The Christmas Eve homily of Cardinal Louis Raphaël Sako of Baghdad, delivered at the Chaldean Cathedral of St. Joseph, sparked major controversy in Iraq. He said: “There is talk about normalization, and I hope from the new government that normalization in Iraq and with Iraq will take place. Iraq is the land of the prophets. Just as the Talmud was written in Babylon, the world should come to Iraq, not elsewhere.” The phrase was quickly interpreted by some Iraqi media and politicians as advocating normalization of relations with Israel. The Eucharistic celebration was attended by Iraq’s Prime Minister, Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, who later commented on the homily, saying: “In Iraq, we do not need normalization; rather, we need brotherhood, love, and coexistence”. He added that “normalization” in Iraq’s context was linked to an “occupying entity,” referring to Israel. Iraq’s parliament passed a law in 2022 that makes it a criminal offense to normalize ties with the Israeli state — …Máis
Rio Rings in 2026 With Christ the Redeemer Drone Show: On December 31, Rio de Janeiro celebrated New Year’s Eve with large public events. The main celebration took place at Copacabana Beach and was attended by approximately 2.6 million people. It was one of the largest New Year’s Eve celebrations worldwide. The event featured fireworks, live music, and a coordinated drone light show with 1,200 drones. One of the drone formations depicted an enormous image of the Christ the Redeemer statue in the sky.
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil celebrated New Year’s Eve 2026 with a spectacular drone light show that featured a giant image of the Christ the Redeemer statue in the sky above Copacabana Beach
[Saint Bridget of Sweden/ Heliga Birgitta; XIV Century AD: aged 69-70; Uppland, Sweden/Rome, Papal States; Widow, Mystic; Spiritual Writer; Founder; Patroness of Europe] “Chapter 51 ~ The Mother blesses the Son in the hearing of the bride, and about how the glorious Son makes a wonderful comparison of his most sweet Mother to a flower that grew in a valley but rose up over mountains. The Mother of God spoke to her Son and said: “Blessed be your name, my Son Jesus Christ, and all honor to your Manhood above all that is created! Glory to your Divinity above all good things, which are one God with your Manhood!” The Son answered: “My Mother, you are like a flower that grew in a valley. Around the valley there were five high mountains, and the flower grew out of three roots with a straight stem without any knots. This flower had five leaves that were filled with all sweetness. The valley with its flower grew above these five mountains, and the leaves of the flower spread themselves above …Máis
Puppet Show During Eucharist: On December 27, the Sunday after Christmas, All Saints Church in Syracuse, New York, hosted a puppet show during the homily. Parish priest Rev. Frederick Daley admits to experiencing homosexual temptations. He invited a woman to present the performance. She has been staging what she calls "puppet liturgies" for over thirty years. The audience consisted of few elderly people. During the show, the puppets asserted that the Holy Family—Jesus, Mary, and Joseph—were refugees. The presentation repeatedly drew parallels between the Gospel account and modern immigrants within the parish and the broader community. The audience was told that modern-day refugees should be understood as equivalent to the Holy Family and should not be viewed as strangers.
Puppet Show during Eucharist on December 27 in New York.
[BLESSED JAN VAN RUYSBROEK – XIII-XIV Century AD; Ruisbroek, Holy Roman Empire/ Groenendael, Holy Roman Empire; Mystic, Spiritual Writer, Doctor Divinus Ecstaticus] “CHAPTER IV ~ OF THE SPARKLING STONE, AND OF THE NEW NAME WRITTEN IN THE BOOK OF THE SECRETS OF GOD AND therefore the Spirit of our Lord speaks thus in the Book of the Secrets of God, which St John wrote down: TO HIM THAT OVERCOMETH, He says, that is, to him who overcometh and conquereth himself and all else, WILL I GIVE TO EAT OF THE HIDDEN MANNA, that is, an inward and hidden savour and celestial joy; AND WILL GIVE HIM A SPARKLING STONE, AND IN THE STONE A NEW NAME WRITTEN WHICH NO MAN KNOWETH SAVING HE THAT RECEIVETH IT. This stone is called a pebble, for it is so small that it does not hurt when one treads on it. This stone is shining white and red like a flame of fire; and it is small and round, and smooth all over, and very light. By this sparkling stone we mean our Lord Christ Jesus, for He is, according to His …Máis
"Behold, this is the sparkling stone which is given to the God-seeing man, and in this stone A NEW NAME IS WRITTEN, WHICH NO MAN KNOWETH SAVING HE THAT RECEIVETH IT. You should know that all spirits in their return towards God receive names; each one in particular, according to the nobleness of its service and the loftiness of its love. For only the first name of innocence, which we receive at baptism, is adorned with the merits of our Lord Jesus Christ. And when we have lost this name of innocence through sin, if we are willing still to follow God—especially in three works which He wishes to work in us—we are baptized once more in the Holy Ghost. And thereby we receive a new name which shall remain with us throughout eternity.”
During the deadly New Year’s Eve fire at a crowded ski bar in Crans-Montana, one survivor shared a powerful testimony. She said that a friend of hers had become trapped and could not find a way out. He sat down where he was and held a cross in his hand. According to her, the flames never touched him. "The fire just avoided him. There were flames all around, but not on him. " He later escaped alive. Although officials have not verified the details, the woman described what she witnessed as a miracle.
Une femme présente lors de l'incendie d'un bar de ski en Suisse affirme avoir été témoin d'un miracle : les flammes auraient complètement épargné son ami, qui s'était assis, une croix à la main, lorsqu'il s'est retrouvé piégé. « Un de mes amis ne pouvait pas sortir, alors il s'est simplement assis et a tenu sa croix dans sa main. Le feu l'a épargné. Les flammes ne l'ont pas touché. Elles l'entouraient, mais ne l'ont pas atteint. »
[Direct link to the MP3 file — Subscribe using a modern podcast app] In this sermon Father discusses the dogma of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary as defined by Pope Pius XII, emphasizing the Church’s infallible authority to proclaim divinely revealed truths and the necessity of assenting to every dogma of the Catholic faith. Mary’s Assumption is inseparable from her perfect detachment from sin and the world, her total conformity to the will of God, and her unique participation in Christ’s redemptive work through love, suffering, and humility. Let us imitate Mary and the saints by practicing detachment, living sacramentally, preparing daily for death, and trusting in Our Lady’s powerful intercession for perseverance and salvation. Key quotes from this sermon: St. Thomas Aquinas: “To reject one dogma is to reject them all.” St. Robert Bellarmine: The Art of Dying Well — “To die well, one must first die to the world.” St. Bernard of Clairvaux: “Blessed is that death which …
The Camino de Santiago has continued its record-breaking run, with the past pilgrimage year surpassing all previous highs. For the first time, more than half a million pilgrims completed the route and received their Compostela certificate. According to statistics from the Pilgrims’ Office in Santiago de Compostela, 530,987 people arrived at the shrine of the Apostle James. Women accounted for 53.4 percent of all pilgrims, outnumbering men by nearly 35,000. Spaniards once again formed the largest national group with 228,527 pilgrims, followed by visitors from the United States (43,980), Italy (26,680), and Germany (24,356). Even at the end of the year, the Camino remained busy: 257 pilgrims arrived on New Year’s Eve alone. The upward trend is expected to continue. Numbers are likely to rise again in 2026 and especially in 2027, when the next Holy Year will be celebrated, occurring whenever the feast of St. James on July 25 falls on a Sunday. #newsDxrrepeeox
CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE : AN HISTORICAL, DOCTRINAL,MORAL, AND LITURGICAL EXPOSITION OF THE CATHOLIC RELIGION. Translated from the French of Mgr Gaume by REV. F. B. JAMISON - COURSE FIRST- CHAPTER 21 - The Messiah promised and prefigured - First Promise - Adam and Abel the first and second figures or types of the Messiah...to download, to print !
If you find it difficult to speak up if people use bad words or acts against the Holy Names I mentioned, then make some type of reparations such as 'The Holy Names of Jesus and Our Lady I offer up this time in Adoration or Rosary, etc for the conversion of this soul saying/doing these things against you and that they will never do it again, only that they say/do Heavenly Virtuous words/acts about you.'
Part of being Catholic is to defend the Holy Names of: Our Lord Jesus Christ, God, Names of Holy Trinity, and Our Lady; do it with the Gospel Love; don't worry about confrontation, embrace it and it can lead to bearing witness to the Only True God!