L’Chaim, To Life!

Posted on by charliej373
Jan_Davidsz._de_Heem_1.jpg
Jan Davidsz de Heem

By Charlie Johnston

Orangevale, California – When I was in my 20’s, while visiting family in Alabama, I spent an afternoon with a distant cousin (almost every time I am there, I discover relatives I have never previously heard of). He had one of the weirdest things I have ever seen: a glass gallon jar filled with medium-sized snakes. It was a creepy, hideous, writhing mass – kind of a creepshow, living kaleidoscope. I could not help but keep my eye on it in quietly horrified fascination.

These days, the Vatican reminds me of that horrible jar. It is not so much a particular offense, but that the offenses twist and slither without stop.

Pope Francis put an end to the debate over whether the statues that were worshipped in opening ceremonies for the Amazon Synod were a weird image of Our Lady or were the pagan goddess Pachamama. He apologized for the theft of the Pachamama idols which were thrown into the Tiber River, thus confirming that it is a representation of a pagan deity. He added that the idols may be present in the Church for the closing ceremony. This has led some commentators to speculate ominously about whether the “abomination which makes desolate, standing in the holy place” has come to pass. Perhaps, but lately it seems we get a new desolating abomination each day, as grotesque as snakes in a jar.

“I am the Lord your God…You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself a graven image…you shall not bow down to them or serve them; for I the Lord your God am a jealous God …” Exodus 20 (the beginning of the Ten Commandments).

Our Triune God is a Community of Persons; Father, Son and Holy Spirit. From the love that processes between the Father and the Son proceeds the Holy Spirit. This process is, itself, the fount of all creation. Yes, God wills to create, but in a very deep sense, creation falls like ripe fruit from the love that processes among this Community of Persons. It could not be otherwise. God, Himself, is the archetype of fruitfulness through love. It is at the heart of His nature.

Each of us is endowed by God with an immortal soul. Each soul God creates is given the power to become a child of God. (John 1:12,13) We are NOT all children of God, but God gives each of us the power to become so by receiving Him. We are born of flesh and blood with an immortal soul: we must be born again in the spirit by embracing God and living His commandments. Then we become children of God.

Each soul is endowed with free will. We can choose, of our own volition, to do good or to do evil. In that sense, we are in the image of God. But it is only a partial image. “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness; and let them have dominion…So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. And God blessed them and God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply…’” (Genesis 1:26-28). It is as a community of persons, through which love processes and bears fruit that we are fully in the image of God. Thus, the family is the fullness of how we are made in the image of God. We are made in God’s own image, individually – but individually we are incapable of sharing in the fullness of His creative power. It is within the family, a loving community of persons (just as God, Himself, is a loving Community of Persons) that we fully reflect His image and likeness.

The nature of the satan (who is pure malice) is to pervert, mutilate, negate and ultimately destroy what God has created.

Because of our fallen nature we are prone to sin. When we sin, it is akin to cutting ourselves spiritually. Wound ourselves enough and we die. This is why God warns us against sin: not because He is a killjoy, but because He knows it will kill us. He calls us to life. The satan both tempts us towards the sin we are already prone to and anesthetizes our spirit so we don’t immediately feel the pain of the wound. In fact, it usually feels downright pleasurable at first. When we have opened a wound and drawn blood, the satan gleefully infects and inflames it. Then there is only misery. Even a small wound with a virulent infection can prove fatal.

Yet God is merciful. Even in the midst of the greatest wounds and the most poisonous infections, the cure is right at hand. We merely need to call sincerely on the name of the Lord and repent of our sins. Spiritual ailments are the most deadly of all – but also the most easily cured if we simply humble ourselves and call on the Lord with repentance.

The Church is our rock. Governed ultimately by Jesus Christ, it is the sum total of Scripture and Tradition expressed authoritatively in the Magisterium, defined doctrine. Each generation of men who form the hierarchy are guardians of the faith, not masters of it. They are tasked with handing on the faith with fidelity to all the faithful and governing the visible Church. Our understanding of the faith may be refined by these servants of the Lord in the hierarchy, but defined doctrine can never be contradicted by anyone, however grand his transient earthly title.

We are confronted with the spectacle of officials at the highest levels of the hierarchy waging increasingly overt war against the faith. It is a frightening thing. Yet when anyone wages war against God, he can only end by destroying himself. Some foolishly think they are working to make the Church more “tolerant.” The wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). What these worldly and dissenting clerics assert is that the wages of sin is not death – while heartily approving of the satan’s anesthetic to deaden us to the consequences of sin. That will not bring life, only allow us to die more comfortably. Christ calls us to life, not to death. How ironic that, at a time when an opioid crisis is killing many in America, so many clerics are prescribing the spiritual opioid of false doctrine!

Amidst the spectacle of high clerics assaulting the rock that is the Church, we are not called to leave and form our own simulacrum of the Church Christ founded. Christ, Himself, formed the Church as an hierarchical institution and endowed that hierarchy with governing authority. In the battle unfolding, there are many Bishops who are relentlessly faithful to Scripture and the Universal Magisterium. Follow them. The ones waging war on the cornerstone of our faith will only break themselves against it. With each day, God reveals more about who is His faithful servant and who is an heir of Judas in the hierarchy. Follow those who, within the Church, live fidelity to their duty as guardians of the faith. “…Even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a Gospel contrary to that we preached to you, let him be accursed.” (Galatians 1:8)

In the early centuries of the Church, controversies often arose that roiled the waters of what all thought they knew to be true, confronting them with how to navigate these controversies in a way that maintained full fidelity to the commands of Christ. It was not easy, but usually resulted in great refinements in doctrine. Ah, but those refinements only came after great and extended strife. Now we are confronted with yet another such great controversy after centuries without such a challenge. We are forced to contemplate when the most dangerous attacks come from within the Church rather than from without. God is forcing everyone to choose and declare where they stand. We now walk a knife’s edge.

As you navigate these perilous times, remember that the coin of God’s realm is the souls you help bring back to Him, the souls that you help bring back to what gives life. Sometimes that can involve conflict with those who are trying to destroy what God has created or with those who are prescribing the spiritual opioid of false doctrine. More often, it involves being a sign of hope by how you live your day-to-day life and being sensitive to what people need to revive their hope. Many of those who are lost in the misery and anger of sin (which they decided is actually good) already quietly know that they have lost the capacity for joy and for abundant life. You will rarely draw them back by what you say, but if you live joy with candor, people will be drawn to you, especially as things get darker. Show the way to life, which is the way to Christ.

When we stand before God and give account for what we gained with the talent He gave us, it is not the people we vanquished, the arguments we prevailed in, or the titles we won that will elicit a “Well done” from Him. It is the people who were lost who we helped recall to life that will be counted as our gain in His sight. Let your anger never go beyond righteous anger; let your righteousness never degenerate into self-righteousness; be salt and light that draws people to Christ out of darkness. A tree is judged by the fruit it bears (Luke 6:44). This is fruit that will last.

To faith!

To hope!

To love!

To life!

Viva Christo Rey!

238 thoughts on “L’Chaim, To Life!”

  1. Thank you, Charlie. So much said so well as you hearten us to carry on with great hope, dedication and fidelity to the One Who will carry us through it all if we but acknowledge Him always, take that next right step – even when it involves risk-taking – and let Him make of us a sign of hope as we bear His Light, beaming a path forward in the darkness, for us and for others and as we bear His Love, in myriad little ways, to all those around us.

    Love the image redux. May we bear GREAT fruit, in Jesus Name, by becoming living hosts!

    Liked by 10 people

  2. As you navigate these perilous times, remember that the coin of God’s realm is the souls you help bring back to Him, the souls that you help bring back to what gives life. Sometimes that can involve conflict with those who are trying to destroy what God has created or with those who are prescribing the spiritual opioid of false doctrine. More often, it involves being a sign of hope by how you live your day-to-day life and being sensitive to what people need to revive their hope. Many of those who are lost in the misery and anger of sin (which they decided is actually good) already quietly know that they have lost the capacity for joy and for abundant life. You will rarely draw them back by what you say, but if you live joy with candor, people will be drawn to you, especially as things get darker. Show the way to life, which is the way to Christ.

    My heart went Pitter patter as I read this…and on a funny note..Pitter kept coming out as Potter. ..I had to scroll back to fix what I wanted to say..lol..all love & respect to you, Charlie…We are blessed beyond measure to have you as our guiding hope in these perilous and confusing times!!! Viva Christo Rey!!!

    Liked by 10 people

    2. By way of explanation, Father Goring has a weekly timely short on you tube @2 to 3 minutes long on Catholic topics. He always ends his video with Viva Christo Rey. I thought maybe you had seen some of his videos.

      Liked by 2 people

  3. A prominent attorney in Memphis who seems to wield a lot of power in our diocese has been arguing on Facebook that even though it was wrong to have an idol at St. Peter’s, stealing is against the commandments and so these guys should not have done that. I cheered when I heard about it. I dont consider it stealing, but defending the faithm

    Liked by 12 people

      2. When I first read this I thought, no, Jesus was not a vandal, because one can’t technically vandalize one’s own property which of course the Temple was since it was his “Father’s house.”. But then I thought He only damaged the moneychangers property, so that could technically be vandalism. Except that it couldn’t really be vandalism since Everything is His. Which of course proves one thing for certain- that I am overthinking this way too much!

        Liked by 8 people

        2. Both the law and Justice are created by God. As the creator and author of Law & Justice he’s not subject to them because of the fact that they were created for the creature and not for the Creator. Jesus, when he was being baptized by John the Baptist, was asked by John; “Shouldn’t you be baptizing me ?”, recognising that Jesus is above the necessity of repentance, but Jesus said; “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” So Jesus fulfilled and sanctified the law by participating in it and by giving us the perfect example of how a human being can live a perfectly justified life thus raising humanity to its perfection and sanctity through the Perfection we know as Jesus Christ.
          A conscientious objector recognizes that there is a higher law than man’s law. Jesus showed us His righteous anger toward this higher law when He cleared the Temple of the “den of thieves”. As Job was subjected to satan’s temptations and punishments because God gave satan permission to test him, God shows His authority over His creatures beyond the mere human understanding of justice. Not only does God not explain to Job why He allowed this testing but even admonishes him for questioning His sovereign reasoning for them!
          Sophistries are from the enemy. God speaks plain to us and His mysteries are not for us to know (nore can we know them). Even the angels are unaware of His full depth and reasons, trembling as they contemplate the little He does reveal to them. Nothing finite can contemplate infinity, it is enough that we know that
          “He Is Who Is ” and are brought forth to share in His great joy!

          Liked by 4 people

    2. I didn’t consider it stealing either. Don’t they always tell us we are the church and the church is our home. When filth comes into my home I clean it out. I consider it no different than if the Pope was gifted a ouja board. If I found that in the church I would destroy it. How is this any different?

      Liked by 16 people

    3. If a perp is pointing a gun at you, and you disarm him and throw his gun in a nearby creek, you haven’t stolen the perp’s gun; you’ve neutralized a threat by an unjust aggressor. To my way of thinking, the yanking and tossing of the idols is the same thing.

      Liked by 23 people

        1. Ha, Charlie! I’ve heard many different words used to describe me (some of which aren’t repeatable here, as this is a family-friendly site); but I’m not sure I’ve ever heard someone call me sweet. So, much obliged! 🙂

          By the way, my family went to see Love and Mercy tonight. It was incredible. The most gratifying thing, though, was seeing so many people from the local parishes show up at the theater. They sold out and had to turn scads of people away. But the employee behind the ticket counter said that the theater might be showing the movie again on December 2.

          Liked by 6 people

      2. True, Mick, but the Department of Environmental Protection will cite and fine you for littering lead and other toxic metals into the stream! 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀

        Liked by 3 people

  5. The best article you have written, since the beginning. Beautiful, direct and to the point. And, at the right time and place. You hit the spiritual bullseye, Charlie.

    Everyone, do not forget your prayers for the holy souls, poor souls, forgotten souls, suffering souls, especially this week.

    Liked by 18 people

    1. I loved this article a lot; it’s rich in content and sobering, and ended with hope and encouragement.

      Our diocese may have lost a holy shepherd in Bishop Robert Gruss, but we gained a remarkable pastor, Fr. Brian Christensen. He’s from my neck of the woods (NY), and has drive and passion. He is on fire. In just a short time, he’s brought so much to our community that it would be too long to list here. He lives in fidelity to his duties and the faith, and is a man worth following. And I attribute this blessing to the years of Perpetual Adoration held in Our Lady’s Chapel.

      November is fast approaching. My friend Pam, who has late stage Multiple Sclerosis, spends every day in November praying for the deceased. After morning mass, she drives her handicapped van to a cemetery off Mount Rushmore Road high on a hill in Rapid City. She parks and sits in her van praying the Chaplet of Divine Mercy for the Holy Souls in Purgatory. It is a beautiful tradition she has.

      From the Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conceptions:

      ….Jesus tells us in the prayer for the day:

      ❤️ “Today bring to Me THE SOULS WHO ARE DETAINED IN PURGATORY, and immerse them in the abyss of My mercy. Let the torrents of My Blood cool down their scorching flames. All these souls are greatly loved by Me. They are making retribution to My justice. It is in your power to bring them relief. Draw all the indulgences from the treasury of My Church and offer them on their behalf. Oh, if you only knew the torments they suffer, you would continually offer for them the alms of the spirit and pay off their debt to My justice.” ❤️

      (Diary of St. Faustina, 1226)
      https://www.thedivinemercy.org/articles/souls-purgatory

      Liked by 11 people

      1. I just learned that Father Christensen is offering Mass on All Soul’s Day, Saturday, at Pine Lawn Cemetery at 8 am. This is the same cemetery that Pam visits to pray!

        You can see how wonderful this priest is. Praise God!

        Liked by 7 people

        1. PD: I wonder if Fr. Christensen will be going to the retreat that Prof Birch mentions at the end of the comments on the previous blog post? It sounds like a wonderful retreat/study that is being planned in the Arch Diocese of Denver(?). (Isn’t that where Prof Birch is?)

          Liked by 1 person

      2. Pat , Saturday I will get to put on my Roman Rite hat and attend an EF requiem mass. Father Dennis Mancuso has a catafulque, so we will get everything, including the Dies Irae sequence.

        Liked by 4 people

    3. As we come to November, remember each Flame of Love Hail Mary earnes TEN souls out of Purgatory! May we EMPTY the place by Dec 1!

      Liked by 9 people

      1. @Nance Shaw: I did not know that. Thank you. I had the impetus to add a piece to the Flame of Love addition. When I remember I say,”and spread the Grace of the Flame of Thy Love as well as the Precious Blood of Jesus over all of humanity” now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

        I just pictured the convent Chapel at the Rue du Bac with St. Catherine Laboure when all the graces were streaming from Our Lady of Graces’ hands. I thought that Our Lady might not mind also distributing the much needed drops of Jesus’ Precious Blood.

        Liked by 4 people

  9. ” In the battle unfolding, there are many Bishops who are relentlessly faithful to Scripture and the Universal Magisterium. Follow them. The ones waging war on the cornerstone of our faith will only break themselves against it. With each day, God reveals more about who is His faithful servant and who is an heir of Judas in the hierarchy. Follow those who, within the Church, live fidelity to their duty as guardians of the faith.” Charlie
    https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/bishop-athanasius-schneider-issues-open-letter-condemning-pachamama-statue-as-new-golden-calf
    I found one 🙂

    Liked by 11 people

  10. We had a wild, windy day in the Bay Area…fires popped up all over the place, crazy roads and of course, power outages. Been nice having you on the home turf Charlie but…happy trails now! Just kidding, hope you had a great visit to the Golden State. Thank you for all the heartening.

    Liked by 8 people

  11. I didn’t pay much attention to the pachamama thing, and then got turned off by the hair on fire reactions ( both sides) everywhere. Should I have taken that much more seriously? Some stuff I just ignore because I don’t have the time to wade through the information to make an informed decision. Was this something we should have researched for ourselves?

    Liked by 3 people

    1. It’s probably best to not pay attention to it, Brianna….the Vatican has consistently been a source of bad news and strange ideas. Nothing we can do about it but pray for the Pope per Our Lady’s request.

      Liked by 4 people

    1. Ha Cheryl! You are literally right in the next room right now – and somehow I never knew you were sheralyn! Thanks for the coffee sitting in front of me as I respond to a few things!

      Liked by 8 people

      2. Ditto Sheralyn80, Charlie! It was wonderful spending time with you and TNRS faithful. Mike and I had a wild ride home to the Bay Area…..smoke, flying dirt storms and huge traffic jams. We made it in one piece, thanks be to God.

        Liked by 2 people

  13. Thank you for this, Charlie. You put into words what I have struggled to say since this papacy revealed itself. I pray for the Pope every day, the bishops, too. We’re trying to work with our grandchildren, at least, that they be given a faithful Catholic religious education so when the real tough times come, they will at least know who God is, who Jesus is, who Mary is, and they will be able to pray. God will help us but we must be shown that we can do nothing for ourselves.

    Liked by 7 people

    1. Ah Jane, my dear old friend…I am always glad when something I have written brightens someone’s day – but when the someone is one who I have loved since childhood, how it brightens my day. Jane’s whole family was a delight to me when I was growing up. Please give my greetings to the old gang!

      Liked by 5 people

  15. Beautifully done Charlie.

    Legitimate Hierarchy of Authority seems to be the battle everywhere at once. Intra Catholic, Inter faith, cultural , familial, political. From Dad/Mom split on desecrating a beautiful child, to Yellow vests, EU vs Nations, deep state vs America…

    The short easy version is that we belong to God and no man, woman or institution may breach that authority. The preamble to the long difficult version is that He created(s?*) the Heirarchy . Hierarchy is of Him, for His purposes, one of which is our own good.

    Ergo, being of Him it is our duty to submit to legitimate authority. The duties and role of legitimate authority is too big a topic for me to pretend to comment on (beyond the duty to love as Christ loves us).

    When authority becomes illegitimate …well, here we are.

    Your advise to support those in authority who are true is spot on and a duty and a joy.

    Sorry to blather, writing this helps me clarify my thinking.

    After watching Fr. Chad Ripperberger’s part 2 on spiritual warfare, where he teaches on the importance of exercising the authority God has given us and not presuming an authority that is not ours, I was thinking on how to reconcile my ‘run to the sound of the battle’ disposition with the authority of the current American governments. The answer, thank God, is in the Authority , the Constitution, that those governments are bound by. Ergo, my disposition is not sinful per se. It is subject first to God and then the mundane matter of the Constitution. The reconciliation to legitimate authority brought a calm peace.

    Regarding ‘creates*’ from above. The Constitution did not exist at the Ascension. Ergo new, legitimate authority was created. “Behold! I create a new thing” is in my heart lately.

    peace to all

    Liked by 9 people

  17. Charlie, great post! Timely as well, since it parallels much of what Fr. Chris Alar from the Marians of the Immaculate Conception talked about last night in our opening session of our parish mission. Our 7 year old son sat still and listened to Fr. for 90+ minutes straight!

    Your statement of “Yet God is merciful. Even in the midst of the greatest wounds and the most poisonous infections, the cure is right at hand. We merely need to call sincerely on the name of the Lord and repent of our sins. Spiritual ailments are the most deadly of all – but also the most easily cured if we simply humble ourselves and call on the Lord with repentance.” mirrors perfectly exactly what Fr. was talking with regards to Divine Mercy….

    Thanks for this, and thank you for your direct approach to our current state.

    God bless and safe travels!!!
    Bill

    Liked by 6 people

  18. Charlie — Your comment:
    “When we stand before God and give account for what we gained with the talent He gave us, it is not the people we vanquished, the arguments we prevailed in, or the titles we won that will elicit a “Well done” from Him. It is the people who were lost who we helped recall to life that will be counted as our gain in His sight”

    I always thought I had to do something BIG in order to get a “Well done” from God. You have helped me see it is in the small everyday things — what we say/don’t say/do/don’t do with the people God places in our path that day.

    I tend to try to relate a concept with something visual — something I can hold onto so I can remember … This morning I thought of “eggs” … fresh farm chicken eggs. Gathering eggs throughout the day is one of my favorite pastimes. It is like being a small little girl again and finding a treasure. I thought … what if any kind/charitable act or word was like gathering an egg (as you said .. a coin for God) and finding a treasure?

    Liked by 8 people

    1. Oooo…I love that, Girl. If each day we go out with our egg basket and collect the little kindnesses we find to do throughout the day, what a treasure we will bring with us into the next life. At an event I did a few years back, a woman brought her 12-year-old daughter – and this on a Saturday afternoon. Needless to say, the daughter was NOT pleased to be going to some religious thing on a Saturday instead of the mall. During the presentation I had spoken of how much good we could do if we paid attention to those around us and did a little something (quietly and even anonymously when possible) to brighten the day of those we saw who were sad or struggling. The mother contacted me a few weeks later and told me that idea had lit a fire in her daughter’s head – who was happily telling Mom each day how many people she had been able to spread a little joy to that day – and was happy as she had ever been in the doing of it. We find joy by giving joy – and bring a treasure with us into the next life.

      Liked by 14 people

    2. Farm Girl Your post reminded me of two gifts of insight I was given in my lifetime, When I was a sophmore in highschool at the seminary, I looked at life and concluded that if we only look for the big things in life, they are few and far between. If we learn to enjoy and treasure the little things in life, there would be so much more to enjoy. Some twenty years ago, at a retreat, when we had broken into small groups to share, someone had commented on the feeling of being called to big things by God. I observed that how often do we get feedback that some little thing we did had had some big effect on someone. I concluded that maybe it wasn’t some big thing we are called to do but the little things that really add up. May God continue to bless and guide all here. jas

      Liked by 3 people

  19. Viva Christo Rey!
    Today, My daily Plenary Indulgence was offered to Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi. Relunctantly…

    Jesus told St. Faustina “Mercy trumps justice”

    I prayed and offered a Chaplet of Divine Mercy for him, prayed the Stations of the Cross, asked Mother Mary to receive the Eucharist on my behalf appearing as Our Lady of Fatima and present the Eucharist, Lamb of God to Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi; if he is worthy.

    *******

    Reading this article, I think this is what God wants. He desires no one to be lost and asks to those to whom much is given, much is expected. I hope and pray this is His will.

    My Pastors homily this morning spoke of the upcoming generation steering away from institutions and going for Causes. Let our Cause be the salvation of souls… no matter how dark and stale they appear.

    Viva Christo Rey.

    Liked by 7 people

  20. Thank you for this Charlie. So many are lost as to how to proceed and so many are blind to the errors. Your words urging us on to hope and faith in the TRUE Church are so welcomed!

    Liked by 5 people

  21. “Most of the images of Pachamama are benevolent portrayals of a pregnant, wise woman. However, other literature seems to indicate that she is “often depicted as a huge dragon.” She is associated with the snake or serpent, also considered an bringer fertility and life”. (Fr Dwight Longnecker).
    It is interesting how these images always need a ‘sacrifice’ in order to be appeased.
    Reminds me of satans temptation of Jesus when he asks Jesus to bow down and worship him in order to have power over the kingdoms of the world. The pagans believed the ‘god’ would punish them if they did not sacrifice to him/her/it by some kind of famine or flood or earthquake, etc.
    But God tells us He does not desire sacrifice several times in Scripture ( Hosea 6:6; Psalm 51:16; Psalm 40:6; Hebrews 10:8), but also prescribes it as part of the Covenant between He and us leading up to the ‘New and everlasting covenant’ Jesus makes during the last supper where He sacrifices Himself and lays down His life for His friends.
    I think one of the main points lost about the idol worship of pagan gods is not that we ‘assimilated’ them into our Christian forms of worship but that the satan ‘aped’ the forms to confuse us when the true form came into practice to cause a misunderstanding of their true nature as a vehicle to the true God. And now we see the real argument at hand, that we are not supposed to assimilate ‘strange gods’ into Christian worship but to show where the proper ends to all worship really got its source from.

    Liked by 8 people

    1. Phillip Frank: Thank you for this summary. One of my sons is in Peru right now working on research for his dissertation. When I asked him about the pachamama this was his reply: “If I come across some kind of pachamama thing and the situation is appropriate, I will ask about ceremonies. But pachamama is generally not part of indigenous cultures from the lowlands. I came across it quite a bit in the mountains when I was in Cusco, but if it is in the jungle, it’s usually as part of new-age ‘touristy’ stuff that has developed apart from local culture.

      On that topic, what difference does it make if people are offering menstrual blood? They are already making offers of corn, coca, sometimes llamas etc. Is there a specific issue with menstrual blood?”

      I surely can’t answer that one for him, “What difference does it make?” I don’t know. Anyone here at TNRS have an idea? Maybe it doesn’t make any difference to have a non-lethal blood sacrifice.
      *************************************************************************************************
      When I asked my pastor if he’d heard of the pachamama, he said, “Pacha-who?” and then, “The Church took in fir trees,” and added, “What’s wrong with fertility?” I suspect that in part, he is trying to defuse a potentially difficult subject with humor. On my own part, I imagined taking my own pachamama idol and decorating it with a string of Christmas lights while singing, “Oh, pacha-Night!” hoping to use humor to defuse my own sense of being violated and betrayed, again. (I cannot begin to comprehend Our Lord and Our Lady’s grief.) But, hey, “What difference does it make?” Right? Right.

      On another topic, I had mentioned Our Lady of Las Lajas a while back to this same Peru-son (who is away from the Sacraments) and he had this question that I hope someone here might have an idea about: “[y]ou mentioned the virgin of las lajas. I had never heard of that particular case, so I looked it up. I am unable to find any information about it except on catholic sites and blogs (and a couple of cultural/tourism websites). I am looking for information regarding the studies that 50 scientists from 12 countries did on the site. I can’t find any record of the studies or the names of any of the scientists. I’ve searched around quite a bit online and in the normal academic channels, in English and Spanish, and I can’t find anything. Do you know of a place I could go to find any of that information?”

      Thanks, all at TNRS, for your help in this endeavor. This son is a Truth seeker and is pretty sure that Truth has nothing to do with the existence of God or demons. He’s taken at least five sessions of ayahuasca now and has his own health ‘spirit guide’ who, according to him, “As far as the self-voice and higher-self thing goes, I think working with psychedelic plants has helped me develop a clearer relationship to that, but during ayahuasca ceremonies, the experience is something else. It’s like someone else is using the wiring of my brain to communicate with me inside my head. They say things, give directions etc, and it feels like someone else because there’s no effort coming from me on that side of the conversation. I can ask it questions, and it will answer me. If it’s my subconscious, it’s doing a really good job of acting like someone else.

      When I asked him to consider that perhaps he’d gotten in over his head and he might consider some Spiritual Warfare tools, he replied, “You can send me links. I’ll read them. I’m sure it will not surprise you that I have considered that the other consciousness might have ulterior motives. It would be a very long conversation to explain why, but I have confidence, based on experience and research, that the other consciousness is either part of me or it is ayahuasca, who does have my best interests in mind. And if I’m wrong, I’ve done my best to connect with people who have decades of experience working with this stuff and are the recipients of thousands of years of traditions involving this stuff. So I trust them to help me if I get into a bad spot.” So yep. Yep…. Yep….

      My pastor has recommended that I continue to pray not only the Auxillium Christianorum prayers but also specific binding prayers for both this son and his wife. Interestingly, his wife’s own ayahuasca ‘guide’ suggested that she start praying the Rosary with her Mother and Grandma. So it’s all good. Right? Right.

      Liked by 2 people

      1. Interestingly, “menstrual” blood is the cleansing process of the uterus when no implantation has occurred, so it is anti-fertility and is considered the ‘end’ of the cycle, not the beginning. The tissue lining the uterus developes before ovulation to assist the fertilized egg’s implantation into the uterine wall. So technically, mentration is the lack of fertility as no such “planting” took place and the uterus purges the ovulatory tissue by a kind of labor (menstrual cramps) and the sloughing off of the tissue.
        By using menstrual blood in a sacrificial way they are actually celebrating the LACK of fertility!

        Liked by 3 people

      2. “Avoid the godless chatter and contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge, for by professing it some have missed the mark as regards the faith” (1 Tim 6: 20-21).
        Man has sought “secret knowledge” from the very beginning of time. Adam and Eve listened to the serpent who suggested this secret knowledge once they ate from the tree of good and evil. Out of pride, they ate it hoping to gain this secret knowledge the serpent said God was denying them. It came with a heavy price for them and for us.
        Unfortunately, like your son, we still long for this secret knowledge, jealous that God does not reveal all to us as we would like. 1 Timothy reveals the desire for knowledge and then the existence of false knowledge that contradicts truth. Daniel 12:4 says “Many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.” 1 Timothy suggest it is a false knowledge that this running to and fro is finding instead of Truth. The Book of Revelations tells of a “river” of false knowledge being used by the enemy to drown out the truth; “Then from his mouth the serpent spewed water like a river, to overtake the woman and sweep her away with the torrent.” (Rev 12:15).
        As our present culture is taken in by the “WEB” of lies and deception flowing like a huge river of information through the internet, we are seeing in real time the unfolding of Rev 12. And as truth is relegated to the back of search engines and lies put to the front, this flood soon covers over all truth to eventually smother it.
        So now we must go to the desert, the places deserted by the PC clan and the Woke generation to find; “The woman herself fled into the desert where she had a place prepared by God”. (Rev 12:6).
        Here we will encounter the remedy and help for this generation: “God wishes to establish devotion to my Immaculate Heart. If what I say to you is done, many souls will be saved and there will be peace…” (Our Lady of Fatima”.

        Liked by 2 people

      3. Setting aside the aspects of idolatry, are there other women here who find this really uncomfortable? Call me prudish or oversensitive, but it’s really jarring as a woman in the midst of childbearing and childrearing to see nude representations of women in my age group/stage of life, offerings of bodily fluids, breastfeeding weasels, etc. If this is bold prudence, I shudder to think what brashness would look like. How about we honor motherhood, and fatherhood, for that matter, and call it a day? Maybe just focus on the Body and Blood of Our Lord?

        Liked by 8 people

          1. I agree Kim and Golden. We need to reclaim the sacred and reemphasize what is taboo. One is not a prude to do so. It is devotion and obedience to our faith. The name calling and fierce tactics of the dark forces should no longer silence us. Hard as they try. Twitter suspended my more vocal twitter account at exactly midnight on October 25th when I was sharing spiritual warfare prayers for the curses planned for that very moment to be used against President Donald J. Trump. All of the prayers to shield the curses vanished into thin air and my account was locked, again. It still has not been unlocked since I refuse to *pay their ransom* so to speak. We have to stay strong and not be shrinking violets in this battle. Amen?

            ❤

            Liked by 7 people

            1. Thanks for your message. I’m almost surprised my comment was approved because it was a bit over the top. This morning it occurred to me to reflect on the fact that those who seek to subvert the words of Christ and the 10 Commandments have to transition from lurking in the shadows and speaking cryptically to taking a position publicly. Furthermore, they need to claim to speak on behalf of the Holy Spirit. That’s a tall order and they’re out on a limb. Asking probing questions calmly and charitably is a good approach for average people.

              Liked by 3 people

        3. GoldenSun: I find it absolutely jarring and I have viewed the statuette. It just seems to me “they” are always trying to desensitize the process. Were is modesty?

          Liked by 1 person

  22. VIVA CHRISTA REY Many thanks Charlie for seeing that what has gone on in the Amazon Synod is false doctrine. This Pope chose only those who agreed with his policy’s to have a voice. I do see a correlation between what is going on at the Vatican and what is taking place in the House of Representives in our country. It is a tug of war between good and evil. It all started in the Garden of Eden.
    Let us pray for our Church, and Our country and the whole world.. Prayer can change the course we are on..
    Our Mother Mary, promised at Fatima that in the end there will be an ERA Of Peace.

    God Bless all here .

    Liked by 8 people

  23. Regarding “tolerance” and what seems an attempt to make our Church more broadly appealing and ecumenical:

    When Fernanda and I were writing the “Holy Hour Devotion for the Dying,” we at first debated whether or not we should make the booklet more accessible (or less off-putting) to Christians of other denominations. We just weren’t sure how best to approach this because we desired that ALL Christians called to this charism would join our ministry — also because we believed that the need to pray for the dying was so great.

    But it became clear that, to accomplish this, we would have had to remove or water-down so much of the our own faith. If we tried to accommodate all 30,000+ variations of Christianity, nothing would be left. So early on, we decided that this would be a Catholic book. And it is unabashedly Catholic…and Marian, with Rosary meditations, intercessory prayers to Joseph and other saints, and angels everywhere!

    And what do you know? We’ve printed over 10,000 copies in several languages and it’s been distributed around the world: Europe, the Philippines, Canada, Africa, and South America. Some spiritual communities are even praying it! This would not be the case had we stripped away all those beautiful elements and traditions that made it a Catholic prayer. (Thank you, Holy Spirit!)

    Liked by 13 people

    2. PD: Have you ever heard of Ven Mother Mary Potter and her own Devotion for the Dying: Mary’s Call to Her Loving Children? I find it a combination of De Montfort, Divine Will, and Our Lady of Fatima’s call to “pray for poor sinners.” It is interesting to me that Mother Mary Potter died in 1913, four years before Our Lady came to Fatima; and yet the same message was already being practiced by this incredible woman. Her instructions along with Bl Augustine Marie’s mother’s moment-of-death conversion give me great hope for my own children. Is yours and Fernanda’s “Holy Hour Devotion for the Dying” available via the internet?

      http://www.lcmsistersusa.org/index.php/features/venerable-mary-potter
      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLrP_P9_0ts&t=1563s (Sensus Fedelium’s sermon on Bl Augustine Marie aka Herman Cohen)

      Liked by 3 people

      1. I have indeed and own a copy. Did you know that the publishers of Tan Books consider it among the most important of the Catholic books they publish? They say this masterpiece is an extension of the True Devotion to Mary by St. Louis de Montfort, which is a remarkable claim.

        We’ve been trying to set up a shopping cart on my website, Spiritual Hospice, to offer the booklet but it’s not ready to go. Let me direct you to Fernanda’s website. Go to the contact page and she can send you a copy. Tell her you know this guy in Rapid City named Patrick, and she’ll hook you up!

        http://apostolateforthedying.com/

        Liked by 4 people

            1. Thank you, Beckita. There are so many in such desperate need. I keep thinking about praying the dying into purgatory and then praying them into heaven. What awesome intercessors they then become.

              Liked by 2 people

              1. Indeed they do, Joyful, as do those poor forgotten souls who have been in purgatory for God knows how long. The beauty of our Church teaching is that those souls in purgatory not only need our prayers, they can – even during their time IN purgatory – intercede powerfully for us. Our God IS an awesome God!

                Liked by 2 people

                2. Beckita I have come to the insight years ago that our best investment of prayers is for the souls in purgatory especially those who have no one to pray for them and most especially for those priests and religious who are in purgatory with no one to pray for them and to ask them to pray for our intentions. Definitely a net sum gain as their prayers in return are of immensely more value. May God continue to bless and guide all here. jas

                  Liked by 3 people

      1. Thank you, Jen. It was a labor of love. Fernanda and I still marvel at how our booklet seems to have taken on a life of its own, but we remind each other every time that it was not just us but the Holy Spirit who worked through us during those few months in 2011. That much is clear.

        P.S. Is there anyone here who might be able to help me set up a shopping cart through WORDPRESS? Is there a Guru in the house? 🤓

        Liked by 2 people

  25. Thank you Charlie for helping us keep on track during these times. I wonder if you could give me your opinion on priest being marrried. Our pastor this past Sunday, before mass ended, talked about how at the Synod there would be discussion on having married priest in the Amazon due to the lack of priest there. He also said that the Pope asked the U.S. bishops to contemplate allowing married priests in the U.S. We were asked to pray for the U.S.Bishops during their discernment of this topic. Our pastor is in favor of having married priest in the Amazon. He also said there were married priest up until the 9th century. A thought keeps running trough my mind. If priest are allowed to be married (I know there are probably some married men out there that would be amazing priests) wouldn’t that open up another discussion on why women can’t be ordained?

    Liked by 3 people

  26. So, don’t know who follows a lot of mainstream media here (other than our trusted sources that CD updates us on so often – again, thanks CD!!!)…. anyway, I have 3 teens and I am happy with the latest news about Kanye West’s new album he just cut titled JESUS IS KING. My oldest is a huge West fan and that is back when he had very explicit music he was composing… well, I thought I’d check out his album and I have to say, I believe in his own way, he’s going to reach a lot of the teens, 20’s, and 30’s crowd I think…. I pray he can help in the fight… just a small snippet from the song he composed titled “God Is”:

    God is
    My light in darkness, oh
    God, God is
    He, He is my all and all (and I’ll never turn back)
    God is
    Everything that I felt, praise the Lord
    Worship Christ with the best of your portions
    I know I won’t forget all He’s done
    He’s the strength in this race that I run
    Every time I look up, I see God’s faithfulness
    And it shows just how much He is miraculous
    I can’t keep it to myself, I can’t sit here and be still
    Everybody, I will tell ‘til the whole world is healed
    King of Kings, Lord of Lords
    All the things He has in store
    From the rich to the poor
    ….

    I know my son calls him a masterful rhymer and composer, so hopefully with this album he will help reach those who might not hear about Jesus any other way…. let’s pray for that anyway…

    Liked by 11 people

    1. I share in your prayers. I have never listened to K.W.’s music, I have do not own a televison, so I have never watched his wife, Kim Kardashian and the t.v. show about her. I never watched Donald Trump’s shows. I never considered him for anything…

      The Lord has millions of sinners who have participated with Kanye and Kim in their sin and, I am grateful that The Lord has millions of new faithful in His Way.

      Why? Because God changes the hearts of us, the sinful. Hearts just like those of Mr. and Mrs. Kanye West .

      Mr. West has chosen Christ. I am praying his wife follows.

      With their conversion and subsequent sanctification comes God’s welcoming arms to millions.

      Grace and Peace.

      Liked by 9 people

  27. Your glass jar of writhing snakes analogy was effective and inspired. When I commented earlier on the matter, I did have a sneaking suspicion someone would fish those out of the water and restore them to the scene.

    I wonder if it was a sort of horrified fascination that caused news outlets to put more of the same on display to accompany news of the closing Mass at the Synod. Whatever the case, how ’bout this image of Our Mother, once again presenting the One True God to humanity, at the same Mass:

    Liked by 10 people

    1. ….and I don’t think I fully appreciated the severity of the matter until Charlie used the snake analogy to drive the point home.

      I’m now actually glad that those idols were able to be recovered because it really shows what side people have chosen — that these objects were SO IMPORTANT that they would go all to the trouble. It speaks volumes.

      By contrast, I think of Our Lady of Aparecida’s statue recovered by fishermen from the Parahyba River in Brazil in 1717. A beautiful catch!

      Liked by 7 people

      1. We certainly do see the symbolic gestures when they are so glaringly obvious. I haven’t been able to shake that jar ‘o snakes imagery as it’s so apt for the times. Only thing worse would have been a jar ‘o spiders, as I loathe those more.

        What’s clear is how idolatrous this generation is and that our work must begin and continue in ourselves to the finish. What’s not so obvious are the many idolatries we’re all guilty of, subtle or not.

        When we’re dispensing with those, we’d better be more thorough than merely dropping them in the river, lest some nitwit fish them out and hand them back to us.

        Thus my suggestion of an idol-shattering baseball bat. Or better yet, turn them to ash.

        Liked by 9 people

  29. Michael and I just got back home from seeing Saint Faustina Love & Mercy…SOLD OUT!!!

    What a great representation of her & Fr. SoppOcho life (sp on Fr Sopocho???)

    Charlie I thought of you often during the movie, for your the only “live” person I know who’s seen Jesus!!! I thought of how he calls you a “game little fellow!” 🐶😄

    From the movie.. Jesus is soooooo beautiful. ..what a beautiful God we have…I’m sure Our Mom is too…but the message of Mercy is so needed in our time…

    I hear that resound in your messages too, Charlie..”God wants ALL His kids back!”

    What I took away from the movie was this…”SEE and BE Mercy to every soul we encounter at every moment…” says me😆

    Also…Trust Jesus and tell Him you trust Him often .

    Love to all and to ALL a good night!

    Jesus I trust in you!

    TNRS ASOH XOXOXOXOXOXO

    Liked by 10 people

      1. Wow..that’s awesome Mick..did u guys go???

        Hahahahaha my fav part was when St Faustina told Father she sees Jesus and Fr went like “who????” The whole crowd in the theatre burst out in laughter…then he sent her to a shrink…hahahaha. ..only to find out she was not I’ll in the head…oh these poor seers…lol

        Liked by 3 people

        2. Yep, Linda, all seven of us went; and even Little Miss Sitting-Still-Is-For-Chumps made it all the way through the movie. My favorite line was the deadpanned “I need a break.”

          Liked by 1 person

              1. Oh my gosh…we r getting so fat. ..Michael mentions ya’ll all the time n cons me into a dish of butter pecan ev night…Charlie likes Haggen Daz he ssys😆🍧🍧🍧

                Liked by 1 person

      2. I ended up not going to the movie because we had our parish mission last night again, and Fr. Alar, MIC continued his talk about The Divine Mercy – so similar still. I did see that they have added another showing for Dec. 2 now in case anyone missed last night!

        Liked by 6 people

        1. Love your review and reflections Linda; my daughter went last night, (‘powerful’), and said they’re having more showings on Dec. 2nd in select cities-hope to see it then.

          Liked by 6 people

        2. Attended the movie last night. I just love to read Sister Faustina’s diary. It accompanies me when I do adoration. Amazing how JPll brought it to the forefront. All in God’s time.

          Liked by 3 people

    3. My husband went with me last night to the movie and a couple of my friends from church sat by us. Husband is not Catholic and was asking me “What was that saying again?”. I told him it was “Jesus, I Trust in You.” He loved that. I told my friend that I saw a priest in the lobby with a small group. She told me that he is a bishop! It was great! Now, I have to find a good definition of what “ecstasy” means to answer another of my husband’s questions. Anyone have a good way to explain to someone who is not familiar with private revelation, saints, etc.?

      Liked by 3 people

      1. Hmmmm….might ask Charlie about that one….I don’t think I’ve ever experienced one although I get deep into meditation but my guess is ecstasy is when a very holy person goes outside of time and space and has a direct conversation with God???? Charlie??? Beckita???

        Liked by 1 person

  30. Charlie, you were right about the coup against our President. It’s all coming to fruition what was conspired against him and the electorate. However, I believe that by your warning us, we began to pray the Rosary and continue to do so to thrwart the Enemy.

    We owe you a debt of gratitude and the archdiocese owes you an apology..

    Thank you and God bless.

    Jayne

    Liked by 5 people

    1. Dear Jayne, so true that Charlie’s writing, visits and podcasts – among many benefits – have been great inspiration for those who were not already praying the Rosary – and other prayers – to start doing so. I especially appreciate how God raised him up as one who drew our focus to what we can do in the face of what we’re now living. Many have discerned these days to be the times when certain Church-approved prophecies are being fulfilled. Instead of going into paralysis-in-fear mode, we gather round this wonderful home for many reasons, such as: to hearten and calm one another, to discern and gain greater understanding, and to build our trust in God Whose Plan is unfolding.

      SO grateful for Charlie, but does the Archdiocese of Denver really owe him an apology? Nah, Dear Jayne. It is Charlie and all of us who owe the Archdiocese and Archbishop Aquila great thanksgiving for the Archbishop’s faithfulness to his duties and responsibilities, for being open to seeking the truth, for remaining always willing to proclaim the truth and for taking great care to protect his flock in all matters of faith.

      Charlie, himself, has written and spoken with candor that he erred in discernment, was not accurate in interpreting what he had been given about the transfer of power after the last Presidential election. Charlie gave his best and missed the mark on that detail. He also, initially, misinterpreted the timing of Our Lady’s Rescue. But just as with out ancestors in faith, God’s not done working with Charlie – which is a sign that God continues to work with each of us when we err in carrying out those things God has entrusted to us to accomplish for Him. God bless you, Jayne.

      Liked by 6 people

    2. God bless you, Jayne, but you have no idea how often I give thanks for my Archbishop. He has the duty to protect all the faithful under his care AND the duty to treat me justly. The fact is that maybe 199 out of 200 people who make the sort of claims I have are either deeply deluded or outright frauds. Even during the toughest times, and even when he has given me specific direction, my Archbishop has never forbidden me from writing or speaking. His critiques have, at times, helped me dramatically to see paths that I had gotten clogged up on and prodded me to clear them. He has lived his duty to all with astonishing fortitude and refinement – and I give thanks to God for him.

      Liked by 10 people

      1. In spring 2018 someone (maybe Crew Dog?) asked Charlie about QAnon and posted a link to NeonRevolt’s website. https://www.neonrevolt.com/2018/07/11/who-is-qanon-an-introduction-to-the-qanon-phenomenon-qanon-greatawakening/

        Over the next weeks, I went down a lot of rabbit holes reading about how President Trump is fighting the gravest evil in the world, surrounded by the greatest military minds there are. As I dug deeper and deeper, the information became irrefutable. The webs of deceit are so tangled that no person could make it up! I can’t even begin to explain it here. Start with the article I linked to get an overview. But much has happened since that was written 1.5 years ago. Neon Revolt has just written a book, Revolution Q that has everything in one place. I just finished reading it. It’s available for preorder on Amazon (I hear early Nov. release. I was able to get an advance copy when he was fundraising to get it published.) By the way, Neon is (Eastern rite) Catholic.

        My point in sharing this (with all due respect) is perhaps what Charlie got wrong was that he didn’t think Trump could be the next world leader that would lead us to peace. If what Q says is true, then nobody is doing more to fight unspeakable evil than President Trump!! He is fighting Satanists (the Illuminati) daily all across the globe who thought their One World Order Plan was finally coming to fruition with the election of Hillary. They never thought she would lose!! He (and those who surround him) need our relentless prayers!

        If you try to do a search for QAnon you will come up with pages and pages of left wing sites all saying conspiracy theory. For something that is supposed to be fake, they sure do spend a lot of effort trying to discredit it!! Not one reporter has EVER asked Trump about it by the way. And he has given proof many times. I personally was at the rally this past July 17th (2019) when he stopped right in the middle of his (very long) speech to point out a baby in the crowd. He gushed over that baby for several minutes. Later that evening it was revealed that the baby had on a onsie T-shirt with a big “Q” on the back! They were standing in the middle of the floor, directly between Trump and the press. There was no way for the cameras to miss that baby’s back as his parents held him up.

        The “Q” information is at times very hard to believe, I had a really hard time with the pedophilia accusations. I started seeing news reports almost daily about “normal” people being arrested for child porn, and more priest sexual abuse stories started coming out. Pope Francis was getting more and more confusing. And then McCarrick happened. It hit me like a ton of bricks. If that many homosexual priests are right under our noses, then believing that our politicians, Hollywood stars, CEOs of major corporations are pedophiles (and I mean VERY young children) isn’t such a stretch. Believing that they are satanists, even less of a stretch, because anyone who would commit such a horrible deed must be controlled by Satan.

        Charlie, feel free to call me out on this, because frankly, the information is quite sickening. But then again, ripping out someone’s heart to sacrifice it to false gods must have been sickening at the time. We know that evil still exists in the world today. I don’t remember exactly how you described things. Could this be the chastisement? Could Trump be the one that will save the world?

        Our Lady of Tepeyac, pray for us!

        Liked by 8 people

        1. YKC, I have no doubt about how hard President Trump and his teams are working on all the things named in what “Q droppers” leave in the “reports.” However, since first reading, quite a lot at first and then quite a little and, finally not at all anymore, I noticed that the droppers of info and the followers who seemed to be more in the know would, again and again, remark that – by next spring or next fall or after the first of the year or after such and such an event – the big reveal would happen and indictments would be unsealed and, actually, none of that has happened.

          In all this, from the beginning of reading the Q stuff, I have held this most pivotal question in pondering: If Q is true, how far will God allow those good forces to go in the process of resolving the current messes in America? See, not only do Charlie’s thoughts concerning the Ballad of the Ordinary Man ring true, but so do the Church-approved private revelation messages of our times from Our Lord and Our Lady in which it is conveyed that we all must learn to rely totally on God and we each must come to know, in the depths of our being, that every iota of goodness flows from Him. I also believe that God has not yet revealed the strategies and keys for victory in the most pivotal battles yet to come in this historical confrontation, this war of the Church against the anti-Church, this major conflict of the minor apostasy wherein the struggle involves the Gospel against the anti-Gospel.

          Amen to Our Lady of Tepeyac pray for us, for she is the Mother of Conversion and conversion is the very essence of this conflict, the aim in overcoming. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

          Liked by 8 people

          1. Beckita– I don’t think evil doers will be brought to justice through human means. I’ve never read Q stuff, but perhaps the depth of evil that Q folks uncover would make it hard for them to imagine that the “bad guys” could get away with it. Just like in our Church, we are realizing how widespread is the evil— so it is also in our government and society. An Act of God can bring righteousness, but I doubt any human means can clean it all up at this point.

            Liked by 6 people

            1. Surely, Kim, merely human means will not get us through what we are in, yet, while God can and, it seems, will need to intervene directly, He constantly fulfills His Plans using humans as His tools.

              Liked by 6 people

          2. I think of this sublime message from God: how much He loves us. And off we go with our various takes on that, steppin’ along and whatnot, until we have to run back to hear it anew. What was that about how much you love me, Father? Oh, yes, them too.

            Seems the Saints eventually got it right, showing up completely empty handed and expecting nothing. No arrangement-making with God that only existed in their heads. Maybe just an empty expectation. This Monk expresses it quite well… so well I’m doubling up on this link here (and I’ve never repeated a link here):

            http://spencerabbey1098.blogspot.com/2019/10/as-we-cry-out.html

            Liked by 6 people

          3. Thank you, Bekita, for your thoughts! I think you are so wise.

            I understand what you are saying about things not happening when expected. Q has said many times that disinformation is necessary. Some of that depends on where the information is coming from. I certainly have never thought about going onto the 8 chan boards (which has been downfor weeks and is supposed to be coming back any day as 8 kun or something like that.) for two primary reasons. Mainly because I don’t want to be exposed to the filth that is certainly there, but also because I don’t have the SERIOUS technology skills necessary to maneuver it. So I have chosen to mainly follow Neon Revolt. I think he’s brilliant and an excellent writer to boot. He has the ability to put the puzzle pieces together and clearly explain things. And he knows that God’s got this!

            Even though the “big” names like Clinton, Obama, etc. haven’t been indicted, many others have been or have been removed from whatever power position they held. (Q said they would start small.) One of the biggest things to happen is that Q said that John McCain would be gone in 30 days. Exactly 30 days later his death was announced. I’ve had two friends to die from glioblastoma brain cancer, and I can assure you that they couldn’t have much of a coherent conversation the last couple of months of their life. McCain was speaking publicly during that time.

            “If Q is true, how far will God allow those good forces to go in the process of resolving the current messes in America?” I’ve thought about that as well. Unfortunately the messes aren’t just in America. The Illuminati is worldwide. The current investigation into Italy is extremely important, as that leads to Hillary.

            And then… we must consider that people in the Vatican are possibly involved, especially in light of what little bit we publicly see. I shudder to think about what we don’t know.

            Thank you for letting me express my thoughts. Please don’t think that my faith is shaken! Perhaps God is allowing this to be known at this time in order for us to not let it happen ever again, My experience in following Neon Revolt is the majority of people who post on his Gab group or his website are devout Christians. Many people are praying!!

            Liked by 6 people

            1. YKC, I know you’re not alone in believing Q is true. Quite a few people who I deeply respect share your view. I do understand what you’re saying about worldwide problems with the evil plots of the darkest schemers in our times. In fact, it was in the messages, inner locutions, to Fr. Gobbi from Our Lady that she introduced us to the idea that those involved in Freemasonry at the highest levels are individuals who engage in occult activity and all manner of evil perversion with worldwide influence and involvement. Our Lady also coined the term “ecclesiastical masonry” which she forewarned would be revealed as a HUGE problem. And here we are. Just as some have their eyes on Q’s material, I have had etched in my heart, for many years, many a message from various apparitions. I don’t hyper-focus on them, but I do meditate upon certain words given us from Our Lord and Our Lady. That said, as I’ve mentioned here before, any interpretation which I may hold is ever held in loose hands, ready to detach and release should those messages be mitigated and/or fulfilled in surprising ways by the Lord. God bless Dear YKC.

              Liked by 5 people

      2. HahHA..yeah..look how they treated St Faustina and Fr Sapocho was shunned his whole life afterwards because it took so long to approve everything. ..that’s why we pray for you daily and are united in prayer 🤗😇😘

        Liked by 4 people

    3. Jayne – Yep it gives a whole new meaning to McCarthyism. This time it’s the Dems who are practicing it. All is being revealed.

      Liked by 2 people

  31. This is from 2009
    It shows a very interesting difference between the churches’ view on socialism then and now!

    Liked by 5 people

  32. The Washington Compost has been failing a lot lately …… alnog with ABCNNBCBS-NPR and all the rest of the DNC Media.

    https://www.catholicleague.org/washington-post-fails-to-credit-the-church/

    https://www.crisismagazine.com/2019/what-will-francis-choose

    https://dailycaller.com/2019/10/28/millennials-communism-socialism-poll/

    https://www.frontpagemag.com/fpm/2019/10/moral-idiocy-linguistic-segregation-bruce-thornton/

    Some more pleasant articles 😉

    https://www.scnow.com/news/local/joe-biden-denied-holy-communion-at-florence-church/article_4dfe451b-e181-5cdb-9da1-feae72795f0c.html

    https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2019/10/27/virginia-couple-adopts-child-after-convincing-mothers-not-abort/

    https://www.haaretz.com/archaeology/.premium.MAGAZINE-monumental-street-in-jerusalem-was-built-by-pontius-pilate-archaeologists-say-1.8004004

    https://www.foxnews.com/us/nick-sandmann-covington-catholic-case-reopened

    https://stream.org/secularists-wrong-america-christian-founding/

    http://gloriaromanorum.blogspot.com/2017/10/constantines-vision-of-cross-early.html

    https://theconservativetreehouse.com/2019/10/28/name-redacted-president-trump-tweets-picture-of-hero-from-baghdadi-raid/#more-174786

    GOD SAVE ALL HERE!!

    Liked by 8 people

    1. Just to make sure everyone saw this gem:

      Catholic Joseph Biden was appropriately denied Our Blessed Lord in Holy Communion because he supports the murder of God’s innocent children in the womb by advocating for abortion.

      Amen!
      (Keeping Mr. Biden in our prayers.)

      Liked by 6 people

      1. HEADLINE: “Biden on being denied communion: ‘I’m a practicing Catholic, I practice my faith’”

        “Former Vice President and 2020 presidential candidate Joe Biden refused to confirm reports that he was denied Communion at a South Carolina church on Sunday because of his stance on abortion, referring to the incident as his “personal life.””

        “I’m not going to discuss that,” Biden said. [Eloquent redirect, Joe. Touché! -PD]

        He continues: “I’m a practicing Catholic. I practice my faith, but I’ve never let my religious beliefs, which I accept based on Church doctrine … impose on other people.”

        [Well, buddy, you are certainly imposing *something* on other people. Keep practicing that faith of yours, Joe! Eventually — with the help of courageous priests like Father Morey — you’ll get it right.]

        https://www.foxnews.com/politics/biden-on-being-denied-communion-im-a-practicing-catholic-i-practice-my-faith

        Liked by 6 people

        1. “[Well, buddy, you are certainly imposing *something* on other people. Keep practicing that faith of yours, Joe! Eventually — with the help of courageous priests like Father Morey — you’ll get it right.]”

          You tell him, PD! ❤

          Liked by 5 people

        2. I saw a comic strip years ago about Joe Biden’s claims of being a practicing Catholic. It showed that he donated maybe 200 bucks to charity in the previous year. The strip read “It seems like Biden needs more practice.”

          Liked by 4 people

          2. GoldenSun: Several years ago when Romney was running for President and the % of taxes vs. Obama’s % of taxes paid was being vilified in the press, both men’s tax page by page returns could Be viewed on the internet. Joe Biden’s return was also published. My professional working background was tax preparation, so I know how to read the things. So I found them on line and flipped through them all. So Obama paid a lower % of gross income than Romney but Romney paid $3 million in income tax and donated $3 million to charity. Obama even with the higher % paid @$300,000. in taxes. He did give to charity but I don’t remember the amount. But Joe Biden gave only about @$1,500
            which in comparison to his @300,ooo annual income at the time he was VP. But I really can’t stand the revelations of this private information. Only the Father can judge our response to the corporal works of mercy. The tax return revelation are so subjective and most Americans have little understanding of tax law. If you file a honest tax return based on the law and under audit then you should assume the return is legit. Romney paid 10 times the taxes Obama did and still was vilified. Both were honest returns. BTW, President Trump takes no salary and neither do his daughter Ivanka or her husband Jared Kushner who both work for the administration.

            Liked by 4 people

            1. I am so sorry. Clearly I needed to re read and edit some of the above starting with grammar snd sentence construction. However the sentence …so Obama paid a lower % of gross income than Romney … should read….so Obama paid a HIGHER % of gross income than Romney. The argument at the time was that Romney was richer than Obama and therefore should pay a higher % of income tax. In truth Romney paid @10x’s the income tax Obama paid.

              Liked by 1 person

  33. PS:
    The spewing of Hatred for Trump and The Deplorables who support him plus the Left’s defense of the most perverse will not end well. Battle lines have been drawn and there is no compromise. Compromise with the Agendas of The Left, these past 60 years, is why we are where we be ;-(
    Submit or Fight are the only two choices NOW!

    https://www.newsbusters.org/blogs/nb/kristine-marsh/2019/10/28/view-hosts-refuse-give-trump-credit-baghdadi-we-dont-trust-hes

    https://www.newsbusters.org/blogs/nb/nicholas-fondacaro/2019/10/28/fmr-army-captain-rips-medias-anti-trump-spin-baghdadi-raid
    https://www.newsbusters.org/blogs/nb/kyle-drennen/2019/10/28/msnbc-mourns-tragedy-katie-hill-resigning-over-sex-scandal

    GOD SAVE THE REPUBLIC & ALL HERE!

    Liked by 12 people

      1. Hi YKC & Gang,

        No, I’m not a Q Follower. Seemed to be too much like a Nostradamus “Quatrains” kind of thing to me.\
        I much prefer Plain Speaking!

        GOD SAVE ALL HERE!!

        Liked by 2 people

  34. I don’t post very often, but I read articles by Charlie and some comments. At 9 a.m. mass Sunday morning at St. Anthony’s Catholic church in Florence, S.C., Father Morey denied Joe Biden communion before of his stance on abortion. I have been to mass and confession at St. Anthony’s before Kudos for Father Morey.

    Liked by 10 people

  35. Kanye West having huge conversion…openly so…soooooo cool…Oh Merciful Jesus, save our bleeding world🤗
    I got a little sign from God today…I was crying and walking and thinking a lot of my past sins and telling God how sorry I am..and to have mercy on me and all of the people I have hurt..I looked up in the sky and saw a ray of rainbow I actually see a lot in just this one spot…it’s like a portal of God’s Mercy..I’ve shot the pic so many times and just as I shot the pic today, it dissipated…I really felt it was a sign from God and His Divine Mercy…just surreal. .His Mercy is real. Let all of us sinners truly believe and keep repenting…🤗

    Liked by 8 people

    2. Linda, that is awesome! I try to look around nature and at people more closely, looking for my Guardian Angel or God speaking somehow. I now have no doubt at all, that I’ve missed His messages to me so many times!

      As for Kanye West, yes, he is having a great conversion! I hope he stays on fire with his passion. As I’ve listened to his music and really to his lyrics, he IS reflecting many of the Pslams and familiar bible passages. I just hope he, like Justin Bieber, can leverage his past success in worldly matters (and some of those down right evil topics) and gently guide others to God and Jesus through his transformation. I am truly enjoying his music, as he blends some great gospel singing with his signature singing/commentary in telling a story. I never realized previously how talented he was (because I didn’t listen to his other music, lol!)…

      God bless everyone! Happy Feast of All Saints today!

      Liked by 3 people

  36. I am not a fan of hyped articles or charged videos. But sometimes I come across one that does have a really good point. Michael Matt at the Remnant on his video from 10/25 had a very interesting reflection on the link of Our Lady of Guadelupe conquering the paganism of South America ( – like Mother Earth Pachamama) – and then the Amazon Synod leaders bring the goddess back and rather ignoring Our Lady. She was the miraculous evangelist to the Amazon, and they ignored her???
    Kind of made my blood run cold.
    There are some conflicts I feel – where is God calling me to obedience? He has permitted the Pope to be chosen. As Jesus said to Pilot – you would have no authority if not given from my Father.
    Jesus told his followers to do what the Pharisees taught, but not to imitate them. So I owe respect to the Pope, but I draw the line at imitating his homage to idols and UN globalism.
    And, Jesus warned that we would be accountable for every word we say. So being flippant and derisive seem like an emotional release, but not at all pleasing to the Father. *sigh* I guess my best course is to draw from all here – keep an inner peace that I am not alone, and ponder as Our Lady did.
    I treasure the connections to everyone who is holding fast to the barque in stormy seas! Thank you!

    Liked by 12 people

    2. Marianne – You are a blessing to the group. This was a very wise comment in many ways, especially the reminder to be very careful with our words. I know I needed that helpful reminder.

      Liked by 1 person

  37. Does anyone know anything about the socialist takeover of the world via the climate change propaganda? It’s no wonder why they maliciously attack any credible experts (like climatologists) who don’t agree…

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Absolutely aware of it being an agenda to complete a massive control of us all based on socialism with a global elite with group think as the control. Not good, we’re in a great battle. It’s been laid out for all to see, if you just raise your head for a few minutes and think.

      Liked by 4 people

  38. The Church and the world have seen many rocky stormy times in the past. Both have survived to this point.

    But for us the problems are real time with some pretty horrific consequences if we fail to navigate the storms raging in our own time. Right now. It doesn’t appear on the surface that either the Church or the world is doing a particularly great job of dealing with the evil overflowing in our day. Some think it may be the last stand of the Devil as it tries to take as many souls as possible down with him prior to some kind of existential transition for him.

    Many are anticipating, or perhaps fearing, that God will ACT in some supernatural way to address our problems in face of our own ineptitude and lack of leadership in getting the job done. We look to somebody riding a white horse to solve our problems for us. But no such leaders appear on the horizon. So we drift toward an uncertain future denouement individually and as a world society at war with itself. Will God appear at the last minute riding a white horse?

    One of my favorite quotes is this one from Admiral William F. “Bull” Halsey:

    “There are no great men; there are only great challenges, which ordinary men like you and me are forced by circumstances to meet.”
    William Halsey Jr.,

    Nice thought isn’t it? It seems like a lot of ordinary men like you and me are going to need some kind of boost to get us going in the right direction to meet the challenges we are confronting not only for the sake of our own souls but for all souls. We are going to need some kind of inspiration.

    So, some kind of Divine Illumination. An Inspirational Illumination. An Illumination that inspires us to make a choice. An Illumination that compels a choice.

    This may seem all tin foil hat, looney tunes kind of thinking but such a model of Divine Inspirational Illumination for our personal benefit and the world’s benefit has actually, really, truly happened not so long ago.

    In 1917 at Fatima in Portugal. We’d all do well to study that Illumination in light of the world we find ourselves in today.

    Here is a good primer for those interested in learning more about what actually happened there.

    Click to access The-True-Story-of-Fatima.pdf

    The children were simple and innocent. Shepherd children of the type Mary would have been entirely familiar with. Sinless? At ages 10, 9 and 7 a case could be made. A kind of tabula rasa for Mary to use as a means of delivering her message to individuals and the world. Their minds were in no way clouded with the cares of the world. A kind of receptive naivete which allowed them to accept what they received.

    FIRST APPARITION on May 13, 1917: Mary asks the children if they want to suffer as an act of reparation for sins and for the conversion of sinners. They agree. Mary tells them they will suffer but the grace of God will comfort them.

    Then comes the first Illumination. See Page 16 in the link above.

    “As she pronounced these words, the Lady opened her hands and shed upon the children an intensely bright light, that penetrated the innermost depth of their souls. “This light penetrated us to the heart,” Lucia reported, “even in its deepest recesses, and allowed us to see ourselves in God, Who was that light, more clearly than we see ourselves in a mirror. Then we were moved by an inward impulse, also communicated to us, to fall on our knees, while we repeated to ourselves:
    “O Most Holy Trinity, I adore Thee my God, I love Thee in the Most Holy Sacrament.”

    Then the Lady told them to pray the Rosary every day to bring peace to the world and end the war.

    SECOND APPARITION June 13, 1917: See Page 25 at link above

    Mary tells a despondent Lucia that while Jacinta and Francisco will go to Heaven soon she will remain adding ” My Immaculate Heart will be your refuge and the way that will lead you to God.”

    “As She said these last words,” Lucia tells, ” the Blessed Virgin opened her hands and communicated to us for the second time the reflection of the immense light that enveloped Her.
    We saw ourselves in it, as if submerged in God. Jacinta and Francisco seemed to be on the side that was ascending to Heaven. I was on the side spreading over the the Earth. There was a Heart before the palm of the right hand of the Lady, with thorns piercing it. We understood that this was the Immaculate Heart of Mary, so offended by the sins of mankind, desiring reparations.”

    THIRD APPARITION July 13, 1917: See Page 30 link above. This is a dual Illumination. The children are once again bathed in the light that is God. Then shown Hell and the poor sinners going there.

    “As Our Lady said these words,” Lucia later described the scenes, “She opened Her hands again as She had done the two previous months. The light reflecting from them seemed to penetrate into the earth, and we saw as if into a sea of fire, and immersed in that fire were devils and souls with human form, as if they were transparent black or bronze embers floating in the fire and swayed by the flames that issued from within ….

    Our Lady explained ” “You have seen Hell — where the souls of poor sinners go. To save them God wills to establish throughout the world the devotion to My Immaculate Heart……

    “But if they do not stop offending God, another and worse war will break out in the reign of Pius XI. When you see a night illumined by an unknown light, know that it is the great sign that God gives you, that He is going to punish the world for its crimes by means of war, hunger, persecution of the Church and of the Holy Father…..

    The good will be martyred, the Holy Father will have much to suffer, various nations will be annihilated; in the end, My Immaculate Heart shall triumph. The Holy Father will consecrate Russia to Me, which will be converted, and some time of peace will be given to the world.”

    FOURTH APPARITION on August 19, 1917. The children are being harassed by Church and civil authority. They request a sign that all can see. Mary foretells the Miracle of the Sun in October. See Page 43 at link above.

    “What do You want of me?” Lucia asked.

    “I want you to continue to come to the Cova da Iria on the thirteenth and to continue to say the Rosary every day.”

    Lucia then told Our Lady of her anguish that so many disbelieved in the reality of Her presence. She asked Our Lady if She would be willing to perform a miracle so that all might see and believe.

    “Yes,” Our Lady answered, “In the last month, in October, I shall perform a miracle so that all may believe in My apparitions. If they had not taken you to the village, the miracle would have been greater. Saint Joseph will come with the Baby Jesus to give peace to the world.

    “Our Lord also will come to bless the people. Our Lady of the Rosary and Our Lady of Sorrows will also come.”

    FIFTH APPARITION on Sept. 13, 1917. Crowds besiege the children on the way to the field. See Page 47 at link above.

    The words that most deeply embedded themselves on the minds of the children were the last words spoken by Our Lady at Valinhos, “Pray, pray a great deal, and make sacrifices for sinners, for many souls go to Hell because they have no one to pray and make sacrifices for them.” These words awakened in the children an even stronger desire for mortification, prayer and suffering. Their one longing was to close that terrifying furnace of Hell so that no more souls could go there.

    When they finally arrived at the holm oak, Lucia as usual started the Rosary, with the people responding. They were almost finished when the children arose to scan the horizon. They had seen the flash. Our Lady would soon come. A few moments passed. A globe of light appeared before the crowd, and the all holy Queen of Angels was standing over the holm oak.

    “What do You want of me?” Lucia spoke very humbly.

    “Let the people continue to say the Rosary every day to obtain the end of the war,” Our Lady responded, at the same time renewing the promises She made during Her last apparition.

    Our Lady then began to leave. Lucia, pointing towards the East, shouted to the people, “If you want to see Our Lady, look that way!” They looked eagerly towards the East and many saw the luminous globe now ascending towards Heaven. As soon as it disappeared, the whole crowd swarmed upon the children asking them a thousand questions …

    SIXTH APPARITION Oct. 13, 1917. See Page 55 at link above. The Miracle of the Sun witnessed by 70,000 people at Fatima.

    “As Our Lady took leave of the children, She opened Her hands which emitted a flood of light. While She was rising, She pointed towards the sun, and the light gleaming from Her hands brightened the sun itself…..

    “There She goes; there She goes!” shouted Lucia ….. The echo of Lucia’s shout came back in a huge, immense cry of wonder and astonishment from the multitude. It was at this precise moment that the clouds were quickly dispersed and the sky was clear. The sun was now pale as the moon. To the left of the sun, Saint Joseph appeared holding in his left arm the Child Jesus. Saint Joseph emerged from the bright clouds only to his chest, sufficient to allow him to raise his right hand and make, together with the Child Jesus, the Sign of the Cross three times over the world. As Saint Joseph did this, Our Lady stood in all Her brilliancy to the right of the sun, dressed in the blue and white robes of Our Lady of the
    Rosary.

    Meanwhile, Francisco and Jacinta were bathed in the marvelous colors and signs of the sun, and Lucia was privileged to gaze upon Our Lord dressed in red as the Divine Redeemer, blessing the world, as Our Lady had foretold. Like Saint Joseph, He was seen only from His chest up. Beside Him stood Our Lady, dressed now in the purple robes of Our Lady of Sorrows, but without the sword. Finally, the Blessed Virgin appeared again to Lucia in all Her ethereal brightness, clothed in the simple brown robes of Mount Carmel.

    Maria da Capelinha gave the author her impressions of this tremendous miracle. “The sun cast different colors, yellow, blue and white. It trembled constantly. It looked like a revolving ball of fire falling upon the people.” As the sun hurled itself towards the earth in a mighty zigzag motion, the multitude cried out in terror, “Ai Jesus, we are all going to die here; Ai Jesus, we are all going to die here.” Some begged for mercy, “Our Lady save us”; many others made acts of contrition. One lady was even confessing her sins aloud.

    Fatima was and remains a most robust model of Inspirational Illumination.

    Will the coming seemingly inevitable and quite necessary intervention of Divine Grace into a sick and sinking world be a repeat of the Fatima event? History does not repeat but it rhymes. What is coming into focus is that Mary will be the mediatrix of the action. As at Fatima, Mary will be the “distributor of the graces of the Holy Spirit”. The channel or vector of the action of Divine Mercy. The Director of the Light. The mirror which redirects the Inspirational Illumination into the souls of individuals and the masses. Perhaps to include a “scared straight” element to frame what faces us. She’s done it before.

    A few short thoughts about Fatima:

    Lucy describes the fundamentals of the illumination of the soul in its relationship to God.
    It seems for the children that illumination did not terrify or disturb them. They felt enveloped in love. Mary informs them they will be going to Heaven.

    Lucy describes a terrifying illumination of Hell and the souls “of poor sinners” going there. The children in some ways are “scared straight” by this illumination and it changes their young lives to do prayers and sacrifices to aid “poor sinners” on their way to Hell by way of reparations which have effect.

    Light was a central aspect of the Fatima apparitions. A flash of light. A shaft of light. Like lightning but not lightning. Light more brilliant than the sun. Light emanating from the hands of our Lady as a kind of reflection of the Light surrounding her and directed inward into the souls of the children, into the Earth revealing a vision of Hell, and directed toward the sun triggering the miracle seen by 70,000 people.

    Will it be similar in the Illumination to come?

    Our Lady emphasizes the power of prayer and the consequences of the lack of prayer on peace in the world and the fate of “poor sinners” who have nobody to pray for them. Souls go to Hell because they have nobody to pray or make sacrifices for them. Makes you wonder who is going to pray for you when you are gone.

    The Miracle of the Sun might be viewed as a “scared straight” event for the masses. Many thought they were going to die. Did it change lives?

    There is more to contemplate about the events at Fatima including, famously, the Third Secret. Perhaps the two most speculated upon aspects are the meaning of the Bishop in White and the phrase “In Portugal the dogma of the Faith will always be preserved, etc.” Did Lucia warn about the Great Apostasy and an imposter Pope who is a Bishop dressed in the papal white attire? Cardinals opposing Cardinals, Bishops opposing Bishops? And what about that “etc.”??? Does that imply the dogma of the Fatih will not be preserved elsewhere?

    The times seem to be ripe for some kind of Illumination. Perhaps it will be a process instead of a discrete event. Will it involve a special kind of Light for all of us at some point.? A Light that will show us what it’s like to be submerged in God’s love. A Light that will show us what it’s like going to Hell.

    And then we will have to choose.

    ================================================================
    Some notes on the Light

    While they were thus busily intent upon their building projects, a sudden bright shaft of light pierced the air. In their efforts to describe it they called it a flash1 of lightning. Frightened, they dropped their stones, looked first at each other, then at the sky which was clear and bright without the least spot of a cloud. No breeze stirred the air, the sun was shining strong. Such perfect weather belied this flash of lightning, the forerunner of a storm. The children decided that they had better start for home before
    it rained. Quickly they gathered the sheep and started down the hill. Half way down, just as they were passing a tall oak tree, another shaft of light split the air. Panicky with fear, and as if led by some unknown power, they took a few steps, turned towards the right, and there, standing over the foliage of a small holm oak they saw a most Beautiful Lady. “It was a Lady dressed all in white,” Lucia records, “more brilliant than the sun, shedding rays of light, clear and stronger than a crystal glass filled with the most sparkling water, pierced by the burning rays of the sun.”

    Lucia’s footnote on the quality of the light: “It was not really lightning but the reflection of a light which approached little by little. In this light, we could see Our Lady only when She was above the holm oak. We could not explain the fact to ourselves and to avoid questioning was the reason that we sometimes said that we saw Our Lady coming, sometimes not. When we said that we saw Her coming, we were speaking of this light that we saw approaching which was afterward the Lady Herself. When we said we had not seen it come, we meant that we saw the Blessed Virgin only when She was nearer the holm oak.” (Memoirs of Lucia).

    Liked by 8 people

    1. Things are getting so bad right now, I wish society fell already. It’s just mockery of all that is good for events to slowly drag on in this diseased state, of fake morality. This fake climate change narrative is pushed upon the world, so that worldwide communism can justify taking over our free countries in the name of saving the planet.

      Liked by 6 people

      2. Al we have been just blessed in this country by the Founding Fathers (even with their flaws) that our religious liberty has been protected in the Constitution up to now. But Christians across the world have not been so lucky. I think we forget or just not know of the cumulative attacks on Christians across the world especially in the last century. That candle you put in a window and light at night at Christmas actually originated in Ireland when Mass was banned by the British. It was a signal to the village where a secret Mass was to be said. Few know of the genocide at the beginning of the last century on the Christian Armenians by the Turks. Here’s a reminder of others.
        https://fathersofmercy.com/viva-christo-rey/

        Liked by 5 people

          1. Such a disgrace what has happened while we were not paying attention! I trust the tide is changing.

            God has a plan.

            We acknowledge God, take the next right step and be a sign of hope to our neighbors, which last I heard is everyone. It’s happening. We just have to do our small part with love, trust and obedience to God and to lawful authority.

            ****This has been a TNRS-ASOH Public Service Announcement, in a nutshell. Brought to you by me. 😉

            Liked by 2 people

  39. *Q stuff* has been and remains clues given in a Socratic Method, in the form of a question, like the answers in the TV game show Jeopardy for the world to see. The Q movement, if you will, at this point, just two years after its inception, is a universal collective intellectual pool and skill base that is problem solving and therefore *awakening* people to what has been purposely and deliberately hidden for so long, which is what Q points to. Military code deciphering and command ops, dastardly deeds of sitting politicians, the heinous crimes of Planned Parenthood are being brought to the forefront all while quoting Scripture and keeping God in the equation. The former power of the DS was shrouding and suppressing these and other truths and feeding us propaganda by the spoons full! Q is a game changer and I wholeheartedly believe is a part of our Masters Plan.

    Thanks be to God for this global collaboration which yields the fruits and the gifts of the Holy Spirit. It has been a factor in the solidarity, love and light we are witnessing around the world in yellow vest movements abroad and the Presidential Rallies here in the states, in contrast with darkness and dread of the DS compromised and controlled talking heads, Antifa and false flag events. We are living in amazing times. ❤

    (stepping down from soap box now)

    Liked by 9 people

    1. Is that a vacant soap box, Jen?

      Among the infinite Wisdom presented to us in the Gospels is this very thing that played out with Jesus and a batch of truly ordinary folks. Namely, this same process, a transformation and conversion of so much human flesh and human thinking to something of a mystery more conformed with the mystery of His plan and His way of thinking. So they/(we) would have something Real and True to cling to when all that human thinking failed them/(us). And all that other stuff DID fail them (and so it will us).

      Of course we know that Jesus did not fail those same folks in the least, even as they were able to give up their last bit as martyrs. More spirit than humanity at that point.

      It’s all in the Gospel. Nothing is missing.

      (not really stepping down from soap box, as I simply sat on it for a mo’.)

      Liked by 7 people

      1. Amen, MP. If the world heeded your message, we certainly would not be where we are now! There is no doubt of that. Simply because that is not the case, *Q Stuff* meets people where they are. Sadly, as we know, the faithful have to lead the *nones* back! I am in awe of the many ways God is doing that in the closing of this age. God is in charge and is full of surprises. ❤

        Liked by 3 people

        1. I understand, Jen. The world thinks itself formidable, but deep down each knows that God is, and what that means insofar as that Word wasn’t always buried under so much clutter of our own making. Makes many even more frightened, so they heap on more useless stuff to feel more empowered and in control.

          “He is what you seek,” says we, with our whole minds, hearts and souls. Shoot, I like that plan, and have no doubt that’s what we’re about most of the time when we’re not fretting about change from an all too human perspective.

          “The closing of this age,” as you say. Yes, and I’ve contemplated that deeply for a long, long time (though more in terms of “the transition of one age to the next,” for practical reasons). Yes, how foolish an unprepared we must look to those frantically trying to patch the world back together again.

          Heck, I don’t much care what something looks like. What is it, really? I simply say, ask God, with no strings attached.

          Liked by 4 people

    2. Martin Geddes, a homosexual from London, is doing the Lord’s work explaining Q as an informational revolution. ad the rise of truth through entirely unexoected avenues and the hunger for the truth deprived from the truth.

      His twitter account is here: https://mobile.twitter.com/martingeddes

      Mr. Geddes , I pray for every time I am reminded of him. Its kind of funny how we/he are made to find Logos. It is wonderful (and suspenceful) to watch him in his journey to Him.

      That Goethe story is an inversion of the Gospel; just realized that…

      Liked by 7 people

      2. Timothy, we follow each other on Twitter and I agree that he is doing the Lord’s works indeed. I pray for all of the brave, *new media* personalities that are risking their lives to unveil the truth daily. ❤

        Liked by 3 people

        1. Hi JLYNNBYRD

          I found this video of Martin on Gab. https://youtu.be/IK4YuE3w_jU?t=231

          The video is staged where Martin explains what is “going on” , you can back it up if you like, but it is all introduction up to that point.

          Its good to see the man rather than just read his words. I am confident that he and I would be friends.

          The key idea is Martin unraveling the lies…seeing that what he has been living is a lie. Seeing that what “our” culture is is a lie.

          I very much pray and look forward to Martin walking into the Truth. In many ways he is already there and his sin ….he, like all of us, will deal with it per the Holy Spirit and God’s magnaminous grace.

          grace and peace.

          Like

          1. At this mark in the video, we get to the heart of Martin’s spiritual transformation (very similar to mine).

            https://youtu.be/IK4YuE3w_jU?t=911

            He has no faith in religious institutions; full stop. Nor should he. His faith must be in Christ who is God. That is the fateful step and Martin is on the precipice.

            JLYNNBYRD a possible rhetorical kick to the butt is to tell Martin that …???

            I will leave the ??? to you and the Lord.

            Liked by 1 person

  40. I sure hope St Jude is “woke” to the needs of Ol’ Christendom and The Republic of the USA! ….
    St Jude & St Michael be with US in “The Turmoil” to come!
    https://churchpop.com/2019/10/28/saint-of-the-impossible-the-mystical-visions-of-jesus-that-made-st-jude-patron-of-hopeless-causes/

    https://www.catholicculture.org/news/headlines/index.cfm?storyid=43919

    https://dwightlongenecker.com/pachamama-witchcraft-and-womens-ordination/

    https://www.catholicleague.org/petition-drive-in-support-of-bill-barr-2/

    https://amgreatness.com/2019/10/27/our-bankrupt-nomenklatura/

    Let US Pray!
    https://spectator.org/the-bell-is-about-to-toll/

    A good “Take” on Creepy Joe and The Party of Death.
    https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2019/10/joe_biden_denied_communion.html

    https://townhall.com/columnists/walterewilliams/2019/10/30/gun-grabbers-misleading-us-n2555471

    https://townhall.com/columnists/toddstarnes/2019/10/29/texas-school-district-implements-pornographic-sex-education-policy-n2555504

    Meghan Murphy: Canadian feminist’s transgender talk stirs uproar
    https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-50214341

    https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2019/10/30/nolte-californias-leftist-utopia-cant-even-keep-the-electricity-on/

    The coming year of DC Criminal Revelations may well produce a bunch of “suicides”?
    https://www.foxnews.com/us/forensic-pathologist-jeffrey-epstein-homicide-suicide

    GOD SAVE ALL HERE!!

    Liked by 7 people

    1. the article on the school district implementing pornographic sex ed is incredulous!!! Who are these people in charge and who are the parents that are sending their children to those schools?????God help us …… this is as bad as it gets…

      Liked by 7 people

      1. It takes a moral population to elec a moral government to legislate moral laws. The sickness of perversion & indecency is everywhere.

        Those rainbow parades of pride marched in every downtown street ARE much like a invading conquerer parading it’s victory to break the spirit of the local citizens.

        Liked by 7 people

  41. Dies anybody know where our Charlie is currently? ?? I’ve been slammed lately n don’t see him on. What not with the fires in Cali and bad weather in Colorado. …be careful out there Charlie🤗😇😘

    Liked by 2 people

    2. Linda, Charlie told us a little over a week ago: I am in the midst of a very busy period of my journey – just left Los Angeles, heading for San Francisco and Sacramento. I expect to be in court this week for the Planned Parenthood civil abortion trial against David Daleiden and Sandra Merritt… Although he’s commented but nine times this week, it’s due to his plate being loaded with duties. And it’s not the first time he’s had to take such a break and, surely, it won’t be the last. Let’s keep praying for him as he fulfills what he discerns he is called to do.

      Liked by 3 people

  42. Get this video out to at least FIVE other people.

    Ask each one of them to share it with another FIVE… etc.

    What’s this about?

    The Church Militant is being disordered from the very highest climbs of influence, both within the Church and without.

    We have to FIGHT for the Church.

    The Church’s membership can be considered from three different angles. All members of the Church belong to Christ’s Mystical Body. Three groups participate as a Church in Christ, those who are alive on this earth now, those who have died and are awaiting in purification the Beatific Vision (for only the pure can see God) and those who, having died in the friendship of God, having done all the temporal punishment due to sin, having been purified of all attachment to sin, now enjoy together the bliss of Heaven for eternity.

    The Church Triumphant enjoys heaven.
    The Church Suffering is being purified.
    The Church Militant is marching yet as pilgrims in this world.

    The world itself is disordered in our regard because of sin. We have wounds to our human nature, which makes it hard to learn and to control impulses. This world is beset by its “Prince” as Christ calls the Enemy Devil. We are fighting, as pilgrim warriors constantly against “the world, the flesh, and the Devil.

    Consider these three days.

    1 November – All Saints (the Church Triumphant) – A HOLY DAY OF OBLIGATION
    2 November – All Souls (the Church Suffering) – INDULGENCES
    3 November – SUNDAY (the Church Militant) – A HOLY DAY OF OBLIGATION

    We propose to you to pray for the Church in a special way over these three days.

    Here is the concrete project.

    Let us ask for the intercessory prayers of the Church Triumphant and the Church Suffering for the Church Militant.

    1 November you WILL go to Mass. It is of Obligation this year. Ask the Church Triumphant to intercede. Pray to the Queen of Heaven, Mary, Mother of the Church, with a “Memorare” after Communion (which I hope you can receive in the state of grace).

    2 November you CAN gain a Plenary Indulgence for the souls of members of the Church Suffering. Pray for the dead. You can visit a cemetery and you can gain the indulgences in other ways as well. Go to Mass and say a Memorare for the Church. Ask Mary, Queen also of the Church Suffering to intercede for the Church on earth.

    3 November you WILL go to Mass. Every Sunday is a day of Obligation. Pray for the Church Militant in the special way. At Mass say a Memorare after Communion for the Church Militant, of which you are a member. Shoulder your spear and pack and pray.

    Today, 31 October, is the Vigil of All Saints. Today is the day to ready ourselves for a three day battle for the Church.

    Today, the Vigil of the spiritual battle we will engage in beginning tomorrow, is when YOU alert your friends and loved ones to join the ranks of this battle line. Get the word out. Get the troops into position. Send them the video. Tell them what you are going to do. Tell your parish priests. Make at least 5 calls or contacts.

    At the end of these three days we may not see the results of our efforts right away, but we will have done something that can be worked with on high. Remember. Christ crowns His own merits in our actions. By ourselves we are too weak to do anything. But Christ gives us the work to do, places our hands on the plow or on the hilt. He places His hands over ours, to make our hands strong enough. By so doing the works are ours and they are His and He crowns His merits in us.

    Your holy efforts create ripples out into the cosmos, both visible and invisible.

    Let us strike a mighty blow on 1 and 2 and 3 November and leave the Queen of Heaven to ask her Son to work His will in our ways.

    Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy help, or sought thine intercession was left unaided.

    Inspired by this confidence, I fly unto thee, O Virgin of virgins, my mother; to thee do I come, before thee I stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in thy mercy hear and answer me.

    Amen.

    Please share! Thank you Father Z!

    Liked by 6 people

    1. Thanks for bringing this to our attention here, San San. For those who may wish to visit Fr. Z’s blog, you can reach it here. And for anyone wishing to remain apprised concerning the good works which call many to their next right step via the prayer initiatives spearheaded by Fr. Rick Heilman and his apostolic work, you can sign up here.

      Liked by 5 people

    2. A few Devotions…

      Friday, (All Saints Day) November 1- First Friday Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus
      http://catholictradition.org/Two-Hearts/devotion12.htm

      Saturday, (All Souls Day) November 2- First Saturday Devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary
      https://www.bluearmy.com/first-saturday-devotion/

      Wednesday, (All Saints in Ireland) November 6- First Wednesday Devotion to Saint Joseph

      Click to access TheFirstWednesdayDevotioninHonorofStJoseph.pdf

      Liked by 4 people

    3. Thank you for this call and reminder from Fr. Z, San San. “Remember. Christ crowns His own merits in our actions. By ourselves we are too weak to do anything. But Christ gives us the work to do, places our hands on the plow or on the hilt. He places His hands over ours, to make our hands strong enough. By so doing the works are ours and they are His and He crowns His merits in us.”

      Liked by 4 people

  43. A Good One for Halloween & All Saints Day.

    HeartLight Daily Verse – 31 October

    1 Peter 5:8-9
    Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.

    Thoughts on today’s verse:
    Satan is real. He and his power are intended to harm. But rather than spending our time worrying about him, let’s resist him when we are tempted and focus on Jesus. He’s the one who won the big showdown at Calvary, triumphing over Satan. He took Satan’s greatest tool and disarmed it. Now we can resist and Satan will flee.
    Prayer:
    Thank you, Almighty God, for sending Jesus to break Satan’s stranglehold over us. Through the Savior’s death you have assured me that mine won’t be the end of our relationship, but the beginning of life with you. Today, however, I ask that you help me especially resist Satan’s power over my life in the following ways ….. Through Jesus I pray. Amen. Visit heartlight.org for more

    http://blog.adw.org/2019/10/word-encouragement-one-jesus-stranger-sayings/

    https://www.crisismagazine.com/2019/facing-evil-on-all-hallows-eve

    https://stream.org/are-ghosts-real/

    https://www.newsbusters.org/blogs/nb/scott-whitlock/2019/10/30/nasty-liberals-gloat-over-reagans-comeuppance-wildfires

    https://www.newsbusters.org/blogs/business/joseph-vazquez/2019/10/30/aoc-trivializes-ak-govs-concerns-about-green-new-deal

    Islam is NOT the religion of peace …. and never has been over the 1300 years of it’s violent existance:
    https://www.frontpagemag.com/fpm/2019/10/most-colossal-crime-all-ages-raymond-ibrahim/

    GOD SAVE ALL HERE!!

    PS: I’m Trick or Treating in de Hood disguised as a Grumply Old Man 😉

    Liked by 9 people

  44. Thinking of Diane and hoping her surgery went well. I think it was on the 28th? Has anyone heard from her? I’ve missed some comments since getting reconnected again. God bless all here. xo

    Liked by 7 people

  47. Happy All Souls Day …. and may The Saints be with US in These-Days!

    http://www.conservativehq.com/article/31300-why-sunday-november-3rd-matters

    http://www.ncregister.com/blog/reilly/st.-john-henry-newmans-battle-for-the-church-continues

    https://stream.org/woman-texted-her-fathers-number-for-four-years-after-his-death-then-she-gets-a-response/

    https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2019/11/christian-leader-franklin-graham-calls-on-country-to-pray-for-president-trump-and-melania-trump-during-this-latest-unjust-inquisition-by-democrats/

    https://www.foxnews.com/media/joe-biden-cardinal-dolan-communion

    https://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Was-the-corner-of-Gods-altar-found-in-Shiloh-West-Bank-606477

    When Dem idiots like Guv MoonBeam & Sen. Spartacus keep up the steady drumbeat invective aimed at Trump/Supporters ….. Civil War … is enevitable ;-(
    https://thepatriotchronicles.com/news-for-you/former-california-governor-foolishly-blames-the-wildfires-on-trump/

    https://thepatriotchronicles.com/news-for-you/meghan-mccain-corners-booker-revealing-where-he-really-stands-on-gun-control/

    https://stream.org/heres-whistleblower-charade-must-stop-now/

    https://www.dailysignal.com/2019/10/24/woke-math-aims-to-teach-seattle-kids-that-western-math-is-racist

    https://thefederalist.com/2019/10/31/lgbt-activists-wont-admit-anythings-wrong-with-a-man-flashing-children-during-drag-queen-story-hour/

    GOD SAVE ALL HERE!!

    Liked by 3 people

  48. Gee whiz, just tried to leave a short snippet of my happenings today….it went POOOF!! Ahhh I guress GOD DIDN’T WANT ME TO, So I’ll shut up by His will!………………..

    Liked by 1 person

  50. I Just celebrated A Latin Mass for All Souls Day at Queen of Peace CC in Ocala, FL.
    The pastor there is quite traditional and moved the alter facing away from the people and has installed communion rails and communion is only given by the officiating priest. My son Johnny has been taking his growing family (number 6 due by Christmas) to the Latin rite mass for a few years now. Part of today’s mass featured three children recieving first Holy communion, two of them are my grandsons Phillip and Jerome (7 and 6 yrs old). What a privilege to be present at such an event!
    I have been hearing about how the youth will reevangelise the church and today really gave me hope it is upon us now. Six alter boys, some of them under 10 years old, gave strict attention to their alter duties sometimes kneeling for long periods holding candles or just standing still and erect, unflinching during long prayers or the sermon. They gathered together to pray just before recieving communion and then at the alter rail after mass for thanksgiving prayers.
    Jerome seemed very excited. He has been saying he wants to become a priest and today helped to solidify that desire.
    I prayed that this day would be special in their lives and the beginning of a future full of graces and blessings. I am hopeful they both will become a great part of and a help to the Remnant with their lives.

    Liked by 11 people

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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.