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. 

There is a Moral Duty to Vote! Get Ye to the Polls!

Editor's note: Yesterday Archbishop Vigano released a letter to the voters of America. He was the papal nuncio of the United States from October 2011 until April 2016. Presumably he became very familiar with the situation here during that time. While I don't agree with everything the archbishop has done, I believe he is a Catholic prelate with a true love for the faith and a desire to clean up the mess caused by the influence of termites into the sanctuary of the Church.

Will the Real Science Deniers Please Stand Up!

Evidence of damage from the COVID jabs, falsely labeled as vaccines, continues to mount. We live in a culture that hates children. The woke tyrants in power happily murder babies in the womb, mutilate gender-confused children, attack parental rights so they can control the future by brainwashing the kids. It's horrifying. And what they did during COVID was criminal. And they knew it! They ridiculed real doctors as science deniers and manipulated the public to attack those who refused the Kool-Aid. Read this from the Frontline Doctors and weep for the children and young adults who continue to die suddenly from heart-related damage inflicted on them by Fauci and his team of liars:

Jabs Exposed: Major Heart Damage to Kids   — SHOTS LED TO SEVERE HEALTH RISKS

Reaping the Whirlwind: Abortion is on the Ballot in Ten States!

I received this email today from Chris Bell in New York who has spent his life protecting little ones in the womb and offering aid and shelter to their moms. His wife, Joan Andrews Bell, is currently in jail for offering help to women at abortion killing centers. The proposal on the New York ballot is just one of many popping up across the country. Maryland's question one would enshrine abortion and other sex-related issues in the state constituttion. Abortion is on the ballot in ten states: Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Maryland, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New York, and South Dakota. Murder of the innocent is one of the sins that cries to heaven for vengeance. Fight these evil propositions if you live in these states or know someone who does.

Vote “NO” on PROPOSAL ONE

(Called the Equal Rights Amendment is anything but.)

Remembering My Dad with Gratitude

Yesterday was my dad's birthday. He was born in 1917, the first of five children born to Raymond Michael Schneider and Marie Zurlinden Schneider in Cleveland, Ohio. His dad, my grandfather, was an organist who played in vaudeville for the silent movies and later was organist at St. James Catholic Church in Lakewood where his men and boys' choirs became well known. He taught his own children to play and Daddy played the organ later for the Catholic community at the Naval Academy when he was student there and for St. Augustine's in Elkridge, MD after he retired.

In 2009 my brother, Ray Jr. (now deceased), posted this on his blog:

Raymond John Schneider — Dad

Ray's first ship was USS DETROIT, which was at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. DETROIT subsequently transported the Philippine Government's gold and silver monetary reserve, which had been removed from Corregidor by submarine, from Honolulu to San Francisco.

What's Wrong with the World?

What's wrong with the world?

G. K. Chesterton famously responded to that question with two words.

I AM!

From the Lunacy Files -- Don't let it rob you of hope and trust in God's goodness and mercy!

Sometimes when I read things that are happening in this poor country I just shake my head and lament:

• Are they really that stupid? 

• Or...are they really that evil? 

• Or...Do we live on the same planet?

Remember the old Twilight Zone show on TV? Every episode was introduced by Rod Serling with this come on:

What If...? Questions I'm Thinking About Today...

 

What if...:

• ...people spent less time complaining and more time saying, "Thank you?"

• ...people recognized that all suffering is used by God to bless us instead of bewailing their fate and being angry at God?

The Echo of Wedding Bells: A Blessing from Heaven!

 Hear the mellow wedding bells,

Golden bells!

What a world of happiness their harmony foretells!

Through the balmy air of night

How they ring out their delight!...

Oh, from out the sounding cells,

What a gush of euphony voluminously wells!

How it swells!

How it dwells

On the Future! how it tells

Of the rapture that impels

To the swinging and the ringing

Of the bells, bells, bells....

Our granddaughter married a wonderful man last Saturday. What a joyous bell-ringing celebration a wedding is! It gathered friends and family from far and wide. I saw two of my nieces for the first time in several years and had a chance to catch up since we sat at the same table. 

Before we left for the wedding, I was sick, which caused us to delay our departure for a day. Happily I recovered enough to go after dosing up with Vitamins C and D and drinking a disgusting immunity tea recommended by a friend. 

Is a Vote for Trump Formal Cooperation with Evil?

A discussion came up in the comment section yesterday on the Tulsi Gabbard post about whether a Catholic commits a mortal sin by voting for Trump. You can read the discussion here. It started with a priest preaching that you can never vote for a candidate who supports an intrinsic moral evil. The reader who commented raised the question of whether the fact that Trump has endorsed IVF and even inserted it into the GOP platform disqualifies him from the Catholic vote. Correct me if I'm wrong, Aqua. 

Hmmm...True or false?

I did not hear the sermon so I can't comment on that; I only have the reader's brief description. Did the priest explain the distinction between formal and material cooperation with evil? That's where the rubber meets the road, I think. 

Sunday Meditation from Trustful Surrender to Divine Providence

“Far from being prejudicial to you, your failures, insofar as they give you the opportunity of submitting to His Will, will be as it were a monument to your perseverance in God’s service, and the more numerous they have been, the more glorious will be their witness to your perseverance.”

Love is Patient; Love is Kind....

As regular readers know, I decided to meditate on 1 Corinthians 13, St. Paul's admonition on love, until the new year of 2025 (and perhaps beyond). The focus on patience has gone on for about two weeks. I'll be working on being patient until I die, of course, but last Sunday my husband and I had to practice patience big time and we did it fairly well.

Tulsi Gbbard Nailed It....

When she describes her reasons for leaving the Democrat whore-house she succinctly nailed the disaster that the party has become. Read her commentary and, if you're Catholic and Democrat, isn't it time to leave too? She doesn't mention abortion, but in 2020 when Tulsi was still a Democrat, she introduced two pro-life bills. That took courage in a party that cancels any politician who won't embrace their abortion sacrament. Let's pray that many other Democrat politicians follow her example.

Hey, it’s Tulsi Gabbard.

Study History and Fight the Ugly Americans among Us!

"Rachel" Levine and Sam Brinton, are among the "ugly Americans" destroying our country.

Have you ever read The Ugly American? You should. It details failed U.S. foreign affairs around the world due to greedy, corrupt, ignorant, and incompetent ambassadors and foreign service members. The way elitists are assigned plum roles around the world reminds me of Cromwell and his stooge, Richard Rich, in The Man for All Seasons. Some things never change. Power continues to corrupt and many are willing to sell their souls for both power and money.

Vote for the Party that Inflicts the Lesser Harm -- Pope John Paul II

Before I get into today's post I offer this example of Kamala's contempt for the Founding Fathers as she rewrites the Declaration of Independence to leave out the "right to life." Are we surprised? Her liberal extremism and rabid commitment to the murder of the innocent through all nine months of pregnancy should make her anathema to Catholics. Real Catholics can't support this champion of child killing and child mutilation! The Democrats' hatred for parents and the family is on display daily.

And now to go on....

Bishop Bernard Tissier de Mallerais Dies

The SSPX has released the death notice for Bishop Tissier who died today at 10:08 p.m. in Econe, Switzerland. You can see the announcement here which links to the pdf with brief biographical information. His biography of Archbishop Marcel LeFebvre is a tour de force that will live after him. It is a tremendous resource relating the history of the crisis in the Church and the archbishop's heroic defense.

May Bishop Tissier rest in the peace of the Lord and rejoice in meeting his dear friend, Marcel. 

Repose en paix avec le Seigneur.

Pray for Bishop Tissier de Mallerais and for the SSPX

SSPX bishop, Bernard Tissier de Mallerais, took a serious fall about a week ago and has not regained consciousness. Please pray for him and for the SSPX bishops and priests.

Two Great Videos from the Trump Campaign

 Check them out on Mundabor's blog. And here's one more. Pray for the happy repose of the soul of Corey Comperatore and for the comfort of his family.

Check out some photos from the massive rally here.

Do You Think Cultural Collapse in the West is an Accident?

Think again. 

A few days ago I began rereading the novel Victoria: a Novel of 4th Generation War by William Lind under the pen name Thomas Hobbes. The blurb at Amazon describes the book saying:

Victoria is more than a conventional novel and involves considerably more than mere entertainment. In much the same way Atlas Shrugged was the dramatization of a particular philosophical perspective, Victoria is the dramatization of a new form of modern war that is taking shape as the state gradually loses its four-century monopoly on violence. It is a book that informs, even teaches, through example. And sometimes, the lessons are very harsh indeed.

Sunday Meditation: Still Working on Patience

Surprise! I'm still working on patience and, as I wrote in a previous post, it's essential to be patient with ourselves as well as others. Practicing patience with myself can increase my patience with others. I'll give a concrete example. Once when I was praying for patience, I caught a spoon in the garbage disposal and had to call a repairman to come and get it out. That spoon was jammed so tight I couldn't budge it and neither could my husband. I was embarrassed, but the kind repairman showed me how to use a broom handle as a lever to turn the disposal. Fortunately, I've never needed to use that strategy again and we are now on a septic system with no garbage disposal, so I'm safe from that mistake. But I still make plenty of others, new opportunities to be patient with myself.

Serendipity: the Art of Happy Accidents

My husband and I spent the last six days with our youngest and her family celebrating our dual anniversaries. Larry and I chatted for the past few months about whether to do something special for our 55th. Trips have become a rare adventure for us. Driving long distances seems like too much trouble and neither of us wants to fly any more. Between the sardine can experience on the plane and the rude and crude treatment by the TSA, we'd rather go to the dentist. Our last significant trips were one for our 50th anniversary when we drove to the Great Smoky Mountains with another daughter and her husband and a trip to Sandbridge in 2021 for a beach week. In the Smokies we stayed in a charming air B and B with a Lord of the Rings theme complete with a cardboard Gandalf. Both of those trips were family events which always doubles the fun.

Melania: Beauty is Skin Deep

 Today my husband and I celebrate our 55th wedding anniversary. Sad to say, one of the first things I saw this morning were excerpts from Melanie Trump’s soon-to-be-released memoir. Her position on abortion reads like a Planned Parenthood ad. It reeks of selfishness and god-like autonomy and pride. All I could think was poor, selfish, silly woman. Beauty is skin deep; what about your soul? How many of your children did you kill? When a woman is that adamantly pro-abortion, one can’t help wondering if guilt is behind it. I’ve met many women justifying their abortions with abortion advocacy. I’ll be praying for Melania’s conversion.

Fr. Chad Ripperger's Prayer for the Outcome of the Election

Our Lady of Sorrows, pray for us who have recourse to Thee.

Mary Immaculate, living tabernacle of the Divinity, where the eternal Wisdom lies hidden to be adored and served by angels and men, Queen of heaven and of earth, beneath whose sway are subject all things that are lower than God, Patroness of the United States of America, sorrowful and mindful of our own sinfulness and the sins of our nation, we come to Thee, our refuge and hope.

Medjugorje,: Good Fruit from an Ambiguous Tree?

I visited Medjugorje in the early 90s with a friend. We'd spent two weeks exploring Ireland and she wanted to make a return visit to Medjugorje. She had been practicing the Wednesday and Friday fasts and attributed her return to the faith to Medjugorje. So we joined a group of Irish pilgrims and spent the last week of our trip in the little village which was already beginning to experience a tourist boom. 

Does a Heretical Pope Lose His Office?

Despite his many material heresies, the cardinal said in an interview last year that Francis
 has not committed formal heresy and that, even if his election was flawed,
acceptance of Francis as pope has made up for it. 

There's been quite the disagreement about whether or not Pope Francis is really pope. Lots of people say he's not for varying reasons, especially the sedevacantists. Here are some of those reasons:

• His election was invalid.
• He's made some heretical statements.
• St. Robert Bellarmine says a heretic can't be the pope and he's a heretic.
• He pals around with those who embrace intrinsic moral evils.
• He's mean and nasty.
• Whatever.....

Looking for Your next Good Read?

 I just finished reading The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson. It’s a historical fiction about the pack horse librarians who traveled the Kentucky wilderness of Appalachia to bring reading materials to far flung often isolated patrons. It also focuses on the “blues” whose congenital blood disease turned their skin blue from lack of oxygen. 

Random Thoughts for Monday

• When a man defends a woman's "right to choose," I always wonder how many women he's used as a sex object and how many times he's hired a serial killer abortionist to kill his children.

• Following your conscience makes sense only if you have an informed conscience. For some people, following their conscience is like hiring a guide who's blind, deaf, and dumb to lead them to their destination. 

Sunday Meditation: Turning Catastrophes in our Lives into Eucatastrophes

                                                                                               

Those who visit here regularly know that I'm a big fan of the Epoch Times. I especially appreciate their Life and Tradition section and always read it carefully. I often clip articles for a grandchild or a friend to tuck into a letter. So much joy overflows those pages and I learn a lot as well.

A few days ago I was catching up on back issues and found a wonderful quote from an article by Jeff Minick who lives in my own neck of the woods. One day I'd love to meet him. The article was titled The Boons and Blessings of Eucatastrophe.

If you're like me, you've never heard that word before. It was invented by J.R.R. Tolkien and described in his essay On Fairy Stories. Tolkien defined eucatastrophe as "the joy of the happy ending: or more correctly of the good catastrophe, the sudden joyous 'turn.'" He called the Resurrection the greatest eucatastrophe possible!

Time Out for a Digression on Word Expressions

I'm always fascinated to discover the origins of expressions. Where did the expression, for example, mind your Ps and Qs come from? Some are obvious and based on common sense. How much thinking does it take to realize the meaning of "A stitch in time saves nine." Every seamstress knows that. And then there are those relating to the company we keep. "One bad apple can spoil the whole barrel." or "Birds of a feather flock together." My mom used those expressions warning about the importance of choosing friends wisely.

Be Patient with Others, but First with Yourself!

This post continues my reflection on the virtue of patience which I've discussed here, here, and here. It may take me a long time to plumb the depths of this difficult virtue. 

I was reminded of patience in a recent conversation with a soccer coach I know.  He described one of his young players as being very hard on himself. Whenever the lad makes a mistake on the field he berates himself with self condemning statements. I don't know exactly what he says, but I can imagine, since many of us are also quick to condemn ourselves for our mistakes. Can you hear the refrain in your head?