Wednesday, July 15, 2026
Smoke in This Life Not the Next —
Virtue: Hidden Strength
Cigar: Sumatra – layered, restrained
Bourbon: Michter’s Rye – contemplative
Reflection: “Where do I fast for clarity?”
JULY 15 Wednesday-Saint Bonaventure, Bishop
St. Swithun
Tobit, Chapter 4, Verse 21
Tobit is advising his son to be a mensch. A person with high integrity and honesty.
The
other day, while going through my personal notes, I ran across some records I
had taken on a lecture on “life’s most important learning’s” I would like to
share.
·
Be
a Mensch.
·
Never
stop learning.
·
Love
and be loved.
·
Don’t
be afraid to take risks.
·
Set
the example.
·
Take
care of your health.
·
Take
care of your family.
·
Watch
your mouth.
·
One
person can make a difference.
·
Life
is a test/challenge; live it!
In
other words, a mensch has Self-control which is the ability to control one's
emotions, behavior, and desires in the face of external demands in order to
function in society. (Matt DeLisi)
A
great example of a man who conquered self-control is George Washington.
Washington was a self-made man who learned to govern himself before he governed
our great country. Washington was a passionate man by nature, yet he was famous
for his reserve and graciousness to others. Washington worked on himself very
hard to control his temper and to not be sensitive to criticism. Washington
disciplined his passionate nature with iron will and self-control. Washington
wrote, “Every action done in company ought to be with some sign of respect, to
those that are present” and, “Labor to keep alive in your breast the little
spark of celestial fire called conscience.” He strove to be a man of
unquestionable dignity and manners. He was modest and wore clothes that were
fine and neat but never showy. He was consciously groomed and was seldom
discourteous to anyone, of higher or lower station in life. He knew his
strengths as well as his weaknesses; there was no hubris in him. He understood
the nature of his countrymen as well as he understood his own. He knew we are
all flawed, that we must always be alert to the danger of ungoverned appetites
and must strive to control and improve our nature. And through the constant
application of his self-control, he became, in fact, the father of our country.
He imprinted his character on this nation, and in that sense, we are all
his descendants, a people famous for our constant struggle to improve. We are
never so removed from the failings of our nature that we cannot stand more
improvement, but neither are we so removed from Washington’s magnificent
example that we dare not dream we can achieve it.[1]
A person with self-control is a person of courage. Courage is the ability and willingness to confront fear, pain, danger, uncertainty, or intimidation. Physical courage is courage in the face of physical pain, hardship, death, or threat of death, while moral courage is the ability to act rightly in the face of popular opposition, shame, scandal, or discouragement.
Copilot’s
Take
Tobit
4:21 “Do not fear, son, that we have lived in poverty. You will have great
wealth, if you fear God, avoid all sin, and do what is good before the Lord
your God.”
Tobit’s
words to his son form a father’s final inheritance: a reminder that true wealth
is not measured in possessions but in character. He urges his son to fear God,
avoid sin, and do good — the foundations of a life shaped by virtue. Poverty of
circumstance is nothing compared to poverty of soul. Tobit is teaching him to
become a mensch, a man whose integrity is his treasure and whose conduct
reflects the fear of the Lord.
A
mensch, in the Catholic sense, is simply a man of virtue. He is someone who
governs himself, disciplines his appetites, and lives with integrity. The great
lessons of life — continual learning, loving well, taking risks for the good,
setting an example, caring for one’s health and family, guarding one’s speech,
recognizing that one person can make a difference, and embracing life as a test
— all flow from the interior discipline Tobit commends. The Catechism teaches
that virtues are “stable dispositions” enabling a person to act well; a mensch
is someone who has cultivated these dispositions until they become habitual.
Self‑control
stands at the center of this formation. It is the quiet virtue that steadies
the will and governs the passions. Without self‑control, courage becomes
recklessness, leadership becomes tyranny, and love becomes sentimentality. With
it, a man becomes capable of greatness because he first becomes capable of
governing himself. This mastery is not repression but ordered strength — the
ability to direct one’s emotions and desires toward the good, avoiding the
“ungoverned appetites” that lead to sin.
George
Washington offers a striking historical example of this interior governance.
Though naturally passionate, he trained himself in restraint, courtesy, and
disciplined conduct. His “Rules of Civility” were spiritual exercises, shaping
his character through deliberate practice. Washington learned to govern himself
before he governed a nation, and his self‑mastery became a model for the
republic he helped establish. His dignity, modesty, and controlled temperament
reflected a man who understood both his strengths and weaknesses and
worked tirelessly to refine them.
Such self‑control naturally gives rise to courage. Courage is not the absence of fear but the mastery of fear for the sake of what is right. Physical courage faces danger; moral courage faces opposition; spiritual courage faces evil itself. The Church teaches that fortitude enables a person to remain steadfast in the pursuit of the good, even when threatened by difficulty or persecution. A person who governs himself becomes capable of confronting what must be confronted, resisting what must be resisted, and standing firm when others falter.
In
this way, Tobit’s instruction, Washington’s example, and the witness of today’s
saints converge. Saint Bonaventure’s brilliance was matched by humility; Saint
Swithun’s holiness was expressed through quiet charity; Washington’s leadership
was grounded in disciplined virtue; and Tobit’s fatherly wisdom points toward
the interior wealth that comes from fearing God and doing good. Together they
form a portrait of the mensch — the man who governs himself, confronts evil
with courage, and lives his life as a test that leads him toward God.
Saint
Bonaventure: The Seraphic Doctor
Saint
Bonaventure, born Giovanni di Fidanza, was a 13th‑century Franciscan whose life
blended intellectual brilliance with profound humility. After a childhood
healing attributed to Saint Francis, he entered the Franciscan Order and became
one of its greatest theologians. His masterpiece, The Journey of the Mind into
God, guides the soul from the created world into the very mystery of the
Trinity, showing that true knowledge must always lead to deeper love. As
Minister General, he unified and stabilized the Franciscans during a turbulent
era, governing with gentleness and clarity. Later, at the Council of Lyons, he
served the wider Church until his death in 1274. He is remembered as a man
whose learning never overshadowed his holiness, and whose wisdom was always
warmed by charity.
St
Swithun, Bishop & Confessor: Missa “Sacerdotes tui “
Saint
Swithin Swithun (or Swithin, Old English: Swīþhūn; died c. 862) was a Saxon
bishop. He was born in the kingdom of Wessex and educated in its capital,
Winchester. He was famous for charitable gifts and building churches. His feast
day is 15 July and his emblems are rain drops and apples.
Swithin
was chaplain to Egbert, the 802-839 king of Wessex. Egbert’s son Ethelwulf,
whom Swithin educated, made him bishop of Winchester in 852.
Only
one miracle is attributed to Swithin while he was alive. An old lady’s eggs had
been smashed by workmen building a church. Swithin picked the broken eggs up
and, it is said, they miraculously became whole again.
And
if any church fell down, or was in decay, S. Swithin would anon amend it at his
own cost. Or if any church were not hallowed, he would go thither afoot and
hallow it. For he loved no pride, ne to ride on gay horses, ne to be praised ne
flattered of the people…
Swithin died on 2 July 862. According to tradition, he had asked to be buried humbly. His grave was just outside the west door of the Old Minster, so that people would walk across it and rain fall on it in accordance with Swithin’s wishes. William of Malmesbury recorded that the bishop left instructions that his body should be buried outside the church, ubi et pedibus praetereuntium et stillicidiis ex alto rorantibus esset obnoxius [where it might be subject to the feet of passers-by and to the raindrops pouring from on high], which has been taken as indicating that the legend was already well known in the 12th century.
On
15 July 971 though, Swithin’s remains were dug up and moved to a shrine in the
cathedral by Bishop Ethelwold. Miraculous cures were associated with the event,
and Swithin’s feast day is the date of the removal of his remains, not his
death day. However, the removal was also accompanied by ferocious and violent rain
storms that lasted 40 days and 40 nights and are said to indicate the saint’s
displeasure at being moved. This is probably the origin of the legend that if
it rains on Saint Swithun’s feast day, the rain will continue for 40 more days.
Saint
Swithin is still seen as the patron of Winchester Cathedral.
INTROIT Psalm 131: 9-10
Let
Thy priests, O Lord, be clothed with justice, and let Thy saints rejoice: for
Thy servant David’s sake, turn not away the face of Thy anointed. V. O
Lord, remember David, and all his meekness. v. Glory be to the Father and
to the Son and to the Holy Ghost, as it was in the beginning, is now and
ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
COLLECT
God,
who dost gladden us by the merits and intercession of thy blessed confessor
bishop Swithun, grant us this boon, that we who ask for his good offices may
obtain them through the gift of thy grace. Through Jesus Christ, thy Son
our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost,
ever one God, world without end. R. Amen.
EPISTLE Hebrews 7: 23-27
Lesson
from the Apostle Paul’s letter to the Hebrews: Brethren, there
were made many priests, because by reason of death they were
not suffered to continue: but Jesus, for that He continueth forever,
hath an everlasting priesthood. Whereby He is able also to save
forever them that come to God by Him; always living to make intercession
for us. For it was fitting that we should have such a high priest,
holy, innocent, and undefiled, separated from sinners, and made higher
than the heavens; Who needeth not daily, as the other priests, to offer
sacrifice first for His own sins, and then for the people’s; for this
Jesus Christ our Lord did once, in offering Himself.
GRADUAL Psalm 131: 16-17
I
will clothe her priests with salvation: and her saints shall rejoice with
exceeding great joy. There will I bring forth a horn to David; I have prepared
a lamp for my anointed. Alleluia, alleluia! Ps. 109:4 The Lord has sworn an
oath there is no retracting: Thou art a priest forever in the line of
Melchisedech. Alleluia!
GOSPEL Matthew 24: 42-47
At
that time, Jesus said to His disciples: Watch, because you know not what hour
your Lord will come. But this know ye, that, if the goodman of the house knew
at what hour the thief would come, he would certainly watch, and would not
suffer his house to be broken open. Wherefore be you also ready: because at
what hour you know not the Son of man will come. Who, thinkest thou, is a faithful
and wise servant, whom his lord hath appointed over his family, to give them
meat in season? Blessed is that servant, whom when his lord shall come he shall
find so doing. Amen I say to you, he shall place him over all his goods.
OFFERTORY ANTIPHON Psalm 88: 25
My
truth and My mercy shall be with him: and in My name shall his horn be exalted.
SECRET
Hallow
the gifts we offer Lord, and at the intercession of thy blessed confessor
bishop Swithun, do thou cleanse us by their means from the defilement of our
sins. Through Jesus Christ, thy Son our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with
thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. R.
Amen.
PREFACE of the Common
It
is truly meet and just, and profitable unto salvation, that we should at all
times, and in all places, give thanks to thee, O Holy Lord, Father Almighty,
eternal God, through Christ, our Lord. Though whom the angels praise thy
majesty, the dominions adore it, the powers are in awe. Which the heavens and
the hosts of heaven together with the blessed seraphim joyfully do magnify. And
do thou command that it be permitted to us join with them in confessing thee,
while we say with lowly praise:
COMMUNION ANTIPHON Matthew 24: 46-47
Blessed
is that servant, whom when his lord cometh he shall find watching: Amen I say
to you, he shall place him over all his goods.
POSTCOMMUNION
We
humbly beg thee, almighty God, to grant that we whom thou renewest with thy
sacrament, at the intercession of thy blessed confessor bishop Swithun, may
lead lives acceptable to thee and worthy of thy servants. Through Jesus
Christ, thy Son our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of
the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. R. Amen.
Today is National Hot
Dog Day[1]
National Hot Dog Day seeks to appreciate hotdogs. The National Hot Dog and Sausage Council created the National Hot Dog Day to honor the all-American hot dog. The first National Hot Dog Day was held in 1991, where a hot dog luncheon was served on Capitol Hill. Since then, it has become tradition to serve hot dogs to Capitol Hill staffers, lawmakers, agency officials and baseball legends. Frankfurters, which are very similar to hot dogs, originated in Frankfurt, Germany. In the 1880s, Antonoine Feuchtwanger began to sell hot dogs in St. Louis, Missouri. Eventually by the 1890s, it is believed that Chris von der Ahe, a German immigrant who owned the St. Louis Browns, began to sell hotdogs at baseball games. Since then, hotdogs have been deeply rooted in American baseball culture. To honor the association between baseball and hotdogs, the American Meat Institute invites baseball players to attend the annual hotdog luncheon on Capitol Hill during National Hot Dog Day on July 23rd.
National Hot Dog Day
Facts & Quotes
The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine has stated that hotdogs contain carcinogenic (cancer causing) compounds, are high in fat, cholesterol and salt.
In
fact, a recent study by the Harvard School of Public Health has
found that a single daily serving of processed meat can increase the risk of
colorectal cancer by 21%. These will kill you quicker than Covid 19!
Note: Los Angeles residents consume more hotdogs than any
other city. You are what you eat. Need we say more!
According
to the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council, the proper etiquette required to
eat a hotdog is finish the hot dog in five bites. In the case of a
foot-long wiener, only seven bites are appropriate.
Across
the United States, consumers spent more than $2.5 billion on hot dogs in 2014.
In 2014, Los Angeles consumed more than 39 million hotdogs.
Every
year on July 4th, Nathan's Famous Hot Dogs hosts a hot dog eating contest in
which contestants must consume as many hot dogs as possible in 10 minutes. The
current male record holder ate 69 hot dogs while the female record holder
inhaled 45 hot dogs in only 10 minutes.
A
hot dog at the ball game beats a roast beef at the Ritz. - Humphrey Bogart,
Famous 1940s actor.
[1] http://www.wincalendar.com/Hot-Dog-Day
Around the Corner
Linda Ronstadt,
born on July 15, 1946
Note when the
Iceman (Dad) was in Fort Huachuca, AZ he received an award from Linda’s brother
who was the Chief of Police for Tucson for his Crime Prevention Unit which was
selected as the Best in the State of Arizona.
10 coolest
summer getaways in Arizona: Mountains, lakes and a chilly cave trek
fast-Marian devotion, protection, and contemplation-Mount
Carmel
Foodie:
National Eggplant Month
Today is National Orange Chicken
Day
Novena
to Our Lady of Mount Carmel-Day 9
Bucket List: Vineyard
World Tour:
Holesinsky Vineyard, Idaho
Spirit Hour: after six cocktail
Let
Freedom Ring Day 9 Freedom
from Abuse of Sexuality Outside the Marital State
From a Catholic
perspective, sex transmutation—though not a term traditionally used in
Church teaching—can be understood as the redirection of sexual energy toward
higher, God-centered purposes such as chastity, charity, creativity, and
sanctity. This aligns with the Church’s broader theology of the body, virtue,
and spiritual discipline.
✝️
Catholic Understanding of Sexual Energy
The Church
teaches that sexual desire is not evil in itself. Rather, it is a powerful gift
from God, meant to be ordered toward:
Unitive love
within sacramental marriage
Procreation
of new life
Sanctification
through self-mastery and virtue
When not
expressed in marriage, sexual energy is to be sublimated—transformed into acts
of love, service, and spiritual devotion. This is where the idea of
“transmutation” finds resonance.
🕊️
Catholic Pathways to Transmuting Sexual Energy
1. Chastity as
a Virtue
Chastity is not
mere abstinence but the integration of sexuality within the person.
It involves
self-mastery, enabling one to love rightly and purely.
Saints like
Augustine and Aquinas emphasized chastity as a path to freedom and holiness.
2. Redemptive
Suffering and Offering
Sexual temptation
can be united with Christ’s suffering and offered for the salvation of souls.
This transforms
struggle into intercession and spiritual growth.
3. Prayer and
Contemplation
Redirecting
desire through contemplative prayer (e.g., the Rosary, Adoration) elevates the
soul.
St. John Paul
II’s Theology of the Body teaches that the body, including its desires,
can become a “sacrament” of divine love when rightly ordered.
4. Creative
and Apostolic Work
Saints and
mystics often channeled intense passion into writing, preaching, or serving the
poor.
Sexual energy,
when sublimated, can fuel heroic virtue and creativity.
🧠
Catholic Examples of Transmutation
|
Saint |
How They
Transmuted Sexual Energy |
|
|
St. Augustine |
Turned from lust to
theological brilliance and pastoral zeal |
|
|
St. Thomas Aquinas |
Chose celibacy and
intellectual purity, writing the Summa Theologica |
|
|
St. Francis of Assisi |
Embraced radical
poverty and love of creation |
|
|
St. Teresa of Ávila |
Channeled longing
into mystical union with Christ |
|
📖
Scripture and Teaching
Romans 12:1
– “Offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God.”
1 Corinthians
6:19-20 – “Your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit… glorify God in your
body.”
Catechism of
the Catholic Church (CCC 2337–2359) – Teaches about chastity, purity of
heart, and the call to holiness for all states of life.
🕯️
A Catholic Practice of Sex Transmutation
Here’s a simple
daily rhythm:
Morning
Offering: “Lord, I offer you my desires and passions today. Purify them and
use them for your glory.”
Midday
Check-In: Redirect wandering thoughts with a Hail Mary or short prayer.
Evening
Reflection: Examine how you responded to temptations. Offer failures to
God’s mercy and successes to His glory.
Daily
Devotions
Unite
in the work of the Porters of St.
Joseph by joining them in fasting: The Families
of St. Joseph Porters
Litany
of the Most Precious
Blood of Jesus
Offering to
the sacred heart of Jesus
Rosary
Comments
Post a Comment