Harvey Millican's Blog: Musings of a Trad Dad

All my fellow homeschool parents out there, I’m looking at you.

My son is applying to colleges. Yikes!

I’d love some prayer assistance.

Thank you!

They’ll ever let this kid get to a trial?

Does the name Jack Ruby ring a bell?

I can’t remember where I saw it but in the days immediately following the Kirk assassination, there was an article online that speculated that Tyler Robinson was likely not going to survive prison.

Hmm…

Strange goings-on for sure.

Go to confession.

For the answer, let us look to the several collects for this Ember Saturday in September.

First Collect:

“Almighty and everlasting God, Who by means of healthful abstinence dost heal both minds and bodies, very humbly we entreat Thy Majesty: be appeased by the devout prayers of those who fast, and give us help both now and for time to come. Per Dóminum Nostrum…”

Second Collect:

“Grant unto us, we beseech Thee, Almighty God, that fasting from food we may be filled with Thy grace, and by abstinence may become stronger than all our enemies. Per Dóminum Nostrum…”

Third Collect:

“Protect, we beseech Thee, O Lord, Thy family, that by Thy bounty we may receive those life-giving helps which Thou Thyself dost inspire us to seek. Per Dóminum Nostrum…”

Fourth Collect:

Grant us, we beseech Thee, O Lord, that we may so abstain from bodily eating, that we may also fast from the evil desires that assail us. Per Dóminum Nostrum…”

Fifth Collect:

“As Thou dost permit us, O Lord, to offer Thee this solemn fast, so in Thy mercy vouchsafe to us, we beseech Thee, the help of Thy forgiveness. Per Dóminum Nostrum…”

And finally, the actual collect of the Mass or sixth collect if you’re counting, which follows the Lesson from Daniel about the three young men in the furnace:

“O God, Who didst deaden the flames of fire for the thee children; mercifully grant that the flames of vice may not consume us Thy servants. Per Dóminum Nostrum…”

So, I think it’s pretty obvious.

Should I fast?

Only if you want health of mind and body, the merciful forgiveness of Almighty God, and not to be consumed by your vices.

But what do I know? It might just be so much “solemn nonsense” that was papered over by Vatican II. I couldn’t even type that with a straight face. Ask yourself why the modernists got rid of all of this beauty and then ask yourself again if you should fast. You know the answer.

God be praised!

The ever wonderful blogger Dymphna on Cardinal Burke:

“Sure, I’d like the cardinal to stand up and start preaching like a lion but he’s not that guy. He’s not coming to save  the Faith as practiced by traditional Catholics.  Burke will get a Mass at St. Peter’s in October. It will be lovely. Trad Inc. will trot out that, “We’re back,” nonsense and Michael Matt, bless his heart will get all red in the face and sweaty while bellowing, “Unite the clans!”. Soon afterwards Fr. Martin will either get another visit to the Vatican or there will be another  event for those who are living in sexual sin.”

Read the rest here.

Is a great state fair!

Howdy, folks! This here is my new friend Boris (or as I call him, “Future Bacon”). He weighs 1,000 lbs at the tender age of 4.

This is the upswing in my love/hate relationship with the great state of Texas.

Hopefully the final update. Reader TM sent the following link. www.newliturgicalmovement.org/2025/08/arranging-breviary-for-rest-of.html?m=1 This seems to be due to a revision in the rubrics of 1960 which explains why my parish celebrated the Ember Wednesday today (9/24) but many others did so last week (9/17).

*******I posted the following a few minutes ago and quickly received an email pointing out my error. It seems the ember days were last week. My parish bulletin has a misprint. Nevertheless, fasting and prayer are still a good idea. Carry on. **********

DOUBLE UPDATE: Not only does my parish bulletin have them as starting today but the calendar on the wall of my kitchen has them starting today. So, mindless of the confusion…

Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday of this week are the Ember Days for Autumn.

Though not enforce, nor hardly even mentioned anymore, these are three days set aside, seasonally as days of fasting and penance.

What is the state of your soul?

How much time do you wish to spend in purgatory?

Is there anything afflicting your family, your parish, your community?

Do we really need additional reasons to fast and pray?

Husbands and fathers, this is a beautiful time and a salutary way to edify your families.

Fast and pray.

Go to confession.

Lead those in your care.

Perhaps it may be said of you one day, “Fidelis servus et prudens…”

“The faithful and wise steward whom his Lord set over his family to give them their measure of wheat in due season.” – Luke 12:42

On my recent business trip I was pleasantly surprised to find a TLM in a diocesan parish. It only took me driving thirty minutes from the edge of the suburbs where I was staying into downtown at 6:30 in the morning. The downtown thing didn’t bother me. I’m just thinking of the fact that he Mass of all time used to be the only Mass at every Catholic Church and now I have to be “pleasantly surprised” to find one when I travel to a major American city.

In any event, the good people of this parish were welcoming as I would expect. I was a little thrown off by the Epislte and Gospel in the vernacular (as in at the altar, not as a translation before a sermon). Also, I generally bristle at a dialogue Mass. Nonetheless, it was more than edifying to see the entire student body of the adjacent academy at Mass in the morning.

God is far better to me than I deserve.