Election Update

Great Sermon by Fr. Wolfe, FSSP, over on AudioSancto on the destruction of marriage and the family along with voting guidelines for the election. Take the 25 minutes and listen.

All Hallow's Eve and the Souls in Hell

In recent years, our family has abandoned Halloween activities primarily because the observance, like so many Christian observances, has been hijacked and secularized. Further, Halloween as is presented in modern society is more often identified with magic and the occult than with anything Christian. But I think I've been a little too hasty in dismissing "Halloween" altogether. At its roots, Halloween (All Hallow's Eve) is a Catholic holiday and one that brings us to some important considerations.

Tomorrow, we celebrate All Saints, those who fought the good fight and made it to Heaven. A couple days hence, we consider and pray for those in Purgatory (the whole month dedicated to this, actually), the souls that have "made it" so to speak, but, having been cleansed of their sins by the Blood of Christ through the Sacrament of Penance, must still be purified from the temporal effects of their sins before entering the Heavenly Jerusalem. Today, All Hallow's Eve, is intended to be a sober reminder of the souls in Hell and the reality of that terrible destination where one sends himself because he has rejected God and Divine Law. So within the span of a few days, we are presented with much needed reflections on Heaven, Purgatory and Hell, the three possible destinations of souls (though Purgatory is a temporary one).

While my family festivities will continue to be reserved more for All Saints Day tomorrow, I will not let All Hallow's slip by this year without the attention it deserves. There is a nice historical summary here at Fisheaters of All Hallow's Eve, as well as recipes and ideas for celebrating the day in a truly Catholic way.

Election Update

"Our Catholic moral principles teach that a candidate's promise of economic prosperity is insufficient to justify their constant support of abortion laws, including partial-birth abortion, and infanticide for born-alive infants...

Promotion of the Freedom of Choice Act is a pledge to eliminate every single limit on abortions achieved over the last thirty-five years. The real freedom that is ours in Jesus Christ compels us, not to take life, but to defend it...

pray and make some sacrifices for our country, [especially invoking] the Guardian Angels of 47 million babies lost through abortion in our country in the last thirty-five years. This horrendous loss of life remains one of the greatest threats to human civilization we have ever faced."

-His Excellency Robert W. Finn
  Bishop of Kansas City-St. Joseph

Miserere Mei, Deus

The commemoration of All Soul's is next week. I thought it fitting to briefly take up the topic of the Miserere Mei, Deus, in particular the 17th century composer Gregorio Allegri's musical interpretation of that Davidic psalm (Psalm 50/51). The title, Miserere Mei, Deus, is Latin for "Have mercy on me, O God".

I am embarrassed to write that I did not discover Allegri's Miserere Mei, Deus until earlier this year. I do believe it is the most beautiful piece of music that I have ever heard.

There is some wonderful history surrounding the work. It was composed by Allegri for the Church and was only sung in Rome on Good Friday during Holy Week. That is until, as the story goes, a twelve-year-old Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, accompanied by his father, visited Rome during Holy Week, heard the piece at Tenebrae in the Sistine Chapel and committed it to memory. At that point, this hidden gem of Rome would slowly be performed and cherished around the world.

Here is one of my favorite performances. I think the YouTube version had a stanza of the psalm cut because of video time constraints. Watch how effortlessly the young choirboy hits that famous high C. Spectacular!

So what month is it?

One week from judgment day?

We are now one week away from what I am convinced is the most critical election in the history of our nation. I have heard it described by many as ‘Judgment Day’, and I do not think that assessment is far off the mark. There is much to be deeply disturbed about when reflecting on what an Obama presidency will mean to this country. Stepping away from the Obama-raptured liberal media and digging into who this guy really is (which no one really knows, including where he was born), cannot help but lead one to a sense of foreboding.

But on the level of issues, there are those that are weightier than others. Can any issue be more important than life itself? I am a father of ten children. I have witnessed the births of each one of my children, some born prematurely. When I think back on those births and then consider the evil of those who label babies when they are most vulnerable as “choice”, I am literally sickened. Further, I am horrified by the cruelty and thoughtlessness of those who explicitly through their advocacy and funds support the billion dollar industry of killing children and also angered and saddened by those, for whatever reason, who support abortion implicitly by putting a man like Obama in office who has promised (see video in an earlier post below) that the first thing that he will do as president is sign the “Freedom of Choice Act”.

Fifty million children have been torn to pieces by the knives of abortionists and literally have had their brains sucked out of their skulls since Roe vs. Wade. Figure that all of those abortions occurred with some government and state regulation. Imagine the explosion of those numbers in an Obama administration under his "Freedom of Choice Act" as more children become living sacrifices to the gods of ease, career advancement, more money, a new car or exotic vacation. The majority of abortions are these kinds of “convenience” abortions, probably much to the surprise of those who have been suckered by the pro-abortion argument that says that legalized abortion is necessary to protect the life of the mother during a difficult pregnancy, a scenario that is extremely rare. To what depths have we sunk as a “civilization”?

With regards to Obama and the “Freedom of Choice Act”, I ask why? How could any human being with a soul support such a policy, and with impudence? Evil is the absence of good. Abortion is evil (if you haven’t seen an abortion, look at one!), a violation of the fifth commandment, and one that cries out for God’s justice. Why are there so many thousands of people who, often violently and profanely, clamor for the “right” of a woman to kill her child? Just compare the peaceful and prayerful conduct of pro-life protesters with the often vile and profane conduct of pro-abortion protesters. Are so many people blind to see the obvious diabolical nature of the pro-abortion movement? What is blinding us? Television? Pounding music and incessant noise? Liberal media? Love of money and things? Selfishness? Apostosy from God? The answer is a mixture of all of these things, the latter supported further by a recent Gallop Poll that shows that the majority of Obama voters do not go to church; hence, God plays little to no role in their lives and decisions. What is really interesting about the poll is that the more frequently one goes to church, the more likely one is to support McCain.

My family is praying hard that the people of our nation will come to their senses before it is too late. I link below to another video by the actor Eduardo Verastegui which shows the evil of abortion, including partial birth (a.k.a. infanticide) abortion which Obama unabashedly supports. Everyone needs to see the face of abortion. America is asleep to this holocaust because the enemy keeps it from their eyes. I hope that everyone watches, and then we will see who can still vote for Obama or any public official who supports the killing of unborn children.

As Fr. Wolfe of the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter occasionally remarks in his sermons, "we better wake up and smell the sulphur".

Our Lady of Guadalupe, patroness of the Americas, pray for us!

St. Jude, patron of lost causes, pray for us!

• Obama Must See Video by Eduardo Verastegui (not for children)

-Albert
+Feast of Sts Simon and Jude

Getting Ready For Winter

To stay warm this winter, we needed to get the wood in! Many hands make light work with this task.

~Leslie~

More from the Feast of Christ the King

Andrew heads back to La Salette tomorrow already

It was a great day and wonderful to have everyone home and around the table.

Sermon Posted

Fr. Hewko's, FSSPX, sermon for the Feast of Christ the King is now available for download.

Christus vincit, Christus regnat, Christus imperat

Andrew as Crossbearer; Chris and Joe in special red cassocks in honor of Christ the King


Christopher


Eucharistic Procession of Christ the King


Preparing table for the feast (big Turkey dinner!)

More to come...

Christ Is King

The old Quebec Flag featuring the Sacred Heart

This coming Sunday is the most important Feast of Christ the King.  I have a special affinity with this feast as it was promulgated on my birthday, December 11, in 1925 by Pope Pius XI in his encyclical Quas Primas.   

Because everything belongs to Christ in heaven and on earth, the Kingship of Christ is not meant to be some future event or something purely metaphorical.  Christ, by right and divine justice,  must reign now over peoples and nations, as He has in the past in many a nation.  When Christ is separated from the government, He slowly slips out of the hearts of the people  and what follows is a neo-paganism that is worse than the paganism that existed before His first coming.  Just open a newspaper.  We cannot look with too much wonder over what is happening in this country now as the basic principle of Christ's Kingship is scorned by His enemies, and even by so many claiming to be His friends, including many in the post-Vatican II Church.  With every religion placed on an equal footing by our indifferent, pluralistic society,  man cannot find or recognize the Truth.  We know that the Truth is a person, Our Lord Jesus Christ.  We are a very sick nation and one who needs the succor of her True Divine King.  

Pictured above is the old flag of Quebec which, at its center, features the Sacred Heart of our Lord.  At the time when that flag flew majestically over the capital, laws were enacted that were consistent with the Divine Law and the protection of the faith in the nation's citizens.  The government has a duty to support not only the temporal welfare of her citizens, but, in union with the Church, the spiritual.  Think it cannot be done in a modern republic? If so, read a good biography on the life of President Garcia Moreno of Ecuador who presided over a vibrant country when Christ's Kingship was the first principle.

We cannot cease to hope and to fight for our Lord's Sacred Heart on our own nation's flag.  Strictly from an earthly perspective, the battle is futile.  But we do not fight from an earthly perspective or with earthly weapons.  We will stand by our King and fight and be there when, in His time, He and all the Saints march victoriously over the principalities and powers that have erected themselves against Him. Viva Cristo Rey!  Long live Christ the King!

In preparation for the feast day, I encourage everyone to listen to Father David Hewko's 2006 Sermon on the Feast of Christ the King. I've also linked to a Voice of Catholic Tradition interview of Father conducted that same morning. In addition, below the links is an interview with some of the survivors of the Cristeros rebellion in the early twentieth century when an atheistic mexican government, impregnated with the principles of freemasonry, attempted to suppress religion. When one is tempted to think that this kind of organized persecution does not happen in modern times, simply look at Mexico (and Spain, and France, etc.). May God grant us such courage and zeal when confronted with whatever persecution we may face for the faith, small or great.

• Father David Hewko Sermon, Feast of Christ the King 2006
  
• Father David Hewko interviewed on WALK on the occasion of the Feast of Christ the King
  

 

Cristeros, Soldiers of Christ

-Albert

+Feast of St. Raphael, Archangel

And now the Lord hath sent me to cure thee,
and to free Sara, thy son's wife, from the devil.
For I am Raphael the Angel, one of the seven
who stand before the Lord.
(Tobias 12, 14)

A Few Pics

The pictures just arrived today from our trip to Saint Louis and our adventures on Mr. Doug Dean's farm. I hope you enjoy them. I'll try to put them in chronological order.

One of the seniors purchased a little kitten for the school. We call it Tigra.

Here are some of the animals at Mr. Dean's farm. Pictured here are his goats.

One of Mr. Dean's dogs. Left to right: Mr. Dean, Mrs. Dean, Simon Jacobs and Joseph Goodwin.

Mr. Dean and his precious chickens. He also has ducks and some huge turkeys. Dinner time!

Ms. Celine Dean soaring high on her tire swing. She just made her First Communion two weeks ago.

The trip back from Starkenburg. Left to right: William Macgillivray, Isaac Dailey, Alex Krol

David Curtis gives us his wierdest smile in the van at Starkenburg.

The Gateway Arch (as seen from the Mississippi River)

On the side of the Gateway Arch and...

Directly beneath it.

The city of Saint Louis as seen from underneath the Arch.

The city of Saint Louis from the very top of the Gateway Arch.

-ANDREW HICKMAN

Nine-Day Election Rosary Novena

Catholic Family News is encouraging a nine-day rosary novena and a special prayer against "revolutionary men". We know what the stakes are in this election as do those who have made themselves the enemies of Christ. Pray hard! Detailed information can be found on the CFN Website here..

St. Anthony Marie Claret

Up to a few years ago I had never heard of the great 19th century Spanish bishop Anthony Marie Claret.  He, along with his biography, was introduced to me by a dear friend who learned of him while on an Ignatian retreat.  St. Anthony Claret's life is astonishing, filled with intrigue and miracles demonstrating the favor and hand of God acting throughout his life and work.  He also valiantly fought the Freemasons, ever conniving to destroy the Church, who made several unsuccessful attempts to have him murdered.  A nice summary of his life can be found by following this link.

St. Anthony Claret pray for us and aid us in our battles against the enemies of Christ and His Church.

-Albert
+Feast of St. Anthony Marie Claret

Back Already?!?

All of the La Salette students just spent their first day home yesterday. Apparently many of the kids have quite a list of things to do during the week. :)

We have had a lot of interesting things happen during these last six weeks, from being forced to eat someone else's food (we call it gruel when we don't know what's in it) to riding up to the top of the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial in Saint Louis. I'll try to get some pictures soon.

 

There isn't too much to say until those pictures come. So keep checking, they'll be here soon.

-Andrew H.

Andrew is Home

Leslie and I fetched the La Salette young men late last night from the Albany airport for their week long semester break. Andrew looks great. It is very humbling to see your first born son suddenly becoming a man, something that struck me poignantly last night probably because we have not seen each other for almost two months. Hopefully the next couple of blog posts will be from him. I will post pictures as the week progresses. The festivities will culminate this Sunday with the great feast of Christ the King.

Make me what Thou wouldst have me. I bargain for nothing. I make no terms. I seek for no previous information whither Thou art taking me. I will be what Thou wilt make me, and all that Thou wilt make me. I say not, I will follow Thee whithersoever Thou goest, for I am weak, but I give myself to Thee, to lead me anywhither.
-Cardinal John Henry Newman

-Albert

The Stakes in November 2008 - Update

What an Obama presidency will mean to the unborn in Obama's own words:



Save our children this November.

A Chesterton Moment: The Poetry of Mr. Smith

"The sense that everything is poetical is a thing solid and absolute; it is not a mere matter of phraseology or persuasion. It is not merely true, it is ascertainable. Men may be challenged to deny it; men may be challenged to mention anything that is not a matter of poetry. I remember a long time ago a sensible sub-editor coming up to me with a book in his hand, called "Mr. Smith" or "The Smith Family," or some such thing. He said, "Well, you won't get any of your damned mysticism out of this," or words to that effect. I am happy to say that I undeceived him; but the victory was too obvious and easy. In most cases the name is unpoetical, although the fact is poetical. In the case of Smith, the name is so poetical that it must be an arduous and heroic matter for the man to live up to it. The name of Smith is the name of the one trade that even kings respected, it could claim half the glory of that arma virumque which all epics acclaimed. The spirit of the smithy is so close to the spirit of song that it has mixed in a million poems, and every blacksmith is a harmonious blacksmith."
-excerpt from Heretics

Sunday Sermon Posted

+


Fr. Hewko's sermon for the 23rd Sunday after Pentecost entitled The Safety of the Soul is now posted.

Phil. 3:17-21; 4: 1-3 BRETHREN, be ye followers of me, and observe them who walk so as you have our model. For many walk, of whom I have told you often (and now tell you weeping), that they are enemies of the cross of Christ; whose end is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame; who mind earthly things. But our conversation is in heaven, from whence also we look for the Savior, our Lord Jesus Christ, Who will reform the body of our lowness, made like to the body of His glory, according to the operation whereby also He is able to subdue all things unto Himself. Therefore, my brethren, dearly beloved, and most desired, my joy and my crown: so stand fast in the Lord, my dearly beloved. I beg of Evodia, and I beseech Syntyche, to be of one mind in the Lord: and I entreat thee also, my sincere companion, help those who have labored with me in the Gospel, with Clement and the rest of my fellow laborers, whose names are in the book of life.

"Truly, matters in the world are in a bad state; but if you and I begin in earnest to reform ourselves, a really good beginning will have been made."
-St. Peter of Alcantara

Syracuse Soccer Tournament

Yesterday we drove down to Syracuse for the annual soccer tournament at BVM Academy. Fr. Libietis has worked some coaching magic down there in Syracuse in the short time since his arrival at the academy. This is the first year in quite some time that neither the Nicholville boy's team nor the men's team brought home a trophy. Regardless, it was a fun day and there is much to be said for healthy competition.

The boys did not play the game according to the standard rules of soccer this year. Instead, they had to pass the ball three times before they could shoot. If the other team touched the ball during that time, the three count was reset. This made for low scoring games (often 0/0) but the boys learned good passing and team skills which you could see as the day and the games progressed.







The finals ended in a shoot out. Chris is up...

Joseph gives it some steam

The Plainville Turkey Farm payoff after the tournament

-Albert
23rd Sunday after Pentecost

Friday Family Miscellany

Shot of a group from a previous year's Starkenburg Pilgrimage

Andrew and the young men at La Salette Academy leave today for Missouri and the annual Starkenburg Pilgrimage which begins tomorrow. Please keep him in your prayers as we hope for a fruitful pilgrimage. Andrew and a few of his classmates attending La Salette in our area will also be flying home on Monday for their mid-semester break. We are looking forward to spending some time with our long lost son!


Today is the feast day of St. Margaret Mary Alacoque and hence Meghan's name day. Mom will be in the kitchen later baking for the celebration. Meghan, Amanda and Therese return home for the weekend from the Dominican girl's school later today. Their break is coming up shortly and will overlap with the tail end of Andrew's.


Tomorrow, Chris, Joe, Joshua and I head down to Syracuse for the annual soccer tournament at Blessed Virgin Mary Academy. Chris will be playing goalie, Joe is a sub and I still don't know what Joshua is doing but I'm sure he will have fun regardless. They will play teams from Syracuse and Cincinnati. One of the highlights of the day will be a trip to the Plainville Turkey Farm for an all you can eat Turkey dinner after the games.


Last, but not least, it is my little brother's anniversary today. Best wishes to Jeff and Stephanie for a happy anniversary.


-Albert


"I need nothing but God, and to lose myself in the heart of God"
+St. Margaret Mary Alacoque

A Chesterton Moment

G.K. Chesterton is one of those writers who changes your thinking. As arguably one of the greatest writers of the twentieth century, the fact that he is absent from modern university curricula is both inexcusable and telling. Chesterton is often called the "Apostle of Common Sense." Common sense is something that is typically denied and scorned by the modern liberal mind, and hence liberal education, endlessly adrift with no place to drop anchor. Chesterton exposes the incongruities of the liberal mind with his trademark wit and clarity.

If you have not already, discover Chesterton today!

Chesterton On Poetry (excerpt from Orthodoxy):

Everywhere we see that men do not go mad by dreaming. Critics are much madder than poets. Homer is complete and calm enough; it is his critics who tear him into extravagant tatters. Shakespeare is quite himself; it is only some of his critics who have discovered that he was somebody else. And though St. John the Evangelist saw many strange monsters in his vision, he saw no creature so wild as one of his own commentators. The general fact is simple. Poetry is sane because it floats easily in an infinite sea; reason seeks to cross the infinite sea, and so make it finite. The result is mental exhaustion, like the physical exhaustion of Mr. Holbein. To accept everything is an exercise, to understand everything a strain. The poet only desires exaltation and expansion, a world to stretch himself in. The poet only asks to get his head into the heavens. It is the logician who seeks to get the heavens into his head. And it is his head that splits.

-Albert