No to Mary's Meals-Here's Why

I wrote earlier how the Catholic media in Britain ignores important issues. These papers and mags have been pushing the fact that Mary's Meals' founder has received an award.

A few years ago, when I found out the Mary's Meals took money and was in league with the Rotarians, I tried to tell my friends not to support them unless they were willing to challenge this connection.

The Rotarians have their roots in Freemasonry and are still connected with the Masons, by allowing Masons to come to Rotarian events to bring in new members. Many Masons have been or are still connected to Freemasonry. To deny this is to deny reality.

I am not a supporter of Mary's Meals, and until this Rotarian connection is broken, I suggest you do not support them either.

By accepting the Rotarian money, Mary's Meals supports Rotarian efforts. When you read the list of things this group supports, you may well wonder how MMs can be in bed with such a group.

Catholics are not allowed to join any secret societies.

AND, the Rotarians as a group support embryonic stem cell research and Planned Parenthood, in the States, in Australia, and other such groups in Great Britain,  whose works are condemned by the Church. So, for that fact alone, Mary's Meals should have nothing to do with Rotarian money.

Here is the American Life League on the evil support of the Rotarians for anti-life issues.
http://www.all.org/charities?page=5

Rotary International

Rotary International

1 Rotary Center, 1560 Sherman Avenue

Evanston, 60201-3698

Phone: 847-866-3000

www.rotary.org

Founded in February 1905, Rotary International (RI) is a worldwide organization of business and professional leaders that describes itself as “A Global Network of Community Volunteers.”  It consists of more than 32,000 local Rotary clubs in more than 200 countries.  RI claims to have nearly 1.2 million members. 

Rotary International commands an annual budget that is approaching $300 million.  RI work is supported by the Rotary Foundation, which is funded by contributions from Rotarians and other supporters. For more than a century, RI and its network of clubs have engaged in service projects designed to make the planet a better place on which to live.  Rotary has tackled problems such as poverty, hunger, illiteracy and disease.

But, like many other organizations that were founded for ostensibly altruistic reasons, and may even continue to do some good work, the problem with Rotary International is what it has been turned into by certain pro-abortion and population control zealots.  Specifically, the Rotarian Action Group for Population Growth and Sustainable Development works to address the “population crisis” around the world.

Rotary International:

• funds UNICEF (http://www.all.org/article/index/id/MjQyNg/ and https://www.rotary.org/en/trustee-decisions)
• allows its chapters to fund Planned Parenthood
• works closely with the UNFPA, which backs abortion and works hand-in-hand with the Chinese family planning officials who rely on forced abortions to enforce the nation’s one-child policy  (http://rifpd.org/1/3/About_Rotarian_Action_Group_for_Population_&_Development/)
• works alongside the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in developing countries (https://www.rotary.org/en/pakistan-polio-vaccinators-earn-community-trust-spite-danger)

If you want more information on the Masonic links to the Rotarians, it is hard to find online sources as too many are written by Rotarians.  But, you can listen to Fr. Chad Ripperger on the fact that most of the secret societies are Masonic, including Buffalos, Druids, Foresters, The Orange and Black Lodges, Elks, Moose, Eagles, the Ku Lux Klan, the Grange, the Woodmen of America, and many others and that not only are these at root anti-Catholic, but based on natural religion and open to occultic influences. In papers that I have, Fr. Ripperger does not specifically mention the Rotarians, but the connections are there and the anti-life agenda is obvious.

You can write to him on his website if you want more information on secret societies. See http://sentrad.org/

Why blogs are better than magazines and newspapers at this time is that we bloggers are independent, and free to share the truth.

Confusion is not from God

https://fromrome.wordpress.com/2014/11/25/if-ivereigh-is-to-be-believed/

It was clear from the Pope's reaction to his election that he did not know he was going to be pope. He was surprised although he was runner-up under Benedict.

If there was canvassing, the cardinals involved are excommunicted, but the voting would still be valid pointed out.

And, who are the sources for Ivereigh, as no cardinal is supposed to be discussing this? The fact that he has knowledge is a problem in and of itself.

Could it be those who want to discredit the pope?

We cannot say he is not the pope, that would put us in danger of losing our immortal souls as sedevacantists.

That Cardinal Murphy O'Connor is saying something just makes him look like one of the conspirators, if there was canvassing.

Stay quiet and pray and do not go running after  innuendos. In my opinion, Ivereigh should be saying NOTHING. This stuff does not help the Church at all.

St. John Paul II made the rules because this sort of thing has happened before-intrigue in the Vatican is as old as the hills of Rome, almost.

Horrible, but Ivereigh is tearing down the Church, imho. Where is virtue in all of this? I do not see a saint or even a good biographer, but a person who is missing the point of all of this.

Horrible and needs a stronger response...

http://www.catholicherald.co.uk/commentandblogs/2014/11/17/a-swiss-euthanasia-group-has-offered-a-powerful-challenge-to-catholics/

Someone WANTS Martial Law

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-30185686

Love without love?

Can a person who has never known love from a human being know the love of God?

Each of you knows that the foundation of our faith is charity. Without it, our religion would crumble. We will never be truly Catholic unless we conform our entire lives to the two commandments that are the essence of the Catholic faith: to love the Lord, our God, with all our strength, and to love our neighbor as ourselves... With charity, we sow the seeds of that true peace which only our faith in Jesus Christ can give us by making us all brothers and sisters. I know that this way is steep, and difficult, and strewn with thorns, while at first glance the other path seems easier, more pleasant, and more satisfying. But the fact is, if we could look into the hearts of those who follow the perverse paths of this world, we would see that they lack the serenity that comes to those who have faced a thousand difficulties and who have renounced material pleasure to follow God's law. Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati

We have many examples in the saints of those who received abuse and intolerance as young men and women who, yet, became tremendously holy.

So, the answer is "Yes".

Now, the charismatics want everyone to be healed before they can experience God's love. But, God is not hindered by a lack of human love and even care. Healing comes with belief, as a man told me yesterday.

SS. Catherine of Siena and Thomas Aquinas were not loved by their parents, who were secular and did not understand the call to holiness in their children. Both saints, as young persons, were held captive for a while.

Blessed Margaret of Castello was not only imprisoned by her parents, but abandoned. These two horrible people took her to a church and left the blind, ugly, little hunchbacked girl there, where she sat for twelve hours until a priest came and took her to kind people.

Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati had atheists for parents, and he died alone, ignored, not cared for by his own family.

The great St. Francis had to leave his father, who did not share the love of poverty or the radical love of God with his son. But, Francis knew love and could communicate this love to all.

Blessed is the servant who loves his brother as much when he is sick and useless as when he is well and an be of service to him. And blessed is he who loves his brother as well when he is afar off as when he is by his side, and who would say nothing behind his back he might not, in love, say before his face. St. Francis of Assisi

And, this list is much longer. St. Barbara was cruelly treated by her father. St. Damien the Leper's father never spoke to him again after the young men went into the seminary.  Not all of us have been loved by one special person in this life, a husband, a wife, parents. Not all of us have had a relationship of mature, committed love. Not all have had loving parents or loving siblings.

It does not matter if we have been deprived, as God can fill in the blanks, and He does, if we are willing to face the suffering and join with His Passion. This is key to becoming holy, even giving up the desire to be loved. 

Weekly, in the prayers of the Auxilium Christianorum, I say the great Litany of Humility of Cardinal Merry de Val. One must really get to the state of each line in the Dark Night, in order to find Love. All these desires and fears keep us from Love.  This is a real deliverance prayer.....a deliverance of unlove in order to find Love.

O Jesus! meek and humble of heart, Hear me. From the desire of being esteemed, Deliver me, Jesus.From the desire of being loved... From the desire of being extolled ... From the desire of being honored ... From the desire of being praised ... From the desire of being preferred to others... From the desire of being consulted ... From the desire of being approved ... From the fear of being humiliated ... From the fear of being despised... From the fear of suffering rebukes ... From the fear of being calumniated ... From the fear of being forgotten ... From the fear of being ridiculed ... From the fear of being wronged ... From the fear of being suspected ... That others may be loved more than I, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it. That others may be esteemed more than I ... That, in the opinion of the world, others may increase and I may decrease ... That others may be chosen and I set aside ... That others may be praised and I unnoticed ... That others may be preferred to me in everything... That others may become holier than I, provided that I may become as holy as I should…

If we pray this litany and seriously want this state of detachment, God will organize events in our lives to bring about humility. God will answer this prayer, as I myself am experiencing daily. But, unlove leads to the freeing up of the mind, the soul, the heart to meet God. As St. Bernard notes in one of his sermons on the Song of Songs, the little foxes are those distractions from loving the Bridegroom, Christ.

From Sermon 63:

Catch us the little foxes that destroy the vines.' This text has a moral import, and taking it in a moral sense we have already shown that these spiritual vineyards signify spiritual men within whom all things are cultivated, all things, are germinating, bearing fruit and bringing forth the spirit of salvation. What was said of the kingdom of God we can equally say of these vineyards of the Lord of hosts - that they are within us. We read in the Gospel that the kingdom will be given to a people who will produce its fruits. St Paul enumerates these: 'The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, forbearance, gentleness, faithfulness, modesty, self-control, chastity.' These fruits indicate our progress. They are pleasing to the Bridegroom because he takes care of us. Is God concerned about bushes? The Man-God loves men, not trees, and counts our progress as his own fruits. Unflaggingly he watches for their season, smiles when they appear, and anxiously strives that we should not lose them when they do appear; or rather that he should not lose them, for we are as dear to him as he is. With foresight then he orders that the cunning little foxes be caught for him, lest they pilfer the immature fruits: 'Catch us the little foxes,' he says, 'that destroy the vines.' And if someone were to object: 'Your fears are premature - the time of fruiting has not yet come', he answers: 'it is not so, already "our vineyard has flowered".' Between flowers and fruit there is no delay: while the flowers are falling the fruits are budding forth, they begin to show at once.

We spend so much time worrying about our psychological states, that we forget that God heals in Confession, in the receiving of the Eucharist, and in Adoration. We forget that thousands of canonized saints have been brutally tortured and murdered as martyrs, experiencing hatred not love. We forget St. Bernard, thin and ill, enduring the cold of winter at Clairvaux, leading his monks to the most sublime spirituality of love ever written by a man.

The love of the saints for God transcended hatred. But, this love is the result of prayer, focusing on Christ, and not the self.  Christ spoke words on denying the self after He announced His Own Passion. St. Peter rejected Christ's prophecy, and these words were part of Christ attempting to explain to Peter, and as a rebuke to the evil one, the necessity of death of self.

Matthew 8:34-39 DR

34 And calling the multitude together with his disciples, he said to them: If any man will follow me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

35 For whosoever will save his life, shall lose it: and whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel, shall save it.

36 For what shall it profit a man, if he gain the whole world, and suffer the loss of his soul?

37 Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?

38 For he that shall be ashamed of me, and of my words, in this adulterous and sinful generation: the Son of man also will be ashamed of him, when he shall come in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.

39 And he said to them: Amen I say to you, that there are some of them that stand here, who shall not taste death, till they see the kingdom of God coming in power.

Seek love and you will find love, even if you have never experienced it. Love is all around us, even if we do not feel it. Remember St. Therese, the Little Flower, said that Jesus was asleep in her like He had been asleep in the boat with the apostles. She noted over and over that her suffering was not to experience joy, but to have "unfelt joy" in her relationship with Christ.  She wrote, “Aridity! Sleep!…Since Jesus wants to sleep, why will I hinder him?… I assure you, he is going to no trouble about carrying on a conversation with me!”

St. Therese is the perfect saint for our times, a little person, unknown to the world, who suffered greatly for the sake of love. She knew in her strong faith, that although she languished in the Dark Night for years, God never forgot her. She knew Jesus was there, only asleep in her soul, her little boat.

If God forgot about us for one nanosecond, we would not exist. The world's peoples are looking frantically for love. They miss love because they are not looking for Christ. As Catholics, we are given Love daily in the Eucharist, if we so desire. God has not forgotten us.

But, we forget Him. He is here, He is Present daily to us in the Eucharist, in the small white Host.

Every day He humbles Himself just as He did when from from His heavenly throne into the Virgin's womb; every day He comes to us and lets us see Him in lowliness, when He descends from the bosom of the Father into the hands of the priest at the altar. St. Francis of Assisi

by Darren Tanti, Malta

                                                                      This is Love.

To know love...

I am struck with the religions of hate. I have asked myself in the past few days if members of these religions of hate have ever known love?

Have they known the love of a father, a mother, friends, teachers, religious leaders, God?

Christianity is the only religion to have Love as the Founder.

Christianity is founded on real love, Who Is a Person.

But, when I meet Catholics who are completely caught up in materialism and consumerism, I ask myself if they have ever met Love?

To know Christ is to know love. When we preach the Gospel, the words of love free the hearts and souls of those who really listen.

The only way certain violent people may turn away from hatred would be if they heard this message of love and these words and opened their minds to the truth and to conversion. St. John, who at one time was a Son of Thunder, an angry young man, wrote this.

1 John 4:7-21Douay-Rheims 

7 Dearly beloved, let us love one another, for charity is of God. And every one that loveth, is born of God, and knoweth God.

8 He that loveth not, knoweth not God: for God is charity.

9 By this hath the charity of God appeared towards us, because God hath sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we may live by him.

10 In this is charity: not as though we had loved God, but because he hath first loved us, and sent his Son to be a propitiation for our sins.

11 My dearest, if God hath so loved us; we also ought to love one another.

12 No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abideth in us, and his charity is perfected in us.

13 In this we know that we abide in him, and he in us: because he hath given us of his spirit.

14 And we have seen, and do testify, that the Father hath sent his Son to be the Saviour of the world.

15 Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God abideth in him, and he in God.

16 And we have known, and have believed the charity, which God hath to us. God is charity: and he that abideth in charity, abideth in God, and God in him.

17 In this is the charity of God perfected with us, that we may have confidence in the day of judgment: because as he is, we also are in this world.

18 Fear is not in charity: but perfect charity casteth out fear, because fear hath pain. And he that feareth, is not perfected in charity.

19 Let us therefore love God, because God first hath loved us.

20 If any man say, I love God, and hateth his brother; he is a liar. For he that loveth not his brother, whom he seeth, how can he love God, whom he seeth not?

21 And this commandment we have from God, that he, who loveth God, love also his brother.

I repost one of my old articles....from

Wednesday, 5 September 2012

A Tree and a House of Hearts

Holy Sonnets  Number XIV by John Donne

Batter my heart, three-person'd God ; for you

As yet but knock ; breathe, shine, and seek to mend ;

That I may rise, and stand, o'erthrow me, and bend

Your force, to break, blow, burn, and make me new.

I, like an usurp'd town, to another due,

Labour to admit you, but O, to no end.

Reason, your viceroy in me, me should defend,

But is captived, and proves weak or untrue.

Yet dearly I love you, and would be loved fain,

But am betroth'd unto your enemy ;

Divorce me, untie, or break that knot again,

Take me to you, imprison me, for I,

Except you enthrall me, never shall be free,

Nor ever chaste, except you ravish me. 

Many years ago, my son and I could not be together in the same place for Christmas one year. We did not have our usual magnificent Christmas Tree. By the beginning of January, we were ensconced in a new home and happily getting on with life. But, I missed the tree. So, I set one up later, around January 6th. I started with creating some new ornaments, which I did every year.

We had an Eastern Christmas, that is, a bit late. And, for several years, almost 35, I had many strange and wonderful heart ornaments from all over the world. Everyone knew I was "Mrs. Christmas" and decorated profusely, as this is one of my favourite times of the year. I had many ornaments from Germany and Czechoslovakia. My favourites were those my mother had made as potpourries, and my second favourites were created by an artist in Iowa, made out of wood and wire, with different designs on each.

My mother ended up making many of her hearts full of lavender and other herbs, as my friends could not get enough of them. These are all over Western Alberta and Saskatoon, and I hope on trees at Christmas.

Every year until 2010, I made many new ornaments by hand. I have made bread-dough ornaments, metal ornaments, cardboard ornaments, ornaments from material, and many other kinds using things from nature. Every year, our tree was slightly different. My last tree with my small family had about 400 ornaments on it. They now hang on other trees. My last tree with myself was pink, yes a pink tree with gold ornaments. I went retro for one year. Again, many of the ornaments were hearts. Many were made by me. I finally gave away my glue guns in 2011 to a young family. But, the memories of joy will stay with me always.

Before I left America, I made a tree for my parents with lights and ornaments all on the inside of a cone, wire gold tree, so that it would easy for them to put it away, as they are older.

The heart adjusts.

The symbol of the heart has been with poets and artists since the days of the Bible. In the psalms, we hear David singing of his heart. In Roman times, the heart was also considered the place of love and life. Those who are married wear the wedding ring on the finger which supposedly is connected to the heart by an artery. I think this myth is as old as the Romans.

In our Catholic tradition, we have many devotions to the Sacred  Heart. But, Mother Marie Adele Garnier, foundress of the Tyburn Benedictines, was given a great grace of insight into the Heart of Jesus. In her spirituality, given to her by Christ in mystical experiences, she saw that the Heart of Jesus was the Eucharist. Through the Eucharistic Adoration, she called her nuns to see the Heart of Christ in the community. She was called to be one of those special souls espoused to Christ in a Mystical Marriage. For her, daily Communion was a renewal of her "marriage vows" through the Eucharistic Heart of Jesus.

Now, this type of union is far above me, but lately, one of my friends who is a priest, repeated that all men and women were called to this intimacy in and through Christ. This is also the belief, as I have shown here on this blog, of Garrigou-Lagrange. This is a mystery.

We are all called to union. How? There is only one way.

For those of us who have loved a human being with our hearts and souls, we can understand a tiny bit of what this union must be like. To love without expectation is real love and is creates an interior fire which cannot be contained.

For Mother Marie Adele Garnier, at the Eucharist, in Adoration, her heart of fire was given fuel from the union of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.

I ask all my readers to ask God to show you where it is He wants you to be loved and to love. He has a special place for us to receive and to give.

When I decorated the tree and house in hearts at Christmas, I was reminding us all that the Heart of Christmas is the Incarnation. That vulnerable Baby in the Manger would fill our hearts with joy, if we would only be open to Him.

For many years, I created centrepieces for Christmas, starting in early October and making other things, such as wreaths, door handle decorations, and ornaments. Cranberries, red tree dogwood, red roses, and hearts made my signature look. I also made children's decorations, such as gingerbread men and toy centrepieces. My making was part of who I am. Our creativity is part of being made in the Image and Likeness of God. Making made me joyful and pleased my friends and customers. My son and I decorated an entire Church hall one year for a parish Christmas dinner. We made everything ourselves. God blessed us and other through us. This was all done out of love.

We shared in the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Others brought food and drink. Some greeted and served. This is the Body of Christ and He is the Heart. But, we are called into that Heart of Jesus. That year was one of the happiest experiences of a real community in a parish we have ever experienced. It was in Alaska, where the hearts of people are as big as the state.

We can be restored to purity through God's Love for us. We should not be afraid, but it can be scary. Even Mother Marie Adele had misgivings. Pray to her for miracles, and if you receive any, let the nuns at Tyburn know.

By the way, these are not photos of my ornaments, although some are similar. I do not have those photos on my computer here. God made the clouds and wonderful heart leaves. Look around you for hearts. These are everywhere to remind us of God's Love for us and our love for Him.

In the midst of all the political turmoil and difficulties of this week, I wanted to return to the heart of all things. Be holy, be perfect, even as your heavenly Father is perfect. Christ said that and the way to the Father is through Christ. Open your heart and pray I can open mine to the wonders of Love, Who is a Person.

Where Is The Excellence?

I shall not mention any names, but years ago, I was close to the editor of a famous British periodical.

At one lunch, I met the new editor who was taking over the magazine at the time. Later on, on the phone, speaking with a now passed away Catholic intellectual, with whom my family was very close, I noted I had met this new editor.

This friend of mine noted this, "One cannot work with second-rate people", and what he meant was that success could not be found with "mediocrity." Also, he noted this appointment would bring the downfall of this periodical, which it did.

What I am seeing in English Catholic newspapers and periodicals is a soup of mediocrity. There are no first-rate writers, that one can hardly wait to read daily or weekly.

Several reasons account for this sad state of Catholic journalism in England, but the main reason is a powerful anti-intellectualism, which causes poor choices in appointments, topics and zero intelligent commentary.

The Catholic Faith is built on Revelation and Reason. If reason is set-aside, the edifice falls. That publishing firms do not hire top scholars to work for their papers or magazines points to the dumbing-down of journalism, to the point where the mediocre are not only writing pablum, but are in charge.

How sad that the great heritage of Catholic writing in England has been undermined by second-rate writers. How sad that no one really cares if these newspapers or magazines do not make succinct and pertinent commentary on such things as the recent Synod.

Until reason becomes a basis for journalism, changing formats will not draw faithful readership.

The English were once known for not only being wordsmiths, but having a high level of rational discourse in daily and weekly writing.

The Catholic Church in England is not being served by the continuation of mediocrity. If there was ever a time for a new approach to Catholic journalism, it is now. Where are the best and the brightest Catholic writers in England?

Happy Feast of St. Catherine

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Interior_of_St_Catherine%27s_church_Valletta.jpg

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Church_of_St_Catherine_of_Italy_Valletta.jpg

Art and architecture from an Age of Faith....
Here is an interesting article link on this church in Valletta, St.
Catherine of Alexandria.
http://www.maltacultureguide.com/index.php?page=article&article_id=49


St. Catherine is the patron saint of philosophers and preachers. I think this is because she made so many converts, even while in prison.

My favorite painting of The Mystical Marriage of St. Catherine is in the Co-Cathedral of St. John, as seen below.

Drop dead gorgeous chapel...

When I get upset with the rude bus drivers and rude pedestrians, I just think of this chapel.....and I want to stay here always.

The Jerome in this picture is a real Caravaggio, hands down my favorite painter. The Catherine painting is on the right and it is huge and as seen above, in the place of honor above the altar.

The Church of St. Catherine of Alexander in Valletta,  way above,  must be one of the small jewels of Malta. This little church is a popular site for weddings.

One can see why in the first set of photos.

If it is not raining, and if my feet are not horribly painful, I shall try and go, and pray for all the Catherines I know.

                  If I do not get there, I shall say a little prayer in the church I normally attend.

Update: I did get to the Church of St. Catherine of Italy in Valletta and prayed for all the Catherines I know. Also, I could hardly tear myself away from the fantastic Matia Preti, the first painting at the top.