Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Medjugorje: Three Decades Later

I'm about halfway through E. Michael Jones' absorbing book, The Medjugorje Deception: Queen of Peace, Ethnic Cleansing, Ruined Lives, published about a dozen years ago.  This book is not without its flaws: the editing is none of the best, and Jones, in his zeal, goes somewhat over the top in one or two places (e.g., lumping Mother Angelica, who supported the alleged Medjugorje apparitions, in the same category as the unscrupulous Franciscan friars of Herzegovina who acted as the "seers'" handlers).  But it is meticulously researched and investigated, and makes quite a persuasive case for the falsity of the alleged supernatural events at Medjugorje.  

There is an awful lot wrong about the whole story: the childrens' lies from the very beginning about how the "apparitions" started (claiming they were out tending their sheep, when in fact they were out sneaking cigarettes); interviews between one seer and a sympathetic priest that revealed that the seer did not know what the Annunciation was, despite claiming that the Gospa had just spent the previous three years telling her her life story; the disobedience to the local bishop, who determined that nothing supernatural was taking place at Medjugorje; the proliferation of alleged seers; the prolixity of the alleged "messages," couched in New-Age-style rhetoric; one seer's claim, on live television, that the Blessed Mother recommended as "good reading" Maria Valtorta's Poem of the Man-God, which was on the Index of Forbidden Books (still binding, by the way, even though discontinued); the Blessed Mother's alleged claim that God thinks all religions are equal, to mention but a few.  And a lot of things have happened since Jones' book came out, not the least of which is the defrocking this year of Tomislav Vlašić, the former Franciscan  friar who acted as the visionaries' spiritual director, and who fathered an illegitimate child upon a nun, then abandoned them both around the time the so-called apparitions began.

But looking back on an exchange I had in one of my comboxes with a Medjugorjista on the occasion of Vlašić's reduction to the lay state, I notice there is something that has not happened.  Where is the much-ballyhooed "international shrine status" that has been promised to be forthcoming?  Did Medjugorje get declared an international shrine over the objections of the local ordinary and I missed it?  Hasn't the Church been on the point of approving the "apparitions" for nearly 30 years now?

By the way, in case you're wondering what the picture is above, it is an image of an eyeball affected by solar retinopathy -- damage to the retina caused by staring at the sun (e.g., to try and detect a solar miracle).  It is, unfortunately, not an unusual phenomenon among Medjugorjistas.  And it's permanent.  Talk about a lasting souvenir.      

Monday, August 30, 2010

On the Spoilage of Children

I have never had children, so I have been informed that my opinions on the subject of children screaming and carrying on and otherwise behaving badly in public places don't count.  From this you can probably guess what my overall opinion is: if I were in favor of children imitating air raid sirens in church or at the movies, no doubt my views would be considered perfectly legitimate.

Now I know that there are kids with special problems -- mental retardation, autism, various infirmities -- that need a little understanding.  I'm not talking about them or their parents here.  What I'm talking about here are blameworthy failures of parental authority, and their ramifications in the world at large.  And I speak as a person whose views have been -- to use a popular liberal/pop psychology buzzword -- marginalized because my childlessness has given rise to "insensitivity" and "narrow-mindedness."

So concerning children in public places, a few of my insensitive, narrow-minded and otherwise illegitimate opinions:

-- When I was a kid, I was taught to distinguish between my stuff and someone else's stuff; between my space and someone else's space; between a private place, like my own home, and a public place.  I was taught that what I can do with my own things I cannot do with someone else's (at least not without their permission); I was taught that behavior that is acceptable at home may not be acceptable outside the home.  Nowadays, though, the out-of-control behavior of too many children in public seems to indicate that they are no longer being taught these distinctions.   What ends up happening to kids who grow up thinking they can do exactly as they please at all times and in all places?  What happens to those who happen to cross their paths?  Ten years from now, are these children more likely to be thoughtful and considerate toward their neighbors? or are they more likely to wander in packs through the neighborhood, taking out mailboxes and car windshields with baseball bats, harassing passers-by, and generally making nuisances of themselves?

-- Some parents don't seem to see a need to check the behavior of small children in church.   Perhaps they are so used to tuning out rambunctiousness at home that they just carry on the habit at church.  Perhaps they don't view it as misbehavior, even in church.   Perhaps they are afraid to exercise their parental authority.  Or perhaps they want their children to think of Jesus as their Friend and a member of the family, and conclude that this requires them to let their kids run amok in church or in the perpetual adoration chapel, strewing toys and books and crayons everywhere and making noise as if they were in their own rooms or back yards.

Now, once again, I am talking here, not about parents of children with special problems, but about a parental state of mind that amounts to culpability in the matter of failing to discipline kids.  To the parents who are guilty of not teaching their children reverence, I say: okay.  So you don't believe in reverence.  I guess you can't pass on what you yourself don't have.   If you  had it, I don't see how you could bear to look upon anyone, especially your children, behaving in a manner inconsistent with it.  But what about other people who are trying to pray and pay attention, but can't because your kids are such a distraction?  The rest of us are told we need to be charitable and understanding toward you, but where do your duties to your neighbors begin?  Why does the whole world have to be at the mercy of your kids?  And if you won't rein them in, what is to become of them?  And if your kids are too little to be reverent, then why not take turns going to Mass or adoration, while one parent stays home with the kids?  Sure, it's not ideal for the family not to be able to worship together; but is this a permanent state of affairs?  Besides: why put a little child through the ordeal of being in a place where he is not old enough to observe necessary standards of behavior?  

 -- And now we come to a huge personal pet peeve of mine.  There are some places that children -- particularly little children -- should, frankly, never be taken to at all.  Part of the reason that little kids should never be taken to these places is because they are not old enough to behave with the  decorum that is demanded in them.  But then there are some places that children should simply be protected from.  Two of them are courthouses and penal institutions.  To parents who bring their kids into these places, I ask: why aren't you willing to move heaven and earth to spare them things they should not have to experience?  If you are in jail or prison, why in heaven's name would you ever want your child to see you in an orange jumpsuit or black and white stripes, caged and surrounded by armed guards?  I'm sorry, but, difficult as it may be, you ought to bite the bullet and forego the visits, so that the child need not be exposed to the sights and sounds and smells  of where you're incarcerated -- particularly, the sight of you, his parent, being locked up.  Maybe it's just not possible to hide the fact that you are where you are.  But even if there is no way to keep it from the kid, is there ever a really compelling reason to put it in his face?

As for bringing the kid to court, why would you want your kid to see you in trouble with the law?  I know why some of you bring your small children to court, and it's reprehensible: because you figure that way, you won't have to go to jail.  Not only are you using your own flesh and blood as a human shield; but you are also risking landing your kid in the system, too.  There are judges out there who will take the parent into custody and put the kid into foster care; I've seen it done.  But even if this does not happen, it pays to ask yourselves the following questions.  What will be the long-term results of allowing my child to form the impression that brushes with the law are normal?  If I expose my child to my legal embarrassments, what effects will that have on my authority over him, and his respect for me?  By forcing my child to confront these matters at an early age, am I building up or tearing down his innocence?  his sense of well-being? his sense of security?

Unfortunately, we live in an age when sentimentality has overtaken our common sense.  What is lurking underneath that sentimentality?  It's about time we gave that some serious thought.

Saturday, August 28, 2010

Kookburger Helper

A word of my own coinage has begun to gain traction.

An eezee recipe for heretical Catholics. H/T TH2, whose detective work uncovered the foregoing.

Friday, August 27, 2010

Calling All Dominicans and Allies...

A general chapter of the Order of Preachers is convening in Rome from August 31st through September 21, 2010.  One of the big items on the agenda is the selection of a new Master General of the Order.  Please pray for the triumph of unalloyed Catholicity at this general chapter!

Sunday, August 22, 2010

New Blog Page: The Crucifix versus the Swastika


I'd like to call attention to a new page I've added to the blog: The Crucifix versus the Swastika.  I have put up the post of the same name twice, the second time with additions, and have since discovered more heroes that need to be added.  So I figured the best thing to do would be to give this honor roll of Catholic heroes its own page, so I can keep adding as needed.  I would be very glad also to take suggestions for more.

Saturday, August 14, 2010

New Ally for Victory: Transfiguration Today

Fr. Bill Baer, pastor of Transfiguration Catholic Church in Oakdale, Minnesota, has just started a new blog -- appropriately, on the Feast of the Transfiguration -- called Transfiguration Today.  So far, he's got a lot of good material up from his homilies and spiritual reflections, including:

-- What to preach for the feast of the Assumption (which is tomorrow, by the way)

-- Why good confessions -- and generous confession schedules -- are important to fostering vocations

-- The importance of promoting Mass attendance, and emphasizing the obligation of attending on Sundays and holy days

Fr. Bill is not a Dominican friar, but he looks like a serious candidate for my list of people who should be Dominicans.  He could take the habit; or he could become a Third Order Dominican, like Ven. Pius XII and St. Louis de Montfort.  Think about it, Father! 

August 13-19, 1917: The Claw of Satan

Now the devil, no doubt alarmed by heaven's interventions in Portugal, decided to enlist human cooperation in his efforts to thwart them.  After the terrible visions and prophecies of July 13th, in which hell and its works were exposed, the troubles from without intensified, especially for Lucia.  As if the persecutions in her own home were not enough, the "freethinking" government officials -- who, however, were not free to admit either the truths of the Catholic faith or the possibility of divine intervention in human affairs -- began to turn their baleful gaze upon the children and the events at the Cova da Iria.  

Chief among these was Arturo Santos, the administrator of Vila Nova de Ourem, the county in which Fatima was located.  In The True Story of Fatima, the excellent account by Fr. John di Marchi based on his personal interviews of witnesses to the Fatima events, we have some background facts on Arturo Santos:
Arthur Santos was by training a tinker, or tin smith. His formal education had been slight, his ambitions large. A self-propelled and intrepid young man, he became the editor of the Ouriense, a local gazette in which his antimonarchical and anti-religious opinions were expressed with bitter zeal, and likely enough, some talent. In any case, with the advent of the Republic in 1910, Arthur Santos, at the age of twenty-six, was a man of consequence. After being elected to the Masonic Lodge of Leiria, the bustling Senhor founded a separate lodge in his native Vila Nova de Ourem, and was, before long, mayor or administrator of the county. This carried with it the corollary titles of President of the Chamber and Judge Substitute of Comarca. Wearing all these honours, with their companion authority, Senhor Santos was the most feared and influential man in his section of Portugal.
As an avowed atheist, Senhor Santos could only view the events in the Cova da Iria as a threat to civic order and the republican cause, so  on about the 11th of August, he summoned Lucia, Jacinta and Francisco and their fathers to appear before him.  Ti Marto, the father of Jacinta and Francisco, refused to bring the children, though he appeared himself; but Lucia's family thought it would serve her right to have to appear in front of the administrator.  Lucia's Second Memoir:
As for me, what hurt me most, was the indifference shown me by my parents.  This was all the more obvious since I could see how affectionately my aunt and uncle treated their children.  I remember thinking to myself as we went along: "How different my parents are from my uncle and aunt.  They risk themselves to defend their children, while my parents hand me over with the greatest indifference, and let them do what they like with me!  But I must be patient," I reminded myself in my inmost heart, "since this means I have the happiness of suffering more for love of You, O my God, and for the conversion of sinners."  This reflection never failed to bring me consolation.
The administrator interrogated Lucia in the presence of her father, her uncle and several others, sparing neither promises nor threats to force out of her the secrets that had been confided to her, all to no avail.  He finally dismissed the child with a threat to kill her if necessary, and sent her home.  

But Senhor Santos was not through yet.  On the 13th of August -- the day the next apparition was to take place -- he personally appeared at the Marto home.  He wanted, he said, to see these wonders at the Cova himself, and decided to take the children there in his own carriage, with a stop at the house of the local parish priest, Fr. Ferreira, on the way.

But from the priest's house, the carriage did not go to the Cova.  Instead, it took the children to Senhor Santos' house.  Now began an ordeal that was to last for several days.  The administrator imprisoned the children in his house, where he subjected them to promises, bribes, and threats to get them to reveal the secrets they had heard from the Lady.  Not even the threat of being thrown into a cauldron of boiling oil could move them.  The administrator eventually threw them into the public jail, alongside actual criminals; but even this did not break them.  

Nevertheless, it was a real trial, especially for little Jacinta. In her First Memoir, Lucia describes her torments:
I went over and drew her close to me, asking her why she was crying.

"Because we are going to die," she replied, "without ever seeing our parents again, not even our mothers!"  With tears running down her cheeks, she added: "I would at least like to see my mother."

"Don't you want, then, to offer this sacrifice for the conversion of sinners?"

"I do want to, I do!"  With her face bathed in tears, she joined her hands, raised her eyes to heaven, and made her offering:  "O my Jesus!  This is for love of You, for the conversion of sinners, for the Holy Father, and in reparation for the sins committed against the Immaculate Heart of Mary!"
Lucia goes on: 
Next, we decided to say our Rosary.  Jacinta took off a medal that she was wearing around her neck, and asked a prisoner to hang it up for her on a nail in the wall.  Kneeling before this medal, we began to pray.  The prisoners prayed with us, that is, if they knew how to pray, but at least they were down on their knees.  Once the Rosary was over, Jacinta went over to the window and started crying again.

"Jacinta," I asked, "don't you want to offer this sacrifice to Our Lord?"

"Yes, I do, but I keep thinking about my mother, and I can't help crying."

As the Blessed Virgin had told us to offer our prayers and sacrifices also in reparation for the sins committed against the Immaculate Heart of Mary, we agreed that each of us would choose one of these intentions.  One would offer for sinners, another for the Holy Father and yet another in reparation for the sins against the Immaculate Heart of Mary.  Having decided on this, I told Jacinta to choose whichever intention she preferred.  "I'm making the offering for all the intentions, because I love them all."

Among the prisoners, there was one who played the concertina.  To divert our attention, he began to play and they all started singing.  They asked us if we knew how to dance.  We said we knew the "fandango" and the "vira."  Jacinta's partner was a poor thief who, finding her so tiny, picked her up and went on dancing with her in his arms!  We only hope that Our Lady has had pity on his soul and converted him!  
Meanwhile, at the Cova da Iria, the appointed time for the apparition came.  A large crowd had gathered, but the children were not there.  Fr. di March provides the testimony of a witness:
As before, I arrived very early at the Cova and sat down near the little tree where Our Lady had appeared. I went in spite of the fact that many people had tried to frighten me out of going. There were rumours it was the devil who came, and that he would wait until many people had come, then open the earth and swallow us all. A woman from Caterina had told me this, but I was not afraid. With so much praying going on, I decided, nothing so evil could happen. I asked Our Lady to guide me according to the divine will of her Son, and then I went.

The crowd this day was even greater than it had been in July. Oh, there were many, many more. Some came on foot and hung their bundles on the trees. Some came on horses. Some on mules. There were bicycles too, and everything else, and on the road there was a great noise of traffic.

It must have been around 11 o’clock when Maria dos Anjos, Lucia’s sister, got there. She had some candles with her that she expected to light when Our Lady came to her sister and her cousins. All around the tree, the people were praying and singing hymns, but when the children did not appear, they began to get impatient. Then someone came from Fatima and told us they had been kidnapped by the mayor. Everyone began talking at once; there was great anger, and I don’t know what would have happened if we hadn’t heard the clap of thunder.

It was much the same as the last time. Some said the thunder came from the direction of the road and others said it came from the tree. To me it seemed to come from a long way off. But wherever it came from, the thunder was a shock to the people. Some of them began to shout that we would be killed. We all began to spread out, away from the tree, but, of course, no one was hurt in any way. Just after the clap of thunder came a flash of lightning, and then we began to see a little cloud, very delicate, very white, which stopped for a few moments over the tree, and then rose in the air until it disappeared. As we looked around, we began to notice some strange things we had observed before and would see again in the months to follow. Our faces were reflecting all the colours of the rainbow—pink and red and blue and I don’t know what. The trees suddenly seemed to be made not of leaves, but of flowers. The ground reflected these many colours, and so did the clothes we wore. The lanterns that someone had fixed to the arch above us looked as though they had turned to gold. Certainly Our Lady had come, I knew, even though the children were not there.
 But the people's anger against the civil authorities, and against Fr. Ferreira, whom they suspected of having a hand in the children's disappearance.   When the children were finally set free and returned home -- on the feast of the Assumption -- Ti Marto played a significant role in calming the people's wrath and preventing violence.

And the children, having faithfully endured their trials, were to be consoled for having missed their appointment with the Lady at the Cova.  On August 19th, they received a heavenly visitation.  From Lucia's Fourth Memoir:
I was accompanied by Francisco and his brother John.  We were with the sheep in a place called Valinhos, when we felt something supernatural approaching and enveloping us.  Suspecting that Our Lady was about to appear to us, and feeling sorry lest Jacinta might miss seeing her, we asked her brother to go and call her.  As he was unwilling to go, I offered him two small coins, and off he ran.

Meanwhile, Francisco and I saw the flash of light, which we called lightning.  Jacinta arrived, and a moment later, we saw Our Lady on a holmoak tree.
What favor Jacinta must have enjoyed with Our Lady, since she waited to appear until the child arrived.  Lucia continues:
"What do you want of me?"

I want you to continue going to the Cova da Iria on the 18th and to continue praying the Rosary every day.  In the last month, I will perform a miracle so that all may believe."
At this point, Fr. di Marchi  mentions a detail that does not appear in Lucia's memoirs, and whose source he does not name, although he mentions earlier in the book that he had personally interviewed Sr. Lucia.  He records that Our Lady said the following:
If they had not taken you to the town (meaning Ourem), the miracle would be even greater. St. Joseph will come with the Holy Child to bring peace to the world. Our Lord will come to bless the people. Our Lady of the Rosary and Our Lady of Dolors will also come at that time.   
Of this detail, Francis Johnston offers the following commentary in his book Fatima: The Great Sign:
And here we have one of the most solemn lessons in the entire story of Fatima.  How great would the miracle have been if the children had not been kidnapped?  Would it have been of longer duration?   Would it have been seen all over Portugal?  Perhaps over Spain or even France, bringing incalculable benefits to the Fatima apostolate and the cause of world peace?  We shall never know.  All we do know is that the actions of one evil man, Arturo Santos, have endangered the lives of everyone living today.  And this underlines a deep truth, frequently ignored today.  Each sin committed in the world adversely affects everyone else, just as each merit gained favorably affects all others.
Lucia's memoir continues.  She asked the Lady:
"What do you want done with the money that the people leave in the Cova da Iria?"

"Have two litters made.  One is to be carried by you and Jacinta and two other girls dressed in white; the other one is to be carried by Francisco and three other boys.  The money from the litters is for the 'festa' of Our Lady of the Rosary, and what is left over will help towards the construction of a chapel that is to be built here."

"I would like to ask you to cure some sick persons."

"Yes, I will cure some of them during the year."

Then, looking very sad, Our Lady said: "Pray, pray very much, and make sacrifices for sinners; for many souls go to hell, because there are none to sacrifice themselves and pray for them."  And she began to ascend as usual towards the east. 
And so in August of 1917, from the center of the maelstrom of war, famine, death and pestilence he had loosed upon the earth, Satan sent out a claw and with it tried to slam shut the portal between heaven and earth that had opened up at Fatima.  But he only succeeded in moving the door a few inches.  Still, he was not through.  The struggle was far from over.

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

New Blog Page

Now that Blogger has a feature that lets you add pages to your blog, I'm making a page out of the Victory Ultramontanist Reading List that, up to now, has dwelt in my sidebar.  And since it's going to be its own page, I'm expanding it to include a list of good Catholic books (which itself will be constantly growing, as I read more books and remember more books that need to be included).  I'm also including a list of articles, some of which I have linked to in this space.

So be sure to check out the Victory Ultramontanist Reading List Page.  And if I should be so unfortunate as to include anything that is either on the Index of Forbidden Books, or should be if the Index were still being kept up, please give me a swift kick in the butt.

Sunday, August 08, 2010

August 8th: Litany of St. Dominic

The Litany of St. Dominic

Lord, have mercy on us. Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, have mercy on us. Christ, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us. Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, hear us. Christ, graciously hear us.
God, the Father of Heaven, Have mercy on us.
God, the Son, Redeemer of the world, Have mercy on us.
God, the Holy Ghost, Have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, one God, Have mercy on us.
Holy Mary, pray for us.
Holy Mother of God...
Queen of the Holy Rosary...
Our glorious father, St. Dominic...
St. Dominic, follower of Jesus Christ...
St. Dominic, eminently endowed with the virtues of His Sacred Heart...
St. Dominic, adorer of the Blessed Sacrament...
St. Dominic, singularly devoted to our Blessed Lady...
St. Dominic, promoter of her honor...
St. Dominic, promulgator of the Holy Rosary...
St. Dominic, splendor of the priesthood...
St. Dominic, founder of the Friars Preachers...
St. Dominic, apostle of the Albigenses...
St. Dominic, mirror of ecclesiastical discipline...
St. Dominic, rose of patience...
St. Dominic, most ardent for the salvation of souls...
St. Dominic, most desirous of martyrdom...
St. Dominic, evangelical man...
St. Dominic, doctor of truth...
St. Dominic, ivory of chastity...
St. Dominic, man of truly apostolic heart...
St. Dominic, poor in the midst of riches...
St. Dominic, rich in an unspotted life...
St. Dominic, burning with zeal for perishing souls...
St. Dominic, preacher of the Gospel...
St. Dominic, rule of abstinence...
St. Dominic, herald of heavenly things...
St. Dominic, salt of the earth...
St. Dominic, who didst water the earth with thy blood...
St. Dominic, shining in the choir of virgins...
St. Dominic, most humble...
St. Dominic, most obedient...
St. Dominic, most chaste...
St. Dominic, most charitable...
That at the hour of death we may be received unto heaven with thee...
Be merciful unto us, O Lord, and pardon us.
Be merciful unto us, O Lord, and graciously hear us.
From all sin and evil, Deliver us, O Lord.
From the snares of the devil...
From eternal death...
By the merits of our holy father, St. Dominic...
By his ardent love...
By his indefatigable zeal...
By his extraordinary labors...
By his inexpressible penances...
By his voluntary poverty...
By his perpetual chastity...
By his perfect obedience...
By his profound humility...
By his rare constancy...
By all his other virtues...
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, Spare us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, Hear us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, Have mercy on us.
V. Pray for us, O blessed father Dominic,
R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Let us pray.
Grant, we beseech Thee, O Lord God, that we Thy servants may enjoy continual health of mind and body and that through the glorious intercession of blessed Mary ever Virgin, we may be delivered from present sorrow, and hereafter enjoy everlasting happiness. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Novena in Honor of St. Dominic, Ninth Day: Devotion to St. Dominic

Come, O Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of Thy faithful, and kindle within them the fire of Thy love.

V. Send forth Thy Spirit, and our hearts shall be created.
R. And Thou shalt renew the face of the earth.

Let us pray.

O God, Who hast taught the hearts of the faithful by the light of the Holy Spirit, grant that by the same Holy Spirit, we may be ever truly wise, and ever rejoice in His holy consolation. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

O light of Holy Church,
Teacher of Truth Divine,
Sweet rose of patience,
Ivory white thy chastity doth shine.
Of Wisdom's living waters
All freely thou hast given;
O messenger of grace to men,
Lift thou our souls to heaven.

"This is My covenant with them, saith the Lord: My spirit that is in thee, and My words that I have put in thy mouth, not out of the mouth of thy seed, nor out of the mouth of thy seed's seed, saith the Lord, from henceforth, now and for ever" (Isa. LIX, 21.)
R. Thanks be to God.

Spiritual Reading

MIRACLES OF ST. DOMINIC

The power of St. Dominic's prayer was marvelous, and his charity made him use it to help others. In 1206, to test the truth, the Albigenses cast two books into the flames. Theirs, containing their heresy, was destroyed; Dominic's contained the Catholic faith, and remained unburnt. Once his books fell into a river and were restored to him uninjured. Crossing a ferry, he had no money, and the man insisting on payment, Dominic prayed, and money lay at his feet. On a journey he accompanied a foreign religious, whose language he did not understand; Dominic's prayer enabled them to converse on spiritual subjects. Forty English, upset in a deep river, were drowning; Dominic prayed, and they were saved. Three dead persons he raised to life in Rome. One, a cardinal's nephew, was killed by a fall from his horse; Dominic said Mass with abundant tears, then, standing by the dead man's head, he was raised in the air a cubit high, and crying, "In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, arise!" the dead man rose alive and well. By prayer he drove out devils and cured many sick. Food was brought by angels at his prayer, and wine to refresh his brethren. Many heretics and sinners were converted by his powerful prayers.

"Be ye therefore followers of me, even as I also am of Christ. (I Cor. xi, I.)

Responsory

O wondrous hope, which our true father gave,
When round his dying bed the weeping brethren knelt --
That he would stronger be, to succor and to save,
From heaven above, than when on earth he dwelt:
Fulfill, O father, thy most gracious word,
And plead for us with Christ, thy Friend and Lord!
V. Thou, who from suffering men diseases fell didst chase,
Bring to our sin-sick souls the balm of Christ's sweet grace.
R. Fulfill, O father, thy most gracious word, And plead for us with Christ, thy Friend and Lord!
V. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
R. Fulfill, O father, thy most gracious word, And plead for us with Christ, thy Friend and Lord!
V. Pray for us, O holy father, St. Dominic.
R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray.

Grant, we beseech Thee, Almighty God, that we, who are weighed down by the burden of our sins, may be raised up by the intercession of Blessed Dominic, Thy confessor and our father. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
V. May the divine assistance remain with us always.
R. Amen.
V. And may the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.
R. Amen.

Saturday, August 07, 2010

Of Blacks, Abortion and Concentration Camps

Did you know...

...about the close ties between the Ku Klux Klan and the American eugenics movement?

...that Margaret Sanger, who founded the organization that would later become known as Planned Parenthood, was a thorough-going racist who promoted contraceptives for the purpose of killing off the non-white races?

...that the leading lights in the American eugenics movement were devotees of Adolf Hitler?

...that the company that developed RU-486, the "morning after" abortion pill, was once part of I.G. Farben, the German firm that manufactured Zyklon-B, the poison gas used to murder millions in Hitler's concentration camps?
...that state governments have made "undesirables" (i.e., non-whites) to undergo involuntary sterilizations, without knowledge or consent?

...that the promotion of contraceptives and abortion in Third World countries has been a U.S. foreign policy objective for decades?
...that Planned Parenthood receives millions upon millions in U.S. tax dollars annually?

...that most Planned Parenthood clinics are to be found in black and Hispanic neighborhoods?

...that black babies account for a percentage of abortions out of all proportion to the percentage of blacks in the population?
...that Planned Parenthood will accept donations and gifts specifically earmarked for the destruction of minority babies?

...that the NAACP is in bed with Planned Parenthood?

If you don't know these things now, you will after watching Maafa 21: Black Genocide in 21st Century America.  Produced by pro-life activist Mark Crutcher* and Life Dynamics, Inc., Maafa 21 is a lengthy but well-documented presentation of the connection between abortion, racism and eugenics, tracing the chameleon-like history of the American eugenics movement through its many incarnations and buzzword changes down to the present day.  This movie is not a foaming-at-the-mouth emanation from the fever swamps, but a well-presented documentary that contains few surprises for those who are at all familiar with the history of the nation's biggest abortion provider, Planned Parenthood. 

 

*Although it is alleged in the Wikipedia entry for Mark Crutcher that he has "strong ties" to the notorious Army of God, which openly advocates the murder of abortionists, Crutcher denies any such ties (scroll down for the entry by "MC3" regarding this issue).

Novena in Honor of St. Dominic, Eighth Day: The Death of St. Dominic

Come, O Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of Thy faithful, and kindle within them the fire of Thy love.

V. Send forth Thy Spirit, and our hearts shall be created.
R. And Thou shalt renew the face of the earth.

Let us pray.

O God, Who hast taught the hearts of the faithful by the light of the Holy Spirit, grant that by the same Holy Spirit, we may be ever truly wise, and ever rejoice in His holy consolation. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

O light of Holy Church,
Teacher of Truth Divine,
Sweet rose of patience,
Ivory white thy chastity doth shine.
Of Wisdom's living waters
All freely thou hast given;
O messenger of grace to men,
Lift thou our souls to heaven.

"Well done, good and faithful servant; because thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will place thee over many things. Enter thou into the joy of the Lord." (St. Matt. XXV, 21.)
R. Thanks be to God.

Spiritual Reading

St. Dominic died at Bologna, in 1221, on Friday, August 6, at mid-day. Father Ventura, Prior of Bologna, was present and thus describes the blessed end of that holy life. "Father Dominic returned from Venice about the end of July. Although very weary with traveling, he conversed on the affairs of the Order with me till late. I begged him to rest that night but he prayed in the church till Matins at midnight, and then was present in choir. Afterwards he complained of his head, and his last illness began. Lying on a straw mattress, he called the novices around him and exhorted them to fervor with cheerful words and smiling countenance. After being carried to a hill not far off, for better air, he preached a touching sermon to the brethren and was then anointed. Fearing lest he might not be buried 'under the feet of his brethren,' he was carried back to the convent. After an hour he said, 'Begin.' Then did we begin the prayers for a departing soul, and Dominic joined, his lips moving, until the words 'Help him, ye saints of God,' when he gave up the spirit." During the same year in winter a marvelous perfume was perceived throughout the church in which he was buried, particularly near his grave. Many miracles were wrought where the sacred body rested.

"Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither hath it entered into the heart of man to conceive what God hath prepared for them that love Him." (I Cor. II, 9.)

Responsory

From this vale of grief, ascending,
See our father rise on high,
Whilst the angels' voices, blending,
Greet him with sweet minstrelsy.
Jesu, by his prayers of might,
Make us pleasing in Thy sight!
V. By the Holy Name of Jesus.
Thou didst raise the dead to life;
Now, through Him, our loving Savior,
Loose our souls from sin and strife.
R. Jesu, by his prayers of might, Make us pleasing in Thy sight!
V. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
R. Jesu, by his prayers of might, Make us pleasing in Thy sight!
V. Pray for us, O holy father, St. Dominic.
R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray.

O most kind father, St. Dominic, by thy saintly life and precious death, bless and guide us in the path of thy holy rule, that persevering therein even until death, we may, through it, attain the eternal joys of heaven. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
V. May the divine assistance remain with us always.
R. Amen.
V. And may the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.
R. Amen.

Friday, August 06, 2010

Novena in Honor of St. Dominic, Seventh Day: Love of God and Our Neighbor


Come, O Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of Thy faithful, and kindle within them the fire of Thy love.

V. Send forth Thy Spirit, and our hearts shall be created.
R. And Thou shalt renew the face of the earth.

Let us pray.

O God, Who hast taught the hearts of the faithful by the light of the Holy Spirit, grant that by the same Holy Spirit, we may be ever truly wise, and ever rejoice in His holy consolation. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

O light of Holy Church,
Teacher of Truth Divine,
Sweet rose of patience,
Ivory white thy chastity doth shine.
Of Wisdom's living waters
All freely thou hast given;
O messenger of grace to men,
Lift thou our souls to heaven.

"We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He that loes not abides in death. In this we have known the charity of God, because He hath laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren." (I St. John, III, 14-16.)
R. Thanks be to God.

Spiritual Reading

Love is the fulfilling of the law, and Dominic, the preacher of God's law, was consumed with the fire of love. In all his actions his love for God appeared, and his constant prayer was that he might have true charity and love God purely for His own sake. From this love sprang that ardent desire to suffer for God which made him a martyr in spirit. So deeply was he moved by the love of Jesus Crucified that he longed to die for Him. His life of generous self-sacrifice proved his love sincere. As a youth he sold his only treasure -- the books from which he studied -- to feed the famine-stricken poor. His life was entirely devoted to the hardest apostolic labor, traveling on foot far and wide to seek the lost sheep of the Good Shepherd and braving every kind of danger. His prayers for souls were continual, and daily his blood flowed in penance for their sins. The one object of his Order was the salvation of souls. Throughout life he longed to preach to the heathen, hoping for martyrdom. His compassion was so tender that he was moved to tears whenever he thought of the sufferings and miseries of others. To all he was gentle, sweet and merciful. Twice he desired to be sold into slavery -- once to redeem a widow's son, and once to relieve poverty caused by conversion to the Catholic Church.

The true love of God is proved by the desire to be like Christ, and to labor and suffer for others.

"Every one that loves is born of God and knows God. He that loves not, knows not God. For God is charity." (I John IV, 7-8.)

Responsory

O happy, glorious vine, whose living sap o'erflowing,
Hath fertilized the world, on all men life bestowing:
A consecrated vessel, replete with heavenly wine,
Thou offerest to all mankind, the cup of grace divine.
V. Thy fruitful branches circle
Our great world all around,
And, ever, sweet new tendrils
Are springing o'er the ground.
R. A consecrated vessel, replete with heavenly wine, Thou offerest to all mankind, the cup of grace divine.
V. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
R. A consecrated vessel, replete with heavenly wine, Thou offerest to all mankind, the cup of grace divine.
V. Pray for us, O holy father, St. Dominic.
R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray.

O holy father, St. Dominic, who didst show us the way to eternal happiness, and didst win many souls to God by founding the Order of Friars Preachers, pray for us, that we may follow in thy footsteps, and ever work for the glory of God and the salvation of souls. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
V. May the divine assistance remain with us always.
R. Amen.
V. And may the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.
R. Amen.

Thursday, August 05, 2010

Niceness versus Charity

Michael Voris of realcatholictv.com hits another one out of the park.

This program is from RealCatholicTV.com

God forgive me for all the times I have chosen to be nice, rather than to be charitable.

Novena in Honor of St. Dominic, Sixth Day: Devotion to the Blessed Sacrament and Our Lady

Come, O Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of Thy faithful, and kindle within them the fire of Thy love.

V. Send forth Thy Spirit, and our hearts shall be created.
R. And Thou shalt renew the face of the earth.

Let us pray.

O God, Who hast taught the hearts of the faithful by the light of the Holy Spirit, grant that by the same Holy Spirit, we may be ever truly wise, and ever rejoice in His holy consolation. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

O light of Holy Church,
Teacher of Truth Divine,
Sweet rose of patience,
Ivory white thy chastity doth shine.
Of Wisdom's living waters
All freely thou hast given;
O messenger of grace to men,
Lift thou our souls to heaven.

"How lovely are Thy tabernacles, O Lord of hosts! My soul longs and faints for the courts of the Lord. My heart and my flesh have rejoiced in the living God; for the sparrow hath found herself a house and the turtle a nest for herself where she may lay her young. Thy altars, O Lord of hosts, my King and my God!" (Ps. LXXXIII, 2-4.)
R. Thanks be to God.

Spiritual Reading

The adorable Eucharist and the holy Mother of God were objects of Dominic's tenderest devotion. His lively faith made the altar his paradise. Before the tabernacle he spent his nights, finding there rest after his labors; and arriving weary and footsore from a journey, he always visited the Blessed Sacrament before refreshing his body. However much fatigued, he always celebrated Mass, if possible singing it, and during the Sacrifice tears flowed in streams down his face, moving all present to devotion. "Never," said Stephen of Lombardy, "do I remember his celebrating without tears." Sometimes at the elevation his body rose visibly in the air. Of God's holy Mother he was always an ardent and reverent lover. His life, his work, his Order were placed under her protection, and he invoked her in every difficulty and danger. He began the custom of saying the "Hail Mary" before preaching. She filled him with heavenly favors, watched over him with motherly care, and gave the habit of his Order. A tradition cherished in his Order, and supported by the testimonies of many popes, ascribes to him the first teaching of the Rosary. The sweet and tender Mother often appeared to him and consoled him at the hour of earth. His disciples were called "Friars of Mary," and have carried her rosary and scapular to the uttermost parts of the earth.

"I am the Bread of Life; he that cometh to Me shall not hunger and he that believeth in Me shall never thirst." (St. John VI, 35.)

"I am the mother of fair love, and of fear, and of knowledge, and of holy hope. In me is all grace of the way and of the truth, in me is all hope of life and of virtue. Come over to me, all ye that desire me, and be filled with my fruits." (Ecclus.XXIV, 24-26.)

Responsory

The chaff of human frailty
Threshed out by holy poverty,
The good seed sown
To fruit hath grown,
And, ripe for God, is quickly garnered home.
The virgin's lily shining in his hand,
Amongst the doctors Dominic doth stand.

V. A flower blooming amidst other flowrets fair,
The mighty saint for aye a double crown shall wear.
R. The virgin's lily shining in his hand, Amongst the doctors Dominic doth stand.
V. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
R. The virgin's lily shining in his hand, Amongst the doctors Dominic doth stand.
V. Pray for us, O holy father, St. Dominic.
R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray.

O most blessed father, St. Dominic, who didst love our Lord Jesus Christ in the most perfect manner, and didst serve Mary, His Virgin Mother, with most fervent devotion, pray for us, thy children, that we may ever grow in love of the adorable Sacrament of the altar, and that, next to God, we may at all times trust in the protection of the Queen of Heaven, so that at the hour of death we may be received by her into heaven, and ever abide under the mantle of her love. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
V. May the divine assistance remain with us always.
R. Amen.
V. And may the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.
R. Amen.

Wednesday, August 04, 2010

Novena in Honor of St. Dominic, Fifth Day: How to Maintain a Spirit of Prayer

Come, O Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of Thy faithful, and kindle within them the fire of Thy love.

V. Send forth Thy Spirit, and our hearts shall be created.
R. And Thou shalt renew the face of the earth.

Let us pray.

O God, Who hast taught the hearts of the faithful by the light of the Holy Spirit, grant that by the same Holy Spirit, we may be ever truly wise, and ever rejoice in His holy consolation. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

O light of Holy Church,
Teacher of Truth Divine,
Sweet rose of patience,
Ivory white thy chastity doth shine.
Of Wisdom's living waters
All freely thou hast given;
O messenger of grace to men,
Lift thou our souls to heaven.

"The law of truth was in his mouth, and iniquity was not found in his lips; he walked with Me in peace and in equity and turned many away from iniquity." (Mal. II, 6.)
R. Thanks be to God.

Spiritual Reading

As an unbridled tongue destroys a spirit of prayer, Dominic loved silence and retirement, that he might dwell with God. His intimate friend, William of Montserrat, said that "Dominic always kept the silence prescribed by the custom and rule of the Order, abstained from idle words, and always spoke either of God or to God." Seldom speaking of earthly things, his conversation was in heaven, and his heart could freely rest on God. Moreover, he carefully guarded his senses. If others spoke idly, he began to pray. On journeys his eyes were cast down, and he seldom noticed anything as he passed along. He fed his soul with constant spiritual reading. His books were the Bible and Cassian's Conferences of the Fathers of the Desert, and these he read continually from youth till death. The Holy Scriptures he always carried, and ordered his spiritual children diligently and unceasingly to read them. At dinner one religious used to read aloud, that the souls of all might feed on the Word of God. Dominic used to sit alone after dinner reading the Holy Scriptures. He would kiss the sacred volume, sign himself with the Cross, and then read, often with tears, always with many prayers. When ill with fever, lying on a hard rough bed, he asked the brethren to read to him, in turns, the Holy Scriptures.

"If any man offend not in words, the same is a perfect man!" (St. James III, 2.)

Responsory

With wondrous loaves the brethren are fed,
Supplied from heaven at their father's prayers.
A child to life he raises from the dead,
And bids the weeping mother dry her tears.
V. He stays the rainfall with the sign of our salvation;
His words are understood by men of every nation.
R. A child to life he raises from the dead, And bids the weeping mother dry her tears.
V. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
R. A child to life he raises from the dead, And bids the weeping mother dry her tears.
V. Pray for us, O holy father, St. Dominic.
R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray.

O most holy father, St. Dominic, who didst ever show thyself loving to all and didst never despise, wound or offend anyone, obtain for me from our most sweet Savior, Christ, the grace to be severe only to myself and my evil passions and always gentle and loving towards my neighbor, ever, like Him, pardoning all who injure or offend me. Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.
V. May the divine assistance remain with us always.
R. Amen.
V. And may the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.
R. Amen.

Tuesday, August 03, 2010

Novena in Honor of St. Dominic, Fourth Day: St. Dominic's Prayer

Come, O Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of Thy faithful, and kindle within them the fire of Thy love.

V. Send forth Thy Spirit, and our hearts shall be created.

R. And Thou shalt renew the face of the earth.

Let us pray.

O God, Who hast taught the hearts of the faithful by the light of the Holy Spirit, grant that by the same Holy Spirit, we may be ever truly wise, and ever rejoice in His holy consolation. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

O light of Holy Church,
Teacher of Truth Divine,
Sweet rose of patience,
Ivory white thy chastity doth shine.
Of Wisdom's living waters
All freely thou hast given;
O messenger of grace to men,
Lift thou our souls to heaven.

"Be ye filled with the Holy Spirit, speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual canticles, singing and making melody in your hearts to the Lord, giving thanks always for all things, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to God and the Father. (Eph. V, 18-20.)

R. Thanks be to God.
Spiritual Reading

ST. DOMINIC'S PRAYER

Prayer was the breath of St. Dominic's life, the light on his path, the staff of his pilgrimage. He prayed always. In childhood his delight was to serve Mass, to visit the Blessed Sacrament, and to chant the Office. As a student, he drank in wisdom more from prayer than from books. He won more souls by prayer than by preaching or miracles. Fervent and humble prayer was the sling and stone with which he overthrew the Goliath of heresy. In traveling, always on foot, he prayed as he went, sometimes singing Veni, Creator Spiritus, "Come, O Creator Spirit," or Ave, Maris Stella, "Hail, Star of the Sea," or making earnest ejaculations, or reciting psalms. Sometimes he walked behind his companions, saying, "Let us each think of our Divine Lord," and often they found him kneeling in a thicket of wood, lost in God. His nights were passed before the altar, and his short sleep was taken on the stone pavement, his companions being often awakened by his groans and loud supplications. His methods of prayer were various; sometimes he lay prostrate, then stood erect, then knelt down. For hours he would stand before a Crucifix, genuflecting and making fervent ejaculations. Often he stretched out his arms like a cross, crying earnestly to God. He was often seen raised into the air in rapture by the vehemence of his prayer. "In all labors and disquiets, in hunger, thirst, fatigue, his heart turned always to God."

Responsory

Sublimest heights of poverty he reaches,
And thence against the crimes of men he preaches;
His enemies before him prostrate lie,
Or, breathing vengeance, turn their backs and fly.
The saint, undaunted, fears no earthly foe;
To martyrdom for Christ full gladly would he go.
V. By night his soul in prayer is raised to heaven;
To preach the Master's Word his days are freely given.

R. The saint, undaunted, fears no earthly foe; To martyrdom for Christ full gladly would he go.

V. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

R. The saint, undaunted, fears no earthly foe; To martyrdom for Christ full gladly would he go.

V. Pray for us, O holy father St. Dominic.

R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray.

O God, Who hast enlightened Thy Church by the eminent virtues and preaching of St. Dominic, Thy confessor and our father, mercifully grant that by his prayers we may be provided against all temporal necessities and ever increase in spiritual good. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, Who liveth and reigneth with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.

V. May the divine assistance remain with us always.

R. Amen.

V. And may the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.

R. Amen.

Monday, August 02, 2010

A Rich White Liberal and His Money Are Soon Parted

Exhibit A: "Hopi" ear candling.  Too stupid for comment.

Except that I'd like to help the Hopi tribe spread the word that this inanity, which has been pinned on them, has nothing whatsoever to do with Hopi medicinal lore.  The Hopis are not, and never have been, dumb enough to stick lit candles in their ears, let alone pay somebody for the privilege.

H/T TH2.

Novena in Honor of St. Dominic, Third Day: Compunction of Heart

Come, O Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of Thy faithful, and kindle within them the fire of Thy love.

V. Send forth Thy Spirit, and our hearts shall be created.

R. And Thou shalt renew the face of the earth.

Let us pray.

O God, Who hast taught the hearts of the faithful by the light of the Holy Spirit, grant that by the same Holy Spirit, we may be ever truly wise, and ever rejoice in His holy consolation. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

O light of Holy Church,
Teacher of Truth Divine,
Sweet rose of patience,
Ivory white thy chastity doth shine.
Of Wisdom's living waters
All freely thou hast given;
O messenger of grace to men,
Lift thou our souls to heaven.

"They that fear the Lord will prepare their hearts and in His sight will sanctify their souls. They that fear the Lord keep His commandments and will have patience even until His visitation, saying: If we do not penance, we shall fall into the hands of the Lord and not into the hands of men. For according to His greatness, so also is His mercy with Him." (Ecclus. II, 20-23.)

R. Thanks be to God.
Spiritual Reading

"ROSA PATIENTIÆ," ROSE OF PATIENCE

Though so pure that Holy Church calls him "Ivory of Chastity," and Christian art puts a lily into his hands, Dominic was always weeping over sin. His soul being full of contrition, acts of sorrow were constantly upon his lips. On seeing towns or villages, he used to weep over the sins committed there against God. Though so cheerful with others, in his prayers he shed many tears. But this sorrow was not merely hidden in the soul, it bore fruit in works of penance. Thrice every night he scourged himself to blood: once for his own sins, once for those of others, once for the suffering souls. He was a rule of abstinence, even on journeys never eating flesh meat or food cooked with meat. His fasts were strict and continual; even when travelling over Europe on foot, he fasted from September till Easter, though preaching daily. For ten years he tasted no wine, and afterwards, by order of superiors, only a few drops in water. He never had a room or bed of his own, but slept anywehre, on the ground, a bench, the altar-step. He was tightly girded with an iron chain, only found after his death. Being a zealous lover of rule, he punished faults severely, but with such fatherly love that penance was sweet from his hands.

"If you have no sins of your own to weep for," St. Dominic would say, "stillweep, after the example of our Lord Jesus Christ, and grieve for the sinners of the world, that they may repent."

"Whosoever doth not carry his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple." (St. Luke XIV, 27.)
Responsory

The Word of life he loud proclaims,
Nor shame nor fear doth know.
His pen defends the faith of Christ
And vanquishes the foe.
V. Three times the book -- O wondrous sight! --
Amidst the flames they cast;
Three times, uninjured, it is flung
From out the fiery blast.
R. His pen defends the faith of Christ
And vanquishes the foe.
V. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost.
R. His pen defends the faith of Christ
And vanquishes the foe.
V. Pray for us, O holy father, St. Dominic.
R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray.

O zealous preacher of penance, holy father, St. Dominic, whose ardent desire for the salvation of souls made the ever ready to endure the greatest labors and fatigues and even to give thy life in order to win them to God, pray for us, that treading in the steps of Jesus Crucified, the Redeemer and Physician of souls, we may disregard all suffering and generously sacrifice ourselves for the needs of others. Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.
V. May the divine assistance remain with us always.
R. Amen.
V. And may the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.
R. Amen.