Random Thoughts on New Year's Eve

 

Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it. 

• FINALLY -- The year from hell is coming to a close. Of course the new year will find Satan as active as ever, but perhaps our prayers, fasting, and almsgiving can bind him and release many of those enslaved in his service. I'm praying for that! My new years resolutions are 1. to pray a Memorare for that intention every day along with the Angelus three times a day, 2. to make little acts of sacrifice for that intention, and 3. to make almsgiving in the form of practical assistance and financial aid a weekly intentional activity. 

Do You Discriminate against those with Special Needs?

Read The Sneetches to your kids and
remind them to respect others.

In my experience, two subjects on Facebook bring out the big guns among Catholics: diocesan mandates about masking and Communion in the hand and the SSPX. Sad to say, the shooting begins almost immediately whenever these subjects come up.

I'm going to focus on the mask-on/mask-off controversy in this post with an analogy from Dr. Seuss and his story, The Sneetches. 

For those who've never read The Sneetches, there were two groups: the sneetches who had "bellies with stars" and the "plain-bellied sneetches with none upon thars." Best on the beaches were the star-bellied sneetches. They wouldn't play with the unstarred sneetches or invite them to their weenie roasts. In fact they treated the poor starless sneetches abominably. I won't ruin the story for you; but it's a great lesson in true tolerance and respect for differences and also a warning about the temptation to be social climbers and snobs who look down on your neighbors.

This is Why I Will NEVER Receive Communion on the Hand!

 

On the Day after Rejoicing, the Church Celebrates the First Martyr!

The joy of Christmas transitions to grief today over the death of the first martyr, the holy deacon St. Stephen. What wisdom! Holy Mother Church reminds us that we are in the Church Militant, not at the church picnic despite our Christmas day joy. Remember, at the birth of the holy babe, Herod sits on the throne and will soon see the news of a "newborn king" (brought unwittingly by the three wise men to this diabolical ruler) as a threat to his own rule. And so he plots believing that, in his worldly power, he can thwart the will of God. Stupid man!

Welcome the Light of the World! Merry Christmas from Les Femmes!

Maybe next year the Vatican can feature one of these nativities. Wouldn't that be wonderful!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Esteban Murillo 

JP Sears and I wish you a "A Very Merry Communist Christmas"

I'm having a Communist Christmas! Are you? One part of the family just cancelled Christmas Eve dinner because of Covid fears, another is having just me over because of Covid - no cheerful group of friends as in the past - and another is zooming in for a Christmas get together. So Merry Communist Covid Christmas to one and all!

As Advent Ends, We Cry Out for Emmanuel to Come to Us in the Midst of the Great Global Reset!

Tonight my husband and I will attend a Midnight Mass at midnight for the first time in, perhaps, fifty years. As Christmas day begins, Father will place the Christ child in the little bed that has been waiting for all of Advent to receive Him. 

Governor Northam Has Changed the Virginia Logo to "Virginia is for Maskers!"

 I just read a great article by a young woman from Florida who is going to school at Patrick Henry College in Loudoun County. Anyone who lives in Northern Virginia knows that those counties near Washington, D.C. are among the most draconian in the nation (well, outside California, Michigan, Pennsylvania -- oh heck! -- all the Democrat run states). It was refreshing to read that in Florida a church can still hold a potluck supper and people aren't afraid to act like, well, real people. Enjoy the article...

I Moved From Locked-Down Virginia To Open Florida, And Faces Came Back To Life

I love faces! I love smiles -- especially children's smiles. Isn't it time to see them again? Have a Merry unmasked Christmas! I understand if you're afraid to be in crowds without a mask, but how about standing on a deserted street corner without a mask holding a sign that wishes every car passing by a Merry Christmas. What an opportunity to break out your Santa Claus hat and spread some Christmas cheer. And it might cheer you up as well! 

The Devil in Nativity Scenes

The Devil conversing with St Joseph
in lower right corner of this Nativity scene

Still complaining about the "executioner" figure in the Vatican's current Nativity? Here's a bit of perspective on that. 

Note that in the lower right hand corner of this ancient Eastern icon of the Nativity is the Devil seen conversing with St Joseph. ("Oh, horrors! What is HE doing there?!! It's positively pagan!)

Well, I'll tell you what he's doing there as well as in the Vatican's Nativity and it isn't pagan at all.

Paul Evdokimov enlightens us: "St Joseph is sitting to the side, deep in thought. The tempter stands beside him, in the garments of a shepherd saying: An old man like you cannot beget children or a virgin give birth any more than this staff can burst into flower. The Eastern liturgy tells us that a storm of contradictory thoughts rages in St Joseph's heart, and he was perplexed, but enlightened by the Holy Spirit, he sang Alleluia!" 

Really? You Think that Mask is Protecting You from the Wuhan Virus?

 

My sister-in-law went to the mall the other day. She said everybody was wearing a mask. She has asthma and can't wear one for more than a few minutes without becoming breathless. But do masks really work? Do states with mask mandates implemented by control freaks exercising their inner Nazi protect people from getting the virus?