What's Your Advent Plan? Mine is to "go and see."

Heinrich Hoffman  1824-1911

Mine is to read St. Francis de Sales' Sermons for Advent and Christmas. The first sermon is about the witness of St. John the Baptist, the herald of Advent. I began the book at adoration this morning. Wow! Talk about food for thought.

Have you ever wondered why St. John sent his disciples to Christ to ask if He was the Messiah? John knew exactly Who Jesus was. They were cousins, after all, and John knew Jesus from the womb. He also must have met him at least occasionally during their growing-up years, particularly when Mary and Jesus journeyed to Jerusalem, "every year" as St. Luke tells, for the Passover.

The Matt Lauer Horror Show

This is why I could never watch TODAY!

Matt Lauer really takes the cake or maybe more accurately the cow pie.  My first thought when the story broke was "his poor wife and kids!" He should get the Academy Award for sleaze and hypocrisy in a morning media circus show!

 I've never really watched TODAY because I hate all the simpering and snickering on the couch. That's news? But then I don't watch TV much in general and get most of my news off the internet. I read Chronicles which keeps me up-to-date on most of the real news vs entertainment. (Hey, did you hear that Prince Harry is engaged?)

More Whine and Excuses from Hillary!

I'm tempted to send her a T-shirt that reads: Have a little cheese with that whine. Although she's already got the cheesy part of her shtick down. It's full of holes!

Do You Know a Millennial Like This?

A Millennial job interview from @TheDanielBrea on Vimeo.

The sad thing about this video is that so much of it is true.

Planned Parenthood Tells Client They Will "Break the Baby's Neck" if Born Alive

What kind of people work for this demonic organization? Pro-aborts used to lie and say the baby was "just a blob." Now, they freely admit it's a baby and  have no compunctions over murdering the little one after birth. Remember when Barack Obama voted against a bill in Illinois to protect babies born alive following abortion? Planned Parenthood and the Democrats are of one mind on this. They are part of the death culture's killing machine.

Thank God, this patient changed her mind. Fortunately, the shot meant to kill the baby (digoxin) apparently missed the target and the baby was still alive and active. Happy ending: Mom continued her pregnancy, the baby was born and is healthy and safe. God be praised!  Visit Pro-Life Action Ministries for more stories of saved babies.

DEFUND PLANNED PARENTHOOD!

The Wisdom of G. K. Chesterton and St. Francis de Sales

"Live in such a manner that one will
recognize clearly in you a person who
loves God with his whole heart."
St. Francis de Sales

I read this Chesterton quote on Mundabor's blog and found it interesting and thought provoking:

"If a critic tells a particular lie, that particular lie can be pointed out. If he misses a specific point, that point can be explained. If he is really wrong in this or that, it will be on this or that that the insulted person will eagerly pounce. But “malice and spite” are vague words which will never be used except when there is really nothing to pounce on. If a man says that I am a dwarf, I can invite him to measure me. If he says I am a cannibal, I can invite him to dinner. If he says I am a coward, I can hit him. If he says I am a miser, I can give him half-a-sovereign. But if he says I am fat and lazy (which is true), the best I can answer is that he speaks out of malice and spite. Whenever we see that phrase, we may be almost certain that somebody has told the truth about somebody else." 

  The Illustrated London News, 13 November 1909.

Monday Morning and My Meandering Mind

• I had a weird dream the other night. My dad who died in 1985 was in it -- very real -- so real in fact that my dreaming self said, "He really looks like he's here; this is the most real dream I've ever had." He didn't say anything, but I've been praying for him and the other folks I recognized in the dream: a deceased brother-in-law, my oldest godchild, and a friend who lives on the West Coast. Very strange dream. 

• Thinking about Advent, I'm starting to get out the Christmas decorations little by little. We'll put up the tree next Sunday and each night when we light the Advent wreath we'll put on a Jesse tree ornament and read a corresponding Bible passage: the sun, flowers, and a few little stuffed animals for creation; apples for Adam and Eve; a Noah's ark ornament; a little baby in a basket (from my doll collection) for Moses, a bundle of sticks and a (butter) knife for Abraham and Isaac, a ladder (from the mouse house) for Jacob, etc. When our local grandchildren visit we'll let them add the Jesse tree ornaments. But we won't turn on the lights until we finish decorating the tree with our Texas grandchildren when they come a few days before Christmas. What a lovely season this is for celebrating the gift of family. 

Sunday Meditation: On Hate and Liberalism

"Liberalism is the root of heresy, the tree of evil in whose branches all the harpies of infidelity find ample shelter; it is today the evil of all evils." 
                        from Liberalism is a Sin  
                  by Don Felix Sarda Y Salvany, 

Chilton Williamason had an interesting editorial in the October issue of Chronicles titled Who's the Most Hateful of Them All? He, I believe accurately, lays the mounting hatred and divisions in our country at the feet of white liberals who created the "condemnatory category of 'dead white males'" and labeled the white race "the cancer of history."

Sex Traficking: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Modern slavery -- where most
of the victims end up dead.

The Good:

• Trucker Saves Girl From Abduction, Now Teaches Other Truckers How to Help Too

The Bad:

• Sex Sting Leads to 277 Arrests in Florida

And the ugly:

• Ugliness of human trafficking is coming out of the shadows

In 2015, Virginia made sex trafficking a felongy. Pray for and support the victims of this evil industry which brings in billions of dollars, second only to drug trafficking.

Canada's Looking More Like Pagan Rome These Days: But Remember, Christ is King

Sorry, babies, you didn't pass the test.

Canada Legalizes Euthanasia So Parents Can Kill Disabled Children

The law of pater familias in ancient Rome allowed the male head of the family to make all the decisions, even life or death, over the members of the family. Under that law, many babies were exposed on the hills around Rome if they were sick or the "wrong" sex (i.e. girls) or Daddy just didn't want 'em. Today, it's pater or mater familias and the death culture is growing and expanding exponentially to include the already born for any reason or no reason.

The First "Ultrasound" Image of the Baby in the Womb -- circa 1510

Courtesy of Leonardo da Vinci. 

Funny, isn't it? An artist/scientist in 1510 showed very clearly the humanity of the baby in the womb, but many of our modern "experts" in science and philosophy can't even see humanity in the newborn, the sick, or the suffering.

Pope Francis Said We Should All "Make a Mess!"...

...And Meddling Catholic took him literally.

When things get really bad, you just gotta laugh! Pray for Pope Francis and for Holy Mother Church (and especially for Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI).

The Roy Moore Pile-On Continues: Neo-Cons Peggy Noonan and George Weigel Join the Pack

We don't need any facts. If we just keep howling
louder they'll all believe we're telling the truth!

And the braying goes on. Neo-conservatives Peggy Noonan and George Weigel, both Catholics, have accepted as fact the media's biased and distorted reporting against Judge Roy Moore calling the accusations "credible." To me, that's incredible! One would think as Catholics, considering the 8th Commandment admonition against gossip, calumny, slander, and detraction they would withhold judgment since there is no solid proof, just "he said - she said" allegations. But, no, they're running with the pack and braying with the loudest of the howling monkeys calling for Moore's political execution.

George Washington Makes Thanksgiving a National Holiday in 1789

America, America, God shed His grace on thee,
and crown thy good with brotherhood
from sea to shining sea.

Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor, and whereas both Houses of Congress have by their joint Committee requested me "to recommend to the People of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness."

Thank God on Thanksgiving for all Your Blessings, Especially Your Family!

Corfman's Story about Judge Roy Moore & the Post's "Investigation" Continue to Unravel

The Washington Post & Its Reporters

Court Documents Raise Significant Questions About Leigh Corfman’s Accusations Against Roy Moore

The article above reveals exactly how mendacious the "reporters" at the Washington Post really are. Let's presume for a second that they at least thought Leigh Corfman was credible. They accept her 40-year-old story at face value. Did they investigate before they went public? Doesn't seem so. They knew the mom was in court in the time period because they researched the court records. But didn't they read them? Breitbart apparently did which makes the Post investigation either shoddy or deliberately dishonest:

It's the Democrats Trash Politics of Character Assassination!

Me too!

The Trashing of Judge Roy Moore

I really urge you to read the article. Roy Moore is a victim of a concerted effort to use any lie or innuendo to prevent him from becoming a U.S. Senator. The Democrats foam at the mouth over him because of his Christianity and support for traditional values, and the establishment Republicans hate him almost as much. In Virginia the establishment helped deep-six both Ken Cuccinelli when he ran for governor and Bob Marshall in the recent election for state delegate against transgender Dan(ica) Roem. They hate anyone, particularly Christians, whom they can't control. 

Fr. Tom Collins Pegs It Once Again with "It's Okay, We're Democrats!"

And we' really love and respect women!
 (wink-wink)

It makes sense, after all, the sexual sins of prominent Democrats can apparently be washed away by the blood of millions of pre-born babies butchered in the womb by Planned Parenthood and its sadistic allies. As long as these predators support PP their many sexual sins can not only be pardoned, but extolled as both normal and normative.

As an afterthought, I am just waiting for some Moslem men to sue female co-workers for sexual harassment and cultural/religious insensitivity for wearing immodest attire at work. A sympathetic activist judge could rule that the refusal of a woman to wear a hijab or a burqa in public to be a form of sexual harassment/provocation, since about a fifth of the world’s male population are Moslems, accustomed to strict standards of modesty and chastity for women.

Red Rose Rescuers Walk Free...For Now

Praised be to God! Please pray for these apostles to the unborn.

Catholic priests, activists walk free after trial for pro-life witness inside abortion center

Have You Seen the "Hate Has No Home Here" Signs"?

Last week two of these signs on wires appeared on the lawns of two of my neighbors.  We live in a small cluster of homes which are very close together in the planned community of Reston, VA.  It is our hope that the signs will disappear quickly, since from my own interpretation of the "Design Guidelines' of Reston Association, such signs are not allowed.  However, when you consider that "planned communities" such as Reston have a smell of socialism about them to start with,

Here's a "Gotta Read" by Robert Knight on the Millennial Embrace of Socialism

Socialism’s predictable outcomes:

KGB defector Yuri Bezmenov predicted what's happening
25 years ago calling it "ideological subversion." 

Despite several horrifying current examples of nations in the grip of socialism, many of America’s millennials are happily skipping down the socialist Yellow Brick Road toward an Oz that could never be. 

It isn’t just Bernie Sanders’ young legions of admirers. A recent survey showed that a whopping 44 percent of young people favor socialism over capitalism, with seven percent opting for outright communism and seven percent more for fascism. It adds up to a majority wanting total government control over the economy — and their lives, if they stop to think about it. 

VOICE: This is what community organizing money buys!

VOICE Celebrates State Victories

Virginians Organized for Interfaith Community Engagement (VOICE) is all about liberalism. They don't do charity, they are a liberal lobby group, an affiliate of the Industrial Areas Foundation founded by Saul Alinsky. Consider that as you read their self-congratulatory message. They are all about manipulating "We the People" so they support the liberal agenda. At one VOICE meeting some clueless soul asked about fighting abortion and the group booed. Yup! They defend the "little guy" but not the littlest. Babies in the womb can't vote after all. And VOICE is all about getting out the vote for liberal causes.

Sunday Meditation: How did you use your talents today?

The gospel today was the parable of the three servants and the talents. The parable of the talents always gets me thinking about how the Lord wants me to use the gifts He's given me. He certainly gave me a heart for motherhood which is what got me involved in the pro-life movement. The little ones threatened and marked for death always made me think of my own children. How could I not be doing everything I could to save them when they were no different from my own babies? And so I rescued and educated and prayed and picketed and sidewalk counseled, etc. I still do a little of that, but I don't have the same level of energy I used to have and don't do as much of it. Also, thank God, there's no abortion mill nearby that is continually pricking my conscience. That was one of the greatest outcomes of our decision to "flee the city" in 2002! I traveled to northern Virginia every week for several years to counsel at pregnancy help center, but after several years decided it was just too far.

Well that was fast: Dan(ica) Roem's candidacy was REALLY about picking Virginians' pockets for transgender surgery!

Roem to push insurance companies to pay for genital mutilation

Delegate elect Dan(ica) Roem and governor elect
  Ralph Northam, a deadly duo for Virginia! "When
the righteous rule the people rejoice, but when
the wicked rule, the people groan."  Prov. 29:2
Pray for poor Virginia, hostage to liberal voters!

Dan(ica) Roem ran in Prince
William County as the champion of fixing roads -- Route 28 in particular. But it appears now that his real first agenda is "fixing" the bodies of transgenders to match their delusions. Is anyone surprised?

And who do you think will ultimately pay for this? The insurance companies will pass the cost of this unnecessary body mutilation to its customers. Pushing the LGBTQ agenda was always what Dan(ica) Roem had in mind. He has no interest in the needs of Virginia's families! This is an invitation to deepen your prayer life for our state and our poor country! With leaders like these, expect the whirlwind.

The Collection for the Campaign for Human Development: BOYCOTT IT!

But don't ignore it. Put "Alinsky bucks" in the basket to send the bishops and your pastor a message.

And you might also send the week's parish donation to another worthy Catholic charity as a protest for the parish taking up the collection.

The Soap Opera Continues: Accusations Collapse, Allred Stonewalls, and Women Rally for Judge Moore

Women rallied today for Judge Roy Moore at the
Alabama state capitol. Join all these women
in prayer for Alabama's Senate election and
for Judge Roy Moore.

Ah...what a soap opera! Makes you want to interview the script writer.

The former manager of the Gadsen Mall says he has no recollection of any ban on Roy Moore at the mall. But hey, the mainstream media tells us that "some people are saying" and "there are rumors" that he harassed teenage girls. Sounds like the Salem witch trials.

Think about it. Yes, Roy Moore dated older teens with the permission of their parents. He says he did. Why shouldn't he? At 27 St. Thomas More married Jane Colt who was only 17. The women say he occasionally hugged or kissed them. Wow! What a strange thing for a young man to do on a date!

"The Devil Resides in the Vatican." Fr. Gabriel Amorth

In 2010, the pope's exorcist, Fr. Gabriel
Amorth (RIP) said, "The devil resides in the
Vatican."-- and that was before Pope Francis!
What would Fr. Amorth say today?

My friend Betty from Life Tree sent out a message that should make every Catholic ask what is happening to the Pontifical Academy for Life (PAV). Pope Francis gutted the old organization which was filled with orthodox, pro-life Catholics and created a new academy filled with individuals committed to moral evils, among them those who advocate abortion and euthanasia (Nigel Biggar for one). Makes sense, eh, -- a Catholic organization that invites those advocating the devil's agenda to be members? Well, that is indeed the "new" strategy under Pope Francis where people like population control extremist Paul Ehrlich is invited to speak at conferences.

Here's Betty's email with my observations in red:

The message is changing at the PAV faster than a speeding bullet! Less than six months after Drs Kathy Foley and Daniel Sulmasy (George Soros Project on Death in America scholars) became new members the Pontifical Academy for Life read what is happening now! The Vatican is including more and more enemies of life in its conferences and in its academies. Most dicasteries at the Vatican can no longer be trusted to stand for Catholic truth.

Please, in your mercy, pray for Fr. Gerry Creedon who died yesterday.

Fr. Gerry Creedon died yesterday. I was not a member of his fan club as any regular reader of this blog knows. 

He doesn't need a fan club now, he needs prayer warriors. And I do try to be one of those. So I invite my readers to join me in offering Masses, rosaries, the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, acts of penance, and other prayers and devotions for the repose of his soul. Eulogies are no good to him whatsoever.

May God have mercy on Fr. Creedon and on all of us and give us the grace of final repentance.

Mattel Announces Hijab Barbie -- Shall We All Celebrate the Islamic Oppression of Women?

Did you know that the hijab was invented and imposed on Islamic women fewer than fifty years ago?

When Iran made the hijab compulsory in 1979 100,000 women protested in the streets. Women are still protesting today and only 43% of Muslim women in America wear the hijab. According to a 2015 article in the Washington Post linked from the article above, Muslim women say that:

#LiarsSlanderingJudgeMoore - Press Conference on Beverly Nelson Story

Judge Moore said he didn't know who Beverly Nelson was. Why would he remember her from a divorce court case in 1999 almost twenty years ago?  How many cases does a judge rule on in a year? His saying he didn't know her is a lot more believable than her claim she never saw him again after the incident. How do you forget the judge who dismissed your divorce case?

Women Come Out to Defend Judge Roy Moore

MOORE CAMPAIGN: 12 WOMEN COME FORWARD TO AFFIRM ROY MOORE'S CHARACTER
Remember when the women came out to defend Clarence Thomas against the Kennedy-Biden smear machine who were using Anita Hill as their stilletto? Well, women who know Roy Moore are coming out to defend him against the latest Dem lynching attempt. Seems to me this group sound a little more credible than the accusers:

Accusations Against Roy Moore Are Unraveling....

Darrel Nelson on the left with the crocodile and
crocodile tears on the right. 

UPDATE: EVEN BEVERLY NELSON'S STEPSON SAYS SHE'S LYING!

Read the original post here.

On his Facebook page, Darrel Nelson, Beverly Nelson's stepson, says Judge Moore was the judge on his mom's divorce case which was dismissed, so when she said she hadn't seen him since the incident, it was untrue. How do you forget that the judge is the guy who attempted to rape you? Especially when you supposedly have his signature in your yearbook? And if the charges are true how do go through a divorce with your abuser on the bench without demanding he recuse himself? Sorry, Beverly, you are looking more and more like a liar seeking revenge as your stepson speculated.

Fr. Tom on Martin Luther and the Dubia

Would the cardinals get an answer if they
nailed the Dubia to the door?

History may not repeat itself, but it rhymes an awful lot. There is an interesting parallel in the way Church leaders dealt with Luther’s Ninty-Five Theses and the way they are dealing with the dubia concerning the ambiguities aroused by teachings of Pope Francis.

God bless you!

In Christ,

Fr. Thomas Collins
Sacred Heart Church
Covington, VA

As we sadly commemorate the 500th Anniversary of Luther’s posting his famous Ninety-Five Theses, we also need to realize that, due to a combination of pride, greed, and political Intrigue, this effort to discern how to more faithfully conform to the truth of the Gospel eventually led to the disintegration of the Western Church into numerous conflicting Christian denominations. More recently, efforts to discern more clearly how to implement the truth of the Gospel in our society have been expressed not in theses posted on a cathedral door, but in dubia presented to the Holy Father. Sadly, just as Luther’s effort to discern the truth more clearly was aborted by pride, greed and intrigue, it seems that current dubia are being ignored or aborted in order to accommodate the demands of those orchestrating the formation of a New World Order.

Upping the Ante with New Charges against Judge Roy Moore

Who really signed the yearbook?

Well, well, well...another woman bringing charges against Roy Moore and these are the most salacious yet. They couldn't get him with supposedly kissing teenagers or groping a 14-year-old, so they're raising the stakes.

Now it's a violent assault against a 15-year-old back in 1977. And suddenly we have "evidence" that the accusations are true -- a yearbook signature purportedly by the Judge when he was an assistant D.A. Oh...and who's representing the woman? The infamous Gloria Allred well-known for doing whatever she can to deep-six conservative candidates (Romney, Trump, Herman Cain) who considers herself a champion of Roe v. Wade. She's made a career of destroying conservative candidates by parading accusers out weeks before elections to destroy her targets like her "October surprise" against Donald Trump. It's alleged that Trump accuser Summer Zervos, an Allred client, was paid half a million to accuse Trump of sexual impropriety. Even Zervos' cousin challenged her story saying she was doing it to get attention.

Think about gift-giving and be a #novenawarriorforChrist

...for Christmas...Confirmation...for a young person joining the military...or any occasions.



The spiritual ammo can is the perfect gift for our time. We need combatants in the field fighting the evil one for the salvation of souls. What an appropriate gift this would be for any Catholic, but especially confirmandi emphasizing their duty to be warriors for Christ. And speaking of being  warriors, how about engaging in the field EVERY DAY by constantly praying novenas. Sign up here to be a novena warrior for the Lord.

Our Lady of Victory, pray for us!

President Trump Against the Devil's Herd

Monday Morning Musings...

• Good morning, sweet Jesus, I love You, sweet Jesus, all for You!

• We are incredibly blessed! Had four of five children and their families here yesterday for Sunday brunch (and pizza later) minus one college student and one working teen. The cousins, all 16 of them, enjoyed the trampoline, ultimate frisbee, bike and trike riding and cuddling the babies. Not one squabble! Lots of adult conversation as well as adult-child conversation when the kids took a break from playing. Lots of games, good food, and laughter. Night prayer last night, after everyone was gone except our visiting out-of-town daughter and her family, was a joyful and peaceful end to a blessed day. Thank you, Lord!

And more on Transgender Insanity...

and I do mean insanity!

The Ugly Truth About Sex Reassignment the Transgender Lobby Doesn’t Want You to Know

Here's a bit from the article that provides much food for thought:

Is Roy Moore Guilty or Is This One More High Tech Lynching?

Alabama ABC Affiliate Can’t Find One Voter Who Believes WaPo Report About Roy Moore in Man-on-the-Street Segment

There are a few really interesting aspects about this.

What Are We Willing to Forfeit For the Sake of Surprise?

“A lie consists in speaking a falsehood with the intention of deceiving.” The Lord denounces lying as the work of the devil:  ‘You are of your father the devil, …. There is no truth in him.  When he lies, he speaks according to his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies.’ “  CCC #2482

“Lying is the most direct offense against the truth.  To lie is to speak or act against the truth in order to lead someone into error.”  CCC #2483 (In other words to make them believe that which is not true.)

“The gravity of a lie is measured against the nature of the truth it deforms, the circumstances, the intentions of the one who lies, and the harm suffered by its victims.  If a lie in itself only constitutes a venial sin, it becomes mortal when it does grave injury to the virtues of justice and charity.”  CCC #2484 (This tells us that a lie told deliberately is a sin.  It may not be a serious sin, but it is a sin.)

Gosh! A handful of sensible doctors who don't support body butchery to "cure" delusions.

The entire video below is worth watching, but if you want to spend a few minutes hearing a compelling discussion of "Andy's Story" go to the 8:20 mark and watch for about ten minutes. This doctor makes tremendous sense and points out the disparity between doctors treatment of "tattoos" (Tell parents to warn their children that they need to be considered "permanent" and will scar.) vs surgically and chemically altering kids' bodies, and particularly with puberty blocking drugs, probably make them sterile. Sex change regret is very real. Read more here. Nobody knows yet what the long term results of this social experimentation will be. Serious future health damage is just one likely scenario. Pray hard for the children whose foolish parents let quacks hurt them.

It's a Mad Mad World! Most Kids are Confused about Who They Are.and Most Outgrow It!

So don't mess them up!

As far as I'm concerned using puberty blocking meds on kids is child abuse. Of course this child was confused. He was being raised by a single mom. Were there any significant male role models in his life?

I don't blame the mother for his confusion. Single moms have a tough row to hoe. And she must have felt desperate when she feared he was going to commit suicide, but she got bad medical advice and this youngster will pay for it for the rest of his life!



Johns Hopkins stopped doing transgender surgeries for forty years because studies showed no benefit psychologically to the patients.

God Bless Jack Phillips, Owner of Masterpiece Cakeshop!

Did you note the hypocrisy of the human rights group in Colorado that compared Jack to a Nazi for refusing to bake a cake for a same-sex wedding, but let gay bakeries refuse to bake cakes supporting marriage between a man and woman? The hypocrisy of the left knows no bounds!

Jack's first amendment case will be heard by the Supreme Court on Tuesday December 5th. The Family Foundation is looking for supporters to be at the Court to support Jack and his legal team. If you live near D.C. why not plan to attend. This would be a great way to teach home schooled kids about our system and about our rights under the Constitution. Family Foundation is urging supporters to sign up here to attend the event. And you can support Jack's legal team by making donation here. I just did and got a message that my donation was being matched by a generous donor. Please join me to help this Christian baker who just wants to honor God with his talent. Please pray for him and his legal team and for the justices who will hear the case.

Just Because the Mouse is in the Cookie Jar Doesn't Make Him a Cookie....

Isn't that Fr. Jenkins on the left?

....and calling yourself a Catholic University sure doesn't make you one!

As my mom used to say, "Actions speak louder than words!" and Notre Dame buried its Catholic identity a long time ago. Theodore Hesburgh was the chief grave digger, but current president Fr. John Jenkins has picked up the shovel and continues digging with enthusiasm.

You remember Fr. Jenkins, right? He's the  university head bureaucrat who gushed and drooled over Obama at the 2009 graduation while he targeted real Catholics for protesting and carrying signs on campus. Can't let those rigid, fanatical Catholics who actually believe what the Church teaches rain on his parade, right?

Yeats Prophesied Our Times: "The Center Cannot Hold"

When I was a kid one of my favorite playground rides was the merry-go-round. It was exciting to have someone turn it faster and faster and what a challenge not to fly off. I suppose that's why they've mostly disappeared from the landscape -- too dangerous for the snowflake generation.

I think those merry-go-rounds are a perfect metaphor for our disintegrating world. As the chaos swirls around faster and faster, "the center cannot hold."  Yesterday's Virginia elections illustrated that. Everyone I voted for lost. Why? Because the majority of voters chose self-interest over the common good, I suppose. Virginia's unions want more money with less work. The liberals want more license with fewer responsibilities. The Trump-haters hate all Republicans and want them and their supporters punished. Democrats think big government is the savior of the world and want leaders who will feed them, coddle them, protect them by snatching all the guns, and give them "free" i-phones, housing, college, etc. The feminists want baby-killing unhampered by any laws including those that protect mothers from money-hungry butchers. You get the picture.

It's election day -- PRAY HARD! And vote wisely.

Vote Ed Gillespie for governor and re-elect
Bob Marshall for State Delegate in Prince William!

Who will our nation elect today as our leaders? Will they be men of God or men of the world? (Note: to those who are already offended by my use of the word "men." I continue to use grammatically generic words, hence "men" refers to mankind or, if you prefer, humankind. Alas, the word "man" is also at the center of humankind.)

We have the power to influence who will lead us. Consider Proverbs 29:2:

When just men increase, the people shall rejoice: when the wicked shall bear rule, the people shall mourn.

Bravo for the Young People in Brussels who Protested the Profanation of the Catholic Cathedral

You don't need to understand French to appreciate the importance of what these young people are doing as they pray the rosary in atonement for the profanation of the Catholic cathedral. Pay attention to the difference in the faces -- the masses of mostly elderly people there to celebrate the Protestant revolt vs. the faithful young people.



They were few in number, but so were the apostles, so were those who remained faithful in England after Henry VIII usurped the papal authority to make himself head of the Church in England.

Whom Shall I Send?

People today are very wrapped up in a love of comfort. They seek safe spaces where nothing jars their self adjusted definition of right and wrong, or their lazy idea of meeting the challenges of a virtuous life, which often amounts to nothing more than “I’ll just be nice to people and accept them as they are.”

A perfect example of that attitude is this bumper sticker I saw two days ago. Notice the heart and the minor brushstroke symbol of a cross? What about that image says CATHOLIC? Yet this is a Catholic Church sticker.

 

The mission statement below the graphic says:  "Our mission is mercy and love."  I wondered as I sat there at the traffic light staring at the rear end of that car, whatever happened to saving souls?  This is why I believe people have let go of truth for the sake of comfort.  Truth can be painful to a sinner.  Truth can drag us right into the greatest mental conflict of our life when it asks us to give up what we have grown to love for the sake of loving Christ more.  This was in fact what Martin Luther struggled with and in the end, his sin won out.  He went so far as to create a doctrine that would accommodate his sin and push it all off on Jesus.  His idea that it doesn’t really matter what we do, allowed him to get away with anything as long as he “believed in Jesus” as his personal savior.  (For an excellent history of Luther and a clear and concise explanation of his beliefs, read the essay written by Bishop William Adrian, published in The Wanderer in 1967.) 

Ralph Northam Isn't Fit to Be Dog Catcher, Much Less Governor

It's First Friday? Great! Let's Party!!

Orlando's Baldwin Park First Friday Festival
is held EVERY First Friday

Recently I overheard a friend ask another, "Are you going to First Friday?" My thoughts immediately went to First Friday Devotions at the parish, then to thinking that I had had no idea that these two people were Catholics. Next they asked each other what they were going to wear. I thought: Wear? What do they mean what are they going to wear. It's not like it's a party or anything.

If my two friends had overheard me ask another Catholic, "Are you going to First Friday?" they would have been astonished to know that meant going to church instead of partying all night because First Friday to the secular world and First Friday to Catholics are two different things. One is the Catholic Church's First Friday Devotions in reparation to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the other is indeed a party - First Friday Festivals in almost every city, town and community in America and across Western civilization. 

Celebrating Reformation Day?

This made me laugh because I am a mean and rigid person who can't seem to get beyond Martin Luther's wreckovation of the Church, mass murder of the peasants, hatred of the Jews, etc. It never occurred to me to celebrate "reformation" (revolution is a better word) day, but this looks like the appropriate way to do it. Pope Francis would not be amused.

Do You Practice "Joyful Subversion?"

Andrew brings Peter to Jesus.

The priest who witnessed my marriage, Fr. Hugh Monmonier, a wonderful Benedictine who became a good friend, once told my husband and me that Catholics should be on the watch to "make a friend, be a friend, and bring a friend to Christ." I thought of that this morning as I read Mary Eberstadt's article honoring Fr. Arne Padula, former director of the Catholic Information Center who died in July.

One phrase particularly caught my eye. She said Father's legacy was to bring "joyful subversion to new generations."

"Joyful subversion!" What an interesting paradox. Webster defines subversion as a "systematic attempt to overthrow or undermine a government or political system by persons working secretly from within." The word comes from 14th century Old French and the etymology dictionary defines it as "physical destruction, demolition, ruination; overthrow of a system or law."

The Power of Baby Love

Sophia "breathes and coos
and has a heartbeat."

A friend whose elderly mom is in a nursing home and isn't doing well mentioned how much she improved when, following the advice of her caregivers, she gave her a baby doll to love. My friend said her mom's attitude went from sad and withdrawn to smiling all the time and happy.

I've noticed that myself at the nursing home I visit. Several of the patients cuddle baby dolls and are always eager to talk about them. I usually stop to admire the babies and ask how they are doing. It never fails to generate smiles and conversation. It's part of my desire to enter into their Alzheimer's world where time is all one -- the past and the present swirling together.