Thanksgiving Day in the United States is on November 23rd this year. There is historical context for this day going back to 1621 when the Pilgrims and Native Americans shared a harvest feast to express gratitude for assistance provided by the Native Americans. For Catholics and all Christians, this day is an opportunity to ask God to forgive our sins, to repent for the things we have done, and to give God thanks for all that He has given us.... Read more
World Children’s Day was celebrated on November 20th. First established in 1954, this day is celebrated to promote international togetherness and improving children’s welfare. In 1959, the UN adopted the “Declaration of the Rights of the Child.” The vision behind the declaration is to affirm rights and responsibilities to each child based on their age to enable them to reach their full potential. What are the four “Guiding Principles” of the Declaration? There are 4 guiding principles behind the Declaration:... Read more
Indi Gregory, the center of a right to life dispute in the UK, died on November 13th in hospice care after her life support was removed the previous day. Little Indi had suffered brain damage as a result of a rare condition known as mitochondrial disease. Indi’s life support was removed against the wishes of the parents who wanted to pursue other treatment options in an effort to save her life. The Italian government sought permission to treat her in... Read more
This week we celebrate World Adoption Day on November 9th. Adoption doesn’t get the press it deserves as an alternative to abortion. There are many couples out there that want a child and cannot have one of their own. There are many children in orphanages that are looking for homes. This would seem to be a perfect match, yet there are challenges that in some cases make abortion the easier choice. Following Jesus is not easy and while I cannot... Read more
Cancer is an insidious disease that has touched millions of lives. While significant progress in defeating cancer has been made, there is still a lot of work to do. On November 7th, we celebrate Cancer Awareness Day to raise awareness of cancer and to encourage its prevention, detection, and treatment. Early detection can significantly improve survival rates. Every cancer survivor has a story to be told, and I wanted to share one with you today. Let me introduce you to... Read more
Next Tuesday, November 7, 2023, is Election Day in the United States. I wanted to take this opportunity to share guidance from the Catholic Church concerning the criteria for candidates based on our faith. While I recognize everyone may not agree with any or all of this criteria, this is the guidance that the Church puts forth. Does my vote even matter? In a word, YES! The right for US citizens to vote is a constitutional right, and the Church... Read more
Well, its that time of the year again; the clocks “fall back” an hour this Sunday (11/5) in most parts of the US. We supposedly get back the hour of sleep we lost in March, when we moved the clocks forward. While I am sure we will all covet the extra hour of sleep, the question remains – “do we ever have enough time?” How much do we value the time we have? We always think we have plenty of... Read more
Over the past few years there has been a growing call to replace capitalism in the US with socialism; mostly from young adults. While many of the concepts related to “sharing” are similar to the teachings of Jesus, would adopting socialism meet the needs of God’s world? What does the bible say about possessions? While Jesus does not address socialism directly, (there was no socialism in Jesus’ time), we can look at his teachings to help interpret what could be... Read more
One of the major areas of divisiveness in the country today is race. Turn on the TV and you are almost guaranteed to hear someone talking about racism. Is racism widespread and systemic in the United States? Society and corporate America are focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), but does that bring us closer or is it pushing us further apart? What Does the Bible Say About All Being Equal? In Genesis, the very first book in the Bible,... Read more
On the morning of October 7, 2023 Hamas terrorists rushed into southern Israel and slaughtered over 1300 Israelis and kidnapped at last count 199 people, including some Americans. The carnage was unlike anything seen since the Holocaust and images on the internet showed the brutality of the evil incarnate. People were burned alive, shot, and many were decapitated including babies. Israeli leadership vowed to destroy Hamas and “wipe them from the face of the earth”. If there was ever a... Read more
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