Category: The Passion of the Church

Islam and the Errors of Russia, 2023

~ evensong

Originally posted on

Some years back, when this post first appeared, if you remember, the phenomenon of the massive influx of Muslim men into Europe was the subject of much speculation and discussion. Now, after the Hamas attack, perhaps it is becoming clearer, and there has been renewed interest in Our Lady of the Rosary’s Seventh Apparition, too.

And so, I’ve reposted the following little essay, but must explain one thing:  Communism did not ever die nor was it “tamed down”, nor did Russia transmogrify into just another democracy.  Soon enough, that will all will be clear, even to the most obtuse among us.  Communism, Islam, Zionism, , all serve the same master, as does the gentleman who has usurped the See of Peter. The post begins below:

Continue reading “Islam and the Errors of Russia, 2023” →

Cardinal Manning’s Warning on Bergoglio’s Reformation

~ evensong

Today is the feast day of a wonderful saint – Peter of Alcantara, the holy Franciscan monk who was instrumental in Saint Teresa of Avila’s spirituality. She describes it beautifully in her autobiography. My copy is Volume I , Chapter XXX, of Complete Works, Peers trans., Sheed and Ward, 1944.

Cardinal Manning’s Warning

This essay was initially posted in 2014 and was lost in a web attack I experienced, the first of several. I changed hosts and rebuilt the post from memory and reposted with various editions from 2015 onward.

It’s a long post, but I hope you’ll read it- it’s helpful to review this in each new step of the Revolution to  understand the importance of what is occurring now. (The companion post, “A Headless Thing” is linked in the sidebar. )

Continue reading “Cardinal Manning’s Warning on Bergoglio’s Reformation” →

They Realized They Were No longer in Rome

~ evensong

The following essay was first posted in 2015 and again in 2017. It’s worth revisiting and I offer it today in hopes you may find it of value. At the time I wrote it, in 2015, we had no idea how bad the Church’s situation would become under the usurpers so busily dismantling the Church,  but the storm-clouds were definitely looming and several other traditional Catholics were also sharing their forebodings. I won’t name them here, as I am not worthy to link myself to them, but each of them is now gone and as is evident, I’m well past my own expiry date.

When I first read St. John Bosco’s  prophecy, it impressed me with its coherence with the other prophecies for these times, especially those of the Apocalypse.

For so long now, the faith has suffered assault after assault, and still the awful humiliation and degradation of the Church continues unabated.  And yet we know that this is the providence of our Dear Lord, who endures these sufferings to allow us the extra time for penance, and for the conversion of sinners.

Think a moment, aren’t you much more aware of Our Lady’s message than you were ten years ago? Don’t you know of people who have begun to awaken to the terrible crisis? We must remember that Our Lord is suffering far, far more than we are, and He is  doing it, as He always does, for the salvation of souls. Let us not forsake Him now when He needs us so much, but renew our penances, prayers, fasts and alms so that many souls may be saved in the midst of this satanic onslaught.

Continue reading “They Realized They Were No longer in Rome” →

Of Critics and Comfort

~ evensong

For today a repost from six years ago. . .

The following post is simply a bit of housekeeping to clarify items that keep coming up in correspondence. Once again, I regret that I am unable to respond to each of you personally. Thank you for your patience about this.

There seems to be a growing testiness among internet writers lately, even Catholic ones. Father Malachi Martin once wrote that his views on self defense changed over time and he came to believe that if he were attacked, he would not kill  in self defense because the criminal may not have time to repent and would therefore spend eternity in hell. My own views are similar.  In time, I have come to believe that defense of the truth does not always require extermination of the transgressor.

None of us who write for blogs are Bishops or Cardinals. Our Lord designed the Church and the world in a hierarchical manner and I am on the bottom, the base. There’s a need for a base.  Somebody’s got to be the lowest after all! Although I do my best to always speak the truth,  readers must discern for themselves, and my readers have taught me more than I have given them.
Continue reading “Of Critics and Comfort” →

The Mystery of Iniquity

~ evensong

This is the original post from 2016 and has not been updated.

“For the mystery of iniquity already worketh; only that he who now holdeth, do hold, until he be taken out of the way.” (2 Thess, 2,7)

Pope Francis continues to use the Year of Mercy to flog the Church towards the great 500th anniversary of Martin Luther’s Revolt against the Church. The irony of the Vicar of Christ proclaiming the sanctity of the archenemy of Christ seems lost amid the welter of voices battling for attention in this age of apostasy. If Pope John XXIII initiated the “beginning of sorrows” with his disobedience of Our Lady of Fatima, our current occupant is certainly accelerating it…

Cardinal Manning (1808-1892) was an Anglican convert. Ordained just ten weeks after entering the Church, he became Archbishop of Westminster and then Cardinal. Manning was a strong supporter of the doctrine of infallibility in the First Vatican Council in contrast to Cardinal Newman. In “The Present Crisis in the Holy See”, Cardinal Manning warned of a grave crisis facing the Church. The book’s four chapters, “The Progress of the Mystery of Iniquity, the Antichrist, What Holds Back the Antichrist and The Apostasy of Rome“, are a solemn warning to the Church for these times.

Early in his book, Cardinal Manning states that the three notes of the Apostasy are schism, heresy and denial of the Incarnation, and concludes that all the heresies from the beginning are but the continuous development and expansion of the one “mystery of iniquity” which from the beginning wars against the mystery of the faith. Likening the heresies which have afflicted the Church to diseases, he remarks: Continue reading “The Mystery of Iniquity” →

Mary’s Promise, in the beginning

~ evensong

One hundred and six years and counting . . .

 “You are going to suffer a great deal, but the grace of God will be your comfort.”

Our Lady’s words to Lúcia, Francisco and Jacinta echo down the long years of this tragic century.  Although Francisco and Jacinta saw a quick end to their trials, Lúcia’s suffering was protracted and seems especially poignant to us today.  For Lúcia was to experience disobedience to the message of Our Lady and the tragic betrayal of the Church  by Popes and Bishops, the sly derision of theologians, the crass opportunism of some of the laity and the bovine indifference of most of the rest.  Thus, she accompanied Our Lord and His Blessed Mother in their suffering.

Lúcia, Francisco and Jacinta were declared saints by the Immaculate Mother of God from the very start of the Fatima message. Francisco and Jacinta exemplified in their brief lives truly heroic sanctity while Lúcia’s hidden life and silent suffering still has much to teach us in this dark time of the Passion of the Church, the Mystical Body of Christ.

May 13, 1917, the day the world changed and no one noticed … An offer made, an offer ignored … such a small thing … as they say, “the devil’s in the details” …

Continue reading “Mary’s Promise, in the beginning” →

Saint Francis: the Rejected Remedy

~ evensong

Back in 2015, I posted about the prophecy of Saint Francis of Assisi that seems to have been fulfilled in the current occupant of the See of Peter.

Today, we begin a series based on the essays by James Larson †, entitled, “Saint Francis of Assisi: They Pretended to Love You So That They Might Leave You”.  Larson strongly believed that the roots of the spiritual decay underlying this present wreckage of the faith arose nearly eight centuries ago in the twofold rejection of Franciscan Poverty and Thomistic Metaphysics. Larson dealt extensively with the latter on his site, “The War Against Being“and he had begun writing on Saint Francis and the importance of the betrayal of true Franciscan poverty before his untimely death.

Today, we discuss Part I of Saint Francis: They Pretended to Love You So That They Might Leave You.

“The Thirteenth century was poised on the cusp of the Renaissance, and the flood of pagan concupiscence and intellectual pride which was about to inundate Christendom.

Two Gifts

“In the heart of this threatened world, God planted the two gifts of Franciscan Poverty and Thomistic Realism as Icons of Love and Truth, the vision of which would infuse every aspect of human culture with all that was necessary to protect it from these evils.

“These Gifts were rejected, and this rejection initiated a fundamental posture of prostitution towards the world which, like a slow-moving cancer, has eaten away at the heart of the Church for centuries. Wrongly, therefore, do we now wail at the post-Vatican II ruin of our Catholic world as though it were a sudden calamity unjustly inflicted. As we shall see, ours is a chastisement long merited.”

Continue reading “Saint Francis: the Rejected Remedy” →

Father Groenings on the Crucifixion

~ evensong
Today we offer our most loved Good Friday post from Father James Groenings, S. J.

THE CRUCIFIXION AND DEATH OF THE SAVIOR

Today, we examine three events which occurred at the time of Our Lord’s Crucifixion. The miraculous sign of the total eclipse, the rending of the Temple veil and the earthquake. These thoughts are largely drawn from the writings of Father Groenings, S. J.

The Total Eclipse of the Sun

This eclipse of the sun was not a natural one. It was miraculous in every respect and that for these reasons: First it occurred at the time of the full moon. For this Friday was the day when, according to the Law, the Pasch should be celebrated, and this feast always occurred at the time of the full moon. Now, naturally, an eclipse of the sun can occur only at the time of the new moon, when the latter is between the sun and the earth.

Then, it was miraculous because it was total from the very beginning.  Lastly, because it remained total for three hours. In an ordinary eclipse of the sun, the moon, in the beginning, covers only a part of the sun, then gradually more, until the darkness reaches its greatest height, whereupon it again gradually decreases.

This eclipse of the sun was, therefore, an extraordinary work of God, and the Holy Fathers freely apply to it the words of the prophet Amos, “And it shall come to pass in that day that the sun shall go down at mid-day, and I will make the earth dark in the day of light.” Continue reading “Father Groenings on the Crucifixion” →

Hail, the King of the Jews!

~ evensong

The Mockery of Christ the King

In His Passion, Our Lord’s crowning with thorns was a mockery of His Kingship,  done by those who did not know Him. Today, He is mocked by His own, who should know Him and should  love Him. This is the mockery of Christ the King in this Passion of the Church.
“Then the soldiers of the governor taking Jesus into the hall, gathered together unto Him the whole band; And stripping Him, they put a scarlet cloak about him. And platting a crown of thorns, they put it upon His head, and a reed in His right hand. And bowing the knee before Him, they mocked Him, saying: Hail, king of the Jews.  And spitting upon Him, they took the reed, and struck His head.  And bowing their knees, they adored Him.”

Even the pagan soldiers knew that a King must be invested with the symbols of his royalty, that is, draped with a royal mantle, crowned, and finally, given a scepter as a sign of his power and rule. And so the soldiers obliged this strange King, who had said “but now My kingdom is not from hence”. And so, what royal insignia might they find fitting?

The soldiers soon found a discarded scarlet rag of large enough size and after first ripping off His outer garment, they draped His now freshly bleeding shoulders in this dirty mockery of a robe. As we think on the vivid symbolism in this scene compare it to our words and actions – what homage do we offer to the King of Kings? A royal robe?

Now, the Roman soldiers clearly understood the necessity of the Crowning, for their gods were always crowned, Apollo with laurel, Bacchus with grape vines, Jupiter with gold. And so a crown fit for this King must be found.

And the Jews too, understood that their high priest wore a tiara when he offered the sacrifice. And did not their bridegroom according to their custom, wear a diadem at his wedding?

And we who watch this scene, we also recall that in those days a conqueror was often crowned to celebrate his victory; how much more so then, this King who by His death and resurrection will conquer sin and death!

What crown for this Son of Man, who told Pilate, “Thou sayest that I am a King” ?
What crown for this Priest, who sacrifices His own Body and Blood for the salvation of those He loves?
What crown for this Divine Bridegroom, about to redeem His Bride with His own Blood, giving His life for her that she may live?

Father Groenings tells us that no other mantle was befitting for the Redeemer of the world. He was the picture of the world’s sins, which were red as scarlet, but through Him were to become white as snow. The mantle should be red as a sign that His kingdom, founded in blood, was to be spread by means of blood, that is, by the blood of the apostles and of the martyrs. It was ragged and torn in token that, in imitation of Christ, His ministers would redeem the souls of men and subject them to Christ, not by means of gold and silver, but through the hardships of poverty.

ROME’S MOCKERY

Ed. Note: Those who have seized control of the Church have given a new meaning to the foul and ragged mantle with which the pagan soldiers humiliated our Lord Jesus Christ. For they have befouled His Church, befouled their red garments and humiliated this lovely Bride of Christ as never before in history. See here for a Lifesite News article on one example of Pope Francis’s choice of prelates. There are many others. Thus, they make a mockery of the true King of Kings!

Father Groenings explains the meaning of the thorns with which the soldiers, serving satan, crowned Our Lord:

The Almighty in His anger had cursed the earth. “Thorns and thistles shall it bring forth to thee.” To remove from the earth this curse, this king must carry on His head upon the cross the signs of this curse. The ram also, which was to be immolated instead of Isaac, stuck fast by the horns amongst thorns and briars. The soldiers then, from mighty thorns with strong and sharp points, platted a crown in the form of a wreath or of a helmet and put it upon the head of Christ in such a violent manner that the blood poured forth from the forehead, the eyes and the cheeks.

When the head suffers, necessarily all the members suffer, because they are joined to the head in the unity of the body. Whoever, therefore, does not or will not suffer, cannot possibly belong to a body whose head is pierced with thorns.

Finally, there was presented to Christ a reed, as a scepter, to remind Him of all the misery, emptiness and evanescence of His kingly sway.

Think now, the reed was no afterthought; it was satan’s most exquisite touch, the pluperfect symbol of the “uselessness” of Christ’s sacrifice for sinners. For satan hates mankind with an intensity that no mere human can ever hope to begin to grasp. The idea that God would sacrifice His only begotten Son to save such as these loathsome sinners tortures satan eternally. Thus, the reed represents the indifference of mankind to the Divine Love.

The worst feature of the homage was its last scene. They bent their knees and acted as if they worshipped Him as their god. This false worship is what is being offered Our Lord today. By their actions and their sly, misleading phrases, the apostate prelates offer mockery to our Savior instead of reverence. How long, do you think, will the justice of God delay? One small point worth noting: the longer God delays His justice, the more severe it will be when it does, in fact, arrive.

Now is the time for us to console Him

Saint Francisco of Fatima often spent whole days in prayer, without food or drink, doing nothing but consoling his “hidden Jesus” in the Blessed Sacrament of the Altar.

“I’ll stay here in the church, close to the hidden Jesus. … I would rather console Our Lord. Didn’t you notice how sad Our Lady was that last month, when she said that people must not offend Our Lord anymore, for He is already much offended? I would like to console Our Lord, and after that, convert sinners so that they won’t offend Our Lord any more.” (Venerable Francisco Marto of Fatima by Father Cirrincione)

From the mouths of babes…. Saint Francisco Marto, pray for us that we learn to follow your example and comfort Our Lord in this, the Passion of His Church.

The Crowning with Thorns is the Third Sorrowful Mystery and it should arouse in us a profound sense of awe at the unfathomable love Our Lord Jesus Christ has for us who are so unworthy. Now, as satan does his utmost to eradicate the glory and triumph of our Savior and His beloved Bride, the Church, we must comfort Him, adore Him, and yes, rejoice with Him, for justice is not far away!

[Father James Groenings’ The Passion of Jesus and Its Hidden Meaning is a book by TAN and  is available in paperback or Kindle.](This article was first published here with peregrine’s assistance at ReturntoFatima.org in March, 2017. and has been updated several times since then)

Remember – Our Lady needs us to obey:  First Saturdays of Reparation, daily rosary, at least 5 mysteries, wear her brown scapular and live your Total Consecration to her Immaculate Heart, offering daily duties in reparation and for the conversion of poor sinners

Open your hearts to the Lord and serve Him only: and He will free you from the hands of your enemies. With all your heart return to Him, and take away from your midst any strange gods” (I Kings 7:3)

†  Immaculate Heart of Mary, Queen of our hearts, Mother of the Church, do thou offer to the Eternal Father the Precious Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ, for the conversion of poor sinners, especially our Pontiff.

†  Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, Thy kingdom come! Viva Cristo Rey!

†. St. Joseph, terror of demons, and strong protector of the Church, protect our priests!

†  St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle!

 

~ by evensong for love of the Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary and the Sacred Heart of Jesus Christ, King!

Vouchsafe that I may praise thee, O Sacred Virgin, give me strength against thine enemies!

A Prayer in Gethsemane

~ evensong

previously posted in March, 2020 by evensong

“My Father, if it be possible, let this chalice pass from me. Nevertheless, not as I will, but as Thou wilt.” (Matt. 26, 39)

Today, we will look at Our Lord’s Prayer in the Garden of Olives on that sad and beautiful night which began His Passion and saving death for us. Our basis for this is Father Groenings’ classic, “The Passion of Jesus and Its Hidden Meaning”, from TAN Books. It is available in Kindle and paperback.

As He left the Upper Room, Jesus led His disciples in a Passover hymn, the only time the scriptures record that He sang. When they reached the Garden of Gethsemane, He cautioned the disciples to “Watch, lest ye enter into temptation”. Taking Peter, James and John, He went a bit further and told them, “My soul is sorrowful even unto death. Stay you here and watch.” Going forward, He fell on the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it be possible, let this chalice pass from me. Nevertheless, not as I will, but as Thou wilt.”

Twice, Jesus interrupted this prayer to return to His apostles, and after each disappointment, returned to this same prayer, “not as I will, but as Thou wilt.”  Luke then tells us, “And there appeared to Him an angel from heaven, strengthening Him. And being in an agony, He prayed the longer. And His sweat became as drops of blood, trickling down upon the ground.”

This passage of the Gospel is one of the richest troves of wisdom for meditation available to us, particularly for times of severest trial and at the hour of death. By working on this now, we prepare ourselves for these inevitable times to come. The first and most obvious thing we all notice is that Jesus is alone in His agony, His closest friends are sleeping, unaware of His great agony of spirit nor even noticing His precious blood being shed.

Think on this. Christ prayed while they slept, unaware of the danger. We too, arise at night and pray for our sleeping brethren, who close their eyes to the danger and sleep on, oblivious. But we who know, must arise and pray with Jesus, our Lord and God. Father Groenings tells us that, “in a family, a single member who knows how to pray well, is often the greatest blessing of the rest. But if those must pray who are among the sleeping, how much more those who are among the dead, i.e., among sinners.” Yes, exactly!

Finally, Christ prayed while His enemies were banding together to take Him prisoner and deliver Him to death on the Cross. In this instance, we are shown the wisdom of Christ, His lesson for us especially at this time. His enemies were uniting in one satanic focus, to destroy Him. His response was to pray! Thus, Our Lord Jesus Christ shows us by His eloquent example that prayer is the primary, the essential weapon when we are attacked or when the Church is attacked by the dark powers of this world. The attack came from within – Judas – and from without – the synagogue of satan. Just as today. Just as today. These things never change. And prayer is the weapon given to us by Our Savior Himself. Without prayer, our other actions cannot succeed.

When Peter attempted violence, striking at Malchus’ ear, Our Lord reproved him, commanding him to sheath his sword. Thus armed with prayer, Our Lord went forth to complete the task given Him by His Father. Father Groenings reminds us, “We also, in these troublous times, should use trustingly the weapon of prayer and confidently hope that the liberation of Holy Mother Church may be brought about by Him (God).” Note that the foregoing was written at the end of the 19th century. Even then, Father could speak of liberating the Church. This was because of the bitter war waged against the Papacy by the Masonic powers of that time, which were even then determined in their resolve to destroy the Church.

Another lesson we see in this prayer in the Garden is that Christ prayed earnestly that this suffering be taken from Him. Thus, we see that it is permissible to ask for the relief of temporal suffering. And then, we see also, that  we always must accept God’s will for us, and trust in His providence. He who extends this chalice of suffering, offers us rich graces in unimaginable profusion, just for the asking – and the trusting!

For our prayers to be heard, they must be like to Christ’s, that is; they must be respectful. Christ “knelt down and fell upon His face”. Father Groenings tells us, “If ever any man could deem Himself dispensed from external marks of reverence it was certainly the God-Man … if the Savior did not dare to raise His countenance toward Heaven, what awe should not appear in the sinner?” …

“Is it not remarkable that there should be Christian men who are ashamed to bend the knee to God Almighty…? But those who, in the house of God, give scandal to others by silly and impertinent behavior can only be people of thoughtless brains or of depraved morals. They are proud spirits, slaves of human respect.”  [Father Groenings  must have had prescient knowledge of our current Pontiff, who refuses to kneel for the Consecration at the Holy Sacrifice, yet kneels for heretics to “bless” him, and places beach balls and soccer jerseys on the altar, denigrating the Blessed Sacrament.]

As we consider Our Lord in His agony, we also note that He expresses His tender love for God His Father and His willingness to accept His Father’s will. We see then that the ultimate test for us is to turn with loving obedience to our heavenly Father in our times of greatest affliction. For it is precisely in these times that we earn the greatest merit, and many graces come to us from this. If we are truly Mary’s children, we must follow her Divine Son in His perfect resignation to His Father’s will,

“Nevertheless, not as I will but as Thou wilt.”

The Effects of Christ’s Prayer in the Garden

The first effect of Our Lord’s Prayer was, “And there appeared to Him an Angel from Heaven strengthening Him.”  Think on this! The Second Person of the most Holy Trinity, King of Angels, Consoler of hearts, is here consoled by an Angel! We recall that after His severe fast of forty days, Our Lord was ministered to by Angels. Do you see the humility of Our Lord? To take from His creatures consolation? Now think of His apparitions to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, begging our love in return for His love! How can we be so indifferent!

This most tender scene should move our hearts towards love of Our Lord and Savior and also instill in us trust in our allies, the Angels given to us to guide and guard, to sustain us in our struggles. What an exquisite example the most Holy Trinity provides us to remind us of God’s loving providence in all our needs.

From Isaac to Christ

And now we come to a most important lesson. Earlier, God demanded of Abraham the sacrifice of his son, Isaac. At the last moment, God spared Isaac. But here, in the Passion, the Father does not spare His beloved Son. The chalice does not pass from Him.

In the Last Joyful Mystery, Our Lord tells His Mother that He must be about His Father’s business. And now, in this, the First Sorrowful Mystery, we see precisely what is meant by His Father’s business. This chalice will not be removed. It will be consumed down to the last of its bitter dregs. The bitterness consisted of the realization that this precious sacrifice would be rejected, even despised by so many, to their own eternal damnation. Among those many damned souls would be so many shepherds. And today, their loss is the source of His continued sorrow in this, the Passion of His Church.

The Angel’s consolation renewed His determination and now, totally immersed in the will of His Father, He rouses His disciples, “Rise up, let us go”. By this example, Christ, our Head, leads us, His mystical body, as we too, rise up to meet the challenges of our day, the persecutions which await us all.

For although it appears that we are alone, among the sleeping and the dead, His Angels accompany us, and the Chalice of our bitter suffering, engraved with “Not my will but Thy will be done” comes to us from those loving, wounded hands.

Thank you for reading. I pray for you always!

Remember – Our Lady needs us to obey:  First Saturdays of Reparation, daily rosary, at least 5 mysteries, wear her brown scapular and live your Total Consecration to her Immaculate Heart, offering daily duties in reparation and for the conversion of poor sinners.

†  Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary, obtain for us by your loving intercession the grace and courage to persevere in these  trials of faith.

†  Immaculate Heart of Mary, Queen of our hearts, Mother of the Church, do thou offer to the Eternal Father the Precious Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ, for the conversion of poor sinners, especially our Pontiff and spiritual leaders.

†  Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, Thy kingdom come! Viva Cristo Rey!

†  St. Joseph, terror of demons, protect our priests!

†  St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle!

~ by evensong  for love of the Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary and the most Sacred Heart of Jesus Christ, King

Vouchsafe that I may praise thee, O Sacred Virgin, give me strength against thine enemies.