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Calling of Sts Peter and Andrew Cigoli [ Web Gallery of Art ] Readings   (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, England & Wales, Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland) Readings   (New American Bible: Philippines, USA) Gospel   Mark 1:14-20 ( English Standard Version Anglicised: India) Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God,   and saying,  “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.” Passing alongside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew the brother of Simon casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen.   And Jesus said to them,  “Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men.”   And immediately they left their nets and followed him.   And going on a little farther, he saw James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, who were in their boat mending the nets.   And immediately he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants and followed h

It's a sunny Tuesday afternoon here in Sauk Centre, Minnesota. It's 8°F outside, -13°C. At that temperature, water is a mineral. Which is normal for this time of year here in central Minnesota. The sun is setting, which again is normal for this time of place, day and year.... ...And my news feed is clogged with headlines about today's American president, and the chap who will become president tomorrow. Which may or may not be normal. But it's pretty much what I expected.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

  I came across a phrase in a book titled Do Something Beautiful for God.   The book is a daily meditation on the teachings of St. Teresa of Calcutta.   On January 16 th , there was a paragraph encouraging us to do little acts of kindness because they are a way that we “give our love of God concrete expression.” What a beautiful sentiment.   How do you give your love of God “concrete expression”? There can be so many things that we can and should do in this life that challenge us, but they are often met with our internal conflict as we try to preserve our preferences over sacrifice. Maybe your whole schedule has been disrupted by a parent who needs your time and attention.   Or maybe the whole school schedule caused by the pandemic is requiring you to constantly adjust your plans.   Perhaps that needy friend wants to talk more than you have time for or you are picking up a coworker’s slack temporarily. Whatever it is, St. Teresa reminds us that doing these things is a way of

 GOD IS GETTING OLD CLICK HERE

I noticed "Research sheds new light on intelligent life existing across the galaxy" in last year's science news headlines. That, and "'Mirror Image' of the Earth and Sun Discovered 3000 Light-Years Away," started me writing about exoplanets, SETI and vaguely-related topics. About 8,400 words later.... ...So I saved what I'd written and proceeded with reading, writing and not going bonkers during an election-year pandemic. Some of the "...sheds new light..." material went into "My Top 10 Science News Stories For 2020." Most of it will (probably) go into this series. More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

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  In today’s reading in the Gospel of Mark (Chapter 2:1-12) we are drawn into a scene where Jesus was home, preaching to people.   So many people gathered around him that they were running out of room. Because of this, some had to open up a roof above Jesus and break through, letting a paralytic down through the roof on his mat. When Jesus saw the man, he recognized his faith, and said to him, “Child, your sins are forgiven.” The scribes who were watching questioned what Jesus had done and challenged him.   Jesus, knowing what they were thinking, gave them the proof they needed, going beyond the forgiveness of his sins through the power of his spoken word to a physical healing they could actually see.   He said to the man, “Rise, pick up your mat and walk” to show them that the forgiveness he had given did take place and the man, who had been carried in, walked away as everyone looked on. Naturally, everyone was surprised and their response was to glorify God. If Jesus could