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Thursday 27 November 2014

A Daring Suggestion To Fight Idolatry


Black Friday is the feast day of the god of Mammon. Millions of people go to worship at his temples where one finds the altars and the gifts of this god, for a price. All the idolaters get up early to worship at the small altars of the registers, fighting over the gifts of this god.

There is a real god of Mammon, and he is a demon. He grabs the imagination of men, women, and children on this day and forces them to buy useless things while meditating on money and the stuff of consumerism.

This demon is the same one worshiped in the Bible as Beelzebub, the god, the demon who demanded child sacrifice, according to at least one ancient father, Gregory of Nyssa. The name, Mammon, in the Hebrew, literally means "riches" and "the one in which one trusts". Horrid. He is mentioned in both the Gospel of Luke and the Gospel of Matthew as Mammon.

This god brings many people to hell with this preoccupation of buying and selling. In ancient times, perhaps he was like Moloch, personified as a furnace, with a long shaft like a sliding board, on which the small urns with the live first-born sons would be put and rolled into the fire of Moloch's mouth or stomach.

Does this sound familiar? Both Mammon and Moloch are gods of abortion, demanding the sacrifice of children for wealth and things. Prosperity instead of offspring.....

Can you imagine if all those people lined up outside of Walmart or any other store were lining up to go to Mass? Can you imagine them loving the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost?


Here is my daring suggestion. Never shop on Black Friday. Instead, go to Mass as a family, as an individual, and go out of your way to visit the sick, the housebound, the needy instead.

Do something opposite of the worship of Mammon. Show Mammon that you do not worship him, and that you have no intention of doing so.

Say the rosary with others on this day. Find Adoration somewhere and go. Be quiet and read the Scriptures.

Read the Divine Office. Praise the God of Life. Sing hymns of joy and love. Be simple.


I challenge you to do the opposite of Mammon's followers and praise the One True God in deeds, in your heart, mind, soul.

Can you do this? The god Mammon needs to be ignored, not fed.

Go to Jesus and ask Him for the grace not to worship at the temples of Mammon on Black Friday. Go worship the Trinity at a Catholic church, and ask for strength and courage to fight the idolatry of Mammon.



No Privacy Today

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-switch/wp/2014/11/26/happytracksgiving-a-guide-to-how-your-travels-are-tracked-this-holiday-season/

OPEC on the move

http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/f30bbd1c-7602-11e4-a777-00144feabdc0.html#axzz3KHoO988G

This Is Cool-Spanish Place And An Ordinariate Use Wedding

http://www.newliturgicalmovement.org/#3052043242371690539

Necessity Is The Mother of Invention-Supertradcoffee

Without water, I was dying for a coffee. I had some Indian tonic water in the fridge and decided to mix it with my instant coffee

Wow, it is fantastic. The mixture makes a foam at the top like a latte, without milk.

This is a cold drink.

I call it the Supertradcoffee.

I filled a mug with the Indian tonic water, (I used Marksie's, which is the only one I can find, and very cheap here), and put in a heaping teaspoon of Arabica rich and toasty instant coffee.

It is really good! Try it and pray for me at the same time.

My son invented a drink which is now popular in the seminary- the Kavipolitan. However, I do not know the ingredients.

A Thanksgiving Post

http://tinyhouseblog.com/tinyhousehistory/tiny-house-plymouth-rock/

Why Von Maur Is Our Family Store

...was, in my case...

.

http://wqad.com/2014/11/26/a-142-year-tradition-von-maur-stays-closed-on-thanksgiving/

Von Maur’s history of staying closed on Thanksgiving is encouraging other big-name stores to do the same. Some of those stores include: CostCo, Nordstrom, Dillard’s, Blain’s Farm and Fleet, Barnes and Noble, Crate and Barrel, Hobby Lobby, Home Depot, Lowe’s, JoAnn Fabrics, Neiman Marcus, PetCo, Pier 1 Imports, T.J. Maxx, and Marshall’s.

And this is horrible.....http://www.wgrz.com/story/news/local/cheektowaga/2014/11/08/stores-punished-for-not-opening-on-thanksgiving/18731455/

Maltese Citizens Advised To Leave Libya

http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20141123/local/maltese-diplomats-in-libya-recalled.545413

And, so why are the doors open for so many Libyans to come to Malta?

Please pray for this man and his family Phillip Hughes 1988-2014



http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/cricket/international/australia/11257197/Phillip-Hughes-dies-Career-of-Australian-cricketer-in-pictures.html

An extremely talented young man....God rest his soul. Same age as my son.........

http://news.sky.com/story/1381188/phillip-hughes-dies-after-severe-head-injury

http://www.smh.com.au/sport/cricket/australian-cricketer-phillip-hughes-dead-at-25-20141127-11vd48.html

http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2014/nov/27/phillip-hughes-obituary

updated from 10:19

Perfect, if I could have one in Europe!

http://tinyhouseblog.com/stick-built/hobbitat-spaces/

Hobs for Pods?????

Trouble in Malta



A BRIEF EXPLANATION OF THE PROPOSED BILL


Gender Identity, Gender Expression and Sex Characteristics Act

- Implementation of The Gender Theory-


Gender theory states that one’s gender is independent of one’s biological sex so that one can “choose” whether one wants to be male or female. Optional realignment surgery (surgical genital modification) may alter the physical appearance, but cannot ever alter the genetic code of each and every cell.

The proposed Gender Identity, Gender Expression and Sex Characteristics Act gives the Maltese Citizen the right to change his gender and his first name simply by submitting a request to the Director of Public Registry. No back up tests will be required, such as medical or psychological, which can serve as a safeguard against detrimental irreversible choices. Subsequently, all existing records will have to be changed to reflect the newly embraced gender and first name (identity).

The person who changes his gender would be entitled to the full rights of marriage and parenthood. This would amount in essence to same-sex marriage, rights for IVF treatment and surrogacy.

Those exercising parental authority over a minor may request the Court to change the recorded gender and the first name of a minor. At birth, the parents may choose not to declare the gender of the baby. In that case, before the minor reaches the age of 14, they or those exercising parental authority over the child, would be obliged to declare his gender.
9.(1) ”Accessibility to full act of birth shall be limited solely and exclusively to the person who has attained the age of eighteen years and to whom that act of birth relates or by court order.” This is discriminatory since the full act of birth of the rest of the population can be otherwise easily attained. Further, anyone caught exposing the fact of gender change of another person, for whatever the reason, will face a fine of €1000 – €5000.

This law will bring about a totally new concept of man, a man that recreates himself. Such a concept goes against the true nature of man established by natural law as created by God.

Once the law comes in force, in the name of “promoting equality of opportunity to all” this concept will be have to be taught in schools, including Church Schools. Students will have no option for opt outs. This is in direct violation to the Human Rights of the parents which guarantees their right to educate their children according to their conscience and beliefs.




The Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Article 26. (3)
“ Parents have a prior right to choose the kind of education that shall be given to their children”


European Convention on Human Rights
Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms
Protocol Article 2 Right to education
“No person shall be denied the right to education. In the exercise of any functions which it assumes in relation to education and to teaching, the State shall respect the right of parents to ensure such education and teaching in conformity with their own religious and philosophical convictions.”




The government is receiving bill response submissions by latest Sunday 30 November 2014.

Our submission as response to the bill can be found in attached document ‘B’ which can be filled and sent by parents.  Or if one is reading this on this blog, write to STM in comments and I shall send you the petition. For Maltese citizens...

Happy Thanksgiving


God bless you all today. STM

Go Michael Voris! --This Is Horrible



Surrounded by Evil, which is a person. Heresy is coming out in the open. Some priests will go to hell for contradicting infallible documents. This video is one reason I am still blogging.

A Secret of The Poor

Jesus was poor and so were Mary and Joseph. It is laughable when liberal priests speak of them as being middle-class. There was no middle class in the First Century anywhere. The middle class was a result the social and financial changes during the Renaissance.

The fact that the Holy Family lived in poverty can be overlooked by many in the West who have never experienced poverty or penury.

God has allowed me in His Infinite Goodness and Wisdom to be poor, very poor. Being poor is like being on a camping trip which never ends. One has a sense of the transitory and the basics of life all the time. Poverty of spirit is being detached but also not being comfortable. To be poor is to live in a state of uncomfortableness.

This state reminds one that one is not made for this world, that one on pilgrimage constantly.

I own nothing, but a few books here, and in storage, some writings of mine here, and of my ancestors, in storage, some photos in storage, and, here, a few clothes and a laptop. I have a few icons and paintings in storage, and a few icons with me, plus my two rosaries, (one of the Sorrowful Mother), a cross I wear, a scapular I wear, and a few medals laying about the flat. That is it. 

I do not mind simplicity. I do mind inconvenience and lack of basic necessities, but I am trying not to mind. I am getting more and more use to not living a middle class lifestyle.


I have learned another secret of the poor besides being hungry and thirsty, being cold, being hot, being isolated, being judged as a lesser, dumber, less worthy person than others, being tired when on the bus, being ill without having the means to do anything about it, having to walk rather than drive all the time, not having good shoes or decent boots.

I asked Mary today in prayer whether she ever experienced this new thing I have had to face daily for a month. Basically, I have to decide between wearing dirty clothes, mildew clothes, or damp clothes.

Here is why. In this flat there is no washing machine or dryer. I wash all my clothes out by hand, which I did in the convent in Cobh. Ireland is damp, but the convent had places to hang out clothes to dry. With lots of rain, storms and humidity on a clear day of 89% here in Malta, my clothes simply do not dry. When I rented here in Malta before, there were washing machines in the flats which wrung out the clothes so that they dried in two days or less in the little patios out back.  I am no longer strong enough to wring all the water out of clothes by hand very well. I do not have my own patio.

When I lived in England, we had a washer-dryer, but some things had to be put in the airing cupboards. No such thing here. And, there is no central heating and no "fire" as at some of my friends' homes in England. I have an electric heater which would be highly expensive to run. My flat is now cold and damp. I have things hanging everywhere in this small studio flat.


Clothes do not dry in damp air.

Sometimes I try to iron things dry. I have even tried my hair dryer on some tights. That did not work. Some clothes have gone "pongy" and I am forced to wash them again. Sometimes, I have to wear things when these are very damp. Several times,  I have had to wear pongy clothes. Some people on the bus smell bad. They have dirty clothes. I do not judge them. I could be one of them. So, I wear damp clothes which are clean.

People like to romanticize about the Holy Family. In the First Century, there were no washers, no dryers. Deodorant did not exist and soaps were rare. The Babylonians invented soap about 2,800 B.C., but many peoples used oils to clean and scrap off dirt. Most people wore clothes more than once. In the Renaissance, when the New World was discovered, people bought oranges imported to Europe, and carried them around to hold up to their noses in order to combat bad smells. Perfumes were used to disguise bad smells. Perfumed handkerchiefs were held up to the nose as well.

Most ancient cultures had soap. I am sure Mary had soap, but it could have been expensive. She most certainly had to put her clothes outside to dry. She most certainly did not have enough clothes for a week, as I do not. She most certainly washed clothes frequently, and water was a chore to get.  She had to walk to the well more than once day, most likely. At least I have water for washing in the flat. I have to buy drinking water. All Maltese either buy water or have special systems in their homes for filtering.

The water here is mostly from rain water. One cannot drink the tap water. Buying water is a necessity. Think of Mary walking maybe as far as six blocks or a mile twice daily to get water. Imagine her doing laundry for hours, not minutes as I was use to doing.


I remember when I was a teacher in Bristol that the women would still lay there laundry out on one of the highest hills in the city. This was an old custom allowed by the city. One could see quilts and sheets laid out on the grass in the distance. I have no hills, no grass. There is a courtyard, but I share it with others, and it is now too damp and rainy to put things out.

Mary most likely washed things out daily, and put them on her roof, as people still do here in Malta. One sees lines with laundry everywhere, when the sun is shining, when the air is dry.

An old woman at Mass yesterday complained to me that she could not get her clothes to dry. I sympathized. Still, she has a washing machine and a small garden. She said this was a damp year.

Yesterday, when the storms came rolling in from the west, I was out walking. Many people were drenched as the rain came down for hours.


I got very wet and very cold. Sometimes the rain comes from the west, sometimes from the north, sometimes from the east. The western winds bring dirty rain, with sand in it, and when the air is damp and the thunderstorms come off the Mediterranean or Africa, one lives in dampness.

Our Blessed Mother worked much harder at keeping her family clothing clean than most of us today. But, I have been given a few insights into the secrets of the poor. She suffered things most of us cannot imagine. She must have had sore hands and a sore back from doing laundry by hand. I know. She spent much more time doing basic chores than most westerners. I know.

I saw a laundry truck today which had a logo on it plus a little saying something like, "Because your time is precious". To pay for a laundry service is highly expensive. I live too far to carry things to a laundromat and I only know of that one. I could not carry things two miles away or so. And, it is expensive as well.

So, when I have to go out with damp clothes, I pray to Mary for strength and peace, even joy.

Such is one of the secrets of the poor. I think of St. Therese being splashed with dirty water by the nun next to her in the laundry room. I was splashed yesterday on the pavement. The water was brown with dirt. One carries on with wet legs and wet feet. One prays for those who cannot walk or get to Mass.

By the way, when I was in America, one of my hobbies was making soap. I loved doing this. The last time I made soap was in 2010. Seems a long time ago now. I would make lots of different designer soaps and give many away for presents. I made soap with real lavender, beeswax, annatto seeds various other herbs, and oatmeal. I also used essential oils, such as bergamot or lemon. We had colored bars and various shapes of soap in the house. No more middle-class luxuries now....




 http://supertradmum-etheldredasplace.blogspot.com/2012/04/one-thing-i-cannot-do-in-europe-is-hang.html