Michele Kearney's Snuffysmith's Blog: July 2018

Tuesday, July 31, 2018

Koch-Funded Hit Piece Backfires: Shows Medicare for All Would Save 'Whopping $2 Trillion' Over Ten Years While Covering Everybody

Koch-Funded Hit Piece Backfires: Shows Medicare for All Would Save 'Whopping $2 Trillion' Over Ten Years While Covering Everybody: "If every major country on Earth can guarantee healthcare to all, and achieve better health outcomes, while spending substantially less per capita than we do, it is absurd for anyone to suggest that the United States cannot do the same."

Catholic University of America Unanimously Agrees to Withdraw Honorary Degree Awarded to McCarrick in 2006 - ZENIT - English

Catholic University of America Unanimously Agrees to Withdraw Honorary Degree Awarded to McCarrick in 2006 - ZENIT - English: 1st Time University Has Ever Rescinded One

Forced Abortion a Common Problem in America | Newsmax.com

Forced Abortion a Common Problem in America | Newsmax.com: Back in late December 2016, Priests for Life published a blog post detailing Scientology’s frequent use of coercion and intimidation to force couples into abortion among Sea Org members.

11 Patron saints every parent should introduce to their children

Tomgram: Arnold Isaacs, The Con Game of America's Anti-Muslims | TomDispatch

Tomgram: Arnold Isaacs, The Con Game of America's Anti-Muslims | TomDispatch: null

USA Today: TSA's Latest Looney Surveillance Program - James Bovard

USA Today: TSA's Latest Looney Surveillance Program - James Bovard: USA Today, July 31, 2018 Have you gained or lost weight? Congrats, TSA is now tracking you for suspicious activity. by James Bovard, Opinion columnist Excessive yawning, strong body odor — these are two ways you could become a target in TSA’s new secret program, which treats ordinary people like terrorists. If you fall asleep or …

Why is Saudi halting oil shipments through the Red Sea? | Reuters

Why is Saudi halting oil shipments through the Red Sea? | Reuters: Saudi Arabia announced last week it was suspending oil shipments through the Red Sea's Bab al-Mandeb strait after Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis attacked two ships in the waterway.

In 'Quiet Skies' program, TSA is tracking regular travelers like terrorists in secret surveillance - The Boston Globe

In 'Quiet Skies' program, TSA is tracking regular travelers like terrorists in secret surveillance - The Boston Globe: Air marshals are conducting a new domestic surveillance program, tracking people as they fly and move through airports. It might be illegal.

Prayer, science, and everything in between: A miracle child comes to Boston for help - The Boston Globe

Prayer, science, and everything in between: A miracle child comes to Boston for help - The Boston Globe: Zoey Grace Alford was born on April 20, 2015, in Memphis, and she defied doctors’ expectations: She lived. She thrived. But her complicated condition led her parents to Boston Children’s Hospital.

Data archiving for survivalists: Ready for that solar flare? | ZDNet

Data archiving for survivalists: Ready for that solar flare? | ZDNet: Concerned about your data surviving an Electromagnetic Pulse, or a solar flare? If it's really important, you should be. Here are a couple of options for storing important documents as close to permanently as we know how.

Without God, What Gives Facts Value?

Without God, What Gives Facts Value?: Morality and truth require God to be meaningful

Cdl. O’Malley Passes the Buck

Cdl. O’Malley Passes the Buck: 'This is a squalid and shameless exercise in bureaucratic buck passing'

American Society Would Collapse If It Weren’t for These 8 Myths

American Society Would Collapse If It Weren’t for These 8 Myths: The Bureau of Land Management mistakenly posts online details on about 900 ancient cliff dwellings, spiritual structures, rock art panels and other antiquities in Utah.

The War on Assange Is a War on Press Freedom - Truthdig

The War on Assange Is a War on Press Freedom - Truthdig: The arrest of the WikiLeaks founder, which appears near, would be the first domino to fall. Afterward, thousands of publishers, editors and reporters in the U.S. would be in peril.

Central America’s Violent Northern Triangle | Council on Foreign Relations

Central America’s Violent Northern Triangle | Council on Foreign Relations: Violence and rampant crime have driven asylum seekers from El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras to the United States, which is seeking to help address the root causes.

U.S. Postwar Immigration Policy | Council on Foreign Relations

U.S. Postwar Immigration Policy | Council on Foreign Relations: Immigration has been an important element of U.S. economic and cultural vitality since the country's founding. This interactive timeline outlines the evolution of U.S. immigration policy after World War II.

Why Jeff Sessions' Asylum Decision on Domestic Violence Is Wrong

Why Jeff Sessions' Asylum Decision on Domestic Violence Is Wrong: Sessions found that a domestic violence victim from El Salvador—perhaps the most dangerous country on earth in which to be a woman—would not qualify for asylum, even though her own country had utterly failed to protect her.

AMLO's First Crisis May Come From Central America Immigration

AMLO's First Crisis May Come From Central America Immigration: Central American migration may prove the new administration’s biggest first challenge.

Since 2014, hundreds of thousands of Central American men, women, and children, mostly from Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador, have fled their homes. Driven by violence, extortion, poverty, and a drought that has decimated subsistence farming, and pulled by family connections and the hope of safe haven, they mostly head north.

The Triumph of Cruelty in Family Separation

The Triumph of Cruelty in Family Separation: Sometime in 1940, an 11-year-old refugee named Yudita Nisse reached the United States on a boat from Japan. Her Latvian-Jewish family had fled Nazi Germany east across the Soviet Union; the trip to North America was to have completed their escape. But the family had no legal authorization to enter the United States, so on arrival in Seattle they were locked up as illegal

Week 62: Trump’s Losing a Tabloid War to His Own Lawyer - POLITICO Magazine

Week 62: Trump’s Losing a Tabloid War to His Own Lawyer - POLITICO Magazine: Michael Cohen and company are running circles around the president. But to what end?

This Is Not Your Grandfather’s KGB | Asharq AL-awsat

This Is Not Your Grandfather’s KGB | Asharq AL-awsat: Middle-East Arab News and Opinion - Asharq Al-Awsat is the world’s premier pan-Arab daily newspaper, printed simultaneously each day on four continents in 14 cities

Brexit is the Road to Britain’s Ruin

Brexit is the Road to Britain’s Ruin: Martin SIEFF: Hard Brexit will inevitably mean the worst economic crisis in British history, a collapse of even basic food imports and the rapid departure of Scotland and Northern Ireland from the irreparably Dis-United Kingdom. Brexit dooms Britain to disintegration, crisis and ruin.

Marshall's China Failure and the Myth of U.S. Decline - The Atlantic

Prayer, science, and everything in between: A miracle child comes to Boston for help - The Boston Globe

El Paso faith community, papal delegate affirm solidarity with migrants | National Catholic Reporter

El Paso faith community, papal delegate affirm solidarity with migrants | National Catholic Reporter: Interfaith leaders alongside Catholic bishops led a July 20 procession 900-strong through downtown El Paso, ending in a candlelight vigil for the plight of migrants and refugees.
The interfaith servic...

On “A Nameless Dread” - The Catholic Thing

On “A Nameless Dread” - The Catholic Thing: Fr. Schall: Comedy sees things out of line by suggesting what isn’t. Laughter is redemptive, because things go wrong in the context of what's right.

US confirms deployment of armed drones in Niger | News | Al Jazeera

US confirms deployment of armed drones in Niger | News | Al Jazeera: The armed drones are currently deployed to Niger's Air Base 101 in the capital, Niamey.

Trump says he’s willing to meet Iranian President Rouhani ‘anytime’ and without preconditions - The Washington Post

Trump says he’s willing to meet Iranian President Rouhani ‘anytime’ and without preconditions - The Washington Post: The president reiterates his faith in face-to-face meetings like those with Russian and North Korean leaders that brought harsh criticism.

{d7aebd7b-3094-4e69-a9c3-42a675a52853}_Strait_of_Hormuz_-The_aorta_of_global_oil_flows.pdf

Will Tribalism Trump Democracy? | Patrick J. Buchanan - Official Website

Will Tribalism Trump Democracy? | Patrick J. Buchanan - Official Website: By Patrick J. Buchanan

On July 19, the Knesset voted to change the nation's Basic Law.

Israel was declared to be, now and forever, the nation-state and national home of the Jewish people. Hebrew is to be the state language.

Angry reactions, not only among Israeli Arabs and Jews, came swift.

Allan Brownfeld of the American Council for Judaism calls the law a "retreat from democracy" as it restricts the right of self-determination, once envisioned to include all within Israel's borders, to the Jewish people. Inequality is enshrined.

And Israel, says Brownfeld, is not the nation-state of American Jews.Read more on Buchanan.Org...

America Has Millions Of Millennial Brats That Need To Move Away From Mommy And Daddy And Start Acting Like Adults – The American Dream

America Has Millions Of Millennial Brats That Need To Move Away From Mommy And Daddy And Start Acting Like Adults – The American Dream: If young adults are America's future, then they better get their act together. Today, over 30 percent of 18 to 34-year-olds live with their parents or other family members. Meanwhile, marriage rates and fertility rates in the United States have both hit record lows in recent years. Instead of coddling these self

Bishop Barron's Gospel Reflection July 31, 2018

Your daily Gospel reflection...

Tuesday, July 31, 2018

Memorial of Saint Ignatius of Loyola

Matthew 13:36-43

Friends, in our Gospel today Jesus explains the parable of the weeds among the wheat. God’s word creates the Church, the community of those who strive to build up the Kingdom. But this Church is never absolutely pure and untrammeled, for God’s ways are opposed by a spiritual power, an enemy. His task is to sow weeds among the wheat—clandestinely, quietly, unobtrusively.

This sort of coming-together of good and evil is to be expected. The Church will always be a place of saints and sinners, and the sinners will often look like saints. The enemy of the Church, who never rests, ensures it.

When we discover evil, it is always very tempting to go after it with both fists, to take it out. But the warning of the Master here is extremely important. Sometimes, our zeal can lead to far greater problems, precisely because of the way evil is related to the good.

So what should we do? Let them grow side-by-side for the time being. At the end, at harvest time, the Master will separate them out.

Memorial of Saint Ignatius of Loyola, Priest
Lectionary: 402

Reading 1 Jer 14:17-22

Let my eyes stream with tears
day and night, without rest,
Over the great destruction which overwhelms
the virgin daughter of my people,
over her incurable wound.
If I walk out into the field,
look! those slain by the sword;
If I enter the city,
look! those consumed by hunger.
Even the prophet and the priest
forage in a land they know not.

Have you cast Judah off completely?
Is Zion loathsome to you?
Why have you struck us a blow
that cannot be healed?
We wait for peace, to no avail;
for a time of healing, but terror comes instead.
We recognize, O LORD, our wickedness,
the guilt of our fathers;
that we have sinned against you.
For your name's sake spurn us not,
disgrace not the throne of your glory;
remember your covenant with us, and break it not.
Among the nations' idols is there any that gives rain?
Or can the mere heavens send showers?
Is it not you alone, O LORD,
our God, to whom we look?
You alone have done all these things.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 79:8, 9, 11 and 13

R. (9) For the glory of your name, O Lord, deliver us.
Remember not against us the iniquities of the past;
may your compassion quickly come to us,
for we are brought very low.
R. For the glory of your name, O Lord, deliver us.
Help us, O God our savior,
because of the glory of your name;
Deliver us and pardon our sins
for your name's sake.
R. For the glory of your name, O Lord, deliver us.
Let the prisoners' sighing come before you;
with your great power free those doomed to death.
Then we, your people and the sheep of your pasture,
will give thanks to you forever;
through all generations we will declare your praise.
R. For the glory of your name, O Lord, deliver us.

Gospel Mt 13:36-43

Jesus dismissed the crowds and went into the house.
His disciples approached him and said,
"Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field."
He said in reply, "He who sows good seed is the Son of Man,
the field is the world, the good seed the children of the Kingdom.
The weeds are the children of the Evil One,
and the enemy who sows them is the Devil.
The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels.
Just as weeds are collected and burned up with fire,
so will it be at the end of the age.
The Son of Man will send his angels,
and they will collect out of his Kingdom
all who cause others to sin and all evildoers.
They will throw them into the fiery furnace,
where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.
Then the righteous will shine like the sun
in the Kingdom of their Father.
Whoever has ears ought to hear."

Monday, July 30, 2018

British Supreme Court Rules Patients Can be Starved to Death Without Consent, Without a Court Hearing | LifeNews.com

British Supreme Court Rules Patients Can be Starved to Death Without Consent, Without a Court Hearing | LifeNews.com: British Supreme Court Rules Patients Can be Starved to Death Without Consent, Without a Court Hearing

Bishops say pope's move on McCarrick not the end of the road

Bishops say pope's move on McCarrick not the end of the road: American bishops and survivors of sex abuse react to the resignation of Cardinal Theodore McCarrick from the College of Cardinals.

LOOP: Bishop Olson: McCarrick’s enablers must be dealt with

LOOP: Bishop Olson: McCarrick’s enablers must be dealt with: MONDAY, JULY 30 NO LONGER CARDINAL Theodore McCarrick is no longer a member of the College of Cardinals. Pope Francis accepted Archbishop McCarrick's resignation on Friday. Bishop Michael F. Olson of Fort Worth, Texas, said much more needs to be done. “Justice also requires that all of those in Church leadership who knew of the former...

What It Means to Be Pro-Family | Word on Fire

This Scandal is the Last Straw — Why Stay in the Catholic Church?

This Scandal is the Last Straw — Why Stay in the Catholic Church?: “We are not baptized into the hierarchy; do not receive the cardinals sacramentally; will not spend an eternity in the beatific vision ...

Reactions to McCarrick's withdrawal from the college of cardinals | National Catholic Reporter

Reactions to McCarrick's withdrawal from the college of cardinals | National Catholic Reporter: Following are responses and reactions from a variety of sources concerning the announcement July 28 that Pope Francis had accepted the resignation of Theodore McCarrick, archbishop emeritus of Washing...

Contraception feeds violence against women, papal theologian says

https://cruxnow.com/global-church/2018/07/30/contraception-feeds-violence-against-women-papal-theologian-says/

How Silicon Valley Became a Den of Spies - POLITICO Magazine

How Silicon Valley Became a Den of Spies - POLITICO Magazine: The West Coast is a growing target of foreign espionage. And it’s not ready to fight back.

Debunking the Putin Panic with Stephen F. Cohen | naked capitalism

Debunking the Putin Panic with Stephen F. Cohen | naked capitalism: Professor Stephen F. Cohen stresses that while there is much to criticize Putin for, many US political and media claims about him are false and reckless,

Ocean Wilderness Vanishing | naked capitalism

Ocean Wilderness Vanishing | naked capitalism: First major study devoted to mapping marine wilderness issued last week documents that most of the world’s oceans have been damaged by human activity, including pollution and fishing.

All Rise? Belt and Road Court is in Session | Reconnecting Asia

All Rise? Belt and Road Court is in Session | Reconnecting Asia: The sheer scale and complexity of many infrastructure projects guarantee that disputes will arise. That’s why China is not only pushing projects overseas under its Belt and Road Initiative but increasingly, it is also writing new rules that advance its interests. The implications for the rules-based order—and U.S. interests—could be profound.

For the “Sake of the Church” - The Catholic Thing

For the “Sake of the Church” - The Catholic Thing: Brad Miner hopes the McCarrick scandal will benefit the Church. It's time to drain the swamp of clerics who commit sexual sins, priests and bishops alike.

10 Signs That America Is In Much Worse Trouble Than We All Thought… – The American Dream

The best form of self-help may surprise you

The best form of self-help may surprise you: Business school proferssors Carl Cederström and André Spicer wrote an entire book about their year-long journey into the depths of self-optimization, which the New Yorker highlighted in an article exploring the booming industry and what it says about our culture.

Ben Harper's "Take My Hand" is a blues infused Gospel masterpiece

Ben Harper's "Take My Hand" is a blues infused Gospel masterpiece: Released in 2004, Ben Harper joined with the Blind Boys of Alabama for the album, There Will Be a Light. A true collaborative effort, Harper wrote 7 of the 11 tracks specifically with the Blind Boys of Alabama in mind.

Remember this: Jesus saw you when he was on the cross and loved you --Aleteia

Letter To My Baby That Went To Heaven: It Was Worth It! — Aletheia

Letter To My Baby That Went To Heaven: It Was Worth It! — Aletheia: A mother's testimony about refusing to abort her son, who had a heart disease, in utero.

China’s Shrinking Trade Surplus Unlikely to Impress Trump - WSJ

China’s Shrinking Trade Surplus Unlikely to Impress Trump - WSJ: For years, China has sold much more to the world than it has bought. Now, that imbalance is shrinking, helping Chinese leadership argue it no longer pursues a mercantilist policy. But President Trump, who focuses on the U.S.’s ever-widening trade deficit with China, is unlikely to be impressed.

5 Irish saints who changed the world --Aleteia

5 Irish saints who changed the world --Aleteia: Without these saints, the world wouldn't be what it is today.

China’s Shrinking Trade Surplus Unlikely to Impress Trump - WSJ

Trump’s Next Move on North Korea – LobeLog

Trump’s Next Move on North Korea – LobeLog: by John Feffer Donald Trump loves to talk about war. Last year, Trump was ready to invade Venezuela, until calmer heads in his inner circle persuaded him that it wasn’t a good idea. He has recently…

Saudi king tells U.S. that peace plan must include East Jerusalem as Palestinian capital - Israel News - Haaretz.com

Saudi king tells U.S. that peace plan must include East Jerusalem as Palestinian capital - Israel News - Haaretz.com: 'They told the administration, "what we could do for you before Jerusalem, we won’t be able to do now,"' one diplomatic source says, referring to the embassy move

Chinese President’s visit to the UAE and Africa demonstrates a shift in the new world order | Arab News

Chinese President’s visit to the UAE and Africa demonstrates a shift in the new world order | Arab News: Last week, Chinese President Xi Jinping’s historic visit to the United Arab Emirates signified the growing relationship between Abu Dhabi and Beijing, which took off in 1990 when the UAE’s founding father, Sheikh Zayed, became the first Gulf Cooperation Council leader to visit China. After leaving the UAE, Xi travelled to Senegal, Rwanda and South Africa to attend the 10th

Two Views of U.S.-China Trade Relations That Shape American Diplomacy - Real Time Economics - WSJ

Two Views of U.S.-China Trade Relations That Shape American Diplomacy - Real Time Economics - WSJ: U.S.-China trade relations have largely been shaped by two veteran trade lawyers with very different views of how to influence Beijing.

Jerusalem: Latin Patriarchate Issues Statement About New Israeli Nation-State Law - ZENIT - English

Jerusalem: Latin Patriarchate Issues Statement About New Israeli Nation-State Law - ZENIT - English: 'A Cause of Great Concern'

Australia: Pope Accepts Resignation of Archbishop Philip Wilson - ZENIT - English

Australia: Pope Accepts Resignation of Archbishop Philip Wilson - ZENIT - English: Convicted in Court of Covering up the Abuse of Children by Fr. James Fletcher in the 1970s

INTERVIEW: From Punk Rock to Faith: "Christ Has Changed My Life" - ZENIT - English

INTERVIEW: From Punk Rock to Faith: "Christ Has Changed My Life" - ZENIT - English: Francesco Lorenzi of 'The Sun' Speaks Ahead of August 11 Concert in Rome with Pope & Young People

The Emperor’s New Clothes | Center for Strategic and International Studies

The Emperor’s New Clothes | Center for Strategic and International Studies: When I was a junior in high school, my history teacher gave me back a test with a grade of C+ and a comment: “You have facility in making much out of little.” That comment has stayed with me for a long time (and some would say defined my career in Washington). The same remark could be made about the president’s trade agreements so far, most notably the one just “concluded” with the European Union.

2 Released but most Participants still in Prison: Grave concern for safety and cargo | Just Future for Palestine

2 Released but most Participants still in Prison: Grave concern for safety and cargo | Just Future for Palestine: Freedom Flotilla Coalition News Statement For Immediate Release, Monday July 30, 2018 15:00 CEST. Two people from Al Awda (The Return) have been released, but most of the crew and participants are …

#FreedomFlotilla boat carrying medical supplies for #Gaza hijacked by Israeli forces | Just Future for Palestine

#FreedomFlotilla boat carrying medical supplies for #Gaza hijacked by Israeli forces | Just Future for Palestine: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 29 July, 2018 13:15pm CEST The motor vessel Al Awda (The Return), traveling in international waters towards Palestinian waters, 49 nautical miles from the port in Gaza City, …

July 30, 2018—Complicit Cardinals | The Download

July 30, 2018—Complicit Cardinals | The Download: It’s much bigger than Cdl. McCarrick.

The Secret Source of David's Courage - RC Spirituality

The Secret Source of David's Courage - RC Spirituality: David was fearless when no one else was. What was his secret? Fr. Bartunek explains.

A Catholic Wave | The Vortex

A Catholic Wave | The Vortex: Time to catch it, Catholics.

Three things that should happen now that McCarrick is no longer a cardinal | National Catholic Reporter

Three things that should happen now that McCarrick is no longer a cardinal | National Catholic Reporter: Now that Archbishop Theodore McCarrick has resigned his cardinalate, what happens next? The canonical case against him will continue, but what have we learned in the past couple of months? What remain...

Bishop Barron's Gospel Reflection July 30, 2018

Your daily Gospel reflection...

Monday, July 30, 2018

Seventeenth Week in Ordinary Time

Matthew 13:31-35

Friends, today’s Gospel compares the Kingdom of God to a mustard seed that "when it is sown, it springs up and becomes the largest of plants." It seems to be a law of the spiritual life that God wants good things to start small and grow over time.

We’re tempted to say, "You’re God. Just get on with it. Do it!" But why would God work the way he does? We might attempt a few explanations. It is a commonplace of the Bible that God rejoices in our cooperation. He wants to involve us, through freedom, intelligence, and creativity, in what he is doing. And so he plants seeds, and he wants us to cultivate them.

Consider what God said to St. Francis: "Francis, rebuild my Church." God could have rebuilt his Church without Francis, but he wanted him to get involved.

When things start small, they can fly under the radar while they gain strength and heft and seriousness. Also, those involved can be tested and tried. Suppose you want to do something great in the life of the Church and you pray and God gives you massively what you want. You might not be ready, and your project will peter out. So be patient and embrace the small invitations.

Monday of the Seventeenth Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 401

Reading 1 Jer 13:1-11

The LORD said to me: Go buy yourself a linen loincloth;
wear it on your loins, but do not put it in water.
I bought the loincloth, as the LORD commanded, and put it on.
A second time the word of the LORD came to me thus:
Take the loincloth which you bought and are wearing,
and go now to the Parath;
there hide it in a cleft of the rock.
Obedient to the LORD's command, I went to the Parath
and buried the loincloth.
After a long interval, the LORD said to me:
Go now to the Parath and fetch the loincloth
which I told you to hide there.
Again I went to the Parath, sought out and took the loincloth
from the place where I had hid it.
But it was rotted, good for nothing!
Then the message came to me from the LORD:
Thus says the LORD:
So also I will allow the pride of Judah to rot,
the great pride of Jerusalem.
This wicked people who refuse to obey my words,
who walk in the stubbornness of their hearts,
and follow strange gods to serve and adore them,
shall be like this loincloth which is good for nothing.
For, as close as the loincloth clings to a man's loins,
so had I made the whole house of Israel
and the whole house of Judah cling to me, says the LORD;
to be my people, my renown, my praise, my beauty.
But they did not listen.

Responsorial Psalm Deuteronomy 32:18-19, 20, 21

R. (see 18a) You have forgotten God who gave you birth.
You were unmindful of the Rock that begot you,
You forgot the God who gave you birth.
When the LORD saw this, he was filled with loathing
and anger toward his sons and daughters.
R. You have forgotten God who gave you birth.
"I will hide my face from them," he said,
"and see what will then become of them.
What a fickle race they are,
sons with no loyalty in them!"
R. You have forgotten God who gave you birth.
"Since they have provoked me with their 'no-god'
and angered me with their vain idols,
I will provoke them with a 'no-people';
with a foolish nation I will anger them."
R. You have forgotten God who gave you birth.

Gospel Mt 13:31-35

Jesus proposed a parable to the crowds.
"The Kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed
that a person took and sowed in a field.
It is the smallest of all the seeds,
yet when full-grown it is the largest of plants.
It becomes a large bush,
and the 'birds of the sky come and dwell in its branches.'"

He spoke to them another parable.
"The Kingdom of heaven is like yeast
that a woman took and mixed with three measures of wheat flour
until the whole batch was leavened."

All these things Jesus spoke to the crowds in parables.
He spoke to them only in parables,
to fulfill what had been said through the prophet:

I will open my mouth in parables,
I will announce what has lain hidden from the foundation
of the world.

Episcopal Sodomy: Exposing the Enablers | Reports

Sunday, July 29, 2018

War with Iran is Coming - American Greatness

War with Iran is Coming - American Greatness: In recent weeks, two seminal events have occurred that make war with Iran more likely. First, Iran (currently struggling with growing domestic unrest because of the horrific economic conditions in that country) has threatened to close the Strait of Hormuz.

McCarrick resigned from the College of Cardinals. Wherein Fr. Z rants. | Fr. Z's Blog

Humanae Vitae and the Feeding of the 5,000

Humanae Vitae and the Feeding of the 5,000: A banquet that has no room for guests offers bread to choke on

HISTORY: The Rite of Degradation of a Bishop | Fr. Z's Blog

No question, Pope Francis made history Saturday on McCarrick

No question, Pope Francis made history Saturday on McCarrick: Though the full meaning of Pope Francis's actions Saturday against retired Cardinal Theodor McCarrick will take time to unpack, here are three quick take-aways.

Foolish Wars Have Consequences – LobeLog

Foolish Wars Have Consequences – LobeLog: by James J. Zogby Fifteen years ago, we were still in the early stages of the US invasion and occupation of Iraq, “the war that would change everything.” Looking at the Middle East tod…

TSA is tracking regular travelers like terrorists in secret surveillance program - The Boston Globe

TSA is tracking regular travelers like terrorists in secret surveillance program - The Boston Globe: Air marshals are conducting a new domestic surveillance program, tracking people as they fly and move through airports. It might be illegal.

Pope Accepts Resignation of Cardinal Theodore McCarrick from College of Cardinals - ZENIT - English

Pope Accepts Resignation of Cardinal Theodore McCarrick from College of Cardinals - ZENIT - English: Assigned a Life of Prayer and Penance

Angelus Address: On the Multiplication of the Loaves and the Fish (Full Text) - ZENIT - English

Angelus Address: On the Multiplication of the Loaves and the Fish (Full Text) - ZENIT - English: ‘Only by Listening to People’s Simplest Requests and Putting Oneself Next to Their Concrete Existential Situations Can One Be Listened to When Speaking of Higher Values.’

A China-US trade war would wipe 20% off the S&P 500, UBS says

Best of TomDispatch: Chalmers Johnson, Dismantling the Empire | TomDispatch

Best of TomDispatch: Chalmers Johnson, Dismantling the Empire | TomDispatch: null

5 Surprising health benefits of church attendance

5 Surprising health benefits of church attendance: There are at least 5 surprising improvements you might experience in a few areas of your life if you attend church services regularly...

Bishop Barron's Gospel Reflection July 29,2018

Your daily Gospel reflection...

Sunday, July 29, 2018

Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

John 6:1-15

Friends, our Gospel today focuses on St. John’s intense meditation on the meaning of the Eucharist. The tone is set with the familiar story of the feeding of the five thousand, the only miracle story mentioned in each of the four Gospels. This scene deeply affected the first Christians.

Jesus instructs the crowd to recline on the grass. Taking the barley loaves and dried fish, Jesus makes a meal that satisfies the enormous crowd. They are hungry, tired, and worn out from their exertions, and Jesus gives them sustenance for the day.

For Thomas Aquinas, the great metaphor for the Eucharist is sustenance, food for the journey. Baptism defines us, making us sons and daughters of God; confirmation confirms and deepens this identity; marriage and holy orders seal us in our life’s vocation. These are sacraments offered once at key moments in one’s life.

Then there is the Eucharist, which is daily food, nourishment to get us through the day-to-day. How effective would we be if we never ate, or ate only on special occasions and in a festive environment? Not very. So, in the spiritual life, we must eat and drink or we will not have the strength.

Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 110

Reading 1 2 Kgs 4:42-44

A man came from Baal-shalishah bringing to Elisha, the man of God,
twenty barley loaves made from the firstfruits,
and fresh grain in the ear.
Elisha said, "Give it to the people to eat."
But his servant objected,
"How can I set this before a hundred people?"
Elisha insisted, "Give it to the people to eat."
"For thus says the LORD,
'They shall eat and there shall be some left over.'"
And when they had eaten, there was some left over,
as the LORD had said.

Reading 2 Eph 4:1-6

Brothers and sisters:
I, a prisoner for the Lord,
urge you to live in a manner worthy of the call you have received,
with all humility and gentleness, with patience,
bearing with one another through love,
striving to preserve the unity of the spirit through the bond of peace:
one body and one Spirit,
as you were also called to the one hope of your call;
one Lord, one faith, one baptism;
one God and Father of all,
who is over all and through all and in all.

Gospel Jn 6:1-15

Jesus went across the Sea of Galilee.
A large crowd followed him,
because they saw the signs he was performing on the sick.
Jesus went up on the mountain,
and there he sat down with his disciples.
The Jewish feast of Passover was near.
When Jesus raised his eyes
and saw that a large crowd was coming to him,
he said to Philip,
"Where can we buy enough food for them to eat?"
He said this to test him,
because he himself knew what he was going to do.
Philip answered him,
"Two hundred days' wages worth of food would not be enough
for each of them to have a little."
One of his disciples,
Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, said to him,
"There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish;
but what good are these for so many?"
Jesus said, "Have the people recline."
Now there was a great deal of grass in that place.
So the men reclined, about five thousand in number.
Then Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks,
and distributed them to those who were reclining,
and also as much of the fish as they wanted.
When they had had their fill, he said to his disciples,
"Gather the fragments left over,
so that nothing will be wasted."
So they collected them,
and filled twelve wicker baskets with fragments
from the five barley loaves
that had been more than they could eat.
When the people saw the sign he had done, they said,
"This is truly the Prophet, the one who is to come into the world."
Since Jesus knew that they were going to come and carry him off
to make him king,
he withdrew again to the mountain alone.

WATCH: Actor from 'The Americans' and 'House of Cards' Makes Great Film About Breakaway Republics of Ukraine, their Socialism - Shown on Fox in US, Sky in UK

WATCH: Actor from 'The Americans' and 'House of Cards' Makes Great Film About Breakaway Republics of Ukraine, their Socialism - Shown on Fox in US, Sky in UK: The film, now available on YouTube, is very well made with excellent production values. It consists of a series of interviews with residents of Donbas, from ordinary people, to an American volunteer soldier from Houston (Russell 'Texas' Bentley), to the Prime Minister (Zakharchenko). It includes an interesting segment with a parish priest, who talks about the spiritual aspect

Trump could teach Ocasio-Cortez a thing or two about socialism - The Washington Post

Trump could teach Ocasio-Cortez a thing or two about socialism - The Washington Post: His plan for $12 billion in aid to farmers hurt by the trade war illlustrates that socialism is for the well connected. But, then, socialism favors those adept at manipulating the state.

When the World Opened the Gates of China - WSJ

When the World Opened the Gates of China - WSJ: Was it a mistake for the U.S. to allow China to join the World Trade Organization? Assessments of the 2001 deal often determine positions in today’s bitter trade debate.

Sic Semper Tyrannis : Taking a New Look at the Unverified Steele Dossier by Publius Tacitus

Sic Semper Tyrannis : Taking a New Look at the Unverified Steele Dossier by Publius Tacitus: The revelations following the release last Saturday of the FISA application, requires an update to a piece I wrote last December on the so-called Steele Dossier. I am going to focus on those reports that were generated by Christopher Steele...

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Tuesday, July 31, 2018

Memorial of Saint Ignatius of Loyola, PriestLectionary: 402

Reading 1 Jer 14:17-22

Responsorial Psalm Ps 79:8, 9, 11 and 13

Gospel Mt 13:36-43

Monday, July 30, 2018

Contraception feeds violence against women, papal theologian says

Monday of the Seventeenth Week in Ordinary TimeLectionary: 401

Reading 1 Jer 13:1-11

Responsorial Psalm Deuteronomy 32:18-19, 20, 21

Gospel Mt 13:31-35

Sunday, July 29, 2018

Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary TimeLectionary: 110

Reading 1 2 Kgs 4:42-44

Reading 2 Eph 4:1-6

Gospel Jn 6:1-15

Saturday, July 28, 2018

Memorial of Saint Ignatius of Loyola, Priest
Lectionary: 402

Monday of the Seventeenth Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 401

Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 110