Thought for the Day / Yeats' Famous Poem

“The Democratic Party — like the EU’s warmonger parties — has nothing left but violence against anything that looks like nationalism and traditional values.”

James Howard Kunstler

From recent article “The Widening Gyre”

Literate and consummate writer James Howard Kunstler evokes William Butler Yeats great poem “The Second Coming” in his most recent article about the emerging chaos of geopolitics. Here’s the poem…

Turning and turning in the widening gyre

The falcon cannot hear the falconer

Things fall apart, the centre cannot hold

Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world

The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere

The ceremony of innocence is drowned

The best lack all conviction, while the worst

Are full of passionate intensity

Surely some revelation is at hand

Surely the Second Coming is at hand

The Second Coming! Hardly are those words out

When a vast image out of Spiritus Mundi

Troubles my sight, somewhere in sands of the desert

A shape with lion body and the head of a man

A gaze blank and pitiless as the sun

Is moving its slow thighs, while all about it

Reel shadows of the indignant desert birds

The darkness drops again, but now I know

That twenty centuries of stony sleep

Were vexed to nightmare by a rocking cradle

And what rough beast, its hour come round at last,

Slouches towards Bethlehem to be born?

William Butler Yeats

The Second Coming

Cardinal Burke's Prayer for Pope Leo with PDF

Prayer for Pope Leo XIV

Vicar of Christ on Earth and Shepherd of the Universal Church  

O Holy Virgin Mary, Mother of the Lord of Heaven and of Earth, Our Lady of Guadalupe, guide and protect the Roman Pontiff, Pope Leo XIV. Through your intercession, may he receive in abundance the grace of the Successor of Saint Peter: the perpetual and visible source and foundation of the unity of our Bishops and of all our brothers and sisters in the Mystical Body of your Divine Son. Unite Pope Leo’s heart to your Immaculate Heart, leading him to rest his heart ever more securely in the glorious pierced Heart of Jesus, so that he may confirm us in the Catholic faith, in the worship of God in spirit and truth, and in a good and holy Christian life.

In the tumult of the present time, keep Pope Leo securely within the hollow of your mantle, in the crossing of your arms, protecting him from Satan, the father of lies, and from every evil spirit. Implore Our Lord to grant him, in particular, the wisdom and courage to be a true Shepherd of the Church throughout the world. With you, I place all my trust in Christ, the Good Shepherd, Who alone is our help and salvation. Amen.

Heart of Jesus, formed by the Holy Spirit in the womb of the Virgin Mother, have mercy upon us!

Our Lady of Guadalupe, Queen of the Apostles, pray for us!

Saints Peter and Paul, pray for us!

Pope Saint Leo the Great, pray for us!

By Raymond Leo Cardinal Burke

PDF Prayer for Pope Leo XIV

You can also print the prayer directly from the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe and order prayer cards. It is also available in other languages. You can get the prayer cards from their gift shop too, along with many other great things and it helps support a wonderful ministry.

The 4 Gospel Accounts of the Resurrection

The Resurrection of Jesus Christ:  The Four Gospels

“And in the end of the sabbath, when it began to dawn towards the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalen and the other Mary, to see the sepulchre. And behold there was a great earthquake. For an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and coming, rolled back the stone, and sat upon it. And his countenance was as lightning, and his raiment as snow. And for fear of him, the guards were struck with terror, and became as dead men. And the angel answering, said to the women: Fear not you, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for he is risen, as he said. Come, and see the place where the Lord was laid. And going quickly, tell ye his disciples that he is risen: and behold he will go before you into Galilee, there you shall see him. Lo, I have foretold it to you. And they went out quickly from the sepulchre with fear and great joy, running to tell his disciples. And behold Jesus met them, saying: All hail. But they came up and took hold of his feet, and adored him. Then Jesus said to them: Fear not. Go, tell my brethren that they go into Galilee, there they shall see me.”

Matthew 28:1-10

“And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalen, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, bought sweet spices, that coming, they might anoint Jesus. And very early in the morning, the first day of the week, they come to the sepulchre, the sun being now risen. And they said one to another: Who shall roll us back the stone from the door of the sepulchre? And looking, they saw the stone rolled back. For it was very great. And entering into the sepulchre, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed with a white robe: and they were astonished. Who saith to them: Be not affrighted, you seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified: he is risen, he is not here, behold the place where they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he goeth before you into Galilee, there you shall see him, as he told you. But they going out, fled from the sepulchre. For a trembling and fear had seized them: and they said nothing to any man, for they were afraid. But he rising early the first day of the week, appeared first to Mary Magdalen, out of whom he had cast seven devils. She went and told them that had been with him, who were mourning and weeping. And they hearing that he was alive, and had been seen by her, did not believe. And after that he appeared in another shape to two of them walking, as they were going into the country. And they going told it to the rest: neither did they believe them. At length he appeared to the eleven as they were at table: and he upbraided them with their incredulity and hardness of heart, because they did not believe them who had seen him after he was risen again. And he said to them: Go ye into the whole world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized, shall be saved: but he that believeth not shall be condemned.” 

Mark 16:1-16 

“And on the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came to the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared. And they found the stone rolled back from the sepulchre. And going in, they found not the body of the Lord Jesus. And it came to pass, as they were astonished in their mind at this, behold, two men stood by them, in shining apparel. And as they were afraid, and bowed down their countenance towards the ground, they said unto them: Why seek you the living with the dead? He is not here, but is risen. Remember how he spoke unto you, when he was in Galilee, saying: The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again. And they remembered his words. And going back from the sepulchre, they told all these things to the eleven, and to all the rest. And it was Mary Magdalen, and Joanna, and Mary of James, and the other women that were with them, who told these things to the apostles. And these words seemed to them as idle tales, and they did not believe them. But Peter rising up, ran to the sepulchre, and stooping down, he saw the linen cloths laid by themselves, and went away wondering in himself at that which was come to pass.”

Luke 24:1-12

“And on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalen cometh early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre, and she saw the stone taken away from the sepulchre. She ran, therefore, and cometh to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and saith to them: They have taken away the Lord out of the sepulchre, and we know not where they have laid him. Peter therefore went out, and that other disciple, and they came to the sepulchre. And they both ran together, and that other disciple did outrun Peter, and came first to the sepulchre. And when he stooped down, he saw the linen cloths lying, but yet he went not in. Then cometh Simon Peter, following him, and went into the sepulchre, and saw the linen cloths lying, and the napkin that had been about his head, not lying with the linen cloths, but apart, wrapped up into one place. Then that other disciple also went in, who came first to the sepulchre: and he saw, and believed. For as yet they knew not the scripture, that he must rise again from the dead. The disciples therefore departed again to their home. But Mary stood at the sepulchre without, weeping. Now as she was weeping, she stooped down, and looked into the sepulchre, and she saw two angels in white, sitting, one at the head, and one at the feet, where the body of Jesus had been laid. They say to her: Woman, why weepest thou? She saith to them: Because they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid him. When she had thus said, she turned herself back, and saw Jesus standing, and she knew not that it was Jesus. Jesus saith to her: Woman, why weepest thou? Whom seekest thou? She, thinking it was the gardener, saith to him: Sir, if thou hast taken him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away. Jesus saith to her: Mary. She turning, saith to him: Rabboni (which is to say, Master).”

John 20:1-16

(from the Douay-Rheims, which is what we typically use)

PDF Printable

The Resurrection of Jesus Christ:

The Four Gospels

"The Winners of the Future"

“The winners of the future are going to be those who can still concentrate, and have the patience to learn and absorb actual context in depth.  The losers are going to be the people blindly reacting, lacking any and all context…the powers that be want us to have no context. That's why when there are revolutions, the first thing the communists, the authoritarians, the socialists do, is they tear down the statues. They don't want you grounded in your past. They ruin the libraries. They get rid of the Christians. They basically upend and tear out all the history books and rewrite them because a people without context are people that are easily manipulated ”

Chris Martenson

And one of our new taglines here at Nomen Christi is…

the future is catholic!

be on the cutting edge

…and it appears we are in the “quickening,” the phase of exponential acceleration, so don’t think the future is that far away.

February is the Month of the Passion of Our Lord

As the Cycle of Christmas comes to a close this month, we begin to meditate upon the sufferings of Our Blessed Lord.  The second part of the traditional liturgical year begins with Septuagesima on Sunday, the 16th.  The Cycle of Easter extends until the next Church year, the beginning of Advent.  This is when we contemplate the Mystery of the Redemption, through Septuagesima, Lent, Passiontide, Easter Time and Time after Pentecost.  So bringing to mind the Passion, after celebrating the joyful Christmas Season, is most appropriate this month.

Let us seek to observe a holy Septuagesima, when we prepare for Lent.  Why do this?  There is a lot of very good commentary out there on Septuagesima, which goes into it much deeper than we do here.  One thing we can do is educate ourselves more on this forgotten liturgical season.  But to answer the question, it is best to enter Lent spiritually and practically prepared.  This takes some time and prayer.  Certainly, Septuagesima would be a time for the Sacrament of Penance.  Meditating upon the Passion will be most productive if we are putting the spiritual life first.  You will find that a good observance of this pre-Lenten time will be immensely rewarding!

If we merge Septuagesima with our contemplation of the Passion, it really starts out strong with the Introit of the first Sunday Mass…

“The groans of death surrounded me, the sorrows of hell encompassed me.”

We’re not in the Christmas Season anymore.  But we know that baby in His Mother’s arms, honored by the Magi, came to suffer and die for our sins.  And there is no Resurrection without the Cross.  No joy without tears.  It is time now for us to walk the Via Dolorosa with Our Lady and Our Lord, to our Heavenly reward.  The words above are those of one crying out to God, but they could just as easily be the words of Our Lord Himself as He walked that walk.

During the first 2 weeks of Septuagesima, we honor 3 Apostles:  Saint Simeon’s feast (Simon the Zealot) is the 18th, the Chair of Saint Peter is the 22nd and Saint Matthias’ feast is the 24th.  As for Simeon, there is no scripture directly associating him with the Passion, but, he was of course present at the Last Supper.  From the Mass of Saint Simeon, our sins are likened to a “weight,” calling to mind the weight of the Cross, which our Lord carried for these sins:

“Look mercifully, almighty God, upon our weakness, and because the weight of our own deeds presses upon us, may the glorious intercession of Saint Simeon, Thy martyr and bishop, be our protection.”

The feast of the “Chair of Saint Peter” refers to a great relic which symbolizes the papacy.  As such, we are indeed honoring the glorious Saint Peter.  From Matthew 16:18…

“And I say to thee: That thou art Peter; and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”

Simon Peter was intimately linked to the events of the Passion.  Luke describes his following in the distance, his denial, the glance with Our Lord, and Peter’s weeping (Luke 22:54-62).  During this time before Lent, let us flee to St. Peter’s intercession for a good examination of conscience and to see the ways in which we ourselves, deny the will of God.  Saint Peter, pray for Holy Church at this time!

From EWTN VATICAN, 11/17/24…

Rare Vatican Relic on Display:

The Story Behind St. Peter’s Chair

(Includes a wonderful video of the Chair at the Vatican.)

Excerpt:

This historic wooden throne, known as the Cathedra Sancti Petri, holds immense spiritual and historical significance, symbolizing the authority and mission of the papacy…Scholars have studied the chair extensively over the years, revealing that its oldest components date as far back as the 6th century…Each year, on February 22nd, we celebrate the Feast of the Cathedra Sancti Petri, the “Chair” of Peter…“It can be presumed,” [Prof. Francesco Buranelli] continued, “that it was used as the papal throne until the 1600s”…The Cathedra Sancti Petri, a profound symbol of the unbroken line of succession from St. Peter…was last displayed publicly in 1867 to mark the 1800th anniversary of St. Peter’s martyrdom…In 2012, Pope Benedict XVI described the Chair as “a symbol of the special mission of Peter and his successors to shepherd Christ’s flock, keeping it united in faith and charity.” 

Saint Matthias would never have become associated with the 12 Apostles, if Judas had not betrayed Jesus.  Matthias was faithful to Our Savior, even unto death.  From the old Catholic Encyclopedia:

Matthias was one of the seventy disciples of Jesus, and had been with Him from His baptism by John to the Ascension. It is related (Acts 1:15-26) that in the days following the Ascension, Peter proposed to the assembled brethren, who numbered one hundred and twenty, that they choose one to fill the place of the traitor Judas in the Apostolate. Two disciples, Joseph, called Barsabas, and Matthias were selected, and lots were drawn, with the result in favour of Matthias.

Moving on with Septuagesima through the lens of the Passion, Quinquagesima Sunday, March 2nd, includes the Gospel account of Our Lord foretelling his arrest and death:

Luke 18:31-43

Other notable feasts of February from the trad and new calendars:

2nd-Presentation of the Lord/Purification of the BVM/Candlemas

3rd-Saint Blaise, Blessing of Throats

6th-Saint Titus, Companion of Saint Paul, Bishop

11th-Our Lady of Lourdes

14th-Saint Valentine

23rd-Sexagesima Sunday

Homeschool Activities This Month

1)       List 5 ways we can prepare for Lent.

2)       Write a short essay on the history of the Chair of Saint Peter (handwrite in cursive).

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Christmas Meditation from "Advent of the Heart" with PDF

Well, we’re getting this out on the trad feast of the Epiphany, better late than never! It has been quite a project going through the entire book and extricating the “best” quotes (which is hard to do because every sentence is genius). My best advice is: read the book! But it is not for the faint-hearted and if you want an intellectual challenge, you got it.

According to the traditional Liturgical Calendar, Christmastide began the evening of December 24th with the Mass discussed below. This is not the Midnight Mass, it is the vigil. Christmastide extends until the octave of Epiphany, at which time we enter Time After Epiphany, which extends till Septuagesima (technically Lent). The Cycle of Christmas, when we meditate upon the Incarnation, extends from Advent to Septuagesima, when we begin our meditation upon the Redemption. Christmas celebration, according to my pastor, generally goes until the Feast of the Presentation, February 2nd, as this is last of the major feasts of the Cycle of Christmas.

There is supplemental Advent material in the book, which I will be completing for you, just to be thorough, with PDFs. Then we will have a complete study of Advent of the Heart, which should be used in conjunction with the book. This can be for family or church use. I was unsuccessful in establishing an Advent prayer group this past year, but will try again next year. In fact, I hope to be having regular Nomen Christi meetings by then. If you are local, please get on our email list, so we can contact you! Meetings will be held in the mid-Long Island area.

ADVENT OF THE HEART

+   Christmas Meditation ~ Fr. Alfred Delp, German Martyr   +

Let us view these writings through the lens of our own times.  All quotes below are from the Christmas Vigil Tridentine Mass, along with commentary written in Tegel Prison, Berlin, 1944, shortly before Fr. Delp’s martyrdom…

Opening Psalm:

“This day you shall know that the Lord will come, and save us: and in the morning you shall see His glory.”

“This means, first, quite simply the nearness of the holy day, the relationship between the Vigil Mass and Christmas Day.  However, it also means a continuing condition, a basic principle of our lives…Man wants so much to regard the known as if it were the final answer, and to feel at home there and settle himself firmly…Man must keep going, keep traveling toward life’s prize…This [text] evokes a creative and healing restlessness in us, to which we are indebted for everything that is authentic and fully alive…And now, at the gates of The Christmas mystery, through which we want to enter as though it were the rediscovered Paradise, the same motif will come into play…You have heard and understood the message…You should set out toward the tangible fulfillment and encounter.  Here too, is the old tension.  Here, too, is the principle of archery: the bow can be drawn only when the archer bears the burden… “

Collect (prayer prior to Epistle):

“O God, Who dost gladden us by the yearly expectation of our redemption, grant that we, who now joyfully receive Thine only-begotten Son as our Redeemer, may also without fear behold Him coming as our Judge, even the same Lord Jesus Christ Thy Son.”

“…the liturgy rescues the image of the incarnate God from the danger of being seen as delicate and innocuous…we are reminded that the Child at whose coming we are rejoicing is the future Judge of our lives.  These smiling eyes of the Child will someday focus on us in mature, solemn examination and judgment.”

Epistle, Romans 1:1:

“…the Gospel of God, which He had promised before by His prophets in the holy Scriptures concerning His Son, who was made to Him of the seed of David according to the flesh: who was predestinated the Son of God in power according to the spirit of sanctification by the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ from the dead: by whom we have received grace, and apostleship for obedience to the faith in all nations…”

“As the Epistle…intones, [of the seed of David according to the flesh]…It is the incomprehensible fact of God entering into history, that He stepped into our law, into our space, into our existence, and not only like one of us, bus as one of us…Paul says of this relationship to Christ, [by whom we have received grace, and apostleship for obedience to the faith in all nations]…All encounters with God challenge His creatures to response and mission.”

Post-Communion:

“We beseech Thee, O Lord, grant us fresh courage [or breath, respirare in Latin], as we celebrate the birthday of Thine only-begotten Son: Whose heavenly Mystery is our food and drink.”

“…we will seldom pray a word so earnestly, honestly, and longingly as this respirare asking for breath at the close of the Christmas Eve Vigil Mass: Lord, give us breath.  Let us draw a deep breath because the stones have fallen from our hearts, because life is on solid ground again…here we have arrived at the heights upon which the respirare, the sigh of relief, the new breath, can happen…The world continues on its course, but it has become the barque of the Lord God that no storm can overturn and no flood can tear asunder.”

 FR. DELP’S CHRISTMAS MEDITATION PRINTABLE PDF

National Farmer's Day, Saturday, October 12th

National Farmer’s Day is this coming Saturday, in the US.  Those who produce our food with responsibility and hard work are so important to the human family and deserve the utmost respect.  Unfortunately, they are now being attacked in America and Europe by the globalists who wish to re-write civilization.  Farmers need our support and prayer. If you can’t celebrate this weekend, it would be fine to extend these ideas to the remainder of the month…the farmers won’t mind!

From the Old Farmer’s Almanac:

“This is a day to honor and thank all of the hardworking farmers and ranchers who plow, sow, grow, and harvest to feed our nation. We especially rely on farmers to get fresh food on our tables during these uncertain times. Let’s pay tribute to the men, women, and families who put food in the grocery stores and on our tables every day.”

From National Day Calendar:

“October does seem fitting for celebrating this National Day as it is near the end of the harvest. Many farmers will be able to take a rest from their hard labor to join in the celebration of this holiday.”

Also see: National Days in Agriculture and Successful Farming with a look at the American history of farming.

Okay, let’s see what ideas I can come up on how to celebrate this day, off the top of my head. I’m going to try to squeeze 10 ideas out of my brain. I did not say they would be good ones.  Try to come up with your own!

1. Take your children pumpkin picking or apple picking or something picking.

2. Do farming-related crafts.

3. Watch videos about farmers.

4. Stick food in water and see what happens.

5. Learn about farming history. Homeschoolers, take a look at the link above, for an easy lesson.

6. Teach children about botany.

7. Organize something to honor local farmers. Maybe work with your Town Hall.

8. Play farm animal sounds for your dog.

9. Get a farming book out of the library.

10. Do a presentation at your local school or church about farming.

But most of all, appreciate the blessings of abundance you have, through the hard labor and discipline of our farmers:)

SAINT ISIDORE THE FARMER, PRAY FOR US!

An Attack on Farmers is an Attack on the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass!

September is the Month of Our Lady of Sorrows

Concluding prayers from the 3 litanies of Our Lady of Sorrows:

We beseech Thee, O Lord Jesus Christ, let Thy Mother, the Blessed Virgin Mary, whose holy soul was pierced by a sword of sorrow at the hour of Thy Passion, implore Thy mercy for us, both now and at the hour of our death, Who livest and reignest, world without end.

Imprint, O Lady, thy wounds upon my heart, that I may read therein sorrow and love, sorrow to endure every sorrow for thee, love to despise every love for thee.

O Lord Jesus Christ, God and Man, grant, we beseech Thee, that Thy dear Mother Mary, whose soul the sword pierced in the hour of Thy Passion, may intercede for us, now, and in the hour of our death, through Thine own merits, O Saviour of the world, Who with the Father and the Holy Spirit livest and reignest, God, world without end.

Amen.

This is the second month of Nomen Christi Apostolate’s “Marian Triad of the Months,” when we are contemplating the Mariology of her Immaculate Heart, her 7 Sorrows and the Holy Rosary.  How can we honor her sorrows this month?  We can pray the litanies mentioned above, the 7 Sorrows Chaplet and also celebrate the feast of Our Lady of Sorrows on the 15th.  This feast is in both the trad and new calendars.  In terms of meditation, we may ask ourselves the following questions:  “How do our Heavenly Mother’s sorrows relate to our own times?”  “How can we appeal to her during these times?”  “Why did God allow her to suffer?”  “How can we derive consolation from her own Passion, inextricably linked to Our Lord’s?” 

We also honor the Mother of God’s nativity on the 8th, her holy name on the 12th  and Our Lady of Ransom the 24th.  The feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross is on the 14th.  The Ember Days of Autumn always proceed the following week on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday (Wed and Sat meat at one meal and of course, the usual Friday penance).  See “Ember Days” topic to the right>>>  Other notable feasts this month:

Saint Gregory the Great/Saint Pius X-3rd

Saint Teresa of Calcutta-5th

Saint Matthew, Apostle-21st

Saint Pio-23rd

Saint Vincent de Paul-27th

The Three Archangels, Michael, Gabriel & Raphael-29th

Our Lady of Sorrows Prayers from the Tridentine Mass with PDF

The Human Spirit Shall Prevail!

To all you totalitarians. Consider yourselves warned…

“The more you tighten your grip Tarkin, the more star systems will slip through your fingers.”

Princess Leia

Everything "X" Eclipse!

“And God said: Let there be lights made in the firmament of heaven, to divide the day and the night, and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days and years: To shine in the firmament of heaven, and to give light upon the earth. And it was so done. And God made two great lights: a greater light to rule the day, and a lesser light to rule the night: and the stars. And he set them in the firmament of heaven to shine upon the earth. And to rule the day and the night, and to divide the light and the darkness. And God saw that it was good.”

Genesis 1:14

“The Great American Eclipse”

&

“The Great North American Eclipse”

2017 ~ 2024 

Many believe the Total Eclipse of the Sun proves the existence of God.  It shows obvious intelligent design, that the Moon fits perfectly over the Sun, to block out the day and show the glorious corona, that can never be seen otherwise.  For many, witnessing this event is deeply spiritual and life-changing.  Other cultures, notably the Native Americans and the Muslims, have taken eclipses very seriously.  Let us pray that the upcoming Total Eclipse on April 8th will see a conversion in hearts for those living lives of sin or those who do not believe in the Divine Majesty.  Let us also pray, for those already on the path of holiness, that they may increase in faith and trust in our Almighty Creator after witnessing such an incredible phenomenon. 

What are the basic facts about these 2 eclipses?

The upcoming eclipse takes place on the feast of the Annunciation, when the Angel Gabriel announced to the Virgin Mary, that she will bear the Savior of Mankind.  Is this event an announcement of a sort?  Even if it portends dark times, we know that there is always hope and in God’s time, a glorious ending.  Totality starts in the Pacific Ocean, lands in Sinaloa Mexico, traverses from Texas to Newfoundland, Canada, and onto the Atlantic Ocean.  This whole wavelike dance takes roughly 3 hours, 15 minutes (on land) and reaches maximum totality at 2:17 EDT.  This eclipse is unique in that it will last roughly 4 ½ minutes (which is long), the sky will fall darker and the the Sun’s Corona will be quite active, as we will be close to a solar maximum (this refers to the Sun’s 11-year cycle).  From astonomy.com:  

“Everyone in the continental U.S. will see at least a partial eclipse.  In fact, if you have clear skies on eclipse day, the Moon will cover at least 16 percent of the Sun’s surface…you’ll start to notice that the shadows around you are getting sharper. The reason is that the Sun’s disk is shrinking, literally approaching a point — and a smaller light source produces better-defined shadows. At about 85 percent coverage, you’ll be able to spot Venus 15° west-southwest of the Sun. If any trees are at your site, you may see their leaves act like simple pinhole cameras, with hundreds of crescent Suns appearing in their shadows…Unlike the 2017 eclipse, which covered only one large city, Nashville, the 2024 event will plunge several major metropolitan centers into darkness. [Following is edited for clarity.]  Many lie directly along the path of totality, while others will have a smaller (but still significant) percentage of their areas covered. Among them are Mazatlán, San Antonio, Austin, Fort Worth, Dallas, Indianapolis, Cincinnati, Columbus, Cleveland and Buffalo.” 

The last total eclipse 7 years ago, crossed the USA from Oregon to South Carolina.  The 2 eclipses together, create an “X” across the Midwest:  9,000 square miles covering parts of Missouri, Kentucky and Illinois.  The first eclipse occurred on August 21st, the date of the Our Lady of Knock apparitions in Ireland in 1879.  This was a strange, silent vision, seen by many people, which included not only Our Lady, but also Our Lord in the form of a Lamb, Saint Joseph and Saint John the Evangelist, along with angels.  The presence of the writer of Apocalypse may indicate a prophetic meaning, perhaps even speaking of our own times.  It is also worth noting this occurred during the month of the Immaculate Heart and the year of the Fatima Centennial.  There was also a 9-month-long astronomical event overlapping with this eclipse, to be discussed below. 

What is the significance of the 7-year time period between these eclipses? 

This is obviously in the realm of speculation.  We would do well to take a look at what has transpired in the past 7 years.  2 years after the first eclipse, the world saw a weaponized virus descend upon it.  It’s been a whirlwind ever since, with no end in sight.  We are now engulfed in a variety of polycrises or multi-front attack vectors, which we will take a look at below.  The Western world has indeed crossed a threshold during these 7 years.  The Covid agenda successfully proved that all human rights we took for granted can now be breeched, even in “the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave.”  Not surprisingly, in the wake of this unprecedented disaster, things are heating up all over.  Since the US is the world’s great military power, anything happening here should concern the entire world…and there’s an “X” coming…and it’s hard to ignore. 

Darkness in the form of an “X”…or a cross.  We know God has used darkness before as a sign and will use it again.  The 9th Plague of Egypt was 3 days of darkness.  And during Our Lord’s Crucifixion, there were three hours of darkness, about the same amount of time for this eclipse to traverse from Mexico to Canada: 

“Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over the whole earth, until the ninth hour.” 

Matthew 27:45 

But darkness is only a metaphor, an eclipse is only a symbol for the spiritual eclipse which has taken place in our world.  Sin has blotted out the Light of Christ.  And repentance will bring it back. 

What are the spiritual polycrises facing us?

Gender Ideology     In Vitro Fertilization     Pornography     Fornication     Homosexuality     Contraception     Abortifacients     Abortion     Child Abuse     Sacrilegious Communion     Modernism     Scandal & Confusion in the Church     Occult Practices     Corrupt Entertainment     Despair     Drug Use     Dishonesty     Violence     Materialism     Divorce     Nihilism     Religious Persecution     Corruption of Children Immodesty

What are the temporal polycrises facing us?

Energy Depletion     Green Energy Pipe Dream     Trillions in Debt     Excessive Money Printing     International Abandoning of Dollar     Political Corruption     Distrust of Institutions     Mass Human Migration     Mind Control & Mass Psychosis     Breeches of International & Domestic Law     All Human Rights in Jeopardy     Climate Change Hysteria     Screen Addiction     Human Trafficking     Genocide     Geo-Political Tensions     Supply Chain Issues     Weaponized Government     Media Lies     Electronic Surveillance     Artificial Intelligence     Ecological Damage     Crime     Biotechnology     Advanced Weaponry     Breakdown of Family & Community     Government Dependence     Globalist Agenda     Weaponized Healthcare

This is why we must pray for mercy.  Of course these 2 groupings overlap in many ways and fundamentally all is a spiritual battle…

“For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers, against the rulers of the world of this darkness, against the spirits of wickedness in the high places.”

Ephesians 6:12

Why perform a Pilgrimage?

Pilgrimages, or physical travel to places of religious significance is a universal and ancient practice.  It has been practiced by Catholics and also the Jewish people, including the Holy Family, were required to visit the Temple in Jerusalem 3 times per year.  Pilgrimages connect the faithful to places of meaning, for we live after all, in a physical world.  The physical contains the spiritual, as the body contains the soul, as the Tabernacle contains the Real Presence.  Pilgrimages connect us to the transcendent and also each other.  Physical travel, along with devotional practice, shows effort and contains some measure of sacrifice.  It is extraordinarily beneficial and also offers opportunity to create beautiful memories with our loved ones.

The Eclipse Pilgrimage of Mercy first invokes Our Lord in the Divine Mercy Novena, which is a Pilgrimage of the Heart coming to Christ.  Then we travel to a holy site to pray the Rosary, invoking Our Lady.  Our Two Hearts, pierced by 2 swords of sin across the land, creating a cross, we pray, will receive consolation and reparation.  We in turn, hope to mitigate the coming chastisement.

What role does Our Lady of Guadalupe play in these events?

Our Lady appeared to Saint Juan Diego on Tepeyac hill in Mexico.  This coming eclipse begins on land, also in Mexico.  The miraculous image which appeared upon Diego’s “Tilma,” shows the Mother of God surrounded by the rays of the Sun and standing upon a crescent Moon.  One cannot help but see a connection to Saint John’s apocalyptic vision mentioned below, which some say appeared in the sky 33 days after the first eclipse.  Also, Mary’s image on the cloak has been described as a kind of “eclipse,” as she seems to be blocking the Sun, while its Corona emanates from her. 

Our Lady of Guadalupe is known as the “Queen of Mexico” and the “Empress of the Americas,” as her devotion spread throughout Mexico and to all the people of South America.  The “X” Eclipse is given to North America, within her patronage (and hence to the world).  She brings this warning to our land at a time when we are engulfed in crises like never before, with all manner of devastation looming.  Just as she converted the pagans of Mexico, she now seeks to convert this post-Christian culture, which has forgotten its great Redeemer, and create a new world, close to God and nature…the Authentic Life.

April 8th’s Eclipse is overlapping with Raymond Leo Cardinal Burke’s Nine-Month Novena to Our Lady of Guadalupe, which began March 12th.  He sees the polycrises all around us and has instituted this devotion as a response.  Like a loving Mother, Our Lady always comes, not simply to chastise, but ultimately to console.  Remember her words to Saint Juan Diego:

“Are you not in the hollow of my mantle, in the crossing of my arms?”

How does this Eclipse relate to Apocalypse 12:1?

What was the 9-month astronomical event which took place in conjunction with the Eclipse 7 years ago?

“And a great sign appeared in heaven: A woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars.”  

Apocalypse 12:1

My research has yielded the following.  This is speculative.  Please make your own judgement.  I am not responsible for errors, as I am not an astronomy expert. 

On the feast of Christ the King, Novemer 20th 2016, an astronomical story began to unfold, which lasted 9 ½ months, correlating roughly with a woman’s pregnancy.  Some believe a comet, which appeared at the outset, represented the Incarnation.  And at the end of this period, a birthing, reflecting Apocalypse 12.

This story began with Jupiter, representing a king, entering the womb area of the constellation Virgo, representing a virgin.  Jupiter was in “retrograde,” and spent 9 months in this position.  The first half of the “X” Eclipse occurred on August 21st, 2017.  On September 23rd, on the feast of Saint Padre Pio, in the month of Our Lady of Sorrows, the “birthing” was seen in the night sky.  The planet came out of Virgo, the Sun rose directly behind the constellation, and the Moon was at its lower part.  Saint John’s account depicts a crown of 12 stars upon the lady.  Above Virgo, appeared the nine stars of Leo, along with Mercury, Venus and Mars.  Some say the saga continues astronomically with the depiction of the dragon seeking to devour the child, etc. 

Saint Pio may be significant, as he gave a number of warnings about the coming days.  The woman in this verse, is often seen to represent the Church or the Virgin Mary.  There are varying opinions as to the uniqueness of these events.  Some insist that taken as a whole, such a progression in the sky cannot be ignored and would be extremely rare.  The Eclipse in August is a local sky event that can be seen as overlapping with the other universal phenomena.  Are we living through Apocalypse in real time?  You decide.

Remember to be joyful and always trust in God!

He sends us this “X” out of love!

We have such a great Savior and such a beautiful Mother!

Peace be with you & your families!

PS If you are reading this after the fact…the “X” will remain relevant, it cannot be forgotten…you can always say the Divine Mercy Chaplet Novena and you can always pray the Rosary…please also pray Cardinal Burke’s Guadalupe prayer, see link above.