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. "
Studio: 20th Century Fox Director: Carol Reed Release: 1965 Screenplay: Philip Dunne, based on Irving Stone’s biographical novel Stars: Charlton Heston, Rex Harrison, Diane Cilento, Harry Andrews Genre: Historical drama / Biographical epic Notable: A rare film that dramatizes the spiritual and artistic struggle behind the Sistine Chapel ceiling. Heston and Harrison embody two titanic wills—Michelangelo’s interior vocation and Pope Julius II’s outward mission—locked in a conflict that becomes a meditation on creation, authority, and divine calling.
π§ Story Summary
Michelangelo Buonarroti (Charlton Heston), already a renowned sculptor, is reluctantly commissioned by Pope Julius II (Rex Harrison) to paint the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. Michelangelo resists, insisting he is a sculptor, not a painter. His first attempt collapses under the weight of his own dissatisfaction, and he abandons Rome for the mountains, seeking clarity in the raw forms of nature.
In the solitude of the quarries, he receives a renewed vision—Creation, Fall, Flood, and the promise of redemption. He returns to Rome with a fire that neither exhaustion, criticism, nor papal impatience can extinguish. Julius II, meanwhile, wages wars, battles illness, and pushes Michelangelo relentlessly, demanding progress even as he himself is transformed by the unfolding beauty above him.
The ceiling becomes a crucible for both men: Michelangelo’s agony of creation and Julius’s agony of leadership. When the frescoes are finally revealed, the ecstasy is not triumph but revelation—beauty born from struggle, vocation purified through conflict, and two flawed men drawn closer to God through the work they fought to complete.
π° Historical and Cultural Context
1960s epic filmmaking favored grand historical canvases, and this film stands out for grounding spectacle in spiritual and artistic interiority.
Charlton Heston, known for biblical epics, brings a prophet‑like intensity to Michelangelo—driven, stubborn, and aflame with vocation.
Rex Harrison plays Julius II as both warrior and shepherd, capturing the Renaissance papacy’s blend of political power and spiritual responsibility.
The film reflects mid‑20th‑century fascination with genius as burden, portraying artistic creation as a form of suffering that yields transcendence.
Its attention to the Genesis cycle mirrors a cultural moment hungry for origins, meaning, and the possibility of renewal amid global upheaval.
✝️ Catholic Moral Resonances
Beneath the Renaissance grandeur lies a deeply Catholic meditation on vocation, obedience, and the sanctifying power of beauty.
Vocation as Obedience to Truth
Michelangelo refuses to paint what he does not believe. His agony is fidelity—an artist wrestling with God’s call. This mirrors the Church’s teaching that vocation is not self‑expression but self‑gift.
Authority as a Refining Fire
Julius II’s pressure exposes Michelangelo’s pride, but Michelangelo’s persistence exposes Julius’s need for humility. Their conflict becomes mutual sanctification: authority purified by beauty, genius disciplined by obedience.
Creation as Participation in God’s Work
The Genesis frescoes are not decoration; they are catechesis in color and form. Michelangelo becomes a co‑creator, revealing divine truth through human craft.
Suffering as the Path to Revelation
The ceiling is born through exhaustion, misunderstanding, and near collapse. This echoes the Paschal pattern: suffering that yields glory, labor that becomes liturgy.
Beauty as Evangelization
Julius II, hardened by war and politics, is softened and converted by the beauty unfolding above him. The film affirms the Church’s conviction that beauty can pierce the heart where argument cannot.
π· Hospitality Pairing
Drink: Tuscan Sangiovese — earthy, structured, tied to the same soil Michelangelo carved and loved. A wine that tastes of stone, labor, and sunlight.
Snack: Pecorino Toscano with figs or honey — simple, monastic, and worthy of a feast day. A pairing that honors both the austerity of the artist and the splendor of the finished work.
Atmosphere:
A single candle or lamp to echo the chapel’s contemplative glow.
Renaissance choral music—Palestrina or Victoria—played softly before the film.
Silence afterward, allowing the viewer to sit with the weight of creation and the grace of completion.
πͺ Reflection Prompt
Where is God asking you to labor in a way that feels costly, slow, or misunderstood—and what vision, once received, would give you the strength to persevere until the work becomes revelation?
Studio: Paramount Pictures Director: Mitchell Leisen Release: 1937 Screenplay: Virginia Van Upp, based on the Broadway play Burlesque Stars: Carole Lombard, Fred MacMurray, Charles Butterworth, Harvey Stephens Genre: Romantic comedy / Musical drama Notable: One of the finest Lombard–MacMurray pairings; a rise‑and‑fall story wrapped in nightclub glamour and emotional realism. The Panama Canal Zone setting gives the film an expatriate, morally humid atmosphere where charm and temptation coexist.
π§ Story Summary
Maggie King (Carole Lombard), a shipboard hairdresser, is stranded in Panama after a chaotic encounter with Skid Johnson (Fred MacMurray), a trumpet‑playing soldier with more talent than discipline. Thrown together by circumstance, they build a life in the local nightclub scene—she dances, he plays, and their affection grows into marriage.
Skid’s trumpet brilliance draws the attention of New York agents, and success pulls him away from Maggie. Distance, pride, and an opportunistic former flame erode his fidelity. Maggie, wounded but steadfast, watches the man she loves unravel under the weight of fame and self‑indulgence. Only when Skid hits bottom does he recognize the cost of his pride and the depth of Maggie’s loyalty.
The film resolves not with spectacle but with humility: a broken man returning to the woman who never stopped loving him, and a marriage rebuilt on truth rather than charm.
π° Historical and Cultural Context
Paramount in the late 1930s specialized in sophisticated romantic dramas with musical flair, and Leisen was a master of emotional texture.
Carole Lombard, though famous for screwball comedy, delivers one of her most grounded, emotionally mature performances.
Fred MacMurray was still early in his career, often cast as the charming but flawed everyman—an archetype he refines here.
The Panama Canal Zone setting reflects 1930s fascination with exotic, transient spaces where Americans lived outside familiar moral structures.
The film’s rise‑and‑fall arc mirrors Depression‑era anxieties about ambition, instability, and the fragility of relationships under pressure.
✝️ Catholic Moral Resonances
The film’s nightclub sheen hides a deeply moral story about vocation, fidelity, and the purifying fire of humility.
Fidelity as Covenant, Not Sentiment
Maggie’s love is not naΓ―ve; it is covenantal. She remains faithful not because Skid deserves it but because she understands marriage as a promise that endures through disorder. Her fidelity mirrors the Church’s teaching that love is an act of the will, not a mood.
Ambition Without Virtue Leads to Ruin
Skid’s downfall is not caused by talent but by pride. His gifts become destructive when detached from gratitude and discipline. Catholic moral tradition warns that unanchored ambition corrodes the soul and fractures relationships.
Humility as the Doorway to Restoration
Skid’s return is not triumphant—it is penitential. He must face the truth of his failures, accept Maggie’s mercy, and rebuild his life from the ground up. This echoes the sacramental pattern: contrition, confession, restoration.
Mercy That Does Not Excuse Sin
Maggie forgives, but she does not pretend nothing happened. Her mercy is clear‑eyed, rooted in truth. This is the Church’s vision of mercy: not indulgence, but love that heals without lying.
Marriage as Mutual Sanctification
Their reconciliation suggests that marriage is a school of virtue. Maggie’s steadfastness and Skid’s repentance become the means by which both grow in maturity and grace.
πΈ Hospitality Pairing
Drink: The Panama Highball — light rum, lime, and club soda. Bright, tropical, and honest—echoing the film’s early joy before ambition complicates things.
Snack: Plantain chips with a touch of sea salt. Simple, warm, and rooted in the film’s Canal Zone setting.
Atmosphere:
Soft jazz or trumpet instrumentals playing quietly.
A dim lamp or candle to evoke the nightclub’s glow without its chaos.
A small keepsake or memento on the table—a reminder of Maggie’s steadfastness and the way love remembers even when wounded.
πͺ Reflection Prompt
Where has ambition—your own or someone else’s—pulled you away from the relationships that anchor you, and what small act of humility could begin the work of restoration?
Not a Ladies’ Man (1942)
π¬ Production Snapshot
Studio: Columbia Pictures
Director: Lew Landers
Release: 1942
Screenplay: Rian James (from the story Just Another Dame by Robert Hardy Andrews)
Stars: Paul Kelly, Fay Wray, Douglas Croft, Ruth Ford
Genre: Domestic drama / Legal melodrama
Notable: One of Fay Wray’s final pre‑retirement roles; a compact, 60‑minute Columbia B‑drama centered on fatherhood, truth‑telling, and the moral cost of public duty.
π§ Story Summary
District Attorney Robert Bruce (Paul Kelly) is a recently divorced father trying to raise his young son, Bill, with steadiness and integrity. Bill’s emotional turmoil at school draws the attention of his compassionate teacher, Hester Hunter (Fay Wray), whose concern slowly becomes affection for both father and son.
The drama intensifies when Robert discovers that his ex‑wife has remarried a racketeer he is preparing to prosecute. His instinct to protect Bill from shame collides with his obligation to uphold the law. Bill, sensing the tension but not understanding it, tries to “fix” the situation in ways that only deepen the crisis.
The film moves toward a quiet, human resolution: truth must be faced, dignity must be preserved, and love—steady, patient, unshowy—can rebuild what fear and secrecy have strained.
π° Historical and Cultural Context
Wartime domestic dramas were common in the early 1940s, offering audiences stories of home, duty, and moral clarity amid global uncertainty.
Columbia’s B‑unit specialized in brisk, emotionally direct films that foregrounded character over spectacle.
Fay Wray’s late‑career roles often cast her as a stabilizing, morally grounded presence—an echo of her shift away from the sensationalism of her early 1930s fame.
Legal melodramas of this era frequently explored the tension between public responsibility and private vulnerability, reflecting anxieties about corruption, family breakdown, and civic virtue.
✝️ Catholic Moral Resonances
The film’s quiet domestic scale opens surprisingly rich moral territory.
Truth as the Foundation of Communion
Robert’s desire to shield his son from painful truths is understandable, but secrecy fractures trust. Catholic moral teaching frames truth not as harsh exposure but as the ground on which relationships can heal.
The Vocation of Fatherhood
Robert’s struggle is not simply legal—it is vocational. He must discern how to be a father who protects without deceiving, who disciplines without crushing, who models integrity even when it costs him.
The Teacher as Moral Witness
Hester embodies the Church’s vision of accompaniment: she sees the child, not the scandal; she offers presence rather than judgment. Her role mirrors the vocation of educators who safeguard dignity and nurture hope.
Justice Without Vengeance
The prosecution of the racketeer is not framed as triumph but as duty. Catholic social teaching insists that justice must be ordered toward the common good, not personal vindication. Robert’s restraint reflects this.
Healing Through Right Relationship
The film’s resolution suggests that families are repaired not by erasing the past but by choosing fidelity in the present—an echo of the Church’s insistence that grace works through human cooperation, not magical escape.
π· Hospitality Pairing Drink: A Whiskey Highball—simple, honest, unpretentious. It matches the film’s tone: nothing flashy, just clarity and warmth.
Snack: Buttered toast with a sprinkle of smoked salt. Domestic, comforting, and evocative of a kitchen where a father and son might talk through hard truths.
Atmosphere:
A single lamp on, creating a sense of evening reflection.
A schoolbook or notebook on the table, nodding to Hester’s quiet influence.
A sense of calm order—because the film is about rebuilding what disorder has strained.
πͺ Reflection Prompt
Where in your life are you tempted to “protect” someone by withholding truth—and what would it look like to trust that charity and clarity together can heal more deeply than silence?
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?
Thursday is the day of the week that our Lord gave himself up for consumption. Thursday commemorates the last supper. Some theologians believe after Sunday Thursday is the holiest day of the week. We should then try to make this day special by making a visit to the blessed sacrament chapel, Mass or even stopping by the grave of a loved one. Why not plan to count the blessing of the week and thank our Lord. Plan a special meal. Be at Peace.
According to Mary Agreda[6] in her visions it was on a Thursday at six o'clock in the evening and at the approach of night that the Angel Gabriel approached and announced her as Mother of God and she gave her fiat.
This iconic spot located near Moab in Utah is a jaw-dropping spot! Spanning over 76,000 acres, I was seriously in awe of its striking collection of over 2,000 highly photogenic natural sandstone arches.
With summer temperatures reaching up to 100 degrees, I took a trip here during the spring and found much more comfortable (and safer!) temperatures to explore and hike the beautiful scenic trails.
I found the most Instagram-worthy spots to be the Delicate Arch, which I reached via the moderate Delicate Arch Trail, the incredible Landscape Arch, accessible through the easy Devils Garden Trail, and the striking Double Arch, which I could easily see from the Windows Section Parking Lot and the ancient Wolf Ranch Petroglyph Panel. I also stayed for sunset and saw the whole park bathed in an ethereal orange glow!
Visitor’s Centre Address: Ut-211, Canyonlands National Park, Moab, UT 84532, +1 435-259-4711
Going on a free Ranger-Led guided tour on the maze-like Fiery Furnace trail and seeing narrow sandstone canyons and arches as well as learning all about the history of the park.
The Arches Scenic Drive was an unforgettable experience – I passed iconic landmarks such as the towering Park Avenue, the gravity-defying Balanced Rock, the majestic Double Arch, and tonnes of breathtaking viewpoints along the way! So, March is a great time to get the best of both worlds.
MARCH 19 Thursday-Solemnity of St.
Joseph
Matthew, Chapter 1,
verse 19-20:
Joseph her husband,
since he was a righteous man, yet unwilling to expose her to shame, decided to
divorce her quietly.Such was his
intention when, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and
said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be AFRAID to take Mary your wife
into your home. For it is through the Holy Spirit that this child has been
conceived in her.
Even righteous
people become afraid at times but Mark Shea a catholic writer points out that
Joseph being a devote Jew may have had Holy fear as the basis of his being afraid.
”Modernity
assumes it was because he thought her guilty of adultery, but the typical view
in antiquity understood the text to mean he was afraid of her sanctity — as a
pious Jew would be afraid to touch the Ark of the Covenant. After all, think of
what Mary told him about the angel's words: "The Holy Spirit will come
upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the
Child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God."[1]
We should follow
the example of Joseph and be not afraid to take Mary into our home!
I know one small
way I have taken Mary in my home is to silently say a Hail Mary when I wash my
hands to eat-praying,
“Mary help me not to
wash your son’s blood from my hands as Pilot did. Help me to have no innocent
blood on my hands. Let me not wash off responsibility for others
Copilot
Joseph’s
fear in Matthew 1 becomes a mirror for an age when evil is no longer subtle but
increasingly unmasked. His trembling before the mystery of Mary’s sanctity is
the opposite of the fear that dominates modern headlines. It is a holy fear—the
instinct of a righteous man who recognizes that stepping toward God’s work will
place him in the path of darkness as well. The angel’s command, “Do not be
afraid to take Mary into your home,” becomes a commissioning to stand firm
in a world where Herod still rages, innocence is still threatened, and the
vulnerable still need guardians who act with quiet decisiveness rather than
public bravado.
In
this light, Joseph’s obedience becomes a form of spiritual resistance. He
confronts evil not by matching its violence but by sheltering the Christ-child,
protecting the woman chosen to bear Him, and moving swiftly when danger
approaches. His courage is hidden, domestic, and fiercely faithful—the kind of
courage that refuses to wash its hands like Pilate, refuses to surrender
responsibility, and refuses to let fear dictate the shape of a home. In a world
shaken by conflict, cruelty, and moral confusion, Joseph’s example shows that
confronting evil begins with fidelity to the holy, protection of the innocent,
and the willingness to let God’s presence reorder the rhythms of daily life.
ST.
JOSEPH was descended from the kingly line of David and was a kinsman of the
Blessed Virgin Mary (Matt. i. 1-16). The Gospel gives him the praise of being
just (Matt. i. 19), that is, a man distinguished for all virtues. And surely,
as he was chosen from all other men by God to be the foster-father of His Son,
he undoubtedly excelled, in virtues and sanctity, all saints then living. Of
his youth nothing certain is known to us, and of his later life we know only
what the Gospel relates. He was a carpenter (Matt. xiii. 55), and lived at
Nazareth, in Galilee (Luke ii. 4). Being espoused to Mary, he was inclined,
upon learning that she was with child, to put her away privately, not wishing
to expose her to public reproach but being instructed by an angel, he took her
to himself, in obedience to the command of God, went with her to Bethlehem, and
afterwards, with Mary and the new-born child, fled, without timidity, to Egypt
(Matt. ii. 13). At the command of the angel, he returned thence, and again
dwelt in Nazareth (Matt. ii. 23). From this place they went every year to the
feast at Jerusalem, where it happened that Jesus, then twelve years old,
remained behind them in the temple, and was anxiously sought for by them. More
than this is not told us. At the time of the marriage at Cana it would seem
that he was no longer living, since there is no mention made of him. Though
little is said of him, that little is rich in profitable instruction. How
worthy to be admired and imitated is his example his chastity, his tenderness
towards Mary, his forbearing to pronounce a judgment in regard to her condition
when he could not explain it, his quick and unreserved obedience towards God
and the commands of authority, his love for Jesus, and his care for both the
mother and the child. On account of his sanctity God has specially
distinguished him by miracles, and the Church honors him in a particular
manner. In the Litany of the Saints, he is named among the patriarchs, and the
feast of his patronage is celebrated on the third Sunday after Easter.
Venerate, therefore, St. Joseph choose him for your protector in life and in
death and make yourself worthy of his protection by following his example.
The
Introit of the Mass is as follows: " The just shall flourish like the
palm-tree; he shall grow up like the cedar of Libanus, planted in the house of
the Lord, in the courts of the house of our God. It is good to give praise to
the Lord, and to sing to Thy name, O Most High." Amen.
Prayer.
We
beseech Thee, O Lord, that we may be assisted by the merits of the spouse of
Thy most holy Mother, that what of our selves we are unable to obtain may be
given to us by his intercession. Amen.
EPISTLE. Ecclus. xlv. 1-6.
He
was beloved of God and men: whose memory is in benediction. He made him like
the saints in glory, and magnified him in the fear of his enemies, and with his
words he made prodigies to cease. He glorified him in the sight of kings, and
gave him commandments in the sight of his people, and showed him His glory. He
sanctified him in his faith and meekness, and chose him out of all flesh. For
He heard him, and his voice, and brought him into a cloud. And He gave him
commandments before his face, and a law of life and instruction.
GOSPEL. Matt. i. 18-21.
When
Mary, the Mother of Jesus, was espoused to Joseph, before they came together,
she was found with child, of the Holy Ghost. Whereupon Joseph her husband,
being a just man, and not willing publicly to expose her was minded to put her
away privately. But while he thought on these things, be hold the angel of the
Lord appeared to him in his sleep, saying: Joseph, son of David, fear not to
take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy
Ghost; and she shall bring forth a Son: and thou shalt call His name JESUS: for
He shall save His people from their sins.
Instruction
To
encourage us to veneration for St. Joseph St. Teresa wrote “I do not remember
to have asked St. Joseph for anything which he did not grant me. The great
favors which God has granted me through him, and the many dangers of soul and
body from which he has freed me, truly deserve admiration. It seems that God
has granted to other saints the grace of assisting, in particular needs, those
who invoke their intercession; but this glorious saint assists in all needs.
The Lord seems thereby to indicate that, as He was subject to Joseph on earth,
so now He grants him whatever he asks for. The same thing has been experienced
by persons whom I have advised to recommend themselves to him.” “I would gladly
advise everyone,” says St. Alphonsus, to have a great devotion towards this
saint, since I have experienced what graces he can obtain from God. For several
years I have asked him, on his feast, for some particular grace, and every time
my petition has been granted. As we all have to die, we should have a particular
devotion towards St. Joseph, that he may obtain for us a happy death for all
Catholic Christians consider him to be an intercessor for the dying, and that
he assists, at the hour of death, those who venerate him; and this for three
reasons
1. Because
Jesus loves him, not only as a friend, but as a father, on which account his
intercession is more powerful than that of any other saint.
2. Because
St. Joseph obtained special power against the evil spirits who tempt us at the
hour of death.
3. The
assistance which Jesus and Mary gave to Joseph at the hour of his own death
procured for him the right to obtain a holy and easy death for his dependents.
If in their dying hour they invoke his aid, not only will he assist them, but
he will obtain for them the assistance of Jesus and Mary. “Ought not these
words of a great saint encourage you to venerate St. Joseph every day? Should
not the hope of dying one day under the protection of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph,
move you to devotion to the foster-father of Jesus?”
Prayer
to St. Joseph
O
most chaste Joseph, who, by thy purity and other exalted virtues, wast worthy
to be chosen for the spouse of Mary and the foster-father of Jesus, I beseech
thee, by the great graces of which thou wast made partaker, that thou wouldst,
by thy intercession, obtain for all parents grace to rear their children
piously; for all married persons who are distressed and afflicted through
poverty and tribulations consolation and encouragement; for all unmarried
persons who have devoted their chastity to God the grace of perseverance; and,
finally, for all the dying the grace to come, after a happy death, to thy
fosterchild, Jesus Christ, Who, with the Father and the Holy Ghost, liveth and
reigneth one God, world without end. Amen.
Meditate
on the humility of Saint Joseph this day; ask his assistance and special
protection.
·A table overflowing with good Italian food
honoring St. Joseph is a traditional Sicilian custom. The feast of San Giuseppe
began in the Middle Ages when Sicily was suffering from a severe drought and
the desperate people begged St. Joseph for rain. When they received rainy
weather in response, they held a huge "feste" in Saint Joseph's
honor. Even today, Sicilians go to Mass before their St. Joseph's day dinner
and then process to their festive tables, decked out in flowers, breads, and
all sorts of Italian foods. The priest blesses the food, and everyone shouts, "Viva
la tavola di San Giuse!" (which your children will readily do with
great gusto). After the meal is done, everyone present is given something to
take home, in the generous spirit of this day. Try some of our delicious
recipes linked here. We especially recommend the traditional Minestrone.
Italian sausage is always a favorite, as well. And you should have bread of all
kinds — this recipe for Italian
Decorative Breads can provide the traditional shape of your choice (St.
Joseph's staff, his beard, etc). Also a traditional must with children is St.
Joseph's Sfinge, (Cream Puffs). Plan a St. Joseph's potluck for this day
with other Catholic families — invite a parish priest and ask his blessing over
the food before you begin the meal. If you do not have the time or resources to
do this, plan a smaller affair with your own family, complete with prayers to
St. Joseph, a little procession with candles for the older children and your
favorite hymns, and then the father of the family ought to say a special
blessing over the food before you begin.
·Check out this wonderful site that explains the St. Joseph
Altar more in detail, includes recipes, history, and allows virtual
offerings.
·Joseph
is noted in the Bible for being a direct descendant of King David in the Old
Testament, which gives him a royal lineage (Matthew 1:1-16, Luke 3:23-38).
·St.
Joseph actually has two feast days in the Roman Catholic Church. The
March 19 date celebrates him as husband of Mary. He is revered again on
May 1 as a worker. In the Orthodox tradition, Joseph is revered during
the Great Feast of the Nativity of Our Lord in September.
·St
Joseph is the patron saint of the dying and of carpenters.
·Practice
carpentry skills to build something. Jesus is known as the son of a
carpenter, or builder. Saint Joseph is the patron saint of carpenters.
·Investigate
your lineage. Genealogy can sometimes yield interesting information about
where we came from. Maybe you come from royal lineage, too!
·Joseph
raised a child that was not his own. Thank a man who has served as a
father for someone else's children.
·Enjoy
Italian food in St. Joseph's honor. He is one of the most beloved saints
in Italian American communities.
·Visit
an Italian Bakery and pick up some delicious St Joseph's bread (Pane di San
Giuseppe). St. Joseph's Bread is typically made with egg and has a
thicker crust. It is often marked or shaped in a cross.
All
of us have heard the phrase, “Nice guys finish last.” There is this idea
in the world today that “Meekness equals weakness,” and humility so often
implied that you will get walked on. Unfortunately, in many cases the meek and
the humble do very well go unnoticed in their accomplishments and may not get
the same attention, job opportunities or as many “likes” on their latest social
media sites. Instead of encouraging men to be meek and humble, the world
teaches men to go out into the world and dominate. We are encouraged to
out-perform others so as to prove ourselves through our bank accounts, our
possessions and our record of achievements. As someone once said, “Money
is just a way of keeping score.” Many men are totally dedicated to winning
the game, as if life were a game to begin with.
Nevertheless, Christian men are called to be meek and humble. “Far from being
weak, however, the meek possess an inner strength to restrain anger and
discouragement in the midst of adversity” (Ignatius Catholic Study Bible).
We can practice these ideals in the simple ways in which we respond to the
challenges of everyday life. Whether our wives snap at us at the end of a long
and frustrating day, or a guy rudely cuts us off on the freeway, our responses
define us. It is inevitable that life will provide us with major adversities in
which to practice these difficult virtues! How you respond to God’s grace can
truly make or break these experiences. We are called to be charitable, to love
others and even pray for our enemies. It takes heroic strength and defining
virtue!
Courage is also needed in order to withstand the storms of life that come our
way. I can’t help but call to mind one of my favorite speeches from the classic
movie, The Count of Monte Cristo:
Life
is a storm my young friend, you will bask in the sunlight one moment, be
shattered on the rocks the next. What makes you a man is what you do when that
storm comes. You must look into the storm as you shout as you did in Rome. Do
your worst for I will do mine. Then the Fates will know you as we know you as
Albert Mondego, the man.
There is something compelling in a man that seems to be calling us to fight and
compete; but where is our ultimate battle? With whom are we fighting?
Joseph is our ultimate example of what it means to live authentic masculine
Christianity. He was quite possibly the meekest and most humble of all. Yet at
the same time, he was without question a warrior and a fighter. He participated
in the greatest battle of all time. However, it was precisely his humility and
meekness that allowed him to trample over the Evil One rather than faltering
before him.
St. John Paul II proclaimed, “The family is placed at the heart of the great
struggle between good and evil, between life and death, between love and all
that is opposed to love” (Letter to Families, #23). Pope John Paul II insists
that at the core and heart of Satan’s attack is the family. We see this vividly
played out in the book of Revelation. “And the dragon stood before the woman
who was about to bear a child, that he might devour her child when she brought
it forth; she brought forth a male child, one who is to rule all the nations
with a rod of iron, but her child was caught up to God and to his throne” (Rev
12:4-5).
The Church understands this passage to have multiple meanings, but it is
particularly clear that evil is attacking Our Lady and the Christ-child. This
verse strikingly illustrates the attack of Satan at the very heart of the
family. This is both a spiritual and a practical truth.
God chose Joseph for this battle because Joseph was a warrior for God. When
Joseph said “Yes” to take Mary as his bride and Jesus as his Son, he was
avowing “Yes” to engage in the most epic battle in human history. He was
prepared to fight to the end to keep his family safe. From the beginning of
Christ’s life, the powers of darkness wanted Joseph’s child dead and were
willing to go to extreme lengths to accomplish their ambition. It’s
incredibly ironic that Herod needed to take the life of an infant, the weakest
and most helpless of mankind, in order for him to remain in a position of
absolute power and strength. Herod represents an icon of what men who desire
power over humility are willing to do and what men of humility are up against.
On the other hand, Joseph was willing to do whatever the Lord asked of him no
matter what the personal cost. What strength! Most men lack the strength
because most men lack the meekness.
Lenten Calendar
Read: During Lent, it is important
for us to remember the corporal
works of mercy, which are found in the teachings of Jesus and give us a
model for how we should treat all others: as if they were Christ in
disguise.
Reflect: What small changes would
allow you to perform corporal works of mercy: Can you allocate your time
differently, so you have a couple extra hours to volunteer? Do you discard food
that could instead be donated to a local soup kitchen? When was the last time
you participated in a blood drive?
Pray: With mercy on your mind.
Act: Pick one of the seven
corporal works of mercy and do it this week!
Bible in a
year Day 260 Carrying
the Cross
Fr.
Mike reinforces Jesus' divinity as we read about how Jesus heals people
physically, mentally, and spiritually and frees them from the enemy's kingdom
of darkness. Fr. Mike also encourages us to not be afraid when we experience
persecution and division for the sake of Christ, but to rather courageously
carry the Cross.
[6] Venerable Mary of Agreda. The Mystical City of God:
Complete Edition Containing all Four Volumes with Illustrations (p. 770).
Veritatis Splendor Publications. Kindle Edition
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?
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