A Greatness We Cannot Fully Comprehend

Written by Mark Serafino

Yesterday I came home from work my heart, like all good Christians (and non-Christians) filled with deep remorse at the news of the Supreme Court’s landmark decision on marriage. Trying like everyone else to live life as usual in our house yet there was a sense of sorrow that permeated everyone’s mood. 

Just before dinner, our daughter came home for a weekend visit and brought with her the Father’s Day gift that had not arrived in time for her to give it to me last week. Here is a picture of her gift to me. It happens to represent a gift that Holy Mother Church has given to ALL good men and women who understand and believe that true marriage is between a man and a woman, nothing else, and He has chosen Louis and Zelie Martin to be the modern day role models for that union.

I can’t help but think that in spite of yesterday’s ruling it is ironic that in this 20th anniversary of the ‘Year of the Family’ there is a clear message to be heeded by all, it is a message of victory; the gates of Hell shall not prevail! Let us call upon Blessed Louis and Zelie and all of the Saints to pray for us in this battle, and in the midst of our sadness let us rejoice in the knowledge that Holy Mother Church is offering Louis and Zelie to us to be our front line leaders in the Faith and in Traditional marriage.

The 'Benedict Option' and the Barbarian Challenge - Crisis Magazine

JOHN HORVAT II

Scratch the soul of many a conservative and beneath you will find a villager. Something is there that attracts these Americans to more natural and simpler lifestyles. Perhaps it is because organic and authentic things appear restful and reassuring in a world of uncertainties and anxieties.

However, what makes the organic option particularly attractive to conservatives is that it seems to be a solution to a neo-pagan world that corrupts and attacks family life. These conservatives believe, not unreasonably, that families fare better when surrounded by organic produce, home remedies and whole grain granola. Journalist Rod Dreher wittingly dubbed these rustic conservatives as “crunchy cons.” He described the phenomenon of those who desire to find a “village” of like-minded people to get away from the maddening liberal crowd.

Such attractive dreams of an organic Christian society have circulated for decades. The idealized community generally involves a fair amount of acreage far enough away from the city. Community members might build a homestead on some ten or twenty acres. There would be huge gardens full of organic vegetables and produce. Livestock, free-range chickens, or goats would supplement diets. Add an orchard and maybe a vineyard. One could make one’s own beer, cider or wine. Self-sufficiency would reign as people would get off all the grids. There would be children aplenty to make things merry. One would simply walk away from secular society. There would be no time for sin and war, since all would be busy on their farms with wholesome work.

Of course, at the center of the village there would be a church, ideally a monastery, a Benedictine monastery, where holy priests would celebrate the Divine Liturgy and bells would call people to prayer. Monks would intercede before God for our sinful world. A sacredness would be conferred upon all society where a love of beauty in a God-centered life would propel men toward their final end. Eventually, a school or university would form around this community and a new culture would be born.

To read the rest of the article, click below



The 'Benedict Option' and the Barbarian Challenge - Crisis Magazine

The Democrats' train to nowhere and three reasons why they're in trouble

The Democrats' train to nowhere and three reasons why they're in trouble

And Now, 'Text Walking Lanes' for Pedestrians!

A Belgian city has come up with a solution to the problem of pedestrians bumping into other people while sending text messages from their mobile phones.

Antwerp has given smartphone users their own designated lanes, where they can walk while texting or looking at their mobiles without irritating or endangering others.

The narrow corridors are marked 'text walking lane’ in English on a number of busy pedestrian shopping streets in the city centre.

The markings on the ground are in highly visible white paint, but some lanes wind through narrow cobbled streets.

Negotiating the corners is likely to remain challenging for people whose eyes are glued to their phone screens.

The temporary scheme is the brainchild of a local mobile phone business, Mlab, which says many smartphones are broken in collisions between pedestrians.

But if the lanes are judged to reduce the number of accidents resulting in broken screens, buttons or cases, officials said they could be made permanent.

3,000 Rallies This Saturday to Fight for True Marriage

by Robert E. Ritchie*

Three thousand prayer rallies all across America will implore Almighty God’s help for traditional marriage.

As the U.S. Supreme Court prepares to hand down its decision on same-sex “marriage” any day now, activists are holding over 3,000 prayer rallies for traditional marriage in the streets of American towns and cities.

Like it or not, you have to admit these people are passionate and fearless. They are convinced of the righteousness of their cause. They will not back down. They are convinced God is on their side. And He is. This is what gives the defenders of traditional marriage such hope and inspiration to fight on, even if the Supreme Court hands down a decision against true marriage.

This spectacular display in defense of God’s marriage between one man and one woman will not get much coverage in the media. Indeed, the liberal media are much too busy with their own campaign to railroad Americans into accepting a redefinition of marriage. They have pulled out all the stops and interject the subject into every aspect of American life. It is a barrage that rages on 24/7.



But such barrages often backfire. When it becomes obvious, as it is now, that there is an agenda behind a particular political move, it can have the effect of causing people not to give in but to dig in.

That is what is happening in the same-sex “marriage” debate. Americans are feeling the effects of a manipulated campaign and responding with grassroots rallies all over the country. Despite their massive resources and media links, the pro-homosexual “marriage” side has nothing comparable.

The rallies are a project of the America Needs Fatima campaign, a group of Catholics dedicated to spreading Our Lady of Fatima’s message. The idea of the rallies is to take the fight for America’s heart and soul to the public square by inviting Catholics to pray publicly for the nation. On a designated day, groups of five, ten, fifty or hundreds will gather at conspicuous locations with a large banner to pray the rosary and clearly bear witness to Church teaching.

“when all human solutions appear unlikely, the only recourse is to appeal to God and His Blessed Mother.”

Thus, the “Saint Joseph” traditional marriage rallies started a few years ago at a few hundred locations. The movement has since gained momentum as it becomes obvious that public officials are disregarding popular votes and forcing same-sex “marriage” down the throat of the nation through judicial fiat and legislative votes. The logic is that when all human solutions appear unlikely, the only recourse is to appeal to God and His Blessed Mother.

The results have been electrifying. Enthusiasm for the rallies has grown as people feel an immense satisfaction in their public witness together with others. All sense that they are not holding one rally, but rather are a dynamic part of thousands of others. This allows pro-family Americans to feel they finally have a voice and are not alone.

In addition, rally participants are impressed by the incredible amount of support, the honks and applause of the passersby who can’t believe there are people publicly defending traditional marriage. However, participants are also victims of occasional acts of hateful violence in the form of invectives and thrown objects by “tolerant” individuals. Such feeble opposition only strengthens their resolve.

This March, the movement saw unprecedented growth with a tally of 2,125 rallies from every state and major city. With the Supreme Court ruling on the issue imminent, rally organizers mobilized and now report an amazing groundswell of support as people are signing up in increasing numbers for the pro-marriage rallies. Some three to four thousand rallies are expected.

This June 13, the Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, over 3,000 points of light will shine all over the nation. While the liberal media will not see the lights, God and the Blessed Mother will see them. Participants know that by joining in these rallies, they accept the invitation to defend God’s cause and be on the right side of history.

You can join the rallies by clicking here.

Rallies Bind God to Fight for True Marriage

Protest Now! Shame on Saint Louis University!

I'm rushing this alert to you because Saint Louis University -- a Catholic institution -- recently ripped out a prominent statue of Fr. De Smet, which depicts his prayerful apostolate with the Indians.

Sign your urgent protest & tell the university to put it back

Fact #1: Fr. De Smet was a heroic Jesuit missionary who converted many Indians. The Indians loved him. He even served as Saint Louis University's first dean.

Fact #2: But radical leftists called for the sculptor's removal because they claimed it stood for "white supremacy", "racism" and "colonialism."

Fact #3: University president, Dr. Fred Pestello, basically threw Fr. De Smet and his own university's Catholic heritage under the bus by ordering the statue's removal.

Tractors rolled in. And carted the statue seen in the picture below away.

Meanwhile, Dr. Pestello reportedly agreed to build a brand new monument on campus to celebrate the anarchist "Occupy" protest movement.

But there's no room for Fr. De Smet on a Catholic campus? Really?

That's how the dictatorship of "inclusion" and "tolerance" works these days.

You and I can't be silent.

Sign your urgent protest & tell the university to put Fr. De Smet back