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                                                                       AP News I can't believe this is the side I am taking, but I do not think the Bible should be required reading for children in a public school. (The Texas school board is voting on that today.) Here are my concerns: --It will give the impression that the Bible is just like any other required book in the curriculum. It is not. It is God's divine Word, his self-revelation to us. It is sacred. --Will the lessons delve into the depths of scripture? If so, who do we think is going to be doing  that ? While we have a lot of wonderful, even faith-filled--teachers, they should not be expected to be able to explain the parables and stories and passages that would be required to be included. --And if the lessons are not going to delve in...

Cup of Water and a Rose on a Silver Plate Francisco de Zurbarán [ Web Gallery of Art ] Whoever gives one of these little ones even a cup of cold water because he is a disciple, truly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward (Matthew 10:42; Gospel). Doesn't the painting highlight the beauty that can be found in very ordinary things, a beauty that comes from God? Readings (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, Ireland, New Zealand) Readings (New American Bible: Philippines, USA) Gospel Matthew 10:37-42 (Jerusalem Bible) Jesus instructed the Twelve as follows: ‘Anyone who prefers father or mother to me is not worthy of me. Anyone who prefers son or daughter to me is not worthy of me. Anyone who does not take his cross and follow in my footsteps is not worthy of me. Anyone who finds his life will lose it; anyone who loses his life for my sake will find it. ‘Anyone who welcomes you welcomes me; and those who welcome me welcome the one who sent me. Anyone who welcomes a prophet will h...

A tip of the hat to Father Mark Botzet for letting me post his homily from June 14, 2026. Putting what he said in context, here's the Gospel reading for that day. ...  The Farm: an Analogy A few weeks ago, my brother and I loaded the Momma cows up with their calves. It is kind of interesting loading them.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America . (Guest post: Fr. Mark Botzet discusses families, love, children, fear, priests, searching for truth, and following our vocations.)

  Readings (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, Ireland, New Zealand) Readings (English Standard Version, Catholic Edition: England & Wales, Scotland, India) Readings (New American Bible: Philippines, USA)    Gospel Matthew 10:26-33 (English Standard Version, Anglicised) At that time: Jesus instructed his Apostles: ‘Have no fear of them, for nothing is covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. What I tell you in the dark, say in the light, and what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops. And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father knowing. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, but...

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      I was listening to a reflection about the Sacred Heart of Jesus by Deacon Arthur Miller, and he said:  "Jesus sends us back into the world as living images of his mercy."  If you have ever wondered about what Jesus is calling you to do in this world or who to be in this world, that's it! Each of us is called to be a "living image" of the mercy of Jesus. What does that mean? That means that you actively show forgiveness and set aside judgment or personal criticism and offer love to others. That means resisting the temptation to lean into any unkind attitude and consider how you can help someone. I'm reading a book by Robin Roberts of Good Morning America , and throughout the book she keeps repeating a motto of her mother, which happens to be the title of her book:  Everybody's Got Something. That is so true. Indeed, everybody's dealing with something in their life, even if you cannot see it and are unaware of it. Our "job" is to love ...

My "Hangar 7". (2016) Oddly enough, that picture was not made with or by AI. I didn't do all the work that went into "Hangar 7". Nikola Tesla, Michael Faraday, and a whole mess of other folks developed the alternating current 1 that ran my computer back in 2016. The computer: the roots of today's information tech is a great many more topics. Anyway, I didn't develop any of the technology involved in making "Hangar 7". All I did was take 3D models made by a number of folks:... More at A Catholic Citizen in America . (AI, artificial intelligence, is a new, unfamiliar, and scary technology. It's been misused, but I think the problem is people, not the tech.)

The Harvest (Breton Landscape) Émile Bernard [ Web Gallery of Art ] The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into his harvest (Matthew 9:37-38; Gospel). Readings (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, Ireland, New Zealand) Readings (English Standard Version, Catholic Edition: England & Wales, Scotland, India) Readings (New American Bible: Philippines, USA)    Gospel Matthew 9:36-10:8 (English Standard Version, Anglicised) At that time: When Jesus saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into his harvest.’ And he called to him his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every affliction. The nam...

    Do you think the virtues should be used to measure a politician's past or present behavior?   Somewhere along the way I heard Gavin Newsom, the Governor of California, reference a quote by author David Brooks, that I thought was interesting. Brooks referred to two sets of "competing" values identifying them as  "résumé virtues versus your eulogy virtues." Is it more important to exhibit virtues that we need for work, i.e. our skill set, or those we want recognized at our funeral? Further, while your eulogy virtues, such as your morality and honesty for example, can be used in a worthwhile way in your work, I can't see where your résumé virtues can enhance your eulogy virtues. Of course, I could be wrong. How do you see it?  Either way, it is clear that the superior virtues that can be universally applied everywhere in your life are what Christians call both Cardinal Virtues and Theological Virtues. The Cardinal Virtues are: prudence, justi...

    I came across a story on the Internet about this YouTuber that I can't get out of my mind . . . He and his wife were expecting their first child and were so excited about it, until they got the news that the baby would likely have Down Syndrome. After heart-wrenching deliberation, they decided to abort the baby.  Not surprising, the Internet is blowing up.  Unfortunately, the couple have received a lot of threats and have seen "a side of humanity that is deeply disturbing." Any decent human being would feel compassion for this couple and would refrain from adding to their pain, since the deed is done. Perhaps we are not doing a good enough job getting the word out that responding with hate never helps any situation. But the truth is, whether it is this couple, or any of the million other people that abort their baby, the act of abortion is a "side of humanity that is deeply disturbing." To take a baby's life is never okay, no matter the circumst...

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Institution of the Eucharist Blessed Fra Angelico [ Web Gallery of Art ] The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread (1 Corinthians 10:16-17; Second Reading).   Corpus Christi Sunday, Year A The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, Year A  In most countries this solemnity, formerly celebrated on the Thursday after Trinity Sunday, is now observed on the Sunday after Trinity Sunday, this year replacing the Tenth Sunday in Ordinary Time.   Readings (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, Ireland, New Zealand) Readings (English Standard Version, Catholic Edition: England & Wales, Scotland, India) Readings (New American Bible: Philippines, USA)   Gospel John 6:51-58 (English Standard Version, Anglicised) At that time: Jesus said to the Jews, ‘I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live for ever. And the b...