75 days

In his homily our parochial vicar criticized the people who haven't come back to Mass after the shut downs.  He implied that they were lazy sinners. He was right to an extent,  but didn't our bishops go right along with the shutdowns? With a few exceptions the only priests I saw doing outside Masses were SSPX. Most of the Faithful  including the weak,  the foolish,  and the isolated were set adrift. For 75 days we couldn't even go unmasked into an empty church for private prayer without being threatened with arrest by the parish priest or a parish staffer.  I've read many heartbreaking stories of people who wrote about how they begged their parish priest to come give a loved one Last Rites during the shutdown and were rejected. We were all told that watching Mass on TV, Facebook or You Tube was good enough and those who mourned the loss of the Mass were called neurotic and selfish.

Even when the civil authorities allowed us to return to Mass, depending on where you lived, the restrooms were closed. Think of all the adults who need to visit the restroom before or after Mass because of age-related or some chronic physical  condition. All these people had to choose between staying away from their parish or risk soiling themselves in public. Even porta-pottys were locked.  How about an apology for abandoning the flock? That YouTube Mass didn't cut it. Frankly, as I sat in the pew and heard Father, I was pissed. 

You aren't going to lose your TLM because somebody is grieving about losing theirs

 This week I read a Tweet by a nice woman saying that the TLM will be cancelled in her parish. People rushed to accuse her of lying. People outside the diocese actually had the nerve to write that she apparently didn't hear what she heard her priest announce. Others rushed in to say that no, Bishop Barron, of World on Fire fame had actually given her an upgrade by inviting the SSPX to take over a church/chapel in another part of the diocese roughly two hours away. "See," they cackled. "Bishop Barron isn't cancelling anything!" How is losing the TLM in your parish that you've been attending and having to go elsewhere not cancellation? 

The most disgusting part of this pitiful episode has got to be the self righteous Pharisees braying, "You bad Trads complain and will make the saintly bishop so mad he'll take the TLM away from all us! Thank God we're glad Trads and not stupid and ugly sinners like you!"

That's like saying to an abuse victim to hush and not cry so much or they'll  provoke the abuser to beat them some  more.  If your bishop is so thin-skinned, petty and evil that he crushes people because a handful irritate him  then I hate to break it to you but you don't have a good and holy bishop. You don't even have a bread and butter bishop who's mostly decent even if he is a company man. You have a martinet, a cruel step-father and someone who ought not be a bishop. 

I've always believed that the diocesan TLM was doomed and would not last much longer than Pope Benedict XVI's life. That doom has nothing to do with a grouchy Trad in Dubuque  talking on Twitter, Facebook or Blogger. You aren't going to lose your TLM because somebody openly grieved about losing theirs. You are going to lose it because Pope Francis and all his boys hate Tradition. If you can't offer sympathy to a person who is sad because they can't go to  Mass anymore then for the love of God, at least don't pile on with the abuse. 

Random thoughts on a Saturday Afternoon.

• St. Peter, pray for us 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Shortsighted people dismiss the importance of the Chinese balloon because China and most of our "allies" already spies on us everyday but spying wasn't the point. By sending a balloon to violate the US airspace the Chinese conducted a humifaction ritual and they got away with it. 
  
  
  
  
  
  
• The bishop's Lenten Appeal starts next week. Rocky and I may find another parish to go to so we don't have to sit through the always uncomfortable speech that will take the place of the homily. 
  
  
  
  
• I don't excuse Kari Lake for losing her Faith but not being able to even go into a church during Covid didn't help. 
  
  
  
• Pope Benedict XVI's posthumous book was such a disappointment that nobody is talking about it. If the Italian nick-name for Pope Paul VI was "The Sad One," then surely poor Benedict's should be something like, "The Pitiful". 
  
  
  
• Have you ever noticed how many NBA or NFL players went to Catholic high schools? Most don't seem to have taken the Faith from their school years  but their athletic skills were what the school wanted them for and they made money for the school. If your kid's school is financially sound because it's an athletic powerhouse but the kids don't go to Mass regularly and they don't even have a school chapel then what are you paying for?

• Did you see that hideous , blasphemous jacket Damar Hamlin had on at the Super Bowl? He's not a nice guy.

Mother Mary Lange, pray for us

No quick answers in the Neumayr tragedy

 When I first read that George Neumayr was dead I thought it was a stupid joke but then messages from various sources confirmed the news. It is said that he died of malaria, which seems odd to many people. In every photo he Tweeted from Cote d'Ivoire  he was either chomping a cigar or looking like a happy tourist posing with the locals. He didn't appear feverish or in pain at all. On the other hand, he did complain of an episode of food poisoning. It is possible that the nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea that can come with malaria or Yellow Fever  was mistaken for sickness from eating food that had been poorly cooked or kept in unsanitary conditions. Tap water is potable in Cote d'Ivoire but the State Department advises that you stick to bottled water and realize that the ice cubes in your drink at the restaurant or bar probably came from the tap. 

Nobody has commented on what  George Neumayr's general health was like but  some men, even ones who don't look robust,  have the mental and physical  constitution  of bulls. It takes something  catastrophic to make them drop or even admit to being sick. 

Years ago, my Uncle Junior got  walking pneumonia and would have died if other relatives hadn't nagged him into seeing his doctor, who after seeing him, called an ambulance. Until he was unconscious my uncle was insisting that he just had a cold and was not really sick. I can see Neumayr refusing to accept being sick, especially while on a business and pleasure trip until it overwhelmed him. 

Multiple people have written eloquently about the tragic loss of this much loved and admired Catholic author and reporter. There is  passionate speculation about his enemies in various chanceries and the circumstances surrounding his death and there may never be a satisfactory answer. 

I am about to write something indelicate and if you are someone who loved the late George Neumayr you may want to stop reading now. It's been about three weeks since the death and there have been no indications that  George was able to marry his fiancee and the body was buried in country. Presumably the remains are  in a morgue until Neumayr's next-of-kin can fulfill all the local government requirements for release. There  have been no reports about the conditions of morgues in Cote d'Ivoire. Has the body been embalmed?  Does Cote d'Ivoire require that? Have tissue samples been preserved? The mortal remains may have deteriorated beyond the point where a proper autopsy is even possible. 

Contrary to what you've seen in the movies our government doesn't automatically ship deceased civilians home nor does the government pay any medical facility bills. The US consulate takes charge of personal effects and assists next-of-kin to navigate the laws of the land when a citizen dies overseas. 

If a US citizen dies in a first world country getting the body home in a timely fashion can be done. A friend of my mother and of mine  died in London*, while studying there. The embassy did a fine job helping his elderly parents make it to the hospital in time before he was removed from life support and then with paperwork and accommodations until the poor parents could return home. Everything was done with speed and efficiency and kindness. The time from my friend's death to his funeral was not too much more than if he'd died in the US. George Neumayr was visiting a third world country. Nothing about this process is going to be quick. 

Out of all the countries to visit in Africa, Cote d'Ivoire is one that shouldn't be on your list unless you are an experienced third world traveler or have family there. The State Department has four levels of travel advisories from "exercise normal precautions," down to the last one which is "do not travel".  Cote d'Ivoire is rated at level three, that is  "reconsider travel." 

The country has high violent crime. Home invasion, robbery and carjacking are common. Local police, government officials and soldiers have been known to demand bribes. Embassy personnel are not allowed to travel at night.  Visitors are strongly urged to make "evacuation plans that do not rely on U.S. government assistance," avoid crowds and "obtain comprehensive medical insurance that includes medical evacuation." In the State Department's Traveler's Checklist it states that medical evacuation for treatment could cost up to  $100,000.

  Lepanto Institute said that George Neumayr refused to go to the hospital-- probably until he couldn't object anymore-- and if you read the State Department description of medical facilities in Cote d'Ivoire I see why: 

• Adequate health facilities are available in Abidjan and other major cities, but health care in rural areas is below U.S. standards.
• Public medical clinics lack basic resources and supplies.
• Hospitals and doctors often require payment “up front” prior to service or admission.
• Credit card payment is not always available, and most hospitals and medical professionals require cash payment.
• Medical staff may speak little or no English.
• Generally, in hospitals only minimal staff is available overnight. Consider hiring a private nurse or having family spend the night with the patient, especially a minor child.
• Patients bear all costs for transfer to or between hospitals. 
  

Ambulance services in the public system are:

• not widely available, and training and availability of emergency responders may be below U.S. standards.
• not equipped with state-of-the-art medical equipment.
• Injured or seriously ill travelers may prefer to hire a private ambulance or take a taxi or private vehicle to the nearest major hospital rather than wait for a public ambulance.

In short, Cote d' Ivorie can be a dangerous place and whatever bad happens there could end up staying there. This is a tragedy that probably won't end with a neat explanation. May George Neumayr rest in peace.

*  British medicine may be free but I'd rather cut my trip short than trust NHS doctors especially as a foreigner. To this day I still think my friend would be alive if he'd gone to see a doctor at home. 

Candlemass

 A Medieval  hymn for Candlemass

The queen of bliss and of beauty.

Behold what life that we run in,

Frail to fall and ever like to sin

Through our enemy's enticing;

Therefore we sing and cry to thee:

Revertere, revertere,

The queen of bliss and of beauty.

Come hither, Lady, fairest flower,

And keep us, Lady, from dolour;

Defend us, Lady, and be our succour,

For we cease not to call to thee:

Revertere, revertere,

The queen of bliss and of beauty.

Turn our life, Lady, to God's lust, [pleasure]

Sin to flee and fleshly lust,

For, after him, in thee we trust

To keep us from adversity.

Revertere, revertere,

The queen of bliss and of beauty.

This holy day of Purification

To the temple thou bare our salvation,

Jesu Christ, thine own sweet Son,

To whom therefore now sing we:

Revertere, revertere,

The queen of bliss and of beauty.

Farewell, Christmas fair and free!

Farewell, New Year's Day with thee!

Farewell, the holy Epiphany!

And to Mary now sing we:

Revertere, revertere,

The queen of bliss and of beauty.

Rest in peace, Sonny Boy

 My Uncle Sonny Boy, died in 2015. Today would have been his birthday.   I loved him very much. 

These People Just Can't Be Anything But Nasty

Petulant, nasty, vicious beyond the pale and just plain tacky.  Cardinal Gambetti may have pleased his master on earth but he'll  have to explain his behavior to the One who wept over Lazarus one day. 







Who made the decision that Benedict's body should be stuffed into a van without a coffin or even a shroud to cover the body? We package our groceries with more care.  Have you ever seen a dead body transported like that for a funeral? 

Random thoughts on a Saturday morning

• Rocky and I made a short visit on Epiphany Eve to a local parish.  I was startled to see Fr. Rupnik's art on the catechetical material in the vestibule. This is nothing against the parish or the pastor who are both known to be fine but shows how ubiquitous Rupnik's work is. Those hideous, dead goggle eyed mosaics are everywhere. Just trashing any images of his work or painting over originals is going to cost a fortune.  
  
  
  
  
  
• Pope Benedict's funeral was enlightening in many ways but I'll mention one very small thing I noticed. I signed onto Twitter and looked at the various professional Catholic accounts. One guy was raging at his enemies and making homosexual jokes. One woman who considers herself to be superior to most Catholics and Americans in particular but constantly seems to be flirting with Eastern Orthodoxy spent the day being bitter and miserable. Days before the funeral  she  stated that she "DGAF" about Benedict. Both these people have asked for donations from Catholics in the past and presume to tell us how we're wrong or ignorant about the Faith. The uglier they got, the uglier they looked themselves. They reminded me of the old Ronald Dahl quote.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Francis Couldn't Behave Properly - Not Even at Benedict's Funeral
  
  
  
  
•  If you have a good parish with a holy priest please don't post photos of him or the interior online unless he agrees.  Do not video his homilies without his permission. We have come to the point where even celebrating the Novus Ordo as reverently as it can be done and sticking to the rubrics is going to cause good priests to be attacked by their bishops. 

Te Deum

The Te Deum

You are God: we praise you;

You are God: we acclaim you;

You are the eternal Father:

All creation worships you.

To you all angels, all the powers of heaven,

Cherubim and Seraphim, sing in endless praise:

Holy, holy, holy, Lord, God of power and might,

Heaven and earth are full of your glory.

The glorious company of apostles praise you.

The noble fellowship of prophets praise you.

The white-robed army of martyrs praise you.

Throughout the world the holy Church acclaims you:

Father, of majesty unbounded,

Your true and only Son, worthy of all worship,

And the Holy Spirit, advocate and guide.

You, Christ, are the king of glory,

The eternal Son of the Father.

When you became man to set us free

You did not spurn the Virgin’s womb.

You overcame the sting of death,

And opened the kingdom of heaven to all believers.

You are seated at God’s right hand in glory.

We believe that you will come, and be our judge.

Come then, Lord, and help your people,

Bought with the price of your own blood,

And bring us with your saints

To glory everlasting.

Save your people, Lord, and bless your inheritance.

Govern and uphold them now and always.

Day by day we bless you.

We praise your name forever.

Keep us today, Lord, from all sin.

Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy.

Lord, show us your love and mercy;

For we put our trust in you.

In you, Lord, is our hope:

And we shall never hope in vain

Rest in peace

 Pope Benedict is dead.  For his sake I wish that he'd refused the papacy to begin with. Was he a good pope? No, he fled from the wolves, just as he feared he would. That being said, I think it should  be clear to everyone by now that in order to clean and restore the Church it would require a fearless pope saint willing to embrace a white and possibly red martyrdom. Benedict was not that guy but  he was not just as bad as Francis as some people have been gleefully saying. He has gone to his judgement. May God have mercy on him and in us. 

Oh Holy Night

https://texasnuns.files.wordpress.com/2016/12/2006af4448_bourdichon_nativity.jpg 

Merry Christmas

 

CHRISTMAS EVE THOUGHTS

In the drab Nativity movie Mary is presented as a sullen teen who complains about being betrothed to man she doesn't know or love. This is silly. Nazareth was an itty bitty little town. Everybody knew everybody. It was in the eyes of the other Galileans, a crummy little backwoods place.

To this insignificant hamlet the angel of God, Gabriel came. An old hymn describes him as having wings of snow drift white and eyes like flame. I like that description it sounds like he was an awesome sight. And who did he come to? A young girl. Mary, just 14 or 15 and this angel asked her to be the mother of the messiah. Imagine that for minute. And Mary said yes. She said, "I am the Handmaid of the Lord." Archbishop Sheen once noted that in Aramaic she actually said, "I am the slave of the Lord." What perfect trust. What perfect acceptance. Oh thank you, dear Mother!


And think for a moment of Joseph. A good man, probably a young man ( the Jews of that day didn't like May-December marriages) already on his way to being a saint even then. When friends or neighbors approached him remarked rudely on Mary's pregnancy he had the presence of mind to say nothing. He knew the Child in her womb was not his but knowing Mary he surely couldn't have imagined that she did anything wrong. He would not denounce her to the world. He would not expose her to a death sentence. He decided to divorce her quietly. Divorce, not break off an engagement but actual divorce. Mary was not an unwed mother. It makes me sick when people say that, especially if it's a priest. I can't take the St. Louis, King of France option of dealing with blasphemy but when someone does I mentally check out from anything else they have to say regarding holy matters. Our Lord was spoken of by the prophets and the Angel Gabriel.  Many in Israel lived and died longing to see His coming. His birth was not unplanned. Do not allow the Holy Family to be insulted in your presence. 

 A betrothed couple were married under the law. They weren't living together yet but they were married. It was the opposite of what we do in the modern West. A man was expected to have his home in order before his wife entered after the wedding , not have the wedding, go into debt to pay for it and setting up the household. 

And then the angel spoke to Joseph and he believed. He did not argue like the educated priest Zachariah did. He didn't complain that this Event was going to change his life forever. He simply believed and quickly had the wedding ceremony performed and moved Mary into his home. Thank you dear Saint Joseph. You did not care what the neighbors and your buddies said, you rushed to obey the Lord and to protect your little bride.


And then the day came to go to Bethlehem. St. Joseph was not a starry eyed  improvident drifter. He was going to take part in the census and pay his taxes. It couldn't have been an easy trip. The pictures of Mary on a donkey look sweet but that's no luxury ride. But she and Joseph knew their scripture. The Messiah was foretold as coming out of Bethlehem, David's city. So she went. Bethlehem is a small town. Once Rocky and I were in Blacksburg and were trying to find a hotel for the night. Alas there was a football game that night and there were no rooms to be had as far as West Virginia. When Mary and Joseph arrived every inn was full of people come to pay their taxes. Inns in a tiny place like Bethlehem were simple affairs. One might have two or three private rooms and a courtyard where poorer guests could bed down with their animals and other people. No woman would want to have a baby under those circumstances. Commentators have guessed that Mary asked for privacy and Joseph wanted her to have it. They couldn't get a room and for some reason didn't want to join the swarm in the open courtyard or just staying with one of the caravans that surely must have been surrounded Bethlehem that night. Some inn keeper offered them his stable. I hope he didn't charge them too much for it.

The Child was born. Thank you, God for sending Your only Son. Thank you Jesus for leaving Heaven and coming to the world as a tiny Babe. You came not to live a pleasant life but to die. The Cross loomed over Your cradle. You came on a rescue mission to reclaim hopeless sinners. Thank you Lord!

Music from Clamavi De Profundis

I really like this group.

 

My Monday fight song,...

Random thoughts on a cold wet weekend

•  I'm a law librarian. One of my patrons is working on a case that involves young victims. My research required me to read some court documents on Friday that made tears fall from my eyes. No matter how tough you may think you are, or that you've heard it all,  there are dark things in this world that normal, decent people shouldn't even know about.  Lord, have mercy!
  
  
  
  
  
• I need something quiet and lovely this weekend. 
  
  
  
  
  
• I don't like Taylor Marshall but of late, I've noticed that  a lot  of the sniping at him from is coming off as silly and most especially to people who haven't followed his career it appears more like envy than serious, worthwhile criticism. If you're uneasy about him because of the Opus Dei connection or the Fisher Moore episode or his "Stop eating products with seed oils and lift weights or you aren't a man," kick, or you've been calling him Dr. Cut and Paste for ages then okay that all makes sense but if you think Pope Francis is anti traditional because of Marshall then you haven't been paying attention to what' Francis has been doing from day one. Cardinal Bergoglio's probably was a modernist before Marshall was even born. 
  
  
  
  
• At Mass, the priest said that St. John the Baptist thought that Jesus was going to bring immediate judgement and  became disappointed in Him while sitting in Herod's prison. This particular priest is a nice  man but I can't stand his homilies.  I sat in the pew and sighed internally.  Later I  read Chapter eleven from the St. Matthew section of the Catena Aurea by St. Thomas Aquinas as a restorative.   St. John the Baptist, the greatest of all the prophets did not lose hope in Our Lord. He wasn't offended because he was facing martyrdom and he did not think he knew better than the Lamb of God.
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Sciambra Apostatizes : Can we please stop running after Catholic celebrities?

• I can't say that I'm surprised by this. Joseph Sciambra came on to the scene like a meteor. He was treated like a celebrity and his past tragedy and personal decisions made in reaction to the monstrous violence that was visited upon him in his youth, was seen as credentials to make him an expert on Catholicism.  When he started going on and on about the manly Orthodox someone-some wise layman or a stern and holy priest should have grabbed him and counseled him to get off social media and work on his salvation in private. There were people who cried a warning online but they obviously ignored. Now he's gone Orthodox and Fr. Kalchik who should know better is cheering him on.  What will Sciambra do when he realizes that Orthodox people sin just like everyone else and yes that includes sexual sin as well? For the love of  our Holy Faith can we finally stop creating these mini celebrities? This never ends well. Either they turn into grifters or they implode. 
  
  
  
  

The "approved" easy to get to diocesan TLM is a thing of the past

 For years I've felt that the TLMs in my diocese probably wouldn't survive after Pope Benedict's death. After his abdication and  this weird twilight existence where they drag him out for photo ops and then hide him away again, that hunch came true. Joshua May used to go to St. Mary's in  Chinatown in DC and he has an observation that lines up with what I've been thinking. I couldn't embed the link so it is below.

 https://sspx.org/en/news-events/news/looking-beyond-dioceses-tradition-76674

Random thoughts now that the Mid terms are finally mostly over

•  Last night Rocky and I drove to a parish in the DC diocese for Adoration. We used to go for Adoration, Confession and the traditional Mass but Cardinal Gregory ended the TLM. The church was dark. We made the sign of the cross and drove away. I can't put into words how painful the sight of that darkened church was to me. 
  
  
  
  
  
  
• There's a guy on Twitter who has been braying like a jackass for weeks that "You can't vote your way out this...." He's right but I can't bring myself to like him because he's also a raging snob, a  distributism fan, a monarchist, (Look both options are pie in the sky fantasies for the American situation), and he seems to long for the life of a patron in Old Mexico or a minor lord in England. However, even a LARPing fantasist can be right about one or two things. This country is in bad shape morally. The people have been corrupted and degraded and things are going to get worse.
  
  
  
  

• We can't have the TLM but this is fine?
  
  
  
  

Paulie Pelosi probably isn't the only restless drone to a queen bee

Being a politician's husband is not easy or normal. Even if he's a successful, mature man it's faintly emasculating. Sometimes the husband files for divorce but usually he sticks around  with either a frozen smile or a sullen expression and an ever present full shot glass. At best he finds something else to fill his hours. If the woman politician is lucky the something else is running the family business back home or hanging with his buddies. If she isn't lucky  the something  else makes the local rumor mill and occasionally, the news. It's actually almost impressive that Nancy Pelosi's husband hasn't embarrassed her before this year.

On Fr. Jackson

I just listened to Ann Barnhardt discussing Fr. James Jackson on her podcast.  It's disturbing and I think at a few points she said things that should not have been said. I've largely ignored most of the commentary and gossip about the case because I just went straight to the docket, USA v. Jackson, docket number, 1:21-mj-00109, in the District of Rhode Island and read the indictment for myself. To the people who still think Fr. Jackson was set up I can only tell you that after reading what his parole officer had to say I'm thankful I didn't even consider donating to any fundraiser on his behalf. 

Fr. Jackson was staying in Kansas with a relative while awaiting trial when he was re-arrested for violating the terms of his parole. While it is possible that something could have been planted in the rectory back in Rhode Island, he did not live and work there alone after all; I don't see that happening in his safe harbor in Kansas. People's hearts will be broken by this when it goes to trial but don't lose your Faith over this. Judas will lead you away from Our Lord and straight to the company of those who scourged and mocked Him. Don't join them.
  

Random thoughts on a Friday night

•  I did not know this but I was aware that with the exception of the SSPX most of Catholicism's bishops failed during the Great Sick aka The Rona. It was mostly Protestants who fought in court. That is our shame. 
  
  
  
  
• I've been seeing some well-meaning and hopeful folks say to the DC attendees of the TLM that they should come to Virginia. When I remind people that the Diocese of Arlington is only permitting the traditional Mass for two years I'm told that a lot of things could happen in two years. True. When I press the person responds with a version of  "You know, Francis could die,". Well, unless a person is  on his deathbed it's not a good idea to count the sands in their  hourglass.   
  
  I remember my  family's insurance agent who gently chided fat customers and pointed to his own athletic lifestyle. When he died suddenly in the prime of his life I saw many of his fat and elderly customers, who all obviously outlived him at his wake. Francis could live another ten years and even then, unless we get a miracle, the next man up could be even worse. So, for all practical purposes the Arlington Diocese TLM is on borrowed time. People need to face that and start making contingency plans.
  
  
  
• Maureen Mullarkey is a smart woman.  I hope she's wrong about Shia LeBeouf. I hope I'm wrong but I think a lot of people are going to end up with egg on their faces. 
  
  
  
• We don't want to go to war. God have mercy. We are ruled by Orcs.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Our Lady of Good Help, pray for us.