In a resurfaced viral video, a priest is attacked during the consecration at Mass.

A young woman approaches the altar as he says the consecration prayers and hits him. In the background, one can hear an audible shriek.

Continued below.

Priest Attacked by Shrieking Woman at Mass, Then Casts Out Demons with Deliverance Prayer

In a resurfaced video, a priest is attacked during the consecration at Mass. After she is removed, he says a deliverance prayer over her!

hollywoodcatholic.com

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Seminarian Josh Brooks. | Credit: Courtesy of Catholic Philly, official newspaper of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia

Josh Brooks, a native of Delaware County in metro Philadelphia, dreamed of following in the footsteps of his idol LeBron James and becoming a professional basketball player. However, God had other plans for him.

Today, Brooks is in his third year of university studies at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and is preparing for the priesthood.

“I don't want to just live for myself, but I want to bring the joy God gave me to other people,” Brooks said in a recent interview with Catholic Philly, the official newspaper of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.

Raised in the Baptist faith, Brooks had his first contact with Catholicism when his parents enrolled him at St. Ignatius Loyola Elementary School in West Philadelphia. Later, at Monsignor Bonner & Archbishop Prendergast High School, his interest in the Catholic faith grew.

Continued below.

Today, the idea of counting patriotism as a virtue makes a lot of people antsy and uncomfortable. But that wasn’t always the case. Aspiring to the love of God and country was the norm for most of human history. And until rather recently, every culture celebrated its great patriots in art, literature, music and film. The classic movies produced during World War II — and then about it — are enduring examples of how we expressed our patriotism before patriotism itself got a bad rap.

But something changed in the United States when the children of the “Greatest Generation” reached adolescence. With body-bag counts from Vietnam reported daily on the 6 o’clock news and the Watergate hearings overriding regular daytime programming on television, almost everyone under 30 struggled to find any reason to be proud. For kids in elementary school like me, the ambivalence permeated everything.

Our fathers and grandfathers fought evil in Europe and the Far East and defeated it at great personal cost. But the society at large was intent on proving that we didn’t owe them anything. The fourth commandment — “honor your father and your mother” — no longer applied. Consequently, I didn’t witness much patriotism until Ronald Reagan was elected president. And when I finally did, it frightened me.

In those years, we were told (in both direct and oh-so-subtle ways) that America’s best days could only be found in history books, but that what was written in those books was misleading.

Our nation was troubled from the start, rife with broken promises at home and prone to arrogant bullying abroad. Strong countercultural forces peddled the narrative that America had little to be proud of and a lot to be ashamed of.

Loving one’s neighbor​

Continued below.

Warning: This article contains details of extreme violence.

ABUJA, Nigeria — Fulani herdsmen attacked two villages in Kaduna state, Nigeria, killing two Christians and wounding three others, after terrorizing villagers in another area in June, local residents said.

In Jema’a County, herdsmen attacked Dogon Fili and Attang villages after 9 p.m. local time on June 7, said area resident Sandra Musa.

Continued below.

John MacArthur, the 86-year-old longtime California pastor and broadcaster, has been admitted to the hospital with pneumonia. The announcement was made during Sunday worship, with a church leader telling the congregation he “may be in the presence of the Lord soon.”

The latest update was delivered by Tom Patton, a staff pastor at Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, California, where MacArthur has served for over five decades.

Patton asked the congregation to pray for MacArthur and his family, saying the church was placing their pastor “at the feet of the glorious Savior whom he has served so faithfully for so many years and now awaits his final command to be in his presence forever.”

Continued below.

I know the whole King Charles/Camilla affair happened when I was really young too young to really fully grasp what was going on but it left me as a child well... angry. The whole affair STILL makes me angry inside. Why? Well now because I fully understand what the affair entailed. That King Charles was with Camilla repeatedly and cheated on Princess Diana not just once like my mother lead me to believe for so many years but repeatedly and deliberately. And he was carrying the title prince of Wales back then! He was my future king! He is now my king! And the worst part is? He's STILL living with his mistress! He's still supposed to be a man of God bearing God's holy image and hes unrepentant of his original adultery and his betrayal of his wife Princese Diana! It just makes me so angry!

And yet... I want to forgive him. I have to forgive him but its like... I can't let this go. Its like I completely understand what Prince Harry and Prince William to a degree are going through. Their mom was tragically killed and their father cheated on her repeatedly forcing her to file for divorce when she really didnt want to and now shes just... gone.

But the thing is? Like Prince Harry I dont know how to forgive him and he isnt my father hes just my king. A king that is supposed to be righteous and holy (a job that Prince William will be much more qualified for and Queen Elizabeth did so well for so many years) and yet, hes got a deep dark secret that he will never repent for and he will never leave Camilla. But... he doesnt have to do that to earn my forgiveness he just has to... idk take his job as king before God seriously I guess and repent? But that'll never happen so how do I move on from this and get on with my life... help?

I was wondering if somebody could help me forgive him because God commands us to forgive but also if they could give me some biblical advice on forgiveness.

This is Jesus Christ speaking to his 11 disciples, for by this time Judas Iscariot had already departed to betray Jesus to the authorities. And Jesus was speaking during the time period when the Jews were still under the Old Covenant, for Jesus had not yet died and had not been resurrected and had not yet returned to the Father. And Jesus, who was also a Jew, but who was God, the second person of our triune God – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – spoke of himself as the true vine with God the Father being the vinedresser.

Okay, so I am going to introduce a thought here that I had not thought of before in reading this passage of Scripture, and this is something that I will have to look into more thoroughly, but this is what struck me this time in reading about Jesus being the vine and the Father being the vinedresser. The first Scripture that came to mind is 1 Corinthians 10:4 where it says that the Israelites, in the wilderness in the time of Moses, drank from the spiritual Rock that followed (or accompanied) them, and the Rock was Christ.

Now, if you consider that the Scriptures teach that Jesus always existed with God and that he is God (as noted above), and that he is our creator God (see John 1:1-36), then Jesus, the Christ, was with the Israelites always, and he was the spiritual rock that they drank from, even back then. And this is not meaning physical water that they drank, but that they drew their livelihood, their existence, and their spiritual life and sustenance from him who is our rock, our fortress, our tower of strength.

And then I thought of Romans 11 where it also speaks of branches which were broken off from the root, which were the Jews who rejected Jesus Christ (the root), and how we Gentiles by physical birth were grafted into the root by faith in Jesus Christ. For it is Jesus Christ that we come into by faith and we become part of him. He is our root. He is our vine. He alone is our spiritual rock from which we drink (partake). He alone is the one in whom we abide and no other so only he can be that root we were grafted into.

So, the point here is that Jesus Christ was always the root. He was always the rock of our salvation from whom the Israelites who trusted in God had their life and their salvation. He was always the vine. And all who believe in him with God-persuaded faith are his branches. But once he died and was resurrected from the dead, which is when God’s people entered into a new covenant with God/Christ, then for all those who did not believe in him, they were cut off from the vine, like this talks about in John, chapter 15.

If you ever worked a puzzle before, or if you ever tried to solve a mystery, you may have gone through a process of logic and reason and deduction such as, if A=B and if C=B then there must be a connection between A and C. And I may not be explaining this well, but it has to do with associations and with connecting the dots. Like if by faith in Jesus Christ we are now joined with Christ, and he is our root/vine, then the root we were grafted into, which some Jews got cut out of, is Christ. For we are in Christ.

And this fits with this passage in John 15 where it speaks of branches being cut off from the vine due to unbelief (disobedience), which was evident by the fact that they did not bear spiritual fruit for the kingdom of God. There was no spiritual outgrowth or results in their lives that gave evidence to them being true branches. But they were once the Lord’s branches. They were once part of that root/vine, but Jesus had to cut them out because they did not believe in him, which is evidenced by the lack of fruit of obedience.

So, if we want to be “in Christ,” and to be his true branches, we must walk in the faith that we profess. We must, as his branches, leave our lives of sin behind us and now walk in obedience to his commands (New Covenant) in holy living, living separate (unlike, different) from the world because we are being conformed to the likeness of character of Jesus Christ. And we must continue in these walks of faith steadfast until the very end if we want to have salvation from sin and eternal life with God.

For, just like Jesus Christ/God cut out of him the natural branches who did not believe in Jesus Christ (once Jesus had given his life for us on that cross to save us from our sins) he will cut us out, too, if we don’t remain in him, and if we do not bear the kind of spiritual fruit that he requires of us, and if we do not continue in his grace. And his grace instructs us to renounce (say “NO!” to) ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives (see Romans 11:19-24; Titus 2:11-14).

[Matt 7:21-23; Matt 24:9-14; Lu 9:23-26; Rom 1:18-32; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14,24; Rom 12:1-2; Rom 13:11; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; 1 Co 1:18; 1 Co 15:1-2; 2 Tim 1:8-9; Heb 9:28; 1 Pet 1:5; Gal 5:16-21; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:17-32; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:5-17; 1 Pet 2:24; Tit 2:11-14; 1 Jn 1:5-9; 1 Jn 2:3-6,24-25; 1 Jn 3:4-10; Heb 3:6,14-15; Heb 10:23-31; Heb 12:1-2; Rev 21:8,27; Rev 22:14-15]

My Sheep

Based off John 10:1-30 NIV
An Original Work / June 24, 2012
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

My sheep hear me. They know me.
They listen to my voice and obey.
I call them and lead them.
They know my voice, so they follow me.
They will never follow strangers.
They will run away from them.
The voice of a stranger they know not;
They do not follow him.

So, I tell you the truth that
I am the gate, so you enter in.
Whoever does enter
Will find forgiveness and will be saved.
Nonetheless whoever enters
Not by the gate; other way,
He is the thief and a robber.
Listen not, the sheep to him.

Oh, I am the Good Shepherd,
Who laid his own life down for the sheep.
I know them. They know me.
They will live with me eternally.
The thief only comes to steal and
Kill and to destroy the church.
I have come to give you life that
You may have it to the full…

They know my voice, so they follow me.

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Unless We Abide in Christ
Originally written and posted on December 7, 2023
Reposted on December 9, 2024 and July 14, 2025
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

Was he a disciple ?

ICE and CBP arrested violent and dangerous criminal illegal aliens during the operation who were working at the marijuana site, including:
Roman Izquierdo—an illegal alien from Mexico—who has been convicted of kidnapping, attempted rape and attempted child molestation. ICE previously deported him in 2006.
Juan Duarte-Velasquez—an illegal alien from Mexico—who has been convicted of rape and a DUI.

Now we can see who the progressive protestors defend. And we hope the children are on there way to being united with their families.

14 July, 1789 was the day the Bastille--a fortress/prison in Paris-- was stormed by a mob of angry French citizens, expressing their disgust at the imprisonment of persons who dared to challenge the actions of the French government. As it turned out, only 7 detainees were freed. But it was the start of the French Revolution, and the beginning of the end of the French monarchy. (Not to mention that 4 years later was the Reign of Terror. When madam Guillotine was very busy.) But if nothing else, La Marseillaise, is the best of all national anthems. How many other countries' national songs mention watering fields with the blood of their enemies?

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There are ads on this website with a woman talking about God and the Bible, I am trying to find more of the videos and found them to be very helpful does anyone know where it can be found.

SO WHAT DOES ULTRA- DISPENSATION MEAN ?

And at one time we had two ULTRA in our Assembly , many years ago , and never pushed. their. theology position towards me. !

And what I do know is that they begin the Body of Christ at Acts 28

And do. make a separation between Israel and the Body of Christ !

And maybe reject Water Baptism !

And reject the Lords Supper !

And do not know how they stand on salvation !

What say you. ?

dan p

People talk about the "morally gray" characters in Star Wars Andor. However, I don't think a person who has to do an evil thing morally gray if he understands that what he did was evil without rationalizing it as good.

For instance, the character Luthen says, "I'm damned for what I do." That indicates a person of conventional morality, not different from the average soldier of the Allies during WWII. On a personal note, and why this is an issue of importance to me, all of my elder relatives were ground combat veterans. Toward the ends of their lives--good lives, well-lived lives--they were all still tortured by things they'd done in combat. None of them felt his actions had been justified even though their actions had been forced upon them by circumstances they did not create.

Luthen's acknowledgment--"I'm condemned to use the methods of my enemy to defeat him....I'm damned for what I do"--is not morally gray in the classical sense. It reflects a man with a strong moral compass who knowingly violates it for a cause he believes just. That’s very different from someone who redefines wrong as right, which is often what the term “morally gray” suggests.

Luthen does morally reprehensible things: manipulating people, sacrificing allies, orchestrating civilian deaths, but he never excuses them as good. He doesn’t relativize morality; he believes in it. He just accepts damnation as the cost of victory.

That places him closer to the moral framework of Allied soldiers in WWII: “I’m doing something I believe is necessary, but I still know it’s morally wrong.”

IMO, a "morally gray" character is one who doesn’t operate on a fixed moral code or shifts between ethical systems situationally. A morally gray character denies the evil they do is actually evil, or they deny that good and evil actually exist.

Luthen believes in absolute morality, but he chooses to sin against it consciously and accepts a tragic ending that he considers a just ending for what he has done.

In case any have not yet heard, it appears that we will soon be losing Pastor John MacArthur.

Prayers for Pastor John and his family.
I've personally been blessed by so many of his teachings, and for decades now.
I'll miss his presence in this world.

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Pastor John MacArthur Contracts Pneumonia, Nearing End of Earthly Life at 86

It was announced on Sunday, July 13, that John MacArthur, 86, pastor-teacher of Grace Community Church (GCC) in Sun Valley, California, has contracted pneumonia and is expected to be in the presence of Jesus soon.

Two women were killed at a Baptist church in Lexington, Kentucky, when a suspect fled to the house of worship after shooting a state trooper on Sunday, authorities said.

The shooting spree ended when the suspect was killed at Richmond Road Baptist Church in southwest Lexington, Kentucky State Police said on social media.

The two women who were shot and killed were aged 72 and 32. It's not yet known if they were related. Two others at the church were wounded and transported to a nearby hospital. Authorities said several members of the church are believed to be related.

Continued below.

Please pray that my son Jake can be happy tonight and talk and laugh with his friends and for good health and healing. I ask in the name of Jesus and if it is God's will. Thank you and God bless you. Carmen

"Chief among these ego-protective devices is divertissement (distraction or diversion), Pascal’s term for our continual need and almost addictive tendency to seek out mindless or soul-numbing forms of entertainment and amusement. Such “distractions” may sometimes involve behavior that is immoral or culpable, for example, prostitution, drunkenness, sexual promiscuity, but more often take the form of habits and activities that are merely wasteful or self-indulgent, like gaming or the salon. They may even consist of pastimes that are basically innocent, but which are nevertheless vain, trivial, or unedifying, for example, sports like tennis and fencing. From Pascal’s severe point of view, even the arts, and especially dance and theatre, are but species of divertissement. So are all the luxuries, consumer goods, and worldly delights with which we proudly surround ourselves. According to Pascal, we use these goods and activities not, as we self-flatteringly suppose, to certify our achievements or add a touch of bonheur to our inner life. On the contrary, we use them mainly as a way of concealing our bleak inner reality from ourselves and from one another. They are a means of denying our own mortality and hollowness."


I can see his point in a lot of things but some of our divertissement might also be healthy and give glory to God, especially when it comes to ar5t and music.

But I also must say that here I am on a Sunday evening spending too much time on the internet.

BRICS is an acronym coined in 2001 to describe rapidly developing countries that could impact the global economy. Those originally included: Brazil, Russia, India China, and South Africa.

Click to expand...

But BRICS countries are also united by a simple view: that the global balance of power skews too much toward the US and its European allies to the exclusion of emerging economies – and that the system should be reformed. To that end, the body set up its own development bank in 2015, and backs Brazil and India’s aspirations to play a greater role in the UN Security Council.

Members of the group have denied this makes BRICS “anti-Western.” But as Russia and China in the past decade have faced more friction with the West amid China’s growing assertiveness on the global stage and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, observers say both have pushed to shape the group into a more pointed tool to counter US power. During their summit in Rio, the leaders released a joint declaration voicing “serious concerns” about the “rise of unilateral tariff and non-tariff measures” – an apparent jibe at the Trump administration’s trade policy.

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They also expressed serious concerns about Israel's and the US' bombing of Iran.

It is 100% understandable why the BRICS countries, and the NATO countries being bullied by their most bombastic member, want to fight back. And quite frankly, the Democrats in the U.S. aren't, unfortunately, powerful enough to put him in his place and stop him in his tracks.

Yes, musical patterns have been discovered within the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Specifically, researchers have found that the stars and flowers depicted on the Virgin's mantle, when analyzed using mathematical principles and overlaid with a musical staff, can be interpreted as musical notes, resulting in a harmonious melody. This discovery has been attributed to Fernando Ojeda, a Mexican accountant, who analyzed the image using mathematical techniques according to the Catholic News Agency.

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Two women were shot and killed at a Kentucky church by a suspect who fled there after allegedly shooting a state trooper elsewhere, according to officials.

A suspect allegedly shot a Kentucky State Police trooper near the Blue Grass Airport in Lexington, KY, and then fled to a church [16 miles away!], where the suspect shot four people before police shot and killed the suspect, officials said at a Lexington Police Department press conference late Sunday afternoon.

Officials said they believe that the suspect had a connection to individuals at the church. The motive behind the shooting remains unclear.

Coroner Gary Ginn said the majority of the people at the church were related biologically or "have been friends for many years."

"It's a tight-knit group of people," Ginn said during the press conference.

Perp has been identified, but name not released pending informing family.

Pope Leo XIV is reportedly deliberating on the future of the recently renewed Vatican-China deal from 2018. Meanwhile, authorities in Beijing are intensifying their crackdown on Catholic conscientious objectors

Those Catholics, particularly priests and bishops, who refuse to join the Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association for reasons of conscience, although joining the Patriotic Association is both allowed and regulated by the Vatican Guidelines of 2019. The Guidelines, although not specifically encouraging this choice, declare it a legitimate option and ask other Catholics to "respect” it.
" href="Catholic conscientious objectors | Bitter Winter" target="_blank" data-gt-translate-attributes="[{"attribute":"data-cmtooltip", "format":"html"}]" tabindex="0" role="link" style="box-sizing: inherit; transition: 0.1s ease-in-out; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: dotted; border-bottom-color: rgb(221, 51, 51); color: rgb(221, 51, 51) !important;">Catholic conscientious objectors who oppose the agreement. They are part of an underground church that, in theory, should have merged with the government-controlled Patriotic Catholic Church
See Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association.
" href="Patriotic Catholic Church | Bitter Winter" target="_blank" data-gt-translate-attributes="[{"attribute":"data-cmtooltip", "format":"html"}]" tabindex="0" role="link" style="box-sizing: inherit; transition: 0.1s ease-in-out; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: dotted; border-bottom-color: rgb(221, 51, 51); color: rgb(221, 51, 51) !important;">Patriotic Catholic Church and ceased to exist.



In the southeastern Chinese Province

(省). A part of the administrative division of China at the highest, provincial level. China includes 22 provinces (although sometimes the government mentions 23, by adding Taiwan).
" href="Province | Bitter Winter" target="_blank" data-gt-translate-attributes="[{"attribute":"data-cmtooltip", "format":"html"}]" tabindex="0" role="link" style="box-sizing: inherit; transition: 0.1s ease-in-out; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: dotted; border-bottom-color: rgb(221, 51, 51); color: rgb(221, 51, 51) !important;">province of Zhejiang, particularly within the Diocese of Wenzhou, a concerning crackdown on the underground church has reached alarming proportions. This intensified campaign, which began in spring 2025, involves the systematic arrests of priests, nuns, and lay followers, the closing of places of worship, and coercive methods aimed at forcing clergy and believers into compliance with the Patriotic Catholic Church
See Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association.
" href="Patriotic Catholic Church | Bitter Winter" target="_blank" data-gt-translate-attributes="[{"attribute":"data-cmtooltip", "format":"html"}]" tabindex="0" role="link" style="box-sizing: inherit; transition: 0.1s ease-in-out; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: dotted; border-bottom-color: rgb(221, 51, 51); color: rgb(221, 51, 51) !important;">Patriotic Catholic Church.



The immediate catalyst for this aggression stemmed from a pilgrimage abroad taken by a group of underground clergy and believers in 2024. Upon their return, authorities launched a baseless accusation of “illegal migration,” claiming they conducted religious activities while using tourist visas. This charge appears to be a mere fabrication, intended to coerce Bishop Shao Zhumin, a key advocate for conscientious objection, into conforming to the Patriotic Church.

Continued below.

As followers of Jesus Christ, this is what our lives are supposed to look like. We should not be people who like to pick fights with others, who speak to others with hate and with cruel and unjust remarks. We should not be nasty with others just because we don’t agree with them on some issues. We can disagree respectfully, and maturely, and with kindness, but still stand our ground on what the Scriptures teach as truth, especially as it regards the gospel of our salvation. For speaking the truth in love is kindness.

And we are to be people of God who are living holy lives, pleasing to God, who are no longer walking in deliberate and habitual sin, but who are walking in holiness and in righteousness, and in walks of surrender to and in obedience to our Lord. Sin must no longer be our practice, but now holy living and obedience to our Lord, and to his commands, and to his will and purpose for our lives, should be what we obey. And we should be those who are submitting to the Lordship of Christ over our lives, living to please him.

But we live in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation. And this is not claiming that we are absolutely perfect in every way. But the Scriptures do make it a point to divide those who are walking in obedience to the Lord, who are no longer walking in sin, from those who are living wicked lives in deliberate and habitual sin against the Lord, and not in obedience to God. And to point this out does not at all have to mean that if we are obeying the Lord that we are self-righteous people who think we are superior to others.

Sharing the truth of the gospel, if done in love, with kindness, with respect, and not in hate, is not to be translated as snobbery and not love. It should be and it can be a sign that we love the people of this world so much that we are willing to tell them the truth of the gospel, even if it means being hated and mistreated and misunderstood, in return. I know for myself that I do what I do every day because I love God, and I am obeying him, and because I love the people of this world who need to hear the truth of the gospel.

For, as followers of Jesus Christ, we are to be those who are shining the light of the truth of the gospel to all people. For we live in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation where so many people are altering the gospel to make it more acceptable to human flesh, and less offensive to the ungodly of this world. So we need to be holding out that candle of light which shines forth the truth of the gospel for all to see, regardless of whether or not we are well received and accepted by those who listen to what we share.

For, if indeed what we are sharing is the truth that Jesus taught, and that his New Testament apostles taught, in the correct biblical context, we are going to be opposed. Some will hate us. Some will attack us personally and will falsely accuse of us of wrong motives or of having a false character. And some will oppose the gospel message we are teaching because they have believed in a false gospel which makes no requirements for death to sin and walks of obedience to the Lord. But we have to stay faithful to the truth.

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; John 1:12-13; John 6:44; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; Romans 2:6-8; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; 1 Corinthians 10:1-22; Galatians 5:16-24; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:17-32; Ephesians 5:3-6; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 4:1-13; Hebrews 12:1-2; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 1:5-10; 1 John 2:3-6; 1 John 3:4-10]

As the Deer

By Martin J. Nystrom
Based off Psalm 42:1

As the deer panteth for the water
So my soul longeth after You
You alone are my heart's desire
And I long to worship You

You alone are my strength, my shield
To You alone may my spirit yield
You alone are my heart's desire
And I long to worship You

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Holding Forth the Word of Life
An Original Work / July 13, 2025
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

‘What better person to plead our cause to than the Holy Father himself?’​

For one newly married Catholic couple, a recent meeting with the first Illinois-born pope presented a spontaneous opportunity for the couple to express their devotion to another holy Illinoisan — Venerable Archbishop Fulton Sheen — and to plead with the Pope to help Sheen’s sainthood cause move forward.

Kristen and Austin Savage were married on June 7 at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Springfield, Illinois.(Photo: Courtesy of Kristen and Austin Savage)

Kristen and Austin Savage were married on June 7 at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Springfield, Illinois, and honeymooned afterward in Italy. Months before their wedding — in fact, before Pope Leo XIV was even elected — the Savages had obtained tickets to the June 11sposi novelliblessing, a tradition during the pope’s weekly Wednesday audiences whereby newly married couples can meet and receive a blessing from the Roman pontiff.

Speaking to Andrew Hansen on the podcastof the Diocese of Springfield, Illinois, Dive Deep, the Savages said they were waiting at the Vatican with a group of dozens of other couples to see Pope Leo XIV, not expecting that they would get to actually converse with him.

Continued below.

It’s no news flash that younger Americans today generally tend to be less patriotic than previous generations. But the “patriotism gap” is growing rapidly, and perhaps most concerning is the fact that the gap is most drastic among younger Americans.

Writing for HotAir.com, Ed Morrissey notes: “Pride in America has sunk to its lowest standing ever, mainly led by a collapse among Democrats.”

Indeed, Gallup polls write: “A record-low 58% of U.S. adults say they are ‘extremely’ (41%) or ‘very’ (17%) proud to be an American, down nine percentage points from last year and five points below the prior low from 2020.” Gallup notes that most of the decline is in the “very proud” category.

Ben Shapiro asks if we’re seeing “the end of patriotism?” He opens his recent column with this observation: “America has a major problem: nearly half of Americans — 42% — don't believe in America.”

Continued below.