The Feast of The Assumption

 

It's the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary today and we offered the Mass outdoors on the front porch of Mission #1, St. Mary's. Check out the ever helpful New Liturgical Movement for some background to the Feast and, in the meanwhile, here's a prayer:

Omnípotens sempiterne Deus, qui Immaculátam Vírginem Maríam, Fílii tui Genitrícem, córpore et ánima ad caelestem gloriam assumpsisti: concéde, quáesumus; ut ad superna semper intenti, ipsíus gloriae mereámur esse consortes. Per eundem Dóminum nostrum.

 

And in English: 

Almighty and everlasting God, who hast assumed the Immaculate Virgin Mary, Mother of Thy Son, body and soul into heavenly glory: grant, we beseech, that ever intent on the things above, we may deserve to be partakers of her glory. Through the same our Lord.

 

Amen and bless you all,

LSP

Michaelmas

 

It's the great Feast of the Archangel today and we surely need his protection right about now. Here's a small sample, via Zero:

Evergrande’s going down.  And it’s taking the life savings of countless good people down with it.

But while Evergrande’s going down.  Food prices are going up.  Moreover, they’re going up a lot.

According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), global food prices were up nearly 33 percent year over year in August.  Vegetable oil, grains, and meat all cost more.  Unfortunately, rising food prices – and empty stomachs – often presage social chaos and revolution.

If you recall, a decade ago food inflation triggered the Arab Spring uprisings across the Middle East and North Africa.  And food shortages were commonplace in Communist Romania in the 1980s.  That was before the country’s dictator Nicolae Ceausescu was overthrown, tried by a kangaroo court, lined up against a wall, and executed by firing squad on Christmas Day in 1989.

Rare is the revolution ignited by a populace with a full stomach.  Historically, surges against an oppressive regime are sparked by a steep and extended rise in food prices.

 

 Rare is the revolution ignited by a populace with a full stomach. Take note, elite puppet stooge rulers of the NWO. You have been weighed in the balance and found wanting.

Sermon over, as you were,

LSP

A Magic Train

What a beautiful train, and it seems appropriate right about now, don't you think?

Kizmet,

LSP

Vade Retro Satana

 

It's been a little busy at the Compound with one thing or another, including a visiting seminarian. He's a good guy and we discussed the iniquity of the present age over delicious bean and brisket burritos from Karen's on the porch, and agreed that Satan was waxing strong.

To the point, I was struck by this, via Adrienne:

Lucifer has placed his stamp upon the present age. Open and secret revolt against God and His Church, the spirit of criticism, unbelief and immorality are spreading. The arrogant boast of Lucifer, "I will be like the Most High!" re-echoes everywhere. Puffed up with their discoveries and the progress in material science, men loudly proclaim their self-sufficiency and deny the existence of a Supreme Being. Governments and secret societies, plotting against God and striving to blot out from homes and schools, from offices and factories, all traces of Christianity, show plainly whose standard they follow. Never before in the world's history were God's rights so blasphemously mocked and denied, or the rights of man so arrogantly asserted, as they are today.

These frightful evils must convince us that we must turn to St. Michael, the Archangel, that glorious prince of Heaven who rendered all glory to God, conquering Lucifer and casting him into the abyss.

Already three centuries ago, St. Francis de Sales wrote: "Veneration of St. Michael is the great remedy against despising the rights of God, against insubordination, skepticism and infidelity" - vices which are perhaps more prevalent now than ever before.

Surely, it is time for Christians to "rise from sleep" and to offer vigorous resistance to the enemies of salvation. The weapons in this conflict are not the arms of civil warfare, but the spiritual weapons of prayer and penance, increased fidelity to the Commandments of God, and frequent reception of the Sacraments.  And surely we can choose no better leader in this conflict than the powerful captain who led the faithful Angels to victory.

Let us, then, with confident trust invoke the aid and protection of this mighty Archangel whose shield bears the inscription: MICHAEL -- "Quis ut Deus" -- Who is like unto God?

 

Rise from sleep and enlist the aid of the heavenly host and its archangelic prince, "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." (Eph. 6:12) 

We are in a war, ultimately a spiritual one, of good v. evil, light v. dark. And victory is assured, in fact it's won, though the fight's ongoing. St. Benedict, the founder of Western monasticism, gives us a weapon to add to our spiritual armory with this powerfully short prayer:

CRUX SACRA SIT MIHI LUX / NON DRACO SIT MIHI DUX

VADE RETRO SATANA / NUNQUAM SUADE MIHI VANA

SUNT MALA QUAE LIBAS / IPSE VENENA BIBAS

Dragon, ipse venena  bibas, drink your own poison.

Yes indeed,

LSP

Monday Message

 

I was in the Compound's front office, aka "porch" when I read this, which echoed my thoughts entirely. It's presented here as a Monday Message, and a tip of the spear to LL for writing it.

Via Virtualmirage:

There are key illuminators to civilized society that can be counted on to guide or to fail to guide us upward (Matthew 5:14 – You are the light of the world). A number of them have gone out, possibly forever.

Universities were places of learning where ideas were tested, and even liberal arts had its place. Today everything is racist – everything – and students have different graduation ceremonies with tribe-over-whole. It allows people who may have not been that bright a chance to give a commencement address about how aggrieved they are.

Denigration of the Family as a key institution in society has become so routine that it’s not even news anymore. Pro-Choice is used to refer to prenatal infanticide. I heard the term “birthing person” used in place of “mother” the other day for the first time. What mother wants to be referred to a birthing person, and do you have to give birth to a baby to be its mother? There are a lot of adoptive mothers who are far more to their children than the one who gave them birth. It’s better if you are raised in a nuclear family but the FAMILY is the core of culture. As a child, sometimes you get lucky, and sometimes you don’t. Vogue calls childbearing “environmental vandalism.” They’re very woke over at Vogue.

 

 

Art Philosophy

 

Much has been said on this blog and others about how some of us feel that churches have let us down during the most recent plague. The government didn’t give us a voice. They worked to silence us – “wear your obedience mask, slave”. The media was silent except as an instrument of propaganda. There was a general hope that religious institutions would stand up to tyranny – crickets.

Elections…yeah. What about the republic (past tense) being the great balancing lever in society? Do you really think that the last election cycle was free and fair?

There has been general persecution of anything uplifting, of worth, of cultural value, and the government has been pushing the hateful narrative of the progressive movement. Corporations with vast wealth and power have formed a shadow government that is difficult to get your hands around. The carcass and the whore are barely figureheads. They’re jokes.

 

Well said. In the words of the satanist Manasseh, in Charles Williams' War in Heaven, "They build and we destroy." That in mind, we can add another line item to LL's list, the wholesale rejection of God, of Christ. He is inevitably replaced by demons, see above.

And now, by way of solace and Vespers:

Your Friend,

LSP

Socialists Are So Very Awesome

 

And here zhe is, the Great 0 zhirself.

One of the ways you can spot a socialist is by their multi-million dollar Martha's Vineyard mansions. Because, you know, global warming's gonna raise the sea levels which is why they're investing in coastal mega homes.

Don't say hypocritical, white washed sepulcher fraud. No, check out the Intrepid Reporter on the current rumblings in France.

Cheers,

LSP

Vive La France

It's the habit of the English to mock the French, but I don't mock this, an open letter signed by senior officers of the the French Army, Air Force and Navy. The French Army Chief of Staff has threatenned the officers with court martial. Here's the letter, via TGP:

Dear Mr. President,

Dear Members of Parliament and Government,

The situation is serious. France is in danger. She faces many mortal perils.

We who, even in retirement, remain soldiers of France, cannot, in the current circumstances, remain indifferent to the fate of our beautiful country.

Our red, white and blue flag is not just a piece of cloth. It symbolizes the tradition, handed down through the ages, of those who, whatever their skin color or faith, have served France and given their lives for it.

On this flag we find in gold letters the words, “Honor and Country”. Today, our honor today lies in calling out the destruction of our country.

This destruction, under the guise of so-called anti-racism, follows a single aim: To foster unrest in our land, even hatred between communities.

There is much talk today of “racism”, “white supremacy” and “decolonization”. But what these hateful and fanatic activists actually want is race war.

They despise our country, its traditions and its culture. They want to see it destroyed by robbing it of its past and its history.

When they attack our statues, they are actually attacking our glorious military and civilian past, a heritage passed down in words that are centuries old.

This destructive attack, together with Islamism and the criminal hordes in the ghettos, is dividing our nation with dogmas that are contrary to our constitution.

Every Frenchman, whatever his faith or lack thereof, is at home everywhere in France. There cannot and must not exist any city or district where the laws of the Republic do not apply.

This destructive attack causes hatred to outweigh our bonds of brotherhood.

The government pits the police, as their proxies and scapegoats, against our citizens expressing their despair in Yellow Vests.

Meanwhile, masked and hooded radicals ransack businesses and threaten these same police officers, who are only trying to obey the sometimes contradictory orders given by you, the government.

The danger is mounting. The violence is increasing day by day. Who would have predicted ten years ago that a teacher would one day be beheaded on the street in broad daylight in France, on his way home from school?

We, as servants of our Nation, who have always been ready to stick our necks out for our country, as is a soldier’s duty, cannot remain passive in the face of such danger any longer.

It is imperative that those who run our country find the courage to eradicate these dangers.

To achieve this, it is often enough to merely start enforcing existing laws without weakness.

Remember that, like us, a large majority of our fellow citizens are baffled by your hand-wringing and shameful silence.

As Cardinal Mercier, Primate of Belgium, said: “When prudence is everywhere, courage is nowhere.”

So, ladies and gentlemen, you have dawdled enough. The hour is grave, the task is huge.

Do not waste any more time and know that we are ready to support those policies which will safeguard the nation.

If nothing is done, lawlessness will inexorably continue to spread in our society, ultimately leading to an explosion and the intervention of our active military in the dangerous task of protecting our civilizational values, and safeguarding our fellow citizens in our country.

There is no more time to waste. Otherwise, tomorrow civil war will put an end to this growing chaos.

The deaths, which will number in the thousands, will be on your hands.

Signed,

Lieutenant-general Christian PIQUEMAL (Foreign Legion), Major-General Gilles BARRIE (Infantry), Maj.-Gen. François GAUBERT (former Military Governor of Lille), Maj.-Gen. Emmanuel de RICHOUFFTZ (Infantry), Maj.-Gen. Michel JOSLIN DE NORAY (Marines), Brigadier General  André COUSTOU (Infantry), Brigadier General Philippe DESROUSSEAUX de MEDRANO (Train), Brig.-Gen. Antoine MARTINEZ (Air Force), Brig.-Gen. Daniel GROSMAIRE (Air Force), Brig.-Gen. Robert JEANNEROD (Cavalry), Brig.-Gen. Pierre Dominique AIGUEPERSE (Infantry), Brig.-Gen. Roland DUBOIS (Transmissions), Brig.-Gen. Dominique DELAWARDE (Infantry), Brig.-Gen. Jean Claude GROLIER (Artillery), Brig.-Gen. Norbert de CACQUERAY (Armaments), Brig.-Gen. Roger PRIGEN T (ALAT), Brig.-Gen. Alfred LEBRETON (CAT), Surgeon General Guy DURAND (Health Service), Rear Admiral Gérard BALASTRE (Navy).

Presidential candidate Marine Le Pen replied to the letter thus:

Gentlemen, Generals, Officers, Representatives of all armies and all branches, you have signed an open letter calling “for our leaders  to return to honor.”

Your initiative, rare in the military, testifies to the level of concern you have in the face of the worrisome deterioration of the situation in our country. Your outspoken but fair observation, made in very strong terms, constitutes a public challenge that no one can ignore, given your reputation.

With the courage of those who have dedicated their lives to their country, you criticize our leaders very directly, questioning their responsibility quite legitimately, urging them to regain the ability to act and restore “our honor”.

As a citizen and as a politician, I agree with your analysis and share your concerns. Like you, I believe it is the duty of all French patriots, wherever they’re from, to stand up for the restoration and even the salvation of our country.

However, I believe that an open letter will not be enough to persuade our failing leadership to change its shameful ways.

The recent pronouncements by the President of France on his project to “deconstruct the history of France” indeed show us these harmful tendencies are not the result of a moment of confusion, but from a political agenda powered by fundamentally destructive ideology.

The concerns you so bravely express cannot remain a mere expression off outrage, however. In a democracy, we must look for a political solution which must materialize through a process of dialogue which must be validated by French voters.

This is the motivation for my political agenda, and of my candidacy for the French Presidency, with the objective of forming a government that will unify the nation.

Many senior officials and leading figures of society have rallied to our cause. I invite you to join us in the struggle which is beginning, a peaceful and political struggle, which is above all the struggle for France.

Marine Le Pen

This has nothing whatsoever, in any shape, form or substance to do with anything at all that's occurring in the United States. At all. Or the UK. Nothing. At. All. (Must you be so sarcastic? Ed.)

Cheers,

LSP

Sunday Sermon

ἔνθα στᾶσ᾽ ἤϋσε θεὰ λευκώλενος Ἥρη Στέντορι εἰσαμένη μεγαλήτορι χαλκεοφώνῳ, ὃς τόσον αὐδήσασχ᾽ ὅσον ἄλλοι πεντήκοντα

there the goddess, white-armed Hera, stood and shouted in the likeness of great-hearted Stentor of the brazen voice, whose voice is as the voice of fifty other men  (Homer, Iliad V. 785)

Like brazen-voiced Stentor I thundered from the pulpit this morning, "Christ has drawn us to a place of decision, to a choice. Do we follow him and live, or not?" 

Rhetoric waxed large, "We can, if we like, pour our energy into the world, the flesh and the Devil. We might even be successful beyond our wildest dreams and become the very King of the King Ranch itself. But what shall it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his soul?"

A typical photo of white armed (sorry, racist) Hera

You get the picture and the message was clear, by the grace of God, take up your Coss and follow Christ, ultimately to the throne of glory itself. All well and good, but LL's composed a better sermon. Here's a snapshot:

John Wright wrote that we live in a posthuman age. By that, he did not mean that men could not extend life and expand consciousness by bio-nanotechnology, neural shunts or downloading self-identities into the psycho-cyberverse. He meant, nearly a third of us has sold the heritage of mankind, what it means to be human, for a mess of pottage called political correctness. And at its root, you will always find that the PC culture has at its core, a hatred of Jesus Christ.

The posthumans renounce the gift of reason, and think themselves superhuman, beyond good and evil. Neither the law of cause and effect nor the law of supply and demand has any bearing on their talking points and chanted slogans.

Again:

The Left promoted hedonism until it ran out of any pleasures to give, and championed socialism until it went broke, and preached skepticism until all men grew skeptical of it. The freethinkers entered the thought prison of political correctness, and threw the keys away, and called a halt to all thought.

So the Left are basically left with nothing. That nothing is called Nihilism. Think of Antifa. They are its poster children. Producing nothing, they live to destroy.

Producing nothing, they live to destroy. Precisely, and I'd suggest their father is the Devil, a murderer from the beginning. But take heart, evil defeats itself.

Pax et Bonum,

LSP

Annunciation

 

You can stare, in slack-jawed rightist consternation at the unfolding coup in our country, or you can take time off from the news cycle and reflect on the Annunciation and the Angelic Salutation. Being unhealthily saturated with former, I went down the latter path today. How does the angel address the Virgin?

χαῖρε, κεχαριτωμένη, ὁ κύριος μετὰ σοῦ, which means: χαῖρε - "hail" or "rejoice." κεχαριτωμένη - "O graced" or "favored one." κύριος μετὰ σοῦ? The Lord is with you. And note, the word κεχαριτωμένη appears nowhere else, either in Scripture or any other literature, It's singular to the Annunciation. So is the grace attributed by the Archangel Gabriel to Mary, the Mother of God.

She is blessed beyond reckoning for her virtue and the task that God's commanded of her, to bear His Son into the world for our redemption. Jesus, "God Saves," both in Himself and by His actions, will come into the world through the Virgin's agency. The Word will be made Flesh for our salvation thanks to the assent of Mary's fiat, "I am the handmaid of the Lord, be it unto according to thy word."

Here we find a template or model of the Church writ large, the Mystical Body of Christ which bears the Savior into the world sacramentally. We see, too, a pattern which describes our own lives as Christians. God wants to be born and come alive in us because He loves us, and because He does He asks our permission to do so, as He asked Mary.

She says yes, with purity and humble, obedient, courageous faith. The weapons, when you think on it, which will crush the serpent's head. This is especially relevant now. 

Pray hard that we're given the grace to mirror Mary's quality of soul and for her powerful intercession that evil, darkness and deceit is driven far from us and from this country.

Ave Eva,

LSP

Vade Retro Satana

We're in a spiritual war, a combat between good and evil, light v. dark, God versus the Devil. So arm yourself for the fight but remember, you're facing demons. This is useful, from St. Benedict:

Crux sacra sit mihi lux 

Nunquam draco sit mihi dux 

Vade retro Satana 

Nunquam suade mihi vana 

Sunt mala quae libas. 

Ipse venena bibas.

Meaning (my translation):

The holy Cross shall be my light 

The dragon shall never lead me 

Get thee behind me Satan! 

Never tempt me to vanity 

You offer wickedness 

Drink your own poison.

Of course the Latin is better. Use it, a minor exorcism, but be prepared to draw fire down upon your position if and when you do. I don't say that lightly.

We fight against principalities and powers,

C S S M L - N D S M D,

LSP