Dr. Frankenstein is Alive and Practicing on Your Baby!

It's ghost and goblin time today; time to be scared. But it isn't the fake monsters we should fear, but the real ones. Dr. Frankenstein who created a monster lives. He pressures parents to jab their babies immediately after birth and on an on throughout the first year and beyond. He tells you there's no proof that Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) and autism can possibly be linked to the dozens of vaccines injected, sometimes three or four at one office visit. A few years ago doctors pooh-poohed the idea that SIDS was vaccine related. But the fact is that 80% of SIDS deaths occur within a week of the jabs. That is certainly an alarming fact that requires more research. To just sweep it under the rug is irresponsible.

What are Acceptable Halloween Costumes This Woke Year?

I published the article below almost a decade ago and, as I re-read the list, I had to shake my head and give a rueful laugh. Have things changed much? TDS is still high on the list of wokeness. White privilege (especially white male privilege) is still a major theme sometimes with ridiculous claims. In a society that gives preference to anybody but a white man we still hear that they carry all the advantages. Excuse me, but college admissions prove that isn't true as well as less qualified candidates being hired because of "diversity and inclusion." And we recently saw only one white doctor among four or five during my husband's hospital visit. Women seem to have the advantage over white males. And as for the LGBTQ+ agenda, well, it's woke on steroids. Give us a break and stop lying! 

When the Valley of Tears is Filled with Sunshine!

Two of my grandsons came this morning for a hike in our local state park. Our plan was to put my husband's scooter in the car and go up to the Skyline Drive's Limberlost Trail. Unfortunately, Larry was feeling sick, so we stayed close to home in case I was needed. Seven Bends State Park is only ten minutes away so we packed our walking sticks and headed out.

I didn't really plan on a five-miler, but the original plan was stymied by a closed trailhead so we headed up on what ended up being a long circuit hike on four different trails. But what a glorious day to enjoy the Autumn filled with the wonder of God's creation! It reminded me of the morning prayer I began after retreat this year. Father suggested we praise and thank God for four things:

Pray for Pope Leo XIV to walk in the footsteps of Pope Leo IX.

I've been reading about Pope Saint Leo IX, born in 1002 shortly after the new millennium began. What a great saint! He ruled with wisdom and zeal at a difficult time for the Church. 

I'm reading a book he wrote on the vices and virtues. The introduction gives this picture of the saintly pope:

Bruno [his baptismal name] was ordained to the priesthood. His ministry was characterized by diligence and devotion, which was well supported by his prudence, wisdom, and erudition. Soon, he was consecrated as bishop of the important diocese of Toul, which he governed effectively and fruitfully for over two decades.

At this point in history, the governance of the Church in Rome was highly unstable and tainted by corruption.

Sound familiar?  The "Church of Rome" was "tainted by corruption." All of the sheep out there who think nothing evil can never happen in the "holy" city need to read Church history. Let's continue:

On suffering and our need for intercessory prayer.

I love this image of the Agony in the Garden by Heinrich Hoffmann. All of us on our journey through life can relate to it by our own sufferings. Larry and I have certainly had many opportunities to reflect on it. I don't share too much about our personal challenges, but I know many who come here are Catholics and Christians. Times of suffering invite us to cry out to God and to our fellow pilgrims and prayer warriors in the Valley of Tears. And that's what I'm doing now - begging for your intercessory prayers.

Not all Are Welcome at the Vatican: Sodomites - YES! Summorum Pontificum Pilgrims - NO, NADA, NEVER!

How much evidence do Catholics need before they recognize the reality of the emergency in the Church? I'm frankly baffled by all the tradition-minded Catholics who continually criticize the SSPX claiming there was no state of necessity for the consecration of bishops last July. Many of these folks admit there's a crisis in the Church, but not a big enough crisis for the SSPX to consecrate bishops without a papal mandate. Other bishops in regular canonical situations, they say, are available to ordain priests to say the Latin Mass and offer the traditional sacraments. 

Christ is King over All Nations and People on the Earth Now and Til the End of Time

Today at our traditional Mass we celebrated the Feast of Christ the King instituted in 1925 by Pope Pius XI to fight the rising tide of secularism and Communism after World War I.

Domenico Fetti: Contemplating the Beauty of His Art

I love classic artworks, so different from the graphic art, almost cartoonish, so common today. When I came across this piece by Domenico Fetti (1589-1623), a 16th century baroque artist, it reminded me of the devotion to the face of Christ. How I would love to see this painting in a museum and stand studying the face of Jesus, reflecting on his divine love for all men. The sadness in His eyes reminds me of His sorrow when He wept over Jerusalem. He knew the beloved city would be destroyed after His death. 

Pope Leo XIII On Jesus Christ Our Redeemer

I just finished Pope Leo XIII's encyclical, On Jesus Christ Our Redeemer. It was promulgated in 1900 on All Saints Day in the 23rd year of his pontificate. The 78th of 88 encyclicals, it is easy reading and constitutes only fourteen paragraphs. A mature sixth grader could understand it! I don't think I can say that about any encyclicals written by our modern popes, many of which are book length and filled with ambiguous language that confuses rather than illuminates. Does anyone read them? I've slogged through a number, but it was like taking a hike in a river of jello.

Let me offer some take-aways from Pope Leo's beautiful testimony on Christ. He wrote a number of short encyclicals that are an easy summary of the faith and accessible to the average Catholic in the pew. I'll frame this in question and answer format with the answers directly from the words of the encyclical.

Reflecting on anger and how one should respond

 I've been reflecting on anger this week during my morning prayer time. It's one of the seven  deadly sins. But anger is also a virtue and St. Thomas Aquinas rebukes the soul who remains passive against injustice and never becomes angry. Righteous anger is a virtue that calls us to redress injustice. Righteoous anger moved me to spend most of my adult life defending the unborn and innocent individuals like Terri Schiavo and Hugh Finn considered vegetables by family members who put them to death by dehydration. There is much going on today that should arouse our righteous anger. The question we should all ask ourselves is how does God call us to respond?

The two images that came to me this week seemed to offer me the answer. The first image showed me Mary at the foot of the cross. What could be more unjust than the crucifixion of Christ, the creature committing deicide against the Savior of the world? He gave us everything! His love for us compelled Him to come as a helpless infant. He didn't come into the world a full grown man in the robes of a king. As St. Alphonsus tells us, that might inspire fear. No, He came as an innocent, helpless little baby born in poverty. His first cross was the wood of the manger on a cold winter's night.

Salus Animarum: For the Salvation of Souls

The salvation of souls is the whole law of the Church. I look forward with joy to the release of the documentary on All Saints Day. In the meantime let us pray for Pope Leo, all the cardinals and bishops of the world and especially for parish priest who directly impact the spirituality of their flocks and for those hermits and monks committed to silence, prayer, and sacrifice for the salvation of souls. 

O Lord, give us priests.

O Lord, give us holy priests.

O Lord, give us many holy priest.

Our Lady, Queen of the Clergy, pray for our priests, especially those betraying their vocations. Bring them back, through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross, to recognize their true dignity and their responsibility for the sheep of their flock. May they all be Good Shepherds walking in the footsteps of Jesus.

Is Opposition to the Death Penalty an Infallible Teaching?

I'm glad the Department of Defense has decided not to livestream the execution by firing squad of mass murderer, Nidal Hasan. We don't need more folks addicted to violence drooling over the opportunity to watch someone die in real time. It makes me think of snuff films. A live execution enables the sick and voyeuristic to get their jollies. 

Lunacy Rules: "Conservatives" Mainstream Sodomy-Promoter Fr. James Martin, S.J.

We truly do live in the era of diabolical disorientation and, daily, there's plenty of evidence illustrating it. What should we think when a supposedly conservative host at a supposedly conservative Catholic website, sits down in a friendly interview, an almost fawning interview, with the man who is arguably the lead proponent for legitimizing sodomy in the Church! That's what happened a week ago when J.D. Flynn of The Pillar sat down with Fr. James Martin, S.J. 

Sunday Meditation: Wash your Face, Put on a Smile, and Stop Complaining!

It's a good thing to remember that everyone has troubles and, really, no one wants to hear a long litany about yours. Ask for prayers but leave the dissertation unread. A confessor urged me a few months ago to "kill the spirit of complaining." I'm working on it, but I think it's a lifetime work. I better get busy because I don't have that much lifetime left. I'll ask all the angels and saints, especially my guardian angel and the Blessed Mother to intercede for me with Jesus to put a lid on it!

Remembering a Wonderful Pastor: Fr. John Mary Powers, the "Guardian Angel of Cleveland Heights"

Being the daughter of a naval officer, I spent my growing up years on the move.  Since we 
relocated every three or four years, I attended three elementary schools. I remember with particular fondness St. Ann's school in Cleveland Heights, OH. The pastor was Fr. John Mary Powers. Father was given the project of starting a new parish in 1915. The area was undeveloped then, and he influenced the local government to  create a neighborhood at the same time and avoid putting commercial buildings adjacent to the parish grounds.

I went to St. Ann's from Kindergarten through third grade. Every day, my siblings and I walked the mile to school from our home on Guilford Rd. to the parish school on Coventry. The parish church was just finished in the early fifties, so I was among the first generation going to Mass in the Church instead of the school. I made my First Communion at St. Ann's. 

A Message from the Grocery Stores in the Twilight Zone

I happened across an article about the expansion of the fake meat market. I never buy fake burgers although some have ingredients that appear to emphasize real food. Nevertheless I don't want my dinner coming from a lab. But who would have thought that the main course would now be created on a 3D printer? 

3D-Printed Fake Meat and Fish Have Officially Entered American Grocery Stores Without Clear Labeling

No doubt you had a mouth-watering sensation as you read that headline. What's not to love about fake meat and fish made from ingredients like "soy flour, rapeseed oil, modified starch, methylcellulose (whatever that is), xanthan gum, locust bean gum, and artificial meat coloring." Yum!

Is "turbo cancer" from mRNA shots Real? Is Pope Leo XIV a Victim?

[Source]

Ann Barnhardt suggested recently that Pope Leo is suffering from VAIDS turbo cancer. VAIDS stands for Vaccine Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome. When it was first suggested that the COVID shots could cause or awaken dormant cancer, it was pooh-poohed by the medical establishment. Many continue to mock those raising the questions. Is that surprising? When you've been a primary pusher of something that causes a medical disaster aren't you likely to become a vaccine-damage-denier?

Asking the Intercession of Pope Leo XIII for Pope Leo XIV

Pope Leo is in the hospital receiving treatment for a lesion on his lungs. After surgery the doctors reported that they removed a portion of his lung and the tumor which was cancerous. Every faithful Catholic should be praying for him: for his physical healing and for his spiritual healing. As Fr. John Hardon, S.J. always said, the spiritual miracles are most important and, frankly, more miraculous than the physical ones. And wouldn't it be a miracle if Leo had a Damascus moment while he's recovering and decided to become a zealous defender of the faith like his predecessor, Leo XIII. 

Our Lady of Fatima, pray for us!

For spiritual reading today, on this anniversary of Our Lady giving the miracle of the sun to the world, I recommend Chris Jackson's post at Hiraeth in Exile.

Can Livestreaming Violence Reduce Violence?

The decision of the Department of Defense to livestream the execution by firing squad of the Fort Hood mass murderer, Army psychiatrist Nidal Hasan, is in the news. To be completely transparent, I support capital punishment in rare cases. How can you protect guards and other prisoners if a murderer with a life-in-prison sentence has nothing else to fear? Is a life of solitary confinement a guarantee against an escape attempt? And what about murderers who are paroled? Think about rape, robbery, and home invasion victims? Is there a deterrent effect knowing that capital punishment is the mandatory sentence for a murder committed during those crimes?

St. Francis Borgia and his Warning on Human Respect!

I love reading about the saints. Most days I spend part of my morning prayer time reading from Butler's Lives of the Saints. How many friends we have in heaven! And I always read the names of all the saints of day and ask for their intercession. Don't we all need as many prayer warriors as we can get?

My Butler's is about fifty years old so I don't have any of the updates, but with four thick volumes I have plenty of friends to consult even if more modern saints like Mother Teresa and Padre Pio are missing. Since I read my Benedictus prayer book every day, I catch them on their feast days.

St. Bridget's Vision about a Bad Pope Is Relevant for Our Day and Age

It's good to remember that times in the Church have always been challenging, even when they seemed like the "best" of times. And often, it's been the "worst" of times. Don't we see that daily with the synodal shenanigans? The modernist attack on Holy Mother Church disfigures her more than every other heretical attack in Church history. Even the Arians couldn't inflict the damage we're living through today.

Dickens had it right when he opened The Tale of Two Cites with his declaration that: 

In this Jubilee year of St. Francis, Let Us Pray for All Those Trying to Save Our Crumbling Church

I've said it before. God has a sense of humor. While the porn-writing head of the DDF apparently expected hordes of SSPX priests to head for the exit door, the opposite is happening. Priests are heading for the open door to the SSPX and affiliating with the Society. LifeSiteNews has this:

Leo XIV’s excommunication backfires:   SSPX lists multiple priests who just joined them

What's Wrong with the Novus Ordo?

I'm reading an article on substack titled Deficiencies of the New Mass, describing a talk given in 2014 by Fr. Daniel Themann, SSPX at the Angelus Press Conference titled, “What is Our Objection to the New Mass.” It raised numerous points that are still relevant today. 

The first point is this:

The New Mass – Novus Ordo Missae – is ecumenical in its construction and Protestant in its orientation. It is the most tangible expression of the Vatican II revolution, affecting every Catholic directly and deleteriously.

Mary, Mediatrix of All Graces and Mother of All People

At our SSPX chapel, we recently had a catechism class by a Dominican, Fr. Albert, who sometimes helps out. He spoke about Mary as Mediatrix of All Graces. While the Vatican rejects that title the Church has taught it for over 1500 years. Father began by talking about Jacinta, the little mystic of Fatima. As she was dying she begged her cousin Lucia not to "go and hide," but to tell the world about Mary. God's will, Father told us, is to ask Mary for graces. Mark Miravalle, professor of Theology at Franciscan University of Steubenville, has promoted the "fifth Marian dogma" of Mediatrix of all graces for decades.

Nick Freitas Discusses Family Estrangement

I'm a big fan of Nick Freitas. His videos are often so on target I just nod my head. He's a military vet, a Green Beret, who served two tours in Iraq.  He also spent ten years in the Virginia House of Delegates. I love listening to him because he is masculine in the best way possible. He's a husband, a dad, a Christian and had a 100% pro-life voting record in the General Assembly. And, to top it off, he's often funny. 

Thought for the Day: Embrace a Leper!

I have something challenging coming up and was praying about it this morning. Providentially, my spiritual reading addressed it. Catching up on my Benedictus meditations, I read this from October 5th: "The soldier of Christ must begin by victory over himself." 

Ho Hum! Is this Bishops' Conference like our own Scandalous USCCB?

The Southern African Catholic Bishops Conference and several other bishops in Africa have warned their flocks to stay away from the SSPX accusing them of schism. The SSPX in Kenya is disputing the charge. Fr. Pierre Champroux, who serves at the SSPX's Holy Cross Parish in Nairobi, contested the accusation stating that:SS

Celebrating 57 Years of Marriage

Last Sunday, the feast of St. Francis of Assisi, Larry and I celebrated our 57th wedding anniversary.  How we got here so fast is a puzzle. It seems like yesterday we were making our vows at my parents' parish, St. Augustine in Elkridge, MD. Sunday was drizzily and chilly unlike that glorious October 4th in 1969 which was sunny and warm. I'll never forget my dad's toast wishing us the combined fertility of both families. I was one of 11, ten living; Larry was one of 11, nine living. Needless to say there was plenty of laughter in the room.

Will the Real Protestants Please Stand Up! (Hint: It's NOT the SSPX.)

What's coming down the pike in the Church? New crises! The Prayerful Posse looked at several serious issues related to the synodal process that will protestantize the Church. In some of the situations there is a profound lack of truth, particularly the spin on illegal immigration about "welcoming immigrants" without distinguishing between those who come in lawfully and those who enter as invaders.

Virginians, Be Informed! Vote NO on all three Constitutional Amendments!

Does God Have a Sense of Humor? Two priests leave the SSPX; Two Diocesan Priests Affiliate

I think all faithful Catholics lament the serious problems we're facing these days in the Church. But sometimes I can't help but laugh and shake my head over current events. The Vatican often seems clueless about what's happening. I watched jounalist Diane Montagna's talk at the Catholic Identity Conference livestream yesterday and the panel following with fellow Vatican journalist Edward Pentin. They give a balanced view of both the good and bad happening in Rome. If you want trustworthy sources check out their substacks. I've hotlinked on their names.

Starting Advent Early with St. Alphonsus Liguori

I'm a big fan of St. Alphonsus Liguori, Bishop and Doctor of the Church. What a prolific writer he was. Every Catholic could benefit from having him for a friend and intercessor. His statement, "By the grace of God I have never confessed having acted from passion," gives me a twinge. Would that I could say that. But I have a friend in heaven to ask for help! I have no doubt he will respond to my request because he had such zeal to save souls. 

Is the Underground Church in China in Schism? Are It's Newly Consecrated Bishops Excommunicated?

In September, the Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association (CCPA), the official church in China, ordained its 18th bishop under the secret Sino-Vatican agreement signed in 2018 and renewed several times including for four more years in 2024. Pope Leo approved the move. 

At the same time, Chinese expert Anthony Clark revealed a contact from an underground Chinese prelate that the underground church has ordained ten new bishops. The Catholic Herald's Michael Haynes reported on it last month:

Welcome Gen Z! May You Help Renew the Face of the. Earth!

Gen Z (those born between 1997 and 2012) is getting a lot of attention these days because they are a big blip on the Return to the Catholic Church graph. I recently read an article that said the primary attraction to the Church for Gen Z-ers is miracles - not the Traditional Latin Mass or the smells and bells, or the reverence or fellowship, etc., but the miracles.