Top Ten: State of the Blog

Happy Easter!  Christ is risen!  Today is Easter Monday on the Roman calendar.

Here are the Top Ten posts.  In the past week alone, I have had an upsurge of hits from Russia and the Ukraine.  It might be because I changed the blog's mission a few months ago.  I don't remember hitting those countries, but then again I've been off for a while.

I've been meaning to post some items about the ethics of war and peace as well as some movie reviews.  But in time, I suppose.

Overall, the countries listed here are involved with some conflict.  The U.S. and France, the Philippines in the Far East, Russia and Ukraine, and of course England, Canada and other countries at the forefront of the world's instability.

I am utterly convinced that consecration to the Immaculate Heart will bring a period of peace.  The Mother of Jesus will protect her children.  I hope that some of my posts affects these countries to return to or sustain their love for God.

United States	10574
Philippines	1645
France	891
Ukraine	857
Russia	780
United Kingdom	665
Canada	487
Germany	434
Italy	416
Australia	198

A Shift in Focus for this Blog

At the time of this posting, I have had about 20,000 hits with 120 blogs posted.  I started it in August 2011, which was three years and four months ago, where the focus was to teach the Faith to the world.  At present, this meant an average of 500 hits per month.

I've given this some time to think about -- the past several months, in fact -- and I'd like to change direction somewhat the focus of this blog site.  This blog still has a teaching tone, since I cannot imagine myself otherwise or until God shall remove my ability to teach as I age and get older.  But I would like to focus on and specialize in the theology of warfare.

I've had Our Lady of Fatima on my mind and heart for quite some time.  She said in 1917 that war was punishment from God for the sins of humanity.  I've done many papers for the past couple of years on the issue of war and peace, and so this blog takes a more specific focus.  Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI said while still serving on the Chair of Peter that it would be a mistake to think that the messages of Fatima are not relevant for us today.

Consequently, the purpose of this blog, this web log classroom, as of today, is to focus on providing moral guidance for matters related to a theology of war, which includes attempts to avert war and help usher in the triumph of the Immaculate Heart.

I hereby consecrate this blog site, or rather renew the consecration, to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

I am all yours, my queen and my mother, and all that I have is yours.

Amen.

Happy Easter! Christ is risen! Alleluia!

There is a tradition in the East:

When someone says, "Christ is risen!" your response should be, "Indeed He is risen!"

Counter-Revolutionary Monarchism & the Sacred Heart of Jesus

The Beloved Disciple rested his head on the Heart of Christ during the Last Supper.

With a liberal capitalist representative democracy mutating into a Culture of Death and Dictatorship of Relativism in the 21st Century, there are days when I want to be a counter-revolutionary monarchist (through legal and peaceful means of course).

This picture says it all.

The Smell of the Sheep & Sound Doctrine

Today is Good Friday.

Yesterday, there was something in the Holy Father's homily during the Chrism Mass that struck me when he referred to the "smell of the sheep".  Click HERE to watch a clip.

That's right!  Sheep smell.  In addition to being not so bright and susceptible to attack by wolves, sheep just down right smell.

It appealed to me because Peter's task is to feed the sheep.  I never really thought much about the dynamics of feeding sheep.  But the Pope's point is to know the sheep and be with the sheep in the outskirts.


Here's a cute picture of a lamb that made me chuckle.  For credit, it's called "Irish Lamb" by moonjazz, and I found it from this link HERE.

There's something attractive about the task of the shepherd feeding the sheep...spiritually speaking.

So how does one learn the smell of the sheep?  Simple.  By being with them.  We smell the sheep so that we know them and can feed them.

Spiritually speaking, those of us charged with the task of handing on the Deposit of Faith as it has been handed on from the time of the Apostles feed the sheep with the food of the Good Shepherd.

Yes, we need to "be" with the sheep, especially in the "outskirts", and we need to know what the sheep smell like, and it's with the end goal of feeding them with sound doctrine.  This means that teaching sound doctrine is what smelly sheep need.

The Pope spoke of  "shepherds living with 'the smell of the sheep', shepherds in the midst of their flock, fishers of men."

The postmodern age in which the Church finds herself, the sheep in the outskirts are right in our own backyard.  In the West, the outskirts are just about everywhere.  A postmodern sheep in a culture of death needs healthy doctrine, a teaching that is heavenly and nourishes the soul.

If we have the teachings of the Church to feed smelly sheep, then it is our task to faithfully hand those teachings on to them.  We go to the outskirts, to places untouched by the Gospel, to places where even priests are not welcomed let alone any Catholic.

Feed my sheep, Jesus commands Peter.  Tend my sheep.  Three times He commands Peter for this task.  Three times shows its importance.

We must feed the sheep with sound doctrine.

AMDG


 

Holy Thursday 2013: Jesus Washes Peter's Feet & Pope Francis in a Deacon Stole

Jesus Washing Peter's Feet 1852-6 Ford Madox Brown 1821-1893 (http://www.tate.org.uk/art/work/N0139)

The servant Pope Francis, Successor of St. Peter, washes the feet of 12 jailed minors.

Pope Francis wore a deacon stole.

Child Jesus Teaching in the Temple & Prayer to Engage Postmodernism

I picked up some non-Catholic intellectual books today and eventually later made a remark to my wife that I constantly needed to find refuge in the thought of St. Thomas Aquinas to address pressing modern day issues, particularly postmodernism.

I plan to read Foucault on power/knowledge in the next few months.  A prayer surged from my lips to Our Lord, "Lord, this is hard."  I turned to Him for help.

During my drive home later, I prayed joyful mysteries of the rosary (in addition to the family rosary).  When I got to the Finding of the Child Jesus in the Temple, I experienced peace as I turned my meditation to the Child Jesus teaching the doctors of the Temple.

I thought of how the Incarnate Wisdom of God was present in the Temple among the doctors of the law and how He taught them and amazed them.

I thought of how all wisdom and learning was in this Little Child.  It gave me much peace.

HERE, btw, is a good article on post-modernity with pastoral consideration.

Child Jesus, have mercy on us!