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Join with fellow FREEPERS to pray for AMERICA: For those in Authority in Government, Family, Military, Business, Healthcare, Education, Churches, and the Media. I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone: for kings and all those in authority that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men,...

Daily Readings from the USCCBSeventh Sunday of Easter(See the separate post if your diocese celebrates the Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord today)Jesus raised his eyes to heaven and said, “Father, the hour has come. Give glory to your son, so that your son may glorify you, just as you gave him authority over all people, so that your son may give eternal life to all you gave him.” John 17:1–2The entirety of Chapter 17 of John’s Gospel is traditionally referred to as Jesus’ High Priestly Prayer. This prayer concludes the Last Supper Discourse, which we have been reading...

Daily Readings from the USCCBSolemnity of the Ascension of the Lord(See the separate post if your diocese celebrates the 7th Sunday of Easter today)“All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.” Matthew 28:18–20What a monumental task the Apostles were given! These are Jesus’ parting words as He stands...

The twelve apostles included "Philip" (Matt. 10:3). Pessimism will blind you to the sufficiency of God’s resources. It's been said that an optimist sees a glass half full; a pessimist sees it half empty. An optimist sees opportunities; a pessimist sees obstacles. In one sense Philip was an optimist. He recognized Jesus as the Messiah and immediately saw an opportunity to share his discovery with Nathanael. In another sense, Philip was a pessimist because on occasions he failed to see what Christ could accomplish despite the apparent obstacles. On one such occasion Jesus had just finished teaching and healing a...

By Dr. John BergsmaIn the provinces of Boston, Hartford, New York, Newark, Philadelphia, and Omaha, Ascension Day is observed on it's proper day, and this Sunday is observed as the Seventh Sunday of Easter. It's a shame that so much of the country will not have a chance to meditate on these Scriptures, but perhaps even those of us living in areas where the Seventh Sunday is not celebrated can benefit by bringing these Readings to our prayer. Holy Mother Church offers as an intriguing theme in these Readings: the paradoxical relationship between glory and suffering. We find these two...

By Dr. John BergsmaIn most of the USA, Ascension Day is observed this Sunday, whereas in the ecclesiastical provinces of Boston, Hartford, New York, Newark, Omaha, and Philadelphia, it is observed on its proper day, Thursday May 29, forty days after Easter. 1. Ascension Day is an unusual Feast, in which the “action” of the Feast Day actually takes place in the First Reading rather than the Gospel. We typically think of all the narratives of Jesus’ life as recorded in the Gospels, overlooking that Acts records at least two important narratives about the activity of the Resurrected Lord (Acts...

SSPX 2026 Consecrations: Why It’s No Longer 1988For better or worse, most Catholics will judge the SSPX 2026 consecrations through the lens of 1988. But after Pachamama, Synodality, Fiducia Supplicans, and the collapse of doctrinal clarity in Rome, can serious Catholics still pretend nothing has changed? The case for the SSPX is far clearer today than it was when Archbishop Lefebvre consecrated bishops nearly four decades ago. Here's why: Not much, if anything, has changed about the fundamentals of the SSPX’s position since Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre consecrated bishops without Rome’s approval in 1988. Indeed, Archbishop Lefebvre’s sermon from the 1988...

[Catholic Caucus] Vatican II Condemns Today’s Vatican, Not the SSPXWho actually aheres to more of Vatican II's teachings: the SSPX, or the current Vatican? Drawing extensively from Vatican II’s own texts, this explosive analysis argues that Rome now contradicts many of the orthodox teachings conservative Council Fathers fought to preserve.One of the most interesting passages in Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre’s They Have Uncrowned Him is his description of the way in which the Vatican II documents were drafted. After having discussed the efforts of conservative Council Fathers to add orthodox passages to the Council documents to counterbalance liberal assertions, he wrote...

Today's America is an EXPONENTIAL lawless swamp; full of demonic alligators, demonic tyranny, and demonic strongholds; oppressing, enslaving, and chaining millions (Eph.6:12). O that America would cry out to their ETERNAL RIGHTEOUS Creator for ETERNAL salvation and deliverance from His RIGHTEOUS judgment (John 3:16-17, 36)! Our cry as blood-bought saints to America is not, "God bless America", but "God SAVE Americans!" Almighty God’s Word states overabundantly and emphatically that it is Jesus ALONE that rescues, saves, and delivers one's soul from ETERNAL ruin (John 3:16-17, 14:6, Acts 4:12, 16:29-31)! We pray for Americans every day that this nation’s inhabitants would...

The Weaponization Of Excommunication - Who Should Be Excommunicated?In the Diocese of Chur (?) in Switzerland, the local bishop will not discipline three parishioners (who) gave Consecrated Hosts, that is, Our Lord Himself, to their dogs. The bishop's name is Joseph Vonamane, and has instructed his priests not to condemn LGBTQ behavior. The 1983 code of canon law attaches automatic excommunication to certain offenses, among them being desecration of the Holy Eucharist.In the LifeSite News clip, Westin quotes the bishop as excusing those parishioners for they "did not act with sacrilegious intent". So everything is just hunky-dorry over in Switzerland,...

16 May 2026 Saturday before Ascension SundaySt. Brendan the Navigator, Charlotte, NC Readings at MassLiturgical Colour: White. Year: A(II).First readingActs 18:23-28Apollos demonstrated from the scriptures that Jesus was the ChristPaul came down to Antioch, where he spent a short time before continuing his journey through the Galatian country and then through Phrygia, encouraging all the followers. An Alexandrian Jew named Apollos now arrived in Ephesus. He was an eloquent man, with a sound knowledge of the scriptures, and yet, though he had been given instruction in the Way of the Lord and preached with great spiritual earnestness and was...

My fellow Americans; President Trump - in all humility and with black sackcloth before the Most High God - needs to call on Almighty God publicly and nationally with ALL fear and reverence on behalf of our nation to repent and seek Almighty God in RIGHTEOUSNESS! That to me is his greatest calling as today’s last days American president and our nation’s total last line of defense against the fall of America and the total takeover of the horrific demonic powers that be (1 Kings 8:12-53, Neh. 9, Dan. 9:1-20; Hosea 4:6; Mic. 7:18). Dear friends; sadly I truly believe...

A Catholic diocese in New Mexico is challenging an effort by the Trump administration to seize part of its southern border property through eminent domain for the construction of a border security wall. The Roman Catholic Diocese of Las Cruces filed a complaint against the federal government over plans to acquire roughly 14 acres of diocesan land for border security purposes. Filed last week, the lawsuit argues that the proposed land seizure would interfere with access to Mount Cristo Rey, a popular pilgrimage site featuring a 29-foot-tall statue of Jesus Christ overlooking the border region. Located near the borders of...

Let us strive for full unity, Leo XIV writes to Coptic Orthodox PopeIn a letter to Coptic Orthodox Pope Tawadros II for the Day of Coptic-Catholic Friendship (May 10), Pope Leo XIV said that “at a time when our world is afflicted by so many conflicts, particularly in the Middle East, Christians must, more than ever, strive for full unity so that we may bear witness together to the Prince of Peace.”“In doing so, we can be confident in the powerful intercession and example of the countless martyrs who have suffered for the name of Christ,” Pope Leo continued. “Your...

Catholic Trump voters are not a univocal group, and on many issues, they reflect the same concerns as other Americans. First, there are pro-life Catholics for whom abortion is the most important issue...Trump’s appointments to the U.S. Supreme Court allowed for the overturning of Roe v. Wade... But in politics, it does not matter what you did for me yesterday, but rather, what are you doing for me today? He has abandoned the pro-life movement, removing the anti-abortion plank from the Republican Party’s 2024 national platform... The platform now supports IVF, which pro-life advocates oppose because it results in the...

The twelve apostles included "Philip" (Matt. 10:3). Friendships can provide the most fertile soil for evangelism. Philip was probably a fisherman and acquainted with Peter, Andrew, James, John, Nathanael, and Thomas prior to their all becoming disciples. We first meet him in John 1:43-46, which says, "The next day [after Jesus encountered Peter and Andrew], He purposed to go forth into Galilee, and He found Philip, and Jesus said to him, 'Follow Me.' Now Philip was from Bethsaida, of the city of Andrew and Peter. Philip found Nathanael and said to him, 'We have found Him of whom Moses in...

🇺🇸Pray For The Peace of Jerusalem 🇮🇱(5/16/26)[Prayer]A New Study For A New Year: PersonalitiesDeuteronomy 11:1-2511 Therefore thou shalt love the Lord thy God, and keep his charge, and his statutes, and his judgments, and his commandments, alway.. 2 And know ye this day: for I speak not with your children which have not known, and which have not seen the chastisement of the Lord your God, his greatness, his mighty hand, and his stretched out arm,. 3 And his miracles, and his acts, which he did in the midst of Egypt unto Pharaoh the king of Egypt, and unto all...

Join with fellow FREEPERS to pray for AMERICA: For those in Authority in Government, Family, Churches, Military, Business, Agri-Business, Banking, Healthcare, Education, Technology, and the Media.I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession, and thanksgiving be made for everyone: for kings and all those in authority that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. (1 Timothy 2:1-2) Religion Forum threads labeled [Prayer] are closed to debate of any kind.WHEN WE BELONG TO JESUS, HIS WAY OF DOING THINGS TRUMPS OURS

So my burden is to join forces with the Bible (as I understand it), and millions of faithful Christians, to encourage and nurture a faithful Christian identity that will survive and thrive with faith and hope and joy and love and purity, whether America survives, or Brazil survives, or Britain survives, or China survives, or Russia survives, or India survives — or not. Jesus said to Pilate, “My kingdom is not of this world… From which I infer that we’d better be very, very careful before we undertake any processes that involve force or coercion to put the kingdom of...

Daily Readings from the USCCBJesus said to his disciples: “Amen, amen, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in my name he will give you. Until now you have not asked anything in my name; ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be complete.” John 16:23–24During Jesus’ Last Supper Discourse, the theme of praying to the Father in Jesus’ name comes up repeatedly. Each time, Jesus reassures His disciples that whatever they ask for in His name, the Father will grant. That’s quite a promise! How do we make this promise a reality? Today’s Gospel...