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NIC’s Corner-Try “cloud berry’s [6]”
And Mary said: “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my savior. For he has looked upon his handmaid’s lowliness; behold, from now on will all ages call me blessed. The Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name.
(Luke 1:46-49)
· Religion in the Home for Preschool: January
· Carnival Time begins in Catholic Countries.
· Bucket List trip: Selinda Reserve, Botswana
· Make some: Zuercher Ratsherrentopf
· Spirit Hour: Poncho Villa cocktail
· Get an indulgence
o Visiting the Blessed Sacrament when it is exposed during the weeks between Septuagesima Sunday and Ash Wednesday is a traditional practice that can earn a plenary indulgence.
o Septuagesima Sunday: The third Sunday before Ash Wednesday, and the ninth Sunday before Easter.
o Plenary indulgence: A full remission of sins that can be earned by visiting the Blessed Sacrament during a specified time period.
o Confession and Communion: A requirement for earning the plenary indulgence.
o What to do
§ Visit the Blessed Sacrament when it is exposed in a church.
§ Visit for three days in any church during the specified time period.
§ Visit on the Thursday after Sexagesima Sunday, also known as "Giovedì grasso" in Rome.
o Prayer
§ Some people pray before the Blessed Sacrament, asking for pardon of sins, help from God's grace, and eternal life.
o Generative AI is experimental.
§ [1] http://liturgialatina.org/raccolta/sacrament.htm
§ [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Septuagesima
o Wake up on the right foot today by measuring your feet and ensuring your shoes fit just right. Embrace the nostalgia of handwriting a letter to a loved one while enjoying a slice of rhubarb pie. To inject some fun, mix and match your clothes for a clashing outfit that will surely turn heads. Later, channel your inner athlete in a game of snowplow mailbox hockey, improvising with household items if necessary.
o In between activities, raise awareness for maternal health by sharing informative posts on social media. Reflect on the importance of health and family over a warm pie, appreciating the simple joys. Take a moment to appreciate the precision of measurements while enjoying the delicious pie, savoring each bite.
o As the day winds down, consider hosting a pie-making contest with friends or family, celebrating the art of baking. Alternatively, engage in a friendly game of mailbox hockey to unwind and bond with loved ones. Embrace the spirit of these quirky holidays by reveling in the festivities and creating lasting memories. Cheers to a day filled with creativity, laughter, and appreciation for the little things in life.
· 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
🇦🇺 Australia — Wealthy, Secularizing, and Catholic in Comfort
GDP per capita (PPP): ~$65,000 USD (2024)
🧮 Why Australia Ranks High
· Resource Wealth: Mining, agriculture, and services anchor exports.
· Stability: Strong democratic institutions and social infrastructure.
· Global Integration: Active in trade, education, and migration.
· Cultural Prestige: Sydney Opera House, universities, and heritage sites.
· Infrastructure: Universal healthcare, pensions, and education.
✝️ Catholic Landscape
· Membership: ~5.1 million Catholics (~20% of population).
· Practice: Mass attendance ~8–10%; declining vocations.
· Dioceses: Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, Hobart, Darwin, and more.
· Liturgical Heritage: Marian shrines, Eucharistic devotion, migrant parishes.
· Civic Role: Catholic schools, hospitals, and charities remain influential.
⚠️ Challenges
· Secularization: Rapid decline in religious affiliation.
· Vocational Collapse: Fewer priestly ordinations.
· Abuse Legacy: Trust eroded by scandals.
· Cultural Pressure: Faith marginalized in public life.
🌿 Pilgrimage Cue
Australia is a journey of cathedrals in comfort—where the Eucharist is offered in modern parishes, yet pews stand empty, and the Church wrestles with secular decline and memory.
🇿🇲 Zambia — Poor, Growing, and Missionary Catholic
GDP per capita (PPP): ~$4,000 USD (2024)
🧮 Why Zambia Ranks Low
· Economic Fragility: Copper mining dominates; poverty widespread.
· Infrastructure Gaps: Healthcare, education, and transport under strain.
· Aid Dependence: NGOs and missions fill social voids.
· Political Challenges: Governance and corruption hinder development.
· Vulnerability: Climate change impacts agriculture and rural livelihoods.
✝️ Catholic Landscape
· Membership: ~5 million Catholics (~35% of population).
· Dioceses: Lusaka, Ndola, Livingstone, Chipata, Kasama, and more.
· Missionary Legacy: Jesuits, Franciscans, and sisters built schools, hospitals, and parishes.
· Liturgical Life: Mass in Bemba, Nyanja, Tonga, and English; vibrant choirs and Marian devotion.
· Community Role: Catholicism anchors education, healthcare, and civic life.
⚠️ Challenges
· Poverty: Limits catechesis and parish resources.
· Vocational Strain: Priests stretched across vast rural dioceses.
· Youth Exodus: Migration weakens rural parishes.
· Political Pressure: Church advocates for justice and democracy.
🌿 Pilgrimage Cue
Zambia is a journey of chapels in mission—where the Eucharist is celebrated in crowded parish halls, and Catholicism expands through song, solidarity, and missionary zeal.
🕊️ Editorial Reflection
Australia and Zambia reveal Catholicism’s paradox: one rich in comfort but poor in practice, the other poor in wealth but rich in missionary growth. In Australia, Catholicism is a cathedral of comfort. In Zambia, it is a chapel of mission.
The Rich vs Poor Tour reminds us that the Gospel is not bound by prosperity or poverty—it flourishes in Sydney’s cathedrals and Lusaka’s parish halls, in the silence of secular decline and the song of survival.
Where does the Church feel more alive—in the comfort of heritage or the mission of endurance?
January 23 Friday
Holy
Spouses-Capt. Kangaroo
Psalm 34, verse 5-12
I sought the LORD,
and he answered me, delivered me from all my FEARS. Look
to him and be radiant, and your faces may not blush for shame. This poor one
cried out and the LORD heard, and from all his distress he saved him.
The angel of the
LORD encamps around those who fear
him, and he saves them. Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the
stalwart one who takes refuge in him. Fear the LORD, you his holy ones; nothing
is lacking to those who fear him.
Come, children, listen to me; I will teach you fear of the LORD. The rich grow poor and go hungry but those who
seek the LORD lack no good thing. Come,
children, listen to me; I will teach you fear
of the LORD.
While taking a prayer filled hike in the Round Lake, New York; I asked our Lord on the hike to communicate to me as we walked along the way. The Lord spoke to my heart and said that in this world there are two kinds of people those that give and those that get. He said amazingly those that get never get enough and those who give always get enough.
As we walked Christ pointed out to me the things that I should be giving to others.
As I started the hike, I noticed the sign with the map of the hike was reversed and if I did not study it closely I would be lost. Christ urged me to:
· Give good directions.
Walking along I met others walking or riding bikes coming from the opposite direction that looked rather glum and miserable. Christ urged me to greet them. As I did I noticed their expression changed from glum to happy.
· Give greetings.
Walking along I heard music from a tavern near the trail. Christ urged me to:
· Give music and song to gladding other hearts.
Walking along I met a small turtle that on seeing me tucked into his shell. Christ urged me to:
· Give others respect and privacy.
Walking along I passed a stream and notice the path was shady. Christ urged me to:
· Give refreshment to others.
Finally, as I was walking along as the Lord answered me I noticed He had delivered me from all my fears.
Copilot’s Take
Psalm 34 becomes a guide for the soul in a moment when the nation feels strained by fear and headlines speak of unrest and even insurrection in several states. The psalm teaches that fear is not conquered by force or outrage but by seeking the Lord until the face becomes radiant again. The quiet lessons of the Round Lake trail—offering clear direction where others sow confusion, greeting the weary where others spread coldness, giving music where others amplify noise, respecting boundaries where others intrude, refreshing the burdened where others drain—form a practical way to confront evil without becoming like it.
And while the insurrection represents the turmoil of a world trying to save itself by its own strength, the Resurrection reveals the only true victory: goodness that cannot be extinguished, love stronger than death, and a peace no unrest can overthrow. To live in the light of the Resurrection is to answer the world’s chaos with courage, mercy, and steadfast goodness, trusting that Christ has already won the battle fear wants us to fight.
Feast of The Holy Spouses[1]
While there have been feasts of Mary and Joseph as individual saints, and more recently also a feast of the Holy Family, no feast honoring their marriage has entered into the universal liturgical calendar of the Church. At least as early as 1413 Jean Gerson had proposed the Feast of the Betrothal. It was introduced into the missal for the cathedral of Chartres in 1482 and by the Franciscans and Servite’s in 1537 and thereafter by many other particular liturgical calendars. Saint Joseph Marello (canonized on November 25, 2001) also introduced it into the congregation he founded, the Oblates of St. Joseph. The feast had become so widespread that it was included in the universal Roman Missal under the section pro aliquibus locis, when in 1961 the revision of the universal liturgical calendar suppressed such particular feasts, requiring their reintroduction by groups wishing to preserve them. In 1989 the feast of The Holy Spouses, Mary and Joseph, was reintroduced into the proper calendar of the Oblates of St. Joseph, with its proper texts for Mass and for the Liturgy of the Hours. (In 1991 Fr. Juan Antonio Morán, M.J., in El Salvador also prepared a Mass text for private use for November 26, when married couples were also invited to renew their vows.)
The approved texts for the Oblate version of
the Mass are as follows:
·
Entrance Antiphon: Hail Mary, Mother of God, united by a sacred bond to Joseph,
faithful guardian of your virginal motherhood.
· Opening Prayer: Holy Father, you joined together by a virginal bond the glorious Mother of your Son and the just man, Saint Joseph, that they might be faithful cooperators in the mystery of the Word Incarnate.
Grant that we who are united with you by the bond of baptism may live more intimately in our union with Christ and may walk more joyfully in the way of love. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ….
·
Readings: Isaiah 61:9-11; Galatians 4:4-7; Luke 2:41-52.
·
Prayer over the Gifts: Lord, look graciously upon the gifts which we present at your
altar on the Feast of the Holy Spouses, Mary and Joseph, and enkindle in us the
spirit of your love.
·
Preface: Father, all-powerful and ever-living God, we do well always and
everywhere to give you thanks through Jesus Christ our Lord. You give the
Church the joy of celebrating the feast of the Holy Spouses, Mary and Joseph:
in her, full of grace and worthy Mother of your Son, you signify the beginning
of the Church, resplendently beautiful bride of Christ; you chose him, the wise
and faithful servant, as Husband of the Virgin Mother of God, and made him head
of your family to guard as a father your only Son, conceived by the work of the
Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ, our Lord. For this gift of your kindness, we join….
·
Communion Antiphon: Joseph, son of David, have no fear about taking Mary as your
wife. It is by the Holy Spirit that she has conceived this child.
·
Prayer after Communion: Lord, by your holy gifts you have filled us with joy. By
venerating the Blessed Virgin Mary and Saint Joseph, her spouse, may we be
strengthened in your love- and live-in continual thanksgiving.
While the feast is celebrated on January 23 in all Oblate houses for all the faithful, the recent emphasis in the Holy Spouses Province of the Oblates of St. Joseph has been to extend a particular invitation to married and engaged couples. They are invited to look to Mary and Joseph as patrons and intercessors for their marriage, and to take them as the model husband and wife to strive to imitate in loving one another selflessly as spouses. Mary and Joseph may be shown to exemplify the two inseparable ends of marriage, love and life, and to refute the mentality of contraception and divorce.
Being a good husbandman[2]
All men are called by God to be husbandmen. Some are called to the priesthood, and they may hear Christ saying to them:
Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. (Mt. 4:19)
Others are called to the single life and they may serve the Lord via their work and there are those who are called to the married life, but all are husbandmen. What makes a good husbandman?
Let us look at St.
Joseph as an example of a good husbandman.
·
St. Joseph in all his dealings was humble.
·
He was the provider
and protector of Mary and Jesus
·
full of zeal
and great courage,
·
Obedient to the will
of God. Yet he was not
rash; and with prudence pondered.
·
His decisions trusting in
divine providence.
·
He was a model of workers and
·
an example of married life and chaste love.
·
He valued prayer
and the hidden life.
·
He was ready
for the call of a neighbor or to the call of God;
·
He gave an immediate response.
·
His was a life of sacrifice;
his was a life of simplicity.
To be a good husbandman
is to:
“Do the ordinary in an extraordinary way.”
Life First[3] 9 Days for Life
Day Eight:
Intercession: May those nearing life’s end receive medical care that respects their dignity and protects their lives.
Prayers: Our Father, 3 Hail Mary’s, Glory Be
Reflection: The dying process is a sacred time—a final season to seek closure in this life and prepare for the next. We know earthly death is not the end, but rather the door through which we must pass to gain eternal life. The deadly practice of assisted suicide—now legal in several states—shortens or even eliminates this sacred season, carelessly cutting short the life of the patient. To support the “false compassion” of assisted suicide is to see people as a problem to be eliminated. End-of-life care should instead help eliminate or alleviate the patient’s problems, whether they are physical, spiritual, or emotional. Those who die in God’s grace and friendship live forever with Christ. Because of our belief and hope in the Resurrection, we can face death not with fear, but with trust. We pray that society might recognize that every day of our lives is a gift and is always worth living, especially our final days. We need not fear. Christ is with us.
Acts of Reparation (Choose one.)
·
Sacrifice
some of your free time to do a small act of service, such as making breakfast
for a family member, writing a note of encouragement for a coworker, or praying
for the intentions of a friend.
· Pray a decade of the rosary (www.usccb.org/rosary) for your friends and family who have passed away, as well as the departed who have no one to pray for them.
·
Offer
some other sacrifice, prayer, or act of penance that you feel called to do for
today’s intention.
Bible in a Year Day 205 Promise to Zion
Fr. Mike breaks down God's incredible promise of redemption to
Zion and reminds us that God always wants to fight for us, so that our shame
may be turned into glory. Today's readings are Isaiah 30-31, Zephaniah 3, and
Proverbs 11:13-16.
PRAYERS AND TEACHINGS OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH
Catholic
Ten Commandments:
I.
I am the LORD your God. You shall worship
the Lord your God and Him only shall you serve.
II. You
shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.
III. Remember
to keep holy the Sabbath day.
IV. Honor
your father and your mother.
V. You
shall not kill.
VI. You
shall not commit adultery.
VII.
You shall not steal.
VIII.
You shall not bear false witness against
your neighbor.
IX. You
shall not covet your neighbor's wife.
X. You
shall not covet your neighbor's goods.
Captain Kangaroo[4]
On Oct. 3, 1955, Bob Keeshan stepped onto a nautical-themed set wearing a captain's cap and a jacket with big, kangaroolike pockets. He smiled into the camera and became a television icon. Keeshan would play Captain Kangaroo for 36 years--more than 9,000 performances--to the amusement and betterment of generations of delighted children.
Keeshan died (January 23, 2004) at a hospital in Windsor, Vt., after a long illness. Though no cause of death was announced, he had suffered from cardiac problems since the 1980s. He was 76. Unmistakable with his brushy mustache and bowl haircut, the Captain passed time with his good friend Mr. Green Jeans (Hugh "Lumpy" Brannum), visited with puppet animals such as Bunny Rabbit, whom he scolded for eating too many carrots, and Mr. Moose, who loved knock-knock jokes. The animal characters were voiced by Cosmo "Gus" Allegretti. Ahead of his time in recognizing the importance of early learning, Keeshan's Captain built confidence and intellectual development in children who were having too much fun to notice the lessons. "Play is the work of children," he said. "It's very serious stuff. And if it's properly structured in a developmental program, children can blossom."
Captain Kangaroo most will remember--a grandfatherly
figure (though Keeshan was just 28 at the beginning) who spoke directly to the
camera, with no audience, no children in the cast, no intermediaries in the
conversation he was having with his at-home viewers. "One of the reasons I
work in television today," said David Kleeman, executive director of the
Chicago-based American Center for Children and Media, "is because, when I
was 4 or 5, I said `Hello' to Captain Kangaroo when he came on the screen, and
he said `Hello' back to me. I really believed that he was talking to me. And I
think he would have agreed. We're losing the generation of children's TV hosts
who made a new mass medium personal--who could talk into the camera as though
we were the only person on the other side."
In later life Keeshan spoke often about the importance of good parenting. `Role models' "Parents are the ultimate role models for children," he said. "Every word, movement and action has an effect. No other person or outside force has a greater influence on a child than the parent." [Emphasis added]
Keeshan insisted that viewers must always feel special, never just part of a huge audience. He screened advertising to assure that what he considered exploitative commercials would never be shown. Over the years, his stewardship of "Captain Kangaroo" was abundantly rewarded. The show won six Emmy Awards, three Gabriel’s for "uplifting" programming from a Catholic media group and three Peabody Awards.
Fitness Friday
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.
25 Ways to Re-Create[5]
Plan 4 – 12 this year
1.
Saltwater Fishing
Saltwater
fishing reconnects you with creation while offering endless skill development;
start with the Saltwater Fishing Guide (takemefishing.org in Bing),
review beginner techniques,
and check NOAA’s marine safety overview.
2.
Bird Watching
Bird
watching is contemplative and restorative; explore species through the Audubon
Birding Portal, learn identification basics from the Cornell
Lab of Ornithology, and track sightings with eBird.
3.
Alpine Skiing
Alpine
skiing remains accessible with proper conditioning; read senior‑specific tips
from Deer Skiers (deerskiers.org in Bing),
check resort safety guidelines via NSAA,
and review gear basics at REI’s ski guide (rei.com in Bing).
4.
Winter Nordic Walking
Nordic
walking provides joint‑friendly winter conditioning; learn the benefits from
Harvard Health (health.harvard.edu in Bing),
explore technique videos from the American Nordic Walking Association,
and review pole‑selection guidance at REI (rei.com in Bing).
5.
Overnight Backpacking
Backpacking
restores mind and body through multi‑day immersion; begin with the REI
Backpacking for Beginners Guide (rei.com in Bing),
check Leave No Trace principles at LNT.org,
and explore route planning through AllTrails.
6.
Snowshoeing
Snowshoeing
is low‑impact winter cardio; learn basics from the REI Snowshoeing Guide (rei.com in Bing),
review technique videos from Tubbs Snowshoes (tubbssnowshoes.com in Bing),
and check winter safety tips at NWS
Winter Safety.
7. Pickleball
Pickleball
offers agility and community without high‑impact falls; start with the USA
Pickleball Beginner Guide (usapickleball.org in Bing),
learn rules through their official rulebook (usapickleball.org in Bing),
and explore senior‑friendly play tips at Pickleball
Portal.
8.
Trail Hiking with Intervals
Trail
hiking with intervals builds endurance safely; find routes on AllTrails,
review hiking safety from the American
Hiking Society, and explore pole‑use benefits at REI (rei.com in Bing).
Military‑Style
Adventures Integrated
9.
Rucking (Military‑Style Weighted Walking)
Rucking
builds posture, stamina, and mission‑mindset; learn fundamentals from the
GORUCK Beginner Guide (goruck.com in Bing),
review weight‑selection advice from Men’s Health (menshealth.com in Bing),
and explore veteran ruck events at Team
RWB.
10.
Orienteering (Land Navigation)
Orienteering
sharpens navigation and decision‑making; explore events through Orienteering
USA, learn map‑and‑compass basics from REI (rei.com in Bing),
and practice skills using CalTopo’s free maps.
11.
Snorkeling
Snorkeling
offers gentle underwater exploration; browse global sites at the Snorkeling
Report, learn gear basics from PADI,
and review ocean safety at NOAA’s Beach Safety (noaa.gov in Bing).
12.
Bowhunting
Bowhunting
blends strength, patience, and outdoor skill; begin with the Bowhunter
Education Portal, explore gear guidance at Easton
Archery, and review ethical hunting principles at Boone
& Crockett.
13.
Cross‑Country Skiing
Cross‑country
skiing is one of the best full‑body workouts; learn basics from the Cross
Country Ski Areas Association, explore technique videos at XC
Ski Academy, and review gear tips at REI (rei.com in Bing).
14. Water Fitness for Active Adults
Water
fitness is joint‑friendly and invigorating; explore senior‑specific routines at
ACE Fitness (acefitness.org in Bing),
review aquatic safety at Red Cross Water Safety (redcross.org in Bing),
and learn pool‑exercise variations at SilverSneakers (silversneakers.com in Bing).
15.
Fly Fishing
Fly
fishing is contemplative and skill‑rich; learn through Fly
Fishers International, explore casting tutorials at Orvis Fly
Fishing Learning Center (howtoflyfish.orvis.com in Bing),
and review conservation ethics at Trout
Unlimited.
16.
Veterans Hiking Groups
Veterans
hiking groups combine fitness and camaraderie; find local chapters through Team
RWB, explore veteran‑specific outdoor programs
at Sierra Club Military Outdoors,
and check adaptive options at Wounded
Warrior Project.
17.
Battlefield Walks (NPS Military Parks)
Battlefield
walks offer gentle terrain and deep history; explore sites through the NPS
Military Parks Portal (nps.gov in Bing),
review ranger‑led tour schedules at each park’s page, and learn historical
context through the American Battlefield Trust.
18.
Sailing
Sailing
blends peace and skill; start with the American Sailing Association (asa.com in Bing),
review safety guidelines at the U.S.
Coast Guard Boating Safety Division,
and explore beginner knots at Animated Knots (animatedknots.com in Bing).
19.
Rail‑Trail Cycling
Rail‑trail
cycling is smooth and scenic; find routes at the Rails‑to‑Trails
Conservancy, review bike‑fit basics at REI (rei.com in Bing),
and explore senior‑friendly cycling tips at Cycling
UK.
20.
Surfing or Boogie Boarding
Surfing
remains possible with modifications; learn basics from the International
Surfing Association, explore senior‑friendly surf tips at Surfline,
and review ocean safety at NOAA’s Rip Current Safety (noaa.gov in Bing).
21.
Scuba Diving
Scuba
diving offers unmatched underwater beauty; begin with PADI,
review senior‑specific considerations at Divers
Alert Network, and explore gear basics at Scuba
Diving Magazine.
22. Aviation Heritage Tours
Aviation
tours connect you with mission, machinery, and American grit; explore locations
through the Commemorative Air Force Museum Network,
review air‑museum listings at the National Museum of the USAF (nationalmuseum.af.mil in Bing),
and check local events via AirshowStuff.
23.
Adaptive Obstacle Courses
Adaptive
obstacle courses offer military‑inspired challenge without high impact; explore
options through the Spartan
Trail & Obstacle Programs, review senior‑friendly training tips at Verywell
Fit, and check mobility‑friendly events at Challenged
Athletes Foundation.
24.
Sea Kayaking
Sea
kayaking is stable and rhythmic; learn basics from the REI Kayaking Guide (rei.com in Bing),
explore safety tips at the American
Canoe Association, and review gear recommendations at Paddling.com.
25.
Stand‑Up Paddling (SUP)
SUP
builds balance and serenity; start with the REI SUP Beginner Guide (rei.com in Bing),
review technique videos at SUPboarder,
and explore safety tips at the American
Canoe Association.
Friday Fish
This shrimp in marsala sauce can be served
over pasta or rice. This is a delicious Friday night dinner.
DIRECTIONS
Dredge shrimp in flour; sauté in oil 3 minutes. Drain shrimp, reserving oil. Add wine to shrimp; simmer 5 minutes or until shrimp is nearly done. Add reserved oil, tomato paste mixed with water, scallion, salt, and pepper; simmer 5 minutes longer or until shrimp is done. Stir in lemon juice. Makes 4 servings. Recipe Source: Cook's Blessings, The by Demetria Taylor, Random House, New York, 1965
Daily
Devotions
·
Unite in the work of the Porters of St.
Joseph by joining them in fasting: Today's Fast: Protection of Life from Conception until natural
death.
·
Offering to the
sacred heart of Jesus
·
Rosary.
[3]http://www.usccb.org/about/pro-life-activities/january-roe-events/nine-days-of-prayer-penance-and-pilgrimage.cfm
[4]Charles Leroux, Tribune senior correspondent Chicago
Tribune, January 24, 2004
[6] Sheraton, Mimi. 1,000 Foods To Eat Before You
Die: A Food Lover's Life List (p. 892). Workman Publishing Company. Kindle
Edition.
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