Sunday Meditation: Gratitude, Hospitality, and Regenerative Repentance

St. Augustine says that gratitude to God is the beginning of faith. Are we grateful in these  last days of Advent? What a blessing to fill the manger with straws of gratitude softening and overflowing and making ready the rough bed for the infant Savior.

 Beginning in the days before Thanksgiving, my husband and I started filling Santa's sleigh with gratitude messages to deliver to the Holy Family in the stable at Bethlehem. Before a rosary lunch I held in November and before Thanksgiving dinner, we invited our guests, from the littlest on up, to write notes of gratitude to God in thanksgiving for all his gifts. That little sleigh full of thanks will grace our kitchen table throughout the Christmas season. I love to sit there and pull out reminders of the many gifts God gives us. And to add still more love notes. Praise be to You, Lord Jesus Christ.

Wish I could make a trip to the Bay Area of California to visit this extravaganza of light and faith!

Deacon’s Award-Winning Christmas Display Shares the Light of Christ Far and Wide

This seems appropriate for the O Antiphon today that begins "O Radiant Dawn." Enjoy!

How do you tell a true prophet from a false prophet? Look at Medjugorje!

An infallible way to determine whether God inspires a prophetic message doesn't take a degree in rocket science. Look at the results. A prophet tells people something will happen. Does it? Plenty of "visionaries" predict outcomes that fail to occur. Obviously their failures identify them as false prophets and their visions as either illusions or frauds. They may not necessarily be liars; they could be exhibiting an overactive imagination or even be misled by evil spirits. Or perhaps they simply love attention and their claims give them fifteen minutes of fame. But if their prophecies don't occur, they definitely aren't prophets!

O Key of David...Free the Prisoners!

 

In many ways we are all prisoners in this valley of tears. Only death can free us.

O Root of Jesse's Stem: A Heartwarming Story for Christmas from Fr. Gordon MacRae

 

Many people this time of year make the first ornaments to adorn the tree symbols of Jesus' family. Mary came from the house of David, as did the spouse chosen for her, St. Joseph, so King David is a prominent feature. Even before Jesus' birth, God emphasized the importance of family by calling Joseph to his ancestral village, Bethlehem. Symbols of the patriarchs beginning with Adam often go on the Christmas tree first. "O Root of Jesse's Stem," come and deliver us! 

Come and Redeem Us, Lord!

O Adonai!

The O Antiiphons Begin. Don't Miss the Richness of these Final Days of Advent!

 

Fill Your Stocking with Solutions to Our Problems...

 ...but will anyone listen?

Kevin Roberts, president of The Heritage Foundation, gave a talk at Hillsdale College in October that was featured in the October Imprimis titled "Populist Conservatism and Constitutional Order." What I particularly appreciated about the piece, was the fact that it wasn't simply a long lament about our problems. Roberts offered practical solutions that could set the United States back on a constitutional path.

Before you read Roberts' article, meet him. He's a Catholic and former president of Wyoming Catholic College where he led the school to reject the federal dollar. You can learn more about him at the Kevin Roberts Show podcast.

From the "It's About Time" and "Ya Just Gotta Laugh" files!

Get out the shredder!

Gaudete Sunday yesterday reminds us to rejoice that our salvation is near. That's the big news and a source of spiritual joy beyond compare. But what a double helping of joy also to see the headlines below in the secular media. 

So many in the mainstream media are godless cheerleaders for horrendous moral evils. They work for the murder of the innocent little ones in the womb and justify the murder and suicide of the sick and elderly. They enable the mutilation of gender confused minors and embrace sodomy as "marriage". They promote adoption of innocent children by those engaged in perversion. It is, indeed, a source of joy to see people turning them off, whatever their reasons. One can only hope and pray those who opted out will stay away, especially the youthful demographic. Really! Don't these headlines make you smile?

Gaudete Sunday: Rejoice and Be Glad...

 ....Your salvation is at hand!

The Dangers of Sending More Arms to Ukraine (Part 2)

I ran the first part of Bob Marshall's article on the situation in Ukraine yesterday. This is the second installment. When you consider the Biden administration's refusal to protect our borders, it's incomprehensible that they have funneled billions into a country most Americans couldn't find on the map. This is a Biden-instigated war as Marshall points out, one that has resulted in decimating the young, male population of Ukraine while the p***s-piano-playing Zelensky rakes in the dollars to go who knows where -- offshore accounts perhaps? 

The Majority of Americans and Ukrainians Want a Negotiated Peace

Biden, Harris, and the war machine don't! 

Bob Marshall has two excellent articles on this that are well worth reading. I'm posting the beginning of part 1 and a link and will post the beginning and a link to part 2 tomorrow. If you're impatient you can read them both now. When you consider how much money has been funneled to Ukraine with almost no accountability for where it's gone and that we have U.S. military now actively engaged in the attacks on Russia, it's horrifying. Biden seems to desire his legacy to be a hot war with Russia and her allies. Can we even win such a war? We all better be praying the rosary for peace because if there is a World War III and some say we are already in it, the U.S. will no doubt see missile attacks on our shores. 

By Electing Trump, American Voters Say They Want a Ukraine Peace Deal (Part 1)

by Bob Marshall

The Queen of Advent, Our Lady of Guadalupe

What does Holy Mother Church give us halfway through Advent? The feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, patroness of America. What a gift! 

Do you know the story? 

On December 9, 1531 which was then the feast day of the Immaculate Conception, Mary appeared to Juan Diego in Mexico City and asked him to take a message to the bishop to build her a shrine there. The bishop asked for sign. In response, Mary gathered roses and arranged them in Juan Diego's tilma and told him to take them to the bishop.

When Juan Diego opened it before the bishops, the roses fell to the floor revealing the miraculous image imprinted there by heaven's power. 

What a gift and reminder Mary's feast is in the middle of Advent. She calls us in this holy season to prayer and penance. "Am I not here?" Mary asks us and "Am I not your mother?" 

Who are the real domestic terrorists and radical hate groups?

Is this the face of domestic terrorism?

Sometimes Satan is exposed as the liar and murderer he is. Sadly, that exposure often comes from those whom he uses to do his dirty work.

After the murder of United Healthcare CEO, Brian Thompson tens of thousands of Satan's sidekicks began dancing on Thompson's dead body and rejoicing over the evil done to him.  

"Within seconds of the news breaking, people online began celebrating. A Facebook post by UnitedHealthcare about the CEO's passing was met with over 23,000 laughing emojis before it was taken down. "Health insurance companies are parasites siphoning blood money from the sick, dying and injured,” one user posted. “I'm only surprised it hasn't happened sooner.” [Source from one who was among those celebrating]

 What kind of people do that? And why?

Fr. Collins: Sloppy Morality Results when the Hierarchy Fails to Teach Clearly!

Editor's Note: I had to look up the definition of "lacunae." It is certainly not a word one hears or uses every day. Lacunae indicate deficiencies or gaps in something. There are certainly many deficiencies these days in the teaching (or non-teaching) the faithful receive about Eucharistic devotion. Fr. Collins points out many of them and his article invites serious reflection on our own treatment of the Holy Eucharist. Every one of us can contribute to the Eucharistic revival by the way we treat Our Lord Jesus Christ in the Holy Eucharist. Are we among those chatting in Church or do we come dressed like we're going to the beach? Let us all examine our consciences and consider how we can give a more reverent example and witness when we are in the real presence of Jesus, our King and Lord! And a big thank you to Fr. Collins for another wonderful article. You can check out others by going to his page linked on the side bar.

LACUNAE IN THE EUCHARISTIC YEAR

by Fr. Tom Collins

During Challenging Times, "Manage Your Mindset."

May we never listen to the voices in our head that urge us to "Despair and die!"

I can never get through The Epoch Times without finding articles I want to clip and save or send to friends or just re-read and meditate on. Yesterday an article from an early November issue (I'm always behind!) caught my eye. Titled Managing Your Mindset, it reminded me that "No matter what life brings to your doorstep, you can choose your attitude and reactions." Spot on and a lesson that's good for me. 

Being a melancholic, I tend to get caught up in negative feelings and can easily begin hanging black crepe in the home of mind for a major pity party. I've been fighting that temptation most of my life and still have to flee the uninvited gloom and doom guests who invade my mental space and urge me to "Despair and die."

Sunday Meditation: We're Making the Total Consecration to Mary Today!

My husband and I have been preparing to make the total consecration to Mary according to the method of St. Louis de Montfort. I made it years ago, so this is a reconsecration for me. 

During the past 33 days leading up to the consecration we read the method, wrote out the consecration, and will make it today after Mass. 

The fastest way to Jesus is through Mary. Aren't we called to imitate Jesus? Didn't He come to us through Mary? To deny Mary's role in salvation is an act of hubris.

 Protestants will tell you they don't need Mary because they go directly to Jesus. But what if Jesus wants them to come to Him like little infants in the arms of His mother?Didn't He come to us that way, carried in the womb and then in the arms of Mary? How can anyone think that ignoring and disrespecting His mother pleases Jesus?

Of History and Record Keeping!

One of my readers took issue with my post about COVID following the one about 1 Corinthians 13: "Love does not keep a record of wrongs." He claimed they were contradictory. I didn't post his comment which was a dissertation that included a few insults which isn't untypical. (Thanks be to God, he's good for my humility and often gives me a laugh). At any rate, he obviously felt like he was scoring a big hit. Gotcha! You're keeping a record of wrongs against Fauci and company. (And Trump whom he always calls President Warp-Speed. We happen to agree on that particular criticism of Trump.) At any rate I shook my head and laughed over his latest nonsense. 

Time Out from Blogging for Family Visiting!

What a busy week! We left Monday morning to visit family in Wheeling. What a whirlwind! We stayed with my husband's brother and his wife and visited there Monday evening. (My sister-in-law and I got creamed at euchre by our gloating husbands.) We saw the lovely Christmas decorations at Ogleby Park's lodge on Tuesday midday. The ballroom was set up like a wedding reception for an employee luncheon, a practice they repeat every month!

Never Forget what the COVID Liars Did to Us!

One of my favorite bloggers is Dympna at Dymphna's Road. She is filled with common sense which isn't so common these days. Her Thanksgiving Day post described a dinner out with her mom who suffered the brainwashing of the COVID liars and still wears a mask in public. 

It made me think of the lady I saw at Costco on Tuesday in a mask. I shake my head thinking of people breathing in and recycling their own germs while they deprive themselves of fresh air. Really? Those masks are useless! I still have the mask I bought that said exactly that. Whenever I was forced to wear a mask, e.g. at the hospital, I wore it. And I never got anything but a thumbs up.

Sunday Meditation: Love Does Not Keep a Record of Wrongs!

I'm still meditating on 1 Corinthians 13. One of the elements that especially challenges me is, "Love does not keep a record of wrongs." It's easier to forgive than to forget.  And how often past memories invade the present and tempt one to rehash a wrong, fan it into flames, and form it into a grudge as weighty as the Washington Monument. 

I recently read an article in The Epoch Times, The Garden of Eden and Our Regression by James Sale. What a powerful piece! Sale begins with this:

Join in the St. Andrew's Christmas Novena.

Today begins the traditional Christmas novena to St. Andrew. Rather than the usual nine days, it lasts for 25, but what a blessed opportunity to get to know St. Andrew better. I hope you'll join me in praying it until Christmas. St. Andrew is one of my favorite saints. I want him to bring me to Jesus like he did with his brother, St. Peter. Benedictus has a wonderful meditation in this month's issue. I'll share just a bit:

Give thanks for good and holy priests who are willing to suffer for the truth!

As I was reflecting on the things for which I'm thankful this year, the faces of good and holy priests passed through my mind like a slideshow of sanctity. Some of them are gone now to their heavenly reward: Fr. John Hardon, Fr. James Buckley, Fr. Robert Bradley, Fr. Hugh Monmonier I pray for them and to them. If they are in Purgatory they need my prayers and sacrifices. Whether they are in Purgatory or Heaven, I need their prayers. They were faithful spiritual guides here on earth. I need their continued guidance now more than ever.

One living priest who I pray for often is Fr. Gordon MacRae. I hope this Advent you will make him a companion on the journey by reading his blog and praying for him. I wrote this post last May. I repeat it here as a reminder that often adherence to the truth requires courageous suffering. Let us embrace sacrifices in Advent for the sake of our own souls and the conversion of our poor world.

Fr. Gordon MacRae and Beyond These Stone Walls

Down the Rabbit Hole: I'm Reading the Final Document from the Synod on Synodality!

Within two paragraphs of starting to read the final document from the Synod on Synodality, I found myself laughing ruefully and shaking my head. Are these folks serious? Pope Francis says we all have to accept the document and the bishops must implement its recommendations because it “participates in the ordinary Magisterium of the Successor of Peter....as an authoritative orientation for her life and mission.”

Give Thanks Where It's Due!

Not to the Indians...not to the pilgrims...but to God! May Jesus Christ be praised! Have a lovely day with family and friends thanking God for everything!

 

Take a Break from Thanksgiving Prep to Read This!

Fr. Gordon MacRae's website, Beyond These Stone Walls, is a treasure. And his post on the First Thanksgiving, linked below, is fascinating. I thought I knew "the rest of the story" from years of celebrating Thanksgiving and reading about its beginning. But Fr. MacRae's article cast new light that set me reflecting on God's amazing and often bewildering Providence. 

It is little wonder that Catholics struggled to be accepted in the New World often in colonies forged by anti-Catholic Englishmen. The Pilgrims were among the worst. And yet, a Catholic Indian, prepared by God, saved their little colony from extinction. 

Read the article. It doesn't disappoint. And pray for Fr. MacRae, unjustly imprisoned for thirty years in a modern witch hunt that brings to mind the Salem Witch Trials. 

Give us the grace, Lord, to be thankful tomorrow and every day, especially for the crosses in our lives and the angels you send to help us in our times of greatest need.

The True Story of Thanksgiving: Squanto, the Pilgrims, and the Pope

"What Are You Doing? Pray!" Are You Praying and Sacrificing for the Incoming Administration?

Before Our Lady visited Fatima, the Angel of Peace appeared three times to the little shepherd children: Lucia, Francisco, and Jacinta. On his second visit he chided the little ones, saying, “What are you doing? You must pray! Pray a lot! The Hearts of Jesus and Mary have merciful designs on you. You must constantly offer your prayers and sacrifices to GOD, the Most High."

Sunday Meditation: "Take up your cross and follow me."

As a member of the Church Militant (not the Church Milquetoast), I believe in studying warriors' manuals. One of them is The Spiritual Combat by Dom Lorenzo Scupoli, a 16th century priest. The book was a favorite of St. Francis de Sales, master of the spiritual life, who carried it in his pocket and read from it every day. He also recommended it to his spiritual sons and daughters. One can't go wrong with such an effective manual for fighting the world, the flesh, and the devil.

What Can We Do to Respond the Crisis in the Church?

The Crisis in the Church series is well worth watching. This is one of my favorite episodes.

 

Digital Viral Slop!

Escape the screen.
Take a walk in the woods!

The Gab CEO sent out an interesting article a few days ago: JOMO, The Joy of Missing Out. The article was a reflection on the amount of time and attention we give to our computers, phones, and other digital devices. The joy comes from "missing out" on the digital viral slop that consumes so much of our time and energy. Here's a bit from the article which has convinced me to stop playing any internet games during Advent and to limit my exposure to the ubiquitous screen:

Research shows that excessive information consumption can lead to psychological stress, anxiety, and mental fatigue. This constant bombardment of information through various digital channels can overwhelm our cognitive capacities, making it difficult to process and evaluate the information effectively. The inability to filter and process the overwhelming amount of data can result in difficulty making decisions, decreased productivity, and a general sense of being overwhelmed.

The Lame Duck Legacy of Joe Biden: Will it be World War iII?

Joe Biden's dementia is downright dangerous. Throughout the Ukraine/Russia conflict, he has stated over and over what the U.S. won't do to escalate the war. Then he does it. His line in the sand is a straw blown about by the wind. Joe's latest act of aggression is to allow what he said he never would allow -- for Ukraine to use long-range U.S. missiles to strike deep into Russia. Their use of these missiles involves the U.S. directly because Ukraine doesn't have the guidance capability. So we can't claim non-involvement anymore than a person helping a kid aim a gun and helps pull the trigger! Really, Joe, how is that not an act of war by the U.S., i.e., one more unauthorized aggressive act of war unilaterally determined by the executive branch in violation of the U.S. Constitution.

The Mad Rush to Christmas!

Don't Let Thanksgiving be Lost in the Rush to Christmas!

When I was growing up, Christmas arrived in the secular world the day after Thanksgiving. The turkey was hardly off the table before Santa came riding in on his sleigh behind the reindeer. The worldly holiday fuss obliterated Advent completely. Despite the world's mad rush to Christmas, many Catholic families waited in the quiet for Emmanuel, God with us. They lit the Advent Wreath every evening, sang Come, O Come, Emmanuel and prayed together.

All Is Grace! Love is not Boastful!

I was once chided by a psychiatrist friend for saying, "I'm not smart enough to be a parent." 

He responded saying, "I've heard you denigrate your intellect more than once." 

I replied, "You're not smart enough to do what you do either. It's only by the grace of God." I could have added, "And what you do has the potential to damage a lot more people. [He had a large practice.] I only have five children."

Sunday Meditation: The Gratitude Perspective

We had visiting priest from India today who gave the homily on gratitude. He told an amusing story about a man who lived with nine other men in a crowded little hovel. He was miserable because the house was so crowded and noisy. He couldn't get any sleep and hated his life. So he went to see a wise man about his miserable existence hoping to get some relief. The wise man told him to get a goat and take it into the house to live with them and come back to see him in a week. The man expressed doubt, but was told to just do it. So he brought the goat to live with himself and the other nine men. It was not a match made in heaven.

Will the Mainstream Media Change? Is It Even Possible?

Will you miss this Biden cabinet pick?

My friend, Dexter Duggan who writes for The Wanderer and his Substack page, Sunrise Sunset, posted an interesting article about the LA Times. Check it out!

Earthquake-like waves of Trump's win shake up LA Times, too

Here's how the article begins:

La Leche League Goes Woke!

La Leche League has lost their everlovin' mind! It was bad enough when men invaded the ladies' rooms and exhibited their junk to little girls in the swimming pool locker rooms. But really, now they will feed hormone laden milk to infants by making their fake women's bodies lactate? And La Leche League thinks this is a good thing? Who knows what damage these "chest-feeding" men will do to babies? And how comfortable will the real moms be who will be forced to engage with men pretending to be women who join their La Leche support groups.

Are women safe anywhere these days?

Laughter is the Best Medicine for Liberal Post Election Hysteria!

The hysteria from liberals expressing terror and despair because of Trump's win are baffling. He was already president for four years, folks, and the world did not end! What's with all the Chicken Littles running around screaming, "The sky is falling; the sky is falling!" I get it with the drive-by media and the liberal elite. They thrive on fear. Look what they did to us during COVID. But, really, parents saying their children are terrified? College students needing coloring books and teddy bears to alleviate their panic? Average Janes and Joes in tears and going into total, unhinged meltdown mode?

Sometimes Ya Just Gotta Laugh: Will Trump Derangement Syndrome Affect Your Thanksgiving?

I occasionally watch Jesse Waters and have heard him talk about his ultra liberal mom. Not sure talking about disagreements with your mom on national TV is a wise move. Maybe it's a guy thing.

At any rate....

Now Who Exactly Are the Enemies of Democracy?

EXCLUSIVE: FEMA Official Ordered Relief Workers To Skip Houses With Trump Signs

"A FEMA supervisor told workers in a message to “avoid homes advertising Trump” as they canvassed Lake Placid, Florida to identify residents who could qualify for federal aid, internal messages viewed by The Daily Wire reveal. The supervisor, Marn’i Washington, relayed this message both verbally and in a group chat used by the relief team, multiple government employees told The Daily Wire.  

Sunday Meditation: Let Us Worship Jesus as the Sacred Heart!

Fr. James Buckley, FSSP 1937 - 2023 Rest in peace, dear and holy priest of God!

In this month of the holy souls, I want to remember with love and gratitude Fr. James Buckley, FSSP who had such an impact on my life. I attended a 5-day silent, Ignatian retreat every summer with Fr. Buckley for almost 20 years. The last one, in 2022, showered me with incredible memories and blessings that I treasure. God obviously knew it was Father's last meeting with us. He died in 2023.

Remember this great speech by President Trump in 2017

 

Think of all the speeches you heard during the campaign by Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, Barrack Obama, or any other Democrat. Ask yourself whether any of them gave a speech like the one Trump gave in Poland on July, 6 2017. Consider some of the things he said at the site of the Warsaw uprising against the Nazis in World War II. He honored the courage of the Polish people and made a number of points that in retrospect should make every American reflect on how different things might be today, had Trump remained president in 2020. On the other hand, maybe the four disastrous years under Leftist tyrants was the wake-up call we needed. God granted us a reprieve from the annihilation promised by Kamala Harris. How will we use it? Have you prayed the rosary today? Here are some of the takeaways from Trump's extraordinary speech:

Sometimes Facebook Memes Hit a Bullseye!

I'm less disturbed by the fulminations of the Left over Trump's win than by the statements of pro-lifers who continue to express their TDS (Trump Derangement Syndrome). Is Trump our savior? Absolutely not! All he offers us is a temporary reprieve. But he is unlikely to do what Harris promised to do: nationalize abortion once again and force doctors, nurses, and other medical care givers, druggists, insurance companies, Catholic hospitals and schools, etc. to face criminal penalties if they refuse to participate in abortion. She promised to force taxpayers to pay the bill for trans surgeries for military and even illegal aliens. She is an enemy of free speech. We dodged the bullet of Democrat extremism temporarily, but the writing is on the wall. America is in a death spiral and Trump may slow the fall, but it's inevitable unless we repent. 

Mainstream Media Unhinged Over Trump Win!

Never let it be said that facts interfere with the bias and foaming-at-the-mouth lunacy of the mainstream media. I've been watching some of the reactions on CNN, MSNBC, The View, and the networks. They are all in excuse mode for their heroine, Kamala. 

The Mass that Made So Many Saints! We need it today more than ever!

Mother of the innocent babies in the womb, pray for us.

As a preamble to this post, let me say that the election of Donald Trump is not a cause for 

dancing in the streets. At the same time he won big in Montana with a 60-40% victory, a constitutional amendment (initiative 128) to allow abortion passed by the same margin. While the right is unlimited before viability, it appears to be restricted after. It isn’t! The amendment used the same wording as Roe v. Wade and its companion decision Doe v. Bolton which essentially allowed abortion up to birth. There is little to celebrate today. I voted for Donald Trump because I believe a Harris administration would be so much worse, but I see his election as a temporary reprieve giving us time to repent and convert. A country that kills it's own children has no future. Our imperative now is to pray for God's grace of conversion and to beg His mercy through the intercession of the Blessed Mother.

Sad to Say "Corrupt Government" is Not an Oxymoron but a Redundancy

I read two articles recently that illustrated how corrupt government is from the smallest local community at the town, village, and county setting to the Leviathan monster at the federal level. Citizens have little say and are often deliberately kept out of the discussion. The articles actually offered no revelation to me. Let's face it, money and power rule the world under the world's prince, Satan. Those useful tools, money and power, pervert many a soul, especially those in politics who seem to have god-complexes. 

How the D.C. Cabal Gave Us War Forever... Vote Tomorrow to Defeat the War Party!

How Biden-Harris Blocked a Russia-Ukraine Peace Agreement (Part 3)

Bob Marshall

October 30, 2024

Read Part 1 and Part 2

Tuesday's Election Day; How Would Chesterton Vote?

My husband and I belong to a Chesterton book club that meets monthly. Yesterday's topic was Chesterton and politics with a lively debate about the morality of voting: Trump vs. Harris, whether voting for a third party candidate like Randall Terry is justified, whether canvassing voters is disappearing in favor of social media, etc. I'm happy to say that the group always argues in the classical, Socratic sense and everyone treats everyone else respectfully even when we disagree (well, for the most part).

After the meeting I got to pondering how Chesterton would have viewed our discussion and what decision he would make if he were voting in Tuesday's election. I confess, while I've read a lot of Chesterton, I'm unsure. In What's Wrong with the World, he excoriated both Hudge and Gudge who represent political positions of the governing class. Hudge is the plutocrat, someone who rules by reason of his class and wealth. Gudge represent the socialist Marxist do-gooder. There is a third character Chesterton presents, however. His name is Jones and he represents the common man or, in today's lexicon, a piece of garbage or a deplorable. All Jones wants is a humble home where he can raise his family and dandle his grandchildren on his lap. That dream is denied him by both Hudge and Gudge as they pursue their approach to the world.

1 Corinthians 13: Love is Not Jealous!

I'm still working my way through 1 Corinthians 13, St. Paul's description of love. In previous posts I addressed Love is Patient:

Patience

Planting the Seeds of Patience

Be Patient with Others but First with Yourself

Visit a Cemetery Today to Pray and Send a Poor Soul to Heaven

Indulgence Requirements:

• To gain a plenary indulgence, in addition to excluding all attachment to sin, even venial sin, it is necessary to perform the indulgent work and fulfill the following three conditions: sacramental Confession, Eucharistic Communion, and prayer for the intention of the Sovereign Pontiff.

Of Puzzles that Spark the Imagination...

I like puzzles. Last night my granddaughter was saying she didn't like Geometry, but it was my favorite math class for two reasons. It was like a puzzle and it involved logic. They both intrigue me and put my brain to work.

Every week when The Epoch Times arrives, I immediately go to the puzzle page to work on the big sudoku puzzle and the cryptic quote. Often the quote sets my mind thinking about what it means. Spoiler alert: If you get the Epoch Times and haven't done the cryptic quote but intend to -- STOP! Work on the cipher first and come back later to read the rest.

The folks at the Vatican need an intervention!

This comes from LifeSiteNews. Check out the article here.

The Vatican unveiled ‘Luce’ on Monday, a mascot created by Italian pro-LGBT artist Simone Legno designed for the 2025 Jubilee Year which aims to connect with young Catholics through ‘pop culture.’

'Luce': The official mascot of the Jubilee Year 2025

REALLY? This looks like a joke from the Babylon Bee website.

Two Good Priests Endorse Solid Catholic Tradition Relative to the Election!

Jesus told the Pharisees to "render to Caesar" recognizing the legitimacy of government despite the character of its leaders. The Roman tyrant and local leaders at the time were evil, and those who followed them were even worse! Think of Nero lighting his gardens with Christians covered in pitch. In the early centuries of the Church the emperor and his minions would carry out the most barbaric persecutions imaginable. 

Bob Marshall on the Washington Culpability for the Ukraine-Russia Conflict

 Ukraine's Lost Neutrality - Part 2

Bob Marshall

October 29, 2024

Read Part 1

In 1990, the Ukraine Parliament affirmed it had the “intention of becoming a permanently neutral state that does not participate in military blocs …”

Give Credit Where Credit Is Due: Washington Warmongers Deserve Beaucoup!

Give credit where credit is due. These are the Russia-Ukrainian War enablers!

Anybody with an ounce of brains and a little understanding of history knows that there have been plenty of broken promises made by political leaders. Tyrants like Adolph Hitler offer one example, but we have our own shameful liars at home. Think of the treaties with the Indians in this country as just one example. Politicians give us plenty of reason to be cynical. They often tell us something with their fingers crossed behind their backs. "Honest politician" is often an oxymoron.

Mundabor's Blog is Too Good to Miss Today.....

 .....check it out! I don't usually post more than once a day, but this is too good to miss. I'm posting the beginning then linking you to Mundabor's page.

Donald Trump Superstar

OCT 29

                                            Posted by Mundabor

White men for Kamala!

You would have been forgiven for wondering why, of all places, Trump chose the Madison Square Garden for one of the most important appearances in these last days of campaign.

I would have thought – if you had asked me – that Trump was, like every good candidate, devoting some attention to down ballot races, which is important if the Republicans hope to make inroads in NYS. I think this is certainly one of the reasons for the decision.

However, a couple of days later another, much smarter rationale emerged. The Trump campaign is better aware than even most of us of the extreme affection his supporters have for Trump. They did not want a rally. They wanted a media sensation, they wanted to show to the entire Country the rock star status of the man. [Read the rest here.]

Is Another Fraudulent Election in the Plan?

After reading the article linked below, I put a question in my Duck Duck Go search engine. "Are we facing another stolen election?" What popped up? Article after article claiming that Donald Trump and the GOP were working to steal the election. NPR, The New York Times, The Atlantic, NBC News, Slate, CNN, The Washington Post etc. all beat the drum that Trump is prepared to try to steal the 2024 election. After all, as Harris, Biden, Clinton, Obama, etc. claim over and over, "He's a threat to democracy!" Meanwhile, the attempt to subvert the election is in full swing and never forget what happened in 2020 with voter drop boxes being stuffed, suitcases of ballots miraculously appearing, truckloads of ballots delivered delivered at the last minute, etc. The drive-by media continues to claim the vote was legitimate; how many believe that Joe Biden received more votes than any candidate in history where some precincts showed him with 100% of the vote? Really? 

Sunday Meditation: When God Doesn't Seem to be Answering Prayers....

....THINK AGAIN!  

St. Augustine & St. Monica, pray for us.

God always answers our prayers. Sometimes He says yes and sometimes He says no. God loves us so we can be sure when He says no that what we are asking for is not good for us. 

When He says yes, sometimes He takes His own time. Abraham and Sarah prayed for a child. God told them, yes, not only would they have a child, but their descendants would be like the stars of the sky. But God made them wait...and wait...and wait.

Instead of trusting Him, they decided to take things into their own hands. Sarah convinced Abraham to have relations with her maid, Hagar. Ai yi yi! We all know how that ended and we're still suffering from the battle between Isaac and Ishmael today. 

Maybe God delays fulfillment of His yes to help us grow in patience and perseverance. And sometimes, He rewards that patience and perseverance with an abundance we can hardly imagine. Let me share an excerpt from Trustful Surrender to Divine Providence about St. Monica and her sixteen-year prayer vigil for the conversion of her son, Augustine:

"God Rest His Dear and Gallant Soul"

Last night I was trying to decided what to make my next bedside reading. I looked on my kindle and thought I would reread The Scarlet Letter, but after eight or ten pages of the first chapter I set it aside. Maybe another time. Then I turned to a Chesterton book on my kindle, The Crimes of England. That was a bust too. Too much concentration needed. Then I remembered that I have a book written by Stalin's daughter that I've been wanting to read. So I went over and looked for it on the biography bookshelf, but a little volume caught my eye and I pulled it out. It was a small biography of Joyce Kilmer. I opened it and began reading and was a third of the way through it before setting it down and turning off the light.   

 

When I was at Trinity College in Washington, D.C., Joyce Kilmer's granddaughter was two years behind me. We never got to know each other, I didn't think about it at the time, but she never knew her grandfather. He was killed in World War I at the age of 31. Even his own children likely remembered little about him. I am only beginning to realize myself how true the title of this post is. It was the statement of Fr. Francis Duffy, military chaplain. Kilmer's military brothers found him on a little hill where they thought he was examining the area. He was dead with a bullet in the brain.  He was buried in France near the spot where he was killed. A memorial Mass was said for him at St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York on October 14, 1918. 

Justice Denied! When Courts Are Corrupted

Jesus before Caiphas: the Illegal Trial and Sentence

Let's present a hypothetical trial situation. You're selected for a jury and seated. In your lap is your notebook and pen because you are determined to be a responsible citizen who listens carefully and judges fairly. (Yes, you are called to judge the facts and conclude whether the defendant is guilty or innocent.)

What if All Those Who Love the Unborn and Had the Freedom to Do It Rescued?

I've been thinking about and praying for the Red Rose Rescuers (RRR) who are in jail with draconian sentences. They were all denied the right to put on a defense of necessity that justifies breaking a minor law in order to defend life or even property. It's the reason firefighters can break down doors to enter burning buildings or a good Samaritan can trespass to rescue a child or even a pet in danger.