Catholic Family Vignettes

Well, she did it.

She has her license.

Hurray!

Congratulations, sweetheart, we are so proud of you! Read more!

To soft-boiled eggs! After listening to a good friend "wax rhapsodic" on the joys of the soft-boiled egg (hi Selena!), I decided to push past my previous prejudice and give them a try.

I'm hooked. So are the girls. What fun to "dip soldiers" and "remove helmets!" You'd think all of this "war talk" would be enough to encourage the boys...alas, they are unmoved and vow to stick to over easy and hard-boiled eggs.

I can't say it's been easy, this "conversion." Many over-cooked and under-cooked eggs. Consulting the internet and my mom, it took nearly two weeks before I hit upon the perfect method.

Here is my version of the perfect soft-boiled egg:

Place eggs in a bowl of hot water while you prepare a pan of water.
Bring water to a rolling boil.
Place "warmed" eggs carefully in boiling water.
Set timer for 4 minutes.
Fill a bowl with cold water.
At the end of the 4 minutes, remove eggs from boiling water and place in bowl of cold water for 1 minute to stop the cooking process.
Remove eggs and place in individual *egg cups*.
Butter toast and cut into thin strips (these are the "soldiers").
Using the bowl of your spoon, gently strike the top of the egg twice, and "cap" or remove the "helmet" with the edge of the spoon.
Salt and pepper to taste...dip your "soldiers" and enjoy!

*I've found three nice egg cups in local thrift stores, but a shot glass will do nicely if you haven't any! Read more!

I've just recently viewed a very disturbing trailer, for a children's movie scheduled for release on December 7th. Take a look:



What this particular trailer doesn't reveal, amidst the fantastic CGI and stunning cinematography, is that the "big, bad wolf" in this children's film is the Magisterium. The Magisterium is a powerful, evil world organization bent on capturing the souls of children and suppressing their imagination. Each soul has it's own "demon" which comes to the defense of the child in times of peril or threat.

The Golden Compass is the first installment in a trilogy written by Philip Pullman. Pullman, a pro-active atheist, pulls no punches about his personal feelings regarding religion. In fact, Peter Hitchens, a conservative British columnist, published an article about Pullman entitled “This Is the Most Dangerous Author in Britain,” in which he called him: the writer “the atheists would have been praying for, if atheists prayed.”

His Dark Materials trilogy is marketed as being "loosely based upon the classic Paradise Lost."

Pullman is extremely hostile in his views of C.S. Lewis and The Chronicles of Narnia, referring to the stories as "reactionary" and containing "a peevish blend of racist, misogynistic and reactionary prejudice." He vigorously opposed the production of the Chronicles as a movie series, stating: "If the Disney corporation wants to market this film as a great Christian story, they'll just have to tell lies about it."

A reminder: Philip Pullman's trilogy is marketed to and read by children. To call the books anti-Catholic, is an understatement. The film contains the same errors, in a visually stunning package.

The Golden Compass is filled with anti-Catholic rhetoric: evil Magisterium, wicked priests, an ex-nun who describes Christianity as “a very powerful and convincing mistake,” and so on. The visual appeal of this new movie will be hard to resist and Newline is marketing this film on the heels of the very successful "Lord of the Rings" trilogy, though the two works share no real similarities.

Mr. Pullman is well aware of the power of a well told tale:

“ ‘Thou shalt not’ might reach the head, but it takes ‘Once upon a time’ to reach the heart.”

For additional information, check out the following:

Life and Letters: Far From Narnia

Pullman Attacks Narnia Film Plans

Kidsreads.com Read more!

10:30 p.m., this evening:

Daddy: "Abigail...all of the other children are asleep. Why are you still awake?"

Abigail: "Daddy, I'm different. I'm not like everyone else. I'm...I'm left-handed!"

And now we know...

Here is a poem on the "perils of left-handedness." BTW...Abigail is the only one of our nine children who is a leftie!

Left-handedness

In honour of all left-handed,
Neglected and much abused -
A sinister bunch we are branded,
Left out and unfairly accused.

You 'Righties' are horribly righteous,
Such words as dexterity reign,
Including the ambidextrous,
Adroit and terribly vain.

You say we are gauche and south-paw,
Cack-handed and awkward to watch,
On the pitch we're a troublesome outlaw
And all that we do is a botch.

Bad news in a left-handed marriage,
In compliments, speaking on oath,
On the left is alright for a carriage,
But for 'Lefties', designers are loath.

We're ignored in the kitchen and garden,
With coffee pots, scissors and shears,
They've chosen the wrong side to sharpen,
And a chainsaw will end in tears.

Despite all the efforts to slight us,
We know that we really are deft,
Enough of this 'leftversusrightis',
As there cannot be Right without Left.

Tony Hemmings 2001
Read more!

How very little is left of the innocent wonder and natural exploration associated with early childhood. Young children are removed from their homes and shuttled off to daycare, preschool and kindergarten at increasingly young ages.

For those of us who have chosen home education, there is an ever increasing awareness of the "teachable moment." Very few of these moments involve text books, computers or worksheets. It is the day to day interaction with the family, casual observation of the workings of the world and immersion in the faith community.

The following essay by Fr. George Rutler found on the National Review Online, is an interesting take on this very subject. While I'm not quite ready to abandon formal musical instruction by providing my children access to "musicians in one of the better cocktail lounges, or from performers in the public subways", he poses a few very cogent arguments against packaged education.

Here it is:


I'd encourage your youngest one to abandon kindergarten altogether. Almost everything I learned was learned outside the classroom, and school itself interrupted my education. Moreover, school locks you in with your peers. That is a mistake. One's social circle should never include one's equals. From my earliest years I found children uninteresting and always preferred the company of adults. This was an advantage, because I got to know lots of folks who are dead now whom I never would have known if I had waited until I was an adult. - So I have a collective memory - and oral tradition - that goes back to the eighteenth century, having spoken with people who knew people who knew people who knew people who lived then. - The only real university is the universe and a city its microcosm. That is why an expression like "New York University" is foolish. New York City is the university….Instead of school, children should spend some hours each day in hotel lobbies talking to the guests. They should spend time in restaurant kitchens and shops and garages of all kinds, learning from people who actually make the world work….One day spent roaming through a real classical church building would be the equivalent of one academic term in any of our schools, and a little time spent inconspicuously in a police station would be more informative than all the hours wasted on bogus social sciences. Formal lessons would only be required for accuracy in spelling and proficiency in public speaking, for which the public speakers in our culture are not models, and in exchange for performing some menial services a child could learn the violin, harp, and piano from musicians in one of the better cocktail lounges, or from performers in the public subways….So I urge you to keep your child out of kindergarten, because kindergarten will only lead to first grade and then the grim sequence of grade after grade begins and takes its inexorable toll on the mind born fertile but gradually numbed by the pedants who impose on the captive child the flotsam of their own infecundity.

It never ceases to amaze me, just how much the children absorb that is not associated with what we have directly accomplished in the course of a day of home education. I'm thankful to have them home and to have these "teachable moments." Read more!

For my sons. Because they have not yet stopped laughing...

And here is the rest of it. Read more!

The alarm went off at 5:00 a.m. For a brief moment, I was sorely tempted to roll over and hit snooze. After all...it might be cloudy. Definitely chilly. And wet.

I had promised to wake them.

Donning slippers and a shawl, I slipped into the darkness and stepped over to the side of the house, to observe the glory of the moon at the beginning of the lunar eclipse.



So I woke them.



What a blast! Extremely chilly boys, wrapped in blankets and polar fleece, braved the wet grass and observed the finest example of a total lunar eclipse, that this mom has ever seen. Not to mention the finest view of Orion that we have seen all summer.









An hour later, greeted by the rainbow hues of the morning sky at sunrise, we venture back to the house for an extremely early breakfast. And coffee.




I'm going to need a LOT of coffee today. And this.

It was SO worth it. The pictures are pretty good, thanks to Meredith's fabulous camera...though mom's skills are somewhat lacking. I'm just not a terrific photographer. Read more!

Heretic and Scoundrel. Priest, Saint, Bishop, Doctor of the Church. Controversial and diverse titles for a man, yet all were held at one time, by St. Augustine of Hippo.

Here is a brief biography from Catholic Online:

This famous son of St. Monica was born in Africa and spent many years of his life in wicked living and in false beliefs. Though he was one of the most intelligent men who ever lived and though he had been brought up a Christian, his sins of impurity and his pride darkened his mind so much, that he could not see or understand the Divine Truth anymore. Through the prayers of his holy mother and the marvelous preaching of St. Ambrose, Augustine finally became convinced that Christianity was the one true religion. Yet he did not become a Christian then, because he thought he could never live a pure life. One day, however, he heard about two men who had suddenly been converted on reading the life of St. Antony, and he felt terrible ashamed of himself. "What are we doing?" he cried to his friend Alipius. "Unlearned people are taking Heaven by force, while we, with all our knowledge, are so cowardly that we keep rolling around in the mud of our sins!"

Full of bitter sorrow, Augustine flung himself out into the garden and cried out to God, "How long more, O Lord? Why does not this hour put an end to my sins?" Just then he heard a child singing, "Take up and read!" Thinking that God intended him to hear those words, he picked up the book of the Letters of St. Paul, and read the first passage his gaze fell on. It was just what Augustine needed, for in it, St. Paul says to put away all impurity and to live in imitation of Jesus. That did it! From then on, Augustine began a new life.

He was baptized, became a priest, a bishop, a famous Catholic writer, Founder of religious priests, and one of the greatest saints that ever lived. He became very devout and charitable, too. On the wall of his room he had the following sentence written in large letters: "Here we do not speak evil of anyone." St. Augustine overcame strong heresies, practiced great poverty and supported the poor, preached very often and prayed with great fervor right up until his death. "Too late have I loved You!" he once cried to God, but with his holy life he certainly made up for the sins he committed before his conversion. His feast day is August 28th.


St. Augustine wrote a heart-rending ode to his Maker in Confessions, that gives a glimpse of a soul which is penitent and thankful:

Late have I loved Thee, O Lord; and behold,

Thou wast within and I without, and there I sought Thee.
Thou was with me when I was not with Thee.
Thou didst call, and cry, and burst my deafness.
Thou didst gleam, and glow, and dispell my blindness.
Thou didst touch me, and I burned for Thy peace.
For Thyself Thou hast made us,

And restless our hearts until in Thee they find their ease.

Late have I loved Thee, Thou Beauty ever old and ever new.
Thou hast burst my bonds asunder;

Unto Thee will I offer up an offering of praise.

St. Augustine, Doctor of the Church, pray for us! Read more!

The Remnant Newspaper is a traditional Catholic new source which "strives to adhere to Catholic teaching in every aspect of its journalism" (from their website). I frequently review this website for articles of interest, due to the orthodox presentation of world and Church events. Imagine my surprise when I found this post included at the top of the Recent News links!

Thanks for the nod, friends! Read more!

In the wee hours of Tuesday morning, a total lunar eclipse will occur. NASA has an excellent timeline as well as viewing suggestions. An excellent activity to supplement a homeschool astronomy program!

From NASA:

"Although total eclipses of the Moon are of minor scientific value, they are remarkably beautiful events which do not require expensive equipment. They help to cultivate interest in science and astronomy in children and to provide a unique learning opportunity for families, students and teachers. To the nature lover and naturalist, the lunar eclipse can be appreciated and celebrated as an event which vividly illustrates our place among the planets in the solar system. The three dimensional reality of our universe comes alive in a graceful celestial ballet as the Moon swings through the Earth's shadow. Hope for clear skies, dress warmly and enjoy the show!"
Read more!

Looking for a great craft idea for the Feast of St. Lucy? While the feast is still a little way off, here is an adorable idea from As Cozy As Spring. My little girls love this particular feast day and will be delighted to don such lovely wreaths!

While you're at it, here's a recipe for Lussekatter also called St. Lucy's Buns.

St. Lucy's day marks the opening of the Christmas season in Sweden. Lussekatter are their delicious saffron buns made in any number of figures: cats, "s" shapes, or figure eights.

* 1/4 teaspoon saffron threads
* 8 ounces (1 cup) milk
* 1 tablespoon yeast
* 1/2 cup sugar
* 4 ounces (1 stick) butter
* 5 cups all-purpose flour
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 cup sugar
* 2 large eggs, beaten
* 1 beaten egg white for egg wash




METHOD

Using a mortar and pestle, pound saffron threads to break down strands.

In a small saucepan, heat milk to lukewarm.

Mix yeast with 1/4 cup milk and 1 tablespoon sugar. Set aside.

On low heat, melt butter in saucepan with milk. Add crushed saffron. Let cool.

In large bowl, mix together flour salt and remaining sugar.

Stir yeast into cooled milk mixture. Mix into dry ingredients, beating to mix well. Add beaten eggs. Knead in bowl for 5 - 7 minutes. Turn onto floured board and knead another 7 - 8 minutes.

Put dough in lightly greased bowl, turn to coat all sides, cover and put in warm, draft-free place to rise for about 1 hour.

When dough has risen, knead lightly to push out air and divide into small pieces (about 10 - 12). Using the hands, roll each small piece into a strip about 8 - 10 inches long. Shape each strip into an 'S' or a figure 8. Place on lightly buttered cookie sheets.

Cover with clean cloth and let rise again until double in bulk, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Preheat oven to 375°F.

When dough has risen, brush lightly with egg white. Bake in preheated 375° F oven for 15 minutes, or until lightly browned. Let cool on wire rack.

Yield: 10 - 12 buns

recipe from www.inmamaskitchen.com


Read more!

I'd like to extend an invitation to you, dear friends in Christ, for the September 14th Solemn High Mass for the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. As many of you are aware, September 14th is the date set for the full implementation of the motu proprio "Summorum Pontificum."

The Solemn High Mass which will be offered at Holy Family Catholic Church in Columbus, Ohio, will provide a unique opportunity not only for the faithful as yet unfamiliar with the Extraordinary Form of the Mass, but will also utilize several precious artifacts from the Holy Family Jubilee Museum. The 1602 (correct me Father, if I have this wrong!) Pius V Missal will be used for this very special Mass, as will the Mary Queen of Scots Chalice.

Both items are generally kept in the Pontifical Museum, but will be brought out for this day of joyous celebration.

Consider a "road trip" to Holy Family. Attendance rates for the Extraordinary Form of the Mass have now exceeded those of the Ordinary in our parish, and Father Lutz desires greatly to pack the church to capacity.

Consider yourself invited! Read more!

Freedom of choice. What images do these words instill in the mind of the average person? Bumper stickers from Planned Parenthood and NARAL, perhaps? Slogans emblazoned across banners carried by feminists marching for the "right to choose?"

Certainly, one would not associate this particular slogan with the brand name of a feminine product (tampon, sorry guys...had to clarify!) And one would certainly never expect to see these words boldly proclaimed on a dispenser in a Catholic elementary school girl's restroom. Which is where they were found. Today. Check out the image to the right.

"Freedom of choice" is perhaps the most hateful slogan ever devised, as it promotes a freedom that is hardly free. A freedom purchased by the death of the unborn. Yet young students in a local Catholic school are being exposed to this subtle ideology with every visit to the restroom.

If you are still unconvinced, and think that "it's just a phrase and can mean many things," then type that "phrase" into Google. The very first listing is for NARAL and every other listing thereafter is for the pro-death camp.

Perhaps it is only a sick coincidence. After all, the school can't pick and choose the names of the providers of these services. It is, nonetheless, unsettling for those of us who see the rights of the unborn encroached upon at every turn.

I will be expressing my concern to the school and Diocese. As a home educator, I'm only too thankful that my own children are not being exposed to this subtle lie...though I don't think anyone would want their children to see this advertisement and fall for the line that "it's just a phrase, it doesn't really mean anything." Read more!

King Louis IX of France was a model of what Catholic leadership should and can be. Crowned King of France at the age of 11, he ruled for over 44 years. A monarch, husband, father, Franciscan Tertiary and soldier; he exercised his authority with faith and great humility, earning the devotion of his people.

A letter from St. Louis to his son reveals a great deal about the heart of this sainted King:

My dearest son, my first instruction is that you should love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your strength. Without this there is no salvation. Keep yourself, my son, from everything that you know displeases God, that is to say, from every mortal sin. You should permit yourself to be tormented by every kind of martyrdom before you would allow yourself to commit a mortal sin.

If the Lord has permitted you to have some trial, bear it willingly and with gratitude, considering that it has happened for your good and that perhaps you well deserved it. If the Lord bestows upon you any kind of prosperity, thank Him humbly and see that you become no worse for it, either through vain pride or anything else, because you ought not to oppose God or offend Him in the matter of his gifts.

Be kindhearted to the poor, the unfortunate and the afflicted. Give them as much help and consolation as you can. Thank God for all the benefits He has bestowed upon you, that you may be worthy to receive greater. Always side with the poor rather than with the rich, until you are certain of the truth.

Be devout and obedient to our mother the Church of Rome and the Supreme Pontiff as your spiritual father.

In conclusion, dearest son, I give you every blessing that a loving father can give a sons. May the three Persons of the Holy Trinity and all the saints protect you from every evil. And may the Lord give you the grace to do His will so that He may be served and honored through you, that in the next life we may together come to see Him, love Him and praise Him unceasingly. Amen.

My sons and daughters are very familiar with this letter. It will be read yet again, today.

Good St. Louis, please pray for our world leaders. May God grant them the same faith, courage, conviction and humility which you demonstrated so beautifully throughout your life. Read more!

Dear friends...would you please pray for me and my family? The intention is private and your prayers will be much appreciated! God bless you and you are all in my prayers! And here is the rest of it. Read more!

Congratulations, sweetie, on your promotion. I love you! And here is the rest of it. Read more!

Patrick Archbold of one of my very favorite "daily reads", Creative Minority Report, has tagged me. Eek! 8 facts or habits? Good or bad? Hmmm...how much honesty is required here? Will this necessitate confession?!

Here are the rules (since one of the rules is to post the rules):

"The rules are simple…Each player lists 8 facts/habits about themselves. The rules of the game are posted at the beginning before those facts/habits are listed. At the end of the post, the player then tags 8 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know that they have been tagged and asking them to read your blog."

FACT: I want to fly. An ultralight or microlight plane.

HABIT: I talk with my hands. No...I'm not deaf, but I would probably be mute, if by some freak accident, I lost both hands. I've actually been known to let go of the steering wheel while engaged in conversation. I had to stop knitting last night, because a friend asked me a question. I simply could not answer effectively without wildly gesticulating!

FACT: I am a research fanatic. Ask me something I don't know or don't know enough about, or simply rouse my curiosity...I'll be on the internet researching every last vestige of available information and will then bore you to tears (I'm with you on this one, Patrick!)

HABIT: I'm a notorious "ice cruncher" - just give me a cup of ice and I'm good to go!

FACT: I'm a convert to Catholicism for over 16 years, but have only been attending the Traditional Mass for the past 2 1/2. I'm hooked. Forever.

FACT: I'm obsessed with books. They are taking over my house. I need bookshelves. Help!!!

HABIT: I'm just a wee bit too sarcastic. I really need to control it better.

FACT: I haven't watched television (commercial/cable programming) for four years. I watch an occasional movie and currently enjoy the Bless Me Father series, which I've borrowed from a good friend (thanks Tom!)

So...now tag 8 people...

Amy Caroline, Barbara, Esther, +JMJ+, Matilda, and anyone else so inclined to join in...btw, ladies, no obligation! Read more!

For the past several months, the ladies of Una Voce have been participating in a bi-weekly "Ladies Night Out." God bless our dear husbands, who so lovingly sacrifice their time, many of them finishing their day's work as quickly as possible, to allow their spouse this beautiful evening of fellowship.

We have been meeting in restaurants, bookstore cafes and coffee shops, have "closed down" more than one restaurant, and been told by local law enforcement "to keep it down...there have been complaints" (a little CPD humor, though we were a bit taken aback, at first!)

The last two weeks, one of our dear "sisters" has hosted at her home. An exquisite tea party, and last evening, a delightful Italian supper.

The conversation, laughter and tears...sipping wine and tea...eating chocolate. An altogether beautiful evening.

In honor of the Feast of the Immaculate Heart/Coronation of Our Lady, we recited the Little Crown of the Blessed Virgin. A lovely devotion, one which prompted an interesting discussion on the "titles" that have been given to Our Lady. We shared our favorite titles for the Blessed Virgin Mary. Here are a few observations:

Mystical Rose
Tower of Ivory
Queen of Peace
Queen of the Angels

and Mother. Simply, Mother. Yet what could be more complex than that mystical relationship which has been ordained by Christ, that we should take His Mother as our own?

Another dear friend shared the observation that many of us are blessed to share with Our Lady the titles of Daughter, Mother and Spouse.

So...what is your favorite title for Our Lady? Do you have a particular devotion tied to Her "title"? Just curious... Read more!

Farewell to FSSP seminarian, Michael Connaughton, who will be returning to Our Lady of Guadalupe Seminary in Denton, Nebraska. Mr. Connaughton has offered, graciously, his summer in service to his newly formed boy's Gregorian Chant Schola.

The Schola boys and moms hosted an impromptu "goodbye luncheon" after today's final class. Michael will be missed. May God bless all his endeavors as we await his return. Read more!

Today is the traditional Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

On October 31, 1942, Pope Pius XII made a solemn Act of Consecration of the Church and the whole world to the Immaculate Heart. Let us remember this devotion year-round, but particularly through the month of August.

INVOCATIONS

O heart most pure of the Blessed Virgin Mary, obtain for me from Jesus a pure and humble heart.

Sweet heart of Mary, be my salvation.

ACT OF CONSECRATION Queen of the most holy Rosary, help of Christians, refuge of the human race, victorious in all the battles of God, we prostrate ourselves in supplication before thy throne, in the sure hope of obtaining mercy and of receiving grace and timely aid in our present calamities, not through any merits of our own, on which we do not rely, but only through the immense goodness of thy mother's heart. In thee and in thy Immaculate Heart, at this grave hour of human history, do we put our trust; to thee we consecrate ourselves, not only with all of Holy Church, which is the mystical body of thy Son Jesus, and which is suffering in so many of her members, being subjected to manifold tribulations and persecutions, but also with the whole world, torn by discords, agitated with hatred, the victim of its own iniquities. Be thou moved by the sight of such material and moral degradation, such sorrows, such anguish, so many tormented souls in danger of eternal loss! Do thou, O Mother of mercy, obtain for us from God a Christ-like reconciliation of the nations, as well as those graces which can convert the souls of men in an instant, those graces which prepare the way and make certain the long desired coming of peace on earth. O Queen of peace, pray for us, and grant peace unto the world in the truth, the justice, and the charity of Christ.

Above all, give us peace in our hearts, so that the kingdom of God may spread its borders in the tranquillity of order. Accord thy protection to unbelievers and to all those who lie within the shadow of death; cause the Sun of Truth to rise upon them; may they be enabled to join with us in repeating before the Savior of the world: "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men of good will."

Give peace to the nations that are separated from us by error or discord, and in a special manner to those peoples who profess a singular devotion toward thee; bring them back to Christ's one fold, under the one true Shepherd. Obtain full freedom for the holy Church of God; defend her from her enemies; check the ever-increasing torrent of immorality; arouse in the faithful a love of purity, a practical Christian life, and an apostolic zeal, so that the multitude of those who serve God may increase in merit and in number.

Finally, even as the Church and all mankind were once consecrated to the Heart of thy Son Jesus, because He was for all those who put their hope in Him an inexhaustible source of victory and salvation, so in like manner do we consecrate ourselves forever to thee also and to thy Immaculate Heart, O Mother of us and Queen of the world; may thy love and patronage hasten the day when the kingdom of God shall be victorious and all the nations, at peace with God .and with one another, shall call thee blessed and intone with thee, from the rising of the sun to its going down, the everlasting "Magnificat" of glory, of love, of gratitude to the Heart of Jesus, in which alone we can find truth, life, and peace. — Pope Pius XII


IN HONOR OF THE IMMACULATE HEART O heart of Mary, mother of God, and our mother; heart most worthy of love, in which the adorable Trinity is ever well-pleased, worthy of the veneration and love of all the angels and of all men; heart most like to the Heart of Jesus, of which thou art the perfect image; heart, full of goodness, ever compassionate toward our miseries; deign to melt our icy hearts and grant that they may be wholly changed into the likeness of the Heart of Jesus, our divine Savior. Pour into them the love of thy virtues, enkindle in them that divine fire with which thou thyself dost ever burn. In thee let Holy Church find a safe shelter; protect her and be her dearest refuge, her tower of strength, impregnable against every assault of her enemies. Be thou the way which leads to Jesus, and the channel, through which we receive all the graces needful for our salvation. Be our refuge in time of trouble, our solace in the midst of trial, our strength against temptation, our haven in persecution, our present help in every danger, and especially) at the hour of death, when all hell shall let loose against u its legions to snatch away our souls, at that dread moment; that hour so full of fear, whereon our eternity depends. An,; then most tender virgin, make us to feel the sweetness of thy motherly heart, and the might of thine intercession with Jesus, and open to us a safe refuge in that very fountain of mercy, whence we may come to praise Him with thee in paradise, world without end. Amen.

Prayer Source: Prayer Book, The by Reverend John P. O'Connell, M.A., S.T.D. and Jex Martin, M.A., The Catholic Press, Inc., Chicago, Illinois, 1954 Read more!

Thanks to Homeschool 2.0 Blog for this one. My apologies beforehand. The bold emphases are mine and the italics are my somewhat sarcastic remarks. Forgive the rant!

An excerpt from a 52 page document prepared by the National Association of Elementary School Principals:
:
4. Home Schooling

NAESP is concerned with the increasing number of individuals and groups who are avoiding public education

(avoiding public education or exercising our right to educate our children as we deem best?)

in favor of at-home schooling. When alternative options

(alternative options? I don't consider educating my children at home the alternative...public education is the alternative...and only after all other resources have been exhausted!)

such as home schooling have been authorized by state legislation, resources and authority

(what authority would that be? Social Services? The NAESP? hmmm...)

should be provided to make certain that those who exercise these options are held strictly accountable for the academic achievement and social/emotional growth of children.

(or what? They'll take away our "funding?" How do you measure social/emotional growth of children?)

When home schooling options are exercised, NAESP strongly recommends that state governments establish safeguards to ensure each child:
1. participates in appropriate social experiences;

(Appropriate social experiences? Such as those most public school children are exposed to? Drugs? Violence? Sex? Or perhaps just a little good, ol' fashioned peer pressure? No thanks!)

2. interacts with students from other social/racial/ethnic groups;

(once again, the myth of the "isolation of the home educated." Social groups? Would that mean "alternative lifestyles?" Are those high priced private schools ethnically and racially diverse? I wonder...)

3. receives the full range of curricular experiences and materials aligned with state standards;

(ALIGNED WITH STATE STANDARDS??!! We should "dumb down?" I hope I am stretching a little farther than this)

4. is guaranteed instruction by certified and highly qualified persons;

("certified"...so all parents must have a college degree and certification? And "highly qualified?" Like the public school math teacher who apologized to my oldest daughter for not being able to explain things well, because "math just wasn't his thing?")

5. is required to participate in state-mandated assessments; and

(because the state is such an excellent judge of what makes for a well-rounded education - home educated students outscore public school children in every area. And let's not forget the national spelling bee and geography bee winners for the past several years have all been home educated)

6. learns in a healthy and safe environment.

(HEALTHY AND SAFE ENVIRONMENT??!!! The audacity! Does that mean that homeschoolers should install metal detectors, post security guards in our bathrooms, install video surveillance, purchase bulletproof backpacks and background check all of the educators? Because this is the "healthy and safe environment" in which the average child spends 6 to 7 hours a day.)

NAESP strongly urges states to require home schools to comply with state and federal laws addressing children with special needs.

(does this mean every family must have their children assessed to determine need? Or will physicians be required to "inform?")

NAESP strongly urges local and state associations to address these issues as critical to the education of children. (’93, ’03, ’04)


My suggestion?

The NAESP has a big enough mess in it's own backyard. The public school system is a train wreck in progress. Rather than focusing their efforts on the "increasing number of individuals who are avoiding public education" (their quote), they should ask themselves "why?" The answers are all around them. Read more!

Anastasia Yvonne Owens

Sunday, August 19, 2007
1:13 AM
21 inches
8 lbs, 13 oz.

Parents
Ashley and Tracy

BABY GIRL

Nestled sweetly in your arms,
Is a touch of the Father's love.
A tiny, slumbering baby girl,
Fresh from Heaven above.
Cherish each tender moment,
As you look on her tiny face;
For you're holding a priceless treasure,
Wrapped in ribbons, roses and lace.

Soon, this tiny bundle of pink,
Will grow into a little girl;
With baby dolls and dress up clothes,
And a ballerina twirl.
With a sparkle in her laughing eyes,
She'll steal your heart away.
So hold tight to this special gift,
And memories of this day.



Allison Chambers Coxsey
©1996 ~ All Rights Reserved

Read more!

The United Nations, of course. What other global entity could, on the one hand, pronounce the devastating effects of an "aging global population", and on the other join hands (again) with Planned Parenthood to campaign for legalized abortion in Africa?

A recent document published by the UN, World Population Aging 2007, outlines several "profound" (duh!) discoveries regarding our shrinking world population:

Population ageing is unprecedented, a process without parallel in the history of
humanity. A population ages when increases in the proportion of older persons
(that is, those aged 60 years or over) are accompanied by reductions in the proportion of children (persons under age 15) and then by declines in the proportions
of persons in the working ages (15 to 59). At the world level, the number of older
persons is expected to exceed the number of children for the first time in 2047. In
the more developed regions, where population ageing is far advanced, the number
of children dropped below that of older persons in 1998.

Population ageing is pervasive since it is affecting nearly all the countries of the
world. Population ageing results mainly from reductions of fertility that have
become virtually universal. The resulting slowdown in the growth of the number
of children coupled with the steady increase in the number of older persons has a
direct bearing on both the intergenerational and intragenerational equity and solidarity that are the foundations of society.

Population ageing is profound, having major consequences and implications for all
facets of human life. In the economic area, population ageing will have an impact
on economic growth, savings, investment, consumption, labour markets, pensions,
taxation and intergenerational transfers. In the social sphere, population ageing
influences family composition and living arrangements, housing demand, migration
trends, epidemiology and the need for health-care services. In the political
arena, population ageing may shape voting patterns and political representation.

Population ageing is enduring. Since 1950 the proportion of older persons has
been rising steadily, passing from 8 per cent in 1950 to 11 per cent in 2007, and
is expected to reach 22 per cent in 2050 (figure I). As long as old age mortality
continues to decline and fertility remains low, the proportion of older persons will
continue to increase.

Unprecedented, pervasive, profound and enduring. Strong words.

And the obvious conclusion to these "profound discoveries":

Because fertility levels are unlikely to rise again to the high levels common in the past, population ageing is irreversible and the young populations that were common until recently are likely to become rare over the course of the twenty-first century.

Irreversible. Well...it seems rather obvious that the biblical mandate "be fruitful and multiply" might possibly offer a solution to this irreversible "problem."

In a nutshell: the UN is forecasting, basically, an end to life on this planet as we know it due to an aging world population with no known solution. Their response to this devastating news? More abortion! Legalized abortion for Africa.

Working with Planned Parenthood, their goal is to "demystify taboos about abortion" through the promotion of the Maputo Plan of Action, which includes proposed health program costs, targets and measures for abortion services, calling on states to "enact policies and legal frameworks," to "prepare and implement national plans of action" as well as "refurbish and equip facilities for provision of comprehensive abortion care services."

An aging population, increased promotion of abortion and contraceptive services. Business as usual for the United Nations.

Beyond ridiculous.

I call heaven and earth to witness this day, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing. Choose therefore life, that both thou and thy seed may live Deuteronomy 30:19

Read more!

A fond farewell to Fr. Jerome Lebel, visiting priest from the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter. Holy Family Parish has been blessed to "host" Fr. Lebel during his vacation for the past two weeks. He has been graciously offering a daily Latin Mass as well as hearing confessions, anointing the sick and offering three Solemn High Masses. All while on vacation.

Today's Mass was so very beautiful. Three holy priests, three different native tongues: French (Fr. Lebel), English (Fr. Lutz) and Korean (Fr. So). Yet the Mass was offered una voce. One voice. Latin. Transcending cultural and language barriers.

Fr. Lebel will offer a final Mass on Wednesday morning before returning to Lyon. Thank you, Fr. Lebel, for your generosity. Prayers and blessings for your new assignment from your friends at Holy Family Catholic Church! Read more!

Anastasia Yvonne Owens was born shortly after 1:00 a.m. on August 19th, 2007 to my lovely daughter Ashley, and her husband Tracy. Anastasia is welcomed home by her three big sisters: Katrina Gabrielle, Erika Elaine and Margaret Jolie. She has a head full of curly red hair (just like her mommy!), weighs 8lbs. 13 oz. and is 21 inches long. She is a much welcomed addition to her family.

I will post a family photo just as soon as I receive it! Thanks for all the prayers. Read more!

My oldest daughter, Ashley, is in labor with our 4th granddaughter!! Please pray for Ashley and her husband, Tracy. Thanks! And here is the rest of it. Read more!

For Matilda, who has requested that bloggers post a picture of their own "Kitchen Madonna." What has inspired this request? Check out The Kitchen Madonna. This one is next on our "to read" list! Read more!

Within the space of two weeks my girl will have:

*obtained her license

*registered to vote

*established a checking account

*purchased and registered an automobile

*started college

My dear daughter is an adult...it happened so quickly. Gone are the baseball caps and rollerblades. Now we talk about work schedules, insurance premiums and college text books.

I've been down this path more than once, but not with her. She is already far ahead of me, proceeding quickly and surely. She is so confident now, her future stretching before her like a lovely scroll, as yet unwritten.

If you have little ones...hold them close. The late night feedings, the "terrible twos", the broken arms and broken hearts...they are fleeting. Over before you know it.

I've become (once again) the wonder-struck observer of this metamorphosis. It is a hard thing to let go, yet thrilling at the same time. I find myself ridiculously proud of her bank account and her ability to cast a vote...it's rather like watching her take that first, faltering step.

So it was with the first to leave. And the second. All these hopes, dreams, fears.

They may leave your home, but never your heart. The space that each fills, is theirs alone. Read more!

Shall I compare thee to a Summer's day?
Thou art more lovely and more temperate:
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,
And Summer's lease hath all too short a date:
Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,
And oft' is his gold complexion dimm'd;
And every fair from fair sometime declines,
By chance or nature's changing course untrimm'd:
But thy eternal Summer shall not fade
Nor lose possession of that fair thou owest;
Nor shall Death brag thou wanderest in his shade,
When in eternal lines to time thou growest:

So long as men can breathe, or eyes can see,
So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.

William Shakespeare - Sonnet #18

These lovely photos were taken by my favorite photographer, my own dear daughter, Meredith. She has such a gift at capturing the beauty and innocence of childhood.
Is there anything sweeter than little girls running barefoot in the summer sun? Read more!

My laundry. Freshly washed and placed in the dryer. Hidden, somewhere in a pocket no doubt, was a yellow crayon. And now...it is all yellow.

One small crayon. One pastel load. Now, a lot more pastel than I would prefer.

Off to the supermarket to buy a bottle of Carbona.

I like Yellow. The song, not the crayon. Read more!

It is the Feast of the Assumption of our Blessed Mother, and I am once again meditating upon the great mystery that is motherhood. How lovely to realize that our Mother in Heaven, is just that...Mother.

The past few days, my patience has been wanting. Everyday household responsibilities laced with relatively minor irritations: the laundry that never ends, the dishes that seemingly multiply by the second, the van with flat tire #2, the school books that still haven't been ordered, the classroom that must be organized and so on, etc., ad infinitum.

Minor irritations. Yet the very ones that I blame for my "disquietude." Two weeks ago, my dear priest gave a homily on this subject. Quoting St. John of the Cross, he insisted that we engrave these words in our mind and heart...maybe even over the door post, if necessary:

Munificentissimus Deus

Apostolic Constitution of Pope Pius XII issued November 1, 1950

1. The most bountiful God, who is almighty, the plan of whose providence rests upon wisdom and love, tempers, in the secret purpose of his own mind, the sorrows of peoples and of individual men by means of joys that he interposes in their lives from time to time, in such a way that, under different conditions and in different ways, all things may work together unto good for those who love him.[1]

2. Now, just like the present age, our pontificate is weighed down by ever so many cares, anxieties, and troubles, by reason of very severe calamities that have taken place and by reason of the fact that many have strayed away from truth and virtue. Nevertheless, we are greatly consoled to see that, while the Catholic faith is being professed publicly and vigorously, piety toward the Virgin Mother of God is flourishing and daily growing more fervent, and that almost everywhere on earth it is showing indications of a better and holier life. Thus, while the Blessed Virgin is fulfilling in the most affectionate manner her maternal duties on behalf of those redeemed by the blood of Christ, the minds and the hearts of her children are being vigorously aroused to a more assiduous consideration of her prerogatives.

3. Actually God, who from all eternity regards Mary with a most favorable and unique affection, has "when the fullness of time came"[2] put the plan of his providence into effect in such a way that all the privileges and prerogatives he had granted to her in his sovereign generosity were to shine forth in her in a kind of perfect harmony. And, although the Church has always recognized this supreme generosity and the perfect harmony of graces and has daily studied them more and more throughout the course of the centuries, still it is in our own age that the privilege of the bodily Assumption into heaven of Mary, the Virgin Mother of God, has certainly shone forth more clearly.

4. That privilege has shone forth in new radiance since our predecessor of immortal memory, Pius IX, solemnly proclaimed the dogma of the loving Mother of God's Immaculate Conception. These two privileges are most closely bound to one another. Christ overcame sin and death by his own death, and one who through Baptism has been born again in a supernatural way has conquered sin and death through the same Christ. Yet, according to the general rule, God does not will to grant to the just the full effect of the victory over death until the end of time has come. And so it is that the bodies of even the just are corrupted after death, and only on the last day will they be joined, each to its own glorious soul.

5. Now God has willed that the Blessed Virgin Mary should be exempted from this general rule. She, by an entirely unique privilege, completely overcame sin by her Immaculate Conception, and as a result she was not subject to the law of remaining in the corruption of the grave, and she did not have to wait until the end of time for the redemption of her body.

6. Thus, when it was solemnly proclaimed that Mary, the Virgin Mother of God, was from the very beginning free from the taint of original sin, the minds of the faithful were filled with a stronger hope that the day might soon come when the dogma of the Virgin Mary's bodily Assumption into heaven would also be defined by the Church's supreme teaching authority.

7. Actually it was seen that not only individual Catholics, but also those who could speak for nations or ecclesiastical provinces, and even a considerable number of the Fathers of the Vatican Council, urgently petitioned the Apostolic See to this effect.

8. During the course of time such postulations and petitions did not decrease but rather grew continually in number and in urgency. In this cause there were pious crusades of prayer. Many outstanding theologians eagerly and zealously carried out investigations on this subject either privately or in public ecclesiastical institutions and in other schools where the sacred disciplines are taught. Marian Congresses, both national and international in scope, have been held in many parts of the Catholic world. These studies and investigations have brought out into even clearer light the fact that the dogma of the Virgin Mary's Assumption into heaven is contained in the deposit of Christian faith entrusted to the Church. They have resulted in many more petitions, begging and urging the Apostolic See that this truth be solemnly defined.

9. In this pious striving, the faithful have been associated in a wonderful way with their own holy bishops, who have sent petitions of this kind, truly remarkable in number, to this See of the Blessed Peter. Consequently, when we were elevated to the throne of the supreme pontificate, petitions of this sort had already been addressed by the thousands from every part of the world and from every class of people, from our beloved sons the Cardinals of the Sacred College, from our venerable brethren, archbishops and bishops, from dioceses and from parishes.

10. Consequently, while we sent up earnest prayers to God that he might grant to our mind the light of the Holy Spirit, to enable us to make a decision on this most serious subject, we issued special orders in which we commanded that, by corporate effort, more advanced inquiries into this matter should be begun and that, in the meantime, all the petitions about the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary into heaven which had been sent to this Apostolic See from the time of Pius IX, our predecessor of happy memory, down to our own days should be gathered together and carefully evaluated.[3]

11. And, since we were dealing with a matter of such great moment and of such importance, we considered it opportune to ask all our venerable brethren in the episcopate directly and authoritatively that each of them should make known to us his mind in a formal statement. Hence, on May 1, 1946, we gave them our letter "Deiparae Virginis Mariae," a letter in which these words are contained: "Do you, venerable brethren, in your outstanding wisdom and prudence, judge that the bodily Assumption of the Blessed Virgin can be proposed and defined as a dogma of faith? Do you, with your clergy and people, desire it?"

12. But those whom "the Holy Spirit has placed as bishops to rule the Church of God"[4] gave an almost unanimous affirmative response to both these questions. This "outstanding agreement of the Catholic prelates and the faithful,"[5] affirming that the bodily Assumption of God's Mother into heaven can be defined as a dogma of faith, since it shows us the concordant teaching of the Church's ordinary doctrinal authority and the concordant faith of the Christian people which the same doctrinal authority sustains and directs, thus by itself and in an entirely certain and infallible way, manifests this privilege as a truth revealed by God and contained in that divine deposit which Christ has delivered to his Spouse to be guarded faithfully and to be taught infallibly.[6] Certainly this teaching authority of the Church, not by any merely human effort but under the protection of the Spirit of Truth,[7] and therefore absolutely without error, carries out the commission entrusted to it, that of preserving the revealed truths pure and entire throughout every age, in such a way that it presents them undefiled, adding nothing to them and taking nothing away from them. For, as the Vatican Council teaches, "the Holy Spirit was not promised to the successors of Peter in such a way that, by his revelation, they might manifest new doctrine, but so that, by his assistance, they might guard as sacred and might faithfully propose the revelation delivered through the apostles, or the deposit of faith."[8] Thus, from the universal agreement of the Church's ordinary teaching authority we have a certain and firm proof, demonstrating that the Blessed Virgin Mary's bodily Assumption into heaven- which surely no faculty of the human mind could know by its own natural powers, as far as the heavenly glorification of the virginal body of the loving Mother of God is concerned-is a truth that has been revealed by God and consequently something that must be firmly and faithfully believed by all children of the Church. For, as the Vatican Council asserts, "all those things are to be believed by divine and Catholic faith which are contained in the written Word of God or in Tradition, and which are proposed by the Church, either in solemn judgment or in its ordinary and universal teaching office, as divinely revealed truths which must be believed."[9]

13. Various testimonies, indications and signs of this common belief of the Church are evident from remote times down through the course of the centuries; and this same belief becomes more clearly manifest from day to day.

14. Christ's faithful, through the teaching and the leadership of their pastors, have learned from the sacred books that the Virgin Mary, throughout the course of her earthly pilgrimage, led a life troubled by cares, hardships, and sorrows, and that, moreover, what the holy old man Simeon had foretold actually came to pass, that is, that a terribly sharp sword pierced her heart as she stood under the cross of her divine Son, our Redeemer. In the same way, it was not difficult for them to admit that the great Mother of God, like her only begotten Son, had actually passed from this life. But this in no way prevented them from believing and from professing openly that her sacred body had never been subject to the corruption of the tomb, and that the august tabernacle of the Divine Word had never been reduced to dust and ashes. Actually, enlightened by divine grace and moved by affection for her, God's Mother and our own dearest Mother, they have contemplated in an ever clearer light the wonderful harmony and order of those privileges which the most provident God has lavished upon this loving associate of our Redeemer, privileges which reach such an exalted plane that, except for her, nothing created by God other than the human nature of Jesus Christ has ever reached this level.

15. The innumerable temples which have been dedicated to the Virgin Mary assumed into heaven clearly attest this faith. So do those sacred images, exposed therein for the veneration of the faithful, which bring this unique triumph of the Blessed Virgin before the eyes of all men. Moreover, cities, dioceses, and individual regions have been placed under the special patronage and guardianship of the Virgin Mother of God assumed into heaven. In the same way, religious institutes, with the approval of the Church, have been founded and have taken their name from this privilege. Nor can we pass over in silence the fact that in the Rosary of Mary, the recitation of which this Apostolic See so urgently recommends, there is one mystery proposed for pious meditation which, as all know, deals with the Blessed Virgin's Assumption into heaven.

16. This belief of the sacred pastors and of Christ's faithful is universally manifested still more splendidly by the fact that, since ancient times, there have been both in the East and in the West solemn liturgical offices commemorating this privilege. The holy Fathers and Doctors of the Church have never failed to draw enlightenment from this fact since, as everyone knows, the sacred liturgy, "because it is the profession, subject to the supreme teaching authority within the Church, of heavenly truths, can supply proofs and testimonies of no small value for deciding a particular point of Christian doctrine."[10]

17. In the liturgical books which deal with the feast either of the dormition or of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin there are expressions that agree in testifying that, when the Virgin Mother of God passed from this earthly exile to heaven, what happened to her sacred body was, by the decree of divine Providence, in keeping with the dignity of the Mother of the Word Incarnate, and with the other privileges she had been accorded. Thus, to cite an illustrious example, this is set forth in that sacramentary which Adrian I, our predecessor of immortal memory, sent to the Emperor Charlemagne. These words are found in this volume: "Venerable to us, O Lord, is the festivity of this day on which the holy Mother of God suffered temporal death, but still could not be kept down by the bonds of death, who has begotten your Son our Lord incarnate from herself."[11]

18. What is here indicated in that sobriety characteristic of the Roman liturgy is presented more clearly and completely in other ancient liturgical books. To take one as an example, the Gallican sacramentary designates this privilege of Mary's as "an ineffable mystery all the more worthy of praise as the Virgin's Assumption is something unique among men." And, in the Byzantine liturgy, not only is the Virgin Mary's bodily Assumption connected time and time again with the dignity of the Mother of God, but also with the other privileges, and in particular with the virginal motherhood granted her by a singular decree of God's Providence. "God, the King of the universe, has granted you favors that surpass nature. As he kept you a virgin in childbirth, thus he has kept your body incorrupt in the tomb and has glorified it by his divine act of transferring it from the tomb."[12]

19. The fact that the Apostolic See, which has inherited the function entrusted to the Prince of the Apostles, the function of confirming the brethren in the faith,[13] has by its own authority, made the celebration of this feast ever more solemn, has certainly and effectively moved the attentive minds of the faithful to appreciate always more completely the magnitude of the mystery it commemorates. So it was that the Feast of the Assumption was elevated from the rank which it had occupied from the beginning among the other Marian feasts to be classed among the more solemn celebrations of the entire liturgical cycle. And, when our predecessor St. Sergius I prescribed what is known as the litany, or the stational procession, to be held on four Marian feasts, he specified together the Feasts of the Nativity, the Annunciation, the Purification, and the Dormition of the Virgin Mary.[14] Again, St. Leo IV saw to it that the feast, which was already being celebrated under the title of the Assumption of the Blessed Mother of God, should be observed in even a more solemn way when he ordered a vigil to be held on the day before it and prescribed prayers to be recited after it until the octave day. When this had been done, he decided to take part himself in the celebration, in the midst of a great multitude of the faithful.[15] Moreover, the fact that a holy fast had been ordered from ancient times for the day prior to the feast is made very evident by what our predecessor St. Nicholas I testifies in treating of the principal fasts which "the Holy Roman Church has observed for a long time, and still observes."[16]

20. However, since the liturgy of the Church does not engender the Catholic faith, but rather springs from it, in such a way that the practices of the sacred worship proceed from the faith as the fruit comes from the tree, it follows that the holy Fathers and the great Doctors, in the homilies and sermons they gave the people on this feast day, did not draw their teaching from the feast itself as from a primary source, but rather they spoke of this doctrine as something already known and accepted by Christ's faithful. They presented it more clearly. They offered more profound explanations of its meaning and nature, bringing out into sharper light the fact that this feast shows, not only that the dead body of the Blessed Virgin Mary remained incorrupt, but that she gained a triumph out of death, her heavenly glorification after the example of her only begotten Son, Jesus Christ-truths that the liturgical books had frequently touched upon concisely and briefly.

21. Thus St. John Damascene, an outstanding herald of this traditional truth, spoke out with powerful eloquence when he compared the bodily Assumption of the loving Mother of God with her other prerogatives and privileges. "It was fitting that she, who had kept her virginity intact in childbirth, should keep her own body free from all corruption even after death. It was fitting that she, who had carried the Creator as a child at her breast, should dwell in the divine tabernacles. It was fitting that the spouse, whom the Father had taken to himself, should live in the divine mansions. It was fitting that she, who had seen her Son upon the cross and who had thereby received into her heart the sword of sorrow which she had escaped in the act of giving birth to him, should look upon him as he sits with the Father. It was fitting that God's Mother should possess what belongs to her Son, and that she should be honored by every creature as the Mother and as the handmaid of God."[17]

22. These words of St. John Damascene agree perfectly with what others have taught on this same subject. Statements no less clear and accurate are to be found in sermons delivered by Fathers of an earlier time or of the same period, particularly on the occasion of this feast. And so, to cite some other examples, St. Germanus of Constantinople considered the fact that the body of Mary, the virgin Mother of God, was incorrupt and had been taken up into heaven to be in keeping, not only with her divine motherhood, but also with the special holiness of her virginal body. "You are she who, as it is written, appears in beauty, and your virginal body is all holy, all chaste, entirely the dwelling place of God, so that it is henceforth completely exempt from dissolution into dust. Though still human, it is changed into the heavenly life of incorruptibility, truly living and glorious, undamaged and sharing in perfect life."[18] And another very ancient writer asserts: "As the most glorious Mother of Christ, our Savior and God and the giver of life and immortality, has been endowed with life by him, she has received an eternal incorruptibility of the body together with him who has raised her up from the tomb and has taken her up to himself in a way known only to him."[19]

23. When this liturgical feast was being celebrated ever more widely and with ever increasing devotion and piety, the bishops of the Church and its preachers in continually greater numbers considered it their duty openly and clearly to explain the mystery that the feast commemorates, and to explain how it is intimately connected with the other revealed truths.

24. Among the scholastic theologians there have not been lacking those who, wishing to inquire more profoundly into divinely revealed truths and desirous of showing the harmony that exists between what is termed the theological demonstration and the Catholic faith, have always considered it worthy of note that this privilege of the Virgin Mary's Assumption is in wonderful accord with those divine truths given us in Holy Scripture.

25. When they go on to explain this point, they adduce various proofs to throw light on this privilege of Mary. As the first element of these demonstrations, they insist upon the fact that, out of filial love for his mother, Jesus Christ has willed that she be assumed into heaven. They base the strength of their proofs on the incomparable dignity of her divine motherhood and of all those prerogatives which follow from it. These include her exalted holiness, entirely surpassing the sanctity of all men and of the angels, the intimate union of Mary with her Son, and the affection of preeminent love which the Son has for his most worthy Mother.

26. Often there are theologians and preachers who, following in the footsteps of the holy Fathers,[20] have been rather free in their use of events and expressions taken from Sacred Scripture to explain their belief in the Assumption. Thus, to mention only a few of the texts rather frequently cited in this fashion, some have employed the words of the psalmist: "Arise, O Lord, into your resting place: you and the ark, which you have sanctified"[21]; and have looked upon the Ark of the Covenant, built of incorruptible wood and placed in the Lord's temple, as a type of the most pure body of the Virgin Mary, preserved and exempt from all the corruption of the tomb and raised up to such glory in heaven. Treating of this subject, they also describe her as the Queen entering triumphantly into the royal halls of heaven and sitting at the right hand of the divine Redeemer.[22] Likewise they mention the Spouse of the Canticles "that goes up by the desert, as a pillar of smoke of aromatical spices, of myrrh and frankincense" to be crowned.[23] These are proposed as depicting that heavenly Queen and heavenly Spouse who has been lifted up to the courts of heaven with the divine Bridegroom.

27. Moreover, the scholastic Doctors have recognized the Assumption of the Virgin Mother of God as something signified, not only in various figures of the Old Testament, but also in that woman clothed with the sun whom John the Apostle contemplated on the Island of Patmos.[24] Similarly they have given special attention to these words of the New Testament: "Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you, blessed are you among women,"[25] since they saw, in the mystery of the Assumption, the fulfillment of that most perfect grace granted to the Blessed Virgin and the special blessing that countered the curse of Eve.

28. Thus, during the earliest period of scholastic theology, that most pious man, Amadeus, Bishop of Lausarme, held that the Virgin Mary's flesh had remained incorrupt-for it is wrong to believe that her body has seen corruption-because it was really united again to her soul and, together with it, crowned with great glory in the heavenly courts. "For she was full of grace and blessed among women. She alone merited to conceive the true God of true God, whom as a virgin, she brought forth, to whom as a virgin she gave milk, fondling him in her lap, and in all things she waited upon him with loving care."[26]

29. Among the holy writers who at that time employed statements and various images and analogies of Sacred Scripture to Illustrate and to confirm the doctrine of the Assumption, which was piously believed, the Evangelical Doctor, St. Anthony of Padua, holds a special place. On the feast day of the Assumption, while explaining the prophet's words: "I will glorify the place of my feet,"[27] he stated it as certain that the divine Redeemer had bedecked with supreme glory his most beloved Mother from whom he had received human flesh. He asserts that "you have here a clear statement that the Blessed Virgin has been assumed in her body, where was the place of the Lord's feet. Hence it is that the holy Psalmist writes: 'Arise, O Lord, into your resting place: you and the ark which you have sanctified."' And he asserts that, just as Jesus Christ has risen from the death over which he triumphed and has ascended to the right hand of the Father, so likewise the ark of his sanctification "has risen up, since on this day the Virgin Mother has been taken up to her heavenly dwelling."[28]

30. When, during the Middle Ages, scholastic theology was especially flourishing, St. Albert the Great who, to establish this teaching, had gathered together many proofs from Sacred Scripture, from the statements of older writers, and finally from the liturgy and from what is known as theological reasoning, concluded in this way: "From these proofs and authorities and from many others, it is manifest that the most blessed Mother of God has been assumed above the choirs of angels. And this we believe in every way to be true."[29] And, in a sermon which he delivered on the sacred day of the Blessed Virgin Mary's annunciation, explained the words "Hail, full of grace"-words used by the angel who addressed her-the Universal Doctor, comparing the Blessed Virgin with Eve, stated clearly and incisively that she was exempted from the fourfold curse that had been laid upon Eve.[30]

31. Following the footsteps of his distinguished teacher, the Angelic Doctor, despite the fact that he never dealt directly with this question, nevertheless, whenever he touched upon it, always held together with the Catholic Church, that Mary's body had been assumed into heaven along with her soul.[31]

32. Along with many others, the Seraphic Doctor held the same views. He considered it as entirely certain that, as God had preserved the most holy Virgin Mary from the violation of her virginal purity and integrity in conceiving and in childbirth, he would never have permitted her body to have been resolved into dust and ashes.[32] Explaining these words of Sacred Scripture: "Who is this that comes up from the desert, flowing with delights, leaning upon her beloved?"[33] and applying them in a kind of accommodated sense to the Blessed Virgin, he reasons thus: "From this we can see that she is there bodily...her blessedness would not have been complete unless she were there as a person. The soul is not a person, but the soul, joined to the body, is a person. It is manifest that she is there in soul and in body. Otherwise she would not possess her complete beatitude.[34]

33. In the fifteenth century, during a later period of scholastic theology, St. Bernardine of Siena collected and diligently evaluated all that the medieval theologians had said and taught on this question. He was not content with setting down the principal considerations which these writers of an earlier day had already expressed, but he added others of his own. The likeness between God's Mother and her divine Son, in the way of the nobility and dignity of body and of soul-a likeness that forbids us to think of the heavenly Queen as being separated from the heavenly Kingmakes it entirely imperative that Mary "should be only where Christ is."[35] Moreover, it is reasonable and fitting that not only the soul and body of a man, but also the soul and body of a woman should have obtained heavenly glory. Finally, since the Church has never looked for the bodily relics of the Blessed Virgin nor proposed them for the veneration of the people, we have a proof on the order of a sensible experience.[36]

34. The above-mentioned teachings of the holy Fathers and of the Doctors have been in common use during more recent times. Gathering together the testimonies of the Christians of earlier days, St. Robert Bellarmine exclaimed: "And who, I ask, could believe that the ark of holiness, the dwelling place of the Word of God, the temple of the Holy Spirit, could be reduced to ruin? My soul is filled with horror at the thought that this virginal flesh which had begotten God, had brought him into the world, had nourished and carried him, could have been turned into ashes or given over to be food for worms."[37]

35. In like manner St. Francis of Sales, after asserting that it is wrong to doubt that Jesus Christ has himself observed, in the most perfect way, the divine commandment by which children are ordered to honor their parents, asks this question: "What son would not bring his mother back to life and would not bring her into paradise after her death if he could?"[38] And St. Alphonsus writes that "Jesus did not wish to have the body of Mary corrupted after death, since it would have redounded to his own dishonor to have her virginal flesh, from which he himself had assumed flesh, reduced to dust."[39]

36. Once the mystery which is commemorated in this feast had been placed in its proper light, there were not lacking teachers who, instead of dealing with the theological reasonings that show why it is fitting and right to believe the bodily Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary into heaven, chose to focus their mind and attention on the faith of the Church itself, which is the Mystical Body of Christ without stain or wrinkle[40] and is called by the Apostle "the pillar and ground of truth."[41] Relying on this common faith, they considered the teaching opposed to the doctrine of our Lady's Assumption as temerarious, if not heretical. Thus, like not a few others, St. Peter Canisius, after he had declared that the very word "assumption" signifies the glorification, not only of the soul but also of the body, and that the Church has venerated and has solemnly celebrated this mystery of Mary's Assumption for many centuries, adds these words of warning: "This teaching has already been accepted for some centuries, it has been held as certain in the minds of the pious people, and it has been taught to the entire Church in such a way that those who deny that Mary's body has been assumed into heaven are not to be listened to patiently but are everywhere to be denounced as over-contentious or rash men, and as imbued with a spirit that is heretical rather than Catholic."[42]

37. At the same time the great Suarez was professing in the field of mariology the norm that "keeping in mind the standards of propriety, and when there is no contradiction or repugnance on the part of Scripture, the mysteries of grace which God has wrought in the Virgin must be measured, not by the ordinary laws, but by the divine omnipotence."[43] Supported by the common faith of the entire Church on the subject of the mystery of the Assumption, he could conclude that this mystery was to be believed with the same firmness of assent as that given to the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin. Thus he already held that such truths could be defined.

38. All these proofs and considerations of the holy Fathers and the theologians are based upon the Sacred Writings as their ultimate foundation. These set the loving Mother of God as it were before our very eyes as most intimately joined to her divine Son and as always sharing his lot. Consequently it seems impossible to think of her, the one who conceived Christ, brought him forth, nursed him with her milk, held him in her arms, and clasped him to her breast, as being apart from him in body, even though not in soul, after this earthly life. Since our Redeemer is the Son of Mary, he could not do otherwise, as the perfect observer of God's law, than to honor, not only his eternal Father, but also his most beloved Mother. And, since it was within his power to grant her this great honor, to preserve her from the corruption of the tomb, we must believe that he really acted in this way.

39. We must remember especially that, since the second century, the Virgin Mary has been designated by the holy Fathers as the new Eve, who, although subject to the new Adam, is most intimately associated with him in that struggle against the infernal foe which, as foretold in the protoevangelium,[44] would finally result in that most complete victory over the sin and death which are always mentioned together in the writings of the Apostle of the Gentiles.[45] Consequently, just as the glorious resurrection of Christ was an essential part and the final sign of this victory, so that struggle which was common to the Blessed Virgin and her divine Son should be brought to a close by the glorification of her virginal body, for the same Apostle says: "When this mortal thing hath put on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: Death is swallowed up in victory."[46]

40. Hence the revered Mother of God, from all eternity joined in a hidden way with Jesus Christ in one and the same decree of predestination,[47] immaculate in her conception, a most perfect virgin in her divine motherhood, the noble associate of the divine Redeemer who has won a complete triumph over sin and its consequences, finally obtained, as the supreme culmination of her privileges, that she should be preserved free from the corruption of the tomb and that, like her own Son, having overcome death, she might be taken up body and soul to the glory of heaven where, as Queen, she sits in splendor at the right hand of her Son, the immortal King of the Ages.[48]

41. Since the universal Church, within which dwells the Spirit of Truth who infallibly directs it toward an ever more perfect knowledge of the revealed truths, has expressed its own belief many times over the course of the centuries, and since the bishops of the entire world are almost unanimously petitioning that the truth of the bodily Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary into heaven should be defined as a dogma of divine and Catholic faith-this truth which is based on the Sacred Writings, which is thoroughly rooted in the minds of the faithful, which has been approved in ecclesiastical worship from the most remote times, which is completely in harmony with the other revealed truths, and which has been expounded and explained magnificently in the work, the science, and the wisdom of the theologians-we believe that the moment appointed in the plan of divine providence for the solemn proclamation of this outstanding privilege of the Virgin Mary has already arrived.

42. We, who have placed our pontificate under the special patronage of the most holy Virgin, to whom we have had recourse so often in times of grave trouble, we who have consecrated the entire human race to her Immaculate Heart in public ceremonies, and who have time and time again experienced her powerful protection, are confident that this solemn proclamation and definition of the Assumption will contribute in no small way to the advantage of human society, since it redounds to the glory of the Most Blessed Trinity, to which the Blessed Mother of God is bound by such singular bonds. It is to be hoped that all the faithful will be stirred up to a stronger piety toward their heavenly Mother, and that the souls of all those who glory in the Christian name may be moved by the desire of sharing in the unity of Jesus Christ's Mystical Body and of increasing their love for her who shows her motherly heart to all the members of this august body. And so we may hope that those who meditate upon the glorious example Mary offers us may be more and more convinced of the value of a human life entirely devoted to carrying out the heavenly Father's will and to bringing good to others. Thus, while the illusory teachings of materialism and the corruption of morals that follows from these teachings threaten to extinguish the light of virtue and to ruin the lives of men by exciting discord among them, in this magnificent way all may see clearly to what a lofty goal our bodies and souls are destined. Finally it is our hope that belief in Mary's bodily Assumption into heaven will make our belief in our own resurrection stronger and render it more effective.

43. We rejoice greatly that this solemn event falls, according to the design of God's providence, during this Holy Year, so that we are able, while the great Jubilee is being observed, to adorn the brow of God's Virgin Mother with this brilliant gem, and to leave a monument more enduring than bronze of our own most fervent love for the Mother of God.

44. For which reason, after we have poured forth prayers of supplication again and again to God, and have invoked the light of the Spirit of Truth, for the glory of Almighty God who has lavished his special affection upon the Virgin Mary, for the honor of her Son, the immortal King of the Ages and the Victor over sin and death, for the increase of the glory of that same august Mother, and for the joy and exultation of the entire Church; by the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ, of the Blessed Apostles Peter and Paul, and by our own authority, we pronounce, declare, and define it to be a divinely revealed dogma: that the Immaculate Mother of God, the ever Virgin Mary, having completed the course of her earthly life, was assumed body and soul into heavenly glory.

45. Hence if anyone, which God forbid, should dare willfully to deny or to call into doubt that which we have defined, let him know that he has fallen away completely from the divine and Catholic Faith.

46. In order that this, our definition of the bodily Assumption of the Virgin Mary into heaven may be brought to the attention of the universal Church, we desire that this, our Apostolic Letter, should stand for perpetual remembrance, commanding that written copies of it, or even printed copies, signed by the hand of any public notary and bearing the seal of a person constituted in ecclesiastical dignity, should be accorded by all men the same reception they would give to this present letter, were it tendered or shown.

47. It is forbidden to any man to change this, our declaration, pronouncement, and definition or, by rash attempt, to oppose and counter it. If any man should presume to make such an attempt, let him know that he will incur the wrath of Almighty God and of the Blessed Apostles Peter and Paul.

48. Given at Rome, at St. Peter's, in the year of the great Jubilee, 1950, on the first day of the month of November, on the Feast of All Saints, in the twelfth year of our pontificate.

I, PIUS, Bishop of the Catholic Church, have signed, so defining.

ENDNOTES

1. Rom 8:28.
# 2. Gal 4:4.
# 3. Cf. Hentrich-Von Moos, Petitiones de Assumptione Corporea B. Virginis Mariae in Caelum Definienda ad S. Sedem Delatae, 2 volumes (Vatican Polyglot Press, 1942).
# 4. Acts 20:28.
# 5. The Bull Ineffabilis Deus, in the Acta Pii IX, pars 1, Vol. 1, p. 615.
# 6. The Vatican Council, Constitution Dei filius, c. 4.
# 7. Jn 14:26.
# 8. Vatican Council, Constitution Pastor Aeternus, c. 4.
# 9. Ibid., Dei Filius, c. 3.
# 10. The encyclical Mediator Dei (Acta Apostolicae Sedis, XXXIX, 541).
# 11. Sacramentarium Gregorianum.
# 12. Menaei Totius Anni.
# 13. Lk 22:32.
# 14. Liber Pontificalis.
# 15. Ibid.
# 16. Responsa Nicolai Papae I ad Consulta Bulgarorum.
# 17. St. John Damascene, Encomium in Dormitionem Dei Genetricis Semperque Virginis Mariae, Hom. II, n. 14; cf. also ibid, n. 3.
# 18. St. Germanus of Constantinople, In Sanctae Dei Genetricis Dormitionem, Sermo I.
# 19. The Encomium in Dormitionem Sanctissimae Dominae Nostrate Deiparae Semperque Virginis Mariae, attributed to St. Modestus of Jerusalem, n. 14.
# 20. Cf. St. John Damascene, op. cit., Hom. II, n. 11; and also the Encomium attributed to St. Modestus.
# 21. Ps 131:8.
# 22. Ps 44:10-14ff.
# 23. Song 3:6; cf. also 4:8; 6:9.
# 24. Rv 12:1ff.
# 25. Lk 1:28.
# 26. Amadeus of Lausanne, De Beatae Virginis Obitu, Assumptione in Caelum Exaltatione ad Filii Dexteram.
# 27. Is 61:13.
# 28. St. Anthony of Padua, Sermones Dominicales et in Solemnitatibus, In Assumptione S. Mariae Virginis Sermo.
# 29. St. Albert the Great, Mariale, q. 132.
# 30. St. Albert the Great, Sermones de Sanctis, Sermo XV in Annuntiatione B. Mariae; cf. also Mariale, q. 132.
# 31. St. Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theol., Illa; q. 27, a. 1; q. 83, a. 5, ad 8; Expositio Salutationis Angelicae; In Symb. Apostolorum Expositio, a. S; In IV Sent., d. 12, q. 1, a. 3, sol. 3; d. 43, q. 1, a. 3, sol. 1, 2.
# 32. St. Bonaventure, De Nativitate B. Mariae Virginis, Sermo V.
# 33. Song 8:5.
# 34. St. Bonaventure, De Assumptione B. Mariae Virginis, Sermo 1.
# 35. St. Bernardine of Siena, In Assumptione B. Mariae Virginis, Sermo 11.
# 36. Ibid.
# 37. St. Robert Bellarmine, Conciones Habitae Lovanii, n. 40, De Assumption B. Mariae Virginis.
# 38. Oeuvres de St. Francois De Sales, sermon for the Feast of the Assumption.
# 39. St. Alphonsus Liguori, The Glories of Mary, Part 2, d. 1.
# 40. Eph 5:27.
# 41. I Tm 3:15.
# 42. St. Peter Canisius, De Maria Virgine.
# 43. Suarez, In Tertiam Partem D. Thomae, q. 27, a. 2, disp. 3, sec. 5, n. 31.
# 44. Gn 3:15.
# 45. Rm 5-6; I Cor. 15:21-26, 54-57.
# 46. I Cor 15:54.
# 47. The Bull Ineffabilis Deus, loc. cit., p. 599.
# 48. I Tm 1:17.

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