NEW YEAR RESOLUTIONS - 2023

 

While every year I tend to make spiritual resolutions, this year is particularly significant for me because, early in the year, I celebrate 20 years as a religious hermit.

The overarching goal is to become more faithful to my Catholic vocation. Any monastic type person who lives independently, without supervision or authority over them has to be exceedingly careful about this. It is SO easy to become slack in some areas and overly attentive to others. Avoiding the temptation of riding a hobby horse is as important as the virtues and practices we give short shrift.  Balance is key.

For example, we currently have the case of Father Pavone, who became so enamored with the political push to criminalize abortion that he justified some terrible things, such as keeping the bodies of aborted infants for use in dramatizations of the Holy Mass, where he put the body of at least one infant on display, using that human person in a way directly opposed to the teachings of the Catholic Church about the proper respect to and care of the bodies of human persons.

That poor man rejected the instructions of his superiors, and his individualistic and renegade behavior, including "blasphemy" on social media posts, led to the Vatican finally defrocking him last November 9th, after many years of trying to coax him into obedience. Fr. Pavone refused to obey the orders of his superiors and slandered them on social media - many examples of which I was surprised to see on Facebook and elsewhere, that caused scandal to Holy Mother Church.

Excising one narrow aspect from an article of faith  and pushing it into the political sphere is a perfect example of the tendency for independent religious to ride that hobby horse into the sunset. In Pavone's case, making abortion illegal is only one proposed method by which some people imagine that they will eliminate abortion, which is only a part of the pro-life orientation of The Church. 

In addition, that method has never worked before. Abortions have always been available. Lately, they have been legal, but I remember the days of illegal abortions, and they were freely available. Anyone that imagines otherwise is fooling themselves. Making abortion illegal does not stop abortion. It stops safe abortions.

I notice many people celebrating the Supreme Court's recent actions to make abortion illegal again, but I believe this will backfire.

I am fairly sure that abortion will not disappear until we evangelize the culture - which is a lot more demanding and challenging a thing than making abortion illegal. But it is obvious that if Americans were to become evangelized to Christ and His Holy Mother Church, they would not WANT to have abortions. Abortions exist because people want them or feel they need them - not because they are legal. 

In this point, we have an example of the violation of one of the tenets of classical logic. The cause of abortion has been wrongly attributed to it being legal. Correlation is not causality.

Pavone abandoned Christ's call to evangelize the faith and traded it in for the political path, with a side of illicit masses, and the body of a dead baby on top of the whole mess, like a cherry on top of a nightmare cake. It is tragic, really. 

I bring him up as a cautionary tale for myself. I do not want to end up like him - so individualized and hyper-focused on a "holy cause" that I imagine that The Church has to follow me rather than the other way around. This is exactly how the Angel Satan fell. 

So, this year, the first thing I will do is put some effort into finding a spiritual director who has more than my 20 years under his or her belt, so to speak. That's the first thing.

Secondly, I think it is time to return to the basics and do a major review.  I am taking a "Bible in a Year" class, and a "Catechism in a Year" class. I have also begun the preparations for re-consecrating myself to Jesus through Mary.  In addition, my ascetic practices have gotten flabby - along with my body. I will be tightening up my diet and simplifying it.

My customary daily prayer commitments have also suffered over the last 10 years or so. I've decided to program them into my telephone and get back onto a schedule. I am battling some awful insomnia and have to address that so that I can adhere to that schedule.

In case you have interest, my daily spiritual practices involve:

• At least one hour of meditation, in two 30-minute segments, morning and evening.
• Little Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary
• The Rosary
• The Angelus - 3X daily
• The Divine Mercy Chaplet
• The Holy Mass, streamed live from Santa Fe

During the re-consecration to Jesus through Mary, there are at least three daily prayers that are prayed in conjunction with this.

As my readers are aware, I am disabled, mobility challenged, in chronic pain, and going blind - so taking on all this extra work and study will take a lot of my limited energy, and I will have to simplify a LOT of my activities and eliminate some unnecessary ones.

If any of you want to follow along with me in any of these spiritual disciplines, just let me know. We can be companions on the journey together. Just message me by commenting and leaving your email address. I won't publish your message. 

In the meantime, please pray for my continued conversion, as I pray for yours.

God Bless us all!

Silver Rose

DEDICATION OF THE YEAR 2017 TO OUR LADY OF FATIMA

Our Lady of Fatima statue

This year at Silver Cottage Hermitage has been dedicated to a special emphasis on Our Lady of Fatima, and learning more about the apparitions, the promises and the secrets given to the three young children who were contacted by, saw and spoke with our Blessed Mother 100 years ago this year. Although I am not blogging this year, per se, I do want to encourage my readers to join me in this special observance, and I will continue to post resources on this page to help with that.

I just want to point out that, among all the apparitions of our Blessed Mother, I BELIEVE that the Miracle of the Sun that occurred during one of the pre-arranged meetings of Our Mother with the children is the only miracle to have been witnessed by 70,000 people at once AND photographed AND written about in the newspaper, where most of the photographs derive, as there were newspapermen waiting in the crowd at the prearranged time when the Virgin was expected to appear.

While I am not a big fan of apparitions and mysterious utterances, especially since there is so much fakery possible, THIS particular set of apparitions and circumstances, given the wealth of proof and witnesses extant to this day, is a remarkable thing, and I just can't ignore it. "The miracle of the sun," as it is called, just can't be ignored or discounted. The ability to fake these type of photographs was limited in the day, plus you just can't discount the witness of 70,000 people. So, for me, this apparition is a rock solid and reliable one, so it behooves us all to delve into it.

The three children who saw the Blessed Mother

at Fatima, Portugal

I am not terribly well educated in the whole story and the details, nor have I really dug into the promises and requests of Our Blessed Mother, but I am going to do that this year and I hope to take you with me, just by listing books I read and websites I find along the way.  I will continue to update this page with these resources, as I find them, and I will do my best to keep it credible!

It is my hope that I can encourage you to accompany me on this journey, especially those who are not able to make pilgrimage to Fatima or to see the Fatima statue as it travels the globe.

God bless us all!
Silver Rose

100 YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF FATIMA - MINISTRY PROJECT FOR 2017

70,000 spectators witnessed "The Miracle of the Sun" which 

occurred on the very day promised by our lady in 1917

Non-Catholics often scoff at the miracles celebrated in our church, but the miracles surrounding Fatima and the three little children who saw our Blessed Mother and received many "secrets" from her, played only a very small part in the miraculous events of 1917.

It is one thing to experience a celestial anomaly that can be explained away by some natural phenomena. It is quite another to have this anomaly promised for a certain day and time and have it actually occur, with more than 70,000 witnesses, many photographs of the miracle as well as the witnesses, and wide ranging newspaper coverage. This cannot be discounted or dismissed and, once you know the details, the wonderful mystery stays within the heart of even the most skeptical individual.

MANY articles and books have been written about these events, and another article isn't needed. I recommended researching the internet and reading as many of the books as you are able so that you can fully understand what happened.

Most of the legitimate apparitions that have been confirmed and approved by the Catholic Church include a request from our Lady that we pray the rosary. I adore the rosary and am convinced of its incredible, heavenly properties. Its benefits and significance are not entirely explained, as it is with most mysterious practices and points of theology or cosmology. Our Lady has personally requested it and I, for one, will not argue with her.

I've become incredibly inspired to spread this devotion to the rosary this coming year, during the 100th year anniversary of the miracles at Fatima, and I would like to encourage everyone to enjoy its practice and benefits.

First of all, I recommend contacting the Fatima Gift Shop at the WORLD APOSTOLATE OF FATIMA, official organization for Fatima, affectionately called "the Blue Army." Their website is located HERE. I am a member of the Blue Army and receive their wonderful magazine entitled SOUL, but I am not involved in any official capacity and receive no benefit from them as a result of recommending them. I just want to support them in their efforts to spread the instruction of our Lady and the historical events that occurred in 1917.

Consider purchasing for yourself a commemorative rosary. Currently, they come in black or clear, with a special 100 year anniversary medal attached. It's a nice little crystal and/or glass bead rosary.  I have one in pink, but I think they have run out of the pink and the blue currently. They are selling for $19.00 at the moment, which is not a bad price for a pretty little rosary with such significance. Attached to the rosary is a sweet little commemorative medal. You can buy the medal separately, if you wish. You'll need to have them blessed by a priest after you receive them, however.

The black rosary is pictured HERE.

The clear bead rosary is pictured HERE.

Of course, there are many other items available at the gift shop, and I do recommend you consider joining the Blue Army!

Everyone seems to enjoy the Blue Army's rosaries, medals and other items from their gift shop, including the homeless, who are comforted by them.

If you do not have time to distribute these rosaries, or if you do not have anyone in your sphere who you feel will appreciate them, I would be very happy to give many of them locally, in my parish and elsewhere. Contact me for my address, and you can have the Blue Army send them to me, or you can donate via the button on the right hand side of this page, keeping in mind that Paypal takes a percentage of all monies donated.

I am just enthusiastic to have this devotion spread as far as possible.

If you can manage to send me some rosaries from the World Apostolate of Fatima, I would be most grateful. I have a friend who will take them to a priest to have them blessed. One of the very best ways to encourage the practice of the praying of the rosary is to give them away. Obviously, there are less expensive rosaries that are very pretty. For instance, I have included quite a few in my Amazon list GIFTS TO GIVE TO OTHERS that you may find HERE. Amazon has my address and will mail to me directly.

I ask for assistance in giving these out because my income falls far below my basic needs, so I just don't have the money to invest in the rosaries. What I lack in finances, I make up for in enthusiasm.

On the other hand, if you also feel inspired to distribute rosaries, and you can do this yourself, I would be very happy to hear that you are doing that. Our Blessed Mother will be very pleased. Post a comment, below, or send me an email and let me know what you are dong to promote this wonderful prayer and its 100 year anniversary!

In the meantime, I pray for you, as I hope you pray for me.

God bless us all!

Silver Rose Parnell

STAY INSPIRED!

The Three Archangels

Those who read my blog might think it would be difficult to keep the spiritual inspiration going, considering the illnesses and difficulty performing natural functions. The simplest logistics are maddeningly difficult, it's true, but I use both the painful moments, as well as those spent recuperating in my recliner to keep my mind uplifted so that I can approach a state of "praying always." I have written before that surrounding myself with holy pictures uplifts my soul and keeps my mind at the feet of the Lord. There seems to be no end to it, until I run out of wall space and book shelves!

My living room prayer corner

I LOVE the beauty of the icons, candles, incense, photographs, and all the accoutrements that call to mind the Lord, his saints and angels, but also speak to the heart of PRAYER. My living room prayer corner is an invitation to a very special and intimate conversation with the Lord. Whether I am praying a simple contemplative prayer or chanting the Little Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary, I am entering into a spiritual union with my beloved Lord. The candles are lit. The incense is burning. The conversation begins. This little prayer corner is directly across from my recliner, and I spend a lot of time just sitting and gazing at whichever icon appeals to me at that moment. I highly recommend that every household have AT LEAST ONE prayer corner. As it happens, I have two.

Modern life has one big advantage for someone like me who is disabled and nearly home bound. The internet and television bring me the world in a unique manner that all my books can't duplicate. It doesn't replace a good spiritual book, but introduces another dimension. First thing in the morning, I usually find the Bible reading for the day and read that. Afterwards, I meditate on the meaning and significance for me personally, which is known as "lectio divina."

Often, I resort to the EWTN (Eternal Word Television Network) and catch some special programming or participate in the televised mass, knowing that there are likely THOUSANDS of little old ladies like me who are participating at that very same moment. That idea makes me very happy.

Then I check out the saints for the day. There are two or three websites to which I can refer that give me those. Every day, there are MANY saints for whom we have a feast day, and it is wonderful to learn about a new saint or to reacquaint myself with a favorite. This may inspire me to recite a chaplet or some special prayers in honor of that saint. Sometimes I will write a blog post, and now that I have more reliable internet, there may be more of these.

I recommend subscribing to good magazines and circulars that are faithful to the magisterium, though I can't afford them at the moment. Being a member of the Confraternity of the Holy Rosary has been a source of great joy for me. The writings included in their modest little newsletter often give me great material for contemplation. I also am a supporter of the effort to have Blessed Margaret of Castello sainted, and their regular missives bring me holy reminders. There are other groups that send daily emails. Keep your eyes peeled for signs of heresy though, folks! There are plenty of groups that are actually created for the purpose of snatching the faithful AWAY from the church and into bizarre cults that have some problem with some arcane aspect of the Church.

Vintage rosary very similar to the one given to me

by a dear friend. Etsy is a good source for these.

My standard prayers are the rosary, but even in that case, I have several different rosaries. One is the St. Benedict rosary that a friend bought for me on pilgrimage to Rome. It gives me a sense of protection, both because of the prayers of protection against Satan that appear on each St. Benedict medal that is used to recite the "Our Father" prayers and because the friend who gave it to me is like a guardian angel for me.

Another beloved friend gave me a gorgeous moonstone rosary that is a vintage French piece of art, very delicate, with a beautiful feel to the beads. The granddaughter of a friend of mine made me a turquoise colored plastic and string rosary that I love to use on the days I honor Mother Teresa of Calcutta, a saint for whom I have a first class relic that this little girl gave me.

I have a faux pearl, lightweight rosary that I carry with me in my handbag, along with some very special medals given to me by friends who have traveled to various pilgrimage places and brought me items from those places. I've attached a small silver medal of Saint Jason, which is the name of my poor departed son who died a few years ago. I use that rosary while waiting for mass to start on the rare occasions when I am able to attend mass, and I use it while standing in front of the mausoleum where my son's ashes are interred. Always, I think about my son when I use that rosary and usually dedicate my prayers to him.

Chaplets are also a solid form of inspiration. I have a small statue of St. Michael in my living room prayer corner. Next to him, I keep a box with a small St. Michael chaplet. Another favorite is my chaplet of Divine Mercy. A beautiful picture of Divine Mercy Jesus features prominently on the wall across from my recliner and I can gaze at it while I use the chaplet.

St. Olga of Kiev, "Equal to the Apostles", is my 33rd great grandmother, and my deepest inspiration. She was JUST AWFUL before becoming Christian. If she can become a saint, we ALL have a chance! Recently, I was given a beautiful icon of her, made in the Ukraine where she lived. I also found a one-of-a-kind chaplet of her that came with instructions on how to recite a "niner" chaplet.

Baptism of St. Olga

Contemplation, lectio divina, the rosary, various chaplets, Bible study, study of the saints, big prayers, little prayers, the practice of the presence of God - All of these contribute to keeping my mind in the beauty of the Lord.

I have even developed quite a few methods of walking prayer while I am taking the dog out for his numerous constitutionals. All of the prayers are internal, so my neighbors don't think I've gone nuts and am talking to myself. Sometimes I simply recite the Jesus prayer, "Lord, Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy upon me, a poor sinner." Often, I recite the Ave Maria. When I am mentally sharp and there are no neighbors in the parking lot, I will recite an Ave, then a very short prayer for a neighbor or a cause...something different between each Ave.

There is no reason to imagine that these are "rote" prayers. They are only rote if you let your mind wander elsewhere. Heart, mind and spirit have to be joined, and there is nothing rote about it.

The variety of Catholic practice and prayers is amazing, and I rely upon MANY, as you can see. They are a wonderful distraction to pull the mind away from from chronic pain, suffering, and the tedium of the constant round of chores that take SO long when one is physically challenged. No matter what I am doing, whether walking the dog, doing dishes, laundry or scrubbing, it is ALL prayer, either through actual prayers said in tandem with the task OR by dedicating a more complex task to the Lord and practicing the presence of God while doing it.

Stay inspired, my friends! And pray for me once or twice during all of it, won't you?

God bless us all

Silver Rose Parnell

RETURNING TO THE SOURCE

Part of my living room shrine

I have written blogs for the last 4 or 5 years now, but have decided to retire the majority of my posts. It was never my idea to put myself "out there" in that way, but after several strong encouragements by a former friend, I began to write. She had anticipated this as a means of gaining some support for my solitary monastic life, since I have no community, but this did not happen. Not only did I receive almost nothing for my efforts, but the cost of internet and the upkeep of a computer proved to be extra expenses for which I do not possess the resources.

In addition, the time taken to research my posts distracted from my primary contemplative mission of prayer. I enjoyed the writing, especially my forays into educational topics, but the world can easily live without my musings on information that is available elsewhere.

For myself, I prefer reading the original saints and doctors of the church, as well as the Bible (of course!) and almost never read blogs. In that vein, I encourage the same for everyone. Blogs are a waste of our time, for the most part. Now that I have realized this, I am chastened by disappointment that I did come to this fact sooner!

There are many elderly, disabled ladies like myself who have dedicated the remainder of their lives to the Lord, however, and I wouldn't like to lose track of my fellow hermitesses, anchorites and other holy people, so I leave this page, by way of a method of contacting me, should they wish it.

If you leave a message on this blog, it will find its way to me. Forward your email address, and I will contact you.

In the meantime, may the Lord's blessings be upon you daily, and may our Blessed Mother lead you by the hand to Jesus.

In Jesus' precious name, I remain your friend,

Silver Rose Parnell

WHAT IS THE THEME OF YOUR LIFE?

Luke 1:26-38

In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph of the house of David.  The Virgin's name was Mary.  And he came to her and said, "Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you!"  But she was greatly troubled at the saying and considered in her mind what sort of greeting this might be.  And the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.  And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son and you shall call his name Jesus."  And Mary said to the angel, "How can this be since I have no husband?" And the angel said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore, the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God for with God, nothing is impossible."  Mary said, "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be done to me according to your word."

Mary's "fiat," her saying "let it be," saying "yes" to God is the theme of my life.  I am striving to learn how to always say "yes" to God, both in word and in deed.  Each day, I ask Mary to take my hand, show me how to say "yes" to God in all things, and lead me to Jesus.

Protestants often accuse Catholics of treating Mary as if she was a little God and, while this may be true of a few individuals who go overboard with it, the official Catholic position is that Mary, an unparalleled saint, is alive in heaven with the other saints, angels, cherubim, seraphim, and God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  

We venerate Mary as a holy person, "the Queen of Heaven," and we ask her to pray for us, just as we ask the other saints to pray for us, and just as we ask our friends to pray for us, except that Mary, who was conceived without sin and who is  the mother of God, the "Theotokos", is the Saint par excellence and especially has the ear of her son, who honors her as His mother.  We honor her likewise and seek her prayers.

Mary is, for me, the perfect example of the Holy person I wish to become.  She said "yes" to God. She held the Divine Child within her and birthed Him into the world.  I too wish to carry Jesus within me and give him to the world.  I wish to be as holy, pure and spotless as I would need to be in order to accomplish that feat.  She is my example, my guide and my Heavenly Mother.

Throughout the ages, painters have rendered their vision of the visitation of the Angel Gabriel to Mary.  For me, these paintings are a source of much joy and great objects upon which to meditate on Mary's "yes."  I offer them here as a gift to my readers in the hope that they will prove to be as inspiring to them as they are to me.

Hail Mary, full of grace!

The Lord is with thee.
Blessed art thou among women

And blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus

Holy Mary, Mother of God,

Pray for me, a sinner,

Now and at the hour of my death

Amen

Silver Rose Parnell

2015