There is an evangelist out there named Freddy Clark, he travels the country doing tent revivals, everyone, 100% of the people he prays for at his meetings gets miraculously healed, all of them! Some amazing things happen! I have been at his meetings several times, I also was healed! One time I came and my vision was blurry, I could not read the bible, but he pointed at me and told me to stand up, then he said God was healing me, then I saw a pair of eyes up at the ceiling and they came down and went into me, then my vision came into focus! At the same meeting a man was healed of cancer, a woman who had contacts took them out and no longer needed them, and several more also got healed! He travels in the south of the United States during the winter, than comes up north for the summer, he is in my state (Pennsylvania) almost every summer. If he comes again I will take a road-trip and go again, it is worth it! If you have any sickness in your body you NEED to come, drive there and get a hotel room, there is a good chance you will get healed, it may all be over in an instant! His meetings typically last for 10 nights, if you go and don't get healed at first keep coming, I did not get healed until night 5! If for whatever reason you go for several nights and he misses you just ask him for prayer at the end of the meeting.

3/29/24 Update: See new post #28 on 2nd page of posts

_------------

Earlier post:
Context (in blue) --

Context: in 2017 many popular science reports such as in newspapers and many websites use sensational headlines (jumping the gun in a big way) about the "7 Earth-like worlds" discovered around the red dwarf star Trappist-1.

Of course, not all media used the more sensational headline of "Earth-like", but instead many more carefully and correctly used the modifier "Earth sized".

But even some major news outlets that usually have good quality slipped up on that:

Scientists find 7 Earth-like planets orbiting nearby ultracool star​

Scientists find 7 Earth-like planets orbiting nearby ultracool star

Exoplanets are a dime a dozen these days, but the Trappist-1 exosolar system stands out by hosting seven Earth-like exoplanets, according to a new study.

www.pbs.org

" This dim star hosts seven Earth-like planets within its habitable zone, according to a study published today in the journal Nature. Exoplanets are a dime a dozen these days, but due to unique properties in this exosolar system, the new discovery may usher in a movement in the hunt for habitable worlds — one where astrophysicists can ascertain the presence of life without traveling across the cosmos."

That's just not fair to readers, to write or report that instead of being simply "Earth sized", these are thought "Earth-like". (maybe! but not so fast!)

"Earth like": Seven Earth-Like Planets Orbit One Nearby Star
"Wonderful": Wonderful potentially habitable worlds around TRAPPIST-1
"Earth like": 7 Earth-Like Worlds Orbit a Star So Cool, You Didn’t Know It Existed
etc.

So, in the popular imagination of many no doubt, 7 new planets a lot like Earth had been found. e.g. -- Perhaps 1 or more of them would be teeming with life and even mobile creatures or such?

I bet tens of millions had their hopes up, artificially pumped up. Will they still be interested in funding new telescopes if all 7 planets are a bust?....

Already, well before 2017, research had already been published calculating that red dwarf stars would likely degrade the atmospheres of small rocky planets (like Earth sized planets) near enough to the small cool red dwarf stars for a temperature range to allow liquid water. That would remove or sharply degrade the atmospheres of such small close planets at liquid water range temperatures...due to the intense stellar wind and flaring of the red dwarf stars on nearby planets (close enough for water to be liquid).

To manage to retain an atmosphere near a red dwarf star, a planet would need a strong magnetic field (and some good luck of other kinds also such as atmospheric renewal sources, etc.)....

There might be such a lucky planet around a red dwarf we can find soon...but that's a roll of the dice with lower odds.

There are stars thought to be more favorable than red dwarfs, and this isn't obscure or extremely hard to find information either.

Of course, I'm still interested in that low-odds chance of finding one of these 7 around Trappist-1 with an atmosphere and even a favorable atmosphere, but I'm objecting to the over-hyping of those worlds as 'Earth like' when we don't yet know....

That's what we are going to be determining soon....

It will be fascinating what we find, no matter what it is...

And results are in for the first one, the innermost planet of Trappist-1:

===========================================
It's got no atmosphere.

(in the manner of speaking like we'd say Mercury 'has no atmosphere', though of course it has a very slight, tenuous atmosphere that is constantly escaping)

And contrary to some reports, a lack of a significant atmosphere is not a surprise for at least some (or maybe a lot) of astronomers....

I'll also post in post #2 a nice video to fill in more detail from the basics about how these observations work, for general readers not familiar with those details.

"An international team of researchers has used the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope to measure the temperature of the rocky exoplanet TRAPPIST-1 b. The measurement is based on the planet's thermal emission: heat energy given off in the form of infrared light detected by Webb's Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI).

"The result indicates that the planet's dayside has a temperature of about 500 Kelvin (roughly 230°C), and suggests that it has no significant atmosphere. This is the first detection of any form of light emitted by an exoplanet as small and as cool as the rocky planets in our own solar system. The result marks an important step in determining whether planets orbiting small active stars like TRAPPIST-1 can sustain atmospheres needed to support life. It also bodes well for Webb's ability to characterize temperate, Earth-sized exoplanets using MIRI.

Webb space telescope measures the temperature of a rocky exoplanet

An international team of researchers has used the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope to measure the temperature of the rocky exoplanet TRAPPIST-1 b. The measurement is based on the planet's thermal emission: heat energy given off in the form of infrared light detected by Webb's Mid-Infrared...

phys.org

I've heard this observation of no atmosphere referred to as a 'surprise' (at The Atlantic), and a 'disappointment' in another place -- but it's not at all that way: those are odd reactions in my view. Why wouldn't many people know an inner rocky (small) planet near a red dwarf would be atmosphere free or nearly so?...

That's been in research reports for years...

When I posted that here in CF several times, about different reports, it was just another article, that anyone in the field could have read, by a quick search even...

So, it was expected (at least to many astronomers and those of us that read their research):

Halbhh said:

Crispy planet

In all, the observed flare was roughly 100 times more powerful than any similar flare seen from Earth's sun. [ -- yikes! -- ] Over time, such energy can strip away a planet's atmosphere and even expose life forms to deadly radiation.

That type of flare may not be a rare occurrence on Proxima Centauri. In addition to the big boom in May 2019, the researchers recorded many other flares during the 40 hours they spent watching the star.

"Proxima Centauri's planets are getting hit by something like this not once in a century, but at least once a day if not several times a day," MacGregor said.

Click to expand...

or:
"Most planets in recent years thought to be in the 'habitable zone' or optimistically dubbed 'Earth like' aren't likely to be (since red dwarfs are the most common type of star). The actual magnetic field of the star itself can help strip the planetary atmosphere--

"These "Goldilocks" planets may enjoy temperatures and atmospheric pressures that allow life-giving water to exist, but likely orbit too close to their stars to escape the effects of the star's strong magnetic fields and the associated radiation."

And more (I think I posted it way back already in 2017 also, but the above is enough to illustrate.

Catholics might find this New York Times story instructive in terms of the assumptions and vision on display in the secular brave (and brutal) new world.

What are a grown child’s duties toward his elderly parents?

I know that “one-size-doesn’t-fit-all.” I recognize modern society has changed, with individuals atomized, families smaller and mobility everywhere. I acknowledge that, for better or worse, many roles in this regard previously filled by families are now done by government or the “health care industry.”

Yet I want to think that the notion of “filial piety” is more than just a trope in old Oriental B-movies.

The occasion of my ruminations is an article in The New York Times magazine about the challenges 30- and 20-somethings are facing caring for aging Boomer parents. I’ll admit: the title, “The Agony of Putting Your Life on Hold to Care for Your Parents” set my teeth on edge. Reading comments on the story (comments sections are eye-opening barometers of public thinking, at least of those loud enough to fill the public space) proved my blood pressure meds are very good.

Continued below.

So once again we find out the Biden administration lied to the American people.

I am thinking of the two men in white at Jesus' ascension, and the two men in Revelation 11. And I match this up with the most admirable men in history. Men who could save not only themselves but others and bring comfort.
KJV Ezekiel 14:20-23
20Though Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, as I live, saith the Lord GOD, they shall deliver neither son nor daughter; they shall but deliver their own souls by their righteousness.


21For thus saith the Lord GOD; How much more when I send my four sore judgments upon Jerusalem, the sword, and the famine, and the noisome beast, and the pestilence, to cut off from it man and beast? 22Yet, behold, therein shall be left a remnant that shall be brought forth, both sons and daughters: behold, they shall come forth unto you, and ye shall see their way and their doings: and ye shall be comforted concerning the evil that I have brought upon Jerusalem, even concerning all that I have brought upon it. 23And they shall comfort you, when ye see their ways and their doings: and ye shall know that I have not done without cause all that I have done in it, saith the Lord GOD.

And KJV Revelation 11:1-13
1And there was given me a reed like unto a rod: and the angel stood, saying, Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein. 2But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months. 3And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth. 4These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth. 5And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies: and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed. 6These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy: and have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they will.

The Witnesses Killed and Raised

7And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them. 8And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified. 9And they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations shall see their dead bodies three days and an half, and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves. 10And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them, and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another; because these two prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth.

11And after three days and an half the Spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them. 12And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them. 13And the same hour was there a great earthquake, and the tenth part of the city fell, and in the earthquake were slain of men seven thousand: and the remnant were affrighted, and gave glory to the God of heaven.

I think Ezekiel and Moses are those two men. They could stand up to droves of rebellious people, remain right, and save them. They were taken to Paradise, Jesus in his time took them to Heaven. They were justified in life, sanctified and further sanctified after they died, they were perfected. They are the ones to admire.

Eventually we will all be glorified. We'll be given crowns. Theirs are most excellent. Some of us who do not complete our commissions will not earn some crowns. Including aborted fetuses, youths and others. These two in perfection will have stood up against Satan himself. And we if need be will be able in glory, to enter their house, if permitted, and to take part in their good character and be given consolation crowns. Not that a crown has known power but as if it does, a bit like the rings from LOTR we will be raised up.

I would love to be able to take credit for this but I cannot. I will post the meme below as it states things succintly and clearly.

However, I remember the first time I saw this. It was a few days after a discussion here on CF highlighted the idea for me:


Sadly, this didn't solve any kind of problems for me in my head. It was comforting to know that it was "a thing" but it didn't help me create an appropriate approach for dealing with intolerant people.

I realized though (after reading the meme below) that maybe we need to not be looking at tolerance as a moral construct. And really, why should it be a moral construct? There's nothing INHERENTLY moral about being tolerant any "everything". Not only that but tolerating something truly awful can very easily put ourselves in morally compromised positions. So maybe it isn't a moral construct...But then what is it....


And then.....


Thoughts?

I read an article that said that almost half of folks believe Trump's arrest was politically motivated.
Ok. But I need some help as perhaps, I may not be totally aware of the situation.

As far as I know:
Donald Trump DID have an affair with Stormy Daniels
Donald Trump DID pay her money to stay quiet
He used campaign funds to do so.

I don't think I have seen a single person ANYWHERE competently argue ANY of these points. It seems to me that everyone involved. Donald Trump admitted it himself in a tweet
Tweet quote:

"With respect to the 'Stormy' nonsense, it is VERY OLD & happened a long time ago, long past the very publicly known & accepted deadline of the Statute of Limitations,"

Click to expand...

Just so we are all on the same page then, the events CLEARLY happenned. The only issue appears to be that the Statue of limitations may or may not have passed (depending on local laws about residence and access, it seems).

So.....is the only REAL issue here that the Statue of Limitations has passed? And if it is, why are so many on the right talking like the whole situation is a fabricated? Why is this even considered "political" if the man himself admits to it happenning a long time ago? I recall even when this story first came out, even quite a few people on the right quietly seemed to be taking a position of "oh man...what are you doing guy? I'm gonna support you but, not cool".

Despite the court held evidence and the words of both Trump and Daniels, folks are saying it's a witch hunt....for prosecuting someone for breaking the law? This is where I'm lost.

Does this somehow make Trump into a better person with stronger moral able and capable at guiding America?

EDIT: The tone of this may be a bit condescending or negative. IT is not meant to be. I am just flummoxed.

Pray that Andy John finds full time employment Amen

I need advice for our 18 year old child. Lovely, quiet and gentle girl but people trample on her...
We live in a small town, and there is a boy that won't leave her alone. He keeps stalking her and telling her lies. Because the town is so small, she tries to avoid him, but cannot... As the mother, I can see and hear that he has narcistic traits, even at the young age of 18

please pray I can forgive my sister

I have a very pressured week which she knows aswell.

please pray I can sleep as I have a job interview tomorrow morning. thanks for any prayers.

Once coined, America's Digital Goddess, Kim Komando, and her nationwide print and radio problem solving would offer no bounds over technology. But that was then. Today, automation isn’t about to sit idly by and let that title continue, the pride of tech won’t allow it. A few short years ago, many tech-minded including Kim herself would openly resist not allowing technology to ‘assist mankind so wonderfully’.

But today, the unthinkable is being discussed by some of the biggest players as well as KK herself and have changed their tune. If all true, this is no longer just folly to shrug, but evil to beware of.

In short, the moral end of today’s science finally asks:


Putting the Brakes on AI

Your thoughts?

Summary of Acts 6:1-15 ESV, with practical application

Stephen, a man with a good reputation, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, full of grace and power, was doing great wonders and signs among the people. Then some of those who belonged to the synagogue of the Freedmen (libertines), and some others, rose up and disputed with Stephen.

So, who were these people? I Googled the definitions of both “synagogue” and “libertine” and this is what was rendered (source Oxford Languages):


Now, what this sounds like is that these were not traditional Jews, but they were an offshoot (a copy of the original but with alterations) of the Jewish faith, and without all the restrictions of the Jewish faith. So not an exact replica, but more like the servants of Satan who masquerade themselves as servants of righteousness, or like the charlatans or the wolves in sheep’s clothing, having an appearance of godliness but denying its power. For it appears they were living immoral lifestyles. But opinions differ on this.

False teachers and/or false Christians [Matthew 7:15-23; Matthew 24:11-14; John 10:1-15; 2 Peter 2:1-22; 1 Timothy 1:3-7; 1 Timothy 6:3-10; 2 Timothy 3:1-9; 1 John 4:1-6; Jude 1:1-25]

But as I read this passage of Scripture, and as I looked up these definitions, what this reminded me of is the institutional market-driven and flesh-driven “churches” (like synagogues) in America today which are really businesses of human origin, but they just call themselves “churches.” So they are loosely based off the original church, but they are altered and modified to fit with today’s culture and with what the world is craving, and in order to be more “user friendly” and not judgmental, so as not to offend the senses of the ungodly, which includes many who are professing faith in Jesus Christ.

And the people who are party to these alterations, and those who are following after these “libertines,” are people who are also opposed to followers of Jesus Christ who are actually following the teachings of Christ and the teachings of the New Testament apostles. And some of them are disputing with some of us who are sharing the truth of the gospel and who are exposing the lies of Satan. And if they cannot trip us up with our words or get us to back down from our beliefs, then they may try other initiatives.

Then they may make up lies against us, like the libertines lied about Stephen and accused him of things he did not do. And they may do this in secret where we can’t see what they are doing or saying about us. And they may be successful in turning others against us just based on their words alone. And they may be so convincing as to convince even people in positions of leadership and authority in the Christian community to shun us or to come strongly against us. And this is happening to some Christians.

And when and if they do, we are not to let this shake us, for the Scriptures tell us that this will take place, and that we are not to worry ahead of time what we will say, for if we are listening to the Lord, the Holy Spirit will give us the response we need to have at that moment. And we are not to fear these types of things happening to us, either, for God is in control. He is still completely sovereign over all he created. So nothing can touch us unless God allows it and he allows it for a purpose, and he will carry us through it.


Now may we all have faces like that of an angel when we are being falsely accused of things we did not do and/or say, and/or when our words are taken out of context and twisted for the purpose to try to make us look bad.

[Matt 5:10-12; Matt 10:16-25; Matt 24:9-14; Lu 6:22-23; Lu 21:12-19; Jn 15:1-21; Jn 16:33; Jn 17:14; Ac 14:22; Rom 5:3-5; Phil 3:7-11; 1 Pet 1:6-7; 1 Pet 4:12-17; 2 Tim 3:12; 1 Thess 3:1-5; Jas 1:2-4; 2 Co 1:3-11; Heb 12:3-12; 1 Jn 3:13; Rev 6:9-11; Rev 7:9-17; Rev 11:1-3; Rev 12:17; Rev 13:1-18; Rev 14:1-13]

Have Thine Own Way, Lord

Words by Adelaide A. Pollard, 1907
Music by George C. Stebbins, 1907

Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!
Thou art the potter, I am the clay.
Mold me and make me after Thy will,
While I am waiting, yielded and still.

Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!
Search me and try me, Master, today!
Whiter than snow, Lord, wash me just now,
As in Thy presence humbly I bow.

Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!
Wounded and weary, help me I pray!
Power, all power, surely is Thine!
Touch me and heal me, Savior divine!

Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!
Hold o'er my being absolute sway.
Fill with Thy Spirit till all shall see
Christ only, always, living in me!

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A MUST watch!
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To me, the following incident suggests Trump has a severe character flaw, but it seems many think otherwise, please explain.


Trump did call up Fox News on Jan 6th and asked to be put on air before his "the election was stolen but go home we love you" message
In the Dominion Court case , Fox Executive Lauren Peterson said letting Trump on air would be irresponsible



image is from slide 161 of the long link at the bottom of the page, if you don't trust weird links go to
and select the "Dominion summary Judgement Hearing slides"

I find this very disturbing and I'm opposed to it.
I can understand using them in the case of a premature baby, if possible.
But the article cheerily talks about designer kids.
Horrifying.
I think we've discussed this here before, but when a woman carries a child, there is such a benefit to the mother and the child.
This is truly the commodification of human beings, very dehumanizing.

My friends from RC church said his church does not enforce tithe (10%).
He said NT does not enforce tithe but a grateful heart to give.
OT tithe is the covenant between God and Israel only. Because the tithe 10% is for Levites.

Video Talk

Romans 2:17-24 ESV


So, if we who are believers in Jesus Christ think we are doing all the right religious things, and so we go through the motions of religious practice, and we think we have all this knowledge that we can teach to others, but then we fail to teach ourselves, what good is all that knowledge and ceremonial religious practices? Not much, is it? And, if while we are preaching against certain sins, we are doing the same or worse, then we are being hypocritical, prideful, unkind, and full of ourselves, are we not?

But is this teaching that all judging is wrong? NO! It is not! But this is where many people take this and other passages like it, because they don’t really pay attention to what is being said, or else they don’t read the whole passage and thus they draw their own conclusions. This is not teaching that all judging is wrong. It is teaching that hypocritical and false judging is wrong. And so I am going to share here some other passages of Scripture that show that all judging is not wrong.

In Galatians 6:1 we read that if a brother or a sister in Christ is caught (in the act of sin, or entrapped, or has fallen back into sin) in any transgression (sin), we who are spiritual (in a right relationship with the Lord) should restore that person in a spirit of gentleness. But we are to keep watch on ourselves, lest we too be tempted. And in James 5:19-20 we read that if a fellow Christian wanders from the truth, whoever brings that wanderer back to walking in obedience to the Lord, he or she will save his soul from death.

And in 1 Corinthians 5 we read about a professing Christian in the church who is living in sexual immorality, and the church was commanded to make a judgment in that matter and to exercise church discipline in order that the man’s spirit might be saved in the day of the Lord. For, it says that we are to judge those inside the church. And we are to do something to change that situation, and to not sit back in our comfortable seats and point fingers and gossip. And we should be grieving over such situations to the point of action.

And then in Matthew 7:1-5 we read, “Judge not, that you be not judged.” But don’t stop there. Keep reading. For it is talking about hypocritical judging. But then it goes on to say that we must first take the log out of our own eye, and then we will see clearly to take the speck out of the eye of a fellow Christian (or professing Christian). Then we judge rightly. And in John 7:24 it instructs us to not judge by appearances, but to judge with a right judgment. And in John 8:15-16 we are told not to judge according to the flesh, and in 2 Corinthians 10:12 we are not to judge others by ourselves.

So, the Scriptures do not teach that all judging is wrong, and in fact, they encourage judging in some cases. For how can we help a brother or a sister out of sin if we don’t first make a judgment that they need to be brought out of sin, and without us first confronting them in their sin and us encouraging them to repent of their sin and to obey the Lord? But we are to do this in love, and not hypocritically, and with the right motives. And we are not to judge others by ourselves, nor by our culture and traditions, nor by appearances, nor according to the flesh, nor unjustly, but righteously.

And the goal should always be to help others out of sin or to prevent them from falling into sin, or to warn about false teaching so that they are not led astray. For, the motivation should always be love and with the purpose to restore or to strengthen or to encourage, which we are all called to do.

[Gal 6:1-5; Jas 5:19-20; 1 Co 5:1-13; Matt 7:1-5; Jn 7:24, 51; Jn 8:15-16; Rom 2:3; 2 Co 10:12; Rom 12:1-8; Rom 15:14; 1 Co 12:1-31; Eph 4:1-16; Eph 5:17-27; Php 2:1-8; Col 3:16; Heb 3:13; Heb 10:23-25]

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Oh, to Be Like Thee, Blessed Redeemer

Lyrics by Thomas O. Chisholm, 1897
Music by W. J. Kirkpatrick, 1897

Oh, to be like Thee! blessèd Redeemer,
This is my constant longing and prayer;
Gladly I’ll forfeit all of earth’s treasures,
Jesus, Thy perfect likeness to wear.

Oh, to be like Thee! full of compassion,
Loving, forgiving, tender and kind,
Helping the helpless, cheering the fainting,
Seeking the wandering sinner to find.

O to be like Thee! lowly in spirit,
Holy and harmless, patient and brave;
Meekly enduring cruel reproaches,
Willing to suffer others to save.

O to be like Thee! while I am pleading,
Pour out Thy Spirit, fill with Thy love;
Make me a temple meet for Thy dwelling,
Fit me for life and Heaven above.

Oh, to be like Thee! Oh, to be like Thee,
Blessèd Redeemer, pure as Thou art;
Come in Thy sweetness, come in Thy fullness;
Stamp Thine own image deep on my heart.

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Hi, I shouldn't feel this way, but I don't like Holy Week sometimes. I find it stressful. There is too much going on and I feel that I can't sleep well during that week or exercise because the only things that are going on are church (this should not be a burden). It's not the events themselves that are stressful, but as I said, I feel like I automatically can't sleep knowing that I'd be doing back-to-back from Thursday to Sunday. (Gee the priests do this every day and here I am "complaining")

I'm not trying to make everyone feel the same as me (why would I) but it wouldn't be a bad idea if there was a better way for me to look at all this. I think I got no more than 3 hours sleep (I don't feel like getting into that problem). Not only because of Holy Week because I'm worried/depressed about too many things. Also, any little "dent" can make me unable to sleep - I'm a very sensitive person. ("Dent" meaning an issue of some sort)

I started a thread a couple weeks ago. Hard to find a new church
I already posted what I was going through. I never received a reply from that church. I'm tired of people forgetting me in church when Im trying to get plugged in or asking for prayer. I'm NOT giving up on God because He didn't do anything wrong. I'm just fed up with Church not being church.

Next week or so is the time of Passover and Easter. One may suggest that Easter is a celebration of one’s faith in God through Jesus, and with Passover, one upholds the Law. Can our faith in God carry us to our Salvation without doing the things that the Law provides for? There are Passages in the New Testament that suggest we can. But that could mean achieving our faith in God without knowing what such faith entails. It would seem that those who can be saved without knowledge of the things associated with the Law can be said to have a natural talent, or be just plain lucky, and for the rest of us, well, we would need to know what the Law says to know if our actions will lead us to Salvation. It’s almost like comparing a person who can play the piano by ear, to someone who could not play the same piece without reading sheet music. If anyone believes that raw talent is all that is needed to achieve one’s Salvation, it seems the door to God’s Kingdom would be closed to many people.

What does Romans 2:12 say? It says that all who have sinned without the law will also perish without the law, and all who have sinned under the law will be judged by the law. Seems that if you know the Law, at least you would know what your sin is, and if you don’t know the Law you could be spending eternity in Sheol wondering what it was you did wrong! And it seems that without knowledge of sin, which the Law identifies, it would be a matter of luck that you happened to do the right things that would enable you to earn your Salvation. Take the condemned man on the cross next to Jesus in Luke 23:39-43. In Verses 40-42 he says to his comrade, who is on the next cross over, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong....Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” Jesus says in Verse 43, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

What a lucky man! Things like that happened to him once a week, to paraphrase a scene in the movie “Trading Places,” right? Disregarding the sarcasm, here is a man whom we may presume had no knowledge of the Law, yet by acknowledging God, he has, unknowingly, perhaps, done what the Law requires, which is to acknowledge God. Here is a man who may have spent his life sinning, yet that one moment on the cross has gained him Salvation. In a sense, it is a fulfillment of Psalm 32:1 which says, “Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven,” and paraphrased in Romans 4:7 which says “Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven...”

Seems that without a knowledge of the Law, only those who are lucky enough to not have broken it, or are forgiven for breaking it, will be saved. It’s like going into a town and not knowing its laws and aiming to do what’s right, and getting a ticket for illegal parking. You ask the cop giving you the ticket, “Where’s the sign?” The cop answers, “It’s the law in this town...you can’t park there.” On the other hand, you go into another town not knowing the laws, and you are fortunate that you park in an area where it’s perfectly legal to park, though you don’t know it’s legal to park there. In that town, you were lucky.

The Old Testament is based on the Law, but it seems that the New Testament, whose foundation comes from the Old Testament, struggles with the idea of abandoning the Law, and of needing works to justify our faith. James 2:17 says that faith without works is dead. You can look it up, and one must presume that it is true, or else it wouldn’t be in the Bible. But what does Romans 3:28 say? it says, “...we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law.” Why the carveout of the Law from the matter of works? In another sense, Romans 3:28 seems to acknowledge that the Law has works of its own, that could be seen in other quarters as part of the works referred to in James 2:17.

Can you show your faith in God through Jesus without being mindful of the Law? Seems you can, if you’re lucky like the condemned person next to Jesus in Luke 23:39-43. But it seems that with every passing generation it gets harder for people to focus on what faith in God through Jesus would entail, without some form of directive such as the Law. And the rest may achieve Salvation while being blissfully unaware that they hit the jackpot, whether they either were lucky enough to not sin, or they do something at the last minute of their lives that causes the Lord to look upon them with favor.

Following the Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Holy Thursday, there’s an ancient Catholic tradition to make a pilgrimage to seven churches.

Each of the seven churches mirrors the final seven places Christ visited – from the moment he entered his Passion to His Death at Calvary (listed at the end of this article).

We can trace the origins of this Lenten tradition to the mid-16th century in Rome.

Saint Philip Neri (1515–1595), also known as the ‘Second Apostle of Rome’ after St. Peter, led many devotees in a walking pilgrimage through the cobblestone streets of Rome, visiting the seven basilicas of Rome.

Born into a noble working family in Florence, Italy, Saint Philip was destined for a much greater purpose. He left everything behind to start a life in Rome as a missionary and healer of broken souls.

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A new video of world-renowned Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli singing “Amazing Grace” to fans in New York City’s Times Square has attracted more than one million views.

Bocelli, a Catholic, delivered his performance on March 23 as part of the official launch for the movie “The Journey: A Music Special from Andrea Bocelli,” which hits select theaters during Holy Week, April 2-9. He later shared a video of the performance on his Facebook page.

Why ‘Amazing Grace’ was chosen

His wife and executive producer of the upcoming film, Veronica Berti Bocelli, shared why “Amazing Grace” was chosen for the launch with Our Sunday Visitor.

The song “is a classic of the musical tradition worldwide, it is one of the most engaging songs of all time: a timeless prayer, composed in the 18th century but which is still able to speak to the hearts of all of us today, with unchanged intensity and emotion,” Veronica, who is also Catholic, said.

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From the very first moments of his pontificate—when he emerged onto the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica and famously asked the crowd gathered outside to pray for him—Pope Francis has garnered praise for his approachability and common touch. He has continued to win fans for displaying these same attributes throughout his pontificate, often making headlines for dramatic gestures of compassion. On more than one occasion, Francis has even managed to connect deeply with average believers by speaking to a topic that likely seems minor and basic to outside observers (but not to regularly-churchgoing Catholics): the quality of sermons. In 2015, 2018, and most recently in January of 2023, the Pope has said what most Catholics would likely say when asked about this subject—that is, that homilies are often bad, and unnecessarily long.

The need to reduce the length of homilies has consistently been a part of Francis’s message, with him repeatedly calling for priests to limit their sermons to ten minutes. Most recently, in remarks to a gathering of liturgical directors at the Vatican in January, he modified the standard to “eight to ten minutes” and was blunt on his assessment of sermon quality: “in general, the homilies are a disaster.” While the word “disaster” drew a fair bit of reaction (and concurrence) from outlets across Catholic media, the sentiment was nothing new from Francis. In the past, he has found it necessary to explicitly warn priests that “your homilies should not be boring” and stated outright that “sometimes there is reason to get annoyed about an overly long homily, one that lacks focus or that’s incomprehensible.”

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