This changes EVERYTHING. Now.
Hopefully the worst won’t happen. But hope is not a strategy.
Thought for the Year From My Friend Chris Martenson...
“This is the year that reality intrudes. And it’s going to hit like a freight train.”
Chris Martenson, Peak Prosperity
Click on link above for this article, posted today. Peak Prosperity is one on our highly recommended sources for news and preparedness advice.
Moral of the story: Prepare!
Update
I am carefully tracking the Middle East war situation, as it relates to changes in society and therefore, preparedness. In terms of knowing good news sources, subscribe to our monthly newsletter and you will get exclusive news from the best sources, high quality alternative media is always best. I am posting news items here as I find them and as I am able, which I feel are important. Please do not rely on this blog for your news.
I will be on retreat this weekend and not looking at any news.
Practice good preparedness:) Chiara
War with Iran: Air freight rates expected to spike as Iran war escalates
In This Month of Saint Joseph: A (relatively) New Prayer!
…As of 10 years ago, when I posted it on this blog…
O Saint Joseph
O Saint Joseph, Guardian of Our Lord and Our Lady, intercede for us before the Divine Majesty. O holy and humble carpenter, pray for God's children in all our great need. We pray this in the Name of the Christ Child, once held in your loving arms.
Amen.
This prayer has been received well and it is about time for a PDF! Here it is…
“O Saint Joseph” PDF Printable
Here is the original post, where I explain why I wrote it: A New Prayer to Saint Joseph!
BONUS PDF…not too late to start this for the month of March…
THIRTY DAYS PRAYER TO SAINT JOSEPH
A New Prayer to Saint Francis of Assisi!
Since visiting Assisi last October, my devotion to Saint Francis and Saint Chiara has only grown, so much, that I am now actively pursuing becoming a Third Order Franciscan, which has been on my mind for many years. I have a statue of Saint Francis in my yard and I find myself praying to him often, especially when I watch the wildlife (my house borders a wooded area). My dog is named after Saint Francis (Frankie) and I often pray to him about my dog, as I take delight in him and as I am sometimes concerned for him. I feel Saint Francis watches over my little Shihpoo.
So…I have found the need to write a short prayer, which I can say quickly any time, to deepen my relationship with this great saint, who I feel such a connection with and whose companion is my patron saint. This ministry, since we are about preparedness, is closely connected to the land, and therefore, nature….and farm animals. This is one reason why Saint Francis’ philosophy resonates so much with me. The following prayer was based in form, on my short prayer to Saint Joseph, (see next post) whom we honor this month. When planning the “Eclipse Pilgrimage of Mercy,” 2 years ago (see topic to the right), I incorporated “Canticle of Brother Sun & Sister Moon” into the prayers and also wrote my own “Brother Sun, Sister Moon,” poem about the eclipse…here’s the PDF.
In this terrible time of war, when there is so much loss of our best and brightest, on all sides, and they all have mothers somewhere, let us flee to Saint Francis for intercession and inner peace…and don’t forget it is a Franciscan Jubilee Year!
O Saint Francis
O Saint Francis, wonder of Assisi, intercede for us before the Triune Godhead. You, who loved the poor and all creation, help us in our earthly need. Having received the glorious stigmata, we trust your prayers will resound before the Almighty, unto our consolation.
Amen.
“O Saint Francis” PDF Printable
War with Iran: Natural Gas Crisis Hits Peru Businesses as Rationing Starts
War with Iran: QatarEnergy Declares...
“Force Majeure” After Halting LNG (Liquid natural gas) Production
Quatar is the largest producer of liquefied natural gas in the world.
ALERT: Iran Closes Strait of Hormuz
“Iran has declared the Strait of Hormuz closed and threatened to fire at any ship passing through it. The narrow waterway is a vital chokepoint for global oil and gas, but also for other commodities such as fertiliser. FRANCE 24's Yuka Royer speaks with Noam Raydan, a maritime risk expert at The Washington Institute for Near East Policy, about the potential impact of the Strait's closure and how Iran could further escalate the situation.”
Watch video…
Iran shuts down the Strait of Hormuz. What more could it do?
March is the Month of Saint Joseph-Part 2
Why does Holy Church dedicate the month of March to Saint Joseph? As probably all of you know, his feast is celebrated on the 19th, honoring his espousals to the Mother of God. It is interesting to note, this feast always occurs during Lent (unless it happens to fall on a Sunday, in which case, have your Italian dinner with tiramisu to celebrate!)…as Easter falls between March 22nd and April 25th (Sunday after first full moon after vernal equinox, which the Church fixes at March 21st MORE INFO). So it is a no-brainer to incorporate Saint Joseph’s feast into your Lenten exercises. Some ideas: attend Mass, read the Mass from the missal, pray a novena starting 9 days before the feast, give alms in honor of Saint Joseph.
Other notable feasts this month in both calendars…
3rd-Saint Katherine Drexel, USA
7th-First Saturday of the Immaculate Heart / Saint Thomas Aquinas, the Angelic Doctor of the Church
17th-Saint Patrick, patron of Ireland
18th-Saint Cyril of Jerusalem, bishop & Doctor of the Church
21st-Saint Benedict, founder of monasticism, twin of Saint Scholastica
22nd-Passion Sunday, begins octave of Passiontide in the trad
24th-Saint Gabriel the Archangel, immediately before the Annunciation
25th-Annunciation of the Lord/Blessed Virgin Mary
27th-Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary, always one week before Good Friday
29th-Palm Sunday, Holy Week begins
Prepper Challenge for March: Make a Plan!
How did you do with last month’s pantry organizing challenge? Feel free to contact us with your thoughts and we may post it! Please know, I am doing these challenges with you. I have bought some great products and also have been watching motivating videos. There are so many resources out there now for decluttering, minimalism and organizing. (Yes, you can and should be a minimalist prepper.) Here are some products I love:
The Home Edit 3-Tier Shelf OXO POP Container
I have also been insanely getting into making custom labels. I bought a thermal label printer, which works from your PC or phone, a lot like Power Point. You can be really creative and it’s lots of fun. The older strip-tape manual printers are still quite common and they work great too.
We are now at war with Iran. This could go in many concerning directions. Iran is a whole different animal than anything we have ever dealt with before. Supply issues is a major concern…along with the domino effects this may have. So, consider yourself warned. Avail yourself of reliable alternative media, which we regularly refer you to, to stay informed. In terms of supply, I recommend having a reasonable amount for your family, plus a little extra. People may need to stay with you. You may also need to help others in your community. It is impossible to say “how much” you should have, but cluttering your home is counter-productive. Pray for guidance and trust God. And don’t worry, be at peace…and learn how to be resilient (gardening, sewing, keeping small animals and other useful non-electronic skills).
So, this month, think about what I have said above and please print our…
15 Points Preparedness Worksheet
This 4-page worksheet will make it super easy to sit down with your family and make a concrete preparedness plan for the next 12 months and beyond. And it’s not what you expect, it is from a holistic perspective, based on over 20 years of research and experience. Don’t delay, just print it and start filling it out. I’ve made it easy for you! And again, I am doing it with you. It’s about time for me to review this and spiff up my own plan. (If you are local to Long Island, please note I am available to give a talk on this.)