Saint's Michael's Lent Day 40

Saint's Michael's Lent Day 40
August 15-Sep 29-Day 35

Featured Post

Friday, September 26, 2025

🇺🇸 Day 10 – Principle 10: The Consent of the Governed Secures Legitimate Power 🏛️ Reflection If Principle 9 anchors rights in divine m...

Friday, October 3, 2025

 

 NIC’s Corner 

You who dwell in the shelter of the Most High, who abide in the shade of the Almighty, Say to the LORD, “My refuge and fortress, my God in whom I trust.” Psalm 91:1-2

·         Eat Fish on Fridays

§  Foodie Cheat: German Butterbrot

·         Chimichanga

·         Spirit Hour: Water or Apple Cider Johnny Appleseed

·         Iceman’s 40 devotion

·         Get an indulgence

·         Operation Purity

Bucket List trip: Rich vs Poor Tour:

Denmark 13 and the Solomon Islands 203—two nations separated by wealth, geography, and infrastructure, yet each offering distinct spiritual landscapes for the Catholic pilgrim.

·         🇩🇰 Denmark — Ranked Among the Wealthiest

o   GDP per capita: ~$52,000 USD

§  🧮 Why Denmark Ranks High in Per Capita Income

§  Denmark consistently ranks among the top nations in income and quality of life. Its wealth is not driven by natural resources, but by civic cohesion, education, and a pragmatic blend of free-market efficiency and generous welfare.

o   Key Factors
• Universal Welfare State: Free healthcare, education, and childcare reduce personal financial burdens and support social mobility.
• High Tax, High Trust: Danes pay some of the highest taxes globally, but 88% say they’re happy to do so.


• Low Inequality: Income distribution is relatively even, fostering social harmony and reducing poverty.
• Business-Friendly Environment: Denmark ranks 4th globally for ease of doing business, with strong exports and innovation.
• Civic Cohesion: Low corruption and high institutional trust create a stable, inclusive society.

·         ✝️ Quality of Life for Catholics in Denmark

o   Though Catholics are a small minority (less than 1% of the population), the Church in Denmark is quietly resilient and deeply ecumenical.

§  🕊️ Strengths
•     Freedom of Religion: Catholics enjoy full legal protection and freedom to worship.
• Ecumenical Spirit: The Church often collaborates with Lutheran and other Christian communities in social outreach and liturgical events.
• Cultural Integration: Catholic parishes serve diverse immigrant populations, especially from Poland, Vietnam, and the Philippines.
• Access to Beauty: Denmark’s natural and architectural beauty offers contemplative spaces for spiritual renewal.

§  ⚠️ Challenges
• Secularization: Denmark is one of the most secular societies in Europe, with low religious participation overall.
• Limited Infrastructure: Few Catholic schools or retreat centers exist, and clergy numbers are modest.
• Cultural Isolation: Catholics may feel spiritually isolated in a society where faith is often private or absent.

·         🌿 For a Catholic
Denmark is a place of quiet witness. The Church here is small but faithful, offering a rhythm of sacramental life amid a culture of contentment. It’s a land where reverence must be intentional, and where beauty—whether in liturgy or landscape—can become a doorway to grace.


·         🇸🇧 Solomon Islands — Economically Modest, Spiritually Rich

o   GDP per capita: ~$2,149 USD

§  🧮 Why Solomon Islands Ranks Low in Per Capita Income

·         The Solomon Islands is a developing Pacific nation with limited industrialization and high reliance on subsistence agriculture and foreign aid.

§  Key Factors
• Small Economy: With a GDP of $1.76 billion, the nation’s economic base is narrow.
• Rural Population: Most citizens live in remote villages with limited access to infrastructure.
• Climate Vulnerability: Rising sea levels and natural disasters threaten livelihoods and development.
• Low Internet Access: Only 43% of the population uses the internet, limiting educational and economic opportunities.
• Youthful Demographics: A growing population strains education and employment systems.

o   ✝️ Quality of Life for Catholics in Solomon Islands

§  Catholicism is deeply woven into the cultural and spiritual fabric of the Solomon Islands, offering vibrant faith amid material simplicity.

·         🕊️ Strengths
• Strong Parish Life: Catholic communities are active, joyful, and deeply rooted in village life.
• Missionary Legacy: The Church has long supported education, healthcare, and peacebuilding.
• Liturgical Beauty: Masses often incorporate local music, dance, and language, creating a rich enculturated worship.
• Community Resilience: Faith communities are central to disaster response and social cohesion.



§  ⚠️ Challenges
• Limited Resources: Many parishes lack electricity, transportation, and access to priests.
• Geographic Isolation: The archipelago’s spread makes pastoral care difficult.
• Economic Hardship: Poverty affects access to education, healthcare, and sacramental preparation.
• Climate Threats: Rising seas and cyclones threaten churches, schools, and sacred spaces.

·         🌿 For a Catholic
The Solomon Islands offer a pilgrimage of simplicity and joy. Here, faith is not a luxury—it’s a lifeline. The Church is a shelter, a school, and a song. To walk among the island parishes is to witness the Gospel lived with humility, creativity, and hope.

·         How to celebrate Oct 3rd

·         Rise and shine! Start your day by partaking in National No Sugar Day. Swap out your regular sweet treats for healthier options like fruits, nuts, or natural yogurt. Challenge yourself to steer clear of sugary drinks, opting for water or herbal tea instead. Embrace the opportunity to give your body a break from the sugar rush.

·         Celebrate Buy British Day by supporting local businesses. Head to a nearby market or search online for British-made products. Treat yourself to a little something special while contributing to your community’s economy.

·         National Wide Awakes Day encourages us to stay alert and aware. Take a walk, soak in your surroundings, and appreciate the world around you. Engage in meaningful conversations and connect with others on a deeper level.

·         International Crumhorn Day invites us to enjoy some music. Listen to your favorite tunes or even try your hand at playing an instrument. Feel the rhythm and let the melodies transport you to a different place.

·         On Mean Girls Day, gather your friends for a movie night. Watch a classic favorite or discover something new together. Share laughs, snacks, and good company, relishing in the joy of friendship.

·         Celebrate National Techies Day by diving into the digital world. Learn a new skill online, explore innovative technologies, or simply relax with your favorite video game. Embrace the wonders of the tech realm.

·         Virus Appreciation Day encourages us to find beauty in the unexpected. Take a moment to reflect on challenges you’ve overcome, lessons you’ve learned, and growth you’ve experienced. Embrace the twists and turns of life with resilience and gratitude.





OCTOBER 3 Friday

 

Revelation, Chapter 15, Verse 4

Who will not FEAR you, Lord, or glorify your name? For you alone are holy. All the nations will come and worship before you, for your righteous acts have been revealed.”

 

We glorify God when we are righteous as he is righteous who makes the rain fall on both the good and the evil.

A righteous person, no matter how blameless, will always take humanity’s failures personally. A righteous person has reverence for both God and those He created.

Reverence is "a feeling or attitude of deep respect tinged with awe; veneration". The word "reverence" in the modern day is often used in relationship with religion. This is because religion often stimulates the emotion through recognition of God, the supernatural, and the ineffable. Reverence involves a humbling of the self in respectful recognition of something perceived to be greater than the self. Thus, religion is commonly a place where reverence is felt. However, similar to awe, reverence is an emotion in its own right, and can be felt outside of the realm of religion.  Whereas awe may be characterized as an overwhelming "sensitivity to greatness," reverence is seen more as "acknowledging a subjective response to something excellent in a personal (moral or spiritual) way, but qualitatively above oneself"  Solomon describes awe as passive, but reverence as active, noting that the feeling of awe (i.e., becoming awestruck) implies paralysis, whereas feelings of reverence are associated more with active engagement and responsibility toward that which one reveres.  Nature, science, literature, philosophy, great philosophers, leaders, artists, art, music, wisdom, and beauty may each act as the stimulus and focus of reverence.[1]

 

Copilot: On this October 3rd Friday, as we reflect on Revelation 15:4—“Who will not fear you, Lord, or glorify your name?”—we are invited into a posture of reverence that is both humbling and active. Reverence is not merely awe; it is the soul’s response to holiness, a deep respect that moves us to glorify God through righteous living. To be righteous is to feel the weight of humanity’s brokenness and still choose compassion, justice, and mercy. It is to honor God not only in worship but in how we treat those He created. Reverence awakens us to the sacred in all things—sunsets, music, wisdom, and even the quiet dignity of a neighbor’s kindness. Today, let reverence guide your steps and righteousness shape your witness, for in doing so, you glorify the One whose acts are eternally revealed.

 

First Friday[1]

Mary Alacoque, a nun of the Order of the Visitation, at Parayle-Monial, France; one day, when, according to her custom during the octave of Corpus Christi, she was deeply engaged in devotions before the Blessed Sacrament, the divine Savior appeared to her, showed her His Heart burning with love, and said: “Behold this Heart, which has so loved men that it has spared nothing, even to exhausting and consuming itself, in order to testify its love. In return I receive from the greater part only ingratitude, by their irreverence and sacrilege, and by the coldness and contempt they have for Me in this sacrament of love. And what is most painful to Me is that they are hearts consecrated to Me. It is for this reason I ask thee that the first Friday after the octave of Corpus Christi be appropriated to a special feast to honor My Heart by communicating on that day and making reparation for the indignity that it has received. And I promise that My Heart shall dilate to pour out abundantly the influences of its love on all that will render it this honor or procure its being rendered.” 

The Supreme Lover[2]

The Goodness of God means that God gives us what we need for our perfection, not what we want for our pleasure and sometimes for our destruction. As a sculptor, He sometimes applies the chisel to the marble of our imperfect selves and knocks off huge chunks of selfishness that His image may better stand revealed. Like a musician, whenever He finds the strings too loose on the violin of our personality, He tightens them even though it hurts, that we may better reveal our hidden harmonies. As the Supreme Lover of our soul, He does care how we act and think and speak. What father does not want to be proud of his son?

If the father speaks with authority now and then to his son, it is not because he is a dictator, but because he wants him to be a worthy son. Not even progressive parents, who deny discipline and restraint, are indifferent to the progress of their children. So long as there is love, there is necessarily a desire for the perfecting of the beloved. That is precisely the way God's goodness manifests itself to us. God really loves us and, because He loves us, He is not disinterested. He no more wants you to be unhappy than your own parents want you to be unhappy. God made you not for His happiness, but for yours, and to ask God to be satisfied with most of us as we really are, is to ask that God cease to love. — Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen



[1]Goffine’s Devout Instructions, 1896.

[2]https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/calendar/day.cfm?date=2019-02-07


Daily Acceptance of Death[2]

Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, I accept from your hands, whatever kind of death it may please you to send me today (tonight), with all its pains, penalties and sorrows, in reparation for my sins, for the souls in purgatory, for the conversion of sinners, for all those who will die today (tonight), and for your greater glory. Amen.

Pray twice daily. By Father John A. Hardon, SJ

Today is the birthday of my former wife Diane T. Havermale who succumbed to pancreatic cancer in February 2015; She is loved and remembered by her seven children: Claire, Christopher, Candace, Dara, Rachel, Nicole and Vincent. Please pray for her intentions.

Bible in a Year Day 89 Israel’s Cycle of Disobedience

Welcome to the book of Judges! Fr. Mike foreshadows the events of Judges, and the cycle of disobedience we'll continue to see Israel go through. He also gives some context on the book of Ruth, and how we can find grace within the frustrating moments of Scripture. Today's readings are Judges 1-3, Ruth 1, and Psalm 133.

 

Fitness Friday-In honor of October Fest

 

Recognizing that God, the Father created man on Friday the 6th day I propose in this blog to have an entry that shares on how to recreate and renew yourself in strength, mind, soul and heart. 

German Volume Training[3]

It's brutally hard, but I've found it to be an effective way to pack on muscle fast! In strength-coaching circles, this method is often called the Ten Sets Method. Supersets and trisets allow you to perform a lot of work in a short period of time. The rest-pause method allows you to use heavier weights, so you can recruit the higher threshold muscle fibers, and eccentric training enables you to overcome strength plateaus. The bottom line is that almost any training method will work—provided you do it with intensity—at least for the few weeks it takes for your body to adapt to it. There is, however, one training system that stands above all the rest. It's brutally hard, but I've found it to be a very effective way to pack on muscle fast! In strength-coaching circles, this method is often called the Ten Sets Method. Because it has its roots in German-speaking countries, I like to call it German Volume Training. To the best of my knowledge, this training system originated in Germany in the mid-'70s and was popularized by Rolf Feser, who was then the National Coach of Weightlifting. A similar protocol was promoted by Vince Gironda in the U.S., but regardless of who actually invented it, it works. In Germany, the Ten Sets Method was used in the off-season to help weightlifters gain lean body mass. It was so efficient that lifters routinely moved up a full weight class within 12 weeks. It was the base program of Canadian weightlifter Jacques Demers, Silver Medallist in the Los Angeles Olympic Games. Jacques was known in weightlifting circles for his massive thighs, and he gives credit to the German method for achieving such a spectacular level of hypertrophy. The same method was also used by Bev Francis in her early days of bodybuilding to pack on muscle.

The program works because it targets a group of motor units, exposing them to an extensive volume of repeated efforts, specifically, 10 sets of a single exercise. The body adapts to the extraordinary stress by hypertrophying the targeted fibers. To say this program adds muscle fast is probably an understatement. Gains of 10 pounds or more in six weeks are not uncommon, even in experienced lifters!

Goals & Guidelines

The goal of the German Volume Training method is to complete ten sets of ten reps with the same weight for each exercise. You want to begin with a weight you could lift for 20 reps to failure if you had to. For most people, on most exercises, that would represent 60% of their 1RM load. Therefore, if you can bench press 300 pounds for 1 rep, you would use 180 pounds for this exercise.

For lifters new to this method, I recommend using the following body-part splits:

Body-Part Splits

·         Day 1: Chest & Back

·         Day 2: Legs & Abs

·         Day 3: Off

·         Day 4: Arms & Shoulders

·         Day 5: Off

When using this program or any other, you should keep a detailed journal of the exact sets/reps and rest intervals performed, and only count the repetitions completed in strict form.

Copilot’s version for an old man

Here's a modified version of Fitness Friday–October Fest, tailored for a 72-year-old male seeking renewal in strength, mind, soul, and heart. It honors the symbolic sixth day of creation while offering a practical, spiritually resonant approach to German Volume Training (GVT):

🏋️‍♂️ Fitness Friday: October Fest of Renewal

Ending October 6th — the Sixth Day of Creation

On the sixth day, God created man—formed from dust, animated by breath, and called to stewardship. As we approach October 6th, let this Fitness Friday be a celebration of renewal: not just of muscle, but of mind, soul, and heart. Whether you're 27 or 72, the call to recreate yourself in strength and spirit remains timeless.

🔄 Recreating the Temple: German Volume Training for Seasoned Stewards

German Volume Training (GVT), also known as the Ten Sets Method, is a classic hypertrophy protocol that builds muscle through high-volume, moderate-load repetition. While originally designed for elite athletes, it can be adapted for older adults—especially those with a foundation in resistance training and a desire to renew their physical temple with care and intensity.

🧠 Why It Works

  • Targets motor units with repeated effort, stimulating muscle growth
  • Builds lean mass efficiently, even in experienced lifters
  • Encourages discipline, journaling, and intentional movement

⚠️ Modified Guidelines for a 72-Year-Old Male

To honor the body’s wisdom and longevity, here’s how to adapt GVT safely:

Original Protocol

Modified for 72-Year-Old

10 sets of 10 reps

6–8 sets of 8–10 reps

60% of 1RM

50–55% of 1RM or RPE 6–7

90 sec rest

90–120 sec rest

Compound lifts (e.g., bench press)

Safer alternatives (e.g., machine press, incline dumbbells)

High weekly volume

2–3 sessions/week with full recovery

🧘‍♂️ Weekly Split for Renewal

This split balances effort with recovery, integrating spiritual and mental renewal:

  • Day 1: Chest & Back + Breath Prayer
  • Day 2: Legs & Core + Psalm Walk
  • Day 3: Rest + Lectio Divina
  • Day 4: Arms & Shoulders + Gratitude Journal
  • Day 5: Rest + Sunset Reflection

📓 Stewardship Journal

Track:

  • Sets, reps, rest intervals
  • Energy levels, sleep quality
  • Reflections on strength, humility, and renewal

💬 Closing Reflection

As we honor the sixth day of creation, let this training be more than physical. Let it be a liturgy of movement—a way to renew the temple, rekindle courage, and rejoice in the gift of life. Whether you're lifting weights or lifting prayers, you are participating in the divine rhythm of creation.

Daily Devotions

·         Unite in the work of the Porters of St. Joseph by joining them in fasting: Today's Fast: An increase of the Faithful.

·         Religion in the Home for Preschool: October

·         Litany of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus

·         Offering to the sacred heart of Jesus

·         Drops of Christ’s Blood

·         Universal Man Plan

·         Rosary


4 Things She Notices But You Don’t

Thursday, October 2, 2025


 Rachel’s Corner

·         do a personal eucharistic stations of the cross.

·         Bucket List: Military Hop

o   Seattle-Tacoma International Gateway

§  Things to do

·         Foodie: Fried Scallops

·         Spirit Hour: Blushing Angel

Rachel’s Corner

·         How to celebrate Oct 2nd

o   Feeling adventurous? Start your day by giving your car a special name in honor of National Name Your Car Day.

§  Take it one step further and embark on a road trip, blasting your favorite tunes to celebrate Audiophile Day.

§  Don’t forget to thank the unsung heroes on National Custodial Worker Recognition Day by leaving a note of appreciation for your custodian.

o   Indulge in some cultural experiences by wearing Batik clothing on National Batik Day and visiting a local art exhibit.

§  Take a moment to reflect on peace and non-violence in honor of Mahatma Gandhi.

o   Cook up a storm with some fried scallops on National Fried Scallops Day.

§  Show your love for greens on National Kale Day by trying out a new kale recipe.

§  Join the community on National Coffee with a Cop Day and chat with your local law enforcement over a cup of joe.

o   Stay healthy and eco-friendly by walking or biking to school for National Walk and Bike to School Day.

o   Lastly, spend some time with our farm animal friends on World Farm Animals Day.

Best Place to visit in October: Flagstaff, Arizona[3]

I’ve got a huge fondness for this gorgeous mountain town which is nestled along the world-famous Route 66! It’s also makes an awesome base for exploring nearby attractions like the Grand Canyon National Park, Walnut Canyon, and the San Francisco Peaks.

I love visiting this historic spot when there’s fewer crowds, the scorching temperatures have dropped, the trees are alight with color and the days are warm and pleasant. 

I really enjoyed visiting the nearby Wupatki National Monument, the dramatic Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument, the jaw-dropping Meteor Crater (which is the best preserved meteorite impact sites in the world), the beautiful Oak Creek Canyon and exploring downtown Flagstaff which is filled with cool craft breweries, awesome live music, fantastic independent stores, and the interesting Museum of Northern Arizona.

  • Visitors Center Address: 1 E Rte 66, Flagstaff, AZ 86001
  • Map Location
  • Average temperature – 59 to 70

My personal highlights…

  • Indulging in epic amount of pretzels and sampling beer at Mother Road Brewing Company. Don’t miss trying their popular Tower Station Roadside Grove, a local favorite.
  • Hiking the stunning three-mile looped Red Mountain Hiking Trail which took me past unique volcanic landscapes. 
  • Leaf-peeping at the stunning aspen groves in the San Francisco Peaks.
  • Gazing at stars in the clear night skies at The Lowell Observatory.
  • Exploring the incredible ancient cliff dwellings built by the Sinagua people over 700 years ago in Walnut Canyon.

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.

7+ Course Tasting with Wine Pairings


OCTOBER 2 Thursday Holy Guardian Angels

Redwood National Park

 

Revelation, Chapter 14, Verse 6-7

Then I saw another angel flying high overhead, with everlasting good news_to announce to those who dwell on earth, to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people. He said in a loud voice, “FEAR God and give him glory, for his time has come to sit in judgment. Worship him who made heaven and earth and sea and springs of water.”

 

Note in Revelations [14:613] Three angels proclaim imminent judgment on the pagan world, calling all peoples to worship God the creator. Babylon (Rome) will fall, and its supporters will be tormented forever.

 

In Revelations [14:6] there is Everlasting good news: that God’s eternal reign is about to begin, therefore, Fear not, for God is with you! Trust in Him as you would a mighty fortress in adversity.

 

Copilot’ s Take

 

🌲 Everlasting Good News Among the Giants: October 2, Holy Guardian Angels

 

On this feast of the Holy Guardian Angels, we find ourselves beneath the towering redwoods—living icons of endurance, shelter, and silent praise. Here in Redwood National Park, the earth itself seems to echo the angel’s cry from Revelation 14:6–7:

 

“Fear God and give him glory, for his time has come to sit in judgment. Worship him who made heaven and earth and sea and springs of water.”

 

This is no cry of terror, but of awe. The angel proclaims everlasting good news—a message not of doom, but of divine nearness. Judgment is not abandonment; it is the moment when truth is revealed, when the Creator reclaims what is His. And in this moment, we are not alone. Guardian angels accompany us, whispering courage, shielding us from despair, and guiding us toward the light.

 

🌍 Worship the Maker of Springs and Stars

 

In Revelation 14, three angels announce the fall of Babylon—the collapse of worldly arrogance and false security. But before the reckoning, there is invitation. The first angel calls every nation, tribe, tongue, and people to worship the One who made the heavens and the earth. This is a summons to remember: we are not self-made. We are held, formed, and loved by the Creator of redwoods and rivers, of stars and springs.

 

🕊️ Fear Not—You Are Guarded

 

To “fear God” is to stand in reverent awe, not to cower. It is to trust Him as a mighty fortress in adversity, as Psalm 46 declares. And on this feast, we remember that we are never alone in that trust. Guardian angels walk beside us—silent companions who know our path, who intercede, protect, and remind us of our dignity.

 

🌿 Redwood as Witness

Let the redwoods preach today. Their roots intertwine, their trunks reach heavenward, their silence speaks of centuries of faithfulness. They do not fear the wind or the fire; they endure. So too must we, rooted in the everlasting good news, lifted by angelic presence, and sheltered in the shadow of God’s glory.


Feast of our Holy Guardian Angels[1] 

THIS feast was instituted: 

1. To thank God that to each one of us He has given a guardian angel to conduct him unharmed through the dangers of this world. 

1.      To inspire us with gratitude to the angels who do us such great good, and to incite us to efforts to render ourselves worthy of their

2.      guardianship. 

What is the office of a guardian angel? 

To guard men against dangers of soul and body. The Psalmist says: He hath given His angels charge over thee to keep thee in all thy ways; in their hands shall they bear thee up, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone (Ps. xc. 11); that is, that thou mayest neither fall into sin nor misfortune. Oh, what great regard for us, hereupon exclaims St. Bernard, what wonderful love! 

Who is it that has given charge? 

God. 

To whom has He given charge? 

The angels, those noble spirits of His own household. 

What charge has He given them? 

To guard and defend us, poor men. O Lord, what is man, that Thou art mindful of him? St. Paul calls the angels ministering spirits sent to minister to them who shall receive the inheritance of salvation (Heb. i. 14). In innumerable other places in the Bible they are represented as friends of children, guides of youth, defenders of innocence, promoters of good deeds, monitors against evil, guardians of the pious, protectors against misfortune, comforters in need, deliverers in danger, helpers in combat, companions of the souls in everlasting joy. 

What should we do every day, but particularly this day? 

We should thank God for having given us guardians so holy and powerful, and our guardian angel himself for the help he has rendered us; should think of and call upon him often, especially in the hour of temptation; finally, we should promise fidelity and obedience to his admonitions. Whatever in this regard is at any time binding upon us should especially be done today. 

Prayer to the Guardian Angel 

Angel of God, my guardian dear,

To whom His love commits me here,

Ever this day be at my side,

To light and guard, to rule and guide. Amen.

(100 days indulgence each time). 

EPISTLE. Exodus xxiii. 20-23. 

Thus saith the Lord: Behold I will send My angel, who shall go before thee, and keep thee in thy journey, and bring thee into the place that I have prepared. Take notice of him, and hear his voice, and do not think him one to be contemned; for he will not forgive when thou hast sinned, and My name is in him. But if thou wilt hear his voice, and do all that I speak, I will be an enemy to thy enemies, and will afflict them that afflict thee. And My angel shall go before thee. 

Gospel, Matt, xviii. 1-10.

At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying: Who thinkest Thou is the greater in the kingdom of heaven? And Jesus calling unto Him a little child, set him in the midst of them, and said: Amen I say to you, unless you be converted, and become as little children, you shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, he is the greater in the kingdom of heaven. And he that shall receive one such little child in My name receiveth Me. But he that shall scandalize one of these little ones that believe in Me, it were better for him that a millstone should be hanged about his neck, and that he should be drowned in the depth of the sea. Wo to the world because of scandals. For it must needs be that scandals come: but nevertheless, wo to that man by whom the scandal cometh. And if thy hand or thy foot scandalize thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee. It is better for thee to go into life maimed or lame, than having two hands or two feet, to be cast into everlasting fire. And if thy eye scandalize thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee. It is better for thee having one eye to enter into life, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire. See that you despise not one of these little ones: for I say to you, that their angels in heaven always see the face of My Father Who is in heaven.

Things to do[2]

“Devotion to the Holy Angels gives rise to a certain form of the Christian life which is characterized by:

    • devout gratitude to God for having placed these heavenly spirits of great sanctity and dignity at the service of man.
    • an attitude of devotion deriving from the knowledge of living constantly in the presence of the Holy Angels of God — serenity and confidence in facing difficult situations, since the Lord guides and protects the faithful in the way of justice through the ministry of His Holy Angels. Among the prayers to the Guardian Angels the Angele Dei is especially popular and is often recited by families at morning and evening prayers, or at the recitation of the Angelus.

217. Popular devotion to the Holy Angels [which is legitimate and good] can, however, also give rise to possible deviations:

    • when, as sometimes can happen, the faithful are taken by the idea that the world is subject to demiurgical struggles, or an incessant battle between good and evil spirits, or Angels and daemons, in which man is left at the mercy of superior forces and over which he is helpless; such cosmologies bear little relation to the true Gospel vision of the struggle to overcome the Devil, which requires moral commitment, a fundamental option for the Gospel, humility and prayer;
    • when the daily events of life, which have nothing or little to do with our progressive maturing on the journey towards Christ are read schematically or simplistically, indeed childishly, so as to ascribe all setbacks to the Devil and all success to the Guardian Angels. The practice of assigning names to the Holy Angels should be discouraged, except in the cases of Gabriel, Raphael and Michael whose names are contained in Holy Scripture.”
  • Also read All About the Angels.
  • Read about saints and others who had a great devotion to their guardian angel (St. Josemaria Escriva; St. Padre Pio; Blessed John XXIII).
  • Think about how you can develop a greater devotion and depend on your guardian angel every day.

Bible in a Year Day 88 Joshua’s Last Words to Israel


Fr. Mike focuses on the last words Joshua speaks to the people of Israel, and how he calls them to choose the Lord above all other things. We all have idols in our lives that take us away from God; how are we choosing to love Christ above these idols today? Today's readings are Joshua 22-24, and Psalm 132.

Redwood National Park Establish 1968

Think of the giant Redwoods, they are the largest trees in the world. These trees survive by intertwining their roots because the ground is so hard the Redwood cannot strike a taproot to hold itself up but by supporting each other they become the largest trees in the world.

Daily Devotions

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

·         Religion in the Home for Preschool: October

·         Litany of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus

·         Offering to the sacred heart of Jesus

·         Drops of Christ’s Blood

·         Universal Man Plan

·         Rosary

Bourbon & Cigars

Bourbon & Cigars
Smoke in this Life not the Next

Domus Vinea Mariae

Domus Vinea Mariae
Home of Mary's Vineyard