Wednesday, April 29, 2026

Smoke in This Life and Not the Next

Wednesday, April 29
Cheap Smoke Day
Vice Under the Knife: Impurity & Pride

Tonight’s Pairing

Cigar: whatever’s left in the bottom of the box
Whiskey: the bottle you don’t mind finishing
Reason: you’re not here for refinement—you’re here for clarity

The Reflection

She was led next into the place where the souls once stained by impurity were held. It wasn’t fire that struck her first—it was filth. A dungeon so foul, so pestilential, that even a saint recoiled. She turned away, nauseated by what sin actually looks like when stripped of its perfume.

Then she saw the ambitious and the proud.
Those who needed to shine.
Those who needed to be seen.
Those who needed applause like oxygen.

Now they were buried in obscurity—forgotten, unseen, swallowed by the very darkness they once believed they were above.

Her verdict was simple:
“Behold those who wished to shine before men; now they are condemned to live in this frightful obscurity.”

This is the part we never admit: impurity and pride always promise elevation, but they always deliver degradation. They sell you a crown and hand you a collar. They whisper “freedom” and then lock the door.

Cheap Smoke Day is the counter-move.
You choose the lesser thing now so you don’t become the lesser thing later.
You take the humble seat now so you don’t get forced into it later.
You let the smoke sting your eyes now so you don’t choke on the fumes of your own vanity in the next life.

Purgatory Note

The saints insist that Purgatory is mercy, not vengeance—but mercy is not softness. Impurity leaves a stench on the soul; pride leaves a shadow. In Purgatory, both are burned off with a precision that makes earthly discomfort look like a warm bath.

Better to scrub now.
Better to choose obscurity now.
Better to take the cheap smoke now.

APRIL 29 Wednesday-Saint Catherine of Siena, Virgin

Chemical Warfare

Psalm 103, Verse 13

As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who FEAR him.

Does God derive anything from having us fear Him?

His only wish is to see us truly growing and fruitful. He made us and as a loving father knows our needs both physical and spiritual. If we have a loving fear of our father, we are compelled by the Holy Spirit into spiritual leadership avoiding sloth which often comes as a result of being stuck in a victim mentality or not letting go of rage by forgiving the offender.

Today seek the Father’s compassion by going to confession then arise and grow in spiritual leadership.

As we grow in our spiritual leadership[1] we tend to be:

Confident in God

Know God

Seek God’s will

Self-sacrifice

Serve all

Motivated by love

Trust the Holy Spirit

Lead others

Copilot’s Take

Fear of the Lord is not something God extracts from humanity; it is something He restores within it. Psalm 103 places compassion and fear side by side because filial fear is the posture that keeps a person awake, sober, and aligned. The Catechism describes this as the reverence of a child who refuses to wound the Father who loves them. It is not terror. It is clarity. It is the internal ordering that makes spiritual leadership possible. God gains nothing from human fear; humanity gains the strength to stop drifting.

The real battlefield is interior. When the day’s theme is framed as Chemical Warfare, the truth becomes visible: evil rarely storms the gates; it seeps in. Sloth, resentment, victimhood, and unprocessed rage are corrosive agents that weaken a soul from the inside. CCC 409 describes humanity as locked in a “dramatic struggle” against the powers of evil, and that struggle begins in the hidden places where a person either disciplines the soul or lets it decay. Holy fear is the antidote because it forces confrontation with what would otherwise be ignored.

Confession becomes the first act of combat. It clears the field, cuts the wires, and disarms the toxins. A person who confesses is not weak—such a person is dangerous to the enemy because compromised equipment is no longer carried into battle.

CCC 2846 reminds the faithful that temptation is not theoretical; the prayer “lead us not into temptation” exists because the fight is real, and neutrality is impossible. Confession is the step back onto the right side of the line.

Forgiveness is the second strike. Rage feels like strength, but it is a chemical burn that eats the vessel that carries it. Filial fear compels the release of the offender not because the offender deserves it, but because the Father commands it. Forgiveness is not sentimentality; it is strategy. It prevents the enemy from weaponizing wounds. This discipline breaks the victim mentality and restores agency under God.

From there, spiritual leadership emerges with steadiness. A person who fears the Lord becomes confident in God, seeks His will, sacrifices self, serves others, trusts the Holy Spirit, and leads without theatrics. CCC 1808 calls this fortitude—firmness in difficulty and constancy in the pursuit of the good. Holy fear produces that firmness. It is the spine of a soul that refuses to be ruled by sloth, resentment, or self‑pity.

The call for the day is simple and unsentimental: seek the Father’s compassion through confession, then rise. Grow. Lead. Let filial fear burn away the toxins and restore the clarity of one who knows whom they serve and what they stand against. This is how evil is confronted—not with noise, but with ordered strength.

St. Catherine of Siena[2]

Catherine, the youngest of twenty-five children, was born in Siena on March 25, 1347. During her youth she had to contend with great difficulties on the part of her parents. They were planning marriage for their favorite daughter; but Catherine, who at the age of seven had already taken a vow of virginity, refused. To break her resistance, her beautiful golden-brown tresses were shorn to the very skin and she was forced to do the most menial tasks. Undone by her patience, mother and father finally relented and their child entered the Third Order of St. Dominic.

Unbelievable were her austerities, her miracles, her ecstasies.

The reputation of her sanctity soon spread abroad; thousands came to see her, to be converted by her. The priests associated with her, having received extraordinary faculties of absolution, were unable to accommodate the crowds of penitents. She was a helper and a consoler in every need. As time went on, her influence reached out to secular and ecclesiastical matters. She made peace between worldly princes. The heads of Church and State bowed to her words. She weaned Italy away from an anti-pope, and made cardinals and princes promise allegiance to the rightful pontiff. She journeyed to Avignon and persuaded Pope Gregory XI to return to Rome. Even though she barely reached the age of thirty-three her accomplishments place her among the great women of the Middle Ages. The virgin Catherine was espoused to Christ by a precious nuptial ring which, although visible only to her, always remained on her finger.

Excerpted from The Church's Year of Grace, Pius Parsch

Patron: Against fire; bodily ills; Europe; fire prevention; firefighters; illness; Italy; miscarriages; nurses; nursing services; people ridiculed for their piety; sexual temptation; sick people; sickness; Siena, Italy; temptations.

Symbols: Cross; heart; lily; ring; stigmata.

Things to Do:

If you have never done so today would be a good time to read some of St. Catherine's Dialogue.
Learn more about the Order of Preachers founded by St. Dominic.

Bible in a year Day 299 Jeremiah Hides the Ark

Fr. Mike discusses the story of Jeremiah and the Ark of the Covenant, offering insight on where it was hidden and how that affected the people of God. He also looks ahead to the rest of 2 Maccabees and poses a question for all of us: What will the people who love us remember about us? Today’s readings are 2 Maccabees 2, Sirach 42-44, and Proverbs 24:8-9.

Remembrance for All Victims of Chemical Warfare[3]

Day of Remembrance for all the Victims of Chemical Warfare commemorates the victims of chemical warfare and serves to reaffirm the world's commitment to eliminate chemical weapons. Thus, the day also serves to promote peace, security and multilateralism. Although chemical weapons have been banned for some time by the Geneva Convention, they are still infrequently used. The United Nations proclaimed the Day of Remembrance for all the Victims of Chemical Warfare in November of 2005. It has since been celebrated on April 29th, the same date on which the Chemical Weapons Convention entered into force in 1997. The day aims to destroy chemical weapons and further gain adherence to the Convention's articles in order to achieve a safer and more peaceful world.

Remembrance for Victims of Chemical Warfare Facts & Quotes

· Chemical weapons were used for the first time on a large scale in battle during World War I at the battle of Ypres in 1915. The chemical that was used as a weapon was chlorine gas.

· 90% of the world’s declared chemical weapons stockpile of 72,525 metric tons has been verifiably destroyed.

· There are three different schedules of chemicals:
1) Schedule One: these are typically used in weapons such as sarin and mustard gas
2) Schedule Two: these are used in weapons such as amiton and BZ
3) Schedule Three: these are typically the least toxic chemicals and are used for research and the production of medicines.

· For the risks that the leaders of a rogue state will use nuclear, chemical or biological weapons against us, or our allies is the greatest security threat we face. – Madeleine Albright, American politician and diplomat, first woman to be secretary of state.

Remembrance of Victims Top Events and Things to Do

· Watch a documentary or movie on the perils of chemical warfare. Some popular options are: Science at War: Laboratory of War, Chemical Warfare Watch, Avoiding Armageddon: Chemical Weapons, and Total Recall.

· Read a book on the widespread dangers of chemical warfare. Some good suggestions are War of Nerves, Chemical and Biological Warfare: America’s Hidden Arsenal, and a Higher Form of Killing.

· Spread awareness on social media by using the hashtags #peacenotwar and #remembranceforallchemicalwarfarevictims

· Visit the site of some of the chemical weapon use. Some ideas, the Battlefields of Ypres, the Battlefields of Passchendaele and the Tokyo Subway.

THIS WE BELIEVE

PRAYERS AND TEACHINGS OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH

Act of Hope

O my God, relying on Your infinite goodness and promises, I hope to obtain pardon for my sins, the help of Your grace and life everlasting, through the merits of Jesus Christ, my Lord and Redeemer. Amen.

Around the Corner Try Shrimp Scampi

· Coming up this weekend Cinco de Mayo Phoenix Festival Sunday, May 3^rd

· Spirit Hour: St. Tropez Cocktail in honor of St. Tropes of Pisa

· Bucket List trip: Ljubljana

· Celebrate Radonitsa

· Red Cross Month

Daily Devotions

· Unite in the work of the Porters of St. Joseph by joining them in fasting: Today's Fast: The Sick, afflicted, and infirmed.

· Litany of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus

· Offering to the sacred heart of Jesus

· Make reparations to the Holy Face

· Drops of Christ’s Blood

· Universal Man Plan

[1] John Maxwell, The Maxwell Leadership Bible.

[2]https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/calendar/day.cfm?date=2019-04-29

[3]https://www.wincalendar.com/Remembrance-Victims-Chemical-Warfare-Day

PERFECT UNDERSTANDING (1933)

Gloria Swanson, Laurence Olivier, John Halliday
A modern‑marriage experiment collapses under the weight of pride, jealousy, and the naïve belief that human weakness can be outsmarted by a contract.

1. Production & Historical Setting

Released in 1933 and filmed at Ealing Studios, Perfect Understanding belongs to the late‑Pre‑Code moment when cinema flirted openly with marital ambiguity, sexual candor, and the illusion of sophistication. Gloria Swanson produced the film as a vehicle to reassert herself in the sound era; Laurence Olivier, still early in his career, brings a polished but untested masculinity.

The film emerges from an era fascinated by:

the “modern marriage” as a social experiment
the tension between emotional freedom and emotional fidelity
the fragility of male ego in the face of female independence
the belief that rational agreements can override irrational human desire

Swanson plays Judy, a woman determined to build a marriage on honesty and equality. Olivier plays Nicholas, a charming but weak-willed husband whose ideals collapse the moment they are tested. John Halliday plays Ivan, the friend whose presence exposes the cracks in the couple’s “perfect understanding.”

The world of the film is a blend of London drawing rooms, Riviera indulgence, and the brittle optimism of early‑’30s modernity.

2. Story Summary

Judy and Nicholas marry under a bold pact:
absolute honesty, no jealousy, no accusations—perfect understanding.

But the agreement is built on sand.

On a trip to Cannes, Nicholas drinks too much and sleeps with his former mistress, Stephanie. He confesses immediately, believing their pact will protect them. Judy forgives him, but the wound is deeper than she admits.

While Nicholas is away on business, Judy leans on her friend Ivan for comfort. He confesses his love; she refuses him, but leaves a note of gratitude. Nicholas later sees her entering Ivan’s building and assumes betrayal.

The misunderstanding metastasizes:

Judy’s innocence is questioned publicly.
Nicholas’s pride hardens into suspicion.
A courtroom battle weaponizes Judy’s letter.
Their “perfect understanding” becomes the very thing that destroys them.

Only after the collapse do they recognize the truth: their marriage failed not because of infidelity, but because of wounded pride and the refusal to speak honestly about pain.

The film ends with reconciliation—not triumphant, but chastened.

3. Spiritual & Moral Resonances

A. Human Weakness Cannot Be Outrun by Agreements

The couple tries to engineer a marriage immune to jealousy. But sin, insecurity, and pride are not solved by rules—they are solved by humility.

B. Confession Without Contrition Is Not Healing

Nicholas confesses his infidelity, but he does not grasp its emotional cost. His honesty is technical, not relational.

C. Pride Turns Hurt Into Accusation

Nicholas’s wounded ego becomes the engine of the film’s tragedy. Pride always interprets ambiguity as insult.

D. Emotional Isolation Is More Dangerous Than Temptation

Judy’s vulnerability with Ivan is not adultery—but it reveals how loneliness corrodes fidelity long before any physical act.

E. Marriage Requires Mercy, Not Perfection

The title is ironic: “perfect understanding” is impossible. What is possible is mercy, patience, and the willingness to see the other truthfully.

4. Hospitality Pairing — The Modern Marriage Table

A chilled gin cocktail — elegant, brittle, deceptively strong; the drink of people who pretend everything is fine.
A plate of olives and hard cheese — sharp, salty, the taste of unspoken tension.
A single white candle — the fragile idealism of their marriage pact.
A silver cigarette case on the table — the symbol of early‑’30s sophistication masking emotional immaturity.

A setting for evenings when you want to examine the difference between appearing modern and actually being mature.