Jacque_Pierre22 said:

If the uncreated light of the transfiguration was uncreated, then how about the words that Jesus spoke? The only difference between sound and light is the speed at which they travel according to physics; How should I understand this from a EO view and how would non-EO explain this such as Roman Catholics. thanks

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Speed is not the only difference between sound and light. They are different things. The works of God are more glorious and multitudinous than we can comprehend.

My latest article corrects fallacies about the workload of the medieval peasant and serf. It demonstrates that despite modern myths, they worked far fewer hours at a more plausible rate than we do!

Work and Leisure in the Middle Ages​

DaisyDay said:

Discord counts. There are several message boards like this one that I like. I do have FB & Instagram accounts but I rarely use them. I only started looking at Twitter/X after all the brouhaha.

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Interesting stuff. Anyways, discussion about mainstream social media is kinda boring, so it was nice discussing here. Have a blessed day.

Pope Francis meets with priests of the Sacred Heart of Jesus (Dehonians) on June 27, 2024, at the Vatican. | Credit: Vatican Media

Seventy-one years ago, on Sept. 21, 1953, a young Jorge Mario Bergoglio’s priestly vocation was born. He would enter the novitiate of the Society of Jesus on March 11, 1958, and be ordained a priest on Dec. 13, 1969, just days before his 33rd birthday. On March 13, 2013, he would be elected pope.

In a homily given in May 2013, Pope Francis shared the story of when he felt the stirrings of the call to the priesthood: “I passed by the parish where I was going, found a priest, whom I did not know, and felt the need to go to confession. This was an experience of encounter: I found that someone was waiting for me.”

The pope explained that he didn’t know why he felt so called to go to confession, especially since he didn’t know the priest. After confession, he felt “that something had changed.”

Continued below.

Pope Francis waves from a window of the Apostolic Palace at the crowds gathered in St. Peter's Square for his weekly Angelus address on Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024. | Credit: Vatican Media.

On Sunday, Pope Francis recalled Jesus’ teaching that true power is found by taking care of others, not by exploiting them or using them.

“With a word as simple as it is decisive, Jesus renews our way of living. He teaches us that true power does not lie in the dominion of the strongest but in care for the weakest,” the pope said in his weekly Angelus address Sept. 22.

“True power,” Francis emphasized, “is taking care of the weakest; that makes you great.”

Continued below.

Dan Perez said:

And is Acts 17:30 speaking to Israel ??

Or is it speaking to us today , since we are in the Dispensation of the Grace of God , in Eph 3:2 ?

dan p

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For everybody. They have to accept Christ. Jew first and also to the Greek. Yes you are correct. For us today in this current dispensation.

Praying for peace at Mass today!

Blessings

Arcangl86 said:

Being related to Jewish people doesn't prevent somebody from being anti-semitic. He's not peddling conspiracy theories against them to the best of my knowledge, that's true. But he is still doing things as treating Jews as a single mass of people with united values instead of individuals and he's equating being Jewish with political support for Israel, regardless of whether an individual has any connection to the state at all. He probably wouldn't look at it that way, but I know some Jews who consider it a rehash of the old anti-semitic trope of Jews being disloyal and having dual loyalties.

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He probably wants attention as usual. You’re completely right though. My mistake and apologies.

May God fill you with his inner peace. Amen.

Take a walk with Jesus through your childhood neighborhood this Sunday, in the readings for the 25th Sunday of Ordinary Time, Year B. Be yourself around him, acting just as you always do — too willing to ignore Jesus and too willing to assert your ego.

That is what the Apostles do, and they learn a remarkable insight about spiritual childhood.

This Sunday’s Gospel passage would be funny if it didn’t sting.

It begins with Jesus and the apostles going on “a journey through Galilee, but he did not wish anyone to know about it.”

Last Sunday, Jesus told the Apostles where this journey was headed: He was going to Jerusalem to die, and each would have to “take up his cross and follow me” and be willing to “lose his life for my sake.” Then, a lot happens in the 30 verses we skip between last Sunday’s Gospel and this Sunday’s. First, Mark tells the story of how, with three apostles present, Jesus literally glowed while God himself said “This is my beloved Son. Listen to him!” Meanwhile, other disciples failed to expel a demon from a child and argued with scribes instead, making Jesus complain, “O faithless generation, how long will I endure you?”

So they should have been on high alert and listening when he said, “The Son of Man is to be handed over to men and they will kill him, and three days after his death the Son of Man will rise.” We can imagine what the discussion should have been like:

Continued below.

It would seem that we are not free in heaven. If there is not even a possibility of falling from heaven, then can we say that we are there freely or are we there against our will?

To navigate this paradox, we can look to Dante Alighieri’s masterpiece, The Divine Comedy. In the poem, Dante’s guide, Virgil, bids farewell after leading him through hell and purgatory. His parting advice to Dante is enigmatic at best and scandalous at worst:

From now on, let your pleasure be your guide;
…
your will is free, erect, and whole—to act
against that will would be to err: therefore
I crown and miter you over yourself.”
(Purgatorio XXVII, 131, 140-142, trans. A. Mandelbaum)

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To understand Virgil’s advice, we must re-examine human nature. We freely make choices; some are good for us, others are bad. Putting a hand on a hot stove, for instance, is harmful regardless of the immediate and mistaken desire to do so. Even if we were to undergo a special surgery or take medication to numb the pain, the painless heat is nevertheless damaging. This is true for us not only physically, but also psychologically and spiritually. Our desires and pleasures are properly ordered insofar as they lead us to our ultimate happiness and the fulfillment of all desire: loving union with God.

Even so, Virgil’s advice to “let your pleasure be your guide” seems dangerous. Our desires are frequently disordered and lead us away from God. It is also not always clear whether a choice is truly good for us physically, psychologically, and spiritually. As Dante ascends up through the levels of purgatory, there is a process of healing and re-ordering in his will, damaged by sin. This process is meant to take place not only in purgatory but throughout our life on earth. The commandments of God and the precepts of the Church are not random. They are an expression of Divine Wisdom in conformity with our nature, helping us to learn and re-order our desires for what is truly good for us. The Church’s teachings are not imposed to constrain our will, but to set it free. Once we desire what is truly good for us, then our will is free. We can do whatever we desire because we will only desire what leads to endless, unrestricted happiness. We will not need an external law telling us what not to do, because we will not even have the slightest desire for harmful choices. As God himself says, “I will place my law within them, and write it upon their hearts” (Jer 31:33).

Continued below.

I doubt they will reunify in my lifetime. Praying for it one day.

What is the ideal for the meaning of the sexes and for the ordering of family life? It can be found in understanding authority and submission.​

For years, I’ve taught biblical submission to women—and to men. Even writing this seems like exposing a bad secret. Yet I go on because resolving the meaning of submission and authority brought this Protestant minister’s family into the Catholic Church.

The idea of wives’ submission came to me, granddaughter of a Baptist preacher, wife of a Baptist and, later, Presbyterian minister, as a thunderbolt from the blue. I was struck by the power of the Bible’s admonition—that is, without a cloud of such a concept in sight, I was struck by the power of the Bible’s admonition, “Wives, be submissive to your husbands as to the Lord” (Eph. 5:22).

I had read these words as flat syllables, without an ounce of meaning, for as long as I could remember, but on this particular day they were emphatically presented as something I could no longer ignore. Before this, I had accepted marriage as something like a football game. My husband and I were two teams who tried to gain yardage from each other or score goals by getting past each other’s defenses. Sometimes the competition was amiable, sometimes it was vengeful, but there was always competition, with the gaining or giving of ground.

The very thought that I should be on his team was revolutionary. All the assumptions about our relationship were up for review and reform.

Continued below.

Members of the African Synodal Digital Youth Influencers who graduated recently from the African Digital Faith Influencers Formation program of the Pan African Catholic Theology and Pastoral Network(PACTPAN) were told to “brace for the challenges that lie ahead of [them] in the digital peripheries [they] seek to evangelize.”

In his keynote address at the Sept. 12 graduation ceremony, Bishop Godfrey Igwebuike Onah of Nigeria’s Diocese of Nsukka warned the 56 participants in the PACTPAN program of the complexities that exist in digital spaces.

Onah reminded the graduates that in the Church, the digital world is still at the periphery needing to be evangelized.

Continued below.

The Catholic maritime charity Stella Maris is urging the U.K. government to take action to protect fishermen following a BBC program that shows cases of modern-day slavery on fishing vessels.

Stella Maris is the maritime agency of the Catholic Church in the U.K.

Last month, BBC One Scotland aired the documentary “Disclosure: Slavery at Sea,” which accuses Scottish fishing company TN Trawlers of modern-day slavery and human trafficking.

Continued below.

chevyontheriver said:

So has this former Planned Parenthood executive repented and come to faith? And is speaking because she has something to say about values and repentance?

Er, um, no?

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Unfortunately not. It sends the wrong message. Ugh

some countries also are thinking of a six day work week, more and more I see this on the internet it could have repercussions on the true sabbath day also.

Likewise for godly woman as well. Seek strength in love from the Lord. As a matter of routine practice, hear his voice and depend on Him.

Paidiske said:

It's a term originating in 16th-century ecclesiastical court hearings about canonising saints. The lawyer arguing against the desired outcome was said to be arguing "for the devil." The lawyer arguing for the desired outcome was called "God's advocate."

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The irony is that dissolution of the bond is the devil's desired outcome, not God's.

go to Liturgy, pay attention as best you can, talk to the priest afterwards.

....and welcome! This is a nice place to fellowship. May you be blessed here.

This Week's Prayer Guide


September 22 - This week, we conclude our month of prayer for Lanzhou by praying for specific requests of Christians there and the needs of their neighbors.

September 23 - A pastor in Lanzhou remarks that there is a "poor spiritual state of many second-generation Christians in this city. Of course, faith cannot be inherited, but the spiritual atmosphere that Christian families create for their children makes it difficult for them to inherit their faith. Many second-generation Christians in China, those who experienced the previous revival, whether in rural or urban churches, are experiencing a rapid decline in their faith. I don't think this is a good sign. Families who already believe are failing to pass on their faith."

September 24 - Pray for Christians in Lanzhou to be empowered by the Holy Spirit to invest in and maintain relationships with their neighbors, families, and coworkers. As a pastor shares, "We pray that the Holy Spirit would really help us in this area where we are weak and where we don't have the time and energy to match."

September 25 - Pray for a pastor's wife in Lanzhou who is helping children at a local school through a new lunch program. Pray for her to be a witness of Christ through this lunch program.

September 26 - One pastor in Lanzhou shares frustration that, "Because many intellectuals have left this city, the brothers and sisters who remain in the church are very passive when it comes to thinking about and knowing God. This often frustrates me, as I wonder how to deepen their faith and help them grow. Of course, this is just from an intellectual perspective. In [other cities I have been to], people were interested in discussing theology and the Bible. But here, no one is interested in talking about these things. This process has been very, very lonely for me."

September 27 - A pastor in Lanzhou says, "We have a lot of children in our church, and everyone values children very much. We are actively running a youth ministry. But there is some concern that in the future, because Lanzhou doesn't retain people, that we are essentially raising these children for other churches because they will all leave Lanzhou. Sometimes I wonder, 'We're putting so much effort into the children's ministry, but what happens when they grow up and leave? Will it be sustainable?'" Pray for churches in this situation, that they will raise their children well and minister Christ to them. Pray that the children who leave can bring the gospel to new places, and also pray for God to raise up some who will stay and invest in Lanzhou's future.

September 28 - A pastor in Lanzhou asks, "Please pray that the Gospel will renew more churches in our city, so that the Gospel can renew the city."



9月22日--本周，我们为兰州基督徒具体的要求和他们邻舍的需要祷告，以此结束为兰州的祷告月。

9月23日--兰州的一位牧师说，"这个城市的许多第二代基督徒灵命状况不佳。信仰当然不能遗传，但基督徒家庭为子女营造的属灵氛围却使他们难以继承信仰。中国许多第二代基督徒，那些经历过上一次复兴的基督徒，无论是在农村教会还是城市教会，他们的信仰都在迅速衰退。我认为这不是一个好兆头。"

9月24日--为兰州的基督徒祷告，求圣灵给他们能力，让他们能够服侍于邻居、家人和同事，并维持他们之间的关系。正如一位牧师所分享说："我们祈求圣灵在这我们软弱、缺乏时间和精力配合的领域中真正地帮助我们。"

9月25日 - 为兰州的一位师母祷告，她正在通过一个新的午餐计划帮助当地学校的孩子们。为她祷告，让她能够透过这个午餐计划成为基督的见证人。

9月26日--兰州的一位牧师分享他的挫折感："因为许多知识分子离开了这个城市，所以留在教会里的弟兄姐妹在思考和认识神方面非常被动。这常常让我感到沮丧，因为我不知道如何加深他们的信仰，帮助他们成长。当然，这只是从知识的角度来看。在其它我去过的城市，人们对讨论神学和《圣经》很感兴趣。但在这里，没有人有兴趣谈论这些事情。这个过程对我来说非常、非常孤独。"

9 月 27日--兰州的一位牧师说："我们教会有很多孩子，每个人都非常重视孩子。我们正在积极开展青少年事工。但有人担心，将来因为兰州留不住人，我们基本上是在为其他教会培养这些孩子，因为他们都会离开兰州。有时我会想，'我们在儿童事工上投入了这么多精力，但当他们长大离开后怎么办？这样的事工能持续吗？'" 为处于这种情况下的教会祷告，求主帮助他们能够好好抚养孩子，并向他们传讲基督。为离开的孩子能够将福音带到新的地方祷告，也求神兴起一些人留下来，为兰州的未来献身。

9月28日--兰州的一位牧师请求："请为福音能够更新我们城市中更多的教会祷告，让福音能够更新这座城市。"

Thank you, Riley! It’s truly a blessing to be part of this community.

There's a saying that if you give everyone a million dollars the money would end up in the same hands. It's meant to illustrate the reality of financial illiteracy and the likelihood the majority would go towards consumerism. The way you figure out where you stand is by answering the question. What would you do?

For the majority their first thought is what they'd give, buy or payoff. That's why it wouldn't last.

~bella