I have found a book containing some of what Pope Benedict XIV said about Heroic Virtue. Here I link to the first volume.

I am going to conclude this blog today. I am rather tired of it, and I tend only to update it out of a sense of duty. I do not feel that this is necessary any more. I think this has reached its end.

I should perhaps write something more extended than usual on this occasion. It is traditional to write something poignant at the end of such things, and I suppose there is a certain poignancy in the finality of it anyway. Every moment of my time is precious; and I do not think writing very little for very few people has proved the best way of spending it.

I hope that those of you who have followed this blog have found it of some use or benefit: and I leave you with my blessing.

May Almighty God bless you, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

And may the souls of the Faithful Departed, through the Mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.

Et in perpetuum, fratres, ave atque vale.

I am very tired. I must sleep, since I have an appointment on the morrow. I have emoted this evening. Bonam noctem.

I am 22 today!

I would like at some point to write a commentary on the theologically bad film "The Nativity Story." But not on my birthday.

I am blessed to have received a Rosary today, blessed by Ven. Pope John Paul II!

:D

I have had a very nice day.

We went out for a meal in the evening (en famille); I watched the 25th anniversary concert of Les Misérables on Blu-Ray in the afternoon.

My brother also bought me a Benedetto XVI Calendario 2011.

Huzzah!

If we wish to become saints, we should have some sort of Rule of Life. We should, ideally, go to Mass every day, meditate for at least 15 minutes each day, and say at least 5 decades of the Rosary each day. We should say grace before and after meals; we should say some familiar prayers when we rise and when we go to bed; and we should say the Angelus (or Regina Caeli during the Easter season) thrice a day. We should go to Confession at least monthly, preferably more often.

It is generally best, I think, to receive Communion daily. But certainly we should receive it at least weekly. St Alphonsus recommends receiving the Sacraments weekly (he does not say we should not receive them more); and going to Mass daily. He urges everyone to do a half-hour's mental prayer each day, and recommends 15 minutes of spiritual reading.

The Divine Office is a very powerful prayer, of course, since it is the prayer of the Church.

Good night.

Ave Maria, gratia plena, Dominus tecum. Benedicta tu in mulieribus, et benedictus fructus ventris tui, Jesus. Sancta Maria, Mater Dei, ora pro nobis peccatoribus nunc et in hora mortis nostrae. Amen.

I am writing this to clarify whether it is a sin or not to use foul language.

It depends, not on the words themselves in se, but on the intention, whether that is a good intention or a bad one.

It is a mortal sin to use such language in the presence of those who are so weak-spirited that they will suffer scandal, and especially in front of children. It will be a mortal sin to use foul language when there is danger of spiritual ruin to oneself or another.

To use immodest words ex vano solatio, vel joco, is a venial sin.

If the words are very lascivious, I think one should act conscious of the much higher likelihood that hearers will suffer scandal.

It is worth remembering that those who habitually use impure words are likely inadvertently to use them in front of children, who, as a result of hearing such words, will commit a thousand sins.

I have taken this mostly from St Alphonsus.

Ave Maria, gratia plena, Dominus tecum. Benedicta tu in mulieribus, et benedictus fructus ventris tui, Jesus. Sancta Maria, Mater Dei, ora pro nobis peccatoribus nunc et in hora mortis nostrae. Amen.

The 17th of December, and the beginning of the great O Antiphons... The Church's liturgy heightens in energy, if I may so express it, in anticipation of our Lord's coming at Bethlehem.

O SAPIENTIA, QUAE EX ORE ALTISSIMI PRODIISTI,
ATTINGENS A FINE USQUE AD FINEM,
FORTITER SUAVITERQUE DISPONENS OMNIA:
VENI AD DOCENDUM NOS VIAM PRUDENTIAE.

I shall not translate that for you; you can look up a translation yourself, or, better, translate it yourself. Or you may not need to translate it; you may be able to read Latin without carrying the words across (trans-lating) into another language.

Once again I urge my Reader to say the Rosary every day, at least 5 decades. It is well to conclude it with the Litany of the Blessed Virgin.

The naïve, at whom I never know whether to laugh or cry or tremble, would profit from reading this:

The Books were a Front for the Porn