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Regina Pacis - Queen of Peace University of Bonn [ Wikipedia ;  photo ] Our Lady, Queen of Peace, pray for peace in Ukraine. Readings   (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan,)   Reading s  (English Standard Version, Catholic Edition: England & Wales, India, Scotland)  Readings   (New American Bible: Philippines, USA) Gospel   Luke 6:39-45  (English Standard Version, Anglicised) At that time: Jesus told his disciples a parable: ‘Can a blind man lead a blind man? Will they not both fall into a pit? A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone when he is fully trained will be like his teacher. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, “Brother, let me take out the speck that is in your eye”, when you yourself do not see the log that is in your own eye? You hypocrite! First take the log out of your own eye, and then you will...

  There are any number of things I don't know about any number of things.  This I will admit. But with my nose, I can smell stink a mile away. And it's getting pretty fishy around here. Of the many, many disturbing things coming out of the current administration, and the many, many things I'd like to write about, a big one that we should really be paying attention to follows this headline: "White House takes control of press pool that covers Trump." (BBC)  I'm no expert, but from what I have learned, the * First Amendment mess we are currently in began when the White House refused the Associated Press access to covering Trump because the AP continued to use "Gulf of Mexico" in its reporting, rather than the name Trump arbitrarily uses, "Gulf of America." Make no mistake, it doesn't matter if you are Republican or Democrat, this should concern all of us. If like me, you didn't know how the press pool works, you should know ...

We prayed for Pope Francis at Mass yesterday. I've added a prayer to my daily routine. It sounds like there'll be more prayers in St. Peter's Square this evening. Our pope's health is emphatically not good. But as the old Minnesota saying goes: "it could be worse".... In this case, part of the good news is that Pope Francis hasn't had a repeat of Saturday morning's "respiratory crisis", his kidney issues are still not his major health problem, and "...the thrombocytopenia remains stable...". (Vatican News (February 24, 2024))... More at A Catholic Citizen in America . (Pope Francis, health, and prayer. News from the Vatican: and Minnesota. Why I pray and take my prescriptions: and why that makes sense.) ( "thrombocytopenia"?!! Don't worry: reined myself in and didn't ramble on about it.)

I Googled Sauk Centre history this week. I learned that the Minnesota Historical Society's website has back issues of our town's Sauk Centre Herald — and an impressive set of records connected with the Sauk Centre Home School for Girls, AKA Minnesota Correctional Facility-Sauk Centre. Focusing on conventional publications, government officials, and their institutions, has some merit. But so does remembering what happened when schoolkids found a skunk in a woodpile. A literal skunk in an actual woodpile.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America . (Bringing explosives to school: cultural and historical context. Or: what happened when kids found a skunk in a woodpile.)

Christ as Saviour El Greco [ Web Gallery of Art ] It is he who forgives all your guilt,  who heals every one of your ills (Ps 102 [103]:2; Responsorial Psalm). Readings   (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan,) Readings   (English Standard Version, Catholic Edition: England & Wales, India, Scotland)  Readings   (New American Bible: Philippines, USA) Gospel   Luke 6:27-38  (English Standard Version, Anglicised) At that time: Jesus said to his disciples, ‘I say to you who hear: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. To one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also; and from one who takes away your cloak do not withhold your tunic either. Give to everyone who begs from you; and from one who takes away your goods, do not demand them back. And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them. ‘If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to y...

      I was watching a video interview in which the guest mentioned fear. I don't remember what she said because it was kind of an off-hand remark. But it gave me pause, as I asked myself if there is anything I fear. I assumed there wasn't, because I don't think I tend to be a fearful person. Imagine my surprise when the list I came up with, spontaneously, was literally endless! I had no idea that fear likely impacts so much of my thought. I decided to look up fear in scripture, and it is there, in many places. We have tons of reminders in the Bible about God delivering us from fear, about trusting in God, and holding on to him as our refuge and strength. Ask yourself if fear has seeped its way into your life, maybe without you even realizing. Remember, that in our perfect love of God, fear cannot find a home. As you loosen the hold fear has on you, may you have less anxiety and more pure joy. Janet Cassidy Email me at:  jmctm2@gmail.com janetcassidy.co...

      I was searching the internet to figure out how to do something, when I became distracted and HAD to click on a video about how marshmallows are made. Is it just me? I've always been a curious person, so unimportant information like that is right up my alley. Now don't ask me what gives marshmallows their bounce (something they covered in the video), because I typically don't retain useless information very long. And in case you care, just the other day I came across a video about how to bake marshmallows so they get crispy on the outside and soft and gooey on the inside. Maybe I'm just hopeless. I'm often frustrated by distractions that land right in front of me. It takes a lot of determination to stay focused in prayer and spiritual reading for instance--even with an actual book at hand. It's so hard to resist the temptation to move on to something else. But then, there are those occasions when I get lost in contemplation--say, maybe for a...

Saint Anthony Park public library looks about the way I remember it, back in the early 1960s: from this angle, at any rate. It was on the other side of a small 'downtown', between Carter and Doswell Avenues on Como. I visited that shopping area recently, using Google Street View. I'd hoped to spot the grocery my mother sent me to, but the library's the only thing that looked familiar: hardly surprising, after upwards of six decades.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America . (Breaking a bottle of ketchup when I was 12 felt awful. But I learned about priorities, how families work, and how to be a parent.)

        I was observing our tall maple trees after our snowstorm and I noticed that one side of the tree had snow resting on its branches, but snow had not landed on the trunk facing the other side. For a minute I thought I could deduce the direction the storm came from (the side that held the snow on its branches), until, duh, I realized that the trunk had nothing in its makeup for the snow to rest on. I started thinking about how we are perfectly designed, like the  branches, to receive whatever God offers. I'm sure if I thought this through more, I would be able to see that the snow on the branches adds beauty to the tree, as God makes our life beautiful as well. And the still snow is a reminder of the activity that has taken place--even when we are at rest or not paying attention--deep within our hearts. God is always pouring out his love on us. The Holy Spirit is always active in our lives, even when we don't perceive it. Where have you seen evid...

Three Poplars, Summer Claude Monet [ Web Gallery of Art ] He is like a tree planted by water,      that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes,      for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought,      for it does not cease to bear fruit  (Jeremiah 17:8; First Reading). He is like a tree      planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season,      and its leaf does not wither  (Psalm 1:3; Responsorial Psalm). Readings (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan,) Readings   (English Standard Version, Catholic Edition: England & Wales, India, Scotland)  Reading s  (New American Bible: Philippines, USA) Gospel   Luke 6:17, 20-26  (English Standard Version, Anglicised) At that time: Jesus came down with the Twelve and stood on a level place, with a great c...

  Shrine of St Valentine Church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Whitefriar St, Dublin [ Source ] I first posted this two years ago and included material I used on 12 February 2009. The core of the stories about St Valentine is that this young Roman priest, who was what we would now call a diocesan priest, was martyred for officiating at weddings when Emperor Claudius II, ‘the Cruel’, forbade them because he was engaged in so many wars and needed the young men to fight in them. In the Philippines  (where I was based most of the time from 1971 to 2017)  St Valentine’s Day is almost always referred to as ‘Valentine’s Day’. Indeed the ‘St’ is left out in most English-speaking countries. For many young people it is simply a day to express innocent friendship. For many married couples it is a day for renewing their love for one another. But for many unmarried young adults it is, quite frankly, a day for fornicating. This would be the case in many other countries, as would adultery....

      Many years ago when I was working on my undergraduate degree, I needed permission to write a paper on the importance of the Catholic Church speaking out on things that were happening in the world. The professor in charge of giving me that permission couldn't understand the necessity of the Church speaking about current and cultural topics. My immediate teacher--a Catholic priest--understood that this was a legitimate topic to write on, and so I was given permission. You can see that this argument against the necessity of the Church speaking out, continues to be a problem today. (I will write more about the "pope's letter," referenced, below.) Here's what I just read on Newsmax.com: " Border Czar Tom Homan, responding on Newsmax to Pope Francis' stern rebuke to the Trump administration over its mass deportation efforts,  said the pontiff should concentrate on the Catholic church's woes instead. "You ought to get out of the bus...

      Are you among those who think Pope Francis is a heretic? There are plenty of people who express their frustration at some of the things he says and does. Well, I say, not so fast. Some of what he says may be challenging, especially to those who want to make the Catholic Church into an exclusive club.  I was thinking about that today when I was reflecting on the Gospel of Luke, Chapter 5, Verses 1-11. It's the passage that recalls Simon being told by Jesus to lower his nets--after a long night of fishing and catching nothing. On Jesus' command, Simon (Peter) lowers his nets and catches an abundance of fish. Jump forward. Pope Francis, as the successor of Peter, has a responsibility to open wide the doors of the Church so as to draw in an abundance (of people). When we follow what God calls us to do, the consequences go far beyond what we can ever imagine. Let's not be so quick to discount Pope Francis. People were quick to discount Jesus in his day ...

San Francisco's BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) system wasn't the world's first automated transit system, or even the first in this country. But it was among the first all-new American rapid transit systems designed in the 20th century. BART was also, I gather, among the first with trains that didn't need drivers. Or, rather, didn't need a human at the controls. An Automatic Train Control (ATC) system ran each train, and the network as a whole. 1 Today I'll be taking a quick look at how news media covered a BART accident that wasn't particularly serious, and talk about what happened when a train and its driver didn't communicate — plus whatever else comes to mind. The Fleetingly Famous Fremont Flyer ROBOT TRAIN RUNS AMOK! CHAOS RIDES THE RAILS! The Train That Left Its Human Behind Daft Kids and Open Doors WAIT FOR ME! Seriously? Humans: A Brief Meditation on Kids, Commuters, and Molten Ice Cream More at A Catholic Citizen in America ....

Miraculous Draught of Fishes Raphael [ Web Gallery of Art ] Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord  (Luke 5:8; Gospel)). Readings   (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan,) Readings   (English Standard Version, Catholic Edition: England & Wales, India, Scotland)  Readings   (New American Bible: Philippines, USA) Gospel   Luke 5:1-11  (English Standard Version, Anglicised) At that time: The crowd was pressing in on Jesus to hear the word of God. He was standing by the lake of Gennesaret, and he saw two boats by the lake, but the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. Getting into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, he asked him to put out a little from the land. And he sat down and taught the people from the boat. And when he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, ‘Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.’ And Simon answered, ‘Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at yo...

Number-three daughter asked me to see if I could get a pomegranate. This was a week or so back, in mid-January. There weren't any in the produce section. Or, rather, I didn't see any. So I asked when, or if, they'd be there. Turns out that I'll have to wait for the right season: early winter. I wasn't surprised. I'm impressed that we can get any out-of season fruit. And that so much of what's in the produce section won't grow here in the Upper Midwest. Being as old as I am, with a pretty good memory, helps. The pomegranates that weren't there brought to mind a cluster of memories involving a wooden crate, sincerely awful oranges, and a posthumous sense of gratitude. More at A Catholic Citizen in America . (Remembering a wooden crate, sincerely awful oranges, and what my father had in mind. A posthumous expression of gratitude.)