Year ago a friend sent me a Christmas ornament of Juan Diego. Today I put him and a small metal image of Our Lady on the Christmas tree. I love to reflect on the tender words of Mary to her little son:
“Listen, put it into your heart, my youngest and dearest son, that the thing that frightens you, the thing that afflicts you, is nothing: do not let it disturb you…Am I not here, I who am your Mother? Are you not under my shadow and protection? Am I not the source of your joy? Are you not in the hollow of my mantle, in the crossing of my arms? Do you need something more? Let nothing else worry you or disturb you.”
Today my husband and I will travel over the mountain to visit friends in Luray for lunch. Our friendship grew out of our connection through the Chesterton book club. Over the years it has deepened and we always laugh a lot and commiserate a little when we get together.
Do you pray to a God who is in heaven and distant from you? When you receive Jesus in the Holy Eucharist or go and worship Him in the tabernacle or monstrance, do you see Him as out there and over there?
Mary, Co-Redemptrix and Mediatrix of All Graces, is the Scourge of the Demons and Destroyer of all heresies. She is our twelve-star general and God has given her immense power against evil.
St. John the Baptist is a major Advent voice preparing the way for the birth of Jesus on Christmas day. Today, we heard in the Gospel (TLM) the moment, when in prison, John sent his disciples to ask Christ a question. "Shall we look for another?" I have no doubt that John already knew the answer to that question. So why did he ask it? I think he wanted to wean his disciples from himself and turn them to Christ. His "voice in the wilderness" was about to go silent and he wanted his little band of brothers to follow the One whose sandal he was not fit to unloose.
This post examines the final lecture by Henry Edward Cardinal Manning about the Crisis in the Holy See. Remember, he was writing near the end of the 19th century during the nationalistic upheavals in Europe, but history tends to repeat itself. Much in these four lectures can easily apply to our own time although the threats are coming from within the Church these days as much as outside. Check out my previous posts and read the entire document. The cardinal's prose is easy to understand and he turns often to the doctors of the Church and to well known theologians.
Lecture 1 - Introduction to the Crisis: the Revolt
I received this email yesterday from former General Assembly delegate Bob Marshall. Remember when the Richmond FBI sent agents out to see if those evil traditional Catholic terrorists were planning anything? Well, now the head spook is in charge. It looks like a tough four years coming. I haven't read the report yet, but plan to. Expect persecution; it's biblical! It's 1984 on Animal Farm and Big Sister will be the boss sow in the pigpen. Nevertheless, Pray, hope, and don't worry. With struggle comes strength.
Did you ever hire someone to do a job and found out later that it was slipshod or cut corners? Unfortunately that's happened to us more than once, sometimes, sadly, with a person we knew personally and thought was a friend. A rotting window sash was "replaced" by just covering up the rot. A paint job was so embarrassing I still look at it and shake my head.
I try to remember every morning -- when I sit up in bed and plant my feet on the floor -- to begin the day with a litany of gratitude. It was easy today. I thanked God for central heating (It's really cold this morning.) and for giving gifts to the inventors who've make our modern life so comfortable.
Every vaccinated individual participating in the study had amyloid microclots circulating in their bloodstream. "94% of all participants were vaccinated. 100% of these vaccinated individuals had amyloid microclots — including every 'healthy control.'”
No tests were done to determine whether subjects ever had the actual COVID disease according to an article about the study by NICOLAS HULSCHER, MPH. The authors simply presumed it. But the data is inconclusive on that score because:
Life is often filled with challenges and sometimes they seem overwhelming. This has been a rough year for many reasons, so the other day, I just started singing a song from Auntie Mame. I definitely "need a little Christmas!" so we set up the tree. Larry dragged up the canvas bag and out came the pre-lit evergreen. We gave up on real trees about ten years ago when we just got too old and tired to deal with getting down on the floor to water it every day and cleaning up all the pine needles. I've never regretted it.
What is the "New Evangelization?" In light of Pope Francis scolding people for "proselytizing" and synodal clerics bragging about never baptizing an indigenous person, not to mention the messages that all faiths are paths to salvation....what exactly is the "New Evangelization?" Is there such a thing? Do we find it in Abu Dhabi with its monuments to Judaism, Islam, and, by the way, Christianity?
Cremation jewelry? Christmas tree ornaments?
Hey! You can hang Nana on your Christmas tree. Or how about wearing Daddy around your neck or in ear rings.
A locket with hair is one thing, but wearing the ashes of the dead in a pendant?
We are certainly living in a weird world.
To read my post on Lecture 1 go here.
On to Lecture 2!
In his second lecture on The Present Crisis in the Holy See, Cardinal Manning focuses on the nature of the Antichrist. At the time, some writers claimed that the Antichrist would not be an individual person, but a corporate group or spirit. Refuting that belief, the cardinal looked to the number of Apostles, Fathers of the Church, etc. who disputed that interpretation. He quotes St. Robert Bellarmine saying, “All Catholics hold that Antichrist will be one individual person.”...the Fathers, with unanimous consent, teach as undoubted, that Antichrist will be a Jew.2 Ribera repeats the same opinion, and adds that Aretas, St. Bede, Haymo, St. Anselm, and Rupert affirm that for this reason the tribe of Dan is not numbered among those who are sealed in the Apocalypse.3 Wiegas says the same, quoting other authorities.4 And this will appear probable, if we consider that the Antichrist will come to deceive the Jews, according to the prophecy of our Lord: “I am come in My Father's name, and you receive Me not : another will come in his own name, him you will receive;” which words are interpreted by the Fathers with one consent of the false Messias, who shall pass himself off upon the Jews as the true. And this, again, is the unanimous interpretation of the Fathers, both of the East and of the West, as St. Cyril of Jerusalem, St. Ephrem Syrus, St. Gregory Nazianzen, St. Gregory Nyssen, St. John Damascene, and also of St. Irenaeus, St. Cyprian, St. Jerome, St. Ambrose, and St. Augustine.https://www.britannica.com/topic/spiritualism-religion
We all have our favorite books that we think everyone should read, both novels and non-fiction. I could probably name a hundred that I think need to be on your Don't Miss This! list. Why? Because they help us understand what's going on in the world and how to respond to it. I'll start with only ten of my favorite books in a two-part post. Every one is worth reading more than once and reflected upon. Each has prophetic elements that strike the tocsin, the warning bell. We would do well to pay attention!
Are these abortions safe, legal, and rare? Legal, yes, in most places. And even in states where they aren't, little can be done to stop them. Are they rare? No. In 2023, the estimate was that six out of ten abortions (600,000 or more) were by pill.
I recently came across the quote above from Cardinal Manning. Frankly, I never quite trust anything I see in a Facebook meme, so I looked for the source. The cardinal's statement appeared in a collection of lectures:
The hypocrisy of the Left never fails to astound me, although at this point it shouldn't. If a leftist opens his/her/it's/theirs/cis/xyr/etc. mouth, he/she/they/etc. is either lying, spouting a stream of obscenities, or engaging in a tsunami of hypocrisy.
A West Virginia state senator, Chris Rose, is floating a proposal to invite 27 Virginia counties and several from Maryland to secede. I am so ready to join the great state of West Virginia! Now that would be a marriage made in heaven: the lovers of Virginia embracing the freedom-loving patriots of West Virginia! Not only that, my husband is a West Virginia boy and would love to call his birthplace home once again. Bring it on!
Marriage in the Jewish religion involved two stages, the betrothal and the formal wedding ceremony. The betrothal bound the couple in a covenantal relationship which could not be broken except by divorce. While the couple did not live together, they were married. Let me repeat that. Mary and Joseph were married! The later wedding ceremony ratified the relationship. After the formal marriage, the bride moved in with her spouse and they consummated the marriage.
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| Alaric escorts the Christian treasures of Rome to safety at Saint Peter's Basilica during the Gothic sack of AD 410. |
The United States prepares to celebrate 250 years of existence. [See the White House announcement.] Drag out the flags and bunting and decorate the house! But is the primary song to be sung, Happy Birthday, or will it be a Dies Irae for our funeral?
First Notre Dame
Is there anything shameful the administration at Notre Dame won't do? They gave Barack Obama, the most pro-abortion, divisive, bigoted president in history (Am I exaggerating?) an honorary law degree and the privilege of being their 2009 commencement speaker. Obama's entourage met a crowd of protesters including a friend of mine who was arrested and had to spend the next year traveling back and forth from Texas to deal with the draconian tactics used against those arrested some of whom weren't even on campus. President John Jenkins, the baby-faced villain of that debacle is gone, but Notre Dame continues on its pathetic and anti-Catholic trajectory.
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| Writing an "I'm thankful" message on the holiday tablecloth. |
Thanksgiving approaches. For many it's just a day of gluttony: food for the belly and football for the eyes -- two f words. Throw in a third -- no not that one -- fun. For many that's the meaning of life. Find all the fun you can in food, frolicking and you know what.
Celery soup is a staple in a number of recipes I make regularly. Cheesy potatoes occupies a regular place on the Sunday brunch table and it calls for a can of cream of chicken soup. I always used celery soup instead. Now I make my own. I also like tomato soup and used to gourmet-up canned soup with tomato chunks, basil, wine, and some other herbs. Now I make it from scratch.
The understanding of integral man as a covenantal being helps to bring into focus the profound spirit of self-abnegation (kenosis) to which God the Son committed Himself in the sacred mysteries of the Incarnation and Redemption (It needs to be emphasized here that the Incarnation and Redemption are sacred mysteries, and not merely sacred historical events. As mysteries, they continue to engage and transform humanity throughout all of history). If God originally created man as a covenantal being, then the mystery of the Incarnation would require that God the Son take to Himself a covenantal human nature. In such a nature, the work of redemption is a covenantal mission and ministry. (It should be noted that this covenantal human nature, which God the Son embraced, was in stark contrast to the more aloof and hermetically-sealed type of spirituality embraced by many of the Pharisees) And it is shared in such a way that both Jesus and His beloved disciples participate in the struggles, sufferings, frustrations and glorification involved in the mystery of human redemption from the power of sin.
Yesterday, I mentioned an article by Chloe Mastour at Chronicles. I'm re-reading it this morning because I think it's so important. It exposes a serious problem in our society -- humanity's submission to shallow consensus thinking. We saw it during COVID. How many people actually did the research on what was essentially an experimental therapy that we see now damaged the immune system and crossed the brain/blood barrier to wreak havoc on the population. [That statement will no doubt get me censored by the Blogger blathering fact checkers. So I'm posting at Substack where people can provide evidence without the facts being labeled misleading and a violation of B's woke guidelines.]
Conservatism Amid the Signal Flood
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| Stop and think! |
Wow! Too true!
What author Chloe Mastour describes isn't just evident in political disagreements. It seems to be the default position today in many areas and is particularly evident on social media. Many adopt fixed and unchangeable positions. No amount of reasoned argument can touch them. And sometimes those with opposite views, are equally fixed and unchangeable.
I double post these days because of Blogger's censorship. Check out my free Substack website.
I'm reading the recent document on the Blessed Mother released by the Vatican Dicastery of the Doctrine of the Faith. If you haven't heard of it yet, this document crushes the movement to declare Mary Coredemptrix and Mediatrix of All Graces. How low that office has fallen under its new prefect, the scandalous Cardinal Fernandez of kissing fame.
Readers can now see my posts on Substack which is friendlier than blogger. See this post there and please subscribe. A fellow member at Substack tells me they have never censored one of his posts. The B in Blogger stands for Bigot. If they dump me altogether, meet me at Substack.
Candidates who illustrate the assassination culture of the Democrat party swept Virginia yesterday. New York and New Jersey did no better. As for California, Gavin Newsom got the green light to gerrymander the state before the midterms to secure and maintain Democrat seats at the national, state and local levels.
What now?
Lesbian woman's outrage against Muslim immigrants in the U.S. goes viral after Pride parade ban.
Silly woman, are you so totally ignorant of Islam that you didn't know they execute homosexuals in many countries where they rule? Poor lady feels betrayed because she helped them get all the goodies paid for by the taxpayers and this is her reward. She will no doubt be happy when they crack down on Christians, but her alphabet allies? That's a horse of a rainbow color.
Let the true patriots win.
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| Jason Miyares |
Well, the gurus at this platform got me again for two articles which were removed. One was about the Church and Twilight Zone. Was it this photo that initiated the censorship?
If you read Blogger's guidelines, they can censor anything at all no matter how truthful, non-violent, and accurate it is. You can read their guideline policy here and note that they can turn anything into "hate speech" or "misleading content."
This particular post got a lot of viewers coming from Canon212 which may have triggered the censorship. Did some readers of a certain persuasion complain? I'm sure they found it offensive. God forbid that we should tell the truth about intrinsic moral evils that endanger the souls of those who engage in such sins.
FreeRepublic posted the article here, so it's still on the internet. I wish I were more tech savvy. I'd switch to a different platform. I've started using substack, but things don't post the same way and I haven't learned how to use it as easily as I could use blogger. I'm one of those old dogs who has a hard time learning new tricks.
We'll see if this post stays up. Meanwhile, anyone coming from Canon 212 or any other site that linked to the ariticle will get a not found message.
I'd appreciate a few prayers that I can continue this little writing apostolate if it is pleasing to God and helpful to those trying to practice the faith according to the will of God.
May Jesus Christ be praised!
I came across the phrase "wickedness in the high places" this morning while I was reading the meditation for the day in Benedictus. We're certainly seeing plenty of that these days. Earlier this week I blogged about the queer Mass in Germany aired on the diocesan website. The "presider" priest may not occupy a high place in the diocese, but his bishop does. And that Mass was, indeed, wicked and scandalous.
Lite foods may be fine for dieters, but does lite spiritual food really nourish the soul? Today being All Saints Day, my husband and I went to the early low Mass at the Linden Chapel. Yesterday I asked someone what time they were going to Mass on the "Holy Day of Obligation." She reminded me that it isn't a holy day because the feast fell on a Saturday and when they fall on Saturdays or Mondays the obligation is lifted.
Reading the Epoch Times is always an adventure. I come across many excellent articles and often clip them to send to family members. This morning the article that caught my eye was advice to parents of children not to let their family responsibilities prevent working on their couple relationship. I sent it to a granddaughter who is expecting her second little one. They are in the busy-busy days of married life.
She and her husband are blessed to live near both of their families and there are abundant baby sitters who would love cuddling the little ones. I never had that. Both sets of parents were too far away to be very helpful. We were pretty much on our own and since I was raised in a frequently moving Navy family I had no local support group. We gradually developed one through Christian Family Movement and church, but that's not the same as family.
I spent years focused on pro-life volunteering. For about twenty years I sidewalk counseled almost every week at an Alexandria abortion business located right next to Bishop Ireton High School within a stone's throw of the Eucharist. The other place I counseled for years was in Falls Church within a stone's throw of the Eucharist at St. James. Sad to say both of these Catholic locales adopted the strategy of the three monkeys. Don't look at the abortion facility, don't listen to the silent screams of the babies murdered, and say nothing. Just keep out of it following a strategy of appeasement.
Would any normal person do what's described in the article below? Are Democrats aliens in disguise trying to destroy our children?
Wisconsin mom 'seething' after Democrats give her 8-year-old son a chilling bracelet calling for Trump's death.
Dymphna describes Chris Jackson at Hiraeth in Exile as being "on fire." She is too and her most recent posts are must reads. We live in challenging times. We have a pope with an engaging personality who is apparently morally bankrupt and cares very little for either the flock or the faith. We have a president with an obnoxious personality who obviously cares about Americans and talks about Christ more than many preachers do. Ah, but he is no gentleman. I agree, but I'll take a vulgar man who acts more like a shepherd against the wolves than a highly polished smooth talker who covers his wolfness with a sheepskin. Read Dymphna's posts and be sure to click on the link to see Chris Jackson's expose on the "Prophet of Perversion" recently praised by the pope. Did the Vatican learn nothing from the clerical sex abuse scandals? Dymphna and Chris serve us all by being watchmen on the tower blowing the warning trumpet. May God bless them both and may their tribe increase! Ignorance is anything but bliss these days!
You Need to Read This
Depo-Provera - No Birth, No Control, and Apparently Cancer
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| Do liberal hippies ever grow up? |
Liberals have always loved their kings (and messiahs). They actually mourn when their kings are defeated in political battle. I remember my liberal, pro-choice aunt crying when George W. Bush was elected. I voted for him, but was no big fan. He was never the brightest bulb in the presidential lightbulb box. When she told me how devastated she was, I shrugged, told her my candidates rarely won and I was never upset. Why not? Because I put my trust in the King of Kings not men. There are plenty of real things to mourn. Your candidate losing an election is not one of them.
Mrs. Mary Ann Ann Kreitzer
1216 Mill Rd
Woodstock, VA 22664-2322
Dear Mrs. Kreitzer:
Sometimes what isn't being talked about is the most important issue in an election. I wrote previously about two amendments to the Virginia constitution that are a serious danger to the family and especially to girls. They must be stopped and it would also send a strong message to the Democrats in the general assembly that we refuse to be a garbage dump for their lies, manipulation, and evil proposals! Virginia's proposed Reproductive Freedom amendment is a weapon of mass destruction. Bob Marshall, former state delegate warns voters about this evil bill that will be on the ballot in 2026 if Democrats can arrange it. A more accurate name for this bill is the RAPE Amendment for Rape Allowed for Pedophiles and Ephebophiles.
Virginia’s “Reproductive Freedom” amendment: Beware!
When the world seems to be falling into chaos and tribulation, that is exactly when we need to embrace the virtue of hope! When everything seems to be out of kilter and the earth under our feet seems more like quicksand, that is exactly when we need to turn up the volume on hope!
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| SSPX Chapel in Linden, Virginia decorated for Christmas 2024 |
NEWS Democrats are now heading to a luxury resort in Napa Valley in the middle of the shutdown for a fundraiser, plus a wine tour. Hotel Yountville rooms go for up to $1,100 a night. Part of the itinerary also includes a wine-tour and dinner at the high-end Staglin Family… pic.twitter.com/RFRH5njzbf
— Elizabeth MacDonald (@LizMacDonaldFOX) October 12, 2025
Anyone who votes for the Democrats these days should realize that they are putting themselves in danger. If you divert a millimeter from their radical agenda you are a "threat to democracy" and a target appears on your back. Let's look at just a few ways the Democrats violate the constitutional rights of the American people -- not just their political enemies, but anyone more conservative than their pro-abortion, pro-homosexual, pro-trans, pro-Marxist base.
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| Should you let them give your newborn that jab? |
The question now is...What will the scientific community do? Yesterday I posted the documentary, An Inconvenient Study. showing the negative consequences of vaccination which can cause death and irreversible health problems. It was suppressed leading to this question:
Did the Zervos study authors do the right thing by remaining silent when they found that vaccines are injuring kids worldwide?
Marcus Zervos had an opportunity to tell the truth and to be a role model for scientists worldwide that telling the truth is the right thing to do. He had an opportunity to save the lives and health of millions of kids. He chose to keep his job instead, even though he was near retirement.
