Thoughts for the Day / Anniversary of Roe vs Wade, Day of Penance

[Edited since posting.]

Life is the gift that keeps on giving.

You must know the words to sing the song.

~ ~ ~

2 days after the Presidential Inauguration in the United States, let us remind ourselves of the Scripture below. Do not put your trust in man. There will be peace and justice only insofar as we live the life of sacramental grace, which we receive through our Holy Mother Church, instituted by Christ. We pray for this new Administration and for all of its members to grow toward holiness and the Kingdom of Heaven.

“I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No man cometh to the Father, but by me.”

John 14:6

We have but one Savior!

(Beware Trump Messianic Syndrome, the opposite of Trump Derangement Syndrome.)

We pray for Los Angeles, for those who have perished in these fires and for those who remain in difficult situations. May the fires soon be extinguished. O Lord, have mercy. Blessed Virgin, pray for us. Saint Joseph, pray for us. All ye heavenly host, pray for us all at this hour.

We also pray for the March for Life, which takes place this Friday in Washington DC. May respect for life from conception to natural death once again reign in our great nation. According to the US bishops, we observe a recommended day of penance today, the anniversary of Roe versus Wade, which joyfully has been overturned….but we never forget the unborn and vulnerable in our midst.

Why the Russia/Ukraine Conflict Matters, What You Haven't Been Told

This is just one of many global issues which are cause for concern right now…not fear, concern…up your preps. The following is courtesy of my forum friend (this guy knows his stuff and he’s technically brilliant) over at Peak Prosperity, “PNW Defector,” slightly edited, with my comments in italics…

• 1 million dead Russians. All I see is grieving mothers.

• 1-1.2 million dead Ukranians. More grieving mothers. A whole generation of boys gone.

• At least 50,000 dead in Ukraine’s invasion of Russia’s Kursk region. Many civilians, including children.

• Daily kamikazee drone attacks against military and civilian infrastructure deep inside of Russian territory. More dead civilians.

  • As far north as St. Petersburg and the Leningrad Oblast (which couldn’t have been launched from Ukraine). Who helped them?

  • Carrying 350 pounds of HE, laden with steel bearings/shrapnel, by Ukraine against targets deep inside of Russia. Brutal.

• The first use of an intermediate range ballistic missile in war. By Russia, and it was a game-changer. See article below.

• Attacks against Russian soil with US, French and UK supplied cruise missiles. It’s already an international war.

• The destruction of 1/3 of Russia’s over-the-horizon early warning radar systems that belong to its core nuclear national defense infrastructure. Russia has been very patient…and no, Russia’s initial attack on Ukraine was not unprovoked. This is all part of the globalists’ attempt to re-create the world so a global government can be installed. Yes, there’s a lot more to this story, I’ve been doing the research for 2 decades. I’m not taking sides, just giving the info.

• United States at DEFCON Alert 3 since July 2022, with several instances that led it to 2 (1 being highest alert). Who’s paying attention?

CNN article from November 22nd, 2024:

Putin says Russia launched a new missile in Ukraine. Here’s what we know…

“In response to the use of American and British long-range weapons, on November 21 of this year the Russian armed forces launched a combined strike on one of the facilities of the Ukrainian defense industry,” Putin said in a televised statement on Thursday…Putin also said that Moscow considers itself entitled to use weapons against military targets belonging to countries that allow their weapons to be used against Russia. He said that Ukrainian Armed Forces attacked targets in Russia’s Bryansk region with six US-made ATACMS missiles on Tuesday and later fired British/French Storm Shadow systems on the Kursk region…The United Nations Secretary General’s spokesperson warned on Thursday that Russia’s use of a new, medium-range ballistic missile is “yet another concerning and worrying development”…This week, both US and British/French-made missiles have been fired into Russia by Ukraine, after US President Joe Biden gave Ukraine permission to use longer-range American missiles across the border….In turn, Putin updated Russia’s nuclear doctrine, with the Kremlin saying the revised military doctrine would in theory lower the bar for first use of nuclear weapons.

Let us continue to pray for peace. Hopefully, we will see a de-escalation of this war in the coming year.

+++ O Mary Conceived Without Sin, Pray for Us Who Have Recourse to Thee! +++

The Ten Warnings Based on the Ten Commandments

I             A people who worship false gods shall be ruled by the godless.

II            A people who take the Holy Name of God in vain shall become nameless.

III           A people who profane the Sabbath Day shall have no rest.

IV           A people who dishonor their elders shall be dishonored by their own children.

V            A people who kill the innocent shall themselves be killed.

VI           A people who dishonor their own bodies shall be subject to all manner of bodily harm.

VII          A people who steal from God and man shall be left with nothing.

VIII        A people who deceive shall be deceived by those more powerful.

IX           A people who covet the things of the flesh shall live in deprivation.

X            A people who covet the things of the world shall become enslaved. 

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1st Week of Advent from "Advent of the Heart" with PDF

Advent of the Heart

+   First Week of Advent   +

Fr. Alfred Delp, German Martyr

Let us view these writings through the lens of our own times.  Fr. Delp’s theological genius is nothing short of breathtaking.  All quotes below pertain to the First Sunday of Advent…

Opening Psalm of the Tridentine Mass (the Mass Fr. Delp would have celebrated):

“To Thee have I lifted up my soul: in Thee, O my God, I put my trust, let me not be ashamed: neither let my enemies laugh at me: for none of them that wait on Thee shall be confounded. Show, O Lord, Thy ways to me: and teach me Thy paths.”

Fr. Delp’s homily, Munich, 1941:

“Much of what is happening today would not be happening if people were in that state of inner movement and restlessness of heart in which man comes into the presence of God the Lord and gains a clear view of things as they really are.  [Fr. Delp changes to the past tense, displaying his distanced vantage point from this world.]  Then man would have let go of much that has thrown all our lives into disorder one way or another and has thrashed and smashed our lives.  He would have seen the inner appeals, would have seen the boundaries, and could have coordinated the areas of responsibility.  Instead, man stood on this earth in a false pathos and a false security, under a deep delusion in which he really believed he could single-handedly fetch stars from heaven; could enkindle eternal lights in the world and avert all danger from himself; that he could banish the night, and intercept and interrupt the internal quaking of the cosmos, and maneuvered and manipulated the whole thing into the conditions standing before us now.  That is the first Advent message: before the end, the world will be set quaking.”

Fr. Delp’s homily, Munich, 1943:

“People who fail to live out of the center can be alienated from themselves so easily by outside influences.  Other values of secondary importance impose themselves, making life inauthentic and bringing it under an alien law and an alien paradigm.  Are we living out of the center of our being?”

From Tegel Prison, Berlin, 2 months before Delp’s martyrdom, struggling to write while in handcuffs.  These were smuggled out at great risk.  Do not take these words for granted:

“Light the candles wherever you can, you who have them.  They are a real symbol of what must happen in Advent, what Advent must be, if we want to live.”

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November is the Month of the Holy Souls in Purgatory

Of course, November begins with the glorious All Saints Day.  The Triduum of Death, beginning with the All Saints Day vigil, encourages us to meditate upon the Four Last Things:

Death  +  Judgement  +  Heaven  +  Hell

However, Holy Church always calls us to be joyful and at peace.  At every traditional Holy Mass we hear the words, “May the peace of the Lord be always with you” or “Pax Domini sit semper vobis cum.”  All Saints Day is truly wondrous as we honor the entire Heavenly host and hope for our eventual union with them.  This feast originated with the Church’s desire to honor the martyrs whose bones were kept at a particular church which was dedicated to all the saints, as this location was previously dedicated to “all the gods.”  The Litany of the Saints, invokes both human saints and angels.  All Souls Day, on the 2nd, is also a happy feast, as we know our prayers for the Holy Souls resound to God and expiate some, if not all (if a Plenary Indulgence is performed) of their cleansing in Purgatory.

See our previous 2 posts on the Plenary Indulgences which are so easy to obtain during the first week of November.  Holy Church opens the Gates of Heaven this week in an incredible way!

What else can we do for the souls in Purgatory this month?  After November 8th, you may still visit a cemetery with mental prayer for the Holy Souls, but the indulgence will be partial (you may do this any time of year).  Other partial indulgences could be the recitation of the Office of the Dead or the De Profundis.  Here’s also a well-known prayer by Saint Gertrude the Great, whose feast we celebrate on the 16th:

Eternal Father, I offer Thee the Most Precious Blood of Thy Divine Son, Jesus, in union with the Masses said throughout the world today, for all the Holy Souls in Purgatory, for sinners everywhere, for sinners in the Universal Church, those in my own home and within my family.

Amen.

We have 2 more “Greats” this month:  Saint Leo on the 10th and Saint Albert on the 15th. 

Let us not forget the feast of Christ King of the Universe, on the 24th, a Sunday.  We celebrate 2 Marian feasts:  The Presentation of Mary on the 21st and Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal on the 27th.  The following day, the 28th, we honor the seer of the Miraculous Medal, Saint Catherine Laboure. 

On the 13th, we honor Mother Frances Cabrini, a 20th century saint.  I had the privilege of viewing her body in New York City some years ago at her shrine.  The body is filled out with wax.  The saint’s heart remained incorrupt and was transported to Codogno, Italy, where she founded the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.  It is appropriate that her heart was preserved from corruption, as she was so devoted to the Heart of Our Lord.

We celebrate the Apostle Andrew on the 30th and December 1st begins Advent.  If you plan to perform Advent exercises, think about preparing in advance. 

Heavenly blessings to all in this month of the Holy Souls!

We discuss both trad and new feasts.  Please consult your own calendar sources for further details.

National Farmer's Day, Saturday, October 12th

National Farmer’s Day is this coming Saturday, in the US.  Those who produce our food with responsibility and hard work are so important to the human family and deserve the utmost respect.  Unfortunately, they are now being attacked in America and Europe by the globalists who wish to re-write civilization.  Farmers need our support and prayer. If you can’t celebrate this weekend, it would be fine to extend these ideas to the remainder of the month…the farmers won’t mind!

From the Old Farmer’s Almanac:

“This is a day to honor and thank all of the hardworking farmers and ranchers who plow, sow, grow, and harvest to feed our nation. We especially rely on farmers to get fresh food on our tables during these uncertain times. Let’s pay tribute to the men, women, and families who put food in the grocery stores and on our tables every day.”

From National Day Calendar:

“October does seem fitting for celebrating this National Day as it is near the end of the harvest. Many farmers will be able to take a rest from their hard labor to join in the celebration of this holiday.”

Also see: National Days in Agriculture and Successful Farming with a look at the American history of farming.

Okay, let’s see what ideas I can come up on how to celebrate this day, off the top of my head. I’m going to try to squeeze 10 ideas out of my brain. I did not say they would be good ones.  Try to come up with your own!

1. Take your children pumpkin picking or apple picking or something picking.

2. Do farming-related crafts.

3. Watch videos about farmers.

4. Stick food in water and see what happens.

5. Learn about farming history. Homeschoolers, take a look at the link above, for an easy lesson.

6. Teach children about botany.

7. Organize something to honor local farmers. Maybe work with your Town Hall.

8. Play farm animal sounds for your dog.

9. Get a farming book out of the library.

10. Do a presentation at your local school or church about farming.

But most of all, appreciate the blessings of abundance you have, through the hard labor and discipline of our farmers:)

SAINT ISIDORE THE FARMER, PRAY FOR US!

An Attack on Farmers is an Attack on the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass!

August is the Month of the Immaculate Heart of Mary

“And after six days Jesus taketh unto him Peter and James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into a high mountain apart: And he was transfigured before them. And his face did shine as the sun: and his garments became white as snow. And behold there appeared to them Moses and Elias talking with him. And Peter answering, said to Jesus: Lord, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles, one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias. And as he was yet speaking, behold a bright cloud overshadowed them. And lo, a voice out of the cloud, saying:

This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased: hear ye him.

And the disciples hearing, fell upon their face, and were very much afraid. And Jesus came and touched them: and said to them, Arise, and fear not. And they lifting up their eyes saw no one but only Jesus. And as they came down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, saying: Tell the vision to no man, till the Son of man be risen from the dead.”

Matthew 17:1-9

We commemorate the glorious Transfiguration of Our Lord on the 6th of this month, in the trad and the new calendars.  Though not a Holy Day of Obligation, it is still a wonderful day to attend Mass, recite a devotion such as a litany, or pray the Luminous Mysteries, which contain the Transfiguration.

Holy Church devotes the next 3 months to our Blessed Mother.  August celebrates her Immaculate Heart, September her 7 Sorrows, and October the Holy Rosary (along with sanctity of life issues).  At Nomen Christi Apostolate, we call this the “Marian Triad of the Months,” and we encourage meditation upon these aspects of Mariology, along with devotions.  If we can see how Our Lady’s heart ties into her sorrows and the Rosary, this would be a path for us to understand and love her more.  We are so indebted to her, this is least we can do.

We celebrate the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary on the 15th, a Holy Day of Obligation and one of the Glorious Mysteries.  This feast also has a vigil.  Other Marian feasts of August:  Our Lady of the Snows (which refers to a miracle in Italy combined with the dedication of Saint Mary Major Basilica) on the 5th, Our Lady of Knock on the 17th and the Queenship of the BVM & the Immaculate Heart on the 22nd (double feast, yay!).  Marian-related feasts are:  Saint Dominic, seer of the Rosary on the 4th & 8th and Saint Joachim, father of the BVM the day after the Assumption, the 16th.

What better way to honor the Immaculate Heart of Mary, than to begin the Fatima Devotion of the First Saturdays “Communion of Reparation” (this month, that is the 3rd)?  This is for the purpose of offering reparation to her much-offended heart of incomprehensible love, and for general atonement.  In this time of increasing tensions between nations, we would do well to consider the words of Sr. Lucia:

“Whether the world has war or peace depends on the practice of this devotion, along with the consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. This is why I desire its propagation so ardently, especially because this is also the will of our dear Mother in Heaven.”

Sister Lucia, Fatima Seer, 1939

If your parish does not offer the First Saturdays, why not think about meeting with your pastor and getting it started?  Pray on it!

Here are some other notable feasts coming up, note St. Monica and St. Augustine, mother and son, are 1 day apart:

Saint Alphonsus Liguori-1st & 2nd

Saint John Vianney-4th & 8th

Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (Edith Stein)-9th

Saint Clare (Chiara) of Assisi-11th & 12th

Saint Maximilian Kolbe-14th

Saint Bernard of Clairvaux-20th

Saint Rose of Lima-23rd & 30th

Saint Bartholomew, Apostle-24th

Saint Monica-27th

Saint Augustine-28th

Passion of Saint John the Baptist-29th

Saint Fiacre of Brie (non-standard)-30th

Saints Rose & Fiacre, patrons of gardeners, pray for us!

What is the purpose of paying attention to feastdays?  It is part of our Catholic Faith that is sadly being lost.  If we are attentive to these days, it can have the following benefits:

1)      Encourage us to attend Mass more frequently.

2)      Renew our interest in the saints.  Provide a chance to teach our children about them.

3)      Increase our prayer and devotional life.

4)      Provide opportunity for reading Holy Scripture.

5)      Give us a greater love for and knowledge of the Catholic Faith.

6)      Help us to think creatively about practicing the Faith.

7)      Provide grace and bring us closer to the Kingdom of Heaven!

We provide both trad and new feasts.

Tracy Thurman: Food & Medical Freedom Advocate

[Edited since posting.]

From Brownstone Institute, a post-Covid freedom advocacy organization:

“Tracy Thurman is an advocate for regenerative farming, food sovereignty, decentralized food systems, and medical freedom. She works with the Barnes Law Firm's public interest division to safeguard the right to purchase food directly from farmers without government interference.”

Articles by Tracy Thurman

Topics center on the globalist’s agenda involving food and how we can work toward greater freedom and safety.

Below, Chris Martenson interviews Thurman-it’s a fabulous discussion, well-worth the 2 hours of viewing. It took me about 2 weeks to get through it with my busy schedule, but I learned so much, including the potential healing properties of raw milk. From Martenson’s notes:

“In this critical interview, Tracy Thurman recounts her front-line experiences working with Robert Barnes to help protect the nearly relentless assaults on Amish farmers by a deeply corrupt Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture coupled to an equally corrupt PA court system.”

Tracy Thurman: The War on Food (and on the Amish, and Farmers)

Here are some insightful quotes by Tracy from the interview:

“I came back to a place of faith through witnessing evil, and concluding that if

evil with a capital E exists, so must good with a capital G,

and that I needed to look for it.”

“If something is already filling the God-shaped hole in your life, it’s very hard for the state to become your God.”

“The control grid is built before it’s turned on.”

“I want to support the farmers who are giving me this incredible blessing of health.”

“Stop eating processed food. It’s poison and it’s becoming more poisonous. Get to know your food and your farmer. See if you can find a local supply. Be intentional about what you eat. Build a local community and start considering how you can set up payments for transaction with your farmer outside of the credit card or digital system because at some point that is going to be shut down for anyone who is a dissident raising healthy food outside the corporate system…

but the two most important things are find your community and find your farmer.”

~ ~ ~

Sometimes when I say Grace, I ask God to bless all those who had a hand in getting the food to my table. Thinking about this, I realize how many thousands of people are involved in our food system and how unnatural that is. A society requires balance between the local and the wider network. You can’t rely entirely on local, in the event that a disaster occurs. You also can’t rely entirely on complex systems which are by their nature, vulnerable (Martenson often talks about the unpredictable nature of complex systems and how disruptions can have a domino effect). All sorts of things can interrupt supply chains and recently, we are seeing more of that. The reasons are varied. With increasing geopolitical tensions, this is now an even greater concern. You may say (just an example), “Oh, we can get our food from California.” What about the trucks that need parts made in other countries? What if California suffers a major earthquake? There are so many things that can go wrong in our highly interdependent, fossil fuel dependent system. These natural resources are depleting, while population continues to grow and the non-Western world is starting to want its piece of the pie. Maybe we’re starting to hone in on why the globalists want their “Great Reset.” Is it all about resources?

Will green energy save the day? Well, it has its limitations. At this time, green is not even remotely capable of doing what oil, gas and coal can do, and is itself, dependent on these resources (see the work of another great mover and shaker SIMON MICHAUX). Perhaps a gradual transition to green is possible, but I don’t think it will be without concessions.

In the end, nature will have her way. In the end, the Authentic Life, the life God meant us to live, must return. This is His world and we are His children. As a society, we have a lot to think about going forward…and we need extremely competent leadership that is willing to make tough decisions.

During These Tumultuous Times...

“…stand fast in the Lord, my dearly beloved…Rejoice in the Lord always, again, I say, rejoice…The Lord is nigh…in every thing, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your petitions be made known to God.

And the peace of God, which surpasseth all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

…whatsoever things are true, whatsoever modest, whatsoever just, whatsoever holy, whatsoever lovely, whatsoever of good fame, if there be any virtue, if any praise of discipline, think on these things.  The things which you have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, these do ye, and the God of peace shall be with you.  Now I rejoice in the Lord exceedingly…I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, to be content therewith…I can do all these things in him who strengtheneth me…Now to God and our Father be glory world without end. Amen…The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.”

Saint Paul to the Phillipians, Chapter 4

The End of the Dollar as the World's Reserve Currency? What They Said Could Never Happen....

I like Andy Schectman and I also like Kitco News. Here, Andy is interviewed by Michelle Makori. The Petrodollar deal which Kissinger made with Saudi Arabia is discussed, along with Nixon’s departure from gold-backing and the world’s current moving away from the dollar. There’s a one-hour video and a short article…

End of the Petrodollar?

Excerpts from the article:

Saudi Arabia reportedly let the 50-year petro-dollar agreement expire on June 9th, opting to sell oil in multiple currencies instead of exclusively using the U.S. dollar. Andy Schectman, President and Owner of Miles Franklin Precious Metals, warns that if the "petro" is taken from the "dollar," the U.S. currency will be backed by "nothing," which could trigger "catastrophic" consequences…

The foundation of the petrodollar system lies in a 1974 agreement between Saudi Arabia and the United States. Under this deal, Saudi Arabia agreed to recycle its petrodollars into U.S. Treasuries in exchange for a security guarantee from the U.S., creating a strategic alliance that has significantly influenced global politics for decades. By 1975, all OPEC members had agreed to price oil in dollars and invest in U.S. government debt…  

If the U.S. dollar is no longer the primary payment option for oil, Schectman foresees a massive spike in interest rates as one of the consequences, with the situation getting quite chaotic for the U.S.

“If this happened all at once, it would be catastrophic. It would be chaotic because the natural reaction of the dollar being dumped globally is hyperinflation. It would hit our shores in a tsunami of inflation,” Schectman said. “The dollar would collapse, the stock market would collapse, the bond market would collapse, the banking system would collapse, the insurance companies would collapse. Everything. This is the great reset.”

…The move away from using the U.S. dollar in international trade transactions is not new, but it has been accelerating…