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NIC’s Corner-Try “Gai Yang-Thai Chicken[2]”
While they were there, the time came for her to have her child, and she gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
(Luke 2:6-7)
· Spirit Hour: Hard Apple Cider in honor of St. Dorothy
· Religion in the Home for Preschool: February
· Bucket List trip: St. Michael’s Mount England
· Carnival Time begins in Catholic Countries.
· Carnival: Part Two, the Final Countdown
· Ronald Reagan born, 1911-2004
· How to celebrate Feb 6th
o Wake up and start your day on a positive note by paying someone a heartfelt compliment. Spread some joy and kindness, brightening not only their day but yours as well. Grab some frozen yogurt for breakfast or as a sweet treat later in the day. Celebrate diversity and try your hand at eating with chopsticks at lunch. Embrace the art of self-defense and fitness with some Muay Thai moves at home or a nearby gym. Stay optimistic in all you do and share your positive outlook with others. Take the time to talk and connect with loved ones or reach out to someone you haven’t spoken to in a while. Dive into the culture of the Sami people by learning about their traditions and values. Remember the legacy of Ronald Reagan and reflect on leadership and decision-making. Don’t forget to pick up a little something for your valentine or plan a special surprise for them. Learn about the history of lame duck sessions in politics and what it means for decision-making. Wrap up your day by commemorating Waitangi Day and reflecting on the importance of treaties and relationships.
· 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
❄️ Finland vs Micronesia — Cathedrals of Silence Chapels of Survival
Finland represents wealth, stability, and Catholic scarcity amid Lutheran heritage; Micronesia embodies poverty, fragility, and missionary endurance in scattered islands. Together, they extend NIC’s Corner into the paradox of faith lived in secular silence and island survival.
🇫🇮 Finland — Wealthy, Secular, and Catholic Minority
GDP per capita (PPP): ~$64,000 USD (2024)
🧮 Why Finland Ranks High
· Nordic Model: Strong welfare state, universal healthcare, and education.
· Stability: Democratic institutions, low corruption, and high trust.
· Innovation: Technology, forestry, and clean energy drive exports.
· Cultural Prestige: Literature, music, and design.
· Infrastructure: High living standards, social equality, and global rankings in happiness.
✝️ Catholic Landscape
· Membership: ~16,000 Catholics (<0.3% of population).
· Jurisdiction: Diocese of Helsinki (single diocese for entire country).
· Practice: Masses in Finnish, Swedish, English, and immigrant languages.
· Liturgical Heritage: Migrant-driven parishes, Marian devotion, ecumenical dialogue.
· Civic Role: Catholicism is visible mainly through schools and immigrant communities.
⚠️ Challenges
· Secularization: Majority Lutheran heritage now largely non-practicing.
· Minority Status: Catholicism remains marginal.
· Vocational Fragility: Few native vocations; clergy often foreign-born.
🌿 Pilgrimage Cue
Finland is a journey of cathedrals in silence—where the Eucharist is offered in small chapels, and Catholicism survives as a minority amid secular calm.
🇫🇲 Micronesia — Poor, Fragile, and Missionary Catholic
GDP per capita (PPP): ~$4,000 USD (2024)
🧮 Why Micronesia Ranks Low
· Economic Fragility: Reliant on U.S. aid, subsistence farming, and fishing.
· Infrastructure Gaps: Limited healthcare, education, and transport across scattered islands.
· Vulnerability: Climate change and rising seas threaten livelihoods.
· Migration: Many leave for Guam, Hawaii, and the U.S. mainland.
· Political Dependence: Compact of Free Association with the U.S. sustains finances.
✝️ Catholic Landscape
· Membership: ~100,000 Catholics (~65–70% of population).
· Dioceses: Archdiocese of Agaña (Guam) oversees Micronesia; local parishes across islands.
· Missionary Legacy: Jesuits and sisters built schools, clinics, and parishes.
· Liturgical Life: Mass in English and local languages; strong Marian devotion.
· Community Role: Catholicism anchors education, healthcare, and civic life.
⚠️ Challenges
· Poverty: Limits catechesis and parish resources.
· Vocational Strain: Few priests for scattered islands.
· Migration: Youth exodus weakens parish vitality.
· Climate Threat: Rising seas endanger communities and churches.
🌿 Pilgrimage Cue
Micronesia is a journey of chapels in survival—where the Eucharist is celebrated in island parishes, and Catholicism endures through missionary zeal, solidarity, and hope against hardship.
🕊️ Editorial Reflection
Finland and Micronesia reveal Catholicism’s paradox: one rich in wealth but poor in presence, the other poor in resources but rich in missionary witness. In Finland, Catholicism is a cathedral of silence. In Micronesia, it is a chapel of survival.
The Rich vs Poor Tour reminds us that the Gospel is not bound by prosperity or poverty—it flourishes in Helsinki’s minority chapels and Micronesia’s island parishes, in secular calm and in missionary endurance.
Where does the Church feel more alive—in the silence of Nordic heritage or the survival of Pacific islands?
February 6 First Friday
St. Paul Miki and Companions Martyrs
Mark, Chapter
6, Verse 20
Herod FEARED John, knowing him to be a
righteous and holy man, and kept him in custody. When he heard him speak he was
very much perplexed, yet he liked to listen to him.
Christ
asks us to not be afraid; remember that those who are controlled by the devil
are always deathly afraid. Therefore, trust in Him and remember that according
to the Talmud God says to us: With thy very
wounds I will heal thee. If you are unhappy it is because of sin, therefore
seek the healing that Christ gives in the sacrament of confession and receive
joyfully the Holy Eucharist.
Copilot:
Evil is rarely confronted in grand gestures; it is usually met in the quiet moment when a soul chooses truth over fear. Herod heard the voice of holiness and trembled, yet he would not change. The martyrs heard the same call and followed it all the way to the Cross. Scripture teaches that those bound by sin are always afraid, while those anchored in Christ stand firm even when the world rages. To confront evil, then, is not to match its violence but to refuse its terms—to speak truth when silence would be safer, to repent when pride would rather hide, to receive the sacraments that heal the very wounds sin tried to exploit. Christ does not ask us to be fearless; He asks us to let His presence reorder our fear, so that reverence for God drives out dread of anything else. In this way, confronting evil becomes an act of fidelity, a quiet but unbreakable allegiance to the One who heals, strengthens, and saves.
.
First Friday[1]
Learn
about devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the graces that come from
observing First Fridays.
It is no wonder,
therefore, that our predecessors have constantly defended this most approved
form of devotion — the pious devotion of the faithful toward the Most Sacred
Heart of Jesus [and] the custom of receiving Holy Communion on the first Friday
of every month at the desire of Christ Jesus, a custom which now prevails
everywhere.—Pope
Pius XI Miserentissimus
Redemptor
What’s so special about First Fridays?
Our
parents grew up going to church every First Friday of the month and taking part
in Sacred Heart devotions, but in recent decades the pious practice has fallen
out of practice and is dismissed by some as an “old-fashioned” anachronism. A main reason for the
decline in interest in this devotion is probably rooted in simple ignorance:
people don’t know
what First Fridays all are about; families and parishes may not have adequately
passed down their importance to the next generation. Here are five things
to know.
How did the First Friday Devotion begin?
While
some saints referenced the Heart of Jesus in their writings even centuries
earlier, in 1673, a French Visitandine (Visitation) nun named Margaret
Mary Alacoque had visions of Jesus, wherein he asked the Church to honor His
Most Sacred Heart. In particular, Jesus asked the faithful to “receive Communion on the First
Fridays, for nine consecutive months.”
The request was connected to a specific promise made to all who venerated and
promoted devotion to the Sacred Heart. After Margaret Mary’s death, the First Friday practice
steadily spread in the Church —
endorsed by popes and promoted by
saints — but
it greatly increased in popularity when Margaret Mary was canonized a saint in
1920 by Pope Benedict XV.
Why nine consecutive months?
The
number nine is traditionally associated with a novena and finds its origin in
the nine days that the apostles spent in prayer before Pentecost. A novena
provides an extended amount of time for preparation and interior renewal.
What am I supposed to do on First Fridays?
Go
to Mass and receive Holy Communion with the intention of honoring Christ’s Sacred Heart. If you are not in a
state of grace, and thus unable to receive, you will also need to go to
confession.
What are the “promises” connected to this devotion?
Jesus
said to St. Margaret Mary, “In
the excess of the mercy of my heart, I promise you that my all-powerful love
will grant to all those who will receive communion on the First Fridays, for
nine consecutive months, the grace of final repentance: they will not die in my
displeasure, nor without receiving the sacraments; and my heart will be their
secure refuge in that last hour.”
This means that if a person faithfully receives communion for nine consecutive
months on First Fridays, Jesus will grant that person extra graces at the time
of their death, making it possible to repent of their sins and receive the last
rites (if needed).
This promise is the last
of 12 promises connected to the Devotion to the Sacred Heart, particularly
attached to the Enthronement of the Sacred Heart in one’s home:
(1)
I will give them all the graces necessary in their state of life.
(2)
I will establish peace in their homes.
(3)
I will comfort them in all their afflictions.
(4)
I will be their secure refuge during life, and above all, in death.
(5)
I will bestow abundant blessings upon all their undertakings.
(6)
Sinners will find in my heart the source and infinite ocean of mercy.
(7)
Lukewarm souls shall become fervent.
(8)
Fervent souls shall quickly mount to high perfection.
(9)
I will bless every place in which an image of my heart is exposed and honored.
10) I will give to priests the gift of touching the most hardened hearts.
(11)
Those who shall promote this devotion shall have their names written in my
Heart.
(12)
I promise you in the excessive mercy of my Heart that my all-powerful love will
grant to all those who receive Holy Communion on the First Fridays in nine
consecutive months the grace of final perseverance; they shall not die in my
disgrace, nor without receiving their sacraments. My divine heart shall be
their safe refuge in this last moment.
Are the First Fridays a “ticket” to heaven?
It
is not as simple as going to Mass for nine months and then clocking out, never
going to Mass again and leading a sinful life! The entire purpose of this
devotion is to draw a person closer to the heart of Christ. If a person
fulfills these obligations with sincere faith, it is natural for he or
she to be closer to God and better prepared for death. The moment that
this devotion is observed in a superstitious manner, neglecting the need to
live a virtuous life, all bets are off and Jesus’ promise is null and void. Jesus wants us to rest on
his heart, like St. John, and the First Friday devotion is an opportunity for
us to encounter him more than just on Sundays and to deepen our love of him. Coming
to know, love and trust that we may take rest in the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and
place our anxieties within, is what the First Fridays are all about.
St. Paul Miki, a Japanese Jesuit, and his
twenty-five companions (d. 1597), who were martyred in Nagasaki, Japan. They
were the first martyrs of East Asia to be canonized. They were killed
simultaneously by being raised on crosses and then stabbed with spears. Their
executioners were astounded upon seeing their joy at being associated to the
Passion of Christ.
Bible in a Year Day 219
Separation
from God
Fr. Mike points out that separation from God is not due to a lack of power or
love on God's part, but is a consequence of our willful refusal to follow Him.
He also highlights that despite our unfaithfulness, God always has a plan for
reconciliation. The readings are Isaiah 59-60, Ezekiel 19, and Proverbs
13:9-12.
🥊
When the fast is over make some Minestrone di riso.
Fitness Friday 2: Muay Thai and the
Universal Man Plan — Training the Mind, the Body, and the Warrior Within
Muay Thai, the “Art of Eight Limbs,” is more
than a striking system. It is a disciplined, whole‑person practice that aligns
seamlessly with the Universal Man Plan: Phase 1 – The St. Ignatius, where
physical training, mental clarity, and spiritual intention form a single
integrated path.
In Muay Thai, as in Ignatian formation, the
goal is not domination but discernment — learning to move through the world
with awareness, restraint, and purpose. Fitness Friday becomes a weekly
checkpoint in that journey.
🧠
Mind — Awareness, Discernment, and Emotional Control
The Universal Man Plan begins with attention:
noticing what is happening inside and around you. Muay Thai trains this with
precision.
Situational Awareness
Every drill teaches you to read distance,
timing, and intention. You learn to stay present, track movement, and respond
with clarity rather than panic. This is the Ignatian discipline of agere
contra — acting against fear, distraction, and impulsivity.
Stress Regulation
Rounds elevate your heart rate and
adrenaline, but breath control brings everything back into balance. You
practice staying calm under pressure, the same interior stillness cultivated in
the Daily Examen.
Grounded Confidence
This isn’t bravado. It’s the quiet assurance
that you can handle yourself, protect others, and remain centered when life
becomes chaotic. It is the confidence of a man who knows his mission and his
limits.
💪
Body — Strength, Conditioning, and Stewardship
Phase 1 of the Universal Man Plan emphasizes embodied
stewardship: caring for the body as a tool for service, not vanity. Muay Thai
fits this perfectly.
Full‑Body Conditioning
Punches, kicks, knees, and elbows engage the
entire body. Expect stronger hips, a more resilient core, and improved balance
— the physical foundation for pilgrimage, work, and daily responsibility.
Metabolic Power
Training blends explosive movements with
endurance work, boosting metabolism and supporting long‑term cardiovascular
health. This is mitochondria‑friendly, anti‑inflammatory, and longevity‑oriented.
Movement for Life
Rotational patterns, footwork, and controlled impact help maintain bone density, joint health, and reaction time — the pillars of aging like a warrior rather than a spectator.
🧘
Spirit — Ritual, Purpose, and the Warrior’s Calm
The Universal Man Plan is anchored in
spiritual intention. Muay Thai carries a similar backbone.
Ritual Respect
The traditional Wai Kru honors
teachers, lineage, and purpose. It mirrors the Ignatian practice of beginning
every task with a clear intention:
Why am I training today? What am I preparing for?
The Warrior’s Calm
Every strike is paired with breath. Every
round is a meditation on control, restraint, and courage. This is the same
interior stillness cultivated on pilgrimage, in prayer, and in the quiet
moments of reflection.
Integration With the Universal Man Plan
Muay Thai becomes a weekly reminder that
fitness is not merely physical — it is mental clarity, emotional steadiness,
and spiritual intention. It is the training of a man who wants to be fully
alive, fully present, and fully responsible for the world entrusted to him.
🔗
Further Reading & Exploration
Fitness
& Self‑Defense Benefits
Benefits
of Muay Thai: Fitness, Self‑Defense, and Mental Toughness
(tagmuaythai.com in Bing) (bing.com
in Bing)
Mind–Body
Combat Psychology
How
Good Is Muay Thai for Self‑Defense?
(crateclub.com in Bing) (bing.com
in Bing)
Beginner
Training Tips
Tips
for Beginner Muay Thai Fighters
(fightersedgegym.com in Bing) (bing.com
in Bing)
History
& Cultural Roots
History
of Muaythai – From Warriors to World Champions
(ifmamuaythai.org in Bing) (bing.com
in Bing)
After‑Post:
For anyone wondering — Muay Thai
has no spiritual system attached, so Catholics can train freely. It’s
discipline and technique, not worship. The only traditional ritual is cultural,
not religious.
Daily Devotion
·
Unite in the work of the Porters of St. Joseph by joining them
in fasting: Today's Fast: Authentic
Feminism
·
Offering to
the sacred heart of Jesus
·
Rosary
[1]https://aleteia.org/2016/04/29/5-things-catholics-should-know-about-first-fridays/
[2] Sheraton, Mimi. 1,000 Foods
To Eat Before You Die: A Food Lover's Life List (p. 892). Workman Publishing
Company. Kindle Edition.
🎬 The Case Against Mrs. Ames (1936)
Madeleine Carroll • George Brent • Beulah Bondi
Drama / Mystery — Paramount Pictures
🌿 Overview
Hope Ames, a San Francisco socialite, is acquitted of murdering her husband — but acquittal does not restore her reputation. Her powerful mother‑in‑law launches a custody battle for Hope’s young son, and the district attorney who once tried to convict her becomes the unlikely ally who helps her uncover the truth. The film blends courtroom tension with intimate emotional drama, exploring reputation, motherhood, and the long road from suspicion to vindication.
🧭 Themes
- Justice vs. Reputation — Acquittal is not the same as restoration.
- Motherhood Under Siege — Hope’s fight for her son is the film’s emotional core.
- Redemption Through Truth — Matt Logan must confront his own errors.
- Power and Control — Mrs. Ames embodies cold, aristocratic certainty.
✝️ Spiritual Reflection
This film becomes a meditation on the Eighth Commandment — the wound inflicted when a person is judged without charity. Hope’s suffering reveals how suspicion can imprison a soul long after the courtroom doors close. Matt Logan’s transformation shows the humility required to admit error and pursue truth even when it undermines one’s pride. Mrs. Ames reminds us that power without compassion becomes cruelty.
Christian takeaway:
Justice without mercy becomes cruelty; mercy without truth becomes sentimentality. The Christian path requires both.
🍸 Signature Cocktail — The Acquittal
A 1930s‑style drink that looks delicate but carries quiet strength — just like Hope Ames.
Ingredients
- 2 oz gin
- 0.5 oz Cointreau
- 0.5 oz dry vermouth
- 0.25 oz lemon juice
- 2 dashes orange bitters
- Lemon twist
Method
Shake with ice, strain into a chilled coupe, finish with a lemon twist.
Symbolism
- Gin/vermouth — the sharpness of the courtroom
- Cointreau — Hope’s grace
- Lemon — the sting of suspicion
- Bitters — the cold resolve of Mrs. Ames
🍽️ Supper Pairing — San Francisco Courtroom Supper
Main Course
Chicken à la King on Toast Points
Elegant, comforting, and era‑appropriate — the kind of supper Hope might have served before her world unraveled.
Side
Buttered Asparagus with Lemon Zest
Bright, refined, and quietly uplifting.
Bread
Sourdough Rolls
A nod to San Francisco’s culinary heritage.
Dessert
Coffee Custard Cups
Simple, soothing, and perfect with a drizzle of your coffee moonshine.
🏡 Hospitality Meditation
Serve a meal that restores dignity. Offer a drink that steadies the heart. In a world quick to judge, hospitality becomes a quiet act of justice — a way of saying: “You are seen. You are welcome. You are more than the worst thing said about you.”
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