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Eternal Rest Grant Unto Them, Oh Lord

 

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord,
and let perpetual light shine upon them.
May the souls of all the faithful departed,
through the mercy of God, rest in peace.
~Amen~

Every year I post this video. I am very proud to have called the little town of Ringgold, Georgia my home for many years. Every year we drive back down to spend the few minutes it takes to go through town, the main stretch and all the little side roads, and appreciate the flags, and honor the fallen.

May the blood cost of our freedom be increasingly appreciated and honored. And may America always be blessed with towns and people like this, who remember and honor our fallen because they value our freedom and know the cost.

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Reflections on Motherhood

Updated from last year’s post

Motherhood. Contrary to ridiculous claims otherwise, it starts with being a woman. Which starts with XX chromosomes and can never be changed.

It didn’t take God long at all in his creation process to get to the male, female, mother, and father part. I can see nothing confusing in his words. From Genesis, Chapter 1:

And he said: Let us make man to our image and likeness: and let him have dominion over the fishes of the sea, and the fowls of the air, and the beasts, and the whole earth, and every creeping creature that moveth upon the earth.  27 And God created man to his own image: to the image of God he created him: male and female he created them. 28 And God blessed them, saying: Increase and multiply, and fill the earth…

So, I am a woman, a wife, a mother, a grandmother. A daughter, daughter in law, sister, sister in law.

My pronouns are not she/her. I am a she. I am a her. I am his wife. I am Mom. I am a grandmother to six boys and three girls.

I was never a birthing person and I’ll probably smack you with my cast iron skillet if you call me one.

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Saturday Speculations

Saturday SpeculationsRandom thoughts, in no order of importance. Just letting the brain wander unchecked. Therefore, you should proceed with the warning that we aren’t going anywhere specific in this post, and there will be no logic to the progression and presentation of ideas. (more…)

He Is Risen

Peter proceeded to speak and said:
“You know what has happened all over Judea,
beginning in Galilee after the baptism
that John preached,
how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth
with the Holy Spirit and power.
He went about doing good
and healing all those oppressed by the devil,
for God was with him.
We are witnesses of all that he did
both in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem.
They put him to death by hanging him on a tree.
This man God raised on the third day and granted that he be visible,
not to all the people, but to us,
the witnesses chosen by God in advance,
who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead.
He commissioned us to preach to the people
and testify that he is the one appointed by God
as judge of the living and the dead.
To him all the prophets bear witness,
that everyone who believes in him
will receive forgiveness of sins through his name.”

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The Exsultet (Easter Proclamation)

Exult, let them exult, the hosts of heaven,
exult, let Angel ministers of God exult,
let the trumpet of salvation
sound aloud our mighty King’s triumph!

Be glad, let earth be glad, as glory floods her,
ablaze with light from her eternal King,
let all corners of the earth be glad,
knowing an end to gloom and darkness.

Rejoice, let Mother Church also rejoice,
arrayed with the lightning of his glory,
let this holy building shake with joy,
filled with the mighty voices of the peoples. (more…)

The Harrowing of Hell

From an unknown Russian icon painter

From an ancient homily for Holy Saturday.

What is happening? Today there is a great silence over the earth, a great silence, and stillness, a great silence because the King sleeps; the earth was in terror and was still, because God slept in the flesh and raised up those who were sleeping from the ages. God has died in the flesh, and the underworld has trembled.

Truly he goes to seek out our first parent like a lost sheep; he wishes to visit those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death. He goes to free the prisoner Adam and his fellow-prisoner Eve from their pains, he who is God, and Adam’s son. (more…)

Good Friday Reproaches

Good Friday

Jesus went out with his disciples across the Kidron valley
to where there was a garden,
into which he and his disciples entered.
Judas his betrayer also knew the place,
because Jesus had often met there with his disciples.

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Holy Thursday

Tradition says that Jesus prayed this prayer the night he spent, imprisoned in the custody of Caiaphas the high priest, abandoned by his followers, alone.

As we prepare for the suffering of Good Friday to come, may we also prepare, as Jesus did, not to turn away from suffering, but to abandon ourselves to the mercy of God, who hears the cry of his people.

Psalm 88

Prayer for Help in Despondency

A Song. A Psalm of the Korahites. To the leader: according to Mahalath Leannoth. A Maskil of Heman the Ezrahite.

O Lord, God of my salvation,
    when, at night, I cry out in your presence,
let my prayer come before you;
    incline your ear to my cry.

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Palm Sunday

I am hoping to offer a good message for all Christians, and I had one of our finest and most respected Treepers make this comment in reply last year:
.

“Menagerie, I am not Roman Catholic nor associated with any church denomination. I study the Bible under Pre-Tribulation Dispensational teachings. I find nothing in Bishop Barron’s homily that disagrees with what I understand about our Father and His will, His Grace, and His agapé love for us, and His Son Jesus Christ.”This is an exceptionally good message that universally applies to all Christians. Thank you for posting it this Palm Sunday morning.

This is what I was shooting for.

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