The Day a Pope Spoke to Mothers

DAVANTI A QUESTA
The Pope Speaks to Mothers:
Address of Pope Pius XII to the Concourse of Women of Catholic Action and Their Helpers from all the Dioceses of Italy
October 26, 1941, The Feast of Christ the King

 

As We look round upon this splendid gathering of mothers, teaching sisters, school-mistresses, representatives of the children of Italian Catholic Action, and others who devote themselves to the work of education, Our thoughts go beyond the threshold of this hall, beyond the confines of Italy, and reach to the ends of the earth as We embrace all those dear children who are the flower of the human race and the joy of their mothers' hearts. [Cf. Ps. cxii. 9] At the same time We are mindful of the immortal Pope Pius XI who in his Encyclical Divini illius Magistri of 31 December, 1929, treated so profoundly of the Christian education of the young. Dealing with this important subject he judiciously allocated the parts which belong respectively to the Church. the family, and the State, and then went on regretfully to observe that parents are often unprepared or ill-equipped for their work as educators. Accordingly, and since the limits of that lucid and exhaustive document did not permit him to deal in detail with education in the home, he exhorted in the name of Christ all pastors of souls 'to use every means, by catechism and instruction, by word of mouth and in widely published writings, to ensure that Christian parents are well instructed both in general and in particular regarding their duties in the religious, moral, and civic education of their children, and regarding the best methods-----apart from their own example-----of attaining that end.' [Cf. A.A.S.. XXII, 1930, pp. 73-4]

In so exhorting the pastors of souls the great Pontiff was exhorting parents also, fathers and mothers alike. But We believe that We are acting in accordance with the desire of Our venerated Predecessor in reserving this special audience for mothers and other teachers of children. It is true that when We speak to the newly wed Our words are addressed also to you; nevertheless We are glad to have this opportunity of speaking to you in a special way, dearly beloved daughters, because We see in mothers, and in their expert and pious helpers, those who exert the earliest and the most intimate influence upon the souls of little ones and upon their growth in piety and virtue.

We need not delay to remind you how important and now necessary is this work of education in the home, and how grave a mother's obligation not to neglect it or perform it with indifference. Speaking as We are to Our beloved daughters of Catholic Action We can have no doubt that they regard this obligation as the first of their duties as Christian mothers, and as a task in which none can fully take their place. But it is not enough to be conscious of an obligation and to have the desire to discharge it; it is necessary also to render oneself capable of discharging it competently.

The Need of Serious Preparation for the Difficult Work of Education

It is a curious circumstance and, as Pope Pius XI remarked in his encyclical, a lamentable one, that whereas no one would dream of suddenly becoming a mechanic or an engineer, a doctor or a lawyer, without any apprenticeship or preparation, yet every day there are numbers of young men and women who marry without having given an instant's thought to preparing themselves for the arduous work of educating their children which awaits them. And yet, if St. Gregory the Great could speak of the government of souls as "the art of arts", [Regula pastor., lib. I, c. 1] surely no art is more difficult and strenuous than that of fashioning the souls of children; for those souls are so very tender, so easily disfigured through some thoughtless influence or wrong advice, so difficult to guide aright and so lightly led astray, more susceptible than wax to receive a disastrous and indelible impression through malignant influences or culpable neglect. Fortunate the child whose mother stands by its cradle like a guardian Angel to inspire and lead it in the path of goodness! And so while We congratulate you upon what you have already achieved, We cannot but exhort you warmly and anew to develop those splendid organizations which are doing so much to provide for every rank and social class educators conscious of their high mission, in mind and bearing alert against evil and zealous to promote good. Such sentiments in a woman and a mother give her the right to that reverence and dignity which belong to a man's loyal helpmeet; such a mother is like a pillar, for she is the central support of the home; she is like a beacon whose light gives an example to the parish and brings illumination to the pious associations of which she is a member.

The Mother's Work of Training During Infancy

Especially opportune are those organizations of your Union of Catholic Action which seek to help and train the young wife before childbearing and during the infancy of her offspring. In this you are doing an Angel's work, watching over the mother and the little one she bears within her, [Cf. S. Th. I, 113, 5, ad. 3] and then, when the baby comes, standing by the cot to help the mother as with breast and smile she feeds body and soul of the tiny angel that Heaven has sent her. To woman, God has given the sacred mission, painful yet how joyous, [Cf. John xvi. 21] of motherhood; and to her too, more than to anyone else, is entrusted the first education of the child in its early months and years. Of heredity, which may exercise such an influence upon the future cast of a child's character, We will not speak-----except to say that this hidden heritage sometimes points an accusing finger at the irregular life of the parents, who are thus gravely responsible for making it difficult for their offspring to lead a truly Christian life. Fathers and mothers, whose mutual love is sanctified by the faith of Christ, see that before your child is born you prepare a pure family atmosphere in which it may open its eyes to light and its soul to life, so that the good odor of Christ may linger about every step of its moral development.

Mothers, your sensibility is greater and your love more tender, and therefore you will keep a vigilant eye upon your babies throughout their infancy, watching over their growth and over the health of their little bodies, for they are flesh of your flesh and the fruit of your womb. Remember that your children are the adopted sons of God and specially beloved of Christ; remember that their Angels look for ever on the face of the Heavenly Father; [Cf. Matt. xviii. 10] and so you too as you rear them must be angels in like manner, in all your care and vigilance keeping your eyes fixed upon Heaven. It is your task from the cradle to begin their education in soul as well as in body; for if you do not educate them they will begin, for good or ill, to educate themselves. Many of the moral characteristics which you see in the youth or the man owe their origin to the manner and circumstances of his first upbringing in infancy: purely organic habits contracted at that time may later prove a serious obstacle to the spiritual life of the soul. And so you will make it your special care in the treatment of your child to observe the prescriptions of a perfect hygiene, so that when it comes to the use of reason its bodily organs and faculties will be healthy and robust and free from distorted tendencies. This is the reason why, except where it is quite impossible, it is most desirable that the mother should feed her child at her own breast. Who shall say what mysterious influences are exerted upon the growth of that little creature by the mother upon whom it depends entirely for its development!

Have you observed those little eyes, wide open, restlessly questioning, their glance darting from this thing to that, following a movement or a gesture, already expressing joy or pain, anger and obstinacy, and giving other signs of those little passions that nestle in the heart of man even before the tiny lips have learned to utter a word? This is perfectly natural. Notwithstanding what certain thinkers have maintained, we are not born endowed with knowledge or with the memories and dreams of a life already lived. The mind of the child as it comes forth from its mother's womb is a page upon which nothing is written; from hour to hour as it passes on its way from the cradle to the tomb its eyes and other senses, internal and external, transmit the life of the world through their own vital activity, and will write upon that page the images and ideas of the things among which it lives. Hence an irresistible instinct for truth and goodness turns 'the simple soul that nothing knows ' [Dante, Purg., XVI, 88] upon the things of sense; and all these powers of feeling, all these childish sensations, by way of which mind and will come gradually to their awakening, need to be educated, trained, carefully guided, otherwise the normal awakening and proper direction of these noble faculties of the spirit will be compromised and distorted. From that early age a loving look, a warning word, must teach the child not to yield to all its impressions, and as reason dawns it must learn to discriminate and to master the vagaries of its sensations; in a word, under the guidance and admonition of the mother it must begin the work of its own education.

Study the child in his tender age. If you know him well you will educate him well; you will not misconceive his character; you will come to understand him, knowing when to give way and when to be firm; a naturally good disposition does not fall to the lot of all the sons of men.

The Training of the Mind

Train the mind of your children. Do not give them wrong ideas or wrong reasons for things; whatever their questions may be, do not answer them with evasions or untrue statements which their minds rarely accept; but take occasion from them lovingly and patiently to train their minds, which want only to open to the truth and to grasp it with the first ingenuous gropings of their reasoning and reflective powers. Who can say what many a genius may not owe to the prolonged and trustful questionings of a childhood at the home fireside!

The Training of the Character

Train the character of your children. Correct their faults, encourage and cultivate their good qualities and co-ordinate them with that stability which will make for resolution in after life. Your children, conscious as they grow up and as they begin to think and will, that they are guided by a good parental will, constant and strong, free from violence and anger, not subject to weakness or inconsistency, will learn in time to see therein the interpreter of another and higher will, the will of God, and so they will plant in their souls the seeds of those early moral habits which fashion and sustain a character, train it to self-control in moments of crisis and to courage in the face of conflict or sacrifice, and imbue it with a deep sense of Christian duty.

The Training of the Heart

Train their hearts. Frequently the decision of a man's destiny, the ruin of his character, or a grave danger threatening him, may be traced to his childish years when his heart was spoiled by the fond flattery, silly fussing, and foolish indulgence of misguided parents. The impressionable little heart became accustomed to see all things revolve and gravitate around it, to find all things yielding to its will and caprice, and so there took root in it that boundless egoism of which the parents themselves were later to become the first victims! All this is often the just penalty of the selfishness of parents who deny their only child the joy of having little brothers and sisters who, sharing in the mother's love, would have accustomed him to think of others besides himself. What deep and rich potentialities for love, goodness, and devotion lie dormant in the heart of a child! You, mothers, must awaken them, foster them, direct them, raise them up to Him Who will sanctify them, to Jesus; to Jesus, and to Mary, their Heavenly Mother, who will open the child's heart to piety, will teach it by prayer to offer its pure sacrifices and innocent victories to the Divine Lover of little ones; she will teach it to feel compassion for the poor and unhappy. How joyous is the springtime of childhood, unruffled by wind or storm!

The Training of the Will in Adolescence

But the day will come when the childish heart will feel fresh impulses stirring within it; new desires will disturb the serenity of those early years. In that time of trial, Christian mothers, remember that to train the heart means to train the will to resist the attacks of evil and the insidious temptations of passion; during that period of transition from the unconscious purity of infancy to the triumphant purity of adolescence you have a task of the highest importance to fulfill. You have to prepare your sons and daughters so that they may pass with unfaltering step, like those who pick their way among serpents, through that time of crisis and physical change; and pass through it without losing anything of the joy of innocence, preserving intact that natural instinct of modesty with which Providence has girt them as a check upon wayward passion. That sense of modesty, which in its spontaneous abhorrence from the impure is akin to the sense of religion, is made of little account in these days; but you, mothers, will take care that they do not lose it through indecency in dress or self-adornment, through unbecoming familiarities, or immoral spectacles; on the contrary you will seek to make it more delicate and alert, more upright and sincere. You will keep a watchful eye on their steps; you will not suffer the whiteness of their souls to be stained and contaminated by corrupt and corrupting company; you will inspire them with a high esteem and jealous love for purity, advising them to commend themselves to the sure and motherly protection of the Immaculate Virgin. Finally, with the discretion of a mother and a teacher, and thanks to the open-hearted confidence with which you have been able to inspire your children, you will not fail to watch for and to discern the moment in which certain unspoken questions have occurred to their minds and are troubling their senses. It will then be your duty to your daughters, the father's duty to your sons, carefully and delicately to unveil the truth as far as it appears necessary, to give a prudent, true, and Christian answer to those questions, and set their minds at rest. If imparted by the lips of Christian parents, at the proper time, in the proper measure, and with the proper precautions, the revelation of the mysterious and marvelous laws of life will be received by them with reverence and gratitude, and will enlighten their minds with far less danger than if they learned them haphazard, from some disturbing encounter, from secret conversations, through information received from over-sophisticated companions, or from clandestine reading, the more dangerous and pernicious as secrecy inflames the imagination and troubles the senses. Your words, if they are wise and discreet, will prove a safeguard and a warning in the midst of the temptations and the corruption which surround them, 'because foreseen an arrow comes more slowly.' [Dante, Par., XVII, 27]

The Powerful Aid of Religion

But in this great work of the Christian education of your sons and daughters you well understand that training in the home, however wise, however thorough, is not enough. It needs to be supplemented and perfected by the powerful aid of religion. From the moment of Baptism the priest possesses the authority of a spiritual father and a pastor over your children. and you must co-operate with him in teaching them those first rudiments of catechism and piety which are the only basis of a solid education, and of which you. the earliest teachers of your children. ought to have a sufficient and sure knowledge. You cannot teach what you do not know yourselves. Teach them to love God, to love Christ, to love our Mother the Church and the pastors of the Church who are your guides. Love the catechism and teach your children to love it; it is the great handbook of the love and fear of God, of Christian wisdom and of eternal life.

Valiant Helpers in the Work of Education

In your work of education, which is many-sided, you will feel the need and the obligation of having recourse to others to help you: choose helpers who are Christians like yourselves, and choose them with all the care that is called for by the treasure which you are entrusting to them: you are committing to them the faith, the purity, and the piety of your children. But when you have chosen them you must not think that you are henceforth liberated from your duty and your vigilance; you must co-operate with them. However eminent school-teachers may be in their profession they will have little success in the formation of your children without your collaboration-----still less if instead of helping and lending support to their efforts you were to counteract and oppose them. What a misfortune it would be if at home your indulgence and fond weakness were to undo all that has been done at school, at catechism, or in Catholic associations, to form the character and foster the piety of your children!

But-----some mother may say-----children are so difficult to manage nowadays! I can do nothing with that son of mine; that daughter of mine is impossible! Admittedly many boys and girls at the age of twelve or fifteen show themselves intractable. But why? Because when they were two or three years old they were allowed to do as they pleased. True, some temperaments are ungrateful and rebellious; but however unresponsive, however obstinate, he is still your child. Would you love him any the less than his brothers and sisters if he were sickly or deformed? God has given him to you; see that you do not treat him as the outcast of the family. No child is so unruly that he cannot be trained with care, patience, and love; and it will rarely happen that even the stoniest and most unpromising soil will not bear some flower of submission and virtue, if only an unreasonable severity does not run the risk of exterminating the seed of good will which even the proudest soul has hidden within it. The whole education of your children would be ruined were they to discover in their parents-----and their eyes are sharp enough to see-----any signs of favoritism, undue preferences, or antipathies in regard to any of them. For your own good and for the good of the family it must be clear that, whether you use measured severity or give encouragement and caresses, you have an equal love for all, a love which makes no distinction save for the correction of evil or for the encouragement of good. Have you not received them all equally from God?

Teachers side-by-side with Christian Mothers

Our words have been addressed principally to you, Christian mothers. But with you We see around Us today a gathering of nuns, teachers, and others engaged in the work of Christian education. They are mothers too, not by nature or by blood but by the love which they bear to the young, who are so dear to Christ and to His Bride the Church. Yes, you too are mothers, you who work side by side with Christian mothers in the work of education: for you have a mother's heart, burning with the charity which the Holy Spirit has poured out in you. In this charity, which is the charity of Christ that presses you on the path of well-doing, you find your light, your comfort. and the work that brings you so close to mothers, fathers, and children. You gather together these living branches of society, these children who are the hope of their parents and of the Church, and form them into a great family of thousands and thousands of little ones; you develop the training of their minds, characters, and hearts, bringing them up in a spiritual and moral atmosphere in which the joyousness of innocence appears side by side with faith in God and reverence for holy things, with a sense of duty towards parents and country. Our praise and gratitude, joined with the thanks of all mothers, go out to you in full measure. In your schools, homes, colleges, and associations you emulate and continue the mother's work of training. You are truly a sisterhood of spiritual mothers whose offspring is the pure flower of youth.

Conclusion

Christian mothers and beloved daughters, of your incomparable mission-----fraught in these days with so many difficulties and obstacles-----We have been able only briefly to describe the glories. What a majestic figure is that of the mother in the home as she fulfills her destiny at the cradle side, the nurse and teacher of her little ones! Hers is truly a task full of labor, and We should be tempted to deem her unequal to it were it not for the grace of God which is ever at hand to enlighten, direct, and sustain her in her daily anxieties and toil; were it not, too, for those other educators, mother-like in spirit and energy, whom she calls to aid her in the formation of these youthful souls. Imploring God to fill you to overflowing with His graces and to give increase to your manifold labors on behalf of the young entrusted to you, We grant you from Our heart, as a pledge of Heavenly favors, Our fatherly Apostolic Benediction.

Papal Election - It is a Dangerous Time

"It is a dangerous time. Pray for us." So said an un-named cardinal on the eve of the papal conclave’s opening to Mr. Robert Moynihan, editor of Inside the Vatican.

Today, on the first day of the conclave, the media in Rome are keeping an eye on the smoke emanating from the Sistine Chapel while simultaneously writing editorials or commentaries. Last night, Mr. Moynihan wrote of a Sunday evening encounter wherein he spoke to “a friend, an Italian woman,” who holds the personal opinion that Cardinal Schoenborn “is cultured, refined, eloquent, noble, handsome — especially handsome!” While such things sound impressive, are these the qualities actually needed to be a good and holy pope? No.  (Incidentally, after reading of Mr. Moynihan’s encounter, it seems that he is not as deeply impressed by Cardinal Schoenborn as is his friend.)

Unfortunately, the lady is basing everything on what in Cardinal Schoenborn appeals to her – his appearance, his education, the way he responded to her disabled son– in a word, she views everything via the telescope of “feelings.” It’s very good that a cardinal left a good impression; that is how it should be. However, Our Faith is not a matter of our emotions or other subjectivities; it is based on objective Truth.

A few moments of polite inter-action proves nothing on the spiritual measuring scale. In a word, the lady’s reactions are sanguine - cheerful, open, giving, and optimistic. Unfortunately, a sanguine reaction can also be one that is not inclined to seek “cause and effect” and thus it is extremely susceptible to that which appeals to the five senses, otherwise known as sensuality (“of the five senses”).

Then there is Cardinal Dolan, who (according to Fox News) “is quick with a quip and, more often than not, he is the target of his own sense of humor -- a trait that will continue to serve him well if he is to become the first American pope.”  Yes, Dolan is such a comedienne that in 2002 he thought nothing of wearing a “cheese head” mitre on the Feast of Our Lady’s Nativity. Why?  It was the opening day for the NFL (football) season and the brand new archbishop of Milwaukee, Wisconsin wanted to show his support of the Green Bay packers. (Wisconsin is known for its milk and cheese. Get it?)

An edifying act of supernatural prudence it was not. The cheese head mitre disgraced the office of priest and bishop, just to offer a moment of comic buffoonery to those with no sense of dignity and proper decorum.  Despite Fox News’s sanguine view that Dolan's sense of humor will serve him well if he becomes the first “American” pope (incidentally, that's an example of careless writing…If elected, Dolan would become the first American to become the Pope), the news service at least told the truth when their report stated that “Dolan is not immune to the stain of sex abuse scandals that plagued the church in past decades.” No kidding.

These things are disgraceful, and we cannot explain them away or ignore them. We must pray and *sacrifice* that the cardinals allow the Holy Ghost to inspire them to elect a pope who will lead the Church according to God’s Will – not theirs and not ours.

St. Alphonsus de Liguori, Doctor of the Church, provides such wise counsel, imperative for the Church at all times but especially when “it is a dangerous time,” as the anonymous cardinal phrased it when speaking to Mr. Moynihan. As. St. Alphonsus wrote:
 

“As regards the bishops, very few of them possess genuine zeal for souls. Almost all religious communities — and one could omit the “almost” — are relaxed. As a result of the present state of general confusion, observance has collapsed and obedience is a thing of the past. The state of the secular clergy is still worse: so, in a word, there is a need for a general reform of all clerics and ecclesiastics if there is to be any improvement in the present great corruption of morals among the laity.”

“So we have to pray to Jesus Christ that He would give as Head of the Church one possessed of more spirit and zeal for the glory of God than of learning and of human prudence. He should be free of all party attachments and devoid of human respect. If, by chance, for our great misfortune, we should get a Pope that does not have the glory of God as his sole purpose, the Lord will not help him greatly and things from their present condition will go from bad to worse. However, prayer, which can provide a remedy for so many present ills, will move the Lord to put His hand to the problem and remedy the situation.” (Excerpt from the saint’s letter to a bishop, dated 24 October, 1774 from Selected Writings — The Classics of Western Spirituality)

Let's take the counsel of a saint who is also a Doctor of the Church. Cast your "vote" for a holy Pope by praying earnestly and making more sacrifices to God for this intention!

 

 

The Great Comet: Will a Pope Flee in December?

Nostradamus warned that the next-to-last pope would "flee Rome in December when the great comet is seen in the daytime." That's the latest news spreading over the net, and it seems it may have started with NBC's World News. If that prophecy (not to mention others about which I've been writing) is accurate, the next-to-last pope is either Benedict XVI, Pope Emeritus, or the one who will be elected in the conclave, which officially opens tomorrow, March 12.
 
Readers of this blog know that the topics of my most recent articles have included "a bishop dressed in white" who is described in the Third Secret of Fatima (a Vision),  the lightening that struck St. Peter's dome hours after Benedict XVI announced his resignation, the earthquake near Rome three days after the official abdication, and prophesies like the alleged St. Malachy "Petrus Romanus" prophecies. My latest article, Comets and Coincidences, made the connection between the upcoming November 2013 Comet ISON and another Nostradamus prophecy.  
 
While the most recent prophecy excerpt about a pope fleeing in December (while a great comet lights the daytime sky) is certainly intriguing, I'm not certain if the news writers got this one right. In the World News article, no further information on this particular Nostradamus prophecy is offered -  not the quatrain number, not even the entire prophecy. All we have is an excerpt.  (Meanwhile, I've already conducted a search. So far, every website or blog simply repeats the exact excerpt of a sentence (to wit, "flee Rome in December when the great comet is seen in the daytime"), and nothing more. I f I may, I would like to invite my readers to look it up. If anyone has any success finding the entire prophecy, I would appreciate a heads-up, accompanied by a link. Thanks so much!)
 
Here's the thing: If Nostradamus did indeed prophesy with those words, he indicated that December is the month of the "great comet." The NBC World News article makes a brief reference to the calendar difference of Nostradamus' time to ours, but the article again offers no specifics. The facts are that Nostradamus died in 1566 A.D. and the Gregorian calendar was instituted on October 4, 1582 - advancing the calendar by 10 days (but during a leap year, 11 days). Now that's a bit uncanny if Nostradamus did prophecy about a December comet, and here's why:

1.) Comet ISON will enter the sun's orbit on November 28, 2013 A.D.  If it survives, astronomers are predicting it could become so bright that it will be seen in the daylight hours - and, indeed, that would be a "great comet."  
 
2.) As I noted in Comets and Coincidences, Nostradamus did predict that "the great star will burn for seven days" and a cloud will cause two suns to appear. He concludes the prophecy: "The [Great] Mastiff will howl all night, and the Pontiff will flee to another country." In his book, Catholic Prophecy, Yves Dupont mused that the "Great Mastiff" could be "Arab powers."

3) If we can take Nostradamus literally, and if Comet ISON is the "great comet," it will begin to burn brightly on or around November 28th, and continue to burn through Wednesday, December 4th or Thursday, December 5th. If such is the case, Nostradamus was right about a "great comet," down to the very month.

Speaking of comet prophecies, here is another one from St. Hildegard of Bingen (d. 1179 A.D.):

"Before the Comet comes, many nations, the good excepted, will be scoured with want and famine. The great nation in the ocean that is inhabited by people of different tribes and descent by an earthquake, storm and tidal waves will be devastated. It will be divided, and in great part submerged. That nation will also have many misfortunes at sea, and lose its colonies in the east through a Tiger and a Lion."

"The Comet by its tremendous pressure, will force much out of the ocean and flood many countries, causing much want and many plagues. All sea coast cities will be fearful and many of them will be destroyed by tidal waves, and most living creatures will be killed and even those who escape will die from a horrible disease. For in none of these cities does a person live according to the laws of God."
 

It is very amazing when these "coincidences" of lightning strikes, minor earthquakes, comets, and papal prophecies are getting the attention of secular news sources. Meanwhile, many Catholics who are making inquiries to their priests about these signs are usually being told to calm down, relax, and simply live a life of sanctifying grace.

Frankly speaking, if more people were living a life of sanctifying grace, we wouldn't be receiving these warning signs from God. I've said this before but will say it again, quoting Fr. Bernard Kramer, who was an biblical exegete, especially on the Apocalypse: "In the Septuagint, the word [sign] is used for celestial phenomena." (The Septuagint is the ancient Greek translation of the Old Testament.)

In the Old Testament, God said, "Let there be lights made in the firmament of Heaven, to divide the day and the night, and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days and years." (Gen. 1:14-16, Douay-Rheims Bible) In Hebrew, the word 'season' is 'moed' and and signifies an appointed or fixed time (which means it does not indicate the seasons of spring, summer, fall, or winter.) 

In the New Testament, Jesus Christ, Our Lord, said: "And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, by reason of the confusion of the roaring of the sea and of the waves; Men withering away for fear, and expectation of what shall come upon the whole world. For the powers of heaven shall be moved." (Lk. 21: 25-26) That is an infallible prophesy. It will happen. What's more, this infallible prophecy seems to have a connection to St. Hildegard's, mentioned above. Moreover, the word "heavens" could mean the skies above, but it could also mean "the Church" since in biblical prophecy, the word "heaven" or "heavens" usually indicates the Church.  Again, if that is the case, Our Lord could have meant "For the powers of the Church shall be moved" - indicating a Pope and perhaps also the hierarchy.
 
For these reasons, let's pay very respectful attention to the signs so far given. Is it really a coincidence that lightning struck the dome of St. Peter's, just before 6 p.m., on the same day Benedict XVI announced his resignation? How about the "light" earthquake that struck near Rome, three days after the pope's official resignation? Perhaps they were small but remarkable "coincidences" (the news about both certainly received attention), but let's also consider that in the Bible, God uses lighting and earthquakes as signs.

Finally, let's also look at this year's comets and the timing of their appearances. The comet that blazed through Russia did so on the first Friday in Lent, Comet Pan-STARRS is appearing at its brightest during Lent, and Comet ISON (if it successfully passes through the sun) will burn brightly during the first week of Advent 2013. Both Lent and Advent are penitential "seasons" of the Church.  The common sense of a faithful Catholic would say it is highly likely these comets are signs from God.  Pay attention and respond as we should.  Pray and do penance for our own sins and for the conversion of sinners.

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The Secret of Great Grace

All Christians profess humility, but few bear humiliations. Learn to value each one as a preparation for some great grace. It was after bearing insult and hardship that the Blessed Virgin Mary brought forth the Savior of the world.
~From Miniature Life of Mary, Virgin and Mother, 1880

Lenten Meditations: On the Suffering of Christ

On the Suffering of Christ
by Fr. A. Hubert Bamberg (Edited by Fr. Herbert Thurston, S.J.)


"And He is the propitiation of our sins, and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world." (1 John 2:2)

The magnitude of Christ's sufferings becomes manifest when viewed in connection with the person of the sufferer. The damned suffer in hell, but they suffer justly, for they revolted against God. The holy souls suffer in Purgatory, but they too have deserved punishment and have need of purification. Men suffer here on earth; sorrow is the portion of mankind in this vale of tears. But in the person of Jesus it was the Son of God, the embodiment of innocence and holiness, the Lord and Creator of all things that suffered.

In time of war, the rank and file of soldiers have to undergo the privation and hardships inciden¬tal to their lot as soldiers; and however much we may admire their endurance we would admire still more the heroism of the leader himself, he who is the head of the whole army, if he were to associate and identify himself with these sufferings, em¬bracing them voluntarily in his own person. In this latter case, the suffering is of immeasurably higher value.

Oh, the magnitude of the sufferings of Christ, the Son of God, who was crucified and died for us! You may reply, that after all Jesus Christ did not suffer in His divine nature, but only in His human nature. That is true. The divine nature is as incapable of suffering as of death, but it is equally true that His human nature belonged to the person of the Son of God.

It was the body and the soul of the Son of God; the pains, the wounds, the sufferings, the death pangs were those of the Son of God; so, we may rightly say, the Son of God suffered, the Son of God died.

II

The depth of suffering which Christ our Lord underwent for our sake is brought home to us very forcibly when we consider in themselves the pains which He endured. All through His life He was never free from suffering, and suffering of such an order that its like has never been experienced on this earth.

I will not ask you to trace step by step the weary road of poverty, toil, and prayer, which our Saviour humbly traveled here below. I want to emphasize one thing only: namely, that His Passion was ever present to Him, that the cross was the central point of all His thoughts.

If He foresaw our life and our death, He foresaw also His own, for He was omniscient and had foretold His passion. Trouble that is foreseen clearly and distinctly presses on the soul in anticipation. When a mother hears from a doctor that a beloved child has only a few weeks or a few months longer to live, every look at her darling child cuts her to the heart, reminding her of the death-struggle, the coffin, the grave that are drawing nearer and nearer. Not a single hour or day of our Saviour's life was free from pain and suffering. "My sorrow is continually before Me" (Ps. 37:18).

It may be urged that the actual passion of our Saviour was compressed into a few hours. Yet, consider what a road of agony Hee traveled in that short space of time: from the Garden of Gethsemani stained with His sweat of blood, to the house of the high priest; from the high priest to Pilate; from Pilate to Herod, and back again to Pilate, who sent Him, laden with His Cross, to Calvary and to death; His way was lined with enemies on all sides, priests and people, pagans and Jews, men of high and low degree: "Many are they who rise up against Me" (Ps. 3:2).

How manifold were His pains, how numerous were His wounds, how cruel the blows with which He was struck, how great His loss of blood! There was no member of His Body, no power of His soul, that did not suffer.

If viewed only from the outside, so to speak, His sufferings are heavy beyond all question, but, in addition to and before everything else, we have to take into account the inward desolation of His soul. To this desolation His friends and His apostles who forsook Him greatly contributed; and it was increased further by the cruelty of His enemies, who, not satisfied with tormenting and torturing Him, mocked and jeered at His anguish.

At the thought of the many souls for whom all His sufferings would not only be in vain, but would constitute even a further occasion of sin, this desolation welled up in His heart like a deep spring whose bitterness was but further increased by the thought of His heavenly Father, for by Him, too, He felt Himself forsaken. Oh, the intensity of the sufferings of Christ!

Added to this, we have to remember that the sacred humanity of Christ was in the highest degree sensitive and sensible. When a war breaks out, swords are polished and sharpened with special care; their whole virtue lying in their capacity to cut. Our Saviour, assuming our human nature with the one object and purpose of suffering and dying, chose to take to Himself, with such an end in view, a body and soul with an organization peculiarly adapted for suffering.

III

Not only are the sufferings of Christ great in themselves, their magnitude is increased and enhanced by the manner in which they were embraced and endured. Our Saviour suffered voluntarily. He said: "Not my will, but Thine be done." At the first appearance of His enemies who had come to apprehend Him, advancing toward them He asked, "Whom do you seek?" and when they answering said, "Jesus of Nazareth," He at once declared Himself: "I am He" (John 18:6). As He spoke these words, in order as it seemed to convince them that the Son of God was subject to no creature against His will, He allowed His almighty power to overcome them, suffering them to fan helpless and impotent to the ground.

His life was one of devoted patience, meekness, and holiness; it was full of strength and resoluteness, and was inspired and animated by the love of God, obedience to the heavenly Father, and love of mankind. Adorned with every virtue, it is the model and example of lives for all time, teaching us that patient suffering is beautiful and lovable, worthy to be admired and imitated; fill¬ing our hearts with love and sympathy and making the patient endurance of pain meritorious and precious in the sight of God and men.

IV

We would have learned but very imperfectly the lessons taught us by the life of Christ if we failed to estimate the fruit of His sufferings. "Why did Christ suffer and die?" asks the catechism. "Christ suffered and died for our sins." The great and wonderful result of the passion of Christ is that it atoned for the sins of the whole world.

We speak of atonement only when there has been some offense, some insult to be made good, and in every single sin that has ever been committed insult has been offered and offense given to the great Law-giver, the high and eternal Judge. When insult has been offered to anyone reparation is demanded and exacted, and almighty God demanded complete and full reparation, such reparation as amply compensated Him for the glory of which He was robbed by sin, making good the offense given Him, and completely restoring the honor due to Him.

The greatness of the reparation must bear some proportion to the status of the person to whom it is offered, and how is an offense against the majesty of almighty God to be measured? To deal a child a blow in the face is a rupture of the peace, and to strike a judge is a criminal offense, but so to treat the majesty of a king would be high treason.

On a certain occasion a captain of the French troops struck Pope Boniface VIII a blow in the face with his mailed hand and the whole of Christendom rang with indignation and horror at such an act.

Now, what is sin? It is an offense against the infinite majesty of God and calls for reparation and atonement of an infinite order. Who is to afford to God this reparation? We are but weak men; sinners ourselves and finite beings; how can we repair an infinite wrong? The angels and the holy Mother of God herself, innocent and pure though they be, are but finite creatures and as such could not restore to the infinite God the honor He had lost.

But Jesus Christ, at one and the same time true God and true man, could do it. As head of the whole human race He could offer in our name full and complete satisfaction for the sins of the world, by suffering whatever the heavenly Father required of Him: "Obedient unto death; even to the death of the cross" (Philipp. 2:8). His sufferings furnished a complete atonement which, vicariously offered, fully satisfied the divine justice. As the Saviour lay dying on the cross the shameful chains laid by the evil spirit upon men were loosened; as His Precious Blood flowed from His Sacred Wounds. the terrible flames of hell were extinguished.

The sufferings of Christ atoned, not only completely, but, superabundantly, to the divine justice: "With Him there is plentiful redemption" (Ps. 129:7). They have won for us all graces; they have restored us to the position of children of God, and opened once more the gates of heaven so long closed against us.

Our Saviour's sufferings were bitter indeed, but to us they are of unspeakable value. Who can estimate the evil they have overcome, or count the blessings which have flowed from them? Never has a tree borne fruit so sweet, so precious as the tree of the holy cross.

Because Christ endured His Passion for all and each one of us have we, then, all a right to consider ourselves saved and blessed? By no means. There remains something for us to do, which some of us are apt to neglect. If we want to have part in the redemption of Christ we must believe in the Saviour, in His Divinity, in His love, His sufferings and merits, fixing in this way all our hopes in Him and His Sacred Passion.

We must gather for ourselves the fruit of the cross, by using with contrite and grateful hearts, and in the spirit of penance and humility, the means of salvation placed in our hands by our Saviour in the holy Sacraments; and earnestly try to follow Him by walking in His footsteps. "If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me" (Matt. 16:24).

How blessed is he who thus reaps the fruit of the sufferings of Christ! How truly miserable is that soul who, in spite of the grace of God, goes to perdition; it is as though, standing by a fresh spring of water, he were to die of thirst. I thank Thee, O Lord Jesus Christ, that Thou hast died for me. May I never deserve to forfeit the merits of Thy precious blood, and of Thy infinite sufferings. Amen.
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Adapted from Popular Sermons on the Catechism, [Vol 1, No.41]
by Fr. A. Hubert Bamberg (Edited by Fr. Herbert Thurston, S.J.
© 1914 by Benziger Brothers. All emphasis (bold, italics, color) added.

A Thousand Souls: St. Gertrude's Prayer

In the Church, November is especially dedicated to suffrages made on behalf of the poor souls in Purgatory. The most efficacious prayer, of course, is that of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, followed by the daily Rosary.

Still, there are other sacrifices we can also offer. One prayer, most commonly called "St. Gertrude's Prayer," was dictated by Our Lord to St. Gertrude the Great, a Benedictine cloistered nun and a mystic. In the twelfth century, the Lord told the Saint that this prayer (approved and recommended by M. Cardinal Pahiarca of Lisbon, Portugal on March 4, 1936) releases 1,000 Souls from Purgatory each time it is offered.

"Eternal Father, I offer Thee the Most Precious Blood of Thy Divine Son, Jesus, in union with the Masses said throughout the world today, for all the holy souls in Purgatory, for sinners everywhere, for sinners in the universal church, those in my own home and within my family. Amen."

Isn't it a most wonderful prayer to add to the conclusion of our family Rosaries? It is true that the Rosary itself is such a powerful prayer to the Holy Trinity, that by itself it can empty Purgatory. Yet making use of the St. Gertrude Prayer also helps us further develop a holy compassion for the poor souls, who always await our spiritual assistance. Furthermore, it is such a brief prayer that we can offer it many times throughout the day. At whatever time we pray it, whether during the day or at the beginning or end of our Rosaries, we should never forget: For each person who prays the St. Gertrude Prayer just once, there are 1,000 souls released from the fires of Purgatory into the glories of Heaven. Why not offer it at least five times in succession, in honor of Christ's Holy Wounds, every day? Each member of the family who does so will daily assist five thousand souls.

St. Gertrude's life was the mystic life of the Cloister – a Benedictine nun. She meditated on the Passion of Christ, which many times brought a flood of tears to her eyes. She did many penances and Our Lord appeared to her many times. She had a tender love for the Blessed Virgin and was very devoted to the suffering souls in Purgatory. She died in 1334. Her feast day is November 16th. (From Prayer of St. Gertrude the Great)

Out of the Depths: De Profundis

Out of the depths have I cried to Thee, O Lord...

This one line, which comes from the prayer De Profundis, played an important part in the movie, The Sixth Sense. De Profundis (Psalm 129) is the prayer of the holy souls in Purgatory, which we may also pray for them, especially when attending at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass or at the end of our daily Rosary. In Latin, the Psalm begins De Profundis clamavi ad te, Domine (Out of the depths I have cried to Thee, O Lord). It is also a prayer of hope and repentance which we may offer in thanksgiving after a sincere Confession. "We have committed sins; we confess we have sinned. But God grants pardon to him who repents." (Roman Catholic Daily Missal, 1962) Finally, De Profundus was also a prophecy of the coming Messiah ("His word"), who offers us His mercy and "plentiful redemption."


De Profundis

Out of the depths have I cried to Thee, O Lord; Lord, hear my voice.

Let Thine ears by attentive to the voice of my supplication.

If Thou, O Lord, shalt observe iniquities; Lord, who shall endure it?

For with Thee there is merciful forgiveness, and by reason of Thy law
I have waited for Thee, O Lord.

My soul hath relied on His word; my soul hath hoped in the Lord.

From the morning watch even until night
Let Israel hope in the Lord.

For with the Lord there is mercy,
and with Him plentiful redemption.

And He shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities.

V. Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord.
R. And let the perpetual light shine upon them.
V. May they rest in peace.
R. Amen.


Let us pray: - O God, the Giver of Pardon and Lover of man's salvation, we beseech Thee in Thy mercy to grant our brethren, kinsfolk, and benefactors who have passed out of this life may, by the intercession of the blessed Mary every Virgin and of all Thy Saints, partake of everlasting bliss. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

In the West, a Pale Light Lingers

Remember, o most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy help, or sought thy intercession was left unaided. Inspired with this confidence, I fly unto thee, O Virgin of Virgins, my Mother! To thee I come, before thee I stand, sinful and sorrowful.

O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but hear and answer me. Amen.

~The Memorare of St. Bernard

As a Catholic and as a busy homeschooling wife and mom, I know we are all concerned about our families, friends and neighbors and our collective spiritual and temporal futures. For those reasons, I wish to again mention our ongoing Collegial Consecration Campaign. In addition to the intentions of the 9-Day Rosary Novena, the collegial consecration is an ever greater intention we must not forget. So as we pray for this nation, we should - above all else - pray and sacrifice for the collegial consecration of Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, every day, all year long. That is the thrust of Keeping It Catholic's Collegial Consecration Campaign, which was initiated in May of this year.

It's very easy to begin: Simply start by praying the Rosary every day (5 decades a day is called a Rosary; 15 decades a day is Our Lady's Psalter) , with the primary intention being the collegial consecration of Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. When you are ready, there are two more things you can do: If you are not already doing so, wear the Brown Scapular (please be sure it is blessed by a priest or, better yet, ask a priest to enroll you in the Brown Scapular) and offer your daily duty as a sacrifice for sinners.

Our Lady said at Fatima: "If people do what I tell you, many souls will be saved and there will be peace." Years later, Sr. Lucia summed up what Heaven asks of all the people:

Dear Queen and Mother, Who promised at Fatima to convert Russia and bring peace to all mankind, in reparation to Your Immaculate Heart for my sins and the sins of the world, I solemnly promise: 1) to offer up every day the sacrifices demanded by my daily duty; 2) to pray the Rosary (5 decades) daily while meditating on the Mysteries; 3) to wear the Scapular of Mount Carmel as a profession of this promise and as an act of consecration to You. I shall renew this promise often, especially in moments of temptation.

When we pray the daily Rosary we can and should, of course, add other intentions as well: including personal intentions, intentions for all those in their last agony, intentions for the poor souls in Purgatory, intentions in which we ask for the grace of final perseverance. We do not fear that we are asking for too many things when we pray at Mass, do we? Neither should we fear asking for many graces when we pray the Rosary. The Rosary is also a most powerful prayer, the second highest indulgenced prayer of the Church after the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.

Since penance is a necessity for the sins we have committed and confessed, and since we should also sacrifice for the conversion of others, it's well to know that daily duty is the main sacrifice Our Lord asks of us. Heaven made clear to Sr. Lucia that the sacrifice Our Lord asks of us is the faithful accomplishment of daily duty - which means 1) our duties first as Catholics and 2) our duties in our states in life. The Angel of Fatima said, "Above all, accept and bear with submission the sufferings that the Lord may send you."

Every morning, in order to remember this daily intention, we should say a prayer in which we offer to God our every thought, word and action of the day. This one practice will cultivate the habit of prayer as well as our recollection of God's Presence. It makes us immediately aware of our venial sins and immediately make an act of reparation for them. It helps us guard our thoughts, the words that come out of our mouths, and how we behave. The following prayer is a most appropriate Morning Offering:

O my God, in union with the Immaculate Heart of Mary (here kiss your Brown Scapular), I offer Thee the Most Precious Blood of Jesus, present in all the Tabernacles throughout the world, joining with It the offering of my every thought, word, and action of this day.

O my Jesus, I desire today to gain every indulgence and merit I can, and I offer them, together with myself,to Mary Immaculate, that she may best apply them to the interests of Thy Most Sacred Heart.

Precious Blood of Jesus, save us!

Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us!

Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us. Amen.

This week, the response to this specific request [praying the Rosary for the Collegial Consecration, as well as the other intentions of the nationwide 9 Day Rosary Novena] has been so heartening! If you haven't yet joined us in the Collegial Consecration Campaign, may I ask:

-Are you too busy to let us know that you are joining us in this endeavor?

-Is it that you don't know 'what' to think about the requests Our Lady made at Fatima?

-Is it that you have given up on ever seeing the era of peace?

-Are you afraid of making a commitment to daily praying the Rosary because you might forget a day or two?

-Or is it that you somehow cannot see the shadow of Mordor extending over this nation and all the world?

But if you can see that pervading shadow - do you still hesitate to pray and work for the collegial consecration out of some fear of disloyalty to the popes - past and present?

Nothing could be further from the truth. Even Inside the Vatican magazine recognizes that now. The historical facts prove the specific collegial consecration of Russia has never taken place - so it is to save the Church, the Holy Father, and the world that we are asking for this grace. The Virgin asked for it, and that should be enough for us.

In the meantime, my fellow Catholics, Mordor is assembling for battle once more. I think most of us feel it, even if we can't see it.

Remember the lines from LOTR (Lord of the Rings): "But in the west, a pale light lingered"? That pale light is Our Lady...She wishes to save not only Gondor [Western civilization] but all of Middle Earth [the whole world]. The Age of Mary must precede the Social Reign of Christ the King. The overwhelming sins of this era make the world most unworthy. In humility, we must heed our Queen and Mother; when we listen to our Mother, God will grant the world this stupendous grace.

Just like the Fellowship, we may be separated in distance and face various dangers but our goal is the same. Like the Fellowship, too, every thing we do [even though we may not know it at the time] means we are somehow helping each other. 'Small hands do them because they must, while the eyes of the great are elsewhere.' That means you and me, dear people ---Catholics who strive to remainin the state of grace, praying and working and sacrificing all over the world -separated in place as we are and yet universal!

Please...won't you join us in the daily Rosary and our special intention for the collegial consecration of Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary? Pray much for the Holy Father! Heaven said that the collegial consecration will eventually be done - but it will be late.

We're already there.

Email me and tell me you're joining us - won't you? Or, if you prefer, you are welcome to say you're joining the Collegial Consecration Campaign by leaving a comment on the blog. Finally, would you forward this message to others by using the appropriate 'mail' link at the bottom of this post? It will take just a moment of time, but think of the great blessings we might be given if many people learn of this Campaign and join us!

Btw, I ask you to alert me that you're joining us for one reason and one reason only - to know how many of the faithful we've reached with Our Lady's requests at Fatima, so we can encourage each other in praying and working together for the Triumph of the Immaculate Heart.

In the love of Christ and His Virgin Mother,

Marianna Bartold

We're Keeping It Catholic on the Net!

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"...it is necessary for each one of us to begin to reform himself spiritually. Each person must not only save his own soul but also help to save all the souls that God has placed on our path."

~Sr. Lucia of Fatima

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The One Man Who Can Save Us

As we pray our daily Rosaries and fast to participate in this nationwide Novena [not only for the presidential election but, even more importantly, for the collegial consecration of Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary], I received a private post which contains a few important things about which we must think. It reminds us that the intentions for which we are praying and sacrificing are conversion and repentance and true world peace for all the people and all nations, a peace not as the world gives but as God gives.

The sun is setting upon the world and there is only one Man who can save us, and He is God-made-Man; that is what His Virgin Mother has been reminding us in all of the authentic Marian apparitions. That is why we must pray the Rosary and sacrifice for sinners - every day. We must 'pray and work' not only during this 9 Day Rosary Novena, but always, because it is our holy duty as children of God and soldiers of Christ Our King. Remember that the "era of peace" which Our Lady promised at Fatima is not meant for one nation - no, it will one day be granted to the world.

The Social Reign of Christ the King means that all peoples, all states, all governments and all social institutions recognize and act upon their duty to base all laws and programs on the teaching of Our Lord, Jesus Christ, and His Church - for the Lord gave the Deposit of Faith only to His one, holy, Catholic and apostolic Church.

Incidentally, the post which brought all these things to mind was sent from a KIC contact and is republished below with the sender's permission.

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From an email message:

My mother had a German friend who lived in Germany during Hitler's rise to power. When the economy was still good, she said people laughed at him in the beer gardens. But when foreclosures became rampant and people started losing their homes and businesses people began to listen to him. He blamed the Jewish bankers because they were the ones foreclosing on Christian homes and even Catholic Churches.

His Youth Group appeared very good to German parents once he took power. It promoted nationalism and even rewarded Arian mothers who gave birth to four or more children with medals and ceremonies. Girls' groups trained girls to become good mothers and wives. They were trained in all the domestic arts. Once the war was in progress however, the same girls were manning machine guns aimed at Allied planes.

How is it we have been fomented into hating the Iraqi peoples so much that we have turned a blind eye to the bunker-busting weapons made from depleted uranium that contaminates the soil, causes spontaneous abortions and deformities, and dooms the children and peoples of Iraq to generations of cancers?

We have already been complicit in holocausts and we did not hear a call for Rosary Novenas. If anyone truly heeded the message of Fatima they would be saying their Rosary daily, making the First Saturday devotions and insisting on the full dialogue of the Third Secret and the [collegial] Consecration [of Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary], rather than swallowing the lie that it was done and [that] we have the text completely revealed. Abortion of American children would not be the single issue of death we would repent of...We are in the chastisement.

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Pray the Rosary every day and sacrifice for the conversion of sinners!