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Leaders of secretive California religious group accused of murder after members vanish
LOS ANGELES — Two leaders of a group described as “cult-like” by authorities in Southern California's Inland Empire region have been arrested along with a prominent member on suspicion of murder amid multiple investigations into the disappearance of two former members and the death of a 4-year-old boy many years ago.
Darryl Muzic Martin, ...Read more
The God Squad: Why Hanukkah should matter to Christians
Father Tom Hartman and I created an annual winter custom that sharpened our interfaith instincts. Tommy wrote the Hanukkah column, and I wrote the Christmas column. Since his passing in 2016 I have tried in my way to preserve the essential interfaith impulse that created the God Squad by looking inward at our own holiday ...Read more
Norfolk mosque vandalized with black crosses painted on building
NORFOLK, Va. — The Masjid Ash-Shura mosque on Colley Avenue in Norfolk was vandalized between Sunday night and Monday morning with a series of black crosses spray-painted along the side of the building, but a group of volunteers quickly came together to help clean it off.
Police are in possession of a video that shows one man, at some point ...Read more
The God Squad: A holiday letter for Zac and Zeke
Since Thanksgiving, Hanukkah and Christmas kind of bump up against each other this year, I send out to you all this old favorite God Squad, and with it my blessings for a year to find each other.
Q: I recently emailed my 8-year-old grandson, Zac, and asked for his Christmas wish list. He replied with the usual ...Read more
Pope Leo XIV delivers peace message to 150,000 at Beirut Mass
BEIRUT — With a rainbow adorning the early morning sky, tens of thousands converged on Beirut's waterfront on Tuesday to attend public prayers led by Pope Leo XIV — the culmination of an international debut that saw the U.S.-born pontiff repeatedly call for peace in a time of increasing war.
Addressing a crowd of an estimated 150,000 people...Read more
The God Squad: Is there a limit to forgiveness?
Q: I grew up with a mother with undiagnosed mental illness. In 'those days' there really was little understanding or avenue for help. My mother was emotionally and physically abusive, including one time attempting to kill me by suffocation. I've worked hard over the years to forgive my mother; it is an important part of my faith. I've attended ...Read more
The God Squad: I am thankful for baseball
Like all great holidays Thanksgiving requires two things to be successful: careful preparation and spiritual focus.
The careful preparation is largely accomplished through family dialogue about the menu that usually concludes with virtually the same menu as last year, but careful preparation is still necessary because every ...Read more
The God Squad: Non-church wedding & the destiny of the soul
Q: I am a Catholic woman who is engaged to be married this summer. My fiancé, who is divorced, does consider himself Catholic but is not practicing and never attends services with me. Several months ago, I approached one of the priests in my parish about our wedding and asked to have our services at a catering hall and to have it performed by a...Read more
The God Squad: What it means to be God-fearing
Q: I read your column and enjoy and reflect upon your wise words. Could you please define and elaborate upon what the expression "God-fearing" means? My husband and I are Roman Catholics and disagree on its meaning. Please help! – (from J)
A: A wonderful question, dear J. One of the ...Read more
The God Squad: Does Halloween have a spiritual value?
Holidays are not all of the same rank.
Some holidays come to us with outstanding spiritual resumes. There is no question that Easter and Passover and Ramadan arrive in the sacred calendar with the highest religious credentials. They tell the story of our faiths. They are decorated with rituals that both inform and ...Read more
Meditation 4/17 - 4/23: Be Filled With Joy - Rms 15:7-13 NASB
May you be filled with joy
Therefore, accept one another, just as Christ also accepted us to the glory of God.
For I say that Christ has become a servant to the circumcision on behalf of the truth of God to confirm the promises given to the fathers, and for the Gentiles to glorify God for His mercy; as it is written,
"THEREFORE I WILL ...Read more
Meditation 9/25 - 10/1 - The Lord's Servant CEV
Everyone, listen,
even you foreign nations
across the sea.
The LORD chose me
and gave me a name
before I was born.
He made my words pierce
like a sharp sword
or a pointed arrow;
he kept me safely hidden
in the palm of his hand.
The LORD said to me,
"Israel, you are my servant;
and ...Read more
Looking Unto Jesus: Our God and Saviour!
Looking for that blessed hope,
and the glorious appearing of
the great God and our
Saviour Jesus Christ;
Titus 2:13 KJV
_______________
My God is my rock, in whom I take refuge,
my shield and the horn of my salvation.
He is my stronghold, my refuge and my
savior-- from violent men you save me.
2 Samuel 22:3 NIV...Read more
Meditation 9/28 - 10/4 - The Lord's Servant CEV
Everyone, listen,
even you foreign nations
across the sea.
The LORD chose me
and gave me a name
before I was born.
He made my words pierce
like a sharp sword
or a pointed arrow;
he kept me safely hidden
in the palm of his hand.
The LORD said to me,
"Israel, you are my servant;
and ...Read more
Looking Unto Jesus: Our God and Saviour!
Looking for that blessed hope,
and the glorious appearing of
the great God and our
Saviour Jesus Christ;
Titus 2:13 KJV
_______________
My God is my rock, in whom I take refuge,
my shield and the horn of my salvation.
He is my stronghold, my refuge and my
savior-- from violent men you save me.
2 Samuel 22:3 NIV...Read more
Meditation 9/28 - 10/4 - The Lord's Servant NLT
Listen to me, all of you in far-off lands!
The LORD called me before my birth;
from within the womb he called me by name.
He made my words of judgment as sharp as a sword.
He has hidden me in the shadow of his hand.
I am like a sharp arrow in his quiver.
He said to me, "You are my servant, Israel,
and you will bring ...Read more
Looking Unto Jesus: Our God and Saviour!
Looking unto Jesus!
Looking for that blessed hope,
and the glorious appearing of
the great God and our
Saviour Jesus Christ;
Titus 2:13 KJV
_______________
And because of his words many more became believers. They said to the woman, "We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and...Read more
Meditation 9/28 - 10/4 - The Lord's Servant MSG
Listen, far-flung islands,
pay attention, faraway people:
GOD put me to work from the day I was born.
The moment I entered the world he named me.
He gave me speech that would cut and penetrate.
He kept his hand on me to protect me.
He made me his straight arrow
and hid me in his quiver.
He said to me, "You're my dear ...Read more
Looking Unto Jesus!
Looking for that blessed hope,
and the glorious appearing of
the great God and our
Saviour Jesus Christ;
Titus 2:13 KJV
_______________
Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior.
Ephesians 5:23 NIV
_______________
And say ye, Save us, O God of our salvation, and gather us together, and ...Read more
Meditation 9/28 - 10/4 - The Lord's Servant NASB
Listen to Me, O islands,
And pay attention, you peoples from afar.
The LORD called Me from the womb;
From the body of My mother He named Me.
He has made My mouth like a sharp sword,
In the shadow of His hand He has concealed Me;
And He has also made Me a select arrow,
He has hidden Me in His quiver.
He said to Me, "...Read more
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