This blog is based on references in the Bible to fear. God wills that we “BE NOT AFRAID”. Many theologians state that the eighth deadly sin is fear. It is fear and its natural animal reaction to fight or flight that is the root cause of our failings to create a Kingdom of God on earth. By “the power of the Holy Spirit” we can be witnesses and “communicators” of a new and redeemed humanity “even to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:7 8). This blog is dedicated to Mary the Mother of God.
• Bucket Item trip: 🥾
Braga → Fátima, Portugal
o A Pilgrimage of Apparition, Mercy,
and Marian Clarity
Dates: November 9–15
§ Nov 9: Braga → Tomar (via Coimbra, train or
bus)
• 🕍 Symbolic Act: “Monastic Memory” — Visit Bom
Jesus do Monte before departure. In Tomar, walk the cloisters of the
Convent of Christ, praying for civic renewal and spiritual courage.
o 🛏️ Stay: Hotel
dos Templários or Hostel 2300 Thomar
§ Nov 10: Tomar → Fátima (~30 km walk or bus)
• 🕊️ Symbolic Act: “Pilgrim’s Entry” — Enter Fátima
in silence. Pause at the Chapel of the Apparitions and offer a prayer
for clarity and communal healing.
o 🛏️ Stay: Hotel
Domus Pacis or Albergue Pereira
§ Nov 11: Fátima – Shrine Day
• 🕍 Symbolic Act: “Rosary Vigil” — Join the
international rosary and candlelight procession at the Sanctuary of Our Lady
of Fátima.
• 🪨 Symbolic Act: “Stone of Witness” — Leave a
small stone near the tombs of Francisco, Jacinta, and Lucia as a sign of
intercession.
o 🛏️ Stay: Same as previous night
§ Nov 12: Fátima – Aljustrel & Valinhos Walk
(~5 km)
• 🏡 Symbolic Act: “Home of the Visionaries” — Walk
to Aljustrel, the childhood homes of the seers. Pause at Valinhos,
site of the August apparition, and pray for children and civic leaders.
o 🛏️ Stay: Same as previous night
§ Nov 13: Fátima – Excursion to Batalha &
Nazaré
• 🕍 Symbolic Act: “Gothic Mercy” — Visit the Monastery
of Batalha, praying in the cloisters for peace among nations.
• 🌊 Symbolic Act: “Ocean Benediction” — At Nazaré,
bless your feet in the surf and offer a prayer for environmental stewardship.
o 🛏️ Stay: Return to Fátima
§ Nov 14: Fátima – Excursion to Santarém
• 🕊️ Symbolic Act: “Eucharistic Reflection” — Visit
the Church of the Holy Miracle, site of the 13th-century Eucharistic
miracle. Offer a prayer for clarity in daily acts.
o 🛏️ Stay: Return to Fátima
§ Nov 15: Fátima – Day of Rest and Departure
• 🕍 Symbolic Act: “Final Benediction” — Attend
Mass at the Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary. Sit in silence
afterward, sealing your pilgrimage with gratitude.
• 🍇 Optional Act: “Civic Supper” — Share a meal
with fellow pilgrims or locals, honoring the saints through hospitality and
storytelling.
Would
you like this formatted into a printable devotional guide with chant
suggestions, Marian prayers, and symbolic meal sourcing? I can also help
choreograph a vineyard vigil or civic reflection upon return to Verde Valley.
Micah, Chapter 7, verse 17
17They will lick the dust like a snake, like crawling things on the
ground; They will come quaking from their strongholds; they will tremble in FEAR
of you, the LORD, our God.
Micah’s name means “who
is like Yahweh”. Be still and know that I am God. (Psalm 46:10) Let us this day
practice silence as much as possible and contemplate on our God and Savior. Say
the Shema Yisrael and call on the Holy Spirit to make this day a turning
point in your life. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you realize the universe is
more than what we can see, touch and feel. We are not crawly things, and we
need not build strongholds. May our fear,
be the Holy fear, of men of God. This day let us ask the Holy Spirit to help us
to know God is without limitations. Help us in the quiet of this day to realize
that Jesus Christ, the begotten son of the Living God, came to have mercy on me
a sinner. In our silence, we may this day discover, we are a useless servant,
yet we are chosen for love[1] by an all-powerful God
who chose to become man to suffer the pains in our stead and to save us not
only from damnation but to show us how to live and be true men.
All life is a battle and sometimes we fail but
like David let us always return to the Lord.
Do not be afraid of
anything that you are going to suffer. Indeed, the devil will throw some of you
into prison, that you may be tested, and you will face an ordeal for ten days.
Remain faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life. (Rv. 2:10)
Let us build up our gratitude to the Lord for
his saving graces.
“Lord Jesus Christ, you are the strength or the weak and the
confidence of those who trust in you. Be my secure confidence and my abundant
strength! Teach me to understand myself and to believe in effectiveness of your
saving grace. Grant me the courage not to stop trying and teach me the humility
to trust in you when I tend to be discouraged by my weakness.[2]
Catechism of the Catholic Church
Day
149
The Holy Spirit recalls the mystery of Christ.
1099 The Spirit and the Church cooperate to manifest Christ
and his work of salvation in the liturgy. Primarily in the Eucharist, and by
analogy in the other sacraments, the liturgy is the memorial of the mystery of
salvation. the Holy Spirit is the Church's living memory.
1100 The Word of God. the Holy Spirit first recalls the
meaning of the salvation event to the liturgical assembly by giving life to the
Word of God, which is proclaimed so that it may be received and lived:
In the celebration of the
liturgy, Sacred Scripture is extremely important. From it come the lessons that
are read and explained in the homily and the psalms that are sung. It is from
the Scriptures that the prayers, collects, and hymns draw their inspiration and
their force, and that actions and signs derive their meaning.
1101 The Holy Spirit gives a spiritual understanding of the
Word of God to those who read or hear it, according to the dispositions of
their hearts. By means of the words, actions, and symbols that form the
structure of a celebration, the Spirit puts both the faithful and the ministers
into a living relationship with Christ, the Word and Image of the Father, so
that they can live out the meaning of what they hear, contemplate, and do in
the celebration.
1102 "By the saving word of God, faith . . . is
nourished in the hearts of believers. By this faith then the congregation of
the faithful begins and grows." The proclamation does not stop with a
teaching; it elicits the response of faith as consent and commitment, directed
at the covenant between God and his people. Once again it is the Holy Spirit
who gives the grace of faith, strengthens it and makes it grow in the
community. the liturgical assembly is first of all a communion in faith.
1103 Anamnesis. the liturgical celebration always refers to
God's saving interventions in history. "The economy of Revelation is
realized by deeds and words which are intrinsically bound up with each
other.... (The) words for their part proclaim the works and bring to light the
mystery they contain." In the Liturgy of the Word the Holy Spirit
"recalls" to the assembly all that Christ has done for us. In keeping
with the nature of liturgical actions and the ritual traditions of the
churches, the celebration "makes a remembrance" of the marvelous
works of God in an anamnesis which may be more or less developed. the Holy
Spirit who thus awakens the memory of the Church then inspires thanksgiving and
praise (doxology).
Italy
is famous for the variety of coffees it produces. Cappuccinos are loved among
coffee lovers and despite its vague history, many people still appreciate the
comfort it brings. Thus, comes a happy day called Cappuccino Day, where people
from all over can order a frothy and whipped cup of coffee and eat with
whatever meal they’re having. Let’s take a look at how Cappuccino Day came to
be.
The
name “Cappuccino” came from the Capuchin Friars, a minor order of friars within
the Catholic Church, who in the 16th century was well known for their
missionary work helping the poor and were dedicated to extreme austerity,
poverty, and simplicity. Wearing a brown robe with a pointed hood, it is
believed that the name stemmed from a specific person in the order, Marco
d’Aviano. According to the Telegraph, when an Ottoman Turk army tried marching
into Vienna in 1683, d’Aviano united the outnumbered Christian troops and made
them victorious in defending Vienna. The legend says that after the Turks fled,
they left behind Ottoman coffee, and because the Christians found it to be
bitter, they sweetened it with milk and honey and named it after the Order of
Capuchins. Another source says that the idea of the cappuccino drink appears to
have originated in the 1700’s, in the “Kapuziner” coffee houses in Austria,
which contained coffee with cream and sugar and eventually added spices. However,
the cappuccino we know today was invented in Italy during the 1900’s after the
invention of the espresso machine gained popularity. The first record of the
cappuccino appeared in the 1930’s. After World War II, the espresso machine
improved, and so changed the process of making cappuccinos, which now have
steamed and frothed cream and thus spread its popularity around the world.
How to Celebrate Cappuccino Day
Buy
a cappuccino at your favorite cafe. If you’d rather have a cup at home, get an
espresso machine and make a cup yourself. Or if you love the process of making
cappuccinos, look up famous baristas and be wowed by their ability to make
beautiful creations with coffee. Cappuccinos are one of the hardest drinks to
make, but their elegance and frothy taste will be sure to have you wanting a
cup for yourself. If you’re a lover of taking photos of your food, take a
picture of your cappuccino and hashtag #CappuccinoDay to show to your friends.
Corner-Paradise Lost
So, whoever is in Christ is a new
creation: the old things have passed away; behold, new things have come. (2
Cor. 5:17)
oToday is a day brimming with possibilities. Start by grabbing a hearty stout and settling in to watch some thought-provoking international films.
oAs the credits roll, let your creative juices flow and tackle a project with newfound enthusiasm. Remember, even the most mundane tasks can be jazzed up by greeting your furry friend with a big bear hug. Don’t forget about self-care; indulge in some bittersweet chocolate with almonds to lift your spirits.
🇫🇴 Faroe Islands and 🇭🇹 Haiti—Two More Stops on the Rich vs Poor Tour, Each Offering Distinct Catholic Landscapes
Here’s the next pilgrim pairing: Faroe Islands, a remote and affluent archipelago with a tiny but resilient Catholic presence, and Haiti, a nation of deep poverty and profound spiritual endurance. Together, they extend NIC’s Corner’s contemplative journey into the spiritual contrasts of wealth and adversity.
🇫🇴 Faroe Islands — Wealthy, Isolated, and Quietly Catholic
GDP per capita: ~$71,718 USD (2023)
🧮 Why the Faroe Islands Rank High in Per Capita Income
·Fishing Economy: Exports of salmon and cod dominate GDP.
·Small Population: With ~55,000 residents, wealth is concentrated.
·Autonomous Governance: Though part of the Kingdom of Denmark, the Faroes manage their own economic affairs.
·Low Unemployment: Strong labor participation and public services.
·Renewable Energy: Over 40% of electricity comes from renewables.
✝️ Quality of Life for Catholics
·Tiny Community: ~300 Catholics from over 23 nations.
·Single Parish: Mariukirkjan (St. Mary’s Church) in Tórshavn is the only Catholic church.
·Franciscan Legacy: Sisters established a school, crèche, and nursery in 1933.
·Ecumenical Respect: Despite being a Protestant-majority nation, Catholics are welcomed.
⚠️ Challenges
·Clergy Scarcity: Often served by visiting priests from Copenhagen.
·Cultural Distance: Catholicism is unfamiliar to most locals.
·Geographic Isolation: Harsh terrain and weather limit outreach.
🌿 For a Catholic
The Faroes offer a pilgrimage of silence and resilience—where the Eucharist meets wind and sea, and the Gospel whispers through basalt cliffs and Nordic mist. It’s a place for intentional faith and quiet reverence.
🇭🇹 Haiti — Economically Strained, Spiritually Enduring
GDP per capita: ~$1,155 USD (2024)
🧮 Why Haiti Ranks Low in Per Capita Income
·Political Instability: Coups, assassinations, and weak institutions.
·Gang Violence: Over 360,000 displaced due to escalating unrest.
·Infrastructure Collapse: Schools, hospitals, and roads are failing.
·Natural Disasters: Earthquakes and hurricanes compound poverty.
·Limited Investment: Foreign aid is critical, but inconsistent.
✝️ Quality of Life for Catholics
·Majority Faith: ~55% of Haitians are Catholic.
·Ten Dioceses: Including Port-au-Prince and Cap-Haïtien.
·Missionary Legacy: Education, healthcare, and peacebuilding remain central.
·Spiritual Resilience: Churches remain open amid chaos, offering hope and refuge.
·Local Saints: Mother Mary Lange, born in Haiti, founded the Oblate Sisters of Providence in the U.S.
⚠️ Challenges
·Security Risks: Bishops and sisters have been attacked or kidnapped.
·Resource Scarcity: Many parishes lack electricity, books, and basic supplies.
·Clergy Shortage: Bishops meet via Zoom due to safety concerns.
·Economic Hardship: Poverty affects catechesis and sacramental preparation.
🌿 For a Catholic
Haiti is a pilgrimage of courage and communion—where the Eucharist is celebrated in dust and defiance, and the Gospel is lived in song, struggle, and solidarity. The Church here is not just a building—it’s a lifeline.
NOVEMBER
7 First Friday
Bitter Chocolate with
Almonds Day
John, Chapter 11,Verse 3-5
So, the sisters sent word to him, saying, “Master, the one you LOVE is ill.” When
Jesus heard this, he said, “This illness is not to end in death, but is for
the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.
Martha, Mary and
Lazarus were three home runs of Christ. They were loved by Christ not because
of their wealth but by the fact they knew that all wealth is really just on
loan from the Father and that we are to use our wealth to build the kingdom.
You cannot love God and money. When our Lord was raised up on the cross, we see
that our true wealth is in him and until we come to our own natural end, we
should use our wealth to bring truth, beauty, and love to our communities and
families.
The Mass is a
reenactment of the death of our Lord. It is thought-provoking to contemplate
that Pilates notice above Christ’s head, was printed in three languages Hebrew,
Latin and Greek. These three cultures in a sense represented the
characteristics of God. The Hebrew’s were Gods people and represented the good
of man and brought the idea that the person was created by God and is more
valuable than the universe. Latin the language of the Romans brought the idea
that truth is the highest value, and the Greek culture brought the idea of beauty
being the greatest value. In Christ’s death is represented all three values.
That a good God died for man; true to the end; and His shame was turned by love
to beauty. We must put our “Trust” in
Him for He is the “Resurrection and the Life.”
Copilot’s Take
🍫 November 7 – First Friday
Bitter
Chocolate with Almonds Day A Day of layered sweetness and strength.
📖John 11:3–5
“Master,
the one you love is ill.”
… “This illness is not to end in death but is for the glory of God…”
Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.
🏠 Three Home Runs of Christ
Martha,
Mary, and Lazarus weren’t just beloved—they were trusted. Their home was a
sanctuary of friendship, truth, and resurrection. Christ’s love for them wasn’t
transactional; it was covenantal. They understood that wealth is not possession
but provision—on loan from the Father, meant to be spent on love.
To
love God is to release our grip on money and instead invest in the eternal:
·Truth
in our speech
·Beauty
in our rituals
·Goodness
in our hospitality
✝️ The Trilingual Cross
Above
Christ’s crucified body, Pilate’s inscription bore three languages:
·Hebrew
– the dignity of the person, created by God
·Latin
– the supremacy of truth, even unto death
·Greek
– the triumph of beauty, even in shame
In
this trifold witness, we see the full character of God:
·A
good God who dies for man
·A
true God who fulfills the promise
·A
beautiful God who transforms suffering into glory
🍫 Symbolic Pairing: Bitter Chocolate
with Almonds
Let
today’s flavor be a ritual:
·Bitterness
for the illness we carry
·Almonds
for the resurrection we await
·Chocolate
for the sweetness of being loved by Christ
🙏 Liturgical Cue
At
Mass, we reenact the death of our Lord not as a tragedy, but as a triumph. Let
us place our trust in Him, the Resurrection and the Life, and use our
wealth—material, emotional, spiritual—to build altars of truth, beauty, and
love in our homes and communities.
Jesus
made the following 12 promises to St. Margaret Mary in favor of those who
consecrate to the Sacred Heart, in a spirit of reparation, the First Friday of
each month.
1. I will give them all the graces necessary in their state of
life.
2. I will establish peace in their homes.
3. I will comfort them in all their afflictions.
4. I will be their secure refuge during life, and above all, in death.
5. I will bestow abundant blessings upon all their undertakings.
6. Sinners will find in My Heart the source and infinite ocean of mercy.
7. Lukewarm souls shall become fervent.
8. Fervent souls shall quickly mount to high perfection.
9. I will bless every place in which an image of My Heart is exposed and
honored.
10. I will give to priests the gift of touching the most hardened hearts.
11. Those who shall promote this devotion shall have their names written in My
Heart.
12. I promise you in the excessive mercy of My Heart that My all-powerful love
will grant to all those who receive Holy Communion on the First Fridays in nine
consecutive months the grace of final perseverance; they shall not die in My
disgrace, nor without receiving their sacraments. My divine Heart shall be
their safe refuge in this last moment.
The Church grants a Plenary indulgence to those who attend Mass and receive
Communion in honor of The Sacred Heart of Jesus on the First Friday of each
month for nine (9) consecutive months.
First Friday Devotion Prayers
The following prayers are recommended in the First Friday Devotion.
Litany of The Sacred Heart of Jesus
Act of Reparation to The Sacred Heart of Jesus
Memorare to The Sacred Heart of Jesus
Prayer of Adoration and Love to The Sacred Heart
Prayer of Adoration to the Blessed Sacrament
Prayer of Trust in the Sacred Heart
Prayer of Consecration
Litany of the
Sacred Heart of Jesus
Lord,
have mercy on us.
Christ, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us. Christ, hear us.
Christ, graciously hear us.
God the Father of Heaven, have mercy on us.
God the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy on us.
God the Holy Spirit, have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, One God, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, Son of the Eternal Father, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, formed by the Holy Spirit in the womb of the Virgin Mother,
have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, substantially united to the Word of God, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, of Infinite Majesty, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, Sacred Temple of God, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, Tabernacle of the Most High, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, House of God and Gate of Heaven, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, burning furnace of charity, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, abode of justice and love, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, full of goodness and love, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, abyss of all virtues, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, most worthy of all praise, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, king and center of all hearts, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, in whom are all treasures of wisdom and knowledge, have mercy
on us.
Heart of Jesus, in whom dwells the fullness of divinity, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, in whom the Father was well pleased, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, of whose fullness we have all received, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, desire of the everlasting hills, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, patient and most merciful, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, enriching all who invoke Thee, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, fountain of life and holiness, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, propitiation for our sins, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, loaded down with opprobrium, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, bruised for our offenses, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, obedient to death, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, pierced with a lance, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, source of all consolation, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, our life and resurrection, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, our peace and our reconciliation, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, victim for our sins, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, salvation of those who trust in Thee, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, hope of those who die in Thee, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, delight of all the Saints, have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, spare us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, graciously hear us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, have mercy on us, O Lord.
V. Jesus, meek and humble of heart.
R. Make our hearts like to Thine.
Let us pray.
Almighty and eternal God, look upon the Heart of Your most beloved Son and
upon the praises and satisfaction which He offers You in the name of sinners;
and to those who implore Your mercy, in Your great goodness, grant forgiveness
in the name of the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, who livest and reignest with
Thee forever and ever. Amen.
Act of Reparation
to The Sacred Heart of Jesus
O Jesus,
Divine Savior, deign to cast a look of mercy upon Your children, who assemble
in the same spirit of faith, reparation, and love, and come to deplore their
own infidelities, and those of all poor sinners, their brethren. May we touch
Your Divine Heart by the unanimous and solemn promises we are about to make and
obtain mercy for ourselves, for the world, and for all who are so unhappy as
not to love You. We all promise that for the future:
For the forgetfulness and ingratitude of men, we will console you, O Lord.
For the way you are deserted in your holy tabernacle, we will console you, O
Lord.
For the crimes of sinners, we will console you, O Lord.
For the hatred of the impious, we will console you, O Lord.
For the blasphemies uttered against you, we will console you, O Lord.
For the sacrileges that profane your sacrament of love, we will console you, O
Lord.
For the outrages against your divinity, we will console you, O Lord.
For the injuries of which you are the adorable victim, we will console you, O
Lord.
For the coldness of the greater part of your children, we will console you, O
Lord.
For the contempt of your loving invitation, we will console you, O Lord.
For the infidelity of those who called themselves your friends, we will console
you, O Lord.
For the abuse of your grace, we will console you, O Lord.
For our own unfaithfulness, we will console you, O Lord.
For the incomprehensible hardness of our hearts, we will console you, O Lord.
For our long delay in loving you, we will console you, O Lord.
For our tepidity in your holy service, we will console you, O Lord.
For your bitter sadness at the loss of souls, we will console you, O Lord.
For your long waiting at the door of our hearts, we will console you, O Lord.
For the heartless scorn that grieves you, we will console you, O Lord.
For your loving sighs, we will console you, O Lord.
For your loving tears, we will console you, O Lord.
For your loving imprisonment, we will console you, O Lord.
For your loving death, we will console you, O Lord.
Let us pray: O Jesus! Divine Savior, from whose Heart comes forth this
bitter complaint, "I looked for one that would comfort me, and I found
none," graciously accept the feeble consolation we offer You, and aid
us so powerfully by Your grace, that we may, for the time to come, shun more
and more all that can displease You, and prove ourselves in everything, and
everywhere, and forever Your most faithful and devoted servants. We ask it
through Your Sacred Heart, O Lord, who live and reign with the Father and the
Holy Spirit, one God, world without end. Amen.
Memorare to The
Sacred Heart of Jesus
Remember,
O most kind Jesus, that none who have had recourse to Your Sacred Heart,
implored its assistance, or called for mercy, have ever been abandoned. Filled,
and animated by this same confidence, O divine Heart, Ruler of all hearts, I
fly to You, and oppressed beneath the weight of my sins, I prostrate myself
before You. Despise not Your unworthy child, but grant me, I pray, an entrance
into Your Sacred Heart. Sustain me in all my combats and be with me now, and at
all times, but especially in the hour of my death. O gracious Jesus! O amiable
Jesus! O loving Jesus! Amen.
Prayer of
Adoration and Love to the Sacred Heart
I
adore Thee, I love Thee, I praise Thee, I cry to Thee for mercy, I return Thee
thanks, I invoke Thee and confide myself entirely to Thee, O most holy and
adorable Heart of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, who for the salvation of us
all didst submit Thyself to the rigors of Divine Justice, and didst voluntarily
accept a birth accompanied with poverty, sorrow and contempt, a life of labor
and contradictions, but of kindness for all, and a death full of opprobrium,
confusion and sorrow, and who, in fine, for the love of those who wish to be
saved through Thy divine charity, dost remain in the Blessed Sacrament of the
altar to the end of time. Accomplish, O most adorable Heart, Thy wishes in my
poor and miserable heart, which I dedicate and consecrate to Thee forever.
Grant that it may live in the sentiments of love and gratitude which it owes
Thee, that it may at all times breathe only Thy honor and glory, in order that
it may expire in the waters of perfect contrition. Amen.
Prayer of
Adoration to the Blessed Sacrament
Jesus
Christ, my Lord and my God, Whom I believe to be really present in the Blessed
Sacrament of the Altar, receive this most profound act of adoration to supply
for the desire I have to adore Thee unceasingly, and in thanksgiving for the
sentiments of love which Thy sacred Heart has for me in this sacrament. I
cannot better acknowledge them than by offering Thee all the acts of adoration,
resignation, patience, and love which this same Heart has made during its
mortal life, and which it makes still and which it shall make eternally in
heaven, in order that through it I may love Thee, praise Thee, and adore Thee
worthily as much as it is possible for me. I unite myself to this divine
offering which Thou dost make to Thy divine Father, and I consecrate to Thee my
whole being, praying Thee to destroy in me all sin and not to permit that I
should be separated from Thee eternally. Amen.
Prayer of Trust
in The Sacred Heart
In all
my temptations, I place my trust in Thee, O Sacred Heart of Jesus.
In all my weaknesses, I place my trust in Thee, O Sacred Heart of Jesus.
In all my difficulties, I place my trust in Thee, O Sacred Heart of Jesus.
In all my trials, I place my trust in Thee, O Sacred Heart of Jesus.
In all my sorrows, I place my trust in Thee, O Sacred Heart of Jesus.
In all my work, I place my trust in You, O Sacred Heart of Jesus.
In every failure, I place my trust in Thee, O Sacred Heart of Jesus.
In every discouragement, I place my trust in Thee, O Sacred Heart of Jesus.
In life and in death, I place my trust in Thee, O Sacred Heart of Jesus.
In time and in eternity, I place my trust in Thee, O Sacred Heart of Jesus.
Prayer of
Consecration
I,
_______, give myself to the Sacred Heart of our Lord Jesus Christ, and I
consecrate to Him my person and my life, my actions, pains, and sufferings, so
that henceforth I shall be unwilling to make use of any part of my being
except for the honor, love, and glory of the Sacred Heart.
My unchanging purpose is to be all His and to do all things for the love of Him
while renouncing with all my heart whatever is displeasing to Him.
I take you, O Sacred Heart, as the only object of my love, the guardian of my
life, the assurance of my salvation, the remedy of my weakness and inconstancy,
the atonement for all my faults, and the sure refugee at my death.
O Heart of love, I place all my trust in You, for I fear everything from my own
wickedness and frailty, but I hope for all things from Your goodness and
bounty.
Consume in me all that can displease You or resist Your holy Will. Let Your
pure love imprint You so deeply upon my heart that I shall nevermore be able to
forget You or be separated from You. May I obtain from all Your loving kindness
the grace of having my name written in You, for I desire to place in You all my
happiness and all my glory, living and dying in virtual bondage to You.
Bible in a Year Day 125 Covenant with David
Fr. Mike highlights the moment God makes a covenant with David,
promising him an everlasting dynasty, but reserving the building of the Temple
to David's son Solomon. He also teaches us how 2 Samuel 7 foreshadows the fact
that the Blessed Mother is the new Ark of the Covenant. Today's readings are 2
Samuel 6-7, 1 Chronicles 9, and Psalm 89.
Fitness Friday-Take a bath Rome was in part a great nation due to their system of "Bathing".
After researching the bath system, I have reinvented the roman bath into a
10-step method.
We can safely assume that the Roman Bath, or Thermae, is the father of our
modern-day spas and health clubs. Bathing in ancient Rome was not a private
activity conducted in the intimacy of one's home. Quite to the contrary,
it was a highly social activity where men and woman of all classes congregated
at different hours to exercise, bathe, socialize, relax and even read in the
bathhouse’s communal libraries. During the Roman Empire bathhouses flourished. The city of Rome had 170 baths
during the reign of Augustus, which increased to 900 in 300 AD. Bathhouses were
considered a public facility and were built using tax money collected by the
municipality. Sometimes a rich lord or emperor would build a sumptuous
bath to impress his subjects and would grant them free entrance for a period of
time. Generally, a modest entrance fee, affordable by all men was charged at
the bathhouse. The women's fee was double, and their bath time restricted
to mornings, while men used the baths from the early afternoon to closing time.
Communal bathing, although frowned upon, must have been indulged in regularly
in ancient Rome as various Roman emperors frequently outlawed it.
·An
interesting aspect of the Roman Bath was the exercise area or Palaestra (as the gym is still referred
to by the Italians today).
This is where the ancient Roman males and some females
engaged in various types or muscle-building and sweat-inducing exercises like
weightlifting, ball games, wrestling and boxing. Bowls, gambling with dice
and various board games were available for the less energetic. The Roman
bathhouses were the height of luxury. Even the average bath had floor to
ceiling mirrors, intricate mosaics and rich marble pools. The baths were the
equivalent of a social club or today's shopping malls. Besides the bath
and the gym, they had a library with a reading room, a snack bar, restaurants,
wine and beer bars, shops, lounges, taverns and hair cutting salons. Some even
had a museum and a theatre.
·A
typical Roman bath started in the apodyterium
or changing rooms, where people would take their clothes off in small cubicles
and leave their slaves to guard them.
·From
there, they would step into the unctuarium
where they had various oils rubbed onto their skin and could then exercise in
one of the exercise yards or Palaestra.
·Then,
they would generally move to the tepidarium
or warm room, where they would lie around chatting with their friends, with
attendants serving them snacks and drinks.
·The
tepidarium was a transitional area
and preparation for the hot caldarium.
·The
latter is the equivalent of a sauna or steam bath, hot and steamy with heated
floors where the bathers would sweat profusely while scraping their skin with a
strigil.
This curved metal tool was used to remove the oils,
which were used by the common people instead of the very expensive soaps, only
accessible to the rich.
·From
the hot steaming rooms, the bathers would then move to the frigidarium where, as the name indicates, they were able to cool
off and allow the skin pores to close.
The frigidarium contained pools of fresh water for
dipping and swimming. After swimming, the bather would enjoy a massage and
have oils and perfumes rubbed
into his skin. Feeling clean and relaxed, the Roman bather then drifts through
the beautiful gardens decorated with mosaics and colossal
sculptures. Undoubtedly, the most interesting feature of the Roman bath
was the under-floor heating, made possible by the Hypocaust system for heating
the building and the pools. Thanks to the Hypocaust, hot air, heated from
the basement fires flowing between the bricks and concrete columns would heat
the rooms. In some baths the floor would be so hot that the bathers had to wear
wooden sandals to prevent their soles from burning. The ancient Romans
were undisputed early Master of
Architecture and civil planning. They are accredited for being the
builders of the greatest aqueducts in the world. These refer to an
intricate system of pipes, ditches, canals, tunnels, and supporting structures,
which were used to transport water from its source onto a main distribution
point. Through these aqueducts water
flowed to the city by the sheer force of gravity. It usually went through a
series of distribution tanks within the city from which it is later transported
to its final destination.
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