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.

Monday, August 4, 2025

Rachel's Corner

what !!!!

Sunday, August 3, 2025

Claire’s Corner

· Today in honor of the Holy Trinity do the Divine Office giving your day to God. To honor God REST: no shopping after 6 pm Saturday till Monday. Don’t forget the internet.

· Bucket List Trip: Around the World “Perfect Weather”

o Baie du Tombeau, Mauritius Island.

· Spirit Hour: Master of the Hounds cocktail

o St. Moritz Cocktail

· Foodie: Nutmeg and Mace

o Summer Sunday Dinner Menu

· National Watermelon Day

· Let Freedom Ring Day 28 Freedom from Acedia

Move it, move it, move it for the Lord

The most dominant sin, that characterizes our culture today is "Acedia." Acedia has been referred to as the "noontime devil."

"Acedia" originates from the Greek, akèdia, meaning "lack of care." It's a kind of "indifference" or a "lack of spiritual energy," which is a phrase from the book by Jean-Charles Nault, O.S.B., The Noonday Devil: Acedia, the Unnamed Evil of Our Times. Nault, the abbot of the Benedictine Abbey of Saint-Wandrille in France, is one of the world's experts on acedia. I recall the acclaim this book had in 2015, and I ordered it, right away. I highly recommend it.

· On Sundays Pray:

o O Glorious Queen of Heaven and Earth, Virgin Most Powerful, thou who hast the power to crush the head of the ancient serpent with thy heel, come and exercise this power flowing from the grace of thine Immaculate Conception. Shield us under the mantle of thy purity and love, draw us into the sweet abode of thy heart and annihilate and render impotent the forces bent on destroying us. Come Most Sovereign Mistress of the Holy Angels and Mistress of the Most Holy Rosary, thou who from the very beginning hast received from God the power and the mission to crush the head of Satan. Send forth thy holy legions, we humbly beseech thee, that under thy command and by thy power they may pursue the evil spirits, counter them on every side, resist their bold attacks and drive them far from us, harming no one on the way, binding them to the foot of the Cross to be judged and sentenced by Jesus Christ Thy Son and to be disposed of by Him as He wills.

o St. Joseph, Patron of the Universal Church, come to our aid in this grave battle against the forces of darkness, repel the attacks of the devil and free the members of the Auxilium Christianorum, and those for whom the priests of the Auxilium Christianorum pray, from the strongholds of the enemy.

o St. Michael, summon the entire heavenly court to engage their forces in this fierce battle against the powers of hell. Come O Prince of Heaven with thy mighty sword and thrust into hell Satan and all the other evil spirits. O Guardian Angels, guide and protect us. Amen.

God's blessings are indeed signs of His goodness, signs of His infinite Love. Are we indifferent to those signs of His goodness and love? Are we so unaware of His signs that we are disconnected from Him that we can take it or leave it?

AUGUST 3 Eighth Sunday after Pentecost

Luke, Chapter 8, Verse 35-37

People came out to see what had happened and, when they approached Jesus, they discovered the man from whom the demons had come out sitting at his feet. He was clothed and in his right mind, and they were seized with FEAR. Those who witnessed it told them how the possessed man had been saved. The entire population of the region of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them because they were seized with great fear. So, he got into a boat and returned.

The population was more Greek than they were Jews; thus, Jesus scared them really bad, with the exorcism and all. Christ understood their fear and got in the boat and left. The Church today still has the power of exorcism.

The Latin Church Bishops of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops approved the English translation of De Exorcismis et Supplicationibus Quibusdam, editio typica in November 2014, and the final text of Exorcisms and Related Supplications (ERS). A list of frequently asked questions on exorcism and its use in the Church's liturgical life was developed by the Secretariat of Divine Worship. Answers were provided by specialists in this ministry and by experts in canon law. Since so much of the common perception of the nature and application of exorcism is shaped by the exaggerations of movie scripts and television programs, the Committee on Divine Worship has approved dissemination of these basic questions and answers, in hopes that clear information is brought to bear on a topic that is often shrouded in mystery or misinformation.

Do not be afraid. Go and do as you propose.

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Luke 8:35–37 is a striking moment of divine intervention met with human fear. The Gerasenes’ reaction—asking Jesus to leave after witnessing the healing of the possessed man—reveals how unsettling holiness can be when it disrupts the familiar. The man was restored, clothed, and lucid, yet the people were seized with fear. Not awe. Not gratitude. Fear.

Their worldview may not have been prepared for the radical authority Jesus displayed over spiritual forces. And yet, Christ’s response—getting into the boat and leaving—was not rejection, but respect for their freedom. He never forces himself where he’s unwelcome.

💡 The Church’s continued authority in exorcism, as affirmed in the 2014 approval of De Exorcismis et Supplicationibus Quibusdam and its English translation Exorcisms and Related Supplications (ERS), is a testament to that same divine power still active today. The rite is carefully safeguarded, requiring discernment, episcopal permission, and deep spiritual preparation. It’s not theatrical—it’s pastoral.

“Do not be afraid. Go and do as you propose,” echoes the angelic refrain throughout scripture. It’s a call to courage, to trust, and to act. Whether confronting spiritual darkness or stepping into a new mission, fear must not paralyze us.

Lessons on Fear

From a Catholic perspective, fear is not merely an emotion to suppress—it’s a spiritual signal that invites discernment, trust, and transformation. Here are some key lessons the Church offers on fear:

🙏 1. Holy Fear vs. Crippling Fear

Holy fear is a gift of the Holy Spirit (Isaiah 11:2–3). It’s not terror, but reverence—a deep awareness of God’s majesty and justice.
It leads to humility, repentance, and awe before God’s presence.
Crippling fear, on the other hand, is often rooted in mistrust, anxiety, or spiritual attack. It can paralyze faith and isolate us from grace.

📖 2. Scripture’s Refrain: “Do Not Be Afraid”

This phrase appears over 365 times in the Bible—one for each day of the year.
Jesus says it to the apostles in storms (Mark 6:50), to Jairus before raising his daughter (Luke 8:50), and to Mary at the Annunciation (Luke 1:30).
It’s not a dismissal of fear, but a call to courage grounded in divine presence.

🛐 3. Trust in God as the Antidote

Philippians 4:6–9 teaches: “Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God.”
Trust is cultivated through prayer, gratitude, and surrender—not by denying fear, but by placing it in God’s hands.

🕊️ 4. Fear as a Path to Peace

Saints like St. Aloysius Gonzaga and St. Margaret Mary Alacoque embraced fear as a doorway to deeper trust.
Their lives show that fear, when offered to God, becomes a crucible for sanctity.

🧠 5. Practical Catholic Tools for Fear

Spiritual reading and Lectio Divina help reframe fear through scripture.
Sacraments, especially Reconciliation and the Eucharist, restore peace and spiritual clarity.
Community support and gratitude practices can transform anxiety into hope.

ON KEEPING THE LORDS DAY HOLY[1]

CHAPTER V

DIES DIERUM

Sunday: The Primordial Feast, Revealing the Meaning of Time

CONCLUSION

84. Sustaining Christian life as it does, Sunday has the additional value of being a testimony and a proclamation. As a day of prayer, communion and joy, Sunday resounds throughout society, emanating vital energies and reasons for hope. Sunday is the proclamation that time, in which he who is the Risen Lord of history makes his home, is not the grave of our illusions but the cradle of an ever new future, an opportunity given to us to turn the fleeting moments of this life into seeds of eternity. Sunday is an invitation to look ahead; it is the day on which the Christian community cries out to Christ, "Marana tha: Come, O Lord!" (1 Cor 16:22). With this cry of hope and expectation, the Church is the companion and support of human hope. From Sunday to Sunday, enlightened by Christ, she goes forward towards the unending Sunday of the heavenly Jerusalem, which "has no need of the sun or moon to shine upon it, for the glory of God is its light and its lamp is the Lamb" (Rev 21:23).

Eighth Sunday after Pentecost[2]

The importance of intelligent foresight and the fascinating passage on "the mammon of iniquity" (Lk. 16.9).

IN the Introit of the Mass the Church praises God, whose mercy and justice extend to the ends of the world. “We have received Thy mercy, O God, in the midst of Thy temple. According to Thy name, O God, so also is Thy praise unto the ends of the earth; Thy right hand is full of justice. Great is the Lord and exceedingly to be praised, in the city of our God, in His holy mountain”. (Ps. xlvii. 11, 1).

Prayer. Grant us, we beseech Thee, O Lord, at all times, the spirit of thinking and doing what is right, that we, who cannot exist without Thee, may be able to live according to Thy will.

EPISTLE. Rom. viii. 12-17.

Brethren, we are debtors not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh, you shall die but if by the spirit you mortify the deeds of the flesh, you shall live. For whosoever are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For you have not received the spirit of bondage again in fear, but you have received the spirit of adoption of sons, whereby we cry Abba (Father). For the Spirit Himself giveth testimony to our spirit, that we are the sons of God. And if sons, heirs also: heirs indeed of God, and joint heirs with Christ.

“The works of the flesh are,” according to St. Paul, “fornication, uncleanness, immodesty, luxury, idolatry, witchcrafts, enmities, contentions, emulations, wraths, quarrels, dissensions, sects, envies, murders, drunkenness, reviling’s, and such like” (Gal. v. 19, 20). Those who practice such vices are not children of God, and will inherit, not heaven, but eternal death. Examine yourself, therefore, whether you are not living according to the flesh, and for the future resist sinful desires with God’s assistance, and you will gain a crown in heaven.

Aspiration. Grant me, Lord, Thy spirit, that I may always remember the happiness of Thy kingdom, may mortify the lusts of the flesh, and may walk as Thy child in holy chastity.

Luke xvi. 1-9.

At that time Jesus spoke to His disciples this parable: There was a certain rich man who had a steward: and the same was accused unto him, that he had wasted his goods. And he called him, and said to him: How is it that I hear this of thee? give an account of thy stewardship: for now, thou canst be steward no longer. And the steward said within himself: What shall I do, because my lord taketh away from me the steward ship? To dig I am not able, to beg I am ashamed. I know what I will do, that when I shall be removed from the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses. Therefore, calling together every one of his lord’s debtors, he said to the first: How much dost thou owe my lord? But he said: A hundred barrels of oil. And he said to him: Take thy bill and sit down quickly, and write fifty. Then he said to another: And how much dost thou owe? Who said: An hundred quarters of wheat. He said to him: Take thy bill and write eighty. And the lord commended the unjust steward, forasmuch as he had done wisely: for the children of this world are wiser in their generation than the children of light. And I say to you: Make unto you friends of the mammon of iniquity, that when you shall fail they may receive you into everlasting dwellings.

Who are meant by the rich man and his steward?

By the rich man is meant God; by the steward, man. The goods entrusted to the steward are the different goods and gifts of soul and body, of nature and of grace.

Why did Christ use this parable?

To teach us that God requires of every man a strict account of whatever has been given to him, to encourage us to be liberal to the poor, and to warn us against dissipation and injustice.

How are we to understand the direction “to make unto us friends of the mammon of iniquity”?

Riches are called the mammon of iniquity because they so easily lead us to injustice, avarice, excess, and dissipation. Jesus intended to say that we should, according to our ability, employ in doing good those worldly goods which so easily carry us into sin. But He is not to be understood as saying that we should steal, or cheat, or use goods otherwise unjustly obtained, to give alms.

What friends are we thus to make?

The friends are the good works which render us pleasing to God, and open to us heaven; the poor, the saints of God; the angels, who rejoice in our benevolence, and become our intercessors; and finally Christ, Who regards what is given to the poor as so much given to Himself (Matt. xxv. 40). “The hands of the poor” says St. Chrysostom, “are the hands of Christ” through them we send our goods to heaven beforehand, and through their intercession we obtain the grace of salvation.

Aspiration. Grant me, O most just God and Judge, grace so to use the goods entrusted to me on earth, that with them I may make my self-friends to receive me, at the end of my life, into everlasting habitations.

INSTRUCTION ON CALUMNY

Is calumny a grievous sin?

When the occasion is important, and the slander is deliberately uttered, with evil intention, when one’s neighbor is thereby grievously injured, and his good name damaged, everyone may see how grievous and detestable, in such a case, this sin is. (Hmm…Fake News?)

Is it sinful to disclose the faults of our neighbor?

To make public the faults and sins of our neighbor uselessly, merely for the entertainment of idle persons, is always sinful. But if, after trying in vain to correct his faults and sins by brotherly admonition, we make them known to his parents or superiors, for his punishment and amendment, so far from being a sin, it is rather a good work and a duty of Christian charity.

Is it a sin also to listen willingly to calumny?

Yes, for thereby we furnish the calumniator an occasion for sin and give him encouragement. For which reason St. Bernard says: “Whether to calumniate be a greater sin than to listen to the calumniator I will not lightly decide.”

What ought to restrain us from calumny? The thought,

1 of the enormities of this sin.

2 of the number of sins occasioned thereby of which the calumniator, as the occasion of them, becomes partaker.

3 of the difficulty of correcting the harm done, since we cannot know the full extent of the injury, nor stop the tongues of people. Finally, we must think about the eternal punishment which follows this sin. The holy Fathers say that of young persons who are condemned the greater part is for impurity, but of the old, for calumny.

The Finding of the Body of St. Stephen[3]

The second festival in honor of the holy protomartyr St. Stephen is on the 3^rd of August and was instituted by the Church on the occasion of the discovery of his precious remains. His body lay long concealed, under the ruins of an old tomb, in a place twenty miles from Jerusalem, called Caphargamala, where stood a church which was served by a venerable priest named Lucian.

In the year 415, on Friday, the 3rd of December, at about nine o'clock at night, Lucian was sleeping in his bed in the baptistery, where he commonly lay in order to guard the sacred vessels of the church. Being half awake, he saw a tall, comely old man of a venerable aspect, who approached him, and, calling him thrice by his name, bid him go to Jerusalem and tell Bishop John to come and open the tombs in which his remains and those of certain other servants of Christ lay, that through their means God might open to many the gates of His clemency. This vision was repeated twice. After the second time, Lucian went to Jerusalem and laid the whole affair before Bishop John, who bade him go and search for the relics, which, the bishop concluded, would be found under a heap of small stones which lay in a field near his church. In digging up the earth here, three coffins or chests were found. Lucian sent immediately to acquaint Bishop John with this. He was then at the Council of Diospolis, and, taking along with him Eutonius, Bishop of Sebaste, and Eleutherius, Bishop of Jericho, came to the place.

Upon the opening of St. Stephen's coffin, the earth shook, and there came out of the coffin such an agreeable odor that no one remembered to have ever smelled anything like it. There was a vast multitude of people assembled in that place, among whom were many persons afflicted with divers’ distempers, of whom seventy-three recovered their health upon the spot. They kissed the holy relics, and then shut them up. The Bishop consented to leave a small portion of them at Caphargamala; the rest were carried in the coffin with singing of psalms and hymns, to the Church of Sion at Jerusalem. The translation was performed on the 26th of December, on which day the Church has ever since honored the memory of St. Stephen, commemorating the discovery of his relics on the 3rd of August probably on account of the dedication of some church in his honor.
—Excerpted from Butler's Lives of the Saints

Highlights and Things to Do:

Read the more about the Finding:

Read about the relics of St. Stephen and also about the rock relic.

Novena in Honor of Saint John Marie Vianney[4]

Desire for Heaven

O Holy Priest of Ars, your precious remains are contained in a magnificent reliquary, the donation from the priests of France. But this earthly glory is only a very pale image of the unspeakable glory which you are enjoying with God. During the time you were on earth, you used to repeat in your dejected hours, 'one will rest in the other life." It is done, you are in eternal peace, and eternal happiness. I desire to follow you one day. Until then, I hear you saying to me:

"You should work and fight as long as you are in the world."

Teach me then to work for the salvation of my soul, to spread the good news and good example and to do good towards those around me in order that I will receive the happiness of the Elect with you. Holy Priest of Ars, I have confidence in your intercession. Pray for me during this novena especially for ... (mention silently your special intentions).

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be.

O St John Vianney, Patron of Priests, pray for us and for all priests!

Bible in a Year-Day 46 Set apart for God

Fr. Mike points out how blessing something sets it apart for the purposes of God, and it is no longer meant for ordinary uses. So when we are filled with the spirit of God, our daily task becomes extraordinary, because it is consecrated to God. Today's readings are Exodus 30-31, Leviticus 22, and Psalm 115.

Daily Devotions

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

· Religion in the Home for Preschool: August

· Litany of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus

· Offering to the sacred heart of Jesus

· Drops of Christ’s Blood

· Universal Man Plan

· Rosary

[1]https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/view.cfm?id=419

[2] Goffine’s Devout Instructions, 1896.

[3]https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/calendar/day.cfm?date=2023-08-03

[4]http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/prayers/view.cfm?id=1129

Saturday, August 2, 2025

Vinny’s Corner-Be not fat but Phat.

· Let Freedom Ring Day 27 Freedom from Gluttony

o The Benefits of a Feasting & Fasting Diet for optimal health

§ The mindset and lifestyle of most of us is one of excess. As a society, we are simply accustomed to it. Fasting, for most, seems a rather foreign concept and that’s unfortunate. There is mounting anecdotal and scientific evidence that shows a wide range of benefits to be had from intermittent fasting or being in a fasted state.

§ There is even some scientific evidence supporting an occasional feast. Combining fasting and feasting creates several benefits at a cellular and molecular level. In fact, it can change gene expression and profoundly improve the way you look, feel and function. Many of these benefits are tied directly to the fact that the hormone leptin increases with an over-intake of food.

§ Do you think the Catholic Church may have something great with the seasons of feasts and fasts? Does being a catholic makes you Phat?

· Saturday Litany of the Hours Invoking the Aid of Mother Mary

· Bucket Item trip: Mariazell, the Top Pilgrimage site in Austria

o While your there “horse around”

· Foodie National Panini Month

o Classic Tafelspitz - National Dish of Austria

o Try Andalusian Rolled Beef

· Spirit hour: Los Angeles cocktail

· Make a holy hour today. You might find this work — My Eucharistic Day — from the Catholic Culture Library helpful. It was compiled from the writings of Saint Peter Julian Eymard with the permission and encouragement of the Blessed Sacrament Fathers.[5]

A Prayer Before Mass (Saturday) (by Saint Ambrose)

Catholic Online Prayers

I entreat Thee also, O Lord, by this most holy mystery of Thy Body and Blood, wherewith we are daily fed, and cleansed, and sanctified in Thy Church, and are made partakers of the one Supreme Divinity, grant unto me Thy holy virtues, that filled therewith I may with a good conscience draw near unto Thy holy Altar, so that these heavenly mysteries may be made unto me salvation and life; for Thou hast said with Thy holy and blessed lips: The Bread which I will give is My Flesh, for the life of the world. I am the living Bread which came down from heaven. If any man eats of this Bread, he shall live forever. O most sweet Bread, heal the palate of my heart, that I may taste the sweetness of Thy love. Heal it of all infirmities, that I may find sweetness in nothing out of Thee. O most pure Bread, having all delight and all savor, which ever refreshest us, and never failest, let my heart feed on Thee, and may my inmost soul be filled with the sweetness of Thy savor. The Angels feed on Thee fully; let pilgrim man feed on Thee after his measure, so that, refreshed by this nourishment, he may not faint by the way. Holy Bread! Living Bread! Pure Bread! Who didst come down from heaven, and who givest life to the world, enter into my heart and cleanse me from all impurity of flesh and spirit. Come into my soul; heal and cleanse me within and without; be the protection and continual health of my soul and body. Drive far from me all foes that lie in wait: let them flee afar off at the presence of Thy power; that, strengthened by Thee without and within, I may by a straight way arrive at Thy kingdom, where, not as now in mysteries, but face to face, we shall behold Thee; when Thou shalt have delivered up the kingdom to God Thy Father, and shalt be God All in all. Then shalt Thou satisfy me with Thyself by a wondrous fullness, so that I shall never hunger nor thirst any more forever. Who with the same God the Father, and the Holy Ghost, ever livest and reignest world without end.

Amen.

AUGUST 2 First Saturday

Feast Of Our Lady of Angels-International Beer Day

Leviticus, Chapter 25, Verse 17

Do not deal unfairly with one another, then; but stand in FEAR of your God. I, the LORD, am your God.

Fairness is a word that means physical beauty. In a sense God is asking us to not do those things that mar the physical beauty of another. This means in essence that we need to nourish each other and to give to share with other the gifts we receive from God. This means to respect each person as a person, physically, mentally, and emotionally; to provide for their welfare. One of the greatest ways we can honor our creator is in how we deal fairly with ourselves, our families, our friends, and those who we detest or are our enemies.

Christ gave us the ultimate example of fairness:

Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, they know not what they do.” They divided his garments by casting lots. (Luke 23:34)

Charity is an act of fairness and justice.

In which you give the other their due[1]

Traditional Jews give at least ten percent of their income to charity.

· Traditional Jewish homes commonly have a pushke, a box for collecting coins for the poor, and coins are routinely placed in the box. Jewish youths are continually going from door to door collecting for various worthy causes.

· A standard mourner's prayer includes a statement that the mourner will make a donation to charity in memory of the deceased.

· In many ways, charitable donation has taken the place of animal sacrifice in Jewish life: giving to charity is an almost instinctive Jewish response to express thanks to G-d, to ask forgiveness from G-d, or to request a favor from G-d.

· According to Jewish tradition, the spiritual benefit of giving to the poor is so great that a beggar actually does the giver a favor by giving a person the opportunity to perform tzedakah.

The Meaning of the Word "Tzedakah"

"Tzedakah" is the Hebrew word for the acts that we call "charity" in English: giving aid, assistance and money to the poor and needy or to other worthy causes.

· The nature of tzedakah is very different from the idea of charity. The word "charity" suggests benevolence and generosity, a magnanimous act by the wealthy and powerful for the benefit of the poor and needy.

· The word "tzedakah" is derived from the Hebrew root Tzadei-Dalet-Qof, meaning righteousness, justice or fairness.

· In Judaism, giving to the poor is not viewed as a generous, magnanimous act; it is simply an act of justice and righteousness, the performance of a duty, giving the poor their due.

The Obligation of Tzedakah

Giving to the poor is an obligation in Judaism, a duty that cannot be forsaken even by those who are themselves in need.

· Tzedakah is the highest of all commandments, equal to all of them combined, and that a person who does not perform tzedakah is equivalent to an idol worshipper.

· This is probably hyperbole, but it illustrates the importance of tzedakah in Jewish thought.

· Tzedakah is one of the three acts that gain us forgiveness from our sins.

· The High Holiday liturgy repeatedly states that G-d has inscribed a judgment against all who have sinned, but teshuvah (repentance), tefilah (prayer) and tzedakah can alleviate the decree. See Days of Awe.

· According to Jewish law, we are required to give one-tenth of our income to the poor.

· This is generally interpreted as one-tenth of our net income after payment of taxes.

· Taxes themselves do not fulfill our obligation to give tzedakah, even though a significant portion of tax revenues in America and many other countries are used to provide for the poor and needy.

· Those who are dependent on public assistance or living on the edge of subsistence may give less, but must still give to the extent they are able; however, no person should give so much that he would become a public burden.

· The obligation to perform tzedakah can be fulfilled by giving money to the poor, to health care institutions, to synagogues or to educational institutions.

· It can also be fulfilled by supporting your children beyond the age when you are legally required to, or supporting your parents in their old age.

· The obligation includes giving to both Jews and gentiles; contrary to popular belief, Jews do not just "take care of our own." Quite the contrary, a study reported in the Jewish Journal indicated that Jewish "mega-donors" (who give more than $10 million a year to charity) found that only 6% of their mega-dollars went to specifically Jewish causes.

· Judaism acknowledges that many people who ask for charity have no genuine need. In fact, the Talmud suggests that this is a good thing: if all people who asked for charity were in genuine need, we would be subject to punishment (from G-d) for refusing anyone who asked.

· The existence of frauds diminishes our liability for failing to give to all who ask, because we have some legitimate basis for doubting the beggar's sincerity.

· It is permissible to investigate the legitimacy of a charity before donating to it.

· We have an obligation to avoid becoming in need of tzedakah.

· A person should take any work that is available, even if he thinks it is beneath his dignity, to avoid becoming a public charge.

· However, if a person is truly in need and has no way to obtain money on his own, he should not feel embarrassed to accept tzedakah.

· No person should feel too proud to take money from others.

· It is considered a transgression to refuse tzedakah. One source says that to make yourself suffer by refusing to accept tzedakah is equivalent to shedding your own blood.

Levels of Tzedakah

Certain kinds of tzedakah are considered more meritorious than others. The Talmud describes these different levels of tzedakah, and Rambam organized them into a list. The levels of charity, from the least meritorious to the most meritorious, are:

Giving begrudgingly
Giving less than you should but giving it cheerfully.
Giving after being asked
Giving before being asked
Giving when you do not know the recipient's identity, but the recipient knows your identity.
Giving when you know the recipient's identity, but the recipient doesn't know your identity.
Giving when neither party knows the other's identity.
ENABLING THE RECIPIENT TO BECOME SELF-RELIANT. (If only this was the goal of our politicians rather than steal from those who are self-reliant (work) to give to their supporters).

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Leviticus 25:17 is beyond mere prohibition—it is a call for honoring the inherent dignity of others through justice, mercy, and reverent living.

🌿 On Divine Beauty and Fear

The idea that “fairness” is an act of preserving the physical, emotional, and spiritual beauty of others echoes the biblical understanding that human beings bear the imago Dei—the image of God.

Holy fear, then, becomes the posture of reverent awe that shapes every interaction. It's not terror but trembling love: a response that honors God by honoring those made in His likeness.

🕊️ On Charity as Justice

The parallel between Jesus’ words in Luke 23:34 and the Jewish principle of tzedakah beautifully bridges Christian and Jewish traditions.
Tzedakah isn’t generosity—it’s integrity, a sacred obligation rooted in covenant life. It expresses repentance, reverence, and reconciliation.

📦 Levels of Giving and True Empowerment

Rambam’s hierarchy—from reluctant giving to empowering self-reliance—becomes not just a scale but a mirror. It asks: How do I love with dignity?

From a Catholic perspective, fear is not simply an emotion to be suppressed—it’s a spiritual signal that can either lead us toward God or away from Him, depending on how we respond.

🙏 Two Types of Fear in Catholic Teaching

Servile Fear: This is fear of punishment. It’s often the starting point in spiritual growth—like fearing hell or divine justice. While not ideal, it can motivate repentance.

Filial Fear: This is the fear of offending God whom we love. It’s rooted in reverence and awe, not dread. This is the fear praised in Scripture: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” (Proverbs 9:10).

🕊️ Fear as a Gift of the Holy Spirit

One of the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit is Fear of the Lord, which isn’t about terror but about profound respect and humility before God’s majesty.

It helps us recognize our dependence on God and deepens our desire to live in harmony with His will.

💡 Saintly Insights on Fear

St. Thomas Aquinas taught that fear arises when we perceive a future evil that’s difficult to overcome. But he also emphasized that courage (fortitude) is the virtue that responds to fear.
St. John Paul II famously said, “Be not afraid!”—a call to trust in Christ even amid uncertainty.
St. Aloysius Gonzaga, despite living through plague and personal loss, remained steadfast in faith, showing that holy fear leads to holy courage.

🛡️ Fear vs. Trust

Catholic spirituality encourages us to transform fear into trust. As St. Margaret Mary said: “Let Him act! He only asks of you—abandonment and perfect submission.”

Fear becomes a doorway to surrender, where we let go of control and allow God to lead.

📖 Practical Lessons

Fear reveals what we love: We fear losing what we value. This can help us examine our priorities.

Fear invites prayer: In moments of fear, Catholics are called to turn to God in trust, echoing Christ’s own words in Gethsemane.

Fear can be redemptive: When united with Christ’s suffering, fear becomes part of our sanctification.

First Saturday Devotion^{^[2]}

Five consecutive Saturdays in reparation to the Immaculate Heart of Mary

The practice of the First Saturday devotion was requested by Our Lady of Fatima, who appeared to three shepherd children in Fatima, Portugal, multiple times starting in 1917. She said to Lucia, the oldest of the three children: “I shall come to ask . . . that on the First Saturday of every month, Communions of reparation be made in atonement for the sins of the world.” Years later she repeated her request to Sr. Lucia, the only one still living of the three young Fatima seers, while she was a postulant sister living in a convent in Spain: “Look, my daughter, at my Heart, surrounded with thorns with which ungrateful men pierce me at very moment by their blasphemies and ingratitude. You at least try to console me, and say that I promise to assist at the hour of death, with the graces necessary for salvation, all those who, on the first Saturday of five consecutive months, shall confess, receive Holy Communion, recite five decades of the rosary, and keep me company for 15 minutes while meditating on the 15 mysteries of the rosary, with the intention of making reparation to me.”

Conditions to Fulfill the First Saturday Devotion

There are five requirements to obtain this promise from the Immaculate Heart of Mary. On five consecutive first Saturdays of the month, one should:

1. Have the intention of consoling the Immaculate Heart in a spirit of reparation.

2. Go to confession (within eight days before or after the first Saturday).

3. Receive Holy Communion.

4. Say five decades of the Holy Rosary.

5. Meditate for 15 minutes on the mysteries of the Holy Rosary with the goal of keeping Our Lady company (for example, while in church or before an image or statue of Our Lady).

Read How to Make Your First Saturday Rosary Meditation According to Sr. Lucia

Why Five Saturdays?

Our Lord appeared to Sr. Lucia on May 29, 1930, and gave her the reason behind the five Saturdays devotion. It is because there are five types of offenses and blasphemies committed against the Immaculate Heart of Mary:

1. Blasphemies against the Immaculate Conception

2. Blasphemies against Our Lady’s perpetual virginity

3. Blasphemies against her divine maternity, in refusing at the same time to recognize her as the Mother of men

4. Blasphemies of those who publicly seek to sow in the hearts of children, indifference or scorn or even hatred of their Immaculate Mother

5. Offenses of those who outrage Our Lady directly in her holy images

Never think that Jesus is indifferent to whether or not His mother is honored!

Our Lady of the Angels of the Portiuncula[3], the Virgin under whose mantle Saint Francis of Assisi was wrapped; Mary's maternal protection made it possible for blessed Francis to experience an intense Presence of the Lord and to receive his vocation to rebuild the Church. Likewise, his intimate devotion to the Blessed Mother, under whose protection did he place himself to do the Lord's work did this place become holy for the members of the Franciscan family and for the Church universal. Without meeting Christ, little makes sense.

The Portiuncula is an ancient church dedicated to Mary under the title Our Lady of the Angels and is located in Assisi, Italy. It was a spot very dear to the heart of Saint Francis.

The Portiuncula is the place where Franciscanism developed, and where Saint Francis lived and died. Here he began and grew in his religious life; here he founded the Franciscan Order; here he manifested his love and great devotion to the Mother of God. When Francis knew he was dying, he requested to be brought to the Portiuncula to end his earthly life.

Saint Bonaventure had this to say about this devotion:

The Portiuncula was an old church dedicated to the Virgin Mother of God which was abandoned. Francis had great devotion to the Queen of the world and when he saw that the church was deserted, he began to live there constantly in order to repair it. He heard that the Angels often visited it, so that it was called Saint Mary of the Angels, and he decided to stay there permanently out of reverence for the angels and love for the Mother of Christ. This is also the place where St Clare took her vows and where Saint Francis died.

He loved this spot more than any other in the world. It was here he began his religious life in a very small way; it is here he came to a happy end. When he was dying, he commended this spot above all others to the friars, because it was most dear to the Blessed Virgin.

This was the place where Saint Francis founded his Order by divine inspiration, and it was divine providence which led him to repair three churches before he founded the Order and began to preach the Gospel.

This meant that he progressed from material things to more spiritual achievements, from lesser to greater, in due order, and it gave a prophetic indication of what he would accomplish later.

As he was living there by the church of Our Lady, Francis prayed to her who had conceived the Word, full of grace and truth, begging her insistently and with tears to become his advocate. Then he was granted the true spirit of the Gospel by the intercession of the Mother of mercy and he brought it to fruition.
He embraced the Mother of Our Lord Jesus with indescribable love because, as he said, it was she who made the Lord of majesty our brother, and through her we found mercy. After Christ, he put all his trust in her and took her as his patroness for himself and his friars.

Consider the words of an early biographer of Saint Francis of Assisi:

From there he moved to another place, which is called the "Portiuncula," where there stood a church of the Blessed Virgin Mother of God built in ancient times. At that time, it was deserted, and no one was taking care of it. When the holy man of God saw it so ruined, he was moved by piety because he had a warm devotion to the Mother of all good and he began to stay there continually. The restoration of that church took place in the third year of his conversion. At this time, he wore a sort of hermit's habit with a leather belt. He carried a staff in his hand and wore shoes. One day the gospel was being read in that church about how the Lord sent out his disciples to preach. The holy man of God, who was attending there, in order to understand better the words of the gospel, humbly begged the priest after celebrating the solemnities of the Mass to explain the gospel to him. The priest explained it all to him thoroughly line by line. When he heard that Christ's disciples should not possess gold or silver or money, or carry on their journey a wallet or a sack, nor bread nor a staff, not to have shoes nor two tunics, but that they should preach the kingdom of God and penance, the holy man, Francis immediately exulted in the spirit of God. "This is what I want," he said, "this is what I seek, this is what I desire with all my heart." The holy father, overflowing with joy, hastened to implement the words of salvation, and did not delay before he devoutly began to put into effect what he heard. (From The Life of Saint Francis by Thomas of Celano)

PRAYER TO OUR LADY OF THE ANGELS

August Queen of Heaven, sovereign queen of Angels, you who at the beginning received from God the power and the mission to crush the head of Satan, we beseech you humbly, send your holy legions so that, on your orders and by your power, they will track down demons, fight them everywhere, curb their audacity and plunge them into the hell.

Who can be compared to God? Oh, good and tender Mother, you will always be our love and our hope. Oh, divine Mother, send the Holy Angels and Archangels to defend me and to keep the cruel enemy far from me. Holy Angels and Archangels defend us, protect us. Amen.

The Pardon of Assisi or the Portiuncula Indulgence

The Holy Father made reference to this in his Sunday Angelus address:

... today is the feast of the "Pardon of Assisi," which St. Francis obtained from Pope Honorious III in the year 1216, after having a vision while he was praying in the little church of the Portiuncula. Jesus appeared to him in his glory, with the Virgin Mary on his right and surrounded by many Angels. They asked him to express a wish and Francis implored a "full and generous pardon" for all those who would visit that church who "repented and confessed their sins". Having received papal approval, the Saint did not wait for any written document but hastened to Assisi and when he reached the Portiuncula announced the good news: "Friends, the Lord wants to have us all in Heaven!". Since then, from noon on 1 August to midnight on the second, it has been possible to obtain, on the usual conditions, a Plenary Indulgence, also for the dead, on visiting a parish church or a Franciscan one.

St. Francis Asked and Obtained the Indulgence of Forgiveness

He awoke one night in 1216 at the Porziuncola and an inspiration stronger than usual prompted him to arise and go into the little chapel. He knelt in prayer and, as he prayed, our Lord, accompanied by His Mother, appeared to him and bade him ask for that which he desired most. "O God," he said, "although I m a great sinner, I beseech You to grant a full pardon of all sins to all who, having repented and confessed their sins, shall visit this church." And Jesus said to him: "Francis, you ask much, but you are worthy of greater things, and greater things you shall have."

Our Lord then granted Francis' request and told him to go to His Vicar for ratification of the indulgence. Honorius III, who was just beginning his Pontificate, was holding court at Perugia, and it was to him that Francis presented his petition.

Honorius was a spiritual, unworldly man, yet at such a request he hesitated. "Holy Father," Francis said urgently, "a little while ago I restored a chapel for you in honor of the Virgin Mother of Christ (the Portiuncula), and I beseech you to bestow on it an indulgence."

"For how many years do you want this indulgence?" the Pontiff inquired. "Holy Father," said Francis, "I ask not for years but for souls." "Just what do you want?" Honorius asked. "Holy Father," replied Francis, "the Lord has commanded me to ask you that all those who after confession shall visit the Portiuncula with contrite hearts may obtain full remission of the punishment due to the sins of their whole lives from the day of Baptism to the day they enter this church." Honorius pondered the extraordinary request, and said slowly three times: "I also, in the name of God, grant you the indulgence."

Honorius wanted to give Francis the document of the indulgence, but Francis saw no need for it. "What have you to show that this indulgence has been granted you?" the Pope asked in amazement as Francis prepared to depart for Assisi without any written confirmation of the great permission. "Holy Father," he replied, "Your word is enough for me. If this is the work of God, it is for Him to make His work manifest. I desire no other document. The Blessed Virgin Mary shall be the charter, Christ the notary, and the angels the witnesses." Some days later, before the Bishops of Umbria, Francis said: "Brethren, I want to send you all to Heaven!"

Conditions to Obtain the Plenary Indulgence of The Forgiveness (for oneself or for a departed soul)

1. Sacramental Confession to be in God's grace (during the eight days before or after);

2. Participation in the Holy Mass and Eucharist;

3. Visit to a Catholic Church (especially a Franciscan Church), followed by PROFESSION OF FAITH, in order to reaffirm one's own Christian identity;

4. Say the OUR FATHER, in order to reaffirm the dignity as child of God that one received in Baptism;

5. A prayer for the Pope's intention, in order to reaffirm one's membership in the Church, of which the Roman Pontiff is the foundation and sign of visible unity.

Novena in Honor of Saint John Marie Vianney[4]

Exquisite Purity

O Holy Priest of Ars, a witness of your life made this magnificent praise of you:

'We would have taken him for an angel in a mortal body."

You so edified others: the modesty and the exquisite purity radiated from your body. With such charm and with such enthusiasm you preached to others about these beautiful virtues which you said resembled the perfume of a vineyard in bloom.

Please I beg you to join your entreaties to those of Mary Immaculate and Saint Philomena in order that I guard always, as God asks me, the purity of my heart. You, who have directed so many souls towards the heights of virtue, defend me in temptations and obtain for me the strength to conquer them.

Holy Priest of Ars, I have confidence in your intercession. Pray for me during this novena especially for ... (mention silently your special intentions).

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be.

Bible in a Year-Day 45 Pray for Priests

As we read Exodus 29, Leviticus 21, and Psalm 119:121-176, Fr. Mike points out how God calls broken and imperfect men to his holy priesthood, and asks each of us to say a special prayer for priests today.

Daily Devotions

· Unite in the work of the Porters of St. Joseph by joining them in fasting: Restoring the Church