Readers of this page know that I am a regular reader of the Barnhardt blog (and especially the Barnhardt Podcast) run by the unconquerable Ann Barnhardt.
I just wanted to take a moment tonight to thank Miss B. for her years of dedicated truth-telling – particularly in the realm of “Vitamin I”.
Thanks to her advice, I have not had so much as a sniffle lo these two past years. I have followed the protocol. I have kept myself safe and my family too. In fact, I’ve been able to dispense as needed to anyone who asked and kept them safe as well.
If you know, you know. If you don’t, check out her “I” page here.
In early February of this year, I was still on a pause as writer of this very blog. I hadn’t written anything in a few months. I was waiting – though I did not know it – for the right impetus to come along and spur me back into my daily writing, something I have loved doing for many years. That moment came in May when I read an article on Canon 212 about Fr. Gerald Murray scoffing at Frank Walker’s headlines and felt compelled to write a piece responding to Murray and defending Walker. And from there I continued to write every night. I think I’m back in the groove now.
St. Andrew Kim Catholic Church, Irving, TX. It shouldn’t be this hard to find Our Lord.
I mention February because it was during that month that I, after listening to a Barnhardt Podcast (if you haven’t ever listened to one, please do yourself the tremendous favor), decided to pen a letter to Miss B. To my great surprise, she published the letter in full on her page almost immediately.
The content of that letter was my supposition as to exactly how the anti-Church is going to attempt to suppress the sacrifice of the Mass. Many of us have already theorized that eventually the TLM crowd will be corralled into a tight space. We will find our way into the SSPX (who remain not in schism by the way). We will be declared to be in schism from the Church when it would be the other way around.
But what of the Novus Ordo? Some may disagree with me, I am sure. However, I still contend that the Novus Ordo in se offers a valid consecration. As I wrote a few months ago regarding a literal clown Mass, “Do I believe the sacrifice to have been validly offered? Yes. And that is why I think God is not too happy to have been called down on that altar.”
So below I am both linking to the letter as Ann published it and publishing it in full here. Do click on the link if you have time. Barnhardt has some interesting in-text commentary. And disregard the “T.” at the bottom of the letter. We all know my initials are “HM”. Wouldn’t it be interesting if I drove some traffic to her page? One could only hope.
Dear Ann, Have I got a doozy of a theory for you (following on your most recent podcast). Like you, I have been hearing rumors that Bergoglio will not only herd all former Ecclesia Dei communities into the SSPX to then “excommunicate” us but that he will also change the form of the canon. You made some good suggestions. “This is our Body”, “This represents My Body”… My nephew, a young man with a wife and son who works night shifts as a cop in a large northeastern city so that he can still attend the TLM without difficulty, proposed this to me so I’m giving him credit here. “This is the Body of Christ.” That’s it. If the words of consecration are changed to these six simple words, it is not only glaringly obvious to what depths of heresy we will have sunk but also profoundly subtle. It takes away the complete sacrificial nature of the priest – a man configured to Jesus Christ the High Priest – speaking in the first person the literal same words of the Divine Master. AND, it does this in a way that all previous translations of the canon did not. In the 70’s we had the awful “… for you and for all” but that didn’t change the essential words of institution. Here we would have a priest simply proclaiming what is supposedly in front of him on the paten (though he would have consecrated nothing). Remember how demeaning the sacrificial nature of the Roman mass has been the goal all along. That’s why they gutted the offertory, diced up the collects, and generally dumbed down the entirety of the mass with their pedestrian and, frankly, low-IQ language. The reason this is subtle is that the average Novus Ordo mass-goer would simply say, “But that’s what it IS. See, the priest tells me that every time he puts the host in my hand. He says ‘the Body of Christ’ so what’s the big deal?” They (the fag-hag modernist hacks) will also claim that this is nothing more than a “restoration” of what the Apostles did – arguing from the standpoint of archeologism in the same way they love to toss around the phrase “the reformed liturgy” in reference to the Bugnini rite. There is no reforming what Christ Himself gave to us and the Church nurtured for 1900 years. I’ve been hearing talk that one of the forthcoming documents from Rome will be a revision to Liturgiam Authenticam. That 2001 document states at no. 20: “The original text, insofar as possible, must be translated integrally and in the most exact manner, without omissions or additions in terms of their content, and without paraphrases or glosses. Any adaptation to the characteristics or the nature of the various vernacular languages is to be sober and discreet.” A change to that principle would effectively allow a worldwide paraphrase of the canon a la what Bergoglio has already done to the Pater Noster in Italian. Anyway, Ann, these are just my thoughts on the matter. This might not come to pass and might not even be coherent. We continue to pray and watch. Meanwhile, I’m locking down my connections so that when we do go underground I’ve got a priest in the foxhole with me who will offer the actual mass. As always in Christ, HM
Jorge Porgie went to Canada. He waved at the peoples. I hear he even visited an Indian casino. That’s what I would have done. Let it roll on black, baby! Papa needs a new pair of red shoes! They say he followed the lead of that country’s leader and wore “native garb”. He blessed the dirt and painted with alllll the colors of the wind. There was a little song, a little dance, a little seltzer on his pants. He told the peoples mercy and that they should follow their grandparents’ lead. Except in that damn Latin Mass! I’d like him to apologize to me for calling my mom a rabbit.
Mawwiage. Twue Mawwiage
I’m reading things about how the NuChurch higher-ups are pushing a nu marriage formation program or some other such nonsense. The reason marriages fail, they argue, is that young couples don’t delay getting married for several years – long enough to, I don’t know, get to know each other better? I’m a say it right now. That idea is fake and gay.
Here’s how it should be. Get rid of school. Just scrap it. School is fake and hypergay. And I say this as a man with Masters Degrees in systematic theology and educational administration. Those two pieces of paper and ten bucks (*Bidenflation) will get me a cup of coffee. Most people don’t need three-quarters of what’s being foisted upon them. Make the end goal an eighth grade diploma. Reading, writing, and all that jazz. Can you do basic math enough to balance a checkbook? Good. Can you write well enough to communicate? Excellent. Do you know the basics of civics and history? Fantastic. You, my friend, are already way ahead of most college grads. Forget high school. Do we really need AP Calculus? No. Algebra? Sure, I guess. I use it to measure the area of a room for carpeting. Is there a value to learning? Of course there is but it’s lost on most people. Rather than teaching Susie about trannies and dykes, start teaching the beautiful and edifying art of penmanship and then teach kids the classics. No reason you have to be in high school to read at that level. Instead, when you turn 14, get a job. Work on a farm. Apprentice with a silver smith, Johnny Tremain! Do you know what else is going on around these years of development? Ah, you’re smart… Boys are becoming men and girls are, well, they’re more advanced anyway. Hormonal thoughts are raging because this is time God is preparing you to master virtues and then get rollin’ on that beautiful family. The average age of marriage should be skewed back to the late teens.
Cathedral of the Holy Family, Tulsa, OK
Think I’m joking? It’s how it worked for all of human history. And I speak from experience on the one front. I’m an educator by trade. I saw the BS first hand for years. What do you learn in high school that you cannot learn on your own? And college? We all know that’s just a joke. Hey, let’s go hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt to party for four years and completely lose our faith! Obviously, there are exceptions. Some people can benefit from higher learning. Doctors, priests, etc. but I can guarantee you the breakdown in marriage isn’t because the couple isn’t perilously testing the limits of chastity for ten years after grad school. Who are we kidding? The Nu’s encourage them not to think about chastity.
Off track a bit?
I feel like I should develop that last section in a later post.
She’s Back!
I finally got my Barnhardt Podcast fix today after six weeks without a post. Miss B., one word… If you’re going to make us wait that long, please go longer than an hour and twenty. We really do love the podcast and wish you’d do more. But we’re grateful. Thank you!
I received the following email from a reader this morning.
Hi, Harvey. Do you have any suggestions for where men could shop for clothes in line with what you suggest? Ms. Barnhardt suggested eShakti.com for the ladies.
Here is my response.
Thanks for your question, and a good question it is! I will admit up front that I get to cheat a bit at this one. I have a relative who works for the parent company of Brooks Brothers and have been able to buy a suit there with an enormous discount. Brooks Brothers has been one of the quintessential men’s clothiers since before the time of Teddy Roosevelt. They have provided a classic American look to generations. That being said, that’s only one suit. The bottom line is that it is far easier to find decent mens clothing than it is for women. Most major department stores have suits, suit separates, jackets, ties, etc. Heck, I even found a beautiful sport coat in a thrift shop in my area. $10. I’ve worn it for years now and get compliments every time I do. Today I wore the jacket from a suit I bought in 1996. The pants long ago frayed but the navy shadow-striped jacket is still in top shape. Recycle what you can. I also inherited my dad’s tuxedo and a few of his ties and jackets. Although I think it’s necessary to spend a little bit of money on a good look, most of the time it is completely unnecessary. I think the key with men’s attire is in taking care of what you have – polishing one’s shoes, wearing a tie properly knotted and not hanging loose like a slob, etc. In other words, how you dress is a direct extension of how you live. Are you a man? Are you vain? Are you humble? If you are vain, you’ll want to draw attention to yourself and “how nice you look”. If you’re humble, you’ll want your look to be neat and clean, unobtrusive, and not to distract from you, the man. Now hats are a different story. I travel a fair bit and try to pick up a hat when I see one. I grew up outside of Manhattan (NYC) and was always able to find men’s haberdashers in the city. Again, I often fail at this but I’ve been trying hard simply to think of how men used to dress and then following that lead as best I can. The 1940’s and ’50’s were a golden age of style but even there, there’s nothing to say that men and women can’t dress modestly and attractively by carefully stepping outside those decades. But again, I will look up some resources and post something later this evening. Well here we are, aren’t we? I hesitate to post names of specific companies because I need to research every place I shop. There are places I will not shop because of their corporate policies in support of sodomy. Thank you again for writing and please offer a prayer for me. Harvey
Now Let’s Talk About Grooming
Hair: It should be short. Sorry, gents, but we’ve advanced as a society far enough now that scissors are a widely available thing as are electric clippers. In fact, there was really only one man in history Who had long hair that worked for Him. And you’re not Him. I see my barber every 3-4 weeks and get a high and tight. Again, your hair should not be a distraction nor should it be the focal point of your existence and stature.
Facial Hair: This one’s not as tricky as it sounds. I tend to say either clean shaven (all the time) or, better yet, grow it out but keep it trimmed. I remember feeling so cool when I was 13 and shaved for the first time. It was manly and I was now a man (or so I thought). Years later I was teaching CS Lewis’ The Screwtape Letters and read (and re-read many times) the following passage. It’s advice from one demon to another.
“We have now for many centuries triumphed over nature to the extent of making certain secondary characteristics of the male (such as the beard) disagreeable to nearly all the females – and there is more in that than you might suppose.”
Lewis, The Screwtape Letters, Letter XX
I’ve given this one some thought and I’ve worn a beard for the past five years. I recognize not all men can grow a beard. I believe that has to do with the overall feminization of the West – soy products and overall lower levels of testosterone. OK 1) Eat meat. That being said, I say, if you can do it, do it.
Lots of white dress shirts and demure but fashionable ties.
Posture: Stand up straight. Shoulders back. Suck in your gut. Chest out. Make yourself big.
Chivalry: Learn it. Live it. Grab that door for every lady (and really for any person). Give of yourself. Another thing I learned from Dad was in watching how until the last time he drove a car, he always held the car door for my mom. I try to do that for my wife. She agreed to take on your life, your name, and your children. Treat her like it.
Accessories: First, don’t ever use that word. I’m just using it here for reference. Shoes should be polished. They should match your belt which should match your eyes which should be hazel. I’m only kidding about that last part but you get it.
Other than that, there’s not much to it. Ann Barnhardt mentioned a preference for not going wild with colors and not giving into the trend of “skinny” tailoring. First that brings up an important point. If you are able to and need to, get your more important clothing tailored. Many dry cleaners have a tailor on site. It’s a one-time thing (unless your weight fluctuates wildly) and worth the relatively minor cost. WEAR YOUR PANTS AT YOUR WAIST – Not below, Not above. And yes, I agree. I wouldn’t go the skinny route. I know some will push back and say “but I look good in that!” If you do, that probably means you are skinny. Don’t be afraid to put some meat on your bones. Remember we men are distinguished by greater muscle mass. Ask any swimmer who’s competed against Will Thomas. And as far as bright colors, the word I would use is gauche or flamboyant. I own exactly one pink tie. I bought it for my daughter’s baptism which occurred on Gaudete Sunday. Other than that, a tiny splash of color is OK, as Ann says, in ties, pocket squares, etc. Don’t make a habit of it.
And for heaven’s sake, don’t wear jewelry. It should go without saying that earrings are for pirates and queers. Tough love moment? Sorry. Your wedding ring, gentlemen, is a sacramental, not jewelry. Treat it accordingly. Your scapular (and you should be wearing one) stays beneath your shirt. It is for your benefit. Trust me, everyone else in that Trad parish has one on and they assume you do as well.
Wow, that was longer than I was expecting. Perhaps this becomes a regular feature? Likely not.
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 is a funny, witty and interesting read. Want to know what's going on in the world of Harvey? Then make a point to subscribe to his blog! You just never know when those pesky Weebles will show up. Hmmm, speaking of Weebles - haven't heard from them in a while (wink). Seriously, you just never know what to expect and whatever you find, it never disappoints! -- Debbi Robertson @ Photos and Facets
Harvey Millican's Blog: Musings of a Trad Dad 