Posts
Candace’s Corner-Try “Bangers and Mash”
· Bucket List Trip: Titanic, anyone? Cunard’s Cruise Liners
o So, you wake up and its bacon day… or maybe baking soda day. What a combo, right? Start your day by whipping up some crispy bacon – classic and simple. No frills, just pure deliciousness. Feeling adventurous? Mix a pinch of baking soda into your morning coffee for a fizzy kick. Who knows, it might just become your new favorite brew.
o Now, head out for a leisurely walk. Take in the sights and sounds of your neighborhood. Bring along a small pack of bacon for snacking, of course. Maybe share some with a friendly passerby – who can resist the smell of sizzling bacon?
o Feeling a bit creative? Whip up a batch of homemade bacon and baking soda cookies. Yes, you read that right. The salty-sweet combo is surprisingly addictive. Share them with friends or keep them all to yourself – no judgment here.
o As the day winds down, relax with a warm bath. Add a sprinkle of baking soda for a soothing and detoxifying soak. While you’re at it, why not munch on some bacon-wrapped dates for the ultimate relaxation experience?
o And there you have it – a day filled with bacon, baking soda, and plenty of fun. Who knew these two unlikely companions could make for such a memorable day? Cheers to weird holidays and the endless possibilities they bring!
Worldwide Vineyard Tour, moving into Israel (Galilee) with the theme “Covenant Vine, Prophetic Pouring”.
🍇 Candace’s Worldwide Vineyard Tour
Week 9: Israel (Galilee)
Theme: Covenant Vine, Prophetic Pouring
Dates: December 30, 2025 – January 6, 2026
Base: Galilee – Nazareth, Cana, and Sea of Galilee
Seasonal Note: Winter pruning,
Eucharistic clarity among covenant vines and prophetic hills.
🗓️ Tuesday, December 30 – Arrival in Galilee
✈️ Travel: Flight to Tel Aviv → transfer to Nazareth (~$180 USD regional flight + $25 USD bus)
🏨 Lodging: Mary’s Well Nazareth Hotel (~$90 USD/night)
🌙 Evening walk through Nazareth’s Old City, toast with Galilee red wine
🔥 Symbolic Act: “Flame of Covenant” — light a candle at the Basilica of the Annunciation
🗓️ Wednesday, December 31 – Cana & Vineyard Blessing
🍷 Morning visit: Cana Wedding Church
🚶 Vineyard walk near Cana, blessing one vine with covenant prayer
🍽️ Lunch: local taverna (~$25 USD)
🌱 Symbolic Act: “Prophetic Pouring” — pour a drop of wine at the roots
🗓️ Thursday, January 1 – Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God
🍷 Visit: Galil Mountain Winery (~$32 USD tasting)
📖 Journaling at vineyard overlook
🥖 Shared meal: bread, olives, and Galilee rosé
✨ Symbolic Act: “Marian Flame” — name one mercy received and one joy shared
Mass Option (Feast Day):
⛪ Basilica of the Annunciation, Nazareth
🕚 Feast Day Mass: typically 11:00 AM
🗓️ Friday, January 2 – Vineyard Walk & Prophetic Pause
🚶 Morning walk through Galilee hillsides
🙏 Pause at Mount Tabor shrine (site of Transfiguration)
🧺 Picnic with local produce (~$15 USD)
🌸 Symbolic Act: “Prophetic Pause” — leave a flower or stone at the shrine
🗓️ Saturday, January 3 – Sea of Galilee Reflection
🚤 Morning boat ride on the Sea of Galilee (~$20 USD)
🍷 Visit: Tabor Winery (~$30 USD tasting)
✍️ Reflection on covenant and clarity by the water
🌄 Symbolic Act: “Eucharistic Clarity” — write a psalm of peace
🗓️ Sunday, January 4 – Vineyard Benediction & Mass
🍷 Visit: Dalton Winery (~$28 USD tasting)
✍️ Write a vineyard blessing for the next traveler
🥂 Evening toast with Galilee reserve wine
🌄 Symbolic Act: “Galilee Benediction” — bless the hills and covenant vines
Mass Option (Sunday):
⛪ Church of St. Joseph, Nazareth
🕚 Typical Sunday Mass: 11:00 AM
🗓️ Monday, January 5 – Pilgrim’s Covenant
🚶 Visit villages: Tiberias & Safed
🍽️ Shared meal with vineyard families (~$25 USD)
🔔 Symbolic Act: “Covenant Shared” — light a candle for vineyard workers
🗓️ Tuesday, January 6 – Epiphany & Travel Day
🌟 Attend Epiphany Mass in Nazareth
✈️ Depart Galilee for next vineyard destination
🌍 Suggested next stop: Georgia (Kakheti) or Armenia (Areni Valley)
💰 Estimated Total Cost: ~$640 USD
Includes:
7 nights lodging
5 vineyard tastings
2 symbolic meals
1 Sea of Galilee day trip with picnic
Feast & Sunday Mass
DECEMBER 30 Tuesday in the Octave of Christmas
Genesis, Chapter 26, Verse 24
The same night the LORD appeared to him (Isaac) and said: I am the
God of Abraham, your father. Do not FEAR,
for I am with you. I will bless you and multiply your descendants for the sake
of Abraham, my servant.
Often when are lives
are full of trouble it is hard to think of God’s presence and to realize we are
His children, and we should be about His business. Isaac is involved in a
dispute over water rights. In a sparsely watered land, wells were precious and claims
on water could function as a kind of claim on the land. God helps Abimelech,
the King, to realize that Isaac has brought blessing to his people and thus to
desire to make a covenant with him the day following Isaac’s dream. When I was
in the military, we had a witty maxim for this; “It is hard to remember your
mission was to drain the swamp when you are up to your arse in alligators.”
When our lives are so busy fighting off the alligators that we do not take time
to listen or pray to God; that is when God may approach us in our dreams. Isaac
was reassured by God not to fear for
He is with Him.
In this you rejoice, although now for a little while you may have to suffer through various trials, so that the genuineness of your faith, more precious than gold that is perishable even though tested by fire, may prove to be for praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. (1 Peter: 6-7)
Copilot’s Take
On this day we hear again the promise spoken to
Isaac in the night: “Do not fear, for I am with you. I will bless you and
multiply your descendants for the sake of Abraham, my servant.” The patriarch’s
quarrel over wells reminds us how easily the urgent can eclipse the eternal,
how disputes over survival can drown out the mission entrusted to us. Yet God’s
word cuts through the noise: presence before fear, covenant before scarcity,
promise before anxiety. Isaac wakes to discover that even kings recognize the
blessing he carries, because God Himself has marked him. And so too with us:
trials are not evidence of abandonment but the crucible where faith is refined,
as Peter declares, “so that the genuineness of your faith, more precious than
gold… may prove to be for praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus
Christ.” The new year begins with this assurance — that the God who guarded
Isaac in his weakness guards us still, and that His fidelity will carry us
through every dispute, every trial, every alligator in the swamp, until the
covenant reaches its consummation in Christ.
Sixth Day of Christmas-Six
Geese a-Laying
=
the six days of creation[1]
1st Day: Creation of light and its
separation from darkness
2nd Day: Creation of the firmament and
division of the waters
3rd Day: Collection of waters (sea) and
formation of dry land (earth); creation of plants according to their own
likeness
4th Day: Creation of heavenly bodies in
the firmament (sun, moon, and stars)
5th Day: Creation of sea creatures and
winged fowl from the waters
6th Day: Creation of cattle, creeping
things, and beasts from the dry land; creation of mankind, male and female
December 30, Sixth Day in the Octave of Christmas -
Day Six[2]
God is your beatitude. The things of time are toys. You are eternity's child,
and your eternity has already begun! There is a compelling urgency every day
and every hour of the day. In it we are to witness to the truth — that God
greeted and gifted us at Christmas.
If you know what witness means, you understand why God brings St. Stephen, St. John, and the Holy Innocents to the crib in the cave as soon as Christ is born liturgically. To be a witness is to be a martyr. Holy Mother Church wishes us to realize that we were born in baptism to become Christ — He who was the world's outstanding Martyr. — Love Does Such Things, by Rev. M. Raymond, O.C.S.O.
·
Day Sixth activity (Gingerbread Bowls)
·
Day Sixth recipe (Lamb's Wool)
Bible in a Year Day 182 The Inescapable God
Congratulations, you've made it about halfway through the Bible in
a Year journey! Today, we read again about King Ahaz's unfaithfulness in 2
Kings. We are also introduced to the prophet Micah, who is all about judgement
and hope, and we read one of Fr. Mike's favorite psalms. Today's readings are 2
Kings 16, Micah 1-4, and Psalm 139.
Litany
of Trust
“Deliver
me, Jesus-From the fear that I am not enough”
Copilot:
This petition names a fear that quietly shapes so much of human life: the
belief that our limitations, imperfections, or failures somehow disqualify us
from love, belonging, or purpose. It is the fear that no matter how hard we
try, we will always fall short.
To pray this line is to bring that hidden anxiety into the light. It is
to acknowledge that the world often measures worth by achievement, strength, or
success—but Christ does not. In Christian faith, our value is not earned; it is
received. We are not asked to be flawless, impressive, or self‑sufficient. We
are asked to trust.
This petition invites us to release the exhausting pressure to prove
ourselves. It reminds us that God meets us not at the point of our perfection,
but at the point of our need. Where we see inadequacy, Christ sees openness.
Where we see weakness, He sees a place for grace to enter.
To pray these words is to let go of comparison, self‑judgment, and the relentless inner voice that says we must be more. It is to rest in the truth that we are already held, already known, already loved—not because we are “enough” by our own strength, but because God’s love is enough for us.
Daily
Devotions
·
Unite in the work of the Porters of St. Joseph
by joining them in fasting: Today's Fast: The
lonely and destitute.
·
Litany of the Most
Precious Blood of Jesus
·
Offering to the
sacred heart of Jesus
·
Rosary
