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I can't claim Abraham as an ancestor. My ancestors very likely hadn't even heard of Abraham and Isaac until missionaries arrived, and I've mentioned that before. I have, however, learned a bit about our Lord's family history. That brings me to the Elijah cup my wife and I bought, some years back. Make that decades. My wife and I got it while in Minnesota's Twin Cities, for a brother-in-law's wedding, which puts it in the 1990s. Elijah's Cup in Context "Remember This Day...." Moses, Pharaoh — — The Late Bronze Age Collapse, George Washington, and Me Overheard While Getting Our Elijah's Cup Taking Traditions Seriously (More at A Catholic Citizen in America .) (How and why the Passover Seder began, What I think about Moses, academic fashions, and buying either a properly-prepared item or a cheap imitation.) (I know: this topic is related to Lent, not Advent. But it's what I came up with this week.)

My interests are eclectic. So is what my Google News feed puts in my "Picks for you" section. This morning (Thursday, October 24, 2024), I noticed an AP headline about Pope Francis denouncing something: "Pope Francis denounces a world 'losing its heart' in 4th encyclical of his papacy". I could have checked out what AP says the pope said, but long experience tells me that I'll learn more about what a pope — or anyone else — said by reading or hearing what they actually said. So I went to the Vatican website, and took a look at this new encyclical: More at A Catholic Citizen in America . (A link to Dilexit nos, English translation, with two brief excerpts. My first reaction to what the pope wrote, and what I expect from an in-depth look.)

Last Sunday's Gospel reading was about Jesus healing a man who couldn't hear or speak. 1 So that's what Fr. Greg talked about: along with how it ties in how we're living today. A tip of the hat to Fr. Greg, for letting me make a transcript of his homily: Healing the Deaf Mute of Decapolis (1) One-On-One Healing (2) Touching His Ears (3) "Unusual to Us" — Jesus Spits (4) A Second Touch (5) Jesus Looks Up to Heaven (6) He Groans (7) Ephphatha! The Purpose of the Messiah Sidon, the Decapolis, and a World of Gentiles Deafness as a Cultural Preference Babies, Birth Rates, Families: and Statistics The Greatest Blessings on Earth Valuing Children Looking Ahead Planning Ahead, and Praying Video: Gospel Reading and Homily at St. Paul's, Sauk Centre, MN; September 8, 2024 More at A Catholic Citizen in America . (A guest post by Fr. Greg Paffel: showing how healing the deaf mute of Decapolis applies to how we should live today. Valuing...

Easter Sunday: when we celebrate the best news humanity's ever had — so far.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America . (Happy Easter! A music video, a few words, and I'm done for the day.)

"Urbi et orbi" is Latin for "to the city and to the world". Or, rather "To the city and to the world" is English for "urbi et orbi". Either way an "urbi et orbi" message is both for folks living in Rome and for everyone else. There's a plenary indulgence involved, too, and that's another topic.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America . (What Pope Francis said on Christmas Day: embedded video and a link to the text. And, VERY briefly, how I see what he said.)

One, maybe two, articles by C. S. Lewis reappeared about a half-dozen years back. Not that they'd been invisible. Collectors had the articles in their copies of The Strand Magazine, but "A Christmas Sermon for Pagans" and "Cricketer's Progress" hadn't made it into lists of work by Lewis. Maybe it's just one new 'Lewis' article. "Cricketer's Progress: A Famous Reputation and What Became of It", was written by a "Clive Hamilton". Sure, Lewis published his first book under the Clive Hamilton pseudonym. But Lewis isn't known as a sports journalist. 1 And that's another topic. Anyway, I'll be talking about "A Christmas Sermon for Pagans" this week. Or, rather, I'm sharing a few excerpts; and talking about whatever comes to mind. "A Christmas Sermon for Pagans": No Longer Forgotten "... 'Objective' Right or Wrong...." "...Nature is ... A Kind of Machine fo...

This week I'm sharing what Fr. Mark Botzet said during Mass on the last Sunday in June. I was going to just post his homily and let it go at that. But then I thought his focus on fear might make more sense if I put it in context of what's been happening in my part of the world. So I've put a short (for me) look at life in central Minnesota, and the big picture, after Fr. Botzet's homily. Fr. Mark Botzet's Homily — June 25, 2023 Four Decades, Two Millennia and the Long Haul (Brian H. Gill) Under the Circumstances... Promises and the Best News Ever More at A Catholic Citizen in America . (Dealing with changes in Parishes on the Prairie ACC. Remembering priorities. Not letting fear distract us from what is important.)

Recapping Friday's post: whether Jesus died from cardiac rupture, cardiorespiratory failure or something else, the main point is that he died. Then Jesus was buried. Again, let's remember that he was, in the words of the Munckin coroner in "Wizard of Oz", sincerely dead: More at A Catholic Citizen in America . (Jesus was dead and buried. Saturday passed. Sunday morning, some women came to finish what had been a rushed interment. What happened next still matters.)

Jesus had been run back and forth between Caiaphas', Pilate's and Herod's places; tortured, and nailed to a cross on Golgotha. ( Matthew 26:47 - 27:2 ; Mark 14:53 - 15:41 ; Luke 22:66 - 23:49 ) No question about it. He was having a really bad day. No, that's not quite true. There have been alternative versions run up the flagpole.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America . (Jesus had been having a really bad day. But before he died, he made a promise. I talk about that, and the best news humanity has ever had.)

Today is Palm Sunday, the start of Holy Week. Lent is almost over. At Mass this morning, we walked through our Lord's last days in Jerusalem, starting with the first century equivalent of a ticker tape parade. Jesus was top of the charts, wildly popular. More at A Catholic Citizen in America . (Holy Week: Jesus went from top of the charts to torture and execution. Two millennia later, we're still celebrating. Which sounds crazy, but isn't.)

We're celebrating a very special birthday. (A little) more at A Catholic Citizen in America . (John 1:14. It's a big deal. Merry Christmas!)

My culture's Christmas season begins with Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade. Our traditionally-frenzied holiday shopping season does, at any rate. That's not a particularly good thing, considering what stress can do to folks. On the other hand, America's shopping frenzy inspired "I Yust Go Nuts at Christmas." I'll be talking about that, more-or-less-recent news, and events we're still celebrating, two millennia later.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America . (Recent news, holiday stress and a hipster nativity. Yogi Yorgesson and C. S. Lewis: views regarding Christmas. Joseph, Mary and decisions.)

Easter Sunday is a very big deal. It's "the greatest of all Sundays," since it's when we celebrate our Lord's resurrection. Begin celebrating, actually. The Easter season lasts until Pentecost Sunday: not quite two months from now. Maybe "our Lord's resurrection" sounds routine, familiar, two millennia after that post-Passover surprise. But let's remember that the 12 Apostles, make that 11 after Judas Iscariot killed himself, and everyone else close to Jesus expected him to stay dead. More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

(From Casey and Corey Wright, via San Diego Union Tribune, used w/o permission.) As an American, my Christmas season starts on the fourth Thursday in November. That's when the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade arrives at Macy's Herald Square in New York City. Thereafter, front yards bask in the glow of neon reindeer and electric snowmen, while a spirit of unbridled consumerism sweeps the land.... ...As a Catholic, my Christmas season starts December 25. We keep celebrating until the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord. That's tomorrow.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

(From James Tissot, via Wikidata, used w/o permission.) (James Tissot's "Journey of the Magi." (1890s)) "We Three Kings of Orient are, Bearing gifts we traverse afar. Field and fountain, Moor and mountain, Following yonder Star...." (" We Three Kings ," John Henry Hopkins Jr. (1857)) As a child, "We Three Kings" was among my favorite Christmas songs. It still is. The song's gold, frankincense and myrrh are "Biblical," in the sense that they're mentioned in Matthew's Gospel. So is the star. As for the "Three Kings of Orient:" well, there were more than one of them, and Matthew says they were from the east. But he also called them magi.... More about Matthew's magi, Herod the Great, Bethlehem's dead boys, the Ark and more, at A Catholic Citizen in America .

(From James Tissot; via European Art Collection, Wikimedia Commons; used w/o permission.) ("Adoration of the Shepherds," James Tissot. (ca. 1890)) We're celebrating the birth of Jesus this weekend. Saturday night's Gospel reading starts with "...a decree went out from Caesar Augustus...." About halfway along, we hear that Joseph finally found a place to stay in Bethlehem: but not exactly five-star accommodations. When Jesus was born, Mary laid our Lord in a manger. Two millennia later, in my language, "manger" sounds a bit classy. But it's a feeding trough. More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

It's that time of year. Daily reminders of how many shopping days remain before Christmas fill some with dread, others with relief. Folks enjoy, endure or try to ignore another season of "Jingle Bells," "Santa Baby" and "Frosty the Snowman." Some of my neighbors have deployed their Christmas displays. So have we, thanks to my son. It's part of our Advent preparations. We're getting ready for Christmas, looking back at the first time Jesus came; and ahead to when our Lord returns. More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

I was a Christian long before I became a Catholic Christian , and that's another topic. Topics. The point is, I've been trying to follow Jesus ever since I was a child. Somewhere along the line, I started noticing a disconnect between what I occasionally saw in religious art and the Jesus I was reading about in the Bible. More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

It's the start of Holy Week, almost the end of Lent.... ...Jesus was top of the charts, wildly popular. Grass roots opinion, apparently, was that they finally had their messianic king.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

(My corner of small town America around noon, Christmas Eve.) It's Christmas Eve afternoon here in Sauk Centre, Minnesota. Weather, Wind Chill, Memory and Deciding Wednesday's blizzard became a wind chill advisory, which has since retreated to lands north and west of my home. ...What we do each year, and how we do it, matters. But it's not nearly as important as why we get together and celebrate.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .