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Phoenix / Luke AFB — March 21–22, 2026
The Valley of the Sun becomes the Valley of Steel when the skies over Glendale open for Luke Days 2026, one of the largest air shows in the world. Scheduled for March 21–22, 2026, the event transforms Luke Air Force Base into a living cathedral of American airpower, discipline, and precision. This year’s show carries special weight: the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds begin their 2026 season here after earning their final certification earlier in the month, making their first public performance of the year launch directly over Phoenix.
Rachel’s Corner Try “German Recipes for Easter Week”
· My two boys have chickens-National Poultry Day
· Paella Valenciana (Chicken and fish with rice)
· Bruce Willis was born on March 19, 1955
· National Chocolate Caramel Day
· Bucket List Trip: Goa
· Spirit hour: Wine
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.
According to Mary Agreda[6] in her visions it was on a Thursday at six o'clock in the evening and at the approach of night that the Angel Gabriel approached and announced her as Mother of God and she gave her fiat.
Dinner Menu
Best Places to Visit in March
Arches National Park, Utah
This iconic spot located near Moab in Utah is a jaw-dropping spot! Spanning over 76,000 acres, I was seriously in awe of its striking collection of over 2,000 highly photogenic natural sandstone arches.
With summer temperatures reaching up to 100 degrees, I took a trip here during the spring and found much more comfortable (and safer!) temperatures to explore and hike the beautiful scenic trails.
I found the most Instagram-worthy spots to be the Delicate Arch, which I reached via the moderate Delicate Arch Trail, the incredible Landscape Arch, accessible through the easy Devils Garden Trail, and the striking Double Arch, which I could easily see from the Windows Section Parking Lot and the ancient Wolf Ranch Petroglyph Panel. I also stayed for sunset and saw the whole park bathed in an ethereal orange glow!
- Visitor’s Centre Address: Ut-211, Canyonlands National Park, Moab, UT 84532, +1 435-259-4711
- Map Location
- Average temperature –61 degrees
My favorite highlights…
- Going on a free Ranger-Led guided tour on the maze-like Fiery Furnace trail and seeing narrow sandstone canyons and arches as well as learning all about the history of the park.
- The Arches Scenic Drive was an unforgettable experience – I passed iconic landmarks such as the towering Park Avenue, the gravity-defying Balanced Rock, the majestic Double Arch, and tonnes of breathtaking viewpoints along the way! So, March is a great time to get the best of both worlds.
MARCH 19 Thursday-Solemnity of St.
Joseph
Matthew, Chapter 1,
verse 19-20:
Joseph her husband,
since he was a righteous man, yet unwilling to expose her to shame, decided to
divorce her quietly. Such was his
intention when, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and
said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be AFRAID to take Mary your wife
into your home. For it is through the Holy Spirit that this child has been
conceived in her.
Even righteous
people become afraid at times but Mark Shea a catholic writer points out that
Joseph being a devote Jew may have had Holy fear as the basis of his being afraid.
”Modernity
assumes it was because he thought her guilty of adultery, but the typical view
in antiquity understood the text to mean he was afraid of her sanctity — as a
pious Jew would be afraid to touch the Ark of the Covenant. After all, think of
what Mary told him about the angel's words: "The Holy Spirit will come
upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the
Child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God."[1]
We should follow
the example of Joseph and be not afraid to take Mary into our home!
I know one small
way I have taken Mary in my home is to silently say a Hail Mary when I wash my
hands to eat-praying,
“Mary help me not to
wash your son’s blood from my hands as Pilot did. Help me to have no innocent
blood on my hands. Let me not wash off responsibility for others
Copilot
Joseph’s
fear in Matthew 1 becomes a mirror for an age when evil is no longer subtle but
increasingly unmasked. His trembling before the mystery of Mary’s sanctity is
the opposite of the fear that dominates modern headlines. It is a holy fear—the
instinct of a righteous man who recognizes that stepping toward God’s work will
place him in the path of darkness as well. The angel’s command, “Do not be
afraid to take Mary into your home,” becomes a commissioning to stand firm
in a world where Herod still rages, innocence is still threatened, and the
vulnerable still need guardians who act with quiet decisiveness rather than
public bravado.
In
this light, Joseph’s obedience becomes a form of spiritual resistance. He
confronts evil not by matching its violence but by sheltering the Christ-child,
protecting the woman chosen to bear Him, and moving swiftly when danger
approaches. His courage is hidden, domestic, and fiercely faithful—the kind of
courage that refuses to wash its hands like Pilate, refuses to surrender
responsibility, and refuses to let fear dictate the shape of a home. In a world
shaken by conflict, cruelty, and moral confusion, Joseph’s example shows that
confronting evil begins with fidelity to the holy, protection of the innocent,
and the willingness to let God’s presence reorder the rhythms of daily life.
Solemnity of St. Joseph[2]
ST.
JOSEPH was descended from the kingly line of David and was a kinsman of the
Blessed Virgin Mary (Matt. i. 1-16). The Gospel gives him the praise of being
just (Matt. i. 19), that is, a man distinguished for all virtues. And surely,
as he was chosen from all other men by God to be the foster-father of His Son,
he undoubtedly excelled, in virtues and sanctity, all saints then living. Of
his youth nothing certain is known to us, and of his later life we know only
what the Gospel relates. He was a carpenter (Matt. xiii. 55), and lived at
Nazareth, in Galilee (Luke ii. 4). Being espoused to Mary, he was inclined,
upon learning that she was with child, to put her away privately, not wishing
to expose her to public reproach but being instructed by an angel, he took her
to himself, in obedience to the command of God, went with her to Bethlehem, and
afterwards, with Mary and the new-born child, fled, without timidity, to Egypt
(Matt. ii. 13). At the command of the angel, he returned thence, and again
dwelt in Nazareth (Matt. ii. 23). From this place they went every year to the
feast at Jerusalem, where it happened that Jesus, then twelve years old,
remained behind them in the temple, and was anxiously sought for by them. More
than this is not told us. At the time of the marriage at Cana it would seem
that he was no longer living, since there is no mention made of him. Though
little is said of him, that little is rich in profitable instruction. How
worthy to be admired and imitated is his example his chastity, his tenderness
towards Mary, his forbearing to pronounce a judgment in regard to her condition
when he could not explain it, his quick and unreserved obedience towards God
and the commands of authority, his love for Jesus, and his care for both the
mother and the child. On account of his sanctity God has specially
distinguished him by miracles, and the Church honors him in a particular
manner. In the Litany of the Saints, he is named among the patriarchs, and the
feast of his patronage is celebrated on the third Sunday after Easter.
Venerate, therefore, St. Joseph choose him for your protector in life and in
death and make yourself worthy of his protection by following his example.
The
Introit of the Mass is as follows: " The just shall flourish like the
palm-tree; he shall grow up like the cedar of Libanus, planted in the house of
the Lord, in the courts of the house of our God. It is good to give praise to
the Lord, and to sing to Thy name, O Most High." Amen.
Prayer.
We
beseech Thee, O Lord, that we may be assisted by the merits of the spouse of
Thy most holy Mother, that what of our selves we are unable to obtain may be
given to us by his intercession. Amen.
EPISTLE. Ecclus. xlv. 1-6.
He
was beloved of God and men: whose memory is in benediction. He made him like
the saints in glory, and magnified him in the fear of his enemies, and with his
words he made prodigies to cease. He glorified him in the sight of kings, and
gave him commandments in the sight of his people, and showed him His glory. He
sanctified him in his faith and meekness, and chose him out of all flesh. For
He heard him, and his voice, and brought him into a cloud. And He gave him
commandments before his face, and a law of life and instruction.
GOSPEL. Matt. i. 18-21.
When
Mary, the Mother of Jesus, was espoused to Joseph, before they came together,
she was found with child, of the Holy Ghost. Whereupon Joseph her husband,
being a just man, and not willing publicly to expose her was minded to put her
away privately. But while he thought on these things, be hold the angel of the
Lord appeared to him in his sleep, saying: Joseph, son of David, fear not to
take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy
Ghost; and she shall bring forth a Son: and thou shalt call His name JESUS: for
He shall save His people from their sins.
Instruction
To
encourage us to veneration for St. Joseph St. Teresa wrote “I do not remember
to have asked St. Joseph for anything which he did not grant me. The great
favors which God has granted me through him, and the many dangers of soul and
body from which he has freed me, truly deserve admiration. It seems that God
has granted to other saints the grace of assisting, in particular needs, those
who invoke their intercession; but this glorious saint assists in all needs.
The Lord seems thereby to indicate that, as He was subject to Joseph on earth,
so now He grants him whatever he asks for. The same thing has been experienced
by persons whom I have advised to recommend themselves to him.” “I would gladly
advise everyone,” says St. Alphonsus, to have a great devotion towards this
saint, since I have experienced what graces he can obtain from God. For several
years I have asked him, on his feast, for some particular grace, and every time
my petition has been granted. As we all have to die, we should have a particular
devotion towards St. Joseph, that he may obtain for us a happy death for all
Catholic Christians consider him to be an intercessor for the dying, and that
he assists, at the hour of death, those who venerate him; and this for three
reasons
1. Because
Jesus loves him, not only as a friend, but as a father, on which account his
intercession is more powerful than that of any other saint.
2. Because
St. Joseph obtained special power against the evil spirits who tempt us at the
hour of death.
3. The
assistance which Jesus and Mary gave to Joseph at the hour of his own death
procured for him the right to obtain a holy and easy death for his dependents.
If in their dying hour they invoke his aid, not only will he assist them, but
he will obtain for them the assistance of Jesus and Mary. “Ought not these
words of a great saint encourage you to venerate St. Joseph every day? Should
not the hope of dying one day under the protection of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph,
move you to devotion to the foster-father of Jesus?”
Prayer
to St. Joseph
O
most chaste Joseph, who, by thy purity and other exalted virtues, wast worthy
to be chosen for the spouse of Mary and the foster-father of Jesus, I beseech
thee, by the great graces of which thou wast made partaker, that thou wouldst,
by thy intercession, obtain for all parents grace to rear their children
piously; for all married persons who are distressed and afflicted through
poverty and tribulations consolation and encouragement; for all unmarried
persons who have devoted their chastity to God the grace of perseverance; and,
finally, for all the dying the grace to come, after a happy death, to thy
fosterchild, Jesus Christ, Who, with the Father and the Holy Ghost, liveth and
reigneth one God, world without end. Amen.
Meditate
on the humility of Saint Joseph this day; ask his assistance and special
protection.
Things to
Do:[3]
·
A table overflowing with good Italian food
honoring St. Joseph is a traditional Sicilian custom. The feast of San Giuseppe
began in the Middle Ages when Sicily was suffering from a severe drought and
the desperate people begged St. Joseph for rain. When they received rainy
weather in response, they held a huge "feste" in Saint Joseph's
honor. Even today, Sicilians go to Mass before their St. Joseph's day dinner
and then process to their festive tables, decked out in flowers, breads, and
all sorts of Italian foods. The priest blesses the food, and everyone shouts, "Viva
la tavola di San Giuse!" (which your children will readily do with
great gusto). After the meal is done, everyone present is given something to
take home, in the generous spirit of this day. Try some of our delicious
recipes linked here. We especially recommend the traditional Minestrone.
Italian sausage is always a favorite, as well. And you should have bread of all
kinds — this recipe for Italian
Decorative Breads can provide the traditional shape of your choice (St.
Joseph's staff, his beard, etc). Also a traditional must with children is St.
Joseph's Sfinge, (Cream Puffs). Plan a St. Joseph's potluck for this day
with other Catholic families — invite a parish priest and ask his blessing over
the food before you begin the meal. If you do not have the time or resources to
do this, plan a smaller affair with your own family, complete with prayers to
St. Joseph, a little procession with candles for the older children and your
favorite hymns, and then the father of the family ought to say a special
blessing over the food before you begin.
·
Check out this wonderful site that explains the St. Joseph
Altar more in detail, includes recipes, history, and allows virtual
offerings.
·
For further reading:
1.
Saint
Joseph Altars by Kerri McCaffety (Photographer).
2.
A
Table for Saint Joseph: Celebrating March 19th with Devotions, Authentic
Italian Recipes, and Timeless Traditions by Mary Anne Scanlan Grasso.
3.
The
Saint Joseph's Day Table Cookbook by Mary Ann Giordano.
4.
Read the section of Directory
on Popular Piety and Liturgy on St. Joseph.
5.
Read Pope Leo XIII's encyclical on Devotion
to St. Joseph.
6.
Interested in history? Read this article on the history
of devotions to St. Joseph, Finding St. Joseph, by Sandra Miesel.
·
Pray this prayer and litany
in honor of St. Joseph with your family rosary tonight.
·
Here is a link to several meditations
on St. Joseph — choose the one that is perfect for you and your family!
·
Here are some ideas
for teaching children about St. Joseph.
·
Young girls ought to pray to St. Joseph for
their future spouse.
St Joseph Facts & Quotes[4]
·
Joseph
is noted in the Bible for being a direct descendant of King David in the Old
Testament, which gives him a royal lineage (Matthew 1:1-16, Luke 3:23-38).
·
St.
Joseph actually has two feast days in the Roman Catholic Church. The
March 19 date celebrates him as husband of Mary. He is revered again on
May 1 as a worker. In the Orthodox tradition, Joseph is revered during
the Great Feast of the Nativity of Our Lord in September.
·
St
Joseph is the patron saint of the dying and of carpenters.
St Joseph Top Events and Things to
Do[5]
·
Practice
carpentry skills to build something. Jesus is known as the son of a
carpenter, or builder. Saint Joseph is the patron saint of carpenters.
·
Investigate
your lineage. Genealogy can sometimes yield interesting information about
where we came from. Maybe you come from royal lineage, too!
·
Joseph
raised a child that was not his own. Thank a man who has served as a
father for someone else's children.
·
Enjoy
Italian food in St. Joseph's honor. He is one of the most beloved saints
in Italian American communities.
·
Visit
an Italian Bakery and pick up some delicious St Joseph's bread (Pane di San
Giuseppe). St. Joseph's Bread is typically made with egg and has a
thicker crust. It is often marked or shaped in a cross.
·
30 Days with St. Joseph (Start on Feast
of St. Joseph)
Joseph the
Warrior
https://stjosephnovena.com/day-22/
All
of us have heard the phrase, “Nice guys finish last.” There is this idea
in the world today that “Meekness equals weakness,” and humility so often
implied that you will get walked on. Unfortunately, in many cases the meek and
the humble do very well go unnoticed in their accomplishments and may not get
the same attention, job opportunities or as many “likes” on their latest social
media sites. Instead of encouraging men to be meek and humble, the world
teaches men to go out into the world and dominate. We are encouraged to
out-perform others so as to prove ourselves through our bank accounts, our
possessions and our record of achievements. As someone once said, “Money
is just a way of keeping score.” Many men are totally dedicated to winning
the game, as if life were a game to begin with.
Nevertheless, Christian men are called to be meek and humble. “Far from being
weak, however, the meek possess an inner strength to restrain anger and
discouragement in the midst of adversity” (Ignatius Catholic Study Bible).
We can practice these ideals in the simple ways in which we respond to the
challenges of everyday life. Whether our wives snap at us at the end of a long
and frustrating day, or a guy rudely cuts us off on the freeway, our responses
define us. It is inevitable that life will provide us with major adversities in
which to practice these difficult virtues! How you respond to God’s grace can
truly make or break these experiences. We are called to be charitable, to love
others and even pray for our enemies. It takes heroic strength and defining
virtue!
Courage is also needed in order to withstand the storms of life that come our
way. I can’t help but call to mind one of my favorite speeches from the classic
movie, The Count of Monte Cristo:
Life
is a storm my young friend, you will bask in the sunlight one moment, be
shattered on the rocks the next. What makes you a man is what you do when that
storm comes. You must look into the storm as you shout as you did in Rome. Do
your worst for I will do mine. Then the Fates will know you as we know you as
Albert Mondego, the man.
There is something compelling in a man that seems to be calling us to fight and
compete; but where is our ultimate battle? With whom are we fighting?
Joseph is our ultimate example of what it means to live authentic masculine
Christianity. He was quite possibly the meekest and most humble of all. Yet at
the same time, he was without question a warrior and a fighter. He participated
in the greatest battle of all time. However, it was precisely his humility and
meekness that allowed him to trample over the Evil One rather than faltering
before him.
St. John Paul II proclaimed, “The family is placed at the heart of the great
struggle between good and evil, between life and death, between love and all
that is opposed to love” (Letter to Families, #23). Pope John Paul II insists
that at the core and heart of Satan’s attack is the family. We see this vividly
played out in the book of Revelation. “And the dragon stood before the woman
who was about to bear a child, that he might devour her child when she brought
it forth; she brought forth a male child, one who is to rule all the nations
with a rod of iron, but her child was caught up to God and to his throne” (Rev
12:4-5).
The Church understands this passage to have multiple meanings, but it is
particularly clear that evil is attacking Our Lady and the Christ-child. This
verse strikingly illustrates the attack of Satan at the very heart of the
family. This is both a spiritual and a practical truth.
God chose Joseph for this battle because Joseph was a warrior for God. When
Joseph said “Yes” to take Mary as his bride and Jesus as his Son, he was
avowing “Yes” to engage in the most epic battle in human history. He was
prepared to fight to the end to keep his family safe. From the beginning of
Christ’s life, the powers of darkness wanted Joseph’s child dead and were
willing to go to extreme lengths to accomplish their ambition. It’s
incredibly ironic that Herod needed to take the life of an infant, the weakest
and most helpless of mankind, in order for him to remain in a position of
absolute power and strength. Herod represents an icon of what men who desire
power over humility are willing to do and what men of humility are up against.
On the other hand, Joseph was willing to do whatever the Lord asked of him no
matter what the personal cost. What strength! Most men lack the strength
because most men lack the meekness.
Lenten Calendar
Read: During Lent, it is important
for us to remember the corporal
works of mercy, which are found in the teachings of Jesus and give us a
model for how we should treat all others: as if they were Christ in
disguise.
Reflect: What small changes would
allow you to perform corporal works of mercy: Can you allocate your time
differently, so you have a couple extra hours to volunteer? Do you discard food
that could instead be donated to a local soup kitchen? When was the last time
you participated in a blood drive?
Pray: With mercy on your mind.
Act: Pick one of the seven
corporal works of mercy and do it this week!
Bible in a
year Day 260 Carrying
the Cross
Fr. Mike reinforces Jesus' divinity as we read about how Jesus heals people physically, mentally, and spiritually and frees them from the enemy's kingdom of darkness. Fr. Mike also encourages us to not be afraid when we experience persecution and division for the sake of Christ, but to rather courageously carry the Cross.
Daily Devotions
·
Unite in the work of the Porters of St. Joseph by joining them
in fasting: Today's Fast: Conversion
of Sinners
·
Litany of the Most Precious
Blood of Jesus
·
Offering to
the sacred heart of Jesus
·
Make
reparations to the Holy Face
[2] Goffine’s Divine Instructions, 1896
[3]https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/calendar/day.cfm?date=2018-03-19
[6] Venerable Mary of Agreda. The Mystical City of God:
Complete Edition Containing all Four Volumes with Illustrations (p. 770).
Veritatis Splendor Publications. Kindle Edition
Penny Serenade (1941) is one of those films that feels like opening an old cedar box of keepsakes—fragile, fragrant, and full of the music that shaped a marriage. It carries the emotional honesty of wartime America, the tenderness of two wounded people trying to build a life, and the quiet heroism of choosing love again after loss.
🎬 Film Details
Title: Penny Serenade
Year: 1941
Director: George Stevens
Stars: Cary Grant (Roger Adams), Irene Dunne (Julie Gardiner Adams)
Studio: Columbia Pictures
Genre: Melodrama / Romance
Notable Recognition: Cary Grant received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor for his performance.
🕯️ Story Summary
Julie prepares to leave her husband, Roger. As she packs, she plays old phonograph records—each song unlocking a chapter of their shared life.
A lively tune recalls their whirlwind courtship and impulsive New Year’s Eve marriage. A romantic ballad brings back their time in Tokyo, where Julie’s pregnancy ends in tragedy after the 1923 earthquake. A gentle lullaby ushers in their decision to adopt a baby girl, Trina, and the unforgettable courtroom scene where Roger pleads to be allowed to keep her. A somber melody marks the shattering grief of Trina’s sudden death, a loss that nearly destroys their marriage.
The final record plays as the phone rings: the adoption agency offers them another child. Julie and Roger, broken but willing, choose to begin again.
🕊️ Historical & Cultural Notes
- Released months before the U.S. entered WWII, the film resonated with audiences facing uncertainty, separation, and the fragility of family life.
- George Stevens—later known for A Place in the Sun and Shane—directs with a gentle realism shaped by his own experiences of loss.
- The film’s structure, built around popular songs, mirrors the way Americans used music as emotional memory during the Depression and wartime eras.
- Adoption was rarely portrayed with such dignity in early Hollywood; the judge’s scene remains one of the most compassionate depictions of fatherhood in classic cinema.
✝️ Catholic Themes & Moral Resonances
1. Marriage as a School of Fidelity
Julie and Roger’s story reveals marriage not as sentiment but as formation. Their vows are tested by grief, poverty, and disappointment—yet fidelity becomes the quiet miracle that endures.
2. Grief as a Crucible of Vocation
The death of their daughter is the film’s deepest rupture. It exposes the temptation to withdraw, to abandon one’s calling, to let sorrow define the future. Their eventual “yes” to another child becomes an act of resurrection.
3. Adoption as an Icon of Divine Love
Roger’s courtroom plea is a cinematic parable of chosen love—love that is not earned, not biological, but freely given. It echoes the Christian understanding of being adopted as children of God.
4. Providence Through Memory
The records Julie plays function like a litany. Each memory—joyful or painful—becomes a place where grace was present, even if unseen at the time.
5. The Home as a Sanctuary
The Adams household, fragile and imperfect, becomes a sacramental space where love is practiced through small acts: rocking a baby, cooking simple meals, showing up for each other when words fail.
🍞 Hospitality Pairing
A meal that mirrors the film’s emotional palette—warm, restorative, and rooted in the rituals that hold a family together.
- Chicken and rice soup with thyme: comforting, steady, the kind of meal shared after a long season of sorrow.
- Homemade rolls with soft butter: tactile, grounding, a reminder of the daily work of love.
- A modest glass of white wine—something gentle and clean, like a Pinot Grigio: not celebratory, but quietly hopeful.
- Dessert: A small bowl of vanilla custard: simple, soothing, reminiscent of nursery comfort and the sweetness of new beginnings.
Set the table with one candle lit for remembrance—an embodied acknowledgment of Trina’s brief life and the love that continues.
🧭 Reflection
- Where has grief tempted me to abandon my vocation or withdraw from love?
- What memories—joyful or painful—is God inviting me to revisit with new tenderness?
- How might I practice chosen love today, especially toward those who depend on my fidelity?
- What small act of hope is being asked of me, even if I do not yet feel strong?
- Where is God offering me a new beginning, and can I receive it with humility?
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