A blessed day to you!

For this month's Faith-related post, I wish to address a certain common-held debate amongst Christians, one that revolves around Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition.

Before I delve into this rather controversial topic, I wish to give a disclaimer. I must admit with due humility that I borrowed some of the ideas presented (especially in the latter part of the post) from a certain Deacon's apologetics class that I was privileged to attend in the fall of 2018, and I have borrowed others from a lay theologian, whom I give credit later on. I am not a theologian, and am only an amateur apologist of my Faith. I am willing to engage in civil debate, and if I find myself later to be in error, I will post a correction as soon as possible. 

To begin rather bluntly, the Bible is not the all-comprehensive guide to theological truths. It's an overview or gateway, most certainly. The key events of our salvation are all there.

But is it...everything?

Let's put it this way. If we poor humans can devote entire books to just one person, detailing various portions of their lives with meticulous detail and still miss something, that God is going to relegate His Life and teachings to just....one big book?

I think not.

I'm going to approach this not from a theological apologist's point of view. I'm certainly not qualified for that, as I pointed out before.

But I am going to approach it from a historian's point of view.

As a historian, I was not taught to take sources at face value, simply because I don't know if there are errors, or holes that would put the authenticity into doubt. The solution was to look to corroborate with other sources to match up details.

For example, when I'm looking at records for genealogy, I'm looking for certain things that repeat. Birth dates are the most common of these - if the dates match, that's a good chance that it's the same person. I'll also look for a similar group of people - siblings on a census for instance.

If I used just one set of records, like the Federal Census for example, it would give me a lot of relevant information. Names, relations, location.

But I wouldn't know when they were born exactly, when they died exactly, and other little details that give context to their lives. Because the Census is just a snapshot in time. I need other records (birth, church, military, occupation, residence) to completely round out the person's life and study them in more detail. 

Now let's take Our Lord. The Bible reveals with great detail the key elements of Our Lord's life. But we are still missing intimate details. Such as, Our Lord's own birthday for instance.

The Bible doesn't reveal exactly when Our Lord was born. But, it does reveal it indirectly.....by another person's birth: St. John the Baptist.

The Bible reveals that Zachary, St. John's father, was a high priest and it details that he was serving in the temple at a certain point in time, in which the Angel Gabriel came to him. Thanks to the meticulous records left behind by Jewish recorders, we actually know the months in which he served in the temple in the Jewish calendar. It's then a simple thing of using logic to figure in ancient travel times to figure out when St. John was conceived, and then it's a simple 9 month addition to figure out when St. John was born. Since Our Lord was conceived when John was six months in the womb, it would stand to reason that Our Lord would be born 6 months later. From there, it's a simple conversion from the Jewish calendar to the Gregorian, and voila!

And to make it even better, we can even access historic climate information to give an idea of what the weather was even like! (Fun fact: did you know Palestine is on the same latitude as Texas? Which means that they get similar weather to Texas, which means that winter is not that cold there??)

(Now before I go any further, I need to cite that the information about Our Lord's birthday was paraphased from a video on this very subject by Dr. Taylor Marshall, a lay theologian. I'll link the video HERE.)

The Church, like a curious child, is never satisfied with an unanswered question. She will hunt for the truth, no matter what it takes. The Church is never random, either. There is always a reason behind every little truth, every little ceremony, even down to the tiniest details.

Just because something wasn't written down, doesn't mean that it didn't happen. That it isn't important to remember. That it didn't have an influence on later events. 

If your life had to be reconstructed from what writings you left behind, would it give an accurate picture of yourself? I know mine would not. It would have to be filled in, probably by other people around me giving oral testimony.

I will admit that oral histories and traditions can be problematic. They can be more prone to error, simply because it is a living memory, and not concrete like writing is.

But I could argue the same problems exist for writing, especially when it comes to translations. The Greek translation and the Hebrew translations of Scriptural books give so much more linguistic context that it puts our English Bibles to shame.

What I'm trying to get at, in this rather convulted rigamarole that you're scrolling through, is that nothing, not even Scripture, is worth anything if it is not put into context.

A fact that is actually pointed out...in the Bible itself.

And Philip running thither, head him read the prophet Isaias. And he said: Thinkest thou that thou understandest what thou readest? 
Who said: And how can I, unless some man shew me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him. 
And the place of the scripture which was reading was this: He was led as a sheep to the slaughter: and like a lamb without voice before his shearer so openeth he not his mouth. 
In humility his judgement was taken away. His generation who shall declare for his life shall be taken from the earth? 
And the eunuch answering Philip, said: I beseech thee, of whom doth the prophet speak this? Of himself, or of some other man?
Then Philip, opening his mouth and beginning at this scripture, preached unto him Jesus. 

(Acts 8:30-35, DRV. Emphasis added)

In this Biblical account, the eunuch was introduced to the Sacred Mysteries by Scripture. Therefore, Scripture cannot be discounted as a "gateway" to learning about God, and it has it's rightful place as a teaching tool. Indeed, all the key truths of our Faith are derived from Holy Scripture as I've said before.

But, the eunuch was struggling to grasp the crux of the hidden message that was presented in Scripture. He had no way of decoding it himself. This is why God sent Philip, a living breathing recepticle of the Faith, to teach him.

You have to remember at this time, there was no New Testament - that wasn't compiled for another 100 years. Everything HAD to be handed down orally, from Jesus Himself, to his Apostles, to their Disciples, to their families, to their children, and thus it continued throughout the generations. Some, like St. Matthew and St. John wrote first hand accounts, as early as the year 69 AD. Others, like St. Paul, wrote second hand exhortations, which came from the Apostolic teachings that he had received from St. Peter.

You may be able to teach yourself many things from a book, but it is never as good as when you learn from a person.

This is why I will never believe in Sola Scriptura.

Because Our Lord never used a Bible to found the Church.

He used living, breathing Apostles.

And don'tcha think that Jesus would have used the best tools available to spread His Church?

Old-fashionably yours,

Catherine

A blessed day to you, dear reader!

I warn you ahead of time, that this post is quite lengthy and is most likely to stir up controversy. However, it is a topic that is well worth talking about, especially with the recent resurgence in veiling among young Catholic women.

One of the practices that drew me into the traditional rite, was the veiling of women. Even before I officially converted into the Catholic Church, I had decided to take up veiling after seeing the examples of women around me. It wasn't until after I converted that I began to study the reasons behind head covering.

Women have always worn some sort of head covering in every culture and religion. In fact, until around the 20th century, women wouldn't have been caught dead without something on their heads.

Wearing something on the head can be very practical. For one, it keeps the hair much cleaner - keeping the bugs, dirt, and dust away. For another, it protects the tender scalp on the head from sunburning (yes, that is a thing. I've had it happen. It hurts). But is there a spiritual reason why we should cover our heads?

The interpretations of 1 Corinthians 11:5 have been many and varied. Some take the letter of the law and cover their heads all the time. Some view it as the hair being the only covering that they need. Some only cover their head in religious ceremonies. Some wear it as a sign of submission - to their husband or to God.

What is the true practice?

The Catholic Church has made it very clear through tradition (and St. Paul) that women should be veiled when in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament, or in the church sanctuary.

There are many spiritual reasons why this is. One is the tradition that sacred objects in the Catholic Church are veiled (the Tabernacle, the Chalice, the Altar, etc.), and the fact that the women also veil reveals their sacred status in the Church. A second reason is that as Catholic women, we imitate The Blessed Virgin Mary, who always covered her hair. Another reason is that the veil is an outer sign of humility and submission to the Lord.

However, for veiling outside of church, it reverts to the custom of the people. From my understanding, it is acceptable to uncover the head for the husband, as it is revealing the beauty of the woman (St. Paul does command that wives make themselves beautiful for their husbands!). As far as I can find, there is no real definitive stance from the Church's perspective on veiling all the time, leaving me to conclude that it is a pious practice that women may take up on their own accord as they wish.



How much should the hair be covered (in church or out)?

Some cultures say all. Some (such as Anabaptist and Quaker sects) cover the bulk of the hair, which is piled into a bun and covered by a cap. Others say that the head should be covered, but the hair that covers the back can be left uncovered.

The general consensus (for there are no set guidelines, unlike modesty in dress) for Catholic women is that at least the "crown" of the head should be covered during Mass. The "crown" is the top portion of the head, where a hat would normally sit. This leaves women considerable freedom of styles of "headcovering" to choose from.

Outside of Mass, it is up to the woman's own convictions and the local custom. For us American women who have no current local custom for a head-covering, we can cover as much or as little as we please. However, when we travel (especially in the Middle East) we should check the local custom to avoid harassment. Remember, "when in Rome, do as the Romans do." (but exercise caution - see below)



What should we use to veil? 

For Mass, we can veil our heads with a variety of coverings.

We can go with the traditional lace mantilla.




We can use a large scarf.




We can use a pretty hat.





We can use a lace cap. 





There used to be a tradition in which unmarried women would wear white mantillas and married women would wear black. Some girls would also assume the black veil after they received Confirmation. Now, it is a case of personal preference - especially now that colored veils have gained popularity.

Should we want to cover our heads outside of Mass, we can use a variety of cloth veils, bandanas, headscarves, headbands, and hats.



Some Examples:










The only note of caution is that we should avoid imitating another religious sect's style of headcovering (hijabs, Jews, etc.) or have a veil tied in the same way as a nun's. The reason is that we don't want to deceive others to think that we are what we are not.

Headcoverings, in a more direct way than modest clothing does, is also rather conspicious, so be wary of being ostentatious or standing out - as this is counterproductive to modesty! 


What I Will Do to Veil:

I will always veil for any Mass. It doesn't matter if I'm attending a Norvus Ordo Mass or a Solemn Pontifical Mass in the Extraordinary Form. The veil goes on my head because HE is there in all of His Glory, which is being manifested on the altar and my "glory" (which is my hair) is nothing in comparison. The veil also, in a small way, deflects some of the distractions and helps me concentrate a little better.

I have several different veils: 3 white lace veils, 1 black fabric "veil", 1 black lace veil, and 1 bright purple scarf. During most of the year, I'll wear one of my white lace veils, keeping to the old tradition. I'll wear a black veil for Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, and I'll wear my purple scarf during Advent and Lent - simply to match the liturgical season.

I'm one of those women who prefers to have most of the hair to be covered, taking the Blessed Virgin's example in this matter. Wide headbands don't cut it for me, although they can help cover the "crown" section of my head in case my veil slips (my purple headscarf tends to do that. A lot. Drives me nuts). I typically go for more of the scarf style of veil, which covers pretty much all of my hair, all the way down to my waist.

Outside of Mass, I typically won't cover my head. I'll sometimes wear bandanas on my head when I'm in a domestic kind of mood. I'll wear my sweatshirt hoods frequently. When I was a historical reenactor up in New England, I wore a cotton cap and sunbonnet while I worked. The cap I didn't mind as much as the sunbonnet....the lack of visibility really got annoying after a while. I did also wear a headband when I worked at the dairy to help keep my hair cleaner.

However, for some religious things out of Mass, I'll cover my head. I'll sometimes cover my head during the family Rosary. I used to also cover my head when I read Holy Scripture. For that, I'll use an old piece of blue fabric with painted flowers - which, in my youth, was meant as a beach wrap. Sometimes, I'll also cover my head as an act of penance during Lent.

I have toyed with the idea of veiling all the time, but have decided at this point not to pursue it. Maybe once I'm out on my own, or if I ever work on a farm again, I shall give it more consideration. I don't feel it to be necessary at this point in my life either.

And thus I conclude for now. I must be off, there is much to be done today!

Old-fashionably yours,

Catherine



P.S. For anyone who is curious and wishes to learn more, I have included the following links:

Veils by Lily. This is probably the most comprehensive of all the FAQs regarding veiling.
Unam Sanctam Catholicam. This page explains a lot of the scriptural meanings of veiling.
"Why Do Women Cover Their Heads in Church?", The Remnant. This particular article by John Salza is a very in-depth analysis of some of the passages from 1 Corinthians.
Fish Eaters. This article explains the traditions of veiling.
One Peter Five. Written by a contemporary woman in everyday laymen's english, it demolishes some of the liberal misconceptions.
Sensus Fidelium has a few video sermons on the subject, two of which are HERE and HERE.

Happy Feast of the Annunciation! Can you believe it is now 9 months exactly to Christmas?

So, quite a few months ago, I snitched this really long, but really cool tag from Sarah @ Life of a Homeschooler. You can view the original post HERE.

This was one of those tags where I couldn't pass it up. I mean, it's a tag about my Faith! I know I don't talk enough about my Faith on this blog and it's an omission that I feel rather keenly. Though I do have an outlet in Maidens for Mary, so if you wish to see more of my Faith posts, check that out!

So without any more ceremony, let us begin! 


1. What is your rite?

Latin Rite, Extraordinary Form. Otherwise known as the Traditional Latin Mass or the Tridentine Mass. It's one of the oldest rites in the Catholic Church and has been relatively unchanged for 1000 years.

As a child, I did go to the Ordinary Form, which is also called the Norvus Ordo (New Order) or English Mass. I also went for short periods during some summer jobs and while traveling.

To be quite honest, I very much prefer the Latin. You have to experience it several times in order to understand it's complexity, but the reverence and beauty of the TLM to me is a more fitting liturgical act of worship towards God. The Ordinary Form is so watered down that it's an almost mindless. No wonder so many young people are flocking to tradition!


2. Cradle/Convert/Revert

Oh dear, this is where it gets complicated.

You see, I was baptized Catholic. But, my parents are in a mixed marriage - my mother is Episcopalian/Anglican and my father is Catholic. As a child, I was raised in both faiths. Which kinda disqualifies me from being a "cradle Catholic" in spite of my early baptism, since I wasn't receiving sacraments.

After several years of study of the faith, I slowly converted (some would say reverted) to the Catholic Faith, receiving my first Confession, Communion, and Confirmation when I was 15. So I always say that I'm a convert or a revert, rather than a cradle Catholic.


Year Baptized: 

The year in which I was born, which was in the mid 90s.


Year Received First Communion:

The year in which I was 15. I know, I'm being super vague. But, as of right now, I'm in obedience to my parents for keeping my exact age a secret.


Confirmation Saint:

St. Catherine Laboure. I was very devoted to St. Catherine Laboure and the Miraculous Medal when I was converting to the Faith, so I took her name when I received Confirmation. And, it just so happens that my Sodality medal is the Miraculous Medal.





Name of Current Parish:

Mater Dei.


Parish Groups you belong to: 

Young Adults Group - which, after a long absence is back meeting again (Deo Gratias!).

Mixed Choir - we have a mixed choir/schola and I've been a member for a year. I quite love it.

I'm also a member of the Immaculate Heart Women's Sodality, which after years of hiatus is back meeting again! 

I've been toying with also joining the Meal Train and with the idea of starting some kind of a sewing group at church, as there are several young women that want to learn those skills :). I've also had a hankering to be an advisor for the Junior Sodality, which recently reformed in our parish.


Prayers You Say Everyday: 

4 Morning Offerings, Litany of Humility, Resolution to Follow Christ, Acts of Adoration, Faith, Hope and Charity, St. Thomas Prayer for Purity, 3 Hail Marys', Evening Rosary, Litany of the Most Precious Blood, Act of Contrition, Prayers for a Happy Death, Commendation to the Sacred Heart....and I think I'm missing a few aspirations in there....


I also say a prayer for my future spouse, a vocation discernment prayer (for career purposes) and the Angelus on a somewhat regular basis.



Religious Items You Travel With: 

White lace Chapel Veil (both in purse and in glove compartment)
Rosary (both in purse and glove compartment)
Miraculous Medal (sometimes two, in jewelry box)
Catholic Girls Guide by Fr. Lasance (this has been doubling as a devotion book during Mass because I lost my missal a few years ago and have never replaced it.....) 
An old Brown Scapular for the shower/pool (so I don't ruin the one I wear all the time)
A string with a relic, a Miraculous Medal, a St. Gabriel medal and a St. Benedict medal. I call it my sacramental chain, LOL. 

Sometimes, I'll also carry a spiritual reading book too. But those are the items that I travel with regularly. 


Do you go to Adoration?

Frankly, I don't. There isn't an Adoration chapel near enough to me that I know of, and it's not something that the Catholic members of my family do on a regular basis. So unless it's at the church I go to Mass at, I rarely go at all.


Last Time You Went to Confession?

March 12, during a retreat we had at church. I try to go once a month, unless I get into trouble, LOL.


Color of your favorite rosary?

Light pink. It's a rosary with Our Lady of Fatima that I received on my First Communion from my Junior Sodality.

Close favorites are a light blue one that my dad gave me, and a red one that Lia's family gave me.




Convert that helped your faith?

My dear friend Annalaura, who converted from atheism (or was it agnosticism?) a few years after I converted and has been a great encouragement in my vocation discernment and journey towards sanctification. Not to mention, traditional femininity.


Cradle Catholic that helped your faith?

My confirmation sponsor, who instructed me in my Faith for several months before I was received into the church. 


Weirdest thing about being Catholic?

I guess the weirdest thing about being Catholic is being part of the oldest counter-cultural movement in the world.


Personal Examples:
I celebrate Christmas through Dec. 25-Feb 2 instead of Nov-Dec like most people.
I wear skirts because the Church has taught me much about feminine dignity, which no one recognizes now.

I mean, the Church has been opposed to worldly fashions and ideas for over 2000 years and it has survived in spite of them! In the eyes of the world....what could be more weirder?


Best Thing about being Catholic? 

Having a mother in the Blessed Virgin Mary. In fact, it was this distinction that drew me to the Catholic Faith, because in no other Christian sect is Her pious example or unique role as mediator/intercessor even acknowledged, never mind honored.

We Catholics take very seriously Our Lord's words on the Cross to St. John, "Son, behold thy Mother". St. John, who is only distantly related to Our Lord, represented all of us. The Apostles certainly knew and respected her very much, and loved her as their own Mother.

After all, what other creature has a God willingly bound Himself in obedience to (other than St. Joseph)? What other creature could perfectly follow His Will? It is only befitting that She, humbly immaculate human being, should have an exalted role in Heaven and be a mother to all Christians.




Your Patron Saints? 

St. Michael, patron of my family
St. Megan (Margaret Ward), my baptismal patron saint
St. Catherine Laboure, my confirmation patron saint

St. Isadore the Farmer or St. Northburga, since I do have an agriculture degree
St. Philomena, patron of the Junior Sodality I was involved with as a girl
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, patron of the cause of my mother and brother's conversion


Favorite Saints?

St. Augustine, St. Monica, St. Joan of Arc, St. Thomas More, St. Bernadette Soubirous, St. Anthony of Padua, St. Thersea of Avila, St. Therese of Lisieux, St. Mary Magdalene, St. Cecilia, St. Jacinta Marto, St. Padre Pio, St. Kateri Tekakwitha, St. Gianna Molla, St. Dominic Savio, St. Maria Goretti, St. Catherine of Siena, Pope St. Pius X, St. Maximilian Kolbe, St. Damien of Molokai, St. John Fisher, St. John Vianney......among various others.


Favorite Parable?

I love all of the Parables, so it was really hard to pick a favorite. 

Being of an agricultural bent, I found the Parable of the Sower (Wheat and Cockle) and the Parable of the Laborers in the Vineyard to be my favorites out of all of them.

Though I must admit, the Parable of the Wicked Steward has always fascinated me too....



Favorite Psalm?

Psalms 30 and 22 are my two favorite Psalms.

Psalm 30 resonated a lot with me when I first read it. Hope is a difficult thing to keep alive when going through spiritual trouble. The verses, "Be thou unto me a God, a protector, and a house of refuge to save me. For thou art my strength and my refuge; and for they name's sake thou wilt lead me and nourish me." have been almost a constant prayer for me.  
 
I should note that the numbering system is slightly different in the Douay Rheims Bible. Our Psalm 22 is called Psalm 23 in most Protestant Bibles. I can only imagine that my Psalm 30 is known as Psalm 31. I'm not sure which Psalm the Protestant reformers split up to create this numbering system, but it is worth noting so none of my Protestant friends are confused.


Favorite Religious Order?

Oh gracious, there are so many that I like.

The one that I like the most is the Sisters of Charity founded by St. Vincent de Paul. In the strict sense of the word, they are not a religious order...but in practicality, they are. I like them because they are an active order (rather than comtemplative), which suits my active personality much more. And it is the order of 2 of my patron saints.

I do also like the Benedictines, and the Carmelites. While many favorite saints of mine are Carmelites, I do like the Benedictine philosophy of "ora et labora" much better.



Favorite Catholic singer/band

Clamavi De Profundis!

Though, it's tough to beat such groups like the Benedictines of Mary at Ephesus....


Favorite Spiritual Author?

Joan Carroll Cruz takes this title, without a doubt. Her works on incorrupt saints (The Incorruptibles)  and Eucharistic miracles are among my favorite spiritual books to read. 

Goodreads

Favorite Prayer?

Either the Memorore (a prayer of petition to the Blessed Virgin) or the prayer to St. Michael. Or the Angelus, which commemorates the Incarnation of Christ. I can't really decide.....


Favorite Marian Devotion?

It's a tie between the Rosary and the Seven Sorrows. I do tend to lean towards the Seven Sorrows more, since I'm a little more engaged (it's very easy to slip off into a reverie when I'm praying the Rosary....).


Favorite Pope?

Frankly, I believe this honor goes to St. Pius X. I must admit that my studies of the Popes has been rather limited, but I do remember reading his biography and being really impressed by his fortitude and how he opened up the Eucharist to children. 


Favorite Biblical Character?

St. Mary Magdalen. She gives me a lot of hope that I can also overcome my sins and become a great saint. She is also the inspiration for one of my book characters (Magda from The White Rose :) )


Favorite Catholic Movie?

A Man for all Seasons.

I have this obsession for English Tudor history, especially the time of the break with Rome. My guess is that it is quite a bit to do with my mother's Anglican/Episcopalian roots. And as I may have mentioned, St. Thomas More is one of my favorite saints.


Favorite Catholic Song?  

Sicut Cervus, written by Palestrina is probably one of the most beautiful polyphonic pieces that I've ever sung. It's based off of Psalm 42. 




Favorite Encyclical?

"On Rural Life" written by Pope Pius XII

I have several excerpts of it in a page on this blog. It really resonates with me, because it really cements my own positions on agriculture, the value of humility, toil and stewardship, as well as what duties a farmer holds in a society at large.


Favorite Marian Hymn

Hail Holy Queen Enthroned Above!




Favorite book written by a saint?

I would have to say The Introduction to the Devout Life by St. Francis de Sales. Everything else that I've read is either not written by a Saint or I found difficult to read.


Favorite Catholic meme?




I do actually have this reaction on occasion - but even more so when I see religious in their traditional habits :)


For fellow Traddies, I recommend looking up Speck the Altar Boy comics. They center around a very sassy altar boy who defends the Traditional Mass in a very Chestertonian style. Very entertaining.


Favorite Liturgical Season

Easter!

Mainly because of all the Alleluias and the Vidi Aquam chant - which I love more than the Asperges that we normally sing the rest of the year.

You see, before every High Mass, we have an antiphon that is chanted while the priest sprinkles holy water on the congregation. The Asperges is derived from Psalm 50 and the Vidi Aquam is derived from a verse in Ezechiel. Both antiphons talk relate to the action (the sprinkling of water), but the Vidi Aquam is more solemn and pretty in my opinion.




Favorite Feast Day: 

August 15, The Assumption of Mary

Many non-Catholics are not going to be familiar with this particular feast day, so I will explain it here:

Our Lady lived for a few decades after the Resurrection, ministering to Her Son's Apostles and living in the nearby city of Ephesus. After 3 days of death, the soul of the Blessed Virgin Mary was reunited with her body, and both body and soul were "assumed" into heaven by the power of God. You see, She couldn't ascend into heaven, since that power was reserved for God himself. This fact was discovered by the Apostles, who came, in similar fashion to the holy women to Jesus's tomb, to anoint the body of Our Lady....and found it missing.

It was on this feast day I received First Communion, and was probably the happiest day of my life.


Favorite Part of Mass?

Holy Communion. Besides receiving my Lord and Savior under the appearance of bread, I love all the communion hymns that I've sung so far which includes Jesu Rex Admirabilis, Ave Maris Stella, Pange Lingua, etc.



Favorite Sacred Hymn?

It is most definitely Pange Lingua. It's a beautiful hymn composed by St. Thomas Aquinas. I'll link a video here:





Favorite Gospel?

The Gospel of Luke is my favorite out of the four Gospels. There are many interpersonal stories and miracles that are documented there (including a lot of medical miracles, which fascinate me the most for some reason). It's also the Gospel in which the Blessed Virgin Mary is most present.


Favorite Martyr?

St. Miguel Pro, who was a priest during the Mexican Revolution. He is most famous for uttering "Viva Christo Rey!" ("Long Live Christ the King!) before being shot by a firing squad, but the rest of his story is also fascinating.


Favorite approved title of Our Lady?

Our Lady of Good Success

This title is connected to a vision to a nun named Mother Mariana of Jesus Torres in Quito, Ecuador. In this vision from the late 1400s, it was prophesied that in the 19th and 20th centuries, Masonry and impurity will abound and various Sacraments will be attacked, including Holy Eucharist, Holy Orders, Matrimony and Extreme Unction. It's a really chilling prophecy, but not one without hope. There are a lot more miraculous incidents in regard to this vision. You can read more HERE.

My Junior Sodality took this title of Our Lady as it's main patroness, which is where I learned first about this vision.

My second favorite title is Our Lady of Fatima. Appearing in 1917 to three shepherd children in Fatima, Portugal, Our Lady prophesied that if Russia (and Russia alone) was not consecrated to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, not only would a second world war break out but Russia would spread many errors into the world. In addition to this prophecy, Our Lady also called for increased reparation in the form of prayer and penance. My family is very devoted to this title of Our Lady and my father and brother will participate in the First Saturday devotion, which is associated with Our Lady of Fatima.


Favorite Bible Translation?

The Douay-Rheims version. It's the closest English translation we have to the Latin Vulgate, which is derived from the ancient tongues of Greek, Hebrew and Aramaic.


Religious Life or Married? 

I firmly believed that God has called me to the married state since I was 15. So unless God throws a 2-by-4 kind of incident that proves me otherwise, I'm looking to marry and raise several children for the Faith.




Homeschooling or Catholic School?

I've been "homeschooled" pretty much my entire life, so I see the benefits and the drawbacks of it. On one hand, I have total control over what my children learn, but at the same time, they could be too sheltered and not be able to be soldiers of Christ. Homeschooling also takes much time, and I'm not a natural teacher.

Tragically, many "Catholic" schools have departed from tradition and solid teaching to chase after scandal and poor formation. There are a few Traditionalist academies, but these are few and far between.

So, despite the drawbacks, I believe I shall pursue homeschooling until a better alternative is found.


G.K. Chesterton or C.S. Lewis?

I haven't read much of Lewis's non-fiction works, but I believe my answer would still be Chesterton, without a doubt. His essays are delightfully sarcastic, but they drive the point home nicely.


St. Peter or St. Paul? 

St. Paul. His conversion always fascinated me, especially around the time of my own conversion. He is much more eloquent than St. Peter is too (sorry St. Peter....).


St. Thomas Aquinas or St. Augustine? 

I'll be honest, even though I have St. Augustine listed as one of my favorite saints, I much prefer St. Thomas's approach to teaching. I tried slogging through some of Augustine's writings, namely his Confessions, and found them too convoluted to get much out of.



And now, I shall tag.....

Nicole Dust @ Legend of a Writer
Anna @ Starlit Sea
Ceci @ Ceci Creates

and anyone of my other Catholic acquaintances that haven't done this tag!


Your turn! Do you prefer St. Peter or St. Paul? What religious articles do you travel with? What is your favorite parable? Any burning questions about Catholics that you'd like to learn the answer to? Chat with me in the comments!

Old-fashionably yours,

Catherine

I've always been on the lookout for a good novel from the Catholic worldview. So when I heard about Paint Everything Blue, I was really excited. I got even more excited when I found out that the author was asking for reviews. Needless to say, I volunteered gladly :).

Paint Everything Blue pitched me into a wonderfully dramatic story worthy for all ages and all time.

I will say one thing....have a tissue box handy. Cause you will cry. A lot.

Don't believe me?

My teenage brother read it after I did. And he cried....a lot.


What I Liked: 

First thing, I love the title very much. It was a really nice way to incorporate a subtle Marian reference.

Lena wrote her character's arcs very well. This is definitely her strength as an author. Each character really did have their own unique cross and struggles. Some share a cross, others bear their cross on their own, but all handle it in their own way - good and bad! And while some go backwards before going forwards, all do go forwards.

Lena also does a great job at using characters to show real-world struggles such as working mothers, physical challenges like hypoglycemia, and mental issues like PTSD. In this book, she also has themes such as the importance of communication, and relief from despair.

One thing that I was very impressed with is how Lena humanized her priest character Don Alphonso. One danger of Catholic writers is to portray priests as these wise, can-do-no-wrong persons, when in reality they are human as well. Lena also did a great job with all of the Confession scenes. Carlo is also a great example of Christian charity (though many people will probably think him idealized, I feel that he was a good example of saintliness).

As an author, Lena is also very good at giving those enticing details and not info-dumping. I also like how we never really see the world through Carlo's eyes, but let the viewpoints of the other characters tell his story. It is an interesting technique. I also liked how all the characters were a variety of ages, instead of staying with one age bracket.


What I Didn't Like: 

The World-Building: This was actually my biggest disappointment of the entire book. According to the author, the story was set in Foggia, Italy in 1960. Besides the Italian dialect and city references, I didn't really get a sense that we were in Italy at all, or at that time. It honestly felt more like it was set in America (for myself, I thought it felt more like something like Los Angeles or New York, while my younger brother thought more South America.) Granted, the word "Padre" was probably the culprit. As for the time period - all the hint that I got that it was not contemporary was the references to Tuberculous (a disease which has mostly been eradicated in recent times). It gave me a jolt to see a year (1947) in the book, only to find out after reading it that it wasn't right. I also had the funny feeling that I was seeing more American than Italian colloquialisms.

The Closeness of Reader's Lens of Focus: Tying into that last note, I believe that the lack of world-building can be explained by the closeness of the focus on the characters and their stories. If this book was in a movie form, the camera would only show closeups and a tiny bit of background that matters at that moment. There really is no big picture to orient ourselves into a specific place or time period. Instead, it felt like we were in a big bubble. Even physical descriptions of character seem a little sparse - we see so much of the "inside" that we are unclear what is on the "outside".

Some inconsistencies: Regina's age threw me a bit - she seemed a high school student at first, and then I find that she's supposed to be 8. Paolo's money issues seem a little confusing too. Eva's pregnancy seemed to hit very suddenly and that part seemed rushed compared to the rest of the book.

Trigger/Content Warnings: Book contains an an attempted abortion (doesn't go beyond talking), an attempted suicide (which is stopped before any harm occurs), thematic elements (married couple sleeping together), an attempted gang attack (and the PTSD that occurs after), mentions of car accidents, and somewhat detailed descriptions of tuberculosis symptoms. There is also a lot of strained family relationships. All of these are handled extremely well.
   

In conclusion: 

For those of you who are teenagers/adults and looking for a good Catholic novel, I highly recommend this book! I rated this book 4 stars out of 5. The main story was really good, and the writing of high quality. I just felt that there wasn't enough world-building and big-picture to give it a full five stars.

If you would like to purchase it, visit Lena's blog One Good Catholic Book.

Note: I recieved a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. All words are my personal opinion.

Old-fashionably yours,

Catherine

Hey y'all!

I'm so sorry that I took this long, but we have finally come to the end! This last post will give the mystery titles in Latin and the prayers for the pope, so you can say your rosary totally in Latin!

Disclaimer: These prayers were taken and checked by multiple sources. The bulk of the prayers in this series can be found on this website: 
http://www.traditioninaction.org/religious/b012rpLatin_Rosary.htm

Hey y'all,

Please forgive the interruption in our Latin lessons. I had intended to get these all done at once, but that never happened. Now I'm on a blogging spree here on Frugally Fancy in order to get some of these drafts that have been sitting around for a while.....

For this post, I'm doing the Rosary Meditation Prayer, the Memorare, and the Prayer to St. Michael. These prayers are technically extra prayers that are often tacked onto the end the Rosary, right after the Hail Holy Queen.

Disclaimer: These prayers were taken and checked by multiple sources. The bulk of the prayers in this series can be found on this website: 
http://www.traditioninaction.org/religious/b012rpLatin_Rosary.htm