In Search of
The Authentic Life
“Pater Meus Servat Vineam”
The Novena to the Sacred Heart of Jesus started yesterday (you can still do it!) and the one to the Immaculate Heart of Mary starts today. Find a novena you like. Here’s a great resource:
There’s never been a more important time!
[Edited since posting.]
There are 2 upcoming events, one in New York and one in Indiana. I’m a member and attended my first conference last year. The topics were very interesting, including general gardening/farming, advanced water infrastructure and the philosophy and history of agrarianism. They had vendors, great food and spiritual activities on beautiful grounds. Also, lots of children!
Saturday, July 19, 2025, 8:00 AM-4:00 PM
“Join us for a day of practical workshops, speakers, and fellowship at Rosa Mystica Shrine, Edmeston, NY (near Cooperstown), on July 19th. Great place to meet other Catholic Homesteaders and agrarians.'“ (I’m in charge of food for this event. I need help!..I’m also a backup speaker.) Workshops will include topics similar to last year, in addition to tin-smithing and meat prep. There will be a low Tridentine Mass to start the day.
Fri, Aug 29, 2025, 5:30 PM-Sun, Aug 31, 2025, 6:30 PM
“Join us for our 4th Annual National CLM Conference, hosted by Edelweiss House in Greensburg, Indiana.
Spread the word!
Lisa Kyle
It is the Octave of Pentecost and also the Ember Days of Summer this week. Why not print our Pentecost prayers from the Mass in the previous post, and incorporate them into your prayers this week? You can easily combine the Octave with the prayerful Ember Days!
You wanna get rid of the Saint Michael prayer? Unsmart man. You’re messing with the wrong dude!
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On this Pentecost Sunday, let us pray for the Diocese of Charlotte and for Bishop Martin in this hour of great need. Let us pray for our Holy Father Pope Leo XIV and for peace to reign in Holy Church once more.
Come Holy Ghost! Enlighten the minds of our Church hierarchy to navigate this time of the clashing of light and dark.
Saint Michael, defend the holy and innocent!
From the Tridentine Mass of today…(read the beautiful words below and know this is what is being persecuted, this is what the forces of evil wish to destroy)…
The Spirit of the Lord hath filled the whole world, alleluia; and that which containeth all things hath knowledge of the voice, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
Let God arise, and let His enemies be scattered: and let them that hate Him flee from before His face.
O God, Who on this day didst teach the hearts of Thy faithful by the light of the Holy Spirit: grant unto us, by the same Spirit, to be wise in what is right, and ever to rejoice in His consolation.
Alleluia, alleluia. Send forth Thy Spirit, and they shall be created, and Thou shalt renew the face of the earth. Alleluia.
+++ SEQUENCE FOR PENTECOST +++
Come Thou Holy Spirit, come, And from Thy celestial home, Shed a ray of light divine.
Come, Thou Father of the poor, Come, Thou source of all our store, Come, within our bosoms shine, Thou of comforters the best, Thou the soul's delightful guest, Sweet refreshment here below.
In our labor rest most sweet, Pleasant coolness in the heat, Solace in the midst of woe.
O most blessed Light divine, Shine within these hearts of Thine, And our inmost being fill.
Where Thou art not, man hath nought, Nothing good in deed or thought, Nothing free from taint of ill.
Heal our wounds, our strength renew, On our dryness pour Thy dew, Wash the stains of guilt away.
Bend the stubborn heart and will, Melt the frozen, warm the chill, Guide the steps that go astray.
On Thy faithful who adore, And confess Thee evermore, In Thy sevenfold gifts descend.
Give them virtue's sure reward, Give them Thy salvation, Lord, Give them joys that never end.
Amen. Alleluia.
Confirm, O God, what Thou hast wrought in us; from Thy temple, which is in Jerusalem, kings shall offer presents to Thee, alleluia.
Sanctify, O Lord, we beseech Thee, the gifts offered up to Thee and cleanse our hearts by the light of the Holy Spirit.
It is truly meet and just, right and for our salvation, that we should at all times, and in all places, give thanks unto Thee, O holy Lord, Father almighty, everlasting God, through Christ our Lord. Who, ascending above all the heavens and sitting at Thy right hand, poured out on Pentecost the promised Holy Spirit upon the children of adoption. Wherefore the whole world doth rejoice with overflowing joy and the heavenly Hosts also and the angelic Powers sing together the hymn of Thy glory, evermore saying:
Suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a mighty wind coming where they were sitting, alleluia: and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, speaking the wonderful works of God, alleluia, alleluia.
May the infusion of the Holy Spirit, O Lord, cleanse our hearts, and render them fruitful by the inward sprinkling of His dew.
Laurence Lesser
No, Mr. Lesser was not famous. He was a family friend of my parents, who we always called Uncle Larry. I became close to him later in his life and would visit him in a nursing home upstate, NY. We would correspond, and in one of his letters (early 90’s, only several years after Pope John Paul II liberalized the old Mass and I started attending it), he wrote the above quote, which I have never forgotten. I found him a rare encouragement in the Faith and particularly in my interest in the Tridentine Mass. The very last time I visited him, he said he had lost his Rosary beads in the nursing home. I had a pair of white plastic ones in my car and ran out to get them. It was a very short visit, as we were pressed for time. I remember placing them in his hand and then saying “Goodbye.” What a beautiful memory and I feel so blessed to have been able to do that for him in his final days.
As we see young people flocking to the “Mass of the Ages,” looking for something with true meaning, it would seem Uncle Larry was a prophet. They are indeed rebelling against a culture of narcissism and nihilism. They want happy, faithful marriages. They want children. Quite frankly, they want a normal life. I personally know many of these young people. I’ve seen them grow and blossom as they practice a truly devout Catholic life. I’ve seen them lovingly holding their children in their arms. I am always captivated by the babies at Mass, knowing it is to them, that I have a responsibility-that is why I do this work. I have only to look at these holy innocents and it is enough of a motivation.
As modernists see their “utopic” vision vanishing before their very eyes, they are unleashing their final attack. They can’t quite handle the cognitive dissonance that the great “Age of Aquarius” they were mind-controlled into slavishly working toward…is dead and dying. They just can’t face up to the fact that their whole lives were a mistake…and that they fell for a lie. Modernism bore no fruit-it had no roots. The plant itself is withering. Who knew that those who despised tradition would one day cling with draconian rigidity to their own traditions? The future belongs to those of the counter-rebellion.
Matthew 7:20
That doesn’t mean we are in for a cakewalk. But it does mean there is hope and certainty, in fact…that what was purchased with the Blood of Christ will prevail, because it must.
Please keep dear Larry and his family in prayer-much thanks. Please know we do take prayer requests and will post them if you like.
I realized when I saw “D-Day” on my calendar today, that I never learned much about this historical day which turned the tide of World War II. So I embarked on some research which spiraled in several directions…
I personally have a deep connection to WWII and have done lots of research on Nazi Germany over the years, which led me to discovering the Catholic martyr, Fr. Alfred Delp. My father, named Joseph, was almost killed by a shrapnel bomb, as a recruit of the “Seabees”. I think he was performing an operation, disengaging these land mines, when this happened. I remember the horrifying scars on his back. I remember the dramatic blue and red tattoo on his arm. I remember his Navy hat in the hallway closet.
The Seabees (cleverly taken from “CB,” Construction Battalion) were Navy soldier engineers/builders/craftsmen, formed specifically for WWII and its unique challenges (they would also conduct clean-up in destroyed areas). The USA needed to establish infrastructure around the world and these were the highly qualified men to do it. Not only did they have to build, but build as covertly as possible. Many of these guys were both tough and intellectual, knowing how to wield a gun while doing calculus in their heads! Those who knew my father would laugh, as this is exactly who he was, perfect for the job, a macho Sicilian from Brooklyn who went on to design machines for factories. Apparently, he was recruited as an electrical engineering student of the Illinois Institute of Technology (this is what I have gleaned, as he passed when I was very young).
My father told the story of a little-known suicide mission in the Philippines, undertaken by his courageous fellow Seabees. If he had volunteered himself, you would not be reading these words. This was one war story which seemed to imprint itself indelibly upon his heart. And this may be the first time it has ever publicly been told. I won’t be able to get the technicalities right, so I won’t try. It was an effort to disrupt Japanese communication systems, which were electrically dependent. The engineer had to go into an electrical box and blow it up, dying in the process.
Here is a recent article honoring the Seabees, which are still in existence and also played a role in the D-Day invasion. Today, they do all the same work, only it’s more high-tech and they also are called to help after natural disasters…
“From erecting entire bases in the jungles of Vietnam to constructing floating causeways for D-Day landings, the Seabees have pulled off some of the most audacious engineering feats in military history. Their work has enabled some of the most crucial missions in modern warfare…Beyond the battlefield, former Seabees have gone on to revolutionize the civilian construction industry, carrying their skills and discipline into the world of infrastructure development. Despite their vital role, the Seabees often remain in the shadows of military history. Their contributions deserve more recognition, as they are the foundation—literally—of countless military victories. The Seabee ethos is one of resilience, innovation, and determination.”
Blood, Sweat, and Concrete: Inside the World of the Seabees
USN for Life ~ you can get cool gear here too!
Moving on to another story, my father’s brother, Uncle Sal, was one of the survivors of the sinking of the “Sammy B” ship off the coast of the Philippines. Most of the crew survived, but had to swim in shark waters for 3 days. I should not have to tell you what my uncle and the other men witnessed and suffered in those 3 days. He was so traumatized, he lost his voice for a time. Salvatore went on to become Chief Architect of Walt Disney World in Florida, influencing a generation of architects. After seeing the absolute worst life could offer up, he dedicated himself to the creation of a fantasy paradise…also, a little-known story of American 20th-century history.
Back to D-Day, the largest sea invasion in history, here’s an article from yesterday, which includes video footage and a pep-talk by Eisenhower…
“By being able to get forces into Normandy, the Allies were able to begin their advance into northwest Europe. Though World War II lasted nearly another year in Europe, the success of Operation Overlord led to the liberation of France and allowed the Allies to fight the Germans in Nazi-occupied Europe. The US’ National World War II Museum says that a good way to appreciate the significance of D-Day is to imagine what would have happened if the operation had failed. According to the museum, another landing would have not been possible for at least a year. In this time, Hitler could have strengthened Nazi-occupied Europe’s coastal defenses, developed aircraft and weapons, bombed the UK even more heavily and continued his killing campaign.”
What is D-Day? How the Normandy landings led to Germany’s defeat in World War II
CNN World
Let us pray for those who lost their lives on D-Day, on both the Allied and Axis sides, and for their families who suffered with so much grief…and for all the souls touched by that terrible war. Let us pray for mercy for the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Let us seek to console Our Lord’s Heart for these crimes. Though this is said to have ended the war, we know as Catholics, civilians may never be targeted. I would also like to remember my husband’s Uncle Harry, a young man killed in Germany in WWII.
As we approach Pentecost…
“Come Holy Ghost, fill the hearts of Thy faithful and kindle in them the fire of Thy love. Send forth Thy Spirit and they shall be created. And Thou shalt renew the face of the earth.”
May peace reign in Holy Church and throughout the world!
“The Democratic Party — like the EU’s warmonger parties — has nothing left but violence against anything that looks like nationalism and traditional values.”
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
"It is in the adorable Heart of Jesus that we shall find every help for our necessities, every remedy for the cure of our ills, the most powerful assistance against the assaults of our enemies, the sweetest consolation to soothe our sufferings, the purest delight to fill our souls with joy.
Are you in sorrow? Do your enemies persecute you? Does the recollection of your past sins disturb you? Is your heart troubled or full of fear? Throw yourself…in the wounds of Jesus Christ, even into His Sacred Heart, it is a sanctuary, it is the retreat for holy souls, and a place of refuge wherein your soul is safe.
It is to Him and through Him that we should ask for all we require, it is through Him and in Him that we should offer to the Eternal Father all we do, because this Sacred Heart is the treasury of every supernatural gift, the source of every grace. It is the channel through which we unite ourselves more intimately to God, and through which God communicates Himself more freely. It is…to this Sacred Heart we should continually strive to unite ours, no longer wishing to have other desires or sentiments than those of Jesus, and then we may be sure that His will and His Sacred Heart may…merge into our heart, and that the two will be as one.
Draw waters at leisure out of the Savior's fountains, you will never exhaust them."
Cardinal St. Peter Damian, Doctor of the Church, c. 1007-c. 1072
“If all shall follow [this Consecration to the Sacred Heart] out with hearty good will, we not unreasonably expect extraordinary and lasting benefits for Christendom in the first place and also for the whole human race…And since there is in the Sacred Heart a symbol and a sensible image of the infinite love of Jesus Christ which moves us to love one another, therefore is it fit and proper that we should consecrate ourselves to His most Sacred Heart, an act which is nothing else than an offering and a binding of oneself to Jesus Christ, seeing that whatever honor, veneration and love is given to this divine Heart is really and truly given to Christ Himself.
…the most Sacred Heart of Jesus, with a cross rising from it and shining forth with dazzling splendor amidst flames of love. In that Sacred Heart all our hopes should be placed, and from it the salvation of men is to be confidently besought.”
Pope Leo XIII
Our Holy Father Pope Leo XIV has said he chose “Leo” because of the inspiration of Pope Leo XIII, who was devoted to the Sacred Heart, particularly after being healed of an illness. Leo XIII pronounced an encyclical, Annum Sacrum (Sacred Year): “On Consecration To The Sacred Heart,” May 25th, 1899. This consecration of the whole world to the Sacred Heart, he considered to be his greatest contribution, an excerpt of which is above. It is beautifully written and well worth reading, rife with deep Christology, mentioning both Saint Augustine and Saint Thomas Aquinas. Leo XIII also discusses some of his social teaching (regarding Church and state), which everyone is talking about now, since this is what Leo XIV has pointed us towards. Part of this consecration was the Litany of the Sacred Heart (PDF). This effort was a completion of the investigation into the Sacred Heart devotion, under Pius IX. Of course, Saint Margaret Mary of the 17th century, brought forth the Sacred Heart in a profound way, but it was not a new idea. It is traced back to the Gospel account of the piercing of Our Lord’s Heart, and you can see Saint Peter Damian’s writings above, well before Margaret Mary. Leo XIII’s encyclical brought this wonderful gift to a great fulfillment for our modern era.
Pope Pius XII renewed the Vatican’s uplifting of the Sacred Heart with his encyclical, Haurietis Aquas (You Shall Drink the Waters): “On Devotion to the Sacred Heart,” May 15th, 1956. It is likely he had read Peter Damian’s words above, “Draw waters at leisure out of the Savior's fountains,” and used this as inspiration for the title. This encyclical is an exhaustive work, having 127 points, as opposed to Leo’s 15 points. Again, well worth reading, I’m sure (I was able to read Leo’s but this one will be a project for the coming month).
The theme of the Sacred Heart of Jesus pops up right away this month, on the First Friday, the 6th. What a fabulous time to begin the “9 First Fridays Devotion to the Sacred Heart!” This was given to Saint Margaret Mary directly by Our Lord and comes with 12 great promises. It is longer than the Marian “5 First Saturdays” devotion, but simpler. The 27th is the feast of the Sacred Heart and the 28th is the Immaculate Heart. It is no accident that the Church placed these feasts together, as Our Lord and His Mother are inseparable. See these words from Haurietis Aquas…
"In order that favors in greater abundance may flow on all Christians, nay, on the whole human race, from the devotion to the most Sacred Heart of Jesus, let the faithful see to it that to this devotion the Immaculate Heart of the Mother of God is closely joined.
For, by God's Will, in carrying out the work of human Redemption, the Blessed Virgin Mary was inseparably linked with Christ in such a manner that our salvation sprang from the love and the sufferings of Jesus Christ to which the love and sorrows of His Mother were intimately united.
It is, then, entirely fitting that the Christian people, who received the divine life from Christ through Mary, after they have paid their debt of honor to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, should also offer to the most loving Heart of their heavenly Mother, the corresponding acts of piety, affection, gratitude and expiation. Entirely in keeping with this most sweet and wise disposition of divine Providence is the memorable act of consecration by which we ourselves solemnly dedicated Holy Church and the whole world to the spotless Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary."
Pope Pius XII
Theologically related to Jesus’ Heart, is the feast of Corpus Christi on the 19th, as this honors His Body and Blood. On Sunday the 22nd, we celebrate Corpus Christi once again, so important is this feast (this is a simplified explanation of the 2 feasts).
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June begins with the feast of the Ascension of Our Lord in the post-conciliar calendar, which is effective in most provinces of the US. (See blog post below for a meditation and litany you can print.) Pentecost Sunday is the 8th. The Novena to the Holy Ghost is prayed for 9 days prior (the original “Novena” of the 9 days between the Ascension and the Gift of the Paraclete), but don’t worry if you’re a bit late (see blog post below). Pentecost has a vigil and an octave in the trad calendar, a week of joy. Within this octave, we have the Ember Days of Summer on the 11th, 13th and 14th, which temper this octave with prayer and penance for the season. One week after Pentecost, we have Trinity Sunday, which marks the beginning of “Time After Pentecost” in the trad calendar, extending till Advent.
His Holiness Leo XIV’s pontificate began in the month of Our Lady, who he has shown deep devotion to, and proceeds to the Month of the Sacred Heart, so loved by his patron predecessor. Let us rejoice in this new day for Holy Mother Church and her children!
Here are some additional feasts, in the trad and post-con calendars:
9th-BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, MOTHER OF THE CHURCH
13th-Saint Anthony of Padua, Doctor of the Church
24th-Nativity of Saint John the Baptist (with vigil)
29th-Saints Peter & Paul, Apostles (with vigil)
30th-Commemoration of Saint Paul / First Martyrs of the Holy Roman Church
1) Draw of picture of the Sacred Heart of Jesus & the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
2) What are the Ember Days? Write a short explanation.
3) Make a craft for the Ember Days, celebrating the season of Summer in a spiritual light.
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