This Is What It's All About!

See our previous post promoting the Catholic Land Movement’s upcoming summer conferences. Here’s a great excerpt from director Michael Thomas’ opening talk at last year’s NY conference. It is so inspiring and I think he is right in saying many Catholics are coming to dream of a very different world and a very different life: The Authentic Life! There is more footage of last year’s conference on the YouTube channel (I’m probably in there somewhere LOL). And maybe I will see you at the New York one day conference next month!

Catholic Land Movement Conference Summer 2024 ~ Short Video Clip

Text:

“Am I alone in dreaming of a world, where I wake up to the sound of bells calling me to Daily Office, and then leaving there for a meal with my family, and then leaving there to meet my brothers in the field, where we work by the sweat of our brow and pause to say the Angelus at 12, and then return to the field?

And then go to the home where my wife is productive with my children in a domestic setting where things are being made, where the children work on dresses and canning and pickling food.

And I went out and milked the animals at the end of the day.

And then I went to the monastery, which was right down the road and caught Vespers at night. Maybe there was a Mass.

I lived an agricultural life layered on top of a liturgical life where Ember and Rogation Days really meant something in my life because the blessing of my fields was critically important.

When fast days really actually helped keep my larder full.

When Lent was really about making it through Spring.

I dream sometimes of living that simple life. Am I alone in dreaming that? Anybody else feel like they want that?

I think there's something deep in all of us as Catholics that calls us to that that idea of a life of a cadence of seasons, of a deepness in our prayer and liturgical life, a deepness in our relationship to our labor and its dignity, and an ordering, a natural order to our family that is beautiful and touched by God's grace. I believe that many of us as Catholics hold that dream.

For 3 days at this conference squint your eyes and just pretend that that's what we live like. Let yourself live that dream that I think we all carry about what Catholic community could be like.

Then we're going to go out into the world and make it happen.”

Is that beautiful, or what?

A Message of Encouragement from Taylor Marshall:

…in the Face of Mandates, Trad Wars and Fatigue

I haven’t been in the best mood today since Biden’s new vaccination mandates are going to affect my husband. It seems, every other day, some terrible stress is coming along…as Leonard Cohen said, it’s “Closing Time.” The whole world is engulfed-I know it is not just my family. My heart goes out to all of you who are also suffering with many things at this hour, some of the normal sufferings of life, along with what the New World Order is dishing out. In a recent post, I asked for prayers for my father-in-law. He was just moved to a Catholic nursing home in New York. We are very concerned about his well-being because they only allow one-hour visits (because of Covid, of course), and he does not like to be alone. This will surely deteriorate his condition mentally, and most likely physically as well. Just one more Covid contradiction. It’s not about saving lives. It never was. Another strange thing about this nursing home is that they make you remove the mask upon entry and put a different one on. Not only have you just theoretically increased Covid exposure by removing the mask, you have also just touched the mask they feel is contaminated, in addition to your face. They also require appointments to visit, which must be made 24 hours in advance. They don’t always pick up the phone (apparently visitation doesn’t need to be a priority in a nursing home) and they ask for all kinds of personal information when you visit (perhaps for tracing if there is a Covid case). “Safe & Healthy!”

All of this makes for great challenge, needless to say. Tonight, as I reluctantly glanced at what the YouTube gods decided to send my way, the video above popped up. It’s exactly what I needed. We all need encouragement right now, and going forward. Marshall gives some very good advice and gives a strong witness about the importance of the Holy Rosary. If you’re feeling down too, please watch…and know Our Blessed Lord is always with us!