ICEMANforChrist: Monday, October 27, 2025

Monday, October 27, 2025

Monday Night at the Movies

The Exorcist

“The Exorcist” is a chilling tale of demonic possession that also serves as a profound meditation on faith, suffering, and spiritual warfare. Its Catholic lessons center on the power of sacrament, the reality of evil, and the mystery of grace.

🎬 Film Summary: The Exorcist (1973)

Plot Overview: The story follows Regan MacNeil, a 12-year-old girl in Georgetown, Washington, D.C., who begins exhibiting disturbing behavior after playing with a Ouija board. Her mother, actress Chris MacNeil, seeks medical help, but doctors are baffled. As Regan’s condition worsens—levitation, violent outbursts, and speaking in tongues—Chris turns to the Church for help.
Priestly Intervention: Enter Father Damien Karras, a Jesuit priest and psychiatrist struggling with his faith. He investigates Regan’s case and eventually joins forces with Father Lankester Merrin, an experienced exorcist recently returned from Iraq. Together, they confront the demon in a harrowing exorcism that tests their physical and spiritual limits.
Climactic Sacrifice: The exorcism culminates in Father Karras offering himself as a vessel for the demon, ultimately sacrificing his life to save Regan. The film ends with Regan freed and the Church’s role affirmed as a spiritual bulwark against evil.

✝️ Catholic Lessons and Reflections

Evil Is Real, But Not Supreme: The film portrays evil not as abstract but as personal and incarnate. The Church teaches that Satan exists and seeks to lead souls away from God—but he is not equal to God. The exorcism ritual affirms that Christ’s authority triumphs over darkness.
Sacraments Matter: The power of the exorcism lies not in theatrics but in the sacramental authority of the priesthood. Holy water, crucifixes, and prayers are not props—they are spiritual weapons rooted in centuries of tradition.
Faith in Crisis Is Still Faith: Father Karras’s doubt and grief mirror the spiritual desolation many believers face. His journey shows that faith is not the absence of doubt, but the courage to act in spite of it. His final sacrifice echoes Christ’s own: love expressed through suffering.
The Catholic Imagination: As one reflection puts it, The Exorcist is deeply Catholic not because it features priests, but because it refuses to sanitize evil or grace. It shows that holiness is not separation from the profane, but its transformation. The film insists that purity is not avoidance—it’s redemption.
Spiritual Warfare Is Ongoing: The Church continues to train exorcists, and many dioceses have designated priests for this ministry. But the greater battle is interior: resisting sin, seeking grace, and living in communion with God. As one Vatican-approved documentary notes, sin is more dangerous than possession, because it quietly separates us from grace.

Christopher’s Corner

· Eat waffles and Pray for the assistance of the Angels

· Spirit Hour: As evening approaches, unwind with a cold beer in honor of National American Beer Day. Pair it with some Parmigiano Reggiano cheese to elevate the experience.

· Foodie-7 course meal

o 🍷 Pilgrimage Table: A 7-Course Meal of Memory and Communion

· 🥣 1. Desert Broth of Clarity

o Inspired by: Sabino Canyon and Safford’s Guadalupe Chapel

o Symbol: “Distractions dissolve. Clarity emerges.”

o Dish: Clear vegetable consommé with desert herbs

o Prep Link: Vegetable Consommé Recipe

· 🫓 2. Mercy Bread with Radiant Oil

o Inspired by: Mission San Xavier del Bac

o Symbol: “Mercy heals, remembers, welcomes.”

o Dish: Pan de Muerto with orange zest and olive oil

o Prep Link: Pan de Muerto Recipe

· 🥗 3. Grassland Reconciliation Salad

o Inspired by: Patagonia’s desert grasslands

o Symbol: “Reconciliation begins with listening.”

o Dish: Wild greens with raspberry walnut vinaigrette or mesquite-style dressing

o Prep Link: Wild Green Salad with Raspberry Walnut Vinaigrette

· 🐟 4. Waters of Communion Course

o Inspired by: Patagonia Lake

o Symbol: “Communion flows like water.”

o Dish: Grilled trout with lemon and desert herbs

o Prep Link: Grilled Trout with Lemon and Herbs

· 🍇 5. Fruit of Repair Tasting Plate

o Inspired by: Sonoita Vineyards

o Symbol: “Repair is fruit born of pruning.”

o Dish: Cheese, wine-soaked fruit, and bread pairing

o Prep Link: Cheese Platter Ideas for Wine Lovers

· 🌺 6. Marian Benediction Rosary Dessert

o Inspired by: Vineyard Rosary Walk

o Symbol: “Mary welcomed the Word. I welcome the weary.”

o Dish: Rosewater panna cotta or lavender flan with edible flowers

o Prep Link: Rosewater Panna Cotta Recipe

· 🍷 7. Radiant Sending Forth Toast

o Inspired by: El Paso Eucharistic reflection

o Symbol: “I was reconciled. I now radiate.”

o Dish: Wine or cider toast with a communal blessing

o Prep Link: How to Make a Memorable Wine Toast

· Monday: Litany of Humility

Drops of Christ’s Blood

Make some Fire Cider

· Mental health experts recommend everyone just take the day off to chill out and watch the old cartoon version of “The Hobbit”.

· How to celebrate Oct 27th

o Start your day by running a virtual marathon in the comfort of your own neighborhood. Challenge yourself and feel the endorphins kick in as you complete the miles.

o Keep the Navy Day spirit going by reaching out to a former or current naval member. Show your appreciation through a heartfelt message or a simple gesture of gratitude.

o Next, celebrate National Mentoring Day by being an encouraging mentor to someone in your life. Offer guidance, support, and wisdom to help them navigate through challenges.

o Embrace the playful energy of Cranky Co-Workers Day by organizing a virtual game night with your colleagues. Bond over friendly competition and lighten the mood.

· Bucket List trip[3]: USA 70-degree year trip:

Dates: October 27–November 2, 2025
Theme: Memory and Communion
Route: Tucson → Las Cruces → El Paso
Style: Borderland pilgrimage with All Saints reflection, All Souls remembrance, and Eucharistic hospitality
Climate Alignment: Daily highs 70–76°F

💰 Estimated Total Cost Overview

Category	Estimated Cost
Lodging (7 nights)	$455
Food (daily meals)	$210
Fuel (~400 miles)	$80
Symbolic extras	$55
Total Estimate	$800

🌵 Day 1 – Monday, October 27

Route: Tucson → Las Cruces (~275 miles)
Symbol: Threshold of Memory
Ritual Prompt: “Memory is a threshold—crossed with reverence, held with light.”

Drive east via I-10
Pause at St. Joseph Apache Mission Church
Evening reflection at Cathedral of the Immaculate Heart of Mary
Stay: WoodSpring Suites Las Cruces (~$65/night)
Foodie Stop: D.H. Lescombes Winery & Bistro – wine and bistro fare (~$25)

✨ Day 2 – Tuesday, October 28

Location: Basilica of San Albino, Mesilla
Symbol: Saints Among Us
Ritual Prompt: “The saints walk with us—in story, in silence, in sacrament.”

Visit historic basilica
Light candles and share a saint story
Foodie Stop: Andele Restaurant – salsa bar and chile fare (~$20)
Stay: WoodSpring Suites Las Cruces (~$65)

🌌 Day 3 – Wednesday, October 29

Route: Las Cruces → El Paso (~45 miles)
Symbol: Border of Mercy
Ritual Prompt: “Mercy crosses borders—it heals, it welcomes, it remembers.”

Visit St. Patrick Cathedral and Chamizal Memorial
Stay: Super 8 by Wyndham El Paso Airport (~$65/night)
Foodie Stop: L & J Café – classic El Paso fare (~$20)

🕯️ Day 4 – Thursday, October 30

Location: El Paso Mission Trail
Symbol: Pilgrimage of the Departed
Ritual Prompt: “The departed are pilgrims too—walking with us in mystery.”

Visit Ysleta, Socorro, San Elizario Missions
Leave prayer offerings
Foodie Stop: Carlos & Mickey’s – enchiladas and margaritas (~$25)
Stay: Super 8 El Paso (~$65)

🌺 Day 5 – Friday, October 31

Location: San Elizario Chapel
Symbol: Vigil of the Veil
Ritual Prompt: “On the eve of All Saints, the veil thins—light meets longing.”

Prepare vigil altar with pan de muerto and candles
Write a letter to the departed
Foodie Stop: Kiki’s Restaurant & Bar – mole and brisket (~$20)
Stay: Super 8 El Paso (~$65)

🌟 Day 6 – Saturday, November 1 (All Saints Day)

Location: St. Patrick Cathedral
Symbol: Communion of Light
Ritual Prompt: “All Saints shine—not alone, but together.”

Attend Mass and pray the Litany of Saints
Create a communal blessing
Foodie Splurge: Cafe Central – upscale send-off meal (~$35)
Stay: Super 8 El Paso (~$65)

🌿 Day 7 – Sunday, November 2 (All Souls Day)

Location: Cemetery or Memorial Garden
Symbol: Eternal Communion
Ritual Prompt: “In communion, no one is lost. All are remembered.”

Visit cemetery and share Eucharistic act
Write blog post: “What I carry forward from the veil”
Optional Stay: Hotel Paso Del Norte (~$110)
Foodie Stop: Simple vineyard-style meal or picnic (~$20)

Day 27: St. John Paul II — Courtesy in Dialogue and Dignity, choreographed to deepen the rhythm of Leafing the World Behind, now moving through the terrain of right judgment—where clarity becomes communion, and courtesy becomes courage.

🌊 Leafing the World Behind: Day 28

Witness: St. John Paul II
Theme: Courtesy in Dialogue and Dignity
Virtue: Courtesy
Virtue Connection: Dialogue as Dignity
Symbolic Act: Speak today with intentional gentleness. In one conversation, let dignity guide your tone more than agreement.
Location: A threshold, a vineyard table, a civic gathering—any place where words become welcome.

🕊️ Introduction: On Courtesy

Courtesy is not politeness—it is presence.
It is not performance—it is peace.
To leaf the world behind is to speak with reverence, to listen with love, to honor the dignity of every voice.

Today, we do not argue—we attend.
Courtesy, in this rhythm, is not etiquette—it is Eucharist.
It is the courage to say: “Your dignity matters more than my dominance.”

🌺 Witness of the Day: St. John Paul II

Karol Wojtyła, later Pope John Paul II, lived through war, oppression, and exile.

He dialogued with atheists, communists, artists, and youth—not to win, but to witness.
He kissed the ground of every country he visited.
He forgave the man who tried to kill him.
He wrote:
“The dignity of the human person is the foundation of a moral vision for society.”

He reminds us:
Courtesy is not weakness—it is witness.
Dialogue is not debate—it is dignity.
Speech is not strategy—it is sacrament.

🛡️ Virtue Connection: Dialogue as Dignity

Courtesy becomes virtue when it honors the image of God in every person.
When it does not flatten difference—but dignifies it.
When it does not silence—but sanctifies.

John Paul II did not speak to conquer.
He spoke to connect.
He reminds us:

Courtesy without courage becomes flattery.
But courtesy with courage becomes communion.

🕯️ Symbolic Act: Speak with Dignity

Choose one conversation today.

Let your tone be gentle.
Let your words be welcome.
Let your presence be peace.

As you speak, say:

“Lord, let my courtesy be courage.
Let my courage be communion.
Let my communion be dignity.”

If no conversation arises, pray for those whose voices are dismissed.
Let your prayer be a welcome.

🔥 Reflection Prompt

Where have you spoken without dignity?
What voice have you failed to honor?
Can you name one moment when courtesy changed a conversation?

Write, walk, or pray with these questions.
Let St. John Paul II remind you:

Courtesy is not weakness—it is witness.
It is the strength to speak gently, the grace to listen deeply, the love to honor every soul.

Would you like this formatted into your hospitality calendar or vineyard retreat guide? I can choreograph it with symbolic terrain, cellar acts, or civic meal pairings.

OCTOBER 27 Monday

1 Corinthians, Chapter 7, Verse 15

If the unbeliever separates, however, let him separate. The brother or sister is not bound in such cases; God has called you to PEACE.

Paul here is talking about the keeping of your marriage vows. If possible, you are to live in peace with your spouse but if you cannot it is better to separate but there is a stipulation you must remain chase and not remarry. We must remember our physical marriage is a sign of our eternal wedding with the Holy Spirit. Peace is the target or mark in a marriage.

In the military, units of archers are men who are expert at hitting a mark or target.

Sin is the act of violating God's will. Sin can also be viewed as anything that violates the ideal relationship between an individual and God, or as any diversion from the ideal order for human living. To sin has been defined as "to miss the mark" to have a hardened heart, a loss of love for God, a disposition of the heart to depart from God because of inordinate self-love

We need to live the Shema Israel. Every day, every action of ours should be metaphorically speaking target practice aiming to love God with our whole heart, mind, soul and strength. We should exemplify this with the proper attitude toward wealth and be completely occupied with good deeds and alms-giving.

Let us never forget that Satan does his utmost to destroy mankind. In a thousand ways he plots and wars against God and tries to usurp His throne. On this subject, the following instruction given by Our Blessed Mother to Venerable Mary d' Agreda, is worth quoting: "My daughter," she says, "by no power of human words wilt thou in this mortal life ever succeed in describing the evil of Lucifer and his demons against men, or the malice, astuteness, deceits and ruses, with which, in his wrath, he seeks to bring them into sin and later on to eternal torments. He tries to hinder all good works . . . All the malice of which his own mind is capable, he attempts to inject into souls.

Against these attacks, God provides admirable protection if men will only co-operate and correspond on their part." Among the means provided by God for our protection, is the ready recourse we may have at all times to the strengthening Blood of Christ. "This Blood," declares St. John Chrysostom, "has the power to drive away the evil spirits and to draw to our side the good angels, aye, the King of Angels, and to blazen the way to Heaven." Fortified by the Precious Blood, let us place ourselves under the leadership of St. Michael and unfurl everywhere the banner of our Faith, without fear of godlessness. If Satan tries to induce us to sin, and promises honors, riches, happiness on conditions that we omit a good work, or commit an evil deed, let us ever oppose the tempter with the energetic words: Who is like unto God? God is my only treasure, my highest Good, His Blood is upon me, and "though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I shall fear no evil." If in time of temptation, we have the courage to rebuke the evil one and call upon the assistance of our leader, St. Michael, the enemy will surely be put to flight. But if we wish to enjoy the great Archangel's protection, we must also imitate his virtues, particularly his humility and his zeal for God's glory.

"O great St. Michael, take us 'neath thy shield, Thy mighty power in our favor wield!"[1]

Copilot’s Take

Paul’s teaching in 1 Corinthians 7:15 reminds us that peace is the divine aim in every relationship, especially within marriage. When unity is no longer possible, separation may be permitted—not as a failure, but as a faithful response to God’s higher calling. Like archers trained to hit a mark, we are summoned daily to aim our hearts toward love, fidelity, and spiritual alignment. Sin, then, is not just rebellion—it is missing that sacred target. To live the Shema is to make every action a form of target practice, loving God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. Against the cunning of Satan, we are fortified by the Precious Blood of Christ and the leadership of St. Michael, whose humility and zeal we must imitate. Let us unfurl the banner of faith, rebuke temptation with courage, and walk in peace, knowing that God is our highest good and our eternal aim.

Bible in a Year Day 113 Broken Trust

In today's readings, we learn how Doeg the Edomite betrayed David, the priests, and the Lord. Fr. Mike explains that betrayal is painful because our hearts are deeply wounded when trust is broken. Today we read 1 Samuel 21-22 and Psalm 52.

Theodore Roosevelt's birthday Oct 27th (1858)

Enthusiasm-Teddy Roosevelt. We need to be enthusiastic about all things that God wills for us. John McCain in his book “Character is Destiny” points out that to have a creative mind we must be enthusiastic. John’s example of a man filled with enthusiasm is that of President Theodore Roosevelt.

McCain says of President Roosevelt:

He led one of the most eventful lives in American history and did it all with the delight and eagerness of a six-year-old boy. Yet he was not afraid of work: library shelves would eventually groan under the weight of his forty books, many of them with multiple volumes. Besides being a writer and politician, he was also a warrior during the Spanish American war and led a charge up San Juan Hill.

Roosevelt was sickly as a boy. He was small, terribly nearsighted, and plagued by asthma that left him chronically breathless. His father, who was the greatest influence on his life, and whom he loved more than any other, took him for carriage rides in the evenings so that the cool night air might restore regular breathing to his gasping child. Despite the crowded duties of the respected and civic-minded reformer, the older Roosevelt never deprived his son of loving attention. He calmed his fears, and encouraged him to defy his physical handicap, build his willpower, and strengthen his body. The dutiful son complied, and pushed himself with exercise, sports, and sheer bloody-minded determination to begin his lifelong crusade to become a vigorous, exuberant outdoorsman. He swam and fished and hunted and rowed and hiked and rode on horseback whenever he could. His mind was as eager as was the body he willed to health.

Theodore as a young “Harvard” man had a romantic temperament, but he was a scrupulously moral young man. He did not smoke or drink and would never offend God and womankind by pressing unseemly affections on a young lady. And he could not abide, under any circumstances, indolence. He always thought “My duty is clear—to study well and live like a brave Christian gentleman.” He spent a few weeks before the start of his junior year living in Maine’s north woods with a rugged outdoorsman, lumberjack, and hunting guide, Bill Sewall, who became his lifelong friend. He was still a skinny kid, with thick spectacles. His constitution looked fragile to those who didn’t know him, but he impressed the older man immediately, carrying as much in his pack on their hunting trip as Sewall, sharing the chores, keeping the pace in their canoe, hiking for endless distances through all kinds of weather, swimming in freezing water, and falling exhausted into sleep beneath the stars.

Theodore Roosevelt (1901–1909)[2]

Teddy Roosevelt was a determined guy, and when it came to dinnertime, he made sure that his favorite comfort foods were a priority. Pigs in blankets, turtle soup and fried chicken smothered in white gravy kept him running—that and plenty of coffee, sweetened with as many as seven lumps of sugar!

Daily Devotions

· Unite in the work of the Porters of St. Joseph by joining them in fasting: Today's Fast: Reparations for offenses and blasphemies against God and the Blessed Virgin Mary

· Religion in the Home for Preschool: October

· Litany of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus

· Offering to the sacred heart of Jesus

· Drops of Christ’s Blood

· Universal Man Plan

· Rosary