Posts
DECEMBER
13 of
the Second Week in Advent
FEAST OF SAINT
LUCY
From December 14–20, 2025, your pilgrimage in
Madrid and El Escorial will explore the fusion of royal devotion and
Enlightenment-era faith. This week invites reflection on monarchy, mysticism,
and the intellectual legacy of Spain’s Golden Age.
👑
Royal Piety & Enlightenment Faith – Madrid & El Escorial, Spain
Dates: December 14–20, 2025
Theme: Monarchy, Monasticism,
and the Light of Reason
🗓️
Daily Itinerary & Symbolic Acts
Dec 14: Arrival & Royal Foundations
·
🕍 Symbolic Act: “Crown and Cloister”
Begin at the Royal Site of San Lorenzo de El Escorial, a vast 16th-century complex built by Philip
II. Pray in the basilica, walk the royal pantheon, and reflect on the fusion of
monarchy and monastic prayer.
·
🛏️ Stay: Hotel
San Lorenzo Suites or Exe Victoria Palace
Dec 15: Basilica & Gardens of El Escorial
·
🕊️ Symbolic Act: “Sacred Geometry”
Visit the [Basílica de El Escorial] and walk the Frailes
Garden,
offering prayers for harmony between nature, architecture, and divine order.
Dec 16: Royal Retreats
·
🏛️ Symbolic Act: “Princes in Prayer”
Visit the Casita del Príncipe and Casita
del Infante,
royal residences designed for reflection and retreat. Pray for leaders to seek
wisdom in silence.
Dec 17: Civic Memory & Mercy
·
🕍 Symbolic Act: “Cross of the Fallen”
Visit the Valle de Cuelgamuros, a monumental basilica and war memorial. Offer
prayers for reconciliation and peace among nations.
Dec 18: Madrid – Monastic Light
·
🕊️ Symbolic Act: “Blood of the Martyrs”
Visit the Real Monasterio de la Encarnación, a 17th-century convent housing relics and
royal devotion. Reflect on the endurance of faith through suffering.
Dec 19: Enlightenment Dome
·
🕍 Symbolic Act: “Reason and Revelation”
Visit the Royal Basilica of Saint Francis the Great, with its vast frescoed dome and chapels
painted by Goya. Pray for the harmony of art, intellect, and spiritual truth.
Dec 20: Final Benediction
·
🕊️ Symbolic Act: “Seal of Light”
Return to El Escorial for a final walk through the library and basilica. Offer
a closing prayer for wisdom, mercy, and the enduring light of faith.
💶
Cost Breakdown (Per Person)
|
Category |
Budget (USD) |
Mid-Range (USD) |
|
Lodging (6 nights) |
$240–$360 |
$480–$720 |
|
Meals |
$120–$180 |
$240–$360 |
|
Transport |
$40–$80 |
$80–$160 |
|
Sightseeing &
Tips |
$40–$80 |
$80–$160 |
|
Total Estimate |
$440–$700 |
$880–$1,400 |
Would
you like a ritual meal titled “The Supper of the Crown and the Light” to
accompany this week, pairing royal dishes with Enlightenment reflections?
Judith, Chapter 11, Verse 1
Then
Holofernes said to her: “Take courage, woman! Have no FEAR in your heart! I have never harmed anyone who chose to serve
Nebuchadnezzar, king of all the earth.
Beauty meets the beast while he is reclining in
bed. He wants her almost as much as Jerusalem.
Two Speeches[1]
Holofernes, servant of the King of Assyria,
tells the apple of his eye assuming she serves his king to take courage. He is
blinded to the fact that she serves the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords and is
a servant of Yahwah. Holofernes promises good treatment for a servant of
Nebuchadnezzar. Judith answer is a mixture of cunning and truth. She states,
“If you follow the words of your maidservant, God will successfully perform a
deed through you, and my lord will not fail to achieve his designs.” She flatters
and he loves it. In truth she states:
·
As for Achior’s speech in your council, we have
heard it…So then, my lord and master, do not disregard his word, but bear it in
mind, for it is true. Indeed, our people are not punished, nor does the sword
prevail against them, except when they sin against their God.
·
But now their sin* has
caught up with them, by which they will bring the wrath of their God upon them
when they do wrong; so that my lord will not be repulsed and fail, but death
will overtake them. Because their food has given out and all their water is
running low, they have decided to kill their animals, and are determined to
consume all the things which God in his laws has forbidden them to eat.
·
They have decided that they would use the first
fruits of grain and the tithes of wine and oil, which they had consecrated and
reserved for the priests who minister in the presence of our God in
Jerusalem—things which the people should not so much as touch with their hands.
·
As soon as I, your servant, learned all this, I
fled from them. God has sent me to perform with you such deeds as will astonish
people throughout the whole earth who hear of them.
As the Israelites did indeed hunger and thirst
for food and water; let us hunger and thirst for our Lord in the Eucharist.
Saint Lucy[2]
The traditional
story of St. Lucy tells us that she was of noble Greek parentage, born in
Syracuse, Sicily, and brought up as a Christian by her mother, Eutychia.
Although Lucy, like Cecilia, wished to dedicate herself to God, Eutychia
arranged for her a marriage with a young pagan. The mother, who suffered from
hemorrhage, was persuaded to make a pilgrimage to Catania, to offer prayers at
the tomb of St. Agatha. Lucy accompanied her mother, and their prayers for a
cure were answered. Then Lucy made known to Eutychia her desire to give her own
share of their fortune to the poor and devote herself to God's service.
Eutychia, in gratitude for her cure, gave permission. This so angered the young
man to whom Lucy had been unwillingly betrothed that he denounced her as a
Christian to the governor, Paschius. The persecutions instituted by the emperor
Diocletian were then at their height, and when Lucy steadfastly clung to her
faith, she was sentenced to prostitution in a brothel. God rendered her immovable,
and the officers were not able to carry her off to the place of evil. An
attempt was then made to burn her, but boiling oil and pitch had no power to
hurt her or break her strong spirit. At last, she was put to death by the
sword. At Rome in the sixth century Lucy was honored among the other virgin
martyrs, and her name was inserted in the Canon of the Mass. A reference to her
sanctity occurs in a letter written by Pope Gregory the Great. In the Middle
Ages, she was invoked by persons suffering from eye trouble, perhaps because
Lucy (in Italian, Lucia) derives from <lux>, the Latin word for light.
The first church writer to give an account of St. Lucy from her <Acts>
was the English bishop St. Aldhelm of Sherborne at the end of the seventh
century. This saint's relics are venerated at Venice and at Bourges, in France.
She is patroness of Syracuse; her emblems are a cord and eyes. Father Kenelm Digby Best knew her example of fearlessness
when he penned in his book “A Priest’s Poems”[3] on St. Lucy:
Flames might not harm her: Saint
Lucy stood fearless,
still as a statue's the neck which they smote: Scarcely another save, Lucy, was
tearless. When the sharp dagger was plunged in her throat.
The customs surrounding the Feast of St. Lucy also illuminate
the themes of Advent and Christmas. Lucy, whose name means light and whose
association with light has made her the patron saint of the "light of the
body" (the eyes), once had her feast fall on the shortest day of the year.
(Before the Gregorian calendar was reformed in the Middle Ages, December 13 was
the day of the winter solstice.) For all of these reasons, St. Lucy is honored
with a number of customs involving fire. Lucy candles were once lit in the home and Lucy fires burned outside.
In Sweden and Norway, a girl dressed in white and wearing an evergreen wreath
on her head with lit candles would awaken the family and offer them coffee and
cakes. She was called the Lussibrud
(Lucy bride) and her pastry the Lussekattor.
The Feast of St. Lucy comes at a propitious time during the
observance of Advent. Reminding us of the importance of light, the light of St.
Lucy foreshadows the coming of the Light of the World at Christmas like a spark
foreshadows the sun.[4]
Things to Do[5]
·
Choose one of the customs for St. Lucy's feast
and try it with your family. See Celebrating for the Feast of St. Lucy, Swedish Lucia Feast, and St. Lucia Devotions.
·
Select one of the recipes for this feast to
prepare. Here is a recipe for cuccia, an Italian dish. This is another version.
·
Say a prayer to St. Lucy for those who are
physically and spiritually blind.
·
Read the Life of St. Lucy taken from Ælfric’s Lives of the Saints
written in the 10th century.
·
For St. Lucia Swedish resources, see Hemslöjd. Especially recommended are the St. Lucia's Crowns,
either plastic to wear or brass for display, the books and Lucia Morning in Sweden.
Perhaps
today would be a good day to put up some Christmas lights and drink Hot Cocoa
Hot Cocoa Day[6]
” The superiority of chocolate (hot chocolate), both for
health and nourishment, will soon give it the same preference over tea and
coffee in America which it has in Spain.”
~ Thomas Jefferson
We’re sad to say that President Jefferson didn’t quite hit
the mark on this one, but we can all agree that he should have. Perhaps he
should have included it in the American constitution to ensure that his good
sense got passed on to the country he formed. It’s not too late to make this
statement come true! Hot Cocoa Day reminds you that your options go far beyond
“Tea or Coffee” when it comes to your morning hot beverage. Chocolate’s history
goes far back into history, far longer than most people are aware. It first was
found by European explorers in South America, where it had been being enjoyed
for hundreds of years prior to their arrival. We have reason to believe that
the reason the America’s didn’t make contact with Europe sooner is they didn’t
want to share this delightful beverage with the rest of the world. The first
origins of cocoa can be traced back to 500BC, but many archaeologists believe
that this is only as early as we can trace it, and that coffee consumption
predates even that august culture. Of course, the chocolate of those days was
much different than that which we consume now, as sugar was not something that
had found its way to the America’s. Instead, the beverage was flavored with
vanilla and often with chili and was served at all temperatures depending on
the recipe being used. The Spaniards first found the flavor unpleasant and one
an individual had to acquire. It would not be until it was introduced to Europe
and had spent some time there as a luxury drink of the wealthy that it would be
sweetened, and milk chocolate invented. It took until 1828 for powdered
chocolate to be made, and in that glorious moment of culinary history, both the
chocolate bar and instant hot cocoa came into existence.
How to Celebrate Hot Cocoa Day
We think the best way to celebrate Hot Cocoa Day is to try
every variety you can think of. Form a gathering of friends and have everyone
bring their favorite recipe and all their favorite varieties. White and Dark,
Milk and Bittersweet, there are as many different Hot Cocoa recipes as there
are individuals! Our personal favorite is to make Hot Cocoa with 50/50 Milk and
Sweetened Condensed milk and Dark Powdered Chocolate, followed by a sprinkling
of cinnamon and shavings of dark chocolate on top. Rich and flavorful, it’s not
for the timid.
Spiritual Crib[7]
A special devotion that can be performed during Advent to
prepare for the coming of the Infant Savior. It can be adapted for adults
and/or children and applied as is appropriate to your state in life.
3rd day, December 13th: THE
WALLS—Charity Today we must erect the Walls of our little stable by
showing great love and kindness towards others, in spite of our feelings for
them. Always to excuse their faults, and if that is not possible, at least the
intention. Take no offence at anything and show great kindness to such as put
your patience to the test. Pray much for the Poor Souls and for poor sinners. Visit
the tabernacle.
33 days to
Christmas-Start the 33 days to Eucharistic Glory[8]
Want to start a
small group? Download our 33 Days to Eucharistic Glory Study Guide
Day 22
On this 22nd day rest in the inner peace
you receive from the Eucharist.
Copilot:
The Eucharist plays a significant role in
helping Catholics develop inner peace through various spiritual and emotional
benefits:
1. Encounter
with Christ: Receiving the Eucharist is a direct encounter with Jesus Christ.
This divine presence brings a profound sense of peace and comfort, knowing that
one is intimately united with the Lord.
2. Grace
and Forgiveness: The Eucharist provides spiritual nourishment and grace,
helping to forgive venial sins and strengthen the soul against temptation. This
forgiveness and grace lead to a peaceful heart and mind.
3. Meditative
Reflection: Participating in the Eucharist encourages deep prayer and
reflection. This meditative state fosters inner tranquility and a sense of
calm.
4. Spiritual
Strength: The grace received from the Eucharist empowers believers to face
life's challenges with resilience and confidence, fostering a peaceful
disposition.
5. Community
and Belonging: The sense of unity and belonging experienced during the
Eucharist strengthens one's connection to the Church community. This support
system provides emotional stability and peace.
6. Hope
and Trust: The Eucharist reinforces the hope of eternal life and trust in God's
plan. This hope and trust bring a profound sense of peace, even in difficult
times.
7. Acceptance
of God's Will: By participating in the Eucharist, believers are reminded to
surrender their will to God. This surrender brings peace, knowing that one is
aligned with God's purpose.
8. Healing
and Comfort: The Eucharist offers spiritual healing and comfort, providing
solace in times of sorrow or distress.
9. Consistency
and Routine: Regular participation in the Eucharist creates a spiritual routine
that fosters a stable and peaceful life.
10. Reflecting
on Christ's Sacrifice: Reflecting on Jesus' sacrifice during the Eucharist
helps believers put their own struggles into perspective, finding peace in His
love and redemption.
11. Encouragement
to Love and Serve: The Eucharist inspires Catholics to live out their faith
through acts of love and service, which in turn bring inner peace through
meaningful and purposeful living.
12. Alignment
with Teachings: By aligning their lives with the teachings of Jesus, Catholics
find a harmonious way of living that fosters inner peace.
13. Renewed
Purpose: Receiving the Eucharist renews a sense of purpose and direction,
contributing to a peaceful and centered life.
These aspects of the
Eucharist collectively help Catholics cultivate and maintain inner peace,
guiding them in their spiritual journey and daily lives.
Catechism of the Catholic Church
Day 184
The movement of the celebration
1348 All gather together.
Christians come together in one place for the Eucharistic assembly. At its head
is Christ himself, the principal agent of the Eucharist. He is high priest of
the New Covenant; it is he himself who presides invisibly over every Eucharistic
celebration. It is in representing him that the bishop or priest acting in the
person of Christ the head (in persona Christi capitis) presides over the
assembly, speaks after the readings, receives the offerings, and says the
Eucharistic Prayer. All have their own active parts to play in the celebration,
each in his own way: readers, those who bring up the offerings, those who give
communion, and the whole people whose "Amen" manifests their
participation.
1349 The Liturgy of the Word
includes "the writings of the prophets," that is, the Old Testament,
and "the memoirs of the apostles" (their letters and the Gospels).
After the homily, which is an exhortation to accept this Word as what it truly
is, the Word of God, and to put it into practice, come the intercessions
for all men, according to the Apostle's words: "I urge that supplications,
prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all men, for kings, and
all who are in high positions."
1350 The presentation of the
offerings (the Offertory). Then, sometimes in procession, the bread and wine
are brought to the altar; they will be offered by the priest in the name of
Christ in the Eucharistic sacrifice in which they will become his body and
blood. It is the very action of Christ at the Last Supper - "taking the
bread and a cup." "The Church alone offers this pure oblation to the
Creator, when she offers what comes forth from his creation with
thanksgiving." The presentation of the offerings at the altar takes
up the gesture of Melchizedek and commits the Creator's gifts into the hands of
Christ who, in his sacrifice, brings to perfection all human attempts to offer
sacrifices.
1351 From the very beginning
Christians have brought, along with the bread and wine for the Eucharist, gifts
to share with those in need. This custom of the collection, ever appropriate,
is inspired by the example of Christ who became poor to make us rich:
Those who are well off, and who
are also willing, give as each chooses. What is gathered is given to him who
presides to assist orphans and widows, those whom illness or any other cause
has deprived of resources, prisoners, immigrants and, in a word, all who are in
need.
1352 The anaphora: with the
Eucharistic Prayer - the prayer of thanksgiving and consecration - we come to
the heart and summit of the celebration:
In the preface, the Church gives
thanks to the Father, through Christ, in the Holy Spirit, for all his works:
creation, redemption, and sanctification. the whole community thus joins in the
unending praise that the Church in heaven, the angels and all the saints, sing
to the thrice-holy God.
1353 In the epiclesis, the Church
asks the Father to send his Holy Spirit (or the power of his blessing) on the
bread and wine, so that by his power they may become the body and blood of
Jesus Christ and so that those who take part in the Eucharist may be one body
and one spirit (some liturgical traditions put the epiclesis after the
anamnesis).
In the institution narrative, the power of the words and the action of Christ,
and the power of the Holy Spirit, make sacramentally present under the species
of bread and wine Christ's body and blood, his sacrifice offered on the cross
once for all.
1354 In the anamnesis that
follows, the Church calls to mind the Passion, resurrection, and glorious
return of Christ Jesus; she presents to the Father the offering of his Son
which reconciles us with him.
In the intercessions, the Church indicates that the Eucharist is celebrated in
communion with the whole Church in heaven and on earth, the living and the
dead, and in communion with the pastors of the Church, the Pope, the diocesan
bishop, his presbyterium and his deacons, and all the bishops of the whole
world together with their Churches.
1355 In the communion, preceded
by the Lord's prayer and the breaking of the bread, the faithful receive
"the bread of heaven" and "the cup of salvation," the body
and blood of Christ who offered himself "for the life of the world":
Because this
bread and wine have been made Eucharist ("eucharisted," according to
an ancient expression), "we call this food Eucharist, and no one may take
part in it unless he believes that what we teach is true, has received baptism
for the forgiveness of sins and new birth, and lives in keeping with what
Christ taught."
Corner
·
Jesse Tree ornament: Solomon: 1 Kings
3:5-14, 16-28 Symbols: scales of justice, temple, two babies and sword
·
Today is the Day of
the Horse-take a horse ride; bet on ponies or watch a movie about horses.
My nephew’s name is Philip, which means, lover of horses.
·
Royal Charter for Dartmouth College granted 1769
·
Are you a Swifty? Today is Taylor Swifts’
Birthday 1989
o Start your day by celebrating National Cocoa
Day with a cozy mug of hot cocoa. Take some time to savor the rich, chocolatey
goodness and let it warm you up from the inside out.
o In honor of Day of the Horse, why not spend
some time outdoors connecting with nature? Visit a local stable or park where
you can admire these magnificent animals and maybe even enjoy a peaceful
horseback ride.
o For Lost & Found Day, declutter and
organize a small area of your home. Take the opportunity to rediscover items
you thought were lost and donate any gently used belongings to those in need.
o On Pick a Pathologist Pal Day, indulge your
curiosity by watching a crime documentary or reading a thrilling mystery novel.
Channel your inner detective and try to solve the case before the big reveal.
o In honor of St. Lucia Day, bake a batch of
traditional Swedish saffron buns or ginger snaps to share with friends and
family. Embrace the holiday’s spirit of light and warmth by lighting some
candles and enjoying a homemade treat.
o Finally, celebrate the U.S. National Guard
Birthday by expressing gratitude for the brave men and women who serve our
country. Write a heartfelt thank you note to a service member or donate to a
veteran’s organization to show your support.
o Whether you spend the day enjoying hot cocoa,
connecting with nature, organizing your space, solving mysteries, baking
Swedish treats, or honoring our military, make the most of this eclectic mix of
holidays and create memorable moments that are truly one-of-a-kind.
Daily Devotions
·
Unite
in the work of the Porters of St. Joseph by joining them in fasting: Today's Fast: Victims
of clergy sexual abuse
·
Religion
in the home: Preschool for December
·
Offering to
the sacred heart of Jesus
·
Make
reparations to the Holy Face
· Rosary
[1]The Collegeville Bible Commentary,
1986.
Quick Answer: In Old Chicago (1937/1938) dramatizes the O’Leary family’s struggles in Chicago leading up to the Great Fire of 1871. Tyrone Power plays Dion, a charming but corrupt gambler; Don Ameche plays Jack, his reformist lawyer brother; and Alice Faye plays Belle, a saloon singer caught between them. The film explores themes of family loyalty, corruption, sacrifice, and renewal. From a Catholic lens, it offers lessons on the dangers of pride and greed, the redemptive power of sacrifice, and the hope of resurrection after destruction.
🎬 Film Summary
- Family Origins: The O’Learys, Irish immigrants, arrive in Chicago. Patrick O’Leary dies tragically, leaving Molly (Alice Brady) to raise her three sons alone.
- The Brothers’ Paths:
- Jack (Don Ameche): Becomes an idealistic lawyer, fighting corruption.
- Dion (Tyrone Power): A gambler who builds a saloon empire through bribery and political deals.
- Bob (Tom Brown): Helps his mother and marries Gretchen, a wholesome German girl.
- Romantic Conflict: Dion falls for Belle (Alice Faye), a saloon singer tied to corrupt businessman Gil Warren. Their stormy relationship mirrors Dion’s moral instability.
- Political Rivalry: Dion manipulates politics but eventually backs Jack for mayor. Jack wins, pledging reform, which threatens Dion’s empire.
- The Fire: Mrs. O’Leary’s cow knocks over a lantern, sparking the Great Chicago Fire. Jack dies heroically trying to save the city, while Dion redeems himself by helping others escape.
- Ending: Mrs. O’Leary proclaims that Chicago will rise again, symbolizing hope and renewal.
✝️ Catholic Lessons & Reflections
- Family & Duty: Molly O’Leary embodies maternal perseverance, echoing Catholic teaching on the sanctity of family and the strength of widows (cf. Luke 21:1–4).
- Pride vs. Humility: Dion’s corruption shows how pride and greed corrode the soul. His eventual repentance reflects the Catholic call to conversion (cf. Luke 15:11–32, the Prodigal Son).
- Sacrifice & Redemption: Jack’s death to save the city parallels Christ-like sacrifice—laying down one’s life for the good of others (John 15:13).
- Resurrection & Renewal: The fire destroys but also purifies, symbolizing the Paschal Mystery: death leading to new life. Chicago rising from ashes mirrors the Church’s teaching on hope beyond suffering.
- Community & Justice: Jack’s reform efforts highlight Catholic social teaching on justice, the common good, and resisting corruption (cf. Catechism §§1928–1942).
- Belle’s Journey: Her shift from being a pawn of corruption to saving Mrs. O’Leary reflects the dignity of every person and the possibility of redemption, even for those marginalized.
📊 Key Themes Table
| Theme | Film Expression | Catholic Lesson |
|---|---|---|
| Family Loyalty | Molly raising sons alone | Sanctity of family, perseverance in hardship |
| Pride & Corruption | Dion’s gambling/political schemes | Sin’s destructive power, need for humility |
| Sacrifice | Jack dies saving Chicago | Christ-like self-giving love |
| Redemption | Dion helps during fire, reconciles Belle | Conversion and mercy always possible |
| Renewal | Chicago rebuilt after fire | Resurrection, hope beyond suffering |
In essence: In Old Chicago is more than a disaster melodrama—it’s a parable of sin, sacrifice, and redemption. Its Catholic resonance lies in showing how corruption destroys, sacrifice redeems, and hope rebuilds.
