Thank You, Lord

 Thank you, Lord, for the many blessings You have planned for as as we live this Advent season.

Msgr. Pope on Jesus as a "Concealed King"

"We do well to further examine a quality of Christ’s kingship mentioned in [last Sunday’s] sermon notes, namely that he is a 'concealed' King. In the gospel, both the saved and condemned are surprised and wonder when they encountered Jesus at all, whether as hungry, thirsty, naked, a stranger, sick or in prison. He replies, Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’ (Matt 25:41). So, although concealed, Jesus says he was, quite present in those who were in such need."

In a recent commentary, Monsignor Charles Pope (pastor of Holy Comforter-Saint Cyprian Parish, Washington, DC) reflected on some aspects of what it means in Jesus being a concealed king.

To access Msgr. Pope's complete post, please visit:

Community in Mission: Some Thoughts on Jesus as a "Concealed King" (22 NOV 20)

Reflection Starter from Pope Francis

"Advent is a continuous call to hope: it reminds us that God is present in history to lead it to its ultimate goal and to its fullness, which is the Lord Jesus Christ." - Pope Francis

The King's Singers: "The Rose"

As this blessed week draws to a close, I offer this version of The King's Singers presenting "The Rose":

On the Catholic faith of Squanto and Other Catholic-related Topics

A number of articles/posts have recently been published on a variety of Catholic-related subjects worth considering.

To access some of these, please visit:

Our Sunday Visitor: Catholics see plenty to be grateful for on Thanksgiving even amid pandemic (25 NOV 20)

U.S. Catholic: The Catholic faith of Squanto (November 2020)

National Catholic Register: A Miracle of Conversion: Cancer Helped Heal His Soul (28 NOV 20)

University of Notre Dame: Church Life Journal: A Short History and Theology of Spiritual Communion (8 APR 20)

Aleteia: Kathleen N. Hattrup: Pope's mini-lesson: How to discern if God or Satan is speaking (4 MAY 20)

The Catholic Thing: Feminism's Unexpected Cure (11 MAR 20)

WCRB: Nuns Bring 'Light for the World' in Chart-Topping Plainchant Album (30 OCT 20)

Crux: Amid a 'Spoon River' of dead, priests in Italy emerging as pandemic heroes (12 APR 20)

Small Business Saturday

A number of communities throughout this region and the rest of the nation are urging residents to save some energy (and money) by turning out to support locally-based, small businesses today, Saturday, 28 November - Small Business Saturday (the business day between Black Friday and Cyber Monday).

This promotion has been initiated for a number of reasons:

• It supports the type of independent, unique businesses that make local communities vibrant and distinct places.
• It keeps spending and tax revenue local, verses having them “leaking” out to neighboring jurisdictions.
• Profits go to local owners instead of national headquarters located somewhere else.
• It helps demonstrate that local government is supportive and invested in local business success.

Small Business Saturday, which was established by American Express in 2010 and cosponsored by the U.S. Small Business Administration since 2015, is an effort to help small businesses get more exposure during one of the biggest shopping weekends of the year. According to American Express, over 100 million people came out last year to shop at independently-owned small businesses during Small Business Saturday.

For more information about this observance, please visit:

Small Business Saturday

Facebook: Small Business Saturday

U.S. Small Business Administration: Small Business Saturday

Media report:

USA Today: Shop local, shop small for 11th annual Small Business Saturday (26 NOV 20)

NBC News: Small Business Saturday 2020: How to support local businesses (27 NOV 20)

Fox News: Small Business Saturday more critical this holiday season amid coronavirus pandemic (27 NOV 20)

Thank You, Lord

 Thank you, Lord, for the blessing of small local businesses.

John Grondelski on Thanksgiving Being Under Assault

"Thanksgiving is a quintessential American holiday. Most people around the world identify it with Americans. (Apologies to my Canadian friends, but Martin Frobisher's 1578 banquet in the eastern Arctic of 'salt beef, biscuits, and mushy peas' just didn't catch on). 

"That's not to say Thanksgiving sprang from nowhere. European Christians - Catholics and Protestants  -  had festivals of Thanksgiving. The word 'Eucharist' itself - the 'source and summit of the Christian life (Lumen Gentium, no. 11) - means 'thanksgiving.' Even Frobisher's chaplain celebrated a Protestant 'Eucharist' before the crew sat down to those delectable peas.

"The religious roots of the American people therefore knew of thanksgiving, and American history - even in the Protestant British colonies  -  records both community days of thanksgiving and penance ('humiliation'). . . ."

In a recent commentary, writer John M. Grondelski reflected on some of the ways in which Thanksgiving is under assault in the United States.

To access Mr. Grondelski's complete post, please visit:

National Catholic Register: Blogs: John Grondelski: Thanksgiving is Under Assault in Many Different Ways (26 NOV 20)

Reflection Starter from Martin Luther King

"The time is always right to do what is right." - Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Anniversary Blessings to Robin and Will!!!

Belated anniversary greetings to Myrna's daughter Robin and her husband Will, who recently celebrated their twentieth wedding anniversary!!! May the upcoming year be filled with the Lord's choicest blessings!!!

Birthday Blessings, Evelyn!!!

Birthday greetings to granddaughter Evelyn, whose birthday is today!!! May this day, and each day of the upcoming year, be filled with the Lord's choicest blessings!!!

Louis Spohr: Symphony No. 2 in D minor

It's time for some classical music. This is a presentation of Louis Spoh's Symphony No. 2 in D minor, Op. 49, as presented by the Singapore Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Choo Hoey: