Pope’s Prayer Intention for Feb: Hear the Cry of Migrants

Last updated on: November 14, 2024 at 7:36 am By Rebecca Hamilton

Pope Francis’ prayer intention for February is that we “hear the cry of the migrants.” I think it’s important to remember that Scripture calls us to help the migrant throughout the Old Testament. It is a repeated admonition from God. Also, we should remember that the Holy Family themselves had to flee an unjust and murderous government and were themselves migrants. From Vatican News: The full text of Pope Francis’ Prayer Intention: Migrants are often victims of criminal human smuggling and... Read more

The Ladder to Heaven is Easy to Find.

Last updated on: November 14, 2024 at 7:38 am By Rebecca Hamilton

My yoke is light, Jesus tells us. St Paul seemed to interpret that, at least in part, to refer to a lifting of the weight of the law and the beginning of salvation by grace. St Paul had been, in his own words, “a Pharisee’s Pharisee.” He said that he had striven all his life to follow every single rule that constituted the Law of the Old Covenant. He was one of the rule-making class who spun out additional rules... Read more

God is with Us.

Last updated on: November 14, 2024 at 7:46 am By Rebecca Hamilton

God is with us. In our daily lives. In our suffering. In our fears. In our joys. Throughout our lives from conception until we go home to Him, He is with us. And He is love. Read more

Pope Francis’ to Decide on Release of McCarrick Report

Last updated on: November 14, 2024 at 7:54 am By Rebecca Hamilton

Pope Francis will decide when to release the McCarrick report. According to the Vatican’s Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the report should be released soon. From Catholic News Agency: Pope Francis will make the final decision on when to publish a highly-anticipated report on former cardinal Theodore McCarrick, the Vatican’s Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin said Thursday. “I think that [the report] will come out soon, I cannot tell you exactly when,” Parolin told a small group of... Read more

The Gospel Doesn’t Stop at Conversion

Last updated on: November 14, 2024 at 8:02 am By Rebecca Hamilton

Experience of God teaches that He is love and that He loves us. This comes before doctrine and even explodes a lot of doctrine. Without the love of Christ, doctrine is a yoke and a punishment. It can and often does become cruel, selfish and a method of oppression. Only Christ Himself, the person of Our Lord, gives life and saves us. “The gospel not only saves you, it keeps you. Ain’t that good news.” Read more

Jackie Perry Discusses Conversion, Faith and Sexuality

Last updated on: November 14, 2024 at 9:24 am By Rebecca Hamilton

I didn’t know anything about Jackie Perry’s life story when I first encountered her Christian rap. I only knew that I was moved by her powerful preaching. This woman can preach, and what she says resonates. In this video Perry discusses her faith journey. I didn’t not know until I saw this that Jackie Perry is a lesbian. She goes into what that means to her as a Christian. Rather than attempt to bend Christianity to her sexual orientation she... Read more

Iowa Vote Still Being Counted.

Last updated on: November 14, 2024 at 9:35 am By Rebecca Hamilton

The vote counting in the Iowa Caucus was a big flop. We still don’t know the outcome. From PBS: Nearly 24 hours after the Iowa caucuses started, the state’s Democratic Party released its first wave of results. The delay came after what’s being described as a coding error with a phone app used by more than 1,700 caucus sites to report results. With 62 percent of precincts reporting, former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg — or, I should say,... Read more

Let’s Go Back to Paper Ballots.

Last updated on: November 14, 2024 at 9:38 am By Rebecca Hamilton

It appears that the Democratic side of the Iowa Caucus belly-flopped yesterday. Instead of seeing the kick-off to the presidential race and learning how our boy or girl ran, We the People woke up this morning to learn that, once again, another America election (a caucus this time) went face-first into the dirt. The solution is obvious. We need to go back to paper ballots. Congress should have passed a federal law mandating paper ballots in all presidential elections, and... Read more

US Wuhan Patient Discharged from Hospital

Last updated on: November 14, 2024 at 9:47 am By Rebecca Hamilton

The first person to contract Wuhan virus so far has been discharged from the hospital. There are 11 confirmed cases in the US so far. From CNN: Providence Regional Medical Center in Everett, Washington, the hospital said Monday in a statement. “The patient remains in isolation at home and is being monitored by the Snohomish Health District, in coordination with his care team at Providence,” the statement said. “For the privacy of the patient, we will not be disclosing the... Read more

NW Bishops Encouraged by Visit with Pope Francis

Last updated on: November 14, 2024 at 11:01 am By Rebecca Hamilton

Sixteen Catholic bishops from Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana and Alaska met Francis Feb. 3. They came away encouraged by the Holy Father’s openness and what they termed his “openness” in his conversation with them. From National Catholic Reporter: Bishops from the northwestern United States spent more than two and half hours with Pope Francis and came away talking about his small gestures and, especially, his understanding and encouragement. Sixteen bishops — including auxiliaries and retired bishops — from Washington, Oregon,... Read more