This blog is based on references in the Bible to fear. God wills that we “BE NOT AFRAID”. Vincit qui se vincit" is a Latin phrase meaning "He conquers who conquers himself." Many theologians state that the eighth deadly sin is fear. It is fear and its natural animal reaction to fight or flight that is the root cause of our failings to create a Kingdom of God on earth. This blog is dedicated to Mary the Mother of God. "
The Bells of St. Mary’s (1945) is one of those rare films that feels like a warm chapel on a cold morning—gentle, humorous, and quietly profound. Let’s shape it in your devotional‑film format, with the same clarity, cadence, and pastoral resonance you’ve been cultivating.
🎬 Film Details
Title:The Bells of St. Mary’s
Year: 1945
Director: Leo McCarey
Stars: Bing Crosby (Father O’Malley), Ingrid Bergman (Sister Mary Benedict)
Studio: RKO Radio Pictures
Genre: Drama / Comedy
Sequel Context: Follows McCarey’s earlier Going My Way (1944), but stands fully on its own.
🕯️ Story Summary
Father O’Malley arrives at St. Mary’s, a struggling parochial school run by a devoted community of Sisters. His easygoing pastoral style immediately contrasts with the disciplined, idealistic approach of Sister Mary Benedict. Their shared mission—to save the school—draws them into a series of tender, humorous, and spiritually charged encounters.
A wealthy businessman, Horace Bogardus, plans to demolish the school to expand his office complex. The Sisters pray instead that he will give them the new building. Meanwhile, Father O’Malley navigates the needs of the students, including a shy boy who needs confidence and a young woman whose home life requires delicate pastoral care.
The film culminates in a quiet miracle of providence, a reconciliation of wills, and a parting between O’Malley and Sister Benedict that is as moving as it is understated.
🕊️ Historical & Cultural Notes
Released just months after WWII, the film’s tone of healing, rebuilding, and gentle authority resonated deeply with American audiences.
Ingrid Bergman’s portrayal of a nun was groundbreaking—dignified, strong, and deeply human.
The film’s depiction of Catholic life is idealized but respectful, reflecting McCarey’s own Catholic upbringing.
Its themes of institutional survival, vocational fidelity, and the tension between obedience and personal conviction mirror the Church’s post‑war challenges.
✝️ Catholic Themes & Moral Resonances
1. Obedience as Love, Not Subservience
Sister Benedict’s obedience is not passive; it is a chosen, intelligent offering. Her tension with Father O’Malley reveals obedience as a dialogue of charity, not a hierarchy of power.
2. Providence Through Ordinary Means
The Sisters pray for a miracle, but the miracle comes through human conversion—Bogardus’s softened heart. Grace works through the cracks of ordinary life.
3. Pastoral Care as Accompaniment
Father O’Malley embodies a pastoral style rooted in presence, humor, and gentle redirection. He never forces outcomes; he shepherds people toward them.
4. The Dignity of Formation
The school’s mission is not merely academic. It forms souls—teaching courage, humility, and hope. The boxing lesson scene, humorous as it is, becomes a parable of confidence and self‑respect.
5. Sacrifice Without Recognition
Sister Benedict’s tuberculosis diagnosis and her removal from the school echo the hidden sacrifices of religious life. She leaves quietly, trusting God with the fruit of her labor.
🍞 Hospitality Pairing
A simple, comforting meal that mirrors the film’s warmth and humility:
Creamy potato soup — humble, nourishing, reminiscent of parish kitchens and convent tables.
Fresh bread with butter — the daily bread of community life.
A light, crisp white wine (e.g., a Riesling or Pinot Grigio) — gentle, bright, echoing the film’s hopeful tone.
Dessert: A small slice of angel food cake — airy, celebratory, fitting for a film about unseen grace.
Set the table with soft light—perhaps a single candle—to evoke the quiet holiness of St. Mary’s chapel.
🧭 Reflection
Where do I resist God’s invitations because they come through people whose style differs from mine?
What “school” in my life is God asking me to protect or rebuild—family, vocation, community, interior life?
How do I practice obedience as an act of love rather than compliance?
Where have I seen providence arrive through ordinary, even humorous, circumstances?
What hidden sacrifices am I being asked to make, and can I offer them without seeking recognition?
Studio: 20th Century Fox Director: Lloyd Bacon Release: May 26, 1949 Source Material: Original story by Shirley W. Smith Genre: Comedy / Sports / Light Fantasy Runtime: 87 minutes Cast: Ray Milland, Jean Peters, Paul Douglas, Ed Begley, Alan Hale Sr., Ted de Corsia
Story Summary
Professor Vernon K. Simpson (Ray Milland), a gentle, underpaid chemistry instructor, dreams of marrying Deborah Greenleaf (Jean Peters), the dean’s daughter. But with no money and no prospects, he feels trapped in a life too small for the hopes he carries.
Then an accident in his laboratory produces a strange compound—methylethylpropylbutyl—that repels wood. When it touches a baseball, bats cannot make contact. Suddenly, Simpson sees a way out: take a secret advantage, become a star pitcher, earn enough money to marry Deborah, and return to teaching.
Under the alias “King Kelly,” he becomes a sensation for the St. Louis team, baffling hitters and thrilling fans. But the deeper he goes into the deception, the more he feels the strain of living a double life. His conscience, his vocation, and his love for Deborah all begin to pull him back toward the truth.
The climax arrives when Simpson must choose between worldly success built on a lie and the quiet, honest life he was made for. His return to integrity restores his peace—and his future.
Historical and Cultural Influences
Postwar American Optimism
Released in 1949, the film reflects a nation eager for lightness after the war. Baseball—America’s pastime—became a symbol of renewal, normalcy, and communal joy. The film’s tone mirrors that cultural longing for innocence regained.
The Scientist as Folk Hero
The late 1940s saw a fascination with scientific breakthroughs, from atomic power to plastics. Simpson represents the “everyman scientist”—brilliant but humble—whose discovery disrupts the world in a comic rather than catastrophic way.
Baseball as Moral Arena
Baseball films of the era often used the sport as a stage for character formation. Here, the diamond becomes a place where temptation, ambition, and integrity collide.
Catholic Themes and Moral Resonances
Integrity Over Advantage
Simpson’s chemical discovery is a metaphor for the shortcuts we justify when we feel unseen or undervalued. The film gently exposes how even “harmless” deception erodes the soul.
Vocation as Anchor
Simpson is a teacher at heart. His detour into fame reveals the spiritual truth that vocation is not merely what we do—it is who we are. Returning to teaching is his return to himself.
Love as Moral Compass
Deborah’s steady, luminous presence embodies the virtue of constancy. She does not push, manipulate, or demand. Her quiet goodness becomes the gravitational pull that draws Simpson back to honesty.
Springtime as Spiritual Symbol
Spring is the season of renewal, repentance, and restored beginnings. Simpson’s journey mirrors the Christian rhythm of falling, awakening, and returning.
Hospitality Pairing
Drink
Spring Shandy — half crisp pilsner, half fresh lemonade, garnished with a thin lemon wheel. Light, refreshing, and honest—no tricks, no shortcuts.
Snack/Meal
Ballpark Board — grilled brats, soft pretzels, mustard trio (yellow, spicy brown, honey), and a bowl of spring pickles. A playful nod to baseball culture with a touch of refinement.
Atmosphere
Open windows, fresh air, and the faint sound of a ballgame on the radio before the film begins. Use simple, clean tableware—nothing fancy—to reinforce the theme of returning to what is true and unpretentious.
Reflection Prompt
Where in your life are you tempted to use a “secret advantage” to get ahead—and what would it look like to lay it down and return to the vocation that actually gives you peace?
Cast: Tom Tryon, Romy Schneider, John Huston, Carol Lynley, Ossie Davis, Burgess Meredith
Story Summary
Stephen Fermoyle, a brilliant young Boston priest, rises through the ranks of the Church during the turbulent first half of the 20th century. His journey is marked by profound moral trials: his sister’s forbidden relationship and tragic medical crisis, his own near‑romantic entanglement, the Church’s confrontation with racism in the American South, and the gathering storm of fascism in Europe.
Each chapter of his life forces him to choose between personal desire and ecclesial obedience, between safety and courage, between sentiment and truth. By the time he is elevated to cardinal, his vocation has been purified through suffering, sacrifice, and the relentless demands of conscience.
Historical and Cultural Influences
The Church in a Century of Upheaval
The film spans the years when the Church confronted modernity, nationalism, and ideological extremism. Fermoyle’s rise mirrors the Church’s struggle to remain a moral voice amid global crisis.
American Catholic Identity
The Boston setting highlights the tension between immigrant Catholic communities and the Protestant cultural establishment—an echo of the film’s broader theme of belonging and legitimacy.
Fascism and Moral Witness
The European sequences dramatize the Church’s precarious position under totalitarian regimes, portraying the cost of speaking truth when silence would be safer.
Catholic Themes and Moral Resonances
Vocation as Purification
Fermoyle’s ascent is not triumph but crucible. Each promotion strips him of illusions, forcing him into deeper humility and dependence on grace.
Conscience Under Fire
The film’s most powerful moments show a priest navigating racism, antisemitism, and political violence. Conscience becomes the battleground where holiness is either forged or lost.
The Weight of Authority
Ecclesial authority is portrayed not as privilege but as burden—an echo of Christ’s teaching that leadership is service, not status.
Suffering as Formation
Family tragedy, personal temptation, and public trial become the means by which God shapes a shepherd capable of carrying others.
Hospitality Pairing
Drink
Viennese Cardinal Punch — red wine warmed with citrus, clove, and a touch of brandy. Elegant, ecclesial, and continental, matching the film’s European gravity.
Meal
Braised beef with root vegetables — hearty, slow‑cooked, and monastic in its simplicity, reflecting the film’s themes of endurance and interior strength.
Atmosphere
Low light, a single candle, and quiet classical or sacred music—evoking the interior life of a man discerning under immense pressure.
Reflection Prompt
Where is God asking you to exercise courage rather than comfort—and what part of your vocation is being purified through the pressures you face right now?
Studio: Republic Pictures bing.com Director: Leigh Jason bing.com Release: January 5, 1942 bing.com Source Material: Original screenplay by Garrett Fort (with contributions by Isabel Dawn & Boyce DeGaw) IMDb Genre: Drama / Romance Runtime: 87 minutes bing.com Cast: Joan Blondell, John Wayne, Ray Middleton, Philip Merivale, Blanche Yurka, Edith Barrett, Leonid Kinskey bing.com
Story Summary
Jenny Blake (Joan Blondell) co‑owns the riverboat casino Memphis Belle, serving wealthy patrons who enjoy her establishment but look down on her social standing. Jack Morgan (John Wayne), her loyal partner, loves her quietly, but Jenny longs for acceptance in high society.
When Alan Alderson, a once‑wealthy plantation heir, loses his estate The Shadows gambling on Jenny’s boat, she offers to forgive his debts if he marries her. Alan agrees, and Jenny enters the aristocratic world she has always desired—only to find herself despised by Alan’s family, especially the manipulative and venomous Julia Alderson.
Jenny’s attempts to host society events are sabotaged, and she narrowly survives a staged carriage accident. Julia then prepares a poisoned drink intended for Jenny, but Alan unknowingly consumes it and dies. Jenny is accused of murder and put on trial, forcing the truth about the Alderson family’s corruption into the open. Wikipedia
Historical and Cultural Influences
Southern Aristocracy in Decline
The film reflects early‑20th‑century American fascination with the fading grandeur of the Old South. The Alderson family embodies a decayed nobility—proud, brittle, and morally compromised—mirroring broader cultural anxieties about class, legitimacy, and inherited privilege.
Riverboat Americana
The Memphis Belle riverboat setting captures a uniquely American world of gambling, music, and social mixing. This environment symbolizes mobility and reinvention—contrasted sharply with the rigid, dying plantation culture Jenny tries to enter.
A Wartime Footnote
The famous WWII B‑17 bomber Memphis Belle was named after the steamboat in this film, giving the movie an unexpected place in wartime cultural memory. bing.com
Catholic Themes and Moral Resonances
Identity vs. Vocation
Jenny’s longing for social elevation mirrors the spiritual temptation to seek worth through status rather than through the truth of one’s calling. Her journey exposes the emptiness of external validation.
The Poison of Envy
Julia’s literal poisoning attempt reflects the spiritual reality of envy—how resentment corrodes families, institutions, and souls. The film becomes a parable about the destructive power of pride.
Loyal Love as Redemption
Jack Morgan’s steadfastness—quiet, wounded, and faithful—embodies a masculine virtue rooted not in dominance but in sacrificial loyalty. His presence becomes the moral counterweight to Jenny’s ambition.
Justice and Truth Revealed Through Trial
Jenny’s courtroom ordeal echoes the biblical pattern of purification through suffering. Her innocence is revealed not by her own power but through the collapse of the lies surrounding her.
Hospitality Pairing
Drink: Mississippi Julep — a mint julep with darker bourbon and a touch of molasses, blending riverboat grit with plantation elegance.
Snack/Meal:
Blackened catfish, collard greens, and cornbread—Southern working‑class fare elevated with refinement, mirroring Jenny’s ascent.
Atmosphere:
Amber lighting, soft jazz or riverboat ragtime, and mismatched china to evoke the tension between riverboat life and aristocratic aspiration.
Reflection Prompt
Where are you tempted to trade your authentic vocation for a place in someone else’s world—and what would it look like to return to the “riverboat,” where your gifts actually bear fruit?
Also, from arrogant ones restrain your servant; let them never control me. Then shall I be blameless, innocent of grave sin.
(Psalm 19:4)
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Theme: Calling, Courage, Obedience, and the Formation of a Disciple’s Voice Identity Shift: From purified man → commissioned man
Galilee is where Christ calls ordinary men into extraordinary purpose. It is where fishermen become apostles, where obscurity becomes mission, where the purified heart becomes a courageous heart.
This week is about hearing the call, embracing the mission, and learning to walk with Christ in the rhythm of daily obedience.
🏨 Where We Stay
Pilgerhaus Tabgha — The House of the Pilgrim Simple, quiet, right on the Sea of Galilee.
Walking distance to the Church of the Multiplication
Near Capernaum, Mount of Beatitudes, and the Primacy of Peter
Peaceful gardens for prayer
Ideal for a week of discernment and mission formation
Website: https://www.pilgerhaus.com/
✝️ Where We Attend Mass
Church of the Multiplication (Tabgha) or St. Peter’s Church, Capernaum
Search: Tabgha Mass times Search: Capernaum Catholic Mass times
Mass anchors the mornings; the afternoons are for walking, listening, and responding to the call.
🗓️ Daily Itinerary & Symbolic Acts
March 14 — Return to Galilee
🌟Symbolic Act: “From Purification to Purpose” Travel from Bethlehem to the Sea of Galilee. Walk to the shoreline and let the wind hit your face. Pray:
“Lord, I have been purified. Now teach me to obey.”
Mass: Tabgha Stay: Pilgerhaus Tabgha
March 15 — Capernaum: The Town of Jesus
🏠Symbolic Act: “Make My Home Your Home” Visit Capernaum:
House of Peter
Ancient synagogue
Shoreline where Christ taught
Read Mark 1. Reflect on how Christ begins His mission in a home, not a throne.
Stay: Pilgerhaus Tabgha
March 16 — Mount of Beatitudes
⛰️Symbolic Act: “Receive the King’s Constitution” Walk the hillside where Christ preached the Beatitudes. Sit in silence and let each Beatitude confront you. Journal:
Which Beatitude strengthens me?
Which one wounds me?
Which one is Christ asking me to live now?
Stay: Pilgerhaus Tabgha
March 17 — Primacy of Peter
🐟Symbolic Act: “Feed My Sheep” Visit the Church of the Primacy of Peter. Touch the rock where Christ restored Peter after failure. Pray John 21 slowly. Offer Christ your failures and hear Him say:
“Follow Me.”
Stay: Pilgerhaus Tabgha
March 18 — Sea of Galilee Boat Day
🌊Symbolic Act: “Step Out of the Boat” Take a simple boat ride on the Sea of Galilee. Read Matthew 14:22–33. Ask:
Where is Christ calling me to step out?
What fear keeps me in the boat?
Let the water teach you trust.
Stay: Pilgerhaus Tabgha
March 19 — Nazareth: The Hidden Years
🏡Symbolic Act: “Obedience in the Ordinary”
Travel to Nazareth. Visit:
Basilica of the Annunciation
St. Joseph’s Church
Mary’s Well
Reflect on the decades Christ spent in silence, work, and obedience. Pray for the grace to embrace the hidden, unglamorous parts of your mission.
Stay: Pilgerhaus Tabgha
March 20 — Magdala: The School of the Heart
💗Symbolic Act: “Let Christ Restore What Is Broken” Visit Magdala, home of Mary Magdalene. Walk the archaeological site and the Duc in Altum chapel. Pray for healing of the heart, clarity of identity, and courage to follow Christ without reserve.
Stay: Pilgerhaus Tabgha
March 21 — Sending Forth
🔥Symbolic Act: “Galilee to the Nations” Final morning prayer on the shoreline:
“Lord, send me where You will. Make me faithful.”
Mass at Tabgha. Depart strengthened, mission‑ready, and anchored in the call of Christ.
That
day the LORD exalted Joshua in the sight of all Israel,and so during his whole life they FEARED him as they had feared
Moses.
Sometimes
we are tempted to follow any leader who is popular. We forget God’s warning
about following the proud and evil hearted, for
lo, the day is coming, blazing like an oven, when all the proud and all
evildoers will be stubble, and the day that is coming will set them on fire,
leaving them neither root nor branch, says the LORD of hosts. (Mal 3: 19)
We may think that following the leadership of our bishops is a waste
of time. You have said, “It is useless to
serve God; what do we gain by observing God’s requirements, and by going about
as mourners-before the LORD of hosts? But we call the arrogant
blessed; for evildoers not only prosper but even test God and escape.” (Mal 3:14-15)
God
knows the heart of a man and if his heart be true God raises that man up as He
did Joshua and Moses. God is not a God of the past and continues to this day in
the action of raising a man up and He does so in our Priests and Bishops. Just
like an architect that uses rocks and sticks to become temples or bridges God
uses men to build his Kingdom. Strive therefore to be God’s man or women.
Emulate Joshua in proclaiming, if it is
displeasing to you to serve the LORD, choose today whom you will serve, the gods
your ancestors served beyond the River or the gods of the Amorites in whose
country you are dwelling. As for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.
(Joshua 24:15).
We
should have a holy fear of our Priest and Bishops. We should follow their
guidance as we would a beloved father or brother. Like Joshua that led the
armies of God today the Bishop of Phoenix asks us men to enter into the breach.[1]
Confronting
evil in this context means recovering the biblical instinct that Israel had
toward Joshua: a clear-eyed recognition that God raises certain men to stand
between chaos and the people, and that resisting such men is not merely a
personality conflict but a spiritual rupture. Joshua is feared because he is
aligned with God’s holiness, not because he is domineering. That distinction is
the heart of holy fear. When Scripture warns that the proud and the evildoers
will be burned like stubble, it is reminding us that evil leadership collapses
under its own weight, while God‑raised leadership endures because it is rooted
in obedience. Malachi’s lament—“It is useless to serve God”—is the cry of a
people who have lost sight of this difference and have begun to measure
leadership by worldly success rather than fidelity.
In every
age, the temptation is the same: to follow the charismatic instead of the
consecrated, the popular instead of the obedient, the loud instead of the holy.
Yet God continues His ancient pattern of raising men—priests, bishops,
spiritual fathers—who carry the weight of His people and stand in the breach
when others falter. Their authority is not a relic of the past but a present
grace. To hold a holy fear toward them is to acknowledge that God still works
through human instruments, imperfect though they are, and that the alternative
to ordered leadership is spiritual fragmentation. This fear is not servile; it
is the reverence a soldier has for a commander who has proven himself in
battle, the respect a son has for a father who bears responsibility for the
household.
Confronting
evil, then, begins with confronting the cynicism in our own hearts—the instinct
to dismiss, to withdraw, to assume corruption rather than discern anointing. It
means choosing, like Joshua, to declare our allegiance openly: “As for me and
my household, we will serve the Lord.” It means stepping forward when the
Bishop calls men into the breach, not because the Bishop is flawless, but
because God still appoints shepherds to guard His flock. Evil advances when men
hesitate; it retreats when men stand in ordered ranks under God‑given
authority. The breach is not merely cultural but spiritual, and the men who
step into it do so with the same courage that marked Joshua: fidelity over
popularity, obedience over self‑will, and a holy fear that recognizes God’s
hand at work in the leaders He raises.
SaturdayThird Week of Lent
Prayer. GRANT, we beseech Thee, O Almighty
God, that they who, to mortify their flesh, abstain from food, may, following
justice, abstain from sin.
EPISTLE. Daniel xiii.
1-62.
In those days there was a man, that
dwelt in Babylon, and his name was Joakim; and he took a wife whose name was
Susanna, the daughter of Helcias, a very beautiful woman, and one that feared
God. For her parents being just, had instructed their daughter according to the
law of Moses. Now Joakim was very rich and had an orchard near his house: and
the Jews resorted to him, because he was the most honorable of them all. And
there were two of the ancients of the people appointed judges that year, of
whom the Lord said: Iniquity came out from Babylon from the ancient judges,
that seemed to govern the people. These men frequented the house of Joakim, and
all that had any matters of judgment came to them. And when the people departed
away at noon, Susanna went in, and walked in her husband’s orchard. And the old
men saw her going in every day, and walking: and they were inflamed with lust towards
her: and they perverted their own mind and turned away their eyes that they
might not look unto heaven, nor re member just judgments. So, they were both
wounded with the love of her, yet they did not make known their grief one to
the other: for they were ashamed to declare to one another their lust, being
desirous to have to do with her: and they watched carefully every day to see
her: and one said to another: Let us now go home, for it is dinnertime. So,
going out, they departed one from another. And turning back again, they came
both to the same place: and asking one another the cause, they acknowledged
their lust: and then they agreed upon a time, when they might find her alone.
And it fell out, as they watched a fit day, she went in on a time, as yesterday
and the day before, with two maids only, and was desirous to wash herself in
the orchard: for it was hot weather. And there was nobody there, but the two
old men that had hid themselves and were considering her. So, she said to the
maids: Bring me oil, and washing balls, and shut the doors of the orchard, that
I may wash me. And they did as she bade them: and they shut the doors of the
orchard and went out by a back door to fetch what she had commanded them, and
they knew not that the elders were hid within. Now when the maids were gone
forth, the two elders arose, and ran to her, and said: Behold the doors of the
orchard are shut, and nobody seeth us, and we are in love with thee: wherefore
consent to us and lie with us. But if thou wilt not, we will bear witness
against thee, that a young man was with thee, and therefore thou didst send
away thy maids from thee. Susanna sighed and said I am straitened on every
side: for if I do this thing, it is death to me: and if I do it not, I shall
not escape your hands. But it is better for me to fall into your hands without
doing it, than to sin in the sight of the Lord. With that Susanna cried out
with a loud voice: and the elders also cried out against her. And one of them
ran to the door of the orchard and opened it. So, when the servants of the
house heard the cry in the orchard, they rushed in by the back door to see what
was the matter. But after the old men had spoken, the servants were greatly
ashamed; for never had there been any such word said of Susanna. And on the
next day, when the people were come to Joakim her husband, the two elders also
came full of wicked device against (Susanna, to put her to death. And they said
before the people: Send to Susanna, daughter of Helcias the wife of Joakim. And
presently they sent, and she came with her parents, and children, and all her
kindred. Now Susanna was exceedingly delicate, and beautiful to behold. But
those wicked men commanded that her face should be uncovered (for she was
covered) that so at least they might be satisfied with her beauty. Therefore,
her friends and all her acquaintance wept. But the two elders rising up in the
midst of the people, laid their hands upon her head. And she weeping looked up
to heaven, for her heart had confidence in the Lord. And the elders said: As we
walked in the orchard alone, this woman came in with two maids, and shut the doors
of the orchard, and sent away the maids from her. Then a young man that was
there hid came to her and lay with her. But we that were in a corner of the
orchard, seeing this wickedness, ran up to them, and we saw them lie together.
And as for him we could not take him because he was stronger than we and
opening the doors he leaped out: but having taken this woman, we asked who the
young man was, but she would not tell us: of this thing we are witnesses. The
multitude believed them as being the elders and the judges of the people, and
they condemned her to death. Then Susanna cried out with a loud voice, and
said: O eternal God, Who knowest hidden things, Who knowest all things before
they come to pass, Thou knowest that they have borne false witness against me:
and behold I must die, whereas I have done none of these things which these men
have maliciously forged against me. And the Lord heard her voice. And when she
was led to be put to death, the Lord raised up the holy spirit of a young boy,
whose name was Daniel. And he cried out with a loud voice: I am clear from the
blood of this woman. Then all the people turning themselves towards him, said:
What meaneth this word that thou hast spoken?
But he standing in the midst of
them, said: Are ye so foolish, ye children of Israel, that without examination
or knowledge of the truth, you have condemned a daughter of Israel?
Return to judgment, for they have
borne false witness against her. So, all the people turned again in haste, and
the old men said to him: Come, and sit thou down among us, and show it us:
seeing God hath given thee the honor of old age. And Daniel said to them:
Separate these two far from one another, and I will examine them. So, when they
were put asunder one from the other, he called one of them and said to him: O
thou that are grown old in evil days, now are thy sins come out, which thou
hast committed before: in judging unjust judgments, oppressing the innocent,
and letting the guilty to go free, whereas the Lord saith: The innocent and the
just thou shalt not kill. Now then, if thou sawest her, tell me under what tree
thou sawest them conversing together. He said: Under a mastic tree. And Daniel
said: Well, hast thou lied against thy own head: for behold the angel of God
having received the sentence of Him, shall cut thee in two. And having put him
aside, he commanded that the other should come, and he said to him: O thou seed
of Chanaan, and not of Juda, beauty hath deceived thee, and lust hath perverted
thy heart: thus, did you do to the daughters of Israel, and they for fear
conversed with you: but a daughter of Juda would not abide your wickedness. Now
therefore tell me, under what tree didst thou take them conversing together.
And he answered: Under a holm tree. And Daniel said to him: Well, hast thou
also lied against thy own head: for the angel of the Lord waiteth with a sword
to cut thee in two, and to destroy you. With that all the assembly cried out
with a loud voice, and they blessed God, who saveth them that trust in Him. And
they rose up against the two elders (for Daniel had convicted them of false
witness by their own mouth) and they did to them as they had maliciously dealt
against their neighbor, to fulfil the law of Moses: and they put them to death,
and innocent blood was saved in that day.
GOSPEL. John viii.
1-11.
At that time: Jesus went unto Mount
Olivet. And early in the morning He came again into the temple, and all the
people came to Him, and sitting down He taught them. And the scribes and
Pharisees bring unto Him a woman taken in adultery; and they set her in the
midst. And said to Him: Master, this woman was even now taken in adultery. Now
Moses in the law commanded us to stone such a one. But what sayest Thou?
And this they said tempting Him
that they might accuse Him. But Jesus bowing Himself down, wrote with His
finger on the ground: when therefore they continued asking Him, He lifted up
Himself, and said to them: He that is without sin among you, let him first cast
a stone at her. And again, stooping down, He wrote on the ground. But they
hearing this went out one by one, beginning at the eldest. And Jesus alone
remained, and the woman standing in the midst. Then Jesus lifting up Himself,
said to her: Woman, where are they that accused thee? Hath no man condemned
thee?
Who said: No man, Lord. And Jesus
said: Neither will I condemn thee. Go, and now sin no more.
Lenten Calendar
Read: The Seven Penitential Psalms,
Day Five:
(During times when we wish to express repentance and especially during
Lent, it is customary to pray the seven penitential psalms. The
penitential designation of these psalms’ dates from the seventh century.
Prayerfully reciting these psalms will help us to recognize our sinfulness,
express our sorrow and ask for God’s forgiveness.)
Pray:
“LORD, hear my prayer; let my cry
come to you. Do not hide your face from me in
the day of my distress.” (Ps 102:2-3, NABRE)
Act:
In this psalm, the psalmist calls
to God in great distress. He acknowledges his weakness in body and spirit
before the Lord. Yet he fixes his sight on the Lord, extolling the Lord’s name and his mercy.
The ordinary activity of the Enemy
is to seek the ruin of souls through various kinds of temptation. These
passages offer counsel about how to turn away from evil so that you can
overcome temptation and pass the tests that God allows for your strengthening.
·Because
He Himself suffered and has been tempted, He is able to help those who are
tempted. We may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Heb 2: 17–
18; 4: 14– 16
·My
son, if you come forward to serve the LORD, remain in justice and in fear, and
prepare yourself for temptation. Sir 2: 1
·[Jesus
prayed:] “I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that
you should keep them from the Evil One.” Jn 17: 15 RSVCE
·Blessed
is the man who endures temptation, for when he has been tried, he will receive
the crown of life which God has promised to those who love Him. Let no man say
when he is tempted, that he is tempted by God; for God is no tempter to evil,
and He Himself tempts no one. But everyone is tempted by being drawn away and
enticed by his own passion. Then when passion has conceived, it brings forth
sin; but when sin has matured, it begets death. Therefore, my beloved brethren,
do not err. Jas 1: 12– 16
·The
fear of men lays a snare, but he who trusts in the LORD is safe. Pr 29: 25
·The
Lord knows how to deliver the God-fearing from temptation. 2 Pt 2: 9
·Have
no anxiety, but in every prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your
petitions be made known to God. And may the peace of God, which surpasses all
understanding, guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. For the rest,
brethren, whatever things are true, whatever honorable, whatever just, whatever
holy, whatever lovable, whatever of good repute, if there be any virtue, if
anything worthy of praise, think upon these things. Phil 4: 6– 9
Bible
in a year Day 255 God
is Good
Fr. Mike guides us through another
chapter of Jeremiah and connects it to the sorrow and pain we hear in
Lamentations. He reminds us that, even with such evil and desperation filing
the world, God is still good, and we still have reason to hope in him. Today’s
readings are Jeremiah 51, Lamentations 4-5, and Proverbs 18:9-12.
Pi
Day celebrates the mathematical constant π (pi) or 3.141592653.... Pi is
the ratio between the circumference (the distance around the circle) and
diameter (the distance through the center of the circle). Pi is a constant;
therefore it will be the same for circles of all sizes. Pi is a special number
due to its infinite and patternless nature, meaning that the digits after the
decimal point never repeat themselves in a specific order. Pi Day celebrations
originated in 1988 at the San Francisco Exploratorium when Larry Shaw, a
physicist at the Exploratorium, organized the first Pi Day. It was held
on March 14th (3/14), given that the first digits of Pi are 3.14.
Celebrations at the Exploratorium included taking young museum visitors
on a parade to the Pi Shrine, which is a round brass plaque fixed on the floor
of the museum and serving fruit pies to visitors. Since then, Pi Day
celebrations have spread both nationally and globally. On March 12, 2009,
the U.S. House of Representatives recognized March 14, 2009 as National Pi Day.
Pi
Day Facts & Quotes
·In
2015 at 9:26:53 (AM and PM), all of the first ten digits of Pi (3.141592653)
were present in the date and time.
·Pi
is an irrational number, meaning it cannot be expressed properly as a fraction.
·Albert
Einstein, widely referred to as the father of modern physics, was born on March
14, 1879. Therefore, Pi Day also recognizes Einstein's birthday.
·According
to the Guinness World Records, Rajveer Meena from India holds the record for
memorizing the most decimal places of Pi. On March 21, 2015, Meena wore a
blindfold and recalled 70,000 decimal places of Pi over a period of 10 hours.
·Pi
is not just a collection of random digits, pi is a journey; an experience;
unless you try to see the natural poetry that exists in pi, you will find it
very difficult to learn. – Dr. Antranig Basman, Mathematician and Software
Developer
Pi
Day Top Events and Things to Do
·Memorize
as many digits of Pi as you can (remember, the World Record Holder was able to
memorize 70,000 decimal places of pi).
·Eat
a pie to celebrate Pi day and earn bonus points if you can calculate Pi for
your pie's circumference! Here are some twists on traditional pies that
you can try:
1) Avocado and cream cheese pie
2) Cheeseburger and pickle pie made from ground beef, cheese, and chopped dill
pickles
3) Mac and Cheese Pie topped with bacon
4) Hot dog pie covered with a layer of cheese
5) Twinkie pie topped with whipped cream
·Practice
your geometry and algebra equations that contain the constant Pi. Here are some
useful formulas to help you:
Circumference of a circle = 2 πr
Area of a Circle = π r^2
Volume of a Cylinder = π r^2h
where r=radius and h=height
·Go
for a 3.14km walk to celebrate Pi Day.
·Watch
movies about mathematics:
1) Good Will Hunting (1997)
2) A Beautiful Mind (2001)
3) The Number 23 (2007)
4) Rain Man (1988)
5) The Theory of Everything (2014)
Studio: Paramount Pictures bing.com Director: David Butler bing.com Release: June 25, 1941 bing.com Source Material: Original screenplay by Wilkie C. Mahoney & Harry Tugend bing.com Genre: Military Comedy / Romance Runtime: 82 minutes bing.com Cast: Bob Hope, Dorothy Lamour, Eddie Bracken, Lynne Overman, Clarence Kolb Wikipedia
Story Summary
Don Bolton (Bob Hope) is a Hollywood star famous for playing fearless soldiers—despite being terrified of loud noises, even fake gunfire. When a draft notice threatens his comfortable life, he schemes to avoid service by courting Tony Fairbanks (Dorothy Lamour), the daughter of a visiting Army colonel. His plan collapses when he learns he’s already too old to dodge the draft, and Tony—disgusted by his cowardice—rejects him.
Trying to win her back, Don stages a fake enlistment that backfires spectacularly, landing him, his manager, and his assistant in real Army training. Under the stern eye of Col. Fairbanks, Don stumbles through boot‑camp humiliations, KP duty, and endless mishaps.
During a large-scale war game, a mix‑up sends soldiers into a live artillery zone. Don overcomes his fear of noise to rescue the men—and Tony—proving genuine courage at last. His bravery earns him a promotion to corporal and the right to marry Tony. Wikipedia
Historical and Cultural Influences
Pre‑War American Mood
Released six months before Pearl Harbor, the film reflects a nation on the brink—mobilizing for war but not yet fully committed. Its humor softens the anxieties of the peacetime draft and reassures audiences that ordinary men can rise to the moment. bing.com
Bob Hope’s Wartime Persona
This film helped cement Hope’s identity as the wisecracking everyman who eventually does the right thing. It anticipates his later USO work and his role as a morale‑builder for American troops.
Military Portrayal as Gentle and Accessible
The Army is depicted as firm but forgiving—boot camp is chaotic, but never cruel. This was intentional: Hollywood and the War Department collaborated to encourage enlistment and calm public fears about military life.
Studio‑Era Star Pairing
Hope and Lamour were one of Paramount’s most bankable duos. Their dynamic—his frantic cowardice against her steady moral clarity—became a signature of early‑’40s comedy.
Catholic Themes and Moral Resonances
Courage as a Moral Conversion
Don begins as a man who performs bravery but avoids sacrifice. His arc mirrors the spiritual journey from self‑preservation to authentic virtue—courage born not of ego but of love and responsibility.
Love as a Refining Fire
Tony functions as the moral compass. Her disappointment becomes the catalyst for Don’s transformation, echoing the Catholic understanding that love calls us to become more than we are.
Duty and Vocation
The film treats military service not as glory but as obligation—an echo of the Church’s teaching that vocation often begins in humility and obedience rather than heroism.
Grace in Weakness
Don’s fear is not mocked but redeemed. His eventual bravery emerges precisely through his weakness, a reminder that grace often works through the cracks rather than the strengths.
Hospitality Pairing
Drink: The Enlistee’s Highball — bourbon or rye with ginger ale, light and era‑appropriate.
Snack:
Popcorn, salted peanuts, or a simple sandwich—evoking a 1941 movie‑night or USO canteen.
Atmosphere:
Warm lamplight, a simple table setting, maybe a vintage‑style radio playing big‑band music to evoke the early‑war American homefront.
Reflection Prompt
Where in your life is God inviting you to move from performing courage to living it—especially in the ordinary duties you’d rather avoid?
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