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The Barbarian · Feb 10, 2026

NEW YORK (AP) — Shoppers unexpectedly paused their spending in December from November, closing out the holiday shopping season and the year on a lackluster tone.

The report, issued by the Commerce Department on Tuesday, surprised economists who were looking for growth despite mounting concerns about slowing job growth, uncertainty about President Donald Trump’s tariffs and other economic headwinds. And it raised questions about shoppers’ ability to spend after they have remained resilient for months despite souring consumer confidence, economists said.

Retail sales were flat in December from November, when business was up 0.6%, according to the Commerce Department. Economists were expecting a 0.4% increase for December.

The report was delayed because of the 43-day government shutdown.

Retail sales unchanged in December from November, closing out year on a lackluster tone

Shoppers unexpectedly paused their spending in December from November, closing out the holiday shopping season and the year on a lackluster tone.

apnews.com

But Trump has a solution. He wants to nationalize voting in blue states before midterm elections.

Michie · Feb 10, 2026

Submissions are now being accepted for a new international fine art competition called Art Ascend that offers artists, including Christians, the opportunity to gain publicity for their work and compete for a pool of prizes totaling $10,000.

The competition, launched by Christian master portrait artist Zimou Tan, began accepting entries on Jan. 1 and will close on March 31.

Artists can submit their work in 10 categories, including still life, portrait, narrative, and sacred realism, which is described as “the pursuit of the spiritual and infinite on a tangible canvas through the exploration of sacred themes, spiritual connection with nature, and mankind’s connection with the divine.”

Continued below.

International fine art competition opens door to Christians

Submissions are now being accepted for a new international fine-art competition called Art Ascend that offers artists including Christians a chance to gain publicity for their work and compete for a

www.christianpost.com

Say it aint so · Feb 10, 2026

Demanding Support for Trump, Justice Dept. Struggles to Recruit Prosecutors

Some offices are so decimated that the Justice Department has sent in military lawyers. More recently, officials asked for volunteers from other offices who can quickly deploy to places in desperate need.

Say it aint so · Feb 10, 2026

wing2000 said:
Maybe your memory is better than mine, but I don't ever recall President Obama referring to himself in that manner. It's not normal for people to introduce themselves using their middle name.

It's the same ol boogie man. Heck, they are resuscitating it again in Texas 2025:

Congressman Self and Congressman Roy’s Sharia Free America Caucus Surges in Congress, Adding Twenty-Four Members in Under One Month. --Congressman Keith Self.

timewerx · Feb 10, 2026

I guess this explains why I'm in my mid forties but physically look like I'm in my mid twenties?

Does this also mean there are some people among us who is now almost 2000 years old?

Mark Dohle · Feb 10, 2026

The Fire That Is Love

I have always been interested in Purgatory. Ii makes complete sense to me, and I believe it is a place of healing, joy, as well as pain, because healing seems to involve pain of some sort. When I pray for the world, I often think of Catherine’s fire. I think of the places in my own heart that still resist God, and how gently He continues to burn away what does not belong to Him. And I think of the countless souls — living and dead — who are being drawn, slowly and steadily, into that same healing flame.

Her teaching gives me hope. It tells me that God’s mercy is not limited by our weakness. It tells me that purification is not something to fear, but something to welcome. And it tells me that the love we offer in prayer becomes part of God’s work of making all things new.

Below is something on this subject from the internet. BrMD

The Fire That Is Love: A Reflection on Catherine of Genoa’s Teaching on Purgatory

There are saints who teach with words, and saints who teach with their lives. Catherine of Genoa does both. When she speaks about purgatory, she is not describing a place on a map of the afterlife. She is describing what happened inside her own soul when God’s love seized her so completely that everything in her that was not love began to burn away.

Her teaching is startling in its simplicity: purgatory is not God’s punishment — it is God’s mercy. It is the soul finally letting itself be loved all the way through.

1. The Soul’s Joy in Being Purified

Catherine insists that the souls in purgatory are filled with joy, not fear. They suffer, yes — but it is the suffering of healing, not the suffering of despair. She uses the image of a person who has been wounded and is finally receiving the painful treatment that will make them whole. The soul sees God with perfect clarity, and in that light it sees its own remaining shadows. And instead of shrinking back, it runs toward the fire that will make it capable of love.

There is no resentment in purgatory. No bargaining. No “Why is this happening to me?”

Only a soul saying, “At last, I am becoming who I was made to be.”

2. The Fire Is God Himself

Catherine is bold: the fire of purgatory is the same fire as heaven — the fire of God’s love. The difference is not in God, but in us.

When a soul is still carrying the residue of selfishness, fear, or sin, that same love which will one day be bliss is experienced as purification. The soul is not being punished for sin; it is being healed from sin. God is not the jailer. God is the physician.

This is why Catherine can say that the souls in purgatory would not shorten their purification even if they could. They want the fire, because they want God.

3. Purgatory Begins on Earth

Catherine’s own life is the key to her teaching. She experienced a sudden, overwhelming conversion in which God’s love pierced her so deeply that she saw her whole life in a new light. From that moment on, she lived in a kind of interior purgatory — a joyful burning that purified her desires, her attachments, her pride, her self-will.

For her, purgatory was not a distant doctrine. It was the daily work of surrender.

And this is where her teaching becomes personal for us. Every time we let God’s love touch a place in us that resists Him — a wound, a habit, a fear — we are already entering the purifying fire. Every act of humility, every moment of forgiveness, every surrender of control is a small purgatory, a small dying into love.

4. A Mercy for the World

Catherine’s vision makes purgatory not a threat but a promise. It means that God never gives up on us. It means that even after death, His mercy continues its work. It means that love has the last word.

And for those of us who pray for the world — for the wounded, the lost, the hardened, the despairing — her teaching is a consolation. Our prayers join God’s own desire to purify and heal every soul. Nothing is wasted. No heart is beyond reach. The fire of divine love is patient, relentless, and tender.

Michie · Feb 10, 2026

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11:23

Jesus said, “You are the salt of the earth. You are the light of the world.” And if you’re like most of us, you hear that and think, “Jesus, I love you, but ... really? I’m just trying to keep my kids alive today. I’m the light of my living room on a good day. That’s about it.” Here's the truth: When you're faithful right where you are...

Michie · Feb 10, 2026

Selective enforcement and uneven tolerance are shaping perceptions far beyond traditionalist circles.

On February 2, Father Davide Pagliarani, Superior of the Society of Saint Pius X, announced that he had instructed the two remaining bishops among those consecrated by Marcel Lefebvre in 1988 to proceed with new episcopal ordinations on July 1.

This news may appear—especially to those unfamiliar with Vatican affairs—to be a minor ecclesiastical matter. In reality, however, the consequences could be enormously significant for the rest of the Church. But let us proceed in order.

In 1962, Pope John XXIII solemnly opened the Second Vatican Council. The original intent was presented as pastoral rather than doctrinal: the Church needed to “update” the way it preached the Gospel to the modern world. This “updating” implied a reconfiguration of authority in a less juridical and more pastoral direction. “The Bride of Christ prefers to make use of the medicine of mercy rather than take up the arms of severity,” John XXIII said in the opening address, “she thinks that present needs should be met by explaining more clearly the value of her teaching rather than by condemning. Not because false doctrines are lacking, but because they are all so clearly opposed to the right principles of honesty and have produced such deadly fruits that today men seem to be beginning spontaneously to reprove them.”

The Council, however, rapidly expanded beyond the limited scope originally envisaged by John XXIII and was soon considering topics such as the liturgy, the nature and structure of the Church and of the episcopate, ecumenism, and religious freedom. The “pastoral” dimension remained, but it was translated into doctrinally weighty documents whose scope and authority approached that of Apostolic Constitutions, that is, documents of the highest magisterial level.

Continued below.

Why the SSPX Bishop Decision Matters Far Beyond Church Politics

Selective enforcement and uneven tolerance are shaping perceptions far beyond traditionalist circles.

europeanconservative.com

Michie · Feb 10, 2026

A Hungarian think tank’s new paper “Migration and Ethics: The Axioms of a Christian Migration Policy” prompts a meeting of the minds.

The paper, which was endorsed by Chad Pecknold, associate professor of systematic theology at The Catholic University of America, notes that “the Christian perspective on immigration has historically emphasized compassion and solidarity with refugees, along with a welcoming attitude towards foreigners.”

However, the paper continues, the Christian perspective on immigration “also calls for a prudent balance between these values and the legitimate responsibility of rulers to protect their people.”

Continued below.

https://www.ewtnnews.com/world/us/hungarian-embassy

All Becomes New · Feb 10, 2026

I love this song. I first found out about it when I first heard it from Celtic Worship (a great band that I recommend people check out).

So, I searched for "How Deep the Father's Love For Us" on YouTube, and this was one of the options. I decided to check it out, and I really like this rendition (I like Celtic Worship's rendition better, but I like both a lot).

Login to view embedded media

How deep the Father's love for us,
How vast beyond all measure
That He should give His only Son
To make a wretch His treasure

How great the pain of searing loss,
The Father turns His face away
As wounds which mar the chosen One,
Bring many sons to glory

Behold the Man upon a cross,
My sin upon His shoulders
Ashamed I hear my mocing voice,
Call out among the scoffers

It was my sin that helf Him there
Until it was accomplished
His dying breath has brought me life
I knoww that it is finished

I will not boast in anything
No gifts, no power, no wisdom
But I will boast inJesus Christ
His death and resurrection

Why should I gain from His reward?
I cannot give an answer
But this I know with all my heart
His wounds have paid my ransom
(REPEAT)

Michie · Feb 10, 2026

Empathy is widely celebrated in our public life. We are told it should guide our politics, shape our policies, and soften our judgments. To lack empathy is considered a moral failure; to appeal to it is often enough to settle an argument. Increasingly, empathy is not treated merely as a virtue, but as the highest moral authority — one before which all other considerations are expected to bow.

Empathy itself is not the enemy. Properly understood, it is a gift from God. Scripture calls us to “weep with them that weep” (Romans 12:15) and to bear one another’s burdens. A hard-hearted people is a dangerous people.

But there is something more dangerous still: empathy divorced from truth.

When empathy translates into compassion severed from sound moral judgment, responsibility, and long-term consequence, it ceases to be a healing force and becomes a tool — easily manipulated, emotionally charged, and politically weaponized. Feeling deeply is no guarantee of acting rightly. History offers sobering proof that when empathy and compassion are untethered from truth, they do not heal. By “truth,” I mean the moral reality God has revealed in Scripture, not the shifting sentiments of the age.

One life offers a clear illustration of this principle.

Continued below.

Toxic empathy that excuses evil sees challenger in Mary Slessor

Our nation does not need less empathy It needs better empathy

www.christianpost.com

Michie · Feb 10, 2026

An interfaith coalition has filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration over its Religious Liberty Commission, an entity within the U.S. Department of Justice, it contends, is unlawfully biased toward Christianity.

The complaint was filed Monday in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York on behalf of The Interfaith Alliance, the Rev. Paul Brandeis Raushenbush, Muslims for Progressive Values, Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund and Hindus for Human Rights.

Defendants named in the case include President Donald Trump, Attorney General Pam Bondi, the U.S. Department of Justice, the Religious Liberty Commission, and Mary Margaret Bush, the commission's designated federal officer.

Continued below.

Trump's Religious Liberty Commission sued by interfaith coalition alleging bias toward Christianity

An interfaith coalition has filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration over its Religious Liberty Commission, an entity within the U S Department of Justice, it contends, is unlawfully biased

www.christianpost.com

Hawkins · Feb 10, 2026

At the end,
Matthew 22:21
They say unto him, Caesar's. Then saith he unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's; and unto God the things that are God's.

ICE = measures from Caesar. They found it necessary to drive the illegal immigrants out. They employed ICE to do the job, it however doesn't seem to be well trained to deal with civilians.

To me, it's not an uncommon scene in the US. It's just another "I can't breach" occurred. It happened in the past, it's happening now and will happen in the future. It somehow fits the pattern that "people define their society". In the US culture everyone carries a gun, policing is under high pressure and mistakes are inevitable.

Anonymous9090 · Feb 10, 2026

Pray The Holy Spirit guides Yumnam Khemchand Singh who is the new chief minister of Manipur, India as he deals with ethnic & racial tensions between different people groups in Manipur

Manipur: Can a new chief minister bring peace to the troubled state?

Opinion is divided on whether Manipur's new chief minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh can bring calm to the state.

www.bbc.com

Hans Blaster · Feb 10, 2026

sjastro said:
Your description comes across as Sabine being the female version of Max Headroom.

View attachment 376377

shudder~~~~~

Something just feels off about the last couple videos I have seen linked from her. It is as if she has made an AI version of herself...

BlessedDisciple · Feb 10, 2026

Richard T said:
13For everyone who lives on milk is still an infant, inexperienced in the message of righteousness. 14But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained their senses to distinguish good from evil.

Amen!

KingJoseph · Feb 10, 2026

When I first tried to get my site to rank better, I’d get stuck trying to prioritize which SEO tips were actually useful and which ones were just trendy. What really helped was focusing on meaningful content, speeding up site load times, and making sure my keywords were actually what people searched. I also noticed backlinks made a real difference, especially from industry-relevant places instead of random directories. If you're looking for more in-depth and up-to-date info, there are agencies offering personalized advice and strategies that adapt as search engines evolve. I learned a lot from reading what works for others at places like Premier Digital Marketing Services, Internet Marketing Agency and found their approach to tailored SEO tips pretty practical.

Pioneer3mm · Feb 10, 2026

Nigeria
---
Persecution Rank
#7
---
World Watch List
- opendoors.org

Neostarwcc · Feb 10, 2026

So we finally got an answer... its not a very good or positive one... the doctor had ordered a prolactin test because we suspected that we had created something and that she was pregnant and the results came back late last night.

It turns out? They were high enough to definitely prove that we weren't crazy. We did in fact create something. The bad news? They were also low enough to definitely prove that Jeanette likely lost the baby...

I don't know how to process this news... I created a life for the first time in a decade and my first child God decides to take away? I.. dont understand...

Larniavc · Feb 10, 2026

Did ICE kill anyone in WV? That may contribute to the lack of cooperation.

Bob Crowley · Feb 10, 2026

At the bottom of the article Bishop Umbers quipped about priests possibly not turning up if the "Doggies" were to make it into the Grand Final at the same time in 2028.

While dates are yet to be announced, there has been some suggestion that Eucharist28 could coincide with the Rugby League Grand Final.

But Umbers is optimistic that this logistical wrinkle can be ironed out. “Sydney is a great international city, and will do everything we can to facilitate attendance at the Mass. A lot of Catholics love their footy — and if the Doggies were to make it into the Grand Final, I could have trouble trying to get some of my priests along to the final Mass,” he quipped.

For the record the "Doggies" in this context are the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs, a rugby league team based in Sydney.

It reminds me of another joke by one of our parish priests a few years ago. There were a fair few news items being read out at the end of the mass, and he wanted to finish. The Broncos (their real name) are a Brisbane based team, and the Rabbitohs are South Sydney.

So he asked "Anybody else? Broncos? Rabbitohs?"

Richard T · Feb 10, 2026

Excellent, you would think in the law they would better define temporary status. Glad the court ruled "years ago" is not temporary.

Tuur · Feb 10, 2026

FireDragon76 said:
Then why shame those that look at their meager finances and the precarity of the current social and ecological arrangements and conclude they cannot raise a child? People like Vance want to turn 21st century realities into culture war talking points divorced from the material basis of family life in the first place.

Most Americans say the economy continues to be a pressing concern. Housing affordability hasn't really budged downward. And all the proposed remedies of the Trump regime do little to address underlying causes, which is the hoarding of wealth in speculative investments in real estate.

The way JD Vance and Donald Trump talk about “family values” is mostly about appearances. They parade images of happy children and families and talk about moral duty, but their policies don’t actually make family life any more sustainable. The things that used to make stable families possible—good wages, affordable housing, reliable healthcare, accessible childcare—are nowhere to be found. What they’re really doing is demanding people have more kids while pretending economic insecurity is a virtue.

The way the Right talks anxiously about who is “having kids” exposes the same problem. They point to Latino or immigrant families as proof that Americans could just choose to have more children. But those families are often living in conditions that would be considered illegal, unsafe, or unacceptable in mainstream society—overcrowded housing, informal work, stretched social networks. Treating that kind of struggle as a model for everyone else is cruel and dishonest. It normalizes hardship and pretends that enduring precarity is somehow virtuous.

What Vance and Trump are really offering is not a path to prosperity or flourishing families, but a managed decline dressed up as moral duty. They want people to accept tighter margins, less security, and more stress, and to feel virtuous for doing it. Strip away the smiling children in the ads, and what’s left is austerity sold as a moral project.

I don't know if you have ever been a parent. If not, I have a secret to tell you: If you wait for the "perfect" time to have children, you'll never be a parent. This people once knew and counted children as a joy. The reason people don't want to have children now is that instead of a joy, children are seen as an inconvenience. Period. Children means someone's life permanently changes. Children mean someone can no longer put themselves first.

It's perhaps no surprise that a culture that encourages people to put self first also supports abortion on demand. Nor is it surprising that such a culture harbors a hatred for children and mocks parents who have more than one child.

johnnypapa · Feb 10, 2026

Day 9 - 2/10/26

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

Amen.

Ever Immaculate Virgin, Mother of Mercy, we call upon you as Health of the Sick, Refuge of Sinners, and Comfort to the Afflicted.

You know my wants, my troubles, my sufferings. Deign to cast upon me a look of mercy. By appearing in the Grotto of Lourdes, you were pleased to make it a sanctuary whence you dispense your favors, and already many sufferers have obtained the cure of their infirmities, both spiritual and physical.

I come, therefore, with the most unbounded confidence to implore your maternal intercession. Obtain, O loving Mother, the granting of my requests

(mention request here…)

Through gratitude for favors, I will endeavor to imitate your virtues that I may one day share your glory.

Immaculate Mother of our Lord Jesus Christ, to you we raise our hearts to implore your intercession in obtaining from the benign Heart of Jesus all the graces necessary for our spiritual and temporal welfare, particularly for the grace of a happy death. O Mother of our Divine Lord, graciously pray for us as we conclude this novena for the special favor we seek at this time.

O star of purity, Mary Immaculate, Our Lady of Lourdes, glorious in your assumption, triumphant in your coronation, show unto us the mercy of thy Son. Virgin Mary, Queen and Mother, be our comfort, hope, strength, and consolation. Amen.

Our Lady of Lourdes, pray for us.

Saint Bernadette, pray for us.

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

Amen.

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