Black Magic Harem Conspiracy (Ancient Egyptian Murder Mystery) – Jimmy Akin’s Mysterious World

More than 3,000 years ago, a conspiracy was launched against the most powerful man on Earth, the Egyptian pharaoh. Jimmy Akin and Dom Bettinelli explore who the conspirators were, what they were trying to accomplish, and what dark arts they used in their plot.

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The Weekly Francis – 18 March 2020

This version of The Weekly Francis covers material released in the last week from 8 March 2020 to 18 March 2020.

Angelus

General Audiences

Messages

Prayers

Papal Tweets

  • “We are called to rediscover what truly matters, what we really need, what helps us to live well and, at the same time, to identify what is secondary and that which we can easily do without. #GeneralAudience #Beatitudes” @Pontifex 11 March 2020
  • “We seek refuge under your protection, O Holy Mother of God. Do not despise our pleas – we who are put to the test – and deliver us from every danger, O glorious and blessed Virgin. Prayer Image” @Pontifex 11 March 2020
  • “We ask the Lord today for the grace of not falling into indifference, the grace that all the information we have about human suffering might penetrate our hearts and move us to do something for others. #HomilySantaMarta Holy Mass at Casa Santa Marta 2020.03.12 – YouTube” @Pontifex 12 March 2020
  • “I would like to pray today for pastors who need to accompany the people of God during this crisis. May the Lord grant them the strength and the ability to choose the best ways to help. Holy Mass at Casa Santa Marta 2020.03.13 – YouTube” @Pontifex 12 March 2020
  • “Today let us ask the Lord for the grace to not forget the gratuitous nature of revelation. God manifests Himself as a gift, He made a gift of Himself for us, and we must give it, helping others see it as a gift, not as our possession. #SantaMarta” @Pontifex 13 March 2020
  • “#Prayer is an expression of our need to respond to God’s love, which always precedes and sustains us. Christians pray in the knowledge that, although unworthy, we are still loved.” @Pontifex 13 March 2020
  • “We pray today for families who need to manage a difficult situation, especially those families with a disabled person among them. Let us pray they do not lose their peace in this moment and that they succeed in moving forward with strength and joy. Holy Mass at Casa Santa Marta 2020.03.14 – YouTube” @Pontifex 14 March 2020
  • “Through the parable of the Prodigal Son (Lk 15:1–32) the Lord helps us understand the problem: living at home but not feeling at home, because there’s no paternal or fraternal relationship. #HomilySantaMarta” @Pontifex 14 March 2020
  • “Even before we set out to seek Him, we know that the Lord is seeking us and comes to meet and call us. We set out joyfully, for we know He is waiting for us! #Lent” @Pontifex 14 March 2020
  • “#PrayTogether today for those who are working to guarantee public services: those working in pharmacies, supermarkets, transportation, police officers, and for all those working to allow social and civil life to go ahead.” @Pontifex 15 March 2020
  • “The #GospelOfTheDay (Jn 4:5–42) tells us about Jesus’ encounter with a woman, with a sinner who had the courage to tell Him the truth. May the Lord grant us the grace of praying always in truth. #HomilySantaMarta” @Pontifex 15 March 2020
  • “Let us ask for the grace to cultivate a desire for Christ, source of living water, the only one who can satisfy the thirst for life and love which we bear in our hearts. #Angelus” @Pontifex 15 March 2020
  • “May the Lord help families discover new expressions of love in this situation. It’s a beautiful opportunity to creatively rediscover affection in the family. #PrayTogether that relationships within the family might flourish always for the good. Holy Mass at Casa Santa Marta 2020.03.16 – YouTube” @Pontifex 16 March 2020
  • “God always acts through the simple things: the simplicity of everyday work, the simplicity of prayer. But the worldly spirit moves us toward vanity, toward appearances that end in violence. #HomilySantaMarta Pope Francis at Mass: May families find new ways of showing love – Vatican News” @Pontifex 16 March 2020
  • ““Repent”, in other words, “Change your life” (Mt 4:17), for a new way of living has begun. The time when you lived for yourself is over; now is the time for living with and for God, with and for others, with and for love. #Lent” @Pontifex 16 March 2020
  • “#PrayTogether for the elderly who are suffering in a particular way at this moment from great interior solitude, many times with a lot of fear. They gave us wisdom, life, our story… May we be near them with our prayer. Holy Mass at Casa Santa Marta 2020.03.17 – YouTube” @Pontifex 17 March 2020
  • “The parable Jesus tells us (Mt 18:23–35) is very clear: asking forgiveness means forgiving. Both go together and cannot be separated. Forgiving is a condition for going to heaven. #HomilySantaMarta Pope at Mass prays for the elderly – Vatican News” @Pontifex 17 March 2020
  • “Let us allow ourselves to be loved by God, so that we can give love in return. Let us allow ourselves to stand up and walk towards Easter. #Lent” @Pontifex 17 March 2020
  • “Our God is near and asks us to be near to one another. Perhaps right now we cannot draw near physically to others for fear of contagion, but we can reawaken in ourselves a habit of drawing near to others through prayer and mutual help. #HomilySantaMarta” @Pontifex 18 March 2020
  • “#PrayTogether for the deceased, those who have died because of the virus. Let us pray especially for healthcare providers who have given their life in service of the sick. Holy Mass at Casa Santa Marta 2020.03.18 – YouTube” @Pontifex 18 March 2020
  • “God’s mercy is our liberation and our happiness. We need to forgive, because we ourselves need to be forgiven. #GeneralAudience #Beatitudes” @Pontifex 18 March 2020

Papal Instagram

Coronavirus, Mass, and Catholic Life

The coronavirus/Covid-19 pandemic has produced many questions and controversies, including how it is impacting people’s ability to attend Mass and receive the sacraments.

How dangerous is the virus? What should be our response as Catholics?

Here are eight things to know and share.

1) How dangerous is the coronavirus?

Nobody knows for sure. The virus only emerged a few months ago, so doctors are only now getting experience with it.

Some have compared Covid-19 to the flu, which is a well-understood and predictable disease.

It appears that Covid-19 is much more infectious than the flu. A person with the flu will infect an average of 1.3 other people, but a person with Covid-19 will infect an average of between 2 and 3.11 additional people. Covid-19 thus has the chance to spread much more rapidly.

Covid-19 is also much deadlier than the flu. In the United States, the death rate for the flu is usually around 0.1%. The death rate for Covid-19 is not yet well understood, but it appears to be between 1.4% and 2.3%—making it between 14 and 23 times more deadly than the flu.

While it is true that—at present—more people are killed by the flu than by Covid-19, governments and health authorities are working to keep the latter from becoming as common as the flu.

There are around 27 million cases of flu each year in the U.S., resulting in around 36,000 deaths. If COVID became as common as the flu (and, remember, it’s actually more infectious than the flu), there would be around 500,000 deaths.

This is what authorities are trying to prevent.

Current Center for Disease Control guidelines for how to protect yourself are online here.

 

2) Is everyone equally at risk?

No. Covid-19 hits certain people much harder than others. People younger than 60 are much less likely to die because of the disease, though they can still catch and spread it.

They may even have it but not feel sick and yet spread it to others. In fact, a recent study suggests that more than 80% of current cases were spread by people who did not know they had the virus.

People older than 60 are much more likely to die, and the risk increases with each decade of age.

People with other underlying conditions, such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease also have increased risk of dying.

Current Center for Disease Control guidelines for how to protect yourself are online here.

 

3) Why are bishops cancelling Masses and dispensing people from their Sunday obligations? Aren’t Christians called to be martyrs?

Christians are called to be martyrs when we are forced into the situation. If we are directly asked if we are followers of Christ, we cannot disown our faith. “If we deny him, he also will deny us” (2 Tim. 2:12).

However, this doesn’t mean we are called to rush into martyrdom. In fact, Jesus said that we can flee persecution for our faith: “When they persecute you in one town, flee to the next” (Matt. 10:23).

The requirement to witness to our faith thus does not mean Christians can’t take reasonable steps to protect themselves from physical danger.

If it is morally permissible to leave town to avoid one physical danger (being killed by people who hate our faith), so is staying home from Mass for a few weeks to avoid another physical danger (being killed by a plague).

 

4) Are bishops being too quick to cancel Mass?

The Eucharist is “the source and summit of the Christian life” (Lumen Gentium 11), so no bishop will take the decision to suspend Masses lightly.

The decision involves a prudential judgment call, so there is no single answer that obviously applies in all situations. This means the faithful should pray for the bishops as they wrestle with this issue and show respect for the difficult decisions they are having to make.

They also should bear in mind that:

  • The conditions in some areas are much worse than others.
  • In some places, bishops may not have much of a choice, as public authorities have prohibited public gatherings over a certain size.
  • Epidemics grow exponentially, so the only way to stop them is to take early action—before the situation becomes severe. If you wait until an epidemic has gotten really bad in an area, it is too late.

 

5) When are people allowed to stay home from Mass?

People are allowed to stay home from Mass in three situations:

  • When one has a legitimate excuse (e.g., because a person is at elevated risk of acquiring Covid-19)
  • When one is dispensed by the competent authority (e.g., the pastor or bishop)
  • When it is impossible to go (e.g., because Masses have been cancelled)

 

6) On what basis can pastors and bishops dispense a person?

The Code of Canon Law provides that the pastor of a parish can give a dispensation in individual cases, as can the superiors of religious institutes (can. 1245).

The bishop’s authority is greater. He can “dispense the faithful from universal and particular disciplinary laws issued for his territory” by the Vatican (can. 87 §1). This is the category of laws that the Sunday obligation belongs to.

 

7) What should we do if staying home from Mass?

One is not legally obligated to do anything on these days. However, the Church strongly recommends that the faithful undertake another form of spiritual activity:

If participation in the eucharistic celebration becomes impossible because of the absence of a sacred minister or for another grave cause, it is strongly recommended that the faithful take part in a liturgy of the word if such a liturgy is celebrated in a parish church or other sacred place according to the prescripts of the diocesan bishop or that they devote themselves to prayer for a suitable time alone, as a family, or, as the occasion permits, in groups of families (can. 1248 §2).

Watching a Mass on television or the Internet also is a possibility, and some parishes and dioceses stream Masses on their web sites.

Participating in the Liturgy of the Hours is another possibility (can. 1174 §2), as are reading the Bible or spiritual works.

 

8) What should I do if I’m not sure whether I’m getting sick?

Err on the side of caution. With many diseases, people are most infectious just before they start feeling sick and just after they start having symptoms. Therefore, if you think you might be getting sick, you may be at the point where you have the greatest chance of infecting another person.

Even if you do not feel sick, you may be able to spread the virus to others, so it is important to follow safety practices even if you currently feel fine.

This applies especially if you have contact with older people or those with health conditions that put them at greater risk of dying from Covid-19.

Remember: We are not just protecting ourselves; we are protecting those around us.

If we don’t have the virus, we can’t give it to others. Even if we’re young and healthy, we’re protecting the more vulnerable. That is a physical work of mercy, and it’s an act of love for others. As Jesus taught us, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Mark 12:31).

Looking Back on Series 12 – The Secrets of Doctor Who

Now that the latest season has ended, Jimmy Akin, Dom Bettinelli, and Fr. Cory Sticha look at what worked, what didn’t, how the season improved over the last, give their thoughts on each character, and then look ahead to what they expect to come in the future.

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Broken Pieces (Picard) – The Secrets of Star Trek

The broken pieces are coming together as Picard races to its season conclusion. Jimmy Akin, Dom Bettinelli, and Fr. Cory Sticha discuss the “dinner table of madness”; the revelations of plot threads; and the ultimate question of what it means to be a person.

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Nemesis Death Star Theory – Jimmy Akin’s Mysterious World

Does our solar system contain a dramatic secret object, a hidden second star that has caused the destruction of countless life forms on Earth? Jimmy Akin and Dom Bettinelli explore the Nemesis death star theory and whether it’s responsible for a regular cycle of mass extinction on Earth.

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The Weekly Francis – 11 March 2020

This version of The Weekly Francis covers material released in the last week from 11 February 2020 to 11 March 2020.

Angelus

Messages

Speeches

Papal Tweets

  • “I wish to express again my closeness to those who are ill with the #coronavirus and to healthcare workers who are caring for them, as well as to civil authorities and all those involved in assisting patients and in containing the spread of the virus.” @Pontifex 6 March 2020
  • “#Lent is the perfect time to allow ourselves to contemplate the pain of those who suffer without anyone to help them. It is the time to turn compassion into concrete acts of solidarity and care.” @Pontifex 6 March 2020
  • “I wish to express again my closeness to those who are ill with the #coronavirus and to healthcare workers who are caring for them, as well as to civil authorities and all those involved in assisting patients and in containing the spread of the virus.” @Pontifex 6 March 2020
  • “In this favorable time of #Lent, may we listen to the voice of the Lord. The more we are fully engaged with His Word, the more we will experience the mercy He freely gives us.” @Pontifex 7 March 2020
  • “The wondrous event of the Transfiguration, recounted in the #GospelOfTheDay (Mt 17:1–9), opens us to a fuller understanding of the mystery of Christ, who must suffer, die and then rise again.” @Pontifex 8 March 2020
  • “It is specifically women who welcome life within them. Women demonstrate that living does not consist in continually producing things, but in embracing things as they are. #InternationalWomensDay” @Pontifex 8 March 2020
  • “To follow the Santa Marta Mass live Vatican Media Live – YouTube” @Pontifex 9 March 2020
  • “When we recall that we have sinned and have a sense of shame, this touches God’s heart, and He responds with mercy. Today let us ask for the grace of a sense of shame. #HomilySantaMarta Holy Mass at Casa Santa Marta 2020.03.09 – YouTube” @Pontifex 9 March 2020
  • “Our Lenten prayer can take any number of different forms, but what truly matters in God’s eyes is that it penetrates deep within us and chips away at our hardness of heart, in order to convert us to Him. #Lent” @Pontifex 9 March 2020
  • “Let us pray together. During these days you can follow the Mass from Santa Marta live every morning at 7am (Rome time): Vatican Media Live – YouTube” @Pontifex 9 March 2020
  • “Today the Lord calls all of us sinners to dialogue with Him: ”Don’t be afraid.“ ”Though your sins be like scarlet, they may become white as snow“ (Is 1:18). #HomilySantaMarta Holy Mass at Casa Santa Marta – YouTube” @Pontifex 10 March 2020
  • “The Lord tells us not only to carry out works of charity, to pray, and to fast, but also to do these without pretense, duplicity, and hypocrisy. #Lent” @Pontifex 10 March 2020
  • “Vanity – the spirit of the world – is the path the devil offers to drive us from the Cross of Christ. Let us ask the Lord for the grace to discern the Lord’s path, which is the Cross, from the world’s path, which is vanity. Holy Mass at Casa Santa Marta- YouTube” @Pontifex 11 March 2020

Papal Instagram

Nepenthe (Picard) – The Secrets of Star Trek

It’s a TNG reunion! Jimmy Akin, Dom Bettinelli, and Fr. Cory Sticha discuss the latest episode of Picard, which includes the return of Riker and Troi, now retired and living on an idyllic world. The episode explores identity, especially as a child becomes an adult, as the bonds of trust and seeking healing in tragedy.

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The Mysterious Nephilim of the Bible (Aliens? Angels? Or Something Else?) – Jimmy Akin’s Mysterious World

Genesis 6 mentions a group called the Nephilim and their identity has puzzled scholars for thousands of years. Jimmy Akin and Dom Bettinelli explore the theories that they are angels or aliens or even something else, then ask what Genesis 6 is trying to say.

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Mysterious Headlines

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