I love Fr. Z!

OK, So I went back to What Does the Prayer Really Say and Fr. Z's latest post is on today's Gospel reading, where Jesus encounters the demoniacs of Gerasene. Go read the whole thing, but I have to post this snippet here:

Let us not forget that even though Christ is risen and victorious, this world still has its prince. This is the enemy of our soul.

The malice of the fallen angels is so great that they will overcome the agony they experience in the present of the sacred, just for the opportunity to trip us. Enduring the terror of the Presence of the Blessed Sacrament itself, they will attack you at Mass. They will defy the sacraments and sacramentals just for a chance to bring you down a notch, if not entirely.

Be always wary of the enemy. Do not forget that demonic possession and oppression are REAL phenomena. When you are at Holy Mass, remain always aware of the glory of the sacred mysteries and that you, because of your saving baptism, can be a true and active participant.

A prayer before connecting to the internet

From Father John Zulsdorf of What Does the Prayer Really Say and the Ask Father Question Box:

A prayer before logging onto the internet:
Almighty and eternal God,
who created us in Thine image
and bade us to seek after all that is good, true and beautiful,
especially in the divine person of Thine Only-begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ,
grant, we beseech Thee,
that, through the intercession of Saint Isidore, Bishop and Doctor,
during our journeys through the internet
we will direct our hands and eyes only to that which is pleasing to Thee
and treat with charity and patience all those souls whom we encounter.
Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Fireworks!

So, the boys are finally asleep at 10:30. Three hours past bedtime. Because some local yahoos were setting off fireworks in their driveways. There were more of them than last year, and I believe much of the credit goes to our neighbor to the West, the great state of Pennsylvania.

You see, PA has a new law making it legal to sell fireworks there. Except you can only sell them to people with out-of-state drivers' licenses. So, you can sell them in PA, but you can't blow off your own hand there or set your own neighbor's roof on fire with them. Nope. You sell them to the jerks from Jersey , Maryland, and your other border states so they can take them back home and blow off their limbs and set their neighbors' houses afire and keep their kids up.

Thanks a lot, Pennsylvania.

Things my kids said, part 4,324

Happy Independence Day! We went to the fireworks last night. Bubba got scared, then fell asleep. Primo enjoyed the show, but is under the weather with a double ear infection. He didn't mind the noise so much since he wore earplugs.

We just got back from Chili's where a family with a one year old was sitting at the table next to ours. Baby's mom cautioned Primo, who was attempting to play with the baby, that the wee one had a little cold. Primo said, "I have have allergies, a cold, and phlegm."

A few days ago, Primo picked a flower-like growth out of our lawn as a gift for me. He said, "I know the best flowers for moms. Dandelions."

There are some Bubba quotes, too, but I have forgotten them. I'll post when my brain starts working again. Probably in 18 years. ;)

Lovely Rita

Gertrude Rita Walter, my grandmother, daughter of Jack and Gertrude Kearney, mother of three, grandmother of six, great-grandmother of 4, passed from this life to the next this evening at 7:25 in the Philadelphia suburbs.

Thank you for your prayers during this past week and please continue to pray for her immortal soul.

Eternal Rest grant unto her, O Lord, and may perpetual light shine upon her. May her soul and all the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.

UPDATE: Grandmom's funeral will be on Friday, July 7 at St. John of the Cross Church, Roslyn, PA.

Thanks so much to all of you who have read this and are praying for her soul and for our family. She was very ill and while we have all had time to mourn while she was still alive, it's difficult now that she's not here. God bless you all.