Saturday, May 23, 2026
May 23 — Smoke in This Life, Not the Next
Gran Cantera & Rye
Debts differ.
Some men die owing farthings.
Some die owing ten thousand talents.
Purgatory matches the bill.
Its fires scale to the weight a man refused to burn off in life.
Tonight’s Gran Cantera reminds me: fire is exact.
The rye draws a line through every excuse.
Purgatory Line:
Each one receives according to his works.
Night Smoke:
MAY 23 Saturday of the Seventh Week of Easter
St. Julia Of Corsica
“Do
not be AFRAID,” David said to him, “I
will surely be kind to you for the sake of Jonathan your father. I will restore
to you all the lands of Saul your grandfather, and you shall eat at my table
always.”
David
is showing compassion to Mephibosheth; Jonathan’s disabled son following the
civil war between Israel and Judah. In the end David reigns over all of Israel.
Israel with David’s leadership then quickly defeats the Jebusites taking
Jerusalem; defeats the Philistines and brings the Ark to Jerusalem and God
makes his Covenant with David. Thus David’s heart was full of gratitude. David
now can return the favor of his old friend Jonathan to his son and restores his
lands and David orders his servants to cultivate Mephibosheth’s lands,
providing him with food, income and a place in the court. Gratitude cultivates
generosity. This is the law of the Picture.[1]
The law of the picture summarizes
what is often observed in human nature. People tend to mimic the behaviors of
their leaders. When a leader demonstrates behaviors that lead to success,
people that follow mimic those behaviors and succeed as well. The picture
consists of vision, mission, and strategy. When the leader lives the vision,
the leader models the vision making it real and alive.
Nothing is easier than saying words. Nothing is harder than living them, day after day – Arthur Gordon
Good leaders recognize the
importance of the example they set. [2]
1. People watch
what you do. As a leader, recognize that people tend to
model behaviors that you display. People tend to believe what they see not
necessarily what they hear. You convince people by what you do not by what you
say.
2. Teaching
what is right is easier than doing what is right. Leaders
must be willing to make sacrifices that are painful and personal.
3. Change
yourself before trying to improve others. As a leader, you
need to lead yourself first. Set high standards of excellence for yourself.
Work the hardest and longest on improving yourself. Failing to lead by example
creates a fuzzy picture to those you intend to lead.
4. A leader’s
example is the most value gift a leader can give. People
desire leaders where espoused beliefs and actions align. People learn best from
watching good leaders in action. Many leaders emerge by observing and
replicating the behaviors of leaders that mentored them.
Copilot’s Take
On the Saturday of the Seventh Week of Easter, the reading from Second
Samuel reveals a king whose strength is measured not by conquest but by
fidelity. David looks upon Mephibosheth, the disabled son of Jonathan, and
speaks the words that only a secure man can offer: “Do not be afraid.”
In that moment, David restores land, dignity, and a place at his own table. His
leadership is not a performance but an extension of gratitude. The covenant God
made with him has shaped his heart, and the heart shaped by God becomes
generous almost by reflex.
This scene becomes a living illustration of the Law of the Picture. David does not merely articulate a vision for Israel; he embodies it. His people will learn mercy because they have seen mercy. They will learn courage because they have watched him act with courage. They will learn fidelity because he has remained faithful to the promises forged in friendship and sealed in suffering. The king’s life becomes the template for the nation’s life.
Such leadership is never accidental. People watch what a leader does long
before they listen to what he says. David’s restoration of Mephibosheth shows
that teaching righteousness is easier than living it, and that the credibility
of a leader rests not on eloquence but on sacrifice. He changes himself before
he attempts to change others, and in doing so he offers the most valuable gift
a leader can give: a life that aligns with its own convictions.
On this same day, the Church remembers St. Julia of Corsica, a young
woman whose courage stands in stark contrast to the brutality of her captors.
She possessed no throne, no army, and no earthly power. Yet she held the one
thing tyrants cannot steal: a will anchored in God. When commanded to renounce
Christ, she refused. When threatened, she refused. When tortured, she refused.
Her resistance was not loud, theatrical, or vengeful. It was the quiet,
immovable fortitude the Catechism describes as “firmness in difficulties and
constancy in the pursuit of the good.”
Julia’s martyrdom becomes another form of the Law of the Picture. She
shows what it looks like when a human being lives the vision of the Gospel
without compromise. Her fidelity teaches more than any sermon. Her courage
instructs more than any treatise. Her death becomes a model for confronting
evil without mirroring its rage. She does not defeat her persecutors by
overpowering them but by refusing to let them define her final act.
Together, David and Julia reveal a single truth: evil is resisted not by
matching its force but by surpassing it in fidelity. David uses power to lift
the weak; Julia uses weakness to shame the powerful. Both stand firm without
fear because both know who they are before God. Their lives become pictures
others can imitate—pictures of courage, mercy, and unwavering truth.
In an age that often confuses noise with strength and posturing with
leadership, their witness remains a corrective. The world does not need louder
men; it needs truer ones. It needs leaders whose actions match their words,
whose sacrifices validate their teachings, and whose fidelity gives others
permission to stand firm. David restored a broken man to honor. Julia refused
to surrender her soul. Both show that confronting evil begins with the simple,
demanding decision to live the vision one proclaims.
St. Julia of Corsica[3]
St. Julia was a noble virgin of Carthage, who, when the city was taken by
Genseric in 489, was sold for a slave to a pagan merchant of Syria named
Eusebius. Under the most mortifying employments of her station, by cheerfulness
and patience she found a happiness and comfort which the world could not have
afforded. All the time she was not employed in her master's business was
devoted to prayer and reading books of piety. Her master, who was charmed with
her fidelity and other virtues, carried her with him on one of his voyages to
Gaul. Having reached the northern part of Corsica, he cast anchor, and went on
shore to join the pagans of the place in an idolatrous festival. Julia was left
at some distance, because she would not be defiled by the superstitious ceremonies
which she openly reviled. Felix, the governor of the island, who was a bigoted
pagan, asked who this woman was who dared to insult the gods. Eusebius informed
him that she was a Christian, and that all his authority over her was too weak
to prevail with her to renounce her religion, but that he found her so diligent
and faithful he could not part with her. The governor offered him four of his
best female slaves in exchange for her. But the merchant replied, "No; all
you are worth will not purchase her; for I would freely lose the most valuable
thing I have in the world rather than be deprived of her." However, the
governor, while Eusebius was drunk and asleep, took upon him to compel her to
sacrifice to his gods. He offered to procure her liberty if she would comply.
The Saint made answer that she was as free as she desired to be as long as she
was allowed to serve Jesus Christ. Felix, thinking himself derided by her
undaunted and resolute air, in a transport of rage caused her to be struck on
the face, and the hair of head to be torn off, and lastly, ordered her to be
hanged on a cross till she expired. Certain monks of the isle of Gorgon carried
off her body; but in 768 Desiderius, King of Lombardy, removed her relics to
Breseia, where her memory is celebrated with great devotion. St. Julia, whether
free or a slave, whether in prosperity or in adversity, was equally fervent and
devout. She adored all the sweet designs of Providence; and far from
complaining, she never ceased to praise and thank God under all his holy
appointments, making them always the means of her virtue and sanctification.
God, by an admirable chain of events, raised her by her fidelity to the honor
of the saints, and to the dignity of a virgin and martyr.
Excerpted from
Butler's Lives of the Saints
Apostolic Exhortation[4]
Veneremur Cernui – Down in Adoration Falling
of The Most Reverend Thomas J.
Olmsted, Bishop of Phoenix,
to Priests, Deacons, Religious and the Lay Faithful of the Diocese of Phoenix
on the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist
My beloved Brothers and
Sisters in Christ,
Part II
I.
The Graces of Holy Communion
Holy Communion changes and transforms us into “Alter
Christus”
33.
The Eucharistic presence of Jesus is not only to be with us, but also to be our
strength and nourishment. Jesus does this by choosing the elements of nature –
bread and wine – the food and drink that man must consume to maintain his life.
The Eucharist is precisely this food and drink for they contain in themselves
all the power of the Redemption wrought by Christ. The Eucharist is the only
nourishment that brings us true, lasting happiness and leads us to eternal
life. It is capable of transforming man’s life and open before him the way to
eternal life. How is this possible?
34.
While going through a period of conversion, one day Saint Augustine was granted
a vision in which a voice said to him: “I am the food of the mature: grow,
then, and you shall eat me. You will not change me into yourself like bodily
food; but you will be changed into me” (Confessions, VII, 10, 18). There is
a popular saying that goes, “You are what you eat.” How true this is
when we apply this to the Eucharist. Ordinary food is absorbed by us and
becomes a part of our bodies. But when we receive the Eucharist, it absorbs us;
a Christian becomes truly what he eats; he is transformed into Christ.
Centuries ago, Saint Leo the Great wrote: “Our partaking of the Body and
Blood of Christ tends only to make us become what we eat”.
35.
The Fathers of the Church took the example of physical food to explain this
mystery. We know that the stronger form of life normally assimilates the weaker
and not vice versa. The vegetative world assimilates the minerals, and the
animals assimilate the vegetables, and the spiritual assimilates the material.
When we receive the Body of Christ, we do not change Christ into our own
substance. Instead, we are changed into Christ Himself. The normal food that we
eat is not a living thing and therefore cannot give us life. It is a source of
life only because it sustains the life we have. Instead, the Bread of Life,
that is Jesus, is the living Bread and those who receive it, live by it. So,
while the normal food that nourishes the body is assimilated by the body and
becomes a part of it, the complete opposite takes place with the Bread of Life.
Devotions for Holy Communion[5]
PRAYER BEFORE COMMUNION.
O
compassionate Lord Jesus Christ, I, a sinner, nothing presuming on my own
merits, but trusting in Thy mercy and goodness, draw near with awe and
trembling to the table of Thy sweetest banquet. For my heart and my body are
stained with many sins, my mind and my tongue have not been kept with fitting
diligence and circumspection. "Wherefore, O compassion ate Godhead, O
dread and awful Majesty, I, Thy wretched creature, who am fallen into a great
strait, betake myself to Thee, the Fountain of mercy; to Thee I hasten that I
may be healed; beneath Thy protection I make my refuge; I long to have Thee for
my Savior, before Whom I can in no wise stand as my Judge. To Thee, O Lord, I
now show my wounds; before Thee I lay bare all this my shame. I know my sins,
so many and so great, by reason of which I am afraid. I hope in Thy mercies,
which are past numbering. Look on me with the eyes of Thy mercy, O Lord Jesus
Christ, everlasting King, God and man, Who wast crucified for man. Graciously
hear me who hope in Thee; have mercy on me who am full of miseries and of sins,
O Thou full and over-flowing Fountain of pity and of mercy. Hail, Thou saving
Victim, offered for me and all mankind upon the tree of the cross. Hail, thou
noble and precious blood, which dost ever flow forth from the wounds of my
crucified Lord Jesus Christ, and wash away the sins of the whole world.
Remember Thy creature, O Lord, whom Thou hast redeemed with Thine own blood. I
grieve that I have sinned; I do earnestly desire to amend what I have done amiss.
Wherefore, O most merciful Father, take away from me all my iniquities and my
sins, that, being cleansed in soul and in body, I may worthily receive the holy
food of the holy; and grant that the sacred taste of Thy body and blood, which
I unworthy am about to receive, may be to me the remission of my sins, the
perfect expiation and cleansing of all my faults, and the putting to flight of
evil thoughts, the quickening and renewal of all good feelings, the healthful
energy of all good works, the most assured protection of my body and soul from
all the snares of my enemies. Amen.
Bible in a
year Day 322 The
Ascension
Today, we begin the age of the
church, transitioning from the Gospel of Luke to the beginning of the book of
Acts. Fr. Mike draws our attention to the Ascension of Jesus and encourages us
to respond to Christ’s call to participate in his mission. He invites us to be
part of his story and not be ashamed of the Gospel. Today’s readings are Acts
1, Romans 1, and Proverbs 26:24-26.
Around the Corner
“Give
thanks to the LORD for he is good,
his
mercy endures forever!” (Psalm 107:1)
·
Saturday Litany of the Hours Invoking the Aid of
Mother Mary
·
Catholic Activity: Religion in the
Home for Preschool: May
·
Bucket List trip: Gettysburg,
PA civil war reenactment
o
International
Mediterranean Diet Month
o
National
Drinking with Chickens Day
·
Foodie: Apple Harvest Food
·
Spirit Hour: Branch Water
The
Code of the West is an unwritten set of ethical guidelines that shaped
cowboy culture and frontier life. While it was never officially documented in
the early days, it emphasized honor, integrity, and self-reliance. Over time,
various authors and historians have outlined these principles, and in 2010,
Wyoming even adopted them as its official state code of ethics.
Here
are some key tenets of the Code of the West:
- Live each day with courage.
Face challenges head-on.
- Take pride in your work. Do
your best, no matter the task.
- Always finish what you start.
Commitment is key.
- Do what has to be done. Even
when it's tough.
- Be tough, but fair. Strength
should be balanced with justice.
- When you make a promise, keep
it. Your word is your bond.
- Ride for the brand. Loyalty
to your people and purpose.
- Talk less, say more. Actions
speak louder than words.
- Remember that some things are
not for sale. Integrity matters.
- Know where to draw the line.
Stand firm in your values.
These
principles reflect the rugged individualism and camaraderie that defined the
Old West. Even today, many people—whether cowboys or not—find wisdom in these
values.
May 22 - 24, 2025
Feast of the Flowering Moon is held annually on Memorial Day weekend in historic, downtown Chillicothe, Ohio.
The festival offers plenty of
family-friendly entertainment for residents and visitors to Chillicothe, Ohio.
Featured activities include Native American music and dancing, crafters,
exhibitors, Mountain Man Encampment with working craftsmen and demonstrations,
entertainment and much more.
Daily
Devotions
·
Unite in the work of the Porters of St. Joseph by joining them
in fasting: Binding
and suppressing the Devils Evil Works
·
Litany of the Most Precious
Blood of Jesus
·
Offering to
the sacred heart of Jesus
· Rosary
HE STAYED FOR BREAKFAST (1940)
Loretta Young • Melvyn Douglas • Alan Marshal
Directed by Alexander Hall
A romantic comedy built on political tension, mistaken loyalties, and the strange intimacy that forms when two people are trapped together by circumstance.
Loretta Young plays Marianne Duval with luminous restraint — a woman whose elegance hides disillusionment.
Melvyn Douglas plays Paul Boliet with his trademark blend of charm and ideological stubbornness.
This is not a screwball farce.
It is a chamber piece about conviction, loneliness, and the unexpected tenderness that grows in confinement.
It is a wartime‑adjacent comedy about ideals colliding with human need.
1. Production & Historical Setting
Pre‑War Paris Through Hollywood’s Lens
Released in 1940, as Europe was already burning, the film presents a Paris that is both romantic and politically volatile.
The comedy is light, but the backdrop is not.
Hollywood was beginning to acknowledge the ideological fractures tearing the world apart.
The apartment becomes a microcosm of the era:
bourgeois comfort, revolutionary fervor, and the uneasy truce between them.
Alexander Hall’s Polished Humanism
Hall directs with a gentle, urbane touch:
- elegant pacing
- emotional clarity
- humor without cruelty
He avoids propaganda.
He avoids cynicism.
He lets the characters’ convictions clash without turning them into caricatures.
Loretta Young’s Moral Radiance
Young plays Marianne as a woman awakening from a life of polite unhappiness.
Her grace is not fragility — it is discipline.
She discovers courage not in politics but in choosing truth over comfort.
Melvyn Douglas’s Charming Idealist
Douglas gives Paul a warmth that softens his revolutionary rigidity.
He is a man who believes in causes but is undone by the humanity of the woman who shelters him.
Their chemistry is not frantic.
It is slow, intelligent, and rooted in mutual respect.
2. Story Summary
A Fugitive in the Apartment
Paul Boliet, a communist agitator, botches an assassination attempt and hides in Marianne’s apartment.
The police blockade the building.
Escape is impossible.
Forced Proximity, Growing Affection
Marianne, estranged from her banker husband, finds herself drawn to Paul’s sincerity.
He finds in her a gentleness that challenges his hardened ideology.
Their banter becomes confession.
Their confinement becomes communion.
The Husband Returns
Alan Marshal enters as the polished, self‑assured husband whose presence exposes the emotional emptiness of Marianne’s marriage.
The Choice
Paul’s comrades demand he surrender.
Marianne’s husband demands she return.
She chooses neither.
She chooses freedom — and Paul.
The Ending
They flee together, not triumphantly but honestly, stepping into a future built on conviction and affection rather than duty and pretense.
3. Spiritual & Moral Resonances
A. Conscience vs. Comfort
Marianne’s apartment becomes the battleground between a life of polite compromise and a life of moral clarity.
The film asks:
What do we owe to truth when comfort is easier.
B. Ideology Humanized
Paul begins as a political symbol.
He becomes a man.
The film suggests that real transformation happens not in manifestos but in relationships.
C. Hospitality as Conversion
Marianne’s act of sheltering a stranger becomes a spiritual turning point.
Hospitality reveals her courage.
It reveals his vulnerability.
D. Marriage Without Meaning
Her husband represents the respectable life that lacks soul.
The film critiques relationships built on appearances rather than truth.
E. Love as Liberation
Their escape is not rebellion for rebellion’s sake.
It is the moral act of choosing authenticity over pretense.
4. Hospitality Pairing — The Paris Apartment Table
- A Connecticut‑shade cigar — light, refined, echoing the film’s elegance
- A soft rye — Old Overholt or Basil Hayden Dark Rye, matching the film’s warmth
- A simple French plate — bread, cheese, olives, the food of unexpected guests
- A single lamp by a window — intimacy, quiet, the glow of two people discovering truth
5. Reflection Prompts
- Where am I choosing comfort over conviction.
- What relationship in my life is polite but hollow.
- Where has hospitality revealed truth to me.
- What ideology in me needs to be softened by human encounter.
- What escape toward authenticity am I afraid to make.
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