Newsletter & Journal – Reflection & Articles – October 2022
Looking around today, we find a world with much anxiety and chaos, from Mexico shaken up by earthquakes and Cuba hit with storms. Yet, listening to people speak during these events we can hear a loss of faith by no mention of God, but merely the fear of nature. Can it be that many no longer have the thought of connecting the events in our lives with the hand of God? Many people no longer cry out to God when they see their country warned as like Mexico whom “legalized” abortion. Is it coincidence that on September 19th Mexico had three earthquakes on the same day in three different years (1985, 2017, 2022)? The immense hurricane Ian that hit Cuba, where people are asking for “marriage” for homosexuals, a sin in God’s eyes, was this coincidence or God reaching out? Yet, right in front of our eyes we are seeing the events of Cuba being liberalized. People are beginning to get their “freedom” all in the name of leaving communism behind for liberalism, supposedly to open the door to a free country. We can see this in many other places in history like Russia, when the Soviet Union fell, it became the liberal country where Islam and Schismatic Christians now are equality living together, yet Roman Catholics have been pushed out. The True Faith becomes less and less accepted. Modernism creeps in and becomes the way to form a new religion that works with the State, just as the Romans did with the Jews in the times of Christ. It seems to be a state of Masonic control to control religion and the population.
Oh what a shaking of the Faith. In Iran where Islamic control holds, we can see how the “Liberal hand symbol” is used to protest a woman slain by the police for immodesty, the hand is used for many socialist purposes and protests as symbol of freedom, yet it has proven an underlying way to have people forget who is the true authority: God. Socialism uses the good causes of people to gain control of society and have the state come in to replace God. Requesting the freedom of unveiling of women is like the west, where liberalism comes to offer freedom to its people to poison the culture to only destroy the roles of family and the True Faith, and God is being replaced by the ideas of Man.
These events really began to point me back to reading the message of La Salette and the warnings by our Lady. It has taken me time to share, as I wanted to receive counsel of the messages of La Salette and its authenticity from the Church. There are many parallels being seen in the words of the Virgin to Melanie, Maximin Giraud and Frances Melanie Mathieu, who were only young children when they saw an apparition of the Virgin Mary in the mountains of La Salette. Melanie’s description can be seen today by the murders and chaos in the streets or by the many horrible accidents occurring, such as, young athletes falling dead from heart attacks, murdered, displays of aggression are on the rise, and car accidents causing horrible situations of crashing into places where people are present, it is as if the virus of sin and evil has really engulfed the world.
As a teen, I remember watching a show called X Files with my father. It was not the best show for kids, yet it reminded me the show could serve as a parable in the world. In one episode a spy injected a serum with nanobots into another FBI agent that would be controlled by a frequency that would cause him to become sick or violent. I can compare this in the truth of the effect of mortal sin, we become sick and violent against what is good by the influences of the Devil, which is the enemy of God. This is not a story to cause despair, but to seek the remedy. For at the end of the show the one FBI agent that seemed to despair looked at his partner, which wore a Crucifix and he stated that he wanted Hope. Many of these things we are seeing are warnings to those of no faith and those that do not live it. We know the Children of God are never abandoned, God always keeps His promises. It could be why we see many of these events taking place where the faith is being attacked, distorted or completely lost. It is why I sense the need to write this, to see the connection to events when we leave God. When we leave the grace that protects us, then we leave, flee and hide from God Himself like Adam in the garden of Eden[Genesis 3:8]. What is Charity, God Himself (1 John 4:8), it is to will of the good of others. When we leave Charity we leave the graces given by God to us to be charitable to our neighbors and become the way others see God. I can see how being in chaos is found in hell, for it is a place where Charity is rejected, for it is God’s Charity that maintains order. It seems when all is in Order then Truth reigns and is sought for others to look out for each other not only in thinking of themselves, but loving their neighbor for God’s sake. It reminds me when you love God, you share in His Divine life by grace, so sharing in that Love of desiring to see others truly happy. Mainly it is to see others happy loving God, loving Who is True Charity.
The Virgin of our Lady of La Salette gives us remedies, when we see Her image, we see Her chain with the Crucifix with a hammer and nails (pincers). We can either remove the nails, or place the nails into the body of Christ. It is to say, we can console Him or we can continue to crucify God by our sins.
The victory of the Immaculata seems to be in Her holy hope that goes beyond what we can see, but by faith alone [2 Cor 5:7]. She is our comfort in knowing with a pure heart the Love of God, which can dispel all despair from our souls in remaining close to Her in trust and confidence in Her Son. Mary did not fight the world as we would think of a battle, but She fought it with Humility and Truth, so by being depended on God we know He wins every battle. He knows how to conquer evil better than we can, let alone give us Angels to help us to fight. We are living in a world that claims to know “truth” more than God, by choosing to label what is a man, a woman or a marriage. It only invites those who make themselves “friends” to the world to lead to their own destruction by making the same claim Satan did in not serving the order of God. The world makes itself friends with Satan in thinking it knows more than God. Who is unto God, St. Michael stated, this by his name, but no one is God. He alone we are to serve His Truth which is Alone unchangeable. I can see this in our Lady at the foot of the Cross. Thus, in La Salette, She warns us that if we do not convert, pray, and keep the Sabbath, we are nailing our will to the Cross in the nails that go into His Sacred hands. We should be aiming to nail ourselves in Trust, so that we can remove the nails that endure our faults in patience, and console Him with our obedience to suffer and to give ourselves in Charity on the Cross with Him.
The advice given to the children in La Salette was to not abandon prayer, for many are neglecting prayer. We actually take it for granted to think that many people around us have people praying for them, or that their homes have parents praying for their lost children, oh how it seems not so. When we can see many parents and families working on Sundays with no grave need, or people shopping without necessity on Sundays, or that men and women in the new generation are no longer wearing a Scapular or know how to pray the Rosary. Many have not been taught to pray. Many because of liberalist thoughts, let the child decide to be baptized, but as we know then this gives opportunity to the devil’s influence by bad schooling or bad influences to not believe or need the Sacraments or Supernatural beliefs. What troubles we face in the lack of prayerful souls! So here I leave you with some remedies. First, the morning offering and evening prayers, along with the three Hail Marys, in honor of our Lady’s purity are essentials. The morning and evening prayers are starting points. Then, a fifteen minute meditation on the supernatural Faith, through Scripture or merely an image that can help reflect on Heavenly things, which I hope this apostolate will help provide. This will hope to ground us to the reality that we solely depend on God for everything and His protection and wisdom. There is hope that if we convert our hearts, She will keep us truly safe by His grace.
Pax in umbra Dei+
Morning Offering
O JESUS, through the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I offer Thee my prayers, works, joys and sufferings of this day for all the intentions of Thy Sacred Heart, in union with the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass throughout the world, in reparation for my sins, for the intentions of all our Associates and in particular for the intention of the Apostleship of Prayer.
(Referenced: https://traditionalcatholicprayers.com/2019/10/05/morning-prayers/)
Three Hail Marys, After Each Ave Maria..
By thy holy and Immaculate Conception, O Mary, make my/our body pure and my/our soul holy; preserve me this day /night from mortal sin.
(Reference: https://traditionalcatholicprayers.com/2020/05/18/three-hail-marys-devotion-for-salvation/
How often am I shaken with the temptation to flee, to escape duties and leave the wretched world. Yet, I stop to think how does this fit with St. John and Our Lady at the foot of the Cross? Shall I compare myself to the rest of the apostles who were not at the feet of the Cross and fled? The trouble is that I know I can try to flee from the world, yet the tendency is to flee into my own comfort and self will. I ask myself, am I fleeing to please myself or truly trying to flee from Sin?
If evils begin in our will and in our hearts, I am learning to see all things are from the hand of our Divine Lord that wants to give us the way to remain in hope and engage to grow Virtue. It is to say that to control our thoughts that go to our hearts, so not to allow evil to seed. In that way all things can grow in virtue to engage even the challenges by helping us to learn to safeguard our heart from evil thoughts.
Even in the midst of darkness in a world that seems to be sliding back into the abyss of Sodom. I can carry my cross up to Calvary with our Lord and hope that others follow like St. John and as the Holy Women did with our Lord. We find retreat in the comfort of others, yet how often I find myself realizing that nothing can replace the consoling grace in only Him. The world has turned communion with people as the essence of life, yet it has forgotten the order in which the communion with God is first to love our neighbor. We must value Him first to find comfort. We do not need a community to escape to seek our own self interest, when we truly should know that in God’s love we are comforted, not in others. This way we can truly seek the best of neighbor and be an instrument of God even when we do not receive anything in return to truly comfort the ones in need and clothe them with His presence working within us.
I read and pray, the Humility of Prayer. After reading the prayer much, I see how the Saints despised the world and the world despised the Saints with their humility. What am I supposed to do in a world that seems upside down, a world which seems to be giving the perverse message. “To go down is to go up”.
Lord, save me from this confusion! Keep me focused on Heaven, Oh Lord, that I remain small.
In the midst of the paths that lead to hell which is being sold as the path to living a safe life, I say give me the narrow path and the courage in Confidence to trust to do Your will.
As a sheep we seek the shepherd to lead, but you alone Lord are the True Shepherd and by laying yourself on the Cross showed me You are One that loves me and not a hireling [John 10:12]. Your Voice shows me the goodness of God in all things to stand firm, like the Rock, in the Faith in Christ not in the world, but in God Alone. Like a hermit in the world it is being hidden not in the caves but in the wound of Your Sacred Heart.
We men must stand together, to defend our ourselves and our homes in the name of God. To live by the True faith even if the world despises you for all in the name of God and His church. To be warriors of the family, our wives and children..
Cornelius a Lapide (AD 1637) on John 10:12
But he that is an hireling, &c. An hireling seeks not the good of the sheep but merely his own profit. “Hirelings are they,” says S. Augustine
“God is constant, unchangeable and endless. No fear comes to disturb it for no accident can destroy it. He is like a man seating on a rock in the middle of the ocean who looks on the fury of the waves without dismay and can amuse himself watching and counting them as they roar and break at his feet. Whether the sea is calm or rough, whichever way the waves are carried by the wind is a matter of indifference to him, for the place where he is is firm and unshakeable.” ( Surrender to Divine Providence pg. 95)
Praise be Jesus & Mary and Joseph!
God reward you and Mary keep you all in supporting this apostolate work. You are all in my daily rosary and prayers.
Stay Sharp X Resource Page
Suggested Reading Material :
Paperback Book – Trustful Surrender to Divine Providence: The Secret to Peace and Happiness. Author : St. Claude De La Colombiere, S.J. Fr. Jean Baptiste Saint-Jure, S.J.
Available by Tan books ( tanbooks.com )
Prayer Resources :
Hardcover Book.- Christian Warfare by Society of St. Pius X
Available by Angelus Press ( angeluspress.org )
Online Resource :
Traditional Catholic Prayers ( https://traditionalcatholicprayers.com)
Support Monastic Life:
https://www.ourladyofguadalupemonastery.com / www.abbeyroast.com
Le Shade + Umbra Dei Press Mission:
Roman Catholic Lay Apostolate
+To draw souls To Reflect on God in All Things with a monastic heart by providing art and journalism to help stay prayerful and united to God’s grace by the Sacrifice of the mass, the Priesthood, The Holy Family, and God’s Commandments(Ps 91).
+We aim that in sharing the beauty of the catholic and apostolic faith we hope to grow fellowship And Support of religious life Communities To restore the Kingship of Christ in society by helping build a catholic environment and grow the interior life to Contemplate the cross (Gal 2:20) and Our Lady (Jn 19:27), so to unite the faithful in the use of their talents for the Glory of God and rest under the mantle of Our Lady in living A life of prayer and penance united to the cross for the name of Jesus Christ (Col 3:17).
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