Go to Fr. Z. for the article today on spies for sermons.
I am trying to figure out how to copy https on this new set-up. Frustrated.
Tuesday, 5 August 2014
God Makes New Doughnuts Everyday
Well, I got a new computer and it has Windows 8, so I am learning to navigate. Also, everything seems to be through Microsoft.
Did Microsoft buy Skype, btw.
Thanks to H, for whom this machine is now named.
I am glad I can learn new things.
I may ask someone to help me get Office. Is not on here. Please pray about that.
Also pray my friend who has all my files on his hard drive (Thank God, we did this before the other computer died), gets home safely from a trip and helps me put all my stuff back on.
I have "stuff" on three broken computers now. Sigh. I miss my techy sts.
Also, can someone order me a usb 3.0 mouse? Mine is over seven years old.
Ta muchly for thinking of these things for me.
I would much rather just use a pen and paper.....
Did Microsoft buy Skype, btw.
Thanks to H, for whom this machine is now named.
I am glad I can learn new things.
I may ask someone to help me get Office. Is not on here. Please pray about that.
Also pray my friend who has all my files on his hard drive (Thank God, we did this before the other computer died), gets home safely from a trip and helps me put all my stuff back on.
I have "stuff" on three broken computers now. Sigh. I miss my techy sts.
Also, can someone order me a usb 3.0 mouse? Mine is over seven years old.
Ta muchly for thinking of these things for me.
I would much rather just use a pen and paper.....
Today's Gospel
In one of the Gospel's for today, the one for the Tuesday in the 18th Week in Ordinary Time, NO, the apostles are upset because Christ upset the Pharisees.
How many times have you heard, "Tone it down", "You are too zealous" or "These are important people"?
If you have not heard this, you most likely are not living up to your baptismal duties. If you have, you may have answered as Christ does today. He basically states that these false leaders are going to you know where....
How many times have you heard, "Tone it down", "You are too zealous" or "These are important people"?
If you have not heard this, you most likely are not living up to your baptismal duties. If you have, you may have answered as Christ does today. He basically states that these false leaders are going to you know where....
Matthew 15:10-14Douay-Rheims
10 And having called together the multitudes unto him, he said to them: Hear ye and understand.
11 Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man: but what cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man.
12 Then came his disciples, and said to him: Dost thou know that the Pharisees, when they heard this word, were scandalized?
13 But he answering them, said: Every plant which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up.
14 Let them alone: they are blind, and leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both will fall into the pit.
From Lauds This Morning
1 Thessalonians 5:4-5 DR
4 But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.
5 For all you are the children of light, and children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.
Qatar Jet Redirected in GB
http://www.jihadwatch.org/2014/08/uk-military-jets-escort-qatar-airways-plane-to-airport-possible-device-on-board?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=catholiclisa
hoax, but these types of things can be "trial runs".
http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2014/08/05/passenger-video-fighter-jet-escorts-plane-into-u-k-airport-after-report-of-device-on-board/
https://twitter.com/Telegraph
hoax, but these types of things can be "trial runs".
http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2014/08/05/passenger-video-fighter-jet-escorts-plane-into-u-k-airport-after-report-of-device-on-board/
https://twitter.com/Telegraph
Saintly Families
St. Etheldreda, the patron of this blog, was from a holy family. She has many relatives who are saints.
Today is the feast day of St. Nonna, widow, who lived to be 374, apparently outliving her husband by just a few months. Good genes!
Her family is full of saints. Her husband, who she converted, is the great St. Gregory Nazianzen the Elder. Three of her children are saints, including the great St. Gregory Nazianzen and St. Caesrius of Nazianzen. The third is St. Gorgonia.
So, why do some families have lots of saints in them and some have none?
One simply reason-Nonna and her kin wanted to become saints. They prayed, studied, suffered, encouraged each other in habits of holiness. They all had two things in mind-Christ and His Church.
St. Basil the Great's brother was also a saint, and his sister, and an aunt.
Do you want your child to be a Doctor of the Church? Be a saint.
Today is the feast day of St. Nonna, widow, who lived to be 374, apparently outliving her husband by just a few months. Good genes!
Her family is full of saints. Her husband, who she converted, is the great St. Gregory Nazianzen the Elder. Three of her children are saints, including the great St. Gregory Nazianzen and St. Caesrius of Nazianzen. The third is St. Gorgonia.
So, why do some families have lots of saints in them and some have none?
One simply reason-Nonna and her kin wanted to become saints. They prayed, studied, suffered, encouraged each other in habits of holiness. They all had two things in mind-Christ and His Church.
St. Basil the Great's brother was also a saint, and his sister, and an aunt.
Do you want your child to be a Doctor of the Church? Be a saint.
Re-Inspired
Someone yesterday inspired me. You shall know who soon. This person and I discussed briefly "new orders" and "communities".
Remember when I wanted to start the community of Adoration in Walsingham? It did not happen because I could not buy the house, which is now sold.
Communities need places. People need a place to gather in order to worship God. I have been writing about podding and community for a long time.
I am re-inspired to ask if there are any women interested in a community of Adoration.
I wanted this to be in Walsingham, as there is no Latin Mass presence there and I wanted to bring that there. I envisioned lay women worshiping God 7/24. Someone suggested to me recently, a few months ago, that maybe the place was not the right place. Even the nuns of Tyburn do not have a place in Walsingham, although a few orders do have a presence.
Mary appeared in Walsingham, but such a house of Adoration can happen anywhere, almost.
The person who inspired me to think again said that all one has to do is find people who have the same spirituality and the same vision for service.
Adoration is service to the Church. Praying for the Church Militant is a service to the Church. Praying for priests and seminarians is a service to the Church.
The Breviary, Gregorian Chant, and the EF make a spirituality. Adoring Christ is the center of this spirituality.
I shall ask one more time. Are there any people out there interested? Is anyone interested in being a benefactor for a house of Adoration?
Update on The Rant-Becoming Your God
I ranted about the lack of study and the lack of catechesis for very young children in the family.
I have been thinking today as to the depth of the problem of the weakness of our families and, therefore, the Church.
I have come up with the basic truth that the vast majority of Catholics no longer believe in what they do on Sunday.
Sunday Catholics are Catholic for an hour a week and pagan for the other 167 hours. Amazing. One cannot get to heaven with this ratio of thinking about God 1:168.
The problem is that other gods have replaced God, so the name-only, pagan-Catholics are idolators.
What are they idolizing? Money, status, pleasure, self, family, other people....stuff.
Like all people who worship something, idolators turn into what they worship. If one worships money, one becomes the vice of greed. If one worships another person, one becomes the vice of lust, and so on.
Now, if one worships God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Ghost, with one's whole heart, and mind and soul, there is a good chance that that person will become like God as much as it is possible for that person to do so.
Are you in sanctifying grace or are you in idolatry?
Of course, the truth keeps us humble. We are nothing without the Triune God.
What God are you becoming?
A test:
1) What or who do you think of most of the day?
2) How do you spend your free time?
3) What and about whom do you read daily?
4) On what do you spend your money the most?
5) If you pray, what is the focus of your prayers?
6) Who are your friends? Are they fellow idolators?
7) Where do you go the most, besides work?
8) If you give away anything, to whom do these things or money go?
9) If you work a 40 hour week, what are you doing outside of the normal eight hours times seven days a week, and hours for eating, washing, doing home chores? In other words, what do you do with your "down time"?
10) Saints have little or no "down time".
By the way, we do not know the name of the ancient people of Malta, or any one person's name. But, we know the names of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, and so on. Why? Because the God of the Patriarchs is the Living God. The gods of the ancients were dead stone.
Saints of The Knights of Malta Part Seven
Saint Flora of Beaulieu Virgin.
http://catholic-thoughts.info/saints/Octsaints.htm
Patron of the abandoned, of converts, single laywomen, and victims of betrayal — Flora was born in France about the year 1309. She was a devout child and later resisted all attempts on the part of her parents to find a husband for her. In 1324, she entered the Priory of Beaulieu of the Hospitaller nuns of St. John of Jerusalem. Here she was beset with many and diverse trials, fell into a depressed state, and was made sport of by some of her religious sisters. However, she never ceased to find favour with God and was granted many unusual and mystical favours. One year on the feast of All Saints, she fell into an ecstasy and took no nourishment until three weeks later on the feast of St. Cecelia. On another occasion, while meditating on the Holy Spirit, she was raised four feet from the ground and hung in the air in full view of many onlookers. She also seemed to be pierced with the arms of Our Lord's cross, causing blood to flow freely at times from her side and at others, from her mouth. Other instances of God's favouring of his servant were also reported, concerning prophetic knowledge of matters of which she could not naturally know. Through it all, St. Flora remained humble and in complete communion with her Divine Master, rendering wise counsel to all who flocked to her because of her holiness and spiritual discernment. In 1347, she was called to her eternal reward and many miracles were worked at her tomb
There are more saints from the Knights of Malta Order. One can look at the main site on the first posting for more. Just a taste....
Saints of The Knights of Malta Part Six
from the main site....
http://www.smom-za.org/saints/toscana.htm
In 2003, there was a TLM in her church in Verona
http://www.unavoce-ve.it/fsspx16-02-03-3.jpg
St. Toscana
Religious of the Order of Malta
Memorial: 14 July
She
was born in Zevio, near Verona (Italy) about 1280 and married a man
from Verona, Albert Canoculi with whom she began to do remarkable work
for the poor. After her husband's death, she sold all that she owned and
became a nun in the Order of St. John of Jerusalem, where she devoted
her life to prayer and caring for the sick. She died on 14 July 1343 or
1344.
Prayer:
O God, who
kept your servant Toscana unscathed by the turbulence of this world both
as a wife and as a widow, and made her the instrument in our Order of a
remarkable work of charity for the poor, grant us the grace of serving
you as she did and of pleasing you by our faith and by our actions. We
ask 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.
(From: The Missal with readings of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem of Rhodes, & of Malta, London 1997)
Prayers
Please, Readers, pray for a wonderful young husband and father of two beautiful children, who is experiencing horrible stress at work. He has to be away from his young family about twelve hours each day.
Pray for all of them. I am particularly close to this lovely, Catholic, traditional and orthodox family.
Thanks for your prayers.
We all need each other in these hard times.
Our Lady of Fatima, pray for families.
Pray for all of them. I am particularly close to this lovely, Catholic, traditional and orthodox family.
Thanks for your prayers.
We all need each other in these hard times.
Our Lady of Fatima, pray for families.
Perfection Series III On Hold
The third series is on hold for a few days. I need a break from the heady caviar and champagne of St. Bernard of Clairvaux, my favourite saint outside of Mary. A short list of favs in this order: Our Lady, St. Bernard, St. John the Baptist, and more later.
I need a break because I am in the Dark Night and reading too much on the Illuminative and Unitive States is not good for me personally. I need to be stuck the in the reality of my own spiritual level.
But, I shall return to the great Cistercian, as it is good for us to know where we are heading....if we cooperate with grace.
I need a break because I am in the Dark Night and reading too much on the Illuminative and Unitive States is not good for me personally. I need to be stuck the in the reality of my own spiritual level.
But, I shall return to the great Cistercian, as it is good for us to know where we are heading....if we cooperate with grace.
Saints of The Knights of Malta Part Five
Several women are saints of the Order of Malta. I have had one on this blog before, but hereis the first one.
First, an explanation from the main site on women in the Order.
http://www.smom-za.org/saints/women.htm
The text of this page is quoted from: Ducaud-Bourget, Msgr. François: The Spiritual Heritage of The Sovereign Military Order of Malta, Vatican 1958
First, an explanation from the main site on women in the Order.
http://www.smom-za.org/saints/women.htm
The Women of the Order of Malta
Not
far from the Hospital of Jerusalem there already existed before the
foundation of the Order a women's infirmary; it was entrusted to nuns.
A
Roman lady, Agnes or Alix, received the habit of the Order from the
hands of the Blessed Gerard and became the abbess of that convent which
was dedicated to Saint Magdalene. There under her direction, a life of
prayer and charity unfolded all its zeal and resources, until the
capture of Jerusalem by Saladin in 1187. Then the nuns were dispersed
throughout the West and remained in small groups in the hospitals of the
Knights, taking care of the sick women sheltered in them. But even
before the exodus the houses of Europe had felt the need of leaving
women in their hospitals; sisters were therefore present in the
Commanderies. In 1180, we find nuns at Hampton, Standon, and Gosford in
England. But toward 1186, Henry II, at Buckland, Somerset, created a
home for the sisters of Saint John under the direction of Fina, the
first abbess; she governed for 54 years. She gathered under her crosier
all the nuns scattered in the religious houses of the Knights.
Almost
at the same time, in 1188, Doña Sancha, wife of Don Alfonso, King of
Aragon, in memory of the pious Knights fallen in defence of the Holy
Land, raised a convent at Sigena, between Saragossa and Lerida, to
receive without dowry the poor daughters of noble families. In theory
they were to furnish proofs of nobility. But their families were so
distinguished and well-known that these proofs were not required. The
Queen deeded extensive tracts of land to them. At the assumption of
power by the Infante Don Pedro, at the death of Don Alfonso, she
withdrew to her convent with her daughter, Doña Dulce. They took the
habit. The good Queen died in that convent in November l208, after
having been at the head of the community for some years; her rule was
characterized by great wisdom and holiness. She was buried in the
convent church, and her stone tomb leas covered over with a very hard
wood, painted quite skilfully in the ancient fashion. On it can be seen
the portrait of the princess abbess in royal dress, with a crown on her
head and the cross of Saint John on her cloak. In memory of her the
nuns carried a silver sceptre in the choir.
Since the reign of Leo XIII, proofs of nobility have no longer been required to enter this convent.
Many
other houses of the Order were founded, especially in Genoa and Pisa,
beginning with the first half of the thirteenth century. Some were
devoted to the care of the sick, as at Beaulieu, of which we shall speak
later. In general, however, after leaving the Holy Land, the sisters
turned to contemplation, under the rule of Saint Augustine.
Their
habit was composed of a gown of red silk and a black cloak with a white
cross. After the fall of Rhodes, they dressed in mourning, wearing a
black gown. They were not dependent on the local bishop; they came under
the jurisdiction of the Prior of the province or the Grandmaster of the Hospital.
The
Order of the Sisters of Saint John of Jerusalem has now been presented.
Let us proceed to consider the three highest and most gracious figures
of its martyrology.
The text of this page is quoted from: Ducaud-Bourget, Msgr. François: The Spiritual Heritage of The Sovereign Military Order of Malta, Vatican 1958
28th MAY - SAINT UBALDESCA V. ON.
 |
| image courtesy of St John's Gate, London |
Saint Ubaldesca
Virgin of The Order
Memorial
She
was born in 1136 at Calcinia, near Pisa. At the age of fifteen, she
joined the Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, and worked for fifty-five
years in the infirmary attached to the monastery at Pisa, caring for her
neighbour out of love for God. She died on 28 May 1206. Her body was
taken back to Calcinia where it is now enshrined. Not only honoured
among the saints and blessed of the Order of Saint John of
Jerusalem, she is celebrated also as a patroness of the City of Pisa.
The Collect of the Mass
O God, pride of the humble and lover of virginity,
you called Saint Ubaldesca to the religious life
in the Order of Saint John of Jerusalem :
Grant that through her prayers and example
we may rejoice in being humble
and follow you with pure minds.
We ask 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.