Posts
NIC’s Corner
Find your delight in the LORD who will give you your heart’s desire. (Psalm 37:4)
o Spirit Hour: El Dorado Rum Punch with Lime, Sorrel, and Nutmeg
o Friday Fish: Mahi Mahi
o Get an indulgence
o How to celebrate Nov 14th
o Make a spicy guacamole snack to enjoy the flavor on National Spicy Guacamole Day.
o Embrace comfort and togetherness on National Family PJ Day by lounging in your favorite pajamas with loved ones.
o Show appreciation for healthcare workers on Operating Room Nurse Day by sending a heartfelt thank you note or treat to a nurse you know.
o Loosen Up Lighten Up Day encourages you to let go of stress; try yoga, meditation, or simply taking a walk outside.
o Celebrate the joy and innocence of childhood on Children’s Day by engaging in playful activities or volunteering with kids. Honor World Diabetes Day by being mindful of your health; go for a walk, prepare a balanced meal, or schedule a check-up.
o Make a crunchy snack to enjoy on National Pickle Day
while embracing the simple pleasures in life.
🇬🇾 Guyana vs 🇲🇱 Mali — Oil Wealth and Desert Faith
Two More Stops on the Rich vs Poor Tour: A Catholic Contrast in Postcolonial Terrain
This pairing invites pilgrims to contemplate how Catholic witness unfolds in vastly different settings: Guyana, a rainforest nation newly rich from oil, and Mali, a desert land where Catholicism survives as a quiet minority amid poverty and conflict. Together, they extend NIC’s Corner’s journey into spiritual resilience and economic disparity.
🇬🇾 Guyana — Oil-Rich, Rain forested, and Quietly Catholic
GDP per capita (PPP): ~$70,300 USD (2024) — Ranked #20 globally
🧮 Why Guyana Ranks High
- Oil Boom: Offshore reserves have transformed Guyana into one of the fastest-growing economies.
- Small Population: ~800,000 residents concentrate wealth.
- Export Surge: Petroleum, gold, and bauxite dominate trade.
- Foreign Investment: ExxonMobil and others fuel infrastructure growth.
- Rapid Development: Roads, ports, and energy grids are expanding.
✝️ Catholic Landscape
- Minority Faith: ~8% Catholic, with Portuguese and Amerindian roots.
- Single Diocese: Georgetown oversees 24 parishes.
- Missionary Legacy: Jesuits and Sisters of Mercy shaped education and healthcare.
- Indigenous Outreach: Santa Rosa Church (1818) serves Amerindian communities.
- Civic Witness: The Catholic Standard newspaper challenged dictatorship in the 1970s.
⚠️ Challenges
- Wealth Inequality: Oil wealth hasn’t reached all communities.
- Urban-Rural Divide: Remote parishes lack resources.
- Youth Disengagement: Secularization affects catechesis.
- Environmental Risk: Coastal flooding and deforestation threaten development.
🌿 Pilgrimage Cue
Guyana is a journey of quiet witness—where the Eucharist meets rainforest silence, and the Church walks gently through postcolonial memory and emerging hope.
🇲🇱 Mali — Deserted Economies, Desert Fathers
GDP per capita (PPP): ~$2,900 USD (2024)
🧮 Why Mali Ranks Low
- Landlocked Geography: Desertification and drought limit agriculture.
- Political Instability: Coups and insurgencies disrupt governance.
- Islamic Majority: ~90% Muslim; Christianity is a small minority.
- Foreign Aid Dependency: Development relies on external support.
- Gold Exports: Mining is growing but benefits are uneven
✝️ Catholic Landscape
- Tiny Minority: ~2.2% Catholic.
- Seven Dioceses: Including Bamako, Mopti, and Sikasso.
- White Fathers Legacy: Missionaries established hospitals and schools in the 19th century.
- Interfaith Dialogue: The Church promotes peace in a Muslim-majority context.
- Women’s Empowerment: Catholic missions support education and healthcare for women.
⚠️ Challenges
- Security Risks: Northern Mali faces jihadist violence.
- Resource Scarcity: Parishes often lack basic infrastructure.
- Cultural Marginality: Catholicism is unfamiliar to many Malians.
- Climate Hardship: Drought and displacement affect Church outreach.
🌿 Pilgrimage Cue
Mali is a journey of endurance and intercession—where the Eucharist is offered in desert silence, and the Church prays in the shadow of the Sahara with hidden holiness and missionary courage.
🕊️ Editorial Reflection
At first glance, both Guyana and Mali seem to ache—one flush with oil wealth but spiritually quiet, the other materially poor but spiritually resilient. But this is the heart of the Rich vs Poor Tour: not to rank or romanticize, but to reveal. Guyana’s challenge is comfort without communion; Mali’s is faith without favor. Neither “sucks.” But both aches. And both invite us to ask:
What does it mean to be rich in Christ?
Where does the Gospel burn brightest—in silence or in struggle?
🍽️ Ritual Meal: Guyana vs Mali
Theme: Comfort vs Communion, Silence vs Struggle
🥂 Aperitif
El Dorado Rum Punch with Lime, Sorrel, and Nutmeg (Guyana)
Symbol: Rainforest abundance and colonial sweetness
Prep: Brew sorrel, mix with citrus juices, ginger syrup, rum, and bitters. Garnish with lime and nutmeg.
Reflection: Begin with a toast to Guyana’s oil boom and ecological intimacy. Sorrel’s tartness evokes the ache beneath prosperity.
🥣 Soup
Baobab and Millet Porridge (Mali)
Symbol: Desert endurance and maternal strength
Prep: Simmer millet flour into porridge, stir in baobab powder for tang and nutrition.
Reflection: A humble offering from Mali’s Catholic missions. Baobab pulp nourishes like hidden holiness in the Sahara’s shadow.
🥗 Salad
Cassava Salad with Gold-Dusted Plantains (Guyana)
Symbol: Resource extraction and civic witness
Prep: Boil cassava, toss with homemade mayo, capers, celery, and carrots. Add pan-fried plantains dusted with edible gold.
Reflection: The gold dust is both blessing and burden. Remember the Catholic Standard’s prophetic voice against dictatorship.
🍝 Fish Course
Grilled Mahi Mahi with Tamarind Glaze (Guyana)
Symbol: Coastal resilience and Eucharistic simplicity
Prep: Grill mahi mahi, glaze with tamarind, lime, soy, and fish sauce.
Reflection: Honor the Catholic minority’s quiet witness. Tamarind’s sour-sweet profile evokes catechesis in a secular tide.
🍖 Main Course
Lamb Tagine with Dates and Cinnamon (Mali)
Symbol: Interfaith peace and sacrificial love
Prep: Slow-cook lamb with saffron, ginger, cinnamon, and finish with date syrup.
Reflection: The sweetness of dates softens the spice of struggle. A dish to honor Mali’s Catholic courage amid cultural marginality.
🧀 Cheese Course
Rice Pilaf with Dried Fish and Desert Herbs (Mali)
Symbol: Scarcity and missionary intercession
Prep: Sauté rice, simmer in broth, fold in dried fish and herbs like parsley or dill.
Reflection: A meal for those who pray in silence. Dried fish evokes the Church’s perseverance in drought and danger.
🍮 Dessert
Coconut Pudding with Nutmeg and Hibiscus Syrup (Guyana–Mali fusion)
I HATE COCONUT signed NIC
Symbol: Communion across continentsPrep: Simmer coconut milk with sugar and cornstarch, chill, top with nutmeg and hibiscus syrup.
World Diabetes Day
John, Chapter 14, Verse
28-31
You heard me tell you, ‘I am going away and I will come back to you.’ If you LOVED me, you would rejoice that I am going to the Father; for the Father is greater than I and now I have told you this before it happens, so that when it happens you may believe. I will no longer speak much with you, for the ruler of the world is coming. He has no power over me, but the world must know that I love the Father and that I do just as the Father has commanded me. Get up, let us go.
The
Father has commanded total love, and the world will soon know that this is what
the Son will give. “Get up, let us go.” Jesus states He will go (His death) but
he will return through the Holy Spirit. Just as the disciples see Jesus now so
they will soon know of his union with the Father, which union he will share
with them. The disciples who love will be loved by both the Father and the Son,
who through the Holy Spirit will reveal himself to them. This is the Christ who
gave Himself to the Father and now redeems all who ask through the water and
blood that flowed from His side to us via the priesthood coming down through
the ages. Be baptized, confess and take His flesh and eat. This is the love of
the Father that all be saved.
Copilot’s Take
On World Diabetes Day, the words of Jesus in John 14:28–31 offer a
profound invitation to love that transcends suffering. As He prepares to go to
the Father, Jesus assures His disciples that His departure is not abandonment
but the beginning of deeper communion through the Holy Spirit. “Get up, let us
go,” He says—not as a farewell, but as a call to action, to love as He loves,
to obey as He obeys. In a world marked by chronic illness and spiritual
longing, this passage reminds us that healing flows not only through medicine
but through sacramental grace: baptism, confession, and the Eucharist. The
water and blood from Christ’s side continue to redeem through the priesthood,
offering salvation to all who ask. On this day, we honor both the physical
resilience of those living with diabetes and the spiritual resilience of those
who rise daily in love, obedience, and hope.
Bible in a Year Day 132 David and Absalom
Fr. Mike reflects on the story of
David and Absalom, and points out the lack of forgiveness and repentance on
both men's part. God forgives us no matter what, but without us mirroring that
forgiveness, rebellion can easily rise up. Today's readings are 2 Samuel 14, 1
Chronicles 18, and Psalm 14.
World Diabetes Day[1]
World
Diabetes Day aims to raise awareness of diabetes, a disease that raises blood
sugar. Diabetes can result in problems with other organs and significantly
increase the risk of heart disease, stroke and death. As of 2015,
approximately 1 in 10 adults worldwide is diabetic, a problem which poses a
massive burden on nations as it threatens their health and economic prosperity.
In 1991, World Diabetes Day was established by the International Diabetes
Federation and the World Health
Organization in an effort to address the increasing number of diabetes cases
and its burden on countries. Currently, diabetes prevalence is highest in
the Middle East and Southern Asia while it is lowest in Sub Saharan Africa.
Diabetes, especially type 2, has been linked to obesity and a sedentary,
inactive lifestyle and thus World Diabetes Day also serves to promote a healthy
and active
lifestyle that can drastically reduce the risk of developing type 2
diabetes.
World Diabetes Day
Facts & Quotes
·
According
to the World Health Organization, about 350 million people in the world have
diabetes. The organization expects this number to double in the next two
decades.
·
More
than 80% of deaths related to diabetes occur in low and middle-income
countries.
·
Type
2 diabetes is much more common than type 1. Type 2 diabetes accounts for about
90% of the world's diabetes cases.
·
50%
of people with diabetes die due to heart disease and stroke (cardiovascular
diseases).
·
I
was determined to share my positive approach and not let diabetes stand in the
way of enjoying my life - Paula Deen, celebrity chef.
World Diabetes Day
Top Events and Things to Do
·
Visit
your doctor if you are overweight, obese, do not regularly exercise and do not
eat a balanced diet. These are all factors that can cause diabetes.
·
Participate
in one of the American Diabetes Association's fundraising activities which
include, The Tour de Cure, Step Out: Walk to Stop Diabetes, Rip's B.A.D.
Ride or you can create your own fundraising event by using the organizations'
online tools.
·
Watch
a documentary about diabetes and diabetes-related topics such as obesity, sugar
consumption and fast food. Our favorites are Sugar Babies, The Human
Trial, Simply Raw Reversing Diabetes in 30 Days and Diabetes Cure
Documentary
·
Learn
about ways to control and lower the risk of developing diabetes. The American
Diabetes Association provides some great ways to reduce your risk which
include:
1) Eat a healthy balanced diet
2) Exercise regularly
3) Ensure that you are not overweight or obese
4) Remove unnecessary processed foods with high sugar content from your diet
5) Get checked for high blood pressure or abnormal cholesterol levels
·
Try
the Iceman’s Universal
Man Plan
·
Learn
about the symptoms and signs of diabetes. Many cases of diabetes go undiagnosed
for long periods of time while causing irreversible damage to the body. Some
common signs and symptoms include:
-Hunger
-Fatigue
-Frequent urination
-Constant Thirst
-Blurred vision
Fitness Friday-The Brain Warrior’s Way
Ignite Your Energy and Focus; Attack Illness and Aging; Transform Pain into Purpose
November 22, 2016
The war for your health is won or lost between your
ears, in the moment-by-moment decisions your brain makes every day. When your
brain works right, your decisions are much more likely to be effective and add
laserlike focus, energy and health to your life. When your brain is troubled,
for whatever reason, you are much more likely to make bad decisions that steal
your energy, focus, moods, memory, and health and lead to your early
destruction and trouble in future generations.
Related: It
Only Takes 5 Minutes a Day to Keep Your Brain Healthy
Bushido (Japanese: “way of
the warrior”) is the code of ethics for the samurai. It is a way of living that
is required to be a warrior. Samurais ascribe to a culture focused on constant,
never-ending self-improvement in an effort to protect themselves and those they
love. “A warrior is someone who is committed to master oneself at all
levels, who develops the courage to do the right thing for yourself, others,
and community,” Mark Divine writes in The Way of the SEAL.
The Brain Warrior’s Way is also a way of living, a clear
path we have developed over three decades of helping patients at Amen
Clinics have better brains and better lives. This path grounded in scientific
research has helped people in the military, businesses, churches, schools and
drug rehabilitation centers. Living the Brain Warrior’s Way will improve
your decision-making ability and sense of personal power and help your…
- Energy
- Focus
- Moods
- Memory
- Weight
- Relationships
- Work
- Overall
health
The Brain Warrior’s Way was designed to help you live
with vitality, a clear mind and excellent health—even if you are struggling or
are in pain right now—even if you’ve made unhealthy choices for many years.
Genes play a more minor role than you think, and many diseases are born out of
unhealthful choices and behaviors, regardless of whether there is a genetic
predisposition. The new science of epigenetics has taught us that your
habits turn on or off certain genes that make illnesses and early
death more or less likely in you, and also in your children and grandchildren.
The war for the health of your brain and body is not just about you. It is
about generations of you.
Step by step, The Brain Warrior’s Way will show
you how to develop a Brain Warrior’s MASTERY over your physical and mental
health. It will teach you:
Mindset
of a Brain Warrior—knowing your motivation to be healthy and focusing on
abundance, never deprivation
Assessment
of a Brain Warrior—having a clear strategy, brain health assessment, knowing
and optimizing your important numbers, fighting the war on multiple fronts, and
always being on the lookout to prevent future trouble
Sustenance
of a Brain Warrior—knowing
the food and supplements that fuel success and give you a competitive edge
Training
of a Brain Warrior—engaging in the daily habits and routines that protect your
health
Essence
of a Brain Warrior—transforming your pain into passion and knowing why the
world is a better place because you are here
Responsibilities
of a Brain Warrior—taking
the critical step of sharing information and creating your own tribe of
Brain Warriors
Yearlong
Basic Training of a Brain Warrior—making
lasting changes with tools that will last a lifetime
Brain Warriors Advance in
Stages: Primitive, Mechanical, Spontaneous
Every martial artist, athlete, or musician remembers
how awkward she felt when she first started learning complex moves. Most felt
like their bodies would never cooperate. However, over time the moves became
smoother, until they eventually felt like second nature. The brain and body
needed time to grow, make new connections, and adapt to new
ways of working and thinking.
When someone is first starting the Brain Warrior’s Way
program, she often feels a bit overwhelmed and confused.
- Hey, where’s
the sugar?!
- Everything in
moderation!
- What happened
to the bread and pasta? When are they coming back?
- But I love
French fries and sodas!
- I don’t know
where to shop or what to buy!
- I don’t want
to get 8 hours of sleep!
- I don’t want
to exercise!
- I’m too
busy, too stressed, too used to my old ways.
We tell our Brain Warriors in training not to worry,
because they are in the primitive phase, when things feel impossible and
hard, and they think they’ll never be able to do it. It just takes trust, a bit
of knowledge, success in feeling better quickly, and persistence to get to the
next stage. Pretty soon, often within thirty days if you are on the fast track
or thirty to ninety days if you are taking a more incremental approach, your
taste buds regenerate themselves, the brain makes new connections and begins to
grow, and soon enough, everything becomes easier.
Then you will transition to the mechanical phase, when
you develop a healthy rhythm. You find the foods you love, exercises you can
do, and brain healthy habits come easier to you. Clarity and energy replace
brain fog. You start associating certain foods with feeling
happier and more energized or with feeling sadder and more lethargic. It
starts to become much easier to make healthy choices. You become better at
noticing your negative thought patterns and begin questioning the negative
thoughts running through your head. In this phase you still have to closely
follow the Brain Warrior’s Way program, because it is not yet second nature to
you. This phase may last for one to three months for the fast-track folks and
three to six months for the incrementalists.
Related: Healthy
Living Equals Successful Living
Our goal is for you to reach the spontaneous phase,
when your habits and responses become automatic and second nature. This
usually occurs between four and six months for the fast-track folks and six and
twelve months for the people who are taking things step by step. And if
you persist through your challenges and setbacks, such as job or work
challenges, divorce and deaths (which we all experience), the Brain Warrior’s
Way will last a lifetime.
In the spontaneous phase, the responses and habits
become automatic.
- Do you want
dessert? Yes, but I want something that serves my health, rather than
steals from it.
- Do you want
bread before dinner? No.
- Would you
like a second glass of wine? No.
- You schedule
your workouts and rarely miss them, as you would rarely miss your child’s
sporting event or a doctor’s appointment. They are important to you.
- You don’t
have to think about your responses because they are spontaneous and
habitual in a good way.
Get your black belt in brain health. Being a black
belt doesn’t mean you are tougher or stronger or that you don’t get scared.
Being a black belt means you never give up, you face your fears,
you persevere, and you always get up one more time!
A
black belt is just a white belt who never quit.
This gives you permission to fall without failing, as
long as you get up and try again. It is a process. Most important, you pass on
the information by becoming a mentor to someone who is struggling. To get your
black belt you are expected to be a mentor, to teach others your art. By
teaching others, you powerfully reinforce in yourself what you’ve learned. It
truly is in the giving that we receive.
Excerpted from The Brain Warrior’s Way
by Daniel G. Amen, M.D., and Tana Amen, BSN, RN, in agreement with Berkeley, an
imprint of Penguin Random House. Copyright © 2016 by Daniel G. Amen, M.D., and
Tana Amen, BSN, RN.
Daily Devotions
·
Unite
in the work of the Porters of St.
Joseph by joining them in fasting: Today's Fast: Catholic
Politicians & Leaders
·
Litany of the Most Precious
Blood of Jesus
·
Offering to
the sacred heart of Jesus
·
Rosary
