A Consoling Meditation with the Beatitudes

I’m going to be just a tad presumptuous, and consider what may have gone on in the Mind of God just before creating Adam and Eve…before placing them in the Garden for their great test…

God hesitated. He knew once He rolled this ball down the aisle, there would be no stopping it. No turning back. He knew He must let the Serpent into the beautiful, pristine Garden. He knew Eve would fail. He knew Adam would be seduced too. In His omniscience, He saw all of human history laid bare before Him. “Should I do it?”

He saw Adam and Eve’s grievous regret at what they had done. He saw Cain kill his brother Abel. He knew it would go so terribly wrong, He would have to send a great flood to destroy it all and start over…with Noah and his small family.

He saw the enslavement of His chosen people. He saw how often they would sin against Him. He saw every war against them and every war until the end of time…the sticks and stones, the arrows, the swords, the muskets, cannons, bombs from planes, bombs of mass destruction, machine guns, tanks, drones, bioweapons, propaganda and endless spiritual attacks upon the mind, the heart, the ears and the eyes.

He saw every abortion, from chemically induced to the horror of partial birth. He saw every unspeakable atrocity. Every death camp. Every martyr. Every injustice. Every child kidnapped and abused. Every sobbing mother. Every occult sacrifice. Every deception. Every unnatural offense against His perfect creation. All the tremendous suffering. Every moment of despair. Every suicide. Every laboring mother…the aged and all manner of infirmity. Every senseless accident. Every fatherless child. Every tempest, earthquake and tsunami.

And finally, He saw His only-begotten beloved Son upon the Cross. And His wailing daughter at its foot.

God saw all of this. And He said, “I will do it.” Because He knew that in the end, it would all be worth it. The good would go on to their eternal bliss with Him. And it would not be a joke of a universe. It would mean something. It would be worth it all.

And He would send His Son to tell us this. In these immortal words of the Sermon on the Mount…

“Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are the meek: for they shall possess the land.

Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.

Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after justice: for they shall have their fill.

Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.

Blessed are the clean of heart: for they shall see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called children of God.

Blessed are they that suffer persecution for justice' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye when they shall revile you, and persecute you, and speak all that is evil against you, untruly, for my sake: Be glad and rejoice, for your reward is very great in heaven. For so they persecuted the prophets that were before you.”

Matthew 5:3

Catholic July

Here are the most notable feasts of this month, in both the trad and the post-con…

1st-Most Precious Blood of Jesus

2nd-Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

3rd-Saint Thomas, Apostle

16th-Our Lady of Mount Carmel of the Brown Scapular

22nd-Saint Mary Magdalene

25th-Saint James, Apostle

26th-Saints Joachim & Anne, Parents of the Blessed Mother

29th-Saints Martha, Mary & Lazarus

Homeschooling Activities for July

1) Draw a picture of the Chalice with the Precious Blood.

2) Find a prayer honoring the Precious Blood and say it with your family.

3) Write an essay on Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Saint Simon Stock and the Brown Scapular. What miracles have been attributed to the Scapular? 4 paragraphs.

July is the Month of the Most Precious Blood

This month, we honor the Most Precious Blood of Jesus, contained within that Heart we celebrated in June. July begins, on the 1st, with the feast of the Precious Blood in the trad calendar, followed on the 2nd, by the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Let us consider how we may offer reparation and adoration to the Blood of Christ, particularly present to us at each Holy Mass.

Pray for the United States of America, to our Patroness the Immaculate Conception, as we celebrate Independence Day this week. Pray for all the unborn babies, still not free or respected in this country.

More commentary on the month of July, to follow.

"When they shall say peace and security..."

1st Epistle of Saint Paul to the Thessalonians, Chapter 5

“…For yourselves know perfectly, that the day of the Lord shall so come, as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, peace and security; then shall sudden destruction come upon them, as the pains upon her that is with child, and they shall not escape. But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. For all you are the children of light, and children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.

Therefore, let us not sleep, as others do; but let us watch, and be sober. For they that sleep, sleep in the night; and they that are drunk, are drunk in the night. But let us, who are of the day, be sober, having on the breastplate of faith and charity, and for a helmet, the hope of salvation. For God hath not appointed us unto wrath, but unto the purchasing of salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,  Who died for us; that, whether we watch or sleep, we may live together with him.

For which cause comfort one another; and edify one another, as you also do.

…Always rejoice. Pray without ceasing. In all things give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you all. Extinguish not the spirit. Despise not prophecies.

…The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.”

Beef up your preps.

This Is What It's All About!

See our previous post promoting the Catholic Land Movement’s upcoming summer conferences. Here’s a great excerpt from director Michael Thomas’ opening talk at last year’s NY conference. It is so inspiring and I think he is right in saying many Catholics are coming to dream of a very different world and a very different life: The Authentic Life! There is more footage of last year’s conference on the YouTube channel (I’m probably in there somewhere LOL). And maybe I will see you at the New York one day conference next month!

Catholic Land Movement Conference Summer 2024 ~ Short Video Clip

Text:

“Am I alone in dreaming of a world, where I wake up to the sound of bells calling me to Daily Office, and then leaving there for a meal with my family, and then leaving there to meet my brothers in the field, where we work by the sweat of our brow and pause to say the Angelus at 12, and then return to the field?

And then go to the home where my wife is productive with my children in a domestic setting where things are being made, where the children work on dresses and canning and pickling food.

And I went out and milked the animals at the end of the day.

And then I went to the monastery, which was right down the road and caught Vespers at night. Maybe there was a Mass.

I lived an agricultural life layered on top of a liturgical life where Ember and Rogation Days really meant something in my life because the blessing of my fields was critically important.

When fast days really actually helped keep my larder full.

When Lent was really about making it through Spring.

I dream sometimes of living that simple life. Am I alone in dreaming that? Anybody else feel like they want that?

I think there's something deep in all of us as Catholics that calls us to that that idea of a life of a cadence of seasons, of a deepness in our prayer and liturgical life, a deepness in our relationship to our labor and its dignity, and an ordering, a natural order to our family that is beautiful and touched by God's grace. I believe that many of us as Catholics hold that dream.

For 3 days at this conference squint your eyes and just pretend that that's what we live like. Let yourself live that dream that I think we all carry about what Catholic community could be like.

Then we're going to go out into the world and make it happen.”

Is that beautiful, or what?

Novenas to the Sacred & Immaculate Hearts

The Novena to the Sacred Heart of Jesus started yesterday (you can still do it!) and the one to the Immaculate Heart of Mary starts today. Find a novena you like. Here’s a great resource:

Pray More Novenas

The Original Novena Reminder

There’s never been a more important time!

Catholic Land Movement Summer Events

[Edited since posting.]

There are 2 upcoming events, one in New York and one in Indiana. I’m a member and attended my first conference last year. The topics were very interesting, including general gardening/farming, advanced water infrastructure and the philosophy and history of agrarianism. They had vendors, great food and spiritual activities on beautiful grounds. Also, lots of children!

“The Catholic Land Movement exists to facilitate the rural resettlement of Catholics onto productive property which they own.”

New York Regional Day Conference

• Saturday, July 19, 2025, 8:00 AM-4:00 PM

“Join us for a day of practical workshops, speakers, and fellowship at Rosa Mystica Shrine, Edmeston, NY (near Cooperstown), on July 19th. Great place to meet other Catholic Homesteaders and agrarians.'“ (I’m in charge of food for this event. I need help!..I’m also a backup speaker.) Workshops will include topics similar to last year, in addition to tin-smithing and meat prep. There will be a low Tridentine Mass to start the day.

2025 National Conference

• Fri, Aug 29, 2025, 5:30 PM-Sun, Aug 31, 2025, 6:30 PM

“Join us for our 4th Annual National CLM Conference, hosted by Edelweiss House in Greensburg, Indiana.

Spread the word!

“Dear Ian, I know you said to stay away from riot-stricken areas, but I have obligations. Advice?”

“Yeah, don’t go.” READ MORE:

Needs must drive, When the Devil dances

The Bugscuffle Gazette

Thought for the Day

“If you’re not in control, something else is. And that’s dangerous.”

Lisa Kyle

Octave of Pentecost & the Ember Days

It is the Octave of Pentecost and also the Ember Days of Summer this week. Why not print our Pentecost prayers from the Mass in the previous post, and incorporate them into your prayers this week? You can easily combine the Octave with the prayerful Ember Days!