These notes are from Fr. Ripperger’s talk:

Devotion to St. Joseph is among the most powerful of all the devotions. If for no other reason because he is called St. Joseph most powerful.

Christ, who, seeing His mother, in fulfilling the 4^th commandment will deny her nothing. So also with St. Joseph, but to a lesser degree, He will deny him nothing.

What this means is that St. Joseph is clearly aware that he is as not as great a mediator with God as Our Lady is. But, he also knows, that should a person fulfill the requirements and it be a holy intention that if he, St. Joseph, go to Christ, Christ will deny him nothing. This devotion therefore is very powerful because if we cultivate a strong devotion to St. Joseph, and if we become dear to him because of that, then he will often grant to us things which other people may not receive.

This is a powerful devotion for fathers. It teaches a man how to be a man, in seeing the strong and yet silence of St. Joseph, who always acted properly and with prudence. In having a strong devotion to St. Joseph, St. Joseph bestows an increase in virtues to a man. He becomes more chaste, and prudent, and faithful and patient, just as St. Joseph is called the most chaste, the most prudent, faithful and patient.

It is a good devotion for the intercession for all of the virtues to be particularly in relation to being a man. Things like fortitude and courage, which we see St. Joseph manifesting when he would flee at the proper times, knowing the proper discretion and following the angel he did what he was told. When he turned to Nazareth, he had actually done so at the command of the angel, not fearing the fact that before his life and the life of our lady and the life of the child could be taken, but rather, he did so because that it was the right thing to do and he did it.

It is also a powerful intercession for fathers to beg St. Joseph to supply the needs for his own family. St. Joseph was the head of a family so he recognizes the actual need that people have to fulfill the temporal and the spiritual requirements of life. And so if a father fosters a devotion to St. Joseph, St. Joseph will help him fulfill those needs. He will help him fulfill the need for getting a job if he’s looking for a job, or that he finds that his job doesn’t fulfill the requirements, the financial requirements for his family he can pray to St. Joseph to help him to find a better job.

He can also pray to St. Joseph that in the execution of his daily duties in relation to his work that all goes well. This is why we call St. Joseph the model of artisans.

He can also pray to St. Joseph for the sake of his wife and his children.

Selling or buying a home
It is also good if we are looking to sell a home or for buying a home.
They should have a miraculous medal placed on the property that they want to acquire.
If you want to sell your home, purchase a statue of St. Joseph, put it in a prominent place and pray a novena to him, so that he will help you to sell your home.

Women
Devotion to St. Joseph is also very important to women. St. Joseph is the chaste guardian of the Virgin.

The unmarried
For those who are unmarried they should foster devotion to St. Joseph so that he will protect them, and protect their honor. After all he is not only the guardian of the Virgin but he is also called the guardian of virgins.

Marriageable women
Marriageable women should also pray for anybody they should be dating, pray to St. Joseph so that the person that they are dating will have the fortitude and the chastity in order to protect the honor of the woman he is marrying. I find it quite sad that one of the principle manifestations of a marriageable man – that is someone who is capable of being married is self discipline in relationship to chastity as well as a willingness to fall into battle to protect the honor of the woman that he is to marry. And yet, guys aren’t looking to protect the honor of their possible upcoming spouse, they’re looking to in fact degradate their honor by committing acts of unchastity with her. So she should pray that she will find a chaste man, that is a man who has self discipline and self control. They should pray just simply to find a good spouse.

Married women
St. Joseph was the spouse of the mother of God. Married women should pray to St. Joseph to help their husbands to be men, to be a good father and to be a good provider.

How to increase devotion to St. Joseph
There are different ways of increasing this devotion. There are the standard ones which we can use in increasing any devotion to any saint – for example, obtain a picture of St. Joseph or a statue of St. Joseph and place it in a place of prominence in our home. We can pray for him frequently and ask for his intercession, and ask for his intercession with faithfulness – with faith – that is, knowing that he can provide these things if our devotion is sufficient. We can light votive candles in front of his statue and ask him to pray for us. We can entrust ourselves to his care like the Blessed Virgin Mary did. We can pray the litany of St. Joseph and the prayers that are offered to St. Joseph, and the prayers that are offered in his honor. And for priests, they can offer votive Masses of St. Joseph, which will actually benefit the faithful because of the graces that St. Joseph is able to bestow.

Again, this is a most powerful devotion, because St. Joseph is a most powerful intercessor.

I love this sentiment from St. John Damascus. He writes how a person will go to great lengths to meet a king, or secular famous person – a movie star, politician, or athlete. But he says that the saints, who are infinitely more powerful than politicians and stars, have true powers. They can help you in your life. You can appeal to them at anytime. If you would go to such great lengths to meet a secular star, who has no power and can’t really help you, why wouldn’t you just get down on your knees and pray to those saints who are so much more powerful?

As All Saints Day approaches on November 1st (the vigil is Halloween) let us remember and pray to the saints.

This is such a beautiful sentiment:

How, therefore, are demons driven off by them, diseases dispelled, sick persons made well, the blind restored to sight, lepers purified, temptations and troubles overcome, and how does every good gift from the Father of lights come down through them to those who pray with sure faith? How much labor would you not undergo to find a patron to introduce you to a mortal king and speak to him on your behalf?

From The Fathers of the Church, by Mike Aquilina

Below is an excerpt from The Fathers of the Church by Mike Aquilina. In it, he discusses the life of St. Benedict, who lived during Rome’s collapse. I just wanted to highlight the similarities between Rome and America:

• Advanced stage of moral and cultural decadence
  
• The desire among the population to ‘head for the hills’ as the empire falls. We see this today with the flight from American cities, the rise of preppers, prepping and off-grid living. People in Rome knew something was wrong, just as the people of America know it.
  
• In Rome, “Once the imperial government had vanished, what could take its place?” Mr. Aquilina says the Church took its place, through Pope St. Gregory I. The Church was perfectly suited for this because it “possessed laws, an educated hierarchy respected for fairness, and an impulse toward charitable works”. Let us hope that the same thing happens if and when America falls.
  
  

On Saint Benedict of Nursia

He studied in Rome, which was then at an advanced stage of moral and cultural decadence. In short order, Benedict grew disgusted with life. With a a trusted servant, he headed for the hills.

His flight was not so extraordinary. Amid the societal disorder following the empire’s dissolution, the contemplative life appeared oddly attractive to more men and women. It was more stable and secure, certainly, than life “in the world.” So, many took to the wilderness, some living in community, some in isolation. For a growing number, this “flight” was merely an escape from responsibilities and hardship. Some communities were little more than leisurely clubs, replete with servants to handle all manual work.

But, once the imperial government had vanished, what could take its place?

In a word: Gregory

With the breakdown of the Roman army and court system, the Church alone survived as a unified, multi-national force for order. The Church possessed laws, an educated hierarchy respected for fairness, and an impulse toward charitable works – what today we might call social justice.

From The Fathers of the Church, by Mike Aquilina

It is fascinating to live when a great empire is falling. One can read of the fall of other empires…but it doesn’t compare to seeing the degradation and destruction blooming in technicolor right in front of your eyes.

It is almost as if everything is following a script, as events happen steadily to further the decline.

As an empire becomes rich – usually through falsifying money – it grows decadent and immoral, leading to its certain decline. This process takes many years…generations. But those with eyes can see the destruction long before the grand collapse. Such is the case with Babylon. And Rome. And now with America.

At what time will it happen? No one knows. But we can look at the cracks develop, the bricks falling from the structure, the people being fed lies and loving it. We can look at all these things not with an air of sadness…but with an air of joyfulness. Joyfulness for a few reasons. Because that which is degrading and immoral cannot last…it is joyful to watch it perish. Joyfulness because the yankee empire has destroyed so much – so many people, so many cultures.

It is unfortunate those who might be harmed in the fall. But that is why one must understand history and try to get out of the way of the toppling behemoth.

It is Fascinating Watching America Fall…

I remember hearing a story about Murray Rothbard years ago. I forget who told it but they said that Mr. Rothbard, if he was asked to go out to dinner with whoever he was with, would always go to the closest restaurant to them. Why he did this the teller didn’t know, but I always thought it an interesting viewpoint, and in many cases I tried to follow it.

Once, while traveling, I needed to find a Catholic Church to go to. I had decided earlier to drive into the city to go to the grand Cathedral downtown. Like I was going as a tourist, to see the grandiosity of it, rather than as a parishioner going to worship God. But, at the last minute, I remembered the story of Mr. Rothbard and decided to go to the nearest Church. It was a good decision. It was a beautiful church, but more importantly, it fit my state of life at the moment, it was what I needed. To this day, I try to follow Mr. Rothbard’s example.

This note by St. Augustine is similar in spirit. He is discussing the customs peculiar to each church. This is true today, as every Mass will have the same structure, but each will recite prayers in different ways, use different metres in songs, etc.

So he says, go to the church where you are at, conform to the practice you find prevailing in the church where (you) happen to be:

“In regard to these and all other variable observances which may be met anywhere, one is at liberty to comply with them or not as he chooses. There is no better rule for the wise and serious Christian in this matter, than to conform to the practice he finds prevailing in the Church where he happens to be. For such a custom, if it is clearly not contrary to sound faith or morals, should be seen as something indifferent, and ought to be observed for the sake of fellowship with those among whom we live.“

St. Augustine, from The Fathers of the Church by Mike Aquilina

Maybe this has something to do with why Mr. Rothbard chose the closest restaurant – because you are in a community, and to stay in that community – to eat, work or go to church, is to build it up, for the “sake of fellowship with those among whom we live.”

Fr Ripperger is a great genius of our time. I know he would dismiss this, but the fact remains.
In this talk (embedded below) he discusses why you should actually strive for the good life:

“Aristotle said – the reason we develop virtue is because once we have the good habits, the moral life becomes easier. In addition to making us good through that process it also makes things a lot easier.”

Then he mentions one of the great goals (if not the greatest) of spiritual life:

“In order to enter the visible contemplation you can’t be neglecting God. You can’t reach the Transforming Union which is a constant mystical contemplation of God while still fulfilling your duties. You can’t do that without prior habits. And that comes through recollection. Recollection – constantly remembering God. Constantly coming back to God. The habit of always keeping your focus on God. Little prayers said throughout the day.”

So many times in life we wonder, what is the goal, what are we striving for? Money, fame, pleasure? The answer is none of those. It is interesting that what society holds up as the great goals of life are truly irrelevant. We are striving for the Transforming Union – “Constant mystical contemplation of God while still fulfilling your duties.” Now you know. The way to get there (I believe) is through the 9 levels of prayer.


Below are the full notes I took from Fr. Ripperger’s talk on The Rule of Life. I couldn’t get the formatting for the numbers to work so I just posted it all. All words are Fr. Ripperger’s:

Aristotle – the reason we develop virtue is because once we have the good habits, the moral life becomes easier. In addition to making us good through that process it also makes things a lot easier.

Rule of life
Any criteria or rule you use to lead your life. A series of things you use in order to determine how you are going to proceed in your spiritual growth, development, overcoming defects etc.

Its good to have a rule of life because it gives you focus and direction. Convents and monasteries have codes of conducts – this is how we are going to pursue virtue and holiness.

Parts of the rule of life
1 – Must take into consideration any private vows you are under. Consecration to Our Lady is a form of private vow.

2 – Regimen – an Horarium (Latin word meaning “the hours”. – Defines what you going to do during certain times of the day. Consistently engaging in a particular series of activities each day in the same way.

Why a regimen? There are certain things we just want to do. We don’t want to tie up our free time. They want to feed their appetites. This means they have basically dedicated their life to spiritual dissipation because they don’t want to do the ardor and grind of becoming perfect because that means you gotta give up even that little thing. You should be committing yourself to a regimen to overcome spiritual dissipation and get a consistency in your prayer life and in your spiritual reading. Consistent sleep – our prayer is more consistent, its less distracted, our spiritual warfare is easier.

1 – Prayer proscription (prayer life). Consistency in the prayer life.
Morning offering
6 am – Angelus
Rosary
15m of meditation
Spiritual reading – even just 5 minutes
Mass
12 pm – Angelus
6 pm – Angelus
Before bed – Examination of Conscience.
Compline.

In order to enter the visible contemplation you can’t be neglecting God. You can’t reach the Transforming Union which is a constant mystical contemplation of God while still fulfilling your duties. You can’t do that without prior habits. And that comes through recollection.

Recollection – constantly remembering God. Constantly coming back to God.

The habit of always keeping your focus on God. Little prayers said throughout the day. Maybe on the hour.

2 – Go to bed and get up at a specific time. Your day is very consistent so that you develop the habits that makes the spiritual life easier.

There are 2 reasons why the spiritual life advances then it pans out.
1 – Dissipation – they get distracted by worldly considerations.
2 – Not a consistency in the prayer life.

3 – What are you going to do to root out your defects?
Need a systematic approach.
A little prayer to the Lord – help me to be more truthful. (if you want to quit lying, for instance).

4 – The building of virtue. Not just the consistency of life that comes through a regimen. But the perfecting of specific virtues in your life. Choosing a specific virtue and working on that.

If we’re not regimented and structured in our spiritual life we will not achieve habituated virtue. It is through the structure that we end up becoming habituated.

You’re not going to be consistent in your spiritual life, you’re not going to advance until there’s a dying to self in relationship to just doing whatever you want to do when you want to do it.

Questions from the Audience

How to find a spiritual director?
Once you reach the prayer of simplicity to make the transition to the passive purgation you are going to need a spiritual director.

Examples of private vows?
Private vows – can be for a short time. Prefer to do it for a positive thing.
Chastity
Any virtue – charity
Fasting, abstinence

How long should the family pray together?
15-30 minutes a day for family prayer

What you want your children to develop by 18 years old
“Get them to develop virtue. The goal is to get them totally self sufficient without any imput of your own (the parents) at the age of 18.

By the time a guy reaches 18 he should be on his feet in his masculinity, in his virtue and in his catholicity to where he can assume all of the obligations of marriage at that age.

When they are young – up to 6 years old, youre setting up training for the kid. He doesn’t have virtue yet. Once he gets to the age of reason – when he can start committing sin. Then he can start making choices, true choices, they can begin to develop virtue. But they need the external structure bc they don’t enough intellectually.

Once they go through puberty it all shifts and what they need (after the structure has been given to them) is council bc at that stage the virtue is only voluntary – you can’t impose it. The kid has to make a choice if he is going to do it or not. The parent can’t impose it bc then the kid is not developing virtue, he’s just getting good at compliance. They need council and encouragement to get them to develop that on their own.

In this, our enlightened modern age, physical beauty is the lodestar of romance. Everyone aspires to be trim, botoxed and ‘beautiful’. Men are looked up to for having many romances. But it’s a fools errand – for it is only passion which sees physical beauty and that lasts but a month or two, “but then no longer. Familiarity wastes away the admiration.” For then the sad lover is back to the beginning, looking for love in physical beauty, not in the “beauty of the soul.” St. John Chrysostom speaks to the root of this folly. If you want to live a great life, a joyful life, and enjoy a true love that will last a lifetime and grow deeper with age, “seek instead for beauty of soul”.

“Praise her, but not for her beauty. Praise and hatred and love based on physical beauty belong to unchaste souls. Seek instead for beauty of soul. Imitate the Bridgegroom of the Church. Outward beauty is full of conceit and great license…But has it any pleasure? For the first or second month, perhaps, or at most for the year, but then no longer. Familiarity wastes away the admiration. Meanwhile the evils which arose from the beauty still abide, the pride, the folly, the contemptuousness. But in one who is not this way, there is nothing of this kind. Since the love began on just grounds, it remains ardent; its object is beauty of soul, and not of body.

Tell me what is better than heaven? What is better than the stars? Tell me of what body you will, yet is there none so fair. Tell me of what eyes you will, yet are there none so sparkling. When these were created, the very angels gazed with wonder, and we gaze with wonder now – yet not in the same degree as at first. Such is familiarity; things do not strike us in the same degree. How much more in the case of a wife!

Let us seek in a wife affection, modesty, gentleness; these are the characteristics of beauty. But let us not seek loveliness of person, or upbraid her upon these things, over which she has no power. Rather, let us not upbraid at all (it is rudeness), neither let us be impatient or sullen. Do you not see how many, after living with beautiful wives, have ended their lives pitiably, and how many, who have lived with those of no great beauty, have run on to extreme old age with great enjoyment. Let us wipe off the “spot” that is within, let us smooth the “wrinkles” that are within, let us do away the “blemishes” that are on the soul. Such is the beauty God requires. Let us make her fair in God’s sight, not in our own…

Show her that you set a high value on her company, and that you would rather be at home by her side than in the marketplace. And honor her before all your friends, and above the children who are born of her, and love these very children for her sake. If she does any good act, praise and admire it; if any foolish one, such as girls may chance to do, advise her and remind her…

If any poverty overtake you, cite the case of those holy men, Paul and Peter, who were more honored than any kings or rich men; and yet how they spent their lives in hunger and in thirst. Teach her that there is nothing in life that is to be feared but offending God. If any marries this way, with these views, he will be hardly inferior to monks; married, but little below the unmarried.

From Husbands, Love Your Wives, a homily by St. John Chrysostom. As copied from The Father’s of the Church by Mike Aquilina

I read this recently here, and thought it was a beautiful example for all parents to follow, especially those who have children that are making bad decisions. It is especially tragic when a loved one turns to drugs, as you can’t help but feel powerless. How are we to feel? Do we turn away from them? We must always, always, always, turn our eyes to God, His Magisterium, His saints, and Our Lady to find the answer on how to live. I thought this example from Our Lady is perfect:

When Jesus was crucified, Mary stood at the foot of the Cross and suffered with him (Jn 19:25). She never abandoned her child, even during adulthood, particularly when things were at their worst. This sort of enduring love is exemplary for Christian mothers. Children get into trouble, sometimes for the right reasons, sometimes not, as children or as adults. Mothers like Mary stand with their children throughout life, especially when things go bad, even if they are unable to alter the course of tragic events, to offer love and support in whatever way they can.

Stand by them forever, without doubt.
Get them treatment.
Pray unceasingly for them. I love this Powerful Novena to the Sacred Heart of Jesus – A favorite of St. Padre Pio:

I. O my Jesus, you have said: “Truly I say to you, ask and you will receive, seek and you will find, knock and it will be opened to you.” Behold I knock, I seek and ask for the grace of …… (Mention your request here…)

Our Father …. Hail Mary …. Glory Be to the Father …. Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in you.

II. O my Jesus, you have said: “Truly I say to you, if you ask anything of the Father in my name, he will give it to you.” Behold, in your name, I ask the Father for the grace of ……. (Mention your request here…)

Our Father …. Hail Mary ….Glory Be to the Father …. Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in you.

III. O my Jesus, you have said: “Truly I say to you, heaven and earth will pass away but my words will not pass away.” Encouraged by your infallible words I now ask for the grace of ….. (Mention your request here…)

Our Father …. Hail Mary …. Glory Be to the Father … Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in you.

O Sacred Heart of Jesus, for whom it is impossible not to have compassion on the afflicted, have pity on us miserable sinners and grant us the grace which we ask of you, through the Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary, your tender Mother and ours.

Hail, holy Queen, Mother of mercy, hail, our life, our sweetness and our hope. To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve: to thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this vale of tears. Turn then, most gracious Advocate, thine eyes of mercy toward us, and after this our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus, O merciful, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary! Amen.

Saint Joseph, pray for us. Amen!

I am so glad to have read The Fathers of the Church by Mike Aquilina. In the book, he gives a brief overview of the many early Church fathers, along with samples of their writing. It’s a buffet.

One father in particular – St. John Chrysostom – writes beautifully. I have seen his name at various times in years past, and I remember always being put off by it. I didn’t want to read about him because of his last name. How pitiful I am for that.

Turns out, Chrysostom means ‘golden-tongued’ in Latin. He was given that name because of his beautiful homilies, where he speaks of the pressing needs in the lives of the laity – loving your wife, developing children into followers of Christ, and how to think of the wealthy.

“For him, the power in Scripture was a power to transform the minute particulars of everyday work, family, and society… St John’s homilies hit home. They spoke of the marketplace, the marriage bed, the sports arena, of cooking, investments, and cosmetics. And they were practical. He not only described what he saw, he also prescribed a moral and ascetical course of action.”

From The Fathers of the Church, by Mike Aquilina

In this passage he talks about how to raise Christian children, a subject dear to any Christian parent today. The same issues regarding raising children in 400AD are the very same issues of today: obedience to parents, the abundance of bad examples in the secular world, discipline, character, and good deeds.

To Parents
Do you wish your son to be obedient? From the first, “but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord” (Eph 6:4). Never deem it unnecessary that he should listen diligently to the divine Scriptures. For there the first thing he hears will be this: “Honor your father and your mother (Ex 20:12), so you will win your reward.

Never say that the reading of Scripture is the business of monks. Am I making a monk of him? No. There is no need for him to become a monk. Why be so afraid of a thing so replete with so much advantage? Make him a Christian. For it is altogether necessary for laymen to be acquainted with the lessons derived from this source – but especially for children. For theirs is an age full of folly; and to this folly are added the bad examples derived from pagan myths, where they are made acquainted with heroes so admired, who are slaves of their passions, and cowards with regard to death – as, for example, Achilles, when he relents, when he dies for his concubine, when another gets drunk, and many other things of the sort.

He requires therefore the remedies against these things. Is it not absurd to send children out to jobs, and to school, and to do all you can for these objects, and yet, not to “bring them up in the chastening and admonition of the Lord”?

“Bring them up in the chastening and admonition of the Lord”; do not conspire to make him a politician, but train him instead to be a philosopher. In the lack of the one there will be no harm whatever; in the absence of the other, all the rhetoric in the world will be of no advantage. Discipline is needed, not talking; character, not cleverness; deeds, not words. These gain a man the kingdom. These confer what are benefits indeed. Whet not his tongue, but cleanse his soul. I do not say this to prevent your teaching him these things, but to prevent your attending to them exclusively. Do not imagine that the monk alone stands in need of these lessons from Scripture. Of all others, the children just about to enter into the world specially need them.

On the surface, it seems wrong to cheer the destruction of the American fiat money system. If you mention this idea to someone they will disagree, saying something like, “You can’t cheer the economic destruction of millions of people.” But they don’t understand that economic destruction is the key feature of a fiat money system. It has been destroying since its inception, continues today, and will continue until it ends.

Why is a fiat money system so destructive? Because at its core is fraud. As Fr. Ripperger says, “At the heart of fractional reserve lending is fraud. A bank has 10 million and loans out 100 million. That is fraud. They don’t have the money.” If the essence of the American economy is based on fraud, we know that everything it touches will be destroyed – financially and morally. Rothbard said, “Fractional-reserve banking is disastrous both for the morality and for the fundamental bases and institutions of the market economy.”

The fraudulent fiat system has already destroyed the country

• Countless lives destroyed from boom-bust cycles, and the false economy fiat systems create. We all know someone who lost a job, a home, or marriage because of the 2008 banking crisis and never recovered.
  
  
• Fiat funded forever wars – Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, Libya – which destabilized the countries, killed millions, and created millions more refugees. Many of which went to Europe, destroying that continent.
  
  
• Millions of hopeless young Americans. Why get a $12 an hour job in a world where costs increase 10-20% a year and houses cost $350,000? The system crushes opportunity and forces them to remain children – they live at home, forego starting families, turn to drugs, video games and other base pleasures. Morality falls, as Rothbard said.
  
  
• Decline of family – over 50% divorce rate, 48%+ babies born to unwed mothers. In the 1960’s a man could raise a family on one income. His wife could stay home and do one of the most important jobs in the world – form the mind of their child. That reality is gone for millions of Americans. Now both parents slave while the state forms the mind of the child. Family is the core of a healthy and prosperous society.
  
  
• 40+ million on psychiatric drugs, drug addiction and deaths from drugs at record levels, declining church attendance, rise of vulgarity, decline of modesty, life expectancy down, GDP is down – even with the fed printing trillions, record debt…the list goes on.

The fiat money system has destroyed American society by destroying morality, people, families, marriages, institutions, the hopes of millions of young people, the entire country – a crime almost too heinous to contemplate. Should one be angry? St. Thomas says you must be angry: “He who is not angry when there is just cause for anger is immoral. Why? Because anger looks to the good of justice. And if you can live amid injustice without anger, you are immoral as well as unjust”.

If the system is so destructive, why is it kept alive? Because those in power receive unlimited advantage from it. The fraud is in their favor – and to the detriment of those without power. As the system grows, their power grows…and they become absolutely corrupted. They couldn’t care less if the country is destroyed, as long as they maintain their advantage, wealth, and power. Virtually everyone is subject to being bought, and so they are bought. Laws are enshrined, payments are made, the system goes on…

The collapse of this system will be beautiful, because it will be the ending of a great fraud. It will be a cleansing, a restoration…the antipode of what St. Thomas said – anger that the system exists and destroys – joy that the fraud is ending.

Ultimately, it is cheering the application of justice to a fraudulent system. Justice is virtuous and beautiful, as the system re-balances and the right ordering of society is returned. St. Thomas quotes Tully, who “declares…(De Officiis i, 7) the luster of virtue appears above all in justice.”

The application of justice to an immoral system must happen in order to return to a civil society. “What are kingdoms without justice? They’re just gangs of bandits,” St. Augustine said. American society is based on fraud and injustice – a society of banditry – where destruction rules. It will be of great benefit to all Americans if we lived in a society which is right ordered, just, and where the “luster of virtue appears”.

So let us be joyful as the American fiat system collapses. Let us cheer.

Part 2 will look at what happens if the system continues, and why those with an interest in keeping it together will do so at all costs.