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Hot topic from yesteryear: "Charity Begins at Home", Louis Dalrymple in Puck (NY). (December 28, 1898) Minnesota and Minneapolis have been national news for more than a month now. This is my home state. I'm not happy about what's in the news, and concerned about what's dropped out of the news. Ignoring the mess isn't an option. So this week I'll talk about what's allegedly been happening, and why I take so much of what I read with a few bulk lots of salt. Activists and a Distinct Perspective Apparently (Over-) Cautious: an Alleged Disclaimer Political? No! Perturbed? Yes Out of Step With The Establishment: Five Decades and Counting Minnesota: Good Grief, Another Month 'We Interrupt Your Worship to Bring You Our Message' Alternatively-Legal Immigrants Immigrants, Rules, and Unchanging Principles It's Just Fraud, Pay No Attention Headlines and Me It's (Not) Simple Labels, Attitudes, and America: Then and Now Bo...

Lala  Vicente  with Jordan Navor L'Arche , Cainta, near Manila. I have known both for many years. In Ireland this Sunday is the Feast of St Brigid, Secondary Patroness of the country. The Mass is that of St Brigid but the readings are those of the Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A. 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 5:1-12a   (English Standard Version, Anglicised) At that time: Seeing the crowds, Jesus went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him. And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying: ‘Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, ...

                                                                        Mr. Didanoto's classroom I shuddered when, in response to a question about what could restrain his power, the president said: "My own morality, my own mind." God placed in our hearts a natural law, whose voice calls us to "love and to do what is good and to avoid evil." ( CCC1776 ) But, we must understand that Natural Law uses reason and a well-formed conscience: " It is by the judgment of his conscience that man perceives and recognizes the prescriptions of the divine law." ( CCC1778 ) We have to be careful here, because our judgment should be deeply rooted in divine law. It is actually the mind of God that we must follow. Following are some points of wisdom from the "Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC)." I encourage you to take yo...

  "By their deeds, the disciples are to influence the world for good." This explanation in my Bible's footnote about verses 13-16 of Matthew Chapter 5 caused me to really think about who a disciple is and what they are called to do.  I had a conversation with a neighbor years ago who dismissed the idea of faith by saying that she was just teaching her daughter to be a good person, implying that was enough. Maybe you think this way, or you know someone who does, but being a good person (while commendable), is lacking, if your "goodness" is not built on solid ground and is disconnected from Jesus. An easy reading of Matthew, Chapters 4 & 5, makes it pretty clear: FIRST, Jesus called those who were to become his disciples, THEN he taught them what their mission was. He wasn't simply calling good people to follow him. He wasn't giving them instruction about how to be nice people. They needed both a relationship with him, and his instruction. ...

From Wanda Gág's "Millions of Cats". (1928) I don't know what, if any, name the neighbors had given "LGN": pronounced "Elgin". I'm not even sure that the little grey cat belonged to our neighbors at 1010. But she, or possibly he, came from their yard very regularly when my father and I were outside and near the front of the house. Now, cats act like cats: but they also have personalities. They can act aloof, hostile, seemingly-oblivious, vaguely interested in you: or possibly in something behind you.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America . (Remembering a small grey cat my father and I knew. Rules about how we should treat both animals and people, and how the seventh commandment applies to both.)

It’s COLD outside, here in Minnesota. (4:28 p.m. (22:28 UTC), January 22, 2026) Eager readers and a jester-journalist. (1910) More than a century later, still familiar. Minnesota's in the news, but not because of the weather. That's another topic, for another day. An Extreme Cold Warning has been in effect for my part of Minnesota since 3:00 this afternoon. It runs until noon tomorrow, when a Cold Weather Advisory starts. That'll run until Saturday noon. But the weather my news feed has been showing me is about the "heavy snow, crippling ice and frigid temperatures" of a winter storm that'll make life interesting for folks in "more than 2 dozen states". Maybe excessively interesting. Focusing on states from New Mexico and Texas to Maine and the Carolinas does make sense.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America . (How I see current conditions: Cold Weather Advisory here in Sauk Centre, winter storm from New Mexico to the east coast. And sewer tr...

San Giorgio Maggiore at Dawn Joseph Mallord William Turner [ Web Gallery of Art ] For those dwelling in the region and shadow of death,   on them a light has dawned  (Mt 4:16, Gospel; see Isaiah 9:2, First Reading). 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 4:12-23 or 4:12-17   (English Standard Version, Anglicised) When Jesus heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew into Galilee. And leaving Nazareth he went and lived in Capernaum by the sea, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali, so that what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled: ‘The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles — the people dwelling in darkness have seen a great light, and for those dwelling in the region and sh...

    I was leaving the doughnut shop and I heard the next customer say, "I need a minute to look. I haven't been in a doughnut shop in years." Naturally, my first thought was, "What?" How is it possible not to be in a doughnut shop for years? Then, I heard the rest of the conversation. "I've been in China for 12 years and the best I could get was a doughnut from something like a Walmart. Not a real doughnut." It was all I could do not to stop right there and start asking him questions, but my more disciplined self stopped me. Still, I'd love to know the rest of his story. We all have stories to tell and while they might seem ordinary to us, I think they might be quite interesting to others. In addition to details about life, I am always interested in stories that bring people to faith. They are often a fascinating testament to God tangibly working in someone's life. Often circuitous, the twists and turns and surprises of life add gr...

The Gospel of John  (1:29-34) Directed by Philip Saville I am posting this rather late, on Sunday night. We had no WiFi from Friday afternoon until tonight. 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 1:29-34   (English Standard Version, Anglicised) At that time: John saw Jesus coming towards him, and said, ‘Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! This is he of whom I said, “After me comes a man who ranks before me, because he was before me.” I myself did not know him, but for this purpose I came baptising with water, that he might be revealed to Israel.’ And John bore witness: ‘I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. I myself did not know him, but he who sent me to baptise with water said to me, “He on whom you see the Spirit descend ...

Last Saturday I learned that my home parish, Our Lady of Angels in Sauk Centre, will almost certainly close this year. I'm not happy about that. At all. More at A Catholic Citizen in America . (The parish my wife and I were married in will almost certainly be closed this year. A quick look at parish history, and some photos.)

Señor Santo Niño de Cebú [ Wikipedia ] First Reading   Isaiah 9:1-6 Second Reading    Ephesians 1:3-6, 15-18 Gospel   Matthew 18:1-5, 10 At that time the disciples approached Jesus and said, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”   He called a child over, placed it in their midst,   and said, “Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever receives one child such as this in my name receives me. “See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven always look upon the face of my heavenly Father." The Sleeping Sto Niño   (There are many versions) THE SLEEPING GOD by  Simeon Dumdum, Jr . This first appeared in  Cebu Daily News  some years ago. It is used here with permission. Simeon Dumdum, Jr, known to his friends as 'Jun...