May is the Month of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God

I’ve been doing these monthly posts every month, for so long (9 or 10 years), that I am starting to feel the need to shake it up somehow…maybe literally?  What if I come up with a bunch of ideas regarding the monthly themes, and pick them out of a hat (or a plastic cup)?   Let me make a list of what these could be:

1) Refer to an old post on this blog.

2) What does the old Catholic Encyclopedia have to say?

3) What does Fr. John Hardon’s Modern Catholic Dictionary have to say?

4) What does the Catechism have to say?

5) What have the Church Fathers or saints had to say about this topic?

6) What about Holy Scripture?

7) Has the Church made official pronouncements related to the theme?

8) Can I recommend some books or other products?

9) Is there a traditional hymn?

10) Is there text from the Mass, a prayer or a devotion?

11)  What does EWTN have to say?

12)  What does the Vatican News have to say?

13)  What about history relating to this monthly dedication?

14)  How does the theme relate to the Liturgical Calendar (this could be challenging)?

15)  How does it relate to the Pro-Life cause?

16)  Is there an apostolate or religious order dedicated to this person or gift of our Faith?

17)  Is there a location we could focus on?

18)  Can we come up with new ideas on how to celebrate the theme in a family or seasonal way?  Can we work it into our homeschooling? 

Okay, I am liking this idea, so let’s put it into action RIGHT NOW!  I will have my husband Don pick it out of a cup (they will be eliminated as we go)….. 

He Picked Traditional Hymn! 

That is such a great (and easy) one for Our Lady.  It’s a great idea to learn prayers in Latin, and here is a wonderful one below.  The Latin language is lyrical by nature, and lends itself to song.  The words here are so beautiful, they speak to the glory of the Mother of God.  Simply articulating these words seems to open up the clouds… 

Franz Schubert’s “Ave Maria”

Ave Maria, gratia plena, Dominus tecum.

Benedicta tu in mulieribus, et benedictus fructus ventris tui, Iesus.

Sancta Maria, Mater Dei, ora pro nobis peccatoribus nunc, ​et in hora mortis nostrae.

Amen. 

In this month of the Blessed Virgin Mary, we celebrate Our Lady of Fatima on the 13th, which is the date of her first apparition.  This year, this is also the Vigil of the Ascension and a Lesser Rogations Day.  Are we to be joyful or penitential?  You decide.  We have one more Marian feast in the post-conciliar calendar, Mary Mother of the Church, on the 25th (which is also +Memorial Day+ and within the Octave of Pentecost in the trad).  It is fitting that Mothers Day is in Our Lady’s month and don’t forget Saint Monica on the 4th, known for being the great mother of Saint Augustine. 

As touched upon above, the Ascension of Our Lord, Ascension Thursday, is the 14th, with some dioceses transferring it to Sunday, the 17th.  Pentecost Sunday is the 24th (with a vigil) and the Most Holy Trinity, the 31st.   

This is an interesting month, in that we have both the Lesser Rogation Days and the Ember Days (being more specific to the seasons).  Double prayer and penance, 3 days each (do a search on this blog for more info).  

The US Armed Forces Day is the 16th.  Please remember our young men and women in prayer. 

We can take all these opportunities this month to pray and sacrifice for world peace and an abatement of the looming energy, supply and food crisis, what we might call polycrises or multi-front attack vectors (some entity is pulling the strings to create a perfect storm, if you are paying attention, this is very obvious…and that entity is ultimately Satan).  Our Lady of Fatima, to whom this ministry is dedicated and who we honor this month, gave us the antidote to these times in her requests!

Some other notable feasts this month:  

5th-Pope Saint Pius V

11th-Saints Philip & James, Apostles

11th to 13th-Lesser Rogations

15th-Saint Isidore the Farmer (we like him, post-con)  Saint Isidore, pray for those who are now vulnerable to hunger, due to the lack of, or the expense of fertilizer or other needed supplies in food production and transport.

18th-Pope Leo XIV, Inauguration Anniversary

27th, 29th, 30th-Ember Days of the Coming Summer

*** Prepper Challenge for Spring *** 

With current events in mind, it’s the same as it was for March & April...Make a plan! 

“15 Points Preparedness Worksheet” 

“Biblical Support for Preparedness” 

~ Noah was the original prepper ~

Thought for the Day

Prepping is no longer a dress rehearsal.

70 Percent Of U.S. Farmers Say...

…That They Will Not Be Able To Purchase All The Fertilizer They Need In 2026

Excerpt:

“We might want to listen to what the farmers are telling us, because if they don’t grow our food we do not eat. Coming into this year, we were already facing the worst farming crisis in America in at least 50 years. Farmers all over the nation are drowning in debt, and farm bankruptcies have been soaring. In all my years, I have never seen America’s farmers so angry, and now the crisis in the Strait of Hormuz has made things much worse. Spring planting season is here and there is a global scramble for whatever supplies of nitrogen fertilizer that happen to be available. As a result, prices have skyrocketed and farmers all over the planet are facing some incredibly tough choices.

That is even true here in the United States.

According to a brand new survey that was just conducted by the American Farm Bureau Federation, 70 percent of U.S. farmers say that they will not be able to purchase all of the fertilizer that they need in 2026 because it has become so expensive.”

Buy fresh seeds! Start a garden! Build community!

Please note, when we put up links, it is not necessarily an endorsement of the website.

Drought Engulfs 60% Of U.S.

…As Farmers Begin Spring Planting

From one of our recommended resources, Zero Hedge. Honest, alternative media. Excerpt:

“The southern US is already experiencing severe, extreme, and even exceptional drought conditions, putting pressure on key crops such as sugarcane, rice, and peanuts, while fruit trees have also been damaged by extreme temperatures. Across the Great Plains, otherwise known as the nation’s breadbasket, winter wheat farmers are being forced to decide whether to keep the struggling crop or cut losses and replant, with dry soil also making germination harder. The drought also complicates matters for ranchers, as the nation's cattle herd is already at its lowest level since the 1950s. As a result, some ranches may further reduce their herds, which will only push beef prices to new record highs…All bad news for food prices.”

Stock up on food now, while supply is still good and the prices are still (relatively) affordable. Buying in bulk can save you tons of money. Don’t forget to stock up on water too.

What is happening to the world? Is a great chastisement upon us? Is is pay-up time for our many sins?

Oil-Based Lubricant Supply: One of Many Issues Right Now

EXCELLENT ARTICLE From LinkedIn News (this is written from a business perspective, but is useful for anyone, in understanding what we are facing)…

“The shortages haven't arrived yet. But they're coming. Here's your realistic timeline and a seven-step playbook to stay ahead of the most significant lubricant supply disruption of the modern era.”

“Supply chains don't break overnight. They have buffers built into every stage, and those buffers take time to deplete. That's why you're probably still seeing relatively normal availability right now. But don't let that lull you into a false sense of security.

…Crude oil that was already on the water before the Strait closed is still arriving at refineries. Oil tankers move at incredibly slow speeds (you could keep up with one on a bicycle), so the last of those pre-disruption shipments won't reach the most distant refineries until late April.

…May through June (weeks 9-16): This is when the real pain begins. Blenders will start exhausting their pre-crisis inventory. Expect allocation and rationing of popular products.

…July through August (weeks 17-24): If the Strait remains closed, we will see genuine shortages of finished lubricant products. This is no longer a price problem. This is an availability problem…You can't run a mining operation without gear oil. You can't run a transport company without engine oil. You can't run a manufacturing plant without hydraulic oil.

…the lubricants industry is facing the most significant supply disruption of the modern era…the pain we went through during COVID in that 2020 to 2022 period is going to look relatively tame in comparison, especially if this conflict continues for another month or two.”

FULL ARTICLE INCLUDING VIDEOS

War with Iran: Coming Cyber Takedown?

For a number of reasons, there is a higher than usual chance of a cyber attack at this time. Grid attacks or failures due to lack of energy is also a concern. What does this mean for you? Here are the recommendations…

1) Back up all your important digital data.

2) Record/print important data on paper.

3) Buy books on topics that are important to you. Consider preparedness-type books, such as gardening, woodworking, canning, etc. We always recommend good, hard-cover Catholic classics and Bibles!

War with Iran: How to Prepare?

The most responsible thing I can do is say “prepare accordingly,” and to do so with prayer.

I’m not going to tell people to freak out or to hoard as much as they can. You are responsible FOR YOU. You make the decisions and live with them.

No one has a crystal ball, at least I don’t. Unlike some others, I do not claim to be receiving special messages (be very cautious about such people). Not knowing the actual future, all I can say right now is:

Prepare for supply shortages and inflation. Pray the Rosary every day (you don’t have to do it perfectly, just do it, the Blessed Mother knows you are human and probably dealing with a lot, as we all are).

The Holy Rosary will give you great peace of mind and help mitigate more chastisement. People must turn back to God, or further calamity will surely come. (My personal opinion is that the Chastisement began with the dropping of the atomic bombs upon Japan, Lord have mercy +++ that is not to say the poor people of Hiroshima and Nagasaki bore any greater guilt than the rest of us.) Physical conditions always follow spiritual conditions. “As above, so below.” We have been playing God with reproductive technology and many other things. We can only conclude the hour is very late.

Prepare for the worst. Expect the best.

Our Lady of Fatima foresaw these times and gave us the antidote in her requests!

Pray for peace! Pray for the unborn, for we will never have peace with violence in the womb.

War with Iran: Massive Energy Shock Unfolding...

This changes EVERYTHING. Now.

Hopefully the worst won’t happen. But hope is not a strategy.

Thought for the Year From My Friend Chris Martenson...

“This is the year that reality intrudes.  And it’s going to hit like a freight train.”

Chris Martenson, Peak Prosperity

Click on link above for this article, posted today. Peak Prosperity is one on our highly recommended sources for news and preparedness advice.

Moral of the story: Prepare!

March is the Month of Saint Joseph-Part 2

Why does Holy Church dedicate the month of March to Saint Joseph?  As probably all of you know, his feast is celebrated on the 19th, honoring his espousals to the Mother of God.  It is interesting to note, this feast always occurs during Lent (unless it happens to fall on a Sunday, in which case, have your Italian dinner with tiramisu to celebrate!)…as Easter falls between March 22nd and April 25th (Sunday after first full moon after vernal equinox, which the Church fixes at March 21st MORE INFO).  So it is a no-brainer to incorporate Saint Joseph’s feast into your Lenten exercises.  Some ideas:  attend Mass, read the Mass from the missal, pray a novena starting 9 days before the feast, give alms in honor of Saint Joseph.

Other notable feasts this month in both calendars…

3rd-Saint Katherine Drexel, USA

7th-First Saturday of the Immaculate Heart / Saint Thomas Aquinas, the Angelic Doctor of the Church

17th-Saint Patrick, patron of Ireland

18th-Saint Cyril of Jerusalem, bishop & Doctor of the Church

21st-Saint Benedict, founder of monasticism, twin of Saint Scholastica

22nd-Passion Sunday, begins octave of Passiontide in the trad

24th-Saint Gabriel the Archangel, immediately before the Annunciation

25th-Annunciation of the Lord/Blessed Virgin Mary

27th-Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary, always one week before Good Friday

29th-Palm Sunday, Holy Week begins

Prepper Challenge for March:  Make a Plan!

How did you do with last month’s pantry organizing challenge?  Feel free to contact us with your thoughts and we may post it!  Please know, I am doing these challenges with you.  I have bought some great products and also have been watching motivating videos.  There are so many resources out there now for decluttering, minimalism and organizing.  (Yes, you can and should be a minimalist prepper.)  Here are some products I love:

The Home Edit 3-Tier Shelf      OXO POP Container

I have also been insanely getting into making custom labels.  I bought a thermal label printer, which works from your PC or phone, a lot like Power Point.  You can be really creative and it’s lots of fun.  The older strip-tape manual printers are still quite common and they work great too.

We are now at war with Iran.  This could go in many concerning directions.  Iran is a whole different animal than anything we have ever dealt with before.  Supply issues is a major concern…along with the domino effects this may have.  So, consider yourself warned.  Avail yourself of reliable alternative media, which we regularly refer you to, to stay informed.  In terms of supply, I recommend having a reasonable amount for your family, plus a little extra.  People may need to stay with you.  You may also need to help others in your community.  It is impossible to say “how much” you should have, but cluttering your home is counter-productive.  Pray for guidance and trust God.  And don’t worry, be at peace…and learn how to be resilient (gardening, sewing, keeping small animals and other useful non-electronic skills).

So, this month, think about what I have said above and please print our…

15 Points Preparedness Worksheet

This 4-page worksheet will make it super easy to sit down with your family and make a concrete preparedness plan for the next 12 months and beyond.  And it’s not what you expect, it is from a holistic perspective, based on over 20 years of research and experience. Don’t delay, just print it and start filling it out.  I’ve made it easy for you!  And again, I am doing it with you. It’s about time for me to review this and spiff up my own plan. (If you are local to Long Island, please note I am available to give a talk on this.)