Raising Our Child Without Santa

It all started with eccentric Mr. Morgan, my high school English teacher. Everyone knew this guy marched to a different drummer. He was almost fired for refusing to wear a tie, but the students protested and he was spared. He was a Christian and become one of my first mentors. One day (I don’t recall the topic at hand), he blurted out something disturbing which I have never forgotten: “None of you know what you would be capable of doing to each other under the right conditions.” This struck me like lightning and I suspected, deep inside, that he was right. I resolved that I would never be one of those people. He couldn’t be talking about me. He told me once that he felt I had potential, more words I have never forgotten. While the rest of the high school administration made me feel like a crazy person or a criminal, he was one who instilled confidence in me.

Mr. Morgan was the first person I ever heard talk about raising his children without the Santa Claus myth. The idea was revolutionary to me and I nurtured it in my mind until I had my own child. I wanted to tell him from the very beginning the truth about Santa. Fortunately, my husband was onboard. At the earliest opportunity, we told him there is no Santa and it was all just a silly story. His presents come from us, no creepy guy sneaks down the chimney while you’re sleeping and how could reindeer fly when they don’t have wings? He was fine with all that and became a very bright and challenging little boy, the kind who drives you crazy, constantly asking “Why?”

Of course the inevitable happened. He got into Santa arguments with children at school and I thought, “Oh no, I’m gonna get a call one of these days.” It never happened. The other kids just stuck to their guns and thought he was crazy. No problem. That was that. He is now grown up and has thanked us many times for raising him without Santa.

Since I have spent many years cultivating an “anti-Santa” attitude, when I hear parents hailing his praises or see the guy at the mall, it seems so strange…so irrelevant and inappropriate to the celebration of the Birth of Our Lord. It reminds me of the words of Fr. Alfred Delp, who I discussed briefly in a recent post, words which are also of great value in our present situation:

"Other values of secondary importance impose themselves, making life inauthentic and bringing it under an alien law and an alien paradigm."

Please pray for dear Mr. Morgan, wherever he is:)

The Latest Fun from the Vatican

A week before Christmas, when no one has the time to analyze this…nothing is left to chance…it is all by design…everything that is happening now in the world is connected and it is all the result of…sin…

Traditionis Custodes: Vatican Further Tightens Restrictions on Traditional [Catholic Rites]

Traditional Catholics Sound Alarm as Rome Suppresses Most Old Rite Sacraments

Special thanks to New Advent for links to the above articles. Please go there for ongoing coverage.

5 Ways to Keep Christ in Christmas

[Edited since posting.]

I tried to make the “Advent” button to the right>>> as noticeable as possible. Did I succeed? Have you clicked on it? This takes you to the “Advent” category of the blog (if button is not there, please click “Advent” just above^^^). I would like to turn your attention to the posts on Fr. Alfred Delp, martyred in Germany under the Nazis. Advent was an important theme for him and his writings are particularly relevant at this time in history. He talks about the need for “calling voices,” which could not be more appropriate for the time we are living in right now. Please have a look!

The 5 points below were written for printing and distribution in churches or elsewhere. I have been printing this for years and it has gone through many drafts-this one I completed just today. You will see I had to be sensitive about the “Santa” issue, only because we all know there’s some “Karen” somewhere who will complain that we traumatized her child. My answer would be, “Any child who can read should not still believe a fat guy can fit down a chimney or a reindeer can fly!” One of these days, talking against Santa will be considered hate speech.

Please consider printing the PDF below and see if you can distribute it this coming Sunday or during the week before Christmas (I realize it’s a bit late getting it out, but better late than never and you can think of it as an Advent Spiritual Work of Mercy!). Of course, there are a number of other ways to share, so be creative! Here goes… 

1)  GIFT-GIVING:  Since we want to remember that Christmas is about the birth of Our Lord, and not about luxuries, it is a good idea to keep presents to a minimum and not allow them to be extravagant.  For parents, a nice idea is to give the children three presents, representing the three gifts given to the Christ Child by the magi: gold, frankincense and myrrh.  Relatives may also be asked to buy only one gift per child.  This way, the children will not be too overwhelmed.  There will also be less clutter in the home! 

2)  DECORATING:  To keep the emphasis on Christ, it is important to keep decorations to a religious, not a secular, nature.  Since Christmas is a profound holyday, when we celebrate the Incarnation of God Himself, everything we do should be in keeping with this deep and awesome truth.  This extends to the cards we send and even the wrapping paper we use. 

3)  THE CHRISTMAS TREE:  The holy and reverent atmosphere we wish to create will also extend to the Christmas tree.  Choosing ornaments relating to the religious celebration of Christmas can be easily done.  Balls and ornaments featuring the nativity scene or the Madonna and Child can be found quite readily.  Musical themes, candles and of course, angels, would all be good choices.  This is not to suggest that pictures of loved ones, sentimental items or that ornament your child made at school, should be excluded.  It’s the spirit of the tree that matters. 

4)  THE TRUTH ABOUT A CERTAIN CHARACTER:  A character based on a holy man, Saint Nicholas, has become a challenger to Christ on this most holy of days.  Children's minds are consumed by this idea and the materialism associated with it, instead of the real and far more incredible gift of God's Son.  Telling our children the truth includes the following benefits: 

• the emphasis will be on the real Person of Christ rather than a fictional character 

• children will know that their presents come from their loving parents 

• the intellectual development of children will not be impeded by being encouraged to believe a story that goes against reason 

• the trust that children have in their parents will not be undermined when they come to realize the truth-the disappointment and hurt that is often felt at that time will not be experienced 

5)  SEASON OF ADVENT:  Advent is a time of preparation, similar to Lent.  We can encourage penance, as we do in Lent, or we could also focus on works of charity, which can be a wonderful activity for the whole family.  This is also a great time to learn Christmas hymns (that you don't know all the words to) and to read and meditate upon the Incarnation.  Also, down-scaling Christmas preparations can be a good idea if they've been too stressful in the past.  It is wise to be mindful of the simplicity of the first Christmas.  If the stable in Bethlehem is our starting point and our mindset, we cannot go wrong! 

 PRINTABLE VERSION: COLOR

PRINTABLE VERSION: BLACK

10 Reasons to Purge Your Home

Marie Kondo, famed home organizer, tells you to ask yourself, “Does it spark joy?” Here’s a different question…

C o u l d i t E x i s t i n H e a v e n ?

You may not know I have been blogging since about 2008. The original URL and title was “futurecatholic.net”. This URL still exists and directs to this current site. You also may not know that what you thought was gone from the internet may still be accessible at Wayback Machine. It’s hard to lose your past these days. My writing included more “conspiracy” stuff back then and when I started this site, I decided I should be less controversial. Since Covid, it doesn’t matter anymore. We now must all choose a side. So…I don’t care if you go back and look at it. Have fun with that!

Anyway, the point was, I posed the question above on the old site and got some flack for it. I recall someone saying this was too perfectionistic. Well, my only response to that is…

"Be you therefore perfect, as also your heavenly Father is perfect."

Matthew 5:48

Gonna argue with Him? For about the past 6 months, I’ve been purging and organizing my house. If you think I must be close to done, you think wrong, my friend! I do hope to step up the productivity in the coming months because it’s going way too slow. So far, I have worked mostly on books, papers, clothing and records (those things you used to spin and they would make music). Each type of item presents its own challenges, both emotionally and spiritually.

First of all, why purge at all? 10 reasons:

1) Your home will be more spacious and much easier to clean.

2) You will be better prepared if you need to suddenly move.

3) You will become more organized in the process, which is key to preparedness.

4) You will be letting go of things, helping you to confront emotional issues.

5) You will probably be ridding your family of sinful influences (and receiving graces for it!).

6) You will be giving to the needy.

7) You will be reducing pests.

8) De-cluttering your main residence can help you stock a remote location.

9) You can teach family members to do the same (and this can be great family-time as well!).*

10) You can bring in some income if you can sell some of it.

11) Bonus Reason: You will have more room for your important prepper supplies.

There are a few above points I’d like to expound upon…

#2: Moving-It is now time to begin creating our holy refuges, prophesied about by the mystics. If you don’t see why, pray on it and look around with a new set of eyes-this has been a long time coming. We can expect anything and everything from this point forward, as the New World Order advances its war on humanity and the Church. For a variety of reasons, you may find yourself needing to move suddenly. Being prepared to show your home and having less to pack will be much to your advantage.

#4: Letting Go-Many people never de-clutter because they do not want to deal with the memories and emotions that will come up. They may not even be consciously aware of this. The result is living in continued dysfunction and unfairly passing it all on to your children. This can create enormous stress and expense for them, on top of having to deal with death issues and selling a house. The fact is, those emotions belong to you. Dealing with them is part of your life journey and there is healing in the process. This summer, I finally went through my son’s baby clothes. It was hard. I cried. Much of it was still in good condition and we gave it to our local Saint Vincent de Paul thrift store. Physically holding the clothes in my hands, washing them, folding them one last time and sending them off to be worn by a new baby…it was a “letting go” ritual. It was something I needed to do and I feel so enriched by it. This is the kind of life experience that makes you are deeper, more sensitive person. And it helps you go on in a healthier state. As you continue to go through things, you will get stronger and come out the other side transformed. (Let me just say, if you super have trouble getting rid of something, that’s okay!-as long as its the exception and not the rule.)

#5: Sinful Influences-This one brings us to our question above, “Could it exist in Heaven?” What really happened on the Cross? When we die, we will see above all, that this life was not a joke. In this “Age of Separation” upon us, we must begin to see with greater clarity, the true corruption of the world. The world is regarding us more and more as enemies. It must go both ways. Let the separation begin. If we wait until these “precious” things are wrenched from our hands, we will have squandered any grace that could have been obtained by voluntarily letting go. We must secure mercy at this hour. We must make ourselves worthy to inherit the new world after all the dust settles. “In the end, my Immaculate Heart will triumph!”

This issue came up heavily when I was going through my records. In my youth, they meant everything to me. I would not have been able to conceive that one day I would be tossing them in the trash. I held myself to about the hardest standard, discarding those with only one offensive song or an immodest image. If the good is tethered to the evil, it must be cast into the fire with it. We can allow nothing corrupt to harm the little ones who will take refuge with us. The new world must be pure before God’s Heavenly Throne. After trashing most of them, I was left with folk, classical, “ambient” and some benign pop music. I was amazed how easy it was. After doing the baby clothes, I feel I can do anything. Another thing-corrupt items must be thrown out, no matter how valuable they are. Passing on the evil does no good. This is the kind of thing that separates the men from the boys in the spiritual realm.

#7: Pests-Didn’t know we had mice in the attic. Now I do.

#8: Remote Location-If you have a summer house or another property, some of the items you find may do well in that location. For a summer house, that extra veggie peeler or old vacuum could be useful and help save money. If you rent another property, you may wish to store some things there in a locked area.

When considering what to do with possessions you no longer need, it can help to think outside the box. For instance, I traded some of my books at a local used bookstore. The 2 books I wound up getting were on traditional woodworking and organic gardening. K-ching! Books I can really use going forward (and they are good hardcover ones). As for my experience purging piles of papers, we actually have a new usable chair in the dining room and it is so refreshing to be able to find something quickly and easily in my files. There are countless resources and systems out there now for de-cluttering. Half the battle is getting started, then you just need to incorporate it into your routine. If you’re really having difficulty, as with everything else, pray on it!

*Unless you’ve got hoarders in your family, in which case it will be “Dysfunctional Family Thanksgiving on steroids.”

Update

I am still looking at things comprehensibly and working on a plan for this blog. We have unfinished projects and also improvements that need to be made. My personal life is kind of crazy right now for a variety of reasons, and probably will be for several months. Please accept my apologies for the unfinished projects. I would probably like to lighten up things here for a while and then, when I’m in a better position, work aggressively at some of those projects, particularly the “Prepper Rosary Program.”

We continue to ask for prayer for my dear father-in-law, who is 88 years old and has recently been transferred to a nursing home.  He was just moved to the hospital, with an infection. It is very sad, the condition he is in.  The family is rallying together now to address many existing complications (insurance errors, getting his hospital bed removed from the house, dealing with damage from a recent bad flood, etc.) and simply supporting each other during this very difficult time.  This affects me too, of course.

I will tell you a bit about my husband’s father, without mentioning his name, for privacy reasons. He was an influential Manhattan attorney, arguing several cases at the Supreme Court and winning a ground-breaking case for the Saint Patrick’s Day Parade against the homosexual activists, back in the 90’s.  He was a regular guest on Court TV and news programs.  He knew many of the New York movers and shakers, particularly in Catholic intellectual circles.  He was always an advocate of the Tridentine Mass, and when it was allowed again in the late 80’s, went immediately to attend it, accompanied by myself, at the age of 21.  As I describe in my bio (to the right), this changed my life.  He has been like a surrogate father for me, since my father died when I was 7 years old and I met my husband when I was 17.  He paid my rent for me when I was out of money and did countless other wonderful things for me and for many others. Mr. Mathews has also contributed generously to the ministry of this website. 

Another issue confronting us right now is the encroaching Covid mandates and the concerns this raises.  We are talking about selling our house and moving to a rural area, where it hopefully will be more safe.  We devout Catholics must start thinking in terms of creating rural refuges and there is no time to waste.  Our house is nowhere near being ready to sell, so we are aggressively working on that.

One day at a time is all any of us can do…with prayer.  Thank you for your prayers and understanding…and my readers are always in my prayers as well.  Please stay tuned-I will continue at the very least to do the 1st of the Month posts.

A Message of Encouragement from Taylor Marshall:

…in the Face of Mandates, Trad Wars and Fatigue

I haven’t been in the best mood today since Biden’s new vaccination mandates are going to affect my husband. It seems, every other day, some terrible stress is coming along…as Leonard Cohen said, it’s “Closing Time.” The whole world is engulfed-I know it is not just my family. My heart goes out to all of you who are also suffering with many things at this hour, some of the normal sufferings of life, along with what the New World Order is dishing out. In a recent post, I asked for prayers for my father-in-law. He was just moved to a Catholic nursing home in New York. We are very concerned about his well-being because they only allow one-hour visits (because of Covid, of course), and he does not like to be alone. This will surely deteriorate his condition mentally, and most likely physically as well. Just one more Covid contradiction. It’s not about saving lives. It never was. Another strange thing about this nursing home is that they make you remove the mask upon entry and put a different one on. Not only have you just theoretically increased Covid exposure by removing the mask, you have also just touched the mask they feel is contaminated, in addition to your face. They also require appointments to visit, which must be made 24 hours in advance. They don’t always pick up the phone (apparently visitation doesn’t need to be a priority in a nursing home) and they ask for all kinds of personal information when you visit (perhaps for tracing if there is a Covid case). “Safe & Healthy!”

All of this makes for great challenge, needless to say. Tonight, as I reluctantly glanced at what the YouTube gods decided to send my way, the video above popped up. It’s exactly what I needed. We all need encouragement right now, and going forward. Marshall gives some very good advice and gives a strong witness about the importance of the Holy Rosary. If you’re feeling down too, please watch…and know Our Blessed Lord is always with us!

Find the Spaces / Feast of Saint Clare

There is a reason the internet is called the “World Wide Web.” The truth is being told. It is one of the New World Order’s chief instruments of influence, control and surveillance. The “net” in “internet” is no accident either. Truth always must be shown in plain sight for those who have eyes to see. “Weaving Spiders Come Not Here,” from Shakespeares’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, was taken by the Bohemian Club in California, as their motto. Deeply ironic, since they are the weaving spiders, or at least a faction, behind the horrifying world which is encroaching upon us. When man loses his relationship with his Heavenly Father, we will inevitably begin to see a Hell on earth. That’s everything outside your window, in a nutshell.

But the wonderful thing about webs, is they contain lots of space. Space you can escape through. As we discussed recently, nature always teaches us something. It is never hopeless. There are wonderful worlds lying just beyond the entrapment. Find the space, crawl through, and you are on the other side…free. Always believe this is possible (if you’re on this blog, you’re already doing it). Find the places where you can function comfortably. Find the like-minded people. Find the gems just a stone’s throw from the prisons…the holy places apart from the degraded culture…and if you can’t find it, CREATE IT!

Today is the traditional feast of Saint Clare of Assisi, whose actual name was Chiara, which was the name of my Sicilian-born grandmother, who I was named after. Got that? Just as my patron saint, dear Chiara did when escaping her abusive father, we must have the fortitude and self-esteem to seek out our own freedom and well-being. She started the Poor Clares and became one of best known and loved saints of antiquity. How much can we, at this critical hour, accomplish if we take her example, detach ourselves from the world and create something new and amazing?

"Ask, and it shall be given you: seek, and you shall find: knock, and it shall be opened to you."

Matthew 7:7

Santa Chiara of Assisi, Pray for Us!

Image courtesy drugdiscoverytrends.com

Some Brief Comments: Traditionis Custodes

If you haven’t read my personal Tridentine Mass testimony, please read “About CF Mathews,” button to the right>>> I cannot tell my life story without mentioning this, because this Mass changed the course of my life and my entire way of thinking. You would not be reading this blog right now, if my husband-to-be had not brought me to this glorious Holy Mass in that summer of 1988. Also, 20 years ago, when my husband and I were deciding where to move to on Long Island, the presence of a traditional Catholic community was a large factor. This “Mass of the Ages” remains at the center of our lives and hopefully will continue to until we go home to Our Lord.

I am illustrating here, the brutality of Traditionis Custodes. I know we are not the only family to have constructed our lives around this Mass with the hopes of establishing new friends and a place to raise our children, apart from the corrupt influences of the world. As I am writing these words, many families have already had the rug pulled out from under them, after perhaps, giving everything to possess this Mass. A down-payment on a house, a job close to the Mass, a school, relationships and years of their lives invested. This situation reminds us that nothing is ever certain in this life, which from a prepper point of view, is a good lesson. Actually, many “Latin Massers” have become used to a somewhat nomadic life. Even here on Long Island, we have done some bouncing from church to church. It seems this is the attitude we must have, going forward…we will follow the Tridentine Mass to the ends of the earth!

In light of the above, it goes without saying that I am shocked and deeply saddened by this most current Motu Proprio. However, I do believe God would not allow it, unless it was for His greater glory and the ultimate good of souls. So even now, we must remain joyful and trusting! As I continue to absorb the implications of this document, I may continue to give commentary on it in the coming days, as it strikes me. Things remain undisturbed on Long Island, under Bishop John Barres. Please feel free to contact us with any of your stories or prayer requests at this time.

Note: You may feel the above concerns have been overstated. As I said, many of us are used to moving around with the old Mass. Some local shifting is not a huge concern. However, there are parishes which are fully traditional, which have been there for years, where people truly build their lives and did not foresee this coming. From Traditionis Custodes, Article 3, Point 5: “The bishop of the diocese” is “to proceed suitably to verify that the parishes canonically erected for the benefit of these faithful are effective for their spiritual growth, and to determine whether or not to retain them.”

Blessed Lord have mercy upon Thy Holy Church at this hour!

Our Lady, Mother of the Church, pray for us!

And in this Year of Saint Joseph…

Saint Joseph, patron of the Universal Church, pray for us!

"A Man for All Seasons" ~ Song by Al Stewart

My humble interpretations are in parentheses, in the section we are focusing on…

A Man For All Seasons

What if you reached the age of reason only to find there was no reprieve, Would you still be a man for all seasons or would you just have to leave

We measure our days out in steps of uncertainty, Not turning to see how we've come, And peer down the highway

From here to eternity and reach out for love on the run, While the man for all seasons is lost behind the sun

Henry Plantagenet* still looks for someone to bring good news in his hour of doubt, While Thomas More waits in the Tower of London watching the sands running out

And measures the hours out from here to oblivion, In actions that can't be undone, A sailor through the darkness

He scans the meridian and caught by the first rays of dawn, The man for all seasons is lost beneath the storm

And I should know by now, I should know by now, I hear them call it out all around, Oh they go

There's nothing to believe in, Hear them, Just daydreams deceiving, They'll just let you down

So what if you reached the age of reason only to find there was no reprieve, Would you still be a man for all seasons or would you just disbelieve

We measure our gains out in luck and coincidence, Lanterns to turn back in the night, And put our defeats down to chance or experience and try once again for the light

Some wait for the waters of fortune to cover them

(“Nothing is changed in Austria” people. Pollyannas who see nothing wrong and cling to their dreams.)

Some just see the tides of ill chance rushing over them

(Despair. No hope or trust in God.)

Some call on Jehovah, some cry out to Allah

(Realizing the jig is up and seeking mercy.)

Some wait for the boats that still row to Valhalla

(Surrender to conditioned helplessness. Dependence on the State.)

Well you try to accept what the fates are unfolding

(You either accept the official narrative or the truth. Either way, it’s not fun.)

While some say they're sure where the shame should be falling

(Everyone has an opinion. Sound familiar?)

You look round for maybe a chance of forestalling

(Constructively helping yourself and others. That’s what we’re doing here!)

But too soon it's over and done, And the man for all seasons is lost behind the sun

~ ~ ~

Scottish-born Al Stewart is best known for his 70’s hits “Time Passages” and “Year of the Cat.” The above song is from the album “Time Passages,” from 1978. I acquired the CD not long ago and found this song about a Catholic saint, surprising and refreshing! Stewart’s lyrics are brilliant and speak to the universal human condition, including the times upon us. Last month, we celebrated Saint Thomas More’s main feast and this month, we have celebrated a minor feast, so let’s take a look at this song which honors him…

The title did not originate with the play that spawned the famous 1966 movie. It originated from the pen of Robert Whittington, who knew More personally. Whittington was a well-known English grammarian and expert in Latin, who described him as such: “More is a man of an angel's wit and singular learning…a man of marvelous mirth and pastimes, and sometime of as sad gravity. A man for all seasons." At the time of this published compliment, More had risen to Parliament and the companionship of King Henry VIII. The playwright Robert Bolt used the title to illustrate More’s steadfast nature, even when facing a time of persecution. The title is poetic. Bolt’s use of it was not the original intent. It is evocative and interpretive. Al Stewart would likely agree.

Stewart assumes the role of observer, struggling with cynicism and asking the question, “What would you do?” He claims our saint is lost “behind the sun” and “beneath the storm.” But we know he has not been lost at all, for he is now in the glory of Heaven! It is the human condition that we often must choose between Heaven and Earth and our times are no different. Stewart goes on to comprehensively illustrate ways people behave when within the pressure cooker. The question here for us is, “Which ones resemble me?”

The life and death of Saint Thomas More is an inspiring example for our own times. Songwriter Al Stewart has beautifully shown this in word and melody. It’s time for us all to face the music, unto the glory of God and the salvation of souls!

* Henry VIII was a Tudor, not a Plantagenet. I can only assume Stewart did this for rhythmical reasons. PS This was a departure from what I normally do-I have a background in songwriting, so this was lots of fun. I saw Al Stewart several years ago, as an opening act for another band-it was great seeing the guy I’ve always admired and he is still at it-you can check the link above for upcoming shows. BTW, I think the best line in the song is, “Some wait for the boats that still row to Valhalla.” Genius! That line led to some research into Norse mythology which I nuked from the post. We could have done a Wagner tangent too…Wagner…hmmmmmmmm.

July: Month of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus

This chalice is claimed to be the actual Holy Grail, used by Our Blessed Lord to contain His Most Precious Blood at the Last Supper. It is humbly housed behind an altar in a small chapel within the Cathedral of Valencia, Spain. The exquisite agate stone cup (this photo does not do it justice) is the actual relic, whereas the gold and jewel base was fashioned later. Here is a short article about the topic: The Holy Grail in Valencia. There is also a book by Janice Bennett, which deals extensively with the history and archeological study of the chalice: Saint Laurence & the Holy Grail, Ignatius Press (makes a great gift-I bought it for my father-in-law).

We honor the Precious Blood during the month of July, particularly on the 1st of the month. Here is a beautiful litany to add to your devotions:

Litany of the most precious blood of jesus

July gives us 2 Marian feasts, 4 companions of Christ, 3 Doctors of the Church and the parents of Our Lady. Here is a sampling of some notable feasts this month…

7/1-MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD / St. Junipero Serra

7/2-First Friday / THE VISITATION

7/3-First Saturday / St. Thomas, Apostle

7/6-St. Maria Goretti, Young Martyr of Purity

7/7-Sts. Cyril & Methodius

7/14-St. Kateri Tekakwitha / St. Bonaventure, Doctor, “The Seraphic Doctor”

7/15-St. Bonaventure (new)

7/16-OUR LADY OF MOUNT CARMEL

7/19-St. Vincent de Paul

7/21-St. Lawrence of Brindisi, Doctor, “The Apostolic Doctor”

7/22-St. Mary Magdalen

7/23-St. Bridget of Sweden

7/25-St. James the Greater, Apostle / St. Christopher, Patron of Travelers

7/26-Sts. Joachim & Anne, Parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary

7/29-St. Martha, Companion of Christ

7/30-St. Peter Chrysologus, Doctor, “The Golden-Worded”

7/31-St. Ignatius of Loyola, Founder of the Society of Jesus

+ + +

Commentary on Independence Day, USA: Excuse me, In Dependence Day. A number of years ago, I created a stir on Catholic Answers Forum (recently defunct), by posting “Boycott the 4th of July.” It upset many people and the comments went on for pages. It has always been difficult for me to celebrate a nation that kills its own children (Joan Andrews Bell called it “an obscene pretended peace”). I would however, at times, manage to get myself to some fireworks to have a nice family & friends time. I would rationalize it by telling myself I was really celebrating the true spirit of America, put forth by our founders. In light of the past year, I can no longer muster this small bit of heart-warming feeling. I have nothing now but complete disgust for a nation that has utterly lost all sense of human rights, freedom and morality. The Declaration of Independence is dead. It is too late to fix the System. The only thing left is to escape and build a new world based on the opposite paradigm: Love for God and love for neighbor. I will spend the 4th in mourning and penance. If you have no idea why I’m saying this, you have a lot of work to do. Please pray on it.

As severe as these words are, they are not meant to be a downer. I have said before, we must look toward the Newer World Order (I hope that term really bothers the AI that spiders through the internet:) we should be creating, starting NOW, with hope and excitement. Like Lot, don’t look back. Look forward to the restoration of Holy Church and love to reign over all the earth! Father, Son and Holy Ghost, we pray for the United States of America at this hour and for the unborn. Precious Blood of Christ, have mercy on us for the countless sacrileges against Thee. Amen.

“And thou shalt love the Lord thy God, with thy whole heart, and with thy whole soul, and with thy whole mind, and with thy whole strength. This is the first commandment. And the second is like to it: Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is no other commandment greater than these.”

Mark 12:30

Note: The titles of the Doctors of the Church are taken from The 35 Doctors of the Church. We have completed a whole year of providing these titles (which I hope has piqued your interest in these extraordinarily accomplished saints) and promoting this wonderful book, so this will not be continued.