Easter IV
How do you know it is Easter Season? The “Vidi Aquam”, of course!
✠ The Bishop’s Corner ✠
Happy Mothers Day! In years gone by at St. Gertrude the Great, this holiday vied with Easter and Christmas for churchgoing, this dear festival of our own mother, and of the Blessed Mother. The situation is different now. The first generation is pretty much gone, and the priorities have changed. But still, and always, there remains the mother! God bless all who help for today and these beautiful days of May. God bless our mothers. Isn’t the May Altar beautiful in the Queen’s white and blue?
Vespers and Benediction ran a bit over last Sunday, and it was a blessing brought by the Blessed Mother, giving her Son “a good crowd” to bless from the Monstrance. We sing the Litany of Loretto in May, and that takes a few minutes longer, so the 5:45 flock (except for the “Cushion Club,” who carefully wait out the sermon) was in place already, joining the Vesper Devout in pretty nice numbers for Benediction. Oh, if only you knew how pleasing it is to Our Lady to honor her and her Son at Vespers and Devotions you’d come, every one! The village Pontmain was saved from the Germans in the Franco-Prussian War by Our Lady of Hope, who appeared there for this very reason. The villagers always returned to church the afternoon of the Lord’s Day. It is His day, after all. That, and the devout pastor who “enthroned the crucifix” in every home in his parish. Do you have one in a place of honor?
Last week’s cold wet took us back to March, didn’t it? While none of us would care to repeat the dreadful events of the Covid Conspiracy (which is certainly not yet over), still we must repeat our acts of gratitude and confidence. We have been so blessed. Was it perhaps because of our many prayers, solemn liturgy and devotions that we were spared? In any case, our daily Mass attendance is higher than ever before, and it is mostly young people. May this be a lasting fruit from all of this grief.
The enemy certainly plans permanent changes for us, and it remains to be seen if they will succeed. Remember St. John Capistrano’s program: Initiative, Organization, Action! And prayers, always prayers. There seems to be some stirring of a resistance to the masked Communist/Fascist One Worlders who are planning to take over our country, our world, because 0.0023 percent of us have died of this year’s flu.
Nobody talks about the 22 million Americans now out of work though. But there is that Texas lady with the improbable last name of Luther who not only talked, she acted. She and her staff of hair stylists needed to feed their children, and reopened. She was jailed, but the popular outroar (the serfs) intimidated the governor into releasing her. “Do not go gently…” Make an outroar. They’ll hear you both in Heaven (prayer), and earth (protest).
A Novus Ordo priest on Twitter summarized it nicely. “Maybe the US has a fighting chance if we priests can muster up enough courage as a Texas hair stylist.” A good goal for all of us. Be with me on this.
I am amazed and edified to read that some of the main “R & R” types of the Conciliar Church’s conservative wing (Vigano, Schneider, Matt, etc.), have not only understood but are actually doing something about this Covid Conspiracy. They’re famous for publishing letters to no purpose, but this one actually will do much good. They warn the coronavirus is being used by world leaders to impose a dictatorship over ordinary people, denying them their basic rights, “the disturbing prelude to the realization of a world government beyond all control.” Amen, Brother Ben!
The Pius X Society, no stranger to the imposition of a dictatorship and denying followers basic rights, has mocked the very idea of a conspiracy. I am still amazed at how our Kentucky cousins have been “neutralized” after just a few years under the Pius X Society. One blogger notes they have “totally lost the basic common sense even so-called conservative and traditional Catholics still possess.” Much could be said on the subject.
Rob Brockman died on Friday, well fortified with the Sacraments of Holy Church. Rob and his wife Jane and children were members here since the early 80s, so long faithful to the 7:30 each Sunday, after which Rob would quietly light a candle to the Blessed Mother. He died on the feast of St. Michael the Archangel, who receives the soul and presents it in the sight of the Most High. Rob and Jane often attended the Tuesday Mass as well. One year they started with the 13 Tuesdays of St. Anthony, and decided to continue. His funeral is scheduled for Tuesday. May he rest in peace.
With a prayer to the Blessed Mother for you all, for our church and children and especially for our mothers, living and deceased.
–Bp. Dolan