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. "
The film centers on Celia Whittaker, a reclusive socialite whose life has been shaped — and scarred — by a tragic love affair in her youth. Her emotional volatility and isolation are not random; they are the residue of a wound she has never allowed to heal.
Key plot elements include:
Celia’s trauma resurfaces when a Fourth of July parade triggers memories of her lost love, Michael.
Her younger sister Joan becomes engaged to David Eastman, an older professor, even though she truly loves a young doctor named Richard.
Celia senses the marriage is wrong and warns David she will oppose it if necessary.
Their domineering father insists the wedding proceed, even attempting to confine Celia to silence her objections.
A flashback reveals the roots of Celia’s melancholy and the secret that has shaped her life.
The film blends melodrama, psychological portraiture, and family conflict — all anchored by Chatterton’s intense performance.
✝️ Catholic Moral Reflection
This film is a meditation on wounded memory, family pressure, and the quiet heroism of truth-telling.
1. The Wound That Never Heals Without Grace
Celia’s entire life is shaped by a past she refuses to face.
Her isolation is not pride — it is unhealed grief.
Takeaway: Wounds hidden become wounds that rule us. Grace begins where secrecy ends.
2. The Courage to Oppose a Wrong Marriage
Celia’s warning to David is not meddling — it is moral clarity.
She refuses to let her sister enter a loveless union for convenience or status.
Takeaway: Love is not sentiment; it is the willingness to speak truth even when it costs us.
3. The Tyranny of Appearances
Mr. Whittaker’s insistence on the marriage reflects a common 1930s theme:
family honor over personal happiness.
Takeaway: When reputation becomes an idol, people become sacrifices.
4. Memory as a Moral Force
The flashback sequence — though heavy-handed — reveals a profound truth:
our past is not dead; it shapes our present unless redeemed.
Takeaway: Christian hope does not erase the past; it transforms it.
🍸 Hospitality Pairing: “The Celia Whittaker”
A drink from your bar stock that mirrors the film’s emotional palette — elegant, bittersweet, and layered.
The Celia Whittaker
Ingredients:
Brandy (memory, depth)
Sweet vermouth (melancholy sweetness)
Cointreau (the sharpness of truth)
A whisper of red wine floated on top (the “secret”)
Build:
Stir brandy, vermouth, and Cointreau over ice.
Strain into a coupe.
Float a teaspoon of red wine — a visual metaphor for the past rising to the surface.
Snack Pairing:
Dark chocolate and dried cherries
— rich, bittersweet, and emotionally resonant.
Please pray for the intentions of my sister Candace Faith, whose name means “Shining Faith” pray that the “Candace can do miracles”!
🌍 Dara’s Corner: Aboard The World
Ordinary Time Begins | January 15–21, 2026 Theme: Steadiness, Stewardship & the Quiet Work of Becoming Coordinates: At Sea → Esperance → Margaret River → Fremantle (Perth)
🌤️ Day 1 — January 15 | At Sea Along the Southern Coast
Title: The Slow Unfolding
·Ritual: Pilgrims journal one place in their life where God is working slowly rather than suddenly
·Scripture: Mark 4:28 — “First the blade, then the ear, then the full grain…”
·Meal: Avocado toast with chili flakes, citrus water, green tea
·Reflection: “Growth is rarely dramatic—yet always real.”
·Hospitality Arc: Ask someone what is growing quietly in them—and honor its pace
🐬 Day 2 — January 16 | Approaching Esperance
Title: White Sands, Clear Calling
·Ritual: Barefoot shoreline walk at twilight; pilgrims gather a handful of white sand as a symbol of clarity
·Scripture: Psalm 119:105 — “Your word is a lamp for my feet…”
·Meal: Grilled snapper, lemon couscous, iced mint tea
·Reflection: “Clarity is not certainty—it is direction enough for the next step.”
·Hospitality Arc: Share with someone the last time you felt truly guided
🌊 Day 3 — January 17 | Docked in Esperance
Title: The Blue Beyond
·Ritual: Pilgrims take a silent 10‑minute gaze at the turquoise water, naming one desire they’ve been afraid to voice
·Scripture: Psalm 37:4 — “Delight yourself in the Lord…”
·Meal: Local oysters, sea‑salt crackers, crisp white wine
·Reflection: “Desire is not danger—it is invitation.”
·Hospitality Arc: Ask someone what they long for—and receive it without judgment
Local Inspiration:
·Esperance’s famed beaches: Lucky Bay, Twilight Beach
·National Park overview: Cape Le Grand (Australia tourism pages have excellent summaries)
🌿 Day 4 — January 18 | At Sea Toward Margaret River
Title: The Vineyard Within
·Ritual: Pilgrims hold a grape in their palm, naming one virtue they want to cultivate this year
·Scripture: Galatians 5:22 — “The fruit of the Spirit is…”
·Meal: Tomato‑basil pasta, olive oil bread, sparkling water
·Reflection: “Virtue grows where attention is given.”
·Hospitality Arc: Name a virtue you see in someone—and how it blesses others
🍇 Day 5 — January 19 | Margaret River Wine Region
Title: The Good Earth
·Ritual: Vineyard walk; pilgrims touch the soil and offer a prayer of gratitude for the land
·Scripture: Isaiah 55:10 — “As the rain and snow come down from heaven…”
·Meal: Cheese board, local Cabernet Sauvignon, fig jam
·Reflection: “Goodness takes root in the places we tend.”
·Hospitality Arc: Ask someone what part of their life needs tending—and offer encouragement
Suggested Vineyards:
·Leeuwin Estate
·Vasse Felix
·Voyager Estate (All easily found on Australia’s official tourism site)
🌇 Day 6 — January 20 | Sailing Toward Fremantle (Perth)
Title: Harbor of the Heart
·Ritual: Pilgrims write a short blessing for someone they love and place it in a communal bowl
·Scripture: Philippians 1:3 — “I thank my God every time I remember you.”
·Meal: Grilled chicken with rosemary, roasted vegetables, ginger tea
·Reflection: “Blessing is the language of belonging.”
·Hospitality Arc: Speak a blessing aloud to someone—simple, sincere, specific
🌅 Day 7 — January 21 | Docked in Fremantle (Perth)
Title: The Wide Horizon
·Ritual: Pilgrims stand facing west at sunset, naming one horizon they feel called toward this year
·Scripture: Isaiah 60:1 — “Arise, shine, for your light has come.”
·Meal: Barramundi with lemon butter, fresh greens, sparkling elderflower
·Reflection: “A horizon is not a destination—it is an invitation to move.”
·Hospitality Arc: Ask someone what horizon they see—and what courage it will require
January 14 Wednesday
Orthodox
New Year
Genesis, Chapter
42, Verse 35
When they were emptying their sacks, there in each one’s sack was
his moneybag! At the sight of their moneybags, they and their father were AFRAID.
Why was Jacob (Israel)
and Joseph’s brothers afraid?
As I
pondered this thought it occurred to me that they were afraid because they had
no compassion in them. Yes, even Jacob; for was it not Jacob who cheated his
brother out of his birthright and stole Esau’s dying blessing from his own
father Isaac. These men were hard.
Yet, God
still loved them and blessed them. Finding the money sacks still in with the
grain meant to them that now they would have to pay for the grain with their
lives-for nothing is free! This act of compassion from Joseph unsettled them.
It upset their world; it toppled their assumptions of the world, and they would
never be the same. They were by this simple gesture being asked to radically
change. To think in a new way: that is to realize that the dignity and loyalty
that men seek; is not a birthright given to the firstborn or something to be
gained taken by being the most powerful of men. That dignity and loyalty are
the birthright of all persons; however, they can be lost by unbridled
selfishness.
Wisdom
teaches us that in order to retain our dignity and the loyalty of others we must be persons of character and that we
must lose our absorption with
ourselves to contemplate and develop a sincere love for others.
Copilot’s Take — Grace as the First Blow Against Evil
The fear in Jacob’s household is the
fear that rises when entrenched evil is finally confronted—not by force, but by
a mercy that exposes everything it touches. These men had lived so long inside
a world shaped by deceit, rivalry, and self‑protection that Joseph’s returned
money felt less like kindness and more like judgment. Evil depends on
predictable patterns; it thrives when hearts stay hard and assumptions stay
unchallenged. But grace disrupts that order. It breaks the spell. Their terror
marks the moment God begins dismantling the old patterns and calling them into
a new way of being. It’s fitting that this reading falls on the Orthodox New
Year, a day that invites a clean beginning—not by pretending the darkness isn’t
there, but by letting God’s mercy unmask it and undo it. In that sense,
Joseph’s gesture becomes a kind of spiritual new year for his brothers: the
moment when the old life can no longer continue and the long work of becoming
men of loyalty, dignity, and love finally begins.
Orthodox New Year is celebrated as the
first day of the New Year as per the Julian calendar. Orthodox New Year
is a celebration of the year to come. It is often referred to as Old New
Year, and is celebrated by Orthodox churches in Russia, Serbia, and other
Eastern European countries on January 14. Although most countries have
adopted the Gregorian calendar, where New Year's Day is January 1, the Orthodox
Church still follows the Julian calendar, which places Christmas on January 7
and New Year's a week later.
·Russian Orthodox churches in the United
States hold church services often with festive dinner and dancing to celebrate
the holiday. The traditional dishes include meat dumplings, beet salad,
pickled mushrooms, tomatoes, and cucumbers along with vodka.
·Orthodox Serbians also celebrate Old New
Year, which is sometimes called the Serbian New Year. Many Serbians
Orthodox churches hold services, followed by dinner, and dancing.
·Although the Old New Year is a popular
holiday for many practicing the Orthodox faith, it isn't an official holiday.
·Macedonians, including those living in
the United States, also celebrate Old New Year's with traditional food, folk
music, and visiting friends and family.
·Many Russians enjoy extending the
holiday season by including Orthodox New Year in it.
Orthodox
New Year Top Events and Things to Do
·Enjoy a dinner dance at Orthodox Church
with native cuisine folk music.
·Learn to cook some Russian or Eastern
European dishes. One of the most important Russian dishes during the
holiday season is kutya, a porridge made of grain, honey and poppy seeds.
It symbolizes hope, happiness, and success.
·Rent a movie Dr. Zhivago (1965).
It depicts some of the lavish parties held during the holidays right
before the Russian Revolution. The film is based on the 1957 novel by
Boris Pasternak.
oA
New Year Reflection — Zhivago, Revolution, and America’s Quiet Experiment
§If
you watch Dr. Zhivago around the New Year, you feel the tremor of a
society dancing on the edge of collapse—lavish parties, glittering salons, and
a cultured elite unaware that the ground beneath them is already cracking.
Pasternak’s world shows how quickly an idea, once unleashed, can sweep through
a nation and reorder everything: property, family, faith, even the meaning of
the human person.
§What
many Americans forget is that New York once hosted its own small‑scale
experiment with communist idealism. In the early 20th century—especially in the
1910s and 1920s—New York’s Lower East Side became a laboratory for utopian
socialism and communal living. Immigrant intellectuals, labor organizers, and
idealists gathered in coffeehouses and settlement halls, convinced that a new
world could be built through shared property, collective labor, and the
abolition of class distinctions. It was earnest, energetic, and—like all
utopian projects—short‑lived.
§The
experiment didn’t collapse through violence as in Russia. It simply ran aground
on human nature. The communal apartments fractured over personal conflicts.
Cooperative workshops struggled with uneven effort. Ideological purity tests
splintered friendships. The dream faded not because of oppression, but because
the human heart resisted being engineered.
§And
that’s the contrast worth pondering on the Orthodox New Year: Revolutions
promise to remake society, but they rarely remake the soul.
§Pasternak
understood this. His novel shows that when a system tries to erase
individuality, family loyalty, and spiritual longing, it ends up crushing the
very people it claims to liberate. New York’s quieter experiment revealed the
same truth in miniature: you cannot build a just world by ignoring the
complexity, dignity, and stubborn freedom of the human person.
oSo
as the New Year begins—Orthodox or otherwise, the lesson is simple and
perennial: Real renewal begins not with ideology, but with character. Not
with the restructuring of society, but with the reshaping of the heart.
Bible in a
Year Day 197 Woe and Consolation
Fr. Mike reveals yet another
prophetic message that points towards the coming of Christ, explaining why the
Book of Isaiah is often called the Book of Woe and the Book of Consolation. He
also touches on the powerful prayer we hear as we end our journey with Tobit.
Today's readings are Isaiah 11-13, Tobit 13-14, and Proverbs 10:13-16.
Every
Wednesday is Dedicated to St. Joseph
The
Italian culture has always had a close association with St. Joseph perhaps you
could make Wednesdays centered around Jesus’s Papa. Plan an Italian dinner of
pizza or spaghetti after attending Mass as most parishes have a Wednesday
evening Mass. You could even do carry out to help restaurants. If you are
adventurous, you could do the Universal Man Plan: St. Joseph style. Make the
evening a family night, perhaps it could be a game night. Whatever you do, make
the day special.
Work is both an obligation and a right. Both workers
and employees have responsibilities under God.
What does the Catholic Church teach about work?[1]
Here are some excerpts from the USCCB, which detail several of the
Church's teachings at work.
LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - Work is an important part of who we
are. It is a common boast how long people work and how much they earn as a
result of their labor. We identify so powerfully with our work that a common
question upon meeting another person tends to be,
"What do you do for work?"
While the question isn't always welcome, for it
suggests the dignity of a person is primarily attached to their work, it tells
a lot about our society. And indeed, work does build dignity.
We spend a lot of time talking about work, the value of labor, and what
we should do with those who cannot or choose not to work.
What should the poor do?
Should the working poor be paid more?
Or should they work doubly hard for the same pay?
While we grapple, sometimes fiercely with these
questions, the Catholic Church has already provided some direction. Read these
excerpts, courtesy of the USCCB, and then consider these questions again.
Do these statements change your mind?
Or to reinforce what you already know?
Scripture
Genesis 2:1-3
God rests on the
seventh day.
Genesis 2:15
God settles man
in the garden of Eden to cultivate and care for it.
Deuteronomy 5:13-15
The Sabbath is
for everyone-all are allowed to rest from their work.
Deuteronomy 14:28-29
The Lord blesses
our work so that we may share its fruits with others.
Deuteronomy 24:14-15
Do not withhold
wages from your workers, for their livelihooddepends
on them.
Sirach 34:20-22
To deprive an
employee of wages is to commit murder.
Isaiah 58:3-7
To observe
religious practices, but oppress your workers is false worship.
Jeremiah 22:13
Woe to him who
treats his workers unjustly.
Matthew 20:1-16
All workers
should be paid a just and living wage.
Mark 2:27
The Sabbath was
made for people, not people for the Sabbath.
Luke 3:10-14
Practice
integrity in your work.
Luke 12:13-21
One's worth is
not determined by an abundance of possessions.
James 5:1-6
Those who become
rich by abusing their workers have sinned against God.
Tradition
Work is, as has been said, an obligation, that is to
say, a duty, on the part of man. . . Man must work, both because the Creator
has commanded it and because of his own humanity, which requires work in order
to be maintained and developed. Man must work out of regard for others, especially his own family, but also
for the society he belongs to, the country of which he is a child, and the
whole human family of which he is a member, since he is the heir to the work of
generations and at the same time a sharer in building the future of those who
will come after him in the succession of history. On Human Work (Laborem
Exercens)
Work is a good thing for man-a good thing for his
humanity-because through work man not only transforms nature, adapting it to
his own needs, but he also achieves fulfilment as a human being and indeed, in
a sense, becomes "more a human being." On Human Work (Laborem
Exercens)
The obligation to earn one's bread by the sweat of
one's brow also presumes the right to do so. A society in which this right is
systematically denied, in which economic policies do not allow workers to reach
satisfactory levels of employment, cannot be justified from an ethical point of
view, nor can that society attain social peace. The Hundredth Year
(Centesimus Annus)
In many cases, poverty results from a violation of
the dignity of human work, either because work opportunities are limited (through unemployment or underemployment), or
"because a low value is put on work and the rights that flow from it,
especially the right to a just wage and to the personal security of the worker
and his or her family." Charity in Truth (Caritas in Veritate)
All people have the right to economic initiative, to
productive work, to just wages and benefits, to decent working conditions, as well as to organize
and join unions or other associations. A
Catholic Framework for Economic Life.
All these rights, together with the need for the
workers themselves to secure them, give rise to yet another right: the right of
association, that is to form associations for the purpose of defending the vital interests of those employed in the
various professions. These associations are called labor or trade unions. On
Human Work (Laborem Exercens)
As the Church solemnly reaffirmed in the recent
Council, "the beginning, the subject and the goal of all social
institutions is and must be the human person." All people have the right
to work, to a chance to develop their qualities and their personalities in the
exercise of their professions, to equitable remuneration which will enable them
and their families "to lead a worthy life on the material, social,
cultural and spiritual level" and to assistance in case of need arising
from sickness or age. A Call to Action (Octogesima Adveniens)
The economic sphere is neither ethically neutral,
nor inherently inhuman or opposed to society. It is part and parcel of human
activity and precisely because it is human, it must be structured and governed
in an ethical manner. Charity in Truth (Caritas in Veritate)
I would like to remind everyone, especially
governments engaged in boosting the world's economic and social assets, that
the primary capital to be safeguarded and valued is man, the human person in
his or her integrity: "Man is the source, the focus and the aim of all
economic and social life." Charity in Truth (Caritas in Veritate), quoting
The Church in the Modern World. (Gaudium et Spes)
Mystery • Corruption • False Leads • Moral Clarity
🎬 Plot Summary (Grounded in Search Results)
A wealthy New York antique dealer, Albert J. Sayre, is found murdered in his home. Private investigator Oliver Keith and his sharp, loyal assistant Ella Carey take the case. What begins as a simple domestic suspicion quickly spirals into a web of:
Fake antiques and fraudulent dealings
A jealous wife accused of infidelity and murder
A daughter who suspects her stepmother of killing for inheritance
A rival dealer with motive and fingerprints at the scene
Missing bonds worth $100,000, tied to a secret marriage Sayre opposed
A second murder — Dr. Boyer — deepening the mystery
Keith eventually uncovers that the attorney, Jerome Shelby, is the true culprit. His slip? He identifies the stolen bonds’ type and denomination even though he previously claimed ignorance.
The film blends mystery, light comedy, and the brisk pacing typical of Chesterfield Pictures.
✝️ Catholic Moral Reflection
This one practically begs for a meditation on truth, justice, and the rot that grows when small sins are tolerated.
1. Hidden Corruption Always Surfaces
Sayre’s antique business was built on fraud — selling fake antiques through a rival dealer.
His murder is the bitter fruit of long‑ignored moral decay.
Takeaway: Sin tolerated becomes sin multiplied. What we hide will eventually be revealed.
2. False Accusations and the Danger of Rash Judgment
Nearly every character is accused at some point:
The wife
The daughter
The rival dealer
The gigolo
Even the doctor
Each accusation is rooted in fear, pride, or self‑interest.
Takeaway: Rash judgment wounds charity and blinds us to truth. Justice requires patience.
3. The Steadfastness of the Just Investigator
Oliver Keith is no saint, but he embodies a virtue you often highlight in your memoir work: clarity under pressure.
He refuses to be swayed by emotion, wealth, or appearances.
Takeaway: Truth-seeking is a moral act. Justice is not merely legal — it is spiritual.
4. The Bonds Motif: What We Owe Each Other
The missing bonds symbolize broken trust:
Between husband and wife
Between father and daughter
Between business partners
Between attorney and client
Takeaway: Human relationships are covenants, not commodities.
🍸 Hospitality Pairing: “The Scarlet Bond”
A mystery cocktail built from your bar stock — elegant, sharp, and morally symbolic.
The Scarlet Bond
Ingredients:
Bourbon (for moral weight)
Sweet vermouth (for hidden sweetness)
Cointreau (for the twist of deception)
A dash of red wine floated on top (the “scarlet”)
Build:
Stir bourbon, vermouth, and Cointreau over ice.
Strain into a chilled glass.
Float a teaspoon of red wine on top — a visual “scarlet clue.”
Snack Pairing:
Smoked almonds and sharp cheddar
— clean flavors that cut through the film’s fog of lies.
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