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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.)

Our Lady of the Angels (OLA) in Sauk Centre, Minnesota: northwest entrance. (September 20, 2022) "First, the good news. As far as I know, nobody got hurt during last weekend's incident. "That much I could tell from what wasn't in a metro area station's news item...." One statue tipped, urine on the carpet, a damaged cross. The Saturday morning trashing spree showed lack of respect for the folks in this parish. More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

(From BBC News, used w/o permission.) I hadn't planned on doing another "Ukraine" post for quite a while. But this news item caught my attention.... (Not good news, but not entirely bad news, either.) More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

On Tuesday, April 20, 2021, a jury said that Derek Chauvin murdered George Floyd. Folks have been reacting to that. But protestors haven't torched Minneapolis shops and services in the three days since then. Not as far as I know. Which is a relief, but not a surprise. For one thing, it's late April: still a bit too chilly for comfort during pyromaniac performance art's prime time. I'll be taking a quick look at headlines. Then I'll talk about life, law, justice and why I think murder is a bad idea. More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

(Now that I have your attention.) Last Sunday's homily included mention of the 'wheat and tares' parable. Or was it Sunday before last? Either way, that parable didn't fit the Gospel reading. But the off-season reference put wheat, weeds and questions on my mind's front desk. And reminded me of a 'Wheat and Tares' post I wrote about a half-dozen years back. Then, a few days ago, I was told that the Catholic Church is a terrorist organization. I started writing about that, added a revised version of the old 'wheat and tares' post, and wound up with this: Belonging to an (allegedly) "Terrorist Organization" ?? Beware the Satanic Papal Octopus: Legacy, Cycle A and an Angry God God: Large and In Charge The Beginning of Wisdom Fear of the Lord and Karaoke To Seek, Know, and Love God Wheat and Weeds More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

Daniel Lewis Lee died this morning. That's unremarkable, by itself. Roughly 150,000 people die every day. Cause of death varies. Diseases kill some of us. Others die in accidents. Civil authorities kill those who deserve death. In their government's opinion.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

When we look at the concept of justice from a subjective point of view, we will wind up with a variety of “opinions” on how to define justice. What seems just and fair to one individual, might seem unjust to another. And therein lies the conflict. However, if we look at the definition of justice objectively, we can come to a consensus of truth in the definition of justice. So, to find justice in what seems like an unjust society we must first look at the objective definition of justice. Find Justice in the Objective Truth The Catechism of the Catholic Church defines Justice as respect for “the rights of each and to establish in human relationships the harmony that promotes equity with regard to persons and to the common good.”  1  So, here we see, that Justice is not what’s right for only me, but I must take into account respect for all persons and strive for equity among all. With a common definition to rely upon, we must now look at where we see injustice within so...

It’s July and the year is half over. So, why does it feel like this year is taking forever to slog through? Could we be suffering from the summertime blues? I, for one, dislike the heat. However, I think it is more than that. Our country has had to deal with an impeachment of a President (forgot about that already?), a deadly virus, civil unrest, massive unemployment, and an unsteady stock market. With all this upheaval, what can we count on? Uncertainty! Summertime Blues As we move to the second half of the year, I think the summertime blues will continue. Governmental corruption continues. The deadly virus resolutely waits to pounce. Systemic racism requires time and hard work to address properly. And unemployment and stock market movements sputter up and down. How can we cope in such times as these? Turn to God I’m the type of person who feels compelled to fix things. I’m a problem solver. However, with all this uncertainty and upheaval, I’m overwhelmed. So, in times lik...

Where the Ten Commandments tell us, for the most part, what not to do, the Beatitudes tell us how to live in a Christ-like manner. They highlight all the good virtues that we should possess. The Beatitudes serve us well. Virtues Associated with the Beatitudes Humility : “Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matt 5:3). Caring/Compassion : “Blessed are they who mourn, for they will be comforted (Matt 5:4). Meekness : “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the land” (Matt 5:5). Justice : “Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied” (Matt 5:6). Mercy : “Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy” (Matt 5:7). Piety :  “Blessed are the clean of heart, for they will see God (Matt 5:8). Peace : “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called the children of God” (Matt 5:9). Faith : “Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingd...

I don’t know about you, but I think there is a lot of injustices occurring these days. Of the many concerns impacting our society, we must seek justice regarding: Abortion Government corruption Racial profiling Unchecked prejudices against the vulnerable Destruction of environmental protections Disregard for the rule of law I’m sure that you could add many line items to this list. The onslaught of these affronts against justice can seem overwhelming for anyone. Therefore, what can we do about it? How can any one of us seek justice in an unjust society? How I Seek Justice It’s just little old me. I’m just one person. Yet, I can have some impact, and you can as well. Perhaps you might want to join me. I seek justice, and by that, I mean God’s Justice, by reciting the  Divine Mercy Chaplet   daily. This is a powerful prayer asking for God’s mercy and forgiveness (for all the injustices caused by man). With my daily intention, I seek the revelation of God’s truth...

Justice, in the eyes of God, is viewed a bit differently than we, humans, view Justice. Giving God His due through worship, praise and thanksgiving is justice in God’s eyes. Respecting one’s neighbor’s goods and family is justice in God’s eyes. Embracing Justice, as God would like us to do, is not as easy as it sounds. The number of people who take the time on Sundays to worship God; to give Him praise and thanksgiving, is dwindling as each decade passes. We, as humans, are not giving God His due. In addition, we, as humans, fail to give the rightful respect due to our fellow men. Look at all the bickering you see on the news; the divisiveness rising in the country and around the world. Types of Justice Justice resides in the will of every person. Yet, a truly just person distinguishes himself by right reason and upright conduct. There are three different types of Justice. These forms of Justice enable us to live up to the call of giving one’s neighbor their just due: Read ...

We live in a secular world. Yet, how we conduct ourselves, in business, has at its foundation God’s moral laws – what we call today, business ethics.  Business ethics calls for us to be honest, respectful, wise, prudent, just, tactful and courteous in transacting business with others. These ethics require us to be virtuous, if we want to be successful! Business Ethics at Work Honest  – The Eighth Commandment states, “ You shall not bear dishonest witness against your neighbor ” (Deut. 5:20). God calls us to live by the truth. Live an upright life, both in action and speech; tactfully, and with kindness. Respectful  – “ Do to others what you would have them do to you ” (Matt 7:12). God calls us to love unconditionally and that means respecting others, especially when we do not see eye to eye. We must not only respect others, but respect differences of opinion as well. Wise  – “ In the heart of the intelligent wisdom abides, but in the bosom of fools it is ...

In today’s Gospel reading from Matt 5:1-12, we hear Jesus teach about the Beatitudes. I am quite partial to the Beatitudes, as they embody virtue. As you all know, virtue is my “thing.” When we look at each one of the Beatitudes, we see that they are actually God’s gift of grace. That is because, to master the Beatitudes, we must embrace virtue. To embrace virtue, we need God’s grace. The Beatitudes – Jesus’ Way! To be poor in spirit, one must embrace and exemplify   humility If you are one who mourns, you are   compassionate Meekness is obvious. Yet to be   meek , one requires great strength ( fortitude ). If you hunger and thirst for righteousness, you embody   justice Merciful is obvious, like meekness. However, to be   merciful,   to the extent necessary, one must be ready to also   forgive ... Read more... 

Mass murder at a Florida high school is in the news again. Someone has been accused of killing 17 students and staff on February 14, 2018. He's being tried and may be executed. I'll be talking about him, one of the dead students and why I think human life matters. All human life.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

Molly McBride is back! I was so excited to see Molly McBride and the Party Invitation , by Jean Schoonover-Egolf hit the shelves. This is Egolf’s third installment, in the Molly McBride series. I’m a big fan of Molly McBride, as I love her spunky attitude. I’ve enjoyed reading all three books, courtesy of Egolf. You can read my review of the first two books here . Molly McBride and the Party Invitation Now, let’s talk about Molly McBride and the Party Invitation. In this installment, Molly’s birthday is about to occur, and of course, we must have a party! Yet, Momma says that ALL of Molly’s classmates MUST be invited to the party. That includes that mean boy, named Sam. If Sam comes to the party, he’ll ruin it! What is Molly to do? How can she have a great party, AND make sure that Sam doesn’t come? What ensues is a tale of... Read more...

I have been reading  The Autobiography of Malcolm X  and I am very impressed with the man. I was interested in reading it after someone mentioned how reading changed his life (I am all about promoting literacy and education.) I learned a lot about how things were during his life and also how things got to be the way they are now. It seems to me that a lot has improved since his time, but a lot is still very much the same. His message to his black brothers was for them to love and respect themselves, do for themselves, and demand justice for themselves–this is hard for me to disagree with. Malcolm is still thought of today as a divisive and angry figure, unlike the inclusive and inspiring Martin Luther King, but there are many things we can learn from the life of Malcolm X. 1. Through self-discipline, Malcolm found freedom. While in prison, his family was trying to get him to follow the teachings of Elijah Muhammad–they started by telling him to give up pork and cigarett...

Quite a few parts of the Bible don't talk about forgiveness. But quite a few do, and they're not just in the New Testament. This morning's second reading doesn't mention forgiveness directly, but the verse right after it does. They all say why forgiving is a good idea. It's enlightened self-interest, in the long run.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

Today is Flag Day! Happy Flag Day to all my fellow United States citizens. Today in America, we celebrate what the U.S. flag means to us all. With that in mind, I thought I would hone in on some virtues, for which I think the U.S. flag proudly represents. Virtues of the U.S. Flag Courage : The U.S. flag is a symbol of courage. Many men and women have given their lives in defense of our freedom and democracy. It represents all the blood, sweat and tears shed, so that we might enjoy our freedom accorded by our Constitution and Bill of Rights. Acceptance : Read more...

Today's world is remarkable for a lack of dinosaurs. Big ones, anyway. Those critters would have been among the first things someone would notice here for upwards of 200,000,000 years. Then, about 66,000,000 years back, something awful happened. The only dinosaurs left are those little tweeting, chirping, and cawing critters we call birds. Ammonites had been around for even longer, but whatever finished the 'thunder lizards' wiped them out, too. We showed up much more recently, and are learning that there's a very great deal of our past, and Earth's, that we don't know. Not yet.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

In the United States, a person is presumed innocent, until the State can prove “beyond a reasonable doubt” that the person, charged with a crime, is guilty. I got to see the wheels of justice turn, first-hand, during the last week in April, while serving on  jury duty. A husband/father was accused of assaulting his wife and daughter; hence two counts of assault. The trial was fascinating, especially the jury selection part of the trial. I thought, for sure, I would be dismissed for two reasons: I have many years of training, as an auditor, where my job was to ascertain whether someone was telling the truth. Whichever side was planning to present sketchy information, I would surely figure it out. I have a Masters in Theology, and I teach morality. If I’ve learned anything over the past six years of study, it is that you do not draw a black or white, yes or no conclusion of a moral act, without considering intent and circumstances. For these reasons, I felt certain that e...