Back to plain old "Ordinary" time....or are we?

There is some confusion as to what the term ordinary time means in the Catholic Church. I think I always assumed, and many still do, that it means nothing "extraordinary" is happening. But that's not really accurate. In fact, when the Church calls the period of time "Ordinary", it simply refers to ordinal numerals.

According to Wikipedia:

In linguistics, ordinal numerals or ordinal number words are words representing position or rank in a sequential order; the order may be of size, importance, chronology, and so on (e.g., "third", "tertiary"). They differ from cardinal numerals, which represent quantity (e.g., "three") and other types of numerals.

The other type of numbers are called cardinal numerals which would be used for things like quantities and amounts. So it makes sense that the weeks are numbered in the Church this way.

Today, Monday, January 11, 2021, is called the first day of Ordinary Time. We have begun a new season. Something I cannot seem to explain is that although today is the first day of ordinary time according to the calendar, it also says that this coming Sunday, on January 17, is the "second Sunday of Ordinary Time". Very confusing. If today is the first day of Ordinary time, that would mean yesterday was presumably not included.

In fact, yesterday is the Solemnity of the Baptism of Our Lord. According to the calendar and the archbishop this morning, today is the first day of the liturgical new year, and therefore yesterday would not be included. I am very confused. If anyone knows what is going on, please let me know.

The basic idea behind ordinary time is that there are two major periods in the Christian calendar: Christmas and Easter. We prepare for these two major periods with Advent and Lent, respectively. Ordinary time is basically the period of time outside of these. The longest period of continual Ordinary Time is between the end of Eastertide and the beginning of Advent which in 2021 will be approximately 188 days, depending on how it's supposed to be calculated. In other words, more than half the year.

It's important to note that all Masses are equally important and extraordinary in that sense since the body, blood, soul, and divinity of our Savior comes to us at those times. Also, even during ordinary time, there are major solemnities, feasts, etc. 

Catholic Church Readings for January 11, 2021: Monday of the First Week in Ordinary Time

Catholic Church Readings for January 11, 2021: Monday of the First Week in Ordinary Time

Lectionary: 305

Reading I

Heb 1:1-6

Brothers and sisters:

In times past, God spoke in partial and various ways 

to our ancestors through the prophets; 

in these last days, he spoke to us through the Son,     

whom he made heir of all things

and through whom he created the universe,

    who is the refulgence of his glory, 

        the very imprint of his being,

    and who sustains all things by his mighty word.

    When he had accomplished purification from sins,

    he took his seat at the right hand of the Majesty on high,

    as far superior to the angels

    as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.

For to which of the angels did God ever say:

    You are my Son; this day I have begotten you?

Or again:

    I will be a father to him, and he shall be a Son to me?

And again, when he leads the first born into the world, he says:

    Let all the angels of God worship him.

Responsorial Psalm

97:1 and 2b, 6 and 7c, 9

R.    (see 7c) Let all his angels worship him.

The LORD is king; let the earth rejoice;

    let the many isles be glad.

    Justice and judgment are the foundation of his throne. 

R.    Let all his angels worship him.

The heavens proclaim his justice,

    and all peoples see his glory.

Let all his angels worship him.

R.    Let all his angels worship him.

Because you, O LORD, are the Most High over all the earth,

    exalted far above all gods.

R.    Let all his angels worship him.

Alleluia

Mk 1:15

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

The Kingdom of God is at hand;

repent and believe in the Gospel.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

Mk 1:14-20

After John had been arrested,

Jesus came to Galilee proclaiming the Gospel of God:

“This is the time of fulfillment.

The Kingdom of God is at hand.

Repent, and believe in the Gospel.”

As he passed by the Sea of Galilee,

he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting their nets into the sea;

they were fishermen.

Jesus said to them,

“Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.”

Then they left their nets and followed him.

He walked along a little farther

and saw James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John.

They too were in a boat mending their nets.

Then he called them.

So they left their father Zebedee in the boat

along with the hired men and followed him.

Catholic Church Readings for January 10, 2021: The Baptism of Our Lord

Catholic Church Readings for January 10, 2021: The Baptism of Our Lord

The Baptism of the Lord

Lectionary: 21

Reading I

Is 42:1-4, 6-7

Thus says the LORD:

Here is my servant whom I uphold,

my chosen one with whom I am pleased,

upon whom I have put my spirit;

he shall bring forth justice to the nations,

not crying out, not shouting,

not making his voice heard in the street.

a bruised reed he shall not break,

and a smoldering wick he shall not quench,

until he establishes justice on the earth;

the coastlands will wait for his teaching.

I, the LORD, have called you for the victory of justice,

I have grasped you by the hand;

I formed you, and set you

as a covenant of the people,

a light for the nations,

to open the eyes of the blind,

to bring out prisoners from confinement,

and from the dungeon, those who live in darkness.

OR:

Is 55:1-11

Thus says the LORD:

All you who are thirsty,

come to the water!

You who have no money,

come, receive grain and eat;

come, without paying and without cost,

drink wine and milk!

Why spend your money for what is not bread,

your wages for what fails to satisfy?

Heed me, and you shall eat well,

you shall delight in rich fare.

Come to me heedfully,

listen, that you may have life.

I will renew with you the everlasting covenant,

the benefits assured to David.

As I made him a witness to the peoples,

a leader and commander of nations,

so shall you summon a nation you knew not,

and nations that knew you not shall run to you,

because of the LORD, your God,

the Holy One of Israel, who has glorified you.

Seek the LORD while he may be found,

call him while he is near.

Let the scoundrel forsake his way,

and the wicked man his thoughts;

let him turn to the LORD for mercy;

to our God, who is generous in forgiving.

For my thoughts are not your thoughts,

nor are your ways my ways, says the LORD.

As high as the heavens are above the earth 

so high are my ways above your ways

and my thoughts above your thoughts.

For just as from the heavens

the rain and snow come down

and do not return there

till they have watered the earth,

making it fertile and fruitful,

giving seed to the one who sows

and bread to the one who eats,

so shall my word be

that goes forth from my mouth;

my word shall not return to me void,

but shall do my will,

achieving the end for which I sent it.

Responsorial Psalm

Ps 29:1-2, 3-4, 3, 9-10

R. (11b)  The Lord will bless his people with peace.

Give to the LORD, you sons of God,

    give to the LORD glory and praise,

Give to the LORD the glory due his name;

    adore the LORD in holy attire.

R. The Lord will bless his people with peace.

The voice of the LORD is over the waters,

    the LORD, over vast waters.

The voice of the LORD is mighty;

    the voice of the LORD is majestic. 

R. The Lord will bless his people with peace.

The God of glory thunders,

    and in his temple all say, “Glory!”

The LORD is enthroned above the flood;

    the LORD is enthroned as king forever.

R. The Lord will bless his people with peace.

OR:

Is 12:2-3, 4bcd, 5-6

R. (3)  You will draw water joyfully from the springs of salvation.

God indeed is my savior;

    I am confident and unafraid.

My strength and my courage is the LORD,

    and he has been my savior.

With joy you will draw water

    at the fountain of salvation.

R. You will draw water joyfully from the springs of salvation.

Give thanks to the LORD, acclaim his name;

    among the nations make known his deeds,

      proclaim how exalted is his name.

R. You will draw water joyfully from the springs of salvation.

Sing praise to the LORD for his glorious achievement;

    let this be known throughout all the earth.

Shout with exultation, O city of Zion,

    for great in your midst

    is the Holy One of Israel!

R. You will draw water joyfully from the springs of salvation.

Reading II

Acts 10:34-38

Peter proceeded to speak to those gathered

in the house of Cornelius, saying: 

“In truth, I see that God shows no partiality.

Rather, in every nation whoever fears him and acts uprightly

is acceptable to him.

You know the word that he sent to the Israelites 

as he proclaimed peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all, 

what has happened all over Judea, 

beginning in Galilee after the baptism

that John preached, 

how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth

with the Holy Spirit and power.

He went about doing good 

and healing all those oppressed by the devil, 

for God was with him.”

OR:

1 Jn 5:1-9

Beloved:

Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is begotten by God,

and everyone who loves the Father

loves also the one begotten by him.

In this way we know that we love the children of God

when we love God and obey his commandments.

For the love of God is this,

that we keep his commandments.

And his commandments are not burdensome,

for whoever is begotten by God conquers the world.

And the victory that conquers the world is our faith.

Who indeed is the victor over the world

but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

This is the one who came through water and blood, Jesus Christ,

not by water alone, but by water and blood.

The Spirit is the one who testifies,

and the Spirit is truth.

So there are three that testify,

the Spirit, the water, and the blood,

and the three are of one accord.

If we accept human testimony,

the testimony of God is surely greater.

Now the testimony of God is this,

that he has testified on behalf of his Son.

Alleluia

Cf. Jn 1:29

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

John saw Jesus approaching him, and said:

Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

Mk 1:7-11

This is what John the Baptist proclaimed: 

“One mightier than I is coming after me.

I am not worthy to stoop and loosen the thongs of his sandals.

I have baptized you with water; 

he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

It happened in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee 

and was baptized in the Jordan by John.

On coming up out of the water he saw the heavens being torn open 

and the Spirit, like a dove, descending upon him.

And a voice came from the heavens, 

“You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”

Catholic Church Readings for January 9, 2021: Saturday after Epiphany

Catholic Church Readings for January 9, 2021: Saturday after Epiphany

Saturday after Epiphany

Lectionary: 217

Reading I

1 Jn 5:14-21

Beloved:

We have this confidence in him

that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. 

And if we know that he hears us in regard to whatever we ask,

we know that what we have asked him for is ours. 

If anyone sees his brother sinning, if the sin is not deadly,

he should pray to God and he will give him life. 

This is only for those whose sin is not deadly. 

There is such a thing as deadly sin,

about which I do not say that you should pray. 

All wrongdoing is sin, but there is sin that is not deadly.

We know that anyone begotten by God does not sin;

but the one begotten by God he protects,

and the Evil One cannot touch him. 

We know that we belong to God,

and the whole world is under the power of the Evil One. 

We also know that the Son of God has come

and has given us discernment to know the one who is true. 

And we are in the one who is true,

in his Son Jesus Christ. 

He is the true God and eternal life. 

Children, be on your guard against idols.

Responsorial Psalm

149:1-2, 3-4, 5-6a and 9b

R.    (see 4a)  The Lord takes delight in his people.

or:

R.    Alleluia.

Sing to the LORD a new song

    of praise in the assembly of the faithful.

Let Israel be glad in their maker,

    let the children of Zion rejoice in their king.

R.    (see 4a)  The Lord takes delight in his people.

or:

R.    Alleluia.

Let them praise his name in the festive dance,

    let them sing praise to him with timbrel and harp.

For the LORD loves his people,

    and he adorns the lowly with victory.

R.    (see 4a)  The Lord takes delight in his people.

or:

R.    Alleluia.

Let the faithful exult in glory;

    let them sing for joy upon their couches;

Let the high praises of God be in their throats.

    This is the glory of all his faithful. Alleluia.

R.    (see 4a)  The Lord takes delight in his people.

or:

R.    Alleluia.

Alleluia

Mt 4:16

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

The people who sit in darkness have seen a great light,

on those dwelling in a land overshadowed by death

light has arisen.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Jn 3:22-30

Jesus and his disciples went into the region of Judea,

where he spent some time with them baptizing. 

John was also baptizing in Aenon near Salim,

because there was an abundance of water there,

and people came to be baptized,

for John had not yet been imprisoned. 

Now a dispute arose between the disciples of John and a Jew

about ceremonial washings. 

So they came to John and said to him,

“Rabbi, the one who was with you across the Jordan,

to whom you testified,

here he is baptizing and everyone is coming to him.”

John answered and said,

“No one can receive anything except what has been given from heaven. 

You yourselves can testify that I said that I am not the Christ,

but that I was sent before him. 

The one who has the bride is the bridegroom;

the best man, who stands and listens for him,

rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice. 

So this joy of mine has been made complete. 

He must increase; I must decrease.”

Catholic Church Readings for January 8, 2021: Friday after Epiphany

Catholic Church Readings for January 8, 2021: Friday after Epiphany

Friday after Epiphany

Lectionary: 216

Reading I

1 Jn 5:5-13

Beloved:

Who indeed is the victor over the world

but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

This is the one who came through water and Blood, Jesus Christ,

not by water alone, but by water and Blood. 

The Spirit is the one who testifies,

and the Spirit is truth. 

So there are three who testify,

the Spirit, the water, and the Blood, 

and the three are of one accord. 

If we accept human testimony,

the testimony of God is surely greater. 

Now the testimony of God is this,

that he has testified on behalf of his Son. 

Whoever believes in the Son of God

has this testimony within himself.

Whoever does not believe God has made him a liar

by not believing the testimony God has given about his Son. 

And this is the testimony:

God gave us eternal life,

and this life is in his Son. 

Whoever possesses the Son has life;

whoever does not possess the Son of God does not have life.

I write these things to you so that you may know

that you have eternal life,

you who believe in the name of the Son of God.

Responsorial Psalm

147:12-13, 14-15, 19-20

R.    (12a)  Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.

or:

R.    Alleluia.

Glorify the LORD, O Jerusalem;

    praise your God, O Zion.

For he has strengthened the bars of your gates;

    he has blessed your children within you.

R.    Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.

or:

R.    Alleluia.

He has granted peace in your borders;

    with the best of wheat he fills you.

He sends forth his command to the earth;

    swiftly runs his word!

R.    Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.

or:

R.    Alleluia.

He has proclaimed his word to Jacob,

    his statutes and his ordinances to Israel.

He has not done thus for any other nation;

    his ordinances he has not made known to them. Alleluia.

R.    Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.

or:

R.    Alleluia.

Alleluia

See Mt 4:23

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Jesus proclaimed the Gospel of the Kingdom

and cured every disease among the people.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

Lk 5:12-16

It happened that there was a man full of leprosy in one of the towns where Jesus was;

and when he saw Jesus,

he fell prostrate, pleaded with him, and said,

“Lord, if you wish, you can make me clean.” 

Jesus stretched out his hand, touched him, and said,

“I do will it.  Be made clean.” 

And the leprosy left him immediately. 

Then he ordered him not to tell anyone, but

“Go, show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing

what Moses prescribed; that will be proof for them.” 

The report about him spread all the more,

and great crowds assembled to listen to him

and to be cured of their ailments,

but he would withdraw to deserted places to pray.

4 People Died in United States Capitol Protests + Catholic Perspective on Armed Resistance

I am keeping track of this story as it is still developing. 4 people have died in the 2021 United States Capitol Protests. Reports of this can be seen here.

As of right now, details are rather unclear. One of the deaths which was known yesterday was that of Trump supporter Ashli Babbitt. She was shot by law enforcement, although the exact details are not yet publicized. There was some question as to exactly where she was shot.

Ashli Babbitt, a California resident, served 4 tours of duty over a 14 year period and was born in 1985 making her around 35 years of age. It seems she was active on Twitter under the username CommonAshSense. She made some tweets concerning the protest.

Three other people associated with the protest have passed away, yet the cause of their deaths are unclear. All I could find were references to them dying following "medical emergencies". This is very broad, and wouldn't any death be the result of a medical emergency?

So what are the relevant points in the Catholic Faith we must consider when looking at this situation? Is an armed insurrection ever justifiable? I'm not saying that is what is happening in this case. But are there ever cases where large groups of people can forcibly take control of a government? In fact, this is addressed in the Catechism of the Catholic Church under the topic of armed resistance.

Armed resistance to oppression by political authority is not legitimate, unless all the following conditions are met:

1. there is certain, grave, and prolonged violation of fundamental rights;
2. all other means of redress have been exhausted;
3. such resistance will not provoke worse disorders;
4. there is well-founded hope of success; and
5. it is impossible reasonably to foresee any better solution.

Does the current situation meet the criteria above? I would say, at the very least, it would be an untenable position to say that the current American situation would meet the criteria allowing for armed resistance to a government.

Is there certain, grave, and prolonged violation of fundamental rights? I would say probably not. Yes, there are many grave injustices, such as abortion, occurring in the country. The problem is I cannot see that changing, especially by violent actions such as the ones being witnessed.

Therefore, criterion 4 is not met either of a well-founded hope of success. Criterion 3 is that such resistance will not provoke worse disorders. I cannot say that criterion would be met either as violent protests will certainly not improve the current situation and will probably make it worse.

Have all other means of redress been exhausted? I believe at this point, since the other criteria are not met, this is a moot point. But there are probably better, more effective means, that have not yet been exhausted.

Finally, #5, is it impossible to reasonably foresee any better solution? Since violent protests will probably achieve little if anything, obviously there are better solutions.

Therefore, I do not think violence is legitimate in this case. Having said that, I have not seen significant evidence of widespread violence from Trump supporters at this point. You could say that the act of breaking into the US Capitol building is itself an act of violence, but breaking into a building isn't the same as harming someone bodily. It's much less significant.

A young woman has been killed, but we do not know the circumstances in detail. We know she was probably shot by some law enforcement agency. Why was she shot? Was she threatening, assaulting, or committing battery against people? I am not sure. Perhaps her death was a tragic mistake.

As for the other three deaths, we do not have sufficient information to categorize what happened.

My point is, we cannot tell at this point how violent or non-violent the group of protesters is overall. Yes, they broke in, but are they, on a significant scale, using violence against innocent people? Are they shooting firearms at law enforcement officers? I do not see evidence of these things.

First and foremost we must pray for everyone involved in this situation. We must pray that people remain calm and things do not escalate further. We must pray that injustices are resolved in civilized ways. Let's try to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us. I think we are living in a time where people are more polarized than ever. Many people are under lockdown and on social media things can often appear far more extreme which leads to further polarization.

I will keep you posted on any new developments and how they may apply to Catholic teaching.

First Ever Nativity Scene! Dates from the 1200s. Check it out.

There is a nativity scene made of marble that was commissioned by Pope Nicholas IV in 1292. Prior to this, St. Francis introduced the idea of people re-enacting the nativity, but this is the first time it was made in the form of a sculpture. It has seen many great saints throughout the centuries and is located at St. Mary Major, one of the 4 major basilicas in Catholicism.

I will copy and paste the article from Catholic News Agency Below the Images.

Article from Catholic News Agency:

First known nativity scene figurines can now be seen in St. Mary Major Basilica

By Courtney Mares

Rome Newsroom, Dec 23, 2020 / 11:00 am MT (CNA).- The first known nativity scene figurines are on display this Christmas in one of Rome’s oldest basilicas.

The underground Chapel of the Nativity in the Basilica of St. Mary Major -- known to Italians as Santa Maria Maggiore -- once contained at least six marble nativity statues sculpted by Arnolfo di Cambio in the late 13th century.

From Dec. 22, the public will be able to view these nativity figurines in the Marian basilica’s Sistine chapel, located to the right of the main altar.

The figurines were commissioned in 1292 by Pope Nicholas IV, the first Franciscan pope, who was inspired by St. Francis of Assisi, creator of the first living nativity in Greccio, Italy, in 1223.

Sante Guido, an art historian and professor at the Pontifical Gregorian University, told EWTN that five of the marble statues in the nativity scene today are completely original to the 13th century.

This means that this nativity scene was present when St. Cajetan experienced an apparition of the Child Jesus in the Chapel of the Nativity on Christmas night in 1517 and when St. Ignatius of Loyola chose to offer his first Mass in this chapel in 1538.

It is unclear how many figures in total made up the nativity scene commissioned by Nicholas IV, but the marble figures that exist today of St. Joseph, the three Magi, and a single work depicting both a cow and a donkey are part of the original set, according to Guido.

The statue of the Virgin Mary enthroned with the baby Jesus underwent significant restoration in the late 16th century, he explained.

The Italian art historian and restorer noted that this is not the first depiction of Christ’s birth in Christian history, but the first nativity scene in the form as it is known today.

“In the history of Christianity there are many depictions of the nativity of Christ, of course, even on the early Christian sarcophagi, but also in the Romanesque cathedrals and in the Gothic cathedrals there are depictions of an episode in the life of Christ: his birth,” he said.

“Here instead we have the representation of the nativity, according to the spirit of St. Francis, so this nativity is the first nativity scene in history. It is not only a representation of the nativity, but it is a nativity scene.”

The Basilica of St. Mary Major’s connection to Christ’s birth goes back for centuries before this nativity scene was commissioned. The basilica has a precious relic of pieces of Christ’s crib sent from Bethlehem by St. Sophronius, then the patriarch of Jerusalem, to Pope Theodore I in the seventh century.

For this reason, the basilica was once called St. Mary of the Manger and was also referred to as “the Bethlehem of the West.”

This relic of the manger was historically kept in the crypt Chapel of the Nativity, which was first created in the seventh century but has been repeatedly reconstructed over the centuries.

Pope Sixtus V restored the crypt Chapel of the Nativity to the form seen today between 1585 and 1590 as he built the basilica’s Sistine chapel.

In St. Mary Major’s Sistine chapel, where the nativity scene is located, one can also see the first tabernacle to be made according to the precepts of the Council of Trent and an altar dedicated to St. Jerome.

Tradition holds that St. Jerome’s relics were brought from Bethlehem to Rome shortly after the relic of the manger and are now located either in the main altar or this side chapel in the Basilica of St. Mary Major where the first nativity is currently displayed.

During the Advent and Christmas season this year, a relic of the manger has been brought out for veneration in the basilica’s Borghese chapel, to the left of the main altar. This relic is usually found in the niche below the main altar. It was moved by Pope Pius IX from the Chapel of the Nativity to its current location under the altar in the 19th century.

Pope Francis visited the Basilica of St. Mary Major during Advent this year on the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, and offered Mass in the crypt Chapel of the Nativity.

Last year Pope Francis made a pilgrimage to the Italian town of Greccio during Advent to sign an apostolic letter on the meaning and importance of nativity scenes in the location where St. Francis of Assisi created the first nativity scene in 1223.

The letter recalled the story behind St. Francis’ first living nativity scene, or crèche. The saint asked a friend 15 days before Christmas to help him prepare “to bring to life” the memory of Christ’s birth in Bethlehem.

“When St. Francis arrived, he found a manger full of hay, an ox and a donkey. All those present experienced a new and indescribable joy in the presence of the Christmas scene. The priest then solemnly celebrated the Eucharist over the manger, showing the bond between the Incarnation of the Son of God and the Eucharist.”

“At Greccio there were no statues; the nativity scene was enacted and experienced by all who were present.”

Thomas of Celano, the first biographer of St. Francis, wrote that someone present at the Mass had a vision of the baby Jesus himself lying in the manger.

Pope Francis wrote: “In a particular way, from the time of its Franciscan origins, the nativity scene has invited us to ‘feel’ and ‘touch’ the poverty that God’s Son took upon himself in the Incarnation. Implicitly, it summons us to follow him along the path of humility, poverty and self-denial that leads from the manger of Bethlehem to the cross.”

Found this on Facebook, very moving.

I just saw this on Facebook. Very moving:

Text of Post:

Today, I operated on a little girl. She needed O-blood. We didn't have any, but her twin brother has O-blood. I explained to him that it was a matter of life and death. He sat quietly for a moment, and then said goodbye to his parents. I didn't think anything of it until after we took his blood and he asked, "So when will I die?" He thought he was giving his life for hers. Thankfully, they'll both be fine.

Catholic Church Readings for January 7, 2021: Thursday after Epiphany

Catholic Church Readings for January 7, 2021: Thursday after Epiphany

Thursday after Epiphany

Lectionary: 215

Reading I

1 Jn 4:19–5:4

Beloved, we love God because

he first loved us. 

If anyone says, “I love God,”

but hates his brother, he is a liar;

for whoever does not love a brother whom he has seen 

cannot love God whom he has not seen. 

This is the commandment we have from him:

Whoever loves God must also love his brother.

Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is begotten by God,

and everyone who loves the Father

loves also the one begotten by him. 

In this way we know that we love the children of God

when we love God and obey his commandments. 

For the love of God is this,

that we keep his commandments.

And his commandments are not burdensome,

for whoever is begotten by God conquers the world. 

And the victory that conquers the world is our faith.

Responsorial Psalm

72:1-2, 14 and 15bc, 17

R.    (see 11)  Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.

O God, with your judgment endow the king,

    and with your justice, the king’s son;

He shall govern your people with justice

    and your afflicted ones with judgment.

R.    Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.

From fraud and violence he shall redeem them,

    and precious shall their blood be in his sight.

May they be prayed for continually;

    day by day shall they bless him.

R.    Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.

May his name be blessed forever;

    as long as the sun his name shall remain.

In him shall all the tribes of the earth be blessed;

    all the nations shall proclaim his happiness.

R.    Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.

Alleluia

Lk 4:18

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

The Lord has sent me to bring glad tidings to the poor

and to proclaim liberty to captives.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

 

Gospel

Lk 4:14-22

Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit,

and news of him spread throughout the whole region. 

He taught in their synagogues and was praised by all.

He came to Nazareth, where he had grown up,

and went according to his custom

into the synagogue on the sabbath day. 

He stood up to read and was handed a scroll of the prophet Isaiah. 

He unrolled the scroll and found the passage where it was written:

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,

    because he has anointed me

        to bring glad tidings to the poor.

He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives

    and recovery of sight to the blind,

        to let the oppressed go free,

and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord.

Rolling up the scroll, he handed it back to the attendant and sat down,

and the eyes of all in the synagogue looked intently at him. 

He said to them,

“Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.” 

And all spoke highly of him

and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth. 

Woman shot at Capitol has died, according to several sources

I'm very sad to report that a woman shot in the Capitol in Washington DC, the site of protests, has died as reported by several news agencies. According to MSNBC, the shot was from a law-enforcement officer. I do not know the circumstances under which this poor woman was shot.

I am saddened to see this happening in the United States. Despite what anyone feels about the election results, violence is not the answer. Anyone doing acts of violence will not receive any sympathy. The president has told protestors to be peaceful and to return home, and I think they should take his advice.

Let's all pray for this woman's soul. She probably did not expect to die today. I'm assuming she did in fact pass away as I think it's not 100% certain. Also, pray for her family. Plus, pray for the alleged shooter who is a law-enforcement officer. LEOs never want to take a person's life.

Very sad situation which I hope is soon resolved.

Shots fired in US Capitol Building - Pray for the USA

Apparently there have been shots fired inside the US Capitol Building which has been taken over by protestors. This seems like a very serious situation. In some of the photos released, security personnel are shown pointing firearms. There has been a report of gunshots, but I am not sure if anyone has been injured.

The Capitol Building has been locked down, and they are trying to get the situation under control. Tear gas has been used extensively and obviously there are firearms in the area.

The situation is still very much developing so there isn't a lot of information available. I know protesters unlawfully broke into the building. There is one image of the people who entered staying within a roped area that was shown on Twitter.

The mayor of DC Muriel Bowser has declared a 6pm curfew.

President Trump has tweeted telling his followers not to use violence. It seems the main people involved in this are Trump supporters who are dissatisfied with what electors are projected to do today as they believe there has been widespread voter fraud in the country.

I think as Catholics we must pray that people do not use violence in this situation. There are mechanisms set up and we must resort to those even if we feel there has been injustice committed. Even if the system is absolutely corrupt, firing shots or committing acts of violence will not bring about the outcome that these people are looking for. In fact, using violence will only undermine the position of the Trump supporters.

There has been significant violence coming from the Left and it has largely been downplayed. Sadly, if there is any violence on the part of the Right, it will probably be emphasized over and over to the point where people will think they are the cause of all political violence.

Let's all pray for a peaceful outcome that brings out the truth in terms of the political situation and the election.

Happy Feast Day of Brother André Bessette January 6

 

Popular Youtubers Bashing Catholics

There is a disturbing trend I have seen lately: youtubers randomly and for no apparent reason bashing Catholics and the Catholic Church. It appears to bolster the view that the last acceptable prejudice is anti-Catholicism (words from author Philip Jenkins). Perhaps this explains why many Youtubers and social media personalities so readily opt to bash Catholics without giving it much thought.

To be clear, I'm not talking about just any Youtubers, I'm talking about people with broad appeal with many followers. Usually Youtubers thankfully take the stance of not espousing any particular political belief or belief in general. They wish to remain neutral on most things in order to appeal to the broadest audience. This is what makes these statements so surprising.

Let me give a couple of examples to clarify what I am talking about.

Adam Ragusea:

I was watching a video by Adam Ragusea who focuses on cooking home meals. He's not a professional chef, but he has learned some things and he produces videos with high production value. He generally seems to stay away from discussion on politics and religion. You can tell he is probably a liberal in many regards, but he doesn't bring it up front and center, so watching his videos is normally fine.

One day he was talking about being attacked for writing an article about Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas" song and being interviewed on the article. He made some small mistakes and he was mercilessly bashed by know-it-all music critics. He was criticizing what was happening.

The anti-catholicism came up when he compared these critics to the Catholic Church hierarchy. He jokingly said the Church tells everyone they cannot read the Bible on their own or have their own opinions because the hierarchy has "funny hats" that others do not, or something along those lines. I guess the point he was trying to make was that some people are elitist, and was saying the Church is like that as well.

Anyone who knows anything about the Church knows this is false. It's in fact the opposite. We don't listen to people because of their hats, we listen to them because they are holiest and most learned people within the Church. The hats are worn by bishops and they get these hats because they have been seen to be holy, spiritual, and able to guide the flock. So the knowledge, understanding, grace, and wisdom come first and the position comes later.

However, we don't only listen to those in the hierarchy or those of a certain rank. Many Doctors of the Church, those who best enunciate Church teachings, were not bishops or popes, but perhaps only priests, and even several women.

So, his analogy is wrong. I'm not saying his speech is some kind of discrimination. It's just his fallacious point of view. I'm not saying Catholics are some kind of victims or something. I'm just pointing out the ease with which a personality like him can make these assertions. Would he say such a thing about other religions? I doubt it.

Awaken with JP (Sears)

JP Sears is a well-known critic of Covid protocols and rules. He has also criticized other things prior to Covid such as political correctness and censorship. His comedy centers on parodying and mocking left-wing ideologies.

A couple of times I have heard him bash the Catholic Church and the hierarchy of the Church. However, it was for no apparent reason and made little sense in the context.

Most recently he made a video about fact-checkers. These are the groups online who allegedly fact-check information present on various social media such as Facebook and Twitter. They are criticized for being biased and not providing valid fact-checking. In particular, JP criticized them for all being on the same side as well-known left-wing activists and could thus not be unbiased as they should be.

However, out of nowhere he says sarcastically the fact-checkers can be trusted just like priests could be trusted not to abuse children. This is an extremely overused example. I don't really see how it really fits here. His video has nothing to do with Catholicism or even religion in general. Why drag the church into it just to bash it?

What is strange about this is that many Christians probably appreciate his videos. Why go out of your way to alienate your supporters? I even remember Patrick Coffin posting to Facebook that he likes JP Sears and his videos. Coffin is a very devout Catholic and would be put off by these comments.

Abuse definitely happened in the Church and it's a horrible tragedy. I'm all for routing out the evil. But most people are not able or willing to make the distinction between the hierarchy and structure of the Church and churchgoing Catholics, let alone a distinction between good and bad priests and bishops. Bringing up comments about clergy sexual abuse out of nowhere does nothing but provide fodder to anti-Catholic attitudes.

---

I cannot say why these social media personalities randomly resort to Catholic-bashing that is out of context and can easily turn off much of their audience. I feel it is absolutely unnecessary and they should refrain from doing this.

Catholic Church Readings for January 6, 2021: Wednesday after Epiphany

Wednesday after Epiphany: Optional Memorial of Saint André Bessette

Lectionary: 214

Reading I

1 Jn 4:11-18

Beloved, if God so loved us,

we also must love one another. 

No one has ever seen God. 

Yet, if we love one another, God remains in us,

and his love is brought to perfection in us.

This is how we know that we remain in him and he in us,

that he has given us of his Spirit. 

Moreover, we have seen and testify

that the Father sent his Son as savior of the world. 

Whoever acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God,

God remains in him and he in God. 

We have come to know and to believe in the love God has for us.

God is love, and whoever remains in love remains in God and God in him. 

In this is love brought to perfection among us,

that we have confidence on the day of judgment

because as he is, so are we in this world. 

There is no fear in love,

but perfect love drives out fear

because fear has to do with punishment,

and so one who fears is not yet perfect in love.

Responsorial Psalm

72:1-2, 10, 12-13

R.    (see 11)  Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.

O God, with your judgment endow the king,

and with your justice, the king’s son;

He shall govern your people with justice

and your afflicted ones with judgment.

R.    Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.

The kings of Tarshish and the Isles shall offer gifts;

the kings of Arabia and Seba shall bring tribute.

R.    Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.

For he shall rescue the poor when he cries out,

and the afflicted when he has no one to help him.

He shall have pity for the lowly and the poor;

the lives of the poor he shall save.

R.    Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.

Alleluia

See 1 Tm 3:16

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Glory to you, O Christ, proclaimed to the Gentiles.

Glory to you, O Christ, believed in throughout the world.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

 

Gospel

Mk 6:45-52

After the five thousand had eaten and were satisfied,

Jesus made his disciples get into the boat

and precede him to the other side toward Bethsaida,

while he dismissed the crowd. 

And when he had taken leave of them,

he went off to the mountain to pray. 

When it was evening,

the boat was far out on the sea and he was alone on shore. 

Then he saw that they were tossed about while rowing,

for the wind was against them. 

About the fourth watch of the night,

he came toward them walking on the sea. 

He meant to pass by them.  

But when they saw him walking on the sea,

they thought it was a ghost and cried out. 

They had all seen him and were terrified. 

But at once he spoke with them,

“Take courage, it is I, do not be afraid!” 

He got into the boat with them and the wind died down. 

They were completely astounded. 

They had not understood the incident of the loaves. 

On the contrary, their hearts were hardened.

Study Questions and Answers Genesis 7 to 9 to Complement Fr. Mike Schmitz's Podcast Bible in a Year

Study Questions and Answers Genesis 7-9 to Complement Fr. Mike Schmitz's Podcast Bible in a Year

For how long did it rain in Noah's Ark? 40 days

How long did the waters remain upon the earth in Genesis? 150 days

On what which mountain did the ark land? Mount Ar-arat

What is the covenant God makes with Noah? That he will never again flood the earth

What is the sign God gives of him covenant? The rainbow

Who is the Noah covenant made with? "Between me and you and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the Earth."

Who are the sons of Noah? Shem, Ham, and Japeth

Who does Noah curse when he wakes up? Canaan, son of Ham

Who does Noah bless when he wakes up? He blesses Japeth and Shem

At what age did Noah die? 950

Why did Noah curse Canaan? Canaan was born of the incest of Ham with Noah's wife (Ham's mother).

Study Questions and Answers Genesis 6 to Complement Fr. Mike Schmitz's Podcast Bible in a Year

Genesis 6 Study Questions:

These are study questions I wrote myself to complement Fr. Mike Schmitz's excellent series on the Bible in a Year.

Who are referred to as Sons of God? Descendants of Seth

In which book does Noah's Ark appear? Genesis 6

What are the dimensions of the ark? 300 x 50 x 30 cubits