MV's Diaconate Journey

07/25/2026

Politics aside, we do need to provide for a national border that is safe for all people. Our past border policies most recently have caused the loss of many more lives coming from the south attempting to enter our country; the data is publicly available from CBP. Every life deserves protection; every. single. one.

As a country, we can do much better. We have veered away from our foundational Christian values and principles. Every. Life. Deserves. Protection. Every single one. . .

https://dallasexpress.com/crime/14-year-old-among-7-found-dead-after-being-sealed-in-train-container-11-people-charged/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=07.25.26_Newsletter

In my words:

This human, child, and drug trafficking is for real. This is why professional and faith organizations require education in these matters to provide for safe environments for vulnerable others. We have got to take this seriously. . .

Eleven people have been charged in connection with an alleged human smuggling operation that led to the deaths of seven illegal aliens.

07/23/2026

Some wisdom on social justice and government, from our own Pope Benedict:

• “The source of truth for politics is not Christianity as revealed religion but Christianity as leaven and a form of life that has proved its worth in the course of history” (Ratzinger, 143).
• In “safeguarding human rights . . . it is guaranteed that things will go well both with society and with the individual” (Ratzinger, 132).
• “Obedience to the law does not prevent freedom but rather makes freedom possible” (Ratzinger, 138).

Ratzinger, Joseph. "Faith and Politics." San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2018.

In my words:

With a segment of our American society being misled on American history, as well as being misled on socialism and communism, may we inform our consciences with real Christian wisdom. . . We must not forget our founding principles. What has failed our country is not our founding principles; what has failed is that we have veered away from these timeless principles. . .

07/17/2026

Nicaragua is a presidential republic that functions as a highly centralized authoritarian regime, as the executive branch controls the legislative, judicial, and electoral systems, severely limiting political opposition and civil liberties.

washingtontimes.com/news/2026/jul/16/nicaragua-trying-silence-church/

In my words:

We as United States citizens have got to be so very careful with informing our consciences. We actually have national representatives now who speak of abolishing the Senate, of packing the Supreme Court, and of continually changing our voting systems to make voting "more accessible," yet questionably secure. We also have national representatives who want to select who our next Presidents or Senators may be. Further, we have Christians and Jews being treated with less justice than others. This resembles the qualities of the regime in Nicaragua.

We must be so very careful, wide-eyed, and active in informing our consciences. We can help to steer our country's governmental direction much closer to the ideals, principles, and values of our Founding Fathers. Judeo-Christians values and principles do not fall short, and they aim towards justice for all peoples. . .

In Nicaragua, praying for national freedom can land you in jail. So can publicly supporting an imprisoned priest.

07/09/2026

As we consider socialism within our nation's Christianity-influenced governmental structure of a Constitutional Republic, may we inform our consciences with the wise words of our own Pope Benedict XVI:

"For a culture and a nation to cut themselves off from the great ethical and religious forces of their own history is for them to commit su***de . . . The Church's business is . . . to be a community based on convictions . . . [and] to be responsible for everything. . . With the freedom that belongs to her, [the Church] must address everyone's freedom in such a way that the moral forces of history remain the forces of the present day and that there is an ongoing resurgence of the values without which common freedom is not possible" (Ratzinger, 104f.).

“The mythical hope of a self-made paradise can only drive man into inescapable anxiety--- into fear of the failure of the illusory promises and of the immense emptiness that lurks behind them; into fear of his own power and of its cruelty” (Ratzinger, 90).

Ratzinger, Pope Benedict XVI. "Faith and Politics." San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2018.

06/01/2026

As we ponder, "what is truth?"

“We must reject the absolute state that posits itself as the source of truth and law. We must also reject a strict relativism and functionalism, because the elevation of truth to the unique source of law threatens the moral dignity of man and tends toward totalitarianism” (Ratzinger, 146).

Ratzinger, Joseph (Pope Benedict XVI). "Faith and Politics." San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2018.

05/31/2026

Some words of wisdom for us in these times:

"Rejoice. Mend your ways, encourage one another, agree with one another, live in peace, and the God of love and peace will be with you" (2 Cor 13:11, NABRE).

05/28/2026

Some Church wisdom on governments. . .

“In communist systems, collectivism is carried to its furthest extreme, with a minimum of private ownership and a maximum of planned economy” (Brittanica).

Communism “always undermines the Church . . . denigrates the Church . . . destroys confidence in the Church” (Ratzinger, 224).

Ratzinger, Joseph. "Faith and Politics." San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2018.

https://wabcradio.com/2026/01/07/nyc-homeowners-blocked-from-selling-under-zohran-mamdani/

In my words:

We have got to be very careful. . . We must always consider human dignity, the common good of every person, and our Creator's inalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

New York City mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani listens to a reporter's question during a press conference in New York City, U.S. December 22, 2025. REUTERS/Kylie Cooper/File Photo(New York, New York) – Homeowners and small landlords are facing what

05/27/2026

“People should go to church to be able to sit in peace, worship as they please, without having to worry about people coming in and harassing them,” said Idaho Sen. Mark Harris, a Republican who co-sponsored legislation criminalizing protests inside places of worship. “I think the thing that happened in Minnesota was kind of a shock to some of us, that churches would be used as a place to berate people.”

https://apnews.com/article/church-protest-laws-first-amendment-1e8cc645f697aba74e325b96ab244689

In my words:

The Church is primarily concerned with the salvation of souls. Interrupting worship services interferes with this primary concern. Our Constitution's Freedom of Religion supports this stance, directly.

At least four states have adopted laws this year making it a crime to disrupt worship services, a reaction to a high-profile protest inside a Minnesota church that prompted outrage from faith leaders.

05/26/2026

And some good news for our nation's children:

"Texas Children’s Hospital (TCH) has entered into agreements with the [United States Justice] Department and the Texas Attorney General that include commitments to not perform such procedures on children, which include the administration of puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones. TCH has also agreed to collectively pay over $10 million in damages and civil penalties and to dedicate millions to the provision of medical care to children harmed by the provision of such procedures (i.e., 'detransitioners')."

https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-secures-landmark-resolution-end-pediatric-gender-affirming-care-and

In my words:

Politics aside, this is about protecting our children and providing healthcare that most benefits them. We should provide passionate, empathetic, scientifically-based, and effective care. Puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones are not the right answers. . .

WASHINGTON – Today, the Department of Justice announced the first resolution secured under the Department’s ongoing national investigation into violations of federal law in connection with the provision of sex-rejecting procedures on minors (often euphemistically called “gender-affirming care....

05/09/2026

Collectivism is “any of several types of social organization in which the individual is seen as being subordinate to a social collectivity such as a state, a nation, a race, or a social class. Collectivism may be contrasted with individualism (q.v.), in which the rights and interests of the individual are emphasized (Britannia, “Collectivism,” accessed 02-03-2026, https://www.britannica.com/topic/individualism).

“Collectivism has found varying degrees of expression in the 20th century in such movements as socialism, communism, and fascism” (Brittanica).

“It is not men’s consciousness which determines their being, but their social being which determines their consciousness” (Karl Marx, in Brittanica).

“Obedience to the truth . . . must stand higher than any human tribunal or any type of personal taste” (Ratzinger, Pope Benedict XVI, 118; cf. Acts 5:29).

Ratzinger, Joseph. "Faith and Politics." San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2018.