Notes

I was never too familiar with our Lady's apparitions at La Salette. Growing up there was a shrine to our Lady of La Salette in Attleboro, MA. I remember walking around (and saying) the rosary there-it was on a pathway set on a pond. But I never recalled reading a book about the apparitions as I did with Fatima and Lourdes.

Recently reading (editing) a book, I read that one of the major concerns expressed by our Lady at La Salette was the failure to keep holy the Sabbath. In 1846? Wow! (Of course this was France-devastated by the French Revolution and aftermath, but you get the impression our Lady is talking about all of Christendom.) I decided to check it out. Here's what our Lady said:

"I have given you six days to work. The seventh I have reserved for myself, yet no one will give it to me." This is what causes the weight of my Son's arm to be so crushing.

Only a few rather old women go to Mass in the summer. Everyone else works every Sunday all summer long. And in the winter, when they don't know what else to do, they go to Mass only to scoff at religion.

Sounds to me like we have the same problem today except they don't go to Mass even in the winter. And keeping Sunday holy? It has become just another Saturday for many.

Our diocese celebrated a "year of the family" a year or two ago. Bishop Baker, in his letter announcing it, put his emphasis on keeping Sunday holy. Of course John Paul II wrote an encyclical letter on keeping Sunday holy also. Ye who have ears .....

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Yesterday I was in Columbia-as is the case about once a week. I noticed two things. First, the roads seem more crowded (than even last year when I drove this route every day and even more so than 4-5 years ago when I also drove part of this route.) There is a major accident almost every time I commute on Route 20-usually on the other side of the highway (I am usually travelling against the traffic.)

Second thing noticed... On my way home I have the habit (once a week) of listening to Public Radio's Marketplace. (Not that I have financial investments and such-it just sometimes has neat stories-like a few weeks ago when they reported on how people make money hand over fist operating storage units.)

But what I have been noticing is that virtually every time I listen, there is a story about China. China has become that important to our economy that it is part of the daily mix.

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I laughed aloud when reading the latest Nigerian Scammer piece from TS to Mrs. Curley last evening.

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And finally, California seems to be having its trials. First homeschooling is "outlawed" and now marriage is destroyed. I hope Mr. Culbreath's optimism on the ballot initiative is justified. We have all seen what seemed like strong coalitions fall apart as the voting time approaches-although usually it affects politicians more than the electorate-yet how did we get here? (We were thinking of California, and especially the Culbreath's yesterday on the feast of St. Isadore.)

Oremus pro invicem!