Our Lord, in His inexhaustible love of man, allowed His Most Sacred Heart to be pierced that He might pour out His Precious Blood upon us poor sinners.
Why not consider the beautiful devotion which He asked of St. Margaret Mary of making this act of reparation for the sins against His Sacred Heart?
I just read a story linked from Canon212 about a Slovakian priest living in Italy who, as the story tells us, is exiting the priesthood for a woman and their unborn child. This, states the headline, has renewed the supposed debate on priestly celibacy.
Yeah, no…
It should be renewing the debate on morality in general or on effeminate bishops like the bishop of the priest in question who “praised the priest’s sense of responsibility.”
We already knew we were living in clown world so none of this should be a shock. But check out this from the article itself.
Unexpectedly became pregnant? 😂😂😂
The use of that word implies either a basic lack of understanding of human reproduction or (more likely the case) they were intending their actions together be fruitless.
Either way, pray for your priests.
One of the prayers I pray every night is the traditional prayer for the faithful departed. Given that I have heard in recent days of the passing of several friends of friends and others, I thought I would share that now.
“O God, the Creator and Redeemer of all the faithful, we beseech Thee to grant to the souls of Thy servants departed the remission of all their sins, so that through pious supplications they may obtain pardon which they have always desired, through Christ our Lord. Amen.”
Memorize it, folks. It is a very useful prayer to pray many times throughout the day. 
Went out for a drive tonight to pray the fifteen decades. Took my nephew up on his offer to drive his new F-150. Got to do something I haven’t done in about 20 years… Drive a beast in Manhattan!
In case your Latin is rusty, this Raymond’s moniker translates to “unborn” or “not born”. This is believed to be due to his birth by Caesarian section. Yep, in the twelfth century.*
If it is true, as there is no reason to believe it isn’t, that Raymond was, to quote Shakespeare, “from his mother’s womb untimely ripped”, then St. Raymond should never have been born at all. think about it. God must have wanted this guy born. Think about it. To attempt an abdominal incision and live birth in the 1100’s was unheard of and yet somehow Raymond reached maturity.
Side note, on the eve of St. Raymond’s feast the Church commemorates a St. known only as Adauctus. That is, the saint who was added on. This guy was an unknown Christian who, inspired by the martyrdom of St. Felix, jumped in to die with him. We don’t know his name at all.
If you ever doubt the purpose of your own existence, if you wonder why you were born, think of Nonnatus. Think of Adauctus, too. Even if no one ever remembers your name, God might just give you the crown of martyrdom and bring you closer to Him in eternal bliss than some of the angels! God has a plan for every one of us. He thought of us before there was time. He foresaw and foreknew our every names, our movements, our sins and strivings, our rises and falls, and HE CREATED US ANYWAY.
He knew I’d be sitting in Harrisburg, PA on a Friday night drinking an Old Fashioned and writing this post.
May it bring joy – true joy and not the Kamala krap- to your life today as you contemplate His love for you.
Key first step: turn away from sin.
Embrace Him.
Lay your life at the foot of the cross of His Son and gaze upon Him Who bled and died for love of you.
Of all the things Ann Barnhardt has written over the years (and I’m a total fanboy devotee), every now and then she hits on a point I really like and that is that we must have a true personal relationship with Christ.
Let that begin by holding a crucifix in your hand and remembering that He died for you and left us the Eucharist as the daily Calvary. Go to Him and love Him.
St. Raymond Nonnatus, pray for us!
St. Adauctus, pray for us!
*Both my twin sister and I (as well as my own children and my wife) were born by section so St. Raymond is particularly close to my heart.
Harvey Millican's Blog: Musings of a Trad Dad 