Of acorns and other nuts

In Vaughan, Ontario, the "city above Toronto" catholic anti-nut mom, Donna Giustizia who serves as the Chair of the Allergy Committee at St. Stephen Catholic Elementary School told city council that the tree saplings dropping nuts onto school property pose a threat to young students with anaphylaxis-inducing allergies and are infringing on the right to a nut-free space. Mrs. Giustizia now has her 15 minutes of fame. If she walks by a neighbouring house with a black walnut tree, chestnut or an acorn tree in the front lawn will  she demand it be cut down lest her snowflakes melt? Where are the tree-huggers when we need them? Is this how you raise a self-reliant child to become a strong Catholic man or woman?

Speaking of nuts, is it any wonder that some grow up physically but can never get beyond "mommy" who still needs to fight their battles. Is it soccer-moms such as this one that are responsible for the wimpy men in our society? Is it the estrogen in the water supply from the oral contraceptives, including those taken by "Catholic" women, that has emasculated more than male fish species? What example is being made to little girls when they see mothers like this? Will they grow up to have the courage of real Catholic women? What effect will Mrs. Giustizia have on her children over their lives; will they ever be allowed to scrape a knee or fail at sports or climb a non nut-bearing tree? Will they win a trophy just for participating? Will all soccer games end in a tie? As Catholic parents, what kind of children are we raising? Surely, not children that will stand up and fight for the truth and Holy Mother Church, that's for sure. People like Mrs. Giustizia have raised a generation of weak men in particular who can't make it without mommy, who can't keep a job, can't be a husband and a father and can't cope with the truth. Mrs. Giustizia and others mommies like her and their emasculated husbands are a big part of the problem. Where is the Mister in all of this? Is he still head of the family? Methinks not.

We've become absurd with our litigious attitude and our sense of being wronged. We whine and whimper instead of sucking it up or addressing the problem directly. We "feel" this and we "feel" that because it's all about our "feelings" and our justification. Instead of recognising that we are all human, we make mistakes, we are wronged and we ask for and receive hopefully, an apology or at least an explanation and a polite agreement to disagree we move forward as Catholic gentlemen and ladies should do, we have become a nation, a religion of crybabies and self-righteous and selfish imbeciles. Catholics have allowed the reign of political correctness and liberal fascism to cloud their thinking and their relationships with one another and take offense at everything and anything.  This is not mature. This is not Catholic. This offense taken over every little thing is not normal. This lack of forgiveness and moving on is not from Christ. This generation of children being raised and the last for the most part are unfit for the battle which lies ahead. They have not an ounce of faith or intestinal fortitude that will enable them to survive the evils coming upon us. They will crumble and fail to stand up for the truth and the Church when it matters. They have feminised the culture, they have metro-sexualised the culture and they have ruined the future generation. These are not Catholic women, these are not Catholic mothers. These are not Catholic men, they are not Catholic fathers. They're sure not my mother, God rest her soul. 

If you don't like the above; if you think that I've been un-charitable, that is your right; you can leave a comment, the box is open. If it offends you, I'm sorry that you are offended so easily; and this leads me into something more. There are some who come by here and what they read and what they see, they do not like. They think that I've gone too far with certain titles or comments. I've tried to tell the truth. Nothing here is gossip or calumny or detraction. This is a newspaper, I am a journalist. Now, you can question my credentials but that's your problem. This is the new media; God gave me a mind, he gave me a will and I will use it to tell the truth and fight for and defend the Catholic faith. If some cleric has done something or said something that is a matter of public record that has harmed the faith or scandalised the faithful, then that comment and its impact is fair game to discuss and debate and while that needs to be done with charity, I sometimes fail. That will mean that some will be offended. They may be in a pew, they may wear scarlet; so be it. I can be sarcastic, no doubt; I try to use humour. Some think that this blog hurts certain causes in the Church. That is not true. You give me far too much credit. If people think that this blog is going to hurt tradition that is a fallacy. To be Catholic is to be traditional in its classic sense. To be Catholic is to be conservative in its classic sense. Those who have set at nought  against Catholic tradition are not doing the work of the Church. Those who have and continue to persecute Catholics fighting for tradition are not serving the Church. We are a faith that is based on two things, sacred tradition and sacred scripture, and tradition came before canonised scripture. This blog is not hurting Catholic tradition or the Traditionalist movement; anyone who thinks it is, is wrong.  You give me to much power.

Some would like me to put the Vox in a box. Well friends, I have news for you; it's not going to happen. Deal with it. If you don't like what I write, click on. Do you want to know something? I'm not offended that you're offended. Deal with it.

The last few months have been extremely busy and intense. My professional work is still going at a pace unexpected this late in the season. I hope to take a vacation in a few weeks and if all works out my last Friday will be just before Advent I and I will go back to work the day after Epiphany. The liturgical work has not only been Saturday for the OF and Sunday for the EF but also additional work to serve Christ, His Church and His people. 

There are some people whom I feel very sorry for I truly do. Motivated by hatred and disdain for me they are doing something that is seriously more harmful to them more than it is to me or to anyone else. They've chosen a path that is objectively sinful and given the extent of it and its continuance, it  may be mortal; Character assassination is an ugly business and there will be justice. The spirit of their complaint is not of the Holy Spirit. Some people of power and prestige who should know better have succumbed to calumny, detraction and gossip to lash out irrationally and without due process. They choose not to move on. They choose not to follow the charitable way. They choose not to follow the truth.

St. Matthew teaches us this:

¹⁵ But if thy brother shall offend against thee, go, and rebuke him between thee and him alone. If he shall hear thee, thou shalt gain thy brother. ¹⁶ And if he will not hear thee, take with thee one or two more: that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may stand. ¹⁷ And if he will not hear them: tell the church. And if he will not hear the church, let him be to thee as the heathen and publican.

Rather than follow the teaching of Jesus, Our blessed Lord and Saviour, they have instead followed a different mistress and master; Oprah and Jerry have more influence on them in this regard.

Friends, this blog is not going anywhere. Nor is the liturgical work which I do in my other life. I won't be knocked off my game from anyone on either side of the pond. What I, as Vox, write on this blog is the truth and I will always defend Holy Mother Church and the day I stop defending Her here, then I shall have failed and this blog will disappear. I am a faithful son of the Church. I assent to all of the teachings of the Magisterium, even those which I find difficult. I hope and pray that my last words will be "Jesus, mercy." I pray to have the courage that, if necessary, my last words will be "Viva Cristo Rey!" and that the bullet is accurate and the guillotine sharp.

You may not like my tone; sorry for that, I write in the manner God gave me the ability and talent and mind to do.  What I write on this blog is my opinion. It has nothing to do with any specific work I do beyond this blog. Any attempt to suggest that or hold my work against the good work of others is simply unjust at best and an attempt to find in me a scapegoat for troubles caused by someone or something else. Deal with it.

For everyone that dismisses this blog, there is someone out there who appreciates it. 

If I've offended you, I'm sorry that you are offended. I'm not sorry for telling the truth.

If I haven't offended you, I might. 

I cannot control how you react to what I write. If the truth offends you so be it. Deal with it.

If the fact that I won't be knocked down offends you, so be it. Deal with it.

If standing up for the truth of the Catholic Church from those who would defile her whether from without or particularly within offends you, be they media savvy priests or bishops who publicly proclaim that which is against the Holy Father and the Magisterium, then join the church of nice; but you won't find me there.

As for my own sins, they are scarlet, truly I know them, they are always before me as the Psalmist sings.  I've even once or twice said fuddle-duddle.1

For sharing my sins publicly with the world, I thank you. There is great grace in humiliation as a good priest friend wrote to me the other day and I have taken all of these little sufferings, these humiliations and I have offered them up to the LORD that He may choose to relieve the sufferings of another priest with whom I have great respect and fraternal affection for (and for him I would ask that you say a Pater, an Ave and a Gloria and offer up your own little sufferings today for him, the LORD will know who he is). There is no wasted suffering.

Recently I saw a picture on Facebook under the WWJD moniker. The answer was "taking a whip and overturning tables is an option."

May God grant us pardon and peace.

Vox Cantoris
Overturning tables since 2005

1, 

Pierre Trudeau: Well what are they, lip readers or something?

Press: Did you…?

Pierre Trudeau: Of course I didn't say anything. I mean that's a…

Press: Did you mouth anything?

Pierre Trudeau: I moved my lips and I used my hands in a gesture of derision, yes. But I didn't say anything. If these guys want to read lips and they want to see something into it, you know that's their problem. I think they're very sensitive. They come in the House and they make all kinds of accusations, and because I smile at them in derision they come stomping out and what, go crying to momma or to television that they've been insulted or something?

[later in the press conference]

Pierre Trudeau: Well, it's a lie, because I didn't say anything.

Press: Sir, did you mouth it?

Pierre Trudeau: [visibly annoyed] What does “mouth” mean?

Press: Move your lips.

Pierre Trudeau: Move your lips? Yes I moved my lips!

Press: In the words you've been quoted as saying?

Pierre Trudeau: [half smile] No.

Press: (After murmurs by other press) What were you thinking… when you moved your lips?

Pierre Trudeau: What is the nature of your thoughts, gentlemen, when you say “fuddle duddle” or something like that? Gosh, you guys…!