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  For so many significant reasons, I will be glad when this election is over, but one reason that might seem trivial is quickly rising to the top of my list. I am so tired of the texts reminding me to vote.   I am especially frustrated that they keep calling me Linda.   “One more day, Linda!”   “Don’t forget to vote, Linda!” Who the heck is Linda? In addition to my “Linda” texts, our home phone, as is typical before a major election, keeps bringing in unwanted calls as well.   They are basically telephone commercials telling us who to vote for. I don’t typically like to tell people what to do (just kidding), but today (and yesterday) is too important to let slip by. We celebrated All Saints day yesterday, and today is All Souls Day.   Cutting straight through any confusion, let’s just say our work as part of the living communion of saints here on earth is to pray. Pray for those saints in your family, or maybe your friends, who have lived (and are living) holy lives.   Pr

This isn't the first time I've voted during a pandemic, but it's the first time I've had reason for extra caution. That's why I voted by mail this year. The election results will please or disappoint me. Or, more likely, do a bit of both. More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

      Blanca nos invita hoy a estar pendientes de nuestros jóvenes que se están criando, con el encierrro de la pandemia COVID19, en las redes sociales. Además de socializar a través de estos grandes medios, pero que los exponen a peligros nuevos que pueden vulnerar su dignidad de personas.  Por: Blanca Ahumada Otero

("It's the best I could do on short notice." ("Cinderella's Halloween") ;) ) Halloween will be different this year. Mostly because we're still dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic. I don't know what it'll look like here in Sauk Centre. Safer Trick-or-Treating More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

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  Blessed Carlo Acutis 3 May 1991 - 12 October 2006 Beatified 10 October 2020 [ Wikipedia ] Readings   (New American Bible: Philippines, USA) Readings   (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, England & Wales, India [optional], Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland, South Africa) Gospel   Matthew 5:1-12a ( English Standard Version Anglicised) 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, for they shall be satisfied. “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness

Instead of writing about Halloween, I'll share a seasonally-appropriate story and talk about science, death being human: Waiting on a Dead World Inspiration and Stellar Evolution Still Seeking a Solar System Analog Metaphors and the Lives of Stars Sirius, Procyon and Weighing Stars "Vastness" and Questions Embracing Truth Philosophers and Models Earth, Eons and New Puzzles Faith, Reason and Me Life, Death and Dante's Wood of the Suicides Neuroimaging and Pickled Brains, Altruists and Lab Rats Dante's Hell: Seventh Circle, Second Ring "Here Shall They Hang" — Wood of the Suicides and Clueless Critics Being Human: Body and Soul Avoiding Suicide: Help is Available Art and Being Able to Smell Roses "In the Image of God:" Creativity Included Science Fiction and Attitudes It's Alive! — Oh, ICK!! Kidnapping and Murder, Rules and Principles

  Oh, the ridiculousness of it all! Driving down the expressway, I see a billboard that says: Follow God Buy Guns Vote Trump The message is an attempt to draw a logical conclusion to sway your vote.   The assumption is that you will read it like this: Follow God = Trump follows God Buy guns = Trump will not take away your rights Conclusion = Vote Trump if you adhere to the two premises This is an invalid syllogism, and here’s why:   You can follow God and not vote for Trump.   You can keep your rights and not vote for Trump. Following God and keeping your rights do not logically lead to the conclusion that you must vote for Trump. I’m just sayin’ (Most of us are a little more astute than this billboard assumes) I think it is offensive to people who follow God AND it is offensive to people who buy guns! Why? Because you can draw your own conclusions, and how you decide to vote is a consequence of your own ability to reason from your well-formed conscience.

    The Good Samaritan (after Delacroix) Van Gogh [ Web Gallery of Art ] You shall love your neighbour as yourself (Mt 22:39) . Readings   (New American Bible: Philippines, USA) Readings   (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, England & Wales, India [optional], Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland, South Africa) Gospel   Matthew 22:34-40 ( English Standard Version Anglicised) When the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together.   And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him.   “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?”   And he said to him,  “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.   This is the great and first commandment.   And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbour as yourself.   On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” Léachtaí i nGaeilge Stephen Cardinal Kim Sou-hwan   Archbishop of Seoul (1922 - 2009) This time six years ago I