"Financial Armageddon is Now Baked in the Cake"

"The Real Panic Hasn’t Even Started Yet, Part 1”

Chris Martenson, Peak Prosperity

The video above is a great introduction to understanding the current state of the financial system of the US…and that we are on an unsustainable path (admitted by Jerome Powell), which is nearing the breaking point. This is well worth the 44 minutes of your time today. For the adults remaining in the room, we have a responsibility to ourselves, our loved ones and to Holy Church, to be awake and respond appropriately to as is said below, “the hand we are dealt.”

Here are Martenson’s notes on the video:

“The core insights that define the Peak Prosperity way of seeing the world are set against real-world data in this episode. Energy, debt, wealth, currency, GDP, & the fiscal vandalism of Congress combine to assure that the future will consist of hard choices as we navigate self-inflicted predicaments…Staying on top of and making sense out of the world is a real problem these days.  At times like these, I like to back way up and take a wide-angle, big-picture view of the situation. When I do, things clarify, although I often wish that the picture were more benign or hopeful.  Alas, we play the hand we are dealt. Once enough people see things this same way, and we cross over the common knowledge boundary line, real financial panic will set in. That’s how it will be perceived and reported on, but it will actually be a sudden and quite necessary realignment between what we have been conditioned to think of as wealth and real wealth. The difference is between primary and secondary wealth which are real and tangible, and tertiary wealth which is abstract and nothing more than a claim on real, tangible wealth. Cash only has value if you can buy something with it.

To understand this and then act on it, it’s essential to grasp the connection between oil and the economy, and the degree to which our economy is fictional due to its dependence on the perpetual expansion of debt at a rate that far exceeds the underlying economy’s rate of growth. It’s a complicated set of connections, to be sure, but vital to grasp.  Armed with this information and framing, you will be far in front of the rest of your fellow humans and able to more gracefully navigate the emerging risks and opportunities.”

2 Important Upcoming Conferences: New York & New Hampshire

From Catholic Land Movement:

“The 3rd Annual Catholic Land Movement Mid-Atlantic Conference will once again be held at the beautiful Our Lady of Martyrs Shrine in Auriesville, NY. Once a 17th century Mohawk village, it is now a Roman Catholic shrine dedicated to the first North American martyrs and to St. Kateri Tekakwitha…The conference will begin early on Friday 6/28 [to Sunday 6/30] for anyone interested in hog and sheep butchering [I’m going to pass on this, I saw a rabbit get the treatment at Peak Prosperity’s conference last year, that was enough for me]…We have a packed weekend with events including Mass, confessions, Divine Office, Rosary, workshops and discussions. Camping is available free of charge at the Shrine. Nearby hotel accommodations can be found in Amsterdam, NY. In order to keep costs low, food will not be included with your conference ticket, but will be made available for purchase…If you're interested in volunteering or hosting a workshop or a discussion group, please get in touch.”

The price for the 3 days is $50 per person, free for those 14 and under. Some of the topics to be covered: Various aspects of homesteading, gardening/farming, canning, traditional Catholicism, dairy, carpentry, wild edibles, masonry, water supply. Definitely all the things supported by Nomen Christi Apostolate-reserve soon!

From Chris Martenson’s Peak Prosperity:

“Transitioning from the beloved Honey Badger Gathering to the Peak Prosperity Summit, [Friday 9/13 to Sunday 9/15] we not only change our venue but also deepen our commitment to resilience, sustainability, and community…Nestled in the breathtaking surroundings of Lake Winnipesaukee [New Hampshire]…The Lodge at Camp Robindel…Economic Resilience: Cultivating a robust financial foundation to withstand and adapt to the unpredictabilities of the global economy, ensuring stability and self-sufficiency when traditional systems falter. True Sustainability: Embracing a lifestyle and practices that enable us to not only survive but thrive independently when external supply chains and conventional resources are compromised, ensuring our ability to live off the grid if necessary. Personal and Community Empowerment: Fostering a culture of health, wellness, and mutual support that prepares us to face adversities together, strengthening our individual and collective capacity to navigate through tough times…Foundations of Preparedness…Advanced Resilience Techniques…sessions will cover everything from homesteading to advanced medical training, alongside hands-on demonstrations and keynotes focused on practical, life-enhancing skills.”

Included in the reasonable ticket price: Workshops and Educational Tracks, Accommodations, Food, Interactive Exhibits and Vendors, Recreational Activities, Networking and Socializing, All Necessary Amenities. Reserve soon for early-bird price!

"The Wonders of the Holy Name" Booklet: Act Now!

In this month of the Holy Name of Jesus (in case you haven’t noticed, this ministry is dedicated to the Holy Name), TAN Books has a great sale on the booklet mentioned above. It normally sells for $4.95 each, but if you act by January 31st, you get 5 for $10.00! It is not a prayer book, but it contains many historical anecdotes, such as Pope Gregory X’s devotion, a plague in Lisbon, glorious martyrdoms and the faith of many saints in the Holy Name.

TAN also has a monthly $10.00 “leatherette” book. They have quite a selection now of these beautiful, well-made spiritual classics and Bibles. The prices range widely, so taking advantage of the monthly offering is a good idea. As a Catholic prepper, having good quality classic books is a must. If you still need to develop your spiritual library, TAN provides a great way to move forward. They also have sets of books you might want to look at.

One warning: unless you like lots of spam, don’t sign up for their email list. Just make a point to visit the site once a month and take advantage of the leatherette, for sure.

Praise the Holy Name of Jesus now and forever!

Let us defend it valiantly!

December is the Month of the Divine Infancy & the Immaculate Conception / December Prepper Challenge!

December is such an interesting ecclesiastical month, I hardly know where to start.  It’s chock full of every kind of feast…Our Blessed Lord, Our Lady, well-known saints, Doctors of the Church, martyrs, visionaries, 1st Century saints, Old Testament Patriarchs, the Holy Family and even Adam & Eve, an “historical” feast, on Christmas Eve.  As if that’s not enough, we also celebrate the Ember Days of Winter the week before Christmas.  And don’t forget the joyful Gaudete Sunday, the 3rd Sundy of Advent.  And Advent itself, of course!

To be clear, we discuss both trad and new feasts and the traditional calendar is below.  We will place our focus on a few feasts…

The 1st Sunday of Advent is this coming Sunday, the 3rd.  This is the beginning of the new Liturgical Year and the beginning of the Cycle of Christmas, when we await the birth of Our Savior and prepare spiritually for this great Holy Day.  On the 8th, we honor the Immaculate Conception of Mary (Patroness of the USA), a Holy Day of Obligation.  This solemnity falls on a Friday this year, so no penance is required.  Our Lady of Loreto is the 10th and Our Lady of Guadalupe the 12th. 

The Ember Days are days of prayer and penance to obtain mercy for the coming season.  As the Ember Days concern themselves with nature, it’s a particularly nice time to do crafts with children.  In this case, it can be combined with Christmas in all kinds of creative ways.  Come up with your own ideas…maybe you could even arrange a day at your parish for these activities. 

I don’t suppose I have to remind anyone about Christmas on the 25th.  But let us celebrate as holy a Christmas as we can this year, as the world continues to spiral into a plethora of polycrises.

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December Prepper Challenge

Speaking of polycrises, how about a challenge this month?  Yes, it’s Christmastime, but unfortunately, that doesn’t mean the problems in the world take a vacation.  In a month, these progressive issues, many of which are exponential in nature (speeds up over time), will be one month closer to the critical point.  That’s why action must be taken now, Christmastime or not.  The greatest gift you can give your loved ones, besides spiritual encouragement, is preparedness. 

Let us take the 2 themes of this month as inspiration, Mother and Child.  As life gets more difficult, the vulnerable will be in greater need.  We cannot help them until we help ourselves.  We must be in a strong position to help our neighbors.  We must prepare because too many are not.  We will be held accountable.  As Chris Martenson says, we will be asked one day:

“When did you see?  What did you do about it?”

If you still don’t see the need to prepare for the coming days, pray to the Holy Ghost for an illumination.

15 Points Preparedness Worksheet

Please print our worksheet above and choose 5 points to begin working on this month.  We encourage you to involve your family, discuss it together, and write out the most important things you agree should be done.  Feel free to email us with your progress and we may share your comments.  You might also think about printing a copy for your loved ones as a Christmas gift.  Roll it up with a red or green ribbon.  I guarantee they won’t get this from anyone else!  Good luck and you all will be in our prayers!

Here is the traditional Catholic calendar for December:  calefactory.org

Random Stuff...About Preparedness

I have been corresponding with a gentleman who is Catholic and also runs a preparedness forum.  He is known on the forum as “Watchman.”  I like the simple, uncomplicated presentation and it has a wealth of information… 

The Preparedness-Survival Forum

Preparing for the Inevitable

What you can find here:  news, prepper library, homesteading, technical aspects of preparedness and survival, family issues, financial info (I like that they get their stats from kitco.com), health and stewardship of the Earth.  Join the forum and speak with like-minded, knowledgeable people!

After designing a completely new landscape, my husband and I have gotten a new shed (see previous post) and are now starting a raised bed.  It is late in the New York season to begin planting, but there are plenty of crops which can still start from seed.  Below is a pic of what we’ve got so far…grass (LOL).  I will keep you posted on the progress.  This is a kit we purchased at a local garden center.  There are many different kits out there, which make the process easy.  Ours comes with a greenhouse top for one side (not sure if we will use that right now).  “The Authentic Life” is exciting and makes you want to fly out of bed in the morning!  Here’s also a pic of the shelves my hubby built in the shed…they are about a foot apart and there is space beneath them to store larger items…we still need to install various hooks and clamps for rakes, shovels, etc…

 “This is the day which the Lord hath made: let us be glad and rejoice therein.”

Psalms 117:24

We do not prepare simply for a possible disaster or emergency.  As the site above states, we are preparing for the inevitable.  A time of great newness is upon us.  It is the Greater Reset or the Newer World Order.  The way we cope with the death of life as we knew it, is to keep our focus on the next big thing…The Authentic Life:  A life close to God and nature.  Focus on beauty, the beauty you are creating.  The beauty WE are creating together as the people of God!

July is the Month of the Most Precious Blood of Christ

April is the month when we honor the Body of Christ, and July, we honor His Blood.  The birthstone for July is the red ruby, seemingly reflecting the red Blood of Our Lord, raised up in adoration this month.  God made all things of the natural world and they continually praise Him, each in its own way.  A life of authenticity is a life immersed in His creation, the surest way to happiness.

July 1st is the feast of the Most Precious Blood, in the traditional calendar.  The ensuing week invokes many who shed their own blood, directing humanity to that which was shed upon the Holy Cross.  We celebrate the Visitation on the 2nd, when Saint John the Baptist leapt in Saint Elizabeth’s womb, the one who paved the way for Christ and was martyred in the process.  The 3rd, we honor Saint Thomas, the one who doubted, but later also gave his life, doubting no more.  And on the 6th, there is Saint Maria Goretti, the young girl who gave her life for purity.  Later in the month, on the 25th, Saint James the Greater is honored, also a martyred Apostle. 

Also from the 1st Century, Saints Mary Magdalen on the 22nd, Joachim & Anne on the 26th and Martha on the 29th.  Our Lady of Mount Carmel, who gave Saint Simon Stock the miraculous Brown Scapular, is celebrated on the 16th.

Almighty and Eternal God, Thou hast appointed Thine only-begotten Son the Redeemer of the world, and willed to be appeased by His Blood.  Grant, we beseech Thee, that we may worthily adore the Price of our salvation, and through its power be safeguarded from the evils of this present life, so that we may rejoice in its fruits forever in Heaven.  Through the same Christ Our Lord.

Amen.

From the Litany of the Most Precious Blood

This month’s Roman Catholic Traditional Calendar:  Calefactory.org

Please note, we discuss both trad and new feasts.

Empty Nester Conversation #....I forget

Me: What time are the shed people coming tomorrow?

Hubby: 8 to 10.

Me: AM?

Hubby: Yes, AM.

Me: Wasn’t The Shed People a horror movie in the 80’s?

Hubby: No, it was my band. Don’t you remember? You came to our show at Paramus Middle School’s science fair.

Me: Gee, don’t know how I got that wrong.

(This actually went through several drafts which were even less funny.)

Our brand new shed installed today!

This will help on so many levels. We can now clear a lot of things out of our basement and garage, and organize them better. Mainly this will be yardwork and gardening paraphernalia. Sheds are great to have and great for resale value of a house. This one has a waterproof floor and a heavy-duty ramp. The window and skylight are important for letting light in-it can be rather dark in a shed otherwise. Of course, you can leave the door open for more light. We now have to bring shelving in and we are all set! My life just got better:)

Catholic Prepper YouTube Channel / Training Class Tomorrow!

Just found this by accident. I feel God wants me to put this up because they have ONE MORE DAY of a training class. I admit I am not familiar with this content, but a superficial look is encouraging. I would think if you miss the class, videos will be posted, not sure. Most likely, these classes will be offered again. Check it out anyway!

br coalition

The above short video talks about the class and the recent occurrences in the world which should show anyone that preparing is more than reasonable, and people are feeling the stress of a world gone wrong. The massive amount of drug overdose deaths is mentioned. We now have a statistic for 2021 in the US, a staggering 100,000. The Covid agenda was certainly one aspect of this rise. I personally know 3 people who have lost young sons to this tragedy. One is a family member (a devoutly Catholic family). One a friend and one a woman I met at church. I live in New York and it is a particular problem here, for a variety of reasons. Let us pray for our dear young men and women at this confusing time. Let us support them and teach them how to cope in an ever-changing world. Let us show them the Rock, the Holy Catholic Church and our King, Jesus Christ, in Whom all our hope resides!

Are You in Idaho??? / Ideas for a Catholic Prepper Event

Modern Homesteading Conference offers two full days of practical, strategic, and proven presentations. It will be held in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho on June 30th and July 1st. You’ll gain insights from individuals who have honed their techniques over many years. There will be live demonstrations to bring these concepts to life before your eyes. When it comes to pursuing a self-sufficient lifestyle and turning your homesteading dreams into reality, mere aspirations and online tutorials can only take you so far.

What: Modern Homesteading Conference

When: June 30th and July 1st

Where: Coeur d’Alene, Idaho

The curated lineup of speakers have thrived in challenging northern climates. These experienced individuals understand the unique demands of short warm-weather growing seasons, enduring long winters, and two months of rain scarcity in July and August. They’ve not only managed to feed their families year-round from their homesteads, but have also extended their offerings to provide pasture-raised livestock to others. The speakers will equip you with information for: 

• Enhancing food production.

• Leveraging the benefits of herbs for personal and livestock use.

• Incorporating livestock into your homestead.

• Mastering the art of preserving food for year-round consumption.

• And much more!

Thanks to Peak Prosperity for this info. It has been copied from their email.

If you are not in Idaho or the surrounding area, and you have expertise in these topics, please consider chairing a community, diocesan or parish-based event. How do you Catholicize (I just made up that word) it? Obviously, you can come up with your own ideas. I might suggest discussing: Saint Francis, Saint Isidore the Farmer, Saint Fiacre or Saint Hildegard of Bingen…Saint Joseph was a woodworker!…the Ember Days…growing wheat and grapes for the Holy Mass (we should all have these seeds)…how to perform an emergency baptism…Biblical support for preparedness. Also, the Catholic Bug-Out Bag!

We will post it for you, of course. Gotta get the info out for the children of God and their little ones to navigate the coming days!

Traditional Priest is Doing Something Amazing in the Italian Alps!

Young Priest Turns Forsaken Farm into Paradise Homestead

I was blown away by the above video. Below are the notes provided by the video-maker, Kirsten Dirksen (she’s got a great YouTube channel, but this is not necessarily an endorsement of all her content). The video is 23 minutes, well-worth your time. We all need to be thinking this way going forward, due to the state of the world. This priest also has filmed 2 documentaries-link is below-I have not seen them yet, but I’m sure they are good…

Five years ago Catholic priest Johannes Schwarz left his parish to "withdraw for a few years" in the Italian Alps (in the shadow of his beloved Monte Viso). He bought an old "rustico" - stone farm building - for 20,000 euros and transformed it into his mountaintop hermitage.

Inspired by the early Christian desert hermits from the "200s and 300s when some people went into the deserts of Egypt and Palestine searching for a more rigorous life", Schwarz found something remote: he has only one full-time neighbor on the entire mountainside and in winter, he often has to snowshoe for a couple hours just to buy food and supplies.

To be as self-sufficient as possible, he makes his own bread and stores plenty of potatoes which he grows using Ruth Stout's "No-Work" gardening method. To grow much of his own fruit and produce, he terraced the steep hillside (using stones from the area) to create micro-climates. "You try to build walls that have southern exposure because they heat up during the day and they give off the warmth and can make a difference of several degrees." (Studies show differences of 27°F/15°C in the ultra-deep Incan terraces). He grows plenty of tomatoes inside his self-built recycled greenhouse.

For heating and cooking, he built a combination rocket stove and masonry heater by creating his own casts and loam coating. His refrigerator, which he transported up the hill on top of his bicycle, is kept in the unheated room, along with his food stores. He uses a tiny 30-year-old 3-kilogram washing machine and built his bathroom out of salvaged materials. To transport the lumber up the hill for his remodel, he got some help from a local farmer.

He divided the old barn into four small rooms on two floors; the living room/kitchen and pantry on the ground floor and a chapel and bedroom upstairs. His bedroom also serves as an editing studio where he creates videos on philosophy and religion.

He created a wooden-arched indoor chapel where he “celebrates the traditional Latin mass” alongside a wall he painted with Byzantine, romanesque and gothic styles in appreciation of "the symbolism of the ancient art."

Johannes’ pilgrimage films: https://www.reelhouse.org/birettballett