For Saturday
From "On the Fitness of the Glories of Mary" in Discourses to Mixed Congregations by Venerable John Henry Newman, C.O.

"Such, then, is the truth ever cherished in the deep heart of the Church, and witnessed by the keen apprehension of her children, that no limits but those proper to a creature can be assigned to the sanctity of Mary. Therefore, did Abraham believe that a son should be born to him of his aged wife? then Mary's faith must be held as greater when she accepted Gabriel's message. Did Judith consecrate her widowhood to God to the surprise of her people? much more did Mary, from her first youth, devote her virginity. Did Samuel, when a child, inhabit the Temple, secluded from the world? Mary too was by her parents lodged in the same holy precincts, even at the age when children first can choose between good and evil. Was Solomon on his birth called 'dear to the Lord'? and shall not the destined Mother of God be dear to Him from the moment she was born? But further still; St. John Baptist was sanctified by the Spirit before his birth; shall Mary be only equal to him? is it not fitting that her privilege should surpass his? is it wonderful, if grace, which anticipated his birth by three months, should in her case run up to the very first moment of her being, outstrip the imputation of sin, and be beforehand with the usurpation of Satan? Mary must surpass all the saints; the very fact that certain privileges are known to have been theirs persuades us, almost from the necessity of the case, that she had the same and higher. Her conception was immaculate, in order that she might surpass all saints in the date as well as the fulness of her sanctification. "

Fr. Tucker posted a hymn...
called "Long Live the Pope!". It was then reposted by Mr. Popcak at HMS Blog, who stated that Fr. Tucker "got it from Heaven knows where". Well, I don't know where Fr. Tucker got it, but our choir director got it from an old copy of the "St. Gregory Hymnal"- and we in my choir are singing it at the 11:30 am Mass tommorow....

Mr. George Weigel has one fine article on the Holy Father over at Catholic Exchange .

Interesting article on Evelyn Waugh
by Fr. Ian Ker. (Link courtesy of Gerard Serafin ) Fr. Ker is known to me as a leading scholar on the subject of Venerable Newman. I don't agree with all of the article, but then again, I'm the only reader of Brideshead Revisited I know of whose favorite character is Bridey.....

Happy Blogoversary
to me !

Here's a copy of my first post, made a year ago today:

I, Donna Marie Lewis, with firm faith believe and profess everything that is contained in the symbol of faith: namely,

I believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is visible and invisible. I believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, one in Being with the Father. Through Him all things were made. For us men and for our salvation He came down from heaven: By the power of the Holy Spirit, He was born of the Virgin Mary, and became man. For our sake He was crucified under Pontius Pilate; He suffered, died and was buried. On the third day He rose again in fulfillment of the Scriptures; He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and His kingdom will have no end. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son. With the Father and the Son He is worshipped and glorified. He has spoken through the Prophets. I believe in the one, holy, Catholic and apostolic church. I acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. I look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.

With firm faith I believe as well everything contained in God's word, written or handed down in tradition and proposed by the church--whether in solemn judgment or in the ordinary and universal magisterium--as divinely revealed and called for faith.

I also firmly accept and hold each and every thing that is proposed by that same church definitively with regard to teaching concerning faith or morals.

What is more, I adhere with religious submission of will and intellect to the teachings which either the Roman pontiff or the college of bishops enunciate when they exercise the authentic magisterium even if they proclaim those teachings in an act that is not definitive.

:: Nârwen 5:53 PM [+] ::

The shedding of innocent blood continues....
as those who are supposed to uphold justice let a woman who is powerless be slowly murdered. . When people starve dogs or cats, they get prosecution. When this man wants to kill his helpless wife the same way, he gets police protection.

Link courtesy of Mark Shea, who provides this e-mail address for Judge Greer: courts@jud6.org

Here is the e-mail I sent:

Judge Greer:

God have mercy on your soul as you permit the moral monstrosity of allowing an innocent woman to be starved and dehydrated to death. I ask for His mercy for you, but if I were you, I would fear His justice.

Donna Marie Lewis

The feast of St. Luke, Evangelist
is today. There is information on him here.

Blessed Anniversary, Holy Father !

"O Emmanuel, God with us, who art the Light that enlighteneth all men, who from the time when Thou camest upon earth, hast never left it to itself, who, after teaching Thy Apostles, gave them to teach others to succeed them, and didst especially leave St. Peter and his successors, Bishops of Rome, to take Thy place towards us, and to guide and rule us in Thy stead age after age, till the end come; Thou hast sent grievous trials for many years upon the Holy See of Rome. We believe and confess, O Lord, without any hesitation at all, that Thou hast promised a continuous duration to Thy Church while the world lasts—and we confess before Thee, that we are in no doubt or trouble whatever, we have not a shadow of misgiving as to the permanence and the spiritual well-being either of Thy Church itself or of its rulers. Nor do we know what is best for Thy Church, and for the interests of the Catholic faith, and for the Pope, or the bishops throughout the world at this time. We leave the event entirely to Thee; we do so without any anxiety, knowing that everything must turn to the prosperity of Thy ransomed possession, even though things may look threatening for a season. Only we earnestly entreat that Thou wouldest give Thy own servant and representative, the Pope, true wisdom and courage, and fortitude, and the consolations of Thy grace in this life, and a glorious immortal crown in the life to come. " - Venerable John Henry Newman, C.O. , Meditations and Devotions

The Feast of St. Gerard Majella, C.S.S.R.
is today. There is information on him here. To any Redemptorists out there, happy feast day ! Prayers for those who have him as patron, especially pregnant women, the unborn, and the pro-life movement, would be most welcome.

From Apologia Pro Vita Sua
by Venerable John Henry Newman, C.O.

"From the age of fifteen, dogma has been the fundamental principle of my religion:
I know no other religion; I cannot enter into the idea of any other sort of religion;
religion, as a mere sentiment, is to me a dream and a mockery. "

All I can say...
is Kyrie eleison on the people who are responsible for this act of barbarity- and on those who think such moral depravity right.

Link courtesy of Mark Shea.

The Feast of St. Teresa of Avila, O.C.D., Virgin and Doctor of the Church
is today. There is information on her here. To all the Carmelites out there, happy feast day !
She was canonized on March 12, 1622 with several other people. To quote an old friend of mine, she was declared a saint "along with Isidore the Farmer, Ignatius Loyola, Francis Xavier....and some Italian priest named Phil...."

God have mercy on this country !
A woman is about to be starved to death, and a priest is not even allowed to be there to assist her. If the world survives this darkness, people will look at these times and say, "How could they have been so barbaric and cruel ? "

Link courtesy of Fr. Johansen

I like musical theater..
and I have great respect and love for the soon-to-be-Blessed Mother Teresa. However, they do not go together !

Notes from a sermon preached on October 13, 1872..
by Venerable John Henry Newman, C.O.

"Forgiveness of Injuries
1. INTROD.—Today's gospel [the king taking an account of his servants].

2. Parallel passages; Luke xvii. 3-4 .

3. So far easy, for it is scarcely supposable that one should have so little generosity as to refuse forgiveness to one who confessed himself wrong and asked to be forgiven.

4. But when he does not ask to be forgiven; if he persists in opposition and injury, and goes on doing harm, and takes a wrong course. Yet this commanded too. The Lord's Prayer—Matt. vi. 14-15 , Mark xi. 25-26 [, Rom. xii. [18-20] .

5. Or again, supposing he does not do so, asks to make it up, still there may be, you may say, such difficulties as these: I may wish to keep at a distance, for:

6. (1) E.g. I cannot trust him; he is a dangerous man.

7. (2) He is likely to do me spiritual harm.

8. (3) The sight of him is a temptation, an irritation to me; we shall be best friends at a distance.

9. (4) I shall be a hypocrite if I make it up, for I don't like his doings.

10. (5) I ought to protest against him.

11. ANSWER.—'If you in your hearts forgive not every one his brother' [Matt. xviii. 35]. You must love him. Col. iii. 12-13 ; Matt. v. 44-47 .

12. OBJECTION.—'But I do not like him.' How can I love him? This is a fundamental difficulty.

13. ANSWER.—Can you pray that you may meet him and love him in heaven? You and he are both far from what you should be; and each has to change. Look on the best part of his character—learn sympathy with him. Think how he suffers. Purgatory useful for this—to bring you and him nearer to each other. "

Over at HMS Blog
Kevin Miller indulges in some alliteration.

The Bondage of Sin
by Venerable John Henry Newman, C.O.

1. Thou, O my Lord and God, Thou alone art strong, Thou alone holy! Thou art the Sanctus Deus, Sanctus fortis—"Holy God, holy and strong!" Thou art the sanctity and the strength of all things. No created nature has any stay or subsistence in itself, but crumbles and melts away, if Thou art not with it, to sustain it. My God, Thou art the strength of the Angels, of the Saints in glory—of holy men on earth. No being has any sanctity or any strength apart from Thee. My God, I wish to adore Thee as such. I wish with all my heart to understand and to confess this great truth, that not only Thou art Almighty, but that there is no might at all, or power, or strength, anywhere but in Thee.

2. My God, if Thou art the strength of all spirits, O how pre-eminently art Thou my strength! O how true it is, so that nothing is more so, that I have no strength but in Thee! I feel intimately, O my God, that, whenever I am left to myself, I go wrong. As sure as a stone falls down to the earth if it be let go, so surely my heart and spirit fall down hopelessly if they are let go by Thee. Thou must uphold me by Thy right hand, or I cannot stand. How strange it is, but how true, that all my natural tendencies are towards sloth, towards excess, towards neglect of religion, towards neglect of prayer, towards love of the world, not towards love of Thee, or love of sanctity, or love of self-governance. I approve and praise what I do not do. My heart runs after vanities, and I tend to death, I tend to corruption and dissolution, apart from Thee, Deus immortalis.

3. My God, I have had experience enough what a dreadful bondage sin is. If Thou art away, I find I cannot keep myself, however I wish it—and am in the hands of my own self-will, pride, sensuality, and selfishness. And they prevail with me more and more every day, till they are irresistible. In time the old Adam within me gets so strong, that I become a mere slave. I confess things to be wrong which nevertheless I do. I bitterly lament over my bondage, but I cannot undo it. O what a tyranny is sin! It is a heavy weight which cripples me—and what will be the end of it? By Thy all-precious merits, by Thy Almighty power, I intreat Thee, O my Lord, to give me life and sanctity and strength! Deus sanctus, give me holiness; Deus fortis, give me strength; Deus immortalis, give me perseverance. Sanctus Deus, Sanctus fortis, Sanctus immortalis, miserere nobis. "

Meditations and Devotions

Finally, a little common sense !
U.S. agency clears nuns to remain in country

Link courtesy of HMS Blog .

Oh, wonderful....
Do your duty as a priest, give the faithful the Church's teachings.... get taken out of your parish.

Granted, there may be more to the story than we are seeing here, but at first sight this looks simply outrageous.

Link courtesy of Michael Dubruiel

Music at the 11:30 am Mass
Processional Hymn: "The Church's One Foundation"
Offertory: "Jesu ! Rex Admirabilis" - Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina (1525- 1594)
Communion: "I Heard the Voice of Jesus Say"- Thomas Tallis (1505-1585)
Recessional Hymn: "Praise My Soul the King of Heaven"