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I've been feeling frustrated. Nothing unusual there. Feeling frustrated, satisfied, discouraged, elated: that's part of being human. Emotions happen. I'll get back to that. More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

  I was expecting a package to be delivered one day and kept checking the porch to no avail.   Then I received a text from our oldest daughter asking if I had brought in the package that was delivered.   Sure enough, I looked again, and there it was, sitting on my front porch.   Because she gets text alerts notifying her of package deliveries whenever she orders a package on our behalf, she can tell me what is right under my nose, even though she lives 50 miles away! The Good News that Jesus came to save us is likewise right under our nose, but we often miss it because we are either looking in the wrong place, or we have not yet heard about his arrival and therefore, are not seeking him at all. It is up to those who believe in Jesus to get the word out.   If we don’t, how will those who are seeking him, or those who have not yet heard, discover what a tremendous gift we have been given through his incarnation (God taking on humanity in the person of Jesus.) The other part of

It's February 2nd, Groundhog day. It's a North American tradition, one of Punxsutawney's local events and — at least in my country — national news. Punxsutawney Phil didn't see his shadow this year. More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

  St Roch Asking the Virgin Mary to Heal Victims of the Plague Jacques-Louis David [ Web Gallery of Art ] The  notes about this painting  on the WGA website have a contemporary ring about them:  David’s first independent commission was for an altarpiece for the chapel of the Lazaret (or quarantine centre) in Marseille, France’s major Mediterranean port, and a place that lived in continual fear of contagion brought by travellers from the East . St Roch is one of the most popular saints in the Philippines where he is known as San Roque. Readings   (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, England & Wales, Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland) Readings   (New American Bible: Philippines, USA) Gospel   Mark 1:29-39 ( English Standard Version Anglicised: India) And immediately Jesus left the synagogue and entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John.   Now Simon's mother-in-law lay ill with a fever, and immediately they told him about her.   And he came and took her by the hand

Yesterday's visit continues. Granddaughter and I have enjoyed watching cartoons. I'm looking forward to reading her a book from my childhood, plus another from my father's and mine. Our granddaughter's parents are her 'real' parents in practical terms. And they adopted her.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

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Our number-two daughter, son-in-law and granddaughter arrived shortly after noon. We're celebrating a belated/second Christmas and our granddaughter's birthday. More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

I only wrote 18 words for my current "Dr Faustus" post yesterday. Partly because the screen went black around mid-afternoon. On the bright side, my computer did reboot. Eventually. My plan for today is to get this journal entry finished, do more writing and maybe pick up prescriptions at the local Walmart. Not necessarily in that order.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

  I think the devil has taken over my phone.   For days now, my prayer list keeps disappearing.   I re-enter it in my reminders and then the next day it is gone.   Before you helpfully suggest I might have different reminder lists for my different emails, it is true I do, and I have checked them.   It is like somebody doesn’t want me praying. But, because I go over my list regularly, I can pretty much re-write it from memory, which is what I have had to do.   Finally, I got smart and just put it in my Notes on my phone and that is where it has stayed, untouched by the evil one. It is kind of strange, but just like some people blame God for everything that goes wrong, some people like to blame the devil for everything.   Now that’s not to say that the devil doesn’t exist or that he isn’t working hard to direct us down the wrong path, but we do have to take personal responsibility for our truly sinful behavior. “The devil made me do it” can easily become a cop-out that seeming