Month: February 2026

A Prayer for Church Unity: Prayer of the Day for Wednesday, February 04, 2026 – #Prayer – Almighty and eternal God, You have promised that there will someday be but one fold and one Shepherd. Hasten that day, we pray You, in Your most merciful kindness and generosity. Pour the light of Your grace into the minds of our non-Catholic friends so that they may see the truth, and fully realize that the truth is one and undivided. Give them also the strength of will needed to follow in the direction of the light You give them. Let us, their neighbors and …

unitedyam

Almighty and eternal God,
You have promised that there will someday be but one fold and one Shepherd.
Hasten that day, we pray You,
in Your most merciful kindness and generosity.
Pour the light of Your grace
into the minds of our non-Catholic friends
so that they may see the truth,
and fully realize that the truth is one and undivided.
Give them also the strength of will
needed to follow in the direction of the light You give them.

Let us, their neighbors and …

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International Religious Freedom Summit co-chairs assess current state of global religious liberty – #Catholic – 2026 International Religious Freedom (IRF) Summit co-chairs Sam Brownback and Katrina Lantos Swett offered a fresh assessment of the current state of global religious liberty and the movement’s growth.The IRF Summit, which concluded in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, is a broad coalition of religious and human rights groups that advocate for religious freedom for all people across the globe. Co-chair Brownback previously served as ambassador at large for international religious freedom during the first Trump administration and Lantos Swett is president of the Lantos Foundation for Human Rights and Justice and a former chair of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF).Assessing the current religious freedom panorama, “we see more countries putting resources into this issue, appointing high-level envoys focused on freedom of religion or belief,” Lantos Swett told EWTN News. “So that’s on the good side of the ledger.”“On the bad side of the ledger, the evidence now is that over 80% of the world’s population live in countries where there is some degree of repression, persecution, and societal and legal imposition on this fundamental human right,” she said.Current concerns right now include what is known as “transnational repression.” She explained: “We increasingly are seeing some of these very bad actors in the world reaching the long hand of violence, threat, intimidation, harassment beyond their national borders.”Lantos Swett detailed China, Iran, and Russia are at the “top of the list” of worst countries when it comes to religious freedom matters.“We’re very concerned about the efforts by the Chinese government to engage in what I would view as a hostile takeover of the Catholic Church by appointing their own bishops and controlling what the Catholic Church is allowed to do in China,” she indicated.There is also present “false propaganda” and even potential issues with artificial intelligence (AI) and how it “will impact for good and for ill, the defense of conscience rights.”Infringement upon religious freedom around the world is “a massive problem,” Brownback said. “It’s probably one of the most abused human rights in the world.”“It happens to all different faiths everywhere. It’s time the world wakes up and pushed us back against this,” Brownback said.Agreeing with Lantos Swett, Brownback said China is “No. 1” when it comes to the worst countries for religious freedom. He also noted Nigeria and the Indian subcontinent.In China, “they oppress their people, but then they also produce the technology that goes out to, we think, nearly 80 countries for oppression,” he said.How religious freedom movement can take actionThose involved in the IRF movement have “been climbing up the backside of the mountain where nobody could see us for a long period of time, and now we’re up at a perch that a lot of people are shooting at us,” Brownback said during a Feb. 2 summit panel.“Now that we’re in the center of the debate and the discussion, we’ve got to act like it. We’ve got to have our factual settings together. We’ve got to be careful and cautious, but bold and courageous,” he said. Jan Jekielek, senior editor with The Epoch Times, with International Religious Freedom (IRF) Summit co-chairs Sam Brownback and Katrina Lantos Swett at the 2026 IRF Summit in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 2, 2026, in Washington, D.C. | Credit: Photo courtesy of IRF Summit “At the same time, we’ve got to form alliances and pull people in, not just from religious freedom, but also from democracy movements, from security movements to make this … a global movement, a grassroots movement, because that’s where we win as a global grassroots movement.”Lantos Swett expanded further on what the movement needs to do next. She said the cause for religious liberty is bigger than the “politics of the day.” The cause “is more profound and ultimately more unifying than the many things that pull us apart.”“We have become deeply divided, deeply hostile towards those who don’t agree with us politically or on some other criteria. But Ambassador Brownback and I certainly have felt that as it relates to the fight to defend religious freedom for everyone everywhere, it is of paramount importance that this remain really not just a bipartisan cause but a nonpartisan cause,” she said.The “movement is growing” in part to “an unease about the pervasive nihilism we see in the world around us,” Lantos Swett said. “You know, nihilism, this philosophy, either moral nihilism, there’s no such thing as right and wrong. Or as existential nihilism, life itself has no meaning, no purpose. It’s a terrible way to live. It’s a terrible way for a community and a society to feel.”“I do think, especially maybe even among young people, that you sense that they’re moving away from that somewhat aimless and nihilistic view of life and searching for something more meaningful.”“I hope that that will also help us recruit a new generation of leaders to this movement because they are starting to understand how important it is to have a defining purpose and sense of meaning and consequence to your life,” she said.
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International Religious Freedom Summit co-chairs assess current state of global religious liberty – #Catholic – 2026 International Religious Freedom (IRF) Summit co-chairs Sam Brownback and Katrina Lantos Swett offered a fresh assessment of the current state of global religious liberty and the movement’s growth.The IRF Summit, which concluded in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, is a broad coalition of religious and human rights groups that advocate for religious freedom for all people across the globe. Co-chair Brownback previously served as ambassador at large for international religious freedom during the first Trump administration and Lantos Swett is president of the Lantos Foundation for Human Rights and Justice and a former chair of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF).Assessing the current religious freedom panorama, “we see more countries putting resources into this issue, appointing high-level envoys focused on freedom of religion or belief,” Lantos Swett told EWTN News. “So that’s on the good side of the ledger.”“On the bad side of the ledger, the evidence now is that over 80% of the world’s population live in countries where there is some degree of repression, persecution, and societal and legal imposition on this fundamental human right,” she said.Current concerns right now include what is known as “transnational repression.” She explained: “We increasingly are seeing some of these very bad actors in the world reaching the long hand of violence, threat, intimidation, harassment beyond their national borders.”Lantos Swett detailed China, Iran, and Russia are at the “top of the list” of worst countries when it comes to religious freedom matters.“We’re very concerned about the efforts by the Chinese government to engage in what I would view as a hostile takeover of the Catholic Church by appointing their own bishops and controlling what the Catholic Church is allowed to do in China,” she indicated.There is also present “false propaganda” and even potential issues with artificial intelligence (AI) and how it “will impact for good and for ill, the defense of conscience rights.”Infringement upon religious freedom around the world is “a massive problem,” Brownback said. “It’s probably one of the most abused human rights in the world.”“It happens to all different faiths everywhere. It’s time the world wakes up and pushed us back against this,” Brownback said.Agreeing with Lantos Swett, Brownback said China is “No. 1” when it comes to the worst countries for religious freedom. He also noted Nigeria and the Indian subcontinent.In China, “they oppress their people, but then they also produce the technology that goes out to, we think, nearly 80 countries for oppression,” he said.How religious freedom movement can take actionThose involved in the IRF movement have “been climbing up the backside of the mountain where nobody could see us for a long period of time, and now we’re up at a perch that a lot of people are shooting at us,” Brownback said during a Feb. 2 summit panel.“Now that we’re in the center of the debate and the discussion, we’ve got to act like it. We’ve got to have our factual settings together. We’ve got to be careful and cautious, but bold and courageous,” he said. Jan Jekielek, senior editor with The Epoch Times, with International Religious Freedom (IRF) Summit co-chairs Sam Brownback and Katrina Lantos Swett at the 2026 IRF Summit in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 2, 2026, in Washington, D.C. | Credit: Photo courtesy of IRF Summit “At the same time, we’ve got to form alliances and pull people in, not just from religious freedom, but also from democracy movements, from security movements to make this … a global movement, a grassroots movement, because that’s where we win as a global grassroots movement.”Lantos Swett expanded further on what the movement needs to do next. She said the cause for religious liberty is bigger than the “politics of the day.” The cause “is more profound and ultimately more unifying than the many things that pull us apart.”“We have become deeply divided, deeply hostile towards those who don’t agree with us politically or on some other criteria. But Ambassador Brownback and I certainly have felt that as it relates to the fight to defend religious freedom for everyone everywhere, it is of paramount importance that this remain really not just a bipartisan cause but a nonpartisan cause,” she said.The “movement is growing” in part to “an unease about the pervasive nihilism we see in the world around us,” Lantos Swett said. “You know, nihilism, this philosophy, either moral nihilism, there’s no such thing as right and wrong. Or as existential nihilism, life itself has no meaning, no purpose. It’s a terrible way to live. It’s a terrible way for a community and a society to feel.”“I do think, especially maybe even among young people, that you sense that they’re moving away from that somewhat aimless and nihilistic view of life and searching for something more meaningful.”“I hope that that will also help us recruit a new generation of leaders to this movement because they are starting to understand how important it is to have a defining purpose and sense of meaning and consequence to your life,” she said.

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As the sixth annual International Religious Freedom Summit wrapped up in Washington, D.C., the organization’s co-chairs addressed the current state of global religious liberty.

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U.S. solicitor general backs Colorado Catholics in dispute over universal preschool program – #Catholic – The United States solicitor general urged the Supreme Court to stop Colorado from excluding Catholic schools from the state’s universal preschool (UPK) program in a brief on Friday.The 25-page amicus brief, submitted by Solicitor General John Sauer, Principal Deputy Solicitor General Sarah Harris, and Assistant to the Solicitor General Emily Hall, asked the Supreme Court to consider the religious discrimination case.The friend-of-the-court brief is the latest development in the yearslong legal troubles that religious preschools wanting to be involved in the UPK have faced. The UPK program pledges to provide tuition assistance to families for qualifying preschools, but several religious preschools have been excluded from the program due to its requirements related to its equal opportunity mandate.Most recently, the U.S Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit upheld the UPK program in spite of alleged religious discrimination against faith-based preschools. In response, the parish-run preschools and the Catholic Archdiocese of Denver are appealing to the Supreme Court.The solicitor general’s brief highlighted the “severity of the court of appeals’ error.” The solicitor general noted that the UPK gives some exemptions from its equal access requirements to secular schools while withholding exemptions from religious schools.“Colorado’s exemptions allow differential treatment for some groups, e.g., low-income families or disabled children, but not others. Having departed from universal even-handedness, Colorado cannot claim that allowing Catholic preschools to apply a preference based on Catholic teachings on sexual orientation and gender identity would uniquely undermine its law,” the brief read.“Granting review in this case would allow this court to provide useful guidance on a subject that lower courts frequently confront,” the brief stated.Becket, the religious liberty legal group arguing the case, welcomed the brief.“The solicitor general’s filing in this case signals to the court just how egregious, illegal, and dangerous Colorado’s discrimination is,” Nick Reaves, senior counsel at Becket and lead attorney for the preschools and families, said in a statement.“The state is labeling a program ‘universal’ and then banning religious families and schools from it because of their faith,” Reaves continued. “If that kind of exclusion is allowed to stand, no religious group is safe from being pushed out of public life.”Twenty other parties have filed friend-of-the-court briefs on behalf of the preschools since December 2025, including Thomas More Society, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, the Notre Dame Education Law Project, and West Virginia and 21 other states.“Our preschools exist to help parents who want an education rooted in the Catholic faith for their children,” said Scott Elmer, chief mission officer for the Archdiocese of Denver, in a November 2025 statement. “All we ask is for the ability to offer families who choose a Catholic education the same access to free preschool services that’s available at thousands of other preschools across Colorado.”“We’re grateful the solicitor general recognized what’s at stake here and added his voice to a growing chorus urging the Supreme Court to hear this case,” Reaves concluded.
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U.S. solicitor general backs Colorado Catholics in dispute over universal preschool program – #Catholic – The United States solicitor general urged the Supreme Court to stop Colorado from excluding Catholic schools from the state’s universal preschool (UPK) program in a brief on Friday.The 25-page amicus brief, submitted by Solicitor General John Sauer, Principal Deputy Solicitor General Sarah Harris, and Assistant to the Solicitor General Emily Hall, asked the Supreme Court to consider the religious discrimination case.The friend-of-the-court brief is the latest development in the yearslong legal troubles that religious preschools wanting to be involved in the UPK have faced. The UPK program pledges to provide tuition assistance to families for qualifying preschools, but several religious preschools have been excluded from the program due to its requirements related to its equal opportunity mandate.Most recently, the U.S Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit upheld the UPK program in spite of alleged religious discrimination against faith-based preschools. In response, the parish-run preschools and the Catholic Archdiocese of Denver are appealing to the Supreme Court.The solicitor general’s brief highlighted the “severity of the court of appeals’ error.” The solicitor general noted that the UPK gives some exemptions from its equal access requirements to secular schools while withholding exemptions from religious schools.“Colorado’s exemptions allow differential treatment for some groups, e.g., low-income families or disabled children, but not others. Having departed from universal even-handedness, Colorado cannot claim that allowing Catholic preschools to apply a preference based on Catholic teachings on sexual orientation and gender identity would uniquely undermine its law,” the brief read.“Granting review in this case would allow this court to provide useful guidance on a subject that lower courts frequently confront,” the brief stated.Becket, the religious liberty legal group arguing the case, welcomed the brief.“The solicitor general’s filing in this case signals to the court just how egregious, illegal, and dangerous Colorado’s discrimination is,” Nick Reaves, senior counsel at Becket and lead attorney for the preschools and families, said in a statement.“The state is labeling a program ‘universal’ and then banning religious families and schools from it because of their faith,” Reaves continued. “If that kind of exclusion is allowed to stand, no religious group is safe from being pushed out of public life.”Twenty other parties have filed friend-of-the-court briefs on behalf of the preschools since December 2025, including Thomas More Society, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, the Notre Dame Education Law Project, and West Virginia and 21 other states.“Our preschools exist to help parents who want an education rooted in the Catholic faith for their children,” said Scott Elmer, chief mission officer for the Archdiocese of Denver, in a November 2025 statement. “All we ask is for the ability to offer families who choose a Catholic education the same access to free preschool services that’s available at thousands of other preschools across Colorado.”“We’re grateful the solicitor general recognized what’s at stake here and added his voice to a growing chorus urging the Supreme Court to hear this case,” Reaves concluded.

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The United States solicitor general urged the Supreme Court to stop Colorado from excluding Catholic schools from the state’s universal preschool (UPK) program.

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Bishops warn that Cuba risks social chaos if urgent changes are not made – #Catholic – The Conference of Catholic Bishops of Cuba (COCC, by its Spanish acronym) warned that the country risks descending into social chaos and violence if  increasingly urgent structural changes are not implemented.The Catholic Church’s warning came in a message released on Jan. 31, two days after U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to impose extraordinary tariffs on countries that send oil to Cuba.Venezuela had stopped exporting oil to Cuba in November 2025, and with the capture of President Nicolás Maduro by U.S. forces in January and the pressure on the socialist regime that is still in place, a resumption of these exports is unlikely.Russia and Algeria stopped sending fuel to the Cuban regime in October and February 2025, respectively, leaving Mexico as the only remaining supplier, with its last shipment arriving in early January.The fuel shortage is stifling the already struggling Cuban economy, and according to statements reported by the Financial Times, Victoria Grabenwöger, an analyst at the market research firm Kpler, stated late last week that Cuba’s remaining reserves “could last 15 to 20 days.”The bishops recalled that in their June 15, 2025, message they had already called for “the structural, social, economic, and political changes that Cuba needs” to save it from the dire situation it has been facing for several years.The prelates noted at the time that they did not imagine “that things could get any worse,” yet, “the situation has deteriorated, and anguish and despair have intensified.”Furthermore, “recent news, which announces, among other things, the elimination of any possibility of oil entering the country, is raising alarms, especially for the least fortunate. The risk of social chaos and violence among the sons and daughters of the same nation is real. No Cuban of goodwill would rejoice at this,” the bishops said.The COCC stated that “Cuba needs changes, and they are becoming increasingly urgent, but it certainly doesn’t need any more anguish or suffering” for its people. The conference therefore expressed gratitude for the aid that arrived from the U.S. government and was distributed through the Catholic Church to those affected by Hurricane Melissa.On Jan. 30, the president of the COCC, Bishop Arturo Gonzalez Amador, and Cardinal Juan de la Caridad García met with the head of mission at the U.S. Embassy, ​​Mike Hammer, who wrote on X that “if everything goes well and the aid is reaching those most in need, the Trump administration is ready to send more assistance.”In their message, the bishops also addressed relations between states. “The unwavering position of the pope and the Holy See, consistent with international law, is that governments should be able to resolve their disagreements and conflicts through dialogue and diplomacy, not coercion or war,” they stated.However, they also said that “respect for the dignity and exercise of freedom of every human being within their own nation cannot be subject to or conditioned by the variables of external conflicts.”The bishops urged that “the good of Cuba be placed above partisan interests” and assured that the Catholic Church will continue to accompany the people, especially the most vulnerable, also offering “its willingness, if requested, to help de-escalate hostilities between the parties and create spaces for fruitful collaboration for the common good.”Pope Leo XIV addressed the rising tensions between Cuba and the United States at the end of the Feb. 1 Angelus, expressing his concern and echoing the bishops’ message he invited “all responsible parties to promote a sincere and effective dialogue, in order to avoid violence and every action that could increase the suffering of the dear Cuban people.”A situation more serious than during the ‘Special Period’Osvaldo Gallardo, a Cuban writer and analyst residing in the United States, stated that during the 40 years he lived on the island, he never experienced a crisis “like the one being experienced now,” with prolonged power outages, food shortages, the collapse of basic services, and a greater lack of freedom.He said that this social and economic situation can be considered worse than the one that occurred during the so-called “Special Period” of 1991–1994, which followed the collapse of the Soviet Union — which economically supported the island — and the fall of communism in Eastern Europe.“During the Special Period, it was difficult, but there was more of a sense of transiency. It was very difficult, but there was still a structure that responded to a reality that had been more stable; not better, but more stable,” he explained to ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News.However, he noted that now the anthropological damage in Cuba “is real and evident,” and “all the human capital has been dissolved.” Furthermore, “this period is already lasting longer, from 2020 to 2026, since the pandemic,” and the country is not recovering.“That suffering did not begin with sanctions; it began with an exhausted model and a power structure that refuses to relinquish control,” Gallardo added in a post on Facebook.In this regard, he said that the bishops’ message “is a moral warning issued when the deterioration is reaching dangerous levels and the risk of social chaos ceases to be a hypothesis.”However, he noted that the communist regime “is not going to engage in dialogue,” just as it “hasn’t done so in more than six decades.” He pointed out that for the dictatorship, dialogue “has always been a strategy to buy time, not to change the country.”“It must be said unequivocally: The dictatorship has to go,” Gallardo stated. “Cuba needs urgent changes. It doesn’t need more useless sacrifices or a false peace bought at the price of resignation. True peace is not the absence of conflict: It is justice. And when injustice is prolonged in the name of order, what is being protected is not peace, but abuse,” he said.This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
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Bishops warn that Cuba risks social chaos if urgent changes are not made – #Catholic – The Conference of Catholic Bishops of Cuba (COCC, by its Spanish acronym) warned that the country risks descending into social chaos and violence if  increasingly urgent structural changes are not implemented.The Catholic Church’s warning came in a message released on Jan. 31, two days after U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to impose extraordinary tariffs on countries that send oil to Cuba.Venezuela had stopped exporting oil to Cuba in November 2025, and with the capture of President Nicolás Maduro by U.S. forces in January and the pressure on the socialist regime that is still in place, a resumption of these exports is unlikely.Russia and Algeria stopped sending fuel to the Cuban regime in October and February 2025, respectively, leaving Mexico as the only remaining supplier, with its last shipment arriving in early January.The fuel shortage is stifling the already struggling Cuban economy, and according to statements reported by the Financial Times, Victoria Grabenwöger, an analyst at the market research firm Kpler, stated late last week that Cuba’s remaining reserves “could last 15 to 20 days.”The bishops recalled that in their June 15, 2025, message they had already called for “the structural, social, economic, and political changes that Cuba needs” to save it from the dire situation it has been facing for several years.The prelates noted at the time that they did not imagine “that things could get any worse,” yet, “the situation has deteriorated, and anguish and despair have intensified.”Furthermore, “recent news, which announces, among other things, the elimination of any possibility of oil entering the country, is raising alarms, especially for the least fortunate. The risk of social chaos and violence among the sons and daughters of the same nation is real. No Cuban of goodwill would rejoice at this,” the bishops said.The COCC stated that “Cuba needs changes, and they are becoming increasingly urgent, but it certainly doesn’t need any more anguish or suffering” for its people. The conference therefore expressed gratitude for the aid that arrived from the U.S. government and was distributed through the Catholic Church to those affected by Hurricane Melissa.On Jan. 30, the president of the COCC, Bishop Arturo Gonzalez Amador, and Cardinal Juan de la Caridad García met with the head of mission at the U.S. Embassy, ​​Mike Hammer, who wrote on X that “if everything goes well and the aid is reaching those most in need, the Trump administration is ready to send more assistance.”In their message, the bishops also addressed relations between states. “The unwavering position of the pope and the Holy See, consistent with international law, is that governments should be able to resolve their disagreements and conflicts through dialogue and diplomacy, not coercion or war,” they stated.However, they also said that “respect for the dignity and exercise of freedom of every human being within their own nation cannot be subject to or conditioned by the variables of external conflicts.”The bishops urged that “the good of Cuba be placed above partisan interests” and assured that the Catholic Church will continue to accompany the people, especially the most vulnerable, also offering “its willingness, if requested, to help de-escalate hostilities between the parties and create spaces for fruitful collaboration for the common good.”Pope Leo XIV addressed the rising tensions between Cuba and the United States at the end of the Feb. 1 Angelus, expressing his concern and echoing the bishops’ message he invited “all responsible parties to promote a sincere and effective dialogue, in order to avoid violence and every action that could increase the suffering of the dear Cuban people.”A situation more serious than during the ‘Special Period’Osvaldo Gallardo, a Cuban writer and analyst residing in the United States, stated that during the 40 years he lived on the island, he never experienced a crisis “like the one being experienced now,” with prolonged power outages, food shortages, the collapse of basic services, and a greater lack of freedom.He said that this social and economic situation can be considered worse than the one that occurred during the so-called “Special Period” of 1991–1994, which followed the collapse of the Soviet Union — which economically supported the island — and the fall of communism in Eastern Europe.“During the Special Period, it was difficult, but there was more of a sense of transiency. It was very difficult, but there was still a structure that responded to a reality that had been more stable; not better, but more stable,” he explained to ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News.However, he noted that now the anthropological damage in Cuba “is real and evident,” and “all the human capital has been dissolved.” Furthermore, “this period is already lasting longer, from 2020 to 2026, since the pandemic,” and the country is not recovering.“That suffering did not begin with sanctions; it began with an exhausted model and a power structure that refuses to relinquish control,” Gallardo added in a post on Facebook.In this regard, he said that the bishops’ message “is a moral warning issued when the deterioration is reaching dangerous levels and the risk of social chaos ceases to be a hypothesis.”However, he noted that the communist regime “is not going to engage in dialogue,” just as it “hasn’t done so in more than six decades.” He pointed out that for the dictatorship, dialogue “has always been a strategy to buy time, not to change the country.”“It must be said unequivocally: The dictatorship has to go,” Gallardo stated. “Cuba needs urgent changes. It doesn’t need more useless sacrifices or a false peace bought at the price of resignation. True peace is not the absence of conflict: It is justice. And when injustice is prolonged in the name of order, what is being protected is not peace, but abuse,” he said.This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

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The Conference of Catholic Bishops of Cuba warned that the country risks descending into social chaos and violence if urgent structural changes are not made.

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FAA warns ‘catastrophic’ spaceflight mishaps pose threat to aircraft

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The FAA has warned pilots to be prepared to “exercise extreme caution” when flying below the trajectory of commercial spacecraft — some of which have the potential for “catastrophic failures resulting in debris fields.” That is the language used in a recent Safety Alert for Operators (SAFO), dated Jan. 8, that is intended to provide guidance toContinue reading “FAA warns ‘catastrophic’ spaceflight mishaps pose threat to aircraft”

The post FAA warns ‘catastrophic’ spaceflight mishaps pose threat to aircraft appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

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JUST IN: House Passes Trump-Backed Bill to End Partial Government Shutdown with 2 Week DHS Funding – 21 Republicans Voted No – The House of Representatives has voted 217-214 to partially fund the government and end the partial shutdown.  The bill now heads to Trump’s desk, and he is expected to sign it today. The post JUST IN: House Passes Trump-Backed Bill to End Partial Government Shutdown with 2 Week DHS Funding – 21 Republicans Voted No appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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JUST IN: House Passes Trump-Backed Bill to End Partial Government Shutdown with 2 Week DHS Funding – 21 Republicans Voted No – The House of Representatives has voted 217-214 to partially fund the government and end the partial shutdown.  The bill now heads to Trump’s desk, and he is expected to sign it today. The post JUST IN: House Passes Trump-Backed Bill to End Partial Government Shutdown with 2 Week DHS Funding – 21 Republicans Voted No appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Image of a U.S. House session showing voting results on Senate amendments for HR 7148, with party breakdowns and time remaining displayed prominently.

Image of a U.S. House session showing voting results on Senate amendments for HR 7148, with party breakdowns and time remaining displayed prominently.

The House of Representatives has voted 217-214 to partially fund the government and end the partial shutdown.  The bill now heads to Trump’s desk, and he is expected to sign it today.

The post JUST IN: House Passes Trump-Backed Bill to End Partial Government Shutdown with 2 Week DHS Funding – 21 Republicans Voted No appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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BIG UPDATE: Todd Blanche Did Not Notify White House He Removed Ed Martin from Weaponization Group – Even Though Trump Personally Hired Martin for the Job – On Monday The Gateway Pundit’s Cristina Laila reported that Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche fired Ed Martin as Chief of the Justice Department’s Weaponization Working Group. The post BIG UPDATE: Todd Blanche Did Not Notify White House He Removed Ed Martin from Weaponization Group – Even Though Trump Personally Hired Martin for the Job appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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BIG UPDATE: Todd Blanche Did Not Notify White House He Removed Ed Martin from Weaponization Group – Even Though Trump Personally Hired Martin for the Job – On Monday The Gateway Pundit’s Cristina Laila reported that Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche fired Ed Martin as Chief of the Justice Department’s Weaponization Working Group. The post BIG UPDATE: Todd Blanche Did Not Notify White House He Removed Ed Martin from Weaponization Group – Even Though Trump Personally Hired Martin for the Job appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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On Monday The Gateway Pundit’s Cristina Laila reported that Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche fired Ed Martin as Chief of the Justice Department’s Weaponization Working Group.

The post BIG UPDATE: Todd Blanche Did Not Notify White House He Removed Ed Martin from Weaponization Group – Even Though Trump Personally Hired Martin for the Job appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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ICE Arrests Illegal Alien New Orleans Police Department Recruit Who Was Illegally Given a Gun – ICE agents arrested an illegal alien, a New Orleans Police Department recruit, who was illegally given a gun. The post ICE Arrests Illegal Alien New Orleans Police Department Recruit Who Was Illegally Given a Gun appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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ICE Arrests Illegal Alien New Orleans Police Department Recruit Who Was Illegally Given a Gun – ICE agents arrested an illegal alien, a New Orleans Police Department recruit, who was illegally given a gun. The post ICE Arrests Illegal Alien New Orleans Police Department Recruit Who Was Illegally Given a Gun appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Law enforcement officers apprehend an individual during an operation, with police vehicles and a residential area in the background.

Law enforcement officers apprehend an individual during an operation, with police vehicles and a residential area in the background.

ICE agents arrested an illegal alien, a New Orleans Police Department recruit, who was illegally given a gun.

The post ICE Arrests Illegal Alien New Orleans Police Department Recruit Who Was Illegally Given a Gun appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Peter Dinklage Receives Little Praise After Taking Short Time To Recite Small Poem #BabylonBee – NEW YORK, NY — Actor Peter Dinklage was reportedly a wee bit annoyed and expressed slight disappointment that he received little praise from the general public after taking a short time to recite a small poem at an anti-ICE protest over the weekend.
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Peter Dinklage Receives Little Praise After Taking Short Time To Recite Small Poem #BabylonBee – NEW YORK, NY — Actor Peter Dinklage was reportedly a wee bit annoyed and expressed slight disappointment that he received little praise from the general public after taking a short time to recite a small poem at an anti-ICE protest over the weekend.

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NEW YORK, NY — Actor Peter Dinklage was reportedly a wee bit annoyed and expressed slight disappointment that he received little praise from the general public after taking a short time to recite a small poem at an anti-ICE protest over the weekend.

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For Healing: Prayer of the Day for Tuesday, February 03, 2026 – #Prayer – Lord, You invite all who are burdened to come to You. Allow your healing hand to heal me. Touch my soul with Your compassion for others. Touch my heart with Your courage and infinite love for all. Touch my mind with Your wisdom, that my mouth may always proclaim Your praise. Teach me to reach out to You in my need, and help me to lead others to You by my example. Most loving Heart of Jesus, bring me health in body and spirit that I may serve You with all my strength. Touch gently this life …

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Lord, You invite all who are burdened to come to You. Allow your healing hand to heal me. Touch my soul with Your compassion for others. Touch my heart with Your courage and infinite love for all. Touch my mind with Your wisdom, that my mouth may always proclaim Your praise. Teach me to reach out to You in my need, and help me to lead others to You by my example. Most loving Heart of Jesus, bring me health in body and spirit that I may serve You with all my strength. Touch gently this life …

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Gospel and Word of the Day – 03 February 2026 – A readin from the Second Book of Samuel 2 Samuel 18:9-10, 14b, 24-25a, 30–19:3 Absalom unexpectedly came up against David’s servants. He was mounted on a mule, and, as the mule passed under the branches of a large terebinth, his hair caught fast in the tree. He hung between heaven and earth while the mule he had been riding ran off. Someone saw this and reported to Joab that he had seen Absalom hanging from a terebinth. And taking three pikes in hand, he thrust for the heart of Absalom, still hanging from the tree alive. Now David was sitting between the two gates, and a lookout went up to the roof of the gate above the city wall, where he looked about and saw a man running all alone. The lookout shouted to inform the king, who said, "If he is alone, he has good news to report." The king said, "Step aside and remain in attendance here." So he stepped aside and remained there. When the Cushite messenger came in, he said, "Let my lord the king receive the good news that this day the LORD has taken your part, freeing you from the grasp of all who rebelled against you." But the king asked the Cushite, "Is young Absalom safe?" The Cushite replied, "May the enemies of my lord the king and all who rebel against you with evil intent be as that young man!" The king was shaken, and went up to the room over the city gate to weep. He said as he wept, "My son Absalom! My son, my son Absalom! If only I had died instead of you, Absalom, my son, my son!" Joab was told that the king was weeping and mourning for Absalom; and that day’s victory was turned into mourning for the whole army when they heard that the king was grieving for his son.From the Gospel according to Mark 5:21-43 When Jesus had crossed again in the boat to the other side, a large crowd gathered around him, and he stayed close to the sea. One of the synagogue officials, named Jairus, came forward. Seeing him he fell at his feet and pleaded earnestly with him, saying, "My daughter is at the point of death. Please, come lay your hands on her that she may get well and live." He went off with him and a large crowd followed him. There was a woman afflicted with hemorrhages for twelve years. She had suffered greatly at the hands of many doctors and had spent all that she had. Yet she was not helped but only grew worse. She had heard about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak. She said, "If I but touch his clothes, I shall be cured." Immediately her flow of blood dried up. She felt in her body that she was healed of her affliction. Jesus, aware at once that power had gone out from him, turned around in the crowd and asked, "Who has touched my clothes?" But his disciples said to him, "You see how the crowd is pressing upon you, and yet you ask, Who touched me?" And he looked around to see who had done it. The woman, realizing what had happened to her, approached in fear and trembling. She fell down before Jesus and told him the whole truth. He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has saved you. Go in peace and be cured of your affliction." While he was still speaking, people from the synagogue official’s house arrived and said, "Your daughter has died; why trouble the teacher any longer?" Disregarding the message that was reported, Jesus said to the synagogue official, "Do not be afraid; just have faith." He did not allow anyone to accompany him inside except Peter, James, and John, the brother of James. When they arrived at the house of the synagogue official, he caught sight of a commotion, people weeping and wailing loudly. So he went in and said to them, "Why this commotion and weeping? The child is not dead but asleep." And they ridiculed him. Then he put them all out. He took along the child’s father and mother and those who were with him and entered the room where the child was. He took the child by the hand and said to her, "Talitha koum," which means, "Little girl, I say to you, arise!" The girl, a child of twelve, arose immediately and walked around. At that they were utterly astounded. He gave strict orders that no one should know this and said that she should be given something to eat.Around Jesus there is a large crowd, and therefore many people were touching him, and yet nothing happens to them. Instead, when this woman touches Jesus, she is healed. Where does the difference lie? In his commentary on this point of the text, Saint Augustine says – in Jesus’ name – “The crowd jostles, faith touches” (Sermon 243, 2, 2). It is thus: every time we perform an act of faith addressed to Jesus, contact is established with Him, and immediately his grace comes out from Him. At times we are unaware of it, but in a secret and real way, grace reaches us and gradually transforms our life from within. (…) In the meantime, the father receives the news that his daughter is dead. Jesus says to him: “Do not be afraid; just have faith” (v. 36). He then goes to the house and, seeing that everyone is weeping and wailing, says: “The child is not dead but asleep” (v. 39). He enters the chamber where the child is lying, takes her hand, and says to her: “Talità kum”, “Little girl, arise!”. The girl stands up and starts to walk (cf. vv. 41-42). Jesus’ act shows us that not only does He heal from every illness, but He also awakens from death. For God, who is eternal Life, death of the body is like sleep. True death is that of the soul: of this we must be afraid! One last detail: Jesus, after reviving the child, tells the parents to give her something to eat (cf. v. 43). Here is another very concrete sign of Jesus’ closeness to our humanity. But we can also understand it in a deeper sense, and ask ourselves: when our children are in crisis and need spiritual nourishment, do we know how to give it to them? And how can we, if we ourselves are not nourished by the Gospel? (Pope Leo XIV, General Audience, 25 June 2025)

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A readin from the Second Book of Samuel
2 Samuel 18:9-10, 14b, 24-25a, 30–19:3

Absalom unexpectedly came up against David’s servants.
He was mounted on a mule,
and, as the mule passed under the branches of a large terebinth,
his hair caught fast in the tree.
He hung between heaven and earth
while the mule he had been riding ran off.
Someone saw this and reported to Joab
that he had seen Absalom hanging from a terebinth.
And taking three pikes in hand,
he thrust for the heart of Absalom,
still hanging from the tree alive.

Now David was sitting between the two gates,
and a lookout went up to the roof of the gate above the city wall,
where he looked about and saw a man running all alone.
The lookout shouted to inform the king, who said,
"If he is alone, he has good news to report."
The king said, "Step aside and remain in attendance here."
So he stepped aside and remained there.
When the Cushite messenger came in, he said,
"Let my lord the king receive the good news
that this day the LORD has taken your part,
freeing you from the grasp of all who rebelled against you."
But the king asked the Cushite, "Is young Absalom safe?"
The Cushite replied, "May the enemies of my lord the king
and all who rebel against you with evil intent
be as that young man!"

The king was shaken,
and went up to the room over the city gate to weep.
He said as he wept,
"My son Absalom! My son, my son Absalom!
If only I had died instead of you,
Absalom, my son, my son!"

Joab was told that the king was weeping and mourning for Absalom;
and that day’s victory was turned into mourning for the whole army
when they heard that the king was grieving for his son.

From the Gospel according to Mark
5:21-43

When Jesus had crossed again in the boat
to the other side,
a large crowd gathered around him, and he stayed close to the sea.
One of the synagogue officials, named Jairus, came forward.
Seeing him he fell at his feet and pleaded earnestly with him, saying,
"My daughter is at the point of death.
Please, come lay your hands on her
that she may get well and live."
He went off with him
and a large crowd followed him.

There was a woman afflicted with hemorrhages for twelve years.
She had suffered greatly at the hands of many doctors
and had spent all that she had.
Yet she was not helped but only grew worse.
She had heard about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd
and touched his cloak.
She said, "If I but touch his clothes, I shall be cured."
Immediately her flow of blood dried up.
She felt in her body that she was healed of her affliction.
Jesus, aware at once that power had gone out from him,
turned around in the crowd and asked, "Who has touched my clothes?"
But his disciples said to him,
"You see how the crowd is pressing upon you,
and yet you ask, Who touched me?"
And he looked around to see who had done it.
The woman, realizing what had happened to her,
approached in fear and trembling.
She fell down before Jesus and told him the whole truth.
He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has saved you.
Go in peace and be cured of your affliction."

While he was still speaking,
people from the synagogue official’s house arrived and said,
"Your daughter has died; why trouble the teacher any longer?"
Disregarding the message that was reported,
Jesus said to the synagogue official,
"Do not be afraid; just have faith."
He did not allow anyone to accompany him inside
except Peter, James, and John, the brother of James.
When they arrived at the house of the synagogue official,
he caught sight of a commotion,
people weeping and wailing loudly.
So he went in and said to them,
"Why this commotion and weeping?
The child is not dead but asleep."
And they ridiculed him.
Then he put them all out.
He took along the child’s father and mother
and those who were with him
and entered the room where the child was.
He took the child by the hand and said to her, "Talitha koum,"
which means, "Little girl, I say to you, arise!"
The girl, a child of twelve, arose immediately and walked around.
At that they were utterly astounded.
He gave strict orders that no one should know this
and said that she should be given something to eat.

Around Jesus there is a large crowd, and therefore many people were touching him, and yet nothing happens to them. Instead, when this woman touches Jesus, she is healed. Where does the difference lie? In his commentary on this point of the text, Saint Augustine says – in Jesus’ name – “The crowd jostles, faith touches” (Sermon 243, 2, 2). It is thus: every time we perform an act of faith addressed to Jesus, contact is established with Him, and immediately his grace comes out from Him. At times we are unaware of it, but in a secret and real way, grace reaches us and gradually transforms our life from within. (…)

In the meantime, the father receives the news that his daughter is dead. Jesus says to him: “Do not be afraid; just have faith” (v. 36). He then goes to the house and, seeing that everyone is weeping and wailing, says: “The child is not dead but asleep” (v. 39). He enters the chamber where the child is lying, takes her hand, and says to her: “Talità kum”, “Little girl, arise!”. The girl stands up and starts to walk (cf. vv. 41-42). Jesus’ act shows us that not only does He heal from every illness, but He also awakens from death. For God, who is eternal Life, death of the body is like sleep. True death is that of the soul: of this we must be afraid!

One last detail: Jesus, after reviving the child, tells the parents to give her something to eat (cf. v. 43). Here is another very concrete sign of Jesus’ closeness to our humanity. But we can also understand it in a deeper sense, and ask ourselves: when our children are in crisis and need spiritual nourishment, do we know how to give it to them? And how can we, if we ourselves are not nourished by the Gospel? (Pope Leo XIV, General Audience, 25 June 2025)

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Proclaiming the Gospel of Life: Pope Leo XIV, Bishop James Conley, Cardinals Cupich, McElroy, and Tobin #Catholic – “… Life, in fact, is a priceless gift that develops within a committed relationship based on mutual self-giving and service. In light of this profound vision of life as a gift to be cherished, and of the family as its responsible guardian, we categorically reject any practice that denies or exploits the origin of life and its development …” – Address of Pope Leo XIV to Members of the Diplomatic Corps Accredited to the Holy See, Jan. 9, 2026  BISHOP KEVIN J. SWEENEY As I traveled to Washington, D.C. for the 53rd annual National March for Life, I was thinking, praying, and reflecting on the “Pro-Life Movement” in our country and in our Church at this time, in January of 2026. While I believe and am concerned that our efforts to build a “Culture of Life” may have lost some of the energy and enthusiasm that they seem to have had 10 or 20 years ago, I was also looking forward to attending the March for Life, which always has been able to lift my spirits, in different ways, especially by the ever-growing presence at the March of young people of high school and college age, who are often called the “Pro-Life Generation.” Almost since the beginning, since the first March for Life (on Jan. 22, 1974), there has also been a “National Prayer Vigil for Life” on the night before the March, held at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. The “Vigil for Life” begins with a concelebrated Mass at the basilica at 5 p.m. For the last few years, I have been able to travel to Washington on the day before the March and concelebrate the Vigil Mass. This year, the main celebrant and homilist for the Vigil Mass was Bishop James Conley, bishop of the Diocese of Lincoln, Nebraska. Bishop Conley’s homily, along with the basilica being “standing room only” and filled with young people, was “just what I needed to hear (and see)” to lift my spirits. I encourage you to take the time to either read or listen to (and watch) Bishop Conley’s homily.  Here is a link to the Text of the homily.  In the homily, Bishop Conley quoted a recent address by Pope Leo XIV, the same address, to the Diplomatic Corps, quoted above. Bishop Conley said: “…our brothers and sisters in the womb are the most vulnerable and most voiceless of victims. In most other cases of injustice, those who are threatened can speak out for themselves and have at least some power to defend themselves, some form of advocacy. Our Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV, has recently spoken out along these same lines in his speech to the diplomats accredited to the Holy See on Jan. 9 in his State of the World address. In his speech, he confirms the importance of abortion as the preeminent priority when he says, “We firmly reiterate that the protection of the right to life constitutes the indispensable foundation of every human right.” On the morning of the March for Life (Friday, Jan. 23), I was privileged to celebrate two Masses. One was at 8 a.m. for members of the Order of Malta, and the second, at noon, was for our diocesan “contingent,” two buses from St. Paul’s Inside the Walls and a bus from Our Lady of the Holy Rosary parish in Passaic. In between the two Masses, I was “catching up on some news” and was able to read a statement that had been issued the previous Monday (Jan. 19) by Cardinal Blase J. Cupich, archbishop of Chicago, Cardinal Robert McElroy, archbishop of Washington, and Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin, C.Ss.R., archbishop of Newark. I strongly encourage readers to click on the link below so that you can read the statement and also hear from each of the cardinals how listening to Pope Leo’s address to the Diplomatic Corps led them to issue the statement. Cardinal Cupich said: “… Pope Leo has given us clear direction and we must apply his teachings to the conduct of our nation and its leaders.” Cardinal Tobin said: “Recent events, including participation in last week’s consistory in Rome with Pope Leo and brother cardinals from across the world, convince me of the need to underscore the vision of Pope Leo for just and peaceful relations among nations…” Three Catholic Cardinals Issue Rare Joint Statement on the Morality of U.S. Foreign Policy I hope that readers will take the time, not only to read the brief (six paragraph) statement from the three cardinals, speaking “as pastors and citizens,” but that each of us will consider the ways in which we are being called to proclaim the Gospel of Life and, as Bishop Conley recalled the words of St. Pope John Paul II, “build a Culture of Life and Civilization of Love.” These are challenging days and times for our country, our Church, and our world. I write these words on the Fourth Sunday of Ordinary Time. I hope and pray that the words of today’s Gospel, from the Beatitudes and the Sermon on the Mount are “taking root” in the good soil of our hearts and lives, as we remember, “Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied … Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.” (Mt. 5:1-12a)  
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Proclaiming the Gospel of Life: Pope Leo XIV, Bishop James Conley, Cardinals Cupich, McElroy, and Tobin #Catholic – “… Life, in fact, is a priceless gift that develops within a committed relationship based on mutual self-giving and service. In light of this profound vision of life as a gift to be cherished, and of the family as its responsible guardian, we categorically reject any practice that denies or exploits the origin of life and its development …” – Address of Pope Leo XIV to Members of the Diplomatic Corps Accredited to the Holy See, Jan. 9, 2026  BISHOP KEVIN J. SWEENEY As I traveled to Washington, D.C. for the 53rd annual National March for Life, I was thinking, praying, and reflecting on the “Pro-Life Movement” in our country and in our Church at this time, in January of 2026. While I believe and am concerned that our efforts to build a “Culture of Life” may have lost some of the energy and enthusiasm that they seem to have had 10 or 20 years ago, I was also looking forward to attending the March for Life, which always has been able to lift my spirits, in different ways, especially by the ever-growing presence at the March of young people of high school and college age, who are often called the “Pro-Life Generation.” Almost since the beginning, since the first March for Life (on Jan. 22, 1974), there has also been a “National Prayer Vigil for Life” on the night before the March, held at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. The “Vigil for Life” begins with a concelebrated Mass at the basilica at 5 p.m. For the last few years, I have been able to travel to Washington on the day before the March and concelebrate the Vigil Mass. This year, the main celebrant and homilist for the Vigil Mass was Bishop James Conley, bishop of the Diocese of Lincoln, Nebraska. Bishop Conley’s homily, along with the basilica being “standing room only” and filled with young people, was “just what I needed to hear (and see)” to lift my spirits. I encourage you to take the time to either read or listen to (and watch) Bishop Conley’s homily.  Here is a link to the Text of the homily.  In the homily, Bishop Conley quoted a recent address by Pope Leo XIV, the same address, to the Diplomatic Corps, quoted above. Bishop Conley said: “…our brothers and sisters in the womb are the most vulnerable and most voiceless of victims. In most other cases of injustice, those who are threatened can speak out for themselves and have at least some power to defend themselves, some form of advocacy. Our Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV, has recently spoken out along these same lines in his speech to the diplomats accredited to the Holy See on Jan. 9 in his State of the World address. In his speech, he confirms the importance of abortion as the preeminent priority when he says, “We firmly reiterate that the protection of the right to life constitutes the indispensable foundation of every human right.” On the morning of the March for Life (Friday, Jan. 23), I was privileged to celebrate two Masses. One was at 8 a.m. for members of the Order of Malta, and the second, at noon, was for our diocesan “contingent,” two buses from St. Paul’s Inside the Walls and a bus from Our Lady of the Holy Rosary parish in Passaic. In between the two Masses, I was “catching up on some news” and was able to read a statement that had been issued the previous Monday (Jan. 19) by Cardinal Blase J. Cupich, archbishop of Chicago, Cardinal Robert McElroy, archbishop of Washington, and Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin, C.Ss.R., archbishop of Newark. I strongly encourage readers to click on the link below so that you can read the statement and also hear from each of the cardinals how listening to Pope Leo’s address to the Diplomatic Corps led them to issue the statement. Cardinal Cupich said: “… Pope Leo has given us clear direction and we must apply his teachings to the conduct of our nation and its leaders.” Cardinal Tobin said: “Recent events, including participation in last week’s consistory in Rome with Pope Leo and brother cardinals from across the world, convince me of the need to underscore the vision of Pope Leo for just and peaceful relations among nations…” Three Catholic Cardinals Issue Rare Joint Statement on the Morality of U.S. Foreign Policy I hope that readers will take the time, not only to read the brief (six paragraph) statement from the three cardinals, speaking “as pastors and citizens,” but that each of us will consider the ways in which we are being called to proclaim the Gospel of Life and, as Bishop Conley recalled the words of St. Pope John Paul II, “build a Culture of Life and Civilization of Love.” These are challenging days and times for our country, our Church, and our world. I write these words on the Fourth Sunday of Ordinary Time. I hope and pray that the words of today’s Gospel, from the Beatitudes and the Sermon on the Mount are “taking root” in the good soil of our hearts and lives, as we remember, “Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied … Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.” (Mt. 5:1-12a)  

unitedyam

Proclaiming the Gospel of Life: Pope Leo XIV, Bishop James Conley, Cardinals Cupich, McElroy, and Tobin #Catholic –

“… Life, in fact, is a priceless gift that develops within a committed relationship based on mutual self-giving and service. In light of this profound vision of life as a gift to be cherished, and of the family as its responsible guardian, we categorically reject any practice that denies or exploits the origin of life and its development …”

– Address of Pope Leo XIV to Members of the Diplomatic Corps Accredited to the Holy See, Jan. 9, 2026 

BISHOP KEVIN J. SWEENEY

As I traveled to Washington, D.C. for the 53rd annual National March for Life, I was thinking, praying, and reflecting on the “Pro-Life Movement” in our country and in our Church at this time, in January of 2026. While I believe and am concerned that our efforts to build a “Culture of Life” may have lost some of the energy and enthusiasm that they seem to have had 10 or 20 years ago, I was also looking forward to attending the March for Life, which always has been able to lift my spirits, in different ways, especially by the ever-growing presence at the March of young people of high school and college age, who are often called the “Pro-Life Generation.”

Almost since the beginning, since the first March for Life (on Jan. 22, 1974), there has also been a “National Prayer Vigil for Life” on the night before the March, held at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. The “Vigil for Life” begins with a concelebrated Mass at the basilica at 5 p.m. For the last few years, I have been able to travel to Washington on the day before the March and concelebrate the Vigil Mass. This year, the main celebrant and homilist for the Vigil Mass was Bishop James Conley, bishop of the Diocese of Lincoln, Nebraska. Bishop Conley’s homily, along with the basilica being “standing room only” and filled with young people, was “just what I needed to hear (and see)” to lift my spirits.

I encourage you to take the time to either read or listen to (and watch) Bishop Conley’s homily. 

Here is a link to the Text of the homily. 

In the homily, Bishop Conley quoted a recent address by Pope Leo XIV, the same address, to the Diplomatic Corps, quoted above. Bishop Conley said:

“…our brothers and sisters in the womb are the most vulnerable and most voiceless of victims. In most other cases of injustice, those who are threatened can speak out for themselves and have at least some power to defend themselves, some form of advocacy. Our Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV, has recently spoken out along these same lines in his speech to the diplomats accredited to the Holy See on Jan. 9 in his State of the World address. In his speech, he confirms the importance of abortion as the preeminent priority when he says, “We firmly reiterate that the protection of the right to life constitutes the indispensable foundation of every human right.”

On the morning of the March for Life (Friday, Jan. 23), I was privileged to celebrate two Masses. One was at 8 a.m. for members of the Order of Malta, and the second, at noon, was for our diocesan “contingent,” two buses from St. Paul’s Inside the Walls and a bus from Our Lady of the Holy Rosary parish in Passaic. In between the two Masses, I was “catching up on some news” and was able to read a statement that had been issued the previous Monday (Jan. 19) by Cardinal Blase J. Cupich, archbishop of Chicago, Cardinal Robert McElroy, archbishop of Washington, and Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin, C.Ss.R., archbishop of Newark.

I strongly encourage readers to click on the link below so that you can read the statement and also hear from each of the cardinals how listening to Pope Leo’s address to the Diplomatic Corps led them to issue the statement. Cardinal Cupich said: “… Pope Leo has given us clear direction and we must apply his teachings to the conduct of our nation and its leaders.”

Cardinal Tobin said: “Recent events, including participation in last week’s consistory in Rome with Pope Leo and brother cardinals from across the world, convince me of the need to underscore the vision of Pope Leo for just and peaceful relations among nations…”

Three Catholic Cardinals Issue Rare Joint Statement on the Morality of U.S. Foreign Policy

I hope that readers will take the time, not only to read the brief (six paragraph) statement from the three cardinals, speaking “as pastors and citizens,” but that each of us will consider the ways in which we are being called to proclaim the Gospel of Life and, as Bishop Conley recalled the words of St. Pope John Paul II, “build a Culture of Life and Civilization of Love.” These are challenging days and times for our country, our Church, and our world. I write these words on the Fourth Sunday of Ordinary Time. I hope and pray that the words of today’s Gospel, from the Beatitudes and the Sermon on the Mount are “taking root” in the good soil of our hearts and lives, as we remember, “Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied … Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.” (Mt. 5:1-12a)

 

– “… Life, in fact, is a priceless gift that develops within a committed relationship based on mutual self-giving and service. In light of this profound vision of life as a gift to be cherished, and of the family as its responsible guardian, we categorically reject any practice that denies or exploits the origin of life and its development …” – Address of Pope Leo XIV to Members of the Diplomatic Corps Accredited to the Holy See, Jan. 9, 2026  BISHOP KEVIN J. SWEENEY As I traveled to Washington, D.C. for the 53rd annual National March for Life, I was thinking,

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NASA preparing to launch Artemis 2 as early as Sunday

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Mission Highlight: Artemis 2 NASA is targeting no earlier than Sunday, Feb. 8, for the launch of the historic Artemis 2 mission. The ten-day journey will be the first time astronauts have visited the moon since 1972’s Apollo 17. The four-person crew — consisting of NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and CanadianContinue reading “NASA preparing to launch Artemis 2 as early as Sunday”

The post NASA preparing to launch Artemis 2 as early as Sunday appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

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Search Underway for Mother of ‘Today’ Anchor Savannah Guthrie, Police Found ‘Very Concerning’ Crime Scene at Her Arizona Home, Homicide Detectives Investigating – Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of NBC’s “Today” show anchor Savannah Guthrie, has been reported missing, and law enforcement described the scene they encountered at her Arizona home as “very concerning.” Homicide detectives were sent in, which is not standard practice in a missing person case, and Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said that the house is a crime scene. The post Search Underway for Mother of ‘Today’ Anchor Savannah Guthrie, Police Found ‘Very Concerning’ Crime Scene at Her Arizona Home, Homicide Detectives Investigating appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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Search Underway for Mother of ‘Today’ Anchor Savannah Guthrie, Police Found ‘Very Concerning’ Crime Scene at Her Arizona Home, Homicide Detectives Investigating – Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of NBC’s “Today” show anchor Savannah Guthrie, has been reported missing, and law enforcement described the scene they encountered at her Arizona home as “very concerning.” Homicide detectives were sent in, which is not standard practice in a missing person case, and Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said that the house is a crime scene. The post Search Underway for Mother of ‘Today’ Anchor Savannah Guthrie, Police Found ‘Very Concerning’ Crime Scene at Her Arizona Home, Homicide Detectives Investigating appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Smiling woman in a blue vest poses with a black dog on a couch, while another woman appears thoughtfully on a news broadcast.

Smiling woman in a blue vest poses with a black dog on a couch, while another woman appears thoughtfully on a news broadcast.

Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of NBC’s “Today” show anchor Savannah Guthrie, has been reported missing, and law enforcement described the scene they encountered at her Arizona home as “very concerning.” Homicide detectives were sent in, which is not standard practice in a missing person case, and Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said that the house is a crime scene.

The post Search Underway for Mother of ‘Today’ Anchor Savannah Guthrie, Police Found ‘Very Concerning’ Crime Scene at Her Arizona Home, Homicide Detectives Investigating appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Anti-ICE Resistance Manuals and Training at Schools Receiving Federal Funding – Minnesota ICE Watch, the organization that Renee Good and her wife were members of, distributed a document known as the “De-Arrest Primer,” which instructs activists on how to physically interfere with law enforcement officers during arrests. The post Anti-ICE Resistance Manuals and Training at Schools Receiving Federal Funding appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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Anti-ICE Resistance Manuals and Training at Schools Receiving Federal Funding – Minnesota ICE Watch, the organization that Renee Good and her wife were members of, distributed a document known as the “De-Arrest Primer,” which instructs activists on how to physically interfere with law enforcement officers during arrests. The post Anti-ICE Resistance Manuals and Training at Schools Receiving Federal Funding appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Ice Watch Training event poster highlighting skills for spotting ICE presence, rapid response networking, and non-violent action, scheduled for October 19th at a local high school.

Ice Watch Training event poster highlighting skills for spotting ICE presence, rapid response networking, and non-violent action, scheduled for October 19th at a local high school.

Minnesota ICE Watch, the organization that Renee Good and her wife were members of, distributed a document known as the “De-Arrest Primer,” which instructs activists on how to physically interfere with law enforcement officers during arrests.

The post Anti-ICE Resistance Manuals and Training at Schools Receiving Federal Funding appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Is Methylene Blue the Secret Weapon for Fighting Alzheimers and Keeping Your Brain Young? – (Note: Thank you for supporting businesses like the one presenting a sponsored message below and working with them through the links below which benefits Gateway Pundit. The post Is Methylene Blue the Secret Weapon for Fighting Alzheimers and Keeping Your Brain Young? appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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Is Methylene Blue the Secret Weapon for Fighting Alzheimers and Keeping Your Brain Young? – (Note: Thank you for supporting businesses like the one presenting a sponsored message below and working with them through the links below which benefits Gateway Pundit. The post Is Methylene Blue the Secret Weapon for Fighting Alzheimers and Keeping Your Brain Young? appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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(Note: Thank you for supporting businesses like the one presenting a sponsored message below and working with them through the links below which benefits Gateway Pundit.

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Tony Meléndez inspires students at St. Vincent Martyr School during Catholic Schools Week #Catholic – Students at St. Vincent Martyr School welcomed internationally known musician and speaker Tony Meléndez during a special assembly held Jan. 27 as part of Catholic Schools Week. The assembly brought together students across grade levels, with younger students seated alongside their older-grade buddies. Meléndez performed several songs, playing the guitar with his feet. Born without arms, he is an accomplished guitarist, singer, and composer whose music and message focus on perseverance, faith, and believing in one’s God-given abilities. Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Meléndez and his brother, José, also spoke about the unkindness Tony faced as a child and how both brothers learned to overcome adversity through resilience, faith, and love. José shared a childhood story in which he once wished for a brother who could play Frisbee with him. Their mother’s response — “Love him the way he is” — became a turning point. Not long after, Tony invited his brother to play Frisbee. José threw the Frisbee, and Tony caught it under his chin, flipped it to his foot, and sent it back into the air. The brothers later re-created that moment during the assembly, drawing applause from students and staff. Meléndez also shared a video clip of himself performing for St. Pope John Paul II, who was so moved by the performance that he descended from his viewing box to greet and bless him. The assembly concluded with students offering prayer intentions for family members, friends, and those in need, reinforcing the message of compassion and community central to Catholic Schools Week.  Click here for more information about St. Vincent Martyr School.
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Tony Meléndez inspires students at St. Vincent Martyr School during Catholic Schools Week #Catholic – Students at St. Vincent Martyr School welcomed internationally known musician and speaker Tony Meléndez during a special assembly held Jan. 27 as part of Catholic Schools Week. The assembly brought together students across grade levels, with younger students seated alongside their older-grade buddies. Meléndez performed several songs, playing the guitar with his feet. Born without arms, he is an accomplished guitarist, singer, and composer whose music and message focus on perseverance, faith, and believing in one’s God-given abilities. Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Meléndez and his brother, José, also spoke about the unkindness Tony faced as a child and how both brothers learned to overcome adversity through resilience, faith, and love. José shared a childhood story in which he once wished for a brother who could play Frisbee with him. Their mother’s response — “Love him the way he is” — became a turning point. Not long after, Tony invited his brother to play Frisbee. José threw the Frisbee, and Tony caught it under his chin, flipped it to his foot, and sent it back into the air. The brothers later re-created that moment during the assembly, drawing applause from students and staff. Meléndez also shared a video clip of himself performing for St. Pope John Paul II, who was so moved by the performance that he descended from his viewing box to greet and bless him. The assembly concluded with students offering prayer intentions for family members, friends, and those in need, reinforcing the message of compassion and community central to Catholic Schools Week.  Click here for more information about St. Vincent Martyr School.

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Tony Meléndez inspires students at St. Vincent Martyr School during Catholic Schools Week #Catholic –

Students at St. Vincent Martyr School welcomed internationally known musician and speaker Tony Meléndez during a special assembly held Jan. 27 as part of Catholic Schools Week.

The assembly brought together students across grade levels, with younger students seated alongside their older-grade buddies. Meléndez performed several songs, playing the guitar with his feet. Born without arms, he is an accomplished guitarist, singer, and composer whose music and message focus on perseverance, faith, and believing in one’s God-given abilities.

Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.

Meléndez and his brother, José, also spoke about the unkindness Tony faced as a child and how both brothers learned to overcome adversity through resilience, faith, and love. José shared a childhood story in which he once wished for a brother who could play Frisbee with him. Their mother’s response — “Love him the way he is” — became a turning point.

Not long after, Tony invited his brother to play Frisbee. José threw the Frisbee, and Tony caught it under his chin, flipped it to his foot, and sent it back into the air. The brothers later re-created that moment during the assembly, drawing applause from students and staff.

Meléndez also shared a video clip of himself performing for St. Pope John Paul II, who was so moved by the performance that he descended from his viewing box to greet and bless him.

The assembly concluded with students offering prayer intentions for family members, friends, and those in need, reinforcing the message of compassion and community central to Catholic Schools Week.

 Click here for more information about St. Vincent Martyr School.

– Students at St. Vincent Martyr School welcomed internationally known musician and speaker Tony Meléndez during a special assembly held Jan. 27 as part of Catholic Schools Week. The assembly brought together students across grade levels, with younger students seated alongside their older-grade buddies. Meléndez performed several songs, playing the guitar with his feet. Born without arms, he is an accomplished guitarist, singer, and composer whose music and message focus on perseverance, faith, and believing in one’s God-given abilities. Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Meléndez and his brother, José, also spoke about the unkindness Tony faced as a

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New memoir explores growing up Catholic in a Jewish New Jersey neighborhood #Catholic – How does someone survive childhood in a cramped Cape Cod with ten siblings, a father who could intimidate a grizzly, and a mother with a dangerously sharp sense of humor? Author Joe Brizek answers that question in his riotous new memoir, “A Catholic Kid from a Jewish Neighborhood, Snapshots of a Jersey Childhood” to be released on Amazon on March 26. Set against the backdrop of the 1960s and ’70s, Brizek’s story is a “cultural exchange program” he never signed up for. Navigating life as a Catholic kid in a predominantly Jewish neighborhood, he balances the chaos of a sibling swarm large enough to field a football team with the daily tightrope walk of faith, fear, and adolescence. Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Told through a series of vivid, youth-tinted snapshots, the memoir captures the swings from hilarity to heartbreak. Brizek wanders the wilderness of juvenile insecurity, ultimately finding his footing before stumbling across the high school graduation finish line. “If you’ve ever been part of a big family or survived adolescence with your sanity intact, this book is the best family reunion you never knew you needed,” says Brizek. Joe Brizek’s debut memoir offers a nostalgic yet honest look at the neighborhoods and families that shape us.  
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New memoir explores growing up Catholic in a Jewish New Jersey neighborhood #Catholic – How does someone survive childhood in a cramped Cape Cod with ten siblings, a father who could intimidate a grizzly, and a mother with a dangerously sharp sense of humor? Author Joe Brizek answers that question in his riotous new memoir, “A Catholic Kid from a Jewish Neighborhood, Snapshots of a Jersey Childhood” to be released on Amazon on March 26. Set against the backdrop of the 1960s and ’70s, Brizek’s story is a “cultural exchange program” he never signed up for. Navigating life as a Catholic kid in a predominantly Jewish neighborhood, he balances the chaos of a sibling swarm large enough to field a football team with the daily tightrope walk of faith, fear, and adolescence. Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Told through a series of vivid, youth-tinted snapshots, the memoir captures the swings from hilarity to heartbreak. Brizek wanders the wilderness of juvenile insecurity, ultimately finding his footing before stumbling across the high school graduation finish line. “If you’ve ever been part of a big family or survived adolescence with your sanity intact, this book is the best family reunion you never knew you needed,” says Brizek. Joe Brizek’s debut memoir offers a nostalgic yet honest look at the neighborhoods and families that shape us.  

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New memoir explores growing up Catholic in a Jewish New Jersey neighborhood #Catholic –

How does someone survive childhood in a cramped Cape Cod with ten siblings, a father who could intimidate a grizzly, and a mother with a dangerously sharp sense of humor? Author Joe Brizek answers that question in his riotous new memoir, “A Catholic Kid from a Jewish Neighborhood, Snapshots of a Jersey Childhood” to be released on Amazon on March 26.

Set against the backdrop of the 1960s and ’70s, Brizek’s story is a “cultural exchange program” he never signed up for. Navigating life as a Catholic kid in a predominantly Jewish neighborhood, he balances the chaos of a sibling swarm large enough to field a football team with the daily tightrope walk of faith, fear, and adolescence.

Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.

Told through a series of vivid, youth-tinted snapshots, the memoir captures the swings from hilarity to heartbreak. Brizek wanders the wilderness of juvenile insecurity, ultimately finding his footing before stumbling across the high school graduation finish line.

“If you’ve ever been part of a big family or survived adolescence with your sanity intact, this book is the best family reunion you never knew you needed,” says Brizek.

Joe Brizek’s debut memoir offers a nostalgic yet honest look at the neighborhoods and families that shape us.

 

– How does someone survive childhood in a cramped Cape Cod with ten siblings, a father who could intimidate a grizzly, and a mother with a dangerously sharp sense of humor? Author Joe Brizek answers that question in his riotous new memoir, “A Catholic Kid from a Jewish Neighborhood, Snapshots of a Jersey Childhood” to be released on Amazon on March 26. Set against the backdrop of the 1960s and ’70s, Brizek’s story is a “cultural exchange program” he never signed up for. Navigating life as a Catholic kid in a predominantly Jewish neighborhood, he balances the chaos of a sibling

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Lincoln Park Knights earn prestigious Star Council Award #Catholic – The Knights of Columbus, John Fitzgerald Kennedy Council 5486, of from Lincoln Park, N.J., is proud to announce that it has achieved the Star Council Award, which recognizes outstanding achievement in membership, insurance, programming, and overall operations. Earning a Star Award is the mark of a high-performing knights’ councils. Pictured with the Gold Award are (from the left) JFK Grand Knight Rick Doyle and District Deputy Michael Brescia. Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
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Lincoln Park Knights earn prestigious Star Council Award #Catholic – The Knights of Columbus, John Fitzgerald Kennedy Council 5486, of from Lincoln Park, N.J., is proud to announce that it has achieved the Star Council Award, which recognizes outstanding achievement in membership, insurance, programming, and overall operations. Earning a Star Award is the mark of a high-performing knights’ councils. Pictured with the Gold Award are (from the left) JFK Grand Knight Rick Doyle and District Deputy Michael Brescia. Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.

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Lincoln Park Knights earn prestigious Star Council Award #Catholic –

The Knights of Columbus, John Fitzgerald Kennedy Council 5486, of from Lincoln Park, N.J., is proud to announce that it has achieved the Star Council Award, which recognizes outstanding achievement in membership, insurance, programming, and overall operations. Earning a Star Award is the mark of a high-performing knights’ councils. Pictured with the Gold Award are (from the left) JFK Grand Knight Rick Doyle and District Deputy Michael Brescia.

Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.

– The Knights of Columbus, John Fitzgerald Kennedy Council 5486, of from Lincoln Park, N.J., is proud to announce that it has achieved the Star Council Award, which recognizes outstanding achievement in membership, insurance, programming, and overall operations. Earning a Star Award is the mark of a high-performing knights’ councils. Pictured with the Gold Award are (from the left) JFK Grand Knight Rick Doyle and District Deputy Michael Brescia. Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.

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Finally: Newsom Announces Finished Construction Of High-Speed Rail Between His House And French Laundry #BabylonBee – SACRAMENTO, CA — Governor Newsom announced today that construction has wrapped on the long anticipated high speed rail project, finally connecting his house directly to the French Laundry.
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Finally: Newsom Announces Finished Construction Of High-Speed Rail Between His House And French Laundry #BabylonBee – SACRAMENTO, CA — Governor Newsom announced today that construction has wrapped on the long anticipated high speed rail project, finally connecting his house directly to the French Laundry.

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SACRAMENTO, CA — Governor Newsom announced today that construction has wrapped on the long anticipated high speed rail project, finally connecting his house directly to the French Laundry.

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Blessing of Grapes: Prayer of the Day for Monday, February 02, 2026 – #Prayer – Bless, O Lord, these new fruits of the vine which Thou hast brought to maturity by the dew of heaven, by plentiful rains, and by tranquil and favorable weather. Thou hast given us this fruit for our use that we may receive it with thanks in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Spirit, world without end. Amen.

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Bless, O Lord, these new fruits of the vine which Thou hast brought to maturity by the dew of heaven, by plentiful rains, and by tranquil and favorable weather. Thou hast given us this fruit for our use that we may receive it with thanks in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Spirit, world without end. Amen.

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Gospel and Word of the Day – 02 February 2026 – A reading from the Book of Malachi 3:1-4 Thus says the Lord GOD: Lo, I am sending my messenger to prepare the way before me; And suddenly there will come to the temple the LORD whom you seek, And the messenger of the covenant whom you desire. Yes, he is coming, says the LORD of hosts. But who will endure the day of his coming? And who can stand when he appears? For he is like the refiner’s fire, or like the fuller’s lye. He will sit refining and purifying silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi, Refining them like gold or like silver that they may offer due sacrifice to the LORD. Then the sacrifice of Judah and Jerusalem will please the LORD, as in the days of old, as in years gone by.   A reading from the Letter to the Hebrews 2:14-18 Since the children share in blood and flesh, Jesus likewise shared in them, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the Devil, and free those who through fear of death had been subject to slavery all their life. Surely he did not help angels but rather the descendants of Abraham; therefore, he had to become like his brothers and sisters in every way, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest before God to expiate the sins of the people. Because he himself was tested through what he suffered, he is able to help those who are being tested.From the Gospel according to Luke 2:22-40  When the days were completed for their purification according to the law of Moses, Mary and Joseph took Jesus up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord, just as it is written in the law of the Lord, Every male that opens the womb shall be consecrated to the Lord, and to offer the sacrifice of a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons, in accordance with the dictate in the law of the Lord. Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon. This man was righteous and devout, awaiting the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he should not see death before he had seen the Christ of the Lord. He came in the Spirit into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus to perform the custom of the law in regard to him, he took him into his arms and blessed God, saying: “Now, Master, you may let your servant go in peace, according to your word, for my eyes have seen your salvation, which you prepared in the sight of all the peoples: a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and glory for your people Israel.” The child’s father and mother were amazed at what was said about him; and Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be contradicted -and you yourself a sword will pierce- so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.” There was also a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years, having lived seven years with her husband after her marriage, and then as a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple, but worshiped night and day with fasting and prayer. And coming forward at that very time, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were awaiting the redemption of Jerusalem. When they had fulfilled all the prescriptions of the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him.Today’s liturgy represents and brings up to date a “mystery” of the life of Christ: in the Temple, the religious heart of the Jewish nation, in which animals were continually sacrificed to be offered to God, he makes his first entrance, humble and modest, He who, according to the prophecy of Malachi, must “sit as a refiner and purifier” (Mal 3:3), in particular those people consecrated to the worship and service of God. The Psalmist, foreseeing this coming, exclaims full of enthusiasm, addressing the Temple itself: “Lift up your heads, O gates! / and be lifted up, ancient doors! / that the King of glory may come in. / Who is the King of glory? / The Lord, strong and mighty, / the Lord, mighty in battle! / … The Lord of hosts, he is the King of glory!” (Ps 24:7-10). But the “king of glory” is now a tiny newborn, just forty days old, who is brought to the Temple to be offered to God, as prescribed by the law of Moses. Who is this newborn child in reality? The answer to this question, fundamental for the history of the world and of humanity, is given prophetically by the elderly Simeon who, holding the child in his arms, sees and senses God’s “salvation” in him, the “a light for revelation to the Gentiles”, the “glory” of the people of Israel, the “fall and rising of many in Israel”, the “sign that is spoken against”. All of this is that child who, despite being the “king of glory”, the “Lord of the Temple”, enters it for the first time, in silence, in concealment and in the fragility of human nature. (Saint John Paul II – Homily, 2 February 1981)

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A reading from the Book of Malachi
3:1-4
Thus says the Lord GOD:
Lo, I am sending my messenger
to prepare the way before me;
And suddenly there will come to the temple
the LORD whom you seek,
And the messenger of the covenant whom you desire.
Yes, he is coming, says the LORD of hosts.
But who will endure the day of his coming?
And who can stand when he appears?
For he is like the refiner’s fire,
or like the fuller’s lye.
He will sit refining and purifying silver,
and he will purify the sons of Levi,
Refining them like gold or like silver
that they may offer due sacrifice to the LORD.
Then the sacrifice of Judah and Jerusalem
will please the LORD,
as in the days of old, as in years gone by.

 

A reading from the Letter to the Hebrews
2:14-18

Since the children share in blood and flesh,
Jesus likewise shared in them,
that through death he might destroy the one
who has the power of death, that is, the Devil,
and free those who through fear of death
had been subject to slavery all their life.
Surely he did not help angels
but rather the descendants of Abraham;
therefore, he had to become like his brothers and sisters
in every way,
that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest before God
to expiate the sins of the people.
Because he himself was tested through what he suffered,
he is able to help those who are being tested.

From the Gospel according to Luke
2:22-40 

When the days were completed for their purification
according to the law of Moses,
Mary and Joseph took Jesus up to Jerusalem
to present him to the Lord,
just as it is written in the law of the Lord,
Every male that opens the womb shall be consecrated to the Lord,
and to offer the sacrifice of
a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons,
in accordance with the dictate in the law of the Lord.

Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon.
This man was righteous and devout,
awaiting the consolation of Israel,
and the Holy Spirit was upon him.
It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit
that he should not see death
before he had seen the Christ of the Lord.
He came in the Spirit into the temple;
and when the parents brought in the child Jesus
to perform the custom of the law in regard to him,
he took him into his arms and blessed God, saying:

“Now, Master, you may let your servant go
in peace, according to your word,
for my eyes have seen your salvation,
which you prepared in the sight of all the peoples:
a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
and glory for your people Israel.”

The child’s father and mother were amazed at what was said about him;
and Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother,
“Behold, this child is destined
for the fall and rise of many in Israel,
and to be a sign that will be contradicted
-and you yourself a sword will pierce-
so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”
There was also a prophetess, Anna,
the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher.
She was advanced in years,
having lived seven years with her husband after her marriage,
and then as a widow until she was eighty-four.
She never left the temple,
but worshiped night and day with fasting and prayer.
And coming forward at that very time,
she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child
to all who were awaiting the redemption of Jerusalem.

When they had fulfilled all the prescriptions
of the law of the Lord,
they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth.
The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom;
and the favor of God was upon him.

Today’s liturgy represents and brings up to date a “mystery” of the life of Christ: in the Temple, the religious heart of the Jewish nation, in which animals were continually sacrificed to be offered to God, he makes his first entrance, humble and modest, He who, according to the prophecy of Malachi, must “sit as a refiner and purifier” (Mal 3:3), in particular those people consecrated to the worship and service of God. The Psalmist, foreseeing this coming, exclaims full of enthusiasm, addressing the Temple itself: “Lift up your heads, O gates! / and be lifted up, ancient doors! / that the King of glory may come in. / Who is the King of glory? / The Lord, strong and mighty, / the Lord, mighty in battle! / … The Lord of hosts, he is the King of glory!” (Ps 24:7-10). But the “king of glory” is now a tiny newborn, just forty days old, who is brought to the Temple to be offered to God, as prescribed by the law of Moses. Who is this newborn child in reality? The answer to this question, fundamental for the history of the world and of humanity, is given prophetically by the elderly Simeon who, holding the child in his arms, sees and senses God’s “salvation” in him, the “a light for revelation to the Gentiles”, the “glory” of the people of Israel, the “fall and rising of many in Israel”, the “sign that is spoken against”. All of this is that child who, despite being the “king of glory”, the “Lord of the Temple”, enters it for the first time, in silence, in concealment and in the fragility of human nature. (Saint John Paul II – Homily, 2 February 1981)

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Feb. 1, 1877: Pickering starts at Harvard College Observatory

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Edward Charles Pickering graduated summa cum laude from Lawrence Scientific School at the age of 19, beginning a position as a physics professor at MIT a year later. During his 10 years there, he created the first physics laboratory in America for student use. But it was his appointment as director of the Harvard CollegeContinue reading “Feb. 1, 1877: Pickering starts at Harvard College Observatory”

The post Feb. 1, 1877: Pickering starts at Harvard College Observatory appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

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