YOU MIGHT be surprised at just how different Lent was through the ages:

During the two thousand and more years, which preceded the Deluge, men had no other food than the fruits of the earth, and these were only got by the toil of hard labour. But when God, as we have already observed, mercifully shortened man’s life, (that so he might have less time and power for sin), – he permitted him to eat the flesh of animals, as an additional nourishment in that state of deteriorated strength. It was then, also, that Noah, guided by a divine inspiration, extracted the juice of the grape, which thus formed a second stay for human debility. (more…)

TURN FOR TURN --- Benjamin Dionysius Hill, C.S.P. Jesus, my King, I have crucified Thee: Now it is Thy turn to crucify me. Make Thou the cross —- be it only like Thine: Mix Thou the gall —- so Thy love be the wine. Shrink not to strip me — of all but Thy grace. Stretch me out well, till I fit in Thy place. Here are my hands (felon hands!) and my feet: Drive home the nails, Lord: the pain shall be sweet. Raise me, and take me not down till I die. Only let Mary, my mercy, stand by. Last, let the spear while I live do its part: -- Right thro' the heart, my King -- right thro' the heart!  

"WITHOUT the grace of God, no one can attain eternal life: in neglecting the practice of mortification, in giving way to sensual indulgence, in leading a life of softness, of pleasure and dissipation, you are directly opposing the influence of divine grace; you are throwing down the arms, which were given you for combat, and are placing yourselves defenceless in the power of your mortal enemies. As you value, then, your salvation, my dear friends, let your notions and conduct on this vital subject be, from this moment, reformed. Resolutely undertake the mortification of your sensual appetites, the conquest of your rebellious will, the destruction of the empire of self-love. Undertake it as men, lest indulgence should strengthen, and render irresistible those evil propensities, of which you are the inheritors. Undertake it as christians, lest you degrade that sacred character which you bear, and break the solemn engagements, into which you have entered. Undertake it as sinners, lest, by failing to satisfy the injured justice of God in the present life, you come to feel the weight of His indignation in the life to come. "Let the holy season, on which we are entering, be to you the commencement of a new life. Courageously join with all the true children of the Church of God in declaring war upon the flesh and its concupiscences. If you are terrified at the prospect of privations and restraints, know, that God Himself will…

 HERE is a great list of resources for the season of Lent, which begins today Ash Wednesday. There is nothing more important than to give yourself to prayer and penance during the next 40 days and to capture some of that collective spiritual energy of the season, a vitality that still exists in these nihilistic times. While exterior works of penance are important, inner mortification is superior. From Dom Prosper Gueranger's The Liturgical Year: "Our Redeemer would not have us receive the announcement of the great feast as one of sadness and melancholy. The Christian who understands what a dangerous thing it is to be behindhand with divine justice welcomes the season of Lent with joy; it consoles him. He knows that if he be faithful in observing what the Church prescribes, his debt will be less heavy upon him. These penances, these satisfactions (which the indulgence of the Church has rendered so easy), being offered to God unitedly with those of our Savior Himself, and being rendered fruitful by that holy fellowship which blends into one common propitiatory sacrifice the good works of all the members of the Church militant, will purify our souls, and make them worthy to partake in the grand Easter joy. Let us not, then, be sad because we are to fast; let us be sad only because we have sinned and made fasting a necessity. In this same Gospel, our Redeemer gives us a second counsel, which the Church will…

LAURA L. M. writes:

I’ve kept up with your work in the last two years as somewhat of a lifeline. I homeschooled my sons before and during the “lockdown” and did my level best to keep life as normal for them as possible. Still, the pervasive fear tactics made me grateful for your site to remind me there was more to the story than met the eye.

As the insanity winds down, I find myself looking at our nation. What a spoiled bunch of children we are. Such shallow lives we’ve led, with our focus on shiny objects and entertainment. I have lost interest in mass entertainment because I find it dull and filthy. No wonder we allowed this charade to continue for so long. It’s like being in a horror movie and our society enjoys horror movies.

I move forward, though. I prefer that to the alternative. Thank you for the dose of reality along the way. (more…)

THE FEDERAL Writers Project collection of slave narratives in the Library of Congress is a national treasure.

These first-hand accounts, assembled from 1936 to 1938 by interviewers hired by the Works Progress Administration, offer a realistic view of slavery in America, of a time when blacks and whites lived and worked together, for better or for worse.

Many slaves, while condemning slavery, attested to being well-treated by their masters. Many attested to being whipped. Many were honest about the faults and bad habits of their fellow slaves. In general, it’s hard to imagine these raconteurs partaking of the whiny tears and tantrums of today’s agitators. They often come across as earthy and wise personalities who tell their stories of slavery, war, greedy Yankees and post-war chaos without self-pity, envy or hatred. An early director of the oral history project was John Lomax, a white Southerner, who deserves great credit for insisting the narratives not be edited or censored in any way.

Ex-slave Millie Barber, of Winnsboro, South Carolina, was among those who shared her story. The most egregious part of her colorful narrative relates to her parents being separated on different plantations:

“Hope you find yourself well dis mornin’, white folks. I’s just common; ‘spect I eats too much yesterday. You know us celebrated yesterday, ’cause it was de Fourth of July. Us had a good dinner on dis 2,000 acre farm of Mr. Owens. God bless dat white boss man! What would us old no ‘count niggers do widout him? Dere’s six or seven, maybe eight of us out here over eighty years old. ‘Most of them is like me, not able to hit a lick of work, yet he take care of us; he sho’ does.

“Mr. Owens not a member of de church but he allowed dat he done found out dat it more blessed to give than to receive, in case like us.

“You wants to know all ’bout de slavery time, de war, de Ku Kluxes and everything? My tongue too short to tell you all dat I knows. However, if it was as long as my stockin’s, I could tell you a trunk full of good and easy, bad and hard, dat dis old life-stream have run over in eighty-two years. I’s hoping to reach at last them green fields of Eden of de Promise Land. ‘Scuse me ramblin’ ’round, now just ask me questions; I bet I can answer all you ask. (more…)

"IN times of desolation, God conceals Himself from us so that we can discover for ourselves what we are without Him." - St. Margaret of Cortona  

"A GENTLE KNIGHT was pricking on the plain, Yelad in mighty arms and silver shield, Wherein old dints of deep wounds did remain, The cruel marks of many a bloody field; Yet arms till that time did he never wield. His angry steed did chide his foaming bit, As much disdaining to the curb to yield: Full jolly knight he seem'd, and fair did sit, As one for knightly jousts and fierce encounters fit. But on his breast a bloody cross he bore, The dear remembrance of his dying Lord, For whose sweet sake that glorious badge he wore, And dead as living ever him ador'd; Upon his shield the like was also scor'd. For soveraine hope, which in his helpe he had: Right faithful true he was in deed and word, But of his cheer did seem too solemne sad; Yet nothing did he dread, but ever was ydrad. --- Edmund Spenser, The Faery Queen  

"IF ever you have a fit of sadness or trouble, remember that it is because you are still attached to life, or health, or some comfort, or person, or thing that you ought to forget and despise, that you may desire Jesus Christ only." — St. Claude de la Colombière (H/t: @TempusFugit4016)  

THOUGH I oppose the systematic defamation of the white race that is growing ever more intense by the day, especially now that even “nice whites” are considered racist and lacking in moral legitimacy as human beings, now that even a painting of apples or pears in a bowl is considered an expression of disgraceful domination of humanity, and though I believe it is my absolute duty to oppose this systematic defamation and that those deracinated whites who support it are committing nothing less than treason against their ancestors, I do not consider myself or call myself a “white nationalist.”

Not that anybody cares what this unimportant blogger calls herself. But let me explain. For the record.

To call myself a “white nationalist” would imply that 1) I hold the white race above all else 2) that my devotion to my nation is a kind of religion.

I call myself a patriot. That’s all, a patriot. (more…)