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It has been nearly a month since I have updated my blog and I greatly appreciate your patience.  I still have lots of thoughts to share with you, I just haven't done so!  My apologies. Advent, the season we are in, is such a beautiful time in the Church year, I didn't want to let it slip by without writing.  The challenging thing about Advent (the four weeks leading up to the celebration of the birth of Christ--Christmas) is that it falls right smack in the middle of one of the busiest shopping seasons of the year!   So many distractions! Truth be told, the pre-Christmas shopping frenzy rose up around the misguided notion that Christmas is all about gift-giving.  The bigger the better.  The more, the more amazing.  The perfect gift, the greatest show of our love for another. None of that is true.  I have never found the perfect gift that expresses the totality of my love.  My guess is you won't either, unless you look to Christ himself.  Jesus is the bigger, mor

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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 .

  Linaioli Tabernacle, St John the Baptist Blessed Fra Angelico [ Web Gallery of Art ] Readings   (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, [England & Wales], Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland) Readings   (New American Bible: Philippines, USA) Gospel   Luke 3:1-6  (English Standard Version Anglicised: India) In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene,   during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the wilderness.   And he went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.   As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord,      make his paths straight. Every valley shall be filled,      and eve

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Americans celebrated Thanksgiving this week. Well, most Americans. Some folks in New England lamented injustices committed over the last few centuries.... ...And, although those who weren't killed during a parade in Waukesha, Wisconsin, may enjoy not being dead, my guess is that none of them feel giddy with thanks.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America : first Thanksgivings: Plymouth Puritans, Virginia and two Spanish events. My health issues, COVID-19 in Minnesota and the Macy Thanksgiving Day parade.

Christ in the Storm on the Sea of Galilee Rembrandt [ Web Gallery of Art ] . And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth distress of nations in perplexity because of the roaring of the sea and the waves . . .  (Luke 21:25; today’s gospel). We begin Year C, which highlights St Luke's Gospel Readings   (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, [England & Wales], Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland) Readings   (New American Bible: Philippines, USA) Gospel   Luke 21:25-28, 34-36  (English Standard Version Anglicised: India) Jesus said to his disciples: “And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth distress of nations in perplexity because of the roaring of the sea and the waves,   people fainting with fear and with foreboding of what is coming on the world. For the powers of the heavens will be shaken.   And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.   Now when these things begin to take place, straighten u

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  SPEAKING IN TONGUES What is it? Do you speak in tongues? Read more HERE

I enjoy reading. Some folks don't. I have no idea what fraction of readers boast of their bookish practices. Or how many non-readers argue that reading is a waste of time. Apart, perhaps, from their occasional dip into a how-2 article. Since there's little tumult and shouting on the reader/non-reader front, it's probably not among today's major issues.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America : A brief look at readers: avid, picky and practical. Fiction, ethics and making sense. Fashionable melancholy, the Great Commission and why I write.

  From  The Gospel of John  (2003)  Directed by Philip Saville.  [John 18:33-37, today's Gospel] Readings   (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, [England & Wales], Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland) Readings   (New American Bible: Philippines, USA) Gospel   John 18:33-37  (English Standard Version Anglicised: India) Pilate asked Jesus, “Are you the King of the Jews?”     Jesus answered,  “Do you say this of your own accord, or did others say it to you about me?”   Pilate answered, “Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered you over to me. What have you done?”   Jesus answered,  “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.”   Then Pilate said to him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered,  “You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the t

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I started writing about stars, names, designations and how we got to a point where Sirius is also known as BD-16°1591, ADS 5423 and GJ 244. That started me thinking about telescopes, Galileo, Aristotle and Dante.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

  St Michael in Victory Murillo [ Wikimedia Commons ] At that time shall arise  Michael, the great prince who has charge of your people. And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never has been since there was a nation till that time  (Daniel 12:1. First Reading).  Readings   (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, [England & Wales], Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland) Readings (New American Bible: Philippines, USA) Gospel   Mark 13:24-32  (English Standard Version Anglicised: India) Jesus said to his disciples: “But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light,   and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.   And then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory.   And then he will send out the angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven. “From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becom

    Have I mentioned this before? I was on my way to visit one of our daughters at her new job and I missed the road sign where I was supposed to turn.  This happened because I was expecting a different kind of road.  I thought it would be a busy, four lane road when it was actually a quiet, two-lane road. It seems like this is how life works.  We imagine something to be a certain way, and when it doesn't look like what we expected, we miss it altogether. This is true with religion as well. So many imagine Church to be an institution beset by cold demands, where freedom is lost, when in reality it is a place of many encounters with the living Christ.  It is a place where we find friendship and true freedom, as well as salvation! Keep this in mind if you have had the sense that something is missing in your life, but you have been avoiding the community life of a Church because of what you imagine it to be. Sometimes you have to make that "right" turn to disco

If you haven't already, you'll soon read about a new development in the war between science and religion. " How Covid Raised the Stakes of the War Between Faith and Science " Tish Harrison Warren, The New York Times (November 7, 2021) " Reviews | How Covid raised the stakes in the war between faith and science " newsnetdaily.com (November 7, 2021) Alleged war, at any rate. I can't read the original piece in The New York Times, since it's behind a paywall.... ...I did, however, find this snippet in an online blurb.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

  In the Gospel of Luke, Chapter 17, Verse 5, the apostles ask Jesus to increase their faith.  What is the measure of your faith?  Do you have just a smidge of faith, or a lot?  Interestingly, Jesus seems to imply that it doesn't matter.   You see, just a morsel of faith is incredibly powerful.  In his words, he tells the apostles, "If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you would say to [this] mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it would obey you." I checked out mulberry trees.  They don't actually have ears, so they cannot hear you tell them to move.  Neither do they have the ability to move themselves, so what gives? Oh I'm just kidding.  Well, not really.  They don't have ears nor the ability to move themselves. But seriously, mulberry trees shoot up quickly and have a few different varieties.  They reach maturity in about ten years.  Truthfully, their roots can be so aggressive that they can even lift up sidew

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I was in a conversation recently where the subject of passing on the faith came up.  The discussion brought up my concerns that if the present (younger) generation does not take up faith, generations from now could be in a position of essentially being faithless. Now I know that it will not necessarily come to pass, as there are still plenty people of faith.  Plus, God is always victorious, so even if it seems like all could be lost, there is always a remnant to continue.  But still, if a whole generation let's their faith slip past, who will teach their kids, and their kids after that? In Psalm 145, we read: "Generation after generation praises your works and proclaims your might.  They speak of the splendor of your glorious majesty and tell of your wondrous works." Do you give praise to God and share what he has done for you?  Or, do you really not know his saving grace, his constant outpouring of love or his unlimited mercy (forgiveness)? What do you think

St. Peter's Basilica in Rome isn't nearly as old as it looks. Architects in ancient Rome often covered large interior spaces with barrel vaults and semicircular arches, although they hadn't invented either.... ...Today I'll be taking a quick look at a famous Roman architect, Vitruvius, and then recap what happened during the half-dozen centuries after Emperor Constantine signed off on building the first St. Peter's basilica.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

In the Gospel of Luke (15:1-10), this sentence stopped me in my tracks:  "The tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to listen to Jesus, but the Pharisees and scribes began to complain, saying, 'This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.'" Have you ever heard anything so ridiculous?  Scribes and Pharisees, religious men, complaining about Jesus associating with sinners?  The very sinners he has come to save?  How is he supposed to reach sinners if he separates himself from them? I started wondering.  Is this still a problem today, holy people complaining to Jesus about others?  Let's see: Would we ever complain about people who only come to church at Christmas and Easter and take our seats? Would we ever look sideways at people who come to church with purple hair, tattoos, nose rings or dirty clothes? Or criticize people who seem irreverent, who don't know the right words or actions? Would we every complain to God about parents of noisy chi

Petrarch called Rome "a rubbish heap of history." That's what Ferdinand Gregorovius says Petrarch wrote in a letter, at any rate.... ...A bit over a half-millennium after Petrarch, a fair number of notables have used variations on "rubbish heap of history:"... ...So I'll be sifting through our ash heap: starting with a wrap-up of what I said about Pericles and good times (for some) in Athens three weeks back. More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

  SHEMA YISRAEL ADONAI ELOHEINU ADONAI ECHAD [ U'SHEMO ECHAD ] V'AHAVTA ET HASHEM ELOHEICHA B'CHOL LEVAVCHA U'VCHOL NAFSHECHA U'VCHOL MEODECHA [YAIDA DAI YADA DAI YAIDADAI . . .] Hear, O Israel: The  Lord  our God, the  Lord  is one.   You shall love the  Lord  your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.   And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart (Deuteronomy 6:4-6) . [First Reading; quoted by Jesus in the Gospel]. Readings   (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, [England & Wales], Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland) Readings   (New American Bible: Philippines, USA) Gospel   Mark 12:28-34   (English Standard Version Anglicised: India) One of the scribes came up and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that Jesus answered them well, asked him, “Which commandment is the most important of all?”   Jesus answered,  “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.   And you sh

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