By Carrie Gress, The Catholic Thing – Cardinal Gibbons cited a similar theme by a clergyman who “wrote a volume some years ago on ‘The Rights of the Clergy.’ From the beginning to the end of the work he said nothing on the duties and obligation of clergy. The majority of mankind are so intent on their rights that they have no consideration for their responsibilities.” The antidote to the growing list of rights, the Cardinal explained, is “a deep sense of our sacred duties.” With these, “we should not fail to come by our rights.”

Author Don Schwager, Servants of the Word – Mark 1:21-28 – 21 And they went into Capernaum; and immediately on the Sabbath he entered the synagogue and taught. 22 And they were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one who had authority, and not as the scribes. 23 And immediately there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit; 24 and he cried out, “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy One of God.” ….

By Chuck DeVore, The Federalist – Newsom’s budget gimmicks ignore the core issue: expanding programs without safeguards, then begging for bailouts when the math implodes… As a former California state assemblyman who spent four years on the Budget Committee, I had a front-row seat to Sacramento’s obsession with “pulling down” federal dollars, turning welfare programs into a free-for-all… Then-state Auditor Elaine Howle ran a lean operation, issuing spot-on reports about waste and vulnerabilities — and getting ignored time and again.

By Tyler O’Neil, The Daily Signal – Renee Nicole Good, the activist shot by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent in Minneapolis last week after the vehicle she was operating made contact with the agent, appears to have been following aggressive tactics promoted by the leftist-funded organizing group Defend the 612… Good, 37, had joined ICE Watch, a loose network of activists tracking and aiming to disrupt ICE activities, after discovering the network through her son’s charter school, The New York Post reported.

Franciscan Media, January 13 – This staunch defender of the divinity of Christ was a gentle and courteous man, devoted to writing some of the greatest theology on the Trinity, and was like his Master in being labeled a “disturber of the peace.” In a very troubled period in the Church, his holiness was lived out in both scholarship and controversy. He was bishop of Poitiers in France.

By Infovaticana, Staff – [A]ccording to what The Catholic Herald revealed in a summary published on January 11, and later highlighted by Secretum Meum Mihi, the issue was not completely absent from the consistory. According to the testimony of a participating cardinal, the liturgy—and specifically the Traditional Mass—was introduced in writing, outside the debate in the plenary… A text by Arthur Roche, delivered at the end… The passage quoted by The Catholic Herald is revealing: “Although the liturgy was set aside, at the end they gave us a document written by Cardinal Arthur Roche, quite negative about the Traditional Latin Mass”.

By Catholic News Agency (CNA) Staff – Archbishop Paul Coakley and President Donald Trump met on Jan. 12 to discuss areas of “mutual concern,” which likely included topics related to immigration enforcement and Venezuela’s sovereignty… The archbishop of Oklahoma City, Coakley, who was elected president of the USCCB in Nov. 2025, visited with Trump at the White House on Monday… “Archbishop Coakley had the opportunity for introductory meetings with President Trump, Vice President [JD] Vance, and other administration officials, in which they discussed areas of mutual concern, as well as areas for further dialogue. …

By Anne Hendershott, The American Spectator – At the very moment Portland needed a display of steadiness and command, its police chief stepped to the podium for a press conference and delivered a tearful collapse. His unraveling came as he acknowledged that the two individuals shot by a Border Patrol agent were illegal immigrants tied to the violent Tren de Aragua gang, yet he worried aloud about seeming to blame them for being shot… Portland’s press‑conference … was a warning about what happens when an institution built to uphold order begins to prize emotional display over operational competence.

By Larry Elder, MRC Newsbusters – As for the estimated $8 billion in government (taxpayer) money stolen by crooks in Minnesota, people demand answers to many questions. But the 800-pound elephant/question goes unasked: Why is government in the business of welfare in the first place?… Where in the Constitution does it permit the federal government to extract money from taxpayers for charity?… Years ago, I worked full time one summer as a “loaned executive” for the United Way of Cleveland. My job was to meet with CEOs of companies, tell them the story of the United Way and hopefully arrange for me to make a presentation to the company’s employees, take questions and then ask for donations.

By Fr. Jerry Pokorsky, Catholic Culture – The baby boomer generation is probably struggling to keep up with the wizardry of Artificial Intelligence (AI). We may discover that grammar checkers improve writing, like an examination of conscience, by directing thoughtful writers to their predominant faults. But relying too much on AI may ruin one’s ability to write good. AI applications have become elaborate encyclopedias, responding at lightning speed to our requests for information. Yet AI has its inherent limits. The Baptism of the Lord helps us contrast the dignity of our humanity with the capabilities of AI technology.

By Fr. Jesse Maingot, O.P., Catholic Exchange – All acts of adoration of God are powerful, but the greatest act of adoration possible for the human soul is to participate in the praise and worship of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. This act has untold blessings on all of creation and upon ourselves. Because of baptism, the baptized soul is able to spiritually enter the great mystery of the Holy Mass—the soul is able to spiritually unite with Jesus’ offering of His adoration to the Father in the power of the Holy Spirit. Holy Mass gives us an opportunity to thank God with the most perfect praise for the abundance of gifts He has given to us. …

By Cassy Cooke, Live Action News – A new report from the Heritage Foundation has called for Americans to embrace marriage and parenthood, protect children from negative and addictive technology, and spurn hookup/porn culture… The Heritage Foundation has released the first in a series of reports encouraging Americans to embrace families… The report proposed pro-family policies, including creating new tax credits for families, ending marriage penalties in welfare, and creating investment accounts for newborns. …

By Craig Bannister, CNS News – On December 16, Pres. Trump announced a blockade of Venezuela “Until such time as they return to the United States of America all of the Oil, Land, and other Assets that they previously stole from us,” referring to Venezuela’s 2007 expropriation of the oil interests of U.S. companies under then-President Hugo Chavez… “The illegitimate Maduro regime is using oil from these stolen Oil Fields” to finance drug terrorism and other nefarious acts… “America…will not allow a Hostile Regime to take our Oil, Land, or any other Assets, all of which must be returned to the United States,” the U.S. president reiterated.

By Suellen Brewster, Catholic Exchange – January is a time of new beginnings and fresh starts. Placing a new calendar on the wall inspires us to make changes to our habits and lifestyles which we hope will enhance our health, wellbeing, and even our spiritual life. In addition to diet and exercise, many people see the New Year as an opportunity to revamp living spaces. Numerous gurus offer methods to transform our physical surroundings into places with clean lines and sparse décor. Pinterest pages and magazine spreads show white walls and clutter-free counter tops. …

By Elle Purnell, The Federalist – If you’ve only paid attention to the legacy media over the past few days, you probably know more about Renee Good’s poetry than you do about the actions that led to her tragic death last Wednesday. After refusing federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers’ commands to get out of her car, which she had used to impede agents’ access to a neighborhood road, Good was caught on video accelerating her SUV toward one agent with another hanging on her door.