Holy Mother of God

Ugly music from the "beautiful" people

In order to make it big in Hollywood you have to do disgusting things. In order to make it big in the pop music world you have to do disgusting things. At some point it rots the soul and the "stars" commit revolting blasphemy in order to signal to their masters and fans that they are totally in the cool kids fold. When this happens you, the fan have a choice, either frown and  sigh and then buy the singer's next album anyway or drop them.
Back in 1989, Madonna gyrated and rubbed herself on a statue of St. Martin de Pores in her "Like A Prayer," video. I was not a good Catholic back then but I was shocked and horrified. I had been a fan of hers since high school but I saw that video and bam-- I turned my back on her forever.
 Now Beyonce and Jay Z have lost their minds and are acting like they are demi gods.  A few months ago Beyonce dressed up in a costume that was a mockery of Our Lady now she and her husband have done a video that takes place in a church. I hope it's just a film set and CGI but it's clearly supposed to be a Catholic church.  If it is a real church God help  the pastor and his flock.

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The more Thy Holy Church is despised, the more we shall endeavor to be her faithful children, O Sweet Heart of Jesus!

St. Stephen, Martyr, pray for us.

And the Word Became Flesh

Sleep in Heavenly Peace

Tacky, blasphemous and insulting -- the Vatican Nativity scene

Blasphemy is the attempt to bring dishonor the Church, the saints, holy things and Our Lady and God, the Father, Son and Holy Ghost. The Vatican nativity set is repulsive and blasphemous because of the lewd male figure but it's also distasteful because of what the designers did with the statue of Mary. She is as big as the men. Her hands are huge and so is her neck and her face looks....unfeminine, like a man in drag and what is going on with her  weird squatting pose? At first I only noticed the lewd body builder hanging out with his ankles dangling over the wall but after reading this from Lifesite I see that the whole thing is rank.

Annuciation

random thoughts after being sick

• I was reading Randy Engel's Opus Dei Watch piece on AKA Catholic and saw that so far most of the people  making comments did a very tiresome but very common thing. The topic is X and somebody introduces Y and then other people chime in on Y and completely high jack the conversation. Look, if the SSPX is not good enough for you and the FSSP is too wishy washy and you'd never set a willing foot in a Novus Ordo parish, where do you go? The CMRI and the other Thuc line priests? Some people think they are too weak and only trust the independent chapels. Other's are Home Aloners who don't trust anybody. All this is interesting but Mrs. Englel wrote about Opus Dei. The people harping on anything else are just being like the old boor who can't change his pet subject and won't talk about anything else.
  
  
  
• Rocky was attending a company event and ran into someone who recognized him from our parish. The lady is one of the volunteer cleaners for another Mass and has seen Rocky and the other ushers. She mentioned that he's always so kind and patient and knowing what kind of person he is, she is an ally if he ever needs anything from her department. You never know who knows you.
  
  
  
  
• Another example of "you never know who knows you," happened to Rocky and I both, several years ago. We were speaking to Bishop Loverde after Adoration and out of the blue a young man whom we'd never noticed before piped up, "I've seen you two at St. Rita's.
  
  
  
  
• Last week I got too cold while going to work. I felt exhausted and chilled to the bones on Wednesday night and by Thursday morning I had a 104 fever. I'm just now starting to feel good. I'm so behind and I'm really wishing I had  done my grocery shopping earlier and bought a prelit Christmas tree last year instead of fighting with strings now. 

Well this is embarassing

Father is almost 50 years old for pity's sake. 

Does this piece of fresh hell look like a starving beggar in the streets of Bethlehem or does he look like he went weight lifting this morning, hit the bars, got high and stripped naked? The guy handing him the sheet looks more disgusted than compassionate. I imagine him saying, "Oh come on man, cover yourself and go home."  The  nude guy and his louche pose is  part of the Vatican nativity scene and this is even more embarrassing than Father's Star Wars fetish.

For John Mary Thomas

That woe is me, poor child, for thee

And ever mourn and may

For thy parting neither say nor sing,

"Bye bye, lully, lullay."

Our Lady of La Salette, who wept over the Church, pray for us.

I was talking to a relative who was quite upset by Pope Francis and the proposed change to the Our Father. He asked why I was so calm. I told  him that I'm not really calm inside but  I intend to ignore any attempt to mess with the Our Father.  I've heard the testimony of older people who talked about how they had to go to hotel rooms, private homes and many times to places that were far out of the way to attend the a traditional Latin Mass. I do not particularly want to go through most of what they did  but if it comes to it I will simply have to imitate my betters who held on and remained Catholic no matter what.  I just finished reading The Dictator Pope and sadly, it explains a lot. Our Lady of La Salette, who told us to expect sad times in the Church, please pray for your children.

What's the story on Christendom College?

In the past  couple of months I've either heard or read comments about Christendom College that were highly critical. The gist of these remarks was that the school has changed or that the school was never as orthodox as we thought.  The first time I heard someone say this I dismissed it outright because the person speaking was someone I don't respect and he was ranting. Later I heard or read other people's comments about Christendom on various sites and blogs.  Two individuals, whose opinions I do value, bluntly expressed unhappiness about the school's association with  Dr. Elizabeth Lev due to the scandal of her affair and "marriage" to a priest. The others were vague and assumed that their listeners all knew what they were talking about.

This disturbs me because Christendom is seen as one of the precious few bright spots in Catholic higher education. It's so respected  in my area that when a new priest or lay teacher shows up in a parish people almost sigh in relief when they hear that he/she went to Christendom because the unspoken assumption is that while we may or may not personally like this priest or this lay person, we can trust him or her to teach the Faith.

Venerable Mary of Agreda, pray for us!

St. Bibiana, pray for us.

St. Bibiana was flogged to death under Julian the Apostate. When I think about the courage and faith this young gently raised Roman woman had, I am awed.

a prayer for the redemption of bad priests

Divine Savior Jesus Christ, Thou are the Good Shepherd who gives His life for His sheep. Oh, be in a very special way the Good Shepherd of those poor lost priests who are also appointed by Thee to be leaders of Thy people, but who have broken the oath of their holy ordination and have become unfaithful to their exalted calling. Bestow upon these poorest of the poor the very fullness of that pastoral solicitude with which Thou dost so faithfully seek the sheep that are lost! Touch their hearts with the irresistible ray of grace which emanates from Thine all-merciful love! Enlighten their minds and strengthen their wills, that they may turn away from all sin and error and come back to Thy holy altar and to Thy people. O most compassionate Savior! Remember that Thou didst once redeem the souls of Thine erring priests with Thy Precious Blood and in infinite preferential love didst impress upon them the indelible character of the priesthood. Put wholly to shame those miserable helpers of Satan who lay snares for the virtue of priests and endanger the holy ideal of the priesthood. Most graciously accept our prayers and sacrifices for poor priests who have gone astray and hear our earnest petition.

 Amen 

Imprimatur - Bishop John F. Noll (April 18, 1948)

St. Anthony of Padua, defender of the Holy Eucharist, obtain for us holy priests

St. John-Mary Vianney, model of sacerdotal holiness, obtain for us holy priests

St. Francis Xavier, patron of missionary priests, obtain for us holy priests

St. Therese of the Child-Jesus and of the Holy Face, victim offered for the sanctification of priests, obtain for us holy priests

Saints and Servants of God, obtain for us holy priests.

Three days in the country and other random thoughts

Mother most amiable, pray for us

• Did Fr. Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, SJ actually do any priestly work? Did he say Mass anywhere, offer any sacraments such as matrimony and confession, visit the sick,.....attempt to convert any Chinese in the 20 years he spent there? It seems like his primary interests were  writing flaky stuff and digging up bones.
  
  
  
• Rocky took two days off instead of his usual one so we decided to take a short road trip to Southern Maryland. We stayed at a very nice place in Port Tobacco. On Thursday morning we  went to the 7:15  Mass at the Carmelite convent  and later we looked  at juvenile cormorants at a near by marina  and visited the oldest continuous parish in America, St. Ignatius at Chapel Point. Father was nice enough to give us an impromptu tour and we prayed at the cemetery. Lunch was at a terrific little La Plata, Maryland diner and then we rolled over to Sacred Heart church for adoration.  For dinner we ate at Galazio's, a very nice Greek restaurant. The next day we went to the Thomas Stone historic site --the ranger gives a great tour---and annual Amish quilt auction and later St. Joseph's in Pomfret for Mass.  The people in this parish are so genuinely nice. I'd be happy to go back.
  
   One thing I really appreciated was that St. Joseph's has a sensible website. When people are traveling and looking for a Mass we don't care about the Little Mother's group, the altar server of the day or the parish mission statement, nor do we want to see pictures of the CCD outing from last year. I really don't care one jot or tittle about how busy  social the parish is. All of that stuff is nice but secondary.  

• Whenever you meet a man who (it's usually men) who wants you to follow him because his Catholicism is cool and edgy and the Holy Spirit told him X, Y or Z and he's written a book....RUN, especially if you are female. In fact any time someone presents you with hip Catholicism you can be sure that at best you have a person who is ashamed of his or her Faith and wants to make it acceptable to the cool kids. 

• The Salem witch trials began because four girls  accused people of incredible and physically impossible acts. The authorities believed them and people went to jail and to their executions. Finally the accusations came so fast and furious and became so ridiculous that the whole thing fell apart. When packs of  adolescent or menopausal females suddenly    began making coordinated attacks it behooves the wise observer to stop and take a minute to wonder if something else isn't going on.  

• Happy Thanksgiving. 

St. Ignatius, pray for us

Man, warrior, priest, saint, many of your sons have lost their minds and are leading the Faithful astray or repulsing them so much that they leave the Church, pray for these sons and pray for us.

Crying wolf?

There's a story from the life of St. Thomas Aquinas about how on a particular day the saint was minding his own business in his monastery when one of his brother monks cried out that a witch was flying by the window on a broomstick. St. Thomas hopped up and rushed to the window to see. The other monk laughed heartily at his successful prank. Pranks are usually a form of hostility and this particular monk seemed to resent St. Thomas's fame for his intellect and relished the chance to make him look foolish in front of the other brothers. St. Thomas responded that he thought it better to believe that a witch could fly past the window than that a monk could tell a deliberate lie.

The St. Thomas story came to my mind when I read that the nun who found Pope John Paul I's body now says that she lied about the details but had a really good excuse. If the nun was lying 40 years ago about who found the body, could she not lie now? If she believed that she had a good reason to lie then could she not believe that she has an even better reason to do so -- getting Pope John Paul I canonized--- today?  Should we not be as aghast as St. Thomas at the thought of a consecrated soul telling a deliberate lie?  Is a small, minor detail being cleared up or is the boy crying wolf...again?

Random thoughts on a Saturday afternoon

• "SCROOGE is not only as modern as Gradgrind but more modern than Gradgrind. He belongs not only to the hard times of the middle of the nineteenth century, but to the harder times of the beginning of the twentieth century; the yet harder times in which we live. Many amiable sociologists will say, as he said, "Let them die and decrease the surplus population." The improved proposal is that they should die before they are born.
  
  "It is notable also that Dickens gives the right reply; and that with a deadly directness worthy of a much older and more subtle controversionalist. The answer to anyone who talks about the surplus population is to ask him whether he is the surplus population; or if he is not, how he knows he is not. That is the answer which the Spirit of Christmas gives to Scrooge."~G.K. Chesterton: Introduction to A Christmas Carol. (1922)
  Ole G.K. is never going to be canonized in this era because he was fat, openly disliked Jews, and  if he was not a maintenance alcoholic he appears to modern eyes be pretty darn close, but he was right about a lot of stuff. I remembered this when I read that Prince William thinks the world is overpopulated and that is endangering the wildlife. What the prince means is that the world has too many brown and black and low class white people. I like lions but I'd rather have an African child be able to go to the river and play without being eaten by one. If Prince William and his friends would rather see the child dead and the lion in her place they are the enemy.What ugly people our so-called betters are. 

• Fr. Weinandy got fired. Fr. James Martin is riding high. A relative of mine expressed shock and deep concern about the Church and asked what are we (the Faithful) going to do? I thought about some of the older Catholics that I've met over the years. These people have told of how they used to go miles for a decent Mass or moved out of state. People have gone to Mass in hotel rooms, and funeral home chapels, which to be honest were probably nicer than their old parishes. I read about one group of people who had to go to the (unheated?) cemetery chapel for Mass for years because that was the only place the bishop would allow an indult Mass to be held. I've read stories from people who had and still have to go to Mass in the most crime ridden parts of the city. These people were treated like garbage by Rome and by their fellow Catholics in many ways.
  
   My generation very foolishly thought that the bad times were over and that JPII and B16 were going to fix everything. Well, a lot of us are going to have to learn how to persevere. 

St. Pius V and St. Charles Borromeo, defenders against Islam and Luther, pray for us. 

• I seem to have picked up a troll so I'm going to try comment moderation for a bit. 

November is the month of the Holy Souls

Father's stage "act" gives me indigestion

I saw this video on Hilary White's Twitter and it left me with a sour stomach. When that passed I felt the deep urge to throw down my gauntlet, like a medieval knight.  This is a priest and he's acting like a third rate performer in a run down comedy club.

Divine Savior Jesus Christ, Thou are the Good Shepherd who gives His life for His sheep. Oh, be in a very special way the Good Shepherd of those poor lost priests who are also appointed by Thee to be leaders of Thy people, but who have broken the oath of their holy ordination and have become unfaithful to their exalted calling. Bestow upon these poorest of the poor the very fullness of that pastoral solicitude with which Thou dost so faithfully seek the sheep that are lost! Touch their hearts with the irresistible ray of grace which emanates from Thine all-merciful love! Enlighten their minds and strengthen their wills, that they may turn away from all sin and error and come back to Thy holy altar and to Thy people. O most compassionate Savior! Remember that Thou didst once redeem the souls of Thine erring priests with Thy Precious Blood and in infinite preferential love didst impress upon them the indelible character of the priesthood. Put wholly to shame those miserable helpers of Satan who lay snares for the virtue of priests and endanger the holy ideal of the priesthood. Most graciously accept our prayers and sacrifices for poor priests who have gone astray and hear our earnest petition.

 Amen 

Imprimatur - Bishop John F. Null (April 18, 1948)

St. Anthony of Padua, defender of the Holy Eucharist, obtain for us holy priests

St. John-Mary Vianney, model of sacerdotal holiness, obtain for us holy priests

St. Francis Xavier, patron of missionary priests, obtain for us holy priests

St. Therese of the Child-Jesus and of the Holy Face, victim offered for the sanctification of priests, obtain for us holy priests

Saints and Servants of God, obtain for us holy priests.

Bearing the Cross

Follow the Master. 

random thoughts on a Saturday morning

• I think the Weinstein's story's timing is suspect. Mainly because Hollywood is a brothel and has been for 100 years.  Weinstein, has been a rutting beast for decades and he's not the only one so what's the real reason  this is all coming out now?

• I was listening to Ann Barnhardt's podcast #33 and she points out some stuff at  the 1:04:05 mark which has bothered me about Fr. Reggie Foster for years. I've seen tributes to him from several traditional Catholics and it left me quite puzzled.

• People act like the US was the first place in the West to have legal abortion. Not so. England embraced this sin back in 1967. In fact, one of the arguments for abortion in the US was that we were behind our "sophisticated" European neighbors. England has been punished. The number one boy's name in London is Mohamed and and English person can be arrested for bothering a Muslim.  Looking at our history from WWI onward, it appears that the "The English or the Europeans do it argument...." usually brings moral and physical misery.

• Apparently priests in Rome are just waiting for Pope Francis to die.   That's not going to fix anything. The troubles in the Church didn't die with John XXII or Paul VI. Once bad stuff starts it lives beyond the man who introduced it. 

• I hate sissified paintings of Our Lord. This very popular one has always repulsed me. Our Lord was a man. He did not wear mascara, eyeliner or rouge. 

A far superior image

In the end, her Immaculate Heart will triumph

Take courage.  

Pray for us, Mother

Pray for us, St. Ignatius

"I prefer death in Christ Jesus to power over the farthest limits of the earth. He who died in place of us is the one object of my quest. He who rose for our sakes is my one desire." St. Ignatius 

Your First Latin Mass: a super quick peek

The first traditional Latin Mass I ever attended was years ago at Old Saint Mary's in DC. It was an incredible experience. What follows is a quick introduction to the Mass of the Ages for new folks. I'm an ordinary laywoman so this is not exhaustive or scholarly. 

People who are hesitant about going to the traditional Mass frequently express anxiety about not  knowing what to do and are afraid of making some terrific faux pas. That's a problem which can be easily dealt with. Just sit in the back and do what everybody else does. The church or chapel you visit will probably have the little red  missal from Ecclesia Dei for everyone to use. We have it at my parish and an office assistant prints copies of the readings of the day.  Interestingly enough, most of the younger people bring their own daily missals, and others bring Mass reflection pamphlets which give meditations for each point of  the Mass like the St. Francis De Sales method. I prefer to use an online missal  on my phone but sometimes when I'm overly tired or sick I don't use a missal at all. Some people at my parish never use the missal but listen. A few people silently pray the rosary, pausing only for when the priest directly speaks to the people and Communion. Rocky usually goes with the red missal but he also uses a reflections pamphlet. All these methods are perfectly okay. Eventually you will find one that will work for you. 

English is faster to read than Latin unless you are fluent so don't be surprised if you can't keep up with the priest or if you lose your place on the page because you read faster than he did. Another thing to remember is that unlike in the Novus Ordo a priest saying a Low Mass is in constant motion and prayer and since he's talking to God not us, 90% of the time he can move along at a nice clip. Don't get flustered. You are not required to follow along with the priest word for word. 

If it's a Low Mass things will begin with a bell being rung and the priest and altar boy(s) come out of the sacristy. The priest will bow and make the Sign of the Cross. Some priests are louder than others so you may or may not hear him say the prayers.  Some priests are almost inaudible except for when the Church says they must use a raised voice. At this point some people in the pews will kneel, others will remain seated. The Church never actually gave a rubric for the laity so you can follow what most of the people are doing or sit.  Rocky has severe arthritis in his knee so we sit.

The priest and altar boys say these words which never fail to thrill me:

P. I will go in unto the altar of God.
S. To God who giveth joy to my youth.
 
Ps. 42, 1-5. 
P. Judge me, O God, and distinguish my cause from the nation which is not holy: deliver me from the unjust and deceitful man.
S. For Thou, O God, art my strength: why hast Thou cast me off? and why go I sorrowful whilst the enemy afflicteth me?
P. Send forth Thy light and Thy truth: they have conducted me and brought me unto Thy holy mount, and into Thy tabernacles. 
S. And I will go into the altar of God: to God who giveth joy to my youth. 

Right after the Judica Me the priest will say his Confiteor. You may or may not hear him speak and the marvelous thumping sound when he strikes his breast. The altar boys say a Confiteor for themselves and the people. Some people will  whisper along with the altar boys, others will say it mentally.  The next thing you will really notice is when the priest says the Introit and the Kýrie. In a dialogue Mass the people respond out loud. If that's not the custom people will be silent.  There may be a Gloria and then the Collect prayer and you will hear the priest say the Lesson from St. Paul. After a short prayer the missal is carried to the Gospel side and the priest will read the Gospel of the day from the ambo. You stand up for the Gospel. If the Lesson and Gospel were read in Latin Father may read them in English now and if it is not Sunday or an important feast day he may or may not give a homily.  If it is Sunday or an important feast day the priest say say the Creed. When you hear "Et incarnátus est de Spíritu Sancto ex María Vírgine," kneel or if you can't, bow.

After the Creed, if there was one, we now leave the Mass of the Catechumens, the first part of Mass and entering the second part, the Mass of the Faithful the sacrifice part. The priest turns around to address the people. Some do this slowly, some are much quicker depending on age and physical condition and says "Dóminus vobíscum". 

Again, depending on local custom people may respond with the altar boy or they may respond mentally. Whatever you do, don't bellow out the "Et cum spíritu tuo." Some people's church Latin pronunciation isn't as good as they think it is  or even if it's good blasting away really disturbs people around you. I once sat in front of a young man with a a deep baritone who spoke the responses so loudly that it felt like I couldn't even hear myself think. God bless him but when he sat somewhere else the next week both Rocky and I were glad. 

Next comes the Offertory. Sometimes I'm reading the missal at this point or sometimes I'm looking at the altar and trying to meditate on the preparations on the Last Supper.  After the priest finishes washing his hands he will turn to the people and say "Oráte, fratres". The Preface comes next and then you'll hear the bell for the Sanctus. If there are a lot of people at Mass the sound of people landing on the pews is so loud that it almost drowns out the priest and is rather impressive.  If you lost your place in the missal by this time the bells  and the Sanctus are a great  cue.  Now comes the Cannon which does not change according to the day.At the Hanc Igitur the altar boy will ring the bells. Get ready. The greatest thing on earth is about to happen. The priest raises the Host and in a few minutes the Chalice, the bells ring. God the Son is really truly physically present. You adore. 

The next major points are the Our Father, the Angus Dei and the priest will say his Dómine, non sum dignus. Father's Communion comes now.  In some places the altar boys may say a second Confiteor.  The priest will turn to the people, hold up the Host and say "Ecce Angus Dei..."

The altar boys and in some places the people say their  Dómine, non sum dignus. After Communion the Mass will quickly move to the end. The last Gospel will be read and we have the Pope Leo prayers. Keep coming back and then one day everything will fall into place. If you want to read more this 1954, child's missal is a favorite of mine and an excellent place to start. 

Communion

When the priest raises the Host I am reminded of this particular sculpture of the University of Cordoba.

A question

Apparently a lot of people were hoping for a disaster yesterday and are disappointed. 

To those people I simply ask this question:Were not the Spanish Civil War, Red China, WWII, the Soviets conquering half of Europe, and the explosion of open immorality, the terrible loss of Faith of millions of Catholics and all of the wretched isms not enough of a chastisement for you?  

Our Lady of Mercy, pray for us.

Death, Judgement, Heaven or Hell are the final last things. 

Go to confession.

The rot is too deep

Politics is not going to save America. For decades a slow rot has crept over the fabric of this nation. It infested the churches, the schools, the sciences, the high and low arts, the social clubs, sports and the family. People shrugged at and were repulsed by the most grotesque of the feminists and even other hard core feminists thought Andrea Dworkin went too far, but practical feminism (the idea of woman as god)  can be found  everywhere. People were horrified by the open sinfulness that was embraced by the elites but today single mothers by choice are treated like heroines and even praised from the pulpit. Pornographers were once seen as nasty little trolls working in rented rooms on some filthy back street. Today Hugh Hefner is a figure of Americana.

The old lecher is dead and gone to his reward but judging from the commentary you could almost think a philanthropist died.  Some saints could actually smell sin and I imagine that to anyone who had that divine gift, Hefner's stench must have been unbearable. When you think about all the lives he ruined, all the girls and boys gone to Hell because of him and his slimy empire it's just staggering. This week I read comments at a conservative discussion forum where the only men who condemned Hefner were called Puritan, accused of  being unattractive to women and mocked. One man said Hefner wasn't a pornographer but "just" printed "tasteful" nudes. Another listed all the infamous women Hefner had liaisons with and said he lived the American dream.  Many of the men on this particular site are fathers and grandfathers. If they are the conservatives then you can easily see how deep the corruption has gone.

Playboy was a dominant force in normal people's lives. Once when I was a child I visited Atlantic City. While skipping down the boardwalk and chewing on taffy, my classmates and I saw a couple of Playboy Bunnies standing near the Playboy club door in broad daylight. We, little Catholic girls got excited and waved to the Bunnies as if they were movie stars. The adults with us chuckled. My mother was not amused and I didn't set foot in Atlantic City again until I was an adult. A Catholic woman told me that her parents had once had a Playboy club membership because it was a cool spot and at the time, it was the only place in London, where an American could get a good steak. I recall that when I was a teenager the mother of a classmate and neighbor  told my mother how sad she was because she found Playboy in his sock drawer. She consoled herself that this was normal and healthy and thank God he wasn't going to be gay. My mother thought that the idea that a boy either had to be eager to look at smut or be suspected of homosexuality was extreme but she apparently held held the minority view. The magazine only lost its place because it couldn't compete with the Internet and is not nasty enough for the much of the public's taste

The rot is deep and everywhere. The mainstream pornography that Hefner unleashed  got to the point where the in the 70s, the "sophisticated" set told us that so called "artistic" child pornography was okay and except for people like Jerry Falwell and a few good concerned Baptist ladies almost nobody spoke up. Movies like Pretty Baby had a 12 year old Brooke Shields as a sex symbol. Jody Foster was 12, when she played a prostitute in Taxi Driver. Linda Purl was an adult but played a teenager in the very popular TV movie,  Little Ladies of the Night.  Roman Polanski raped a 13 year old and got away with it. In general people didn't boycott his movies. Playboy for its part, regularly showed pinups naked but with carefully selected  childlike attire like ribbons or  teddy bears and it had cartoons with little girls in them. Those articles, short stories and cartoons that people claimed they read the magazine for were full of molestation and incest innuendo. The  magnificent Judith Reisman  pointed this out and fought a heroic and often lonely battle against Hefner's empire.

The seediness was so intense that some form of self preservation made people unconsciously react and things quieted down a bit  in the 80s.  "Soft core" pornography was still mainstream but guys realized that they weren't going to be welcomed at the Rotary club  or the Grange meetings if they openly displayed that stuff in their living rooms anymore. It was window dressing mostly. Serious soul harming damage had already been done to the national zeitgeist. The 90s came and soon people could see gross images on their computer at home and indulge in their solitary vice to their heart's content... and today? Today, as I said before, Hugh Hefner is an icon, fondly looked back upon and his perversion seems almost like quaint compared to the pornography that is readily available. Politics is not going to save us. The rot is too deep. The only hope is a massive turning to Christ.

Divina Pastora

A prayer for the redemption of bad priests

Divine Savior Jesus Christ, Thou are the Good Shepherd who gives His life for His sheep. Oh, be in a very special way the Good Shepherd of those poor lost priests who are also appointed by Thee to be leaders of Thy people, but who have broken the oath of their holy ordination and have become unfaithful to their exalted calling. Bestow upon these poorest of the poor the very fullness of that pastoral solicitude with which Thou dost so faithfully seek the sheep that are lost! Touch their hearts with the irresistible ray of grace which emanates from Thine all-merciful love! Enlighten their minds and strengthen their wills, that they may turn away from all sin and error and come back to Thy holy altar and to Thy people. O most compassionate Savior! Remember that Thou didst once redeem the souls of Thine erring priests with Thy Precious Blood and in infinite preferential love didst impress upon them the indelible character of the priesthood. Put wholly to shame those miserable helpers of Satan who lay snares for the virtue of priests and endanger the holy ideal of the priesthood. Most graciously accept our prayers and sacrifices for poor priests who have gone astray and hear our earnest petition.

 Amen 

Imprimatur - Bishop John F. Noll (April 18, 1948)

St. Anthony of Padua, defender of the Holy Eucharist, obtain for us holy priests

St. John-Mary Vianney, model of sacerdotal holiness, obtain for us holy priests

St. Francis Xavier, patron of missionary priests, obtain for us holy priests

St. Therese of the Child-Jesus and of the Holy Face, victim offered for the sanctification of priests, obtain for us holy priests

Saints and Servants of God, obtain for us holy priests.

Tough times call for tougher people

The filial correction and random thoughts on a Saturday night

Pray for us, Mother!

• Rorate Caeli has been Tweeting that they know something big for weeks now.  It got to be like a little kid singing "I know a secret," at the top of his lungs. Well, the shoe finally dropped and while I could have done without the hyping, yes it is impressive. For the first time since 1333, when theologians from the University of Paris  informed Pope John XXII that he was teaching a heresy, clergy and lay scholars have spoken out to the pope and issued a correction.  Will it matter to the pope? I don't know. I don't think so but I will say this: at least these people did not remain silent and when they go to bed at night they can do so with a satisfied mind. May St. Catherine of Siena intercede for them.
  
  
• One of my co-workers, in a fit of anger and disappointment actually cursed loud enough for me to hear her all the way down the hall because Hurricane Irma did not blow into Florida as a category 5 and didn't kill  as many people as the Great Storm of Galveston or Hurricane Camille.  She hates President Trump so much that she wanted a disaster in Florida so she could criticize him. I looked at her cubicle wall and thought, "You have no soul." In a second or two,  I corrected myself and thought, "No, you gotta a soul but it's corroded."
  
  

• Forty one families have shown common sense. 
  
  

• I stopped reading Catholic Answers several years ago. This by Jimmy Akin confirms that I haven't missed a thing.

• After coughing so much that I was actually embarrassed because people were staring I decided to get myself to the doctor. Sure enough I have asthma and have allergies. So far the inhaler is really helping.

This is not cute. God save us from cute, hip celebrity priests.

•  German, French and British people probably don't think of the Coptic Christians at all and would laugh if you told them that one day  the Coptic present could very well be the their  future. 

St. Dominic, pray for us!

The high flying celebrity priest is often a bad priest

Catholic University is affiliated with the Theological College seminary which gets seminarians from all over the United States, China and some African countries. The seminary probably dumped Fr. James Martin from speaking at its upcoming alumni days program because enough laity reminded them that the annual nationwide collection for Catholic University is this week and said that they were not going to be giving this year. I'm happy that Fr. Martin won't be speaking at the seminary but that doesn't solve the larger problem. Fr. Martin is a celebrity priest and that rarely works out. Celebrity is not the same as famous. St. John Vianney, Fr. Solanus Casey, St. Padre Pio and St. Andre Bessette were famous. Their fame served Christ.  Celebrity serves itself.

Celebrity priests are not a new phenomenon. History is littered with them. Around one hundred years ago Fr. Thomas Macgrady was a nine day wonder who caused scandal, got laicized and died in his 40s.  We now know that Fr. Thomas Merton was a rather large pain the posterior to his superiors and his brother monks but they put up with it because his books made so much money. Fr. Teilhard de Chardin  has been dead since 1955, and his books are still causing trouble. Fr. Williams and Fr. Cutie both gave the Church's enemies a chuckle. The list could go on and on.  It's almost always the same sad story....a priest forgets what he is and Whom he serves. His superiors are either so rotten bad themselves that they can't say anything or they are lax and just don't bother to do so. The priest falls into scandal and ruins himself and leads people away from the Church. 

Divine Savior Jesus Christ, Thou are the Good Shepherd who gives His life for His sheep. Oh, be in a very special way the Good Shepherd of those poor lost priests who are also appointed by Thee to be leaders of Thy people, but who have broken the oath of their holy ordination and have become unfaithful to their exalted calling. Bestow upon these poorest of the poor the very fullness of that pastoral solicitude with which Thou dost so faithfully seek the sheep that are lost! Touch their hearts with the irresistible ray of grace which emanates from Thine all-merciful love! Enlighten their minds and strengthen their wills, that they may turn away from all sin and error and come back to Thy holy altar and to Thy people. O most compassionate Savior! Remember that Thou didst once redeem the souls of Thine erring priests with Thy Precious Blood and in infinite preferential love didst impress upon them the indelible character of the priesthood. Put wholly to shame those miserable helpers of Satan who lay snares for the virtue of priests and endanger the holy ideal of the priesthood. Most graciously accept our prayers and sacrifices for poor priests who have gone astray and hear our earnest petition.

 Amen 

Imprimatur - Bishop John F. Null (April 18, 1948)

St. Anthony of Padua, defender of the Holy Eucharist, obtain for us holy priests

St. John-Mary Vianney, model of sacerdotal holiness, obtain for us holy priests

St. Francis Xavier, patron of missionary priests, obtain for us holy priests

St. Therese of the Child-Jesus and of the Holy Face, victim offered for the sanctification of priests, obtain for us holy priests

Saints and Servants of God, obtain for us holy priests.

Confession- The rescue

When you go to Confession, especially if you haven't been in a long time the priest is just like this monk going out to rescue lost souls on the Alps.

The Gospel Writers

 

Dies Irae

Your Eminences, It's Not Just Bannon

I've been saying for years that the US Bishop's obsession with illegal immigrants stinks in the nostrils of many Americans and NOT necessarily for the single reason that they are anti-Catholic. I have told people in vain, that it's not just our bishops but the Lutherans and Episcopalians also get money for processing immigrants and refugees but it doesn't resonate.  The 19 year old who lost his mother to a car crash caused by a multiple times deportee who was helped by "the Catlics"  and who may or may not be Alt Right probably feels that we don't care about his suffering. Anybody who has had to flee an apartment  or rental townhouse because Catholic Charities paid  the landlord to house  a bunch of immigrants who have never seen running water, electricity or ovens before has been left with a bad taste in his mouth concerning the Church.  1Peter5   and Church Militant have published reports on the amount of money the bishops have gotten from the government. Curious people of all walks of life who wouldn't read 1P5, Church Militant or the bishop's last available financial report can easily go to the  usaspending.gov site to see that the bishops are getting quite a bit money.

 The problem is not just with Protestants and the unchurched either. Steve Bannon  may have kicked the hornet's nest  but many Catholics have been saying for years that it bugs them that their bishop seems to care more about illegal aliens than his own people and have whispered that it all came down to money.  Elizabeth Yore of The Remnant wrote about the money trail last year.  I read a comment on a major blog from one man who got up from his pew and walked out of Mass  because the priest used his homily to talk politics and to support DACA. Hopefully, this man will go to another parish and not leave the Church but he's not the only one who is fed up.The bishops are hissing at Bannon but completely miss all the people standing behind him nodding.

Stay with Him

No matter what appalling thing comes out of the pope's mouth, stay with the Crucified One. 

Our Lady of Mercy, pray for us

Pray for us St. Anthony

I think St. Anthony must have a sense of humor. He has never let me down. He's returned my lost keys, my cell phone (repeatedly) and my commuter train pass, not to mention the more important requests I've made to him.

On the Beheading of John the Baptist

O God, of those that fought thy fight,

Portion, and prize, and crown of light,

Break every bond of sin and shame

As now we praise thy martyr's name.

He recked not of the world's allure,

But sin and pomp of sin forswore:

Knew all their gall, and passed them by,

And reached the throne prepared on high.

Bravely the course of pain he ran,

And bare his torments as a man:

For love of thee his blood outpoured,

And thus obtained the great reward.

With humble voice and suppliant word

We pray thee therefore, holy Lord,

While we thy martyr's feast-day keep,

Forgive thy loved and erring sheep.

* Glory and praise for aye be done

To God the Father, and the Son,

And Holy Ghost, who reign on high,

One God, to all eternity.

Amen.

from the 1960 Breviary

Divina Pastora

Most Divina Pastora (Divine or Holy if you prefer, Shepherdess) paintings have St. Michael defending souls in the background from demons represented by wolves or in the case of this last painting, a sea monster.