SMOKE IN THIS LIFE, NOT THE NEXT
Mon, Sep 7 — Labor Day
Work becomes worship.
Cigar: Rustic Broadleaf
Drink: Knob Creek
Reflection: Find holiness in labor?
Labor Day offers a moment to see work not as mere exertion but as a quiet shaping of the inner life. The Rustic Broadleaf cigar sets the tone: rugged, textured, formed by long pressure. It mirrors the way holiness often emerges — not in ease, but in perseverance. Knob Creek, with its deep oak warmth, becomes the evening’s benediction, a reminder that honest labor deserves honest rest.
Holiness in labor begins with intention. Work — whether tending land, repairing what is broken, crafting words meant to strengthen others, or training the body with discipline — the ordinary becomes sacramental. The holiness is not in the task itself but in the fidelity with which it is carried out. Every careful motion, every repaired fault, every word shaped with integrity becomes a small act of devotion.
Examples from demanding environments show this truth clearly: in places where labor is survival, service, and duty woven together, work becomes prayer almost without noticing. Yet the same grace appears in quieter settings — in the stewardship of a home, in the cultivation of a vineyard, in the shaping of reflections meant to guide and encourage. Holiness hides in these tasks because they are done with steadiness and intention.
Work becomes worship when readers recognize that they are not merely producing or fixing, but offering. And the offering, given with constancy, becomes holy.
SEPTEMBER 7 Monday-Labor Day
Singer Buddy Holly Born 1936
1 Maccabees, Chapter 13, Verse 17-18
Simon knew that they were speaking deceitfully to him. Nevertheless, for FEAR of provoking much hostility among the people, he sent for the money and the boys, lest the people say, “Jonathan perished because I would not send Trypho the money and the boys.”
Simon Maccabee, now with the assumed death of his brother Jonathan, becomes the next leader of the Jews but, unlike his brother Jonathan, does not become the high priest. Yet because it is not certain that his brother is dead, he is prepared to pay the ransom that Trypho demands, which is money and two of Jonathan’s sons as hostages, which guarantee that when Jonathan is set free, he will not revolt against Trypho. Trypho invades the land of Judah, bringing Jonathan along as a prisoner. If Simon refuses the exchange, the people will hold him responsible for Jonathan’s death. If he accepts, he is making a deal with a deceitful, treacherous, and ambitious animal called Trypho. Simon has no choice and pays. Trypho, of course, reneges, marches, and ravages as he goes. Simon delays his march on Jerusalem. Thus, Trypho, prevented from taking the city of God, like Napoleon at the attempted taking of Moscow, must retreat back to Syria when a seasonal snowstorm comes and, before he goes, kills Jonathan and probably his sons as well. This is tribalism at its worst.[1]
Tribalism and Fear - Unworthy of Christianity[2]
Marilynne
Robinson, a noted author, expresses some of her fears about what is happening
today in many of the churches and inside many of us, namely, new forms of
tribalism and fear are reducing our wondrous God to a ‘tribal deity’ and our
own ‘local Baal’.
The
God of all nations, all families, and all peoples, she asserts, is too
frequently being invoked by us as a God, more exclusively, of my own nation, my
own family, my own church, and my own people. She cites various examples of
this, including her own sadness at how sincere Christians cannot accept each
other’s authenticity: “I must assume
that those who disagree with my understanding of Christianity are Christians
all the same, that we are members of one household. I confess that from time to
time I find this difficult. This difficulty is owed in part to the fact that I
have reason to believe they would not extend this courtesy to me.”
This,
she rightly asserts, is unworthy of God, of Christianity, and of what’s best in
us. We know better, though we usually don’t act on that and are thus indicted
by what Freud called “the narcissism of minor differences.” And this
takes its root in fear, fear of many things. Not least among those fears
is our fear of the secularized world and how we feel this has put us on a
slippery slope in terms of our Christian heritage and our moral values. To
quote Robinson here: “These people see the onrush of secularism intent on
driving religion to the margins, maybe over the edge, and for the sake of Christianity
they want to enlist society itself in its defense. They want politicians to
make statements of faith, and when merchants hang their seasonal signs and
banners, they want them to say something more specific than ‘Happy Holidays’.
Robinson, however, is distrustful of enlisting political power to defend Christianity. Why because “this country [the United States] in its early period was largely populated by religious people escaping religious persecution at the hands of state Churches, whether French Huguenots, Scots Presbyterians, English Congregationalists, or English Catholics”. She adds: “Since my own religious heroes tended to die gruesomely under these regimes. I have no nostalgia for the world before secularism, nor would many of these ‘Christian nation’ exponents, if they looked a little into the history of their own traditions.”
Inside
our fear of secularism, she suggests, lies a great irony: We are afraid of
secularism because we have, in fact, internalized the great prejudice against
Christianity, namely, the belief that faith and Christianity cannot withstand
the scrutiny of an intellectually sophisticated culture. And that fear lies at
the root of an anti-intellectualism that is very prominent inside many
religious and Church circles today. How much of our fear today about
Christianity being on a slippery slope can be traced back to this prejudice.
Why
are we so afraid of our world and of secularized intellectuals This
fear, she asserts, spawns an antagonism that is unworthy of Christianity. Fear
and antagonism are very fashionable within religious circles today, almost to
be worn as a badge of faith and loyalty. And is this a sign of health?
No.
Neither fear nor antagonism, she submits, are “becoming in Christians or in the
least degree likely to inspire thinking or action of the kind that deserves to
be called Christian”. Moreover, “if belief in Christ is necessary to
attaining of everlasting life, then it behooves anyone who calls himself or
herself a Christian, any institution that calls itself a Church, to bring
credit to the Faith, at very least not to embarrass or disgrace it. Making God
a tribal deity, our local Baal, is embarrassing and disgraceful.”
Fear
and antagonism do nothing, she adds, to draw respect to Christianity and our
churches and to the extent that we let them be associated with Christianity, we
risk defacing Christianity in the world’s eyes. But saying that in
today’s climate is to be judged as unpatriotic. We are not supposed to care
what the world thinks. But it is the world we are trying to convert. And so, we
need to be careful not to present Christianity as undignified, xenophobic, and
unworthy of our wondrous, all-embracing God.
Why
all this fear, if we believe that Christianity is the deepest of all truth and
believe that Christ will be with us to the end of time? Her last sentences encapsulate
a challenge we urgently need today.
“Christianity
is too great a narrative to be reduced to serving any parochial interest or to
be underwritten by any lesser tale. Reverence should forbid its being
subordinated to tribalism, resentment, or fear.”
Copilot’s Take
Simon Maccabee stands in the ancient tension between fear and fidelity.
He knows Trypho is lying, knows the ransom is a trap, knows the demand for
“money and the boys” is a cruel manipulation. Yet fear bends him. Fear corners
him. Fear forces him into a compromise that ends in tragedy. The CCC teaches
that fear can distort judgment and lead to moral compromise (CCC 1806), and
that leaders must act from justice rather than panic (CCC 1905–1908). Simon’s
dilemma reveals how fear, when enthroned, becomes a tyrant that governs
decisions more powerfully than truth.
Marilynne Robinson names the danger clearly: Christians are shrinking God into a tribal deity. The CCC insists that the Church is catholic, sent to all peoples, never a faction or political bloc (CCC 831–835). When believers invoke God primarily for “my nation,” “my group,” or “my side,” they commit a subtle idolatry — the making of a local Baal. Robinson’s lament echoes the CCC’s warning that divisions among Christians wound the Body of Christ and contradict the universality of the Gospel (CCC 817–822). Tribalism is not merely unwise; it is un-Christian.
Robinson’s critique of anti‑intellectualism strikes at the heart of our
present crisis. Many believers fear secularism not because it is powerful, but
because they secretly doubt Christianity’s ability to withstand scrutiny. The
CCC teaches that faith seeks understanding (CCC 158), that reason and
revelation are allies (CCC 159), and that believers should not fear
intellectual engagement. When Christians retreat into suspicion, they surrender
the very terrain where truth shines brightest. Fear of secularism becomes a
confession of insecurity rather than a defense of faith.
The evil confronting America today is not merely ideological. It is
spiritual: the reduction of Christianity into a political identity, the
weaponizing of resentment, the shrinking of the Gospel into a tribal slogan.
The CCC teaches that charity must govern all social engagement (CCC 1822), that
hope must remain courageous (CCC 1817), and that truth must be spoken without
hostility (CCC 2471). Fear and antagonism do not defend the faith; they
disfigure it. Robinson warns — and the CCC affirms — that Christianity is too
great a narrative to be subordinated to resentment or fear.
Labor Day reminds us that work is holy — and the work before us is clear.
We must confront evil not by retreating into tribes, but by reclaiming the
universality of Christ. We must refuse fear, reject antagonism, and stand in
the confidence that the Gospel is deeper than any cultural storm. The CCC
teaches that Christ remains with His Church until the end of time (CCC 1087).
Christianity does not need panic to survive. It needs courage, charity, and
truth. This is the labor worthy of Christians. This is the labor worthy of
America.
Labor Day[3]
Labor
Day is dedicated to honoring and remembering the achievements of the US worker.
It is a national celebration that recognizes the contributions that American
workers have made to the prosperity of their nation. Labor Day is celebrated on
the first Monday in September as a three-day weekend.
Labor
Day Facts & Quotes
·
The
Central Labor Union observed the first Labor Day holiday in 1882 in New York
City.
·
Labor
Day marks the end of the summer season, the beginning of school and the start
of football season.
·
According
to the rules of fashion, Labor Day Weekend is the last official time where
wearing white is appropriate.
·
All
labor that uplifts humanity has dignity and importance and should be undertaken
with painstaking excellence. - Martin Luther King Jr.
·
Labor
is prior to, and independent of, capital. Capital is only the fruit of labor
and could never have existed if labor had not first existed. Labor is the
superior of capital and deserves much the higher consideration. - Abraham
Lincoln
Labor Day Top Events and Things to Do
·
Go
camping. Enjoy the last three-day weekend before the weather gets significantly
colder.
Highlights
and Things to Do[4]:
·
From Catholic Culture's Library:
o
Rerum Novarum (On Capital and Labor)
o
Singulari Quadam (On Labor Organizations)
o
Laborem Exercens (On Human Work)
o
Spirituality in the Professions and Workplace
o
Work Calls for More Than An Economic Evaluation
o
Apply The Church's Social Teaching to The World of Work
o
Letter on the Gospel of Work
Recovering Rest for Faith and Family[5]
When workers do not have
adequate time to rest, families suffer. Also lost is the necessary time
for spiritual growth and building a relationship with God.
As St. Thomas Aquinas
wrote, "Even as God rests in Himself alone and is happy in the enjoyment
of Himself, so our own sole happiness lies in the enjoyment of God. Thus,
also, He makes us find rest in Himself, both from His works and our own.
It is not, then, unreasonable to say that God rested in giving rest to
us." A culture that obsesses less over endless activity and
consumption may, over time, become a culture that values rest for the sake of
God and family. Employers ought to consider the total well-being of their
employees and prioritize conditions that help them to thrive as human
persons. Wages and working hours should support the fundamental needs of
people to form and nurture families. The spiritual needs of workers must also be taken into account, so that
God may more easily draw them into deeper relationship toward their ultimate
purpose.
One of my favorite memories of being
stationed as a soldier in Germany was the mandatory closing of shops from
Saturday afternoon until early Monday morning. As a result, I was able to spend
time with my family walking with them through the beautiful German woodlands.
Often, we Volksmarched
together. There are Volksmarching Clubs in
America take advantage of them with your family this holiday.
Why, Close Shops? Sunday is a Day to Synchronize Society[6]
"The Constitutional Court had to overthrow the Berlin law. ... The judgement was not 'out of touch with reality,' as the Berlin Chamber of Commerce claims, but is actually very closely in touch with real life. The great diversity of working lives brings with it the fact that members of a single family are forced into different and sometimes incompatible working hours.
If the state does not use
some of its regulatory power to give a dependable rhythm to at least one free
day -- and that is still Sunday -- then the family faces the threat of being
pulled further apart."
"If they have no time
with each other and for each other, then the formal notion of belonging
together loses value. This danger faces many families in society. … The fact
that in the face of growing commercialization and fewer jobs hardly any employee
ever dares to ask for a free Saturday, led the labor unions to join the
churches in their campaign -- with noticeable success."
Singer Buddy Holly Born 1936
Buddy Holly’s life is one of those American
stories that feels almost biblical in its brevity and brilliance — a flash of
light across the plains that ended too soon but never dimmed. Born on September
7, 1936, he carried West Texas in his voice: clean, bright, earnest, and
restless. His music didn’t swagger; it lifted. It had that unmistakable
clarity — the sound of a young man who believed joy could be structured,
disciplined, and shared.
He was, in many ways, the first great
architect of modern rock. Before the Beatles, before Dylan, before the great
cultural upheavals of the sixties, Buddy Holly was already writing, arranging,
and performing with a precision that made the future possible. His songs were
simple only on the surface. Underneath, they were tight, layered, and
astonishingly confident. He proved that rock could be intelligent without
losing its innocence.
And then he was gone — twenty‑two years old,
a winter night, a small plane, a loss that still echoes. But the legacy
remains: a body of work that shaped generations, a sound that still feels
fresh, and a reminder that greatness does not require length, only clarity of
purpose.
Buddy Holly’s life is a testament to the
truth that some lights burn fast because they burn clean. His music remains a
kind of American psalm — brief, bright, and unforgettable.
30 DAY TRIBUTE TO MARY 24th
ROSE: Mary, the Help of Christians
o
30
Days of Women and Herbs – Frauendreissiger
§
Yarrow
(Achillea millefolium)
MEDICINAL PLANTS Day 23 FOOD SHORTAGES-Revealed by Heaven to Luz De María
BLESSED GRAPES WHEN
SCARCITY BECOMES GENERALIZED, remember that My Mother thought about you way in
advance and blessed grapes so that at that instant your hunger will be
appeased, also I have asked you to pray NOW for those instants and to prepare
yourselves spiritually so you will be able to encounter—with Faith, strength,
and perseverance—the instants of harsh and difficult trial that lie ahead for
everyone. Our Lord Jesus Christ 09.27.2015 I do not abandon you. Do not forget
to keep in your home the blessed grape in My Name for the instants of shortage.
Our Lord Jesus Christ 10.27.2014
Prepare the Blessed Grapes Regarding Christ’s request for
blessed grapes, Luz de María’s comments: Christ indicates that we must look for
a priest and ask him to bless a bunch of grapes (or only one grape because one
blessed grape can be used to bless other grapes and can feed two people if they
have Faith and are properly prepared spiritually.) This will be useful for
times of food shortage. To bless the
other grapes: Take one grape blessed by a priest and use it to bless the
remaining ones with it, as follows:
Cut each remaining grape away from the bunch with scissors
so each one will have a piece of stem attached to it. Each of the new grapes is
blessed by rubbing it with the grape that was originally blessed by a priest
while saying: “In the Name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, amen.
Then store the blessed grapes in sterilized containers.
Fill ¾ of each container with grapes and then add cognac or brandy (no other
liquor) until each container is full. Close the containers properly.
The blessed grapes will keep for as long as necessary until the time when they will be consumed. These blessed grapes may be shared with brothers for them to bless grapes on their own. Fifteen years ago, Christ asked us to bless some grapes and today the grapes are still in good condition. If in some country grapes are not available, any other abundant fruit may be substituted if it is small like a grape. The Blessed Virgin Mary indicates how to transfer the blessing of the grapes from one Blessed Grape to a new bunch of grapes so that more people may benefit from them. While the grapes are still attached to the bunch, wash them thoroughly in a solution of water with one or two drops of liquid soap and then rinse them. Then each grape is cut away from the bunch with scissors leaving a piece of stem on each one. Then take one Blessed Grape and rub it against one new grape making the Sign of the Cross on it while saying, “In the Name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, amen.” Beforehand, prepare a clean glass container with a lid that seals well. The blessed grapes can be eaten by sick people who cannot retain food. People who fast with the Blessed Grape will be protected from plagues, terrible diseases
and other catastrophes. People will receive sustenance equivalent to the food, water, vitamins and minerals that the body needs. The brandy used to prepare them has medicinal value (if you are sick take a teaspoon that taken with FAITH will cure). One grape will sustain two people throughout the day. A supply should be kept for up to six months or more (approximately 180 grapes). The Blessed Grape will not sustain any person who mocks or does not believe. One grape will sustain two people for the entire day. A supply should be kept for up to six months or more (approximately 180 grapes). The Blessed Grape will not sustain any person who mocks or disbelieves. Cross on it while saying, “In the Name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, amen.” Beforehand, prepare a clean glass container with a lid that seals well.
Around the Corner
· How to celebrate Sep 7th!
·
Feeling puckish?
o
Whip up a delicious
breakfast with bacon, salami, and a side of acorn squash for a hearty meal
celebration. Maybe flip through a good book while munching down. It’s National Buy a Book
Day after all.
· Feeling energized, challenge yourself and push your limits like a superhero. It’s Superhuman Day, so maybe attempt a new activity or break a personal record.
·
Need a break?
o
Raise a glass for National Beer Lovers
Day. Cheers to good times and unforgettable
memories!
·
Feeling the love in
the air?
o
Reach out to someone
special for National
Feel the Love Day. Share a heartfelt message or
spend quality time with loved ones.
·
Feeling grateful?
o
Reflect on your
blessings for National
Grateful Patient Day.
·
In the midst of the
day’s activities, channel your creativity like Grandma Moses. Try your hand at
a new craft or DIY project. Remember, Neither
Snow Nor Rain Day reminds us that dedication
conquers all obstacles.
·
Wrap up the day by
spreading awareness. Whether it’s for Duchenne disease or any cause close to
your heart, shine a light on important issues. It’s a day to educate and
support each other. Hats off to a day filled with embracing nature, love,
gratitude, knowledge, and delicious food. Enjoy every quirky moment to the
fullest!
·
Eat waffles and
Pray for the assistance of the Angels
·
Today
is International Bacon Day
·
Monday: Litany of Humility
Daily
Devotions
·
Unite yourself in the work of the Porters of St. Joseph by joining them
in fasting: Today's Fast: Protection
of Traditional Marriage
·
Religion
in the Home for Preschool: September
·
Litany of the Most Precious
Blood of Jesus
·
Offering to
the Sacred Heart of Jesus
·
Rosary
[1]The Collegeville Bible Commentary, 1986.
🔸 September 2026 — Gospel & Civic Renewal A Month of Films That Reveal How the Word of God Re‑orders Public Life
September is the month when the Gospel steps out of the sanctuary and into the street. It is the month when faith becomes public witness, when interior conversion ripens into civic responsibility, when the Word made flesh confronts the world as it is and insists on the world as it should be. These four films trace that movement with clarity and fire.
Each Sunday reveals a different dimension of Gospel citizenship: the proclamation of Christ, the purification of motives, the sanctification of ordinary life, and the courage to resist injustice. Together they form a theology of renewal — personal, communal, and political.
• September 7 — The Gospel According to St. Matthew (1964) Gospel as proclamation. Pasolini’s stark, ascetic rendering of Matthew strips away sentimentality and leaves only the raw authority of Christ’s words. Here renewal begins with hearing — truly hearing — the demands of the Kingdom.
• September 14 — Simon of the Desert (1965) Gospel as purification. Buñuel’s desert saint confronts the temptations of pride, spectacle, and spiritual vanity. Civic renewal cannot begin until the heart is cleansed of the desire to be admired rather than obedient.
• September 21 — Monsignor Quixote (1987) Gospel as companionship. A priest and a communist mayor wander Spain in a gentle, humorous pilgrimage of conscience. Their friendship becomes a model of civic charity: disagreement without contempt, conviction without cruelty.
• September 28 — Romero (1989) Gospel as resistance. Archbishop Óscar Romero discovers that pastoral care demands public courage. His transformation shows that the Gospel renews society not by avoiding conflict, but by standing with the vulnerable at any cost.
If you want, I can craft a liturgical header for the month, or individual Smoke‑style reflections for each film.
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