Challenge for the Fourth of July: Read the Declaration and the Constitution

I'm giving you easy access to the Declaration. And here's a link to the Constitution. Know what you celebrate! It's not about the burgers, soda, and ice cream treats! Have a blessed 4th and thank God for this amazing country. Keep her strong and good. Pray the rosary daily!

In Congress, July 4, 1776

The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America, When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

When, O Lord, Will Our Weeping Turn to Joy?

Well, not only did they do it, but they are doubling down with a sledgehammer. The Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith has released another document describing how the priests and lay faithful can reconcile with the Church now that we're excommunicated. [See document] 

I hate to say it, but I'm beginning to find the entire thing ridiculous and it smacks of Kabuki Theater or perhaps a story from Mad Magazine. Sad, yes, incredibly sad, but ridiculous as well. 

Cardinal Fernandez has stated publicly in his writings that no one goes to hell. And then he threatens with hell fire anyone who remains with the SSPX. So you can be an active sodomite, perform abortions with impunity and still be praised at the Vatican, enjoy an adulterous union, etc. Does anyone in the magisterium even mention contraception these days? But if you belong to the SSPX you are destined for hell. Don't pass go; don't collect $200.

Wow! I'm Excommunicated By My Papa...or Am I?

This photo says it all. My mom always said, "Birds of a feather flock together." So here we have the scandalous porn-writing head of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith sharing an intimate moment with the pope, il papa, my daddy in the spiritual life. I'm heartbroken and shaking my head after reading the explanatory note from Fernandez. [Published at the end.]

Are We Rebels? NO! NO! NO!

I've been reading the headlines from the mainstream media about the SSPX consecrations of bishops in Econe yesterday. Over and over, they call us rebels and use words like "defy", "in defiance", "schism", "schismatic", etc. Here are some of the headlines:

New York Times: Rebel Catholic Group Consecrates 4 Bishops Risking Break with the Vatican

MSN: Pope Leo Faces First Major Crisis as Catholic Rebels Defy Him

Watching the Consecration of the New Bishops for the SSPX

Thanks to LifeSiteNews for this. You can send them a donation here. You can read my comments at my substack account. 

ÊCONE, Switzerland (LifeSiteNews) — The Society of Saint Pius X (SSPX) is celebrating the consecrations of four new bishops today, July 1.

It's Going to Be a Hot Week; Good Time to Think about Hell

The weather report for the next week is grim: in the 90s every day but feeling over 100. Fourth of July is expected to be a scorcher here in northwestern Virginia especially if the humidity is high. Thank God for it. Miserably hot weather invites us to reflect on the reality of hell. Despite the statement of Cardinal Fernandez that everyone will be saved, they won't. And no, Bishop Barron, we cannot have a reasonable belief that all will be saved. Why would God die on the cross for the salvation of souls if, in the end, He's the Candyman who welcomes everyone at the Pearly Gates with chocolate bars regardless of the way they lived. He didn't ignore the rebellion of the angels; why would He ignore ours? 

Another Monday: But Not an Ordinary One

No indeed. This is no ordinary Monday. It begins the week leading up to the SSPX consecration of bishops on Wednesday, July first. In 1988 Archbishop Lefebvre consecrated four bishops calling the event Operation Survival. The traditional Mass and sacraments likely would have disappeared without his actions. One could call the Wednesday consecrations Operation Survival Redux. It's a sad thing that the Vatican let it come to this, but the pope and Cardinal Fernandez have shown their willingness to allow and even enable dissent and heresy while they punish orthodoxy. 

I began my day with morning prayer and reading from the Credo Catechism by Bishop Athanasius Schneider. I'm in the section on faith, a providential place to be this week. 

The Powerful Witness of Persecution

I was talking to a friend last Friday after our holy hour for priests and she made a brilliant point about what's happening these days in the modern, post Vatican II Church. Here's the question. In the history of the Church over the millennia, who were persecuted and martyred? Who were executed in the Roman Coliseum and covered with pitch and set on fire to light Nero's garden? The Pharisees? The Sadducees?

No indeed! It was those who were faithful to Christ and His Church -- completely faithful! You know, the believers who refused to the point of death to offer a pinch of incense to the false gods.

Traditio Part III -- Giving One's Life

Part I - What is a Priest?

Part II -- Catholic Missionaries Across the World

Part III -- Giving One's Life 

 

Want Your Children to Be Geniuses? Take the Challenge!

I recently read an important article that I recommend to every parent who reads my blog. 

Charlotte Mason and John Senior Agree: Great Books Are Not Enough

"Home is the place where, when you have to go there, They have to take you in."

Years ago, no actually decades ago, I read an article in Parade Magazine that keeps coming back to me these days. It was during the height of the AIDS epidemic and told the personal human interest story of a young, active homosexual man. In the early days of his lifestyle choice, he discarded his parents because they would not approve. He slandered them to all his homosexual friends and maintained no contact for years. 

Ho-Hum, Another Synod....Does Anyone Care?

From Vatican News:

The heads of the Church's continental bodies have gathered in Rome this week for three days of meetings dedicated to the next phase of the Synod on Synodality, according to a press release issued by the General Secretariat of the Synod on Monday.

The meeting, taking place on June 23-25, brings together representatives of continental ecclesial organizations from Latin America, Africa, Asia, Europe, Oceania, the Middle East, and North America, accompanied by coordinators of the continental synodal teams.

The Gift of Counsel and the Indwelling of the Holy Spirit: A Roadmap to Holiness

When our children were growing up and didn't particularly like vegetables, I always had them take seven beans or seven peas, etc. and recite the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit: wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord. I thought of the gift of counsel as the Holy Spirit enabling us to offer wise advice to others. But this morning as I was reading the meditation in my Benedictus prayer book I read this by Fr. Barthélemy Froget, a French Dominican theologian who wrote frequently on the indwelling of the Holy Ghost:

The Battle of Front Royal Continues with Arrival of FSSP Chaplaincy

I've been more than a little amused at all the chortling over Bishop Burbidge establishing a  chaplaincy for the FSSP under the patronage of Our Lady of Victory. [See the announcement here.] "Isn't it wonderful? What a brave bishop! How grateful we are!"

Really? I'm sincerely grateful to Bishop Burbidge for a number of things, and I can even be grateful for this, since the only result can be to bring more people to recognize the glory of Sacred Tradition and the Traditional Latin Mass (TLM). But I'm also a realist. This is the same bishop who severely reduced the availability of the TLM in accord with Traditionis Custodes. Except for the three parishes where it remains inside the church, the TLM was exiled to gyms and multi-purpose rooms where it continues. And in 2024, after renewing the indult, the three parish churches were ordered to substitute a Latin Novus Ordo (NO) for the TLM once a month. [Source] You see, it is all about "weaning" the laity away from the TLM (the Mass Pope Benedict said could not be abrogated.). We must conform to every jot and tittle of Vatican II and to the "new Mass" that grew out of it by the influence of probable Freemason, Annibale Bugnini.

Make me a river of grace, Lord!

The other day I read this statement from a therapist: "We can't diagnose people who are not in the room." Sounds like common sense, but do most therapists pay attention? How many listen to one side of the story and make judgments about the absent person or persons?

I went to someone for grief counseling for about six months several years ago. During the course of our discussions she suggested a diagnosis for a family member I was dealing with. At the time I didn't think anything of it, but after reading the statement above, I thought about it again. Sometimes it's hard to diagnosis the person talking to you. How can you possibly diagnose someone you've never met just by listening to a description from a third party who may be giving you a distorted picture? 

Franz Werfel, an Author Worth Celebrating!

Once upon a time there was newspaper of note that published wonderful articles and astounding editorials, book reviews, and human interest stories. Yes, the New York Times used to operate according to the journalistic principal of reporting the news objectively not twisting and perverting it. But that was a long time ago!

I thought about that while I was looking up information on Franz Werfel's novel, The Pascarella Family. I found a fascinating review in the Times written in 1932 describing it as a "fairy tale."

Franz Werfel's Romantic Novel; "The Pascarella Family" Is Old-Fashioned Pure Narrative, With a Distinctly Fairy-Tale Atmosphere THE PASCARELLA FAMILY. Translated from the German of Franz Werfel. 437 pp. New York: Simon & Schuster. $2.50.

How Do You Like Living the Chinese Curse in the Church?

The Chinese curse wishes you to live in "interesting times." Well, we certainly can see that these days in the Catholic Church, interesting in a horrifying way like a Stephen King novel. The pope is getting ready to excommunicate the SSPX and the latest rumor is that all the priests of the Society and the laity will be excommunicated as well. Wow! Can that be true?

About 40 years ago a bishop in Hawaii excommunicated several lay members over the TLM and they appealed to Rome and won. How times have changed, eh? They probably would get the cricket treatment today and the excommunication would be allowed to stand. They likely would be accused of "breaking the unity of the Church." Really, folks, do you want to be in unity with a lot of what goes on in the conciliar, synodal church these days? I sure don't!

Sunday Meditation: Let Us Rest in the Heart of Christ

Happy Fathers Day to all fathers including our spiritual fathers. Let us turn off social media and all our screens today to celebrate our dads. And may we rest in the heart of Jesus praying for all our biological fathers and our spiritual fathers. But above all to "Abba," our Father in heaven, Almighty God, creator of heaven and earth for us. His love is beyond words! Why not write a letter today to a father who's gifted you with a blessing your own father first. I might write a letter to my dad that I wish I had written when he was alive. And I can think of several priests who deserve a message of gratitude from me.

Thought for the day: Sheepdog your feelings.

We live in an era where many people crown their feelings as king of their lives. Feelings are everything, the tyrant that rules all. If a man feels like a woman or a woman like a man, they send for the surgeons and the shrinks to affirm and confirm their unreality because it feels so right. For them right and wrong are determined by feelings. As the song says, "It can't be wrong when it feels so right." Feelings justify fornication and adultery, cutting off friends and family, seeking revenge and punishing those who hurt your feelings. 

The Estranged Cat is Out of the Bag Part 2

See Part 1 which began:  

For all you parents and grandparents out there who are dealing with the pain of estrangement or parental discart from one or more of your adult children, I recommend this post:

The Estranged Cat Is Out of the Bag: The Introduction of the Estranged Parental Voice in the Conversation

And now part 2: 

Yes, adult children, your parents were flawed and sinful people who made lots of mistakes like almost every other family on the planet. Most of us are sorry and wish we had done a better job. If truth be told, however, you are doing the same thing to your own children. You aren't a perfect parent either. You can blame your parents for that too, but it won't help you if your children follow your example and imitate your behavior by going no contact with you. I hope it never happens, but I see some of it already in the next generation.

The Estranged Cat is Out of the Bag and the Herd of Elephants in the Room is Being Acknowledged

Before I begin, I want readers to know that I have a lot of trepidation about posting this two-part article. Although I don't get too specific about my husband's and my experience with estrangement, it identifies us as members of the discarded parents club. The post has been sitting in my draft folder for several weeks and Larry and I have been mulling over it and praying. I spoke to my spiritual director as well. 

After serious consideration, I've decided to post it now during the month of the Sacred Heart uniting our sorrow to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and to the Immaculate and sorrowful heart of the Blessed Mother.

Cancel Culture from Rome: Pope Leo and Archbishop Vigano

Yesterday I read Archbishop Vigano's letter to the pope. Like he did with the SSPX, Leo  dissed the archbishop first agreeing to a private meeting and then changing his mind and refusing. Hmm...first thing I thought of was "Say yes when you mean yes and no when you mean no." 

Part 2 of Traditio: Catholic Missionaries Across the World

For years when I was a child I dreamed of being a missionary. My parents got Maryknoll Magazine every month and I poured over the pages imagining myself going to foreign countries to serve the gospel as a Maryknoll nun. When I was in elementary school I was convinced I had a vocation to religious life. But when I reached the age where it could actually become a reality, I had completely forgotten and never thought about it again.

Part 1 of Traditio, the three part series on the SSPX -- What is a Priest?

How many of our U.S. clergy believe what is presented in this video? Pray for priests! Pray even harder for bishops...and even harder for the pope. Some demons are only driven out by prayer AND FASTING! Does your bishop "accompany you in the spiritual life?" Is your local Church building the faith or undermining it? SSPX priests are well formed and they preach and teach the faith with zeal. No showmanship, no clapping, no novelties — just the pure, unadulterated faith. Let us all keep praying and trust in God.

Sunday Meditation: Did the Bishops Really Consecrate the Nation to the Sacred Heart of Jesus?

On June 11th the bishops ostensibly consecrated the U.S. to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. But did they? What is a consecration? Here's the prayer they offered. As you read it find, if you can, the point where they consecrated the nation to the Sacred Heart:

O Most Sacred Heart of Jesus: You know the longings of our hearts, and you desire that we enjoy friendship with you. From your pierced side, you have poured out the wellspring of life, for which we thirst. Your heart burns with a love for all people to return to a right relationship with you.

In this month of the Sacred Heart, Let us read the Visions of St. Margaret Mary Alacoque.

What better time to read the visions of St. Margaret Mary Alacoque than the month dedicated to the Sacred Heart. She can appropriately be described as the apostle of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. How united she was to his passion and death to the point of receiving the stigmata. How united she was to the sufferings of her Lord.

Suffering? Join It To the Cross of Christ

Today is the feast of the Sacred Heart. It offers an invitation to each of us to look on our sufferings as fuel. The heart of Christ is a burning furnace of charity. We can place the logs of our sufferings in that furnace and watch them burst into flame creating embers mixed with the glowing embers of Christ's love. 

Remember St. Paul's admonition in Romans 12:20 to heap burning coals on the heads of our enemies, the burning coals of conversion. Let us never miss an opportunity to love our neighbor with both the corporal and spiritual works of mercy. 

Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us.

O Jesus, meek and humble of heart, make my heart like unto thine.

As a companion to my previous post about St. Alphonsus

In this month dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, I offer this reflection from St.  Alphonsus Liguori as a companion piece to my previous post. How often have we despised love and returned ingratitude for the suffering and sacrifices, not only of our Savior Jesus Christ, but of others. How often have we taken for granted the love of Christ and failed to thank Him? Let us get up every morning thanking God for the new day, for everything that will take place in it, for all our blessings and benefits. And let us remember our duty to "love your neighbor as yourself."

Today, the bishops of the United States consecrate our country to the most Sacred Heart of Jesus. May that heart strengthen all our faithful bishops, our good shepherds for whom we are so grateful and convert the hearts of all our unfaithful bishops, the wolves and hirelings, for whose conversion we sacrifice and pray.

A Poem in Honor of St. Alphonsus Liguori

Every now and then I write poetry, not especially good poetry, mind you, just flights of fancy. It happens a lot when I'm on five-day silent retreats. Perhaps I'm a bit stir crazy by the fourth day, but I have lots of poems in the back of my retreat journals.

How many shepherds have lost the faith?

 

What happens when the shepherds who are supposed to protect the flock and lead them in safety, abandon the field to the wolves? How safe are the sheep?

A Sad Farewell to a Holy Friend, Fr. Tom Collins

Dear Friends, 

I call you friends because you've touched my life. Some of you with kind comments and promises of prayers I hardly deserve, others with nasty comments that invite me to humility and patience. And then there are the invisible readers some of whom I think also probably pray for me. How much I appreciate you all.

Those who are long-time readers of the blog have seen many articles from my dear friend, Fr. Tom Collins. He contributed numerous guest articles filled with wisdom and Catholic truth. What a gift!

 Father had a stroke recently and died of complications on Monday. How much he will be missed. 

Sleepless in Woodstock with St. Hildegard of Bingen

Sleep has been elusive this week. Oh, I have no trouble falling asleep, but after a few hours I'm wide awake with a racing mind (and sometimes heart). My go-to habit when I can't sleep is to pray the seven sorrows of Mary. But sometimes I just give up and get up. 

So here I am since 2:30 a.m. wide awake and wishing I weren't. And yet, so many of the saints spent their nights in prayer. Sad to say, I'm more likely to be doing the cryptogram or sudoku puzzles in the Epoch Times in the middle of the night. And sometimes, I do the worst thing for sleep. I turn on the computer.

This morning my computer search took me to a saint whom I've never studied, Hildegard of Bingen. This 12th century saint, abbess and doctor of the church, intrigues me. Not only that, but I had to laugh when I came across this snippet of information:

Sunday Meditation: Sacred Heart of Jesus Month

While the secular world celebrates June as sodomy month, a sin that cries to heaven for vengeance; Catholics celebrate the Sacred Heart of Jesus. So here are a few quotes from the saints on which to meditate. The Sacred Heart graphically reveals to us the tremendous love of Jesus Christ for sinful men. May we express our gratitude by offering all our wounds to Him in atonement for our sins.

Going to a Grandson's Wedding

Our oldest grandchildren have reached the age where wedding bells are in the air. Today we will joyfully attend the marriage ceremony and feast of a grandson, the fourth celebration of its kind for us. I've been thinking about the three previous weddings: the first in Texas during COVID, the second in Virginia with a raging thunderstorm that knocked out the electricity at the reception, the third in Ohio on a beautiful fall day, and now this fourth event which will leave its own lovely and unique memories.

Every wedding we attend reminds me of our own wedding back in 1969, but family weddings are special. What struck me today during my morning prayer was the memory of the nuptual blessing -- that you might see your children and your children's children. 

Thought for the day: The challenge of imitating the saints.

Love isn't easy, certainly not as easy as hate. Someone injures us and we want justice; someone slanders us and we want revenge; someone lies about us and we want to take them down. Isn't that true? 

Don't we want to give back the blows we get from others and add a kick as well? Forgiving those who don't ask for forgiveness or even acknowledge the wrong they did is especially hard. When I read about a mother who forgives the person who murdered her child, I'm amazed, more than amazed, shocked. How do you do that? The martyrs did it, of course, but it's easier to pay lip service to our Christian beliefs than to act on them.

Accused Priests? Many Are Not Guilty!

I've been reflecting for the past few days on the accusations against the rector of the diocesan cathedral, Fr. Patrick Posey. An accuser has come forth claiming abuse over thirty years ago. I don't know Fr. Posey personally, but his reputation from friends who do know him is praiseworthy. So here we have someone come forth with thirty-year-old accusations. No matter how this resolves, Fr. Posey will always be under a cloud. How do you disprove something that supposedly happened thirty years ago, especially in an era of the lie?  And what's the quote about a lie traveling around the world before the truth gets out of bed?

Is Islam a Religion of Peace?

 

I've been receiving a number of comments from "unknown" who says he's a Muslim and claiming this:

Our religion commands us to love those who hate us and to do good to our enemies, but how do you want people to treat Muslims because of the 'truth' you tell about Islam? Do you even see Muslims as individual souls, the way God sees them, or as a monolith you fear even though as I pointed out in my comment you didn't publish, Jesus tells us constantly not to be afraid. He is with us always and He thirsts for souls. It's one thing to try to get the speck out of your brother's eye when you have a log in your own (and I'm sure I have one in mine or you would publish my comments), but what happens when you don't even think of the other person as a person you would even try to help but just take your big log and bash them to death?

Love Does Not Keep a Record of Wrongs

I often read St. Paul's description of love from 1 Corinthians 13 and ask the question, "How 
am I doing, Lord?" Sometimes well; too often not so well:

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

The Truth and the Lie: Where Do We Stand?

Has anything changed in the decade since Cardinal Caffarra gave the address below? The truth and the lie are in constant confrontation. If we are people of the truth, where do we stand in this battle? Truth is not relative; it’s a rock! The lie is shifting sand. When we evaluate the things around us, we need to discern where truth stands like a rock. And then we need to chain ourselves to that rock so we can withstand the tsunami of lies constantly washing over us to separate us from the truth.

Living in a tilted land

My husband and I spent the past few days in Lancaster, PA with my sister enjoying all the pleasures of the Amish countryside and each other’s company. As I sat drinking my morning coffee I noticed a tilted picture on the wall in the breakfast room. It wasn’t very tilted but I’m a little OCD when it comes to things being straight and balanced. It got me thinking about how out of balance life is these days on planet earth. 

Do you ever feel like you are walking on a tilted plane? Every step is a challenge with the likelihood of falling. If you sit down on a tilted bench, you feel like you are falling off. Eating is a challenge because all the dishes want to slide off the table. What would it be like to never have a moment's rest, but to always need to be vigilant so we don't fall, including falling out of bed.

The Mental Health Trap

Do you think everyone needs counseling? Some people do -- especially counselors. After all, that's their bread and butter. So it's refreshing to see a professional psychiatrist, Dr. Roger McFillin, say this:

Why Focusing on Your "Mental Health" Is Harmful

Why I Will Never Go "No Contact"

I recently read a shocking statistic. Thirty-eight percent of Americans went "no-contact" with a friend or family member in the past year. That's about one in four individuals. And many remain estranged indefinitely. That's a pretty significant number of people cutting ties with family and friends. 

Why is this happening? Lots of reasons, but I found this particularly sad:

What’s worth noting here is that avoidance has become the default response to relationship friction. Nearly three-quarters of respondents (73 percent) said they feel inclined to distance themselves from a friend or loved one during difficult moments, rather than communicate openly to solve the problem. [source]

Do the Bishops Understand Islam? Will they ever learn?

I wrote the article below on Islam back in 2016. Here we are a decade later and what is our relationship with Islam today? Places in the United States (as well as many other Western nations) have no-go zones and rule by Sharia Law. Violence against non-Muslims is on the rise especially in the Middle East and Africa. The recent fraud in Minnesota robbing the state of billions of dollars was primarily the work of Muslims from Somalia. Not only that, but some of that money went to fund the Somali terror group al-Shabob [source]. 

And So the Easter Season Ends

The Easter season ended with the feast of Pentecost last Sunday. Looking back we see how the Passion began -- with the betrayal of Judas with a kiss. We have spent Lent and Eastertide thinking about Jesus, offering prayers and sacrifices and giving alms. Then we spent 50 days rejoicing at our salvation proved by Christ rising from the dead.

Will we now return to "ordinary time" by once again betraying Him? Have we changed at all in the 40 days of Lent and the 50 days of Easter?
The author of the excerpt below is Fr. Frederick William Faber, a convert from Anglicanism to Catholicism and a follower of John Henry Newman. What zeal he had for the "Faith of Our Fathers," which he articulated when he wrote the well-known hymn. Think of how many in the Church overlook and coddle heresy today. How many Judases betray Christ with a kiss. Read Fr. Faber's meditation and weep. Let us take it to heart and pray for a Catholic awakening, especially among the clergy!

Are You Listening?

Some days I feel like a bobble head doll just shaking my head over the insanity in the Church. What's the latest? Listening centers instead of confessionals for the pope's Corpus Christi trip to Spain. Truth these days is stranger than fiction.

Sunday Meditation: Roadmap for a Happy Life

It seems to me that we all make life too darn complicated. In many ways we get lost in the weeds. And yet, the prescription for a happy life is really very simple. The Baltimore Catechism set it down in question #6:

6. Q. Why did God make you?
A. God made me to know Him, to love Him, and to serve Him in this world, and to be happy with Him forever in heaven.

How Attached Am I to the World?

Life is filled with uncertainties. But we can all be certain of one thing. We will leave this world with no attachments. No one can take anything on the final journey. And yet, don't we all cling to earthly things with a death grip? Strange expression, eh, since death will tear everything from our hands? I often think of Gulliver tied down by the Lilliputians with a million little threads. Isn't that what we are like with all our petty desires and concerns that occupy our thoughts and attention.

Are You Steady?

This morning during my prayer time I noticed how steady the candle flame was, burning straight and quietly. Maybe I noticed because the other day I had a candle so flickering and fluttering I had to blow it out. I was beginning to feel dizzy and ill even if I didn't look at it directly.

I'm fascinated by words and as I thought about the steadiness of the candle flame I wondered where the word came from and about it's meaning. I got this from an etymology site:

steady(adj.)

1520s, "firmly fixed in place or station" (displacing earlier steadfast, which came to be used of persons and characters), from stead + adjectival suffix -y (2), perhaps on model of Middle Dutch, Middle Low German stadig.

Silence: wound or healing?

Often when I'm reading, I come across a sentence or phrase that stops me short. What does that mean? How can I process the idea? If it were a signpost on the road, how would it direct me on my journey?

To DYE for: Artificial dyes in the food are just part of the problem.

On Monday while Larry and I were celebrating his 81st birthday with a gone for the day outing, we visited Shendoah River State Park in Bentonville. We stopped at a scenic overlook near the park entrance. What a glorious view of the mountains!

We weren't alone. A young man motorcycling through Virginia on the way to visit his mom in Maryland was also enjoying the view. We had a lovely conversation and I've been praying for him. 

So...Is Catholic Doctrine Immutable or Relative?

Some questions require either a yes or a no answer. Like Scripture says, "Let your ‘Yes’ mean ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No’ mean ‘No.’ Anything more is from the evil one." [Matt 5:37] Jesus was no prevaricator. When he spoke, his message was clear. Even his parables, when explained, made perfect sense. If the seed of truth is strewn on soil filled with lies, excuses, rationalizations, etc. it will be choked and rootless, will not thrive, and will not produce a harvest.

I Owe My Parents Everything! Thanks, Mom and Dad.

I was recently reading Roberta Wasserman's article titled "I Don't Owe My Parents Anything." She's a therapist who is estranged from two of her four children. She works with many estranged parents cut off by one or more of their offspring. Interestingly some of those most critical of her work are fellow counselors. She has mentioned several times how shocking it was to be attacked by her colleagues for listening to suffering parents and advising them:

As a professional working with the increasing population of estranged parents, I had created a training to illuminate this popular movement and its emotional impact. The reality that many of the current estrangements were seeded and rooted in therapy rooms compelled me to create space for deeper understanding. Instead, I was met with vitriol and hostility on a professional platform—an intensity that stunned me. Only later did I realize that many of the keyboard screamers were themselves estranged. My words had tapped into their stories and threatened their perceived peace.

When People You Respect Disappoint You

There was a time when I totally trusted Phil Lawler's take on things. I read several of his books with pen in hand and made margin notes to return to later. A trusted source, he was my regular go-to source as I slogged along in the Church crisis. So I was truly disappointed in his recent articles on the SSPX situation and upcoming consecrations. I was staggered when he said there was no state of necessity since it's up to Rome to make that decision. Really? If I see a child about to run into the street and be hit by a car, I'm not waiting for a policeman to tell me I can jaywalk. I also disagree with Lawler's interpretation of Fr. Pagliarani's statement that “In an ordinary parish, the faithful no longer find the necessary means to ensure their eternal salvation.” Perhaps that statement was overbroad, but certainly not untrue. 

Time to Teach Logic 101 at the Vatican. Send Cardinal Fernandez for Remedial Work!

Let's start here with a few syllogisms of logic:

What's Wrong with these Pictures? Say it ain't so, Pope Leo!

Just think! Pope Leo is gracious and welcoming to Pope Tawadros II of Alexandria, head of the Coptic Orthodox Church which has been in schism from Rome since the Council of Chalcedon in 451. He's welcome at the Vatican.

The Canonization of Clergy Sex Abuse and Other Atrocities from the Synodal Church

Are canonizations infallible? If you ever had any doubts, the Vatican's scandalous action of naming a missionary bishop, Msgr. Alejandro Labaka, Venerable, proves that they are not. Being named Venerable is the first step toward canonization. To canonize a missionary nudist who engaged in sexual play with his flock is scandalous beyond belief!

Ascension Thursday: A Feast of Hope in Heavenly Things

Grant, we beseech Thee, almighty God, that we who believe Thine only-begotten Son, our Redeemer, to have this day ascended into Heaven, may ourselves dwell in mind amidst heavenly things.

It is an appropriate day to "dwell in mind amidst heavenly things." Jesus had to go to the Father to break the dependence the apostles had on His physical presence.  "Blessed are those who have not seen, but have believed."My we always be among those who have not seen with our physical eyes, but with the eyes of our hearts.

My God, I believe, I adore, I hope, and I love Thee. I beg pardon for those who do not believe, do not adore, do not hope, and do not love Thee.

Are Francis and Leo the "Two Worm Ridden Popes"

The other day when I was doing bee hive inspections I was disturbed to pull out a frame filled with small white worms. They looked like wax moth larvae. That's no joke in a beehive. Wax moth can turn a hive into a horror movie scene pretty quickly. Only once have we had a serious infestation and we had to burn everything in that hive except the box which we treated with bleach. So when I hear the term "two worm-ridden popes" it's no joke!

Whom Do You Reckon Among Your Best Friends?

Have you ever had a good friend who ditched you after a disagreement? In these days of TDS and disputes over religion, it seems pretty common. I still mourn over some lost friends. I pray for one who died years ago. I'm confident she and I will be friends again worshiping together before the throne of God. Until that day, I think of her kindly and pray for the repose of her soul and our happy reunion.