catholic preparedness sustainability

Random Stuff...About Preparedness

I have been corresponding with a gentleman who is Catholic and also runs a preparedness forum.  He is known on the forum as “Watchman.”  I like the simple, uncomplicated presentation and it has a wealth of information… 

The Preparedness-Survival Forum

Preparing for the Inevitable

What you can find here:  news, prepper library, homesteading, technical aspects of preparedness and survival, family issues, financial info (I like that they get their stats from kitco.com), health and stewardship of the Earth.  Join the forum and speak with like-minded, knowledgeable people!

After designing a completely new landscape, my husband and I have gotten a new shed (see previous post) and are now starting a raised bed.  It is late in the New York season to begin planting, but there are plenty of crops which can still start from seed.  Below is a pic of what we’ve got so far…grass (LOL).  I will keep you posted on the progress.  This is a kit we purchased at a local garden center.  There are many different kits out there, which make the process easy.  Ours comes with a greenhouse top for one side (not sure if we will use that right now).  “The Authentic Life” is exciting and makes you want to fly out of bed in the morning!  Here’s also a pic of the shelves my hubby built in the shed…they are about a foot apart and there is space beneath them to store larger items…we still need to install various hooks and clamps for rakes, shovels, etc…

 “This is the day which the Lord hath made: let us be glad and rejoice therein.”

Psalms 117:24

We do not prepare simply for a possible disaster or emergency.  As the site above states, we are preparing for the inevitable.  A time of great newness is upon us.  It is the Greater Reset or the Newer World Order.  The way we cope with the death of life as we knew it, is to keep our focus on the next big thing…The Authentic Life:  A life close to God and nature.  Focus on beauty, the beauty you are creating.  The beauty WE are creating together as the people of God!

Catholic Prepper YouTube Channel / Training Class Tomorrow!

Just found this by accident. I feel God wants me to put this up because they have ONE MORE DAY of a training class. I admit I am not familiar with this content, but a superficial look is encouraging. I would think if you miss the class, videos will be posted, not sure. Most likely, these classes will be offered again. Check it out anyway!

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The above short video talks about the class and the recent occurrences in the world which should show anyone that preparing is more than reasonable, and people are feeling the stress of a world gone wrong. The massive amount of drug overdose deaths is mentioned. We now have a statistic for 2021 in the US, a staggering 100,000. The Covid agenda was certainly one aspect of this rise. I personally know 3 people who have lost young sons to this tragedy. One is a family member (a devoutly Catholic family). One a friend and one a woman I met at church. I live in New York and it is a particular problem here, for a variety of reasons. Let us pray for our dear young men and women at this confusing time. Let us support them and teach them how to cope in an ever-changing world. Let us show them the Rock, the Holy Catholic Church and our King, Jesus Christ, in Whom all our hope resides!

Gardening Update

If you haven’t seen it, please scroll down to “Gardening Pics.” I showed you the beginning of my son’s planting project along with random yard pictures. Scroll down further to “Gardening/Landscaping Projects” for an intro to this series…we will continue to show the progress throughout the season…

The long seedlings bursting out of the tray are peas. They will need to be trellised. It is really fun to grow peas and beans…and great for children too! The flowers are pretty and they are a delight to harvest.

My son had one extra peat disc for me to plant something in, so I chose purple African daisies. You can see the seed clipping I acquired last year from a neighbor. The brilliant purple color of the flowers was so spectacular, I had to have them. We’ll see how it goes!

My son took the seedlings home (he lives in another state) and transplanted some of them. What you see above includes pumpkin, butternut squash, cantaloupe, cucumber, watermelon, peas and several different flowers.

My landscape is under construction, so the gardening is going at a slow pace. Stay tuned…

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Oh yes, the infamous Poison Ivy Fence. Sometimes ya just gotta use the weed killer! (It is ideal to remove poison ivy from the roots with gloves, but since it’s growing on the neighbor’s side…actually, there are organic techniques to kill undesirable plants, I’ll try to post on that soon.)

Lesson 4-Prepper Rosary Program

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“And there came one of the scribes that had heard them reasoning together, and seeing that he had answered them well, asked him which was the first commandment of all. And Jesus answered him: The first commandment of all is, Hear, O Israel: the Lord thy God is one God. And thou shalt love the Lord thy God, with thy whole heart, and with thy whole soul, and with thy whole mind, and with thy whole strength. This is the first commandment.”

Mark 12:28

“Be not solicitous therefore, saying, What shall we eat: or what shall we drink, or wherewith shall we be clothed? For after all these things do the heathens seek. For your Father knoweth that you have need of all these things. Seek ye therefore first the kingdom of God, and his justice, and all these things shall be added unto you. Be not therefore solicitous for tomorrow; for the morrow will be solicitous for itself. Sufficient for the day is the evil thereof.”

Matthew 6:31

Improve Your Spiritual Life ~ The Presentation of Our Lord

It was the Mosaic Law that every firstborn son must be specially consecrated to God. Mary and Joseph brought Our Lord to the Temple to accomplish this, in what we call “The Presentation.” This was a most extraordinary Presentation, since it was the very Son of God, being presented to the Father. This took place in the very city in which He would secure our Redemption on the Cross and was a foreshadowing of this ultimate Presentation. Just as Our Lady and Saint Joseph gave their greatest Gift to the Father, we must also give our very best to Him.

Our Lord states above, “thou shalt love the Lord thy God, with thy whole heart, and with thy whole soul, and with thy whole mind, and with thy whole strength.” This is a profound statement-we are told to completely relinquish ourselves to Him. The key is to recognize when these moments occur and push through them, with the help of His grace. When we do this, we change in a substantial way. We grow. We ascend one step higher to the Kingdom of Heaven. We also become that much further from the world. What prepares us for these moments is a proper moral formation, a good examination of conscience and a good confession. Only then, can we have the ability to know when the spiritual challenge is taking place, pray for guidance and strength, and win our triumph over temptation. We must love Christ above all other loves.

Our Lord also intructs us to, “Seek ye therefore first the kingdom of God.” We see the just consequence of sin coming upon the world. We can mitigate this and secure mercy for the world, only by making ourselves worthy. We will be given what we need on earth, only after seeking Heaven. The lower order always follows the higher. As Catholic preppers, we are not obsessed with the needs of this life, we simply accept that the natural business of life is survival, which our present culture has forgotten. We try within reason, and place our trust in God for what we cannot control. And of course we recognize that spiritual preparedness is always our priority.

Mary and Joseph went to the House of God with their precious Son and showed fidelity to His law. This is an example for the Catholic life: to attend Holy Mass and observe Catholic moral law, presenting to the Holy Trinity, our best selves, out of love. There are many other great riches of the Catholic Faith which we can draw upon to improve our spiritual lives. Pray and gravitate towards what resonates with you. To strive for spiritual perfection is the most exciting life and is the true purpose of life. To become a saint is not unreachable, it is what we were created for!

Please read EWTN’s The Presentation of Our Lord. This is beautifully written and very insightful.

“Lesson 4-Part 2” will deal further with Matthew 6:31…

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Pray 1 decade of the Rosary, meditating on the Mystery of The Presentation, for the intention of enlightenment on the issues discussed today…

Our Father + 10 Hail Marys + Glory Be

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Please fill out #4

“15 Points Preparedness Worksheet”

Thank you for participating ~ spread the word!

Image courtesy fggam.org/2014/07/kellys-word-day-72

Lesson 2-Prepper Rosary Program

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“And behold thy cousin Elizabeth, she also hath conceived a son in her old age; and this is the sixth month with her that is called barren…And Mary rising up…went into the hill country with haste into a city of Juda. And she entered into the house of Zachary, and saluted Elizabeth…And Mary abode with her about three months…Now Elizabeth's full time of being delivered was come, and she brought forth a son.”

Luke 1:36

Extend Yourself to Others ~ The Visitation

The above scripture shows us the loving Immaculate Heart of Our Lady. Immediately following the Annunciation, she flees to the side of her cousin Elizabeth. We can infer the reason she does this, is because she knows Elizabeth is older and needs help in her final days of pregnancy. We are told Mary stays with her for 3 months, right up until she gives birth. What profound humility, for one carrying the Son of God in her own womb, to place herself at the service of another woman with child. Taking Mary’s example, who are you being called to help?

Holy Church gives us the Corporal Works of Mercy, based on the teachings of Christ. This is a good place to start, if seeking to know where you are being called. Gravitate to what resonates with you. Some of us will not have to seek at all, it will be obvious that there is someone close who needs us. But sometimes, these are the ones we are most blind to. How does this relate to preparedness? When we strengthen others, we strengthen ourselves and we are only as strong as the weakest link. Humanity is a fabric of connectedness (which is presently being torn apart) and as they say, “What goes around, comes around.”

It is also important to cultivate relationships with your neighbors. You lend them your leaf-blower this fall, they lend you their snow-blower this winter. That’s not to say we should give with the thought of getting back, but from a prepper point of view, it is pragmatic (and what helps you, helps those in your care). This is the way a healthy community functions. In a crisis, it is much better to work together than to have an “every man for himself” attitude. Resilient, sustainable communities of love are the way of the future.

When we think of others, it always come back to us with great blessings. It makes us happier, healthier and holier. It is also a fundamental part of the Christian life. “With haste,” Mary met the need of Saint Elizabeth. How much more should we sinners, seek to meet the needs of those around us?

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Pray 1 decade of the Rosary, meditating on the Mystery of The Visitation, for the intention of enlightenment on the issues discussed today…

Our Father + 10 Hail Marys + Glory Be

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Please fill out #2

“15 Points Preparedness Worksheet”

Thank you for participating ~ spread the word!

Image courtesy bluearmy.com

What to do RIGHT NOW-Part 2

Here is further biblical support for prepping. These are just my humble thoughts on how these verses may be interpreted:

BIBLICAL SUPPORT FOR PREPAREDNESS

“Now therefore let the king provide a wise and industrious man, and make him ruler over the land of Egypt: that he may appoint overseers over all the countries: and gather into barns the fifth part of the fruits, during the seven fruitful years, that shall now presently ensue: and let all the corn be laid up under Pharao's hands and be reserved in the cities. And let it be in readiness, against the famine of seven years to come, which shall oppress Egypt, and the land shall not be consumed with scarcity.”

Genesis 41:33

This refers to the responsibility to take a leadership role and to be “wise and industrious” in the care of the people who rely on you.

“Give not sleep to thy eyes, neither let thy eyelids slumber. Deliver thyself as a doe from the hand, and as a bird from the hand of the fowler. Go to the ant, O sluggard, and consider her ways, and learn wisdom: which, although she hath no guide, nor master, nor captain, provideth her meat for herself in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest. How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? When wilt thou rise out of thy sleep? Thou wilt sleep a little, thou wilt slumber a little, thou wilt fold thy hands a little to sleep: And want shall come upon thee, as a traveller, and poverty as a man armed. But if thou be diligent, thy harvest shall come as a fountain, and want shall flee far from thee.”

Proverbs 6:4

This is a strong admonition to take care of your own needs through discipline and hard work.

“There is a treasure to be desired, and oil in the dwelling of the just: and the foolish man shall spend it.”

Proverbs 21:20

The holy, who live a good life, performing their duties and exercising prudence, will be blessed with abundance.

“The prudent man saw the evil, and hid himself: the simple passed on, and suffered loss.”

Proverbs 22:3

When you see the threat looming, you must take action.

“Cast thy bread upon the running waters: for after a long time thou shalt find it again. Give a portion to seven, and also to eight: for thou knowest not what evil shall be upon the earth. If the clouds be full, they will pour out rain upon the earth.”

Ecclesiastes 11:1

Think ahead, plan ahead and watch the signs around you.

“In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening let not thy hand cease: for thou knowest not which may rather spring up, this or that: and if both together, it shall be the better.”

Ecclesiastes 11:6

Work harder than you think you need to, for some of your work may not bear fruit.

“For I know the thoughts that I think towards you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of affliction, to give you an end and patience.”

Jeremias 29:11

Though calamity may come, God will preserve many of His children (so we must never give up and keep trying to survive).

“Hear the word of the Lord, ye children of Israel, for the Lord shall enter into judgment with the inhabitants of the land: for there is no truth, and there is no mercy, and there is no knowledge of God in the land. Cursing, and lying, and killing, and theft, and adultery have overflowed, and blood hath touched blood. Therefore shall the land mourn, and every one that dwelleth in it shall languish with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of the air: yea, the fishes of the sea also shall be gathered together.”

Hosea 4:1

When immorality abounds, we may expect a great chastisement to come.

“And there came to him the Pharisees and Sadducees tempting: and they asked him to shew them a sign from heaven. But he answered and said to them: When it is evening, you say, it will be fair weather, for the sky is red. And in the morning: Today there will be a storm, for the sky is red and lowering. You know then how to discern the face of the sky: and can you not know the signs of the times?”

Matthew 16:1

We must be watchful and understand the implications of what is happening in the world.

“And from the fig tree learn a parable: When the branch thereof is now tender, and the leaves come forth, you know that summer is nigh.”

Matthew 24:32

Again, we are told to observe the signs around us and be prepared for what surely will come.

“Watch ye therefore, because ye know not what hour your Lord will come. But know this ye, that if the goodman of the house knew at what hour the thief would come, he would certainly watch, and would not suffer his house to be broken open. Wherefore be you also ready, because at what hour you know not the Son of man will come. Who, thinkest thou, is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath appointed over his family, to give them meat in season. Blessed is that servant, whom when his lord shall come he shall find so doing. Amen I say to you, he shall place him over all his goods.”

Matthew 24:42

This probably refers more to spiritual preparedness, always our primary concern, though there is a reference to the temporal.

“And he brought him to Jerusalem, and set him on a pinnacle of the temple, and he said to him: If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself from hence. For it is written, that He hath given his angels charge over thee, that they keep thee. And that in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest perhaps thou dash thy foot against a stone. And Jesus answering, said to him: It is said: Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.”

Luke 4:9

When signs are clear that danger is looming, we must not remain complacent that God will take care of us, but do what we can to help ourselves and others (then trust in God for what we cannot control).

“But if any man have not care of his own, and especially of those of his house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.”

1 Timothy 5:8

This is an admonition to provide well for those in our care, which includes having the foresight to see when we must prepare for difficult times.

What to do RIGHT NOW-Part 1

It is our responsibility to ourselves, our families and the Body of Christ, to practice good preparedness when we see concerning signs. Actually, preparedness is a lifestyle that we should always be engaged in, but when clear signs are appearing, all the more. Holy Scripture is rife with the admonition to prepare. We are not to be complacent and simply “trust in God.” We are to observe, take action and then, trust in God for what we cannot control. I have heard many people say over the years (and even now), “Just don’t be concerned. Live your life and God will take care of it.” I have to wonder if these people have ever read the Old or New Testaments. Here are 2 verses, one from each Testament:

“And from the fig tree learn a parable: When the branch thereof is now tender, and the leaves come forth, you know that summer is nigh.”

Matthew 24:32

“Cast thy bread upon the running waters: for after a long time thou shalt find it again. Give a portion to seven, and also to eight: for thou knowest not what evil shall be upon the earth. If the clouds be full, they will pour out rain upon the earth.”

Ecclesiastes 11:1

Of course, spiritual preparedness is of primary importance, but physical preparedness is also our responsibility, especially toward those in our care. We have seen events in the past 6 months, much of which we have never seen in our lives…a nightmarish dystopia emerging. Depleted and rationed supplies (including food), lack of access to medical and dental care, businesses forced to close (further lack of access), economic distress, widespread social unrest, shocking abandonment of common sense and reason (get rid of police force?), forced quarantines, lockdown of travel, education disrupted, supplies (such as gardening items including seeds) and jobs arbitrarily deemed “non-essential,” families torn apart through separation (even when dying or grieving-cops were counting heads at a cemetery near me, in the open air?), inability to use restrooms, inability to celebrate or worship, being told where to stand and how much oxygen you can breathe, inability to normally socialize or even smile at others (the psychological effects on many children will be with them for the rest of their lives-we are now raising a generation of mentally ill people), privacy reduced due to being forced online, a completely immersive fear-driven mind-control operation (necessary for people to accept all this insanity), cessation of free speech, people growing cold and frightened toward one another, God’s house turned into a horror show of tape, signs and masks-separating us like cattle for the slaughter. Have I missed anything?

We must ask ourselves, “Where is all this going?” When will the next lockdown be? Tracing, testing, vaccinations…these are the things already being openly discussed. What is not being told? All of the above new realities have set a precedent for the obliteration of all basic human rights. Why more people are not deeply concerned about this is a great mystery.

So if you still don’t think there is reason to prepare, I wish you the best of luck…

WE NEED TO BECOME STRONGER NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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*** Spiritually ***

*** Mentally ***

*** Physically ***

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“What we do now echoes in eternity.”

Marcus Aurelius

If you think its time to stay home watching “Casablanca” for the 82nd time and scrapbooking….think again! We need to be prepared from this point forward for anything and everything (but not with fear). Demand to receive confession and Holy Communion. Start lifting weights. Go hiking in the wonderful outdoors without a mask, so you are not breathing in your own carbon dioxide and depressing your immune system. Take vitamins C and D. Get plenty of seeds and plant a garden. Stockpile supplies and water (only those in good supply). Buy rural property and precious metals. Learn how to fish. Learn to meditate and increase your mental strength under stress. Throw yourself on God when you get depressed-He never disappoints! Do it now. Teach your children. Pray on it. WE GOT THIS!

Image is a promotion of the show “Doomsday Castle,” which aired in 2013. I have not seen the show, but here is some info: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doomsday_Castle

Holy Week: Daily Rosary / "Stabilization Mode"

Addressing the Spiritual:

We spoke of one of Our Lady of Fatima’s requests last time, the Five First Saturdays. This is a sorrowful Holy Week. For the first time in our lives, we are deprived of the Body of Christ, possibly the Sacrament of Penance and all the wonderful Holy Week devotions we always took for granted. Worst, we are deprived of Holy Mass on the Solemnity of Solemnities, Easter Sunday. Let us take more seriously, another of Our Lady’s requests, daily rosary. Families are together at home. It is a beautiful opportunity to pray the rosary together this week. If a whole rosary seems too difficult for you right now, how about one decade?

Addressing the Temporal:

I spoke previously of “Stabilization Mode.” This is the action taken when an actual crisis or difficult situation transpires. We are no longer strictly in “preparedness” mode, though preparedness issues still must be addressed. We must first do whatever the immediate situation requires of us. Once that is done thoughtfully and prayerfully, we can work on more aggressive prepping to address keeping our situation stable in addition to possible fallout from the original problem. There can be a domino effect. This is not to make anyone fearful, only to be realistic. Fear is never appropriate for the children of God!

Please email me (contact button) for anything you would like to discuss or would like help with. Please allow time for my response. If you have something interesting to share, I may post it. Let’s take this journey together. Onward Christian soldiers!

First Saturdays At Home-Never More Important!

The observance of the Five First Saturdays are one of the requests of Our Lady of Fatima, to obtain reparation to her Immaculate Heart. As humanity is now engulfed in a difficult and confusing situation, there has never been a more important time to respect this request of Our Blessed Mother. We know not how this will ultimately play out. We much beseech God’s mercy. Trust. Be at peace. But take this as a serious warning. Public masses are shut down. Even confession is gone in some places, which was previously unthinkable. Our Blessed Lord said:

“Watch ye, therefore, praying at all times, that you may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that are to come, and to stand before the Son of man.”

Luke 21:36

So we, as Children of God, are at peace.

Normally the First Saturdays are observed in church. Since many are now at home, we can still fulfill this request to the best of our ability. I am sure our dear Mother will accept this. She has requested they be observed for 5 months in a row, but it is not a bad idea to perform them perpetually. Following are the activities (and the substitutions where applicable), based on the World Apostolate of Fatima’s recommendations. This is all done with the intention of making reparation to Our Lady’s Immaculate Heart and what a wonderful devotion to do with your family at home during this time!

1) Receive the Sacrament of Penance. At home: Make an intention to receive the sacrament as soon as possible. I might add, to say an Act of Contrition, trying to be sorry for the Love of God (perfect contrition), not just the fear of punishment.

2) Receive Holy Communion. At home: Make a Spiritual Act of Communion (see link below for help with this).

3) Recite the Joyful Mysteries of the Holy Rosary (some say the Sorrowful Mysteries during Lent).

4) Meditate on the Mysteries of the Rosary for 15 minutes with Our Blessed Mother. If you are unaccustomed to this devotion, this may be the most challenging aspect for you. Here are some tips: Place yourself in Our Lady’s presence (a picture or statue is very helpful). Ask her to enlighten you further on the Mysteries you just contemplated in the Rosary (I suppose you could contemplate other Mysteries as well). Let your thoughts drift. Imagine the Mysteries visually. Don’t try, just let the inspirations come to you. And they will! As you perform this exercise more, it will get easier. Your relationship with Our Mother will grow and eventually it will no longer be an “exercise,” but an intimate and wonderful conversation!

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Today is a traditional feast of the Seven Sorrows of Our Lady. Our Lady of Sorrows, pray for us!

Please see the World Apostolate of Fatima’s page addressing the First Saturdays during this time. Lots of great info:

https://www.bluearmy.com/first-saturday-devotion/