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Rachel’s Corner Try an “Alphonso Mango”
· Martin Luther King Jr. birthday 1929-1969
· Bucket List Trip: Los Cabos
· Spirit hour: Spanish Monk
· Dry January or Ginuary
· 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
o Start your day with a fresh bagel for breakfast, then spend some time reading interesting articles on Wikipedia. If it’s snowing outside, embrace the winter wonderland and participate in some snow-related activities. Don a hat to stay warm and stylish while enjoying the cold weather.
o For lunch, sip on some freshly squeezed juice to stay refreshed. Consider donating to a charity or volunteering to celebrate the spirit of giving on the Feast of the Holy Child. Thank your elementary school teacher for their hard work on Elementary School Teacher Day.
o Indulge in a scoop of strawberry ice cream for dessert and brew a batch of homemade kombucha to celebrate National Booch Day. Take some time to learn about different religions and appreciate diversity on World Religion Day.
o While driving, be mindful of potholes on National Pothole Day and advocate for better road maintenance. Take a moment to honor the bravery and sacrifices of the Indian Army on Indian Army Day.
o End your day by cooking a traditional meal for Pongal, a South Indian harvest festival. Reflect on the importance of agriculture and celebrate the bounty of the harvest season.
Best Place to visit in January: Barbados
Barbados is one of the Caribbean’s top family-friendly destinations and a great place to enjoy some winter sun with little ones. Not only does the island have countless amazing family-friendly resorts and villas, but there’s plenty to do with kids of all ages too.
Young animal lovers will enjoy spotting the monkeys at Barbados Wildlife Reserve, while the amazing 500,000-year-old Harrison’s Cave is definitely a must-visit.
You can also take a cruise around the island to enjoy the beautiful waters or head underwater in a submarine to see the incredible coral reefs up close – great for little explorers who are too young to swim or snorkel yet.
Thursday Feast
Thursday is the day of the week that our Lord gave himself up for consumption. Thursday commemorates the last supper. Some theologians believe after Sunday Thursday is the holiest day of the week. We should then try to make this day special by making a visit to the blessed sacrament chapel, Mass or even stopping by the grave of a loved one. Why not plan to count the blessing of the week and thank our Lord. Plan a special meal. Be at Peace.
Dinner Menu
National Bagel Day-Munch on this doughy, holey bread at every meal, bake your own or host a bagel party to sample a variety of delicious fillings and toppings.[2]
National Hat Day-National Hat Day seeks to celebrate the different styles and types of hats. This day encourages everyone to wear their favorite hat whether that be one that is comfortable, stylistic, or that stands out. People have worn hats for thousands of years whether to protect themselves from the elements or to show status. Today, people still wear hats for similar reasons. No matter the reason, on National Hat Day all hats are celebrated today.[3]
🇩🇪 Ramstein Air Base – Airbridge of Providence
A week of Eucharistic grounding, alliance lifelines, aircrew culture, and spiritual vigilance.
Day 1 – Fri, Jan 16 – Arrival & Airlift Orientation
Lodging:
Ramstein Inn (86fss.com in Bing)
Evening:
Walk through the Kaiserslautern Military Community Center (ramstein.af.mil in Bing)
Orientation at Southside Fitness Center (86 FSS)
Day 2 – Sat, Jan 17 – Airlift Heritage & Recreation
Morning:
Visit the Ramstein North Chapel (ramstein.af.mil in Bing) for Eucharistic grounding
Afternoon Outdoor Rec:
Kaiserslautern forest hike or Rhine River castles via Ramstein Outdoor Recreation (86fss.com in Bing)
Evening:
Bowling at the Ramstein Bowling Center
Day 3 – Sun, Jan 18 – Sunday Mass & Aircrew Witness
Catholic Mass:
9:00 AM at the North Chapel (ramstein.af.mil in Bing)
Afternoon:
Berlin Airlift Memorial (on base)
Evening:
Community Center resilience night
Day 4 – Mon, Jan 19 – Alliance Lifelines & Fitness
86th Airlift Wing Heritage Display
Workout at Southside Fitness Center
Dinner: schnitzel + Riesling
Day 5 – Tue, Jan 20 – Fortress Airfields & Outdoor Rec
Excursion to Speyer Cathedral
Black Forest snowshoe or winter hike
via Outdoor Rec (86fss.com in Bing)
Evening intramurals
Day 6 – Wed, Jan 21 – Monastic Clarity & Aircrew Culture
Visit Maria Laach Abbey
Civic witness in Kaiserslautern old town
Evening resilience at the Community Center
Day 7 – Thu, Jan 22 – Runway Vigil
Candlelight vigil at Ramstein Inn
Ritual Act: Pour wine into a chalice, light a candle, and name one “airbridge” God built in your life
Final workout at Southside Fitness Center
🔑 Key Links (Clean & Embedded)
Ramstein Inn (86fss.com in Bing)
Ramstein Outdoor Recreation (86fss.com in Bing)
Ramstein North Chapel (ramstein.af.mil in Bing)
Kaiserslautern Military Community Center (ramstein.af.mil in Bing)
January 15 Thursday
Genesis, Chapter
43, Verse 23
He replied, “Calm down! Do not FEAR!
Your God and the God of your father must have put treasure in your bags for
you. As for your money, I received it.” With that, he led Simeon out to them.
Being calm under
pressure or threat is the ultimate way we can show trust in God. Here are some
more verses to ponder on calming down:[1]
·
Be angry but do not sin; do not let the sun set on your anger, and
do not leave room for the devil. (Ep. 4:26-27)
·
For God did not give us a spirit of cowardice
but rather of power and love and self-control. (2Tm. 1:7)
·
He hushed the storm to silence; the waves of
the sea were stilled. They rejoiced that the sea grew calm, that God
brought them to the harbor they longed for. (Ps. 107:29-30)
·
He got into a boat and his disciples followed
him. Suddenly a violent storm came up on the sea, so that
the boat was being swamped by waves; but he was asleep. They came and woke him,
saying, “Lord, save us! We are perishing!” He said to them, “Why are you
terrified, O you of little faith?” Then he got up, rebuked the winds and the
sea, and there was great calm. The men were amazed and said,
“What sort of man is this, whom even the winds and the sea obey?” (Mt.
8:23-27)
Many are afraid of our Pope, the president, and the communist new world order—Calm Down! Do not Fear! Remember the Lord’s words to Pilate "You wouldn't have any authority over me if it hadn't been given to you from above.”
Copilot’s Take
The
brothers trembled before an authority they did not understand, yet the
steward’s first words cut through their anxiety: “Calm down. Do not fear.”
Scripture never treats calm as naïveté; it treats it as the fruit of knowing
who truly governs the world. Human power—whether benevolent, confused, or even
hostile—remains secondary, derivative, borrowed. Christ’s words to Pilate echo
through every age: “You would have no authority over me unless it had been
given you from above.” Nothing has changed.
Fear thrives on the
illusion that history is in the hands of the loudest, the strongest, or the
most ideological. Hope thrives on the truth that history is in the hands of
God.
Even when leadership
seems strange, unpredictable, or opposed to the Gospel, Scripture never
instructs the faithful to panic. Instead, it calls them to become signs of a
different kingdom—calm, steady, unafraid. Joseph remained serene under Pharaoh.
Daniel remained faithful under Babylon. The early Church flourished under
emperors who neither understood nor welcomed them. God’s people have always
lived under rulers of every temperament and persuasion, yet the pattern
remains: God writes straight with crooked lines.
So even if a city is
led by someone whose worldview seems foreign or unsettling, the believer’s task
does not change. Hope does not depend on who sits in an office; hope depends on
who sits on the throne. Calm is not passivity—it is confidence that God can
work through, around, or in spite of any system, any ideology, any leader.
The steward in Genesis
speaks a word for every age:
“Your God… must have put treasure in your bags.”
Even in unfamiliar times, God is still placing hidden treasure—grace,
protection, unexpected provision—into the lives of those who trust Him.
Calm down. Do not fear.
The winds and the sea still obey Him.
Bible in a Year Day 198 The Day of the Lord
Fr. Mike
introduces us to the prophet Joel, and the unique timing of his ministry in the
midst of tragedy. He also touches on the prophecy concerning Lucifer and St.
Michael the Archangel, and how the two are directly contrasted to show the
glory of God. Today's readings are Isaiah 14-15, Joel 1-2, and Proverbs 10:17-20.
Daily
Devotions
·
Unite in the work of the Porters of St. Joseph by joining them
in fasting: Today's Fast: For
the Poor and Suffering
·
Offering to
the sacred heart of Jesus
·
Rosary
🎭 Lady of Secrets (1936)
Ruth Chatterton • Otto Kruger • Marian Marsh
A Drama of Wounds, Memory, and the Burden of Love
🎬 Plot Summary (Grounded in Search Results)
The film centers on Celia Whittaker, a reclusive socialite whose life has been shaped — and scarred — by a tragic love affair in her youth. Her emotional volatility and isolation are not random; they are the residue of a wound she has never allowed to heal.
Key plot elements include:
- Celia’s trauma resurfaces when a Fourth of July parade triggers memories of her lost love, Michael.
- Her younger sister Joan becomes engaged to David Eastman, an older professor, even though she truly loves a young doctor named Richard.
- Celia senses the marriage is wrong and warns David she will oppose it if necessary.
- Their domineering father insists the wedding proceed, even attempting to confine Celia to silence her objections.
- A flashback reveals the roots of Celia’s melancholy and the secret that has shaped her life.
The film blends melodrama, psychological portraiture, and family conflict — all anchored by Chatterton’s intense performance.
✝️ Catholic Moral Reflection
This film is a meditation on wounded memory, family pressure, and the quiet heroism of truth-telling.
1. The Wound That Never Heals Without Grace
Celia’s entire life is shaped by a past she refuses to face.
Her isolation is not pride — it is unhealed grief.
Takeaway:
Wounds hidden become wounds that rule us. Grace begins where secrecy ends.
2. The Courage to Oppose a Wrong Marriage
Celia’s warning to David is not meddling — it is moral clarity.
She refuses to let her sister enter a loveless union for convenience or status.
Takeaway:
Love is not sentiment; it is the willingness to speak truth even when it costs us.
3. The Tyranny of Appearances
Mr. Whittaker’s insistence on the marriage reflects a common 1930s theme:
family honor over personal happiness.
Takeaway:
When reputation becomes an idol, people become sacrifices.
4. Memory as a Moral Force
The flashback sequence — though heavy-handed — reveals a profound truth:
our past is not dead; it shapes our present unless redeemed.
Takeaway:
Christian hope does not erase the past; it transforms it.
🍸 Hospitality Pairing: “The Celia Whittaker”
A drink from your bar stock that mirrors the film’s emotional palette — elegant, bittersweet, and layered.
The Celia Whittaker
Ingredients:
- Brandy (memory, depth)
- Sweet vermouth (melancholy sweetness)
- Cointreau (the sharpness of truth)
- A whisper of red wine floated on top (the “secret”)
Build:
Stir brandy, vermouth, and Cointreau over ice.
Strain into a coupe.
Float a teaspoon of red wine — a visual metaphor for the past rising to the surface.
Snack Pairing:
Dark chocolate and dried cherries
— rich, bittersweet, and emotionally resonant.
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