Hello Everyone: Happy Feast of Our Lady! This is a glorious feast and one which we greatly need today! At a time when we have rampant evils on all sides. At a time when Satan is unleashed with his demons seeking to ruin souls! At a time when our families are falling apart and distancing themselves from each other and even committing suicide. At a time when we have Americans fighting against other Americans because they no longer believe in the Constitution and there is no such thing as the word treason! At a time when the Carmelite friars will not hand down the Brown Scapular to God's people for a life line to Our Lady. At a time when priests tell you the Rosary is not needed anymore! At a time when men and women do not know they are men or women! At a time when we have literally abandoned God! THIS IS THE TIME FOR MARY - OUR MOTHER! THIS IS THE TIME FOR RENEWAL IN THE CHURCH! THIS IS THE TIME FOR HER TO CRUSH SATAN'S HEAD! THIS IS THE TIME FOR ALL TO CONSECRATE THEMSELVES TO HER SO THAT SHE MAY LEAD THEM BACK TO HER SON! HOLY MOTHER MARY -- PRAY FOR US! I have copied a talk from the website "Tradition in Action" written by Father Paul Stretenovic. This is filled with wisdom for us to see the need of the Rosary and the Scapular. Sr. Lucia said that the Rosary and the Scapular have equal need for us - that they are inseparable. Here is his article written in 2005 --- " Mary appeared to St. Dominic and St. Simon Stock within a century of each other. Considering the time frame, this certainly is not a coincidence. For those of you who are familiar with the writings of Plinio Correa de Oliveira, I would like to briefly direct you to something that he wrote in his work Revolution and Counter-Revolution. In Chapter III, Correa de Oliveira traces the root of the rise of the Revolution against Christ and His Church to two factors, both originating in the Fall, namely, pride and sensuality. Considering that these two wounds in human nature became increasingly externalized in the 13th and especially during the 14th century, is it any wonder that Our Lady gave us two weapons to combat specifically these two enemies of the soul, the Rosary as a cure for pride and the Brown Scapular as a remedy for sensuality (i.e. lust), during a period of time directly preceding what could be termed the "conquest of concupiscence?" I would say that the Rosary was a cure for pride for three reasons. First, Our Lady conquered heresies through the praying of the Rosary, such as the Albigensian heresy, rampant at the time when Mary appeared to St. Dominic. This is not to mention the humiliation of the Muslims at Lepanto in 1571 in the greatest naval battle of history to date, the odds of the Catholic side winning resembling those of Old Testament wars between the Elect People and their enemies. Second, praying the Rosary forces us to humbly acknowledge that God continues to use His lowly Handmaid to destroy the forces of the devil, and yes, the evil one himself. It is no wonder that Mary said to Lucy at Fatima, "Only Our Lady of the Rosary can help you." Third, it is a cure for the pride of theologians who like to spend long hours pondering over questions of God and write extensive treatises about Him, but who, nevertheless, have need of such a "little" instrument as the Rosary lest they become dry and callous men. I refer to the Brown Scapular as the remedy for sensuality also for three reasons. First, wearing the scapular has always been associated with Consecration to Our Lady, which involved an undying commitment to spiritual and physical chastity. The Carmelite Scapular, it could be said, was the pledge of a pure conscience in the service of the Queen of Heaven, and a reminder of one's bodily commitment to purity whenever he or she should be "tested" Second, the wearing of the Brown Scapular could be compared, in some way, to the priest wearing his cassock. The cassock is a reminder to the priest of his state in life and it serves as a natural, if not supernatural barrier to sinful thoughts and glances, and beyond. Although the scapular is not as visible as the cassock, it is there and when we undergo temptation, whether or not we give in, it is there as a reminder of our duty to keep us from failing in the expectations of Our Lord and Our Lady for us. If per chance we fail, it helps us to get up immediately, make an act of contrition, say a few Hail Marys, and re-consecrate ourselves to Jesus and Mary. Third, the wearing of the Brown Scapular, especially on hot and sticky days, can also be penitential, thereby serving as a remedy for concupiscence. There are times when we can think of the scapular as a "mini-hair shirt." So, the Rosary and the Brown Scapular, viewed through these lenses, can be seen as complementary gifts from Our Mother to combat two fierce enemies of the soul. The third, following the teaching of St. Ignatius of Loyola, is vanity, a sin deplored by Our Lady at Fatima, when she said that God was already much offended by the fashions of the time. Of course, the fashions of the day were also a result of pride and sensuality, but vanity played a big part as well, especially in the well-to-do people of the day. As I have already mentioned, these weapons of Our Lady did not come a moment too soon and we will only one day know how many souls were saved from the fires of Hell because persons humbly accepted Mary's gifts and made use of them. Now, if only the Holy Father and the Bishops would consecrate Russia to the Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Our Lady, how many more millions of souls would be saved as the effects of pride and sensuality, which are raging in the modern world at an unprecedented level, much more than in the days of Noah, as alluded to by Mary to the visionary at Akita, Japan in 1973. These things could be reversed simply by one act of obedience to Our Lady, who always has in mind our best interests, not to mention the Glory of God. " Our Lady of Mt. Carmel pray for us - We thank you for your love and for your protection - please keep us far from the snares of the devil and lead us to your Son and Our Lord Jesus Christ - now and forever!
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AuthorBernadette Porter is a Traditional Catholic, a wife of 44 years with 6 adult home-schooled children and 7 grandchildren. A sincere devotion to Mary, the Mother of God leads me to want to share "The Church's best kept secret" - Mary! Categories |