New Supertradmum Poll

New Poll on education of readers at right--I am trying to work with subjects and language.

The John Paul II Foundation for Sport in England

I grew up surrounded by sport. As kids, we went to a local gym and did all kinds of interesting and fun things. I remember that I loved climbing up this huge rope to the top of the ceiling of the gym. Hard work.

We had sport in school as well as PE, Physical Education classes. My brothers were in baseball, and I played tennis. We all had to go to swimming lessons. Two of us ran, one was in wrestling. We learned from our dad to fish, to shoot, and do archery. I was fortunate growing up in the Midwest and having fun.

Many children today do not have access to sport. I know this is hard to believe, but in London, the Catholic Church saw this need and decided to organize a sport's charity. This is an excellent idea and I support it 100%. Msgr. Vladimir Felzmann is the Chaplain for Sport. He told me that the ideals of this charity are to support sport in Catholic schools, in parishes, after school and with clubs.

The Foundation's goals are to create an awareness that all children, (and may I add, especially boys) need a communal connection to the Church through sport. This may keep them out of gangs; creating groups which provide communal security, by giving youth a place to recreate and form friendships in the Faith.

The goals are thus: to get access to facilities, especially during the summer break, on weekends and in evenings to allow sports activities.


Two, to make all realize that each parish community could have sport's clubs to develop virtues and skills, as well as friendships.


Three, to improve standards of sport (see the website link for more on this)


Four, to emphasize the spiritual values of sport.


Five, the provide summer sports camps, which Americans take for granted, helping boarding schools run camps for other children.


Six, "to enable people to thrive physically, morally and spiritual through sport" and to encourage them by awards. Some of these awards are:

David Sheppard Award for Anti-Racism through Sport

Basil Hume Award for Rugby

Sister Julie Billiart Award for Girls’ Disability Sport

Amy Williams Award for Winter Sports

Muhammad Ali Award for Health & Well-Being through Sport

Jerzy Kluger Award for Jewish-Christian Relations through Sport

Joe Calzhage Award for Outstanding Club Service

Jimmy Mizen Award for Special Initiatives Bringing Communities and People Together

Here is a great photo of Msgr. showing what he can do!

This is an exciting venture. Please support this. Here are the crucial links for more information and how to donate. http://www.johnpaul2foundation4sport.org/

Olympic Pastors and St. Sebastian

Recently, the Monsignor who is the Chief Executor of the John Paul II Foundation for Sport, a registered charity, and who is also the Chaplain for Sport in the Archdiocese of Westminster, gave me some information on both the Olympics and the sports charity.

Msgr. Vladimir Felzmann, a fascinating priest with an interesting history, told me that he is one of the "roving" chaplains for the Olympics. Roving chaplains are not new, as I was involved in peripatetic ministry and outreach to students in the 1980s in London. The Anglicans came up with idea first, realizing that if the people were not coming to church, the ministers had to reach out to the people and be where they are.

There are 190 chaplains of several denominations involved in the Olympics, and Msgr. Felzmann will be working in Central London, with some Anglican ministers. Walking around the parks, streets and being present in the many activities which surround the Olympics, these missionaries will be "there" for the millions of visitors. There is, of course, an inter-denominational team of pastors involved in the Olympic Village, but the outreach may be much more effective.

Please pray for Msgr Felzmann and his confreres. Christ did send his disciples out into the world, and as the world in coming to London this week, Christ is sending disciples out again.

I shall have a separate post on the John Paul II Foundation for Sport, a very worthy cause.

By the way, St. Sebastian is the patron saint of sport, because, as a Roman Centurion, he must have been in top physical condition. May he intercede for all the priests involved in the Olympic ministries.

Olympic disgust five--are the games supposed to unite nations?

Sad days for London

By JOSHUA DAVIDOVICH and AP

Olympic organizing head Jacques Rogge insisted again Saturday that there would be no minute of silence for the Israeli victims of the 1972 Munich massacre, but said he would lead an official delegation to the German city to mark the tragedy.

Pressure on Rogge to include a moment of remembrance has ramped up in recent months as the opening of the London Olympics nears.

Last week US President Barack Obama joined a battery of other world leaders saying they supported a moment of silence for the 11 slain Israeli athletes at the upcoming London Games, which will mark the 40th anniversary of the attack by Palestinian terrorists.

Rogge, who heads the International Olympic Committee, continued to rebuff the calls, but said a September 5 memorial on a Munich airfield would pay a “very strong homage and remembrance” to the victims.

Munich’s Furstenfeldbruck airbase was the site of a botched raid by German commandos during the 1972 games that ended with nine Israeli athletes being killed by their kidnappers. Two other members of the team had been killed earlier.

Rogge said again that he did not believe the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games, slated for Friday, was the right venue for a moment of silence.

“The opening ceremony is an atmosphere that isn’t fit to remember such tragic events,” he told a news conference.

Rogge was asked whether he was swayed by Obama’s view.

“We also pay big attention to recommendations coming either from the political world, or cultural world, or world of enterprise,” Rogge said. “And we take then a decision taking into consideration (those recommendations). I will not say that we are necessarily following the advice, but we take it into consideration, yes.”

On Sunday morning, a memorial event will be held in east London attended by London Mayor Boris Johnson and Efraim Zinger, head of Israel’s Olympic committee.

Also last week, American broadcaster Bob Costas said he would “call out” the IOC for refusing the request while announcing the Israeli team’s arrival.

Israeli leaders have been joined by politicians in the US, Canada, Germany, Italy, Australia and elsewhere calling for a moment of silence.

On another issue related to Israel, Rogge said the IOC would investigate any athletes who pull out of competing against Israelis in London claiming they were injured. In the past, athletes from Iran have withdrawn from Olympic events that included Israelis without facing sanctions.

“If an athlete is genuinely injured or ill, then of course it is understandable,” Rogge said. “But we will examine every case very thoroughly and we will examine every case with an independent medical team. If the medical team does not ratify the decision of the first doctor, then the athlete will be punished.”

Rogge said the IOC has reminded all national Olympic committees, not just Arab bodies, that refusing to compete against another competitor is “totally forbidden by the Olympic Charter.”

St. Ann, pray for us

Novena to St. Ann Reminder

These prayers are from the EWTN site. The novena prayers, which started on July 17th, may be found on the blue links. For my friends who are devoted to St. Ann. She is one of the many patrons of this blog and one of my names. Her feast day is July 26th. DAILY PRAYER TO SAINT ANN O glorious St. Ann, you are filled with compassion for those who invoke you and with love for those who suffer! Heavily burdened with the weight of my troubles, I cast myself at your feet and humbly beg of you to take the present intention which I recommend to you in your special care. Please recommend it to your daughter, the Blessed Virgin Mary, and place it before the throne of Jesus, so that He may bring it to a happy issue. Continue to intercede for me until my request is granted. But, above all, obtain for me the grace one day to see my God face to face, and with you and Mary and all the saints to praise and bless Him for all eternity. Amen. Our Father, . . . Hail Mary . . . O Jesus, Holy Mary, St. Ann, help me now and at the hour of my death. Good St. Ann, intercede for me. First Day Second Day Third Day Fourth Day Fifth Day Sixth Day Seventh Day Eighth Day Ninth Day

Predominant Fault Three-perfection series

Promptness of will and intolerance of our faults are part of the battle against our predominant faults. This is a battle from which we cannot escape if we want to be holy.

Our wills must respond to God like a damsel fly in the air, turning directions quickly and deftly. Promptness of will means two things. That we are listening and in sanctifying grace. Garrigou-Lagrange writes, referring to a quotation from Blessed Nicholas of  Flue--"Lord, take from me everything that hinders me form going to Thee. give me all that will lead me to Thee. Take me from myself and give me to Thyself."


The great Dominican states that such a prayer leads us to self-examination. I actually write down sins, and look for patterns. A pattern of sin shows the hidden deep sin. A good confessor can help one on this point.

Garrigou-Lagrange reminds us that St. Ignatius of Loyola kept journals and instructed his followers to do so. Journals which include the Examen are great.

Along with the above, the holy Dominican notes that when we realize sin, we must impose a sanction or penance on ourselves EVERY time we perceive that sin.

It can be a moment of silence or a prayer. I try to do the opposite. If I have been selfish in conversation, I try and be quiet and listen. If I am impatience, I try to be patient. A virtue counteracts a vice. The positive slowly overcomes the negative.

A warning: do not surround yourself with negative people. If you can be a cheerleader, fine, but negativity is not from God and indicates a serious interior need for healing and repentance.  To be continued...

A note on private revelations AGAIN

It is our responsibility as laity to follow the teachings of the Church, including the CDF's guidelines, comments, warnings, and condemnations of certain private revelations. I am concerned, very, about good Catholics taking time to run after seers instead of paying attention to the reasons from the Vatican as to why they are not approved.

Doctrinal errors are a litmus test. Obedience to Rome is a litmus test. Either one is obedient or not.

Recently, a person have explained to me that bishops and at least one cardinal have attended or visited a certain seer. Of course, this is one hearsay. I told her that I did not care as I go by what the CDF has stated. That one bishop or even cardinal in the world or even two are disobedient to Rome would not be a new situation.

The problem is that the laity do not know the Faith. The vast majority of people who follow seers have never read the CCC or gone to the Vatican website, or read blogs, such as this one, which clarify certain situations by referring to Rome.

Either one wants to be obedient or not. I would not give away my precious soul to any seer. I wait until Rome approves before even reading prayers or documents on visions. If I cannot be obedient in little things, I cannot be obedient in big things. Would you go to hell for disobedience because a bishop or cardinal visited a seer which has been condemned or warned against by the CDF? Not me. And we do not need private revelations, as what has been given through the Bible and Tradition can keep a Catholic busy reading and meditating for the rest of her life.

Read, pray, act. Love the Church. The Church is our safety net. It is our duty to follow the Teaching Magisterium of the Church and NOT trust our own judgment.

God will not protect you, if you are disobedient. He will let you go your own way until you are open to His Plan, which is salvation through the Catholic Church.

Perfection Series: Our Predominant Fault Two

Newark Cathedral in England has some amazing stained glass. The Seven Deadly Sins plus one, show that the Medievals were being taught what we moderns have forgotten--that sin binds us to Satan and death.

Garrigou-Lagrange states that "it is of primary importance that we recognize our predominant fault and have no illusions about it. This is is so much the more necessary as our adversary, the enemy of our soul, knows it quite well and makes use of it to stir up trouble in and about us. In the citadel of our interior life, which is defended by the different virtues, the predominant fault is the weak spot, undefended by the theological and moral virtues." On this picture, Envy and Pride are depicted. Most of the characters have chains.


Many times we forget who is out to claim us for hell.

Lust and Sloth (who has beads) point to the need for deep, persistent prayer, as do all the other Deadly Sins. Garrigou-Lagrange writes that we must ask God, seek Him, for enlightenment as to one's predominant fault. We must ask him to remove the fault, help us to cooperate with Him is purification. We must be serious about our personal daily examinations of conscience.

What is really tricky is that the fault may seem like a virtue.

He gives us these questions to ask ourselves: "Toward what do my most ordinary preoccupations tend, in the morning when I awake, or when I am alone? Where do my thoughts and desires go spontaneously?"

For the sake of our souls, we must be brutally honest with ourselves.

Here is a great question from the Dominican: "What is generally the cause or source of my sadness and joy? What is the general motive of my action, the ordinary origin of my sins...a succession of sins or a state of resistance to grace, notably when this resistance persists for several days and leads me to omit my exercises of piety?" On the right, we see Violence and Gluttony. I would think that Gluttony is one of the most prevalent of the Deadly Sins in the West. That Violence is obvious in certain countries indicates certain people have this fundamental, predominant sin.

If we deny something which someone else points out, it is probably our dominant fault fighting to remain hidden to our consciousness. We need grace. We need God.

Satan watches us. He hears us speak. He knows our predominant fault and uses temptations to lead us to yet another sin. And, here is the big point, quoting St. John 8:34, made by Garrigou-Lagrange.

"Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin."

Also, quoting Thomas Aquinas, the author states "Every man judges of what is good according to his good or evil interior dispositions."


The good priest gives us the example of how the predominant fault becomes our greatest virtue. He shows the text revealing the anger and vengeance of St. John, who later in life, wrote the most beautiful passages on love. The "son of anger" became the poet and apostle of love. Wrath and Avarice on the right from Newark show contorted souls. Notice again the chains.

We have much work to do. Let us pray for good spiritual directors, holy wives and husbands, excellent companions in monasteries and convents, and holy friends to point out our worst flaw and to work on the remedy.

For the sake of our souls...to be continued.

Ross and Slander

Brian Ross on ABC slandered a perfectly innocent man, totally unconnected with the Denver tragedy. He is no longer a credible journalist and should be fired. Here is the report http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/abc-tea-party-apology/2012/07/20/id/446067?s=al&promo_code=F87E-1

Guest Blogger: JonathanCatholic on Men

I am very pleased to announce a guest blogger, JonathanCatholic, who will hopefully present us with yummy tidbits for Catholics hungry for the Truth on a regular basis. I asked him to join me, as a young, male perspective is helpful, of course, and because, even though he is a new Catholic (congratulations), he has excellent insights and writes well. We are in negotiations (lol) for him to blog on this post one day a week.

Welcome, JonathanCatholic


On Protectors and Predators

On this blog, Supertradmum has been very helpful informing all of you, her readers, of the three divisions of male psychological development: Protector, Predator, and Peter Pan. I truly believe this three-fold division that the path of male development can take reflects a profound truth about the male mind, and I see this truth both in my life and in the world around me. This concept can hardly be overstated! It is vital to both men and women, particularly youth, to understand these categories, as it is never too late or too early for men to begin submitting to the perfect will of God in their lives and living as authentic men, Protectors, who have Our Lord Jesus Christ, His wonderful foster father Saint Joseph, and Saint Peter to model themselves after. All three were Protectors, Our Lord being so preeminently. We as men need women to encourage us in this endeavor, as mothers, sisters, and most powerfully, wives, have an incredible affect on us, changing us, becoming a part of us and how we think, just as Our Lady is intimately united to Our Lord.

In light of this truth, Supertradmum has graciously allowed me to write on this subject on her blog. I have in mind a two-part series, focusing on the particular classes of Protector and Predator. I have one particular Protector who I have met in my life that I would like to share with you as a model of how it is possible to live as a Protector in the West even today. That is my second topic, however. In this post I want to make note of a profound fact regarding all classes of masculine psychology, particularly the Predator: Societies, depending on their orientation to the Truth who is God, and their alignment to His will, will influence the formation of men toward one class of psychology or another. Take Christendom for example. Classically, Christendom in the West has taught men the essence of what it means to be a Protector: Responsibility, Duty, Chivalry, Protection of the Weak, the Honor of Women, Self-Mastery, General Virtue, the Art of Controlling one’s Strength, and masculine Self-Sacrificial Love. All of these factors play into what makes up a Protector, and they were thick in the air of Christendom for almost seventeen-hundred years. This didn’t make every man a Protector, but it did influence the development of them, and the man who accepted the Truths inherent in Catholic society did, to his degree of acceptance of these graces, develop into a Protector. The West has come a long way in a bad direction over the last century, however, and has retreated from masculine Christian ideal to a sort of decaying rot that is stuck somewhere between the dying embers of a Christian civilization and an unvirtuous pagan one. The West is above all things weak and milquetoast in our day, fostering neither strength controlled by the will working toward Virtue as is the Christian ideal of a man, nor all-out cruelty and bloodshed as often occurred in the Roman Empire, but rather, promotes a limp, irresponsible child of a man. In short, Western Civilization produces Peter Pans today. It positively excels at this dismal mission.

Contrast the state of our society today and its past with the state of the Islamic culture that is spread out through various countries in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia. This is very important to take note of, as it may very well be a prophetic fact that will influence future events. Islamic society is a society that has not become weak and milquetoast in its outlook. Whereas Christendom in days of old influenced men toward the role of Protector, Islamic society has always influenced men toward the role of Predator. Islamic society, where it exists in its fullness, has lost none of its potency in fashioning men into hardened Predators who rule their women, their families, and their societies without the Gospel Ethic of peace, gentleness, and honor that tempers the steel edge of the Catholic man’s soul. Just as in Christendom, Islam’s ability to shape men traces ultimately back to religion, which has always been in human history the single most powerful influence on society. In the Qur’an, the sacred text of Islam, there is a strong emphasis on conquest, strength, subjugation, and power, without the restrain which Christ places upon these attitudes in the Gospels in Christian Ethics and the balance which emulating Him brings to men. The document, as well as the religion, is oriented toward aggression, and this is echoed in fundamentally Islamic cultures. The Islamic society still encourages the development of boys into Predators, and this is unfortunate, since the West fell away from the Catholic encouragement of boys to grow into the Protector role.

I pray that the West rediscovers this common sense regarding the formation of men, the critical role that religion plays, and the danger still posed by the strong society of Islam. It is vital that we rediscover our identity that we have always held in the past, of authentic Catholic manhood, which develops Protectors who lay down their lives for their wives, their families, their communities, and their Church, in small ways and in large ways. As Saint Irenaeus said so perfectly, “The Glory of God is revealed in man fully alive.” We need men who are fully alive, not laid waste by the malaise of a Peter Pan mentality, or trapped by the false attractiveness of the Predator attitude, but men who are willing to first master themselves, and then pour themselves out on the narrow road of Virtue. It is only in this self-mastery and total self-giving that men can be fully alive, and conduits of Our Lord’s Life, in His Passion and Resurrection.

Perfection Series Again-Pride

By popular request, I am starting up the Perfection Series again. These are not all tagged but if you put "perfection" in the search bar, most will come up.

I want to focus on a chapter from Fr. Reginald Garrigou-Lagrange The Three Ages of the Interior Life. In Chapter 22, the great Dominican writes of "The Predominant Fault".The holy priest lists most of the obvious sins, but I want to highlight one, but in a different manner.

We know that Pride is most likely the worst of all sins and the primal sin. Garrigou-Lagrange writes extensively on pride, but also explains the defects that come from pride. These are presumption, ambition, and vainglory.

"Presumption is the desire and in ordinate hope of doing what is above one's power. The presumptuous man believes himself capable of studying and solving the most difficult questions; he settle the most abstruse problems with rash haste". 

One of the characteristics of the presumptuous man is not to have a spiritual director. Another sign is the skipping of the long steps of perfection in one's mind and thinking that one is a holy mystic or on a higher level, instead of "building his interior life on humility, renunciation, fidelity to the duty of the present moment even in little thing..."

The author equates these tendencies with egoism, a very common sin. "He is full of self; a great void must be created in him in order that his soul may some day be filled with God and able to give Him to others."

Garrigou-Lagrange paints a picture of humans in 2012. Presumption leads to ambition. The desire to dominate and want power over others follows. Ambition opens to door, he explains, to intrigue and plotting.

Another result of pride is vainglory. The priest notes that boasting, hypocrisy, disobedience, stubbornness, contention, and defensiveness reveal this aspect of pride.

He goes on to write that "pride is the great enemy of perfection because it is the source of numerous sins and deprives us of many graces and merits." 

Pride leads to hell.

But, the great Dominican does not leave us here, but gives us remedies.

First, one must meditate on the fact that "of ourselves we are not, that we have been created out of nothing by the gratuitous love of God, who continues freely to preserve us in existence; otherwise we would return to nothingness." 

If we do have grace, he continues, it is only because Christ redeemed us through His Passion and Cross.

To be continued.....

Thoughts for an early Saturday Morning on the Disappearance of Dioceses

Now, I realize that most people do not want to think on the weekend. However, I have the backing, let us say, of Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger's God and the World. In the section on the Church, the Pope, then Cardinal, states that although the Holy spirit ensures that the Church will remain until the end of time, She, Our Holy Mother Church, may not be everywhere. Let us look at the passage:

There is not doubt that the Church gets tired. The Church can even become tired throughout an entire cultural area and even come to ruin there. The Apocalypse warns,, in the letters to the seven churches, which point to an example for the future: Watch out, or I shall take the lamps away. It is in fact the case that not only the flourishing Church in Asia, which was once the vibrant heart of the Church, but also the Church in North Africa vanished entirely beneath the tempests of Islam. Of course, the force applied by the conquerors, the repression of whole classes of society, played their part here; we don't want to make an oversimplified complaint against a tired Church. But still, this can happen.


The promise of Christ--"Behold, I am with you always, until the end of the world"--does not mean, in addition, that each and every diocese has the assurance that it will endure forever. It does mean, on the other hand, that the Church will be, until the return of the Lord, His special sphere of action, His organism, His Body, and His vine. 


Now, I can think of dioceses which could disappear, not from conquest from without, but conquest from within. One only has to think of those dioceses with the liberal bishops who do not stop disobedient Catholic politicians from receiving Communion, or bishops who allow priests to be involved in "gay Masses", or dioceses where the vast majority of the women contracept.


God is Just and Merciful.

On Newman, the Oratorians and Maryvale

thanks to Wiki

In June, I mentioned my trip to Maryvale, the foundation of the Oratory. Some laypersons have asked me recently to explain a bit about the Oratory and the Oratorians. That this congregation began at Maryvale was new to me, as one thinks of the Birmingham Oratory or the Brompton Oratory (which was my parish a long time ago) as the Crown Jewels of the congregation. Someone has rightly pointed out to me that the Oratorians do not take vows to the community and therefore are not an order, but a congregation.

Maryvale holds many secrets, such as the little chapel I noted in the post linked above. But, the fact that the Maryvale Institute, which has a Pontifical Bachelor's Degree in Philosophy, is such a small jewel does not mean it should be overlooked by Newman pilgrims.

Maryvale, named after St. Philip Neri's church, St. Mary's in Vallicella, which I have also visited, feels more like the scholar than the two great Oratories. It was the site of the first seminary after the Catholic Restoration and as such, the first site of Oscott College. St Eugene of Mazenod visited here as one can read from this page.

(I have also been to Littlemore, but that is another post). Here is a very small paragraph from the Maryvale website found on this link:


The site of Maryvale has been in Catholic occupation since the Middle Ages. From 1794 to 1838 it was the home of Oscott College, the first Seminary (school preparing students for the priesthood) to open in England after the Reformation. In 1846 the college moved to the larger purpose-built premises at New Oscott. Newman and his community were granted the former Seminary as a house of retreat and study. 


Now, remembering that Newman was one of the founders of the Oxford Movement, one can understand that two of the heritage values of the Oratorians today are music and liturgical perfection. However, when one is standing in the main chapel at Maryvale, one senses the combination of Faith and Reason, the intense prayer life of Newman, and his dedication to personal holiness. The humility of the Blessed surrounds this small but lively place. As an Institute, one can feel the throbbing of Catholic intellectual activity which must and will spread again across Great Britain. That Newman was called to renew Great Britain through his own openness to sharing his conversion, as well as the intellectual feat of giving reasons for the Oxford Movement through the Tracts, is a call which must be answered today in this country. 


Heart speaking to heart is not only God's heart speaking to each one of us, but our hearts, individually, and as the heart of the Church corporately, reaching out to those without the knowledge or experience of Christ, Who Is Love.

I suggest a visit to Maryvale. Catholics in England have a great secret in this place: the revival of Catholic learning. By the way, because I am an American, I can state that like all Catholic institutions, Maryvale could use the financial support of Catholics. We are all called to support Catholic education and this institution is a worthy cause.

You are in the Army now...

Several months ago, I wrote a series on quietism, applying the heresy to the attitudes of many Christians who refuse to fight the fight of Faith.

Too often, no matter where I go, I hear Catholics stating that "there is nothing I can do", or "the problems are too big" or "I am apolitical" or "God will miraculously sort things out."

No to all the above...we are the Church Militant, as our dear Pope reminded us not too long ago. God has commissioned us with a duty. We have our papers. It is our responsibility to fit into the battle plan.

Now, some of the Gen X and Millennials have been brainwashed into thinking all fighting is bad. Tell that to St. Michael the Archangel. There are many ways to fight. Writing, teaching, raising Catholic thinkers through home schooling, consecrating yourself to God in celibacy, prayer and fasting, being excellent business men, honorable and respectful, being good citizens by obeying just laws. This list is endless.

I was shocked, silly me, by an article in a British newspaper on the immorality of the athletes coming here for the Olympics. I shall not give unnecessary details, but the ideal athlete who is moral and a good example for children seems to be an anomaly. That our society worships athletes who are not worthy of such idolatry creates an atmosphere of neo-paganism. Why are the Catholics silent about the Olympic charade of virtue in sport bringing nations together? One other blog and myself are ranting about this idolatry. The Catholic world has been horribly silent or supportive of this religion of sport.

The Church Militant cannot and must not tolerate evil. That, to me, is the biggest problem with the English culture-the overlooking of gross sin--even Catholics--the allowance of sin to proliferate.

Christ calls all of us into the Church Militant by our baptism. This is not some nice metaphor, but a daily reality. We cannot let down our guard for one moment.

He that is not with me, is against me: and he that gathereth not with me, scattereth. Matthew 12:30 Douay Rheims.

Are you part of the problem or are you part of the solution?

Have mercy on us, Oh Lord, have mercy

In light of what happened last night, I pass on an excellent article for parents, uncles, aunts...http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/celebritynews/2461820/Our-attitude-to-violence-is-beyond-a-joke-as-new-Batman-film-The-Dark-Knight-shows.html

Sin Leads to Insanity. God Created Us Rational.

As reported by LifeSiteNews online, Poland is one voice in the EU speaking against the new EU Council's (Council of Europe),decision to define gender as culture-defined. The brave Polish Bishops, the Presidium of the Polish Episcopal Conference and pro-life groups, have stated clearly that the agenda behind a document to protect women's rights pushes the lgtb life-style and undermines Catholic teaching on male and female as God-given identities. This last point reveals the distance between natural law philosophy, the ancient Revelation of the Bible, (Male and female He created them) and shows the breakdown of basic human definitions by this radicalized council. On can contact the Polish Government here to stop the passage of this document into law.


Many years ago, it was clear that among  the representatives to these councils were Marxists, who have supported the destruction of the nuclear family by undermining Church teaching on the sacredness of marriage and family. Now, after years of positioning, those who have wanted to support openly feminist agendas as well as those of the lgtb groups are in power to do so. 

Here is a snippet:The convention redefines gender as a social construct, rather than as a distinction grounded in biology, and suggests violence towards women is systemic with roots in religion and culture.

According to the “Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence” which was publicized in April, 2011, gender “shall mean the socially constructed roles, behaviors, activities and attributes that a given society considers appropriate for women and men.”

This new “social construct” definition is at odds with the definition in the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court - which this new convention cites.  The Rome Statute states that, “For the purposes of this Statute, it is understood that the term “gender” refers to the two sexes, male and female, within the context of society. The term ‘gender’ does not indicate any meaning different from the above.”

“The Polish Episcopal Conference supports the protection of women against violence, but does not agree with the ideological assumptions of the Council of Europe Convention,” the Polish bishops declared.

“It should be emphasized that the Convention, although it is devoted to the major issue of violence against women, is built on ideological and false assumptions that are in no way acceptable. It suggests that violence against women is systemic, and its source is religion, tradition and culture,” the bishops wrote, noting that Article 12 of the convention obliges signatories to “dismiss the achievements of civilization,” which are considered “as a threat and a source of violence.”

There are some who recognize the connection between communist ideology and the new world order of sexual and gender radical ideals. Note:

Joanna Najfeld, a Polish journalist and pro-life commentator, noted the complicity of the liberal mainstream media in Poland in promotion of the convention that she labelled “ridiculous beyond belief.”

“Nobody in this country, or in any other sane, democratic society, would agree to it if it was being introduced through democratic channels, like a popular vote or a referendum,” Najfeld told LifeSiteNews.

“The mainstream liberal media silence, downplay, or manipulate the subject totally, so it can be ratified quietly by those in power in Poland now, and soon used against the Polish nation. The European Union uses the back door to impose these absurd, and extremely dangerous ideas on us.”

“We are a traditional nation,” Najfeld declared. “Traditional, meaning sane, rational and conservative.”

Comparing the imposition on Poland of the Council of Europe’s gender ideology to Communist oppression, Najfeld said, “the liberal ‘elites’ use lies, coercion, and supranational powers to perform yet another - excuse my strong language - rape on our society. Communism oppressed us and now European institutions are a new oppressor.

LifeSiteNews gets better and better. Please support them. They are a voice for freedom in Europe as well as the States. Here is another good article.

On Thinking Like a Protestant Single

Many of the posts here on this blog have been on thinking like a Catholic and not like a Protestant. In the many, many responses I have read on the series on being single, I realized that some Catholics are not thinking like Catholics about vocations. Let me posit a few points.


One, the Scriptures give us not only real life stories of people but paradigms and analogies. Scripture also give us prophecies about Christ and Who He Is and what His Titles as God-Man, Second Person of the Blessed Trinity. Jesus Christ was and is the High Priest, the Priest of Priests. He is not "lay". Several commentators were confused on this subject. He is the Fulfillment of the Old Testament Priesthood and the First Priest of the New Covenant. All priests ordained in the Catholic Church are "other Christs". One can click on the link on the side or here for more explanation-Ordinatio Sacerdotalis.


Two, the Church has Tradition, which are the entire teachings, doctrines, and sacramental theology, for examples, as I cannot list all. which are based on Scripture but go beyond the Scriptures. We cannot read Scripture outside of Tradition. We believe as Catholics that the Holy Spirit inspires the Church regarding Faith and Morals, as well as the Nature of Christ, His Mother, the Liturgy or whatever. As Catholics, we value Tradition and Scripture as from God; that is revealed Truths given to the Church. Scripture, that is Revelation and Tradition are the two keystones of Truth in the Catholic Church.


Three, in describing or defining the traditional, "small t", vocations in the Church, the Teaching Magisterium, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, has given us clarity as to those calls in the Church. One cannot merely quote Scripture and say "so and so was this or that" without looking at the interpretation of the Church in these matters. We have 2,000 years of Tradition and to throw that away is to be a Protestant in one's thinking. We do not interpret Scripture outside the Church. Those are the heresies of "private interpretation of the Bible" and "Sola scriptura"--the basis of all Protestantism. What the Church teaches about vocations through-out is that we choose to follow a vocation, to follow the calls from God for our lives. We are just not "single" without choice. Therefore, referring only to Scripture is incorrect. See more of this train of thought below on Protestant ideals.


Four, Apostolic Succession means that the Apostles were priests. They were not lay people after Christ instituted the Holy Eucharist and Holy Orders as sacraments. Now, the Jews would have understood this, as they had priests, set aside from the rest of the community to serve in the liturgy of the Jewish Law. The Apostle themselves would have understood their priesthood. That some were married is not an issue. That they all were priests, then bishops, handing down the priesthood through Ordination to our own day is one of the great blessings and treasures of the Church. The Old Testament priesthood foreshadowed that of the New.


Five, the Church very early on saw that the Holy Spirit was calling men and women to consecrated celibacy. One is no longer "single" in the same sense as a lay single person who is not committed to anything, under this vow, which should be, but apparently is not, obvious.The first monks were hermits, that it solitaries, who took in young novices. Later, under St. Anthony, Abbot, we see the development of monasticism. St. Augustine started a community of celibate men. St. Benedict's inspired genius changed Europe. Women also were called as nuns.

Six, Our Blessed Virgin Mary is the Role Model and great patron of consecrated virgins. To deny her virginity and her complete commitment to the Trinity is heresy. Mary is all things and no one else is to be compared to her. She is Queen, Mother, Spouse of the Holy Spirit, Mother of God and virginal spouse of St, Joseph. Catholics understand her uniqueness in God's Plan of Salvation. She is the Theotokos. She alone is Mother, Spouse, and Child of God.


Seven, as Catholics we are called by God to grow in love and the life of the virtues. One never hears sermons on the virtues. Without living that virtuous life, one cannot see God. We cannot go to heaven without the virtues being established in our beings.  In a committed relationship, God perfects us in the virtues. One cannot do this alone, or very rarely. To live with others is to allow one's self to become holy. Thankfully, more traditional priests are speaking on this subject. I hope more do so for the sake of our souls and the souls of our societies. To think that we can reach our potential for holiness in superficial relationships, and not in choosing either marriage, Holy Orders, religious life, or that of the consecrated virgin is revealing a Protestant mind-set-that life is just  about "me and God". If one finds one's self alone, and this is a common problem, one must find out God's Plan for life, especially if one is older. The younger among you need to decide. 


May I add that those "religions", false ones, which do not value celibacy, have not the true teaching of the Catholic Church. Celibacy is a committed state and is not synonymous with being single and not being committed to any walk of life. Today, for example, if one is dating and looking for a mate, one is not dedicated to following a celibate life-style. 


One of the first things that Henry VIII did was to suppress the monasteries and convents, forcing thousands of monks, priests and nuns literally onto the roads and into dire poverty. He, of course, was in debt and needed property and goods to pay his friends, but he also hated the "sign of contradiction" in the world. So, too, other Protestant "reformers" taught against celibacy. All ministers were to be married and some ministers were distinctly seen as "lay brothers". Part of this rebellion was hatred of the hierarchical structure of the Church. Of course, a Protestant ideal would be to get rid of authority, which meant the priesthood, bishops, cardinals, the Pope. This is connected to point three above. The rebellion against the Church led to rebellion against vocations to celibacy.

I know some of this thinking has seeped into the consciousness of some Catholics. A permanent deacon is not a lay person. If he is not married, he cannot get married. If he is married and his wife dies, he cannot get married again. This is also true for the married priests coming in through the Ordinariate. The Byzantine Catholics do not allow a married man to be a bishop. This is all part of the Catholic Church's high evaluation of celibacy as a consecrated state. One can choose to be celibate on one's own, but the Church has always encourage spiritual direction for this and vows. And, as noted in the other blogs, there are Catholic ways to enter into communal life and be celibate. But again, it is a commitment, not merely a "being single in the world".

I do not have this book with me, but one of the best on the monastic life is Consider Your Call: Theology of the Monastic LIfe by Daniel Rees.  I read it many, many years ago and loved it. My copy fell apart I referred to it so often It is out of print but around used. I highly recommend unattached laypersons to read this and to consider your call.


If any of you missed these two posts on virgins and widows, here are two links.


http://supertradmum-etheldredasplace.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/on-order-of-widows.html

http://supertradmum-etheldredasplace.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/the-mystical-marriage-of-consecrated.html

Also, if you are one of those who claimed you could not find an appropriate spouse, read this: http://supertradmum-etheldredasplace.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/on-monasteries-convents-and-suitable.html

So much for national pride-the "me" generation hits the Olympics

Olympic disgust four. 

I do not understand this. What has happened to the national pride of the British? It is gone.

Several news agencies are reporting these stories, which are here taken from The Mail. Also, below, another  AP article highlights the border guards strike. The British used to take pride in being British. 

This is the entitlement me generation at their worst. No one in these unions seems to understand cooperation. Gramsci would be pleased, as he did not believe in nationhood. The great lies of socialism and communism seem to be at work here.

The great Olympic walkout: Now train drivers AND airport immigration staff announce strikes which will hit Games

• Aslef union will take industrial action over pensions on August 6, 7 and 8
• Thousands of staff at the Home Office, including airport immigration workers, will also stage a 24-hour strike the day before the opening of the Olympics
• Train company bosses are 'shocked and angry' strikes are being planned at time of 'great national pride' for country
• Aslef general secretary, Mick Whelan calls cutting pension contributions 'highly irresponsible'
• Transport Secretary Justine Greening: 'If there were an Olympic sport of self-interest, Aslef union leaders would win it hands down'
• Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt claims unions would be 'completely out of tune' with public mood if strike held during Games
• Labour leader Ed Miliband: 'People should not be striking during the Olympics. People should not be disrupting the Olympic Games'
• Members of RMT union on South West Trains reject strikes by narrow margin of four votes

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2175874/London-2012-Olympics-Train-drivers-stage-days-strikes-Games.html#ixzz216zeVxHB

Dead corn, dead faith

Oh my goodness, now we cannot pray for rain in the States and the Breadbasket is drying up daily.

The scenes of dead corn and wheat break one's heart. But, oh no, we cannot pray at the White House. I am from Iowa and so is Tom Vilsack. He was hardly the most religious politician to come out of the Hawkeye State, so if he thinks the situation needs prayer, well, that's OK with me.

We need more religion, more prayer, not less.

Look at this:


The Council for Secular Humanism is attacking the Obama administration for Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack saying he prays for rain to end the nationwide draught.

“I get on my knees every day,” Vilsack said at the White House press briefing on Wednesday. “And I’m saying an extra prayer now. If I had a rain prayer or a rain dance I could do, I would do it.”

In a statement, Tom Flynn, the executive director of the Council for Secular Humanism, said Vilsack's mention of prayer "sends the wrong message to distraught farmers."

“[Praying] for rain? That’s not just government entangling itself with religion, that’s government publicly practicing it, and wallowing in superstition,” he said.

The full release is below:

Agriculture Secretary Out of Line to Pray for Rain, Says Council for Secular Humanism

Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack told reporters at the White House that he is praying for rain to end the drought parching 61 percent of the United States. “I get on my knees every day,” he said on July 18. “And I’m saying an extra prayer now. If I had a rain prayer or a rain dance I could do, I would do it.”

“The Obama Administration has been criticized by secular humanists for backpedaling on then-candidate Obama’s campaign pledge to reverse Bush-era policies that provide federal funding to religious charities that discriminate in hiring,” said Tom Flynn, executive director of the Council for Secular Humanism and editor of its journal Free Inquiry. “But praying for rain? That’s not just government entangling itself with religion, that’s government publicly practicing it, and wallowing in superstition.”

This summer’s prolonged drought, the worst in a quarter-century, is devastating crops and parching livestock. It may bring sharply higher food prices later this year.

“It sends the wrong message to distraught farmers when the Agriculture Secretary suggests that the best response is to pray,” said Flynn. “For a Cabinet official to recommend prayer as a solution or call attention to his own devotions may violate the Constitution’s prohibition against establishment of religion. Most important, though, is that prayer doesn’t work. But if you want to test the power of prayer yourself, consider this. Apparently Secretary Vilsack’s been praying for rain every day; how’s that working out?”

Please read notices

Some good comments have been sent to me in the past week but are anonymous. Please find a name. For one thing, I cannot respond, as I am apt to do, to four anonymous names in one post.