Today’s Topics:

1) Gospel – Mt 10:17-22 – Jesus said to His disciples: “Beware of men, for they will hand you over to courts and scourge you in their synagogues, and you will be led before governors and kings for my sake as a witness before them and the pagans. When they hand you over, do not worry about how you are to speak or what you are to say. You will be given at that moment what you are to say. For it will not be you who speak but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. Brother will hand over brother to death, and the father his child; children will rise up against parents and have them put to death. You will be hated by all because of My Name, but whoever endures to the end will be saved.”

Feast of Saint Stephen, First Martyr

Saint Stephen, pray for us!

Bishop Sheen quote of the day

2, 3) Catholic commentators react to Vatican document: The Vatican declaration opening the door to blessing “same-sex couples” claimed to avoid “any form of confusion or scandal,” but, Catholic theologians have since written that the document was unnecessary and has bewildered faithful Catholics
https://catholicvote.org/did-pope-francis-document-same-sex-blessings-say-anything/

3, 4) The DDF’s innovative declaration on blessings is a disaster
https://www.catholicworldreport.com/2023/12/19/the-ddfs-innovative-declaration-on-blessings-is-a-disaster/