A New Perspective on Prayer
A Place to Pray
Creating Space
Listen to Fr. Ripperger's videos on Meditation:
One of the Gregorian chant videos I like to listen to while praying.
Crystals in the Occult
- The connection between New Age ideas about the "power" of crystals and witchcraft.
- The absence of true supernatural properties in inanimate objects.
- Blessed objects and cursed objects.
- How crystals in spellcasting and ceremonial magic.
- The true nature of magic and how our ancestors had a better handle on this than we do.
- My own personal experience of the demonic through the application of crystals.
The Smoke and Mirrors Effect
I posted this article as my monthly update on my author website but decided to share it here, too.
My Experience on YouTube
I’ve been on YouTube forever. From time to time, over the years, I’d do a video and then post it to my blog. And while I am still doing that I’m beginning to look at my channel as an end in and of itself, too.
This helped me to realize that I needed to develop an overarching theme for my channel. At this point in time that theme has three main focus points: Catholicism, New Age occultism and how these (and related) topics are reflected in the media.
There are other topics that fall under this umbrella, of course. The primary ones that I've been coming across lately are spiritual warfare and traditional Catholicism.
Spiritual warfare was expected, since I’ve been talking about it in the blog for ages, but traditional Catholicism caught me off guard.
Untraditional Me
For me, growing up in the sixties and seventies, the world seemed both mysterious and expansive. The New Age and occult was central to this world view but there were a lot of other things that went along with it, like feminism and leftwing politics and Vatican 2, that I didn’t really question – until recently.
Having originally converted to Catholicism in the 1990s (then left and finally returned two years ago) I have always felt like the Novos Ordo (lit. new order) Mass WAS traditional. And I probably would have gone on thinking that way, if not for my experience during the Latin portion of a webinar deliverance prayer session performed by Catholic exorcist Monsignor Stephen Rossetti.
That webinar helped me realize that Latin is unusually effective in spiritual warfare. Which got me thinking.
I began to wonder why Latin and the Traditional Latin Mass are becoming more and more restricted. I began to look into Traditional Latin Masses (TLM) in my area. I was encouraged when one of my YouTube subscribers shared her experience with TLM and praying in Latin.
Providentially, I learned that there are two TLM churches in my area. One of which I can walk to.
Where I’m at Now
In some ways, I’m still straddling the line between traditionalism and the contemporary worldview. I do not necessarily agree with the traditionalists in every instance. And I’m not completely comfortable with the idea of going to a TLM during the COVID spike that’s plaguing our county.
But I am headed, it seems, in that general direction. And in the interim I'm studying Latin and learning the Mass and just beginning to consider that I have been more wrong, in more ways, then I had previously realized.
My prayer for the last several weeks has been to be better conformed to God’s will. And so, with that in mind, I’m not formally committing to anything. But when COVID lets up a bit, I’m going to walk down the street and attend our local TLM and see where that takes me.
______________
Check out my YouTube channel at youtube,.com/BarbaraGraver (and - if inclined- please subscribe!)
You can see the video I talk about here on YouTube or in this blog post.
Visit my author website at BarbaraGraver.com
Then Herod, privately calling the wise men learned diligently of them the time of the star which appeared to them...who having heard the king, went their way; and behold the star which they had seen in the east, went before them, until it came and stood over where the child was. And seeing the star they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. And entering into the house, they found the child with Mary his mother, and falling down they adored him; and opening their treasures, they offered him gifts; gold, frankincense, and myrrh. - Matthew 2:7,9-11
About Epiphany
Today January 6th is the feast of Epiphany. This feast follows 12th Night (as in the 12 days of Christmas) and commemorates the visit of the magi or kings to the Baby Jesus.
The word epiphany comes a Greek root that means to show, display or manifest to others.
The three kings came from the east (most likely pagan Persia) to honor the child Jesus. This is considered a sign, i.e. manifestation, that Jesus was the king not only of the Jews but of the entire world.
The feast is celebrated on the Sunday after January 1st in the U.S. So I did my Epiphany house blessing in Sunday but decided to repeat it today on the traditional date.
About the Blessing
The blessing may be done by a priest or the head of the household. Taking a piece of blessed chalk the phrase 20 + C + M + B + 22 (for this year 2022) is written above or on the upper part of the main door.
The letters represent the traditional initials of the three kings (Caspar, Malchior, and Balthazar) as well as the Latin phrase, Christus mansionem benedicat or “May Christ bless the house.”
The “+” signs represent the cross, and the “20” at the beginning and “22” represent the year. In other words the blessing is a request for Christ to bless our homes and be with us through the year.
You can do your house blessing following the info in the booklet pictured here, adding Christus mansionem benedicat if you wish, as I did.
___________________________
The images in this post are from the beautiful Epiphany house blessing kit our pastor provided us with on Sunday.
About the Video
Exploring Modernism and Traditional Catholicism
What Child is this, who laid to rest on Mary’s lap is sleeping? Whom angels greet with anthems sweet while shepherds watch are keeping? This, this is Christ the King Whom shepherds guard and angels sing Haste, haste to bring Him laud, the babe, the son of Mary.
About the Music
About the Light
The light shines in the darkness and the darkness did not overcome it – John 5:1 NRSV-CE
Wishing you and yours a very Merry Christmas <3
About Our Lady of Guadalupe
Our Lady of Guadalupe first appeared to Juan Diego, an Aztec convert to Catholicism, on December 9th and 12th of 1531 at Tepeyac Hill Mexico. During that first apparition Our Lady requested that a shrine be built on the site. The Archbishop, however, refused to approve construction unless she gave him a sign.
The Blessed Mother then appeared a second time to Juan Diego, asking him to gather flowers from the summit of Tepeyac Hill, which was normally barren, especially in the cold of December. Juan Diego obeyed her instruction and he found Castilian roses, not native to Mexico, blooming there.
The Virgin arranged the flowers in Juan Diego's tilma, or cloak, and when Juan Diego opened his cloak later that day before Archbishop Zumárraga, the flowers fell to the floor, revealing the image of the Virgin of Guadalupe imprinted on the fabric This is the same image that is now venerated in the Basilica of Guadalupe (below). The cloak and image have never deteriorated or faded.
Following the apparitions the people of Mexico converted to the Catholic faith by the thousands.
Our Lady of Guadalupe, pray for us!
Social Icons