Posts
NOVEMBER
21 Presentation of the Virgin Mary
World Television-Great American Smokeout-World
Philosophy Day
Recognizing
that God the Father created man on Friday the 6th day I propose in
this blog to have an entry that shares on how to recreate and renew yourself in
strength, mind, soul, and heart.
9 Workouts the Rockettes
Do In the Off-Season[1]
Dancing and rehearsing are a workout in itself,
but during the off-season, it’s still our job as Rockettes
to stay in tip-top shape (after all, during the Christmas
season we perform up to 16 shows a week!). But one of the cool things about the
off-season is we get to try out fun, energetic workouts to spice things up.
From taking interval-based classes to channeling our inner yogi, here’s how we
like to stay in shape when we’re not rehearsing and performing:
Perfect, Richard. Here's the updated blog-ready
pairing for 🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates and 🇺🇬 Uganda, reflecting the corrected GDP
per capita figures and preserving the symbolic contrasts of wealth and witness:
🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates vs 🇺🇬 Uganda — Expatriate Cathedrals and Martyr
Shrines
Two
More Stops on the Rich vs Poor Tour: A Catholic Contrast in Global Devotion
This pairing invites pilgrims to explore how
Catholic life flourishes in radically different contexts: the UAE, a wealthy
Muslim-majority federation where Catholicism survives through expatriate
resilience, and Uganda, a poorer African nation where Catholicism is deeply
rooted in martyrdom, mission, and national identity. Together, they extend
NIC’s Corner’s journey into the paradoxes of privilege and persecution,
diaspora and devotion.
🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates — Wealthy, Tolerant, and
Expatriate Catholic
GDP
per capita (PPP): ~$68,800
USD (2024)
🧮 Why
UAE Ranks High
• Oil Wealth: Petroleum exports drive national prosperity.
• Global Hub: Dubai and Abu Dhabi attract international business and tourism.
• Small Citizen Base: Wealth is concentrated among ~1 million Emiratis; ~9
million are expatriates.
• Infrastructure Excellence: World-class healthcare, education, and transport
systems.
• Religious Tolerance: Carefully managed pluralism allows non-Muslim worship.
✝️ Catholic
Landscape
• Expatriate Majority: ~850,000 Catholics, mostly from the Philippines, India,
and Africa.
• Apostolic Vicariate: Led from Abu Dhabi, covering UAE, Oman, and Yemen.
• Ten Churches: Including St. Joseph’s Cathedral (Abu Dhabi) and St. Mary’s
(Dubai).
• Abrahamic Family House: Home to the newly built St. Francis Church.
• Papal Visit: Pope Francis celebrated Mass for 135,000 in 2019—the first ever
in the Arabian Peninsula.
⚠️ Challenges
• No Public Symbols: Churches lack bell towers and crosses.
• No Citizenship Path: Catholics remain guests, not citizens.
• Limited Evangelization: Proselytizing is prohibited.
• Transient Community: Faith life is shaped by labor contracts and migration.
🌿 Pilgrimage
Cue
The UAE is a journey of diaspora devotion—where the Eucharist is celebrated in
rented halls and desert chapels, and the Church survives through hospitality,
humility, and interfaith respect.
🇺🇬 Uganda — Poor, Resilient, and Martyr-Born
Catholic
GDP
per capita (PPP): ~$2,900
USD (2024)
🧮 Why
Uganda Ranks Low
• Agrarian Economy: Subsistence farming dominates.
• Youthful Population: Over 75% under age 30, with high unemployment.
• Political Challenges: Corruption and authoritarianism persist.
• Health and Education Gaps: Infrastructure is underfunded.
• Climate Vulnerability: Floods and droughts affect rural livelihoods.
✝️ Catholic
Landscape
• Majority Faith: ~39% Catholic, ~17 million believers.
• Four Provinces: Kampala, Gulu, Mbarara, and Tororo oversee dozens of
dioceses.
• Uganda Martyrs: 22 Catholics were burned alive in 1886; their shrine at
Namugongo draws thousands annually.
• Missionary Legacy: White Fathers and Mill Hill Missionaries built schools,
hospitals, and seminaries.
• Local Leadership: Uganda has produced bishops, saints, and theologians.
⚠️ Challenges
• Poverty: Many parishes lack electricity, books, and transport.
• Youth Catechesis: Resources are stretched across vast rural areas.
• Political Tensions: Church leaders often speak out against injustice.
• Health Burdens: HIV/AIDS and malaria affect clergy and laity alike.
🌿 Pilgrimage
Cue
Uganda is a journey of blood and blessing—where the Eucharist is celebrated in
mud chapels and martyr shrines, and the Church stands as a beacon of hope,
healing, and prophetic courage.
🕊️ Editorial Reflection
The UAE and Uganda offer a profound contrast:
one rich in oil, the other rich in martyrdom. In the Emirates, Catholicism is a
guest—respected but restricted. In Uganda, it is a native—wounded but woven
into the nation’s soul. The Rich vs Poor Tour reveals not just disparity, but divine adaptability. The Gospel burns
in skyscrapers and slums, in silence and song.
What
does it mean to belong to the Body of Christ when you’re not allowed to belong
to the nation?
Where does the Church shine brighter—in
the desert of exile or the soil of sacrifice?
Would you like symbolic meal pairings or
liturgical cues to accompany this entry? I can also help format it for your
pilgrimage calendar or embed it into your hospitality guides.
Tobit, Chapter 4, Verse 8
Tobit
here is instructing his son Tobiah in the three virtues characteristic in his
own life: Truth (fidelity), righteousness, and almsgiving. The
instruction to almsgiving is the lengthiest. Tobit tells his son to care for
his burial just as his father has cared for the burial of others. He instructs
Tobiah to pay servants wages immediately to feed the hungry and to clothe the
naked and to give alms in proportion to what he has. Almsgiving will be for him
a protection from death and will be a worthy offering, a worthy worship to God.[2]
Tobit[3]
1. Later
on he washed, but he still decided to spend the night in the courtyard.
Even though he had no problems polluting himself by having contact with a
corpse, he was considerate of others and maintained his distance until the time
of purification was over.
2. That
night, swallow droppings fell into his eyes and a white film formed, impairing
his vision.
3. The
more he sought medical help, the worse his eyesight was until one day he was
totally blind.
4. The
irony is sharp. His misfortune occurred on Pentecost because he wanted to
share his provisions with the homeless, to dutifully bury a Jewish body, and to
keep the law regarding purification. Those “good works” led to
blindness. Yet, there is no evidence that he railed against God or even
lamented this misfortune.
5. For
the first two years of Tobit’s blindness, Ahiquar supported him, but then he
was transferred to Elymais, which scholars think was located south of Media.
6. This
transfer meant that Ahiquar’s financial support ended, and life became very
difficult for Tobit and his family.
7. Since
Tobit was completely blind, his wife went out to do “women’s work.” This
is not specified, but most think she would have been working in someone’s
household.
8. Surely
this was a blow to Tobit’s image and esteem. After all, this was the
person who had a big position in the king’s court. Now he was disabled
and unemployed.
9. One
day in addition to paying her for her services, Hannah’s employers gave her a
goat to take home. It might have been for an upcoming feast day, which
would suggest that she was working for a Jewish family.
10. When
the goat started to bleat, Tobit assumed she had stolen it and accused her of
doing so. It highlights his inability to see; he didn’t know it was there
until it started making noise. Scholars don’t know why he did this.
Nothing in Hannah’s character suggested she’d be the person to steal
something. So maybe this was yet another affront to his ego and lashing
out was his poor way of handling things. It shows how tense things had
become and the stress they were under.
11. Hannah
yelled back saying, “And look what your good deeds have gotten us!”
12. There
was little that Tobit could say to that. He prayed deeply, asking for
forgiveness for himself as well as the nation. Then he asked God to take his
life in order to end his suffering.
13. On
the very same day in Ecbatana, another righteous person was praying – Sarah.
14. The
distance between Nineveh and Ecbatana was about 185 miles.
15. Sarah’s
name means “Mistress.”
16. At
that moment, one of her servant girls was insulting her because she had been
given in marriage to seven men, but each night the demon, Asmodeus, killed them
off before the marriage could be consummated.
17. If
it’s a Hebrew word, Asmodeus means something like “Destroyer.” He was
known as the demon of lust. The idea was that he loved Sarah and would
not allow any other man to be with her.
18. The
servant didn’t know about the demon, so she assumed that Sarah was doing the
killing.
19. Sarah
thought about hanging herself, but she was an only child and couldn’t imagine
bringing such shame to her parents.
20. So
she also prayed that God would take her life and put her out of her misery.
21. At
this point, these two incidents seem totally separate, though both people are
of the tribe of Naphtali. Later, readers will find out that they are
close kinsmen.
22. Nonetheless,
both of their prayers were heard in the glorious presence of God.
23. God
decided to send the angel, Raphael, to heal them both.
24. Raphael,
the angel’s name, means “God has healed.”
25. God’s
plan was to give Sarah in marriage to Tobias and to heal Tobit’s blindness.
26. This
information is given to readers but not to any of the characters in the story.
27. As
Tobit prepared to die, he remembered the money he had given his cousins in
Media for safekeeping.
28. He
called Tobias and started by counseling him on the major issues of life.
29. First,
he was to provide a proper burial for Tobit, and then he needed to take care of
his mother. He was also to follow in Tobit’s footsteps, always doing good
and being true to the Lord.
30. There
is some irony here because of the fact that Tobit’s life had not been blessed
despite all of his good works. This comes at a time in Jewish history when they
believed good works would be rewarded with great blessings. Tobit’s life
had not turned out that way. Still, he expected integrity and
faithfulness from Tobias, which indicates that Tobit was a very righteous man.
31. Only
after he had counseled him in all these aspects did Tobit mention the ten
talents awaiting him in Media.
32. His
final counsel was: “You have great wealth if you fear God, flee from all sin,
and do what is good in the sight of the Lord your God.” Obviously, Tobit
believed that God really was going to end his life.
Feast of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin
Mary[4]
THE
Blessed Virgin was presented in the temple at Jerusalem by her pious parents,
Joachim and Ann, there to be educated in the service and the law of the Lord in
order that she might be guarded against the defilements of the world. From this
we learn:
Joachim
and Ann offered to the Lord their only and most beloved child and gave her up
entirely to His service. Great as the sacrifice was, they yet made it. The
preservation of the innocence of their daughter was to them above all else.
Parents, God requires of you that you should not merely offer your children to
Him in the temple, but that you should take care to keep them pure and holy, as
living temples which have been consecrated in Baptism.
Mary gives and
dedicates herself to God as soon as she is capable of serving Him, and that
without any reservation, for all time, and irrevocably.
·
When then, shall we give ourselves in earnest
to God? True, we have been given to Him in holy Baptism, we have been
consecrated as His temples, we have renounced the devil and the world, we have
vowed to live only for God, and this vow we have, perhaps, often renewed; but
have we kept it?
·
What we gave with one hand have we not taken it
away with the other? Have we not denied the temple of our hearts by shameful
lusts, lived for the world and vanity more than for God? Ah, when shall we give
ourselves up to God sincerely and forever? Perhaps when we are old! But will
God accept our offering then?
·
Will He be pleased that we begin to serve Him
only when we can no longer serve the world? That we first begin to live for Him
when our life is soon to cease? No; God is a jealous Lord and is not pleased
with a heart divided between Him and creatures. He requires us to love Him with
all our heart and all our soul, and to serve Him with all our powers. Let us,
then, do this, and do it from our youth; let us keep ourselves in body and soul
undefiled for the Lord; such love, and such love only, will He reward as
perfect.
Prayer.
O God, Who wast pleased that the blessed Mary, ever
vir gin, the habitation of the Holy Ghost, should oh this day be presented in
the temple, grant, we beseech Thee, that by her intercession we may deserve to
be presented in the temple of Thy glory.
EPISTLE.
Ecclus. xxiv. 14-16.
From the beginning, and before the world, was I
created, and unto the world to come I shall not cease to be, and in the holy
dwelling-place I have ministered before Him. And so was I established in Sion,
and in the holy city likewise I rested, and my power was in Jerusalem. And I
took root in an honorable people, and in the portion of my God His inheritance,
and my abode is in the full assembly of saints.
GOSPEL.
Luke xi. 27, 28.
And it came to pass, as He spoke these things, a
certain woman from the crowd lifting up her voice said to Him: Blessed is the
womb that bore Thee, and the paps that gave Thee suck. But He said: Yea rather,
blessed are they who hear the word of God and keep it.
Explanation.
By His answer Jesus would have us understand that
His Mother was not to be blessed merely because she bore Him, the Son of God,
but rather because she at all times endeavored to keep the word of God in her
heart and to observe it in her life. If you would be blessed, learn to be not
only a hearer, but a doer, of the word of God.
Things
to Do[5]
·
Meditate on the mystery of Mary's temporary
dwelling in the sanctuary of the Old Covenant as preparation for the
approaching season of Advent.
·
Locate the order of contemplative nuns closest
to you and visit their monastery (you may want to request their prayers and you
might consider supporting them financially), they are the privileged souls who,
by the grace of their vocation, are even here below dwellers in the house of
the Lord.
·
Spend 30 minutes reading the Bible.
·
Learn more about Mary in the Byzantine Liturgy and
say one of the beautiful prayers of the Eastern liturgy in honor of Mary.
Catechism of the
Catholic Church
PART TWO: THE CELEBRATION OF THE
CHRISTIAN MYSTERY
SECTION ONE-THE SACRAMENTAL ECONOMY
CHAPTER TWO-THE SACRAMENTAL CELEBRATION OF THE PASCHAL
MYSTERY
Article 1-CELEBRATING THE CHURCH'S LITURGY
Day 162
IV. Where is
the Liturgy Celebrated?
1179
The worship "in Spirit and in truth" of the New Covenant is not
tied exclusively to any one place. the whole earth is sacred and entrusted to
the children of men. What matters above all is that, when the faithful assemble
in the same place, they are the "living stones," gathered to be
"built into a spiritual house." For the Body of the risen Christ
is the spiritual temple from which the source of living water springs forth:
incorporated into Christ by the Holy Spirit, "we are the temple of the
living God."
1180
When the exercise of religious liberty is not thwarted, Christians
construct buildings for divine worship. These visible churches are not simply
gathering places but signify and make visible the Church living in this place,
the dwelling of God with men reconciled and united in Christ.
1181
A church, "a house of prayer in which the Eucharist is celebrated and
reserved, where the faithful assemble, and where is worshipped the presence of
the Son of God our Savior, offered for us on the sacrificial altar for the help
and consolation of the faithful - this house ought to be in good taste and a
worthy place for prayer and sacred ceremonial." In this "house
of God" the truth and the harmony of the signs that make it up should show
Christ to be present and active in this place.
1182
The altar of the New Covenant is the Lord's Cross, from which the
sacraments of the Paschal mystery flow. On the altar, which is the center of
the church, the sacrifice of the Cross is made present under sacramental signs.
the altar is also the table of the Lord, to which the People of God are
invited. In certain Eastern liturgies, the altar is also the symbol of the
tomb (Christ truly died and is truly risen).
1183
The tabernacle is to be situated "in churches in a most worthy place with
the greatest honor." The dignity, placing, and security of the
Eucharistic tabernacle should foster adoration before the Lord really present
in the Blessed Sacrament of the altar.
The sacred chrism (myron), used in anointings as the sacramental sign of the
seal of the gift of the Holy Spirit, is traditionally reserved and venerated in
a secure place in the sanctuary. the oil of catechumens and the oil of the sick
may also be placed there.
1184
The chair (cathedra) of the bishop or the priest "should express his
office of presiding over the assembly and of directing prayer."
The lectern (ambo): "The dignity of the Word of God requires the church to
have a suitable place for announcing his message so that the attention of the
people may be easily directed to that place during the liturgy of the
Word."
1185
The gathering of the People of God begins with Baptism; a church must have a
place for the celebration of Baptism (baptistry) and for fostering remembrance
of the baptismal promises (holy water font).
The renewal of the baptismal life requires penance. A church, then, must lend
itself to the expression of repentance and the reception of forgiveness, which
requires an appropriate place to receive penitents.
A church must also be a space that invites us to the recollection and silent
prayer that extend and internalize the great prayer of the Eucharist.
1186
Finally, the church has an eschatological significance. To enter into the house
of God, we must cross a threshold, which symbolizes passing from the world
wounded by sin to the world of the new Life to which all men are called. the
visible church is a symbol of the Father's house toward which the People of God
is journeying and where the Father "will wipe every tear from their
eyes." Also, for this reason, the Church is the house of all God's
children, open and welcoming
World Television Day[6]
World
Television Day celebrates the daily value of television as a symbol of
communication and globalization. Television is one of the single greatest
technological advances of the 20th century, serving to educate, inform,
entertain and influence our decisions and opinions. It is estimated that
approximately 90% of homes around the world have televisions; however, with the
introduction of internet broadcasting, the number is declining in favor of
computers. World Television Day was proclaimed by the United
Nations in 1996. It is celebrated annually on November
21.
World
Television Day Facts & Quotes
·
TV stimulates the economy by providing
countless avenues for jobs. Over 1.2 million people in the European Union alone
are employed in the media sector.
·
In France, 63% of children between the age of 0 and 15 live in a
household with 4 screens (TV, computer, tablet etc.).
·
Television creates authority. When something is
shown on TV it has a particular authority about it because you know that you
and millions of other people are seeing it and that professionals have produced
it.
·
In Canada, nearly 95% of people aged 18-34
watch TV each month, which results in 12 and a half hours of weekly TV
watching.
·
Television is a medium because anything well
done is rare. - Fred Allen, American comedian and radio show host
Donate to catholic Television today if you can!
Great American Smokeout[7]
The
Great American Smoke out is an informal holiday aimed at encouraging citizens
to quit or plan to quit smoking. Smoking is a habit that involves consumption
of tobacco smoke, which has been shown to cause a variety of cancers, most
notably lung and mouth cancer. Lung cancer is currently the leading cause of
Cancer death in the United States and the most preventable type of cancer
worldwide. The Great American Smokeout is promoted by the American Cancer Society and is held on the third Thursday of
November each year in an effort to reduce cases of preventable cancers, reduce
secondhand smoke and improve the health of all Americans.
Great
American Smokeout Facts & Quotes
·
The holiday began in 1970, when a man in
Massachusetts asked people to give up smoking for one day, and donate the money saved to the
local high school scholarship fund.
·
According to the Center for Disease Control,
smoking is responsible for 1 in 3 cancer-related deaths, and 1 in 5 deaths from any
cause. Worldwide, tobacco use causes more than 5 million deaths per year.
·
The Center for Disease Control state that life
expectancy for smokers is 10 years less than that of non-smokers.
·
The Center for Disease Control states that
middle-aged man who smokes, triples his risk of dying from some type of heart disease.
·
More Doctors Smoke Camels than Any Other
Cigarette - line used in 1949 commercial for Camel Cigarettes.
Great
American Smokeout Top Events and Things to Do
·
If you are a smoker, call 1-800-QUIT-NOW for
support in quitting. You can also get help from organizations like smokefree.gov and
ucanquit2.org.
·
Organize a sporting
event like soccer or softball as a way to have fun and otherwise help smokers
take their minds off of smoking.
·
Talk to someone you know who smokes and
challenge them to quit for the day.
·
Give out sugarless gum to otherwise smokers as
friendly gesture to promote an alternative.
·
Watch movies and documentaries that aim to
uncover the tobacco industry and impact of tobacco addictions:
1) The Insider (1999)
2) Addiction Incorporated (2011)
3) Dying for a Smoke (1992)
4) Smoke & Mirrors: A History of Denial (2000)
World Philosophy Day[8]
Shit Happens! Forrest Gump
World
Philosophy Day seeks to promote human thought, new ideas and critical thinking
to confront today's challenges. Philosophy refers to the study of
knowledge, experience, existence and reality. According to the United Nations,
philosophy provides the conceptual bases of principles and values on which
world peace depends: democracy, human
rights, justice and equality. World Philosophy Day
was proclaimed by UNESCO in
2005. Since then, every third Thursday of November has served as a celebration
of philosophical knowledge.
World
Philosophy Day Facts & Quotes
·
Rene Descartes is considered to be the father
of modern Western philosophy. He is widely credited with being the first to use
the concept of reason to develop the natural sciences. He lived from 1596 to 1650.
·
Thales of Miletus is widely considered to be
the father of philosophy. He was a Greek philosopher, mathematician and
astronomer that lived around 624-546BC.
·
Truth in philosophy means that concept and
external reality correspond. – George Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel, a German
philosopher of the late enlightenment period.
World
Philosophy Day Top Events and Things to Do
·
Spread awareness on social media by using the
hashtags #WorldPhilosophyDay, #PhilosophyDay and #PhilosophyandCooperation.
·
Tune in to the live webcast of the
philosophical debates on UNESCO’s website. It can be streamed in French or
English at the UNESCO site.
·
Watch a movie that touches on philosophy. Some
suggestions are: The Matrix (1999), Blade Runner (1982) and Being
There (1979).
·
Donate to the Philosophy Foundation. Any money
raised is put towards providing specialist teachers to schools that need it
most but can’t afford it. The organization aims to support young people in
higher education studying philosophy.
·
Read a book on philosophy. Some suggestions are
Plato’s Republic, Critique of Pure Reason and A History of
Western Philosophy.
Corner
·
Tomorrow is the Feast
of Saint Cecilia my patron saint
·
do
a personal eucharistic stations of the cross.
·
How to celebrate Nov
21st
o Start your unique day by setting a positive tone
with a “hello” to those around you. Embrace the spirit of World Hello Day by
reaching out to friends, family, or even strangers with a cheerful greeting.
o As you go about your day, reflect on deep thoughts
and engage in philosophical musings inspired by World Philosophy Day. Take a
few moments to ponder life’s big questions and consider different perspectives.
o Amidst your philosophical reflections, take a break
to watch your favorite TV show or a captivating movie in honor of World
Television Day. Allow yourself to unwind and enjoy some well-deserved downtime.
o As the day winds down, savor a delicious meal with
loved ones celebrating National Gingerbread Cookie Day and National Stuffing
Day. Share laughter and stories over a homemade feast, creating cherished
memories together.
§ Try oyster dressing my grandfather’s favorite
o Before you retire for the night, take a moment to
appreciate the rural landscape and nature around you on National Rural Health
Day. Go for a peaceful stroll, breathe in the fresh air, and soak in the
tranquility of the outdoors.
o End your day by raising a toast to good health and
wellness on Great American Smokeout and World Pancreatic Cancer Day. Reflect on
the importance of self-care and making positive choices for your well-being.
Daily Devotions/Practice
·
Unite in the work of the Porters of St. Joseph by joining them
in fasting: Today's Fast: For
the intercession of the angels and saints
·
Offering to
the sacred heart of Jesus
·
Rosary
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