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NIC’s Corner-Try “Cardamom Coffee”
But Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?” And the angel said to her in reply, “The holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore, the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God.
(Luke 1:34-35)
· Richard Nixon born 1913-1994
o Note: Elvis’ birthday was yesterday: Watch “Elvis Nixon”
· Religion in the Home for Preschool: January
· Carnival Time begins in Catholic Countries.
· Bucket List trip: Angkor Wat
· Recipe-Coq au Vin
o Start your day by honing your inner word nerd with some engaging writing exercises. Take a few moments to jot down your thoughts in a journal or try your hand at writing a short story. Embrace your linguistic prowess!
o After stretching your creative muscles, whip up a hearty cassoulet for lunch. This traditional French dish is perfect for National Cassoulet Day and will surely impress your taste buds. Don’t be afraid to experiment with different ingredients based on what you have in your pantry.
o In the afternoon, channel your inner choreographer and bust a move to your favorite tunes. Get your heart rate up and have some fun dancing around the house. International Choreographers Day is all about celebrating movement and self-expression, so let loose and dance like nobody’s watching.
o As the day winds down, take a moment to show appreciation for the law enforcement officers in your community. Write a thank-you note, make a donation to a local charity that supports law enforcement, or simply take a moment to reflect on the sacrifices they make to keep us safe on National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day.
o Before calling it a night, tackle the clutter on your desk for National Clean Your Desk Day. Organize your workspace, declutter any unnecessary items, and start fresh for a productive day ahead. A clean and tidy desk can do wonders for your focus and productivity.
o Wrap up your day by indulging in a delicious apricot dessert to celebrate National Apricot Day. Whether it’s a simple apricot tart or a refreshing apricot smoothie, take a moment to savor the sweet flavors of this delectable fruit.
🕌 Saudi Arabia vs Comoros — Mosques of Majesty and Chapels of Minority
Saudi Arabia represents wealth, guardianship, and restricted Catholic presence; Comoros embodies poverty, fragility, and missionary endurance. Together, they extend NIC’s Corner into the paradox of faith lived in grandeur and in hidden struggle.
🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia — Wealthy, Oil-Rich, and Guardian of Islam
GDP per capita (PPP): ~$61,900 USD (2024)
🧮 Why Saudi Arabia Ranks High
· Oil Powerhouse: Largest exporter of crude oil, anchoring global energy markets.
· Vision 2030: Diversification into tourism, technology, and green energy.
· Strategic Influence: Regional power shaping Middle Eastern politics and global Islam.
· Infrastructure: Modern cities, universities, and healthcare systems.
· Religious Prestige: Custodian of Mecca and Medina, Islam’s holiest sites.
✝️ Catholic Landscape
· Membership: Hundreds of thousands of expatriate Catholics (Filipino, Indian, African).
· Worship: No public churches; faith lived privately in house gatherings.
· Jurisdiction: Under the Apostolic Vicariate of Northern Arabia (based in Bahrain).
· Reality: Catholicism exists underground, shepherded but invisible.
⚠️ Challenges
· Restrictions: No public Christian worship allowed.
· Human Rights: Criticisms over freedoms and religious tolerance.
· Economic Diversification: Oil dependence remains a vulnerability.
· Regional Conflicts: Proxy wars and geopolitical tensions.
🌿 Pilgrimage Cue
Saudi Arabia is a journey of mosques in majesty—where the Kaaba anchors the world’s prayers, yet Catholicism survives in silence, hidden but shepherded.
🇰🇲 Comoros — Poor, Fragile, and Missionary Catholic
GDP per capita (PPP): ~$3,460 USD (2024)
🧮 Why Comoros Ranks Low
· Economic Fragility: Agriculture, fishing, and remittances dominate.
· Political Instability: Over 20 coups or attempted coups since independence (1975).
· Infrastructure Gaps: Weak healthcare, education, and transport systems.
· Aid Dependence: Relies heavily on foreign aid and diaspora remittances.
· Vulnerability: Climate change threatens agriculture and coastal life.
✝️ Catholic Landscape
· Membership: ~4,000 Catholics (<1% of population).
· Jurisdiction: Linked to Madagascar’s Archdiocese of Antananarivo.
· Presence: Small chapels and mission stations, especially in Moroni.
· Missionary Legacy: Jesuits and sisters sustain schools and clinics.
⚠️ Challenges
· Poverty: Limits catechesis and parish resources.
· Migration: Youth leave for France and Madagascar.
· Governance: Fragile institutions and corruption.
· Minority Status: Catholicism remains marginal but enduring.
🌿 Pilgrimage Cue
Comoros is a journey of chapels in minority—where the Eucharist is celebrated in humble mission halls, and faith endures through simplicity, solidarity, and survival.
🕊️ Editorial Reflection
Saudi Arabia and Comoros reveal Catholicism’s paradox: one rich in oil but poor in visibility, the other poor in wealth but rich in missionary witness. In Saudi Arabia, Catholicism is a hidden flock beneath mosques of majesty. In Comoros, it is a chapel of minority, fragile yet faithful.
The Rich vs Poor Tour reminds us that the Gospel is not bound by prosperity or poverty—it flourishes in Mecca’s shadow and Moroni’s chapels, in silence and in song, in guardianship and in endurance.
Where does the Church feel more alive—in the hidden resilience of expatriates or the fragile witness of island missions?
January 9 Friday after Epiphany
Thomas Paine-Law Enforcement
Genesis, Chapter
32, Verse 12
Save me from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau!
Otherwise, I FEAR that he will come
and strike me down and the mothers with the children.
Jacob here was afraid of his brother whom he cheated.
What’s interesting is that Jacob was Esau’s twin brother. Twins often think a
feel alike so one wonders was Jacob’s fear generated because he assumed Esau
would do what He himself would have done. Here is where God takes two imperfect
humans and makes them better. God intercedes softening both Esau and Jacob’s
heart.
Have you ever been so
angry; livid at someone or something and then discovered the reason for your
anger was directly correlated to a defect in yourself that you had buried and
chose to ignore. We all have and then realized that we are not as perfect as we
pretend to be. Let us reflect on Paul’s advice to the Ephesians, “Brothers and
sisters: I declare and testify in the Lord that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their
minds; that is not how you learned Christ, assuming that you have heard of him
and were taught in him, as truth is in Jesus, that you should put away the old
self of your former way of life, corrupted through deceitful desires, and be
renewed in the spirit of your minds, and put on the new self, created in God’s
way in righteousness and holiness of truth. (Eph 4:17-20) By the renewal of our
minds we through Christ’s grace check our feelings, moods and prejudices or
preferences and strive to maintain the right intensions.
Lord, Grant that I may follow Your words in my
daily life. Let Your truth teach me, guide me, and protect me and may it
deliver me from all evil desires and foolish love. Let me esteem nothing as
great, or valuable, or wonderful, except insofar as it makes me better and more
pleasing in your eyes. In this way I shall never be a slave of this earth, but
shall walk daily towards Heaven in Holy Fear.[1]
Copilot’s Take-on confronting evil
What Jacob reveals in that moment is the
universal truth that fear often exposes the unfinished places in our soul—the
parts still ruled by old habits, old wounds, and old assumptions about how the
world works. When we confront evil, the first battlefield is almost always
interior: the imagination that exaggerates threats, the pride that assumes
others will act as we would have acted, the shame that whispers we deserve
whatever judgment is coming. God’s mercy interrupts that cycle not by erasing
consequences but by re-teaching us how to see. He trains the heart to
distinguish real danger from the distortions of guilt, to recognize when our
reactions are shaped more by memory than by reality, and to understand that
reconciliation is possible only when we allow Him to reshape our instincts. The
wisdom here is simple but demanding: before we confront the evil outside us, we
must let God confront the disorder within us—our assumptions, our projections,
our unexamined motives—so that we meet others not with the fear of the old self
but with the clarity, humility, and courage of the new one.
Bible in a Year Day 192 The Prophet Isaiah
Today we
begin reading the book of the prophet Isaiah and the book of Tobit! Fr. Mike
helps us understand the historical context of Isaiah's ministry to Judah, and
the themes of condemnation and consolation present in his writings. As we enter
into the book of Tobit, Fr. Mike emphasizes Tobit's virtuous character. Today
we read Isaiah 1-2, Tobit 1-2, and Proverbs 9:7-12.
Thomas
Paine’s “Common Sense” Published 1776[2]
Key Points Made in 'Common Sense'
Here are some of Paine’s key points:
The
government’s purpose was to serve the people. Paine described government as a
“necessary evil,” which existed to give people a structure so they could work
together to solve problems and prosper. But to do that, it had to be responsive
to people’s needs. The British system, Paine argued, failed at that, because it
gave the monarchy and nobles in Parliament too much power to thwart the
people’s elected representatives. “The constitution of England is so exceedingly
complex, that the nation may suffer for years together without being able to
discover in which part the fault lies, some will say in one and some in
another, and every political physician will advise a different medicine,” Paine
wrote.
Having a king was a bad idea. Paine didn't just find fault with British
rule of the colonies. He ridiculed the very idea of having a hereditary monarch
at all. "In England a king hath little more to do than to make war and
give away places, which in plain terms, is to impoverish the nation and set it
together by the ears," Paine wrote. "A pretty business indeed for a
man to be allowed eight hundred thousand sterling a year for and worshipped
into the bargain! Of more worth is one honest man to society and in the sight
of God, than all the crowned ruffians that ever lived."
America as the home of the free. Paine refuted the notion that
Americans should be loyal to a mother country that he considered a bad parent.
“Even brutes do not devour their young, nor savages make war upon their
families,” he wrote. Besides, he argued, America’s real connection was to
people everywhere who yearned to escape oppression. "This new world hath
been the asylum for the persecuted lovers of civil and religious liberty from
every part of Europe," Paine proclaimed. "Hither have they fled, not from
the tender embraces of the mother, but from the cruelty of the monster; and it
is so far true of England, that the same tyranny which drove the first
emigrants from home, pursues their descendants still."
America had a rare opportunity to create a new nation based on
self-rule. As Paine saw it, both Americans and the British knew it was
inevitable that the colonies would break free. "I have never met with a
man, either in England or America, who hath not confessed his opinion, that a
separation between the countries, would take place one time or other." And
that time had come. America had raw materials, from timber and hemp to iron,
and the skills that it needed to build and equip an army and navy for its
defense. Just as important, the individual colonies had the potential to put
aside differences and form a powerful nation. But they needed to do it quickly,
before the population grew to a point where new divisions might develop. The
moment in history was "that peculiar time, which never happens to a nation
but once," he wrote.
A strong central government was needed. Paine
envisioned that the new nation would have a strong central government, with a
constitution that protected individual rights, including freedom of religion.
"A firm bargain and a right reckoning make long friends," he argued.
Law Enforcement
Appreciation Day[3]
Law
Enforcement Appreciation Day was created to celebrate police officers. It's a
day to thank them for the public service they provide and to show support. It
is also a time to commemorate the officers that have died in the line of duty.
Law Enforcement Appreciation Day Facts
- As of 2018,
there are over 900,000 sworn police officers serving in the United States.
Approximately 12% are female.
- According to
the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund (NLEOMF), for the
ten-year period of 2008-2017, the main cause of death of police officers
was gunshots. The second one was auto crashes. 1511 police officers died
in the line of duty during said period.
- The Public
Safety Officer Medal of Valor is the highest honor that can be awarded to
a public safety officer in the United States. The awardees are posted here.
Law Enforcement Appreciation Day Top Events and Things to Do
- In 1989,
during the holiday season, Dolly Craig put two blue candles in her living
room window. The purpose was to commemorate her son-in-law, Daniel
Gleason, who died in the line of duty, and her daughter, Daniel's wife,
who died in a car accident in 1989. The idea was adopted by C.O.P.S
(Concerns of Police Survivors) under the name Project Blue Light. You can
take part by placing a blue light on your window during the holiday season
to commemorate fallen officers.
- Watch a
police movie. From infiltration films like Donnie Brasco
(1997) and The Departed (2006), to detective films like Se7en
(1995) and comedies like Hot Fuzz (2007).
- Wear blue.
- If you see a
law enforcement officer, thank them for their service.
- If you have a
positive story involving law enforcement, share it on social media.
Fitness Friday[4]
BRIGHT MINDS Program, which is designed to identify and treat all 11 risk factors that contribute to memory problems. Here is what the words BRIGHT MINDS stand for:
B – Blood Flow
R –
Retirement/Aging
I – Inflammation
G – Genetics
H – Head Trauma
T – Toxins
M – Mental
Health
I –
Immunity/Infection Issues
N – Neurohormone
Deficiencies
D – Diabesity
S – Sleep Issues
Watching your weight being 20 pounds overweight has a number of BRIGHT MINDS vulnerabilities, including low blood flow to the brain as well as high blood glucose, homocysteine and ferritin, or iron—all tied to faster aging.
In addition to getting older, the general risk factors associated with living past retirement age are:
·
Not working or working less than half-time
·
Social isolation
·
A lack of new learning
· Having attained less than a high school education
It is a good idea to have a checkup with your health-care provider to evaluate your current state of health. Request these specific lab tests:
·
Ferritin
· Telomere length (telomeres are casings at the ends of chromosomes that shorten with age; people with longer telomeres tend to live longer)
You can take these simple steps to make sure your mind and memory are sharp for years to come:
·
Spend at least 15 minutes a day learning something
new, such as a language, a musical instrument or dance moves.
·
Take your health seriously—eat well, exercise, get
seven hours of sleep a night.
·
Eat more antioxidant-rich foods like cocoa, walnuts,
blueberries, artichokes and pomegranates, and more choline-rich foods like
eggs, chicken, turkey, beef, scallops, shrimp, salmon, cod, chickpeas, and
lentils.
·
Limit your consumption of charred meats.
·
Supplement your diet with a good
multivitamin/mineral, extra vitamin D, omega-3 fatty acids EPA/DHA and the
following nutraceuticals to strengthen your brain: PS (phosphatidylserine),
alpha GPC (alpha-glycerylphosphorylcholine), ALCAR (acetyl-L-carnitine),
huperzine A, saffron (standardized extract), sage.
·
Try a daily 12-to-16-hour fast to help your brain
clear out debris (if dinner is at 7 pm, breakfast should be no earlier than 7
am)
·
Get the social support you need so you aren’t
isolated or lonely.
·
Volunteer for an organization you believe in
·
Donate blood if your ferritin is too high.
Daily Devotions
·
Unite in the work of the Porters of St. Joseph
by joining them in fasting: Today's Fast: Restoring the Constitution.
·
Offering to the sacred heart of Jesus
·
Rosary
January 9: The Day We Decide What Kind of World We Want
Why the UN Needs Renewal — and Why Both Statesmen and the Church Have a Role to Play
January 9 doesn’t show up on any calendar.
No feast. No holiday. No civic ritual.
But it’s a hinge — a quiet moment early in the year when we can pause and ask a question that’s bigger than politics and bigger than policy:
What kind of world are we building, and who is shaping it?
The United Nations was created to prevent another world war.
But the world of 2026 is not the world of 1945.
The architecture is creaking. The mission is drifting. The trust is thinning.
And yet — the need for cooperation, stability, and moral clarity has never been greater.
January 9 is the perfect day to say out loud what many already feel:
It’s time to rethink how the world works together.
Why This Matters to Us — Not Just to Diplomats
My readers aren’t passive observers.
You’re parents, builders, thinkers, believers, and citizens who understand that institutions shape culture — and culture shapes souls.
You know that when global systems drift, families feel it.
When bureaucracies overreach, communities feel it.
When nations lose sovereignty, people lose agency.
And when moral clarity disappears, the vulnerable suffer first.
So this isn’t an abstract conversation.
It’s a formation conversation.
A legacy conversation.
A “what kind of world will our children inherit” conversation.
What a Renewed UN Could Look Like
Not a global government.
Not an ideological referee.
Not a technocratic empire.
But a platform — a place where nations cooperate without surrendering their identity.
A renewed UN would:
- focus on peacekeeping, humanitarian response, and disease control
- cut the bloat and sunset programs that no longer serve
- make funding transparent and performance‑based
- give smaller nations real voice
- build a rapid‑response corps for crises
- decentralize agencies to the regions they serve
- enshrine a Sovereignty Charter so cooperation never becomes coercion
This is not utopian.
It’s practical.
It’s doable.
And it’s necessary.
Where the Church Fits — and Why It Matters
The Holy See is the smallest sovereign entity on earth, yet it carries a moral weight no superpower can match.
It has no armies.
No economic leverage.
No territorial ambitions.
And that is precisely why its presence at the UN matters.
The Church brings:
- a vocabulary of human dignity
- a tradition of peace rooted in justice
- a defense of the vulnerable
- a global humanitarian network
- a moral anthropology that sees persons, not populations
This is how Christ enters the UN — not through domination, but through witness.
Not by forcing doctrine, but by insisting on the dignity of every human life.
Not by imposing faith, but by reminding the world that policy without humanity becomes machinery.
The Church’s role is not to baptize the UN.
It is to humanize it.
A Word to Statesmen and Churchmen Alike
To political leaders:
A reformed UN strengthens sovereignty.
It reduces chaos.
It stabilizes regions.
It protects your people.
Reform is not weakness — it is stewardship.
To the Church:
Your diplomatic presence is not symbolic.
It is essential.
The world needs your clarity, your anthropology, your defense of the vulnerable, and your witness to the dignity of every human life.
The UN does not need a new ideology.
It needs a conscience.
A Word to My Readers
You know this already:
Renewal doesn’t begin in conference rooms.
It begins in hearts, homes, parishes, and communities.
It begins with people who refuse to accept drift as destiny.
January 9 is a quiet anniversary.
But it can become the day we choose to imagine something better:
- a world where cooperation is real
- where sovereignty is respected
- where the vulnerable are protected
- where institutions serve people
- and where Christ is present through the credibility of His Church
A world ready for renewal — and a people ready to build it.
Footnote:
Drafted with AI assistance; final ideas and edits are my own.
Here’s a tight, polished follow‑up that flows directly from your closing line — “A world ready for renewal — and a people ready to build it.”
It reads like the natural next post in your series: same voice, same momentum, same moral architecture.
Short, strong, and ready to drop into your blog.
What Comes Next: If Renewal Is Real, It Must Touch the Congo River
If we truly believe the world is ready for renewal — and that we are the people ready to build it — then we must look toward the places where renewal is most needed and most possible.
One of those places is the Congo Basin.
The Congo River is one of the most powerful waterways on earth, a natural engine of trade, agriculture, and human flourishing. Yet it remains underdeveloped, under‑connected, and under‑protected. A project like the Congo Canal — opening new trade routes, stabilizing the region, and lifting millions out of poverty — would be nothing short of transformational.
And it raises a simple question:
What if the UN actually helped build something that mattered?
Not a resolution.
Not a committee.
Not another decade of reports.
But a real, physical, life‑changing project.
A Congo Canal done well would require transparency, regional leadership, anti‑corruption safeguards, environmental stewardship, and a sovereignty‑first approach that honors the people who live along the river. It would also demand a neutral convener — someone who can keep great‑power competition from turning the project into a geopolitical tug‑of‑war.
This is where a renewed UN could prove its worth.
And this is where the Church’s presence becomes essential.
The Church is already in the Congo Basin — in villages, schools, clinics, and missions. It is one of the few institutions trusted by local communities. Its witness could ensure the project protects the vulnerable, respects the land, and resists the corruption that has wounded the region for generations.
This is how Christ enters global development:
through justice, stewardship, and the protection of the poor.
If the UN wants to show the world it can serve the common good, the Congo Canal is the place to begin.
If the Church wants to show the world that renewal is not a slogan but a mission, the Congo Basin is the place to stand.
A world ready for renewal needs projects worthy of the word.
And a people ready to build it need places where their courage can take root.
The Congo River is one of those places.
