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Red deer (Cervus elaphus), in Freyr forest, near Han-sur-Lesse, Belgium
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NOT SATIRE: Stop the Doom Scroll: Share Jesus
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TALLAHASSEE, FL — With recent data showing a marked decrease in crime across the Sunshine State, Florida officials credited its record-low crime rate to having chased away all the Democrats.
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Rachel Maddow of MSNOW recently brought on her network colleague Lawrence O’Donnell and the two of them enjoyed a laugh talking about reports on the latest threat to Trump’s life, as he was leaving Turkey in July.
The post GHOULS: Rachel Maddow and Lawrence O’Donnell of MSNOW Yuk it Up Over Threat to Trump’s Life Overseas (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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Another long-serving Democrat incumbent got booted from office.
The post JUST IN: 14-Term Connecticut Democrat Incumbent Rep. John Larson Unseated by Former Hartford Mayor Who Cheered on DSA Members appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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The brilliant FOX News contributor Michele TaFoya won the Republican primary election for US Senate in Minnesota tonight.
The post Brilliant and Beautiful Former NFL Reporter Michele TaFoya Wins GOP Senate Primary in Minnesota appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
Read MoreA reading from the Book of Ezekiel
9:1-7; 10:18-22
The LORD cried loud for me to hear:
Come, you scourges of the city!
With that I saw six men coming from the direction
of the upper gate which faces the north,
each with a destroying weapon in his hand.
In their midst was a man dressed in linen,
with a writer?s case at his waist.
They entered and stood beside the bronze altar.
Then he called to the man dressed in linen
with the writer?s case at his waist, saying to him:
Pass through the city, through Jerusalem,
and mark a ?Thau? on the foreheads of those who moan and groan
over all the abominations that are practiced within it.
To the others I heard the LORD say:
Pass through the city after him and strike!
Do not look on them with pity nor show any mercy!
Old men, youths and maidens, women and children?wipe them out!
But do not touch any marked with the ?Thau?; begin at my sanctuary.
So they began with the men, the elders, who were in front of the temple.
Defile the temple, he said to them, and fill the courts with the slain;
then go out and strike in the city.
Then the glory of the LORD left the threshold of the temple
and rested upon the cherubim.
These lifted their wings, and I saw them rise from the earth,
the wheels rising along with them.
They stood at the entrance of the eastern gate of the Lord?s house,
and the glory of the God of Israel was up above them.
Then the cherubim lifted their wings, and the wheels went along with them,
while up above them was the glory of the God of Israel.
From the Gospel according to Matthew
18:15-20
Jesus said to his disciples:
"If your brother sins against you,
go and tell him his fault between you and him alone.
If he listens to you, you have won over your brother.
If he does not listen,
take one or two others along with you,
so that every fact may be established
on the testimony of two or three witnesses.
If he refuses to listen to them, tell the Church.
If he refuses to listen even to the Church,
then treat him as you would a Gentile or a tax collector.
Amen, I say to you,
whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven,
and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
Again, amen, I say to you, if two of you agree on earth
about anything for which they are to pray,
it shall be granted to them by my heavenly Father.
For where two or three are gathered together in my name,
there am I in the midst of them."
The Gospel text from chapter 18 of Matthew on the life of the Christian community tells us that brotherly love also involves a sense of mutual responsibility. For this reason if my brother commits a sin against me I must treat him charitably and first of all, speak to him privately, pointing out that what he has said or done is wrong. This approach is known as ?fraternal correction?: it is not a reaction to the offence suffered but is motivated by love for one’s brethren. (?)
Another fruit of love in the community is unanimous prayer. Jesus said: ?If two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in Heaven. For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in the midst of them? (Mt 18:19-20). Personal prayer is of course important, indeed indispensable, but the Lord guarantees his presence to the community ? even if it is very small ? which is united and in agreement, because this reflects the very reality of the Triune God, perfect communion of love. Origen says ?we should practise this symphony? (Commentary on the Gospel according to Matthew, 14,1), in other words this harmony within the Christian community. We should practise both fraternal correction ? which demands deep humility and simplicity of heart ? and prayer so that it may rise to God from a community truly united in Christ. (Pope Benedict XVI, Angelus, 4 September 2011)
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The bishops of several Latin American countries offered prayers and expressed their closeness to the victims of the earthquake that struck Colombia this week.
![Court reconsiders First Amendment challenge to Michigan school’s transgender policies – #Catholic – A federal court granted a request from two parents to consider whether a Michigan school district violated the First Amendment when officials began treating their daughter as a boy without informing them.Judge Paul Maloney granted the motion to reconsider Aug. 7 in light of the 2026 U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Mirabelli v. Bonta. The Supreme Court decided 6-3 that a similar policy in California likely violated the parents’ First Amendment right to freely exercise their religion, which includes the right to direct the religious development of their children.Similar to the California lawsuit, the two Michigan parents — Dan and Jennifer Mead — have argued that their views on gender and human sexuality are based on their Christian faith. The original lawsuit states that the Meads believe “each of us is born with a fixed biological sex that is a gift from God, not an arbitrary imposition subject to change.”According to the lawsuit, their seventh-grade daughter asked school officials at the Rockford Public School District to refer to her with a masculine name and use male pronouns. School officials began doing this but never informed her parents, and the school counselor had discussed the daughter’s broader mental health struggles with her parents, the lawsuit states.Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) Senior Counsel Kate Anderson, who represents the parents in court, said in a statement that “parents have the right to direct the upbringing, education, and healthcare of their children — without government interference.”“By intentionally concealing this information from the Meads, the school district violated their constitutional rights as parents to make critical decisions about their daughter,” Anderson said. “The court’s ruling is a necessary step toward protecting the Mead family’s First Amendment rights.”Steve Matthews, superintendent for Rockford Public Schools, told EWTN News “the legal process continues to proceed” and “we have no comment at this time as we continue through this process.”Court proceedings continueThe lawsuit alleges that school officials began treating the Meads’ daughter as a boy in 2022. It states that the school used a masculine name and male pronouns when speaking with their daughter and in internal school records. Yet, they used her legal name and female pronouns when talking to her parents and in documents shared with parents, it states.Her parents removed her from the school in October 2022 after school officials forgot to alter a document that used the masculine name and male pronouns before giving it to her parents, the lawsuit states. This is how the parents discovered the school’s practices.The Meads filed the lawsuit in 2023, alleging the school district violated their First Amendment right to the free exercise of religion and the 14th Amendment’s protection of a parent’s right to raise his or her children.In 2025, a federal court allowed the 14th Amendment claims to proceed but dismissed the First Amendment claims. On Aug. 7, 2026, the court granted a motion to reconsider First Amendment claims in light of the new Supreme Court precedent set in Mirabelli v. Bonta.Maloney’s court order in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan Southern Division states the Supreme Court ruling “calls into question the court’s interpretation of the relevant law and will grant the motion to reconsider.” It says the lawsuit filed in Mirabelli v. Bonta “involved school policies similar to the district’s policies here.”“When a student engaged in gender transitioning at school, the policy prevented school staff from telling the student’s parents about their child’s situation unless the student consented,” the judge said of the Mirabelli v. Bonta decision.“Like the policies at issue in Mirabelli, the policies here likely created a substantial burden on the Meads’ free-exercise rights,” the order adds. “The Meads share religious beliefs similar to the parents in Mirabelli about the permanency of biological sex and the fixed relationship between sex and gender.”The judge’s order notes that the Rockford Public School District’s position is that its policies are designed “to meet [the district’s] interest in promoting student safety and success.” Yet, the court order states that the policies “do not factor in parents’ views and, as a result, they ‘cut’ parents out.”](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/court-reconsiders-first-amendment-challenge-to-michigan-schools-transgender-policies-catholic-a-federal-court-granted-a-request-from-two-parents-to-consider-whether-a-michigan-school-dis.jpg "Court reconsiders First Amendment challenge to Michigan school’s transgender policies – #Catholic – A federal court granted a request from two parents to consider whether a Michigan school district violated the First Amendment when officials began treating their daughter as a boy without informing them.Judge Paul Maloney granted the motion to reconsider Aug. 7 in light of the 2026 U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Mirabelli v. Bonta. The Supreme Court decided 6-3 that a similar policy in California likely violated the parents’ First Amendment right to freely exercise their religion, which includes the right to direct the religious development of their children.Similar to the California lawsuit, the two Michigan parents — Dan and Jennifer Mead — have argued that their views on gender and human sexuality are based on their Christian faith. The original lawsuit states that the Meads believe “each of us is born with a fixed biological sex that is a gift from God, not an arbitrary imposition subject to change.”According to the lawsuit, their seventh-grade daughter asked school officials at the Rockford Public School District to refer to her with a masculine name and use male pronouns. School officials began doing this but never informed her parents, and the school counselor had discussed the daughter’s broader mental health struggles with her parents, the lawsuit states.Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) Senior Counsel Kate Anderson, who represents the parents in court, said in a statement that “parents have the right to direct the upbringing, education, and healthcare of their children — without government interference.”“By intentionally concealing this information from the Meads, the school district violated their constitutional rights as parents to make critical decisions about their daughter,” Anderson said. “The court’s ruling is a necessary step toward protecting the Mead family’s First Amendment rights.”Steve Matthews, superintendent for Rockford Public Schools, told EWTN News “the legal process continues to proceed” and “we have no comment at this time as we continue through this process.”Court proceedings continueThe lawsuit alleges that school officials began treating the Meads’ daughter as a boy in 2022. It states that the school used a masculine name and male pronouns when speaking with their daughter and in internal school records. Yet, they used her legal name and female pronouns when talking to her parents and in documents shared with parents, it states.Her parents removed her from the school in October 2022 after school officials forgot to alter a document that used the masculine name and male pronouns before giving it to her parents, the lawsuit states. This is how the parents discovered the school’s practices.The Meads filed the lawsuit in 2023, alleging the school district violated their First Amendment right to the free exercise of religion and the 14th Amendment’s protection of a parent’s right to raise his or her children.In 2025, a federal court allowed the 14th Amendment claims to proceed but dismissed the First Amendment claims. On Aug. 7, 2026, the court granted a motion to reconsider First Amendment claims in light of the new Supreme Court precedent set in Mirabelli v. Bonta.Maloney’s court order in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan Southern Division states the Supreme Court ruling “calls into question the court’s interpretation of the relevant law and will grant the motion to reconsider.” It says the lawsuit filed in Mirabelli v. Bonta “involved school policies similar to the district’s policies here.”“When a student engaged in gender transitioning at school, the policy prevented school staff from telling the student’s parents about their child’s situation unless the student consented,” the judge said of the Mirabelli v. Bonta decision.“Like the policies at issue in Mirabelli, the policies here likely created a substantial burden on the Meads’ free-exercise rights,” the order adds. “The Meads share religious beliefs similar to the parents in Mirabelli about the permanency of biological sex and the fixed relationship between sex and gender.”The judge’s order notes that the Rockford Public School District’s position is that its policies are designed “to meet [the district’s] interest in promoting student safety and success.” Yet, the court order states that the policies “do not factor in parents’ views and, as a result, they ‘cut’ parents out.”")
The court initially dismissed the First Amendment challenge. In light of a recent U.S. Supreme Supreme Court decision, the judge is reconsidering those claims.
Local Church leaders called on the faithful to respond with prayer, generosity, and solidarity.
NASA astronaut and Expedition 75 commander Jessica Meir wears a set of virtual reality goggles, also called the Nevada Screening Vision System, for a test that measures visual function using a series of vision screening apps testing visual acuity, contrast sensitivity, and more.
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Greg Meyer, taken from Starfront Observatory, near Brady, Texas Two faint planetary nebulae glow in Cassiopeia — Abell 6 (lower left), about 3,750 light-years away, and HFG1 (upper right), roughly 2,300 light-years distant. These objects are dying, Sun-like stars shedding their outer layers as they run out of nuclear fuel. HFG1 displays a prominent bowContinue reading “Dying lights”
The post Dying lights appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.
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Pope Leo XIV offers prayers, condolences as bishops urge solidarity following Colombia earthquake #Catholic – 
(OSV News) — Pope Leo XIV said he was deeply saddened by the loss of life and destruction following a powerful earthquake that struck Colombia, leaving more than 100 dead and dozens of collapsed buildings.
The pope offered prayers “for the eternal rest of the deceased and raises his prayers to the Lord for the speedy recovery of those affected by this tragedy,” said a telegram to Archbishop Francisco Javier Múnera Correa of Cartagena, president of the Colombian Bishops’ Conference, signed by Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican secretary of state.
The earthquake struck in the morning Aug. 10, with hundreds of videos posted online of people fleeing outdoors as the ground below them violently shook.
The Colombian Association of Capital Cities reported that the death toll rose to 132, with more than 570 injured. The association, which is a network of Colombia’s major cities, said the number is expected to change as damage assessments continue in the affected areas.
In his message, which the Vatican published Aug. 11, Cardinal Parolin conveyed the pope’s condolences “to the families who, in this hour of deep sorrow, mourn the loss of their loved ones.”
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“In the same way, he assures his spiritual closeness and expresses his gratitude to all those who, with generous dedication, are working in the search, rescue, and assistance efforts for those affected,” the message read.
“Through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, he asks the Lord to pour out upon the beloved Colombian people the gifts of spiritual strength and Christian hope,” said the message.
According to Colombia’s Geological Service, the quake’s epicenter was the northwestern department of Chocó, and the intense magnitude made it “the strongest earthquake felt in Colombia in the last decade.”
The Geological Service also reported that, as of Aug. 10 in the afternoon, the country has recorded 18 aftershocks with magnitudes between 1.4 and 4.8 since the initial earthquake.
In a message published Aug. 10, the Colombian Bishops’ Conference expressed its closeness to the victims of the deadly 7.4 magnitude quake, as well as those who have been displaced.
“We pray for those who have lost their lives, that God may grant them eternal rest; for the persons who are still missing; for the injured, and for the affected families,” the bishops said.
The bishops also prayed for relief and medical personnel, as well as military and government authorities, “and all those who, with generosity and courage, are working in search, rescue, and care efforts for those affected.”
“This painful moment reminds us that no one can face an emergency of this magnitude alone,” the statement read. “Colombia is called, once again, to recognize itself as one family and to respond to the suffering of its brothers and sisters with generosity, responsibility, and solidarity.”
Among the videos of the destruction wrought by the earthquake were that of the Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary in Manizales, as well as several churches that were heavily damaged in the aftermath.
The Archdiocese of Manizales also shared a 10-second video showing a Mass taking place as the earthquake struck in the morning.
In a video message to the city’s faithful, Archbishop José Miguel Gómez of Manizales said that while the archdiocese continues to assess the damage to churches, “the most important thing is you, the faithful, the priests, and all our neighbors who suffered the same.”
“God, our Lord, never abandons us, and it is in these moments when, lifting our eyes to Him, we must all, with humility and simplicity, ask Him for the graces we need to live through these difficulties,” Archbishop Gómez said.
The archbishop also invoked the intercession of Our Lady of the Rosary, asking her to “console and comfort” those affected by the natural disaster. He also urged people to follow guidelines given by the authorities.
“And, following those instructions, always seek to be attentive to those who suffer the most, so that no person is left without care in these difficult times,” he said before imparting his blessing.
The Colombian bishops’ conference said dioceses across the country are setting up collection points to ensure food distribution to shelters, hospitals and communities in the affected areas.
Caritas Colombia, the conference said, activated its National Emergency Service “to raise funds to directly help the jurisdictions and communities that were most affected by this tragedy.”
Junno Arocho Esteves is an international correspondent for OSV News. Follow him on X @jae_journalist.
– (OSV News) — Pope Leo XIV said he was deeply saddened by the loss of life and destruction following a powerful earthquake that struck Colombia, leaving more than 100 dead and dozens of collapsed buildings. The pope offered prayers “for the eternal rest of the deceased and raises his prayers to the Lord for the speedy recovery of those affected by this tragedy,” said a telegram to Archbishop Francisco Javier Múnera Correa of Cartagena, president of the Colombian Bishops’ Conference, signed by Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican secretary of state. The earthquake struck in the morning Aug. 10, with hundreds of
Just off the SoCal coast, Channel Islands National Park is a less-visited gem with endemic wildlife, sea caves, and migrating whales.
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Giraffe in Kruger National Park, Mpumalanga, South Africa
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Most of the upgrades will remain at the shrine for the long-term benefit of pilgrims, so any donations are viewed as an investment in Lourdes’ future.
A reading from the Book of Ezekiel
2:8-3:4
The Lord GOD said to me:
As for you, son of man, obey me when I speak to you:
be not rebellious like this house of rebellion,
but open your mouth and eat what I shall give you.
It was then I saw a hand stretched out to me,
in which was a written scroll which he unrolled before me.
It was covered with writing front and back,
and written on it was:
Lamentation and wailing and woe!
He said to me: Son of man, eat what is before you;
eat this scroll, then go, speak to the house of Israel.
So I opened my mouth and he gave me the scroll to eat.
Son of man, he then said to me,
feed your belly and fill your stomach
with this scroll I am giving you.
I ate it, and it was as sweet as honey in my mouth.
He said: Son of man, go now to the house of Israel,
and speak my words to them.
From the Gospel according to Matthew
18:1-5, 10, 12-14
The disciples approached Jesus and said,
?Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven??
He called a child over, placed it in their midst, and said,
?Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children,
you will not enter the Kingdom of heaven.
Whoever becomes humble like this child
is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven.
And whoever receives one child such as this in my name receives me.
?See that you do not despise one of these little ones,
for I say to you that their angels in heaven
always look upon the face of my heavenly Father.
What is your opinion?
If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them goes astray,
will he not leave the ninety-nine in the hills
and go in search of the stray?
And if he finds it, amen, I say to you, he rejoices more over it
than over the ninety-nine that did not stray.
In just the same way, it is not the will of your heavenly Father
that one of these little ones be lost."
?See that you do not despise one of these little ones: for I tell you that in heaven their angels always behold the face of my Father who is in heaven? (Mt 18:10).
Thus, children are in and of themselves a treasure for humanity and also for the Church, for they constantly evoke that necessary condition for entering the Kingdom of God: that of not considering ourselves self-sufficient, but in need of help, of love, of forgiveness. We all are in need of help, of love and of forgiveness! Children remind us of another beautiful thing: they remind us that we are always sons and daughters. Even if one becomes an adult, or an elderly person, even if one becomes a parent, if one occupies a position of responsibility, underneath all of this is still the identity of a child. We are all sons and daughters. And this always brings us back to the fact that we did not give ourselves life but that we received it. The great gift of life is the first gift that we received. Sometimes in life we risk forgetting about this, as if we were the masters of our existence, and instead we are fundamentally dependent. In reality, it is a motive of great joy to feel at every stage of life, in every situation, in every social condition, that we are and we remain sons and daughters. This is the main message that children give us, by their very presence: simply by their presence they remind us that each and every one of us is a son or daughter. (Pope Francis, General Audience, 18 March 2015)
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In a letter addressed to the priests, religious, and faithful of Ceuta, Bishop Ramón Valdivia invited the faithful to pray on the eve of the solemnity of the Assumption of Mary.
Enacted legislation removes all of Massachusetts’ restrictions on abortion after 24 weeks and allows elective abortion through all nine months based on the “judgment of the physician.”
Some 1.3 billion years ago, when multicellular organisms were just emerging on Earth and life was still confined to the ocean, two behemoth black holes smashed together in a far-flung galaxy. The collision was so powerful that it jolted the universe, creating a ripple in the fabric of space-time that traveled across the cosmos atContinue reading “How gravitational waves transformed our universe”
The post How gravitational waves transformed our universe appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.
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The death toll remains unknown as authorities assess the damage, which affected several cities in the western part of the country.
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Ceiling of Sala della Stufa, Galleria Palatina, Palazzo Pitti, Florence. The room, created between 1627 and 1641, was originally an open gallery, but it was closed off later in the 17th century and restructured as a “stove” room, a bathroom heated using the same techniques as the Roman baths and intended for private use by the Grand Duke, whose bedroom is believed to be next door. The decoration, specially the frescos and stuccos, commissioned by Grand Duke Ferdinand II de’ Medici, are a work of Michelangelo Cinganelli (1558-1635) Matteo Rosselli (1578-1650) and Ottavio Vannini (1585–1643).
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O holy Guardian Angel,
my dear friend and solicitous guide on the dangerous way of life,
to thee be heartfelt thanks
for the numberless benefits
which have been granted me
through thy love and goodness
and for the powerful help by which thou hast preserved me
from so many dangers and temptations.
I beg of thee,
let me further experience thy love and thy care.
Avert from me all danger,
increase in me horror for sin
and love for all that is good.
Be a counselor and …
The Soviet Luna program, designed for lunar research and mission planning, ran from 1959 to 1976. On Aug. 9, 1976, Luna 24, the final mission of the program, launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in present-day Kazakhstan. The probe landed on the Moon’s surface nine days later, in the Mare Crisium (Sea of Crises), a previouslyContinue reading “Aug. 9, 1976: Luna 24 blasts off”
The post Aug. 9, 1976: Luna 24 blasts off appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.
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The pontiff also appealed for peace in the ongoing war between Ukraine and Russia during his Aug. 9 Angelus address.
At the SIGNIS World Congress, Bishop Gerald Mamman Musa said the young Katsina Diocese in northwestern Nigeria will focus on “transforming society” rather than on the challenges Christians face there.
The postulator of Blessed Zdenka Schelingová’s cause has delivered the dossier on an alleged Denver healing to the archbishop of Bratislava, advancing her path toward canonization.
![Study shows society’s religious norms can affect children’s anxiety #Catholic Religious faith in society may do more than provide spiritual comfort and moral guidance; it could also help protect against anxiety disorders, according to a recent study published in Developmental Science.The research published in March explored if there were links between what societies value — such as independence and community — and anxiety disorder rates among children and adolescents over three decades.The study by Leonard Konstantin Kulisch, Ana Lorena Domínguez Rojas, Silvia Schneider, and Babett Voigt analyzed preexisting records and data during the years 1989 to 2022 from the World Value Survey, Global Burden of Disease study, Human Development Report, and Future of Families and Child Wellbeing Study.The research found an emphasis on independence was linked to higher anxiety rates in “WEIRD” (Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, Democratic) nations, while a greater emphasis on religious faith and interdependence correlated with less anxiety disorders globally.It also found that the importance of religious faith in socialization, and its link to interdependence, was associated with fewer anxiety disorders across 70 of the countries examined.The study did not compare religious versus nonreligious people or compare specific countries. While the effect sizes were small, it did find that “in countries where emphasis on religious faith in childrearing declined, youth anxiety rose,” Brandon Vaidyanathan, professor of sociology at The Catholic University of America, told EWTN News.Country-based disparitiesIn WEIRD nations, the societies that have norms that are oriented toward independence were associated with more anxiety disorders, but the analyses found no significant association among the non-WEIRD countries.In “developing societies [a] shift toward independence accompanies gains in growth and quality of life that may offset its psychological costs, but in already developed societies, it may only intensify competition and achievement-pressure,” Vaidyanathan explained.“The difference between WEIRD and non-WEIRD societies on the independence finding is quite interesting, and the authors suggest that it is stage-dependent,” Vaidyanathan said.“But religion is universal in providing goods that do not depend on development stage” including “belonging, order, meaning, purpose, routine.”Family versus society predictorsThe study reports that religious socialization may serve as “a protective factor” against anxiety issues in children and adolescents, which “is at the communal level much more than the individual level,” Vaidyanathan said. So much so that the U.S. data suggested the societyʼs religious norms predicted childrenʼs anxiety better than the motherʼs own beliefs.“The religiosity of the surrounding social environment was a stronger predictor of childrenʼs anxiety level than the familyʼs own faith, suggesting the protection comes from the society more than family,” Vaidyanathan said. The global protective factor was not communal values in general but religious faith specifically, which Vaidyanathan called “textbook sociology” of religion.“Since Durkheim, sociologists have shown that integration into [a] shared moral community buffers individuals from anomie” or “normlessness,” he said.“Where the community has clear norms, attachments, obligations, limits … the individual doesnʼt have to shoulder the burden of ordering life themselves —which is where anxiety comes in.”“Thatʼs why the protection is at the group level more than individual or family level, and that is what gets eroded in a secularized society,” he said.Vaidyanathan also pointed to Peter Berger, a sociologist and Protestant theologian who coined the term “plausibility structures,” which are the social, cultural, and institutional environments that make certain values or religious beliefs seem believable and normal to a group of people.Bergerʼs “famous concept of ‘plausibility structures’ helps us understand that a religious framework reduces anxiety, only while the surrounding society keeps it plausible — when the surrounding community keeps talking and living as if it were true.”“When that fails, religion becomes one option among many and even a devout householdʼs commitment to their faith is not enough to shield a child in that society. So this is why community norms [or] religiosity matters much more than family belief,” Vaidyanathan said.](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/study-shows-societys-religious-norms-can-affect-childrens-anxiety-catholic-religious-faith-in-society-may-do-more-than-provide-spiritual-comfort-and-moral-guidance-it-could-also-he.jpg "Study shows society’s religious norms can affect children’s anxiety #Catholic Religious faith in society may do more than provide spiritual comfort and moral guidance; it could also help protect against anxiety disorders, according to a recent study published in Developmental Science.The research published in March explored if there were links between what societies value — such as independence and community — and anxiety disorder rates among children and adolescents over three decades.The study by Leonard Konstantin Kulisch, Ana Lorena Domínguez Rojas, Silvia Schneider, and Babett Voigt analyzed preexisting records and data during the years 1989 to 2022 from the World Value Survey, Global Burden of Disease study, Human Development Report, and Future of Families and Child Wellbeing Study.The research found an emphasis on independence was linked to higher anxiety rates in “WEIRD” (Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, Democratic) nations, while a greater emphasis on religious faith and interdependence correlated with less anxiety disorders globally.It also found that the importance of religious faith in socialization, and its link to interdependence, was associated with fewer anxiety disorders across 70 of the countries examined.The study did not compare religious versus nonreligious people or compare specific countries. While the effect sizes were small, it did find that “in countries where emphasis on religious faith in childrearing declined, youth anxiety rose,” Brandon Vaidyanathan, professor of sociology at The Catholic University of America, told EWTN News.Country-based disparitiesIn WEIRD nations, the societies that have norms that are oriented toward independence were associated with more anxiety disorders, but the analyses found no significant association among the non-WEIRD countries.In “developing societies [a] shift toward independence accompanies gains in growth and quality of life that may offset its psychological costs, but in already developed societies, it may only intensify competition and achievement-pressure,” Vaidyanathan explained.“The difference between WEIRD and non-WEIRD societies on the independence finding is quite interesting, and the authors suggest that it is stage-dependent,” Vaidyanathan said.“But religion is universal in providing goods that do not depend on development stage” including “belonging, order, meaning, purpose, routine.”Family versus society predictorsThe study reports that religious socialization may serve as “a protective factor” against anxiety issues in children and adolescents, which “is at the communal level much more than the individual level,” Vaidyanathan said. So much so that the U.S. data suggested the societyʼs religious norms predicted childrenʼs anxiety better than the motherʼs own beliefs.“The religiosity of the surrounding social environment was a stronger predictor of childrenʼs anxiety level than the familyʼs own faith, suggesting the protection comes from the society more than family,” Vaidyanathan said. The global protective factor was not communal values in general but religious faith specifically, which Vaidyanathan called “textbook sociology” of religion.“Since Durkheim, sociologists have shown that integration into [a] shared moral community buffers individuals from anomie” or “normlessness,” he said.“Where the community has clear norms, attachments, obligations, limits … the individual doesnʼt have to shoulder the burden of ordering life themselves —which is where anxiety comes in.”“Thatʼs why the protection is at the group level more than individual or family level, and that is what gets eroded in a secularized society,” he said.Vaidyanathan also pointed to Peter Berger, a sociologist and Protestant theologian who coined the term “plausibility structures,” which are the social, cultural, and institutional environments that make certain values or religious beliefs seem believable and normal to a group of people.Bergerʼs “famous concept of ‘plausibility structures’ helps us understand that a religious framework reduces anxiety, only while the surrounding society keeps it plausible — when the surrounding community keeps talking and living as if it were true.”“When that fails, religion becomes one option among many and even a devout householdʼs commitment to their faith is not enough to shield a child in that society. So this is why community norms [or] religiosity matters much more than family belief,” Vaidyanathan said.")
The study, which looked at data over three decades, reports that a country’s religious values may serve as “a protective factor” against anxiety issues in children and adolescents.
| Picture of the day |
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Parasols, Evening on the beach, Rincón de la Victoria, Andalusia, Spain.
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The cross-country Empire Builder train passes everything from the Mississippi River to mountains and picturesque small towns.
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A reading from the First Book of Kings
19:9a, 11-13a
At the mountain of God, Horeb,
Elijah came to a cave where he took shelter.
Then the LORD said to him,
?Go outside and stand on the mountain before the LORD;
the LORD will be passing by.?
A strong and heavy wind was rending the mountains
and crushing rocks before the LORD?
but the LORD was not in the wind.
After the wind there was an earthquake?
but the LORD was not in the earthquake.
After the earthquake there was fire?
but the LORD was not in the fire.
After the fire there was a tiny whispering sound.
When he heard this,
Elijah hid his face in his cloak
and went and stood at the entrance of the cave.
A reading from the Letter of St. Paul to the Romans
9:1-5
Brothers and sisters:
I speak the truth in Christ, I do not lie;
my conscience joins with the Holy Spirit in bearing me witness
that I have great sorrow and constant anguish in my heart.
For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ
for the sake of my own people,
my kindred according to the flesh.
They are Israelites;
theirs the adoption, the glory, the covenants,
the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises;
theirs the patriarchs, and from them,
according to the flesh, is the Christ,
who is over all, God blessed forever. Amen.
From the Gospel according to Matthew
14:22-33
After he had fed the people, Jesus made the disciples get into a boat
and precede him to the other side,
while he dismissed the crowds.
After doing so, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray.
When it was evening he was there alone.
Meanwhile the boat, already a few miles offshore,
was being tossed about by the waves, for the wind was against it.
During the fourth watch of the night,
he came toward them walking on the sea.
When the disciples saw him walking on the sea they were terrified.
?It is a ghost,? they said, and they cried out in fear.
At once Jesus spoke to them, ?Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.?
Peter said to him in reply,
?Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.?
He said, ?Come.?
Peter got out of the boat and began to walk on the water toward Jesus.
But when he saw how strong the wind was he became frightened;
and, beginning to sink, he cried out, ?Lord, save me!?
Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand and caught Peter,
and said to him, ?O you of little faith, why did you doubt??
After they got into the boat, the wind died down.
Those who were in the boat did him homage, saying,
?Truly, you are the Son of God.?
Today, Christ repeats to each of us, ?Take heart, it is I; have no fear!? Take heart because I am here, because you are no longer alone on the turbulent waters of life. And so, what should we do when we find ourselves on the open sea at the mercy of headwinds? What should we do when we face the fear of the open sea, when we see only darkness and we feel we are going under? We need to do two things that the disciples do in the Gospel. What do the disciples do? They call on and welcome Jesus. At the worst moments, in the darkest of storms, call on Jesus and welcome Jesus.
The disciples call on Jesus: Peter walks a little on the waters towards Jesus, but then gets frightened. He sinks and then cries out: ?Lord, save me!? (v. 30). Invoke Jesus, call on Jesus. This prayer is beautiful. It expresses the certainty that the Lord can save us, that he conquers our evil and our fears. (?)
And then the disciples welcome. First they call on, then they welcome Jesus into the boat. The text says that as soon as he got into the boat, ?the wind ceased? (v. 32). The Lord knows that the boat of our life, as well as the boat of the Church, is threatened by headwinds, and that the sea on which we sail is often turbulent. He does not spare us the hard work of sailing; rather ? the Gospel emphasizes ? he pushes his disciples to depart. He invites us to face difficulties so they too might become salvific places, so Jesus can conquer them, so they become opportunities to meet him. In fact, in our moments of darkness, he comes to meet us, asking to be welcomed like that night on the lake. (Pope Francis, Angelus, 13 August 2023)
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The music group’s latest project was released as a surprise drop just a couple of days into their summer tour.
![Salesian Sister makes final vows as ‘joyful witness to youth’ #Catholic – Sister Janna San Juan made her final profession as a Salesian Sister of Don Bosco, Daughters of Mary Help of Christians on Aug. 5. Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney was the main celebrant and homilist of the Mass in St. Joseph Chapel at the Salesians’ motherhouse of the Province of St. Joseph in North Haledon, N.J.
“Congratulations to Sister Janna San Juan who made her perpetual vows today. She made the vows of chastity, poverty, and obedience forever, consecrating her life to Christ,” the Salesian Sisters posted on social media after Sister San Juan’s final profession. “We rejoice with you today, Sister Janna, and pray that your life continues to be a joyful witness to the young and a sign of the special love Christ Jesus has for them!” they posted.
Sister San Juan has been active in youth and campus ministry, having served in roles such as campus ministry coordination. She has regularly participated in community formation and vocations events for the Salesian family.
Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
Sister Janna earned a bachelor’s degree in environmental engineering in 2013. While working as an engineer, she found joy in teaching faith formation classes to the young at her parish, leading her to explore religious life. Sister Janna entered the Salesians in 2016 and professed her first vows in 2020.
Currently, more than 11,000 Salesian Sisters around the world are dedicated to educating the young and being a “sign and expression of God’s foreseeing love among young people.” Places they serve in the Paterson Diocese, N.J. include Mary Help of Christians Academy in North Haledon, where they run a novitiate, St. Anthony School in Hawthorne, and Sacred Heart Retreat Center and Camp Auxilium, both in Newton.
BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI
[See image gallery at beaconnj.org]](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/salesian-sister-makes-final-vows-as-joyful-witness-to-youth-catholic-sister-janna-san-juan-made-her-final-profession-as-a-salesian-sister-of-don-bosco-daughters-of-mary-help-of-c.jpg "Salesian Sister makes final vows as ‘joyful witness to youth’ #Catholic – Sister Janna San Juan made her final profession as a Salesian Sister of Don Bosco, Daughters of Mary Help of Christians on Aug. 5. Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney was the main celebrant and homilist of the Mass in St. Joseph Chapel at the Salesians’ motherhouse of the Province of St. Joseph in North Haledon, N.J.
“Congratulations to Sister Janna San Juan who made her perpetual vows today. She made the vows of chastity, poverty, and obedience forever, consecrating her life to Christ,” the Salesian Sisters posted on social media after Sister San Juan’s final profession. “We rejoice with you today, Sister Janna, and pray that your life continues to be a joyful witness to the young and a sign of the special love Christ Jesus has for them!” they posted.
Sister San Juan has been active in youth and campus ministry, having served in roles such as campus ministry coordination. She has regularly participated in community formation and vocations events for the Salesian family.
Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
Sister Janna earned a bachelor’s degree in environmental engineering in 2013. While working as an engineer, she found joy in teaching faith formation classes to the young at her parish, leading her to explore religious life. Sister Janna entered the Salesians in 2016 and professed her first vows in 2020.
Currently, more than 11,000 Salesian Sisters around the world are dedicated to educating the young and being a “sign and expression of God’s foreseeing love among young people.” Places they serve in the Paterson Diocese, N.J. include Mary Help of Christians Academy in North Haledon, where they run a novitiate, St. Anthony School in Hawthorne, and Sacred Heart Retreat Center and Camp Auxilium, both in Newton.
BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI
[See image gallery at beaconnj.org]")
Salesian Sister makes final vows as ‘joyful witness to youth’ #Catholic – 
Sister Janna San Juan made her final profession as a Salesian Sister of Don Bosco, Daughters of Mary Help of Christians on Aug. 5. Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney was the main celebrant and homilist of the Mass in St. Joseph Chapel at the Salesians’ motherhouse of the Province of St. Joseph in North Haledon, N.J.
“Congratulations to Sister Janna San Juan who made her perpetual vows today. She made the vows of chastity, poverty, and obedience forever, consecrating her life to Christ,” the Salesian Sisters posted on social media after Sister San Juan’s final profession. “We rejoice with you today, Sister Janna, and pray that your life continues to be a joyful witness to the young and a sign of the special love Christ Jesus has for them!” they posted.
Sister San Juan has been active in youth and campus ministry, having served in roles such as campus ministry coordination. She has regularly participated in community formation and vocations events for the Salesian family.
Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
Sister Janna earned a bachelor’s degree in environmental engineering in 2013. While working as an engineer, she found joy in teaching faith formation classes to the young at her parish, leading her to explore religious life. Sister Janna entered the Salesians in 2016 and professed her first vows in 2020.
Currently, more than 11,000 Salesian Sisters around the world are dedicated to educating the young and being a “sign and expression of God’s foreseeing love among young people.” Places they serve in the Paterson Diocese, N.J. include Mary Help of Christians Academy in North Haledon, where they run a novitiate, St. Anthony School in Hawthorne, and Sacred Heart Retreat Center and Camp Auxilium, both in Newton.
BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI
– Sister Janna San Juan made her final profession as a Salesian Sister of Don Bosco, Daughters of Mary Help of Christians on Aug. 5. Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney was the main celebrant and homilist of the Mass in St. Joseph Chapel at the Salesians’ motherhouse of the Province of St. Joseph in North Haledon, N.J. “Congratulations to Sister Janna San Juan who made her perpetual vows today. She made the vows of chastity, poverty, and obedience forever, consecrating her life to Christ,” the Salesian Sisters posted on social media after Sister San Juan’s final profession. “We rejoice with you today,
A pioneer mission in astrometry – the measurement of the position, distance, motion, brightness, and color of stars – the European Space Agency’s (ESA) High Precision Parallax Collecting Satellite, or Hipparcos, launched on Aug. 8, 1989. There were immediately problems when a rocket-engine failure kept Hipparcos from reaching its planned orbit. However, the satellite wasContinue reading “Aug. 8, 1989: The Hipparcos satellite launches”
The post Aug. 8, 1989: The Hipparcos satellite launches appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.
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On various occasions, Pope Leo XIV has referenced the Bridgeport, Connecticut, native as a major inspiration for his own vocation.
“What we’ve come to understand is that mental illness has really come to the forefront as a very big factor in those who are experiencing homelessness,” Dan Brown told “EWTN News Nightly.”
Bishops in Australia sound alarm over antisemitism, Canada’s military bishop expresses concern over latest prayer restrictions, and more in this week’s roundup of Catholic world news.
A first of its kind measurement of a magnetar may have captured empty space behaving in a way physicists have predicted for 90 years, but never directly observed. The results published Wednesday in Nature.
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The Catholic Legal Immigration Network (CLINIC) criticized an executive order targeting birthright citizenship. The U.S. Catholic bishops are reviewing and monitoring the order.
A reading from the Book of Habakkuk
1:12?2:4
Are you not from eternity, O LORD,
my holy God, immortal?
O LORD, you have marked him for judgment,
O Rock, you have readied him punishment!
Too pure are your eyes to look upon evil,
and the sight of misery you cannot endure.
Why, then, do you gaze on the faithless in silence
while the wicked man devours
one more just than himself?
You have made man like the fish of the sea,
like creeping things without a ruler.
He brings them all up with his hook,
he hauls them away with his net,
He gathers them in his seine;
and so he rejoices and exults.
Therefore he sacrifices to his net,
and burns incense to his seine;
for thanks to them his portion is generous,
and his repast sumptuous.
Shall he, then, keep on brandishing his sword
to slay peoples without mercy?I will stand at my guard post,
and station myself upon the rampart,
And keep watch to see what he will say to me,
and what answer he will give to my complaint.
Then the LORD answered me and said:
Write down the vision
Clearly upon the tablets,
so that one can read it readily.
For the vision still has its time,
presses on to fulfillment, and will not disappoint;
If it delays, wait for it,
it will surely come, it will not be late.
The rash man has no integrity;
but the just man, because of his faith, shall live.
From the Gospel according to Matthew
17:14-20
A man came up to Jesus, knelt down before him, and said,
?Lord, have pity on my son, who is a lunatic and suffers severely;
often he falls into fire, and often into water.
I brought him to your disciples, but they could not cure him.?
Jesus said in reply,
?O faithless and perverse generation, how long will I be with you?
How long will I endure you?
Bring the boy here to me.?
Jesus rebuked him and the demon came out of him,
and from that hour the boy was cured.
Then the disciples approached Jesus in private and said,
?Why could we not drive it out??
He said to them, ?Because of your little faith.
Amen, I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed,
you will say to this mountain,
?Move from here to there,? and it will move.
Nothing will be impossible for you.?
A mustard seed is tiny, yet Jesus says that faith this size, small but true and sincere, suffices to achieve what is humanly impossible, unthinkable. And it is true! We all know people who are simple, humble, but whose faith is so strong it can move mountains! Let us think, for example, of some mothers and fathers who face very difficult situations; or of some sick, and even gravely ill, people who transmit serenity to those who come to visit them. These people, because of their faith, do not boast about what they do. (?) How many people among us have such strong, humble faith, and what good they do! (?)
Each one of us in our own daily lives can testify to Christ by the power of God, the power of faith. The faith we have is miniscule, but it is strong! With this power to testify to Jesus Christ, to be Christians with our life, with our witness!
And how do we draw from this strength? We draw it from God in prayer. Prayer is the breath of faith: in a relationship of trust, in a relationship of love, dialogue cannot be left out, and prayer is the dialogue of the soul with God. (Pope Francis, Angelus, 6 October 2013)
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| Picture of the day |
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The Raising of Lazarus at the St. Wolfgang Altarpiece of the Catholic parish- and pilgrimage church St. Wolfgang im Salzkammergut, Upper Austria. Michael Pacher, 1471–79, set up in 1481. Today is the feast day of St. Lazarus in Western Christianity.
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Texas Children’s will pay $10 million to resolve the claims, with $8,576,000 going to the state of Texas, as well as fund, for five years, a first-of-its kind detransition clinic.
The New York archbishop returned to St. Patrick’s Cathedral to celebrate Mass for the profession of vows of the Sisters of Life.
![Camp Auxilium children smile as bishop makes inaugural visit #Catholic – Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney made history on July 24, visiting Camp Auxilium, a summer day camp for boys and girls in Newton, N.J., for the first time and celebrating Mass for enthusiastic staff, campers, and their families during the camp’s Family Day.
That day, Bishop Sweeney delighted in meeting and talking with members of the Camp Auxilium family and receiving a tour of the facility and the various activity areas. The Salesian Sisters of St. Don Bosco, also known as the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians, run the camp, which is located in rural Sussex County.
Activities at Camp Auxilium include swimming and swim instruction, archery, boating and kayaking, mini-golf, low- and mid-ropes courses, arts and crafts, sports, and drama. The Salesian Sisters are assisted by Red Cross-certified lifeguards, counselors, and activity specialists.
The Boys Camp accepts campers who were 4 years old by October of last year through those who have completed 6th grade. Girls Camp accepts campers who were 4 years old by October of last year through those who have completed 8th grade. This year, Camp Auxilium welcomed 225 campers over its five weeks in operation.
BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI
[See image gallery at beaconnj.org]
Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/camp-auxilium-children-smile-as-bishop-makes-inaugural-visit-catholic-bishop-kevin-j-sweeney-made-history-on-july-24-visiting-camp-auxilium-a-summer-day-camp-for-boys-and-girls-in-newton-n-j.jpg "Camp Auxilium children smile as bishop makes inaugural visit #Catholic – Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney made history on July 24, visiting Camp Auxilium, a summer day camp for boys and girls in Newton, N.J., for the first time and celebrating Mass for enthusiastic staff, campers, and their families during the camp’s Family Day.
That day, Bishop Sweeney delighted in meeting and talking with members of the Camp Auxilium family and receiving a tour of the facility and the various activity areas. The Salesian Sisters of St. Don Bosco, also known as the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians, run the camp, which is located in rural Sussex County.
Activities at Camp Auxilium include swimming and swim instruction, archery, boating and kayaking, mini-golf, low- and mid-ropes courses, arts and crafts, sports, and drama. The Salesian Sisters are assisted by Red Cross-certified lifeguards, counselors, and activity specialists.
The Boys Camp accepts campers who were 4 years old by October of last year through those who have completed 6th grade. Girls Camp accepts campers who were 4 years old by October of last year through those who have completed 8th grade. This year, Camp Auxilium welcomed 225 campers over its five weeks in operation.
BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI
[See image gallery at beaconnj.org]
Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.")
Camp Auxilium children smile as bishop makes inaugural visit #Catholic – 
Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney made history on July 24, visiting Camp Auxilium, a summer day camp for boys and girls in Newton, N.J., for the first time and celebrating Mass for enthusiastic staff, campers, and their families during the camp’s Family Day.
That day, Bishop Sweeney delighted in meeting and talking with members of the Camp Auxilium family and receiving a tour of the facility and the various activity areas. The Salesian Sisters of St. Don Bosco, also known as the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians, run the camp, which is located in rural Sussex County.
Activities at Camp Auxilium include swimming and swim instruction, archery, boating and kayaking, mini-golf, low- and mid-ropes courses, arts and crafts, sports, and drama. The Salesian Sisters are assisted by Red Cross-certified lifeguards, counselors, and activity specialists.
The Boys Camp accepts campers who were 4 years old by October of last year through those who have completed 6th grade. Girls Camp accepts campers who were 4 years old by October of last year through those who have completed 8th grade. This year, Camp Auxilium welcomed 225 campers over its five weeks in operation.
BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI
– Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney made history on July 24, visiting Camp Auxilium, a summer day camp for boys and girls in Newton, N.J., for the first time and celebrating Mass for enthusiastic staff, campers, and their families during the camp’s Family Day. That day, Bishop Sweeney delighted in meeting and talking with members of the Camp Auxilium family and receiving a tour of the facility and the various activity areas. The Salesian Sisters of St. Don Bosco, also known as the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians, run the camp, which is located in rural Sussex County. Activities at Camp
The site was subsequently retaken by Nationalist forces on November 6, 1936. Troops under the command of General José Enrique Varela attended a Mass of reparation officiated by a military chaplain.
