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NIC’s Corner
I give thanks to my God at every remembrance of you, praying always with joy in my every prayer for all of you, because of your partnership for the gospel from the first day until now. (Philippians 1:3-5)
· How to celebrate Nov 21st
o Start your unique day by setting a positive tone with a “hello” to those around you. Embrace the spirit of World Hello Day by reaching out to friends, family, or even strangers with a cheerful greeting.
o As you go about your day, reflect on deep thoughts and engage in philosophical musings inspired by World Philosophy Day. Take a few moments to ponder life’s big questions and consider different perspectives.
o Amidst your philosophical reflections, take a break to watch your favorite TV show or a captivating movie in honor of World Television Day. Allow yourself to unwind and enjoy some well-deserved downtime.
o As the day winds down, savor a delicious meal with loved ones celebrating National Gingerbread Cookie Day and National Stuffing Day. Share laughter and stories over a homemade feast, creating cherished memories together.
§ Try oyster dressing my grandfaRural Healthther’s favorite
o Before you retire for the night, take a moment to appreciate the rural landscape and nature around you on National Day. Go for a peaceful stroll, breathe in the fresh air, and soak in the tranquility of the outdoors.
o End your day by raising a toast to good health and wellness on Great American Smokeout and World Pancreatic Cancer Day. Reflect on the importance of self-care and making positive choices for your well-being.
🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates vs 🇺🇬 Uganda — Expatriate Cathedrals and Martyr Shrines
Two More Stops on the Rich vs Poor Tour:
A Catholic Contrast in Global Devotion
This pairing invites pilgrims to explore how Catholic life flourishes in radically different contexts: the UAE, a wealthy Muslim-majority federation where Catholicism survives through expatriate resilience, and Uganda, a poorer African nation where Catholicism is deeply rooted in martyrdom, mission, and national identity. Together, they extend NIC’s Corner’s journey into the paradoxes of privilege and persecution, diaspora and devotion.
🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates — Wealthy, Tolerant, and Expatriate Catholic
· GDP per capita (PPP): ~$68,800 USD (2024)
o 🧮 Why UAE Ranks High
• Oil Wealth: Petroleum exports drive national prosperity.
• Global Hub: Dubai and Abu Dhabi attract international business and tourism.
• Small Citizen Base: Wealth is concentrated among ~1 million Emiratis; ~9 million are expatriates.
• Infrastructure Excellence: World-class healthcare, education, and transport systems.
• Religious Tolerance: Carefully managed pluralism allows non-Muslim worship.
o ✝️ Catholic Landscape
• Expatriate Majority: ~850,000 Catholics, mostly from the Philippines, India, and Africa.
• Apostolic Vicariate: Led from Abu Dhabi, covering UAE, Oman, and Yemen.
• Ten Churches: Including St. Joseph’s Cathedral (Abu Dhabi) and St. Mary’s (Dubai).
• Abrahamic Family House: Home to the newly built St. Francis Church.
• Papal Visit: Pope Francis celebrated Mass for 135,000 in 2019—the first ever in the Arabian Peninsula.
o ⚠️ Challenges
• No Public Symbols: Churches lack bell towers and crosses.
• No Citizenship Path: Catholics remain guests, not citizens.
• Limited Evangelization: Proselytizing is prohibited.
• Transient Community: Faith life is shaped by labor contracts and migration.
o 🌿 Pilgrimage Cue
The UAE is a journey of diaspora devotion—where the Eucharist is celebrated in rented halls and desert chapels, and the Church survives through hospitality, humility, and interfaith respect.
🇺🇬 Uganda — Poor, Resilient, and Martyr-Born Catholic
· GDP per capita (PPP): ~$2,900 USD (2024)
o 🧮 Why Uganda Ranks Low
• Agrarian Economy: Subsistence farming dominates.
• Youthful Population: Over 75% under age 30, with high unemployment.
• Political Challenges: Corruption and authoritarianism persist.
• Health and Education Gaps: Infrastructure is underfunded.
• Climate Vulnerability: Floods and droughts affect rural livelihoods.
o ✝️ Catholic Landscape
• Majority Faith: ~39% Catholic, ~17 million believers.
• Four Provinces: Kampala, Gulu, Mbarara, and Tororo oversee dozens of dioceses.
• Uganda Martyrs: 22 Catholics were burned alive in 1886; their shrine at Namugongo draws thousands annually.
• Missionary Legacy: White Fathers and Mill Hill Missionaries built schools, hospitals, and seminaries.
• Local Leadership: Uganda has produced bishops, saints, and theologians.
o ⚠️ Challenges
• Poverty: Many parishes lack electricity, books, and transport.
• Youth Catechesis: Resources are stretched across vast rural areas.
• Political Tensions: Church leaders often speak out against injustice.
• Health Burdens: HIV/AIDS and malaria affect clergy and laity alike.
o 🌿 Pilgrimage Cue
Uganda is a journey of blood and blessing—where the Eucharist is celebrated in mud chapels and martyr shrines, and the Church stands as a beacon of hope, healing, and prophetic courage.
· 🕊️ Editorial Reflection
o The UAE and Uganda offer a profound contrast: one rich in oil, the other rich in martyrdom. In the Emirates, Catholicism is a guest—respected but restricted. In Uganda, it is a native—wounded but woven into the nation’s soul. The Rich vs Poor Tour reveals not just disparity, but divine adaptability. The Gospel burns in skyscrapers and slums, in silence and song.
o What does it mean to belong to the Body of Christ when you’re not allowed to belong to the nation?
Where does the Church shine brighter—in the desert of exile or the soil of sacrifice?
o Would you like symbolic meal pairings or liturgical cues to accompany this entry? I can also help format it for your pilgrimage calendar or embed it into your hospitality guides.
🕊️ NIC’s Corner 7-Course Meal for November 21
Celebrating World Hello Day, World Philosophy Day, World Television Day, National Stuffing Day, National Gingerbread Cookie Day, National Rural Health Day, Great American Smokeout, and World Pancreatic Cancer Day
1. Aperitif – “Hello, Grace”
Cue: World Hello Day + Catholic Greetings
Reflection: Begin with a toast to presence. Greet each guest as a bearer of grace. Let the first sip awaken joy and welcome.
2. Soup – “Philosopher’s Broth”
Dish: Mushroom consommé with thyme and star anise
Cue: World Philosophy Day (UNESCO)
Reflection: Serve in silence. Invite guests to ponder: “What is truth?” “What does it mean to belong?”
3. Hors d’Oeuvre – “Screen Time Tapas”
Dish: TV-inspired small bites
Cue: World Television Day + Catholic Media Reflections
Reflection: Share stories of shows that shaped you. Let laughter and nostalgia be part of the feast.
4. Fish or Stuffing – “Grandfather’s Oyster Dressing”
Dish: Classic oyster stuffing
Cue: National Stuffing Day + Liturgical Cooking Traditions
Reflection: A tribute to heritage and memory. Share a story of your grandfather.
5. Main Course – “Rural Health Harvest”
Dish: Roasted root vegetables with millet
Cue: National Rural Health Day
Reflection: Honor the land and those who labor in silence. A prayer for healing.
6. Salad or Cheese – “Smokeout Benediction”
Drink: Red wine or cider with clove
Cue: Great American Smokeout + World Pancreatic Cancer Day
Reflection: Raise a glass to resilience and the courage to quit what harms.
7. Dessert – “Desert & Soil Finale”
Dish: Stuffed dates (UAE) + Banana fritters (Uganda)
Cue: Catholic Church in UAE + Catholic Church in Uganda
Reflection: Taste the paradox. One sweet from oil-rich exile, one from martyr-rich soil.
✝️ Liturgical Cue
Scripture: Philippians 1:3–5
Blessing: “May your partnership in the Gospel be seasoned with joy, memory, and mission.”
NOVEMBER 21 Presentation of the Virgin Mary
World Television-Great American Smokeout-World
Philosophy Day
John,
Chapter 21,
Verse 15-17
When they had
finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of
John, do you LOVE me more than
these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed my
lambs.” He then said to him a second time, “Simon, son of
John, do you love me?” He said to
him, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love
you.” He said to him, “Tend my sheep.” He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do
you love me?” Peter was distressed
that he had said to him a third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know
that I love you.” [Jesus] said to
him, “Feed my sheep.
Feed my lambs:
For the first several weeks of
life, all a lamb needs for nourishment is its mother's milk. Lambs will start
to nibble on solid food soon after birth. An ewe's milk production peaks
between 3 and 4 weeks of lactation. By the time lambs are 4 to 6 weeks old,
they may be obtaining as much as 50 percent of their nutrient intake from
sources other than their mother's milk.[1]
With the secular
world feeding our children it is no wonder many are confused and have no idea
who Christ is. As Christ advised Peter first to feed the lambs. Our lambs are
those who for the first time really get who Christ is; no matter what their age
is and of course the children of those who do get who Christ is. The milk of
course is the milk of human kindness and the milk of our mother church and of
course the very mother of Christ, Mary most holy. Fathers and working mothers
ignore earthly wealth your primary mission is your children in the Lord. True
joy is in doing the will of God.
Copilot’s Take
On November 21, as we honor the Presentation of the Virgin Mary and
reflect on World Television Day, the Great American Smokeout, and World
Philosophy Day, we are reminded of Christ’s intimate commissioning of Peter in
John 21: “Feed my lambs… Tend my sheep.” This triple call is not merely
pastoral—it is parental, communal, and deeply urgent. In a world where screens
and secular ideologies often shape the minds of our children, the Church must
reclaim its role as the source of nourishing milk: the kindness of Christ, the
wisdom of Mary, and the sacramental life that grounds us. Lambs—whether young
in age or new in faith—require gentle, consistent care. Parents, especially
fathers and working mothers, are called not to chase wealth but to embrace the
joy of forming souls. On this day of philosophical reflection and cultural
awareness, let us recommit to feeding our lambs with truth, tenderness, and the
love of the Good Shepherd.
Feast of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary[2]
THE Blessed Virgin
was presented in the temple at Jerusalem by her pious parents, Joachim and Ann,
there to be educated in the service and the law of the Lord in order that she
might be guarded against the defilements of the world. From this we learn:
Joachim and Ann
offered to the Lord their only and most beloved child and gave her up entirely
to His service. Great as the sacrifice was, they yet made it. The preservation
of the innocence of their daughter was to them above all else. Parents, God
requires of you that you should not merely offer your children to Him in the
temple, but that you should take care to keep them pure and holy, as living
temples which have been consecrated in Baptism.
Mary gives and dedicates herself to
God as soon as she is capable of serving Him, and that without any reservation,
for all time, and irrevocably.
·
When
then, shall we give ourselves in earnest to God? True, we have been given to
Him in holy Baptism, we have been consecrated as His temples, we have renounced
the devil and the world, we have vowed to live only for God, and this vow we
have, perhaps, often renewed; but have we kept it?
·
What
we gave with one hand have we not taken it away with the other? Have we not
denied the temple of our hearts by shameful lusts, lived for the world and
vanity more than for God? Ah, when shall we give ourselves up to God sincerely
and forever? Perhaps when we are old! But will God accept our offering then?
·
Will
He be pleased that we begin to serve Him only when we can no longer serve the
world? That we first begin to live for Him when our life is soon to cease? No;
God is a jealous Lord and is not pleased with a heart divided between Him and
creatures. He requires us to love Him with all our heart and all our soul, and
to serve Him with all our powers. Let us, then, do this, and do it from our
youth; let us keep ourselves in body and soul undefiled for the Lord; such
love, and such love only, will He reward as perfect.
Prayer.
O God, Who wast pleased that the blessed Mary, ever vir gin, the
habitation of the Holy Ghost, should oh this day be presented in the temple,
grant, we beseech Thee, that by her intercession we may deserve to be presented
in the temple of Thy glory.
EPISTLE. Ecclus.
xxiv. 14-16.
From the beginning, and before the world, was I created, and unto the
world to come I shall not cease to be, and in the holy dwelling-place I have
ministered before Him. And so was I established in Sion, and in the holy city
likewise I rested, and my power was in Jerusalem. And I took root in an
honorable people, and in the portion of my God His inheritance, and my abode is
in the full assembly of saints.
GOSPEL. Luke xi.
27, 28.
And it came to pass, as He spoke these things, a certain woman from the
crowd lifting up her voice said to Him: Blessed is the womb that bore Thee, and
the paps that gave Thee suck. But He said: Yea rather, blessed are they who
hear the word of God and keep it.
Explanation.
By His answer Jesus would have us understand that His Mother was not to be blessed merely because she bore Him, the Son of God, but rather because she at all times endeavored to keep the word of God in her heart and to observe it in her life. If you would be blessed, learn to be not only a hearer, but a doer, of the word of God.
Things to Do[3]
·
Meditate
on the mystery of Mary's temporary dwelling in the sanctuary of the Old
Covenant as preparation for the approaching season of Advent.
·
Locate
the order of contemplative nuns closest to you and visit their monastery (you
may want to request their prayers and you might consider supporting them
financially), they are the privileged souls who, by the grace of their
vocation, are even here below dwellers in the house of the Lord.
·
Spend
30 minutes reading the Bible.
·
Learn
more about Mary in the
Byzantine Liturgy
and say one of the beautiful prayers of the Eastern liturgy in honor of Mary.
Bible in a Year Day 141 The Life of David
Fr.
Mike touches on one of his favorite bible stories about David's mighty men and
discusses his attitude in old age. At the end of his life, David chooses not to
dwell on his mistakes, but to recognize the people around him and the blessings
he received, which helped him accomplish what God was calling him to do.
Today's readings are 2 Samuel 23, 1 Chronicles 28, and Psalm 42.
World Television Day[4]
World Television
Day celebrates the daily value of television as a symbol of communication and
globalization. Television is one of the single greatest technological advances
of the 20th century, serving to educate, inform, entertain and influence our
decisions and opinions. It is estimated that approximately 90% of homes
around the world have televisions; however, with the introduction of internet
broadcasting, the number is declining in favor of computers. World Television
Day was proclaimed by the United Nations in 1996. It is
celebrated annually on November 21.
World Television
Day Facts & Quotes
·
TV
stimulates the economy by providing countless avenues for jobs. Over 1.2
million people in the European Union alone are employed in the media sector.
·
In
France, 63% of children between the age
of 0 and 15 live in a household with 4 screens (TV, computer, tablet etc.).
·
Television
creates authority. When something is shown on TV it has a particular authority
about it because you know that you and millions of other people are seeing it
and that professionals have produced it.
·
In
Canada, nearly 95% of people aged 18-34 watch TV each month, which results in
12 and a half hours of weekly TV watching.
·
Television
is a medium because anything well done is rare. - Fred Allen, American comedian
and radio show host
Donate to catholic
Television today if you can!
Great American Smokeout[5]
The Great American
Smoke out is an informal holiday aimed at encouraging citizens to quit or plan
to quit smoking. Smoking is a habit that involves consumption of tobacco smoke,
which has been shown to cause a variety of cancers, most notably lung and mouth
cancer. Lung cancer is currently the leading cause of Cancer death in the
United States and the most preventable type of cancer worldwide. The Great
American Smokeout is promoted by the American Cancer Society and is
held on the third Thursday of November each year in an effort to reduce cases
of preventable cancers, reduce secondhand smoke and improve the health of all Americans.
Great American
Smokeout Facts & Quotes
·
The
holiday began in 1970, when a man in Massachusetts asked people to give up smoking for one day, and
donate the money saved to the local high school scholarship fund.
·
According
to the Center for Disease Control, smoking is responsible for 1 in 3 cancer-related deaths,
and 1 in 5 deaths from any cause. Worldwide, tobacco use causes more than
5 million deaths per year.
·
The
Center for Disease Control state that life expectancy for smokers is 10 years
less than that of non-smokers.
·
The
Center for Disease Control states that middle-aged man who smokes, triples his
risk of dying from some type of heart
disease.
·
More
Doctors Smoke Camels than Any Other Cigarette - line used in 1949 commercial
for Camel Cigarettes.
Great American
Smokeout Top Events and Things to Do
·
If
you are a smoker, call 1-800-QUIT-NOW for support in quitting. You can
also get help from organizations like smokefree.gov and ucanquit2.org.
·
Organize
a sporting event like soccer
or softball as a way to have fun and otherwise help smokers take their minds
off of smoking.
·
Talk
to someone you know who smokes and challenge them to quit for the day.
·
Give
out sugarless gum to otherwise smokers as friendly gesture to promote an
alternative.
·
Watch
movies and documentaries that aim to uncover the tobacco industry and impact of
tobacco addictions:
1) The Insider (1999)
2) Addiction Incorporated (2011)
3) Dying for a Smoke (1992)
4) Smoke & Mirrors: A History of Denial (2000)
World Philosophy Day[6]
Shit Happens! Forrest Gump
World Philosophy
Day seeks to promote human thought, new ideas and critical thinking to confront
today's challenges. Philosophy refers to the study of knowledge,
experience, existence and reality. According to the United Nations, philosophy
provides the conceptual bases of principles and values on which world peace depends: democracy, human rights, justice and
equality. World Philosophy Day was proclaimed by UNESCO in 2005. Since
then, every third Thursday of November has served as a celebration of
philosophical knowledge.
World Philosophy
Day Facts & Quotes
·
Rene
Descartes is considered to be the father of modern Western philosophy. He is
widely credited with being the first to use the concept of reason to develop
the natural sciences. He lived from
1596 to 1650.
·
Thales
of Miletus is widely considered to be the father of philosophy. He was a Greek
philosopher, mathematician and astronomer that lived around 624-546BC.
·
Truth
in philosophy means that concept and external reality correspond. – George
Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel, a German philosopher of the late enlightenment period.
World Philosophy
Day Top Events and Things to Do
·
Spread
awareness on social media by using the hashtags #WorldPhilosophyDay,
#PhilosophyDay and #PhilosophyandCooperation.
·
Tune
in to the live webcast of the philosophical debates on UNESCO’s website. It can
be streamed in French or English at the UNESCO site.
·
Watch
a movie that touches on philosophy. Some suggestions are: The Matrix
(1999), Blade Runner (1982) and Being There (1979).
·
Donate
to the Philosophy Foundation. Any money raised is put towards providing
specialist teachers to schools that need it most but can’t afford it. The
organization aims to support young people in higher education studying
philosophy.
·
Read
a book on philosophy. Some suggestions are Plato’s Republic, Critique
of Pure Reason and A History of Western Philosophy.
Fitness Friday
Recognizing that God the Father created man on Friday
the 6th day I propose in this blog to have an entry that shares on
how to recreate and renew yourself in strength, mind, soul, and heart.
9 Workouts the Rockettes
Do In the Off-Season[7]
Dancing
and rehearsing are a workout in itself, but during the off-season, it’s still
our job as Rockettes to stay in tip-top shape
(after all, during the Christmas season we
perform up to 16 shows a week!). But one of the cool things about the
off-season is we get to try out fun, energetic workouts to spice things up.
From taking interval-based classes to channeling our inner yogi, here’s how we
like to stay in shape when we’re not rehearsing and performing:
Daily
Devotions/Practice
·
Unite
in the work of the Porters of St.
Joseph
by joining them in fasting: Today's Fast: For the
intercession of the angels and saints
·
Offering to the
sacred heart of Jesus
·
Rosary
