63°F clear SSE7mph SR0448CST SS1930CST

Morning Offering given

Village slumbers

Coffee good

Another quick Mass last evening. I do not see the point of rushing thru.

In the Catholic Tradition… Temptations… Temptation is the greatest trial a faithful man can endure. No one is perfect and holy. (James 1:12) “Blessed is the man who endures temptations for when he has been tried, he will receive the crown of life which God has promised to those who love Him” Every temptation is first presented to the mind as a simple thought. Then it is clothed by the imagination and projected in vivid colors until it arouses the evil inclinations of the senses. This is how it takes possession of the mind. We must be ready to reject it when it is a simple thought.

Off to the Houlihan Reunion in IA today.

Know you are prayed for.

64°F cloudy S10mph SR0447CST SS1931CST

Morning Offering given

Village awake and open for business

Coffee good

Good grief, two days in a row of long sleep time. I could get used to this.

Typing job completed. Copy job pending.

The car went in for maintenance yesterday. While that was being done the coil was broken. No car till Monday. Probably a good thing. My house is a disaster and that is a shadow statement at best.

In the Catholic Tradition…The Hour of Trial (Antonio Cardinal Bacci)… Everyone, including saints, has an hour of trial. “One who enters a contest is not crowned unless he has competed according to the rules” 2 Tim 2:5 Even the angels were put on trial and the haughty spirits who rebelled against God were damned forever. Adam & Eve were placed on trial and because they disobeyed God’s command… deprived of supernatural gifts and exiled from earthly paradise. Even Jesus will to endure His hour of trial in the Garden of Gethsemane, before the Sanhedrin, before the judgment seat of Pilate, and on Mt Calvary. He desired this to teach us how to be victorious. Whether physical, moral, or spiritual, these trials affect us greatly. Mt 26: 39-42 “Father, if it is possible let this cup pass away from me; yet not as I will, but as thou willest” , should be our fervent prayer in times of trial.

Know you are prayed for.

54°F SSE9mph SR0446CST SS1932CST

Morning Offering given

Village waking

Coffee good

The porch is wonderful this morning. Cool, refreshing, peaceful. The man has already left for the day. My vehicle is in the shop for maintenance. My day will be here at home for once. Had a good sleep. PAD test, audio, dental, and carpel tunnel appointments scheduled. Gotta love those golden years!

In the Catholic Tradition… Life today is fast and mechanical, a mad race for profit and pleasure. Roadways, footpaths, theatres, cinemas and sports complexed are crowded with people looking for fun and happiness. Churches are empty… the one place Jesus is really present… empty.

Know you are prayed for.

Life happens to us all.  We do, say, don’t do things along the way that left uncontested blow up on us later.

We walk around with mad, angry, irritated, written plainly on our face.  No wonder people avoid us at all

costs.  It is time to get this straightened out.

1. They love God and you a lot. (Be mindful.)

2. They are painfully limited human beings. (Be realistic.)

3. They probably have a pretty low view of their own “job performance”. (Be kind.)

4. They wish they were better preachers. (Be awake.)

5. They really do want God’s best for you and your family. (Be open-hearted.)

6. Their work knows no time or location boundaries. (Be patient.)

7. They hear much more negative information than positive. (Be encouraging.)

8. They are in a vocation in which it is hard to remain steadfast. (Be praying.)

9. They have chosen a highly leadership-intensive call. (Be lead-able.)

10. They need help. (Be available.)

11. Their God-given vision is bigger than themselves and the church (Be faith-filled.)

12. They want to personally meet the needs of all, but know they can’t (Be understanding.)

13. They are going to say some dumb things every now and then. (Be forgiving.)

14. They are greatly encouraged by your faithfulness. (Be there.)

15. They are passionate for God’s Word to be made practical to you. (Be hungry.)

16. They long for the church to be your spiritual oasis. (Be loving.)

17. They dream for you and your family’s spiritual health. (Be receptive.)

18. They need to hear that you pray for them. (Be interceding.)

19. They are just regular people. (Be real.)

Pray for your priests!A dear friend sent me this and I knew others would want to see it too.

53°F SE3mph SR0445CST SS1933CST

Morning Offering given

Village peaceful

Coffee good

Good sleep last evening almost 7 hrs. Must have been overtired from all the long nights and days of late.

In the Catholic Tradition… Purification is the first step in Love of God.
Scripture warns us “the just man falls seven times” Prov 24:16 Sin is the greatest evil because it offends God, our highest good, and happiness. 1 John 1:8 Unless you repent, you will all perish Lk 13:5 “Repent, for the Kingdome of Heaven is at hand” Mat 3:2, 4:17. We must make satisfaction for our sins, therefore, by voluntary cooperation with the grace of God. Although God is infinitely good and merciful, He will not purify us without this cooperation on our part. We can be purified by accepting the unavoidable tribulation of life with perfect resignation and by offering to God our own voluntary mortifications and sacrifices. Below you will find definitions so we are all on the same page.
Purification = the removal of contaminants/extracting/ making spiritually/ceremonially clean
Satisfaction = compensation/reparation of an injustice or wrong.
Cooperation = assistance/ ready compliance
Mortification = the action of subduing one’s bodily desires.
Resignation = the act of retiring/giving up/accepting

Know you are prayed for.

59⁰F  NE4mph. SR0443CST. SS1941CST

Morning Offering given

Eau Claire quiet

Coffee… KwikTrip… Columbian bold, I’ve had better

What was to have been a quick drive to Eau Claire – pk up at bus stop and return home; will be anything but quick. Thank goodness the man and I discussed Plan B.  So, I’m parked, will nap and wait.

Know you are prayed for.

63°F NW7mph SR0443CST SS1935CST

Morning Offering given

Village peaceful

Coffee good

Short night but forward we go

Borrowed Stolen from a friend’s post on another website…8 steps to becoming a saint. The following are 8 things noticed by Carlos Acutis that all saints did…
-Go to Holy Mass and receive Holy Communion daily.
-Spend time daily in front of the Blessed Sacrament.
-Pray a daily Rosary.
-Read Scripture daily.
-Go to Confession weekly.
-Pray for the grace to become a Saint.
-Make sacrifices and self-denials frequently.
-Ask your Guardian Angel to help you at all times.
I’m wondering if I could do this for 30 days. What I mean is, could I do this for 30 straight days or blow it off when it became inconvenient.

In the Catholic Tradition… Knowledge & Sanctity… The object of knowledge is truth, and all truth comes from God, but it dwells in created things like a reflection of divine light. We must trace this reflected light back to its original source. Have and promote learning but…more than anything else cultivate in your soul that sanctity that will be your greatest treasure in life. Be humble (1 Cor 8:1)

Know you are prayed for.

59°F SW3mph SR0442CST SS1936CST

Morning Offering given

Village sleepy, feral cat on the prowl, heavy dew

Coffee good

Trip home last evening went quickly 2.5 hrs in length. Heavy downpour between Lancaster & Boscobel. Cars were parked on the shoulders as it was hard to see. We kept going. A couple of Amish buggies and a motorcycle caught in the downpour. That would have been a wet trip.

Biden steps down and encourages everyone to back Harris. You can’t tell me that wasn’t the plan for the entire campaign. As stated elsewhere who would do that. She has accomplished nothing under Biden in 4 years. In fact, when told something was her job she refused to even look at it. Nope, not capable of doing the job. She is a puppet on the end of someone else’s string. I see Soros was quick to back her… his string is long and attached to Obama… Nope not interested. Sigh… it is going to be a long 104 days.

In the Catholic Tradition, today is the Feast Day of St Mary Magdalene, patroness of converts, penitent sinners, and people ridiculed for their piety (to name a few). Let’s talk about “holiness” (sanctification)… the state of growing in divine grace as a result of Christian commitment after baptism or conversion. Pope Pius XII defined it as “the intimate awareness of loyal subjection to God, who is adored and loved as the beginning, end, and norm of every thought, affection, word, and action.” Bacci said “If we wish to be perfect Christians, we must cultivate this king of consciousness of our dependence upon God… It is not true that holiness can be attained only by a few select souls,… so that ordinary goodness is sufficient for people like ourselves. This type of attitude leads to tepidity… a short and easy step to sin itself.” Scripture says… Lev 11:44; 19:2; 1 Pet 1:15-16; Mt 5:48.

On another note… what’s happening in your world?

Know you are prayed for.

What a wonderful gathering we had today. Hogan, Houlihan, and Cummings made their entrance.

Thank you, Amy & and Kyle, for hosting. It was the perfect setting.

Volleyball fun for all.

Lots of 1st timers, we welcomed them and hope for their return next year.

3rd Sunday in July 2025 put it on tour calendar now.