Pommer said:

Federal troops agents to do what the local sheriff’s department usually does?
“Big Government” is just fine now with Conservatives, why’s that, one wonders?

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Actually sheriff's departments are not enforcing immigration laws. Only the Feds can do that. So the agents are not do SO jobs.

We certainly are okay with Big Governement when they are doing their jobs. If America didn't want immigration laws then why do we have them?

Bob Crowley said:

As an ex-Protestant who hopes the churches will one day reunify, I'm not particularly fond of the term. Wolsley might have accurately explained the term "co" in the Latin sense, but if the Catholic Church ever hopes to bring the Protestants under her umbrella, areas of potential confusion need to be dealth with.

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Exactly. With as much precision and good will as possible. And yet I don’t see that all Protestants will ever in a million years be willing to consider such things even perfectly explained. They think they know so much better. Humility is in short supply.

I gave been exploring the Latin in the ancient hymns. It is a unique way to pray.

For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. (Heb 4:12)
Pray, brethren (brothers and sisters), that my sacrifice and yours may be acceptable to God, the almighty Father (Roman Missal)

A life changing retreat
​

Two years ago I spent nearly twenty-one days on a silent retreat. I have already shared some of my reflections about that time here. It was one of the most intensive, stretching, and sublime things I’ve ever experienced.

The retreat was truly an embarrassment of riches. I had room and board taken care of for nearly a month. I received daily spiritual direction from world class spiritual guides, plumbing the depths of scripture and my heart during undistracted silence in a beautiful wooded setting with zero outside demands on my time. I was growing and gaining insight at a stunning rate. I was truly availing myself of the ‘big guns’ of the Catholic spiritual tradition.

But of all the incredible benefits and privileges won at great investment and sacrifice, I remember telling my director that the very best part of my retreat was that we got to go to mass every day.

If mass isn’t the absolute highlight of your day and week, I encourage you to give this method a try. I developed it for myself as a way to take full advantage of the opportunity to enter into what really is the ultimate form of prayer and worship.

A quick reminder of what the mass is:
​

What is the mass?​

Continued below.

A Six Step Method to Get More out of Mass

For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

johnbrundage.substack.com

In your charity, kindly pray for the repose of Fr Raimund Beisteiner, 59, who died while celebrating Mass. On December 31, 2025, another Catholic priest died while celebrating Mass in Nigeria. May their souls find rest in the Lord.

And so I tell you, every kind of sin and slander can be forgiven, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven (Matthew 12:31).

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Does the Modern Protestant Church in Sweden Blaspheme Against the Holy Spirit?​

Let us examine this question. Before we do, we should address some anticipated critiques. In confronting this question—this accusation—we must use the Bible and its narratives in a way that may appear heterodox to some, that we are not conformingto orthodox beliefs. It may seem as though we are reducing the Incarnation and the people involved in these events to mechanical abstractions, intellectualizing miracles such as the Incarnation or the Annunciation, or turning Jesus himself into mere metaphor. But this is not the case, especially if we remain faithful to the biblical story as we explore its meaning.

Christ was not merely a messenger of divine words—he was the Word. He was the message itself. This means that everything about Jesus is meaningful: every aspect of his life is instruction from God. His birth, for example, was not only a singular historical event—the birth of a child who happened to be God—but the manifestation of the Messianic principle of creativity itself. When God becomes incarnate, creativity and generation are also revealed. They always existed, just as Christ did, but now they become visible, material, and perceptible.

Perception and conception are the two key elements of this hypothesis. But we are getting ahead of ourselves. First: what is the “Holy Spirit”? If we can concretize it beyond the abstraction of living a righteous and spiritual life. Well, the religion is pretty clear about what it is: it is the way in which Christ, the Messiah, is begotten. So, how is Christ, the Messiah, begotten? To answer this question, we go to the Annunciation and verse that tells us about it, Luke 1:34, which says:

Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?

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Continued below

On Saturday, Feb. 7, Brad Arnold, lead singer of the rock band 3 Doors Down, died following a battle with kidney cancer. He was 47.

In May 2025, Arnold told fans he had been diagnosed with stage 4 clear cell renal cell carcinoma.

Despite the grim diagnosis, Arnold expressed confidence in his faith.

“We serve a mighty God, and he can overcome anything. So I have no fear. I really, sincerely am not scared of it at all,” he said.

The following month, Arnold shared an update saying that God never fails.

“With so much faith behind me and my own faith within me, I have no doubt of the outcome of this fight,” he said. “God will continue to fight this [battle] for me…and God doesn’t fail. I love y’all!”

3 Doors Down Shares That Brad Arnold Has Died​

Continued below.

It was pretty much a yes or no question. So, no? There aren't any? Really?

I often hear it said that people who claim to be believers in Jesus Christ, that they are presently “Sinners saved by grace.” But is that biblically correct? No, it isn’t. Why? Because “God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were sinners” (past tense), “Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). And, for “I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners” (Matthew 9:13), indicating a difference between the righteous and sinners. They are not one and the same. For a sinner is one who sins, in practice, like a runner runs.

But does that mean that a believer in Jesus will never sin again? No, it doesn’t (1 John 2:1-2), which we have evidence of in the New Testament Scriptures. So this is not saying that we will never sin again, but it does teach us in the Scriptures that the genuinely saved, by the grace of God, are those for whom sin is no longer their practice, but now righteousness and holy living, by the grace of God, and obedience to our Lord’s commands, in the power of God, should be the practice of the one who believes in Christ.

Example: I used to cut people’s hair a long time ago, but I no longer cut hair. So, I will not claim to be a haircutter today, for I no longer cut hair.

So, then, what is the issue with saying we are “sinners saved by grace”? It opens the door wide to the idea that we can be saved from our sins, and assured heaven as our eternal destiny, but while we continue sinning against God by habit. And that is typically how the phrase is being used and taught, that we can be saved and on our way to heaven while we remain active sinners. For they teach a false grace which does not teach that Jesus died to free us from our slavery to sin so we will now obey our God’s commands.

So, if we are all called “sinners,” whether or not we believe in Jesus, then what is to differentiate us who believe in Jesus from those who do not? It isn’t that we have been “saved by grace.” Why? Because when Jesus saves us, he is saving (delivering) us out of our addiction (slavery) to sin so that we can now serve him in walks of obedience to his commands. And the Scriptures make it clear that if we claim to be in fellowship with God while we walk in darkness (in sin, in practice) we do not live by the truth.

But it is absolutely truth that we are only saved from slavery to sin and assured heaven as our eternal destiny by the grace of God through God-gifted faith in Jesus Christ. But this faith is not a feeling or lip service only, but it is to be persuaded of God as to our sinfulness, and of his holiness and righteousness, and of God’s requirement that we now die to sin and walk in obedience to his commands, by his grace, in his power. For it means to be persuaded of God’s will, and if persuaded, then we yield to God’s control.

So, yes, there is not anything that we can do in our own flesh, by our own fleshly works, to be approved by God, to be saved from our sins, and to have eternal life with God. And this includes making verbal professions of faith in Jesus Christ, with no death to sin, and no obedience to God, thinking that all our sins are forgiven and now heaven is a sure thing. For that is not of God! That thinking is of human flesh! For Jesus put our sins to death with him so we will die to sin and obey him and his commands, in his power.

For Jesus Christ taught that to come to him we must deny self, take up our cross daily (die daily to sin), and follow (obey) him. For if we hold on to living in sin and for self, we will lose our lives for eternity. But if we deny self, die daily to sin, by the Spirit, and we walk in obedience to our Lord and to his commands, in his power, then we have eternal life with God. For not everyone who calls him “Lord” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one DOING (obeying) the will of God (see Luke 9:23-26; Matthew 7:21-23).

[Matthew 7:13-14,21-23; Luke 9:23-26; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; Galatians 5:16-24; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:17-32; Ephesians 5:3-6; Titus 2:11-14; 1 John 1:1-10; 1 John 2:1-6; 1 John 3:4-10; Acts 26:18]

For By Grace

Based off Ephesians 2:8-10
An Original Work / January 27, 2012
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

For by grace we’ve been saved
Of all our sins,
So that with Christ Jesus
Our lives begin.
Cleansing us from sin,
He made pure within
All who trust in Him
As their Savior, friend,
So that with Christ Jesus
Our lives begin.

We’ve been saved through faith;
This not from ourselves,
Lest that we should boast
In our fleshly works.
Our salvation is
A gift from our God,
Who loves us so much
That He gave His Son
To die on the cross
For all of our sins.

So repent of all
Of your sins today,
And He’ll forgive you;
Wipe your sins away.
Obey all of His
Teachings given you,
So that you can walk
With Him now in truth;
So that you can walk
With Him now in truth.

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Sinners Saved By Grace
An Original Work / February 8, 2026
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

Yes it takes $$ to indo the damage. Do you think it is worth it?

Tooti said:

What's incredible about Attack on Titan?

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The complexity of the characters. The intriguing plot echoing the futility of war. How there are no clear good guys, the cultural impact of nuclear weapons.

The art, voice work, long form plot, music.

I’m not mad keen on Anime but this one really touched me. It brought me to tears more than once.

The Morning Offering

Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A) readings & commentary

Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time readings & commentary

5th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Cycle A) Bible Study

We Are Blessed So As To Bless Others: Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time readings & commentary

A Scriptural Reflection on the Readings for Sunday, February 8, 2026

Sunday Reflections, 5th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A, 8 February 2026

Daily Gospel

Pass the Salt and Turn on the Lights – A Homily for the Fifth Sunday of the Year

To Be the Salt of the Earth

The Formidable Forgiveness of Josephine Bakhita

Homily at the Mass of Blessed Josephine Bakhita

Sermons for Everyday Living - Ss John of Matha & Josephine Bakhita 2/8/26

February 8, 2026

Morning Prayers

Divinum Officium

Sexagesima Sunday propers & commentary

Sexagesima Sunday propers & commentary (Gueranger)

Rev. Fr. Leonard Goffine's instruction on Sexagesima Sunday

Daily Gospel

WDTPRS – Sexagesima Sunday: Some will make it but many will not

Colligite Fragmenta – Sexagesima Sunday

The parable of the sower: meditation on Sexagesima Sunday

Saint John of Matha Founder

St. John of Matha

Sermons for Everyday Living - Ss John of Matha & Josephine Bakhita 2/8/26

Audio version of Gueranger
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Valletta said:

“While many individuals are peacefully protesting, some agitators have engaged in unlawful behavior, including damaging property and throwing ice chunks,” the sheriff’s office wrote in a public safety update Saturday. “A Deputy was struck in the head, and a squad vehicle windshield was broken.”

Unlawful assembly declared, over 50 arrested outside Whipple building after deputy was 'struck in the head'

A protest outside the Whipple Federal Building in St. Paul has been declared an unlawful assembly after a deputy was reportedly struck in the head with ice.

kstp.com

These people need to do some serious jail time.

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Catch and release. It’s their norm.

essentialsaltes said:

As far as I know, the county has issued a 'no trespass' order to the couple with respect to the church, but I don't know of any charges.

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That may be a cool headed resolution but I’d like to see actual charges brought, a conviction, and then the victims ask for leniency for the guilty perps. Same in Minneapolis.

Pommer said:

Should Christian Nationalists gain true power, pretty soon it’d be limited to the “correct kind of Christian”.

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I've watched Mike Winger's apologetic and Bible teaching sermons for years and gained the upmost respect for his Biblically sound teaching/preaching. I've also watched his videos over the past few years on Benny Hinn, Todd White, Rob The Poligamy Guy, Brandon Biggs, Micah Turnbo, Bill Johnson, Shawn Bolz, and Bethel Church in general. I think his exposure of these frauds. is thorough, sound, and a necessary check upon the leaders of our Christian faith.

Most people won't have the patience or interest to delve into the cases YouTubers detail about false preacher/teachers of our day, but I'd encourage all believers to start paying more attention - particularly to any on the hit list influencing your faith personally. In other words, if you're one of the misguided sheep attending the wrong church, as millions are, you need to wake up and start being more discerning about what leader you're following. It's not hard finding the evil ones if you just care enough to look.

Kudos to Mike Winger and his good work.

Valletta said:

D.C. went three weeks in 2026 without a homicide as violent crime drops
The president, police chief and D.C. Council members all say they played a role in reducing crime in the city. The reversal is in line with national trends.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2026/02/01/crime-dc-homicides-january/

There is no question that the crime drop has been dramatic in large cities that have fully cooperated with the Trump administration, such as Memphis and New Orleans.

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It being the dead of winter didn’t have nothing to do with this stat?
Okay.

Isaac the Recluse said:

I visited their site quite often when I was finding my way back to faith, around 2016. I was trying to understand where Flat Earthers were coming from.

In those days they ran "courses" - series of articles with a quiz at the end. They were useful for gathering all the biblical "FE evidence" together. I remember there being courses on prophesy - Revelation, Daniel, and other topics. They were very keen on home churches, the writings of Ellen G. White, and something they called the Creator's Calendar - for calculating a Sabbath that reset every lunar month. I don't remember anything about Jesus not being God, that might have spooked me.

Most of their stuff didn’t take root with me, but my Faith in Christ strengthened, Glory to God.

I seem to remember there being some connection to an Asian businessman. Not Kim Dot Com, but I don’t remember a name. Critics at the time were saying the site was bankrolled by him as some kind of retaliation against the SDA. I don't know the truth there.

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Thank you. It almost sounds cult like to me. I’m just glad there are those out there that know more of the background to this group. I had never heard of them before.

jas3 said:

Again, according to you; the Amish believe that even photographs of people are violations of the commandment against images. How could you justify your preferred kinds of images to them as not being condemned by this commandment? There's no record in the Bible of God commanding the creation of the likeness of a person. One could then argue that generic images of angels or plants might not be idols, but a picture of a specific person would still be condemned.

The point here is not to get into the weeds about arguing against a hypothetical strict Amish iconoclast, but to show that your definition of "idol" is arbitrary, or more specifically, circular, because you start with the assumption that images of saints are condemned by this commandment and then use the part about bowing down as your rule for what is and isn't an idol, so that what you want to be condemned is condemned, and what you want to be allowed is allowed.

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The amish have it wrong, as do you.
And no, my definition comes from the context of scripture, which I can see you are unfamiliar with.
I'm merely applying the scripture and its meaning, as did the man they persecuted.

My parents were professing Christians but they didn't go to church and didn't live Godly lives.

I went to church by myself as a child. Other people lead me to the Lord. I have maintained my faith without my family.

God pursues people regardless of what their family does. Each person is responsible for their own decisions and we are all to work out our own salvation. That applies whether or not our parents raise us in church.

Is it easier? Maybe. As far as teaching and encouragement, it can be. Or if done in a bad way or a way the kid can't perceive what is meant, it might do more harm than good. I've known plenty of people who came to know the Lord or claim their faith as their own after leaving their family of origin or not having a Christian upbringing.

AceWestfall08 said:

My advice. try not to get too bogged down with 'theology'.....try to have an active relatinship with god, as opposed to following the law/theology.
The law killeth, but the spirit giveth life.

These are the commandments jesus says to do. you do this, and you will follow the 10 commandments.

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these.”

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This is great advice!!! From the wise words of Jesus himself.
I appreciate your response and pray that you have a blessed evening. I will keep your words in mind and spirit as I continue on my journey with the Lord!

Is belief not a work?

Can satan believe? If so, is belief still sufficient?

It seems that there is more to a relationship with Jesus than just believing. The acts and submission that should follow, I would think, are more indicative of the relationship and salvation than belief.

Unqualified said:

Those things were just getting in your way. Blocking you. It’s a quick solution, but sometimes we need help. Forgive him, thank, it’s over. You not fake just following as best you can. The past is done when we repent.

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Yeah it was a major block