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Second Response to Readers--the Single State

If one is a careful reader, I did state that some people have had to live single lives and can be holy in those circumstances. However, as a "call", this is a new post-Vatican II category which I reiterate, comes from a lie, the destruction of the family, and all the other reasons in that post.

Let me try and address some of the comments and e-mails.

Firstly, as to the call to be a hermit, this is actually a status in the Church and one must be under the authority of a bishop to be a real hermit. One is usually only a hermit after being in the religious life for many years, such as a monk in a monastery or a nun in a monastery, and taking vows in an order. Then, if a nun, priest or monk feels called to be a hermit, he or she petitions the bishop.

We have been led astray by modern terminologies which do not exist in the Catholic Church. One cannot merely "choose" to be a hermit outside the hierarchical structure of the Church, just as one cannot be a Consecrated Virgin without going through a bishop.

A layperson cannot be a true, Catholic hermit with standing in the Church, without special permission from a bishop. I have checked this out with a priest hermit, who explained the process to me. Lay people may call themselves hermits, but they really are not. If one is called to live a solitary life, that is an exception, and one must have a spiritual director who is orthodox. This is not a natural state for a human being. But, one should not call one's self a "hermit" as that means something more than just a solitary life. I refer to Catholics. What Protestants call themselves is another story.

As to Opus Dei having single Numeraries, that is fine, as they are part of a community, an order, which is Opus Dei. But, again, that would be a vocation which is not usual. They are not isolated and have the support of a group. These people are also a very small sampling in the much larger Catholic society. That they are lay, I do not dispute, but they are still not unattached in a sense of belonging to a group. These single people have made a COMMITMENT to something more than themselves.

I have met several self-proclaimed, "lay hermits" in Europe and they have all been heretics, and without spiritual directors. That sometimes people go to see them for advice is just plain dangerous and stupid.

Secondly, when I referred to dating in a particular class structure, I meant that in the older days, one was in a stratified social structure which facilitated good marriages. That people were meeting those with similar backgrounds, tastes, interests, even orthodoxy, was a blessing and helped couples get over differences or not even have such, which create disharmony in marriages. Now the dating game is hit or miss and oddly, the total responsibility of a woman to discern. In the old days, the family and community helped a woman discern. A similar thing happens with those who attend Thomas Aquinas College, or Christendom and others, for example. They meet like people, and many good marriage, as well as religious and priestly vocations, come out of those colleges. In 2012, most women are merely thrown out into the world to figure out who are the protectors, predators or peter pans, as in my earlier post.

http://supertradmum-etheldredasplace.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/protectors-predators-and-peter-pans.html

Thirdly, I am not going to get into multi-cultural arguments over staying at home. I write for Westerners. I usually write for the Americans and the English, and Anglo-Saxons prize independence, which is a good thing. I think cultures which hinder adulthood by letting men and women stay in a state of adolescence by living at home (I am not talking about poverty, or Asia or Africa, which is out of my area of knowledge), have fallen away from Christianity, and are part of the culture of death. Putting off child-bearing is killing Europe. In a study a few years ago, it was revealed that one-third of the households in England were headed by single persons. THIS is not normal.

There is an optimum time for getting married, choosing a religious vocation (most orders have cut-off ages because of formation issues, which is excellent), having babies, having careers, supporting society and the culture. By not deciding on a vocation, one is avoiding responsibility. A man who is living at home in his thirties is not a man, sorry, at least by American and English standards. Part of being a man is taking responsibility for one's own life and not relying on others. We all have been brainwashed to think differently in this individual, selfish world of the West. I am not commenting on the East, and will not.

One may not understand American independence, but it is a sign of adulthood. And, I come from prairie stock. My ancestors left Europe at very young ages, one a young woman at 18, and I have nothing but the greatest admiration for what they accomplished in the Catholic Church as laity, as well as some missionary priests, some monks.

By the way, I am harder on men, as they are the ones who have to ask the lady to get married. That there are so many traditional, good Catholic women not married is not natural. That they may become saints by living alone is without a doubt, when I think of their excellent spiritual lives. But, this was not God's Perfect Will for them. The long list of unmarried women and men is a sign of our dysfunctional society. The lack of religious and priestly vocations is a sign of dysfunction as well. In certain, small communities, this may be changing, but not for most social groupings in the West.

Responses to Readers on Recent Posts--First, Abortion.

I shall try and address some excellent comments and questions on two posts from today. The Americans get them six or eight hours earlier, as I write at night before Europe wakes up, usually and post at Midnight and thereabouts.

However, let me write two posts on these subjects.

This first one will tackle the abortion and excommunication issue.

Firstly, for those who agreed with the post, I can only say "thanks". I may have emphasized that Canon Law cover Catholics, but if a person is a Catholic and falls away, they are still a Catholic. As Aslan states in Narnia, "Once a king and queen in Narnia, always a king and queen in Narnia." We get indelible marks from Baptism and Confirmation (not counting the one priests get in Holy Orders). One cannot erase those, sorry.

Secondly, intention does not matter. Fear and panic may lessen the status a crime and levels of culpability, but the crime stands none the less. That is why the Canon exists.

Thirdly, the Church has determined Canon Law 1398, not Supertradmum. I am always sharing Church's teaching on the subjects of abortion and the sacraments. I have discussed this point with several priests who have said that the Canon Law clearly covers the sin of abortion without any other circumstances intervening. Obviously, if a woman is held down and forced, as recently in China, if she were a Catholic, the Canon would not hold. But, free will decisions do have consequences in Canon Law. Sin has to be a free decision, but one's lifestyle can lead to a lack of freedom and for that, each one of us is responsible. For example, if one chooses to take and become addicted to drugs, and then gets pregnant and has an abortion, one is still responsible. 

As to knowing if there is a penalty, one only needs to read the CCC and the Internet, as publicly this Canon has been promulgated since 1983, with bishops, such as the one in Ireland, clearly stating the case. It begs the question to state that if one does not know, one is not guilty-especially in the case of murdering a baby. That the Church has made a Canon Law on this point is to help the women realize the seriousness of the act in a world of relativism. That is why the special faculties exist.

Lastly, one cannot ignore the wisdom of these abortion laws. One needs to realize the seriousness of the sin and to repent. Coming back to the Church is the Mercy of God. All of us rely on God's Mercy. Thanks be to God.

On Abortion and Automatic Excommunication

I would like to write about the sin of abortion being confessed in the Confessional. A reminder for women that not all priests have this power to release the woman from the automatic excommunication which results.

Some priests, and I know two, have the power to release an excommunication in the Confessional, but only when this is specifically written out in their FACULTIES.

Some bishops want to see each woman who has had an abortion personally to relieve the excommunication. There is one bishop in Ireland who does that. Some bishops give this special faculty to priests in their dioceses, but NOT all priests have this written out in their faculties.

I have seen such, and I know that it must be specifically in the faculties, as a good priest explained and showed me when I inquired about this. The wording is very specific.

Remember, that a person who is in mortal sin, or one who is excommunicated, receives no sanctifying grace through any of the sacraments, until she confesses in the proper manner and in the case of excommunication, returns to the Church.

The bishop of each diocese has the power to give or withhold the special faculties given to a priest who can remove the excommunication.
.
Here is the Canon Law: 1398: A person who procures a completed abortion incurs a latae sententiae excommunication.

Think, pray, repent, return. God loves you. We are so fortunate to have the sacrament of Confession and absolute, as well as the chance to return to the Church after excommunication.

By the way, as an aside, in June, many pro-life posters were vandalized. One can read the article here and look at photos and a video. I warn you, the site is an anarchist's site.

Update: this post is to help women who have had abortions and not to scare them away. If one understands the process, it makes it easier. These are not my rules, but those of the Church. There is wisdom is looking at the seriousness of the sin and what that sin has done to the person as well. The Church is considering the woman's welfare.

I do not believe that being single is a vocation

For years and years and years, I have been against the teaching of some priests, deacons, sisters and laypersons that one is called to the single life. I simply do not believe this. I have never believed this.

I think that the single state is a horrible product of the dysfunctional societies in which we live. There are many reasons for this phenomenon and some cures. I am going to jump in the deep end here and say that unless one is caring for aged parents, (a self-sacrificing and holy call), or an unusual person called by God to be outside the mainstream, such as St. Benedict Labre, or if God has allowed you physical and mental crosses which keep you out of religious orders or marriage, I believe one needs to choose. There may be some people with an outstanding job to do in the world, but never alone.

Here are my reasons why liberal Catholics, especially and some trads have fallen into the trap of the "single vocation", which I do not think exists, except for the above calls.

One, selfishness. Our individualistic, selfish and narcissistic society has discouraged commitment. I have recently come across a holy and Catholic psychologist, who has experience with this type of selfishness leading to non-commitment. A person wrapped up with themselves has created their own world and is living in "ME-land". Those types do not get married, have children, or follow a vocation of love and service as a father, mother, husband, wife, priest, monk, nun or sister. I also include consecrated virgins in the category of commitment. This is a relatively new revival under Blessed John Paul II of an old order and should be considered by Catholic virgins who feel the call to be in the world for the Church. I personally know two and worked with one. It is a great and fulfilling vocation-a real call from God, but not for the selfish.

Two, fear. I have written about this many, many times in my posts on love. People fear the love of marriage and the challenges of celibacy. Fear keeps many men from getting married, I am sure.

Three, the society lies to us about "fulfillment". Many women feel they cannot be fulfilled as a wife, mother, nun, sister. But, they have not tried. One must step out, visit a monastery of convent, and look and see. One cannot just let one's life slide into singleness.

Four, the fragmentation of our society has led to a fragmentation of community. In the old days, and I have written about this before, my parents knew the parents of the young men I was dating. We were in one big Catholic ghetto. We shared social and religious lives. The prairie experience of community had something to do with this. but parents expected and rightly so, one to marry in the community and at the level of status to which the family belonged. This was a healthy and natural set-up. Remember when Liz told Darcy in Pride and Prejudice, that he was a gentlemen, but that her father was as well, though less wealthy. Money was not the issue, class was. The levels of our dating partners were somewhat equal and Catholics could get on with life at those common levels.

Five, parents used to take an active part if helping and guiding a child towards his or her vocation. Parents do not do this and it is wrong that they ignore this duty.

God gives parents the insight and knowledge of how to raise and guide their children, if all are in sanctifying grace, which most Catholic good parents are.

I am so sick of hearing that mothers should not influence their sons concerning vocations. Tell that to St. Monica, or Our Lady, who in asking Christ to change water into wine started His public ministry and His road to the Cross.

Six, the acceptance of sexual gratification outside marriage and the contraceptive mentality have ruined relationships. These attitudes have ruined marriages as well, but also courtship, and led to a lack of men asking women to marry.

Seven, the opposite of above, parents allow their adult children to stay at home. No, no, no. This is horribly unhealthy and causes the adult child not to grow up. If a man has his mom, when he is in his late twenties and thirties, cooking for him, sewing, cleaning, doing his laundry, etc. why should he think of another woman or of getting married?

Eight, the lack of responsibility in men not to find jobs which will support a family is another issue. Two of my friends who are married to lovely men and now, with six kids in each family, gave up their dream jobs. The husbands did the same for other ones which would support a family. This is right and good. A man not willing to sacrifice for a wife and family is not marriage material and would not make a good priest, either. A woman who "wants it all" will end up sad and lonely.

Nine, some Catholic leaders have lied. One cannot become holy on one's own. One must be in a community, either monastic, of secular priests as friends, or a family in order to grow in holiness. There are many stunted people who could make a decision to be involved in relationships, and do not. They are denying the opportunities of holiness to which they are called.

Ten, God can work, even in singleness, but this state is that of the Cross, especially for so many women I know who desire children and a loving husband. To be alone in the world, without a protector and facing a life of loneliness as an elderly person, is the sharing of the Passion of Christ. I know many woman who share in the Passion of Christ because of their single state.

Singleness is not a vocation, except in unusual cases, and for these unusual cases we have Blessed Margaret of Castello, St. Benedict Labre (who falls into the category of  what the Byzantines call "Fools" and are highly honored in the Eastern Church), and a few others. God wants excellent priests, nuns, monks, sisters, wives, husbands, mothers and fathers. He wants holy families.

I repeat, the single state is not normal. It is not a default. It is a tragedy of loneliness and a lack of an opportunity to become holy-more holy than one can imagine. Think, pray, act, love, commit...

The Loss of Civic Pride

Discussions online of the three-days of darkness on other blogs, and my own preoccupation with Occupiers and anarchists led to a reminder of the 1977 Blackout of New York City on this day. Now, many of my readers will not remember this, but is was a horrible turning point, I think, for many of us when we realized how quickly people turned into barbarians because of circumstances.


New York City was in the midst of severe financial difficulties and then, lightening struck the Con-Ed substation on the Hudson River. What ensured was an unleashing of evil.

In little more than 24 hours — the blackout lasted from 9:34 p.m. on July 13 to 10:39 p.m. on July 14 — 1,000 fires were reported, 1,600 stores were damaged in looting and rioting and 3,700 people were arrested. Neighborhoods from East Harlem to Bushwick were devastated. The authorities later estimated that the total cost of the blackout exceeded $300 million.

It is also the year the first Cuomo, false Catholic, got in power.

In that year, I was living in Minneapolis. New York City seemed very far away, but the violence at home, in Broadway, struck the media like an omen. 

Chicago is now under a cloud. Who would want to visit the Windy City with the soaring crime rate and inability of the city to ensue safety? I remember as a young person in my teens taking the train from Iowa to Chicago for shopping or baseball games. We would visit the Art Institute, the Adler Planetarium, the Shedd Aquarium, the Field Museum, the Museum of Science and Industry, the River and the Lake. We shopped until we dropped.

No more. Even though Chicago has more attractions, the gang warfare and the corruption of the political powers that be put one off. We used to love our cities enough to want to live in them in peace, security and harmony. No more.

Our cities are decaying and does anyone care? Look at the bankrupt cities in California. Civic pride died a long time ago in some places, when selfishness at both the top and the bottom took over.

Voices are gone from the Strand

Gone is the BBC from Bush House. The last people moved out this week.

The cutbacks happened last year, when 30 million listeners were dropped from the Beeb World Service. One sixth of the world listeners no longer have access to the BBC World News Service.

I stood in front of Bush House about three weeks ago, and that eerie feeling one gets in front of an abandoned house was already settling on this great monument of communication. It is a passing of an era, and like so many of the communication hubs of that part of the City, including the old newspaper buildings, a sadness lingers. Voices are gone forever from the Strand.

I remember listening to the BBC World News as a young person in the Midwest. The world opened up for me and it was exciting. I also think the passing of the old technology, of the old ways of radio, is sad. A commentator sent me this link for the video, which I could not get to work on this post.

I was a friend of Harmon Grisewood, who died many years ago, and this video reminded me that he described having to wear formal wear for his position at the BEEB. Mr. Grisewood was a Catholic and a gentleman. He was a lovely man and had many friends. It is hard to imagine someone being gone so long.

Blessed Louis and Zelie Martin

Today in the Novus Order is the feast day of Blessed Louis and Zelie Martin, St. Therese's great and humble parents. They are among the patrons of this blog. July 13th was the day of their marriage. So, this would have been a preparation day. They were married at midnight in the local church without hardly anyone there, just the witnesses and a few. How wonderful! How private and how sacred! Brides and grooms could take a lesson from this humble couple.

May God raise up other men and women who are married to create saints among us. May the intercession of Louis and Zelie lead us into our vocations and help us to trust in God at all times.

May Zelie comfort those women who have had or have breast cancer, and may she allow those who do not to refrain from judging those who do.

Updates: Here is the link for their joint miracle, which is all that is required for a married couple, as the two are one.  One commentator here, James Ignatius, (and thanks, James), sent me this Collect, which I heard today, but of which I did not have a copy:


Lord,
you have given to Blessed Louis and Marie Zélie
the grace to lead a life of holiness as Christian spouses and parents.
Grant that through their intercession and example
each of us may be able to love and serve you faithfully,
living worthily our own vocation.
Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.

On judging by fruit

Some Catholics want to judge apparitions or visionaries by the fruit of the ministries which pop up around such places. Fruit, by itself, is not sufficient for judging whether a vision or elocution is from God. I have an example which I share when I get into these types of discussions.

A young person I know came to Christ on the dance floor of a club. She was a clubber and a dancer. She may even had a red dress on. So, do we enshrine a club where she was converted?

Another person I know was converted at Niagra Falls. All of the sudden, he knew God was real and he became a strong Christian. Do we have a shrine there?

Because a person became closer to God through a visit to a seer does not mean that those apparitions are true. In logic, we call this "non sequitur" as to cause and effect. 


God can use anything, including Balaam's donkey in the Old Testament, to speak truth or lead someone to Him. 


One of my friends was converted when she went to receive communion at a Protestant service and realized, then and there, it was not the Body of Christ, but bread. The Spirit blows where He will.

Give Cures--John Paul Il Stem Cell Research Institute

I could not get the video to work on this post. Please take a moment and go to the linked site.

Rick Santorum supports this charity. Please consider giving, if you can. (Some good Iowa people here in this video).

Mary, Malta, and Freedom--Can It Happen Again?

I have a special devotion to Our Lady of Carafa, whose beautiful icon, one of the most lovely in the world, is on the right side-bar of this blog. Here are two amazing histories relating to Malta and Our Lady. The war goes on, but it is spiritual warfare. May Our Lady of Carafa save Malta again. Here is her chapel in Valletta. 

 In 1942, during one single month, in an attempt to stem out the attacks on their supply lines to Africa, the Luftwaffe dropped 6,500,000 Kilos of bombs upon the Maltese Islands. If the Maltese Islands were to serve as a British base, food supplies were badly needed for the survival of the starving population. On August 15, 1942, the American Texaco Tanker ‘Ohio’ entered the port of Malta, the event was seen as a grace obtained by Our Lady and the starvation on the Islands was averted. ‘Operation Pedastal’ referred to by the Maltese as ‘Il-Convoy ta Santa Maria’ or ‘Saint Mary’s Convoy,’ initially consisted of two battleships, four aircraft carriers, seven cruisers, sixteen destroyers, and fourteen Merchant ships. By the time this convoy reached the Islands of Malta, off Southern Sicily, fifteen ships were destroyed; many were damaged and left for Gibraltar. Into the Maltese port entered the Tanker SS-Ohio, HMS Penn, HMS Ledbury, HMS Branham, MV Melbourne Star, MV Brisbane Star, Aircraft Carrier Furious, MV Port Chalmers and MV Rochester Castle. The SS-Ohio was towed into port; the convoy brought fifty-five tonnes of supplies, including ammunition and aviation oil. The significance and success of this Allied mission was greater than initially observed. Apart from restocking the garrison of Malta and disrupting the usual supply lines to Africa, the spitfire fighters from the aircraft carrier ‘Furious,’ were transferred onto the Island. These planes were instrumental at blocking Axis supplies to Africa before the second Battle of El Alamein (October 23 – November 3, 1942) which success was a turning point for the Allied forces in the Western Desert Campaign. During the first centuries of Christianity, November 3, was one of the calendar dates reserved for the commemoration of Saint George of Lydda, (Georgian writer George Zosimo also indicates April 23 and November 23 as dedicated to this saint). On September 19, 1946, the SS-Ohio was towed ten miles from shore and sunk by gunfire, Captain Dudley Mason of the Ohio was later awarded the George Cross. So was Malta awarded the George Cross, which is proudly incorporated within the Maltese flag. 

On December 7, 1943, President D. Roosevelt in Malta commemorated the second anniversary of the entry in the war of the American People: “In the name of the people of the United States of America I salute the Island of Malta, its People and defenders, who in the cause of freedom and justice and decency throughout the world have rendered valorous services far above and beyond the call of duty. Under repeated fire from the skies, Malta stood alone but unafraid in the center of the sea, one tiny bright flame in the darkness, a beacon of hope for the clearer days which have come. Malta’s bright story of human fortitude and courage will be read by posterity with wonder and gratitude throughout all the ages. What was done in this Island maintains all highest traditions of gallant men and women who from the beginning of time have lived and died to preserve civilization for all mankind.”(5) The following day on December 8, 1943, the Feast commemorating the Immaculate Conception was celebrated throughout the Christian world. A votive procession of the Icon of Our Lady of Carafa was organized in Malta; the procession exited Saint John’s Co-Cathedral in Valletta and passed through the city streets. The Archbishop and Bishop of Malta solemnly read the Act of Consecration by His Holiness Pope Pius XII (October 30, 1942). The telegrams exchanged between the Vatican and the Maltese Curia read as follows: “Cardinal Maglione – Vatican City – Occasion Consecration of Malta and Gozo Immaculate Heart Mary we beg assure HH filial devotion Clergy and Laity two Dioceses fervent prayers His August Person and Peace He desires – Archbishop Caruana, Bishop Gonzi.” The reply, “Archbishop Caruana – Malta – Holy Father acknowledging kind message paternally blesses Pastors Clergy Faithful Dioceses Malta and Gozo – Cardinal Maglione."
Text from:
http://catholicsouthernfront.wordpress.com/chapter-951-the-world-wars-and-our-lady%E2%80%99s-feasts/

Do you have a nickname? Silly, summer question....

Do you have a nickname? My family never gave nicknames, but of course, children and friends have.

I shall share some interesting nicknames in my life, besides "Supertradmum".


One of my brothers could not say my name, so he called me "Dee-Dee". That did not last long, after he learned to speak correctly.

My grandmother from the Czech side called me "Princess" most of my life. She had many grandchildren, but that was my nickname. There was a abundance of boys, so that may be the reason. My second real boyfriend called me "Pinkie", because I looked like and dressed like this painting above by Lawrence. My next real boyfriend called me "Moley" as in "Good Old Mole" as I was reliable and sensible. 


Then, my next name was given to me by my head at a school where I taught; "Pet". Not sure why...I was the only woman on an all male staff, so that could have been the reason. A true feminist would have hated that, but I thought it was sweet. 






Another friend of mine calls me "Diana" at this point in time, and again, not sure why...None of these have stuck, thank God. I was also called "Xena", after the warrior princess by some of my students, although I never dressed like her (I saw one episode and it was idiotic). They put up a picture of her on the door in my classroom, which I had to take down. There might be a Diana connection. There seems to be a warrior and princess theme brewing, along with reliability. 

My son calls me Mum. His nickname, which I did not give him, is Kavi, which is Poet, in Sanskrit. However, I am the poet in the family, while he is the expert in prose.

I suppose if one had to trace characteristics through nicknames, one would have to see mine as a combination of traits. Ah well, why do you not share your nicknames on this silly, summer day?

At least I have, for the most part, literary or artistic names, not counting "Xena"...Needless to say, I do not look like any of these personages, except, maybe, "Good Old Mole"; that is, short and near-sighted. However, I am not black and I do not wear trousers or waistcoats.

Prayer of St. Alphonsus before the Blessed Sacrament

A friend of mine brought this to my attention. It is in most TLM Missals. 

Ask your Guardian Angel for inspirations and help in prayer.

O most lovely, most sweet, 
and dearest Jesus! 
Life, hope, treasure, 
and only love of my soul! 
Oh, how much has it not cost Thee to remain with us in this Sacrament. 
It was necessary for Thee to die 
in order to remain afterwards upon our altars; 
and how many injuries hast Thou not been made to suffer, 
in consequence of this presence among us! 
But Thy love, and Thy desire to be loved by us, 
have surmounted all. 
Come then, Lord, 
come and occupy my heart, 
and afterwards close the gate to it for ever, 
so that no creature may ever enter again 
to take away a part of this love which belongs entirely to Thee, 
and which I am unwilling to give to any other. 
Do Thou alone, my dear Redeemer, reign over me! 
Do Thou alone possess me entirely, 
and if at any time I should not obey Thee perfectly, 
punish me severely, 
that for the future I may be more careful to please Thee, 
according to Thy desire. 
Let me no more desire nor seek 
for any other pleasure than to please Thee, 
to visit Thee often at Thine altar, 
to converse with Thee, 
and to receive Thee in Holy Communion. 
Let them look for other goods who will! 
For me, I love only, 
I desire only the treasure of Thy love. 
The only favour I ask at the foot of this altar is, 
that I may forget myself altogether, 
to remember only Thy goodness. 
Blessed Seraphs, I do not envy you your glory! 
But by the love which you bear to your God and mine, 
oh, teach me what I must do to love Him 
and please Him like you!
O my Lord and King, 
hidden in this Sacrament, 
since Thou dost invite me to converse with Thee, 
I will open my heart with confidence, and speak. 
O my Jesus, ardent Lover of souls, 
I know to well the injustice and ingratitude of men towards Thee. 
Thou lovest them, and they do not love Thee; 
Thou dost confer benefits on them, 
and they return Thee with insults; 
Thou wouldst have them hear Thy voice, 
and they will not listen; 
Thou dost offer them graces, 
and they refuse them.
Ah! my Jesus, I, too,
was once among the number of these ungrateful souls.
O my God, it is only too true.
But I desire to amend,
and I wish to compensate for the injuries I have done Thee,
by doing all I can to please Thee for the remainder of my life.
Tell me, O Lord, what Thou dost require of me.
I will do it without the least reserve.
Make known to me Thy will by the way of holy obedience,
and I hope to accomplish it.
My God, I firmly promise never to leave undone any act
which I know to be agreeable to Thee,
although the performance of it should cost me the loss of all things
– of relations, friends, character, health,
and even life itself.
Let me loose all,
if only I may do Thy will!
Happy loss, when all is sacrificed to content Thy heart,
O God of my soul!
I love Thee, O Sovereign Good,
above all goods worthy of my love,
and in loving Thee I unite my feeble heart
with the hearts of all the Seraphim.
I unite it with the Heart of Mary
and with the Heart of Jesus.
I love Thee with my whole soul;
I wish to love Thee alone,
now and for ever.

Amen.

For a Catechist....

Whaah,  shur, even we can understand the Catechism!

I could not resist this, because of a recent commentator's note.

The Laity and Sippy Cups #2

I have written before on the laity, especially here on this link, and I am distressed at the increasing anti-intellectualism which I am seeing in Catholic adults.

We have the CCC and the Compendium, the encyclicals, bible studies, faith formation material and of course, the Bible. There are no excuses for ignorance.

I am an unusual Catholic of my generation as I grew up reading the Bible in my family, but so did my parents and even my Luxembourgian and Czech ancestors. We, perhaps, were different in our love of the Scriptures and our lack of fear. I, for one, and I am 63, never, never was denied access to the Bible in elementary Catholic school and I never heard a priest say we should not or could not read the Bible.

But, I am convinced that the proliferation of information on private revelations has to do with a lack of real catechesis. We in the West have the highest levels of literacy. Again, the information available to the average Catholic abounds on the Internet. If one has time to follow daily the private revelations, one has time to follow the daily readings, read Scripture, read the CCC.

No excuses. And, as I remind many people in a week, we are responsible for our own souls. STOP the blame game. My several Irish friends, young and old, insist on blaming the priests and the culture.

Get over it! Here is some tidbit from the homily given at the Mass of the beatification of Cardinal Newman on September 19th, 2010:

...what better goal could teachers of religion set themselves than Blessed John Henry’s famous appeal for an intelligent, well-instructed laity: “I want a laity, not arrogant, not rash in speech, not disputatious, but men who know their religion, who enter into it, who know just where they stand, who know what they hold and what they do not, who know their creed so well that they can give an account of it, who know so much of history that they can defend it” (The Present Position of Catholics in England, ix, 390)


The Pope gets it, and St. Paul gets it.

Milk then meat, says St. Paul in l Corinthians 3:2. Not poison....I gave you milk to drink, not solid food; for you were not yet able to receive it. Indeed, even now you are not yet able,3for you are still fleshly. For since there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not fleshly, and are you not walking like mere men? 4For when one says, “I am of Paul,” and another, “I am of Apollos,” are you not mere men?

A question of civilization and I told you so...

I told you so....I said this would be a real possibility.
http://supertradmum-etheldredasplace.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/what-would-they-do-to-pyramids.html

Muslim clerics are calling for the destruction of the pyramids. Look at my last post on this link above and read this bit from Front Page Magazine online.

From
http://frontpagemag.com/2012/raymond-ibrahim/muslim-brotherhood-destroy-the-pyramids/

According to several reports in the Arabic media, prominent Muslim clerics have begun to call for the demolition of Egypt’s Great Pyramids—or, in the words of Saudi Sheikh Ali bin Said al-Rabi‘i, those “symbols of paganism,” which Egypt’s Salafi party has long planned to cover with wax.    Most recently, Bahrain’s “Sheikh of Sunni Sheikhs” and President of National Unity, Abd al-Latif al-Mahmoud, called on Egypt’s new president, Muhammad Morsi, to “destroy the Pyramids and accomplish what the Sahabi Amr bin al-As could not.”

This is a reference to the Muslim Prophet Muhammad’s companion, Amr bin al-As and his Arabian tribesmen, who invaded and conquered Egypt circa 641.  Under al-As and subsequent Muslim rule, many Egyptian antiquities were destroyed as relics of infidelity.  While most Western academics argue otherwise, according to early Muslim writers, the great Library of Alexandria itself—deemed a repository of pagan knowledge contradicting the Koran—was destroyed under bin al-As’s reign and in compliance with Caliph Omar’s command.

However, while book-burning was an easy activity in the 7^th century, destroying the mountain-like pyramids and their guardian Sphinx was not—even if Egypt’s Medieval Mamluk rulers “de-nosed” the latter during target practice (though popular legend still attributes it to a Westerner, Napoleon).

Now, however, as Bahrain’s “Sheikh of Sheikhs” observes, and thanks to modern technology, the pyramids can be destroyed.  The only question left is whether the Muslim Brotherhood president of Egypt is “pious” enough—if he is willing to complete the Islamization process that started under the hands of Egypt’s first Islamic conqueror.

Nor is such a course of action implausible.  History is laden with examples of Muslims destroying their own pre-Islamic heritage—starting with Islam’s prophet Muhammad himself, who destroyed Arabia’s Ka‘ba temple, transforming it into a mosque.

Asking “What is it about Islam that so often turns its adherents against their own patrimony?” Daniel Pipes provides several examples, from Medieval Muslims in India destroying their forefathers’ temples, to contemporary Muslims destroying their non-Islamic heritage in Egypt, Iraq, Israel, Malaysia, and Tunisia.

There is more....and POTUS supports this present regime in Egypt. Also, see this article on Mali again.

Global surveillance companies in Britain, ACTA, and the EU

I have three posts in one here. Three issues, the last being a selling out of sovereignty in Europe, have or are about to take away freedom of speech in many countries. The West is blind. These speech issues have hit the technology industry in England. In case you have not been following this here are two links here and several more below. The problem is surveillance and a government's right to follow cellphone calls, tweets, and other global networking. Remember last year when Obama stated that no cell phone call was private? Well, he is "technically correct". Of course, my concern would be that any tyranny could instantly take away freedoms we take for granted in the West. It is already and has happened in the East.


On the ACTA, a law Obama wants passed and an agreement he has already signed with the UN.

Global Internet censorship is here.  SOPA and PIPA have been stopped (at least for now) in the United States, but a treaty known as ACTA (the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement) is far worse than either of them.  ACTA was quietly signed by Barack Obama back on October 1st, 2011 and most Americans have never even heard of it.  But it could mean the end of the Internet as we know it.  This new treaty gives foreign governments and copyright owners incredibly broad powers.  If you are alleged to have violated a copyright, your website can be shut down without a trial and police may even show up at your door to take you to prison.  It doesn't even have to be someone in the United States that is accusing you.  It could just be a foreign government or a copyright owner halfway across the world that alleges that you have violated a copyright.  It doesn't matter.  So far, the U.S., the EU and seven other nations have signed on to ACTA, and the number of participants is expected to continue to grow.  The "powers that be" are obsessed with getting Internet censorship one way or another.  The open and free Internet that you and I have been enjoying for all these years is about to change, and not for the better.

So how come the U.S. Senate never voted on ACTA?  Doesn't the U.S. Constitution mandate that all treaties must be approved by a two-thirds vote in the Senate?

Of course it does.

But Barack Obama has gotten around this by calling ACTA an "executive agreement".....

One of the big problems with ACTA is that it is way too broad and way too vague.

Vague language allows authorities to "interpret" the law any way that they see fit.

This can often lead to selective enforcement.  Websites that authorities like will be left alone, while those that they don't like will be harassed or completely shut down.

ACTA was written in secret and it has been pushed through very, very quietly.  The following comes from a recent CNN article....

Like many trade agreements, ACTA is a confusing mess. Even its signatories don't agree on how it's supposed to work. The way it's been pushed forward has also been unruly -- talks have been held in secret, without any kind of legislative oversight or input from citizens or public-interest groups. The public only became aware of it in 2008, a couple of years after discussions began, when Wikileaks published a discussion paper. Since then, drafts of the pact have been released to the public, each successively less onerous to critics. Reportedly, though, big media and pharmaceutical lobbyists have been privy to the talks all along

And, last but not least, EU Governments have stepped into the censorship business. READ this. 
The document is aimed at child porn, a good thing, but the problem is two-fold. First, it gives control of the Internet to a Council not a sovereign nation, and two, this type of censorship never works and has not worked.I might add that many pedophiles have been arrested and convicted because of online activity. This will force them underground and the problem will continue. However, censorship will be in place to be used against other things, such as so-called "hate speech". When it comes to censorship, the Catholics should be very, very concerned....


Paris, June 8th, 2012 - In an unanimous decision, EU Member States have decided to promote website censorship at the global scale under the pretext of tackling child pornography. This dangerous initiative must be denounced by lawmakers and citizens: Europe cannot give up on its commitment to the rule of law by legitimizing Net censorship internationally...The Council of the EU adopted conclusions on "a Global Alliance against Child Sexual Abuse Online". Due to a last-minute addition, the document calls for:

"facilitating measures to remove or, where appropriate, block websites containing child pornography".

So far, thanks to the EU Parliament, the EU had successfully avoided promoting website blocking as a tool against child abuse, these measures being inefficient and even counterproductive. The Parliament even imposed important safeguards on Member States who did choose to implement at the national level.

This new initiative marks a dangerous regression: regardless of the goals invoked, website blocking is extremely dangerous for freedoms online, leading to collateral censorship of perfectly legitimate content, and runs counter to the most important principles of the rule of law1.


"It is baffling to see that no EU government opposed the adoption of these conclusions, which legitimize Internet censorship across the world and will therefore have disastrous consequences for freedoms online. In spite of the strong reservations expressed by the European Parliament, governments choose to force through website blocking with the adoption of this document. Such censorship is ineffective for its stated aim and paves the road for other damaging attacks against the free Internet. Only through citizen mobilization will we be able to make our governments accountable and eventually safeguard a universal Internet." said Jérémie Zimmermann, co-founder and spokesperson of the citizen advocacy group La Quadrature du Net.

Freedom of Speech No Longer in Toronto

Today is Free Speech Day on this blog. I have collected items from many countries of the suppression of free speech, all which have happened in the past few days. The world is turning to tyrannies of various sorts and many. many Catholics are asleep.

One reason Catholics do not seem to care is that some tolerate evil. Let me quote again Revelation 2:20, a passage I have quoted most frequently since visiting England:


"But I have against thee a few things: because thou sufferest the woman Jezabel, who calleth herself a prophetess, to teach, and to seduce my servants, to commit fornication, and to eat of things sacrificed to idols."

Catholic brothers and sisters, if you tolerate evil, you are sinning by contributing to evil.

Silence is consent. From LifeSiteNews online:

TORONTO, Ontario, July 9, 2012 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Canadian pro-family leaders have expressed outrage over the treatment a sidewalk preacher received at the hands of the Toronto Police Force during the recent Gay Pride parade. As many as 12 police officers surrounded the preacher, who was peacefully spreading Gospel messages, and shut him down, forcing him to vacate the area.

“The Gay community is free to walk around nude on the streets, violating Canada’s Criminal Code, but a preacher is not free to stand up and preach that ‘God loves you’. It’s a pretty dangerous country when it comes to that,” said Dr. Charles McVety, Evangelical minister and show host of The Canadian Times, to LifeSiteNews.

On Canada day, preacher David Lynn and his team from Christ’s Forgiveness Ministries had set up a portable microphone system on a small cart, near the corner of Yonge and Wellesley, from which they preached and handed out religious tracts and free bibles. Lynn told LifeSiteNews that he was there at the parade to preach to the LGBT community about the love of God.

“Jesus died for the entire world,” he said. “Everybody has an opportunity to be saved, including people at the Pride parade. There is no difference between them and me. I am a sinner just like they are. I wouldn’t have wasted my time if I didn’t think God’s loves them, if I didn’t think that there is hope for them.”

But Lynn’s Gospel message earned him the ire of parade participants and attendees. Video cameras captured Lynn’s interactions with attendees at the event and subsequent police intervention.

At one point, Lynn was surrounded by as many as 12 officers.

“Guys, everybody, by staying listening to it you’re helping him get his message across. If you ignore him, it all goes away,” shouted officer T. Adams to the crowd that had gathered around the preacher.

“You’re promoting hate,” Staff Sergeant R. Pasini, 4528, said to Lynn at one point.

There is more. Go here. If you are an adult, watch the video.

St. Benedict

In my Monastic Diurnal and in the NO, today is the feast, and for Benedictines at St. Michael's, a solemnity, of St. Benedict.

To all the Benedictine priest-monks, brother-monks and nuns, all abbots and abbesses,
Happy Feast Day. Happy Name Day to Pope Benedict XVI.

Freedom of Speech a Rare Commodity in the Maldives?

To be a blogger is dangerous and if it gets too dangerous, as it did in 2009 for me, I shall pray about the future. Thankfully, I have few cranks responding and to date on this blog, only one threat. However, if one plays on the beach in the public, one must expect some beach-balls on the head. Here is a news item from the Great Spencer. Can the Maldives' economy withstand a drop in tourism because of such violence?

NEW DELHI - The Maldives' best-known blogger, who nearly died in an attack outside his home last month, has blamed resurgent Islamists for the assault and fled the country.

Ismail Rasheed, known locally as the blogger "Hilath," was on his way home from prayers on the evening of June 4 when three men grabbed him from behind and one of them stabbed him in the throat.

The 37-year-old former journalist with leading daily Haveeru, who had upset the Indian Ocean nation's increasingly influential religious hardliners, slumped in a pool of blood outside his front door in the capital Male.

Rushed to hospital, he remained in intensive care for days where doctors brought him back from the brink. His trachea - but not a vital artery - had been sliced clean through.

"I was attacked because I advocate secularism. The Islamists want Maldives to remain a 100-per cent Islamic country," he told AFP in an interview conducted via Twitter and email in the past few weeks.

The free-speech advocate has been literally silenced. He was unable to talk in person or over the telephone because doctors have advised him not to speak while his throat heals.

Fearful for his future safety, Rasheed has since fled the country and is considering seeking political asylum.

"The Maldives is not safe for me anymore," he said, declining to disclose his present whereabouts....