Crimson Tide, Blue Wave

Posted on by charliej373

red-tide-wave2014Nov30

By Charlie Johnston

Barring a huge national convulsion between now and then, talk of a blue wave of Democratic victories coming on election day this fall are pure poppycock. Republicans will pick up a net gain of 32 seats (+/- five) in the House of Representatives and seven (+/- two) in the Senate. That is not prophecy, but pure political analysis, of the sort I used to do regularly.

The night before the last federal election, I was at the home of a prominent Christian broadcaster, who asked me what (based on my political background) I thought would happen the next day. I told him that, contrary to what everyone expected, Trump would win quite handily the next day. I said both the Democrats and the media had vastly under-estimated the public’s fury with the left’s authoritarian rule over every aspect of American life – and that its bullying tactics had deprived it of honest feedback on voter concerns. The only caveat I offered was that, back in Illinois, I used to build in a four-percent fraud rate we had to overcome and that, in 2016, I had seen more signs of massive fraud nationally than I ever had before. I estimated that a minimum of five and as much as ten million fraudulent votes would be cast…and that perhaps that was the main reason for overconfidence among leftist leaders. But it would not be enough – and that is what would shock the left to its core. As I have often said, convincing people to shut up is not the same thing as convincing them.

In 1994 I was doing radio – and predicted in March that the Republicans were a dead lock to take control of the House after 40 years in the wilderness, though I was not sure about the Senate. My fellow panelists mocked me to scorn most of the year. They weren’t laughing the day after the election.

Voters will not be responding with enthusiasm for Republicans. Rather, they will be acting in self-defense against a Democratic Party that makes it very clear it can’t wait to get back to bullying nuns, bakers, florists and all other ordinary people who just want to live their lives. It can’t wait to take back the extra money that is going into ordinary people’s paychecks and tank the economy once again. It can’t wait to start rewarding foreign regimes that want to kill Americans.

I have always analyzed national elections from the perspective of what the fundamental national narratives are – not the astroturf narratives the media tries to sell (though sometimes they are effective – mainly when people are not paying much attention). The media and the Democrats think that, by their relentless, hysterical partisan attacks, they are convincing people of their case. They are convincing people – that they are a clear and present danger to basic liberty and prosperity. Oh, but what about the special elections? Control of the Congress is almost never at stake in a special election. In Alabama, Republicans had a badly damaged candidate in the Senate race. In Pennsylvania, Republican dominance in the 18th District persuaded the GOP they could submit a nominee whose most prominent public characteristic was his deep hostility to unions – in a district whose largest single demographic was union members. The only example that shook me this last year was Democratic dominance in Virginia, which I did not see coming. Yet northern Virginia has become the home state of much of the massive federal bureaucracy – which votes overwhelmingly Democrat. Those who see themselves as rulers voted their self-interest, to extend their rule over the folksies. I do not underestimate Republican capacity for establishment fecklessness – but the Democrats make their aggressive hostility to normal people who just want to live and let live clearer and more vicious each day.

When I am involved in a race myself, my prognostications on such things are significantly impaired, but whenever I was doing it solely from a media perch, my record was better than the pollsters. I certainly sniffed out upsets a lot better and more reliably. Here’s one trick you can use. Whenever you see a busy coffee shop, go in, get a cup of coffee, pretend to read a paper, and listen to what people talk about. In coffee shops, people are talking and arguing with their buddies – without any filter of what they are “supposed” to think. When people talk to pollsters nowadays, they often fear that it is really a political organization they are talking to – and that they will be punished or harassed for saying the wrong thing. So, many lie. Since they do not fear retaliation from conservatives, but do fear harassment from the shrieking mob of ‘tolerant’ lefties, the lies all go to make them sound more left then they really are. Go sit quietly in coffee shops and listen. I do it out of habit and curiosity. Already, this last year, I have been in several in hard Democratic enclaves – and the talk in the room would send chills up the backs of those Democrats talking blue waves. In one such Democratic coffee shop, I was shocked to hear not a single word in defense of Democrats – and bitter anger against the party by all. This was before the tax cuts.

I do not have high hopes that we will get out of all these troubles without deeply violent strife. I lack confidence that much of any of the elite classes are capable of doing anything they don’t see as ultimately for their own narrow benefit. True patriotism and honor are at an all-time low. There will ultimately be a “blue wave,” a wave of grace sent from Our Lord through Our Lady on the way to the Triumph of Her Immaculate Heart. But a political blue wave this fall? Nonsense. The Democrats are going to be blasted into near irrelevance on the national scene. You heard it here first.

*******

Carole Tomlinson asked me to convey her thanks to all of you for your help on her gofundme page. She is battling pancreatic cancer and, now, breast cancer, and she wanted you to know your generosity was a great comfort and help to her.

 

158 thoughts on “Crimson Tide, Blue Wave”

      1. Yes, Patrick. Equally sobering are the red waters in the image. The waters in Rwanda turned red in the height of that country’s conflict. I just posted this comment on Charlie’s previous piece this morning:

        “Charlie, it’s always worthy to review your pieces. When I read a news report this morning, I thought of your observation which is surely so: ‘We are closer to Rwanda right now than we think.’

        This kind of rhetoric is evidence that we are in grave danger:
        Rep. John Garamendi (D-Calif.) said Friday that he’s “had it” with President Trump, saying his presidency has become a ‘very serious security threat’ for the country.

        ‘This presidency is a very serious security threat for the United States,” Garamendi said during an interview on CNN’s “The Situation Room.’

        ‘I ought to say, it’s time to get this guy out of there.'”

        See, I don’t think this representative and his Democratic counterparts are blustering. The poisonous, violent loathing now espoused is rabid. I see people who h.a.t.e. – in a chilling way – not only President Trump, but also anyone who dares to disagree with them. There are no expressions of concern for our country and all her people. There is only this agenda which must be shoved down the throat of anyone who does not fall in line with lock-step agreement.

        Thank you for the wonderful article, Patrick. It’s a gem.

        Liked by 13 people

        1. Rwanda and the image of red waters made me shudder. Before that, talk of a possible limited nuclear exchange and the image of the H-bomb gave me pause. These are difficult things to think about, but we’ve certainly been warned that the Storm will be fierce. As tragic as they are to contemplate, events like these would certainly be consistent with what we expect the full fury of the Storm to look like. Praying, praying, praying……

          Bitter, palpable, poisonous rhetoric abounds. Some very shocking statements are coming out of Washington, and true colors are being exposed as I’ve said before (speaking of colors). Raw hatred from partisan politicians and government employees are viciously, unashamedly, unreservedly being spewed unfiltered. It’s astounding to me! And its gonna get worse. Check out this venomous tweet from former CIA hack John Brennan:

          “When the full extent of your venality, moral turpitude, and political corruption becomes known, you will take your rightful place as a disgraced demagogue in the dustbin of history. You may scapegoat Andy McCabe, but you will not destroy America…America will triumph over you.”

          What the hell is he talking about?! What is wrong with his mind? This is just pure argumentum ad hominem without a solitary reason or bit of evidence to support his statement. He seems to believe that he is somehow stating fact. His tweet essentially says, “I hate you, Donald Trump.” People like him are reduced to speaking in such a way that they seem mentally ill.

          Perhaps Liberalism and Progressivism are not mental disorders, but they sure do seem to contort and contaminate an otherwise sound mind.

          Uffda.

          Liked by 13 people

          1. THIS is what I’m talking about! After 8 years of Obama’s egregious disregard for the Constitution – with action after action of his ultimately being condemned by the courts as unconstitutional — this kind of “stuff” is coming out of the mouths of his leftist Comrades:

            “This is where the Second Amendment comes in, quite frankly, because you know, what if the president was to ignore the courts? What would you do? What would we do?” A Democratic congressman from Long Island implied that Americans should grab weapons and oppose President Trump by force, if the commander-in-chief doesn’t follow the Constitution.

            Astounding. What is wrong with liberals? (Don’t answer that….we already know people who believe murdering babies is a right are mentally ill.)

            https://nypost.com/2018/03/19/congressman-suggests-second-amendment-as-means-of-opposing-trump/

            Liked by 4 people

          2. Todays (morning prayer) psalm in Liturgy of the hours

            Psalm 11 (12)
            A prayer against the proud

            “The Father deigned to send his Son for the sake of us, the poor” (St Augustine).

            The words of the Lord are words without alloy, silver from the furnace, seven times refined.

            Help, O Lord, for good men have vanished;
            truth has gone from the sons of men.
            Falsehood they speak one to another,
            with lying lips, with a false heart.

            May the Lord destroy all lying lips,
            the tongue that speaks high-sounding words,
            those who say: ‘Our tongue is our strength;
            our lips are our own, who is our master?’

            ‘For the poor who are oppressed and the needy who groan
            I myself will arise,’ says the Lord,
            ‘I will grant them the salvation for which they thirst.’

            The words of the Lord are words without alloy,
            silver from the furnace, seven times refined.

            It is you, O Lord, who will take us in your care
            and protect us for ever from this generation.
            See how the wicked prowl on every side,
            while the worthless are prized highly by the sons of men.

            Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
            as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
            world without end.
            Amen.

            The words of the Lord are words without alloy, silver from the furnace, seven times refined.

            Liked by 3 people

      2. Actually, Patrick, I believe that if this country sees serious violence or even a few months of civil war, the result will be to *enhance* Charlie’s projections, not make them worse. Any civil war will come because the right is willing to stand against the Democrats and far leftists, and most or all of the center will side with the right. The leftists will lose even more support than is currently likely. Trump is a brilliant man, and his strategy will shatter the Democrat Party forever. I think it highly likely that by November the very idea of being a Democrat will become toxic. My main question isn’t along these lines but about how violent things will get and how many people will be involved in the violence. That issue is unknown at the moment.

        Liked by 16 people

        1. Steve, my comment surely did imply that a convulsion before November could alter the outcome of the elections in favor of Dems. I actually don’t believe that…I was writing without thinking. If anything, a big convulsion might mean no election at all: aka “Chaos” (which I’m still optimistically waiting for). You and Charlie are right, Dems/Libs are on the ropes, they’re screwed and they know it — illustrated by their venomous vociferations. I agree there is little to nothing that can change that. President Trump is systematically dismantling the Democrat party, and his tax cuts mortally wounded them. Leftists are seen as anti-American, voter-hungry frauds who despise the people and the Constitution, and they’re slipping deeper and deeper into irrelevance.

          Regarding our president, I was thinking today how his seemingly ‘careless’ use of Twitter is also now working against the Left. In the past, he said stuff at times that seemed haphazard or mean-spirited, but he always got his point across to get to whatever end he had in mind. At the same time, the protestations from his enemies never seemed to stick. How this infuriates the left! So now they’re trying their hands at using Twitter in a similar way, “speaking their minds” and attacking him off-the-cuff…yet they sound foolish, bitter, or just plain bat crazy. Today, perhaps in a calculated move, he appears to be Tweeting in a more measured way. He’s become the thoughtful, pro-American Statesman, a voice of reason in a jumbled chorus of desperate, disorganized D.C. nonsense. Ah….it’s a pleasure to watch all this unfold.

          Liked by 14 people

          1. Wow, PD, “venomous vociferations” is one mighty phrase! 😀

            Trump is deliberately evolving his public persona. For decades he has protected himself from the Dark State while still being in their levels by creating and nurturing a buffoonish persona that they would automatically downgrade in their own estimations. When he began his election run in 2015 that guy was much in evidence in his speechifying, but once he received the nomination, his stump speeches became much more dignified, even elevated. Once elected and during the first part of his term, his Twitter feeds were mostly designed to drive the Left and MSM into fits and to get them to focus on irrelevancies, while he and his team were off in more private areas working through their strategy. Now as he gets ready to bring the thunderbolt(s), his Twitter feed is evolving again into something more measured and refined, because he needs to start attracting those on the Left who can be salvaged but who until now have been unable to get past the buffoonish persona. Salvaging those on the Left is something we all need to concentrate on now, especially when they find themselves blindsided and disoriented by the thunderbolts that have begun to rain down on us all.

            I have learned a great deal by watching Trump work. Between Charlie and Trump, we have all gotten the chance to learn from two true maestros of the political world. May our own efforts help keep everyone calm even as everyone wakes up.

            Liked by 14 people

            2. Yea, Steve, I can sure pile on the adjectives — it’s easier than actually developing ideas. 🤓 It’s my own highfalutin version of the classic ad hominem attack.

              Let me add Trump is also expertly calling out the Republicans as well. He’s made many of them reveal themselves to be impotent frauds with little difference from Dems. Perhaps some will see how far left they’ve swung over the decades and change their ways.

              I derive great pleasure by what Trump’s done to the uber-powerful media. I remember when living in the Netherlands in 1998 I “discovered” that the media was biased left. I asked my mom about it, “Did you know the media is a bunch of liberals?! The news is totally biased!” She said that she knew that, but that she was able to tell what it was they weren’t reporting. (Huh?) I had always assumed Walter Cronkite, Peter Jennings, Dan Blather, and Tom Broke-Jaw were just reporting facts. I angrily asked her why she never told me about this bias. Come to find out, my mother actually leans left, as do my sibs. SIgh.

              Well, the Dinosaur media’s chickens have come home to roost and down they go, thanks to the man in the White House:
              http://www.breitbart.com/big-journalism/2018/03/16/nolte-disgraced-mainstream-media-swamped-massive-layoffs/

              Liked by 5 people

            3. That’s certainly possible, SteveBC, although we could come up with dozens more competing scenarios that are equally plausible. That’s the difficulty with pegging tomorrow… it’s a moving target.

              I will admit that speculating is fun though, in a sense. I’ll also admit to being simply an average student of politics, so rarely opine on these matters. I do know a thing or two about brand building though and I’m of the opinion it’s a case of what-you-see-is-what-you-get with the Trump brand. As much as I’d like to buy into the idea of the shrewd and masterful tactician, brand is not so much about what the teams of professionals carefully craft (be it a company, product, person, etc.) as it is about what folks are saying about the brand… when the crafty professionals are not in the room.

              The Word says, “say ‘yes’ if you mean ‘yes,’ ‘no’ if you mean ‘no.’ Also, “be as gentle as a dove, and as wise as a serpent.” I dearly wish that Trump would take that Wisdom more to heart. Certainly he would be more “masterful” to my reckoning if he could embrace that more.

              Whatever the case, your propensity to speculate on these matters is an oddly comforting thread in this fabric here. Maybe not so for my annoying habit of zig-zagging around the desert and coming back here with some “rambling and loquacious” recounting of it. I say that with a great deal of fondness for you, and wee bit of self-deprecation. But just a wee bit.

              Thus, a quick fishing story from yesterday (yep, that makes at least 3 for me, Phil).

              I came across an older Yavapai couple fishing on that odd stretch of irrigation canal coming off the river. We exchanged friendly waves/greetings back and forth (and they had the good grace not to ask why I was cutting across the Yavapai reservation). “Catching anything?”

              “Not much but a couple of little ones so far,” said the husband, so I asked him what they were using for bait. Ah, that wouldn’t do, so I dug in my pack for some lures, pulling out a smaller one that always gets the job done (especially with large mouth bass).

              “Oh, thanks. I’ll give it a try.”

              About twenty minutes later I was across the canal, up on a ridge above their fishing spot, just in time to see that fella landing a lunker. At least a four lb. large mouth bass!

              When he spotted me, he gave me the thumbs-up. “Did you catch that on that lure I gave you?”

              “Nope, I didn’t try it yet… but I’m getting ready to.”

              I’ve been alternately pondering and chuckling about that encounter ever since.

              Liked by 8 people

              1. Wonderful story, MP, love it! 🙂

                Trump isn’t building his brand. He already built it for decades and now he is *spending* it for a greater cause. He is using it and all his other skills and methods and family and friends and colleagues to fight a *battle*. Thunderbolts are coming. This is his moment, and … he … spends … all …

                Liked by 4 people

                1. Yes, I really wasn’t suggesting that he was vigorously building his brand today, just looking at him in the framework of the Trump brand, since that’s the way the vast majority see him. Should be interesting to see what that brand equity amounts to in the days ahead.

                  Thunderbolts, eh?! Does the “B” stand for Boanerges?

                  Liked by 2 people

                  1. I apologize for misunderstanding you, then. “Sons of Thunder” indeed. Ha! 😀

                    I’m sorry to hear elsewhere on the site that you and your family are riding a storm. I’ve prayed a PMT for all of you. May things smooth out joyfully, and sooner rather than later.

                    Liked by 1 person

        2. No matter what party you are for this is such a great write-up and very interesting. I think it “dove tails” with what Charlie wrote…..sansan

          A TAKE ON DONALD TRUMP

          A different take on Donald Trump: (a non-political agenda)

          Trump Is Not A Liberal or Conservative, He’s a “Pragmatist.”

          (Definition: A pragmatist is someone who is practical and focused on reaching a goal. A pragmatist usually has a straightforward, matter-of-fact approach and doesn’t let emotion distract him or her.)

          “We recently enjoyed a belated holiday dinner with friends at the home of other friends. The dinner conversation varied from discussions about antique glass and china to theology and politics.

          At one point, reference was made to Donald Trump being a conservative, to which I responded that Trump is not a conservative.

          I said that I neither view nor do I believe Trump views himself as a conservative. I stated it was my opinion that Trump is a pragmatist. He sees a problem and understands it must be fixed. He doesn’t see the problem as liberal or conservative, he sees it only as a problem. That is a quality that should be admired and applauded, not condemned. But I get ahead of myself.

          Viewing problems from a Liberal perspective has resulted in the creation of more problems, more entitlement programs, more victims, more government, more political correctness, and more attacks on the working class in all economic strata.

          Viewing things according to the so-called Republican conservative perspective has brought continued spending and globalism to the detriment of American interests and well being, denial of what the real problems are, weak, ineffective, milquetoast, leadership that amounts to Barney Fife Deputy Sheriff, appeasement oriented and afraid of its own shadow. In brief, it has brought liberal
          ideology with a pachyderm as a mascot juxtaposed to the ass of the Democrat Party.

          Immigration isn’t a Republican problem, it isn’t a Liberal problem, it is a problem that threatens the very fabric and infrastructure of America. It demands a pragmatic approach not an approach that is intended to appease one group or another.

          The impending collapse of the economy wasn’t a Liberal or Conservative problem, it is an American problem. That said, until it is viewed as a problem that demands a common sense approach to resolution, it will never be fixed because the Democrats and Republicans know only one way to fix things and the longevity of their impracticality has proven to have no lasting effect.

          Successful businessmen like Donald Trump find ways to make things work, they do not promise to accommodate.

          Trump uniquely understands that China’s manipulation of currency is not a Republican problem or a Democrat problem. It is a problem that threatens our financial stability and he understands the proper balance needed to fix it.

          Here again, successful businessmen like Trump who have weathered the changing tides of economic reality understand what is necessary to make business work, and they, unlike both sides of the political aisle, know that if something doesn’t work, you don’t continue trying to make it work hoping that at some point it will.

          As a pragmatist, Donald Trump hasn’t made wild pie-in-the-sky promises of a cell phone in every pocket, free college tuition, and a $15 hour minimum wage for working the drive-through at Carl’s Hamburgers.

          I argue that America needs pragmatists because pragmatists see a problem and find ways to fix them. They do not see a problem and compound it by creating more problems.

          You may not like Donald Trump, but I suspect that the reason some people do not like him is because:

          (1) he is antithetical to the “good old boy” method of brokering backroom deals that fatten the coffers of politicians;

          (2) they are unaccustomed to hearing a president speak who is unencumbered by the financial shackles of those who he owes vis-a-vis
          donations;

          (3) he is someone who is free of idiomatic political ideology;

          (4) he says what he is thinking, is unapologetic for his outspoken thoughts, speaks very straightforward using everyday language
          that can be understood by all (and is offensive to some who dislike him anyway) making him a great communicator, for the most part, does what he says he will do and;

          (5) he is someone who understands that it
          takes more than hollow promises and political correctness to make America great again.

          Listening to Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders talk about fixing America is like listening to two lunatics trying to “out crazy” one another. Jeb Bush, John Kasich and Marco Rubio are owned lock, stock, and barrel by the bankers, corporations, and big dollar donors funding their campaigns. Bush can deny it, but common sense tells anyone willing to face facts is that people don’t give
          tens of millions without expecting something in return

          We have had Democrats and Republican ideologues and what has it brought us? Are we better off today or worse off? Has it happened overnight or has it been a steady decline brought on by both parties?

          I submit that a pragmatist is just what America needs right now. People are quick to confuse and despise confidence as arrogance, but that is common among those who have never accomplished anything in their lives (or politicians who never really solved a problem, because it’s better to still have an “issue(s) to be solved,” so re-elect me to solve it, (which never happens) and those who have always played it safe (again, all politicians) not willing to risk failure, to try and achieve success).

          Donald Trump put his total financial empire at risk in running for president and certainly did not need or possibly even want the job; that says it all. He wants success for the U.S. and her citizens because he loves his country!

          Liked by 9 people

          1. Hi SanSan, I edited out the purported author of this for several reasons. First, I am familiar with his work and the syntax did not sound at all like him. Second, his name has been attached to several articles I know of NOT written by him in order to bolster the articles’ credibility. Third, I searched the archives of his actual columns at the Washington Post and at Townhall (places he has been a regular columnist) to see if this existed independently. It did not. I did find the same column at several sites, just as you have it here, without any provenance or link to an actual site that publishes him. So, I do not believe it is his.

            That said, it is not malicious, so I let the material stand without risking false attribution. The author originally cited is actually usually a Trump critic, though not an obsessive one. He is one who notes those things he finds worthy of praise in Trump, but is by no means an admirer.

            Liked by 7 people

            2. I do not know who wrote it but it sure makes sense to me. This clarifies , for me at least, why Trump does and says what he does. Thank you from one who is not politically astute.

              Liked by 2 people

    1. Ha, Madkat! Much of my extended family are fanatical Alabama fans – so this title was both appropriate, and a gentle homage to those family members. (I was with my sister in Alabama when the Cubs won the World Series. On the final play she leaped into the air and shouted, “Roll Tide!” They really do that down there on everything good that happens to them.)

      Liked by 10 people

  5. Hi everyone.. My mom passed away Thursday March 15 and will be buried Monday 19th. St Joseph’s day!!! Any prayers for her and for all of us would be appreciated. xoxo Great piece, Charlie! Hey you know, when I see a squirrel I always think of you and feel great Hope! God save us all! xoxo

    Liked by 22 people

    1. So sorry for the loss of your Mom, Linda. May St. Joseph welcome her into the kingdom.

      Funny, when I see squirrels persisting away at their appointed tasks, I think of the TNRS family.

      Liked by 18 people

      1. Thank you dearest everyone for your prayers for me & for my family…I’ve gotten so many “signs” from God already that all went well for mom at that most important time of her life. God is so good!!! Hospice was wonderful to the end! St. Joseph, pray for us 😉

        Liked by 8 people

    2. Oh, Linda — prayed a Divine Mercy chaplet at her hour of death; and a MT through Saints Joseph, Patrick, always Benedict ( against interplay of evil) — and frankly as an afterthought Saints Joseph of Arimathea ( buried Jesus), and from NRS, Joan of Arc and Therese.
      May she pray back for us! Amen.

      Liked by 8 people

    3. Condolences on the passing of your dear mother, Linda. Praying for the repose of her soul. Praying, too, for consolation for you, your family and all who love her. May St. Joseph and the entire Holy Family remain close to yours in these days of mourning.

      Liked by 10 people

    5. Linda, I’m joining the others here in praying for your dear mother’s soul and for you and your family. God bless you all. Hugs to you too.

      Liked by 7 people

    6. Dear Linda,

      I am sorry about your Mom’s passing. Praying for her to enter heaven quickly. Wow- St. Josephs day- and he is the patron saint of a a happy death.

      Prayers for all of your intentions!

      Liked by 8 people

    7. You have my deepest sympathies, Linda. I pray for the repose of your mom’s soul and also for the consolation of your family. Thank you for letting us know about her and giving us the opportunity to pray for her!

      Liked by 9 people

    9. Praying for the repose of your dear mother’s soul Linda. March 19th holds a very special day for me too of a departed loved one.

      Liked by 4 people

    11. My condolences to you and your family Linda. I am about to leave for Sunday Mass – and will have as a main intention the soul of your dear mother; may she rest in peace, Amen.

      Liked by 4 people

    12. Linda, I’m sure your Mom is fine, especially so with all the prayers offered for her (and for you and your family) here. I have added a PMT as well.

      Liked by 7 people

    13. Linda, my heartfelt condolences to you and your family. I have prayed for the repose of your dear mother’s soul and for the comfort and consolation for all who love her. ❤

      Liked by 5 people

    14. Linda, I’m so sorry for this loss. I am adding both your mom and all her family into my St Joseph novena intentions. I think that it is quite a blessing, as well as a sign to you all, that she will be buried on his feast day!

      Liked by 6 people

    17. Please accept my belated condolences on your dear mother’s passing Linda. Prayers for you and for her and hoping she is well settled in her new home in heaven.

      Like

  6. O God seal what is truth here!

    I recall being dismissed in the past for saying I was getting signals that I could be audited or something if I became too visible in my complaints or support of certain people and things. Then lo and behold the Lois Lerner thing of targeting conservatives and Christians came to light.

    God strengthen us.

    Liked by 8 people

      1. Than you for asking and for rememering Lilia❤️
        She is going to have her 3. kemo the 27.03. She have lost alle her hair (she have alvays have had beutiful long dark blond hair). But she is still beutiful whithout. The medication is not as aveful as expektet, and she takes all of this horrendus experiance fantastic on the psykological plane. I am impressed whith her. I was whith her the second time she got kemo and several days before and after. It helps me to be whith her and see how it all works, how she respond on the treatment and watch her psykological condition. My imagination on it all would have been much worse than reality.
        The medical treatment and team is also very clever I think, so I feel she is in god hands. I will meet her again before the 3. kemotreatment. She live in Norway an I live in Denmark. We will meet in our wintercabin in the Norwegian mountains together whith another daughter and her family. It is a lovely skiarea, and we will all be toghether, enjoying eachothers company, skiing and hopefully the sun. We all love it up there. My daughthers have been on this wonderful place on earth their whole life on hollidays summer, authum and winters.
        I have 3 daughthers and this breastcancer is genetic. I do not know before lat may if the other two have inherit this gene. The genetics will dig in the family history and we suppose it comes from my late husband.
        I am wery thankful for your care and prayers.

        Liked by 3 people

  8. Oh Charlie, this gives me hope! I pray that you are correct, because I believe this is a spiritual battle, though the world views it as a political battle. It is my strong belief that the swamp, the deep state, or whatever you want to call it, is based on evil. We discussed here a while back, Mother Mary’s messages to the MMP about a certain evil that is in the Church as well as the world. Mama will crush the evil however! We can be sure of that. May Her mantle cover all of us and our families as we get to that victory.

    Liked by 14 people

  9. Good post, Charlie. Things are toxic. Find myself saying more and more, “is this true?”, even on conservative news sites.

    Liked by 4 people

  11. Thank you Charlie, very encouraging words. I’ve got a gnawing gut that we are in for a violent summer especially as the election get’s near. Must keep on praying for peace and that God’s will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

    Liked by 5 people

  12. Reading this before bed and feeling very hopeful the demon-crats…I mean dem rats…I mean emo tards…I mean democrats drift into the dust bin of history (like the KKK- which they started).

    Seriously though, the Left is getting so crazy that I’m starting to get funny looks down here in Georgia when I tell people I’m left handed.

    Charlie, keep up the good work!

    P.S. my confirmation students were confirmed today. It was awesome. Bishop Ned Schlesinger knocked it out of the park with his homily. He sounds kinds of like John Malkovich when he speaks….

    Anyway, the main point of his homily was that when Jesus was temped by the satan in the desert, he tempted Our Lord with bread. Bishop Ned then said that bread was important to the body, but Jesus’ response illustrated the greater importance of man’s sustenance on every word the proceeds from the mouth of God. Where are those words today in digestible form? Why, scripture, of course. Bishop Ned said that if you don’t feed upon God’s word daily, you’ll starve. And it is a terrible thing to be spiritually starving in the world we live in today.

    Another image that stuck with me: he said that most people view Jesus as a coach on the sideline of life. Tallying mistakes, checking off accomplishments, and sort of off to the side, away from the action. Wrong. Jesus is on the field with us every step of the way.

    I now bid you goodnight, TNRS family. Must sleep when I can in a house with a 6, 4, 3, and 1 year old. Also a pregnant (but beautiful) wife.

    Adieu.

    Liked by 12 people

    2. CHASEPRO123, Jesus is our QUARTERBACK! The captain on the field, the leading tackler, and best blocker we have against anything that wants to sack us! Prayers for you students to keep growing in faith, and your pregnant AND (not but) beautiful wife 😉

      Liked by 4 people

  13. Whew! (Sigh of relief) So glad to be reassured that conservative thought will prevail. My hubby and I were in a coffee shop this morning overhearing a political conversation that was full of anger and twisted thought against all things Trump. I was both saddened and afraid. I pray I have the courage to speak up and speak truth when it counts. I don’t like confrontation. Lord give me strength for the battle!

    Liked by 12 people

  14. I agree with you, Annie. We are experiencing a spiritual battle, not a political battle. There is plenty of hate by the godless left that a civil war is possible. The devil is working hard to bring that about. Our Blessed Mother has begged us through many apparitions to pray for the conversion of sinners. She asked the 3 children at Fatima to say a Rosary every day. That was a message for all of us. We can’t have the “era of peace” that she promised the children until we all take her words seriously. Our Blessed Mother further begged for prayers to “blind satan” by Her “Flame of Love devotion. Messages were given to Elizabeth Kindelmann from Budapest during the 1960’s. I read Elizabeth’s diary. The messages are approved by her Bishop and the Vatican. We must keep praying for the triumph. Our Blessed Mother needs our help. The more we pray the Rosary, the faster the triumph. The alternative to that would be a chastisement to our pagan world which it deserves. God bless one and all.

    Liked by 13 people

  15. As we experienced the astronomical reality last September – Revelation Chapter 12: “And a great sign appeared in Heaven, a woman clothed with the sun…” so we also, through the Medjugorje visionaries (among many others), have experienced That Woman’s daily apparitions with us here on Earth for many years.

    We are approaching the 37th anniversary of what should be to us something enormous – a supernatural Blue Wave. This is not nothing; this is extraordinary! She has come to prepare us and to be with us through it all. The image of the Crimson Wave is graphic as Patrick and other have noted. It is scary. A child places all his or her trust in a parent in moments such as this – dearest Jesus, help us all to be copies of You, resting seemingly undisturbed in Your Mother’s arms, even as She presented You in the Temple.

    Some here may have noticed this article entitled On Sunday, March 18, Mirjana will have her yearly apparition. http://ingodscompany2.blogspot.com.

    A snippet from Mirjana: “Only when the things contained in the secrets start to happen will the world understand why she chose the 18th of March. The significance of the date will be clear.”

    Our Lady’s annual apparition to the Medjugorje visionary, Mirjana, usually takes place a bit before 2 PM, Medjugorje time on March 18. This is around 8 AM Central Time USA and just before 9.30pm where I am. http://www.marytv.tv will record the apparition as usual and post it shortly afterwards.

    A heavenly Blue Wave – thank you Mother of Hope and Consolation – as the banner on this blog of Charlie’s reminds us!

    Liked by 5 people

    2. Here is the message:

      Latest Medjugorje Message, March 18, 2018 [O] – The annual apparition of Our Lady to Mirjana Dragicevic-Soldo
      180318a

      {The visionary Mirjana Dragicevic-Soldo had daily apparitions from June 24th 1981 to December 25th 1982. During the last daily apparition, Our Lady gave her the 10th secret, and told her that she would appear to her once a year, on the 18th of March. It has been this way through the years. Several thousand pilgrims gathered in prayer of the Rosary. The apparition lasted from 13:38 to 13:42.}

      http://www.medjugorje.ws

      “Dear children! My earthly life was simple. I loved and I rejoiced in small things. I loved life – the gift from God – even though pain and sufferings pierced my heart. My children, I had the strength of faith and boundless trust in God’s love. All those who have the strength of faith are stronger. Faith makes you live according to what is good and then the light of God’s love always comes at the desired moment. That is the strength which sustains in pain and suffering.

      My children, pray for the strength of faith, trust in the Heavenly Father, and do not be afraid. Know that not a single creature who belongs to God will be lost but will live forever. Every pain has its end and then life in freedom begins there where all of my children come – where everything is returned. My children, your battle is difficult. It will be even more difficult, but you follow my example. Pray for the strength of faith; trust in the love of the Heavenly Father. I am with you. I am manifesting myself to you. I am encouraging you. With immeasurable motherly love I am caressing your souls. Thank you. ”

      Liked by 8 people

    3. “A snippet from Mirjana: “Only when the things contained in the secrets start to happen will the world understand why she chose the 18th of March. The significance of the date will be clear.”

      Interestingly, March 18th is the date the war ended in Bosnia-Herzegovina:

      Click to access washagree_03011994.pdf

      For us here in the USA it is the date we left the Gold Standard.

      Liked by 5 people

      1. Sean, forgive me for my ignorance, but when was March 18 of any year singled out by Our Lady? I gather the first apparition was 6/24/81, so it has to be from some other information I’m not familiar with. Can you give a little background on this? Thanks!

        Liked by 2 people

        1. Here you go, SteveBC. An article from last month mentioning the significance of March 18th, with the full meaning yet to be revealed. https://mysticpost.com/2018/02/now-is-the-time-to-tell-the-world-my-story-march-18th-again-looms-large-the-significance-of-the-date-will-be-clear/

          If you have anyone nearby who follows Medjugorje, perhaps they could lend you Mirijana’s book. Otherwise, I’d be happy to mail you my copy – which I purchased when first released – if you’re interested in reading it. Please, say but the word.

          Liked by 4 people

        2. Cathy Nolan from Mary TV posted this a couple of days ago. It pretty much sums up all we know about the significance of March 18th of some year yet unknown.

          March 16, 2018

          Dear Family of Mary!

          On Sunday, March 18, Mirjana will have her yearly apparition, the one Our Lady promised her on the last day of her daily apparitions. That last daily apparition was Christmas Day 1982. Mirjana had been seeing Our Lady daily for 18 months. But those daily apparitions were to end on Christmas day. Mirjana shares what she experienced in her book, “My Heart Will Triumph”. On this final day, Our Lady promised Mirjana she would come to her every March 18th.

          She writes: My parents told me later that my final daily apparition lasted for an extraordinary 45 minutes. Our Lady and I talked about many things. We summarized our entire 18 months together – everything we had said to each other and everything she had revealed to me. She entrusted me with the tenth and final secret, and she explained that I will need to choose a priest for a special role. Ten days before the date of the event foretold in the first secret, I am to tell him what will happen and when. He and I are then supposed to pray and fast for seven days, and, three days before the event, the priest will reveal it to the world. All ten secrets will be revealed in this way.

          Our Lady also gave me a precious gift. She told me that she would appear to me once a year, on March 18, for the rest of my life. March 18 is my birthday, but Our Lady did not choose that date for that reason. For her, my birthday is not different from anyone else. Only when the things contained in the secrets start to happen will the world understand why she chose the 18th of March. The significance of the date will be clear. She also said that I would experience some additional apparitions. (These became the 2nd of the month apparitions.)

          She then held out something like a rolled-up scroll, explaining that all the secrets were written on it, and that I should show it to the priest I choose when the time comes to reveal them. I took it from her hand without looking at it…” (Mirjana Soldo. “My Heart Will Triumph”. P. 136-37)

          Mirjana suffered greatly from the loss of Our Lady’s daily apparitions. But she was brave and has continued to follow Our Lady all these years. Her book is wonderful, and I recommend it to all of you as a way to glimpse the life of a visionary. (You can order the book here: http://www.MyHeartWillTriumph.com)
          I want to share the message Our Lady gave Mirjana on March 18, 2017 with you all. It is helpful to review what Our Lady says to us on these occasions. It is a wonderfully loving message:

          “Dear children! My motherly desire is for your hearts to be filled with peace, and for your souls to be pure so that in the presence of my Son you could see His face. Because, my children, as a mother I know that you thirst for consolation, hope and protection. You, my children, consciously and unconsciously are seeking my Son. I also, as I passed the time on earth, rejoiced, suffered and patiently endured pains, until my Son, in all His glory, removed them. And that is why I am saying to my Son: help them always. You, my children, with true love, illuminate the darkness of selfishness which all the more envelopes my children. Be generous. May both your hands and heart always be open. Do not be afraid. Abandon yourselves to my Son with trust and hope. As you look towards Him, live life with love. To love means to give oneself, to endure, and never to judge. To love means to live the words of my Son. My children, as a mother I am speaking to you: only true love leads to eternal happiness. Thank you.” (March 18, 2017)

          Mary TV will record Mirjana’s apparition on Sunday and post it as soon as we can. You can view it at http://www.marytv.tv !
          In Jesus, Mary and Joseph!
          Cathy Nolan
          ©Mary TV 2018

          Liked by 4 people

  17. In last march 4th election in Italy the Dems got their lowest percentage of votes ever, 18%.
    The so called populist, but in reality anti EU bureaucracy vote, was very high.
    But Now the Eu élites are pressuring Italy as they already did in order to have a pro Eu Government like a German grosse koalition.
    With the euro currency and the austerity policies they destroyed already 25% of Italian Manufacturing capacity, once the greatest in Europe before 2002.
    Italy, always divided and conquered by foreign people and nations, since the Fall of the Roman Empire, but now more than ever in danger of being demographically and financially destroyed. I think thefact the Papacy is in Italy has conditioned History. Because it’s a battle of principalities, not only people . I also hope for the blu triumph of life Lady, our Madonna (=my Lady). Pray for my country. God bless America

    Liked by 11 people

    1. Praying for Italy, Lilia. I have loved meeting the people and traveling the countryside and cities, on every visit there. God bless Italy and God bless our world.

      Liked by 7 people

        1. That would be delightful, Lilia, as would a visit from you to the US. Just imagine all the places you could see, making stops to visit TNRSers all over the country!

          Liked by 5 people

  19. Charlie! Thank for your words to us! For encouraging our faith! I will continue to pray we all keep the faith and thank God for Our Dear Mother Mary.

    Liked by 4 people

    1. Happy St. Joseph’s Day to all and especially to you, Joseph, and all the Josephs at ASOH. Praying, daily, for Pope Francis, yet, he was elected in the conclave on March 13, 2013.

      Liked by 4 people

      2. Full text of Pope Francis’s inauguration homily
        by Pope Francis posted Tuesday, 19 Mar 2013

        Pope Francis’s inaugural Mass in St Peter’s Square (Photo: PA)
        Homily given today at the inaugural Mass of the Petrine ministry

        Dear Brothers and Sisters, I thank the Lord that I can celebrate this Holy Mass for the inauguration of my Petrine ministry on the solemnity of St Joseph, the spouse of the Virgin Mary and the patron of the universal Church. It is a significant coincidence, and it is also the name-day of my venerable predecessor: we are close to him with our prayers, full of affection and gratitude.

        I offer a warm greeting to my brother cardinals and bishops, the priests, deacons, men and women religious, and all the lay faithful. I thank the representatives of the other churches and ecclesial communities, as well as the representatives of the Jewish community and the other religious communities, for their presence. My cordial greetings go to the Heads of State and Government, the members of the official Delegations from many countries throughout the world, and the Diplomatic Corps.

        In the Gospel we heard that “Joseph did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took Mary as his wife” (Mt 1:24). These words already point to the mission which God entrusts to Joseph: he is to be the custos, the protector. The protector of whom? Of Mary and Jesus; but this protection is then extended to the Church, as Blessed John Paul II pointed out: “Just as Saint Joseph took loving care of Mary and gladly dedicated himself to Jesus Christ’s upbringing, he likewise watches over and protects Christ’s Mystical Body, the Church, of which the Virgin Mary is the exemplar and model” (Redemptoris Custos, 1).

        How does Joseph exercise his role as protector? Discreetly, humbly and silently, but with an unfailing presence and utter fidelity, even when he finds it hard to understand. From the time of his betrothal to Mary until the finding of the twelve-year-old Jesus in the Temple of Jerusalem, he is there at every moment with loving care. As the spouse of Mary, he is at her side in good times and bad, on the journey to Bethlehem for the census and in the anxious and joyful hours when she gave birth; amid the drama of the flight into Egypt and during the frantic search for their child in the Temple; and later in the day-to-day life of the home of Nazareth, in the workshop where he taught his trade to Jesus.

        How does Joseph respond to his calling to be the protector of Mary, Jesus and the Church? By being constantly attentive to God, open to the signs of God’s presence and receptive to God’s plans, and not simply to his own. This is what God asked of David, as we heard in the first reading. God does not want a house built by men, but faithfulness to his word, to his plan. It is God himself who builds the house, but from living stones sealed by his Spirit. Joseph is a “protector” because he is able to hear God’s voice and be guided by his will; and for this reason he is all the more sensitive to the persons entrusted to his safekeeping. He can look at things realistically, he is in touch with his surroundings, he can make truly wise decisions. In him, dear friends, we learn how to respond to God’s call, readily and willingly, but we also see the core of the Christian vocation, which is Christ! Let us protect Christ in our lives, so that we can protect others, so that we can protect creation!

        The vocation of being a “protector”, however, is not just something involving us Christians alone; it also has a prior dimension which is simply human, involving everyone. It means protecting all creation, the beauty of the created world, as the Book of Genesis tells us and as Saint Francis of Assisi showed us. It means respecting each of God’s creatures and respecting the environment in which we live. It means protecting people, showing loving concern for each and every person, especially children, the elderly, those in need, who are often the last we think about. It means caring for one another in our families: husbands and wives first protect one another, and then, as parents, they care for their children, and children themselves, in time, protect their parents. It means building sincere friendships in which we protect one another in trust, respect, and goodness. In the end, everything has been entrusted to our protection, and all of us are responsible for it. Be protectors of God’s gifts!

        Whenever human beings fail to live up to this responsibility, whenever we fail to care for creation and for our brothers and sisters, the way is opened to destruction and hearts are hardened. Tragically, in every period of history there are “Herods” who plot death, wreak havoc, and mar the countenance of men and women.

        Please, I would like to ask all those who have positions of responsibility in economic, political and social life, and all men and women of goodwill: let us be “protectors” of creation, protectors of God’s plan inscribed in nature, protectors of one another and of the environment. Let us not allow omens of destruction and death to accompany the advance of this world! But to be “protectors”, we also have to keep watch over ourselves! Let us not forget that hatred, envy and pride defile our lives! Being protectors, then, also means keeping watch over our emotions, over our hearts, because they are the seat of good and evil intentions: intentions that build up and tear down! We must not be afraid of goodness or even tenderness!

        Here I would add one more thing: caring, protecting, demands goodness, it calls for a certain tenderness. In the Gospels, Saint Joseph appears as a strong and courageous man, a working man, yet in his heart we see great tenderness, which is not the virtue of the weak but rather a sign of strength of spirit and a capacity for concern, for compassion, for genuine openness to others, for love. We must not be afraid of goodness, of tenderness!

        Today, together with the feast of Saint Joseph, we are celebrating the beginning of the ministry of the new Bishop of Rome, the Successor of Peter, which also involves a certain power. Certainly, Jesus Christ conferred power upon Peter, but what sort of power was it? Jesus’ three questions to Peter about love are followed by three commands: feed my lambs, feed my sheep. Let us never forget that authentic power is service, and that the Pope too, when exercising power, must enter ever more fully into that service which has its radiant culmination on the Cross. He must be inspired by the lowly, concrete and faithful service which marked Saint Joseph and, like him, he must open his arms to protect all of God’s people and embrace with tender affection the whole of humanity, especially the poorest, the weakest, the least important, those whom Matthew lists in the final judgment on love: the hungry, the thirsty, the stranger, the naked, the sick and those in prison (cf. Mt 25:31-46). Only those who serve with love are able to protect!

        In the second reading, Saint Paul speaks of Abraham, who, “hoping against hope, believed” (Rom 4:18). Hoping against hope! Today too, amid so much darkness, we need to see the light of hope and to be men and women who bring hope to others. To protect creation, to protect every man and every woman, to look upon them with tenderness and love, is to open up a horizon of hope; it is to let a shaft of light break through the heavy clouds; it is to bring the warmth of hope! For believers, for us Christians, like Abraham, like Saint Joseph, the hope that we bring is set against the horizon of God, which has opened up before us in Christ. It is a hope built on the rock which is God.

        To protect Jesus with Mary, to protect the whole of creation, to protect each person, especially the poorest, to protect ourselves: this is a service that the Bishop of Rome is called to carry out, yet one to which all of us are called, so that the star of hope will shine brightly. Let us protect with love all that God has given us!

        I implore the intercession of the Virgin Mary, Saint Joseph, Saints Peter and Paul, and Saint Francis, that the Holy Spirit may accompany my ministry, and I ask all of you to pray for me! Amen.

        Liked by 3 people

  23. I certainly hope your analysis is true, Charlie. I don’t have any faith in the Republican party but the country will surely suffer if the Democrats get more power. However, this poll released today (3/18) says the Democrats have a double-digit lead. It also claims that the FBI and Planned Parenthood have net positive ratings of 28% & 27% respectively. I hope this polling is incorrect, especially as it concerns Planned Parenthood. On the bright side, I estimate I get at least 27% more friendly waves than fingers when I pray outside the local abortion clinic during the 40 Days for Life campaign.

    https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/elections/democrats-hold-double-digit-lead-2018-midterm-elections-n857466

    Liked by 5 people

    1. Ah well, Frank, as it is written, “In those days there will be polls and rumors of polls…” 😉

      Look, these things are an effort to demoralize you. I have dealt with a lot of pollsters over the years. On two occasions, I had a pollster ask me flat-out what result I wanted his poll to show. (These were minor pollsters, but both with a regional reputation. Polls were too expensive for me not to want real, useful results to analyze, so I didn’t bite – but I have used push polls on a few occasions late in the game). The top firms won’t do that – but almost all will do a push poll. In a push poll, one might ask several questions like, “Do you support Planned Parenthood’s work on pre-natal care?” (practically non-existent) then, “Do you support Planned Parenthood’s work on adoption referrals?” (non-existent) and after the set-up questions, ask “Overall, do you think Planned Parenthood does useful work?” – then only report the results from the final question. Another, more common way to juice poll results is distort the universe being surveyed – and that has been almost universal for the last decade. Oversample Democrats by at least five points and undersample Republicans. Very few laymen even know what a poll’s internals are…fewer still can read them and interpret them to assess the validity of a poll.

      Real polls run from about 25 to 300 pages. Besides ordering polls, I have analyzed and interpreted existing polls for a lot of people – but I won’t bother unless the internals are sufficient to persuade me it is a likely legitimate poll. Funny thing, the “horserace” question, which is the only thing most people see at all, was the question that was least interesting to me in a poll. The worst “horserace” result I ever saw showed my guy at 2% and our opponent at 61%. Seven months later, we won. At best, the horserace question in a poll is a snapshot in time. At worst, it is a complete fraud. A fellow I know (not really a lefty, but a ‘Never-Trumper,’ was talking to me with mock sorrow about how bad Trump’s approval ratings were a few months back. I shut him up when I said, “Yeah, if he drops a few more points it will be as bad as it was the day he won the election.”

      Look, the media and the elites are getting more and more desperate – and more visibly so. Most polls are now designed to dishearten you or convince you there is no hope. They have become primarily partisan tools rather than analytical tools. Stay the course and do not lose heart over this manufactured nonsense.

      Liked by 16 people

  24. http://www.motherofallpeoples.com/2017/05/may-31-1954-message/
    I hope this link works. It’s from the Our Lady of All Nations newsletter/e-letter I received today. Oh when will we have this happen, Mother Mary?! We must remember that the dogma brings the power of the Holy Spirit and pray that all will understand. So many prophecies fall under this occurrence and its results. I’m afraid I’ve also read, however, that there will be oppositon to the dogma. Let’s pray that Pope Francis will be the one. Charlie has seemed to imply that this Pope is the one who will usher in the Triumph; he’s such a Marian pontiff.

    Liked by 5 people

    1. I share with you the sentiments of yearning for the fifth Marian dogma, Annie. Already, there has been fierce opposition, just as Our Lady said there would be. She, herself, gave us the means to bring this to fruition: praying the prayer – which we do at daily Mass each day – and venerating her image – which is in a prominent place in our home. The Lady of All NAtions promises this declaration will bring True Peace. May it be!

      Excerpts from this piece concerning the Lady of All Nations:

      The universal motherhood of Mary for all people of all times is described in a threefold way. Our Lady said something unexpected about this: “This image shall precede. This image must go over the whole world. It is the interpretation and illustration of the new dogma. This is why I myself have given this image to the peoples.” (Dec. 8, 1952)

      The image is the interpretation and illustration of a new dogma? Which dogma is the Lady speaking about? In the history of Marian apparitions it is truly unique that Our Lady asks for a dogma in her messages! According to her words, this Marian dogma will be the “final and greatest.” (Aug. 15, 1951) Addressing the Holy Father, she desired: “See to the final dogma, the crowning of Mary, the proclamation of the dogma of Coredemptrix, Mediatrix and Advocate.” (Oct. 11, 1953)

      More than once, our Mother addressed the theologians directly and explained to them the theological content and great significance of the dogma: “Tell your theologians that they can find everything in their books… I am not bringing a new doctrine.” (Apr. 4, 1954) “The Church will encounter much opposition on account of the new dogma.” (Aug. 15, 1951)

      Today, more than 50 years later, the Catholic Church indeed finds herself in this difficult and painful position. On the one hand, cardinals and hundreds of bishops want to see Mary honored through a dogma as Coredemptrix, Mediatrix and Advocate. The same is desired by renowned theologians, many priests and millions of faithful. This title has also been loved and used up to this very day by various mariologians and even saints such as Vincent Pallotti, Anne Catherine Emmerich, Leopold Mandic, Maximilian Kolbe, Edith Stein, Padre Pio and Mother Teresa.
      Also Pope John Paul II used the title Coredemptrix several times. For example, he said in the general audience on September 8, 1982, “Mary, despite being conceived and born without the stain of sin, has participated in a admirable way in the sufferings of her divine Son, to be the Coredemptrix of humanity.”

      However, not everyone thinks in this way, and they have their understandable reasons. Among the cardinals, bishops and theologians, there are many who consider the term Coredemptrix to be easily misunderstood and therefore fundamentally unsuitable to correctly explain the unique theological role of Mary in salvation history.

      Regarding this title, Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, at the time Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, said to the German journalist, Peter Seewald, in his book “God and the World”, that the cooperation of Mary in the plan of redemption “is already better expressed in other titles of Mary, while the formula ‘Co-Redemptrix’ departs to too great an extent from the language of Scripture and of the Fathers and therefore gives rise to misunderstanding.”Joachim Cardinal Meisner also shares the same opinion regarding this issue.

      This position does not, however, mean that bishops, priests, theologians and faithful may not use the title Coredemptrix. With great submission to the authentic Magisterium of the Church, the theological discussion remains open.

      When the concept Coredemptrix is properly explained, it becomes clear that through this Mary is not placed as an equal to Jesus as if she were God. Co-Redemptrix indicates much more that she, as the Immaculata and the New Eve, in perfect union with her divine Son, suffered in a unique way for our redemption. She did this in total dependence upon Jesus and living entirely from Him.

      Liked by 9 people

      1. Beckita,

        I sincerely respect your reasons for wanting to use the title of Co-Redemptrix for our Blessed Mother. I personally don’t refer to Mary this way. I agree with Cardinal Ratzinger’s reasoning on this matter. My greatest concern for the Church and the world is that people come to have a deep personal relationship with Jesus. I believe that the lack of such a relationship is the biggest reason people leave the Church. Many people view the words “personal relationship with Christ” as a Protestant concept. But both JPII and Benedict used this phrase in their writings. And the Catechism speaks of having a personal relationship with “God”. We Catholics should have a special fondness for the idea of a personal relationship with Jesus as we have the awesome gift of the Eucharist. I don’t think that the concept of “Jesus through Mary” is best way to evangelize the Church or the World. The Blessed Mother is beyond wonderful and to experience the fullness of the Faith, we need to not only know about her but we need to KNOW her. But the example of evangelization given in the New Testament instructs us to proclaim Jesus as Lord and Savior. Even approved Marian apparitions do not have the weight of the Sacred Scriptures. I don’t mean to start an argument or to offend anyone but that’s how I see it. Do I think Our Lord is using Mary today to help build His Kingdom? Absolutely! Do I look forward to her intervention? Absolutely! But my evangelizing efforts (CCD, RCIA, Prison Ministry) focus on the love of Christ and the importance of having a personal relationship with him.

        PS – I do use Scripture when communicating with Protestants to defend and explain the Immaculate Conception, the Assumption and Mary as the Mother of God.

        Liked by 5 people

        1. Thank you for your reflection, Frank. I, too, respect your thoughts in this sensitive area of discussion. In another reference to Our Lady, after Cardinal Ratzinger became Pope Benedict the XVI, we see his thinking has evolved, for he referred to Our Lady as “Partner in the Redemption.” Here’s a piece with that reference made: http://www.motherofallpeoples.com/2011/04/pope-benedict-uses-marian-titles-partner-in-the-redemption-and-mediatrix-of-grace-mother-advocate/

          The title “Co-Redemptrix” has the “co” prefix which is derived from the Latin word, “cum” which translates as “with.” From this title, we acknowledge that Our Mother is the pre-eminent “co-redeemer.” And, in a great mystery, we are all called to be co-redeemers, for in the Catholic Church, we have a beautiful teaching on how our lives fulfill Colossians 1:24, as we offer our sufferings in union with Christ on the Cross and allow HIM to magnify our offering as our prayers and sufferings procure grace for other souls: “Now I rejoice in what I am suffering for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church.” Oh My Goodness! Did Our Mother suffer in union with Her Son, in most particular ways. Their Hearts are inseparable. The mystical literature of our Church abounds with such revelations.

          I realize that this title has been and will continue to be, not only contested by our Protestant brothers and sisters, but also an obstacle for many Catholics. Much more articulate than I are the writers featured at this site: http://www.motherofallpeoples.com/ who explicate, through the Church’s rich treasury of writings – be they Scriptural, Patristic, from the Doctors of the Church, etc – the theological origins of this title for Our Lady. And here is a piece highlighting the times when Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI’s predecessor spoke of Mary as Co-Redemptrix: http://www.fifthmariandogma.com/articles/881/

          Would I begin evangelizing using Our Lady to one who does not understand or has misconceptions about her role in our faith? No. But, with all respect for anyone who does not yet accept this idea of a fifth Marian dogma, I cannot keep silent. I am compelled to proclaim this without forcing anything upon anyone. It seems it would be easier to drop the Co-Redemptrix title and not be controversial. Here, I think of Jesus’ teaching in John 6:
          “Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day. For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in them. Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your ancestors ate manna and died, but whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.” He said this while teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum…”

          This was a tough moment for many disciples and Jesus did not change the teaching to coax anyone back:
          “On hearing it, many of his disciples said, “This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?”

          Aware that his disciples were grumbling about this, Jesus said to them, “Does this offend you? Then what if you see the Son of Man ascend to where he was before! The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you—they are full of the Spirit[e] and life. Yet there are some of you who do not believe.” For Jesus had known from the beginning which of them did not believe and who would betray him. He went on to say, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled them.”

          From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him…”

          (Edit addition: Jesus didn’t change the truth of His teaching even when He was rejected because of it.) The apparitions in Amsterdam are fully approved. Our Lady has urged the theologians to go searching for the already existing apologetics which support the title she has been given. I believe Heaven already praises God for Our Mother under this title which completes our understanding of fullness of her Maternity in the lives of Their children, yet, here we are… knowing, as faithful Catholics, we can either embrace or not embrace the messages of private revelation… knowing, too, that our beloved Church wisely moves slowly on issues such as this… knowing, as well, that if God has ordained this title for His Mother, sooner rather than later, it shall be proclaimed by the Church. In the meanwhile, praying, watching and waiting upon the Lord.

          God bless you, Frank, and all in our community.

          Liked by 5 people

          1. I would urge all Catholics to read the Scriptures daily. I also urge everyone here to read the entire Bible cover-to-cover. There are several plans for reading the entire Catholic Bible in a year that can be found on the internet. “Dei Verbum” echoed St. Jerome’s statement that “Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ”. Our dear Lord Himself knew the Scriptures well and Mary must have as her Magnificat is based in part on the song of Hannah. I also heartily recommend reading the entire Catechism of the Catholic Church. It is breathtaking in its wisdom and in its beautiful exposition of the Faith.

            Liked by 5 people

            1. Reading the Bible

              remember: “there’s Sombody in there speaking to you”

              {paraphrase of my Bishop quote- upon presenting the Bible}

              Liked by 2 people

          2. Beckita,

            Jesus’ teaching about the necessity of eating His Body and drinking His Blood is revealed Truth. It is revealed in Sacred Scripture, not just in John but also in the Synoptic accounts of the Last Supper. St. Paul further affirms the Real Presence in I Corinthians. No apparition, even if approved, carries the weight of Scripture or Tradition (and revealed truth from Tradition ends with the Apostolic age). To imply otherwise is wrong. The faithful are not required to believe in approved apparitions. If the Church proclaims the fifth Marian Dogma, it will have to develop its magisterial teaching with arguments from Scripture and Tradition. If God wills that the fifth Marian Dogma be proclaimed, it will be proclaimed by the Church and I, if alive, will accept it.

            In the meantime, we are on the same side facing the same common enemy. I appreciate and admire your work.

            Regards,

            Frank

            Liked by 2 people

            1. We ARE on the same side, and gratefully so, for me, Frank. You express so beautifully your obedience to the Church.

              You are exactly right about the distinction between public revelation and private revelation as conveyed in Magisterial teaching and succinctly stated in the CCC 66 and 67. In no way did I intend to imply private revelation carries greater weight than public revelation. My point was about how confusing new spiritual teaching can be when first introduced, whether it is presented in public revelation or private revelation.

              In the private revelations to St. Faustina Jesus stressed so many dimensions of the spiritual jewel of His Mercy, yet, in my area, for several reasons many priests first balked at celebrating the feast day the Sunday after Easter… even after Pope St. John Paul II declared it a universal feast. With my own ears I heard many a priest saying he didn’t get it. Further reading and contemplation brought greater understanding so that today, the feast is now widely celebrated in my diocese.

              And while we are free to accept or not accept private revelation, once the Church approves it, it’s a.m.a.z.i.n.g. to me how often private revelation provides greater understanding and places even greater emphasis on certain aspects of public revelation, for truly, this is the very purpose of such communication from Heavenly visitors, private as it may be. For instance, St. Juliana of Belgium derived courage to advocate for the Feast of Corpus Christi based on the private revelation she received. As mentioned, from St. Faustina’s mystical input, we now have a universal feast. From Jesus’ revelations to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque came devotion to His Sacred Heart and another liturgical feast. From Our Lady of Fatima has come an army of praying people wielding the weapon of the daily Rosary for the conversion of souls. From the Flame of Love devotion, fully Church approved, we have prayers that will bind satan in these horrific days. All Glory to God!

              Time will tell about the fifth Marian dogma. When one looks into it, you can find a wealth of scholarly writing in support of the declaration. Here’s an excerpt from Pope St. John Paul II’s Redemptoris Mater:

              Pope John Paul II specifically used the title Co-redemptrix in developing the understanding of Mary’s spiritual crucifixion at the foot of the cross: Crucified spiritually with her crucified Son (c£ Gal 2:20), she contemplated with heroic love the death of her God, she “lovingly consented to the immolation of this Victim which she herself had brought forth” (Lumen Gentium, No. 58) … as she was in a special way close to the Cross of her Son, she also had to have a privileged experience of his Resurrection. In fact, Mary’s role as coredemptrix did not cease with the glorification of her Son. – Mary entered, in a way all her own, into the one mediation “between God and men” which is the mediation of the man Christ Jesus [1 Tim2:5]. [W]e must say that through this fullness of grace and supernatural life she was especially predisposed to cooperation with Christ, the one Mediator of human salvation. And such cooperation is precisely this mediation subordinated to the mediation of Christ. In Mary’s case we have a special and exceptional mediation …

              (Pope John Paul II: Redemptoris Mater, No. 39).

              Liked by 2 people

              1. Thank you, Beckita. Certainly the message of St. Faustina has helped me to appreciate God’s mercy in a deeper way and it has given me great personal solace. Faustina’s message affirms what the Gospels already say about God’s mercy but she has helped me to appropriate this priceless gift of Divine Mercy. Because of this Apostle of Mercy, I stand in absolute awe of the Lord’s mercy.

                Liked by 4 people

                1. Thank *you* Frank for your witness to faith, for sharing your perspectives, and for Christ’s Light and Love which beam His Goodness through you to us at ASOH. It is sooooooooo heartening to be in solidarity of faith, hope and love as we traverse these waters of the darkness of our times. God bless you, your family and all to whom you witness the Gospel!

                  Liked by 2 people

          3. Todays short morning reading in the Liturgy of the Hours:

            Catholic Study Bible

            Zechariah 12:10-11a

            10 “And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and petition; and they shall look on him whom they have thrust through, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for an only son, and they shall grieve over him, as one grieves over a first-born.

            11 On that day the mourning in Jerusalem shall be great.

            {BREAK}

            I believe this outpouring of Grace will be through Mother Mary ushering in a mass conversion and recognition of co-redemptrix.

            Liked by 3 people

            1. Thanks, Sean, for all the times you share from the Divine Office. It is always a highlight of each day to pray the breviary, knowing we are united with Catholics all over this planet who are praying these same prayers. All Glory to God with Praises to His Mother!

              Liked by 1 person

            1. Nice find, Jen. The Mother of All Peoples’ site is filled with rich meditation possibilities. I love the Msgr.’s word and phrase choices which he develops, such as “indissoluble link” and “immutable bond” when he describes the inseparable union of Mother and Son. The Msgr. notes well: “While spiritual writers and theologians have occasionally touched on the topic of Mary’s presence in the worship of the Church, it is still a relatively undeveloped theme in the fields of liturgical theology and Mariology.” So many mysteries have we in which to enter and explore via contemplation on the erudite and fruitful writings of those so blessed with opportunities to have gained the breadth and depth of knowledge in Mariology as well as mystical and liturgical theology.

              This passage from Pope St. John Paul II’s message is quite radical and profound:
              “In this matter Mary is the unparalleled teacher. This is a capital point in the Pope’s Message of 15 August 1996 to the 19th International Marian Congress held in Czestochowa, a part of which I cited above.

              This Mother … as an unsurpassable model, teaches the faithful to unite themselves more intimately to the sacrifice of her Son, the one Redeemer. Through spiritual communion with the sorrowful Mother of God, believers share in a special way in the paschal mystery and are opened to this extraordinary action of the Holy Spirit which produces a supernatural joy because of communion with the glorious Christ. {footnote}OR 6 settembre 1996, p. 4; ORE 1462:2 (emphasis my own).{/footnote}”

              Also noteworthy is the Msgr.’s closing:
              “As a way of summing up what I have presented here I should like to conclude with these concise words of Monsignor O’Connor:

              Her (Mary’s) relationship with our Eucharistic celebrations is never sufficiently explained by her role in giving Flesh to Christ, nor to the exemplary aspect of her faith and devotion, nor even to her role as offered and offering in and with her Son. She must be seen, as well, as exercising a continuing role—or causality, if we would introduce the technical word—in all that concerns the ongoing marriage of the Word and humanity. {footnote}O’Connor 349.{/footnote}”

              Liked by 1 person

        2. Hi Frank
          Thank you for your thoughtful comment. I find great satusfaction in explaining to non-catholics in particular but also to Catholics the difference between the Virgin birth and the Immaculate Conception and the showing the mirror image of her beginning in her Immaculate passage from life on this earth to heaven free from the corruption of sin and death in The Assumption. It is marvellous to witness their light bulb moment. I find the timing and the manner of such revelation to be important – the how and the when. Like you I try to use scripture but mostly present it as a true story in which the explanation comes alive. The fact that Mary herself asks that she be made known under the title of Co-Redemptrix is reason enough for me to comply but Wisdom dictates the manner of compliance. What matters is that it is done in accordance with her word. My old director used to say that if you pray for guidance before entering any situation and ask God to come into those circumstances what comes out is the answer to that prayer no matter how it feels. From experience I agree with his wisdom. Like you I always make clear to listeners that I believe that only Jesus is Our Lord and Saviour but appeal to the human experience of maternal love and the sacrifice of suffering that every good mother makes in empathy with her child’s needs and desires. From the Annunciation to the Accomplishment Mary had but one purpose – to cooperate fully with the will of God through, with and in her Son. In the fullness of this cooperation she became our co-redemptrix as only the Mother of God could from the first beat of their united hearts to the last beat and breath of their bodies. In the Eucharist, the glorified body of Christ we surely receive something of the glorified body of His mother from whence he came fully human and fully God – the Co-Redemptrix from the start to His glorious resurection. Jesus himself told Sister Lucia that he wanted His mother to receive full credit for the Triumph of her Immaculate Heart which is The Salvation of Souls. How could she be anything else but Co-Redemptrix!

          Liked by 4 people

          1. Thank you for your reply, Joe. However, I disagree with your formulation of the Eucharist and I think it goes beyond the teaching of the Church. The Eucharist is the Real Presence of the Body & Blood, Soul & Divinity of Jesus Christ. But even with Aquinas’ explanation of what happens in Transubstantiation, the Eucharist is still a Sacred Mystery that is not subject to deductive analysis. Because Christ’s Body is present, we can’t infer that Mary is also present in some real way.

            You are a good and holy man. May God Bless you. Believe me, there is no one who would like to see the triumph of Mary’s Immaculate heart more than me.

            Liked by 2 people

            1. Thank you Frank – you are probably correct in your theology of the Eucharist. Thank you for your kind and educated words. I think my other friends may use different adjectives for me but what do they know ha. I thank you for yours. I believe in your great desire for the Triumph of Mary’s Heart which is her love of Jesus – the only thing that could perfectly satisfy His thirst on the cross.

              My thoughts on the Eucharist stem from my studies which covered genetics. For Jesus to be full human he must have taken his DNA from Mary. His genetic material did not just appear in Mary’s womb independently of her tissue. The Power of the Most High overshadowed her, she was filled with the Holy Spirit and only then did she conceive. In some mysterious and wonderful way God fertilized Mary in place of a human husband.

              Of course Aquinas was born long before there was knowledge of DNA. But the fullness of humanity in Christ must be derived from the only possible genetic material that was present to God for the purpose of Incarnation: Mary’s egg. It was this egg that allowed The Second Person of The Holy Trinity to become both fully human and fully Divine, to bridge the gap between God and man that had been present since the fall. God asked Mary through Gabriel if she would be willing to bear His Son.

              It is our DNA that defines our species and our personal attributes are unique to each of us. DNA is with us from conception to corruption (Corruption of course never happened to Mary or Jesus.) As you say it is not Church teaching but I doubt the genetic material that Mary passed to Jesus was lacking in his resurrection: it did not suffer corruption and as far as I know it is Church teaching that Jesus is still fully human and fully God. It was Mary’s DNA that made Him human. It still is. Therefore he still possessed at His Resurrection the same DNA markers he inherited from Mary at his conception and these of course were glorified along with the rest of His Body. It is to these that I refer when I suggest we receive something of Mary when we receive the Eucharist, Body,Blood, Soul and Divinity.

              For me this just came from my studies and contemplation rather than “deductive analysis” of theology about which I know very little and have very little formal education. If my logic is faulty I would be very pleased to be corrected by your erudite and better informed mind.

              Liked by 3 people

              1. Joe, I absolutely agree that Jesus received His DNA from Mary. But again, the Eucharist is a Sacred Mystery that cannot be fully understood in this life. Yes, Jesus is truly present in each Consecrated Host but we can’t fully explain how He is. I just believe that the Word who created the universe ex nihilo, can accomplish this miracle through the power of His Holy Spirit. I am fortunate to belong to a parish where we have had perpetual adoration for 18 years. I have a great devotion to our Eucharistic Lord. But I am not ready to make the leap to say that somehow I receive “something of Mary” (in a physical way) when I receive the Eucharist — “I do not occupy myself with things too great and too marvelous for me.” Ps 131:1. Certainly, as a catechist in CCD and RCIA, I wouldn’t broach Mary’s presence in the Eucharist. But I am not here to correct you — just sharing my understanding.

                God bless you always!

                Liked by 3 people

                1. Hi Frank – thanks again but to be clear I never suggested that my thoughts on Mary’s DNA should be included in catechesis on The Eucharist. Many Catholics believe that in Communion they are receiving the physical body in which Jesus lived before the resurrection. We know that after the resurrection he was somehow different in presentation and that his body was not limited by natural conditions eg in his appearance to the apostles in the locked room. It is his glorified body that we receive and and it is this that facilitates transubstantiation. Bread and wine – real food and real drink – the form he chose to become present to us in communion, no longer bread and wine but Jesus Himself glorified and with us until the end of time.

                  Liked by 1 person

  25. A most Blessed St. Joseph Feast Day, Everyone!
    St. Joseph, pray for each of us and our families.
    St. Joseph, Protector of the Church, thank you so very much! We bind our prayers to yours.

    Liked by 13 people

  26. Jesus Christ revealed to Blessed Veronica da Binasco that He was more pleased in seeing compassion given to His Mother than Himself. Jesus Christ’s words were, “My daughter, tears shed for My Passion are dear to Me; but as I love My Mother Mary with an immense love, the meditation of the torments which she endured at My death is even more agreeable to Me.”

    Liked by 8 people

  31. Hi Frank
    You are quite right – some things are too great and too marvellous for us. Thank you for that comment.
    Joe

    Liked by 1 person

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Published by charliej373

Charlie Johnston is a former newspaper editor, radio talk show host and political consultant. From Feb. 11, 2011 to Aug. 21, 2012, he walked 3,200 miles across the country, sleeping in the woods, meeting people and praying as he went. He writes on cultural, global and political issues from an orthodox Catholic perspective. He emphasizes that we find God most surely through the ordinary, doing the little things we should with faith and fidelity. His constant refrain is that, to live real joy, we must acknowledge God, take the next right step, and be a sign of hope to those around us. He lives in the Archdiocese of Denver in the United States.