SMOKE — September 5, Saturday — First Saturday
Feast — First Saturday / Mary’s Quiet Morning
Modest Smoke — Mild Connecticut, pale‑leafed and patient Modest Pour — Bulleit, amber‑clean and forthright
Theme — Re‑Consecration
First Saturday begins the way grace often begins — quietly, almost imperceptibly, like Mary entering a room without disturbing the air. Her morning is not a summons but a stillness, the kind that allows a man to see what he has consecrated and what he has merely postponed. Yesterday’s First Friday burned with the Sacred Heart’s fire; today the Immaculate Heart steadies the ember and asks for truth.
A Mild Connecticut suits the hour. It does not rush, does not demand, does not pretend. It teaches. Bulleit stands beside it with frontier honesty, a bourbon that speaks plainly. Together they form a small altar of recollection, where a man can finally admit what remains unfinished in his life.
Mother Frances understood this clarity. She told Bishop Christopher de Ribera that three of his predecessors still waited in Purgatory. She requested the indulgences of the Crusade, fulfilled every condition, and applied a plenary indulgence to each soul. That night they appeared to her — freed, grateful, radiant — thanking her and asking her to thank Ribera for the mercy that opened Heaven.
Re‑consecration is never vague. It is the Mass promised but never offered, the charity delayed, the apology withheld, the devotion postponed. Mary’s quiet morning asks: What part of your life must be given back without remainder?
Tonight’s smoke rises like a whispered Act of Contrition. Tonight’s bourbon carries the courage to finish what holiness began.
Purgatory Line
Consecration delayed becomes mercy postponed — and mercy postponed becomes purification later.
SEPTEMBER 5 First Saturday
Teresa of Calcutta-Selichot
at sundown
He
fulfills the desire of those who FEAR him; he hears their cry and saves
them.
In this psalm, the singer invites all to
praise God. The “works of God” make God present and invite human praise; they
climax in a confession. God’s mighty acts show forth divine kingship, a major
theme in the literature of early Judaism and in Christianity.[1]
I
would like to focus on the word desire from verse 19 above. I like to hike and
pray. One day I was hiking in the Fay Canyon area of Sedona, Arizona, and I was
reflecting on the seven deadly sins and the opposing virtues of our Lord's
Sermon on the Mount. As I was hiking and musing over the words that are
associated with the deadly sin of lust: such words as long for, hanker for,
hunger for, yearn, crave, and desire.
In
my mind I repeated desire, desire, desire, and I asked our Lord What do you
want me to desire?
As I asked that question, I looked up at the canyon and spied a rock
formation in the shape of a chalice. Yes,
Lord, I exclaimed. I shall desire to receive you in the Holy Mass. Today would
be a good day to rest in the Lord and go to Confession and Mass, receiving true
health: His body and blood. As we receive, realize that He has heard our cries
and has saved us. Such is the love of our God!
1465 When he celebrates
the sacrament of Penance, the priest is fulfilling the ministry of the Good
Shepherd who seeks the lost sheep, of the Good Samaritan who binds up wounds,
of the Father who awaits the prodigal son and welcomes him on his return, and
of the just and impartial judge whose judgment is both just and merciful. The
priest is the sign and the instrument of God's merciful love for the sinner.
Copilot’s Take
CCC 1465 presents a vision of mercy that is both
tender and fierce. The priest in the confessional is described as the Good
Shepherd seeking the lost, the Good Samaritan binding wounds, the Father
welcoming the prodigal, and the just judge whose judgment is both merciful and
true. This is not sentimental mercy; it is restorative mercy. It confronts evil
by healing the interior disorder that gives evil its foothold. In a culture
that often confuses mercy with permissiveness, the Church reminds the world that
mercy is the power that restores truth.
The deeper crisis in America is not political but
spiritual. It is a crisis of desire. When desire becomes detached from
reverence, it becomes destructive. The nation is filled with desires for power
without virtue, pleasure without responsibility, autonomy without obedience,
and self without sacrifice. Psalm 145:19 teaches that God fulfills the desire
of those who fear Him — meaning those whose desires have been purified by holy
awe. Without that purification, desire becomes a force that corrodes families,
institutions, and public life.
Confession is the antidote
to this corrosion because it restores the interior order that public life
depends on. A society cannot be healthy if its people are spiritually
disordered. The confessional is the place where distorted desire is named,
surrendered, and healed. It is where truth is spoken without brutality and
mercy is given without compromise. CCC 1465 shows that the priest is not merely
a witness but an instrument of God’s merciful love — a living sign that evil is
confronted not by rage but by repentance.
Saint Teresa of Calcutta
embodied this truth with startling simplicity. She confronted evil not by
attacking it directly but by refusing to let it distort her desire. Her single
desire for Jesus made her immune to manipulation, fear, and ideological pressure.
Evil cannot control a heart that wants nothing but Christ. This is the same
purification Mary accomplishes on First Saturday: she aligns desire with
obedience so that the soul becomes steady, simple, and fearless.
Selichot at sundown echoes
this movement. It is the ancient Jewish cry for mercy, the night when Israel
asks God to hear its voice and restore its heart. The world still cries out for
mercy, and the Church still answers with the Eucharist and Confession — the
chalice of healing offered to every wounded desire. Evil is confronted not by
louder voices but by holier desires, not by sharper arguments but by purified
hearts. When desire is reordered toward God, the nation begins to heal from the
inside out.
This is the path of
renewal: mercy that restores desire, truth that steadies conscience, and
obedience that anchors the soul in God’s will.
First
Saturday[2]
In December of
1925, Our Lady appeared to Sister Lucia, giving her the following guarantee of
salvation for those who complete the First Five Saturdays Devotion:
“I promise to assist them at the hour of death with
all the graces necessary for the salvation of their souls."
Why Five Saturdays?
The
five first Saturdays correspond to the five kinds of offenses and blasphemies
committed against the Immaculate Heart of Mary:
1) Blasphemies against the Immaculate
Conception
2) Blasphemies against her virginity
3) Blasphemies against her divine
maternity, at the same time the refusal to accept her as the Mother of all men
4) Instilling indifference, scorn and
even hatred towards this Immaculate Mother in the hearts of children
5) Direct insults against Her sacred
images
How to complete the Five First Saturdays Devotion:
On
the first Saturday of five consecutive months:
1. Go
to confession.
2. Receive
Holy Communion.
3. Say
five decades of the Rosary.
4. Keep
Our Lady company for 15 minutes, meditating on the mysteries of the Rosary.
5. Have
the intention of making reparation to Our Lady for the offenses listed above.
Teresa
of Calcutta[3]
Mother
Teresa of Calcutta, known as the "saint of the gutters", feast day
will be September 5 for the church calendar, during her life, was declared a
saint of the Roman Catholic Church by Pope Francis (September 4, 2016) just 19
years after her death. A Nobel peace laureate, her legacy complements Pope
Francis's vision of a humble church that strives to serve the poor. Francis
said she was a "dispenser of divine mercy" and held world powers to
account "for the crimes of poverty they created. For Mother Teresa, mercy
was the salt which gave flavor to her work, it was the light which shone in the
darkness of the many who no longer had tears to shed for their poverty and
suffering. She showed we can't all do everything, but little gestures made with
so much love are what's important."
Foundation of Love[4]
John
McCain in his book “Character is Destiny” stated Mother Teresa shows us how
mercy is the only way to find contentment by being selfless. Great
leadership is based on a foundation of love. McCain states, “She chose to live
amid squalor and sickness and desperation, endured hardship and endless toil,
and might have been the happiest person on earth.” Mother did not flee from the
Lord; nor did she fear anyone. When the Lord called her; she knew the call was
authentic because it filled her with joy.
The
first counsel of Mother Teresa is to put your hand in His and walk all the way
with Him. When you hear the call to follow. To Mother Teresa it was never more
complicated than that. To her care of the dying was the purest expression of
love.
Who
around you are dying-physically, emotionally, or spiritually?
Love
might not heal every wound of disease, but it heals the heart. McCain
notes that Mother Teresa showed that rather than chasing ambition the greatest
contentment comes from having a foundation of love. “She loved and was loved,
and her happiness was complete.”
International
Day of Charity[5]
The
International Day of Charity seeks to promote and recognize charity and its
role in easing humanitarian crises and suffering in the world. The day also
serves to recognize the work of charitable organizations and individuals around
the globe whose philanthropic actions have contributed to the creation of more
inclusive and resilient societies. The International Day of Charity was
designated by the United Nations
General Assembly in an effort to mobilize the world to help others. The day is
celebrated every year on September 5th, the anniversary of the death of Mother
Theresa of Calcutta, one of the most philanthropic individuals of our time.
Mother Theresa passed away in 1997 at the age of 87 after a lifetime of
charitable work with the sick and dying in India.
International
Day of Charity Facts & Quotes
·
Any
charity donations that are made are tax deductible in many countries the year
they are made.
·
Americans
donated approximately 2% of their disposable income to charity in 2014. This
amount has remained constant over the past decade, despite large fluctuations
in the economy.
·
The
annual average US household charitable donation is $2,974.
·
98.4%
of high earning households give to charity and 63% say that a major motivation
for their donations is to give back to the community.
·
Let
us always meet each other with a smile, for the smile is the beginning of love.
– Mother Teresa, world-renowned nun and missionary.
International
Day of Charity Top Events and Things to Do
·
Watch
a movie about the impact and importance of charitable work. Some suggestions
are: Pay it Forward (2000), It Could Happen to You (1994), and The Letters
(2014).
·
Spread
awareness about the holiday by using the hashtags #InternationalDayofCharity,
#Charity and #MamaT.
·
Buy
a book
that directly supports charity. All net proceeds from any of the books listed
go directly to charity. Ready a great story and support a good cause all at
once!
·
Donate
to your favorite charity. If you do not have a charity of choice, Charity Navigator can help you find one. There’s a charity that just
about everyone can find reason to support out there. Check out Cross
Catholic Outreach
·
Read
a book about the impact and importance of charitable work and about the
charitable life that Mother Teresa led. Some suggestions are Abundance, Systems
Thinking for Social Change, Start Something that Matters, The Joy in Loving and
Mother Teresa: A Simple Path.
Selichot[6]
Selichot
(Hebrew: סליחות) means 'sorry/forgiveness prayers'. Selichot are recited
from the Sunday before the Jewish New Year until the Day of Atonement (Yom
Kippur). Selichot are aimed for both the individual and communities to
atone their sins between man and God. They are intended for Jews to
reflect on their actions of the past year and to refrain from committing the
same sins in the next New Year.
Selichot Facts
·
For many Orthodox Jews, Selichot prayers are added
to the daily cycle of religious services. Selichot are recited before
normal daily shacharit (morning prayers) service. They add about 45
minutes to the regular daily service in a typical service.
·
A fundamental part of selichot service is the
repeated recitation of the Thirteen Attributes, a list of God's thirteen
attributes of mercy that were revealed to Moses after the sin of the golden
calf (Ex 34:6-7): Ha-shem [1], Ha-shem [2], God [3], merciful [4], and gracious
[5], long-suffering [6], abundant in goodness [7] and truth [8], keeping mercy
unto the thousandth generation [9], forgiving iniquity [10] and transgression
[11] and sin [12], who cleanses [13].
·
This is the season to begin the process of asking
forgiveness for wrongs done to other people. According to Jewish
tradition, God cannot forgive us for sins committed against another person
until we have first obtained forgiveness from the person we have wronged.
·
Many of the Selichot prayers are in the form of a
main Selichah (forgiveness) prayer and a Pizmon (chorus), which is repeated
after each changing Selichah prayer. Some of these Selichot have cantorial
music for the Selichah and a repeating tune for the chorus.
Selichot Top Events and Things to
Do
·
Consider your position in life and ask God for
forgiveness. Use this time to reset your daily habits and think how to change
them to the better.
·
Use this period of time to forgive others and as
well as ask others for forgiveness. This is often most difficult to do between
life partners, parents and children.
·
Many people visit cemeteries at this time, because
the awe-inspiring nature of this time makes us reflect on our own life, death,
and mortality. Consider visiting the graves of your ancestors, soldiers, or
anyone who may have made a positive impact on society.
·
Attend to a Selichot prayer ceremony or watch one
on YouTube. A popular Selichot rendition is by Yitzchak Meir Helfgot.
30 DAY TRIBUTE TO MARY 22nd
ROSE: Precious Gift of the Cross
o
30
Days of Women and Herbs – Frauendreissiger
§
Mint (Mentha
arvensis, m. piperita, m. aquatica)
MEDICINAL PLANTS Day
22 INSECT PLAGUES-Revealed by Heaven to Luz De María
ROSEMARY
Scientific name: Rosmarinus officinalis L Family: Lamiaceae
Rosemary has the following property: As an
oily or alcoholic solution, it is used as an insect repellent.
“Use mullein and rosemary in discreet
amounts.” Blessed Virgin Mary, 01.28.2016
Around the Corner
May
the favor of the Lord our God be ours. Prosper the work of our
hands! Psalm 90:17
o
Ever wondered how to make the most of your day?
§
Perhaps start with a cheesy delight – whip up a
homemade cheese pizza. Embrace the goodness of melted cheese and flavorful
tomato sauce, then challenge yourself to whip one up from scratch. Don’t worry
about perfection; it’s all about the fun of creation.
o
After savoring your pizza, shift your focus to
giving back. Engage in a random act of kindness. Pay for a stranger’s coffee,
donate clothes to a shelter, or simply lend an ear to someone in need. Small
gestures can make a big difference.
o
Feeling the need for spontaneity?
§
Embrace being fashionably late for something.
Skip the rush, savor the moment, and don’t stress about the ticking clock. It’s
liberating to break free from the constraints of time occasionally.
o
Lastly, treat your taste buds to the global
flavors of samosas. Head to a local eatery or if feeling adventurous, try your
hand at making them at home. Explore different fillings and spices to create
your version of this delectable snack.
o
In this playful journey of pizza making,
spreading kindness, embracing tardiness, and indulging in samosas, you’ve
crafted a day filled with creativity, generosity, spontaneity, and global
flavors. So go forth and enjoy each moment!
Daily
Devotions
·
Unite yourself in the work of the Porters of St. Joseph by joining them
in fasting: Today's Fast: Authentic
Feminism
·
Religion
in the Home for Preschool: September
·
Litany of the Most Precious
Blood of Jesus
·
Offering to
the Sacred Heart of Jesus
·
Rosary
FORBIDDEN (1953)
Tony Curtis • Joanne Dru • Greg Palmer Directed by Rudolph Maté • Universal‑International A Coastal Drama of Desire, Escape, and the Dangerous Bargains Men Make Where Passion Becomes a Trap and the Sea Mirrors the Turmoil of the Heart
Forbidden is a mid‑century melodrama wrapped in Tony Curtis’s rising charisma — a tale of a young man drawn toward a woman whose past is heavier than her beauty suggests. Set along a restless coastline of boats, taverns, and shadowed docks, the film blends comedy, romance, and crime into a single tide pulling its characters toward choices they cannot undo.
Curtis plays Eddie Darrow with restless charm — a man who wants more than his circumstances allow, yet finds himself entangled with a woman whose secrets threaten to capsize his hopes. Joanne Dru brings wounded elegance, a woman trying to outrun her past but unable to silence it. The film’s tone shifts between flirtation and fatalism, between the promise of escape and the cost of desire.
This is adventure without heroism. The danger is longing. The fire is desperation. The verdict is the price of forbidden love.
Film Card — Forbidden (1953)
Forbidden
Sources:
1. Production & Cultural Setting
Post‑War American Melodrama Studios explored the tension between desire and respectability, often through coastal or frontier settings.
Tony Curtis Ascending Curtis’s early‑career charm gives the film its buoyancy — a young man trying to outrun the gravity of his choices.
Universal‑International’s Mid‑Budget Craft Lean production, strong character focus, and a blend of genres typical of early‑50s studio output.
The Coastline as Moral Stage Boats, docks, and taverns become metaphors for drifting hearts and dangerous crossings.
Comedy as Camouflage Light moments soften a story driven by secrecy, longing, and risk.
2. Story Summary
The Encounter Eddie meets a woman whose beauty hides a troubled past.
The Entanglement Romance becomes complication; affection becomes liability.
The Bargain Eddie steps into a dangerous deal — the kind only desperation makes attractive.
The Unraveling Secrets surface, loyalties fracture, and the cost of desire becomes clear.
The Reckoning Eddie must choose between escape and responsibility, between passion and truth.
3. Moral & Emotional Resonances
A. Desire Can Distort Judgment Longing blinds Eddie to danger.
B. Secrets Are Spiritual Weight A hidden past becomes a burden carried by both lovers.
C. Bargains Made in Fear Are Costly Desperation leads to dangerous agreements.
D. Charm Cannot Redeem Compromise Eddie’s charisma cannot save him from the consequences of his choices.
E. Love Without Truth Is a Trap Affection becomes entanglement when honesty is absent.
4. Hospitality Pairing — Drawn From the Film’s Spirit
Food — Coastal, Simple, Tense Grilled fish — the honesty of the sea. Crusty bread — resilience. Clam chowder — warmth amid uncertainty.
Drink — Briny, Sharp, Restless Dry white wine — crisp clarity. Whiskey neat — the burn of dangerous choices.
Atmosphere — The Dockside as Confessional Lighting: Lantern‑soft, water‑reflected. Sound: Waves, gulls, murmured conversations. Setting: Wood, rope, salt air. Symbol: A frayed rope — desire pulling against wisdom.
5. Reflection Prompts
Where does longing tempt me toward compromise.
Where am I ignoring the weight of another’s hidden past.
Where is desperation shaping my decisions.
Where must truth interrupt desire.
Where is the sea of my life asking for courage rather than escape.
.
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