St. Elizabeth Ann Seton

The Tomb of St. Elizabeth at the basilica in Emmitsburg, MD

From Vultus Christi:

Elizabeth Ann Seton was, more than anything else, a Eucharistic soul. She was converted by the Eucharist. Her first instructions in the Catholic faith emanated from the silence of the tabernacle. As she went forward, following the Lamb of God wheresoever it pleased Him to lead her, Eucharistic adoration marked her spiritual journey more and more until, in the final years of her life, she was often seen in ecstatic adoration of the Real Presence.

Paradoxically, it is this thoroughly American saint, who, by her devotion to the Mother of God, her attachment to the Mystery of the Eucharist, and her obedience to the Chair of Peter, offers the antidote to the errors of “Americanism,” condemned by Pope Leo XIII in 1899.

The underlying principle of these new opinions, declared the Pope, is that, in order to more easily attract those who differ from her, the Church should shape her teachings more in accord with the spirit of the age and relax some of her ancient severity and make some concessions to new opinions. Many think that these concessions should be made not only in regard to ways of living, but even in regard to doctrines which belong to the deposit of the faith. They contend that it would be opportune, in order to gain those who differ from us, to omit certain points of her teaching which are of lesser importance, and to tone down the meaning which the Church has always attached to them. It does not need many words, beloved son, to prove the falsity of these ideas if the nature and origin of the doctrine which the Church proposes are recalled to mind.

(Read more.)

Are You Ready For When the Lord Shall Come?

From Monsignor Pope:

There are different ways to watch and wait. There is the passive watching and waiting such as one might do when waiting for a bus to come, but there are other more active ways such as a waiter might exhibit as he hovers in the background anticipating the needs of the diners. It is this watchful and waiting spirit that the Lord has in mind here. If we have invited guests to our home, we prepare our house and make sure everything is in order as we await their arrival. In a less literal sense, to set our house in order is to sweep clean our soul of sin and all unrighteousness, by God’s grace, and to remove the clutter of worldliness. Regular confession and daily repentance sweep clean the house of our soul; simplifying our life and minimizing worldly attachments de-clutters the house of our soul. Have you prepared the house of your soul for the Lord’s arrival? If you haven’t, the Lord says that you may experience him as a thief; He is not really a thief, though, because everything belongs to Him. If we have not renounced our worldliness and greed, if we have not de-cluttered our lives worldly attachments, the Lord will come to take back what is His; He will seem a thief to us because we think it is ours. It’s never a good idea to call God, the Lord and owner of all, a thief! (Read more.)

The Third Secret: The Centenary of Fatima and the Sign of Jonah

From Unveiling the Apocalypse:

The radical turnaround from the North Korean Nuclear Missile Crisis, with President Trump's meeting with Kim Jong-un in June 2018, appears to indicate that some form of divine intercession has been at play during the centenary of Fatima. It would thus seem safe to attribute the remarkable nature of this climbdown to the intercession of the Blessed Virgin, since the prevention of nuclear war was clearly foretold in the Third Secret of Fatima. The fact that the feast of Michaelmas on the 29th September 2017 was highlighted by the 40-day countdown from the solar eclipse gives a further indication of the threat of judgement from the angel with the flaming sword. It is interesting to note that Michaelmas had overlapped the Jewish Day of Atonement on this particular year. A feast day which is also alluded to in the Third Secret of Fatima, with the two angels sprinkling the blood of the martyrs making their journey towards heaven. The theme of the sprinkling of blood alludes to the actions of the Jewish High Priest on the Day of Atonement/Yom Kippur, who sprinkled the blood of sacrifice on the Mercy Seat of the Ark of the Covenant for the forgiveness of the sins of Israel; and the Ark was itself adorned with the two cherubim represented in the Third Secret. We can only hope and pray that the Church will soon be restored as the "little while" given to Satan finally draws to a close. The appearance of the "sign of Jonah" is intimately connected with the binding and unbinding of the "strong man" of Matt 12, which according to St. Augustine of Hippo, occurs at the end of the Sabbath Millennium discussed by the Early Church Fathers. (Read more.)

A Very Great Silence

Anne of Austria doing penance with Mother Mectilde and the nuns

From Fr Mark:

Catherine–Mectilde de Bar (1614 –1698) lived in times no less troubled and troubling than our own. The life of the Church in her day was marked by worldliness; lust for power; shameful compromises with Mammon; scandals among the clergy and in cloisters; desecrations of the Most Blessed Sacrament; and not a little dabbling in the occult. At the same time, the Church was blossoming prodigiously; a true spiritual springtime followed the Council of Trent. Immense graces were in evidence everywhere: the reform of priestly life; zeal for missionary labours; the institution of good seminaries; the reform of ancient Orders; the foundation of new ones; and underlying it all, a wonderful application to prayer by people in every state of life.

Monasteries have always been listening posts. One might imagine that, given the monastic enclosure — a real and effective separation from the world — and the investment of so many hours of the day in divine worship, work, study, and solitary prayer, little of what generates controversy in the wider Church would impinge upon the silence of the cloister. Not so, not so. Clergy and layfolk alike learned centuries ago that monks are good listeners. Although we monks have neither television nor newspapers, although we have rigorous norms with regard to the use of the internet, and exercise discretion and prudence in such things as reading blogs and frequenting the hubs of the “Catholic” internet, we often find ourselves in the awkward position of being well informed! What then? We choose silence over discourse, prayer over debate, and praise and adoration over what the psalmist calls, “the contradiction of tongues” (Psalm 30:21). Still we “hear tell of wars, and rumours of war” (Matthew 24:6) even within the Church. What is our response? (Read more.)

Do it as you can and as God will permit you to do it.

Venimus, Vidimus, Deus Vicit!

From Roman Catholic Man:

By the grace of God, and the powerful intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, evil sees its power diminishing and, as a result, we are seeing a gigantic temper tantrum from every force of evil. While tens of thousands prayed the 54 Day Rosary Novena from August 15 (Feast of the Assumption) to October 7 (Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary), more and more evil was being revealed. On the eve of Day One (August 15) of the 54 Day Rosary Novena, the Pennsylvania Grand Jury report on Catholic Church sex abuse went public. Seven days later, on the Feast of the Queenship of Mary, Archbishop Vigano penned his explosive 11-page letter exposing cover-up of sexual abuse in the Church at the highest levels.

It was during the final 9-days of the 54 Day Rosary Novena that we were exposed to some of the worst of evils. Radical secular forces were willing to destroy a man’s life – Judge Kavanaugh – in order to preserve their great sacrament of baby killing. It was during this time that we all called upon St. Michael and his army of angels, by way of the very powerful Chaplet of St. Michael. As horrifically evil this attack was, truth and goodness won out.

On October 6, the First Saturday of the month, Vice President Pence made it official – Senate vote in favor of Judge Kavanaugh – at precisely 3:00pm CST. Also, this was “exactly” 24 hours, to the minute, before the Worldwide Rosary. This is monumental, as it is possibly the most conservative constitutional Supreme Court since 1934. This means that, for a generation to come, radical secular forces will not be able to abuse the Supreme Court to implement their evil anti-God agenda. (Read more.)

Pray Psalm 40 for the Kavanaugh Family

Please pray Psalm 40 (or Psalm 39 in the Vulgate) for the Kavanaugh family.

... [1] Unto the end, a psalm for David himself. ... [2] With expectation I have waited for the Lord, and he was attentive to me. ... [3] And he heard my prayers, and brought me out of the pit of misery and the mire of dregs. And he set my feet upon a rock, and directed my steps. ... [4] And he put a new canticle into my mouth, a song to our God. Many shall see, and shall fear: and they shall hope in the Lord. ... [5] Blessed is the man whose trust is in the name of the Lord; and who hath not had regard to vanities, and lying follies.... [6] Thou hast multiplied thy wonderful works, O Lord my God: and in thy thoughts there is no one like to thee. I have declared and I have spoken they are multiplied above number. ... [7] Sacrifice and oblation thou didst not desire; but thou hast pierced ears for me. Burnt offering and sin offering thou didst not require: ... [8] Then said I, Behold I come. In the head of the book it is written of me ... [9] That I should do thy will: O my God, I have desired it, and thy law in the midst of my heart. ... [10] I have declared thy justice in a great church, lo, I will not restrain my lips: O Lord, thou knowest it.... [11] I have not hid thy justice within my heart: I have declared thy truth and thy salvation. I have not concealed thy mercy and thy truth from a great council. ... [12] Withhold not thou, O Lord, thy tender mercies from me: thy mercy and thy truth have always upheld me. ... [13] For evils without number have surrounded me; my iniquities have overtaken me, and I was not able to see. They are multiplied above the hairs of my head: and my heart hath forsaken me. ... [14] Be pleased, O Lord, to deliver me, look down, O Lord, to help me. ... [15] Let them be confounded and ashamed together, that seek after my soul to take it away. Let them be turned backward and be ashamed that desire evils to me. [16] Let them immediately bear their confusion, that say to me: Tis well, tis well. ... [17] Let all that seek thee rejoice and be glad in thee: and let such as love thy salvation say always: The Lord be magnified. ... [18] But I am a beggar and poor: the Lord is careful for me. Thou art my helper and my protector: O my God, be not slack.

Our Lady, Undoer of Knots

Today is the feast of Our Lady, Undoer of Knots, a very old and traditional devotion. Here is a novena for Judge Kavanaugh's confirmation and in preparation for the feast of Our Lady of Victory on October 7.

Prayer to Mary, Undoer of Knots. 

Virgin Mary, Mother of fair love, Mother who never refuses to come to the aid of a child in need, Mother whose hands never cease to serve your beloved children because they are moved by the divine love and immense mercy that exist in your heart, cast your compassionate eyes upon me and see the snarl of knots that exists in my life. You know very well how desperate I am, my pain, and how I am bound by these knots. Mary, Mother to whom God entrusted the undoing of the knots in the lives of his children, I entrust into your hands the ribbon of my life. No one, not even the evil one himself, can take it away from your precious care. In your hands there is no knot that cannot be undone. Powerful Mother, by your grace and intercessory power with Your Son and My Liberator, Jesus, take into your hands today this knot. (Mention your requests here - especially for Judge Kavanaugh to be confirmed to the Supreme Court) I beg you to undo it for the glory of God, once for all. You are my hope. O my Lady, you are the only consolation God gives me, the fortification of my feeble strength, the enrichment of my destitution, and, with Christ, the freedom from my chains. Hear my plea. Keep me, guide me, protect me, o safe refuge! Mary, Undoer of Knots, pray for me. Amen.