BREAKING!!! June 18, 2021: Our Prayers Have Been Heard!!! The USCCB just had their Spring General Assembly, and they enthusiastically agreed to "start a fire" of "Eucharistic Revival" nationwide!!! Read about this in this article here: 'Eucharistic Revival' to begin in 2022: 'We want to start a fire, not a program' One simply cannot dismiss the fact that this announcement comes just as we were entering the "Summer Solstice." Recall that it was on the Winter Solstice, December 21, 2020 (read about this below), that God seemed to be pointing to all of this with the "Christmas Star." One could never dream of a greater outcome to our Holy Spirit inspired efforts to "go hard after His Presence," as we discerned that a movement of restoring Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament is the spiritual therapeutic for cleansing our country of demonic influence and opening the floodgates of grace that will heal our land ... bringing our country back to the spiritual health of being One Nation Under God once again. (You can share this from the article HERE) It Began on August 5, 2019 I hunger for souls. So, I can't begin to describe how devastating it was (and is) for me to have read an August 5, 2019 Pew Research report that found that 70% of self-described Catholics DO NOT believe that, at Mass, the bread and wine become the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ, that it is merely "symbolic." I thought to myself, "How much longer can the bishops ignore this CRISIS?!" Bishop Robert Barron (who I knew in seminary) reacted very strongly (see below), upon hearing of this Pew Research report, while few other bishops seemed to be alarmed. Here he talks about this 70% who no longer believe in the Real Presence, and that this should be a "wake up call" for all of us, as he points to poor catechesis. "This should be a wake-up call to all of us in the Church-priests, bishops, religious, laypeople, catechists, parents, everyone-that we need to pick up our game when it comes to communicating even the most basic doctrines of the Church." -Bishop Barron Bishop Barron made this video the day after the Pew Research report appeared (Please watch, just 6 minutes in length): I don't disagree with Bishop Barron's take on "poor catechesis." However, I have always held that we cannot "force feed" catechesis. Souls must, first, have a "hunger" for catechesis. If the vast majority of Catholics have a nonchalant attitude toward the Source and Summit of our faith, where does their inspiration and motivation for learning come from? Therefore, I believe the lack of supernatural faith to be the very root of the problem. Not only has this led to a loss of belief in the Real Presence, but this same lack of supernatural faith is fueling a pandemic of "sins of the flesh" across the globe. I thought to myself, "Did God allow this chastisement as a way to 'shake us up' (in particular, the bishops) so we do the necessary work to restore the supernatural faith and flatten the curve of the pandemic of sins of the flesh?" January 31, Bosco's Two Pillars  We knew it was time to do all we could to bring about a "Eucharistic Revival." As 2020 was barely underway, we put a call out on January 16 for all pro-lifers to join together on this Feast of St. John Bosco (January 31), as we brought "Bosco's Two Pillars" of the Most Holy Eucharist and the Blessed Virgin Mary to the sidewalks surrounding the Wisconsin State Capitol building. If you read about St. John Bosco's famous dream of the "Two Pillars" (Here), we see what is necessary to recover from the "danger and confusion." Here is St. John Bosco's explanation of the dream: The enemies' ships are the persecutions; they prepare very serious troubles for the Church. What has taken place so far is almost nothing compared with what will occur. Her enemies are the ships which make an attempt to sink the flag ship, if they can. There remain only two means to save ourselves in the midst of so much danger and confusion. Devotion to Mary Immaculate, frequent Confession and Communion. Little did we know that January 31 would mark the day our President called for a travel ban from China in an effort to slow the spread of a corona virus. This "drastic move" on this date was when the nation first awakened to the gravity of this situation.  March 9, St. Joseph's Protection & ProvisionIt was not long after this that we called upon St. Joseph, along with Jesus and Mary to provide supernatural protection and provision. With growing angst about the virus occurring in the nation, we put out a call for all to pray a "54 Day Three Hearts Novena."
Low and behold, Day 1 (March 9) of "54 Day Three Hearts Novena" was given the name "Black Monday," as the stock market dropped over 7,350 points over that week. And, later that year, the pope proclaimed a "Year of St. Joseph."  May 1st, The Great ConvergenceThe 54th day of our "Three Hearts" novena, ended up being a "great convergence" as it was "coincidentally" a First Friday (Sacred Heart) and the Feast of St. Joseph the Worker (Chaste Heart) and then, out of the clear blue, news broke that the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops announced that they chose to join Canada in a Re-Consecration of America to Mary, Mother of the Church (Immaculate Heart) on May 1. This was the first of many "God-incidences" (signal graces) that confirmed our prayers were pleasing God. During May (the month of Mary), we gathered with 100s to do daily Rosary Processions around the Wisconsin State Capitol in Madison, WI. May 25, America Set Ablaze George Floyd was killed in, what looked to be, police brutality. Incited by corrupt politicians and the corrupt Main Stream Media, all of America was charged with "systematic racism," and the streets of America were, literally, set ablaze with some of the worst domestic terrorism since the 1960s.  June 14, Under God Procession With the Feast of Corpus Christi (June 14) approaching, we knew our nation was losing its way, and it was time to bring Our Lord - The Prince of Peace - into the same streets to push out the darkness with the Light of Christ. "Coincidentally," as patriotism was under assault by the "woke" Left, the Feast of Corpus Christi landed on "Flag Day." And so, we brought 100s of flags for our procession. Also, "coincidentally," we discovered this was a special anniversary for our nation. On June 14, 1954, with the appeal of the amazing Knights of Columbus, President Dwight Eisenhower signed an order adding words 'under God' to the Pledge of Allegiance. And so, this Eucharistic Procession was dubbed the "Under God Procession." As many as 1000 souls joined us for this "Under God Procession" on June 14, 2020. July 1, America Needs Deliverance Church Pop posted an article from exorcist, Msgr. Stephen Rosetti, that sounded an enormous alarm bell: "AMERICA NEEDS DELIVERANCE!"
 July 2, "Let Freedom Ring" 40-Days for Freedom from the Devil Just one day after the above article was published, Fr. Bill Peckman reached out to me with "something he received" while on his recent weeklong retreat. From here, he went on to describe what is now referred to as, "Let Freedom Ring: A 40 Day Tactical Training for Freedom from the Devil." Yes, you read that correctly ... just as a prominent exorcist was putting out a call for America to be delivered from demonic influence, Our Lord had been speaking to Fr. Peckman's heart, during his retreat, on just the way to face this challenge. We ended up launching this 40-day challenge from July 7 to August 15. With just 3 days' notice, over 75,000 joined ranks in this very powerful prayer campaign. How would God answer this 40 days of fervent prayer for freedom from the devil? August 15, Unite Our Nation Eucharistic Processions Begin On Day 40 (August 15) of the 40-day "Let Freedom Ring" prayer campaign, the first (the inspiration) of many nationwide Eucharistic processions occurred. On August 15, the Feast of the Assumption, 3,000 faith-filled Catholics, along with Archbishop Listecki and Bishop Hying, processed our Eucharistic Lord and prayed a "Patriotic Rosary" through the "riot ravaged" streets of Madison, WI to the State Capitol. Law enforcement told us that this event was larger than any of the violent protests that occurred up until then. Please watch this short AMAZING video: This powerful spiritual event, at the Wisconsin State Capitol in Madison, WI, went on to inspire Eucharistic processions nationwide. See this website: UniteOurNation.net. Going back to the Garden of Eden, the serpent has always looked to get us "out" from being "under God," and to be our own gods. In America, many forces have worked to pull all of us out from "under God," over the past 50+ years. It was time for us get up and get out, with the tools God has revealed to us, to bless the ground with our faith and prayers and get our beloved country "under God" once again! As Eucharistic processions increased, violence on our streets decreased. Except for one last lurch by Satan in Kenosha, WI, all of the streets of America began to return to their former peaceful tendency.  December 21, The Christmas Star Confirms Christ's Desire for Us to Be in His Presence As the rage and fear-filled 2020 year was coming to an end, many looked forward, with great hope, as the celebration of the birth of our Savior approached. This is a time when we see how they came to Bethlehem (translated, the House of Bread) to "Adore Him." Just days before Christmas, we were given what many were calling a "Christmas Star" on December 21, which was also the Winter Solstice ... the darkest day of the year. What was God telling us? Many saw it as a sign that said, "Continue to hope in the light of Christ, it is always darkest before the dawn." This "Christmas Star" celestial event had not occurred for nearly 800 years. This made many, including myself, ask, "Did something significant happen the last time this Christmas Star appeared? Could God be telling us something by pointing to this 'significant event,' 800 years ago?" So, what was the significant event in 1226, the last time the Christmas Star appeared? This is amazing!! Are you ready for this?! The significant event in 1226, the last time this celestial event occurred, was the Roman Catholic practice of public adoration of the Blessed Sacrament outside of Mass spreads from monasteries to parishes (See HERE). Literally, this was the year Eucharistic Adoration went viral!  Movement of restoring Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament"The best, the surest and the most effective way of establishing PEACE on the face of the earth is through the great power of Perpetual Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament." - Pope John Paul II I am convinced that a movement of restoring Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament is the spiritual therapeutic for cleansing our country of demonic influence and opening the floodgates of grace that will heal our land ... bringing our country back to the spiritual health of being One Nation Under God once again. The "Power of Adoration" cannot be overstated. In my 32 years of priesthood, I estimate that 80% of conversion stories have to do with a soul, somehow, coming upon Adoration. A new study seems to back this up as they found that 80% regularly took part in Eucharistic adoration before entering the priesthood or religious life. Not only that but, by our Adoration, we open a portal to grace to ourselves, yes, but we also become "conduits of grace" as we open this portal to our homes, parishes, communities and the world. As it says in 2 Chronicles 7:13-15 ... When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague among my people, if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land. Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayers offered in this place. "Seek my face" refers to our willingness to be "eye to eye" with the Lord, in His Presence. This aptly describes Adoration. "This place" refers to that one-on-one encounter in Adoration. God is telling us that He is most attentive to our prayers while we are in Adoration. You want to encounter supernatural miracles in your life? Appeal to God while you are in that Divine Intimacy in Eucharistic Adoration.  May 13 - October 7 - HEAL OUR LAND HOLY HOUR - The Spread of Eucharistic Adoration Across AmericaI am pledging that I will do all I can to get this "Eucharistic Adoration Movement" to spread far and wide ... to go viral. Please join me in this Divinely inspired call to see Eucharistic Adoration as the necessary "spiritual therapeutic" for cleansing our country of demonic influence and opening the floodgates of grace that will heal our land. We will be offering a Holy Hour of Adoration at St. Mary of Pine Bluff every Thursday from 6pm to 7pm, from May 13 until October 7, 2021. These are followed by a family social at Gracie's Cafe, on our parish lawn. We are calling these "Heal Our Land Holy Hours." We are praying for Almighty God to hear us and HEAL OUR LAND through a GREAT REVIVAL in the USA, as our country goes hard after the Presence of God in Adoration of the Most Holy Eucharist. Honor My Presence Prophecy Finally, see what this pastor from Australia claims to have received as a prophetic word from Our Lord. At around the 20:00 mark of this video (below), Pastor Hemans points to cities and churches that are lit up as "they are going hard after the Presence of God." Yes, a Protestant Pastor is signaling the importance of the Presence of God!! The prophetic word he received was, "I will surround with favor those cities and churches who HONOR MY PRESENCE!" Amazingly, at the 22:25 mark of the video, Pastor Hemans said he heard from the Lord say specifically to "keep your eyes on the State of Wisconsin. Something that will have a profound impact on the nation is going to occur there." This video was released on June 29, 2020. Could the "something" be this movement of Eucharistic processions and Eucharistic adoration inaugurated in Wisconsin? That's my best guess. |
ST. THOMAS MORE
Psalm 15, Verse 1-5
1 LORD, who may abide in your tent? Who may dwell on your holy
mountain? 2 Whoever walks
without blame, doing what is right, speaking truth from the heart; 3
Who does not slander with his tongue,
does no harm to a friend, never defames a neighbor; 4 Who disdains the wicked, but honors those
who fear the LORD; Who keeps an oath despite
the cost, 5 lends no
money at interest, [1] accepts no bribe against the innocent.
In life we are always moving toward the future. Our destination is life eternal with our creator. In our little sailboat of life, we tend to be either moving toward God by taking advantage of His graces which provide the wind for our sails, or we do nothing but drift.
Napoleon
Hill noted in his manuscript on a book he never published entitled “Outwitting
the devil” stated drifting was one of the tools the devil uses to keep us off
tack and not sailing towards God’s Mountain.
A Protection against drifting lies within easy reach
of every human being who has a normal body and a sound mind. The self-defense
can be applied through these simple methods:
1.
Do your own thinking on all occasions. The fact that human beings
are given complete control over nothing save the power to think their own
thoughts is laden with significance.
2.
Decide definitely what you want from life; then create a plan for
attaining it and be willing to sacrifice everything rather than accept
permanent defeat.
3.
Analyze temporary defeat, no matter of what nature or cause, and
extract from it the seed of an equivalent advantage.
4.
Be willing to render useful service equivalent to the value of all
material things you demand of life, and render the service first.
5.
Recognize that your brain is a receiving set that can be attuned
to receive communications from the universal storehouse of Infinite
Intelligence, to help you transmute your desires into their physical equivalent.
6.
Recognize that your greatest asset is time, the only thing except
the power of thought which you own outright, and the one thing which can be
shaped into whatever material things you want. Budget your time so none of it
is wasted.
7.
Recognize the truth that fear generally is a filler with which the
Devil occupies the unused portion of your mind. It is only a state of mind
which you can control by filling the space it occupies with faith in your
ability to make life provide you with whatever you demand of it.
8.
When you pray, do not beg! Demand what you want and insist upon
getting exactly that, with no substitutes.
9.
Recognize that life is a cruel taskmaster and that either you
master it or it masters you. There is no half-way or compromising point. Never accept
from life anything you do not want. lf that which you do not want is
temporarily forced upon you, you can refuse, in your own mind, to accept it and
it will make way for the thing you do want.
10.
Lastly, remember that your dominating thoughts attract, through a
definite law of nature, by the shortest and most convenient route, their
physical counterpart. Be careful what your thoughts dwell upon.
A simple formula
combining all the ten points:
Be definite in everything you do and never leave
unfinished thoughts in the mind. Form the habit of reaching definite decisions
on all subjects.
Can the habit of
drifting be broken, or does it become permanent once it has been fanned?
The habit can be
broken if the victim has enough willpower, providing it is done in time. There
is a point beyond which the habit can never be broken. Beyond that point the
victim is mine. He resembles a fly that has been caught in a spider’s web. He
may struggle, but he cannot get out. Each move he makes entangles him more
securely. The web in which I entangle my victims permanently is a law of nature
not yet isolated by, or understood by, men of science.
More from Kamil: KamilsView on YouTube and http://www.kamilsview.com/
Sir Thomas More-Honesty[2]
John McCain in his book entitled “Character is Destiny” tells us that Sir Thomas More surrendered everything for the truth as he saw it and shamed a king with the courage of his conscience. Thomas was a brilliant student. He loved learning and would for the rest of his life prefer the less prestigious but more satisfying rewards of a scholar to the riches and power of the king’s court. He was part of a movement called humanism, whose followers were faithful to the Church but hoped to encourage a better understanding of the Gospels and their more honest application to the workings of society. They studied the great Greek and Roman philosophers, whose views on morality and just societies they believed complemented their Christian principles. They were passionate in pursuit of the truth as revealed by God, and by discovery through study and scholarly debate and discussion. They thought the world could be made gentler with Christian love and greater learning—love and learning that served not only the nobility of court and Church, but all mankind. Thomas was a devout Christian, and for a time lived in a monastery with the intention of entering the priesthood. The monastic life was one of isolation and self-denial. And though he took his religious devotion seriously, he loved the comforts of family life, and the rewards of learning and earthly pleasures as well: music and art, reading and writing, friendship and conversation and jests. He loved his city, London, then the greatest capital of Northern Europe. He loved life. So, he left the cloister for a wife and family, and returned to the worldly affairs of men. His love of learning and truth was second only to his love of God, and he encouraged his children, for the sake of their happiness, to seek truth through learning as well as scripture. He cultivated friendships and exchanged letters with some of the greatest minds in Europe, including with the Dutch priest and famous humanist philosopher Erasmus, who became More’s greatest admirer outside his family, and whose description of More became the title by which he is still remembered to this day: “a man for all seasons.” His scholarly reputation and skill as a scrupulously honest lawyer first gained the attention of the king’s most powerful counselor, the lord chancellor of England, Cardinal Thomas Wolsey. An ambitious and shrewd politician, Wolsey recognized the younger man’s talents, and pressed him into the king’s service. Serving first as a diplomat, then in a series of increasingly powerful offices at court, knighted, and given lands and wealth, More became a favorite of Wolsey’s and Henry’s. And while he might have preferred the life of a philosopher, husband, and father to the rigors of public life, he no doubt took pride in the king’s confidence and favor. When Wolsey’s downfall came that would lead in time to Thomas’s death, Henry made his friend, Thomas, Lord Chancellor. It was the highest office at court, and Thomas More was the first layman to hold it. His appointment was greeted favorably by the court and public alike, for Thomas was known by one and all as an honest man, who would conscientiously discharge the duties of his office. As it turned out, he was too honest for his king. Thomas More waged an intellectual and judicial war against the followers of Luther that was at times surprisingly aggressive and even cruel for such a reasonable and just man. In the beginning, he had the king’s full support in his persecution and prosecution of “heretics.” More defended the Church out of religious principle, and because he and the king feared the uncontrollable social disorder that a permanent split among the faithful would surely cause. But his hatred, if it could be called that in such a mild man, was for the heresy and not the heretics. Death was the judgment for heretics in the courts that Thomas More governed, but he went to great lengths to encourage the accused to recant their views and escape their sentence. In fact, in the many cases he prosecuted, all the accused except for four poor souls, who went to their deaths rather than recant, escaped the headman’s ax. More was diligent in his duty, but a much more powerful threat than Luther’s protests had encouraged was growing to the Catholic Church in England. Henry’s queen, Catherine of Aragon, had failed to produce a surviving male heir. Henry was determined to have a new wife who could give him a healthy son. Other kings and nobles had received from the pope annulments of their marriage. But the most powerful king in Europe, the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V, was Catherine’s nephew, and he had great influence with Pope Clement VII. He persuaded Clement not to grant an annulment that would remove the crown from his aunt’s head. Once Henry fell in love with Anne Boleyn, the fifteen-year-old daughter of a scheming courtier, he would no longer accept papal opposition to his desire to remarry. In this dangerous and growing conflict, Thomas More became a central figure, and he would struggle with all his intellect, lawyer’s skills, and courage to obey his king without forsaking his church. It would prove impossible. Initially More dutifully served the king’s wishes, arguing in Parliament that there were grounds to consider the marriage to Catherine unlawful. But when the king declared himself, and not the pope, to be the supreme head of the Church in England, More offered the king his resignation. Henry refused it and promised his friend that he would never be forced to take any action that his conscience would not permit. But the king’s assurance was hollow, and soon both he and More realized that the king’s desires and More’s conscience could not be reconciled. More again asked the king to accept his resignation, and this time, Henry agreed. For many months, he was careful not to speak against the king’s wishes, in public or in private. But he declined to attend the king’s wedding to Anne Boleyn. When Parliament passed a law requiring the king’s subjects to sign an oath recognizing Anne as queen, and any children she might bear Henry as legitimate heirs to the throne, he refused to sign it because it denied the pope’s authority over the Church in England. He was arrested and imprisoned in the Tower of London. He remained there until his trial fifteen months later. The jury, which included Anne Boleyn’s father, brother, and uncle, found him guilty and sentenced him to be hanged, and drawn and quartered. Then More spoke his conscience and said he could not in his own heart accept the king as head of the English Church. The death to which he was first sentenced would have been a far slower and more painful death than he was made to suffer in the end. Henry, mercifully, permitted his old friend and counselor to die by beheading. On the day of his execution, he had some difficulty climbing the scaffold steps. He thanked the guard who helped him but joked that he should be allowed to “shift for myself” when he came back down. He recited a prayer of repentance. The hooded executioner, as was the custom, begged the condemned man’s forgiveness. More gave him a coin, kissed him, and thanked him for giving him a “greater benefit than ever any mortal man can be able to give me.” And then the man who had all his life loved to jest, made one last joke. As he knelt to place his head upon the block, he asked for a moment to arrange his long beard so that it wouldn’t be severed by the ax, observing that as far as he knew his beard had not offended the king. In his last address, spoken moments earlier, he had asked the crowd of witnesses to pray for his soul and for the king, for he died “the King’s good servant, but God’s first.” One swift stroke and the king’s will was done. The life on earth of honest Thomas More was ended. His glory had just begun.
Things to Do:[3]
·
A Man for All Seasons by Robert Bolt is a
wonderful play that captures much of St. Thomas More's vitality. There is a
1966 movie by the same title that stars Paul Scofield as St. Thomas. If you
haven't watched the movie or read the play yet, put it on your priority list.
·
Read more on the life of St. Thomas More. For
youth, Saint Thomas More of London by Elizabeth Ince, a reprint of
the wonderful Vision Books series. For adults, the newer book The King's Good Servant but God's First : The Life and Writings
of Saint Thomas More by James Monti which explores the life and writings of
St. Thomas More. Also Scepter Publishers has a biography Thomas More: A Portrait of Courage by Gerard B. Wegemer.
·
For some writings by St. Thomas More, see The Sadness of Christ (Yale University Press Translation)
and Four Last Things: The Supplication of Souls: A Dialogue on
Conscience.
·
If you or your children are considering a career
as a lawyer you might find Dr.
Charles Rice's article helpful.
·
Learn more about St. Thomas More at Catholic News Agency
·
Read St. Thomas
More: A Saint for Adopted Children and Widowers
·
Read St. Thomas More, martyr of the English Reformation
·
Read Saint Thomas More, Martyr, Chancellor of
England at EWTN
·
Watch this YouTube
video on St. Thoams More
·
Read about the Thomas More Society, a
not-for-profit, national public interest law firm dedicated to restoring
respect in law for life, family, and religious liberty here
Religious
Freedom Week
All people desire to know their Creator. All people have a
natural impulse to seek the good and to live in accordance with that good. All
people can flourish when they pursue the truth about God and respond to the
truth. Religious freedom means that all people have the space to flourish.
Religious freedom is both an American value and an important part of Catholic
teaching on human dignity. When we promote religious freedom, we promote the
common good and thus strengthen the life of our nation and the community of
nations. Learn more at www.usccb.org/ReligiousFreedomWeek!
Daily Devotions
·
Do not be guided by feeling; it is
not always under your control; but all merit lies in the will. Will is an act of Love.
·
Make
reparations to the Holy Face-Tuesday
Devotion
·
Pray Day 2 of
the Novena for our Pope and Bishops
·
Tuesday:
Litany of St. Michael the Archangel
·
Offering to
the sacred heart of Jesus
·
Rosary.
[1]*
[15:5] Lends
no money at interest: lending money in the Old Testament was often seen as
assistance to the poor in their distress, not as an investment; making money
off the poor by charging interest was thus forbidden
[2]McCain, John; Salter, Mark. Character
Is Destiny: Inspiring Stories Every Young Person Should Know and Every Adult
Should Remember
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