What will the pope say next?

Pope Leo says God doesn't listen to the prayers of those who "wage war." Really? History tells a different story. Pope Urban II and Pope Gregory X both called for crusades to take back the Holy Land from the Muslims. And then there is the significance of the Battle of Lepanto that saved Europe from Islam's advance. Had the West not "waged war" we would likely all be answering the Islamic call to prayer today. Yes, blessed are the peacemakers, but sometimes peace has to be won through war.

A Palm Sunday Poem from The Donkey (And GKC)

Sunday Meditation: Honor or Dishonor? Palm Sunday and Good Friday!

What a week this is from Palm Sunday to Holy Thursday to Good Friday to Easter Sunday. We experience a range of emotions from the incredible honoring of Jesus as Christ the King by the crowds on Palm Sunday, to the Last Supper and the institution of the priesthood on Holy Thursday, to the betrayal by Judas and the evil trial by the Sanhedrin that broke every rule in the book during the passion. It's exhausting even to think about the journey including the Stations of the Cross, the last short, but agonizing, stretch to Golgotha.

The Attraction of Courage!

There is something about the virtue of courage that calls to my heart in a way that many other virtues do not. Why is that I wonder? Is it because our modern world overflows with cowardice, that so few are willing to defend the truth? Fr. John Hardon often urged parents to raise their children to be martyrs. "You do not remain faithful to the Savior without paying for it," he once said. 

Of Clerics in Black and Small, Black Hive Beetles

My husband and I are beekeepers. During the Spring we check the hives regularly to try to prevent swarming and keep pests under control. On our last inspection we noticed a significant small beetle infestation in the hives. These creepy little black bugs eat the honey, lay their larvae in the cells and can become so great a nuisance that the bees give up altogether and abscond abandoning the hive to the invaders. When we see them, we need to take action. I've ordered traps that I'll fill with a solution of apple cider vinegar, water, sugar, and soap. Hopefully they will be attracted to the scent. They supposedly like fermented things. The scent attracts them and they fall into the traps and drown. Good-bye beetle problem. At least that's the hope.

The Sad Legacy of the Vatican II Church

I was thinking about going to see my sister for a few days. Frederick, MD is halfway on the two hour journey to her home. We've met in Frederick before and walked the Cross Creek path which is lovely and level. So I was looking at restaurants in the area where we might stop after hiking and before going back to her place.

Meditation on the Feast of the Annunciation by Fr. Gordon MacRae

March 25 

- Written By Fr. Gordon J. MacRae

March 25, Solemnity of the Annunciation

The Gospel of Saint Luke opens with a news flash from the Archangel Gabriel for Zechariah the priest, and Mary — Theotokos — the new Ark of the Covenant. On the 25th day of March, the Church remembers the Annunciation of the Angel Gabriel to Mary marking a pivotal event in Salvation History. The account is conveyed to us in the first chapter of the Gospel According to Saint Luke, a Gentile physician and a companion of the Apostle Paul. Several of the Fathers of the Early Church attribute the Third Gospel to Saint Luke and affirm his authorship of it. I once wrote of this unique Gospel in “Saint Luke the Evangelist, Dear and Glorious PhysicianThis Gospel reveals many facets of the life and mission of Jesus, but foremost among them is its universal message of Salvation. Luke, despite being a Gentile, anchors his Gospel in the traditions of the earlier Covenant, the Old Testament, portraying Jesus as the Savior and Redeemer of God’s Old Covenant people. He thus presents Jesus in history as one foretold by the Prophets (Isaiah 11:10-12, 49:6, and Ezekiel 39:25-29). Luke thus depicts Jesus as the Royal Messiah in the line and legacy of King David to reunite the scattered tribes of Israel and gather them into one nation. Given that he is the only Gentile Evangelist, that is an amazing feat through which Luke has prepared an artistic and spiritual masterpiece.                             [Read the rest at Beyond These Stone Walls.]

When a Dystopian Novel Is Prophetic!

 

A few years ago I read the dystopian novel, Children of Men, by P.D. James published in 1992. The topical bible describes the phrase, children of men, as:

a biblical phrase that appears in various contexts throughout the Scriptures, often used to denote humanity in general. It emphasizes the human condition, distinguishing mankind from the divine and highlighting the relationship between God and His creation.

Chaos in Virginia: An Understatement!

Virginia under the Democrats is less safe, less prosperous, and less free. It didn't take long for Spanberger and company to undermine the great Commonwealth with their evil agenda. We were already purple because of Northern Virginia, Richmond, Norfolk, and the college towns. We are on the way to seriously unchangeable blue! I know several people moving out of the state since Spanberger took over. I have no doubt that many patriots will flee from the tyrants in Richmond and seek a safer harbor elsewhere just like those fleeing New York. It's funny to see Kathy Hochul begging wealthy former New York residents who fled to Florida and Texas to come back. She wants to keep fleecing them to support Democrats social programs including billions to illegals. 

Are You Praying the Stations of the Cross this Lent?

Every Friday my husband and I join several other members of the chapel for a holy hour for priests. It has become an essential and well-loved part of our week. We pray the rosary and then the stations of the cross. The prayers all focus on supporting our own priests and all the priests of the world in their challenging vocation. How desperately we need our priests. Without them Jesus cannot come to us here and now, really and truly present on our altars and in all the tabernacles of the world.