Monday, July 6, 2026
🔸 Monday Night at the Movies – July 2026
Resistance & Eucharistic Meals
July shifts from prophecy to communion. Where June traced the prophet’s interior purification, July shows how resistance is sustained — not by ideology, but by shared meals, moral nourishment, and the Eucharistic pattern of offering, breaking, and giving. Each film sits beside a feast of courage, where the table becomes the battleground of the soul.
Jul 6 – On the Waterfront (1954)
Theme: The Meal of Conscience Terry Malloy’s awakening begins in small, sacramental gestures — a shared coat, a simple meal, a priest’s presence on the docks. Resistance here is fed by communion: the Eucharistic pattern of standing with the oppressed, breaking silence, and offering one’s life for truth.
Jul 13 – The White Angel (1955)
Theme: The Meal of Mercy Florence Nightingale’s rounds resemble Eucharistic visitation — moving from bed to bed, bringing order, cleanliness, and compassion. Her resistance is quiet but absolute: she refuses to let suffering be anonymous. The meal becomes care itself — the nourishment of dignity.
Jul 20 – Wise Blood (1979)
Theme: The Meal of Judgment Hazel Motes rejects the Eucharist, yet cannot escape its shape. His “Church Without Christ” is a parody of communion, revealing how the soul starves when it refuses grace. The film’s grotesque meals — cheap diners, lonely tables — expose the hunger that only God can satisfy.
Jul 27 – The Scarlet and the Black (1983)
Theme: The Meal of Sacrificial Resistance Monsignor Hugh O’Flaherty’s clandestine network mirrors the early Church: hidden rooms, shared bread, lives protected at great cost. Every meal in the film is a risk, a covenant, a sign of the Body given for others. Resistance becomes Eucharistic — a total offering of self.
ON THE WATERFRONT (1954)
Marlon Brando • Eva Marie Saint • Karl Malden • Lee J. Cobb • Rod Steiger Directed by Elia Kazan
On the Waterfront is a bruised, salt‑air parable about conscience, corruption, and the cost of choosing truth in a world that rewards silence. Beneath its industrial grit lies a spiritual drama: a man discovering that his soul is worth more than his comfort, his reputation, or his fear.
Marlon Brando’s Terry Malloy is a dockworker drifting through life, numbed by compromise. Eva Marie Saint’s Edie Doyle is innocence with backbone — a woman whose grief becomes moral clarity. Karl Malden’s Father Barry is the film’s prophetic voice, calling men to courage in the shadow of violence. Lee J. Cobb’s Johnny Friendly rules the docks with intimidation, a tyrant built from insecurity and greed.
The film’s power lies in its revelation: redemption begins the moment a man refuses to cooperate with evil.
1. Production & Cultural Setting
Postwar America and the Machinery of Power
Released in 1954, the film reflects a nation wrestling with labor corruption, political fear, and the moral ambiguity of the McCarthy era. The docks become a microcosm of America’s conscience — men trapped between loyalty and justice, survival and integrity.
Brando: The Birth of Modern Acting
Brando’s Terry Malloy is raw, vulnerable, and unpolished — a man whose decency flickers beneath layers of resignation. His performance reshaped American cinema, proving that authenticity can be more powerful than polish.
Eva Marie Saint: Grace as Moral Force
Edie Doyle is not naïve; she is principled. Her grief sharpens her vision, allowing her to see Terry not as he is, but as he could be.
Kazan’s Conflicted Genius
Elia Kazan, criticized for naming names before HUAC, directs a story about the courage to speak out. The film becomes both confession and justification — art wrestling with conscience.
2. Story Summary
The Crime
Joey Doyle is murdered for daring to speak against the corrupt union. Terry, unknowingly used in the setup, begins to question the world he serves.
The Awakening
Terry meets Edie, Joey’s sister. Her grief unsettles him. Her honesty exposes his cowardice. Her hope awakens his buried conscience.
The Prophetic Voice
Father Barry enters the docks not as a bureaucrat but as a shepherd. His homily over a dead worker becomes the film’s spiritual center — a call to stand against injustice even when the cost is high.
The Pressure
Johnny Friendly tightens his grip. Terry faces threats, manipulation, and betrayal. The docks become a battlefield of fear.
The Confession
Terry admits his role in Joey’s death. Edie recoils, then forgives — not cheaply, but with the courage of someone who believes in transformation.
The Showdown
Terry testifies. Friendly retaliates. Violence erupts. Terry, beaten and bloodied, rises and walks into the warehouse — a broken man leading others toward freedom.
The Victory
Terry’s walk is not triumph but resurrection. He becomes the man he was meant to be — not powerful, but honest.
3. Moral & Emotional Resonances
A. Conscience Is the Beginning of Freedom
Terry’s transformation shows that liberation begins with a single honest decision.
B. Silence Protects the Wrong People
The docks reveal how evil thrives when good men refuse to speak.
C. Love Can Awaken Courage
Edie’s compassion becomes the catalyst for Terry’s moral rebirth.
D. Prophets Often Stand Alone
Father Barry’s sermon in the hold is a reminder that truth is rarely popular.
E. Redemption Requires a Cost
Terry’s suffering is not punishment — it is purification.
4. Hospitality Pairing — A Night of Moral Reckoning
Drink: A dark porter — heavy, honest, working‑class.
Plate: Beef stew with crusty bread — simple, sustaining, unpretentious.
Atmosphere: Low light, a worn table, the hum of distant machinery — the world of men who labor.
Symbol: A longshoreman’s hook — the choice to lift what is heavy rather than avoid it.
5. Reflection Prompts
Where have I chosen comfort over conscience. What truth have I avoided because it would cost me something. Who in my life has spoken prophetic courage into my fear. Where has love awakened a better version of myself. What injustice requires my voice, not my silence.
Smoke in this Life not the Next — Mon, Jul 6
St. Maria Goretti / San Fermin Festival Begins
Virtue: Purity & Courage Cigar: Connecticut — clean, youthful
Bourbon: Four Roses Small Batch — bright, honest
Reflection: Where do I guard innocence with strength?
Purity is never passive. It is a courage that stands its ground, a clarity that refuses to be dimmed. On Maria Goretti’s feast, the San Fermin drums begin in Pamplona — a festival of charging force and fearless runners. The day becomes a meditation on innocence that does not retreat, and courage that does not boast.
A Connecticut cigar fits the virtue: pale, youthful, unassuming, yet surprisingly firm. Four Roses Small Batch adds brightness — a bourbon that tells the truth without swagger. Together they form a quiet sacrament of steadiness, a reminder that purity is not fragility but focus.
The night’s reading sharpens the point. Sister Anna Felicia hears her name called, and a globe of brilliant light fills her cell. Sister Teresa’s triumphant voice declares: “I died on a Friday, the day of the Passion, and behold, on a Friday, I enter into eternal glory! Be strong to bear the cross, be courageous to suffer, love poverty.” Her message is not sentimental; it is militant. Purity is a battle. Courage is a discipline. Poverty is a freedom.
So the question for the smoke is simple and severe: Where do I guard innocence with strength? Not with defensiveness, not with fear, but with the bright honesty of a soul that refuses to be compromised.
JULY 6 Monday Sixth Week of
Pentecost
Maria Goretti-Fried Chicken
The
earlier governors, my predecessors, had laid a heavy
burden on the people, taking from them each day forty silver shekels for their
food; then, too, their attendants oppressed the people. But I, because I FEARED God, did not do this.
A
person that fears God does not
oppress or take advantage of those dependent on them. Evil or power-hungry
people love to get cash cows. In our country the best cash cows are the
addicted and many of these users and abusers do so through legal means.
Alcohol, Cigarettes, high fructose corn syrup, mortgages, taxes are all legal.
Then there is the illegal even more deadly, prescription drugs, marijuana,
heroin; you name it. Then if that wasn’t enough there is porn and the internet.
Whew…then there is congress and the education system!
Cheating. Cybersexting. Hazing, Drug abuse. Murder[1]
Scanning the headlines of the latest scandals in America’s schools, it’s quite clear that the problem is not that there’s too much God in students’ lives. The problem is that there isn’t nearly enough of Him. With the malfunction of moral seatbelts and the erosion of moral guardrails, too many kids have turned to a pantheon of false gods, crutches and palliatives. They’re obsessed with “Slender Man” and “Vampire Diaries.” Alex from Target’s hair and Rihanna’s tattoos. Overpriced basketball sneakers and underdressed reality stars. Choking games and YouTube games. Gossip and hookups. Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat. It’s all about selfies over self-control, blurred lines over bright lines. In a metastatic youth culture of soullessness and rootlessness, the idea of high school teens voluntarily using their free time to pray and sing hymns is not just a breath of fresh air. It’s salvation. But leave it to secularists run amok to punish faithful young followers of Christ. Last week, the Alliance Defending Freedom filed a religious freedom lawsuit against Pine Creek High School here in my adopted hometown of Colorado Springs. Chase Windebank, a senior at the district 20 school, had been convening an informal prayer group for the past three years “in a quiet area to sing Christian religious songs, pray, and to discuss issues of the day from a religious perspective.”
Windebank and his friends
weren’t disrupting classroom time. They shared their Christian faith during an
open period earned by high-achieving students. Other kids used the time to play
on their phones, eat snacks, get fresh air outside, or schedule meetings for a
wide variety of both official and unofficial school clubs. A Pine Creek choir
teacher had given permission to Windebank and his fellow worshipers to meet in
an empty music practice room. No complaints ever ensued from other students or
faculty. For three years, the group encountered no problems, according to ADF’s
complaint. But in late September, Windebank was summoned to the assistant
principal’s office and ordered to stop praying because of “the separation of
church and state.” The school singled out the young man of faith’s harmless
activities and banned members of his group from discussing current issues of
the day from a religious perspective during an open period in an unobtrusive
meeting place. It defies common sense that in conservative-leaning Colorado
Springs, home to a vibrant faith community and leading evangelical
organizations, students would be reprimanded and deprived of basic
constitutional rights. As a letter from local parents to the school district
decried:
“To what benefit does
it serve a school to limit the ability for a student to pray with their
friends, fellowship with their friends, or discuss daily events from a
Christian perspective?
It
is obvious that School District 20 is taking a freedom FROM religion
perspective, not a freedom OF religion perspective.” Think about it: If the
high-schoolers gathered in the cafeteria to listen to Billboard magazine’s No.
1 pop hit “Habits (Stay High)” — “You’re gone and I gotta stay high/ all the
time/ to keep you off my mind” — school officials would have no issue. If they
lounged in a courtyard to joke about the latest girl-fight videos or off-color
joke memes posted on Vine, no problem.
If they discussed the
latest “Walking Dead” episode or napped in the library?
All
good.
But singing “Amazing
Grace” and studying scripture?
This
subversion must be stopped!
How did we get here?
And in Colorado
Springs, of all places — not Berkeley or Boulder or Boston?
Blame cowardice, ignorance
and politically correct bureaucrats pledging allegiance to one nation, under
godlessness, without religious liberty, and the occult of extreme secularism
for all.
Pray for our Nation.
Copilot’s Take
Nehemiah’s refusal to exploit his people was not a
momentary decision but a sustained posture of the soul. He feared God, and that
fear shaped every day’s choices. The Catechism teaches that justice is the firm
will to give God and neighbor their due (CCC 1807), and Nehemiah lived this out
consistently. When the fear of the Lord is alive, power becomes service. When
it dies, power becomes predatory.
Our culture continues to reveal how deeply exploitation
has taken root. Addiction is monetized at every level—alcohol, cigarettes,
sugar, debt, taxes, pharmaceuticals, marijuana, pornography, and digital
dependency. Legal or illegal, the mechanism is identical: weaken a person, then
profit from the weakness. A society that loses the fear of God loses the
ability to recognize exploitation as evil. Sin, the Catechism says, is a revolt
against God and an attempt to become “like gods” (CCC 1850). It baptizes greed
as normal and calls bondage “freedom.”
The headlines in our schools make this painfully clear.
Cheating, hazing, drug abuse, violence, and moral confusion are not random
outbreaks; they are symptoms of a deeper absence. The problem is not too much
God—it is the near-total lack of Him. Without moral guardrails, students turn
to a pantheon of false gods—celebrity culture, occult fantasies, sexualized
media, and digital obsession. Selfies replace self‑control. Entertainment
replaces conscience. Noise replaces prayer. Conscience, the Church teaches,
must be formed and educated (CCC 1783–1785), and without formation, a
generation is left defenseless against idols that promise stimulation but
deliver emptiness.
This is why the sight of teenagers praying, singing
hymns, and discussing Scripture is so striking. It is not a threat—it is a
lifeline. Yet secular bureaucracies increasingly punish such witness. The Pine
Creek High School incident in Colorado Springs showed how inverted our values
have become: students were free to gossip, nap, scroll, and consume corrosive
content, but forbidden to pray. Religious liberty, the Catechism insists, is
essential and must be protected (CCC 2106). What happened at Pine Creek was not
separation of church and state; it was separation of the soul from its source.
The Church names this clearly. Scandal is behavior that
leads others into evil (CCC 2284), and structures of sin deform culture and
conscience. On Maria Goretti’s feast day, her witness stands in sharp contrast.
She confronted evil with purity, courage, and forgiveness. Her fear of God gave
her strength to resist and charity to forgive. She is a living commentary on
the Catechism’s teaching that adoration acknowledges our dependence on God (CCC
2097) and that holiness is courageous, not passive. Her life exposes the
emptiness of a culture that mocks virtue and punishes holiness.
So today, picking this up again, the path forward
remains the same: clarity, courage, and prayer. Evil must be named. Conscience
must be formed. Prayer must be restored to the center of life. A nation cannot
survive on godlessness, distraction, and exploitation. Nehemiah feared God and
protected his people. Maria Goretti feared God and resisted evil. Their witness
is the antidote to our cultural malaise. Pray for our nation. Pray for courage.
Pray for the return of holy fear.
St. Maria Goretti[2]
St. Maria Goretti was born of a poor family in Corinaldi, Italy, in 1890. Near Nettuno she spent a difficult childhood assisting her mother in domestic duties. She was of a pious nature and often at prayer. In 1902 she was stabbed to death, preferring to die rather than be raped.
"The life of this simple girl—I shall concern myself
only with highlights—we can see as worthy of heaven. Even today people can look
upon it with admiration and respect. Parents can learn from her story how to
raise their God-given children in virtue, courage and holiness; they can learn
to train them in the Catholic faith so that, when put to the test, God's grace
will support them and they will come through undefeated, unscathed and
untarnished.
"From Maria's story carefree children and young people with their zest for life can learn not to be led astray by attractive pleasures which are not only ephemeral and empty but also sinful. Instead, they can fix their sights on achieving Christian moral perfection, however difficult and hazardous that course may prove. With determination and God's help all of us can attain that goal by persistent effort and prayer.
"Not all of us are expected to die a martyr's death,
but we are all called to the pursuit of Christian virtue. This demands strength
of character though it may not match that of this innocent girl. Still, a
constant, persistent and relentless effort is asked of us right up to the
moment of our death. This may be conceived as a slow steady martyrdom which
Christ urged upon us when he said: The kingdom of heaven is set upon and laid
waste by violent forces.
"So, let us all, with God's grace, strive to reach the goal that the example of the virgin martyr, Saint Maria Goretti, sets before us. Through her prayers to the Redeemer may all of us, each in his own way, joyfully try to follow the inspiring example of Maria Goretti who now enjoys eternal happiness in heaven."
Excerpted from a homily at the canonization of Saint Maria Goretti by Pope Pius XII
Imprisoned for murder she appeared to him in his cell and
forgave him and he was subsequently converted. Most importantly, he sat next to
her mother at the beatification, who also forgave him.
Patron: Against impoverishment; against poverty; children; children of Mary; girls; loss of parents; martyrs; rape victims; young people in general.
Things to Do:
Please visit this The Pilgrimage of Mercy: Tour of
St. Maria Goretti's Major Relics for more information on St. Maria, in
particular this article for a more detailed account of St. Maria Goretti's
life and Alessandro Serenelli's conversion.
This saint's feast day
is a wonderful launching point to teach our children about purity, chastity and
modesty. Sex education should be taught by the parents with a Catholic
approach. Young girls can use St. Maria as a model.
A highly recommended
book is St. Maria Goretti: In Garments All Red by Rev. Godfrey
Poage. Young teens to adult will enjoy this account of her life.
National Fried
Chicken Day[3] Remember it was this humble bird that that crowed calling Peter to
conversion and repentance-if you can go to confession and confess with Peter, “Yes, Lord, You Know That I Love You”.
To add
more pizzazz to the day, coat the legendary southern food in spices and yell “Yeehaw!”
Cover the chicken with a mixture of cayenne pepper, garlic powder and paprika
to put the spring back in the step. A little hot sauce? Sure, let’s go all out!
Serve the mouth-watering fried food with chicken gravy to up the yum-factor
even more.
Pair
the succulent bird with waffles for a classic combo. Or, why not make chicken
the star of the show and add a tasty side dish? Lip-smacking sides include
buttermilk biscuits, cold potato salad or coleslaw. With fried chicken on the
plate, the taste is sure to taste clucking good!
Wiener Backhendl
Viennese fried chicken has
a history that goes back to the 18th century, when it was in vogue as
a dish for the aristocracy and upper classes. Serve backhendl with
lemon wedges and parslied potatoes, potato salad or a tossed green salad.
Backhendl is popular in Munich as a dish served at Oktoberfest celebrations.
Also known as Backhähnchen or poulet frit à la viennoise.
4 to 6 servings
Ingredients
Chicken, cut into
serving pieces -- 3 pounds
Lemon juice -- 2
tablespoons
Salt and pepper -- to
season
Flour -- 1 cup
Eggs, beaten with a
little water -- 2
Breadcrumbs -- 1 1/2
cups
Oil for deep frying
Method
Toss the chicken in a large bowl with the lemon juice, salt and pepper. Set aside to marinate for at least 30 minutes.
Put the flour in one
bowl, the eggs in another bowl and the breadcrumbs in a third bowl. One at a
time, dip the chicken pieces first in the flour, then in the egg, and finally
in the breadcrumbs to coat. Set the breaded chicken pieces on a baking sheet to
let the coating set.
Heat about 2 inches
of oil to 375°F in a deep skillet or Dutch oven. Deep fry the chicken
pieces for 10 minutes, turning to brown both sides.
Reduce heat to low and
continue to cook for another 20 minutes, turning often. Drain on paper towels
and serve hot.
Wiener
Backhendl Variations
Finishing
in the Oven: After browning, remove the chicken pieces to a rack-lined
baking sheet and finish cooking in a 350°F oven for about 20 to 25 minutes.
Around the Corner
Bucket List Trip: Around the
World “Perfect Weather”
July
6-15 San Fermin Festival
(Pamplona, Spain)
Run for your life! Join hundreds of
thousands of locals and tourists who flock to the northern Spanish city of
Pamplona for the annual San Fermin Festival. At 8 a.m. on July 7, the celebration
unfolds with six bulls and another six steers running down a half mile stretch
of narrow streets. The week-long event culminates in a final, grand fight in a
bullring.
Beans Month bursts into
July with a celebration of one of the world’s favorite and most versatile
ingredients—beans!
Eat waffles and Pray for the assistance of the Angels
Foodie: Whole
Fish Roasted with Potatoes and Thyme
Spirit Hour: World’s Oldest
Reisling Wine
Roy Rogers King of Cowboys RIP
1998
Monday: Litany of Humility
Top of Form
Bottom of Form
Daily
Devotions
Unite
in the work of the Porters of St.
Joseph by joining them in fasting: Increase in
Christian Femineity
Litany
of the Most Precious
Blood of Jesus
Offering to
the sacred heart of Jesus
Rosary
Let Freedom Ring: 40 Days to
Freedom from the Devil[4]
July 7-August 15, 2024
It is right and good for us to prepare
ourselves as her retainers in her battle with Satan from now until the Feast of
the Assumption of Mary into Heaven
Goal:
Through acts of
reparation, fasting, penance, charity, and prayer (both personal and
sacramental) we call upon the power of God to release ourselves, our families,
our parishes, our dioceses, and our nation from all demonic influence and
oppression.
Method:
Each day will be broken into prayer, reflection, and reparation.
Reflection:
A reflection
(rotating from Fr. Peckman, Fr. Altman & Fr. Heilman) will be written for
each day on a particular manifestation of the demonic and the sin it leads to.
It will commend a corresponding virtue to cultivate.
Prayer:
Prayers of
reparation and exorcism will be followed by a litany
Monday:
Litany of Humility
Tuesday:
Litany of St. Michael the Archangel
Wednesday:
Litany of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus
Thursday:
Litany of St. Joseph
Friday:
Litany of the Sacred Heart of Jesus
Saturday:
Litany of the Immaculate Heart of Mary
Sunday:
Litany of the Blessed Sacrament
Acts of
Reparation and Penance:
Factoring into
this will be variables of age, ability, and availability.
*
To pray a Rosary for the Intention of exorcism of the day's area of
reflection
*
To pray a Divine Mercy Chaplet in reparation for the sin caused by the area of
the day's reflection
*
To commit one act of either a spiritual or corporal works of mercy for either
one who has been harmed by our sin or who has harmed us by their sin.
*
To commit to fasting or abstinence days as prescribed below.
*
To commit to a prescribed time of exercise based on one's abilities
*
To commit to going to confession once a week (where available)
* To refrain from all use of the conventional media throughout the 40 days and to limit one's use of social media to one hour a day for non-business or evangelical use.
Levels
Understanding
that age, health, and the fake Covid 19 pandemic are current factors...
Black
level: (For clerics)
Acts
of reflection and prayer remain intact. Added is a commitment to a Holy Hour
every day.
Cleric
commits to fasting 3xs a week (unless age or medical condition is an issue).
Cleric
commits to abstaining from sweets, soda, junk food, and fast food for all 40
days.
Clerics
with medical conditions and over the age of 65 commit to a half hour of
exercise. Otherwise, they commit to one hour of exercise, with the
understanding that one can exercise and pray the Rosary and Divine Mercy
Chaplet at the same time.
They
also commit to making more time for the confessional, daily Mass, and praying
the entirety of the Divine Office (all hours) for the 40 days.
The
prayer, reflection, some acts of reparation can be done during Holy Hour and/or
exercise time.
Clerics
commit to confession once a week. Clerics, in a special way, should offer the
prayers for those placed under their pastoral care and
do their acts of reparations for those harmed by the actions of any cleric,
including themselves.
Blue level: Recommended for
those called to go "All In!"
Acts
of Reflection and prayer remain intact.
Person
commits to fasting 3xs a week (Wednesday, Friday, and any other day, save
Sunday).
Abstinence
from sweets, soda, junk food, and fast food for all 7 days.
One
hour of exercise with the understanding that one can exercise and pray the
Rosary and Divine Mercy Chaplet simultaneously.
Red
Level: Recommended for those who do not think they can do the blue level:
Acts
of Reflection and prayer remain intact.
Person
commits to fasting 2xs a week on Wednesdays and Fridays.
Abstinence
from sweets, soda, junk food, and fast food for the other four days.
One
hour of exercise, with the understanding that one can exercise and pray the
Rosary and Divine Mercy Chaplet at the same time
White
Level: Recommended for pregnant women, senior citizens, those with serious
medical conditions:
Acts
of Reflection and prayer remain intact.
Abstinence 3xs a week from sweets, soda, junk food, & fast food instead of fasting.
Half
hour of exercise instead of an hour. That other half hour can be used to do
spiritual reading.
It
should be noted that praying the Rosary and Divine Mercy Chaplet can be done
while exercising
Prayer for Freedom from the Devil
(We will all pray
the following prayer each day)
My Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,
At a word from You the devil and
his minions flee in terror.
You are the source of all truth.
You are the source of all strength.
By the power of Your Cross and
Resurrection, we beseech You, O Lord
To extend Your saving arm and to
send Your holy angels
To defend us as we do battle with
Satan and his demonic forces.
Exorcise, we pray, that which
oppresses Your Bride, the Church,
So that within ourselves, our
families, our parishes, our dioceses, and our nation
We may turn fully back to You in
all fidelity and trust.
Lord, we know if You will it, it
will be done.
Give us the perseverance for this
mission, we pray.
Amen.
Our Lady of the
Immaculate Conception ... pray for us
St. Joseph ...
pray for us
St. Michael the
Archangel ... pray for us
(the patron of
your parish) ... pray for us
(your
confirmation saint) ... pray for us
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