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. "
Virtue: Truth & Purification Cigar: Nothing fancy — plain, honest, unadorned Bourbon: None — clarity without warmth Reflection:“What masks is God tearing away in me?”
The Descent Into the Chamber of Hypocrites
During a series of ecstasies shortly before her death, St. Mary Magdalene de’ Pazzi was shown the “prisons” of Purgatory—those chambers where souls undergo purification precisely fitted to the sins they carried into death.
One chamber held the souls of hypocrites.
She saw them pierced through with sharp swords, cut and divided, their outward appearance finally matching the duplicity they had lived with on earth. The punishment was not arbitrary. It was revelation. The soul that had worn two faces in life now endured the tearing away of every false layer.
This is the sound of truth reclaiming what deception once ruled.
This is the sight of a soul being made whole by being cut apart.
This is the moment when God refuses to let a man remain divided.
Purification is not cruelty.
It is the mercy that refuses to leave us in our lies.
The Shepherd’s Counter‑Movement
Into this chamber of divided souls, the Good Shepherd does not arrive as a judge with a ledger. He arrives as the One who knows the real face beneath the mask.
He does not bypass the swords.
He does not soften the purification.
He walks into the chamber and calls the soul by its true name.
Truth is not self‑expression.
Purification is not self‑improvement.
Both are the Shepherd’s work:
He exposes what we hide.
He cuts away what we cling to.
He restores what we fractured.
He leads upward what has lived too long in duplicity.
The “nothing fancy” cigar mirrors the day’s virtue: plainness, honesty, the refusal to hide behind flavor or flourish.
A smoke stripped of ornament for a soul stripped of disguise.
Your Work at the Table
You smoke today not as a man performing strength, but as a man consenting to truth—letting God tear away whatever you have used to protect yourself from being known.
Ask the question slowly, without flinching:
What masks is God tearing away in me—
and what truth have I been avoiding because it cuts?
🔸 April 2026 – Resurrection & Marian Vision
Apr 6 –King of Kings (1927)
Apr 13 – Lady for a Day (1933)
Apr 20 – The Song of Bernadette (1943)
Apr 27 – The Keys of the Kingdom (1944)
THE KEYS OF THE KINGDOM (1944)
Gregory Peck, Thomas Mitchell
A missionary epic where humility, suffering, and steadfast charity shape a priest into a man whose holiness is measured not by success but by endurance.
1. Production & Historical Setting
Released in 1944 by 20th Century Fox and directed by John M. Stahl, The Keys of the Kingdom is one of Hollywood’s most reverent portrayals of priesthood. Adapted from A.J. Cronin’s bestselling novel, the film arrived during WWII, when audiences were hungry for stories of perseverance, conscience, and sacrificial service.
The film sits in the era’s fascination with:
cross‑cultural mission work
the dignity of ordinary, unglamorous virtue
the tension between institutional authority and personal conscience
the cost of vocation in a world shaped by war and upheaval
Gregory Peck plays Father Francis Chisholm, a Scottish priest whose life is marked by tragedy, humility, and a stubborn refusal to compromise charity. Thomas Mitchell, Vincent Price, and Rose Stradner round out a cast that embodies the Church’s spectrum—from bureaucratic suspicion to heroic mercy.
The world of the film moves between mist‑covered Scotland and the harsh, beautiful landscapes of rural China—two places where faith is tested, refined, and revealed.
2. Story Summary
Father Francis Chisholm (Gregory Peck) is introduced as an old priest whose “unorthodox” methods have drawn scrutiny. Monsignor Sleeth arrives to investigate, and Francis’ journal becomes the frame for the story.
A Life Formed by Loss
As a boy, Francis loses his parents in an anti‑Catholic attack.
As a young man, he loses Nora, the woman he loves, in childbirth.
These wounds do not harden him—they hollow him into humility.
The Mission in China
Sent to a ruined mission in Pai‑tan, Francis refuses shortcuts:
no bribing converts with food
no coercion
no inflated numbers to impress superiors
He rebuilds the mission with patience, honesty, and respect for the Chinese people. His friendship with the agnostic Dr. Willie Tulloch becomes a lifeline. His healing of Mr. Chia’s son earns trust that cannot be bought.
Years of Quiet Heroism
Famine, bandits, political chaos, and loneliness shape Francis into a priest whose holiness is not dramatic but durable. He becomes a father to the community—not by authority, but by presence.
Return to Scotland
Back home, his simplicity is misunderstood as incompetence. But when Monsignor Sleeth finishes the journal, he sees the truth: Francis’ life is a long obedience, not a failure. The recommendation for retirement is withdrawn. The old priest is vindicated—not by triumph, but by witness.
3. Spiritual & Moral Resonances
A. Holiness Is Hidden, Not Flashy
Francis’ mission grows slowly, quietly, without spectacle. The film insists that the Kingdom is built by fidelity, not fanfare.
B. Suffering as the Forge of Vocation
Every loss in Francis’ life becomes a place where God carves out compassion. His wounds make him gentle.
C. Respect as Evangelization
He refuses to treat the Chinese as projects. His reverence for their dignity becomes the heart of his ministry.
D. Conscience Over Convention
Francis obeys the Church, but he refuses to lie, manipulate, or inflate numbers. Integrity becomes his form of obedience.
E. Friendship as Grace
Dr. Tulloch—an unbeliever—becomes one of the film’s clearest instruments of God’s mercy. Grace often arrives through unexpected hands.
4. Hospitality Pairing — The Missionary’s Table
Black tea — simple, steady, the drink of long evenings and longer faith.
A bowl of plain rice — the humility of enough, the dignity of daily bread.
A wooden cross on the table — not ornamental, but worn by use.
A sprig of sage — endurance, the quiet strength that survives harsh seasons.
A setting for evenings when you need to remember that God builds His Kingdom through patience, wounds, and the long, slow work of love.
5. Reflection Prompts
Where has God asked me to be faithful rather than successful?
Which wounds in my life have softened me instead of hardening me?
Where am I tempted to measure my worth by visible results?
Who has been an unexpected instrument of grace in my story?
What quiet, daily act of charity is forming me into the person I’m meant to be?
Sun, Apr 26 – Fourth Sunday of Easter / Good Shepherd Sunday Virtue: Growth & Communion Cigar: Balanced, resilient (Corojo) Bourbon: Elijah Craig Small Batch – warm, steady Reflection:“What fruit is ripening in me?”
The Descent Before the Shepherd Speaks
She began to cry aloud in lamentation: “Mercy, my God, mercy! Descend, O Precious Blood, and deliver these souls from their prison. Poor souls! you suffer so cruelly, and yet you are content and cheerful. The dungeons of the martyrs in comparison with these were gardens of delight. Nevertheless there are others still deeper. How happy should I esteem myself were I not obliged to go down into them.”
This is the sound of a soul who has seen the depths—and still calls God good.
It is the cry of someone who knows that purification is not punishment but preparation.
It is the cry of someone who understands that growth is costly, and communion is forged in fire.
The Shepherd’s Counter‑Movement
Into that cry, the Good Shepherd steps—not as a rescuer who bypasses suffering, but as the One who walks into the depths and leads out what belongs to Him.
Growth is not self‑improvement.
Communion is not sentiment.
Both are the Shepherd’s work:
He prunes what bears fruit.
He carries what cannot walk.
He calls by name what has forgotten its own.
He leads upward what has lived too long underground.
The Corojo’s balanced resilience and Elijah Craig’s warm steadiness mirror the day’s virtue: strength without harshness, depth without despair, heat without destruction.
Your Work at the Table
You smoke today not as a man escaping the world but as a man consenting to be shaped by the Shepherd who knows every valley you’ve walked.
Ask the question slowly, honestly, without flinching:
What fruit is ripening in me—
and what pruning have I been resisting?
SUMMARY OF THE VIDEO
(Source: YouTube content retrieved above)
The video identifies seven types of women Scripture warns Christian men to avoid, drawing almost entirely from Proverbs and 2 Corinthians:
The Adulteress — Proverbs 5 and 7
Her speech is sweet but leads to destruction.
Her path is spiritual death, not companionship.
The Quarrelsome Woman — Proverbs 21:9, 21:19
Constant strife corrodes a man’s peace and mission.
Better to live in a desert than with perpetual conflict.
The Woman of Constant Conflict
A life of drama and instability signals disorder, not virtue.
The Unbeliever — 2 Corinthians 6:14
Being “unequally yoked” fractures a man’s spiritual direction.
The Seductress — Proverbs 5, 7
Uses charm and sensuality to manipulate.
Leads a man away from God’s purpose.
The Proud Woman — Proverbs 16:18
Pride blinds her to correction and destroys unity.
The Foolish Woman — Proverbs 11:22
Beauty without discretion is spiritually dangerous.
The video ends by contrasting these with God’s design for women: wisdom, kindness, reverence, and partnership in righteousness.
CCC TEACHING RELEVANT TO THIS VIDEO
1. Discernment and Moral Clarity (CCC 1783–1785)
The Catechism insists that Christians must form conscience with Scripture and truth. Avoiding relationships that lead into sin is not fear—it is prudence, a cardinal virtue.
2. Purity of Heart and Chastity (CCC 2517–2520)
The CCC teaches that seduction, lust, and manipulation are distortions of love. The “seductress” archetype is not about women—it is about disordered desire that pulls the heart away from God.
3. The Unequal Yoke (CCC 1633–1634)
Mixed-belief relationships create spiritual tension that can endanger faith. The Church recognizes this as a real pastoral challenge.
4. Peace as a Fruit of the Spirit (CCC 2304)
A quarrelsome or conflict-driven relationship violates the peace God intends for the Christian household.
5. Pride as the Root of Sin (CCC 1866)
Pride is the “queen of vices.” The CCC affirms that pride destroys communion and blinds the soul to grace.
ON CONFRONTING EVIL — DEVOTIONAL FRAME
Here is the distilled, forceful treatment you’ve been building across these Wednesday reflections:
1. Evil is confronted first by naming it.
The CCC is blunt: sin is not a mistake, not a personality quirk, not “just how people are.”
It is a rupture in truth (CCC 1849).
The man who refuses to name evil becomes complicit in it.
2. Evil is confronted by refusing to negotiate with it.
Proverbs warns not because women are evil, but because evil uses people—their wounds, their vanity, their seduction, their pride—to derail a man’s mission.
The Christian confronts evil by refusing to be drawn into its orbit.
3. Evil is confronted by guarding the heart.
The CCC teaches that the heart is the battleground of purity (CCC 2517).
The enemy does not need to destroy a man—only to distract him.
4. Evil is confronted by choosing communion over chaos.
A quarrelsome or pride-driven relationship is not merely unpleasant; it is disorder, and disorder is the enemy’s native language.
Peace is not passive—it is the fruit of justice (CCC 2304).
5. Evil is confronted by aligning with God’s design.
The video ends here, and so does the CCC:
God’s design for man and woman is mutual help, shared mission, and holiness (CCC 1601–1605).
Anything that fractures that design must be resisted.
Scripture warns men not because women are dangerous, but because evil is opportunistic. The adulteress, the quarrelsome woman, the seductress, the unbeliever—these are not categories of women but patterns of disorder that pull a man away from his mission. The Catechism teaches that sin is a lie against truth (CCC 1849), that pride destroys communion (CCC 1866), and that peace is the fruit of ordered love (CCC 2304). To confront evil, a man must name what is disordered, refuse to negotiate with it, guard his heart, and choose the path of communion over chaos. God’s design is not fragility but strength—two lives aligned in righteousness. Anything that fractures that alignment must be resisted with clarity, courage, and obedience.
YOU AND ME (1938)
George Raft, Sylvia Sidney
A crime‑romance where loyalty, shame, and the possibility of redemption collide—and where two wounded people discover that love requires truth, not performance.
1. Production & Historical Setting
Released in 1938 by Paramount and directed by Fritz Lang, You and Me is one of the most unusual crime films of the late ’30s—part noir prototype, part social parable, part romantic drama. Lang, fresh from Germany’s expressionist tradition, brings sharp lighting, moral tension, and a restless sense of fate to what could have been a simple studio picture.
The film sits in the era’s fascination with:
rehabilitation and recidivism
the Depression‑era struggle to “go straight”
the tension between mercy and suspicion in American society
George Raft plays Joe Dennis, an ex‑convict trying to rebuild his life; Sylvia Sidney plays Helen, a fellow parolee hiding her past. Their employer runs a department store staffed by ex‑cons—a quietly radical idea for 1938.
The world of the film is a blend of realism and stylization: warehouses, back rooms, parole offices, and the shadowed corners where old loyalties tug at new beginnings.
2. Story Summary
Joe Dennis (George Raft) is determined to stay out of trouble. He works hard, keeps his head down, and falls for Helen (Sylvia Sidney), unaware she is also on parole. They marry in secret, each carrying wounds they don’t know how to name.
But Joe’s past keeps circling him. Old criminal associates pressure him to join a planned robbery of the department store. Helen, desperate to keep Joe from falling back into crime, hides her own history—creating the very misunderstanding that drives him toward the gang.
What follows is a collision of truth and illusion:
Joe’s pride meets Helen’s hidden shame.
His fear of being deceived meets her fear of being rejected.
His old loyalties meet her fragile hope for a clean life.
The film’s turning point is Helen’s bold intervention: she confronts the gang and exposes the heist as bad math, bad odds, and bad faith. The robbery collapses, the truth comes out, and Joe must decide whether he will cling to pride or choose the harder path of love and responsibility.
The resolution is not sentimental: redemption is offered, but only if the characters choose it.
3. Spiritual & Moral Resonances
A. Love Cannot Grow in the Dark
Joe and Helen hide their pasts from each other, believing secrecy will protect love. Instead, it weakens it. The film insists that communion requires truth.
B. The Gravity of Old Sin
The gang represents the gravitational pull of former habits. Lang shows how sin is not just an act but a community—a world that wants you back.
C. Mercy as a Radical Act
The store owner’s willingness to hire ex‑cons is a quiet parable of grace:
mercy is not softness; it is disciplined hope.
D. Pride as the Enemy of Redemption
Joe’s downfall is not crime but pride. He would rather be wrong than be humbled. The film exposes how masculine pride can sabotage the very life a man longs for.
E. Redemption Through Honest Work
The film’s moral center is simple: A man becomes new not by wishing but by working.
The job, the marriage, the daily discipline—these are the sacraments of rehabilitation.
4. Hospitality Pairing — The Ex‑Con’s Table
Black coffee — the drink of men rebuilding their lives one shift at a time.
A slice of rye bread — plain, sturdy, honest.
A metal key on the table — symbol of the doors that open only when a man chooses truth.
A sprig of rosemary — remembrance, the courage to face one’s past without being defined by it.
A setting for evenings when you need to remember that second chances are real—but they demand courage, humility, and work.
5. Reflection Prompts
Where am I hiding parts of my story from the people who love me?
What old loyalties or habits still pull at me when I’m tired or afraid?
Where is pride keeping me from receiving mercy?
Who in my life believes in my redemption more than I do?
What small act of honesty or responsibility would move me toward the man I’m meant to be?
Sat, Apr 25 – Feast of St. Mark the Evangelist (Venice) Virtue:Courage & Clarity Cigar:Italian-grown Toscano‑style — rugged, maritime, pilgrim’s smoke Bourbon:Four Roses Single Barrel — clean, direct, no haze
Reflection — “Walk Like a Man Who Plans to Die Well”
St. Mark built Venice’s backbone: a Gospel that cuts through fog. His lion stands on every pier because a man who carries truth must roar, not whisper. Venice learned that lesson early—build on water, but build with conviction.
St. Mary Magdalene de’ Pazzi adds the harder edge: “Live in such a way that death finds nothing left to burn.” She meant it literally. Strip the vanity. Strip the excuses. Strip the soft habits that make a man flammable. A soul trained in small daily purifications dies like a soldier—packed, ready, unafraid.
So tonight’s smoke becomes a Venetian discipline:
steady draw, steady gaze, steady conscience.
I ask myself one question:
If death walked through my door tonight, what unfinished business would shame me?
Then I cut it out. No drama. No delay. A man who dies well lives clean.
IT’S LOVE AGAIN (1936)
Jessie Matthews, Robert Young, Sonnie Hale
A light‑on‑its‑feet musical comedy where ambition, imagination, and identity collide—and where a woman’s courage to step into a role she doesn’t yet deserve becomes the very thing that transforms her.
1. Production & Historical Setting
Released in 1936 by Gaumont British and directed by Victor Saville, It’s Love Again is a quintessential mid‑’30s British musical—stylish, brisk, and built around Jessie Matthews’ star power. bing.com
The film sits in the era’s fascination with celebrity culture, gossip columns, and the blurred line between publicity and reality. Matthews plays the aspiring performer; Robert Young the columnist who fabricates a glamorous adventuress to fill his empty page; Sonnie Hale the comic foil. Wikipedia
The world of the film is London at its most theatrical—nightclubs, newsrooms, stage doors, and the fantasy of overnight fame. It’s a society hungry for spectacle, where truth is optional but charm is mandatory.
2. Story Summary
Gossip columnist Peter Carlton (Robert Young), desperate for a story, invents a mysterious high‑society daredevil named Mrs. Smythe‑Smythe—a woman who hunts tigers, leaps from airplanes, and captivates every man in London. Wikipedia
Enter Elaine Bradford (Jessie Matthews), a struggling singer‑dancer who sees opportunity in the lie. She impersonates the fictional woman, stepping into a world of glamour, danger, and attention she’s never known.
What follows is a dance of deception and discovery:
Elaine’s courage meets Peter’s cynicism.
Her hunger for a break meets his hunger for a headline.
Her innocence meets the absurdity of a society that believes anything if it sparkles.
As the ruse grows, so does the chemistry. Elaine’s talent and sincerity begin to outshine the invented persona, and Peter finds himself drawn not to the myth he created but to the woman who dared to embody it.
The film resolves not with punishment for the lie but with recognition: sometimes stepping into a bigger story is how a person grows into their true self.
3. Spiritual & Moral Resonances
A. Identity as Vocation, Not Costume
Elaine begins by pretending—but the pretense reveals her real gifts. The film suggests that sometimes a man or woman must act “as if” in order to become.
B. The Power of Courageous Imagination
Elaine’s leap into the invented role mirrors the spiritual truth that courage often precedes clarity. She risks humiliation to pursue her calling.
C. Vanity vs. Authenticity
The world around her loves the glamorous lie; Peter and Elaine grow only when they confront what’s real. Truth becomes the foundation for love.
D. Humility as Strength
Elaine’s charm comes from her humility—she knows she’s pretending, and that self‑knowledge keeps her grounded even as the world inflates her.
E. Redemption Through Honest Work
Her success ultimately comes not from the persona but from her talent, discipline, and willingness to show up. The lie opens the door; the work keeps it open.
4. Hospitality Pairing — The London Stage Table
Strong black tea — the working performer’s fuel.
Tea biscuits with a thin layer of marmalade — sweetness earned, not assumed.
A single theatrical playbill on the table — reminder that every vocation begins backstage.
A sprig of mint — freshness, reinvention, the courage to step into the light.
A setting for evenings when you need to remember that boldness and humility can coexist—and that sometimes the role you dare to play becomes the life you were meant to live.
5. Reflection Prompts
Where am I waiting for permission instead of stepping into the role I’m called to play?
What “invented identities” in my life are actually pointing toward real, undeveloped gifts?
Where do I rely on spectacle instead of substance?
Who in my life helps me distinguish between performance and vocation?
What small act of courage would move me from backstage to center stage in my own story?
If you want, I can also build a double‑feature devotional pairing this with Evergreen or First a Girl for a Jessie‑Matthews‑as‑vocation arc.
St. Mary Magdalene de’ Pazzi walked her convent garden and saw what most men spend their whole lives refusing to see: the true shape of their sins. Not abstractions, not metaphors—consequences. Hypocrisy pierced like swords. Impatience crushed like stone. Ingratitude burned like molten metal. Her ecstasy revealed that every “small” sin has a temperature, a weight, a texture. Nothing disappears. Everything becomes itself. Purgatory is simply the soul finally experiencing the truth it tried to ignore.
So today’s smoke becomes a discipline of clarity. I let the burn remind me that purification is unavoidable—either embraced now or endured later. The saint’s vision is not meant to terrify but to sober. It tells me to stop negotiating with my vices and start interceding for the dead who can no longer choose. A man who purifies himself in this life walks lighter. A man who delays carries his own future fire.
“Do not FEAR,” Samuel answered them. “You
have indeed committed all this evil! Yet do not turn from the LORD, but serve
him with your whole heart.
Jesus
was fearless. He is the model of a true Israelite. He as a man was fearless. He
as a man was sinless yet He associated with the sinful: Judas who betrayed;
Peter who denied, Nicodemus who was silent; Herod who mocked, Pilate who washed
his hands, and all the people who preferred Barabbas and cried for Christ’s
torture and death on the cross. Yet He did not turn from his Father but served
Him with his whole heart; which was pierced for our sins. We have indeed
committed all this evil—yet because of Him we can serve with our whole heart.
Now
our goal is to be God’s sons and daughters-Saints of God. To fear the Lord and
serve Him faithfully you must live the Beatitudes of Christ. I recently revised
my book on the Divine Mercy Hikes. Perhaps today would be a good day to hike
and meditate on Christ’s beatitudes.
Hike of West Fork Oak Creek Sedona,
Arizona
West Fork
Oak Creek is a popular trail. There is a pleasant little stream that ripples
along the canyon floor as you hike it where you can look up at the dizzying
cliffs that tower above it.
During this
hike you will meditate on each of the ways you may have been walking away from
God; marking each of the meditations as you cross the stream multiple times. On
the return hike, you will meditate using the walking towards God meditations as
you cross the stream. Remember every journey away from something is a journey
toward something—the first meditations are the seven deadly sins with fear
added as an eighth; and you will be meditating on the Beatitudes of Christ on
the way back in reverse order.
6 SLOTH:
Laziness, Idleness; Sluggishness, Inactivity; Indolence (condition that
is slow to develop or be healed and causes no pain-i.e. fail to resist evil)
Apathy.
7 GLUTTONY: Excess, Exclusivity; Over indulgence;
Intemperance.
8 LUST:
Yearn, Desire; Long for, Hanker for; Hunger for, Ache for, Crave.
Blessed are
the clean of heart, for they shall see God. The clean of heart are those who
preserve with care the innocence with which they are invested at holy Baptism,
or seek to regain it, when lost, by penance; those who keep their hearts and
consciences unspotted from all sinful thoughts, particularly from all unchaste
thoughts, desires, words, and acts, and who endeavor in all things to have a
pure intention directed to God alone. They shall see God, that is, they shall
know Him even here upon earth, for as the eye that is to see must be clean, so
only souls that are pure and unstained can behold God. But further, our
knowledge is like our hearts; the purer the heart the clearer and greater is
the knowledge of God. But in the world above they shall see, know, and possess
Him as He is. What blessedness! Strive, therefore, to keep your heart clean.
7 TEMPERANCE (POOR IN SPIRIT):
Sacrifice, Give Up; Forgo, Let Go; Surrender, Tithe, Self-Control,
Abstention. Opposing Deadly Sin: GLUTTONY
The poor in
spirit are: 1. Those who, like the apostles, readily forsake all earthly
things, and for Christ’s sake become poor. 2. Those who, happening to lose
their property by misfortune or injustice, suffer the loss patiently, in
resignation to the will of God. 3. Those who, like Jesus, are content with
their poor and humble position, seek no higher or happier one, and would rather
suffer want than enrich themselves by unlawful acts, by fraud or theft. 4. The
rich and noble who set not their hearts upon the riches and greatness of the
world who use their riches and influence to relieve the misery of the needy and
oppressed. 5. Finally, the truly humble, who, convinced of their weakness,
their helplessness and misery, think lowly of themselves, and regard themselves
but as beggars, who are always in need of the grace of God. To all these,
therefore, in whose hearts the world has no place, there is assured, as their
inheritance, the kingdom of heaven; here the kingdom of grace there the kingdom
of glory.
Blessed are
they that hunger and thirst after justice, for they shall have their fill.
Hunger and thirst denote the most ardent longing after those virtues which
constitute Christian perfection, such as humility, meekness, the love of God
and of our neighbor, penance. Whoever longs for these virtues as the hungry man
does for food and drink, and prays to God for them with perseverance and
earnestness, shall have his fill; that is, he shall be enriched with them, and
one day shall be satisfied with eternal Happiness.
Blessed are
the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. The merciful here spoken of are: 1.
Those who willingly forgive the injuries done to them. 2. Those who have
compassion on their poor neighbors, and, according to their ability, sustain
them by alms. These shall obtain mercy; that is, God will forgive them their
sins and endow them abundantly with the goods of this world and of the world to
come. Thus God deals with us as we deal
with others.
Blessed are
the peace-makers, for they shall be called the children of God. By peacemakers
we are to understand those who have peace with themselves, that is, a quiet
conscience, and who endeavor to maintain peace among others, or to restore it
when broken. Such are called the children of God, because they follow God, Who
is a God of peace, and Who even gave His only Son to reconcile the world with
Him, and to bring down upon earth that peace which the world itself could not
give.
Blessed are
they that mourn, for they shall be comforted. By them that mourn we are not to
understand such as grieve and lament over a death, a misfortune, a loss of
worldly goods, or the like; but those who are grieved that God should be in so
many ways offended by themselves and by others that His Church should be so
heavily oppressed, and thereby so many souls lost that have been redeemed with
the precious blood of Christ. The only evil really to be grieved for is sin,
and the tears shed on account of sin are the only tears that are profitable,
for they shall be recompensed with everlasting joy.
Blessed are
the meek, for they shall possess the land. That man is meek who does not murmur
against God for sending afflictions upon him, who is not angry at men who do
him injury, but who rather suppresses impatience, anger, envy, and revenge,
nay, who seeks to recompense the evil done him by his neighbor with good. Such
a one is greater than he who takes by storm fortified cities (Prov. xvi. 32);
he possesses an unfailing fountain of peace, quiet, and cheerfulness; by his
meekness prevails over the most hostile minds, is by such means truly a ruler
upon earth, and will one day, for his portion, obtain heaven, the land of the
living, there to enjoy eternal peace.
1 LOVE & COURAGE (FAITH-BE NOT
AFRAID): Affection, Adoration; Friendship, Confidence;
Courageous, Trust; Valiant, Reliance; Heroic, Assurance; Bold, Conviction;
Daring, Belief; Fearless, Devotion; Plucky, Loyalty. Opposing Deadly Sin: FEAR
Love
Brothers and sisters do not be afraid to welcome Christ and accept his power.
Help the Pope and all those who wish to serve Christ and with Christ’s power to
serve the human person and the whole of mankind. Do not be afraid: Open wide
the doors for Christ. To his saving power open the boundaries of States,
economic and political systems, the vast fields of culture, civilization and
development. Do not be afraid. Christ knows “what is in man”. He alone knows
it. So often today man does not know what is within him, in the depths of his
mind and heart. So often he is uncertain about the meaning of his life on this
earth. He is assailed by doubt, a doubt which turns into despair. We ask you
therefore, we beg you with humility and trust, let Christ speak to man. He
alone has words of life, yes, of eternal life.
Copilot’s Take
The Catechism speaks plainly about evil: it is real, it
is active, and it is always parasitic. Evil has no substance of its own; it
feeds on fear, confusion, and the refusal to trust God. CCC 409 describes human
history as “a dramatic struggle between good and evil,” a struggle that touches
every person. Yet the Church never instructs the faithful to panic. It
instructs them to stand.
Evil is not confronted by matching its rage or its
noise. Evil is confronted by refusing fear. Fear is the crack in the armor—the
place where the enemy whispers, distorts, and divides. CCC 1808 defines
fortitude as the virtue that “ensures firmness in difficulties and constancy in
the pursuit of the good.” Courage, in the Christian sense, is fidelity under
pressure.
Christ embodies this perfectly. He does not confront
evil with theatrics or retaliation. He confronts it with fearless obedience. He
stands before betrayal, denial, political cowardice, public violence, and the
cross itself without ever turning from His Father. He is the model of the true
Israelite because He is the model of the fearless Son.
The Catechism also teaches that evil is defeated not
only by courage, but by purity of intention. CCC 2518 explains that the pure of
heart “see according to God,” because their hearts are not divided. This is why
the spiritual life begins with the renunciation of fear and ends with purity of
heart: the journey is a movement from fragmentation to clarity, from panic to
peace, from self‑protection to self‑gift.
The Beatitudes are not gentle suggestions. They are the
Church’s battle plan. CCC 1717 calls them “paradoxical promises that sustain
hope in tribulations.” They are the weapons Christ places in the hands of His
disciples.
Meekness disarms wrath.
Mercy disarms greed.
Purity disarms lust.
Poverty of spirit disarms excess.
Hunger for righteousness disarms apathy.
Mourning disarms envy.
Peacemaking disarms violence.
Courage disarms fear.
Every vice has a corresponding virtue that breaks its
power. Every step away from sin is a step toward God. Every movement of the
heart is either a retreat into fear or an advance into fidelity.
The Catechism concludes this teaching with a promise:
God does not leave His children alone in the struggle. Grace is not an idea; it
is strength. CCC 2847 assures that God “never permits us to be tempted beyond
our strength,” and always provides “the grace of victory.” Not escape—victory.
So when Samuel says, “Do not fear… you have indeed
committed all this evil,” he is not minimizing sin. He is minimizing fear. Evil
is real, but it is not ultimate. Fear is loud, but it is not sovereign. The
heart that serves God with its whole strength is the heart that refuses to run,
refuses to hide, and refuses to surrender its peace.
This is the heart Christ forms in His disciples.
This is the heart the Beatitudes build.
This is the heart that confronts evil—not with panic, but with fearless
fidelity.
Saint Fidelis became a martyr and was murdered for his
faith in 1622, while traveling back to his home church after preaching in
Seewis, Switzerland to former Catholics who had converted to Calvinism. Saint
Fidelis on the day of his martyrdom preached with great energy, he exhorted the
Catholics to constancy in the faith.
After a Calvinist had discharged his musket at
him in the Church, the Catholics entreated him to leave the place. He answered
that death was his gain and his joy, and that he was ready to lay down his life
in God's cause. On his road back to Grüsch, he met twenty Calvinist soldiers
with a minister at their head. They called him a false prophet, and urged him
to embrace their sect. He answered: "I am sent to you to confute, not to
embrace your heresy. The Catholic religion is the faith of all ages, I fear not
death." One of them beat him down to the ground by a stroke on the head
with his backsword. Fidelis rose again on his knees and stretching forth his
arms in the form of a cross, said with a feeble voice "Pardon my enemies,
O Lord: blinded by passion they know not what they do. Lord Jesus, have mercy
on me. Mary, Mother of God, succor
me!"
Another sword stroke clove his skull, and he fell to
the ground and lay in a pool of his own blood. The soldiers, not content with
this, added many stab wounds to his body with their long
knives, and hacked-off his left leg, as they said, to punish him for his many
journeys into those parts to preach to them.
God has created men by
nature and vocation with a natural desire for Himself and men can only find
happiness in God. But men become lost as they seek God due to ignorance
and sin. Realizing real dangers in the world and the God-implanted understanding
of the need for salvation, men aspire to heroic deeds and seek courageous
heroes to protect and lead them through the challenges of life. The
desire and need for true heroes is perennial in the hearts of men across time
and cultures. From an early age, boys naturally seek heroes. They look up
to their fathers, older boys and other men as role models and as
defenders/protectors. Boys are intrigued by the heroic deeds of fictional
characters (e.g. Superheroes in movies, TV and books, videogame heroes, sports
heroes, etc.). Boys admire and seek those with heroic virtues. When
grown, men continue to seek heroes. Some continue on with the fictional
heroes of youth, trading comic books for the action/superheroes and celebrities
in the media. Most men also look up to heroes in real life. Many
follow and celebrate sports teams and athletes. Others admire and follow
politicians, social activists or business leaders. Still others look up
to and follow real life heroes in the military (Medal of Honor winners),
religion (saints) and people who perform extraordinary deeds in the face of
tough challenges (911 responders, those who battle life-challenging illnesses).
All men, in some way, desire to be heroes and to associate
themselves with heroic leaders.
From the catechism:
27 The desire for God is written in the human heart,
because man is created by God and for God; and God never ceases to draw man to
himself. Only in God will he find the truth and happiness he never stops
searching for:
The dignity of man rests above all on
the fact that he is called to communion with God. This invitation to converse
with God is addressed to man as soon as he comes into being. For if man exists
it is because God has created him through love, and through love continues to
hold him in existence. He cannot live fully according to truth unless he freely
acknowledges that love and entrusts himself to his creator.
44 Man is by nature
and vocation a religious being. Coming from God, going toward God, man lives a
fully human life only if he freely lives by his bond with God.
397 Man, tempted by
the devil, let his trust in his Creator die in his heart and, abusing his
freedom, disobeyed God's command. This is what man's first sin consisted of.
All subsequent sin would be disobedience toward God and lack of trust in his
goodness.
Men fall for false heroes.
Many men are confused
about the definition and true nature of heroism. Heroism is confused with
celebrity. Heroism is confused with self-serving athleticism, political
opportunists, charlatans who deceive, “anti-heroes” or outright scoundrels.
The meaning of the word “hero” has been dumbed down to the point of being
almost meaningless. Doing an Internet search for websites, news
articles or images provides ample evidence of the misuse of the word
“hero”. Heroism is associated with movie stardom, video games (Guitar
Hero), relatively routine athletic accomplishments and even a sandwich.
Sadly, many of the real-life men who masquerade as heroes, fail, and fail
spectacularly.
The Definition of “Hero”
The word “hero” comes from
the Latin, hero, meaning,
“defender, protector” and “to save, deliver, preserve, protect.”
Closely related is the word, “Savior” which comes from the Latin, salvatorem, meaning “one who delivers or rescues from peril”
or “heals.” Modern
definitions of the word “hero” provide other characteristics of a hero. A
hero: faces danger or
adversity with courage; sacrifices
self for the greater good of humanity; displays moral excellence”; “is placed high above his fellows.”
Jesus – The True Hero
·Jesus is infinitely higher above all other
heroes – He is the
Son of God; there can be no hero that compares. Heroes come and go, but
only Jesus is the long-awaited Messiah. No hero, except Jesus, was
anticipated for thousands of years before His birth and remains a hero two
millennia after His death (and Resurrection).
·He physically protects people on earth – He saves the Disciples who
are in fear of drowning. He stands up to the bloodthirsty mob that is
going to stone the adulterous woman. He protects the disciples from the violent
legion when He is taken in the Garden. He is the ultimate protector.
·Jesus is the perfect demonstration of virtue – He demonstrates prudence,
temperance, justice and fortitude and charity with perfection that no man has
met, or can ever, match.
·He heals people from sickness, madness and
death – Jesus
healed the multitudes of every illness and raises them from the dead.
·He stands for Truth against falsehood – Repeatedly, He confronts
the Pharisees and the Sadducees and corrects their falsehoods, despite their
collusion to kill Him. He refuses to yield to Pilate, even as Pilate
threatens Him with death. Jesus is Truth itself.
·Jesus defeats man’s greatest foe, Satan – There is no greater enemy
of man than Satan. Jesus defeats Satan when tempted in the Wilderness, by
casting out demons, and by using the Satan-inspired evil of Judas for the Glory
of the Cross and Resurrection (CCC 2853). He defeats Satan on his home
turf (Hell) when Jesus descends to offer His “redemptive works to all men of
all times and all places…” (CCC 634). Only Jesus delivers us from evil.
2853 Victory over the
"prince of this world" was won once for all at the Hour when Jesus
freely gave himself up to death to give us his life. This is the judgment of
this world, and the prince of this world is "cast out." "He
pursued the woman" but had no hold on her: the new Eve, "full of
grace" of the Holy Spirit, is preserved from sin and the corruption of
death (the Immaculate Conception and the Assumption of the Most Holy Mother of
God, Mary, ever virgin). "Then the dragon was angry with the woman, and
went off to make war on the rest of her offspring." Therefore, the Spirit
and the Church pray: "Come, Lord Jesus," since his coming will
deliver us from the Evil One.
634 "The gospel
was preached even to the dead." The descent into hell brings the Gospel
message of salvation to complete fulfillment. This is the last phase of Jesus'
messianic mission, a phase which is condensed in time but vast in its real
significance: the spread of Christ's redemptive work to all men of all times
and all places, for all who are saved have been made sharers in the redemption.
·He defeats man’s greatest scourge, Sin – He saves people from sin
(CCC 2854). For example, He tells the sinful woman at Simon the
Pharisee’s house, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace”.
2854 When we ask to be delivered from the Evil One,
we pray as well to be freed from all evils, present, past, and future, of which
he is the author or instigator. In this final petition, the Church brings
before the Father all the distress of the world. Along with deliverance from
the evils that overwhelm humanity, she implores the precious gift of peace and
the grace of perseverance in expectation of Christ's return By praying in this
way, she anticipates in humility of faith the gathering together of everyone
and everything in him who has "the keys of Death and Hades," who
"is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty."
·Deliver us, Lord, we beseech you, from every
evil and grant us peace in our day, so that aided by your mercy we might be
ever free from sin and protected from all anxiety, as we await the blessed hope
and the coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ.
·He sacrifices Himself for others– Jesus makes an infinite sacrifice,
for His life is of infinite value and he gives it for the sins of all
mankind. He chooses a horrible death freely, saying, “Greater love has no
man than this that a man lay down his life for his friends.”
·He offers salvation for all mankind – His Name means “God saves” (CCC
430) and it is only the name of Jesus that can actually save. “Christ’s
whole life is a mystery of redemption. Redemption comes to us above
all through the blood of His cross…” (CCC 517). “He who believes and is
baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be
condemned”. “For the Son of man came to seek and to save the
lost.” “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever
believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”
430 Jesus means in
Hebrew: "God saves." At the annunciation, the angel Gabriel gave him
the name Jesus as his proper name, which expresses both his identity and his
mission. Since God alone can forgive sins, it is God who, in Jesus his eternal
Son made man, "will save his people from their sins". In Jesus, God
recapitulates all of his history of salvation on behalf of men.
517 Christ's whole life is a mystery of redemption.
Redemption comes to us above all through the blood of his cross, but this
mystery is at work throughout Christ's entire life:
- Already in his Incarnation through which by becoming
poor he enriches us with his poverty.
- In his hidden life which by his submission atones for
our disobedience.
- In his word which purifies its hearers.
- In his healings and exorcisms by which "he took
our infirmities and bore our diseases”.
- And in his Resurrection by which he justifies us.
·He is recognized as a Savior during His life
on earth – The
Samaritans profess, “It is no longer because of your words that we believe, for
we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is indeed
the Savior of the world.”
Bible in a
year Day 294 Judea
Gains Independence
In our reading of 1 Maccabees today, Fr. Mike highlights the the
establishment of the new independent sovereign nation of Israel in the land of
Judah. We learn how Simon takes command and enforces the law all around the
land. Fr. Mike reminds us that even today, Christians are governed by Jesus
himself and ultimately to belong to him. Today's readings are 1 Maccabees 13,
Sirach 32-33, and Proverbs 23:17-21.16.
Arbor
Day is a celebration of trees and their importance to providing shelter,
stabilization for the ground, and beauty to the beholder. While Arbor Day is a
US holiday, several other countries have adopted similar observances including
Japan, Australia, Korea and Yugoslavia. In 1970, President Richard Nixon
declared Arbor Day a federal holiday and it is observed the last Friday in
April each year.
Arbor
Day Facts & Quotes
·The
first Arbor Day was celebrated April 10, 1872, in the State of Nebraska. More
than 1 million trees were planted in Nebraska as they celebrated the first
Arbor Day.
·A
single tree can absorb as much as 48 pounds of carbon dioxide per year and can
sequester 1 ton of carbon dioxide by the time it reaches 40 years old.
·Newspaper
editor, Julius Sterling Morton began Arbor Day to help bring attention to the
importance of trees.
·Since
the Yellowstone Fires of 1988, the Arbor Day Foundation has partnered with the
US Forest Service. Through this partnership, over 25 million Arbor Day
Foundation trees have been planted.
·The
best time to plant a tree is twenty years ago. The second-best time is now.
–Proverb
Arbor
Day Top Events and Things to Do
·Plant
a tree.
·Visit
a nursery and consider buying some plants.
·Organize
a neighborhood beautification project.
·Hold
a paper drive. Use the recycling proceeds to purchase a special tree.
V/. The Angel of the Lord declared unto Mary, R/. And she conceived of the Holy Spirit.
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you;
blessed are you among women,
and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God,
pray for us sinners
now and at the hour of our death.
Amen.
V/. Behold the handmaid of the Lord, R/. Be it done unto me according to your Word.
Hail Mary…
V/. And the Word was made flesh, R/. And dwelt among us.
Hail Mary…
V/. Pray for us, O holy Mother of God, R/. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Let us pray. Pour forth, we beseech you, O Lord, your grace into
our hearts: that we, to whom the Incarnation of Christ your Son was made known
by the message of an Angel, may by his Passion and Cross be brought to the
glory of his Resurrection. Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.
Fitness Friday
Modern populations
are increasingly overfed, malnourished, sedentary, sunlight-deficient,
sleep-deprived, and socially isolated.[5]
Q.
What is the relationship between sunlight and depression?
Sunlight has a complex relationship with
depression. On the one hand, sunlight can help to improve mood and reduce
symptoms of depression. On the other hand, too much sunlight exposure can also
have negative consequences for mental health. One of the most well-known
effects of sunlight on mood is its ability to increase levels of serotonin.
Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that plays a role in regulating mood, sleep,
and appetite. When serotonin levels are low, people may experience symptoms of
depression, such as sadness, fatigue, and loss of interest in activities.
Importance of Sunlight for Mind,
Body, and Soul[6]
By Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN, LD
A sunny day can be the ultimate mood-booster, especially after a long,
cold winter. Many people notice a shift in mood and energy when the color
outside turns from dreary to bright but may not know just how many benefits
sunshine provides.
From impacts on vitamin D levels, circadian rhythms, and even weight
management, the many benefits of sunlight are explored in this post.
How Sunlight Affects Vitamin D
·Basking in the sunshine can have physiological
effects in your body. In fact, the best way to get adequate vitamin D is from
sun exposure. When sun hits your skin, it triggers a series of events that lead
to vitamin D production. There’s a reason vitamin D is nicknamed the “sunshine
vitamin” after all!
·Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that’s
essential for many bodily functions, including maintaining healthy bones and
regulating calcium status. A deficiency of this nutrient may lead to bone
diseases, such as rickets in children, or contribute to osteoporosis in adults.
Other Impacts of Sunlight
·Exposure to sunlight also impacts circadian
rhythm by helping your body reset its internal clock and distinguish day from
night. Getting sunlight about an hour after you wake up in the morning will
help you feel alert during the day and fall asleep more easily at night.
·Finally, sunshine may have a significant
influence on mood. Seasonal affective disorder (SAD), marked by depression,
sleep problems, and low energy, is thought to be related to lack of sun
exposure. Sunlight helps regulate the production of serotonin, a hormone tied
to mood. Plus, sun exposure is necessary for vitamin D production, which may
promote serotonin activity. Getting sunlight may therefore help boost mood and
possibly improve symptoms of SAD.
Sunlight and Weight
·Due to the number of benefits sun exposure
provides for the mind and body, it can have positive effects on weight control.
When you have sufficient levels of nutrients, sleep well, and feel happy, your
weight loss efforts tend to be more successful than when you feel off in any of
these areas.
·In addition, research has linked light exposure
in the morning to reductions in body fat and levels of hormones that increase
appetite. One study in 54 adults found that those who were exposed to bright
light early in the morning were slimmer than those who were not.
Safe Sun Exposure
·It’s clear that getting sunlight can have
numerous health benefits. However, it’s important to also protect the skin from
sun damage.
·Current recommendations suggest that about 15
minutes of daily sun exposure on your hands, arm, and face during the middle of
the day is sufficient for vitamin D production in light-skinned people. You can
certainly stay in the sun for longer to reap other benefits, but remember to
take precautions.
·Apply sunscreen and/or wear protective clothing
after getting your 15 minutes of daily sun exposure to maintain vitamin D
levels. If you have dark skin or are at a high risk of skin cancer, speak with
your doctor about the best course of action, what you should wear in the sun,
and whether you should take a vitamin D supplement instead.
·Note from Healthy For Life Meals: You take care
of getting sunshine, and we’ll take care of your meals! Our diet meal delivery
provides done-for-you meals that are nutritionally balanced and taste
delicious, so you can spend less time in the kitchen and more time outside.
Check out our menus and order today.
[7]Sheraton, Mimi. 1,000 Foods
To Eat Before You Die: A Food Lover's Life List (p. 892). Workman Publishing
Company. Kindle Edition.
SHE COULDN’T TAKE IT (1935)
George Raft, Joan Bennett
A sharp, fast‑moving romantic comedy where a hardened man and a high‑society woman collide—and discover that character, not comfort, is what makes a life worth living.
1. Production & Historical Setting
Released by Columbia Pictures in 1935, She Couldn’t Take It sits squarely in the Depression‑era trend of “madcap wealth meets streetwise grit.” Director Tay Garnett blends screwball energy with moral undercurrents about entitlement, responsibility, and the dignity of work.
George Raft plays the tough, principled ex‑convict who refuses to be bought.
Joan Bennett plays the spoiled heiress whose world collapses when her family’s fortune is seized.
The supporting cast leans into caricature—eccentric millionaires, scheming relatives, and opportunists—highlighting the emptiness of privilege without virtue.
The film’s world is one where money can buy everything except backbone—and backbone is the only thing that survives the fall.
2. Story Summary
When the wealthy Van Dyke family loses their fortune, their pampered daughter Carol (Joan Bennett) is forced into real life for the first time. She crosses paths with Bill Reardon (George Raft), a man who has survived prison, poverty, and betrayal—and who refuses to pity her.
What follows is a collision of worlds:
Carol’s entitlement meets Bill’s blunt realism.
Her dependency meets his self‑command.
Her illusions meet his hard‑earned clarity.
As they navigate schemes, setbacks, and the unraveling of her family’s pretenses, Carol begins to shed her vanity. Bill, in turn, discovers that compassion doesn’t weaken a man—it strengthens him. Their romance emerges not from charm but from conversion: she becomes more grounded, he becomes more open, and both learn that dignity is worth more than wealth.
3. Spiritual & Moral Resonances
A. Wealth Without Virtue Collapses
Carol’s world falls apart because it was built on comfort, not character. The film exposes how fragile a life becomes when it depends on circumstances instead of discipline.
B. Hardship as Formation
Bill’s strength comes from suffering rightly endured. His past—unwanted, unjust, and painful—has forged him into a man who cannot be bribed or flattered.
C. Humility as the Doorway to Love
Carol’s transformation begins only when she stops demanding rescue and starts accepting reality. Humility makes her lovable.
D. Integrity as Masculine Gravity
Bill’s refusal to compromise—financially, morally, or emotionally—creates the gravitational pull that stabilizes everyone around him.
E. Redemption Through Responsibility
Both characters grow when they take responsibility for their lives. Love becomes possible only after truth is embraced.
4. Hospitality Pairing — The Depression Table
Black coffee — unadorned, honest, nothing to hide behind.
A slice of buttered toast — simple sustenance, the dignity of enough.
A single silver coin on the table — reminder that wealth is a tool, not a foundation.
A sprig of thyme — symbol of courage in small, daily acts.
A setting for evenings when you need to remember that strength is not luxury—it is discipline.
5. Reflection Prompts
Where have I confused comfort with strength in my own life.
What hardships have shaped me into someone more grounded and honest.
Where do I still expect others to rescue me instead of taking responsibility.
Which relationships in my life sharpen my integrity rather than soften it.
What part of my character needs to be rebuilt on something firmer than circumstance.
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