Fifth Friday After Pentecost: Welcoming the Buck (Full) Moon!
I'm back to my regular format! + More photos! + Hungary - birthplace of my maternal great-grandparents + Mesa Verde NP + "A Cure for Your Secret Addiction" + Patron of Fellowship - Clarence Jordan
PENTECOST + ORDINARY TIME
The longest liturgical season, which will take us up to Advent, is referred to as Pentecost by some denominations, while Roman Catholics call it Ordinary Time.
To honor the spirit of both of these themes, the second section of my weekday posts will feature a country and the numbers 1-10 in its language.
During this season, I want to share more of my original writing.
NOTE: I will not have a post on Saturday as I’m anticipating a full (and late arrival home) Friday night!
ONE > A recent or special archived photo I’ve captured.
If you saw my post this past Monday you viewed photos of my wonder-ful holiday weekend get-away to the Milwaukee area. Here’s a few more photos from that trip:
These are two of the first photos I took in the town of Kewaskum - where we stayed.
I like the framing of the steeples/points of this Catholic church:
And this mural was nearby. It’s the first dragonfly I’d encounter on the trip:
In the morning of July 4th, we went over to Sheboygan where they have this lovely park near Lake Michigan:
It was on July 5th that we started by walking this labyrinth. This is the of the first steps into it. Note the dragonfly sculpture:
I greatly enjoyed the Mitchell Domes in Milwaukee - 5 stars - especially for its reasonable admission of just $9 for adults.
There’s the tropical dome:
And the desert dome:
Plus the smaller “seasonal” dome with this colorful mural:
Apparently it’s a popular place for photos. This was a Quinceañera group taking photos. It was hot in the domes and they are standing by the A/C vent!
We then went to the main branch of the Milwaukee library. The large children’s room had this display at the entry:
And also this historic stained glass window of Hans Christian Andersen:
We went to Saturday vigil mass on the Jesuit campus of Marquette U.
And on Sunday, on our drive home, we stopped at Indiana Dunes National Park:
TWO > Using “Armchair Explorer: Discover the Best Music, Film. Literature From Around the World” I feature a country with a playlist and video highlighting its music. Plus, numbers in this country’s primary language.
I’m featuring countries from which my immigrant grandparents came to the U.S.A. Last time it was Slovakia - the birthplace of my dad’s parents. My mom’s mother, while not born in Hungary, had parents who were born there.
This heritage adds to my spiritual journal (about which I’m writing) because her family was Byzantine (or Greek) Catholic - a quite unique “rite” within the Roman Catholic Communion.
Of Liszt’s 19 Hungarian rhapsodies drawing on the folk and gypsy rhythms that influenced the composer, this is the best known - a moving rendition in C-sharp minor. (page 49)
WOW! Such an amazing feat to play this piece. Here’s another woman accomplishing this:
How do they move their hands that quickly? Again I say - WOW!
The Moog became the first-ever Hungarian band to be signed by an American record label, opening doors for international fame that eluded most acts from the country. “You Raised a Vampire” is a flurry of Goth dance-rock from their second album “Razzmatazz Orfeum.” The video for it was cinematically shot in an opulently Gothic building in Budapest. (page 49)
IF THERE’S A COUNTRY YOU’D LIKE ME TO FEATURE IN THIS SECTION, PLEASE LET ME KNOW IN THE “COMMENTS” SECTION.
THREE > Good News!
FOUR > Planetary Pilgrims visit U.S. National Parks (least to most attended)
Mesa Verde NP (Colorado) - 41st out of 63. “Eight Things Not to Miss on Your First Visit”
SIX > From Sacred Story Affirmations: Meditations on Discernment of Spirits by William M. Watson, S.J.
XXI: CHRIST, WHO WALKS BEFORE ME, WILL ALWAYS LEAD ME HOME TO SAFETY.
An Affirmation is a something declared to be true; a positive statement or judgment. It is not an opinion. When we affirm “Christ, who walks before me, will always lead me home to safety,” that is a fact - a guarantee…
I take great comfort in this truth: that Christ, who suffered everything that we do, know what we can and cannot endure. He will always rescue us when we call to Him. He is faithful and suffered, died and rose again so that we would have faith in His care. He wants us to reach to Him in every crisis and always have faith in His power to rescue us. He died so that we could find our way home.
Lord Jesus Christ, you walke the way of life and suffering before us so we would know we are never alone. We affirm our faith in you that you will rescue us in every crisis and difficulty and will always lead us home to safety. Increase our faith in you so that in all things, we may hope in your Creation. Presence. Memory. Mercy. Eternity.
SEVEN > Musings from A Book of Wonders: Daily Reflections for Awakened Living. and/or A Pilgrim’s Almanac: Reflection for Each Day of the Year by Father Edward Hays (of “Planetary Pilgrim” fame)
A Cure for Your Secret Addiction
Our childhood fear of ridicule and teasing has tattooed us with a life-long addiction to being respected and taken seriously by others. This subterranean addiction surfaces whenever we commit some blunder in front of others and their laughter at the mistake stings like burning acid.
To address this addiction, strive to correct it by making fun of yourself when alone and with others. Regardless of failures, continue to at leas chuckle at your spiritual clumsiness when you’re impatient or uncharitable with others. Wholesome self-humor - being a holy work - requires the grace of the mirthful Spirit.
If you pray seriously to this Muse-spirit of life’s divine comedy you will be given the grace to be silly. Yes, silly! In Anglo-Saxon times a “silly” person was one who was blessed and innocent … and so holy!
Tickle me to work to triumph over my addiction to be taken seriously.
Chide me to poke fun at silly me when I blunder and stumble like a fool.
EIGHT > Prayers and inspiration from Everything Could Be a Prayer: 100 Portraits of Saints & Mystics (2024) by Kreg Yingst [Note: I HIGHLY recommend that you purchase this amazing book so that you can experience the art accompanying each person]
Today’s patron of FELLOWSHIP is Clarence Jordan (1912-1969)
The only right that love has is the right to give itself.
Holy Trinity, you are three, but you are one. Within you is fellowship. Help us to grasp the folly that is the truest form of love.
As Planetary Pilgrims, we are invited to be aware of where our earth is in its annual trek around the sun as well as where our moon - Luna - is in its 28 day cycle around Earth.
So, as of this writing (11:15pm on Thursday):
The Autumnal Equinox arrives (9/22/25, 2:19 pm) in 73 days, 15 hours, 14 minutes
Luna is 100% of full. It's 15 days and 16 hours old (the time since the last new moon) Click HERE to see what the moon looks like at this phase.
Celebrate the JULY full moon:
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RIGHT NOW, we Planetary Pilgrims are MOVING:
1,000 mph - as the earth rotates
66,000 mph - as the earth orbits the sun (in one year we travel 595,000,000 miles around the sun)
43,000 mph - as the Sun, Earth, the seven other planets (and their satellites/moons) move together through space
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This movement through space passes us through time:
1 year, 115 days until the Midterm election (11/3/26)
3 years, 119 days until the next Presidential election (11/7/28)
3 years, 193 days until tRump finally is done and I turn (by God’s grace) 59 yrs old (1/20/29)
Please note that I publish a Stack/blog on Sundays, Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. If you’ve not already done so, please subscribe to this newsletter. On Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, paid subscribers receive a special newsletter: “A Planetary Pilgrim’s Tunes for Walking”