He saved me

 Last week I had surgery to remove a tumor. It was very large and through the grace of God, it was benign. Due to the size, if it hadn't been benign I almost certainly would've been toast.  When my surgeon told me that I am in the clear I almost couldn't speak because of the absolute shock wave of relief.  Our Lady Health of the Sick, thank you! Dear Saints Peregrine, Bernadette and Therese thank you.  I feel like Jonah when the whale spat him back onto land.

 

Christ Crucified

 Christ Crucified

.

by 
Richard Crashaw

THY restless feet now cannot go

  For us and our eternal good,

As they were ever wont. What though

  They swim, alas! in their own flood?

Thy hands to give Thou canst not lift,

  Yet will Thy hand still giving be;

It gives, but O, itself' s the gift!

  It gives tho' bound, tho' bound 'tis free!

Monday of Holy Week

 It's Whip o'clock Monday.....

Two Lent Ideas

 How's your Lent going? If you feel like you're not making progress here's two fantastic helps for your

 spiritual journey in these precious days. The Great Fast program from St. Michael's Abbey and Fr.

 Edward Looney's daily readings from The Dolorous Passion of Our Lord, Jesus Christ. 

“Pray for me, that I may not flee for fear of the wolves.”

Poor Pope Benedict. Eleven years after his resignation and I think that his fleeing for whatever the true reason, will be the only thing the sheep and the world will remember him for. 

Holy Week up to Easter Vigil

•  Something was off about Palm Sunday Mass this year. There was no procession and  Father must blessed the palms  without his mic on or before Mass. The palms were brought out late and if you didn't grab a one right before Mass you didn't get one unless you were obviously disabled  and the ushers brought it to you. The palms were also taken away after Mass and Rocky had to go to the usher's sacristy to get ours. Father's homily, and the music were excellent. A lot of the regulars were not there and Rocky estimated it was about 100 less people than normal.  

• 
  
  We went to the Spy Wednesday Mass and Tenabrae service at our old parish
  And whilst they were eating, he said: Amen I say to you, that one of you is about to betray me.  22 And they being very much troubled, began every one to say: Is it I, Lord?  23 But he answering, said: He that dippeth his hand with me in the dish, he shall betray me.  24 The Son of man indeed goeth, as it is written of him: but woe to that man by whom the Son of man shall be betrayed: it were better for him, if that man had not been born.  25 And Judas that betrayed him, answering, said: Is it I, Rabbi? He saith to him: Thou hast said it.   
  
  
  

  In this illustration of the Last Supper by Brother Max Schmalzl we see Judas clutching his bag of silver. I wonder if Brother Max was thinking of this passage from Matthew when he created this artwork.  Notice the arrogance and disrespect of  Judas's posture. Everyone else is in an attitude of worship, kneeling or standing  but Judas looks like a bored guest. He  called the Lord "Rabbi," something the Apostles hadn't done for nearly three years. Peter and the others said "Lord," "Master" and referred to Him as the Christ. Judas, says Rabbi, as if Our Lord were just any rabbi in any synagogue. 
  
  
  
  
• Mass of the Lord's Supper was wonderful. Fr. said the Novus Ordo as well as it can be done. I was impressed by the parishioners. Everyone was decently dressed. The parents paid attention to their children and the large church was so packed late comers had to stand. Father's homily was excellent. Rocky said he learned some things he hadn't thought of before. We wanted to do the seven church pilgrimage but Rocky was very tired and we needed to go home. 
  
  
  
  
  
• Easter Vigil was okay...mostly.  Bishop Burbidge preached a nice, inoffensive  homily. The music was fine. The decorations were not as nice as in previous years and the crowd was again, noticeably smaller than last year. 

random thoughts on a Sunday afternoon

• The Good Samaritan
  
  
  When Jesus told the story of the Good Samaritan it must have been stunning to His listeners. The Samaritans were a despised people.  They were descended from the country folk who were left behind during the Babylonian captivity and because they had intermarried with pagans the Jews considered them to be apostates and worse. The Samaritans for their part, thought that their Jewish cousins had ingested too many Babylonian religious ways and weren't true Israelites anymore. The Jewish temple was in Jerusalem and the oft attacked Samaritan temple was on Mt.  Gerizim. 
  
  The road to Jericho was very dangerous. Robbery and murder was common and people didn't travel it alone. The priest and the Levite, the tribe from which priests came and who were charged with special temple duties passed the robbery victim by but a disgusting Samaritan   stopped, provided aid and spent a large sum of money to take care of him. Traditionally the Church teaches that the victim is mankind, foolishly going our own way and falling into sin which brutalizes our souls. The priest and Levite are the Old Law. The Good Samaritan is Our Lord and great cost of the rescue is Our Lord's Passion and Death. 
  
  
  
  
  
•  “Our Country won’t go on forever if we stay soft as we are now. There won’t be any AMERICA because some foreign soldiery will invade us and take our women and breed a hardier race!” – Chesty Puller

After WWII, German mystic, Therese Neuman was visited by many American soldiers. There is a story, and I'm not sure if it's true or not-- that one man asked her if America would ever be conquered  by an invading force. She responded for the sake of the kindness of the American people, this would never happen but America's fall would come from inside decay. Frankly, the decay has gotten so bad in certain places that millions of the very people who are cheering for it might be secretly relieved and would turn on a dime if  Puller's prediction were to come to pass. 

 God help us. 

• Americans have been taught for two hundred years to revere college professors and to see college graduates as superior--the best and  the brightest. That conditioning turned out to be disastrous. Some time around WWII, the universities were conquered. Academic rigor has been falling for decades and even the standards of the last fortress, STEM is falling. Now, every time some whack job with a PHD spouts off the media reports his or her comments with respect. For as long as I can remember, most folks seem to laugh and say that what goes on at the campuses has no bearing on real life but it does, like arsenic in the well water we all drink.
  
  Why do politicians and activists go to campuses to speak? Why do we simultaneously treat college students like kindergarteners while encouraging  them to enjoy four years of hedonism as long as they don't have any permanent damage? I've known parents who worked two jobs, mortgaged their homes, never went on vacation or bought a new vehicle until the old one couldn't be repaired anymore because they believed that Water Color Fine Arts degree was going to be their kid's golden ticket. Of course they made those sacrifices for love but have we all been sold a bill of doubtful quality goods? It's probably too late to reform higher education especially Catholic higher education which is hollowed out of any Faith and is just as faddish as secular schools but there are tiny spots of hope here and there. A few people are realizing that the student loan/obscene tuition game is rigged.
  
  
  
  
  
• Have you noticed that except for the Vegas man, mass shooters all seem to be disturbing to look at? The eyes are wrong somehow as if they're victims of fetal alcohol syndrome or terrible early childhood trauma. The expression either seems dead or final stage rabid. The bodies seem to be skinny to the point of emaciation. They are weirdly dressed in photos as if they desperately want to be gawked at or they appear to have slept in a dumpster. All of them seem to be displaying a warning in their appearance like poison frogs that they're dangerous and you'd best leave them alone. 
  
  
  
  
  
• Truth is beautiful. Even if it's hard to face. 
  
  
  
  
  

St. John and the boiling oil

 I love the look of mild annoyance on St. John's face. 

Happy Easter

 

O KING OF THE FRIDAY

 

O KING OF THE FRIDAY

O King of the Friday

Whose limbs were stretched on the Cross,

O Lord who did suffer The bruises, the wounds, the loss,

We stretch ourselves

Beneath the shield of thy might,

Some fruit from the tree of thy passion

Fall on us this night!

Man of Sorrows

Man of Sorrows

 This painting is incredible not only because of the halo which made of up the instruments of Our Lord's Passion but because Botticelli must have spent some time studying the Shroud or the Holy Face image in the Vatican. The wounds from the crown (cleaned up I'm guessing to allow the viewer to gaze upon the Face), and the swelling lip instantly reminded me of the Shroud .

random thoughts for a Saturday morning

•  And Mary went in haste....  How did Our Lady get to St. Elizabeth's house? It's about 90 miles from Nazareth to Aim Karim. She must have joined a caravan but a young girl of 15 or so would've attracted the wrong kind of attention and it never would've been permitted. Some theologians have posited that St. Joseph, her legal husband or other relatives must have gone with her and St. Joseph came again to pick her up after three months. 
  
• I mentioned to my mother that the Filipino community at my old parish is having Simbag Gabi  novena Masses. My mother asked if anyone who isn't Filipino is welcome. I hesitated to answer and finally said that anyone can go to Mass but a non-Filipino probably wouldn't be treated to the fellowship and people might not be comfortable in his or her presence the same way Vietnamese or Korean or Hispanic parishioners aren't too happy when someone outside their ethnicity shows up at their dedicated Mass.   My mother made a disapproving sound. I said that if the Filipinos have to lose their customary Advent Masses then the Charismatic Masses, the Spanish Mass, the Ordinariate and the Afro-Gospel Masses and definitely  the celebrate whatever sexual penchant you have Masses need to go too, out of fairness.
  
  My mother made another disapproving sound and indicated that she was disappointed because she thought Catholic meant universal and she asked me to explain why Pope Francis is taking my Latin Mass away. I couldn't give her a satisfactory answer. Drat! Every time I think that my mother is getting closer to converting something happens. 

• Rocky's work schedule has changed so we can't go to Mass at our old parish. Where we're going now is  valid and fulfills our Sunday duty.  It's a regular vanilla Novus Ordo in that nothing is shocking or  too horrible. We'll never have dancing girls or dogs sitting next to the altar.  On the other hand, it's nothing sublime either. Unless we have a guest priest, or the bishop comes, the homilies are rambling pep talks or sports analogies or joke filled. Father--who is a very sweet, kind man,--- moves around like a game show host. We don't have the Confiteor and never hear the Roman canon.  We have nice bread and butter priests who are extremely careful and under great pressure not to offend any of the very rich people who attend and have the power to call up the bishop and get their calls answered.  
  
  During the week we have a respite. We go to a small parish that has (for how long?), an evening  traditional  Low Mass. One night, as we were leaving that church Rocky turned to me and asked rhetorically what would happen if one of the Fathers  at our Sunday Mass spoke a homily like the ones we hear at the week-day TLM parish. It would be incredible. 
  
  
  
  
• A Christmas Carol was published for the first time on this date. It's amazing to think that the man who wrote it later in his middle age became viciously cruel to his wife, driving her from their home and taking up openly with a mistress. 
  
  
  
  
  
  
• What is Francis? Who does he love? I don't know but I don't think it's what we have a right to expect. 
  
  
  
  
• The lovely Tea at Trianon blog has a fine defense of Our Lady and reminder that you should read a little history and not get your theology from Evangelical and Jewish movies. Mary was not an unwed mother. 

Holy Face Litany Short Version

I salute Thee, I adore Thee and I love Thee, O adorable Face of Jesus, my Beloved, noble Seal of the Divinity! Outraged anew by blasphemers. I offer Thee, through the heart of Thy blessed Mother, the worship of all the Angels and Saints, most humbly beseeching Thee to repair and renew in me and in all men Thy Image disfigured by sin.

O adorable Face, which was adored with profound respect by Mary and Joseph when they saw Thee for the first time, have mercy on us.

O adorable Face, which in the Stable of Bethlehem didst ravish with joy the angels, the shepherds and the Magi

O adorable Face, which in the Temple didst transpierce with a dart of love the saintly old man Simeon and the prophetess Anna

O adorable Face, which, when Thou didst appear in the Temple at twelve years of age, didst fill with admiration the Doctors of the law

O adorable Face which possesses beauty always ancient and always new, have mercy...

   

 O adorable Face which is the masterpiece of the Holy Ghost, in which the Eternal Father is well pleased, have mercy on us.

    O adorable Face which is the ineffable mirror of the divine perfection, have mercy on us.

  

   Adorable Face of Jesus which was so mercifully bowed down on the Cross, on the day of Thy Passion, for the salvation of the world! Once more today in pity bend down towards us poor sinners. Cast upon us a glance of compassion and give us Thy peace.

O adorable Face, troubled and weeping at the tomb of Lazarus,

Adorable Face of Jesus which was so mercifully bowed down on the Cross, on the day of Thy Passion, for the salvation of the world! Once more today in pity bend down towards us poor sinners. Cast upon us a glance of compassion and give us Thy peace.

O adorable Face, brilliant as the sun, and radiant with glory on the Mountain of Tabor

O adorable Face, sorrowful at the sight of Jerusalem, and shedding tears on that ungrateful city,

O adorable Face, bowed down to the earth, in the Garden of Olives, and covered with confusion for our sins,

O adorable Face, bathed in a bloody sweat,  O adorable Face, kissed by the traitor Judas,

O adorable Face, struck by a vile servant, shamefully blindfolded, and profaned by the sacrilegious hands of Thine enemies, O adorable Face, defiled with spittle, and bruised by innumerable buffets and blows,

O adorable Face, whose Divine look wounded the heart of Peter, with a dart of sorrow and love,

O adorable Face which was washed and anointed by Mary and the holy women and covered with a shroud, have mercy on us.

Be merciful to us, O my God! Do not reject our prayers, when in the midst of our afflictions, we call upon Thy Holy Name and seek with love and confidence Thy adorable Face.

O adorable Face, all resplendent with glory and beauty on the day of the Resurrection, 

O adorable Face, all dazzling with light at the moment of Thy Ascension,

Be merciful to us, O my God! Do not reject our prayers, when in the midst of our afflictions, we call upon Thy Holy Name and seek with love and confidence Thy adorable Face.

    

    O adorable Face which is hidden in the Eucharist, have mercy on us.

    O adorable Face which will appear at the end of time in the clouds with great power and great                 majesty, have mercy on us.

    O adorable Face which will make sinners tremble, have mercy on us.

    O adorable Face which will fill the just with joy for all eternity, have mercy on us.

    O adorable Face which merits all our reverence, our homage and our adoration, have mercy on us.

    O Lord, show us Thy Face, and we shall be saved!

    O Lord, show us Thy Face, and we shall be saved!

    O Lord, show us Thy Face, and we shall be saved!

Until the End of Time

 

For the love of God, His Church and His servants

 Several years ago Rocky and I were on vacation in Norfolk, Virginia and we went to the awesome Chrysler Museum to see the Tissot Life of Christ exhibit. We were deeply moved so were many of the other visitors. I saw quite a few people who were praying. This one water color painting stayed with me and was my inspiration for how I treat good priests. Every meal I make for my pastor, every act of hospitality is in imitation of the holy women who followed Our Lord and did their best to serve Him. 

Sacred Heart

 

Random thougths on a Friday night

• Rocky went to get the oil in his SUV changed. The woman at the desk asked him if he'd been vaccinated. My husband is a gentleman so he politely told her that this kind of question was awfully personal. She seemed surprised by his response and perhaps his soft answer shamed her and she restricted her remarks to the oil change for the rest of the appointment. 
  
  
  
  
• I was asked again about whether I've made an appointment to be vaccinated. I wish HR would just come out and say the magic words, "You can't come back to office until you get the shot." But they won't do that so instead I get asked about it every other Friday. I was upset the first two times. This time I just felt flat. 
  
  
  
• Some priests say that there's no point in baptizing a baby just so the family can have the formality and a party if they have no intention of living Catholic lives. Other priests say they'll baptize the baby and pray that th child one day comes back to the Church even if the parents never do or remain nominal Christmas, Ash Wednesday and Easter Catholics. I've heard both arguments and I'm not sure which one is right but I do feel sorry for  Steve Skojec's pastor.  
  
  
  
• I'm finally coming out of  a two week long sinus infection. I felt like I walking on a rolling ship when I was outside but I couldn't sleep when I lay down because that made the pain from my nose to my right eye erupt. I am still exhausted but there was grace in this. Lying in the dark, waiting for the pain pill to kick in is a moment to think about the Agony in the Garden and to try pray the Rosary. I say try because I failed in most of the attempts. Sometimes I didn't even make through the Creed. Mostly I was able to say the first three Hail Mary's and had to give up because I couldn't even think. 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

Abandoned update

 As I expected nobody from the diocese has contacted me. Interestingly enough, I noticed that I didn't get the usual Zoom invitation for the parish bible study this week or last week. Unless, this was just an oversight I have to shake my head at the pettiness. 

On the work front, we've all been notified that 90% of the staff have been vaccinated and the "hesitant" were told in very subtle wording to stop being fearful and selfish and get on with it. 

The Sanofi-Pasteur vaccine, from what I've read has nothing to do with fetal remains but it is doubtful that it will be available until Winter 2021. If you don't have that much time left and you're looking for some bit of hope, I did read this on the Children of God for Life Site. They have further discussion on this page.   I also found a form letter on the Corey Diggs blog.  However,  if you are in a Right to Work State or signed an Employment at Will contract, as I did,  I don't think these will help you or me.  

I will wait and watch the battle and God willing I will meet whatever happens like a Catholic woman should. 

Holy Saturday

 

What is happening? Today there is a great silence over the earth, a great silence, and stillness, a great silence because the King sleeps; the earth was in terror and was still, because God slept in the flesh and raised up those who were sleeping from the ages. God has died in the flesh, and the underworld has trembled. from an ancient Holy Saturday Homily