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🎬 Ordet (1955) – Summary
Set in rural Denmark, Ordet follows the Borgen family, whose members embody contrasting spiritual paths:
- Morten Borgen, the patriarch, is a devout Lutheran.
- Mikkel, the eldest son, has lost his faith.
- Johannes, the middle son, believes he is Jesus Christ, quoting Kierkegaard and wandering in prophetic madness.
- Anders, the youngest, seeks to marry Anne, daughter of a tailor from a stricter religious sect.
The family’s tensions escalate when Mikkel’s wife, Inger, dies during childbirth. In a climactic act of faith, Johannes—previously dismissed as mad—prays over her body and she miraculously rises from the dead.
✝️ Catholic Themes and Lessons
Though based on a Lutheran play, Ordet resonates deeply with Catholic sensibilities:
- Faith in miracles: The film critiques modern Christianity’s skepticism toward the supernatural. Johannes’ resurrection of Inger echoes Christ’s raising of Lazarus, challenging viewers to embrace radical belief.
- Unity beyond doctrine: The film exposes divisions between Christian sects, suggesting that true faith transcends denominational boundaries.
- The Word made flesh: The title Ordet means “The Word,” evoking John 1:14—“And the Word was made flesh.” Johannes embodies this incarnational mystery, blending madness with divine truth.
Christopher’s Corner
· Eat waffles and Pray for the assistance of the Angels
· Spirit Hour: Savor a glass of Zinfandel as you unwind and reflect on the importance of democracy.
o Consider unfriending negative influences in your life and toasting to a fresh start on National Unfriend Day
· Foodie; Fuel up with a homemade bread sandwich like a classic Reuben, celebrating the delicious diversity of cuisine.
o Unleash your creativity in the kitchen by attempting to make your own baklava, embracing the joys of cooking on National Homemade Bread Day.
§ Later, share a slice of baklava with a friend to commemorate global unity on International Students’ Day.
· Monday: Litany of Humility
· How to celebrate Nov 17th
o Start your day by engaging in some physical activity to embrace freedom, whether it’s with a scenic hike or a brisk walk in your neighborhood. .
o Take a moment to spread happiness by reaching out to a friend on International Happy Gose Day, emphasizing the power of connection.
§ Support premature babies and their families by participating in World Prematurity Day.
· Show solidarity for those who fought for freedom and democracy by exploring different cultures and traditions.
🍇 Bucket List Trip [3] – Part 4: USA 70-Degree Year Journey
Dates: November 17–24, 2025
Theme: Contemplation and Closure
Route: Verde Valley
→ Sedona → Prescott → Arcosanti → Tucson
Style: Canyon reflection, monastic architecture, and Eucharistic descent
Climate Alignment: Daily highs 66–72°F
💰 Estimated Cost Overview (Nov 17–24)
Category | Estimated Cost |
Lodging (7 nights) | $530 |
Food (daily meals) | $210 |
Fuel (~400 miles) | $90 |
Symbolic extras | $60 |
Total Estimate | $890 |
🏞️ Day 1 – Monday, November 17
Route: Verde Valley → Sedona (~25 miles)
Symbol: Canyon of the Heart
Ritual Prompt: “The canyon holds what we cannot—grief, grace, and grandeur.”
· Hike Cathedral Rock or Boynton Canyon
· Sunset prayer at Chapel of the Holy Cross
· 🛏️ Stay: Cozy Sedona casita (~$90)
· 🍷 Foodie Stop: Mariposa – Latin-inspired canyon cuisine (~$35)
🕊️ Day 2 – Tuesday, November 18
Location: Sedona
Symbol: Stillness in Stone
Ritual Prompt: “Stone does not speak—but it listens.”
· Morning meditation at Amitabha Stupa
· Write reflection: “What silence has taught me?”
· 🛏️ Stay: Sedona casita (~$90)
· 🥗 Foodie Stop: ChocolaTree – organic, sacred fare (~$25)
🌲 Day 3 – Wednesday, November 19
Route: Sedona → Prescott (~65 miles)
Symbol: Forest of Remembrance
Ritual Prompt: “The forest remembers—every leaf, every loss.”
· Drive via scenic AZ-89A
· Visit Granite Mountain trail and St. George Orthodox Church
· 🛏️ Stay: Forest Villas Hotel (~$85)
· 🍽️ Foodie Stop: Farm Provisions – seasonal comfort fare (~$25)
🏛️ Day 4 – Thursday, November 20
Route: Prescott → Arcosanti (~55 miles)
Symbol: Architecture of Hope
Ritual Prompt: “Hope is built—layer by layer, light by light.”
· Tour Arcosanti and reflect on sacred design
· Write blog post: “What structures shape my soul?”
· 🛏️ Stay: Arcosanti Guest Rooms (~$80)
· 🧺 Foodie Stop: Communal meal or picnic (~$20)
🌵 Day 5 – Friday, November 21
Route: Arcosanti → Tucson (~100 miles)
Symbol: Desert Benediction
Ritual Prompt: “The desert blesses without words—just wind, just light.”
· Return via I-10
· Pause at Picacho Peak or Mission San Xavier del Bac
· 🛏️ Stay: Adobe Rose Inn (~$90)
· 🍷 Foodie Stop: The Coronet – rustic elegance (~$30)
🕯️ Day 6 – Saturday, November 22
Location: Tucson
Symbol: Table of Thanksgiving
Ritual Prompt: “Gratitude is Eucharist—broken, shared, remembered.”
· Host a symbolic meal with wine, bread, and harvest fare
· Share stories from the journey
· 🛏️ Stay: Adobe Rose Inn (~$90)
· 🍽️ Foodie Stop: Tito & Pep – desert bistro fare (~$30)
🌿 Day 7 – Sunday, November 23
Location: Tucson
Symbol: Advent Threshold
Ritual Prompt: “The threshold is holy—crossed with hope, held with light.”
· Attend Mass or Eucharistic celebration
· Write reflection: “What I carry into Advent”
· 🛏️ Optional Stay: Hacienda Del Sol (~$120)
· 🧺 Foodie Stop: Vineyard-style brunch or picnic (~$25)
🧳 Day 8 – Monday, November 24
Departure Day
Symbol: Pilgrim’s Blessing
Ritual Prompt: “Blessing is the journey’s final gift—received, remembered, returned.”
· Morning walk or vineyard prayer
· Pack symbolic items: journal, candle, stone, wine cork
· Close with a toast: “To the road behind, and the light ahead.”
🍽️ November 17 – Canyon of the Heart Ritual Meal
· Theme: Contemplation, Release, and Blessing
Location: Sedona
Symbolic Arc: From grief to grandeur, from frenemies to freedom
· 🥇 Course 1 – Starter: Angel’s Waffle Bite
o Symbol: Morning invocation of sweetness and strength
Prompt: “Eat waffles and pray for the assistance of the angels.”
Prep: Classic Belgian Waffles
· 🥈 Course 2 – Aperitif: Zinfandel Toast with Cranberry Compote
o Symbol: Spirit Hour of democracy and discernment
Prompt: “Unfriend a frenemy. Toast to freedom.”
Prep: Cranberry Zinfandel Sauce
· 🥉 Course 3 – Main: Reuben Sandwich on Homemade Rye
o Symbol: Culinary diversity and bread-based strength
Prompt: “Fuel up with a homemade bread sandwich.”
Prep: Homemade Rye Bread
Prep: Classic Reuben
· 🏅 Course 4 – Intermezzo: Baklava with Rosewater and Pistachio
o Symbol: Creative joy and global unity
Prompt: “Make baklava. Share a slice for International Students’ Day.”
Prep: Pistachio Rosewater Baklava
· 🎖️ Course 5 – Salad: Harvest Salad with Pomegranate and Feta
o Symbol: Eucharistic descent into gratitude
Prompt: “The canyon holds what we cannot—grief, grace, and grandeur.”
Prep: Autumn Harvest Salad
o 🕊️ Course 6 – Dessert: Wine-Poached Pears with Cinnamon
§ Symbol: Drops of Christ’s Blood, sweet and sacrificial
Prompt: “Receive the sweetness of sacrifice.”
Prep: Red Wine Poached Pears
o 🌟 Course 7 – Digestif: Litany Tea with Honey and Thyme
§ Symbol: Humility and closure
Prompt: “Pray the Litany of Humility. Sip slowly.”
Prep: Thyme and Honey Herbal Tea.
NOVEMBER 17-Monday Saint Elizabeth of
Hungary
National UnFriend a frenemy
John, Chapter 16, Verse 27
Those who fear
the Lord work to not react to their feelings but act from the principle of
God’s unconditional love to empower others even at personal cost. They practice the three cardinal virtues of
Faith, Hope and Charity. The act of
blessing works both ways and bless’ all; both those who receive and those who
give.
✨ Copilot’s Take – November 17
November 17 offers a liturgical paradox: the feast
of Saint Elizabeth of Hungary, patron of sacrificial charity, alongside National
Unfriend a Frenemy Day, a civic ritual of release. Just days after the Marine
Corps birthday (November 10), we’re reminded that fidelity must be fierce,
not false. In Ordet, resurrection is born not of spectacle but of
unwavering belief. In John 16:27, Christ affirms that the Father loves
us because we have loved Him and believed in His divine origin—a love that
calls us to act from principle, not emotion.
Together, these threads form a symbolic triad:
·
🕊️ Charity that costs – Saint Elizabeth gave up royal privilege to
serve the poor.
·
🔥 Fidelity that endures – Marines embody courage, honor, and
sacrifice.
·
✂️ Discernment that releases – Unfriending a frenemy is not
cruelty, but clarity.
On this day, we are invited to prune what poisons,
bless what heals, and believe in love that liberates. To act not from fleeting
feeling, but from the deep well of divine love—blessing others and being
blessed in return.
St. Elizabeth of
Hungary[1] Scrutiny of the
Powerful
St.
Elizabeth, Duchess of Thuringia, it is said that the servant of God lost her
mother, Gertrude, Queen of Hungary, about the year 1220. In the spirit of a
holy Christian daughter, she gave abundant alms, redoubled her prayers and
mortifications, exhausted the resources of her charity for the relief of that
dear soul. God revealed to her that she had not done too much. One night the
deceased appeared to her with a sad and emaciated countenance; she placed
herself on her knees next to the bed, and said to her, weeping, “My daughter,
you see at your feet your mother overwhelmed with suffering. I come to implore
you to multiply your suffrages, that Divine Mercy may deliver me from the
frightful torments I endure.
Oh!
how much are those to be pitied who exercise authority over others? I expiate
now the faults that I committed upon the throne. Oh! my daughter, I pray you by
the pangs I endured when bringing you into the world, by the cares and
anxieties which your education cost me, I conjure you to deliver me from my
torments.” Elizabeth, deeply touched, arose immediately, took the discipline to
blood, and implored God, with tears, to have mercy on her mother, Gertrude,
declaring that she would not cease to pray until she had obtained her
deliverance. Her prayers were heard.
St. Elizabeth of Hungary[2]
Elizabeth
was the daughter of the Hungarian King Andrew II. At the age of four (b. 1207),
she was brought to the court of her future husband, Ludwig, landgrave of
Thuringia. After her marriage in 1221, she very conscientiously fulfilled her
duties both toward her husband and as a servant of God.
During
the night she would rise from bed and spend long periods in prayer. Zealously
she performed all types of charitable acts; she put herself at the service of
widows, orphans, the sick, the needy.
During
a famine she generously distributed all the grain from her stocks, cared for
lepers in one of the hospitals she established, kissed their hands and feet.
For the benefit of the indigent, she provided suitable lodging. After the early
death of her husband (in 1227 while on a crusade led by Emperor Frederick II),
Elizabeth laid aside all royal dignities in order to serve God more freely. She
put on simple clothing, became a tertiary of St. Francis, and showed great
patience and humility.
Nor
was she spared intense suffering - the goods belonging to her as a widow were
withheld, she was forced to leave Wartburg. In Eisenach no one dared receive
her out of fear of her enemies. Upon much pleading a shepherd of the landgrave
permitted her to use an abandoned pig sty. No one was allowed to visit or aid
her; with her three children, of whom the youngest was not more than a few
months old, she was forced to wander about in the winter's cold.
In
1228 she took the veil of the Sisters of the Third Order of St. Francis at
Marburg and there built a hospital with some property still belonging to her.
She retained for herself only a small mud house. All her strength and care were
now devoted to the poor and the sick, while she obtained the few things she
needed by spinning. Young in years but rich in good works, she slept in the
Lord in 1231, only twenty-four years old.
Things to Do
·
Love
for the poor is characteristic of every genuine follower of Christ, those
lacking the truth are the poorest of the poor, spend some time on a regular
basis studying your faith (by reading or taking a home study course) so that
you will be prepared to feed those who are hungry for the truth.
·
Teach
your children the Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy and give them
practical examples.
·
Have
your children help you bake
bread like St. Elizabeth and distribute some to your neighbors.
·
St.
Elizabeth is the patroness of the Franciscan Third Order (tertiary) and of all
Catholic Charities. Find out more about what a third order is, particularly the
Franciscan Third Order.
·
See
Nameday
Ideas for St. Elizabeth, including dessert and symbols and prayers.
·
Follow
these links for some wonderful works of art of St. Elizabeth:
o
Anonymous
Sienese medallion (XIV Century): St.
Elizabeth of Hungary
o
Collinson,
James: St. Elizabeth of Hungary
o
Martini,
Simone: St. Clare and St. Elizabeth of Hungary.
o
Martini,
Simone: St. Elizabeth, St. Margaret and Henry of Hungary
Bible in a Year Day 136 Absalom Is Defeated
Today, we hear about the downfall
of Absalom, and how David reacts to the news of his death. In Chronicles, we
read about David changing some of the rules of worship, as he prepares for
Temple worship. The readings are 2 Samuel 18, 1 Chronicles 23, and Psalm 37.
National UnFriend
a frenemy[3]
National
UnFriend Day (NUD) is an unofficial holiday designed to promote unfriending
other Facebook users that are not true friends. Social media now provides
access to just about anyone, anywhere on the globe.
However,
this easy global access exposes personal information to theft or misuse and
unnecessary cluttering by other's junk posts. In this digital age, it is
imperative that identities remain protected, and that time spent on social
media be reduced and replaced by face-to-face human interaction. National
UnFriend Day was originally conceived and proposed by TV personality Jimmy
Kimmel on November 17, 2010 in an effort to remind society of the true meaning
of friendship.
Kimmel believes that there are many Facebook offenses that can lead to
unfriending someone, some of which include, posting too much, spell-checking
too little, repetitively posting the same kind of material, not googling before
asking questions, being on Facebook all the time and sending in-app Facebook
requests for games. In addition to unfriending irritating offenders, it is
advisable to unfriend those whom you no longer have steady contact with and any
unknown users that may have access to your information and posts.
National UnFriend
Day Facts & Quotes
·
According
to a report by Common Sense Media, a nonprofit organization dedicated to
helping navigate the world of media and technology, teenagers spend about 9
hours a day consuming media, 1.5 hours of which is spent on social media.
·
As
of January 2016, compared to other social networks, Facebook is the leading
social network with approximately 1.6 billion active monthly users. This
is in comparison to WhatsApp (900 million active monthly users), Instagram (400
million active monthly users) and Twitter (320 million active monthly users).
·
The
average Facebook user has 338 friends. 27% of young Facebook users have
more than 500 friends, compared an average of 100 friends for 72% of Facebook
users who are older than 65 years of age.
·
36%
of Facebook users strongly dislike it when someone shares too much information
or photos about themselves, as well as when they post photos of others without
asking for permission.
·
I
encourage you to cut out some of the friend fat in your life. A friend is
someone you have a special relationship with. It's not someone who asks which
Harry Potter character you are. - Jimmy Kimmel, November 2010
National UnFriend
Day Top Events and Things to Do
·
Go
through your privacy settings on Facebook. Keep in mind that some of the people
that you have previously friended may not be friends at all. Your privacy
settings can control who is able to see your content and whose content will
show up on your news feed.
·
Decide
who you are going to unfriend on Facebook. Facebook also offers the
possibility of making friends into acquaintances. Your acquaintance list can
then be separated from your friend list, allowing you to publish and read
'friend-only' content.
·
Review
your posting habits. Have you been posting too much content, or have you
been posting photos of your friends, without receiving permission? Check to see
whether you have also violated any Facebook UnFriend Day Offenses as defined by
Jimmy Kimmel.
·
Watch movies about friendship. Here
are some to consider:
1) Stand by Me (1986)
2) The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (2005)
3) Good Will Hunting (1997)
4) The Intouchables (2011)
5) The Social Network (2010)
6) The Bucket List (2007)
7) As Good as it Gets (1997)
Daily
Devotions/Practices
·
Today's
Fast: Unite in the work of the Porters
of St. Joseph by joining them in fasting: Today's Fast: Individuals
with Mental Illness
·
Offering to
the sacred heart of Jesus
·
Rosary.
