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NASA's "UAP Independent Study Team Report" used the words stigma, destigmatize, or destigmatizing about a dozen times. At 31 mostly-text pages, that works out to one of those words every two and a half pages. That's nowhere near the frequency I've seen for terms like "communist threat" or "climate change" in fevered philippics, but it was enough to get my attention. Particularly since I'm both a nerd and a convert to Catholicism. That's given me opportunities for experiencing scorn and/or bemused puzzlement: along the lines of 'how can you believe in that stuff'; or 'well, I don't believe in...'. Oh, boy. Before getting around to perceived existential threats and B movie space monsters, I'd better talk about "believe in". More at A Catholic Citizen in America . (UAPs and UFOs. Beliefs, assumptions, and science fiction movies of the 1950s. Extraterrestrial intelligence as a perceived exis...

Fr Anthony Collier 20 June 1913 - 27 June 1950 Readings   (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, England & Wales, Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland) Readings   (New American Bible: Philippines, USA) Gospel   Matthew 21:28:32  ( English Standard Version Anglicised, India) Jesus said to the chief priests and elders of the people: “What do you think? A man had two sons. And he went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work in the vineyard today.’   And he answered, ‘I will not’, but afterwards he changed his mind and went.   And he went to the other son and said the same. And he answered, ‘I go, sir’, but did not go.   Which of the two did the will of his father?”  They said, “The first.” Jesus said to them,  “Truly, I say to you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes go into the kingdom of God before you.   For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax co...

  I am re-posting something a friend of mine (Fr. Phil Schmitter) posted a week or so ago because I thought it was so beautiful and someone might need it today.   Have a blessed weekend.   Janet Cassidy janetcassidy.com   For all those who are grieving, may someone reach out to you with kindness and love.. For those who are ill May God bless you with healing and hope and may someone reach out to you with love. If you are painfully lonely today, may someone you love reach out to you in kindness. May you feel God's loving presence encouraging you today. Thank you, Dear Lord for all who read this prayer today. May each of you know I love you and pray for you.

  We went to a familiar orchard in search of some of those warm cinnamon doughnuts. Always a favorite this time of year. When we walked in, there wasn't a doughnut in site. There were apple pies, apple butter, and caramel apples, but no doughnuts. So I asked the lady behind the counter if they had any. I couldn't believe her response. Without a smile on her face, she said: "Do you go into McDonald's and ask them if they have hamburgers?" I must have looked stunned, so she continued, "We have them here in this warmer." So I ask you, was she being cute/funny or rude? We bought some of her doughnuts--which weren't the best--and then went to a different orchard where they had better doughnuts and staff. Sorry, I'm just venting about my First World "problem." For some reason, I really take issue with service people who don't know how to interact with customers. I always try to give them a break and assume there is something going o...

  Why is furniture called furniture? Which cheese puff is longer? Oh the things six year olds ask. Our granddaughter took an inordinate amount of time trying to measure out two cheese puffs before she could figure out which one to eat first. I can relate. When I was young, I would lay on the grass looking up at the sky wondering how trees got their name. Who named them? Why are they called trees? Curiosity is a good thing, as long as unanswered questions do not become an obstacle to faith, which can sometimes happen in matters of spirituality. If you find yourself struggling with questions that do not seem to have any answers, do not let this prevent you from growing in your faith. While there are some answers we may not be able to definitively know in this world that does not mean we will not learn them in the next. Trust. Patience, and a good dose of acceptance allows us to become believers without full knowledge. As they say, "We walk by faith, not by si...

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Lala , with Jordan I try to mark Lala's birthday every year. Fewer and fewer persons with Down Syndrome  are being born in European countries.  This is because more and more children with Down Syndrome are being aborted. Below is what I posted last year. +++ I first wrote this post in October 2008 and used it again in 2011 under the title  Lala and Queen Elizabeth II . I have re-posted it a number of times, with variations, because Lala's story is one that should be told over and over again.  This year I am re-posting what I posted last year and also four years ago, with a couple of updates on ages. It is also the first time I have referred to Queen Elizabeth as 'the late Queen Elizabeth'. On the 27th  Lala will be celebrating another birthday. No doubt, the occasion will be marked at  Punla, Ang Arko, where Lala lives, the only  L'Arche community  in the Philippines, in Cainta, Rizal, part of the metropolitan sprawl of Manila.  The Pope's Un...

  Yesterday I talked about the Parable of the Talents and gave the example of a parents' responsibility to create an environment for their children where their faith has the opportunity to grow. But what if you did all of that and the faith you tried to instill in your children didn't stick? Or, what if you just lacked faith yourself at the time, and you raised your children without a recognition of God, and then later realized you wish you would have? Many parents of adult children carry a bucket full of reasons to feel guilt and sadness, but that really doesn't do anyone any good. As your children moved into adulthood, they had a lot of influences on them. You cannot control their decisions. Nor do you have any control over their perspective on God. If your own faith awakening came in your later years, and your children weren't the recipients of an awareness of faith from you as they grew up, it's probably because you couldn't give what you didn't have. ...

  The Grape-Picker Bernhard Keil [ Web Gallery of Art ] The kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house who went out early in the morning to hire labourers for his vineyard  (Matthew 20:1; Gospel). Readings   (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, England & Wales, Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland) Readings   (New American Bible: Philippines, USA) Gospel   Matthew 20:1:16  ( English Standard Version Anglicised, India) Jesus said to his disciples: “The kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house who went out early in the morning to hire labourers for his vineyard.   After agreeing with the labourers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard.   And going out about the third hour he saw others standing idle in the market-place,   and to them he said, ‘You go into the vineyard too, and whatever is right I will give you.’   So they went.   Going out again about the sixth hour and the ninth hour, he did the same. ...

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  I was reading a book where this came up: "Sometimes religious communities seem tempted to focus on simply being witness communities, not really trying to transform the social order as much as just trying to be true to their faith." Now I don't know if that is a fair assessment of religious communities, but this book, focusing on many elements of social justice, makes a good point. The world is in need of transformation. Do we care about this, or are we only concerned about being seen as good and holy? Are we so focused on being right, that serving as Christ served has become secondary in our practice of faith? Think about it. If your only, one concern is getting yourself into heaven, so much so that the singularity of this idea has become your one and only focus, you are not following the Gospel. Jesus came to serve so that others can find their way. He didn't tell his disciples to go out and save themselves. Disciples who are interested in transf...

  Often when I am reading the newspaper, or an online account of something that is happening today, the first thing I do is share it with my husband, "Hey, did you see this?" I'll say. Probably like you, my first inclination is to share news with someone else. I was reading a book that brought up this quote by Thomas Merton, from "Conjectures of a Guilty Bystander": "The greatest temptation that assails Christians is that in effect, for most of us, the Gospel has ceased to be news. And if it is not news, it is not Gospel." Have we gotten to a point that the Gospel is no longer news to us? So much so that we know longer have the desire to tell someone about it? The Gospel, or Good News, is that Jesus came to save ALL of us, so that we can have hope that after we die, we will spend eternal life in heaven with God. That is GREAT news. Share it with someone today! Janet Cassidy janetcassidy.com

As I am attempting to simplify and streamline my postings, I am asking that you follow my Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/reflectionsinfaith/ Beginning Monday, September 25th, if you are on Facebook, that will be where you will find my posts. For those of you not on Facebook, you can continue to receive postings here on my blog. Thank you!   God bless, Janet Cassidy janetcassidy.com

    I was reading an account of a bishop's life and was reminded about the importance of prayer. Not just prayer at a specific time of day, but prayer throughout the day. The narrative mentioned that he starts his day with an hour or two of prayer. Particularly, he focused on scripture (and the rosary). I agree that God's Word informs our actions, having found that to be true myself. For instance, we recently heard from the Gospel of Matthew 18:21-35, the Parable of the Unforgiving Servant. The big picture, or take-away, from this passage and the accompanying reading for the day (Sir 27:30-28:7) is that we must always have before us how God treats us and imitate that in our relationships with our brothers and sisters, strangers and friends. How will we know what we are to do if we do not know God's Word? If we feel ourselves holding a grudge against someone, getting angry, desiring vengeance or hosting unforgiveness, and then we read passages such as thes...

  How is your perception? Mine has been off a little lately because I got new glasses. I have worn glasses since I was a kid and it never fails that new lenses and/or frames, throw off my depth perception for awhile. Until I get used to them, I can be seen cocking my head up and down in strange positions trying to figure out the best way to read with my trifocals. Sometimes I just give up and take off my glasses. There's an analogy to politics here. Lately, I have been cocking my head in multiple directions trying to follow what is happening with the "leadership" in congress. Every day it seems that something happens that causes me to shake my head in disbelief. To me, what we are watching, is a sad display of the protection of position and the pursuit of power to the extent that it erases good judgment and reasoned thinking. It's really a sad thing to watch men and women giving up any iota of integrity in the service of self. It really doesn't matter which ...

I'd like to recommend an online newsletter put out by the Michigan Catholic Conference. You don't have to be Catholic to read it, and I know many of you who read my posts who are not Catholic, will appreciate its content. They publish it every Friday and you can have it come into your inbox and scroll through whatever topic interests you. Because I am 100% pro-life and against abortion, I am interested in staying up-to-date with what the Michigan legislature is doing, along with Governor Whitmer. For instance, there is currently an effort to "repeal abortion limits that protect women," as well as topics of food for the poor, help for the vulnerable and educational concerns. Please consider signing up (for free) so that you have a balanced, informative resource to help you know what is happening in Michigan. You can find Michigan Catholic Conference's Lansing Update, as well as information on other ways they advocate for the vulnerable and strive to uphold the ...

Monday, I wondered what I was going to write about this week. Then I read that scientists found methane and carbon dioxide in a not-really-Earth-like planet's atmosphere — and saw a silly headline or two.... ...Anyway, K2-18's atmosphere is mostly on hold for now. Instead, I'll talk about (alleged) space alien bodies, Nazca Lines and (human) mummies. And I'll take a look at NASA's UAP report. A quick look. It's been one of those weeks. Nice Weather, a Drought, and Me "Two mummified alien corpses..." ??? "Experts", Extraterrestrials, and Exclamation Marks "Nazca Mummies" and — — The Skull of Doom Speculation and the Nazca Lines K2-18b: Carbon Dioxide, Methane, and — Plankton?! Existing UAP Reports: Acknowledging Possibilities Attitudes Questions More at A Catholic Citizen in America . (My take on science news this week: allegedly alien mummies, K2-18b and organic gasses, a NASA UAP report. Unwarranted ass...

St Peter in Penitence El Greco [ Web Gallery of Art ]   Readings   (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, England & Wales, Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland) Readings   (New American Bible: Philippines, USA) Gospel   Matthew 18:21:35  ( English Standard Version Anglicised, India) Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?”   Jesus said to him,  “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven. ” “Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants.   When he began to settle, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents.   And since he could not pay, his master ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made.   So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will p...