Bourbon & Cigars

Bourbon & Cigars
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Saturday, November 15, 2025


Vinny’s Corner

In contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. (Galatians 5:22-23)

·         Saturday Litany of the Hours Invoking the Aid of Mother Mary

·         Spirit hour:

·         15 Traditional Spanish Drinks

·         How to celebrate Nov 15th

o   Clean out your refrigerator for a fresh start, celebrating National Clean Out Your Refrigerator Day.

o   Indulge your sweet tooth with a homemade batch of spicy hermit cookies for National Spicy Hermit Cookie Day.

o   Get creative by designing and wearing a camp T-shirt for National Camp T-Shirt Day.

§  When in the woods beware of falling trees!

o   Show your appreciation for our planet by committing to recycling on National Recycling Day.

§  I used to help my Grandpa recycle his beer cans cigarette butts and all-yuck.

o   Take time to enjoy music, perhaps learning a drumming rhythm for National Drummer Day.

o   Honor wildlife conservation like Steve Irwin by watching a documentary or visiting a local zoo.

o   Enjoy a bowl of Raisin Bran cereal in the morning to mark National Raisin Bran Cereal Day.

🛡️ Knights Templar & Marian Clarity Pilgrimage

Route: Coimbra

→ Tomar → Fátima
Dates: November 16–22, 2025
Theme: Wisdom, Apparition, and Civic Mercy


🗓️ Daily Itinerary & Symbolic Acts

Nov 16: Arrival in Coimbra

·         🕍 Symbolic Act: “Scholarly Light”
Visit the University of Coimbra and Biblioteca Joanina, praying for wisdom in civic leadership.

·         🛏️ Stay: Sapientia Boutique Hotel or Hotel Oslo Coimbra

Nov 17: Coimbra – Monastic Heritage

·         🕊️ Symbolic Act: “Cloistered Clarity”
Visit Santa Cruz Monastery, burial site of Portugal’s first kings. Pray for clarity in governance and humility in power.

Nov 18: Coimbra → Tomar

·         🚆 Travel to Tomar.

·         🛏️ Stay: Hotel dos Templários or Hostel 2300 Thomar

Nov 19: Tomar – Templar Stronghold

·         🏰 Symbolic Act: “Fortified Mercy”
Explore the Convent of Christ, once the Templar headquarters. Walk the Charola in silence, praying for mercy in the face of conflict.

Nov 20: Tomar


– Civic Reflection

·         🕍 Symbolic Act: “Civic Benediction”
Visit the Church of Santa Maria do Olival, burial site of Templar Grand Masters. Offer prayers for civic renewal and spiritual courage.

Nov 21: Tomar – Day of Rest & Local Hospitality

·         🍷 Symbolic Act: “Table of the Templars”
Share a meal with locals. Optional visit to Pegões Aqueduct, symbol of enduring stewardship.

Nov 22: Departure

·         🕊️ Symbolic Act: “Final Light”
Light a candle at Chapel of São Gregório, sealing the week with gratitude and clarity.


💶 Cost Breakdown (Per Person)

Category

Budget (USD)

Mid-Range (USD)

Lodging (6 nights)

$180–$300

$360–$600

Meals

$90–$150

$180–$300

Transport

$30–$60

$60–$120

Sightseeing & Tips

$30–$60

$60–$120

Total Estimate

$330–$570

$660–$1,140


🍽️ The Supper of the Sword and the Scroll

Dates: November 16–22, 2025
Theme: Wisdom, Mercy, and Civic Stewardship

Each course echoes a symbolic act from the week’s journey through Coimbra and Tomar, inviting pilgrims to taste the legacy of the Templars and the scholars who shaped Portugal’s soul.

1. Appetizer – “Scholarly Light”
Dish: Queijo da Serra 

with roasted chestnuts and honey
Symbol: The sweetness of wisdom and the warmth of learning
Reflection: As you taste this pairing, recall the candlelit halls of Coimbra’s Biblioteca Joanina and pray for clarity in civic thought.

2. Soup – “Cloistered Clarity”
Symbol: Communal strength drawn from humble offerings
Reflection: Sip slowly, remembering the monks of Santa Cruz Monastery and the power of shared sacrifice.

3. Fish – “Fortified Mercy”
Dish: Grilled dourada (sea bream) with lemon and herbs
Symbol: The balance of defense and grace
Reflection: Let each bite remind you of the Charola’s circular chapel in the Convent of Christ—fortified yet open to heaven.

4. Vegetable – “Civic Benediction”
Dish: Braised greens with garlic and olive oil
Symbol: The rootedness of civic virtue
Reflection: Taste the simplicity of the land and pray for leaders who serve with humility at Church of Santa Maria do Olival.

5. Meat – “Table of the Templars”
Dish: Porco Preto with rosemary and wine reduction
Symbol: Strength tempered by hospitality
Reflection: As you eat, imagine the Templars sharing bread with pilgrims and strangers alike.

6. Palate Cleanser – “Final Light”
Dish: Tangerine sorbet 

with basil
Symbol: The light of discernment and the freshness of departure
Reflection: Let this course clear your senses and seal your week with gratitude. Light a candle at Chapel of São Gregório.

7. Dessert – “Legacy of the Scroll”
Dish: Arroz Doce (Portuguese rice pudding) with cinnamon cross
Symbol: The sweetness of memory and the written word
Reflection: As you savor this final dish, recall the scrolls, sermons, and silent prayers that shaped your pilgrimage.

🍷 Communal Toast – “To the Cloister and the Crown”
Drink: A glass of Dão red or sparkling Bairrada
Blessing: “To the wisdom that defends, the mercy that welcomes, and the light that endures.”


NOVEMBER 15 Saturday 

John, Chapter 15, Verse 9-13

As the Father LOVES me, so I also love you. Remain in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and remain in his love. “I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and your joy may be complete. This is my commandment: love one another as I love you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. 

Your prayers are answered in accordance with your love. This is the natural law of God. For love begins with the Fathers love of Christ and moves on to Jesus’ love for his friends which is reciprocated in the disciples’ loving obedience to Christ and radiates out through their love for one another. It is this love that will be the source of their joy and the essential condition of their intimate friendship with the Lord. The model of love for all true discipleship is extreme, and limitless. Yet, it is precisely for love like this that Jesus has chosen them. They will bring forth enduring fruit; their prayers will be answered to the extent that they love one another.[1] We see this natural law of love in the world today. If our church has love and even sacrificial love it will be safe no matter how poor of a church it is but if it has no love than no matter how rich a church it is; it bears no fruit. Such is the law of love. We can see the same in our own families where there is love the family is rich even if it has no money and where there is no love there is not a family. We also see this truth in our country which is now being ran by Godless unloving people. (i.e. the recent political spectacles of our political parties) We do not need climate change but a change of heart and start loving as Christ does beginning in our homes and going out from there. 

Study Saints; be a saint[2] 


·         Memorial of St. Albert the Great (c. 1200-1280), son of a German nobleman. While studying at Padua when the Master General of the Dominicans, Jordan of Saxony, succeeded in attracting him to that Order. He was to become one of its greatest glories. After taking his degrees at the University of Paris, he taught philosophy and theology at Paris and then in Cologne. St. Thomas Aquinas was among his pupils. His knowledge was encyclopedic. In 1260 he was named Bishop of Ratisbon and devoted himself zealously to the duties of his office. But soon resigned in order to continue his teaching and research. St. Albert died in Cologne on November 15, 1280.

 

·         Leopold of Austria (1073-1136). He was born at Melk in Austria, a grandson of Emperor Henry III. In 1096 he succeeded his father as fourth Margrave of Austria. He married Agnes, daughter of Henry IV, by whom he had eighteen children. He ruled firmly and successfully for forty years, and was especially interested in the spread of religious institutions. He was the founder of Mariazell (Benedictine), Heiligenkreuz (Cistercian) and Klosternenburg (Augustinian). He was buried at Klosternenburg.

 

o   Feast of St. Leopold, November 15—Most of Austria would wait for their fall harvest feast until St. Leopold’s day, as he is the patron saint of Austria. Today was also referred to as “Goose Day” in Austria. 

Copilot’s Take

Love is the divine architecture of all true discipleship, flowing from the Father to the Son, from Christ to his friends, and radiating outward through their love for one another. In John 15:9–13, Jesus reveals that this love is not abstract—it is sacrificial, intimate, and fruitful. It is the condition for answered prayer, the source of lasting joy, and the measure of spiritual vitality. Where love abides, even the poorest church becomes a sanctuary; where love is absent, even the richest institution bears no fruit. This law of love governs families, churches, and nations alike. In a time when political spectacle often overshadows mercy, we do not need climate change but a change of heart—a return to Christlike love beginning in our homes and rippling outward. Saints like Albert the Great and Leopold of Austria embodied this love through intellectual stewardship and civic devotion, reminding us that holiness is not confined to monasteries but must flourish in classrooms, councils, and kitchens. Let us study saints, become saints, and remain in love.

Bible in a Year Day 133 Persevering in Trust

Fr. Mike focuses on trust today, specifically trusting God in difficult times. Like David, we need to learn to trust God in the midst of the battle, not wait until it's over. Today's readings are 2 Samuel 15, 1 Chronicles 19-20, and Psalm 3.

  

Daily Devotions

·         Unite in the work of the Porters of St. Joseph by joining them in fasting: Today's Fast: Families of St. Joseph’s Porters

·         Litany of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus

·         Offering to the sacred heart of Jesus

·         Drops of Christ’s Blood

·         Universal Man Plan

·         Rosary


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