A Prayer for priests

Lord Jesus, by Thy Precious Blood shed on the way to Calvary, take pity on priests who are victims of injustice, and who, like their adorable Model, receive in return for their devotedness, but crosses, trials and persecutions.


Amen

A prayer for priests from St. Therese

 

What a beautiful vocation we have!

We must keep the salt of the earth!

We offer our prayers and sacrifices

for the apostles of our Lord;

we ourselves must be their apostles,

while they evangelize our brothers

by word and example.

To live for love, O Lord divine,

It's asking Thee to fill with fire

The hearts of all our priests and Thine.

Seraphic purity may they acquire.

Protect Thy Church. I am her child.

My life I offer Thee. Is it enough?

I pray to Thee so kind and mild.

I live for love.

The souls of priests I wish to be

Clear and bright alike a star.

Each one of them, for angels to see,

Before he goes up to the altar.

To grant us such a miracle,

O God, a rosary we say.

We pray before the tabernacle

On our knees, all nigiht and day.

As pure as the white Host may be

Thy priests, these sacred chosen few.

For all the world their lives to see.

Thy friends who teach us in the pew.

May they fulfill their ministry sublime

At Eucharist and frequent preaching.

Accept me in Thy plan divine

As victim for Thy harvesting.

random thoughts

 

• Romanitas Press has a few serious points about processions of the Blessed Sacrament. Pity the poor priest who has to explain to the outraged mamas why their little Honey Pie can't  be a flower girl though.
• I was walking to work and stopped to look at the newspaper boxes for Washington Post, Washington Examiner and the New York Times. All of them  had stories about Hurricaine Isaac on the front covers. If one didn't know better one would think the hurricaine was threatening DC and New York rather than being a fairly frequent weather phenomenon on the Gulf Coast.  I think a lot of news celebrities were privately dissapointed that Isaac wasn't another Katrina.
  
• The truth is the truth even when we don't want to hear it.
  
• Someone at work (hardcore Democrat),was carrying on about the Republican convention. I was polite but I couldn't wait to get away from him.  He's a normaly a nice man but this whole election cycle has brought out a nasty streak that I hadn't realized existed before.
  
  
• I was reading something defending gay priests as long as they are celibate and I sighed. A gay priest who is not sleeping with anyone can still be a problem. If he's noticeably effeminate he's probably repulsing the men and boys in the parish and if the priesthood is percieved to be a soft, warm, wet, sluglike thing then most boys are not going to want to answer the call.
  
  
• I've come across a number of articles written by women sternly telling men to man up. All I can say to that is it's too late. After 40 some odd years of feminism attacking men for being men we can't demand that they suddenly stop behaving like geldings and cads. Having allowed the feminists to make our bed it's too late to whine now. The smart girls are going to find their manly man and marry him. The not so smart girls.... are going to sit around in the club on Saturday night and complain about men.
  
  
• 
  
• Last night I stood and looked up at the blue moon, thought of Neil Armstrong and hummed the song.

Argh!

I won't sugar coat this. When I heard about Archbishop Cordeleone I was exasperated.  Frankly, the first thing that came to my mind was that scene in Godfather where Michael says to his brother, "You broke my heart, Fredo."

Oh well. Genesis says that the serpent was the most subtle of all the creatures and the devil works all the time at undermining the Lord's shepherds. Stupid, disappointing stuff like this is going to happen. So we go on. We pray for our bishops.  

highs and lows

Rocky and I spent a few days in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. It's so beautiful and so relaxing just driving along the country roads. We got to visit an Amish farm and I bought crafts from the farmers children. We brought back bags of fruit and corn for my mother. We fed goats, chickens and pettied a few dairy cows and calves. We shopped at Goods general store. We ate bought cheese from September farm, whoopie pies , shoo fly pie and the best chicken pot pie I've ever tasted. The food in Lancaster is so good that when I come back nothing local seems very good for days. The Amish are such industrious, vital people.

We went to the nursing home today and my uncle's mood was not great. His body clock is so off that he stays up all night and doesn't sleep until 4 or 5 in the morning. He was cranky and swore at us. He then went back to sleep and we let him be. This was pretty much of a housekeeping visit. We got his dirty clothes, made an appointment with the nursing home barber and checked his closet and dresser becuase he's been putting dirty clothes back with the clean lately. He'll be his usual sweet as pie next week, I'm sure. These mood fits are just part of this horrible, cruel disease.

Have mercy on the children

Single motherhood by choice is not a good thing. This is one of the unpleasant truths that we know but don't dare say out loud at work or in social situations. Our society lionizes single mothers and heaps sympathy on these "strong" women. Essentially we are celebrating child abuse. Now before anybody goes berserk let me point out that I am the child of a widow. My father died when I was 13. It was not easy for my mother and she had to work two jobs for a period of time before she got a promotion at her main job. As for me, for years I would have debilitating anxiety attacks on the rare occasions when I didn't know exactly where she was. My father's death was unexpected and sudden and I was terrified that something would also happen to her. A woman who was divorced through no fault of her own is very much like a widow and the children of divorcees and widows account for very little violent social pathologies.  I am not talking about widows or divorced women.


I am talking about women who decided that they either didn't need a man or who kept getting involved with men who had no intention of ever being tied down. In 1996, 70% of all prison inmates were the sons of single mothers. Criminologists warned that we would be facing super predators in the next decade.  Do you think the recent flash mobs and home invasions by teenagers is a some kind of accident? Today according to the Index of Leading Cultural Indicators, children from single-parent (fatherless) households make up 63% of all youth suicides, and 80% of all prison inmates.  Sixty percent of rapists come from fatherless homes.


Have you ever wondered why so many young white men are misogynistic? I've noticed this when I occasionally read manophere blogs and any time younger guys comment on Internet forums. Have you ever wondered why Hip Hop culture is such  an intensely woman hating one? The generation raised by women doesn't seem to like us very much. Why is that? 


The bible says that a father does not hand his son a snake when the boy asks for fish. A mother shouldn't either. It's already too late for millions of people. We need to stop acting like single motherhood is a great thing. It aint. Marry before having children, and stay married unless your husband is wicked or a domestic brute. If you are pregnant out of wedlock choose a brave, loving, selfless choice: choose adoption.

Art for Tuesday

random thoughts

• I think the Pro-Life folks got sold out. The Al Smith dinner will go as usual. Everyone will have a good time. The Cardinal is far too civilized to pull a St. John the Baptist or a St. John Chystostom. I hope I'm wrong but I expect to see a photo with the Cardinal standing  between Romney and Obama with his head thrown back laughing.
  
• New Yorkers really aren't all that tough. They just ignore stuff and keep moving.
  
  
  
• I didn't notice any mention of Nellie Gray's death in the big time professional Catholic blogs.
  
• I'll be so glad when this election is over. In the last few weeks we haven't been able to go to the grocery store or even the parking lot of our  apartment building without being intercepted by some eager soul trying to get us registered to vote. Last Thursday Rocky  had to shoo away two volunteer women while trying to unload our groceries. He's cute but gee whiz....
  
• Speaking of the registration people... should Cousin Pookie who hasn't been sober or even given a damn about anything since the 80s really be voting?  If you have beg him, force him into a van and up to the voting booth with the promise of a little something later for his trouble should he be voting? Should a kid who doesn't even know who the Vice President is be voting? Maybe we should just leave these people in peace and leave voting to the folks who actually care about what's going on.
  
• Good taste and an English accent do not always go together.
  
• Life in the suburbs is actually more anonymous than life in the city. People moved out here to get away the old neighborhood. Here as long as you keep your grass cut, your condo quiet and your kids out of trouble you can pretty much live as you please without any comments from your neighbors who probably don't even know your name or care to do so.  I used to wonder why parishes in the 'burbs were so cold and unfriendly compared to the parishes I've been to in the city. I think it has to do with the urge to be left alone and in peace that has mutated into a "Get the hell away from me unless you belong to my group or have a child in the parish school," gene.

Rest in peace, Nellie Gray

“I wish it need not have happened in my time," said Frodo.
"So do I," said Gandalf, "and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.”
Lord of the Rings



Nellie Gray was a truly gallant, noble woman and warrior for Christ and she made the most of the time that was given her. 

        May angels lead you into paradise; upon your arrival, may the martyrs receive you and lead you to the holy city of Jerusalem. May the ranks of angels receive you, and with Lazarus, once a poor man, may you have eternal rest.

Amen

Alas for those who met her

Helen Gurley Brown is dead. I don't follow the pagan Greek custom of speaking only good of the deceased so this post may bother some people. Please skip it now if that is the case.

The woman was quite frankly, a procuress. She didn't stalk the school yard luring your girls into her brothel but she cleverly used her writing talent to seduce, to ensnare, to glamour in the orginal 18th century sense of the word.  Her claim to wealth and fame was that she convinced two or three generations of teenagers and young women that adultery was okay, that not only was fornication okay but that you were missing out and were a hopeless loser if you weren't doing it, and that sleeping with your boss was okay if it helped your career.

This foul creature is responsible through her books and magazine for the ruin of many a poor girl. Some of us who read her books in high school got off relatively unscathed. God only knows how many weren't.

The Assumption by Mateo Cerezo

 

Don't forget to go to Mass

St. Ann and the Blessed Virgin

Our Lady of the Passion

This is an Ethiopian version of the Our Lady of the Passion icon. After seeing gold medal winner, Messarat Defar's devotion to Our Lady I went looking for examples of Ethiopian art. We have a huge Ethiopian population in Virginia so I see this icon quite a lot. Here's another version.

Modesty is easy.

Yes, I'll say it. Modesty is not hard at all. You don't have to dress like an Amish woman or a Saudi Arabian. If your neckline is too low put on a camisole or add a strip of stretch lace or get out the safety pins. If your pants are too low make sure you have on a tunic, an undershirt or better yet, just skip lowriders altogether. Pants seem to be a blood-in-the-eye subject for some Catholics which is too bad. Simply remember two things: your age and the situation. I don't care how much you excercise, tight jeans and  jeggings make  women over 30, look like Miss Haversham. Lectors  and ladies bringing up the gifts at Mass need to know that when they bow in pants, nine times out of ten, the view from the pews is not a lovely one.

If you wear a mini skirt --- and come on, you shouldn't, then at least wear dark opaque tights with it. If you have to wear shorts stick to Bermudas and capris. There is no legitimate reason to be seen in public in Daisy Dukes.

If you are have dress that lacks a lining and is in a thin material put on a slip. You may scorn slips as old fashioned but that humble little garment  prevents you from having clinging fabric, see-through incidents, and they save you fom the cringe inducing moment of when you realize that you've been walking around  unaware that  your dress was hiked up in the back and you've been mooning the town.

Your underwear should be unseen. There's nothing more to say about that.  A strapless dress doesn't belong in church, (take note brides) and at best not before 8PM. If you must go strapless then it should be a long, very formal dress. As for swimwear you don't need to wear a bag to the beach or pool but there's no legitimate reason for a bikini and certainly no reason to be seen in a thong. Buy a one piece with brief cut legs or a swimdress and you'll be fine in most circles.  Modesty--- of course you can do this. It's easy.

For God so loved the world

At adoration this week Rocky and I sat near the Infant of Prague statue. I looked and thought of how much God loves us. He gave His only Son up to :

Nails to destroy the use of His hands and feet

A crown made of thorns to pierce His head

Eyes swollen shut, vision bleared by sweat, dirt and blood,‎

The Holy Face so battered and bruised  that He must have been  almost unrecognizable


Dehydration, desperate thirst, cold chills, vomitus,  ribs screaming in pain with every ‎breath
‎
Flesh shredded by the flagrum and a Body awash in a sea of His own blood

All this for love

I can't think of anything more awesome

Girlhood of the Virgin

Random thoughts

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1. I don’t like what’s been done to Batman. I want my Adam West back.



2. In 2008, this photo dismayed me. In 2012, after reading this  I just want to shake my head and sigh.  I just don’t understand Cardinal Dolan.


3. Thank you, Kenyan bishops for speaking up for your people. Melinda Gates needs to mind her own business.

4. Most Catholic books these days are pretty bad. They’re either theologically weak and/or heretical or they are insipid because the author is trying too hard to be hip, but sometimes a seriously worthwhile book gets published. This is one such book.


5. I just noticed a trend in blogging. There seems to be a celebration of weirdness and a denial that there is such a thing as normal. Not true. There is normal. There is decent and there is real. To live outside of the real is to go insane.  Maybe that's what's wrong with our country. Too many people are rejecting reality.

Our Lady of Tenderness

    

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So I bought a new veil

I' ve been looking at this one for a year now but hesitated because it's brown. Once I got it I discovered that the color is beautiful. It's sort of mahogany. The maker was Catholic Traditions. You can find her on my links list or just go directly to Ebay.


Support Catholic business women!

Chick-fil-A

"Activists" (nosey bossy people who spend their lives and make their money trying to force the rest of us  to do what they want) are trying to force Chick-fil-A to give them money and to stop giving money to groups that are pro-normal-man-woman- marriage or be harassed. Well I say "nuts" to that.   I'm having nuggets for lunch and don't touch my waffle fries.

Treasures of the Church

Rocky and I went to the Treasures of the Church exposition at St. John the Beloved on Tuesday night.  The church was packed. There must have been over 400 people there and  and people kept coming in. There was a short talk by a Companions of the Cross priest and  after the talk the crowd walked quietly to the  parish school’s gym and we were able to spend time with over 150 relics. I found relics of my favorite saints and saints I knew nothing about. It was like a family reunion and it was amazing to be so close to the precious relics of God’s champions. I was so happy and felt such tender regard coming from the saints themselves. If you ever have a chance to go to a Treasures of the Church exposition I highly recommend this profoundly blessed experience. 

Saint Michael the Archangel,

defend us in the day of battle.

Be our safeguard against the

wickedness and the snares of the devil.

May God rebuke him we humbly pray

and do thou O Prince of the Heavenly Host,

cast into hell Satan and all the evil spirits

who prowl throughout the world

seeking the ruin of souls. 

Amen

None of us knows the day or hour when our earthly life will be interrupted and we will be called before God to give an account for oursleves. Pray, go to regular confession and trust God. 

Assumption Church

Assumption Church, South East DC

We went to visit my uncle on Saturday instead of my usual Sunday and we took him to Mass at Assumption Church again. It is such a precious little church and the parishioners were so kind and friendly. The ushers were particularly perceptive and realized that my uncle is ill and they were so gentle. The new pastor Father Ivany is just a sweetheart. He's young and full of energy and he's a good preacher.  I think he came from youth ministry to his first pastorate at Assumption. Whenever we happen to visit the nursing home on a Saturday we will be sure to go back to Assumption for Mass.

Colorado talkers---have you no sense of decency?

All sorts of miserable wretches are attempting to make hay over the Colorado movie massacre. They are talking when they ought to be silent. People are dead. Mothers, fathers, spouses(?) are grieving and now must plan funerals.  This is not the time to ride a particular hobby horse. One blogger, whom I think is a poor excuse for a man,  blamed the victims for merely being there. Apparently going to anything more than a G rated movie makes you deserve to be gassed and shot down. Another blogger criticized the victims who brought their children.

I agree that Batman isn’t for little kids (and isn’t THAT a shame?) but mocking the dead and injured as they lie gray and cold in the morgue or their hopsital beds is obviously a failure of mercy and decency.

Still another Catholic blogger whom I used to respect and whom I won't be reading anymore, blamed the movie itself and most movies for somehow influencing the 24 year old killer. The political beat news personalities tried to whip the public into hysteria by claiming the killings were due to politics. Brian Ross of ABC implied that  an innocent man was involved and had to apologize.  The innocent man got threats and had to disconnect his phone. Ross sitll has his job. This is all simply obscene.

The Colorado killer is obviously a freak and a monster, a pest of among men but the commentators don't know why he is that way and I don't think they really care. They just want to take the deaths and injuries of people to prove their precious points. There are no pat answers as to what makes mass killer. With that in mind, allow me to introduce someone to you. His name was Jesse Pomeroy at14, he remains the youngest serial killer in American history.  Neither TV, movies nor the Internet had been invented when Jesse started torturing and killing younger children. None of the usual excuses applied to his behavior. Despite being observed for decades no doctor could say if Jesse was simply criminally insane or demonic. You can have a pet theory about the Colorado killings but the glee, the smugness, the unseemly haste of the reporters and commenters is appalling.

Our Lady of Silence, pray for us.

random Friday thoughts

•   Sometimes you need to know when to shut up or at least keep your thoughts to yourself. Here is a nice story about a recent FSSP mission trip to the Dominican Republic and a commenter had to go and ruin it by complaining that the priests were wearing sunglasses and undignified hats.  What this poor man(?) doesn’t get is that life at the Banica mission is rugged. There are spiders, and mosquitos fierce enough to make you run screaming. The roads are dirt, the priest must walk, ride a motorcycle or a mule up and down mountains and hollows to get to the people. The people live in deep poverty and most do not even have their own outhouses. This aint no cushy assignment. If the sight of a priest standing in a tropical climate wearing sun glasses offends you then I just don’t know what to say for you. I really don’t.
  
  

• I don’t read Patheos blogs except for Crescat but I followed a link from another site and it led to this post which really bothered me. Give this poor little girl some privacy. We don’t need to know where she goes to school or have a photo. I know it’s a matter of public record now but seeing it on a Catholic blog written by a member of the clergy just doesn’t seem right. Badly done, Deacon.
  
  
  
• I don’t why Bishop Loverde is doing this but it’s a good thing.. If a CCD teacher objects to promising that she or he won’t teach anything contrary to the Faith then they need to quit.

Hey ladies you don't speak for me

Lucreta Scaraffia has an opinion.  Melinda Gates also has an opinion and her husband's money to back it up. Both these women claim to be speaking for the rest of us. Well I reject them. Ladies you don't speak for me and Melinda, you are particularly foul. You are importing death to women in the Third World with the eugenicist idea that if only those black and brown women has less kids the world would be a nicer place for the fitter white kids in Jackson Hole, Manhattan and Silcon Valley.

Speaking as a formely poor kid I say go home and  ease your boredom by taking  up knitting or gardening  or join the board of a a museum but quit messing with people's lives!




Malficent Gates wishing very bad things on innocent babes

When you take the king's coin....

I read an astute observation on the Restore DC Catholicism blog.

If you take the king’s coin you are his servant. Whether that service is glorious or bitter is a combination of fate, your abilities and the king’s wisdom and whim. Our bishops need to understand that. You might be able to get away with saying “Yeah King, thanks for the money to run my soup kitchen but just give me the money and don’t ask me to do anything that goes against my religion,” with a benign king but what if your king is a malignant sort? Then you're in trouble. So the only thing to do is to stop taking Federal money!

Thomas Cromwell was King Henry's number one ace. It didn't work out too well... 

How to wear a mantilla

When I first started wearing a veil to Mass and Adoration I could never keep it on straight. No matter what I did I always looked a bit crooked or I had the Flying Nun effect. Through trial and error I got it right finally. Some women just toss theirs on and it stays perfectly. Not me. I need bobby pins and a quick mirror check. Rosa Mystica has excellent advice and I found myself wishing that I'd known all this years ago.


I recently found this video tutorial by a just adorable young lady who goes by the handle of She Is Catholic.

The Will You Mantilla With Me blog has some good advice as well.

I don't like this

I don't like this at all. By handing the Gospels to  his wife what is the newly ordained deacon saying? This is not part of the official ordination ceremony. It  took place in LA so I'm not surprised by novelty and I imagine that the liturgy organizers were trying to emphasize that a deacon can't do the job without his wife's support but this looks like the wife is getting an official role as well. It makes me feel uneasy.

4th of July thoughts

• Our power and water have been out since the great storm so we've been staying at my mother's. It's been a lot of fun and I can't complain. Today is the Fourth of July and I don't feel celebratory at all. I'm no Constitutional law scholar but I can't shake the feeling that something life  shaking has happened. It's like coming home with your friends from school and finding your dad drunk and unconscious on the porch. Your friends say nothing and never mention it again and the rest of your family carefully files the incident away in the memory hole but it happened, you all know it and it can't be undone... forever.
  
  I've been mystified by a couple of things: some people at work say that millions of poor people will now have free medical coverage. What poor people? The ones who already get free care? How will Obamacare help me? Since I go to work I take it that I make too much money for "free medical care". It sounds like more money will be going out of my pocket or the IRS police will come get me for something rather vague.  The bishops seem happy about the Supreme Court ruling. So does that mean that they think making me pay for other women's abortions is good? Is the Fortnight for Freedom just a clever dodge ala "I, Bishop X don't want to pay for some woman's sinful behavior but I have no problem with the Baptist/ Christadelphian/AME/whatever layman being forced to?" I don't get it. 
  
  
  
  On the other hand, I'm lying on the floor of my childhood home eating fried chicken and listening to my mother and husband telling jokes. The air is cool, the Washington Nationals baseball team is winning and my parish never lost power. God reigns. Amen.

• Katie Holmes woke up. Great.
  
  
• For the greater glory of God. Thank you Archbishop Sheen.
  
  

Treasures of the Church Exposition

The Companions of the Cross order is coming to Virginia in July with their Treasures of the Church. Pilgrims will have an opportunity to venerate over 150 relics of the saints. HT to Deo Volente at the TLM MD blog and to Gina at Broken Fiat.


 Monday July 23 at 7:00 pm
St. Veronica Church
3460 Centreville Road
Chantilly, Virginia 20151
(703) 773-2000

Tuesday July 24 at 7:00 pm
St. John the Beloved Catholic Church
6420 Linway Terrace
McLean, Virginia 22101
(703) 356-7916

Wednesday July 25 at 7:00 pm
St Andrew the Apostle Catholic Church
6720 Union Mill Road
Clifton, Virginia 20124
(703) 817-1770

Thursday July 26 at 7:00 pm
Our Lady of Peace Church
2 Allendale Rd.
Wheeling, West Virginia 26003
(304) 242 6579

Friday July 27 at 7:00 pm
St. Thomas à Becket Church
1421 Wiehle Avenue
Reston, Virginia 20190
(703) 437-7113

Saturday July 28 at 10:00 am
Our Lady of Angels
13752 Mary's Way
Woodbridge, Virginia 22191
(703) 494-2444
  

This is beautiful

Adoration at a prison in Nairobi, Kenya. HT Crescat blog

My Peace and My Joy by St. Therese

MY PEACE AND MY JOY.

How many souls on earth there are, Who vainly seek for peace and rest! With me, ‘tis otherwise by far; Joy dwells forever in my breast. No fading blossom is this flower, Of its decay no fear have I; Like fragrant rose in springtime’s bower So fair it is, yet shall not die.

Well nigh too great my gladness is, All things I wish are mine to-day. How can I help but show my bliss, Who am so light at heart, so gay? My joy I find in pain and loss, I love the thorns that guard the rose; With joy I kiss each heavy cross, And smile with every tear that flows.

When clouds the sunny skies o’ercast, And weary grows my heart the while, My joy it is that joy is past, And gone my Lord’s consoling smile. My peace is hid in Jesus’ breast, — May His sweet will alone be done! What fear can mar my perfect rest, Who love the shadow as the sun?

My peace,’tis like a child to be, That doth not plan, nor understand; So, when I fall, Christ raiseth me, And leads me gently by the hand. My childish love I manifest, And for His grace alone implore; Then, if He hide, my love to test, I only love Him all the more.

My peace, it is to hide my tears, Nor ever show my bitter pain. What joy to suffer through the years; To veil with flowers each galling chain! To suffer, yet make no complaint, Since this, my Jesus, pleases Thee! Could any trial make me faint? ’Tis Thy sweet cross is laid on me.

My peace,— it is with God to plead, In prayers and tears, by day and night; For many souls to intercede, And say to Him, my heart’s Delight: “O Little Brother, Heavenly King! For Thee the cross I gladly bear. My only joy is suffering, Since thus Thy earthly lot I share.”

I long would live an exile here, If that be Thy dear will for me; Or soon would flee from exile drear, If thou shouldst call me unto Thee. Since Love’s divine, celestial breath Is all I need, my heart to bless, What matters life, what matters death? Love is my peace, my happiness!

January 21, 1897.

Storms

Wild storms went through DC, parts of MD, Virginia, and West Virginia last night. It was pretty impressive. I was awakened by the tortured sound of our power going out, revving back up and then going out again. Hail pounded the window, lightning lit up the room and the thunder seemed to just go on and on. Rocky insisted on dropping me off at my mother's when he went to work. I really wanted to stay in bed but he was right. With the power out our place got really hot and unpleasant. Four people were killed in th storm. May God have mercy on their souls.

in reparation

There's a new movie about Our Lord in pre-production. It will be directed by the same guy who did Robocop and Showgirls. The script hangs on the  oldest and foulest slander against Our Lady. I will not repeat it here. The Hollywood folks are obsessed and they really don't care if the movie bombs or not as long as they can spit in the Holy Face.  If they follow their usual tiresome pattern it will come out in either Christmas or Easter. Let's pray in reparation for this blasphemy..

 MAY THE MOST HOLY, MOST SACRED, MOST ADORABLE, MOST INCOMPREHENSIBLE AND UNUTTERABLE NAME OF GOD BE ALWAYS PRAISED, BLESSED, LOVED, ADORED AND GLORIFIED, IN HEAVEN, ON EARTH AND UNDER THE EARTH, BY ALL THE CREATURES OF GOD, AND BY THE SACRED HEART OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, IN THE MOST HOLY SACRAMENT OF THE ALTAR. AMEN.

 

Catholicism : don't be casual about it

I know thy works, that thou art neither cold, nor hot. I would thou wert cold, or hot. But because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold, not hot, I will begin to vomit thee out of my mouth. Revelation 3:15-16

Secular Catholics can be more troublesome than open Catholic haters. The fury outside the gate is obvious. The dozing watchman at the gate, the soldier who wears his sword but never bothers to practice using it, the collaborator who's half in love with an enemy agent -- now those guys or gals are real heartbreakers and spiritual (sometimes literal too) lifetakers.

The Courageous Priest site has a stirring post by Archbishop John C. Nienstedt that ought to be read and republished in church bulletins.


St. Clelia, patron of those who are ridiculed for their piety, pray for us.

random thoughts



Our Lady of Confidence

• Can we please drop the word "bullying" to describe every form of meaness?   Bullying is what happens when Tammy Sue and Mindy make fun of Nancy every single day. Bullying is when Bobby picks on little Timmy in gym class until he cries.  Bullying is what my old co-worker "Evilene" used to pull on me the horrible year she went through menopause. What happened to poor Karen Klein is far worse than everyday cruelty. This lady was subjected to vicious harrasment,  threats of bodily harm and straight up unadulterated evil. I'm putting Greece, New York on my list of places I don't ever want to go.
  
  
  
• Don't give money to any order of nuns that pursue politcs, "social justice", feminism, nature worship or anything other than the love of Christ and the service of His people in either active or contemplative devotion. Look to support orders  like this this or this or these holy women.  
  
  
  
• I think this priest's idea is absolutely spot on. However, the parents in the parish are going to flip out. Please say a prayer for him.
  
  
  
•  I think the public school model needs  to be destroyed. We need to find another way.
  
  
  
• Don't throw your worn out clothes in the trash. Call your local nursing home and ask if they'd like a donation. A lot of people in care have been dumped  and their relatives don't even pay enough attention to them to make sure they have decent clothes. They callously figure that Dad is in a wheel chair or bedridden and doesn't go anywhere but the garden so why does he need new pants? Believe me, Dad needs new pants, if he's incontinent, has difficulty feeding himself or has been in that nursing home for years.
  
  
  
• Please pray for priests! Please pray for the Holy Father!

Sacred Heart

I don't know if I really like this one but I am grateful that the artist, who is hugely talented portrayed Our Lord as a man who actually did hard work and walked everywhere up and down  hills and through lonesome valleys. There is too much well meaning art that shows Him looking like a consumptive 12 year old girl. The artist's  paintings of the crucifixion and of Mary at the foot of the cross are particularly well done and would make a good gift for your church.

 

This is the one that is at St. Rita's

This is the one on my bedroom wall. I bought it at the dollar store an I swear it looks much better when you see it in person that it does here.

But no matter what image you have at home or church love and remember with grateful affection  ...

This heart, which has so loved men



Oh Mary conceived without sin...

pray for us, who have recourse to thee.

Sigh

It was never about tolerance. The end game was always about the power to force people  to stand by and cheer whether they wanted to or not.  And so the band plays on. We all smile and smile and smile  'cause the rent is due, the kids need braces, the car needs work and we all need our jobs.

Some people think 'Well, I run my own business. This will never apply to me. Oh yeah? You too must dance to the tune and if you don't there will be a judge to force you to go along. 

That being said, I also think this all came about because normal people sinned openly and without shame or rebuke for the last 50 years.  From the '60s on there has been an explosion of straight people's perversion and cheerful fornication. There was no way we could live in a world where Hugh Hefner is a beloved, cool old grandfather figure to millions of people and his brand of pornography is so mainstream that it can be on the coffee table without anyone daring to raise an eyebrow and not have all kind of poisons nobody thought about hatching out of the mud of our sick society. Sow the wind and you reap the whirlwind. Society says "Oh come on. Everybody's doing it. You'll be fine. The kids will be fine. You can do what you want and getaway clean." No, you can't.

Poetry of St. Therese

PRAYER OF JEANNE D’ARC IN PRISON

St. Therese portraying St. Joan

My voices this foretold: I am a prisoner here, No aid can I expect, except, my God, from Thee; For love of Thee alone, I left my father dear; My flower-decked fields, blue skies, my flocks, no more I see. For Thee I left my home and her who gave me birth; Then, lifting in my hand the standard of Thy choice, Lord, in Thy holy Name, I led an army forth, And far-famed generals then gave credence to my voice.

Behold my recompense — this gloomy prison-place, The price of all my toils, my prayers, my blood, my tears! No more my flowery fields my longing eyes shall face, Nor shall I see the home of all my childhood years. No more shall I behold the mountains far away, Whose distant summits seemed to pierce the azure sky; And I shall hear no more the church-bells sweetly play. How soft upon the air those holy notes swept by!

Here, in this gloomy cell, the star I seek in vain, That used, at vesper hour, to shine so clear and fair; In vain I seek the leaves, that when upon the plain Beside my flock I slept, gave cooling shelter there.

Here, when at last I sleep after long bitter weeping, Of morning’s flowers I dream, and perfumes of the dawn; But then my clanking chains disturb that happy sleeping, — I wake — my dream is past — the verdant fields are gone.

Lord, for Thy love I go, martyrdom to embrace; For Thee I dare to meet the lingering death of fire. Now but one wish is mine, — to see Thee face to face, No more to part from Thee: — behold my heart’s desire! To die for love of Thee, — what happier lot than this? I will take up my cross, and walk where Thou hast trod. Ah! how I long to die, and enter into bliss! Ah! how I long to die, and thus to see my God!

My armor by St. Therese

MY ARMOR.

 

“The spouse of the King is terrible as an army set in array; She is like to a choir of music on a field of battle.” Canticles vi. 3; vii.

“Put you on the armor of God that you may be able to stand against the deceits of the devil.” Ephesians vi. II.

With heavenly armor am I clad to-day; The hand of God has thus invested me. What now from Him could tear my heart away; What henceforth come between my God and me? With Him for Guide, the fight I face serene; Nor furious fire, nor foe, nor death, I fear. My enemies shall know I am a queen, The spouse of God, most high, most dear.

This armor I shall keep while life shall last; Thou, Thou, hast given it Me, my King, my Spouse! My fairest, brightest gems, by naught on earth surpast, Shall be my sacred vows.

My first dear sacrifice, O Poverty, Thou shalt go with me till my dying hour. Detached from all things must the athlete be, If he the race would run, and prove his power

Taste, worldly men! regret, remorse and pain, The bitter fruits of earthly, vain desire; The glorious palms of Poverty I gain, I who to God alone aspire.

“Who would My heavenly Kingdom have from Me, He must use violence,” so Jesus said. Ah well then! Poverty my mighty lance shall be, The helmet for my head.

The pure white Angels’ sister now am I; My vow of Chastity has made me so. Ah, how I hope one day with them to fly! Meanwhile to daily combat must I go. For my great Spouse, of every lord the Lord, Struggle must I, with neither truce nor rest; And Chastity shall be my heavenly sword. To win men’s souls to Jesus’ breast.

O Chastity,my sword invincible! To overcome my foes thou hast sufficed; By thee am I — O joy ineffable! — The Spouse of Jesus Christ.

The proud, proud angel, in the realms of light, Cried out, rebellious: “I will not obey!” But I shall cry, throughout earth’s dreary night, “With all my heart, I will obey alway!” With holy boldness all my soul is steeled, Against hell’s wild attacks I bravely dart; Obedience is my firm and mighty shield, The buckler on my valiant heart.

O conquering God! no other prize I seek, Than to submit with all my heart to Thee; Of victories th’ obedient man shall speak Through all eternity. If now a soldier’s weapon I can wield, If valiantly like him the foe I face, I also long to sing upon the field, As sang the glorious Virgin of all grace. Thou mak’st the chords to vibrate of Thy lyre. That lyre, O Jesus! is my loving heart; To sing Thy mercies is that heart’s desire. How sweet, how strong, how dear, Thou art.

With radiant smile, Thou Spouse, my heart’s Delight, I go to meet all foes from hell’s dark land; And singing I shall die, upon the field of fight, My weapons in my hand.

March 25, 1897.   

Ave Verum-- music for Corpus Christi

Corpus Christi sequence

Sequentia
O Sion, thy Redeemer praising,
Songs of joy to Him upraising,
Laud thy Pastor and thy Guide:

Swell thy notes most high and daring;
For His praise is past declaring,
And thy loftiest powers beside.

‘Tis a theme with praise that gloweth,
For the bread that life bestoweth
Goes this day before us out;

Which, His holy supper taking,
To the brethren twelve His breaking
None hath ever called in doubt.
Full, then, be our praise and sounding,
Modest and with joy abounding
Be our mind’s triumphant state;

For the festal’s prosecution,
When the first blest institution
Of this feast we celebrate.

In the new King’s new libation,
In the new law’s new oblation,
Ends the ancient Paschal rite;

Ancient forms new substance chaseth,
Typic shadows truth displaceth,
Day dispels the gloom of night.

When He did at supper seated,
Christ enjoined to be repeated,
When His love we celebrate:

Thus obeying His dictation,
Blood and wine of our salvation,
We the victim consecrate.

‘Tis for Christian faith asserted,
Bread is into flesh converted,
Into blood the holy wine:

Sight and intellect transcending,
Nature’s laws to marvel bending,
‘Tis confirmed by faith divine.

Under either kind remaining,
Form, not substance, still retaining,
Wondrous things our spirit sees:

Flesh and blood thy palate staining,
Yet still Christ entire remaining,
Under either species.

All untorn for eating given,
Undivided and unriven,
Whole He’s taken and unrent;

Be there one, or crowds surrounding,
He is equally abounding,
Nor, though eaten, ever spent.
Both to good and bad ‘tis broken,
But on each a different token
or of life, or death attends:

Life to good, to bad damnation;
Lo, of one same manducation
How dissimilar the ends.

When the priest the victim breaketh,
See thy faith in no wise shaketh,
Know that every fragment taketh
All that ‘neath the whole there lies:

This in Him no fracture maketh,
‘Tis the figure only breaketh,
Form, or state, no change there taketh
Place in what it signifies.

Bread, that angels eat in heaven,
Now becomes the pilgrim’s leaven,
Bread in truth to children given,
That must ne’er to dogs be thrown.

He, in ancient types disguised,
Was the Isaac sacrificed,
For the feast a lamb devised,
Manna to the Fathers shown.

Bread, whose shepherd-care doth tend us,
Jesu Christ, Thy mercy send us,
Do Thou feed us, Thou defend us,
Lead us where true joys attend us,
In the land where life is given:

Thou all ken and might possessing,
Mercies aye to us largessing,
Make us share Thy cup of blessing,
Heritage and love’s caressing
With the denizens of heaven.
Amen. Alleluia.

Sometimes you need to hold your fire

I wish conservative and traditionalist Catholics would choose their battles better. Those sound like coward words and that's not how I mean it. Let me try to explain. Recently I saw photos of a new priest's first ordination. One of them showed him giving Communion to his little niece. The child was not dressed in the traditional First Communion outfit and someone wrote in to comment. The little one's pretty outfit wasn't completely traditional but it wasn't scandalous either. If I had a child that age I'd have no problem with her wearing that dress.  My own First Communion dress was actually midnight blue with white Swiss dots.  I wore a wreath of flowers instead of a veil like the other girls. I didn't look like the others but I was perfectly modest...honest. The commenter angered other commenters who remarked that Traditionalists were mean. The people who reacted that way were silly, but people are silly. They make snap judgements based on little things.

Another time on another site I saw remarks of a presumably traditionalist woman who ranted about the cheap fabric and sequins on the dresses of the little First Communicants at her parish. I thought she came off as a snob whom I would not care to know---not everybody can afford silk. Are working class or underclass girls not allowed to have the sacrament?  Both these ladies made a very bad impression. If a teen aged girl or woman comes to Mass dressed like a streetwalker I'll be the first to frown but picking on a tiny little girl recieving her First Communion from  her uncle, a brand new priest was just stupid. As I've said before the pope can be a shinning example, the local parish priest can be a beacon of holiness and it all gets shunted aside because the people in the pew are stupid jerks.


There are things that we must fight about.  If we see sacrilege, if we see a deacon acting like he's the pastor, if we see a priest forget that he is supposed to be an alter Christus that's one thing but don't pull out the ma deuce to kill a flea. It makes you look like a damn fool and it sabotages all the efforts to reclaim reverence, beauty and actual Catholic teaching for our parishes.

A visit to Assumption

My mother and I visited my uncle at the nursing home yesterday instead of our usual Sunday. He was in pretty good spirits but he's been giving the night staff fits all week. Dementia patients are very sensitive to change and are disturbed by things so subtle that most of us don't even notice. It may seem odd but when dealing with someone whose mind is breaking down the caregiver has to get smarter.

We kept him company while he ate lunch, then got him a shampoo and shave and we went for a walk. Once Rocky arrived to pick us up we all went to Assumption, a nearby Catholic church. The dear woman who is across the hall from my uncle is a parishioner and when we brought her back a bulletin she was thrilled.

Assumption is a tiny parish in a rotten neighborhood.  I wouldn't want to be on foot but driving through in the day time is okay provided you mind your own business and keep your wits sharp. It's not a neighborhood to wander around daydreaming in. Assumption itself is one of the prettiest little churches I've ever seen. It's made of brick and has exquisite stained glass windows. They have an antique statue of Our Lady and a very nice icon of Our Lord. The Blessed Sacrament is right in the middle of the sanctuary. The priest's chair is off to the side and in a little alcove.  My uncle did great. Right before Communion he needed to go to the restroom which is downstairs. The stairs are long and narrow and my mother couldn't handle that with her cane  and just as she was figuring out what to do a parishioner kindly took him there and brought him back to her. God bless that man.

Father preached the longest homily I've ever heard in a Catholic church but it was good. He summed up our whole  Faith. How long was it? Well Mass started at 4:30 and didn't end until 6:30. Father can preach!

Next time we'll try to visit St. Thomas Moore or Our Lady of Perpetual Help which are the next closest churches to the nursing home.

Pange Lingua