Militia Immaculatae

According to the Brief of Pope Pius XI dated December 18, 1926, the members of the Militia Immaculatae (M.I.) can obtain a plenary indulgence on the following days:
* the day of their enrollment in the M.I. (May 17, 2014),
* the anniversary of the founding of the M.I. (October 16),
* the Feast of the Immaculate Conception (December 8),
* the Feast of the Annunciation (March 25),
* the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes (February 11),
* the anniversary of the first appearance of Our Lady of Fatima (May 13),
* the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi (October 4), and
* the Feast of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal (November 27).

Besides the usual conditions for receiving a plenary indulgence (sacramental Confession within eight days, prayer for the intentions of the Popes,  freedom from attachment to sin), one must renew his promise to adhere to the Statutes of the M.I. and to keep them faithfully.

Act of Consecration to the Immaculata
O Immaculata, Queen of heaven and earth, refuge of sinners and our Mother who loves us so much and to whom God has entrusted the entire kingdom of mercy!

I, N.N., an unworthy sinner, cast myself down at your feet and implore you with all my heart: deign to accept me utterly and entirely as your possession and your property. Do what you will with me, with all the faculties of my soul and my body, with my whole life, with my death and my eternity.

Dispose of me as it pleases you, so as to fulfill what is said of you: "She will crush the head of the serpent," and also: "Thou alone hast vanquished all heresies throughout the world."

Make me an instrument of your immaculate and merciful hands to serve you, so as to increase as much as possible your honor in so many tepid souls that have fallen away from the Faith and thus to extend the kingdom of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. For upon whatever place you enter, you implore the grace of conversion and sanctification, for all graces come to us from the Sacred Heart of Jesus only through your hands.

Grant me to praise thee, O most Blessed Virgin.

Give me strength against Thine enemies.

Aspiration of the Militia Immaculatae
O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee, and for all who do not have recourse to thee, especially for the Freemasons and for those who are commended to they care.

Common in the Pedestrian Sense

Pioneer Institute is a Massachusetts research organization that turned its attention to Common Core to analyze the impact that program has on the quality of education for K-12.

See the 60-page write-up at http://pioneerinstitute.org/common_core/study-finds-common-core-incompatible-catholic-education/

The findings are not flattering. And the insights are equally application for all students, not just Bay Staters.

Literature
 * Study of literature, drama, and poetry are quantitatively reduced by more than half.
* Great literature, when it is included, is merely excerpted.

Math
* The math standards don't prepare students for college-level coursework in science, engineering, and math.
* Good for community-college-level work.

The focus of Common Core is on elementary workforce preparation. Instead of reading about humans to learn about life, students now read a user manual. The curriculum's "informational texts" are a vocational ed formula for producing not just trained workers, but androids - or cyborgs, depending on your genre. The approach is "common" in the pedestrian sense.