To Teach the Children

 

Today is the feast day (in the traditional calendar) of St. Jean Baptiste De La Salle, founder of the Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools and patron saint of teachers. He founded free schools for the poor and teachers institutes to train those who would form the minds and hearts of little ones. His apostolate, like that of St. John Bosco later, was often attacked, especially by those who thought the poor should be raised only in trades and manual labor. His congregation focused on "lay" brothers who were not going to be priests, but whose work was to be in the classroom. 

Camp Kreitzer is Going to the Dog

Not Scooby!

It's been a few years since we had a dog, and probably wouldn't have one now except for 
the fact that one of our daughter's four dogs is jealous of her baby. Scooby, a little yorkie poo, doesn't like the little one to sit on Mom's lap. He also gets into it with the other three dogs, especially Rocket, a male miniature dachshund. So Scooby has moved in with the two old folks whose quiet life seems to be good for him -- except for one thing -- he doesn't get enough exercise. Five or six calm walks a day don't make the grade and Scooby is an escape artist. 

If you open the door even a little, he's out and gone down the road. It's amazing how fast those little legs can go. We were doing fairly well avoiding the escapes until the past few days when he darted by me twice rejoicing in freedom. I certainly was not rejoicing as I took off after him thinking, "Old age and road races don't go together." On the other hand, I had a chance to visit with several neighbors who participated in the rescue.

The Life of a Busy Bee (and Beekeeper)

I thought I'd share today a little about one of the hobbies my husband and I enjoy. We've been keeping bees for about ten years. At one point we had six hives, but had a bear attack on Spy Wednesday night and spent Holy Thursday putting up an electric fence. We knew the bears would be back that night to raid the candy shop again. 

This season we have three hives and that's enough work for two old people. It also gives us more than enough honey to use and share.

Anchored in Charity: Monday Morning Musing

Thoughts for the day:

I often check LifeSiteNews in the morning. Today I read John Henry Weston's commentary. I love the phrase he used, "anchored in charity." Imagine a world where all of us anchor our little boats with charity! Check out the article. It's short but pithy.:

Toward a more excellent way: speaking the truth in charity 

Sunday Meditation: Real Catholicism is This!

One of my readers left a link to a good sermon that outlines how we should respond to the pope. I found it personally challenging and a bit of a reprimand. The unnamed priest talks about "real Catholicism." He begins by making the distinction between the two ways the pope speaks, the first as the authoritative head of the Church expressing Catholic truth that is binding on the flock. 

Some Good Signs about the New Pope. Let Us Not Leap to Negative Judgment!

This episode from the series about the conclave and the new pope is well worth watching. Robert Royal feels some optimism about the election of Cardinal Robert Prevost because of his selection of the name, etc. "You can be in continuity with a previous pope and yet at the same time practice a sort of innovation," he said. That Pope Leo came out on the loggia wearing the traditional vestments (unlike Francis) was a big difference. 

Will Pope Leo Lead Us Away from the Path of Confusion?

I pray so. It's no fun to be lost, not to know which way to turn, even to wonder whether up is down and down is up. How many pilots have crashed over that kind of spatial confusion?

It’s not an uncommon occurrence for pilots, especially in poor visibility, and it’s incredibly dangerous. According to the Federal Aviation Administration, between 5 percent and 10 percent of all aviation accidents are caused by spatial disorientation, and of those crashes, 90 percent are fatal.

Habemas Papam! Pope Leo XIV

White smoke this evening heralded the election of the first American pope, Cardinal Robert Prevost. He is the least American of all the U.S. cardinals having spent years in Peru as a missionary bishop. As head of the Dicastery for Bishops for the past two years, he is probably better known by more of the cardinals. Perhaps that played a role in his election. At any rate we have a pope, Leo XIV. 

No Pope Elected on the First Ballot. No Surprise. Keep Praying

 

Austin Ruse and The Coming Trumpian Pope

 An article worth reading:

The Coming Trumpian Pope 

                        by Austin Rose

Publisher’s Note: This article was published in Crisis Magazine on February 28, 2025 

FGF Books, 5/2/2025 — A meme is making the rounds: a bull in a china shop has destroyed every plate, saucer, and cup. We are asked, “Is this what you voted for?” As a matter of fact, it is.

It is also what I voted for in 2016. The problem in 2016 was that politicized Democrat Deep Staters in the FBI, DOJ, military, CIA, federal judiciary, and Congress were in that china shop and illegally prevented the bull from doing his work. And they were cheered on by a thoroughly corrupted gutter press.

And So It Begins....The World Waits for White Smoke!

This morning at 4:00 a.m. eastern time (10:00 a.m. in Rome) the cardinals gathered for Mass. They are now in the Sistine Chapel. All those not involved in the procedure have left and the cardinals are locked in. The first vote will take place this evening. Then there will be four votes daily, two in the morning and two in the evening, until a new pope is chosen heralded by the white smoke.

"The Conclave is Coming, The Conclave is Coming!"

We are on the cusp of a new day of faith or a new day of disaster. Will the successors of the St. Gallen Mafia succeed in placing a clone of Francis in Peter's chair? Or will we see a true shepherd with zeal for the faith and for the salvation of the flock be chosen? 

There is something providential about the week of the conclave beginning with the feast of St. Pope Pius V, one of the greatest reformer popes in the history of the Church. Catholic Online describes his papacy, both the accomplishments and mistakes:

Not Veggie Tales Silly Songs with Larry; But Les Femmes Silly Poems with Mary

I was cleaning off a hot spot in my kitchen this afternoon; (There are hot spots everywhere in my house!) and came across a poem I started about books. I can't remember doing it, but it's my handwriting, so I must have. Maybe I wrote it in my sleep. I've always been absent-minded but this is ridiculous!

What triggered the creation? I have no idea -- perhaps my granddaughter's book bingo. Anyway, life is so serious these days, taking a few minutes of respite from all the craziness of the culture and the concern about the conclave appeals to me. If you feel the same way about books that I do, perhaps you'll enjoy this. And when you're done, Silly Songs with Larry is fun too.

Sunday Meditation: Baking Bread and Reflecting on the Bread of Life

One of my sisters (I have five) has sourdough mania. (That's actually the name of a book.) She came for a visit and brought us a loaf of her sourdough bread, which we enjoyed - delicious and beautiful. She experiments with making all kinds of recipes with both the sourdough starter and the sourdough discard.

If you are like me, you never heard of sourdough discard and perhaps have never experimented with making sourdough bread, so let me explain. When you first make the starter, you simply combine unbleached flour and filtered water in equal parts. You add the same amount every twelve hours for seven days leaving the mixture covered with a napkin or towel in a warm place. (I put it in the oven with the light on.) Each time you add the flour and water, you mix vigorously to add air. The starter picks up natural yeast from the air and ferments. On day seven your starter should be bubbly, doubled in bulk, with a sour smell. You "discard" all but half a cup and continue adding more flour and water once a day.

For Those Who Consider Themselves on the Side of the Angels. Are You Really?

Getty images

There are few human controversies: wars, feuds, marital strife, personal disagreements between friends, etc. where one side represents the angels and the other side the devils. Of course, sometimes individuals and groups deliberately align themselves with evil, a more serious situation. Terrorist and satanic groups (including freemasons), drug and sex trafficking cartels, etc. enthusiastically embrace evil. But even in those cases, the members often are a mixed bag. Only God knows the percentages of good and evil in a person's heart. Is there anyone on earth who has never done a good deed? I think that would be a hard case to prove in court. Jesus Himself made that clear through the words of St. Matthew:

Feast of St. Joseph the Worker

Thinking of and praying for St. Joseph's assistance is a great way to start the month of May, especially with the upcoming conclave to elect a new pope beginning on May 7th. St. Joseph served the little domestic Church of the Holy Family as its head. He guards the universal Church. 

Pray for Trump's Conversion on IVF Atrocity!

Trump is wrong on IVF—support restorative fertility instead

by Bob Marshall

President Donald Trump’s In Vitro Executive Order (2/18/2025), directing the federal government to expand access to IVF conception techniques, is the policy that most conservatives voted for Donald Trump “in spite of” rather than “because of”. Yes, his IVF EO supports social conservative goals, affirming “the importance of family formation and that our Nation’s public policy must make it easier for loving and longing mothers and fathers to have children.” And he also states, “As many as one in seven couples trying to have a baby are unable to conceive.”

But then President Trump wants an alliance between social conservative values and greater public access to current IVF practices which, in part, end up by consigning the “surplus population” of redundant IVF derived embryonic human beings to be used for human experimentation, frozen for possible future “implantation,” or unceremoniously discarded. [Read full article here...]

The Complex Picture of the Church and Pope Francis

The mainstream media has been gushing over Pope Francis making him their latest secular saint along with Margaret Sanger, George Floyd, Michael Brown, Trayvon Martin, and a host of other folks with, let's say, questionable histories. It doesn't take much to merit sainthood from that quarter. 

If you're pro-abortion, LGBTQ, black and killed by a white man, or fit into any other woke categories, the halo goes on immediately after death. Some get the halo earlier though, Barack Obama for example. 

Monday Morning Musing

The start of another week, one that will be stressful to say the least because of some medical interventions for my husband and myself. But I experienced a light-hearted moment of amusement this morning as I was praying. Thinking about what the Lord wants from me, the thought came: "Patience and perseverance." Well...Larry and I both certainly have challenges to both patience and perseverance, so working on those virtues is definitely good advice! I'll ask my guardian angel to keep me on target. Then I read the Mass for the day which honored St. Paul of the Cross who founded the Passionists.

Sunday Meditation: Come Holy Ghost, Fill the Hearts of the Cardinals

Some Catholics erroneously believe that the Holy Ghost chooses the pope. If that were true, one would have to wonder how competent He is in view of the number of corrupt, licentious and just plain bad popes that have filled the chair of Peter over the centuries. NO! The cardinals don't lose their free well when the doors of the conclave are locked. And anyone with open eyes saw the machinations behind the election of Jorge Bergoglio. The St. Gallen Mafia certainly didn't gather to pray the novena to the Holy Ghost for the next pope. They gathered as liberal church politicians intent on electing their man to turn the Catholic faith into one more modernist Protestant sect.

What's the Agenda Behind the Call to Pre-Conclave Meetings that Began Last Tuesday?

The pope's body was hardly cold before Cardinal Re began pre-conclave meetings. Is that even respectful? Fr. Murray brings up additional issues about the pope's legacy that I didn't include in my post earlier today, particularly Francis' attack on marriage and family. Watch it! 

The Catholic Herald's Article on Pope Francis -- Really?

The Arlington Catholic Herald's front page article on Pope Francis in the current issue (April 24 - May7) made me shake my head. Ridiculously one-sided and it totally ignored anything that might upset the instant canonization applecart. From headline to last sentence it turned the Francis papacy into the equivalent of a snake oil salesman's pitch for his magic elixir. It is typical since Vatican II to turn every funeral into an instant canonization process, so why shouldn't we expect that for the death of a pope? After all, every pope since Vatican II except Benedict was rushed through to instant sainthood. One is tempted to say it is all about canonizing the council.

We Are All Wounded Warriors. Let Us Go to the Great Physician for Healing!

Sometimes an article I read triggers awareness of a challenge in my own life or the life of someone I love. That happened this morning as I was reading Fr. MacRae's Divine Mercy for Doubting Thomas and Other Spiritually Wounded. My first thought on reading the title was that we are all spiritually wounded, some more than others. Unlike physical wounds, spiritual wounds can hide more easily. A cheerful disposition may mask deep pain, grief, and anxiety. The Roman martyrs went to their deaths singing, but can anyone doubt that they trembled with fear as they contemplated facing the beasts in the coliseum?

Get Real about the Christian Life! It's not Candyland!

Joy, fear and suffering represent the trilogy of the Christian life. We would all love it, wouldn't we, if every moment of our lives found us bubbling over with joy? Maybe some people have that expectation about the Christian life. Surely the prosperity gospel reeks of it; but it's a fairytale! There is no happily ever after this side of the veil at least as the world defines it. Everlasting joy will come only for those who love the Lord and persevere until the end. But to expect Easter joy without the passion and cross here on earth in our daily life is a pipe dream. Unless, of course, we embrace God's will in all its fullness and come to recognize joy in fear and suffering. Some of the saints surely did that; but how many of us even come close?

While the Media Canonizes Francis, Common Sense from Dr. Peter Kwasniewski

Peter Kwasniewski

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Pope Francis is dead. And there is no need to sugar-coat his departure with pious platitudes, as the mainstream catholic media will be doing ad nauseam ("a man with a shepherd's heart for the poor," etc.). In fact, I will try to limit my negative comments about this kind of autocanonization, familiar to us from six decades of Novus Ordo funerals. Time will be better spent in prayer and in reading deeper evaluations.

Let Us Pray for the Repose of the Soul of Pope Francis and for the Election of a Holy Pope.

The editor of OnePeterFive has a very interesting article speculating about the death of Pope Francis. Let us pray, his imaginary deathbed confession was true. It does not wipe away all the damage Francis did during his papacy, but perhaps it can spark in our hearts a desire for his salvation and a sense of compassion. 

The Era of Making a Mess is Over (At Least We Hope So!).

Pope Francis is dead. He died this morning. I've been doing my Monday chores praying for him. I threw in the wash remembering that he was once a newly baptized innocent babe clothed in the pure white garment. Did he wear the papal white in innocence and love for our Savior? Actions speak louder than words and so many of his actions were scandalous and ugly. Only God knows his eternal destiny.

Of Trump, Trolls, and Tedious Comments!

I must be getting old and crotchety. My patience for long-winded dissertations in the comment section has reached a low point. If you want to spend 500-1000 words illustrating your Trump derangement syndrome and trolling, start your own blog. And I'm not posting comments with a dozen links or buckets of rash judgment.

Alleluia! Jesus Christ is Risen!

Wishing all my readers the joys of this blessed and glorious season.

Oremus pro invicem!

Holy Saturday Rest

Good Friday Reflection by Fr. Tom Collins

Jesus Carries the Cross, Titian

Editor's comment: Father makes important points. I've highlighted the ones that struck me personally. We are living in challenging times, but times that can make us saints if we cooperate with God's grace. May we never forget that "All things work together for good to those who love the Lord and serve according to his purpose." So let us rejoice in the Lord always, especially when He allows us to participate in the salvation of the world by uniting our sufferings to His own. 

WE PROCLAIM CHRIST CRUCIFIED

by Fr. Tom Collins

The Triduum Begins: Read President Trump's Easter Message -- More Than a Bland Greeting!

This is pretty amazing! When the president sounds more like a Catholic bishop than many of our bishops you just have to say, "Wow!" I doubt if Blase Cupich, Wilton Gregory, Mark Seitz, Timothy Dolan, or most of our other bishops sound as Catholic as this during the Triduum. May God bless President Trump, Melania, and the administration and bring them all through our storming heaven into a complete desire to know Him, love Him, and serve Him. We especially beg for Trump's realization that IVF is a gross offense against God by abandoning the least of precious little ones. 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Spy Wednesday: The Betrayal of Judas Continues Today

Constantin Meunier c. 1860

Editor's comment: Spy Wednesday commemorates the day Judas betrayed Jesus to the pharisees for 30 pieces of silver. He already committed the sin before he planted that hypocritical kiss on Jesus' face. We have many Judases today among our shepherds, hirelings and even wolves in sheep's clothing. The history of the Cardinal McCarrick coverup doesn't shock anyone these days. We are too accustomed to the betrayal by powerful men in miters and tailored clerical suits and French cuffs. After all the empty talk about transparency, we continue to be deluged with lies and pompous pandering. The reaction of the bishops to the administration cutting off their gravy train is one more example of their dishonesty and self-serving hypocrisy. Fr. Gomulka has catalogued their abuse. Let us pray for their conversion and pray especially hard for the faithful bishops cancelled and/or disrespected by the pope and their woke brothers.

Victim Advocate’s Open Letter To U.S. Bishops

April 11, 2025 TagsSexual Abuse from Complicit Clergy by Gene Thomas Gomulka

Dear cardinals, archbishops, and bishops,

The mainstream media is having their usual hissy-fit over the firing of Vice Admiral Shoshana  Chatfield a few days ago. Most of the articles by the drive-bys don't discuss the reason. It took the alternative media to display the situation. This from [Your]News:

Monday of Holy Week: Are You a Christian?

Only Christians celebrate Holy Week, but is everyone who celebrates Holy Week really a Christian? I thought about that while reading a column by Msgr. Charles Pope in The Wanderer, Be Different, Be a Christian. I generally read Msgr. Pope's weekly article because he offers insightful and challenging thoughts that make me think. This particular column began:

Are you a Christian? Before you answer, consider these other questions: Do you love your enemy? Do you do good to them who hate you? The honest answers to these questions are at the very heart of Christianity and represent what distinguishes a Christian from others.

Sunday Meditation: If you want to go to hell, here's the Rx from "Dr." Voltaire

François-Marie Arouet (Voltaire)

It's hard to believe that anyone would actually seek to become an atheist and develop a program to turn belief into disbelief offering it as a prescription for hating God and His Church. Why? 

If you don't believe, why not just shrug and walk away? Why actively pursue hatred of the God in Whom you don't believe? Wouldn't it make more sense to pursue truth, goodness justice, mercy, etc.? Aren't those the most noble pursuits? And consider Voltaire's given name. His parents obviously dedicated him to Our Lady. His mother died when he was only seven. How sad that he did not turn to the Queen of Heaven.

To me, the idea that someone would desire and pursue hatred of a God in which he disbelieves is unfathomable. But that's what Voltaire not only did himself, but he advised others to do it as well. Where is Voltaire today one wonders in alarm. The loss of any soul for Whom Christ suffered and died is a tragedy. Let us pray that Voltaire, a brilliant but stupid man, repented in the end.

The Trump Administration is Pushing Back against the Woke Insanity!

I don't agree with everything Trump is doing, like the aggressive talk about taking over Greenland and Gaza, and, worst of all, his position on IVF. On the other hand, I'm cheering some of his anti-woke moves that push back against insanity with the truth. Let's take a look at a few. Check out these articles:

• Karoline Leavitt Announces Policy to Ignore Reporter Emails Containing Pronouns in Signatures: "The White House has now implemented a striking new media policy. Indeed, Trump’s administration will no longer respond to reporters who include preferred gender pronouns in their email signatures or bios.

Have You Been Praying the Daily Rosary This Lent?

Read the article below and consider the power of praying the rosary in union with Mary and the Holy Trinity and the angels and saints. Outside of the Mass there is no more effective prayer than the devotion of the Holy Rosary. If you aren't praying the daily rosary why not start this minute to enrich these last days of Lent? 

If you already pray the rosary, consider adding another set or at least another decade. What a blessing to pray the Sorrowful Mysteries every day contemplating the great love of Jesus who gave Himself up FOR YOU, not humanity in general, but FOR YOU -- personally. If you can't say an entire five-decade rosary, how about choosing one decade. It won't take you five minutes and you will be giving ten blows to the devil's head and ten kisses to a loving mother! Lent calls for us to focus on prayer, sacrifice, and almsgiving. Increasing your recitation of the rosary is a prayer that will bless these last days of Lent and the soon-to-begin triduum!

And now the article...

Music has charms to soothe a savage breast!

My sister is in a nursing home. She has signs of vascular dementia, but still knows who her visitors are and has an amazing memory for many things. One of the charming and funny experiences with her is that she makes surprising, and often hilarious, connections. One of the aides is named Priscilla. Whenever she comes in Jeanne tends to say "Priscilla Presley." The aide is a youngster; I'm not sure she even knows who Priscilla Presley is. 

Bad news for beekeepers!

 

Pope Francis and the New World Order Kenosis

Editor's Note: Fr. Collins wrote this at the beginning of the Synod on Synodality, but it is every bit as relevant today. The confusion among Catholics is rampant. I'm currently reading Archbishop Lefebvre's Open Letter to Confused Catholics which could have been written last night. I recommend it to anyone who wants to understand the current state of the Church, the gutting of all of her sacraments, the abuse of the Bride of Christ, and the absolute need to return to the faith of our Fathers. Confusion is always a sign of the devil. May we all seek the clarity of the authentic catechisms issued since the Didache, written in the late first or early second century. It's short and available online, a good place to start your catechism journey. Give us clarity, O Lord, in this age of chaos!

Pope Francis and the New World Order by Fr. Tom Collins

A Prescription for Peace of Soul from Dom Lorenzo Scupoli

I sometimes think the Valley of Tears into which we are born is like the Valley of Death described by Tennyson in The Charge of the Light Brigade. The devil surrounds us and we are "stormed at with shot and shell" at every moment of our lives. Often we suffer wounds that can fester. We need the great physician to bind them up and set us on a journey of healing which is manifested by our success at achieving peace of soul. And, believe it or not, that journey to good health requires a prescription of suffering. If we want to be well, if we want to achieve true internal peace, we need to accept and even rejoice at the suffering we receive. It's unavoidable and inevitable, so let us make the most of it!

Monday Morning Musing on Peace of Soul

What is one of the most important goals for the Christian striving to do God's will? ALWAYS maintain peace of soul. We all desperately need it, but how many are willing to do the hard work to achieve it.

The first step in examining anything is to understand what it is. So what exactly is peace of soul? When I have a question about faith, I often turn to Fr. John Hardon, that holy Jesuit who went to his eternal reward in 2000. I'll offer some of his insights from a sermon on Peace of Soul:

Sunday Meditation: To Whom Are You Listening?

Remember the old Disney cartoons showing Pluto with an angel whispering in one ear and a devil in the other. That's not too far off. Our guardian angel is always with us trying to give us good advice. But do we listen? Or are we so enamored by the noise of the world that we can't hear his voice, especially when the devil is booming in our other ear.

But it's not only our guardian angel who's trying to communicate with us. Good and holy shepherds also compete with the world, the flesh, and the devil for our attention. C.S. Lewis offered a masterful description of the devil's tactics in his Screwtape Letters. It's wise to know the enemy and how he works on you. One of his most powerful weapons is discouragement. You know, that little nagging maggot that runs an endless loop of negative messages:

Dymphna Pegged It: Uncle Ted is Dead. The Horror Continues....

Dymphna has a short post on the death of Theodore McCarrick. It's enough!    

UNCLE TED IS DEAD

Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, of infamous memory, is dead at 94. The horror is not over. His buddies who protected him and lied for him are still running the church in America. [Read the rest here....]

Death comes to us all. I wonder where the high potentate of the American church is now. God knows; I leave the wicked cardinal to him. Did Satan lose his grip in the end? Did McCarrick repent? I have to grit my teeth to say, "Let us hope so." Our God of justice and mercy will decide.