Monday Meandering Thoughts and Questions

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  Bartolome Esteban Murillo

  I'm currently reading The Life and Glories of Saint Joseph by Edward Healy Thompson, M.A. Despite the lack of information about St. Joseph in scripture, the Doctors of the Church, and many spiritual writers have written widely about this silent saint. We know he was the "son of Jacob" from St. Matthew's gospel which gives us Joseph's natural geneology. St. Luke gives us, on the other hand, his legal geneology as the "son of Heli." Both statements are true. He was the natural born son of Jacob, but the legal son of Heli, as his son-in-law. And who was Heli? According to a number of the spiritual writers who take this view, it was Joachim the father of Mary. The names Heli, Eliachim and Joachim are synonymous in scripture. If this view is correct, and the reasoning presented by the author is convincing, then Jacob and St. Ann, Mary's mother and Joachim's wife, were siblings, so Mary and Joseph were cousins. The author believes that the reason for St. Luke's genealogy was to emphasize Mary's genealogy. The book is fascinating and I recommend it for anyone who wants to know St. Joseph better. 

• How many Catholics are aware that there have been 21 ecumenical councils since Pentecost and the birth of the Church? If you surveyed Catholics in the pew, I suspect most, if asked the question, "How many ecumenical councils have occurred in the history of the Church?" would say, "Oh two, of course, Vatican I and Vatican II." Maybe a handful would remember the "Council" of Trent that addressed the Protestant rebellion or the "Council" of Nicaea that gave us the Nicene creed. But most of us (including myself) haven't really studied the history of the councils and the reason they occurred which was generally to address a current problem like heretical teachings, the Great Western Schism, and other situations that needed resolution. Studying the councils would be an interesting exercise. You can start with  this list.

• How much more evil can the Biden administration be? There seems no limit as this article shows: She survived a Death Camp. Facing Biden DOJ Charges, She Is Prepared to Die in Prison How many BLM/Antifa terrorists are in jail for their insurrection, their murders, the destruction of government property, their looting and burning? Instead the Biden crime family and their evil and corrupt FBI and DOJ are intent on jailing anyone who disagrees with their mass murder of the unborn agenda as well as political enemies. Be prepared for persecution like this brave woman. Things are likely to get worse.  (Hat tip to Bob Marshall for sending this.)

Eva Edl who survived a Russian Death Camp may not survive Biden's "justice."

• No matter how bad things get, never lose hope. Persecution purges and sanctifies. It's the classroom of saints! Remember the first century martyrs who went into the arena singing and praising God. To be persecuted or even killed is to be most closely united to Jesus. Praised be His Holy Name!