Today in 10 Seconds
Gospel: Sheep among wolves: wisdom meets vulnerability Rosary: Sorrowful Mysteries Pope: Light in darkness: young Iraqis called to hope CBS News: Military flyby controversy ends in vindication CBS News: Viking fuel: 6,000 calories of raw power Saint: Poverty so complete, even taxis rejected him
— † —
Matthew 10:16-23
"Jesus instructed the Twelve as follows: ‘Remember, I am sending you out like sheep among wolves; so be cunning as serpents and yet as harmless as doves. ‘Beware of men: they will hand you over to sanhedrins and scourge you in their synagogues. You will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them and the pagans."
| ? |
Test Your Faith IQ |
Church History |
|
|
Antoni Gaudí designed the Sagrada Familia with 18 towers. What do they represent?
- A) The 18 books of the Old Testament prophets
- B) The 12 Apostles, 4 Evangelists, the Virgin Mary, and Jesus Christ
- C) The 18 mysteries of the Rosary
- D) The 18 centuries of Christianity before construction began
Answer at the bottom of this newsletter.
|
| Rosary Mystery of the Day | |
| † |
Today's Mysteries |
Friday: Sorrowful Mysteries |
|
|
Sorrowful Mysteries
- 1. The Agony in the Garden
- 2. The Scourging at the Pillar
- 3. The Crowning with Thorns
- 4. The Carrying of the Cross
- 5. The Crucifixion and Death of Our Lord
|
|
|
|
The Objection
"Catholics worship Mary. That's clearly against the First Commandment. You pray to her, build statues of her, and practically treat her like a goddess."
The Catholic Response
Catholics honor Mary; we do not worship her. Worship (latria) is given to God alone, while the honor given to Mary (hyperdulia) is the same kind of respect Scripture itself models: the angel Gabriel greeted her as 'full of grace' (Luke 1:28), and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, called her 'blessed among women' (Luke 1:42). The Catechism is explicit that devotion to Mary 'differs essentially from the adoration which is given to the incarnate Word and equally to the Father and the Holy Spirit' (CCC 971). Asking Mary to pray for us is no different from asking a friend to pray for you; she's just closer to the throne.
CCC 971 | CCC 2675 | Luke 1:28 | Luke 1:42-43
|
 Photo: Vatican News
VATICAN NEWS
Pope Leo XIV encourages young Iraqi Christians to become missionaries of faith, love and hope in a land marked by conflict and instability. The Pope calls them to be peacemakers and bearers of Christ's light in a wounded world.
 Photo: CBS News
CBS News
National Guard Apache helicopter pilots had their suspensions reversed after a dramatic low-altitude beach flyby sparked online outrage over their punishment.
| † |
FAITH & THE WORLD |
Romans 13:1-2 |
|
|
"Let every person be subordinate to the higher authorities, for there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been established by God."
CCC 2238-2240 (Duties of Citizens and Legitimate Authority)
Public pressure overturned a military discipline decision in days. The Catechism teaches that authority exists to serve the common good, not to bend to the loudest crowd (CCC 1903). When accountability becomes a popularity contest, the chain of command that keeps people safe starts to dissolve.
Reflect → When have you let popular opinion change a decision you knew was right?
|
 Photo: CBS News
CBS News
Soccer star Erling Haaland follows an intense 6,000-calorie daily diet of raw milk, bone marrow, and organ meats to fuel his elite performance.
| † |
FAITH & THE WORLD |
1 Corinthians 9:27 |
|
|
"I drive my body and train it, for fear that, after having preached to others, I myself should be disqualified."
CCC 2288-2289 (Respect for the Body and Temperance)
Paul used athletic discipline as a metaphor for spiritual life, and the comparison cuts both ways. The Catechism affirms that caring for our bodies honors God who made them (CCC 2288), but also warns that turning the body into an idol makes fitness a false religion all its own.
Reflect → Is your body care driven by gratitude for a gift, or anxiety about control?
|
 Photo: Good News Network
Good News Network
LEGO is releasing a Sagrada Familia set as the basilica Gaudí spent his life building nears completion, 100 years after his death.
| † |
FAITH & GOOD NEWS |
Psalm 127:1 |
|
|
"Unless the LORD build the house, they labor in vain who build. Unless the LORD guard the city, in vain does the guard keep watch."
CCC 2502 (Sacred Art and Beauty)
Gaudí spent his final twelve years living inside the construction site, sleeping in his workshop, attending daily Mass, and fasting so severely that when he was hit by a tram, bystanders mistook him for a beggar. The Catechism teaches that sacred art should lift the mind to God (CCC 2502), and Gaudí built a cathedral so astonishing that even toy bricks can carry a whisper of its beauty a century later.
Reflect → What are you building that you won't live to see finished, and is it worth your life?
|
|
DAILY WORD GAME
Test your Catholic vocabulary
|
|
| † |
Saint of the Day |
June 10 (anniversary of death; cause for canonization open) |
|
|
Antoni Gaudí (Servant of God)
When Gaudí was struck by a tram in 1926, he was so gaunt and poorly dressed from years of voluntary poverty that three taxi drivers refused to take him to the hospital, assuming he was a destitute vagrant. He died in a public ward. The man who designed the most ambitious church in modern history was buried in its crypt, having given away everything he owned to fund its construction.
LEGO's Sagrada Familia set release this year honors the 100th anniversary of Gaudí's death, and his life perfectly mirrors today's Gospel call to trust in God's Spirit rather than human security.
|
Trivia Answer
B . Gaudí planned 12 towers for the Apostles, 4 for the Evangelists, one for Mary, and the tallest central tower for Jesus Christ. The Jesus tower will stand at 172.5 meters, deliberately one meter shorter than Montjuïc hill because Gaudí believed no human work should surpass God's creation.
|
|
