Serious Need for Supportive Prayer Here for This Bishop

http://www.onepeterfive.com/bishop-slattery-brings-out-the-big-guns-against-satanic-mass-in-oklahoma-city/ 

and a back-up on my post earlier this past week.


The Leonine prayer of exorcism which Bishop Slattery is sending to the priests (and which is to be said ONLY by priests!) of his diocese is itself taken from the 1962 Rite of Exorcism, and has its origins with Pope Leo XIII, who was said to have had a terrifying vision of Satan entering the Church, whereupon he composed the prayer to St. Michael the Archangel as well as prayers of exorcism for priests and laity alike to use in their fight against Satan.

The Beauty of God Comes Suddenly Upon Us

I rarely ask for signs. I want to use the virtues of faith, hope and love, which do not demand signs. Several months ago, I was feeling particularly weak and I did ask for three signs. I did receive two out of the three, one immediately and one within a short period of time.

Today, God gave me a sign without me asking for one. It was almost by accident. A friend of mine was showing me his West Point ring and I burst into tears, Me, the INTJ, as God moved my heart to see something in this small gesture.

I do not need to give the details, but this sign brings to close the three signs, although it was not the one I had asked to see. God is more detailed, more considerate, more gentle then we can imagine. the Beauty of God comes suddenly upon us, if we but have eyes to see.

For over a year, pieces of a puzzle in my life have been put together to show part of a larger picture. It will be a lovely picture when it is finished. I think one reason why God does not answer some prayers, is to exercise our faith. We are changed in prayer, our discernment becomes clearer, our hearts purer.

Prayer which is answered has been in the plan of Divine Providence for all times.

Prayer which is not answered has been in the plan of Divine Providence for all times.

For those with faith, every day brings signs and wonders of God's love to us.  The more we become like little children, the more we see the simple things in a great pattern of love.

Taking a break from.....

OK back on a borrowed computer. Pray for my poor new, confused, infected computer.

Cassocks Are Now Officially Cool

http://southernorderspage.blogspot.com/2014/08/pope-francis-emphasizes-obligation-of.html

Coming to A City Near You

Catholic World News - August 07, 2014

Two churches in Thonon-les-Bains, a city of 30,000 in eastern France, were desecrated on August 5, according to Le Messager, a newspaper based in Chablais.
A man in his thirties entered St. Hippolytus Church and the Basilica of St. Francis de Sales and destroyed or damaged altars, stained glass, statues, candelabras, and a bronze cross. He also tore open a tabernacle and trampled on the Eucharist.
The man suspected in the desecration is a “young Muslim,” a local priest said.

Pope Asks for Help

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/08/07/iraq-security-pope-idINKBN0G718P20140807

Blogging Blues

Living in a spiritual warzone....

I am back on the borrowed computer as my new one is in a mess with this horrible virus. A wonderful computer guy helped me for about two hours today, but it is still hiding somewhere.

I shall be back tomorrow. If I can get Linux on the new one, I shall.

This is a trial, of course, and I can offer this up in reparation for my own sins and for the healing of a friend of mine who has emotional problems. No pain, no gain.

Will you join me in all of these prayers?

Also, on the new computer, I cannot seem to copy https from the search bars for you all to see. I need to figure out why this is the case. I use touch pad mice (mouses?) all the time, not separate ones. Any suggestions?

Also, I have received viruses from Chrome and Internet Explorer. Do readers think Firefox is better?

I have not yet put my files from my friend's external hard drive back on the new computer.

Prayers, please.

One of those days

Look at this and weep Southern Orders website.

 http://southernorderspage.blogspot.com/2014/08/no-this-is-not-scene-from-exodus-in.html

Pray for our brother and sisters in the Middle East.
And still computer troubles, and I am not well today.

Prayers, please.

Nice Site

On Ethika Politika, a great article on dating as counter-culture. I am even more counter-culture. Because of computer hassles, I cannot copy the link right now.

Custody of The Eyes

A young friend of mine had never heard the term which I learned in fifth grade from the good nuns, "custody of the eyes." This means that one never looks at anyone or anything which may cause sin.

It means, as the good nuns said, lowering your eyes and not looking at a beautiful woman or handsome man, an expensive sports car, or a mansion, if these things or people could cause sin.

Of course, custody of the eyes would cover wasting time with useless news, gossip (custody of the ears), and trivia.

What would have happened if, instead of listening to the serpent in the Garden of Eden and instead of looking at the apple, Eve would have rushed over to Adam and asked his help not to be concerned about that apple? My guess is she and Adam would not have sinned.

Just a thought today.....between computer fights....

Please Pray

I have had this computer less than 36 hours and I have had severe malware and a huge virus.  I still cannot get off one thing.

Please pray as I honestly do not want to spend hours cleaning up my computer.

Sad days that there are people who think such maliciousness is fun.

Did you know?

.....

that St. Gertrude is the patron saint of cats....well, not officially.

How does one want to die?

In yesterday's Financial Times, there is an article on the countries in the world which are "aging". Most of these are European countries, plus the United States, but not all.

Some are Asian.

I have written on this blog before about the sad spiritual decay of the elderly in this country. The old are expected just to end their days entertaining themselves and spending lots of money on living as long as possible.

See this post but go to the end, as I have more to write about this.

Saturday, 1 February 2014

A Tragic Cultural Reality-Ignoring the Interior Life

Posted by Supertradmum

I was in the doctor's office on Thursday and decided to look at two magazines, which catered to those who are retired.

These types of magazines have names like "Maturity Plus", or "The Best Years", or "Modern Retirement",

I was shocked at what I saw.

An entire world of retirement unfolded in the pages which dealt with one thing only-pleasure.

Articles on sex after retirement, romantic relationships, advertisements for cruises, holidays in every warm place in the world, diets for the retired and even clothing for the comfort of the retired. Housing is also advertised.

The extremely depressing articles in these magazines were the calendars of events for the local retirements condos and communities. Let me make a list. These were daily occurrences.

Bridge and other card games
Dances
Movies
Talks on Flowers or whatever
Craft sales of trivia
Special theme dinners
Field trips
Fashion shows
Parties to cover all the holidays
Health issues seminars
Insurance seminars
More holiday information
Aerobics and other exercises
Golf
Swimming
Shopping trips (Why buy more?)

The elderly have been reduced to children in the playground. They are being led back to the sandbox when they should be concentrating on meeting God face to face. Now, these things may be good in themselves, but there comes a time when the interior life but take precedence over the exterior.

This is one reason why God lets us age and lose our outward beauty, so that we are faced with working on our inward beauty.


Where is there anything about the following?

Preparing for death
Examination of conscience
Developing a prayer life
Moving into the journey and final stages of purification
Meditations on the Last Four Things: Death, Judgement, Hell, Heaven
Outreach to charities
Counseling younger Christians
Going to Adoration
Praying outside the abortion clinics
Volunteering in churches, food banks, etc.
Spiritual direction
Bible studies

The other worrying thing I saw were services in some of these places in non-denominational chapels with non-denominational chaplains.

Mass? Confession? Adoration?

What have we done and why? God has blessed many of us with the declining years of our lives in order to come closer to him. These years should not be a mirror image of the active years of career or house making, child-bearing or making money.

These are the years left for the building of the interior life of the soul. But, if this generation of the elderly are being taught and encouraged only to think of the exterior and pleasure, as if they are getting their heaven on earth, their earthly reward, they are missing out on the possibility for true holiness, for perfection, which comes not from the pursuit of busyness or trivia, but from reflection, study, reading the Scriptures, intense prayer, quiet.

Not only have we created in the West a youthful generation of narcissists, we have allowed our elderly to fall under the spell of  "me-ism". How sad, that some, who thought they were on the way to heaven in their youth, may find the door shut to them at the end of a long life.

Matthew 25:11-13

Douay-Rheims 

11 But at last come also the other virgins, saying: Lord, Lord, open to us.

12 But he answering said: Amen I say to you, I know you not.

13 Watch ye therefore, because you know not the day nor the hour.