I’m always hesitant to post this kind of thing, but here goes… I am an American. I am also an American Exceptionalist, in that I believe that there is something exceptional and unique about my country. (Yes, I know that annoys many outside the U.S., but read on and see where this exceptionalism has taken my country of late.) I once, three decades ago, worn a uniform for my country, and consider myself something of a patriot. I am also a Texan. (Yes, for some of you, this may be the worst possible combination.) I live in Dallas. Dallas was ground zero for the abortion fight here in the U.S. It was in my city that Roe vs. Wade was originally argued. It was here that the figurative atomic bomb of abortion went off; in my home town, where my kids were born, where we live, and work, and pray. The fuse may have been lit in other places, but it was here where the bomb went off. A few years back, some friends and I started a project. We dedicated the First Friday of every month to Mass, fasting, and praying the Holy Hour of Reparation. We went to Confession just before the First Friday. All this was done for the intention of ending abortion in this country. It was to last about four or five months, until the following March for Life. At the March, we all gathered at an abortion clinic (at 6:30 in the morning when it was something like 18 degrees), and prayed the rosary with others from the March itself. Over time, the devotion faded and the people involved went different directions. A couple of us made it about a year, but after those first four months it was sporadic. One of the five clinics in town closed shortly after the year was up. Now step back in time briefly, to the year 1862 (I have cut out some things specific to the Civil War): “We can succeed only by concert. It is not ‘can any of us imagine better?’ but, ‘can we all do better?’ The dogmas of the quiet past, are inadequate to the stormy present. The occasion is piled high with difficulty, and we must rise with the occasion. As our case is new, so we must think anew, and act anew. We must disenthrall ourselves, and then we shall save our country. “Fellow-citizens, we cannot escape history. We … will be remembered in spite of ourselves. No personal significance, or insignificance, can spare one or another of us. The fiery trial through which we pass, will light us down, in honor or dishonor, to the latest generation. … We -- even we here -- hold the power, and bear the responsibility. … We shall nobly save, or meanly lose, the last best hope of earth. Other means may succeed; this could not fail. The way is plain, peaceful, generous, just -- a way which, if followed, the world will forever applaud, and God must forever bless.” Abraham Lincoln, Annual Address to Congress, December 1, 1862. The line that strikes me most is this: We shall nobly save, or meanly lose, the last best hope of earth. It is my belief that we stand, as a nation, at another such moment in history. We were once the last best hope of earth, and now we drag that hope into the Pit. It is our culture that has contaminated the world – our entertainment, our media, our philosophy of “drugs, sex and rock and roll”, our fall into…whatever we’re falling into politically and militarily. We are becoming Ephesus. Think back to Ephesus for a moment. They had everything. The Orthodox believe that Our Lady left this world from Ephesus. The apostle John lived there before moving to Patmos. St. Paul wrote a letter to the Ephesians that is remembered to this day. Ephesus had everything, but by the writing of the Apocolypse of St. John, chapter 2, we see, “Remember then from what you have fallen, repent and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place...” For over four hundred years, it was illegal to say Mass in Ephesus. It was only permitted beginning about 15 years ago by the Turk to encourage tourism. At the time of Our Lady of America in the 1950’s we had everything. The highest level of Sunday attendance at all Church services in the US was in 1955. We were prosperous, and still somewhat innocent, and we had a decency to us that people long for today. Like Ephesus, we need to remember from what we have fallen. When the Chastisement comes, I honestly believe it will land hardest on us – and rightly so. Our Lady of America said: “My child, there will be peace, as has been promised, but not until my children are purified and cleansed from defilement, and clothed thus with the white garment of grace, are made ready to receive this peace, so long promised and so long held back because of the sins of men. My dear children, either you will do as I desire and reform your lives, or God Himself will need to cleanse you in the fires of untold punishment. You must be prepared to receive His great gift of peace. If you will not prepare yourselves, God will Himself be forced to do so in His justice and mercy.” Our Lady of America, September 26-27, 1957. Canonically approved in 1963 by the Archbishop of Cincinnati, Paul Francis Leibold. Canonical approval reviewed and approved in 2007 by the Archbishop of St. Louis, Raymond Leo Burke (who will one day very soon, by the Grace of God, take the name Leo XIV...hope springs eternal). Since 1957, have we Americans been cleansed and purified of our defilement? Or have we fallen further into that defilement, and made it our way of life. So my challenge to my countrymen is this: Join me each Friday in fasting and prayer, for our country and our countrymen, for the conversion of sinners to Christ, and for the reparation of past sins. Go to Mass wherever you live, and we will stand together though separated by great distance. There is a goodness in Americans, albeit buried of late beneath great heaps of materialism and hedonism. That goodness is still there, but we need to quickly polish it and make it shine again. I don’t think the United States will survive what’s coming, but with prayer we may be able to salvage a remnant of decency that, with God’s help, will continue. Our Lady of America, pray for us. Our Lady of Guadalupe, pray for us. Lord, may this project come to perfection through Thy grace.
P.S. I’m not going to argue politics. This is a plea to get people to fast and pray, not bait to start an argument.
If figures I'd post this just as the white smoke appeared above the Sistine Chapel, and thus the thread got a bit lost. So I'll turn the coals here again and see if anyone notices now. If not, I'll let it go...
Mark, this Lenten season has been the most impactful of my life. It started by being reprimanded by Conchita, and her emphasizing the importance of the daily rosary and fasting in my life. Combined with a new Pope ,and what I feel is the "new era" we have entered (meaning we have experienced the "end of the times" with the death of JP II,as she said the Blessed Mother predicted ). I shall join you in an effort for the conversion of sinners and this country. God help us !
I am doing the bread and water fast today, too. I do it because Our Lady asked it at Medjugorje. She asks people to fast on bread and water on Wednesdays and Fridays. It isn't easy. I also fast for the future of the US. We have so much reparation to do as citizens, it is most daunting. Fifty-five million abortions and counting is an unimaginable horror that we must plead the Precious Blood of Christ upon the U.S..
Mary Ann, I'm curious, I've just started serious fasting this Lenten season, and I've heard of this, but what does it consist of ? ( I guess I'm asking when and how much to consume ? ) . Thanks, Glenn
Glenn, it is a fast from midnight to midnight of only bread and water. The bread can be what you prefer, but shouldn't have butter or jam, etc... I toast mine because that little thing helps me (but maybe I should offer up that, too). Just have bread at your meals instead of a regular meal. Thanks for asking. We can take hope that more states are making laws restricting abortions, but it is a long row to hoe. The website lifenews.com is a huge motivator for me to do penance.
I too can attest to this bread and water fast on Wednesday's and Friday's as my belly is growling now What I can say is do not be so strict on yourself at first that you can't put butter or an egg for that matter on your toast. Once you become a pro at it, then go dry bread and water.... but start with what you can and work your way to the Mary plan. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. Give it some time.
It also helps to start off with one day a week initially, and move on to two as you become more accustomed to it. Fasting is hard, but very powerful. Also a helpful tip I've heard is to keep an intentions notebook/diary and write into it the specific intention(s) you intend to fast for on each particular day. Reminding yourself of these intentions really helps when you're faced with those moments of temptation to give in (and there are many).
I've always found that it's much easier when you start the day with Mass and the Eucharist before work.
I wish I could fast on bread and water. I am diabetic and even fasts that are vegetables only shoot my sugars high, and they shouldn't. So, what I have done for years now, is to abstain from some of my favorites: diet coke, popcorn and tv. I also "fast" Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. I know that there are many out there who, for medical reasons, cannot fast. This is my substitute.
Thanks for bumping this up MarkW, I did miss it the first time with the Pope being elected. Praying and fasting along with you all. I do on Wed. and Fri. anyway, so praying and fasting for these intentions.
I have health problems too, Rosebud. I was going to say I put something on my bread to keep me going and have it twice a day. But whatever we can offer up will be a sacrifice Our Lady wiil love to accept.
Rosebud, I think your TV fast is very commendable. I read some time ago, somewhere, that Padre Pio once said that when we brought the television into our homes we let satan into the house, isn't that a scarey thought. And just look at how it distracts us from pray, and from each other, and it is almost as addicting as food! I have read a lot about Sister Mildred Mary Neuzil, the nun who was given the "Our Lady of America" messages/visitations. She just died in 2000. She was a very holy nun, who lived a life of great suffering and great graces. ourladyofamerica.com
Mark that was a great post. Time to get serious,..I'm with you! I started redoing 1st Fidays and 1st Sat.'s back to back as a novena, but God willing I can keep on going past that. We need to do all that we can. In Garabandal Our Lady asked us to think about the Passion. Our Lord told St. Faustina it was more beneficial to meditate on His Passion than to flog oneself for a week. So I am going to post on this thread The Hours of the Passion. I would encourage others to look at it and consider doing it. There are great promises given that may protect certain places in which they are done. I will include a video to give an idea of one of the meditations. I have been doing them every day for the past 24 weeks I think I may have missed 2 or 3 days.
Thank you very much for this Deborah, I shall read this with great interest. I just read about St Joseph and even though I already know that he is lovely and get him to help me with all my DIY and other things. Reading this information about him blew me away! Thank you so much, In my heart, this nun is very true.
