STORM FRONT

 

Yesterday was beautiful and sunny, but it was just a ruse, a cunning device to deceive brought on by the Old Adversary. Today is different. Our Enemy the Climate has changed. Thunder rolls, while rain lashes down against the weathered timbers of the Compound's HQ with elemental, enraged fury. Not unlike Hillary on hearing the news of Trump's victory in 2016.

Are we deterred, thrown into wailing, weeping, tariff induced panic as we hunker down in our hardened bomb/tornado shelter? Hardly. First step: Stand on the porch like Ahab, braving the elements. Second Step: Gather the faithful for Evening Prayer at Mission #1, 1928 BCP thank you very much. Then say that important act of communal worship as thunder rolls like an artillery barrage and rain crashes down.

My soul doth magnify the Lord, regardless of climactic opposition. Speaking of which, do any of you pray the Roman Breviary? I used to and liked it, but its hideous English translations of psalms and canticles became too much to bear and I jettisoned the thing. For all I know there's a better variant out there but I haven't seen it.

Speaking of which, I remember talking with some senior Roman priests somewhere in Gloucestershire, years ago. They scorned the new liturgical texts, "All they had to do, Father, was use the language already worked out by the Church of England. But no, they wouldn't do that, thought they were clever. But they weren't, utterly useless." I loved those old boys.

Regardless, the Texan sky has turned that shade of green which may or may not presage a further storm. Does this mean we should pay the Weather moar tax, like some kind of Dane Geld? I say no, you might say yes. Your call.

No Rule,

LSP

Magnificat

 

Never, ever forget the power of the Western Rite. Yes, it's more austere than its Eastern equivalent, perhaps less emotional, but cold and without feeling? No, it has all the power of the Crusades, of Charlemagne, of the Western Empire converted.

Of course you may well prefer a praise band, and that's OK too, if you must, but here's our music, the music of Western Christendom, playing out in Oxford, Solemn Vespers (Evening Prayer, all you Anglicans):

Europe, said Belloc, is the Faith. Both are under attack right now, egregiously. Rise up and reclaim your homeland as you, with the Immaculate Mother of God magnify the Lord.

LSP

Dark Star Tactical

 

Here's the thing. Christmas at the Compound usually means saying the Masses and then driving to Ma LSP's on Christmas day to celebrate with friends and family. Big fun, but it's in Dallas so I put up lights and don't get a tree, the tree's in D.

This year's different. The eldest's coming in from Fort Hood and we figured we'd spend Christmas together, so I got a tree, at Walmart. It's a ferocious little beast and in tribute to the profession of arms comes with a tactical, dark star. After all, it'd be wrong to give your position away with a sparkly, glittery ornament. They can have that in Dallas.

In other news, we apparently live in an age of mind-bending deceit, chicanery, croneyism, malfeasance, tyranny and godless corruption, of egotistical, psychopathic power masquerading as compassion. But don't despair, instead, with Mary, sing out:

MY soul doth magnify the Lord, * and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.

For he hath regarded * the lowliness of his handmaiden.

For behold, from henceforth * all generations shall call me blessed.

For he that is mighty hath magnified me; * and holy is his Name.

And his mercy is on them that fear him * throughout all generations.

He hath showed strength with his arm; * he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.

He hath put down the mighty from their seat, * and hath exalted the humble and meek.

He hath filled the hungry with good things; * and the rich he hath sent empty away.

He remembering his mercy hath holpen his servant Israel; * as he promised to our forefathers,

Abraham and his seed, for ever.

Why? Because the Almighty is in our midst, in our womb if you like, and salvation, redemption and glory is at hand. As the Apostle tells us, "rejoice, again I say rejoice," as does Mary and as should we. The proud, the mighty, the rich? Scattered, cast down, sent empty away, their seemingly invincible force dissolved as smoke before the wind. Take heart.

Your Homiletic Pal,

LSP

Magnificat

If you follow the strange new modernistic lectionary you'll have heard the Magnificat this morning at Mass, Mary's exultant hymn of praise to God. My soul doth magnify the Lord, sings the Virgin to Elizabeth.

Consider the depth and power of the canticle and while we're at it, here's an Advent carol from the Cambridge crew.

Some argue that the West won't defeat the twin jihad of Secularism and Mohammedanism until its people recover their faith, which is the ancient, unconquerable Faith of the Church. 

It takes Spirit to defeat spirit or to put it another way, Charles Martel didn't forge his hammer in a vacuum. 

Magnificat anima mea,

LSP

Magnificat

Mary exults in the Magnificat, which we heard in today's Gospel. Here it is:

MY soul doth magnify the Lord, * and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.
For he hath regarded * the lowliness of his handmaiden.
For behold, from henceforth * all generations shall call me blessed.
For he that is mighty hath magnified me; * and holy is his Name.
And his mercy is on them that fear him * throughout all generations.
He hath showed strength with his arm; * he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
He hath put down the mighty from their seat, * and hath exalted the humble and meek.
He hath filled the hungry with good things; * and the rich he hath sent empty away.
He remembering his mercy hath holpen his servant Israel; * as he promised to our forefathers, Abraham and his seed, for ever.

I'd say that was as relevant now as it's ever been.

God bless,

LSP

The Feast of the Visitation and the Unborn Child

Yesterday was the Feast of the Visitation, the second joyful mystery of the faith, in which Mary visits her cousin Elizabeth. Both women are pregnant, the Virgin with Christ and Elizabeth with John the Baptist, and Scripture tells us that the "infant leaped" in Elizabeth's womb on hearing Mary's greeting. Our Lady, overcome with joy, exclaims the Magnificat:

My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour. For he hath regarded the lowliness of his handmaiden. For behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. For he that is mighty hath magnified me; and holy is his Name. And his mercy is on them that fear him throughout all generations. He hath showed strength with his arm; he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. He hath put down the mighty from their seat, and hath exalted the humble and meek; He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away. He remembering his mercy hath holpen his servant Israel; as he promised to our forefathers, Abraham and his seed, for ever.

The Visitation is, at the very least, a celebration of the miracle of life in the womb. Consider, then, the irony of House Democrats and seven Republicans defeating a bill, on the Feast of the Visitation, that would have outlawed sex-selective abortions.

life

To do so, it's argued, would have stood in the way of a woman's "right to choose." That's true. The defeated bill would have made it a crime to choose to kill your unborn child because you didn't want to give birth to a boy, or a girl.

What was that old film called? Ah yes, "Triumph of the Will." 

Look it up if you like.

LSP