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. "
1. Evil is real, personal, and resisted through Christ’s authority
The Catechism teaches that evil is not merely psychological or symbolic; it is a real, personal force acting through fallen angels (CCC 391–395). Christ’s victory over Satan is definitive, but not yet fully manifested, which means the Christian life is lived in combat (CCC 409).
This frames every spiritual exhortation—whether prayer, deliverance, or moral vigilance—as participation in Christ’s own authority.
2. The Christian confronts evil first by obedience of faith
The CCC roots spiritual warfare not in dramatic gestures but in obedience (CCC 144–149). Evil is confronted when a man submits his intellect and will to God’s revelation.
This is the opposite of the devil’s rebellion.
Where Satan says, “I will not serve,” the Christian says, “Speak, Lord, your servant is listening.”
3. The ordinary means of grace are the primary weapons
The Church insists that the sacraments—especially Confession and the Eucharist—are the normal means by which evil is defeated in the soul (CCC 1426–1433; 1391–1395).
Any authentic spiritual teaching on resisting darkness must be anchored in these sacramental realities, not in techniques or emotional intensity.
4. Prayer is the Church’s continual act of resistance
The CCC describes prayer as a battle (CCC 2725).
The battle is against distraction, discouragement, and the subtle lies of the enemy.
The Church’s prayers—especially the Our Father (“deliver us from evil”)—are not optional; they are Christ’s own strategy placed in our hands.
5. Confronting evil requires moral clarity and renunciation of sin
The CCC is blunt: sin is a cooperation with evil (CCC 1853).
Therefore confronting evil begins with confronting our own compromises.
Renunciation—of occult practices, habitual sin, unforgiveness, and pride—is not theatrics; it is the interior demolition of the enemy’s footholds.
6. The Christian confronts evil with truth, not fear
The CCC teaches that Christ’s resurrection has already broken the power of the evil one (CCC 636–637).
Therefore the Christian confronts evil from a position of victory, not anxiety.
Fear is one of the enemy’s preferred weapons; truth is Christ’s.
✦ Integrated Conclusion
Even without the video transcript, the CCC gives a clear, disciplined framework:
Evil is real.
Christ has conquered it.
The Christian participates in that victory through obedience, sacrament, prayer, and moral clarity.
Spiritual warfare is not spectacle; it is fidelity.
Smoke in This Life and Not the Next
Cheap Night — The Pain of Imperfection
St. Catherine of Genoa says the sharpest pain of Purgatory is simple: the soul finally sees what in it displeased God.
Not fire.
Not fear.
But the unbearable clarity of Love.
The soul would rather leap into a thousand hells
than stand before the Pure Light with one stain left unburned.
So burn the dross now —
in repentance, discipline, and truth —
not later, when the fire is love
but the pain is seeing yourself as God sees you.
Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord…
THE HURRICANE (1937)
Jon Hall • Dorothy Lamour • Raymond Massey
Directed by John Ford
A South Seas fable of injustice, endurance, and divine reckoning, The Hurricane is not merely an adventure film.
It is a meditation on mercy denied, authority misused, and the terrible moment when nature itself becomes the judgment men refuse to render.
It is a story of a gentle man broken by a rigid system,
a woman who waits with unshaken loyalty,
and a governor whose devotion to law blinds him to justice.
And then the storm comes —
not as spectacle,
but as apocalypse.
1. Production & Historical Setting
Ford’s Pacific Parable
Released in 1937, The Hurricane was one of Hollywood’s great pre‑war epics —
a blend of Polynesian romanticism and Ford’s moral clarity.
Produced by Samuel Goldwyn, the film united:
Ford’s eye for human dignity
a massive, practical storm sequence
a cast that embodied innocence, authority, and suffering
The film’s hurricane finale became legendary —
a technical triumph that mirrored Ford’s belief that nature exposes the truth men try to hide.
Jon Hall & Dorothy Lamour: Innocence Under Pressure
Jon Hall’s Terangi is not a rebel —
he is a good man crushed by an unbending system.
Dorothy Lamour’s Marama is the film’s heart —
loyal, luminous, and quietly heroic.
Their love is not melodrama.
It is steadfastness.
Raymond Massey: The Tyranny of Principle
As Governor de Laage, Massey embodies the danger of a man who worships law
but forgets mercy.
Ford paints him not as a villain,
but as a man whose virtue has calcified into cruelty.
2. Story Summary
A Blow Struck in Self‑Defense
Terangi, beloved sailor of Manukura, defends himself against a racist aggressor.
For this, he receives a harsh prison sentence —
a punishment that grows each time he tries to escape
to return to his wife and unborn child.
A Governor Who Cannot Bend
Governor de Laage refuses every plea for clemency.
His devotion to order becomes a cage for another man’s life.
A Man Broken, A Woman Waiting
Terangi’s suffering deepens.
Marama waits with a patience that becomes its own form of courage.
The Storm That Reveals Everything
When the hurricane strikes,
the island is torn apart —
and the moral order with it.
The storm becomes the justice the governor would not give,
the liberation Terangi could not win,
and the reckoning no man can escape.
3. Spiritual & Moral Resonances
A. Justice Without Mercy Becomes Injustice
Governor de Laage is not evil.
He is principled —
and that is the danger.
The film warns that virtue without compassion becomes tyranny.
B. Innocence Suffers Under Human Systems
Terangi’s imprisonment is a reminder that
the world’s structures often punish the good
and reward the powerful.
C. Nature as Divine Judgment
Ford’s hurricane is not random.
It is revelation —
a force that strips away pretense
and exposes the truth of every heart.
D. Fidelity as Strength
Marama’s loyalty is the film’s quiet theology:
love endures what injustice cannot break.
E. Humility Before the Uncontrollable
The storm humbles every character.
It is a reminder that God’s justice is not mocked,
and that human authority is always provisional.
4. Hospitality Pairing — A Night Before the Storm
Cigar: A rich Maduro — earthy, brooding, storm‑dark. Drink: A dark rum with lime — tropical, sharp, elemental. Plate: Grilled pineapple, salted pork, something simple and island‑honest. Atmosphere: Low light, distant thunder, a sense of something gathering at the horizon.
5. Reflection Prompts
Where have I confused rigidity with righteousness.
Whom have I judged without understanding their suffering.
What storms in my life have revealed truths I refused to face.
Where is God calling me to mercy rather than control.
What part of me still believes justice is mine to administer rather than His.
The drink burns a little, and the cigar leaves its rough edge on the tongue—small reminders that purification always costs something. Ember Friday exists to bring that truth to the surface. Every sin leaves a debt, and Infinite Justice settles every account. Some men owe ten‑thousand talents; others only a few farthings. But no one enters heaven carrying what God has already condemned.
The saints teach that the pains of Purgatory differ because the sins differ. That is not cruelty; it is precision. A man who refuses the small burn of repentance now will face the full furnace later. The same flame purifies the saved and torments the damned—the difference is destination, not temperature.
So let tonight’s smoke be a mercy. A small sting to remind you of the greater fire that waits for whatever in you still clings to pride, resentment, impurity, or unfinished obedience. Let this be the burn you choose, not the one you inherit.
Reflection Question: What debt in my soul am I still hoping will somehow go unpaid.
The
chief priests and the scribes came to hear of it and were seeking a way to put
him to death, yet they FEARED him because the whole crowd was astonished
at his teaching.
This was after Jesus had
overturned the money changers tables. The priests were not afraid of the man
Jesus, for they did not know or care if He was the Messiah. They only respected
money, power, or the ability to sway or manipulate the crowd.
In this chapter of Mark’s
gospel, he also included the story of the fig tree. The fig tree was cursed by
Jesus before He entered the temple because it although was healthy and looked
as if it held much fruit, was barren. After the incident in the temple the same
tree had withered and died because it did not produce. It did not live up to
its created purpose.
A man then who believes,
without fear, and has total faith can move mountains; go therefore with all
faith and produce the fruit for which you were created.
Copilot
Mark 11 exposes the
anatomy of corrupt fear. The chief priests and scribes do not tremble before
the holiness of Christ; they tremble before the loss of their influence. As the
Catechism teaches, sin darkens the intellect and bends the will toward self‑preservation
(CCC 1866). Their fear is not reverence but panic—panic that the truth Jesus
speaks is awakening the very people they have long manipulated. Evil always
fears the crowd when the crowd begins to see clearly.
The cleansing of the
temple intensifies this fear. Jesus overturns the tables, and with them the
illusion of religious respectability. The CCC teaches that sin “seeks darkness”
(CCC 1851), and here the light of Christ exposes the hidden economy of exploitation
operating under the guise of worship. The leaders fear Jesus because He reveals
what they are; they fear the crowds because the crowds might finally recognize
the corruption they have tolerated. Evil fears exposure more than judgment.
The fig tree becomes the
living parable of this moment. Healthy leaves, no fruit—an image of religious
leadership that performs piety but refuses obedience. The CCC warns that faith
without works is dead (CCC 1815), and that repentance must bear real fruit (CCC
1430). When the tree withers, it is not an act of cruelty but a declaration:
anything that refuses its created purpose will eventually collapse under its
own barrenness. Fruitlessness is not neutral; it is a form of silent rebellion.
When Peter marvels at the
withered tree, Jesus redirects him to the heart of discipleship: “Have faith in
God.” This is not sentiment but command. The CCC teaches that faith is both
trust and surrender (CCC 150). It is the power that frees a man from servile
fear—the fear of human threats, human opinions, and human institutions. A man
who believes without doubting can “move mountains” because he is no longer
controlled by the same fear that governs the wicked. Evil fears the crowds; the
disciple fears only God.
Jesus ends with
forgiveness, the final blow against evil’s logic. Forgiveness is not weakness
but divine strength, a participation in God’s own life (CCC 2842). It breaks
the cycle of retaliation and strips evil of its preferred weapons—division,
resentment, and revenge. A man who forgives is a man evil cannot manipulate. In
Mark 11, Jesus shows that confronting evil requires fruitfulness, courage, and
a heart freed from fear by faith.
In the end, this chapter
is a confrontation. It reveals that evil fears truth, fears exposure, fears
awakened crowds, and fears the man who stands before God with a clean heart.
And it calls every disciple to bear fruit, confront corruption, and walk in the
fearless faith that moves mountains.
THUS, saith the Lord God:
O children of Sion, rejoice, and be joyful, in the Lord your God: because He
hath given you a teacher of justice, and He will make the early and the latter
rain to come down for you as in the beginning. And the floors shall be filled
with wheat, and the presses shall overflow with wine and oil. And I will
restore to you the years which the locust, and the bruchus (beetle), and the
mildew, and the palmerworm have eaten: My great host which I sent upon you. And
you shall eat in plenty, and shall be filled: and you shall praise the name of
the Lord your God, Who hath done wonders with you, and My people shall not be
confounded forever. And you shall know that I am in the midst of Israel: and I
am the Lord your God, and there is none besides: and My people shall not be
confounded forever, saith the Lord Almighty.
GOSPEL.
Luke v. 17-26.
At that time: It came to
pass on a certain day, as Jesus sat teaching, that there were Pharisees and
doctors of the law sitting by, that were come out of every town of Galilee, and
Judea, and Jerusalem: and the power of the Lord was to heal them. And behold
men brought in a bed a man who had the palsy: and they sought means to bring
him in, and to lay him before Him. And when they could not find by what way
they might bring him in, because of the multitude, they went up upon the roof,
and let him down through the tiles with his bed, into the midst before Jesus.
Whose faith when He saw, He said: Man, thy sins are forgiven thee. And the
scribes and Pharisees began to think, saying: Who is this Who speaketh
blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?
And when Jesus knew their
thoughts, answering He said to them: What is it you think in your hearts? Which
is easier to say, thy sins are forgiven thee; or to say, Arise and walk?
But that you may know that
the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins (He saith to the sick of the
palsy): I say to thee, Arise, take up thy bed and go into thy house. And
immediately rising up before them, he took up the bed on which he lay; and he
went away to his own house, glorifying God. And all were astonished; and they
glorified God. And they were filled with fear, saying: We have seen wonderful
things to-day.
RECEIVE, O holy Trinity, this my dutiful service, which I offer unto Thee
in union with the merits of Our Lord Jesus Christ, of the Blessed Virgin, and
all the saints, to the glory of Thy divine majesty, in satisfaction for my
sins, in remembrance of our redemption, and to obtain for the departed rest,
for the living grace, and for all everlasting glory. To Thee be praise, and
honor, and glory, O blessed Trinity, forever and ever. Amen.
FIRST STATION.
CHRIST IS CONDEMNED TO DEATH. He willingly submitted to that unjust
judgment, that He might deliver thee from the sentence of everlasting
damnation.
·The wicked have said, reasoning with themselves, but
not right: Let us lie in wait for the just, for He is contrary to our doing: He
boasteth that He hath the knowledge of God, and calleth God His Father. Let us
see if His words be true. If He be indeed the Son of God, He will deliver Him
out of our hands. Let us condemn Him to a most shameful death.
Our Father. Hail Mary.
God spared not His own Son. But delivered Him up for us all. He was
offered up, because He Himself desired it. And He opened not His mouth.
O Lord, hear my prayer. And
let my cry come unto Thee.
Prayer.
O Lord Jesus Christ, Who out
of the bosom of the Father didst descend from heaven to earth, and didst shed
Thy most precious blood for the remission of our sins, we humbly beseech Thee
that in the day of judgment we may be found worthy to stand at Thy right hand,
and to hear Thee say unto us, “Come, ye blessed” Amen.
SECOND STATION.
THE CROSS IS LAID UPON CHRIST. “The wicked have wrought upon my back”
(Ps. cxxviii.). Hail, our King! Thou only hadst pity on our sins, and wast led,
in obedience to Thy Father, to be crucified, and as a gentle lamb to the
slaughter. To Thee be glory, hosanna; to Thee be triumph and victory; to Thee
the crown of highest praise and honor.
Our Father. Hail Mary.
The chastisement of our peace was upon Him. And by His bruises we are
healed. The Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all. For the wickedness of
His people hath He struck Him.
O Lord hear my prayer. And
let my cry come unto Thee.
THIRD STATION.
CHRIST FALLS THE FIRST TIME UNDER THE CROSS. How great must be the weight
of our sins, under which He fell, Who bears all things by the word of His
power!
·Our Lord Jesus Christ humbled Himself unto death,
even the death of the cross; for which cause God also hath exalted Him, and
hath given Him a name which is above all names.
Our Father. Hail Mary.
Surely, He hath borne our infirmities. And carried our sorrows. He was
branded for our iniquities. He was bruised for our sins.
O Lord hear my prayer. And
let my cry come unto Thee.
FOURTH STATION.
CHRIST IS MET ON HIS WAY BY HIS BLESSED MOTHER AND ST. JOHN. Oh, how
sharp a sword of grief must have pierced the heart of His Mother and of His
loving disciple when they met Jesus thus! Dost thou, too, share with them their
sorrow and grief?
·Oh, all ye that pass by, attend and see if there be
any sorrow like to my sorrow: therefore, do I weep, and my eyes run down with
water, because the Comforter, the relief of my soul, is far from me. My eyes
have failed for weeping, my bowels are troubled, my heart is turned within me,
for the desolation of my Son, because the enemy hath prevailed.
Our Father. Hail Mary.
Great as the sea is thy grief. Who shall heal thee? A sword of grief hath
pierced thine own soul. That out of many hearts’ thoughts may be revealed.
O Lord hear my prayer. And
let my cry come unto Thee.
FIFTH STATION.
THE CROSS IS LAID UPON SIMON OF CYRENE. This man was compelled to carry
the cross after Jesus. How great an honor to have carried it willingly! Art
thou ready to bear the cross of Christ?
·It behooveth us to glory in the cross of Our Lord
Jesus Christ, in Whom is our salvation, who is our life and resurrection, and
through Whom we are saved and delivered.
Our Father. Hail Mary.
God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of Our Lord Jesus
Christ. By Whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world. O
faithful cross, thou peerless tree! No forest yields the like of thee, leaf,
flower, or bud.
O Lord hear my prayer. And
let my cry come unto Thee.
SIXTH STATION.
CHRIST IS MET BY VERONICA. How excellent a mirror did Veronica obtain in
the image of the face of Christ! Do thou ever contemplate thyself in that
mirror?
·Behold, we have seen Him without beauty or
comeliness, despised and the most abject of men, a man of sorrows and
acquainted with infirmity, and His look was as it were hidden and despised;
whereupon we esteemed Him not. His appearance is without honor among the
living, and His beauty among the sons of men; yet He is beautiful above all the
children of men, by Whose bruises we are healed.
Our Father. Hail Mary.
O Lord God of hosts correct us. Show us Thy face, and we shall be saved.
Turn not away Thy face from us. Neither leave Thy servants in displeasure.
O Lord hear my prayer. And
let my cry come unto Thee.
SEVENTH STATION.
CHRIST FALLS DOWN AT THE GATE OF JUDGMENT. How wilt thou be able to stand
before Him in the day of judgment?
·They delivered Me into the hands of the ungodly, and
thrust Me among the wicked, and did not spare My soul. The strong men gathered
themselves against Me. and stood over Me like giants, gazing upon Me with
fierce looks; and, beating Me with cruel stripes, they mocked Me.
Our Father. Hail Mary.
But I am a worm, and no man. The scorn of men and the outcast of the
people. All they that see Me laugh at Me. They spoke against Me with their
lips, and wagged their heads.
O Lord hear my prayer. And
let my cry come unto Thee.
EIGHTH STATION.
WOMEN LAMENT OVER CHRIST. Where are the tears with which thou dost bewail
thy sins rather than the loss of any earthly good?
·Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for Me, but weep
for yourselves and for your children. For, behold, the days shall come in which
they say, blessed are the barren, and the wombs that have not borne, and the
paps that have not given suck. Then shall they begin to say to the mountains,
fall upon us; and to the hills, Cover us. For if in the green wood they do
these things, what shall be done in the dry?
Our Father. Hail Mary.
The breath of our nostrils, Christ the Lord. Is taken in our sins. The
crown of our head hath fallen. Woe unto us, for we have sinned.
O Lord hear my prayer. And
let my cry come unto Thee.
NINTH STATION.
CHRIST FALLS FOR THE LAST TIME AT MOUNT CALVARY. Oh, how often is Christ
pressed down by the weight of our sins!
·My people, what have I done to thee, or wherein have
I molested thee? Answer thou Me. I brought thee up out of the land of Egypt,
and thou hast prepared for Me a cross; I led thee through the wilderness forty
years, and fed thee with manna, and thou hast beaten Me with buffets and
scourges; I gave thee a royal sceptre, and thou hast given My head a crown of
thorns. What could I have done more for thee that I have not done?
Our Father. Hail Mary.
He is led like a sheep to the slaughter. And, as a lamb before His
shearers, He is dumb. He delivered His soul unto death. That He might give life
unto His people.
O Lord hear my prayer. And
let my cry come unto Thee.
TENTH STATION.
CHRIST IS STRIPPED OF HIS GARMENTS, AND IS GIVEN VINEGAR AND GALL TO
DRINK. Art thou unkind and inconsiderate to the poor? What thou dost to them
thou dost to Christ.
·My people, what have I done to thee, or wherein have
I molested thee? Answer thou Me. I brought thee out from the house of bondage
to the promised land; and when I came to thee from the bosom of My Father, thou
didst lead Me to the death of the cross. I planted thee My choicest vine, and
thou wast made unto Me exceeding bitter; I gave thee to drink out of the rock
the water of salvation, and thou madest Me to drink vinegar and gall. What
could I have done more for thee that I have not done?
Our Father. Hail Mary.
My strength hath dried up like a potsherd. And my tongue hath cleaved to
My jaws. They gave Me gall to eat. And when I was thirsty, they gave Me vinegar
to drink.
O Lord hear my prayer. And
let my cry come unto Thee.
ELEVENTH STATION.
CHRIST IS FASTENED TO THE CROSS WITH DREADFUL NAILS. How strong are the
bands of love with which Jesus hath bound Himself unto thee! How dost thou bind
thyself in return unto Him?
·My people, what have I done unto thee? I exalted
thee with great power, and thou didst hang Me on the gibbet of the cross; I
made thee higher than all nations, and thou hast loaded Me with reproaches and
curses; I opened before thee the Red Sea, and thou hast opened My side with a
spear. What could I have done more for thee that I have not done?
Our Father. Hail Mary.
What are these wounds in the middle of Thy hands? With them was I wounded
in the house of those that loved Me. They have pierced My hands and My feet.
And have numbered all My bones.
O Lord hear my prayer. And
let my cry come unto Thee.
TWELFTH STATION.
CHRIST DIES UPON THE CROSS. Consider what Jesus said and did when He was
dying. Oh, that thou too mayst die like Him!
·Behold how the just man dieth, and no man layeth it
to heart; and the righteous are taken away, and no one considereth. The just
man is taken away from before the face of evil, and the memory of him shall be
in peace.
Our Father. Hail Mary.
Christ became obedient unto death for us. Even the death of the cross. We
adore Thee, O Christ, and we bless Thee. Because by Thy holy cross Thou hast
redeemed the world.
O Lord hear my prayer. And
let my cry come unto Thee.
THIRTEENTH STATION.
THE BODY OF CHRIST IS TAKEN DOWN FROM THE CROSS, AND LAID UPON THE KNEES
OF HIS MOTHER. Consider the vehement anguish of Mary’s soul when she received
in her arms the dead body of her Son taken down from the cross, and laid Him on
her knees. Love caused her so great grief, and made her truly a martyr. What
love and sympathy dost thou feel for thy Savior?
·To what shall I compare thee, or to whom shall I
liken thee, O daughter of Jerusalem? To what shall I equal thee, O virgin
daughter of Sion? Great as the sea is thy desolation. O mother of mercy make me
to share with thee the death of Christ; make me a partaker of His passion.
Our Father. Hail Mary.
Through thee, O Virgin Mary, may we obtain salvation. From the wounds of
Christ. O holy Jesus, grant me to obtain, through Thy Mother, The crown of
victory.
FOURTEENTH STATION.
THE BODY OF JESUS IS BURIED. Consider, O my soul, how the body of Jesus
was wrapped in spices, and laid in a new tomb. With what honor dost thou
receive Jesus thy Redeemer daily, either sacramentally or spiritually? Art thou
always endeavoring to be, as it were, a new tomb for the reception of Jesus,
bright with the beautiful ornaments of virtue?
·I am counted among them that go down to the pit; I
am become as a man without help, free among the dead. O good Jesus, I come here
with the women to Thy tomb, sorrowing and lamenting that hitherto I have shown
myself so unworthy: confirm and establish the kingdom of Thy grace in my heart.
Our Father. Hail Mary.
My flesh shall rest in hope. Thou wilt not give Thy holy one to see
corruption. Arise, O Lord, and help me. And deliver me from my sins.
O Lord hear my prayer. And
let my cry come unto Thee.
Prayer. O Lord Jesus Christ, etc.
COMMENDATION.
Look down, O Lord, we beseech Thee, upon this Thy family, for which Our
Lord Jesus Christ did not refuse to be delivered into the hands of wicked men,
and to endure the torment of the cross. Amen.
PRAYER ON THE HOLY WINDING-SHEET OF CHRIST’S BODY.
O Lord Jesus Christ, “Who didst leave the marks of
Thy passion on the holy winding-sheet in which Thy most sacred body was wrapped
by Joseph when taken down from the cross, mercifully grant that through Thy
death and burial we may be brought to the glory of the resurrection. Amen.
Written by Monsignor Martin B. Hellriegel, originally
published in the journal Orate Fratres Vol. XVIII, May 14, 1944, No. 7, pp.
299-305, later reprinted in Vine and Branches, Pio Decimo Press, 1948.
These meditations are attached to the 1962
Extraordinary Form liturgy. The current lectionary has different readings and
prayers not specific to the Ember Days.
Prayer: EMBER FRIDAY AFTER PENTECOST Station "With the Twelve Apostles"
They found them clean vessels and one in love
(response).
We are resting upon the blessed Apostles, the
twelve pillars of the Church of God. May we never depart from them. The Church
prays today for that grace: "We who by the Holy Ghost have been gathered
within the (apostolic) fold, may we in no wise be disturbed by any attack of
the foe."
Yesterday's response to the first lesson is a
beautiful tribute to the apostolic protectors on this ember Friday. "The
fire of God," so reads the response, "came not to destroy, but to
enlighten; not to consume, but to shine, and found the hearts of the disciples’
clean vessels. And the Holy Ghost gave them the gifts of His grace. He found
them one in love, and the overflowing grace of the Godhead shone through them,
alleluia."
He found their hearts clean vessels full of
charity and love. No wonder the Holy Spirit replenished such hearts with the
gifts of His grace. Where purity is, there is the vision of God; where charity
and love are, there is God Himself. Purity and charity, these are the jewels
that adorn the twelve apostolic pillars upon whom we rest. Purity and charity,
these are the two channels through which flows freely the transforming life of
the Godhead.
"O children of Sion, rejoice and be joyful
in the Lord your God, because He hath given you a teacher of justice, and He
will make the early and the latter rain to come down to you, as in the
beginning" (epistle).
The holy apostles with whom we celebrate this day
are indeed our "teachers of justice." If we adhere to them, if we
absorb their purity and charity, the dew of the Holy Ghost will descend upon
us, as it did in the beginning--on the day when "He found their hearts
clean vessels and one in love."
In many ways we resemble the sick man in today's
gospel; the palsy of human affections and uncharitableness is responsible for
our lameness in the things of God. May these twelve strong apostolic men take
hold of us this morning and "let us down into the midst before Jesus"
that we may obtain from Him health of mind and heart and a new infusion of His
Spirit of purity and charity.
May the eucharistic fire of God make our hearts
clean vessels, and fill them with such a degree of love that the Holy Ghost
will also give to us His gifts and the overflowing grace of His Godhead.
Prayer Source: Orate Fratres/Worship: A Review Devoted to the
Liturgical Apostolate , The Liturgical Press
These fruits should be visible in the Christian, for
thereby men shall know that the Holy Ghost dwells in him, as the tree is known
by its fruit.
Notice I have placed the Fruits of the Holy Spirit in stairstep
fashion so we may reflect on them seeing that by concentrating on each step of
our growth in the spirit we may progress closer and closer to our heavenly Father.
Today we will be focusing on the fifth step which is mildness.
Sir Edmund Hillary was the first man to summit Mt. Everest on May 29, 1953.
Pier
Giorgio Michelangelo Frassati patron
of Mountaineering[3]
Climbing a summit is
deeply spiritual. Christ climbed tabor, Moses Sinai and even St. Patrick had a
favorite climb today call Patrick’s Croagh. We even have Saints that were
mountaineers. Today we will look at Pier
Giorgio.
Pier
Giorgio Michelangelo Frassati
was born in Turin, Italy on April 6, 1901. His mother, Adelaide Ametis, was a
painter. His father Alfredo was the founder and director of the newspaper, “La Stampa," and was influential in Italian
politics, holding positions as an Italian Senator and Ambassador to Germany.
At an
early age, Pier Giorgio joined the Marian Sodality and the Apostleship of
Prayer, and obtained permission to receive daily Communion (which was rare at
that time). He developed a deep spiritual life which he never hesitated to
share with his friends. The Holy Eucharist and the Blessed Virgin were the two
poles of his world of prayer. At the age of 17, he joined the St. Vincent de
Paul Society and dedicated much of his spare time to serving the sick and the
needy, caring for orphans, and assisting the demobilized servicemen returning
from World War I.
He decided to become a mining engineer, studying at the Royal Polytechnic
University of Turin, so he could “serve
Christ better among the miners," as he told a friend. Although he
considered his studies his first duty, they did not keep him from social and
political activism. In 1919, he joined the Catholic Student Foundation and the
organization known as Catholic Action. He became a very active member of the
People’s Party,
which promoted the Catholic Church’s
social teaching based on the principles of Pope Leo XIII’s encyclical letter, Rerum Novarum.
What little he did have, Pier Giorgio gave to help the poor,
even using his bus fare for charity and then running home to be on time for
meals. The poor and the suffering were his masters, and he was literally their
servant, which he considered a privilege. His charity did not simply involve
giving something to others, but giving completely of himself. This was fed by
daily communion with Christ in the Holy Eucharist and by frequent nocturnal
adoration, by meditation on St. Paul’s “Hymn of Charity” (I Corinthians 13),
and by the writings of St. Catherine of Siena. He often sacrificed vacations at
the Frassati summer home in Pollone (outside of Turin) because, as he said, “If
everybody leaves Turin, who will take care of the poor?”
In 1921, he was a central figure in Ravenna,
enthusiastically helping to organize the first convention of Pax Romana, an
association which had as its purpose the unification of all Catholic students
throughout the world for the purpose of working together for universal peace.
Mountain climbing was one of his favorite sports. Outings in
the mountains, which he organized with his friends, also served as
opportunities for his apostolic work. He never lost the chance to lead his
friends to Mass, to the reading of Scripture, and to praying the rosary.
He often went to the theater, to the opera, and to museums.
He loved art and music, and could quote whole passages of the poet Dante.
Fondness for the epistles of St. Paul sparked his zeal for
fraternal charity, and the fiery sermons of the Renaissance preacher and
reformer Girolamo
Savonarola and the writings of St. Catherine impelled him in 1922 to join
the Lay Dominicans (Third Order of St. Dominic). He chose the name Girolamo
after his personal hero, Savonarola. “I am a fervent admirer of this friar, who
died as a saint at the stake," he wrote to a friend. Like his father, he
was strongly anti-Fascist and did nothing to hide his political views. He
physically defended the faith at times involved in fights, first with
anticlerical Communists and later with Fascists. Participating in a Church-organized
demonstration in Rome on one occasion, he stood up to police violence and
rallied the other young people by grabbing the group’s banner, which the royal
guards had knocked out of another student’s hands. Pier Giorgio held it even
higher, while using the banner’s pole to fend off the blows of the guards.
Just before receiving his university degree, Pier Giorgio
contracted poliomyelitis, which doctors later speculated he caught from the
sick whom he tended. Neglecting his own health because his grandmother was
dying, after six days of terrible suffering Pier Giorgio died at the age of 24
on July 4, 1925. His last preoccupation was for the poor. On the eve of his
death, with a paralyzed hand he scribbled a message to a friend, asking him to
take the medicine needed for injections to be given to Converso, a poor sick
man he had been visiting.
Pier Giorgio’s funeral was a triumph. The streets of the
city were lined with a multitude of mourners who were unknown to his family --
the poor and the needy whom he had served so unselfishly for seven years. Many
of these people, in turn, were surprised to learn that the saintly young man
they knew had actually been the heir of the influential Frassati family. Pope
John Paul II, after visiting his original tomb in the family plot in Pollone,
said in 1989: “I wanted to pay homage to a young man who was able to witness to
Christ with singular effectiveness in this century of ours. When I was a young
man, I, too, felt the beneficial influence of his example and, as a student, I
was impressed by the force of his testimony."
On May 20, 1990, in St. Peter’s Square which was filled with
thousands of people, the Pope beatified Pier Giorgio Frassati, calling him the
“Man of the Eight Beatitudes.”
His
mortal remains, found completely intact and incorrupt upon their exhumation on
March 31, 1981, were transferred from the family tomb in Pollone to the
cathedral in Turin. Many pilgrims, especially students and the young, come to
the tomb of Blessed Frassati to seek favors and the courage to follow his
example.
of The Most Reverend Thomas J. Olmsted, Bishop of Phoenix,
to Priests, Deacons, Religious and the Lay Faithful of the Diocese of Phoenix
on the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist
My beloved Brothers and
Sisters in Christ,
Part II
II.
Faith perceives what our senses fail to grasp.
52.
Our Catholic faith passed on to us from the Apostles affirms that after the
words of consecration, what seems to our senses to remain just simple
unleavened bread and wine really become the Son of God and Savior of the world.
For this reason, Saint Thomas Aquinas through his beautiful Eucharistic
hymn “Adoro Te Devote” invites us to have a greater trust in
Jesus’ words about His Body and Blood, even if the reality may seem too good to
be true: “Sight, touch, taste fail with regard to Thee, but only by hearing
does one believe surely; I believe whatever God’s Son said: nothing is truer
than the word of Truth.” And in the hymn of “Tantum Ergo,” he
invites us to beg the Lord for this needed faith: “May faith supplement
what our senses fail to grasp.”
53.
Faith makes all the difference in how we experience God’s saving and
transforming grace in the Eucharist. Faith is the key we hold in our hands to
open the treasures of God’s love and grace entirely at our disposal for our
sanctification. Beg the Lord to strengthen your faith: “Make me always
believe in you more and more” (Hymn Adoro Te Devote).
54.
The Lord Jesus invites us to respond with faith like Peter, “To whom
shall we go, you have the words of everlasting life” and make a
commitment not just to believe His words that He is the Bread from heaven, but
to build our lives according to that belief. Jesus is asking us to make Him the
“source and summit” of all Christian life (Lumen Gentium, no. 11). He is
asking us to choose him who has chosen to dwell among us and has made the
promise and commitment to always be with us.
To
be continued…
Bible in a
year Day 328 Stephen
Is Martyred
Fr. Mike reflects on Stephen's
heroic martyrdom and points out how those around him refused to hear him and
hardened their hearts, something we too can do with the Word of God. In the
book of Romans, Fr. Mike also highlights the importance of offering our bodies
as a living sacrifice, responding to the call to love and to not be conformed
to this world, and remembering that Christians have been grafted onto the tree
of Israel. Today we read Acts 7, Romans 11-12, and Proverbs 27:13-14.
Around
the Corner
“Give
thanks to the LORD for he is good,
his
mercy endures forever!
(Psalm
107:1)
· St. Hubert's feast was originally November 3,
but the 2004 Roman Martyrology transferred it to May 30, which was the
anniversary of the translation of his relics. Why not celebrate twice?
Have a toast of Jägermeister
in honor of St. Hubert.
Laurence Olivier • Merle Oberon • Ralph Richardson
Directed by Tim Whelan
A Technicolor fantasy of wit and misdirection, The Divorce of Lady X is a comedy of manners sharpened into a meditation on pride, perception, and the masks we wear when we fear being known.
It is not a screwball romp.
It is a fable — a luminous, feather‑light exploration of how love begins not with certainty
but with misunderstanding.
It is the story of two people who meet by accident,
collide through pride,
and discover that the truth of the heart emerges only after the lies of the ego fall away.
1. Production & Historical Setting
A Technicolor Showcase for British Sophistication
Released in 1938, the film was one of Britain’s early Technicolor triumphs —
a glowing, painterly palette that turns London into a dreamscape.
It was produced by London Films, the same studio that elevated British cinema with The Private Life of Henry VIII and The Scarlet Pimpernel.
Tim Whelan’s Light‑Footed Direction
Whelan shapes the film with:
crisp, rapid‑fire dialogue
elegant hotel interiors
a tone that dances between flirtation and farce
a refusal to let cynicism overshadow charm
The result is a comedy that feels both airy and intelligent —
a romance built on verbal fencing rather than physical chaos.
Olivier & Oberon: Glamour Meets Mischief
Laurence Olivier plays Everard Logan, a divorce lawyer whose confidence is both his armor and his flaw.
Merle Oberon is Lady X — radiant, mischievous, and far more perceptive than Logan realizes.
Their chemistry is not explosive.
It is sly — a duel of glances, wit, and withheld truths.
2. Story Summary
A Stormy Night, A Mistaken Identity
A fogbound London forces guests to remain overnight at a hotel.
Lady X, stranded and unchaperoned, persuades Logan to let her stay in his suite —
a decision that scandalizes him far more than it should.
She gives a false name.
He assumes the worst.
And the comedy begins.
A Lawyer Obsessed With a Woman Who Doesn’t Exist
Logan becomes convinced she is the scandalous Lady X,
a woman rumored to be divorcing her husband.
He prepares to handle the case —
only to discover that the real Lady X is nothing like the woman he met.
Truth Emerges Through Error
As Logan pursues the mystery woman,
his pride unravels,
his certainty collapses,
and he discovers that love often begins where logic ends.
The film’s delight lies in watching a man who knows everything about divorce
learn, for the first time, what it means to fall in love.
3. Spiritual & Moral Resonances
A. Pride as a Blindfold
Logan’s brilliance blinds him.
He interprets everything through suspicion, precedent, and ego.
The film gently mocks the man who knows the law
but not the human heart.
B. The Freedom of Playfulness
Lady X’s mischief is not cruelty.
It is liberation —
a reminder that truth often reveals itself through laughter, not interrogation.
C. The Danger of Assumptions
Logan’s entire crisis is built on one false assumption.
The film becomes a parable about how quickly we imprison others
inside the stories we invent.
D. Love as the Undoing of Certainty
The film argues that love begins when the self‑assured man
finally admits he does not understand the woman before him.
Humility becomes the doorway to intimacy.
E. The Redemption of Vulnerability
Logan’s transformation is simple:
he stops performing and starts listening.
The moment he becomes honest
is the moment he becomes lovable.
4. Hospitality Pairing — A Night in Fogbound London
Cigar: A medium‑bodied Habano — warm, aromatic, slightly playful. Drink: A London dry gin with a twist — crisp, elegant, a little mischievous. Plate: Tea sandwiches, a soft cheese, something light enough to match the film’s buoyancy. Atmosphere: Low lamplight, a sense of fog outside the window, and the quiet thrill of a story built on mistaken identity.
5. Reflection Prompts
Where has pride made me misread another person’s intentions.
What assumptions do I cling to because they protect my ego.
When have I mistaken cleverness for wisdom.
Where is God inviting me to loosen my grip on certainty
so that love — or truth — can enter.
What part of me becomes softer when I allow myself to be wrong.
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