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The Dedication of St. Michael the Archangel

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We opted to decorate our school room for this glorious feast day, The Dedication of St. Michael the Archangel.

As I’ve shared before, most of our feastday celebrations no longer revolve around food/treats. Instead, my boys plan special outings fitting for the saint of the day.

Today, we’re off to the lake for physical activity — to prepare to be warriors just as St. Michael.

How are you celebrating today?

➕
Here is practical consideration from Fr. Francis Xavier Weninger, 1876.

Saint Michael remained true to God when thousands of other angels became faithless to Him. He followed not their example.

You also should not follow the bad example of others, but fulfill God’s commandments.

Remain faithful to the Lord though thousands of others leave Him.

Saint Michael was zealous in honoring God and opposed those who would not be obedient to the Creator. You can also do this.

When others speak against the true faith in your presence, against the ceremonies and commandments of the true Church, against purity, against the honor of your neighbor; when you see that they transgress the laws of God and of the Church, you should defend the honor of the Almighty and prevent all the evil you can. If you are so situated that you cannot say or do much, show, by your silence, by your seriousness, that you are displeased by such offences against the Majesty of the Most High.

Saint Michael fought valiantly against Lucifer and his adherents. Therefore God placed him above all the heavenly spirits.

Lucifer, with his adherents, endeavors to induce you to leave God, to become faithless to Him. Fight bravely against him and you, too, will be exalted.

Say to him: “Who is like God? Who is so kind, so mighty, so amiable as God?” And that you may fight vigorously, as well in life as in death, call often and fervently on Saint Michael: “Help us here to fight and to conquer the enemy, O Saint Michael!”

*Banner from @party_like_a_saint

Archbishop Viganò to Cancelled Priests

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“As Catholics, we know and believe that the Holy Church is indefectible; that is, that it cannot be overwhelmed by the gates of Hell, through the promise of Our Lord (Mt 16: 18).

But what we see happening shows us the reality of a terrible situation, in which a corrupt part of the Hierarchy – which I call the deep church for the sake of brevity – has totally surrendered itself to the deep state. It is a betrayal that places the Shepherds and the highest levels of the Church before a very grave moral responsibility and necessitates courageous choices by priests and laity that at other times would be difficult to adopt and justify.

We are faced with a war, an epochal clash, in which our generals not only are not leading the army to face the enemy but are actually ordering it to lay down its weapons and surrender unconditionally, driving away the most courageous soldiers and punishing the most loyal officials.

The entire general staff of the Catholic Church has revealed itself to be allied with the enemy and is itself an enemy of those it instead ought to be defending: enemy of Christ and of those who glory in serving under His banner…

Let us take note of it: Our Lord Jesus Christ not only is no longer recognized as Sovereign of nations. He is now no longer even recognized as Sovereign of His Church, in which the goal of the glory of God and the salvation of souls has been replaced by the glory of man and the consequent damnation of souls.

What was a vice yesterday is today a virtue; what was a virtue yesterday is today a vice: all the present action of the modernist sect that infests the Vatican, the Dioceses, and the Religious Orders is characterized by the overturning of what has been taught and handed down to us.

In this context of rebellion and infidelity, those who remain faithful and strive to continue doing what they have always done are made the object of a true and proper persecution. It began with the ridicule of the traditionalists, designating them as Lefebvrian or preconciliar…

Then, according to the practice that we have seen used in totalitarian regimes, good Catholics have been defined as mad or sick…”


#archbishopvigano 9.23.21 Full Transcript

https://player.vimeo.com/video/612962908?h=647cbe43fe
Video source: https://www.canceledpriests.org/archbishop-vigano-addresses-the-aquinas-communications-sept-22-2021-fundraiser

Catholic Action {Marching Orders}

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There is much talk about our role as Christians in the current times. Whatever one wants to call it, one thing is certain — a defense of the Faith is absolutely necessary AT ALL TIMES!

We must pray for fortitude and a courageous spirit to carry out this defense.  The following comes from the 1890 Encyclical of Pope Leo XIII, Sapientiae Christianae (CHRISTIANS AS CITIZENS):

“St. Thomas maintains: “Each one is under obligation to show forth his faith, either to instruct and encourage others of the faithful, or to repel the attacks of unbelievers.”

To recoil before an enemy, or to keep silence when from all sides such clamors are raised against truth, is the part of a man either devoid of character or who entertains doubt as to the truth of what he professes to believe. 

In both cases such mode of behaving is base and is insulting to God, and both are incompatible with the salvation of mankind. 

This kind of conduct is profitable only to the enemies of the faith, for nothing emboldens the wicked so greatly as the lack of courage on the part of the good. Moreover, want of vigor on the part of Christians is so much the more blameworthy, as not seldom little would be needed on their part to bring to naught false charges and refute erroneous opinions, and by always exerting themselves more strenuously they might reckon upon being successful. After all, no one can be prevented from putting forth that strength of soul which is the characteristic of true Christians, and very frequently by such display of courage our enemies lose heart and their designs are thwarted. 

Christians are, moreover, born for combat, whereof the greater the vehemence, the more assured, God aiding, the triumph: “Have confidence; I have overcome the world.”John 16:33)”

Are you ready for combat? I’d love to hear how you’re preparing for this call or have answered it thus far.

Let us pray for one another & let us work to RESTORE ALL THINGS IN CHRIST!

CHISTUS VINCIT!
CHRISTUS REGNAT!
CHRISTUS IMPERAT!

St. Patrick’s Good News Popcorn

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This is a blast from the past. Note, this is not a healthy treat but something that we allowed for a bit of nostalgia on a first-class feast day for us during Lent, St. Patrick is the patron saint of our diocese.

Patrick suffered much in Ireland and there was always the danger that he would be killed, yet the saint kept on preaching about Jesus.….How happy he was to bring the Good News of the true God to the people who once held him a slave. ~Holy Spirit Interactive

My parents used to treat my sis and me to flavored popcorn. There was a small snack shop in the mall that had a variety of flavored popcorn. My favorite was bubblegum. It has been a long time since I’ve enjoyed that yummy treat.

I decided that this was the perfect opportunity to treat my GFG to a childhood novelty of mine.
I made green lemon-lime flavored popcorn, AKA Good News Popcorn, in honor of St. Patrick. The children loved the Good News.

St. Patrick’s – Good News PopcornPrep Time: 15 Minutes | Cook Time: 30 | Difficulty: EASY | Servings: 10
INGREDIENTS:

  • 2 cups Sugar
  • 1 cup Light Corn Syrup
  • 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
  • ⅔ cups Butter
  • 6 quarts Plain Popped Popcorn
  • 1.5-2 packages Kool-Aid (without the sugar)

PREPARATION INSTRUCTIONS:

  • Pre-heat the oven to 225 degrees.
  • Boil sugar, syrup, and butter together for 3 min.
  • On a large, ungreased, baking pan, spread out popped popcorn.
  • In a separate bowl, combine the Kool-Aid with baking soda.
  • Remove the syrup from the stove. Slowly and carefully stir in the Kool-Aid mixture — the mixture may ooze.
  • Pour sugar mixture over the popped popcorn. Carefully mix all until combined.
  • Place the coated popcorn into the oven for 30 min. Stir every 10 minutes.
  • Take popcorn out of the oven. Break it apart once it starts to cool.

Enjoy the GOOD NEWS!

Hence, then, I give unwearied thanks to God, who kept me faithful in the day of my temptation, so that today I can confidently offer Him my soul as a living sacrifice–to Christ my Lord, who saved me out of all my troubles. Thus I can say: `Who am I, O Lord, and to what have Thou called me, Thou who did assist me with such divine power that to-day I constantly exalt and magnify Thy name among the heathens wherever I may be, and not only in good days but also in tribulations?’ So indeed I must accept with equanimity whatever befalls me, be it good or evil, and always give thanks to God, who taught me to trust in Him always without hesitation, and who must have heard my prayer so that I, however ignorant I was, in the last days dared to undertake such a holy and wonderful work–thus imitating somehow those who, as the Lord once foretold, would preach His Gospel for a testimony to all nations before the end of the world. So we have seen it, and so it has been fulfilled: indeed, we are witnesses that the Gospel has been preached unto those parts beyond which there lives nobody. ~ The Confession of St. Patrick, St. Patrick

Catholic Cuisine Posts written by Lena

2021 Word of the Year

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Selecting a Word of the year is a practice that I adopted years ago along with the Saint of the Year. 

I select a word of the year for assistance with my spiritual growth. The saint selection is random but choosing my word of the year has always been a process — an examination of the past year. I take time for spiritual re ading for this purpose and pray over it with my husband. 

I encourage you to choose a word for the year to remind you of what God is asking of you during this season in your life. 

Unbeknownst to me, my word of the year was placed on my heart upon entering my annual spiritual retreat this Advent. I entered into retreat with a complete assessment of my life —  no attachments but only the desire to see myself with His eyes.  As the week unfolded, I was led down a path to address one of my root sins.  It all seemed so evident to me as it has often been included in the confessional.   I even wrote it down as my number one point to address after my first visit before Our Lord while on retreat.  

Through daily spiritual direction following pertinent meditations, the good Lord revealed that what was perceived to be at the root of my faults was not the case.  Instead, it was the less obvious issue. So, as the retreat came to a close, I firmed up my resolution and plan, all with the guidance of my spiritual directors.  

Now that I have returned to regular daily life for a month, the evil one has wasted no time and has begun to set his traps to have me doubt what it is that God is asking of me.  “It’s not enough?   You should be doing more? It’s not really the root of your sin! Focus on something else.  It’s too much, you should just focus on one small thing…”

It’s that crazy and pathetic — all efforts to thwart what God has moved me to are exhausted.  I made no movement from what had already been properly discerned and carried on us planned, very imperfectly.  

As I read one of my first reflections on New Year’s Day, I received a small consolation.  It was from one of my previous Saints of the Year, no less.  

Thou givest me already Thy blood, O Word,  whereas Thy holy humanity is only eight days old. What does Thy blood teach me?… Obedience.

St. Mary Magdalene de Pazzi

The small resolution that I took into my retreat  turned out to be my primary resolution (not the type that one makes at the start of the New Year, but the type that one makes upon reflecting on the last four things while in a complete state of grace and removed completely from the distractions of the world),  the ultimate root of my sins as He revealed to me (not acedia which I had thought was the case for many for years) — my word for 2021. 

I trust that God’s grace will be sufficient for me to move forward.  I am completely nothing without Him and I desire to be nothing else but that which He has ordained me to be.  I want only to love Him as He deserves.  

There are few persons who realize what God would make of them if they abandoned themselves entirely to His hands, and let themselves be formed by His grace.

St. Ignatius of Loyola

I am not moving in fear.  My resolutions (made after a spiritual retreat and direction) are made out of LOVE for the One who so dearly loves me despite all my failings. 

I’m not abandoning any of my previous words.  In fact, through this practice, they have been imprinted on my heart.  Perfection is not sought.  My goal is only to move closer to Him and do His will.

Sts. Teresa of Avila,  St. Mary Magdalene de Pazzi, Ignatius of Loyola, and Aloysius — orate pro nobis.   

Sermons & Other Resources on Obedience:*


*this list will be added to throughout the year

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