Navigating Catholic Life - Part 1 Introduction

JMJ

This series has, metaphorically, been a lifetime in the writing. I've been a 'Traditional' Catholic, as opposed to an [Modern, Liberal, Conservative, Communist, etc] Catholic since 1982.

Up to 1982, I was a regular Post-Conciliar Catholic, growing up at the tail-end of the rout (definition) of Catholic Belief that happened after the end of the Second Vatican Council and after the introduction of the Novus Ordo Missae (NOM) in 1970.

One of my earliest memories of that era was trying to get as much of the pew in front of us in my mouth. It tasted awesome. A part of that memory is of a church lady scowling down at me as I continued to taste the pew. I remember the parish priest was really conservative. Throughout that church he had stashed relics of the Traditional Mass. Candle sticks, statues, side altars, thurible, Missal, tabernacle. His sermons were as good as any I have heard from the SSPX priests.

As a side note, his parish thrived with one side effect. At least one person lost the faith when he moved to another parish and found that the oasis in which he had grown-up was practically unique in our city.

It turns out that his success had a downside, the bishop split the parish and my family moved to the new parish where as one of the 'founding families' we were heavily engaged. This was instrumental because by being engaged my parents and siblings began to notice subtle differences that, over a few years, became instrumental. The seeds of the Second Vatican Council and perhaps more than one weed had found purchase and it resulted in our return to our original parish, then the Ukrainian Rite and finally in 1982, we found the little chapel served by Fr. Normandin (RIP).

I will say that initially, I didn't want to be at the Traditional Mass. It was so different and foreign to my earlier life that it took time to adapt. My first experience was memorable and highly negative. I may tell that story later. What I want to highlight at that point was something that, in hindsight, I noticed. One of my siblings became very scrupulous and literal to almost a dogmatic level. This, I now know, is dangerous because, like the resistance, it blinds people to what is really required to stay a faithful catholic in this crisis.

Perspective.

This perspective is achieved by study, a strong spiritual life, and practice. We can never be a perfect catholic, like doctors who practice medicine, we must practice Catholicism.

I will try to convey what I've learned and noticed in this series (outline below) and kick off the series trying to answer a question left by Murrax on the Unhinged Catholics (link) post.

P^3

Series Outline

Series Purpose: Discussing how to live as a Catholic is a decidedly indifferent and "liberal" world

Label: Series - Navigating Catholic Life

Intro
Being a Good Husband and Father (reply to Murrax comment)
Strategic Planning: A Catholic's Plan for Life
Risks and Worries: Risk Management for Life
Golf Analogy: Pay Attention!
Stress and More Stress: Dealing with the Demands of 21st Century Life as a Human
Start Now, Tomorrow is a Wish, Not a Promise: Child is the Father of the Man, Child is the Mother of the Woman. Aka Child is the Parent of the Future
Confusion: Fertile Field for Disagreements and Conflicts
Exhaustipation: To Tire to Give a Poop
Locus of Control
Offence: Taking and Offering
Arguments and Emotions
What I would tell my past self about the future
Most People in My life have been transient: Stability in this life is illusionary
Three Paths: Same Situ, Different Situ, You Exit the Situ
Decisions and Action:
Wet Soap Bar: Harder you try to hold-on the more likely it is to shoot out of your hands
Clarity: What is clear to me is not clear to others!
Why Do I Go to the SSPX for the Sacraments?
People and Relations
Your Story vs Others Stories
Balance Providence and Prudence:
Vivid and Creative Imagination: A Gift From God
Wonder and Life
Life is Simple, People are Complicated:
Value and Values:
The Truth
The Four States of A Soul
Not Knowing the Future: Is a mercy of God
Golf and Catholic Life
Wisdom from the Father-In-Law
When a tree falls

The Catholic Church and the Rule of Law- Part II: Dr. John Lamont

+ JMJ This is the second article from Dr. Lamont from his lecture given in May 2014. P^3 Source Part A: Society of St. Hugh of Cluny Source Part B: Society of St. Hugh of Cluny 8 May2014 The Catholic Church and the Rule of Law- Part II By John Lamont To understand how the Jesuit conception of obedience departed from earlier conceptions, it is helpful to compare it with the teaching of St. Thomas on obedience. The fundamental difference between the two is that St. Thomas considers the proper object of obedience to be the precept of the superior (2a2ae q. 104 a. 2 co., ad 3). Obedience that seeks to forestall the expressed will of the superior does not bear on what the superior wants or thinks in general, but only on what the superior intends to command. St. Ignatius’s lowest degree of obedience, which he does not consider to be virtuous, is thus what St. Thomas considers to be the only form of obedience. St. Thomas holds that St. Ignatius’s alleged higher forms of o...

Open Letter to Cardinal Gantin - July 6, 1988

There has been some discussion (read lots) about the term 'Conciliar Church'. I have posted this letter written by the Superior General and District Superiors of the SSPX after the 1988 Consecrations. Of particular interest is that the 'Conciliar Church' being referred to as a system. My paraphrase would be that the SSPX regards the 'conciliar Church' as an error within the Church. Source Open Letter to Cardinal Gantin Prefect of the Congregation for Bishops

Morning and Evening and other sundry Prayers

+ JMJ Along the theme of P^3 (Prayer, Penance, Patience), and for my own reference ... here is a collection of Morning and Evening prayers from the Ideal Daily Missal along with some additional prayers. In this crisis of the Church, I do not think it is possible to do too much prayer, penance and have patience. P^3

Rome and the SSPX - Version 2026 Part 6b: Principles and Rules for Surviving this Crisis of the Catholic Church (Principle 1)

+ JMJ Principle 1: Realize that something is amiss in the Catholic Church The world in which I had my Traditional Awakening, is one in which practically anything pre-Conciliar such as liturgy, doctrinc, and even dogmas are either suppressed, ignored or re-framed to be acceptable to the ‘world’. What is more, the people adhering to these pre-conciliar teachings and liturgy are persecuted by other members of the Catholic Church. The things that non-Trads say about Trads can be quite extreme. For example, accusations against Traditionalists include that they are: A revival of the Jansenists (link) , Schismatics, Heretics, Uncharitable, Lefebrists Radicals Integrists When one group of Catholics is persecuted by the others for simply wanting to live as Catholics before them did for generations … well something is wrong. Further, we need to realize that when what was previously condemned is now promoted and what was previously promoted as the trut...

Forget the Reformation - It is time for Abrogation - Louie Verrecchio

Mr. Verrecchio has pointed out one solution to this crisis that is a dream of many Traditional Catholics of my acquaintance: The complete obliteration of the Novus Ordo Missae. If this were to occur, undoubtedly a revolt would occur within the Church, but the battle lines would be much clearer. I assume that a lot of material heretics would make the transition to being formal heretics. P^3 Prayer Penance Patience Courtesy of Louie Verrecchio A recent article by Fr. Thomas Kocik on the New Liturgical Movement website, Reforming the Irreformable? , is getting some well-deserved attention in traditional circles. (Do yourself a favor and read it in its entirety if you haven’t already.)

Tradicat

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