Another Year Turns. A New Year and New Horizons

Another wild and crazy year comes to an end. There have been more twists and turns than I can recount, with political intrigue and acrimony certainly not diminishing. The world has seen continuing tensions yet also some glimmers that long standing issues have a chance of resolution, or at least realignment.

The run-up to the midterm elections never lacked for drama, with the most consequential activity being the confirmation of Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the US Supreme Court. In spite of the bizarre and desperate tactics employed to try to derail his nomination, he now sits on the Supreme Court which may play a pivotal role in redirecting the legal trends in our nation, hopefully in a more Constitutional direction. Meanwhile, the midterm election outcome had something for everybody, with the Democrats taking control of the House and the Republicans strengthening their margin in the Senate.

How much and what you've heard about any of these situations may depend on what sources you are obtaining your news from. One of the top stories of our times surely is the credibility gaps of various sources of information. It's no wonder the public is so divided when there are differing perceptions on what is real v. "fake" news.

It is said that politics is downstream of culture and morals. Among the most significant events globally has been the heightened scandals in the Catholic Church relating to sexual abuse and the higher level failure to respond sufficiently. What is really in play is the ability of the Church to challenge the popular culture where it has gone astray. Among the many figures playing conflicting roles of influence in this situation, Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò may be remembered for playing a most consequential role in shedding light on the behind the scenes developments of recent years. Regardless of the scandals and upheavals, the Church has been through similar trials before and the Real Presence of Jesus Christ, both sacramentally and as head of the Church, will prevail in the end.

Even with all of the political and social upheaval going on, amazing progress continues to be made in medicine, technology and other fronts. 2019 will likely see the resumption of human spaceflights launched from the US, this time on commercially developed vehicles. And to start the year, the NASA New Horizons spacecraft will unveil a mysterious little world in the Outer Solar System called Ultima Thule. How's that for ringing in the New Year!

May we continue to make headway in protecting life and defending liberty while respecting the dignity of every person despite our differences. And may God's blessings and peace be upon you and yours and wishing all the best on this new frontier we call 2019.

Have a Holy and Merry Christmas!

In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus
that the whole world should be enrolled.
This was the first enrollment,
when Quirinius was governor of Syria.
So all went to be enrolled, each to his own town.
And Joseph too went up from Galilee from the town of Nazareth
to Judea, to the city of David that is called Bethlehem,
because he was of the house and family of David,
to be enrolled with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child.
While they were there,
the time came for her to have her child,
and she gave birth to her firstborn son.
She wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger,
because there was no room for them in the inn.

Now there were shepherds in that region living in the fields
and keeping the night watch over their flock.
The angel of the Lord appeared to them
and the glory of the Lord shone around them,
and they were struck with great fear.
The angel said to them,
"Do not be afraid;
for behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy
that will be for all the people.
For today in the city of David
a savior has been born for you who is Christ and Lord.
And this will be a sign for you:
you will find an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes
and lying in a manger."
And suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel,
praising God and saying:
"Glory to God in the highest
and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests."

Luke 2:1-14

Hanukkah and Our Attitude about the Future

(This is a post I originally made in 2003 and feel is worth repeating each year, especially in light of some very dark anti-human views of the future vs. ongoing and emerging developments that can provide resources, from the Earth and from other locations in the Solar System and beyond, for future generations.)

Rabbi Daniel Lapin has a provocative column in WorldNetDaily on a message of Hanukkah that is relevant to people of all faiths. He shows examples, ancient and modern, of how a pessimistic Malthusian worldview has been repeatedly disproved by the Creator's providence of material resources and the ingenuity to utilize them to provide for the future. Rabbi Lapin says:

It only seemed that we lacked sufficient copper, whale oil or wood. In reality, our God-given ingenuity developed exciting new technology that eliminated our need for each commodity just as it was becoming scarce.

Hanukkah's miracle was that, day after day, the Temple's menorah just kept on burning in spite of an apparent shortage of fuel - a metaphor, surely, for all apparent shortages that can be overcome with faith. Hanukkah invites us all to express gratitude to the Creator whose beneficence is boundless. It stimulates discussions that can spur our spiritual growth. It reminds us that with His gift of creativity, challenges become optimistic opportunities to partner with God in creatively solving all material shortage.