Ahem! A flos carmeli for Bernadette!

Typical.

I am grieved at the news… I am so sorry…

A dear friend is the mother of an autisic boy. That boy seems to be dying. He is so young. I asked her if I could put up a post requesting prayers for him. She said yes. She is devastated. Your prayers, please. It just needs to click in his brain that he can live, and I think he would. And that would be great.

Sometimes it helps to know something about the person for whom one is praying. Some of you have read about him in the Jackass Trilogy when I still have had it up on the internet. It’s now being revised to be put up at http://papistjackass.com. He is one of the major characters, and becomes increasingly important as the stories progress.

He’s the one who painted this painting above of a Jackass for one of the covers of the Jackass Trilogy (now the cover of Volume 2). His characters now speak openly of his demise. But I would like to storm heaven for this fellow. Will you join me?

Take a look at our Autism page HERE.

Novena to Saint Thomas More

A reader sent this in from dominicanidaho.org. Perhaps it can also be used over a nine hour period:

First Day

 Dear St. Thomas More, in your earthly life, you were a model of prudence. You never thrust yourself rashly into any serious undertaking; instead, you tested the strength of your powers and waited on God’s will in prayer and penance, then boldly carried it out without hesitation. Through your prayers and intercession, obtain for me the virtues of patience, prudence, wisdom and courage. Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory Be…

 Glorious St. Thomas More, I beg you to take up my cause, confident that you will advocate for me before God’s Throne with the same zeal and diligence that marked your career on earth. If it be in accord with God’s will, obtain for me the favor I seek, namely _______.

 V. Pray for us, O Blessed St. Thomas More.

R. That we may faithfully follow you on the hard road that leads to the narrow gate of eternal life.

 Second Day

 Dear St. Thomas More, in your earthly life, you were a model of diligence. You shunned procrastination, applied yourself with fervor to your studies, and spared no effort in achieving mastery in any skill. Through your prayers and intercession, obtain for me the virtue of diligence and persistence in my preparations for all undertakings. Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory Be… Glorious St. Thomas More…

 Third Day

 Dear St. Thomas More, in your earthly life, you were a model of industriousness. You threw yourself wholeheartedly into everything you did, and you found enjoyment even in the most serious things. Through your prayers and intercession, obtain for me the grace of always having suitable employment, the grace to find interest in everything fitting, and the fortitude always to pursue excellence in whatever task God gives me to do. Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory Be… Glorious St. Thomas More…

 Fourth Day

 Dear St. Thomas More, in your earthly life, you were a brilliant lawyer and a just and compassionate judge. You attended to the smallest details of your legal duties with the greatest care, and you were unflagging in your pursuit of justice tempered by mercy. Through your prayers and intercession, obtain for me the grace to overcome every temptation to laxity, arrogance, and rash judgment in my (legal) duties. Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory Be… Glorious St. Thomas More…

 Fifth Day

 Dear St. Thomas More, in your earthly life, you were a model of humility. You never allowed pride to lead you to take on enterprises beyond your abilities; even in the midst of earthly wealth and honor, you never forgot your total dependence on your Heavenly Father. Through your prayers and intercession, obtain for me the grace of an increase in humility, and the wisdom not to overestimate my own powers. Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory Be… Glorious St. Thomas More…

 Sixth Day

 Dear St. Thomas More, in your earthly life, you were a model husband and father. You were a loving and faithful husband, and a diligent provider and example of virtue for your children. Through your prayers and intercession, obtain for me the grace of a happy home, peace in my family, and the strength to persevere in chastity according to my state of life. Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory Be… Glorious St. Thomas More…

 Seventh Day

 Dear St. Thomas More, in your earthly life, you were a model of Christian fortitude. You suffered bereavement, disgrace, poverty, imprisonment and a violent death; yet you bore all with the strength and good cheer for which you were known throughout your life. Through your prayers and intercession, obtain for me the grace to bear all the crosses that God sends me with patience and joy. Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory Be… Glorious St. Thomas More…

 Eighth Day

 Dear St. Thomas More, in your earthly life, you were a loyal child of God and a steadfast son of the Church, never taking your eyes off the crown for which you strove. Even in the face of death, you trusted in God to give you the victory, and He rewarded you with the palm of martyrdom. Through your prayers and intercession, obtain for me and mine the grace of final perseverance and protection from sudden and unprovided death, so that we may one day enjoy the Beatific Vision in your glorious company. Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory Be… Glorious St. Thomas More…

 Ninth Day

 Dear St. Thomas More, you spent your whole earthly life preparing for the life to come. Everything you endured prepared you not only for the glory God wished to bestow upon you in heaven, but for your work as the patron of lawyers, judges and statesmen, and steadfast friend to all who call upon you. Through your prayers and intercession, obtain for us aid in all our necessities, both corporal and spiritual, and the grace to follow in your footsteps, until at last we are safely home with you in the mansions our Father has prepared for us in heaven. Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory Be… Glorious St. Thomas More…

 Imprimatur: Very Reverend Michael Driscoll; Bishop, Diocese of Boise; July 18, 2007

Finally: Oooooooo! and Oooooooo! again!

Finally, if you can see this post with the pictures, then know that the temperamental computer/internet difficulties have been temporarily overcome, that is, at least for a few minutes! Someone said they said a prayer about this. This is the answer! And here I was just getting used to writing outside of the blogosphere. I just started setting up a book about some characters in the New Testament. All women. So, I’ll need some help in understanding these women, if such a thing is possible from whatever perspective. But more on that in another post. For now, here is the Oooooo… I was talking about. It’s just something that struck me as extraordinarily appropriate. I hope you don’t mind. Here’s the Sanctuary of our Mercy Chapel, just built and consecrated a few months back:

Let’s take a closer look up top:

With Lourdes we have the Immaculate Conception, who, because of her purity, could see our need for repentance all the more clearly, perfectly clearly, enabling her to perfectly pray for our needs, enabling her to be the mediatrix of all graces. Repentance, penance for sinners, conversion. The angels rejoicing over the conversion of a sinner! Note the darkness in the background. Remind you of anything, like the dark as hell grotto? (Yes, it is just that dark, even with the light of the Immaculate Conception shining away). Don’t be scandalized. The light shines in the darkness and the darkness cannot overcome the light!

The prodigal son, repenting, having the angels rejoice over his conversion. The father in the parable is, of course, our Lord Himself. He shines in the darkness and the darkness cannot overcome Him. The motto of our Congregation comes from this parable in Luke 15; it is a description of the Father: “He was moved with mercy” that is, Misericordia motus est. “Misericordia” means “misery of heart”, that is, filling the need of the other person as if that need were one’s own. Jesus can do this for us. In the inspired Greek of the Gospel, it is “His Heart was sacrificed” — a verbal form used only for the special mercy of our Lord.

Just to be clear about what is going on. It is the Incarnate Word of the Father, Christ Jesus, Who IS Divine Mercy, shining upon us. The darkness cannot overcome Him. He comes right to us. The angels rejoice. Thank you, Lord.

Jesus, I trust in Thee!

By the way, we’re accepting vocations!

P.S. A prayer please, for a favorable response to a letter I just sent out yesterday. Thanks for that.

From the mighty FATIMAPRAYERS.COM

Dear Father George,

Thought you might enjoy taking a look at our web ministry site at http://www.fatimaprayers.com. It continues to be a work in progress and we will be later this evening expanding on the Five First Saturday Devotions.

About two years ago we had 98% of the language translations completed for the Fatima Chaplet but then it was pointed at that some minor changes needed to be made. So after almost two years of prayer during Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament I realized what needed to be done in order to proceed.

So now all of the languages will be revised and the project is back on track. We never accept any money or solicit donations for this Ministry but instead encourage the laity to share their talents with their Holy Church and the priests that serve them so courageously.

So if you get a chance we invite you to spend some time. Your critical comments and of course any positive encouragement is always welcome.

The site is paid for by God granting me long life to continue to work so the Ministry can continue and if God so wants it to help flourish and honoring Our Lady of Fatima it well happen.

I enjoy your posts and hope God grants you long life to continue in all you do on behalf of Our Father’s Kingdom. As you well know all those that work in the Vineyard receive Our Lord’s Most Precious gift that of the cross.

Robert Spellman

Ooooooo……

Ooooooooooo………

Gargantuan Eucharistic Rose Window in the Fathers of Mercy Mercy Chapel

This is on the Western end of this Minor Basilica Chapel of the Divine Mercy. I love it. Today we had a huge family attending Mass. They’re great friends visiting from Alabama. I’m guessing that there are a dozen vocations to the priesthood and religious life, and maybe another dozen vocations for good, holy marriage and family life. And this brings us back to our Eucharistic Rose Window…

Divine Mercy Chaplet at the Mercy Chapel of the Fathers of Mercy in Kentucky: A Request

We pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet every day together during the evening Holy Hour.

So, who has some talent that they would like to donate by way of coming up with an awesome melody for the divine mercy chaplet, building up to a crescendo, with different voices, overlapping bits perhaps… It would be good to have more than one. Your work might be adapted beyond recognition, but, hey… we’re only human!

IMHO, the Mercy Chapel should be named a minor basilica, and be called the Divine Mercy Shrine of the Americas. Or how about the National Shrine of the Immaculate Mother of Mercy. I like that better. After all, the revised constitutions put us under the protection of the Mother of Mercy!

UPDATE: This email came in using the new Shrine of Saint Paul in Saint Paul as an example:

To be considered for a shrine designation, a parish must complete a questionnaire and provide extensive information about itself, which is confirmed through a visit of a bishop on the Committee for Divine Worship. For the Cathedral, about 16 months passed from the beginning of the application process until the designation, Father Johnson said.

~~~ So really, why not suggest it? You probably have already mentioned it. Sounds like a bunch of tedious paperwork, but really, why not go through with it and have that stunning chapel become a shrine?

Hmmm…..

Lourdes in Kentucky, at the Fathers of Mercy

I’m useless with jetlag coming back from Lourdes, even after a week.

They say it takes an hour for each time zone crossed. Well, alright. Tomorrow I should be O.K. Why do I feel like I went the other way around the world from Lourdes to get here?!

The Scripture library shipped from Lourdes still hasn’t arrived. I’ve yet to get new glasses (bifocals of all things) and then I have to take an exam to renew my drivers’ licence, which has long since expired in four states, not to mention Australia and Italy.

Still, life goes on:

And there is even a flos carmeli or two for the Immaculate Conception here in Kentucky, you know, like the Cardinal in Rome said, this should be the “Second Lourdes”:

So, more about the Immaculate Conception! Here’s a detail of the gargantuan rose windows of the Mercy Chapel. Behold, the Immaculate Heart of Mary, the Mother of Mercy.

Pretty awesome, huh?

The Fathers of Mercy and Lourdes (at the Mercy Chapel*)… What’s this? Vocations!

*Minor Basilica (IMHO).

Here’s a side altar… Oooooo! It’s Lourdes!

Let’s get a closer look!

A bit of distraction in the background… A couple of huge families just pulled in to the Generalate House here, dropping off a couple of new postulants. Great! Vocations! Pray for vocations! It’s a command of our Lord! Gotta go!

Soon to be seen in Lourdes!

Click on the picture, scroll to the bottom, and read the first four posts of this blog — IN CARITATE NON FICTA — knowing that this fellow will soon be seen in Lourdes (along with Saint Michael, of course!).

Go to Confession!

Go to Confession!

Guard dogs and guard horses at the Fathers of Mercy.

It’s late evening at the Fathers of Mercy. The camera doesn’t quite pick up that it’s late in the day. Anyway, here are the beasts I’m told are dogs…

They do good work, these dogs. Things are pretty peaceful, but once in a while the racist crowd get excited, and that’s when the dogs go to work to alert everyone that ignorance is on the prowl. Some years ago we had many migrant workers coming to Sunday Mass. Their living quarters were surrounded one night by vehicles with their headlights blazing on the house, shotguns pointed at the windows should any of the migrant workers be silly enough to put his head out a window to see what was going on. That was stopped, but then our property was spray painted with swastikas. Sigh.

I took a walk in the pasture last night, and saw that two honey trees bit the dust:

We had bee-hives as well, but it seems all the bees died off.

Ah! Here are the guard horses. They’re completely wild, meaning not broken in. They would not be happy with intruders.

They’re eager to investigate the camera, thinking it’s an apple.

Um… a bit too close there…

Inquisitive lot…

They really want to eat the camera!

This fellow has such a snarky smile and wild eyes as he shows off his running skills.

Moments later… all is peaceful.

Studious vocations to the priesthood and religious life just here at the Fathers of Mercy, under the sign of the cross…

The guys have been getting me up to date after these years of being away, up to date on all their exploits and adventures in the service of our Lord. They were especially interested to speak to me about now common friends in Australia, and how many have been growing in the faith. I love it.

Memories of Saint Peter in Lourdes

The Crypt Chapel! I couldn’t resist putting this up again today.

This is the successor of Peter in Lourdes, reading the text of the Angelus message on 14 September 2008, my favorite Angelus message of Pope Benedict XVI by far.

So, I’d like to ask your prayers for someone who’s on the fast track to suicide, and doesn’t even know it

That person lives far from Kentucky, and there’s nothing I can do about it. People are encouraging this person to continue with the course of action that has brought this person to this person’s present state. Sad. Just so sad. There are really bad circumstances in which people can get themselves, but I’ve never seen something like this. I don’t know how this person has continued to live for so long.

Here’s my bid to keep this person alive. Maybe someone who will see this post knows this person and will bring this person some good advice. I’ll make an analogy:

Imagine someone who is anti-NRA (National Rifle Association [a group in the USA]). Imagine that this person, “Jane Doe”, is completely taken up with anti-NRA activities, such as protests, anti-gun laws, lobbying. “Jane” lives on the praise gained for these activities, and only for this praise. “Jane”, however, has a double-life, going out secretly, gunning people down at random, and then running away, never getting caught. From time to time she really pushes it, persecuting those who survive, going after them for damages, you know, money to replace the bullets that were damaged when they entered those who were shot. She gets plenty of money for this. Then she’s finally caught. People recognize her (though she’s been telling them all along). The really bad part comes when she is told by her anti-NRA buddies that she is just fine to continue on in her weakness and in her going after those from whom she can get money. After all, she does so much good for the anti-NRA movement that she can afford a little recreation on the side. But many other people don’t like this. The NRA is offended because this is not what they want to do with guns. The other anti-NRA crowd is also offended at the hypocrisy of it all. Finally, those few who were supporting her also back away from the increasing lights being thrown on the situation and she can’t handle it anymore. No one is giving her the praise for which she lived. So, why live? Sad, this. Really sad. One can turn to the Lord, and stop the rubbish, proving that by not collecting money for the damage done to the bullets, that is, from those people who survived being shot. That’s the very least one can do.

By the way, we also need to do something so that more don’t get killed, don’t we?

Our Lady of Good Counsel at the Fathers of Mercy Generalate (What in the world is she looking at?)

She was moved when the Mercy Minor Basilica (well, private oratory) was built. What is she looking at?

What oh what is she looking at?

She’s now looking at an empty field, which I think needs to be turned into a Seminary, the best Catholic Seminary possible. IMHO.

Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles, at the Fathers of Mercy Generalate (not to mention Saint Augustine and a Jackass)

Here’s Saint Paul making up part of the High Altar here at the Fathers of Mercy Mercy Chapel (where a young man just told me yesterday he’s thinking seriously about a vocation to the priesthood and religious life, possibly with us, as is his brother, who will be joining us soon, thanks be to God [hint, hint, for those of you thinking about vocations!]). I’ve come to know Saint Paul much better by way of my studies on Genesis chapters 2 and 3. There is so much there that I’m asking Saint Paul today to intercede for me today about a possible change in plans. I’m invited to teach in Oxford over in England and possibly in a Pontifical Institute here in the States, but I feel drawn to write and write and write about the Immaculate Conception.

I’m also asking Saint Peter for his intercession. Much of what I have to say touches on what many Popes have said about the Immaculate Conception, and Saint Peter knows best if what I have to say is helpful for the Church. This gargantuan painting of Saint Peter hangs to the right of the High Altar in our Mercy Chapel.

Of course, even though it is not the feast of Saint Augustine today, I’m also bothering him today. I have a bit of a Saint Jerome relationship with him (with Saint Augustine always being the perfect gentleman, however rambunctious and tongue in cheek, and Saint Jerome getting upset with an Augustinian imprecision or two, so to speak). This has everything to do with Saints Peter and Paul above. This image of Saint Augustine is on the other side of the High Altar in the Mercy Chapel. Notice the Sacred Heart in his hand!

You remember this painting by our Orthodox friend, who painted me (the Jackass) at the request of another reader? The Jackass is carrying Saint Augustine, who is, in turn, carrying the Sacred Heart of our Lord. Saint Augustine knew about the mercy of our Lord, and it is this which kept him from utter relativism. I love it. Well, I might still have a comment or two to make. Probably you can tell that with the snarky face of the Jackass.

One of the very many who travel (even for hours) to get to Sunday Mass at the Mercy Chapel was telling me just yesterday about the herd of Palestinian Jackasses he has at his farm, you know, the ones with the cross on their backs, like the ones carrying the Holy Family to Bethlehem, to Egypt and back, and our Lord into Jerusalem. He lives only five miles away, so I’m invited to go and take some pictures for the Papist Jackass.

Mercy or despair? What’s the difference in Confession?

I’ve had some time to think about mercy and the firm purpose of amendment in Confession. Since I’ve renamed the blog after our Pontifical Right Congregation, the Fathers of Mercy (ready to take vocations, hint, hint), that is, to bloggingMERCY, I suppose that this is appropriate.

This isn’t all that far from bloggingLOURDES in spirit, since our Congregation started off as the Society of the Missionaries of France (for France herself) under the protection of the Mary under her title of the Immaculate Conception. I’ll have to see if that was “Immaculately conceived” or “Immaculate Conception”.

Besides, it is my experience as a chaplain in Lourdes for two years — after years of teaching in major Seminaries in Australia – which got me thinking about this. So, here we go: about mercy or despair…

It is very often thought that a statement in Confession of a firm purpose of amendment of one’s life is simply a lie told to God, for we will sin again before we die. It may very well be true that we will sin again, but it is good and holy and necessary in every way to make this firm purpose of amendment. It is acceptable and expected by God, who commands us to do this, with an example being Jesus telling the woman caught in adultery not to sin again.

The reason why people think it is hypocritical to express a firm purpose of amendment is because they feel weak, and equate that mere feeling with sin, with not being forgiven, with not being loved by God. But that weakness is not our condemnation, but is instead the Holy Cross which our Lord commands us to take up, so that, learning continuously just how weak we are, we will more honestly be able to turn to Him in all friendship, in union of charity. Our Lord always but always works with this good irony, that our weakness should help us to be on our way to heaven. If one accepts this Cross, it is enough to make one laugh with a kind of divine mirth. God is good.

But imagine the person who insists that weakness is sin, and then, not able to find salvation – for we remain weak in this life – reacts, in that perspective, by denying that there is any weakness, that there is any sin. Such a person is bound to become all the more weak, all the more sinful. Such a person can go to Confession, not in repentance, but for reasons of culture and self-congratulation, so as to have a time to speak about how good one is, all the while refusing to have a firm purpose of amendment for anything. After all, there is no sin. Despair is sure to follow, perhaps by suicide, if one is humanly embarrassed by society after one falls into that which even society scorns. One places all one’s salvation in the good opinion of others about oneself. When that good opinion is taken away, there is no more purpose to life. None of this is good. We cannot save ourselves with the pride that says we are strong and never sin. Pride is the worst sin and it will catch up with us.

What is one to do? One is to get on one’s knees in Confession with a firm purpose of amendment, desiring the forgiveness of God for… yes… you guessed it… one’s sin. One is to rejoice in the mercy of God, in the new-found friendship one has with God.

Now, if you share this little secret – and it does seem to be a secret! – you just might save someone’s spiritual life, and even keep someone from committing suicide.

And isn’t that a good thing?!

A walk around the Mercy Generalate the morning after coming in from Lourdes

The view from my room early in the morning at the Fathers of Mercy Generalate here in Kentucky, the morning after I arrived. I’ll see if I can put up a map in the next days.

Dunno what this bird is, but he has an enormous variety in singing, imitating, it seems, all the birds of the heavens.

Early morning. The sun is behind the new Mercy Chapel, which is, as you guessed, situated ad orientem. I love it.

Moving the camera just to the left we see the novitiate. The brothers’/seminarians’ house is way off to the right, not in this series of pictures.

Here’s the priests’ house, also just built. We’re getting vocations!

Out in the Mercy Cemetery, lest we forget!

Praying for the dead is a great act of MERCY! Don’t forget your priests, especially those who have provided you with the sacraments, especially for those with no one to pray for them. They may be silently begging you for your prayers. Here are some of the Fathers of Mercy: Hail Mary…

This fellow was a Novice Master…

But I had Father Joe as a Novice Master…

This is our Superior General, the one before the present one.

Here’s a rather charismatic pastor of souls, whose parish I once took over for a month while he was on vacation. I could write a book about that one!

Here are the Benedictine graves. There was a Benedictine Priory here before us, from Collegeville. They had a seminary here, which was closed down during the first Apostolic Visitation of Seminaries way back when. Remember that one, the one that was called “Not serious” by the Vatican so as to compare it with the real visitation more recently? Imagine, this seminary had to be closed down with the “Not serious” visitation. Anyway, if I remember correctly, there are some pretty good guys buried here.

I bet I’ll be joining this crew pretty soon. I hope I have people thinking that I’m in purgatory so I can get a prayer or two to speed me on my way. Oooo… I better pray for them too, so that they will welcome me into the heavenly habitations! Make it part of your routine to pray for dead priests during this year of the priest. When it’s over, you’ll be in such a habit of this prayer that you won’t want to quit. That will do good for your soul, so much good.

Last pictures in Lourdes

Finally I’m able to put a couple of these pictures up on the blog. Here’s a rather fancy Jackass one of the Confessors gave me on the vigil of Saint John the Baptist. As you know, I rather like Jackasses. He’s on my window sill looking down to the grotto in Lourdes. You can just see the O.C.D. Monastery in front of those donkey ears.

On the previous evening I had my last meal at the Casa d’Italia with one of the Confessors, the one, in fact, who supplied the Jackass above in my honor. On the vigil itself, just before the Rosary Procession, I had some icecream with the Rabbi and a friend of his who had just finished writing a thesis on the Latin text of Nostra Aetate.

Sorry, this is taken at 16x magnification with rather a bit of haze in the air. I’m sure you recognize this as the Calvary scene next to the first of the High Stations of the Cross.

I never tire of snapping this picture, but this is the last one, at least for the foreseeable future!

Here’s Arnaud chiming in with the last strophes of the Rabbi’s sung prayer for peace that he had sung with Pope Benedict XVI during the recent Apostolic Voyage to the Holy Land.

After the Rosary Procession, I had to make one last visit to the grotto…

Taking off from Pau Airport to return to the U.S. of A.

Coming in for a landing in the verdant pastures of Tennesee…

Then it would be just a short drive up to Kentucky. Home Sweet Home.

I’m finding out that there is more of Lourdes here at “The Farm” (our nickname for the Generalate) than I thought. You’ll get a taste of that in the days to come.

The Rabbi in Lourdes

BTW… I don’t know what that video is, exactly, since youtube is blocked in this part of Kentucky, as is wordpress, blogspot, etc. A chaplain in Lourdes sent me that link in an email. I’m not quite sure how I got to this editing page, but here I am. I’m not able to work from my own computer at the moment for a number of reasons, not the least of which is not having an electrical plug for the USA. 

I have so much to post from Lourdes and here in Kentucky.

Kentucky? Yep. One Cardinal in Rome was regularly watching the progress of the construction our Mercy Chapel and made the comment that our “Monastery” will become the second Lourdes.

Ooooooooo….. The Second Lourdes!

Ego Sum Immaculata Conceptio (in pictures)

During the practice last night after the Rosary Procession with the Rabbi and Arnaud (whose voice you’ve surely heard, if not in Lourdes, then on this blog). I got some great audio files, but I’m packing! The pictures, though, are wonderful.

Through Mary to Jesus…

“I am the Immaculate Conception”

a video…

For a short video in French with the Rabbi speaking, click HERE and when the Lourdes webstite comes up, immediately click on the picture of the rabbi in the right sidebar, which will bring up a media player.

Packing…

Sweet Jesus, what are you going to do with my heart?