​Since July 16, the Feast of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, traditional Catholics have found themselves in a disheartening situation due to the Supreme Pontiff, Francis, publishing the motu proprio Traditionis Custodes. Since the publication of the document, traditional Catholics have been inundated with articles, videos, and podcasts sharing different takes on the issue and pathways forward. Some personalities have, unfortunately, focused solely on this document and questioning the man currently serving the Church as Supreme Pontiff. Some have even went as far as suggesting that we “forget” that Francis is pope. If you have yet to read this article from Dr. Peter Kwasniewski, please do so, and may it be the last article you read on this issue. 
 
Why? Because there is a much larger issue within the Church that needs our attention. 

​It seems that oftentimes there is a group of folks who question the authenticity of Christianity and that of God by arguing that people are not being resurrected in the present day. There are multiple instances in both the Old and New Testaments of people being raised from the dead. All of these instances, but one, surround a dead person being raised from the dead through the intercession of another. The one instance mentioned is of course the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, not by one’s intercession, but by His own power. 

​The Church has concluded her longest penitential season of the year, Lent. We now celebrate in the joy of Christ’s Resurrection from the dead. This celebration, however, does not confer on Catholics that penance is now obsolete. While on the so-called New Calendar, Friday within the Octave of Easter is observed as that of a solemnity, meaning one ought not fast or abstain from meat. However, on the Traditional Calendar, that being the calendar observed until the introduction of the New Order of Mass in 1969, Catholics were obliged to abstain from meat on Friday within the Octave of Easter. What does this mean for us Catholics today and, in general, how should penitential practices or ascetism be observed outside of Lent? 

​​Today, men seek peace and freedom. However, the means that men use to obtain peace and freedom lead themselves into deeper despair and enslavement. The Supreme Pontiffs of history past have warned us of an increasing adherence to the errors of Russia, the rise of the Masons, the proposition of religious liberty, with an underlying factor of turning away from God and His Commandments. Our Lady came to Fatima, Portugal in 1917 to warn that if men continued to submit themselves to the ways of the wayward culture, it would be devastating for the world and the salvation of mankind. 

​The Holy Season of Lent will soon be upon us, the time prescribed by Holy Mother Church to unite ourselves to the Passion of Our Lord through prayer, fasting, and works. 
 
Prayer
Prayer is the foundation for a fruitful Lenten journey; without prayer, fasting and almsgiving have little to no value. While during Lent it is encouraged to partake in extra devotional prayers such as the Stations of the Cross, the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary, the Seven Sorrows Rosary, and many others. These practices are very good and can be very fruitful. 

​How much longer can the faithful see all the abuse taking place and remain silent? If we do not speak up now, many more will continue to fall into the grave errors that are present in our Church. 
 
Christ gave us Seven Sacraments, of those seven, the supreme sacrament is the Most Holy Eucharist, the very Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Our Lord, Jesus Christ. One must only take a brief look into the Gospel of Saint John and see that Christ gives us His flesh to eat. I must quote the Scripture in full here:

​We are now faced with a decision. Does one submit to the culture or does one submit to the Catholic Church founded by Jesus Christ? 
 
One could extensively write on the wayward ways of the current culture, or for that matter the secularist culture that has reigned since the birth of Christ. The “popular culture” has never been one to accept and adhere to the teachings of Jesus Christ and His Church. The culture glorifies the man who adheres to a universalistic way, whether he be a free-thinker, atheist, or a member of any other religion that removes Christ from His throne. To this degree, even many Protestants have fallen to the grave matter of living according to the culture and not of God. Man cannot simply think and act as they like and achieve Eternal Salvation (see 2 Tim 4:1-5). 

As Catholics we have some of the richest of literature, the beautiful expression of written words to express the fullness of our faith, the truths that Christ came to proclaim, and the timeless prayers of our Church Fathers. 

There is an endless amount of books and literature that we can read, but where should we start? There are so many authors, ideas, and agendas, so where should one start in 2021 with good, solid, and truthful Catholic literature? I would like to share five books that I have read recently, that will give one spiritual nourishment and the Truth of Christ’s Church to any reader. 

Yes, the rulers of the world directly impact us and can create significant desired and undesired outcomes for the people they govern. While many in modern governments only seek the “kingdom” in which they govern, Catholics should be reminded that we are first citizens of the Heavenly Kingdom, Philippians 3:20. Everyone should participate and make their voices heard in whichever form of government they are submitted to, however, our dealings with earthly leaders and objects will not aid us on our journey toward our eternal homeland. ​

The Church is traditionally divided into the Church Militant, the Church Penitent, and the Church Triumphant. The Church gives us this month, the month of remembering those of the Church Penitent, or suffering. The Church invites the Church Militant to pray for the Church Penitent, that they may become members of the glorious Church Triumphant. ​