IN CASE you missed it: the architect who oversaw restoration of Notre Dame Cathedral in 2013 and was chief architect of France's historic monuments says the ancient oak timbers of the cathedral could not have ignited and burned so quickly without "a lot of kindling:" “Oak that is 800-years-old is very hard – try to burn it,” Mouton said. “Old oak, it is not easy at all. You would need a lot of kindling to succeed… It stupefies me.” Asked to present an explanation for how the blaze spread so quickly and with such strength, Mouton asserted that there were no additional precautions that could have been taken to ensure such a “quick” incineration could be prevented. “In the Nineties, we updated all the electrical wiring of Notre Dame,” Mouton said. “So there is no possibility of a short circuit. We updated to conform with the contemporary norms, even going very far – all the detection and protection systems against fire in the cathedral.” Mouton also revealed that there are two watchmen on duty around the clock who monitor for any chance of fire, adding that the technical and security measures taken to protect monuments like Notre Dame are unprecedented. [Source] The New York Times blamed the fire on Mouton. This video supposedly shows the effect of a blow torch on old oak. Hmm, the fire may have been a case of "some people doing something." In related news, a…

  I WAS walking through the lobby of an "assisted living" facility about two years ago when I saw a touching and beautiful sight. Someone had brought in a glass tank filled with straw and placed it on a table in the lobby, where the residents gathered to watch television and stare off into the distance. Racing about in little circles inside the tank were several small, fuzzy, energetic, and bewildered baby chicks. An old woman -- partly balding, no longer in possession of her full mind, clearly out of touch with the important and complicated world beyond this place -- sat in front of the tank, which was lit with a warming incubator light. She was riveted. Every particle of her being, it seemed, was concentrated on the sight before her. Sitting as close to the tank as possible and hunching over to see as much as she could, she stared at the chicks without moving or speaking. It was genius and great kindness on the part of whoever brought the chicks there. They were filled with an energy and newness the old woman no longer possessed. And, like her, their existence was caught up in the tiniest of things. The sight of them gave her new life. We all possess within us the capacity for rebirth. Whether we are old or young, rich or poor, happy or sad, smart or senile, we have the capacity for resurrection. In…

  "JESUS on the cross! O stupendous sight for heaven and earth of mercy and of love! To see the Son of God dying through pain upon a cross of infamy, condemned as a malefactor to so bitter and shameful a death, in order to save sinful men from the penalty that was due to them! This sight has ever been, and will always be, the subject of the contemplation of the saints, and has led them willingly to renounce all the goods of the earth, and to embrace with great courage sufferings and death, that they might make themselves more pleasing to a God who died for love of them. The sight of Jesus despised between two thieves has made them love contempt far more than worldings have loved the honors of the world. Beholding Jesus covered with wounds upon the cross, they hold in abhorrence the pleasures of sense, and have endeavored to afflict their flesh in order to unite their sufferings to the sufferings of the Crucified. Beholding the patience of our Savior in his death, they have joyfully accepted the most painful sicknesses, and even the most cruel torments that tyrants can inflict. Lastly, from beholding the love of Jesus Christ in being willing to sacrifice his life for us in a sea of sorrows, they have sought to sacrifice to him all that they had, possessions, children, and even life itself." --- St. Alphonsus De…

ONE of the typical signs of a false flag is a dramatic rescue, an exciting leitmotif that gets ’em coming back for more.

At Christchurch, we had the man hailed as a hero for chasing the shooter from mosque. At the Pulse nightclub shootings in Florida, we had the hero cop. At the Nice truck attack, we had the hero motorcyclist.

The presence of a hero, whose story is instantly broadcast around the world, is certainly not conclusive proof that state-sponsored terrorism is at work. After all, real heroism exists. But when a hero who has been at other false flag events, whose story reads as if scripted by a Hollywood producer, is involved then we have at the very least an important suggestion that the official story of a public disaster is not true.

Such is the case with the story of Fr. Jean-Marc Fournier who reportedly rescued the Crown of Thorns and a Nail from the Holy Cross from the burning Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris this week.  This New York Times account is one of many that reads like a movie trailer. The audience will believe anything.

Fr. Fournier, we are told, was also allegedly involved in the Bataclan shooting in Paris, rushing inside and imparting a general absolution on those who had been shot.

When he saw the flames getting closer to the cathedral’s two towers, Father Fournier’s thoughts turned to another fire chaplain: the Rev. Mychal F. Judge, who died at the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001.

Father Fournier’s job has made him a witness to some of his own city’s most traumatic events in recent years.

A chaplain with the Paris Fire Brigade since 2011, Father Fournier, 53, saw the bodies of the journalists and cartoonists killed at the Charlie Hebdo newsroom in January 2015. He was also at the scene shortly after an attacker stormed a kosher supermarket two days later. And he was among the hundreds of firefighters who evacuated survivors at the Bataclan concert hall during the Paris attacks in November 2015, where 90 people died in a terrorist attack.

Not just one, not two, but three probable staged events, for which this ever-present priest just happened to be on hand. And now a fourth.

Fr. Fournier is reportedly a former member of the Fraternity of St Peter (FSSP), a traditionalist order in communion with Rome. Why did he leave? What is his full background? We do not know.

Could the story of his dramatic rescue be true? Yes.

But a rescue of the Crown of Thorns during Holy Week from a building more iconic of Christian civilization than almost any other, a building intensely despised by the Church’s enemies? It all reads as if it came from a committee of mass manipulators thrilled with their own talents.

Let’s reserve judgment about this suspicious fire, which some are predictably blaming on Muslims. Let’s reserve judgment until we know more. The suspension of belief is an assertion of independence and sanity. (more…)

FROM The Ideal of Reparation by Raoul Plus, S.J. (1882-1958):

“WHY did Christ come upon earth? To make Reparation; for no other reason. He came to repair His Divine work which sin had ruined, to restore to man his supernatural life; to compensate, by His merits, for the insult offered to the Father in the garden of Eden and for those insults which man’s malice daily renews and multiplies. He came to expiate by His sufferings in the stable, during His Hidden Life and on the Cross, the human selfishness which began with man’s creation and never ceases.

“Our dear Lord could have performed this work of Reparation alone, but He did not so will it. He has chosen as associates each one of us, every Christian. We must grasp this truth well, for it is the foundation of the doctrine of Reparation. (more…)

  ERIC R. writes: The Scottish born Roman Catholic James MacMillan (b. 1959) produced a real gem of 20th-Century music with the intensely expressive and sonically varied Seven Last Words from the Cross for choir and string orchestra. The work was commissioned in 1993 by the BBC. The writing for choir is very difficult (highly dissonant tonalities), and exploits almost every aspect of the human voice, including glissandi, speaking and whispering. The amount of varied material the composer gets out of the limited instrumentation of choir and strings is impressive. The string orchestra does much more than just accompany the singing. The strings are their own voice, and in the last movement, you can even hear some hints of Scottish folk music. There are times when only the choir is featured, others when only the strings are called upon. But mainly, choir and orchestra work with each other to produce an integrated work of modern art. What is wonderful about music after the hyper-modern movement of the early to mid-20th century is the freedom allowed artists remains but the extreme experimentation has passed. There was nowhere else for music to go after Anton Webern, Elliot Carter, Pierre Boulez and Meredith Monk. Every aspect of music, tonality, rhythm, melody, instrumentation was blown up! John Cage dropped a grand piano onto a football field from a helicopter, for Pete’s sake! As eye-rolling as some of modern music seems, the modern composer can…

ZENO writes: [You wrote:] "Notre Dame is owned by the state and will probably be rebuilt as the museum of Catholicism it was before the fire." Don't be so sure. The French government is already calling modern architects to rebuild the spire more in tune with "the challenges of our era" and "consistent with our modern diverse nation." Given that there were restoration works going on exactly on the roof and spire that burned, I wonder if the fire was not indeed done on purpose by the government, exactly in order to "restore it" or rather rebuild it afterwards in a post-modern way.

  LEEKS are a great vegetable in the kitchen, very popular in French cooking and in Wales, where the leek is a national emblem and where they supposedly say, Eat leeks in March and wild garlic in May And all year after physicians may play. They are not so common on American tables but they have definitely grown in popularity. Botanically, leeks are related to onions, shallots, garlics and scallions. As an edible, they have a subtlety that is superior to all of these. Though leeks usually reach full maturity in the fall, they can be found in supermarkets all year. Look for ones that are not dried out at the ends and not super-thick. (Thinner seems better.) The long leaves are white at the base, light green in the middle and dark green at the end. The ends are tough and not usually used, though they make a good addition to stock. When they are straight from the garden, leeks are loaded with sandy dirt between the leaves and it's best to slice them crosswise and then put them in a bowl full of water for a few minutes to thoroughly remove the dirt. Several rinses may be needed. Leeks are great with Easter dinner because their subtlety goes well with strong tasting meats such as ham and lamb. Their gentle green is suggestive of spring. Here is a recipe from Williams Sonoma that I have made several times. If you make…

  "Today, again, our Saviour sets out in the morning for Jerusalem. His intention is to repair to the temple, and continue His yesterday's teachings. It is evident that His mission on earth is fast drawing to its close. He says to His Disciples: You know that after two days shall be the Pasch, and the Son of Man shall be delivered up to be crucified (St. Matth., xxvi. 2). On the road from Bethania to Jerusalem, the Disciples are surprised at seeing the fig tree, which their Divine Master had yesterday cursed, now dead. Addressing himself to Jesus, Peter says: Rabbi, behold, the fig tree, which thou didst curse, is withered away (St. Mark, xi. 21). In order to teach us that the whole of material nature is subservient to the spiritual element, when this last is united to God by faith,--Jesus replies: Have the faith of God. Amen I say to you, that whosoever shall say to this mountain: Be thou removed and cast into the sea! and shall not stagger in his heart, but believe, that whatsoever he saith shall be done, it shall be done unto him (Idem, ibid., 22, 23). Having entered the City, Jesus directs his steps towards the Temple. No sooner has he entered, than the Chief Priests, the Scribes, and the Ancients of the people, accost him with these words: By what authority dost thou these things? and who has given thee…

  STEPHEN HEINER writes at True Restoration: I was on a train back into Paris this afternoon when I started receiving a number of messages on my phone asking if I had heard about Notre Dame.  The roof was on fire, I was told, and it might be difficult to put out.  But the first thought that came to mind was that all things happen by God's will or His permission.  Nothing is random.  Everything has a purpose.  This was Monday of Holy Week.  Could I help but think of Our Lord's words, "Weep not for me, but for your children"? Just yesterday in the liturgy Our Lord was triumphantly welcomed into Jerusalem, a city He so loved.  A city whose denizens He wished to gather as "the hen doth gather her chickens under her wings."  A city that would not know, would not accept the "things that are to thy peace." France, in the person of King Louis XIV, that most disastrous of Capetian monarchs, refused the request of Our Lord to be consecrated to the Sacred Heart.  One hundred years later his descendant was cruelly murdered.  Paris, where Our Lady appeared to St. Catherine Laboure the day after King Charles X was chased out of office by the mob, missed Our Lady's message and continued spreading her errors, born of the so-called "Enlightenment" and come to life in the Terror.  Notre Dame de Paris, one of the most celebrated cathedrals…

  I WAS thinking on Sunday, "Something big is going to happen this week."    Holy Week is a time when the sinister forces of the world want some big event because it keeps people from focusing on what is most important: their own immortal souls and the mysteries of the Cross. The huge fire at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris yesterday is something big. The question is: Was it an accident or deliberately set? Could a fire of such intensity be accidental? I hope to post more on the details in the future. But please don't let this distract you. As magnificent and historic as this building was -- the symbol of French Catholicism --  it is not more important than a single soul. The Cross is eternal. Buildings will go up in flames. Holy Week is a time to grow closer to God.  

  ERIC R. writes: The culmination of our Lenten musical journey focuses on the Austrian Catholic, Franz Joseph Haydn, a composer of the Classical Period. When we say “Classical” music, most people associate this with what I think is best called “Western European Art Music.” But really the Classical period was a specific artistic phase in its own right. It spanned approximately 1780 to 1825, and was characterized by balanced forms, slow harmonic rhythms (the chords don’t change very much) and clean, simple melodic lines without a lot of ornamentation. The major composers of the era were Haydn, Mozart, early Beethoven, and Boccherini. The Seven Last Words, a musical meditation on the Seven Last Words of Christ on the Cross, was commissioned for a Good Friday service in Spain. The work had quite a journey of different musical forms. First, as orchestral “Sonatas”  (literally, sounds), then as a string quartet, and finally as an Oratorio (Orchestra, choir, soloists; a kind of religious opera which is not acted out). I’ll let the master speak for himself regarding the origin of the  composition. His description of the Good Friday tradition in Spain is fascinating: Some fifteen years ago I was requested by a canon of Cádiz to compose instrumental music on the Seven Last Words of Our Savior On the Cross. It was customary at the Cathedral of Cádiz to produce an oratorio every year during Lent, the effect of the performance being not a little…

  THE DONKEY When fishes flew and forests walked And figs grew upon thorn, Some moment when the moon was blood Then surely I was born. With monstrous head and sickening cry And ears like errant wings, The devil’s walking parody On all four-footed things. The tattered outlaw of the earth, Of ancient crooked will; Starve, scourge, deride me: I am dumb, I keep my secret still. Fools! For I also had my hour; One far fierce hour and sweet: There was a shout about my ears, And palms before my feet. -- G.K. Chesterton

  THE Anglo-Saxon homilist Ælfric, in a tenth-century sermon on Palm Sunday, stated: 'It is the custom in God's church, established by its teachers, that everywhere in God's congregation the priest should bless palm-branches on this day, and distribute them, thus blessed, to the people; and God's servants should then sing the hymn which the Jewish people sang before Christ when he was coming to his Passion. We imitate the faithful ones of that people with this deed, for they carried palm-branches with hymns before the Saviour. Now we shall hold our palms until the singer begins the offering-song, and then we shall offer the palm to God because of what it signifies: a palm betokens victory. Christ was victorious when he overcame the mighty devil and rescued us, and we also shall be victorious through God's power, so that we conquer our evil habits, and all sins, and the devil, and adorn ourselves with good works; and at the end of our life we shall deliver the palm to God, that is, our victory, and thank him fervently, that we through his help have conquered the devil, so that he could not deceive us.' Read the rest of his moving sermon at The Clerk of Oxford.

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Lent     --- Robert Herrick IS this a fast, to keep The larder lean? And clean From fat of veals and sheep? Is it to quit the dish Of flesh, yet still To fill The platter high with fish? Is it to fast an hour, Or ragg’d to go, Or show A downcast look and sour? No ;  ‘tis a fast to dole Thy sheaf of wheat, And meat, Unto the hungry soul. It is to fast from strife, From old debate And hate; To circumcise thy life. To show a heart grief-rent; To starve thy sin, Not bin; And that’s to keep thy Lent.