"Dear friends, may no adversity paralyze you. Be afraid neither of the world, nor of the future, nor of your weakness. The Lord has allowed you to live in this moment of history so that, by your faith, his name will continue to resound throughout the world." - Pope Benedict XVI

The light that reached you was carried by someone else first.

Our 2 priests and I were working the evangelization & outreach tent at our annual parish picnic last night when a young man, probably upper teens, came up and asked if he could talk with us and learn about or come to our church if he is Muslim. I said "sure" and started to engage him in conversation, but he was nervous talking with me with his friends around. He said he'd stop by later this weekend to talk some more. This is the first interaction of this type for me... usually it's fellow Christians or fallen-away Catholics. Pray for us!

Christus Vincit chanted at the beginning of the solemn Eucharistic procession with 5,000 Catholics in Portland, Oregon. One of the Church's most fitting acclamations in honor of Christ the King. English translation: Christ conquers! Christ reigns! Christ commands! To Leo, Supreme Pontiff and universal Father: peace, life, and eternal salvation. To Alexander, most Reverend Archbishop, and to all his clergy: peace, life, and eternal salvation. May good times come. May the peace of Christ come. May the Kingdom of Christ come.

Today the U.S. bishops will consecrate the United States of America to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, joined by parishes and faithful across the country. The act of consecration takes place as part of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Join the livestream this afternoon at 4pm ET / 3pm CT / 2pm MT / 1pm PT. Watch along, pray with us, and entrust our nation to the love of Christ's Sacred Heart.

Today, on the verge of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the bishops of the United States will consecrate our nation to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us.

Wisdom From 20 Saints on the Sacred Heart of Jesus Testimonies from the saints of prayer and devotion throughout the centuries.⬇️ ncregister.com/cna/20-saints…

Healing...

Do you want to start reading the Bible? But do you have a lot of questions? 📚What is the Old Testament? 📚Where do I start reading? 📚Do I have to read all of it? 📚How should the Bible be read? 📚What is a Gospel? These are all good questions for those thinking about reading the Bible. And we have answers! You can read the Bible with just a little help. Come see.

Today's update: @GetSpectrum tech must not realize you can track his location when he's "on the way" and really just driving in circles 30 minutes away... Pushing him almost 39 minutes beyond his window, and growing.

Happy birthday, Donald!

Most completely unhelpful service chat I've ever had in more than 20 years with @GetSpectrum tonight. Annoying and frustrating.

Pope Leo, after hearing a testimony of a young man who just got married said, to much applause during the vigil: "Congratulations on your marriage, Fernando! I've seen other couples here getting married too. Congratulations and blessings! Because if I said before not to be afraid to think about a vocation, marriage is also a vocation. Don't be afraid of marriage and starting a family!" Video: Vatican Media

We stood up in the bleachers to cheer a home run. My dad put his cigarette down on the bench under me, and when we sat back down I sat on it. Still love the game, though!

Oh my.

New on Missio Dei Catholic today: "Repay to Caesar What Belongs to Caesar" The coin and the image. Whose image do you bear? The question Jesus leaves implicit. → missiodeicatholic.org

Repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and to God what belongs to God. The coin bears Caesar's image. The question is: whose image do you bear? Genesis 1 answers it. Every person is made in the image of God. Repay to God what bears his image. That is the whole person.

June devotion to the Sacred Heart begins today. The heart that gave everything. The heart that received the hundredfold in the community it purchased with its blood. The furnace. The fire comes forth from it.

Living Thread Chapter 12 is live for Lux Perpetua readers. "The Name" Joshua has finally written to Mara Leclerc. He didn't count the sentences. "He wrote until he had said what needed to be said, which took longer than he expected and which felt, when he finished, less like composing an email than like completing something." → luxperpetua.net

From Pope Leo XIV's Magnifica Humanitas: "It is only in the mystery of the Word made flesh that the mystery of humanity truly becomes clear." Trinity Sunday. The Word who was with God. The Word who was God. The Word who became flesh and dwelt among us. #MagnificaHumanitas → deaconmichael.net/p/what-are…

Trinity Sunday. Moses asks to see God's glory. What he sees is God's name: the Lord, the Lord, a merciful and gracious God, slow to anger and rich in kindness and fidelity. The glory and the name are the same thing.