Eclipse Pilgrimage of Mercy
“X Marks the Spot”
Total Solar Eclipse Across North America
April 8th, 2024
+ ECLIPSE PILGRIMAGE OF MERCY +
Good Friday, March 29th to April 13th
Novena of the Divine Mercy chaplet: Good Friday to April 6th
Prior to Divine Mercy Sunday, April 7th
Don’t worry if you start the Novena a bit late!
Divine Mercy Chaplet Special Novena Prayers
Pilgrimage to Holy Sites Across the Land: April 7th to 13th
Pray the Full Rosary at a Shrine or Cathedral One Day of This Week
Don’t worry if you can’t travel, any church will be fine!
How to Pray a Full Rosary (all 4 Mysteries)
This eclipse, when seen with the total eclipse 7 years ago across North America, forms an “X” across the Midwest, USA. Some say this is a prophetic sign of God’s wrath upon us. Whether or not we see it as a sign, let us use this spectacular natural event as a catalyst to pray for mercy. It is obvious we are living in dangerous times, both spiritually and temporally. Let us call down God’s extraordinary graces with the Divine Mercy Novena. Let us also travel to Catholic holy sites, which bear the Presence of Christ, to pray the Holy Rosary. As the eclipse traverses the sky, may the Body of Christ traverse the land, sanctifying it and securing mercy.
This is to be done individually by families or church groups. No need to sign up for anything, just do it!
We would appreciate letting us know you have participated. Click “Contact” button above.
Printing & Distributing Helps Us Out and Promotes This Event. let’s lift up our prayer for mercy from sea to shining sea! we need your help. share in whatever ways you can. Thank you!
Eclipse Pilgrimage of Mercy PDF Printable
*** Set your printer to Color or Black & White ***
March is the Month of Saint Joseph
What better time than March, the Month of Saint Joseph, to recite the beautiful “Thirty Days Prayer to Saint Joseph?” What better time than this March? What better time than today? This can be the way you honor the Foster-Father of Our Blessed Lord during his month, a Lenten exercise and an opportunity to lift up our intentions at this critical point in time. This prayer states, “My sins have drawn down on me the just displeasure of my God, and so I am surrounded with unhappiness.” This goes for the whole world. Sin is the reason why it is all happening and it is now pay-up time. We all knew something had to break eventually because of the trajectory we were on. Well, look around. It’s breaking and time is short.
There is another more lengthy 30-day devotion called “The Holy Cloak of Saint Joseph.” Here is the PDF printable of the prayer mentioned above…
THIRTY DAYS PRAYER TO SAINT JOSEPH ~ PDF Printable
IN HONOR OF THE 30 YEARS SPENT WITH JESUS AND MARY
Saint Joseph’s feast on the 19th is also the date of the Spring Equinox this year. As preppers, Spring is one of the most exciting times of year! But often it seems to come too fast, so now is the time to plant your indoor seedlings (if that applies to your climate) and get that garden ready. If you haven’t gardened before but want to get started, there are so many resources available (try The Old Farmer’s Almanac, which is now offering a free “Beginner’s Guide to Gardening”). 90% of the battle is getting started. So maybe you could make that a Lenten goal while there are still 4 weeks left of Lent? Preparing and taking care of your family is certainly a noble endeavor. It is actually like a Corporal work of Mercy. And hopefully, at that difficult time in the coming days, you will have so much abundance, that you will be able to help others around you as well. Saint Isidore the Farmer, whose feast we celebrate on the 22nd, will be proud of you!
March ends with the solemn Easter Triduum and the 31st is Easter, the Solemnity of Solemnities. We celebrate the glorious Resurrection of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, only 9 days before the “X Marks the Spot Solar Eclipse” over North America (which some say is a prophetic sign of God’s wrath upon us). Wow, precisely enough time to pray a novena (and also perform the First Saturdays Devotion on April 6th)! If you are on our email list or have been following the blog, you already know about our…
Eclipse Pilgrimage of Mercy
This gets even more interesting. The week of the eclipse is April 7th-13th, Sunday to Saturday. April 7th is the feast of the Divine Mercy and April 8th, the day of the eclipse, is the Annunciation. We have added the Chaplet of Divine Mercy from Easter Sunday to April 8th, to the Pilgrimage format. During the week of the eclipse, the suggestion is to visit a holy Catholic place, such as a shrine, cathedral, etc, and pray the Rosary for mercy. If this is too difficult, any church will do. More details to follow.
Here are some notable feasts of March….
1st-First Friday of the Sacred Heart
2nd-First Saturday of the Immaculate Heart
3rd-Saint Katherine Drexel, 20th Century Saint
6th-Saints Felicitas & Perpetua, Martyrs
7th-Saint Thomas Aquinas
12th-Pope Saint Gregory the Great
17th-Passion Sunday / Saint Patrick
19th-SAINT JOSEPH
22nd-Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary / Saint Isidore the Farmer
24th-Palm Sunday / Saint Gabriel Archangel
28th-Holy Thursday
29th-GOOD FRIDAY (fast & abstinence)
30th-HOLY SATURDAY / EASTER VIGIL
31st-EASTER SUNDAY
Traditional Calendar for March
We discuss both trad and new feasts.
To Dream the Impossible Dream: The Authentic Life
I keep saying that we will go crazy if we don’t have something to balance the darkness all around us, a vision to inspire us and get us through. And of course, faith in God. Let us never lose our humanity. Let us always hold our heads up high. And ultimately, we live for the next life.
I grew up listening to this song, we need a few anthems right now…
“The Impossible Dream (The Quest)”
Richard Kiley & Cast from Man of La Mancha, 1966
To dream the impossible dream
To fight the unbeatable foe
To bear with unbearable sorrow
To run where the brave dare not go
To right the unrightable wrong
To love pure and chased from afar
To try when your arms are too weary
To reach the unreachable star
This is my quest to follow that star
No matter how hopeless, no matter how far
To fight for the right without question or pause
To be willing to march into Hell for that Heavenly cause
And I know if I only be true to this glorious quest
That my heart will lie peaceful and calm when I lay to my rest
And the world will be better for this
That one man, scorned and covered with scars
Still strove with his last ounce of courage
To reach the unreachable star
(Mitch Leigh, Joe Darion)
Our “unreachable star” at Nomen Christi Apostolate is the Resilient Catholic Community,
the Authentic Life.
believe in it.
Visualize it.
Pray for it.
Give yours a name.
Work towards it.
See the little ones at Mass in their mothers’ arms. They’re gonna need you.
Ash Wednesday "Ginger Berry Overnight Oats"
I happened to make these overnight oats the night before Ash Wednesday, added the 2 layers for breakfast, and realized what a good “fasting day” meal this is. It is vegetarian (you can make it vegan), healthy, nutrient dense and filling. If you are eating empty calories or not enough substance, you might have difficulty getting through the day….unless that’s what you want, you do you! But if you have health issues or get irritable when you’re hungry, it might not be the most responsible thing to tax yourself too much. So here’s one idea for an Ash Wednesday / Good Friday meal and this recipe is so flexible, you can make your own variations (you decide how much of this is a meal or a snack). And from a prepper viewpoint, overnight oats is a great way to make something without needing a heat source…stock up on oats!
One cup Rolled Oats in a 6 1/2” x 6 1/2” dish. 1 tbs Chia Seeds, 1 scoop sweetened Vanilla Protein Shake Mix, any Milk (just enough to cover oats), ground Ginger to taste. Mix well. Let sit in fridge covered overnight.
Spread one serving of yogurt on top. This is a stevia-sweetened berry yogurt.
Top with Berries.
Spoon into another dish. That’s it! Overnight Oats are are meant to be eaten cold, but you can certainly warm it up a bit if you want, you may also wish to add more milk for a creamier texture.
My Trip to The Home Depot
We discussed impending Spring in the last post, so that means a trip to a garden center, in this case, The Home Depot, since I was passing by it today anyway. Whenever I’m at The Home Depot, I manage to find something I didn’t know I needed and this time it was the battery organizer! Here is everything I bought….
An inexpensive Orchid Potting Mix, for my old orchid plant which needs some refreshing…seed starter containers and soil pods (2 different methods, both of which may be placed directly in the ground, after opening up the bottoms for the roots to grow-I love the pods, you add water and they puff up like magic, they’re really fun for children)…kale (early crop!) seeds (I’ve still got tons of seeds from last year which I will be using)…a fire extinguisher for our basement (you should have one on each level of your home and write the expiration date on it with a Sharpie)…the battery organizer (I love this thing, batteries not included LOL but it does come with a battery tester)…a new Aloe Vera plant (which is considered medicinal for the skin)…plastic indoor plant trays (I’m of the mind you can never have too many)…large Comet for a buck and Febreze cheap 2-pack. You can also see our bug-out bag and some of our maps (MAPS ARE VERY IMPORTANT! ALL KINDS!). There is our car organizer, which you can’t see too well behind everything, but it functions sort of as an extension to the bug-out bag.
Yes, I know The Home Depot is one of those big-chain monoculture seat-at-the-creepy-new-world-order-table monopolizing entities. This particular store had disturbing in-your-face cameras during Covid (because we all know why cameras are needed when there’s a virus going around), which have since been removed. I do try to limit my patronage of such stores, but I never said I was perfect. For sure, the “Mom & Pop” local businesses should be supported as much as possible…and the farmer’s markets!
I was very impressed to see an array of fruit trees for sale this year. Peach, apple, cherry and pear! I think I have to go back and check that out when hubby can carry them…but I will have to do a bit of research first, you have to know what you’re doing with fruit trees…
"Back To The Roots"
Back To The Roots
America’s Organic Gardening Company
Seeds, Soils, Raised Beds, Plant Food, Grow Kits, Innovative Products, Education & Charity
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You can see how my Pearl Oyster Mushrooms have exploded in just a few days! These Grow Kits are amazing. They also have hydroponic ones.
“Back to the Roots” is a company dedicated to organic gardening and making it easy. Please see the website above for more info.
These were incredibly delicious and tasted almost like meat. We sauteed them in butter with salt and pepper. That’s it!
Oops, Forgot to Talk About the Ember Days!
The Ember Days of Lent (or Spring) are celebrated the week after Ash Wednesday this year. That is, Wednesday the 21st, Friday the 23rd and Saturday the 24th. Traditionally, meat is eaten at only one meal (obviously, you will not be eating meat on Friday). These are days of prayer and penance for the coming season. The Ember Days are particularly fun to celebrate with children because you can take the opportunity to come up with crafts having to do with the seasons and working in a spiritual message. If you have a trad-minded parish or group of friends, why not get the children together to learn about the Ember Days…or…
How About Planting on the Ember Days?
Seedlings my son and I planted a few years ago with a seed starting kit.
In Nomen Christi Apostolate style, let’s see how we might combine the Ember Days, the season of Spring, Lent and preparedness! On Long Island, where I am, indoor seedlings are started in February, for transplanting outdoors when temperature permits and when the plants are strong enough to handle rain and other stresses. Some common foods one might start indoors, would be Bell Peppers, Tomatoes, Broccoli and Kale. A number of herbs can also be started at this time. The Ember Days this year would be perfect days for planting these seeds indoors. Again, I’m talking about my area. If you can sow directly in the ground, think about that (or plant in pots if you’re not quite set up to garden yet) or if it’s too cold in your area, you can still do an indoor plant, perhaps even winter bulbs or cooking herbs.
What about the prayerful quality of the Ember Days and Lent? You could bless the seeds with holy water and pray for a good harvest, you could thank God for your abundance and pray for the poor…or pray to the saints invoked for gardening and nature, such as Saint Francis of Assisi, Saint Rose of Lima, Saint Hildegard of Bingen, Saint Isidore the Farmer, Saint Kateri and Saint Fiacre. To see the planting calendar for your own area: Old Farmers Almanac
In addition, the readings for the Ember Days are quite beautiful. This can be incorporated into your daily prayertime. Blessings to all on these wonderful traditional feasts!
"It Was the Best of Times, It Was the Worst of Times..."
The first paragraph in Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities, words of genius, and it sounds a bit familiar:
“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times,
It was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness,
It was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity,
It was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness,
It was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair,
We had everything before us, we had nothing before us,
We were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way…”
Reading these words is like looking into a prism, a many-faceted crystal, or playing with a Rubik’s Cube. So much is here to meditate upon regarding our own times. Light and Dark are rapidly separating. This could be a Lenten exercise, if paired with self-examination. Where am I in this story?
How about this one?…
From William Butler Yeats’ poem, “The Second Coming:”
“Turning and turning in the widening gyre,
The falcon cannot hear the falconer,
Things fall apart, the centre cannot hold,
Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,
The blood-dimmed tide is loosed,
And everywhere the ceremony of innocence is drowned,
The best lack all conviction,
While the worst are full of passionate intensity.”
February is the Month of the Passion of Our Lord
As of Septuagesima Sunday (this past Sunday), the traditional Liturgical Calendar moves from the Cycle of Christmas to the Cycle of Easter. We remain in this second part for the rest of the year. We have been meditating upon the Mystery of the Incarnation and now we contemplate the Mystery of the Redemption. The Cycle of Christmas contained Advent, Christmastide and Time after Epiphany. The Cycle of Easter contains Septuagesima, Lent, Passiontide, Easter Time and Time after Pentecost.
As we begin our journey into the Redemption of our souls, we consider how to best conduct our approaching Lent. This is the purpose of Septuagesima, to arrive at Lent fully prepared and ready to roll. Otherwise, you wake up on Ash Wednesday and say, “Oh no, it’s Ash Wednesday already. What am I giving up? I just made coffee. Should I give up coffee? I don’t want to dump it now, that’s expensive coffee.” Or…”Why did I buy all those cookies?” You can laugh, but YOU KNOW IT’S TRUE!
In terms of which Lenten practices you may wish to do, maybe think a bit creatively this year, instead of the “same old thing.” As we discussed in our “Total Eclipse” post, the world is engulfed in sin and emerging chaos. Prayer, fasting, penance and spiritual practices in general, are so needed at this time. And being that February is a month devoted to the Passion of Our Lord, this may help point our exercises in that direction. Of course, there are the Sorrowful Mysteries, which some say each day in Lent. There are the litanies of the Passion and the Holy Cross. Here also, is a Lenten Novena.
Following are some of the notable feasts of this month (we provide both trad and new feasts)…
2nd-Presentation of Our Lord (also known as Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary or Candlemas, when traditionally, candles are blessed)
3rd-St. Blaise (Blessing of Throats)
4th-Sexagesima Sunday
11th-Quinquagesima Sunday, Our Lady of Lourdes
13th-Shrove Tuesday (Holy Face of Jesus traditionally celebrated)
14th-Ash Wednesday (fast & abstinence), St. Valentine (wonderful day to offer up for the intention of chastity)
21st-Ember Wednesday of Lent/Spring
23rd-Ember Friday of Lent/Spring
24th-Ember Saturday of Lent/Spring, St. Matthias