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. "
Au Hasard Balthasar (1966) is one of those rare films that feels less like a story and more like a parable carved into celluloid. Given your love for Catholic moral architecture, symbolic storytelling, and the transmission of virtue through suffering, this one sits right in your wheelhouse.
Au Hasard Balthasar (1966)
Director: Robert Bresson
Genre: Spiritual Drama
Plot Summary
Balthasar, a humble donkey, passes through the hands of several owners in a rural French village. Each owner represents a different human vice or wound: childish innocence, adolescent cruelty, greed, lust, pride, and spiritual blindness.
Parallel to Balthasar’s journey is the story of Marie, a young woman whose purity and dignity are slowly eroded by the sins of others — especially the violent delinquent Gérard.
Balthasar endures beatings, exploitation, forced labor, and neglect, yet he remains steady, patient, and strangely holy. In the final sequence, wounded and burdened, he wanders into a field of sheep. The flock surrounds him like a living halo as he lies down and dies — a quiet, wordless martyrdom.
Major Themes
1. Innocence in a Fallen World
Balthasar is not a symbol of naïveté but of uncontaminated goodness. He absorbs the world’s cruelty without returning it.
He is the “beast of burden” in the most biblical sense — a silent Christ-figure.
2. The Banality of Sin
Bresson refuses melodrama. The sins inflicted on Balthasar and Marie are small, everyday, almost casual.
This is the film’s moral sting: evil often advances through ordinary people doing ordinary harm.
3. The Mystery of Suffering
Balthasar’s suffering is not redemptive in a transactional sense. It is redemptive because it reveals the truth about the human heart.
He becomes a mirror: each person’s treatment of him exposes their soul.
4. Grace Hidden in the Ordinary
Bresson’s Catholic imagination is austere. Grace is not loud.
It flickers in gestures: a child’s affection, a moment of tenderness, the sheep gathering around the dying donkey like a wordless absolution.
Catholic Resonances
Christological Echoes
Balthasar’s burdens mirror the Stations of the Cross.
His final resting among sheep evokes the Good Shepherd and the Paschal Lamb.
His silence recalls Isaiah’s Suffering Servant: “He opened not his mouth.”
Marie as a Marian Figure
Her name is not accidental.
She suffers not because she is guilty, but because she is good.
Her purity is assaulted by the world’s disorder — a meditation on how sin disfigures the innocent.
The Donkey in Salvation History
From Balaam’s donkey to the donkey that carries Christ into Jerusalem, Scripture consistently uses the humble animal as a vessel of revelation.
Balthasar continues that lineage:
a creature who sees clearly while humans remain blind.
Moral Takeaway
Holiness is often unnoticed.
Suffering borne with patience becomes a quiet testimony.
And the measure of a soul is revealed in how it treats the powerless.
Hospitality Pairing: Austerity with Dignity
This film demands a pairing that honors its simplicity and spiritual gravity.
Drink: A Rustic French Table Wine
A modest red from the Languedoc or Rhône
Unpretentious, earthy, slightly rough
The kind of wine peasants would drink at a wooden table after a day’s labor
It matches the film’s rural setting and its theology of the ordinary.
Food: Pain de Campagne with Salted Butter
Thick slices of country bread
High-quality cultured butter
Nothing fancy — just honest, nourishing, elemental
This is hospitality stripped to its bones, mirroring Bresson’s filmmaking.
Atmosphere
Dim lighting
Silence before and after the film
A posture of receptivity rather than entertainment
·Today in honor of the Holy Trinity do the Divine Office giving your day to God. To honor God REST: no shopping after 6 pm Saturday till Monday. Don’t forget the internet.
“Desert Light & Island Pilgrimage” February 15–21, 2026 Base: Puerto de la Cruz — Northern Coast Oasis
🌦️ Overview Tenerife in mid‑February is warm, dry, and luminous — 68–72°F, low humidity, and endless blue skies. The island blends volcanic landscapes, desert paths, laurel forests, black‑sand beaches, and a deep Catholic heritage. Theme: pilgrimage, desert stillness, mountain ascent, and walking with God in the light.
Abominable wickedness the LORD
hates and he does not let it happen to those who FEAR him.
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
When we finally face our anger with honesty, we often
discover that the evil we thought we were condemning “out there” is actually
rooted in something unresolved within us. Sirach reminds us that the Lord hates
wickedness, yet protects those who fear Him—not by removing conflict, but by
illuminating the hidden motives that distort our reactions. Paul’s call to “put
away the old self” is not a moral slogan; it is an invitation to let Christ
dismantle the interior patterns that make us defensive, reactive, or self‑deceived.
The old self interprets everything through pride and woundedness, while the
renewed mind sees with clarity, humility, and truth.
Confronting evil, then, begins with allowing Christ to
confront us. Not to shame, but to reorder. Not to expose us to humiliation, but
to free us from the inner hooks that temptation grabs onto. When grace
interrupts our instinctive anger, we begin to see how often our outrage was
simply the echo of our own unhealed places. And in that moment, the person we
resented becomes the instrument God used to reveal what still needs redemption.
This is the holy fear that guards us, the path that keeps us from slavery to
the earth, and the quiet courage that turns our steps toward Heaven.
The Day of the Risen Lord
and of the Gift
of the Holy Spirit
The
day of the new creation
25. In effect, Sunday is the day
above all other days which summons Christians to remember the salvation which
was given to them in baptism and which has made them new in Christ. "You
were buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through
faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead" (Col
2:12; cf. Rom 6:4-6). The liturgy underscores this baptismal dimension
of Sunday, both in calling for the celebration of baptisms — as well as at the
Easter Vigil — on the day of the week "when the Church commemorates the
Lord's Resurrection", and in suggesting as an appropriate penitential rite
at the start of Mass the sprinkling of holy water, which recalls the moment of
Baptism in which all Christian life is born.
"We
are going up to Jerusalem" -- a setting of the stage for the pilgrimage of
Lent, and the one thing we must bring with us: charity. [Also, traditional time
for going to confession]
In the Roman Catholic
Church, the terms for this Sunday (and the two immediately before it —
Sexagesima and Septuagesima Sundays) were eliminated in the reforms following
the Second Vatican Council, and these Sundays are part of Ordinary Time.
According to the reformed Roman Rite Roman Catholic calendar, this Sunday is
now known by its number within Ordinary Time — fourth through ninth, depending
upon the date of Easter. The earlier form of the Roman Rite, with its
references to Quinquagesima Sunday, and to the Sexagesima and Septuagesima
Sundays, continues to be observed in some communities. In traditional
lectionaries, the Sunday concentrates on Luke 18:31–43, "Jesus took the
twelve aside and said, 'Lo, we go to Jerusalem, and everything written by the
prophets about the Son of Man shall be fulfilled' ... The disciples, however,
understood none of this," which from verse 35 is followed by Luke's version
of Healing the blind near Jericho. The
passage presages the themes of Lent and Holy Week.
ON[4] this
Sunday the Church, in the Introit, calls upon God for help, with a sorrowful
but confident heart. Be Thou unto me a protector and place of refuge; save me,
for Thou art my strength and refuge, and for Thy name’s sake Thou wilt be my
leader, and wilt nourish me. In Thee, O Lord, have I hoped; let me never be
confounded; deliver me in Thy justice, and set me free; (Ps. xxx. 3, 4, 2).
Mercifully hear our prayers, O
Lord, we beseech Thee, and, absolving us from the bonds of sin, preserve us
from all adversity. Amen.
EPISTLE, i. COT. xiii. 1-13.
Brethren: If I speak with
the tongues of men, and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as
sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal; and if I should have prophecy, and should
know all mysteries, and all knowledge, and if I should have all faith, so that
I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. And if I should
distribute all my goods to feed the poor, and if I should deliver my body to be
burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing. Charity is patient, is
kind: charity envieth not, dealeth not perversely, is not puffed up, is not
ambitious, seeketh not her own, is not provoked to anger, thinketh no evil,
rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth with the truth: beareth all things,
believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Charity never
falleth away: whether prophecies shall be made void, or tongues shall cease, or
knowledge shall be destroyed. For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. But
when that which is perfect is come, that which is in part shall be done away.
When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a
child. But when I became a man, I put away the things of a child. We see now
through a glass in a dark manner: but then face to face. Now I know in part:
but then I shall know even as I am known. And now there remain, faith, hope,
charity: these three, but the greatest of these is charity.
Explanation. St. Paul here teaches the Romans,
and us in them, the necessity, the qualities, and the advantages of charity:
The necessity because all natural and supernatural gifts all good works,
virtues, and sacrifices even martyrdom itself cannot save us if we have no
charity. By charity only are we and our works pleasing to God. The qualities of
charity which are good-will without envy, suspicion, perversity, or malice;
pure intention without selflove, ambition, immodesty, or injustice; untiring
patience without hastiness; and, finally, humble submission to God, Who is all
to him that possesses charity. The advantages of charity in that it gives to
good works their value, and that it never fails; for while all things else
cease while faith passes into seeing, hope into possession, knowledge in part
into knowledge of the whole charity is ever lasting, and therefore the greatest
of the three. Faith, “says St. Augustine,”; lays the foundation of the house of
God; hope builds up the walls; charity covers and completes it.”
Aspiration. O God of love
pour into my heart the spirit of charity, that, according to the spirit of St.
Paul, I may always endeavor to be in the state of grace, that so all my works
may be pleasing to Thee, and of merit to me. Amen.
GOSPEL. Luke xviii. 31-43.
At that time: Jesus took
unto Him the twelve, and said to them: Behold we go up to Jerusalem, and all
things shall be accomplished which were written by the prophets concerning the
Son of man; for He shall be delivered to the gentiles, and shall be mocked, and
scourged, and spit upon: and after they have scourged Him they will put Him to
death, and the third day He shall rise again. And they understood none of these
things, and this word was hid from them, and they understood not the things
that were said. Now it came to pass when He drew nigh to Jericho, that a
certain blind man sat by the wayside, begging. And when he heard the multitude
passing by, he asked what this meant. And they told him that Jesus of Nazareth
was passing by. And he cried out, saying Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me.
And they that went before, rebuked him, that he should hold his peace. But he
cried out much more: Son of David, have mercy on me. And Jesus standing
commanded him to be brought unto Him. And when he was come near, He asked him,
saying: What wilt thou that I do to thee? But he said: Lord, that I may see.
And Jesus said to him: Receive thy sight: thy faith hath made thee whole. And
immediately he saw, and followed Him, glorifying God. And all the people when
they saw it gave praise to God.
Why
did Our Savior so often predict His sufferings to His apostles?
1.
To show that He already knew of them, thereby indicating His omniscience; and
that,
2.
He desired to suffer.
3.
In order that His disciples should not be scandalized at His humiliation, nor
think evil of Him as if He had deceived them, but by remembering His words, be
rather confirmed in their belief in Him as the Son of God and Redeemer of the
world.
Did
not the apostles understand anything of what He thus predicted in regard to His
sufferings?
They
may have known that He was to suffer, for St. Peter undertook to dissuade Him
from it (Matt. xvi. 22), but they could not reconcile these predictions with
their expectation of a future glorious kingdom. Nor would we be able to cast
off our prejudices, and understand the truths of the faith, however plainly
taught, were we not enlightened by the Holy Ghost.
What
should we learn from this history of the blind man?
1.
The inexpressible misfortune of blindness of the heart a state in which we know
not our God, our Redeemer and Sanctifier, and see neither the way of divine
life, nor the hindrances to our salvation, but grope about in the darkness of
ignorance and sin.
2.
Where to find One Who will save us from this awful condition, in Jesus Christ
healing and enlightening us through and in His Church.
3.
The holy zeal and perseverance with which we should seek and call upon Him for
deliverance, disregarding alike the bad examples, persecutions, and mockery of
the world.
4.
How fervently we should thank God, and how faithfully we should follow Him,
after He has opened the eyes of our soul and freed us, by His grace, from the
spiritual blindness of sin.
It is for this reason that
Quinquagesima has been known as “Pork Sunday” since the Middle Ages because
this was a day when Christians tried to use up their remaining pork, one of the
most heavily consumed meats within Christian culture at the time. Likewise, the
Monday after Quinquagesima was called Pork Monday, although it later came to be
known as Shrove Monday or Collop Monday in countries like England.
On these two days, most of
the remaining meat found in Christian homes and businesses was to be consumed,
as they needed to get rid of it before they began fasting on Wednesday. If any
meat was unable to be eaten on these two days, it was typically dried and
salted in an attempt to preserve it for after Easter. Although meat was also
consumed on Fat Tuesday, that day was more dedicated to the final consumption
of dairy, fats, and sugars.
The recipe that we chose
to share with you today is for pork chops, made with a sweet and smoky rub. Not
only does this recipe nod to Quinquagesima’s alternative name, but is also uses
a sugary topping, something that is forgone during the Lenten season.
NOVENA TO THE HOLY
FACE
DAILY
PREPARATORY PRAYER
O Most Holy and
Blessed Trinity, through the intercession of Holy Mary, whose soul was pierced
through by a sword of sorrow at the sight of the passion of her Divine Son, we
ask your help in making a perfect Novena of reparation with Jesus, united with
all His sorrows, love and total abandonment.
We now implore all the
Angels and Saints to intercede for us as we pray this Holy Novena to the Most
Holy Face of Jesus and for the glory of the most Holy Trinity, Father, Son and
Holy Spirit. Amen.
(Start novena)
Eighth
Day
Psalm
51, 16-17.
O rescue me, God my helper, and my tongue shall ring out your goodness. O Lord,
open my lips, and my mouth shall declare your praise.
Most merciful Face of
Jesus, who in this vale of tears was so moved by our misfortunes to call
yourself the healer of the sick, and the good Shepherd of the souls gone
astray, allow not Satan to draw us away from you, but keep us always under your
loving protection, together with all souls who endeavor to console you. Mary,
our Mother, intercede for us, Saint Joseph, pray for us.
Through the merits of your
precious blood and your Holy Face, O Jesus, grant us our petition, Pardon and
Mercy.
Prayer
to Saint Peter
O glorious Saint Peter,
who in return for thy lively and generous faith, thy profound and sincere
humility and thy burning love, was honored by Jesus Christ with singular
privileges, and in particular, with the leadership of the other apostles and
the primacy of the whole church, of which thou was made the foundation stone,
do thou obtain for us the grace of a lively faith, that shall not fear to
profess itself openly in its entirety and in all of its manifestations, even to
the shedding of blood, if occasion should demand it, and to the sacrifice of
life itself in preference to surrender. Obtain for us likewise a sincere
loyalty to our Holy Mother the Church. Grant that we may ever remain most
closely and sincerely united to the Holy Father, who is the heir of thy faith
and of thy authority, the one true visible head of the Catholic Church. Grant,
moreover, that we may follow, in all humility and meekness, the Church’s
teaching and counsels and may be obedient to all her precepts, in order to be
able here on earth to enjoy a peace that is sure and undisturbed, and to attain
one day in heaven to everlasting happiness. Amen.
Pray
one (1) Our Father, (3) Hail Mary’s, (1) Glory Be.
O Bleeding Face, O Face Divine, be every adoration Thine. (Three times)
In 1913 the renowned Harry Emerich
Fosdick wrote a 12-week study on the Manhood of Jesus Christ.
Fosdick writes, “This work is not a portrait of the life of the Master or a
study of his teaching. It is an endeavor to understand and appreciate the
quality of his character. Neither this this work an attempted to contribution
to the theology; it is an endeavor, rather, to get back behind the thoughts of
the centuries about him, and to see the Man Christ Jesus himself as he lives in
the pages of the gospels.
During
the Lenten period we will utilize the work to come closer to Christ’s manhood
using this source as fruit for a study of Christ. Hopefully our study will help
us rise with Christ and become true sons of Mary and the Church.
Fr. Mike expands on Ezekiel 33 and emphasizes that the role of a
prophet, is to be God's watchman and speak whatever it is God wants to be
spoken. He stresses the reality that those who are teachers and leaders, who
shape and form the consciences of others, have the responsibility to speak the
truth even when it's hard. Today's readings are Jeremiah 5, Ezekiel 33, and
Proverbs 14:21-24.
After a Christmas spent
with elderly family members asking when they’re finally going to get married or
at least find a boyfriend or girlfriend to bring home, life does not get any
easier for singles after Christmas, either. No sooner have the Santa Claus and
snowman decorations vanished from the shops than the shelves begin to burst
with cuddly teddy bears, heart-shaped balloons and boxes of cheap chocolates,
all in shades of nauseating neon pinks and reds. Yes, Valentine’s Day has
become one of the world’s most profitable occasions, yet another marketing
scheme that has hit pay dirt more than the original creators of the idea could
have ever dreamed. If you’re not in a relationship Valentine’s Day is bad
enough, what with all the additional pressure to be ‘romantic’, if such rampant
and blatant consumerism and commercialism can be considered romantic at all.
The restaurants are all overpacked with couples trying too hard to impress each
other, and it seems every flower in the whole city has been bought out, just so
someone can say it’s pretty once and then thrown away. Hallmark holidays are
called that for a reason. For singles, on the other hand, Valentine’s Day can
be a simple and cruel reminder that they are alone. No pink stuffed animals for
them, and no tacky heart-shaped boxes of poor-quality chocolate, either though
one does tend to wonder whether that really makes them worse off in the first
place. Singles Awareness Day used to
be an alternate name used for Valentine’s Day among those who found themselves
unattached during the day, but it all became too depressing. So, by
single’s hive-mind consensus, it fell to the day after as a perfect antidote to
all of the neon nonsense.
How to Celebrate Singles
Awareness/Appreciation Day
·It’s
a humorous holiday to celebrate being single, to share with single friends, to
send each other presents or even order yourself some flowers. On this day many
people wear green, as it is the complementary opposite of red.
·Another
popular option is an absence of color (black), to symbolize an absence of
celebration.
·One
increasingly popular activity is to travel to Brazil and witness the
Brazilian Carnival. The trip, coupled with the fact that Brazil doesn’t
celebrate Valentine’s Day on February 14, but in June, provides a temporary
getaway from the neon pink of the Valentine’s holiday in the Western culture,
by simply substituting it with another celebration.
·Some
who celebrate Singles Awareness Day just want to remind romantic couples that
they don’t need to be in a relationship to celebrate life, and that the key to
being happy is being able to be happy with yourself.
·Contrary
to popular misconceptions, Singles Awareness Day is not about self-pity but
rather a chance to announce to the world that you are single and happy to be
so. Originally, most singles referred to February 14 as Single’s Awareness Day
(acronym: SAD) until it they realized that that was just depressing. Choosing
the next day allowed single people a chance to turn this into a celebration
rather than a festival of self-pity. There is no reason to be miserable that
you are independent and unattached; on the contrary, there are many more people
in relationships than you might think who rather wish they were in your shoes,
with nobody to answer to but themselves. This is the day that all of the
single people can proudly stand up and show that it is okay to be single. Take
that, cupid!
While cleaning out my files the other day
I came across this note. I don’t know the source but thought I would share it.
A Note From Heaven
Dear
Beloved, One,
I see
your loneliness and fears, your guilt and frustrations. I see your endless
search for love and fulfillment. All this must be, in order for you to come the
end of your own understanding—then you can hear My voice. Listen carefully amid
the noise of the world and you will hear…I love you, I shed My blood for you to
make you clean. Give yourself completely to Me. I created you to be just as you
are, and you are lovely in My eyes. Do not criticize yourself or become
depressed for not being perfect in your own eyes. This leads only to
frustrations. I want you to trust Me one step, one second at a time. Dwell in
My power and My love and be free, be yourself. Don’t allow other people to
control you. I will guide you, if you let Me, but be aware of My presence in
everything. I will give you patience, love, joy, and peace. Look to Me for
answers for I am your shepherd and will lead you. Follow Me only!! Do not ever
forget this. Listen and I will tell you My will.
Let
My love flow from you and spill over to all you touch. Be not concerned with
yourself—you are My responsibility. I will change you without your ever knowing
it. You are to love yourself and love others, simply because I love you. Take
your eyes off yourself, look only to Me, I lead, I change, I create, but not
when you are striving. You are mine…let Me have the joy of making you like
Christ.
Your
only command is to look to Me and Me, only—never to yourself and never to
others. Do not struggle but relax in My love. I know what is best and will do
it in you. Stop trying to become and let me make you what I want.
My
will is perfect;
My
love is sufficient. I will
Supply
all your needs…
Only
look to Me.
I love you,
Your Heavenly Father
Attend a Horse Show
February 15-25
Visit the annual Arabian Horse Show in Scottsdale, Arizona to watch over
2,400 horses compete for a chance at winning the coveted gold title. In between
the competitions, there are plenty of kids’ activities like an ice cream
social, pony painting (ceramic ponies, not real ones), and art contests. And
the best part, kids 17 and under are free.
Daily
Devotions/Activities
·Unite in the work of the Porters of St. Joseph by joining them
in fasting: Today's Fast: The Families of St. Joseph
Porters
A 1936 Paramount crime‑romance caper, directed by George Archainbaud, running a brisk 65 minutes. Though firmly under the Production Code, it carries the afterglow of pre‑Code sophistication: jewel thieves with charm, moral ambiguity softened but not erased, and a heroine whose wit outshines the men chasing her.
Cast:
Gertrude Michael — Sophie Lang / Ethel Thomas
Guy Standing — Max Bernard
Ray Milland — Jimmy Dawson
Elizabeth Patterson, Colin Tapley, Leon Errol
2. Plot in a Tight Frame
Five years after faking her own death to escape her jewel‑thief past, Sophie Lang lives quietly in London under the alias Ethel Thomas, serving as companion to wealthy collector Araminta Sedley.
When they sail for New York with a priceless diamond locked in the ship’s safe, the past converges:
Max Bernard, her old criminal partner, resurfaces
A charming reporter (Ray Milland) recognizes her from her own “funeral”
The diamond becomes a magnet for temptation, suspicion, and pursuit
The film dances between flirtation, deception, and near‑exposure until a final showdown forces Sophie to choose between the thrill of her old life and the possibility of redemption.
3. Why It Carries Pre‑Code DNA
Though released well after the Code crackdown, the film retains unmistakable pre‑Code fingerprints:
A glamorous female criminal as protagonist
Flirtation as a strategic weapon
Moral ambiguity treated with charm rather than punishment
A heroine who outsmarts both lawmen and thieves
A tone that treats crime as cleverness rather than depravity
The Code forces a gentler landing, but the spirit of 1931–1933 lingers in Sophie’s eyes.
4. Catholic & Moral‑Thematic Reading
A. The Double Life
Sophie’s alias is not merely a disguise — it’s a longing for a self she has not yet become. Moral lens: the tension between identity and repentance; the ache of wanting virtue while still drawn to vice.
B. The Diamond as Symbol
The jewel represents:
temptation,
the glitter of old habits,
the illusion that beauty can justify wrongdoing.
Catholic counterpoint: true treasure is interior — virtue, integrity, and the courage to renounce false glitter.
C. The Pursuit of Sophie
Both the criminal world and the law chase her, but so does a man who sees her capacity for goodness. Moral lens:
grace pursuing the sinner
the possibility of redemption through truth
the dignity of being seen not only for one’s past but for one’s potential
D. The Ship as Moral Stage
A confined space where masks slip, loyalties shift, and choices must be made. Spiritual insight: isolation often reveals the heart — and forces a reckoning with who we are becoming.
Theme: Learning Obedience, Work, and Interior Mastery in the Home of the Holy Family
After dwelling with Mary in Ephesus, the Conqueror now enters the quiet world that shaped Christ Himself. Nazareth is the school of hiddenness, craftsmanship, obedience, and interior strength — the virtues that forged the Savior long before His public ministry.
🏨 Where We Stay
Casa Nova Franciscan Guest House (Cheap, clean, and steps from the Basilica)
Walk the old streets surrounding the Greek Orthodox Church of the Annunciation Search: Greek Orthodox Annunciation Nazareth (bing.com in Bing) (bing.com in Bing)
Pray the Joyful Mysteries as you walk. Mass: Basilica of the Annunciation Stay: Casa Nova
Feb 20 – Day of Silence & Hiddenness
🕊️ Symbolic Act: “Becoming Small Before God”
Keep a half‑day of silence.
Journal on the virtues of Nazareth: humility, obedience, patience, purity, steady work.
Offer your hidden sacrifices for your family and for the salvation of souls. Mass: Basilica of the Annunciation Stay: Casa Nova
The Book of Numbersisn't just some
super ancient story with weird laws and tips for which offerings make the most
pleasing odor for the Lord. Well, it is all those things. But Numbers is also
about one of the most epic road trips ever taken. The story starts out where
Exodus left the Israelites—in the middle of the desert after having escaped
from slavery in Egypt. Once they set out on the road, the Israelites' story
pretty quickly turns to shambles when they start breaking the law. God's law.
And then God forces them to wander around in the desert for forty years until
all the old sinners have died off.
Why
Should I Care?
When the Israelites commit
the ultimate sin—doubting God—the Almighty Father breaks out his worst
punishment yet. Remember that time you got grounded for the weekend and missed
that awesome party? Well, the Israelites got grounded for forty years and weren't
allowed to set foot in the Promised Land until half the community had died off.
But even though God can dole out consequences with the best of them, it's also
clear that he loves his little rugrats to pieces. He sets limits for them
because they're his chosen people and he wants them to be the best they can be.
Aww. Sniff. Honestly, Israelites, God only sends poisonous snakes to bite you
because he loves you. So next time your parents aren't acting as cool as you
know they could be, just remember, it could be way worse. At least when you get
a little sassy, they don't send you to your room without dinner for the next
forty years.
Then the LORD came down in a column
of cloud, and standing at the entrance of the tent, called, “Aaron and Miriam.”
When both came forward,the LORD said: Now
listen to my words: If there are prophets among you, in visions I reveal myself
to them, in dreams I speak to them; Not so with my servant Moses! Throughout my house he is worthy of trust:face
to face I speak to him,plainly and not in riddles. The likeness of
the LORD he beholds. Why, then, do you not FEAR
to speak against my servant Moses?
Moses was 100 percent for God and God had Moses back;
protecting him from the spin (media/backbiters) of his time. Moses was humbled
before God, while at the same time confident. Moses lived the Shema Yisrael
which is the same prayer the Christ most likely prayed every morning Himself
and is still prayed by pious Jews today.
Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God,
the Lord is one; and you shall love the Lord your God with all your Heart, and
with all your soul, and with your entire mind, and with all your strength.
Rabbi Yisrael Kaniel says
of Moses:
God by referring to
Moses in terms of “In all My House he is trusted,” we understand that G-d has
no reservations at all about Moses’ trustworthiness. G-d has absolutely
no qualms about providing Moses with all the information about His business, as
it were. Moses was deemed worthy of such immense trust because “The man
Moses was the most humble person who ever walked the face of the earth”
(Bamidbar 12:3). Relative to G-d, Moses totally nullified himself.
He had no ego when it came to the Master of the world. His interests were
100% the interests of the Al-Mighty; consequently, G-d had no reason to
withhold any secrets from him. As a result, as R. Moshe Chaim Luzzato
writes, every secret of creation was open to him. May we even remotely approach
the level of Moses in reducing our egos to the minimum in order to reap the
benefits of enjoying G-d’s secrets, and may we, thereby, enjoy the maximum
happiness and satisfaction for the rest of our lives – in this world and in the
world to come.[1]
Remember
to always reverence and respect those who have dedicated their lives to the
service of God; for when you do, you do it, for God.
Copilot’s Take
Fear is one of Scripture’s most
persistent antagonists. It shadows Israel through the desert, whispers at the
edges of every miracle, and disguises itself as “realism” whenever God asks for
trust. But fear is never passive. It either becomes the doorway to deeper
obedience or the excuse that keeps a man wandering in circles for forty years.
In Numbers, fear doesn’t roar. It
corrodes. It shows up as doubt, comparison, grumbling, and the quiet suspicion
that maybe God won’t come through this time. That’s the real danger: fear that
rewrites reality.
But the men God uses most
powerfully confront fear differently. They don’t deny it. They don’t muscle
through it. They submit it.
Moses stands before God with no
ego. Cyril and Methodius walk into foreign lands with no guarantee of success.
St. Joseph rises in the night, again and again, obeying before he understands.
Fear loses its grip the moment
obedience becomes more important than certainty.
When a man fears God rightly, he
becomes unshakeable everywhere else.
Evil today works the same way it
did in the desert—not by spectacle, but by distortion. It bends truth just
enough to make disobedience feel reasonable, silence feel safe, and compromise
feel harmless. It convinces good men to retreat into privacy, to avoid
conflict, to let someone else take responsibility. The real confrontation,
then, is not with dramatic villains but with the subtle forces that try to
shrink a man’s courage and dilute his convictions. To confront evil today is to
refuse that shrinking. It is to stand where God places you, speak when truth is
required, act when responsibility calls, and obey even when the path is
unclear. Evil loses its leverage the moment a man decides he will not be ruled
by fear.
Saints — Cyril & Methodius
Cyril and Methodius were
missionary brothers who brought the Gospel to the Slavic peoples by honoring
their language and culture. They created the first Slavic alphabet, translated
Scripture, and proved that true evangelization never crushes a people—it elevates
them. Their courage, humility, and cultural respect make them icons of
missionary boldness and Christian unity.
I did not understand St. Joseph
well enough, but that will change.
— St. John of the Cross
In the 16th century, St.
John of the Cross humbly acknowledged that
he lacked a proper understanding of the greatness of St. Joseph. Inspired by
the tremendous love that his friend, St. Teresa of Avila, had for St. Joseph,
St. John of the Cross made a firm resolution to get to know and love St. Joseph
better.
Do you feel you understand his greatness and
love for you?
Saint José Manyanet, a priest in 19th-century Spain, fervently
promoted devotion to St. Joseph and the Holy Family. He prophesied that a “time
of St. Joseph” would soon arrive in the life of the Church. He wrote:
I believe that the true time of
Saint Joseph has not arrived yet: after two thousand years we started only now
to glimpse something of the mystery in which he is immersed.
Well,
my friends, I firmly believe that in our day the Lord wants to direct our
hearts, families, parishes, dioceses, and Church to St. Joseph in a major way.
In 1961, St. Pope John XXIII made a profound statement about St. Joseph. He
wrote:
In the Holy Church’s worship,
right from the beginning, Jesus, the Word of God made man, has enjoyed the
adoration that belongs to him, incommunicable as the splendor of the substance
of his Father, a splendor reflected in the glory of his saints. From the
earliest times, Mary, his mother, was close behind him, in the pictures in the
catacombs and the basilicas, where she was devoutly venerated as “Holy Mother
of God.” But Joseph, except for some slight sprinkling of references to him
here and there in the writings of the Fathers [of the Church], for long
centuries remained in the background, in his characteristic concealment, almost
as a decorative figure in the overall picture of the Savior’s life. It took
time for devotion to him to go beyond those passing glances and take root in
the hearts of the faithful, and then surge forth in the form of special prayers
and of a profound sense of trusting abandonment. The fervent joy of pouring
forth these deepest feelings of the heart in so many impressive ways has been
saved for modern times!
What the Vicar of Christ clearly
stated is that now is the time of St. Joseph. We are living
in modern times, the time in which the Church is witnessing an unprecedented
era of devotion to St. Joseph. According to St. Pope John XXIII, God desires
devotion to St. Joseph to surge forth in our day in the form of special prayers
of “trusting abandonment.” This means one thing in particular:
It’s
time for total consecration to St. Joseph! Here is a list a list of remarkable events
that have taken place over the past 150 years that show St. Joseph’s increasing
importance in the life of the Church. They clearly indicate that we are living
in an unprecedented time of St. Joseph.
·1868 — Blessed
Jean-Joseph Lataste, OP, writes a letter to Blessed Pope Pius IX asking him to
declare St. Joseph the “Patron of the Universal Church.”
·1870 — Blessed Pope
Pius IX declares St. Joseph the “Patron of the Universal Church.”
·1871 — Founding of the
Josephites by Cardinal Herbert A. Vaughan
·1873 — Founding of the
Congregation of St. Joseph by St. Leonardo Murialdo
·1878 — Founding of the
Oblates of St. Joseph by St. Joseph Marello
·1879 — Apparitions at
Knock, Ireland. Saint Joseph appears with the Blessed Virgin Mary, St. John the
Apostle, and Jesus (appearing as the Lamb of God).
·1889 — Pope Leo XIII
writes Quamquam Pluries, an encyclical letter on St. Joseph.
·1895 — Blessed Petra
of St. Joseph begins construction on a shrine to St. Joseph in Barcelona,
Spain. It is consecrated in 1901. At her beatification in 1994, St. John Paul
II calls Blessed Petra the “apostle of St. Joseph of the 19th century.”
·1904 — Saint André
Bessette constructs an oratory dedicated to St. Joseph in Montreal, Canada. It
expands, is declared a minor basilica, and finally is completed in 1967. Today,
it is known as St. Joseph’s Oratory and is considered by many to be the preeminent
international center of devotion to St. Joseph.
·1908 — Saint Luigi
Guanella begins constructing a church dedicated to St. Joseph in Rome. It is
completed and consecrated as a basilica in 1912.
·1909 — Saint Pope Pius
X officially approves the Litany of St. Joseph.
·1914 — Saint Luigi
Guanella founds the Pious Union of St. Joseph for the Salvation of the Dying.
·1917 — Apparitions at
Fatima, Portugal. During the last apparition on October 13, St. Joseph appears
holding the Child Jesus and blessing the world.
·1921 — Pope Benedict
XV inserts the phrase “Blessed be St. Joseph, her most chaste spouse” into the
Divine Praises.
·1947 — Spanish
Discalced Carmelites found Estudios Josefinos, the first
theological journal devoted to St. Joseph.
·1950s — The alleged
apparitions of Our Lady of America given to Sr. Mary Ephrem emphasize a renewed
devotion to St. Joseph, and St. Joseph himself speaks to the visionary about
this devotion.
·1955 — Venerable Pope
Pius XII establishes the Feast of St. Joseph the Worker, to be celebrated on
May 1.
·1962 — Saint Pope John
XXIII inserts St. Joseph’s name into the Canon of the Mass (Eucharistic Prayer
I).
·1989 — Saint Pope John
Paul II writes Redemptoris Custos, an apostolic exhortation on
St. Joseph.
Whoa! Did you know all that?
Most people are unaware of these
remarkable events. Without exaggeration, the Church has done more to promote
St. Joseph in the last 150 years than in the previous 1,800 years of
Christianity!
But why now?
Why St. Joseph?
There are many reasons, but I believe there are two that are especially
important.
First, we need the spiritual fatherhood of St. Joseph to help us protect
marriage and the family. Marriage and the family have always been under attack,
but in modern times, the threats have reached extraordinary heights. Many
people no longer know what it means to be a man or a woman, let alone what
constitutes a marriage and a family. Many countries even claim to have
redefined marriage and the family. There is great confusion on these matters,
greater confusion than in any previous era of human history. The Servant of God
Sr. Lucia dos Santos, the longest-lived visionary of the Fatima apparitions,
knew the seriousness of the times and made a powerful statement about this
issue. She wrote:
The final battle between the
Lord and the kingdom of Satan will be about marriage and the family.
To
combat and overcome Satan’s deceptions, the Church needs St. Joseph. His
example and protection are the only way out of the confusing mess we are in.
Who
else can we turn to who can help us understand what marriage and the family are
all about if not to the Head of the Holy Family and our spiritual father?
Second, the entire world needs to be re-evangelized, including the vast
majority of baptized Christians. Saint Joseph was the first missionary. Today,
he desires again to bring Jesus to the nations. Many nations and cultures that
were previously Christian have fallen away from their Christian roots and are
on a path of self-destruction. Countries once established on Judeo-Christian
principles have become overrun by ideologies and organizations that seek to
strip society of all that is sacred. Without a major turnaround, civilization
itself is going to self-destruct.
In an apostolic exhortation on St. Joseph in 1989, St. John Paul II reminded us
of the necessity of invoking St. Joseph in the work of re-evangelizing the
world. He wrote:
This
patronage [of St. Joseph] must be invoked as ever necessary for the Church, not
only as a defense against all dangers, but also, and indeed primarily, as an
impetus for her renewed commitment to evangelization in the world and to
re-evangelization in those lands and nations where religion and the Christian
life were formerly flourishing and are now put to a hard test.
Now is the time to consecrate yourself to St. Joseph!
God is telling his Church that, in
order to defend marriage and the family, elevate morals, recover lost ground,
and win souls for Jesus Christ, we need to bring St. Joseph onto the
battlefield. He is the Terror of Demons! With his powerful spiritual fatherhood,
incredible love for his spiritual children, and constant intercession, the
Church can be renewed as a light to the nations!
What exactly is consecration to St. Joseph? In other words, what does it mean
for a person to be consecrated to St. Joseph? Well, it basically means that you
acknowledge that he is your spiritual father, and you want to be like him. To
show it, you entrust yourself entirely to his paternal care so that he can help
you acquire his virtues and become holy. Total consecration to St. Joseph means
you make a formal act of filial entrustment to your spiritual father so that he
can take care of your spiritual well-being and lead you to God. The person who
consecrates himself to St. Joseph wants to be as close to their spiritual father
as possible, to the point of resembling him in virtue and holiness. Saint
Joseph, in turn, will give those consecrated to him his loving attention,
protection, and guidance.
Perhaps someone reading this has already consecrated themselves entirely to the
Blessed Virgin Mary, and is wondering if they can consecrate themselves to St.
Joseph and entrust everything to him, as well. The answer is a resounding “Yes!”
God desires that all children be committed to the love and care of a mother and
a father. You are not a member of a single-parent spiritual family. Mary is
your spiritual mother, and St. Joseph is your spiritual father. The spiritual
fatherhood of St. Joseph is extremely important for your spiritual growth.
Total consecration to Mary is not diminished by total consecration to St.
Joseph. Mary wants you to consecrate yourself to St. Joseph! Jesus wants you to
consecrate yourself to St. Joseph! Everything you have given to Jesus and Mary
can also be given to St. Joseph. The hearts of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph are one.
So, is there a book that offers a method of consecration to St. Joseph? Yes,
there is! It’s called Consecration
to St. Joseph: The Wonders of our Spiritual Fatherand it follows
a method similar to the tried-and-true 33-day preparation method employed by
St. Louis de Montfort in his Marian consecration. The 33-day program can be
done by individuals, parishes, and entire diocese. Through this program, I hope
to spark the first worldwide movement of consecration to St. Joseph!
Consecration to St. Joseph has endorsements from Cardinal Raymond
Burke, Bishop Athanasius Schneider, Jim Caviezel, Scott Hahn, and many others.
Get your copy of Consecration to St. Joseph and be part of
the movement! Go to www.consecrationtostjoseph.org to find out more!
Holy
Spirit, God of light, fill us with your radiance bright;
Gentle
father of the poor, make us, by your help, secure;
Come,
your boundless grace impart, bring your love to every heart.
Lord of consolation, come, warm us
when our hearts are numb;
Great consoler, come and heal, to
our souls your strength reveal;
Cool, refreshing comfort pour, and
our peace of mind restore.
Light immortal, fire divine, with
your love our hearts refine;
Come, our inmost being fill, make
us all to do your will;
Goodness you alone can give, grant
that in your grace we live.
Come, our lukewarm hearts inspire,
mold our wills to your desire;
In our weakness make us strong,
and amend our every wrong;
Guide us when we go astray, wash
our stain of guilt away.
Give to every faithful soul, gifts
of grace to make us whole;
Help us when we come to die, so
that we may live on high;
Ever let your love descend, give
us joys that never end.
Litany of St. Joseph
Lord, have mercy on us
Christ, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us.
Jesus, hear us,
Jesus, graciously hear us.
God the Father of heaven,
have mercy on us.
God the Son, Redeemer of the World,
have mercy on us.
God the Holy Spirit,
have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, one God,
have mercy on us.
Holy Mary,
pray for us.
St. Joseph,
pray for us.
Renowned offspring of David,
pray for us.
Light of Patriarchs,
pray for us.
Spouse of the Mother of God,
pray for us.
Chaste guardian of the Virgin,
pray for us.
Foster father of the Son of God,
pray for us.
Diligent protector of Christ,
pray for us.
Head of the Holy Family,
pray for us.
Joseph most just,
pray for us.
Joseph most chaste,
pray for us.
Joseph most prudent,
pray for us.
Joseph most strong,
pray for us.
Joseph most obedient,
pray for us.
Joseph most faithful,
pray for us.
Mirror of patience,
pray for us.
Lover of poverty,
pray for us.
Model of artisans,
pray for us.
Glory of home life,
pray for us.
Guardian of virgins,
pray for us.
Pillar of families,
pray for us.
Solace of the wretched,
pray for us.
Hope of the sick,
pray for us.
Patron of the dying,
pray for us.
Terror of demons,
pray for us.
Protector of Holy Church,
pray for us.
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world,
spare us, O Jesus.
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world,
graciously hear us, O Jesus.
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world,
have mercy on us, O Jesus.
He made him the lord of his household
And prince over all his possessions.
Let us pray:
O God, in your ineffable
providence you were pleased to choose Blessed Joseph to be the spouse of your
most holy Mother; grant, we beg you, that we may be worthy to have him for our
intercessor in heaven whom on earth we venerate as our Protector: You who live
and reign forever and ever.
Valentine's
Day is a celebration of love and friendship.
The holiday derived its name from two Roman martyrs for love, both named
Valentine. The first Valentine was beheaded on February 14th, but not
before leaving a note signed from your Valentine for his lady. The second
Valentine was supposedly a bishop who secretly married young couples, an act
that was forbidden by the Roman Emperor who wanted young men to first serve as
soldiers before marrying. Valentine ignored the law and was beheaded on
February 14. An ancient Roman festival called Lupercalia, a celebration for
which young men randomly chose the name of a young girl
to escort to the festivities, has also been linked to the origins of
Valentine's Day.
Since
then, the custom of selecting a sweetheart on February 14th has spread through
Europe and its colonies and transformed itself into the celebration of love and
friendship that we know today.
Valentine's
Day Facts & Quotes
·Symbols
for Valentine’s Day include hearts, chocolate, flowers, and Cupid - the Roman
God of Love.
·52%
of US consumers will send out at least 1 Valentine's Day card, 47% will send
candy, and 34% will send flowers.
·Love
looks not with the eyes but with the mind. And therefore, is winged Cupid
painted blind. - William Shakespeare (A Midsummer Night's Dream)
Valentine's
Day Top Events and Things to Do
·Send
someone you care for a Valentine's Day card. Take the time to write a small
note or love poem inside. Sign it, from your Valentine.
·Go
to a special romantic dinner with your sweetheart. Tip: Book early as
this is one of the busiest days of the year for restaurants.
·Watch
the movie Valentine's Day (2010) or the Notebook (2004). Both are
romance movies with star casts.
·Send
a Secret Valentine to someone several days before, and then reveal your
identity on February 14th.
·Remember
other important people in your life, such as your parents, grandparents and old
friends. Send them a small card or gift to remind them of how much you care.
·Read the Golden
Legend account of St. Valentine's life.
·Pray to St. Valentine for an increase of true,
sacrificial love within marriages.
·Make Valentines for those closest to you — your
family and friends. If you have children, teach them to make valentines from
red construction paper and doilies.
We practice these small works of love on St.
Valentine’s Day — reading the life of the saint, praying for marriages,
teaching our children to give handmade valentines, and returning to St. John
Paul II’s vision of self‑giving love — because each of these gestures points
beyond itself. They train the heart to recognize what real love looks like.
And real love always leads us back to the Cross.
For if Valentine’s teaches us anything, it is that
love is proven not by sentiment but by sacrifice. Which is why, on this day
dedicated to love, the Church invites us to contemplate the greatest act of
love ever shown: the shedding of Christ’s Precious Blood for the redemption of
His beloved.
It is in that spirit that we now turn to the
remarkable revelation given to St. Elizabeth of Hungary, St. Matilda, and St.
Bridget — a reminder that even the smallest drop of Christ’s Blood carries
redemptive power reaching to the fourth generation.
Drops of Christ’s Blood[6]St. Elizabeth,
Queen of Hungary, with St. Matilda and St. Bridget, wishing to know something
of the Passion of Jesus Christ, offered fervent and special prayers. Upon which
Our Lord revealed to them:
To all the
faithful who shall recite for 3 years, each day, 2 Our Fathers,
2 Hail Mary’s and 2 Glory Be’s in honor of the drops of Blood I lost,
I will concede the following 5 graces:
1.The
plenary indulgence and remittance of your sins.
2.You
will be free from the pains of Purgatory.
3.If
you should die before completing the said 3 years, for you it will be the same
as if you had completed them.
4.It
will be upon your death the same as if you had shed all your blood for the Holy
Faith.
5.I
will descend from Heaven to take your soul and that of your relatives, until
the fourth generation.
Blessed by His Holiness Pope Leo
XIII in Rome, April 5, 1890
The
thought of saving souls should always be on our mind. St. John Bosco stated it
well. "There is nothing more holy in this world than to work for the good
of souls, for whose salvation Jesus Christ poured out the last drops of His
blood." St. Vincent de Paul tells us that: "The salvation of men and
our own are so great a good that they merit to be obtained at any
price."
Sad to say, the great majority of Catholics put forth little or no effort in
promoting the greater honor and glory of God and the salvation of souls. Let us
keep in mind that if we manage to save one soul, we also ensure the salvation
of our own. The Holy Ghost reveals this to us in the Holy Bible. [St. James 5:
19-20] This little practice gives us a very easy way to save our own soul as
well as the ones dearest to us------our family.
Bible in a Year Day 227 The Towering Cedar
Fr.
Mike highlights the people of Israel's flaw in trusting in the strength and
power of Egypt, not realizing that although Egypt is like a towering cedar
tree, the nation will eventually collapse. Fr. Mike also points out Jeremiah's
vehement message to Israel to brace themselves for God's judgment. Today we
read Jeremiah 4, Ezekiel 31-32, and Proverbs 14:17-20.
Night Life in Reno (1931)—a compact, fascinating slice of Pre‑Code Hollywood that promises sin in the desert but delivers something more ironic, more domestic, and more revealing about American marriage culture in the early ’30s.
Night Life in Reno (1931) — Pre‑Code Hollywood Spotlight
1. What the Film Is
A 1931 American pre‑Code romantic‑crime drama directed by Raymond Cannon, running just under an hour. It was produced on the Poverty Row circuit (Weiss Bros./Artclass Pictures), yet surprisingly polished in its interiors and costuming.
The film stars:
Virginia Valli as June Wyatt
Jameson Thomas as John Wyatt
Dixie Lee as Dorothy (the “other woman”)
Dorothy Christy, Arthur Housman, Clarence Wilson, Carmelita Geraghty
2. Plot in a Tight Frame
The story begins with an interrupted indiscretion: John Wyatt is caught with a blonde floozy (Dixie Lee). His wife June, wounded and humiliated, heads to Reno, then the divorce capital of America, to begin the six‑week residency required for a quick dissolution of marriage.
John follows her, repentant—but not before the film indulges in:
flirtation,
drunken antics,
a double date where June unknowingly ends up paired with her own husband,
and the kind of breezy sexual freedom that marks the Pre‑Code era.
Then, in classic Poverty Row fashion, a late‑film murder abruptly shifts the tone, giving John a chance to prove his devotion and win June back.
3. Why It’s Pre‑Code (Even If Mildly)
While some reviewers note the film doesn’t fully deliver the “sin city” promise of its title, it does contain unmistakable Pre‑Code elements:
Adultery as the inciting incident
Women seeking autonomy through divorce
A brassy female mentor encouraging reinvention
Casual drinking and flirtation
A comedic, almost celebratory tone around marital misbehavior
It’s not salacious, but it’s unmistakably from that brief window when Hollywood could wink at adult realities without punishment.
**4. Catholic & Moral-Thematic Reading
Even though the film is light and sometimes uneven, it offers rich angles for spiritual reflection—especially in your ongoing project of extracting virtue, vice, and formation themes from early cinema.
A. The Wound of Betrayal
June’s departure is not vindictive—it’s protective. She refuses to live in a lie. Moral lens: The dignity of the betrayed spouse; the right to truth; the refusal to normalize sin.
B. Reno as a Symbol
Reno represents:
escape,
reinvention,
the illusion that geography can solve moral disorder.
Catholic counterpoint: True reconciliation requires conversion, not relocation.
C. The Husband’s Repentance
John’s repentance is imperfect—motivated partly by being caught—but it grows into genuine devotion when tested by crisis.
Moral lens:
imperfect contrition → perfect contrition
grace working through humiliation
the slow re‑knitting of trust
D. The Murder as Deus ex Morality
The sudden crime forces clarity: life is fragile, and love must be chosen, not assumed.
Spiritual insight:
Crisis often reveals the truth of a relationship and the sincerity of repentance.
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