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The Authentic Life
“Pater Meus Servat Vineam”
O Mary, crowned with stars, who hast the moon for thy footstool and who sittest enthroned above all the choirs of angels, incline thine eyes toward this vale of tears, and hear the voice of one who puts all his hope and trust in thee. Amen.
From the Raccolta
Today is his feast in the new calendar. If you are interested in the “Greatest of the Great,” (how can you not be?), have a look: Pope Saint Gregory I, the Great
At the Foot of the Cross
These tragic words are part of a prayer. Bouguereau’s dramatic painting “Pieta,” from 1876, is the perfect companion to these words. Receiving her son’s body into her arms, was the 6th of Our Lady’s 7 Sorrows, the swords which pierced her Immaculate Heart. We pay respect to these sorrows on the 15th of the month, exactly one month after the feast of the Assumption.
As if this was not enough, her heart continues to be grieved by our many sins and the 5 offenses represented by the 5 First Saturdays Devotion, given by Our Lady of Fatima. This devotion helps secure reparation to her Immaculate Heart.
We are celebrating 3 months in a row dedicated to Our Blessed Mother Mary. August honored the Immaculate Heart, we now honor her Sorrowful Heart and next month, we renew our devotion to her Holy Rosary, given to Saint Dominic. We can meditate on how these 3 months are linked together and in fact, inseparable. Let us take the next week to pray on and contemplate this (feel free to email me with any thoughts).
Here are the traditional Roman Catholic feasts of September: calefactory.org
Image from Cathy Weisbecker at Pinterest, colors have been muted.
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Let us also continue to pray for the safety of all pro-lifers and churches in this post-Roe environment. O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to Thee!
I just started watching this guy on YouTube-”Stokermatic”-and I also have a renewed interest in compasses after recently buying an Army Style Lensatic Compass from Deutsche Optik (check this site out for awesome prepper gear)…I paid $35 for it and you can now get it for $19! The compass mentioned above, is a cheaper baseplate compass which I’ve had for a while. I was amazed when this guy (he calls himself “Stoker”), a US Army veteran, did a video recently on this compass…I said, “That’s my compass!”
This video will give you an intro to Stoker and his work. It is technical and assumes you already know a bit. That’s okay if you don’t. It is an immersion, like those language courses which only speak in the language you are learning. Just take it in and get the gist of it. Watch a few more videos to see if this content is for you. I am addicted now.
Think how fun it would be to do this sort of thing with your children, family or friends…enjoy the outdoors, try to find something with a compass and learn some valuable skills as the world hurtles toward chaos. It could be the beginning of an incredible journey!
There is also a Stokermatic website with all kinds of info and several products. Get stoked!
PS If you know a gender-confused girly boy, he just needs to spend one day with Stoker and the girl will be whooped out of him. (I think he does give courses-I will email him about that.)
This post is a sampling of what I have been researching recently. I have been looking into the possible future (not a crystal ball, just research) since I took an interest in it as a teenager. So that’s about 40 years. I stepped it up after 9/11 and have been writing on these topics for 14 years.
I can tell you, I have never seen what is happening now. It’s not just the freaks and geeks, the conspiracy theorists, the End Times eccentrics holding signs in Times Square. The warnings are coming from everywhere. From ordinary people. From experts in all areas. It’s being freely discussed…and censored. People are putting their jobs, their reputations and even their lives on the line. The video above is just one of hundreds of warnings out there right now. This southern homesteading woman reads an email she was sent from a farmer in Texas. She boldly asserts that a day of reckoning is coming. She talks about being right with God and gives her heartfelt advice.
I would add 2 points to this video…#1: It takes a village. #2: Get out of dodge. As Catholics, we must develop our communities and we must also consider establishing them in less populated areas. For a number of reasons, the dense areas are not where you want to be when things go wrong. Of course, this is only my take on it and you must pray and assume responsibility for your own decisions.
Also as Catholics, we know we are here in exile and some are called to a glorious martyrdom. We know the most important preparedness is spiritual. We must flee to the Sacrament of Penance and take consolation in the Rosary. To pray the Rosary is a great joy in the midst of suffering. Let us all pray at this hour and discern the work Our Blessed Lord desires of us.
These topics aren’t really random at all. It is all connected.
"Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, do I give unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, nor let it be afraid."
John 14:27
This is the day the Mother of God, who suffered so terribly through the Passion of her Child, entered the Kingdom of Heaven and received her eternal rewards for her faithfulness and trust in God. Ensuing was her glorious Coronation as Queen of Heaven and Earth, alongside her Son as our King. Here’s an article from the National Catholic Register:
Still getting back into my routine after 4 months of ongoing problems. Will post something this week. I don’t know what, so it will be as much a surprise to me as to you!
[Edited since posting.]
When looking for images, I look for one that grabs me and is somewhat unique. The vintage French prayer card above was perfect. I realized I had to translate the French and this was my best attempt. The sentiment is beautiful and calls to mind the eternal bliss possessed by Our Lady and all those in Heaven. This illustration of the Immaculate Heart contains many of the elements we normally see: the lily emerging from the flame, the sword with the drops of blood, the wreath of roses and the emanating rays of light. We also sometimes see the Crown of Thorns surrounding her heart in a circular fashion. This month, we might meditate more deeply on the symbolism of Our Lady’s heart, passed down to us over the centuries. We might also seek to conform our own hearts to hers, that we may be that “Treasure of Kindness” to those around us.
How else may we honor this most loving of hearts, inextricably united to the Sacred Heart? It would certainly be an appropriate time to begin the Communion of Reparation to the Immaculate Heart 5 First Saturdays, given to Sister Lucia by Our Lady of Fatima. If your parish does not offer this, consider meeting with your pastor to discuss it. What an exciting privilege to establish and lead this devotion in your own Catholic community! The traditional feast of the Immaculate Heart is celebrated August 22nd, alongside the new feast of the Queenship of Mary.
Other Marian feasts this month are: Our Lady of the Snows on the 5th, THE ASSUMPTION on the 15th and Our Lady of Knock, celebrated on the 17th or the 21st. Saint Dominic, seer of the Holy Rosary, is honored on the 4th and Saint Joachim, father of the Blessed Virgin, on the 16th. What an amazing month to become closer to the Mother of God, to offer reparation to her Immaculate Heart and to console her in her sorrows, looking upon this world of corruption.
Let us remember the TRANSFIGURATION OF OUR LORD on the 6th. August also celebrates 3 Doctors of the Church: Saint Alphonsus de Ligouri, Saint Bernard of Clairvaux and Saint Augustine. We also have dear Saint Clare (otherwise known as Clara or Chiara-my name) on the 12th and Saint Rose of Lima, patroness of gardeners (we are especially devoted to her here), on the 30th.
As you may know, the Tridentine Latin Mass is being persecuted more aggressively in recent days in the United States. Let us commend this sorrow to Our Lady and be at peace that God is provident and always holds His children in His Hands. (I was going to give you some links, but it upset me so much, I could not continue reading-some dioceses most recently cracking down are Chicago, Washington DC and Arlington VA.)
Here is the traditional calendar for the month of August: calefactory.org
Note: Both old and new feasts are given. The old is given preference when there are 2 dates.
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Image from Ethelyn at Pinterest.
Just checking in quickly for my loyal readers out there. So, the Covid started out like a cold, but graduated into being more flu-like. I’m still not well, but my husband is doing much better. Thank you for your prayers and hopefully, one of these days, my life will return to normal. I have learned how important family and friends are at a time like this. A friend from church offered to by us groceries. We have been doing okay ordering them from the store, but knowing someone cares is so comforting. If you know someone in need, think about helping them in some way-it can make all the difference to them.
I’m offering it all in reparation to the Body and Blood of Christ, in this the month of the Most Precious Blood. Blessings to you all and your families! Chiara F Mathews:)
After just getting over a whole ordeal with a surgical removal of a kidney stone, I now have a head injury. The doc does not want me on the computer or doing anything that requires concentration (and I put a great deal of concentration into my writing). Recovery could take several weeks. Posts are suspended until I am better. Thanks for your patience!
Further update: And now my husband and I have Covid. No, we have not received the Mystery Injection and our symptoms are like cold symptoms. I am not worried, but prayers would be appreciated at this point! I haven’t even told you everything that has happened to me in the past 3 months-it has been one thing after another, with no break at all, starting with the passing of my brother. I feel God is preparing me for the coming days, making me stronger and more trusting. I have learned so much from this journey of suffering. Like St. Bernadette, let us thank God always for our crosses, for (as St. Vincent de Sales said), He does not test us beyond our ability and it is an act of love, to bring us closer to Him!
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!
For ongoing coverage…
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!
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