Saturday, January 21, 2017

His relatives said: "He is out of his mind."


"God does not answer man's expectation, the expectation of pride, of flesh and blood, not of the Spirit of God who wills all that is best for man.  God does not do what man expects him to do, does not approach him in the form he wants, which at the deepest level means that God, far from boosting man and making him feel grand, does exactly the opposite." - Sr. Ruth Burrows, O.C.D.
Jeremiah 7:1-11: Put not your trust in deceitful words.

Put not your trust in princes,
in mortal man, 
in whom there is no salvation. - Ps. 146




NB: That goes for prophets and presidents as well.

Friday, January 20, 2017

The problem with prophecies ...



A novena ...

“I as totally poor, a poor nothing. 
My strength is my prayer, 
my leader is the will of God 
which I let Him take me by the hand. 
My security over the uneven path
 is the heavenly mother Mary.”

Day 1
Why do you confuse yourselves by worrying? Leave the care of your affairs to me and everything will be peaceful. I say to you in truth that every act of true, blind, complete surrender to me produces the effect that you desire and resolves all difficult situations.
O Jesus, I surrender myself to you, take care of everything! (10 times)

I'm happy for the peaceful transition of power ...

Looking good!


Thanks be to God!

If you hate Trump, or you hate Obama ...



I have friends who hate hate Trump and spend their time searching for hateful gifs to post about him.

I have friends who hate Obama and spend their time searching for hateful gifs to post about him.
If anyone says, “I love God,” but hates his brother, he is a liar; for whoever does not love a brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. - 1 John 4:20
I may be a jerk and I may have said, and may have done some pretty awful stuff - but hatred is soul destroying.

O Jesus, I surrender myself to you, take care of everything!

Thursday, January 19, 2017

When you see things become more complicated ...

Don Dolindo Ruotolo
pray for us.


O Jesus, I surrender myself to you, take care of everything!

"How many things I do when the soul, in so much spiritual and material need, turns to me, looks at me and says to me: ‘You take care of it,’ then closes its eyes and rests."

“When you see things become more complicated, say then with the eyes of the soul closed: ‘Jesus, take care of it’. And don’t think about it anymore, because your mind is acute, and for you it is very hard to see evil and to trust in me and to not think of yourself. Do this for all your needs; do this all of you and you will see great, continual, silent miracles. By my love, I promise this to you. And I will take care of things. I promise this to you. Pray always in readiness to surrender, and you will receive from it great peace and great rewards, even when I confer on you the grace of immolation of repentance and of love. Then, what does suffering matter? It seems impossible to you? Close your eyes and say with all of your soul: ‘Jesus, you take care of it’. Do not be afraid, I will take care of things and you will bless my name by humbling yourself. A thousand prayers cannot equal one single act of surrender: remember this well. There is no novena more effective than this:
O Jesus, I surrender myself to you, take care of everything!
- Jesus to Don Dolindo Ruotolo a Neapolitan priest (1882-1970).  More here.

A friend sent me a novena prayer from Don Ruotolo - I prayed the prayer, "Oh Jesus, I surrender to you, you take care of it” - repeating it 10 times and peace returned immediately.  The novena may be found here.

And when I must lead you on a path different from the one you see, I will prepare you; I will carry you in my arms; I will let you find yourself, like children who have fallen asleep in their mother’s arms, on the other bank of the river. What troubles you and hurts you immensely are your reason, your thoughts and worry, and your desire at all costs to deal with what afflicts you.
O Jesus, I surrender myself to you, take care of everything! (10 times)

Wednesday, January 18, 2017

If I could turn back time ...

Cardinals showing homage to newly elected John XXIII.


I remember that of course.  Because I'm old.  I wrote to John XXIII when I was little.  He was the first Pope I ever wrote to.

Today I'm wishing I could have run away and gone to Rome to be an orphan and never grew up to what we have today.

I appreciated the cappas back then.  I love the worn fresco - it seems now the frescoes are the only thing restored in the Church.  It's ironic, isn't it.  Not a question.

"They" say Cardinal Spellman didn't like Pope John and disparaged him.  Nasty American.  He should be around today.

Earthquakes and impending doom: Though the mountains leave their place, and the hills be shaken ...



I was meditating that passage from Isaiah this morning.

I came across it in my prayers.  I was reminded of a time long ago when I was in the friars chapel at Carmel in Arkansas, we just began to pray Psalm 46, when a small earthquake rumbled the building:
God is for us a refuge and strength,
a helper close at hand, in time of distress,
so we shall not fear though the earth should rock,
though the mountains fall into the depths of the sea;
even though its waters rage and foam,
even though the mountains be shaken by its waves.
Therefore whenever I randomly come across these prayers of confidence in liturgical prayer, I'm always reminded of that experience so many years ago, and I wonder if an earthquake maybe just ccurred someplace in the world.  A childish thought, no doubt.

Although, when I came onloine I noted a report that Umbria and Rome were shaken by multiple earthquakes today - 3 consecutive quakes measuring magnitude 5+.  The area has already suffered much, one resident stated: "This is totally unnerving. It's never ending. We are all shaking."  Story here.

Only a blind man can deny there is great confusion ...

So.  Even the stones cry out.

I came across Monsignor Pope's essay on St. Michael and Our Lady and why 2017 is so critical.  He's a good priest, a good pastor, he is observing the Fatima Jubilee encouraging prayer and penance - just as Our Lady requested.
Will you join me in praying with special fervency this year? In my own parish, we will be observing the First Saturday devotions that were requested by Mary at Fatima. This will be a communal way to engage the call to prayer. It involves attending Holy Mass, praying the Rosary, and going to confession (that day or within one week) on the first Saturday of five consecutive months. Others also add the wearing of the scapular and/or making a consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. - Monsignor Pope

I'll leave it at that.  It's the best advice I've come across online.

I'm tired of the negative discussions and essays on how bad everything is.   Only a blind man can deny there is great confusion ...

Tuesday, January 17, 2017

Bad Habits: New design for the Dominicans



I don't mind habits for enclosed religious or as choir dress ... but ...

I could never be a religious or priest because I don't like the clothes - I've always said that.  I used to ask my friend in the novitiate if the habit made me look fat - and I was anorexic.  (No one knew that at the time.)  I'm so vain.  So I'm not one to critique habits.  My problem with white tunics is that you can kind of sort of see through them - so a scapular helps - and for that reason I can say, 'looks good!'

All kidding aside - it's none of my business what religious wear - except some 'habits' really were dumb - precisely because, in the cases of women religious, they wore the current fashion for widow's weeds, their coifs were starched according to local custom, and so on.  Traditional men's habits were monastic or clerical - although fashionable updates were made and as fashion changed - they looked dated and ridiculous.  So much could be said ... but I digress.

Confrater Claes go to choir now.


It now looks as if one design firm hopes to revive the tradition of the dumb-fashion-victim habit for the 21st century.
Dutch clothing brand Byborre has collaborated with the Dominican Order of Preachers to create an updated unisex version of the friar's habit. The New Habit capsule collection consists of several unisex garments, including tops, track trousers, tunics, hooded gilets and coats. - Read more here.

I like my designs better...

source
"Got a match?"

I remember when I was fooling around with these ideas, and a friend asked me if I was nuts.  LOL!  Maybe a little bit.

All I have to say is this, just wear men's clothes brothers - black and white around the collar - and women should always have a little (or plus size) black dress.  Stick with the classics.

Like I said - it's none of my business.  But it seems to me the problem isn't so much the habit, but the fact 'they' just don't want to be obligated to wear one - so no matter how you redesign it, it's never going to work for those who 'don't like the clothes'.  Of course, then you have the problem of those who like them a little too much ...

What?


I obviously enjoy posting about this subject - more here.

I suppose this could work too.


"Hold onto the rope, and endure." - P. Francis



St. Anthony of Egypt.

Narrative here.

Anthony is often depicted in his temptations - especially by more or less secular artists.  I often think of what Christ said, 'what did you go out to the desert to see?'.  Anthony went out to the desert and their confronted demons, and himself ... that is, fallen human nature.  Fallen human nature, perhaps scarier than demons.

Lourdes

You tell me there's an angel in your tree
Did he say he'd come to call on me
For things are getting desperate in our home...


I wish I could be back in Lourdes.  Maybe I could be transported by my angel ...  

Monday, January 16, 2017

Just when I thought it couldn't get worse ...

I found something encouraging ...



If - Rudyard Kipling

 If you can keep your head when all about you   
    Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,   
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you, 
    But make allowance for their doubting too;   
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting, 
    Or being lied about, don’t deal in lies, 
Or being hated, don’t give way to hating, 
    And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise: 

If you can dream—and not make dreams your master;   
    If you can think—and not make thoughts your aim;   
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster 
    And treat those two impostors just the same;   
If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken 
    Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools, 
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken, 
    And stoop and build ’em up with worn-out tools: 

If you can make one heap of all your winnings 
    And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss, 
And lose, and start again at your beginnings 
    And never breathe a word about your loss; 
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew 
    To serve your turn long after they are gone,   
And so hold on when there is nothing in you 
    Except the Will which says to them: ‘Hold on!’ 

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,   
    Or walk with Kings—nor lose the common touch, 
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you, 
    If all men count with you, but none too much; 
If you can fill the unforgiving minute 
    With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run,   
Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,   
    And—which is more—you’ll be a Man, my son!


. . .


When I grow up - I want to be such a man.

Saturday, January 14, 2017

Here's a thought on that ...



Cardinal Burke is not afraid to lose his title.

Apparently the other three cardinals aren't either.  Although the other thirty cardinals claimed to be with them might be, since they remain anonymous.  I'm just guessing of course.

Since the Four Cardinals with the Five Dubia want answers, and feel they haven't received them, and contradict Cardinal Mueller who says the Faith is not in danger, why don't they say something directly and in person to the Holy Father himself?  They were face to face with him at Christmas, which everyone seems to think was another mean-spirited Christmas address to the curia.  It wouldn't be like casting a pall over the reception afterward, if they would have broken protocol and spoke directly to the Pope, since they felt insulted already.

Nevertheless, they continue to give interviews and talk around the Pope without ever confronting him face to face.

The Pope lives in a hotel - he's not living in the Apostolic Palace, tucked safe away by miles of corridors and endless doors.  Even if he was, these guys have the opportunity to break protocol and speak to the Pope man to man.

Remember Henry IV?  How he stood penitent in the snow outside the Papal residence, for three days at Canossa?  You'll say the Cardinals have nothing to repent for.  Fine.  But they need to get off their high horse, take off the cappas magna and maybe even put on penitent's garb - a Franciscan of the Immaculate habit would be awesome, and stand outside in the piazza and wait for the Pope to come out - or better yet - stand outside the dining room of Santa Marta and force the issue face to face.  Dispense with protocol and the niceties of office they are so attached to, get offline, stop the phone calls and interviews, and talk to the Pope.  I just read the outcries about the Bishops of Malta, and a post about an interview Cardinal Caffarra gave, again 'reportedly' contradicting Mueller, and discussing how confused and therefore unhappy, many priests are, and so on.  Do something about it.



Speaking of unhappy priests, unfortunately it was Fr. Z who may have misinterpreted the interview - or at least the circumstance.  (Here.)  It may be that Caffarra was not contradicting Mueller's recent statements at all.  Nevertheless, Fr. Z jumped on the story, which I found disturbing combined with the reports concerning the Maltese Bishops Conference letter.  How often does this happen?  How often are interviews taken out of context?  How often is a sound bite enough to cause great confusion and argument?  How often does a Catholic online scandalize readers?

Double talk, whispers in the loggia, gossip, back-stabbing complaints to save your soul without action to stop the spread of more gossip and attacks upon the Papacy, does nothing to quell the confusion and strengthen the faith or ordinary Catholics.  Burke giving interviews to The Remnant doesn't help matters.  He has plenty of opportunities to speak directly to the Pope.  Since he's not worried about his title - drop the princely protocol and go to him disguised as a beggar.  Perhaps he forgot his own admonition to Mary Therese Helmueller when she called him out?

I'm not scandalized by the Pope, but I am deeply scandalized by the controversies generated from interviews given by the Four Cardinals.  Interviews given to news sources which are anti-Francis, anti-Vatican II, and anti-Novus Ordo.

In the meantime, I have my own repenting to do for stuff I've written and said.  But I'm not selling out the Holy Father.

People who want a vision or
private revelation to apply 
to our times maybe should
ponder this one.





I recently discovered the identity of a longtime negative commenter ... aka troll.



The sad thing about it is that over the years I thought it was a couple of different people doing it, and I made some uncharitable statements about them, and to them - that's rash judgement.

Anonymous comments can be a sort of scourge.

Unnamed sources can create a lot of problems for many people.

But God knows who you are.

Thursday, January 12, 2017

Some days ...

Looks like the Church militia men 
want the 'church of nice' after all.


The gossip online passed off as news because they are reported in Catholic publications is very disturbing, very soul-destroying.

Damien Thompson.  Edward Pentin.  'Journalists' and bloggers alike report allegations made by 'sources close to the Pope', unnamed Vatican sources.  Cardinals claim 30 or more anonymous Cardinals are with them in their doubt... waiting for the Pope to say something.  Social-media clerical-wanna-be's condemn 'ordinary Catholics' as 'too stupid to understand' what all of this means.

I was playing on Facebook yesterday, writing really stupid stuff - as usual - and I was amazed how frequently people update their timeline with trivia.  So that's what people do when their faces are always buried in their phones.  That's what they do in between projects at work.  (I'm not exempting myself in this - since that's also how I see all the gossip and slanderous comments in comboxes.)  Trivia is fine - having fun is fine - but slandering the Pope is evil.

Delusion on a massive scale.

Those so scandalized by the coprophilia statement by Pope Francis really ought to consider the shit they are saying and repeating to understand the profundity of that expression.  In Scripture the Holy Spirit gives the Word to the prophet* and the apostle to eat and consume ... the Word of God gives joy to the soul.  On the other hand, the devil gives the excrement of gossip and derision and scandal to consume and spew - and this is what is repeated in the gossip columns of social media. The effects of this is sadness - faith destroying sadness.

The Holy Spirit says:
Oh, that today you would hear his voice,"Harden not your hearts as at the rebellion ...
Take care, brothers and sisters,
that none of you may have an evil and unfaithful heart, so as to forsake the living God.
Encourage yourselves daily while it is still "today," so that none of you may grow hardened by the deceit of sin.  - Hebrews 3: 7-14


*When I found your words, I devoured them;
your words were my joy, the happiness of my heart,
Because I bear your name,
LORD, God of hosts.
- Jeremiah 15:16



Snap out of it!

Wednesday, January 11, 2017

Two Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate slashed in Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore

Unrelated photo showing Friars with Pope.


Father Angelo Gaeta, and Father Adolfo Ralf were attacked by a man, their faces slashed by a broken bottle.  The man is described as deranged and reported to have said "The Church doesn't understand me."

Nothing was reported on whether or not he suffered from the same “crypto-lefebvrian and definitely traditionalist drift” which afflicted a segment of the Franciscan Friars under the direction Fr. Stefano Manelli.  The two friars who were attacked were among those who filed the original complaint against Fr. Manelli. 

The friars are recovering from the attack.

Full story here.

Ferocious tiger cat ...


What if you went to work and found a ferocious tiger in your inbox?