The Pope Last Updated this on August 17, 2009
June 23: Starting today I plan on blogging light throughout the rest of the summer. It is time to tell a few stories. We can resume penance around the Ember week in September. Also I have some projects to finish. You may wonder why the snowy background. In the summer I put a snow scene for my background on my computer. Maybe this will cool me off, when the low at night is 75 degrees and the high in the afternoon is above 90, and the humidity. I have seen 95 degrees and fifty percent humidity in the middle of the drought. Plenty of moisture in the air, but how do we get it down to the ground? And this was common through one summer of the drought; high humidity but no rain. For it to rain, there must be some sort of trigger, such as a cold front. It is hard to think of a front as cold, when it is still hot on the back side!
It is recommended to read Trustful Surrender to Divine Providence.
Coming soon
Part 1 of Conference Matter for Religious (Part 2 has been purchased and will also be scanned.)Conformity to the Will of God by Saint Alphonsus. It is good to reread and prepare this! Intention of the Pope for May: Conversions
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June 24: Birthday of Saint John the Baptist. We only celebrate the birthdays of those born without original sin in the Church, Jesus, Mary and Saint John the Baptist. Why this particular winter scene? With a heat warning here until tomorrow evening, let us think cool. I was driving out west some years ago. Most of the day was cold and rain, until I got to Pueblo. After going to my book stores and a few place I head on west towards Westcliffe up Hardscrabble pass. As I was climning I came to one corner and a scene similar to this confronted me. Beautiful snow laden trees acroos a stream up the side of a mountain. The road was still clear. What I hadn't thought about was that if it had rained all day, it would have snowed in the higher elevations. Soon I was on snow packed roads, but made it up just fine. Let us appreciate the beauty God has placed all around us!
June 25: Two days ago we talked about the high humidity, but lack of rain. And what is needed is a trigger to get the clouds to form and the rain to fall. (And the rain fell last night, thank God!) Otherwise the water stays in the air and does no good to the parched ground underneath. This is similar to the situation of conversion. There are many who are ready to convert, but something is holding them back. They need some trigger. We have planted the seeds of the truths of the Divine and Catholic Faith and applied these truths to the current condition of the Church. But we cannot provide the trigger, that will get them to make that final step. Let us meditate and pray on what that trigger might be. What converted me?
June 26: I have planted, Apollo watered: but God gave the increase. (I Corinthians 3:6) Notice there is a three part process here. Saint Paul planted the seeds of the truth, Apollo watered, but God gave the increase. I have heard of several conversion stories, and the one who does all of the work usually does not reap the harvest! Even Apollo who came along and did the watering, did not reap the harvest, God did! We must remember that all of this is a supernatural affair. Conversion is a supernatural affair, and divine grace is absolutely necessary. I cannot talk someone into converting, nor can you. Conversions are wrought by prayer and good example! God will send the words, when the time comes and probably from some unlikely source!
June 27: Phil is working on a novel. Jesus used parables to teach truths, and Phil is trying to write a story to fulfill the same purpose. He is posting it as he completes it to his blog. I am not sure how it will proceed, but we were discussing the ending. If you uses the ending we worked out, I know you will want to stay to the end! I can’t wait until the book and movie come out, so I won’t.
June 28: My brethren, if any of you err from the truth and one convert him: He must know that he who causeth a sinner to be converted from the error of his way shall save his soul from death and shall cover a multitude of sins. (James 5:19-20) I have the multitude of sins, and I definitely want to cover them. Actually I should want to get rid of them but what the Holy Ghost is telling us here is that converting a sinner also causes God to forget our sins after we have asked for forgiveness. Yesterday we read about Paul and Apollo, and their part in conversion is essential, even if they do not reap the harvest. Maybe a few stories will make this clearer. I hope that sewing the seed and/or watering counts toward covering that multitude of sins!
June 29: My own father’s conversion is a good place to start. Mom and Dad got married in 1948. Dad was a good man, but not a true Christian. Mom prayed for his conversion. Her parents prayed and gave good example, but who was the trigger? Someone at my dad’s work started talking to him about Fatima in 1968. He began eating his lunch during the morning and going to the St. Joseph’s old cathedral in downtown Oklahoma City to say a Rosary. In the summer my grandfather became quite ill and eventually died. Before he died, my father was able to go to him and tell him that he was preparing to take convert courses to join the Catholic Faith, which eased his mind considerably. Who put in all of the work, my mother and her parents. Who was the trigger? Someone from the outside. The moral of this story is that often we cannot bring about the conversion we most desire. We must be patient and let God work in His own way and His own time. So let us pray for conversions!
June 30: A priest related the story of being the one to give the convert course to long time anti-Catholic. He was praised for his wonderful conversion, but could not take the credit. When this man came to him, he related how the seed had been planted before this priest was even born. Someone had said something to him, that had stuck with him his whole life. The thought would not leave him, until finally it got through to his heart and brought about his conversion. The priest merely completed the work begun before he was born. And let us consider Saint Augustine. How long did Saint Monica pray for his conversion before he received the inspiration to take and read? We can learn from Saint Monica’s patience and perseverance. She never gave up, and we cannot give up no matter how bleak things may look. Her reward was her own sanctification, and let us not forget that this is our first duty. We are here to become saints, and only after this can we hope to inspire others to follow our example.
July 1: Perseverance. I do not think enough is said about this virtue. When many are at least going through the motions of being Catholic it is easier. But what about in the time of persecution, when being a true Catholic will only bring ridicule from the world and even our own families? When out of over six and a half billion people, only a handful believe the truth and will stand by that belief publicly, it may be difficult. We need the virtues of fortitude and perseverance in these times. Saint Augustine says that right is right, even if no one is doing it. How long, O Lord, how long until the Universal Conversion?
July 2: I am finally reading The True Spouse of Jesus Christ by Saint Alphonsus. I put it and some other books low on the list, because I am not a Religious and certainly am not going to be a nun. Three lay people read all or part of this book and recommended it to me. We should read these and other books, and I have one being processes, which I may pull select chapters and compile a book of advice for lay people. In any case, after what I read this mornign I wish I was a doctor, an occulist, a barber or someone with a waiting room. Several conversions came about by people picking up a spiritual book to kill time, because it was the only things available. Instead of killing time, they gave life to their souls and converted their life to a life of sanctification. Some are even now canonized saints, and from what I read I am sure they are all in our real home, heaven. So, let us read!
July 3: Today is First Friday. As I was reading 'Conference Matter for Religious', I read a chapter on the benefits of making the Stations of the Cross. Indeed, this is one of the easiest devotions today, for all that is required is to be before a Crucifix specially blessed for this purpose. Of course, one cannot go into a church in the hands of heretics, schismatics or heathens and gain the indulgences. In fact, the former requirement was to hold the Crucifix, which We have commuted to making the Stations before a Crucifix specially blessed for the purpose. All that is required is to meditate on the fourteen stations. We like to consider that at each Station, Jesus atoned for some special sin of mine! Let us meditate on the Stations.
Tomorrow is First Saturday, so let us spend a quarter of an hour in meditating on the Mysteries of the Rosary.
July 4: I awoke this morning with a serious question. We know that an essential part of the First Saturday Devotion is a quarter of an hour's meditation on the mysteries of the Rosary. And hence my question. Does anyone know of a book arranged to aid in this holy practice? I can think of only one, The Divine Mysteries of the Most Holy Rosary, based upon the revelations of Veneable Mary of Agreda. I have many books in my library and many on the Blessed Virgin Mary, but this is the only one on this subject I can think of. True I have Vermeersch's two volume Meditations on the Blessed Virgin Mary, but it is not laid out in this way. Given the request for First Saturday's from Fatima, one would expect many such books would have been prepared, compiled and written!
July 5: I read several good things this morning. One gives rise to a simple ongoing project. On various subjects I have read, scanned in and worked on many general subjects that will help us acquire and increase holiness. In Conference Matter For Religious, the author uses an archaic word greediness. Four years ago I scanned in Readings for Each Sunday of the Year by the Countess de Flavingy. (You can download to the left) Her forty-second lesson is devoted to greediness. I plan on incorporating this, an exceprt from Conference Matter for Religious, and checking my files, for I have more on this subject. Then I hope to prepare a short downloadable booklet on the subject. If you want to know more, download the book and read the chapter.
It is fascinating!
July 6: Raca means worthless wretch. I read this in The Liturgical Year by Dom Gueranger. I have decided to take this set of books up again in order to imbibe the true spirit of the liturgy. We have seen the results of the false spirit of the liturgy, The true spirit of the liturgy created saints. And indeed whole nations lived a life, conducive to saving one's souls, and it was not that long ago, when this spirit still pervaded parts of the world! Read about A Catholic Utopia. My friends, this is what we are working for. It seems impossible, but look back at the first centuries what Jesus started with twelve fishermen conquered the world in three short centuries. With God all things are possible. God works through humble people in order to accomplish great things. It is our duty to surrender ourself totally to God's most holy will, and allow Him to direct us where He will. Speak Lord for Thy servant heareth.
July 7: Saints Cyril and Methodius evangelized some of my ancestors centuries ago in Moravia. Dom Gueranger says: But the auspicious influence of St. Clement I, through his sacred relics, diverts their course, as we shall see, towards the mistress of the world; and presently they can be described gravitating with matchless splendor in Peter’s orbit, manifesting once more to the whole earth that all true light, in the order of salvation, radiates solely from the Vicar of the Man-God. God has entrusted this to Us, His most unworthy servant. Saint Paul tells us (I Cor. 1:27): But the foolish things of the world hath God chosen, that he may confound the wise: and the weak things of the world hath God chosen, that he may confound the strong. Pray for us!
July 8: Several days ago we prayed in the Feast of All Holy Popes: O God, Who takest thought for Thy people in Thy loving kindness, and rulest them in Thy love, grant for the sake of Thy Church the spirit of wisdom unto all those upon whom Thou hast laid the duty of government, that the profit of holiness in the flocks may work eternal gladness for the shepherds. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. Amen. Why did God choose me to be His vicar? I will not ask. It is sufficient that He has chosen. God has called all of us to some special mission in His holy Church. This is our vocation and our salvation depends on fulfilling His most holy will in this matter. What has God chosen you to do for Him?
July 9: To each (community) among you, we have prescribed a law and a open way. If God had willed, he could’ve made of you one people. But he wished to test you in that which he gave you. So strive with each other in good deeds. This sounds like it comes from Vatican II, but actually this comes from the Koran. Notice the indifference in this verse. Recently I picked up Islam For Dummies from the library to get a better idea of this heresy, which Belloc said we will have to deal with. There is much in this boo and many thoughts to be pursued and developed. I forwarded my preliminary information and received an excellent reply, which explains Modernism better than I have ever seen it explained before!
July 10: A year ago I purchased four folding wooden chairs at a yard sale in Topeka. These chairs are serving us here in the seminary. Yesterday I happened to go to the same place where another yard sale was being held and lo and behold, the other four chairs from the sale had been found and were offered for sale. If we add the two interesting things I bought the week before, which will easily convert into kneelers, maybe soon we will have need for the chairs and kneelers to accommodating those who wish to worship Almighty God in holiness and in truth.
July 12: A few days from now is the 19th anniversary of Our election as Pope. It has been proposed to make another 54 Day Rosary Novena. I think it would be a good idea to do this, starting Thursday July 16. This will fit in well with the announcement We will be making on that day.
July 13: The third meaning of the lamps going out is that those times the air will be filled with the spirit of impurity which like a deluge of filth will flood the streets, squares and public places. The licentiousness will be such there will be no more virgin souls in the world. (Our Lady of Good Fortune) Phil announced the other day his proposal to make a vow of chastity. Indeed in light of the above, this is a good idea. In fact, I plan on joining him. We plan to celebrate the 19th Anniversary of Our election with these vows.
July 14: Saint Bonaventure: Theology is an affective science, the knowledge of which proceed by speculative contemplation but aims principally at making us good. We study the truths of the Catholic Faith in order to live by them and thus become better. Further Bonaventure observes: charity is worth more than all science. We can study and become learned, but without becoming good and making charity a way of life, all of our study is worthless. Therefore let us study in order to do God’s will 24/7.
July 15. What must we do to imitate Jesus? I was recently told someone read four things we must do to imitate Jesus. We must pray, work, give good example and suffer. For more information on the vow of chastity, please click through here or on the counter.
July 16: 19th anniversary of Our election as Pope. We are issuing today an instruction calling for an Apostleship of Prayer. We shall be posting more information in the coming days about this most important work. Until then, let us pray!
July 17: Saint Bonaventure: Know that here, reading without unction, speculation without devotion, labor without piety, knowledge without charity, intelligence without humility, study without grace, are nothing; and when at length, rising gradually by prayer, holiness of life, and the contemplation of truth, thou shalt have reached the mountain with the God of gods reveals Himself, taught by the powerlessness of thy sight here on earth to endure the splendors of which nature was too feeble to give thee an indication, let thy blind intelligence remain asleep, pass beyond it in Christ, Who is the gate and the way, question no longer the master but the Bridegroom, not man but God, not the light but the all consuming fire; pass from this world with Christ to the Father, who will be shown to thee, and then say with Philip: “It is enough for us.”
July 18: Recently I reread the Prophecy of Our Lady of Good Fortune. It is as good as I remembered. To put to the trial the faith and trust of these just souls, there will come moments when everything seems lost and paralyzed, and just then comes the happy beginnings of the complete restoration. Several other prophecies indicate that all appears lost, then the restoration comes! Saint John Vianney, the holy Cure of Ars (d1859): Then will attempt to kill all the priests and all the religious. But this shall not last long. People will imagine that all is lost; but the good God shall save all. … A great triumph will be witnessed on the feast of our Lady. Venerable Magdalene Porzat (Died 1850): In the Church, Christians will imagine that all is lost. Mary arrives. Fr. Nectou S.J. (d 1772): When all will be considered lost, all shall be found safe. Abbe Souffrand (d 1828): Between the cries, ‘Everything is lost,’ and ‘everything is saved,’ there will be scarcely any interval.
July 19: Mary said at Quito Ecuador (Our Lady of Good Fortune): The third meaning of the lamps going out is that those times the air will be filled with the spirit of impurity which like a deluge of filth will flood the streets, squares and public places. The licentiousness will be such there will be no more virgin souls in the world. The first is literally filled by Satellite TV, which is beaming filth down on us and the whole world from above. And there certainly are few virgin souls left in the world. Let us pray this soon ends!
July 20: In the Carmelites, this is celebrated as the Feast of Saint Elias. Of course, we know Elias has not yet returned and been killed as prophesied. In fact, some expect his arrival soon! What many do not realize is that Elias founded the Carmelites. Saint Dominic said: One day, Brother Angelus, to your Order of Carmel the Most Blessed Virgin Mary will give a devotion to be known as the Brown Scapular, and to my Order of Preachers she will give a devotion to be known as the Rosary. And one day, through the rosary and the scapular, she will save the world.
July 21: Mary also said (Our Lady of Good Fortune): Then will come My time: in astounding fashion I shall destroy Satan's pride, casting him beneath My feet, chaining him up in the depths of hell, leaving Church and country freed at last from his cruel tyranny. This is reminiscent of Genesis 3:15: And she shall crush thy head. And yesterday we saw that Mary will conquer through the Rosary (well said) and the Scapular (worn as a habit and way of life). And at Fatima Mary said: In the end my Immaculate Heart will triumph. This is not conditional, but absolute!
July 22: Gueranger comments on the Seventh Lord’s Day after Pentecost: Indeed, for each individual Christian, as for the Church at large, the security of the spiritual building depends primarily on the firmness of the foundation, which is faith. The Holy Ghost will not build on a foundation that is unsound or unsafe. When, especially, He is to lead a soul to the higher degrees of divine union, He exacts from her, as the first condition, that he faith, too, be above average,-a faith, that is, with heroism enough to fight successfully those battles which brace the soul, and so render her worthy of light and love. In every stage of the Christian life, however, it is faith that provides love with its enduring and substantial nourishment; it is faith that gives to the virtues their supernatural motives, and makes them fit to form a worthy court for their queen, charity. A soul’s development never goes beyond the measure of her faith. The capaciousness of faith, and its ever-growing plenitude, and its certified conformity with truth, these and the guarantees of the progress which will be made by a just man; whereas all such holiness as affects to be guided by a faith which is cramped or false is holiness of a very dubious kind, and one that is exposed to most fearful illusions.
July 23: Prayer of Saint Jerome Emiliani: Lord Jesus Christ, our loving Father, we beseech Thee, by Thine infinite goodness, raise up Christendom once more, and bring it back to that upright holiness which flourished in the apostolic age. What indeed is Christendom? This is something to meditate on.
July 24: We may recall reading the Catholic Utopia provided to us some time back. Do a search on Google and many things come up on the subject. In fact, the Universal Conversion is aimed at reinstalling a Catholic utopia, so we need to have some idea of what we are working for. Many false ideas abound, but it is our goal to look at achieving the true idea. We want to establish the spirit that originally established Christendom, and which Saints for the past half a millennia have urged us to restore IN OUR OWN SELVES. We have heard the saying charity begins at home. We should think that charity begins at home.
July 26: Saint Anne, Grandmother of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. She was also barren until later life, when God granted her the Immaculate Conception, the Most Blessed Virgin Mary, who she and Joachim consecrated to the service of Almighty God at an early age. Let us consecrate ourselves to the service of God, asking Him: What do you desire from me?
July 27: I was just given an article, which is excellent: INSUFFICIENCY OF REASON IN MATTERS OF RELIGION. I will leave you to download and read it for yourself. Also I am processing a book, Conference Matter for Religious. However, what I read today is applicable also to the laity, especially parents, since it discusses how to teach children virtue. I hope to have this completed sometime next month.
July 28: Yesterday my mother, Phil and I went over to visit two of my Aunts in Leavenworth. Before we left Mom saw something about road construction in Topeka on the route I wanted to take. So I went online to check road conditions. I decided to change course. Then I looked at my new course and half of it was also under construction with a possible 15 minute wait for a pilot car. They recommend an alternate route, so I look for one. And it also was under construction. I figured out a third route to get around both construction projects and Phil got some good pictures on the trip. But our road constructions woes would not end there. No, we hit construction in downtown Leavenworth. We came back through Topeka and hit a toad strangler on the east side of town. For those who have never seen one, a toad strangler is a rain that comes down so fast that the creeks rise so fast that the toads can't out run them and thus are strangled. Even this veteran was slowed down to fifty on the interstate. We soon drove out of it and completed our errands in town. I plan on being back in town to pick up a color laser printer I bought for our brochure project. I found it on Craig's list for $150. Since Office max charges a dollar a piece, we hope to print them in house. More later. I hope to post some pictures with comments as well.
July 29: On my recent trip to Leavenworth, Kansas (July 27, 2009) I met Mother Xavier who founded the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth. I wonder what she would think if she walked on to this ultra modern campus today? Some things she would be pleased with, such as the efficiency with which the place operates. However, I don't think she would approve of the various chapels, on the campus or what is now taught here. Three Bishops are buried on these grounds, including Bishop Miege, the first Bishop west of the Mississippi, who was first located at Saint Marys, Kansas in the mid 1850's.
Saying of Mother Xavier founder of the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth: Never say ‘can’t’. Try before using the word ‘can’t’. Once you begin a thing, see it through to the end. Furthermore, if you see anything that needs to be done, do it! Don’t wait to be asked or told. This is your home; take care of it. Use your common sense and keep our home as well as it can be kept; thereby we honor God.
In the picture you will notice she is smiling. I am looking for a picture taken some years ago and hope to have it tomorrow before I pick up the laser printer.
July 31: We are preparing here for the fall presentations and trying to figure some things out. We picked up the laser printer yesterday. An HP CM1015 with about 2,000 pages printed on it, so I think it is most likely on original toner. In any case, it is missing one tray, which we will have to acquire at some. We are now working on brochures to pass out to people, and we could have used a dozen yesterday. We want something simple to explain who we are and then refer them to the websites for more information. Try to some up who we are in 600 words or less with a couple of pictures to get people's attention! I hope to post some samples here in the near future and get some outside comments. Submissions are gratefully accepted. (Word 2000, Open Office or Publisher 2000 is supported here.) We hope to tie one brochure into the presentation, and may prepare several, since we can print in house we can make changes as we desire, and print the desired quantity to order. We are now working on two presentations, one for Kansas University and another for the University of Iowa. Tomorrow I will talk about the University of Iowa.
August 1: Today are two significant feasts. The first is that of Saint Peter’s chains, which he was liberated from by an angel almost two millenia ago. May God liberate from the chains of sin and bring about the universal conversion the Fathers of the Church tell us will happen! Possibly more striking are the holy Maccabees, who suffered martyrdom before Jesus came and gave us an example on the Cross! COnsider this, we have the example of Jesus, Who shed His Blood to redeem us. The Macabees had no such example, and yet they obeyed the Law of God and suffered martyrdom for their efforts. The Macabees fought against an Old Testament precursor of Antichrist, Antiochus. He also profaned the holy temple, and yet he also was defeated by Almighty God. May God soon liberate the world from the teachings of Antichrist, and let this liberation begin with us. May be as valiant as the holy Macabeens of old. May we be ready to suffer martyrdom for the Faith. And if we must be ready to suffer martyrdom, we must acquire the Spirit of Martyrdom. Further, if we must be ready to die for Jesus Christ, we must be ready to live our whole life in His holy service in Catholic Action!
August 2: Saint Gregory says: The love of God is never idle: where it exists, it does great things: if it refuses to act, it is not love. On today's feast (Saint Alphonsus), Dom Gueranger comments: Long before thy birth, a great Pope had said that it belongs to doctors to enlighten the Church, to adorn her with virtues, to form her manners; by them, he added, she shines in the midst of darkness as a morning star; their word, made fruitful from on high, ... A week ago a call was sent out for a Saint Bernard to come forth and champion the Church. Let us all remember that it is our duty as Christians to fight for the Church. We are the Church Militant, not the Church Comfortable. (See page 50 of Truth Is One.)
August 3: I have been invited to Iowa to presnet myown history after a class reads Veronica Chater's Waiting for the Apocalypse. Yesterday I read the Fatima Pledge from an older book. The first proposition of the pledge, which is part of the essence of the Fatima message was totally ignored by Veronica's parents. To offer up every day the sacrifice demanded by my daily duty; As I read this book, I could see that her parents were typical traditionalists of the day, who were busy about saving the Church, but failed to raise their own families to be saints. They were checked our of their children's lives, that is they ignored their children to save the Church and the world, when their first duty is to make a truly Catholic family. Unfortunatley, this was the essence of the Twentieth Century. Catholicism had been reduced to the externals of Mass ofn Sunday, fish on Friday, five dollars in the collection plate, a daily Rosary and wearing the Scapular. However, none of the essentials, such as true prayer were even considered. As I organize my thoughts, I will discuss them here.
August 4: I have been invited to Iowa to present my own history after a class reads Veronica Chater’s Waiting for the Apocalypse. I would like to consider the these waiting for the Apostlypse. Other than discussing the bagarre, there is little discussion of prophecy in this book. Prophecy was a big subject in the early 1970’s and yet there was little available on the subject. In fact, the situation has not improved a great deal, although there is some more information available and looking back we can see what actually happened. Would anyone like a discussion of prphecy and hte future to commence here? Today is the feast of Saint Dominic, to whom the Rosary was given as a weapon against the heresies of his day. Let us take this weapon and use it through pryaer and meditation to conqure the heresies of today! Mary’s triumph, which is promised at Fatima, will be over today’s heresies. It may not look possible today, but with God all things are possible.
August 5: Snow in August? Today we are expecting the exact opposite here, wth the low above 70, so I can meditate on hell. And yet in Rome over a millenia and a half ago, it snowed on one spot to mark the spot where the Blessed Virgin Mary wished a church built in her honor in fulfilment of hte desires of a pious couple. What we seem to forget is that we are in a Church that believes in miracles. How many times has God saved us from danger, spiritual or material? How has God blessed us so.
August 6: And I will destroy him (Antichrist) with the brigthness of My coming. 31 years ago today, Antichrist, (John the Baptist Montini) died. Today's feast commemorates the Transfiguration of our Lord Jesus Christ. There are many meanings to this wonderful event. Jesus' omnipotence was shown forth today as Almighty God to Peter, James and John. However, Jesus, Who was exalted today was Crucified as well. But He rose again on the third day. The Mystical Body of Christ has undergone the Passion and Death of Jesus Christ under the persecution of Antichrist. Soon the Mystical Body shall rise gloriously like a Phoenix from the ashes. Several prophecies sound like the old saying: It is always darknest before the dawn.
August 7: So far there are three votes on the poll. Two are in favor of discussing prophecy and one opposed. To give averyone time to vote, I am going to tell a true story. Two days ago we discussed a miraculous snow storm in August in Rome. I haev also seen snow in the summer. Once at 10,000 feet on the Snowy Range Drive in 1985, and then more recently in mid June. This was another one of those LONG trips. I left at six in the morning and drove all day to Colorado. As I came across La Veta Pass I could see storm clouds in the distance. As I approached Alamosa, I decided I had better fill up there, because I didn't want to be filling up in a rain storm. All was clear until I passed La Garita and headed up Carneiro Canyon. There I hit snow. I had to use the all wheel drive, but made it on up fine. The clouds soon cleared, the sun returned and the snow melted, but I have seen snow in June, all be it at 9,000 altitude.
August 8: The poll is now split about even. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me. And yes, this come directly to me. I will reply withint a day or two, depending. And if you ask a question, I may answer it publicly, as this is how I can find out what people need to know. I am nearing completion on Girardey's Conference Matter for Religious. It is excellent,a nd not just for religious. In fact, ther eis a large section on the education of childern I hope to pull out and use in a paper on how to properly raise children. This was one thing I noticed in Chatter's book Waiting for the Apocalypse. Her parents were checked out of the lives of their children. And in this they failed the main point of the Fatima Pledge, fulfilling their daily duty. The emphasis has been reduced to a few doctrines that are challenged, while ignoring the essentials of the Catholic Way of Life. Maybe this is what I ought to blog on!
August 9: The poll is split 50/50 almost. If you don't want prophesy, then what do you want to hear about? Someone asked abut the popemobile. This is a 1993 Subaru Legacy with about 160,000 miles on it. I have put a lot of them on going on my various trips, which I have talked about on occasion here. Pope Pius XI, the first Pope to leave the Vatican in a car road across in a small Fiat. Pope Pius XII also had a simple ride, until Cardinal Spellman wanted a limosin. Spellman bought two, one for himself and one for Pope Pius XII. Jesus entered Jeruslaem on a donkey, and I imagine that Saint Paul wasn't riding the fanciest thing. This car is still going strong! Thank God!
August 10: Saint Lawrence, patron saint of charcoalers. The pagans grilled Saint Lawrence. While suffering for Jesus Christ he quipped: I am done on this side, turn me over. Then they did just that, and he completed his sacrifice as a holocaust for the Lord. In the Jewish sacrifices there were two kinds, holocausts and burnt offerings. In the holocaust the victim is completely consumed, where as in the burnt offering, it is charcoaled and then eaten by the priests. I am leaving the poll up through the week, and will place another next week.
August 11: Well we are going live Sunday at 11am Central Daylight Time. There will be tests most every day, the next scheduled for 3pm Tuesday afternoon. You can submit questions here, if you wish to have them answered on Sunday. We will be preparing a companion webpage here for the Sunday (and possibly other) broadcasts. The webpage will contain links to things I discuss to help all read and understand.
The rest of the week I will discuss the preparations for this project. Be sure to bookmark the page and you will see me 11am on the Lord's Day. This Lord's Day will be a trial run to test everything in real time, although I have dome things to talk about.
August 12: Eternal Wisdom shows us that the fruitof salvation, though it may seem to proceed from the word and from action, springs first from silent contemplation. Thus does Dom Gueranger speak of today's feast of Saint Clare. Today We will be praying in preparation for the broadcast scheduled for Sunday. Also We have added to the daily schedule. Today is a test at 11am for lighting. We plan to broadcast Rosary at 4:30pm and Compline at 8:45. Come pray with us here at the Vatican in Exile. A note, if you come into this page, you need to refresh at the appropriate time, if you do not receive live video. Also there is an ad that plays first. We hope to be able to record as well. May God bless you this holy day and We hope you see Us on Sunday.
August 13: Calendar correction. Tomorrow is not a fast day. I misread something in preparing the calendar last year. In 1957 this fast was transferred to the Vigil of the Immaculate Conception. Of course, being a Friday it is a day of abstinence. Compline started late last night due to computer problems. We are still working out the bugs, but think all will be in place for Sunday. We plan to fire the computer up earlier and have everything ready to go before the broadcast is scheduled to begin. We must fire up the computer and plug in the webcam after it is running. If you leave it plugged in, you have no audio. The sermon is being worked on this morning. I have to go to town today to look for a lawnmower, so afternoon Rosary will not be broadcast today. Compline should begin at 8:45 this evening. We will make sure everything is ready a little earlier.
August 14: Well we are still having some minor issues with equipment for the broadcast. It is time to do some routine maintenance. Since I broadcast from the library, I pulled an old computer out that I had retired. I think that it is nolonger up to the job and so will have to decide what to do to provide better equipment. I think I have all the parts I need in storage to build up somethign more reliable. However, this equipment will work, if we start up a little early and make sure everything it working. I have bought lower end equipment over the years, so I regularly upgrade. Also I build my own computers, so I can do any necessary maintenance or repair work. In any case, we will broadcast live on Sunday, one way or another. Tomorrow is a Holy Day of Obligation. Would anyone like Us to broadcast Holyday Prayers here at 8am?
August 15: The Assumption of the Most Blessed Virgin Maty into Heaven. There is so much in this Mystery to meditate on. Actually We would like to announce the broadcast schedule for tomorrow:
Note I am providing the links at Ubroadcast, whcih we are using for the moment. This is a trial period and we may try out another resource down the road.
We broadcast our Holyay Morning Prayers at 8am this morning. We try to provide these broadcasts with the least distraction to prayer, so we start the broadcast and proceed as normal. We will broadcast prayers at 8am on Holydays, which includes the Lord's Day, of course.
August 16: The Feast of Saint Joachim. At 11am today We commence our Lord's Day broadcasts!
Also today we start a new countdown to the September Ember Days. The counter to the right is always hot.
August 17: If everyone did their duty, no one would be overworked. This thought was given to me the other day and I thought I should pass it along. And so, I must ask myself, Am I doing my duty? I have duties to God, to myself and to my fellow man. And these come in a order of priority, and we must sort things out and do things in their appropriate place and time. And sometimes, we must even say no to someone low priority, to care for someone who has a higher priority, such as a child or our spouse. And in failing this, many damn their own souls to hell by having their priorities messed up.
August 18: Man is the sum total of the graces he has received and what he did with them. In figuring out why I want to discuss things I came to this conclusion. God sends us everything that comes into our life, as we read in Trustful Surrender to Divine Providence. So I want to discuss prophecy more from the influence it had in my life, than trying to figure out the future. I plan on intermixing other thoughts as I move ahead and linking up longer thoughts, and there are some piling up, that need to be fleshed out and presented. Until then, meditate and have a good thought and pass it along.
New project underway: Worldliness Will Not Make You Happy.
My brethren, if any of you err from the truth and one convert him: He must know that he who causeth a sinner to be converted from the error of his way shall save his soul from death and shall cover a multitude of sins. (James 5:19-20) Click through for more information on Catholic Action.
Wayfarers come and go, but the faithful stay, put down roots, lend their shoulders to the great work of building and repairing the Church, get their hands and clothes soiled, get weary, eat, rest, rejuvenate and return to the battle. But wayfarers come as tourists and as voyeurs, participate to varying extents and then turn back to their first true love, leaving the Church which they never joined. And so it is the will of God, that those who are just as Abraham was just, be collected to Holy Mother Church.
