The Weekly Francis – 21 August 2019

This version of The Weekly Francis covers material released in the last week from 4 August 2019 to 21 August 2019.

Angelus

General Audiences

Papal Tweets

  • “In the midst of all those passing things in which we are so caught up, help us, Father, to seek what truly lasts: your presence and that of our brother or sister.” @Pontifex 8 August 2019
  • “Indigenous peoples, with their variety of languages, cultures, traditions, and ancestral knowledge, remind us that we are all responsible for the care of Creation, which God has entrusted to us. #IndigenousPeoplesDay” @Pontifex 9 August 2019
  • “Basically, the Christian witness announces this alone: that Jesus is alive and that He is the secret of life. #StLawrenceMartyr” @Pontifex 10 August 2019
  • “Today’s Gospel invites us to abandon ourselves with simplicity and trust to God’s will, and to keep ”the lamps alight“, so we can brighten the darkness of the night. #Angelus” @Pontifex 11 August 2019
  • “Education with horizons open to transcendence helps young people to dream and to build a more beautiful world. #IYD2019” @Pontifex 12 August 2019
  • “Only when we experience God’s forgiveness are we truly reborn. We start again from there, from forgiveness. It is there that we rediscover ourselves: in confessing our sins.” @Pontifex 13 August 2019
  • “Let us ask for the grace to remember each day that we are not forgotten by God, and that we are His beloved children, unique and irreplaceable. Calling this to mind gives us the strength not to surrender before the adversities of life.” @Pontifex 14 August 2019
  • “Mary’s journey to Heaven began with that ”yes“ pronounced at Nazareth. Every “yes” to God is a step towards Heaven, towards eternal life. Because the Lord wants us all with Himself, in His house!” @Pontifex 15 August 2019
  • “Let us ask Our Lady to protect and sustain us; that we may have a strong, joyful and merciful faith; that she may help us to be saints, to meet her one day in Paradise.” @Pontifex 16 August 2019
  • “With God, the burdens of life rest not upon our shoulders alone: the Holy Spirit comes to give us strength, to encourage us, to bear our burdens.” @Pontifex 17 August 2019
  • “In today’s Gospel, Jesus reveals to us His most ardent desire: to bring to the earth the fire of the Father’s love: the fire that saves, that changes the world, starting from the change of each one’s heart. #Angelus” @Pontifex 18 August 2019
  • “Today we remember all the brave women who go out to meet their brothers and sisters in difficulty. Each of them is a sign of God’s closeness and compassion. #WomenHumanitarians” @Pontifex 19 August 2019
  • “In the uncertainty that we feel both inside and out, the Lord gives us a certainty: He remembers us.” @Pontifex 20 August 2019
  • “It takes more strength to repair than to build, to start anew than to begin, to be reconciled than to get along. This is the strength that God gives us.” @Pontifex 21 August 2019

Papal Instagram

The Mark of the Rani – The Secrets of Doctor Who

The 6th Doctor shows up at the start of the Industrial Revolution in 19th century England where the Master and a new foe, the Rani, have joined forces. Jimmy Akin, Dom Bettinelli, and Fr. Cory Sticha discuss all the scene chewing between the evil villains and the encounters with great historical figures.

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Phage (Voyager) – The Secrets of Star Trek

When a character is left debilitated and permanently disabled on Star Trek: Voyager, the other characters convince them they have plenty to live for. Jimmy Akin, Dom Bettinelli, and Fr. Cory Sticha discuss how differently this would be handled today.

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Aliens and Religion – Jimmy Akin’s Mysterious World

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Mysterious Headlines

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The Poison Sky – The Secrets of Doctor Who

In the 2nd of a two-part story, The Doctor and two Companions deal with a sneaky clone, bad emissions, and a bratty dot-com genius. Jimmy Akin, Dom Bettinelli, and Fr. Cory Sticha discuss the smog moralizing, the world-ending stakes, and someone else who dies in the Doctor’s place.

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Comparing Babylon 5 and Deep Space 9 – The Secrets of Star Trek

Not a bash of Babylon 5 or defense of DS9 by Trekkies, but an homage by two fans of both series, Jimmy Akin and Fr. Cory Sticha, who look at what made these two series great, how they were similar, and what set them apart.

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The Manson Murders – Jimmy Akin’s Mysterious World

50 years ago, Charles Manson’s “family” committed the murders that made him infamous. Why did he do it? Greed? An insane plot to end the world? Or was there another more pedestrian reason? Jimmy Akin and Dom Bettinelli discuss the evil events and the theories surrounding them (without getting into the gruesome details.)

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Mysterious Headlines

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The Weekly Francis – 07 August 2019

This version of The Weekly Francis covers material released in the last week from 21 July 2019 to 7 August 2019.

Angelus

Letters

Papal Tweets

  • “Jesus looks for witnesses who say to Him every day: ”Lord, you are my life“.” @Pontifex 25 July 2019
  • “In today’s Gospel, Jesus invites us to experience prayer, putting us in direct communication with the Father. This is the novelty of Christian prayer! It is a dialogue between people who love one another, a dialogue based on trust.” @Pontifex 28 July 2019
  • “The Lord gives each of us a vocation, a challenge to discover the talents and abilities we possess and to put them at the service of others.” @Pontifex 29 July 2019
  • “Let us pray that the Lord will free the victims of human trafficking and help us to respond actively to the cry for help of so many of our brothers and sisters who are deprived of their dignity and freedom. #EndHumanTrafficking” @Pontifex 30 July 2019
  • “As a young soldier, St Ignatius of Loyola, whom we remember today, thought of his own glory. But then he was attracted by the glory of God, which gave meaning to his life.” @Pontifex 31 July 2019
  • “Video” @Pontifex 1 August 2019
  • “The Lord does not perform wonders with those who believe themselves to be just, but with those who know they are in need and are willing to open their hearts to Him.” @Pontifex 2 August 2019
  • “Holy Spirit, give us the joy of the resurrection, the perennial youth of the heart!” @Pontifex 3 August 2019
  • “On the feast of the saintly Curé d’Ars, I write to all of you who, carrying out your mission in service to God and His people, write the most beautiful pages of priestly life. #ToMyBrotherPriests
    (link)  @Pontifex 4 August 2019
  • “Thank you for the joy with which you have offered your lives. Thank you for all the times you welcomed those who have fallen, caring for their wounds and showing tenderness and compassion. #ToMyBrotherPriests” @Pontifex 4 August 2019
  • “The Lord invites all of us to conquer resentment with love and forgiveness, and to live the Christian faith with consistency and courage.” @Pontifex 5 August 2019
  • “In the Transfiguration, Jesus shows us the glory of the Resurrection: a glimpse of heaven on earth.” @Pontifex 6 August 2019
  • “The way of Jesus, which leads to peace, passes through forgiveness, for one evil never corrects another evil and no resentment is ever good for the heart.” @Pontifex 7 August 2019

Papal Instagram

The Sontaran Stratagem – The Secrets of Doctor Who

The first of a two-part story featuring the 10th Doctor and two Companions against an old foe. Jimmy Akin, Dom Bettinelli, and Fr. Cory Sticha discuss the return of Martha Jones, the reintroduction of Sontarans for New Who, and world-threatening plots.

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Cause and Effect (TNG) – The Secrets of Star Trek

The Enterprise is caught in a time loop and only Dr. Crusher notices the clues. Jimmy Akin, Dom Bettinelli, and Fr. Cory Sticha discuss how this episode handles the time issues better than similar Trek stories, and of course, the guest appearance of Kelsey Grammer.

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