Please consider how you might honor the Most Precious Blood of Jesus during this month of July.
Here is your trad calendar for July: http://www.calefactory.org/calendar/wc202207.htm
God bless you and your families. Thank you for reading!
ROE VS WADE OVERTURNED ON THE FEAST OF THE SACRED HEART!
For ongoing coverage…
LIFESITE
NEW ADVENT
EWTN NEWS
As I groggily sauntered into the kitchen this morning, my husband immediately greeted me with the stunning news. We all suspected this was coming, but you are never quite ready for that moment when something anticipated becomes real. As I was still trying to absorb the information, I did my customary glance at the Catholic calendar and saw “The Sacred Heart of Jesus” as today’s feast. Instantly I said to myself, “Not a coincidence! Amazing!” Tomorrow is also the feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. After waiting just shy of 50 long years, the dice land on this day. This shows God’s omnipotent Providence in all things and gives us great consolation. This incredible day is graced by the Two Hearts!
After spending the past 34 years fighting for life, I never thought I would live to see this day. There is a feeling of joy thinking of all my pro-life friends, past and present, rejoicing today. A wave of positive energy has shot through the world…a world that desperately needs it. It’s hard to believe it’s true.
Yes, there are those who will take this opportunity to do evil and to persecute us more viciously, but we cannot focus on that ugliness from Hell. We must focus on Heaven, life and beauty. Just look at a picture of a precious baby and you will regain your perspective. Let us thank God in the coming days and continue to pray for peace and the safety of our people. Let us continue the fight for life as never before. Evil cannot stand forever. Christ already has the victory on the Cross! Alleluia!
Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy upon us
“In the end, my Immaculate Heart will triumph”
Traditional Priest is Doing Something Amazing in the Italian Alps!
Young Priest Turns Forsaken Farm into Paradise Homestead
I was blown away by the above video. Below are the notes provided by the video-maker, Kirsten Dirksen (she’s got a great YouTube channel, but this is not necessarily an endorsement of all her content). The video is 23 minutes, well-worth your time. We all need to be thinking this way going forward, due to the state of the world. This priest also has filmed 2 documentaries-link is below-I have not seen them yet, but I’m sure they are good…
Five years ago Catholic priest Johannes Schwarz left his parish to "withdraw for a few years" in the Italian Alps (in the shadow of his beloved Monte Viso). He bought an old "rustico" - stone farm building - for 20,000 euros and transformed it into his mountaintop hermitage.
Inspired by the early Christian desert hermits from the "200s and 300s when some people went into the deserts of Egypt and Palestine searching for a more rigorous life", Schwarz found something remote: he has only one full-time neighbor on the entire mountainside and in winter, he often has to snowshoe for a couple hours just to buy food and supplies.
To be as self-sufficient as possible, he makes his own bread and stores plenty of potatoes which he grows using Ruth Stout's "No-Work" gardening method. To grow much of his own fruit and produce, he terraced the steep hillside (using stones from the area) to create micro-climates. "You try to build walls that have southern exposure because they heat up during the day and they give off the warmth and can make a difference of several degrees." (Studies show differences of 27°F/15°C in the ultra-deep Incan terraces). He grows plenty of tomatoes inside his self-built recycled greenhouse.
For heating and cooking, he built a combination rocket stove and masonry heater by creating his own casts and loam coating. His refrigerator, which he transported up the hill on top of his bicycle, is kept in the unheated room, along with his food stores. He uses a tiny 30-year-old 3-kilogram washing machine and built his bathroom out of salvaged materials. To transport the lumber up the hill for his remodel, he got some help from a local farmer.
He divided the old barn into four small rooms on two floors; the living room/kitchen and pantry on the ground floor and a chapel and bedroom upstairs. His bedroom also serves as an editing studio where he creates videos on philosophy and religion.
He created a wooden-arched indoor chapel where he “celebrates the traditional Latin mass” alongside a wall he painted with Byzantine, romanesque and gothic styles in appreciation of "the symbolism of the ancient art."
Johannes’ pilgrimage films: https://www.reelhouse.org/birettballett
February is the Month of the Passion of Our Lord
This month we honor the sorrowful Passion of Our Blessed Lord as we enter the trad Season of Septuagesima on the 13th. Lent however, does not begin until March 2nd.
Looking at both old and new feasts: We have the Presentation of Our Lord on the 2nd, which took place forty days after his birth, along with His Mother’s ritual of purification. This is traditionally known as “Candlemas Day,” as a blessing of candles and procession takes place, honoring the Presentation of the Christ Child to His Father in the Temple, a momentous event in Judeo-Christian history. Saint Blaise and the traditional Blessing of Throats is on the 3rd. We celebrate 2 Doctors of the Church this month, 5th-century Egyptian Bishop Saint Cyril of Alexandria and 11th-century Cardinal Saint Peter Damian. Martyr Saint Apollonia, also of Alexandria, shares her feast with Saint Cyril on the 9th-she is invoked for dentistry problems. Let us not forget OUR LADY OF LOURDES on the 11th and Saint Bernadette on the 18th, a wonderful time to teach our children about the many miracles at Lourdes…and if you don’t have any Lourdes water, there are many sources online where it can be obtained. Let us celebrate a holy Saint Valentine’s Day, praying for the Capital Virtue and Fruit of the Holy Ghost, Chastity. Our dear Jacinta and Francisco Marto, sibling seers of Fatima, share a feast on the 20th.
How can we remember the Passion of Our Lord in the coming weeks? Of course, there are countless ways to do so-please pray and see where God is leading you. One way would be to observe a truly sincere Septuagesima, with confession and planning your Lenten spiritual exercises.
We will no longer be listing feasts, but you can GO HERE for your trad month of February. Wishing you blessings as we transition from the Mystery of the Incarnation to the Mystery of the Redemption!
Painting by Correggio, d 1534 from Wellington Collection
12th Day of Christmas
12 Fruits of the Holy Ghost
Benignity
Charity ~ Chastity ~ Continence
+ Faith ~ Goodness ~ Joy ~ Long-Suffering +
Mildness ~ Modesty
Patience ~ Peace
(Alphabetical helps memorize!)
Come Holy Ghost
(Traditional Hymn-to the best of my research, authorship goes to Lambillotte, Caswall & Maurus)
Partial artwork by Ronald St. Martin at innerwindows.net.
5th Day of Christmas
Five Books of the Pentateuch
Genesis~Exodus~Leviticus~Numbers~Deuteronomy
The Law of Moses or “Torah,” the Foundation of Judaism & Christianity
Image from yaelshahar.com
4th Day of Christmas
2nd Day of Christmas
The Two Testaments
The Old Testament
The New Testament
Image courtesy Mother of Our Savior, Inc, where you can buy it!
Thankful for the Sacrament of Penance
The Sacrament of Penance, according to the Catholic Encyclopedia:
“Penance is a sacrament of the New Law instituted by Christ in which forgiveness of sins committed after baptism is granted through the priest's absolution to those who with true sorrow, confess their sins and promise to satisfy for the same. It is called a sacrament, not simply a function or ceremony, because it is an outward sign instituted by Christ to impart grace to the soul.”
Click on the link above for a rather exhaustive study of this topic. Contemplating and learning more about this great gift of Holy Church, is an appropriate way to begin the Season of Advent, a new Liturgical Year. In a culture that approaches the Birth of Our Lord with nothing but materialism, never giving sin a second thought, how much more should we do so…not only for our own benefit, but to make reparation to Him.
Having celebrated the American holiday of Thanksgiving last week, and having made a recent confession, my mind has been turned to a sense of gratitude for the Sacrament of Penance…especially after having witnessed the unthinkable last year, its prohibition in many places. In a land where there is still plenty, let us remain grateful for all the Church offers and not lose sight that it is the spiritual riches which are most important.
Several weeks ago, I decided to confess at a local church I had not been to for a while. I knew some churches were still abandoning the confessionals due to Covid, but I hoped for the best. I got a sinking feeling when I saw 2 tables decked out with hand sanitizer and blue tape over the holy water fonts. At least there were no dividers in the pews. I forged on to find there were 2 priests doing face-to-face confessions only. I was disappointed, complained to one of them (he was stunned and not very friendly), and left. I will also tell you, there were no lines for these confessions. The church was almost empty.
The following week, I tried another local church, known for being conservative. Jackpot! There was one priest hearing normal confession and the line was quite long. Give the people what they want and they will come! The more traditional churches will probably thrive in the coming days and the more “modern” will just dry up, like their fonts. I was also very happy to see several young people and children confessing. I felt I was home, where I belong and with my people. I am deeply thankful to God that this can still be found in the New York area.
Some final thoughts: We all have difficulty sometimes in the spiritual life. If you have been away from confession and have a fear of going, please just give it over to Our Blessed Lord, place it in His hands and know that He can do what you cannot. He can overcome all things. With His strength you can face a difficult confession, get through it and come out the other side unbelievably joyful! It’s the best Christmas present you could give yourself…and those you love, because being happy and at peace is the best gift you could give to them. Maybe you are the kind of person who stays away due to scrupulosity. Maybe you feel you must re-confess things or the whole process is too overwhelming for you. Again, please take this to Our Lord and He will fix it. Ask in His Name for help and you WILL receive it!
"If you shall ask Me any thing in My Name, that I will do."
John 14:14
November is the Month of the Holy Souls in Purgatory-Part II
“Réquiem ætérnam dona eis, Dómine, et lux perpétua lúceat eis. Requiéscant in pace. Amen.”
When combining Holy Church’s old and new calendars, we see the following features for the month of November…
The month has begun in the midst of the Triduum of Death, reminding us of the brevity of this life and the glory which awaits the Children of God. I recall hearing the following lyrics in early childhood-I think it made some impression on me:
“O when the saints go marching in, When the saints go marching in
O Lord I want to be in that number, When the saints go marching in”
What a wonderful month that begins contemplating the Church Triumphant and ends in expectation of the Birth of Our Savior!
The Triduum concludes with All Souls Day, reminding us that for most, there will be a cleansing of suffering. Therefore, this month is dedicated to the souls still undergoing this suffering, the Church Penitent, with special indulgences given. We celebrate 3 Doctors of the Church, 2 of whom are called “great.” We have another saint honored with this title, Saint Gertrude the Great. She was given this title by Pope Benedict XIV to distinguish her from her abbess superior, another Saint Gertrude. We can presume this pope found her mystical writings to be worthy of this title. Gertrude the Great is also invoked for the holy souls, whom she was dedicated to-it is fitting that her feast is in November. On the 21st in the new calendar, we honor Christ, King of the Universe. We celebrated Christ the King on October 31st in the old. Let us be the Church Militant, showing our acknowledgment of Christ’s rule over us, won by His Blood, at this critical moment in history. On the same day, we have Our Lady’s Presentation as an infant, not to be confused with her Purification (or Our Lord’s Presentation).
Here are some notable feasts for the remainder of this month and below is a follow-up from the previous post on Holy Souls devotions…
10-Pope St. Leo the Great, Doctor of the Church, Author The Tome
13-St. Frances “Mother” Cabrini, Founder Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, 20th Century Saint
15-St. Albert the Great, Doctor of the Church, Patron of scientists, Author On Cleaving to God
16-St. Gertrude the Great
18-Dedication of Basilicas of Sts. Peter & Paul
21-CHRIST, KING OF THE UNIVERSE / PRESENTATION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY
22-St. Cecilia, Patroness of music
23-St. Felicitas, Martyr, invoked in Canon of Mass
24-St. John of the Cross, Doctor of the Church, Author Dark Night of the Soul
28-First Sunday of Advent
30-St. Andrew, Apostle
+ + +
Vatican Extends Traditional…Indulgences
From the above article…
“Cardinal Mauro Piacenza, head of the Apostolic Penitentiary, a Vatican tribunal dealing with matters of conscience, said the indulgences traditionally obtained [for departed souls] during the first week of November [11/1-8] can be gained throughout the entire month of November…Indulgences are granted when a Catholic visits a cemetery to pray for the dead, goes to confession, attends Mass and receives the Eucharist and prays for the intentions of the Pope.”
What the article left out about the obtaining of a plenary indulgence: one must be in a state of grace when the indulgenced act is performed, must be detached from sin and must perform all criteria within 20 days before or after.
+ + +
Amen.
The above Holy Hour was taken from the most recent edition of…
benedictus: the traditional catholic companion
This monthly booklet is published by Sophia Institute Press and is a wonderful Catholic guide and missal for the Tridentine Mass. The page above contains glowing comments by the likes of Cardinal Burke, Archbishop Vigano, Bishop Schneider and Bishop Strickland. (So you know its good.) My only beef with it, as a sustainability proponent, is that it uses too much paper, as the entire mass (quite conveniently) is repeated for each Sunday. This was my husband’s idea to subscribe, after hearing about it online. In spite of all the tree destruction, I am starting to really like my Benedictus and rely on it. Each one comes with a beautiful prayer card which can be used as a bookmark, and the price is only $5.00 a month! Please see the above link for further details.
As for the Holy Hour above, it is not indicated what the source is. It seems to be an opening prayer for an hour before the Most Blessed Sacrament. I suppose the rest of the hour could be performed in silent meditation or organized prayer. I am not aware of an indulgence attached to it, though there may be. It is quite beautiful. I was not able to find it elsewhere on the internet. If you would like a good copy or the source, please contact Sophia Institute Press.
In addition to Benedictus, this company publishes all sorts of other things, including a very interesting series of catechetical documents from antiquity…
tradivox: catholic catechism index
From the website…
“From as early as the 9th century, scores of faithful priests, bishops, popes, saints, and Church councils have published succinct, reliable summaries of Catholic doctrine: catechisms…Now, for the first time ever, dozens of historic catechisms are being unearthed and painstakingly restored. They are being reformatted for publication and presented to you in this gorgeous 20-volume, cross-indexed collection. The catechisms of several Popes and Church Councils are included; such as the world-renowned Catechism of the Council of Trent, those of the Synods of Maynooth and Baltimore, and the catechism of Pope St. Pius X. Here also are those classical handbooks of Catholic doctrine authored by the great Saints and Doctors of the Church, St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Peter Canisius, and St. Robert Bellarmine. The many historical catechisms of Catholic doctrine featured in this series include both titles that are well known, as well as some that have not been printed or read in centuries. Originating from regions as diverse as Italy, France, Germany, Spain, England, Ireland, Scotland, Canada, and North America, the many catechisms contained in this series demonstrate the remarkable universality of the Catholic Faith as never before.”
Well, they’ve got me sold. That’s why I just bought the first 4 volumes and subscribed to the series, at $25.00 every 3 months. I always say as a prepper, you can never have enough good, hardcover Catholic books. Who knows how long these will be available in the current climate?
Wishing you blessings in this month of November and the coming Season of Advent.