Modern paganism is an assault on womanhood October 11, 2013
Posted by Tantumblogo in awesomeness, Basics, Christendom, General Catholic, Glory, Grace, Interior Life, Liturgical Year, Our Lady, priests, reading, religious, sanctity, shocking, sickness, Society, true leadership, Virtue.comments closed
I read the following excerpt in Dom Prosper Gueranger’s The Liturgical Year, and felt that it was very much apropos of our current cultural calamity. Mind you, Dom Prosper wrote this about 150 years ago, and he could lament how the dignity of womanhood was under assault then, when rationalism, modernism, and all the other -ism’s that have produced pagan atheism were still in their relative infancy. One shudders to think of the condemnation Dom Prosper would have for our culture today, but I was amazed by how prescient Gueranger’s comments were, and how much society has continued along the same line of collapse he so plainly foresaw. What is absolutely amazing and revelatory in Gueranger’s comments, however, is the vital role the Mother of God plays in giving vitality and even sanctity to Catholic womanhood (taken from the reading for October 11, Motherhood of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Vol. 14 pp. 463-4, I add emphases and comments):
…..we are reminded of another result of the loss of devotion to the Mother of God. Frequently and truly we hear and speak of the “paganism” of the present age. [While paganism in 1860 might have been still nascent, today, it is obvious] The decay of faith has been followed inevitably by a decline in morality, and our elaborate and complex civilization is threatened with the dissolving agent which contributed in no small measure to the overthrow of the magnificent civilization of old Rome: namely, the loss of the domestic virtues, the disappearance of healthy, normal family life, consequent upon the abandonment of the Christian ideals of marriage and parenthood. [Indeed. The very materialism, driven by wealth and ease, that I think has played such a huge role in people losing sight of the things of God, is being undone by the inevitable consequences of that atheism! Small families, no families, sexual deviancy, all these things are eating away not only at the fabric of the culture, but they are undermining economic growth and potential to a degree that collapse seems all but unavoidable at this point. There is no question that men tend to turn to God when times are bad, and away when times are good. Well, the times have been, historically speaking, very, very good going on two or more centuries now, and the chastisement that results in a return to God could be very painful indeed. Our Blessed Lord does tend to work in mysterious ways.]
It is a truism that one of the greatest social effects of Christianity was to raise the status of womanhood. [This is so very true. Christianity was the driver for the elimination of all manner of social evils, from slavery to denigration of women to widespread abortion and sexual immorality. As Christianity, and especially Catholicism, have been sluffed off, all those evils have come roaring back.] Her legal position in the Ancient World was little better than that of a slave, [some feminist’s head just exploded] and although classical literature furnishes us with examples of women who, in pagan homes, yet enjoyed high honour and affection, such are few indeed, and but serve to prove the rule. Divorce, infanticide, general degradation of womanhood, and not infrequently of childhood, were accepted features of the pagan social order. [They are features of ALL pagan social orders, apparently, because they are certainly features of our current, increasingly pagan culture] The ideal and model of the “new woman” of the Christian dispensation was the Mother of God. It was Mary, “Mother of fair love,” “Madonna,” “our Lady,” who ennobled the degenerate old civlization, just as she tamed the fierce barbarian peoples; she it was who inspired the ideals of the later chivalry. In Mary, all her sex was uplifted; in her motherhood all motherhood became blessed. Now again the world needs the hallowing influence of the Mother of God and of men, if “the life of the family, the beginning and the foundation of all human society” (Pope Pius XI) is to be preserved in all its nobility and its purity.
————End Quote————
What a great excerpt! Amazingly prescient. I cannot recommend The Liturgical Year series enough. It is available online for free in various forms. Read it every day! It will shock you how much depth of theology and pastoral practice there is in every feast day, major or minor!
How can there not be a cause of canonization for Dom Prosper Gueranger! He’s fantastic!
Actually, I know why. Can you guess?
Slow news day pic post October 8, 2013
Posted by Tantumblogo in Art and Architecture, awesomeness, Christendom, fun, General Catholic, Glory, Grace, Interior Life, Our Lady, Tradition, Virtue.comments closed
I didn’t see a lot of pressing news today, and I’m plum out of my own original material, so here’s a post of funny/pointed/beautiful pics culled from various sources recently. One area of critical import to rebuild Catholic culture is to improve the quality of Catholic aesthetic efforts! Beautiful art uplifts the mind and soul and reminds one of the grandeur of Church and God!
Immodest?
Notes on purity in two parts October 3, 2013
Posted by Tantumblogo in awesomeness, Basics, Dallas Diocese, General Catholic, Glory, Grace, Holy suffering, Interior Life, manhood, Our Lady, sanctity, sexual depravity, Tradition, Virtue.comments closed
One of the biggest challenges in this very sick, sex-obsessed culture is maintaining purity. In fact, what once used to be somewhat more of a problem for men now afflicts men and women almost indiscriminately. Almost as many women as men use porn and abuse themselves on a regular basis. Rates of infidelity, fornication, and divorce have, of course, skyrocketed. What used to be an occasional, shocking scandal, is now an everyday occurence in the lives of millions.
As Our Lady at Fatima said, more souls fall into hell over sins of impurity than over any other cause. The children at Fatima saw souls falling into hell like snowflakes. Other Saints and Doctors have reported near-death experiences where they, and perhaps one or two other souls, 
were the only ones who did NOT go to hell on the particular day they died, or nearly died, seeing tens of thousands of others falling into hell. This is not just the fantastic writings of overactive imaginations. We are talking the solemn testimony of a great number of Saints, Blesseds, and others.
There has been a document circulating locally, that provides some helpful guidance regarding purity, how to maintain it, how to know when it is lost, and how to fix that situation if it is. I post part 1 today, God willing, I will follow up tomorrow with part 2. Everything that follows is quoted from that document, made by a local traditional priest:
Here’s the basic moral principle that applies to all questions of the 6th and 9th Commandments: all pleasure outside of marriage that is associated with the creative power, that is directly willed or desired, intentionally procured or permitted, is a MORTAL SIN. Therefore it is mortally sinful for the unmarried to think, say, or do anything with the intention of arousing even the smallest degree of this type of sensual pleasure.
If this pleasure has arisen, and there was NO INTENTION (the image popped into our mind’s eye, or we unsuspectingly walk around a corner and right before us there is someone immodestly dressed) – and there’s NO CONSENT (HEY! I don’t want to see that!) – it is not a sin.
If this pleaure has arisen, and there was NO INTENTION and some consent (we toy with it for a while, without fully giving ourself over to it) – it is a venial sin.
If this pleasure has arisen, and there was NO INTENTION, but there’s FULL CONSENT (Alright! Check THAT out!) – it is a MORTAL SIN.
If there is direct intention (I AM going to click that website, I AM going to flip through that bad magazine) – it is a MORTAL SIN.
No intention, no consent, no sin.
No intention, some consent, venial sin.
No intention, full consent, mortal sin.
ANY direct intention, mortal sin.
What can we do to keep out of trouble in general and protect ourselves? The Saints teach that we must be both watchful for, and flee from, occasions of these types of sins.
This means that we have to avoid bad websites, bad movies, bad TV, bad magazines and music, and especially BAD COMPANY.
We must make good Confessions on a regular basis – if we’re having a struggle, that means weekly or even more often, if needs be – and then make good Holy Communions begging God for the Grace to conquer such sins.
We need to pray: most especially the Rosary and the 3 Hail Marys. These need to be a part of everyone’s daily prayer life. Our Lady was NOT bored in Heaven and wondering what was going on in Fatima when She came down and reminded us to say the Rosary every day. Say your Rosary every day……….and the 3 Hail Marys – for holiness and purity. First thing when you wake up and last thing before you go to bed. And if you want to up the ante, just kneel on your fingers while you say them. The Saints – like St. Anthony of Padua and St. Alphonsus – both Doctors of the Church – St. Leonard of Port Maurice and St. Anthony Marie Claret all emphasize that if someone is faithful to this practice through thick and thin, the Blessed Virgin will obtain for them the practice of purity.
———————–End Quote———————
Tomorrow, more on mortification and changing our interior life!
St. Bernard on the Most Holy Name of Mary September 12, 2013
Posted by Tantumblogo in awesomeness, Basics, Christendom, General Catholic, Glory, Grace, Interior Life, Our Lady, sanctity, Tradition, Victory, Virtue.comments closed
From Dom Prosper Gueranger’s The Liturgical Year, Vol. XIV, and with the text already thankfully typed in by David Werling, the Mellifluous Doctor St. Bernard of Clairvaux on Our Blessed Mother:
“’And the Virgin’s name was Mary’ (Luke I. 21). Let us speak a little about this
name, which signifies star of the sea, and which so well befits the Virgin
Mother. Rightly is she likened to a star: for as a star emits its ray without 
being dimmed so the Virgin brought forth her Son without receiving any injury;
the ray takes nought from the brightness of the star, nor the Son from His
Mother’s integrity. This the noble star risen out of Jacob, whose ray illumines
the whole world, whose splendour shines in the heavens, penetrates the abyss,
and, traversing the whole earth, gives warmth rather to souls than to bodies,
cherishing virtues, withering vices. Mary, I say, is that bright and
incomparable star, whom we need to see raised above this vast sea, shining by
her merits, and giving us light by her example.
“Oh, whosoever thou art that seest thyself, amid the tides of this world, tossed about by storms and
tempests rather than walking on the land, turn not thine eyes away from the
shining of this star if thou wouldst not be overwhelmed by the hurricane! If 
squalls of temptations arise, or thou fall upon the rocks of tribulation, look
to the star, call upon Mary. If thou art tossed by the waves of pride or
ambition, detraction or envy, look to the star, call upon Mary. If anger or
avarice or the desires of the flesh dash against the ship of thy soul, turn
thine eyes towards Mary. If, troubled by the enormity of thy crimes, ashamed of
thy guilty conscience, terrified by dread of the judgment, thou beginnest to
sink into the gulf of sadness or the abyss of despair, think of Mary. In
dangers, in anguish, in doubt, think of Mary, call upon Mary. Let her be ever on
thy lips, ever in thy heart; and the better to obtain the help of her prayers,
imitate the example of her life. Following her, thou strayest not; invoking her,
thou despairest not; thinking of her, thou wanderest not; upheld by her, thou
fallest not; shielded by her, thou fearest not; guided by her, thou growest not
weary; favoured by her, thou reachest the goal. And thus dost thou experience in
thyself how good is that saying: And the Virgin’s name was Mary………”
……Our Lady: such is the title which befits her in every way, as that of Our Lord
beseems her Son; it is the doctrinal basis of that worship of hyperdulia
which belongs to her alone. She is below her Son, whom she adores as we do; but
above all God’s servants, both angels and men, inasmuch as she is His Mother. At
the name of Jesus every knee is bent; at the name of Mary every head is bowed.
And although the former is the only name whereby we may be saved; yet, as the
Son can never be separated from His Mother, heaven unites their two names in its
hymns of praise, earth in its confidence, hell in its fear and hatred.
——————-End Quote——————
As a former protestant, I will admit to having difficulty accepting all the Church’s Marian Doctrine initially. But, over time, I did, at first just by an act of the will. But over time, I have been blessed to have Our Lady really come into my life. And it has been utterly transformative, as big a transformation (and hand in hand with) my understanding and practice of Traditional Catholicism. Oh what joy Our Blessed Mother can bring! How She can help us, and how She LOVES to help us! What a great Grace to have a close (but needs to be much closer), prayerful relationship with My Mother! She wants so much to be close to you! She wants to help you! She will bring you to Her Son! And She will watch over all you do!
On this great Feast of the Most Holy Name of Mary, give Mom a call! Send her some roses (She loves those Rosary roses sooo much!)! Visit her in a church! Just spend time meditating and talking with Her!
Then, I know, you’ll also find yourself talking to Her Son alot more, too! She always points to Him! She told me!
Some nice history and formation on Our Lady of Czestochowa August 19, 2013
Posted by Tantumblogo in awesomeness, Basics, Dallas Diocese, General Catholic, Glory, Grace, Interior Life, Latin Mass, Our Lady, sanctity, Tradition, Virtue.comments closed
Thanks to MJD for sending this on. It’s really a day too late to start the Novena she also sent, but here is a bit of history on Our Lady of Czestochowa and links to much more:
The miracles attributed to the intercession of
Our Lady of Czestochowa are
numerous and spectacular, including resurrections.
Princess Anna Wisniowiecka in 1613 was boating and fell into
a raging river in the midst of a storm.
She cried out to Our Lady of Czestochowa
to save her, and Our Lady appeared and helped her safely to shore.
At the end of the seventeenth century, there were a series of
deadly epidemics that swept their way
through Europe, including Poland.
However, the city of Czestochowa was never touched by any.
The Pauline fathers prepared for them, but they never came.
These are just a few of the many miracles attributed to the icon
and the intercession of Our Lady. The record of all the miracles
attributed to this icon are kept by the Pauline fathers in Czestochowa.
I highly recommend this book:
Glories of Czestochowa and Jasna GoraMiracles Attributed to Our Lady’s IntercessionThe stories of healing attributed to the miraculous image of Our Lady of Czestochowa and the famous Shrine of Jasna Gora. 156 pages.
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Read about the history and painting:
http://www.piercedhearts.org/treasures/shrines/czestochowa.htm
The National Shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa in Doylestown, PA
http://www.czestochowa.us/content/view/1545/107/
Jasna Gora, Poland site in English:
http://www.mati.com.pl/jasnagora/?strona,podserwis,pol,glowny,0,0,eng,english,ant.html
Did you know there is an Polish Catholic parish in the Dallas Diocese – St. Peter the Apostle? If you’ve driven west-bound on Woodall Rogers, you’ve probably seen it just as you go from US75 south-bound onto Woodall Rogers. It’s right there, just north of the freeway, next to the Notre Dame school.
They have a nice, small parish there. It’s all Novus Ordo, but they mix in more Latin than most parishes. They typically have Rosary and Confession before Mass. I am certain they’ll be having a major celebration of Our Lady of Czestochowa, the national heroine of Poland. You will often see nuns from the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth there.
We can’t always make it to a TLM. Sometimes, it’s good to know about alternatives where the Mass will be offered in a reverent manner.
Tomorrow is the Great Feast of the Assumption…. August 14, 2013
Posted by Tantumblogo in awesomeness, Basics, Dallas Diocese, General Catholic, Glory, Grace, Latin Mass, Liturgical Year, Liturgy, North Deanery, Our Lady.comments closed
….a Holy Day of Obligation, even in these United States, where we have been told by our episcopal leadership we are too lazy and indifferent to be bothered by more than one or two Holy Days a year.
Do you have your plan for when and where you’re going to Mass? Many churches will be filled, best to get there early!
If it’s been a while since you’ve been to Confession, perhaps you could check around and see if some local parishes offer Confession before or after Mass? I know one that does, for sure.
Get thee to Mass!
I’ve got to say, I’ve been talking with my mom Mary more and more lately, and it’s been very moving, very helpful. She loves us so very much. She is always there to listen. And she always goes to Her Son with whatever we need. Talk with God, yes, absolutely, but also talk with Mary. She loves to hear from you.
It must be noted – Pope Francis to consecrate world to the Immaculate Heart of Mary August 14, 2013
Posted by Tantumblogo in awesomeness, Basics, Christendom, General Catholic, Glory, Grace, Our Lady, Society, Tradition, Virtue.comments closed
As part of the climax of activities marking the 50th anniversary of Vatican II, Pope Francis will consecrate the world to Our Lady’s Immaculate Heart this October:
In response to the desire of Holy Father Francis, the Statue of Our Lady of the Rosary of Fatima, venerated in the Little Chapel of Apparitions, will be brought to Rome on October 12/13 to be present at the Marian Day promoted by the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of the New Evangelization. On October 13, next to the Statue of Our Lady, Pope Francis will make the consecration of the world to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. [Awesome!]
[The] Marian Day is one of the great pontifical events marked down on the calendar of celebrations of the Year of Faith which will bring to Rome hundreds of movements and institutions connoted with Marian devotion.In a letter addressed to Bishop Antonio Marto, of Leiria-Fatima, the President of the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of the New Evangelization, [Abp.] Rino Fisichella, informs that “all ecclesial entities of Marian spirituality” are invited to take part in this Marian day, a gathering which includes, on the 12th, a pilgrimage to the tomb of Apostle St. Peter and other moments of prayer and meditation and, on the 13th, a Mass presided over by Pope Francis, in St. Peter’s Square.In that letter, [Abp.] Fisichella wrote: “The Holy Father strongly desires that the Marian Day may have present, as a special sign, one of the most significant Marian icons for Christians throughout the world and, for that reason, we thought of the beloved original Statue of Our Lady of Fatima”.
Start Novena for the Assumption today, Aug 6! August 6, 2013
Posted by Tantumblogo in awesomeness, Basics, Domestic Church, family, fun, General Catholic, Glory, Grace, Novenas, Our Lady, sanctity, Tradition.comments closed
Start your Novena for the Assumption today, Aug. 6. The Feast of the Assumption – A Holy Day of Obligation – is Thursday, August 15!
You can follow the Novena form here at A Catholic Life. The prayers of the Assumption Novena change from day to day.
A shorter Novena for the Assumption is below:
Mary, Queen Assumed into Heaven, I rejoice that after years of heroic martyrdom on earth, Thou hast at last been taken to the throne
prepared for Thee in heaven by the Holy Trinity.
Lift my heart with Thee in the glory of Thy Assumption above the dreadful touch of sin and impurity. Teach me how small earth becomes when viewed from heaven. Make me realize that death is the triumphant gate
through which I shall pass to Thy Son, and that someday my body shall rejoin my soul in the unending bliss of heaven.
From this earth, over which I tread as a pilgrim, I look to Thee for help. I ask for this favor:
(State your intention here…)
When my hour of death has come, lead me safely to the presence of Jesus to enjoy the vision of my God for all eternity together with Thee.
Praying Novenas as a family/group is especially efficacious of Grace! I highly recommend adding Novenas to your family’s nightly prayers!
Fr. Hugh Gillespie, Monfort Missionary, in Diocese this week for Total Consecration/Marian Retreats July 29, 2013
Posted by Tantumblogo in awesomeness, Basics, catachesis, Dallas Diocese, Domestic Church, family, fun, General Catholic, Glory, Grace, Interior Life, Latin Mass, Our Lady, Tradition, Virtue.comments closed
Fr. Hugh Gillespie, perhaps the leading authority in this land today on St. Louis de Montfort and Total Consecration to Jesus through Mary will be in the Dallas Diocese this week holding many retreats, conferences, and even an overnight Marian retreat. There are really too many activities to easily list in this post, so I’ll just point out that Fr. Gillespie is at St. Monica in Dallas today, Mater Dei tomorrow and Thursday (July 30/Aug 1), and the overnight Marian retreat is at the Chapel of Our Lady of Charity in Dallas on Friday-Sunday Aug. 2-4.
All info in attached flyer——->>>>>2660_001
If you’ve never gone through the Total Consecration, I cannot recommend it enough. So many souls have felt their spiritual lives (and their entire lives) completely transformed by this roughly month long process. Families especially should go through Total Consecration. Fr. Gillespie will certainly share many great success stories of the Total Consecration.
I need to renew my consecration, I pray I may make it at least to one of his talks!
Dominus vobiscum!
Fulfilling a request – Latin Rosary in McKinney on Mondays July 17, 2013
Posted by Tantumblogo in Admin, awesomeness, Dallas Diocese, Glory, Good St. Joseph, Grace, Interior Life, North Deanery, Our Lady.comments closed
A commenter asked me to let my readers know that the Holy Rosary is prayed in Latin at 2pm on Mondays at St. Michael’s in McKinney. That’s an interesting devotion. Even at Mater Dei we pray it in English! But I pray the Rosary some in Latin because it’s helped me learn Latin. So, I get it.
Anyhoo, if you want Latin Rosary in a group environment, check it out!
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