September is the Month of Our Lady of Sorrows-Part 1

Let us honor the 7 Sorrows of Our Lady this month. She teaches us how to suffer. Last month, we celebrated her Immaculate Heart and now we see the great suffering which results from great love. Next month, we contemplate the Holy Rosary, the gift to humanity out of this motherly love.

There are many devotions to Our Lady of Sorrows. Think about choosing one (the chaplet is wonderful) and praying it with your family or church group.

Come back next week and we will discuss this topic a bit further, along with the notable feasts of the month. Don’t forget Mother Teresa of Calcutta’s feast on the 5th and Our Lady’s nativity on the 8th!

our lady of sorrows, pray for us!

+++ Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary +++

“Frari Assumption” by Tiziano Vecelli, altarpiece in Venice, 1518

Beautiful prayers from the Tridentine Mass of the Assumption:

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. (Ps. 97: 1) Sing ye to the Lord a new canticle: because He hath done wonderful things. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. 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.

Almighty everlasting God, who hast taken body and soul into heaven the Immaculate Virgin Mary, Mother of Thy Son: grant, we beseech Thee, that by steadfastly keeping heaven as our goal we may be counted worthy to join her in glory. Through the same Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, forever and ever.

Hearken, O daughter, and see, and incline thine ear: and the King shall greatly desire thy beauty. All beautiful is the King’s daughter as she comes in, robed in cloth of gold.

Alleluia, alleluia. Mary has been assumed into heaven: the angelic host rejoices. Alleluia.

I will put enmities between thee and the woman, and thy seed and her seed.

May our offering of due service rise unto Thee, O Lord: and through the prayer of the most Blessed Virgin Mary, assumed by Thee into heaven, may our hearts be set on fire with love and ever yearn for Thee. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, Who lives and reigns with Thee in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, forever and ever.

It is truly meet and just, right and for our salvation that we always and everywhere give thanks unto Thee, O holy Lord, Father almighty, everlasting God: and that we should praise and bless, and proclaim Thee, in this feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary, ever Virgin: Who also conceived Thine only-begotten Son by the overshadowing of the Holy Spirit, and the glory of her virginity still abiding, gave forth to the world the everlasting Light, Jesus Christ our Lord. Through whom the Angels praise Thy majesty, the Dominations adore, the Powers tremble: the heavens and the hosts of heaven, and the blessed Seraphim, together celebrate in exultation. With whom, we pray Thee, command that our voices of supplication also be admitted in confessing Thee saying:

Sanctus, Sanctus, Sanctus,

Dóminus Deus Sábaoth. Pleni sunt

cæli et terra glória tua. Hosánna in

excélsis! Benedíctus qui venit in

nómine Dómini. Hosánna in excélsis!

All generations shall call me blessed. Because He that is mighty hath done great things to me.

Through the merits and prayers of the Blessed Virgin Mary, by Thee assumed into heaven, may we, O Lord, who have received the sacraments of salvation, come to the glory of the resurrection. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, Who lives and reigns with Thee in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, forever and ever.

The following commentary on the Mariology of the Assumption, is from a wonderful resource which I have used a lot: extraordinaryform.org

“Among the feasts of the Blessed Virgin that of the Dormitio Sanctae Mariae, or of her bodily Assumption into heaven, was from very early times the most solemn and the most widely observed. In the time of Pope Sergius I a solemn procession proceeded to St. Mary Major, where Mass was celebrated. It was customary to carry images of the Savior and of His Blessed Mother in this procession; outside of Rome a similar ceremony was observed. It should, however, be borne in mind that though the divine maternity of theBlessed Virgin Mary may be regarded as the immediate reason of her Assumption into heaven, yet the first and formal reason of this privilege is to be sought in her Immaculate Conception. It is true, indeed, that the dignity of the Mother of the Incarnate Word was the primary reason for which God preserved the Immaculate Conception of Mary from all stain of original sin – and in this sense the Gregorian Sacramentary rightly attributes the reason of the bodily resurrection of the Blessed Virgin to her prerogative as Mother of the Word – but in order to express this truth with perfect accuracy, it is necessary to say that the formal reason for the preservation of her body from corruption was precisely her immunity from all stain of original sin.”

Image from Wikipedia entry about this extraordinary painting.

August, Month of the Immaculate Heart & Marian Triad of the Months

This month, we celebrate the Mother of God’s Immaculate and most loving Heart.  In June, we prayed for our hearts to be conformed to the Heart of Jesus, now we pray for the same grace regarding Our Lady.  Think about how you will honor her most pure heart during the month of August. 

August also brings us the first month of what might be called the “Marian Triad of the Months.”  These are 3 months in a row, which Holy Church dedicates to Our Lady.  September honors Our Lady of Sorrows and October, the Holy Rosary.  It is an interesting theological pondering, to see how these 3 dedications might interrelate.  During this Triad would be a wonderful time to engage in Marian reading and devotions, to deepen your relationship with the Queen of Heaven.

As for some notable feasts this month, we have:  Saint Dominic, seer of the Holy Rosary, on the 4th and 8th (we look at both old and new feasts)…Our Lady of the Snows on the 5th…the Transfiguration of Our Lord, one of the Luminous Mysteries, on the 6th…Santa Chiara (Clare) on the 11th and 12th…the Vigil of the Assumption on the 14th and the Assumption, Holy Day of Obligation on the 15th…Saint Joachim, father of Mary, the very next day, the 16th…on the 22nd, a double Marian feast, the Queenship of the Blessed Virgin and the traditional celebration of the Immaculate Heart…we honor 2 patron saints of gardening on the same day, Saint Rose of Lima and Saint Fiacre, on the 30th…the Passion of Saint John the Baptist on the 29th.

Here is the Roman Catholic traditional calendar for the month of August:  Calefactory

~   Immaculate Heart of Mary, Pray for Us!   ~

Image from Catholic News Agency

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.

Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus

Today is the feast of the Sacred Heart, in both the old and new calendars. Tomorrow is the feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary in the new calendar. These Hearts are so inseparable, Holy Church celebrates them together in this month of June.

The beautiful depiction above, of Our Lord holding out His Heart to us, was painted in the 18th century by Pompeo Batoni. I’m actually looking at it right now in my dining room (which is also my office, much to the chagrin of my family), since our church has been giving out large prints of this painting. When searching for an image, I thought to myself, “I wish I could find that one,” and it’s the first thing that popped up!

"Jesus, meek and humble of heart, make my heart like unto Thine.”

We are all familiar with this pious prayer, but have we really thought about the implications of it? Look again at His Heart above. It is encircled by the Crown of Thorns and has been pierced, droplets of blood falling from it. If we are to conform our hearts to His, we must accept the consequences. We must accept that we will at the very least, become dry martyrs in this life. We will be insulted, lied about and misjudged. We will be hurt by those we love. We will need to raise the “sword to divide,” and be called “abusers” for speaking the truth. We will be persecuted in all kinds of ways by those around us and by the world. We must don also, this Crown of Thorns and our own hearts will be pierced and bloodied. This is what that cross and that flame atop our own hearts will require. But there is no greater gift than that of the Theological Virtue of Charity and it is worth any suffering that may result. We will have a clear conscience at death and win our eternal reward in Heaven. We will also be happier.

“And now there remain faith, hope, and charity, these three: but the greatest of these is charity.”

1 Corinthians 13:13

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:)

RFK Jr. & Abortion

RFK Jr., the son of Bobby Kennedy, who was killed in Los Angeles, 1968, is campaigning for President of the United States on the Democratic ticket. The Washington Post claims he already enjoys 20% of this party’s support. He is also attracting many on the “right,” due to his centrist leanings and promise to secure our freedoms, in post-Covid America. He has straddled the fence on abortion in the past, but has now fallen decidedly against the unborn. Have a look at these 2 articles…

Robert F Kennedy Jr. Supports Abortion

The Hole in the Heart of RFK Jr.’s Extraordinary Book

Sadly, RFK Jr. is a Catholic who purportedly attends Mass daily and even wrote a children’s book on his patron saint, Francis of Assisi, in 2005. Robert Francis Kennedy Jr. would do well to contemplate the words of Holy Scripture, perhaps speaking of these very times…

“I know thy works, that thou art neither cold, nor hot. I would thou wert cold, or hot. But because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold, nor hot, I will begin to vomit thee out of my mouth.”

Apocalypse 3:15

June is the Month of the Sacred Heart of Jesus

June continues the traditional Ember Days of Summer on the First Friday and First Saturday.  The Masses of these days are beautiful to read.  Of course, First Fridays are dedicated to the Sacred Heart, so, something to think about there.  We have Trinity Sunday and the 2 feasts of Corpus Christi (or Body and Blood of Christ), in the trad and the new.  Very exciting, the back-to-back feasts of our Two Hearts are on the 16th and the 17th (the 16th being a Friday solemnity, no penance). 

Where does one start when contemplating all the devotional riches of the Sacred Heart, which Holy Church has given us?  Here is a great place to start, from The Catholic Encyclopedia:  Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.  This topic is divided into 2 parts:  Doctrinal Explanations and Historical Ideas.

Have a look at the full trad calendar for June:  calefactory.org

And here is a thought to meditate on this coming month.  This came to me today when trying to take a nap and cope with my chronic pain condition.  I thought of a short poem by novelist Gunnel Beckman and changed the words to express what I was feeling.  I felt compelled to share this…

Suffering is only the thorn upon the rose

The broken key

Offering admission to Thine Heart

Saint Margaret Mary, pray for us!

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!