Maundy Thursday

EPISTLE: 1 Corinthians 11:20-32

Lesson from the Epistle of Blessed Paul the Apostle to the Corinthians. When you come therefore together into one place, it is not now to eat the Lord’s supper. 

For every one taketh before his own supper to eat. And one indeed is hungry and another is drunk.

 

What, have you not houses to eat and to drink in? Or despise ye the church of God; and put them to shame that have not? What shall I say to you? Do I praise you? In this I praise you not. 

For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, that the Lord Jesus, the same night in which he was betrayed, took bread, 

And giving thanks, broke, and said: Take ye, and eat: this is my body, which shall be delivered for you: this do for the commemoration of me. 

In like manner also the chalice, after he had supped, saying: This chalice is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as often as you shall drink, for the commemoration of me. 

For as often as you shall eat this bread, and drink the chalice, you shall shew the death of the Lord, until he come. 

Therefore whosoever shall eat this bread, or drink the chalice of the Lord unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and of the blood of the Lord. 

 

But let a man prove himself: and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of the chalice. 

For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh judgment to himself, not discerning the body of the Lord. 

Therefore are there many infirm and weak among you, and many sleep. 

But if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. 

But whilst we are judged, we are chastised by the Lord, that we be not condemned with this world.

GOSPEL: John 13:1-15

Before the festival day of the pasch, Jesus knowing that his hour was come, that he should pass out of this world to the Father: having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them unto the end. 

And when supper was done, (the devil having now put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, to betray him,) 

Knowing that the Father had given him all things into his hands, and that he came from God, and goeth to God; 

He riseth from supper, and layeth aside his garments, and having taken a towel, girded himself. 

After that, he putteth water into a basin, and began to wash the feet of the disciples, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded. 

He cometh therefore to Simon Peter. And Peter saith to him: Lord, dost thou wash my feet 

Jesus answered, and said to him: What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter. 

Peter saith to him: Thou shalt never wash my feet. Jesus answered him: If I wash thee not, thou shalt have no part with me. 

Simon Peter saith to him: Lord, not only my feet, but also my hands and my head. 

Jesus saith to him: He that is washed, needeth not but to wash his feet, but is clean wholly. And you are clean, but not all. 

For he knew who he was that would betray him; therefore he said: You are not all clean. 

Then after he had washed their feet, and taken his garments, being set down again, he said to them: Know you what I have done to you? 

You call me Master, and Lord; and you say well, for so I am. 

f then I being your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; you also ought to wash one another’s feet.

For I have given you an example, that as I have done to you, so you do also.

CREDO.

Monday in Holy Week

EPISTLE (Is. 50:5-10)

The Lord God hath opened my ear, and I do not resist: I have not gone back. 

I have given my body to the strikers, and my cheeks to them that plucked them: I have not turned away my face from them that rebuked me, and spit upon me. 

The Lord God is my helper, therefore am I not confounded: therefore have I set my face as a most hard rock, and I know that I shall not be confounded. 

He is near that justifieth me, who will contend with me? let us stand together, who is my adversary? let him come near to me. 

Behold the Lord God is my helper: who is he that shall condemn me? Lo, they shall all be destroyed as a garment, the moth shall eat them up.

 

Who is there among you that feareth the Lord, that heareth the voice of his servant, that hath walked in darkness, and hath no light? let him hope in the name of the Lord, and lean upon his God.

GOSPEL (John 12:1-9)

Jesus therefore, six days before the Pasch, came to Bethania, where Lazarus had been dead, whom Jesus raised to life. 

And they made him a supper there: and Martha served: but Lazarus was one of them that were at table with him.

 

Mary therefore took a pound of ointment of right spikenard, of great price, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair; and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment.

 

Then one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, he that was about to betray him, said: 

Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor? 

Now he said this, not because he cared for the poor; but because he was a thief, and having the purse, carried the things that were put therein.

 

Jesus therefore said: Let her alone, that she may keep it against the day of my burial. 

For the poor you have always with you; but me you have not always. 

A great multitude therefore of the Jews knew that he was there; and they came, not for Jesus’ sake only, but that they might see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead.

Palm Sunday

THE PROCESSION WITH PALMS

EPISTLE (Exod. 15:27; 16:1-7)

Lesson from the Book of Exodus. In those days the children of Israel came into Elim, where there were twelve fountains of water, and seventy palm trees: and they encamped by the waters.  

And they set forward from Elim, and all the multitude of the children of Israel came into the desert of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai: the fifteenth day of the second month, after they came out of the land of Egypt.

 

And all the congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness.

 

And the children of Israel said to them: Would to God we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat over the flesh pots, and ate bread to the full. Why have you brought us into this desert, that you might destroy all the multitude with famine? 

And the Lord said to Moses: Behold I will rain bread from heaven for you: let the people go forth, and gather what is sufficient for every day: that I may prove them whether they will walk in my law, or not.

 

But the sixth day let them provide for to bring in: and let it be double to that they were wont to gather every day. 

And Moses and Aaron said to the children of Israel: In the evening you shall know that the Lord hath brought you forth out of the land of Egypt:

 a

nd in the morning you shall see the glory of the Lord.

PROCESSION - OPENING ANTIPHON

Matth. 21:1-3, 7, 8, 9

And when they drew nigh to Jerusalem, and were come to Bethphage, unto mount Olivet, then Jesus sent two disciples, s

aying to them: Go ye into the village that is over against you, and immediately you shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her: loose them and bring them to me. And if any man shall say anything to you, say ye, that the Lord hath need of them: and forthwith he will let them go. And they brought the ass and the colt, and laid their garments upon them, and made him sit thereon. 

And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way: and others cut boughs from the trees, and strewed them in the way: a

nd the multitudes that went before and that followed, cried, saying: Hosanna to the son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord: Hosanna in the highest! O Son of David, have mercy on us!

MASS 

EPISTLE (Philipp. 2:5-11)

Lesson from the Epistle of blessed Paul the Apostle to the Philippians.  

For let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: w

ho being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men, and in habit found as a man. He humbled himself, becoming obedient unto death, even to the death of the cross. For which cause God also hath exalted him, and hath given him a name which is above all names: that in the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those that are in heaven, on earth, and under the earth: and that every tongue should confess that the Lord Jesus Christ is in the glory of God the Father.

THE PASSION OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST ACCORDING TO ST. MATTHEW

Matth. 26:1-75; 27:1-66

Judas the traitor

And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended all these words, he said to his disciples: 

You know that after two days shall be the pasch, and the Son of man shall be delivered up to be crucified: 

Then were gathered together the chief priests and ancients of the people into the court of the high priest, who was called Caiphas: 

And they consulted together, that by subtilty they might apprehend Jesus, and put him to death. 

But they said: Not on the festival day, lest perhaps there should be a tumult among the people. 

And when Jesus was in Bethania, in the house of Simon the leper, 

There came to him a woman having an alabaster box of precious ointment, and poured it on his head as he was at table. 

And the disciples seeing it, had indignation, saying: To what purpose is this waste? 

For this might have been sold for much, and given to the poor. 

And Jesus knowing it, said to them: Why do you trouble this woman? for she hath wrought a good work upon me. 

For the poor you have always with you: but me you have not always. 

For she in pouring this ointment upon my body, hath done it for my burial. 

Amen I say to you, wheresoever this gospel shall be preached in the whole world, that also which she hath done, shall be told for a memory of her. 

Then went one of the twelve, who was called Judas Iscariot, to the chief priests, 

And said to them: What will you give me, and I will deliver him unto you? But they appointed him thirty pieces of silver. 

And from thenceforth he sought opportunity to betray him. 

The Last Supper

And on the first day of the Azymes, the disciples came to Jesus, saying: Where wilt thou that we prepare for thee to eat the pasch? 

But Jesus said: Go ye into the city to a certain man, and say to him: The master saith, My time is near at hand, with thee I make the pasch with my disciples. 

And the disciples did as Jesus appointed to them, and they prepared the pasch.

 

But when it was evening, he sat down with his twelve disciples. 

And whilst they were eating, he said: Amen I say to you, that one of you is about to betray me. 

And they being very much troubled, began every one to say: Is it I, Lord? 

But he answering, said: He that dippeth his hand with me in the dish, he shall betray me. 

The Son of man indeed goeth, as it is written of him: but woe to that man by whom the Son of man shall be betrayed: it were better for him, if that man had not been born. 

And Judas that betrayed him, answering, said: Is it I, Rabbi? He saith to him: Thou hast said it. 

And whilst they were at supper, Jesus took bread, and blessed, and broke: and gave to his disciples, and said: Take ye, and eat. This is my body. 

And taking the chalice, he gave thanks, and gave to them, saying: Drink ye all of this. 

For this is my blood of the new testament, which shall be shed for many unto remission of sins. 

And I say to you, I will not drink from henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I shall drink it with you new in the kingdom of my Father. 

And a hymn being said, they went out unto mount Olivet. 

 

Then Jesus saith to them: All you shall be scandalized in me this night. For it is written: I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be dispersed. 

But after I shall be risen again, I will go before you into Galilee. 

 

And Peter answering, said to him: Although all shall be scandalized in thee, I will never be scandalized. 

Jesus said to him: Amen I say to thee, that in this night before the cock crow, thou wilt deny me thrice. 

Peter saith to him: Yea, though I should die with thee, I will not deny thee. And in like manner said all the disciples. 

Gethsemani

Then Jesus came with them into a country place which is called Gethsemani; and he said to his disciples: Sit you here, till I go yonder and pray.

 

And taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to grow sorrowful and to be sad. 

Then he saith to them: My soul is sorrowful even unto death: stay you here, and watch with me. 

And going a little further, he fell upon his face, praying, and saying: My Father, if it be possible, let this chalice pass from me. Nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt. 

And he cometh to his disciples, and findeth them asleep, and he saith to Peter: What? Could you not watch one hour with me? 

Watch ye, and pray that ye enter not into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh weak. 

Again the second time, he went and prayed, saying: My Father, if this chalice may not pass away, but I must drink it, thy will be done. 

And he cometh again, and findeth them sleeping: for their eyes were heavy. 

And leaving them, he went again: and he prayed the third time, saying the selfsame word. 

Then he cometh to his disciples, and said to them: Sleep ye now and take your rest; behold the hour is at hand, and the Son of man shall be betrayed into the hands of sinners. 

Rise, let us go: behold he is at hand that will betray me. 

The apprehension of Jesus

As he yet spoke, behold Judas, one of the twelve, came, and with him a great multitude with swords and clubs, sent from the chief priests and the ancients of the people. 

And he that betrayed him, gave them a sign, saying: Whomsoever I shall kiss, that is he, hold him fast. 

And forthwith coming to Jesus, he said: Hail, Rabbi. And he kissed him. 

And Jesus said to him: Friend, whereto art thou come? Then they came up, and laid hands on Jesus, and held him. 

And behold one of them that were with Jesus, stretching forth his hand, drew out his sword: and striking the servant of the high priest, cut off his ear. 

Then Jesus saith to him: Put up again thy sword into its place: for all that take the sword shall perish with the sword. 

Thinkest thou that I cannot ask my Father, and he will give me presently more than twelve legions of angels? 

How then shall the scriptures be fulfilled, that so it must be done? 

In that same hour Jesus said to the multitudes: You are come out as it were to a robber with swords and clubs to apprehend me. I sat daily with you, teaching in the temple, and you laid not hands on me.

 

Now all this was done, that the scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled. Then the disciples all leaving him, fled.

 

Jesus at the palace of the High Priest

But they holding Jesus led him to Caiphas the high priest, where the scribes and the ancients were assembled. 

And Peter followed him afar off, even to the court of the high priest. And going in, he sat with the servants, that he might see the end. 

And the chief priests and the whole council sought false witness against Jesus, that they might put him to death:

 

And they found not, whereas many false witnesses had come in. And last of all there came two false witnesses: 

And they said: This man said, I am able to destroy the temple of God, and after three days to rebuild it.

 

And the high priest rising up, said to him: Answerest thou nothing to the things which these witness against thee? 

But Jesus held his peace. And the high priest said to him: I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us if thou be the Christ the Son of God. 

Jesus saith to him: Thou hast said it. Nevertheless I say to you, hereafter you shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of the power of God, and coming in the clouds of heaven. 

Then the high priest rent his garments, saying: He hath blasphemed; what further need have we of witnesses? Behold, now you have heard the blasphemy: 

What think you? But they answering, said: He is guilty of death. 

Then did they spit in his face, and buffeted him: and others struck his face with the palms of their hands, s

aying: Prophesy unto us, O Christ, who is he that struck thee? 

The denial of Peter

But Peter sat without in the court: and there came to him a servant maid, saying: Thou also wast with Jesus the Galilean.

 

But he denied before them all, saying: I know not what thou sayest.

 

And as he went out of the gate, another maid saw him, and she saith to them that were there: This man also was with Jesus of Nazareth. 

And again he denied with an oath: I know not the man. 

And after a little while they came that stood by, and said to Peter: Surely thou also art one of them; for even thy speech doth discover thee.

 

Then he began to curse and to swear that he knew not the man. And immediately the cock crew. 

And Peter remembered the word of Jesus which he had said: Before the cock crow, thou wilt deny me thrice. And going forth, he wept bitterly. 

And when morning was come, all the chief priests and ancients of the people took counsel against Jesus, that they might put him to death. 

And they brought him bound, and delivered him to Pontius Pilate the governor. 

The despair of Judas

Then Judas, who betrayed him, seeing that he was condemned, repenting himself, brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and ancients, 

Saying: I have sinned in betraying innocent blood. But they said: What is that to us? look thou to it. 

And casting down the pieces of silver in the temple, he departed: and went and hanged himself with an halter. 

But the chief priests having taken the pieces of silver, said: It is not lawful to put them into the corbona, because it is the price of blood. 

And after they had consulted together, they bought with them the potter’s field, to be a burying place for strangers. 

For this cause that field was called Haceldama, that is, The field of blood, even to this day. 

Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremias the prophet, saying: And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of him that was prized, whom they prized of the children of Israel. 

And they gave them unto the potter’s field, as the Lord appointed to me. 

Jesus before Pilate

And Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked him, saying: Art thou the king of the Jews? Jesus saith to him: Thou sayest it. 

And when he was accused by the chief priests and ancients, he answered nothing. 

Then Pilate saith to him: Dost not thou hear how great testimonies they allege against thee?

 

And he answered him to never a word; so that the governor wondered exceedingly. 

 

Now upon the solemn day the governor was accustomed to release to the people one prisoner, whom they would.

 

And he had then a notorious prisoner, that was called Barabbas. 

They therefore being gathered together, Pilate said: Whom will you that I release to you, Barabbas, or Jesus that is called Christ? 

For he knew that for envy they had delivered him. 

And as he was sitting in the place of judgment, his wife sent to him, saying: Have thou nothing to do with that just man; for I have suffered many things this day in a dream because of him. 

But the chief priests and ancients persuaded the people, that they should ask Barabbas, and make Jesus away. 

And the governor answering, said to them: Whether will you of the two to be released unto you? But they said, Barabbas. 

Pilate saith to them: What shall I do then with Jesus that is called Christ? They say all: Let him be crucified. 

The governor said to them: Why, what evil hath he done? But they cried out the more, saying: Let him be crucified. 

And Pilate seeing that he prevailed nothing, but that rather a tumult was made; taking water washed his hands before the people, saying: I am innocent of the blood of this just man; look you to it. 

And the whole people answering, said: His blood be upon us and upon our children. 

Then he released to them Barabbas, and having scourged Jesus, delivered him unto them to be crucified. 

Then the soldiers of the governor taking Jesus into the hall, gathered together unto him the whole band; 

And stripping him, they put a scarlet cloak about him. 

And platting a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand. And bowing the knee before him, they mocked him, saying: Hail, King of the Jews. 

And spitting upon him, they took the reed, and struck his head. 

And after they had mocked him, they took off the cloak from him, and put on him his own garments, and led him away to crucify him. 

The Way of the Cross and the Crucifixion

And going out, they found a man of Cyrene, named Simon: him they forced to take up his cross.

 

And they came to the place that is called Golgotha, which is the place of Calvary. 

And they gave him wine to drink mingled with gall. And when he had tasted, he would not drink.

 

And after they had crucified him, they divided his garments, casting lots; that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying: They divided my garments among them; and upon my vesture they cast lots. 

And they sat and watched him. 

 

And they put over his head his cause written: THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS. 

Then were crucified with him two thieves: one on the right hand, and one on the left. 

And they that passed by, blasphemed him, wagging their heads, 

 

And saying: Vah, thou that destroyest the temple of God, and in three days dost rebuild it: save thy own self: if thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross. 

In like manner also the chief priests, with the scribes and ancients, mocking, said: 

He saved others; himself he cannot save. If he be the king of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him. 

He trusted in God; let him now deliver him if he will have him; for he said: I am the Son of God. 

And the selfsame thing the thieves also, that were crucified with him, reproached him with. 

Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over the whole earth, until the ninth hour. 

Death of Christ

And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying: Eli, Eli, lamma sabacthani? that is, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? 

And some that stood there and heard, said: This man calleth Elias. 

And immediately one of them running took a sponge, and filled it with vinegar; and put it on a reed, and gave him to drink. 

And the others said: Let be, let us see whether Elias will come to deliver him. 

And Jesus again crying with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost. 

(Here all kneel and pause for a few moments.)

And behold the veil of the temple was rent in two from the top even to the bottom, and the earth quaked, and the rocks were rent. 

And the graves were opened: and many bodies of the saints that had slept arose, 

And coming out of the tombs after his resurrection, came into the holy city, and appeared to many. 

Now the centurion and they that were with him watching Jesus, having seen the earthquake, and the things that were done, were sore afraid, saying: Indeed this was the Son of God. 

And there were there many women afar off, who had followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering unto him: 

Among whom was Mary Magdalen, and Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of the sons of Zebedee. 

Burial of Jesus

And when it was evening, there came a certain rich man of Arimathea, named Joseph, who also himself was a disciple of Jesus. 

He went to Pilate, and asked the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded that the body should be delivered. 

And Joseph taking the body, wrapped it up in a clean linen cloth. 

And laid it in his own new monument, which he had hewed out in a rock. And he rolled a great stone to the door of the monument, and went his way. 

And there was there Mary Magdalen, and the other Mary sitting over against the sepulchre. 

(Here is said the Munda cor meum, and the book is incensed. The deacon then sings the following in the Gospel tone.)

And the next day, which followed the day of preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees came together to Pilate,

 

Saying: Sir, we have remembered, that that seducer said, while he was yet alive: After three days I will rise again. 

Command therefore the sepulchre to be guarded until the third day: lest perhaps his disciples come and steal him away, and say to the people: He is risen from the dead; and the last error shall be worse than the first. 

Pilate saith to them: You have a guard; go, guard it as you know. 

And they departing, made the sepulchre sure, sealing the stone, and setting guards.

CREDO.

The Week of Weeks begins

With the tolling of the Vespers bells, Holy Week has begun.

Toronto Catholic Witness will be posting the readings for the respective days in the spirt of the Most Solemn of Weeks.

May God bless and keep you all. The week is dark, but light comes through at the end.

The Ukraine MUST face up to its NAZI and FASCIST past if there is to be peace

Victims of Ukrainian fascism

Most people are unaware of the horrors committed by the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists (OUN) under the leadership and inspiration of convicted terrorist, Nazi collaborator, and mass murdered, Stepan Bandera. From early 1943 through to 1944 the OUN undertook the most bestial, horrifying murder spree probably in the entire war (as the breaking photo above shows). In that fateful year these monsters slaughtered over 100,000 Poles.

The OUN throughout the War engaged in a satanic blood lust rampage: slaughtering Jews (Ukrainian Auxiliary Police ensured that Babi Yar was the most "successful" mass shooting in recorded history), Poles, Russians, Belarussians, and "unpatriotic" Ukrainians (there were also Ukrainians who courageously helped Poles flee from the maddened Banderites, or Ukrainians who dared marry into another nationality. It was not unknown that Banderites would even murder their own sisters who had married Poles). The victims of these monsters in unknown, but most estimates are well over a quarter of a million.

What other country celebrates Nazis on stamps?

This is not ancient history. It is present day reality. In 2007 Victor Yushchenko declared the monstrous Bandera, a "hero of the Ukraine" but eventually was forced to withdraw this scandalous proclamation under intense pressure from Nazi-hating Ukrainians. 

One of hundreds of monuments to Bandera

Banderites continue to commit acts of terror and murder (such as the murders in Odessa in 2014 by fascists) in the Ukraine, whilst abroad they successfully infiltrate and control diaspora Ukrainian communities, where their evil ideology flourishes. Perhaps the most high profile offspring of one of the thousands of Nazis who fled to Canada in the immediate postwar years, is Bandera apologist and ultranationalist, Chrystia Freeland. She lied about her evil grandfather's past as a high ranking Nazi collaborator, even going to the extremes of claiming it was "Russian propaganda".

These Banderites were barbarians from hell. What could possess someone to hang infants from trees? This is why in an earlier post I informed you, dear readers, that even the German SS were horrified at the brutality of the Ukrainian Nazis, as the fanatics used hammers, knives, sickles, and axes to literally butcher their victims. They even used horses to rip limbs from living people. Such was their demonic possession.

What is also gravely disturbing is that many so-called "Greek  Catholics" are Banderites. As Catholics we must face this fact, and not deny it. Bandera himself was baptised Catholic and educated by Jesuits. Banderism permeates many so-called "Greek Catholic" parishes; it is not unheard of to even hear of priests who are Banderites. Such is the ability of the human mind to deceive itself. 

Shameful Nazi collaborators

I wrote a number of years ago, and it warrants being reiterated today: there will be NO peace in the Ukraine until the horrible scourge of Nazism and fascism is eliminated. It is not unreasonable to see the Ukraine as really three countries, artificially hobbled together by the Bolsheviks. The east: Russians and Russian speaking Ukrainians, the Centre: Ukrainians who wish friendly relations with both Russia and Europe, and western Ukrainian, the  main central hub of Nazism and Banderism. Sadly, this is also where the "Greek Catholic" church is strongest. This penetration of the mind and psyche of so many "Greek Catholics" with Banderism is virtually unknown by outsiders, and the Banderites take great care to hide their crimes and sympathies from naive western Europeans, Americans, and Canadians. 

The silence on Banderism by so-called "traditional" Catholics who are ranting on about the "KGB" (apparently Archbishop Vigano is a "Soviet" agent), calling for the "destruction of Muscovy" (sounds like Azov/Nazi agitprop), and busy spending their days vomiting CIA-MI6 war propaganda speaks to astonishing ignorance, ingrained Russophobia due to decades of brainwashing, or actual malice (in other words, these people are sympathetic to fascism, to Banderism).

"... Behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and shalt bring forth a Son, and thou shalt call him Jesus." (Luca 1:31)

Annunciation, by Filippo Lippi

In honour of today's Feast, arguably containing the words around which history pivots, we present Bishop Challoner's (1691 - 1781) reflection on the Annunciation. Blessed be God forever and ever!

Consider first, how the Angel Gabriel (Luke i. 26, &c.) ‘was sent from God into a city of Galilee, called Nazareth, to a Virgin, espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the Virgin’s name Mary. And the Angel being come in, said unto her, Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee, blessed art thou among women. Who having heard, was troubled at his saying, and thought with herself what manner of salutation this should be. And the Angel said to her, Fear not, Mary, for thou hast found grace with God: behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and shalt bring forth a Son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord shall give unto him the throne of David his father, and he shall reign in the house of Jacob for ever, and of his kingdom there shall be no end.’ Christians, give attention to this most sacred and most solemn embassage, sent from the King of heaven, not to any of the great ones or potentates of this world, but to a poor and humble maid, to treat with her upon the highest matters, even upon the great business of the Incarnation of the Son of God, the establishment of his everlasting kingdom, and the redemption and salvation of man. Admire and adore the depth of the wisdom of the ways of God, (so much exalted above the maxims and ways of the worldly wise,) by which he is pleased to bring about such great things, without noise or pomp, in so humble a manner, and by such humble instruments. And give thanks for that infinite goodness and love for us, which he has shown in the mystery of this day.

Consider 2ndly, the great lessons the blessed Virgin teaches us, by her whole comportment on this occasion. She is favoured with an embassage from God; she is greeted by one of the highest of the Angels, as full of divine grace; she is told that the Lord is with her, and that she is blessed among all women; and instead of being puffed up with these high favours, or taking any vain complacency in these titles and encomiums, she is troubled at the words of the Angel, and through the humble sentiments she has of herself, wonders what should be the meaning of such a salutation. She is assured by the Angel that she has found grace with God, and is chosen by him to conceive and bear the Saviour of the world, even the Son of the Most High; and so great is her love for virginal purity, that she is ready to forego the dignity of Mother of God, rather than part with her virginity. How shall this be done, (saith she,) because I know not man? being consecrated by vow to God, and determined to keep my vow. The Angel informs her, that she shall conceive by the Holy Ghost, and be over-shadowed by the power of the Most High, so as still to remain a pure maid. And then with a most profound humility, and a most perfect oblation of herself to God, and an entire conformity to his blessed will, she cries, 'Behold the handmaid of the Lord! be it done to me according to thy word!’ Let us study well, and learn of her the practice of these great lessons of humility, love of purity, and perfect resignation of ourselves to the will of God.

Consider 3rdly, how as soon as the blessed Virgin had thus given her consent, she immediately conceived by the Holy Ghost, who by his almighty power, formed a body out of her purest blood, and created an immortal soul for that body; and this body and soul were in that instant assumed, and united to the eternal Word, the Son of God, the second person of the adorable Trinity. And thus we celebrate, in the Virgin’s womb, the sacred wedding of our human nature with the divine person of the Son of God, to the feast of which we are invited, Matt. xxii. - 'Thus the Word was made Flesh, and dwelt amongst us,’ St. John i. 14. This great mystery of the Incarnation of the Son of God is the original source of all our good; in making God man, it has made man God. The Son of God, by taking upon him our humanity, makes us partakers of his divinity. He comes to be our Saviour and our Redeemer, to deliver us from all our evils; he comes to be our advocate, and our physician; he comes to be our father and our friend; he comes to be our king and our priest, and to make us kings and priests to his Father. He stoops down to our dust, to raise us up from the dust, and to bring us to sit down with him on his throne, Apoc. iii. 21. See then, my soul, in what manner thou oughtest to celebrate this great festival of the conception of the Son of God! what homage and adoration, what praise and thanksgiving thou owest him for these wonders he has wrought in thy favour! what return of love for his love to thee! O welcome him at least to the best of thy power; and since he comes to dwell amongst us, beg he would accept of the lodging of thy heart.

Conclude to keep for ever in thy soul, a faithful, grateful, and loving remembrance of the mystery of the incarnation of the Son of God, and a sincere affection for his Virgin Mother; and with these dispositions, frequently in the day repeat the angelical salutation, more especially at the regular hours in the morning, noon, and night.

Is it Christian Russia versus the godless West? Maybe not completely, but Russia is moving towards God while we are moving towards...?

Don't be fooled by anyone, the diabolical neoliberal globalist West precipitated this fratricidal war in the Ukraine. From breaking the promise not to expand eastward, to doubling NATO expansion right into Russia's front garden, to the US puppeteers getting their pawns in 2021 announce they will be breaking the 1994 Memorandum against obtaining nuclear weapons, the Ukrainian change to its constitution to become a NATO member, the ignoring of Putin's 2007 speech on NATO expansion, the US and EU 2014 orchestrated Maidan coup, the 8 years of nonstop shelling of Donbas, US financial control of the Ukrainian Rada, the 40 plus "biolabs" all over the Ukraine, the massing of 120,000 Ukrainian troops on the Donbas border (including actual NAZI battalions which are OFFICIAL parts of the Ukrainian Armed Forces) for a preemptive strike on the Donbas.

Perhaps the Consecration will be done successfully this Friday of "my beloved Russia" (in the words of the late Fr. John O'Connor on the view of Our Lady of Russia) and Russia will not only return to full Union with Rome, but Our Lady will place Her Mantle on Russia, and that Nation will lead the return to an era of peace. Fr. O'Connor also once said: "the problem is not in Moscow, or Beijing, but eight here in Washington, DC". Let us not also forget the prophecy of St. Maximilian Kolbe: "the Immaculata will reign over the Kremlin".

In contrast to Our Lady's Peace Plan, the diabolical West follows Satan's War Plan: rip the Ukraine out of Russia's orbit, then proceed to break up Russia and then China via coloured revolutions, to incorporate all within a neoliberal, atheistic  "new world order" (to quote Joe Biden from the other day). In fact, regarding China, the neoliberals are provoking them as they would like to conduct (so they think) a regional war to overthrow the fascistic CPC and replace it with a neoliberal regime. For us Catholics, we should see the 100 Christians in China, and the potential implosion of the CPC being then replaced by a Christian influenced government working in tandem with Christian Russia. Imagine: A Christian Russia and China remoulding the world and re-evangelizing the neo-pagan NATO Empire.

LET THERE BE NO MISTAKE: IT WILL BE CHRISTIAN, CATHOLIC RUSSIA AFTER THE CONSECRATION OF THAT CHOSEN NATION OF HEAVEN.

 

Neo-Nazis in Ukraine is a "conspiracy theory" pushed by Archbishop Vigano. So says neocon Geoge Weigel

 

 

Monument to Victims of the Volhynia Genocide. Notice the impaled child.

George Weigel is a strange fellow, who, after picking up a Master's degree in 1975 in theology, disappeared to an obscure (now defunct) US seminary to teach for a couple of years. Then, lo and behold, in the late 80s this man suddenly turns up as an apparatchik in neocon circles, moving rapidly into the higher echelons within the Washington deep state. Is Weigel but one of a number of Catholics recruited to sell neocon foreign policy objectives to Catholic voters? Was he recruited by the CIA or other intelligence agencies  (as are so many "journalists") to pump and prime Catholics on how to think and vote? These questions need to be asked.

The fact is, Weigel went from the proverbial "nobody" to becoming the go-to man between the bishops, the  establishment Catholic media, and Washington politicians. It is of course distasteful to trot all this out, but it must be to properly understand the possible motivations behind Weigel's nasty, dishonest, nay, lying screed against Archbishop Vigano. This is slander and Weigel needs to retract and go to Confession. I shall not dignify this obscene attack on the Archbishop by linking to it. Readers can search themselves.

I shall only address one issue in Weigel's attack on the Archbishop: Weigel wrote, regarding of the Archbishop's Declaration: "amongst its MANIFESTLY FALSE [my emphases] claims: there are 'neo-Nazi military forces' in Ukraine".

"Manifestly" implies an obvious clarity.  According to Weigel, it  is obviously, evidently, clearly manifestly false to hold that neo-Nazis are in the Ukrainian Armed Forces. In other words, it is absurd. Hence, Weigel is stating that Vigano is with deliberate malice lying about neo-Nazi forces. 

Let us now review but a few fragments of literally thousands of pieces of evidence clearly, manifestly showing that not only the Ukrainian Armed Forces, but from their establishment politicians, and on down there is an infestation of not only neo-Nazis, but a fascistic spirit exemplified in the constant glorification of the vile monster and Nazi collaborator, Stepan Bandera. 

Cabinet Minister glorifying Stepan Bandera

 

Banderites in the Ukrainian government

 

The fact is that numerous fascist and neo-Nazis militias (e.g. The "Tornado" Battalion before its members were incorporated into the regular forces) proliferate all across the Ukraine. The Aidar and Azov Battalions have official standing within the Ukrainian military. Azov has received training by US, British and Canadian NATO operatives. It is now being liquidated in Mariupol (though causing great harm as multiple reports including videos by citizens documenting how the Nazis are using them as shields within schools, hospitals etc.).

Nazi insignia of Azov Battalion

 

Further, many regular units, including Officers are Banderites. Banderites are post-war revisionists who claim that the collaborationist OUN-B, the UPA, the Ukrainian Auxiliary Police were but anti-Soviet patriots. The historical record is somewhat different. Banderites, are de facto neo-Nazis and committed major war crimes and genocide during the War. For example, close collaboration between the SS and Ukrainian Auxiliary Police to implement the Babi Yar Genocide. 

 

Children butchered by OUN-B

Banderites, fascists also have infiltrated the Ukrainian Security Services. Finally, there are numerous Banderites in the Kiev regime (and this same regime, controls the army, and conducts the ethno-cleansing in the Donbas). Additionally there are statues, street names, banners displayed all over the Ukraine glorifying Bandera. Indeed, the Kiev City Council not a few years ago openly glorified this collaborator. The Ukrainian State has even issued stamps glorifying Nazi collaborators! Yet, Weigel denies the Nazi problem. WHY? I will tell you why: his hatred of Russia is so great, that like his neocon "Catholic" (?) fellow travellers would join forces with the satanic Nazi scourge to fight what they believe a "common enemy". Then, of course, in the fantasy world of neoliberal globalists, the Ukraine will be incorporated into the EU, NATO, the globalist order, and the neo-Nazis will disappear or brought to heel. So these fools believe. So presently, as long as Nazis and Banderites attack Russia, they give you a "wink-wink, nudge-nudge", when the issue of Nazism or Banderism is raised. The degenerate "West: now has its "good" Nazis. Bandera is but a patriot.

One could ask Weigel: "will YOU denounce Bandera without equivocation"? But he will not, as the neocon "Catholics" (?) who are baying for blood, shouting "destroy Muscovy", cheering on the evil pumping of NATO weapons into the Ukraine will not. They too,  like him, are DEAD SILENT on the very serious Bandera problem. Indeed, these lunatics sound just like the "Catholic" version of the "Christian-Zionist Evangelical" Darbyite cult which also rages for war, blood, and hatred.

More glorification of Nazi collaborators

The Banderite problem is also very serious in Canada and America. Anyone even remotely connected to the Canadian Ukrainian community is aware of the widespread popularity of the poison (including sadly, amongst many Greek Catholics, including clergy). So much so, that in the diaspora fascist organizations (some would suggest only a few degrees away from being outright "neo-Nazis") exist and raise funds; such as "Right Sector". These same fascists openly march on the streets of Toronto, carrying the portrait of convicted terrorist, mass murderer, and Nazi collaborator, Bandera. Politicians from all parties march with the Banderites, for whom the only thought is votes, rather than moral principles. Many, of course, have been lied to by these Banderites and ethno-fascists. It all seems just so "normal" as these fascists have been marching and proclaiming their evil ideology for decades. 

A Bandera statue in the Ukraine. Notice the fascist UPA flag

Friends, one has to be a deliberate propagandist to deny that the Ukraine has a Nazi and especially a Bandera (fascist) problem, and that these evil ideologies have infiltrated in  its armed forces and body politic. George Weigel is not a stupid man. He knows what he is doing, and he has a reason for doing it. He cannot be unaware of the Azov Battalion, nor of the cancer of Banderism. 

 

March of the Fascists: Toronto, 2016

Close up of Bandera on "Right Sector, Canada"

The only other option is he is deluded and truly believes that a Catholic renaissance and civilization will flower from neo-liberal, globalism under US Beltway hegemony. That Catholicism will be built upon the ruins and blood baths in Afghanistan, Libya, Iraq, the support of Saudi butchering in Yemen, the theft of the Golan Heights, the feeding of the Palestinian-Israeli tragedy, the NATO expansion into central and eastern Europe, and now the fratricidal war in eastern Europe. All this is blasphemous insanity. Our Lord Jesus Christ came to incorporate ALL men into His One Church. That means "starting in Jerusalem..." to preach the Gospel to the whole world, for "...there is neither Jew nor Greek...but ALL are one in Christ Jesus".

I say: peace be unto Russia and the Ukraine.