Sunday, July 5, 2026
SMOKE IN THIS LIFE, NOT THE NEXT
Sun, Jul 5 — The Burning Hand of Foligno Iceman: MASS • Sunday
Virtue: Justice & Reparation
Cigar: Maduro — dark, solemn
Bourbon: Old Forester 1920 — deep, reflective
Reflection: “What hidden partiality in me still needs purifying.”
Notes: Tour de France Stage 2 • Quiet Sunday heat in Cottonwood
On November 16, 1859, Sister Anna Felicia of the Convent of St. Francis in Foligno heard slow, heavy footsteps outside her cell. Twelve days earlier, her friend Sister Teresa Gesta had died. The footsteps stopped at her door. A low, aching moan rose — unmistakably human, yet not of this world.
Terrified, she cried, “Jesus… Mary… what can that be.” A thick smoke filled the room. Through it emerged the suffering spirit of Sister Teresa.
Her voice trembled: “Oh my God, how I suffer… Oh Dio, che peno tanto.” She revealed the cause of her purification — partiality in her duties, a small favoritism she had treated lightly but God weighed seriously.
To leave a warning, Teresa pressed her right hand against the wooden door. The wood burned under her touch, leaving a deep, scorched handprint as though branded by fire. The next day, the Mother Superior and a bishop examined it. It matched Teresa’s hand exactly. The imprint remains in Foligno as a witness to God’s mercy and justice.
The smoke in this life is mercy. Better to burn a cigar now in repentance than to face the flames of correction later.
Reflection Prompts Where do I show partiality. What small injustices have I excused. What door in my life would bear my handprint if God revealed the truth.
JULY 5 Sixth Sunday after Pentecost
I
continued: “What you are doing is not good. Should you not conduct yourselves
out of FEAR of our God rather than fear of the reproach of our Gentile
enemies?
What is good?
Doing God’s justice is the only
good.
2.
Do Not Blaspheme God
3.
Do Not Murder
4.
Do
Not Engage in Incestuous, Adulterous or Homosexual Relationships.
5.
Do Not Steal
6.
Do Not Eat of a Live
Animal
7. Establish Functioning Courts of Law
Copilot’s Take
Nehemiah’s rebuke cuts straight
through the fog of excuses. The people had begun to fear public opinion more
than divine judgment, shaping their behavior around what their neighbors
expected rather than what God required. Predatory lending had become normal,
even respectable, but Nehemiah names it plainly as evil. His question exposes
the heart: the one you fear is the one you obey, and Israel had begun obeying
the pressures of men instead of the justice of God.
Goodness, in Scripture, is never
a matter of sentiment or cultural consensus. It is the lived expression of
God’s justice — the refusal to exploit, manipulate, or harm. Nehemiah reminds
his people that goodness is active, not passive. It protects the vulnerable,
restrains the powerful, and refuses to participate in systems that grind the
poor into dust. Doing God’s justice is the only good because it reflects His
character rather than human convenience.
The Noahide laws form the
universal moral foundation for humanity, a baseline of righteousness that even
Gentile nations were expected to honor. They teach reverence for God, respect
for life, integrity of speech, purity of the body, honesty with property, mercy
toward creation, and the establishment of true justice. These are not tribal
rules; they are the architecture of human dignity. Nehemiah’s point is that
Israel has fallen below even this universal standard.
The Catechism echoes Nehemiah’s
urgency: evil must be confronted, not merely avoided. Silence in the face of
injustice becomes participation in it. Nehemiah models the courage required to
oppose wrongdoing even when it is socially acceptable or economically
advantageous. Fear of God produces moral clarity; fear of man produces moral
collapse. Justice requires a spine, and Nehemiah refuses to let his people hide
behind cultural norms.
The ancient prohibition against consuming a living creature is fundamentally about rejecting cruelty and refusing to treat life as disposable. In that deeper moral sense, abortion reflects the same spiritual pattern — the destruction of innocent life under the banner of convenience, fear, or power. It is not the same act, but it is the same violation of reverence: life treated as an object rather than a gift. The modern world has its own ways of normalizing cruelty, and Nehemiah’s voice still speaks into them.
At the heart of the passage is a
simple command: conduct yourself out of fear of God. Let His justice shape your
choices, His reverence shape your courage, and His truth shape your resistance
to evil. The world will always offer reasons to compromise. God offers only one
reason to stand firm — faithfulness. And faithfulness, in every generation,
begins with the fear that makes us just.
How is America measuring up to
this standard?
America
measures up unevenly to the standard Nehemiah lays down. In some places, the
nation still shows a reverence for God’s justice — defending the weak, honoring
life, and insisting on the dignity of the human person. But in many other
places, fear of public opinion has replaced fear of God. Moral clarity has been
traded for cultural comfort. Nehemiah’s question — Whom do you fear? —
exposes a national heart that often fears outrage, reputation, and social
pressure more than divine judgment.
The Noahide foundation —
honoring God, honoring life, honoring speech, honoring the body, honoring
property, honoring creation, and honoring justice — is visibly cracked in
America. Reverence for God is no longer assumed. Speech is weaponized rather
than sanctified. Life is debated rather than protected. Sexual ethics have
become expressions of personal autonomy rather than divine order. Property is
manipulated through systems that reward exploitation. Creation is consumed
without gratitude. And justice is often shaped by ideology rather than truth.
Yet America still retains a
moral memory. You see it in communities that care for the poor, in families
that teach virtue, in churches that defend life, and in citizens who refuse to
be intimidated by cultural pressure. The Noahide laws are not entirely forgotten
— they survive in the conscience of ordinary people who still believe that
goodness is not a matter of preference but of obedience. America is not morally
dead; it is morally divided.
The greatest danger is not open
wickedness but normalized cruelty. Nehemiah confronted economic practices that
looked respectable but were spiritually violent. America has its own versions —
systems that harm the vulnerable while appearing efficient, compassionate, or
progressive. When life becomes negotiable, when truth becomes optional, when
justice becomes partisan, the nation slips below even the universal moral floor
God expects of all humanity.
Fear of man is America’s most
corrosive temptation. It shapes laws, silences consciences, and pressures
citizens to accept what they know is wrong. Nehemiah’s rebuke applies directly:
conduct yourselves out of fear of God. A nation that fears God becomes
courageous, principled, and protective of life. A nation that fears man becomes
anxious, compromised, and willing to sacrifice the innocent for the sake of
comfort or approval.
America is not beyond redemption. Nehemiah’s message is not condemnation but invitation — return to the fear of God. Rebuild justice. Restore reverence. Protect life. Honor truth. The standard has not changed, and the path back is the same as it was in Jerusalem’s broken streets: repent, rebuild, and refuse to fear anything more than the God who judges nations and heals them.
ON KEEPING THE LORD'S DAY HOLY[1]
CHAPTER III
DIES ECCLESIAE
The Eucharistic Assembly:
Heart of Sunday
The
table of the word
41. It should also be
borne in mind that the liturgical proclamation of the word of God,
especially in the Eucharistic assembly, is not so much a time for meditation
and catechesis as a dialogue between God and his People, a dialogue in
which the wonders of salvation are proclaimed and the demands of the Covenant
are continually restated. On their part, the People of God are drawn to respond
to this dialogue of love by giving thanks and praise, also by demonstrating
their fidelity to the task of continual "conversion". The Sunday
assembly commits us therefore to an inner renewal of our baptismal promises,
which are in a sense implicit in the recitation of the Creed, and are an
explicit part of the liturgy of the Easter Vigil and whenever Baptism is
celebrated during Mass. In this context, the proclamation of the word in the
Sunday Eucharistic celebration takes on the solemn tone found in the Old
Testament at moments when the Covenant was renewed, when the Law was proclaimed
and the community of Israel was called — like the People in the desert at the
foot of Sinai (cf. Ex 19:7-8; 24:3,7) — to repeats its "yes",
renewing its decision to be faithful to God and to obey his commandments. In
speaking his word, God awaits our response: a response which Christ has already
made for us with his "Amen" (cf. 2 Cor 1:20-22), and which
echoes in us through the Holy Spirit so that what we hear may involve us at the
deepest level.
Sixth Sunday after Pentecost[2]
This Sunday stresses
the need for constant repentance and fidelity to our baptismal vows.
THE Introit of the Mass of to-day is the prayer of a soul
that confides in the powerful and benign protection of God. The Lord is the
strength of His people, and the protector of the salvation of His anointed.
Save Thy people, O Lord, and bless Thy inheritance, and rule them forever. Unto
Thee will I cry, O my God be not Thou silent to me, lest I become like them
that go down into the pit (Ps. xxvii. 8, 9, 1).
Prayer.
O God of hosts, to Whom belongeth all that is best, infuse into our breasts the
love of Thy name, and grant within us an increase of devotion, that Thou mayest
nourish what is good, and by the pursuit of piety preserve what Thou hast
nourished.
EPISTLE. Rom. vi. &-11.
Brethren: All we, who are baptized in Christ Jesus, are baptized in His death. For we are buried together with Him by baptism unto death: that as Christ is risen from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we also may walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of His death, we shall be also in the likeness of His resurrection. Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with Him, that the body of sin may be destroyed, to the end that we may serve sin no longer. For he that is dead is justified from sin.
Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall live also together with Christ: knowing that Christ rising again from the dead, dieth now no more, death shall no more have dominion over Him. For in that He died to sin, He died once: but in that He liveth, He liveth unto God. So, do you also reckon that you are dead to sin, but alive unto God, in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Explanation. St. Paul here exhorts us that as
through baptism we become members of Christ’s mystical body, what was
accomplished in Him actually must also take place in us spiritually. As Jesus
died for our sins, was buried, rose again, and ascended into heaven, so also
must we, once risen from sin, live henceforth to God, a new, holy life, conformed
to that of Christ.
GOSPEL. Mark viii. 1-9.
At that time, when there was a great multitude with Jesus,
and they had nothing to eat, calling His disciples together, He saith to them:
I have compassion on the multitude; for behold they have now been with Me three
days, and have nothing to eat. And if I shall send them away fasting to their
home, they will faint in the way: for some of them came from afar off. And His
disciples answered Him: From whence can anyone fill them here with bread in the
wilderness? And He asked them: How many loaves have ye? Who said: Seven. And He
commanded the multitude to sit down upon the ground. And taking the seven
loaves, giving thanks, He broke, and gave to His disciples for to set before
them, and they set them before the people. And they had a few little fishes and
He blessed them, and commanded them to be set before them. And they did eat and
were filled, and they took up that which was left of the fragments, seven
baskets. And they that had eaten were about four thousand: and He sent them
away.
Why did Jesus say, I have compassion
on the multitude, etc.?
To confirm by acts what He had
previously, through St. Matthew (Matt. vi. 33), taught in words, namely, that
to them who seek first the kingdom of God and His justice, all other things
shall be added without asking; and to show us, at the same time, the greatness
of God’s love, which takes account of every hour spent in His service, and
compassionates every want of man. The multitude were not solicitous for food,
and had not even asked it from Him, and yet He cared for them.
Renewal
of Baptismal Promises[3]
V.
Do you reject Satan?
R. I do.
V. And all his
works?
R. I do.
V. And all his
empty promises?
R. I do.
V. Do you
believe in God, the Father Almighty, creator of heaven and earth?
R. I do.
V. Do you believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was born
of the Virgin Mary was crucified, died, and was buried, rose from the dead, and
is now seated at the right hand of the Father?
R. I do.
V. Do you believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Catholic church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting?
R. I do.
V. God, the all-powerful Father of our Lord Jesus Christ has given us a new birth by water and the Holy Spirit, and forgiven all our sins. May he also keep us faithful to our Lord Jesus Christ for ever and ever.
R. Amen.
(This
is a family service that is directed by one of the parents. The family members
renew their baptismal vows and sprinkle themselves with the Easter water,)
Congratulations, you have made it to the last day of the Bible in a Year journey! Fr. Mike concludes our journey through the Bible by reflecting on the promise of a new heaven and a new earth in Revelation 21. It is this profound promise that reassures us that Christ is the beginning and the end, the one who makes all things new, the one who wipes away every tear, the one who conquers death, and the only one who offers us everlasting life, a life without end. Today's readings are Revelation 21-22, Hebrews 11-13, and Proverbs 31:30-31.
ACT OF FAITH
O my God, I firmly believe that Thou art one God, in three
Divine Persons, the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost; I believe that Thy
Divine Son became man and died for our sins and that He will come to judge the
living and the dead. I believe these and
all the truths which the holy Catholic Church teaches, because Thou hast
revealed them, Who canst neither deceive nor be deceived.
Around the Corner
July
4-July 26----Tour
de France[4] Celebrate
France’s biggest sporting event this month — the Tour
de France. The
official kick-off takes place on the island of Corsica then crosses onto
France’s mainland. Cruise the French countryside as you follow the grand event.
Or if you can’t make it abroad, head to one of America’s top bicycling cities.
Today in honor of the Holy Trinity
do the Divine Office giving
your day to God. To honor God REST: no shopping after 6 pm Saturday till
Monday. Don’t forget the internet.
Spirit hour: Lime Rickey in honor of St.
Elizabeth of Hungary
Bucket Item trip: Pilgrimage Mission San
Juan Capistrano
National Bikini Day-Men
should not wear bikini’s
Today in National Hawaii
Day
Daily
Devotions
Litany
of the Most Precious
Blood of Jesus
Offering to
the sacred heart of Jesus
Rosary
FOR HEAVEN’S SAKE (1950)
Clifton Webb • Joan Bennett • Robert Cummings Directed by George Seaton 1950 Technicolor Fantasy‑Comedy
A celestial comedy wrapped in tenderness and anchored in moral awakening, For Heaven’s Sake is not merely a light fantasy about angels meddling in human affairs. It is a meditation on marriage, purpose, and the quiet miracle of choosing love again when life has become too busy, too polished, and too distracted.
Clifton Webb’s Charles is crisp, witty, and impatient — an angel who understands human frailty better than humans do.
Joan Bennett’s Lydia is luminous — a woman whose longing for family reveals the ache beneath modern sophistication.
Robert Cummings’s Jeff is charming but adrift — a man who has forgotten that ambition without love becomes emptiness.
Beneath the humor lies a deeper truth: marriage is not sustained by convenience. It is sustained by sacrifice, tenderness, and shared hope.
1. Production & Cultural Setting
Post‑War America Rediscovering Family
Released in 1950, the film arrives as the nation was rebuilding domestic life after years of war and upheaval. The story reflects a cultural longing for home, children, and stability — and the fear that modern busyness might smother those desires.
Clifton Webb: The Heavenly Critic
Webb’s performance blends sharp wit with unexpected compassion. He is the angel who sees what humans refuse to admit: that love must be chosen, not assumed.
Joan Bennett: The Heart of the Home
Her portrayal of Lydia is gentle, aching, and sincere — a woman whose desire for a child becomes the film’s moral center.
Robert Cummings: The Distracted Husband
Cummings captures the charm and blindness of a man who has forgotten the purpose of his own marriage.
2. Story Summary
The Assignment
Two angels — Charles and his junior partner — are sent to Earth to help a struggling couple whose marriage is drifting toward emotional bankruptcy.
The Problem
Jeff and Lydia have grown comfortable but disconnected. Career, social life, and sophistication have replaced intimacy.
The Intervention
Charles disrupts their routines, exposes their selfishness, and gently guides them back toward tenderness.
The Turning Point
Lydia’s longing for a child reveals the deeper fracture in their marriage — a fear of vulnerability.
The Restoration
Through heavenly nudges and human courage, Jeff and Lydia rediscover each other and reclaim the hope they nearly abandoned.
3. Moral & Emotional Resonances
A. Marriage as Daily Choice
Love is not a feeling preserved by habit — it is a commitment renewed through sacrifice.
B. Vulnerability as Strength
The desire for family is not weakness; it is the courage to hope.
C. Heaven’s Interest in Human Love
The film suggests that God cares deeply about the small fractures in ordinary homes.
D. Ambition Without Tenderness Is Hollow
Jeff’s career means nothing if it costs him his marriage.
E. The Sacredness of Domestic Life
The home is not a retreat from purpose — it is the place where purpose is born.
4. Hospitality Pairing — A Night of Gentle Grace
Drink: Warm milk with honey — soothing, simple, childlike. Plate: Roast chicken and soft rolls — comforting, home‑centered, nourishing. Atmosphere: Candlelight, quiet music, a cleared table ready for conversation. Symbol: A baby’s rattle — the hope of new life and renewed love.
5. Reflection Prompts
Where has my love grown comfortable instead of intentional.
What part of my heart is longing for tenderness I have ignored.
Who in my life needs reassurance that they are worth choosing again.
How can I bring gentleness into the spaces where I have become hurried.
What hope have I quietly buried — and what would it take to resurrect it.
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