Educational and fun ...
Saturday, May 28, 2016
Friday, May 27, 2016
President Obama in the place where fire fell from the sky 71 years ago ...
Barack Obama on Friday became the first sitting U.S. president to visit Hiroshima, where he called for a "world without nuclear weapons" during his remarks at the city's Peace Memorial Park.
Obama said that "71 years ago on a bright, cloudless morning, death fell from the sky and the world was changed."
"A flash of light and a wall of fire destroyed a city, and demonstrated that mankind possessed the means to destroy itself," the President added during his address at the site of the first nuclear bombing. - CNN
Breaking through this Iron Sky ... the Franciscans of the Renewal.
This documentary is so providential, so hope-filled, an answer to the misery that is now upon us!
To those who can hear me, I say, do not despair.
The misery that is now upon us is but the passing of greed ...*
... So begins the trailer of a powerful new offering by Grassroots Films called Outcasts. Excerpting a long soundbite from Charlie Chaplin’s classic speech from The Great Dictator, and juxtaposing these words against haunting modern images, we’re shown snippets of people’s lives in five countries where the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal work and live. The film promises to prick our consciences and to consider the radical message of the Gospel, which is rooted in God’s profound love for every person, and the call to kindness — to find humanity in everyone, especially the desperate and forgotten. - Aleteia via Badger
*Dialog 'Great Dictator' 1940, Charlie Chaplin, excerpted from Paolo Nutini's, Iron Sky.
You just got to hold on!
You just got to hold on!
As the cesspools overflow: Father Dwight Longenecker knocks it out of the park!
It appears the inmates in the asylum
have clogged the system with toilet tissue
and their own brand of 'fishwrap'.
Father Dwight Longenecker asks if the radical traditionalist blogosphere is not only “a cesspool,” but an asylum for Catholic crazies. - Crux
Fr. Longenecker is one courageous priest and I will never ever criticize him again. Ever! I'm serious. He's pretty much covered the online clogged cesspool problem - unfortunately, Father doesn't have a solution on how to flush out the sludge that has accumulated at the bottom and unclog the system. As the article says, some Catholic blogs may be cesspools, but saying so won't help. One fills up, and another one opens - so it's really all about waste management... but I digress, as they say in Rome.
Although I'm glad Fr. Longenecker identified the most problematic cesspools. It's a dirty job but someone has to do it thus Father offers a bit of history here:
-source-
In February 2015 Rosica’s lawyer threatened to sue Canadian blogger David Domet. Domet blogs at Vox Cantoris and is a member of a clan of traditionalist bloggers who trade in sensational accusations about the Catholic Church, of which they claim to be faithful defenders.
Michael Voris’ Church Militant website jumped to Domet’s defense, a major tempest in a teapot blew up, and Rosica’s lawyer backed off.
The traditionalists continued their campaign against Rosica on a variety of other fronts, putting him firmly in their crosshairs.
Are Rosica’s criticisms fair, or is he just licking his wounds and nursing a grudge against sensible, holy and well-meaning Catholic conservatives? Perhaps it is worth letting these folks speak for themselves.
A quick click through David Domet’s Vox Cantoris blog reveals a few common themes. The Holy Father is consistently disrespected, referring to him as “Jorge Bergoglio.” This is common usage across radical traditionalist websites and blogs.
Does this qualify as a “cesspool of venom and vitriol”? Maybe not. But dig a bit deeper into radical traditionalist sites such as Michael Matt’s The Remnant, Steve Skojec’s 1Peter5, or Anne Barnhardt’s blog, and Rosica’s words will not seem like an exaggeration.
Anne Barnhardt, refers to Pope Francis as a “diabolical narcissist,” and in an interview at Creative Minority Report calls the pope a “fag hag.”
The anonymous Mundabor, like most of the radical blogs, calls for Amoris Laetitia to be withdrawn and ponders how a heretical pope might be deposed, while Barnhardt, writing here at The Remnant,writes an incendiary and ludicrous article calling for “all bishops who are true Catholics” to rise up and depose Jorge Bergoglio. - Crux
I sincerely mean this when I say, thank you Fr. Longenecker for having the courage to write this commentary. I'm an unknown crackpot with a website, so I have nothing to boast about, but pointing out these crazies online is a work of mercy. God bless you!
You'll need it - because the s--t is going to hit the fan now.
Song for this post here.
Thursday, May 26, 2016
Traditional Feast of Corpus Christi
Panis angelicus
We lifted our heads to see what was happening. the Angel was holding in his left hand a chalice and over it, in the air, was a host from which drops of blood fell into the chalice. The Angel leaves the chalice in the air, kneels near us and tells us to repeat three times:
Most Holy Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, I adore You profoundly, and I offer You the Most Precious Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ, present in all the tabernacles of the world, in reparation for the outrages, sacrileges and indifferences by which He is offended. And by the infinite merits of His most Sacred Heart and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I beg the conversion of poor sinners.
After that he rose, took again in his hand the chalice and the host. - Third Apparition of the Angel to the children of Fatima in 2016
This is the day of my baptism, which coincided with the Feast of the Ascension the year I was born. It is also the memorial of St. Philip Neri.
Wednesday, May 25, 2016
Here you go ... the “relationship between two popes” and the “baleful consequences” of the “false Church” ...
Oy! Vat a nightmare!
Gänswein recently shared confidences of Pope Benedict XVI on there being two popes - one active, one contemplative - which in turn gets spun as code, linking it to the two popes prophecy from Blessed Emmerich. Unverifiable as that may be - and even dismissed by some proponents of Emmerich's private revelations, it remains useful for the propagation of the 'bad council-bad Mass' trope - 'emmervating' from the Fatimist conspiracy theorists.
Living by faith.
The mystery of faith.
"I have to remember that the Lord only enters my heart through the failures that cause my spiritual emptiness.
In my daily life, I am constantly getting lost. Yet that means He can constantly find me. The more I need Him, the closer He is. I can ceaselessly discover that in weariness He sought me. This means loving until weary. Because of Original Sin He constantly searches for us to the point of weariness and exhaustion, humanly speaking.
In the Eucharistic encounter, Jesus regularly finds me quite lost. Yet, I am normally lost, needing to be found. So no need for regrets. If I am lost I can only be found in Eucharistic love. He can only find me when I am lost and beginning to search for Him. Love needs two. It is a grace always given to me to seek Him through faith, hope, and love." - Fr. Tadeuz Dajczer
+ + +
+ + +
Holy Spirit, inspire me.
Love of God consume me.
Along the true road, lead me.
Mary, my good mother, look down upon me.
With Jesus, bless me.
From all evil, all illusion, all danger, preserve me.
- St. Mary of Jesus Crucified, OCD
+ + +
How to pray.
That's all I got.
And then later in the day ...
Seated figure - 1940
Willem de Kooning
It occurred to me, I was thinking of de Kooning.
Tuesday, May 24, 2016
My new favorite painter.
Figure
Andrew Hunt
Waiting for Godot - Revisited
Andrew Hunt
I kind of wanted to paint Matt Talbot and another saint in a similar style - but wasn't sure - the fear of making a 'mistake' can be paralyzing - a bit like stage fright for an actor I suppose. I think it is related to artist's block as well. It's amazing how much vanity plays into our fears. Anyway, I discovered Andrew Hunt today - I like his work very much. I wouldn't copy him - but his style accords with some things I've been thinking of doing.
BTW - I'm thinking of closing the Etsy shop. It was fun at first - but that's worn off. I don't like doing 'business'.
Maybe I'm just depressed.
"Why do you seek the living among the dead?" I came across that verse on Tumblr. It reminded me of Christ saying, "Let the dead bury the dead."
Here's a thought:
Your own power and strength must collapse sooner or later. Strictly speaking, there is nothing you can call exclusively your own strength. Any kind of strength is a gift - a gift that you usually claim as your own, and that is why it must be taken from you. - Fr. Tadeusz Dajczer
When I read that yesterday in Magnificat, I found it meaningful, and it is even more meaningful for me today.
It's funny how we all post memes and quotes on our sites and then go on with our day, often forgetting what we posted ... or how it contradicts posts we've posted before.
This morning I read a meditation from Dorothy Day and thought, she would have been a tedious woman to be around - such a humorless 'malcontent' - for lack of a better word. Some saints are like that sometimes. Fr. Dubay could be that way - always instructing, always correcting - not really interested in the person - I suppose that could qualify as disinterested friendship. Except who lives like that?
Just thinking out loud here.
Let the dead bury their dead then...
The practice of grooming of altar boys from an early age ...
To be priests, of course ...
Altar boys following the example of pomponity:
capes, gloves and ferulas in hands.
Altar boy wearing cassock with train.
Altar boys in dalmatics.
Auxilium Christianorum
Auxilium Christianorum
Show thyself a Mother ;
Offer Him our sighs,
Who for us Incarnate
Did not thee despise.
May 24 is the feast of Our Lady Help of Christians.
In 1809, Napoleon's men entered the Vatican, arrested Pius VII and brought him in chains to Grenoble, and eventually Fontainbleau. His imprisonment lasted five years. The Holy Father vowed to God that , if he were restored to the Roman See, he would institute a special feast in honor of Mary. Military reverses forced Napoleon to release the Pope, and on May 24th 1814, Pius VII returned in triumph to Rome. Twelve months later, the Pope decreed that the feast of Mary Help of Christians, be kept on the 24th of May. - CNA
Monday, May 23, 2016
Our Lady of the Rosary of San Nicolas, Argentina
Coronation of Our Lady of the Rosary of San Nicholas
On Sunday, May 22, the Bishop of San Nicolas officially approved the messages given by Our Lady of the Rosary to Mrs. Gladys Quiroga de Motta between 1983 and 1990.
The messages are dramatic and consoling, and once again, emphasizing the prayers of the Holy Rosary. Our Lady of the Rosary urges conversion and prayer, and for people to renounce materialism and love of money. I'm reminded of what the Holy Father says so often, about idolatry, love of money, and materialism by which so many are obsessed, neglecting the poor, and therfore God himself.
I want to heal my children of that disease that is the materialism and that many suffer, I want to help them discover Christ, to love Christ and to say to them that Christ prevails above all.
The enemy is defying me very ruthlessly, is openly tempting my children. It is a fight between the light and the darkness. It is a constant persecution to my dear Church.
All of you are parts of the mystical body that is the Church and of which Christ is the head. On Earth the Vicar of my Son is the person responsible for that body to be standing, and for that reason you must follow your Pope, following his education that is, really, the education of Christ. My Son's will be done.
Pray for the Holy Church. Hurt is my Heart because frequently it is attacked, day to day its light dims. As Mother of the Church I suffer the most exhausting pain. My sufferings are united to those of the Pope, because his pain is my pain.
Today the world is confused, very confused. Evil appears to be the only solution. Mankind is being lead by Satan to the deepest of the abysses, to the total condemnation of the soul. Fortunate those that want to see clear in their hearts. Fortunate those that stop to meditate. Fortunate those that are lead by the Mother. Glory be to the Eternal one.
In these times of great confusions and so little light in the souls, my purest light will be the one that guides you in the middle of so much darkness. I will help you to overcome all uncertainty. This Mother will make your encounter with the Son possible. For this it is necessary to become small and to give in to my Heart. Amen. Amen. - Source
Never does Our Lady speak against the Pope, nor the Ordinary Form of Holy Mass, nor does she ever speak against Vatican II. Interestingly, at San Nicolas, Our Lady asked for a church to be built, a church wherein the Ordinary Form of Mass is celebrated, in a diocese headed by so-called 'Novus Ordo' bishops in communion with the Pope. After another approved apparition at Cuapa, Nicaragua was finished, the seer became a Catholic priest and of course, he celebrated the Ordinary Form of Mass as well.
Something to think about, huh.
Last week the Holy Father urged pilgrims from Portugal to pray the rosary every day. I read on some sites criticism of the Holy Father even in that statement - suggesting he says stuff like that to make people believe he is faithful.
How much pain that must cause Our Lady ...
Pray for the Holy Church. Hurt is my Heart because frequently it is attacked, day to day its light dims. As Mother of the Church I suffer the most exhausting pain. My sufferings are united to those of the Pope, because his pain is my pain. - Our Lady of the Rosary
h/t Spirit Daily
The false responses to Fatima ...
Sr. Lucia in Carmel.
They proliferate and are perpetuated by those obsessed with the 'third secret' of Fatima.
To such an extent they neglect the essential message of Our Lady which Sr. Lucia was meant to make public.
"What matters is the public message ... Sr. Lucia was charged not only to transmit a secret to the Pope, but also to make known to all the world a public message." - Cardinal Ottaviani, 11 February 1967
Concerning the content of the secret, Sr. Lucia explained, "The part necessary for the people to know was already known since 1917."
The first two parts of the secret were not even made public until 1941-1942, when under obedience, Sr. Lucia recorded them in her memoirs.
So what was essential to be known was already known in 1917.
"This had all been said in 1917, that is, that men must amend their lives, that they must not offend God, that he is already much offended." - Sr. Lucia
Anything more, or demanding this or that be revealed seems to me to border upon presumption and tempting God.
We must be guided humanly and visibly in all by the law of Christ the man and that of his Church and of his ministers. This is the method of remedying our spiritual ignorances and weakness; here we shall find abundant medicine for them all. Any departure from this road is ... extraordinary boldness ... one must ever adhere to Christ's teaching. - John of the Cross
In Chapter 21 of Book II of the Ascent, St. John goes on to say that God is displeased by the request for revelations and locutions, despite the fact that some believe their curiosity to know these things is good because God has revealed himself in this manner in the past. St. John asserts that God is not pleased, saying not only is he displeased, he is 'frequently angered and deeply offended.' The following may well apply to the inordinate curiosity some have regarding the secret of Fatima, a morbid inquiry which may likewise displease God:
The reason lies in the illicitness of transcending the natural boundaries God has established for the governing of creatures. He has fixed natural and rational limits by which man is to be ruled. A desire to transcend them, hence, is unlawful... consequently, God who is offended ... is displeased. - John of the Cross
Sunday, May 22, 2016
The Fatima cult seems to have evolved beyond true devotion.
The world is suffering under a 'diabolical disorientation'.
Misinformation and sensationalism has corrupted the message ...
Sr Lucia stated more than once that the essential part of the message for the faithful to know had been revealed early on.
Today the clamor over the so called Third Secret has taken on the occult dimensions of Bayside-Necedah followers. Outrageous claims and conspiracy theories discrediting the Pope and Magisterium of the Catholic Church.
The essential part of the secret, which has not been observed entails, penance, prayer, and true devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
As Our Lady insisted at Fatima: "Men must amend their lives, and ask pardon for their sins. . . . They must no longer offend Our Lord, Who is already so much offended." The Fatima message is a call for men to give up sinful practices which grieve God and draw down His chastisements on the world, and to make reparation for them.Has THAT happened?
When Our Lady asked for the devotion of the First Saturdays, one translation reads that Our Lady said to Sr. Lucia, "You at least try to make reparation ..." "Try?" Sr. Lucia's entire life - her vocation was to do that, as well as to spread devotion to the Immaculate Heart. That was her purpose in remaining on earth. And Our Lady simply said, 'you at least try'.
Have you tried? Have you kept trying? You who cause the Holy Father to suffer by your false accusations, rumors and gossip mongering?
Commenting on Our Lady's request for penance, Sr. Lucia wrote: "The part of the last apparition which has remained most deeply imprinted on my heart is the prayer of our heavenly Mother begging us not to offend any more Almighty God, Who is already so much offended."
Our Lord explained to her: "The sacrifice required of every person is the fulfillment of his duties in life and the observance of My law. This is the penance that I now seek and require."Is it your duty in life to spread doubt and error regarding the messages of Our Lady, to accuse the Pope and bishops of lying and cover up? Is that why priests abandon ministry, religious leave religious life? Is that why the 'devout' hanker after false teachings, locutions, revelations and apparitions and traditionalist conspiracy theorists which repeat the script formalized by the Fatima Crusader cult? I'm talking about many of the followers of the late Fr. Gruner:
In addition to Fátima Crusader, Fr. Gruner owns and publishes the Catholic Family News, which he acquired several years ago. Like the Remnant and several other small Catholic papers, Catholic Family News takes a critical view of the post-conciliar changes in the Church, especially in matters of the liturgy. With respect to the Tridentine Mass, it is not only preferred but the current Rite, while acknowledged as valid, is considered a complete innovation, departure from tradition and a disaster for the Church. - source
The amendment of life, prayer, and penance - as well as devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary and the Eucharist is the essential aspect of the message of Fatima. It is 'our' response - it is what Our Lady asks of us even today.
Besides a call to penance Fatima is in a special way a call for the Rosary. So central is the Rosary to the Fatima message that Our Lady chose to identify herself as "The Lady of the Rosary." In each of the six apparitions she asked for the daily Rosary, and especially as an instrument of world peace. As she revealed in the third apparition: "You must recite the Rosary every day in honor of Our Lady of the Rosary to obtain peace for the world and the end of the war for only she can obtain this."
The most important part of Our Lady's message, the most important part of the secret for all to know is perhaps this:
"Sacrifice yourselves for sinners; and say often when you make some sacrifice, 'My Jesus, it is for love of You, for the conversion of sinners, and in reparation for sins committed against the Immaculate Heart of Mary.'"
After showing the children a vision of hell, Our Lady said to them: "You have seen hell where the souls of poor sinners go. To save them, God wishes to establish throughout the world devotion to my Immaculate Heart. If people do as I shall ask many souls will be saved, and there will be peace.... But if people do not cease offending God... another and more terrible war will begin. When you see a night illumined by an unknown light, know that this is the great sign that God gives that the chastisement of the world for its many transgressions is at hand through war, famine, persecution of the Church and of the Holy Father."
"To prevent this, I shall come to ask the consecration of Russia to my Immaculate Heart, and Communions of reparation on the first Saturdays. If my requests are heard, Russia will be converted and there will be peace. If not, she will spread her errors throughout the world, fomenting wars and persecution of the Church. The good will suffer martyrdom; the Holy Father will suffer much; different nations will be annihilated. But in the end my Immaculate Heart will triumph. The Holy Father will consecrate Russia to me, which will be converted, and some time of peace will be granted to humanity.
"NOTE: From the above, we must not think of the Five First Saturdays merely in terms of personal salvation, of receiving "at the hour of death the graces necessary for salvation;" but also in terms of world peace, of avoiding the terrible social consequences mentioned above by Our Lady. - source
What Sr. Lucia stated very clearly:
The third part of the secret is a symbolic revelation, referring to this part of the Message, conditioned by whether we accept or not what the Message itself asks of us: ‘If my requests are heeded, Russia will be converted, and there will be peace; if not, she will spread her errors throughout the world, etc.'.
Since we did not heed this appeal of the Message, we see that it has been fulfilled, Russia has invaded the world with her errors. And if we have not yet seen the complete fulfilment of the final part of this prophecy, we are going towards it little by little with great strides. If we do not reject the path of sin, hatred, revenge, injustice, violations of the rights of the human person, immorality and violence, etc.
And let us not say that it is God who is punishing us in this way; on the contrary it is people themselves who are preparing their own punishment. In his kindness God warns us and calls us to the right path, while respecting the freedom he has given us; hence people are responsible”. - Message of Fatima
As for the request made by Our Lady for the consecration of Russia, Sr. Lucia stated that is was finally fulfilled by Pope John Paul II in union with the bishops of the world in 1984. (Albeit late, as Our Lord foretold to Sr. Lucia.)
I come to answer your question, "If the consecration made by Pope John Paul II on March 25, 1984 in union with all the bishops of the world, accomplished the conditions for the consecration of Russia according to the request of Our Lady in Tuy on June 13 of 1929?" Yes, it was accomplished, and since then I have said that it was made. - Sr. Lucia
Everything else is speculation and invention - conspiracy theories feeding off of sensationalized interpretations of so-called secrets (occult) given to visionaries since the La Salette apparitions, so many variations of which make it difficult to ascertain credibility. A perfect seed bed for conspiracy theories to grow, as well as to influence dubious visionaries and locutionists, not to mention the crack-pot Anna Katherine Emmerich prophecy hunters... whenever you read, 'bad council, bad Mass' - you know where they got that one from. Another excellent sign that these critics are misled is their lack of docility, meekness and humility - and most especially, charity. It is easily recognized in the com boxes of their websites. Even when the author offers placating caveats such as 'with all due respect', 'with filial respect and love for the Pope', and so on.
Always, always keep the following in mind when promoting private revelations and apparitions, from St. Annibale Maria de Francia:
“Being taught by the teachings of several mystics, I have always deemed that the teachings and locutions of even holy persons, especially women may contain deceptions. Poulain attributes errors even to saints the Church venerates on the altars. How many contradictions we see between Saint Brigid, D’Agreda, Emmerich, etc. We cannot consider the revelations and the Locutions as words of Scripture. Some of them must be omitted, and others explained in a right, prudent meaning.” - Source
It is the Church, the Pope and the Magisterium who is responsible for teaching and interpreting these things. As the Catechism clearly teaches:
85 "The task of giving an authentic interpretation of the Word of God, whether in its written form or in the form of Tradition, has been entrusted to the living teaching office of the Church alone. Its authority in this matter is exercised in the name of Jesus Christ."47 This means that the task of interpretation has been entrusted to the bishops in communion with the successor of Peter, the Bishop of Rome.
86 "Yet this Magisterium is not superior to the Word of God, but is its servant. It teaches only what has been handed on to it. At the divine command and with the help of the Holy Spirit, it listens to this devotedly, guards it with dedication and expounds it faithfully. All that it proposes for belief as being divinely revealed is drawn from this single deposit of faith."48
87 Mindful of Christ's words to his apostles: "He who hears you, hears me",49 the faithful receive with docility the teachings and directives that their pastors give them in different forms. - CCC
These are things priests and Catholic apologists online and off should be teaching the faithful - not novelties and conspiracy theories adapted from private revelations which Catholics are not even required to believe. Our Lady came to Fatima as catechist, reaffirming the Gospel message, 'reform your lives, believe in the Gospel, turn to God, pray and do penance.'
She is being ignored and her message sensationalized by so-called good Catholics - in some cases, for profit.