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Claire’s Day Try “Arnaki me Patates”
· Plan winter fun:
o Soak in hot springs
o Hit the snow slopes
o Ride a snowmobile
o Go for a dog sled ride
o Ride a hot air balloon
· Bucket Item trip: Go on a Safari
· Throw a “Perihelion Day” party
🌺 Around the World in Perfect Weather: Week 2
Rarotonga, Cook Islands — “Baptism Waters of the Pacific”
January 4–10, 2026
Jan 4 – Arrival in Rarotonga (Epiphany Sunday)
Flight: Bariloche → Buenos Aires → Auckland → Rarotonga (typical $1,450–$1,750 per person)
• Mass: St. Mary’s Catholic Church, Arorangi – Epiphany Mass at 9:00 AM
• Lodging: The Edgewater Resort & Spa (~$185/night)
• Meals: ~$75/day (fresh tuna, taro, tropical fruit)
• Symbolic Act: Walk the lagoon shoreline and journal on “The Light to the Nations.”
Jan 5 – Lagoon Clarity Day (Monday after Epiphany)
Visit: Muri Lagoon – kayaking + snorkeling
• Mass: St. Joseph’s Cathedral, Avarua – Daily Mass at 7:00 AM
• Lodging: Edgewater Resort (~$185/night)
• Meals: ~$70/day (beach café lunch + island BBQ dinner)
• Symbolic Act: Collect a small shell as a reminder of clarity.
Jan 6 – Feast of the Epiphany (Traditional Date)
Visit: Punanga Nui Market (Avarua Market) – crafts, pearls, local culture
• Mass: St. Mary’s Catholic Church – Epiphany liturgy
• Lodging: Edgewater Resort (~$185/night)
• Meals: ~$75/day (poke bowl lunch + grilled mahi‑mahi supper)
• Symbolic Act: Offer a small gift to a local vendor — your “gold, frankincense, or myrrh.”
Jan 7 – Island Circle Day (Wednesday after Epiphany)
Visit: Full island loop via Rarotonga Bus – scenic stops + village churches
• Mass: St. Joseph’s Cathedral – Daily Mass at 7:00 AM
• Lodging: Edgewater Resort (~$185/night)
• Meals: ~$70/day (roadside fruit stand + island curry dinner)
• Symbolic Act: Write a reflection titled “God in the Ordinary Villages.”
Jan 8 – Mountain Interior Trek (Thursday after Epiphany)
Visit: Cross‑Island Trek with guide – rainforest + “The Needle”
• Mass: St. Mary’s – Daily Mass at 7:00 AM
• Lodging: Edgewater Resort (~$185/night)
• Meals: ~$70/day (mountain café lunch + seafood supper)
• Tickets: ~$55 guided trek
• Symbolic Act: Reflect on “The Needle” as a symbol of direction and discernment.
Jan 9 – Baptism Waters Day (Friday after Epiphany)
Visit: Wigmore’s Waterfall + lagoon swim
• Mass: St. Joseph’s Cathedral – Daily Mass at 7:00 AM
• Lodging: Edgewater Resort (~$185/night)
• Meals: ~$70/day (tropical smoothie lunch + Polynesian dinner)
• Symbolic Act: Renew your baptismal promises privately at the waterfall.
Jan 10 – Farewell to Rarotonga (Saturday after Epiphany)
Visit: Black Rock Beach – volcanic stones + sunset
• Mass: St. Mary’s – Saturday Vigil at 6:00 PM
• Lodging: Edgewater Resort (~$185/night)
• Meals: ~$70/day (farewell island supper)
• Symbolic Act: Leave a written prayer of thanksgiving tucked under a Black Rock stone.
💰 Cost Snapshot (Jan 4–10 Rarotonga Week)
Lodging (6 nights): ~$1,110
Meals (7 days): ~$490–$510
Tickets/Activities: ~$55–$75
Local Transport: ~$120–$150
Flight Bariloche → Rarotonga: ~$1,450–$1,750 round trip per person
➡️ Total per person: ~$3,225–$3,595 for the Rarotonga week
JANUARY 4 Epiphany Sunday
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton-11th
Day of Christmas-Spaghetti
Genesis, Chapter 31, verse 31
Jacob answered
Laban, 'I was AFRAID, thinking you
were going to snatch your daughters from me.
According to Kabalistic sources[1] Laban was a powerful man. Laban was a magi and the whole world feared him. Jacob feared him too, and that was why he fled from Laban in the middle of the night with his wives Rachel and Leah. Laban had cheated Jacob many times but in spite of Laban’s sly tricks God had ensured that Jacob prospered. Jacob feared Laban but when the Lord said to him, “Go back to the land of your fathers and to your relatives, I will be with you”, he did so, but in secret. It is natural to fear powerful men or women who can do us grave harm. What does a person do who finds themselves afraid of powerful, selfish and perhaps evil people? Naturally your choices are you can either fight, run, do nothing, come to a compromise or grow by developing a third alternative as described by the late Dr. Steven Covey[2]. That is to come to a solution that is better than Jacob or Laban in this example, could have come up on their own. In this case God intervened for Jacob by coming to Laban in a dream warning him not to harm Jacob and as a result both Laban and Jacob came up with a solution that was better than they separately had in mind; and parted as friends. Next time you are faced with fear; resist the temptation to react in the classic fight or flight method and try to discover a way for everyone to win. That is not always possible but that should be your goal.
Copilot’s Take
Fear often convinces us that the powerful hold the final word, but Epiphany reminds us that God’s revelation always outruns human intimidation. Jacob fled because he saw only Laban’s strength, yet God was already at work in the unseen—redirecting motives, restraining harm, and preparing a path neither man could have imagined alone. When we face people whose influence feels overwhelming or whose intentions seem selfish or destructive, the invitation is not to collapse into fight or flight but to pause long enough for God to reveal the third way: the path of creative fidelity, truth without violence, courage without recklessness, and reconciliation without surrender. It won’t always be possible, but it is always worth seeking, because the God who intervened for Jacob still steps into human conflict with light strong enough to break cycles of fear.
ON
KEEPING THE LORD'S DAY HOLY[3]
DIES CHRISTI
The Day of the Risen Lord
and of the Gift
of the Holy Spirit
The
weekly Easter
19.
"We celebrate Sunday because of the venerable Resurrection of our Lord
Jesus Christ, and we do so not only at Easter but also at each turning of the
week": so wrote Pope Innocent I at the beginning of the fifth century,
testifying to an already well established practice which had evolved from the
early years after the Lord's Resurrection. Saint Basil speaks of "holy
Sunday, honored by the Lord's Resurrection, the first fruits of all the other
days"; and Saint Augustine calls Sunday "a sacrament of Easter".
The
intimate bond between Sunday and the Resurrection of the Lord is strongly
emphasized by all the Churches of East and West. In the tradition of the
Eastern Churches in particular, every Sunday is the anastàsimos hemèra,
the day of Resurrection, and this is why it stands at the heart of all worship.
In
the light of this constant and universal tradition, it is clear that, although
the Lord's Day is rooted in the very work of creation and even more in the
mystery of the biblical "rest" of God, it is nonetheless to the
Resurrection of Christ that we must look in order to understand fully the
Lord's Day. This is what the Christian Sunday does, leading the faithful each
week to ponder and live the event of Easter, true source of the world's
salvation.
Epiphany Sunday
WHAT mystery does
the Church celebrate today?
She celebrates
to-day a threefold mystery:
1. The arrival in Bethlehem of the Wise Men from
the East to adore the new-born, Savior.
2. The baptism of Jesus in the Jordan.
3. The first miracle of Jesus at the wedding in
Cana.
Why is this
festival called Epiphany, or the manifestation?
Because in the
three events just mentioned Jesus manifested Himself not only to the Jews, but
also to the gentiles, as the expected Messiah, the Redeemer of the world, and
the beloved of His heavenly Father. The Church sings to-day with joy at the
Introit, “Behold the Lord, the Ruler, is come, and a kingdom in his hand, and
power and dominion” (Mai. iii. 1). “Give to the king Thy judgment, O God, and
to the king’s son Thy justice” (Ps. Ixxi. 2).
Prayer.
O God, Who
didst on this day reveal Thy only-begotten Son to the gentiles by the guidance
of a star, grant in Thy mercy that we, who know Thee now by faith, may be
brought to be hold the beauty of Thy majesty.
EPISTLE.
Is. Ix. 1-6.
Arise, be enlightened, O Jerusalem: for thy light
is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee. For behold darkness
shall cover the earth, and a mist the people: but the Lord shall arise upon
thee: and His glory shall be seen upon thee. And the gentiles shall walk in thy
light, and kings in the brightness of thy rising. Lift up thy eyes round about
and see all these- are gathered together, they are come to thee: thy sons shall
come from afar and thy daughters shall rise up at thy side. Then shalt thou see
and abound, and thy heart shall wonder and be enlarged, when the multitude of
the sea shall be converted to thee, the strength of the gentiles shall come to
thee. The multitude of camels shall cover thee, the dromedaries of Madian and
Epha: all they from Saba shall come, bringing gold and frankincense, and
showing forth praise to the Lord.
Of what does the
prophet here speak?
He foretells
the future manifestation of the light of the Lord Jesus to Jerusalem, which was
a type of the Church, and that by that light the gentiles should enter into the
one Church of Christ.
Prayer.
Give praise, O
ye heavens, and rejoice, O earth; ye mountains, give praise with jubilation,
because the Lord hath comforted His people, and will have mercy upon His poor
ones (Is. xlix. 13).
GOSPEL. Matt. ii.
1-12.
When Jesus, therefore, was born in Bethlehem of
Juda, in the days of King Herod, behold, there came Wise Men from the East to
Jerusalem, saying: Where is He that is born King of the Jews? For we have seen
His Star in the East and are come to adore Him. And King Herod hearing this,
was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; and assembling together all the chief
priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where Christ should be
born. But they said to him, In Bethlehem of Juda: for so it is written by the
prophet: And thou Bethlehem, the land of Juda, art not the least among the
princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come forth the Captain that shall rule
My people Israel. Then Herod, privately calling the Wise Men, learned
diligently of them the time of the star which appeared to them: and sending
them into Bethlehem, said: Go and diligently inquire after the child: and when
you have found Him, bring me word again, that I also may come and adore Him.
Who having heard the king, went their way: and behold, the star which they had
seen in the East, went before them, until it came and stood over where the
child was. And seeing the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. And
entering into the house, they found the child with Mary, His Mother, and falling
down, they adored Him: and opening their treasures, they offered Him gifts,
gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having received an answer in sleep that they
should not return to Herod, they went back another way into their country.
Why did the Wise Men come from afar to
seek the Savior in Jerusalem?
They lived in Arabia, and had acquired some
information of the prophecies of Israel, particularly of the noted prophecy of
Balaam, “A star shall rise out of Jacob, and a scepter shall spring up from
Israel” (Num. xxiv. IT), which was the more significant to them because they
were, as their name denotes, skilled in astronomy. But to these human
considerations must be added the light of divine inspiration, as St. Leo says,
“The star shone also in their hearts a beautiful example for us to follow,
without delay, the inspirations of divine grace, and to do the will of God
without fear of men”.
What was the significance of the presents
which the Wise Men offered to the Savior?
In offering gold, the Wise Men honored the infant
Jesus as King; in frankincense, as God; in myrrh, as suffering Man.
How can we offer to Jesus similar gifts?
We can present Him with gold by giving up to Him
what we value most, our will; also, by giving alms in His name to the poor. We
can present Him incense in fervent and devout prayers ascending to heaven; and
myrrh, by preserving purity of body and soul.
Prayer.
Give to me, O my divine Savior, the faith of these
Wise Men; enlighten my understanding with the light which enlightened them; but
move my heart also, that I may follow that light, and sincerely seek Thee, and
Thee only, Who didst first seek me. Grant that I may find and adore Thee, with
the Wise Men, in spirit and in truth, offering to Thee, like them, gold in my
obedience and alms, incense in my prayers, myrrh in my penances and
mortifications, that, after having brought Thee the offerings of my faith on earth,
I may adore Thee in Thy eternal glory. Amen.
Widow Saint[4] Elizabeth Ann
Seton
This wife, mother and foundress of a religious
congregation was born Elizabeth Ann Bayley on August 28, 1774, in New York
City, the daughter of an eminent physician and professor at what is now
Columbia University. Brought up as an Episcopalian, she received an excellent
education, and from her early years she manifested an unusual concern for the
poor.
In 1794 Elizabeth married William Seton, with whom she
had five children. The loss of their fortune so affected William's health that
in 1803 Elizabeth and William went to stay with Catholic friends at Livorno,
Italy. William died six weeks after their arrival, and when Elizabeth returned
to New York City some six months later, she was already a convinced Catholic.
She met with stern opposition from her Episcopalian friends but was received
into full communion with the Catholic Church on March 4, 1805.
Abandoned by her friends and relatives, Elizabeth was
invited by the superior of the Sulpicians in Baltimore to launch a school for
girls in that city. The school prospered, and eventually the Sulpician
superior, with the approval of Bishop Carroll, gave Elizabeth and her
assistants a rule of life. They were also permitted to make religious
profession and to wear a religious habit.
In 1809 Elizabeth moved her young community to
Emmitsburg, Maryland, where she adopted as a rule of life an adaptation of the
rule observed by the Sisters of Charity, founded by St. Vincent de Paul.
Although she did not neglect the ministry to the poor, and especially to
Negroes, she actually laid the foundation for what became the American
parochial school system. She trained teachers and prepared textbooks for use in
schools; she also opened orphanages in Philadelphia and New York City. She died
at Emmitsburg on January 4, 1821, was beatified by Pope John XXIII in 1963, and
was canonized by Pope Paul VI in 1975.
St. Elizabeth Ann
Seton - Day Eleven[5]
Elizabeth Seton was born of a wealthy and
distinguished Episcopalian family. She was baptized in the Episcopal faith and
was a faithful adherent of the Episcopal Church until her conversion to
Catholicism.
·
Day Eleven activity (Story Time)
·
Day Eleven recipe (Colonial Wassail)
Today’s menu is in anticipation of today’s saint.
- Wassail
- Fresh
Asparagus Soup
- Sallad
- Spaghetti
- Dessert
Christmas
Calendar
Read: Today we remember the first native-born citizen of the United States to be canonized as a saint, Elizabeth Ann Seton.
Reflect: Only if people change will the world change; and in order to change, people need the light that comes from God, the light which so unexpectedly [on the night of Christmas] entered into our night.
Pray: Pray for the intersession of St. Elizabeth Ann
Seton
today.
Act: Aim to put these practices of building a domestic Church into action.
11th day of Christmas
The 11 pipers piping is a sign for the eleven
faithful apostles. It is interesting to note that Judas’ sin was due to
fear, greed, pride, and envy. Today would be a good day to read about the
remaining 11 pipers and their courage to create a Kingdom of God that changed
the world.
Spaghetti Day[6]
One of the world’s favorite dishes, spaghetti, is more than deserving
of its own little holiday. And because it is both simple and delicious,
spaghetti is the perfect dish to make to bring out your inner chef, even if you
don’t have all that much cooking experience!
Many people don’t know that the first historical reference to boiled noodles suggests that the Arabs invented the dish thousands of years ago, long before it became a staple of Italian cuisine.
What’s especially remarkable about this is that historical records actually refer to dried noodles being purchased from a street vendor, which means that pasta has been sold in stores since at least the 5th century A.D.! Of course, today we associate pasta with the Italians, who revolutionized the dish and invented a wide variety of pasta shapes.
The first Western pasta was likely long, thin forms made in Sicily around the 12th century; till this day, spaghetti is the most common round-rod type of pasta and in Italian, “spaghetti” means “little lines.” However, the popularity of pasta only spread across the whole country of Italy after the establishment of pasta factories in the 19th century, substantially shortening the time needed for making dishes like spaghetti and enabling the mass production of pasta for the Italian market.
The steady flow of Italian immigrants to the United States brought
traditional Italian dishes with it, and spaghetti was offered in restaurants as
early as the 19th century. Spaghetti then gained popularity all over the world.
Spaghetti Day Recipe
Ingredients: (serves 2)
1/2 medium onion
1-1/2 tbsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
200g tin chopped tomatoes
20g pack basil leaves, chopped finely
200g dried spaghetti (roughly half of a 500g pack)
100g ball mozzarella
a few pinches of salt & a bit of oil for the pasta
Preparation:
Peel the onion and the garlic and chop both
finely. Set a large frying pan over medium heat and when hot, pour in the
oil then add the onion. Cook the onion for about 4-5 mins, or until it softens,
stirring occasionally. Add the garlic, cook 2 mins more until fragrant. Then,
add the tomatoes and half the basil. Leave to gently bubble for 15 mins or so,
stirring occasionally–the sauce should become thick and pulpy. Break up any
large clumps of tomato with the back of a wooden spoon.
Pour water ¾ of the way up your largest pot.
Heat over a high heat and add several large pinches of salt and a spoon or so
of oil. When water has reached a rolling boil, put the spaghetti in it. Giving
it a stir every now and then stir to separate the pasta, cook it according to
pack instructions, usually about 10 mins. Before you finish cooking it, taste a
strand of the pasta. It should be just soft, but not mushy. Scoop out a cup of
water before draining and set aside (this will help to loosen your sauce). Put
the drained pasta back into its cooking pan, then pour in the tomato sauce.
Give everything a good stir. The sauce should
just coat the pasta, but if it is thick and looks dry, stir in a few spoons of
the pasta water you set aside before. If it is watery, cook over a low heat for
2-3 mins or until evaporates, stirring often.
Use your hands to break the mozzarella into
chunky pieces and stir through the pasta along with the remaining basil leaves.
Serve straight away.
Bible in a Year Day 187
Praying for Time
Fr. Mike recalls Hezekiah's
prayer for more time and reveals how Hezekiah did not use that time wisely. We
all are only given a specific amount of time on this earth, and it's up to us
to use that time to become more like Christ, so we can spend eternity with him
in heaven. Today's readings are 2 Kings 21, 2 Chronicles 32, and Psalm 145.
Daily Devotions/Activities
·
Unite in the work of the Porters of St.
Joseph by joining them in fasting: Today's Fast: An increase of the Faithful.
·
Offering to the sacred heart of Jesus
·
Rosary.
Swamp Water (1941): Mercy in the Okefenokee
Dana Andrews • Anne Baxter • Walter Brennan
A Southern Parable of Truth, Mercy, and Restoration
Jean Renoir’s Swamp Water is more than a backwoods thriller. Beneath the moss and mud of the Okefenokee lies a moral drama about what happens when a man chooses truth over reputation, mercy over vengeance, and communion over exile.
Ben Ragan (Dana Andrews) enters the swamp looking for his lost dog and instead finds Tom Keefer (Walter Brennan), a fugitive living in isolation after being falsely accused of murder. Their uneasy alliance becomes the film’s moral center: two men, one young and untested, the other wounded and hardened, learning to trust each other in a world that has already judged them.
Julie (Anne Baxter), Tom’s daughter, embodies quiet dignity amid poverty and mistreatment. Her presence becomes the film’s Marian counterpoint to the jealousy and false accusation that swirl around Ben’s former sweetheart, Mabel.
By the end, truth emerges, the real killers are exposed, and Tom walks back into town clean‑shaven and restored — a prodigal welcomed home not because he sinned, but because the community finally sees him clearly.
Catholic Lessons from the Swamp
1. Mercy Over Vengeance
Tom’s refusal to kill the surviving Dorson brother is the film’s most explicitly Christian moment. He chooses mercy not because the man deserves it, but because Tom refuses to let injustice deform his soul.
2. Fortitude in the Face of False Judgment
Ben risks everything — reputation, relationships, even his life — to clear Tom’s name. This is fortitude in its purest form: truth pursued at personal cost.
3. The Dignity of the Outcast
Tom’s return to town, washed and restored, mirrors the Prodigal Son’s reintegration. The community’s acceptance becomes a sacrament of healing.
4. Jealousy vs. Charity
Mabel’s false accusation, born of jealousy, shows how disordered desire leads to injustice. Julie’s humility and purity offer the Marian alternative.
5. The Swamp as the Human Heart
Renoir’s swamp is a moral landscape — murky, dangerous, full of hidden sins — yet also the place where truth is found, purified, and brought back into the light.
The Okefenokee Mercy Supper
A hospitality pairing inspired by the film’s themes of grit, truth, and restoration.
🍽️ Meal: Tom Keefer’s Redemption Stew
A rustic, Southern one‑pot meal that feels like something Tom would have eaten the night he finally came home.
Ingredients
- Smoked sausage or ham hock
- White beans
- Onion + garlic
- Collard greens
- Splash of cider vinegar
- Black pepper + thyme
Method
Brown the sausage or ham hock. Add onions and garlic until translucent. Add beans, greens, and broth. Simmer until everything softens into unity. Finish with a splash of cider vinegar.
Symbolism
- Everything in one pot → unlikely partnerships
- Slow transformation → the long arc of justice
- Greens and beans → poverty transfigured into dignity
- Vinegar at the end → the sting of truth that sets a man free
🍸 Drink Pairing: The Swamp‑Clearing
Built entirely from your bar stock.
Ingredients
- 1.5 oz bourbon
- 0.5 oz Kraken rum
- 0.5 oz Cointreau
- 2 oz cider
- Lime squeeze
Method
Shake bourbon, Kraken, and Cointreau. Pour over ice. Top with cider. Finish with lime.
Why It Works
The drink begins dark and ends bright — a liquid retelling of Tom’s journey from exile to restoration.
✝️ A Table Prayer for the Film
“Lord, grant us the courage to stand for truth like Ben, the humility to receive mercy like Tom, and the charity to welcome the outcast back into communion. May this meal be a sign of the restoration You desire for every human heart.”
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