The musings and meandering thoughts of a crotchety old man as he observes life in the world and in a small, rural town in South East Nebraska. I hope to help people get to Heaven by sharing prayers, meditations, the lives of the Saints, and news of Church happenings. My Pledge: Nulla dies sine linea ~ Not a day without a line.
Normandy, initially transformed by Viking descendants, emerged as a powerful duchy in France by the 11th century under the leadership of Duke William. William, dubbed "the Conqueror," led Normandy into a pivotal role on the international stage and eventually became the King of England. But his career started when he was only 8 years old, an orphaned child who inherited power from his father. William faced early challenges to his authority, including the seizure of his birthplace, Castle Fes, by a rival lord, which he successfully reclaimed, establishing his strength and determination.
William's ultimate conquest of England in 1066 solidified his legacy as a transformative figure, integrating Normandy into a cross-channel kingdom and setting the stage for future conflicts and alliances in Europe.
Nota Bene ~There are those, such as the Old Curmudgeon, who still refer to him as "the Bastard"
Traditional Catholic morning prayers to help start your day in a godly way! The month of March is dedicated to St. Joseph. We've also included a powerful Lenten prayer -- the Prayer Before a Crucifix. This video is a compilation of many traditional morning prayers Catholics say, and should not be considered a replacement for those who have an obligation to pray the Divine Office morning prayers.
You’ve heard Protestants say, “We don’t pray to Mary!”
But what if—without realising it—they’re closer to Marian devotion than they think?
This video explores how many Protestants, in trying to avoid Mary by name, unintentionally rebuild her role through:
The way they speak of the Church as Mother
Their relationship to Scripture, the Holy Spirit, and spiritual intercession
Their use of biblical imagery that mirrors Mary in Revelation 12 and Luke 1
We’ll show how biblical theology, early Church tradition, and even Protestant devotional life echo Marian roles—even when Mary is never named.
📚 In This Video You’ll Discover:
Why you can’t remove Mary without reconstructing her
How Mary’s roles are deeply biblical, not optional
What Church Fathers, typology, and Scripture reveal about her identity
How intercession, spiritual motherhood, and the Ark of the Covenant point to Mary
The real meaning behind Catholic Marian devotion—and how it always leads to Christ
⏳ Chapters
00:00 – Protestants Closer to Mary Than They Realize
01:35 – Mary Is Hidden in Protestant Theology
03:20 – The Biblical Case for Mary’s Role
05:00 – Typology: New Eve, New Ark, Queen Mother
06:30 – Early Church Fathers on Marian Doctrine
08:10 – Do Protestants Unknowingly Rebuild Marian Roles?
09:45 – Mary Is Not a Barrier—She’s a Bridge to Jesus
📖 Key Scripture References:
Luke 1:28 – “Hail, full of grace…”
Revelation 12:1 – The woman clothed with the sun
1 Timothy 2:5 – One mediator, rightly understood
Luke 1:46 – “My soul magnifies the Lord”
Revelation 5:8, John 2, Genesis 3:15, 1 Corinthians 15:45
🕯️ Catholic Teaching Sources:
CCC 487 & 963 – Mary’s role in Christ and the Church
St. Irenaeus, Against Heresies, Book III
Brant Pitre, Jesus and the Jewish Roots of Mary
Are Protestants unconsciously reflecting Marian theology?
How did you come to understand Mary’s biblical role?
One of them is named for St John Capistrano, whose Feast is kept today. He was called the “soldier saint” because he helped liberate Belgrade from a siege at the age of seventy.
A trip along what was once the Camino Real tells the state’s story, from San Diego to Sonoma.
From their beginnings as simple straw-roofed buildings, to the solid, baked-adobe constructions of the mid-19th century, the missions are part of a very turbulent chapter in California’s history.
The Historic California Mission Trail, as it is called, consists of 21 missions, all of them located on or around what today is Highway 101, built along practically the same route covered by the old Camino Real (“Royal Road”), so named to honor the Spanish Crown, which financed the expenses of expanding the Spanish Empire along what is today the beginning of the Pacific Coast of the United States.
Most of these missions have been rebuilt after suffering the upheavals of numerous earthquakes and floods, as well as neglect and abandonment. The majority of the missions are still active today as Catholic parishes, from San Diego in the south up to Sonoma, north of San Francisco.
Here are five of the 21 missions:
Mission San Miguel Arcángel
San Miguel Arcángel, 16th mission: founded in 1797 by Fr. Fermin Lasuen to complete the trail of missions from San Luis Obispo to Mission Dolores in San Francisco, San Miguel was built in the Salinas Valley as a half-way point offering lodging to travelers. Under the direction of Esteban Munros, native Californians decorated the walls and ceilings. Those murals are, today, the best conserved of those in any of the missions in the state.
Mission San Buenaventura
San Buenaventura, 9th mission: Founded one Easter Sunday by Fr. JunÃpero Serra himself (who was recently canonized by Pope Francis), this was the last of the missions that the Franciscan missionary managed to build. Restored in 1957, just three blocks from the Pacific Ocean, the triangular façade is adjacent to walled gardens. In the museum next to the mission are preserved two old wooden bells, the only ones of their kind in all of California.
Mission San Juan Capistrano
Mission San Juan Capistrano, 7th mission: The only one of the missions with a floor plan in the shape of a Latin cross, it was built in honor of Saint John of Capistrano, a great Franciscan preacher of the Crusades. This was also the only one of all the mission churches built of stone. The church sported seven cupolas, and a bell tower so tall that it could be seen from ten miles away. It was partially destroyed by an earthquake in 1812, and its ruins are preserved today by archaeologists and engineers. The Serra Chapel, built in 1777, is located inside the ruins; today, it is the oldest building in California still in use. It is the only church still standing in which Fr. JunÃpero Serra is known to have celebrated Mass. The return of migrating swallows to nest in the mission’s ruins, which occurs each year on St. Joseph’s Day (March 19), is celebrated in festival and song.
Mission San Diego de Alcalá
San Diego de Alcalá, first mission: This is where the California Mission Trail begins. It was July 16, 1769, when Fr. Serra, Fr. Palou and Fr. Parrón dug a hole eight feet deep near the mouth of the San Diego River, and used it to erect a cross; they hung a bell from a branch of a nearby tree, and dedicated the site to Saint Didacus [“Diego” being derived from “Didacus”]. At this mission is located the most historic cemetery in California, amidst century-old trees bearing olives, citrus fruits, avocados, and flowers.
Mission San Carlos Borromeo de Carmelo
San Carlos Borromeo de Carmelo, 2nd mission: This mission, founded on Pentecost Sunday by Fr. JunÃpero Serra, was his favorite, and both he and Fr. Lasuen are buried here. One hundred fiften miles south of San Francisco, it was for many years the ecclesiastical capital of California, and the location from which Fr. Serra directed the state’s mission circuit. The mission stood out for its architectural beauty, with interiors designed in the classic Iberian Mozarabic style, with olive gardens, bougainvillaea, roses, and medicinal herbs.
Pictured: St John Capistrano, with a banner of war
