Sunday Meditation: Seeking Holy Tranquility

How will you nurture "holy tranquility"
 in your life?

How many people today are caught up in noise and glitter, flashing lights and endless confusion? Most I think. The only way out is the remedy Monsignor Romana Guardini describes below -- finding a place of silence, of "holy tranquility." 

We desperately need silence so we can hear the Lord's still, small voice. If we fill our lives with endless noise by smart phone, TV, music and talk radio, internet social networks, conversation, etc. we will forever be on the merry-go-round of confusion. Life will spin past and we will miss the most important parts as we mindlessly ride in circles with lights flashing around us and calliope noise filling our ears. 

Thank God for another Trump Blessing! Bye-bye Contraceptive Mandate.

I bet the Little Sisters of the Poor
are thanking God for President Trump!

Trump Ends Contraceptive Mandate! Praise God!

Contraception may be the most serious moral evil ever treated like a ho-hum, no-big-deal societal staple. Think about it. Abortion is a horrendous sin that kills a baby, but that little one will live for all eternity.

Contraception doesn't just will the death of a soul; it wills the non-existence of a soul willed by God. In that sense it is even worse than abortion because a soul is not only physically murdered but denied existence at all.

Pray the Rosary against the Islamic World Invasion on the Feast of the Battle of Lepanto

A Million Catholics Pray The Rosary On Poland’s Border Commemorating The Defeat Of Islam At The Battle Of Lepanto

From the Desk of Richard Thompson

     This Saturday, October 7, over a million Catholics in Poland are expected to gather along Poland’s 2000-mile border in a massive rosary prayer crusade entitled “Rosary on the Borders.” Their purpose is to commemorate the anniversary of the October 7, 1571 Battle of Lepanto, during which the outnumbered Christian naval fleet dealt a massive blow to the Muslim Ottoman Empire, saving Christendom from Islamic domination.   Read more....

Today we have a growing pretense promoted by many clerics in the Church that Islam is no threat to Christianity and we should welcome hordes Islamic immigrants with open arms. That was not, however, the reaction of Pope Pius V as the Islamic fleet threatened Europe. From the article above we learn that:

Commercial Break: Homemade Hot Fudge

I enjoy cooking and making up my own recipes. The kids joke about me starting a cooking show about using up leftovers in creative ways. Well, this commercial isn't for using leftovers but about creating a homemade alternative to the high fructose ice cream toppings in the store. I can't claim that hot fudge is ever a health food, but what you choose to put in it (or leave out of it) can make a healthier alternative.

So if you like hot fudge check my Gramma blog and see my 4-ingredient recipe for hot fudge. Five minutes from stove to ice cream.

Birds of a Feather Flock Together -- Especially Vultures!

Where the carcass lies, there
the vultures gather. (Matt 24:28)

There's a spot here in Woodstock near the local park where several large trees with spreading branches seem to attract legions of turkey vultures. They roost in the trees in a creepy Halloween-like setting. I always shiver a bit when we pass by and see them roosting there.

On the other hand, the vultures have an important role to play in cleaning up the dead things: the road kill, the sick and injured animals that die in the woods...they are, in a way, nature's morticians.

Sadly, however, we have our own vultures in the Church who feed, not on the dead, but on the living. Instead of cleaning up after dead things, their chosen role appears to be taking living faith, poisoning it and feeding on the dying souls of the scandalized.

"They Inspire Joy, Kindness and Wonder."

...from President Trump"s statement declaring Down Syndrome Awareness Month.

Now what will the mainstream media find to criticize about this?

Talk about a group that is targeted by the culture of death. Most Down Syndrome babies never see the light of day. Ninety percent are killed before birth by abortion. I've posted the video below before but it's worth watching again. The weak and vulnerable teach us how to love "with a love so pure it makes your heart break." No, God doesn't make mistakes!

Just Wondering...

Why is it that so many who claim they believe that "black lives matter" are all for killing little black babies in the womb.

How come anyone who tries to examine the causes of the Civil War recognizing there was plenty of wrong on both sides of the debate is immediately accused of being in favor of slavery instead of simply wanting an honest appraisal of history?

Demonic Evil in Las Vegas: Part of the Chastisement?

Las Vegas concernt goers run for cover.

What happened Sunday night in Las Vegas was demonic. There's no other way to describe it. The perpetrator, Stephen Paddock, described as a 64-year-old multi-millionaire who was a loner, was the trigger man. But can anyone doubt who was behind it? Like saints put a face on God, evildoers put a face on Lucifer. Love defines a Mother Teresa. Hate defines a Stephen Paddock.

There is still not enough information to explain the motive behind Paddock's demonic act, but it clearly was no random event. It was carefully planned. It appears that Paddock modified legally purchased rifles to transform them into rapid-fire machine guns. He also appears to have taken the time to move his numerous weapons (23 at last report) gradually over several days into his hotel room on the 32nd floor overlooking the concert site. He obviously wanted to kill as many as possible and to kill indiscriminately. The dead and injured cross the spectrum from young 20-somethings to grandparents. As one article described them:

Economic Rape of the South Led to Secession

When Union troops tried to resupply Fort Sumter, South
Carolina fired on the fort. The only casualty was a donkey,
but it gave Lincoln an excuse to call up 75,000 troops to stop
secession and force Southern states to remain in the Union.
Some critics believe he deliberately provoked the battle to
justify the war against the Southern states.

It's important to understand the major role economic issues played in the South's decision to secede. The states of the South represented about one fifth of the U.S. population, but they were paying over 80% of the tariffs levied by a Congress controlled by the Northern states. The actual amount involved according to Charles Adams writing in his book When in the Course of Human Events was about $107.5 million being charged at federal ports on goods coming into the country. The South, more dependent on imports than the mercantile North ended up paying about $90 million of this total compared to $17.5 million from the Northern states. That was a disparity of 83% of tariff taxation being picked up by the South and only about 17% from the North.

Really! The Gay Sign at a Children's Garden?

Gay chickens in the coop?

While we were biking on the Cayuga Waterfront Trail, we stopped to visit the Ithaca Children's Garden, a charming little spot designed just for the wee ones. There was obviously a New Age influence at the place since it had a giant turtle named Gaia with phases of the moon marked on her shell and also featured a labyrinth garden.

But the entire effect of the place was sweet with lots of beautiful flowers and mini spots (a troll house, for example) just the right size for children to play and imagine.

And the children who were there clearly enjoyed all the spots designed for their enjoyment including the rice paddy where several were dabbling in the water. One little boy assured me there were fish. He was trying to catch them.