Catholic Charities USA President Kerry Alys Robinson said the bill “has the potential to improve the lives of so many of our fellow citizens.”
A reading from the Book of Isaiah
49:1-6
Hear me, O coastlands,
listen, O distant peoples.
The LORD called me from birth,
from my mother’s womb he gave me my name.
He made of me a sharp-edged sword
and concealed me in the shadow of his arm.
He made me a polished arrow,
in his quiver he hid me.
You are my servant, he said to me,
Israel, through whom I show my glory.
Though I thought I had toiled in vain,
and for nothing, uselessly, spent my strength,
yet my reward is with the LORD,
my recompense is with my God.
For now the LORD has spoken
who formed me as his servant from the womb,
that Jacob may be brought back to him
and Israel gathered to him;
and I am made glorious in the sight of the LORD,
and my God is now my strength!
It is too little, he says, for you to be my servant,
to raise up the tribes of Jacob,
and restore the survivors of Israel;
I will make you a light to the nations,
that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.
A reading from the Book of the Acts of the Apostles
13:22-26
In those days, Paul said:
“God raised up David as king;
of him God testified,
I have found David, son of Jesse, a man after my own heart;
he will carry out my every wish.
From this man’s descendants God, according to his promise,
has brought to Israel a savior, Jesus.
John heralded his coming by proclaiming a baptism of repentance
to all the people of Israel;
and as John was completing his course, he would say,
‘What do you suppose that I am? I am not he.
Behold, one is coming after me;
I am not worthy to unfasten the sandals of his feet.’
“My brothers, sons of the family of Abraham,
and those others among you who are God-fearing,
to us this word of salvation has been sent.”
From the Gospel according to Luke
1:57-66, 80
When the time arrived for Elizabeth to have her child
she gave birth to a son.
Her neighbors and relatives heard
that the Lord had shown his great mercy toward her,
and they rejoiced with her.
When they came on the eighth day to circumcise the child,
they were going to call him Zechariah after his father,
but his mother said in reply,
“No. He will be called John.”
But they answered her,
“There is no one among your relatives who has this name.”
So they made signs, asking his father what he wished him to be called.
He asked for a tablet and wrote, “John is his name,”
and all were amazed.
Immediately his mouth was opened, his tongue freed,
and he spoke blessing God.
Then fear came upon all their neighbors,
and all these matters were discussed
throughout the hill country of Judea.
All who heard these things took them to heart, saying,
“What, then, will this child be?”
For surely the hand of the Lord was with him.
The child grew and became strong in spirit,
and he was in the desert until the day
of his manifestation to Israel.
Today, 24 June, we are celebrating the Solemnity of St John the Baptist. He is the only saint — with the exception of the Virgin Mary — whose birth the liturgy celebrates and it does so because it is closely connected with the mystery of the Incarnation of the Son of God. In fact, from the time when he was in his mother’s womb John was the precursor of Jesus: the Angel announced to Mary his miraculous conception as a sign that “nothing is impossible to God” (Lk 1:37), six months before the great miracle that brings us salvation, God’s union with man brought about by the Holy Spirit. The four Gospels place great emphasis on the figure of John the Baptist, the prophet who concludes the Old Testament and inaugurates the New, by identifying Jesus of Nazareth as the Messiah, the Anointed One of the Lord. In fact, Jesus himself was to speak of John in these terms: “This is he of whom it is written ‘Behold I send my messenger before your face, / who shall prepare your way before you. Truly I say to you, among those born of women there has risen no one greater than John the Baptist; yet he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he!” (Mt 11:10-11). (…) The Virgin Mary helped her elderly kinswoman Elizabeth when she was expecting John to bring her pregnancy to completion. May she help all people to follow Jesus, the Christ, the Son of God, whom the Baptist proclaimed with deep humility and prophetic fervour. (Pope Benedict XVI, Angelus, 24 June 2012)
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Mountain gorilla (Gorilla beringei beringei), Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Uganda
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Have you read the shortest book(s) in the Bible? #Catholic – 
“I give thanks to my God always, remembering you in my prayers, as I hear of the love and the faith you have in the Lord Jesus and for all the holy ones, so that your partnership in the faith may become effective in recognizing every good there is in us that leads to Christ.”
(Phil. 1:4–6)
BISHOP KEVIN J. SWEENEY
“You can learn something new every day.” You can also re-learn or remember some things that you have learned and forgotten. Among the many highlights of the beautiful (long) weekend from Thursday, June 11 through Monday, June 15, as we celebrated the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, followed by ordinations to the priesthood on the Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, and hosting the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage, I had the blessing to hear a talk given by one of the visiting “Eucharistic Preachers”, Father Rafael Capo.
Father Rafael spoke at Holy Rosary Church and the Diocesan Shrine of St. Pope John Paul II in Passaic on Sunday, June 14, in the afternoon, in preparation for a (3-mile) Eucharistic procession through the streets of Passaic, leading to a beautiful opening Mass, for our participation in the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage, at Boverini Stadium, on a beautiful summer afternoon and evening.
The topic of Father Rafael’s talk was “Influenced by the Eucharist,” during which he used the image of the Church as a “pilgrim people” and presented seven “signposts” or ways in which we can be influenced by the Eucharist. The Eucharistic procession was a living expression of a “pilgrim” people being led by the Real Presence of our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament.
One of the signposts that Father Rafael presented was “the way the Eucharist can influence our vision.” During that part of his talk, Father Rafael asked, “Have you read the shortest book in the Bible?” I think he then asked, “Do you know which is the shortest book in the Bible?” and, as I recall, he looked towards me and said (something like), “I’m sure the bishop knows.” I was relieved when he did not ask me to give the answer, because I was stumped – I couldn’t remember. Father Rafael went on to speak about the ways that Jesus, present in His Word and in the Eucharist, can influence our “vision” and can encourage us to “see” people differently, just as St. Paul encourages Philemon.
Father Rafael said that the shortest book in the Bible is The Letter to Philemon. Although Google’s “AI Overview” (see below) and some other sources would “argue” with Father Rafael, it is clear that “Philemon” is one of the (three) shortest. From Google’s AI: The shortest book in the Bible depends on the language and the criteria you use:
- By word count: 3 John (Third John) is the absolute shortest book, containing only 219 words in its original Greek.
- By verse count: 2 John (Second John) is the shortest, containing only 13 verses (though it has slightly more words than 3 John).
A website called OverviewBible has a very interesting and informative article, with an accompanying (10-minute) YouTube Video on the Shortest (and Longest) Books in the Bible, and offers this list:
Here are the five shortest books of the Bible, beginning with the very shortest. These measurements are by words in the original languages. Each of these books is only one chapter long, and would take you a few minutes to read, tops:
- Third John (219 words)
- Second John (245 words)
- Philemon (335 words)
- Obadiah (440 words)
- Jude (461 words)
See: The 5 shortest books of the Bible
Father Rafael spoke about the ways that Jesus, present in His Word and in the Eucharist, can influence our “vision” and can encourage us to “see” people differently, just as St. Paul encourages Philemon, as a Christian, to “see” and welcome Onesimus, “…no longer as a slave but more than a slave, a brother, beloved especially to me, but even more so to you, as a man and in the Lord…” (Phil. 1:16) ) In writing to Philemon, a personal friend, St. Paul demonstrates that his faith influenced evangelization. St. Paul wrote, “I pray that the sharing of your faith may become even more effective so that you may come to perceive all the blessings we have in Christ” (Phil. 1:6). The Eucharist and the power of God’s word impel our mission to build up God’s Kingdom. The Apostle shows that the power of encouragement strongly influences others to value the gifts that flow from faith, “Your love has given me much joy and encouragement because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed by you, my brother” (1:7). The power of the Eucharist influences and transforms our whole vision of life if we are open to the reminder of St. Augustine. In receiving the Eucharist, we “become what we are,” the Body of Christ.
I am sure that I had learned about the Letter to Philemon when I was in the seminary and, more recently, as I listened to the Bible in a Year, but I was so grateful that Father Rafael “re-introduced” me to this powerful and inspiring (short) Book/Letter. The Catholic Bible Online offers this summary:
“The Letter to Philemon is a short and deeply personal letter that addresses the theme of Christian reconciliation and the radical equality of all believers in Christ. Paul writes to a wealthy Christian to ask for the forgiveness and the acceptance of a runaway slave who has become a brother in the faith. We see the power of the Gospel to transcend social boundaries and to transform relationships from one of ownership to one of mutual love. This book teaches us that in Christ there is a new way of relating to one another that is based on the mercy of the Lord.”
The Bible Project website offers a very interesting description and commentary, both in writing and by means of an excellent (6-minute) “narrated illustration” that provides background on Philemon’s household in Colossae and Paul’s relationship with the “Colossians,” – to whom he wrote a Letter, which is a more well-known part of the New Testament. The Bible Project commentary also provides a very helpful reflection on Paul’s use of the word “partnership” in v. 6, from the Greek word, Koinonia (sharing, mutual participation), which, it says, “…for Paul this experience of koinonia amongst Jesus’ followers is not just an idea that you think about, it is something that you do in your relationships…” I encourage you to take the time to watch and listen to the full narrated illustration.
Even more importantly, I encourage you to take a few minutes to read and pray with St. Paul’s Letter to Philemon. I am a “slow reader,” so I was surprised when, out of curiosity, I used my phone’s “stopwatch” to see how long it would take me to read the letter. 1 minute and 49 seconds! I think I have read and prayed with the Letter about five or six times since Father Rafael brought it back to my attention. If you are like me, you might also take the time to read the (even shorter) Second and Third Letters of John. I hope that, like me, you will be glad you did so. You might also find yourself being reminded that “you can learn (or re-learn) something new every day.”
– “I give thanks to my God always, remembering you in my prayers, as I hear of the love and the faith you have in the Lord Jesus and for all the holy ones, so that your partnership in the faith may become effective in recognizing every good there is in us that leads to Christ.” (Phil. 1:4–6) BISHOP KEVIN J. SWEENEY “You can learn something new every day.” You can also re-learn or remember some things that you have learned and forgotten. Among the many highlights of the beautiful (long) weekend from Thursday, June 11 through Monday, June 15, as
The Moon’s rocky, uneven, and otherworldly surface features are highlighted by the terminator – the difference between light and darkness.
Read More![Catholic group asks Pope Leo to clarify Church's stance on Israel - #Catholic - Catholic Voices for Israel is asking Pope Leo XIV to clarify the Church’s position on Zionism and the modern state of Israel.In an open letter addressed to Pope Leo on June 22, the group’s co-founders André Villeneuve and Father Antoine Lévy, OP, are asking the Holy Father to answer the question, “Should Catholics interpret the creation and enduring existence of the State of Israel as a sign of God’s providence — or should they not?”
Sacred Heart Major Seminary professor André Villeneuve is co-founder of Catholic Voices for Israel | Credit: Courtesy of André Villeneuve
While the pair note that “the Church’s reticence to pronounce on the theological meaning of the State of Israel has served a real purpose,” they proceed to express concerns over “a number of Catholic commentators” who they contend “have interpreted this silence as a formal dismissal of the very possibility of ascribing any theological resonance to the founding of the State of Israel and to its enduring existence.”“The Church’s silence regarding Israel’s right to exist — the reluctance to go beyond mere political recognition, on a par with that extended to the still inchoate State of Palestine (2013) — gives ground to all those Catholic voices that wish to lend this campaign of denigration the authority of the Church’s own name,” the letter manifests.Villeneuve and Lévy argue that “the ‘theological silence’ that has prevailed until now would risk doing more harm to the Church’s witness than the prudence it was meant to preserve.”‘For Zion’s Sake’Villeneuve and Lévy’s letter to Pope Leo comes as part of an effort by Catholic Voices for Israel to make “a biblically grounded, theologically informed case for Catholic solidarity with Israel.” In its founding statement, “For Zion’s Sake: A Catholic Appeal in Support of Israel,” the recently formed Catholic Voices for Israel (CVFI) calls for Catholic Zionism to be understood as “supporting the Jewish people’s right to self‑determination in their ancient, biblical homeland; acknowledging God’s love for Zion and his promise of the land in Scripture; recognizing that these promises were never revoked in the New Testament; and remaining open to seeing the work of divine providence in Israel’s return to the land — a possibility the Church has not foreclosed.”Since launching CVFI last month, “For Zion’s Sake” has garnered 165 signatories, including prominent names such as Gavin DʼCosta of the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome and Jennifer Bryson of the Ethics and Public Policy Center in Washington, D.C.Addressing the question of his motivation for helping to spearhead the initiative, Villeneuve, an associate professor of Old Testament and biblical languages at Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit, Michigan, told EWTN News that Catholic antisemitism has “become much more prevalent” since Oct. 7, 2023 on two levels: the political level and the theological and biblical level.“All the prophets consistently reaffirm Godʼs covenant with Israel and his promises that he will return them back to their land. So why arenʼt Catholics taking that seriously?” Villeneuve said. “As if this is just an evangelical, dispensationalist-type of idea, when Scripture is really quite clear about it? These promises and prophecies are never abolished in the New Testament.”One of the four “Guiding Principles” in CVFI’s Charter asserts the importance of the re-establishment of a Jewish homeland in the modern State of Israel, quoting Pope Benedict XVI who said in a 2018 letter to Rabbi Arie Folger that "it is not difficult, I believe, to see in the creation of the State of Israel the fidelity of God to Israel is revealed in a mysterious way.”While Villeneuve and the Charter both make the case for a Catholic Zionism and recognition of biblical significance for the modern state of Israel, other Catholic public intellectuals argue that the lack of official teaching leaves room for Catholics to disagree or form alternate opinions.Indeed, in the same 2018 letter to Rabbi Folger, Benedict XVI says “the state of Israel cannot be seen to theologically represent fulfillment of the Land promise, but rather as a secular state which of course has religious foundations.”Outside perspectives on the effort“The Charter is strongest when it grounds itself in truths the Church has clearly affirmed,” Simone Rizkallah, manager of Jewish-Christian Partnerships at the Tikvah Fund, told EWTN News.
Simone Rizkallah is manager of Jewish-Christian Partnerships at the Tikvah Fund. | Credit: Courtesy of The Given Institute
“Where the Charter moves beyond settled doctrine is in its attempt to reflect on the theological significance of the modern State of Israel,” she said, explaining that the Catholic Church has never taught that the modern State of Israel was biblically prophesied, nor rejected the idea that “the re-establishment of a Jewish homeland might bear theological significance in light of Godʼs enduring fidelity to the Jewish people.”“On these questions there remains room for legitimate theological exploration and debate among Catholics,” Rizkallah, who is not a signatory to the Charter, said.In addition, Rizkallah pointed to the perspective of Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, in his framing of the issue: “[Pizzaballa] put his finger on an important aspect of the discussion when he observed: "While Europeans primarily view Israel as a state, for Jews it is much more than that.”“Too often Catholics discuss Israel exclusively as a political entity without adequately appreciating the religious, historical, and covenantal significance that the Land of Israel holds within the Jewish self-understanding,” she said. “Recognizing that reality does not require agreement with every policy of the Israeli government, but it does require taking Jewish self-understanding seriously.”Rizkallah, who is also a founding member of the Coalition of Catholics Against Antisemitism, said she welcomed the charter’s rejection of dispensationalism, dual-covenant theology, political absolutism, and the notion that Israel should be exempt from moral scrutiny. She further praised the document’s acknowledgement of the dignity and concerns of Palestinians and local Christians.“One reason I believe this conversation is so important is that, despite the tremendous progress in Catholic-Jewish relations since Nostra Aetate, there are signs that certain anti-Jewish attitudes are reappearing within parts of Catholic discourse,” she said. “I do not mean that large numbers of Catholics are racial antisemites, nor do I mean that the Churchʼs official teaching has changed. On the contrary, the Churchʼs teaching on the Jewish people remains one of the great achievements of the post-conciliar era.”“The challenge facing Catholics today is not only to reject overt antisemitism, but also to ensure that our theological, political, and moral judgments are shaped by what the Church actually teaches about the Jewish people,” Rizkallah pointed out.A ‘work of God’For his part, David Moss, longtime president of the Association of Hebrew Catholics in the U.S., praised CVFI’s initiative.](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/catholic-group-asks-pope-leo-to-clarify-churchs-stance-on-israel-catholic-catholic-voices-for-israel-is-asking-pope-leo-xiv-to-clarify-the-churchs-position-on-zionism-and-the-modern-st-scaled.jpg)
“Should Catholics interpret the creation and enduring existence of the State of Israel as a sign of God’s providence — or should they not?” Catholic Voices for Israel asks Pope Leo in an open letter.
The awards were announced at the conclusion of the 2026 Catholic Media Conference, held June 16–19 in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
The two patriarchs, accompanied by Josef D. Blotz of the Order of Malta, made a pastoral and humanitarian visit to Gaza to show that their concern for the area remains a priority.
The MLB commissioner said in a letter that the Giants did not adequately inform the players that gay pride caps were optional, Hawley said.
Chris Schur, taken from Payson, Arizona In 1983, NASA’s pioneering Infrared Astronomical Satellite (IRAS) imaged the sky and found dust trails littered throughout the solar system. The cause turned out to be comets, which leave trails of dust that build up in their orbit. The dust trail of 10P/Tempel (also known as Comet Tempel 2)Continue reading “Comet Tempel 2’s dust trail”
The post Comet Tempel 2’s dust trail appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.
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Wulfenite crystals with calcite, found in the Erupción Mine, Sierra de Los Lamentos, Ahumada Municipality, Chihuahua, Mexico.
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The recognition for Bishop Olivier Schmitthaeusler is a rare gesture from the Buddhist establishment of a country where Catholics number barely 20,000.
Bishops across the UK and other Catholic leaders say they want more information before endorsing a proposal to ban social media for youth under 16.
Using data from NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory, astronomers may have found a supernova remnant in an intriguing neighborhood in the middle of our galaxy.
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