The Ideal Christmas??!!

Its Five Days until Christmas, my fellow Okie Trads and Beyond! Which means last minute shopping and preparations.  Preparations for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.  Except perhaps for the worst cynic, the inner child in all of us still hopes for an Ideal Christmas each year, whatever Providence will give us.

The Christmas Cynic

I suppose for everyone, there is a different image that comes to mind of the perfect Christmas.   After all, every country has their own version of Jolly Ol' St. Nicholas and how he brings Christmas presents to children.  For my German mother, the picture perfect image of Christmas was that Bavarian Christmas Eve, once upon a time, when her very poor mother brought all seven children to midnight Mass, and when Mass was over, stepping outside, the ground was covered in feet of snow.  All of us--fortunate ones--have some fond memory of that idyllic Christmas event. 

For me, the perfect Christmas was when I was 14 years old.  The whole extended family came over to our house for Christmas Eve, to eat little salami and rye bread sandwiches (very German), deviled eggs, little quiches, wine, etc, and later open a mountain of presents arranged under our real 10 foot tall Christmas tree (the kind they traditionally sell out in Bixby, just south of Tulsa). 

Then we were off to Midnight Mass, my dad singing in the choir, and me serving.  In front of the altar (novus ordo) was a large, beautiful manger, surrounded by Christmas trees lit with white lights.  Father would process in holding a little statue of the Baby Jesus, which he would place in the crib, while all stood watching with candles in a dark church.  Later, my future brother-in-law and I played my new Nintendo, and then slept in, to awaken to a new blanket of snow across the yard and woods.  Before a Turkey dinner, we went sledding, and drank hot cocoa.  The family were all on good terms, and joy and cheer were in the air.

Chesterton Loved Christmas

I was reading recently how Chesterton really loved Christmas as one of his most favorite times of the year, especially Christmas dinner with a Turkey.  He loved how Christmas makes the serious demand on us to grow closer as family and friends, and to more sincerely love one another.

The Paradox of Secularized Christmas

But there is also the negative paradox  or contradiction of the typical American, secularized Christmas, epitomized in the artwork of Norman Rockwell, who helped sell a lot of Christmas trees and sleds.

Whereas the very first Christmas emphasized the poverty of Our Lord and Savior, the secular Christmas emphasizes expensive presents, spending money, and impressing family with the perfect dinner and table placement.  All inherently good things, but out of proportion to the true celebration of Christmas.

Whereas the very first Christmas was filled with supernatural joy

and hope for the salvation of mankind, today's secular Christmas emphasizes material success and an artificial comfort enabled by the latest techno-gadgets (by the way, I love my Google Mini).

Whereas the very first Christmas was the manifestation of Unconditional Love for all mankind, in the Incarnation, today's Christmas is conditional.  Worldly conditions that mutilate a joyous, spiritual, family time into a consumeristic emotional pressure cooker, whose only relief is when Christmas is over Christmas night (whereas for us practicing Catholics, it has just begun).

A Norman Rockwell Christmas

Solutions?

Well, I still love the Christmas tree (we are trimming our tree Christmas eve this year) and the Christmas Turkey and Norman Rockwell, but this Christmas more than ever I am trying to focus my mental energies on the Nativity set that adorns our family altar.  There in the center is an empty crib, awaiting the birth of the Christ Child. 

My prayer is that all of you have a very Merry Christmas, and that you might taste the true Joy of the Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ.

Merry Christmas!

(For Information about how to do Advent and Christmas in a traditional Catholic way, here is the Ideal resource, at Fish Eaters Website:  Customs)

Up here at Arnie's Irish Pub Pondering Cigars vs. Pipes

Took a half day off from work to partake of the Feast Day.   That'd be the Feast of All Saints to all you non-papists or fallen away Catholics out there.   And thanks to Mark in the Comments box in the Kilkenny's post for recommending Arnie's Irish Pub downtown.   I'm sitting here for a spell before heading over to Mass.  The old Tridentine, that is. 

And guys,  this place is just awesome.   Kilkenny's is to Arnie's as central heat is to a wood-burning, potbelly stove.   It's as real as it gets.  No trendy,  hipster millenials here. Just Salt of the Earth people with all their flaws, which reminds me of the Irish.   Oh,  and they allow smoking,  for all you Tolkien Trads who love your cigar or pipe. 

Cigar or Pipe? 

Let's crack our knuckles and compare and contrast.   The cigar. 
They range from Swisher Sweets all the way up to your Cubans.   The cigar conjures up the hallowed image of the business elite making the toughest,  highest tier decisions in a smoke-filled room late a night.   The pipe reminds me of Gandalf sitting by the fire musing about the different kinds of humanoid beings in Middle Earth. 

I imagine that the Cigar fits well your Salesman,  with an expense account,  and a healthy bank account.   There is something symbolic about cigars and $$$.
It seems the cigar is a symbol of financial success. 

On the other hand,  I imagine the pipe fitting well the quiet, melancholic,  intellectual.   The teacher,  therapist, or  priest type. I don't know why.  But if I were to think of Chesterton, Lewis,  and Tolkien hanging out in a London pub (did those 3 ever get together I wonder),  I just can't imagine them smoking cigars as much as pipes. 
Maybe Chesterton would have pulled out a cigar. 

I'm more a pipe kind of guy I guess.   I mean,  as ya'll know from my posts asking for help with a laptop--and most recent one about a much needed new armchair (please,  pretty please) --my wallet is kinda thin right now.   A couple $5 bags of good quality pipe tobacco from Ted's Pipe Shop in Utica Square does me just fine.   

Reflects the Hierarchy of Life on Earth. 

Not my idea,  but God decided the world of Nature--and Human Nature which flows from it--is a Hierarchy.   A dog has higher value in the eyes of God than an amoeba.  Both are good,  but if excellence in design corresponds to being like unto God and thus superior to that which is less like God,  then sentient, thinking, feeling beings are superior to single-celled organisms.   Of course. 

And so too in the Human Kingdom. You've got your aristocrats (unfortunately today mostly devolved into a state of oligarchy), 
and your Common man.   God's design, not mine,  no sir.   Among common men,  you have the professions and trades,  both of which traditionally gave modest pay.   Until the second part of the 20th century,  for example,  doctors were at best middle-class. 

And so you will always have your smoke-filled rooms of cigar-smoking,  club member,  aristocratic (bad version = oligarchic) financial elites,  and your Common man who smokes pipes and cigarettes and drinks cheap Whiskey. 

Happy Feast of All Saints Fella Okie Trads!

Up Here at Kilkenny's

Worked late tonight.   Hanging out in a quiet booth at Kilkenny's Irish Pub in Tulsa (I'm half Irish-American and half German), drinking a Bud Light and eating bangers and cheddar cheese.   Just finished an Irish Whiskey. 

Lately ponderings.  Need to review how to take Max advantage of obtaining Indulgences during All Souls-tide, if that's a word.  Scroll down to read my post about Indulgences.    I'm thinking on All Souls Day you can gain 3 (!), under the usual conditions as it were, applied to the Poor Souls only. 

Tomorrow is Halloween.   I can imagine some Catholic mothers 
worried if Trick-or-Treating is a near occasion of sin.   Well this is one of the, as I call it,  trad theological errors, if you ask me.   It's a fine line,  but you CAN do Halloween in a traditional Catholic way, imo.  

One alternative to the psychopathic horror show that is secular Halloween, is the All Saints Day Party. 

And guess what?   We Okie Trads
in the Diocese of Tulsa of Eastern Oklahoma (new name! Btw, I often refer to our Local Church that way), have TWO All Saints Day Parties coming up! 

1.  After next Sunday Mass at MPB, I hear. 

2.  A week later--on a Saturday-- at a SSPP family's house.  (email me if you'd like an invite). 

Happy All Hallows Eve, fella Okie Trads! 

Some Thoughts on Indulgences

Introduction.

After I was given a practically brand spankin' new laptop (Dell Inspiron 15 7000 Series, Touchscreen) by a fellow Okie Trad reader of the blog, another reader emailed me offering two laptops.  I declined due to the recent gift but they insisted and sent me the laptops.  Now I have 3 new (to me) laptops!

"Anonymous" asks we pray for the Pour Souls in Purgatory, in light of their contribution, and that I write a blog post about Indulgences.  Cracking my knuckles, I'll see what I can do "Anoynmous."  And THANK YOU again for the two laptops.  Wow and double wow.

Indulgences.

Indulgences.  The remittance of temporal punishment due to sin, as a canonical act of mercy by either the pope or the local bishop.  i.e. To reduce Purgatory time. 

And friends, if you haven't ever read what private revelation says about purgatory, (cheapest version: HERE), you might be surprised to learn how real it really is.  The author drives home how horrible it is that you will gladly embrace regular prayer, fasting, and almsgiving to satisfy your sin debt on this side of the River Styx. 

Let's see, you've got your partial indulgence which remits punishment on par with the quality of your devotion when performing the prayer and/or other devotional act.  In fact saying one Hail Mary with complete humility and no holds barred charity for the Almighty can theoretically satisfy the debt for a lifetime of sin.

Priest Dies, Sees Hell,

Purgatory, and Heaven

A Must Watch Folks

And then you've got your plenary indulgence.  That takes care of the whole kit and caboodle. If gained, it remits all temporal punishment due to sin. It ain't as simple though as doing the necessary act.

An example of a plenary indulgence is saying a rosary in a group.  But the kicker is there are a few additional requirements the pope wants us to take care of to get the complete benefit. 

A) Go to confession/communion within 21 days before or after the required act (the previous law stated within one week but was changed in the early 2000s, thanks I think to JP2)

B) Say a prayer for the intentions of the Holy Father (one Our Father and one Hail Mary will suffice).

C) This here is the most challenging part:  "no attachment to venial sin."

That last part, I've observed, often confounds the earnest believer trying to earn the plenary indulgence. 

As an aside, I can imagine some readers being like "Wha Okie Trad?  'Earn?'  We don't 'earn' our salvation!"  To which I would respond, yes we do participate in "earning" our salvation; its not all on God as Martin Luther would have us believe. 

Incidentally, when he objected to indulgences he later admitted he had been ignorant of what the Church teaches on the subject.  Ya'll let me know in the Comm section if any factoid of my presentation is off and I can duly edit it.

                          "Solo Fides, Okie Trad"

Not to worry.  The objection I raised in the last paragraph I heard addressed by a priest once in a conference.  He said the kind of "detachment from venial sin" required to earn the plenary indulgence

is not absolute. 

We don't have to be 100% free of concupiscence, the weakness of the flesh, or sin.  It is a basic kind of detachment.

But that kind of detachment is more a product of moral disposition, or habit of the soul, over time, than mustering all the spiritual strength you can at the time of performing the indulgence act. 

For example, if you are praying a rosary with your family, and at the end offer the indulgence prayers for the pope's intentions, you don't have to grit your teeth, take a deep breath, and drive out all the evil inclinations from your mind in one fell swoop to gain the full, plenary indulgence.  You simply have to be detached from sin. 

But to assure yourself that you are, the habit of detachment from all sin could be cultivated through daily prayer, fasting, and almsgiving--the three forms of penance recommended by the Church since the beginning.

There are all sorts of ways to gain partial indulgences.  Every prayer of the rosary--the Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be, and Creed are all indulgenced prayers.  "Ejaculatory prayers" are a common way to gain indulgences throughout the day. 

That old school term means to vocalize, even with a whisper, short simple prayers such as:

"Jesus, Mary, and Joseph I give you my heart and my soul;  Jesus, Mary, and Joseph assist me in my last agony and death;" Jesus, Mary, and Joseph I breathe forth my soul and peace to you."

Here is the official list of approved indulgences:

Enchiridion  (cool name)

And rules or general conditions:

LINK

My favorite plenary indulgence is the daily family rosary.  But during the time of All Saints Day and All Souls Day you can earn several indulgences, for the Poor Souls: 

LINK

A few other interesting aspects about Indulgences.

If you have had the habit of prayer during your lifetime, get this, you can gain a plenary indulgence at the moment of death!  Or, if you are blessed to have Anointing of the Sick, confession, communion, and the "last rites" at the time of your death (remember we're all doing to die!), the priest will/should give you the Apostolic Blessing which carries with it a plenary indulgence from the pope. 

In either case, if properly received, the departed soul will go straight through the Pearly Gates.  That's a comfort for Catholics reading this whose deceased loved ones received this special grace before death.  I remember my father receiving the Apostolic Blessing before passing on.  But I still have Masses said for him.

Conclusion.

Indulgences are a marvelous aspect of the spiritual life, and in fact help give form to the spiritual life.

Just think about it.  Those requirements for indulgences are synonymous with the ordinary means of saving your soul:  prayers, fasting, almsgiving, confession, communion. 

The Saints actually teach that it is a greater act of charity and duty to pray for the dead than spiritual or corporal works of mercy to our fellow man here below.  Yup, that blows my mind too.  But gaining indulgences for them, and us, we participate more fully and intimately in the Communion of the Saints, on the level of the Church Militant (us) praying for and with the Church Suffering (souls in Purgatory).

Did I miss any important aspect of Indulgences?  Let me know in the Comm. Box below.  And thanks again to "Anonymous" for their generous gift of two laptops.  Ya'll please pray for their intentions:  for the Poor Souls in Purgatory.

PS  My next post is a compilation of interesting facts about St. Padre Pio, one of my favorite saints. 

Sunday Hot Tub

Holy Mass.

Reasor's Chicken.

Hot tub before work.

Where I think up my best blog posts.  :)

Got an Award: this Blog in the Top 100 Catholic Blogs!

According to

Feedspot

Cool!

Thanks!

New Book! By Yours Truely! History of Latin Mass Movement in Eastern Oklahoma!

Do you attend the Latin Mass in Eastern Oklahoma?

Ever wondered how the whole thing got started?

About the different Latin Mass communities?

About the Past, Present, and Future of Traditional Catholicism

in our Local Church?

Look no further.  I bring you, from my laptop to yours, a little, informal, self-published book I recently wrote.   I have not officially published it yet.  Right now, there is no charge. 

People are free to correct me on the factoids and dates I present, challenge assumptions and prognostications, or just ask questions for conversation.

At some point, I would like to get this little book printed, and distributed through every Latin Mass community in Eastern Oklahoma.

Without Further Ado, I, Joseph Ostermeir give you...

The Complete History of the Traditional Latin Mass Movement of Eastern Oklahoma

The Traditional Catholic Blogosphere as the 21st Century Version of the Catacombs

Deo gracias!  Wunderbar!  Holy moley!  Praise the Living God!  Yes!!  I recently received, from a Reader and Benefactor, "Anonymous," who happens to be a professional, Catholic gentleman and Okie trad, a practically brand-new, very nice Dell Inspiron 15, 7000, 7548 Laptop with a 15.6 inch Touchscreen, that can be used both with Microsoft and as a Chromebook.  Having spent most of the past six months typing my blog posts using my right thumb and my 3 inch smartphone, this is quite the relief.  Our little chromebook got fried, and the wallet was thin.  And my right metacarpophalangeal joint in particular is thankful!

My Metacarpophalangeal Joint

is Thankful!

And thanks again to another generous Okie trad and professional gentleman, "OkiePapist," for lending me his laptop recently!  Look up there in the upper right hand corner, and you can click
the post about it, and please pray for his Mother, for her conversion to the Catholic Faith!

Later, I'll put up a reminder to pray for the intentions of the Anonymous donor of the Dell; but as promised, I am writing a blog post about a topic of his choice.  He emailed me the other day, after I let him know the Dell came in the mail, and suggested the topic.  It is--using Trump's voice--huuuuuge!    Right up my alley, and it fits the majestic vision that came down from heaven as I was sharing a cigar October last year, with a Tulsa Trad.  The thought was to use the Blog as a Voice for Traditional Catholicism/Catholics across Oklahoma.  Here is the 2016  POST describing my grandeous dream. 

Anyonymous' Idea for a Blog Post is....drum roll please 

The Blogosphere/Internet as the

21st Century Version of the

Catacombs

And this here is the idea, fellow trads and Okies:  take the Counter-Revolution, and Traditionalist Remnant Church Online!  As a Safe, Legitimate Refuge from the Modernists that Be within the Hierarchical Structure of the Church.  This is of course already the case, to a certain degree.  We have all sorts of traditional Catholic blogs/forums/online journals,newspapers/etc.   This Online Remnant is already de facto a reality.  You will hear Michael Matt talk about it over at his Remnant online TV program,

with a setting that resembles an underground Catacomb.

Online Remnant Catholic Church

The Internet Catacombs

In Oklahoma, the online Catholic counter-revolution can be found at The Okie Traditionalist blog, The Hirsch Filess blog, The Catholic Gentleman blog, Oremus Traditional Catholic Newspaper website (out of Oklahoma City), The Catholic Manshow Radio Program (out of Tulsa, part of St. Michael's Radio, podcasts saved on websites), Mother Miriam's Daily Podcast/Radio Program, Most Precious Blood Parish FB page/website, etc.

Here is a Directory of Online Okie Trad Resources.

By now, most know that Joseph Ostermeir lays his head down every night on the East side of Oklahoma, so that might be more my focus.  Building up the Traditional Catholic Remnant across the Tulsa Diocese

In Oklahoma, we already have an Online, Remnant Catholic Church, De Facto Network of Traditional Catholics.  My hope is to help facilitate and encourage our Online Okie Local Church.

Outside of Oklahoma, the Online Catholic Underground Church is seen with Michael Voris and the CMTV, Catholic Answers, The Remnant website, Fr. Z's blog, Rorate Coeli blog, New Liturgical Movement blog, Eponymous Flower blog, Vox Cantoris blog, all sorts of great blogs by Trad Priests (Fr. Kirby's Vultus Christi is a great example.).  The main tradition-minded Catholic newspapers and journals are part of the Traditional Catholic Blogosphere/Online Remnant:  The Remnant, Catholic Family News, Angelus Press, Wanderer--each with their own Conferences which now can be viewed from home via paid Streaming, and EWTN TV/Radio/website.   

A Canonical Underground Church on the Internet:  3 Reasons Why We Can/Must

1.  Canon 212 says that Lay Catholics have the right to make known their opinions and concerns to the Pastors.  But is it not true, that too often our letters to the Chancery or an office in the Vatican go unanswered?  What other means is more effective and long-reaching besides the Online Blogosphere Catacombs  "to manifest to the sacred pastors their opinion of matters which pertain to the good of the Church and to make their opinion known to the rest of the Christian faifhful?"

2.  Catholics also have canonical rights to establish Catholic entities without the approval of the local ordinary, to share matters pertaining to the Catholic Faith:  blogs, websites, forums, online journals, etc.   These are basically "private associations of the faithful" which share information publicly online.  It is grassroots and word-of-mouth, and in my opinion when you have a Catholic Blogosphere, constantly sharing knowledge and wisdom via Social Media, that is a (using Trump's voice again) huuuuugggeee  Force to be Reckoned With.  

3. The Catholic Church, even the official structures of each Diocese, are going more and more online. It is just a matter of time before so much of our daily life is integrated with a Virtual Reality via the internet, smartphones, laptops, and VR goggles.  The time is ripe to build up an Online Remnant for Traditional Catholics!  As we are witnessing today.

Imagine if God-forbid, your bishop or even the pope himself, should suppress the traditional Mass.  He has the authority to suspend or transfer priests, shut down parishes/convents, or remove traditionalist priestly societies from his diocese.  But he DOES NOT have the authority to dissolve coalitions of traditional Catholics in the flesh or online.   The Online Catacomb Catholics can come together and organize for traditional Catholic Action.

Imagine you learn your progressive or modernist Bishop is about to shut down a Traditional Latin Mass community.  Whispers in the parking lot (to borrow a phrase from Laramie Hirsch), or letters to the chancery just aren't cutting the mustard.  But with the Power of the Blog, and social media, lay Catholics can respectfully organize and voice their concern.  And these kind of stories go viral.

Imagine you want to start up a TLM, but are having a hard tim finding locals interested, or the support of the Local Bishop and/or his Presbyteral Council.  Look no further.  Turn on your electronic device, make sure you have a Wifi connection, in a few keystrokes, and use of a few simple online tools, they Project is underway. 

Think how you can help build up an Online Blogosphere Traditional Catholic Remnant in your own Diocese.  To help build up Tradition!  To help defend it!  One of the beauties of canon law combined with the Internet, is that traditionalist Catholics can in fact legitimately organize a Traditional Movement across their Diocese.

A few tips:  focus criticisms on words and actions, rather than personal attacks of a bishop or priest;  network with other blogs, websites, forums, etc;  highlight the good, true, and beautiful in your diocese, and at the same time respectfully express concern what seems to be bad, false, and ugly.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

5  Ideas for the Diocese of Tulsa, Online Traditional Catholic Blogosphere/Catacombs (A Model for other Local Churches):

1.  Bloggers and website owners network via email and Facebook, and have meetups to strategize.

2.  Make known this network.  The Okie Traditionalist Blog and OkieTradCats Forum can be a Hub for the network.

3. Have an outreach to Bishop Konderla and the Powers-that-Be on his Presbyteral Council:  make known to them our Network, our concerns and cares, and ask for assistance.  Offer assistance.

4. Informally network with Bishop Emeritus Slattery (he still has an office at the chancery) and tradition-minded priests (who are or may be interested in the TLM).   Use Fr. Z's Tridentine Latin Mass Society of Madison as a model, how to spread the TLM throughout the Diocese.  To help preserve and increase +Slattery's Works of Traditional Restoration!  And to defend them from being removed.

5.  Have conferences, social events, and informal meetups of traditional Catholics of Eastern Oklahoma from Clear Creek, Sts. Peter and Paul, Most Precious Blood, the former SSPX-Tulsa members, etc.

Peanut: My Backpacking Buddy

It was almost exactly two years ago to the day, that I took with me my backpacking buddy, on a backpacking trip on a loop trail by Greenleaf Lake State Park, southeast of Muskogee. Greencountry, as we call Northeastern Oklahoma.  About an hour or so southeast Tulsa.  "Backpacking buddy" is one of the nickname's I give for my "Man's-Best-Friend" named Peanut, a five-year old, black female Dauchshund, who, true to her breed, loves to tunnel under blankets and chew anything that is chewable.  On our outdoor adventure, she loved  carrying the little fanny pack wrapped around her back contained her dog food and water.  It being Fall again, she and I are beginning to train for that same trip, walking around the neighborhood.

Greenleaf Lake, Oklahoma

Backpacking Trail Loop

Recently, I received a thankful email from a Reader of the blog, named Sarah, a Student Doctor of Veterinary Science from California, who said she and her cousins are regular Readers of the Blog!  What-up from Oklahoma!  She wanted to recommend to other readers and dog lovers a website where, if you have a dog, you can look up photos and info about your dog's breed.  Thanks Dr. Sarah!

Cute Puppies Now

I felt horrible back in late April when I took Peanut with me to a doctor's appointment.  I kind of realized at the last minute I had forgot about the appointment (I'm thinking I wasn't too fond of the particular doctor).  Before going into the doctor's building, I had rolled down all the windows enough to let in air, as well as the sunroof, and it being I think in the 70 degrees F, I figured we were okay.  That is until some sort of animal rescue police officer came into the exam room to lecture me about leaving my dog out in the "heat."  For the next hour or so, the argument whether-or-not he was right ping-ponged back and forth in my mind.  I mean, it was still April, nice temps, windows rolled down enough, she had water.  But, in the end, my conscience yielded, and I decided I would not leave her in the car unless the temps were below 70 F.

Maybe Dr. Sarah has some recommendations about this...

And so I am waiting.  Waiting for Fall to keep coming out and showing us he is here.  So that Peanut cannot only be my Backpacking Buddy, but also my Run-Around-Town Buddy.   In the backseat, I have ready a bed, with blanket, food, water, leash, and toys.  So hopefully in a couple weeks or so, she will be running around all over town with me, with her head poked out the window (rolled up enough to be safe!), and her tongue wagging in the wind.

I love that little dog, Peanut. 

Have a great Fall Weekend, Ya'll!!

Saturday Morning Diner Steak 'n Eggs

2 eggs sunny-side up, tomatoes, a sirloin steak medium well, and a diet Coke.

Sitting in a booth at an old-fashioned diner here in T-town
overlooking downtown.

Nice, cool Fall weekend.  Today
swimming, blogging at Panera, wash car, give virtual reality goggles to my nephews, review
political writings prepping for
Coulombe podcast, confession/holy hour, grill chicken, watch The Hobbit.

Saturday 23, 2017. A Most Auspicious Day, I'd Say

A most auspicious day today in the heavens, but it seems just a run-of-the-mill day today here on Earth.

A Beatification, St. Padre Pio's Feast Day, and the Constellation Virgo corresponding point-by-point with the Lady in the heavens described in the Book of Revelations.  Most auspicious.

I must admit when I woke up this morning I was curious what I would read in the news.   I had kinda anticipated this day for a while imagining it might be festive...or who knows.  For me it turned out like any other routine day.

I did catch pieces of the beatification, and some blog posts about it.   It seems trads are suspicious of the reasons behind it. The whole thing just seems too vague and nebulous.  Interesting how like-minds share the same exact reservations.   Many are asking how Blessed Rother's death met the definition of martyrdom, and how the beatification is at least partly for political reasons. The presiding Cardinal in OKC today has been nicknamed the "Saint-Maker" over the years.

Anyway, I was once again flabbergasted today to talk to someone who is donating a laptop to the blog.   Okiepapist provided one to use as long as I needed it.  It turns out I'll be receiving one in the mail next week, care of Amazon, from a reader/donor who wishes to remain Anonymous.  Thank you Anonymous!

Nothing apocolyptic happened today, and my long set of novenas to St. Padre Pio for special intentions, culminated in his Feast today.   It being an Ember Day, I decided instead of fasting and abstaining to feast (on some good Okie bbq, and beer).  One of the instances I felt compelled to observe the new calendar instead of the pre-conciliar calendar.  I'd like to think Padre Pio gave the thumb's up.   He was a hard-core faster, but enjoyed sipping a good beer on special occasions.  I'd think his feast day would be one of them.

So I do plan to read Blessed Rother's biography and venerate him;  but at the same time pursue the same questions about the politics behind the still ongoing canonization process. Should be interesting to learn more facts.

And the Virgo thing isn't over.  It's just that Jupiter (the king god) finally left the womb of Virgo today.  I'm thinking the crown of 12 stars, sun at her back, and moon at her feet may continue for sometime.

In the meantime everyday the news keeps bringing us new info about earthquakes and hurricanes, rising tensions over North Korea, Cardinal Burke's (et al) Formal Correction of Amoris Latiteae, and in 3 weeks the 100th Anniversary of Fatima.

I for one will be watching the news a little bit more closely, and one night drive outside of city limits to see if I can identify what is happening with Virgo.

Blessed Stanley Rother, pray for us.

St. Padre Pio, pray for us.

Our Lady of Fatima, pray for us.

Our Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on us.

Connecting the Dots about To-Be Beatified Okie Fr. Stanley Rother

I like facts, and putting them in my visual field where I can compare them and look for patterns. Every reality is connected to another reality. Everything is connected to something, which is connected to something else.

And I find that when you lay out the facts, as it were, reality sheds light on the situation and shows you that over-arching truth. You don’t have to be a logician or fountain of information. Just a simple set of essential facts set in the context of over-arching laws and principles will get’r done. 

 

Just look at the Constellation Virgo phenomenon. It was God who arranged the facts. Twelve stars crowning the Virgin, with the Sun at her back, the moon at her feet, and the planet Jupiter emerging from her womb after nine months, all this converging on September 23rd, 2017. And this corresponds point-by-point almost verbatim with the Revelation of the Lady in the Book of the Apocalypse. You don’t have to be a biblical scholar or a mythology professor to see how the 9/23 Virgo Phenomenon matched what is described in Holy Scripture.
 
I think all this applies to the case of Fr. Stanley Rother (RIP) of Okemah, Oklahoma, now raised to the altars as Blessed Rother. 



Laying Out the Facts:
 
Here’s the facts that enter my visual field about Blessed Rother. He was from a simple, down-to-earth state. He specialized in farming. He was ordained a priest after Vatican II. He is almost always depicted wearing lay clothes and a rainbow stole. The modernists use images like that of priests to represent a Conciliar ideology of the Catholic priesthood—priests being ordained principally to serve the issues of social justice. Those are facts. 

He was put on a Hit List in Guatemala, in Latin America. He did not leave his flock, and was killed for being a priest, representing the Church serving the poor. All of this was in the 1970s. His cause for Canonization was put forward by the Church in Oklahoma in the 1990s. It became fast-tracked under Pope Francis. More facts.
He served Hispanics and died for them. Today Oklahoma is one of the main states with a large population of illegal immigrants, where the two Catholic Dioceses here oppose the Republican policy of strict immigration law enforcement in Oklahoma. The US bishops--including the Okie bishops—support a progressive policy that is widely tolerant of illegal immigration. Their policy runs contrary to President Trump’s policy. Those are just facts.
 
The same exact year that Fr. Rother is finally raised to the altars as an American Saint, Donald Trump becomes President, representing a populist, nationalist movement that is ultra-conservative about immigration policy. Trump is building The Wall. Pope Francis objected to building Walls. Archbishop Coackley of Oklahoma City is on record saying he thought the Beatification was fast-tracked because Fr. Rother represented to Pope Francis his vision of the “New Evangelization.”
 
Oh, and Pope Francis is from Latin America. He was elected to better represent South America. The plot thickens. There are quite a few priests lately in South America, and around the world, killed, whose death might be defined as “martyrdom,” but none of them are being beatified or canonized that I’ve heard of.
 
Just the killed priest from Oklahoma, just one state north of the US-Mexico border. If you are an illegal immigrant coming in through Texas north, you go straight into or through Oklahoma. All those are obvious facts.

 
What else? A common opinion among traditionalists is that post-Vatican II Catholics beatified or canonized are done so for political reasons, more than because of the three parts of what makes a saint--heroic virtue/penance/orthodoxy. Their canonizations are considered canonizations of the ever evolving Conciliar Reform/Theological World View. 


Connecting the Dots:
 
Those are 25 Facts I listed about Blessed Rother. I mean, can’t we connect the dots? Hello. Using just some simple logic and basic Catholic common sense?

Here goes.  Conclusion: the pattern suggests that under the pontificate of Pope Francis, Fr. Rother is being manipulated as a Political Symbol of a progressive policy in favor of illegal immigration, of Hispanics Fr. Rother served, from South America, across the US border into North America.   

Fr. Rother was chosen because he was from Oklahoma where today illegal immigration of Hispanics is front stage, and basically supported by the Oklahoma bishops. God bless our Okie bishops, but I think those are established realities.

Summary:   Yes, Fr. Rother died knowing he was on a Hit List because he was a Catholic priest serving the poor of Guatemala, which, according to the Vatican met the definition of martyrdom, making him a saint.   However, aren’t all the facts closely correlated enough to strongly suggest that the “Media Version of Blessed Rother” is being used by modernists in the Church to promote a progressive policy about immigration of Hispanics in South America, to the US? That his Beatification this year of 2017 is partly a political statement against President Trump’s immigration policy?

I'm not certain. But it does seem probable. All the facts align pretty well, like the stars and planets of the constellation Virgo. Time will tell, how the Rainbow-stole version of Blessed Rother is marketed and used in American church politics.

And I’m wondering if I’m the only person on the web making this connection? Maybe it helps I was raised Catholic here in Oklahoma and for decades have heard and seen the Rainbow-stole version of Fr. Rother.

Let me know what you think in the Comm box below.


 
Blessed Stanley Rother, pray for us!

The Virgo Constellation Thing this Saturday

The Remnant published an astonishing article in 2016 about an astronomical phenomenon that is supposed to happen for the first time in cosmic history this next Saturday, September 23rd, 2017. You may have already heard about this.  If not, here is the scoop, basically.

This Saturday the planet Jupiter (named after the Roman king god) will pass through the "womb" of the constellation Virgo ("The Virgin"), and at the same time the Virgin will look to be crowned with 12 stars (yes 12) and the moon at her feet.

Does that remind you of a certain prophesy from the Bible?

These are astronomical facts. The constellation Virgo will objectively appear to be a Virgin, crowned with stars, with a moon at her feet.  She will clothed by the Sun.  Again, those are the plain scientific facts.

When I wake up Saturday morning, I'm not expecting any biblical world events. But friends, considering this amazing arrangement in the heavens corresponds so closely to the Scriptures, oh and the fact the 100th Anniversary of the Miracle of the Sun at Fatima happens this October 17th, then I think it is a fair question what might happen.

Patrick Archbold of the Remnant wrote about it HERE.

Laramie Hirsch, being an astronomy buff, gave his ponderings about it HERE.

Please Pray for OkiePapist's Mother's Conversion to the Cathollic Faith. In Thanks for the Laptop!

Grazi!  Grazi!

 

Well, I am flabbergasted.  Reminds me of that picture of the ghost logo for Ghost Busters. Speechless.

In the Economy of Salvation, it does seem the  Holy Ghost helps provide for our material needs. Who would’ve thought that throwing up a post asking for a laptop would actually work. This seems to verify Reagan-omics (though I’m more a “distributist” than a capitalist, thanks to G.K. Chesterton). Some Prosperity trickled down to me, whose wallet right now is very thin. The laptop I am now using, sitting in my Okie Armchair, was donated this last weekend. Kind of a “permanent loan” until Providence should reward me with more prosperity.

As promised, I’ll be posting about a topic of the Donors’ choice, offering 10 Rosaries for their intentions, and asking readers to pray for their intentions. 

So, the Blessed Lender/Donor of this laptop—username OkiePapist--is asking that you please pray for the conversion of their Mother away from Protestantism, to the Catholic Faith.

If this blog is something that has kept you entertained, informed, or perhaps even inspired over the last year+ since I opened an account on Blogger...

If you believe that blogs, properly self-regulated, can be used for good ends...

If you believe in the vision of this blog to share life and faith from the perspective of a traditional Catholic and the Local Church...

If you comment now and then; heck...

If you liked the “Pope Michael” Interview (part II is in the works); if you appreciate local news about the Local Church in Oklahoma…

Then PLEASE include this Intention to your Daily Rosary!  Grazi! 

Computer is Fried! Please help!

If there's anybody out there with an old laptop who'd be willing to donate it to The Okie Traditionalist (me), please let me know!

You can comment below or email me at
JosephOstermeir@gmail.com.   I'm guesstimating shipping would be under $20.

My laptop got fried by a virus.  Its beyond repair, and my wallet is very thin right now.  I've been painstakenly typing out blog posts with my thumb on my 3 inch smartphone screen for several months!!

This would really help the blog, and give me some relief.  I would be greatly indebted!!!   My THANKS to you will be to thank you by name (if you wish) on the sidebar and keep that up for a while, or I could mention the donation without your name but ask for prayers for one of your intentions, perhaps for a deceased loved one.  Plus you will be in my prayers.   I'll also write a blog post about a subject of your choice.  Also 10 rosaries offered for your intentions!

My thumbs and eyes will also thank you!!!!

Thank God for Fall

Thank God for this pristine weather we're getting here in the Sooner state.  It starts calling to mind football tailgait parties, backyard fires, and the Fall garden.  I managed to squeeze into my schedule putting in the Fall garden.  Let's see, there's kale, spinach, Swiss chard, mint, oregano, and basil.

                  Lake Bixhoma

And everyday my body keeps equalizing one baby step at a time, my mind opening more and more to that deep thanks I owe the Divine Physician.


And I've been perusing my old "Summer Bucket List" back in like May, considering what summer outings I can still squeeze in now that I'm physically able to return to my adventurous ways.
I plan to work in some of those experiences in my upcoming posts, while pondering what subjects to tackle. I'm wanting to look closer at the issue of Artificial Intelligence (btw did you all see the Drudge Report link about sex robots now on the market? God help us), but also thoughts on work/profession, what Trump's been up to, and maybe a closer look at the Beatification of Okie Fr. Stanley Rother.

Friends, here's hoping you can partake of some of this great weather.  

Fall, 2017. Are we Headed for Chastisement or Divine Mercy?

Just got back from the gym. Thank God this place exists just down the street.   I did my PT exercises while a guy told me about his TMJ issues, did a couple of requisite sets of abdominal crunches, and then a dozen or so laps in the pool doing the crawl while a super swimmer torpedoed himself back and forth past me.  It ended with a meditative soak in the God-knows-whats-in-there whirloop. 

I have to thank God my health keeps returning to normal, and plan some Te Deum celebrations to thank the Good Lord for His Mercy.  This ordeal started in January, and, I think it will end up being in great measure due to the intercession of the saintly elfen Friar St. Padre Pio, that my health becomes fully restored. God knows He could have justifiably gone the other way and chastised me indefinitely. But through the prayers and support of family and friends, God's Mercy tipped the scales of His Divine Justice.

If our lives are a microcosm of what's going down in the World, I'd have to say the country/world is in the eye of the hurricane right now--figuratively and literally.

Hurricane Irma

Think about it.  The Houston Hurricane, earthquake in Mexico and then Akito, Japan (Yes, Akito--Our Lady of Akito, ora pro nobis), and now Hurricane Irma.  Oh, and glancing at the Drudge Report, there's also something about meteorologists bewildered over strange winds off the West coast of the US, and a bunch of strange earthquakes in some other part of the US.

Factor in the 100th Anniversary of the Miracle of the Sun at Fatima next month, the Remnant article about the prophetic happenings to come September 23rd I think it is related to the constellation Virgo, St. Padre Pio's Feast Day on the 23rd, and the Beatification of Okie American Fr. Stanley Rother on that same day.  And you have to wonder what kind of end times events we are witnessing.

          The Miracle of the Sun
                Fatima, Portugal
                 October 13, 1917

Perhaps then it is providential a friend gave us some blessed, beeswax holy candles.  You never know.  We may be headed straight for the 3 days of darkness.

On the other hand, if God is being merciful to me about my own well being, I hope and pray He will also be merciful to the World right now and not chastise us.

Our Lady of Fatima, pray for us. St. Padre Pio, pray for us.