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Smoke in This Life and Not the Next
Sun, Apr 19 – Guidance & Tenderness
Virtue: Guidance & Tenderness
Cigar: Gentle, pastoral (Natural)
Bourbon: Larceny Small Batch – soft, enduring
Reflection: “Whose voice do I follow?”
The saint, praying before the Blessed Sacrament, saw the soul of a departed sister rise from the earth—still captive in Purgatory, wrapped in flames yet clothed in a robe of dazzling whiteness that shielded her from the full force of the fire. She remained an entire hour at the foot of the altar, adoring the hidden God with a humility so deep it became annihilation. Her suffering purified; her whiteness protected; her adoration revealed the direction of her desire.
o At one time my interesting brother was going to ride his bike from Phoenix to California-The mountains stopped him. That was when he was fit and had 24-inch thighs, and a 24-inch waist.
· Bucket Item trip: Elephant Walk Experience
· Catholic Activity: Easter Breakfast Picnic
· 30 Days with St. Joseph Day 30
APRIL 19 Third Sunday of Easter
Judges, Chapter 14, Verse 11
Out of their FEAR of him, they brought thirty men to
be his companions.
This
verse is about Sampson the strongman of the bible, who struck fear into the
hearts of the pagan Philistines.
Nevertheless,
how different was Sampson from his pagan neighbors?
Justyn Rees has an interesting, shortened tale of the
tragedy of Sampson that is available online that is a quick thought-provoking
read in his book entitled, “Old Story New”.[1]
Sampson
who was born endowed with great physical strength started out following God but
failed to continue walking in the spirit of He that Is. John Maxwell[2]
points out that like Gideon many men fail toward the end of their life because
they dilute the vision God had given them and have become too comfortable with
their success and lack the self-control to overcome their weaknesses. John’s
advice to leaders is to be self-disciplined using a quote from Plato, “The first and best victory is to conquer
self.” John points out a five-step plan to develop self-discipline in your
life.
1.
Develop and follow your priorities. Time is a precious commodity, do
what’s important first and release yourself from the rest.
2.
Make a disciplined lifestyle your
goal. Set up
systems and routines to ensure you feed the mind, body, spirit and love of your
neighbor daily.
3.
Challenge your excuses. We all make them; push the
envelope.
4.
Remove rewards until you finish the
job. Eat your
vegetables first.
5.
Stay focused on results. Focus on the outcomes and not the
difficulties in accomplishing it; envision the change.
Our
model for transformation: Jesus went up
to the mountain to pray, and he spent the night in prayer to God. (Luke 6:12)
Copilot’s Take
Samson’s story exposes the danger of confronting external enemies while
leaving interior enemies untouched. The Philistines feared him, but Samson
never feared his own appetites, and that imbalance hollowed out his vocation.
The Catechism names this dynamic plainly: evil gains its foothold not through
force but through disordered freedom—when a man stops guarding his heart, stops
ordering his desires, and stops listening to God. Samson’s strength made him
impressive, but his lack of discipline made him vulnerable, and the result was
a life that began in promise and ended in captivity.
The Church’s vision of confronting evil is the opposite of Samson’s
trajectory. Fortitude is not aggression but “firmness in difficulties and
constancy in the pursuit of the good” (CCC 1808). Temperance is not repression
but the interior mastery that makes a man trustworthy with power (CCC 1809).
And the battle itself is not fought with charisma or force but with vigilance,
humility, and prayer (CCC 2846–2849). Evil is resisted by a man who has learned
to govern himself, because only such a man can stand firm when temptation
presses on his weakest point.
This is why Christ’s pattern matters so sharply here. Before choosing
the Twelve, before confronting demons, before walking into conflict, He “went
up the mountain to pray, and spent the night in prayer to God.” His authority
flowed from obedience; His clarity flowed from communion; His courage flowed
from a will aligned with the Father. Where Samson acted from impulse, Jesus
acted from union. Where Samson’s strength made him feared, Jesus’ holiness made
Him untouchable. The difference is not power but discipline—an interior life
strong enough to withstand the enemy’s pressure.
Maxwell’s five disciplines fit naturally inside this Christian frame:
ordered priorities, daily routines of virtue, the refusal to hide behind
excuses, delayed gratification, and a focus on the fruit rather than the
friction. These are not self-help techniques; they are the modern expression of
asceticism—the training that makes a man capable of confronting evil without
becoming its instrument. Samson shows what happens when a man neglects this
work. Christ shows what happens when a man embraces it.
ON KEEPING THE LORD'S DAY HOLY[3]
CHAPTER III
DIES ECCLESIAE
The Eucharistic Assembly:
Heart of Sunday
The
Sunday Eucharist
34.
It is true that, in itself, the Sunday Eucharist is no different from the
Eucharist celebrated on other days, nor can it be separated from liturgical and
sacramental life as a whole. By its very nature, the Eucharist is an epiphany
of the Church; and this is most powerfully expressed when the diocesan
community gathers in prayer with its Pastor: "The Church appears with
special clarity when the holy People of God, all of them, are actively and
fully sharing in the same liturgical celebrations — especially when it is the
same Eucharist — sharing one prayer at one altar, at which the Bishop is
presiding, surrounded by his presbyters and his ministers". This
relationship with the Bishop and with the entire Church community is inherent
in every Eucharistic celebration, even when the Bishop does not preside,
regardless of the day of the week on which it is celebrated. The mention of the
Bishop in the Eucharistic Prayer is the indication of this.
But
because of its special solemnity and the obligatory presence of the community,
and because it is celebrated "on the day when Christ conquered death and
gave us a share in his immortal life",(44) the Sunday Eucharist expresses
with greater emphasis its inherent ecclesial dimension. It becomes the paradigm
for other Eucharistic celebrations. Each community, gathering all its members
for the "breaking of the bread", becomes the place where the mystery
of the Church is concretely made present. In celebrating the Eucharist, the
community opens itself to communion with the universal Church, imploring the
Father to "remember the Church throughout the world" and make her
grow in the unity of all the faithful with the Pope and with the Pastors of the
particular Churches, until love is brought to perfection.
Third Sunday of Easter[4]An exhortation on how Christ's
flock is to conduct itself and an oblique allusion to the Ascension.
Easter Patronage of St. Joseph
EPISTLE. Gen. xlix.
23-26.
JOSEPH is a
growing son, a growing son and comely to behold: the daughters run to and fro
upon the wall. But they that held darts provoked him, and quarreled with him,
and envied him. His bow rested upon the strong, and the bands of his arms and
his hands were loosed, by the hands of the mighty one of Jacob: thence he came
forth a pastor, the stone of Israel. The God of thy father shall be thy helper,
and the Almighty shall bless thee with the blessings of heaven above, with the
blessings of the deep that lieth beneath, with the blessings of the breasts and
of the womb. The blessings of thy father are strengthened with the blessings of
his fathers: until the desire of the everlasting hills should come; may they be
upon the head of Joseph, and upon the crown of the Nazarite among his brethren.
GOSPEL. Luke iii.
21-23.
At that time:
It came to pass when all the people were baptized, that Jesus also being
baptized and praying, heaven was opened: and the Holy Ghost descended in a
bodily shape as a dove upon Him: and a voice came from heaven: Thou art My
beloved Son, in Thee I am well pleased. And Jesus Himself was beginning about
the age of thirty years, being (as it was supposed) the son of Joseph.
WHAT WE ARE TO BELIEVE CONCERNING THE EVANGELICAL
COUNSELS
In what does the perfection of the Christian life
consist?
In
the perfection of love (Col. iii. 14). The more a man separates himself from
the world, and unites himself with God, the more perfect he will be. We can
attain to the perfection of the Christian life by means of certain excellent
practices known as the evangelical counsels which Jesus Christ lays before us,
and to which He calls us, without directly commanding us to adopt them. So that
the difference between the commandments and the evangelical counsels consists
in this: that the commandments bind us by an indispensable obligation, but the
evangelical counsels do not. The evangelical counsels are:
1. Voluntary poverty. By voluntary
poverty is understood a free-will renunciation of the riches and goods of this
world in order to follow Jesus Christ in His poverty.
2. Perpetual chastity. By perpetual
chastity we understand a free-will, life-long abstinence, not only from
everything that is contrary to purity, but also abstinence from marriage, in
order to live only for God and His holy service in virginal purity.
3. Entire obedience under a spiritual
director. By entire obedience we are to understand a voluntary renunciation of
one’s own will in order to follow the will and command of a superior whom one
chooses for himself.
In
practicing the evangelical counsels there are three points to be observed, in
order that they may serve, or help to eternal salvation:
·
They
must be practiced with a pure intention, seeking thereby nothing else than to
please God and to praise His holy name.
·
With
great humility, in no way giving ourselves preference over others.
· By great fidelity in observing not only what one has vowed, but also what is commanded. Also, one should live diligently and strictly according to the commandments, otherwise the practicing of the evangelical counsels will be of no avail.
Bible in a
year Day 289 Wise
Influences
Fr. Mike contextualizes our readings from 1 Maccabees today which covers the beginning of Roman rule over the Jewish people. Additionally, he emphasizes the wisdom from Sirach about surrounding ourselves with influences that lead us closer to God and help us grow in holiness. Today’s readings are 1 Maccabees 8, Sirach 22-23, and Proverbs 22:26-29.
PRAYERS AND TEACHINGS OF THE CATHOLIC
CHURCH
Angel of God[5]
Angel of God,
my guardian dear,
to whom God’s love commits me here,
ever this day be at my side,
to light and guard, to rule and guide.
Amen.
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
[1]https://books.google.com/books?id=Ya4KBAAAQBAJ&pg=PA81&lpg=PA81&dq=burn+you+and+your+family+philistines&source=bl&ots=0UWpCsxdDc&sig=AVZOJtLIcSvCrAzCdgZl5lvhjoE&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0CEoQ6AEwCWoVChMIq5bd_dLkyAIVA9pjCh0MGwvM#v=onepage&q=burn%20you%20and%20your%20family%20philistines&f=false
[2] John Maxwell, The Leadership Bible, 1982.
[4]Goffine’s Devout Instructions, 1896
THE GLASS KEY (1935)
George Raft, Claire Dodd & Edward Arnold
A hard‑edged political underworld tale of loyalty, corruption, and the cost of keeping faith in a crooked city
1. Production & Historical Setting
Released in 1935 and directed by Frank Tuttle, this adaptation of Dashiell Hammett’s 1931 novel stands at the hinge between the early‑’30s gangster cycle and the emerging grammar of film noir. imdb.com
Paramount shaped it as a prestige crime picture: sharp suits, smoky interiors, and the clipped, unsentimental dialogue that defined Hammett’s world.
George Raft’s casting is crucial—his controlled stillness becomes the film’s moral center. Edward Arnold brings political heft as the ward boss Paul Madvig, while Claire Dodd embodies the polished, dangerous glamour of Depression‑era high society.
Shot in crisp black‑and‑white, the film uses shadows, alleys, and back‑room offices as moral landscapes, signaling the noir sensibility that would fully bloom a decade later.
2. Story Summary
Political boss Paul Madvig throws his weight behind a reform candidate, hoping to secure legitimacy and a marriage alliance with the candidate’s daughter, Janet Henry (Claire Dodd).
When her brother is found murdered, suspicion falls on Madvig, and the city’s rival factions move in for the kill.
Ed Beaumont (George Raft), Madvig’s trusted fixer, becomes the film’s pivot point. He navigates double‑crosses, gang pressure, and a brutal beating as he pretends to betray Madvig in order to expose the real killer.
Inside this world:
- Janet Henry’s poise masks calculation and divided loyalties.
- Madvig’s paternal warmth collides with his appetite for power.
- Beaumont’s loyalty is tested at every turn, revealing a man who survives by thinking faster than everyone else.
The resolution is pure Hammett: truth dragged into daylight through strategy, endurance, and a refusal to be intimidated. Beaumont restores order not by idealism but by clarity—seeing people exactly as they are.
3. Spiritual & Moral Resonances
A. Loyalty Under Pressure
The film treats loyalty as a moral crucible. Beaumont’s fidelity is not sentimental; it is chosen, tested, and nearly broken. His endurance becomes a commentary on integrity in a corrupt system.
B. Power as a Corrupting Gravity
Madvig’s political machine shows how affection, ambition, and self‑interest intertwine. The film exposes the spiritual cost of power—how easily it blinds, isolates, and distorts judgment.
C. Truth as a Violent Light
Hammett’s world insists that truth is never gentle. It arrives through confrontation, exposure, and the stripping away of illusions. Beaumont’s clarity becomes a kind of secular grace—painful, necessary, and purifying.
4. Hospitality Pairing
Ward‑Boss Supper Table
- A stiff rye whiskey—unadorned, sharp, and honest, matching Beaumont’s temperament.
- A plate of roast beef or stew, the kind of heavy, late‑night meal eaten in a back‑room office after a political brawl.
- A single desk lamp or low light, echoing the film’s chiaroscuro moral world.
- A small metal key placed on the table as a symbolic object—representing access, secrets, and the price of opening locked rooms.
This is a meal for nights when the world feels crooked and you need something solid, warm, and grounding.
5. Reflection Prompts
- Where am I tempted to confuse loyalty with convenience?
- What alliances in my life require clarity rather than sentiment?
- Where has ambition—mine or others’—distorted my judgment?
- What truths am I avoiding because they will cost me comfort?
- How do I act when the room turns against me and I must stand alone?
Sources: imdb.com
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