Posts
Rachel’s Corner Try an “Blue Mountain Coffee”
· Spirit hour: “Benedictine” in honor of St. Francis de Sales
· Bucket List Trip: Hang with Joc Cousteau in Fiji
· 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
· How to celebrate Jan 29th
o Feeling adventurous? Start your day with a challenging puzzle to kick things off on a stimulating note. Engage your brain and have fun working through it. Once your mind is warmed up, head outside for some fresh air. Consider supporting a cause by taking part in a beach cleanup or donating to a local charity. When you’re done, treat yourself to some delicious corn chips, perhaps with a homemade dip. Embrace the spirit of creativity by arranging a bouquet of carnations for a loved one, or brighten up your own space. Take a moment to reflect on your beliefs and celebrate individuality on Freethinkers Day. Dive into the rich traditions of Korean, Lunar, or Chinese New Year by learning about different cultures or trying out a new recipe. End your day surrounded by good company, engaging in stimulating conversations, and cherishing the moments shared with your loved ones
Best Place to visit in January: Tucson, Arizona
I’m a big fan of this vibrant city located in the Sonoran Desert. During the summer months the temperatures can be very hot, so I visit during the winter months instead.
It’s been dubbed the ‘City of Gastronomy’ by UNESCO, and when I’m here I always sample the tasty cuisine which has been inspired by a huge range of influences from Spanish and Native American to Mexican. I’m also always charmed by the spectacular natural beauty which is made up of a stunning surrounding mountain range, national parks and pine forests.
Om my trip, I visited the scenic Saguaro National Park, the majestic Mount Lemmon, the extraordinary Colossal Cave Mountain Park, the beautiful open-air museums and gardens, and the interesting old town which was filled with striking Spanish Colonial and Mexican buildings.
Visitor Center Address: Southern Tucson Visitor Center, 115 N. Church Ave. Tucson, AZ 85701
Average temperature – 44 to 64
My personal highlights…
Taking an underground tour at Kartchner Caverns State Park and discovering the stunning cave formations.
Visiting Pima Air and Space Museum, the world’s largest aerospace museum. I thought the narrated tram tour was awesome!
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
Theme: Atlantic Gatekeeping, Eucharistic Steadiness, Maritime Vigilance, Iberian Light
Dates: Fri, Jan 30 – Thu, Feb 5
🇪🇸 Naval Station Rota – Atlantic Gatekeeping & Eucharistic Steadiness
Day 1 – Fri, Jan 30 – Arrival & Base Orientation
Lodging: Navy Gateway Inns & Suites – Rota
Evening: Walk along Playa de la Costilla
Orientation at Rota Fitness Center
Day 2 – Sat, Jan 31 – Cathedral & Coastal Recreation
Morning: Cathedral of Jerez (turismojerez.com in Bing)
Afternoon Outdoor Rec: MWR Rota Outdoor Recreation (navymwrrota.com in Bing)
Evening: Bowling or intramural sports
Day 3 – Sun, Feb 1 – Sunday Mass & Maritime Witness
Catholic Mass: Naval Station Rota Chapel (navymwrrota.com in Bing)
Afternoon: Civic witness in Cádiz Cádiz Tourism
Evening: Community Center resilience night
Day 4 – Mon, Feb 2 – Fitness & Andalusian Culture
Morning: Rota Fitness Center (navymwrrota.com in Bing)
Afternoon: Jerez Alcázar (turismojerez.com in Bing)
Dinner: Tapas + sherry pairing in Jerez
Day 5 – Tue, Feb 3 – Fortress Harbors & Outdoor Rec
Morning: Castillo de San Sebastián (cadizturismo.com in Bing)
Outdoor Rec: MWR Rota Outdoor Recreation (navymwrrota.com in Bing)
Evening: Bowling league
Day 6 – Wed, Feb 4 – Monastic Clarity & Civic Witness
Morning: Monasterio de la Cartuja (turismojerez.com in Bing)
Afternoon: Civic witness in El Puerto de Santa María Tourism Portal
Evening: Community Center resilience
Day 7 – Thu, Feb 5 – Firelight Finale
Ritual Act: Candlelight vigil on the beach or balcony
Pour wine into a chalice, light a candle, and name one “harbor” God brought you safely into.
Final workout: Rota Fitness Center
JANUARY 29 Thursday
Exodus, Chapter 9, Verse 27-30
Then Pharaoh sent for Moses and Aaron and said to
them, “I have sinned this time! The LORD is the just one, and I and my people
are the ones at fault. Pray to the LORD! Enough of the thunder
and hail! I will let you go; you need stay no longer.” Moses
replied to him, “As soon as I leave the city I will extend my hands to the
LORD; the thunder will cease, and there will be no more hail so that you may
know that the earth belongs to the LORD. But as for you and your servants,
I know that you do not yet FEAR the
LORD God.”
This was the seven
plague of God on the Egyptians and of course Pharaoh had closed his ears and
heart to God. Thunder was to the Egyptians the voice of God but they did not
listen nor did the hail melt the ice of their hearts to the true God. Because
God loves us He sometimes permits plagues in our lives that will bring about an
exodus from our sin and a melting of our heart. When we are poor in spirit it
is then that we can draw near to the Lord.
A young man
approached Jesus and said, “Teacher, what good must I do to gain eternal life?”
He answered him, “Why do you ask me about the good? There is only One who is
good. If you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments.” He asked him,
“Which ones?” And Jesus replied, “You shall not kill; you shall not commit
adultery; you shall not steal; you shall not bear false witness; honor your
father and your mother; and you shall love your neighbor as yourself.” The
young man said to him, “All of these I have observed. What do I still lack?”
Jesus said to him, “If you wish to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give
to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” When
the young man heard this statement, he went away sad, for he had many
possessions. (Mt. 19:16-22)
Today might be a good day to make a poor man feast.
Poor Man’s Feast[1]
Recipe originally uploaded to YouTube by
91-year-old cook and great grandmother, Clara, who recounts her childhood
during the Great Depression as she prepares meals from the era.
DIRECTIONS
Prepare the vegetables: Dice the onion.
Peel the potatoes and dice into cubes no larger than 1/2 inch.
Heat the oil in a 12" non-stick
skillet over medium heat.
Add the potatoes and cook for 5 minutes,
stirring once.
Add the onion and cook for another 5
minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the sliced wieners and cook for
another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
INGREDIENTS
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 medium onion, diced.
2 lbs potatoes, peeled and diced small.
5 hot dogs, sliced into rounds (about 10 oz)
8 ounces tomato sauce
1/4 teaspoon salt (to taste)
2 teaspoons sugar
Copilot’s Take
🌩 Reflection: When Power Bargains With the Thunder
Evil always reveals itself when it is cornered, and history gives us no
shortage of examples. Pharaoh begged Moses to stop the thunder, not because he
feared God, but because he feared losing control. And in our own era, we’ve
watched public figures—Bill and Hillary Clinton among them—step into that same
ancient pattern. When scandal, exposure, or national scrutiny pressed in, the
instinct was not repentance but negotiation: “Just stop the thunder. Just quiet
the storm. Just let the consequences pass.” It is the universal reflex of power
confronted by truth. Whether in Washington, in state capitals, or in the eight
or ten states that seem perpetually at odds with the moral foundations that
once held us together, the pattern is the same: bargaining instead of
conversion, image‑management instead of humility, survival instead of
surrender. But Scripture teaches us that thunder is not the enemy; it is the
mercy of God shaking loose what refuses to bow. Kansas learned this in its own
crucible—Bleeding Kansas, burned towns, murdered settlers, and a frontier that
refused to let slavery cross its borders. Moral clarity is costly, and
confronting evil requires endurance, not theatrics. The saints fear the Lord;
Pharaoh feared the storm. And every generation must decide which fear will
govern its future.
Bible in a
Year Day 211 Called by Name
Fr. Mike emphasizes our title as children of God as we read about the tragedy of the Babylonian exile. Even in our lowest moments, God wants us to know that he has called us each by name and has called us his, because a good Father does not abandon his children. Today's readings are Isaiah 43-44, Ezekiel 4-5, and Proverbs 12:5-8.
Kansas Day-Toto We are not in Kansas anymore[2]
Kansas Day Facts
- Kansas was
the first state to ratify the 15th amendment, thus allowing African
American men the right to vote. The 15th amendment reads, the right
of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged
by the United States or by any State on account of race, color, or
previous condition of servitude.
- Kansas is one
of the highest producing agricultural states in the U.S. It is believed
that they produce enough wheat in one year to provide everyone in the
world with several loaves of bread.
- The state of
Kansas gets its name from the Kansa people, a Native tribe of Siouan who
lived along the Kansas and Saline rivers. The name comes from the
Siouan-language phrase meaning, people of the south wind.
Kansas Day Top Events and Things to Do
- Visit the Old
Cowtown Museum in Wichita,
Kansas. It is one of the U. S’s oldest history museums and is home to more
than 50 historic and re-created buildings.
- Visit the
Strataca Underground Salt Museum Museum in
Hutchinson, Kansas. It is a popular museum built within one of the world's
largest deposits of rock salt. It lets visitors explore tunnels and travel
650 feet underground.
- Watch a movie
representative of Kansas and its notable figures. Here are our
suggestions:
Amelia (2009)
The Wizard of Oz (1939)
The Texans (1938)
Daily
Devotions
·
Unite in the work of the Porters of St. Joseph by joining them
in fasting: Today's Fast: The lonely and
destitute
·
Offering to the sacred heart of Jesus
·
Rosary
Corsair (1931) — Thelma Todd
Pre‑Code Crime • Roland West • 75 minutes
🎭 Principal Cast
- Chester Morris — John Hawks
- Thelma Todd (as Alison Loyd) — Alison Corning
- Fred Kohler — Big John
- Noah Beery — Gregg
- Mayo Methot — Marie
📘 Synopsis
A college football hero, pushed by his ambitious sweetheart Alison Corning, enters the world of high finance only to discover its corruption. Disillusioned, he becomes a Prohibition‑era pirate, hijacking rum‑runners aboard a sleek vessel called The Corsair. His vigilante crusade draws him deeper into danger, forcing him to choose between moral clarity and the seductive world Alison represents.
⭐ Thelma Todd’s Role
- Credited under the name Alison Loyd, a brief studio rebranding.
- Plays a socialite whose ambition and charm push the protagonist toward both success and ruin.
- Serves as the film’s moral temptation, contrasting with the more grounded characters around her.
- A transitional performance before her breakout comedic work with the Marx Brothers and Hal Roach.
🎥 Production Notes
- Director: Roland West
- Cinematography: Ray June
- Music: Alfred Newman (early career)
- Style: Fast-paced, atmospheric, and unmistakably pre‑Code in its treatment of crime, liquor, and moral ambiguity.
- Tone: A blend of Wall Street cynicism and maritime adventure.
🧭 Themes
- Corruption vs. integrity
- The lure of wealth
- Prohibition‑era moral gray zones
- The cost of ambition
- Masculine honor in a compromised world
🍸 Hospitality Pairing
Drink: The Rum‑Runner’s Vigil — dark rum, lime, a whisper of vermouth, shaken cold
Meal: Seared steak tips with charred peppers — rugged, simple, seafaring energy
false ambition:
When the world promises power, prestige, or quick gain, the soul must discern whether the invitation is a calling or a corruption. John Hawks’ descent into piracy mirrors the spiritual drift that occurs when ambition outruns virtue.
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