Good nuns and teachers....

Five Marin Catholic High School teachers, religious sisters with the Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist, left school April 17 once it was confirmed that the homosexual activist group Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network’s (GLSEN) Day of Silence was being pushed past the school’s administration and onto Marin Catholic students.

https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/nuns-walk-out-of-san-francisco-catholic-school-as-students-push-gay-activis

Not to overlook another martyr-saint today

St. Adalbert--Vojtech in Czech 

Born 939 of a noble Bohemian family; died 997. He assumed the name of the Archbishop Adalbert (his name had been Wojtech [Polish]), under whom he studied at Magdeburg. He became Bishop of Prague, whence he was obliged to flee on account of the enmity he had aroused by his efforts to reform the clergy of his diocese. He betook himself to Rome, and when released by Pope John XV from his episcopal obligations, withdrew to a monastery and occupied himself in the most humble duties of the house. Recalled by his people, who received him with great demonstrations of joy, he was nevertheless expelled a second time and returned to Rome. The people of Hungary were just then turning towards Christianity. Adalbert went among them as a missionary, and probably baptized King Geysa and his family, and King Stephen. He afterwards evangelized the Poles, and was made Archbishop of Gnesen. But he again relinquished his see, and set out to preach to the idolatrous inhabitants of what is now the Kingdom of Prussia. Success attended his efforts at first, but his imperious manner in commanding them to abandon paganism irritated them, and at the instigation of one of the pagan priests he was killed. This was in the year 997. His feast is celebrated 23 April, and he is called the Apostle of Prussia. Boleslas I, Prince of Poland, is said to have ransomed his body for an equivalent weight of gold. He is thought to be the author of the war-song, "Boga-Rodzica", which the Poles used to sing when going to battle. http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01127c.htm

and from None today, hope...

Colossians 1:12-14

12 Giving thanks to God the Father, who hath made us worthy to be partakers of the lot of the saints in light: 13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of the Son of his love, 14 In whom we have redemption through his blood, the remission of sins

The Four Angels of the Euphrates

This week, the words from the last book of the Bible seem more real than in recent times past.

The word "sorceries" in this translation is "witchcraft" in some others.

The basic demon behind Masonry is witchcraft, and there are many popular forms of witchcraft in the world today--many. Do not pretend that people are making bad, evil choices against God daily.

Call people in your families to repentance now. The time is short. The angels described are avenging angels.  In Europe, such as in France, there are stained glass windows of the Four Angels of the Euphrates. Look closely at the wording of this passage from today's Divine Office. Look closely. The angels are unbound, loosened by the Heavenly Angels to accomplish God's wrath against evil.

Pray, become perfect, be obedient to the rules and laws of Holy Mother Church, turn to Mary, Our Mother. Instruct the ignorant and do penance for those who seem hard-hearted. Pray for the grace of final perseverance. Pray for me that I can live in a place where I can get to daily Mass.

Pray for our good priests and seminarians, who will face those who hate Christ and His Church.

Revelation 9:13-21Douay-Rheims 

13 And the sixth angel sounded the trumpet: and I heard a voice from the four horns of the great altar, which is before the eyes of God,

14 Saying to the sixth angel, who had the trumpet: Loose the four angels, who are bound in the great river Euphrates.

15 And the four angels were loosed, who were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year: for to kill the third part of men.

16 And the number of the army of horsemen was twenty thousand times ten thousand. And I heard the number of them.

17 And thus I saw the horses in the vision: and they that sat on them, had breastplates of fire and of hyacinth and of brimstone, and the heads of the horses were as the heads of lions: and from their mouths proceeded fire, and smoke, and brimstone.

18 And by these three plagues was slain the third part of men, by the fire and by the smoke and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths.

19 For the power of the horses is in their mouths, and in their tails. For, their tails are like to serpents, and have heads: and with them they hurt.

20 And the rest of the men, who were not slain by these plagues, did not do penance from the works of their hands, that they should not adore devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and wood, which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk:

21 Neither did they penance from their murders, nor from their sorceries, nor from their fornication, nor from their thefts.

The truth....

IBRAHIM: The long and the short of it is, if nothing is done, if nothing changes, there will no longer be any Christians in the entire Middle East, even though they are the most indigenous inhabitants of the region, predating Islam and Muslims by many centuries. Worse, Christians will not simply “disappear” or just “leave.” Many of them — and there are still millions in the region, especially Egypt — will face the fate that the Copts and Ethiopians faced: Choose Islam or death; and many will die, in holocaust fashion.

http://www.raymondibrahim.com/muslim-persecution-of-christians/for-a-possible-preview-of-their-future-western-christians-should-consider-the-mideast/

and an important victory for free speech, again

http://www.americanfreedomlawcenter.org/press-release/federal-court-mta-must-run-hamas-killing-jews-ad/

David Yerushalmi, AFLC Co-Founder and Senior Counsel, commented,

“Judge Koeltl’s well-written and considered opinion sends a loud and clear message to Islamic terrorists around the globe as well as to those government bureaucrats who believe that Sharia’s blasphemy laws are an exception to the First Amendment.  And that message is this: America’s liberties will not give way to Islamic terror threats nor to government bureaucrats who are quick to cast aside our liberties for fear of offending Muslims.”

Notes on Mortification Again

Not a popular subject, but one I need to share before the persecution begins in earnest. Rodriguez is brilliant on this subject, being a spiritual director for Jesuits. I would like to make a few bullet points from his second volume of The Practice of Christian and Religious Perfection.

And, please note, that mortification is for all of us, not just nuns and priests. For many of us, it just comes into our lives without asking and this is a great grace. See this post...http://supertradmum-etheldredasplace.blogspot.com/2015/04/consolation-in-desolation.html

• Those who do not feel any interior war or struggle are in trouble. It means they have given up following the road to holiness. Rodriguez writes that this means the person is only following his own will, and giving in to sensual desires. 
• People in the world accept suffering in order to get ahead, make money, be comfortable; so, too the suffering of those seeking perfection through mortification is to gain eternal life.
• Those who have certain temperaments (see my previous posts on this) cannot use their temperaments as excuses for avoiding mortifications. However, some people who are more docile may not need as strict penances as those who have strong wills and strong characters.
• St. Ephraim writes that war for the soldier lasts a certain time, but the war of the soul lasts until one dies. St. Teresa of Avila notes this as well.
• The angel given to us at birth guides us like a governess guides children to obey and form character. Listen to this guardian angel daily.
• Sometimes one must tell the devil that a problem is his, a temptation and sin is his, not one's own. One can address the individual devil who follows us around and tell him that these belong to him, not the one under attack. 
• One must absolutely turn away from evil thoughts, fantasies, imaginations in order to combat sin and this is part of interior mortification. Interior mortification strengthens the will for choosing God's ways.
• One may think of the Passion and Death of Christ as part of turning away from sin and accepting mortification interiorly. Patiently accepting suffering and not complaining are part of interior mortification.
• Thinking on one's sins is also dangerous. Once forgiven, forget these. If not forgiven, go to confession asap. The devil can bring a person back into sin through the dwelling on sins. Those who live in the present moment are less likely to be attacked interiorly.
• Fear binds up the interior life and weakens the will. Fear creates problems in the imagination,leading to distractions and more sin. Fear must be combated by mortifications and the acceptance of suffering.
• We must not make decisions in times of great spiritual temptations and turmoil. God speaks to us in peace and tranquility, not in torment. Rodriguez notes that it is very dangerous to follow ideas and "lights" which come to us in times of great spiritual struggle. Stay quiet and focused, 

more later...

News Bites-King and Khans

Creation of a king....

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2015/04/22/obama-executive-actions-increasing/25828391/

and the creations of Khans?

http://www.nature.com/news/chinese-scientists-genetically-modify-human-embryos-1.17378

St. Philip's Spiritual Children

Today's Mass reading reminds us that the Christians in Ethiopia date back to apostolic times. These Christians have seen horrible persecution in our times. Pray for these spiritual sons and daughters of St. Philip.


Acts 8:26-40

26 But an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Rise and go toward the south[a] to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” This is a desert road. 27 And he rose and went. And behold, an Ethiopian, a eunuch, a minister of the Candace the queen of the Ethiopians, in charge of all her treasure, had come to Jerusalem to worship 28 and was returning; seated in his chariot, he was reading the prophet Isaiah. 29 And the Spirit said to Philip, “Go up and join this chariot.” 30 So Philip ran to him, and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet, and asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?” 31 And he said, “How can I, unless some one guides me?” And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. 32 Now the passage of the scripture which he was reading was this:

“As a sheep led to the slaughter
or a lamb before its shearer is dumb,
so he opens not his mouth.
33 In his humiliation justice was denied him.
Who can describe his generation?
For his life is taken up from the earth.”

34 And the eunuch said to Philip, “About whom, pray, does the prophet say this, about himself or about some one else?” 35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning with this scripture he told him the good news of Jesus. 36 And as they went along the road they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “See, here is water! What is to prevent my being baptized?”[b] 38 And he commanded the chariot to stop, and they both went down into the water, Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him. 39 And when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught up Philip; and the eunuch saw him no more, and went on his way rejoicing. 40 But Philip was found at Azotus, and passing on he preached the gospel to all the towns till he came to Caesarea.

St. George's Day, 2015

Thinking that England needs prayers more than praise, here, for St. George's Day let us pray for that once great brave, and long ago, Catholic nation.

Prayer to the Blessed Virgin Mary for England

O blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God and our most gentle Queen and Mother, look down in mercy upon England thy "Dowry" and upon us all who greatly hope and trust in thee. By thee it was that Jesus our Saviour and our hope was given unto the world; and He has given thee to us that we might hope still more. Plead for us thy children, whom thou didst receive and accept at the foot of the Cross, O sorrowful Mother. Intercede for our separated brethren, that with us in the one true fold they may be united to the supreme Shepherd, the Vicar of thy Son. Pray for us all, dear Mother, that by faith fruitful in good works we may all deserve to see and praise God, together with thee, in our heavenly home. 

Amen.