Justice Scalia RIP

I liked him so much.  He was a good man.

Prayers for the repose of his soul.

Papa e Presidente ...

"I am ready to travel around this beautiful and wide country as a missionary and as a pilgrim who wishes to renew with all of you the experience of mercy as a new horizon of opportunity which inevitably brings justice and peace. I also entrust myself to the gaze of Mary, the Blessed Virgin of Guadalupe, so that by her intercession, the merciful Father may grant that these days and the future of this land be an opportunity for encounter, unity and peace. Thank you." - Pope Francis,  VR

He also spoke of the beautiful "indigenous, mestizo and criollo cultures" - so beloved by Our Lady, she came at the very first, just for them.

May Our Lady show herself his mother, may she look upon him and give success to his Apostolic mission.

Dios te salve, Maria.
Llena eres de gracia:
El Señor es contigo.
Bendita tú ere entre todas las mujeres.
Y bendito es el fruto de tu vientre:
Jesús.
Santa María, Madre de Dios,
ruega por nosotros pecadores,
ahora y en la hora de nuestra muerte.
Amén.

The Pope and the Patriarch

[W]e give thanks to God for the current unprecedented renewal of the Christian faith in Russia, as well as in many other countries of Eastern Europe, formerly dominated for decades by atheist regimes.

With grace–filled gratitude for the gift of mutual understanding manifested during our meeting, let us with hope turn to the Most Holy Mother of God, invoking her with the words of this ancient prayer: “We seek refuge under the protection of your mercy, Holy Mother of God”. May the Blessed Virgin Mary, through her intercession, inspire fraternity in all those who venerate her, so that they may be reunited, in God’s own time, in the peace and harmony of the one people of God, for the glory of the Most Holy and indivisible Trinity! - Francis and Kirill

In thanksgiving to the Mother of God and for her promises made at Fatima. 

Pope Francis in the Americas ... Again!

Pouring out a thousand graces, 

he passed these groves in haste; 

and having looked at them, 

with his image alone, 

clothed them in beauty.

- S. John of the Cross

When I was little I had a dream that we had an American Pope - at the time I thought it was me, haha, but maybe it was prophetic, huh?  Maybe it pointed to Francis?  (I think it was just a kid's dream.)

Anyway - I am so happy we have an Italian-American Pope from Argentina.

I love what he said about seeing Our Lady:

“My deepest desire is to pause before Our Lady of Guadalupe, this mystery that is studied, and studied, and studied, and there is no human explanation,” Pope Francis said on the plane, adding even scientists say the image is "a thing of God." - VR

In Mexico I will look into the eyes of the Virgin Mary and implore her to look upon us always with mercy. I entrust my journey to her. - Pontifex

and having looked at them, 

with her image alone, 

clothed them in mercy and love.

Obviously the devil is upset - there was a deadly riot at a prison not far from the prison the Pope will visit when he is in Juarez.

Let's be united in prayer with the Holy Father.

The real point of Lent and all the advice you get online about eating Doritos if you are pregnant ... Or, Is Football a gay sport now?

I got nothin'.

Who cares?  No one cares.

So anyway...

Princeton football guy, Mason Darrow came out as openly homo before the big kick off.  Remember when they used to tell you that if you played sports or went to sports camp you wouldn't be gay?

Hindu Sadhus - holy men or ascetics - smear ashes upon themselves.

Cannabis is sort of a sacrament for them.

More information here.

Now, about your Lenten observance...

The ashes are off.  You got nothin'.

That's the way to go.  Pray as you can, stop judging, stop selfishly self- indulging, give to the poor and pray, pray, pray.  Avoid the Lenten novelties that make you feel good or make you feel you accomplished something.  Avoid flattery.  Avoid self-defensive, self righteous arguments and evangelical propaganda that shows how smart you are.

Fail.  It's good to fail.

Lose.  It's good to lose.

If they take your tunic, let them have your coat as well.

It's all good.

What if you read every piece of advice online - including from me - it's too much information.  It has to be overload.  People online just keep writing this pious crap.  It's all mushed up.  Why?

Give it up for Lent.

Throw your electronics in the mud.

Dash your stat counter, your followers app.

It's not real life...

Nope.

Turn off your locutions and sit alone and in silence.

(Pay no attention to me either.  I had nothing to blog about anyway.  Losing interest fast.)

Song for this post here.

Our Lady of Lourdes

Thou art all fair O Mary

and the original stain

is not in thee.

O Mary

by thy holy and Immaculate Conception

make my body pure and my 

spirit holy.

I wish I could bi-locate to be at Lourdes today.  I'll pretend.

Devotions for Pets on Ash Wednesday ...

Cat with ash marking.  The dog head is to remind him of death.

Like the holy cards of St. Francis shown with a skull.

This cat is very strict.

Ash Wednesday is not a holy day of obligation, so the reception of ashes for pets is optional - very devout cats usually do something however.

Although they do not have to fast - they should abstain from meat and content themselves with fish.

No catnip today either, hon.

I prefer to be sprinkled ...

I like ashes sprinkled rather than having them marked on my forehead.  (Not that it matters what I like.)

The cross on the forehead is dramatic and is a great witness - but sprinkling reminds me of the ancient penitential custom.  I also like to sprinkle my bread with a bit - like St. Francis... privately of course.

If you sprinkle then you don't have to wipe.  What?

There is nothing wrong with this ...

"And if you cannot give absolution – let us make this assumption – please, do not punish."

"But you Capuchins have this special gift of the Lord: forgiveness. I ask you: never tire of forgiving. …There are many languages in life: the language of words, and there are also languages of gestures. If a person comes to me, to the confessional, it is because he or she has a burden they want to remove. … If they come it is because they wish to change, to be another person, and they say so through the gesture of coming. It is not necessary to ask questions: 'But you...?'. If a person comes it is because in their soul they do not want to continue. But very often they are unable to stop, because they are conditioned by their psychology, their life, their situation". - Pope Francis on the occasion of the translation of the relics of St. Pio of Pietrelcina and St. Leopold Mandic.

My Jesus, pardon and mercy through the merits of thy most holy wounds.

Jesus, I trust in you.

It's all good ...

If anyone wants to go to law with you over your tunic, hand him your cloak as well. - Matt. 5:40

This guy reminds me of our new pastor ...

Seriously.

I heard this song on a fitness ad and thought it was Kool and the Gang - I know!  I searched and searched, but no - it's a guy known as Thomas Rhett - the song: I Feel Good.  He reminds me of the new pastor at my parish ... maybe before his conversion ... kinda sorta.

 Of course it could be Badger too.   ;)


Disclaimer: This post is supposed to be funny.

Tierra Santa - Holy Dirt

Chimayo, New Mexico

I use 'holy dirt' in my art.

I mix it with gesso and modeling paste.  I have some from El Santuario Chimayo as well as from the original graves of the Trappist Martyrs of Atlas.  I have not used the martyr's sand for a long time now - but the Chimayo holy dirt I use in my retablo art.

Read more about the holy dirt here.  It is known as the Lourdes of the United States - a place of miracles.  If they put sand in your holy water fonts this Lent, offer it up, recalling Chimayo.  Christ said even the stones will cry out (Luke 19:40) - sand and dirt is comprised of micro sized stones.  I hope they don't do that any longer - sand in the fonts - holy water is very important.  That said, nothing can separate us from Christ, and he can work miracles even through dirt ... dust to dust, ashes to ashes ... God formed man from the dust of the ground, don't forget.

Everything is a grace.

The Posito, or well.

Chimayo is so poor, so simple and noncommercial - it would be a good pilgrimage for the Year of Mercy.

This is art.

(Image by Daniel Alonso)

“Previously, I wanted everything to go my way, but seeing that nothing was done as I wanted, I began to wish that everything be done as it is done; so it was that everything started to be done as I wanted.” - Elder Joseph of Optino

source

Now that makes sense...

Charles Martel
checked into a hotel
and suddenly grew hostile
and that is how
the word hostel
originated.

Kirill is the same as Cyril.

Charles is the same as Carl, Carlos, Karol, and Chuck.

Kyle and Kala had nothing to do with any of them.

What?

Books are awfully decorative, don't you think?

There was something I wanted to say - or do a post on ...

But it will have to wait.