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.

Tuesday, March 17, 2025

Monday, March 10, 2025

Monday Night at the Movies

The Nun's Story

Sunday, March 16, 2025

Saturday, March 15, 2025

Friday, March 14, 2025

Thursday, March 13, 2025

Rachel’s Corner[15]

And this will be a sign for you: you will find an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.”

(Luke 2:12)

The Rosary is a treasure to be discovered by everyone, at any age, at any time in history.

Just START!

When families pray the Rosary together regularly, children learn about Jesus’s life and how much he loves them. It also models for our children how to lean on and trust in God during difficult times.

Your family doesn’t have to do it perfectly or resemble a gathering of monks. Just grab a rosary and gather your children. If you imagine your children sitting like angels with hands folded together reverently with their rosaries dangling between their palms, you have probably seen one too many Catholic stock photos!

It’s okay if your kids are wiggly, ask questions in the middle of the prayers, or suddenly remember a story about your dog in between decades. This is life with children. You have to live in the moment, not in a fantasy. If you expect too much of your kids in the beginning, you may never start – and that would be a shame.

So, my big message to you is JUST START. Start where you are and where your kids are.

· Religion in the Home for Elementary School: March

· Religion in the Home for Preschool: March

· do a personal eucharistic stations of the cross.

· Bucket List trip: Mount Sinai and the Red Sea

· Spirit Hour: Lenten Bock Beer

· Sing With Your Child Month

· International Riesling Day

· Try “Barramundi [16]”

Best Place to visit in March: Saguaro National Park, Arizona

I’m a big fan of this underrated but very photogenic beauty spot! Located ten miles from Tucson in the southern Arizona, I found unique and unspoilt desert landscapes, diverse flora and fauna, ancient petroglyphs, incredible hiking trails and the famous saguaro cactus (which have been known to grow up to 78ft tall)!

The park spans over 91,000 acres and is split into two districts by the city of Tucson. For the best cactus viewing, I headed to the western portion, which, while smaller, had a higher concentration of saguaro cacti.

I much prefer visiting this time of year as the weather is more comfortable (and safer!) than the summer and I loved exploring the hiking trails in more peace – Hugh Norris Trail and the Mica View Loop were my favorites. When here, I also spotted the gorgeous spring wildflower blooms and the cholla and prickly pear cacti which was in blossom during this time of year.

Visitor’s Center Address: 2700 N Kinney Road, Tucson, AZ
Map Location
Average temperature –60.8 to 80.6

My highlights…

Taking Instagram-worthy shots of the incredible Saguaro Forest at Golden Hour after hiking to the spectacular Valley View Overlook – I loved how it was bathed in a warm, soft light and casting long shadows.
Taking a trip to Rincon Mountains, located in the Saguaro East – I loved the breathtaking views overlooking the unique cacti-filled landscapes and spotting a red-tailed hawk!

Introduction to the book of Haggai[1]

Haggai’s words concern conditions in the Persian province of Judah at the beginning of the reign of the Persian king Darius I (522–486 B.C.). The community in Judah is struggling with its identity in light of the loss of its statehood through the demise of the monarchy and the destruction of the Temple. Haggai’s oracles address both these problems. First, the provincial government, despite its subordination to Persian domination, is seen as the legitimate heir to the Davidic monarchy; the governor Zerubbabel, himself a descendant of the Davidic line, and the high priest Joshua together provide political, economic, and religious leadership for the survivors of the Babylonian destruction and the returnees from the Babylonian exile who live together in Judah. Still, the possibility for restoration of Davidic rule is not relinquished but rather is shifted to the future. Second, the Temple’s ruined state is addressed by a rebuilding program. The prophet links the well-being of the community to the work of Temple restoration, and his exhortations to the leaders and the people to begin work on this project are apparently heeded. The brief period of Haggai’s ministry (August to December 520 B.C.) marks the resumption of work on the Temple, the symbol of divine presence among the people.

MARCH 13 Thursday First Week of Lent

World Kidney Day

Haggai, Chapter 1, verse 12

Then Zerubbabel, son of Shealtiel, and the high priest Joshua, son of Jehozadak, and all the remnant of the people obeyed the LORD their God, and the words of Haggai the prophet, since the LORD their God had sent him; thus the people FEARED the LORD.

Haggai was a prophet to the Lord during the reign of the Persian King Darius who led the Jews who after the exile feared the Lord; they were the remnant. In today’s world with all its corruption we also are the remnant, let us this day rejoice and obey our Lord in Holy fear, which is Love.

A joyful heart comes to those who are at peace with themselves, their family and community and the world around them. Those blessed with the peace of Christ let nothing disturb them, nothing frightens them; knowing God never changes. They adhere to the principle of St. Teresa of Avila: Patience obtains all things. Nothing is wanting to him who possesses God. God alone suffices.

In fact, patience and kindness are the two primary pillars on which Holy love are built.

I, then, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to live in a manner worthy of the call you have received, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another through love, striving to preserve the unity of the spirit through the bond of peace: one body and one Spirit, as you were also called to the one hope of your call; one Lord, one faith, one baptism;one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. (Ephesians 4:1-6).

Thursday First Week of Lent[2]

EPISTLE. Ezech, xviii. 1-9.

IN those days: The word of the Lord came to me, saying: What is the meaning, that you use among you this parable as a proverb in the land of Israel, saying: The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the teeth of the children are set on edge? As I live, saith the Lord God, this parable shall be more to you a proverb in Israel. Behold all souls are Mine: as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is Mine: the soul that sinneth, the same shall die. And if a man be just, and do judgment and justice, and hath not eaten upon the mountains, nor lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel: and hath not defiled his neighbor’s wife, nor come near to a menstruous woman: and hath not wronged any man: but hath restored the pledge to the debtor, hath taken nothing away by violence: hath given his bread to the hungry, and hath covered the naked with a garment: hath not lent upon usury, nor taken any increase: hath withdrawn his hand from iniquity, and hath executed true judgment between man and man: hath walked in My commandments, and kept My judgments, to do according to truth : he is just, he shall surely live, saith the Lord Almighty.

GOSPEL. Matt. xv. 21-28.

At that time: Jesus went from thence and retired into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon. And behold a woman of Canaan who came out of those coasts, crying out, said to Him: Have mercy on me, O Lord, Thou Son of David: my daughter is grievously troubled by a devil. Who answered her not a word. And His disciples came and besought Him, saying: Send her away, for she crieth after us. And He answering, said: I was not sent but to the sheep that are lost of the house of Israel. But she came and adored Him, saying: Lord, help me. Who answering, said: It is not good to take the bread of the children, and to cast it to the dogs. But she said: Yea, Lord, for the whelps also eat of the crumbs that fall from the table of their masters. Then Jesus answering, said to her: O woman, great is thy faith: be it done to thee as thou wilt: and her daughter was cured from that hour.

Prayer. Look, O Lord, upon the devotion of Thy people, that we, who are afflicted in body by abstinence, may be refreshed in mind by the fruit of good works.

Lenten Calendar[3]

Read: In the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation, also called confession, we meet the Lord, who wants to grant forgiveness and the grace to live a renewed life in him. In this sacrament, he prepares us to receive him free from serious sin, with a lively faith, earnest hope, and sacrificial love in the Eucharist. The Church sees confession as so important that she requires that every Catholic go at least once a year.

Pray: If you have anger in your heart towards someone, say a prayer for him or her today as a step towards healing.

Act: Make going to confession a priority during Lent this year.

La Falla de San Chusep[4]

Italy is not the only country that claims great love for Saint Joseph. Here's an explanation of the festivities in Valencia, Spain.

· Among the many folk festivals of Spain which each year attract large numbers of tourists, Saint Joseph's Day in Valencia takes a unique position. La Falla de San Chusep, as it is called in the local dialect, has been celebrated for centuries, and it is perhaps the most spectacular, the most colorful of all Spanish holidays. It starts on March 13 and attains its gala climax six days later, after a solid week of fun and festivities.

· San Chusep (St. Joseph) is the patron saint of Valencia, and since the sixteenth century his day has been celebrated by the city's artisans and craftsmen with a great deal of zest, humor, and originality. In the Valencian dialect, falla means "pyre." It seems that the term originated in the annual custom of the carpenters who cleaned their shops of shavings and discarded wood at this time of the year and burned the debris with a short ceremony. With the scraps, a comical wooden figure depicting the most inept and backward of the carpenter's apprentices was thrown into the flames. Eventually this developed into a local tradition with all the guilds participating in the burning of humorous and satirical effigies of animals, people, or subjects of local or national ridicule and scorn. Apparently the falla figures are also a product of Baroque art, with its emphasis on painting on wood, for which Valencia's craftsmen became justly famous.

· Today, each guild, club, or association builds a falla of wood or papier-mâché. A queen, la reine del Falla, is chosen, and a band accompanies the queen, her court, and the falla to the contest on the main plaza of Valencia. The lavish preparations for the festival attract artists and musicians from the provinces who help the various groups build and exhibit their entries to the contest of falla. During the week, bullfights are held every day. The streets are jammed with visitors admiring the fallas. In decorated booths and pavilions food and drinks are being served. And in the streets and on the city squares people dance to the music of the innumerable bands which accompany the fallas.

· The best productions in art and music are judged for subject matter and presentation and awarded prizes. The most outstanding falla is transferred to a special museum which harbors the prize winners of previous years. On March 19, at midnight, all the other fallas, some towering three stories in height, are burned in huge bonfires. Strings of firecrackers explode around the plaza, and elaborate fireworks illuminate the scene with brilliant flashes of color. As each falla crumbles into ashes, the crowds shout with glee amidst the furiously burning pyres. As the fires slowly burn down to the last embers, the merrymakers leave the scene, exhausted and jubilant, already dreaming of next year, of the next falla.

Catechism of the Catholic Church

Day 270 2052-2063

PART THREE: LIFE IN CHRIST

SECTION TWO-THE TEN COMMANDMENTS

"Teacher, what must I do . . .?"

2052 "Teacher, what good deed must I do, to have eternal life?" To the young man who asked this question, Jesus answers first by invoking the necessity to recognize God as the "One there is who is good," as the supreme Good and the source of all good. Then Jesus tells him: "If you would enter life, keep the commandments." and he cites for his questioner the precepts that concern love of neighbor: "You shall not kill, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother." Finally, Jesus sums up these commandments positively: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."

2053 To this first reply Jesus adds a second: "If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me." This reply does not do away with the first: following Jesus Christ involves keeping the Commandments. the Law has not been abolished, but rather man is invited to rediscover it in the person of his Master who is its perfect fulfillment. In the three synoptic Gospels, Jesus' call to the rich young man to follow him, in the obedience of a disciple and in the observance of the Commandments, is joined to the call to poverty and chastity. The evangelical counsels are inseparable from the Commandments.

2054 Jesus acknowledged the Ten Commandments, but he also showed the power of the Spirit at work in their letter. He preached a "righteousness [which] exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees" as well as that of the Gentiles. He unfolded all the demands of the Commandments. "You have heard that it was said to the men of old, 'You shall not kill.' . . . But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be liable to judgment."

2055 When someone asks him, "Which commandment in the Law is the greatest?" Jesus replies: "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and first commandment. and a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the Law and the prophets." The Decalogue must be interpreted in light of this twofold yet single commandment of love, the fullness of the Law:

The commandments: "You shall not commit adultery, You shall not kill, You shall not steal, You shall not covet," and any other commandment, are summed up in this sentence: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore, love is the fulfilling of the law.

The Decalogue in Sacred Scripture

2056 The word "Decalogue" means literally "ten words." God revealed these "ten words" to his people on the holy mountain. They were written "with the finger of God," unlike the other commandments written by Moses. They are pre-eminently the words of God. They are handed on to us in the books of Exodus and Deuteronomy. Beginning with the Old Testament, the sacred books refer to the "ten words," but it is in the New Covenant in Jesus Christ that their full meaning will be revealed.

2057 The Decalogue must first be understood in the context of the Exodus, God's great liberating event at the center of the Old Covenant. Whether formulated as negative commandments, prohibitions, or as positive precepts such as: "Honor your father and mother," the "ten words" point out the conditions of a life freed from the slavery of sin. the Decalogue is a path of life:

If you love the LORD your God, by walking in his ways, and by keeping his commandments and his statutes and his ordinances, then you shall live and multiply.

This liberating power of the Decalogue appears, for example, in the commandment about the sabbath rest, directed also to foreigners and slaves:

You shall remember that you were a servant in the land of Egypt, and the LORD your God brought you out thence with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm.

2058 The "ten words" sum up and proclaim God's law: "These words the Lord spoke to all your assembly at the mountain out of the midst of the fire, the cloud, and the thick darkness, with a loud voice; and he added no more. and he wrote them upon two tables of stone, and gave them to me." For this reason these two tables are called "the Testimony." In fact, they contain the terms of the covenant concluded between God and his people. These "tables of the Testimony" were to be deposited in "the ark."

2059 The "ten words" are pronounced by God in the midst of a theophany (“The LORD spoke with you face to face at the mountain, out of the midst of the fire."). They belong to God's revelation of himself and his glory. the gift of the Commandments is the gift of God himself and his holy will. In making his will known, God reveals himself to his people.

2060 The gift of the commandments and of the Law is part of the covenant God sealed with his own. In Exodus, the revelation of the "ten words" is granted between the proposal of the covenant and its conclusion - after the people had committed themselves to "do" all that the Lord had said, and to "obey" it. The Decalogue is never handed on without first recalling the covenant (“The LORD our God made a covenant with us in Horeb.").

2061 The Commandments take on their full meaning within the covenant. According to Scripture, man's moral life has all its meaning in and through the covenant. the first of the "ten words" recalls that God loved his people first:

Since there was a passing from the paradise of freedom to the slavery of this world, in punishment for sin, the first phrase of the Decalogue, the first word of God's commandments, bears on freedom "I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery."

2062 The Commandments properly so-called come in the second place: they express the implications of belonging to God through the establishment of the covenant. Moral existence is a response to the Lord's loving initiative. It is the acknowledgement and homage given to God and a worship of thanksgiving. It is cooperation with the plan God pursues in history.

2063 The covenant and dialogue between God and man are also attested to by the fact that all the obligations are stated in the first person (“I am the Lord.") and addressed by God to another personal subject (“you"). In all God's commandments, the singular personal pronoun designates the recipient. God makes his will known to each person in particular, at the same time as he makes it known to the whole people:

The Lord prescribed love towards God and taught justice towards neighbor, so that man would be neither unjust, nor unworthy of God. Thus, through the Decalogue, God prepared man to become his friend and to live in harmony with his neighbor.... the words of the Decalogue remain likewise for us Christians. Far from being abolished, they have received amplification and development from the fact of the coming of the Lord in the flesh.

World Kidney Day[5]

Kidney Day was first celebrated in 2006 asking – Are Your Kidneys, Ok?

The idea that there is great need to educate the world about the importance of kidney health and reduce the impact of kidney disease and other health conditions associated with them, is what pushed the ISN and IFKF to team up and make a difference.

The goal that was established was to raise awareness of what our kidneys do and what can happen when they are not working properly. They strive to teach the risk factors and bring screening to those at risk for chronic kidney disease (CKD). Prevention is the main overall goal by teaching communities how to keep their risk factors as low as possible.

Respectfully, Kidney Day is also about donation. Transplant professionals use the day to educate people on the need for organ donation. This is a decision that if left until the last moment can be difficult and painful for families. But individuals can easily make their wishes known and in the United States can identify this on their identification. These donations can bring the joy of life back to someone who is suffering from kidney disease.

How to celebrate Kidney Day

Across the world, celebrations take different forms, from free screenings to Zumba marathons! Is your community planning an event? Celebrate by attending and learning more!

Do you know what your personal risk for chronic kidney disease is?

If not, use this reminder to make an appointment to see your physician and find out.

According to worldkidneyday.org, there are 8 golden rules for kidney health.

Keep regular control of your blood sugar. About 50% of people with Diabetes will develop kidney damage. Make sure you are doing all you can to stay in control!
Keep fit and active. Staying active helps in many areas to keep your kidneys healthy as well as promotes positive mood and weight loss.
Eat healthy and keep your weight in check. Making good food choices will go hand in hand with staying active to reduce weight and encourage good health.
Water, water, water! Keeping hydrated is good for your skin as well as your kidneys. Staying hydrated flushes, the toxins out of the kidneys and reduces the chance of kidney stones.
No Smoking! Smoking is bad in many ways, but for the kidneys, the chance of developing cancer in them increases by 50% for smokers.
Stay away from over-the-counter medicine for chronic issues. Many over-the-counter medicines such as ibuprofen can harm your kidneys if taken regularly. It is ok to take for emergencies, but see a physician if you are having chronic pain for options that will not cause harm.

Celebrate Kidney Day by learning more about your kidneys and how to keep them healthy and happy for years to come!

chronic kidney disease

I Just found out from my doctor that I have chronic kidney disease. So here is my plan.

· Exercise. Focus on daily exercise which includes 20 minutes of cardio followed by 20 minutes resistance training using a modified Universal Man Plan.

o The morbidity and mortality associated with chronic kidney disease (CKD) are primarily caused by atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease, which may be in part caused by inflammation and oxidative stress. Aerobic exercise and resistance training have been proposed as measures to combat obesity, inflammation, endothelial dysfunction, oxidative stress, insulin resistance, and progression of CKD.[6]

· Cold Therapy. Inflammatory cytokines play a pivotal role in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and innovative non-pharmacological therapies aimed at limiting cytokine production are highly warranted. Recently, our group showed that healthy volunteers trained in an intervention developed by 'Iceman' Wim Hof were able to voluntarily attenuate the pro-inflammatory response during experimental human endotoxemia (a model of systemic inflammation elicited by administration of lipopolysaccharide [LPS] in healthy volunteers). Subjects trained in the intervention exhibited profound increases in plasma adrenaline levels, a rapid increase of an anti-inflammatory cytokine and subsequent attenuation of the pro-inflammatory response.[7]

o Wim Hof Method-Free Mini Course

· Eat less Meat. Plan to eat 60/20/20. 60% fruits and vegetables. 20% fats. 20% protein. (Note: protein is hard on kidneys)[8]

o Eat Fish[9]

o Make Soup[10]Catholic Recipe: Monastery Soup

· Have a drink. The link between the quantity consumed per drinking day and getting CKD was U-shaped. Those who had about five or more drinks per drinking day had risk levels about as high non-drinkers. Similar categories of quantity per drinking day were examined. The risks of CKD were lower in the four to seven drinking days per week group than in the one to three drinking days per week group.[11]

· Daily Rosary. Prayer can provide multiple beneficial effects, such as reduction of mortality in patients with bloodstream infections, reduction of anxiety, and depression and better physical functioning.[12]

· Sleep 7-8 hours. "Short sleep and fragmented sleep are significant yet unappreciated risk factors for chronic kidney disease progression," said study author Dr. Ana Ricardo, of the University of Illinois at Chicago.[13]

Plan ahead for:

· Bird Watching- With about 10,000 species of birds and only a handful of people who can claim having seen over 7000 of them, bird watching is become a popular recreation activity. It’s believed that bird watching is an expression of the male hunting instinct while others links it with the male tendency for “systemizing”. Either way, bird watching is a great, safe way to enjoy nature.

Thursday Feast

Thursday is the day of the week that our Lord gave himself up for consumption. Thursday commemorates the last supper. Some theologians believe after Sunday Thursday is the holiest day of the week. We should then try to make this day special by making a visit to the blessed sacrament chapel, Mass or even stopping by the grave of a loved one. Why not plan to count the blessing of the week and thank our Lord. Plan a special meal. Be at Peace.

· According to Mary Agreda[14] in her visions it was on a Thursday at six o'clock in the evening and at the approach of night that the Angel Gabriel approached and announced her as Mother of God and she gave her fiat.

Today’s Menu is from KANSAS

After Dinner Cigars

Daily Devotions

· Unite in the work of the Porters of St. Joseph by joining them in fasting: Today's Fast: Victims of clergy sexual abuse

· Litany of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus

· Total Consecration to St. Joseph Day 28

· Offering to the sacred heart of Jesus

· Make reparations to the Holy Face

· Drops of Christ’s Blood

· Universal Man Plan

[1] http://www.usccb.org/bible/scripture.cfm?bk=Haggai&ch=

[2] Goffine’s Devout Instructions, 1896

[3]http://www.usccb.org/prayer-and-worship/liturgical-year/lent/march-14.cfm

[4]https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/activities/view.cfm?id=1048

[5]https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/kidney-day/

[6] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18155113/

[7] https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03240497

[8]https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/kidney-disease/chronic-kidney-disease-ckd/eating-nutrition

[9]https://www.kidneycoach.com/kidney-nutrients/fish-oil-omega-3-and-its-use-in-kidney-disease/

[10]https://blogs.davita.com/kidney-diet-tips/six-soups-make-season/

[11]https://www.alcoholproblemsandsolutions.org/drinking-alcohol-and-risk-of-chronic-kidney-disease/#:~:text=Chronic%20Kidney%20Disease%20Risk%20Reduced%20by%20Drinking%20Alcohol.,and%20Health.%20Drinking%20Alcohol%20Reduces%20Kidney%20Cancer%20Risk.

[12]http://www.ee.usp.br/reeusp

[13]https://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/news/20161119/poor-sleep-linked-to-worsening-kidney-disease

[14] Venerable Mary of Agreda. The Mystical City of God: Complete Edition Containing all Four Volumes with Illustrations (p. 770). Veritatis Splendor Publications. Kindle Edition

[15] https://intentionalcatholicparenting.com/how-to-start-the-family-rosary/

[16] Sheraton, Mimi. 1,000 Foods To Eat Before You Die: A Food Lover's Life List (p. 892). Workman Publishing Company. Kindle Edition.