July is the Month of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus

July begins with a celebration of the Most Precious Blood on the 1st, in the trad calendar.  We give thanks for this great Gift of Our Lord at the Last Supper, which becomes present to us at each Holy Mass.  We must not forget the wine which transforms into the Precious Blood, began as grapes in a vineyard…so connected to the land is the practice of our Holy Faith, in accord with God’s will, in accord with an Authentic Life.

So what did we pick out of the plastic cup this time?  The Catholic Encyclopedia.  That means for the Precious Blood of Jesus, we will look at what this famous volume has to say.  The Catholic Encyclopedia was completed in 1914 and has been added to, numerous times since then.  It remains widely used, despite its out-of-date language.  It is at times a tedious read (and quite exhaustive)…but in the case of this month’s theme, the content is brief, though does get into the theological weeds, as is to be expected.  Please see the link above at New Advent, for more info and also for the complete, updated content.  This site is also a great resource for Catholic news and other offerings.

The entry on the “Precious Blood” draws on the writings of Pope Benedict XIV and other well-known theologians.  The first sentence states simply:

“The Blood of Our Divine Saviour.”

That does not leave much to misunderstand, does it?  Here are some excerpts, broken down into readable segments for meditation:

1)      “Jesus, at the Last Supper, ascribes to [His Blood] the same life-giving power that belongs to His flesh.”

2)      “The Apostles, St. Peter…St. John…and above all St. Paul regard it as synonymous with Jesus's Passion and Death, the source of redemption. The Precious Blood is therefore a part of the Sacred Humanity and hypostatically united to the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity.” 

3)      “Viewed as a part of the Sacred Humanity hypostatically united to the Word, the Precious Blood deserves latreutical [of or pertaining to latria, the highest form of worship*]…adoration. It may also like the Heart or the Wounds from which it flowed, be singled out for special honour, in a way that special honour was rendered it from the beginning by St. Paul and the Fathers who so eloquently praised its redeeming virtue and rested on it the Christian spirit of self-sacrifice.”

4)      “…the lives of the saints are replete with devotion to the Precious Blood. In due course of time the Church gave shape and sanction to the devotion by approving societies like the Missionaries of the Precious Blood; enriching confraternities like that of St. Nicholas…attaching indulgences to prayers and scapulars in honour of the Precious Blood; and establishing commemorative feasts of the Precious Blood…”

The Catholic Encyclopedia gives us food for thought during this month when we give praise to the Most Precious Blood.  May we also seek to make reparation for the sins against this extraordinary Gift.

We pray especially on the 4th for the United States of America…for peace, liberty, restoration of the sanctity of life and the triumph of Holy Church through our Patroness, the Immaculate Conception.

Notable feasts in July, from both calendars…

2nd-VISITATION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

3rd-Saint Thomas, Apostle

6th-Saint Maria Goretti, Martyr of Purity

11th-Saint Benedict, Founder of Western Monasticism

14th-Saint Kateri Tekakwitha, Lily of the Mohawks (USA)

16th-OUR LADY OF MOUNT CARMEL

22nd-Saint Mary Magdelan

25th-Saint James, Apostle

26th-Saint Anne, Mother of the Blessed Virgin

29th-Saints Martha, Mary & Lazarus

31st-Saint Ignatius of Loyola, Founder of the Jesuits

****** Prepper Challenge for Summer ******

What is My Contribution?  What is My Special Gift?

Your community and the Church are going to need you in the coming days.  What will you specialize in that will be a significant contribution?  Every prepper tends to develop a skill or two that is specialized.  What interests you?  What is a “sustainable” skill that will have value even in a grid-down (no electricity) situation?  Do you already have a skill?  Can you improve it?  Can you learn a new one?  Think and pray about it!

Noah was the Original Prepper ~ Build Your Ark!

*From Wiktionary

Minimalism: The Three S's

Scale-Back ~ Simplify ~ Streamline

God never intended our lives to be so complicated. That is man’s invention. Resist it.

Thought for the Day

If your life feels impossible, that’s either coming from yourself or others. Never from God. The Holy Ghost will guide you in creating a new life that you can manage. It might mean making painful decisions for the overall good. He will also give you the grace you need. Trust and never give up. Hope is a virtue.

Thought for the Day

Observing my purple and green snow peas today, latching onto each other (much to my chagrin, when they are supposed to be latching onto their individual viners), this thought came to me, which is something I repeatedly have meditated on…think of how unnatural it is that cars cannot touch…think of what was done to us during Covidland….

Things want to touch in nature, to interact. This inauthentic culture wants people and things to avoid this interaction. Even make it deadly.

Thought for the Day

“Freedom without a backup plan is mostly just a bumper sticker.”

Todd Pitner

Thought for the Day

“The problem always contains its own solution.”

Permaculture Theory

June is the Month of the Sacret Heart of Jesus

Do you remember as of last month, we are starting something new and exciting?  If you go back to May’s post, you will see a list of 18 ideas of how to focus on the theme of the month.  We are picking them at random, just to make it fun and challenging.  Hubby once again picked it out of a plastic cup and this time, came up with:  Location!  That means, I have the task of finding a location relating to the Sacred Heart. 

Well, that didn’t require a lot of thought…

Sanctuaire du Sacre-Cœur ~ Paray-le-Monial

Charolais-Brionnais, France

This is where Our Blessed Lord appeared to Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque, showing her the ineffable love of His Sacred Heart.  Have a look at their site above, for an informative 18-minute video and more.  Excerpt:

“Three great apparitions of Jesus to Saint Margaret Mary focus on the message for the attention of all men…They took place between the end of December 1673 and June 1675.  One can identify three great dimensions of this message: a declaration of love (I), a complaint (II), a demand (III).”

These 3 dimensions are described in detail on the Home page.

It just so happens, this is a very special year in the United States, for devotion to the Sacred Heart!  From Sacred Heart Enthronement Network:

“…the United States Catholic Bishops will offer prayers of Consecration to the Sacred Heart of Jesus on June 11, on behalf of our nation. This historic event coincides with the 250th Anniversary of our nation and serves as an invitation to place our trust in Christ. Catholics are encouraged to spend time before the Blessed Sacrament, pray for our nation, and perform acts of charity and service, as we prepare for this important moment. You can watch the Consecration take place in Orlando, Florida, via livestream on the Catholic Bishops Website. 

…we are in a great spiritual battle between good and evil. Now is the time to pray, consecrate, enthrone, honor, and share the message of His Heart more fervently than ever.”

…And pray for peace!

The USCCB is also taking this opportunity to honor Catholics who have historically contributed to the United States.  They are producing a video series on this (see link above).  Sacred Heart Enthronement Network is promoting a Sacred Heart Revival, which you may participate in.  Here is the Novena to the Sacred Heart on their site, which begins June 3.  There is so much else to discover that this ministry is doing and also a Catholic shop.

The feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus is on Friday the 12th , and is a solemnity, therefore no penance is required.  This is also the World Day of Prayer for the Sanctification of Priests.  Let us lift up our spiritual fathers to the most loving Heart of Our Lord in their many needs.  We cannot help but notice the feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary is the very next day!  This is obviously no coincidence, as Holy Church shows us how intimately the 2 Hearts are united.  The feast of Corpus Christi  (the 4th in the trad, the 7th in the post-con, known as the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ) is also linked to the Sacred Heart, as it is an aspect of the Corpus of Christ.  We may also invoke His Eucharistic Heart in this wonderful Mystery of the Incarnation.

Note below, we celebrate several New Testament figures this month:  Saint Barnabas (mentioned in Acts), Saint John the Baptist, Saint Peter and Saint Paul.  As of Trinity Sunday, this past Sunday, we have entered the Time After Pentecost and remain therein until Advent, in the trad.  We continue to meditate on the Mystery of the Redemption for the rest of the Liturgical Year.

Some key feasts coming up from both calendars…

11th-Saint Barnabas

13th-Saint Anthony of Padua-Companion of Saint Francis, Visionary of the Christ Child, Doctor of the Church

23rd-Vigil of the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist

22nd-Saint Thomas More, Martyr

24th-Nativity of Saint John the Baptist

29th-Saints Peter & Paul

30th-Commemoration of Saint Paul / First Martyrs of the Church 

****** Prepper Challenge for Spring ******

With current events in mind, it’s the same as it was for March, April & May...Make a plan and begin implementing it.

15 Points Preparedness Worksheet

Biblical Support for Preparedness

Noah was the Original Prepper ~ Build Your Ark!

Sacred Heart of Jesus, Have Mercy on Us!

Saint Margaret Mary, Pray for Us!

Another Northeast Fireball Today

Meteor explodes off coast of Massachusetts

We’re trying to keep track of these events, have a look at this post from April 18th:

Is God Telling Us Something? Fireballs From the Sky....

We are told in Holy Scripture to be watchful and read the signs of the times:

“And in the morning: Today there will be a storm, for the sky is red and lowering. You know then how to discern the face of the sky: and can you not know the signs of the times?”
Matthew 16:3

“Be sober and watch: because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, goeth about seeking whom he may devour.”

1 Peter 5:8

Exxon warns oil inventories will hit dangerously low levels in weeks...

…forcing prices to shoot higher

Excerpt from CNBC:

“We’re approaching unheard of inventory levels,” said Exxon Senior Vice President Neil Chapman at a conference hosted by Bernstein in New York.

“I mean really, really low levels,” Chapman warned. “You can debate whether that’s going to hit, those really low levels, in two weeks or three weeks. Once you get to that point, then you’ll see price shoot up.”

…The IEA [International Energy Agency] warned earlier this month that inventories are being depleted at a record pace.

Well, let’s look at that article, also from CNBC:

Oil price spike turmoil far from over

Excerpt:

“More than ten weeks after the war in the Middle East began, mounting supply losses from the Strait of Hormuz are depleting global oil inventories at a record pace,” the IEA wrote. 

…“The petrochemical and aviation sectors are currently most affected, but higher prices, a weaker economic environment and demand-saving measures will increasingly impact fuel use. 

…“That this is the largest oil supply disruption in the history of the oil market is neither an exaggeration nor controversial,” Martijn Rats, commodities strategist at Morgan Stanley, told clients in a Monday note.

Don’t believe the propaganda that there is no oil problem in America, you are being lied to! Continue to prepare for general inflation and supply disruption. That means: STOCK UP NOW.

Fabulous Prepper Advice for Right Now!

Have a watch, 12 minutes…

Everything Gets Harder If You Wait Too Long

(The Warning Signs are Here)