The Gift of Counsel and the Indwelling of the Holy Spirit: A Roadmap to Holiness

When our children were growing up and didn't particularly like vegetables, I always had them take seven beans or seven peas, etc. and recite the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit: wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord. I thought of the gift of counsel as the Holy Spirit enabling us to offer wise advice to others. But this morning as I was reading the meditation in my Benedictus prayer book I read this by Fr. Barthélemy Froget, a French Dominican theologian who wrote frequently on the indwelling of the Holy Ghost:

The Battle of Front Royal Continues with Arrival of FSSP Chaplaincy

I've been more than a little amused at all the chortling over Bishop Burbidge establishing a  chaplaincy for the FSSP under the patronage of Our Lady of Victory. [See the announcement here.] "Isn't it wonderful? What a brave bishop! How grateful we are!"

Really? I'm sincerely grateful to Bishop Burbidge for a number of things, and I can even be grateful for this, since the only result can be to bring more people to recognize the glory of Sacred Tradition and the Traditional Latin Mass (TLM). But I'm also a realist. This is the same bishop who severely reduced the availability of the TLM in accord with Traditionis Custodes. Except for the three parishes where it remains inside the church, the TLM was exiled to gyms and multi-purpose rooms where it continues. And in 2024, after renewing the indult, the three parish churches were ordered to substitute a Latin Novus Ordo (NO) for the TLM once a month. [Source] You see, it is all about "weaning" the laity away from the TLM (the Mass Pope Benedict said could not be abrogated.). We must conform to every jot and tittle of Vatican II and to the "new Mass" that grew out of it by the influence of probable Freemason, Annibale Bugnini.

Make me a river of grace, Lord!

The other day I read this statement from a therapist: "We can't diagnose people who are not in the room." Sounds like common sense, but do most therapists pay attention? How many listen to one side of the story and make judgments about the absent person or persons?

I went to someone for grief counseling for about six months several years ago. During the course of our discussions she suggested a diagnosis for a family member I was dealing with. At the time I didn't think anything of it, but after reading the statement above, I thought about it again. Sometimes it's hard to diagnosis the person talking to you. How can you possibly diagnose someone you've never met just by listening to a description from a third party who may be giving you a distorted picture? 

Franz Werfel, an Author Worth Celebrating!

Once upon a time there was newspaper of note that published wonderful articles and astounding editorials, book reviews, and human interest stories. Yes, the New York Times used to operate according to the journalistic principal of reporting the news objectively not twisting and perverting it. But that was a long time ago!

I thought about that while I was looking up information on Franz Werfel's novel, The Pascarella Family. I found a fascinating review in the Times written in 1932 describing it as a "fairy tale."

Franz Werfel's Romantic Novel; "The Pascarella Family" Is Old-Fashioned Pure Narrative, With a Distinctly Fairy-Tale Atmosphere THE PASCARELLA FAMILY. Translated from the German of Franz Werfel. 437 pp. New York: Simon & Schuster. $2.50.

How Do You Like Living the Chinese Curse in the Church?

The Chinese curse wishes you to live in "interesting times." Well, we certainly can see that these days in the Catholic Church, interesting in a horrifying way like a Stephen King novel. The pope is getting ready to excommunicate the SSPX and the latest rumor is that all the priests of the Society and the laity will be excommunicated as well. Wow! Can that be true?

About 40 years ago a bishop in Hawaii excommunicated several lay members over the TLM and they appealed to Rome and won. How times have changed, eh? They probably would get the cricket treatment today and the excommunication would be allowed to stand. They likely would be accused of "breaking the unity of the Church." Really, folks, do you want to be in unity with a lot of what goes on in the conciliar, synodal church these days? I sure don't!

Sunday Meditation: Let Us Rest in the Heart of Christ

Happy Fathers Day to all fathers including our spiritual fathers. Let us turn off social media and all our screens today to celebrate our dads. And may we rest in the heart of Jesus praying for all our biological fathers and our spiritual fathers. But above all to "Abba," our Father in heaven, Almighty God, creator of heaven and earth for us. His love is beyond words! Why not write a letter today to a father who's gifted you with a blessing your own father first. I might write a letter to my dad that I wish I had written when he was alive. And I can think of several priests who deserve a message of gratitude from me.

Thought for the day: Sheepdog your feelings.

We live in an era where many people crown their feelings as king of their lives. Feelings are everything, the tyrant that rules all. If a man feels like a woman or a woman like a man, they send for the surgeons and the shrinks to affirm and confirm their unreality because it feels so right. For them right and wrong are determined by feelings. As the song says, "It can't be wrong when it feels so right." Feelings justify fornication and adultery, cutting off friends and family, seeking revenge and punishing those who hurt your feelings. 

The Estranged Cat is Out of the Bag Part 2

See Part 1 which began:  

For all you parents and grandparents out there who are dealing with the pain of estrangement or parental discart from one or more of your adult children, I recommend this post:

The Estranged Cat Is Out of the Bag: The Introduction of the Estranged Parental Voice in the Conversation

And now part 2: 

Yes, adult children, your parents were flawed and sinful people who made lots of mistakes like almost every other family on the planet. Most of us are sorry and wish we had done a better job. If truth be told, however, you are doing the same thing to your own children. You aren't a perfect parent either. You can blame your parents for that too, but it won't help you if your children follow your example and imitate your behavior by going no contact with you. I hope it never happens, but I see some of it already in the next generation.

The Estranged Cat is Out of the Bag and the Herd of Elephants in the Room is Being Acknowledged

Before I begin, I want readers to know that I have a lot of trepidation about posting this two-part article. Although I don't get too specific about my husband's and my experience with estrangement, it identifies us as members of the discarded parents club. The post has been sitting in my draft folder for several weeks and Larry and I have been mulling over it and praying. I spoke to my spiritual director as well. 

After serious consideration, I've decided to post it now during the month of the Sacred Heart uniting our sorrow to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and to the Immaculate and sorrowful heart of the Blessed Mother.

Cancel Culture from Rome: Pope Leo and Archbishop Vigano

Yesterday I read Archbishop Vigano's letter to the pope. Like he did with the SSPX, Leo  dissed the archbishop first agreeing to a private meeting and then changing his mind and refusing. Hmm...first thing I thought of was "Say yes when you mean yes and no when you mean no."