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!

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.

Thought for the Day

If You’re Not Making People Uncomfortable,

You’re Doing Something Wrong

Just Sayin

Thought For the Day

If God works with bad candidates, I’m a very good candidate.

Thought for the Day

Life is a vast wood in which only a few paths may be explored.

Thought for the Day

I woke up last night and these words were spontaneously placed in my head. There was no thought process…

“What is the Tridentine Mass? A spaceship to Heaven.”

I fell back to sleep.

June is the Month of the Sacred Heart of Jesus

June continues the traditional Ember Days of Summer on the First Friday and First Saturday.  The Masses of these days are beautiful to read.  Of course, First Fridays are dedicated to the Sacred Heart, so, something to think about there.  We have Trinity Sunday and the 2 feasts of Corpus Christi (or Body and Blood of Christ), in the trad and the new.  Very exciting, the back-to-back feasts of our Two Hearts are on the 16th and the 17th (the 16th being a Friday solemnity, no penance). 

Where does one start when contemplating all the devotional riches of the Sacred Heart, which Holy Church has given us?  Here is a great place to start, from The Catholic Encyclopedia:  Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.  This topic is divided into 2 parts:  Doctrinal Explanations and Historical Ideas.

Have a look at the full trad calendar for June:  calefactory.org

And here is a thought to meditate on this coming month.  This came to me today when trying to take a nap and cope with my chronic pain condition.  I thought of a short poem by novelist Gunnel Beckman and changed the words to express what I was feeling.  I felt compelled to share this…

Suffering is only the thorn upon the rose

The broken key

Offering admission to Thine Heart

Saint Margaret Mary, pray for us!

Thoughts on Memorial Day, USA

As with everything it seems, these days, we Catholics must move the opposite direction of the culture.  Memorial Day is no exception.  At my hair salon the other day, everyone was talking about their impending parties over the weekend.  Someone asked me what I was doing and I said, “Nothing,” a bit embarrassed.  I admit I am far from perfect in responding to these many awkward situations that arise.  This is our lot.  This is our cross as Christians, to follow the narrow path.

A culture that has forgotten how to mourn, has forgotten how to live.

In considering how I might “celebrate” this day, my first thought was to refrain from meat.  However, our fridge is packed with meat that needs to be cooked.  So I resolved to pray the rosary and to try to live a good, disciplined day.  Thinking of my husband’s uncle Harry who died in WWII, I decided to offer the day for him and when presented with a difficulty, to say, “Do it for Harry.” 

I have become deeply devoted to the memory of Harry, after coming across an old scrapbook in my husband’s basement.  It showed little anecdotes of Harry from his boyhood.  I was fascinated.  Finally, I turned a page and there it was.  The record of his death.  I had never heard the story and was shocked and saddened.  We have visited Harry’s memorial in the family cemetery several times now.  Someone placed a flag there which is worn, but still there.  He was buried in Germany.  26 years old, close to our son’s age now.  Like the line in “Gone with the Wind,” referring to the soldiers of the Civil War, “Maybe they are all Ashley”…I think of the men and women we honor today…Maybe they are all Harry. 

As I continue to work towards a community of love, apart from a world sinking into tyranny, I wonder what Harry died for and will remember to say, “Do it for Harry.”

On this feast of Our Lady, Mother of the Church, this octave of Pentecost and this Ember Week, let us keep these dear souls and their families in prayer, along with places of war right now and of course, pray for peace. 

­­Come Holy Ghost, give the world the illumination it needs so very much at this time!

Thought for the Day

When you have spent your entire life meditating upon the Passion of our lord, nothing this world throws at you will ever surprise you.

this has been our preparation for future shock.

and that moment is now.

Thought for the Day

The current state of western civilization:

We are so clean, and yet we are filthy.

We are so concerned about contamination, and yet we are diseased.

We are so in fear of death, and yet we are dead.

Thought for the Day

The universe does not revolve around me. A little disappointing. But mostly a huge relief. Actually, it’s very good news for the universe.

Just sayin.