During this concerning time of war and crisis, there is nothing more important we can do than beseech the Divine Mercy!
Here are some good links for today…Did you pray the Chaplet Novena starting Good Friday? You still can!…
"Almost Nobody Understands How Bad it's Going to Get"
"These Consumer Goods Could be the First to Vanish...
…as Supply Shock Disrupts Asian Factories”
From Zero Hedge.
It's Bite the Bullet Time, Ready or Not
“All economic activity requires WORK. All work requires ENERGY. By striking at the root of economic activity, a series of events has been placed in motion that will violently shake every economy.”
Chris Martenson, Peak Prosperity
War with Iran: Oil Shortages in Europe & Asia
[Edited since posting.]
Peter St. Onge on X
Note what Mr. St. Onge does not say: It is true the US is the largest exporter of oil, however, we still import quite a bit. Don’t be lulled into thinking there is no potential problem in America. Don’t believe that propaganda.
Here’s more info from the US Energy Information Administration. This site has tons of material on these topics. I assume it is fairly accurate, but nothing seems to be tainted from propaganda anymore. Interesting excerpt…
“Saudi Arabia is also the greatest source of U.S. petroleum imports from Persian Gulf countries. About 12% of U.S. total petroleum imports and 12% of U.S. crude oil imports were from Persian Gulf countries in 2022.”
Oil and petroleum products explained:
Oil imports and exports
Note: Chris Martenson’s most recent audio presentation, “Wake -Up Call #14” refutes the assertion that the US is a net oil exporter (claimed in the link above). He claims we are actually a net importer, when you take into account all of the complexities involved in the analysis. He’s been doing this research for a long time and has written several books dealing with these topics. It is possible that the link above is technically correct, but it is not simply petroleum that is the important issue, it is the grade and its usage that really matters.
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 1
As we begin this Month of Saint Joseph, Patron of the Universal Church, Foster-Father of Our Blessed Lord…a month which begins and ends in Lent…here are 10 links to help you honor him and learn more about the most illustrious person other than the Blessed Virgin…
Saint Joseph-Related Posts on This Blog
Saint Joseph-Catholic Answers Encyclopedia (from original Catholic Encyclopedia)
Protection Prayer to Saint Joseph
Saint Joseph Products-The Catholic Company
Featured: Sleeping Saint Joseph Decaf Coffee, Consecration to Saint Joseph,
Saint Joseph Medal & Prayer Card
EWTN: Saint Joseph
Scripture Verses Mentioning Saint Joseph
The Life of Saint Joseph as Seen by the Mystics
The Mystery of the Staircase at Loretto Chapel, NM: Built by Saint Joseph?
Extraordinary Saint Joseph Painting by Bernadette Carstensen
Hymn to the Terror of Demons: Te Joseph Celebrent-Chants of Deliverance
Beethoven's Thanksgiving / Christmas Gifts
The past few months have been light here, due to a number of disruptions, and there was no subscriber newsletter for October or November. We will be getting back on track!
Sunday, November 23rd is the feast of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe in the post-conciliar calendar. King of Kings and Lord of Lords!
As Americans are thankful this week for all our incredible blessings “from sea to shining sea,” especially the riches and freedom of Holy Church, remembering (note Our Lord exactly quotes Deuteronomy)…
“He afflicted thee with want, and gave thee manna for thy food, which neither thou nor thy fathers knew: to shew that not in bread alone doth man live, but in every word that proceedeth from the mouth of God.”
Deuteronomy 8:3
“[Jesus] answered and said: It is written, Not in bread alone doth man live, but in every word that proceedeth from the mouth of God.”
Matthew 4:4
Of course, let us pray for all places of persecution and martyrdom which Christians are suffering with at this time. Let us count our blessings and fight the good fight lest these evils increase upon us. And let us pray for the soul of Charlie Kirk and his family, since many consider him, including Bishop Athanasius Schneider, to have been a US martyr. Eternal rest grant unto him O Lord and let perpetual light shine upon him!
*** Beethoven Was a Man of Gratitude ***
Beethoven: Hymn of Thanksgiving
On this feast of St. Cecilia, martyr, the first incorruptible, and patroness of music, let us talk about Beethoven! This piece starts out slow, but picks up pace. It can be a meditative experience, trying to place yourself in Beethoven’s shoes, after a brush with death. Some may superficially deem this like a dirge, but we the devout, know that there are deeper levels to spirituality which defy common perceptions. This piece parallels the one below, which was written 17 years earlier, expressing a shepherd’s thanks after a storm, but they are entirely different, the latter being more accessible. Is this shepherd thanking God for the rain, or that the storm has passed? Maybe both! It was presented at the same concert in which Beethoven’s amazing “5th Symphony” was first played, in Vienna, 1808 (see notes below).
These are both parts of larger pieces. From the video notes:
This movement from Beethoven's String Quartet No. 15 in A minor, Op. 132, has been described as "Music in its purest form, that transcends time and space, style, and history." Beethoven himself gave it the descriptive title, "Heiliger Dankgesang eines Genesenen an die Gottheit, in der Lydischen Tonart" (Holy Song of Thanksgiving of a Convalescent to the Deity, in the Lydian Mode). Beethoven was giving thanks for recovering from a digestive ailment in the winter of 1825 that nearly cost him his life. We give thanks that he chronicled his recovery in this incredible music, and that our Ensemble in Residence, the Borromeo String Quartet, is on hand to perform it.
Michael Parloff on Beethoven’s “Holy Song [Hymn] of Thanksgiving”
This is a very interesting short study on this piece. From the video notes:
Beethoven completed his A Minor String Quartet, Op. 132, in July 1825, shortly after recovering from a severe, life-threatening illness. His recovery prompted one of the few genuinely autobiographical manifestations in his music. He expanded the quartet’s traditional four-movement structure to include an ecstatic middle movement entitled…(A Convalescent’s Holy Song of Thanksgiving to the Deity, in the Lydian Mode). Beethoven’s radiant Holy Song of Thanksgiving is one of the most transcendentally spiritual movements ever written.
Beethoven: Shepherd's Song, Cheerful & Thankful Feelings After the Storm
From the video notes:
After the merry gathering of the countryfolk and the storm comes, the finale of Beethoven's Sixth, titled "Shepherd's song, Cheerful and thankful feelings after the storm," with the Italian tempo mark "Allegretto" (slightly fast). Beethoven's Symphony No. 6 in F Major, opus 68, 'Pastoral', is so different from his Symphony No. 5 that it's almost hard to believe that they came from the same composer. All the more surprising: Ludwig van Beethoven worked on both at the same time. Both were presented on December 22, 1808 in the same, four-hour concert at Vienna's Theater an der Wien that also included his Fourth Piano Concerto and other music. One might wish that a time machine existed to take us back to that notable event. At least, however, this performance comes from Beethoven's home town, Bonn, Germany, where the original score to the Symphony No. 6 is preserved at the Beethoven House archive. Studying original sources is important to conductor Paavo Järvi, who prepared these recordings over a period of years in the "Beethoven Project."
*** Christmas is Coming! ***
Book: Spiritual Lives of the Great Composers
From the publisher’s notes:
Handel, Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Mendelssohn, Brahms, Dvorak, Stravinsky, Messiaen . . . Men of genius as different as their music - but all inspired by deep spiritual convictions. Peter Kavanaugh uncovers the spirituality of twenty of music's timeless giants, revealing legacies of the soul as diverse as the masterpieces they created. Warmly written, beautifully illustrated, and complete with listening recommendations for each composer, Spiritual Lives of the Great Composers is a fascinating look at the inner flame that lit the works of these masters.
FSSP 2026 Liturgical Calendar, Trad Missals & Other Gifts!
*** A Blessed Thanksgiving Day to All! ***
The Jubilee Year: There's Still Time!
Every 25 years, Holy Church celebrates a “Jubilee Year” of special graces. This year’s theme is “Pilgrims of Hope.” A pilgrimage is one way to obtain the plenary indulgence of this Jubilee Year. The Year began Christmas Eve 2024, and ends formally in Rome on the feast of Epiphany, January 6th, 2026. However, it ends locally, outside of Rome, on the feast of the Holy Family, December 28th, 2025. The Year began with the opening of the Holy Door at Saint Peter’s Basilica and will close in the same way. There are several Holy Doors involved in the Jubilees, which represent a spiritual passage.
This means we still have about 4 months left! If you have not participated, there are still several things you can do to obtain the plenary indulgence or simply to be a part of this Jubilee Year with its unique privileges. My family and I will be going to Rome soon to perform the pilgrimage there. So many from all over the world have gone to Rome this year and what great blessings have been obtained! If you cannot travel, check with your diocese to see what activities are being done there or what their stipulations/holy sites are on the plenary.
Jubilee volunteers will be continued to be needed throughout the world.
From EWTN, here is general info, a travel app, the Papal Bull Jubilee Year document and the Jubilee prayer…
Experience the 2025 Jubilee, Becoming a Pilgrim of Hope
From United States Conference of Catholic Bishops here is: calendars, national shrines and US pilgrimage sites, info on the US Embassy to the Holy See in Rome and the Bishops Office for US Visitors to the Vatican and more…
USCCB: Jubilee 2025 - Pilgrims of Hope
Here is everything you need to know about obtaining the Jubilee Plenary Indulgence…
Decree on the Granting of Indulgence During the Ordinary Jubilee Year 2025
Excerpt:
“All the faithful, who are truly repentant and free from any affection for sin…who are moved by a spirit of charity and who, during the Holy Year, purified through the sacrament of penance and refreshed by Holy Communion, pray for the intentions of the Supreme Pontiff, will be able to obtain from the treasury of the Church a plenary indulgence, with remission and forgiveness of all their sins, which can be applied in suffrage to the souls in Purgatory in the following ways…”
This document goes on to explain all the stipulations, including the 3 ways to obtain the plenary: 1) Pilgrimage to Rome, the Holy Land or other sites 2) Pious visits to sacred places 3) Works of mercy and penance.
From the Vatican…
Vatican Jubilee Homepage
Happy and blessed Jubilee-ing!
Note: We are not responsible for errors. We have done our best to provide the most accurate info.
Yes, it really is this bad in the UK...
From LifeSite News:
UK pro-lifer investigated a third time for praying silently near abortion center
“Isabel Vaughan-Spruce's case will determine whether the UK can successfully prosecute thought-crimes in 21st century England.”
And this is not the only such case in the United Kingdom…