Do You Like Poetry? Here's One that's Worth Memorizing.

Hat tip to The Catholic Thing for publishing this beautiful poem by Lope de Vega. And a prayer of gratitude to Longfellow for translating it into English. It reminds me of Thompson's The Hound of Heaven. 

                        TOMORROW    

Lord, what am I, that with unceasing care
Thou did’st seek after me, that Thou did’st wait
Wet with unhealthy dews before my gate,
And pass the gloomy nights of winter there?
Oh, strange delusion, that I did not greet
Thy blest approach, and oh, to heaven how lost
If my ingratitude’s unkindly frost
Has chilled the bleeding wounds upon Thy feet.

How oft my guardian angel gently cried,
“Soul, from thy casement look, and thou shalt see
How He persists to knock and wait for thee!”
And oh, how often to that Voice of sorrow,
“Tomorrow we will open,” I replied,
And when the morrow came I answered still “Tomorrow.”

Lope de Vega

— translated by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Wisdom from St. Francis de Sales who would make a great Lenten companion

Yesterday was St. Francis de Sales' feast day. What a great saint! I'm often a day late and a dollar short, so I was reading about St. Francis this morning. He is one of my favorite saints and I often quote from his wise sayings. You no doubt have heard that you can catch more flies with a spoonful of honey than with a barrel of vinegar. St. Francis actually said more that 100 barrels of vinegar. No slouch he for emphasizing reality!

I often quote him because of his great help as a spiritual director, so let me offer a second of his many inspiring bits of wisdom in my own words.

First:

Those who commit scandal commit spiritual murder. Those who allow scandal to damage their faith, commit spiritual suicide.

Septuagesima Sunday: Time to Start Thinking and Planning My Lent!

We all want to make a good Lent, right? It's coming in only a few weeks, so now is the time to begin planning how we will make the best of it. How will we apply prayer, fasting, and almsgiving in our daily lives?

My husband and I have decided to study Bishop Schneider's compendium of the faith, Credo, as our prayer and study. I recently ordered both the books and the study guides. We've decided to begin today and make part of our observance of Sunday, reading and studying the faith so we can share it more effectively.

Pornocracy, pt. 3: Good out of Evil Papal Corruption

I'm moving on today to part three of T.S. Flanders five-part series on Pornocracy in the Church which is well worth reading and reflecting on. There is nothing new under the sun as Ecclesiastes tells us, and certainly that is true of papal corruption.

But what is even more true is that God is so good that, while He doesn't desire evil, He desires us to love Him freely. He could have made us little robots who could only choose good, but, in His goodness, with full knowledge of how we would abuse our freedom, He loved us enough to give us free will anyway.

So what does He do in His infinite goodness? He brings good out of every evil act and He wills the good He will accomplish. Think of the Easter Exsultet which rings out the joyful news of salvation:  "O happy fault of Adam that earned so great, so glorious a Redeemer." 

Biden's 2024 Plans for New White House

The Shifting Sands of Modernism

It is enlightening to contrast the weak and false justifications of Modernism presented by its supporters, against the strong and solid foundation on which the teaching of the Catholic Church is based.

Consider the slippery and sliding foundations and constantly shifting justifications given to support the Modernist edifice, as follows:

Pornocracy Part 2: The Coming Reign of Antichrist

Noah's Sacrifice (1847-53) by Irish painter Daniel Maclise

Remember when God lost His patience with the sinful world and told Noah to build an ark? He sent a flood which, like baptism, cleansed the world for a time. He set the rainbow in the sky as a sign of his never-ending love. But nothing surprises God. He knew man would continue to rebel.

How Many Times Do I Have To Say Those Four Little Words?

Me - "Susie the Prophet"
witnessing terrible visions of the future

I wrote about this (de-dollarization) a year ago.

Celebrate Life in the Work of Hungarian Painter, Mihaly Munkascy!

The other day I illustrated my post on "The Case Against Pope Francis" with a painting of Jesus before Pilate. One of my readers asked about the artist so I did a little research to identify him and look at his other work. I was unfamiliar with Mihaly Munkascy and am glad to remedy that deficiency. Judging from his body of work, he loved children.  They are prominently featured in many of his paintings.

The History of "Pornocracy" in the Church. Hint: It Didn't Begin with Pope Francis.

Storm clouds over the Church are nothing new. Don't panic. Pray harder!

Several sedevacantists like to haunt my blog and try to convince me that Francis cannot be the pope. No matter how many times I refuse to jump on their bandwagon, they pursue their single-minded message. I don't post their comments any more. They have nothing new to say.

Now, to be fair, maybe they're right, but I remain unconvinced due to the history of the Church and the papacy. If the Church and the papal throne had been occupied over the millennia by saints (and nothing but), perhaps I could agree. But evil popes are not a rarity and, even good popes often had bad men as advisors, some of whom waited in the wings hoping to "win" in the next conclave.

Bob Marshall on the Reproductive Freedom Amendment, an Exercise in Propaganda

Editor's note: Today thousands are marching against abortion in the nation's capitol and around the country, but that march means nothing unless pro-lifers pay attention to pernicious legislation and do all they can to stop it. In Virginia, bills have been introduced that not only endanger little ones waiting to be born, but minors who will be exploited by abortionists, sex traffickers, statutory rapists, and others. Please oppose the bills attempting to amend the Constitution of Virginia. Read to the end and contact your state legislators.

Marshall: ‘Reproductive freedom’ amendment is based on propaganda, not facts

Jan 13, 2024

Article link Save

Lying and ignoring the truth significantly influenced the liberalization of abortion policy in the United States in 1973, as stated by Dr. Bernard Nathanson, a former abortion provider and a key figure in legalizing abortion nationwide.

The Case Against Pope Francis

Suppose we were in a courtroom to discuss the murder of Jesus. Who would be in the dock? Judas? Caiphas? Annas? The members of the Sanhedrin who engaged in the illegal trial of the King of Kings? All the members of the crowd screaming, "Crucify Him!"? Pontius Pilate?

Interesting questions, don't you agree?

The Reality of Hell

“The national anthem of hell is, I Did It My Way ”

— Peter Kreeft

The doctrine of hell is not just some dusty, theological holdover from the unenlightened Middle Ages. It has significant consequences. Without ultimate justice, people’s sense of moral obligation dissolves; social bonds are broken. People who have no fear of God soon have no fear of man.

Time Out for a Snow Day with Grandsons!

Believe it or not I have a real life besides my virtual life on the blog and Facebook, and that's the life I cherish. It usually starts with morning prayer time invoking the Lord's blessings on Larry and me and all our loved ones. I have a little prayer box in my home chapel overflowing with funeral cards, ordination cards, prayer requests, etc. that I cycle through. I've grouped our parish friends, the folks at the nursing home I used to visit, priest friends who have gone to the Lord, etc. It takes me about a month to make it through the entire box.

Ordinary Conscience Cannot Exempt from the Church's Moral Law

The classic definition of conscience in the Catholic Church is that of Thomas Aquinas for whom conscience is the mind of man passing moral judgments. It is the voice of reason separated from feeling, emotion and desire. Conscience is imbedded in the intellect which apprehends and interprets the moral law. It is not an immediate internal illumination of each person for himself without reference to an objective norm found outside of man and independent of his subjective persuasion. It requires development and careful training for knowing the laws of God. We have an obligation to educate it.

Tell Me Again Why We Should Trust the Climate Change "Experts?"

I'm a weather channel watcher. A week ago we had warnings of a big winter storm for tomorrow. It started out with a prediction of about nine inches of snow and then seven and then snow disappeared from the forecast altogether. 

Feast of the Baptism of the Lord

Baptism of Jesus by Giotto de Bondone

What a good day to thank God for my baptism, the day I was freed from the bondage of sin through the passion, death and resurrection of the Lord. Every time I turn on water today or hear the stream in the back yard or take a drink I want to remember the great goodness of God in letting me be born of Catholic parents who were serious about the faith. Up to now, the greatest day of my life was the day I was baptized because it opened the way to eternal life. It opened all the treasures of the kingdom. Only through my baptism did the Holy Eucharist and the other sacraments become my birthright. So today I will pray my rosary in thanksgiving for my parents and for the tremendous love they had for me by taking me to the church for my baptism. 

Don't throw that Away!

My parents had a very thrifty approach to life: reuse it, re-purpose it, or recycle it. I remember covering school books with brown paper grocery sacks. Everyone did it in those days. My dad turned old juice cans, painted and soldered together in joints to make a big building set for grandkids. Today, I reuse plastic bags as small trash bags instead of buying more plastic bags to litter the earth. And these days I collect old egg cartons and glass bottles for sharing our chickies' eggs and storing our bees' honey.

Plastics are everywhere and they must constitute a huge proportion of landfill trash. And plastic doesn't break down very fast. So a good thing to do with it, is find a new use. At our annual chapel Christmas party, I cut two gallon jugs to serve as spill catchers. Most plastic drink bottles will serve and it prevents a big floor cleanup from sticky lemonade or water which can cause a slip hazard.

Imagine that! I say one sentence and Ben Carter blocks me

You’re blocked

You can’t follow or see @BCJCarter’s posts

Oh dear. Ben Carter is angry. Golly. And all I said was "Ben Carter has TDS (Trump Derangement Syndrome), PDS (Putin Derangement Syndrome), and RDS (Russia Derangement Syndrome) and he loves Zelensky, the little globalist puppet of Ukraine who has murdered hundreds of thousands of poor Ukrainian men in a war that Ukraine cannot win."

Thought for the Day from C.S. Lewis and The Last Battle

As regular readers know, I read the Epoch Times and love it! My favorite section is Life and Culture. This week Marlena Figge has a wonderful article on the C.S. Lewis' series, the Chronicles of Narnia focusing on the final book, The Last Battle. Some readers may be a little confused because she discusses the books, not according to their publication order, but their chronological order. Like the Star Wars series, Lewis began in the middle with The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, when the four children of the Pevensie family were evacuated from London and went to live with a professor in the country. One rainy day playing hide and seek, the youngest, Lucy, hides in an old wardrobe, an entrance into the wintry world of Narnia where she meets Tumnus, the faun, and begins an incredible adventure with her siblings.

Warning: Pray the St. Michael the Archangel Prayer before Reading this and Stop if Necessary.

The natural reaction to this disgusting work by Fernandez is outrage! Why is this man the head of the Dicastery of the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF)? He doesn't believe in Church teaching on sexual morality and is leading the flock into sin. Pass this on to those defending the faith. People need to recognize the wolves who are gobbling up the sheep. Nothing coming out of DDF from this evil man can be trusted. Pray for Holy Mother Church that her exile and imprisonment in the gulag will soon be over. What you read below is a reminder of what Moses found when he returned to the camp after receiving the ten commandments. Remember what he did? He crushed the golden calf and made the lust-driven Israelites drink the water. This book should be burnt and the ashes mixed with water for Fernandez to drink. Let us all make reparation to God for the blasphemy in our midst. Is there any wonder that Fernandez and Francis are pushing blessings for sodomite and adulterous relationships?

“Tucho” Fernandez Writer. The Mystical Passion. Study on Male and Female Org*sm.

8 January 2024 Published by Marco Tosatti Leave your comment

An Epiphany Gift to Say Thank You to the Three Kings!

Adoration of the Magi by Giotto -- I love this!
Even the camel seems to be singing the praises of the newborn King. 

Every now and then, the English major comes out in me with a desire to write poetry. I admit, it isn't much on the scale of poetic excellence. It probably rises to a two out of ten (if that). But it gives me pleasure and I hope it pleases you as we celebrate the octave time after Epiphany. There are several different forms of the sonnet, but I focus on the English form of three four-line stanzas and a couplet.

Trying to Walk Back Fiducia supplicans (FS)

You know you can trust this man to tell you the truth, right?

In the face of worldwide condemnation of Fiducia supplicans (FS) (sadly very little from the United States), Vatican doctrinal chief Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernández, has issued a five-page press release of gobbledy-gook to "clarify" the document. Reading it put me in mind of a vulgar joke which seems particularly à-propos:

When Will the USCCB Come Out in Opposition to the Scandalous Fiducia Supplicans?

Don't hold your breath! This is their pathetic response in answer to the Pope's latest blasphemy against God:

WASHINGTON - In response to the Declaration “Fiducia supplicans” (FS) issued by the Vatican’s Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith today, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) offered the following statement from its spokesperson, Chieko Noguchi, executive director of public affairs.

“The Declaration issued today by the Vatican’s Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF) articulated a distinction between liturgical (sacramental) blessings, and pastoral blessings, which may be given to persons who desire God’s loving grace in their lives. The Church’s teaching on marriage has not changed, and this declaration affirms that, while also making an effort to accompany people through the imparting of pastoral blessings because each of us needs God’s healing love and mercy in our lives.”

Weepy, Vituperous Fr Edward Beck

https://www.tiktok.com/@thewilhelmina/video/7314404920847846687

Here's a question for Catholics. If Bergoglio and priests such as Fr Edward Beck succeed in their married priests agenda, and the Church is now blessing homosexuals, does that mean liberals want married homosexual priests like the Anglican Church? Of course it does! since there's no such thing as celibacy in the homosexual world. Can we look forward to women's ordination and married lesbian priestesses? Of course we can!

"Out of Africa I have Called My Son!" The African Bishops Resist Francis and His Same-Sex Blessings!

This video shows exactly what the blessings of "irregular" unions is all about. Don't be fooled; it's about further attacking Christ's teaching on sexual morality. There is not one thing in the document about conversion and repentance. I've read it and it's a deliberate undermining ot the faith. Fr. Martin illustrates that in spades! Note how he talks about the homosexual "couple" he blessed being "married for two years." That's simply a lie. Two same sex individuals cannot "marry." God defines marriage. Fiducia Supplicans is all about approving and normalizing sodomy, fornication, and adultery. Don't be fooled and don't let them fool your loved ones!

Has Worldly and Woke "Social Justice" Replaced the Gospel? A Reflection by Fr. Tom Collins...

Where exactly is this journey taking us? 

Editor's Note: Fr. Tom Collins raises some serious issues about our modern culture and its woke leadership aided and abetted by Church leaders. Often the priorities that guide many of our shepherds seem to coincide with the very worst goals of liberalism. Are some of our bishops hirelings of the federal government with their hands out for the proverbial thirty pieces of silver? What do you think? Is Father Tom speaking with the voice of John the Baptist warning the religious leaders of our day, like John did the religious leaders of Jerusalem? Remember Ezekiel and his "woes" to the false shepherds. May they listen to his voice and repent lest their miters and staffs end up littering the floor of hell.

Apparently, "social justice" requires that federal agencies, such as the IRS, CIA, FBI, CDC, the Justice Department, the State Department and the EPA, prioritize the targeting, slandering and suppressing of Trump and his supporters above all other concerns.

Thus they feel empowered:

Good-bye 2023 and Welcome 2024!

 Begin the new year right with Mass and the rosary. 

It may be a new year, but it's still the Christmas season and a good time to think about the Star of Bethlehem and its role in announcing Christ's birth. Have you heard about The Star of Bethlehem documentary? It's a fascinating study about the origin of the star and the signs in the heavens both at the birth of the Lord and at his crucifixion. 

“I will display wonders in the sky." Joel 2:30 

Read about it here.