Monday Morning Musing on Peace of Soul

What is one of the most important goals for the Christian striving to do God's will? ALWAYS maintain peace of soul. We all desperately need it, but how many are willing to do the hard work to achieve it.

The first step in examining anything is to understand what it is. So what exactly is peace of soul? When I have a question about faith, I often turn to Fr. John Hardon, that holy Jesuit who went to his eternal reward in 2000. I'll offer some of his insights from a sermon on Peace of Soul:

Sunday Meditation: To Whom Are You Listening?

Remember the old Disney cartoons showing Pluto with an angel whispering in one ear and a devil in the other. That's not too far off. Our guardian angel is always with us trying to give us good advice. But do we listen? Or are we so enamored by the noise of the world that we can't hear his voice, especially when the devil is booming in our other ear.

But it's not only our guardian angel who's trying to communicate with us. Good and holy shepherds also compete with the world, the flesh, and the devil for our attention. C.S. Lewis offered a masterful description of the devil's tactics in his Screwtape Letters. It's wise to know the enemy and how he works on you. One of his most powerful weapons is discouragement. You know, that little nagging maggot that runs an endless loop of negative messages:

Dymphna Pegged It: Uncle Ted is Dead. The Horror Continues....

Dymphna has a short post on the death of Theodore McCarrick. It's enough!    

UNCLE TED IS DEAD

Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, of infamous memory, is dead at 94. The horror is not over. His buddies who protected him and lied for him are still running the church in America. [Read the rest here....]

Death comes to us all. I wonder where the high potentate of the American church is now. God knows; I leave the wicked cardinal to him. Did Satan lose his grip in the end? Did McCarrick repent? I have to grit my teeth to say, "Let us hope so." Our God of justice and mercy will decide. 

Time Out for the Camp Kreitzer Clown Circus!

Chickens in...

We forgot to close up the chicken coop last night. This morning our little flock were all out and about roaming the yard. A quick head count found all eight well and accounted for.

I'm thanking our Camp Kreitzer guardians, St. Michael and St. Joseph for keeping the foxes and the raccoons away last night. A fox will take one off, but raccoons will kill them all even those he doesn't eat.

So the problem, since we are going out later: How to get them all back into the safety of the coop?

I proceeded to use bribery. I went to get a container full of chicken treat. When I came out of the house and started to shake the container with their treat, they come running. I always feel like the Pied Piper when I bring them their treats. And they followed me enthusiastically into their pen...except for one holdout, Pepper, who stopped at the door and decided freedom was better than treats. I tried to coax her in, but gave up after awhile and went back in the house.

We have no right to salvation; it is pure grace, a gift from God!

THE GREAT FORFEITURE

by Fr. Tom Collins

Many saints through the ages have marveled at the many dimensions of divine love and mercy manifested in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Among these are the gracious generosity of God speaking to us through His Holy Word, the sacred mystery of transubstantiation (whereby bread and wine are transformed into the sacred Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Christ) and the sacred privilege of entering into a Holy Communion with the Eucharistic Christ. But there is another important dimension of the Mass that is just as important for a proper appreciation of the sacred mysteries ministered to us in this holy sacrifice, the Great Forfeiture.

"The Shepherds Govern the Flock."... Or Do They?

Logo of the 2024 Lutheran Assembly. The synodal way is making us Protestants.

The never-ending synodal process has become a serious trial to those who love the Church. One wonders why the bishops have continued to participate and even wax enthusiastic while these events fulfill the rallying cry of Francis to "make a mess." In view of the confusion and, even questionable doctrinal novelties accompanying the process, one would expect a little hesitancy and even push back from the bishops. But there's been precious little of that from the majority who undermine their own authority as they carry out the Vatican demands to "listen" to the vox populi, especially those who want to turn the Church into another Protestant sect. 

A Lenten Reflection on that Predominant Fault You Haven't Conquered Yet

Sloth from The Seven Deadly Sins by Hieronymus Bosch

Have you ever considered the question, "What is my predominant sin/fault and how can I subdue it?" There are seven deadly sins and most of us are tempted more strongly by some vices than others. And, of course, at different seasons of life, some hold more sway. 

What a Glorious Monday Morning!

Praise God in His wonderful world!

Sunday Meditation: Lent is a time for Redemption

Return of the Prodigal Son by Master of the Annunciation, anonymous painter, 17th c.

And here's a very real story of a young man's redemption from Beyond These Stone Walls. There is no such thing as an unforgivable sin or a person lost to God's love. Check out The Prodigal Son: Alexander’s Long Lent Toward Easter Sunrise:

March 26, 2025 by Alexander

An Argentinian Bishop Speaks

Don't miss this article by Argentine bishop Archbishop Héctor Aguer, archbishop emeritus of LaPlata. Don't you wonder what he could tell us about Pope Francis if he chose to? Here's the beginning:

The twelfth anniversary of Francis’ pontificate was recently celebrated. Vatican press releases are usually full of self-praise. It is very difficult to adjudicate ecclesial reality, which is incredibly vast and characterized by differences between countries, but from a certain vantage point it is possible to contemplate the surroundings. I can do it then from this corner of the far south that is Argentina, a nation that is (or was?) mostly Catholic. As the saying goes, “one example is enough to prove it.”