Dr. Fauci and Rand Paul

Heather Cox Richardson had a good piece yesterday on the Rand Paul vs Dr. Fauci congressional hearing. I copied part of it below, and have some comments of my own at the end: 

 July 29, 2026 (Wednesday)

"And so, Republicans are devoting themselves to serving red meat to their MAGA base, ginning up sound bites for distribution on social media. "

"On the menu today was Dr. Anthony Fauci, the 85-year-old former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases who, serving in that capacity for 38 years, advised seven different presidents of both parties. President George W. Bush awarded Fauci the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his work in creating the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), which has saved an estimated 26 million lives. Trump named Fauci to the President’s Coronavirus Task Force in January 2020. "

A what-if on the 2024 presidential election

Could Kamala Harris have won the 2024 election if Joe Biden had resigned the presidency at the same time he relinquished the party nomination?

Bonus cut: the homily I didn't give today

In my previous post, I posted the homily I gave today, focusing on the first two parables in today's Gospel reading.  But up until late last night, that was not the homily I had planned to give today.  This one I'm posting below the break is the one I had worked on (more to the point, struggled with and fought) for quite a few hours this week.  It's based, not on the parables of Jesus in the Gospel reading, but on the prayer of King Solomon from today's first reading (readings are here).

Before I went to bed last night, I put the finishing touches on this one, practiced giving it, and printed it so it would be all ready to bring with me to the early mass this morning.  But I never loved it.  And I woke up at about 5:30 this morning with the conviction that, if I had enough time, I would redo it.  I had to drop one of my children off at work at 6 am.  That gave me about 50 minutes to draft a new homily.  That is not the recommended way to create a homily!  But I had been ruminating on the readings for days - more than a week - so I wasn't really starting ice-cold. So the new homily just came pouring out through my fingers on the keyboard onto the laptop screen.  I was able to type it out, edit it and print it within a 45 minute window.  I'm quite sure I had divine help getting that done. Then I put on some church clothes and headed to church, arriving in time for 7:30 am mass.  I didn't have time to practice it beforehand, which is not optimal.  But I think it worked out okay.  I gave it again at the 9:30 am mass and I think it was a little stronger that time. 

Here is the one I didn't give.  I'd welcome any comments. My own take is: it is more like a post here at NewGathering than a homily.  I'm glad I changed my mind.

All in

This is my homily for today, the 17th week in Ordinary Time, Cycle A.  Today's readings are here.

Are Independents Having a Moment?

 Recently Joe Manchin launched the Independent Leadership Council, an initiative to recruit and support independent candidates across the country.  

From an article on MSN:

Midterm elections 2026: Five independent candidates to watch amid Joe Manchin's new political push

The Conformity Gap - Catholics

 This came in an email this morning from Ryan Burge  that is relevant to the discussion of original sin and baptism.

“There’s a running joke in American religious life that goes something like this: ask ten Catholics what the Church teaches on a given issue, and you’ll get eleven different answers. It’s meant to be affectionate, a nod to the big-tent nature of a tradition that has managed to hold together nearly a billion people across wildly different cultures, languages, and political contexts. But like most jokes, it contains more than a little truth.

Original Sin

 There is a group on Facebook that discusses the books and ideas of Fr. Richard Rohr.  It is not a group sponsored by Rohr or the Center for Action and Contemplation, but just a place where those interested in his insights and ideas can converse.  There was a post today that caught my eye because I don't agree with the Augustinian understanding (official church teaching) of original sin.  I accepted all of it when I was a kid, and was well into adulthood before I really began dissenting from the many christian and Catholic teachings that don't make sense to me, such as atonement theology, transubstantiation, and original sin (among others).  This was the lead comment in the FB group today. Thoughts?

Several years ago, i attended a church that was doing an infant dedication, and the pastor offered an interesting suggestion.

He asked his creative arts department to design "onesies" for the babies, with the following printed on the front:

Dιɾƚყ Rσƚƚҽɳ Sιɳɳҽɾ

And on the back:

𝗣𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝗠𝗲 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗚𝗼𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗹

What do you think of this idea?

If YOU were the Creative Arts Director...

What would you have printed on the front/back?!

[Note: most in the audience that day cheered loudly, while I became a little sick to my stomach. They likely hadn't read Immortal Diamond, or anything else by Father Richard... and they need to]

Pope Leo's Sesquicentennial letter to Americans

While looking for something else today, I ran across this letter from Pope Leo to the American people on the occasion of our 250th annivesary.  The letter, which is pretty short, is here.  

I don't think there is anything controversial about it (although I could be wrong - I'd be interested in folks' thoughts about it).  Here are my random observations, below the break:

What to make of the Graham Platner situation?

As I am sure everyone knows by now, Graham Platner, the Democratic nominee for the Maine Senate seat occupied by Republican Susan Collins for 30 years, has ended his campaign.  A drip-drip-drip of revelations of problems in his personal history has become more than Democratic leaders and donors can stand, and they have prevailed upon him to step down.  

I confess I am not sure what to make of it.  

SPXX Splits Traditional Catholics

 RORATE CAELI is a traditionalist blog that focuses upon the Roman politics that surround the Latin Mass.  Its recent posts on the illicit consecrations of the SPXX bishops document that split that is now occurring between the SPXX traditionalists and those inside the Church advocating the Old Latin Mass. 

Happy birthday, United States

On the theory that nice, round numbers are significant, today's Independence Day anniversary would seem to be a big one.  The American experiment has been underway for 250 years.  

I know all of us are old enough to recall the 200th anniversary, in 1976.  I was a teenager at that time, so I don't claim to have had a long, mature perspective then; but that anniversary felt bigger - it felt as though the country as a whole was celebrating it more than what I'm feeling today on the 250th.  

I visited my folks yesterday.  They were children during WWII.  They are as patriotic as they come, although not usually in an overt, loud, annoying way.  I don't think the 250th anniversary came up once during our visit.  People aren't really going out of their way to mark the occasion.  Or so it seems to me. 

We've had a typical Fourth of July celebration today: we went to our town's parade in the morning.  I'm writing this after spending the last 90 or so minutes doing food preparation: boiling potatoes and eggs for potato salad, preparing and baking a baked bean casserole in the oven, and assembling a raspberry pie which will go into the oven while we eat our dinner (bbq ribs, prepared by my wife).  We'll have three of the kids over.  This is pretty much what we do every year.

I told my wife that I'd endeavor to say positive things about our country today - a pledge I intend to keep in this post.  So from time to time today, I've been trying to appreciate good things about our country.  There is a lot to appreciate.

Are you marking this anniversary in any particular way? 

The Continuing Saga of the SSPX

 Didn't we see this movie back in 1988?  Then we had the sequel in 2007. They were back in, and everybody kissed and made up.  Except they didn't. So now we have the remake of the original.  It all seems kind of 10th century AD.  Can't they be just another Protestant church?  Except that's not how they or Pope Leo see it.  Because they see themselves as the remnant, the real Catholics. Who don't accept Vatican II or the popes since then.

From NCR:  Defying pope and facing excommunication, SSPX consecrates bishops at huge outdoor Mass | National Catholic Reporter

WORD ON FIRE NEW BREVIARY

 

Word on Fire's Liturgy of the Hours

EARLY BIRD DISCOUNT

Premium 4-Volume Set

$499.95 $359

or 4 payments of $89.75

​Premium 4-Volume Set (Large Print) 

$599.95 $429

​or 4 payments of $107.25

Volume 2 (Lent) will be available in January followed by the other volumes ending in Volume 1 (Advent) in November.

This English Breviary is approved only for the USA.  The rest of the English speaking world will continue to use the present translations as far as I know.

Supposedly this new Breviary will become obligatory in 2028. But I think that there is a lot or wiggle room since any cleric who prays the Hours with others satisfies their obligation even if it is from another office, e.g. the monastic office of the Eastern rites.  For probably much longer that 2028 the only way to pray the office with the laity will likely be to use the old books, or buy Barron's $9 a month booklets which have in them Morning, Evening and Night prayer.

If you want to pray the full Hours the best place to start is 

Divine Office – Liturgy of the Hours of the Roman Catholic Church (Breviary)

"On August 6th 2006 our first Catholic website and podcast series went live and two years later DivineOffice.org website was launched.

What started as a mustard seed of an apostolate is blossoming and making a real change in the world.

In 2011 and 2012 the Liturgy of the Hours produced by this ministry was recognized as the best Catholic podcast, website and mobile app. Three Divine Office mobile apps were nominated as Best Catholic Mobile App in the About.com Readers’ Choice Awards 2012 edition.

The Divine Office prayer community spans through new media, social media, mobile apps, podcasts platforms and radio stations. Community members from all around the world gather in prayer through our mobile apps as well as through our free podcast and DivineOffice.org website.

As producer of Divine Office it has been my pleasure to work with dedicated volunteers who spent uncountable hours in the studio creating this beautiful liturgy. I want to extend my personal thanks to Chriss, Denise, Greg, Randy, Nicole, Melinda and Vince for their selfless donation of time to the benefit of our community in God’s worship. They are Divine Office readers and singers and this work started with them. Rebecca, Hugo, Richard, Natalie, Harriet and Philip are a few professional readers who joined our effort many years later, and they also deserve a heartfelt thank you!"

This great example of mostly voluntary lay leadership hopes to put up the new edition of the Divine Office as well as a Spanish edition! This organization fought both ICEL and the bishops to get what they have now, and I suspect they will have to fight the bishops to get approval for doing the new edition.

Christian Prayer, is a one volume edition of the present translation of the Morning Prayer and Evening Prayer.  I have not heard anything about plans to produce a one volume edition of these key Hours. Are deacons expected to buy the four volume set even though they are obliged to recite only Lauds and Vespers?

My website SAINT GABRIEL HOURS is essentially a breviary for Morning and Evening Prayer culled from Divine Office and other websites.  

While Bishop Barron is promoting celebrating the Hours anywhere, anytime with anyone, he still argues that because of the sacramental nature of the Church we should be using books, either the four-volume set or the monthly worship aides. 

I think virtual resources have a far better chance of accomplishing anywhere, anytime and with anyone than books. More importantly virtual resources create community whether or not their members meet physically. 

Bishop Barron's rich donators are going to provide a four-volume set to all the seminarians in the country.