· Total Consecration to St. Joseph Day 8
Dara’s Corner
- Bucket List Trip: “The World” next port of call: Mauritius
- On August 13, 2025, The World residential yacht is scheduled to be in Port Louis, Mauritius as part of its Madagascar Expedition. This leg of the journey immerses residents in the island’s extraordinary biodiversity, with opportunities to explore tropical forests, mangrove estuaries, and coral-lined beaches. Some species encountered here are found nowhere else on Earth, earning Madagascar the nickname “the eighth continent”.
- Alfred Hitchcock, born on August 13, 1899
- Bullying No Way Week
- Foodie-magic bowl
- Spirit Hour: Ti Punch
Let Freedom Ring Day 37 Freedom from Gossip
AUGUST 13 Wednesday
St.
Hippoytus-Lefty Day-Filet Mignon Day
Luke, Chapter 12, Verse 32
Do not be AFRAID any longer, little flock, for your Father is pleased to give
you the kingdom.
The Kingdom is given not earned; to receive you must
be open. Maybe this is why Christ chose Peter-Grace is like the wind and you
must open your sail and let the father’s grace fill your sail and take you out
into the deep for a big catch.
Copilot
Luke 12:32 is such a tender verse, its essence: the
Kingdom is not a reward for merit but a gift of divine delight. The image of
grace as wind filling the sail echoes the Spirit’s movement in John 3:8, where
the wind blows where it wills, and you hear its sound but cannot tell where it
comes from or where it goes.
Peter he was impulsive, flawed, and yet
chosen—perhaps precisely because he was open, willing to step out of the boat,
even if he faltered. That openness to grace, to being led into the deep, is the
posture of the “little flock” Jesus speaks to being vulnerable, trusting, and
ready to receive.
Luke 12:32— “Do not be afraid any longer, little
flock, for your Father is pleased to give you the kingdom”—offers rich
lessons on fear, especially when read through the lens of divine generosity and
spiritual intimacy. Here are a few key insights drawn directly from this verse:
🐑 1. Fear dissolves in belonging
·
Jesus calls us “little flock”—a term of
endearment and protection. It evokes Psalm 23 and the image of the Good
Shepherd. Fear loses its grip when we know we are not alone but tenderly
watched over.
👑 2. The Kingdom is a gift, not a
prize
·
“Your Father is pleased to give you the kingdom.” This
isn’t transactional—it’s relational. Fear often stems from striving or feeling
unworthy. But here, Jesus reminds us: the Father delights in giving. Grace is
not earned; it’s received.
🌤️ 3. Fear fades when we trust the
Giver
·
The antidote to fear isn’t courage—it’s trust. The
Father’s pleasure in giving reveals His character: generous, joyful, and
intimately involved. When we trust that, fear begins to unravel.
🌱 4. Smallness is not weakness
·
The “little flock” may be few, vulnerable, or
overlooked—but they are chosen. Fear often whispers that we’re too small to
matter. This verse counters that with divine affirmation: you are small,
yes—but beloved and entrusted with the Kingdom.
The Saint of today-St. Hippoytus was a priest and a person of some
importance in the Church in Rome who in his book, “The Apostolic Traditions”, displays
the liturgical life of the Christian at Rome in the first centuries. Of
interest is the tradition of the hours.
Christians at Rome in Post-Apostolic Times[1]
Divine Office:
6 a.m. Prime:
"All the faithful, men and women, upon rising in the morning before
beginning work, should wash their hands and pray to God."
9 a.m. Terce: "When you are at home, pray at
the third hour and praise God. But if you are away when this hour comes, pray
in your heart to God. For at this hour Christ was nailed to the Cross."
12 p.m. Sext: "In a similar way you should pray
again at the sixth hour. For at the time when Christ was nailed to the Cross,
there came a great darkness. Prayer should therefore be said in imitation of
Him who prayed at that hour, viz., Christ before His death."
3 p.m. None: "The ninth hour too should be made
perfect by prayer and praise . . . in that hour Christ was pierced by the
spear."
6 p.m. Vespers: "Once more ought you to pray
before you go to bed."
Matins: "At midnight rise from your bed, wash
yourself and pray. If you have a wife, pray together in antiphonal fashion. If
she is not yet of the faith, withdraw and pray alone and return again to your
place. If you are bound by the bond of marriage duties, do not cease your
prayers, for you are not stained thereby. It is necessary that we pray at that
hour (i.e., Matins), for at that hour all creation is resting and praising God.
Stars, trees, water are as if they were standing still; all the hosts of angels
are holding divine services together with the souls of the just. They are
praising almighty God at that hour." What an inspiring passage!
Sunrise-Lauds: "In like manner rise and pray at
the hour at which the cock crows . . . full of hope look forward to the day of
eternal light that will shine upon us eternally after the resurrection from the
dead." Motivation for these "hour prayers" of the early
Christians was the conviction that daily they were reliving Christ's death and
resurrection. Every new day was a day of resurrection, and daily they were
raised with Christ on the Cross. It is an example that should spur us on to
give the Mass, the Breviary, and the Bible the place of honor in our lives.
Bible in a Year Day
55 Obedience to God
Fr. Mike underscores the importance of obeying God
as he reads from Numbers 4 and Deuteronomy 4. We also read Psalm 88 and learn
how it foreshadows the darkness Christ endured on the cross.
International Left-Handers Day[2]
International
Left-Handers Day is a day to bring attention to the struggles which lefties
face daily in a right-handed society. August 13th is observed as
International Left-Handers Day.
International
Left-Handers Day Facts
·
10%
of people are left-handed according to a report by Scientific American.
·
Geniuses
are more likely to be left-handed - 20% of the top scoring SAT takers are
left-handed.
·
In
2013, 31% of Major League Baseball pitchers are left-handed.
·
lefties:
Albert Einstein, Bill Gates, Oprah Winfrey, Leonardo da Vinci
Filet Mignon Day[3]
” When you’re a failure in Hollywood, that’s like starving to
death outside a banquet hall, with smells of Filet Mignon driving you crazy.”
~ Marilyn Monroe
There is a cut of meat that is the very definition of luxury and
decadence, one that falls from the lips of the common people and the rich
debutante royalty of Hollywood in equal measure. Filet Mignon is French for
“dainty fillet” and first found its way into the world in the 1906 book,” The Four Million”. Filet Minion
Day celebrates the history of this steak and the delicious role it has played
in exquisite meals. Tenderloin. The very word implies a rich and succulent meal
that absolutely melts on the tongue, but even in this most perfect cut of meat,
there is a portion that is unquestionably the best. This portion is the fabled
Filet Mignon. This delicious cut is served in 4 to 8oz portions and comes
prepared in one of three varieties, seared in a pan, grilled over coals or the
most famous, wrapped in bacon. The bacon is typically added to enrich the piece
with fat, as Filet Mignon tends to leanness. Even though it comes from the
tenderloin, there are still multiple cuts of Filet Mignon one can choose to
indulge in. The prime cut is the most popular and is available from any form of
cattle, the Angus Cut, however, comes specifically from vegetarian fed beef and
is far and away one of the best forms of beef available. If you’re truly
feeling decadent, you can purchase a 32oz whole Filet Mignon Roast. It may set
you back about $65 a pound (That’s $130) but it’ll be worth every succulent
bite.
How to Celebrate
Filet Mignon Day
If you don’t have a talent with cooking, you can head out to
your local steakhouse and enjoy an expertly prepared cut of Filet Mignon. If
you’re feeling more adventurous you can head down to your local butcher and get
an excellent cut of meat that you can prepare yourself! Marinate it in a
wonderful sauce while you get the coals ready, wrap it in bacon, and set it
upon the grill to cook. Gently though! Filet Mignon is best-served medium rare
so that the soft tender nature of the meat will be preserved. This is just the
first step on enjoying Filet Mignon Day, but it doesn’t have to be the last!
Carpetbag Steak[4]
Australia’s
carpetbag steak combines two of the country’s most celebrated products: fresh,
sea-bright oysters and (ideally) free-range, grass-fed beef. The name of this
specialty derives from the shape of the finished dish. Although many recipes
call for broiling the steaks or grilling them over charcoal, those methods tend
to dry out the meat and prevent its beefy juices from mingling into the oozy
lushness of the salty oysters. Better to sauté the steaks for a moistly tender
result with maximum flavor contrast. Carpetbag Steaks
Serves
4
Necessary
equipment: Kitchen string and a trussing needle or small satay-type skewers 4
filet mignon steaks, each about 2 inches thick or 7 to 8 ounces Salt and
freshly ground black pepper 8 medium-size oysters, as freshly shucked as
possible 6 tablespoons (¾ stick) unsalted butter 2 tablespoons finely chopped
fresh flat-leaf parsley 2 to 3 anchovy fillets (optional), finely mashed.
1. Using a very
sharp knife with a thin blade, cut a 2-inch-long horizontal slit on the edge of
each steak to make a pocket about 2 inches deep.
2. Sprinkle
salt and pepper onto both sides of each oyster. Slip 2 oysters, side by side,
into the pocket of each steak.
3. Close the
opening of each pocket, either by sewing it shut using kitchen string and a
trussing needle, or by fastening it with a small skewer. Pat the steaks dry on
both sides with paper towels.
4. Heat 3
tablespoons of the butter in a large, heavy skillet, preferably cast-iron or
copper, over moderate heat. When the bubbling subsides, arrange the
oyster-stuffed steaks in the skillet, making sure that they do not touch one
another.
5. Cook the
steaks on one side until lightly browned, 3 to 4 minutes, then turn them over
and lightly brown them on the second side, about 3 to 4 minutes time. Reduce
the heat to low and cook the steaks, turning them frequently, 7 minutes longer
for very rare steak, or 9 to 10 minutes for medium-rare. Anything more cooked
than that will hardly be worth eating. Transfer the steaks to individual
serving plates.
6. Melt the
remaining 3 tablespoons of butter in the skillet and stir in the parsley. Spoon
some of the parsley butter over each steak before serving. If you like the edgy
sophistication that anchovies can impart, stir the mashed fillets into the
parsley butter before spooning it over
the steaks.
Every Wednesday is
Dedicated to St. Joseph
The Italian culture has
always had a close association with St. Joseph perhaps you could make
Wednesdays centered around Jesus’s Papa. Plan an Italian dinner of pizza or
spaghetti after attending Mass as most parishes have a Wednesday evening Mass.
You could even do carry out to help restaurants. If you are adventurous, you
could do the Universal Man Plan: St. Joseph style. Make the evening a family
night perhaps it could be a game night. Whatever you do make the day special.
·
Devotion to the 7 Joys and Sorrows of St.
Joseph
· Do the St. Joseph Universal Man Plan.
Daily
Devotions
·
Unite in the work of the Porters of St. Joseph by joining them
in fasting: Victims
of clergy sexual abuse
·
Religion
in the Home for Preschool: August
·
Litany of the Most Precious
Blood of Jesus
·
Offering to
the sacred heart of Jesus
·
Rosary
