SMOKE IN THIS LIFE NOT THE NEXT
Sun, Sep 6 — Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost Steady Routines, Steady Grace
Cigar: Medium‑bodied blend
Drink: Buffalo Trace
Reflection: What routines shape my soul?
The Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost arrives with the quiet authority of ordinary time, reminding a man that holiness is rarely forged in spectacle. A medium‑bodied cigar suits the day: balanced, patient, neither demanding nor indulgent. Buffalo Trace follows with its familiar warmth, the kind of steady goodness that teaches gratitude rather than appetite. Together they form a small liturgy of routine, a reminder that the goods of this earth are meant to serve God, not distract from Him.
The old teaching echoes: when a man bends earthly goods toward sin, they bend back toward his purification. The story of King Malachy, appearing before St. Corpreus with a collar of fire and a mantle of rags, is not meant to frighten but to awaken. Malachy had been given wealth, authority, and the dignity of a Christian king. These were meant to be instruments of mercy, almsgiving, and justice. Instead, he used them for convenience, pride, and neglect. In Purgatory, the very goods he misused became the instruments of his cleansing.
This Sunday asks a simple, searching question: Which routines in my life turn earthly goods toward virtue? Which habits keep my soul ordered, grateful, and awake? And where might grace be inviting a quiet correction— a steadier rhythm, a more faithful use of what I have been given?
Steady routines become steady grace.
SEPTEMBER
6 Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost
No Procrastination Day
1 Maccabees, Chapter 12, Verse 52
This
is true if you are sheep, and you look to the leadership of man to save you. To
a true Israelite, their leader was Yahweh. Israel knew that if they followed
His covenant, He would never abandon them. All true leadership comes from God.
A True Leader[1]
Jesus summoned the twelve and said to them, “You
know that those who are recognized as rulers over the Gentiles lord it over
them, and their great ones make their authority over them felt. But it shall
not be so among you. Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you will be your
servant; whoever wishes to be first among you will be the slave of all.”
This
is certainly easier said than done. This passage reveals one serious
temptation that those “who are recognized as rulers” may fall into. This
is the temptation of an abuse of power and a lack of humble leadership.
For
example, tradition states that at the heart of the fall of lucifer and the
demons was a desire for power. “I will not serve” are the words
attributed to lucifer. In other words, the desire for power and to be
served by others was real and very powerful for these fallen angels. So,
it is with each one of us.
Though
we may not be in a position of great power over others, we will most likely all
struggle with the desire for power. This can happen in just about any
context. Take, for example, a friendship. Very often when there is
the slightest disagreement on something, we want our own way. We want to
be in charge. Or take the example of home life. How many enter into
family life with a desire to serve the others and to humbly submit to the
others’ wills? This is hard to do. It’s much easier to want to be
the boss and to dictate to others what is to happen in this or that situation.
In
the passage above, Jesus makes it clear to His Apostles that when they exercise
their “authority” over others they are not to make it “felt” by others.
In other words, Jesus was not calling His Apostles to be leaders by brute
force, intimidation, manipulation or by any other severe exercise of their
authority. The authority that Jesus wanted was much different.
Christian
authority is centered in love and humility. It’s a “leadership” that is
lived in true humility. This leadership wins over hearts, minds and wills
of others and invites them to follow in charity and love. This must
happen within the family, among friends, at church and within society.
Reflect
today upon how you lead others.
Do
you expect to be the “boss” and expect others to follow you because of your
authority?
Or
do you lead others by humility and love, drawing them to Christ through your
goodness?
Commit yourself to Christian leadership as Jesus intended,
and you will be amazed at the effect it has within your family, among friends,
and within the larger community.
Lord, help me to be a humble leader. Help me
to let Your heart of love and mercy shine forth and to lead by the goodness and
kindness of Your merciful heart. Help me to set aside all pride and
egotism and to become a servant of all. Jesus, I trust in You.
Copilot’s Take
Israel’s fear at
Jonathan’s death was the fear of a people who suddenly realized how fragile
human leadership is when it is severed from divine authority. The Catechism
teaches that every person and every nation lives within a “dramatic struggle”
between good and evil, not as a distant myth but as a daily contest in the
human heart (CCC 409). When a people forgets this interior battleground, it
begins to fear the wrong enemies. The true danger is never the absence of a
human leader; it is the absence of fidelity to the One who leads His people
through covenant and truth.
The Lord’s rebuke
in Mark 10 cuts directly across the grain of worldly power. “Those who are
recognized as rulers…make their authority felt,” but Christ commands His
disciples to lead through service, humility, and self‑gift. The Catechism
echoes this with clarity: authority detached from the moral law becomes mere
domination (CCC 1902–1903). Much of America’s present turmoil springs from this
temptation—leaders who seek power rather than service, citizens who demand rights
but reject responsibilities, and communities that want protection without
obedience to truth. When authority is severed from virtue, it becomes a weapon
rather than a stewardship.
The CCC also
warns that evil advances not only through bold rebellion but through quiet
delay. Sin grows when the will hesitates to choose the good (CCC 1863). “No
Procrastination Day” becomes a spiritual summons: the crisis in America is not
merely the rise of visible evils but the slow erosion caused by postponed
repentance, postponed courage, postponed truth. A nation does not collapse in a
single moment; it collapses through a thousand small surrenders of conscience.
Evil fills the vacuum created by delay, and the enemy rejoices whenever a man
says, “Tomorrow I will begin.”
Christian
leadership confronts evil not by force but by ordered love. The Catechism
teaches that true authority must be exercised in charity, humility, and service
(CCC 2235). This is the only leadership capable of healing the spiritual
disorder tearing at American life. Anger cannot cure anger; pride cannot heal
pride; fear cannot drive out fear. Only the servant‑heart of Christ can rebuild
the interior strength of a people. When men and women reclaim the posture of
“slave of all,” they become living witnesses that God Himself still leads His
people, and that no nation is beyond renewal when its citizens bend their wills
to the Lord of the covenant.
Fifteenth
Sunday after Pentecost
The focus of this
Sunday instructs us to weep over lost souls and rejoice over converted ones.
Today the church retells the rising of the widow of Nain’s dead son by Christ.
THE Introit of the Mass of this day is a
fervent prayer which may be said in any need or adversity. ‘Bow down Thy ear, O
Lord, to me and hear me; save Thy servant, O my God, that trusteth in Thee;
have mercy on me, O Lord, for I have cried to Thee all day. Give joy to the
soul of Thy servant, for to Thee, O Lord, I have lifted up my soul.”
Prayer.
May continued mercy
purify and defend Thy Church, O Lord; and since without Thee it cannot remain
safe, may it ever be governed by Thy bounty!
EPISTLE. Gal. v. 25,
26; vi. 1-10.
Brethren: If we live in the Spirit, let us
also walk in the Spirit. Let us not be made desirous of vainglory, provoking
one another, envying one another. And if a man be overtaken in any fault, you,
who are spiritual, instruct such a one in the spirit of meekness, considering
thyself, lest thou also be tempted. Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so you
shall fulfil the law of Christ. For if any man think himself to be something,
whereas he is nothing, he deceiveth himself. But let everyone prove his own work,
and so he shall have glory in himself only, and not in another. For everyone
shall bear his own burden. And let him that is instructed in the word
communicate to him that instructed him, in all good things. Be not deceived:
God is not mocked. For what things a man shall sow, those also shall he reap.
For he that soweth in his flesh, of the flesh also shall reap corruption: but
he that soweth in the Spirit, of the Spirit shall reap life everlasting. And in
doing good, let us not fail for in due time we shall reap, not failing.
Therefore, whilst we have time, let us work good to all men, but especially to
those who are of the household of the faith.
Explanation. From this epistle we learn that humility should teach and admonish us
to think little of ourselves to shun self-confidence and vainglory; charity
should incite us, on the other hand, to be meek, loving, compassionate, and
kind to every man, even to sinners; to administer correction to the erring only
with charity, for if this be done with impertinent and insolent zeal, we shall
not only fail to correct offenders, but shall ourselves fall into the same
temptations and sins; for God, by a common and just judgment, allows the proud,
who look down upon others sins, to fall into sin themselves, that they may
learn to be humble, and to have compassion upon those who have gone astray.
Aspiration.
O St. Paul, procure
for me, by thy prayers, the grace of God, that I may continually walk in
humility, may always love my neighbor, and, in particular, may bear with
patience his faults and frailties, that so I may fulfil the law of God, and
reap an abundant harvest.
GOSPEL. Luke vii.
11-16.
At
that time Jesus went into a city that is called Nairn: and there went with Him
His disciples, and a great multitude. And when He came nigh to the gate of the
city, behold a dead man was carried out, the only son of his mother, and she
was a widow: and a great multitude of the city was with her. Whom when the Lord
had seen, being moved with mercy towards her, He said to her: Weep not. And He
came near and touched the brier. And they that carried it stood still. And He
said: young man, I say to thee, Arise. And he that was dead sat up and began to
speak. And He gave him to his mother. And there came a fear on them all: and
they glorified God, saying: A great prophet is risen up among us: and God hath
visited His people.
Why did Christ have compassion on this
widow?
To show us that God takes forsaken and
afflicted widows under His care, and becomes Himself their comforter and
helper, and to teach us that we should do likewise. Christ had, however, still
other grounds for His compassion; for He foresaw in this dead youth of Nairn
the death of the sinner, and in the affliction of the mother the grief which
the Church would suffer over the spiritual loss of so many children.
“Why did Christ say to this widow, Weep
not?”
To
intimate that He would restore her son to her, and at the same time to teach us
that we should not mourn and weep to excess for the dead. St. Paul therefore
admonishes us not to be sorrowful in regard to the dead, as others who have no
hope of resurrection (i. Thess. iv. 12).
Why did Christ command the bearers to stand
still?
To
awaken their confidence and to put it beyond doubt that the resurrection of the
dead proceeded from Him. This should teach us that a soul that is dead cannot
be restored to life so long as the passions which have caused its death, and
borne it, as it were, to the grave, are not brought to a stop.
What more do we learn from this gospel?
That
no one, however young, is safe from death; and that everyone, therefore, should
be always prepared for it.
What is often the cause of early death among
young persons?
1.
Gluttony and intemperance (Alcohol/Drug use); for by surfeiting and
intemperance more perish than by the sword (Ecclus. xxxvii. 34).
2.
Lust. Lust is desire ungoverned, drawing the heart from God and turning persons
into objects. It begins in the senses, quickly clouds judgment, and leads the
soul from temptation into sin. Scripture warns that “desire…gives birth to sin”
(Jas. i. 15).
3.
Anger. “If you bite and devour one another, take heed you be not consumed one
of another” (Gal. v. 15). From angry words often come strife and blows, and not
infrequently murder itself.
4.
Disobedience. We have dreadful examples to show that God has taken out of the
world, early and suddenly, disobedient children, for instance, Absalom. Not
without reason does God say to children, “Honor thy father and mother, as the
Lord thy God hath commanded thee, that thou mayest live a long time, and it may
be well with thee in the land” (Deut. v. 16).
ON DEATH
Certain it is
that we shall die, but uncertain the hour of our death. Would that we might
never forget this truth that we might earnestly think of it every day! How
different our lives would then be! Have mercy, then, on thine own soul. Keep
thyself in readiness so live that thou mayest have no reason to fear death. Do
in thy lifetime what in the hour of death you will wish that you had done. Die
daily, with St. Paul, by crucifying the flesh with its desires and lusts, and
by voluntarily loosening thy heart from the world, its goods, and its vanities,
before death does this for you by violence. In time of temptation and passion
think of these truths and resist then to die will not be too hard.
Who is it that
fears not death…?
Whoever walks without
blame, doing what is right, speaking truth from the heart; Who does not slander
with his tongue, does no harm to a friend, never defames a neighbor; Who
disdains the wicked, but honors those who fear the LORD; Who keeps an oath despite
the cost, lends no money at interest, accepts no bribe against the innocent.
Fight
Procrastination Day[2]
“I
never put off till tomorrow what I can possibly do — the day after.” ― Oscar Wilde
Procrastination can really be the bane of our
existence, with another day coming around the corner, there’s no real reason
that we can’t put it off till tomorrow is there? Of course not, and tomorrow
has another tomorrow, so let’s do it again! It is by this way of thinking that
absolutely nothing gets done, and we know good and well that procrastination is
us out to get ourselves. But what can we do? Fight Procrastination Day reminds
us that it’s up to us to beat this monster, and only we can decide to get up
and get done today what was supposed to be done.
History
of Fight Procrastination Day
Fight Procrastination Day tells us to get up
in arms and start battling the age-old beast that is “putting things off”.
There are a million techniques to battle it, but procrastination is decidedly
an epic level raid monster, and sometimes it seems like a concerted effort of
us and our most efficient friends is the only thing that will put it down. The
fight against procrastination has been going on a long time, and there have
been some really creative methods created to fight it, all to varying success.
What kind of crazy techniques? How about Victor Hugo and James Riley choosing
to write naked so it wasn’t a simple matter to head out to drink with the boys
at the local pub? Not necessarily a universally practical method, but it
definitely has its high points. Then there are modern versions that are truly
remarkable, programs that you download onto your computer that act as a filter
according to the rules you set up… Ya know, like if you work at home and want
to use it to control your behavior during work hours?
How
to celebrate Fight Procrastination Day
You celebrate Procrastination Day by getting
ready to fight putting things off all day long. You can do this by starting
with precommitment the night before, you set yourself an alarm, get rid of your
distractions, set up your workspace, and be ready to hit the ground running
when you get up. If you’re trying to make sure you’re ready for work, set your
breakfast, coffee, and towels for the morning shower up the night before.
Everything to streamline your way out the door and prevent you from dawdling.
30 DAY TRIBUTE TO MARY 23rd
ROSE: Resurrection of Jesus
30
Days of Women and Herbs – Frauendreissiger
Agrimony
(Agrimonia eupatoria)
MEDICINAL
PLANTS Day 23 HOUSEHOLD PROTECTION-Revealed by Heaven to Luz De María
EUCALYPTUS
Scientific name: Eucalyptus Family: Myrtaceae
Purifies the air and cleans the environment.
It has the following property: Purifies the air and cleans the environment.
The plague is approaching and continue to
use the Oil of the Good Samaritan, Eucalyptus leaves inside the homes, burning
the leaves when necessary. Saint Michael the Archangel, 12.15.2020
Around Corner
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.
How to celebrate Sep 6th
Start your day by giving yourself permission
to relax. Whether it’s reading a book, enjoying coffee ice cream, or savoring a
glass of Chianti, take the time to unwind. Use the opportunity to be kind to
yourself on National Lazy Mom’s Day and Fight
Procrastination Day.
Next, focus on others by acknowledging National Food
Bank Day. Donate non-perishable items to your local food bank or volunteer
your time. Bring this spirit to work on Bring
Your Manners To Work Day. Show appreciation to your colleagues and practice
good workplace etiquette.
After work, celebrate National Read a Book
Day by picking up a book you’ve been meaning to read. Enhance your
awareness by participating in National
Color Blind Awareness Day. Educate yourself on color blindness and promote
inclusivity.
Cap off the day by indulging in a delicious
dessert like coffee ice cream. On National Coffee
Ice Cream Day, treat yourself to a scoop or two. Reflect on the qualities
of perseverance and hard work on Labour Day.
By blending relaxation, kindness, learning,
and indulgence, you can create a balanced and fulfilling day that honors the
unique themes of these weird national holidays.
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
THE MAN WHO CHEATED HIMSELF (1950)
Lee J. Cobb • Jane Wyatt • John Dall Directed by Felix E. Feist • 20th Century Fox A San Francisco Noir of Passion, Panic, and the Slow Suffocation of a Guilty Conscience Where a Single Lie Becomes a Labyrinth and the City’s Shadows Mirror the Corruption of the Heart
The Man Who Cheated Himself is late‑cycle noir at its most quietly devastating—a story not of gangsters or heists but of a man who destroys himself through one panicked act of misplaced devotion. Set against the sunlit courthouses and fog‑drenched streets of San Francisco, the film reveals how quickly a respected detective can become a fugitive from his own conscience. It is a tale of moral erosion, where the danger is not external threat but the slow tightening of guilt around a man who knows better.
Lee J. Cobb plays Lt. Ed Cullen with weary authority—a seasoned homicide detective who has seen every kind of crime except the one he commits himself. When he helps cover up a killing committed by the woman he loves, he steps into a trap of his own making. Jane Wyatt brings a chilling composure to Lois Frazer, a woman whose fear and impulsiveness ignite the chain of events that unravel Cullen’s life. John Dall, as Cullen’s younger brother, becomes the unwitting agent of justice, pursuing the truth with the idealism Ed has long abandoned.
The film moves with the quiet inevitability of tragedy. Each decision Ed makes tightens the noose: a misplaced piece of evidence, a lie told too quickly, a detail overlooked. The tension is not in gunfire or chase scenes but in the suffocating realization that Ed’s professional instincts—once his strength—are now the very tools exposing his guilt. This is noir stripped to its moral bones: a man divided against himself, undone by the very justice he once upheld.
This is crime without glamour. The danger is compromise. The fire is fear. The verdict is the cost of betraying one’s own integrity.
Film Card — The Man Who Cheated Himself (1950)
The Man Who Cheated Himself 1950 • 6.9/10 IMDb • 81 min
Ed Cullen, a veteran homicide detective, helps cover up a killing committed by the woman he loves. As the investigation tightens—led by his idealistic younger brother—Ed finds himself trapped in a web of lies, guilt, and the slow collapse of his own moral authority. Film Noir • Crime • Psychological Drama
Director Felix E. Feist
Writer Philip MacDonald
Stars Lee J. Cobb, Jane Wyatt, John Dall
Studio 20th Century Fox
Themes Guilt, moral compromise, divided loyalties
Sources:
1. Production & Cultural Setting
Post‑War American Disillusionment The film reflects a culture wrestling with moral fatigue—where institutions appear strong but individuals falter.
Lee J. Cobb’s Gravitas Cobb’s performance anchors the film, portraying a man whose authority collapses under the weight of one compromised choice.
20th Century Fox’s Urban Noir Shot on location in San Francisco, the film uses real streets, courthouses, and coastal vistas to heighten its realism.
The City as Moral Mirror Sunlit exteriors contrast with shadowed interiors, reflecting Ed’s double life—public respectability, private corruption.
Psychological Noir The tension arises not from external villains but from the protagonist’s own conscience tightening around him.
2. Story Summary
The Spark Lois Frazer kills her husband in panic; Ed Cullen chooses to protect her.
The Cover‑Up Ed hides evidence, bends procedure, and begins the slow descent into self‑betrayal.
The Investigation Ed’s younger brother, Andy, pursues the case with idealistic precision—unaware of Ed’s involvement.
The Cracks Small inconsistencies, misplaced details, and Ed’s growing fear expose the truth.
The Collapse Ed’s guilt becomes inescapable; justice arrives not through violence but through inevitability.
3. Moral & Emotional Resonances
A. Compromise Is the First Crime Ed’s downfall begins not with murder but with a single decision to protect wrongdoing.
B. Guilt Is a Silent Hunter The conscience pursues Ed more relentlessly than any detective.
C. Love Without Integrity Is Destructive Affection becomes poison when it demands moral surrender.
D. Authority Misused Becomes Self‑Destructive Ed’s professional skills become the very tools that expose him.
E. Truth Is Patient but Unyielding The investigation’s slow tightening mirrors the inevitability of moral consequence.
4. Hospitality Pairing — Drawn From the Film’s Spirit
Food — Urban, Simple, Tense Roast beef sandwich — the working man’s fare. Black coffee — bitterness and clarity. Tomato soup — warmth amid unraveling.
Drink — Sharp, Heavy, Reflective Bourbon — the weight of guilt. Dry gin — the cold sting of truth.
Atmosphere — The Courthouse as Confessional Lighting: Fluorescent, stark. Sound: Footsteps, typewriters, distant traffic. Setting: Marble halls, narrow offices, fog‑softened streets. Symbol: A misplaced file — the detail that undoes the lie.
5. Reflection Prompts
Where have I allowed compromise to masquerade as compassion.
Where is guilt tightening around choices I have not yet confronted.
Where am I divided between duty and desire.
Where must truth reclaim authority in my life.
Where is the fog of my own making obscuring the path to integrity.
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