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Super Bowl[1]
The
Super Bowl is the season final championship game of National Football League
(NFL) in the United States of America. The matchup for this game is the
winning teams of the National Football Conference (NFC) and the American
Football Conference (AFC). Super Bowl 1 was held in February of 1967. The
2016 game was Super Bowl 50. The Super Bowl is one of the most watched
television events in the United States. Nielsen Media Research, in had over
114.4 million viewers in 2015.
Super
Bowl Facts
·
Super Bowl Sunday is the second biggest
eating day of the year - after Thanksgiving. According to the National
Chicken Council, in 2015 a total of 1.25 million chicken wings were eaten
during the game.
·
The winner receives the Vince Lombardi
Trophy. Vince Lombardi was the coach for the Green Bay Packers who won
the first two Super Bowls back-to-back.
·
The record for the most points scored by a
single team during a Super Bowl, is held by San Francisco. San Francisco
scored a total of 55 points against Denver in Super Bowl XXI.
Super
Bowl Top Events and Things to Do
·
Attend the Super Bowl. You can
purchase second-hand tickets through various online marketplaces. According to
Seat Geek, the average price for a ticket in 2015 was $2,670.
·
Have a Super Bowl party with friends and
family.
·
Organize or purchase boxes in a football
pool. A football pool is a table that contains all of the score
combinations based on the last digit of each team’s score. The score
numbers are drawn at random after all boxes are assigned. Because of
this, the odds of winning are the same regardless of each participant’s
knowledge of the game.
·
Watch the Super Bowl commercials.
Commercials for the big game are the most expensive on TV and for many,
more entertaining than the game.
· Make guacamole. This is the quintessential (and healthy!) super bowl dip.
The Rise of Sports and the Decline of the Church[2]
Afterall isn’t Football our national religion?
Super Bowl may have been a bust as a football game, but it was a blockbuster as a cultural event. The telecast of the event attracted a record 111.5 million viewers, making it the most-watched television event of all-time. That record will most likely be eclipsed by the next Super Bowl, and the trajectory shows no signs of dissipating. America takes its sports seriously, and Americans take football with the most seriousness of them all. In a real sense, big-time sports represent America’s new civic religion, and football is its central sacrament. The relationship between sports and religion in America has always been close, and it has often been awkward. The “muscular Christianity” of a century ago has given way to a more recent phenomenon: the massive growth of involvement in sports at the expense of church activities and involvements. About fifteen years ago, the late John Cardinal O’Connor, then the Roman Catholic Archbishop of New York, lamented the fact that Little League Baseball was taking his altar boys away on Sundays. “Why is it religion that must always accommodate?” asked the Archbishop. “Why must Little League and soccer league games be scheduled on Sunday mornings? Why create that conflict for kids or for their parents? Sports are generally considered good for kids. Church is good for kids.” The Archbishop blamed secularization for this invasion of Sunday: “This is the constant erosion, the constant secularization of our culture, that I strongly believe to be a serious mistake.” So the cardinal took on Little League and the youth soccer league in New York City. And he lost. Nevertheless, he was right about the problem. The massive rise of sports within the culture is a sign and symptom of the secularization of the larger society. New evidence for this pattern comes from academics Chris Beneke and Arthur Remillard in an essay recently published in The Washington Post. Writing with Super Bowl in view, Beneke and Remillard note: “American sports fans have forged imperishable bonds with the people, places and moments that define their teams. You might even call this attachment religious. But that would be unfair—to sports.” In other words, the attachment many Americans now have to sports teams far exceeds attachment to religious faith—any religious faith.
The two academics then
make their central case:
“While teams and fans are
building powerful, cohesive communities—think Red Sox Nation or the legions of
University of Alabama faithful who greet one another with ‘Roll Tide’—churches
are losing followers. According to a 2012 survey by researchers at
the University of California at Berkeley and Duke University, 20 percent
of Americans ‘claimed they had no religious preference,’ compared with an
unaffiliated population of 8 percent in 1990. Roughly two out of three
Americans, a 2012 Pew report noted, are under the impression that
religion is losing influence in the country.” That impression is growing
because it is true to the facts. Religion is losing ground and losing influence
in American society. The fastest-growing segment of the American public in terms
of religious identification is the “nones,” designating those who identify with
no religious tradition at all. At the same time, a religious dedication to
sports has been growing. While correlation does not prove causation, the links
between these two developments are haunting. Interestingly, Beneke, who teaches
history at Bentley University, and Remillard, who teaches religious studies at
St. Francis University, document the dramatic increase in the percentage of
Americans who consider themselves to be sports fans. Just a half-century ago,
only three in ten Americans identified themselves as sports fans. Fast forward
to 2012 and the percentage is greater than 60 percent. At the same time, church
attendance and other marks of religious activity (especially the number of
hours each week devoted to church activities) have fallen sharply. Beneke and
Remillard describe the current picture in vivid terms: “Modern sports stadiums
function much like great cathedrals once did, bringing communities together and
focusing their collective energy. This summer, the Archdiocese of New York is
expected to outline plans to close or merge some of its 368 parishes; 26
Catholic schools in the archdiocese have ceased operation. By contrast, the
city and the state of New Jersey spent hundreds of millions to build new
baseball and football stadiums.” Cardinal O’Connor would no doubt see the
pattern and lament it, but a good many evangelical Christians seem both unmoved
and unconcerned. The problem is quite ecumenical in this respect. The youth
minister or pastor at your local evangelical church is almost sure to tell you
the same story. Team sports activities or other forms of organized athletics
have taken many evangelical families away from church activities. Many children
and adolescents know very little of church involvements, but they and their
parents (and often their grandparents as well) would not miss a scheduled
practice, much less a game or competitive event. The same is increasingly true
of spectator sports. Beneke and Remillard conclude by asserting that “when it
comes to the passionate attachments that sustain interest and devotion, it’s
time to acknowledge that sports have gained the edge. And they show no sign of
relinquishing the lead.” In the larger society, this is most certainly the
case. This dramatic shift could only come to pass if the larger culture has
been largely secularized. In this case, secularization does not necessarily
mean the disappearance of religious faith, but merely the demotion of religious
involvement and identification to a level lower than those granted to sports. Americans may not know who their god is, but
you can be sure most know who their team is.
Whose team is yours? [3]
Let us
never forget that Satan does his utmost to destroy mankind. In a thousand ways
he plots and wars against God and tries to usurp His throne. On this subject,
the following instruction given by Our Blessed Mother to Venerable Mary d'
Agreda, is worth quoting: "My daughter," she says, "by no power
of human words wilt thou in this mortal life ever succeed in describing the
evil of Lucifer and his demons against men, or the malice, astuteness, deceits
and ruses, with which, in his wrath, he seeks to bring them into sin and later
on to eternal torments. He tries to hinder all good works . . . All the malice
of which his own mind is capable, he attempts to inject into souls. Against
these attacks, God provides admirable protection if men will only co-operate
and correspond on their part." Among the means provided by God for our
protection, is the ready recourse we may have at all times to the strengthening
Blood of Christ. "This Blood," declares St. John Chrysostom,
"has the power to drive away the evil spirits and to draw to our side the
good angels, aye, the King of Angels, and to blazen the way to Heaven."
Fortified by the Precious Blood, let us place ourselves under the leadership of
St. Michael and unfurl everywhere the banner of our Faith, without fear of godlessness. If Satan tries to
induce us to sin, and promises honors, riches, happiness on conditions that we
omit a good work, or commit an evil deed, let us ever oppose the tempter with
the energetic words: Who is like unto God? God is my only treasure, my highest
Good, His Blood is upon me, and "though I walk through the valley of the
shadow of death, I shall fear no
evil." If in time of temptation, we have the courage to rebuke the evil
one and call upon the assistance of our leader, St. Michael, the enemy will
surely be put to flight. But if we wish to enjoy the great Archangel's
protection, we must also imitate his virtues, particularly his humility and his
zeal for God's glory.
"O
great St. Michael, take us 'neath thy shield, Thy mighty power in our favor
wield!"
America’s
growing devotion to sports reveals a deeper spiritual crisis: a culture that
once ordered its loves toward God now pours its passion, time, and identity
into games that have quietly become a substitute religion. The Super Bowl, with
its cathedral‑like stadiums, ritualized gatherings, and near‑universal
observance, exposes how easily a good thing becomes an idol when it eclipses
worship, family formation, and the life of the Church. This shift is not merely
sociological but spiritual, for the enemy rarely tempts us with obvious evil;
he tempts us with disordered priorities that slowly erode our capacity for
prayer, virtue, and communion with God. When families who would never miss a
practice or a kickoff routinely miss Mass, the hierarchy of love has already
been inverted. Confronting this cultural idolatry means reclaiming Sunday,
forming boys and men in true virtue, and calling upon the protection of St.
Michael, who teaches us to resist every false god with the cry Quis ut Deus.
Sports can be good, even noble, but they must never become ultimate; only God
deserves the devotion of our hearts, and only in Him do our loves find their
rightful order.
Claire’s 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.
· Spirit Hour: Wine from the Loire Valley France
- James Dean, born on February 8, 1931-1955
· Carnival Time begins in Catholic Countries.
· Carnival Time begins in Catholic Countries.
· It is Random Acts of Kindness week
- Spirit hour: Best February Cocktails
- Free Open-Source Software Month
- Bucket Item trip: Vienna, Austria
- Love a Mensch Week
- Opera Day
- How to celebrate Feb 8th
- You wake up and decide to embark on a unique day of celebration. Start by embracing nature with a fun kite flying session. Grab your kite, head to a park, and let the wind carry your troubles away. Breathe in the fresh air and feel the joy of watching your kite dance in the sky.
- As the day progresses, indulge in some cultural enrichment by attending an opera performance. Check local listings for free or affordable shows. Let the music transport you to another world, immersing yourself in the captivating stories brought to life on stage.
- Next, channel your inner adventurer by honoring National Boy Scout Day.
Explore a nearby hiking trail, learn essential outdoor skills, or simply enjoy a picnic in the great outdoors. Embrace the spirit of camaraderie and teamwork that the Boy Scouts embody.- Note from the Iceman: The Boy Scouts left a void. I’m building the replacement — lean, rugged, father‑led, and forged from the same lessons I carried off the Ice. Real skills. Real brotherhood. Real formation. More soon.
- For a dose of entertainment, celebrate Global Movie Day by hosting a movie marathon with friends or family. Choose a theme or genre, pop some popcorn, and settle in for a cinematic escape. Discuss your favorite scenes and characters for a lively post-movie debate.
- Indulge your taste buds by baking some delicious molasses bars to mark National Molasses Bar Day. Find a simple recipe online and get baking. Share your sweet treats with loved ones or colleagues for a delightful surprise.
- Laugh And Get Rich Day encourages you to spread joy and positivity. Watch a comedy special, share jokes with friends, or simply laugh out loud. Laughter is contagious and can brighten not only your day but those around you.
- As the day winds down, embrace the winter season with International Snowmobile Ride Day. If you have access to snow and a snowmobile, take a thrilling ride through snowy landscapes. Alternatively, watch videos of snowmobile adventures and plan a future winter outing.
- Finally, wrap up your day by celebrating Prešeren Day, a Slovenian cultural holiday honoring poetry and love. Write a heartfelt poem, read a romantic piece of literature, or simply express gratitude to those you care about. Let love and creativity guide you as you bask in the beauty of human connection.
- Plan winter fun:
- Soak in hot springs
- Hit the snow slopes
- Ride a snowmobile
- Go for a dog sled ride
- Ride a hot air balloon
Claire’s Perfect Weather World Tour
🌺 Week 6 — São Miguel, Azores (Portugal)
“Lakes of Light & Island Stillness”
February 8–14, 2026
Base: Ponta Delgada — The Green Island’s Oceanfront Capital
🌦️ Overview
February in the Azores is mild, green, and peaceful — 66–71°F with misty mornings, volcanic lakes, and warm thermal springs. São Miguel offers crater‑rim views, tea fields, ocean cliffs, and daily Mass in centuries‑old churches.
Theme: creation, renewal, and resting in God’s quiet artistry.
📅 Daily Outline with Embedded Links
📌 Feb 8 — Arrival (Quinquagesima Sunday)
Flight: Lisbon → Ponta Delgada via Azores Airlines
Mass: Igreja Matriz de São Sebastião — visitazores.com (visitazores.com in Bing)
Lodging: Hotel do Colégio (~$140/night)
Meals: ~$55/day
Symbolic Act: “Beginning Again with God” — write a short prayer of renewal
Fun: Try your first queijada (Azorean sweet cheese pastry)
📌 Feb 9 — Sete Cidades Crater Lakes (Monday)
Visit: Sete Cidades — visitazores.com (visitazores.com in Bing)
Viewpoints: Vista do Rei + Miradouro da Lagoa de Santiago
Mass: Evening Mass in Ponta Delgada
Symbolic Act: “Seeing with New Eyes” — reflect on the two lakes as faith + reason
Fun: Take a photo jumping between the “blue” and “green” sides
📌 Feb 10 — Furnas Hot Springs & Terra Nostra Gardens (Tuesday)
Visit: Terra Nostra Garden — parqueterranostra.com
Hot Springs: Furnas geothermal pools — visitazores.com (visitazores.com in Bing)
Mass: Furnas parish church
Tickets: ~$10
Symbolic Act: “Rest in God’s Warmth” — soak in the thermal pool as a prayer of surrender
Fun: Eat cozido, a stew cooked underground by volcanic heat
📌 Feb 11 — Tea Plantations & Coastal Cliffs (Wednesday)
Our Lady of Lourdes — Healing & Mercy
Visit: Gorreana Tea Plantation — gorreanatea.com
Walk: Coastal trail to Maia cliffs
Mass: Evening Mass in Ponta Delgada
Symbolic Act: Pray for the sick while sipping fresh green tea
Fun: Try rolling tea leaves by hand like the workers do
📌 Feb 12 — Lagoa do Fogo (Thursday)
Visit: Lagoa do Fogo — visitazores.com (visitazores.com in Bing)
Mass: Parish near Ribeira Grande
Symbolic Act: “Fire & Water” — meditate on the Holy Spirit’s cleansing power
Fun: Spot the wild Azorean seagulls gliding over the crater
📌 Feb 13 — Whale Watching & Marina Walk (Friday)
Visit: Whale‑watching tour — Futurismo Azores
Mass: Evening Mass in Ponta Delgada
Symbolic Act: “Listening for God” — reflect on the silence of the open sea
Fun: Count how many dolphins race the boat
📌 Feb 14 — Chapel of Nossa Senhora da Paz & Farewell (Saturday)
St. Valentine — Love Rooted in Sacrifice
Visit: Nossa Senhora da Paz — visitazores.com (visitazores.com in Bing)
Mass: Saturday Vigil in Vila Franca do Campo
Symbolic Act: Leave a written prayer of gratitude at the chapel steps
Fun: Try a pineapple liqueur from the local plantation
💰 Cost Snapshot (Per Person)
Lodging (6 nights): ~$840
Meals (7 days): ~$385–$420
Tickets/Activities: ~$80–$120
Local Transport: ~$120–$160
Flight (Lisbon → Azores): ~$90–$160
➡️ Total: $1,515–$1,700
February 8 Sexagesima Sunday
Novena To the Holy Face-Manhood of the Master-Saint Bakhita-Marriage
Devotion of the Seven Sundays: St Joseph-2nd Sunday
Psalm 112, Verse 7-8
He shall not FEAR an ill report; his heart is
steadfast, trusting the LORD. His heart is tranquil, without fear,
till at last he looks down on his foes.
This is the blessed state of the righteous. Yes, we are in a
battle and yes in our modern world the news cycles are all in league with the
unholy secularized world. Do not fear the ill reporters or the Facebook
fanatics. Remember God tests those he loves yet during the trial those that are
faithful can still hear the whisper of encouragement.
Copilot’s Take on confronting evil
A heart formed by the Church confronts evil with clarity, not
panic. Psalm 112 reminds us that the righteous man “shall not fear an ill
report,” not because evil is imaginary, but because he refuses to let darkness
set the narrative. In an age when the news delights in amplifying corruption,
conflict, and scandal—both in the world and sometimes within the Church—the
faithful man does not look away, yet he also does not surrender his peace. He
names evil for what it is, resists its influence, and refuses to be discipled
by fear. His heart remains tranquil because he knows that Christ’s authority is
not threatened by the failures of men or the noise of the age. This is the
posture the Church needs now: believers who confront evil with truth, courage,
and steady fidelity, who stand firm without becoming hardened, and who let the
victory of Christ—not the anxieties of the news cycle—shape their response.
ON KEEPING THE LORD'S DAY HOLY[1]
CHAPTER II
DIES CHRISTI
The Day of the Risen Lord
and of the Gift
of the Holy Spirit
The
day of the new creation
24.
A comparison of the Christian Sunday with the Old Testament vision of the
Sabbath prompted theological insights of great interest. In particular, there
emerged the unique connection between the Resurrection and Creation. Christian
thought spontaneously linked the Resurrection, which took place on "the
first day of the week", with the first day of that cosmic week (cf. Gn
1:1 - 2:4) which shapes the creation story in the Book of Genesis: the day of
the creation of light (cf. 1:3-5). This link invited an understanding of the
Resurrection as the beginning of a new creation, the first fruits of which is
the glorious Christ, "the first born of all creation" (Col
1:15) and "the first born from the dead" (Col 1:18).
SEXAGESIMA SUNDAY
The perils of exile (persecution) and the fruits of asceticism (the Word being sown into our hearts).
Sexagesima literally means "sixtieth," though it only falls 56 days before Easter. During these weeks contemplate the ways you can build up your fear of the Lord remembering that fear of the Lord is really a deep abiding love for God.
The Introit of the Mass is taken from the forty-third psalm: Arise; why sleepest Thou, O Lord? Arise, and cast us not off to the end; why turnest Thou Thy face away, and forgettest our trouble? for our soul is humbled down to the dust; our belly cleaveth to the earth. Arise, O Lord, help us, and redeem us for Thy name’s sake. We have heard, O God, with our ears; our fathers have declared to us.
EPISTLE, ii. Cor. xi. 19; xii. 9.
Brethren: You gladly suffer the foolish: whereas yourselves are wise. For you suffer if a man bring you into bondage, if a man devour you, if a man take from you, if a man be lifted up, if a man strike you on the face. I speak according to dishonor, as if we had been weak in this part. Wherein if any man dare (I speak foolishly) I dare also: they are Hebrews, so am I: they are Israelites, so am I: they are the seed of Abraham, so am I: they are the ministers of Christ (I speak as one less wise), I am more: in many more labors: in prisons more frequently, in stripes above measure, in deaths often. Of the Jews five times did I receive forty stripes, save one. Thrice was I beaten with rods, once I was stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I was in the depth of the sea. In journeying often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils of my own nation, in perils from the gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils from false brethren: in labor and painfulness, in much watchings, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness. Besides those things which are without: my daily instance, the solicitude for all the churches. Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is scandalized, and I am not on fire? If I must needs glory, I will glory of the things that concern my infirmity. The God and Farther of Our Lord Jesus Christ, Who is blessed forever, knoweth that I lie not. At Damascus, the governor of the nation under Aretas the king guarded the city of the Damascenes to apprehend me: and through a window in a basket was I let down by the wall, and so escaped his hands. If I must glory (it is not expedient indeed), but I will come to the visions and revelations of the Lord. I know a man in Christ above fourteen years ago (whether in the body, I know not, or out of the body, I know not, God knoweth), such an one rapt even to the third heaven. And I know such a man (whether in the body or out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth) that he was caught up into paradise: and heard secret words which it is not granted to man to utter. For such an one I will glory: but for myself I will glory nothing, but in my infirmities. For though I should have a mind to glory, _ snail- not be foolish: for I will say the truth: but I forbear, lest any man should think of me above that which he seeth in me, or anything he heareth from me. And lest the greatness of the revelations should exalt me, there was given me a sting of my flesh, an angel of Satan, to buffet me. For which thing thrice I besought the Lord, that it might depart from me: and He said to me: My grace is sufficient for thee: for power is made perfect in infirmity. Gladly therefore will I glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may dwell in me.
By
the example of St. Paul, the Church would incite us to work out our salvation
by cooperating faithfully with the grace of God. Let us, like this great
apostle, be not irritated at temptations, but firmly combat and overcome them
by the help of divine grace.
Grant me, O God, Thy grace, that I may in these evil days keep steadily to Thy holy doctrine, and never be seduced from obeying it, either by the allurements of the world, or the reproaches of the wicked. Amen.
At that time: When a very great multitude was gathered together and hastened out of the cities unto Him, He spoke by a similitude: The sower went out to sow his seed: and as he sowed, some fell by the wayside and was trodden down, and the fowls of the air devoured it. And other some fell upon a rock: and as soon as it was sprung up, it withered away, because it had no moisture. And other some fell among thorns, and the thorns growing up with it, choked it. And other some fell upon good ground: and being sprang up, yielded fruit a hundredfold. Saying these things, He cried out: He that hath ears to hear, let him hear. And His disciples asked Him what this parable might be. To whom He said: To you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God, but to the rest in parables, that seeing they may not see, and hearing may not understand. Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. And they by the wayside, are they that hear; then the devil cometh, and taketh the word out of their heart, lest believing they should be saved. Now they upon the rock, are they who when they hear, receive the word with joy: and these have no roots: for they believe for a while, and in time of temptation, they fall away. And that which fell among thorns, are they who have heard, and going their way, are choked with the cares and riches and pleasures of this life and yield no fruit. But that on the good ground: are they who in a good and a very good heart, hearing the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit in patience.
The
fault is with men, who, though they hear the word of God, hear, read, and
meditate superficially. The divine seed finds no moisture or root in their
hearts; they are overgrown with the piercing thorns of cares, riches, and
sensual lusts, so that the seed of the divine word is choked up, and can
neither grow nor bear fruit.
We must endeavor to practice what we have heard; for God justifies, not the hearers of the law, but only the doers (Rom. ii. 13) of it. In order to practice what we hear in the sermon it is necessary, in the first place, to keep it in our minds, to ponder it carefully and remember it. Christ, therefore, blesses those who hear the word of God and keep it (Luke xi. 28). The seed cannot bring forth fruit if not well covered with good ground, warmed by the sun, moistened by the rain and dew, and cared for in other ways. Finally, pray often to God, that He may keep alive in you the divine truths which you have heard.
Prayer.
O my God, I am covered with shame, because the seed of Thy divine word, which Thou hast so abundantly sown in my heart, has brought forth so little fruit. Have mercy, O Lord, and change my heart, that it may become good ground, in which Thy word may take root, thrive, grow, and finally bring forth the fruit of salvation, which Thou requirest of me. Amen.
NOVENA TO THE HOLY FACE
(as dictated by Our Lord to Sister Marie of St. Peter)
May the most holy, most sacred, most adorable, most incomprehensible and ineffable Name of God be forever praised, blessed, loved, adored and glorified in Heaven, on Earth, and under the Earth by all the creatures of God and by the Sacred Heart of Our Lord Jesus Christ in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar. Amen. Eternal Father, I offer Thee the adorable Face of Thy Beloved Son for the honor and glory of Thy Name, for the conversion of sinners and the salvation of the dying. Amen.
All those who honor My Face in a spirit of
reparation will by so doing perform the office of the pious Veronica. According
to the care they take in making reparation to My Face, disfigured by
blasphemers, so will I take care of their souls which have been disfigured by
sin. My Face is the seal of the Divinity, which has the virtue of reproducing
in souls the image of God.
1. Those who by words, prayers or writing defend My
cause in this Work of Reparation I will defend before My Father, and will give
them My Kingdom.
2.
By offering My
Face to My Eternal Father, nothing will be refused, and the conversion of many
sinners will be obtained.
3. By My Holy Face, they will work wonders, appease the
anger of God, and draw down mercy on sinners.
4. As in a kingdom they can procure all that is desired
with a coin stamped with the King's effigy, so in the Kingdom of Heaven they
will obtain all they desire with the precious coin of My Holy Face.
5. Those who on earth contemplate the wounds of My Face
shall in Heaven behold it radiant with glory.
6. They will receive in their souls a bright and
constant irradiation of My Divinity, that by their likeness to My Face they
shall shine with particular splendor in Heaven.
7.
Novena in Honor of
the Most Holy Face of Jesus
"I
firmly wish that my face reflecting the intimate pains of my soul, the
suffering and love of my heart, be more honored! Whoever gazes upon me already
consoles me." (Our Lord Jesus Christ to Sister Pierina)
DAILY PREPARATORY PRAYER
O
Most Holy and Blessed Trinity, through the intercession of Holy Mary, whose
soul was pierced through by a sword of sorrow at the sight of the passion of
her Divine Son, we ask your help in making a perfect Novena of reparation with
Jesus, united with all His sorrows, love and total abandonment.
We
now implore all the Angels and Saints to intercede for us as we pray this Holy
Novena to the Most Holy Face of Jesus and for the glory of the most Holy
Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.
(Start
novena)
"All
those who, attracted by my love, and venerating my countenance, shall receive,
by virtue of my humanity, a brilliant and vivid impression of my divinity. This
splendor shall enlighten the depths of their souls, so that in eternal glory
the celestial court shall marvel at the marked likeness of their features with
my divine countenance." (Our Lord Jesus Christ to St. Gertrude)
First Day
(Console Holy
Face and recite Daily Preparatory Prayer)
Psalm
51, 3-4.
Have mercy on me, O God in your goodness,
in your great tenderness wipe away my faults; wash me clean of my guilt, purify
me from my sin.
O
most Holy Face of Jesus, look with tenderness on us who are sinners. You are a
merciful God, full of love and compassion. Keep us pure of heart, so that we
may see Thee always. Mary, our Mother, intercede for us; Saint Joseph, pray for
us.
Through
the merits of your precious blood and your Holy Face, O Jesus, grant us our
petition, Pardon and Mercy.
Prayer to Our Almighty Father
Almighty
Father come into our hearts, and so fill us with your love that forsaking all
evil desires, we may embrace you, our only good. Show us, O Lord our God, what
you are to us. Say to our souls, I am your salvation, speak so that we may
hear. Our hearts are before you; open our ears; let us hasten after your voice.
Hide not your Face from us, we beseech you, O Lord. Open our hearts so that you
may enter in. Repair the ruined mansions, that you may dwell therein. Hear us,
O Heavenly Father, for the sake of your only Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, who
lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever Amen.
Pray one (1) Our Father, (3) Hail Mary’s,
(1) Glory Be,
O Bleeding Face, O Face Divine, be every adoration Thine. (Three times)[4]
Manhood of the Master[5]
In 1913 the renowned Harry Emerich
Fosdick wrote a 12-week study on the Manhood of Jesus Christ.
Fosdick writes, “This work is not a portrait of the life of the Master or a
study of his teaching. It is an endeavor to understand and appreciate the
quality of his character. Neither this this work an attempted to contribution
to the theology; it is an endeavor, rather, to get back behind the thoughts of
the centuries about him, and to see the Man Christ Jesus himself as he lives in
the pages of the gospels.
o Manhood of the Master-week 1 day 1
Saint Bakhita-Slave to Saint-Quotes[6]
·
"If
I were to meet the slave-traders who kidnapped me and even those who tortured
me, I would kneel and kiss their hands, for if that did not happen, I would not
be a Christian and Religious today... The Lord has loved me so much: we must
love everyone... we must be compassionate!" ~ Josephine Bakhita
·
"Seeing
the sun, the moon and the stars, I said to myself, 'Who could be the Master of
these beautiful things?' I felt a great desire to see him, to know him and to
pay him homage." ~ Josephine Bakhita
·
"The
Lord has loved me so much: we must love everyone...we must be
compassionate!" ~ Josephine Bakhita
·
"O
Lord, if I could fly to my people and tell them of your goodness at the top of
my voice, oh how many souls would be won!" ~ Josephine Bakhita
Marriage Week-Male-Female Complementarity[7]
God created man in his image in the divine image he created him; male and female he created them. (Gn 1:27) The two creation stories in the book of Genesis communicate two important truths about the identity of man and woman and the relationship between them. In the first account, God creates both male and female at the same time and in the divine image. This act completes creation, and God judges it to be ―very good (Gn 1:31). In this way, Sacred Scripture affirms the fundamental equality and dignity of man and woman as persons created in God ‘s image. The second creation account emphasizes that both sexes are necessary for God ‘s plan. Having created Adam, God says, ―It is not good for the man to be alone (Gn 2:18).
So, God creates a helpmate who is suitable for him and matches him. ―Helpmate (ezer) is a word reserved in the Bible not for inferiors but most often for God himself, who is Israel ‘s ―helper.
Indeed, after God creates all of the animals and brings them to Adam to name, it becomes clear that none of them is―the suitable partner for the man (Gn 2:20). Then God puts Adam under a deep sleep and, using one of his ribs, builds up a woman for him as a suitable partner or helpmate. When he sees the woman, Adam cries out in wondrous joy: This one, at last, is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; this one shall be called―woman, for out of ―her man this one has been taken. (Gn 2:23) Adam and Eve were literally made for each other. Man and woman have been made to come together in the union of marriage. The text of Genesis continues: That is why a man leaves his father and mother and clings to his wife, and the two of them become one body [flesh] (Gn 2:24).
Marriage, this clinging together of husband and wife as one flesh, is based on the fact that man and woman are both different and the same. They are different as male and female, but the same as human persons who are uniquely suited to be partners or helpmates for each other. The difference between man and woman, however, cannot be restricted to their bodies, as if the body could be separated from the rest of the human person. The human person is a union of body and soul as a single being. Man and woman are two different ways of being a human person.
While man and woman are different, their differences serve to relate them to each other. They are not different in a parallel way, as two lines that never meet. Man and woman do not have separate destinies. They are related to each other precisely in their differences. The differences between male and female are complementary. Male and female are distinct bodily ways of being human, of being open to God and to one another—two distinct yet harmonizing ways of responding to the vocation to love.
While human persons are more than biological organisms, the roots of marriage can be seen in the biological fact that a man and a woman can come together as male and female in a union that has the potential for bringing forth another human person. This kind of union fills the need for the continuation of the human race. Since human beings exist at more than a biological level, however, this union has further personal and spiritual dimensions. Marriage does not exist solely for the reproduction of another member of the species, but for the creation of a communion of persons. To form a communion of persons is the vocation of everyone.
As Pope John Paul II teaches, all human persons are created in the image of God, who is a communion of love of three persons, and thus all are called to live in a communion of self-giving love: ―to say that man is created in the image and likeness of God means that man is called to exist ̳for ‘others, to become a gift.
Marriage, however, is a unique communion of persons. In their intimate union as male and female, the spouses are called to exist for each other. Just as Genesis describes Eve as a helper for Adam, we can see that in marriage, a husband and wife are meant to help each other through self-giving. ―In the ̳unity of the two, ‘man and woman are called from the beginning not only to exist side by side ‘or together, ‘but they are also called to exist mutually one for the other. ‟This communion of persons has the potential to bring forth human life and thus to produce the family, which is itself another kind of communion of persons and which is the origin and foundation of all human society. It is precisely the difference between man and woman that makes possible this unique communion of persons, the unique partnership of life and love that is marriage. A man and woman united in marriage as husband and wife serve as a symbol of both life and love in a way that no other relationship of human persons can.
Prayer for Married Couples[8]
Almighty and eternal God, You blessed the union of married couples so
that they might reflect the union of Christ with his Church: look with kindness
on them. Renew their marriage covenant, increase your love in them, and
strengthen their bond of peace so that, with their children, they may always
rejoice in the gift of your blessing. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen
Bible in a Year Day 221
Walking
with Wise Men
Fr. Mike expands on the passage we read in Proverbs, and emphasizes how
important it is to surround ourselves with people who are striving towards
holiness. He also reflects on the book of Isaiah, and how through these last
couple of stories show that God's justice is always aligned with his infinite
mercy. Today's readings are Isaiah 63-64, Ezekiel 21-22, and Proverbs 13:17-20.
Daily Devotions/Activities
·
Unite in the work of the Porters of St. Joseph by joining them
in fasting: Today's Fast: Protection
of Traditional Marriage
·
Offering to
the sacred heart of Jesus
· Rosary.
This Thing Called Love (1940)
Rosalind Russell • Melvyn Douglas
A screwball marriage experiment that scandalized the Legion of Decency
1. Plot Summary
Ann Winters (Rosalind Russell), a brilliant insurance statistician, has seen enough marital wreckage to convince herself that romance clouds judgment. So she proposes a radical idea to her fiancé, Tice Collins (Melvyn Douglas):
three months of celibacy after the wedding — a “trial period” to test compatibility before consummation.
Tice is horrified, then persuaded by his lawyer friend to play along and charm her out of the idea. What follows is a cascade of comic set‑pieces:
- A honeymoon suite with a chastity clause
- A husband trying every trick in the book to break the embargo
- A wife determined to prove her theory with scientific rigor
- A supporting cast of meddling friends, jealous rivals, and domestic chaos
The film’s frankness about marital intimacy was bold enough that the Catholic Legion of Decency condemned it as “contrary to the Christian concept of marriage.”
2. Themes & Moral Texture (Catholic‑friendly framing)
A. The Limits of Control
Ann tries to engineer marriage like an actuarial table. The film gently exposes the folly of believing we can manage love through rules.
- Catholic resonance: Love is covenant, not contract; gift, not guarantee.
B. The Mystery of the Other
Tice’s frustration highlights a truth: intimacy isn’t a problem to be solved but a person to be received.
- Catholic resonance: Marriage is mutual self‑gift, not a negotiation of terms.
C. Fear vs. Trust
Ann’s fear of divorce drives her experiment. The comedy reveals how fear distorts discernment.
- Catholic resonance: Perfect love casts out fear; trust is the soil of communion.
D. The Comedy of Human Weakness
The film’s screwball energy comes from watching two intelligent adults outsmart themselves.
- Catholic resonance: Grace works through our imperfections, not around them.
3. Hospitality Pairings (Your Twilight Companion Style)
You’ve been crafting monthly rituals that blend film, food, and virtue — here’s a pairing set tailored to this film’s tone.
A. Cocktail: “The Trial Period”
A playful, pre‑consummation drink with a wink.
- Gin (clarity)
- Elderflower (romance deferred)
- Lemon twist (tension)
- A single frozen grape (the “not yet”)
Serve in a chilled coupe — elegant, restrained, and slightly teasing.
B. Meal Pairing: “Two Plates, One Table”
A dinner that mirrors the film’s theme of closeness-with-boundaries:
- Steak au poivre (heat held in check)
- Haricots verts (order and precision)
- Shared dessert: crème brûlée with two spoons — the flame is there, but the barrier remains until cracked.
C. Virtue Focus: Trust
Perfect for your devotional framework.
- Reflection prompt: Where am I trying to control outcomes instead of offering myself?
4. Production Notes & Historical Interest
- Directed by Alexander Hall.
- Based on Edwin Burke’s play.
- The 1929 film version is considered lost.
- Released December 20, 1940.
- Russell and Douglas’s chemistry is widely praised in modern reviews.
