Dear TIA,

This was revealed to Venerable Anne Catherine Emmerich by Our Lady about a pleasing devotion that should be started on the eve of her birth, September 7. I am sending it to you for the benefit of the readers of your website.

The Blessed Virgin Mary speaks to Ven. Anne Catherine Emmerich: "I saw the Blessed Virgin on the eve of her nativity. She said to me: "Whoever says the Hail Mary nine times lovingly and devoutly this evening (Sept. 7), to honor the nine months spent in my mother's womb as also my birth, and continues the same devotion for nine consecutive days, daily gives to the Angels nine flowers for a bouquet. This bouquet they bear to Heaven and offer to the most holy Trinity to obtain some favor for the one that prays."

Taken from The Life of Christ, vol. 1 of the four-volume set titled The Lowly Life and Bitter Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ and His Blessed Mother, New York: Sentinel, 1914, p. 149.

The book can be read online here.

I visit your site every day.

     In Jesus and Mary,

     F.H.

Dear Mr Guimarães,

I am shocked that anyone, let alone Catholic authorities, should attempt to defend Luther. Are these people aware of the anti-Semitism of Luther, so strong that Hitler had Luther's works published and disseminated? I quote simply from Wikipedia:

'In 1543 Luther published On the Jews and Their Lies in which he says that the Jews are a "base, whoring people, that is, no people of God, and their boast of lineage, circumcision, and law must be accounted as filth." They are full of the "devil's feces ... which they wallow in like swine." The synagogue was a "defiled bride, yes, an incorrigible whore and an evil slut ..."

'He argues that their synagogues and schools be set on fire, their prayer books destroyed, rabbis forbidden to preach, homes razed, and property and money confiscated. They should be shown no mercy or kindness afforded no legal protection, and these "poisonous envenomed worms" should be drafted into forced labor or expelled for all time.[He also seems to advocate their murder, writing "[w]e are at fault in not slaying them.""

Please feel free to quote what I say and my name on your invaluable website. Keep up your good work.

     Yours sincerely in Jesus, Mary and Joseph,

     Eric Hester, England

Dear TIA,

Pax et bonum!

My son will turn one in September. I have read somewhere that, traditionally, Catholics gave more importance to their patron saint's feast day than to their own birthdays, but our Novus Ordo relatives and friends neither know nor practice this so we will celebrate his first birthday as they all expect it.

I thought it would be a good time to renew his consecration to the Blessed Virgin as the highlight of the event. Should we use the same consecration formula we recited at his consecration after baptism, or is there another formula specifically for renewing consecration? If there is, please be so kind as to point me in that direction.

Thank you so much for providing us guidance and assistance at this time of utter confusion.

God bless you all and your apostolate! You are included in our daily family Rosary intentions.

     In corde Mariae,

     I.G.R., Philippines



TIA responds:

Dear I.G.R.,

Thank you for your prayers and support.

We do not know of anything wrong in celebrating birthdays. To celebrate other feasts, such as the baptismal day and the Patron Saint day does not prevent parents from celebrating the birthdays of their children or their own. The birthday is the day God chose to bring us into the world and to begin our earthly test. On this day we should thank Him for giving us the opportunity to prove we are worthy of sharing eternal life with Him, and ask Him for graces to be faithful.

We suggest you to consecrate your child as a slave of Our Lady according to the method of True Devotion of Our Lady taught by St. Louis Grignion de Montfort. You may find the formula he wrote for this consecration here.

We will be praying for you and your child.

     Cordially,

     TIA correspondence desk

Dear Dr. Horvat,

I hope you enjoy this very short film. A stark contrast with the youth rallies of today [here and here]. Here we see militant, serious, uniformed and disciplined young Catholic girls, ready to fight the evil of communism.

God Bless you,

     C.P., Ireland

TIA,

Thank you for dedicating a webpage to St. Philomena. She is a great saint who helps all who ask.

P.S.

Dear TIA,

Regarding this news that was sent to me:

"To the second question of Msgr. Fellay - 'What we now forecast to Rome?' - one may say that the Pope is about to propose to him the establishment of an Apostolic Administration to regularize the situation of the SSPX and its community allies, leaving them independent of diocesan bishops. Some members of the Ecclesia Dei were able to clarify that this proposal will be made in the next meeting with Msgr. Fellay."

I wait to hear what happens in this regards. It would truly be a sad day for the faith and all traditionalists if the SSPX were to agree to be controlled by Rome, even if it was independent from the local bishops. I expect once that happens that Rome will slowly require the society to become more "updated" and to rein in their comments against the errors of Rome and Vatican II.

I would be extremely disappointed in Bishop Fellay if he were to give control of the society over to Pope Benedict; which, of course, would include the purse strings and thereby the most important control. I don't know what my family and I would do under such circumstances. The good old independent priests are dying off at a quicker pace than ever.

As far as discussions with Rome, had the society not done so then criticism would be aimed at their acknowledging the Pope but not trying to come to terms and a lack of any type of obedience. The society continues to point out the errors in Rome and Vat II, and I commend them for that. This is the reason we still attend their chapels. If they "capitulate" to Rome, I would be devastated as I would have to consider what to do next.

Let's pray that does not happen until, and if, Rome returns to the bosom of the faith.

May Our Blessed Lady cradle you in her loving arms,

     J.P.

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