This blog is based on references in the Bible to fear. God wills that we “BE NOT AFRAID”. Vincit qui se vincit" is a Latin phrase meaning "He conquers who conquers himself." Many theologians state that the eighth deadly sin is fear. It is fear and its natural animal reaction to fight or flight that is the root cause of our failings to create a Kingdom of God on earth. This blog is dedicated to Mary the Mother of God. "
Screenplay: Ben Hecht (uncredited rewrites by several others)
Stars: Carole Lombard, Fredric March, Walter Connolly
Genre: Screwball satire / Media farce
Notable: One of the earliest Technicolor comedies; a rare Lombard–March pairing; a foundational “fake news” satire decades before the term existed.
π§ Story Summary
Wally Cook (Fredric March), a disgraced New York reporter desperate for redemption, discovers Hazel Flagg (Carole Lombard), a small‑town woman supposedly dying of radium poisoning. He brings her to New York as a tragic heroine, and the city explodes with adoration—banquets, parades, charity drives, and endless newspaper coverage.
But Hazel isn’t dying. Her doctor misdiagnosed her, and she decides to ride the wave of sympathy a little longer. Wally, believing her doomed, falls in love with her. Hazel, trapped in her lie, tries to confess but is swept up in the city’s appetite for melodrama. When the truth finally threatens to surface, the machinery of publicity becomes even more absurd: the city needs her to be dying, and the newspapers would rather preserve the myth than face the truth.
The film ends with Hazel and Wally escaping the circus entirely—alive, married, and leaving New York to choke on its own sensationalism.
π° Historical and Cultural Context
Media sensationalism was already a national anxiety. The 1930s saw tabloid wars, Hearst influence, and the rise of celebrity journalism. The film exaggerates—but only slightly.
Public appetite for tragedy was booming. Depression-era audiences devoured stories of suffering, martyrdom, and “human interest” uplift.
Technicolor comedy was rare. Wellman uses color not for beauty but for garishness—a visual metaphor for a city drunk on spectacle.
Ben Hecht’s cynicism is the film’s spine. A former Chicago reporter, he knew exactly how newsrooms manufactured emotion.
✝️ Catholic Moral Resonances
Even though the film is secular and cynical, it opens rich moral territory:
1. Truth vs. Performance
Hazel’s lie begins as self-protection but becomes a trap. The film exposes how easily society rewards performed suffering over authentic virtue.
Catholic moral tradition insists that truth is not merely factual but relational—ordered toward the good of others. Hazel’s deception fractures every relationship around her.
2. The Temptation of False Martyrdom
Hazel becomes a “saint of the tabloids,” adored precisely because she is believed to be dying.
This mirrors the spiritual temptation to seek admiration for suffering rather than holiness—martyrdom without sacrifice.
3. Media as a Distortion of Human Dignity
The city treats Hazel not as a person but as a symbol.
Catholic anthropology insists on the inviolable dignity of the human person; the film shows what happens when a society forgets this and turns people into consumable narratives.
4. Redemption Through Escape, Not Applause
Hazel and Wally’s final act—leaving the city and its lies—echoes the biblical pattern of exodus.
Sometimes the only path to integrity is to walk away from systems that reward vice.
π· Hospitality Pairing
Drink:The Tabloid Spritz — light, bubbly, slightly bitter (Aperol or Campari with soda). A nod to the fizzy, gaudy world of publicity.
Snack: A simple charcuterie board—bright, colorful, arranged almost too perfectly. It mirrors the film’s theme: beauty arranged for display, not substance.
Atmosphere:
Warm lighting
A newspaper spread on the table (real or symbolic)
A sense of theatricality—because the film is about how easily we stage our own lives
πͺ Reflection Prompt
Where in your life are you tempted to perform a version of yourself—suffering, success, virtue, or tragedy—because you believe others expect it? And what would it look like to step out of that performance and live in the freedom of truth?
Penny Serenade (1941) is one of those films that feels like opening an old cedar box of keepsakes—fragile, fragrant, and full of the music that shaped a marriage. It carries the emotional honesty of wartime America, the tenderness of two wounded people trying to build a life, and the quiet heroism of choosing love again after loss.
π¬ Film Details
Title:Penny Serenade Year: 1941 Director: George Stevens Stars: Cary Grant (Roger Adams), Irene Dunne (Julie Gardiner Adams) Studio: Columbia Pictures Genre: Melodrama / Romance Notable Recognition: Cary Grant received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor for his performance.
π―️ Story Summary
Julie prepares to leave her husband, Roger. As she packs, she plays old phonograph records—each song unlocking a chapter of their shared life.
A lively tune recalls their whirlwind courtship and impulsive New Year’s Eve marriage. A romantic ballad brings back their time in Tokyo, where Julie’s pregnancy ends in tragedy after the 1923 earthquake. A gentle lullaby ushers in their decision to adopt a baby girl, Trina, and the unforgettable courtroom scene where Roger pleads to be allowed to keep her. A somber melody marks the shattering grief of Trina’s sudden death, a loss that nearly destroys their marriage.
The final record plays as the phone rings: the adoption agency offers them another child. Julie and Roger, broken but willing, choose to begin again.
π️ Historical & Cultural Notes
Released months before the U.S. entered WWII, the film resonated with audiences facing uncertainty, separation, and the fragility of family life.
George Stevens—later known for A Place in the Sun and Shane—directs with a gentle realism shaped by his own experiences of loss.
The film’s structure, built around popular songs, mirrors the way Americans used music as emotional memory during the Depression and wartime eras.
Adoption was rarely portrayed with such dignity in early Hollywood; the judge’s scene remains one of the most compassionate depictions of fatherhood in classic cinema.
✝️ Catholic Themes & Moral Resonances
1. Marriage as a School of Fidelity
Julie and Roger’s story reveals marriage not as sentiment but as formation. Their vows are tested by grief, poverty, and disappointment—yet fidelity becomes the quiet miracle that endures.
2. Grief as a Crucible of Vocation
The death of their daughter is the film’s deepest rupture. It exposes the temptation to withdraw, to abandon one’s calling, to let sorrow define the future. Their eventual “yes” to another child becomes an act of resurrection.
3. Adoption as an Icon of Divine Love
Roger’s courtroom plea is a cinematic parable of chosen love—love that is not earned, not biological, but freely given. It echoes the Christian understanding of being adopted as children of God.
4. Providence Through Memory
The records Julie plays function like a litany. Each memory—joyful or painful—becomes a place where grace was present, even if unseen at the time.
5. The Home as a Sanctuary
The Adams household, fragile and imperfect, becomes a sacramental space where love is practiced through small acts: rocking a baby, cooking simple meals, showing up for each other when words fail.
π Hospitality Pairing
A meal that mirrors the film’s emotional palette—warm, restorative, and rooted in the rituals that hold a family together.
Chicken and rice soup with thyme: comforting, steady, the kind of meal shared after a long season of sorrow.
Homemade rolls with soft butter: tactile, grounding, a reminder of the daily work of love.
A modest glass of white wine—something gentle and clean, like a Pinot Grigio: not celebratory, but quietly hopeful.
Dessert: A small bowl of vanilla custard: simple, soothing, reminiscent of nursery comfort and the sweetness of new beginnings.
Set the table with one candle lit for remembrance—an embodied acknowledgment of Trina’s brief life and the love that continues.
π§ Reflection
Where has grief tempted me to abandon my vocation or withdraw from love?
What memories—joyful or painful—is God inviting me to revisit with new tenderness?
How might I practice chosen love today, especially toward those who depend on my fidelity?
What small act of hope is being asked of me, even if I do not yet feel strong?
Where is God offering me a new beginning, and can I receive it with humility?
Fr. Dan Reehil consistently teaches that the first line of defense against evil is a life of ordered, sacramental fidelity—a home and heart anchored in Christ through prayer, virtue, and renunciation of sin. Deliverance begins long before an exorcist arrives; it begins in the daily habits of a Christian who refuses to give the devil a foothold.
What Fr. Reehil emphasizes as the “first line of defense”
1. State of Grace
Remaining free of mortal sin is the most powerful protection. Evil spirits exploit spiritual vulnerabilities; grace closes the door.
Frequent Confession
Examination of conscience
Renunciation of occult practices, unforgiveness, and habitual sin
2. Daily Prayer as Non‑Negotiable
He stresses that prayer is not optional for spiritual survival.
Morning offering
Daily Rosary
Scripture reading
Invoking the Holy Spirit
Prayers of protection (St. Michael, Guardian Angel)
3. Sacramental Life
The sacraments are not symbolic—they are weapons.
Eucharist as the “armor of Christ”
Confession as “spiritual detox”
Holy Water, blessed salt, blessed medals as extensions of sacramental grace
4. Authority of the Domestic Church
Parents have real spiritual authority over their homes.
Blessing children
Praying aloud in the home
Removing spiritually dangerous objects
Establishing a rhythm of peace, order, and charity
5. Rejecting Occult Doorways
He is blunt: most demonic problems begin with curiosity.
New Age practices
Divination, tarot, astrology
Manifestation rituals
Pornography
Unforgiveness and generational wounds
6. Living in Truth
Demons operate in deception; truth is their undoing.
Honesty
Confession
Naming sin
Refusing self-deception
Submitting intellect and will to Christ
Catholic lessons embedded in his teaching
π️ 1. Holiness is the real spiritual warfare
The Church does not teach that exorcism is the primary battlefield. Sanctity is.
The devil fears a humble, obedient, repentant soul more than any ritual.
π‘️ 2. Authority flows from obedience
A priest’s authority in exorcism comes from the Church.
A parent’s authority in the home comes from God.
A Christian’s authority over temptation comes from fidelity to Christ.
π₯ 3. Evil is attracted to disorder
Where there is chaos—emotional, moral, or spiritual—evil finds opportunity.
Where there is order—virtue, prayer, sacrament—evil flees.
✝️ 4. Deliverance is a process, not an event
Most liberation happens through:
Confession
Forgiveness
Renunciation of lies
Healing of wounds
Daily discipline
Exorcism is the last step, not the first.
π―️ 5. The home is a sanctuary
The domestic church is meant to be a place where:
Scripture is proclaimed
Peace is cultivated
Hospitality is practiced
Children learn courage, truth, and mercy
This is where most spiritual battles are won.
πΏ 6. Virtue is the antidote to evil
Every vice has a corresponding virtue that disarms the enemy:
Pride → humility
Lust → chastity
Anger → patience
Envy → gratitude
Sloth → diligence
Greed → generosity
Gluttony → temperance
Fr. Reehil’s point: deliverance is not just casting out demons; it is cultivating virtue.
Title:The Rock That Reminds Us Ritual: Touch a stone or railing and name one truth that held firm in the Great South. Scripture: Matthew 7:25 Meal: Brown bread, salted butter, hot broth Reflection: “Some truths only reveal their strength when the winds rise.” Hospitality Arc: Ask someone what truth steadied them in the South.
π Thursday, March 19 | Entering the Beagle Channel
Title:The Narrow Way Ritual: Walk a straight line on deck, naming one narrow path you’re being invited to walk. Scripture: Matthew 7:14 Meal: Smoked fish, potatoes, warm tea Reflection: “Narrow places teach us to move with intention.” Hospitality Arc: Share a path you’re learning to walk with care.
π² Friday, March 20 | Chilean Fjords
Title:The Walls That Hold Wonder Ritual: Stand between two structures—masts, walls, cliffs—and name one place where God is holding you. Scripture: Psalm 139:5 Meal: Vegetable stew, crusty bread, berry tea Reflection: “Being held is not confinement—it is care.” Hospitality Arc: Ask someone where they feel held right now.
Title:The Crossing of Courage Ritual: Take three deep breaths, naming one fear you’re willing to cross through. Scripture: Joshua 1:9 Meal: Light soup, crackers, ginger tea Reflection: “Courage is rarely loud; it is usually a quiet decision.” Hospitality Arc: Check on someone who may be navigating inner waves.
Title:The Islands of Memory Ritual: Write down one memory from Antarctica you want to keep alive. Fold it and keep it with you. Scripture: Deuteronomy 4:9 Meal: Fresh fruit, soft cheese, warm bread Reflection: “Memory is the island where grace lands first.” Hospitality Arc: Share one memory that refuses to fade.
π️ Tuesday, March 24 | Sailing North Along Chile
Title:The Gentle Return Ritual: Sit for two minutes with your hand over your heart, naming one grace returning with you. Scripture: Isaiah 30:15 Meal: Herb omelet, roasted vegetables, mint tea Reflection: “Return is not undoing—it is unfolding.” Hospitality Arc: Ask someone what grace is accompanying them homeward.
MARCH 18 Wednesday of the
Fourth Week of Lent
Psalm 19, Verse 10-11
The FEAR of the LORD is pure, enduring forever. The statutes of the
LORD are true, all of them just,more desirable than gold,
than a hoard of purest gold, Sweeter also than honey or drippings from the
comb.
Our Lord showed no fear of the money changers or the priests
when He overturned the tables in holy zeal for the statutes of the Lord. Is the
Holy Spirit moving you to make a real change today? Are you being called to be
holier, stronger, more committed to God and better prepared for the trials and
persecution of our world? Consider the message of The Holy League.[1]
The Holy League
History-Pope St.
Pius V formed the original Holy League in response to the dire situation in
which Christian Europe found itself in 1571. Small bands of Catholic men and
remnant armies from various nations came together under the spiritual
leadership of the saintly pontiff and the military leadership of Don John of
Austria. By prayer and fasting, they implored the help of God’s grace, through
the intercession of the Mother of God, and, by the grace of Almighty God, on
October 7, 1571, at the Battle of Lepanto, the Christian fleet won a crushing
victory over the OttomanTurks, saving Christendom and western civilization.
The Battle Today
At this particular moment in time, the Church finds itself
in a similar situation to that of the Church in the late Sixteenth Century.
However, instead of a physical enemy on the horizon, the Church and the family
(the domestic Church) are threatened daily by relativism, secularism, impurity,
and confusion regarding Church teaching. The battle today “is not against human
forces but against the principalities and powers, the rulers of this world of
darkness, the evil spirits in the heavens” (Ephesians 6: 10-12). To combat the
forces of evil in today’s society, the Holy League strives to call men back to
the state of grace and to transforming the culture through prayer.” The Holy
League, in fidelity to its mission as a Roman Catholic solidarity movement:
·Provides a Holy Hour format which
incorporates: Eucharistic adoration, prayer, short spiritual reflections, the
availability of the Sacrament of Confession, Benediction and fraternity;
·Encourages consecration to the
Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, the Immaculate Heart of Mary, and the Purest Heart
of Joseph;
·Promotes the Precepts and
Sacraments of the Church; especially through devotion to the Most Blessed
Sacrament and the praying of the Most Holy Rosary;
·Creates a unified front, made up
of members of the Church Militant, for spiritual combat;
·Strives to have a regular monthly
Holy League Holy Hour available to men in every Roman Catholic parish.
Holy League Vision
The Vision of the Holy League is to develop a network of
parish based regular monthly Holy Hours with confession and fraternity for men.
Our Mission
The Holy League, in a Spirit of Marian Chivalry, under the
patronage of Our Lady of Guadalupe and Saint Joseph, seeks to provide
opportunities for the faithful to unite in prayer, especially monthly
Eucharistic Holy Hours, for purification from sin and predisposition to
Supernatural Grace for the fuller exercise of the threefold offices of Priest,
Prophet, and King received at Baptism. The particular prayer of the Holy League
is the monthly Eucharistic Holy Hour.
Copilot’s
Take
Confronting
evil begins with the willingness to let God confront you first. The fear
of the Lord purifies the heart so that a man becomes clear‑sighted, steady, and
unmanipulable. Evil thrives in confusion, noise, and self‑deception, but
holiness grows in the quiet interior places where a man allows Christ to
overturn the hidden tables—resentments, compromises, secret sins, and the
subtle ways we protect ourselves from grace. The real battleground is not “out
there” in the culture but in the conscience, where a man decides whether he
will live in truth, purity, and obedience. Only a heart already surrendered can
stand firm when darkness presses in.
Christ
shows that confronting evil is not about aggression but about alignment. He
rebukes demons with a word, exposes hypocrisy without hatred, and enters His
Passion not as a victim but as a King who lays down His life freely. His
strength is His purity. The Holy League understood this: their victory at
Lepanto was the fruit of men who had already allowed God to conquer their
hearts through fasting, confession, the Rosary, and Eucharistic devotion. The
same pattern holds today. Evil is confronted by men who are purified,
disciplined, and rooted in grace.
The
question that remains is simple: what interior place is Christ asking you to
surrender so that He can make you ready for the battles ahead?
O
God, Who grantest to the just the reward of their merits, and to sinners
pardon, by means of fasting, have mercy on Thy supplicants, that the confession
of our guilt may enable us to receive the forgiveness of our sins. Amen.
EPISTLE. Isaias i. 16-19.
Thus,
saith the Lord God: Wash yourselves, be clean, take away the evil of your
devices from My eyes: cease to do perversely, learn to do well: seek judgment,
relieve the oppressed, judge for the fatherless, defend the widow. And then
come, and accuse Me, saith the Lord: if your sins be as scarlet, they shall be
made as white as snow: and if they be red as crimson, they shall be white as
wool. If you be willing, and will hearken to Me, you shall eat the good things
of the land, saith the Lord Almighty.
GOSPEL. John ix. 1-38.
At
that time: Jesus passing by, saw a man who was blind from his birth: and His
disciples asked Him: Rabbi, who hath sinned, this man or his parents, that he
should be born blind? Jesus answered: Neither hath this man sinned, nor his
parents; but that the works of God should be made manifest in him. I must work
the works of Him that sent Me, whilst it is day: the night cometh when no man
can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world. When He
had said these things, He spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and
spread the clay upon his eyes, and said to him: Go, wash in the pool of Siloe,
which is interpreted, Sent. He went therefore, and washed, and he came seeing.
The neighbors, therefore, and they who had seen him before that he was a
beggar, said: Is not this he that sat, and begged? Some said: This is he. But
others said: No, but he is like him. But he said: I am he. They said therefore
to him: How were thy eyes opened? He answered: That man that is called Jesus,
made clay, and anointed my eyes, and said to me: Go to the pool of Siloe, and
wash. And I went, I washed, and I see. And they said to him: Where is He? He
saith, I know not. They bring him that had been blind to the Pharisees. Now it
was the Sabbath when Jesus made the clay and opened his eyes. Again, therefore
the Pharisees asked him how he had received his sight. But he said to them: He
put clay upon my eyes, and I washed, and I see. Some therefore of the Pharisees
said: This man is not of God, Who keepeth not the Sabbath. But others said: How
can a man that is a sinner do such miracles? And there was a division among
them. They say therefore to the blind man again: What sayest thou of Him that
hath opened thy eyes? And he said: He is a prophet. The Jews then did not
believe concerning him, that he had been blind and had received his sight,
until they called the parents of him that had received his sight, and asked
them, saying: Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How then doth he
now see? His parents answered them and said: We know that this is our son, and
that he was born blind; but how he now seeth, we know not: or who hath opened
his eyes, we know not: ask himself; he is of age, let him speak for himself.
These things his parents said, because they feared the Jews: for the Jews had
already agreed among themselves, that if any man should confess Him to be
Christ he should be put out of the synagogue. Therefore, did his parents say:
He is of age, ask him. They therefore called the man again that had been blind
and said to him: Give glory to God. We know that this man is a sinner. He said
therefore to them: If He be a sinner, I know not: one thing I know, that
whereas I was blind, now I see. They said then to him: What did He to thee? How
did He open thy eyes? He answered them: I have told you already, and you have
heard: why would you hear it again? will you also become His disciples? They
reviled him therefore and said: Be thou His disciple; but we are the disciples
of Moses. We know that God spoke to Moses: but as to this man, we know not from
whence He is. The man answered, and said to them: Why, herein is a wonderful
thing that you know not from whence He is, and He hath opened my eyes. Now we
know that God doth not hear sinners: but if a man be a server of God, and doth
His will, him He heareth. From the beginning of the world, it hath not been
heard, that any man hath opened the eyes of one born blind. Unless this man
were of God, He could not do anything. They answered and said to him: Thou wast
wholly born in sins, and dost thou teach us? And they cast him out. Jesus heard
that they had cast him out: and when He had found him, He said to him: Dost
thou believe in the Son of God? He answered, and said: Who is He, Lord, that I
may believe in Him? And Jesus said to him: Thou hast both seen Him, and it is
He that talketh with thee. And he said: I believe, Lord. And falling down he
adored.
Get Ready for Divine Mercy
As a
faithful catholic in the modern world, you may feel shaken with fear at the
evils the new world order has taken, and you may expect to perish yourself but
know that we can trust in Divine Mercy.
John Paul II Entrusted the World to Divine Mercy[3]
On
Aug. 17, 2002, twenty years ago today, Pope John Paul II entrusted the world to
Divine Mercy as he consecrated the International Shrine of The Divine Mercy in
Lagiewniki, Poland.
Standing
before the image of Divine Mercy, the Pope said, “I wish solemnly to entrust
the world to Divine Mercy. I do so with the burning desire that the message of
God’s merciful love, proclaimed here through Saint Faustina, may be made known
to all the peoples of the earth and fill their hearts with hope.”
He
finished his homily with this prayer:
God, merciful Father, in your Son, Jesus
Christ, you have revealed your love and poured it out upon us in the Holy
Spirit, the Comforter, we entrust to you today the destiny of the world and of
every man and woman. Bend down to us sinners, heal our weakness, conquer all
evil, and grant that all the peoples of the earth may experience your mercy. In
You, the Triune God, may they ever find the source of hope. Eternal Father, by
the Passion and Resurrection of your Son, have mercy on us and upon the whole world!
The
consecration and entrustment of the world to Divine Mercy represented the
fulfillment of a mission for Maria Faustina Kowalska (1905-1938). Faustina, a
poor, young Polish nun experienced visions of Jesus in which he asked her to
make his message of infinite love and mercy known to the world. At the request
of her spiritual director, she made a record of the visions in her diary.
In
his visitations, Jesus asked her to have a painting made portraying him as he
appeared to her. In her diary she recorded the vision:
“Paint an image according to the pattern you
see, with the signature: ‘Jesus, I trust in You.’ I desire that this image be
venerated, first in your chapel, and then throughout the world. I promise that
the soul that will venerate this image will not perish.”
In
another visitation, he asked the nun that she help establish Divine Mercy
Sunday on the first Sunday after Easter, to offer the world salvation.
Faustina
recorded Jesus’ words:
“This Feast emerged from the very depths of My
mercy, and it is confirmed in the vast depths of my tender mercies. Every soul
believing and trusting in My mercy will obtain it.”
It
was the mission that Pope John Paul II also felt called to help complete.
If
St. Faustina was the initial receptacle for the message of Divine Mercy, her
Polish compatriot saw to it that the requests Jesus made of the nun were
fulfilled, and the devotion spread throughout the world.
As
a young seminarian in Krakow in 1940, Karol Wojtyla first learned of St.
Faustina’s revelations and the message of Divine Mercy. Later as a priest, he
was a frequent visitor to the convent where Faustina lived, stopping by to
pray, and hold retreats. When he became Archbishop of Krakow, he led the effort
to put Faustina’s name before the Congregation for the Causes of Saints and
defended her when the validity of her claims was questioned in Rome.
As
pope, he published his second encyclical, Dives in misericordia (Rich
in mercy), on Nov. 30, 1980.
The
following year, while recovering from an assassination attempt, Pope John Paul
II traveled to The Shrine of Merciful Love in Collevalenza, Italy, where he
revealed that he felt spreading the message of Divine mercy to be his greatest
calling.
“Right
from the beginning of my ministry in St. Peter's See in Rome, I considered this
message my special task. Providence has assigned it to me in the present
situation of man, the Church, and the world. It could be said that precisely
this situation assigned that message to me as my task before God,” he said.
At
the beatification of Saint Faustina on April 18, 1993, the pope spoke of his
delight at witnessing the popularity of the devotion to Divine Mercy.
“Her
mission continues and is yielding astonishing fruit. It is truly marvelous how
her devotion to the merciful Jesus is spreading in our contemporary world and
gaining so many human hearts!” said the pope.
Yet
there was more to be done. On Divine Mercy Sunday, April 30, 2000, Pope John
Paul II canonized Saint Faustina Kowalska, and declared the Second Sunday of
Easter as "Divine Mercy Sunday.”
Twenty
years ago today, when Pope John Paul II entrusted the world to Divine Mercy, he
shared his hope that the world would hear the message that God is merciful.
Quoting from Faustina's diary, he said:
“May
this message radiate from this place to our beloved homeland and throughout the
world. May the binding promise of the Lord Jesus be fulfilled: from here there
must go forth ‘the spark which will prepare the world for his final coming (cf.
Diary, 1732)’.”
“This
spark needs to be lighted by the grace of God. This fire of mercy needs to be
passed on to the world. In the mercy of God the world will find peace and
mankind will find happiness! I entrust this task to you, dear Brothers and
Sisters, to the Church in KrakΓ³w and Poland, and to all the votaries of Divine
Mercy who will come here from Poland and from throughout the world. May you be
witnesses to mercy!” he said.
Today,
devotion to Divine Mercy is popular among Catholics around the world. Churches
and shrines and religious orders have dedicated themselves to sharing the
message received by St. Faustina and which St. Pope John Paul II considered his
“task before God."
To
learn more about the Divine Mercy devotion, visit the website for the Divine Mercy shrine in
Poland or the National
Divine Mercy Shrine
in Stockton, Massachusetts.
St. Joseph-Tomorrow is the Feast of St. Joseph
These words were spoken to Sister on the eve of St.
Joseph’s feast day, March 18, 1958:
·My
child, I desire a day to be set aside to honor my fatherhood.
·The
privilege of being chosen by God to be the Virgin-Father of His Son was mine
alone, and no honor, excluding that bestowed upon my Holy Spouse, was ever, or
will ever, be as sublime or as high as this.
·The Holy
Trinity desires thus to honor me that in my unique fatherhood all fatherhood
might be blessed.
·Dear
child, I was king in the little home of Nazareth, for I sheltered within it the
Prince of Peace and the Queen of Heaven. To me they looked for protection and
sustenance, and I did not fail them.
·I
received from them the deepest love and reverence, for in me they saw Him Whose
place I took over them.
·So, the
head of the family must be loved, obeyed, and respected, and in return be a
true father and protector to those under his care.
·In
honoring in a special way my fatherhood, you also honor Jesus and Mary. The
Divine Trinity has placed into our keeping the peace of the world.
·The
imitation of the Holy Family, my child, of the virtues we practiced in our
little home at Nazareth is the way for all souls to that peace which comes from
God alone and which none other can give.
St. Joseph appeared to Sister again to explain the
First Wednesday devotion God wishes to establish in his honor. Sister states:
His requests were similar to those of Our Lady and the
First Saturday. The Sacred Hearts of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph have been chosen
by the Most Holy Trinity to bring peace to the world; hence, their request for
special love and honor, also, in particular, reparation and imitation.
These are the words of St. Joseph as recorded on March
30, 1958:
“I am the protector of the Church and the home, as I
was the protector of Christ and His Mother while I lived upon earth. Jesus and
Mary desire that my pure heart, so long hidden and unknown, be now honored in a
special way.
1.Let my children honor my most pure heart in a special
manner on the First Wednesday of the month by reciting the Joyful Mysteries
of the rosary in memory of my life with Jesus and Mary and the love I bore
them, the sorrow I suffered with them.
2.Let them receive Holy Communion in union with the love
with which I received the Savior for the first time and each time I held Him in
my arms.
Those who honor me in this way will be consoled by my
presence at their death, and I myself will conduct them safely into the
presence of Jesus and Mary.
I will come again, little
child of my most
pure heart. Until then, continue in patience and humility, which is so pleasing
to God.”
Bible in a
year Day 259 Sermon
on the Mount
Fr. Mike reads
the Sermon on the Mount and explains how Jesus' teachings powerfully fulfill
the old testament law, and identify the broken human heart as the source of our
sinful actions. We learn that Jesus himself is the remedy to our sins, and that
the secret to holiness is living in the perfect will of God. Today's readings
are Matthew 5-7, and Proverbs 18:21-24.
The Bells of St. Mary’s (1945) is one of those rare films that feels like a warm chapel on a cold morning—gentle, humorous, and quietly profound. Let’s shape it in your devotional‑film format, with the same clarity, cadence, and pastoral resonance you’ve been cultivating.
π¬ Film Details
Title:The Bells of St. Mary’s
Year: 1945
Director: Leo McCarey
Stars: Bing Crosby (Father O’Malley), Ingrid Bergman (Sister Mary Benedict)
Studio: RKO Radio Pictures
Genre: Drama / Comedy
Sequel Context: Follows McCarey’s earlier Going My Way (1944), but stands fully on its own.
π―️ Story Summary
Father O’Malley arrives at St. Mary’s, a struggling parochial school run by a devoted community of Sisters. His easygoing pastoral style immediately contrasts with the disciplined, idealistic approach of Sister Mary Benedict. Their shared mission—to save the school—draws them into a series of tender, humorous, and spiritually charged encounters.
A wealthy businessman, Horace Bogardus, plans to demolish the school to expand his office complex. The Sisters pray instead that he will give them the new building. Meanwhile, Father O’Malley navigates the needs of the students, including a shy boy who needs confidence and a young woman whose home life requires delicate pastoral care.
The film culminates in a quiet miracle of providence, a reconciliation of wills, and a parting between O’Malley and Sister Benedict that is as moving as it is understated.
π️ Historical & Cultural Notes
Released just months after WWII, the film’s tone of healing, rebuilding, and gentle authority resonated deeply with American audiences.
Ingrid Bergman’s portrayal of a nun was groundbreaking—dignified, strong, and deeply human.
The film’s depiction of Catholic life is idealized but respectful, reflecting McCarey’s own Catholic upbringing.
Its themes of institutional survival, vocational fidelity, and the tension between obedience and personal conviction mirror the Church’s post‑war challenges.
✝️ Catholic Themes & Moral Resonances
1. Obedience as Love, Not Subservience
Sister Benedict’s obedience is not passive; it is a chosen, intelligent offering. Her tension with Father O’Malley reveals obedience as a dialogue of charity, not a hierarchy of power.
2. Providence Through Ordinary Means
The Sisters pray for a miracle, but the miracle comes through human conversion—Bogardus’s softened heart. Grace works through the cracks of ordinary life.
3. Pastoral Care as Accompaniment
Father O’Malley embodies a pastoral style rooted in presence, humor, and gentle redirection. He never forces outcomes; he shepherds people toward them.
4. The Dignity of Formation
The school’s mission is not merely academic. It forms souls—teaching courage, humility, and hope. The boxing lesson scene, humorous as it is, becomes a parable of confidence and self‑respect.
5. Sacrifice Without Recognition
Sister Benedict’s tuberculosis diagnosis and her removal from the school echo the hidden sacrifices of religious life. She leaves quietly, trusting God with the fruit of her labor.
π Hospitality Pairing
A simple, comforting meal that mirrors the film’s warmth and humility:
Creamy potato soup — humble, nourishing, reminiscent of parish kitchens and convent tables.
Fresh bread with butter — the daily bread of community life.
A light, crisp white wine (e.g., a Riesling or Pinot Grigio) — gentle, bright, echoing the film’s hopeful tone.
Dessert: A small slice of angel food cake — airy, celebratory, fitting for a film about unseen grace.
Set the table with soft light—perhaps a single candle—to evoke the quiet holiness of St. Mary’s chapel.
π§ Reflection
Where do I resist God’s invitations because they come through people whose style differs from mine?
What “school” in my life is God asking me to protect or rebuild—family, vocation, community, interior life?
How do I practice obedience as an act of love rather than compliance?
Where have I seen providence arrive through ordinary, even humorous, circumstances?
What hidden sacrifices am I being asked to make, and can I offer them without seeking recognition?
·Patrick’s Day March 17th Don your friendliest green for St. Patrick’s Day. Boston is the place to be, with the city’s official St. Patrick’s Day Parade drawing anywhere from 600,000 to 1 million people every year.
·Evacuation Day in Boston marks the moment when the city was freed from British military control during the early days of the American Revolutionary War.
Candace’s Worldwide Vineyard Tour — Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Theme: Ascent, Clarity, and the Courage to Rise With Christ
π️LITURGICAL CALENDAR
Tue Mar 17 — St. Patrick Wed Mar 18 — Wednesday of the 4th Week of Lent Thu Mar 19 — St. Joseph, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary Fri Mar 20 — Friday of the 4th Week of Lent Sat Mar 21 — Lenten Weekday Sun Mar 22 — 4th Sunday of Lent (Laetare Sunday) Mon Mar 23 — Lenten Weekday
πΏOVERVIEW
The Okanagan Valley
is a landscape of ascent—long lakes, rising slopes, and vineyards terraced toward the sky. It is a natural setting for the Lenten movement from fear to courage, from darkness to clarity, from the valley floor to the high places where God reveals Himself.
This week is about rising: letting the Father lift you as He lifted Christ, letting truth elevate your vision, and letting courage take root in the places where fear once ruled. The wines here—Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, ice wine, and cool‑climate blends—carry that same upward energy: bright, lifted, crystalline.
πDAILY OUTLINE
TUESDAY • MAR 17 — ST. PATRICK
Location: Mission Hill Family Estate (missionhillwinery.com) Focus: Courage in the shaking Act: Stand at the bell tower overlook and breathe deeply. Prompt: Where is Christ lifting me above the fears that once held me down?
WEDNESDAY • MAR 18
Location: Quails’ Gate Winery (quailsgate.com) Focus: Honesty that clarifies Act: Taste a single‑vineyard Pinot and sit with its purity. Prompt: What truth is God clarifying in me right now?
THURSDAY • MAR 19 — ST. JOSEPH
Location: St. Charles Garnier Catholic Parish, Kelowna (stcharlesgarnier.ca) Vineyard: CedarCreek Estate Winery (cedarcreek.bc.ca) Focus: Hidden strength and faithful obedience Act: Offer a quiet prayer for the work God has entrusted to you. Prompt: Where is God asking me to obey without applause?
FRIDAY • MAR 20
Location: Summerhill Pyramid Winery
(summerhill.bc.ca) Focus: Reparation and alignment Act: Walk the vineyard rows slowly, matching your breath to your steps. Prompt: What part of my life needs to be realigned with Christ’s heart?
SATURDAY • MAR 21
Location: Tantalus Vineyards (tantalus.ca) Focus: Precision and purity Act: Taste their Riesling and note its clean, lifted structure. Prompt: What is God refining in me with precision?
SUNDAY • MAR 22 — LAETARE SUNDAY
Mass: Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, Kelowna (icckelowna.ca) Vineyard: Liquidity Wines (liquiditywines.com) Focus: Joy in the ascent Act: Write one place where God is restoring joy in you. Word: Rise.
MONDAY • MAR 23
Location: Painted Rock Estate Winery (paintedrock.ca) Focus: Identity and elevation Act: Taste their structured reds and reflect on your God‑given dignity.
Prompt:What part of my identity is God lifting into clearer light?
MARCH
17 Tuesday of the Fourth
Week of Lent
St. Patrick’s Day
Psalm 46, Verse 3-4
Thus we do not FEAR, though earth be shaken and
mountains quake to the depths of the sea,though its waters rage and foam and mountains totter at its
surging.
The Roman soldiers guarding His tomb did not fear
God even though the earth did shake and having witnessed His resurrection for
they did not confess with their lips that Jesus is Lord; yet they did fear the
Jews and took their money which they died with. Today confess Him with your
lips knowing that Christ is the conqueror of the Nations for He is our refuge
and our strength, an ever-present help in distress.
Come and see the
works of the LORD, who has done fearsome deeds on earth; Who stops wars to the
ends of the earth, breaks the bow, splinters the spear, and burns the shields
with fire; “Be still and know that I am God! (Psalm 46:9-11)[1]
Copilot’s Take
Fear is finally confronted not
just by remembering God’s nearness, but by remembering the direction of
Christ’s Resurrection. The early Church Fathers often spoke of the Resurrection
as a vertical act—the Father lifting the Son from the depths of death
and exalting Him above every earthly and demonic power. St. Paul echoes this
when he writes that the Father “raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His
right hand in the heavenly places, far above every principality and power” (Eph
1:20–21). Christ is not merely revived; He is raised, lifted, exalted—His
Resurrection is an upward movement that pulls the whole human race with Him.
Fear collapses when we remember that the One who stands with us is the One whom
the Father has lifted above every force that threatens us.
This vertical Resurrection is the
antidote to the shaking world of Psalm 46. Mountains fall, waters roar, nations
rage—but Christ has been lifted higher than all of them. St. Patrick lived from
this truth. He walked into a land ruled by fear because he knew that the Father
had already raised Christ above every spirit, curse, and power of darkness. The
Roman soldiers at the tomb trembled at the earthquake yet remained spiritually
horizontal—bound to the earth, bound to men’s opinions, bound to fear. Patrick stood
upright because Christ stood upright. To confront fear, then, is to stand in
the upward pull of the Resurrection, letting the Father’s act of lifting His
Son become the pattern of your own courage: you rise because He rose, you stand
because He stands, and you fear nothing because the Risen Christ has already
been lifted above everything that shakes the earth.
Prayer. WE beseech Thee, O Lord,
that the fasts of this holy observance may procure us an increase of piety in
our lives, and the continual help of Thy mercy.
EPISTLE. Exodus xxxii. 7-14.
In those days the Lord
spoke to Moses, saying: Go, get thee down: thy people, which thou hast brought
out of the land of Egypt, hath sinned. They have quickly strayed from the way
which thou didst show them: and they have made to themselves a molten calf, and
have adored it, and sacrificing victims to it, have said: These are thy gods, O
Israel, that have brought thee out of the land of Egypt. And again, the Lord
said to Moses: I see that this people are stiff-necked: let Me alone, that My
wrath may be kindled against them, and that I may destroy them, and I will make
of thee a great nation. But Moses besought the Lord his God, saying: Why, O
Lord, is Thy indignation enkindled against Thy people, whom Thou hast brought
out of the land of Egypt, with great power, and with a mighty hand?
Let not the Egyptians say,
I beseech Thee: He craftily brought them out, that He might kill them in the
mountains, and destroy them from the earth: let Thy anger cease and be appeased
upon the wickedness of Thy people. Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, thy
servants, to whom Thou sworest by Thy own self, saying: I will multiply your
seed as the stars of heaven: and this whole land that I have spoken of, I will
give to your seed, and you shall possess it forever. And the Lord was appeased
from doing the evil which He had spoken against His people.
GOSPEL. John vii. 14-31.
At that time: About the
midst of the feast, Jesus went up into the temple, and taught. And the Jews
wondered, saying: How doth this man know letters, having never learned?
Jesus answered them and
said: My doctrine is not Mine, but His that sent Me. If any man will do the
will of Him: he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I
speak of Myself. He that speaketh of himself, seeketh his own glory: but he
that seeketh the glory of him that sent him, he is true, and there is no
injustice in him. Did not Moses give you the law, and yet none of you keepeth
the law? Why seek you to kill Me? The multitude answered, and said: Thou hast a
devil; who seeketh to kill Thee?
Jesus answered and said to
them: One work I have done; and you all wonder: therefore, Moses gave you
circumcision (not because it is of Moses, but of the fathers); and on the
Sabbath-day you circumcise a man. If a man receive circumcision on the Sabbath-day,
that the law of Moses may not be broken; are you angry at Me because I have
healed the whole man on the Sabbath-day?
Judge not according to the
appearance but judge just judgment. Some therefore of Jerusalem said: Is not
this He Whom they seek to kill?
And behold He speaketh
openly, and they say nothing to Him. Have the rulers known for a truth that
this is the Christ?
But we know this man
whence He is but when the Christ cometh, no man knoweth whence He is. Jesus
therefore cried out in the temple, teaching and saying: You both know Me, and
you know whence I am, and I am not come of Myself; but He that sent Me is true,
Whom you know not. I know Him, because I am from Him, and He hath sent Me. They
sought therefore to apprehend Him: and no man laid hands on Him, because His
hour was not yet come. But of the people many believed in Him.
(During times when we wish to express
repentance and especially during Lent, it is customary to pray the seven
penitential psalms. The penitential designation of these psalms dates from the
seventh century. Prayerfully reciting these psalms will help us to recognize
our sinfulness, express our sorrow and ask for God’s forgiveness.)
Pray:
“Hasten to answer me,
LORD; for my spirit fails me. Do not hide your face from me, lest I become like
those descending to the pit. In the morning let me hear of your mercy, for
in you I trust. Show me the path I should walk, for I entrust my life to
you.” (Ps
143:7-8)
Act: The psalmist pleads his case before
the Lord: he is surrounded by enemies, his spirit is faint, and he has nothing
left to withstand them. And so, he begs for mercy, that the Lord would show his
face and be his refuge in his time of great need.
We often learn our doctrine much more deeply and effectively simply by
celebrating the feasts and fasts of the Church.
In fact in Orthodox Judaism the calendar is the catechism of Israel.
According to Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch, “On
the pinions of time which bear us through life, God has inscribed the eternal
words of His soul-inspiring doctrine, making days and weeks, months and years
the heralds to proclaim His truths. Nothing would seem more fleeting than these
elements of time, but to them God has entrusted the care of His holy things,
thereby rendering them more imperishable and more accessible.”
CCC2698.
The Tradition of the Church proposes to the faithful certain rhythms of praying
intended to nourish continual prayer. Some are daily, such as morning and
evening prayer, grace before and after meals, the Liturgy of the Hours.
Sundays, centered on the Eucharist, are kept holy primarily by prayer. The
cycle of the liturgical year and its great feasts are also basic rhythms of the
Christian's life of prayer.
No one knows human nature better than the God who created it. The book of
Genesis tells us that the Lord God made the world in six days and rested on the
seventh. He rested not because he was weary-God does not tire-but because He
wanted to provide a model for human labor and rest. The Church calendar
coincides with the cosmic rhythms of God. The Church calendar reflects this
fact: That Christ rose from the dead in
payment for our sins and is the Jewish Messiah that was hoped for.
Though technically only the last
fourteen days of Lent explicitly consider the sufferings of our Lord, the
Stations of the Cross (a.k.a. the Way of the Cross) have long been a popular
Lenten devotion for any or all of the forty days (though they tend to be done
on Fridays). These fourteen scenes from the via dolorosa, the sorrowful path
that Christ took while carrying His cross to Golgotha, help direct one's heart
to the mysterium fidei of our Lord's selfless sacrifice.
ST. PATRICK[6] was born towards the close of the
fourth century, but the place of his birth is not positively known. Britain and
Scotland both claim the honor, but the best authorities seem to agree upon
Brittany, in France. In his sixteenth year he was carried into captivity by
certain barbarians, who took him into Ireland, where he was obliged to keep
cattle on the mountains and in the forests, in hunger and nakedness, amidst
snows, rain, and ice. The young man had recourse to God with his whole heart in
fervent prayer and fasting and from that time faith and the love of God
acquired continually new strength in his tender soul. After six months spent in
slavery under the same master St. Patrick was admonished by God in a dream to
return to his own country, and informed that a ship was then ready to sail
thither. He went at once to the seacoast, though at a great distance, and found
the vessel. After three days sail, they made land, but wandered twenty-seven
days through deserts, and were a long while distressed for want of provisions.
Patrick assured the company that if they would address themselves with their
whole hearts to the true God He would hear and succor them. They did so, and on
the same day met with a herd of swine. From that time provisions never failed
them, till on the twenty-seventh day they came into a country that was
cultivated and inhabited. Some years afterwards he was again led captive but
recovered his liberty after two months. When he was at home with his parents,
God manifested to him, by divers’ visions, that He destined him to the great
work of the conversion of Ireland. The writers of his life say that after his
second captivity he travelled into Gaul and Italy, and saw St. Martin, St.
Germanus of Auxerre, and Pope Celestine, and that he received his mission and
the apostolical benediction from this Pope, who died in 432. Great opposition
was made to his episcopal consecration and mission, both by his own relations
and by the clergy; but the Lord, whose will he consulted by earnest prayer,
supported him, and he persevered in his resolution. He forsook his family, sold
his birthright and dignity to serve strangers, and consecrated his soul to God,
to carry His name to the ends of the earth. In this disposition he passed into
Ireland to preach the Gospel, penetrating into the remotest corners; and such
was the fruit of his preaching’s and sufferings that he baptized an infinite
number of people. He ordained everywhere clergymen, induced women to live in
holy widowhood and continence, consecrated virgins to Christ, and instituted
monks. He took nothing from the many thousands whom he baptized, but gave
freely of his own, both to pagans and Christians, distributed large alms to the
poor in the provinces where he passed, and maintained and educated many children,
whom he trained to serve at the altar. The happy success of his labors cost him
many persecutions. He died and was buried at Down, in Ulster. His body was
found there in a church of his name in 1185 and translated to another part of
the same church.
I
bind unto myself today the power of God to hold and lead, His eye to watch, his
might to stay, His ear to hearken to my need; the wisdom of my God to teach,
his hand to guide, his shield to ward; the word of God to give me speech, his
heavenly host to be my guard. Christ be with me, Christ within me, Christ
behind me, Christ before me, Christ beside me, Christ to win me, Christ to
comfort and restore me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Christ in quiet,
Christ in danger, Christ in the hearts of all that love me, Christ in the mouth
of friend and stranger. Amen
·This
is a good day to honor St. Patrick by trying typical Irish fare: corned beef
and cabbage, soda bread, scones, stew, Shepherd's pie, potatoes in various
forms and the famous beer and spirits of Ireland. For dessert, try making the
Irish Porter Cake.
·Read
the Lorica (Breastplate) of St. Patrick. Here is an older translation — pray it with your family after your rosary tonight.
·Don
your friendliest green for St. Patrick’s Day. Boston is the place to be, with the city’s official
St. Patrick’s Day Parade drawing anywhere from 600,000 to 1 million people
every year.
·St.
Patrick used the three-leaf shamrock to explain the Trinity to non-Christians.
The leaves stood for the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
·Approximately
5.5 million pints of Irish Guinness stout are consumed on an average day. On
St. Patrick's Day, nearly 13 million are consumed.
·Wearing
the shamrock, a three-leaf clover is a St. Patrick's Day tradition. The
official three-leaf clover is known scientifically as Trifolium dubium however
clovers can also have more leaves. Four-leaf clovers are said to be lucky,
however the odds of finding one are about 1 to 10,000.
·The
love of God and his fear grew in me more and more, as did the faith, and my
soul was roused, so that, in a single day, I have said as many as a hundred
prayers and in the night, nearly the same. - St. Patrick
·SlΓ‘inte!
- used when clinking glasses with friends at a bar (equivalent of Cheers or
Health!)
Saint
Patrick's Day Top Events and Things to Do
·Wear
green! In some parts of the world, the custom is to pinch people who aren't
wearing the color of shamrocks.
·Attend
a St. Patrick's Day parade. Major cities like Chicago, New York, San
Francisco, Dallas, and Boston host marching bands and floats.
·The
heart of any Irish neighborhood is its local pub. Share a couple of green
Guinness beers
with friends at a local Irish pub or try Magner's (Bulmer's) apple cider as an
alternative.
·St.
Patrick was a brave and humble man. Have you been putting off something
because you are afraid to do it? Do it today in honor of St. Patrick's
Day.
Ireland has a long tradition of holy pilgrimages, dating
back to St. Patrick’s
fast on what is now known as Croagh Patrick in 441. In the pasts few years, the
Pilgrim Paths foundation has been restoring the ancient penitential paths and
has so far created five guided walks. After pilgrims get their “passports” stamped after completing
each of the five routes, they receive an Irish Pilgrim Paths completion
certificate from Ballintubber Abbey in County Mayo.
When we consider God valued the
human person as so precious enough to die for, we should make a concerted
effort to aid others.
The giving of Alms has everything
to do with devotions and piety. Almsgiving is a powerful form of prayer. “Prayer and fasting are good, but better
than either is almsgiving accompanied by righteousness…It is better to give
alms than to store up gold; for almsgiving saves one from death and expiates
every sin. Those who regularly give alms shall enjoy a full life” (Tob
12:8-9) To give alms is to give to God. If we are giving alms righteously then
most likely we are doing it though some form of fasting giving from our
substance. The giving of Alms should not philanthropy with a smiling photo op
and boost to our pride. The earliest Christians knew they could not make a good
Communion if they neglected the poor. St. Ignatius noted that the twin marks of
heresy are the neglect of the poor and neglect of the Eucharist. “The mystery
of the poor is this: that they are Jesus and what you do for them you do to
him.” (Dorothy Day) The Eucharist is the key to a civilization of love. It
saves us from misguided tenderness and feel-good philanthropy, because it gives
us the grace to sacrifice as Jesus did. Our main focus must be widows and
orphans. (Single parents and children) “Widows and orphan are to be revered
like the altar of sacrifice.” (Pope Paul VI) We should give as much as we can
and we should give it responsibly making sure the alms are not wasted.
Mormons in their almsgiving, for
example, do fast offerings in addition to tithing. This offering accompanies a
monthly 24-hour fast. All the money that would have been spent to buy food
during those 24 hours is donated to the Church for the purpose of feeding the
hungry and caring for the needy.
Bible in a
year Day 258 The
Kingdom is here
Fr. Mike introduces us to the Gospel of Matthew, including his
genealogy, nativity, and the first days of his ministry. He pulls it all
together to show that not only is Jesus reconstituting the kingdom in his
ministry, but he's inviting us to join him in this kingdom. Today’s readings
are Matthew 1-4, and Proverbs 18:17-20.
Litany of Trust — Tuesday,
March 17
From
the fear that the world’s shaking will undo me,
deliver
me, Jesus.
Reflection
There are seasons when the world
feels unstable—when nations rage, foundations tremble, and the future seems to
tilt beneath our feet. Psalm 46 names this shaking honestly, yet answers it
with a deeper truth: God is not distant from the turmoil; He is in the midst
of His people. Fear gains power when we imagine ourselves standing alone, but
it collapses when we remember that the One who holds the earth together holds
us as well.
The early Church understood the
Resurrection not only as victory over death but as an ascent—Christ lifted by
the Father into a place no earthly power can reach. That upward movement
becomes the pattern of Christian courage. St. Patrick lived from this reality.
He entered a land ruled by fear, yet he walked with the confidence of one who
knew that Christ had already been raised above every spirit, curse, and threat.
The soldiers at the tomb trembled at the earthquake but remained bound to
earthly fear; Patrick stood firm because his life was anchored in the risen,
exalted Christ. To confront fear is to let that same upward pull steady your
heart—to stand because He stands, to rise because He has been raised, and to
trust that no shaking can overturn the one whom the Father lifts.
Scripture
“God is our refuge and our
strength, an ever‑present help in distress. Therefore we do not fear, though
earth be shaken and mountains quake to the depths of the sea.”
— Psalm 46:2–3
Prayer
Jesus, when the world trembles
and fear presses close, lift my eyes to Your risen life. Let the strength of
Your exaltation become the strength of my heart. Teach me to stand in Your
victory and to trust that the Father who raised You will hold me fast.
Reflection Question
Where do you feel the ground
shifting beneath you—and what would it look like to let the risen Christ lift
your courage above the fear?
[10] Hahn, Scott, Signs of Life; 40 Catholic Customs
and their biblical roots. Chap. 33. Almsgiving.
[11]Foley, Michael P... Drinking with the Saints: The
Sinner's Guide to a Holy Happy Hour (p. 370). Regnery History. Kindle Edition.
[12] Schultz, Patricia. 1,000 Places to See Before You
Die: A Traveler's Life List Workman Publishing Company. Kindle Edition.
[13] Sheraton, Mimi. 1,000 Foods To Eat Before You Die: A
Food Lover's Life List (p. 800). Workman Publishing Company. Kindle Edition.
It Happens Every Spring (1949)
Production Details
Studio: 20th Century Fox Director: Lloyd Bacon Release: May 26, 1949 Source Material: Original story by Shirley W. Smith Genre: Comedy / Sports / Light Fantasy Runtime: 87 minutes Cast: Ray Milland, Jean Peters, Paul Douglas, Ed Begley, Alan Hale Sr., Ted de Corsia
Story Summary
Professor Vernon K. Simpson (Ray Milland), a gentle, underpaid chemistry instructor, dreams of marrying Deborah Greenleaf (Jean Peters), the dean’s daughter. But with no money and no prospects, he feels trapped in a life too small for the hopes he carries.
Then an accident in his laboratory produces a strange compound—methylethylpropylbutyl—that repels wood. When it touches a baseball, bats cannot make contact. Suddenly, Simpson sees a way out: take a secret advantage, become a star pitcher, earn enough money to marry Deborah, and return to teaching.
Under the alias “King Kelly,” he becomes a sensation for the St. Louis team, baffling hitters and thrilling fans. But the deeper he goes into the deception, the more he feels the strain of living a double life. His conscience, his vocation, and his love for Deborah all begin to pull him back toward the truth.
The climax arrives when Simpson must choose between worldly success built on a lie and the quiet, honest life he was made for. His return to integrity restores his peace—and his future.
Historical and Cultural Influences
Postwar American Optimism
Released in 1949, the film reflects a nation eager for lightness after the war. Baseball—America’s pastime—became a symbol of renewal, normalcy, and communal joy. The film’s tone mirrors that cultural longing for innocence regained.
The Scientist as Folk Hero
The late 1940s saw a fascination with scientific breakthroughs, from atomic power to plastics. Simpson represents the “everyman scientist”—brilliant but humble—whose discovery disrupts the world in a comic rather than catastrophic way.
Baseball as Moral Arena
Baseball films of the era often used the sport as a stage for character formation. Here, the diamond becomes a place where temptation, ambition, and integrity collide.
Catholic Themes and Moral Resonances
Integrity Over Advantage
Simpson’s chemical discovery is a metaphor for the shortcuts we justify when we feel unseen or undervalued. The film gently exposes how even “harmless” deception erodes the soul.
Vocation as Anchor
Simpson is a teacher at heart. His detour into fame reveals the spiritual truth that vocation is not merely what we do—it is who we are. Returning to teaching is his return to himself.
Love as Moral Compass
Deborah’s steady, luminous presence embodies the virtue of constancy. She does not push, manipulate, or demand. Her quiet goodness becomes the gravitational pull that draws Simpson back to honesty.
Springtime as Spiritual Symbol
Spring is the season of renewal, repentance, and restored beginnings. Simpson’s journey mirrors the Christian rhythm of falling, awakening, and returning.
Hospitality Pairing
Drink
Spring Shandy — half crisp pilsner, half fresh lemonade, garnished with a thin lemon wheel. Light, refreshing, and honest—no tricks, no shortcuts.
Snack/Meal
Ballpark Board — grilled brats, soft pretzels, mustard trio (yellow, spicy brown, honey), and a bowl of spring pickles. A playful nod to baseball culture with a touch of refinement.
Atmosphere
Open windows, fresh air, and the faint sound of a ballgame on the radio before the film begins. Use simple, clean tableware—nothing fancy—to reinforce the theme of returning to what is true and unpretentious.
Reflection Prompt
Where in your life are you tempted to use a “secret advantage” to get ahead—and what would it look like to lay it down and return to the vocation that actually gives you peace?
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