Posts
Thursday after Sexagesima-Carnival[1]
How to Party like a Catholic[2]
Postmodern man—and postmodern woman—don’t know how to give a good party. It’s up to us Catholics to reclaim this lost art and share it with the world.
Why?
Because good parties are intrinsic to our Catholic faith. The
liturgical year is punctuated with a wide array of feast days and celebrations,
many of which are Christianized versions of holidays that once closely tracked
the agricultural calendar of planting and harvesting. The two largest and
best-known feasts are, of course, Christmas and Easter, but there are also the
two Christmas and Easter spin-offs, Epiphany and Pentecost. In addition,
there’s the feast of Mary, Mother of God (New Year’s Day); Ascension Thursday;
Corpus Christi; the feast of the Immaculate Conception; All Saints Day (with
Halloween and the Day of the Dead); and, the most famous party of all, Mardi
Gras, which has strayed far from its Catholic origin as the last celebration
before the Lenten fast but still embodies a certain Catholic sensibility. Above
all, every Sunday for Catholics is a feast day on which we celebrate Christ’s
resurrection. Only in Lent and the mini-Lent of Advent is it not party time,
but even in these two seasons, there are exceptions for St. Valentine’s Day,
St. Patrick’s Day, St. Nicholas’s Day, and other feasts.
Of
course, as the Church wisely realizes, feasts are more fun if preceded by
fasts. The stricter the fast, the merrier the feast. Truly the Catholic
tradition has mastered the art of well-timed, heavily scheduled, carefully
orchestrated good times.
The
occasion of a sacrament—baptism, confirmation, or matrimony—is the best
possible opportunity for a good party. In fact, many Catholics take it for
granted that a wedding should be marked by a grand feast. The bigger and more
elaborate the feast, the more it conforms to the biblical model in John 2:1-11
of the wedding feast at Cana. Mary, Jesus, and His disciples all attend. In the
middle of the party, the wine runs out. Mary explains this difficult situation
to her son; after all, the gospel implies, it won’t be much of a party without
wine. After an exchange with His mother, Jesus asks those in charge to fill six
stone pots with water. "And they filled them to the brim," John says.
When the host tastes the water, he is startled to discover that Jesus has
changed it to wine, and not just any wine but the best they will have all
night. Hence, Jesus’ first miracle was not a solemn occasion, as one might
expect, but a celebration.
Party Poopers
You
might expect that such a remarkable story as this, one that recounts Jesus’
first public display of divine power, would be standard fare in evangelical
Protestant pulpits, where the words of the Bible take precedence over any
liturgical design. Not so. If you have ever attended a Southern Baptist
wedding, for example, you know why: There is no feast. The ceremony lasts
perhaps 20 minutes at most, and then the entire crowd descends to the social
hall under the church to eat pastel butter mints and cake and sip a tiny cup of
fizzy, pink, nonalcoholic punch. Wine is forbidden by tradition, so no one is
looking for any. The whole affair is over in less than an hour. Baptists may be
people of the Book, but they certainly are not people of the party. So much for
living the words of Scripture.
How
did the wedding feast, so joyously celebrated at Cana, come to be the dreary
occasion that it is in the Baptist tradition?
Like members of other non-liturgical faiths, Southern
Baptists tend to reject regularly scheduled intervals of joy, sadness,
celebration, and suffering, less for explicit doctrinal reasons than because it
all just seems too, well, Catholic.
Protestants
have traditionally found the Catholicity of Christian holidays deeply
problematic. During the colonial period, Massachusetts actually outlawed
Christmas, and the controversy about whether to put up a lighted tree in church
still erupts in evangelical congregations. If Protestant Americans had been
left to their own devices, we would celebrate only Thanksgiving (which is
actually a version of St. Martin’s Day, November 11) and the Fourth of July.
This
aspect of the Catholic faith is as conspicuous to outsiders as it is taken for
granted by us: One day we are eating pancakes and throwing parties for Fat
Tuesday, and the next day, Ash Wednesday, we are walking around with ashes on
our foreheads repenting for our sins.
What
is it about us Romanists and our ways?
The Bible, it turns out, is filled with fabulous parties. Think of the parable of the prodigal son. When he returns to his father’s home with a contrite heart after living the high life, he is not given broth and sent to bed. No, his father says, "bring hither the fatted calf, kill it, and let us eat and be merry; for this my son," as if to show that home is where the high life actually is. St. Clement of Alexandria wrote: "The repentant son came to the pitying father, never hoping for these things—the best robe, and the ring, and the shoes—or to taste the fatted calf, or to share in gladness, or enjoy music and dances; he would have been contented with obtaining what in his own estimation he deemed himself worthy." Instead, he got it all. Given this spirit of liberality in one of Jesus’ own parables, a good Catholic should be prepared to throw a great party whenever the opportunity arises. Now, it’s true that merrymaking cannot be the sum total of the way we live. The ever-stern St. Francis de Sales, in his Introduction to the Devout Life, warns against excessive frivolity.
But he does affirm that
balls and festivities are not evil in themselves and can even be used for good.
"It is lawful to amuse yourself, to dance, dress, feast, and see seemly
plays," he affirms. The proviso is that the good times must not hinder,
but help, devotion.
Boring Parties
·
What is striking about modern life is how dull
our attempts at frivolity often turn out to be, not only because they are not
interrupted by fasting and prayer, as they should be, but also because we have
lost the art of how to throw a good party.
·
We’ve all had the experience of walking into a
party where we know only a few people, and all the rest are talking among
themselves. We find someone we know and hope he doesn’t mind if we talk
exclusively to him for, oh, the entire length of the party.
·
We know we are supposed to mingle with the
others, but no matter how many tips on that we’ve heard or read, mingling never
seems to work. Some people resent intrusions into their conversations, and in
any case, there usually doesn’t seem to be much to talk about. The most we can
hope for is a good opportunity to make an inconspicuous exit.
·
Thousands of parties like this come and go
without leaving any impression on the guests. The host is left with a huge mess
and not much else to show for it. It’s no wonder that many people are
disinclined to hold parties, or that they do it only when they have to, or that
they invite only the in-crowd when they can get away with it, or that they
never attempt much in the way of food and drink beyond chips and beer.
Find a Reason to Party
It doesn’t have to be this way. All parties should have an ostensible reason for being. This is what makes them communal occasions and provides a reason why all these people should be together in one spot at the same time. With a theme, people have a mental hook, so that they can later think: "I loved that St. Cecilia party" Fortunately, our liturgical calendar provides plenty of ideas for themes. Saints’ days are the perfect excuses for celebrations, and it helps that these days rarely step on the more conventional party excuses of everyone else.
Here’s
why theme parties are out of fashion: We live in a culture obsessed with the
fear of violating someone else’s conscience. We don’t impose our values on
others, and we never assert the superiority of our own or point out problems
with others’ points of view. If we happen to have values, that’s fine, but we
dare not suggest that others should adopt them. That would be bad form. A theme
party is typically seen as an imposition on the conscience. For example, say
you invite guests to your house to celebrate the feast of St. Blaise on
February 3.
What
if they don’t like this saint, or they think saints are generally weird? What
if they aren’t in the mood? Why should your priorities trump theirs? Isn’t it
manipulative to tell people how they should feel?
These are the kinds of deconstructionist fears that tacitly
haunt us and keep us from setting a theme for an evening. The Catholic liturgy,
however, assigns themes to practically every day. We are supposed to mourn on
Good Friday and then two days later shout, "Alleluia."
Is
this manipulative?
Not at all. Theologian Michael Foley of Boston College points
out that the purpose of gathering together is to experience something together.
He writes in his online liturgy manual (www.holytrinitygerman.org):
"From the exilic pining of Septuagesima to the austerity of Lent, from the
grief of Passiontide to the jubilance of the Pasch, the Church, by staggering
its feasts and observances in a particular order, enables the faithful to
experience a number of holy feelings as one. Indeed, the emotional range of the
traditional Roman rite is perhaps the most variegated in all of
Christendom."
Liturgical
themes for parties are great, especially if they involve a sacrament. But the
theme doesn’t have to be solemn and liturgical. It can be a mere excuse: to
celebrate the opening of a great bottle of wine, to commemorate the hanging of
a new painting, to mark the first day of summer, to eat an unusual food, to
blow off steam after final exams. It takes very little creativity to come up
with a good idea for a party. Even foolish themes are fun, like the "white
elephant" parties of the 1950s, to which guests brought worthless gifts.
The Big Moment
· Even more important than the theme of the party is the central moment of the party: Someone clinks a glass and makes an announcement that unifies the guests as a group. Ninety-nine percent of parties do not include this crucial feature, which is why most are unsatisfying. A group event of some sort underscores the reason for the party and gives people something to remember about it besides a few isolated conversations.
·
Toasts are invaluable for this purpose. When
making a toast, don’t worry about being eloquent. Something as simple as
"To St. Joseph the Worker" is enough.
Whatever
happened to dinner parties?
They are becoming ever rarer. Today, food at parties mostly
consists of snacky things you can pick up with your fingers, the better to stay
on the move with. But the whole premise of moving around a party is wrong. It’s
important that people be able to sit, so they can listen and share a group
moment. Try having a dinner party and see what happens. You don’t have to have
a huge dining table. Even if everyone is sitting on folding chairs eating
chili, it is far better than yet another round of chips, dips, and existential
isolation. And by the way, today’s emphasis on the quality of food at parties
is wildly misplaced. You can hire the best catering service in town or knock
yourself out cooking for days, but if you have no theme, no central moment, and
no place for your guests to sit, the best snacks on the planet are not going to
save your party.
Pick Your Poison
It
happens all the time. You walk into your friends’ house for a party. They ask
you what you want to drink and then run through a list of options: orange
juice, diet and regular Coke and Sprite, Miller Lite, Bud Lite, sparkling
water, V8, cran-apple juice, Fresca, coffee, ten more unappealing liquids, and,
finally, water. You suddenly get this vague sense that maybe the V8 has been
around awhile, or the Sprite may be flat, or the coffee not made, or the
Fresca—do they even make that anymore? In the end, someone finally says,
"Oh, I’ll just have a glass of water." Someone else concurs. Folks,
when that happens, the party is over before it begins.
The
way to avoid this catastrophe is to have one official drink of the evening.
"Tonight," you announce, "I am serving champagne
cocktails."
Who
wouldn’t cheer?
Serve them with a cherry or an orange slice, and you have
created a memorable drink. Alternatively, you could serve martinis, or mint
juleps, or some slushy, fruity concoction from the freezer. Whatever it is,
stick to it. If someone doesn’t drink, he’ll say so. You should always have
some fancy water available for nondrinkers and throw in a slice of lemon or
lime for good measure.
What to Wear?
What people should wear to a party is a tricky subject. This
much is an incontrovertible fact: The best parties feature people dressing up,
or at least not wearing torn cutoffs and worn sneakers. But if you tell your
guests to come casual, cutoffs and sneakers is what you will get. Such is the
nature of the times. Just look at what people wear to Mass these days! You can
hardly expect them to show up at your party dressed any better.
People
act nicer and smarter, however, when they wear nice clothes. They sit
straighter and generally feel as though something special is taking place.
Grubby clothes and truly memorable times just don’t mix, unless you are at the
lake or repairing a house or in some other situation that specifically calls
for casual attire.
Dress
codes can seem like an imposition to some these days. I handle it by telling
guests, "Feel free to dress up" or, "I’ll be in a coat and
tie." It’s a way of leaving their options open while delivering a strong
hint. Finally, don’t rule out telling your guests that the dress is black tie.
If it’s New Year’s Eve, this can make the evening even more joyful.
Can
we have a break from rock music, please?
Classical music is perfectly festive. Try Schubert’s Trout
Quintet, Mozart’s string quintets, Bach’s orchestral works, or even light
operas. Chamber music works better at parties than symphonies. Pre-World War II
jazz has an endless capacity to charm. Old and new movie soundtracks are always
fun. How about bluegrass? The idea is to play something that is not too
intrusive but isn’t boringly familiar either.
Catholic
liturgical music is great, but it should be reserved for Mass and Vespers, not
parties. Always remember Pope St. Clement’s dictum from the first century: no
pagan music at liturgy and no liturgical music at minstrel shows or other
non-sacred occasions. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t listen to and enjoy
Machaut and Byrd at home, but parties aren’t the right times to push this
repertoire.
My final musical note: If someone in the group can play the piano and there’s one in your home, it should be compulsory that he play.
It’s Mokerville
More
important than the specifics of a party are the spirit. The spirit of a good
party is a variant of the spirit of good liturgy: a work of a community of
people that follows a plan. "Every religion has its feasts," the Catholic
Encyclopedia says, "but none has such a rich and judiciously
constructed system of festive seasons as the Catholic Church."
It’s
time we lived up to our religious tradition by putting some effort and thought
into our parties. Given the generally dull tenor of the times, you will
suddenly become a famous and much-heralded host or hostess by making a little
effort at being countercultural. And you will also help demonstrate to others,
in the tradition of Cana, that we Catholics are not always dour and penitent,
but also, at the right time, fun and hospitable people who display our hope
that someday we will join the heavenly banquet, the most wonderful party of
all. It’s part of our heritage and our faith.
5 Best Mardi Gras Celebrations Not in New Orleans[3]
New Orleans has hosted an official Mardi Gras parade nearly every year since 1837, with only 13 cancellations due mostly to war. With a yearly attendance around 1.4 million, it’s the largest Mardi Gras celebration in the United States. Size isn’t everything though. Cities around the globe celebrate Carnival in their own special way and we’ve highlighted five of the most unique below.
1: Mobile, Alabama
If you head two hours east from New Orleans you’ll land in Mobile, Alabama, the original home of Mardi Gras in the United States. Mobile’s first Fat Tuesday celebration took place in 1703 and the first masked ball began the following year. At that time, Mobile was the capital of French Louisiana but due to fear of hurricane damage, the capital was moved to New Orleans along with the Mardi Gras tradition in 1718. Nearly 150 years later, the Mardi Gras celebration returned to Mobile and it’s now the second largest Fat Tuesday gathering in the country.
The Carnival of Binche is one of Europe’s oldest surviving street carnivals (dating back to the 14th century) and in 2003, it was recognized as an “Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity” by UNESCO. The town begins celebrating several weeks before Ash Wednesday, but the carnival officially begins on the Sunday before and culminates on Mardi Gras when masked men known as Gilles parade through town in their traditional costumes consisting of wooden clogs, wax masks and ostrich-feather hats. After the dressing ceremony in the early hours of Mardi Gras, the Gilles lead a procession through town with musicians, dancers and other costumed participants in tow. The highlight of the day, though, is in the evening when the Gilles head to Binche’s Grand Place to dance under a fireworks display.
Known as the Carnival capital of the world, Rio de Janeiro welcomes approximately 500,000 visitors every year looking to experience one of the most colorful and artistic celebrations in the world. Rio Carnival is a five-day celebration
that begins with the Rio mayor handing an oversized key to the city to someone dressed as King Momo (a mythical character based off Greek mythology and Brazilian folklore). The party takes over the city and eventually culminates with the Samba Parade at the Sambodromo, a stadium specifically built in 1984 for this event. The parade is essentially a competition between samba schools (social clubs with their own colors, flag and supporters) that involves months of preparation. The highly orchestrated events take place over the span of a few days and schools are judged in 10 categories with the results being revealed on Ash Wednesday.
Thursdays are Sacred.
Why not made Thursdays
Catholic Family Night thus making adequate time for God with the family.
Thursdays are next to
Sundays the holiest day of the week. Pope John Paul knew this when he created
the Luminous Mysteries of the Rosary. It was also on Thursday that our Lord
instituted the Mass and last celebrated with the apostles. In a week also our
Lord Ascended into heaven to intercede for us with the Father. It would be a
pious practice to make Thursdays a little special by being in the Lord’s
presence and celebrate Mass.
·
Stations of the Cross: Thursday
before First Friday Devotion
·
Reflection
on making adequate time for God during Lent.
DIRECTIONS
In seed time the sluggard
plows not; when he looks for the harvest it is not there (Proverbs 20:4).
This Lent make time for
God. Adequate time. Ordinarily we assign only minutes a day to him. He knocks
at the door of our hearts. Like the inhospitable inns of Bethlehem, we
seemingly have no welcome. If we let God in, we crowd him into a corner. Yet we
need him so badly in every area of life.
It is difficult to find time for family Lenten renewal. Father works overtime and comes home exhausted. Or he has a pressing evening meeting to attend. Mother is exhausted, the children cranky.
Frequently mothers work
outside their homes. Finding ten or fifteen minutes a day for Lenten projects
or prayer with the family seems an impossibility. I worked when our children
were small — and remember. But somehow living the Church Year remained paramount.
My mother, fretting over Lenten activities, would say, "How can you cut
out Biblical mobiles when your closets look so? And it's almost Easter!"
The closet may have been hastily tidied later. Those precious minutes spent
with the children are theirs for time and eternity.
Mothers go out to work
because they have to as a rule. In certain professions some have time for
children and home. A few work to escape.
Mother is happy turning a
crank That increases the money in somebody's bank; And I feel satisfaction that
mother is free From the sinister task of attending to me.
— G. K. Chesterton, Song for a Crèche
Still others work to give
their children "every advantage." A secular writer recently passed
judgment on the children now "emerging from school, church, and the
station wagon." For him "they face us eloquent with the tormenting discontent
of American youth for which everything is being done, to which everything is
being given, except a reason for living."
St. Paul and again Pius X
have outlined a way of changing this for our children. We are to restore things
in Christ. How many Catholics use only part of the Church's spiritual riches!
This Lent why not take time to tap for your children the treasuries of its
liturgy?
Activity
Source: Holy Lent by Eileen O'Callaghan, The Liturgical Press, Collegeville,
Minnesota, 1975
NOVENA TO THE HOLY FACE
DAILY
PREPARATORY PRAYER
O Most Holy and
Blessed Trinity, through the intercession of Holy Mary, whose soul was pierced
through by a sword of sorrow at the sight of the passion of her Divine Son, we
ask your help in making a perfect Novena of reparation with Jesus, united with
all His sorrows, love and total abandonment.
We now implore all the
Angels and Saints to intercede for us as we pray this Holy Novena to the Most
Holy Face of Jesus and for the glory of the most Holy Trinity, Father, Son and
Holy Spirit. Amen.
Fifth Day
Psalm 5 1, 10-11.
Make me hear rejoicing and gladness, that the bones you have crushed may
revive. From my sins turn away your Face and blot out all my guilt.
Holy Face of Jesus, Sacred
Countenance of’ God, how great is your patience with humankind, how infinite
your forgiveness. We are sinners, yet you love us. This gives us courage. For
the glory of your Holy Face and of the Blessed Trinity, hear and answer us.
Mary our Mother intercede for us, Saint Joseph, pray for us.
Through the merits of your
precious blood and your Holy Face, O Jesus, grant us our petition, Pardon and
Mercy.
Prayer to Saint Joseph
Dear Saint Joseph! Adopt
us as thy children, take charge of our salvation; watch over us day and night;
preserve us from occasions of sin; obtain for us purity of body and soul, and
the spirit of prayer, through thy intercession with Jesus, grant us a spirit of
sacrifice, of humility and self-denial; obtain for us a burning love for Jesus
in the Blessed Sacrament, and a sweet, tender love for Mary, our Mother.
Saint Joseph, be with us
in life, be with us in death and obtain for us a favorable judgment from Jesus,
our merciful Savior. Amen.
Pray one (1) Our Father,
(3) Hail Mary’s, (1) Glory Be.
O Bleeding Face, O Face Divine, be every adoration Thine. (Three times)
The Devil and Temptations[4]
There
are many and varied ways in which sin and evil are presented to us in an
attractive way.
Curing Sickness by Superstition ("Curanderos" And "Santeros")
·
It doesn't matter if there are statues,
holy water, crucifixes, prayers to Jesus, Mary and the saints, if there is any
superstitious practice it is evil. These are some examples:
o
using charms or a tomato to wash one's
body, putting the remainder under the bed,
o
cleaning one's body with eggs or lemons and
burning the materials with charcoal,
o
Using rose water and alcohol for healing.
(In one case this was prepared by placing a skeleton in the water for six
hours, followed by singing and praying over the water.)
·
Sometimes a "curandero" gives a
special vitamin to take or even prescribes "Catholic" prayers to be
said. None of these "prayers" should be said in these circumstances
because they were prepared under the influence of evil. Other examples include:
o
Taking a special bath prepared with wine,
flowers, bread, cinnamon, black sugar, and water from a river.
o
Wrapping a person in a special bandage,
cutting off piece by piece, and burying it in a recent grave in the cemetery.
·
Sometimes people pray to God and to the
saints and then go off seeking relief through the kingdom of darkness. Many
times, God does not heal through prayer or doctors because He wants the soul to
be healed first of hatred, jealousy, or some other sin. God knows what He is
doing. We have to choose either the power of God or the power of evil. If you
have any objects used in these false cures, destroy them. Renounce Satan,
renounce this sin, ask God's forgiveness and confess your sin to a priest.
[3]https://www.travelchannel.com/roam-blog/food-culture/best-mardi-gras-celebrations-not-in-new-orleans
Rachel’s Corner Try 28 Seasonal Recipes to Cook in February
· do a personal eucharistic stations of the cross.
· Bucket List Trip: City of Warriors
· Spirit hour: Southern Hospitality
· National Macadamia Nut Month
Best Place to visit in February-San Diego, California
Sun, sea air, and serious winter relief — San Diego ticked every box. I spent my days walking the beaches, exploring outdoors in mild temps, topping up my Vitamin D, and enjoying a quieter, more local side of the city, plus great hotel deals and February’s highlights like San Diego Museum Month, the Chinese New Year Fair, and Mardi Gras in the Gaslamp Quarter.
I drove two hours down the Pacific Coast Highway from Los Angeles and spent five gorgeous days at the chic Tower 23 Hotel — basking on the sands of La Jolla and Coronado, admiring early cherry blossoms at the Japanese Friendship Garden, and spotting gray whales in their peak migration season.
It has year-round sunshine and a mild climate, so when I want to escape from cold, gloomy weather and get a dose of much vitamin D, I head here! I found it to be much quieter and possess a much more local vibe and with awesome discounts on accommodation too.
the lively Old Town, the serene Japanese Friendship Garden, and the many art galleries, museums, and beautiful gardens dotted throughout the city.
· Relaxing with a zen-like Korean Massage at the Aqua Day Spa.
· Hiking along the trails at Torrey Pines State Park, I loved the incredible panoramic views!
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
o February 12-22
Visit the annual Arabian Horse Show in Scottsdale,
Arizona to watch over 2,400 horses compete for a chance at winning the coveted gold title. In between the competitions, there are plenty of kids’ activities like an ice cream social, pony painting (ceramic ponies, not real ones), and art contests. And the best part, kids 17 and under are free.
· Wickenburg, Arizona
§ FEBRUARY 12-15
· Check out Yarnell-St. Joseph of the mountains.
February 12 Thursday
Lincoln-Darwin
Leviticus, Chapter 25, Verse 36
Do
not exact interest in advance or accrued interest,
but out of FEAR
of God let your kindred live with you.
Everyone
serves something. Some serve gain, some serve pleasure, some serve others, but
the wise person serves the Lord not out of servile fear but Holy fear; that is
out of love.
Can
we say with Joshua say, “As for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.”
(Jos. 24:15) If we serve the Lord our own house should be open to our own
kindred.
If
everyone did this, would we have any who are homeless?
Search
your hearts; do you have kindred who are in need?
Sustain them especially widows and orphans; by the way
the divorced are the same as widows and orphans. Real charity is looking after
widows and orphans.
Copilot’s Take
Holy fear teaches us to see people not as burdens but as sacred trusts, and that vision exposes the quiet evil of our age: the willingness to let the vulnerable fend for themselves while we protect our comfort. Scripture’s command not to profit from another’s desperation is more than an economic rule—it is a spiritual posture. It means refusing to participate in a culture that treats human need as an inconvenience or an opportunity. Evil today rarely announces itself with violence; it more often appears as indifference, as the shrug that says, “Someone else will take care of them.” But the fear of God awakens us to the truth that every person who crosses our path is placed there by Providence, and our response reveals whom we truly serve.
In biblical language, widows and orphans are those who
have lost their natural defenders. In our world, that circle has widened. The
single mother juggling survival, the single father carrying the weight of two
roles, the divorced spouse navigating life without support, the elderly living
alone, the immigrant with no kin, the child of a fractured home—these are the
modern equivalents. They are not merely “cases” or “situations”; they are the
ones God repeatedly commands His people to protect. When the Church forgets
them, it forgets its own identity. When a household opens its door to them, it
becomes a fortress of mercy pushing back against the darkness of isolation.
To confront evil today, we do not need grand gestures
or public battles. We need households that echo Joshua’s vow: “As for me and my
house, we will serve the Lord.” Service to the Lord always becomes service to
His vulnerable ones. A Christian home becomes a refuge where the overwhelmed
find rest, the lonely find company, and the abandoned find dignity. This is not
sentimental charity—it is spiritual warfare. It is the quiet, stubborn refusal
to let anyone God loves stand alone.
Bible in a Year Day 225 Our Will vs. God's Will
Fr. Mike reviews one of the most powerful verses in Proverbs, dealing with personal discernment and wanting to follow our own will instead of God's. He also goes into a deeper explanation of the prophet, Jeremiah, and how we ourselves can reflect the actions of Israel in the Old Testament. Today's readings are Jeremiah 2, Ezekiel 28, and Proverbs 14:9-12.
Lincoln's Birthday (1809) celebrates the birthday of Abraham Lincoln, one of the most popular presidents in United States history. It is a state holiday in some states on or around February 12. It's also known as Abraham Lincoln's Birthday, Abraham Lincoln Day or Lincoln Day.
“Character is Destiny” [2] is a book written by John McCain in it he highlights the 16th President, Abraham Lincoln, of the United States as an example of a man who demonstrates for us the characteristic of RESILIENCE. Resilience is the ability to become strong, healthy, or successful again after something bad happens.
Abraham Lincoln had known loss and grief all his life yet rather that than succumb to defeat; he somehow, always found a way to rise back up. He was inarguably a man of action. Although he was known to have chronic depression he never yielded and, in some way, resurrected from his melancholic states thinking, “To remain as I am is impossible; I must die or be better.”
Lincoln rose to the highest office in the land after surviving a hard and poor childhood in the Indiana wilderness, a harsh father, little education, and deep loneliness. He survived the death of his brother, a sister, his mother, his first sweetheart, and his own children and his marriage to Mary Todd was troubled. As president he was considered dismal by most.
How did Lincoln persist?
He willed it. He was neither swift nor brilliant at work, but he was exhaustive; he continued. His resilience sprang from his deep conviction that America was, “the last, best hope of earth.” In the end he paid for his devotion with his life; so that the government of the people, by the people, and for the people shall not perish from the earth.
Darwin Day[3]
Darwin Day commemorates
the achievements and the life of the scientist Charles Darwin. Names like
Albert Einstein, Isaac Newton, Galileo Galilei, and Charles Darwin are among
the most historic names in science. Darwin’s most famous achievement is the development
of the Theory of Natural Selection. The celebration occurs every year on
Darwin’s birthday, February 12th.
Character is Destiny[4]
John McCain pointed out in his book entitled,
“Character is Destiny” that an understanding heart must be generous (Oseola
McCarty), forgiving (Nelson Mandela), tolerant (Four Chaplains), full of mercy
(Mother Antonia), faithful (Christian Guard at Hua Lo prison) and compassionate
(Maximilian Kolbe). John now suggests for us that adding to our understanding
heart we must strive to have a creative mind. A creative mind must be built on
a thirst or curiosity in the mysteries of creation. John points out as an example
of curiosity the renowned Charles Darwin.
McCain says of Darwin:
His curiosity and courage helped him to discover the history of nature and start an argument that has continued for 150 years. A curious thing about the father of the theory of evolution is that he himself was an avowed agnostic, keeping to his scientific methods.
The evolution of all life on earth, including man,
was and still is, in some quarters, considered an affront to the belief that
the progress of the human race over time bears the unmistakable sign of the
divine spark in our nature: but why can we not be content in our faith with the
understanding that God’s divine intelligence, which exists beyond time and
space, and has left us to choose by the exercise of our free will whether to
accept His grace or reject it, could have left nature to work its physical changes
upon us?
We have a second nature, a moral nature, that is not
determined by ecological change but by the workings of our conscience.
Is not our conscience and its effect upon our will
enough confirmation for the believer that God, the Creator, has endowed us with
the divine spark of His love to improve, if we so choose, our second nature in
service to Him?
It is enough, I believe, for anyone who can see in
our struggle to be good a divine purpose, as we may still glimpse in the
wonders of nature the divine intelligence that created it and set it all in
motion.
To believe and follow God is our choice. Not all will follow. Our principal belief is in our salvation not in this life but the next. Man, and nature, even at their cruelest, cannot deny us that, nor the gloriousness of His creation, a gloriousness that human qualities like curiosity have led us to appreciate with humility and awe. Time and the laws of nature do not expose the absence of God, whose proofs are a matter for the heart to contemplate, a matter of faith.
Evolution and the Catholic Church[5]
Early contributions to biology were made by Catholic
scientists such as Jean-Baptiste Lamarck and the
Augustinian friar Gregor Mendel. Since the publication of Charles
Darwin's On the Origin of Species in 1859,
the attitude of the Catholic
Church on the theory of evolution has slowly been refined.
For nearly a century, the papacy offered
no authoritative pronouncement on Darwin's theories. In the 1950 encyclical Humani
generis, Pope Pius
XII confirmed that there is no intrinsic conflict between Christianity and the
theory of evolution, provided that Christians believe that God created all
things and that the individual soul is a direct creation by God and not the product of purely material forces.
Today, the Church supports theistic evolution(ism), also known as evolutionary
creation, although Catholics are free not to believe in any part of
evolutionary theory.
The Catholic Church holds no official position on
the theory of creation or evolution, leaving the specifics of either theistic
evolution or literal creationism to the individual within certain parameters
established by the Church. According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church,
any believer may accept either literal or special
creation within the period of an actual six-day, twenty-four-hour period, or they
may accept the belief that the earth evolved over time under the guidance of
God. Catholicism holds that God initiated and continued the process
of his evolutionary creation and that all humans, whether specially created or
evolved, have and have always had specially created souls for each individual.
Catholic schools in the United States and
other countries teach evolution as part of their science curriculum. They teach
the fact that evolution occurs and the modern
evolutionary synthesis, which is the scientific
theory that explains how evolution proceeds.
Daily Devotions
·
Unite in the work of the Porters of St. Joseph by joining them
in fasting: Today's Fast: Holy Priests, Consecrated, & Religious
·
National Kraut and
Frankfurter Week
·
Offering to
the sacred heart of Jesus
·
Make
reparations to the Holy Face
·
Rosary
fascinating hybrid: part mystery, part stage‑illusion thriller, part early‑sound-era mood piece. It’s also a terrific Edmund Lowe vehicle, and it gives you that atmospheric, slightly uncanny 1930s energy
🎭 The Spider (1931) — Mystery / Illusion Thriller
Starring: Edmund Lowe, Lois Moran, El Brendel
Studio: Fox Film Corporation
Tone: Shadowy, theatrical, psychological, pre‑noir
1. Plot Summary
A famous stage magician known as The Great Chatrand (Edmund Lowe) becomes entangled in a murder mystery when a man is killed during one of his performances. The crime appears to be connected to Chatrand’s past—specifically a buried identity and a long‑standing feud that refuses to stay dead.
As police investigate, Chatrand must navigate:
- A mysterious woman (Lois Moran) who may know more than she admits
- A rival illusionist with motives of his own
- A series of eerie, atmospheric clues tied to hypnotism, memory, and guilt
- A creeping sense that the past is staging a comeback on its own terms
The film blends stagecraft and crime, using illusions as metaphors for hidden sin, concealed identity, and the masks people wear.
2. Classic‑Film Devotional Framework
A. Themes of Identity & Confession
Chatrand’s double life echoes the spiritual tension between who we present to the world and who we truly are.
Perfect for reflections on:
- Integrity
- Repentance
- The unveiling of truth
B. Illusion vs. Reality
The film’s stage‑magic setting becomes a parable:
What we hide eventually demands to be revealed.
This aligns beautifully with your Good Friday–to–Divine Mercy arc.
C. The Pursuit of Truth
The detective elements mirror the spiritual detective work you often highlight—seeking clarity, naming sin, and restoring order.
3. Hospitality Pairing
🍷 Drink Pairing: A Deep, Dark Red
A Cabernet Sauvignon or Syrah—something with shadowy depth.
Symbolism:
- The hidden layers of the soul
- The richness beneath the surface
- The unveiling of truth through slow savoring
🍫 Food Pairing: Dark Chocolate with Sea Salt
The bitterness and sweetness mirror the film’s interplay of guilt and revelation.
🕯️ Ritual Cue
Dim the lights.
Let the room feel like a 1930s theater.
A single candle or lamp evokes the spotlight on truth.
4. Moral & Spiritual Resonance
| Theme | Film Expression | Devotional Tie‑In |
|---|---|---|
| Hidden Sin | Chatrand’s concealed past | Confession, truth-telling |
| Illusion | Stage magic masking reality | The masks we wear before God |
| Justice | The investigation | Divine order restored |
| Identity | Chatrand’s dual nature | Becoming who God calls us to be |
This film is practically built for your legacy‑formation lens.
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