Sunday Meditation: St. John the Baptist, Rock not Reed!

St. John the Baptist is a major Advent voice preparing the way for the birth of Jesus on Christmas day. Today, we heard in the Gospel (TLM) the moment, when in prison, John sent his disciples to ask Christ a question. "Shall we look for another?" I have no doubt that John already knew the answer to that question. So why did he ask it? I think he wanted to wean his disciples from himself and turn them to Christ. His "voice in the wilderness" was about to go silent and he wanted his little band of brothers to follow the One whose sandal he was not fit to unloose. 

First Couple Lights the National Christmas Tree Praising Jesus Christ!

The tree came from the George Washington National Forest in Virginia. I live walking distance to the national forest so it had a special feel to me. 

The Coming of the Antichrist: Cardinal Manning -- Lecture 4

This post examines the final lecture by Henry Edward Cardinal Manning about the Crisis in the Holy See. Remember, he was writing near the end of the 19th century during the nationalistic upheavals in Europe, but history tends to repeat itself. Much in these four lectures can easily apply to our own time although the threats are coming from within the Church these days as much as outside.  Check out my previous posts and read the entire document. The cardinal's prose is easy to understand and he turns often to the doctors of the Church and to well known theologians. 

Lecture 1 - Introduction to the Crisis: the Revolt

And so it begins: Spanberger's Appointment Doesn't Bode Well for Catholics!

I received this email yesterday from former General Assembly delegate Bob Marshall. Remember when the Richmond FBI sent agents out to see if those evil traditional Catholic terrorists were planning anything? Well, now the head spook is in charge. It looks like a tough four years coming. I haven't read the report yet, but plan to. Expect persecution; it's biblical! It's 1984 on Animal Farm and Big Sister will be the boss sow in the pigpen. Nevertheless, Pray, hope, and don't worry. With struggle comes strength. 

"Results Speak Louder than Slogans" Victor Davis Hanson

I'm a fan of Victor Davis Hanson, although I don't always agree with him. In this video, we parted company when he began talking about the Civil War, but that's a topic for another post. On the whole, I find him a trustworthy historian with clear insight. If you want to understand the future, you need to understand the past. But, like Big Brother in 1984, the servants of deceit are destroying and rewriting the past. When they tear down statues of the Founding Fathers and deface and burn historic buildings, you know they hate our heritage. What they want to erect in their place is a utopia of evil. 

Time Out for an Ad just in Time for Christmas!

Did you ever hire someone to do a job and found out later that it was slipshod or cut corners? Unfortunately that's happened to us more than once, sometimes, sadly, with a person we knew personally and thought was a friend. A rotting window sash was "replaced" by just covering up the rot. A paint job was so embarrassing I still look at it and shake my head. 

Advent Attitude? Gratitude!

I try to remember every morning -- when I sit up in bed and plant my feet on the floor -- to begin the day with a litany of gratitude. It was easy today. I thanked God for central heating (It's really cold this morning.) and for giving gifts to the inventors who've make our modern life so comfortable. 

Do You Still Think the COVID Vaccine Saved Lives?

BREAKING STUDY: Anomalous Amyloid Microclots Found in 100% of the COVID-19 Vaccinated

Every vaccinated individual participating in the study had amyloid microclots circulating in their bloodstream. "94% of all participants were vaccinated. 100% of these vaccinated individuals had amyloid microclots — including every 'healthy control.'” 

No tests were done to determine whether subjects ever had the actual COVID disease according to an article about the study by NICOLAS HULSCHER, MPH. The authors simply presumed it. But the data is inconclusive on that score because:

God Loves Us! Don't Let Satan Rob You of the Truth!

What's a post about the crucifixion doing in Advent? Well...just think...God sent His Son to save us. That was His whole purpose in coming to earth. Even in that stable at Bethlehem, the crucifixion was symbolized. Jesus lay in a wooden manger, a place where animals eat. He died on a wooden cross in an area that served as a garbage dump. How many bones of dead animals cluttered the ground there? The joy of Christ's birth has in it the challenges and signs of future sorrow. Jesus was unwelcome in the town and the King of Kings and Lord of Lords had to find a borrowed stable to rest his head. Later He would be rejected by almost everyone and lie in a borrowed tomb. The love Jesus showed for us through His suffering and death and being pierced by a lance was mirrored in miniature in the piercing cold of the winter night in Bethlehem. Thank you to Fr. Collins for this reminder of what God did for us by sending His divine Son, the Word made Flesh. May we spend every day of Advent thanking and praising Him!

WHY JESUS HAD TO UNDERGO THE AGONIES OF HIS PASSION

by Fr. Tom Collins

Let us pray to love as God loves! He Loves Us Now -- Just the Way We Are!

God loves us "just the way [we] are." Does he want more from us? Absolutely! He wants us to be saints. He wants us to "be perfect" even as our heavenly Father is perfect. And he gives us all the tools we need to grow more and more into that perfection.