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. "
Evil is real, personal, and active—but radically limited. God permits its activity only to draw forth a greater good, and the Christian confronts it not with fear but with truth, repentance, sacramental life, and the armor of God.Catholic Digest
1. What the video’s theme emphasizes
While the specific video transcript was not available, the pattern of your previous links (Eckhardt, deliverance prayers, spiritual warfare teachings) centers on three recurring themes:
Evil is personal, not abstract—the devil acts through deception, accusation, and disorder.
The believer must not be passive—naming evil, renouncing it, and standing in Christ’s authority is essential.
Prayer is confrontation—invoking Christ’s name, Scripture, and repentance breaks the enemy’s influence.
These themes align closely with the CCC’s teaching on the reality of Satan, the nature of spiritual combat, and the believer’s duty to resist evil.
2. CCC: The reality of evil and the devil
The Catechism is unambiguous:
The devil is real, a fallen angel who became evil by his own free choice. Catholic Digest
His power is finite, creaturely, and utterly inferior to God. Catholic Digest
God permits demonic activity only because He can draw a greater good from it (Romans 8:28). Catholic Digest
This is the foundation: confronting evil is never a duel of equals. It is a creature resisting a defeated creature in the power of the Creator.
3. CCC: How the Christian confronts evil
The Catechism gives a clear, ordered pattern for spiritual combat:
A. Confession and self-accusation
“The beginning of good works is the confession of evil works.”
This is the Christian’s confidence: We fight a defeated enemy with the weapons of a victorious King.
6. Integrated reflection (your devotional style)
Evil is confronted first not in the world but in the heart.
The devil’s strategy is always the same:
isolate,
accuse,
confuse,
and tempt toward self-exaltation or despair.
The Christian’s counter-strategy is equally consistent:
confess,
repair,
stand in truth,
pray without ceasing,
and remain in the Church’s sacramental life.
Confronting evil is not dramatic—it is disciplined.
It is not loud—it is obedient.
It is not about power—it is about fidelity.
And fidelity always defeats the enemy.
Here is your May 25 SMOKE — short, sharp, ascetic, and fully aligned with the tone of your May sequence.
Mon, May 25 — Smoke in this life not the next-You pick
Reflection:“What does holy fear teach me today?”
All souls in Purgatory suffer the pain of loss — the wound of being held back from the sight of God. That alone surpasses every earthly suffering. And even the pain of sense is no small thing: we know how a tiny household flame burns; what, then, of the fire enkindled by God’s own breath, fed by no wood or oil, never extinguished, working with perfect justice and perfect precision.
Such truths awaken the salutary fear Christ Himself commands.
But the saints guard us from despair.
St. Francis de Sales reminds us that the same souls who suffer are also consoled, held in God’s love, certain of salvation, purified by a fire that heals even as it burns.
Tonight’s smoke holds both truths together: holy fear, and holy confidence.
Monday Night at the Movies
🔸 May 2026 – Martyrdom & Eucharistic Mystery
May 4 – A Short Film About Love(1988)
May 11 – Make Way for Tomorrow (1937)
May 18 – Ben-Hur (1959)
May 25 – The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928)
Martyrdom in May is not a theme but a progression. These four films form a single ascent: a man learns to see rightly, to love faithfully, to surrender vengeance, and finally to offer his life without reserve. A Short Film About Love begins the month by stripping desire of its illusions; it shows how distorted longing must die before any true gift of self can emerge. Make Way for Tomorrow then reveals the quiet crucifixion of fidelity — the kind of daily, hidden sacrifice that forms the backbone of every Eucharistic life. By the time Ben‑Hur arrives, the pattern is unmistakable: the blood of Christ breaks the cycle of retaliation and reorders the heart toward mercy.
The month culminates in The Passion of Joan of Arc, where the interior work becomes visible witness. Joan stands before her judges with nothing left to protect, her face becoming the icon of a soul fully offered. In her, the Eucharistic mystery reaches its final clarity: a life consumed in obedience, a body given up, a will aligned with God’s. The May sequence teaches that martyrdom is not an event but a formation — the slow, disciplined shaping of a man into something that can be placed on the altar and broken for others.
THE PASSION OF JOAN OF ARC (HISTORY)
Joan of Arc • Charles VII • Bishop Cauchon
France, 1412–1431
A life sharpened by divine command and national desperation, Joan of Arc’s story is a warning shot to every age that tries to negotiate with evil.
A peasant girl becomes a commander.
A kingdom on its knees finds its feet.
A corrupt court tries to break a conscience and fails.
This is not a simple saint’s tale.
It is a study in vocation, tyranny, and the cost of obedience.
It is the biography of a girl who discovered who she was only when the world tried to crush it.
1. Production & Historical Setting
France in Ruin
The Hundred Years’ War had gutted France.
The English occupied cities.
The Burgundians betrayed their own.
The French crown was a crown in name only.
Into this chaos steps a teenage girl from Domrémy — illiterate, devout, unarmed — claiming God has spoken.
A Nation Without a Pulse
By 1428, France was nearly finished.
Orléans was under siege.
The Dauphin was uncrowned.
The people were exhausted.
Joan arrives not as a strategist, but as a shockwave.
The Voices
She claimed St. Michael, St. Catherine, and St. Margaret commanded her:
drive out the English
raise the siege
crown the king
restore France
Her certainty was the one thing France still lacked.
A Mission Tested
The Dauphin’s theologians interrogated her for weeks.
They found no heresy.
They found fire.
She was given armor, a banner, and command.
2. Story Summary
The Siege of Orléans
Joan enters the city like a spark in dry grass.
Morale surges.
The French attack.
Within nine days, the siege collapses.
A teenage girl has done what generals could not.
The Loire Victories
Jargeau.
Meung.
Beaugency.
Patay.
The English myth of invincibility shatters.
France begins to believe again.
The Coronation March
Joan insists:
“He must be crowned.”
She leads the Dauphin through enemy territory to Reims.
On July 17, 1429, Charles VII is crowned.
Joan stands beside him, banner raised.
Her mission’s first half is complete.
Capture
In 1430, outside Compiègne, she is thrown from her horse and taken by Burgundians.
Sold to the English.
Abandoned by the king she crowned.
The Trial
A political show trial disguised as theology.
Seventy sessions.
No counsel.
Dozens of hostile clerics.
Charges:
heresy
witchcraft
cross‑dressing
false visions
She answers with clarity that embarrasses her judges.
Execution
May 30, 1431.
Rouen marketplace.
Nineteen years old.
She asks for a cross.
She dies calling the name of Jesus.
An English soldier weeps:
“We have burned a saint.”
3. Spiritual & Moral Resonances
A. Obedience as Fire
Joan’s obedience is not passive.
It is active, fierce, and costly.
She obeys God even when kings refuse to obey justice.
B. Tyranny’s Fear of the Pure
Her judges are terrified of her clarity.
Tyranny always fears the unbribable.
C. The Lowly as God’s Weapon
A peasant girl becomes the hinge of a nation.
God chooses the small to shame the mighty.
D. Suffering as Revelation
Her trial reveals the truth:
the powerful are often cowards
the innocent often stand alone
holiness is misunderstood in its own time
E. Martyrdom as Victory
Her death does not silence her.
It crowns her.
4. Hospitality Pairing — The Warrior‑Saint’s Table
A simple French loaf — the food of peasants and soldiers
A hard cheese — rustic, durable, the taste of campaign life
A pour of rye — sharp, ascetic, echoing her severity
A candle in a dark room — the flame that refuses to go out
A Maduro cigar — earth and smoke, the scent of battlefields and burned banners
5. Reflection Prompts
Where is God asking me to obey without negotiation.
What fear keeps me from stepping into my vocation.
Who have I abandoned when they needed loyalty.
What corrupt authority in my life must be resisted.
What fire must I walk into — not to die, but to witness.
Virtue: Fire & Communion Cigar: Bold, spirited (Habano Maduro) Bourbon: High West Double Rye — daring, expansive Reflection:“What flame do I carry into the world?”
Pentecost is the Spirit’s fire burning away fear and compromise. The Imitation warns that one hour of the next life’s purifying fire is harsher than a hundred years of penance here. Better to let the Spirit burn now — freely, cleanly, mercifully.
Tonight’s smoke reminds me: I was made to burn with God, not for God.
Sun, May 24 – Pentecost Sunday
Virtue: Fire & Communion Cigar: Habano Maduro Bourbon: High West Double Rye Reflection:What flame do I carry into the world.
Pentecost is purification before comfort.
Bellarmine says the pains of this life are nothing beside Purgatory.
Augustine prays to be burned clean now, not later.
Tonight’s Maduro is a Pentecost ember — honest, searing, necessary.
The rye widens the chest for courage.
Purgatory Line:
Better to meet the fire in this life than fear it in the next.
Night Smoke:
What must this flame burn away in me today.
MAY 24 Pentecost Sunday
Mary, Mary Help of Christians
2 Samuel, Chapter 10, Verse 19
When Hadadezer’s vassal kings saw themselves vanquished by Israel, they made peace with the Israelites and became their subjects. After this, the Arameans were AFRAID to give further aid to the Ammonites.
God was with David, and he now defeats the Syrians and the Ammonites. The life of David was that of a warrior and this was David’s last victory before his fall with Bathsheba and the murder of Uriah from David’s hand. All life is a battle and sometimes we fail but like David let us always return to the Lord.
Do not be afraid of anything that you are going to suffer. Indeed, the devil will throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will face an ordeal for ten days. Remain faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life. (Rv. 2:10)
Let us build up our gratitude to the Lord for his saving graces.
“Lord Jesus Christ, you are the strength or the weak and the confidence of those who trust in you. Be my secure confidence and my abundant strength! Teach me to understand myself and to believe in effectiveness of your saving grace. Grant me the courage not to stop trying and teach me the humility to trust in you when I tend to be discouraged by my weakness.
Copilot’s Take
On Pentecost Sunday, the believer reflected on the moment when fear gave way to mission. The apostles, once hidden behind locked doors, stepped into the streets with a courage no earthly threat could extinguish. The descent of the Holy Spirit did not remove danger from their path; it removed the fear that had ruled their hearts. The Church was born in fire, not comfort, and the believer recognized that this same fire is meant to burn in every generation.
The Catechism teaches that the Holy Spirit is the “interior Master of Christian prayer” and the Spirit of truth who strengthens the Church against deception and persecution. Pentecost, then, is not a distant memory but a present power. The courage given to Peter is not a relic of the past; it is a living gift offered to every disciple who dares to ask for it.
In this light, the feast of Mary Help of Christians stands beside Pentecost like a steadying pillar. She gathered the apostles in prayer before the Spirit descended, and she continues to gather the Church in every age. Her maternal intercession, as the Catechism affirms, still brings the gifts of salvation to her children. She does not replace Christ’s victory; she magnifies it in those who struggle to remain faithful.
The Scripture for the day—2 Samuel 10:19—speaks of the moment when the enemies of Israel finally lost their nerve. Seeing themselves defeated, they “were afraid to give further aid,” for they recognized that God was with David. Evil collapses when it realizes it is outmatched by the presence of God. The same truth echoes through the Book of Revelation: “Do not be afraid of anything that you are going to suffer… Remain faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.”
The believer understands that Pentecost is the moment evil realizes it is outmatched by the Spirit. Mary Help of Christians is the reminder that evil is outmatched by grace. And the promise of Revelation is the assurance that evil is outmatched by fidelity. The Christian does not win by being stronger than evil; the Christian wins because Christ is stronger than evil.
In this confidence, the believer prays for the virtues that make a man unbreakable: strength for the weak, confidence for the hesitant, humility for the discouraged, and perseverance for the weary. These are the gifts that allow a disciple to stand firm when the battle presses hardest. These are the graces that turn ordinary men into witnesses.
Pentecost gives the fire.
Mary gives the steadiness.
Christ gives the crown.
And in that union of courage, trust, and victory, the believer finds the path forward for another day.
Pentecost
Fifty days after Easter, the descent of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles is one of the three great feasts of the liturgical year.
What is Pentecost?
The solemn anniversary of the day on which the Holy Ghost came down, under the appearance of fiery tongues, upon Mary the Mother of Jesus, and His apostles and disciples, who were assembled in prayer at Jerusalem. To express her joy at the descent of the Holy Ghost, the Church sings, at the Introit of the Mass, The Spirit of the Lord hath filled the whole earth, alleluia, and that which containeth all things, hath knowledge of the voice, alleluia, alleluia. Let God arise, and His enemies be scattered; and let them that hate Him fly before His face.
Prayer. O God, Who on this day didst instruct the hearts of the faithful by the light of the Holy Spirit, grant that we may be truly wise in the same Spirit, and ever rejoice in His consolation.
EPISTLE. Acts ii. 1-11.
When the days of the Pentecost were accomplished, they were all together in one place: and suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a mighty wind coming, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. And there appeared to them parted tongues as it were of fire, and it sat upon every one of them: and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they began to speak with divers’ tongues, according as the Holy Ghost gave them to speak. Now there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men out of every nation under heaven. And when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded in mind, because that every man heard them speak in his own tongue. And they were all amazed and wondered, saying: Behold, are not all these that speak Galileans? And how have we heard every man our own tongue wherein we were born? Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and in habitants of Mesopotamia, Judea, and Cappadocia, Pontus, and Asia, Phrygia, and Pamphilia, Egypt, and the parts of Lybia about Gyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews also, and proselytes, Cretes, and Arabians: we have heard them speak in our own tongues the wonderful works of God.
Why does the Church celebrate this day so solemnly?
To praise and thank God for sending the Holy Ghost, Who gave so many spiritual graces and fruits to men.
Why did the Holy Ghost appear under visible signs?
It was done to attract attention, and to indicate outwardly what took place inwardly. The roar of the mighty wind, according to the language of the prophets, pointed to the approaching Godhead, and was intended to announce something extraordinary. The appearance of tongues signified the gift of languages, and the division of them the difference of gifts imparted by the Holy Ghost. The fire which lightens, warms, and quickly spreads, denoted the love of God, the power and joy with which the apostles, and mankind through them, should be filled, and indicated the rapid extension of Christianity.
What were the effects of the descent of the Holy Ghost upon the apostles?
Being enlightened and made acquainted with all truth, freed from all fear and faint-heartedness, and undaunted, the apostles preached everywhere Christ crucified, and for love of Him endured with joy all sufferings. Their discourses were understood by all present, as if they had carefully learned each particular language. From that time Christianity spread with wonderful rapidity throughout the whole world. Pray the Holy Ghost to-day to enlighten you also, to inflame you with holy love, and to give you strength daily to increase in all goodness.
GOSPEL. John xiv. 23-31.
At that time Jesus said to His disciples: If any one love Me, he will keep My word, and My Father will love him, arid We will come to him, and will make Our abode with him. He that loveth Me not, keepeth not My words. And the word which you have heard is not Mine: but the Father’s Who sent Me. These things have I spoken to you, abiding with you. But the Paraclete, the Holy Ghost, Whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring all things to your mind, whatsoever I shall have said to you. Peace I leave with you; My peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, do I give unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, nor let it be afraid. You have heard that I said to you: I go away, and I come to you. If you loved Me, you would indeed be glad, because I go to the Father: for the Father is greater than I. And now I have told you before it came to pass that when it shall come to pass, you may believe. I will not now speak many things with you: for the prince of this world cometh, and in Me he hath not anything. But that the world may know that I love the Father: and as the Father hath given Me commandment, so do I.
Why is the Holy Ghost called a spirit, and the Holy Spirit?
Because He proceeds from the Father and the Son, and is as it were, the Spirit of the Father and the Son.
What does the Holy Ghost effect in men?
He renews their hearts, by cleansing them from sin, by imparting to them the sanctification and likeness to God gained through Christ, together with all these supernatural gifts and graces by which they can become holy and happy, and brings forth in them wonderful fruits of sanctity.
Which are these gifts of the Holy Ghost?
The seven following:
1. The gift of wisdom, which teaches us to value the heavenly more than the earthly, infuses into us a longing for the same, and points out to us the right means to salvation.
2. The gift of understanding, which enlightens us to rightly understand the mysteries and doctrines of our holy religion.
3. The gift of counsel in doubtful cases, which enables us to know what to do or omit, and what to advise others. This gift is particularly necessary for superiors, for those who are changing their state of life, and for those who are entangled in perplexing and unfortunate marriage relations.
4. The gift of fortitude, which banishes all timidity and human respect, strengthens a man to hate sin, and steadfastly to practice virtue; preferring contempt, temporal loss, persecution, and even death, to denying Christ by word or deed.
5. The gift of knowledge, by which the Holy Ghost enlightens us with an inner light, that we may know ourselves, the snares of self-love, of our passions, of the devil, and of the world, and may choose the fittest means to overcome them.
6. The gift of piety and devotion, which infuses into us veneration for God and divine things, and joy in conversing with Him.
7. The gift of the fear of God, that childlike fear, which dreads no other misfortune than that of displeasing God, and which, accordingly, flees sin as the greatest evil.
The gift of Wisdom
Wisdom empowers a person “to judge and order all things in accordance with divine norms and with a connaturality that flows from a loving union with God.” So, while knowledge and understanding enable a person to know and to penetrate the divine truths, wisdom moves us to “fall in love” with them. The Holy Spirit aids the contemplation of divine things, enabling the person to grow in union with God. This gift unites us to the heart of Jesus. Father Adolphe Tanquerey taught, “This, then, is the difference between the gift of wisdom and that of understanding, the latter is a view taken by the mind, while the former is an experience undergone by the heart; one is light, the other love, and so they united and complete one another. Wisdom, withal, remains the more perfect gift; for the heart outranges the intellect, it sounds greater depths, and grasps or divines what reason fails to reach. This is particularly the case with the saints, in whom love often surpasses knowledge” (The Spiritual Life, p. 630). For example, St. Therese of Lisieux (declared a doctor of the church), had no formal education in theology, and yet was wise to the ways of the Lord, a wisdom gained through prayer and simple acts of love offered to God. While this gift contemplates the divine, it also is a practical wisdom. It applies God’s ideas to judge both created and divine matter, thereby directing human acts according to divine wisdom.
Therefore, a person will see and evaluate all things — both joy and sorrow, pleasure and pain, success and failure — from God’s point of view, and accept them with equanimity. With wisdom, all things, even the worst, are seen as having a supernatural value — for example, giving value to martyrdom. Here a person arises above the wisdom of this world and lives in the love of God. St. Paul captured well this gift of wisdom: “What we utter is God’s wisdom: a mysterious, a hidden wisdom. God planned it before all ages for our glory. …Yet God has revealed this wisdom to us through the Spirit. …The Spirit we have received is not the world’s spirit but God’s Spirit, helping us to recognize the gifts He has given us. We speak of these, not in words of human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, thus interpreting spiritual things in spiritual terms.
The natural man does not accept what is taught by the spirit of God. For him, that is absurdity. He cannot come to know such teaching because it must be appraised in a spiritual way. The spiritual man, on the other hand, can appraise everything. We have the mind of Christ” (I Cor 2:6ff). Or consider St. John’s first epistle: “God is love. Everyone who loves is begotten of God and has knowledge of God. …He who abides in love, abides in God, and God in him. Our love is brought to perfection in this, that we should have confidence on the Day of Judgment; for our relation to this world is just like His. Love has no room for fear; rather, perfect love casts out all fear” (I Jn 4:7, 17-18).
Which are the fruits of the Holy Ghost? They are the twelve following:
1. Charity.
2. Joy.
3. Peace.
4. Patience.
5. Benignity.
6. Goodness.
7. Longsuffering.
8. Mildness.
9. Faith.
10. Modesty.
11. Continency.
12. Chastity.
These fruits should be visible in the Christian, for thereby men shall know that the Holy Ghost dwells in him, as the tree is known by its fruit.
Whit Sunday
What is Whitsunday or White Sunday?
The liturgical color of this Sunday is red in order to recall the tongues of flame that descended on the Apostles. The old English name for Pentecost, Whitsunday, originated from the custom of the newly baptized redonning their white robes for the services of the day. By extension this could also apply to the new Easter clothes worn by the faithful fifty days earlier.
The Dove
Like Ascension Thursday, Whitsunday was once the occasion for several liturgical eccentricities. Many medieval churches, for example, had a Holy Ghost Hole in the ceiling of the church from which a large blue disk bearing the figure of a white dove would swing slowly down to the congregation during the Mass sequence, Veni Sancte Spiritus. Midway through the sequence, the disk would stop and from the Holy Ghost hole would rain symbols of the Spirit: flowers, water, even burning pieces of straw. A practice far less susceptible to excess, on the other hand, is the use of beautifully carved and painted wooden doves in the home. These figures would usually be suspended over the dinner table, and would sometimes be encased in glass, having been assembled entirely from within (much like the wooden ships assembled in bottles). The painstaking effort that went into making these doves serves as a reminder to cherish the adoration of the Holy Spirit.
The Blessed Dew
Though the inspiration of the Holy Spirit is often described in dramatic terms (a mighty wind, tongues of fire, etc.), it is also portrayed in soothing, comforting ways. The Whitsunday sequence Veni Sancte Spiritus, for example, calls the Spirit our "sweet refreshment" (dulcis refrigerium), while the postcommunion prayer, in an allusion to Isaiah 45.8, refers to the "inward sprinkling of His heavenly dew." Hence there arose the charming superstition that the morning dew of Whitsunday is especially good luck. To obtain a blessing, people would walk barefoot through the meadows before Mass and would even feed their animals with bread wiped by the dew.
Age of the Holy Spirit
Where we are is the age of the Holy Spirit. Pentecost is often called the birthday of the Church because even though the Apostles were transformed by earlier events such as the institution of the Eucharist and priesthood on Maundy Thursday or their acquiring the power to forgive sins on Easter afternoon, they - and by extension, the Church - did not really come into their own until the Paraclete inspired them to burst out of their closed quarters and spread the Gospel to the ends of the earth. And just as Pentecost marks the birthday of the Church in the Holy Spirit, so too does the Time after Pentecost mark the life of the Church moving through the vicissitudes of history under the protection and guidance of that same Spirit. It is for this reason that the epistle readings from this season emphasize the Apostles' advice to the burgeoning churches of the day while its Gospel readings focus on the kingdom of heaven and its justice. It is also the reason why the corresponding lessons from the breviary draw heavily from the history of the Israelite monarchy in the Old Testament. All are somehow meant to teach us how to comport ourselves as citizens of the city of God as we pass through the kingdoms of this world.
Octave?
Pentecost Monday remains an official festival in many Protestant churches, such as the (Lutheran) Church of Sweden, the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland, and others. In the Byzantine Catholic Rite Pentecost Monday is no longer a Holy Day of Obligation, but rather a simple holiday. In the Extraordinary Form of the liturgy of the Roman Catholic Church, as at Easter, the liturgical rank of Monday and Tuesday of Pentecost week is a Double of the First Class and across many Western denominations, Pentecost is celebrated with an octave culminating on Trinity Sunday. However, in the modern Roman Rite (Ordinary Form), Pentecost ends after Evening Prayer on the feast day itself, with Ordinary Time resuming the next day.
•My advice: Go to Mass for the 8 days.
Highlights and Things to Do:
•Listen to the Catholic Culture audiobook St. Thomas Aquinas—Send Out Your Spirit read by James Majewski.
•Meditate on Fr. Roger Landry's homily for Pentecost Sunday.
•Pray the Golden Sequence, Veni, Sancte Spiritus which is read or sung at the Pentecost Vigil and Sunday Mass.
•Find some ideas for celebrating Pentecost in the home:
oTherese Mueller, Celebrating Pentecost in the Home
oP. Craig Stewart and Helen McLoughlin, Whitsunday, The Cenacle and The Cenacle Project.
oEthel Marbach, Pentecost Activities and Pentecost Wheel
oHelen McLoughlin, Pentecost Visual Display
oJan Wilson, Make Your Own Windmill
oMary Reed Newland, Pentecost Favors, Gifts and Fruits
oFamily Life Bureau, Planting a Pentecost Tree
•Pentecost Feasting Ideas: Catholic Culture has a large list of suggested recipes in the right hand column. But the themes are red, something with flames, or something that reminds of flames. Strawberry placed upside down have the shape of a flame. And also, fruits help us think of the fruits of the Holy Spirit. Another way of thinking is presenting the meal in "gift" form, like the "gifts of the Holy Spirit."
oEvelyn Vitz, Twelve Fruit Salad
oDemetria Taylor, Special Strawberry Shortcake
oFlorence Berger, Pentecost Picnic and Strawberry Cake
•See also Catholic Cuisine for feast food ideas.
•For further inspiration, see the blog posts by Jennifer Gregory Miller:
oPentecost and Confirmation
oPentecost with Mary, Mary, Queen of Apostles
oPreparing for Pentecost Filled with Joy
oThe Solemnity of Pentecost: An Elementary Feast
Australia and Our Lady Help of Christians
When Cardinal Patrick Moran of Sydney wrote his History of the Catholic Church in Australia, he recalled the laying of the foundation stone of what was to become the first cathedral in this land. His eminence declared: "Who was the patron selected by the people and their newly arrived pastor, Father Therry, for the Mother Church? Mary, the Immaculate Mother of God, under the special invocation of Help of Christians, was chosen patroness. In choosing Mary, the young Church was following a sure Catholic instinct. But why the particular title of Help of Christians?
Events had happened in Europe only several years earlier, and this no doubt was still fresh in people's minds. Napoleon Bonaparte had jailed Pope Pius VI who died in goal, after which Pope Pius VII was elected. Just a short time later, he too was jailed by Napoleon, who kept him prisoner at Fontainebleau, 35 miles from Paris. The Holy Father vowed to God that, if he were restored, he would institute a special feast in honor of Mary. Military reverses forced Napoleon to release the Pope, and on May 24th, 1814, Pius VII returned in triumph to Rome. Twelve months later, the Pope decreed that the feast of Mary Help of Christians, be kept on the 24th of May.
Australia became the first nation in the world to have, Mary, Help of Christians as Patroness: the first church to celebrate May 24th on a national scale (elsewhere the feast was restricted to Rome and specified places); and the first country to have a mother-cathedral under the same title.
Mary Help of Christian’s patroness of Australia and of the Military Ordinariate (Feast: 24th May)
Almighty God deepen in our hearts our love of Mary Help of Christians. Through her prayers and under her protection, may the light of Christ shine over our land. May Australia be granted harmony, justice and peace. Grant wisdom to our leaders and integrity to our citizens. Bless especially the men and women of the Australian Defense Force and their families. We ask this through Christ Our Lord. Amen.
Mary Help of Christians, pray for us.
Things to Do:
•Make a virtual visit to the chapel of Our Lady, Help of Christians at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception.
•Read more about Our Lady, Help of Christians.
•Travel via the Internet to the Shrine of Mary Help of Christians built by St. John Bosco as a monument to the Virgin Mary, with the title Help of Christians, as the mother church and spiritual center of the Salesian Congregation.
Apostolic Exhortation
Veneremur Cernui – Down in Adoration Falling
of The Most Reverend Thomas J. Olmsted, Bishop of Phoenix,
to Priests, Deacons, Religious and the Lay Faithful of the Diocese of Phoenix on the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist
My beloved Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
I. The Graces of Holy Communion
i. Holy Communion changes and transforms us into “Alter Christus”
36. This Eucharistic Christ gives life to those that receive Him, assimilates them and transforms them into Himself. Jesus called Himself the “Bread of Life” precisely to make us understand that He does not nourish us as ordinary food does; rather, as He possesses life, He gives it to us. Being assimilated by Jesus in Holy Communion makes us like Him in our sentiments, desires, and our way of thinking. In Holy Communion, His heart nourishes our hearts; His pure, wise and loving desires purify our selfish ones, so that we not only know what He wants, but also start wanting the same more and more. Saint Paul aptly wrote, “I live, no longer I, but Christ lives in me” (Gal 2:20). Through the Eucharist, we really become not only an Alter Christus – Another Christ – but indeed Ipse Christus, Christ Himself. Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI in a homily on Corpus Domini speaks of this divine assimilation:
“The purpose of this communion, of this partaking, is the assimilation of my life with His, my transformation and conformation into He who is living Love. Therefore, this communion implies adoration; it implies the will to follow Christ, to follow the One who goes ahead of us” (Homily, Corpus Domini, 2005).
37. Have you ever wondered why Jesus chose to leave us His presence under the appearance of bread and wine? He reveals the reason in His discourse on the Bread of Life:
“Just as the living Father sent me and I have life because of the Father, so also the one who feeds on me will have life because of me” (Jn 6:57).
He wants to be nourishment of higher order of life within us, a capacity to love and act like Him, even to “be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Mt 5:48).
38. Bread and wine are also powerful symbols that convey eloquently Jesus’ invitation to walk the same path of sacrificial love. The grains of wheat that are used for making bread had to go through a grueling process. They are plucked, thrashed, crushed, and ground up, kneaded and shaped, and finally, they are thrown to be baked in an oven. In a similar way, the grapes are plucked and smashed. Their juice is purified and bottled. Then they are left until maturity. If we look up at the Crucified Jesus on the Cross, we can see a similar grueling process He went through in His Passion and Death; this is what true love really means. Every time we come to the Eucharist; we are invited to imitate this sacrificial love of Christ.
Bible in a year Day 323 Pentecost
Fr. Mike shares the powerful story of the Holy Spirit coming upon the apostles in the upper room. He emphasizes how God calls us to go out into the world with his Spirit and live in community and with devotion to the apostles’ teaching, fellowship, the Eucharist, and prayer just like the first Christians. Today’s readings are Acts 2, Romans 2-3, and Proverbs 26:27-28.
Around the Corner
•Bucket List Trip: A week at the Spa in Baden Baden
oI was a child in Muenchweiler, Germany while my dad was in the Army. Part of his job was the security of ammunition one was located near Baden Baden and in the winter my day talked about driving by the hot natural springs with snow around them and little old ladies in swimming caps popping their heads out of the waters.
•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.
•Spirit Hour: Wine or Brew that pairs with Venison
•Foodie-Roast Saddle Of Venison With Red Wine
•Nationally Military Appreciate Month
•Autism Acceptance Month
On Sundays Pray:
O Glorious Queen of Heaven and Earth, Virgin Most Powerful, thou who hast the power to crush the head of the ancient serpent with thy heel, come and exercise this power flowing from the grace of thine Immaculate Conception. Shield us under the mantle of thy purity and love, draw us into the sweet abode of thy heart and annihilate and render impotent the forces bent on destroying us. Come Most Sovereign Mistress of the Holy Angels and Mistress of the Most Holy Rosary, thou who from the very beginning hast received from God the power and the mission to crush the head of Satan. Send forth thy holy legions, we humbly beseech thee, that under thy command and by thy power they may pursue the evil spirits, counter them on every side, resist their bold attacks and drive them far from us, harming no one on the way, binding them to the foot of the Cross to be judged and sentenced by Jesus Christ Thy Son and to be disposed of by Him as He wills.
St. Joseph, Patron of the Universal Church, come to our aid in this grave battle against the forces of darkness, repel the attacks of the devil and free the members of the Auxilium Christianorum, and those for whom the priests of the Auxilium Christianorum pray, from the strongholds of the enemy.
St. Michael, summon the entire heavenly court to engage their forces in this fierce battle against the powers of hell. Come O Prince of Heaven with thy mighty sword and thrust into hell Satan and all the other evil spirits. O Guardian Angels, guide and protect us. Amen.
Elk Hunting in Idaho: What you need to know
Want to hunt elk in Idaho? Good choice, but do you know about the latest changes in General-Season Non-Resident deer and elk tags? Get the latest update, along with other useful information about elk hunting in the Gem State!
Idaho is a popular elk hunting destination. To begin with, according to the latest estimates by Idaho Department of Fish & Game, the elk herds in the state number approximately 120,000 head. In spite of hard winters of the last few years, which hurt the mule deer populations, the elk are stable or growing and expanding their range in most of Idaho. For the six years starting from 2014 hunters harvested over 20,000 elk each season. Over 100,000 hunters take part in the pursuit, thanks to generous allocation of licenses, and availability of over-the-counter tags. In 2019, hunter harvest was 20,532 elk, of which 11,418 were antlered, at an overall success rate of 22%. General hunts accounted for a higher share of harvest (13,799 elk), but controlled hunts sported a significantly higher success rate: 38%.
•Indianapolis 500—May 25-- Rev up for the “Greatest Spectacle in Racing.” Part of the Triple Crown of Motorsports (with the Monaco Grand Prix and 24 Hours of Le Mans right behind) this annual race is quite possibly the largest single-day sporting event in the entire world, attracting roughly 400,000 spectators. Head to Indianapolis the last weekend in May, and prepare for a high-speed show around the Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s 2.5-mile oval circuit.
oBEST. EXPERIENCE. EVER. Phoenix Raceway
Welcome to NASCAR Racing Experience. DRIVE a NASCAR race car by yourself on the Phoenix Raceway- A 1 mile, low-banked tri-oval racetrack with 8 to 9 degrees of banking in the turns. Following drivers meeting with training and instruction, you’ll drive a NASCAR race car for timed racing sessions. There’s no lead car to follow and no instructor rides with you. Get one-on-one instruction from a spotter over in-car radio. In between every 8 minutes of Track Time get to a brief pit stop and head back on the track to work on driving faster speeds. Pass the slower cars as you catch them... YES, passing is allowed!
May 22 - 24, 2026
Feast of the Flowering Moon is held annually on Memorial Day weekend in historic, downtown Chillicothe, Ohio.
The festival offers plenty of family-friendly entertainment for residents and visitors to Chillicothe, Ohio. Featured activities include Native American music and dancing, crafters, exhibitors, Mountain Man Encampment with working craftsmen and demonstrations, entertainment and much more.
Daily Devotions
•Unite in the work of the Porters of St. Joseph by joining them in fasting: An end to the use of contraceptives.
•Litany of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus
•Offering to the sacred heart of Jesus
•Drops of Christ’s Blood
•Universal Man Plan
•Rosary
MAN HUNT (1941)
Walter Pidgeon • Joan Bennett • George Sanders
Directed by Fritz Lang
A thriller sharpened by moral clarity and wartime urgency, Man Hunt is Fritz Lang’s warning shot to a world still pretending neutrality was possible.
Walter Pidgeon plays a gentleman hunter who becomes prey.
Joan Bennett plays a London street girl whose tenderness becomes courage.
George Sanders plays the Nazi officer who enjoys cruelty the way other men enjoy cigars.
This is not a simple chase film.
It is a study in conscience, tyranny, and the cost of refusing to bow.
It is a pre‑war noir about a man who discovers what he believes only when someone tries to break it.
1. Production & Historical Setting
Hollywood Before America Entered the War
Released in June 1941 — six months before Pearl Harbor — the film is a rare artifact:
an American studio picture openly condemning Hitler while the nation was still officially neutral.
Lang, who fled the Nazis, directs with urgency and personal fury.
The film is propaganda in the best sense:
a moral alarm bell.
Fritz Lang’s Shadowed Precision
Lang brings his German Expressionist instincts:
sharp angles
oppressive shadows
psychological pressure
moral stakes that tighten like a snare
He turns London’s alleys and England’s countryside into a labyrinth of fear and resistance.
Pidgeon’s Reluctant Hero
Pidgeon plays Captain Thorndike as a man who begins with sport and ends with conviction.
His transformation is the film’s spine:
from hunter
to hunted
to witness.
Joan Bennett’s Tragic Warmth
Bennett’s Jerry Stokes is the film’s heart —
a working‑class girl whose loyalty becomes sacrificial.
Her performance gives the thriller its soul.
2. Story Summary
The Shot That Wasn’t Fired
Thorndike infiltrates Hitler’s mountain retreat and lines up the perfect shot —
but refuses to kill.
He wants the sport, not the murder.
The Nazis do not believe in sport.
They believe in obedience.
Capture, Escape, Pursuit
Thorndike is tortured, escapes, and flees back to England.
The Nazis follow, determined to force a confession that will justify war.
Jerry Stokes
A poor London girl shelters him.
Their bond is tender, awkward, and deeply human —
a flicker of warmth in a cold world.
The Cost of Loyalty
Jerry pays the price for helping him.
Her death is the film’s emotional blow —
a reminder that tyranny always targets the innocent first.
The Final Choice
Thorndike, once a man of sport, becomes a man of purpose.
He returns to the fight — not for glory, but for justice.
3. Spiritual & Moral Resonances
A. Neutrality as Illusion
Thorndike learns what the world would soon learn:
you cannot remain neutral when evil hunts you.
B. Conscience Awakened by Suffering
His refusal to kill is noble.
His refusal to submit is holier.
C. The Dignity of the Lowly
Jerry’s courage exposes the cowardice of powerful men.
Her sacrifice is the film’s moral center.
D. Tyranny’s Psychology
Sanders plays the Nazi officer with chilling calm —
evil as charm, cruelty as leisure.
E. Resistance as Vocation
Thorndike’s final act is not revenge.
It is calling.
4. Hospitality Pairing — The Fugitive’s Refuge
A Maduro cigar — dark, earthy, echoing the film’s shadowed tension
A peppery rye — High West or Rittenhouse, matching the film’s edge
A simple wartime plate — bread, cheese, and tea, the food of the hunted
A single lamp in a dark room — the light of conscience in a world of pursuit
5. Reflection Prompts
Where am I pretending neutrality in the face of evil.
What comfort keeps me from conviction.
Who in my life has shown courage I take for granted.
What pursuit is forcing me to decide who I truly am.
“Do
not be AFRAID,” David said to him, “I
will surely be kind to you for the sake of Jonathan your father. I will restore
to you all the lands of Saul your grandfather, and you shall eat at my table
always.”
David
is showing compassion to Mephibosheth; Jonathan’s disabled son following the
civil war between Israel and Judah. In the end David reigns over all of Israel.
Israel with David’s leadership then quickly defeats the Jebusites taking
Jerusalem; defeats the Philistines and brings the Ark to Jerusalem and God
makes his Covenant with David. Thus David’s heart was full of gratitude. David
now can return the favor of his old friend Jonathan to his son and restores his
lands and David orders his servants to cultivate Mephibosheth’s lands,
providing him with food, income and a place in the court. Gratitude cultivates
generosity. This is the law of the Picture.[1]
The law of the picture summarizes
what is often observed in human nature. People tend to mimic the behaviors of
their leaders. When a leader demonstrates behaviors that lead to success,
people that follow mimic those behaviors and succeed as well. The picture
consists of vision, mission, and strategy. When the leader lives the vision,
the leader models the vision making it real and alive.
Nothing
is easier than saying words. Nothing is harder than living them, day after day
– Arthur Gordon
Good leaders recognize the
importance of the example they set.[2]
1. People watch
what you do. As a leader, recognize that people tend to
model behaviors that you display. People tend to believe what they see not
necessarily what they hear. You convince people by what you do not by what you
say.
2. Teaching
what is right is easier than doing what is right. Leaders
must be willing to make sacrifices that are painful and personal.
3. Change
yourself before trying to improve others. As a leader, you
need to lead yourself first. Set high standards of excellence for yourself.
Work the hardest and longest on improving yourself. Failing to lead by example
creates a fuzzy picture to those you intend to lead.
4. A leader’s
example is the most value gift a leader can give. People
desire leaders where espoused beliefs and actions align. People learn best from
watching good leaders in action. Many leaders emerge by observing and
replicating the behaviors of leaders that mentored them.
Copilot’s Take
On the Saturday of the Seventh Week of Easter, the reading from Second
Samuel reveals a king whose strength is measured not by conquest but by
fidelity. David looks upon Mephibosheth, the disabled son of Jonathan, and
speaks the words that only a secure man can offer: “Do not be afraid.”
In that moment, David restores land, dignity, and a place at his own table. His
leadership is not a performance but an extension of gratitude. The covenant God
made with him has shaped his heart, and the heart shaped by God becomes
generous almost by reflex.
This scene becomes a living illustration of the Law of the Picture. David
does not merely articulate a vision for Israel; he embodies it. His people will
learn mercy because they have seen mercy. They will learn courage because they
have watched him act with courage. They will learn fidelity because he has
remained faithful to the promises forged in friendship and sealed in suffering.
The king’s life becomes the template for the nation’s life.
Such leadership is never accidental. People watch what a leader does long
before they listen to what he says. David’s restoration of Mephibosheth shows
that teaching righteousness is easier than living it, and that the credibility
of a leader rests not on eloquence but on sacrifice. He changes himself before
he attempts to change others, and in doing so he offers the most valuable gift
a leader can give: a life that aligns with its own convictions.
On this same day, the Church remembers St. Julia of Corsica, a young
woman whose courage stands in stark contrast to the brutality of her captors.
She possessed no throne, no army, and no earthly power. Yet she held the one
thing tyrants cannot steal: a will anchored in God. When commanded to renounce
Christ, she refused. When threatened, she refused. When tortured, she refused.
Her resistance was not loud, theatrical, or vengeful. It was the quiet,
immovable fortitude the Catechism describes as “firmness in difficulties and
constancy in the pursuit of the good.”
Julia’s martyrdom becomes another form of the Law of the Picture. She
shows what it looks like when a human being lives the vision of the Gospel
without compromise. Her fidelity teaches more than any sermon. Her courage
instructs more than any treatise. Her death becomes a model for confronting
evil without mirroring its rage. She does not defeat her persecutors by
overpowering them but by refusing to let them define her final act.
Together, David and Julia reveal a single truth: evil is resisted not by
matching its force but by surpassing it in fidelity. David uses power to lift
the weak; Julia uses weakness to shame the powerful. Both stand firm without
fear because both know who they are before God. Their lives become pictures
others can imitate—pictures of courage, mercy, and unwavering truth.
In an age that often confuses noise with strength and posturing with
leadership, their witness remains a corrective. The world does not need louder
men; it needs truer ones. It needs leaders whose actions match their words,
whose sacrifices validate their teachings, and whose fidelity gives others
permission to stand firm. David restored a broken man to honor. Julia refused
to surrender her soul. Both show that confronting evil begins with the simple,
demanding decision to live the vision one proclaims.
St. Julia was a noble virgin of Carthage, who, when the city was taken by
Genseric in 489, was sold for a slave to a pagan merchant of Syria named
Eusebius. Under the most mortifying employments of her station, by cheerfulness
and patience she found a happiness and comfort which the world could not have
afforded. All the time she was not employed in her master's business was
devoted to prayer and reading books of piety. Her master, who was charmed with
her fidelity and other virtues, carried her with him on one of his voyages to
Gaul. Having reached the northern part of Corsica, he cast anchor, and went on
shore to join the pagans of the place in an idolatrous festival. Julia was left
at some distance, because she would not be defiled by the superstitious ceremonies
which she openly reviled. Felix, the governor of the island, who was a bigoted
pagan, asked who this woman was who dared to insult the gods. Eusebius informed
him that she was a Christian, and that all his authority over her was too weak
to prevail with her to renounce her religion, but that he found her so diligent
and faithful he could not part with her. The governor offered him four of his
best female slaves in exchange for her. But the merchant replied, "No; all
you are worth will not purchase her; for I would freely lose the most valuable
thing I have in the world rather than be deprived of her." However, the
governor, while Eusebius was drunk and asleep, took upon him to compel her to
sacrifice to his gods. He offered to procure her liberty if she would comply.
The Saint made answer that she was as free as she desired to be as long as she
was allowed to serve Jesus Christ. Felix, thinking himself derided by her
undaunted and resolute air, in a transport of rage caused her to be struck on
the face, and the hair of head to be torn off, and lastly, ordered her to be
hanged on a cross till she expired. Certain monks of the isle of Gorgon carried
off her body; but in 768 Desiderius, King of Lombardy, removed her relics to
Breseia, where her memory is celebrated with great devotion. St. Julia, whether
free or a slave, whether in prosperity or in adversity, was equally fervent and
devout. She adored all the sweet designs of Providence; and far from
complaining, she never ceased to praise and thank God under all his holy
appointments, making them always the means of her virtue and sanctification.
God, by an admirable chain of events, raised her by her fidelity to the honor
of the saints, and to the dignity of a virgin and martyr.
of The Most Reverend Thomas J.
Olmsted, Bishop of Phoenix,
to Priests, Deacons, Religious and the Lay Faithful of the Diocese of Phoenix
on the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist
My beloved Brothers and
Sisters in Christ,
Part II
I.
The Graces of Holy Communion
Holy Communion changes and transforms us into “Alter
Christus”
33.
The Eucharistic presence of Jesus is not only to be with us, but also to be our
strength and nourishment. Jesus does this by choosing the elements of nature –
bread and wine – the food and drink that man must consume to maintain his life.
The Eucharist is precisely this food and drink for they contain in themselves
all the power of the Redemption wrought by Christ. The Eucharist is the only
nourishment that brings us true, lasting happiness and leads us to eternal
life. It is capable of transforming man’s life and open before him the way to
eternal life. How is this possible?
34.
While going through a period of conversion, one day Saint Augustine was granted
a vision in which a voice said to him: “I am the food of the mature: grow,
then, and you shall eat me. You will not change me into yourself like bodily
food; but you will be changed into me” (Confessions, VII, 10, 18). There is
a popular saying that goes, “You are what you eat.” How true this is
when we apply this to the Eucharist. Ordinary food is absorbed by us and
becomes a part of our bodies. But when we receive the Eucharist, it absorbs us;
a Christian becomes truly what he eats; he is transformed into Christ.
Centuries ago, Saint Leo the Great wrote: “Our partaking of the Body and
Blood of Christ tends only to make us become what we eat”.
35.
The Fathers of the Church took the example of physical food to explain this
mystery. We know that the stronger form of life normally assimilates the weaker
and not vice versa. The vegetative world assimilates the minerals, and the
animals assimilate the vegetables, and the spiritual assimilates the material.
When we receive the Body of Christ, we do not change Christ into our own
substance. Instead, we are changed into Christ Himself. The normal food that we
eat is not a living thing and therefore cannot give us life. It is a source of
life only because it sustains the life we have. Instead, the Bread of Life,
that is Jesus, is the living Bread and those who receive it, live by it. So,
while the normal food that nourishes the body is assimilated by the body and
becomes a part of it, the complete opposite takes place with the Bread of Life.
O
compassionate Lord Jesus Christ, I, a sinner, nothing presuming on my own
merits, but trusting in Thy mercy and goodness, draw near with awe and
trembling to the table of Thy sweetest banquet. For my heart and my body are
stained with many sins, my mind and my tongue have not been kept with fitting
diligence and circumspection. "Wherefore, O compassion ate Godhead, O
dread and awful Majesty, I, Thy wretched creature, who am fallen into a great
strait, betake myself to Thee, the Fountain of mercy; to Thee I hasten that I
may be healed; beneath Thy protection I make my refuge; I long to have Thee for
my Savior, before Whom I can in no wise stand as my Judge. To Thee, O Lord, I
now show my wounds; before Thee I lay bare all this my shame. I know my sins,
so many and so great, by reason of which I am afraid. I hope in Thy mercies,
which are past numbering. Look on me with the eyes of Thy mercy, O Lord Jesus
Christ, everlasting King, God and man, Who wast crucified for man. Graciously
hear me who hope in Thee; have mercy on me who am full of miseries and of sins,
O Thou full and over-flowing Fountain of pity and of mercy. Hail, Thou saving
Victim, offered for me and all mankind upon the tree of the cross. Hail, thou
noble and precious blood, which dost ever flow forth from the wounds of my
crucified Lord Jesus Christ, and wash away the sins of the whole world.
Remember Thy creature, O Lord, whom Thou hast redeemed with Thine own blood. I
grieve that I have sinned; I do earnestly desire to amend what I have done amiss.
Wherefore, O most merciful Father, take away from me all my iniquities and my
sins, that, being cleansed in soul and in body, I may worthily receive the holy
food of the holy; and grant that the sacred taste of Thy body and blood, which
I unworthy am about to receive, may be to me the remission of my sins, the
perfect expiation and cleansing of all my faults, and the putting to flight of
evil thoughts, the quickening and renewal of all good feelings, the healthful
energy of all good works, the most assured protection of my body and soul from
all the snares of my enemies. Amen.
Bible in a
year Day 322 The
Ascension
Today, we begin the age of the
church, transitioning from the Gospel of Luke to the beginning of the book of
Acts. Fr. Mike draws our attention to the Ascension of Jesus and encourages us
to respond to Christ’s call to participate in his mission. He invites us to be
part of his story and not be ashamed of the Gospel. Today’s readings are Acts
1, Romans 1, and Proverbs 26:24-26.
The
Code of the West is an unwritten set of ethical guidelines that shaped
cowboy culture and frontier life. While it was never officially documented in
the early days, it emphasized honor, integrity, and self-reliance. Over time,
various authors and historians have outlined these principles, and in 2010,
Wyoming even adopted them as its official state code of ethics.
Here
are some key tenets of the Code of the West:
Live each day with courage.
Face challenges head-on.
Take pride in your work. Do
your best, no matter the task.
Always finish what you start.
Commitment is key.
Do what has to be done. Even
when it's tough.
Be tough, but fair. Strength
should be balanced with justice.
When you make a promise, keep
it. Your word is your bond.
Ride for the brand. Loyalty
to your people and purpose.
Talk less, say more. Actions
speak louder than words.
Remember that some things are
not for sale. Integrity matters.
Know where to draw the line.
Stand firm in your values.
These
principles reflect the rugged individualism and camaraderie that defined the
Old West. Even today, many people—whether cowboys or not—find wisdom in these
values.
May 22 - 24, 2025
Feast of the Flowering Moon is held annually on Memorial Day weekend in historic, downtown
Chillicothe, Ohio.
The festival offers plenty of
family-friendly entertainment for residents and visitors to Chillicothe, Ohio.
Featured activities include Native American music and dancing, crafters,
exhibitors, Mountain Man Encampment with working craftsmen and demonstrations,
entertainment and much more.
Loretta Young • Melvyn Douglas • Alan Marshal
Directed by Alexander Hall
A romantic comedy built on political tension, mistaken loyalties, and the strange intimacy that forms when two people are trapped together by circumstance.
Loretta Young plays Marianne Duval with luminous restraint — a woman whose elegance hides disillusionment.
Melvyn Douglas plays Paul Boliet with his trademark blend of charm and ideological stubbornness.
This is not a screwball farce.
It is a chamber piece about conviction, loneliness, and the unexpected tenderness that grows in confinement.
It is a wartime‑adjacent comedy about ideals colliding with human need.
1. Production & Historical Setting
Pre‑War Paris Through Hollywood’s Lens
Released in 1940, as Europe was already burning, the film presents a Paris that is both romantic and politically volatile.
The comedy is light, but the backdrop is not.
Hollywood was beginning to acknowledge the ideological fractures tearing the world apart.
The apartment becomes a microcosm of the era:
bourgeois comfort, revolutionary fervor, and the uneasy truce between them.
Alexander Hall’s Polished Humanism
Hall directs with a gentle, urbane touch:
elegant pacing
emotional clarity
humor without cruelty
He avoids propaganda.
He avoids cynicism.
He lets the characters’ convictions clash without turning them into caricatures.
Loretta Young’s Moral Radiance
Young plays Marianne as a woman awakening from a life of polite unhappiness.
Her grace is not fragility — it is discipline.
She discovers courage not in politics but in choosing truth over comfort.
Melvyn Douglas’s Charming Idealist
Douglas gives Paul a warmth that softens his revolutionary rigidity.
He is a man who believes in causes but is undone by the humanity of the woman who shelters him.
Their chemistry is not frantic.
It is slow, intelligent, and rooted in mutual respect.
2. Story Summary
A Fugitive in the Apartment
Paul Boliet, a communist agitator, botches an assassination attempt and hides in Marianne’s apartment.
The police blockade the building.
Escape is impossible.
Forced Proximity, Growing Affection
Marianne, estranged from her banker husband, finds herself drawn to Paul’s sincerity.
He finds in her a gentleness that challenges his hardened ideology.
Their banter becomes confession.
Their confinement becomes communion.
The Husband Returns
Alan Marshal enters as the polished, self‑assured husband whose presence exposes the emotional emptiness of Marianne’s marriage.
The Choice
Paul’s comrades demand he surrender.
Marianne’s husband demands she return.
She chooses neither.
She chooses freedom — and Paul.
The Ending
They flee together, not triumphantly but honestly, stepping into a future built on conviction and affection rather than duty and pretense.
3. Spiritual & Moral Resonances
A. Conscience vs. Comfort
Marianne’s apartment becomes the battleground between a life of polite compromise and a life of moral clarity.
The film asks:
What do we owe to truth when comfort is easier.
B. Ideology Humanized
Paul begins as a political symbol.
He becomes a man.
The film suggests that real transformation happens not in manifestos but in relationships.
C. Hospitality as Conversion
Marianne’s act of sheltering a stranger becomes a spiritual turning point.
Hospitality reveals her courage.
It reveals his vulnerability.
D. Marriage Without Meaning
Her husband represents the respectable life that lacks soul.
The film critiques relationships built on appearances rather than truth.
E. Love as Liberation
Their escape is not rebellion for rebellion’s sake.
It is the moral act of choosing authenticity over pretense.
4. Hospitality Pairing — The Paris Apartment Table
A Connecticut‑shade cigar — light, refined, echoing the film’s elegance
A soft rye — Old Overholt or Basil Hayden Dark Rye, matching the film’s warmth
A simple French plate — bread, cheese, olives, the food of unexpected guests
A single lamp by a window — intimacy, quiet, the glow of two people discovering truth
5. Reflection Prompts
Where am I choosing comfort over conviction.
What relationship in my life is polite but hollow.
Where has hospitality revealed truth to me.
What ideology in me needs to be softened by human encounter.
What escape toward authenticity am I afraid to make.
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