ICEMANforChrist

This blog is based on references in the Bible to fear. God wills that we “BE NOT AFRAID”. 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. By “the power of the Holy Spirit” we can be witnesses and “communicators” of a new and redeemed humanity “even to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:7 8). This blog is dedicated to Mary the Mother of God.

WHO declares COVID 19 pandemic 2020

Monday, March 10, 2025

Monday Night at the Movies

The Dairy of a Country Priest

Christopher’s Corner

· Spirit hour[10] Brandy Toddy to warm and honor the 40 Holy Martyrs

· Eat waffles and Pray for the assistance of the Angels

· Bucket List trip[11]: Vineyards of the Danube

· Try[12]: Miso Soup for breakfast

· National Blueberry Popover Day

· Monday: Litany of Humility

· Drops of Christ’s Blood

March 10 Monday in the First Week of Lent

NOVENA ST. JOSEPH-Bagpipe Day

Leviticus, Chapter 19, verse 14

You shall not insult the deaf, or put a stumbling block in front of the blind, but you shall FEAR your God. I am the LORD.

Be like your Heavenly Father; God is not a bully. Christ was often confronted by the bullies of his time. When the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together, and one of them [a scholar of the law]tested him by asking, “Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?” He said to him, “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. The second is like it:You shall love your neighbor as yourself. The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments.” (Mt. 22:34-40)

The modern world attempts to bully the faithful into abandoning their relationship with the Lord. Saint Pope Pius X was a pope, who resisted the bullying of the modern world by establishing an oath against modernism[1]. The crux of this oath has five main points:

1. I profess that God is the origin and end of all things.

2. I accept and acknowledge the external proofs of revelation, that is, divine acts and especially miracles and prophecies as the surest signs of the divine origin of the Christian religion.

3. I believe with equally firm faith that the Church, the guardian and teacher of the revealed word, was personally instituted by the real and historical Christ.

4. I sincerely hold that the doctrine of faith was handed down to us from the apostles through the orthodox Fathers in exactly the same meaning and always in the same purport.

5. I hold with certainty and sincerely confess that faith is not a blind sentiment of religion welling up from the depths of the subconscious under the impulse of the heart and the motion of a will trained to morality; but faith is a genuine assent of the intellect to truth.

Another way the world and the modernist clerics are attempting to put blinders on us is to bully us into being okay with transgenderism.

Sexual Identity

(No. 2333) “Everyone, man and woman, should acknowledge and accept his sexual identity. Physical, moral, and spiritual difference and complementarity are oriented toward the goods of marriage and the flourishing of family life. The harmony of the couple and of society depends in part on the way in which the complementarity, needs, and mutual support between the sexes are lived out.”

(No. 2393) “By creating the human being man and woman, God gives personal dignity equally to the one and the other. Each of them, man and woman, should acknowledge and accept his sexual identity.”

Body and Soul

(No. 364) “The human body shares in the dignity of "the image of God": it is a human body precisely because it is animated by a spiritual soul, and it is the whole human person that is intended to become, in the body of Christ, a temple of the Spirit: Man, though made of body and soul, is a unity. Through his very bodily condition he sums up in himself the elements of the material world. Through him they are thus brought to their highest perfection and can raise their voice in praise freely given to the Creator. For this reason, man may not despise his bodily life. Rather he is obliged to regard his body as good and to hold it in honor since God has created it and will raise it up on the last day.”

Modesty

(No. 2521) “Purity requires modesty, an integral part of temperance. Modesty protects the intimate center of the person. It means refusing to unveil what should remain hidden. It is ordered to chastity to whose sensitivity it bears witness. It guides how one looks at others and behaves toward them in conformity with the dignity of persons and their solidarity.”

(No. 2522) “Modesty protects the mystery of persons and their love… Modesty is decency. It inspires one's choice of clothing. It keeps silence or reserve where there is evident risk of unhealthy curiosity. It is discreet.”

(No. 2523) “There is a modesty of the feelings as well as of the body. It protests, for example, against the voyeuristic explorations of the human body in certain advertisements, or against the solicitations of certain media that go too far in the exhibition of intimate things. Modesty inspires a way of life which makes it possible to resist the allurements of fashion and the pressures of prevailing ideologies.” Updated August 7, 2019 2

Privacy

(No. 1907) “First, the common good presupposes respect for the person as such. In the name of the common good, public authorities are bound to respect the fundamental and inalienable rights of the human person. Society should permit each of its members to fulfill his vocation. In particular, the common good resides in the conditions for the exercise of the natural freedom’s indispensable for the development of the human vocation, such as ‘the right to act according to a sound norm of conscience and to safeguard . . . privacy, and rightful freedom also in matters of religion.’”

Mutilation

(No. 2297) “Except when performed for strictly therapeutic medical reasons, directly intended amputations, mutilations, and sterilizations performed on innocent persons are against the moral law.”

Monday in the First Week of Lent

EPISTLE. Ezech. xxxiv. 11-16.

THUS, saith the Lord God: Behold I Myself will seek My sheep and will visit them. As the shepherd visiteth his flock in the day when he shall be in the midst of his sheep that were scattered, so will I visit My sheep, and will deliver them out of all the places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day. And I will bring them out from the peoples, and will gather them out of the countries, and will bring them to their own land: and I will feed them in the mountains of Israel, by the rivers, and in all the habitations of the land. I will feed them in the most fruitful pastures, and their pastures shall be in the high mountains of Israel: there shall they rest on the green grass and be fed in fat pastures upon the mountains of Israel. I will feed My sheep: and I will cause them to lie down, saith the Lord God. I will seek that which was lost: and that which was driven away I will bring again: and I will bind up that which was broken, and I will strengthen that which was weak, and that which was fat and strong I will preserve: and I will feed them in judgment, saith the Lord Almighty.

GOSPEL. Matt. xxv. 31-46.

At that time Jesus said to His disciples: When the Son of man shall come in His majesty, and all the angels with Him, then shall He sit upon the seat of His majesty. And all nations shall be gathered together before Him, and He shall separate them one from another, as the shepherd separateth the sheep from the goats: and He shall set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on His left. Then shall the King say to them that shall be on His right hand: Come, ye blessed of My Father, possess you the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry, and you gave Me to eat I was thirsty, and you gave Me to drink: I was a stranger, and you took Me in naked, and you covered Me: sick, and you visited Me: I was in prison, and you came to Me. Then shall the just answer Him, saying: Lord, when did we see Thee hungry, and fed Thee; thirsty, and gave Thee drink? and when did we see Thee a stranger, and took Thee in? or naked, and covered Thee? or when did we see Thee sick or in prison, and came to Thee? And the King answering, shall say to them: Amen I say to you, as long as you did it to one of these My least brethren, you did it to Me. Then He shall say to them also that shall be on His left hand: Depart from Me, yon cursed, into everlasting fire which was prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry, and you gave Me not to eat I was thirsty, and you gave Me not to drink I was a stranger, and you took Me not in naked, and you covered Me not: sick and in prison, and you did not visit Me. Then they also shall answer Him, saying: Lord, when did we see Thee hungry or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister to Thee? Then He shall answer them, saying: Amen I say to you, as long as you did it not to one of these least, neither did you do it to Me. And these shall go into everlasting punishment, but the just into life everlasting.

Prayer.

Convert us, O God, our salvation; and, that the fast of Lent may benefit us, instruct our minds with heavenly discipline.

Lenten Calendar[2]

· Read: Lent is a special time for those preparing to be baptized through the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA). RCIA is a period of learning and discernment for those seeking to become Catholic.

· Reflect; Take time to reflect on your own decision to become a member of the Church.

· Reflect 2: On February 22, 1931, Jesus appeared to Faustina as the King of Divine Mercy. He asked her to have a picture painted of him as she saw him — clothed in white, with red and white rays of light streaming from his heart. The rays represent the blood and water that flowed from the side of Jesus on the cross. Under the image are the words, "Jesus, I trust in you." Many people did not believe Faustina at first. The sisters in her own convent thought that Jesus could not possibly have selected her for this great favor. After all, she was an uneducated peasant girl. Her superiors often refused to give her permission to carry out Jesus' requests. Church theologians, too, doubted her word. Jesus told Faustina that he loved her obedience and that his will would be done in the end.

· Pray: Keep the elect, candidates, and their sponsors in your prayers this Lent.

· Act: Download the CRS Rice Bowl App. . . today and try a new way of tracking your Lenten journey, while also receiving daily reflections and meatless recipes.

Preparing for Battle[3] Know Your Weapons

The weapon of Sacred Scripture

· Each time the Devil attacked with the temptation to doubt or disobey God, Jesus quoted Scripture to throw him back.

· Scripture is our sword against Satan!

· We must listen carefully to the scriptural readings in Mass and meditate on them deeply.

· We must read Scripture on our own.

· We must also memorize scriptural texts that we can use against temptation. Then, when the Enemy assaults us, we can imitate Our Lord by the effective counterassault of quoting the word of God.

This is also the Ember week of Lent:[4] the spring Embertide. The first week of Lent continues the subject introduced on Sunday: temptation. The lessons of the principal and most ancient Masses this week show that every Lenten effort brings results from the Lord: healing, strengthening, conversion. But the effort itself is not the most important thing; it is God's reaction and acceptance. We are like the grain of wheat which must die to become productive. We must die before we grow into glory.

Catholic Fighting Men

Call to Lenten Boot Camp[5]

Matthew Reid

As we, the heirs of the great jewel that is our traditional Catholic faith, handed down to us through the martyrdom and struggle of untold numbers of faithful, navigate the vast spiritual wasteland of these United States, we must again realize the absolute necessity of arming ourselves in the timeless ascetical practices of our forefathers. These rigorous and sacrificial practices helped prepare prior generations of heroic Catholics for both physical and spiritual battle; a battle they won, earning their heavenly reward.

Mindful of the ever-present distractions and temptations to live a life of ease that sucks the vibrancy and urgency out of our Christian lives, there must be a realization, and therefore determination to be set apart to a healthy degree from a culture that celebrates debauchery, profanity, immodestly, idleness and effeminacy. These are not the way that a Catholic man must exist. As our late Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI once opined, “the world offers you comfort, but you were not made for comfort, you were made for greatness.”

I ask you, dear faithful Catholics, is there anything more de-motivating and less inspiring than the contemporary Church’s Lenten regulations, not to mention the virtually non-existent Eucharistic fast?

As a retired NYC Police Sergeant who worked in Intelligence and supervised a good number of practicing Muslim investigators along the way, I can tell you without hesitation that my least favorite time of year in this capacity was Lent. It was at times, to be blunt, a wholly embarrassing situation; please let me explain. Whereas during the Muslim cops’ observation of their holy month of Ramadan, they would go, many times in the long summer months, from sunup to sundown without a drop of water, never mind food each day for a month. This contrasted with the rest of the personnel in my workplace, made up very likely of a majority of K-12 Catholic school products, who would often be heard complaining about not being able to have a cheeseburger six Fridays out of the year. This lamentation would usually be followed by a gluttonous feast on pizza from one of the premier pizzerias in the city; so much for denying oneself and sacrificing.

This was also contrasted throughout the year by the prayer lives of the Muslim cops, most of whom faithfully observed their prayer times in a secluded place, while the majority of Catholics observed exactly what the culture observes; absolutely nothing.

Is it any wonder that we see happening in western civilization what we do?

It shouldn’t be a mystery to anyone. While the Mohammedans have kept their discipline and ascetism, we have been given the green light to live lives of ease and indulgence, often resulting in outright rebellion even at the thought of no meat six Fridays out of the year.

I point this out to say that, while I find Islam to be, as St. John Bosco observed, a “monstrous mixture of Judaism, Paganism and Christianity” etc, therefore leading innumerable souls to perdition, I also have respect for these men, as at least they were sincere and faithful to what they believed in and would sacrifice for it. They also understood the reverence and obedience due to God, however different their concept of God is, which is another discussion.

How, I ask, does this compare to the average contemporary Catholic?

The sad fact of the matter is that we have been allowed to grow soft, weak, and effeminate, like a fighter who goes into a match in which he is completely physically and mentally unprepared, where he is summarily quite easily disposed of by a better trained and more serious adversary. While there is no doubt that we have been let down by a Church hierarchy – who many themselves are also soft, weak, and effeminate – we cannot allow this to deter us. It has always been the laity that resists corrupt, sycophantic, and worldly prelates; now should not be any different.

We must prepare ourselves for battle.

For sake of our souls and those of our friends and family, enough already with this emasculating, insultingly weak and failed version of Catholicism, which sends any red-blooded man running for the border. It’s time to take off the damned training wheels and let’s get serious. I’m not sure about you, but I’ve had enough.

I do not mince words on purpose. There is a great upheaval all around us. Our families and children’s innocence are under assault. As it is said, “where sin abounds, grace abounds all the more.” We will be given strength if we just cooperate and avail ourselves to the grace of the good Lord, observing the ascetical practices that shaped our forefathers into vessels that could truly be called “Soldiers of Christ.” Furthermore, as I write this, a recently leaked memo from the FBI, Richmond Field Office revealed that traditional Catholics are being labeled as holding “anti-Semitic, anti-immigrant, anti-LGBT and white supremac(ists)” ideology, while also preferring the “traditional Latin mass.” Having worked in Intelligence for the last decade of my police career, I can say without hesitation that based upon many things that I observed along the way, this does not surprise me in the least. I will most likely further elaborate in a future article.

The point I am driving home here is, the long knives are out, and we are encircled by the enemy; so, what are we to do?

What follows is a Lenten prayer and ascetical regimen that I have done with several cops and others over the last few years. We kicked it up a few notches last year and to a man, it resulted in a much deeper, more sacrificial, and charitable faith. I pray that many of you join us, the Patrolman’s Fraternity of St. Michael, and be the men that our Lord created us to be.

I would also like to humbly ask that if any readers know of any Catholics in law enforcement that would be interested in our apostolate, to please alert them to our Lenten Regimen and website, where they can inquire further about our mission, or email us at patrolmansfraternitySM@gmail.com. In short, we are a Catholic lay apostolate for active and retired law enforcements professionals, formed for the sanctification of our members, and therefore our families and society at large.

Here is the routine, which will commence on Ash Wednesday and conclude on Holy Saturday at dusk.

· Morning Offering,

· Angelus (Morning, Noon and Evening)

· Daily Mass

· Daily Rosary

· 15 minutes daily mental prayer

· Daily Fast (except Sunday) (1) full meal along with (2) small snacks in morning and evening to maintain strength. Meat only at the principal meal. No meat on Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Ember Days.

· Daily Cold Shower

· Stations of the Cross on Wednesday and Fridays

· Fast from alcohol and dessert

· 15 minutes of daily spiritual reading

· Complete social media fast

· Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy-Choose one (1) to focus on each week.

We at the Patrolman’s Fraternity of St. Michael look forward to uniting with many of you in prayer on the great triumph of Our Blessed Lord’s Resurrection on Easter. Please join us and get holy!

In the immortal words of the hymn written to commemorate the English Martyrs who refused to give up their faith in the face of the Protestant revolt, “Faith of our Fathers! Holy Faith! We will be true to thee till death.”

Aids in Battle[6] Demons are not a figment of your imagination.

The Devil and other demons would like us to believe that they are outdated, unenlightened superstitions, but the Catholic Church remains firm, clear, and consistent in her teaching about this reality.

· Our heavenly Father has placed over each of us an angel under whose protection and vigilance we may be enabled to escape the snares secretly prepared by our enemy, repel the dreadful attacks he makes on us.

· Never was anyone, conceived been liberated from the Devil’s dominion except by faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the mediator between God and humanity, who was conceived without sin, was born and died. He alone by His death overthrew the enemy of the human race, cancelling our sins, and unlocked the entrance to the heavenly kingdom, which the first man by his sin had locked against himself and all his posterity. COUNCIL OF FLORENCE (ECUMENICAL, 1431– 1445), SESSION 2

· Men are separated into two diverse and opposite parts, of which the one steadfastly contends for truth and virtue, the other of those things which are contrary to virtue and to truth. The one is the kingdom of God on earth, namely, the true Church of Jesus Christ; and those who desire from their heart to be united with it, so as to gain salvation, must of necessity serve God and His only begotten Son with their whole mind and with an entire will. The other is the kingdom of Satan, in whose possession and control are all who follow the fatal example of their leader and of our first parents, those who refuse to obey the divine and eternal law, and who have many aims of their own in contempt of God, and many aims also against God. POPE LEO XIII, HUMANUM GENUS (PAPAL ENCYCLICAL, 1884), 1

· Satan manages to sow in man’s soul the seed of opposition to the one who “from the beginning” would be considered as man’s enemy— and not as Father. Man is challenged to become the adversary of God! The analysis of sin in its original dimension indicates that, through the influence of the “father of lies,” throughout the history of humanity there will be a constant pressure on man to reject God, even to the point of hating Him: “Love of self to the point of contempt for God,” as St. Augustine puts it. POPE JOHN PAUL II, DOMINUM ET VIVIFICANTEM (PAPAL ENCYCLICAL, 1986), 38

Thanks to Fear of the Lord, there is no Fear of Evil[7]

History, in fact, is not alone in the hands of dark powers, chance or human choices. Over the unleashing of evil energies, the vehement irruption of Satan, and the emergence of so many scourges and evils, the Lord rises, supreme arbiter of historical events. He leads history wisely towards the dawn of the new heavens and the new earth, sung in the final part of the book under the image of the new Jerusalem (cf. Revelation 21-22).

· It must be reaffirmed, therefore, that God is not indifferent to human events, but penetrates them realizing his "ways," namely his plans and his efficacious "deeds."

· According to our hymn, this divine intervention has a very specific purpose: to be a sign that invites all the peoples of the earth to conversion. Nations must learn to "read" in history a message of God. Humanity's history is not confused and without meaning, nor is it given over, without appeal, to the malfeasance of the arrogant and perverse. There is the possibility to recognize divine action hidden in it. In the pastoral constitution "Gaudium et Spes," Vatican Council II also invites the believer to scrutinize, in the light of the Gospel, the signs of the times to see in them the manifestation of the very action of God (cf. n. 4 and 11). This attitude of faith leads man to recognize the power of God operating in history, and thus to open himself to fear of the name of the Lord. In biblical language, in fact, this "fear" does not coincide with dread, but is the recognition of the mystery of the divine transcendence. Because of this, it is the basis of faith and is joined with love: "the Lord your God requires of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul" (cf. Deuteronomy 10:12).

· Following this line, in our brief hymn, taken from Revelation, fear and glorification of God are united: "Who will not fear you, Lord, or glorify your name" (15:4)? Thanks to fear of the Lord there is no fear of the evil that rages in history and one takes up again with vigor the journey of life, as the prophet Isaiah declared: "Strengthen the hands that are feeble, make firm the knees that are weak, say to those whose hearts are frightened: ‘Be strong, fear not!’" (Isaiah 35: 3-4).

Novena of St. Joseph^{^[8]}

This novena prayer, although short is sufficient. It would be better of course to add, if time permits, three Hail Mary’s or say five times the Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory be to the Father, or to use some of the many well-loved novena prayers from other sources. Remember that prayers must be said with the lips in order to gain the indulgences. This novena begins on March 10 and ends on March 19.

Prayer

O dear and good St. Joseph who so lovingly cared for your little family at Nazareth, pray for all workingmen and their families. Help us all to enjoy a happy Christian family life. Be a father to us all and watch over us even as you cherished the Blessed Virgin Mary and her Holy Child. Patron of the Universal Church pray for us.

Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, I give you my heart and soul.

Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, assist me in my last agony.

Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, may I breathe forth my soul in peace with you.

7 years for each invocation. Plenary, under usual conditions, if any one of three is said daily for a month. S. Pen., Oct. 12, 1936.

Catechism of the Catholic Church

Day 267 2030

PART THREE: LIFE IN CHRIST

SECTION ONE-MAN'S VOCATION LIFE IN THE SPIRIT

CHAPTER THREE-GOD'S SALVATION: LAW AND GRACE

Article 3-THE CHURCH, MOTHER AND TEACHER

2030 It is in the Church, in communion with all the baptized, that the Christian fulfills his vocation. From the Church he receives the Word of God containing the teachings of "the law of Christ." From the Church he receives the grace of the sacraments that sustains him on the "way." From the Church he learns the example of holiness and recognizes its model and source in the all-holy Virgin Mary; he discerns it in the authentic witness of those who live it; he discovers it in the spiritual tradition and long history of the saints who have gone before him and whom the liturgy celebrates in the rhythms of the sanctoral cycle.

2031 The moral life is spiritual worship. We "present (our) bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God," within the Body of Christ that we form and in communion with the offering of his Eucharist. In the liturgy and the celebration of the sacraments, prayer and teaching are conjoined with the grace of Christ to enlighten and nourish Christian activity. As does the whole of the Christian life, the moral life finds its source and summit in the Eucharistic sacrifice.

I. Moral Life and the Magisterium of the Church

2032 The Church, the "pillar and bulwark of the truth," "has received this solemn command of Christ from the apostles to announce the saving truth." "To the Church belongs the right always and everywhere to announce moral principles, including those pertaining to the social order, and to make judgments on any human affairs to the extent that they are required by the fundamental rights of the human person or the salvation of souls."

2033 The Magisterium of the Pastors of the Church in moral matters is ordinarily exercised in catechesis and preaching, with the help of the works of theologians and spiritual authors. Thus from generation to generation, under the aegis and vigilance of the pastors, the "deposit" of Christian moral teaching has been handed on, a deposit composed of a characteristic body of rules, commandments, and virtues proceeding from faith in Christ and animated by charity. Alongside the Creed and the Our Father, the basis for this catechesis has traditionally been the Decalogue which sets out the principles of moral life valid for all men.

2034 The Roman Pontiff and the bishops are "authentic teachers, that is, teachers endowed with the authority of Christ, who preach the faith to the people entrusted to them, the faith to be believed and put into practice." The ordinary and universal Magisterium of the Pope and the bishops in communion with him teach the faithful the truth to believe, the charity to practice, the beatitude to hope for.

2035 The supreme degree of participation in the authority of Christ is ensured by the charism of infallibility. This infallibility extends as far as does the deposit of divine Revelation; it also extends to all those elements of doctrine, including morals, without which the saving truths of the faith cannot be preserved, explained, or observed.

2036 The authority of the Magisterium extends also to the specific precepts of the natural law, because their observance, demanded by the Creator, is necessary for salvation. In recalling the prescriptions of the natural law, the Magisterium of the Church exercises an essential part of its prophetic office of proclaiming to men what they truly are and reminding them of what they should be before God.

Bagpipe Day[9]

The sound of bagpipes filling the air as day dawns is enough to bring joy to the hearts of many. Others may not feel quite the same. It seems that one either loves the pipes or not at all. There is not very much middle ground. International Bagpipe Day is the time to find out where you stand and join those who love them! The Bagpipe Society has been sponsoring the celebration of International Bagpipe Day since 2012. They have helped to bring the bagpipe to new players since 1986. It is important to them that the history and playing of the bagpipes is not lost. Putting this day together was with the hope of bringing awareness of the over 130 different types of bagpipes throughout the world. For the first International Bagpipe Day in 2012, there were reports of events held in some unique places. In South Africa, pipers gathered and played in an underground canyon. In Greece, they played on Athenian hill. The Society even heard of events in countries where previously it was thought that there were not many pipers or any at all! If you aren’t familiar with this ancient instrument, bagpipe is a term that means a wind instrument that uses enclosed reeds to produce sound. Air feeds the reeds with a constant flow of air from a reservoir in the form of a bag. In each area that it is found, the bagpipe may change in sound and shape. This is an ancient instrument and is claimed to be represented on a Hittite slab dated to 1000 BC!

How to Celebrate International Bagpipe Day

· Celebrating the bagpipe when this holiday rolls around can take many forms. If you have ever wanted to try your hand at it, don’t wait! This is the time for you to find your local provider of pipes and take a lesson. You could be the next great Piper! It could happen, you never know, right?

· There is a multitude of information available about this instrument. A great idea to celebrate is to learn more about it. A quick internet search will bring up resources like The Bagpipe Society. You can follow the history of this unique instrument through the millennia to the present day and from country to country! There is much more information than you could learn in just one day, but it’s a great time to start.

· Another way to celebrate is to find out if there are any events planned in your local area. Grab the family or friends and go check it out! You may just find that you were missing out on all the fun. If you ask, it may even be possible to try it out and see if you can make a sound with it!

· Bagpipes have a long history that spans the ages and spans many regions. It is an instrument that has weathered the test of time and surely deserves to be honored on International Bagpipe Day!

Napping Day[1]

Think what a better world it would be if we all, the whole world, had cookies and milk about three o’clock every afternoon and then lay down on our blankets for a nap. Barbara Jordan`

You got up early and got a great start to the day, you’ve been trucking along being a productive adult, getting your work completed and attending the meetings you have to attend. Throughout it all you’ve been a trooper, you even made it through lunch without much trouble. But now it’s creeping into the late afternoon, and you’re just out of go. What do you do? You take a nap! Napping Day encourages you to remember these benefits of youth and take a little time out of the day for you! Napping Day’s history is simply the history of napping, and it used to be something we all did in the middle of the afternoon. In fact, the siesta is still a time-honored tradition in Spain that happens right after the afternoon meal and has been a practice since time out of mind. In fact, if you’re in the Mediterranean, it’s pretty much standard everywhere you go. In Italy they call it the riposo, pisolini, and even old Charlamagne (yes that Charlamagne) has been recorded as having taken 2-3-hour naps in the middle of the afternoon. So, is it just laziness? Well, no. You see in part it’s because the hottest hours of the day occur in the middle of the afternoon, and it makes sense to take a brief break at that point. It also has to do with the circadian rhythms and the change-over point between the wake cycle and sleep cycle, there’s a time that’s essentially perfect for a nap. There are even notable benefits to taking a nap in the afternoon, including evidence pointing to a 37% reduction in occurrences of coronary mortality in those who take an afternoon nap regularly.

How to Celebrate Napping Day zzzzzzzzzzzz

· Well, the way to celebrate Napping Day is pretty simple isn’t it? You just take a little time in the afternoon (whenever your afternoon is, some of us are day sleepers) to rest. After the afternoon meal is perfect, and in the long run it can help you actually feel better and more energized for the day ahead. It may be tricky if you have a regular work schedule, but whenever you can… Take a nap!

[1]https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/napping-day/

Daily Devotions

· Unite in the work of the Porters of St. Joseph by joining them in fasting: Today's Fast: Restoring the Constitution

· Litany of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus

· Total Consecration to St. Joseph Day 25

· Offering to the sacred heart of Jesus

· Make reparations to the Holy Face

· Drops of Christ’s Blood

· Universal Man Plan

[1]http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/view.cfm?id=5732

[2]http://www.usccb.org/prayer-and-worship/liturgical-year/lent/march-11.cfm

[3]Thigpen, Paul. Manual for Spiritual Warfare. TAN Books.