Francis says this Lent love means “caring for those who suffer or feel abandoned and fearful because of the Covid-19 pandemic. In these days of deep uncertainty about the future, let us keep in mind the Lord’s word to his Servant, “Fear not, for I have redeemed you” (Is 43:1). In our charity, may we speak words of reassurance and help others to realize that God loves them as sons and daughters”. MORE

Novena – Day 1 
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
St. Michael the Archangel, we honor you as a powerful protector of the Church and guardian of our souls. Inspire us with your humility, courage and strength that we may reject sin and perfect our love for our Heavenly Father. In your strength and humility, slay the evil and pride in our hearts so that nothing will keep us from God.

“We are heartbroken to share that our dear Brayden Smith recently passed away unexpectedly,” his mother, Debbie Smith, announced in a tweet on Friday, February 12. “We are so grateful that Brayden was able to live out his dream on @jeopardy.” MORE

Amazon has just unveiled the plans for its new corporate headquarters that will stand in Arlington, Virginia, directly across the Potomac River from Washington DC. The announcement inaccurately describes the design as a “double helix” but scholars of ancient history and the Bible will readily recognize the ancient model for the design: the Tower of Babel. VIDEO

In the 1969 revision of the Roman Catholic Calendar of Saints, the feastday of Saint Valentine on 14 February was removed from the General Roman Calendar and relegated to particular (local or even national) calendars for the following reason: “Though the memorial of Saint Valentine is ancient, it is left to particular calendars, since, apart from his name, nothing is known of Saint Valentine except that he was buried on the Via Flaminia on 14 February.” (Calendarium Romanum ex Decreto Sacrosancti Œcumenici Concilii Vaticani II Instauratum Auctoritate Pauli PP. VI Promulgatum (Typis Polyglottis Vaticanis, MCMLXIX), p. 117 ) MORE

It’s interesting how he words this, ‘the touchiest’ as if it’s ‘molestation’.

Ash Wednesday is one of the touchiest observances on the liturgical calendar — literally. Many churches mark the beginning of the penitential season of Lent with the imposition of ashes. Clergy smear ashes, usually those left after burning palm fronds from the previous year’s Palm Sunday celebrations, onto congregants’ foreheads, often in the shape of a cross. MORE

The story of Lourdes is well known. Between February 11 and July 16, 1858, the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared eighteen times to fourteen-year-old Bernadette Soubirous in that small town located in the foothills of the Pyrenee mountains of southern France.

The message of the lady was: “Penance! Penance! Penance! Pray to God for sinners!

Be blessed, O most pure Virgin, for having vouchsafed to manifest your shining with life, sweetness and beauty, in the Grotto of Lourdes, saying to the child, St. Bernadette: ‘I am the Immaculate Conception. ‘ A thousand times we congratulate you upon your Immaculate Conception. And now, O ever Immaculate Virgin, Mother of mercy, Health of the sick, Refuge of sinners, Comforter of the afflicted, you know our wants, our troubles, our sufferings deign to cast upon us a look of mercy.

French Sister Nathalie Becquart will be the first woman to be appointed to the position, and will have voting rights in the synod.This puts her in a place to help make key decisions in the Catholic Church, according to Vatican News, the Holy See’s official press website. MORE

POPE BENEDICT is “terrified” of Francis and his plans to modernise the church, as the pontiff made a landmark move to appoint Nathalie Becquart to a senior role, previously only ever held by men. MORE

Experts in the US are calling for the creation of a Reality Czar. They mean a Ministry of Truth. At first I couldn’t believe what I was reading. A writer for the New York Times was enthusiastically supporting a call made by ‘several experts’ around the Biden administration to create a Reality Czar. Apparently, a Reality Czar is needed to counter the campaign of disinformation being pushed by bitter conservatives. MORE