Author Don Schwager, Servants of the Word – Mark 2:13-17 – He went out again beside the sea; and all the crowd gathered about him, and he taught them. And as he passed on, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax office, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed him. And as he sat at table in his house, many tax collectors and sinners were sitting with Jesus and his disciples; for there were many who followed him.

Franciscan Media – Preaching the gospel is often dangerous work. Leaving one’s homeland and adjusting to new cultures, governments and languages is difficult enough; but martyrdom caps all the other sacrifices… In 1219, with the blessing of Saint Francis, Berard left Italy with Peter, Adjute, Accurs, Odo and Vitalis to preach in Morocco. En route in Spain, Vitalis became sick and commanded the other friars to continue their mission without him.

By John Zmirak, The Stream – You’ll note that I mention “the Left” and “NeverTrumpers” separately. Lately it’s gotten harder and harder to tell them apart. In practical politics, they side together. Self-styled “conservatives” and Christians pretend that some profound moral principles prevent them from working with President Trump or his supporters.

By Charlie Butts, OneNewsNow – One year ago, President Donald Trump issued a proclamation for National Sanctity of Human Life Day: “Every person – the born and unborn, the poor, the downcast, the disabled, the infirm, and the elderly – has inherent value,” he stated. “As a Nation, we must remain steadfastly dedicated to the profound truth that all life is a gift from God, who endows every person with immeasurable worth and potential.”

TNII – Speaker Pelosi holds Press Conference after President Trump impeachment, January 15, 2021

By Kennedy Hall, Crisis Magazine – Kennedy Hall is the author of two books. He is married with four children and lives in Ontario, Canada. His work can be found at kennedyhall.ca… I imagine the majority of readers here at Crisis are from the great nation a couple hours south of my hometown. As a Canadian I grew up in a culture that was heavily influenced by all the good—and the bad—that comes from my southern neighbor, and I have great affection for the USA. But there is an ugly character trait that many Canadians revel in—namely, anti-Americanism.

By David McLoone, LifeSiteNews – The Holy See Press Office released a statement on Wednesday clarifying recent reports documenting that over $1.7 billion (AUS $2.3 billion) had been sent from official Vatican financial bodies to Australian accounts. The Holy See claims that the shocking number was actually the result of a “software error,” and that the value of the transfers did not exceed $7.4 million.

By Micaiah Bilger, LifeNews – One Catholic priest is blaming his fellow church leaders for their strong condemnation of abortion, claiming their comments “helped spawn a hate-filled environment” that led to violence at the U.S. Capitol last week… In an essay this week at America magazine, Father James Martin criticized several Catholic bishops and priests for speaking out against abortion and President-elect Joe Biden’s stance on the issue, the Catholic News Agency reports.

By Philip Kosloski, Altetia – In a message for the Word Day of Peace in 2005, the Polish pontiff explained his reasoning… For the theme of this 2005 World Day of Peace I have chosen Saint Paul’s words in the Letter to the Romans: “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (12:21). Evil is never defeated by evil; once that road is taken, rather than defeating evil, one will instead be defeated by evil. The great Apostle brings out a fundamental truth: peace is the outcome of a long and demanding battle which is only won when evil is defeated by good.

By Jerry Newcombe, The Stream – But those inside the Capitol were not typical of the vast majority of conservatives, including those who attended the D.C. meeting. Pastor and columnist Larry Tomczak was there. For wnd.com (1/6/21), he writes: The diverse crowd was overwhelmingly respectful but righteously angry. The gathered multitudes were a far cry from the boisterous, violent and destructive protests of Black Lives Matter, Antifa and far-left extremists.

By Bronson Stocking, Townhall – In a new video provided to Project Veritas by an unidentified Twitter employee, Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey warns of further censorship following Twitter’s recent ban on the president of the United States… “We know we are focused on one account right now,” Dorsey said, in reference to his company’s decision to ban President Trump. “But this is going to be much bigger than just one account and it’s going to go on for much longer than just this day, and this week, and the next few weeks and go beyond the inauguration. ..”…

By Conrad Black, American Greatness – These are among the darkest days of American democracy. With nearly airtight totalitarian uniformity, the American media robotically repeat that there is no possible argument to be made that the 2020 presidential election produced an unjust result. In the same magical spirit of post-electoral unanimity, President Trump has been condemned for his remarks to hundreds of thousands of his supporters in Washington on January 6, and it is now a political commandment that he is responsible for the ensuing illegal forced entry and fatal violence at the US Capitol.

By Br. Juan Macias Marquez, O.P., Catholic Exchange – As consecrated religious, our habit is a sign of our total self-gift to God. But our Dominican habits also symbolize, in a certain way, the life of every Christian. Just as we are reminded of God’s presence and actions in our lives when putting on the habit each day, each Christian should remember that he has put on white garments through baptism. Christ has won us eternal life, and when we are incorporated into his body in baptism, we begin already here below to shine with the brilliance of his Transfiguration.

Author Don Schwager, Servants of the Word – Mark 2:1-12 – And when he returned to Capernaum after some days, it was reported that he was at home. And many were gathered together, so that there was no longer room for them, not even about the door; and he was preaching the word to them. And they came, bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men. …

Franciscan Media – It is unclear what we really know of Paul’s life, how much is fable, how much is fact… Paul was reportedly born in Egypt, where he was orphaned by age 15. He was also a learned and devout young man. During the persecution of Decius in Egypt in the year 250, Paul was forced to hide in the home of a friend. Fearing a brother-in-law would betray him, he fled in a cave in the desert. …