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THE STATION for today is as noted in the missal, in the church of St. Trypho, martyr; but this church having been destroyed many centuries ago, the station is now in that of St. Augustine, which is built on the same site. COLLECT Adesto, Domine, supplicationibus nostris, et concede ut hoc solemne jejunium, quod animabus corporibusque curandis salubriter institutum est, devoto servitio celebremus. Per Christum Dominum nostrum. Amen. Give ear, O Lord, to our prayers, and grant that we may, with true devotion, observe this solemn fast which was wholesomely instituted for giving health to both our souls and...

THE STATION today is in the church of the holy martyrs, St. John and St. Paul. COLLECT Inchoata jejunia, quæsumus Domine, benigno favore prosequere: ut observantiam, quam corporaliter exhibemus, mentibus etiam sinceris exercere valeamus. Per Christum Dominum nostrum. Amen. Graciously favor us, O Lord, we beseech thee, in the fast we have undertaken: that what we observe outwardly, we may perform with sincere minds. Through Christ our Lord. Amen. EPISTLE LECTIO ISAIÆ PROPHETÆ. LESSON from ISAIAS the PROPHET. Cap. LVIII Ch. LVIII Hæc dicit Dominus Deus: Clama, ne cesses, quasi tuba exalta vocem tuam, et annuntia populo meo scelera...

ALTHOUGH THE LAW OF FASTING began yesterday, yet Lent, properly so called, does not begin till the Vespers of Saturday next. In order to distinguish the rest of Lent from these four days which have been added to it, the Church continues to chant Vespers at the usual hour, and allows her ministers to break their fast before having said that Office. But beginning with Saturday, the Vespers will be anticipated; every day (Sundays excepted, which always exclude fasting), they will be said at such an early hour that when the faithful take their full meal, the evening Office...

Violet Privileged Feria YESTERDAY THE WORLD WAS BUSY in its pleasures, and the very children of God were taking a joyous farewell to mirth: but this morning, all is changed. The solemn announcement, spoken of by the prophet, has been proclaimed in Sion: the solemn fast of Lent, the season of expiation, the approach of the great anniversaries of our Redemption. Let us, then, rouse ourselves, and prepare for the spiritual combat. But in this battling of the spirit against the flesh we need good armor. Our holy mother the Church knows how much we need it; and therefore...

O GOD OF INFINITE JUSTICE! we have sinned; we have abused the life Thou hast given us: and when we read, in Thy Scriptures, how Thine anger chastised the sinners of former days, we are forced to acknowledge that we have deserved to be treated in like manner. We have the happiness to be Christians and children of Thy Church; the light of faith and the power of Thy grace have brought us once more into Thy friendship, but how can we forget that we were once Thy enemies? And are we so deeply rooted in virtue that we...

THE GUILTY PAIR appear before the great God, whom they have offended; and instead of acknowledging their guilt, they seek to palliate and excuse it. But divine justice pronounces their condemnation, and the sentence will be felt by their posterity, even to the last generation. The two beings that had committed the heinous crime had been enriched with every gift of nature and grace. It was not with them as it is with us. Concupiscence, which gives us an inclination for what is wrong; ignorance and forgetfulness, which cloud the intellect of fallen man—these miseries had nothing whatever to...

Violet Fast and Partial Abstinence Prope est jam Dominus; venite, adoremus. The Lord is now nigh; come, let us adore. TODAY THE CHURCH begins the Fast of Quatuor Tempora, or as we call it, of Ember days: it includes also the Friday and Saturday of this same week. This observance is not peculiar to the Advent liturgy: it is one which has been fixed for each of the four seasons of the Ecclesiastical Year. We may consider it as one of those practices which the Church took from the Synagogue; for the Prophet Zacharias speaks of the fourth, fifth,...

Regem venturum Dominum, venite, adoremus. Come, let us adore the King our Lord, who is to come. De Isaia Propheta. From the Prophet Isaias. Cap. xvi. Ch. xvi. Emitte agnum, Domine, dominatorem terrae, de petra deserti ad montem filiae Sion. Et erit: sicut avis fugiens, et pulli de nido avolantes, sic erunt filiæ Moab in transcensu Arnon. Ini consilium, coge concilium; pone quasi noctem umbram tuam in meridie; absconde fugientes, et vagos ne prodas. Habitabunt apud te profugi mei; Moab, esto latibulum eorum a facie vastatoris: finitus est enim pulvis, consummatus est miser, defecit qui conculcabat terram. Et praeparabitur...

Regem venturum Dominum, venite, adoremus. Come, let us adore the King our Lord, who is to come. De Isaia Propheta. From the Prophet Isaias. Cap. iii. Ch. iii. Ecce enim Dominator, Dominus exercituum, auferet a Jerusalem et a Juda validum et fortem, omne robur panis, et omne robor aquæ; fortem, et virum bellatorem, judicem, et prophetam, et ariolum, et senem; principem super quinquaginta, et honorabilem vultu et consiliarium, et sapientem de architectis, et prudentem eloquii mystici. Et dabo pueros principes eorum, et effeminati dominabuntur eis; et irruet populus, vir ad virum, et unusquisque ad proximum suum; tumultuabitur puer contra...

The Minuteman III launch by U.S. Air Force Global Strike Command is scheduled to take place between midnight and 6 a.m. Wednesday, according to a news release from Vandenberg. ... Vandenberg has done several Minuteman test launches in the past, the latest coming on April 26 and May 3. Those two missiles traveled about 4,200 miles to the Kwajalein Atoll in the Pacific Ocean’s Marshall Islands. The Minuteman III ICBM launch is designed to “validate and verify the effectiveness, readiness, and accuracy of the weapon system.”

By Next Wednesday we will have FINALLY gotten over the HUMP that is the Obama administration! Next Wednesday shouldn't be "Hump Day", it should be the first Wednesday with Donald J Trump as POTUS and so in honor of Him, we should call it the 1st annual "Trump Day" !

Well, wouldn’t you know it? “Membership in a terrorist organization does not prohibit a person from possessing firearms or explosives under current federal law,” according to the Government Accountability Office and now a report from the federal agency finds that over 2,000 individuals on the FBI’s terrorist watch list have indeed successfully and legally purchased a firearm from 2004 to 2014. Between 2004 and 2014, suspected terrorists attempted to purchase guns from American dealers at least 2,233 times. And in 2,043 of those cases — 91 percent of the time — they succeeded. There are about 700,000 people on the...

WMBF in Myrtle Beach, SC, reported Wednesday on the growing trend of businesses hiring only part-time workers, due to an inability to afford Obamacare. This situation leaves workers without healthcare and without a full-time income or other benefits. Local staffing agencies say more small business are starting to hire more part time employees. Not because there is more full time work, but as WMBF reporter Mandy Noell found out, it's because they can't afford to have more full time employees. Obamacare places requirements for health care benefits that many small businesses just cannot afford to pay. As a result, they...

Spy Wednesday Reflection: The Sins of the ClergyBy: Msgr. Charles Pope Wednesday of Holy Week is traditionally called “Spy Wednesday” since it is this day when Judas conspired with the Temple Leadership to hand Jesus over. He would accomplish his task the evening of the next day, but today he makes arrangements to hand Jesus over and is paid.One way to reflect on this terrible sin is to reflect that Judas was among the first priests called by Jesus. We see in the call of the Apostles the establishment of the ministerial priesthood. Jesus called these men to lead...

I don't know if waking up to this every Wednesday would fill me with joy, or strike fear. It's kind of doing both now...

The news broke within the last few minutes. If his name sounds familiar, it’s because Morell was the guy who signed off on the now infamous edit of the CIA’s Benghazi talking points that removed references to previous warnings about jihadi activity in the area. Is today’s resignation related to that, or is it related somehow to the NSA/PRISM/Snowden clusterfark? Fox News is quoting his statement as saying “It’s time for my family,” but I can’t remotely believe this guy would quit now in the middle of a Category Five natsec hurricane knowing how suspicious it would look if he...

ISRA is proud to sponsor Illinois Gun Owners Lobby Day for 2013 Wednesday, March 6, 2013 IGOLD Links: Bus Info Train Info Volunteer Info Poster - Letter-sized paper All Illinois gun owners are invited to join in Illinois Gun Owners Lobby Day (IGOLD) in Springfield in 2013. This is an annual event where everyone goes to lobby` their representatives in the Illinois House and Senate. The ISRA is partnering with IllinoisCarry.com to increase attendance and make a bigger & better impression in Springfield. Other participating organizations are, Guns Save Life, Sangamon County Rifle Association, and the McHenry County Right To...

A week after every Roman Catholic bishop in the United States denounced his decision to move forward with a regulation that will force American Catholics to act against the teachings of their faith by requiring that they purchase health insurance plans that pay for sterilizations, contraceptives and abortifacients, President Barack Obama issued a three-sentence statement saying he and his wife are honoring Ash Wednesday and the beginning of Lent. The president's statement on Ash Wednesday did not mention Jesus Christ, the Crucifixion, the Resurrection or Easter. “Today, Michelle and I honor Ash Wednesday with Christians

Pope Benedict XVI / Photo Credit Mazur Vatican City, May 4, 2011 / 11:16 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Pope Benedict XVI has revealed the theme for his next series of weekly Wednesday audiences.  “I want to start a new series of catechesis on a subject that is very dear to us all: the topic of prayer,” he told pilgrims in St. Peter’s Square May 6. Over the past two years Pope Benedict has been exploring the lives of the saints. That series of talks concluded last month. Hence the announcement of a new topic based on the request of the...