Tuesday, April 30, 2019

Bishop Barron's Gospel Reflection April 30, 2019

Tuesday, April 30, 2019

Tuesday of the Second Week of Easter

John 3:7B-15

Friends, after speaking of being born of the Spirit, Jesus says in today’s Gospel: "No one has gone up to heaven except the one who has come down from heaven, the Son of Man. And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life."

Genesis tells us that, at the beginning, the Spirit of God hovered over the surface of the waters, drawing order from chaos. Creation is nothing but the overflow from the intensity of Trinitarian love. Thus, all things—to the very root of their existence—flow from and are marked by the Spiritus Sanctus (Holy Spirit). He is their ground, their secret origin, their principle.

And more to the point, the Holy Spirit is the end of all things. God has created a dynamic universe, moving restlessly and relentlessly toward a goal, and this goal has been disclosed to us in Christ: the sharing in the love between the Father, who has given his only Son to the world, and the Son, who has offered himself back to the Father.

Tuesday of the Second Week of Easter
Lectionary: 268

Reading 1 Acts 4:32-37

The community of believers was of one heart and mind,
and no one claimed that any of his possessions was his own,
but they had everything in common.
With great power the Apostles bore witness
to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus,
and great favor was accorded them all.
There was no needy person among them,
for those who owned property or houses would sell them,
bring the proceeds of the sale,
and put them at the feet of the Apostles,
and they were distributed to each according to need.

Thus Joseph, also named by the Apostles Barnabas
(which is translated Ason of encouragement"),
a Levite, a Cypriot by birth,
sold a piece of property that he owned,
then brought the money and put it at the feet of the Apostles.

Gospel Jn 3:7b-15

Jesus said to Nicodemus:
"'You must be born from above.'
The wind blows where it wills, and you can hear the sound it makes,
but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes;
so it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit."
Nicodemus answered and said to him,
'How can this happen?"
Jesus answered and said to him,
"You are the teacher of Israel and you do not understand this?
Amen, amen, I say to you,
we speak of what we know and we testify to what we have seen,
but you people do not accept our testimony.
If I tell you about earthly things and you do not believe,
how will you believe if I tell you about heavenly things?
No one has gone up to heaven
except the one who has come down from heaven, the Son of Man.
And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert,
so must the Son of Man be lifted up,
so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life."

Ancient hatreds, modern methods: How social media and political division feed attacks on sacred spaces - The Washington Post

Ancient hatreds, modern methods: How social media and political division feed attacks on sacred spaces - The Washington Post: Amplified by the Internet, timeworn myths have inspired lone attackers and small groups in a growing wave of anti-religious terror. In a manifesto attributed to the suspect in Saturday’s synagogue shooting, the writer said he attacked to “help the European race” defend itself against “international Jewry.”

At $140,000 Per Year, Why Are Government Workers In California Paid Twice As Much As Private Sector Workers?

https://www.hoover.org/research/140000-year-why-are-government-workers-california-paid-twice-much-private-sector-workers?utm_source=Hoover+Daily+Report&utm_campaign=f7f62d351f-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2019_04_30_05_55&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_21b1edff3c-f7f62d351f-73113757

Patti Davis: Republicans, stop using my father, Ronald Reagan, to justify your silence on Trump - The Washington Post

Patti Davis: Republicans, stop using my father, Ronald Reagan, to justify your silence on Trump - The Washington Post: Even those of us who aren’t Republicans deserve better from our public servants.

U.S. Farmer Income Drops Most Since 2016 Amid Trade War Pain - Bloomberg

U.S. Farmer Income Drops Most Since 2016 Amid Trade War Pain - Bloomberg: Personal income for farmers fell by the most in three years in the first quarter, as losses to U.S. agriculture mount from President Donald Trump’s trade wars.

Boeing Signals Additional Software Problem Affecting 737 MAX Airliners - WSJ

Boeing Signals Additional Software Problem Affecting 737 MAX Airliners - WSJ: Boeing said certain safety alerts on its now-grounded 737 MAX jets didn’t operate as airlines would have anticipated because of a previously undisclosed slip-up on its part.

Contaminants in California tap water could result in over 15,000 additional cancer cases, study says - CNN

Boeing Kept Mum to Customers, FAA About Disabling of 737 Max Warning System | naked capitalism

Boeing Kept Mum to Customers, FAA About Disabling of 737 Max Warning System | naked capitalism: Even more bad facts about the Boeing 737 Max are coming out.

What the April 15 Emerson Democratic Primary Poll Says About Emerson and Sanders | naked capitalism

What the April 15 Emerson Democratic Primary Poll Says About Emerson and Sanders | naked capitalism: It's 2016 all over again, as the press and analysts go to unusual lengths to ignore Sanders' gains.

Buttigieg’s Small Donor Surge: Less There Than Meets the Eye?

https://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2019/04/buttigiegs-small-donor-surge-less-there-than-meets-the-eye.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+NakedCapitalism+%28naked+capitalism%29

PG&E crafts wildfire relief fund, victims criticize company

PG&E crafts wildfire relief fund, victims criticize company: PG&E has no estimate when it might establish a temporary housing assistance fund for victims of the Northern California infernos of recent years, the company conceded during an acrimonious bankruptcy hearing Monday that included fresh criticism of how the disgraced utility is treating fire victims.

This is the only officially recognized Marian apparition in the United States

This is the only officially recognized Marian apparition in the United States: On October 8, 1871, in or around a place called Peshtigo, Wisconsin, several men were setting small fires in the woods. This was a common practice in clearing land for expanding railroads or for ex…

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Did you know that many saints in the early Church raised people from the dead? --Aleteia

Did you know that many saints in the early Church raised people from the dead? --Aleteia: According to tradition, after Jesus' resurrection God allowed many other people to rise from the grave.

Catherine of Siena and Leaving the Church – Catholic World Report

Is David Brooks a Christian or a Jew? His latest book traces his faith — and his second marriage. - The Washington Post

Is David Brooks a Christian or a Jew? His latest book traces his faith — and his second marriage. - The Washington Post: Around the time of his separation from his first wife, he realized he was a religious person after decades of being an atheist.

Explaining the Pro-Life, Christian Vote for Trump Yet Again | Dave Armstrong

Explaining the Pro-Life, Christian Vote for Trump Yet Again | Dave Armstrong: How could Christians vote for the sexually immoral Trump? Because he was willing to fight the radically secular babykilling advocate liberals and enact the policies we want.

(16) Watch - Discover

Tomgram: William Astore, Ending the Pentagon's Long Con | TomDispatch

Tomgram: William Astore, Ending the Pentagon's Long Con | TomDispatch: null

Help the sick in need

St. Peregrine, whom Holy Mother Church has declared Patron
of those suffering cancer and illness, I confidently turn to you.

Sickness and suffering are never easy to bear, whether it’s our own or that of a loved one or friend. We may feel helpless in the face of chronic or terminal illness or any condition that causes pain- and wonder why God has asked us to bear this cross. It is at these times when we most need to rest in His arms and turn our troubles over to Him. We can also turn to St. Peregrine and seek the intercession of this Patron Saint of the sick, especially those suffering with cancer or other serious illness.

St. Peregrine was afflicted with cancer- an ulcerous sore that wouldn’t heal. Amputation of his leg was scheduled. The night before surgery, he offered a prayer of loving resignation mixed with a plea that his leg would not be amputated. He had a vision of Jesus reaching out from the cross to touch his leg. When he awoke, the cancer was gone!

After being the beneficiary of Christ’s healing touch St. Peregrine dedicated his life to healing ministries and has been credited with a great number of miraculous cures.

For more than 120 years, we Friars have been praying for and ministering to the sick and those in need. On behalf of those enduring the anguish of cancer and other traumatic illness, we will invoke the intercession of St. Peregrine during a very special Novena of Healing Masses beginning on May 4th. If you or someone you love is in need of physical or spiritual healing, please send us your prayer petitions to be included in our prayers during our St. Peregrine Novena of Healing Masses beginning on May 4th, the Feast of St. Peregrine.

We will ask St Peregrine to intercede on your behalf with our Lord in Heaven to bring His healing grace to you and those dear to you who may be suffering from illness.

Along with your prayer petitions, if possible, I pray you will include a generous offering to help our Friars continue our work helping those in need; those living with HIV, the frail and elderly in hospitals and hospices, and people seeking recovery from addictions. As well as our ecumenical work in the international community to heal the divisions within Christianity and among all faiths.

May you find comfort, hope and strength through your friendship with beloved St. Peregrine.

Yours in Christ,

Fr. Robert Warren, S.A.

Spiritual Director

P.S. My offering is $20 or more. Please light a votive candle on the Holy Mountain for my special petitions.

Biden Plays the Race Card | Patrick J. Buchanan - Official Website

Biden Plays the Race Card | Patrick J. Buchanan - Official Website: With the economy firing on all eight cylinders, and the drive for impeachment losing steam, a new strategy is emerging — to take Trump down by stuffing him in a box with white supremacists. As he d…

Who’s Helping Protestants? | The Vortex

Who’s Helping Protestants? | The Vortex: Why not you?

Guantánamo – growing old

Summary: Trump's promises on Guantánamo mercifully not carried out. The Commander worries about the future and is sacked.
In our posting of 5 January 2017 we considered the prospects at the end of the second Obama administration for the prison at Guantánamo Bay. Guantánamo was established in 2002 and considered by the George W Bush and subsequent US administrations to be outside US legal jurisdiction and therefore not covered by the Geneva conventions, giving the US a free hand to deal with those suspected of involvement in al-Qa’ida and other terrorist crimes. That included freedom to use torture although torture is banned under international law in all circumstances. By 2017 releases and a few deaths had reduced the number of prisoners, originally nearly 800, to 41. Donald Trump had said during his campaign that he would keep Guantánamo open and “load it up with some bad dudes.” He and Mike Pompeo, at that time director of the CIA, had also reportedly said that they believed that waterboarding was within the law and was "absolutely fine… We should go much stronger than waterboarding.’
In January 2018 President Trump signed an executive order keeping the prison open. In May 2018 one more prisoner was transferred to Saudi Arabia, reducing the number in Guantánamo to 40.
Since then and until recently Guantánamo has largely been out of the mainstream media. Nothing more has been heard of the commitment to send more prisoners there, and waterboarding and other gross abuses have not been resumed. But there has been a great deal of administrative and legal activity, mainly about individual prisoners. Attempts to bring some of them to trial have been complicated by various obstacles, often stemming from the issue of torture, and in the last month this has had some media coverage. An account of the problems of one troublesome legal process is at link and another at link. A 5 April New York Times report is headed "Guantánamo Trials Grapple With How Much Evidence to Allow About Torture". A long, disgusting and very human story of the experiences of another detainee in the New Yorker is headed "Guantánamo diary and the American slave narrative". In some cases complicated legal proceedings have followed in other countries to which prisoners had been released, for example a case just concluded in Canada.
On 27 April the New York Times reported that planning is in hand for Guantánamo prisoners to grow old and die at Guantánamo (the oldest prisoner is now 71). Under the Geneva conventions, from which Guantánamo has after all not completely escaped, the prison is obliged to offer prisoners medical care comparable with that offered to their own staff, who number 1,800; the staff have access to a military hospital in the US but Guantánamo prisoners are forbidden by law from entering the US.
The Guantánamo commander, Rear Admiral John Ring, told reporters about the questions policymakers face. “A lot of my guys are prediabetic. Am I going to need dialysis down here? I don’t know. Someone’s got to tell me that. Are we going to do complex cancer care down here? I don’t know. Someone’s got to tell me that.” Already prisoners suffer typical middle-aged conditions as well as conditions arising from torture such as sodomisation. A report in Defence One further quotes Ring: “ ‘We’re in the early stages of feeling this out.’ In the coming months, he is sending a team to study how Federal Bureau of Prisons facilities in the United States handle end-of-life care for elderly prisoners."
On 28 April April Ring, who had seven more weeks to serve (and had previously commanded the giant aircraft carrier USS Nimitz), was fired due to a "loss of confidence in his ability to command," according to the US Southern Command.

On 56th Friday of Great March of Return and Breaking Siege, Israeli Forces Wound 110 Civilians, including 37 Children, 3 Women, 4 Paramedics, and Journalist | Palestinian Center for Human Rights

Soldiers have to shoot at Palestinians. It's Israel's way to keep them in check - Israel News - Haaretz.com

Soldiers have to shoot at Palestinians. It's Israel's way to keep them in check - Israel News - Haaretz.com: Israel admits it: The military is in the West Bank to protect settlements. The notion that we want peace is old fake news

A split Democratic party echoes the 1968 race, Opinion - THE BUSINESS TIMES

A split Democratic party echoes the 1968 race, Opinion - THE BUSINESS TIMES: : THE BUSINESS TIMES Opinion - . Read more at The Business Times.

All That's Missing Is A Black Swan... | Zero Hedge

All That's Missing Is A Black Swan... | Zero Hedge: "There is no means of avoiding the final collapse of a boom brought about by credit expansion. The alternative is only whether the crisis should come sooner... or later as a final and total catastrophe of the currency system involved."

US embassy statement on Iran angers Iraqi officials - The National

US embassy statement on Iran angers Iraqi officials - The National: Baghdad is walking a fine line to maintain stable relations with Tehran and Washington

Why Saudi Aramco sees shale gas as next energy bonanza - ArabianBusiness.com

Why The IMF Is Wrong About Saudi Arabia Needing $85 Oil

Why The IMF Is Wrong About Saudi Arabia Needing $85 Oil: Don't listen to claims that Saudi Arabia needs $85 oil. It doesn't.

THE OFFERING BELOW PRESENTS A NUMBER OF ATTICLES ON THE FUTURE OF ESPIONAGE.

Courtesy of Haviland Smith

THE OFFERING BELOW PRESENTS A NUMBER OF ATTICLES ON THE FUTURE OF ESPIONAGE. YOU CAN CLICK ON ANY OR ALL OF THE RED TITLES FOR ACCESS TO THE ATRTICLES THAT ARE OF INTEREST YOU.

April 29, 2019 — Washington, D.C. — Foreign Policy’s spring issue considers the future of espionage.

Spying has changed. It was once the domain of professionals, but thanks to “a bewildering mix of economic, social, political, and, most of all, technological changes, we have all become potential spooks—and targets,” FP Editor in Chief Jonathan Tepperman writes.

“The Future of Espionage” explores these changes. We live in a strange new world, in which we carry tiny encrypted computers, more powerful than anything the Cold Warriors dreamed of, in our pockets.

What will these new challenges mean for the future of spying and the security of countries, companies, and people?

Writers and editors are available for interviews.

Selected Contents

The Spycraft Revolution: Changes in technology, politics, and business are transforming espionage. Intelligence agencies must adapt, in part by embracing the commercialization of their field, or risk irrelevance, writes Edward Lucas, a scholar at the Center for European Policy Analysis.

The Manufacturer’s Dilemma: To secure itself, the West needs to figure out where all its gadgets are coming from. Elisabeth Braw, who directs the Royal United Services Institute’s modern deterrence program, examines why that’s so difficult.

The Oldest Game: Mara Hvistendahl—who is writing a book on industrial espionage, China, and the FBI—charts the history of industrial spying, from the recipe thieves of 500 B.C. to French efforts to steal U.S. computer secrets.

The Spies Who Came In From The Continent: Brexit could spell the end of Britain’s famed intelligence advantage, writes Calder Walton, the general editor of the forthcoming Cambridge History of Espionage and Intelligence.

Spooks in the Kremlin: Russia is in a dangerous situation, writes Mark Galeotti of the Royal United Services Institute. A Kremlin spookocracy vying for Vladimir Putin’s ear, and thus his agenda, may be shutting out good advice.

The Soviets' Unbreakable Code: Anna Borshchevskaya, a senior fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, explores the hidden history of the Soviets’ impenetrable encryption machine, the Fialka.

Torrential Rain Hampers Aid Efforts in Mozambique - ZENIT - English

Torrential Rain Hampers Aid Efforts in Mozambique - ZENIT - English: Flash Floods Leave Thousands of Children and Adults Without Emergency Supplies

The Oldest Game The very long history of industrial espionage.

The Oldest Game

The very long history of industrial espionage.

https://foreignpolicy.com/2019/04/27/the-oldest-game-industrial-espionage-timeline/?utm_source=PostUp&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=12523&utm_term=Top5%20OC

U.S. universities reassess collaborations with foreign scientists in wake of NIH letters | Science | AAAS

U.S. universities reassess collaborations with foreign scientists in wake of NIH letters | Science | AAAS: Dual faculty appointments could receive increased scrutiny

Washington Is Dismissing China’s Belt and Road. That’s a Huge Strategic Mistake.

Times Apologizes for Publishing Anti-Semitic Cartoon - The New York Times

Brain-dead woman kept on life support because she is pregnant - Denison Forum

Brain-dead woman kept on life support because she is pregnant - Denison Forum: A brain-dead Texas woman is being kept on life support because she is pregnant. Her hospital refuses to take her off machines, despite her husband's pleas, because a state law requires continued treatment of a pregnant patient. Texas is one of 12 states which automatically invalidate a pregnant woman's advance health care directive. So long as the fetus is alive, the mother cannot be removed from life support.President Reagan designated January 22, 1984 the first National Sanctity of Human Life Day. For 30 years, many churches across America have observed the third Sunday in January as Sanctity of Life Sunday. As the observance continues this Sunday, I'm thinking today about the logic of our society's position on abortion.

Monday, April 29, 2019

The City of Europe’s Future - The American Interest

The City of Europe’s Future - The American Interest: Forget economic anxiety. Rotterdam is a warning that the emerging political fight across Europe really is about cultural assimilation after all.

Boeing Kept Mum to Customers, FAA About Disabling of 737 Max Warning System | naked capitalism

Boeing Kept Mum to Customers, FAA About Disabling of 737 Max Warning System | naked capitalism: Even more bad facts about the Boeing 737 Max are coming out.

Ralph Nader Calls Out Boeing for 737 MAX Lack of Airworthiness, Stock Buybacks, and Demands Muilenburg Resign | naked capitalism

Ralph Nader Calls Out Boeing for 737 MAX Lack of Airworthiness, Stock Buybacks, and Demands Muilenburg Resign | naked capitalism: Nader: "There is no need to wait for some long-drawn out, redundant inquiry. Management was criminally negligent, 346 lives of passengers and crew were lost."

UnBound

The threefold path of happiness

Every week we offer a prayerful reflection from a member of the Unbound community. This week our reflection is from Senior Writer/Editor Larry Livingston.

In his book, “Too Soon Old, Too Late Smart,” Dr. Gordon Livingston (no relation to me) shared some of what he learned during decades as a practicing psychiatrist. One of his conclusions was that consistently happy people seem to have three things in common: someone to love, something to do and something to look forward to.

As a Christian, I filter that observation through the lens of my faith. It brings to mind the last verse of the magnificent 13th chapter of St. Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians: “So faith, hope, love remain, these three; but the greatest of these is love.” (1Cor. 13:13)

We see these great virtues — faith, hope and love — beautifully expressed in the lives of families served through Unbound. Faith allows them to persevere through hardship, hope gives them vision for a brighter future, and love drives them to work hard so that their children and their children’s children won’t be burdened by crushing poverty.

Perhaps that’s why, despite their many challenges, these families often possess a special kind of happiness. It’s not momentary contentment or the fleeting pleasure that comes from material possessions. Rather, it’s the happiness of those who are wise enough to put their trust in God, in their own abilities and in their friends.

Know that they count their sponsors among those friends.

Please pray

God of faith, help us to believe and to put our belief into action. God of hope, be with us when we are discouraged and help us to embrace resurrection. God of love, break through our self-centeredness so that we may be the living expression of your healing love in a world in need. We ask this in the name of your Son and our brother, Jesus the Christ. Amen.

Blessings,
Unbound Prayer Team

P.S. We welcome you to submit your prayer requests to us. These prayers are offered in the chapel at Unbound’s headquarters in Kansas City and are not shared publicly. Submit a prayer request.