slug, not snail

Pax et bonum

Carp flopping on the fire

 

Even

then, I knew when

my father said the carp

flopping on the fire felt no pain,

he lied.

Pax et bonum

A limax inter zizania

Years ago when I was a reporter at a Catholic newspaper we received a copy of a book by a Rochester spiritual writer, Father Thomas Green, SJ. (God rest his soul.)

 

The book was Weeds Among the Wheat.

 

Being a wise guy - and not intending any slight against Father or his book - I quipped that if I ever wrote an autobiography it would be called A Slug Among Weeds.

 

The Slug part is a given. Slug suggests a slothful, lazy person, an idler. That's me.

 

It's also a lowly creature. Also me. Some wags might even call me slimy.

 

I think of St. Francis calling his own body Brother Ass. At least he was worthy of being a mammal.

 

When it comes to Weeds - I have an affection for them (as my neighbors might attest). I'm not one of those herbicidal maniacs out to massacre every non-grass plant on my lawn. I like dandelions, chicory, Queen Anne's Lace.

 

From a theological point of view, there are many folks who have been (and are) considered "weeds" by others - lepers, prostitutes, drunks, tax collectors, fishermen, shepherds, pro-lifers, and so on. So A Slug Among Weeds makes sense.

 

As for the sluggy haiku, well, I think many purists would not consider my 17-syllable scribbles proper haiku, although a few of my creations might flirt with the literary boundaries. I certainly would not submit them to haiku journals.

 

I'm simply playing with the words and images, having a grand old time, nurturing my Dada side and my inner slug.

 

And besides, it's better than sitting around obsessing over the perceived sins and faults of others.

 

I'm a slug, after all.

Pax et bonum

Edgar Allan Poe

Edgar
Allan Poe seemed
a very troubled soul.
But the tales he left us trouble
our dreams.

Pax et bonum

Peter and Judas

Peter

and Judas both
regretted betraying
Jesus, but Peter trusted God's
mercy.

Pax et bonum

A Coming Chastisement?

Normally I don't heed these dated doomsday type messages. But this one was sent to me by a priest I respect, so I found it worth reading and thinking about. At the very least, it raises issues worth discussing.

Will the pope and bishops save us from a coming chastisement?

Posted on August 13, 2019 by Fr. Regis Scanlon

Prologue:

Fifty years ago, if you told Catholics that “cardinals would oppose cardinals and bishops would oppose bishops” in the Catholic Church, few would believe it. Now is has come  true.  Bishops and cardinals questioning teachings held since the beginning of the Church. What’s even harder to believe, it was all predicted in two separate Marian apparitions. One is the famous Fatima apparition to the three shepherd children, Lucia, Francisco and Jacinta,  in 1917 at Fatima, Portugal and  the other an apparition to Sr. Agnes Sasagawa at Akita, Japan in 1973. Here is more background about Fatima and Akita

We can trust both apparitions. All the popes since Pius XII have accepted the message of Our Lady of Fatima. And the message to Sr. Agnes is the same as that which was told to the three children of Fatima. This was verified by Cardinal Ratzinger, the head of the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith, when he met with Bishop John Ito, the ordinary of Sr. Agnes. While Cardinal Ratzinger did not officially approve of the messages of Our Lady at Akita (it would have taken years to do so), “he did not object to the pastoral letter which  Bishop Ito  wrote in 1984” which stated about Akita that “It is the message of Fatima.” This is very important since Cardinal Ratzinger, the future Benedict XVI, knew the contents of the Fatima Message, including the famous Third Secret. If the Akita message was not the same as that of Fatima, the Cardinal would have objected to Bishop Ito’s publication of it as such.

Our Lady Fatima said that Catholics must pray the daily Rosary and do penance so that people will stop offending God.  Our Lady told little Jacinta that   “the sins of the flesh” were the most frequent sins committed by people leading them to eternal punishment. If God was offended by these sins in 1917, how much more is He offended today? In 1917, it’s fair to say that “the sins of the flesh” were considered deviant behavior, but today the situation is far worse, because those sins, including  pornography, masturbation, contraception, fornication, adultery and sodomy, are considered normal behavior. And, abortion, which is often done to cover up the “sins of the flesh,” was considered rare in 1917, but just from 1980 until today the global number of babies that have been aborted is 1.5 billion. The point here is that mankind has not only refused to repent of its “sins of the flesh,” it has even doubled down by expanding these sins in both kind and number exponentially.

Our Lady warned of horrible events if people didn’t repent of these sins. Bishops opposing bishops and cardinals opposing cardinals is only the beginning. At both Fatima and Akita the warning is:   If the chief rulers of the world and of the Church will not oppose these evils, God will allow a punishment in which “millions upon millions will die from one hour to another” and “wipe out a great part of humanity.”   This may seem harsh and extreme but it is merely the modern application of Scripture where St. Paul teaches in Rm. 1:18-32 and Eph. 5:3-6 that “the wrath of God” is being poured out upon those who practice “unnatural sexual relations” and “impurity.”

So, what’s coming for the world and the Church?

The Signs of the Times

While we should not recklessly seek signs from God, when convoking Vatican II in Humanae Salutis,   Pope St. John XXIII referred to Sacred Scripture by asserting that it is wise to be able to read the “signs of the times” (Mt. 16:3). After all, if God does offer a sign to us, there could be serious consequences if we do not recognize and heed it. So, what are the “signs of the times” for us in this second decade of the third millennium?

The day of the year, Oct. 13, mysteriously connects several events of the past and future.

First of all, on Oct. 13 1884 Pope Leo XIII received a locution after Holy Communion. He overheard in this locution a dialogue between God and Satan reminiscent of the dialogue between God and Satan found in the book of Job 1:6-12. During this dialogue, Pope Leo XIII heard what he believed to be the voice of Satan challenging God by saying that he can destroy the Church if he had 100 years and the power. God permitted Satan the 100 years and the power probably to manifest His own power and glory. Following this Pope Leo XIII composed the famous prayer to St. Michael the Archangel to defeat Satan.

Satan began his assault on Oct. 13, 1917 with the Bolshevik Revolution and atheistic Communism. We can pinpoint this date because years later, Leon Trotsky opened his “Prinkipo Letter” by saying that “The still isolated October Revolution now completes its fifteenth year” and he dated this Letter Oct. 13, 1932.

However, on the same day as the beginning of the Bolshevik Revolution, Oct. 13, 1917, Our Lady appeared at Fatima to warn the Church of Satan’s plan. She said that if the Church and leaders of nations did not oppose the sins of the flesh and the evils being spread by Russia, many nations would be annihilated and many souls would go to eternal punishment.  To convince people that her message could be trusted, God worked a sign at Fatima, the famous  the miracle of the sun.

Then, on Oct. 13, 1973, Our Lady appeared to Sr. Agnes Sasagawa. In the 1970’s, the rejection of traditional morality was rapidly becoming the norm. In 1973, abortion was approved as a constitutional “right” in the United States. Clearly, the warning of Fatima was being ignored by mankind. So once again Our Lady intervened to emphasize once again the necessity that God must be obeyed or there would be a punishment for the world. At this apparition the statue in the chapel, where Sr. Agnes prayed, shed tears  101 times  because of the great number of souls going to eternal punishment.  The message was to pray the rosary and do penance to prevent souls from going to eternal punishment.

The question is, why is the hierarchy of the Church not responding more forcefully to these clear warnings from God through our Lady especially since the number of people doing abortions and sins of the flesh is far from shrinking. 

Another question: if these “Oct. 13” markers are important, then shouldn’t the end of the 100-year period given to Satan to destroy the Church have occurred on Oct. 13, 2018?

I would answer that question this way. While this is speculative, I think it’s important to note that one of those years during this 100-year period was an Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy . This was a Roman Catholic period of prayer held from 8 December 2015, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, to 20 November 2016, the Feast of Christ the King to obtain God’s Mercy.   Pope Francis hoped that during this “extraordinary time of grace” “We will entrust the life of the Church, all humanity, and the entire cosmos to the Lordship of Christ, asking him to pour out his mercy upon us like the morning dew.”  In fact, while every Holy Year of Jubilee is related to obtaining God’s Mercy in some way or another, this was the only Holy Year which was explicitly labeled as an “Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy” since  Pope Boniface VIII inaugurated the Holy Years of Jubilee in the 1300’s. Clearly,  “it is ‘innovative’ in that there has never before been a Jubilee Year dedicated to ‘mercy.’ So, it is unprecedented.”

In other words, God has delayed the punishment for sins to extend His mercy. One interpretation is that the faithful were given a Year of Mercy added on to the 100 in which to repent of their sins before God will send a chastisement to stop the evil in the world. But this also means that Satan will have one more year – 101 years– to try to destroy the Church before God brings his challenge to a halt. 

That brings us to a new deadline for Satan’s 100 year of power — the approaching date of October 13, 2019.

While there are other good explanations of the 101 times that Our Lady’s statue shed tears which do not contradict the above interpretation, the above interpretation seems to be the most  probable meaning relating to Oct. 13 of why the statue of Our Lady in Akita shed tears 101 times during her apparitions to Sr. Agnes Sasagawa. Could it be that Our Lady shed tears for each year that sin would reign, and so many souls would go to eternal punishment?

According to this interpretation, if the leaders of the Church and nations have not opposed these “sins of the flesh” by Oct. 13, 2019, sometime after October 13, 2019, God will stop Satan with a chastisement which will bring mankind to its knees.  This is both good and bad news.  Even though our Lady’s message says that many will not survive the chastisement, those who do so will once again worship God as He intended and Our Lady’s Immaculate Heart will triumph and there will be peace. 

For now, we must pray the rosary and do penance so that the Pope and bishops will publicly and forcefully oppose these “sins of the flesh” by name which are so rampant throughout our society. If they do so, perhaps mankind will wake up and repent, and we will all escape a severe chastisement. 

 

Pax et bonum

Ugh

I don't feel at all well.

Pax et bonum

It's been a rough week

I'm still grieving over the death of Ruby.

It was so sudden - though looking back there were warnings. Still, we went from seemingly "normal" on Wednesday" to dead on Sunday.

I've lost pets before. I'd been there for their deaths. But this one hit home. It felt for a few days that something in me died.

I miss our walks. I miss her waiting for me to come home. I miss her lying down at my feet as I work or read. I miss her watching as I cook, anticipating a few samples. I miss taking her for rides, and maybe stopping for ice cream. I miss her looks letting me know she needed to go out. I miss seeing her bound through the yard. I miss wrestling with her over some toy. I miss her coming into our bedroom and lying next to the bed when I go to bed.

There was a harvest moon tonight. Because of clouds, we could not see it. But without her to walk one more time for the night, I wouldn't have seen it anyway.

I know I will get over it.

But right now I'm raw.

Harvest moon
obscured by the clouds
and my grief.

Pax et bonum

The Charlottesville Lie

Pax et bonum

Ruby, 9/8/19

My beloved dog Ruby had to be put to sleep today due to cancer. I will miss her.

She was my companion for daily walks, my playmate, and a source of joy and love.

a dog
is one way
God reminds us
we are loved



Pax et bonum

Abortion Fact Check Blog

I've started another blog - Abortion Fact Check.

The goal of the blog is to compile information related to abortion. Some of that information will be about the effects of abortion - mental, physical, social, and so on. It will also deal with legal issues and laws connected with abortion.

But another major purpose of it is to compile stories and information about pro-choice violence. Too often pro-lifers are painted by the media and pro-choice advocates as being violent. While that are individuals who commit violent acts or make threats claiming to be pro-life, they are almost immediately criticized or condemned by the vast majority of true pro-lifers. Moreover, statistics, police records, and reports show that pro-choicers are far more likely to commit acts of violence against pro-lifers.

My hope is this new blog will provide information to help defeat the Culture of Death.

There are only a few posts at this point. I will keep adding more. I hope people will point me to more information I can put there.

But I also hope always to act with charity when it comes to those who promote, provide, or procure abortions. They are our brothers and sisters, they are often hurting and need healing. The ideal result of pro-life efforts is to convert them.

I do believe "Love will end abortion." 

Pax et bonum

Pro-Choice Violence

I've contended repeatedly that pro-choicers are far more violent, and more likely to be violent, than are pro-lifers - despite the misinformation out there.

LifeNews has another report on a pro-choicer allegedly attacking a pro-lifer. That report contains a list of recent incidents against pro-lifers involving assaults, threats, property damage, vandalism, etc.

• Texas – Pregnancy Center Vandalized for Second Time This Year (Christian Post)
• Australia – Pro-Life MPs Receive Death Threats After Voting Against Radical Pro-Abortion Bill
• England – Christian Family’s Window Smashed after Displaying Pro-Life Poster (UK Metro)
• Illinois – Chicago Pregnancy Center’s Mobile Van Vandalized, Tires Slashed
• Washington, D.C. – Man who mocked, threatened to shoot pro-lifers at D.C. Planned Parenthood goes free (Live Action News)
• England – Scottish MP Receives Threats after Voting Against Pro-Abortion Bill (News Letter)
• North Carolina – Pregnancy Center Van Vandalized with Pro-Abortion Graffiti
• Wisconsin – Woman Arrested for Allegedly Vandalizing Pro-Life Display, Pushing Pro-Life Advocate (Created Equal)
• Texas – Anarchist Group Threatens to Dox Students who Join Conservative Pro-Life Groups (College Fix)
• Canada – Canadian Movie Theater Cancels “Unplanned” After Abortion Activists Threaten Violence, Catholic Herald Reports 2 Death Threats
• Canada – “Unplanned” Movie Premiers in Theaters Across Canada Despite Censorship and Pro-Abortion Threats
• North Carolina – Abortion Activists Arrested at City Council Meeting about Ordinance Restricting Free Speech (Charlotte Observer)
• Washington state – Video: Person Caught Stealing Crosses from Pro-Life Display (Students for Life)
• Ireland – Pro-Life Student Receives Death Threat after Writing Column Defending the Unborn (The Irish Catholic)
• Alabama – Pro-Life Sidewalk Counselors: Driver Tried to Hit Us outside Abortion Clinic (Live Action)
• Massachusetts – Abortion Activists Arrested After Throwing Urine on Pro-Life Speaker
• Illinois – Pro-Life College Student Receives Death Threats for Proposing Cuts to Abortion Funding (Fox News)
• Missouri – Abortion Activists Arrested at Protest Demanding Pro-Life Governor Keep Dangerous Abortion Clinic Open (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)
• Florida – Video: Student Wrecks Pro-Life Display at University of Central Florida (Created Equal)
• Alabama – Abortion Advocates Threatened to Rape Pro-Life Legislator’s Wife After He Voted for Abortion Ban
• Mississippi – Pro-Life Advocate Hit with Cane, Pushed at Pro-Abortion Rally
• Ohio – Abortion Activists Spit on Pro-Life Woman, Threaten Rape (Created Equal)
• Ohio – Abortion Activist: Pro-Life Advocates “Deserve To Be Shot” (Created Equal)
• Washington, D.C. – Student: Abortion Activists Pushed, Threatened Him at National Protest (Breitbart)
• New Jersey – Student Pro-Life Display Vandalized, Signs Stolen (The Signal, College of New Jersey)
• Pennsylvania – Catholic Church Vandalized with Pro-Abortion Slogan
• Abortion Activists Threaten to Kill, Rape Wife and Daughter of Pro-Life Writer Matt Walsh
• Michigan – Pro-Life Office Vandalized after Lawmakers Pass Bill to Protect Unborn Babies
• North Carolina – Student Arrested for Stealing Sign from Pro-Life Advocates on Campus
• Alabama — Abortion Activist Caught on Camera Assaulting Pro-Life Woman, Punches Her Repeatedly
• California – Video: Student Destroys Pro-Life Display on Campus (Students for Life)
• Washington state – Police Investigating Arson after Pro-Life Display Set on Fire on Campus
• North Carolina – Video: Student Charged after Punching Pro-Lifer Repeatedly in the Face
• Pennsylvania – State Lawmaker Berates Pro-Life Woman, Attempts to Doxx Pro-Life Teenage Girls
• California – FBI Arrests Man for Allegedly “Serious” Death Threats against Pro-Life Speaker Ben Shapiro, Family (TMZ)
• Alabama – Abortion Activist Throws Paint inside Alabama House as Lawmakers Vote to Ban Abortion
• Texas – University of Texas Austin Student Pro-Life Materials Stolen, Thrown in the Gutter (Students for Life)
• More Than 50 Pro-Life Student Displays Vandalized This School Year (Students for Life)
• Texas – Abortion Activists Try to Shut Down Pro-Life Speaker With Smokebomb. They Failed
• Washington state – Conservative Student: Man Vandalized Display, Tried to Hit Her With Car Twice (The College Fix)
• Kentucky – Elderly Pro-Life Woman Attacked Outside Abortion Facility, Thighbone Broken
• Illinois – Thief Steals Pro-Life Students’ Display at Southern Illinois University- Edwardsville (Students for Life)
• Texas – Police Investigate Threats Against Pro-Life Republican Lawmakers (Dallas News)
• Missouri – Pro-life Speaker Michael Knowles attacked during speech at University of Missouri-Kansas City (Campus Reform)
• California – Pro-Abortion Students Throw Pro-Life Display Into River, Protest Pro-Life Speech With Coat Hangers
• California – WATCH: Planned Parenthood Supporter Brutally Assaults Elderly Pro-Life Volunteer
• Massachusetts – Massachusetts Citizens for Life Receives Suspicious Package, Building Shut Down
• Michigan – Video: Abortion Activists Steal Crosses from Pro-Life Display at University of Michigan
• Massachusetts – Pro-lifer Punched in Face Outside Abortion Facility
• Connecticut – Pro-Life Students’ Display Vandalized at University of Connecticut
• Missouri – Items Stolen, Vandalized from Church Pro-Life Display (WDAF Kansas City)
• Minnesota – Campus Republican Club Catches Students on Video Tearing Down Pro-Life Fliers (College Fix)
• Australia – Video: Pro-Abortion Students Vandalize Pro-Life Campus Display (LifeChoice Australia)
• England – Police Investigate Violent Attacks on Pro-Life People at Prayer Vigils
• Ohio – Abortion Activists Harass Pro-Life Rape Survivor, Police Called
• Washington state – 3 Pro-Life Billboards Vandalized: “Your Life Drains Earth” (The Blaze)
• California – Abortion Activists Destroy, Steal UCLA Pro-Life Club Signs (Live Action)
• Virginia – Pregnancy Center Vandalized in Politically Motivated Attack
• Washington, D.C. – Abortion Activists Smash Pro-Life Sign, Hit Boy and His Dad With a Stick
• France – Abortion Activists Spraypaint “Blessed Abortion” on Catholic Church (National Catholic Register)
• Texas – Pro-Life Advocate Brutally Assaulted for Telling Man “Jesus Loves You”

Pax et bonum

Half Moon Like

 

Beneath the half moon

scrupulous boy tells his girl

just that he likes her

Pax et bonum

Time travel faux pas

Time travel faux pas -
future species prevented
by careless footstep

Pax et bonum

Fatima Shrine: Vietnamese Day

On Sunday, the Good Looking One and I visited the Fatima Shrine near Buffalo, where we saw some old friends.

But to our great pleasure, it was also a day for Vietnamese Catholics, who traveled from Canada, Cleveland, Syracuse, Rochester, Buffalo, and other places to celebrate Mass, to pray a Rosary (in Vietnamese) while processing, went to Confession, and more.

It was a special day for us.

Pax et bonum

Building a Cabin from Pallet Wood: Cheap Off Grid Homestead

Like the skill involved, the ingenuity, and the teamwork.




Pax et bonum

Scientist praying

After
years of delving
into the mysteries
of nature he humbly knelt and
thanked God.

Pax et bonum