Taking your teenage son to see your favorite ball team because you’ve loved them ever since they won the 1986 World Series and you passed that love of this ill-fated team onto him ?
That’s called being a good dad.
Watching the New York Mets, go down in defeat in game four of the NLCS in person?
There is a certain woman seeking the highest office in the land who has been tossing her word salad lately, droning on about the “aspirations” of the American people.
I submit to you that she does not know the origin of the word aspirations. She’s using it in a very modern sense to mean our dreams and ambitions and hopes. In fact, I believe she follows her use of the word with the words “ambitions and hopes”. Because she is (to borrow a phrase from Ann Barnhardt) teetering on the precipice of mental retardation.
When I think of aspirations I think of the short prayers that can be said in one breath. Spiritus is the Latin for breath. These “light” prayers are designed to be uttered – in need, in desperation, in joy, in triumph, in sorrow, on the hour, minute by minute. These include such traditional gems as:
“My Jesus, mercy!”
“My Lord and my God!”
“Holy Mary, pray for us!”
“Blessed be God in His angels and in His saints!”
And to these I would add:
“From communism, deliver us!”
“From evil and stupid leaders, save us!”
“I did NOT fall out of a coconut tree, my Lord!”
Today happens to be the feast of St. Teresa of Avila, reformer of the Carmelite order. The older I get, the more I realize that the Carmelite nuns of the world are literally holding us all up by their prayers.
I have mentioned a group of Carmelites local to me. Who for four years have been praying after every mass for Donald Trump. I and many others believe that these prayers have saved his life on several occasions, and we believe these prayers will be effective in converting him to the Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church. I submit to you know the actual prayer these holy women pray every day straight from their monastery.
Perhaps if we join them, God will move the heart of our former president to enter the Church. We can only hope.
With that, I am off to celebrate with the sisters of a different local Carmel. I was invited to the sung Mass tonight with the SSPX for this beautiful feast.
Saw this last week at a local chapel where I sometimes go to confession.
Ironically, I spent the day today accompanying a friend to the emergency room where I – an indigenous man – sat surrounded by foreign invaders spreading disease.
“To Thee, O Lord, we commend the soul of Thy handmaid, that being dead to this world she may live to Thee: and whatever sins she has committed in this life through human frailty, do Thou in Thy most merciful goodness forgive. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.”
The friend for whom I asked prayers a few days ago has gone to her judgment.
We will all go to our judgment.
Stay confessed.
Love God.
Love thy neighbor.
Strive to grow each day in virtue and holiness.
On a personal note, she was a dear, dear woman and a true friend to all. She will be missed in this life. I know that she had completed first Fridays and first Saturdays many times in her life on earth. She was devoted to the Blessed Mother. She died on Our Lady’s weekly feast day. God grant her eternal rest with Thy saints forevermore!
Folks, I got off all that social media nonsense a while ago. Sorry but I'm not on Twitbook, Facepalm, YouHu, WingWang or any of the others. Maybe an event will happen to make me change my mind like Peter and Paul coming down with flaming swords and commanding it be so. Until then, read the blog and if you feel a comment is in order or you feel like sharing a tip or suggestion for a topic, email me at harvey@harveymillican.com.
Harvey Millican's Blog: Musings of a Trad Dad 