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The Theory of allocation in the California Fires in full swing. The Theory of allocation explains how a limited number of causes - or excuses, are distributed to certain crisis.
An example is Gary Becker's "Theory of the Allocation of Time" which focuses on how individuals distribute their time across various activities to maximize personal satisfaction.
This theory is used to analyze how individuals, firms, and governments make decisions about who to blame when things don't go as planned.
Gavin Newsom blames weather change for the California Fires
Professor Nir Halevy at Stanford University says he's found a way to use the Theory of Allocation to blame others.
On the other hand, Occam's razor, also known as the principle of parsimony, states that the simplest explanation for an observation is usually the best explanation.
California's Gavin Newsom has blamed climate change for the severity of the California Fires.
Others gave blamed undue focus on DEI policies
Michael Shellenberger, professor at the University of Austin states that "Some reporters and scientists are blaming climate change for the lack of rain in LA. It's ridiculous. There's no trend in annual rainfall from 1877 to 2024. We have wet years and dry years. Climate change isn't responsible for the LA fires. Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor] Karen Bass are."
I told you so.
And Tucker Carlson asserts Gavin Newsom is a psychopath: “Gavin Newsom's palms don't sweat. His respiration doesn't increase. His body temperature doesn't change. Nothing changes in Gavin Newsom when he lies to your face, and there are not that many people like that, actually.” Tucker Carlson
The Epiphany, January 6, marks the arrival of visitors, identified in Scripture as the magi, to the place where Jesus was born. Although we know virtually nothing about them, we do know they brought three gifts:
Gold — a symbol of wealth and power, identifies the recipient as a king.
Frankincense — the crystalized resinous sap of a tree used as incense and as an offering, is symbolic of prayer.
Myrrh — another resinous tree sap, was used in healing liniments and as an embalming ointment. Myrrh is an odd gift for a child—so, even at the beginning of Jesus' life on earth, this gift foreshadows his death.
Epiphany not only manifests Jesus, the Son of God, but also reveals our hearts. It shows us that the Savior can be welcomed (as happened with the shepherds and the Magi) and rejected (as happened with King Herod). Let’s not hide the fact that there are aspects of “the magi” and aspects of “King Herod” in each of us. There’s a part of us already ready to set out on the journey, to know and understand, to grow and improve, to surpass ourselves. But there is also a Herod always ready to destroy our dreams and hopes - Vatican News
While Christmas is all about the birth of the Child Jesus, on Epiphany, what is highlighted is that this poor and vulnerable Child is King and Messiah, the Lord of all the earth. With Epiphany, Isaiah’s prophecy is fulfilled: “Rise up in splendor, Jerusalem! Your light has come” (Is. 60:1ff). It’s as if the liturgy is saying – don’t cut yourselves off, don’t give up, don’t remain prisoners of your “convictions”, don’t be demoralized, react, “lift up your eyes”! Like the Magi, observe “the star” and you will find “the star, Jesus
When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, in the days of King Herod, behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star at its rising and have come to do him homage.” When King Herod heard this, he was greatly troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. Assembling all the chief priests and the scribes of the people, He inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. They said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it has been written through the prophet: And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; since from you shall come a ruler, who is to shepherd my people Israel.” Then Herod called the magi secretly and ascertained from them the time of the star’s appearance. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search diligently for the child. When you have found him, bring me word, that I too may go and do him homage.” After their audience with the king they set out. And behold, the star that they had seen at its rising preceded them, until it came and stopped over the place where the child was. They were overjoyed at seeing the star, and on entering the house they saw the child with Mary his mother. They prostrated themselves and did him homage. Then they opened their treasures and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed for their country by another way (Mt 2:1-12).
The Magi “raise their eyes” and set out on a journey, going where it was logical to “seek” a king, in a palace. Their arrival creates a bit of turmoil, so much so that King Herod convokes the priests and pharisees, the experts in Sacred Scripture. They “know” that the Messiah would be born in “Bethlehem”. But their “knowing” does not go beyond. It has nothing to do with their lives, their experience. They remain stuck. They do not “get up”; they remain safe and comfortable in the palace. The Magi arrive from afar; the priests and pharisees are already near, yet they are blinded by their knowledge, by their certainties, by their privileged positions…. It seems that God reveals Himself to those who do not bask in their own light, to those who do not seek the limelight of notoriety.
The Magi set out again following the star, but at a certain point they no longer see it. So strong had their certainty been that the newborn King would be in the palace – a certainty that had momentarily dazzled their eyes to the point that they lost their way. But then, accepting the fact that they had been mistaken, they “convert” themselves, and the star reappears, guiding them toward their goal. This is a beautiful and important passage because it makes us understand that the drama of the human person is never that of falling, of making a mistake, but of giving up after falling. Like the Magi, who were searchers of truth, we sometimes or often risk allowing ourselves to be dazzled by our own convictions to the point of losing our way. Today, we are taught not to be afraid to question our own certainties and conclusions because a true “creature” knows how to accept their mistakes and continue their journey. Our hearts have great desires, they thirst for justice and truth, for joy and hope. To follow the star is to follow these same lofty, noble, just, beautiful desires that enter the heart and are capable of moving us through life, of setting us on our journey knowing how to face hardships, risks and defeats, just as the Magi did.
When our search is energized by truth, then we find what we are seeking, even if it comes from a “Child wrapped in swaddling clothes lying in a manger” (Lk. 2:12). This passage is interesting. It is not enough to “seek” if our hearts are not pure, if they are not free from prejudice, if they are not guided by sentiments of truth. “ Herod wants to adore the Child, but we know that his desire was twisted (cf. Mt. 2:16: “Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men … he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under”; Lk. 9:9: “He sought to see him”, he was curious because of Jesus’ miracles). Engulfed by fear and uncertainty, imprisoned so by power, Herod was not able to see in that Child what He really was, and so he allowed himself to be taken over by the fear that the Child was a dangerous competitor.
Epiphany not only manifests Jesus, the Son of God, but also reveals our hearts. It shows us that the Savior can be welcomed (as happened with the shepherds and the Magi) and rejected (as happened with King Herod). Let’s not hide the fact that there are aspects of “the magi” and aspects of “King Herod” in each of us. There’s a part of us already ready to set out on the journey, to know and understand, to grow and improve, to surpass ourselves. But there is also a Herod always ready to destroy our dreams and hopes. A Herod, always ready to massacre, lurks behind our desire for what is good, beautiful and right, not wanting us to find “the Child” who can change our lives. The Magi teach us that life is a journey and that we are invited to live it as Jesus did, while the Herods of this world delude and flatter us into believing that success and power are necessary in order to exist
Gold and incense recall the gifts of the Queen of Sheba to King Solomon, a reference we find in the Responsorial Psalm (Ps. 72). Gold represents Jesus’ kingship; incense, His divinity; myrrh, His humanity since it was a substance that was used to sprinkle over the bodies of the dead. The light of the star always leads to an act of adoration, of bowing before the mystery that has drawn near. It leads to giving, but even more, to self-giving. It is precisely this act of “self-giving” that stops many from allowing themselves to be attracted to Jesus because it leads to the fear of losing a position, comfort, security, privileges, thus hindering them from a change of life and conversion.
Three basic points led her to become a Catholic: belief in the Real Presence, devotion to the Blessed Mother and conviction that the Catholic Church led back to the apostles and to Christ
Elizabeth Ann Bayley Seton SC was a Catholic religious sister in the United States and an educator, known as a founder of the country's parochial school system. Mother Seton is one of the keystones of the American Catholic Church. She founded the first American religious community for women, the Sisters of Charity. She opened the first American parish school and established the first American Catholic orphanage. All this she did in the span of 46 years while raising her five children. Born in New York and reared as an Episcopalian, she married William Seton. Two years after his death, she converted to Catholicism in 1805.
Elizabeth Ann Bayley Seton is a true daughter of the American Revolution, born August 28, 1774, just two years before the Declaration of Independence. By birth and marriage, she was linked to the first families of New York and enjoyed the fruits of high society. Reared a staunch Episcopalian, she learned the value of prayer, Scripture and a nightly examination of conscience. Her father, Dr. Richard Bayley, did not have much use for churches but was a great humanitarian, teaching his daughter to love and serve others.
Elizabeth Ann Bayley was born on August 28, 1774, the second child of a socially prominent couple, surgeon Richard Bayley and his wife Catherine Charlton of New York City. The Bayley and Charlton families were among the earliest European settlers in the New York area. Her father's parents were of FrenchHuguenot and English descent and lived in New Rochelle, New York.
As Chief Health Officer for the Port of New York, her father attended to immigrants disembarking from ships at Staten Island. He also cared for New Yorkers when yellow fever swept through the city (in one outbreak, it killed 700 persons in four months). Bayley later served as the first professor of anatomy at Columbia College.
At 19, Elizabeth was the belle of New York and married businessman, William Magee Seton. They had five children before his business failed and he died of tuberculosis. At 30, Elizabeth was widowed and penniless, with five small children to support.
While in Italy with her dying husband, Elizabeth witnessed Catholicity in action through family friends. Three basic points led her to become a Catholic: belief in the Real Presence, devotion to the Blessed Mother and conviction that the Catholic Church led back to the apostles and to Christ. Many of her family and friends rejected her when she became a Catholic in March 1805.
To support her children, she opened a school in Baltimore. From the beginning, her group followed the lines of a religious community, which was officially founded in 1809.
The thousand or more letters of Mother Seton reveal the development of her spiritual life from ordinary goodness to heroic sanctity. She suffered great trials of sickness, misunderstanding, the death of loved ones and the heartache of a wayward son. She died January 4, 1821, and became the first American-born citizen to be beatified (1963) and then canonized (1975).
Lord God, You blessed Elizabeth Seton with gifts of grace; As wife and mother, educator and foundress, So that she might spend her life in service to your people. Through her example and prayers May we learn to express our love for you In love for our fellow men and women. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, Who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, One God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Gregory Nazianzus is renowned as one of the Cappadocian Fathers, along with St. Basil the Great and St. Gregory of Nyssa. He is a patron saint of theologians, preachers, and those seeking understanding of the deep theological aspects of the Christian faith. Basil the Great is the patron Saint for both hospital administrators and reformers. Both Doctors of the Church.
Gregory of Nazianzen also known as Gregory the Theologian was an early Roman Christian theologian and prelate who served as Archbishop of Constantinople from 380 to 381. Hep is widely considered the most accomplished rhetorical stylist of the patristic age. As a classically trained orator and philosopher, he infused Hellenism into the early Church, establishing the paradigm of Byzantine theologians and church officials.
The Byzantine approach to theology is primarily influenced by a spiritual platonism that considers the world as an epiphany or appearance of a superior world. The Gospel of John and the Platonizing Fathers of the first five centuries formed Oriental and Byzantine Christian.
This thought insists on the separation between the visible world and the invisible world. What one sees here below are the changing, imperfect things. Behind these beings, there is the true unchanging Being that the soul will contemplate happily in immortal life. The hereafter is the sole end of man's destiny and of all worldly activity.
Gregory was born at Arianzus, in the southwest of Cappadocia. The saint's father was originally a member of the hereticalsect of the Hypsistarii, or Hypsistiani, and was converted to Catholicity by the influence of his pious wife. Their two sons, were sent to a famous school at Caesarea, capital of Cappadocia, and educated by Carterius, probably the same one who was afterwards tutor of St. John Chrysostom. Here started the friendship between Basil and Gregory which intimately affected both their lives, as well as the development of the theology of their age
Saint Basil the Great was an early Roman Christian prelate who served as Bishop of Caesarea in Cappadocia from 370 until his death in 379. He was an influential theologian who supported the Nicene Creed and opposed the heresies of the early Christian church, fighting against both Arianism and the followers of Apollinaris of Laodicea.
Basil was still young when his father died and the family moved to Annesi in Pontus, on the banks of the Iris. As a boy, he was sent to school at Caesarea, then "a metropolis of letters", and conceived a fervent admiration for the local bishop, Dianius. Later, he went to Constantinople, at that time "distinguished for its teachers of philosophy and rhetoric", and then to Athens where he became the inseparable companion of Gregory of Nazianzus, who, in his famous panegyric on Basil (Or. xliii), gives a description of their academic experiences. According to him, Basil was already distinguished for brilliancy of mind and seriousness of character and associated only with the most earnest students. He was able, grave, industrious, and well advanced in rhetoric, grammar, philosophy, astronomy, geometry, and medicine
To maintain the peace between Christians and Arianism in the empire, Emperor Valens commanded everyone to adhere to Arianism. Many—if not most—obeyed out of fear of the emperor. Out in Caesarea, however, Valens’s command was ignored.
One day, as the emperor traveled through Cappadocia, he decided to stop by Caesarea and personally exile the bishop. They met face to face—the emperor dressed in his finest traveling gear, impressive in furs and precious metals; the bishop in simple monastic garb, bearded and bent.
Basil had better become Arian, Valens demanded. If not, these were his options: confiscation of his property, exile, torture, perhaps death.
The bishop was unimpressed. Confiscation? He had little to lose in worldly goods; a few books, perhaps. Exile? The Church was his only home. Torture, now—he was so weak, it would simply kill him. And as for death—he welcomed it, as it would bring him to Christ.
Valens, in all his imperial glory, was speechless. He returned home to his palace, and no one mentioned exiling Basil again.
St. Gregory, you are known for your zeal for the Catholic faith, love of liturgy, and compassion and mercy toward those in need. Please help and guide us so that we may share in these virtues and thereby bring Jesus into the hearts of our families and all we encounter. We especially ask for blessings on our parish family, our priests and our deacons.
I also ask that you graciously intercede for me before God so that I might be granted the special assistance and graces that I seek Help me to live as a faithful child of God and to attain the eternal happiness of heaven.
Saint Basil, o great follower of God, help all as well as me. Defender of orthodoxy, defend us too, that follow your faith and stand besides you. Great follower of God, pray to him for all your people, as well as for unworthy me. Strong knight and leader of Ostrog, save us from the seen and unseen. Raised by Serbian soil do be the light in front of God, be our light and light up our road and make darkness disappear.
With prayer and tears you have warmed the cold cliffs of Ostrog, please warm our hearths with Gods spirit, so we can be saved. From all corners of the world to your grave come the weak and the ill, and you helped them, got rid of their demons as well as the devil, and healed their souls and bodies. Please continue to help, the baptized and the nonbaptized, everybody and me as well. You brought peace to fighting brothers, please continue to bring peace, help the devided, make the sad happy, calm the stubborn, heal the sick. Saint Basil, o miracle worker, father of our spirit, listen and hear your children’s spirits in the name of Jesus Christ.
Is there a difference between Antichristianity and Antisemitism? A post on X claims one is racism, the other one is antireligion
"Despite the extensive efforts and resources invested in combating antisemitism in recent years, the phenomenon is on the rise. More funds, more conferences, and more laws won't necessarily make the difference. We need unsparing examination of the efficacy of existing strategies." AAAS
Recall Biden gave Iran $6 billion, because according to intelligence, the money was not going to be be used for terrorism.
And as the Biden administration touts the euphemistically titled " First National Strategy to Counter Islamophobia" - a gag order that could classify Dem Michigan AG's and other similar statements calling out Tlaib for 'cruel' and hateful' Israel comments Islamophobic, one is already in place, which we refer to as the Ummah Industrial Complex Incubators, and administered by leading US Universities with the Ummah Law Of Terrorism in effect: Terrorists go where they are welcomed and stay where they are protected and well treated
And as Kamala Harris touts the First National Strategy to Counter Islamophobia, aka Gag Order Against Criticizing Islam, her stepdaughter Ella Emhoff helps raise money for a Gaza fundraiser that could end up in the hands of Hamas.
Guess how the Democratic Coalition celebrated the 2024 International Holocaust Remembrance Day? You guessed it. By promoting the First National Strategy to Counter Islamophobia!
Now, to typical mainstream media coverage of the Gaza Conflict: EdSource's Michael Burke writes that "Rich Lyons takes over at a time when Berkley University is divided due to "Israel's war in Gaza." Such headline is a gross misapplication of the Theory of Allocation:It's NOT "Israel’s war in Gaza" but terrorists attacking Israel.
Burke continues "it has divided the campus, where there have been numerous protests and demonstrations since last fall." Apparently the BLM, ANTIFA the mainstream media chsracteruzed as "peaceful protests" don't count.
It’s not just the media distributing anti-Semitic, pro-Hamas propaganda, but also the illuminati – those whose level of hate for the USA far exceeds their love for terrorists. The self-described illuminati, include, WaPo, NYT, Students at Harvard, at UCLA, at Washington, Professors at Stanford at Cornell, RFK, Liz Cheney, Biden, McCarthy, McConnell, Pelosi. Fox News, Kerry, Jarret, Ellison, Obama, Spartacus , IlhanOmar, Rashida Tlaib andl the Squad, the Military Industrial Complex et al, to name a few.
The AntiSemitic Democratic Coalition can be found in every social stratum, from professors at Stanford University, students at Harvard or politicians in Washington DC. Using Israel's response to the terrorist attack, the Democratic Coalition is getting bolder with Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries calling for the duly elected Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to be overthrown.
The Democratic Socialists of America and Black Lives Matter affiliates have issued statements of support for Hamas: No one in the Biden Administration has condemned the AntiSemitic remarks coming in from the Democrat. Here's a sampling:
Democrat Rep. Pramila Jayapal compares Israel's self-defense to Russia's "siege of Ukraine"
Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) antisemitism and disgraceful response to the attacks on Israel is so disgusting that Congressman Jack Berman introduced a resolution to censure her
Or Ilhan Omar rabid antiSemitism that even Adam Schiff was compelled to denounce her "Anti-Semitism has no place in the halls of Congress or civil society, and it’s incumbent upon all of us in leadership positions to speak respectfully and thoughtfully, even about issues as emotionally charged as those involving Israel and Palestine."
Or Haley Campaign Ripping AOC Over Israel Resolution Snub: 'You Would Fit Great with the Anti-Semites' at UN"
Or Rep. Cori Bush (D-Mo.) association with an antisemitic activist who once said she wants to burn “every Israeli” alive.
And we all know is not about hate, but about protecting the Ummah Industrial Complex
The FBI’s own Hate Crime Statistics Report show who is more likely to commit a hate crime. It shows that parents who show up at school board meetings are not likely to be terrorists.
Neither are Mass-attending Catholics, or those who display patriotic symbology or Pro-Life Advocates.
Nevertheless, Attorney General Garland sends the FBI to “protect” school boards and spy on Catholics. The FBI knows which public officials spew hate and call for violence against the police:
The RichmondCalif., City Council voted for state-sponsored AntiSemitism and accused Israel of “ethnic cleansing and collective punishment"
Mr Anh Le was savagely beaten with a bat by two people in Chinatown. Despite the high Hate Crime rate in the city, The San Francisco DA plea-deal so the perpetrators did no get jail time – he had to sue to get justice
Breaking News!
He who controls the chart of accounts controls the narrative. He who controls the narrative and the legacy media controls the people. He who controls the people can cancel the past.
The Biden Administration controlled the NYT! The legacy media has lost control of the narrative.
After all Obama's democratic coalition interfered with elections in Macedonia, Israel and coluded with legacy media to mount a coup.
Special thanks go to the Democratic Coalition. Including MSM, Joe Biden, Chuck Schumer, Hakeem Jeffries whi have been actively trying to delegitimize Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
For example
#Axios' @barak_ravid
"Reports"
Blinken unloads on Bibi: "You need a coherent plan" or face disaster in Gaza
As if the Biden Administration foreign policy plans had any coherence.
Antisemitic, AntiChristian #NYT's @ReidJEpstein
"reports" P0 "A group of more than 100 Democratic donors and activists on Monday sent a letter to President Biden’s campaign warning that progressive anger over Israel’s war in Gaza is “increasing the chances of a Trump victory.”
TRANSLATION: Wealthy Democrat Donors fear continued #DemocraticCoalition's #AntiSemitism helps president Donald Trump.
Antisemitic, AntiChristian #NBCNews'
@MonicaAlba, @CourtneyKube, #JonathanAllen, and @Carol E. Lee
"Amid deepening tensions, White House weighs how to respond if Israel defies Biden with Rafah invasion"
Netanyahu snaps back against growing US criticism after being accused of losing his way on Gaza
It's not "growing US criticism." It's Democratic Coalition criticism which included the US Legacy Media.
And it's not growing. It's always been antisemitic
Axios' @BarakRavid
"Reports"
#ChuckSchumer's (D-N.Y.) speech calling for a new government in Israel landed like an earthquake Thursday, delivering a huge shock to the already tense U.S.-Israel relationship.
Antisemitic, AntiChristian #NYT''s @AnnieKarni
"Reports" Chuck Schumer is advocating for regime change in Israel
#NBCNews
"reports"
"Israel-Hamas war: U.S. intelligence report suggests Netanyahu's far-right government may be in jeopardy
#Axios' @BarakRavid
"reports"
Harris calls for ceasefire, says "people in Gaza are starving"
CBS' @ImtiazTyab, @ErinLyall, #TuckerReals
"Report"
"Israel accused of deliberately starving Gaza civilians as war plans leave Netanyahu "increasingly isolated"
While Axios' @BarakRavid "reports" old news "Israeli military operation in Rafah 'cannot proceed,' U.S. ambassador to the UN says"
. And
#CNN's @KevinLiptak, and #MJLee, previously "reported"
"Biden growing more frustrated with Netanyahu as Gaza campaign rages on"
Do you see a trend?
The first stage of Christianity-
founded on concrete historical facts, unique in human history summarized by Moses in Deuteronomy is Judaism, God's covenant with Israel: "This then is the commandment, the statutes and the ordinances,a which the LORD, your God, has commanded that you be taught to observe in the land you are about to cross into to possess,so that you, that is, you, your child, and your grandchild, may fear the LORD, your God, by keeping, as long as you live, all his statutes and commandmentsb which I enjoin on you, and thus have long life.
Hear then, Israel, and be careful to observe them, that it may go well with you and that you may increase greatly; for the LORD, the God of your ancestors, promised you a land flowing with milk and honey.
Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD alone! Therefore, you shall love the LORD, your God, with your whole heart, and with your whole being, and with your whole strength. Take to heart these words which I command you today. Keep repeating them to your children. Recite them when you are at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you get up.
Bind them on your arm as a sign and let them be as a pendant on your forehead.
Write them on the doorposts of your houses and on your gates." Deuteronomy 6:4
The second stage of Christianity
is the same binding relationship with the same God. The Catholic Church, which means literally the Church universal, is the ew Israel. Jesus did not found a new religion; he fulfilled the one and only. As Jewish converts today confess, a Christian is a completed Jew.
Christians, adopted children of New Israel
As described in Galatians 4:4 "Brothers and sisters: When the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to ransom those under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. As proof that you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts,
crying out, “Abba, Father!” So you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son then also an heir, through God."
Antisemitism is not due to the Jew Gene.
Israel is the only nation on earth that inhabits the same land, bears the same name, speaks the same language, and worships the same God that it did 3,000 years ago. Gilder, Sowell and Gorky among others have studied antiSemitism, but didn’t quite get there. The reason for antiSemitism has not changed in 3000 years: Jews are God’s Chosen People.
The good news is that according to Romans 11, Gentiles now receive nourishment through those holy roots, just as believing Jewish people do.
Brothers and sisters: You have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace that was given to me for your benefit, namely, that the mystery was made known to me by revelation. It was not made known to people in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit: that the Gentiles are coheirs, members of the same body, and copartners in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel. Ephesians 3:2
Philip Romolo Neri, sometimes referred to as the Second Apostle of Rome after Saint Peter, was an Italian Catholic priest who founded the Congregation of the Oratory, a society of secular clergy dedicated to pastoral care and charitable work. Neri's spiritual mission emphasized personal holiness and direct service to others, particularly through the education of young people and care for the poor and sick. His work played a significant role in the Counter-Reformation
As prescribed by Saint Neri, I posted one maxim per day starting with the one for September 27, 2024. This page is shall contain Saint Philip Neri's Maxim of the Day for 1Q2025.
January 2024
17. There is nothing which gives greater security to our actions, or more effectually cuts the snares the devil lays for us, than to follow another person’s will, rather than our own, in doing good.
16. They who really wish to advance in the ways of God, must give themselves up into the hands of their superiors always and in everything; and they who are not living under obedience must subject themselves of their own accord to a learned and discreet confessor, whom they must obey in the place of God, disclosing to him with perfect freedom and simplicity the affairs of their soul, and they should never come to any resolution without his advice.
15. Obedience is a short cut to perfection.
14. The name of Jesus, pronounced with reverence and affection, has a kind of power to soften the heart.
13. Men should often renew their good resolutions, and not lose heart because they are tempted against them.
12. A man should keep himself down, and not busy himself in mirabilibus super se. This phrase comes from Psalm 131:1 in the Vulgate Bible, where the Psalmist says "Non est exaltatum cor meum, neque oculi mei superbios, neque ambulavi in mirabilibus super me" which means "My heart is not haughty, nor are my eyes lofty, nor do I walk in proud things too wonderful for me."
11. He who wishes to be perfectly obeyed, should give but few orders.
10. If God be with us, there is no one else left to fear.
9. God has no need of men
Why NPR's CEO Katherine Maher says that Truth is hazardous to progressive goals?
8. Spiritual persons ought to be equally ready to experience sweetness and consolation in the things of God, or to suffer and keep their ground in drynesses of spirit and devotion, and for as long as God pleases, without their making any complaint about it.
7. Let no one wear a mask, otherwise he will do ill; and if he has one, let him burn
6. He who wishes for anything but Christ, does not know what he wishes; he who asks for anything but Christ, does not know what he is asking; he who works, and not for Christ, does not know what he is doing.
5. It is well to choose some one good devotion, and to stick to it, and never to abandon it.
4. Happy is the youth, because he has time before him to do good.
3. We must not be behind time in doing good; for death will not be behind his time.
LORD, let me know my end, the number of my days,that I may learn how frail I am. To be sure, you establish the expanse of my days; indeed, my life is as nothing before you. Every man is but a breath. Psalm 39
2. Nulla dies sine linea: Do not let a day pass without doing some good.
Nulla dies sine linea is a Latin phrase meaning "no day without a line". The idea was originated by Pliny the Elder (Natural History, XXXV, 84), where the idea applies to the Greek painter Apelles, who did not go a day without drawing at least one line. The phrase itself is attested for the first time in the Proverbiorum libellus by Polydore Vergil (1470-1555).
1. WELL! when shall we have a mind to begin to do good?
While the family is the single most important institution on earth, the family is also in far more desperate straits today than it ever was in the history of the world - Peter Kreeft
The Feastof the Holy Family celebrates the human family unit, as well as the ultimate family unit: Jesus, Mary, and Joseph.
The feast is usually celebrated on the Sunday after Christmas. If Christmas is a Sunday, then the feast is celebrated on December 30.
The devotion to the Holy Family was born in Bethlehem along with baby Jesus. The shepherds went to adore the Child, and at the same time, they gave honor to His family. Later, in a similar way, the three wise men came from the East to adore and give honor to the newborn King with gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh that would be safeguarded by His family.
The Feast of the Holy Family is not just about the Holy Family, but about our own families too. The main purpose of the Feast is to present the Holy Family as the model for all Christian families, and for domestic life in general. Our family life becomes sanctified when we live the life of the Church within our homes. This is called the "domestic church.” St. John Chrysostom urged all Christians to make each home a "family church," and in doing so, this sanctifies the family unit.
The Church affirms that the family is the original cell of society, that the families' communion of persons closely resembles the persons of the Holy Trinity.
Antonin Gaudi called God's Architect was so inspired by the notion, he designed the Holy Family (Sagrada Familia) Cathedral in Barcelona, Spain.Pope St. John Paul II said, “The future of humanity passes by way of the family.” "The family is the foundation of co-existence and a remedy against social fragmentation. Children have a right to grow up in a family with a father and a mother capable of creating a suitable environment for the child’s development and emotional maturity". – Pope Francis Humanum Conference, November 17, 2014.
A marriage is the creation of a family, the very essence of the family. The minimum core of it. It is the thing that in itself constitutes a family and without which we do not have a family, no matter what else we have. A marriage is in essence a man and a woman who promise fidelity and are open to having children. That is the essence of the design created and willed by God the Creator. No one can change thar design.we can only change the names.
Even when a family becomes dysfunctional. It is still a family. It's a dysfunctional family, not a non-family. A bad family can become a good family. But a good partnership or a good friendship or a good business cannot become a family. There's a little bad in the best of us and a little good in the worst of us. And there's always hope for all of us.
"The Catholic Church is the only institution in the world that still, everywhere and always, teaches the fundamental and universal principle of sexual, marital and family fidelity.
That is why she is scorned, and sneered at by the secular media and hated and feared by the devil: because she dares to stand up to what St. John Paul the Great dared to call our culture of death and what Pope Benedict XVI called the 'dictatorship of relativism' and stand for every single human being's intrinsic, inviolable, and inalienable right to life from the moment of Conception to the moment of natural death. Her not to abortion, her no to divorce, her not to the 'sexual revolution" and sexual infidelity, and her no to euthanasia ate all essential parts of that seamless garment of pro-life issues." Peter Kreeft
According to Peter Kreeft, while the family is the single most important institution on earth, the family is also in far more desperate straits today than it ever was in the history of the world. Every society in history that has had a high respect for religion has also had a high respect for family- and vice versa. Half of our families commit suicide by divorcing. That's what a divorce is: the ripping apart of the 'one fresh' created by marriage.
An unhealthy family cannot fulfill its mission in the world. In 1965, 25% of African American children were raised fatherless. Today it is 75% According to Fathers.com children from fatherless homes are more likely to be poor, become involved in drug and alcohol abuse, drop out of school, and suffer from health and emotional problems. Boys are more likely to become involved in crime, and girls are more likely to become pregnant as teens. Children in father-absent homes are almost four times more likely to be poor. In 2011, 12 percent of children in married-couple families were living in poverty, compared to 44 percent of children in mother-only families.
Fatherless children are at a dramatically greater risk of drug and alcohol abuse. There is significantly more drug use among children who do not live with their mother and father. A study of 1,977 children age 3 and older living with a residential father or father figure found that children living with married biological parents had significantly fewer externalizing and internalizing behavioral problems than children living with at least one non-biological parent. Children of single-parent homes are more than twice as likely to commit suicide. Data from three waves of the Fragile Families Study (N= 2,111) was used to examine the prevalence and effects of mothers’ relationship changes between birth and age 3 on their children’s well-being. Children born to single mothers show higher levels of aggressive behavior than children born to married mothers. Living in a single-mother household is equivalent to experiencing 5.25 partnership transitions.
Cardinal Kevin Farrell, Prefect of the Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life and event organizer, says Pope Francis wants the WMOF (The X World Meeting of Families Celebration took place in Rome starting June 22, through June 26, 2022,) to be lived in local Churches around the world, and points to the holy examples of married couples who have become canonized saints.
Pope Francis says that “Perfect families do not exist. This must not discourage us. Quite the opposite. Love is something we learn; love is something we live; love grows as it is 'forged' by the concrete situations which each particular family experiences. Love is born and constantly develops amid lights and shadows. Love can flourish in men and women who try not to make conflict the last word, but rather a new opportunity. An opportunity to seek help, an opportunity to question how we need to improve, an opportunity to discover the God Who is with us and never abandons us. This is a great legacy that we can give to our children, a very good lesson: we make mistakes, yes; we have problems, yes. But we know that that is not really what counts. We know that mistakes, problems and conflicts are an opportunity to draw closer to others, to draw closer to God.”-- Address to Festival of Families, Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Philadelphia, Sept. 27, 2015
Finally, the Holy Father is asking the1.2 billion fellow Catholics around the world to pray for the spiritual health of the family. The father is the spiritual leader of the family and leaders set the tone. There are countless issues Pope Francis could focus on, but he is prioritizing the need to pray for families—to strengthen and encourage them at a time when the future does not seem too bright. The power and reality of intercessory prayer means that brothers and sisters in Christ are lifting up your family’s intentions to the Lord. And with the World Meeting of Families official prayer, you and your family are also invited to intercede for others.
Just how does one live out the Church in the family? The best way is by making Christ the center of family and individual life. Ways to do this include reading scripture regularly, praying daily, attending Mass at least on Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation, imitating the actions of the Holy Family, going to confession frequently, all done together as a family unit.
