Prayer Warrior 101

Scripture is clear that our enemies are not the people whom we see before us but the principalities and powers in the spiritual realm who are driving the evil being done by our obvious human enemies. History is full of endless rounds of futile violence that generally cycles back around years after it seems to have all been settled. WHY? Because of sin of course. We all KNOW this if we know anything about our faith, but it is so basic, so obvious, that most of us give it no thought at all. Yet, that sin is the hook that … Continue reading

When the Dark Comes Rising…

“Right now I have a sense of growing evil that has me both a little shaken and increasingly combative. I am taking some steps in my own life in the face of what I see on the horizon. I suggest that you do to. As part of that preparation… GO TO CONFESSION.”– Fr. Z’s Blog I’ve been feeling this for a number of years now, growing stronger over time. At first, it would only be short waves of evil, easily over-looked, but in the past year the sense has been intense and almost over-whelming. I’ve stepped up my efforts with … Continue reading

Lenten Silent Retreat

Silent Retreats are a means of stepping away from the usual business of life and focus hard on God. As always, what I got out of my silent retreat is not what I expected to get out of my silent retreat. God always has plans that differ from what I expect even when I don’t think I expect anything in particular. The retreat I participated in was held at Featherock Conference Center in Schulenburg Texas. As ALWAYS, the facility was spotlessly clean and well appointed inside, the grounds immaculately presented and beautiful, the food excellent, and the program well designed. … Continue reading

Silent Retreat: Fall 2012 at Featherock Conference Center

My fall retreat took place last week at Featherock Conference Center. They run women’s and men’s retreats at various times throughout the year and I cannot say enough GOOD about this place and the people who run it. The priest who serves the retreat gave excellent meditations. He served the Mass with great reverence and devotion. Confession was available for several hours every day. The participants in the retreat took turns leading prayers and examinations of conscience. It was a time set apart for prayer, for a deeper reflection on the living of life, and an opportunity to resolve to … Continue reading

Gratitude to God for Good Priests

I experienced a marvelously refreshing silent spiritual retreat last week. This quiet time to be focused on God and not on the everyday stuff came just in time to help me find my center for Advent. Besides giving us deep messages from Scripture and Church teaching to ponder, daily Mass served faithfully and reverently, this priest spent several hours in the confessional so that if in our examinations of conscience we found anything requiring confession, that was available to us.  This priest was so dedicated he was in the confessional so long that every participant in the retreat could have … Continue reading

Nine Very Good Posts and a Catholic Conference

The Chant Cafe had a marvelous post titled Doing Something About It rather than merely complaining about a problem. VERY GOOD.  In this case, it is about the music for Mass and the persons who are working hard to DO SOMETHING about the problem rather than just complaining about it.  In particular, I found the upcoming Words With Wings interesting and exciting.  I hope to get this when it comes out so that I can use it in my home school efforts. House Unseen, Life Unscripted, is a blog I very much enjoy so when I saw the article Why … Continue reading

All Saints, All Souls and All Hallows Eve

Someone asked if we celebrated Halloween and how:  A WOMAN’S PLACE… This caused me to think about all the things I love about what the secular world calls Halloween and that we Catholics sometimes call All Hallows Eve. WHERE I AM COMING FROM Well, lets see… I’m a strongly orthodox Catholic and have a masters in theological studies from a nice orthodox school of theology whose professors were all approved by a rather strongly orthodox Bishop; I’ve studied ESCHATOLOGY which is a fancy way of saying I studied the stuff the Church teaches about death and what comes after and … Continue reading

Issues of Faith: Sacraments

Catholics believe in seven sacraments, some of which cannot be undone once they are done: Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist, Reconciliation, Marriage, Holy Orders, and Anointing of the Sick.  Baptism, Confirmation, Marriage and Holy Orders are one time and permanent. Once Baptized, a person is permanently marked by God and will never lose that mark, even if they repudiate everything Christian and live a debauched life, never repent and end up in Hell by their own choice–the mark will remain.  The same is true of Confirmation, Marriage and Holy Orders. Marriage and Holy Orders are entries into a state of life.  This … Continue reading