Mr. Peasant On The Good Old Days

Gibson family in living room of house he (conveyor belt operator) built. Chattanooga, TN,1974 

A conservative is a libertarian who has been mugged.

JOHN STOSSEL

I have been watching John Stossel since the 1980s. I have always liked him especially when I was a libertarian. I am not a libertarian now. I got mugged by reality. I am now a born again conservative. I drifted from conservatism at the same time I drifted away from religion. I came back to religion as a Roman Catholic convert, and I came back to conservatism as a paleoconservative which could be described as a "reality based libertarian." I lost things in my apostasy, but those things were replaced with better things in my repentance.

The problem with libertarians is that they pay no attention to the social and cultural side of the ledger. For them, it is all about free markets even if it leads to things like fentanyl and child pornography. A libertarian can be described as a common sense free conservative. That lack of common sense is what makes folks like me appreciate John Stossel's viewpoints while feeling that he is overlooking colossal things in the process. This is especially true in this Stossel video:

Bigger Homes, Better Cars, Longer Lives: The Truth About Today

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9KJTWmRrneo

Ecconomists set up models that seem like pure genius in their analysis, yet they smell like so much bullshit. In the case of this video, Stossel makes the claim that we have better lives today because we have bigger and better stuff even if we can't afford that stuff. He makes the claim that we couldn't afford the stuff we had in the eighties or before that. The good old days were not so good. Our dissatisfaction has kept pace with our "prosperity."

I debated where I should publish this post as I like to keep economic and political topics to my personal blog while keeping my posts about voluntary poverty and intentional living for this blog. Ultimately, this is a Peasants post because it addresses the dissatisfaction so many people feel in our prosperous economy.

Here are some recent headlines I pulled from DDG:

I’m 53, Make $500,000 a Year and Live Paycheck to Paycheck. I Want to Retire At 65, But We Only Have $200,000 Saved.

Earn more, save less? How lifestyle creep is quietly destroying your wealth; experts on how to break free

Living Paycheck to Paycheck? You're Not Alone—67% of People Are in 2025

8 Ways To Escape Living Paycheck-to-Paycheck — Without Sacrificing Your Lifestyle

I make $55,000 — but after rent, student loans and a bit of savings, I'm stuck living paycheck to paycheck

I'm a single boomer living paycheck to paycheck. I've been too busy living in the moment to plan for retirement.

27-year-old first-grade teacher lived paycheck to paycheck due to impulsive spending: ‘It became so stressful’

11 Signs You’re Actually Upper Middle Class Even If You Feel Like You’re Struggling All The Time

Those headlines tell the story. The reason people struggle today can be blamed on monetary inflation, out of control government spending, student loan debt, and crazy medical bills. What doesn't get blamed is the lifestyle inflation these people have embraced with each increase of the paycheck and swipe of the credit card. They buy new cars instead of used cars. They eat out instead of eating at home. They pay for Starbucks instead of Maxwell House. They pay for streaming subscriptions they don't have time to actually watch. They buy toys on credit. They upgrade to bigger and bigger McMansions and take out home equity loans to upgrade them even further.

Maxwell House Coffee ad, 1950

What makes all inflation happen is the expansion of credit which comes from the expansion of the money supply. Today, credit card debt stands at $1 trillion. When money is cheap, everything becomes more expensive.

I agree with Stossel that the good old days really weren't so good. When I was a kid in the 1980s, I saw the same lifestyle inflation and living paycheck to paycheck I see today. I knew kids in high school who drove brand new Mustangs and Camaros that they bought with co-signed loans from their parents. Things have always been ridiculous, and I think they will remain this way.

We remember the good old days because of the intangible and immaterial factors that Stossel and his Cato Institute economist do not address in their analysis. The USA is spiritually and culturally bankrupt. We can argue that the movies are better today because of better special effects, but no one wants to watch them because the stories and acting are so awful. The same can be said for the music that is now sonically flawless and utterly unlistenable. Libertarians cannot address this issue at all. The only people who can do this are conservatives.

Gaining the world can never compensate for the loss of our souls. What causes dissatisfaction comes down to happiness. Material prosperity should make us happy. It doesn't. Only the few figure this out.

I figured this out when I was a teenager in the 1980s. I don't know why I got it when others didn't. Clearly, reading the Bible put this into my head. The effect of it was to make me eschew lifestyle inflation which I have done to the present day. I don't care to buy or own much because I know those things don't make you happy.

Sunlight and Shadow. Winslow Homer 1873

As a thought experiment, I like to compare my present life at 50+ to my life at 15. When I was 15, my relaxing activities were reading books, listening to music on the radio or cassette deck, and watching movies and TV shows on cable or videocassettes I got from the rental store. Today, I still read books, listen to music on the radio and the CD player, and watch movies and TV shows on the DVD player or on free streaming. The only fundamental difference between today and yesteryear was that we cancelled cable in favor of the internet. My pleasures remain fundamentally the same except they are more plentiful and cost less today than they did in 1985.

What I have not done is buy expensive toys, new cars, a bass boat, a beach house, and a whole bunch of things I have never cared to own. I have always lived a life that was materially superior to royalty from a century ago. What royalty had was status. I have never had status, and I have never cared about status. This is why people would rather be a king shivering in a castle than a blue collar guy with central heat and air.

There has never been a better time in history to be a nobody than in the USA today. The problem is that everybody wants to be a somebody. If they can't be a somebody, they will settle for more expensive pleasures as a consolation prize. When these things fail to satisfy, they double and triple down on the errors as they run up their credit cards and spend themselves into foreclosure and bankruptcy.

The solution to the problem of lifestyle inflation is to learn contentment. When you are content, you find that you have more than enough for your needs. How do you find this contentment? You won't find it reading an Ayn Rand novel. You find this contentment in religion. God is the only satisfaction for the empty heart. Once you put God on the throne of your heart, everything else in life finds its proper place and becomes more enjoyable.

How America Lives, Ed and Amaline. The Ladies' Home Journal, 1948.  

Once upon a time, I told Mrs. Peasant that I would give her a materially better life than the one she had, but that no one would envy her. I kept that promise, and no one envies us. Her great gift was her ability to enjoy the non-material satisfaction that life brings when you know the Lord. Her capacity for this enjoyment is greater than my own.

The Noble Peasants don't care what is happening with the Jones family. We don't envy them, and we certainly don't compete with them. They think us to be poor, and we are happy that they think this way. It saves us from spending on things to impress them when we don't even like them.

I watch the Jones family struggle with their expenses and lament their inability to escape living paycheck to paycheck. I think it is a sad way to live, but they are not interested in the solution. I have never met anyone interested in the solution. If they were interested, this blog would be more popular than it is now.

I have learned to just be grateful to God. I am grateful for Him supplying our material needs, but I am even more grateful for Him teaching us how to live with contentment in our peasant lifestyle. More money never solves the problem because the lack of money is not the problem. The problem is bankruptcy of the soul. We call them the good old days because people used to know the things that have been forgotten.

Thank you for reading!

Moonlight, Winslow Homer. 1874

Mrs. Peasant's Diary for Ash Wednesday 2026: Worldliness, Overthinking, And What Happened To Conversation Hearts?

Child reading. Jessie Willcox Smith 1905

And seek not you what you shall eat, or 

what you shall drink: and be not lifted up on high.

For all these things do the nations of the world seek. 

But your Father knoweth that you have need of these things.

But seek ye first the kingdom of God and his justice, 

and all these things shall be added unto you.

                   LUKE 12:29

All the information, all the choices, all the opinions, all the ideas and tips leave me feeling sad. Can there be a point where tons of information becomes a terrible thing? I think I am information-ed out. My father sold encyclopedias, and he loved to answer my questions with "Well, look it up." I find even answering a simple question today on the internet to be difficult. Having to sort through hundreds of answers is tiring. Most of the time, after I research a topic I am even more confused. Try looking up how to grow a tomato. You will find a Masters Degree worth of reading material on how to grow a tomato. I just give up. I sort through hundreds of reviews to buy something on Amazon. I scroll through endless options. I see the whole world's issues. There is just too much of everything.  All of the news and information and ideas becomes super distracting along with all of the hours of time I waste on worldly things. I'll spend more time finding a pair of socks online than reading my Bible. I used to grab some at Walmart, and they'd last 8 years. It is getting harder and harder to not get sucked into the world and the things that are fading away. I am getting older. Why should I care about this or that? 

Carlo Maratta (1625-1713) (follower of) - The Madonna Reading

I am glad it is Lent. We can cling close to the Lord and focus on him. It is a chance to be less attached to this world and permission to ignore all of the noise. The world has always been a wreck, but we can actually hear all about it today. We hear every story and every update for every tragedy in every state, in every country, and the whole world. When I hear about a tragedy, I pray. When you love someone and you really want the best for them, all that matters are the eternal things. I can barely care about people I know as they deserve. How can we care about billions of people? My heart is just too small. 

Sweet Hearts Candy, Scott Ehardt 2005

I am still wondering what the hell happened to the little boxes of Conversation Hearts? I couldn't find them this year. I tried googling the answer, and it went nowhere. Now, we need AI to decipher the answers from the sea of information slop. I have a hard time decluttering books because they quickly answer my questions even after all these years. 

May the Lord be in my mind, on my lips, and in my heart. Thank you for stopping by. God bless you this Lent. 

Christ in the Wilderness - Ivan Kramskoy 1872

The Friendly Beasts of the Nativity

The Nativity (close up view) 1490. Gerard David

Jesus, our brother, kind and good,

was humbly born in a stable rude,

and the friendly beasts around him stood;

Jesus, our brother, kind and good.

 "I," said the donkey, shaggy and brown,

"I carried his mother uphill and down;

I carried his mother to Bethlehem town.

I," said the donkey, shaggy and brown.

 "I," said the cow, all white and red,

"I gave him my manger for his bed,

I gave him my hay to pillow his head.

I," said the, cow all white and red.

 "I," said the sheep with curly horn,

"I gave him my wool for his blanket warm;

he wore my coat on Christmas morn.

I," said the sheep with curly horn.

"I," said the dove from the rafters high,

"I cooed him to sleep that he should not cry;

we cooed him to sleep, my mate and I.

I," said the dove from the rafters high.

Thus every beast by some good spell,

in the stable dark was glad to tell

how they gave their gift to Emmanuel;

the gift they gave Emmanuel.

                                                                                    

                                         -THE FRIENDLY BEASTS, 12th cent. FRENCH CAROL

I hope this finds you well, my friends, as Christmas Day is around the corner. There are so many emotions this year. We have lost two uncles and an aunt who we loved dearly. Our family is filled with broken hearts. We have close friends that have lost spouses and family members. This is a season of both joy and heartache.  And, of course, the constant visuals of amazingly decorated homes, treats, and perfect gifts to show your loved ones how much you care. You can easily feel inadequate. I find gift giving and even gift getting very overwhelming. I always just send Christmas cards. (Enter the disappointing waa waa sound.) It was very hard to write the Christmas cards this year. So many people are mourning. What words can I say to comfort them? It makes you feel so small which is exactly where I meet our Lord, a tiny baby surrounded by barn animals. What gifts could these animals possibly give the Christ child?

I had never heard this song before. It is called the Friendly Beasts, and it is one of the oldest carols still sung today.  It is such a humble and sweet song. The Friendly Beasts by the The Louvin Brothers is my favorite version. 

This version is  by  Burl Ives,  and this one is by a fancy choir.

The following video is a reading of a true story. It is the magical tale of a little girl and her grandfather. The pair rush to see the barn animals on a snowy Christmas night.

Sweet Story Animals Kneel at Christmas in Appalachia

Lastly, here are a handful of images of the friendly beasts kneeling in paintings and pottery. These are the ones I found especially charming. I just love their noses in the crib and heads bowed down.

The Adoration of the Shepherds, 1600. Annibale Carracci

The Nativity, 1433. Zanobi Strozzi

Painted Terracotta Nativity, 5 pieces. 15 cent. Antonio Rossellino

Bernardino Luini: Nativity and Annunciation to the Shepherds 1520

Christ's Nativity, 1825.  Vladimir Borovikovsky

If there is a theme to our blog, it is that I am always reminded not to be ambitious. We were chosen to remain the littlest of flowers. My main motivation in writing this blog is to share imperfect and small things in this over the top world. Trust me, there are better cooks, better homes, better ideas and more elaborate content than mine. I have always wanted to expose the beauty in a little common life like mine. There is still time to offer up your tiny gifts to Jesus. A smile, a prayer, time reading His Word, or an act of charity. Maybe be patient in the grocery line. Maybe you could give Jesus a gift of not saying something cruel. Maybe just tell Him you love Him today. And, if you are hurting this Christmas, Mr. Peasant and I are sending you a prayer. You are not alone. Merry Christmas! We truly thank you for reading. 

Mr. Peasant On The Franciscan Spirit Of Voluntary Poverty

Francis of Assisi, 1590. Annibale Carracci 

My dear and beloved Brother, the treasure of blessed poverty is so very precious and divine that we are not worthy to possess it in our vile bodies. For poverty is that heavenly virtue by which all earthy and transitory things are trodden under foot, and by which every obstacle is removed from the soul so that it may freely enter into union with the eternal Lord God. It is also the virtue which makes the soul, while still here on earth, converse with the angels in Heaven. It is she who accompanied Christ on the Cross, was buried with Christ in the Tomb, and with Christ was raised and ascended into Heaven, for even in this life she gives to souls who love her the ability to fly to Heaven, and she alone guards the armor of true humility and charity.

SAINT FRANCIS OF ASSISI

I do not know the number of Franciscan religious orders in the Roman Catholic Church. Though they all agree on the vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience, the differences are in the particulars. How poor should one be? Can you own books or a second pair of sandals?

I care more about the spirit of poverty than any hard definition of what that should look like. For me, voluntary poverty means dispensing with unnecessary things and worldly vanities. It means holding my possessions with a loose grasp. It means knowing the truth that money doesn't buy happiness.

I was already on the journey towards minimalism and simple living before my conversion to Catholicism. After my conversion, I embraced the Franciscan mindset. This may be because of Mother Angelica and Padre Pio. I am very attracted to the humility and simplicity of the Franciscan orders. This is the tau cross I wear daily:

The cross reminds me to be humble, modest, and non-materialistic in my life. Before I buy anything, I ask myself if it is necessary. This practice means I buy very little. I use the acronym FCST (forecast) to clarify what I think is necessary:

F-Food

C-Clothing

S-Shelter

T-Transportation

Beyond these four things, I need very little. Then, I distinguish between present needs and future needs. I save for future needs. If you live this way, you will find yourself deprived of nothing needful while saving a lot of money in the process. It also allows you to be generous and charitable to the truly needy.

For everyone else in the world, they live in pursuit of the 2 P's--Pleasures and Possessions. They believe in error that these things bring happiness. Consequently, they spend to the limit. They can't save money because it makes their hands itch. Unspent money represents an opportunity cost where they left happiness on the table. Their greatest fear is that someone else will spend that money and gain the happiness that rightfully belongs to them. The result is that these people have neither money for their needs nor happiness.

Voluntary poverty helps you escape this sick and self-destructive mindset. You hold material things in their proper place. People who know me laugh at my peculiar habits, and I laugh, too. I remember sending a picture to my friends, but they couldn't stop laughing at my flip phone that was caught in the reflection of the rear view mirror on the passenger side of the car. I don't need a smartphone, so I don't own one. They "need" these smartphones that virtually no one needed before 2007. The irony is that most people have no clue that I still use a flip phone.

Most "needs" come from some need for compliance with the herd. Voluntary poverty liberates me from these false needs. I have never kept up with the Joneses, and the Jones family has never envied the Peasants. They look at us with a mix of disbelief and horror. Because we are not spendy, they imagine us as miserable people.

Ludovico Carracci: The Vision of Saint Francis of Assisi. 1583

True happiness comes from knowing God and living by His commandments. I think of Saint Francis as a supremely happy man. When I meet Franciscans, they strike me as happy people. Look to the examples of Mother Angelica and Padre Pio. Those were happy folks.

I see the worldly folks as supremely unhappy. This is especially true when they can't pay their bills. In pursuing their wants, they cannot even meet their needs. God has provided, and they have squandered.

I tell Mrs. Peasant that my gift from God has not been a material thing but my indifference to material things. There will always be a material dimension and considerations for life in this world, but it should never come at the expense of the spiritual dimension and considerations. One day, I will be deprived of everything I own when I go to my particular judgment. I pray that I am rich in the spiritual sense when that day comes.

Thank you for reading! Saint Francis, pray for us. 

Anton van Dyck - Saint Francis of Assisi in Ecstasy, 1627.

Mrs. Peasant's Manifesto: Finding Joy in Small Things

Spring, 1864. William McTaggart

What shall I render to the Lord, 

for all the things he hath rendered unto me?

PSALM 115:12  DOUAY-RHEIMS

I find joy in small things. It is very easy for me to do. Mr. Peasant asked me to write about finding joy in small things. I told him I would try. I haven't really thought about it. I do notice that I can find joy easily and some people can't. So, I'll try to share my view. 

In my childhood movie memories, there are two types of people, Annie and Veruca Salt. Veruca Salt was an awful, spoiled, demanding, ungrateful girl. And, back then, nobody wanted to be like her. Her famous line was "I want it now." Annie was a smiling saint that was given very little. That made an impression on me. How could the rich, spoiled girl that got anything and everything she ever wanted be so ungrateful and miserable? And how could sweet little Annie who didn't even have a family be so hopeful? 

Little Orphan Annie, August 5, 1924. Harold Gray

 

Another example would be The Princess who could feel the irritation of a single pea under 20 mattresses versus Cinderella who feels gratitude in spite of her low circumstances.

Edmund Dulac The Princess and the Pea, 1911.

Cinderella, 1930. Otto Kubel

I think there were some big things I wanted in life. I was like everyone else. Thankfully I never got any of them. I never had the chance to get whisked away by the world, accomplishments, or career. I never had  money, so I never could find much joy in it. I've told myself no so many times. I have had to deny myself most of my wants. And even the needs weren't easy to cover.  So, when a good thing came my way, I was sure grateful for it. And I hold on to thankfulness forever. I never forget each kindness or gift. You get better at denying yourself the longer time goes. Eventually, you feel uncomfortable with fancy stuff. 

The richest men in the world today are not religious. They have all the bounty, the money, the best clothes, food, comforts, and all their hearts desire. And none of them love the Lord.  None of them are grateful to Him. Then, I see very poor people from Africa. They do love the Lord. I think you can become desensitized to goodness. 

From the ages 18 to 42, I have had to wash my clothes at the laundromat. It gets really old lugging sacks of dirty clothes from the apartment to your car, getting quarters from your bank, sharing appliances with questionable people, and being trapped there for 2 hours. I have even had my clothes stolen at the laundromat. When we bought our house, I bought a basic washer and a used dryer. It was one of the happiest days of my life. We have been here for 4 years now. Every time I start a load of wash I say "Thank you Jesus." I am so happy even though it's the 300th load. My gratitude remains. My joy remains. I know people who have always washed their clothes at home who do not thank the Lord for the convenience. After 24 years of shady laundromats, I praise God for every load. Gratitude fills my heart with joy. I recall hard or sad times easily and remind myself of God's goodness.

Bless the Lord, O my soul: 

and let all that is within me bless his holy name.

Bless the Lord, O my soul, 

and never forget all he hath done for thee.

-PSALM 102:1 DOUAY-RHEIMS

Drawing, Girl on a Swing, 1879 Winslow Homer

Years ago, I read this profound blog post that has stuck with me. I read it after I lost my job, and we were down to one income. She states that we (women) should try to live on whatever our husbands bring home however small or large because God has provided for you with that amount. She said you may not like what He provided you with, but HE HAS PROVIDED FOR YOU. It is our job to take that money and make the most with it. 

It stuck with me because God is good. You may have wanted this and got that. But we should want what God gives us. We should praise Him and acknowledge it as a blessing. We choose to be grateful to the Lord. Veruca Salt would never be satisfied. I choose to be satisfied. You can choose to be satisfied. I choose to be grateful. I want to honor God in His goodness. I want to tell everyone all the good things God has done for me whether it be a beautiful day outside or a delicious meal or a green light. I try to always remind myself of God's goodness. That is how I find joy in small things. 

O Lord, for I am thy servant: 

I am thy servant, and the son of thy handmaid. 

Thou hast broken my bonds:

I will sacrifice to thee the sacrifice of praise, 

and I will call upon the name of the Lord.

PSALM 115:16  DOUAY-RHEIMS

Drawing, Girl on a Swing, 1879 Winslow Homer

Our 13th Anniversary: Love doesn't cost a thing

Eugenio Zampighi - Elderly couple reading (before 1930)

Can the ocean keep from rushing to the shore?  

It's Impossible.

If I had you, Could I ever want for more?  

It's impossible. 

                           

-PERRY COMO

Mr. Peasant and I just celebrated our 13th wedding anniversary. Typically, I wouldn't write about such a sappy date, but it's been a pretty terrible year filled with losing three family members and Mr. Peasant's ongoing leg recovery. I am compelled to rejoice over today. Not many people have loved a man through three huge changes. When I married Mr. Peasant, he was an atheist. Then, through the Lord's goodness, he converted to a Roman Catholic. Lastly he suffered a traumatic brain injury 7 years ago. He is still recovering from that. I have loved three different versions of him. I always tell him that I'll take him any way I can get him. 

I never know what this blog will end up being 20 years from now. I want whoever finds this to know this blog is about two people who married after only knowing each other 3 months in a notary's living room and the union was con-validated in an empty church 9 months later. We made our vows surrounded by the priest, my sisters and my mother with no dress and a small gold band from JC Penney's and a bouquet from the Piggly Wiggly grocery store. Our frugality started by wanting to buy a house. The habits formed over 10 years and the house we own today has been an ark to help us survive through Mr. Peasant's disability. 

It is a simple promise said without truly believing the sicker, poorer, or worse will ever come to be. Most of the time people leave when one of these tragedies pop up. We have been handed all three bad things, and I would marry him all over again. He is the reason I don't need much. He is the reason I fight so strongly for living small, saving, and not being materialistic because shit happens. We can live happily on ramen noodles and love. I don't need a new car, a house remodel, birthday dinners out, gifts around the tree, travel and pampering. I just need him. And knowing this and having his love makes it incredibly easy to navigate a tiny life. So if anyone wants to know who we are, we are the Noble Peasants. Our story is a love story; Mr. Peasant,The Lord and I.  

The Lord ruleth me: and I shall want nothing. 

He hath set me in a place of pasture. 

He hath brought me up, on the water of refreshment: 

He hath converted my soul. 

He hath led me on the paths of justice, for his own name's sake. 

For though I should walk in the midst of the shadow of death, I will fear no evils, for thou art with me. 

Thy rod and thy staff, they have comforted me.

Thou hast prepared a table before me against them that afflict me. 

Thou hast anointed my head with oil; and my chalice which inebriateth me, how goodly is it!

And thy mercy will follow me all the days of my life. 

And that I may dwell in the house of the Lord unto length of days.

                                   PSALM 22   DOUAY-RHEIMS

Eugène Laermans - Old Couple - 1925

Mr. Peasant On Suffering

Karl Julius von Leypold - Wanderer in the storm 1835

If God sends you many sufferings, it is a sign that He has great plans for you and certainly wants to make you a saint.

SAINT IGNATIUS OF LOYOLA

Epicurus is the philosopher of the quiet life. Despite all associations with the philosophy of hedonism, Epicurus argued and demonstrated that the most tranquil life you can have is a quiet life in your garden. For Epicurus, hedonism was not a matter of increasing pleasure but reducing pain and suffering. His lifestyle demonstrated that you didn't need a lot of money to find this pain reduction.

Much of what Epicurus taught can be found in the proverbs of the Old Testament, the sage advice of Saint Paul in the New Testament to live a quiet life, and in the example of the hidden life of Jesus and the Holy Family. The simple life is the best life and the most pleasant life. It should be our aim in this life.

The downside of all of this is that a pain free life is impossible. You can reduce suffering by the elimination of needless things. But you can never escape suffering in this life. It will find you despite your best efforts.

Suffering came to Epicurus at the end of his life. The philosopher developed a painful kidney stone that ended up killing him. The man died in agony. Despite his best efforts, pain and suffering found Epicurus.

Roman Catholics know that suffering is an essential part of life especially the life of a saint. We should strive to live in peace and tranquility, but we should never be surprised when we encounter adversity and suffering in this life. This is very important when considering the domestic utopia of the quiet life.

You cannot make heaven on earth. What you can achieve is an oasis of rest in the harsh desert of this world of tears. If we cannot have the hedonism of endless pleasures, we certainly should not have the masochism of endless suffering. At the end of the day, we must take the good with the bad. We must enjoy life without attachment, and we must endure life without despair. These are good lessons to remember in this season of Lent.

I hope this post finds you in a pleasant spot in life. Thank you for reading.

Christ in the Wilderness, Ivan Kramskoy 1872

St. Leonard's Exercises For Confession

Lord, remember me when thou shalt come into thy kingdom. 

And Jesus said to him: Amen I say to thee: 

This day thou shalt be with me in paradise. 

LUKE 23:42

Excerpt from Saint Leonard of Port Maurice's book, The Hidden Treasure Holy Mass:

DEVOUT EXERCISES FOR PREPARATION AND THANKSGIVING FOR CONFESSION

Soul, that dost belong to God, read and consider these devout exercises. The more you read and make your own these good and fervent thoughts, the more will you please Jesus, and the greater your reward in the life eternal. If at the first sentence you find yourself struck with devotion and compunction, pass no farther on, but rest where God hath begun to draw and work upon you. 

EXERCISES FOR CONFESSION

Weep, O my soul, for all your sins; detest your guilt beyond every form of calamity; and do so with the purpose of confession; for by your sins you have offended God your Father; you have offended God your Creator; you have offended your God Who hath never injured you; you have offended God Who hath elected you for His adopted son; you have offended God Who hath made you an inheritor of paradise; you have offended God, the highest Good--goodness infinite-- the fountain of grace; you have offended God while in the very act of blessing you.

Weep for your sins, because you have offended a God Who for love of you made Himself man; you have offended a God Who for love of you was born in a stable; you have offended a God Who, while yet in His infancy, began to shed tears and blood for you; you have offended a God Who for love of you lived poor and unknown in a workman’s shed; you have offended a God Who for love of you went about preaching His heavenly doctrine amid toil and misery; you have offended a God Who for love of you instituted the most holy sacraments; you have offended a God who for love of you has left Himself to be entirely yours in the Most Holy Sacrament; you have offended a God Who sweated blood for love of you; you have offended a God Who let Himself be bound and dragged and outraged for love of you; you have offended a God Who caused Himself to be buffeted, to be spit upon, to be kicked again and again, for love of you; you have offended a God Who chose to be tied to a pillar, and scourged, for love of you; you have offended a God Who chose to be crowned with thorns for love of you; you have offended a God Who let Himself be robed as a mock king, and made an object of jest and ridicule, for love of you; you have offended a God Who let Himself be loaded with a heavy cross for love of you; you have offended a God Who caused his hands and his feet to be pierced with great nails for love of you; you have offended a God Who gave his last gasp hanging nailed on a cross for love of you; you have offended a God Who let gall and vinegar be given to Him to drink for love of you; you have offended a God Who for a last pledge of his unbounded love, left you as a son to Mary, and Mary as mother to you; you have offended a God Who died transfixed upon a cross for your salvation; you have offended a God Who let his side be broken through by a spear for love of you; you have offended a God Who chose to be buried in a tomb; you have offended a God Who rose again to life, and sits at the right hand of the father, to give paradise to you; you have offended Jesus Christ your Redeemer, your Master, your Life, the Physician of your soul; you have offended a God Who hath tried hard by infinite kindness to get loved by you; you have offended a God Who seeks no recompense for so many benefits, but only to be loved in return by you, and obeyed by you; you have offended a God Who seeks after your love in order to make you happy in this life, and, oh, how happy in the next! 

You have offended a God Who loves you as the pupil of His eye. My soul, my soul, you have done ill--and you could bear to do so! What harm had your God done to you? Tell me why you have offended Him. Begin now at least to lament your sins, and to love God. Oh, if I had always loved and served that God Who has loved me more than His own life! 

My love, my life, my salvation, my hope! I love Thee above all things, with my whole heart; I detest my sins more than any sort of affliction. I will confess my sins, and I wish never again to offend Thee, O my dear Redeemer!  

above  Crucifixion, Antonello da Messina (1475) 
below Christ's Sacrifice on the Cross, Duveneck Mural (in St. Mary's Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption KY)

The Way of the Cross by Saint Leonard of Port Maurice

If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, 

and take up his cross, and follow me.

For he that will save his life, shall lose it: 

and he that shall lose his life for my sake, shall find it.

MATTHEW 16:24

                                                               
Opening Prayer

Resolved to sin no more, I humble myself at your most holy feet, O Jesus, my most merciful Redeemer. With sorrow for my sins, I ask your forgiveness with all my heart, and I love you above all things.
Accompany me with your grace, O most loving Jesus. Enlighten my mind and soften my heart, so that by meditating on your most painful voyage to Calvary, I may be filled with sorrow for my sins. By your suffering, by your blood, make me worthy to obtain by this devotion the indulgence granted, which I offer for the souls in purgatory.
O my sweet Jesus, grant that in the Way of the Cross I may learn to love you always.
Amen.

1. Jesus is condemned

"Crucify him!" Who? And for whom? Jesus, most innocent, for me, a sinner. Oh, what a cruel sentence, a sentence of death without mercy. My most amiable Jesus, you wish to die for me. And I, with my sins, am that witness who accuses you, that judge who condemns you. How ungrateful I have been! You have given me life, and I deliver you to death. I repent of my sins. I despise them. I detest them. And since you have not punished me by making me die on the cross, grant me at least the courage to accompany you in sorrow to Calvary.

Readings: Matthew 27:26; Mark 15:15; Luke 23:23-25; John 19:16

2. Jesus takes up the cross

My most loving Jesus, you're already on the way to Calvary. It's not enough for you to have a crown of thorns, chains around your waist, scourges, wounds, blood covering your divine body: you also desire the cross. You embrace it with such meekness, and I, with such diligence, seek to avoid it. You humbly accept so great a weight upon your innocent shoulders, and I, full of pride, reject my own lesser cross. How blind I am! You teach me to suffer so that I may be saved, and I neglect my salvation because I do not wish to suffer.

My dear Jesus, free me from self-love. And if the cross is the only way to heaven, here I am ready to embrace it. Help me with your mercy.         

Reading: John 19:17

3. Jesus falls

Alas, what do I see? My most amiable Jesus fallen under the cross, stretched out on the ground. Angels of heaven, sustain your Creator and my Redeemer. But oh! instead of angels, the enraged scoundrels come running and, with punches, slaps, and kicks, beat him horribly. And you, my dear Jesus, faced with so many outrages, suffer and remain silent. I am puzzled at myself that, whenever some small evil strikes, I am shaken; at every offense I am resentful, become angry and complain.
My most patient Jesus, lessen my pride and grant me patience so that, imitating you, I may for my own good be with you until death.

Reading: Matthew 27:31

4. Jesus meets his mother

To my great confusion, it wasn't enough that I should see Jesus covered with pain and clothed as a sinner; now his mother also joins him to suffer for my sins! Accursed sins; most painful encounter; most sorrowful mother! In your agony, I see my wickedness.

I know that, in such a painful encounter, the suffering of the Son is the suffering of the mother. I know that, if my sins have pierced Jesus' body, they have pierced your heart, O great virgin. But I also know that Jesus is the source of mercy, you, the refuge of sinners.
Therefore, most merciful mother, I humbly turn to you with sorrow for my sins. In your kindness, obtain for me from your suffering Son, Jesus, the pardon of my sins.

Reading: John 19:25-27

5. Simon of Cyrene helps Jesus

Then, to assist my weary Jesus, a man is forced to carry the cross for him. Sadly, I see that I am that Cyrenean, who occasionally though unwillingly takes up some cross that you, my Jesus, offer me.
How foolish I am! For my whims, for my pleasure, I don’t dread hardships, I don’t fear dangers, I don’t count the sweat. For you, my dear Jesus, everything aggravates me, everything bores me, I seek to avoid everything. How lukewarm, how weak I am!

My Jesus, grant me a little fervor, enliven my courage to suffer with you, so that I may rejoice with you forever.

Readings: Matthew 27:32; Mark 15:21;Luke 23:26

6. Veronica wipes Jesus’ face

Give me that shroud, holy woman. Let me keep it, blessed Veronica. I wish to imprint in my heart the holy face of my Savior. But oh, unhappy me! who, full of self-love and ambition, have a heart of stone, incapable of holy sentiments.

My most merciful Redeemer, create in me a new heart, a pure, contrite, and humble heart, and then imprint upon it your most holy name. I promise to love you alone, my Jesus, and to be detached from myself.

Jesus on my lips, Jesus in my heart. Jesus my delight, I’ll call upon him in life; Jesus my comfort, I’ll call upon him in death. And in the name of Jesus, I firmly hope to breathe forth my spirit.

Reading: Luke 23:27

7. Jesus falls again

Here is the king of heaven, the Creator of the universe, once again stretched out on the ground under the heavy cross. What pain, what fatigue, what derision!

My most gentle Jesus, you bathe the ground with sweat from the front of your fallen head, and I, with my pride, have turned against heaven and exalted myself above what I really am, forgetting that I am nothing but lowly dust. How despicable I am! Humility, my Jesus, humility. Lessen my pride, show me my nothingness. You created me from clay, and to clay I must return. Death is approaching, and my sinfulness weighs against me. Mercy, my God. By your sufferings, grant me sorrow for my sins. By your fall, help me to rise again.

Reading: Luke 23:26

8. Jesus meets the women of Jerusalem

I hear you, most amiable Savior, I hear you: it is not for you but for myself that I should bitterly weep. My tears only increase your suffering if they are not tears of repentance.
Weep then, my heart! Weep not for your God who goes to his death, but for your sins that bring him there. You are even cruel to yourself unless you wipe out your sins with such sorrow.

Most precious blood of my sweet Jesus, soften the heart that does not weep; enlighten the mind that does not know; bend the will that does not obey. Yes, my Jesus, I’m sorry for my sins, and I’ll be sorry for them as long as I live. I would rather die a thousand times before committing them again. Strengthen me by your grace.

Reading: Luke 23:28-31

9. Jesus falls a third time

My Jesus, my life and my hope, I see you fallen a third time under the cross. It isn’t the wood of the cross, but my ingratitude, which makes it too heavy for you to carry. My repeated falls into hateful sin cause you to fall again. How often I turn from sin to confession, then from confession to sin! Yes, I realize that this is the infinite weight of your most painful cross. But now I resolve to change.
What would become of me in my weakness if you did not help me to rise again whenever I fall? Oh, I see hell opened under my feet ready to swallow me! Most merciful Jesus, sustain me by your suffering, shield me by your wounds, so that I will never again fall into sin, never again.

Reading: John 19:17

10. Jesus is stripped

Such a contrast should never exist: you, my beloved Jesus, stripped of your garments, with festering wounds; I, clothed in soft garments. I, unwilling to bear any pain, however slight. I, girded with delicacy and with pride.To you, my sweet Savior, bitter gall; to me, pleasures and sweet delights. You, the joy of heaven, filled with sufferings; I, a most vile worm from this world, void of repentance.

No, my Jesus, may it not be so any longer. It’s not fair that you who are innocent should suffer, and I who am guilty enjoy. By your grace, grant me a share in some part of your sufferings.
And if a little contrition would sweeten that gall, why, my soul, don’t you weep? Yes, my most sorrowful Jesus, I repent of my sins and seek your mercy: I love you above all things.

Reading: Luke 23:34

11. Jesus is crucified

You have finally arrived at Calvary, my dear Jesus. You have arrived, dragged along like a lowly criminal, beaten and kicked, pulled with ropes, accompanied by two thieves for your greater humiliation. What a horrible sight! The hammering of nails into your hands and feet, the sharpest thorns on your head, God transfixed on a most painful cross. So much confusion, so much blood!

Who can contemplate you, my Jesus, and not be heartbroken with compassion? Permit me to draw near to you, my dying Redeemer. Since my sins have brought you to death, I want to kiss that cross, to take shelter in those wounds, to drink of that most precious blood. Blood and wounds of my Jesus, which have redeemed me, save me. I beg of you, save me.

Readings: Matthew 27:33-38; Mark 15:22-27; Luke 23:33-34; John 19:18


 

12. Jesus dies

Here is the victim already immolated, the great sacrifice already accomplished, the will of the Eternal Father already carried out. Here is Jesus on the hill of Golgotha, nailed to a cross, a pitiful sight to heaven, to earth, to the elements. My Jesus is dead; he is dead. Those most holy eyes discolored, those lips taking their final breath, those thorns, those nails, those wounds, that opening in his side, that blood — all are sources of mercy.

But near the cross I also see Divine Justice, ready with sword in hand! Poor me, if I remain obstinate in my sins, making vain the work of my redemption! No, my Jesus, don’t allow me to leave Calvary without impressing in my heart your most bitter passion. Grant that, fearing your justice, I will live in your wounds, in your mercy.

Readings: Matthew 27:46-50; Mark 15:34-37; Luke 23:46; John 19:28-30

13. Jesus is taken from the cross

Most holy mother of my crucified Jesus, you receive him in your lap, and if you do not die of sorrow, if love does not kill you, it is because Jesus does not will it. Two most bitter passions for the sake of my redemption: the Son suffering torments of the body, the mother suffering martyrdom of the heart — both for me. Infinite mercy of my Jesus, I adore you; most merciful mother of sorrows, I thank you. How cruel my sinfulness has been, executioner of the Son, tyrant of the mother’s heart!

Most holy mother, place a kiss for me upon those wounds, upon that bloody cross. I don’t dare to approach because sin reminds me of my ingratitude. Sorrowful virgin, intercede for me that I may be truly sorry for my sins, and may the power of your protection obtain my repentance, my salvation.

Readings: Matthew 27:57-58; Mark 15:42-45; Luke 28:50-52; John 19:38

14. Jesus is buried

Who will give me a source of tears with which to weep over the death of my Jesus and accompany him to the tomb? Poor Jesus, at the cost of all your blood you have redeemed the whole world from the slavery of hell and, except for a few people, there is no one to weep with compassion at your tomb.

What ignorance! I wish, my beloved Jesus, to weep for everyone over your death and to detest the sins that have betrayed you. Enclose in your tomb my poor heart. Yes, my Jesus, accomplish your mercy: grant that, purified and sanctified, it will rise again with you. And since you have encountered death voluntarily for my salvation, grant that I may humbly accept my death for love of you so that,
by means of this sacrifice of humiliation and love, I may glorify you in heaven for all eternity.

Readings: Matthew 27:59-61; Mark 15:46-47; Luke 23:53-56; John 19:39-42
 

Saint Leonard Pray for us.

Top image - Giovanni Bellini 1505 
Stations:1. Antonio Ciseri (1860)  2. El Greco (1587)  3. Mikhail Nesterov (1912) 4. Boccaccio Boccaccino  (1501) 5. Titan (1508) 6. Kreuzweg von Gebhard Fugel (1921) 7. Kreuzweg von Gebhard Fugel (1921) 8. Orazio Lomi Gentileschi (1605) 9. Kreuzweg von Gebhard Fugel (1921) 10. Kosheleff (1898) 11. Albrecht Dürer (1494) 12. Diego Velazquez (1829) 13. William Adolphe Bouguereau (1876)14. Ilya Repin (1922)