France has fallen and other random thoughts...

• Fr. Jacques Hamel, aged 86 was slaughtered while saying Mass in  Normandy. Some reports use the word, "beheaded". There are not a whole lot of practicing Catholics in France anymore except for Traditionalists so I'm guessing there were few people at the morning Mass. The French can't comfort themselves with platitudes or tell themselves to simply avoid crowds or sinful venues and everything will  be okay. Fr. Hamel's murderer was making a statement, a territorial claim. His people are at war. They are not leaving anybody alone.  So here we are. Fr, Hamel is not going to be the last victim. The monster is out of the bag and even taking his funding away and cutting his Internet access isn't going to put him back. What was done to our fellow Catholics  in the Middle East is going to be done in the West.  God have mercy.
  Eternal rest grant until Fr. Jacques O Lord, let perpetual light shine upon him. May he rest in peace. Pray for us, St. Perfectus.
  
  
• An elderly woman lost her Faith back in the early Novus Ordo years. She never goes to Church now. Her greatest love in life was her dog and now the dog is dead. In her grief she wrote that dear Fluffy has gone over the Rainbow Bridge and her "fur baby" is waiting for her on the other side. I was tempted to say, "Ma'am your dog did not cross the rainbow bridge to Asgard. Fluffy is not running around in Valhalla chasing squirrels all day and feasting all night at the side of Thor and Odin. Your dog doesn't have an immortal soul and is not waiting for you."    Others gently tried to say that animals don't have immortal souls but were ignored. I just had to marvel at the destruction that has been wrought in our church for most of my life.
  
  
  
• When did World Youth Day become a standard part of the Church's year? Do we really need dancing nuns, rapping monks and pop music to minister to the young?
  
  
  
• Don't be scared to put on a veil in the presence of Our Lord if you are moved to do so. When I first started wearing my mantilla to Mass there was a woman who used to glare at me and whisper to her mean girl posse. I was stung at first then I just looked away and kept on praying. They all left for different Mass times, or different parishes. I'm still here and I'm not the only one at my Mass time who veils.
  
  
  
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The Resurrection, the First Glorious Mystery

Holy Trintity

Random thoughts

• The Bishop of Wurzbug, Germany is essentially saying that it is wrong to be suspicious of the sudden flood of mostly young male "refugees," until one of them swings an ax at you.  Even then, as you are running for your life or bleeding out on the floor, remember not all refugees are bad. The young man butchering you is probably traumatized and it's partially your fault for not offering him therapeutic services.  I'm guessing he never read the story of the camel's nose under the tent. 

• If saying "Lord, I am not worthy...," offends you then you are probably on your way to Satanism.

• Saint Maria Goretti has always been special to me because of her age and because she was a little country girl who had to work to help her family. My mother had her first paying job when she was nine. She was a companion for the wealthy old woman who feared the dark and whose son owned the land my grandfather farmed on. My mother would go over in the evenings, sit with the woman, entertain her with her chatter, make sure the stove was turned off, turn on the radio and see the old woman to bed. Then she'd lock up and walk a  few feet home.
  
  Although my mother was spared this, she knew of many young women who faced sexual pressure from their employers or the son of the employer. It took a brave girl to say no and to leave town for work if necessary.  Saint Maria refused her attacker but more importantly while she was dying and in indescribable agony she repeatedly said she forgave her him and wanted him to repent so that he could go to Heaven and not Hell. That's a saint. If the people on Patheos want to attack her that shows something low down and nasty about them.  Vox and Les Femmes both point out that Patheos and Alethia bloggers get paid by the click and will say foul, outrageous stuff in order to get you to click on their posts. I'm staying far away from the click baiters.
  
  
• The phrase "cruelty free" is a  big advertising draw in the world of cosmetics but I am suspicious. Why? Because the cosmetics company needs to be sure that you won't be scarred for life or go blind by using their product. If they are not testing on bunnies or guinea pigs or rats then what are they using? I've read that the companies use cultured skin cells. Where did the skin cells come from? I fear much of it comes from the poor mangled bodies of aborted babies. After all what is more delicate and tender than a baby's skin? Cruelty free? Nope. I'll stick with Loreal and Revlon, thank you. Oh and by the way, so far research with aborted babies has not produced a single cure for any disease. 
  
  
  
  

St. John Chystostom, pray for us

Saint John Chystostom 

Most Precious Blood of Christ

Oh Precious Blood of Christ, rain down on me, cleanse me of my sins, save me. 

Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel

There is a Baptist woman at work who keeps staring at and asking about my scapular. She's even asked another Catholic about it. Just seeing the brown cord really seems to agitate her. I thought she was just being a jerk but maybe that is Our Lady moving on this woman's heart.

Oh Mother of the Word Incarnate

pray for us, who have recourse to thee.

The Church suffers

“People, they destroyed the Mass! They eradicated the liturgy! They looted the sanctuaries of every church in Christendom! They, quite literally, raped the children. They’ve been lying to and abusing the faithful for 50 years! And the pirates who have inherited this whimpering and broken prisoner of a Church are ready now to administer the coup de grace.”  Hilary White Whats UpWith Francis Church?  

I read this and my ears began to burn and I felt tears trying to well up in my eyes. I think Miss White is correct and I see why people have reacted by to what's been going on in the Church by pretending that things are really getting better and that bad stuff only happens occasionally. I also get why people indulge in the belief that we don't have a pope at all. 

For the Police Officers and Their Mothers.....

Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that any one who fled to thy protection, implored thy help, or sought thy intercession, was left unaided. Inspired with this confidence, I fly unto thee, O Virgin of virgins, my Mother, to thee do I come, before thee I stand sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate! Despise not my petitions, but, in thy mercy, hear and answer me.
Amen

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord and let perpetual light shine upon them. May their souls and all of the souls of the faithful departed, through the Mercy of God, rest in peace.
Amen

Eternal Father, I offer You the most precious Blood of Thy Divine Son, Jesus, in union with the Masses said throughout the world today, for all the holy souls in Purgatory for sinners everywhere, for sinners in the Universal Church, those in my own home and within my family

St. Vincent Ferrer, has something to tell you

The following narrative from Saint Vincent Ferrer will show you what you may think about it. He relates that an archdeacon in Lyons gave up his charge and retreated into a desert place to do penance, and that he died the same day and hour as Saint Bernard. After his death, he appeared to his bishop and said to him, "Know, Monsignor, that at the very hour I passed away, thirty-three thousand people also died. Out of this number, Bernard and myself went up to heaven without delay, three went to purgatory, and all the others fell into Hell."

From St. Leonard of Port Maurice's homily on the fewness of those who are saved. 

Sunday in Baltimore

Rocky took Sunday off this week so we were able to have brunch. That's such a rarity that it's always feels like we were on vacation. Afterwards we took the back way to Baltimore and visited churches. We saw St. Joseph's Monastery  and it is stunning. However, it's in a horrible neighborhood. You need to have your wits about you. Don't leave your purse in the car seat or leave the doors unlocked. You also shouldn't be gawking at the locals. Park on the church lot, go in and leave when you're done.  Next we went to St. Peter Claver but were not able to go in because most of the city church's have to be locked up. Finally we went to St. Casimir. It is a Polish parish and has the most truly awesome altar I have ever seen in a regular parish church. The paintings on the ceiling are restored and while the painter(s?) did a fine job with bodies and backgrounds they couldn't capture the faces very well and the colors seemed too bright for the age of the church. Still the place is beautiful.  As for Mass, well, liturgy in Baltimore outside of St. Alphonsus can be anything from okay to awful. After all that we went to Iron Rooster in Canton for dinner. I had the Dixie Pot Roast and Rocky chowed down on the chicken and waffles.

Let's help Maureen become a Carmelite

In your charity could you consider donating to a lovely young lady who used to go to my parish? She wants to join the Carmelites but must get rid of all debts before entering.


https://www.youcaring.com/maureen-dalley-382467/update/494085

Pretty good company to be in 

First Friday for the Sacred Heart

Oh Heart of Jesus, have mercy on me, a sinner.