Happy Anniversary Rocky

On Saturday Rocky and I will celebrate 20 years together. It's really funny. I can't believe it's been that long.


Happy Anniversary to my own very perfect knight. The one guy who ever caused me to hearZing Went the Strings of My Heart in my head.

William F. Buckley

William F. Buckley died. When I was a kid I used to watch him on Firing Line and I was dazzled by his brilliance and his total ease with that brilliance. He wasn't showing off. He didn't need to. The man was just that smart. When I was a teenager I began reading National Review. It was one of the messy ingredients that went it the stew of ideas that shaped who I am now. Mr. Buckley's beloved wife, Pat died late last year. I didn't think he'd last very long after her passing.

A number of Catholic blogs have commented that Buckley dissented from Humanae Vitae but none of them had a link to what he actually said. If Buckley did dissent in public. I can imagine why. Think back to 1968, and what Catholics were seeing. Suddenly their Mass was gone. Suddenly priests were making fun of them for saying the rosary. Suddenly there was no more Adoration. Suddenly the priests weren't wearing cassocks and the nuns weren't wearing habits. If you complained you were called old fashioned and disloyal. A lot of people became bitter. Others left the Church or sought solace with SSPX. So...........then Humanae Vitae hit the press. And I guess it must have seemed like a slap in the face to lay people. Everything has changed but you married people and you alone must stay the same. Humanae Vitae was the right idea but it came to press at an inopportune time. So I can imagine that even serious Catholics were confused and mad.

May Mr. Buckley rest in peace.

reaping what was sown

Catholics are no longer the biggest denomination in the United States. We've been supplanted by the Evangelicals. Clearly a lot of people have lost their faith. Some left due to the homosexual pedohplile scandal but I'll bet that was just the final straw for many of those folks. There has been crashingly poor teaching and preaching from Catholic ambos as a norm for decades now.

All the kids who were taught that Jesus is their buddy and that the Mass is just a symbolic meal had no roots at all and when hard times came they blew away. We have nuns who wear earrings, and would throw a fit before they wear a habit. We have priests who have no problem openly defying the pope, publicly saying that there were no biblical miracles, publicly saying that Jesus didn't know who He was, publicly saying that gay sex is okay or at least aint so bad..... no wonder the Church in the USA is in the state it's in. If you persecute good and holy priests and promote the hard eyed, crafty and politically correct what else can you expect? If you allow the seminaries to become gay playpens then don't act surprised if normal men leave and tell their friends and brother not to try their vocations. If you drive the good and holy nuns out of their convents and disgust any devout young woman who shows up for vocation week, then don't be surprised if your order dies (Having said that some ---okay, quite a few orders need to die out, by the way).

If they have no good and holy priest or nun to see day after day what can the people do but lose hope, faith and trust. The bishops of our country have only reaped what too many of them sowed.

a tragedy in England

A 31 year old woman aborted her twins and then hanged herself. She only had the abortion to please her boyfriend. Abortion is a filthy business and nobody walks away from one untainted. It kills the baby of course, but it kills the woman too, sometimes physically, as in this tragic case, but always spiritually.


Say a prayer for Emma Beck, God's mercy is infinite. Hopefully, she's either with her children now or will see them soon after her time in Purgatory is done.

i did a dumb, dumb thing

My medical records from when I was in the hospital arrived yesterday. I was going to send them to my doctor but started leafing through the packet. It was actually interesting; almost like watching a surgery on the Discovery channel and then I turned a page and found the section on my baby. The headline said Product of Conception and it was the pathologist's report. I read one or two sentences and couldn't read anymore. My face was burning but the rest of my skin was cold and tingled like frost nip, and I felt as if I was going to vomit or faint. I tottered to the bedroom, fell into bed and staid there until I felt that I could stand and walk again. Unfortunately Rocky was home when this all happened and was very concerned about me. I wish he hadn't seen me like that. I feel better but the aftershock, for lack of a better word is still there. I think I'll take it easy this weekend and spend a little extra time in prayer.


John Mary Thomas, my little treasure in Heaven, pray for us.

Psst. You probably won't be able to get tickets to the pope's Mass

I just saw in my parish bulletin that we have to call the office and add our names to the ticket lottery if we want to attend the Papal Mass in DC. Tickets will be given to individuals, not families or groups so if I get a ticket there is no gaurantee that Rocky will get one. Nuts. I will simply content myself with standing on the street and waving or maybe I'll just watch on EWTN. Oh well.

a word to Michelle Obama

Michelle Obama said something that made me very sad. For the first time in her life she's proud of her country. Michelle, sweetie, darling. What the flip is wrong with you? You and your husband live in a home finer than the one my great grandmother and possibly yours used to go clean back in the 50s. Your children go to a private school. You wear high fashion clothes and probably haven't seen the inside of a Wal-Mart in 20 years, if ever. Your kids have probably never even seen a rat, felt a bedbug's bite and will never know anyone who died of TB. They've never had to empty a chamber pot or gather wood like my mother did. No-one even thought of slicing up their genitalia, a normal everyday thing in many African countries. You got to marry Barry because you wanted him, and not because your dad threatened to kill you if you didn't. You appear to be content in the marriage unlike millions of Indian, Aboriginal women, Muslim women from a bunch of different countries and Black African women who are living in hell each day with their masters/husbands. You got to go to college instead of leaving school in the 4th grade because you were needed in the cotton fields like my granny. 

 Your life is sweeter and softer than that of Marie Antoinette, Catherine the Great or Victoria. How can you not look at Africa and the Caribbean-- especially Haiti and not thank God on your very knees that you are American? I don't get it. I don't want to get it either. Michelle is there any country on the face of this earth that has allowed black people to live as well as we do here in the USA? God knows there is racism in America, Rocky and I have been stared at as if we were dragons at more than one parish although I have to say that the worst experience was at a Hispanic parish, not an all white one---but I'd rather be here than any other place on earth. 

Sunday

Since it's Lent we usually try to add more church related activities to our routine. We went to Adoration at St. Mary's in Old Town, Alexandria. The priest there said the Divine Mercy chaplet so fast I could barely keep up. Since he didn't leap up to run to the bathroom afterwards I assume he's just speedy.

Last night we went to our own parish and attended a lecture given by the PV, Fr. Scalia on the beatitudes. That was quite good. I confess that I've always had a tiny bit of a problem with the beatitudes cause I've never fully understood what poor in spirit means, I don't want to be meek, and I'd hate for anyone to describe me as docile but Fr. Scalia carefully explained to us all that poor in spirit means quite simply to acknowlege that we are nothing without God. Our next breath, the car, the house, the 6 figure job---all that comes from God. The devil would not own up to his dependence on God and so today do the proud and haughty who food themselves by thinking they have it all together and don't need God or that God should be pleased to have such a prize as them.

Fr. then went on to explain that meekness is not mealey mouthed mascochism. Meekness is the ability to realize that you don't know everything about God and the Faith and that you need to be taught. Fr. talked about "Blessed are those who mourn" and reminded us that we should be able to mourn for our sins and those of the whole world. The person who can't even bring themselves to be sorry for their sins will never ask for forgiveness. The person who proudly states that yeah he made some mistakes but heck, he lives his life HIS way is the same guy who leaves wives, children and a slew of emotional wreckage behind him as he moves through life. We could all do with a little bit more "Catholic guilt" and a lot less of "I'm okay, you're okay."


We always enjoy Father's lectures and we're both looking forward to next week.

It's Friday so don't forget to say the Stations of the Cross

You can find the Stations with reflections from Mother Angelica here






You can here it prayed here








Here is a beautiful Station of the Cross from the Cathedral of Mary, Our Queen in Baltimore.

Obama gives me the creeps

I haven't cared too much about politics because frankly, I believe God rewards or punishes the nations with the leaders He allows us to have. I never could've voted for Romney becuase I can't vote for a man who believes he's going to be a god one day. That's the original lie that Satan told Eve. "Ye shall be as God,". I've met several nice Mormons but so what? The bottom line is what they believe and that aint Christianity.

Now Obama has a positively messianic vibe going on and it gives me the creeps. When I talk to other women about him they act like he's Elvis or as hot as Bear Grylls. It's been said that American women vote for their fantasy man. They either pick the ideal daddy, (Ike, Reagan) or the dream lover, (JFK, Clinton). I guess it's too late to repeal the 19th ammendment----just kidding---maybe. But back to Obama. When I read an Obama quote like this:

We are the hope of the future; the answer to the cynics who tell us our house must stand divided; that we cannot come together; that we cannot remake this world as it should be.Because we know what we have seen and what we believe - that what began as a whisper has now swelled to a chorus that cannot be ignored; that will not be deterred; that will ring out across this land as a hymn that will heal this nation, repair this world, and make this time different than all the rest - Yes. We. Can.

And when I see stuff like this:

I am once again reminded how Hitler came to power in a country full of smart, sophisticated people. I mean, damn, somebody cue the little German boy to start singing "Tommorow belongs to me."

a few days away

Rocky and I went to Charles City, Virginia for a few days to celebrate my birthday. We hiked at the Lake Harrison Fish Hatchery, watched a red tailed hawk swoop down and carry away one of the fish, visited the Pamunkey Indian reservation and museum and saw where Chief Powhattan (the father of poor Pochahantas) is buried. We saw of flock of Turkey vultures flying low above us and about ten does. We also prayed at the Poor Clare Convent in Barhamsville.

Saturday we went to West Point, Virginia and attended Mass at Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament. It was a fine Mass. The priest was a missionary from Holland. He was 85 but gave the most fiery homily I've ever heard this side of Fr. Corapi. The people at Blessed Sacrament was very pleasant. None seemed shocked to see us and the folks we spoke to seemed happy we were there. They have Perpetual Adoration which is always a sign of a good parish. We may go to Williamsburg or Jamestown today or we may go back to West Point. It's so great to be alive and on a trip with Rocky.

Thank you St. Bernadette
St. Therese
St. Joan
Fr. Vincent Cappadono
St. Pio
Archbishop Sheen
St. JoseMaria Escriva
St. Rita

ash wednesday

This morning I went to the 8 AM Mass at St. Matthew's Cathedral. Fr. Caulfield, who looks all of 15, was the celebrant and he was wonderful. It's so good seeing a priest who really loves the Mass and who gives a instructional homily. I love Lent. Some people are surprised by that but think about it: for the next 40 days we have a precious chance to get closer to God. How can you not be excited about that?

Here's the most moving piece of Lenten reading I've ever found. The Dolorous Passion of Our Lord, Jesus Christ. The whole book can be read and wept over here :


God bless you all, and may this Lent bring you just a little closer to Heaven.

Ah shucks... I'm rated E

E for Excellent. Thank you to Vir Speluncae Catholicus, a true gentleman and Marine-- of The Lair of Catholic Cavemen for nominating me. The rules of the E awards are that I have to pass the joy to ten other bloggers. That's easy. Behold:

Dawn Patrol

Curt Jester

Lair of the Catholic Cavemen I know they already have the award but they deserve it.

The Cafeteria is Closed

Tea at Triannon A beautiful blog. I read it everyday and enjoy it so much.

Catholic Mom of Ten Astonishingly good.

Damian Thompson

The Bride and the Dragon

Saintly Salamagundi Fr. Sibley doesn't blog anymore but this was the best blog by a priest ever. Period.

Off the Record