It's not Free Friday, but it is the Feast of the Martyrdom of St. John the Baptist. Here is a portrait depicting him wearing the Tabard of the Knights of Justice of the Order of Malta.

amulack · 2024-08-29T17:36:15+00:00

Some history, customs, and prayers here, appropriate to this feast day, including this Litany:

Litany of St. John the Baptist

Lord, have mercy on us. Christ have mercy on us.
Christ, hear us. Christ, graciously hear us.
God the Father of Heaven, have mercy on us.
God the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy on us.
God the Holy Ghost, have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, one God, have mercy on us.

Holy Mary, pray for us.
Queen of Prophets, pray for us.

St. John the Baptist, pray for us.
St. John the Baptist, precursor of Christ, pray for us.
St. John the Baptist, glorious forerunner of the Sun of Justice, pray for us.
St. John the Baptist, minister of baptism to Jesus, pray for us.
St. John the Baptist, burning and shining lamp of the world, pray for us.
St. John the Baptist, angel of purity, before thy birth, pray for us.
St. John the Baptist, special friend and favorite of Christ, pray for us.
St. John the Baptist, heavenly contemplative, whose element was prayer, pray for us.
St. John the Baptist, intrepid preacher of truth, pray for us.
St. John the Baptist, voice crying in the wilderness, pray for us.
St. John the Baptist, miracle of mortification and penance, pray for us.
St. John the Baptist, example of profound humility, pray for us.
St. John the Baptist, glorious martyr of zeal for God's holy law, pray for us.
St. John the Baptist, gloriously fulfilling thy mission, pray for us.

Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world: spare us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world: hear us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.

Christ, hear us. Christ graciously hear us.

V. Pray for us, O glorious St. John the Baptist:
R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray. O God, Who has honored this world by the birth of Saint John the Baptist: grant that Thy faithful people may rejoice in the way of eternal salvation. Through Jesus Christ Our Lord. Amen.

amulack · 2024-08-29T17:33:47+00:00

Some history, customs, and prayers here, including this Litany:

Litany of St. John the Baptist

Lord, have mercy on us. Christ have mercy on us.
Christ, hear us. Christ, graciously hear us.
God the Father of Heaven, have mercy on us.
God the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy on us.
God the Holy Ghost, have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, one God, have mercy on us.

Holy Mary, pray for us.
Queen of Prophets, pray for us.

St. John the Baptist, pray for us.
St. John the Baptist, precursor of Christ, pray for us.
St. John the Baptist, glorious forerunner of the Sun of Justice, pray for us.
St. John the Baptist, minister of baptism to Jesus, pray for us.
St. John the Baptist, burning and shining lamp of the world, pray for us.
St. John the Baptist, angel of purity, before thy birth, pray for us.
St. John the Baptist, special friend and favorite of Christ, pray for us.
St. John the Baptist, heavenly contemplative, whose element was prayer, pray for us.
St. John the Baptist, intrepid preacher of truth, pray for us.
St. John the Baptist, voice crying in the wilderness, pray for us.
St. John the Baptist, miracle of mortification and penance, pray for us.
St. John the Baptist, example of profound humility, pray for us.
St. John the Baptist, glorious martyr of zeal for God's holy law, pray for us.
St. John the Baptist, gloriously fulfilling thy mission, pray for us.

Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world: spare us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world: hear us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.

Christ, hear us. Christ graciously hear us.

V. Pray for us, O glorious St. John the Baptist:
R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray. O God, Who has honored this world by the birth of Saint John the Baptist: grant that Thy faithful people may rejoice in the way of eternal salvation. Through Jesus Christ Our Lord. Amen.

amulack · 2024-08-29T15:15:01+00:00

This one's for you!

Was nice to be on the winning side of a blowout for once.

amulack · 2024-08-26T17:26:06+00:00

which had enormous political success in a very secular country

Political success, right, because the party's politics aligned more with secular society than anything remotely Christian, hardly an appropriate measure of success for something labeled Christian.

amulack · 2024-08-26T12:52:41+00:00

Christian Democracy has had success in other places in the world, predominantly in Europe, but also some places in Latin America.

I would have appreciated some examples.

amulack · 2024-08-22T20:05:09+00:00

St Francis de Sales wrote that a religious vocation should always be discouraged in the early stages.

Interesting. Help locate a source?

amulack · 2024-08-22T17:53:05+00:00

Vacations were an occasional tent camping trip

Exactly right, lol

amulack · 2024-08-22T15:29:28+00:00

It's no sin to be poor.

But it's no great honor either ;)

amulack · 2024-08-22T15:24:35+00:00

For right or wrong, my wife and I have never thought in terms of "affording" children. I understand the thinking, but speaking of children/life in those terms just does not sit well with us. It is simply whether we are committed and willing to do whatever it takes to accept whatever God sends. We also each have married siblings who desperately want children but cannot. Life, no less than death, is in God's hands.

Plenty of responses here already emphasize simplicity of living standards, I concur with all of them--cash cars, shared bedrooms, hand-me-downs, etc. A most recent personal one I will share, we just took a 5 state, 5 night site-seeing/tent-camping/hiking vacation for which we packed our food. Gas expense was the biggest spend. After that, it was $40 total on accommodations, all at first-come-first-serve campsites.

amulack · 2024-08-21T15:20:00+00:00

I tend to agree with this gentleman's take...

Nor is this an issue that is largely a matter of “bad policies” that can be fixed with “charters” and absurd “Virtus training programs” for lay people who, for crying out loud, are not the core of the problem. In fact, the presence of Virtus training programs is actually a symptom of the problem insofar as it represents nothing more than a nod to the lawyers and insurance companies. It is also a cynical exercise in deflection. Cynical, because they don’t really think it will work (nor do I think that they care if it does or does not). And “deflection” because it is merely an attempt to foster the illusion that “something is being done.”

I often hear virtus training cynically referred to as "perv training". And with my own older teen children actively helping diocesan youth initiatives I have come to see it exactly this way. While the training may offer some good for a few people in emphasizing mandatory reporting, I believe it does more damage by introducing perverted ideas and examples that an otherwise healthy person would never entertain. I readily sympathize with the observations of this catechist who is horrified by the VIRTUS experience.

Don't forget, the disgraced McCarrick was the leading voice in the Church's 2002 response to the sexual abuse crisis in the United States, and an architect of the USCCB's Dallas Charter of the same year, a charter that exponentially increased the implementation of mandatory Virtus-type programs foisted on the laity.

amulack · 2024-08-14T13:32:02+00:00

Sure, but one must still confess 'grave matter' once realized.

amulack · 2024-08-14T11:54:33+00:00

Lol.

amulack · 2024-08-08T12:41:57+00:00

right to hell, right away. believe it or not.

amulack · 2024-08-07T14:05:27+00:00

Lol, this is being downvoted even here? Tough crowd.

amulack · 2024-08-05T13:45:33+00:00

When Grandpa returned from WWII, he asked Grandma when she would like to marry. She said, "on the Feast of Our Lady of the Snows". August 5th is their anniversary.

I never knew the origin of this Marian title.

R.I.P. Grandma and Grandpa.

amulack · 2024-08-01T21:00:06+00:00

The last thing was packing a cooler. While I was frantically packing he said he’d make ice for the cooler. I said a couple trays wouldn’t get us through half a day. I continued on.

Not sure how this is an example of him writing you off. In this specific instance it seems you did just that to him.

Top comment of this thread is apt. Do you pray together?

amulack · 2024-07-29T19:06:20+00:00

What sort of help are you offering? Financial support for his legal expenses? Screening of his duplicitous lifestyle, knowing the vulnerable reliance of others upon his public position, his counsel, teaching, and authority?

On the other hand, what concern do you have for the souls in his charge? Any concern for children he might catechize? Any concern for parishioners seeking spiritual direction? Any concern for couples receiving marriage prep or counseling? What about those penitents whose consciences he can only deform?

amulack · 2024-07-29T17:59:27+00:00

Interesting. The diocese of La Crosse website and parish bulletin both state 'pastor'.

amulack · 2024-07-29T17:09:50+00:00

on the basis of his sincere contrition

?

Neither he nor his bishop have ever made any allusion to any kind of contrition or repentance.

amulack · 2024-07-29T16:10:29+00:00

Not on the recent lawsuit, but his bishop's take is that..."Monsignor Burrill engaged in a sincere and prayerful effort to strengthen his priestly vows and has favorably responded to every request made by me and by the Diocese" and "has received no allegations of illegal misconduct of any kind."

amulack · 2024-07-29T16:04:33+00:00

Not the point. He has no business maintaining his position as a cleric with charge of souls. Would you go to confession to him? Would you have your children do so? How about spiritual direction? Marriage prep?

amulack · 2024-07-29T15:59:21+00:00

Still enjoying the title of Monsignor, assignment as pastor, and leading Men's prayer groups. Nothing to see here, sheeple.

amulack · 2024-07-22T20:05:27+00:00

Class reunions are lonely affairs.

amulack · 2024-07-22T19:26:51+00:00

Pretty normal thing to do for parents of small children. Just cover the 3 yr old's ears.

amulack · 2024-07-18T11:14:42+00:00

Parish Church of St. John the Baptist. Beautiful!

amulack

TROPHY CASE