Posts
🔸 February 2026 – Mercy & Hidden Grace
- Feb 2 – Black Narcissus (1947)
- Feb 9 – The Fugitive (1947)
- Feb 16 – Au Hasard Balthasar (1966)
- Feb 23 – The Lady’s Not for Burning (1974)
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
This is not a movie night; it’s a meditation.
Ramadan in Kuwait Highlights-Christopher’s day, I pause to remember the year my son spent stationed in Kuwait — a year marked not only by desert heat and military duty, but by the rhythm of Ramadan that shapes life across the country. During that month, the days grow quiet as the nation fasts from sunrise to sunset. Restaurants close, streets slow, and even the air feels still. But when the sun drops, Kuwait comes alive: families gather for iftar, mosques fill for Taraweeh prayers, and the city glows with a kind of nighttime warmth and hospitality unique to the Gulf.
Christopher lived inside that rhythm — respecting the fasting hours, adjusting to shortened work schedules, and watching a whole culture reorder itself around prayer, charity, and self‑discipline. It takes humility to serve in a place where the customs are so different, and strength to do it with steadiness and respect. That year didn’t just test him; it shaped him. It added depth, patience, and a quiet resilience that only comes from serving far from home. His time in Kuwait is part of his legacy now — a chapter of courage I carry with pride.
Christopher’s Corner
· Eat waffles and Pray for the assistance of the Angels
· Try[6]: The world's most famous roast suckling pig
· Carnival Time begins in Catholic Countries.
· Bucket List trip: Chocolate Shop in Madrid
· Spirit hour Derby Cocktail
· Monday: Litany of Humility
· How to celebrate Feb 16th
o Islander Day is a midwinter pause built especially for Prince Edward Island
o National Hot Breakfast Month
🕯️ Bucket List Trip [3] – Part 17: USA 70 Degree Year Journey
Dates: February 16–22, 2026
Theme: Southern Ordinary Time – Roots, Renewal & the Quiet Work of Grace
Route: Charleston → Savannah → Tybee Island → St. Simons → Jekyll Island
Style: Lowcountry–coastal blend, contemplative Ordinary Time, Eucharistic grounding
Climate Alignment: Daily highs 68–72°F (Savannah / Georgia Coast)
💰 Estimated Cost Overview
Category | Estimated Cost |
Lodging (6 nights) | ~$710 (mid‑range inns) |
Food (daily meals) | ~$250 |
Transit (rental car only) | ~$180 (continuing from Charleston) |
Symbolic extras | ~$70 |
Total Estimate | ~$1,210 |
🛏️ Lodging Options
Savannah: The Marshall House
Jekyll Island: Jekyll Island Club Resort
🌠 Day 1 – Monday, February 16
Location: Savannah – Cathedral Basilica of St. John the Baptist
Symbol: Roots of Faith
Ritual Prompt: “Let your roots deepen where beauty meets devotion.”
Afternoon visit; pray a decade for steadfastness in Ordinary Time.
🥗 Foodie Stop: The Collins Quarter (~$26)
🌿 Day 2 – Tuesday, February 17
Location: Savannah Historic District – Live Oaks & Squares
Symbol: Enduring Grace
Ritual Prompt: “Walk slowly—grace grows in the shade.”
Stroll through Chippewa Square, Lafayette Square, and Forsyth Park.
🍲 Foodie Stop: Mrs. Wilkes’ Dining Room (~$25)
🌊 Day 3 – Wednesday, February 18
Location: Tybee Island – North Beach & Lighthouse
Symbol: Steady Light
Ritual Prompt: “Let the lighthouse remind you to stand firm.”
Beach walk + reflection on constancy and direction.
🥘 Foodie Stop: The Crab Shack (~$28)
🕊️ Day 4 – Thursday, February 19
Location: St. Simons Island – Christ Church, Frederica
Symbol: Quiet Renewal
Ritual Prompt: “Return to the quiet places where God restores you.”
Visit the historic church; journal beneath the moss‑covered oaks.
🍷 Foodie Stop: Southern Soul Barbeque (~$22)
🌴 Day 5 – Friday, February 20
Location: St. Simons – Driftwood Beach
Symbol: Beauty in the Broken
Ritual Prompt: “Let the weathered wood teach you resilience.”
Morning walk; reflect on God’s work through imperfect things.
🧺 Foodie Stop: Palmer’s Village Café (~$18)
⚓ Day 6 – Saturday, February 21
Location: Jekyll Island – Historic District
Symbol: Stewardship
Ritual Prompt: “Honor the gifts entrusted to you.”
Explore the cottages; reflect on legacy, responsibility, and vocation.
🍽️ Foodie Stop: The Wharf (~$28)
🌠 Day 7 – Sunday, February 22 (Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time)
Location: Jekyll Island – St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church (Brunswick)
Symbol: Mercy in Action
Ritual Prompt: “Love your enemies—pray for those who hurt you.”
Sunday Mass + blog reflection: “Lowcountry Roots & the Quiet Work of Grace.”
🍷 Foodie Stop: Indigo Coastal Shanty (~$30)
February 16 Shrovetide Monday
Holy Face Day 9-Novena for the 25th Day-Presidents Day-Winter’s Back Breaks-Ramadan
Numbers, Chapter 14, Verse 9
Only do not rebel against the LORD!
You need not be AFRAID of the people
of the land, for they are but food for us! Their protection has left
them, but the LORD is with us. Do not fear
them.”
There’s
a happy thought. The Israelites were a hard people, but little did they know
that God would turn that around to Him being food for us. Yes, we are all hard
people. Yes, we eat our young. Look at the comments coming out of Planned
Parenthood about making so much money from tissue sales they will be driving
Lamborghinis.
Looking
at the world we can see that more and more there is a battle between the light
and the dark. Look at advertising, marketing, media, politics; all are fighting
either for Him who is or him who thinks he is. Choose but choose to wisely-do
not fear them.
Our
Lady tells us the battle is already won-their protection has left them!
Copilot’s
Take
In
both Scripture and the news, evil always tries the same tactic: intimidation.
The spies in Numbers saw giants and fortified cities; today we see institutions
captured by ideology, the casual devaluing of human life, and a culture that
treats moral clarity as extremism. But the biblical punchline remains
unchanged—their protection has left them. Evil is loud precisely because
it is hollow. When a society builds its power on lies, the façade eventually
cracks. The Church’s task is not to match the world’s volume but to stand in
the quiet, immovable confidence that comes from belonging to the Lord. Fear is
the enemy’s first victory; fidelity is the Lord’s first triumph.
At the same time, confronting evil today requires more than denunciation. It demands the kind of luminous witness that exposes darkness simply by existing. When the Church defends the unborn, protects the poor, refuses corruption, and forms consciences instead of crowds, she becomes the “Joshua and Caleb” of our age—men and women who see the same landscape as everyone else but interpret it through the presence of God rather than the power of the enemy. The news may highlight chaos, scandal, and decline, but the deeper story is the same one Our Lady repeats at every apparition: the battle is already won. Our role is to live as if that victory is real, to walk into the land without fear, and to let our courage become food for the fainthearted who still believe the giants are in charge.
Shrovetide Monday-Carnival Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago[1]
You
can’t really understand Trinidad unless you come for Carnival, or mas (for
masquerade), as it’s locally known. Trinidad is a melting pot of West African,
East Indian, Chinese, South American, and European, which has influenced both
its music and Carnival itself. The country’s West African roots gave birth to
the steel pan (or steel drum, originally made from empty oil barrels), calypso
music, and its more recent souped-up version, soca (“soul-calypso”), which
makes this Carnival the loudest and wildest in all the Caribbean.
It’s
the national obsession, with Port of Spain at its heart. Bands and masqueraders
begin their preparations a year in advance. Things start to hum after
Christmas, gradually building to a crescendo of rehearsals, concerts, open-air
fêtes, and calypso duels. The final 2-day explosion of color, music, and
unbridled excess officially kicks off at 4 A.M. on Carnival Monday with the “opening day” parade
called J’Ouvert (pronounced joo-VAY). Fueled by copious amounts of beer,
revelers covered in mud, grease, body paint, and chocolate form a mass of happy
humanity as they follow trucks blasting soca and “chip” (dance) until sunrise.
Monday (“old mas”) continues with bands
and dancers along a 6-mile parade route. The glitter and glamorous costumes of
“pretty mas” are saved for Shrove Tuesday (Mardi Gras), the day before Ash
Wednesday. Tens of thousands take to the streets in costume (often sequined
bikinis and feather headdresses), with groups as large as 3,000 in identical
costume following flatbed trucks carrying steel bands competing for the title
of “Masquerade Band of the Year.” Getups are at their most extravagant for the
Kings and Queens Costume Competition— some can weigh up to 200 pounds (and are
attached to wheels for mobility) and incorporate fog, fireworks, and other
special effects. “Pan” bands with as many as 100 musicians perform nonstop in a
riotous celebration of King Carnival.
Rosenmontag[2]
(English: Rose
Monday) is the
highlight of the German Karneval
(carnival), and takes place on the Shrove Monday before Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent.
Mardi Gras, though celebrated on Fat Tuesday, is a similar event. Rosenmontag is celebrated in German-speaking
countries, including Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Belgium (Eupen,
Kelmis), but most heavily in the carnival
strongholds which include the Rhineland, especially in Cologne, Bonn,
Düsseldorf, Aachen and Mainz. In contrast to Germany, in
Austria, the highlight of the carneval is not Rosenmontag, but Shrove Tuesday.
The name for the carnival
comes from the German dialect word roose meaning "frolic" and Montag meaning Monday.
Overview
The Karneval season begins at 11 minutes past the eleventh hour on
11 November and the "street carnival" starts on the Thursday before Rosenmontag, which is known as Weiberfastnacht ("women's carnival", Fat Thursday). Karneval is prevalent in Roman Catholic
areas and is a continuation of the old Roman traditions of slaves and servants
being master for a day. Karneval
derives from the Latin carnem levare
("taking leave of meat") marking the beginning of Lent.
Carnival is not a national
holiday in Germany, but schools are closed on Rosenmontag and the following Tuesday in the
strongholds and many other areas. Many schools as well as companies tend to
give teachers, pupils and employees the Thursday before Rosenmontag off as well and have celebrations
in school or in the working place on Weiberfastnacht, although every now and then there
are efforts to cut these free holidays in some companies.
Celebrations usually
include dressing up in fancy costumes, dancing, parades, heavy drinking and general public displays with
floats. Every town in the Karneval
areas boasts at least one parade with floats making fun of the themes of the
day. Usually sweets (Kamelle)
are thrown into the crowds lining the streets among cries of Helau or Alaaf, whereby the cry Kölle
Alaaf is only
applied in the Cologne
Carnival – Alaaf stems from or Alle af, Ripuarian for "all [others] away".
Sweets and tulips
are thrown into the crowd.
The celebrations become
quieter the next day, known as Veilchendienstag
("Violet Tuesday", Shrove Tuesday), and end with Ash Wednesday.
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.
Ninth Day
Psalm 51, 18-21.
For in sacrifice you take no
delight, burnt offering from me you would refuse, my sacrifice a contrite
spirit. A humbled, contrite heart you will not spurn. In your goodness, show
favor to Zion; rebuild the walls of Jerusalem Then you will be pleased with
lawful sacrifice, holocausts offered on your altar.
Sacred Face of our Lord
and our God, what words can we do to express our gratitude? How can we speak of
our joy? That you have deigned to hear us, that you have chosen to answer us in
our hour of need. We say this because we know that our prayers will be granted.
We know that you, in your loving kindness, listened to our pleading hearts, and
will give, out of your fullness, the answer to our problems. Mary, our Mother,
thank you for your intercession on our behalf. Saint Joseph, thank you for your
prayers.
Through the merits of your
precious blood and your Holy Face, O Jesus, grant us our petition, Pardon and
Mercy.
Prayer to the Holy
Trinity
Most Holy Trinity, Godhead
indivisible, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, our first beginning and our last end.
Since you have made us after your own image and likeness, grant that all the
thoughts of our minds, all the words of our tongues, all the affections of our
hearts and all our actions may be always conformed to your most Holy Will, so
that after having seen you here on earth in appearances and in a dark manner by
the means of faith, we may come at last to contemplate you face to face, in the
perfect possession of you forever in paradise. 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)
The Devil and Temptations[3]
There are many and varied
ways in which sin and evil are presented to us in an attractive way.
Hypnotism.
·
Although
hypnotism is now used sometimes by respectable doctors, dentists, and
therapists, it was linked in the past with the occult and with superstition.
·
Even
when it is legitimate, there are certain real dangers that must be very
carefully considered. In hypnotism, one surrenders for a time his own capacity
to reason; there is a dependence of the one hypnotized on the will of the
hypnotist; also, there can be unfortunate aftereffects that result from this
technique.
·
Except
for a very serious reason, avoid submitting to a hypnotist; never do it for the
purpose of entertainment.
Music.
In our day, hard rock
music played by "satanic" musical groups presents additional
problems. This music often glorifies Satan and also, at times, awakens desires
to commit suicide, to use drugs, and to misuse sex. The music is also known to
encourage physical violence. Even hell is proposed as a desired end of life.
The evil is found in the musical combination of words, rhythm and noise.
Records or tapes of this kind should not be kept in the home but should be
destroyed, even if they have cost a considerable amount of money. Choose the
Kingdom of God!
Devil Worship.
·
It
goes without saying that praying to the devil, worshipping Satan, reading the
Satanic bible, or taking part in a Black Mass which mocks the crucifixion of
Jesus, and the Eucharist are among the most serious sins that one can commit.
·
In
some Satanic worship, there is at times sacrifice to Satan by a horrible
killing of animals, and even the murder of human infants. The secrecy
surrounding this activity enables the "Church of Satan" to obtain a
certain respectability in our society. It has the same legal standing as any
other church.
Do
not be deceived; being involved in this false church is a very serious matter.
Catholics who wish to repent must resign from the false religion at whatever
cost, renounce Satan and their sin in all their heart, and confess this sin in
the Sacrament of Reconciliation
🕊️
Monthly Novena for the 25th Day
A Simple Family Devotion
Honoring the Birth of Jesus
From the Raccolta
💡
What Is This Novena?
This is a short,
meaningful prayer devotion that helps us remember the birth of Jesus—not just
at Christmas, but every month on the 25th. It’s perfect for families, including
those with small children, and can be prayed at home in just a few minutes each
day.
It’s a way to keep the
light of Christ alive in our homes all year long.
📅
When to Pray
·
Start
on the 16th of each month
·
Pray
daily through the 24th
·
Celebrate
Jesus on the 25th with joy and thanksgiving
You can pray together at
the dinner table, before bedtime, or during a quiet moment in the day.
🙏
Why It Matters
·
Keeps
Jesus at the center of family life
·
Teaches
children the story of Christ’s birth in gentle, daily steps
·
Builds
a rhythm of prayer, gratitude, and hope
·
Helps
us prepare spiritually for Christmas every month
🛐
Daily Novena Structure (16th–24th)
Each day, pray
the five offerings below. After each offering, say the Gloria
Patri:
Glory be to the
Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
✨
The Five Offerings
1.
The
Birth of Jesus
ETERNAL FATHER, I offer to Thy honour and glory, and for my own salvation,
and for the salvation of all the world, the mystery of the Birth of our Divine
SAVIOUR.
Gloria Patri
2.
Mary
and Joseph’s Journey to Bethlehem
ETERNAL FATHER, I offer to Thy honour and glory, and for my eternal
salvation, the sufferings of the most holy Virgin and of St Joseph in that long
and weary journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem…
Gloria Patri
3.
The
Stable and the Infant Jesus
ETERNAL FATHER, I offer to Thy honour and glory, and for my eternal
salvation, the stable where JESUS was born, the hard straw which served Him for
a bed…
Gloria Patri
4.
The
Circumcision and First Shedding of Blood
ETERNAL FATHER, I offer to Thy honour and glory, and for my eternal
salvation, the pain which the divine Child JESUS felt…
Gloria Patri
5.
The
Virtues of the Child Jesus
ETERNAL FATHER, I offer to Thy honour and glory, and for my eternal
salvation, the humility, mortification, patience, charity, and all the virtues
of the Child JESUS…
Gloria Patri
📖
Versicle & Response
V/. The Word was
made flesh.
R/. And dwelt among us.
🙏
Closing Prayer
O GOD, whose
only-begotten SON was made manifest to us in the substance of our flesh; grant,
we beseech Thee, that our souls may be inwardly renewed through Him, whom our
eyes have seen externally like unto ourselves. Who liveth and reigneth with
Thee for ever and ever. Amen
Bible in a Year Day 229 Shepherds of Israel
Fr. Mike explains the beautiful connections between all of our readings today. He emphasizes how good shepherds are willing to face the truth, and also sacrifice for his sheep, like Jesus who laid down his life for us. In our reading of Jeremiah, Fr. Mike also explains that the experience of shame points to the reality that there is something good within us that ought not to be violated. Today we read Jeremiah 6, Ezekiel 34-35, and Proverbs 14:25-28
President's Day[4]
President's Day, or Washington's
Birthday as it is still legally known, was originally designed as a celebration
of George Washington's birthdate. In 1880, Congress voted to make this
the first national holiday which honored an individual. In 1968, Congress
enacted the Uniform Monday Bill, to give workers as many long weekends as
possible. This moved as many holidays as possible to a standard Monday each
year. Many states were already honoring Abraham Lincoln's birthday,
February 12th, and this celebration was combined with George Washington's
birthday, for one federal holiday. It is observed on the third Monday in
February each year.
President's Day Facts
·
According
to the Julian calendar, Washington was born February 11, 1732. The
Gregorian calendar was adopted in 1752, changing Washington's Birthday to
February 22.
·
Since
1888, Washington's Farewell Address has been read aloud in the U.S. Senate on
February 22nd.
·
George
Washington was the Commander in Chief of the Continental Army, first U.S.
President, and President of the Constitutional Convention.
·
Presidents
Day never falls on Washington's actual birthdate (Feb. 22). The third
Monday in February can never be any later than February 21st.
President's Day Top Events and Things
to Do
·
Visit
Mt. Vernon, VA, Washington's ancestral home and place of both he and his wife
Martha's tomb. Admission is free on President's Day.
·
Go
shopping for a car. Presidents’ Day weekend typically features some of
the best car deals of the year as dealers try to clear out prior-year
inventory.
·
Read
George Washington's Farewell Address and reflect on his contributions to United
States.
·
Read
Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation and reflect on his contributions to
the United States.
·
Visit
the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C.
Salute the Presidents
What better way to
celebrate President's Day than with a trip to Mount
Rushmore. This
national memorial in South Dakota features the heads of George Washington,
Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln.
Copilot:
Presidents Day began as a
celebration of George Washington’s birthday—the first national holiday honoring
an individual. Over time, it expanded to include Abraham Lincoln and eventually
became a day to reflect on the presidency itself: the office, the burdens, the
moral tests, and the moments when a single leader had to confront the evils of
his age.
Today, the holiday arrives
in a culture saturated with slogans. One side shouts “orange man bad,” the
other fires back with its own dismissive labels, and the result is the same: we
stop thinking, we stop listening, and we stop discerning. The phrase “TDS” is
just another example of how quickly we reduce moral questions to psychological
accusations. None of this helps us confront evil. It only helps us avoid the
harder work of confronting ourselves.
Washington and Lincoln
understood something we often forget: evil is real, but it is rarely
defeated by rage, hysteria, or tribal reflexes. It is defeated by clarity,
virtue, sacrifice, and the courage to name the darkness without becoming part
of it.
And they were not alone.
Presidents Who
Confronted Evil
George Washington —
Resisting the Evil of Tyranny
Washington’s
greatest confrontation was not with the British, but with the temptation of
power. He refused a crown. He restrained himself. He showed that liberty
requires leaders who can govern their own passions.
Abraham Lincoln —
Confronting the Evil of Slavery
Lincoln
named slavery for what it was: a moral cancer. He called the nation back to its
founding creed and paid for that confrontation with his life.
Franklin D. Roosevelt —
Naming Totalitarianism and Proclaiming the Four Freedoms
As
fascism spread across the world, Roosevelt answered with a moral vision:
Freedom
of Speech
Freedom
of Worship
Freedom
from Want
Freedom
from Fear
These
were not abstractions. They were a declaration of what human dignity requires.
Dwight D. Eisenhower —
Warning Against the Machinery of War
Having
seen the horrors of global conflict, Eisenhower confronted a quieter evil: the
temptation to let fear justify excess. His farewell address remains a call to
vigilance.
John F. Kennedy —
Facing the Shadow of Nuclear Destruction
Kennedy
confronted the most dangerous moment in human history during the Cuban Missile
Crisis. His leadership showed that courage is not recklessness; it is
disciplined resolve.
Ronald Reagan —
Challenging Soviet Oppression
Reagan
named the Soviet system for what it was—an empire built on coercion—and helped
bring the Cold War to a peaceful close.
Donald Trump —
Confronting the Evils of Distrust, Disorder, and Global Volatility
Without
taking sides, we can name the conditions of the era:
A
rising tide of institutional distrust
The
spread of disinformation and foreign interference
The
resurgence of great‑power rivalry
The
erosion of shared civic confidence
A
culture increasingly tempted by contempt
Any
president serving in this moment must confront these forces. The office itself
demands it. And the American tradition shows that such confrontations, though
difficult, are not new.
The Four Freedoms as a
Compass for Today
Roosevelt’s Four Freedoms
remain a moral map for confronting evil in any age:
Freedom
of Speech
Resist
censorship, propaganda, and the weaponization of information.
Freedom
of Worship
Protect
conscience in a time when belief is often mocked or pressured.
Freedom
from Want
Care
for the vulnerable in an age of economic volatility.
Freedom
from Fear
Reject
the politics of panic, outrage, and dehumanization.
These freedoms are not
partisan.
They are the inheritance of every American and the responsibility of every
generation.
Why This Gives Hope
Because the American story
is a story of confronting evil—and winning.
Tyranny was resisted
Slavery was abolished
Totalitarianism was
defeated
Nuclear war was avoided
Segregation was dismantled
Empires collapsed without
a shot fired
And modern evils—division,
distrust, manipulation, fear—can be confronted too
Presidents Day is not
nostalgia.
It is a reminder that evil can be faced, and that the American people
have never lacked leaders willing to step into the fire.
In an age of slogans and
contempt, that may be the most urgent lesson of all.
Follow‑Up Reflection: The Real Evil We Must Confront
Presidents Day invites a quieter kind of reflection. We
honor Washington, Lincoln, Roosevelt, and others not simply because they held
office, but because they confronted the evils of their age with moral clarity.
Their courage forces us to ask a harder question of our own moment: What is the
real evil we face today?
Some point to institutions. Others point to leaders.
Still others point to policies or agencies. But the American founding and
Catholic teaching both insist that evil is not first a matter of personalities
or parties. It is a matter of truth, dignity, and the moral order that makes
life, liberty, and property possible.
From the natural‑rights tradition, evil is anything
that destroys life, undermines liberty, or seizes what belongs to another.
From Catholic teaching, evil is anything that dehumanizes, manipulates, blinds
conscience, or corrodes the common good.
When you combine these lenses, a deeper pattern
emerges:
the greatest danger to a nation is the loss of truth and the collapse of trust.
When people no longer share a moral vocabulary, they cannot agree on what is
good, let alone what is evil. Fear fills the vacuum. Outrage becomes currency.
Narratives replace discernment. And the nation becomes vulnerable to every
lesser evil because it can no longer recognize the greater ones.
This is why the presidency matters.
This is why civic virtue matters.
This is why formation matters.
And this is why the Four Freedoms still speak with prophetic
force: speech, worship, sufficiency, and freedom from fear. They are not
relics. They are guardrails against the very forces that fracture a people’s
moral vision.
As winter begins to loosen its grip, the question before us
is simple: Will we recover the clarity needed to confront the real evils of our
time?
History suggests we can.
But only if we refuse to let confusion, manipulation, and contempt define us.
February 16 Almanac Note — Winter’s Back Breaks
In the old farm almanacs, this phrase marks the moment when
the long freeze finally loosens—when the sun climbs higher, the winds soften,
and the first cracks appear in winter’s grip. It’s the turning point, not the
finish line. Fittingly, it often falls near Presidents Day, a holiday that
remembers leaders who faced the coldest seasons in our national life and
refused to let darkness have the last word. Washington, Lincoln, Roosevelt, and
others proved that moral winters—tyranny, slavery, totalitarianism, division—also
have breaking points. As the earth begins to thaw, Presidents Day reminds us
that nations, like seasons, move toward renewal when courage and clarity rise.
Presidents
Day Open Letter: Honoring Every Generation
(February
— Youth Leadership Month)
February carries a quiet kind of symbolism. It’s the
month we honor our presidents — the men who carried the weight of a nation on
their shoulders — and it’s also Youth Leadership Month, a time when schools and
communities focus on forming the next generation of leaders. Leadership doesn’t
begin in adulthood; it begins in the small habits of service, discipline, and
responsibility that young people practice now.
One of the finest tools we have for shaping young
leaders is the Congressional Award Program, the nation’s official youth
achievement award created by Congress. It teaches discipline, service,
perseverance, and the courage to grow — not through competition, but through
steady, month‑by‑month effort.
Learn more at the Congressional
Award official site.
But as I look across America, I see another
generation whose leadership is far from finished: the Social Security crew.
Retirees, veterans, grandparents, and older adults who still carry wisdom,
strength, and a desire to contribute. They have time. They have experience.
They have stories that can steady the young and strengthen communities. What
they lack is a national invitation.
So on this Presidents Day, in a month dedicated to
youth leadership, I offer a simple idea:
What if the Congressional Award model expanded to
include seniors?
Imagine a senior version of the Award — built on the
same four pillars the youth program uses:
Voluntary Service — mentoring youth, supporting
nonprofits, helping veterans, strengthening neighborhoods
Personal Development — learning new skills,
exploring new interests, continuing to grow
Physical Fitness — age‑appropriate goals that
promote health and vitality
Exploration — cultural outings, historical visits,
pilgrimages, or discovering new places
These pillars are not just for the young — they are
for anyone who wants to live with purpose.
Such a program would honor a truth we often forget: purpose
does not retire.
It would bridge generations — youth learning from elders, elders finding
renewed purpose through the young.
It would strengthen communities by activating the wisdom and availability of
millions of older Americans. It would remind us that leadership is not limited
to age; it is a lifelong calling. If the youth program builds the next
generation, a senior program would honor the generation that built us. And
together, they would form a national rhythm of service — young and old, side by
side, each giving what they can. On this Presidents Day, in the heart of Youth
Leadership Month, that feels like an idea worthy of the country we hope to be.
Take
the Next Step
If
this vision resonates with you — the idea of a nation where both youth and
seniors grow through service, discipline, and exploration — I invite you to
learn more about the program that already forms thousands of young leaders each
year.
Visit the Congressional Award
Program.
And
if you believe, as I do, that America’s elders deserve a parallel path of
purpose, you can share your encouragement or ideas directly with the national
office:
Contact the Congressional
Award Foundation.
Together, we can help shape a country where every
generation leads, serves, and grows.
Ramadan begins[5]
Ramadan
is the holiest month in the Islamic calendar, during which, for a period of
thirty days, Muslims abstain from eating, and drinking from sunrise to sunset.
Muslims do this because it is a pillar of Islam, and obligatory for everyone
and the entire month is holy for Muslims so that they can increase their
remembrance of life after death. Muslims also abstain from all bad deeds
and habits, like smoking,
swearing, backbiting, and disrespectfulness. Muslims reflect upon themselves,
their religion. Fasting during Ramadan is one of the five pillars of Islam.
Fasting and abstaining from bad habits teaches Muslim’s self-control, humility,
and generosity. Ramadan is a time for charity,
family, and good deeds. Muslims fast because they believe it is vital for
spiritual health. Unlike the fast of Ashurah, the fasts of Ramadan and salah
(praying towards Mecca), fasting helps Muslims maintain spiritual and physical
health. The month of Ramadan begins when the new moon of Ramadan is sighted and
ends when the new moon of Sha'ban is sighted. Muslims also believe that devils
are chained up during Ramadan.
Ramadan
Facts & Quotes
·
Ramadan
comes from the word ramadaa, which means 'sunbaked' in Arabic. This is perhaps
a reference to the pangs of hunger Muslims feel when fasting.
·
According
to Islamic tradition, menstruating women, women who are experiencing bleeding
after giving birth, people who are sick (either with short term or long-term
illnesses), and travelers are exempt from fasting. Pregnant women also have the
option of skipping fasts.
·
In
Islamic countries, when Ramadan ends and the crescent moon is first seen,
people bang drums and give mighty shouts.
·
According
to Sunnah belief, the Prophet Muhammad once said, there is no conceit in
fasting.
· who believe, fasting is decreed for you as it was decreed for those before you; perchance you will guard yourselves (Quran, 2:183)
Ramadan
Top Events and Things to Do
·
The
fast is usually broken in a family setting, where traditional foods are served.
Most Muslims begin their meal with a few dates and a glass of milk because the
Prophet Muhammad used to do the same. The high sugar content of the dates
sends energy to weary fasting Muslim, while the fiber in the dates and the
protein in the milk fills them up and prevents nausea.
·
During
Ramadan, Muslims congregate every night in the mosque to pray Taraweeh prayers
in congregation. In the United States, in between sets of prayers, the Imam
gives a brief sermon and encourages people to give to charity.
· In Islamic countries, the end of the fast is signaled by a loud call to the sunset prayer. Most people eat a small meal, pray at the mosque, and then join their families for a large, festive dinner.
Daily Devotions/Practices
·
Today's Fast: Unite in the work of the Porters of St. Joseph by joining them
in fasting: For
the Poor and Suffering
·
Litany of the Most Precious
Blood of Jesus
·
Offering to
the sacred heart of Jesus
·
Rosary
