Thoughts on Memorial Day, USA

As with everything it seems, these days, we Catholics must move the opposite direction of the culture.  Memorial Day is no exception.  At my hair salon the other day, everyone was talking about their impending parties over the weekend.  Someone asked me what I was doing and I said, “Nothing,” a bit embarrassed.  I admit I am far from perfect in responding to these many awkward situations that arise.  This is our lot.  This is our cross as Christians, to follow the narrow path.

A culture that has forgotten how to mourn, has forgotten how to live.

In considering how I might “celebrate” this day, my first thought was to refrain from meat.  However, our fridge is packed with meat that needs to be cooked.  So I resolved to pray the rosary and to try to live a good, disciplined day.  Thinking of my husband’s uncle Harry who died in WWII, I decided to offer the day for him and when presented with a difficulty, to say, “Do it for Harry.” 

I have become deeply devoted to the memory of Harry, after coming across an old scrapbook in my husband’s basement.  It showed little anecdotes of Harry from his boyhood.  I was fascinated.  Finally, I turned a page and there it was.  The record of his death.  I had never heard the story and was shocked and saddened.  We have visited Harry’s memorial in the family cemetery several times now.  Someone placed a flag there which is worn, but still there.  He was buried in Germany.  26 years old, close to our son’s age now.  Like the line in “Gone with the Wind,” referring to the soldiers of the Civil War, “Maybe they are all Ashley”…I think of the men and women we honor today…Maybe they are all Harry. 

As I continue to work towards a community of love, apart from a world sinking into tyranny, I wonder what Harry died for and will remember to say, “Do it for Harry.”

On this feast of Our Lady, Mother of the Church, this octave of Pentecost and this Ember Week, let us keep these dear souls and their families in prayer, along with places of war right now and of course, pray for peace. 

­­Come Holy Ghost, give the world the illumination it needs so very much at this time!

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!

Another Empty Nester Conversation

Me: I don’t remember that happening, do you?

Hubby: No.

(Okay, I won’t quit my dayjob. Oh, this IS my dayjob.)

Litany of the Ascension / Novena to the Holy Ghost

A post from 2 years ago, with a pdf printable of the litany

pray it with your family ~ Ascension Blessings to all!

(You can support us by sharing ~ Thank you:)

BREAKING NEWS!

Dr. Taylor Marshall Running for President of the USA

May is the Month of Our Lady

Quick Update: Due to the aforementioned health issues, along with other things going on in my life, I will have to change my writing style here. I will have to write shorter, simpler ideas, in order to keep things going at a reasonable pace. I hope you enjoy the new format and I wish all of you blessings and everything wonderful!

Getting a late start this month, but that’s okay, because the most interesting feasts are the latter part of the month…

On the 13th we have Our Lady of Fatima, to whom this ministry is dedicated. She gives us the antidotes to our times in her Fatima requests. And she also gives us hope in promising a period of peace after a time of trial. Learning more about Fatima and Our Lady’s requests would be a wonderful way to celebrate this month dedicated to her. Try doing a search to the right-we have a lot of info here.

Saint Isidore the Farmer is on the 15th, which is also the first of the 3 Minor Rogation Days, days of prayer and penance, similar to the Ember Days. We like Saint Isidore because he was a farmer. Farming is good. People should like farmers more. We don’t have food without farmers. We should all learn how to farm. (This is how I write when I totally don’t try. Like a first grader’s homework assignment. You might have to get used to this.) But seriously, I am jesting because respect for food production and the importance of food self-reliance should be self-evident. It’s not anymore. Food is good. You die without food. Are people so gone that they need to be reminded of this?

We have Ascension Thursday on the 18th (check if it’s a Holy Day of Obligation in your Diocese) and Ascension Sunday, or whatever they’re calling it these days, on the 21st.

Pentecost, that glorious feast, is on the 28th, in both the trad and new. Come Holy Ghost! Do you have a red shirt? I don’t. I should buy one. I had one I liked once.

On the 31st, we have the Visitation (new) and the Queenship (trad) of Our Lady-a double Marian feast in this Month of Mary. This is also Ember Wednesday, the start of the Ember Days of Summer. Let us pray for the coming season to be productive and fruitful in many ways for the children of God.

Saint Joseph the Workman / Update

May 1st we celebrate the feast of Saint Joseph the Workman, honoring him as a laborer and humble participant in Jewish society. The prayer below is not specific to this feast, but it is so beautiful. It is from The Raccolta, a short prayer, easily committed to memory…

“O Joseph, virgin father of Jesus, most pure spouse of the Virgin Mary, pray for us daily to the Son of God, that, armed with the weapons of His grace, we may fight as we ought in life, and be crowned by Him in death.”

Unfortunately, I am suffering numerous health issues, including continued eye problems which reduces my ability to work on electronics. I would ask for your patience and prayer for myself and my family. You have my deepest thanks and all my readers are always in my prayers as well. Chiara:)

+++ Good Friday & A World in Crisis +++

Then the Jews, (because it was the parasceve,) that the bodies might not remain on the cross on the sabbath day, (for that was a great sabbath day,) besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away. The soldiers therefore came; and they broke the legs of the first, and of the other that was crucified with him. But after they were come to Jesus, when they saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs.

John 19:31

The 2 thieves died when their legs were broken because the legs support the body, so when the supports fail, death is hastened. When looking outside our windows, does this look familiar? What are the supports of a functional society? Here are a few, varying in importance, some dependent on others…

Relationship with God Freedom Morality Human Identity as Created by God Peace Honesty Honor Prosperity Access to Resources Sanctity of Life Bodily Autonomy Law Safety Reason Respect for God’s Earth Upholding the Vulnerable Cooperation Equality Free Market Limited Government Self-Defense Dignity & Civility Subsidiarity Self-Reliance Restraint of Technology Checks & Balances Support of Family Cultural Identity

For those who do not have their heads in the clouds, it is easy to see how these structural supports have been systematically attacked. Supposedly because of a 99% survival-rate virus, we have seen the erosion of freedom of speech, travel, bodily autonomy (including the very right to breathe, which square foot you are allowed to stand on and hugging a friend in public), worship, business, celebration of life events, parental rights, peaceful protest, financial rights, walking in a park and the list actually goes on. Looking at the above, how many things would you say are left?

The banking crisis the West now faces, is one example of a demolition which is further weakening the complex system we rely on. As Chris Martenson says, economy, energy and environment (“The Three E’s”) are inextricably linked. Throw in geopolitics and a history of making money out of thin air, and you get to where we are now. Martenson also makes the important point that we are seeing the general breakdown of “social contracts.”

Another expert, Robert Kiyosaki, explains the complexity of this situation with his colleague, Andy Schectman, in the video below. They explain the problems of selective bailouts, nations moving away from the dollar and an unprepared population. Pillars that we have long relied upon are now crumbling…

is it over for the us dollar?

The world is breaking the same way the legs of the 2 thieves were broken. When you destroy the foundational supports, the body falls. But there was One also crucified, in their midst. One Who could not be broken. Set apart. Human, yet Divine. The world must remember its Redeemer. We must return to Him and rely on His strength, because He can never fail. Though He was beaten and tortured, His core stood unbreakable. Though Holy Church suffers scandals and great distress, the gates of Hell cannot prevail against her. Her core is unshakable, her teachings immovable.

No matter what the coming days will hold, we must remain true to faith, hope and love. We stand on Christ. We know that our King will triumph, for He has already conquered from the Cross…and Risen! Alleluia!

April is the Month of the Holy Eucharist

April comes in with a bang this year with Holy Week. Let us observe the best Holy Week we can, so as to obtain mercy, not wrath for the world. Let us not forget the precious unborn, as they go to their own crosses, on Good Friday. And let us make ourselves deserving of the Solemnity of Solemnities, Easter Sunday. We then have the wonderful Octave of Easter, traditionally a time of great joy and feasting…for we have seen the suffering, the self-denial and the Holy Cross, leading ultimately to the ineffable Resurrection!

This month, we also celebrate the feast of Divine Mercy (Quasimodo Sunday in the trad), the Major Rogation Day and Good Shepherd Sunday in the new.

As for the month of the Holy Eucharist, what can we do to honor this greatest of heavenly gifts? We must begin to see everything through the lens of the Signs of the Times. One thing one might consider is this: Do I know anyone among friends or family who is receiving Holy Communion unworthily? If so, what can I do to defend our Blessed Lord and help this person to a greater life of holiness? Perhaps some instruction on Easter Duty, proper reception of Communion and examination of conscience, would be a good place to start. Obviously, we always proceed with prayer and discernment. We may do well to consider these words of genius…

“Let us not shun and suppress the earnest words of the calling voices, or those who are our executioners today may be our accusers once again tomorrow, because we silenced the truth.”

Father Alfred Delp, German Martyr under Hitler

Does it hurt us more to be vocal or to be silent?

Please see our LENT button to the right, which includes full meditations on the Sorrowful Mysteries, with a concluding thesis. Great wishes for a most blessed Holy Week and Easter Sunday!

Your friendly trad calendar: Month of April