ICEMANforChrist: Monday, March 23, 2026

Monday, March 23, 2026

🔸 March 2026 – Lent: Priesthood & Sacrifice

Mar 2 – Diary of a Country Priest (1951)
Mar 9 – The Nun’s Story (1959)
Mar 16 – The Cardinal (1963)
Mar 23 – The Agony and the Ecstasy (1965)
Mar 30 – Shoes of the Fisherman (1968)

🎬 Production Snapshot

Studio: 20th Century Fox
Director: Carol Reed
Release: 1965
Screenplay: Philip Dunne, based on Irving Stone’s biographical novel
Stars: Charlton Heston, Rex Harrison, Diane Cilento, Harry Andrews
Genre: Historical drama / Biographical epic
Notable: A rare film that dramatizes the spiritual and artistic struggle behind the Sistine Chapel ceiling. Heston and Harrison embody two titanic wills—Michelangelo’s interior vocation and Pope Julius II’s outward mission—locked in a conflict that becomes a meditation on creation, authority, and divine calling.

🧭 Story Summary

Michelangelo Buonarroti (Charlton Heston), already a renowned sculptor, is reluctantly commissioned by Pope Julius II (Rex Harrison) to paint the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. Michelangelo resists, insisting he is a sculptor, not a painter. His first attempt collapses under the weight of his own dissatisfaction, and he abandons Rome for the mountains, seeking clarity in the raw forms of nature.

In the solitude of the quarries, he receives a renewed vision—Creation, Fall, Flood, and the promise of redemption. He returns to Rome with a fire that neither exhaustion, criticism, nor papal impatience can extinguish. Julius II, meanwhile, wages wars, battles illness, and pushes Michelangelo relentlessly, demanding progress even as he himself is transformed by the unfolding beauty above him.

The ceiling becomes a crucible for both men: Michelangelo’s agony of creation and Julius’s agony of leadership. When the frescoes are finally revealed, the ecstasy is not triumph but revelation—beauty born from struggle, vocation purified through conflict, and two flawed men drawn closer to God through the work they fought to complete.

🕰 Historical and Cultural Context

1960s epic filmmaking favored grand historical canvases, and this film stands out for grounding spectacle in spiritual and artistic interiority.
Charlton Heston, known for biblical epics, brings a prophet‑like intensity to Michelangelo—driven, stubborn, and aflame with vocation.
Rex Harrison plays Julius II as both warrior and shepherd, capturing the Renaissance papacy’s blend of political power and spiritual responsibility.
The film reflects mid‑20th‑century fascination with genius as burden, portraying artistic creation as a form of suffering that yields transcendence.
Its attention to the Genesis cycle mirrors a cultural moment hungry for origins, meaning, and the possibility of renewal amid global upheaval.

✝️ Catholic Moral Resonances

Beneath the Renaissance grandeur lies a deeply Catholic meditation on vocation, obedience, and the sanctifying power of beauty.

Vocation as Obedience to Truth
Michelangelo refuses to paint what he does not believe. His agony is fidelity—an artist wrestling with God’s call. This mirrors the Church’s teaching that vocation is not self‑expression but self‑gift.

Authority as a Refining Fire
Julius II’s pressure exposes Michelangelo’s pri
de, but Michelangelo’s persistence exposes Julius’s need for humility. Their conflict becomes mutual sanctification: authority purified by beauty, genius disciplined by obedience.

Creation as Participation in God’s Work
The Genesis frescoes are not decoration; they are catechesis in color and form. Michelangelo becomes a co‑creator, revealing divine truth through human craft.

Suffering as the Path to Revelation
The ceiling is born through exhaustion, misunderstanding, and near collapse. This echoes the Paschal pattern: suffering that yields glory, labor that becomes liturgy.

Beauty as Evangelization
Julius II, hardened by war and politics, is softened and converted by the beauty unfolding above him. The film affirms the Church’s conviction that beauty can pierce the heart where argument cannot.

🍷 Hospitality Pairing

Drink: Tuscan Sangiovese — earthy, structured, tied to the same soil Michelangelo carved and loved. A wine that tastes of stone, labor, and sunlight.

Snack: Pecorino Toscano with figs or honey — simple, monastic, and worthy of a feast day. A pairing that honors both the austerity of the artist and the splendor of the finished work.

Atmosphere:

A single candle or lamp to echo the chapel’s contemplative glow.
Renaissance choral music—Palestrina or Victoria—played softly before the film.
Silence afterward, allowing the viewer to sit with the weight of creation and the grace of completion.

🪞 Reflection Prompt

Where is God asking you to labor in a way that feels costly, slow, or misunderstood—and what vision, once received, would give you the strength to persevere until the work becomes revelation?

Christopher’s Corner

Play the Recorder Month — The Silent Broadsider

Today is Play the Recorder Month, which always brings back one memory from childhood — the kind that proves life with the Iceman was fun, and it was real, but it wasn’t real fun.

We had left Schofield Barracks on Oahu and crossed over to the Big Island, expecting tropical warmth. Instead, the altitude greeted us with a cold that felt like it had blown straight down from the upper slopes. The cabin waiting for us had a fireplace, which should have been our salvation.

But the Iceman — veteran of Antarctica, survivor of the South Pole — was a spectacularly poor fire‑maker. He crouched in front of that hearth like it was a stubborn recruit. Matches snapped. Paper smoldered. Logs refused to cooperate. He ignored all of us completely.

We were freezing. He was determined. And I had a cane flute.

So I played — a soft, wandering tune, the hollow voice of cane drifting through the cold cabin. “Stop that,” he growled.

I stopped. Briefly.

Then the flute rose again, curling around the room like the smoke we still didn’t have.

“Stop. That.”

Silence. Fire struggle. Flute. Repeat.

And then — the miracle.
The fire finally caught. Flames leapt up, crackling triumphantly.

That’s when it happened.

Out of nowhere, without a word, without a warning, without even a shift in the air…

the Silent Broadsider was launched.

A single hand.
A clean strike.
A perfect, wordless broadside delivered with the precision of a man who had survived the ice.

One moment the cane flute was in my hands.
The next moment it was airborne.

Then came the sound:

A whoosh.
A sharp pop as the hollow cane met open flame.
A curl of sweet, smoky scent rising from the hearth.

The Iceman didn’t speak.
He didn’t explain.
He didn’t apologize.

He simply stood there, arms crossed, watching the fire he had finally conquered consume the instrument that had dared to challenge his concentration.

And for the first time all day, the cabin was quiet.

Today’s Drink — The Silent Broadsider

In honor of the Iceman and the cane flute that met its fiery end, today’s drink is The Silent Broadsider — a quiet, steady cocktail that arrives the way his hand did: sudden, decisive, and absolutely final.

It carries:

the cold of the Iceman,

the sweetness of cane,

and the silent strike that ended the music.

A drink for the moment when the fire finally caught…

and so did the flute.

· Eat waffles and Pray for the assistance of the Angels

· Tomorrow is the traditional feast oof St. Gabriel my middle name: Have a Silent Broadsider in his honor

· Bucket List trip: Alaska's Kenai Peninsula

· 30 Days with St. Joseph Day 4

· Try[8]: Celery leaf Salad

o National Tamale Day

§ National Chip and Dip Day

· Monday: Litany of Humility

Part 22: USA 70 Degree Year Journey

Dates: March 23–29, 2026
Theme: Palm Sunday Threshold – The King Approaches in Humility
Route: Bay St. Louis → Pass Christian → Long Beach → Gulfport → Biloxi → Ocean Springs
Style: Quiet, anticipatory pilgrimage; humility, surrender, and readiness for Holy Week
Climate Alignment: Daily highs 70–73°F along the Mississippi Gulf Coast

💰 Estimated Cost Overview

Category	Estimated Cost
Lodging (6 nights)	~$690 (quiet inns + coastal retreats)
Food (daily meals)	~$260
Transit (local driving only)	~$85
Symbolic extras	~$60
Total Estimate	~$1,095

🛏️ Lodging Options

Bay St. Louis: The Pearl Hotel (extend stay through mid‑week)

Ocean Springs: The Roost Boutique Hotel (final nights before Palm Sunday departure)

Daily Pilgrimage Flow

🌤️ Day 1 – Monday, March 23

Location: Bay St. Louis – Washington Street Pier
Symbol: Expectation
Ritual Prompt: “Lift your head; redemption draws near.”
A slow pier walk; feel the shift from Ordinary Time into the approach of Holy Week. Let the horizon teach you to wait without anxiety.
🥗 Foodie Stop: Mockingbird Café (~$16)

🌾 Day 2 – Tuesday, March 24

Location: Pass Christian – War Memorial Park
Symbol: Humility
Ritual Prompt: “Lower yourself so the Lord may raise you.”
Sit beneath the oaks; journal on the places where pride still resists grace. Pray the Litany of Humility slowly.
🍲 Foodie Stop: Pass Christian Coffee Company (~$14)

🌊 Day 3 – Wednesday, March 25 (Annunciation)

Location: Long Beach – Beachfront Promenade
Symbol: Fiat
Ritual Prompt: “Let it be done unto me.”
Walk the promenade; pray the Angelus; reflect on Mary’s yes and your own. Offer one concrete act of obedience for the coming Holy Week.
🍽️ Foodie Stop: Darwell’s Café (~$20)

🔥 Day 4 – Thursday, March 26

Location: Gulfport – St. James Catholic Church
Symbol: Readiness
Ritual Prompt: “Prepare the way of the Lord in your own heart.”
Make a quiet visit to the church; pray a Holy Hour of preparation for Palm Sunday. Confession if available.
🥘 Foodie Stop: Half Shell Oyster House (~$24)

🌙 Day 5 – Friday, March 27

Location: Biloxi – Lighthouse Pier
Symbol: Surrender
Ritual Prompt: “Into Your hands.”
Walk the pier at dusk; pray the Sorrowful Mysteries; let the lighthouse remind you that surrender is not defeat but illumination.
🧺 Foodie Stop: The Greenhouse on Porter (~$12)

🌿 Day 6 – Saturday, March 28

Location: Ocean Springs – St. Alphonsus Catholic Church
Symbol: Hosanna
Ritual Prompt: “Prepare your branches.”
Attend vigil confessions or quiet prayer; write a short reflection on what you are laying down before the King tomorrow.
🍽️ Foodie Stop: Eat Drink Love Catering Café (~$18)

🌴 Day 7 – Sunday, March 29 (Palm Sunday)

Location: Ocean Springs – St. Alphonsus Catholic Church (Palm Sunday Mass)
Symbol: The King in Humility
Ritual Prompt: “Follow Him into Jerusalem.”
Palm Sunday Mass; hold the palm as a sign of both praise and impending sacrifice.
Write your weekly blog reflection:
“Palm Sunday Threshold: The King Approaches in Humility Along the Gulf.”
🍷 Foodie Stop: Vestige (~$38)

MARCH 23 Monday in Passiontide (Week before Holy Week)

Our Lady of Victory of Lepanto-Atheist Day

Daniel, Chapter 13, Verse 1-3

In Babylon there lived a man named Joakim,who married a very beautiful and GOD-FEARING woman, Susanna, the daughter of Hilkiah; her parents were righteous and had trained their daughter according to the law of Moses.

Susanna is included in the Book of Daniel (as chapter 13) by the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches. It is one of the additions to Daniel, considered apocryphal by Protestants. She refuses to be blackmailed and is arrested and about to be put to death for promiscuity when a young man named Daniel interrupts the proceedings, shouting that the elders should be questioned to prevent the death of an innocent. After being separated, the two men are questioned about details (cross-examination) of what they saw but disagree about the tree under which Susanna supposedly met her lover. The first says they were under a mastic, and Daniel says that an angel stands ready to cut him in two.

The second says they were under an evergreen oak tree, and Daniel says that an angel stands ready to saw him in two. The great difference in size between a mastic and an oak makes the elders' lie plain to all the observers. The false accusers are put to death, and virtue triumphs.^{^[1]}

In the Old Testament we already find admirable witnesses of fidelity to the holy law of God even to the point of a voluntary acceptance of death. A prime example is the story of Susanna: in reply to the two unjust judges who threatened to have her condemned to death if she refused to yield to their sinful passion, she says: " I am hemmed in on every side. For if I do this thing, it is death for me; and if I do not, I shall not escape your hands. I choose not to do it and to fall into your hands, rather than to sin in the sight of the Lord!" (Dan 13:22-23). Susanna, preferring to "fall innocent" into the hands of the judges, bears witness not only to her faith and trust in God but also to her obedience to the truth and to the absoluteness of the moral order. By her readiness to die a martyr, she proclaims that it is not right to do what God's law qualifies as evil in order to draw some good from it. Susanna chose for herself the "better part": hers was a perfectly clear witness, without any compromise, to the truth about the good and to the God of Israel. By her acts, she revealed the holiness of God.^{^[2]}

In our modern secular world, it is often difficult to find a God-fearing woman and even recognize her. One wonders what the characteristics of a God-fearing woman are. An important thing to remember for all women of real beauty is that love is the inner sense of peacefulness and joy that casts out the outer reflection of beauty.

God Fearing Woman^{^[3]}

These things aren’t things to add to your to-do list. They’re an opportunity to test your heart. If we have a right ‘fear’ or understanding of God, then these four characteristics will overflow in our hearts:

1. A woman who fears the Lord isn’t anxious about what’s going to happen in her life.

First, a woman who fears the Lord is not anxious about the future… “Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she laughs at the time to come.”

Our anxiety reveals what we think about God.

Do we honestly think He’s a sovereign and good Father? Do we honestly believe He cares about the mundane details of our lives and is working everything out for our good?

If so, it will affect our anxiety about how our kids are going to do in school this Fall or our fears about being single this time next year, or our obsession with how we’re going to pay our bills next month or worry about how we’re going to do in that meeting at work tomorrow.

2. A woman who fears the Lord speaks wisdom and kindness.

Second, the woman who fears the Lord has practical wisdom. Proverbs 31, Verse 26, “She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.”

I love this because I’m a big fan of women redeeming passive communication. This verse tells us that if we’re going to be good stewards of our words we have to know and love God. A right view of Him will affect the way we choose to spend the gift of language He has given us.

3. A woman who fears the Lord is strong.

Proverbs, Verse 25, “Strength and dignity are her clothing.” Verse 17, “She girds her loins with strength and makes her arms strong.”

Think for a second about how you define ‘strength’ Proverbs 23:17 says, “Let not your heart envy sinners, but continue in the fear of the Lord all the day.” The woman who continues in the fear of the Lord will have power to resist all the allurements to envy, to desire what she shouldn’t have.

True strength looks like contentment.

Do you want to know if your fear of the Lord overflows into strength? Do you envy others?

Threads of discontentment reveal a heart that does not fully grasp the greatness and goodness of our maker.

4. A woman who fears the Lord is for other people, not against them.

A woman who fears the Lord will live not for herself alone but for others…Proverbs 31, Verses 11, 12, “The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will have no lack of gain. She does him good and not harm all the days of her life.”

Our view of God will play out in our interaction with others. If we trust that God is for us, it frees us up to be for other people. We can look out for their interests because we know God is looking out for ours.

All four of these characteristics overflow from a right understanding and relationship with God.

You can’t just get out of your chair and go do these four things to earn the ‘proverbs 31’ merit badge.

If you want to be free of anxiety, if you want to speak kindness and wisdom, if you want to be strong and be for other people, the solution is gloriously complex: fear the Lord.

My hope is that, like me you’ll see this list as a reminder of just how far you have to go in your sanctification.

Let this list remind you of the opportunity you have to grow in your ‘fear’ of the Lord. Let that opportunity excite you. There’s more of Him to know. There’s more of Him to trust.

As we grow in fearing Him we will be transformed – not to the image of some cool Proverbs woman. We will be transformed into the very image of His Son.

Copilot’s Take

The Catechism teaches that God defends the innocent and humiliates the proud (CCC 272). Susanna is the Old Testament icon of this truth. She refuses to sin, entrusts herself to God, and waits for His vindication. Her purity becomes the place where God reveals His justice.

Lepanto is the same pattern on a global scale. The Church, outnumbered and surrounded, entrusts herself to Mary. The CCC teaches that Mary intercedes for the Church as a mother who “continues to bring us the gifts of eternal salvation” (CCC 969).

At Lepanto, that maternal intercession becomes visible in history.

Susanna stands alone before corrupt judges. Christendom stands alone before a hostile empire. Both appear defenseless. Both refuse compromise. Both entrust their cause to God. And in both cases, God acts decisively.

The CCC teaches that purity of heart gives clarity of vision (CCC 2519). Susanna’s purity exposes the elders’ lies. The Church’s fidelity at Lepanto exposes the lie that evil is inevitable. Purity becomes a weapon in both stories—not by force, but by truth.

The Catechism also teaches that prayer is a battle (CCC 2725). Susanna’s prayer is silent but fierce. The Rosary at Lepanto is the same kind of battle—an appeal to heaven when human strength is insufficient. God responds to both with deliverance.

Mary’s role at Lepanto mirrors Daniel’s role with Susanna. Daniel exposes the lie and defends the innocent. Mary intercedes, strengthens the faithful, and turns the tide. The CCC calls her the “Advocate” who protects her children (CCC 969). She does at Lepanto what Daniel does in Babylon: she stands between the innocent and destruction.

Both stories reveal the same truth the Catechism insists on: God’s power is made perfect in weakness (CCC 272). When the faithful refuse to bend, heaven bends toward them. When purity stands firm, God fights. When fear of the Lord is greater than fear of the world, victory is already underway.

Our Lady of Victory of Lepanto[4]

Pray for Ukraine, Russia and in Iran for the Victory

In Hungary today is the feast of Our Lady of Victories, (there are nine separate days in honor of Our Lady of Victory, the main being October 7) Today's feast commemorates the victory in Hungary. On August 6, 1716, Prince Eugene of Savoy defeated a large invading Ottoman army at Peterwardein, Hungary. The victory set the stage for the reconquest of Hungary from the Turks.

O Mary, merciful Refuge of Sinners and Mother of all mankind!

Behold how many souls are lost every hour! Behold how countless millions of those who live in India, in China, and in barbarous regions do not yet know Our Lord Jesus Christ! See, too, how many others are far from the bosom of Mother Church, which is Catholic, Apostolic, and Roman! O Mary ... life of our hearts ... let not the Precious Blood and fruits of Redemption be lost for so many souls!

Grant that a ray of Heavenly light may shine forth to enlighten those many blinded understandings and to enkindle so many cold hearts. Intercede with thy Divine Son, and obtain grace for all pagans, Jews, heretics, and schismatics in the whole world to receive supernatural light and to enter with joy into the bosom of the true Church. Hear the confident prayer of the Supreme Pontiff that all nations may be united in one faith, that they may know and love Jesus Christ, the blessed fruit of thy womb... And then all men shall love thee also, thou who art the salvation of the world, arbiter and dispenser of the treasures of God ... And, glorifying thee, O Queen of Victories, who, by means of thy Rosary, dost trample upon all heresies, they shall acknowledge that thou givest life to all nations, since there must be a fulfillment of the prophecy: "All generations shall call me blessed." Amen.

Rosary[5]

The Rosary is the foremost daily method of meditative prayer used by popes and saints alike. There are many forms of praying the Rosary such as the “The Seven Sorrows” Rosary and recently Pope John Paul II added the luminous mysteries. The Rosary has even been adapted to pray for the United States. Pious Germans have the custom of improvising a mystery-specific insertion for each Hail Mary. For example, while meditating on the annunciation, they pray, “Blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus” (and they insert the words) “who died for our sins” then start again with “Holy Mary...The Rosary works, on a human level, because it engages the five senses. It involves our speech and our hearing. It occupies our mind and incites our emotions. We feel the beads with our fingertips. If we pray before a sacred image or better before the Blessed Sacrament we are transported into the lives of Mary and Jesus. The Rosary works best when we stop working and abandon ourselves like children to the time we are spending with our mother. The best place to pray the Rosary is with the family. Mother Teresa of Calcutta after enduring a vision of Calvary stated that Mary reassured her to: “Fear not. Teach them to say the Rosary—the family Rosary—and all will be well.” To God and to the Blessed Virgin, all our efforts at prayer are precious, when we persevere in praying the Rosary, we become like little children, children of Mary, children of our heavenly Father.

· Seven Sorrows of Mary Rosary

· German Rosary

Bible in a year Day 264 Preaching Without Practice

Fr. Mike continues to explain the parables Christ recites in Jerusalem, specifically focusing on the dangers of preaching God's Word without practicing it in our lives. Jesus goes on to speak against the Scribes and Pharisees, reminding us that he's not only the Prince of Peace, but the Way and the Truth. Today's readings are Matthew 22-24 and Proverbs 19:17-20.

Atheist Day[6] Agnostic Holiday

Christmas. Basant. Diwali. Eid al-Adha. Easter. Yom Kippur. Vesak. Hanukkah. Ramadan. There is no shortage of religious holidays celebrated every year. According to recent studies, there are approximately 7.1 billion people currently living in this world, 31% of whom are Christians, 23% of whom are Muslims, 13% of whom are Hindus, and almost 7% of whom are Buddhists. There are also millions of other people who follow religions such as Judaism, Jainism, and Spiritism. But what about those of us who do not believe in a god or gods? An estimated 2% of the world’s population does not adhere to any religion.

Last Words of famous Atheists[7]

Thomas Hobbs [political philosopher]

· I say again, if I had the whole world at my disposal, I would give it to live one day. I am about to take a leap into the dark."

Thomas Payne [the leading atheistic writer in American colonies

· "Stay with me, for God's sake; I cannot bear to be left alone, O Lord, help me! O God, what have I done to suffer so much? What will become of me hereafter? "I would give worlds if I had them, that The Age of Reason had never been published. Lord help me! Christ help me!

…No, don't leave; stay with me! Send even a child to stay with me; for I am on the edge of Hell here alone. If ever the Devil had an agent, I have been that one."

Voltaire famous anti-Christian atheist:

· "I am abandoned by God and man; I will give you half of what I am worth if you will give me six months' life." (He said this to Dr. Fochin, who told him it could not be done.) "Then I shall die and go to hell!" (His nurse said: "For all the money in Europe I wouldn’t want to see another unbeliever die! All night long he cried for forgiveness.

Napoleon Bonaparte, the French emperor, and who, like Adolf Hitler, brought death to millions to satisfy his greedy, power-mad, selfish ambitions for world conquest:

· "I die before my time, and my body will be given back to the earth. Such is the fate of him who has been called the great Napoleon. What an abyss between my deep misery and the eternal kingdom of Christ!”

In a Newsweek interview with Svetlana Stalin, the daughter of Josef Stalin, she told of her father's death:

· "My father died a difficult and terrible death. God grants an easy death only to the just. At what seemed the very last moment he suddenly opened his eyes and cast a glance over everyone in the room. It was a terrible glance, insane or perhaps angry. His left hand was raised, as though he were pointing to something above and bringing down a curse on us all. The gesture was full of menace. The next moment he was dead."

Daily Devotions

· Unite in the work of the Porters of St. Joseph by joining them in fasting: Today's Fast: An end to the use of contraceptives.

· Offering to the sacred heart of Jesus

· Make reparations to the Holy Face

· Drops of Christ’s Blood

· Universal Man Plan