Posts Tagged ‘catholic devotions’

Ok let me start this post with the following declaration that I made on twitter yesterday:

I don’t regret my support for either @tedcruz in 2016 or @RonDeSantis in 2024 both of who would have been fine @POTUS But @realDonaldTrump has by any measure been the best president of my lifetime & one of the most successful presidents of all time. I think today he passed TR

Donald Trump by the passage of his “big beautiful bill” has defied all the odds and all the media predictions that it would fail, which in itself is a lot of fun but for me the big beautiful chocolate on top (I don’t like cherries) is the defunding of Planned Parenthood. Coupled with the repeal of Roe vs Wade with Dobbs vs Jackson during the Biden years by a count with three Trump appointees on it this is a stake through the heart for the Abortion industry in America, the single most evil practice that this country has ever embraced.

That being the case this is an excellent time to remind you of the prophecy of the Hermit of Loreto

The Hermit of Loreto was a man by the name of Tom Zimmer who lived a pious life of prayer in in Loreto. He was one of the co-authors of the famous Pieta Prayer Book one of the most popular collections of Catholic Prayers available out there. He was a person who went to multiple masses each day. I posted about this after Roe was overturned:

Capoverdi asked him in English if he was Thomas [Zimmer], and the two had a delightful conversation. When Trump was elected, Dr. Curran called and told him that, back in the 1980s, Tom Zimmer said he had received a “premonition” and that “a certain man would lead America back to God”—and that man would be none other than Donald J. Trump.

“The millionaire playboy from New York?” the incredulous doctor is said to have asked Zimmer.

“Yes,” the Hermit of Loreto responded, adding he was so sure Donald Trump would become a great spiritual leader of America that he wrote his name on a brick and had it placed in the reconstruction of St. Peter’s Holy Door after the Jubilee so Trump would receive blessings from the many Masses that would be said in the Vatican.

The Youtube video is here:

At the time this came out this was evaluated:

After investigating Zimmer, Thomas wrote, “I have no reason to doubt Capoverdi’s statements that Thomas Zimmer communicated to his friend that he received a ‘premonition’ that Donald Trump would ‘lead America back to God.’” He explained that discerning the validity of a prophecy involves evaluating three elements: the prophet’s character, the prophecy’s alignment with Scripture and church teachings, and its ultimate fulfillment.

To the first point, Thomas observed, “Was the prophet a good and virtuous person? Zimmer was.” For the second, he noted, “There is nothing scriptural or in church teachings that would suggest that a political leader cannot lead people to God; on the contrary, Scripture indicates it as a duty.”

Lastly, Thomas acknowledged the importance of whether a prophecy comes true. He added that evidence of Zimmer’s faith in his prophecy could lie in searching for the brick bearing Trump’s name at St. Peter’s door. Thomas concluded, “Here we must wait and see if that happens, but I’m sure whether or not Trump leads America back to God will be open to dispute and interpretation.”

Now I have met people of extraordinary faith and devotion and Mr. Zimmer certainly qualifies. If someone like HE had told me that twenty years ago I would have filed it away in my head and watched because if there is one thing that you can say about God is that he routinely uses that last person you would ever expect from David the young shepherd to Saul of Tarsus the proud Pharisee to bring about extraordinary things. (Trump of course would be more Saul – Paul then David.)

But let’s be blunt I’m VERY catholic so when a person of deep faith says something like this I take it seriously but for most people if someone told them twenty years ago that Donald Trump (whose wife IS a devout Catholic but he is NOT catholic at all) would be responsible for:

  1. The overturning of Roe vs Wade
  2. The Defunding of Planned Parenthood

They would have been thought of him as some kind of nut and if you were a leftist supporter of Planned Parenthood and was told this you would have taken one look at Trump’s history as fell down on the floor laughing

The “kill the babies” left isn’t laughing now, but I suspect Mr. Zimmer, the Hermit of Loreto is smiling and nodding.

I’ll give the last word to the Babylon Bee:

Wail Of Agony Heard From Satan’s Office As Planned Parenthood Defunded

Update: I know this has nothing to do with this post but this is now my favorite audio file: the Catholic version of the famous: “What is best in life?” clip:

With apologies to Arnold and Johnathan

It’s the first of the month and that means it’s once again time for the monthly indulgence Calendar

Also an FYI Knights of Columbus Council 15962 aided by the Legion of Mary Gardner council will be putting on a pancake breakfast Sunday June 8th at St. Bernard’s Parish at St. Camillus Church on Mechanic St. in Fitchburg.

The breakfast will be to raise money to help pay for a defibrillator for the church so it will be available in the event of a heart attack taking place while folks are at mass or a function.

The price is $5 and includes Pancakes and Ham and if you’re eating on site coffee & something to drink. Takeout orders are available which will include pancakes, ham, syrup and spread for those who would rather eat at home.

If you have a large Catholic family we will feed your entire family for a flat $20.

About 300 servings or 75 family servings will cover the full cost even if we don’t raise the lot however much of the cost we can defer is great.

I’ll be cooking that Sunday so I’ll be away all morning, no time for blogging for me that day.

Hope to see you there and while your there if you’re a Catholic man check out the Knights of Columbus and see if you want to be part of our acts of faith and works, and if you’re a Catholic woman check out the Legion of Mary to see if you want to be a part of all they do.

Last Saturday was the feast day of the Apostle of Mercy St. Faustina who was a Polish nun who died at the age of 38 just before the start of World War Two. In her famous diary (you can read it here) she recorded her prayer life and her encounters with Christ, the Blessed Mother and occasionally the enemy and his minions.

There are five shrines to Divine Mercy in the US one in Lombard Illinois, one in Baltimore, One in Chicago, one in Kansas City Missouri, but the National Shrine of Divine Mercy is in Stockbridge Massachusetts near the NY border.

WQPH 89.3 FM Shirley / Fitchburg which hosts my weekly radio show Your Prayer Intentions hosted a bus trip to that shrine on St. Faustina’s feast day last Saturday I attended.

While there I took advantage of the best insurance a person can get for a person or family, perpetual masses.

In addition to a bus load of pilgrims from several parishes in the state and from WQPH we had two priests with us. One Fr. Bob Doughty I interviewed as we were preparing to get on the bus to return. He was in the process of anointing those who wished it and dozens came to him from all the various buses there.

And Father Alex who is from Nigeria who I sat down and spoke with upon our return.

Due to some bus issues it was a short day at the shrine but a fine one. It is very likely that there will be another such trip next year on Oct 4th. If you have an interest in going comment on this post and when things start getting rolling in April I’ll give you a heads up

Cardinal Lamberto: Would you like, to make your confession?
Michael Corleone: [laughs] Your Eminence, I’m uh – I’m uh — it’s been so long, I wouldn’t – wouldn’t – wouldn’t know where to uh, it’s been thirty years, I’d – I’d – I’d use up too much of your time, I think.
Cardinal Lamberto: I always have time to save souls.
Michael Corleone: Well, I’m — I’m beyond redemption.
Cardinal Lamberto: [speaking in Italian to the priest looking after Dom Tommasino] Give us a couple of minutes alone please – thanks… [Turning back to Michael once they leave in English] I hear the confessions of my young priests here. Sometimes the desire to confess is overwhelming. And we must seize the moment.

Michael Corleone: What is the point of confessing, if I don’t repent?
Cardinal Lamberto: I hear you are a practical man. What have you got to lose, eh?

The Godfather Part 3 1990

Today is Divine Mercy Sunday the premier time for repentance. Yesterday I led with a quote from Godfather 2 and note that like Michael Corleone trying to convince Hyman Roth that there was nothing to fear the Devil tries to convince us that our soul is not in danger or in need of confession.

But if we are far along the path of sin there is another tack that is used, the idea that we are beyond redemption.

This is actually the standard MO for the enemy, first to minimize sin when it is happening and then to maximize it to keep you from confession.

For ten days now I’ve been arguing for doing the Divine Mercy chaplet and praying the novena and yesterday I argued for going to a Divine Mercy event today and getting confession and absolution. If none of those argument have flown with you I want to give you one final one, the same one that Cardinal Lamberto gave to Michael Corleone: What have you got to lose?

Closing thought; Here is the scene of Michael confession. Note how it ends:

The Cardinal notes that

  1. Michael’s sins are terrible
  2. It’s just that he suffers for them
  3. Michael won’t change because he [Michael] doesn’t believe he can be redeemed.

YET HE ABSOLVES HIM ANYWAYS.

Despite it all he gives Michael Corleone the clean slate and the CHANCE to choose another path. The Cardinal does his part to save Michael’s soul and give him a fresh start.. It’s on Michael to decide what to do with it.