Points to Ponder:

Where has the enemy not sown weeds? Where has he not found wheat and not strewn it with weeds? Has he sown only among lay people and not among the clergy or among bishops? Has he sown only among married men and not among the chaste professed? Has he sown only among married women and not among nuns? Has he sown only in the homes of lay people, and not in congregations of monks? The enemy has strewn seed everywhere, sowed everywhere–where has he left seed not mixed with weeds?

But, thank God, the one who has deigned to separate cannot err–your charity is not hidden from him. Weeds are found in the loftiest, most exalted harvest, even in the professed life weeds are found, and you say, “Even there wicked people are found, even in that congregation there are wicked people!” But the wicked will not reign forever with the good. Why are you surprised that you have found bad people in a holy place? Don’t you know that in paradise the first sin was disobedience, and an angel fell because of it? Did that stain heaven? Adam fell, and did that stain paradise? One of the sons of Noah fell, and did that stain the home of the just one? Judas fell, and did that stain the choir of Apostles?

Sometimes by human judgment some are thought to be wheat who in fact are weeds, and some are thought weeds who in fact are wheat. And because these things are hidden, the Apostle says: “Do not judge before the time, until the Lord comes and casts light on things hidden in darkness, and he will reveal the thoughts of the heart, and then there will be praise for each one from God” (1 Cor 4:5). Human praise passes: sometimes a person praises a bad man and doesn’t know it; sometimes he accuses a holy man, and doesn’t know it. May God forgive those who do not know, and come to the aid of those who are toiling. [St. Augustine of Hippo: Ser 73A, 1.5,3]

The Bismarck was sunk 80 years ago yesterday. Here is a tale of the tape between the Bismarck class battleships and the Iowa class battleships in a hypothetical matchup:

Nazi Germany's Battleship Bismarck vs. America's Iowa Class: Who Wins?

Points to Ponder:

It is very helpful to confess with a certain regularity. It is true our sins are always the same; but we clean our homes, our rooms, at least once a week even if the dirt is always the same, in order to live in cleanliness, in order to start again. Otherwise, the dirt might not be seen, but it builds up. [Pope Benedict XVI]

Today is the 80th anniversary of the mighty German battleship Bismarck sinking the British ship The Hood.

Today would have been the 49th anniversary of the birth of my childhood best friend Chris DiSomma who passed on back in 2005. Here are a couple links which reference older material from this site on him:

Chris DiSomma: A Birthday Commemoration Posting (circa May 23, 2018)

Remembering Chris DiSomma: A Simple Man (circa November 23, 2019)

If readers could offer some prayers for the eternal repose of his soul, I would appreciate it.

Eternal rest grant unto his soul oh Lord and may thy perpetual light shine upon him...May his soul and all the souls of the faithfully departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.

In light of the recent attacks on the state of Israel by Hamas and the continuing issues with Hezbollah and the Palestinians, I want to take a moment to remind readers of some of what I have said in the past regarding this geopolitical situation on this site. My overall view is the same and can be aptly summarized in this phrasing from social media posted ten years ago yesterday:

If a group seeking more land cannot run what they already have without screwing it up royally, then they are incapable of handling greater land responsibility and should be refused!

This is in a nutshell what I referred to in the thread link above as The McElhinney Gaza Scholastic Postulate. And it explains why I view the Middle East situation as I do, especially in light of the recent Abraham Accords which gives even less reason to care a whit about groups who have already wasted far too many people's time and energies on their irrational idiocies. But I digress.

Today is the 19th anniversary of the passing of my uncle David Kanski. If readers could offer some prayers for the eternal repose of his soul, I would appreciate it.

Eternal rest grant unto his soul oh Lord and may thy perpetual light shine upon him...May his soul and all the souls of the faithfully departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.

Points to Ponder:

History in its completion and incompletions is written by the winners while the losers invent conspiracy theories in 'rebuttal'. [Me]

Supreme Court Rejects Home Searches to Seize Firearms by Police Under "Community Caretaker" Doctrine

This 9-0 ruling by the high court is encouraging.

Points to Ponder:

The moment you give up your principles, and your values, you are dead, your culture is dead, your civilization is dead. Period. [Oriana Fallaci]

Pope Francis' process for investigating accused Catholic bishops clearly requires reform

I agree that lay experts are needed at every level on this because there needs to be a check on the clergy. Furthermore  lay expert involvement should be more than just recommended but instead mandated. Otherwise many bishops will simply ignore the recommendation.

Seahawks 2021 NFL schedule official release: Dates, game times, networks, more

Canon Law - Strict Interpretation Helps Avoid Harshness

A lot of apologist sources like to utilize canon law to push their agendas rather than seek to properly understand the principles of proper interpretation. For this reason, the above article written by a titan in the canon law world can be of aid in correctly understanding how various canons{1} are to correctly be applied.

Note:

{1} There is one typo which got missed before publication. Namely, the reference in the article to Canon 925 is actually intended to reference Canon 915. 

Here Is Why the Democrats Are Totally Panicked About the Arizona Audit

Queen’s speech: voters will need photo ID for general elections

To be blunt, only a complete moron has a problem with voters in an election having to provide photo ID. 

Democratic Death Watch: 'Biden’s agenda is pretty much dangling by a thread'

Vatican warns US bishops over get-tough Communion proposals

My father in law Frank Barone passed away a year ago this morning. If those who read these words would say a prayer for him, it would be most appreciated.

Eternal rest grant unto his soul oh Lord and may thy perpetual light shine upon him...May his soul and all the souls of the faithfully departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.

Points to Ponder:

A feeble executive implies a feeble execution of the government. A feeble execution is but another phrase for a bad execution; and a government ill executed, whatever may be its theory, must be, in practice, a bad government. [Alexander Hamilton]

Pete Carroll and John Schneider are not who they once were