Where are we today? WHO are we today?!

Of course this is just my perception, and my OPINION, but thinking back several decades, I  recall that racial problems had just about been extinguished altogether. Reminiscing about the Dean Martin Roasts, and in particular Don Rickles, who insulted every race, Creed and person indiscriminately, LOL ... Not many, if any, took exception or offense. It was all just great fun ... everyone was laughing; not just on the show, but in the country. We had gone through the race thing in the sixties ... yes it was intense. But people who had brains and hearts came to the realization that we all bleed the same color blood and skin color means absolutely nothing!

So if someone was referred to by the ethnic term of the times, it was water off a duck's back. Every people, every person, has their quirks. Many are quite endearing. The things that were said about people back then for the most part, were never meant to degrade or take away the people or persons dignity; it was simply pointing out the intricacies of each in jest. And what did that do actually? It made us all smile a little bit more. It made us all chuckle a little bit more. And you know what? I really think that it helped us all get along a little bit more and brought us closer together in the long run.
Then what happened?

So here we are, having to sift our words before we speak so that no one is offended. And the worst part about this is that now, we have to be careful not to offend the people who are offencive TO US. Many of us still hold fast to biblical truths and the old fashioned morals and scruples we were raised on. And thank God for that! There is so much to all this stuff that it truly puts my head in a whirl. But I assure you, it is NOT merely an issue of political correctness.
Manipulation can be and *IS* a very subtle industry.

Think about it, how absolutely ridiculous is it to spend millions of taxpayer dollars to investigate trash back to the persons high school days if you don't like what they stand for? And really that's all it is ... you don't agree with them, you want them to hold YOUR opinion ... And if they don't/won't, then just make their lives miserable until they change their way of thinking or slink away into obscurity. Regardless of their political, economical or religious beliefs, all that aside, how absolutely asinine is it to go back to their school days and try to wreck their lives and livings because at some point in their life, at a party, they put on blackface and dressed as a negro. Do they do this with people who dressed as Indians, Attila the Hun, Marco Polo, Christopher Columbus, a fairy godmother or the devil himself? Some of the people in the Dean Martin Roasts are still alive, when are they going to be indicted for racial slurs? This is all just so utterly ridiculous! 

It really does not matter what side of the fence you're on, for what purposes you work or what goals you hold for the future. Some things are just right and some things are just wrong, and they always will be because TRUTH DOES NOT CHANGE. And one of those things is taking away life from an innocent person. Thou shalt not murder is the same today as it was when Moses got the tablets, AND IT IS NOT REGULATED BY THE AGE OF THE VICTIM! How anybody can scowl at the statement that babies are people and made in the image and likeness of God and have an inalienable right to life is absolutely beyond my comprehension and totally totally evil personified. And those that actually perform these intrinsically evil acts .... all I can say is may God have mercy on their souls and give them the grace to repent before their last breath.

The way I see it, and of course it's just my opinion, there's a lot of childishness in politics these days. Well actually it's mostly greed when you come right down to it ... and avarice of course, but I guess what I mean to say is that the lust for greed and avarice produces a very childish response in an attempt to get what they want. There is no arguing that there is a lot of money to be made in drugs, trafficking and selling organs. And it's sad to say, and can hardly be refuted, that many politicians are on the receiving end of envelopes in their pockets as long as they legislate to keep the avenues open perpetuating these atrocities for their under the table "bonuses".

And I think the biggest waste of USA money today, are the presidential investigations, for more than a couple of years now, into Trump's financial situation and this so-called Russian collusion business. When one thing fails, they simple invent another, spending more of our tax dollars instead of doing something PROACTIVE. Trump has bettered the country in many different areas which I won't go into here. They can easily be researched and verified. He cares about the value of life. He shows respect for God almighty and has encouraged others to do the same.

He's increased the job market and research proves (going back decades and decades) that he is so far from being a racist that it's laughable. They say that the deals he makes only lines his pockets and the pockets of his rich friends. Yet here is a man who gave up the last years of what could have been an easy cushy life knowing how much ridicule he and his family would be put through by trying to do the right thing for others. And he doesn't even accept his presidential salary! He donates it to different causes every quarter! ... say what you want about him, but he didn't get to where he is - or even where he was before the presidency, by being an idiot or fool. That's only common sense! And you're certainly, of course, free to call him a liar, however, please do recall the old adage which is so very true: "Actions speak louder than words."

He has cracked down on human trafficking BIG LEAGUE (or BIGLY if you prefer). I believe that the elites from DC to Hollywood to the Royals and beyond are not only shaking in their boots about the thought of being exposed; but are so angry about the possibility of their fun, games and TOYS being taken from them, that they'll stop at nothing to ensure their degraded perversities can continue. It's not just the Weinstein or Epstein types that are regular players either. Why do you think so many celebrities have decided to finally speak up about what really goes on in Hollywood? And if you think it stops at mere sex trafficking, you're extremely naive. But that's another sordidly horrific topic.

So yes, I think Trump's doing his job; which is more than I can say for the Democrats who sit there blocking ANYTHING Trump tries to do regardless if it hurts the American people.

Trump pulled us out of places where we were getting the short end of the stick, and rightfully so. Shouldn't every country protect and ensure the best for its citizens? If history proves me wrong, so be it; but for right now I believe he's one of the most honest and hard-working presidents we've ever had, bar none. I believe he's going through hell and they're trying to take him down because he can't be controlled, because he cannot be bought, because he has no special interest groups that he owes favors to. He is not beholding to anyone or anything but his own conscience, and of course, God Almighty.

I want to go back to the fifties. I want to go back to when people had respect for people, regardless of their lifestyles, creeds, political affiliations and all the rest. Much of the stuff that exists today existed then as well, but no one attempted to force the general public to swallow it. "You do your thing and I'll do mine; and when we pass in the street, we'll nod smile and greet!" (LOL, that just popped out of me and I like it!)

Things were more honest before all this crap began ... More real.

Yeah, I want to go back to that time and leave all this future behind!

Immaculate Conception: December 8th ... NOON TIME ... Special Hour of Grace

The Hour of Grace

The 8th of December is an important day - the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. It is also the day on which in 1947 Our Blessed Mother gave us the Hour of Grace.

Our Lady said as follows: "It is my wish that every year, on 8th December, at noon, the HOUR OF GRACE FOR THE WORLD be celebrated. Many divine and bodily graces will be received through this devotion. Our Lord, my Divine Son Jesus, will send His overflowing mercy if good people will pray continuously for their sinful brother.... it is my wish that the HOUR OF GRACE FOR THE WORLD be made known and spread throughout the world. If anyone is unable to visit his church, yet will pray at home, he will also receive graces through me.... will find a secure heavenly ladder and receive protection and grace through my motherly heart."

Our Lady promised she will hear any prayer we make at this time.

THE REQUEST OF OUR BLESSED MOTHER FOR THE HOUR OF GRACE:

Day and time of the Hour of Grace: December 8th, Feast of the Immaculate Conception, to be started at 12:00 noon and continuing until 1:00 p.m. for one full hour of prayer.

During this hour, the person making the Hour of Grace either at home or at church must put away all distractions (do not answer the telephones, or answer any doors, or do anything but totally concentrate on your union with God during this special Hour of Grace).

Begin the Hour of Grace by praying three times the 51st Psalm with out-stretched arms. (Psalm 51 appears below).

The rest of the Hour of Grace may be spent in silent communication with God meditating upon the Passion of Jesus, saying the Holy Rosary, praising God in your own way, or by using favorite prayers, singing hymns, meditating upon other psalms, etc.

Please copy and distribute this message. Remember to pray for your country during this hour. The Blessed Virgin has requested that her important message be sent throughout the entire world. Please help her Mission: that all souls be drawn to God, and that Jesus will be loved in every heart. This is the perpetual song of her heart. Let it also be yours.

_________________________________________________________

PSALM 51

Have mercy on on me, God, in Your goodness; in Your abundant compassion blot out my offense.
Wash away all my guilt; from my sin cleanse me. For I know my offense; my sin is always before me. Against You alone have I sinned; I have done such evil in Your sight that You are just in Your sentence, blameless when You condemn. True, I was born guilty, a sinner, even as my mother conceived me. Still, You insist on sincerity of heart; in my innermost being teach me wisdom. Cleanse me with hyssop, that I may be pure; wash me, make me whiter than snow. Let me hear sounds of joy and gladness; let the bones You have crushed rejoice. Turn away Your Face from my sins; blot out all my guilt. A clean heart create for me, God; renew in me a steadfast spirit. Do not drive me from Your Presence, nor take from me Your Holy Spirit. Restore my joy in your salvation; sustain in me a willing spirit. I will teach the wicked Your ways, that sinners may return to You. Rescue me from death, God, my saving God, that my tongue may praise Your healing power. Lord, open my lips; my mouth will proclaim Your praise. For You do not desire sacrifice; a burnt offering You would not accept. My sacrifice, God, is a broken spirit; God, do not spurn a broken, humbled heart. Make Zion prosper in Your good pleasure; rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. Then You will be pleased with proper sacrifice, burnt offerings and holocausts; then bullocks will be offered on Your altar.

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Few doctrines of the Catholic Church are as misunderstood as the dogma of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which Catholics celebrate every year on December 8. Many people, including many Catholics, think that the Immaculate Conception refers to the conception of Christ through the action of the Holy Spirit in the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary. That event, though, is celebrated at the feast of the Annunciation of the Lord (March 25, nine months before Christmas). What is the Immaculate Conception?

Conceived Without Sin

The Immaculate Conception refers to the condition that the Blessed Virgin Mary was free from Original Sin from the very moment of her conception in the womb of her mother, Saint Anne. We celebrate the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary—her birth—on September 8; nine months before that is December 8, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception.

The Development of the Doctrine of the Immaculate Conception

Fr. John Hardon, S.J., in his Modern Catholic Dictionary, notes that "Neither the Greek nor Latin Fathers explicitly taught the Immaculate Conception, but they professed it implicitly." It would take many centuries, though, for the Catholic Church to recognize the Immaculate Conception as a doctrine—as something which all Christians must believe—and many more before Pope Pius IX, on December 8, 1854, would declare it a dogma—that is, a doctrine that the Church teaches was revealed by God Himself.
The Declaration of the Dogma of the Immaculate ConceptionIn the Apostolic Constitution Ineffabilis Deus, Pope Pius IX wrote that "We declare, pronounce, and define that the doctrine which holds that the most Blessed Virgin Mary, in the first instance of her conception, by a singular grace and privilege granted by Almighty God, in view of the merits of Jesus Christ, the Savior of the human race, was preserved free from all stain of original sin, is a doctrine revealed by God and therefore to be believed firmly and constantly by all the faithful."
As Father Hardon further writes, the Blessed Virgin's "freedom from sin was an unmerited gift of God or special grace, and an exception to the law, or privilege, which no other created person has received."

The Immaculate Conception Anticipates Christ's Redemption of All Mankind

Another misconception people have is that Mary's Immaculate Conception was necessary to ensure that Original Sin would not be passed on to Christ. This has never been a part of the teaching on the Immaculate Conception; rather, the Immaculate Conception represents Christ's saving grace operating in Mary in anticipation of His redemption of man and in God's foreknowledge of Mary's acceptance of His Will for her.
In other words, the Immaculate Conception was not a precondition for Christ's act of redemption but the result of that act. It is the concrete expression of God's love for Mary, who gave herself fully, completely, and without hesitation to His service.
For more on the development of the dogma of the Immaculate Conception, see the Feast of the Immaculate Conception.

Related

• The Feast of the Immaculate Conception
• Prayers for December: The Month of the Immaculate Conception
• How Could Someone Be Born Without Original Sin?
• 5 Common Misconceptions About the Virgin Mary

Catholicism

• Catholic Beliefs and Teachings
• Prayers, Novenas & Litanies
• Catholic Holy Days and Holidays
• The Saints of the Catholic Church (Biographies and Prayers)
• The Sacraments of the Catholic Church

Where ARE our Beloved Dead?

This is going to be a tough subject for a myriad of reasons, but it's important enough to risk the possible after effects. I should say right here and now that I will NOT engage in debates. If you like what I say, great ... add to it if you like, but if you don't; please just move on ... no one is forcing you to read this.

Most all of us have lost a friend or loved one in our lives. The anguish is beyond measure. Frequent attempts at consolation, though well meaning, can be detrimental to the loved ones soul. We often hear: "Well, they're with the Lord now." Many birthday memorials send greetings 'to heaven' to their loved ones. But do we really know where they actually are?

It’s something we don’t want to even consider. Many have had hard deaths and to think of our loved ones suffering more is beyond what we can bear, yet ... if we really love them and want to do the best for THEM, should we not take this into serious consideration? This is a subject that could be a BOOK rather than a POST, yet, for the sake of brevity, I will attempt to touch on the ‘highlights’ to get the principle components out there for reflection.

Consider the 'possibility' that some souls (likely most) are in a state of cleansing ... purgatory/limbo or what ever you want to call it. Many verses in the bible both old and new testaments, refer to the cleansing 'fire'. We can't be sure if this is an actual fire or some emotional/spiritual/mental hardship knowing we're separated from God due to choices we could have made differently. But we DO know that NOTHING with the least little speck will enter heaven. So purgatory purges our imperfections and perfects our love making it possible to enter God’s Kingdom.

I believe one of the strongest arguments for a place of purging before heaven is the following: Matthew 12:32 And whoever says a word against the Son of man will be forgiven; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come. If this sin cannot be forgiven after death, it follows that there are others which can be, and this must be in purgatory: precisely the interpretation of St. Augustine, Pope St. Gregory the Great,  the Venerable Bede, and St. Bernard, among others.

So is it enough to have fond memories of our dearly departed and carry them in our hearts if there is a way to hasten their flight to heaven? I, myself, have always been one to err on the side of caution. If you do something and it winds up being for nothing; no biggie. But if we DON'T do something that could have made a HUGE difference to ourselves or a loved one and we don't do it, it's DEVASTATING. They could still be in a place of cleansing depending on our prayers and sacrifices to help them enter heaven. Souls in purgatory cannot pray for themselves, they can only pray for others.

So, at least for a moment, I propose that you believe what I’m saying here is actually true (it IS) and we CAN actually assist our dear ones that have passed.  Scripture teaches love is not self seeking and endures all things. So in other words, their ['perfected'] love prevents them from praying for themselves, compelling them instead to pray for those whose salvation hangs in the balance, even at the cost of their own prolonged suffering.

Personally, I have perpetual Masses said for all relatives and friends with the addition of special occasions and perhaps birthdays and the dates of their deaths. You can also pray and offer sacrifices in union with the Passion of Christ. The holy Rosary, Chaplets and other prayers are wonderful and important resources to this end. Our sacrifices only have merit when united to His Sufferings and offered to the Father. We also can intercede to our Blessed Mother and the saints to pray for our loved ones ... many many things can and SHOULD be done for our beloved dead. I think it's doing a great disservice to them to just assume they're in heaven. And if by chance, they ARE already in heaven, I believe God will apply our alms to a soul who has no one to pray for them, so nothing's ever wasted!

So much is upside down in the world today and has been for a long long time. Many act like what is on earth will last forever forgetting about eternity completely. Or worse yet, thinking eternity is nothing more than a nice fairy tale with heaven dangling in the distance to console the weak. It's the earth and all that is in it that will eventually pass away. THIS *IS* the TRUTH. But Jesus has conquered the world and His Death and Resurrection gives us new ETERNAL LIFE in HIM. What a precious gift purchased with a LOVE so abundant and complete that we, as humans, can't even comprehend it! So yes, we remember our dead with much love and sentiment on birthdays, anniversaries and the like; but let's always remember to do ALL we CAN to get them to heaven as quickly as possible and one day, we will know ... each one of us ... how very important this actually IS.

This may be added to, revised or edited as time moves along, in which case I will repost.

THE ROSARY .... It's Not just for Catholics anymore! ;)

October is traditionally the month of the Holy Rosary and what a treasure trove of history, Scripture and blessings it IS!

Many of us were raised praying this devotion on the life of Jesus. Many of us (especially in our youth) zipped through it with hurried repetition without even considering the mysteries. What a LOSS!!
The Rosary is praying Scripture. I like to think of it as taking Mary's hand and letting her walk me through the life of Jesus. So many protestants just see it as 'vain repetition', but they miss the whole point of the devotion in that our meditation on the mysteries bring us closer to the Sacred and Immaculate Hearts almost as if we were there. However, once realized ... more and more non Catholics have taken up rosaries and now join in this most personal devotion with a much better understanding of why and to Whom it is offered.

I've had some times when I got lost in the mysteries practically smelling the hay and animals at the Nativity; or feeling the profound devastation and utter emptiness accompanied with the crashing thunder and lightening when our dear Lord breathed His Last.
If you totally immerse yourself in the mysteries, you will find that the rosary is hardly a chore, but most definitely a total JOY that you will look forward to daily with much love and devotion. This is the goal. To become as close to Jesus and Mary as is humanly possible. If we really love someone, don't we want to know EVERYTHING about them and always wanting to learn more, right?

The whole rosary is actually 20 decades broken into 4 sets of mysteries meditated on different days of
the week as noted below. The Scripture references are also available, should you need a little brush up on what you want to be thinking about as you say the prayers. (The prayers are found in Scripture as well ... yes, even the HAIL MARY!  The only part that isn't in Scripture was added by the Church where we ask Mary to pray for us now and at the hour of our death.) The whole rosary gives honor and glory to God, concentrating on the life and ministry of Jesus.

So actually, when we say a set of mysteries on a particular day, that's really just a 'chaplet' because the WHOLE Rosary, as we said earlier, consists of 20 decades. But if you can do just one set of mysteries a day it will be extremely beneficial for mind, body and soul.

 Any questions, please don't hesitate to ask ... make October the month of a new beginning with greater devotion to Jesus!! BLESSINGS!!

click here for larger image

St. Therese of Lisieux Novena - 9/22 - 9/30

Join us in the novena to St. Therese of Lisieux! Also known as St. Therese of the Child Jesus, she is a doctor of the Church and Pope Pius X called her the “greatest saint of modern times.” Needless to say, she is a most powerful intercessor and she is beloved by many who seek her help.
She is one of the most popular saints of our day.


Daily Prayer added to individual days below:

Dearest Saint Therese of Lisieux, you said that you would spend your time in heaven doing good on earth.

Your trust in God was complete. Pray that He may increase my trust in His goodness and mercy as I ask for the following petitions…

(State your intentions)

Pray for me that I, like you, may have great and innocent confidence in the loving promises of our God. Pray that I may live my life in union with God’s plan for me, and one day see the Face of God Whom you loved so deeply.

Saint Therese, you were faithful to God up until the moment of your death. Pray for me that I may be faithful to our loving God. May my life bring peace and love to the world through faithful endurance in love for God our Savior.

St. Therese Novena DAY ONE

Loving God, you blessed St. Therese with a capacity for a great love. Help me to believe in Your unconditional love for each of Your children, especially for me.
I love You, Lord. Help me to love You more!
Our Father…
Hail Mary…
Glory Be…

St. Therese Novena DAY TWO

Loving God, you loved St. Therese’s complete trust in Your care. Help me to rely on Your providential care in each circumstance of my life, especially the most difficult and stressful.
I trust You, Lord. Help me to trust You more!
I love You, Lord. Help me to love You more!
Our Father…
Hail Mary…
Glory Be…

St. Therese Novena DAY THREE

Loving God, you gave St. Therese the ability to see You in the ordinary routine of each day. Help me to be aware of Your Presence in the everyday events of my life.
I see You, Lord. Help me to see You more!
I trust You, Lord. Help me to trust You more!
I love You, Lord. Help me to love You more!
Our Father…
Hail Mary…
Glory Be…

St. Therese Novena DAY FOUR

Loving God, You taught St. Therese how to find You through the “little way” of humility and simplicity. Grant that I may never miss the grace hidden in humble service to others.
I am humble, Lord. Give me more humility!
I see You, Lord. Help me to see You more!
I trust You, Lord. Help me to trust You more!
I love You, Lord. Help me to love You more!
Our Father…
Hail Mary…
Glory Be…

St. Therese Novena DAY FIVE

Loving God, You gave St. Therese the gift of forgiving others even when she felt hurt and betrayed. Help me to be able to forgive others who have wounded me, especially…
I try to forgive, Lord. Help me to forgive 70 times 7 times!
I am humble, Lord. Give me more humility!
I see You, Lord. Help me to see You more!
I trust You, Lord. Help me to trust You more!
I love You, Lord. Help me to love You more!
Our Father…
Hail Mary…
Glory Be…

St. Therese Novena DAY SIX

Loving God, St. Therese experienced every day as a gift from You. She saw it as a time to love You through other people. May I, too, see every day as an opportunity to say yes to You.
I accept Your Will, Lord. Help me to accept Your Will every day!
I try to forgive, Lord. Help me to forgive 70 times 7 times!
I am humble, Lord. Give me more humility!
I see You, Lord. Help me to see You more!
I trust You, Lord. Help me to trust You more!
I love You, Lord. Help me to love You more!
Our Father…
Hail Mary…
Glory Be…

St. Therese Novena DAY SEVEN

Loving God, St. Therese offered to You her weakness. Help me to see in my weakness an opportunity to rely completely on You.
I rely on You, Lord. Help me to rely on You more!
I accept Your Will, Lord. Help me to accept Your Will every day!
I try to forgive, Lord. Help me to forgive 70 times 7 times!
I am humble, Lord. Give me more humility!
I see You, Lord. Help me to see You more!
I trust You, Lord. Help me to trust You more!
I love You, Lord. Help me to love You more!
Our Father…
Hail Mary…
Glory Be…

St. Therese Novena DAY EIGHT

Loving God, You loved St. Therese with a powerful love and made her a source of strength to those who had lost faith in You. Help me to pray with confidence for those in my life who do not believe they can be loved.
I reflect You to the world, Lord. Help me to reflect You more clearly!
I rely on You, Lord. Help me to rely on You more!
I accept Your Will, Lord. Help me to accept Your Will every day!
I try to forgive, Lord. Help me to forgive 70 times 7 times!
I am humble, Lord. Give me more humility!
I see You, Lord. Help me to see You more!
I trust You, Lord. Help me to trust You more!
I love You, Lord. Help me to love You more!
Our Father…
Hail Mary…
Glory Be…

St. Therese Novena DAY NINE

Loving God, St. Therese never doubted that her life had meaning. Help me to see how I can bless and love everyone in my life. Especially…
I love Your people, Lord. Help me to love them more!
I reflect You to the world, Lord. Help me to reflect You more clearly!
I rely on You, Lord. Help me to rely on You more!
I accept Your Will, Lord. Help me to accept Your Will every day!
I try to forgive, Lord. Help me to forgive 70 times 7 times!
I am humble, Lord. Give me more humility!
I see You, Lord. Help me to see You more!
I trust You, Lord. Help me to trust You more!
I love You, Lord. Help me to love You more!
Our Father…
Hail Mary…
Glory Be…


FEAST DAY OCTOBER 1st

The Atrocity - To Honor those lost and those Grieving the Loss of 9/11/01

I'm not sure what happened to my previous post on this horrific day, but I'm posting this to honor those who lost their lives that awful day, those first responders that lost their lives and suffered so many years with the aftermath of this horror and all those still grieving their loved ones. The evil in this world is seemingly at a breaking point. So much more has transpired since then. Things we couldn't have even IMAGINED 20 yrs ago are now on the news daily. The world needs much prayer and fasting ... this IS a spiritual battle. We know Who wins in the end, but let's pray hard that more will be saved than lost when the time comes. At any rate, pray for all these souls. I am also including a video of all the events of that horrific day with actual footage and recordings as events unfolded.

WE MUST NEVER FORGET!! 

AA-1025

It has long been a bone of contention with me that many are so quick to judge and walk away from the TRUTH without really knowing why things sometimes happen as they do. Not to mention that we are to love the sinner and hate the sin. I'm talking about the bad wrap the undeserving priests have gotten merely because they wear a collar, through no fault or sin of their own, but merely "guilt by association". What follows is what I believe  to be the main reason this and much more will occur in the Church before all is said and done. Satan knows what is dangerous to him and of course wants to obliterate the one True Church ... what better attempt than to discredit her servants? At any rate, you will not be sorry to buy this little paperback for a compelling afternoon read that you won't soon forget in light of past and likely future Church happenings ....

In the 1960's, a French Catholic nurse, Marie Carre, attended an auto-crash victim who was brought into her hospital in a city she purposely does not name. The man lingered there near death for a few hours and then died. He had no identification on him, but he had a briefcase in which there was a set of quasi-biographical notes. She kept these notes and read them, and because of their extraordinary content, decided to publish them. The result is this little book, AA-1025-The Memoirs of an Anti Apostle, about a Communist who purposely entered the Catholic priesthood (along with many, many others) with the intent to subvert and destroy the Church from within.

This little book, his strange yet fascinating and illuminating set of biographical notes, tells of his commission to enter the priesthood, his various experiences in the seminary, and the means and methods he used and promoted to help effect from within the auto-dissolution of the Catholic Church.

Absorbing and compelling reading from beginning to end, The Memoirs of an Anti Apostle is must reading for every Catholic today and for all who would understand just what has happened to undermine the Catholic Church since the 1960's. No one will read this book without a profound assent that something just like what is described here must surely have happened on a wide scale in order to have dis-rupted the life of the Catholic Church so dramatically.

An 'easy read' paperback that you will have a hard time putting down once you pick it up!

I found a brief synopsis:

The Confessions of a Communist Agent On The Attempt to Destroy the Roman Catholic Church from Within

I. Introduction.

This is the story of a Communist agent who infiltrated into the Catholic Church in 1938, went to the Seminary, became a Priest who wielded enormous power behind the scene, participated in the Second Vatican Council, and without the intervention of Pope Paul VI himself he would have destroyed its works. He succeeded, however, in fostering the adoption of ambiguous Council documents which laid the ground work for future experiments by unsuspecting Prelates and Priests. These experiments based on the "Spirit of the Council" are destroying the 2,000-year Traditions of the Church, leading the Catholic faithful on the road to the Great Apostasy, and preparing the Church for the election of the Anti-Pope and for the reception of the coming Anti-Christ. He stated: "'The Spirit of the Council' has become for me a master-trump." The reader should observe that many harmful changes that the agent proposed have been implemented, some in direct disobedience to the the Pope, at the local dioceses throughout the world.

This agent had no name, only a code number AA-1025 given by the Russian Secret Police, meaning the Anti-Apostle number 1025. There had been 1024 agents like him before him. By now there must have been at least several thousands of them in the Catholic Church. Some must have risen to the rank of Archbishop and Cardinal, many of whom could have been heads of Departments in the Curia (Papal government) and religious Congregations. No wonder the 2000-year Traditions of the Church are being slowly demolished and replaced by heresies like Modernism, Arianism, Pelagian, Protestantism, Atheism, Liberation Theology. Nevertheless, Our Lord stated: "Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." (Matthew 16:18).

Further, Our Lord promised: "Behold, I am with you all days, even unto the consummation of the world." (Matthew 28:20). This should be understood literally, i.e. Our Lord Jesus Christ is living really and truly among the Catholic faithfull in His Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity every day on the Altar in the Mass and in all Tabernacles until the end of the world, even during the persecution of the Church by the Anti-Christ. One can cite many Eucharistic miracles throughout centuries to prove this. One of the most famous miracles if that of Lanciano, Italy in 8th century. There, the Host turned into flesh and wine blood. The Eucharistic flesh of Lanciano was examined by Dr. Linoli and Dr. Bertelli in Siena, Italy in 1971. They concluded that the flesh was striated muscular tissue of the myocardium (heart wall) of human origin, and the blood was of type AB. (cf. Joan Carroll Cruz, Eucharistic Miracles, Rockford, Illinois: Tan Books, 1987). The latest miracle was wrought through Julia Kim, a Korean housewife and a stigmatist. On October 31, 1995, Julia visited the Vatican and attended a Mass said by Pope John Paul II. At Communion, she received the Consecrated Host which immediately turned into live flesh and blood on her tongue. This was winessed by the Pope. Its was also witnessed by Msgr. Paik who testified that as the Sacred Host was turning into Flesh and Blood, it also became larger and formed the shape of a heart. This was the 12th Eucharistic miracle that Julia experienced. The 11th was in Naju, South Korea, on September 22, 1995 when the Sacred Host also turned into live Flesh and Blood on her tongue during a Mass celebrated by Bishop Roman Danylak from Toronto, Canada. (For color photos and video of these miracles, write or call Mary's Touch By Mail, P.O. Box 1668, Gresham, OR 97030, Phone: (503) 669-8443, Fax: (503) 669-7023.)

As Our Lord said: "Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away." (Luke 21:33). Thus, the Church will never be destroyed as has been hoped by its enemies but always survive in her faithful remnant.

The Agent died in the hospital after a car accident. The nurse (Marie Carre) who attended him found the memoirs in his brief case. After she read it, she decided to publish the memoirs for the world to know why the Catholic Church has been undergoing destructive changes to the lament of its faithful. The English translation is published under the title AA 1025, The Memoirs of an Anti-Apostle by Marie Carre.

Examples of rounds and reparations - Luisa Piccarretta the Daughter of the Divine Will

Luisa in death. 

Volume 11 - 6th November, 1914

Thereafter, when returning, Blessed Jesus began to speak of these Hours of his Passion. He said:

"My daughter, know, that in making these Hours, the soul takes my thoughts and makes them her own; she takes my REPARATIONs, my prayers, my desires, my affections, even my most intimate fibers, and makes them her own. And whereby, raising herself up between Heaven and earth, she performs my own office, and as co-redemptrix, says together with Me: 'Ecce ego, mitte me' [Here I am, Lord; send me out]. I want to make REPARATION to You for everyone, to respond to You for everyone, and to intercede for the good of everyone."

I too, Jesus, united with You, take the words from your very lips, and I will say, always and in everything: "Thank You for myself and for all", in order to continue the REPARATIONs for the lack of thanksgiving.

My Jesus, I too unite myself to You; I make your prayers, your REPARATIONs and your appropriate remedies for each soul, my own. I want to mix my tears with yours, that You may never be alone, but may always have me with You, to share in your pains.

I too unite myself to You, O sweet Mama. Upon the wings of the winds I want to go around the heavens to ask the Father, the Holy Spirit and all the Angels, for an "I bless You" for Jesus, so that, as I go to Him, I may bring Him their blessings. And here on earth, I want to go to all creatures and ask, from every lip, from every heartbeat, from every step, from every breath, from every gaze, from every thought - blessings and praises for Jesus. And if no one wants to give them to me, I intend to give them for them.

O please, I beg You, my Heart - as I compassionate You and repair for the offenses which You receive from the souls who are obstinate in not wanting to convert, let us go around the earth, and wherever there are obstinate sinners, let us give them your tears to soften them, your kisses and your squeezes of love to bind them to You, in such a way that they will not be able to escape, and therefore relieve You from the pain of the loss of Judas.

O my Jesus, give myself into your hands, that You may do with me, freely, whatever You best please; and together with You, I want to follow your Will, your reparations, and suffer your pains. I want to be always around You, that there may be no offense which I do not repair; no bitterness which I do not soothe; no spit or blows that You receive, which are not followed by one kiss and caress of mine. In the falls You will suffer, my hands will always be ready to help You in order to lift You. So, I want to be always with You, O my Jesus; I do not want to leave You alone even for one minute. And to be more certain, place me inside of Yourself, and I will be in your mind, in your gazes, in your Heart, and in all of You, so that whatever You do, I may do as well. In this way, I will be able to keep You faithful company, and nothing of your pains will escape me, in order to give You my return of love for everything.

My Jesus, my thoughts are one with yours. Therefore, together with You, I pray, implore, make reparation, and excuse before the Divine Majesty all the evil that is done by all the intelligences of creatures. Permit me to take your thorns and your very Intelligence to go around together with You to all creatures to attach yours to theirs; and, with the sanctity of your Intelligence, I want to return to them the original intelligence which You created. With the sanctity of your thoughts, permit me to set all the thoughts of creatures in order in You, transfix with your thorns all the minds of creatures and give back to You the dominion and the rule of everyone. Ah yes, my Jesus, You alone be the ruler of every thought, of every affection, and of all the peoples. You alone rule everything. In this way alone will the face of the earth, which causes horror and terror to our Heavenly Father, be changed.

O my afflicted Good, I make your life my own, and together with You I intend to REPAIR for all these offenses. I want to enter into the most intimate hiding places of your Divine Heart and REPAIR with your own Heart for the most intimate and secret offenses, which You receive from your dearest ones.

My Jesus, I too unite myself to You; I make your prayers, your REPARATIONs and your appropriate remedies for each soul, my own. I want to mix my tears with yours, that You may never be alone, but may always have me with You, to share in your pains.

May each one of my thoughts flow in each one of your thoughts, to make an act of REPARATION for each evil thought, and therefore console your sad mind. I want to place my eyes in yours to share in these pains with You, and to cry with You. And wanting to REPAIR for all the distracted gazes of creatures, I offer You my gazes, always fixed in You.

Here I am, O Jesus, together with You. But I don’t have the heart to see You cast on the ground. I take You in my arms, I press You to my heart; I want to count, one by one, your strainings, and, one by one, the offenses which advance toward You, in order to give You relief for everything, REPARATION for everything, and to give You at least one act of my compassion, for everything.

Novena to St. Mary Magdalen: July 13 - 21

O Most merciful Jesus, I give Thee thanks for that work of piety which the blessed Mary Magdalen wrought on Thee when she washed Thy Feet with her tears, and wiped Them with the hair of her head, and kissed Them and anointed Them with fragrant ointment; whereby she obtained from Thee such signal grace that Thou didst pour into her heart and soul so great love of Thee that she could love nothing apart from Thee: beseeching Thee that by her merits and intercessions Thou wouldst vouchsafe to grant me tears of true repentance, and pour into my heart Thy Divine Love. Amen.
Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory be the Father.

St. Gertrude relates that St. Mary Magdalen said to St. Mechtilde: "Whosoever shall give God thanks for all the tears I shed upon the Feet of Jesus, our most, merciful God will grant him, through my intercession, remission of all his sins before his death, and a great increase of love to God."

Novena to Our Lady of the Atonement - begins June 30th - July 8th

To take part in the Novena:

On each day, if possible, assist at Holy Mass, and go to Confession and Communion at least once during the Novena.

The following prayers are recommended to be said daily:

One decade of the Rosary
(One Our Father, ten Hail Marys, one Glory be.)

Memorare of St. Bernard
Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy help, or sought thy intercession, was left unaided.  Inspired with this confidence, I fly unto thee, O Virgin of virgins, my Mother. To thee do I come; before thee I stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in thy mercy, hear and answer me. Amen.

The Three-Fold Salutation
We salute thee, Holy Mary, Daughter of God the Father, and entreat thee to obtain for us a devotion like thine own to the most sweet Will of God.

We salute thee, Virgin Mother of God the Son, and entreat thee to obtain for us such union with the Sacred Heart of Jesus, that our own hearts may burn with love for God and an ardent zeal for the salvation of souls.

We salute thee, Immaculate Spouse of God the Holy Ghost, and entreat thee to obtain for us such yielding of ourselves to the Blessed Spirit, that He may, in all things, direct and rule our hearts, and that we may never grieve Him in thought, word, or deed.

The Litany
Lord have mercy upon us.
Christ have mercy upon us.
Lord, have mercy upon us. Christ hear us.
Christ, graciously hear us.

God, the Father of Heaven,
have mercy upon us.
God the Son, Redeemer of the world,
have mercy upon us.
God, the Holy Ghost,
have mercy upon us.
Holy Trinity, one God,
have mercy upon us.

Our Lady of the Atonement, Daughter of God the Father,
pray for us.
Our Lady of the Atonement, Mother of God the Son,
pray for us.
Our Lady of the Atonement, Spouse of God the Holy Ghost,
pray for us.
Our Lady of the Atonement, standing by the Cross,
pray for us.
Our Lady of the Atonement, given to us as a Mother,
pray for us.
Our Lady of the Atonement, our Mediatrix,
pray for us.
Our Lady of the Atonement, firm Hope,
pray for us.
Our Lady of the Atonement, sure Refuge,
pray for us.
Our Lady of the Atonement, Mother of Divine Love,
pray for us.
Our Lady of the Atonement, Shepherdess of the wandering sheep,
pray for us.
Our Lady of the Atonement, pillar of Unity,
pray for us.
Our Lady of the Atonement, Mother of Conversions,
pray for us.
Our Lady of the Atonement, Mother of the outcast,
pray for us.
Our Lady of the Atonement, Star of the pagans,
pray for us.
Our Lady of the Atonement, Mother of missionaries,
pray for us.
Our Lady of the Atonement, Mother most sorrowful,
pray for us.
Our Lady of the Atonement, Lily of Israel,
pray for us.
Our Lady of the Atonement, Model of resignation,
pray for us.
Our Lady of the Atonement, Haven of peace,
pray for us.
Our Lady of the Atonement, Comfort of the afflicted,
pray for us.
Our Lady of the Atonement, Guide of the doubtful,
pray for us.
Our Lady of the Atonement, Welcomer of the pilgrims,
pray for us.
Our Lady of the Atonement, Handmaid of the Father,
pray for us.
Our Lady of the Atonement, Mirror of the Son,
pray for us.
Our Lady of the Atonement, Queen of the Precious Blood,
pray for us.
Our Lady of the Atonement, true Model,
pray for us.
Our Lady of the Atonement, strong Protectress,
pray for us.
Our Lady of the Atonement, hailed by the Archangel Gabriel,
pray for us.
Our Lady of the Atonement, Splendor of Heaven,
pray for us.
Our Lady of the Atonement, Delight of the Saints,
pray for us.
Our Lady of the Atonement, Strength of the weak,
pray for us.
Our Lady of the Atonement, Comfort of the dying,
pray for us.
Our Lady of the Atonement, triumphant with Jesus,
pray for us.
Our Lady of the Atonement, Queen of the Universe,
pray for us.
Our Lady of the Atonement, Queen of the Children of the Atonement,
pray for us.

Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world,
Spare us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world,
Graciously hear us, O Lord
Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world,
Have mercy upon us.

Pray for us, O Blessed Mother;
That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray. O God, who didst deign that we, thy children, should invoke our Mother Mary under the title of Our Lady of the Atonement; grant that through her powerful intercession we may obtain the fullness of thy blessings; through thy Son our Savior Jesus Christ, who liveth and reigneth with thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost ever, one God, world without end. Amen.

Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul - June 29

Saints Peter and Paul’s Story

Peter (d. 64?) Saint Mark ends the first half of his Gospel with a triumphant climax. He has recorded doubt, misunderstanding, and the opposition of many to Jesus. Now Peter makes his great confession of faith: “You are the Messiah” (Mark 8:29b). It was one of the many glorious moments in Peter’s life, beginning with the day he was called from his nets along the Sea of Galilee to become a fisher of men for Jesus.

The New Testament clearly shows Peter as the leader of the apostles, chosen by Jesus to have a special relationship with him. With James and John he was privileged to witness the Transfiguration, the raising of a dead child to life, and the agony in Gethsemane. His mother-in-law was cured by Jesus. He was sent with John to prepare for the last Passover before Jesus’ death. His name is first on every list of apostles.

And to Peter only did Jesus say, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father. And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven” (Matthew 16:17b-19).

But the Gospels prove their own trustworthiness by the unflattering details they include about Peter. He clearly had no public relations person. It is a great comfort for ordinary mortals to know that Peter also has his human weakness, even in the presence of Jesus.

He generously gave up all things, yet he can ask in childish self-regard, “What are we going to get for all this?” (see Matthew 19:27). He receives the full force of Christ’s anger when he objects to the idea of a suffering Messiah: “Get behind me, Satan! You are an obstacle to me. You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do” (Matthew 16:23b).

Peter is willing to accept Jesus’ doctrine of forgiveness, but suggests a limit of seven times. He walks on the water in faith, but sinks in doubt. He refuses to let Jesus wash his feet, then wants his whole body cleansed. He swears at the Last Supper that he will never deny Jesus, and then swears to a servant maid that he has never known the man. He loyally resists the first attempt to arrest Jesus by cutting off Malchus’ ear, but in the end he runs away with the others. In the depth of his sorrow, Jesus looks on him and forgives him, and he goes out and sheds bitter tears. The Risen Jesus told Peter to feed his lambs and his sheep (John 21:15-17).

Paul (d. 64?) If the most well-known preacher today suddenly began preaching that the United States should adopt Marxism and not rely on the Constitution, the angry reaction would help us understand Paul’s life when he started preaching that Christ alone can save us. He had been the most pharisaic of Pharisees, the most legalistic of Mosaic lawyers. Now he suddenly appears to other Jews as a heretical welcomer of Gentiles, a traitor and apostate.

Paul’s central conviction was simple and absolute: Only God can save humanity. No human effort—even the most scrupulous observance of law—can create a human good which we can bring to God as reparation for sin and payment for grace. To be saved from itself, from sin, from the devil, and from death, humanity must open itself completely to the saving power of Jesus.

Paul never lost his love for his Jewish family, though he carried on a lifelong debate with them about the uselessness of the Law without Christ. He reminded the Gentiles that they were grafted on the parent stock of the Jews, who were still God’s chosen people, the children of the promise.

Reflection

We would probably go to confession to Peter sooner than to any of the other apostles. He is perhaps a more striking example of the simple fact of holiness. Jesus says to us as he said, in effect, to Peter: “It is not you who have chosen me, but I who have chosen you. Peter, it is not human wisdom that makes it possible for you to believe, but my Father’s revelation. I, not you, build my Church.” Paul’s experience of the risen Jesus on the road to Damascus was the driving force that made him one of the most zealous, dynamic, and courageous ambassadors of Christ the Church has ever had. But persecution, humiliation, and weakness became his day-by-day carrying of the cross, material for further transformation. The dying Christ was in him; the living Christ was his life.

Ash Wednesday

Ash Wednesday
by Rev. James Luke Meagher, 1883

The fast of Lent begins on Ash Wednesday and lasts till Easter Sunday. During this time there are forty-six days, but as we do not fast on the six Sundays falling in this time, the fast lasts for forty days. For that reason it is called the forty days of Lent. In the Latin language of the Church it is called the Quadragesima, that is, forty. St. Peter, the first Pope, instituted the forty days of Lent. During the forty-six days from Ash Wednesday to Easter, we are to spend the time in fasting and in penance for our sins, building up the temple of the Lord within our hearts, after having come forth from the Babylon of this world by the rites and the services of the Septuagesima season. And as of old we read that the Jews, after having been delivered from their captivity in Babylon, spent forty-six years in building their temple in place of the grand edifice raised by Solomon and destroyed by the Babylonians, thus must we rebuild the temple of the Holy Ghost, built by God at the moment of our baptism, but destroyed by the sins of the past year. Again in the Old Testament the tenth part of all the substance of the Jews was given to the Lord (Exod. xxli. 29). Thus we must give him the tenth part of our time while on this earth. For forty days we fast, but taking out the Sundays of Lent, when there is no fast, it leaves thirty-six days, nearly the tenth part of the three hundred and sixty-five days of the year. According to Pope Gregory from the first Sunday of Lent to Easter, there are six weeks, making forty-two days, and when we take from Lent the six Sundays during which we do not fast, we have left thirty-six days, about the tenth part of the three hundred and sixty-five days of the year.

The forty days of fasting comes down to us from the Old Testament, for we read that Moses fasted forty days on the mount (Exod. xxiv. et xxxiv. 28). We are told that Elias fasted for forty days (III. Kings xix. 8), and again we see that our Lord fasted forty days in the desert (Math. iv.; Luke ix). We are to follow the example of these great men of the old law. But in order to make up the full fast of forty days of Moses, of Elias and of our Lord, Pope Gregory commanded the fast of Lent to begin on Ash Wednesday before the first Sunday of the Lenten season.

Christ began his fast of forty days after his baptism in the Jordan, on Epiphany, the twelfth of January, when he went forth into the desert. But we do not begin the Lent after Epiphany, because there are other feasts and seasons in which to celebrate the mysteries of the childhood of our Lord before we come to his fasting, and because during these forty days of Lent we celebrate the forty years of the Jews in the desert, who, when their wanderings were ended, they celebrated their Easter, while we hold ours after the days of Lent are finished. Again, during Lent, we celebrate the passion of our Lord, and as after His passion came His resurrection, thus we celebrate the glories of His resurrection at Easter.

During the services of Lent we read so often the words: "Humble your heads before the Lord," and "let us bend our knees," because it is the time when we should humble ourselves before God and bend our knees in prayers. After the words, "Let us bend our knees," comes the word, "Arise." These words are never said on Sunday, but only on week days, for Sunday is dedicated to the resurrection of our Lord. Pope Gregory says: "Who bends the knee on Sunday denies God to have risen." We bend our knees and prostrate ourselves to the earth in prayer, to show the weakness of our bodies, which are made of earth; to show the weakness of our minds and imagination, which we cannot control; to show our shame for sin, for we cannot lift our eyes to heaven; to follow the example of our Lord, who came down from heaven and prostrated himself on the ground in the garden when in prayer (Matt. xxvi. 39); to show that we were driven from Paradise and that we are prone towards earthly things; to show that we follow the example of our father in the faith, Abraham, who, falling upon the earth, adored the Lord (Gen. xviii. 2). This was the custom from the beginning of the Christian Church, as Origen says: "The holy prophets when they were surrounded with trials fell upon their faces, that their sins might be purged by the affliction of their bodies." Thus following the words of St. Paul: "I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ (Ephes. iii. 14)," we prostrate ourselves and bend our knees in prayer. From Ash Wednesday to Passion Sunday the Preface of Lent is said every day, unless there comes a feast with a Preface of its own. That custom was in vogue as far back as the twelfth century.

At other times of the year, the clergy say the Office of Vespers after noon, but an ancient Council allowed Vespers to be commenced after Mass. This is when the Office is said altogether by the clergy in the choir. The same may be done by each clergyman when reciting privately his Office. This cannot be done on the Sundays of Lent, as they are not fasting days. The "Go, the dismissal is at hand," is not said, but in its place, "Let us bless the Lord," for, from the earliest times the clergy and the people remained in the church to sing the Vesper Office and to pray during this time of fasting and of penance.

We begin the fast of Lent on Wednesday, for the most ancient traditions of the Church tell us that while our Lord was born on Sunday, he was baptized on Tuesday, and began his fast in the desert on Wednesday. Again, Solomon began the building of his great temple on Wednesday, and we are to prepare our bodies by fasting, to become the temples of the Holy Ghost, as the Apostle says, "Know you not that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you (I. Cor. iii. 16)?" To begin well the Lent, one of the old Councils directed all the people with the clergy to come to the church on Ash Wednesday to assist at the Mass and the Vesper Offices and to give help to the poor, then they were allowed to go and break their fast.

The name Ash Wednesday comes from the ceremony of putting ashes on the heads of the clergy and the people on this day. Let us understand the meaning of this rite. When man sinned by eating in the garden the forbidden fruit, God drove him from Paradise with the words: "For dust thou art, and unto dust thou shalt return (Gen. iii. 19)." Before his sin, Adam was not to die, but to be carried into heaven after a certain time of trial here upon this earth. But he sinned, and by that sin he brought upon himself and us, his children, death. Our bodies, then, are to return to the dust from which God made them, to which they are condemned by the sin of Adam. What wisdom the Church shows us when she invites us by these ceremonies to bring before our minds the dust and the corruption of the grave by putting ashes on our heads. We see the great men of old doing penance in sackcloth and ashes. Job did penance in dust and ashes (Job ii. 12). By the mouth of His prophet the Lord commanded the Jews "in the house of the dust sprinkle yourselves with dust (Mich. i. 10)." Abraham said, "I will speak to the Lord, for I am dust and ashes (Gen xviii. 27)." Joshua and all the ancients of Israel fell on their faces before the Lord and put dust upon their heads (Joshua vii. 6). When the ark of the covenant was taken by the Philistines, the soldier came to tell the sad story with his head covered with dust (I Kings iv. 12).

When Job's three friends came and found him in such affliction, "they sprinkled dust upon their heads toward heaven (Job ii. 12)." "The sorrows of the daughters of Israel are seen in the dust upon their heads (Lam. ii. 10)." Daniel said his prayers to the Lord his God in fasting, sackcloth and ashes (Dan. ix. 3). Our Lord tells us that if in Tyre and Sidon had been done the miracles seen in Judea, that they had long ago done penance in sackcloth and ashes (Matt. xi. 21; Luke x. 13). When the great city will be destroyed, its people will cry out with grief, putting dust upon their heads (Apoc. xviii. 19). From these parts of the Bible, the reader will see that dust and ashes were used by the people of old as a sign of deep sorrow for sin, and that when they fasted they covered their heads with ashes. From them the Church copied these ceremonies which have come down to us. And on this day, when we begin our fast, we put ashes on our heads with the words, "Remember, man, that thou art dust, and into dust thou shalt return (Gen. iii. 19)."

In the beginning of the Church the ceremony of putting the ashes on the heads of the people was only for those who were guilty of sin, and who were to spend the season of Lent in public penance. Before Mass they came to the church, confessed their sins, and received from the hands of the clergy the ashes on their heads. Then the clergy and all the people prostrated themselves upon the earth and there recited the seven penitential psalms. Rising, they formed into a procession with the penitents walking barefooted. When they came back the penitents were sent out of the church by the bishop, saying : "We drive you from the bosom of the Church on account of your sins and for your crimes, as Adam, the first man was driven from Paradise because of his sin." While the clergy were singing those parts of Genesis, where we read that God condemned our first parents to be driven from the garden and condemned to earn their bread by the sweat of their brow, the porters fastened the doors of the church on the penitents, who were not allowed to enter the temple of the Lord again till they finished their penance and came to be absolved on Holy Thursday (Gueranger, Le Temps de la Septuagesima, p. 242). After the eleventh century public penance began to be laid aside, but the custom of putting ashes on the heads of the clergy became more and more common, till at length it became part of the Latin Rite. Formerly they used to come up to the altar railing in their bare feet to receive the ashes, and that solemn notice of their death and of the nothingness of man. In the twelfth century the Pope and all his court came to the Church of St. Sabina, in Rome, walking all the way in his bare feet, from whence the title of the Mass said on Ash Wednesday is the Station at St. Sabina.
_______________________________

The Mystery of Lent
from the Liturgical Year, 1870

Lent is filled with mystery. During the Septuagesima Time the number seventy recalls to our minds the seventy years of the captivity of the Jews in Babylon, where, after having purified themselves from their sins by penance, they returned again to their country and to their city of Jerusalem, then they celebrated their Easter. Now the holy Church, our Mother, brings before our minds the severe and mysterious number forty, that number which, as St Jerome says, is always filled with self-denial and with penance (In Ezech., c. xxix). When the race became corrupt, God wiped out the sin of man by the rain of forty days and forty nights upon the world, but after forty days Noah opened a window in the ark and found the water gone from the earth. When the Hebrews were called from the land of Egypt for forty years they fasted on manna, wandering in the desert, before they came to the promised land. When Moses went up the Mount of Sinai, for forty days and nights he fasted from food before he received the law graven on tablets of stone. When Elias came near to God, on Horeb, for forty days and nights he fasted (St. Augustine Sermon). Thus these two, the greatest men of old, whom the hand of the Lord hath raised up to do His mighty will, Moses on Mount Sinai, Elias on Mount Horeb, what do they figure but the law and the prophecy of the Old Testament pointing to the fast of forty days and nights of our Lord in the desert? Like shadowy forms they prefigured the Son of God, Who first established Lent when the Christians, His disciples, fast, following the example of our Master, when they keep the Lenten Services of the Church.

Let us follow our Lord in His Lent in the desert. "At that time," says the Gospel. When? The moment after his baptism, to show that the Christian after baptism must prepare for a life of self denial. When? Thirty years before, on the same day, the three Magi adored him, a little child in the manger. When? One year from that day, at his mother's request, he changed the water into wine. At that time, by contact with his most holy body, the waters of the earth received the power of washing the souls of men from sin in baptism. St. John the Baptist had preached penance from the banks of the Jordan. Now Christ was to preach penance from the sands of the desert. John had lived in fasting on locusts and wild honey from his twelfth year (Math. iii. 4). He alone was worthy of baptizing our Lord. Now Christ is led by the Spirit into the desert. By what spirit? By the Holy Spirit, to show that those who fast and do penance during Lent are led by the Holy Ghost. To show that the Church was led by the Holy Ghost in commanding all her children to fast during Lent. Into the desert He is led by the Holy Spirit, with the burning sun of Judea above His head by day, and the parched sands beneath His limbs by night; into the desert He is led, where the hot air burns His hallowed cheek, and the burning sands give way beneath His feet; into the desert He is led, where below Him stretches the Dead Sea, beneath whose stagnant, slimy waters lie the remains of Sodom, Gomorrah, Salem and the cities of the plains destroyed by God for their sins. Here comes our Lord to do penance and to fast for the sins of mankind. Here comes our Savior to keep the first Lent.

Not far from the banks of the Jordan rises a mountain harsh and savage in its outlines, which tradition calls the Lenten mountain (Gueranger, Le Careme, p. 46). From its rugged heights flow down the streams which water the plains of Jericho. From its rocky sides is seen the valley of the

Dead Sea. From its inhospitable crags stretches out the gloomy expanse of that spot where once the five smiling cities of the plains sat amid the fertile land, but now, of all places of the earth, marked with the curse of God for the sins of Sodom and Gomorrah. There came the Son of God to establish Lent. There came the Savior to show by penance how to gain our everlasting crown by fasting for our sins. There, deep amid the desert fastness, in a cave formed by the ancient upheaval of the mountain, there He found a home. There He fasted forty days and forty nights. No water cooled His burning tongue, no food repaired His weakening strength. The wild beasts of the wilderness were His companions. The heat of the simoon from the burning desert poisoned the air He breathed. The hot sands burned His feet. The rocks became His bed. Such was the beginning of the Christian Lent.

"After He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterwards He was hungry;" for His nature was human, like ours. "And the tempter came." He prepared Himself for temptation by fasting, to show us that we must prepare ourselves by fasting for the temptations of this life, to show that by fasting and by penance we are to overcome the enemies of our salvation. He was not hungry till at the end of His forty days of fasting, to show that He was God, for no one can fast for that time without being hungry. At the end of forty days He was hungry, to show that He was man, with all the weakness of our nature. Our nature had been badly hurt by Adam eating the forbidden fruit. Christ came to restore our nature to its lost inheritance in heaven, and He begins His public life by fasting. And now, at the end of that fast, the devil, who was the cause of our fall, found Him weak and hungry. He came to tempt Him in the desert, as he came to tempt our first parents in the garden. Let us draw near and see the temptation of our Lord.

The devil had seen Him baptized in the Jordan, he had heard the words of the holy Baptist point Him out as the "Lamb of God." He had heard the words of the Father in heaven call Him His beloved Son. He had seen the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove, with outspread wings overshadow Him. He says to himself, "Can this be the Son of God, this weak and hungry Man?" The demon is in doubt. He comes near to the person of Jesus Christ. He could not enter into His members as he can in ours, and tempt Him. He could only tempt Him from without, as he tempted our first parents from without. Coming near, he says, "If Thou be the Son of God, command these stones to be made bread." Mark well the words. It is a temptation of pride. "If thou be the Son of God," here is a chance to show your power. Long before the same demon came to our Mother Eve, and said, "In what day soever you shall eat thereof ... you shall be as gods." The temptation of pride. Thus He was tempted by being asked to eat, like our parents in the garden. Thus He was tempted by pride, as our mother Eve was tempted of old.

This life is a continual battle against temptation, and the Church, made up of the clergy and of the people, is like a great and powerful army in ceaseless battle array against our enemies. For that reason Lent is called the fighting time of the Church. For that reason, in the offices of the breviary we say the psalms, wherein is recalled that battle of the Christian against his old enemies, the powers of hell.

We are coming near to the sad sight of the death of our Lord. We are to see that rage of the Jews against Him which ended by His death on the cross. The Church prepares us beforehand, by celebrating certain feasts on each of the Fridays of Lent, which are like so many preparations for the tragedy of Good Friday. The Friday following the first Sunday of Lent we celebrate the memory of the holy Lance and Nails which pierced His Sacred Flesh; or, in some cases, the feast of the Crown of Thorns He wore upon His head. The Friday of the second week we say the office of the Linens, which Joseph and Nicodemus wrapped around His body when dead and laid in the tomb. On the third Friday we commemorate the memory of the five Wounds of our Lord; while the offices of the fourth Friday are devoted to the memory of the most precious Blood shed for our redemption (Brev. Rom.).

During the early ages of the Church, Lent was the time when the catechumens, that is, the newly converted Christians, prepared for baptism by fasting and by penance, before they were washed from their sins by the waters of regeneration on Holy Saturday. For many months they had been instructed for that holy rite by the saints of old, and in the Lenten Season they redoubled their penance and their prayers. Again, Lent was the time when the public penitents, those who were guilty of great sins, purged themselves from their crimes by public penance. From Ash Wednesday, when they were driven from the church, like Adam from Paradise, in sackcloth and in ashes, in tears and in fasting, they wept at the doors of the churches, till received again into the bosom of their mother, the Church, by confession and Communion on Holy Thursday. Because the people are no more saints like those of the early ages, although the Church in her motherly indulgence has changed these laws, still their traces are found in the ceremonies and the services of the Latin Rite.

Prayer

O my God! Who art all love, I thank Thee for having established the fast of Lent to purify my conscience, to strengthen my virtue, and to make me worthy of approaching Thy holy table. Grant me the grace to keep the fast as a Christian. I am resolved to love God above all things, and my neighbor as myself for the love of God; and, in testimony of this love, I will join fasting with prayer and alms. Amen