Precious Blood of Jesus

One of the great treasures of the Church has given us is the feast of the Precious Blood of Jesus Christ.  The feast is celebrated on the first Sunday of July in the Traditional Latin Mass.  Father Michael Rodriguez relates in this Homily the history, benefits and the Chaplet of the Precious Blood.

Reclaim the Catholic Feast of Christmas

From the Remnant


It's time to take it back.

Editor's Note: Each year around Christmastime we post a slightly updated version of the following personal Christmas reflection which offers an alternate custom to the celebration of the great Feast. I wrote it some years ago, and every year since I receive email from new visitors to this site gently chastising The Remnant for not posting it earlier in Advent so as to allow time for families to adopt as their own some of the customs herein suggested.

Over the years many Catholic families have adopted the old Christ Child tradition, believing it to be a beautiful means of restoring the true meaning of Christmas while strengthening Catholic identity in children. And it can be gradually implemented, of course.

Santa Claus (St. Nicholas), for example, can still be invited to visit the Catholic home on Christmas morning but in a dramatically reduced capacity, perhaps leaving a few stocking stuffers above the mantle and moving on.

As it was in Catholic homes throughout Christendom, Christmas must become all about the Christ Child once again. And a truly merry Christmas remains forever predicated on careful observance of Advent. No Christmas trees, no lights, no good things to eat until December 25, when the time of waiting comes to an end and all of Christendom rejoices at an event so magnificent even a two-year-old gets it. Christ is to be born—and the world, the flesh and the Devil will never change that reality, no matter how hard they try.

Happy Holidays? Yeah, right! It's time to take Christmas back, and here's one suggestion for how to do it, based on traditions as old as Christendom itself. MJM

This will be the tenth Christmas since my father passed away. I suppose everyone misses deceased family members most this time of year; I know I do. My father loved Christmas! I sometimes wonder, in fact, what impact his larger-than-life celebrations of the birth of Christ had on the faith of his nine children, each of whom continues to practice the old Faith to this day. He believed that, just as Advent—the “mini-Lent”—was to be kept well, with plenty of spiritual and corporal works of mercy, so too should Christmas be fêted with all the merrymaking and gusto a Catholic family can muster

He knew that children are not born theologians who can grasp the intricacies of the great mysteries of Faith at an early age. The Faith needed to be lovingly spoon-fed to them, and so the childlike customs of Christmas were for him tailor-made to instill love for the Faith before children were old enough to begin to understand it.

What a shame it is, then, to see well-meaning traditional Catholic parents discarding those customs altogether in a misguided effort to counter the commercialization of Christmas. No gift giving, no merry making, no feasting on Christmas. Alas, the baby is being thrown out with the bathwater.

In a dreary world where pessimism and cynicism—rather than righteousness and peace—have kissed each other, we must guard against robbing our children of the wonder and joy of Christmas— the seedbed for a child’s Faith.

Our poor children may live long enough to see Christmas outlawed altogether in our brave new world, even as it was once before by the Pilgrims whose Thanksgiving trumped the “popish” feast of Christmas. Anti-Catholics have long sought to destroy our great Feasts, which is why Easter Bunnies dominate Easter, Santa Claus pushed Christ out of Christmas, chocolate and romance bounced St. Valentine from February 14th, and everyone gets trashed on green beer on St. Patrick’s Day—plastic hats on drunks having evidently eclipsed the memory of the mitered saint who drove the snakes out of Ireland.

Still, we must be certain that in our eagerness to oppose the commercialization of our feasts we don’t become Puritanical agents working towards the same diabolical end. What we must do is simply reclaim what is ours by re-catholicizing our own feasts.

So, many Catholics oppose the custom of Santa Claus, for example—that somewhat off-putting caricature of the great St. Nicholas. Admittedly, the red suit and the stocking cap do bare strikingly slim resemblance to the 4th century bishop of Myra; and the flying sleigh and reindeer are more reminiscent of pagan myth than Christian Truth. But, still, few have sought to provide a good alternative to the Jolly Old Elf or to find a way of bringing St. Nicholas back to his place of honor.

So I’d like to offer one now by reintroducing readers to one of the old Catholic Christmas customs that the Germans called Christkind, or Christ Child, and that American children of European immigrants would call, simply, the Baby Jesus. My father handed this custom down to his children, after having received it from his father-- an immigrant from the old country. And I am now handing it down to my children.

My effort to convey to you how it all works will take the form of a simple reminiscence.

Looking Back

It all began in Advent, when my seven sisters and brother were expected to prepare for the coming of Christkind (pronounced Kris-Kint). Under Mother’s watchful eye, we’d fashion a small, makeshift manger that would remain unoccupied until Christmas Day. As Advent progressed, good deeds were encouraged on a daily basis; and each time it was determined that a good deed had been done, one piece of straw was placed in the empty manger—the idea being that Advent was a time to prepare a bed on which the Baby Jesus could sleep when He arrived. Under the rules of the old custom, the practice of virtue was an essential part of a child’s preparation for Christmas.

Each night after supper, the lights would be turned down while Advent Wreath candles were lit. The haunting strains of O Come, O Come, Emmanuel would be lifted (somewhat awkwardly, I suppose) on the voices of children. Shadows and flickering flames played on faces across the dining room table, making it easy for a child to imagine that he sat with the Israelites of old waiting for the Messiah to come.

As the four weeks passed seemingly as slowly as those four thousand years, one question became constant: “Have my sacrifices been enough to please Christkind?” And thus the weeks of Advent were spent in preparation and waiting...as they should be.

Gradually, the empty manger would fill with straw as the stage was set for a celestial Visitor.

On the evening of December 23rd, my father would hang a curtain over the doorway of our living room, which, if that straw was piled high enough, was to be transformed into the “Christmas room” by the Baby Jesus Himself in the middle of the night.

Then, it was off to sleep.

The Christmas Eve mornings I remember so well are marked by a combination of joy and wonder. Children still in their “jammies” could scarcely whisper the words to a curiously exhausted mother: “Did He come?”

All day long, we weren’t allowed to go near the curtain, lest one of us should succumb to the temptation to “peek”, which would be to risk the instant disappearance of whatever Christkind may have brought. A lifetime of self-discipline was taught between dawn and dusk on Christmas Eve—the very last day of waiting.

After a day of chores, naps, and helping with the house cleaning, the anticipated hour of 7 o’clock would finally arrive.

The children would gather in the back room and sing Christmas carols in candlelight as our mother would read aloud the story that always began the same way: “And it came to pass in those days that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus…” We listened as Father disappeared into the “Christmas room” to take down the curtain and see to the final arrangements for the holy ritual. Only he was worthy to “take over” for Christkind.

The wait seemed interminable. Then, all at once, his voice would call out from the darkness: “Come children, Christkind has come.”

Breathlessly, we’d make our candle-lit procession from the back room to the living room, singing the words of the old German carol as we went: Ihr Kinderlein, kommet, O kommet doch all! Zur Krippe her kommet in Bethlehems Stall.

We’d gather around my father, who now was kneeling in front of the nativity scene. We’d do our best not to crane our necks and look at the darkened Christmas tree or whatever might be lying beneath it. Each child placed a crib figure into the crèche, and the youngest put the Baby in His manger.

Then, prayers were said, Christmas carols were quietly sung, deceased family were remembered, and Father spoke of the marvelous thing that had happened long ago “at midnight in Bethlehem in piercing cold.”

I can still see the cast of Bethlehem bathed in a warm, peaceful glow, seeming as real to me as if I were a shepherd boy looking down from that hillside over Bethlehem. I can hear my father and mother’s hushed voices as they prayed and sang to the same royal Baby that shepherds and angels had adored centuries ago. That sacred moment was like a porthole in time, where traveling back to the city of David just then seemed not only possible to a child, but imminent.

Those long ago Christmas Eves remain vivid in my memory, some thirty-five years later. And the gifts under the tree? I don’t remember many of them. There was no question what Christmas was about—we could feel it in the depths of our souls; we could see it in the tears that formed in our father’s eyes as he prayed aloud; we could hear it in our mother’s voice as she sang softly—silent night, holy night, all is calm.

Christmas was about the Baby, Mary, Joseph, shepherds, angels and Bethlehem. It was something so powerful that it could even cause our father’s voice to tremor in the darkness as he explained Who the Baby is and what He expects of us.

We knew that Christkind was real because our father and mother were kneeling on the floor before the manger… praying to Him.

Moments later, the magic of Christmas—the feast, the Catholic family celebration—burst into the quiet reality of the manger. The majestic tree was lit; there was singing and dancing; bowls of nuts and candies, specially delivered by the Baby Jesus Himself, seemed to appear out of nowhere. And there, under the tree were the gifts, the second-to-last phase of the ritual. He’d come. He’d brought little rewards for Advent efforts. The family was together, united in love for each other and a Child King we cherished with all our hearts.

You must understand, my parents had no money. And yet, somehow, Christmas came, year after year, and it was fit for a King! That was part of the miracle.

But this was just the beginning. The toys and good things to eat were set aside to be enjoyed on each and every one of the twelve days of Christmas. Now, the soul of Christmas Eve was about to be celebrated.

Coats and hats, mittens and scarves were the next order of business. The old station wagon groaned in the frosty night air as Father turned the key in the ignition. Nine children were loaded up, and, moments later, the little ones peered through frosted glass in the hopes of catching a glimpse of Bethlehem’s star on the way to Midnight Mass.

It would be Christmas Day before this night would draw to a peaceful close in a dimly-lit church filled with the scent of pine needles and candle wax and incense. Not long before the first light of Christmas Day glowed in the East, sleepy children would crawl into chilly beds as content as a child can be this side of Heaven’s gate. And, why not! Christ is born!

And So It Continues…

The years have passed by so quickly since those childhood days that I can scarcely believe that the seven little ones who process into my living room each Christmas Eve are my own, that my beloved father is no longer with us, and that the rest of us have aged more than we care to admit. But, strangely enough, the Baby Jesus remains unchanged and unchanging. Ever young, ever new, He’s the same now as He was then. My children’s imaginations are as captivated by Him now as mine then. Life is moving on, but somehow Christmas is the one thing that stays the same.

Needless to say, His midnight visit on Christmas Eve is the highpoint of the year for my children. Why? Because, as I see it, this old European Christmas custom is profoundly Catholic. There is nothing plastic-banana or phony-baloney about it! Children are neither taught to equate Christmas with wicked consumerism or Godless Puritanism. They are taught the mystery of the birth of Christ and the importance of celebrating the Feast.

Advent is a most essential part of the process, even as Midnight Mass is its climax.

Even now, my own children—walking in the footsteps of their little Catholic counterparts from the old world—are trading daily acts of kindness and virtue for little pieces of straw that are lovingly tucked away into an empty manger. For one night soon the Child of Bethlehem will transform their home and their souls into a place fit for a King. For a few miraculous moments, life will stand perfectly still and the line between the physical world and the spiritual one will become mercifully obscured.

Christkind creates in children an indissoluble bond between the joy of Christmas—which celebrates His birth—and the Catholic Faith itself which is His greatest gift. In real Christmas magic the two become one, and the proper celebration of the Holy Day plants seeds of Faith in the little garden of children’s souls even as they shout for joy.

As they grow older, their faith in Christkind transforms itself naturally into belief in the Real Presence of Christ in the Blessed Sacrament—the true meaning of Christmas.

There is no deceit in the Christkind custom, for, indeed, there is no deceit in the Christkind. He does come down to earth on Christmas Eve; His providence provides everything we need in this life; and He exists just as surely as we do. He was born, He has a mother whom we all know and love, and He comes to us often at Mass—Christ’s Mass. He comes to us at Christmas.

Has fallen man ever had more reason for Feast or feasting than this? Advent is here already. Christ is coming soon.

Pray Always

Why do we often wait to pray, because of a tragedy, or for the a special intention which comes up?  Are we not called to pray incessantly?  Mary, Queen of heaven Ora Pro Nobis (Pray for Us).

Catholic Cowardice

Saint Pope Pius X: "In our time more than ever before, the greatest asset of those disposed toward evil is the cowardice and weakness of good men, and all the vigor of Satan’s reign is due to the easygoing weakness of Catholics. Oh! if I might ask the Divine Redeemer, as the Prophet Zachary did in spirit (Zach. 13:6a): 'What are those wounds in the midst of Thy hands?' The answer would not be doubtful: '...With these I was wounded in the house of them that loved me.' (Zach. 13:6b) 'I was wounded by my friends, who did nothing to defend me, and who, on every occasion, made themselves the accomplices of my adversaries.' And this reproach can be leveled at the weak and timid Catholics of all countries." -At the beatification of Joan of Arc (Dec. 13, 1908).

How to Chose Parish

CCHD

For all Catholics who will be asked to give to the CCHD this weekend, read this report first.  Then find a faithfully Catholic organization to fund.

http://reformcchdnow.com/

Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary novena Nov 12-20

Feast Day Nov. 21.

Gracious and lovable art thou in thy splendor, O holy Mother of God!
Show me thy countenance. Let thy words sound in my ears, for thy voice is sweet and thy countenance is beautiful.
Turn to us in thy beauty and loveliness!
Come forth in majesty and reign!
Hail Mary…

O Blessed Mother of God, Mary ever Virgin, Temple of the Lord, sanctuary of the Holy Ghost,
thou alone, without an equal, hast pleased our Lord Jesus Christ!
Hail Mary…

Blessed indeed art thou, O holy Virgin Mary, and most worthy of all praise, for from thee arose the Sun of Justice, Christ our Lord.
Draw us, O Immaculate Virgin; we shall come after thee, breathing the sweet fragrance of thy virtues!
Hail Mary

(Here state your petitions.)

Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known, that anyone who fled to thy protection,
implored thy help, or sought thy intercession, was left unaided.
Inspired by this confidence, I fly unto thee, O Virgin of virgins, my Mother!
To thee to do I come; before thee I stand, sinful and sorrowful.
O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in thy mercy, hear and answer me. Amen.

Pius XII on Modification to the Liturgy

Cardinal E. Pacelli (1933):

"I am concerned about the confidences of the Virgin to the little Lucia of Fatima. The persistence of the Good Lady in face of the danger that threatens the Church is a divine warning against the suicide that the modification of the Faith, liturgy, theology, and soul of the Church would represent.

'I hear around me partisans of novelties who want to demolish the Holy Sanctuary, destroy the universal flame of the Church, reject her adornments, and make her remorseful for her historical past. Well, my dear friend, I am convinced that the Church of Peter must affirm her past, or else she will dig her own tomb."

Vatican II opened up the Church!

-Vatican II opened up the Church...

-...and the people left!

 

[By Swiss cartoonist Patrick Chappatte. Published on October 10, 2012, and made available by Yahoo!News France. Tip: Fecit Forum]

 

Here come the Tradition Bashers!

Become a Saint

We are called to become Saints.   People make and keep goals throughout their lives,  complete school, become a doctor, teacher, engineer, etc.  However, how much time and effort do we put into becoming a Saint?

Too often, people never take it seriously, however maybe it is not that difficult, if we put all our effort toward that goal. 

Recently, I came across two instances where people have implored others to become a Saint.  

1)  The morning Sister Lucia was to receive her first Holy Communion her mother said to her:

She told me what she wanted me to ask Our Lord when I had received Him into my heart, and said goodbye to me in these words:  “ Above all, ask Him to make you a saint.”

2) She is Catholic's Leah Chen, the creator of 80 plus youtube videos would often implore us to "become a Saint" as she signed off.

http://www.youtube.com/user/SheIsCatholic

Let us make this our goal, let us not be minimalists.

Read the Catechism in a Year

The year of Faith will start October 11th.  The Holy Father is encouraging us to learn more about our Catholic faith.

Below is my favorite catechism from the council of Trent:

http://www.freecatholicebooks.com/books/catechism_of_trent.pdf

A more simplified version is the Baltimore Catechism:

http://www.catholicity.com/baltimore-catechism/

Here is the newest Version:

http://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/_INDEX.HTM

Interview mit Pater Franz Schmidberger, 18. Sept. 2012

Hungry Souls - Supernatural Visits, Messages and Warnings from Purgatory

If you have trouble finding compassion for the Poor Souls, of if you simply want a greater understanding of what Purgatory is and what it's like to be there, I highly recommend the very thrilling and following book:

Hungry Souls - Supernatural Visits, Messages and Warnings from Purgatory [Paperback] Gerard J M Van Den Aardweg (Author)

Sunscreen Toxicity Rating

Ever wonder about the toxicity of the chemicals we use for sunscreen.  Check out this site.

Search Results | EWG's Skin Deep® | 2012 Sunscreen Report

Saint Catherine of Siena

"We've had enough of exhortations to be silent!  Cry out with a hundred thousand tougues.  I see that the world is rotten because of silence."

Obama & Peasant Catholics

Father Rodriquez: Heresy of Religious Indifferentism

 

 

Father Rodriquez
Audio Sermon
Heresy of Religious Indifferentism
August 5, 2012
netmarkexpress.info/church/sermonsandaudiofiles/?sermon_id=586

AnnBarnhardt_Vendee_PT4

AnnBarnhardt_Vendee_PT3

AnnBarnhardt_Vendee_PT2

AnnBarnhardt Vendee PT1

How To Receive Holy Communion

The Latin Mass - Good and Fun Explanation

Hat Tip Father Z.

The Call of Beauty - Fifth Anniversary Summorum Pontificum

Patron Saints of the Constitution?

By Louie Verrecchio 6/28/12

www.renewamerica.com/columns/verrecchio/120628

Saints Thomas More and John Fisher are being invoked with increasing regularity these days as models of inspiration in the battle to protect religious liberty in the United States; more specifically, as it relates to the Church’s collective efforts during the Fortnight for Freedom.
In the words of Archbishop Lori, who formally opened the fourteen day observance with the celebration of Holy Mass at the Basilica of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Baltimore on June 21st, “When called upon by the King to betray his principles and his conscience, however, More chose instead to put everything at risk, including his own life.”
As for St. John Fisher, he was “an able defender of the faith” who “strongly opposed state interference in Church affairs,” according to Archbishop Lori.
All that Bishop Lori states is on point, of course, but apart from some crucial details one might come away with the mistaken impression that these brave martyrs, if alive today, would willingly suffer death in order to defend the broad based right to religious liberty that is set forth in the United States Constitution. Not so.
To be very clear, it’s important for us to recognize that neither More nor Fisher willingly laid down their lives in defense of any supposed “right” for men and women to live according to the dictates of some ill-defined principles such as may reside in the individual conscience.
For example, neither one of them would have made the supreme sacrifice to defend any so-called “right” on the part of non-Catholics to preach religious falsehoods in the public arena simply because they claim to feel duty bound in conscience to do so; rather, these men died very specifically in defense of the sovereign rights of Christ the King and of His Holy Catholic Church. In fact, as Chancellor of England, St. Thomas More was responsible for enforcing the anti-heresy laws and even dealt death sentences to four of the unrepentant offenders who came before his court.
As Bishop Lori pointed out, “More and Fisher refused to sign the Act of Supremacy and both of them paid for their principled stand with their lives.” (The “Act” to which Bishop Lori refers was a royal proclamation issued by King Henry VIII that declared himself to be the “Supreme Head” of the Church.)
So while the case may be made, as Archbishop Lori stated, that “More’s witness enriches the Church’s teaching on the dignity of the human person,” it is perhaps more important for us to consider how St. Thomas More’s witness enhances the Church’s teaching on the importance of acknowledging the indispensable role of objective religious truth — the same that has been entrusted to the Catholic Church alone as custodian and teacher — in a rightly ordered society.
Apart from still more explanation, one could very well draw mistaken conclusions as it relates to the “dignity of the human person” as well; for instance, one might adopt the false notion that martyrs like More and Fisher died in the belief that all men and all religions are of equal dignity before the Lord.
The Council Fathers of Vatican II tell us otherwise, saying, “The root reason for human dignity lies in man’s call to communion with God” (GS 19).
Clearly, this means that the realization of human dignity on the individual level is directly related to our response; how we answer the call, or in some cases, whether we answer the call at all. These things have a bearing on the degree of dignity that we possess.
The Council Fathers also say, “The very dignity of man postulates that man glorify God in his body and forbid it to serve the evil inclinations of his heart” (cf GS 14).
Serve evil, even if by ignorance, and human dignity suffers loss; that is why the Council can say, “Man’s dignity is rooted and perfected in God” (cf GS 21). Note well that it is perfected; i.e., this dignity is not, in other words, a static property.
The further one moves away from God, the more human dignity suffers imperfection. Likewise, the more profoundly one is united to God’s holy will, the more one’s dignity is perfected.
St Thomas Aquinas, in the Summa Theologica, said, “By sinning man departs from the order of reason, and therefore falls away from human dignity, in so far as man is naturally free and exists for his own sake, and falls somehow into the slavery of the beasts” (cf ST — II — II Q. 64 A. 2).
Contrast this with the words of Pope John Paul II who said, “Not even a murderer loses his personal dignity” (Pope John Paul II — Evangelium Vitae)
Looks rather contradictory, does it not? In reality, it isn’t.
In his recent book, Neither Beast nor God: The Dignity of the Human Person, theologian and ethicist Dr. Gilbert Meilaender explains this very well saying:
Human dignity invites the possibility of comparison. It gives us a meaningful way to speak about how some humans have a greater dignity than others precisely because they flourish to a greater degree than others do. It also helps us articulate several senses in which dignity can be lost or diminished. But against the dangers of such comparison, the notion of personal dignity provides protection.
I do realize that the very idea of human beings having anything other than a perfectly equal dignity is shocking to modern sensibilities, but simply consider the effects of Baptism: Every human being has the innate personal dignity that is founded on the fact of being created in the image of God. Baptism, however, restores the likeness of God, and so we can say without hesitation say that the Baptized person possesses a uniquely profound degree of dignity that is owed to the indwelling of the Trinitarian life.
From there, this dignity can suffer loss as one sins, but it can also develop along the way of perfection as one practices virtue.
With regard to the religious liberty debate, when we hear it said that St. Thomas More’s example is a witness to human dignity, and that he “stands for those who go about their daily work in accord with their faith,” we need to understand that this is true only to the extent that we are talking about those who worship God in truth, as the Lord Himself has revealed that He wills to be worshipped — in the Holy Catholic Church.
As I write, the Supreme Court just ruled that “Obamacare” is constitutionally sound.
If nothing else, this should serve as a wake-up call; a much needed reminder that our salvation does not lie in the U.S. Constitution, but rather in a life lived according to the timeless precepts of the Church.
“Until now, it has been entirely possible under federal law for conscientious owners to conduct private businesses in accord with one’s conscience and the teachings of one’s faith,” Bishop Lori said from the pulpit on June 21st.
Well, yes and no; it has always depended upon exactly how that person lived, regardless of any claims to “conscience” or the teachings of their particular “faith.” For example, Mormon polygamists were sometimes imprisoned for failing to adhere to Federal marriage laws.
The fact is the Second Vatican Council literally invited the State to regulate religious freedom:
This Vatican Council declares that the human person has a right to religious freedom. This freedom means that all men are to be immune from coercion on the part of individuals or of social groups and of any human power, in such wise that no one is to be forced to act in a manner contrary to his own beliefs, whether privately or publicly, whether alone or in association with others, within due limits (DH 2). [Emphasis added.]
So, here we are, discontent with the way in which the Obama led government is regulating religious freedom in the United States, but let’s not pretend that the very act of regulation itself is entirely unanticipated.
Given the fact that the Declaration on Religious Freedom doesn’t define what constitutes a bona fide “religious” belief or an honest-to-goodness “religious” institution, neither can we be surprised that the Obama Administration is going about defining it.
Hey… I have a radical idea, why don’t our bishops let the President of the United States and his godless minions know that the Holy Roman Catholic Church, by the will of Almighty God, is the only institution on earth that is qualified to rule on such matters; not the executive branch, not the legislative branch or the judiciary, but the Catholic Church. Period.
Until we do that, we have no one to blame more than ourselves when we don’t like the decisions that are made by those in civil authority.

For Greater Glory: The True Story of Cristeros

Part 2: The Society of St. Pius X

Patron Saints

Sometimes people think that their last resort is to pray, when it should be the first thing they do.

Here is a great site for patron Saints, linked below.  So whether the issue is looking for a job, substance abuse, sterility, happy or difficult marriage, etc.  Just go to this site and pray for this Saint to intercede for you! 

http://www.catholic-forum.com/saints/patron00.htm

Analogies

I ask my eldest daughter “what are ruby slippers good for”.

She replied, “to help you to get home”.

Thus, Father’s analogy on why you never take the brown scapular off is explained.  Doh!

Novena for Pope & Bishop Fellay

The intention of this novena will be that the Holy Ghost may give the graces of light and strength to the Holy Father, Benedict XVI, and to the Superior General of the Society, Bishop Fellay.  May 8 to May 16.

Veni Creator Spiritus
(Come, Holy Ghost)

Come, Holy Ghost, Creator blest,
and in our hearts take up Thy rest;
come with Thy grace and heav'nly aid,
To fill the hearts which Thou hast made.

O Comforter, to Thee we cry,
Thou heav'nly gift of God most high,
Thou Fount of life, and Fire of love,
and sweet anointing from above.

O Finger of the hand divine,
the sevenfold gifts of grace are thine;
true promise of the Father thou,
who dost the tongue with power endow.

Thy light to every sense impart,
and shed thy love in every heart;
thine own unfailing might supply
to strengthen our infirmity.

Drive far away our ghostly foe,
and thine abiding peace bestow;
if thou be our preventing Guide,
no evil can our steps betide.

Praise we the Father and the Son
and Holy Spirit with them One;
and may the Son on us bestow
the gifts that from the Spirit flow.

V. Send forth Thy Spirit, and they shall be created.
R. And Thou shalt renew the face of the earth.

Memorare

Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy help, or sought thine intercession was left unaided.

Inspired by this confidence, I fly unto thee, O Virgin of virgins, my mother; to thee do I come, before thee I stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in thy mercy hear and answer me.

Amen.

Letter From District Superior - SSPX USA

May 2012

Dear Friends and Benefactors,

A lot of rumors are being spread regarding the relations between the Roman authorities and the Society of St. Pius X. On this regard, I wish to simply remind the communiqué from the General House of the Society of April 18, 2012:

In a letter dated April 17, 2012, the Superior General of the Society of St. Pius X responded to the request for clarification that had been made to him on March 16 by Cardinal William Levada concerning the Doctrinal Preamble delivered on September 14, 2011. As the press release dated today from the Ecclesia Dei Commission indicates, the text of this response “will be examined by the dicastery (Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith) then submitted to the Holy Father for his judgment".

The matter is in the hands of the Holy Father and we are waiting for His decision.

Let us remember that it is to our Superior General, and only to him, that has been entrusted by the law of the Church and the will of Archbishop Lefebvre the delicate task of our relations with Rome. As such, he is the only competent authority to take prudent decisions for our Society. Because of his function and his 18 years of leadership in keeping the Faith and seeking the common good of the Church, we renew to him all our confidence, trust and respectful obedience in this difficult time. Our filial piety to him, as to the Sovereign Pontiff, pushes us to do more than usual in these unusual circumstances: we desire to bring to them the support of all your prayers.

To pray is indeed the most important, and as a matter of fact, the only thing we can do now. I would like to ask you to double your efforts in the Rosary Crusade, which will end on Pentecost Sunday (May 27, 2012), keeping in mind the striking results of the previous ones. I wish also to solicit your generosity in offering a novena to the Holy Ghost.

The intention of this novena will be that the Holy Ghost may give the graces of light and strength to the Holy Father, Benedict XVI, and to the Superior General  of the Society, Bishop Fellay.

The novena consists of praying the Veni Creator Spiritus and adding the Memorare (Remember, O Most Gracious Virgin Mary) starting on May 8 and ending on May 16, the vigil of the feast of the Ascension of Our Lord.

I authorize the priests to add these prayers just before or after their daily Mass.

Let us pray that the Good Lord may keep us all united in the Faith and in a corps spirit around our Superior, working for the Restoration of all things in Christ as ever.

In the Immaculate Heart of Mary,

Fr. Arnaud Rostand

Saint Joseph the Worker

Today is the feast of Saint Joseph the Worker.  It is an great day to ask Saint Joseph to intercede for a new job or for sucess in some work related venture. 

If all is going well at work, or you had a recent sucess, then it is a great day to thank God and Saint Joseph.  I think I will do both today.

Saint Monica Novenna

Saint Monica is a powerful intercessor for conversions. 

Start Novena on April 25th and end May 3rd, the vigil of her Feast Day.



Novena Prayer To Saint Monica

Exemplary Mother of the Great Augustine,
Thou perserveringly pursued thy wayward son
Not with wild threats
But with prayerful cries to heaven.

Intercede for all mothers in our day
So that they may learn
To draw their children to God.

Teach them how to remain
Close to their children,
Even the prodigal sons and daughters
Who have sadly gone astray.

Dear St Monica, troubled wife and mother,
Many sorrows pierced thy heart
During thy lifetime.
Yet thou never despaired or lost faith.
With confidence, persistence and profound faith,
Thou prayed daily for the conversion
Of thy beloved husband, Patricius
And thy beloved son, Augustine.

Grant me that same fortitude,
Patience and trust in the Lord.
Intercede for me, dear St. Monica,
That God may favorably hear my plea
For

[State your petition here.)

And grant me the grace
To accept His will in all things,
Through Jesus Christ, our Lord,
In the unity of the Holy Ghost,
One God forever and ever.
Amen.

Up Close: The SSPX and Rome Blog Radio Colleen Hammond

Below is a link to an interview of Louie Verrecchio, John Vennari, Dr John R.T. Lamont and Stephen Dupuy by Colleen Hammond.  You will gain a great understanding on of the church and the Society of Saint Pius the Tenth (SSPX),   Quite long, I like the last 30 minutes the best.

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/up-close/2012/04/17/the-sspx-and-rome

Dedicating an Entire Rosary to One Intention

Most often I dedicate the saying of the Rosary to several intentions.  I will recite a decade to related subject matter, for instance the first decade to my spouse and children, etc.

Occasionally, however, I say a full Rosary to one intention, such as the alleviation of someones illness, the soul of a recently departed, or for someone who may be going through an especially difficult challenge or trial.

These one intention Rosaries are the most memorable to me.  With Blessings.

Pope's Intentions for April

April 2012

General Intention: Vocations. That many young people may hear the call of Christ and follow him in the priesthood and religious life.

Missionary Intention: Christ, Hope for Africans. That the risen Christ may be a sign of certain hope for the men and women of the African continent.

Divine Mercy Novena

I am almost too late.  The Divine Mercy Novena starts today.  I was able to start mine along with about 500 others after this afternoon's Good Friday Service!  What a great start.

Saint Mary Magdalene

Below is the last part of Michael Matt's Post from the Remnant.

Saint Mary Magdalene

Saint Mary Magdalene is called "the Penitent". She was given the name 'Magdalene' because, though a Jewish girl, she lived in a Gentile town called Magdalene, in northern Galilee, and her culture and manners were those of a Gentile.

Saint Luke records that she was a notorious sinner, and had seven devils removed from her. She was present at Our Lord’s Crucifixion, and with Joanna and Mary, the mother of James and Salome, she was the first at Jesus' empty tomb.

Fourteen years after Our Lord's death, Saint Mary was put in a boat by the Jews without sails or oars – along with Saints Lazarus and Martha, Maximin (who baptized her), Sidonius ("the man born blind"), her maid Sera, and the body of Saint Anne, the mother of the Blessed Virgin. They were sent drifting out to sea and landed on the shores of Southern France, where Saint Mary spent the rest of her life as a contemplative in a cave known as Sainte-Baume.

She was given the Holy Eucharist daily by angels as her only food, and died when she was 72. She was transported miraculously, just before she died, to the chapel of Saint Maximin, where she received the last sacraments.

Saint Mary Magdalene was well known as a sinner when she first saw Our Lord. She was very beautiful and very proud, but after she met Jesus, she felt great sorrow for her evil life. When Jesus went to supper at the home of a rich man named Simon, Mary came to weep at His feet. Then with her long beautiful hair, she wiped His feet dry and anointed them with expensive oils.

The Pharisees were shocked that Jesus let such a sinner touch Him, but Our Lord could see into Mary's heart, and He said: "Her sins, many as they are, shall be forgiven her, because she has loved much. But he to whom little if forgiven, loves little." Then to Mary He said kindly, "Thy faith has saved thee; go in peace."

From then on, with the other holy women, Mary humbly served Jesus and His Apostles. When Our Lord was crucified, she was there at the foot of His cross, unafraid for herself, and thinking only of His sufferings. No wonder Jesus said of her: "she has loved much." After Jesus' body had been placed in the tomb, Mary went to anoint it with spices early Easter Sunday morning. Not finding the Body, she began to weep, and seeing someone whom she thought was the gardener, she asked him if he knew where the Body of her beloved Master had been taken.

When she had said this she turned round and beheld Jesus standing there, and she did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, “Woman, why art thou weeping? Whom dost thou seek?” She, thinking that he was the gardener, said to him, “Sir, if thou has removed him, tell me where thou hast laid him and I will take him away.” Jesus said to her, “Mary!” Turning, she said to him, “Rabboni!” Jesus said to her, “Do not touch me, for I have not yet ascended to my Father, but go to my brethren and say to them, ‘I ascend to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” Mary Magdalene came, and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord and these things he said to me.”
John, 20: 15-18

The Gospels show that Mary, the repentant one, was chosen by Our Lord himself to announce the Good News of the Resurrection to Peter and the apostles. Hers was an honor so great that in the early centuries of the Church, Mary Magdalene's feast was celebrated with the Mass of an Apostle.

We can ask Saint Mary Magdalene to give us grateful and repentant hearts. If we love Jesus as she did, nothing good will be denied us and even the greatest sins will be overcome.

Saint Mary Magdalene, Pray for us!

Ad te beáte Joseph

During the month of October, in all churches and oratories, the Rosary and Litany of Loreto are recited daily. The prayer, Ad te beáte Joseph, is recited daily. Decree of Pope Leo XIII, August 20, 1885; and Decree S.R.C. May 3, 1960.

To thee, O blessed Joseph, do we have recourse in our tribulation, and, having implored the help of thy thrice-holy Spouse, we confidently invoke thy patronage also. By that charity wherewith thou wast united to the immaculate Virgin Mother of God, and by that fatherly affection with which thou didst embrace the Child Jesus, we beseech thee and we humbly pray, that thou wouldst look graciously upon the inheritance which Jesus Christ hath purchased by His Blood, and assist us in our needs by thy power and strength. Most watchful guardian of the Holy Family, protect the chosen people of Jesus Christ; keep far from us, most loving father, all blight of error and corruption: mercifully assist us from Heaven, most mighty defender, in this our conflict with the powers of darkness; and, even as of old thou didst rescue the Child Jesus from the supreme peril of His life, so now defend God's Holy Church from the snares of the enemy and from all adversity; keep us one and all under thy continual protection, that we may be supported by thine example and thine assistance, may be enabled to lead a holy life, die a happy death and come at last to the possession of everlasting blessedness in Heaven. Amen.

Ad te beáte Joseph, in tribulatióne nostra confúgimus, atque, imploráto Sponsæ tuæ sanctíssimæ auxílio, patrocínium quoque tuum fidenter expóscimus. Per eam, quæsumus, quæ te cum immaculáta Vírgine Dei Genitríce coniúnxit, caritátem, perque patérnum, quo Púerum Iesum ampléxus es, amórem, súpplices deprecámur, ut ad hereditátem, quam Iesus Christus acquisívit Sánguine suo, benígnus respícias, ac necessitátibus nostris tua virtúte et ope succúrras. Tuére, o Custos providentíssime divínæ Famíliæ, Iesu Christi sóbolem eléctam; próhibe a nobis, amantíssime Pater, omnem errórum ac corruptelárum luem; propítius nobis, sospítator noster fortíssime, in hoc cum potestáte tenebrárum certámine e cælo adésto; et sicut olim Púerum Iesum e summo eripuísti vitre discrímine, ita nunc Ecclesiam sanctam Dei ab hostílibus insídiis atque ab omni adversitáte défende: nosque síngulos perpétuo tege patrocínio, ut ad tui exémplar et ope tua suffúlti, sancte vívere, pie émori, sempiternámque in cæ lis beatitúdinem ássequi possímus. Amen.

Pope's Intentions March 2012

The Holy Father’s Intentions – March 2012

General Intention – Contribution of Women

That the whole world may recognize the contribution of women to the development of society.

  

Mission Intention – Persecuted Christians 

That the Holy Spirit may grant perseverance to those who suffer discrimination, persecution, or death for the name of Christ, particularly in Asia.

Plenary indulgence reminder: Fridays in Lent

8 §1. A plenary indulgence is granted to the Christian faithful who:

8 §1. A plenary indulgence is granted to the Christian faithful who:

2° in any Friday in the season of Lent piously recite the prayer En ego, o bone et dulcissime Iesu, before an image of the Crucified Jesus Christ after communion; ...

(Reference: Enchiridion Indulgentiarum, 4th edition, al. concessiones.)

The En ego is quite well known - it is published in Breviaries and Missals, as well as in all missals for the use of the lay faithful, usually in the section dedicated to thanksgiving after Mass:

En ego, o bone et dulcissime Iesu, ante conspectum tuum genibus me provolvo, ac maximo animi ardore te oro atque obtestor, ut meum in cor vividos fidei, spei et caritatis sensus, atque veram peccatorum meorum paenitentiam, eaque emendandi firmissimam voluntatem velis imprimere; dum magno animi affectu et dolore tua quinque vulnera mecum ipse considero, ac mente contemplor, illud prae oculis habens, quod iam in ore ponebat tuo David Propheta de te, o bone Iesu: «Foderunt manus meas et pedes meos; dinumeraverunt omnia ossa mea». (Behold, o good and most sweet Jesus, I fall upon my knees before Thee, and with most fervent desire beg and beseech Thee that Thou wouldst impress upon my heart a lively sense of faith, hope and charity, true repentance for my sins, and a firm resolve to make amends. And with deep affection and grief, I reflect upon Thy five wounds, having before my eyes that which Thy prophet David spoke about Thee, o good Jesus: "They have pierced my hands and feet, they have counted all my bones.")

The conditions to obtain the Plenary Indulgence (for oneself or for a departed soul) are as follows:

• Sacramental Confession (during eight days before or after).
• Participation in the Mass and Eucharist
• Recitation of the Apostle's Creed, Our Father, and a prayer for the pope's intentions.
• Be free from any attachment to sin.

Eucharistic Miracles

Last week I was had a spiritually delightful experience listening to "Our Hidden God" from Holy Family Press, with two of my friends.  It was great to share and learn with others about these miracles that God has provided to us so that we may believe more fully in the Eucharist.  Later the friend who brought the CD, lent it to me to share with my family.  Well I first listened to it twice alone, and it was better each time.  In fact alone, it seemed to bit me like a "ton of bricks".  I think many times we grow complacent to the Eucharist and it is great to have a reminder that it is the "Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Our Lord Jesus Christ".  I have since shared it with spouse and my eight year old daughter (who will soon receive her first communion), and they loved it too!

Well, as what so often happens, good messages get repeated, I received the "Catholic Family News" last Friday and there on page three was a story about the Eucharistic miracle at Seefeld.  In that miracle a proud knight learned the hard way of the Real Presence. His hand impressions can be seen in the alter, as well as the impression his feet left in the floor of the church.   Here is a link to that and other Eucharistic miracles at angelfire.com.

Forgive Them Anyway

              People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered.  Forgive them anyway.

            If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives.  Be kind anyway.

            If you are successful, you will win some unfaithful friends and some genuine enemies.  Succeed anyway.

           If you are honest and sincere people may deceive you.  Be honest and sincere anyway.

            What you spend years creating, others could destroy overnight.  Create anyway.

            If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous.  Be happy anyway.

            The good you do today, will often be forgotten.  Do good anyway.

         Give the best you have, and it will never be enough.  Give your best anyway.

         In the final analysis, it is between you and God.  It was never between you and them anyway.

-Blessed Teresa of Calcutta

Great Conversion - Venerable Charles De Foucauld

Regarding his conversion, Charles De Fouchauld said, "The moment I realized that God existed, I could not do otherwise than live for Him alone."

From "Modern Saints Their Lives and Faces - Book One", by Ann Ball

People Impressions of Latin Mass

Good comments from bloggers at Father John Zuhlsdorf's site, giving their impression of their first Latin Mass.

Rorate Caeli Purgatorial Society

See Information and link below to enroll souls for masses.  J-S

 

Below, please find the fifty-third posting of enrolled souls of the Rorate Caeli Purgatorial Society, which has 16 holy priests saying regular Traditional Latin Masses for the souls.

How to enroll souls: please email me at athanasiuscatholic@yahoo.com and submit as follows: "Name, State, Country." If you want to enroll entire families, simply write in the email: "The Jones family, Ohio, USA". Individual names are preferred. Be greedy -- send in as many as you wish and forward this posting to friends as well.

Please consider forwarding this Society to your family and friends, announcing from the pulpit during Holy Mass or listing in your church bulletin. We need to spread the word and relieve more suffering souls.

Please pray for the enrolled souls and the 15 holy priests saying Traditional Masses for the Society:

"For all the souls enrolled in the Rorate Caeli Purgatorial Society: Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May their souls and the souls of all the Faithful departed rest in peace. Amen."

Then ...

Almighty and ever living God,

we ask Thy blessing upon the priests

who offer Masses for the Purgatorial Society.

Give them a greater awareness of the grace

that Thou dost pour out through the Sacraments,

and by their devout celebration of the Sacred Mysteries,

increase in them a love for Thee.

Give strength to Thy priests, O Shepherd of the flock;

when they are in doubt, give them the assurance of faith,

and in Thy goodness confirm them as heralds of Thy Truth

to all who seek to follow in Thy path.

We ask this through Our Lord Jesus Christ, Eternal Priest,

Who lives and reigns with Thee in the unity with the Holy Ghost,

God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Is Hell Endothermic or Exothermic

I got this off of a blog a couple years ago:

This is forwarded from a Oklahoma graduate, citing one of Dr. Schlambaugh's final test questions for his final exam of 1997. Dr. Schlambaugh of the Oklahoma Chemical Engineering Dept. is known for asking questions on his finals like: "Why do airplanes fly?" In May 1997, the "Momentum, Heat, and Mass Transfer II" final exam question was: "Is Hell exothermic or endothermic? Support your answer with proof." Most of the students wrote proofs of their beliefs using Boyle's Law or some variant. One student, however, wrote the following:

"First, we postulate that if souls exist, they must have some mass. If they do, then a mole of souls also must have a mass. So, at what rate are souls moving into hell and at what rate are souls leaving? I think we can safely assume that once a soul gets to hell, it does not leave. Therefore, no souls are leaving.

As for souls entering Hell, let's look at the different religions that exist in the world today. Some religions say that if you are not a member of their religion, you will go to Hell. Since there are more than one of these religions, and people generally do not belong to more than one religion, we can project that most people and most souls go to Hell.

With the birth and death rates what they are, we can expect the number of souls in hell to increase exponentially. Now, we look at the rate of change in the volume of Hell. Boyle's Law states that in order for the temperature and pressure in hell to stay the same, the ratio of the mass of the souls and volume needs to stay constant.

[A1] So, if Hell is expanding at a slower rate than the rate at which souls enter hell, then the temperature and pressure in Hell will increase until all Hell breaks loose.

[A2] Of course, if Hell is expanding at a rate faster than the increase in souls in Hell, then the temperature and pressure will drop until Hell freezes over

So which is it? If we accept the postulate given to me by Theresa Banyan during freshman year, that, "It'll be a cold day in Hell before I go out with you," and taking into account that I still have not succeeded in persuading her to accompany me on a date, then [A2] cannot be true... thus, Hell is exothermic."

The student got the only A.

Consecration of Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary

Interesting supposition on why the consecration of Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary has not been performed.

http://www.fatimacrusader.com/cr96/cr96pg23.pdf

Abstinance from Eating Meat on Fridays

Excellent link regarding abstinence from eating meat on Fridays

http://www.secondexodus.com/html/catholicdefinitions/fridayabstinence.htm

Fatima TV

Now I am scared, pray more rosaries!

http://fatimatvworldwide.twww.tv/video.php?lang=EN#video.php?nav=1&lang=EN

FATIMA TV WORLD WIDE
GOES ONLINE

February 10, 2012

On February 13, the only international apostolate dedicated to proclaiming the full Fatima Message will launch a bold new initiative: Fatima TV will become available on the web, 24 hours a day, anywhere in the world.

Fatima TV now broadcasts on Channel 213 in Rome, and will continue to do so. But there is a need and a growing demand to make its programs accessible to a wider audience in English as well as Italian.

Using the advanced technology and resources of www.twww.tv programs, exploring the rich and controversial history of the Message of Fatima and featuring the world's leading Fatima experts will be accessible in high quality Internet streaming.

Fatima TV also provides much-needed instruction in the traditional Catholic Faith, including the extraordinary form of the Mass and traditional devotions.

Fatima TV World Wide will also allow the Fatima Center to make available online its upcoming Rome conference “Fatima: Your Last Chance!” The conference - May 13 through May 18 - will convene noted authors and experts to examine the urgency of honoring the requests of Our Lady of Fatima.

The Fatima Center has tens of thousands of loyal supporters on every continent. With the advent of Fatima TV World Wide, the number of supporters is expected to grow exponentially.

Attempts to silence those who raise legitimate concerns about the church's handling of the Message of Fatima have not succeeded. Fatima TV World Wide will help to initiate an open, honest dialogue, which is long overdue.

We invite the media to be present at the launch of Fatima TV World Wide, which we believe will have a significance beyond what many people now imagine to be possible. The media are also welcome to attend our Rome conference from May 13 to May 18. Our authors and experts will be available for interviews.

Fatima TV World Wide Launch: Monday, February 13, 2012, 6:30pm

Litany of Humility

The Litany of Humility
Rafael Cardinal Merry del Val (1865-1930)
O Jesus! meek and humble of heart, Hear me.
From the desire of being esteemed, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being loved, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being extolled, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being honored, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being praised, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being preferred to others, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being consulted, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being approved, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being humiliated, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being despised, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of suffering rebukes, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being calumniated, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being forgotten, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being ridiculed, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being wronged, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being suspected, Deliver me, Jesus.
That others may be loved more than I, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be esteemed more than I, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That, in the opinion of the world, others may increase and I may decrease, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be chosen and I set aside, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be praised and I unnoticed, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be preferred to me in everything, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may become holier than I, provided that I may become as holy as I should, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
Amen.

Growing in Faith

Over the last week, I have been blessed with three noteworthy experiences. 


(A)  First was a listening to a CD from Mathew Kelly on the seven pillars of Catholic spirituality.
       Which are:

1. Confession
2. Contemplation
3. The Mass
4. Scriptures
5. Fasting
6. Spiritual Reading
7. The Rosary

Mathew does an excellent job of presenting why each of these pillars is important for our daily lives.


(B) Secondly was from an online sermon by Father Michael Rodriguez.  The sermon was a litany of problems throughout church history.  It mirrored examples from Akita, and was a good compendium to many of the themes I have read recently.  Please pray for Father Rodriguez .


(C) Finally I was blessed to receive an invitation from a friend to to a retreat in a neighboring parish.  I had an uplifting "out of the box" experience that I do not normally receive at my regular parish and I was grateful to be able to share it with good friends, our families and other neighboring catholics.


Finally, please pray to Saint Monica for her intercession for a special intention.


Sancta Dei Genetrix, ora pro nobis.

Random Thoughts on This First Saturday

Last night I read some of the prophecies of Mary as told to Mother Mariana back in the 17th Century, see below and here.  Contemplating this and the information revealed regarding the third secret of Fatima, one can become quite anxious.


However, I can only only do what what is under my control.  My first responsibility to follow God's plan for myself, and engage in pious practices with my spouse and children.  Our Lady also gave us many  tools including the scapular, first Saturday devotions and the rosary.


So I got up this morning and contemplated on the Rosary mysteries while gazing upon the picture of Our Lady of Sorrows (that picture just cuts right through me).


Then I went to Mass and saw three mothers with their children (seeing them, I got the nudge to bring own daughter next month, and ask my spouse to come with us).


Later, I took my daughter to a party, and we were able to complete the rosary on the way.  I am so joyful regarding her knowledge of the rosary prayers.  Later, I completed a sixth decade for the Holy Souls (a practice I have just started after learning about it from a friend).


I think I will read some Bible, as I was also nudged to do that today.


Our Lady prophesied that at the end of the 19th Century and especially in the 20th Century that Satan would reign almost completely by the means of the Masonic sect. The Queen of Heaven told Mother Mariana that this battle would reach its most acute stage because of various unfaithful religious, who, "under the appearance of virtue and bad-spirited zeal, would turn upon Religion, who nourished them at her breast." "During this time," she continued, "insomuch as this poor country will lack the Christian spirit, the Sacrament of Extreme Unction will be little esteemed. Many people will die without receiving it - either because of the negligence of their families or their false sentimentality that tries to protect the sick from seeing the gravity of their situations, or because they will rebel against the spirit of the Catholic Church, impelled by the malice of the devil. Thus many souls will be deprived of innumerable graces, consolations and the strength they need to make that great leap from time to eternity..." "As for the Sacrament of Matrimony, which symbolizes the union of Christ with His Church, it will be attacked and profaned in the fullest sense of the word. Masonry, which will then be in power, will enact iniquitous laws with the objective of doing away with this Sacrament, making it easy for everyone to live in sin, encouraging the procreation of illegitimate children born without the blessing of the Church. The Christian spirit will rapidly decay, extinguishing the precious light of Faith until if reaches the point that there will be analmost total and general corruption of customs. The effects of secular education will increase, which will be one reason for the lack of priestly and religious vocations..."

"The Sacred Sacrament of Holy Orders will be ridiculed, oppressed and despised. ...The demon will try to persecute the Ministers of the Lord in every possible way and he will labor with cruel and subtle astuteness to deviate them from the spirit of their vocation, corrupting many of them. These corrupted priests, who will scandalize the Christian people, will incite the hatred of the bad Christians and the enemies of the Roman, Catholic and Apostolic Church to fall upon all priests. This apparent triumph of Satan will bring enormous sufferings to the good Pastors of the Church...."

"Moreover, in these unhappy times, there will be unbridled luxury which, acting thus to snare the rest into sin, will conquer innumerable frivolous souls who will be lost. Innocence will almost no longer be found in children, nor modesty in women, and in this supreme moment of need of the Church, those who should speak will fall silent."

"But know, beloved daughter, that when your name is made known in the 20th century, there will be many who will not believe, claiming that this devotion is not pleasing to God...A simple humble faith in the truth of My apparitions to you, My predilect child, will be reserved for humble and fervent souls docile to the inspirations of grace, for Our Heavenly Father communicates His secrets to the simple of heart, and not to those whose hearts are inflated with pride, pretending to know what they do not, or self-satisfied with empty knowledge."

During this time, Our Lady foretold, "the secular Clergy will leave much to be desired because priests will become careless in their sacred duties. Lacking the divine compass, they will stray from the road traced by God for the priestly ministry, and they will become attached to wealth and riches, which they will unduly strive to obtain. How the Church will suffer during this dark night! Lacking a Prelate and Father to guide them with paternal love, gentleness, strength, wisdom and prudence, many priests will lose their spirit, placing their souls in great danger. This will mark the arrival of My hour."