On the Bank of the Rubicon – Short Takes

Posted on by charliej373

By Charlie Johnston

No matter what Robert Mueller dredges up, I will stand with Donald Trump and the legitimately elected government. It wasn’t always that way. Two years ago, I opposed Trump; a year and a half ago, I regarded him with disdain; now I stand foursquare behind him, warts and all. That is because this is not about Trump; it is about Americanism, fundamental fairness and justice. Mueller, supposedly sent to investigate Russian collusion, has steadfastly ignored it where it was found in abundance – with the Clinton campaign, the Democratic National Committee, and the Deep State of Intelligence and Justice Agencies, while desperately trying to manufacture evidence of some wrongdoing, even going so far as to trash attorney-client privilege to do so. While his stated mission might have been to investigate Russian collusion, his actual mission has been to get Donald Trump by any means necessary. He is a dirty cop – and apparently has been one for a very long time. In America, you do NOT get to appoint a prosecutor with a blank check to get someone you don’t like. You do NOT investigate Republican jaywalking with the rack and hot pokers while investigating Democratic murder, sedition, robbery and such with the comfy chair and the fluffy pillow. This witch hunt has gone into confrontation mode, despite the evidence. If it succeeds in thwarting the will of the people and taking down a legitimate president, I will begin my march on Washington and make common cause with honest patriots to take back our country. If it was found that Trump, at some time, had stolen a million dollars, that would still be less than a hundredth of what the Clintons have taken with their sham foundation – and is said to be not worthy of our attention by the malicious Deep State. The left has lost all vestiges of honor, shame, and decency. It thinks if it can just get rid of Trump, it can go back to bullying nuns, florists, bakers; siccing government police agencies on Christians and conservatives, while propping up tyrants around the globe and calling it “smart” diplomacy. The left thinks that Donald Trump is our last chance – but as Kurt Schlichter memorably told the left: “Trump is not our last chance; he’s your last chance.”

*******

While I have become disgusted with the police state that formerly Great Britain has become, I was delighted to see that Pope Francis became the primary advocate of life with real stature in this whole episode. He spoke full-throatedly on behalf of the right of patients to the basic care of nutrition and hydration and that such critical decisions belong in the hands of parents, not sterile judicial panels. He put his money where his mouth is, intervening to get Alfie Italian citizenship and a hospital to care for him if England would agree to let the tiny hostage go. I am sometimes critical of our Pope; I was proud of his vigorous defense of both Alfie and authentic Catholic doctrine in this case. Over at National Review, John O’ Sullivan wrote a deeply thoughtful piece on how the Alfie Evans case illustrates a great division in the western world – and starkly intimates what a post-Christian world looks like. (Spoiler alert – it ain’t pretty or joyful).

*******

As if formerly Great Britain had not done enough damage to its reputation these last few weeks, the Lord Chief Justice of England has suggested that people who publicly criticize judges ought to be prosecuted. I read that England prosecutes about nine people per month for thought-crimes expressed on line. What a pathetic spectacle! Residents of England are not citizens, but subjects of an arbitrary and capricious government that cares nothing for fundamental human rights. In an 1855 letter to Joshua Speed, Abraham Lincoln said that, rather than live in a country that has a sham liberty, he would prefer “…emigrating to some country where they make no pretense of loving liberty — to Russia, for instance, where despotism can be taken pure, and without the base alloy of hypocrisy.” God bless the good people of England who mounted the incredible Rosary on the Coast last month. These are the people who, ultimately, will make Britain Great again. Though it is not covered well in the establishment media, I am also hearing credible word that the pro-life side is surging in the polls on the Irish referendum on abortion to be held May 25. Perhaps our Irish friends here could weigh in with their objective observations.

*******

A little bit on why confidence in establishment media outlets is in full free-fall. Over the last few years, here are just a few of the major themes that have dominated the establishment press:

-Donald Trump colluded with Russia to tilt the election results. FALSE – and in fact, it was just the opposite. Hillary Clinton and the DNC colluded with Russian agents to try to throw the election her way.

-The Iran nuclear-deal was a clear-eyed Obama triumph to protect the world from a nuclear Iran. FALSE – Obama National Security advisor Ben Rhodes admitted he and his team lied to the American people to get the deal through. Just days ago, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu laid out a case using internal documents from Iran showing that Iran had lied all along – and intended to use western gullibility to win cash while continuing with its nuclear program. In fact, the only people who told the truth about this deal were clear-eyed conservative realists, people the idiot media slandered as liars.

– The only way to achieve peace in the Korean Peninsula was to follow the “strategic patience” of the Obama-Bush-Clinton administrations. Trump’s blunt talk was only going to provoke war. FALSE – we are entering the closest thing to a breakthrough we have had in several generations. What the idiot media and the idiot left have never learned from the near-unanimous verdict of history is that nothing is so provocative to a tyrant as weakness and appeasement. The left likes to bully the polite and defer to the dangerously violent – and thinks that is a formula for peace and security.

-The Deep State is just a paranoid fantasy of the right. FALSE – to the contrary, the Deep State stands revealed with more revelations of a sinister bureaucratic conspiracy coming each day – and it is unraveling. I will confess that just over a year ago I thought such musings might be fever swamp stuff. But the stunning evidence being revealed each day has shown it is just swamp stuff. Despite the mountain of evidence, the swamp, in desperation, may yet try to seize power by force and violence. I pray it fails – but it is malevolent and it is there…and the establishment media is its press office, not our watchdog. Drain it all.

That is enough for now. But when the media does not just get some things wrong, but every major thing they’ve covered wrong for the last few years, how do they have the chutzpah to complain of criticism? The establishment media is not apples or bananas – but mushrooms that carry deadly poison to the minds of all who consume them.

*******

I am very glad we are meeting with North Korea, though I don’t trust it. Though there are some significant differences this time, I have seen North Korean charm offensives before – usually just to buy time to go back to threats and bluster. I pray that this is a “Nixon goes to China” moment, a real sea change in relations, but fear it is just an Hitlerian “last territorial demand” moment, a gambit to buy time on the part of an ambitious tyrant. The Biblical verse that keeps bubbling up in my head is from 1 Thessalonians 5:3 – “When people say, ‘There is peace and security,’ then sudden destruction will come upon them…”

*******

Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg is once again changing algorithms, determined to consign conservative sites to a distant archipelago prior to the 2018 elections. He is ranking sites by “trustworthiness.” Those that he considers the most trustworthy are actually those which have gotten the most things wrong the last few years (back up to the article before last here). He could try something completely different – such as let Facebook be an honest platform which gives equal access to all and then let individual sites rise or fall on their own merits. He simply wants to put his thumb on the scale to give a huge advantage to those sites which can be trusted to promote leftist themes, so as to avoid a repeat of 2016, when all the conventional thinking said the left had the election in the bag – and instead they got Donald Trump. Dennis Prager writes that the dominant force in the world today is “fear of the left.” Kurt Schlichter says the only way to stop it is to quit cowering and tell the left to “Buzz off,” to, in essence, come out of the catacombs. I suspect that, in some garage in some remote outpost – maybe Idaho or Montana, that even now some young geniuses are working on platforms that, when started, will send Facebook, Twitter, Google and all the modern titans the way of the once-unchallengeable IBM. It will be good to one day soon watch Silicon Valley fall on its malicious, smug, sanctimonious derriere.

*******

A friend in his 30s recently asked  me for some advice on dating. I had to largely demur. The world for young people today has become a terribly alien place to me. I told him that in my day, flirting was playful fun, even when it wasn’t serious. Now, compliment a young woman and, if she isn’t interested in you, she is liable to call the police. Serious courtship was an interestingly artistic marvel of mystery, ambiguity and intrigue – not a clinically sterile contract negotiation. Friends engaged in often pointed, witty repartee, laughing at their own foibles rather than leveraging themselves into victim status. It was a much more fun, a much more joyful world with more laughter, love and real affection. Whatever we do with our politics and governments, culture has a long, hard slog to find a resurrection of simple joy. Maranatha!

57 thoughts on “On the Bank of the Rubicon – Short Takes”

  1. As always, thank you, Charlie, for your analysis and the links. Amidst the chaos and crises, your words are steadying. While I won’t be walking, as I’ll be tending the home fires both on site and at home, I’m already praying up a storm in preparation for you and all patriots who will answer the call to march.

    Interesting that you bring up the topic of dating in the context of the current culture. My friend, Megan Harrington, daughter of local family friends was producer for a documentary made to get the conversation going on how to bring back the “traditional dating” experience. Here’s a link for anyone who might like to purchase a DVD to be shared with kids and grandkids: https://www.thedatingprojectmovie.com/

    And here’s an interview with Megan and one of the actors:

    Liked by 8 people

    1. Ha, Beckita! You beat me to the punch. I was going to try to find a link to The Dating Project; I went and saw the documentary in a (somewhat) local theater a couple of weeks back. I was invited by a single friend who is in her 30s (she just moved out of state, and this was the last chance for a bunch of her girl friends to see her before she left). I didn’t think I’d get anything out of the movie, but I did: I had no idea that the “hookup culture” had become so pervasive. Anyhow, thanks for providing the link. 🙂

      Liked by 3 people

      1. Glad you got out to see it, Mick. We didn’t because we were already committed to something the one and only evening the documentary was showing. We’ll just order a DVD when they’re out. That said, it’s a topic that deserves discussion even as we’re purified in the events unfolding. Reset is no magical experience. As Charlie noted: “Whatever we do with our politics and governments, culture has a long, hard slog to find a resurrection of simple joy. Maranatha!” And slog we must because our children and grandchildren and the generations to come deserve our efforts.

        Liked by 4 people

  2. As for President Trump, when he first announced he was running for President, I didn’t take him seriously … it sounded like a publicity stunt. I read about how he had allegedly described Megyn Kelly, and wondered just how disrespectful he was to women.

    And then, I saw video footage of protestors in Chicago who ended up shutting down a Trump rally during the primaries. The protestors’ vocabulary was far worse than anything Trump had said, and it looked like they were itching to turn violent to take away his rights to freedom of speech and free assembly.

    So I voted for Donald Trump in the primary, still half wondering if I needed to go to Confession because of it, but that was what I had discerned was the right way to vote, despite my discomfort.

    Then I watched Trump be presented with a prayer shawl by a pastor in Detroit, and it was like … Yes, he’s moving in the right direction! From there, it seemed to me like he’s been growing more and more into a hero. Even on the international stage, from videos I’ve watched of President Trump meeting with Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel, Trump in Saudi Arabia, Trump meeting with the Chinese President, giving an awesome speech in South Korea … standing up for the Little Sisters of the Poor, and in fact giving them a personal welcome in Washington.

    It was also fascinating to see what happened when President Trump and the First Lady visited the Vatican. At first, Pope Francis looked uncomfortable standing beside him. After they had talked, much more at ease. And as for Melania … instead of the Pope giving her a blessed Rosary, Melania took out her own Rosary and asked the Pope to bless it! Wow!

    Liked by 13 people

  4. Alfie, nor his parents, are still not at rest, the autopsy fight continues. Praying for this horrific fight to end and God’s precious one is laid to rest and evil is exposed.

    Liked by 10 people

  5. My wife received a text today that Fr. Michael Wagner passed away early this morning. You might remember that he was removed from life support at 3:00 pm last Friday following a brain hemorrhage a short while ago. Thank you for your prayers.

    Liked by 7 people

    1. Bill, I offer my heartfelt sympathy to his family and all who love him. So many people world-wide have and will pray for him. ❤
      Eternal rest, grant unto him O Lord and let perpetual light shine upon him.
      May his soul and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.
      Amen.

      Liked by 5 people

    2. Thank you, Bill, for the update. May Fr. Wagner rest in peace, and may God comfort his family and all who love him.

      Liked by 4 people

    3. Thanks for this news, Bill. I noticed it on FB yesterday as well. It is evident that Fr. Michael was a beloved priest. Praying for the repose of his soul as well as praying for all the family and friends whose lives were touched by his love. May Fr. Michael intercede for us as we make our way through this transition to a more God-centered world.

      Liked by 2 people

  6. I have been uneasy the last several days without understanding why. Reading these new short takes I thought, no wonder! The world had gone crazy. I find myself wondering how long O Lord, how long? I find myself slipping back into the “wanting to know” mode. I find myself reading Revelation 12 again and again. The Rosary on the Coast is truly A Sign of Hope. I cling to the hope that our prayers will be enough to bring us back to sanity.

    Liked by 12 people

    2. Kris…our prayers are the START ! God still needs our minds, hands and feet, and with prayers, HE will put upon your heart, and ours, our role in HIS puzzle . This puzzle will get VERY messy as the adversary holds many hearts in it’s hands—-and GOD wants to use us to pull away AS MANY SOULS AS POSSIBLE for HIS glory !!!! So Kris, there will be many more days of unrest in your awareness. When it happens tell yourself what someone shared with me…”.don’t just be there in that state…PRAY SOMETHING . !!!! “ When i do that i feel a surge of renewal to give a spiritual black eye to a minion. God bless you —-and all here…aloha

      Liked by 6 people

  7. Charlie’s comments on dating made me think of an amusing video that I recently sent to “She who must be obeyed.”

    https://www.life.church/watch/switch/the-talk/dont-pet-the-squirrel/

    Shortly after seeing the squirrel presentation I began writing a response to one of Charlie’s previous delectables but got lost in the wonder of my own erudition. It was just a load of words with no benefit to anyone as far as I could see. I was also reminded of the caveat from James 3:1 that those who set themselves up as teachers will be judged more strictly. My comment was an ego trip. But Becks thought there was still something worth mining in it.

    I went back to it and tried again. I fear the only improvement is a soupcon of humility.

    The details of American politics on the surface are at first glance foreign to the New Zealand experience but the underlying themes are universal. Take for instance the recent hate campaign waged here against a young rugby player who when asked his views on homosexuality used his faith in the bible to say that if there is no repentance for the sin the sinner will go to hell. He has been hauled across the coals and attacked to the extent that everyone has become ultra cautious in expressing their opinion. Louisa Wall a “proud” New Zealand lesbian MP has condemned his expression of faith as “hate Speech.” It is said that there is nothing new under the sun. The haters are being called defenders of truth and the defenders of truth are being called haters – just as the father of lies wants it. But we know that all things will be made new under the Power of the Son of God not under the power of self-serving politicians.

    The same Louisa Wall sponsored the homosexual marriage bill so there are no surprises there.
    https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/103425672/marriage-celebrant-applicants-rejected-for-refusal-to-marry-samesex-couples

    “We are not strangers in a strange land: we are natives in a land that has become estranged from us. It is the hour of the ordinary man – and we are called to restore our native land to its just place under God.”

    The above paragraph made me recall a favourite poem: “In no Strange Land” by Francis Thompson.

    https://www.theguardian.com/books/booksblog/2017/jun/26/poem-of-the-week-in-no-strange-land-by-francis-thompson

    That brought to mind the call to holiness recently penned by Pope Francis in which he extols the ordinary way of the ordinary man. God is familiar to us and we are familiar to Him. Christ teaches us to call Him Abba which means Dad. It also reminds us that God is not far from us. He is closer than we can imagine. We do not need to dive and delve. God is there in the faces of our neighbours, made in His image and likeness. He is there in our own reflections, in our own faces, no matter how disfigured they may be. How often I forget this. How often I ignore this.

    “Not where the wheeling systems darken,
    And our benumbed conceiving soars!—
    The drift of pinions, would we hearken,
    Beats at our own clay-shuttered doors.”

    Your piece Charlie recalls the age old struggle between principle and expediency which you have clearly demonstrated is won or lost on the battle field of policy. At the base of our problems lies the fact that we have not only lost our way, we have lost touch with ourselves – our true selves. Who is our true self. Jesus tells us “Be ye perfect even as your heavenly Father is perfect.” St Paul tells us “I live not I but Christ lives in me.” To this discovery Augustine tells us of The Eucharist, “Become what you receive.” And so we begin to see just how close God is.

    God is the One who gives us life, who is our life. As we acknowledge in the Creed, God the Holy Spirit is the Vivificantem. And Jesus is God from God, Light from Light and True God from True God. And as I have heard from elsewhere, in Holy Communion God is closer to us than our breakfast.

    The founder of my profession considered abortion the worst crime a human being can commit – a direct murderous assault on The Spirit – doomed to failure in its final intent which is to end the life of The Spirit but still utterly heinous in its execution. It seems it is not so much a matter of the human race having lost its way but having lost The Way. But we can get back on track. We can still repent. This is the way to which Pope Francis constantly points and by which all sinners are welcomed home. This is the message that the young rugby player was trying to convey: Repent and be saved from a fate worse than death.

    But once again I am reminded of the warning that came from the lips of Our Lady in Akita that the time will come because of the increase in gravity and number of sins when they will no longer be pardoned. Such a change will indicate a total lack of any purpose of amendment and as we know from confession that is a prerequisite for forgiveness and absolution. The count to three will have been made.

    The “ordinary man” as the “man on the Clapham omnibus” is a principle firmly entrenched in the Common Law of England. At least it was. It a principle by which a fair and simple opinion as to what is right and wrong under law is approximated to an acceptable degree. “What would your average Joe Bloggs think?”, is the question. “That seems fair and reasonable”, is the answer. How well we reach the answer, of course depends on the rules of fair play. Sadly these no longer exist. Don’t kick a man when he is down no longer applies. The only promoted policy in contemporary western culture is “anything goes” and “choice rules”. It is the rule of Satan, not what God wants but do what you want. “I cannot tell a lie” has all but disappeared and been replaced by the maxim that the truth must not spoil the story. And now with the tragedies of Alfie and Charlie the truth is no longer allowed to save lives but only face – the face of the establishment – because it serves expediency.

    The ordinary man knows little of those who sit at the extremes of poverty and privilege. One has nothing to lose. The other has everything to lose. One is often driven by despair the other always by desire. For one, too little is the norm, for the other too much is not enough. “Collapse inevitably came with the degeneration of the elite, surprising near all it came to.” The elite choke on the excess of their ambition as they bite off more than they can chew. Selfishness is keystone of elitism but it will not support the over arching bridge of malice that carries the sin of the world. Satan has been hoisted by his own petard. Christ the corner stone has already shown in his crucifixion and death that He can bear the weight of sin and through His resurrection be the bridge to Life Eternal. Virtue still stands in the middle as does the bridge in Thompson’s poem between “Genesareth and Thames” familiar in its setting and close to home.

    This bridge over the river Thames is never “a bridge too far” but those familiar with the second world war will know that Arnhem proved to be “a bridge too far for the Allies.” It is no coincidence that in 1945 in Amsterdam Mary gave us a prayer that we be preserved from degeneration, disaster and war. In 1917 in Fatima and 1973 in Akita she told us that she was the only one who could save us from the calamities which approach as we are overshadowed by those elite constructs that threaten to fall on us and bury us. But we will rise through the devastation, rosary in hand, to become what has always been intended: full sons and daughters of our Almighty God and Father, through His Glorified Son and in the Unity of the Holy Spirit. In the very moment that the veil of the temple was suddenly and unexpectedly rent, the power of the elite was destroyed and victory over death accomplished. Death defeated Death.

    Until then God had been kept at a distance and was accessible only by the chief priests behind a heavy tapestry woven to suit their designs, to preserve their power and to hide their ways. Calvary opened that curtain to let the people of God in while we were still sinners, while we were ordinary men. Oh happy fault. In the end the elite will give way to the elect. Her Immaculate Heart will Triumph and all generations will call her Blessed. And the love of Jesus and Mary will be our life of bliss as the veil of the temple becomes the mantle of Mary under which, rosary in hand, we all find sanctuary.

    Liked by 9 people

    3. Indeed, Joe Cro! I find myself going over your comment again and again, finding a new gem each time. Well done! Your words benefit many.

      Liked by 5 people

    5. I read every word you share, Joe, and never once stop to think, “oh-oh, Joe is going to have some ‘splaining to do, setting himself up as a teacher and all…”

      If it makes you feel any better, I tend to think of it as ‘thinkin’ out loud,’ and I enjoy your artsy/poetic bent, although I find that pondering “death defeated death” is a bit like standing in front of Dan Flavin’s “The Nominal Three (to William of Ockham),” and trying to make some sense out of it.

      This is no time for those of good will to second guess themselves. When it’s a time for quiet, we’ll know it.

      Liked by 4 people

  8. Read the Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office) if you desire to get more into the Scriptures relating to our current stste of affairs. Each day poses a different theme (of Love) worldwide. Each and every devotee of the ‘Office’ contemplates the same prayer in a different manner.

    Here is the latest Medjugorje reading:

    Latest Medjugorje Message, May 2, 2018 [O] – Apparitions to Mirjana
    Mirjana during an apparition

    http://www.medjugorje.ws

    “Dear children,
    All that my Son, who is the light of love, has done and does, He has done out of love. Also you, my children, when you live in love and love your neighbors, you are doing the will of my Son. Apostles of my love, make yourselves little; open your pure hearts to my Son so that He can work through you. With the help of faith, be filled with love.

    But, my children, do not forget that the Eucharist is the heart of faith. This is my Son who feeds you with His Body and strengthens you with His Blood. This is a miracle of love: my Son who always comes anew, alive, to bring life back to souls.

    My children, by living in love you are doing the will of my Son and He lives in you. My children, my motherly desire is for you to always love Him more, because He is calling you with His love. He is giving you love so that you may spread it to all those around you.

    As a mother, through His love, I am with you to speak the words of love and hope to you-to speak to you the eternal words that are victorious over time and death-so as to call you to be my apostles of love. Thank you. ”

    Liked by 5 people

        1. Aaaahhh…Mick…your mean GUYS/ MEN? You indicate plural daughters and singular form of “guy”….just say’n…🤪😂😎🏝. God bless you and DAUGHTERS !

          Liked by 2 people

      3. Beckita….this is SO perfect !!!! Our society….world….wants to feminize manhood CONSTANTLY..and this brings the reality of strength of manhood, through humble Adoration of the KING……thEEEE KING!!! !!! It is like they obey the Queen —with little beads—-which strike the horns of the beasts! Ooh yeah!
        Can’t wait for Her to start BREAK dancing on its head!

        Liked by 3 people

  9. Charlie, I love your “short takes.” You cover a lot of territory in those messages, and I agree wholeheartedly with everything you said. We think alike, so we must both be on the right path, praise Jesus. I, too would never had voted for Dr. Trump. He seemed too boisterous. Actually, a lot of what he said was truthful. I guess that’s why he got voted in. I have come to like him because he’s a great American, not a politician….a great American. He is a good person and has a strong belief in God.

    It amazes me how crooked our entire government has become. I personally believe that the devil has confused a lot of good people in seeing right and wrong in a twisted way. For instance, I don’t think there is one Democrat who is pro life. Well, maybe one or two. But then how can they be Democrats since that party carries an agenda that is pro “choice.” Yeah, I like that tricky little word…..choice…..it makes everything sound so “right.” It’s the devil’s trick.

    What has happened to our justice system and the FBI who are supposed to protect us? All they’ve done so far was to protect Hillary who should rightfully be in jail. When I say my Rosary every day I pray that “truth and justice” will be restored to our pagan country. God have mercy on us and on the whole world.

    Boy do we need a rescue !!!!! I have 4 grandchildren. They live in a world much different from the one I grew up in. I pray that they will experience the era of peace that we are all hoping for. My husband and I have been saying the Rosary with the FLAME OF LOVE devotion as given to Elizabeth Kindelman.

    God bless us, one land all.

    Liked by 7 people

  10. The below is a SIGN that Liberal PC Madness is still alive and well. The Usual Suspects are always complaining about the DOD Budget and how much we are spending compared to other nations but it’s the very same Usual Suspects who have forced all the Left’s, expensive $$$, PC Agendas upon the DOD and all the other Alphabet Agencies … Oh!! .. and inflated “Union Scale” contracts, Pork Barrel Boondoggles, ….. I just watched a couple of security camera videos of the WC-130 that spun-in near Savannah, GA yesterday. Very Scary!!
    RIP Comrades of Mine!
    Being an old C-130 schoolhouse IP, I have a couple of educated theories but These-Days. This plane was a 65 model on on her way to the Boneyard in AZ. Guard Birds, as a rule, are better maintained and manned then Active Duty Birds ’cause of more senior/experienced people. Seems there has been a real uptick of Military plane crashes/incidents of late. Old planes, under trained crews/MX Folks and spare parts shortages …. but we have $$$$$ for the below:

    “Pentagon spends $700G to teach soldiers when it’s OK to kiss someone”

    http://www.foxnews.com/us/2018/05/03/pentagon-spends-700g-to-teach-soldiers-when-its-ok-to-kiss-someone.html

    GOD SAVE ALL HERE!!

    Liked by 5 people

    2. I am a Christendom graduate and I watched that whole mess unfold in real time on the alumni newsfeed. I knew the people involved and I was just astonished. People need to be careful and very focused when they go after evil. In their zeal for justice some may forget themselves and when all is in ashes around them and the evil is overcome . . . they may notice that in the wake of their destruction they have left a great void where a good thing used to be.

      Liked by 2 people

  12. “The Biblical verse that keeps bubbling up in my head is from 1 Thessalonians 5:3 – “When people say, ‘There is peace and security,’ then sudden destruction will come upon them…”
    Charlie,
    These words of yours made me think of The Tribulation prophesied at Garabandal whose onset will be sudden and unexpected. When the secret of Fatima had not been revealed by 1960 as requested by Our Lady she then appeared in Garabandal in 1961. There she once again referred to the role of Russia which she said would suddenly and unexpectedly overrun Europe and told us that The Tribulation will be a revival of Communism. On August 13 1961 the Communists suddenly and unexpectedly threw up the Berlin wall. Although this was eventually torn down perhaps its way of construction was a foreshadow of the onset of Tribulation: sudden and unexpected. Perhaps its tearing down prefigured in some small way the eventual defeat of Communism. The feast of St Joseph the Worker was instituted in 1955 in response to the annual Mayday celebrations in Moscow which usually purported to celebrate the defeat of Nazi Germany but which were really used to showcase the military might of Communist Russia. This year it also commemorates the 100th anniversary of the founding of The Red Army. In Fatima we were warned about the errors of Russia and how they would spread across the world. It was no mistake that the sign of Fatima which was seen across the whole world took the form of a red aurora. Shortly after the Russian Revolution in 1917 agents were sent from Moscow to spread her errors to both N Korea and China where they set up their respective Communist parties to rule those countries – they still do. If only the requests of Mary had met with full and immediate compliance. The partial compliance accorded to them has indeed had some mitigating benefit but did not stop the spread of “the errors of Russia.” Some say the present regime is simply a thinly disguised version of the old order in its foundational elements and its expansionist ambition. Perhaps Charlie’s march will help combat the spread of atheistic ideology – the errors of Russia – which will result in the approaching calamities referred to at Akita. Some comfort in the prophesy of Blessed Elena can be taken which says Russia will indeed overrun Europe but will only combat America. And then there is the mystetious prophesy of Padre Pio who said that Russia would teach America a lesson in conversion. In any case we know that the days of Tribulation will be cut short by The Warning and that The Great Miracle which will come to pass within one year of The Warning will be for the conversion of the world. I say the sooner the better.

    Liked by 3 people

  14. Let us not believe for a moment that Satan & his cohorts are simply going to relinquish their usurpation of power without violence, in his conceit & vain glory he always boasts -even in things seemingly innocent https://youtu.be/qqiiO_Y-4KM

    Like

    1. R. Sey, I remember watching The Pink Panther as a kid. I never saw this particular episode, but it is a good one. Who would’ve ever thought that the Pink Panther could have a profound message?

      Liked by 1 person

  15. i’m convinced the rosaries on the coast in Ireland,Poland,Scotland, England(,and Italy?) over last winter, and now in US, will bring about a sudden and to many, unexpected change in our societies …. it is spiritual ‘hand to hand’ warfare in Ireland just now as dark forces instigate their latest ‘final push’ to introduce ‘equality of care to women’, i.e. the equality of having legal right to choose death for preborn human beings…. aka: reproductive rights, ‘as enjoyed by women in all EU states’! ….. the women’s rights advocates never mention the fact that more than 50% of the terminated preborn are also female…. where are the feminist sisters when their own sex is being targeted for the worst possible abuse imaginable? it is however premature and inviting bitter disappointment to talk of victory in Ireland or anything close to it yet…
    the govt and media have the upper hand and are not about to accept defeat in any way…. it will require
    a miracle of biblical proportions …. in many cases a last minute spiritual intervention which causes them not to do what the media and government are so determined for them to accept as ‘inevitable’
    and ‘ the caring’ thing to do …. killing is actually caring is their crocodile tears message

    Liked by 3 people

    1. Charlie,

      Thanks for some marvellous writing in recent weeks!

      You enquired above about how things are going here in Ireland with the referendum just 3 weeks away from today (Friday 4th). Well, the news is cautiously good…but cautiously! This is from the latest email I received from the”Life Institute”, who are out there on the ground doing the slog-work, in a way the lazy, arrogant death-heads just aren’t, confident as they are in the massive support they have from the court-eunuch media and the fact that our Government (may God judge them) are actively behind this:

      “As we approach the May 25th finish line, here’s a quick update on the campaign:

      • “No” is beating “Yes” very heavily outside of Dublin and the large urban areas, thanks to our amazing canvassers!

      • Many of our canvass leaders have reported back a definite swing from “Undecided” to “Leaning No” in the last 7 days, which is great!

      • This swing is mainly because of the “1-in-5” and “12 weeks” posters – when people know about it, they just can’t stomach it.”

      I need hardly add that the death camp have been engaging in all their usual democratic behaviour, such as removing pro-life posters. It’s what they do – one sadly doesn’t expect better. Bears, woods, all that.

      Anyway, please do search out the “Life Institute” website for full and truthful news and updates. It is a joy to read – and actually does represent the spirit of the “real Ireland”.

      As to the LCJ in England and his asinine comment about criticism of Judges, clearly this extravagantly bewigged doofus ( have you seen the pictures of these dudes all togged out in their gear?) has never heard of Gilbert and Sullivan. Otherwise he’d have to ban a good part of their oeuvre, which was based on criticism, albeit humourous, of absurd timeservers such as His Lordship. And with some really classy music. I’ve always loved doing G&S!!

      God bless all, and I know your prayers are assured for the success of the Right on 25th May. J.

      Liked by 4 people

        1. Never doubted that, Mick! Nor about all on here. True friends. God bless yiz!! 👍

          We’re actually where you in the U.S. were in 1973, but with sooo much more information now available. And yet… and yet, the Satan’s disinformation and lies have only correspondingly increased. And so many are led astray.

          Anyway. If you go to the Life Institute website funding-page, they ask non-citizens not to donate, because that’s illegal. Yet we all know the death-camp are massively funded from abroad, albeit covertly. “Funding” is a sort of floating term anyway – given they have unlimited access and support from media, Government, EU, blah, blah… Who needs funding when you have night and day media disinformation and political pressure working on your side? It truly is David – v- Goliath.

          The Life Institute has had to set up a separate site called “Save the 8th” (that’s the 8th amendment to our Constitution, passed massively in 1983, to protect the Unborn) because of… well, I’m not sure why, but I think it was because of funding concerns and the fact that they, not our opponents, have to be seen to be beyond all suspicion – which doesn’t seem to apply to the other side.

          Here’s the link to the Save the 8th site:

          https://www.save8.ie/our-new-billboards-this-is-abortion-up-to-6-months/

          Lots of info on what’s being done, on a shoestring.

          We are actually the last bastion. Really, despite our wholesale abandonment of the Faith over the last 30 years (probably longer). Because all of Europe permits child-murder and the pressure to cave is huge. Huge. We are tied to the EU, in a sort of death-hug. And to think we once evangelised much of Europe. God, awaken us. If we reject this filthy proposal, may we then be revitalised and once again recover the courage of our Fathers.

          In hope and faith. It’s all – and everything – we have.

          Liked by 3 people

          1. So… to clarify, Jaykay, is there any legal way for non-citizens of Ireland to financially assist the pro-life forces?

            Liked by 1 person

            1. I don’t think so, Mick. Only citizens, either here or living abroad. The intention is that political matters are for citizens only and should not be influenced, either way, from outside.

              God bless, J.

              Liked by 1 person

    1. (OK editing time as my nimble finger cleared the comment before completion.)

      Honestly, CD, I do think President Trump is God’s answer to our prayers. So many Rosaries and various prayer initiatives from many faiths preceded the 2016 election. As we observe how DT and his efforts to govern have been pummeled with resistance so that erudite analysis names our country’s current climate our second civil war and the opposition’s efforts a soft coup, I wonder at how a weaker person would have buckled under such as this. Given how broken has been our culture, therefore its people and institutions, I surveyed the candidates at the start of the last primary season and remarked I would have voted for no one. When it came down to actually voting no way was I going to vote for HRC or give her any advantage from my vote and am I ever pleased with what I see as the conversion of our current president happening before our very eyes.

      Is DT perfect? Heck no. And many are the imperfect Biblical characters and saints whom God has used and pruned over time to fashion them for service. Did King David sin as seriously as Donald Trump? Did he ever! He added murder to the mix of fornication and adultery. Still, David had a good heart, a repentant heart, and look what God accomplished through him. Another person with a lust problem was St. Augustine. Such heights of sanctity did he reach with an abundance of wise treasure granted to the Church through him! Sexual sins are serious but they’re not too much for the Lord as he reminded St. Faustina with superior seriousness in the face of grave sin: “The greater the sinner, the greater RIGHT he has to My Mercy.” A female counterpart to the male lust problem is St. Mary Magdalen. Look how her story unfolded… her conversion with the Lord delivering her of seven demons… the ways she then followed Him and tended to Him with pure love, anointing his feet, oil mixed with her own tears of repentance, in the face of Judas ridiculing her… faithful she was on the Via Dolorosa and at the foot of the Cross when all but one Apostle had fled… the first to witness Christ’s resurrection… and in our day and time, elevated to become “Apostolorum Apostola” (“Apostle of the Apostles”) with the day of her memorial elevated to a feast day.

      Such a lesson for all of us to give the Lord any history of missteps, areas of repeated sin, and/or regrets. God is the Source of Goodness, the epitome of awesome as He transforms us in our surrender and repentance. The biggest messes in which we find ourselves are, often, the very raw material with which He reaches into our souls, bringing us back, sanctifying us and shaping us for His Greatness in our existence. This is why, in the midst of the current awfulness, there is so.much.hope.beyond.all.telling. How great IS the Mercy of God! It didn’t end with the Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy. And, again, I do believe we are witnessing a conversion reflecting such as this in President Trump. Out of the heart comes an abundance of good or evil words and deeds. Just look at the good this man has accomplished and promoted during his presidency! Two days ago, he penned: “Executive Order on the Establishment of a White House Faith and Opportunity Initiative”.

      Charlie has often included links to the writing of Victor Davis Hanson, so permeated with erudite material infused with superior analysis, wisdom and insight. Here’s a great VDH piece, Donald Trump, Tragic Hero, in which Hanson notes: “His very flaws may be his strengths.”

      So, I do agree with Reverend Graham’s assertion that President Trump did not ascend the presidency by “happenstance.”

      Liked by 6 people

  17. On the subject of Facebook going the way of the dinosaur, just this last weekend i learned about an application of blockchain technology (the basis of Bitcoin) that takes distributed information far beyond just money. Basically it has the potential to wrest control of your data away from corruptible central platforms (the State, Facebook, Google, Insurance companies etc) and give it back to you to control and encrypt. It eliminates the ability of a middleman to manage (censor) the information. Check out the Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethereum

    Over 150 companies and institutions have signed onto an alliance to develop and support this. Conspicuous in their absence: Facebook, Google, Apple (as of yet). Hmmm.

    Liked by 3 people

  18. I love Charlie – can’t find a way to transfer him from an email address I no longer use to my present address.

    Can you please send his posts to Thx Elizabeth

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Greetings Elizabeth. Only the reader himself/herself can opt to receive latest posts from Charlie via email inbox. Please access the menu where you are given opportunity to do that. PS We life be Charlie too. 😉

      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.