a culture
that rewards compromise and punishes conviction, Kirk chose clarity. Whether
speaking on college campuses or in media interviews, he refused to dilute truth
for the sake of popularity. His unapologetic stance on issues like abortion,
identity, and religious freedom wasn’t just political—it was spiritual. He
understood that silence in the face of moral crisis is not neutrality—it’s
surrender.
Kirk’s
boldness reminds us that discipleship is not passive. It demands voice,
presence, and courage. When we remain silent out of fear—fear of rejection,
ridicule, or discomfort—we risk becoming complicit in the very evils we claim
to oppose. The Gospel calls us to speak, even when it costs us.
“Be
not afraid,” Jesus says. But fear still tempts us to blend in, to soften our
convictions, to choose comfort over truth.
Charlie
Kirk didn’t do that. He chose the narrow path. And in doing so, he reminds us
that the Kingdom is built not by the silent, but by the faithful—those who
speak truth in love, even when the crowd is divided.
🏗️ Building the Kingdom: Our Threefold Purpose
|
Purpose |
Meaning |
|
Salvation |
Cooperating with God’s grace to save our souls
and help others do the same. |
|
Service |
Using our talents to build God’s kingdom here and
now. |
|
Sanctity |
Growing in holiness, becoming like God through
love and sacrifice. |
“Be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” —
Matthew 5:48
“God is love.” — 1 John 4:16
💡 To love is to give oneself away. That is the character of Christ.
🛡️ Virtue: The Foundation of Catholic Character
🌿 Natural Virtues (Cardinal Virtues)
·
Prudence — Knowing what is right.
·
Justice — Giving others their due.
·
Fortitude — Doing right despite difficulty.
·
Temperance — Mastering desires.
These are cultivated through practice, supported by
grace.
🌟 Theological Virtues (Supernatural Gifts)
·
Faith — Believing in God and His Church.
·
Hope — Trusting in eternal life.
·
Love — Loving God above all, and neighbor as self.
“The Christian is prudent, just, courageous, and
self-controlled out of faith in God, hope in God, and love of God.” — Peter
Kreeft
🚫 Instruction on Intemperance: A Sobering Warning
“Be sober and watch.” — 1 Peter 5:8
Drunkenness, addiction, and unchecked indulgence
are not just personal failings—they are spiritual dangers. Whether it’s
alcohol, media, food, or distraction, intemperance clouds reason, dulls love,
and leads to spiritual sleep.
·
Sobriety is vigilance.
·
Watchfulness is readiness.
·
Intemperance is spiritual blindness.
“Drunkards
shall not possess the kingdom of God.” — 1 Corinthians 6:10
“For all the pleasures they had, as many torments shall now lay hold of them.”
— Revelation 18:7
Let this be a call to examine our habits—not just
the obvious ones, but the subtle indulgences that tarnish love and steal time
from God.
Like maybe
CHEESEBURGERS-signed Wimpy
National Cheeseburger Day[3]
National
Cheeseburger Day is a day of appreciation for cheeseburgers. Typically,
when cooking a cheeseburger, cheese is added to a hamburger patty a few seconds
before the patty is removed from the heat. This allows the cheese to melt
onto the burger. According to an obituary published by Time in 1964,
Lionel Sternberger created the cheeseburger in 1920s, when he placed cheese on
top of a hamburger as an experiment. Sternberger was 16 and worked as a cook in
his father's sandwich shop in Pasadena, California. Aside from cheese,
other cheeseburger toppings include ketchup and mustard. This tasty national
holiday is celebrated each year on September 18th.
National Cheeseburger Day Facts & Quotes
·
According to the US Department of Agriculture, the
average cheeseburger contains 303 calories and 30 grams of carbohydrates, as
well as 41 mg of cholesterol.
·
In 2008, Burger King released a men's cologne called
Flame. This cologne was marketed as the scent of seduction with a hint of
flame-broiled meat. Sounds like a whiff of purgatory, to me!
·
Each year, McDonald's serves more than 5 billion
burgers, which translates into a herd of 25 million cows.
·
According to archeologists, ancient Egyptian tombs
contain murals about cheese making, which date back to 2000BC.
·
Life is too short to miss out on the beautiful
things in life like a double cheeseburger. - Channing Tatum
National Cheeseburger Day
Top Events and Things to Do
·
Enjoy a cheeseburger for lunch or dinner. Try
it with an exotic cheese. Our
favorites: Havarti, blue cheese, smoked gouda and goat cheese.
·
To try a twist on the traditional cheeseburger with
a veggie, tofu, lamb, bison or chicken patty instead.
·
To celebrate National Cheeseburger Day, host a
cheeseburger tasting with your family and friends. You can create slider
cheeseburgers with an assortment of toppings, including:
- Spicy curry mayo with a mango salsa
- Fried egg and bacon
- Mac & Cheese
- Grilled eggplant and hummus
- Wasabi mayo and avocado
- Guacamole, lettuce and tomato
·
Enjoy a free cheeseburger or a cheeseburger upgrade
on this national holiday. Some restaurants are offering free cheeseburgers for
downloading aps, others free upgrades and others free cheeseburgers for sharing
promotional hashtags.
·
Watch empowering documentaries about the impact of unhealthy eating on
health and well-being:
1) Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead (2010)
2) Supersize Me (2004)
3) Food, Inc (2008)
Daily Devotions
·
Unite
in the work of the Porters of St.
Joseph by joining them in fasting: Today's Fast: End
Sex Trafficking, Slavery
·
Religion
in the Home for Preschool: September
·
Litany of the Most Precious
Blood of Jesus
·
Offering to
the sacred heart of Jesus
·
Rosary
[1]http://www.catholiceducation.org/en/education/catholic-contributions/building-catholic-character-5-things-parents-can-do.html
[2]
Goffine’s Devout Instructions, 1896
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