In 1542, when Catherine was 20, she experienced the first of her ecstasies during Holy Week. These ecstasies were repeated every week for twelve years, in which she saw the sequence of events of Our Lord’s Passion. These would begin every Thursday at noon and would end at 4 p.m. the following day. The only time there was an interruption was when she took Holy Communion.

When she would come out of the ecstasies, her limbs were covered with wounds that looked like they had been produced by whips. She also possessed the Stigmata, which was located in her hands, feet, and side. She also had the wounds from the crown of thorns.

During the same year, on Easter Sunday, Our Lord appeared and took a ring off of His finger and placed it on the forefinger of Catherine’s left hand. This was meant to demonstrate the commemoration of their Mystical Espousal. Catherine described the ring as being made of gold and set with a large pointed diamond. The others only saw it as a swelling and reddening of the flesh.

In her later years, she counseled many people, which include three cardinals who each later became Pope. They were Pope Marcellus II, Pope Clement VIII, and Pope Leo XI.

On February 2, 1590, Catherine died after being ill for a lengthy time. She was canonized under Pope Benedict XIV in 1746 and her feast day is February 13th.

The Luminous mysteries were created by Fr. Preca in 1957. Preca came up with an idea to add the “Mysteries of Light” to the Rosary. These mysteries were originally published in a small pamphlet for the private use of his society members, which was called the Society of Christian Doctrine, also called MUSEUM (Magister, Utinam Sequatur Evangelium Universus Mundus!), meaning “Teacher, O that the whole world would follow the Gospel!” He also stated that it was useful to meditate on the entire life of Christ, and that the Rosary was lacking this public ministry of the Lord.

Before Preca added the Luminous mysteries to the Rosary, he created the  The Society of Christian Doctrine is a group of lay people who dedicate themselves to the apostolate of catechesis, lead a simple evangelical lifestyle, commit themselves to a life of prayer using short prayers or meditations at regular intervals during the day, teach the young catechesis for an hour everyday, which is then followed by a group meeting for personal permanent formation.

On October 16th, 2002, John Paul II introduced the Luminous Mysteries of the Rosary in an Apostolic Letter called Rosarium Virginis Mariae (Rosary of the Virgin Mary). It was from “the Supreme Pontiff John Paul II to the Bishops, Clergy and Faithful on the Most Holy Rosary.”

This document states:

“Perhaps too, there are some who fear that the Rosary is somehow unecumenical because of its distinctly Marian character. Yet the Rosary clearly belongs to the kind of veneration of the Mother of God described by the Council: a devotion directed to the Christological centre of the Christian faith, in such a way that “when the Mother is honoured, the Son … is duly known, loved and glorified”. If properly revitalized, the Rosary is an aid and certainly not a hindrance to ecumenism!”

“I believe, however, that to bring out fully the Christological depth of the Rosary it would be suitable to make an addition to the traditional pattern which, while left to the freedom of individuals and communities, could broaden it to include the mysteries of Christ’s public ministry between his Baptism and his Passion.”

“It could be said that each mystery of the Rosary, carefully meditated, sheds light on the mystery of man.”

“In effect, the Rosary is simply a method of contemplation. As a method, it serves as a means to an end and cannot become an end in itself. All the same, as the fruit of centuries of experience, this method should not be undervalued. In its favour one could cite the experience of countless Saints. This is not to say, however, that the method cannot be improved. Such is the intent of the addition of the new series of mysteria lucis to the overall cycle of mysteries and of the few suggestions which I am proposing in this Letter regarding its manner of recitation. These suggestions, while respecting the well-established structure of this prayer, are intended to help the faithful to understand it in the richness of its symbolism and in harmony with the demands of daily life. Otherwise there is a risk that the Rosary would not only fail to produce the intended spiritual effects, but even that the beads, with which it is usually said, could come to be regarded as some kind of amulet or magic object, thereby radically distorting their meaning and function.”

NOTE: Traditionalist Catholics do not pray the Luminous Mysteries. The sites linked below may not be traditionalist sites, but they provide some basic information about Fr. George Preca and the encyclical of John Paul II.

John Paul II, encyclical, Rosary of the Virgin Mary.

Fr. George Preca, Origin of the Mysteries of Light.

Fr. George Preca, Biography I, Biography II, Wikipedia.

If Betty Crocker was looking for a sure recipe for the dismantling of traditional Catholic Social Teaching, she need look no further than Vatican II and post-conciliar documents. The City of Man gorges itself, being liberated from the Magisterium. The City of God, the social Kingship of Christ, and the dominion of our Queen Mother’s Immaculate Heart end up with little more than crumbs.

On Catholic Constitution s of States, Pope Leo XIII

The Origin of Civil Power, Pope Leo XIII

On Catholic Citizens, Pope Leo XIII

On Capital and Labor, Pope Leo XIII

On Reconstruction of Social Order, Pope Pius XI

“But what do we mean by returning to the normal? The best way of conveying to the reader what we mean is by telling him why modern society is to be regarded as abnormal. It is abnormal because material activities are overdeveloped, whilst spiritual ones carry on a precarious existence, because there is a lack of balance between the industrial and agricultural sides of society, because in a hundred directions personal and human ties are dissolved and replaced by competition or the impersonal activities of the State.”

Means and Ends
Arthur Penty

Lest we sound cynical, let us explain.

Newspapers are flooded with op-eds and letters to the editor taking sides over a corporation declaring the politically polytheist “Happy Holidays” to be the appropriate greeting for their “associates” when speaking to “guests.”

Talk radio is overwhelmed with callers concerned about the persecution their children endure from the politically polytheistic State-controlled education establishment functioning in loco parentis.

Pastors around the country thunder at their finest during the “Chreaster Season.” And why not? Target marketing for new blood prone to attend only on Christmas and Easter works wonders for market-driven American Christianity. Get those who are more familiar with Pastor Pillow and Sister Sheets over at the Bedside Assembly than they are with Sacred Scripture and the liturgical calendar! If you fail to rile them up enough to secure them during the Christmas roundup, then wait for Easter. Decry the eggs, the games, the imagery of the sex-addict bunny and the Romanist pageantry, but make sure to stop at Wal-Mart to buy Easter accessories before picking up Johnny Q. and Sally Sue from Government School.

This description is not at all odd, unless you happen to be a sold-out Chreaster or the masters of the cash crop. Even many of them would admit (and all the puppeteers know!) this to be accurate. Unfortunately, they would prefer calling committees or putting together a rally with pithy slogans, believing the problem to be that of lack of order and coordination. It is also without any surprise that such notions, being pushed most heavily by those especially interested in the golden calf, consolidate even more power to the Mammonites. So goes the consumerist calendar for “God’s country.”

Still, even with full recognition of the obvious absurdities parading around as righteous crusades for the heart and soul of American culture, TMC doesn’t wish to balk from the sidelines. In fact, we aren’t in any way opposed to sincere and adequately informed efforts to “keep Christ in Christmas.” A few of our members have even protested before State-schools, signs in hand bearing that very slogan. Some have even had police confront them during such demonstrations, attempting to “establish” a presence of those given the task by the State to play bodyguard for the State’s interests, and these being the brainwashing and de-Christianization of the kids entrusted to their not-so-sacred trust. Suffice it to say that we aren’t so much against the effort as we are against the special interests, corporate whoredom and partisan propaganda. Ah, and lest we forget, America’s market-driven “church.”

So in typical TMC fashion we have decided to back a movement that not only stands out from the blathering Chreaster mob but also broadens our targets so as to include the bulk of those identified as American Christians. It is all very simple and involves adding the historical and religious significance of the holiday being named in honor of the Mass of Christ. This doesn’t diminish Christ in the slightest, but refuses to ignore the origin and historical meaning of the name and the holiday it identifies. This moves the dividing line to where it properly belongs: between the Church and those “outside,” Protestants not being a seasonal exception.

Please, then, visit the links below. Educate yourself. Refuse to be tools to Mammon and his minions. And oppose the coup d’etat of the holiday by Chreasters, American Christians and their “culture warrior” propagandists.

“Keep the Mass in Christmas” Facebook Group

Christmas: History, traditions, etc. from New Advent

Here is an excerpt from “Providence College’s Vendetta Against Western Civilization”:

“[Certain Leftists from Providence College, a once Catholic college] are nothing more than thugs who wish to deprive conservative students of the ability to participate in political discourse. It is ridiculously amazing that they dare claim that students would be put in a state of fear if conservative students were permitted to voice their political opinions, and it is absolutely incredible that the leftists have the audacity to claim that YWC’s mission is adverse to the mission of the college.” (words in brackets added by TMC editor)

Note from TMC Editor: We find it quite interesting that while those against YWC cited the organization’s belief that Westerners “have the self-evident right and duty to work for the survival of our own culture and civilization.” This is extraordinary if for no other reason than the fact that the Left was assuming the self-evident right for their own ideological survival against the reconstructionist Right. In sum, the Left assumes that it is their right and duty to work not only towards the deconstruction of Western Civilization, but also towards the preservation of the civilization that they are their fellow deconstructionists adhere to and advocate. Welcome to Hypocrisy 101.

Writer’s Note:

As many may well know, the church is in a serious crisis of faith. Some wish to bury their heads in the sand and act as if nothing were wrong. Others wish to promulgate error and claim that the church must evolve with the modern world, commonly referred to this as “living tradition.”  As for the rest of us, we are left wondering why this happened and how are we to respond.

I feel that we can learn allot from the lives of the Saints, many of whom lived in similar times. This may be especially true of St. Ignatius of Loyola. This great saint faced the protestant revolution and was a key figure in countering its effects. During this time one-third of Europe had been overtaken by protestant heresy, there was mass corruption throughout the clergy, and many religious orders had become worldly in their pursuits.

The conflict was far more “out in the open” than it is today.  Many souls were martyred and civil war raged. However, one could say that the struggle we face is far worse if only because this revolution is subtle.

Contrary to what many may thing, this makes the enemy far more deadly. Our defenses have slowly been weakened. This has made it very easy for the enemy to sneak in. A perversion here, a compromise there, all adding up like tiny drops of poison in the well.

Nevertheless, while Ignatius lived in a period of grave sin, there was no lack of incredible saints. So we must ask ourselves: How did he and the others respond to the difficulties they faced? They responded by bringing the church back to the basic fundamental truths of the Faith with unsurpassed saintly zeal.

There is a point in the spiritual exercises where St. Ignatius calls us to envision a battlefield. On one side there is the army of Christ. On the other side of the battlefield there is the army of Satan. St. Ignatius then asks us to choose which side we are on.

This is a stunning portrayal of the world as it is today! It forces us to recognize that choice regarding “sides” is inevitable. There is a war going on! It has been going on since the beginning. And the weapons of our warfare are little different than they were then.

God has given us three weapons against the enemy. The weapons are the true presence of Christ in the Eucharist, the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mother, and the Pope, the vicar of Christ. St. Ignatius entered the battlefield bearing these three weapons of truth, as all of us must if we wish to win this war. But our souls must first be properly ordered before marching into the battle.

I wish to offer three means by which we may order our souls if we wish to have true Catholic reform in our time. I hope the following prayers and meditations will aid you in your fight against the world, the flesh, and the devil.

Surrendering to God’s Will:

“Take, O Lord, and receive my entire liberty, my memory, my understanding and my whole will. All that I am and all that I possess you have given me: I surrender it all to you to be disposed of according to your will. Give me only your love and your grace; with these I will be rich enough, and will desire nothing more.”  – St. Ignatius of Loyola

While this may be easier said than done, it is essential to the spiritual life. If you are going to fight for the army of Christ, you have to know your orders and obey them with your entire heart. Call out to God! He will answer.

I suggest, as do the other Crusaders, attending Eucharistic Adoration as often as possible. Being in the True Presence of Christ body, blood, soul, and divinity will help you in discerning His will for you. He is waiting for you in the monstrance and in the tabernacle. Meet him there.

Know also that you must break through the chains of the ego before your soul can take flight. And when you do, it will soar higher than you could ever imagine.

Through the spiritual exercises, prayer, penance, and the sacraments your ego will fall and your self will slowly fade into God. Once you are able to surrender to his will you will be sent on your mission as a soldier of God, in union with Him and His will.

Devotion to the Blessed Mother:

“St. Ignatius, loyal knight of Our Lady, pray for us” – The Litany of St. Ignatius of Loyola

When St. Ignatius placed his sword at the feet of Our Lady, he became a true knight of the Queen of Heaven. And how is a knight to be judged but by his loyalty and obedience to his queen?  St. Augustine said that as Christ was formed in the virgin’s womb, we must also be formed in her womb. Devotion to her has formed the greatest of saints. She is our mother, our queen and our advocate, she will convert the world and her Immaculate Heart will triumph!

Trust in the Blessed Mother and she will not fail in bringing you closer to her son our Lord Jesus Christ.  Meditation on her purity, her obedience, and her love will soften your heart so that you may truly follow Christ.

The Rosary is the second most powerful prayer in our arsenal, the first being the mass. Pray the Rosary every day, it has converted entire nations and will not fail to convert you and those around you.

Catholic Charity:

“Lord, teach me to be generous. Teach me to serve you as you deserve; to give and not to count the cost, to fight and not to heed the wounds, to toil and not to seek for rest, to labor and not to ask for reward save that of knowing that I do your will. ,” – St. Ignatius of Loyola

We are taught to love our neighbor as our selves through our love of God. We are to love God above all things, and from that love will spring forth true love of neighbor and we will see Christ in all souls. Our economic lives should be lives of charity, both in the political and private spheres.  As the Popes have told us, Catholics ought to push for economic policies which aid the poor and working class. As well as social policies which protect the lowest members of society, especially the unborn. Always come as a servant, and if you cannot give materially, then give your prayers and your time.

Pray also for the poor souls in purgatory, pray for the Holy Father and his intentions, and most of all pray for the conversion of sinners. Through love and charity we will further the Social Kingship of Christ throughout the world.

This is the method of St. Ignatius of Loyola, a true servant of God and model of the Christian life.  These are the nuts and bolts of true Catholic reform. These are the means by which we will pass through this terrible crisis in both Church and human history.

Do not fear do not despair no matter how dark the road may seem, for God is with us through every trial and every triumph.

St. Ignatius of Loyola; Pray for us.

It was but only a few days ago that I first read of your unrest. The state of California (in a way much like the state of Michigan where I live) has failed to make good on various “promises” of education loans and grants. Adding insult to injury, the state colleges and universities you attend have increased tuition costs, with some adding an extra 30% to already overwhelming fees that promise to plague you with debt for years to come. As I said before, adding insult to injury.

Were this not enough, both state leaders and their puppets in the media have decried the way many of you have chosen to respond as irresponsible and even dangerous. They are “terrified” and “confused” about why many of you would resort to direct action. Some continue to insist that traditional means of action could suffice, though we all know this to be a lie. The day and age of ideas and discussion without radical action is long gone. You know this, and so do they.

There may once have been a time when sitting down with the powers that be for a cordial discussion about possible solutions to problems they created may have been possible or even ideal. Indirect action, after all, has worked at various times in human history. Representatives of one camp sitting down and speaking with representatives of another is nothing new. But as many of you are well aware, these are not ordinary times. Likewise, as the saying goes, extraordinary times may often call for what ordinary times would consider extraordinary measures.

The establishment, regardless of their being on the Right or the Left, is quite familiar with this old maxim. In fact, our leaders, both national and state, have used this rationale in defense of initiatives that would, in an otherwise ordinary time, be considered extraordinary. The “War on Terror,” the “War on Drugs,” the “Patriot Act,” and other oddly named concoctions of those suggesting our times require extraordinary measures should give you an idea about how those in power use such reasoning to their political or economic advantage.

What amazes me, and what ought to offend any rational soul, is how those in control of political and economic power insist that they have a monopoly on extraordinary measures. They decry any and all who would resort to direct action during extraordinary times as rebels, radicals and extremists. Tear apart the Bill of Rights? No problem, so long as they are the ones doing so. Take direct action against a tyrannical establishment trampling the young, the poor and the underprivileged middle-class? Anathema!

All of this being said, keep up the good fight. Do not fear the wicked establishment. Do not let their goons in the media intimidate you with their crude and grossly one-sided “reporting.” Realize that you are not alone, and that students around the country are encouraged by your bravery. And, last but not least, never stop reminding your teachers and parents that it was they who taught you that “actions speak louder than words.” Yes, my friends, they do.

From the frontlines of the Michigan crisis,
Alphonsus Machabeus

Much to my surprise, the documentary was much, much, much better than I anticipated. Interviews with low-ranking officers (or lackeys) who ended up taking the heat for high-level treachery, high-ranking members who were misled as to the condition of the prison or the treatment of its prisoners, and civilian investigators who were there throughout the entire duration, dazed and confused as to exactly where and when military intelligence joined the Dark Side. Each with a story to tell, each with pictures to prove it.

Chronicling the events as they are timestamped in the pictures, the viewer watches the downward spiral into depravity become a torrent of mind-numbing madness and perversion. “But we were doing what we were told,” many would say. “At least we didn’t shoot anyone or cut their head off,” another may quip. The old “Officer, I know my reckless driving is almost without rival, but I think the guy in front of me was going 2 mph faster than I was.” The fact that excuses and rationalizations such as these were uttered from the “best and brightest” our the “world’s last superpower and last remaining hope for freedom” is an embarrassment of global proportions.

At one point during the film one of those being interviewed was upset that President Bush was required to apologize to the world for the misdeeds done at Abu Ghraib. But does anyone, for even one second, believe the administration knew nothing of what was going on. With “ghosts” like CIA, FBI, and foreign military and intelligence agencies using the same tactics (though with much less discretion and far fewer consequences) it is hard to believe that it was anything other than standard operating procedures. Most interesting may be the lack of any righteous indignation, no major players let go on account of their incompetent oversight or tyrannical tactics romping around under the guise of military intelligence. In actuality, many of these creeps were given advancement! Rewarding sexual depravity with a passing glance is criminal. Promoting to higher positions of power those guilty of concocting these torture procedures, the rationale for their continued use, and the justification for increased measures as both the soldiers and the cell-mates would become relatively accustomed to the wicked behavior formerly done, seeing no moral end to this site of fiat commands, unexplained memos, and never-seen-again “ghosts” who were “never there” but “always present.”

In the end, top dogs in the White House, Pentagon and military-industrial complex were let off the hook. As for the young and the restless? They had a decent sum of jail time ahead of them. But someone had to make up for the time not served by the rich and the heinous, right?

Standard Operating Procedure is an excellent movie for all who wish to see just how dangerous the US military has become, being unable to recognize an unlawful order from an unlawful order, and playing the “Saddam was worse than this” card at every turn.

If President Obama thought it best to wave an investigation into the Bush regime for crimes against the Constitution, insisting that he wish to look ahead rather than focus on what’s behind, then this video reassured the American public that such an investigation would not be seen as reckless or time-consuming. Start with the truth, and work your way on from there. Sound fair, Imperial America?

Watch trailer here: SOP
Purchase DVD and site: SOP DVD and Site

The confusion was a mere loss in translation. Simple enough, really. If G.K. Chesterton, Hilaire Belloc, Arthur Penty, Fr. Vincent McNacc and the other encyclical purists couldn’t possibly have understood the claims of classical liberal apologists. Certainly, without any room for doubt, they would have embraced the individualist, autonomous, materialistic, and morbidly Utopian world and life view of the so-called libertarians. Certainly, without any doubt.

Lest the reader be unaware of the controversy, many Catholics advocating classical liberalism are making the claim that their view of the political economy is most in harmony with Catholic Social Teaching, and strikingly similar to the concepts held by those historically referred to as Distributivists. Turns out, everyone was wrong to believe that “ChesterBelloc” was an entity at enmity with the principles and ideal society envisioned by men like Ludwig von Mises, Murray Rothbard, Ayn Rand, and Barry Goldwater.

Well, of course there are those few exceptions. Let’s not mind that  wild-eyed Roman Catholic part that believed the teachings of the Church to be foundational and central to their philosophies regarding God, man, salvation history and the political economy. Let’s ignore those passages (or entire books) coming off as radically and vehemently opposed to the economics of the Reformation and the Enlightenment. Let’s even wink at the fact that their political foes were just as demonstrably absolutist in their condemnation of tenets at the radix of Catholic Social Teaching. as the Distributists were in condemning feminism and capitalism.Yes, we must certainly turn a blind eye to these not-so-nonchalant difficulties.

All of this aside, the Austrian School and Distributism appear virtually identical. Which, come to think of it, isn’t saying much. In fact, it only declared the obvious: If Distributism ceases being Distributism and begins embracing classical liberalism in its entirety, there would be little to no room by which to distinguish between the two schools of thought.

Let me grant that I have no doubt that the Austrian Catholic apologists have their ducks in a row, coming prepared for cynics like me. The Achilles heel  of the matter is the libertarians denial of the competency, authority and jurisdiction over the supposedly secular science of the political economy. Say as much gives the power to invoke the right of line-item-veto. Cherry-pick this… toss that… play a little word revision here… and a little historical revisionism there… and there you have it! You now have the Church advocating the very thing She has, in a manner most strange, attacked and even condemned!

Difficulties become all the more peculiar as those entertaining these novel notions turn out being people otherwise deemed traditionalist in their liturgical orientation. Latin Mass Catholics or those advocating the New Liturgical Movement would seem to dominate this school of wonder. So while infiltrating places the likes of both the Mises Institute and Fisheaters.com may seem a difficult task to overcome, these folks feel right at home in either company. A paradox, that great tool and fascination of the Distributists, but certainly not one that would have have crossed their minds, much less crossed from fingers to the typewriter keys.

When all is said and done, regardless of how much the Catholic libertarian may wish to illustrate how their views are not only in harmony with Catholic Social Teaching but also with their age-old enemy Distributism, they cannot but admit that this may only be accomplished with great revision, contortion and selectivity on their part. Still more, they beg the question as to whether or not the two are compatible on the must basic, fundamental level of presupposition. One presupposing the political economy to be a mere science, the other presupposing a humane economy formed to best facilitate the advancement of the social Kingship of Christ. As a dear friend recently put it, Catholic Social Teaching advocates an “Economy of Salvation,” and I add that praxeology just can’t calculate this into its formulations.

All have gone home, the last word has been spoken, the dust will settle to the ground, and the two schools will remain no closer to a ceasefire than when the nonsense first began. And after all of this…