“There will be a time when the war is over. And then they will really need this building.”
Louis Khan, American Architect
(quote as related by his son Nathaniel)
A Jubilee Year Meditation: The Holy Door of Your Life
This is the First Day of the Rest of Your Life!
As I contemplated my impending trip to Rome, where I will pass through the Holy Door in Saint Peter’s Basilica, opened specifically for the Jubilee Year, I realized that right now in my life, I am walking through another door. A door of change, in several ways. A door of newness that takes courage and discipline. A door of challenge. I know I am not alone. Perhaps all Catholics this year, are called to do the same thing, whether or not they can get to Rome or another place with a Holy Door (apparently, all cathedrals have one). It’s not the door that really matters, it’s what it symbolizes. It’s the change it encourages in one’s life. Holy Church invites us to cross a great threshold of holiness in this year of graces, at a time when it is most needed.
Of course, the spiritual is of greater importance than the temporal. However, it is often mundane matters that require the analysis and discipline which leads to spiritual growth. So we might wish to ask these types of questions:
What is my door?
What are my goals? What must I change in my life? How hard am I willing to work? (Maybe it won’t require working harder, but smarter.) What needs to shift? What must I let go of? What’s working in my life? What isn’t? What obstacles need to be removed? What structures need to be built?
“The world is wide, and I will not waste my life in friction when it could be turned into momentum.”
Frances Willard
3 years ago, late at night, I slipped in the doorway between my kitchen and the hallway and received a bad concussion. It was life-changing, not only because of the physical and mental effects (some of which I still suffer from), but because of how it challenged me and was part of a spiritual transformation in my life. Every night I walk through that same doorway on my way to bed and remember that rite of passage. That doorway hurt me but it also mysteriously helped me.
“And we know that to them that love God, all things work together unto good, to such as, according to his purpose, are called to be saints.”
Romans 8:28
Life has many doors…reminds me of Mary Hopkin’s beautifully haunting song, “Water, Paper and Clay.” Water representing Baptism, paper representing the wedding day and clay, burial…universal, speaking to the deepest parts of us. Each of these doors creates instant change. But the kind of change we must initiate through force of the will and maintain, is difficult. The Holy Door concept gives us the encouragement and motivation we need. We can all traverse our own Holy Doors, whether they are actual ecclesiastical doors, or something more personal. Holy Church during this privileged Jubilee Year beckons us all to a renaissance of the soul…a resurrection in some way resembling Our Lord’s, bringing us closer to Heaven.
Meditation on the Resurrection
From EWTN Vatican, with brief commentary and stunning photos…
Pilgrims From All Over The World Pass Through Holy Door Of St. Peter’s Basilica
From Pilgrimaps, a respectful article on the Holy Doors, including history, symbolism, and the universality of such passages across cultures (sorry about the flashing thing on this website, but it’s worth reading)…
The Holy Door: The Meaning of Crossing the Threshold
“I am the Door. By me, if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and he shall go in, and go out, and shall find pastures.”
John 10:9
More on Our Lady & Her 7 Sorrows...
Do you know this blog has a 10-year archive? Please make use of the SEARCH button to the right >>> for any topics that interest you. For more on this month’s theme, GO HERE!
World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation
MESSAGE OF HIS HOLINESS POPE LEO XIV
FOR THE 10th WORLD DAY OF PRAYER FOR THE CARE OF CREATION
Excerpt:
“The biblical texts are to be read in their context, with an appropriate hermeneutic, recognizing that they tell us to ‘till and keep’ the garden of the world [Genesis 2:15]. ‘Tilling’ refers to cultivating, ploughing or working, while ‘keeping’ means caring, protecting, overseeing and preserving. This implies a relationship of mutual responsibility between human beings and nature.”
At Nomen Christi Apostolate, we are concerned very deeply with nature and a return to her. In the future, there will be a return to the land. This process should start now, so we are not caught unprepared for this transition. Our dear Pope Leo talks about caring for the earth in the above statement. The only thing I would want to respectfully comment on is his reference to “climate changes.” This narrative is a globalist tactic to reduce freedom and gain more control over every aspect of our lives. Don’t fall for it. It may be true that climate change is happening and it may also be true that man is contributing to it. This needs more study, I am not convinced. But the solution is not enslavement in “Smart Cities” or any other type of enslavement. Believe me, you will not have the Holy Mass in these cities. There will be total control.
So let us pray for good stewardship of the beautiful world our Heavenly Father made for us. And let us see how we can dedicate ourselves more to that cause in our daily lives, such as recycling, reusing and re-purposing! It’s also a great preparedness lesson.
The Jubilee Year: There's Still Time!
Every 25 years, Holy Church celebrates a “Jubilee Year” of special graces. This year’s theme is “Pilgrims of Hope.” A pilgrimage is one way to obtain the plenary indulgence of this Jubilee Year. The Year began Christmas Eve 2024, and ends formally in Rome on the feast of Epiphany, January 6th, 2026. However, it ends locally, outside of Rome, on the feast of the Holy Family, December 28th, 2025. The Year began with the opening of the Holy Door at Saint Peter’s Basilica and will close in the same way. There are several Holy Doors involved in the Jubilees, which represent a spiritual passage.
This means we still have about 4 months left! If you have not participated, there are still several things you can do to obtain the plenary indulgence or simply to be a part of this Jubilee Year with its unique privileges. My family and I will be going to Rome soon to perform the pilgrimage there. So many from all over the world have gone to Rome this year and what great blessings have been obtained! If you cannot travel, check with your diocese to see what activities are being done there or what their stipulations/holy sites are on the plenary.
Jubilee volunteers will be continued to be needed throughout the world.
From EWTN, here is general info, a travel app, the Papal Bull Jubilee Year document and the Jubilee prayer…
Experience the 2025 Jubilee, Becoming a Pilgrim of Hope
From United States Conference of Catholic Bishops here is: calendars, national shrines and US pilgrimage sites, info on the US Embassy to the Holy See in Rome and the Bishops Office for US Visitors to the Vatican and more…
USCCB: Jubilee 2025 - Pilgrims of Hope
Here is everything you need to know about obtaining the Jubilee Plenary Indulgence…
Decree on the Granting of Indulgence During the Ordinary Jubilee Year 2025
Excerpt:
“All the faithful, who are truly repentant and free from any affection for sin…who are moved by a spirit of charity and who, during the Holy Year, purified through the sacrament of penance and refreshed by Holy Communion, pray for the intentions of the Supreme Pontiff, will be able to obtain from the treasury of the Church a plenary indulgence, with remission and forgiveness of all their sins, which can be applied in suffrage to the souls in Purgatory in the following ways…”
This document goes on to explain all the stipulations, including the 3 ways to obtain the plenary: 1) Pilgrimage to Rome, the Holy Land or other sites 2) Pious visits to sacred places 3) Works of mercy and penance.
From the Vatican…
Vatican Jubilee Homepage
Happy and blessed Jubilee-ing!
Note: We are not responsible for errors. We have done our best to provide the most accurate info.
September is the Month of Our Lady of Sorrows
The World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation is celebrated September 1st. In keeping with this theme, we also celebrate Saint Hildegard of Bingen and the Stigmata of Saint Francis on the same day: Sept 17th. Both saints are invoked for nature, as they contributed greatly to theology referencing God’s creation. We also have the Ember Days of Autumn on the 24th, 26th and 27th, in which we perform prayer and penance for the upcoming season. Reading the Mass missal for the Ember Days is a wonderful way to celebrate them. In addition, traditionally, meat was eaten at only one meal on Ember Wednesday and Saturday. If you missed praying for the earth on the 1st, these feasts would be a great time to do so.
There are countless devotions to Our Lady of Sorrows, the Seven Sorrows and the Sorrowful Heart of Our Lady. We honor our Sorrowful Mother on the 15th, which gives us our theme of this month (there are 4 more Marian feasts, see below in bold). Let us show our love and empathy for her by choosing one of these devotions to perform. We at Nomen Christi Apostolate also contemplate the Marian Triad of the Months during these 3 months in honor of the Mother of God. Next month is Our Lady of the Rosary, when we also honor the sanctity of life. For this month, we may meditate on how the Immaculate Heart we celebrated last month, intertwines with the Sorrowful Heart. They are often invoked together.
Other notable feasts of September in both the trad and post-con calendars…
6th-First Saturday of the Immaculate Heart
8th-Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary
12th-Holy Name of Mary
14th-EXALTATION OF THE HOLY CROSS
21st-Saint Matthew, Apostle & Evangelist
24th-Our Lady of Ransom
26th-North American Martyrs
27th-Saint Vincent de Paul
29th-Saints Michael, Gabriel & Raphael, Archangels/Dedication of Saint Michael
Homeschool Activities for September
1) List the 7 Sorrows of Our Lady. Can you find where they are in Holy Scripture?
2) Make an Autumn craft for the Ember Days, incorporating a spiritual theme.
3) Draw a picture of the 3 archangels.
High Infant Mortality Linked to Covid Human GMO Shots
As we close the month of the Immaculate Heart and begin the month of Our Lady of Sorrows, here is some breaking new in the US…from X…
States Begin Declaring Public Health Emergencies
Over Soaring Infant Deaths Linked to Trans-generational mRNA “Vaccine” Fatal Adverse Events
Yes, it really is this bad in the UK...
From LifeSite News:
UK pro-lifer investigated a third time for praying silently near abortion center
“Isabel Vaughan-Spruce's case will determine whether the UK can successfully prosecute thought-crimes in 21st century England.”
And this is not the only such case in the United Kingdom…
UK veteran appeals conviction for praying silently outside abortion mill for deceased son
"World Order Root Cause"
Ivor Cummins & Christian White:
Understand in Detail How the World Works
Are we moving toward a “Globalist Utopia?” It’s going to be up to us. This 45-minute video is a must-see!
Thought for the Day
“As the endless late-stage, untethered fiat banking printing spree draws closer to its mathematical date with infinity, the social rungs get clobbered one by one.”
Chris Martenson, Peak Prosperity