[Land of the Irish]

Ping

[nickcarraway]

BUMP

[AskStPhilomena]

"You are the ones who are happy; you who remain within the Church by your Faith, who hold firmly to the foundations of the Faith which has come down to you from Apostolic Tradition. And if an execrable jealousy has tried to shake it on a number of occasions, it has not succeeded. They are the ones who have broken away from it in the present crisis. No one, ever, will prevail against your Faith, beloved Brothers. And we believe that God will give us our churches back some day."

Amen.

[Arguss]

"Another point the Arian crisis brings out is that Catholics true to the traditional faith may have to worship outside the official Churches, their parish churches and even to avoid them as schools of impiety. It proves that Catholics may even have to suffer false denunciation and excommunication for their beliefs as St. Athanasius suffered.

This morning at Mass (indult Tridentine) I noticed maybe three large families that usually aren't present. They had their own well worn missals and didn't use the handout variety like I use to explain the Latin and the Mass.

I came to the conclusion that they may usually go to an SSPX chapel, which coincidentally is right across the street, and were coming to this Mass in order to maybe fulfill a Church obligation.

Do you think that is a viable alternative to actually cutting all ties with Rome, or is it a weinies way out?

Just one short story connected with these families this morning.

The women and girls, naturally, had their heads covered, but one of the little girls hat was too much for her to handle, so her mother produced a mantilla (I think that means scarf) for her.

The thing is, the mother didn't want the childs hair to be uncovered even for a second, so she put the scarf on before the hat was removed. That proved to be easier said than done, what with the child trying to help, and the chin elastic getting in the way.

I just thought it was cute, and happened right under my nose.

[Salvation]

BTTT on the Memorial of St. Anthanasious, May 2, 2006!

[Salvation]

Reading	From a discourse Against the Pagans by Saint Athanasius, bishop
The word of the Father gives order, direction and unity to creation
By his own wisdom and Word, who is our Lord and Saviour Christ, the all-holy Father (whose excellence far exceeds that of any creature), like a skilful steersman guides to safety all creation, regulating and keeping it in being, as he judges right. It is right that creation should exist as he has made it and as we see it happening, because this is his will, which no one would deny. For if the movement of the universe were irrational, and the world rolled on in random fashion, one would be justified in disbelieving what we say. But if the world is founded on reason, wisdom and science, and is filled with orderly beauty, then it must owe its origin and order to none other than the Word of God. He is God, the living and creative God of the universe, the word of the good God, who is God in his own right. The Word is different from all created things: he is the unique Word belonging only to the good Father. This is the Word that created this whole world and enlightens it by his loving wisdom. He who is the good Word of the good Father produced the order in all creation, joining opposites together, and forming from them one harmonious sound. He is God, one and only-begotten, who proceeds in goodness from the Father as from the fountain of goodness, and gives order, direction and unity to creation. By his eternal Word the Father created all things and implanted a nature in his creatures. He did not want to see them tossed about at the mercy of their own natures, and so be reduced to nothingness. But in his goodness he governs and sustains the whole of nature by his Word (who is himself also God), so that under the guidance, providence and ordering of that Word, the whole of nature might remain stable and coherent in his light. Nature was to share in the Father’s Word, whose reality is true, and be helped by him to exist, for without him it would cease to be. For unless the Word, who is the very “image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation”, kept it in existence it could not exist. For whatever exists, whether visible or invisible, remains in existence through him and in him, and he is also the head of the Church, as we are taught by the ministers of truth in their sacred writings. The almighty and most holy Word of the Father pervades the whole of reality, everywhere unfolding his power and shining on all things visible and invisible. He sustains it all and binds it all together in himself. He leaves nothing devoid of his power but gives life and keeps it in being throughout all of creation and in each individual creature.

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