Posts
Claire’s Corner
· Today in honor of the Holy Trinity do the Divine Office giving your day to God. To honor God REST: no shopping after 6 pm Saturday till Monday. Don’t forget the internet.
· Spirit Hour: 15 Distilleries You Must Visit in Perth
· Foodie: Wrap up your day with a burst of flavor on National Pulled Pork Day and National Gumbo Day.
o Today is national farmers day: The average farm can grow enough to feed over 160 people according to the U.S Farm Bureau.
§ Cook up a storm in the kitchen or support a local restaurant Celebrate cultural diversity on Yerevan Day by cooking a Spanish dish for National Day of Spain. Get fresh ingredients from a farmers’ market on National Farmers Day. Swap recipes with friends and have a virtual cooking session.
· I’m a 6’ girl but Wilt was taller-Basketball player Wilt Chamberlain died 1999
o Just because you are over 6 feet don’t forget about your smaller friends
· How to celebrate Oct 12th
o How about starting your day with some brain boost? Dive into a game of chess to celebrate National Chess Day. Challenge a friend or play online to sharpen your strategic skills.
o Then, take a break under the open sky on International Astronomy Day. Grab a blanket, head to a park, and stargaze while contemplating our place in the universe.
o Next, immerse yourself in music on Universal Music Day. Explore new genres, attend a virtual concert, or even create your own playlist.
o Embrace nature on Urban Wildlife Conservation Day. Take a walk-in a nearby park, observe the wildlife, and learn about conservation efforts.
o Don’t forget to visit your local bookshop on Love Your Bookshop Day. Pick up a new read or donate a book to spread the love of reading.
· Bucket List Trip: Around the World “Perfect Weather”
Perth—a city of expansive skies, sacred coastlines, and deep Aboriginal wisdom. This 7-day pilgrimage blends cultural immersion, ecological reverence, and symbolic acts of gentle repair, all choreographed to honor your rhythm of clarity, hospitality, and renewal.
🕊️ Perth Pilgrimage & Cultural Immersion Itinerary
October 12–18 • Sacred Clarity, Gentle Repair
A standalone rhythm of spring beauty, Marian devotion, and vineyard stewardship in Western Australia.Day 1: Sending Forth & Blessing (Oct 12)- Morning: Walk through Araluen Botanic Park or along the Swan River—let the land receive your presence.
- Midday: Visit Fremantle Markets for symbolic souvenirs: native teas, handmade crafts, incense.
- Evening: Farewell dinner at Wildflower or a quiet soba house—mark the start of pilgrimage with gratitude and gentle joy.
Day 2: Eucharistic Anchoring & Marian Clarity (Oct 13)- Morning: Attend Mass at St. Mary’s Cathedral—a sanctuary of Gothic grace and sandstone serenity.
- Midday: Visit Our Lady Help of Christians Church for Marian prayer.
- Symbolic Act: Light a candle for clarity and healing.
- Evening: Journal reflections at Claisebrook Cove or Hyde Park.
Day 3: Civic Memory & Cultural Listening (Oct 14)- Morning: Visit WA Museum Boola Bardip—honor stories of exile, resilience, and rebirth.
- Midday: Walk through Supreme Court Gardens, reflecting on justice and mercy.
- Symbolic Act: Write a blessing and leave it anonymously in a public space.
- Evening: Attend a civic talk or poetry reading—listening as hospitality.
Day 4: Vineyard Pilgrimage & Eucharistic Table (Oct 15)- Morning: Journey to the Swan Valley—choose a biodynamic vineyard for soil-to-spirit reflection.
- Midday: Pause at St. Anthony’s Church, Greenmount for vineyard blessing.
- Symbolic Act: Pour a small libation at the vineyard edge—gratitude for labor, fruit, and land.
- Evening: Shared meal with wine, bread, and spring greens—sacramental and communal.
Day 5: Ecological Reverence & River Ritual (Oct 16)- Morning: Kayak or walk along the Canning River—let water guide your prayer.
- Midday: Visit Lesmurdie Falls or the Perth Observatory for panoramic reflection.
- Symbolic Act: Collect a stone or shell as a token of rootedness.
- Evening: Reflect on Psalm 104 or Canticle of the Creatures—letting creation speak.
Day 6: Artistic Communion & Cultural Blessing (Oct 17)- Morning: Explore the Holmes à Court Gallery or a local artist collective.
- Midday: Visit a community garden or the Aboriginal Cultural Centre (planned site).
- Symbolic Meal: Shared lunch with native cheeses, bush chutney, and seasonal fruit.
- Evening: Create a small art piece or poem as a personal offering—blessing the land and your journey.
Day 7: Benediction & Departure (Oct 18)- Morning: Final walk through Kings Park or along the Indian Ocean coast—perhaps Cottesloe Beach or Trigg Point.
- Midday: Write a closing reflection or prayer of sending.
- Before Departure: Offer a quiet benediction:
- “May this land remember my reverence. May my steps echo peace.”
A standalone rhythm of spring beauty, Marian devotion, and vineyard stewardship in Western Australia.Day 1: Sending Forth & Blessing (Oct 12)
- Morning: Walk through Araluen Botanic Park or along the Swan River—let the land receive your presence.
- Midday: Visit Fremantle Markets for symbolic souvenirs: native teas, handmade crafts, incense.
- Evening: Farewell dinner at Wildflower or a quiet soba house—mark the start of pilgrimage with gratitude and gentle joy.
- Morning: Attend Mass at St. Mary’s Cathedral—a sanctuary of Gothic grace and sandstone serenity.
- Midday: Visit Our Lady Help of Christians Church for Marian prayer.
- Symbolic Act: Light a candle for clarity and healing.
- Evening: Journal reflections at Claisebrook Cove or Hyde Park.
- Morning: Visit WA Museum Boola Bardip—honor stories of exile, resilience, and rebirth.
- Midday: Walk through Supreme Court Gardens, reflecting on justice and mercy.
- Symbolic Act: Write a blessing and leave it anonymously in a public space.
- Evening: Attend a civic talk or poetry reading—listening as hospitality.
- Morning: Journey to the Swan Valley—choose a biodynamic vineyard for soil-to-spirit reflection.
- Midday: Pause at St. Anthony’s Church, Greenmount for vineyard blessing.
- Symbolic Act: Pour a small libation at the vineyard edge—gratitude for labor, fruit, and land.
- Evening: Shared meal with wine, bread, and spring greens—sacramental and communal.
- Morning: Kayak or walk along the Canning River—let water guide your prayer.
- Midday: Visit Lesmurdie Falls or the Perth Observatory for panoramic reflection.
- Symbolic Act: Collect a stone or shell as a token of rootedness.
- Evening: Reflect on Psalm 104 or Canticle of the Creatures—letting creation speak.
- Morning: Explore the Holmes à Court Gallery or a local artist collective.
- Midday: Visit a community garden or the Aboriginal Cultural Centre (planned site).
- Symbolic Meal: Shared lunch with native cheeses, bush chutney, and seasonal fruit.
- Evening: Create a small art piece or poem as a personal offering—blessing the land and your journey.
- Morning: Final walk through Kings Park or along the Indian Ocean coast—perhaps Cottesloe Beach or Trigg Point.
- Midday: Write a closing reflection or prayer of sending.
- Before Departure: Offer a quiet benediction:
- “May this land remember my reverence. May my steps echo peace.”
St. Frances Xavier Cabrini (1850–1917) is a radiant witness of courageous service and immigrant love. Born in Italy, she dreamed of missionary work in China—but Pope Leo XIII sent her west instead, saying, “Not to the East, but to the West.” She obeyed, and became the first American citizen to be canonized a saint.
🇺🇸 Leafing the World Behind: Day 13
Saint: St. Frances Xavier Cabrini
Theme: Citizenship Rooted in Service and Sacrifice
Virtue: Courage
Virtue Connection: Belonging
Symbolic Act: Offer help to a stranger or immigrant—through kindness, prayer, or action
Location: A threshold, border, hospital, school, or kitchen—any place of welcome
🕊️ Introduction: On Citizenship
To leave the world behind is not to abandon society—it is to reweave it.
Today we do not claim rights—we offer refuge.
Citizenship, in this rhythm, is not privilege—it is presence.
It is the sacrificial courage to belong and to make space for others to belong.
This pilgrimage is not a retreat from the world—it is a re-entry with mercy.
Each day, we leaf behind indifference and fear, so that what remains is service: rooted, brave, and healing.
🌺 Saint of the Day: St. Frances Xavier Cabrini
She crossed oceans with no money, no power, and no guarantee of welcome.
She built schools, hospitals, and orphanages for Italian immigrants in the U.S.
She was mocked, resisted, and dismissed—but she kept going.
Her citizenship was not legal—it was spiritual.
She belonged wherever love was needed.
She once said, “The will of God is my paradise.”
Her courage was not loud—it was lasting.
She did not seek comfort—she created it for others.
She reminds us: true citizenship is not about borders—it’s about belonging.
🛡️ Virtue Connection: Belonging
Belonging is the virtue that turns strangers into family.
It is not assimilation—it is welcome.
Cabrini’s courage made room for others.
She did not fear rejection—she transformed it into refuge.
Like Dorothy Day and St. Josephine Bakhita, Cabrini lived a citizenship of mercy.
She did not ask, “Where do I fit?”
She asked, “Who needs a place to rest?”
Let her witness remind you:
Citizenship without sacrifice becomes entitlement.
But citizenship with service becomes sanctuary.
🍞 Symbolic Act: Offer Help to a Stranger or Immigrant
Extend kindness to someone who feels out of place.
Offer a meal, a prayer, a ride, a welcome.
Let it be a gesture of belonging, not pity.
As you act, pray:
“Lord, let me be a citizen of mercy.
Let my courage be welcome.
Let my belonging be refuge.”
If no one is nearby, imagine the act in prayer.
The gesture is the same: welcome as sacrament.
🔥 Reflection Prompt
- Where have you feared the stranger instead of welcoming them?
- What threshold in your life needs mercy?
- Can you name one person whose courage made you feel at home?
Write, walk, or pray with these questions.
Let St. Frances Cabrini’s witness remind you:
Citizenship is not status—it is sanctuary.
It is the courage to belong, the mercy to welcome, the joy of building refuge.
OCTOBER 12 Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost
Columbus Day
Since we have heard that some of our number
[who went out] without any mandate from us have upset you with their teachings
and disturbed your PEACE of mind, we have with one accord decided to choose
representatives and to send them to you along with our beloved Barnabas and
Paul, who have dedicated
their lives to the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The issue that caused the disruption of peace
in the new church was whether it was necessary for salvation for one to be
circumcised. It was determined that it was not and that it was prudent not to
lay on the new gentiles any burden that was not necessary for salvation. It was
determined that the gentiles should abstain from:
1. Things offered to idols.
2. Blood.
3. Things strangled.
4. Sexual immorality.
One
Prohibition, Not Four[1]
But these "essential abstinences” were not
references to fragments of the Mosaic Law at all. This short list of things to
avoid was the very essentials that divided believing Gentile from unbelieving
Gentile. They divided Christian from idolater. Each of these four
"essential" things to avoid were not four things, but one. They were
meant to be read as "never again worship idols by eating with the
idolaters in the sacrificial meals, drinking the cup of blood at the idol
sacrifice ceremonies, do not ceremoniously eat the flesh of animals strangled
during the worship of idols, and abstain from ritual acts of fornication with
temple prostitutes". In other words, these four seemingly disassociated
prohibitions were completely unified around one theme: Christians cannot serve
God and idols. One cannot worship God and also worship idols. Also take note of
the things cited: idols, blood, flesh, unity. Idols are the false gods.
Drinking blood is the false wine of the idol’s communion cup. Strangled flesh
is the false body of the idol’s communion dinner. And the temple prostitute is
the false unity of the idol’s servants. The things listed are the false
communion in the service of the idol. Again, to abstain from those things is
essential.
Copilot’s Take
On this Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost, which also falls on Columbus
Day, we are invited to reflect on peace, purity, and the nature of true
communion. In Acts 15:24–26, the apostles respond to a crisis of confusion in
the early Church. Some had gone out without mandate, disturbing the peace of
mind of new Gentile believers with teachings that burdened rather than blessed.
In response, the apostles sent Barnabas and Paul—men who had dedicated their
lives to the name of Jesus—to restore unity and clarity. They discerned that
salvation did not require circumcision and that it was prudent not to impose
unnecessary burdens. Instead, they offered four abstentions: from things
offered to idols, blood, things strangled, and sexual immorality. These were
not fragments of Mosaic Law, but a unified renunciation of false communion.
Each prohibition pointed to a counterfeit table—idols as false gods, blood as
false wine, strangled flesh as false body, and temple prostitution as false
unity. Together, they formed a symbolic rejection of pagan worship and a call
to purity of heart and peace of mind.
Today, these ancient boundaries echo in modern forms. “Things offered to
idols” might be seen in consumer rituals and branded allegiances—when identity
is shaped more by consumption than by covenant. “Blood” reflects our appetite
for spectacle and violence, the emotional addiction to outrage and scandal that
disturbs rather than deepens peace. “Strangled flesh” speaks to disconnected
consumption—exploiting creation without reverence, feeding without gratitude,
and ingesting what has not been ethically or spiritually blessed. And “sexual
immorality,” especially temple prostitution, finds its modern parallel in
pornography—a digital liturgy of disembodied desire, a false sacrament that
distorts eros and fractures unity. In each case, the invitation is not merely
to abstain, but to reorient: to turn from false communion and receive the true.
The body is not shameful—it is sacred. Desire is not to be suppressed—it is to
be sanctified. The peace of Christ is not passive—it is fiercely protected by
clarity, covenant, and communion.
On Columbus Day, often marked by contested narratives of conquest and pilgrimage, we might reframe our journey—not as one of domination, but of reconciliation. Like Barnabas and Paul, we are sent to restore peace, to embody the true communion of Christ, and to walk gently in the world. Let this Sunday be a rite of renewal—a turning from confusion to clarity, from spectacle to sacrament, from false unity to the healing Table of the Lord.
Eighteenth
Sunday after Pentecost[2]
The church now enters a season of
reflection on the final magnification of Christ…
Sacrifice,
forgiveness, and "confirmation in the end without crime" (1 Cor. 4.8)
IN the
Introit of the Mass the Church prays for the peace which God has promised
through His prophets. “Give peace, O Lord, to them that patiently wait for
Thee, that Thy prophets may be found faithful; hear the prayers of Thy
servants, and of Thy people Israel. I rejoiced at the things that were said to
me; we shall go into the house of the Lord.
Prayer.
We
beseech Thee, O Lord, that the work of Thy mercy may direct our hearts; for
without Thy grace, we cannot be pleasing to Thee.
EPISTLE, i. Cor. i. 4-8.
Brethren:
I give thanks to my God always for you, for the grace of God that is given you
in Christ Jesus, that in all things you are made rich in Him, in all utterance,
and in all knowledge; as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you: so that
nothing is wanting to you in any grace, waiting for the manifestation of Our
Lord Jesus Christ, Who also will confirm you unto the end without crime, in the
day of the coming of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
Brief Lessons.
St. Paul
shows in this epistle that he possesses the true love of his neighbor, by
rejoicing and thanking God that He had bestowed on the Corinthians manifold
gifts and graces, and thereby confirmed the testimony of Christ in them. By
this we learn that we should rejoice over the gifts and graces of our
neighbors; should thank God for them, and pray Him to fill all who are in the
darkness of error with knowledge, and love, and all virtues.
GOSPEL. Matt. ix. 1-8.
At that
time Jesus, entering into a boat, passed over the water and came into His own
city. And behold they brought to Him one sick of the palsy lying in a bed. And
Jesus, seeing their faith, said to the man sick of the palsy: Be of good heart,
son, thy sins are forgiven thee. And behold some of the scribes said within
themselves: He blasphemeth.
And Jesus
seeing their thoughts, said:
Why do
you think evil in your hearts? Whether is easier, to say, Thy sins are forgiven
thee: or to say, Arise and walk?
But
that you may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, then
said He to the man sick of the palsy: Arise, take up thy bed and go into thy
house. And he arose, and went into his house. And the multitude seeing it,
feared, and glorified God that gave such power to men.
Explanation.
The
charity of those who brought the sick man to Christ was so full of faith, so
pleasing to Him, that, out of regard for it, He forgave the palsied man his
sins, and healed him.
Christ
did not heal the man sick with the palsy until He had forgiven him his sins. By
this He teaches us that sins are often the cause of the sicknesses and evils
that pursue us; and that if we sincerely repent of our sins, God would be
likely to remove these evils from us. This is also intimated by the words of
Jesus to him who had been sick eight-and-thirty years: “Sin no more, lest some
worse thing happen to thee” (John v. 14). This should be kept in mind by those
who so impetuously be seech God to free them from their afflictions, but who do
not think to free themselves from the sins which may be the cause of them, by a
sincere repentance and by leading a Christian life.
“He
blasphemeth.”; Thus, in their perverted minds, the Jews thought of Christ;
supposing that, by forgiving the sick man his sins, He had committed an
encroachment on the prerogative of God, and thereby done Him great wrong; for
it is blasphemy against God to attempt to wrong Him, or to think, speak, or do
anything insulting to Him or to His saints.
“And
Jesus seeing their thoughts, said:
Why do
you think evil in your hearts?”
This
is something to be considered by those who suppose their thoughts to be free
from scrutiny, and to whom it does not even occur to make their evil thoughts
matter of confession. God, the most holy and most just, will no more leave
unpunished impure, proud, angry, revengeful, envious thoughts, than He will an
idle word (Matt. xii. 36). Do not, therefore, give yourself up to evil
thoughts; and in order to repel them, remember each time that God sees and
punishes them.
Would
you not drive them away if men saw them?
ON INDULGENCES
What is an
indulgence?
It is the remission granted by the Church,
in the name of God, and on account of the merits of Jesus Christ and of all the
saints, of the temporal punishment which men must suffer, either in this world
or in the world to come, for sins that have been already forgiven.
Whence do we know
that after sins are forgiven there yet remains a temporal punishment?
From Holy Scripture, thus, God imposed
upon Adam and Eve great temporal punishments, although He forgave them their
sin (Gen. iii.). Moses and Aaron were punished for a slight want of confidence
in God (Num. xx. 24; Deut. xxxii. 51). David, though forgiven, was obliged to
submit to great temporal punishments (n. Kings xii.). Finally, faith teaches us
that after death we must suffer in purgatory till we have paid the last
farthing (Matt. v. 26).
Can the Church
remit all temporal punishments, even those imposed by God Himself, and why?
Certainly, by virtue of the power to bind
and to loose which Christ has given her (Matt, xviii. 18). For if the Church
has received from God the power to remit sins which is the greater, she
certainly has authority to remit the punishment of them which is the less.
Moreover, it is by the bands of punishment that we are hindered from reaching
the kingdom of God.
But if the Church
can loose all bands, why not this?
Finally, Jesus certainly had power to
remit the temporal punishment of sins and the power which He Himself had He
gave to His disciples.
What is required
in order rightly to gain an indulgence?
In order to gain an indulgence, it is
necessary:
I. To be in the grace of God. It is proper, therefore,
to go to confession every time that one begins the good works enjoined for the
gaining of an indulgence. In granting partial indulgences sacramental
confession is not usually prescribed, but if one who is in the state of mortal
sin wishes to gain the indulgence, he must at least make an act of true
contrition with a firm purpose of going to confession.
2. It is necessary to have at least a general
intention of gaining the indulgences.
3. It is necessary to perform in person and with
devotion all the good works enjoined as to time, manner, end, etc., according
to the terms in which the indulgence is granted. To gain plenary indulgences,
confession, communion, a visit to some church or public oratory, and pious
prayers are usually prescribed. If visits to a church are prescribed, Holy
Communion may be received in any church, but the indulgenced prayers must be
said in that church in which the indulgence is granted, and on the prescribed
day. As to prayers, it is recommended that there be said seven times the Our
Father, Hail Mary, Glory be to the Father, and Creed.
Prayer for gaining an Indulgence.
“We beseech Thee, O Lord, graciously accept the petitions of Thy holy Church, that Thou wouldst deliver her from all adversities, root out from her all heresies, unite all Christian rulers and princes, and exalt Thy holy Church on earth, that we may all serve Thee in peace and quietness. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Bible in a Year Day 99 The Word
Became Flesh
Today we begin reading the Gospel of John! Fr. Mike
emphasizes the significance of Jesus' divinity, and explains how the story of
salvation culminates in Christ as the Messiah.
Columbus
Day[3]
Columbus
Day is the celebration of the arrival of Christopher Columbus in the Americas
on October 12, 1492. Christopher Columbus was an Italian-born explorer who
discovered the Americas for the Spanish King Ferdinand of Spain. Columbus set
off into the Atlantic with three ships, the Nina, the Pinta and the Santa
Maria. Two months later he would set foot on the Bahamas and establish
settlements on Hispanola Island (now Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Upon his
return to Spain, he spoke of gold in the New World and thus the Americas were
opened up for European colonization. In 1937, President Franklin D. Roosevelt
declared October 12th every year as Columbus Day. In the US, Columbus Day is
celebrated by all US states except for Hawaii, South Dakota and Alaska.
Columbus Day now occurs on the second Monday in October each year.
Columbus Day Facts
& Quotes
·
Colorado
was the first state to officially recognize and celebrate Columbus Day in 1906.
·
Christopher
Columbus' first settlement on Hispaniola Island was called Villa de Navidad
(Christmas Town)
·
In
1971, the official holiday was moved to the second Monday in October in order
to give workers in the US a long weekend. This was part of the Uniform Monday
Holiday Act.
·
Only
those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly. - Robert F. Kennedy
·
You
can never cross the ocean
unless you have the courage to lose sight of the shore. - Christopher Columbus
Columbus Day Top
Events and Things to Do
·
Attend
the Columbus Day Parade. The parade in New York City is one of the
largest.
·
Eat
some good Italian food.
·
Watch
a parade.
·
Visit
the Library of Congress's online exhibit 1492: An Ongoing Voyage.
·
Host
a scavenger hunt for the neighborhood kids and let them become Explorers for
the afternoon.
Thanks to the
efforts of Father Michael J. McGivney, assistant pastor of St. Mary’s Church in
New Haven and some of his parishioners, the Connecticut state legislature on
March 29, 1882, officially chartered the Knights of Columbus as a fraternal
benefit society. The Order is still true to its founding principles of charity,
unity and fraternity. The Knights was formed to render financial aid to members
and their families. Mutual aid and assistance are offered to sick, disabled and
needy members and their families. Social and intellectual fellowship is
promoted among members and their families through educational, charitable,
religious, social welfare, war relief and public relief works. The history of
the Order shows how the foresight of Father Michael J. McGivney, whose cause
for sainthood is being investigated by the Vatican, brought about what has
become the world's foremost Catholic fraternal benefit society. The Order has
helped families obtain economic security and stability through its life insurance,
annuity and long-term care programs, and has contributed time and energy
worldwide to service in communities. The Knights of Columbus has grown from
several members in one council to 15,342 councils and 1.9 million members
throughout the United States, Canada, the Philippines, Mexico, Poland, the
Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Panama, the Bahamas, the Virgin Islands, Cuba,
Guatemala, Guam, Saipan, Lithuania, Ukraine, and South Korea.
Daily Devotions
·
Unite
in the work of the Porters of St.
Joseph by joining them in fasting: Today's Fast: Holy
Priests, Consecrated and Religious.
·
Religion
in the Home for Preschool: October
·
Litany of the Most Precious
Blood of Jesus
·
Offering to
the sacred heart of Jesus
· Rosary
[2]Goffine’s
Devout Instructions, 1896
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