Are we a democracy or a republic?

 Actually, we're both.  There was a good article on NPR:

Is America a democracy or a republic? Yes, it is : NPR

"What do we call the system of government in the U.S.? Are we a democracy or a republic?The conundrum is, well, as the common expression goes, "as old as the republic itself."

"But it's not just a question for scholars and semanticists any more."

What ChatGPT Told Me About Jesus and the Woman at the Well

 The story of Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well is found in the Gospel of John, chapter 4. It is one of the longest and most theologically rich conversations Jesus has with anyone in the Gospels.

The Traditional View: A Sinful Woman

For many centuries, Christians often assumed she was a sexually immoral woman. The reasoning was straightforward:

"You have had five husbands, and the one you have now is not your husband." (John 4:18)

Many sermons portrayed her as an outcast whose immoral life was exposed by Jesus. Her coming to the well at noon ("the sixth hour") was often interpreted as evidence that she was shunned by other women and therefore avoided the cooler morning hours.

However, modern scholars are much more cautious about this interpretation.

Was She Really Immoral?

The text itself never calls her a sinner, adulteress, prostitute, or immoral woman.

In fact, John's Gospel is usually quite willing to identify sin explicitly when it wishes to do so.

Several points argue against the traditional interpretation:

1. Women Had Little Control Over Marriage

In the ancient world, women generally could not initiate divorce (except in some regions and circumstances). If she had been married five times, the causes could have included:

• Widowhood
• Divorce by her husbands
• Levirate marriage obligations
• Economic necessity

A woman who survived multiple husbands might be more a victim of circumstances than a perpetrator of sin.

The fourth way out

There is a fourth way for the Trump presidency to end.  We all know of the first three ways, death, impeachment with a conviction, or the 25th Amendment. The fourth way is resignation. I actually didn't think of this, it was James Carville who voiced the idea:

Joan Chittister - The Sexist Church I Love

 I receive Joan Chittister's emails, and own several of her books.  I have met her more than once at the Washington National Cathedral when she was invited to give talks, or a homily.  The Bishop of the Washington Diocese, Maryann Budde, is a big fan of Sister Joan.  At one talk, given after the liturgy in which she gave the homily, a woman stood up and said "I am a Catholc woman. Why do I have to go to an Episcopal church to hear Sister Joan speak or give a homily".  The reaction rippled through the congregation- it was clear that she was only one of many Catholic (or formerly Catholic) women in the congregation. There was applause.  This article is from Sister Joan's email today.  

A funeral for death by violence

Last week, I presided at a funeral liturgy for two murder victims.

Pope Leo at the Sagrada Familia

 This is one of many videos available of the light show in Barcelona.  It is not as long as some, but shows the highlights. Unfortunately there is an ad first, but it’s not long.    I saw the cathedral once - many decades ago, when I was 19.  There has been a great deal of work finished on it since then.  I hope to see it again later this year when I visit my son and his family.  To say it is totally unlike any other cathedral I’ve ever seen is. a serious understatement. It is unique. The light show is fascinating.This clip only shows a small portion of it. I don’t agree with Barron about much, but I do agree with him that the Roman Catholic Church does beauty best.  Is this cathedral beautiful?  Not in my personal opinion, at least not in the conventional sense.  But it is magnificent.  We don’t watch the news but my Barcelona-bound son sent me a link.  I didn’t use that one because of length (it was from a Spanish organization) .  This one is about 5 minutes. So, in case you missed it, here is a brief clip.

https://youtu.be/I_-lGSGOi8I?is=-rTBA-FY7HmEqJyS

On Celebrity Exorcists

It has been in the news lately that Cardinal Robert McElroy has removed Msgr. Stephen Rosetti from the post of exorcist for the archdiocese of Washington, DC., after some comments he made about UFO sightings and demons: Washington archbishop removes priest as exorcist after comments on UFOs and demons | National Catholic Reporter

"The archbishop said Rossetti's statements "linking UFOs to demonic presence and the Center's recent use of social media gravely undermine the Church's very precise teaching on the devil, demons and exorcism."

So I thought it might be useful to explore what the Church's teaching on exorcism and exorcists actually is. From the USCCB site on that subject: Exorcism | USCCB