Quoting Charlie Brown:
“This is my depressed stance. When you’re depressed, it makes a lot of difference how you stand. The worst thing you can do is straighten up and hold your head high because then you’ll start to feel better. If you’re going to get any joy out of being depressed, you’ve got to stand like this.” Charles Schultz
Yesterday, Michelle Malkin in speaking of the possibilities for our next Supreme Court nominee, advised “gird our loins.” Last night I talked about how low Germany’s population numbers had fallen, perhaps to irrevocable levels. This morning the world wakes up to find the German people must suffer even lower levels of poor taste and irreverence. I say irreverance for our leaders are those who of old we hold in high regard for the good of society and the nation. The Huffington Post reported that the AFP revealed that German Chancellor Angela Merkel appears in a lingerie ad wearing nothing more than a purple matching bra and panties set.
The 1,000-square-foot image of the half-naked world leader is part of a nationwide advertising campaign for an underwear company aiming to cash in on the success of a “cash-for-clunkers” scheme for old cars.
Punters trading in old underwear will get a $7 discount on a new pair, the ad promises, under the slogan: “The country needs new undies.”
We’ve had to bear bare-chested Obama and Putin. Now female leadership is made spectacle with little more than girded lions. Who suffers for the sale of panties? I think we all do. We might as well be laughing at the debauchery of a fallen Rome, or fiddling with Nero as Rome burned and we wink.
In our day, decency takes the hit. We’re expected to believe the young are deaf and blind. In the Roman Era, “Gird your loins” related to a practice of tucking and tying excess material out of the way to prevent a fall and help with agility, mobility and readiness, lest one slip on one’s undergarments. In scripture, it has to do with purity and applying the righteousness of Truth.
We are not in for a fall, we are falling. When our leaders wink at lies and license, who hears our cries? Fortunately, there is One with an inclined ear ready to make us ready.
Finally, draw your strength from the Lord and from his mighty power.
Put on the armor of God so that you may be able to stand firm against the tactics of the devil. For our struggle is not with flesh and blood but with the principalities, with the powers, with the world rulers of this present darkness, with the evil spirits in the heavens.
Therefore, put on the armor of God, that you may be able to resist on the evil day and, having done everything, to hold your ground.
So stand fast with your loins girded in truth, clothed with righteousness as a breastplate, and your feet shod in readiness for the gospel of peace. In all circumstances, hold faith as a shield, to quench all (the) flaming arrows of the evil one.And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.With all prayer and supplication, pray at every opportunity in the Spirit. To that end, be watchful with all perseverance and supplication for all the holy ones.” Ephesian 6:10-18
My fair daughter found this must read and calls the gleaming icon of decadence “a coffee altar.” It was this same daughter that introduced me to the coffee machine vs coffee maker during an afternoon demo she conducted at William Sonoma with the wordless salesperson unable to get a word in edgewise. Now she allures and entices me with levels of pleasure yet to be experienced.
Better than the politics of this day celebrated elsewhere as May Day, is the memorial of Joseph the Worker remembered in the Church.
May St. Joseph the worker keep us united to Jesus and the Church as our days of trial test our faith and fidelity. May we never think our smallest most menial tasks lack infinite worth in the hands of heaven.
Prayer to St. Joseph the Worker
St. Joseph, by the work of your hands and the sweat of your brow, you supported Jesus and Mary, and had the Son of God as your fellow worker. Teach me to work as you did, with patience and perseverance, for God and for those whom God has given me to support. Teach me to see in my fellow workers the Christ who desires to be in them, that I may always be charitable and forbearing towards all. Grant me to look upon work with the eyes of faith, so that I shall recognize in it my share in God’s own creative activity and in Christ’s work of our redemption, and so take pride in it. When it is pleasant and productive, remind me to give thanks to God for it. And when it is burdensome, teach me to offer it to God, in reparation for my sins and the sins of the world. (Note: This prayer was taken from the booklet “Devotions to Saint Joseph” by Brian Moore, S.J., printed and published by the Society of St. Paul.)
In his third press conference on his 100th day in office, President Obama stood by his conviction that torture is wrong, that water-boarding is wrong. Basically he said it was wrong making the argument that we don’t need it. Obama claims the high ground in protecting sworn enemies of this country from harsh procedures. “It corrodes the character of a country.” Here is the text of exchange:
OBAMA: Jake? Where’s Jake? There he is.
Q: Thank you, Mr. President. You’ve said in the past that waterboarding, in your opinion, is torture. Torture is a violation of international law and the Geneva Conventions. Do you believe that the previous administration sanctioned torture?
OBAMA: What I’ve said ? and I will repeat ? is that waterboarding violates our ideals and our values. I do believe that it is torture. I don’t think that’s just my opinion; that’s the opinion of many who’ve examined the topic. And that’s why I put an end to these practices.
I am absolutely convinced it was the right thing to do, not because there might not have been information that was yielded by these various detainees who were subjected to this treatment, but because we could have gotten this information in other ways, in ways that were consistent with our values, in ways that were consistent with who we are.
I was struck by an article that I was reading the other day talking about the fact that the British during World War II, when London was being bombed to smithereens, had 200 or so detainees. And Churchill said, “We don’t torture,” when the entire British ? all of the British people were being subjected to unimaginable risk and threat.
And then the reason was that Churchill understood ? you start taking shortcuts, over time, that corrodes what’s ? what’s best in a people. It corrodes the character of a country.
However, this same man, President Obama, supports, allows and has helped restore and implement legislation that allows the arms and legs to be severed from the bodies of pre-born infants not only in this country but around the world. (Harsh words, harsh procedures! Saline abortions are worse than corrosive, they are caustic, for the infant.)
The pre-born children of this Nation are our future citizens. Every fragment of their being was conceived and formed while their mothers breathed the air of American freedom and protection. Obama has in the past stood side by side with those who sanction collapsing the skulls of fully formed infants making sure they never draw their first breath.
The key to his position may be one of pragmatism rather than morality. Has he forgotten that he indicated that the destruction of his own future grandchildren was preferable to him rather than for his own daughters to bear his grandchild in an untimely manner; His words on the subject, “if they make a mistake. I don’t want them punished with a baby.” This is part of what Obama calls teaching “morals and values to make good decisions.” This President hasn’t a moral leg to stand on.
Amy Welborn here points to of OSV who wrote in Corroding the Character of Our Nation:
“We have seen the tragic results of what happens when one life is considered less important than another. It’s unfortunate that the president can recognize that fact when it comes to terror suspects and prisoners of war but not when it comes to his own countrymen still in the womb. President Obama said in his press conference last night that he believes that the abortion decision is best left in the hands of women, who he believes struggle with what they choose to do. Well, we would hope that women struggle with the decision to end a child’s life, but the reality is that with each passing year people seem to become more and more desensitized to the plight of the unborn. Why? For the exact reasons the president stated: Over time, bad but easy choices corrode what’s best in a people.”
Today the Church celebrates Saint Louis Marie Grignion de Montfort, Priest. His special devotion the the Mother of God has circled the world in love and prayer, winning hearts to Our Lady and Her Son. Here is his Total Consecration to Jesus Through Mary.
The Montfort Missionaries write:
In 1888, Louis Marie was beatified, and in 1947, Pope Pius XII declared him a Saint. The congregations he left behind, the Company of Mary, the Daughters of Wisdom, and the Brothers of Saint Gabriel (whose congregation developed from the group of lay-brothers gathered round him), grew and spread, first in France, then throughout the world. They continue to witness to the charism of St Louis Marie, and to carry out his mission to establish the Kingdom of God, the Reign of Jesus through Mary.
St. Louis’ writings lead us to Mary who presents us to her Son with the grace of a Mother’s love.
A reminder for those who have made the Total Consecration to Jesus through Mary and are members of the Confraternity of Mary Queen of All Hearts, today is a day of special indulgence.
Be Holy! 