By Peter Wolfgang, Catholic Culture – Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. Every September 8th my family and I gather together to commemorate America’s first thanksgiving, the Mass celebrated in Florida in 1565 expressing gratitude to almighty God that the Spanish crown claimed the future sunshine state for God and country… There is no widespread tradition of celebrating the 1565 Mass at St. Augustine, Florida as America’s first Thanksgiving… But there is a Catholic tradition of complaining about it on Facebook… The Catholics beat the Pilgrims to the New World, Catholics should commemorate the 1565 Mass in Florida as the first Thanksgiving in America instead of the 1621 Pilgrim feast with the Indians in Massachusetts, and so forth.
John Daniel Davidson, Sr. Editor, The Federalist – So let’s have no more nonsense about immigrants “founding America” or rapturous declamations about the blending of many different cultures in our founding. The English and the English alone created America, as only they could have done. Four centuries later, we are still profoundly indebted to the English folkways that first shaped and later defined our distinct American culture and way of life. It is our sacred patrimony, for which we Americans should be profoundly grateful this Thanksgiving.
By Charles Coulombe, Crisis Magazine – But we must place the National Socialists in their correct place historically and ideologically. Theirs was a movement not of the Right, but of the Left. “Brown-Shirted Bolsheviks” was a not inaccurate summation of them. It must also be insisted upon that—until the invasion of Russia in 1941—the Communists of each country invaded by Germany and its allies collaborated with the occupiers. It was only with the German attack on the Soviet Motherland that the local Communists suddenly decided they were really patriots and joined the resistance—then attempting to dominate it.
NEWS
Trump’s Ukraine Proposal Is the Least Bad Option, by Reid Smith
By Reid Smith, The American Conservative – An imperfect peace is better than a worsening war… What has been lost in the noise surrounding the Trump administration’s proposed peace plan is the recognition that the bargain at hand accomplishes the primary objective: It ends the war. Moreover, it preserves a sovereign Ukrainian state and establishes a U.S.-backed security guarantee reflecting the strongest commitment Kiev might expect to receive from the West. …
Fr. Ignatius John Schweitzer: Rosary-Colored Glasses and the Hidden, Eucharistic Wisdom of God
By Fr. Ignatius John Schweitzer, OP, Catholic Exchange – Imagine if we saw things how God sees them. How differently we would respond to people in our life if we saw them like God sees them, with His Fatherly heart of love! How differently we would respond to difficult events and situations in our lives if we saw them like God sees them, as part of the unfolding of His beautiful plan… To ask to see what God sees is to pray for wisdom. Solomon could have asked for anything, and the Lord praises him for asking for wisdom. Among the Church Fathers and Medieval theologians too, wisdom was held in the highest esteem. Why is this? Because wisdom means a familiar intimacy with God and His ways.
An Illegal Alien Stole An American’s Identity For 15 Years. NYT Says He’s A Victim Too, by Brianna Lyman
By Brianna Lyman, The Federalist – Every fact in the story underscores the massive cost and toll of illegal immigration… But before you start thinking that perhaps there was a paperwork blunder in which the government erroneously handed out the same Social Security number to two Americans and chaos transpired, I’ll save you the suspense… This was full-on identity theft by an illegal alien who had repeatedly broken into the country. Under the stolen identity of Dan Kluver, this illegal alien racked up DUIs, other offenses, giant tax bills (for the real Kluver), and fatally struck a grandfather with his vehicle.
Fr. Shenan J. Boquet: The Rapid Collapse of Gender Ideology
By Fr. Shenan J. Boquet, Human Life International – In the past year or two, evidence has quickly been mounting that the gender insanity that swept over our culture in the past decade is in rapid retreat… The latest evidence comes from three different surveys… One survey of nearly 60,000 students from 250 of the top American universities, showed that the number of students identifying as “non-binary” has fallen precipitously in the past two years. …
MTG Opposed Trump’s Mortgage Plan; 14 Days Later, She’s Resigning from Congress, by Mike Parrott
By Mike Parrott, Crisis Magazine – GOP opposition to Trump is rare these days. But Marjorie Taylor Greene’s recent resignation may be a reflection of where the lines are drawn… As the old saying goes, there are two certainties in life: death and taxes. But that formulation has been outdated for centuries. Since the 1694 founding of the Bank of England, there have really been three certainties: death, taxes, and debt. Lots of debt… Debt permeates all aspects of modern life, leaving no one unlevered. Every single American is under permanent financial surveillance, with the Fair Isaac Corporation infiltrating everyone’s financial position, analyzing each citizen’s debt-worthiness, and rendering an all-important FICO score. ….
Why Subjective Definitions of Life Cannot Guide Abortion Law, by Gregory Lyakhov
By Gregory Lyakhov, Patriot Post – A nation is judged by how it protects those who cannot defend themselves… Abortion has shaped American politics for half a century, yet public debate usually reduces it to a simple formula: Republicans oppose it, and Democrats defend it. That framing avoids the real question beneath every argument — moral, legal, scientific, or philosophical. Everything ultimately depends on one factual point: when does human life begin?… No coherent moral system permits intentionally ending an innocent human life. ….
‘Mater Populi Fidelis’: A Vision of Mary as Mother and First Disciple, by Brendan Towell
By Brendan Towell, National Catholic Register – The Vatican’s new doctrinal note moves beyond title debates to restore Mary’s role where Vatican II placed her — in perfect transparency to Christ and at the heart of the Church’s life… When the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith released Mater Populi Fidelis on Nov. 4, many headlines reduced it to a single takeaway: the Vatican has rejected the title Co-Redemptrix for the Blessed Virgin Mary. That’s accurate, but incomplete.
Democrats Are Becoming the Party of Treason, by Paul du Quenoy
By Paul du Quenoy, Chronicles – President Trump was understandably infuriated by this attempt by political opponents to undermine the constitutional chain of command. In a series of posts, he described their conduct as “seditious behavior at the highest level” and stated that “each one of these traitors to our Country should be ARRESTED AND PUT ON TRIAL.” He later added that the behavior, if found to be treasonous, was “punishable by DEATH!” and reshared a post proclaiming: “HANG THEM GEORGE WASHINGTON WOULD!!” ….
Thanksgiving Is More Than Turkey, by Jeffrey Lord
By Jeffrey Lord, The American Spectator – The holiday unique to America… it’s Turkey Time in America again… Yes, every Thanksgiving holiday — which usually extends into a long weekend — I open the pages written by that Pilgrim-era governor of the then-newly declared New World countryside called Massachusetts- William Bradford… Having been born and raised in Massachusetts until I was not quite 15, this is a habit I picked up early in life, as the story of the Pilgrims and their adventures on their decidedly lonely ship, the Mayflower, which took them from England to America ….
Chastity As an Issue for Today, by John M. Grondelski
By John M. Grondelski, Crisis Magazine – No small number of contemporary problems, big and small, are related to chastity and its contemporary lack. At the same time, one can imagine the level of global derision the pope would have faced had he actually picked this very pastorally salient topic for a synod… Which makes Sophia’s recent book—Fr. T.G. Morrow’s “Achieving Chastity in an Unchaste World”—all the more germane… Chastity has always been a challenge for human beings because we are bodily beings. Sensory impressions are powerful on bodily-spiritual creatures. …
Catholic Vote: Trump Moves to Designate Muslim Brotherhood Chapters as Foreign Terrorist Organizations
Catholic Vote News Feed – President Donald Trump signed an executive order Nov. 24 directing the Secretary of State and Secretary of the Treasury to begin the process of designating some chapters of the Muslim Brotherhood as foreign terrorist organizations… “This order sets in motion a process by which certain chapters or other subdivisions of the Muslim Brotherhood shall be considered for designation as Foreign Terrorist Organizations … and specially designated global terrorists ” …
Planned Parenthood Closes Another Abortion Center, 44 Total in 2025, by Steven Ertelt
By Steven Ertelt, LifeNews – Planned Parenthood has shuttered its Bixby Health Center abortion facility in Los Angeles, marking the 44th such closure nationwide this year amid federal defunding of the abortion giant… The facility at 1057 Kingston Ave. in the Boyle Heights neighborhood is no longer listed on the organization’s website or Google Maps, pro-life advocate Katie Xavios announced Monday on X. The closure comes even after California Governor Gavin Newsom announced he was spending $140 million to fund the abortion corporation.
Don’t Be Fooled: Notre Dame’s About-Face Isn’t a Return to Faith, by John Mac Ghlionn
By John Mac Ghlionn, Crisis Magazine – It would be comical if it weren’t so serious. Notre Dame eventually returned the Catholic mission to its core values, but only after enormous pressure. The reversal was forced, not heartfelt, and it doesn’t diminish the severity of the original sin… And the seriousness becomes even clearer when you look at what was happening well before the Catholic-mission debacle. In recent years, Notre Dame has swollen its diversity, equity, and inclusion machinery with the eagerness of a school chasing applause from people who want nothing to do with its faith.
Christ is King: A Truth, Not a Taunt, by Peter Wolfgang
By Peter Wolfgang, Catholic Culture – The phrase, “Christ is King!” is very close to my heart. Pope Pius XI instituted the feast in the 1920s to remind the world that Christ, not the state, is King. Here in North America, “¡Viva, Cristo Rey!” (“Christ is King!”) was the battle cry of the Cristeros. They were Catholic freedom-fighters who were martyred for their faith while fighting a tyrannical anti-Catholic government in Mexico in the early 20th century. … Though already present in his Church, Christ’s reign is nevertheless yet to be fulfilled “with power and great glory” by the King’s return to earth. This reign is still under attack by the evil powers, even though they have been defeated definitively by Christ’s Passover.
Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations: Take Heed That You Are Not Led Astray
Author Don Schwager, Servants of the Word – Luke 21:5-11 – 5 And as some spoke of the temple, how it was adorned with noble stones and offerings, he said, 6 “As for these things which you see, the days will come when there shall not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.” 7 And they asked him, “Teacher, when will this be, and what will be the sign when this is about to take place?” 8 And he said, “Take heed that you are not led astray; for many will come in my name, saying, `I am he!’ and, `The time is at hand!’ ….
Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations: Take Heed That You Are Not Led Astray
Author Don Schwager, Servants of the Word – Luke 21:5-11 – 5 And as some spoke of the temple, how it was adorned with noble stones and offerings, he said, 6 “As for these things which you see, the days will come when there shall not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.” 7 And they asked him, “Teacher, when will this be, and what will be the sign when this is about to take place?” 8 And he said, “Take heed that you are not led astray; for many will come in my name, saying, `I am he!’ and, `The time is at hand!’ ….
Founder’s Quote
Patriot Post – “Nothing so strongly impels a man to regard the interest of his constituents, as the certainty of returning to the general mass of the people, from whence he was taken, where he must participate in their burdens.” —George Mason (1788)
Saint of the Day for November 25: St. Catherine of Alexandria (d. c. 310)
By Franciscan Media – Saint Catherine of Alexandria’s Story – According to the Legend of St. Catherine, this young woman converted to Christianity after receiving a vision. At the age of 18, she debated 50 pagan philosophers. Amazed at her wisdom and debating skills, they became Christians—as did about 200 soldiers and members of the emperor’s family. All of them were martyred.
