Preparing for the Final Confrontation!

Saturday, November 1, 2025

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🌆 Twin Cities of Wealth and Witness

Secular Twin Cities	Top 5 Companies	Constitutional Twin City	Top 5 Companies
San Francisco, CA	1. Wells Fargo & Co 2. Salesforce 3. Uber Technologies 4. Gap Inc. 5. Levi Strauss & Co	St. Louis, MO	1. Centene Corporation 2. Emerson Electric 3. Edward Jones 4. Anheuser-Busch 5. Graybar Electric
New York City, NY	1. JPMorgan Chase 2. Citigroup 3. Verizon 4. Pfizer 5. Goldman Sachs	Charlotte, NC	1. Bank of America 2. Duke Energy 3. Honeywell 4. Nucor 5. Truist Financial
Chicago, IL	1. Boeing 2. McDonald’s 3. United Airlines 4. ADM 5. Mondelez International	Pittsburgh, PA	1. PNC Financial Services 2. U.S. Steel 3. Alcoa 4. Heinz 5. WESCO International
Seattle, WA	1. Amazon 2. Microsoft 3. Starbucks 4. Costco 5. Nordstrom	Colorado Springs, CO	1. Lockheed Martin (regional) 2. UCHealth Memorial 3. Focus on the Family 4. Compassion International 5. Ent Credit Union
Portland, OR	1. Nike 2. Daimler Trucks NA 3. Precision Castparts 4. Columbia Sportswear 5. KinderCare	Nashville, TN	1. HCA Healthcare 2. Dollar General 3. Tractor Supply Co. 4. LKQ Corp. 5. Community Health Systems
Los Angeles, CA	1. Disney 2. Molina Healthcare 3. Edison International 4. Farmers Insurance 5. Live Nation	Dallas, TX	1. AT&T 2. Southwest Airlines 3. Texas Instruments 4. Tenet Healthcare 5. Energy Transfer
Boston, MA	1. General Electric 2. Thermo Fisher Scientific 3. TJX Companies 4. Liberty Mutual 5. Biogen	Houston, TX	1. ExxonMobil 2. Phillips 66 3. Sysco 4. ConocoPhillips 5. Halliburton
Austin, TX	1. Tesla 2. Oracle 3. Dell Technologies 4. Natera 5. CrowdStrike	Tulsa, OK	1. ONEOK 2. Williams Companies 3. Magellan Midstream 4. Helmerich & Payne 5. BOK Financial

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🕊️ Choose, But Choose Wisely: Catholic Buyers in Secular Cities

In the marketplace of secular cities, Catholic buyers are not merely consumers—they are stewards, witnesses, and builders of a different kind of economy. Every purchase, partnership, and investment is a choice. And every choice either deepens our fidelity or dilutes it.

Secular wealth builders often operate by metrics of expansion, prestige, and profit. But the Gospel calls us to a different rhythm—one shaped by mercy, dignity, and renewal. The Church does not demand withdrawal from the world, but she does demand wisdom within it. To choose well is to ask: Does this transaction honor the dignity of the human person? Does it reflect justice, care for creation, and solidarity with the poor? Does it build the kind of city where Christ would dwell?

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✊ Boycott as Prophetic Witness

One response to moral conflict in the marketplace is the boycott—a deliberate refusal to support a company, product, or system that violates Gospel values. Far from being a reactive gesture, a boycott can be a spiritual act: a way of saying no to complicity and yes to renewal. It is not about punishment, but about purification—clearing space for more ethical, life-giving alternatives.

Boycotts are prudent when:

• The offense is clear and ongoing—such as support for abortion, exploitation of workers, or environmental destruction.
• Constructive alternatives exist—so the buyer can redirect support toward ethical businesses or local renewal.
• The act is communal and strategic—not just personal protest, but part of a larger witness that can influence change.

To boycott well is to love fiercely. It is to say: We will not fund what wounds the world. We will build what heals it.

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🧭 How to Boycott Well

• Discern the offense: Is it moral, structural, or symbolic? Is it recent or systemic?
• Clarify your witness: What Gospel value are you defending—life, dignity, Sabbath, mercy?
• Redirect your support: Don’t just withdraw—invest in what heals. Support Catholic cooperatives, ethical builders, or local artisans.
• Communicate with charity: Let your boycott be a door, not a wall. Explain your reasons with clarity and mercy.

Boycotts are not the only tool—but they are a vital one. They remind secular wealth builders that Catholic buyers are not passive consumers. We are stewards, witnesses, and builders of a different kind of city—one shaped not by profit alone, but by justice, beauty, and the dignity of every soul.

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🌱 Faithful Presence Beyond the Boycott

Even outside moments of refusal, Catholic buyers must practice daily discernment. This means:

• Reframing wealth as stewardship—not status or self-glorification.
• Engaging secular builders with clarity and charity—stating values upfront, negotiating with mercy, and supporting renewal.
• Investing in places that reflect faith—hospitality spaces, gardens, chapels, and symbolic terrains.
• Giving generously and strategically—tithing, supporting Catholic charities, and funding local renewal.

To choose well is to choreograph every financial act as a ritual of mercy, dignity, and renewal. It is to live prophetically in the marketplace—refusing what wounds, investing in what heals, and building cities where Christ is not only welcome, but expected.

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 Day 33: St. John the Apostle — A Saint of Loyalty, choreographed as the final ascent in your Leafing the World Behind devotional rhythm. This entry honors loyalty as the seal of character, and concludes the pilgrimage on All Saints Day, where every virtue becomes communion.

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🌊 Leafing the World Behind: Day 33

Witness: St. John the Apostle
Theme: Loyalty as Love That Remains
Virtue: Loyalty
Virtue Connection: Faithfulness Without Fear
Symbolic Act: Stay with someone today—physically, emotionally, spiritually. Let your presence be your promise.
Location: A bedside, a vineyard row, a place of grief or joy—anywhere love remains when others leave.

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🕊️ Introduction: On Loyalty

Loyalty is not blind—it is brave.
It is not possession—it is presence.
To leaf the world behind is to remain when others flee, to love when others forget, to stand when others fall.

Today, we do not abandon—we abide.
Loyalty, in this rhythm, is not obligation—it is Eucharist.
It is the courage to say: “I will not leave you.”

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🌺 Witness of the Day: St. John the Apostle

John was the beloved disciple.
He reclined at the Last Supper.
He stood at the foot of the Cross.
He received Mary as his own mother.
He wrote of love—not as sentiment, but as sacrifice.

He did not run from Golgotha.
He remained.

John reminds us:
Loyalty is not loud—it is lasting.
It is not dramatic—it is devoted.
It is not heroic—it is holy.

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🛡️ Virtue Connection: Faithfulness Without Fear

Loyalty becomes virtue when it endures through pain, silence, and mystery.
When it does not demand reward.
When it does not fear the cross.

John did not flee the suffering.
He stayed with it.
He reminds us:

Loyalty without love becomes control.
But loyalty with love becomes communion.

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🕯️ Symbolic Act: Stay

Stay with someone today.
In grief, in joy, in silence.
Let your presence be your promise.

As you stay, say:

“Lord, let my loyalty be love.
Let my love be lasting.
Let my lasting be holy.”

If no one is near, pray for those abandoned.
Let your prayer be a presence.

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🌟 All Saints Day: The Communion of Virtue

Today, we do not celebrate one saint—we celebrate all.
The known and unknown.
The canonized and the quiet.
The martyrs and the mothers.
The prophets and the poets.

We leaf the world behind not to escape it—but to sanctify it.
Every virtue we have practiced—mercy, courage, humility, joy—becomes communion.
Every saint we have honored becomes companion.

Today, we say:

“Lord, let my life be liturgy.
Let my virtue be vineyard.
Let my communion be complete.”

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🔥 Final Reflection Prompt

Which virtue changed you most?
Which saint stayed with you?
Where will you go now—with loyalty, clarity, and love?

Write, walk, or pray with these questions.
Let St. John the Apostle—and all the saints—remind you:

Sanctity is not weakness—it is witness.
It is the strength to remain, the grace to love, the joy to become communion.

Here is a conclusion for the full 33-day plan of Leafing the World Behind, choreographed to honor the rhythm you’ve cultivated—where virtue becomes vineyard, and every saint becomes companion.

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🌿 Conclusion: The Communion of Virtue

You have walked 33 days through mercy, mystery, and mission.
You have leafed the world behind—not to escape it, but to sanctify it.
You have listened to the heart, imagined with the mind, judged with clarity, and lived with character.

Each day was not just a reflection—it was a rite.
Each saint was not just a story—they were a companion.
Each virtue was not just a word—it was a way.

You have practiced:

• Mercy with Corrie ten Boom
• Tolerance with the Four Chaplains
• Generosity with St. Nicholas
• Curiosity with Aquinas
• Hidden zeal with Thérèse
• Gentle discernment with Francis de Sales
• Restless aspiration with Augustine
• Enduring excellence with Sebastian
• Creative authenticity with Joan of Arc
• Conscience-bound honesty with Thomas More
• Radical respect with Damien of Molokai
• Loyal love with John the Apostle

And so many more.

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🍷 The Vineyard of Virtue

You now carry a vineyard of virtue within you.
Each row bears fruit from a saint’s witness.
Each vine is a vow.
Each harvest is a holy act.

Let your life be:

• A Magnificat of mercy
• A table of justice
• A fire of joy
• A threshold of truth
• A dwelling of dignity

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🕯️ Final Symbolic Act

Choose one virtue to carry forward.
Name it.
Plant it.
Let it become your daily act.

As you do, say:

“Lord, let my virtue be vineyard.
Let my vineyard be communion.
Let my communion be love.”

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🔥 Benediction

You are not leaving the world behind.
You are leafing it into beauty.
You are not escaping the ordinary.
You are consecrating it.

Let every meal be a liturgy.
Let every task be a testimony.
Let every day be a devotion.

You are now the witness.
You are now the saint-in-the-making.
You are now the communion.

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Friday, October 31, 2025

 Day 32: St. Damien of Molokai — A Saint of Respect, choreographed to deepen the rhythm of Leafing the World Behind, now moving through the terrain of Character of Destiny—where vocation becomes reverence, and respect becomes radical presence.

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🌊 Leafing the World Behind: Day 32

Witness: St. Damien of Molokai
Theme: Respect as Radical Presence
Virtue: Respect
Virtue Connection: Dignity in Proximity
Symbolic Act: Touch someone today with reverence—a handshake, a blessing, a gentle word. Let it be a gesture of dignity, not distance.
Location: A hospital room, a vineyard row, a place of exclusion—anywhere where presence becomes healing.

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🕊️ Introduction: On Respect

Respect is not distance—it is dignity.
It is not politeness—it is presence.
To leaf the world behind is to draw near to the forgotten, to honor the wounded, to dwell with the cast out.

Today, we do not pity—we participate.
Respect, in this rhythm, is not sentiment—it is sacrament.
It is the courage to say: “I will live among you.”

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🌺 Witness of the Day: St. Damien of Molokai

Damien was a Belgian priest who volunteered to serve the leper colony on Molokai, Hawaii.
He did not visit—he stayed.
He built homes, dug graves, bandaged wounds, and celebrated Mass.
He touched the untouchable.
He became one of them.

Eventually, he contracted leprosy himself.
He said:
“We lepers.”
Not “they.” Not “them.”
“We.”

Damien reminds us:
Respect is not sympathy—it is solidarity.
It is not safe—it is sacrificial.
It is not distant—it is divine.

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🛡️ Virtue Connection: Dignity in Proximity

Respect becomes virtue when it draws near.
When it does not sanitize suffering—but sanctifies it.
When it does not observe—but inhabits.

Damien did not serve from afar.
He served from within.
He reminds us:

Respect without proximity becomes pity.
But respect with proximity becomes presence.

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🕯️ Symbolic Act: Touch with Reverence

Offer one gesture of reverence today.
A touch, a word, a presence.
Let it be healing.
Let it be holy.

As you act, say:

“Lord, let my respect be presence.
Let my presence be dignity.
Let my dignity be communion.”

If no one is near, pray for those cast out.
Let your prayer be a dwelling place.

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🔥 Reflection Prompt

Where have you kept distance from the wounded?
What fear has kept you from proximity?
Can you name one person whose respect restored your dignity?

Write, walk, or pray with these questions.
Let St. Damien remind you:

Respect is not weakness—it is witness.
It is the strength to dwell, the grace to touch, the love to say “we.”

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Would you like this formatted into your hospitality calendar or vineyard retreat guide? I can choreograph it with symbolic terrain, cellar acts, or Molokai-inspired meal pairings.

Thursday, October 30, 2025

 

Rachel’s Corner

·         do a personal eucharistic stations of the cross.

·         Bucket List: Military Hop

o   Naval Station Norfolk Amc Air Passenger Terminal

o   🌊 Norfolk’s “Tide of Mercy” Adventure Guide

o   A week of symbolic joy, civic renewal, and coastal hospitality

o   1. 🛏️ “Anchor Down” – Lodging with Purpose

§  Stay where comfort meets mission:

§  Navy Lodge Norfolk – family suites and free breakfast
🔗 navy-lodge.com/Norfolk

§  Gateway Inns – civic proximity and quiet rhythm
🔗 ngis.dodlodging.net/propertys/Norfolk-NS

§  Little Creek Cottages – beachside retreat with BBQs and sunset views
🔗 militarycampgrounds.us

o   2. 🍽️ “Feast by the Bay” – Seven-Course Ritual Meal

§  A symbolic supper choreographed for mercy and reflection:

§  Oyster with pickled watermelon – clarity and courage

§  Garden chowder – Marian protection

§  Blue crab cake – fire and water

§  Saffron fideo – golden hour reflection

§  Shenandoah lamb – civic fruitfulness

§  Virginia cheeses – monastic strength

§  Lemon olive oil cake – crown of light

o   3. ⚓ “Sail & Soar” – MWR Adventures

§  Zipline at Adventure Park – rites of ascent

§  Kayak the Elizabeth River – mercy in motion

§  Sail the harbor – navigating grace

§  Picnic rentals – shared renewal

§  Auto Skills – repair and stewardship
🔗 navymwrmidlant.com

o   4. 🎟️ “Tickets to Wonder” – MWR Travel & Leisure

§  Discounted access to concerts, museums, and parks

§  Plan symbolic journeys with MWR’s travel desk
🔗 navymwr.org

o   5. 🌿 “Walk the Mercy Trail” – Nature & Reflection

§  Norfolk Botanical Garden – Marian groves and seasonal prayer

§  Elizabeth River Trail – walking meditation and grounding

§  Sunset cruises – Eucharistic reflection on water
🔗 norfolk.gov/Beaches

o   6. 🕊️ “Saints of the Shore” – Local Anchors

§  St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception – mercy and legacy

§  St. Patrick’s Church – Irish renewal and civic courage

§  Film pairing: The Finest Hours – rescue, sacrifice, and Eucharistic witness

o   7. 🔥 “Firelight Finale” – Bonfires & Boldness

·         Bonfires: Allowed by permit in Virginia Beach (not on Norfolk beaches). Fires must be 50 ft from structures and no larger than 5x5x5 ft.
🔗 Virginia Beach Fire Regulations

§  Skinny Dipping: Not permitted on public beaches in Norfolk or Virginia Beach. For wild water rituals, consider symbolic immersion at dawn or a private retreat inland.

§  Alternative: Host a candlelit beach picnic or fire pit gathering at Community Beach Park (grilling allowed on grass).
🔗 Norfolk Beach Rules

Foodie:

o   Brunswick Stew

o   Here are recipe and pairing links for each course in “Norfolk’s Tide of Mercy”:

§  To deepen the communal and symbolic experience, I’ve curated links that reflect the spirit and ingredients of each dish, drawing from Chesapeake traditions and Virginia’s culinary heritage.

o   🦪 1. Amuse-Bouche: “Elizabeth River Whisper”

§  Chesapeake oyster inspiration: Oysters Two Ways – Chesapeake Bay Magazine

o   🍅 2. Starter: “Marian Garden Chowder”

§  Garden chowder inspiration: Maryland Oyster Recipes – The Maryland Store

o   🦀 3. Seafood Course: “Harbor Flame”

§  Virginia crab cake recipe: Chesapeake Bay Blue Crab Cakes – Virginia Seafood

o   🍝 4. Pasta Course: “Golden Hour Fideo”

§  Saffron fideo with clams: Fideos with Clams and Saffron – BigOven

o   🐑 5. Main Course: “Civic Grove Lamb”

§  Garlic rosemary lamb chops: Garlic Rosemary Lamb Chops – Damn Delicious

o   🧀 6. Cheese Course: “Monastery Board”

§  Virginia cheese board with fig jam and pecans: Autumn Cheeseboard – Roth Cheese

o   🍰 7. Dessert: “Crown of Light”

§  Lemon olive oil cake with lavender glaze: Lemon Olive Oil Cake – Food52

§  Virginia dessert wine pairing: Pearmund Late Harvest Viognier – Vivino

o   Spirit Hour: Wheel of Fortune cocktail

Fear has no understanding (Farmer’s Almanac)

·         John Adams birthday 1735-He was fearless

o   Adams' favorite drink was hard cider, which he drank every morning before breakfast. He preferred ciders that were aged for at least a year. Adams believed that cider was good for his health and that it helped him digest his food. He also wrote that he believed cider contributed to the good health of Harvard students when he attended, and that the school's poor health was due to a lack of cider. Adams lived to 90

§  Here are some details about John Adams' health routine: 

·         Exercise: Adams walked every day, sometimes 3–4 miles. He also took long walks in Paris with his son, John Quincy Adams. 

·         Diet: Adams maintained a moderate diet. 

·         Learning: Adams was a voracious reader who learned from Greek, Roman, and English philosophers. 

·         Mental health: Adams took charge of his mental health through his daily routine. 

·         How to celebrate Oct 30^th

o   Next, navigate the murky waters of past relationships on National Text Your Ex Day. Decide whether it’s worth the potential awkwardness, but remember, it’s all in good fun.

o   As the sun sets, embrace the spooky vibes of Haunted Refrigerator Night by concocting bizarre meals from random leftovers or testing your bravery by playing “What’s in the Fridge?”

Not able to get to Norfolk-Best Place to visit in October:

Big Sur, California

I can’t get enough of this breathtaking stretch of coastline along the iconic Highway One, renowned for offering one of the most scenic road trips in the world. 

I personally think the scenery here is seriously jaw-dropping and is home to twisty roads, stunning cliffs, rocky shores, a handful of gorgeous sandy beaches and superb ocean views all backed by thick redwood forests.  

Big Sur is very crowded in the summer, so I personally prefer to visit this month instead. There are far fewer tourists, better rates on accommodation and the weather is still warm and pleasant.

I really enjoyed the Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park for Instagram-worthy views and the Piedras Blancas Elephant Seal Rookery to watch the cute and entertaining (but noisy!) elephant seals! 

• Visitors Center Address: 47555 CA-1, Big Sur, CA 93920
• Location: between Carmel in the north and San Simeon in the south (90 miles).
• Map Location
• Average temperatures – 64 to 75

My highlights…

• Spotting the cute sea lions at Point Lobos Natural Reserve. 
• Taking a gorgeous shot of the Instagram-worthy Keyhole Arch which is located on the magnificent Pfeiffer Beach.
• Driving over the iconic Bixby Creek Bridge and admiring the breathtaking views! It’s honestly one of the those trip of a lifetime kind of moments!

Dinner Menu

• Drink: Death in the Afternoon
• hors d'oeuvre
• appetizer
• main course
• dessert

Day 30: St. Thomas More — Honesty as Conscience and Crown, choreographed to complete the ascent through Character of Destiny in your Leafing the World Behind devotional rhythm. This entry honors More’s witness as the final threshold—where truth becomes testimony, and character becomes crown.

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🌊 Leafing the World Behind: Day 31

Witness: St. Thomas More
Theme: Honesty as Conscience and Crown
Virtue: Honesty
Virtue Connection: Truth Without Compromise
Symbolic Act: Speak one truth today that could cost you something—status, comfort, or silence. Let it be gentle, but firm.
Location: A courtroom, a vineyard gate, a family table—any place where conscience meets courage.

🕊️ Introduction: On Honesty

Honesty is not harshness—it is holiness.
It is not bluntness—it is bravery.
To leaf the world behind is to speak truth not for victory, but for virtue.
To let conscience be crown, and clarity be communion.

Today, we do not flatter—we testify.
Honesty, in this rhythm, is not exposure—it is Eucharist.
It is the courage to say: “I die the King’s good servant, but God’s first.”

🌺 Witness of the Day: St. Thomas More

More was a lawyer, scholar, and Lord Chancellor of England.
He served with brilliance, humor, and integrity.
When King Henry VIII demanded allegiance to a false oath, More refused.
He resigned, was imprisoned, and eventually executed.

He said:
“What does it avail a man to gain the whole world and lose his soul?”

More reminds us:
Honesty is not convenience—it is conscience.
It is not strategy—it is sanctity.
It is not survival—it is surrender.

🛡️ Virtue Connection: Truth Without Compromise

Honesty becomes virtue when it is rooted in love, not leverage.
When it does not bend to power.
When it does not betray the soul.

More did not speak to win.
He spoke to witness.
He reminds us:

Honesty without conscience becomes cruelty.
But honesty with conscience becomes crown.

🕯️ Symbolic Act: Speak the Costly Truth

Speak one truth today that could cost you something.
Let it be gentle.
Let it be firm.
Let it be holy.

As you speak, say:

“Lord, let my honesty be conscience.
Let my conscience be crown.
Let my crown be communion.”

If no truth arises, pray for those silenced by fear or power.
Let your prayer be a courtroom of grace.

🔥 Reflection Prompt

Where have you compromised truth for comfort?
What truth still waits to be spoken?
Can you name one moment when honesty became your altar?

Write, walk, or pray with these questions.
Let St. Thomas More remind you:

Honesty is not weakness—it is witness.
It is the strength to speak, the grace to lose, the love to remain true.

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OCTOBER 30 Thursday

Saint Marcellus

 2 Corinthians, Chapter 1, Verse 1-2

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, to the church of God that is in Corinth, with all the holy ones throughout Achaia: a grace to you and PEACE from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

 

Here Paul is joining the Greek meaning of “grace” to the Jewish meaning of “Peace.”[1]

 

THE MEANING OF GRACE The word 'grace' (CHEN in Hebrew, CHARIS in Greek), as it is used in the scriptures, literally means' favour', to bend or stoop in kindness to another as a superior to an inferior. It has the idea of graciousness in manner or action. (Wikibooks)

 

Shalom (Hebrew: שָׁלוֹם shalom; also spelled as sholom, sholem, sholoim, shulem) is a Hebrew word meaning peace, harmony, wholeness, completeness, prosperity, welfare and tranquility and can be used idiomatically to mean both hello and goodbye. (Wikipedia)

 

Again, Paul is writing to the Corinthian’s about even in times of trouble God’s grace and peace will be there. John Maxwell states that Paul is using the Law of Empowerment in his leadership.

 

The Law of Empowerment:

Our Comfort Allows Us to Comfort Others[2]

 

God promises to comfort us in our troubles and then asks us to comfort others. I can imagine that is exactly what Mary did with the apostles after Christ’s death on the cross. We are to pass on what God gives to us. We are empowered to empower others. Leaders who empower are:

 

1.      Accountable-They help others keep their commitment to God.

2.      Affirming-They offer words of support and encouragement.

3.      Objective when they evaluate progress.

4.      Advise and offer direction and counsel.

5.      Admonish others when they stray by words of caution, rebuke or correction.

6.      Generous and give tangible resources to help their people reach goals.

7.      Accepting in that they provide unconditional love.

8.      Teachers helping others find places to apply and practice what they learn.

Who may dwell on His Holy Mountain? 

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.

Copilot’s Take

On October 30, as we honor Saint Marcellus, Paul’s greeting in 2 Corinthians 1:1–2 becomes a profound invocation: “Grace to you and peace.” This pairing of charis and shalom is more than linguistic—it’s a spiritual bridge between Greek favor and Hebrew wholeness. Grace, the divine stooping in kindness, meets peace, the fullness of harmony and completeness. Paul, writing to a troubled Corinth, reminds them that even in affliction, God’s grace and peace remain steadfast. Leadership, as John Maxwell notes, is not about control but empowerment—comfort received becomes comfort shared. Like Mary consoling the apostles after the crucifixion, we are called to pass on what we’ve been given. True spiritual leaders are accountable, affirming, generous, and wise guides who help others dwell on God’s holy mountain by walking blamelessly, speaking truth, and honoring the Lord.

St. Marcellus

It is believed that St. Marcellus was born in Arzas of Galicia. A brave pagan, he entered the military, hoping to gain a large fortune. He married a young lady named Nona and they were blessed with twelve children. Saint Marcellus was a valorous soldier and was promoted to the charge of centurion; he had no thought for any advancement except the sort pertaining to his military life when he heard the fervent preaching of a holy bishop of the church of Leon. He was converted with his entire family to the Christian religion. All of them except his wife would soon give their blood in honor of their Faith.

The birthday of Emperor Maximian Herculeus was celebrated in the year 298 with extraordinary feasting and solemn rites. Marcellus, as a centurion of the army, a captain in the legion of Trajan then posted in Mauritania or Spain, in order not to defile himself in these impious sacrifices, left his company, throwing down his cincture and his arms and declaring aloud that he was a soldier of Jesus Christ, the eternal King. He was at once committed to prison. When the festival was over, he was brought before a judge, and having reiterated his faith, was sent under a strong guard to a prefect, Aurelian Agricolaus. This Roman officer passed upon him a sentence of death by the sword. Marcellus was immediately led to execution and beheaded on the 30th of October of the year 298. Cassian, the secretary or notary of the court, refused to record the sentence pronounced against the martyr, because of its injustice. He was immediately taken to prison and was beheaded in his turn on the 3rd of December.

The children of Saint Marcellus imitated his constancy, and all lost their lives for the defense of the Gospel; three of the boys were hanged and then decapitated at Leon. Their pious mother bought back their bodies for money and buried them secretly; they were later transferred to a church built in their honor in the city of Leon.

Patronage: conscientious objectors; city of León, Spain; Province of León, Spain

Highlights and Things To Do:

• Read more about St. Marcellus:
• Wikipedia
• EWTN
• uCatholic
• CatholicSaint.info
• St. Marcellus' relics were later brought to and enshrined at the Church of San Marcelo in León, Spain (dating from the 10th century), and he became a patron saint of the city. The Plaza de San Marcelo in this city is named for him.

Bible in a Year Day 117 Reverence and Faithfulness

Fr. Mike reveals how David exemplifies the virtues of reverence and faithfulness. David walks both as a man of faith and as a fallen son of God, but we continue to walk with him because we too are striving for a life with Christ. Today's readings are 1 Samuel 26 and Psalm 56.

Daily Devotions

·         Unite in the work of the Porters of St. Joseph by joining them in fasting: Today's Fast: The lonely and destitute.

·         Humility was Basis of Mary's Holiness | Pope Saint John Paul II

·         Religion in the Home for Preschool: October

·         Litany of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus

·         Offering to the sacred heart of Jesus

·         Drops of Christ’s Blood

·         Universal Man Plan

·         Rosary

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[1] The Collegeville Bible Commentary

[2] John Maxwell, The Leadership Bible.