The Secret Base of the Rebel Black Dot Society

Tuesday, July 28, 2026

The Queue

"Any book which inspires us to lead a better life is a good book."
—Venerable Fulton Sheen (1895-1979)

The Lord has put it on my heart to pray & fast for the unity of the Church, of all who claim the name of Chrsitian. I post these intentions to the Twitters twice a day, at 10:54 A.M. (1054 hours, to heal the East-West Schism of A.D. 1054) for Catholic-Orthodox reconciliation & 3:17 P.M. (1517 hours, to heal the Protestant Revolution of A.D. 1517) for Catholic-Protestant reconciliation. I've been doing this for years, tweeting more regularly than I've been stopping to pray, I confess. Last week, for algorithmic reasons I'll never understand, my tweets started to attract more attention & I've been joined by a few Catholic & Protestant accounts; to date, no Orthodox.

I have studied what the Church teaches about unity (though I could always study more), but I have no idea what Protestants/Evangelicals think about the issue. Obviously & lamentably, there is no one Protestant position on anything, but I have long had Until Unity sitting unread on my bookshelf; so, that seems a reasonable place to start.

I do want to get back to Israel Alone & After the Pogrom, but my physical copy of Magnifica Humanitas has arrived, & I was blessed to receive several new books for my birthday: The Apollo Murders, a novel by Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield (famous for his social media performance of "Space Oddity" from the International Space Station), & Homesteading Space: The Skylab Story, co-written by Skylab astronauts Owen Garriott (R.I.P.) & Joe Kerwin.

Recently
Pope Leo XIV, Dilexi Te: On Love for the Poor
Bishop Robert Barron, An Introduction to Prayer
Yaakov Katz & Amir Bohbot, While Israel Slept: How Hamas Surprised the Most Powerful Military in the Middle East

Currently
Francis Chan, Until Unity

Presently
Pope Leo XIV, Magnifica Humanitas: On Safeguarding the Human Person in the Time of Artificial Intelligence
Chris Hadfield, The Apollo Murders
David Hitt, Owen Garriott, & Joe Kerwin, Homesteading Space: The Skylab Story
Bernard-Henri Lévy, Israel Alone ***paused***
Brendan O'Neill, After the Pogrom: 7 October, Israel, and the Crisis of Civilization ***paused***
Kiel Phegley & Jacques Khouri, Strikers: A Graphic Novel
Andy Saunders, Apollo Remastered: The Ultimate Photographic Record *
Andy Saunders, Gemini and Mercury Remastered *
Joe Heschmeyer, The Eucharist Is Really Jesus: How Christ's Body and Blood Are the Key to Everything We Believe
Mike Aquilina, Understanding the Mass: 100 Questions, 100 Answers
Pope Leo XIII, The Leonine Encyclicals: 1878-1902

*Coffee table books.

The Rebel Black Dot Song o' the Day: 47 Jahre

The Wallflowers, "One Headlight" from Bringing Down the Horse (Mike Papa Whiskey)

Commentary: I heard "One Headlight" on the radio recently whilst piloting the Shuttlecraft Odysseus. This prompted enjoyment of the song, reflection on the superior quality of popular music in my formative years, & gratitude for both preceeding items. "One Headlight" is a good song, but only good, not great. But such was the glory of music in the Nineteen Nineties that "One Headlight" towers like a colossus above contemporary music, music so banal it is literally indistinguishable from A.I.

Monday, July 27, 2026

The Stars My Destination: Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4)

Better Late than Never | Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea máxima culpa!

The Space Age
25 June-15 July 2025: Commander Peggy Whitson (Axiom Space), Pilot Shubhanshu Shukla (Indian Space Research Organization), Mission Specialist Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski (European Space Agency), & Mission Specialist Tibor Kapu (Hungarian Space Research Office) lifted off from Florida's Kennedy Space Center's LC-39A aboard the Crew Dragon Grace (C213) atop a Falcon 9 rocket. The Grace spent eighteen days docked to the International Space Station during Expedition 73, splashed down in the Pacific, & was recovered by the M.V. Shannon.

Whitson was a N.A.S.A. astronaut & a veteran of four previous spaceflights (STS-111 [launch]/STS-113 [landing] for Expedition 5; Soyuz TMA-11 for Expedition 16; Soyuz MS-03 [launch]/Soyuz MS-04 [landing] for Expeditions 50, 51, & 52; & Ax-2); Shukla, Uznański-Wiśniewski, & Kapu were rookies, & each the first Indian, Polish, & Hungarian astronaut since the Soviet Union's old Interkosmos program.

Ax-4 was the first flight of the Grace.

Bonus! Song o' the Day: Ax-4 & the Grace
A. R. Rahman, Sukhvinder Singh, Tanvi Shah, & Mahalakshmi Iyer, "Jai Ho" from Slumdog Millionaire: Music from the Motion Picture (Space Cadet Mike Papa Whiskey)

The Rebel Black Dot Song o' the Day: 47 Jahre

Robbie Williams, "A Man for All Seasons" from Johnny English: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (Mike Papa Whiskey)

Sunday, July 26, 2026

The Explorers' Club, № MCLXX

Destination Moon—Astronaut Group 5 (the "Original Nineteen"), Part VI
Alfred Merrill Worden (7 February 1932-18 March 2020), Colonel, U.S. Air Force—He flew as Command Module Pilot on Apollo 15 (Endeavour & Falcon, 1971); each time his C.S.M. emerged from behind the Moon, he radioed, "Hello, Earth. Greetings from Endeavour" in a different language; he wrote poetry, memoirs, & children's books, publishing his autobiography, Falling to Earth, in 2011.

Commentary: Worden is listed in Guinness World Records as the "most isolated human being," apparently being farther away from Apollo 15 CDR Dave Scott & L.M.P. Jim Irwin than any other C.M.P. His E.V.A. to retrieve film canisters from the Service Module's S.I.M. bay (artist representation above) also took place farther from Earth than the similar E.V.A. from Apollo 16 & Apollo 17.

Bonus! Moonshot Song o' the Day: The Original Nineteen—Al Worden
The University of Michigan Marching Band, "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" from A Saturday Tradition (Space Cadet Mike Papa DSKY)

The Wayback Machine Tour of Al Worden
"The Explorers' Club," № DCCXXXVIII: The 55th Anniversary of Voskhod 2 (Death notification)
"The Explorers' Club," № DCCCXXXI: The 50th Anniversary of Apollo 15, Part I
"The Explorers' Club," № DCCCXXXII: The 50th Anniversary of Apollo 15, Part II
"The Explorers' Club," № DCCCXXXIII: The 50th Anniversary of Apollo 15, Part III

Requiescat in pace.

Saints + Scripture: XVII Sunday in Ordinary Time

Simplex Edition | Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea máxima culpa!

'Tis the Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Tempus per annum, "time through the year"): Wikipedia-link.

Scripture of the Week
Mass Readings—Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
The Book of Kings, chapter three, verses five & seven thru twelve;
Psalm One Hundred Nineteen (R/. ninety-seven[a]), verses fifty-seven & seventy-two, seventy-six & seventy-seven, one hundred twenty-seven & one hundred twenty-eight, & one hundred twenty-nine & one hundred thirty;
The Letter to the Romans, chapter eight, verses twenty-eight, twenty-nine, & thirty;
The Gospel according to Matthew, chapter thirteen, verses forty-four thru fifty-two
(or, the Gospel according to Matthew, chapter thirteen, verses forty-four, forty-five, & forty-six).

Commentary: Sunday Readings.

Gospel reflection by Bishop Robert Barron (Word on Fire):
Friends, Jesus speaks in today’s Gospel of the treasure buried in a field that a man stumbles upon. And he sells everything he has in order to buy that field. Could the field be the human heart, the treasure be the imago of Christ, and the selling of everything be the surrendering of all for the sake of the mission?

Jesus also speaks of the merchant’s search for a pearl of great price; when he finds the pearl, the merchant sells everything in order to acquire it. Could this pearl be the one thing worth looking for? And could the selling off of everything else be the living out of the successful, centered life?

Joseph Campbell says that the greatest tragedy in life is not so much failure but rather climbing the ladder of success and finding out that it is up against the wrong wall! Bob Dylan was reflecting ruefully on the same phenomenon when he said, “You find out when you reach the top / you’re on the bottom.” We can spend our entire lives pursuing goals that are worthless, or even goals that are objectively good but not ours—or better, not Christ’s for us.
Video reflection by Father Greg Friedman, O.F.M. (U.S.C.C.B.): Daily Reflection.

Video reflection by Bishop Robert Barron (Word on Fire): Sunday Sermon.

Saints of the Day
Otherwise, 26 July would be the festival of Saints Joachim & Anne, Parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary (circa 50 B.C.-A.D. 15).

Commentary: Wayback Machine.

The Rebel Black Dot Song o' the XVII Sunday in O.T.

The Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Matt Glaser, Evan Stover, Jay Ungar, Art Baron, & Molly Mason, "Kingdom Coming" from The Civil War: Original Soundtrack Recording (Saint Mike Papa Whiskey)

Bonus! Song o' the Day: 47 Jahre

The Abruptors, "Waiting Forever" from Noticeably Cheerful (Rude Boy Mike Papa Whiskey)

Skammentary: Last week, during the vacation Bible school at my parish that bills itslef as not being vacation Bible school, one of the presenting missionaries asked me, "So, which kids are yours?" I answered her very reasonable question by telling her it was a very reasonable question but that I had never been blessed with children. Nor a wife, I did not add.
"Maybe I'm better alone, maybe it helps me see,
Well one thing's for certain, I just know I have to be free,
I've waited forever, what's one more day?
I've waited forever, why can't I walk away?
I'm sitting here beside myself, oh what could I do?
But I've learned my lesson and I need something new…"

Saturday, July 25, 2026

The Stars My Destination: Apollo 15

Apollo 15 (26 July-7 August 1971)
David Scott, Commander
Alfred Worden, Command Module Pilot
James Irwin, Lunar Module Pilot

Command Module: CSM-112, Endeavour
Lunar Module: LM-10, Falcon
Lunar Roving Vehicle: LRV-1

The Wayback Machine Tour of Apollo 15
"The Explorers' Club," № DCCCXXXI: The 50th Anniversary of Apollo 15, Part I
Moonshot Songs o' the Day
Moonshot Songs o' the Day
Moonshot Songs o' the Day
Moonshot Songs o' the Day
Moonshot Songs o' the Day
"The Explorers' Club," № DCCCXXXII: The 50th Anniversary of Apollo 15, Part II
Moonshot Songs o' the Day
Moonshot Songs o' the Day
Moonshot Songs o' the Day
Moonshot Songs o' the Day
Moonshot Songs o' the Day
"The Explorers' Club," № DCCCXXXIII: The 50th Anniversary of Apollo 15, Part III

Saints + Scripture: Feast of Saint James

Simplex Edition | Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea máxima culpa!

Saints of the Day
'Tis the Feast of Saint James, Apostle (died 44, the Greater, the Son of Zebedee, one of the two "Sons of Thunder;" originally Ya'qob, in Latin Iacobus, in English Jacob), martyred in the reign of the Roman emperor Claudius, at the command of the client tetrarch Herod Agrippa.

Commentary: Wayback Machine. Brother of St. John the Apostle (27 December).

Scripture of the Day
Mass Readings—Feast of Saint James
The Second Letter to the Corinthians, chapter four, verses seven thru fifteen;
Psalm One HUndred Twenty-six (R/. five), verses one(b/c) & two(a/b), two(c/d) & three, four & five, & six;
The Gospel according to Matthew, chapter twenty, verses twenty thru twenty-eight.

Commentary: Festal Readings.

Gospel reflection by Bishop Robert Barron (Word on Fire):
Friends, today in our Gospel, the mother of James and John asks Jesus on their behalf for high places of authority in his kingdom. Ah, there is the voice of ambition. Some people don’t care at all about money or power or pleasure—but they care passionately about honor. A lot of people can identify with James and John. They want to go places; they want to be movers and shakers in society. Perhaps a number of people reading this reflection are filled with these emotions.

But Jesus turns the tables on them: “You do not know what you are asking.” He is indeed a King, and he will indeed rule Israel, but his crown will be made of thorns, and his throne will be a Roman instrument of torture.

And so he tries to clarify: “Can you drink the cup that I am going to drink?” The key to honor in the kingdom of God is to drink the cup of suffering, to be willing to suffer out of love, to give one’s life away as a gift. Look at the lives of the saints. It is not about aggrandizing the ego but emptying it out.
Video reflection by Monsignor Robert Cannon (U.S.C.C.B.): Festal Reflection.

The Rebel Black Dot Song o' This Auspicious Day

Jimmy Eat World, "The Middle" from Bleed American (Mike Papa Whiskey)

Commentary: My digital copy of Bleed American was purchased in the post-9/11 period when the album was quite understandably retitled Jimmy Eat World—"The Middle" was released in October 2001—not to be confused with Jimmy Eat World's 1994 debut album, Jimmy Eat World, but between the album's release in July 2001 & 9/11, & again since 2008, it has been titled, Bleed American.
"Hey, don't write yourself off yet,
It's only in your head, you feel left out
Or looked down on.

"Just try your best,
Try everything you can,
And don't you worry what they tell themselves
When you're away…

"Hey, you know they're all the same
You know you're doing better on your own (on your own),
So don't buy in.

"Live right now,
Yeah, just be yourself,
It doesn't matter if it's good enough (good enough)
For someone else…"

Friday, July 24, 2026

The Stars My Destination: Apollo 14

Apollo 14 (31 January-9 February 1971)
Alan Shepard, Commander
Stuart Roosa, Command Module Pilot
Edgar Mitchell, Lunar Module Pilot

Command Module: CSM-110, Kitty Hawk
Lunar Module: LM-8, Antares

The Wayback Machine Tour of Apollo 14
"The Explorers' Club," № DCCXCVII: The 50th Anniversary of Apollo 14, Part I
Moonshot Songs o' the Day
Moonshot Songs o' the Day
Moonshot Songs o' the Day
Moonshot Songs o' the Day
"The Explorers' Club," № DCCXCVIII: The 50th Anniversary of Apollo 14, Part II
Moonshot Songs o' the Day
Moonshot Songs o' the Day
Moonshot Songs o' the Day
"The Explorers' Club," № DCCXCIX: The 50th Anniversary of Apollo 14, Part III
"The Explorers' Club," № DCCCI: The 50th Anniversary of Apollo 14, Part IV

Saints + Scripture

Simplex Edition | Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea máxima culpa!

'Tis the Friday of the Sixteenth Week in Ordinary Time (Tempus per annum, "time through the year"): Wikipedia-link.

Saints of the Day
'Tis the optional Memorial of Saint Sharbel Makhlūf, Priest, O.L.M. (1828-1898, also spelt Charbel Makhlouf; A.K.A. Joseph Zaroun Makhlūf).

Commentary: Wayback Machine.

Scripture of the Day
Mass Readings—Friday of the Sixteenth Week in Ordinary Time
The Book of Jeremiah, chapter three, verses fourteen thru seventeen;
The Book of Jeremiah, chapter thirty-one (R/. ten[c/d]), verses ten, eleven & twelve(a/b/c/d), & thirteen;
The Gospel according to Matthew, chapter thirteen, verses eighteen thru twenty-three.

Commentary: Daily Readings.

Gospel reflection by Bishop Robert Barron (Word on Fire):
Friends, in today’s Gospel, Jesus explains the parable of the sower. This parable is reminiscent of another well-known story of Jesus: that of the shepherd and the lost sheep.

“What man among you,” asks Jesus, “having a hundred sheep and losing one of them would not leave the ninety-nine in the desert and go after the lost one until he finds it?” Can we imagine the shepherds in Jesus’s audience shaking their heads? No shepherd would be so foolish! Which is just the point: God’s love is so extravagant that it breaks all of our categories of what is reasonable.

One of our favorite pastimes is setting limits to the love of God. We say that God loves those who love him, or that God loves those who are in the right church or have the right doctrines. But God does not sow only on the receptive soil; he sows everywhere, even in those places that are least receptive.
Video reflection by Maria R. Parker, Ed.D. (U.S.C.C.B.): Daily Reflection.

Mass Readings—Memorial of Saint Sharbel Makhlūf
The Book of Sirach, chapter three, verses seventeen thru twenty-four;
Psalm Fifteen (R/. one), verses two & three(a/b), three(c/d) & four(a/b), & five;
The Gospel according to Matthew, chapter nineteen, verses twenty-seven, twenty-eight, & twenty-nine.

Commentary: Memorial Readings.

The Rebel Black Dot Song o' the Day: 46 Jahre

They Might Be Giants, "It's Not My Birthday" from the Then: The Earlier Years compilation (Mike Papa Whiskey)

Commentary:
"It's not my birthday,
It's not today,
It's not my birthday;
So, why do you lunge out at me?…"

Thursday, July 23, 2026

The Stars My Destination: Apollo 13

Apollo 13 (11-17 April 1970)
James Lovell, Commander
John Swigert, Command Module Pilot
Fred Haise, Lunar Module Pilot

Command Module: CSM-109, Odyssey
Lunar Module: LM-7, Aquarius

The Wayback Machine Tour of Apollo 13
"The Explorers' Club," № DCCXLII: The 50th Anniversary of Apollo 13, Part I
Moonshot Songs o' the Day
Moonshot Songs o' the Day
"The Explorers' Club," № DCCXLIII: The 50th Anniversary of Apollo 13, Part II
Moonshot Songs o' the Day
Moonshot Songs o' the Day
"The Explorers' Club," № DCCXLIV: The 50th Anniversary of Apollo 13, Part III

Saints + Scripture

Simplex Edition | Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea máxima culpa!

'Tis the Thursday of the Sixteenth Week in Ordinary Time (Tempus per annum, "time through the year"): Wikipedia-link.

Saints of the Day
'Tis the optional Memorial of Saint Bridget, Religious, O.Ss.S. (circa 1303-1373, of Sweden, of Vadstena; A.K.A. Birgitta Birgersdotter), foundress of the Bridgettines (O.Ss.S.), formally the Order of the Most Holy Savior.

Commentary: Wayback Machine.

Scripture of the Day
Mass Readings—Thursday of the Sixteenth Week in Ordinary Time
The Book of Jeremiah, chapter two, verses one, two, three, seven, eight, twelve & thirteen;
Psalm Thirty-six (R/. ten[a]), verses six & seven(a/b), eight & nine, & ten & eleven;
The Gospel according to Matthew, chapter thirteen, verses ten thru seventeen.

Commentary: Daily Readings.

Gospel reflection by Bishop Robert Barron (Word on Fire):
Friends, in today’s Gospel, Jesus explains that he speaks in parables to baffle the crowds, who “look but do not see and hear but do not listen or understand.” The parables of Jesus are often exercises whose purpose is to confuse and confound the hearer, overturning her expectations and upsetting her theological convictions.

God is just, but in light of the parable of the vineyard owner, one realizes that the ordinary notion of justice only vaguely indicates what divine justice is like. God is compassionate, but after hearing the story of the prodigal son, one knows that divine compassion infinitely surpasses even the most radical mode of human love.

But why is the biblical God so elusive? Because he brought the whole of the finite universe into existence. God must be other in a way that transcends any and all modes of otherness discoverable within creation.
Video reflection by Alice Heinzen (U.S.C.C.B.): Daily Reflection.

Mass Readings—Memorial of Saint Bridget
The Letter to the Galatians, chapter two, verses nineteen & twenty;
Psalm Thirty-four (R/. two; or, nine), verses two & three, four & five,six & seven, eight & nine, & ten & eleven;
The Gospel according to John, chapter fifteen, verses one thru eight.

Commentary: Memorial Readings.

The Rebel Black Dot Song o' the Day: America 250

The United States Semiquincentennial (1776-2026)
"Weird Al" Yankovic, "The Hamilton Polka" from the The Hamilton Polka single (Mike Patriot Whiskey)

Commentary: The semiquincentennial celebrations will continue, just you wait, just you wait.

Wednesday, July 22, 2026

The Stars My Destination: Apollo 12

Apollo 12 (14-24 November 1969)
Charles "Pete" Conrad, Commander
Richard Gordon, Command Module Pilot
Alan Bean, Lunar Module Pilot

Command Module: CSM-108, Yankee Clipper
Lunar Module: LM-6, Intrepid

The Wayback Machine Tour of Apollo 12
"The Explorers' Club," № DCCXVII: The 50th Anniversary of Apollo 12, Part I
Moonshot Songs o' the Day
Moonshot Songs o' the Day
Moonshot Songs o' the Day
Moonshot Songs o' the Day
"The Explorers' Club," № DCCXIX: The 50th Anniversary of Apollo 12, Part II
Moonshot Songs o' the Day
Moonshot Songs o' the Day
Moonshot Songs o' the Day
Moonshot Songs o' the Day
"The Explorers' Club," № DCCXX: The 50th Anniversary of Apollo 12, Part III

Saints + Scripture: Feast of Saint Mary Magdalene

Simplex Edition | Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea máxima culpa!

Saints of the Day
'Tis the Feast of Saint Mary Magdalene (died circa 63, the "Apostle to the Apostles").

Commentary: Wayback Machine.

Scripture of the Day
Mass Readings—Feast of Saint Mary Magdalene
The Song of Songs, chapter three, verses one thru four(b);
or, the Second Letter to the Corinthians, chapter five, verses fourteen thru seventeen;
Psalm Sixty-three (R/. two), verses two, three & four, five & six, & eight & nine;
The Gospel according to John, chapter twenty, verses one, two, & eleven thru eighteen.

Commentary: Festal Readings.

Gospel reflection by Bishop Robert Barron (Word on Fire):
Friends, today we celebrate the Feast of Saint Mary Magdalene, the first witness of Christ’s rising, who declared the resurrection to the apostles.

In point of fact, the Easter declaration, properly understood, has always been and still is an explosion, an earthquake, a revolution. For the Easter faith is that Jesus of Nazareth, who had been brutally put to death by the Roman authorities, is alive again through the power of the Holy Spirit—and not in some metaphorical sense.

That the resurrection is a literary device or a symbol that Jesus’s cause goes on is a fantasy born in the faculty lounges of Western universities over the past couple of centuries. The still startling claim of the first witnesses is that Jesus rose bodily from death, presenting himself to his disciples to be seen, even handled.

The hope of ancient Israel was the unification of heaven and earth in a great marriage. Recall a central line from the Lord’s Prayer: “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” The bodily resurrection of Jesus is the powerful sign that the two orders are in fact coming together.
Video reflection by Theresa Notare, Ph.D. (U.S.C.C.B.): Festal Reflection.

Saint Quote o' the Day

"f you have the courage to imitate Mary Magdalene in her sins, have the courage to imitate her penance."
—Saint Pius of Pietrelcina, O.F.M.Cap. ("PadrePio;" 1887-1968, feast: 23 September)

Operation ÖSTERREICH

Please Stand By | Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea máxima culpa!

Weekly Wednesday Weigh-in
Last weigh-in: 330.2 lbs. (12 June 2024)

The Rebel Black Dot Song o' the Day: America 250

The United States Semiquincentennial (1776-2026)
The New American Brass Band, "Hail, Columbia" from The Civil War: Original Soundtrack Recording (Mike Patriot Whiskey)

Tuesday, July 21, 2026

The Stars My Destination: Apollo 11

Apollo 11 (16-24 July 1969)
Neil Armstrong, Commander
Michael Collins, Command Module Pilot
Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin, Lunar Module Pilot

Command Module: CSM-107, Columbia
Lunar Module: LM-5, Eagle

The Wayback Machine Tour of Apollo 11
"The Explorers' Club," № DCXCVIII: The 50th Anniversary of Apollo 11, Part I
Moonshot Songs o' the Day
Moonshot Songs o' the Day
Moonshot Songs o' the Day
"The Explorers' Club," № DCXCIX: The 50th Anniversary of Apollo 11, Part II
Moonshot Songs o' the Day
Moonshot Songs o' the Day
Moonshot Songs o' the Day
"The Explorers' Club," № DCC: The 50th Anniversary of Apollo 11, Part III
"The Explorers' Club," № DCCII: The 50th Anniversary of Apollo 11, Part IV

The Rebel Black Dot Song o' the Day: America 250

The United States Semiquincentennial (1776-2026)
The University of Michigan Marching Band, "America the Beautiful" from A Saturday Tradition (Mike Patriot Whiskey)

Saints + Scripture

Simplex Edition | Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea máxima culpa!

'Tis the Tuesday of the Sixteenth Week in Ordinary Time (Tempus per annum, "time through the year"): Wikipedia-link.

Saints of the Day
'Tis the optional Memorial of Saint Lawrence of Brindisi, Priest & Doctor of the Church, O.F.M. Cap. (1559-1619, A.K.A. Giulio Cesare Russo), Vicar General of the Capuchins (1602-1605), formally the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin (O.F.M. Cap.).

Commentary: Wayback Machine.

Scripture of the Day
Mass Readings—Tuesday of the Sixteenth Week in Ordinary Time
The Book of Micah, chapter seven, verses fourteen, fifteen, eighteen, nineteen, & twenty;
Psalm Eighty-five (R/. eight[a]), verses two, three, & four; five & six; & seven & eight;
The Gospel according to Matthew, chapter twelve, verses forty-six thru fifty.

Commentary: Daily Readings.

Gospel reflection by Bishop Robert Barron (Word on Fire):
Friends, in today’s Gospel, someone tells Jesus, “Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, asking to speak with you.” Jesus stretches his hand toward his disciples and says, “Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my heavenly Father is my brother, and sister, and mother.”

Family is wonderful. There is nothing in the world wrong with fostering the flourishing of your family. But over and again, the Bible places the goods of the world into question—even something as good as family relationships.

Why? Because family isn’t God. It is not that which you should serve with your whole heart; it doesn’t belong in the center of your life.

Is family the point around which most of your energies revolve? Is it your primary focus as you make your way through the day? Are there times when you feel your family obligations competing with the will of God?

Then remember Jesus’s words: “Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?… Whoever does the will of my heavenly Father.”
Video reflection by Janet McLaughlin (U.S.C.C.B.): Daily Reflection.

Scripture of the Day
Mass Readings—Memorial of Saint Lawrence of Brindisi
The Second Letter to the Corinthians, chapter four, verses one, two, five, six, & seven;
Psalm Forty (R/. eight[a] & nine[a]), verses two & four(a/b), seven & eight(a), eight(b) & nine, ten, & eleven;
The Gospel according to Mark, chapter four, verses one thru ten & thirteen thru twenty.

Commentary: Memorial Readings.

Monday, July 20, 2026

The Explorers' Club, № MCLXIX

Operation AXIOM: The Space Age—The 50th Anniversary of Project Viking, Part IV
20 July 1976: The Viking 1 lander landed at the Chryse Planitia & began to transmit photographs within 25 seconds; a robotic arm scooped up soil samples, which were subjected to four biological experiments for signs of microbial life; atmospheric & seismographic data was collected; the lander operated for 2,307 days (2,245 sols), until a faulty command ended contact on 11 November 1982.

Bonus! Space Age Song o' the Day: Viking 1
David Bowie, "Life on Mars?" from Hunky Dory (Space Cadet Mike Papa Whiskey)

Semper exploro.

The Rebel Black Dot Song o' the Day: America 250

The United States Semiquincentennial (1776-2026)
The Pogues, "The Body of an American" from the The Best of The Pogues compilation (Mike Patriot Whiskey)

Commentary:
"When we turned and shook as we had a look,
In the room where the dead men lay,
So big Jim Dwyer made his last trip,
To the shores where his father's laid…

"Fare thee well, going away, there's nothing left to say,
Farewell to New York City, boys, to Boston and PA,
He took them out with a well-aimed clout, and we often heard him say:
'I'm a free-born man of the USA.'

"He fought the champ in Pittsburgh and he slashed him to the ground,
He took on Tiny Tartanella and it only went one round,
He never had no time for reds, for drink or dice or whores,
But he never threw a fight when the fight was right;
So, they sent him to the war.

"Fare the well, gone away, there's nothing left to say,
With a slainte, Joe and an Erin go, my love's in Amerikay,
The calling of the rosary, Spanish wine from far away,
'I'm a free-born man of the USA'…"

Saints + Scripture

Simplex Edition | Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea máxima culpa!

'Tis the Monday of the Sixteenth Week in Ordinary Time (Tempus per annum, "time through the year"): Wikipedia-link.

Saints of the Day
'Tis the optional Memorial of Saint Apollinaris, Bishop & Martyr (died circa 79, of Ravenna), inaugural Bishop of Ravenna (64-79), martyred in the reign of the Roman emperor Vespasian.

Commentary: Wayback Machine.

Scripture of the Day
Mass Readings—Monday of the Sixteenth Week in Ordinary Time
The Book of Micah, chapter six, verses one thru four, six, seven, & eight;
Psalm Fifty (R/. twenty-three[b]), verses five & six, eight & nine, sixteen(b/c) & seventeen, & twenty-one & twenty-three;
The Gospel according to Matthew, chapter twelve, verses thirty-eight thru forty-two.

Commentary: Daily Readings.

Gospel reflection by Bishop Robert Barron (Word on Fire):

Friends, in today’s Gospel, the Lord tells his opponents, who asked for a sign, that no sign will be given except the sign of Jonah—that is, the resurrection. According to the early Church Fathers, Christ’s coming precipitated a warfare with the powers that hold the world in their sway.

In bringing God’s ordo to the world, Jesus had to move into the arena of disorder, but this invasion was not met with passivity or acquiescence. Rather, the principalities of the world—Herod, Pilate, the scribes and Pharisees, the demons—waged a ferocious struggle against him, and it was only through the drama of the cross and resurrection that Jesus managed to defeat them.

He took all of their violence and, through courageous forgiveness, robbed it of its authority, for violence feeds on itself, surviving only through reproduction. When it is met with compassion and forgiveness, it dissipates, its power source gone. In the language of the Fathers, Jesus thereby tied up the devil, frustrating him into submission, leading our captivity to hatred captive. So, as the hymn text has it, “The strife is o’er, the battle done…”

Video reflection by Monsignor James Vlaun (U.S.C.C.B.): Daily Reflection.

Mass Readings—Memorial of Saint Apollinaris
The Book of Ezekiel, chapter thirty-four, verses eleven thru sixteen;
Psalm Twenty-three (R/. one), verses one, two, & three(a); four; five; & six;
The Gospel according to John, chapter ten, verses eleven thru sixteen.

Commentary: Memorial Readings.

Bonus! Moonshot Songs o' the Day: Apollo 11

Operation AXIOM: The 57th Anniversary of Apollo 11
Public Service Broadcasting, "Go!" from The Race for Space (Space Cadet Mike Papa DSKY)

&

National Aeronautics & Space Administration, "Apollo 11 Excerpt 19" from The Apollo Missions (Space Cadet Mike Papa DSKY)

Commentary:
"That's one small step for [a] man, one giant leap for Mankind."
The Wayback Machine Tour of Apollo 11
№ DCXCVIII: The 50th Anniversary of Apollo 11, Part I
№ DCXCIX: The 50th Anniversary of Apollo 11, Part II
№ DCC: The 50th Anniversary of Apollo 11, Part III
№ DCCII: The 50th Anniversary of Apollo 11, Part IV
№ CMLXXIV: Neil Armstrong
№ MXXV: Michael Collins
№ MXXXII: "Buzz" Aldrin

Sunday, July 19, 2026

The Stars My Destination: Apollo 10

Apollo 10 (18-26 May 1969)
Thomas Stafford, Commander
John Young, Command Module Pilot
Eugene Cernan, Lunar Module Pilot

Command Module: CSM-106, Charlie Brown
Lunar Module: LM-4, Snoopy

The Wayback Machine Tour of Apollo 10
"The Explorers' Club," № DCCL: The 51st Anniversary of Apollo 10, Part I
Moonshot Songs o' the Day
Moonshot Songs o' the Day
Moonshot Songs o' the Day
"The Explorers' Club," № DCCLI: The 51st Anniversary of Apollo 10, Part II
Moonshot Songs o' the Day
Moonshot Songs o' the Day
Moonshot Songs o' the Day
"The Explorers' Club," № DCCLII: The 51st Anniversary of Apollo 10, Part III

Saints + Scripture: XVI Sunday in Ordinary Time

Simplex Edition | Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea máxima culpa!

'Tis the Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Tempus per annum, "time through the year"): Wikipedia-link.

Scripture of the Week
Mass Readings—Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
The Book of Wisdom, chapter twelve, verses thirteen & sixteen thru nineteen;
Psalm Eighty-six (R/. five[a]), verses five & six, nine & ten, & fifteen & sixteen;
The Letter to the Romans, chapter eight, verses twenty-six & twenty-seven;
The Gospel according to Matthew, chapter thirteen, verses twenty-four thru forty-three
(or, the Gospel according to Matthew, chapter thirteen, verses twenty-four thru thirty).

Commentary: Sunday Readings.

Gospel reflection by Bishop Robert Barron (Word on Fire):
Friends, today’s Gospel features one of Jesus’s most beloved parables: that of the mustard seed. “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that a person took and sowed in a field. It is the smallest of all the seeds, yet when full-grown it is the largest of plants.”

How does God tend to work? What does the building up of the kingdom typically look like? From the very small to the very great—and by a slow, gradual process. God tends to operate under the radar, on the edges of things, quietly, clandestinely, not drawing attention to himself.

In the City of God, St. Augustine opined that the Church is like Noah’s ark, a small ship bouncing on the rough seas of history. As the great empires come and go, as the waves of history crash noisily against the shore, God’s kingdom is quietly advancing, unnoticed but inevitable.

One of my very favorite images from C. S. Lewis speaks to this principle. How, he asks, did God enter history? Quietly, in a forgotten corner of the Roman Empire—sneaking, as it were, behind enemy lines.
Video reflection by Rev. George Rumley, O.S.B. (U.S.C.C.B.): Sunday Reflection.

Video reflection by Bishop Robert Barron (Word on Fire): Sunday Sermon.

Saints of the Day
Commentary: Wayback Machine.

The Rebel Black Dot Song o' the XVI Sunday in O.T.

The Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Rend Collective, "Build Your Kingdom Here" from Homemade Worship by Handmade People (Saint Mike Papa Whiskey)

Bonus! Song o' the Day: America 250

The United States Semiquincentennial (1776-2026)
MxPx, "Kids in America" from On the Cover II (Mike Patriot Whiskey)

Saturday, July 18, 2026

The Explorers' Club Special: Gemini X

Operation AXIOM: The Space Race—The 60th Anniversary of Gemini X
18-21 July 1966: Gemini X lifted off from Florida's Cape Kennedy Air Force Station, with Command Pilot John Young & Pilot Michael Collins aboard a Gemini spacecraft atop a Titan II G.L.V. rocket; they docked with their Agena & used its engine to set a new altitude record, & rendezvoused with Gemini VIII's derelict Agena; they splashed down in the Atlantic & were recovered by the U.S.S. Guadalcanal.

Commentary: Although Mike Collins's E.V.A. weren't trouble-free (E.V.A. difficuties would continue with Dick Gordon on Gemini XI & the code wouldn't be cracked until Buzz Aldrin on Gemini XII), Gemini X was a successful mission & a boost in the arm for N.A.S.A. after the emergency that ended Gemini VIII & the myriad struggles of Gemini IX-A.

On a personal note, Gemini X is my greatest regret of "The Explorers' Club's" exploration of Project Gemini. Yes, July 2021 was a busy time (including the fiftieth anniversary of Apollo 15, 26 July-7 August), but I still ought to have dedicated a second episode to Gemini X.

The Wayback Machine Tour of Gemini X
"The Explorers' Club," № DCCCXXX: The 55th Anniversary of Gemini X
Space Race Song o' the Day

Semper exploro.

Saints + Scripture

Simplex Edition | Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea máxima culpa!

'Tis the Saturday of the Fifteenth Week in Ordinary Time (Tempus per annum, "time through the year"): Wikipedia-link.

Saints of the Day
'Tis the optional Memorial of Saint Camillus de Lellis, Priest, M.I. (1550-1614), founder of the Camillians, formally the Clerics Regular, Ministers to the Sick (M.I., from Ministeri Infirmaribus).

Commentary: Wayback Machine.

Scripture of the Day
Mass Readings—Saturday of the Fifteenth Week in Ordinary Time
The Book of Micah, chapter two, verses one thru five;
Psalm Ten (R/. twelve[b]), verses one & two, three & four, seven & eight, & fourteen;
The Gospel according to Matthew, chapter twelve, verses fourteen thru twenty-one.

Commentary: Daily Readings.

Gospel reflection by Bishop Robert Barron (Word on Fire):
Friends, in today’s Gospel, we hear a passage from Isaiah echoing the baptism of Jesus: “Behold, my servant whom I have chosen, my beloved in whom I delight.”

In the Greek philosophical tradition, God is the supreme good around which everything in the universe revolves. But that Aristotle’s prime mover would stoop down to the level of a creature and move toward him—that would be unthinkable. And in the Jewish context, God’s absolute holiness was consistently contrasted with human sinfulness. But that God would himself take on the wretchedness of his creatures and stand with them—no way.

Yet, in Christ, God himself moves toward his creatures, takes on their wretchedness, and stands with them. Why? Because God has come in order to forgive sins. This is the heart and soul, the beginning and end of Christian revelation. How often the words and gestures of forgiveness radiate out from Jesus, and how central forgiveness is to the liturgy: “This is the chalice of my blood… which will be poured out for you… for the forgiveness of sins.”

This is why “a bruised reed he will not break, a smoldering wick he will not quench.” God has not come to finish off those who have blown it spiritually and morally but to stand with them in total solidarity.
Video reflection by Monsignor Robert Cannon (U.S.C.C.B.): Daily Reflection.

Mass Readings—Memorial of Saint Camillus de Lellis
The First Letter of John, chapter three, verses fourteen thru eighteen;
Psalm One Hundred Twelve (R/. one; or, "Alleluia"), verses one & two; three & four; five, six, & seven(a); seven(b) & eight; & nine;
The Gospel according to John, chapter fifteen, verses nine thru seventeen.

Commentary: Memorial Readings.

Saint Quote o' the Day

"The poor & the sick are the Heart of God. In serving them, we serve Jesus Christ."
—Saint Camillus de Lellis, M.I. (1550-1614, feast: 18 July)

The Rebel Black Dot Song o' the Day: America 250

The United States Semiquincentennial (1776-2026)
Glenn Miller, "American Patrol" from the Glenn Miller's 50 Finest compilation (Mike Patriot Whiskey)

Friday, July 17, 2026

The Stars My Destination: Apollo 9

Apollo 9 (3-13 March 1969)
James McDivitt, Commander
David Scott, Command Module Pilot
Russell Schweickart, Lunar Module Pilot

Command Module: CSM-104, Gumdrop
Lunar Module: LM-3, Spider

The Wayback Machine Tour of Apollo 9
"The Explorers' Club," № DCCXXXV: The 51st Anniversary of Apollo 9, Part I
Moonshot Songs o' the Day
Moonshot Songs o' the Day
Moonshot Song o' the Day
Moonshot Songs o' the Day
"The Explorers' Club," № DCCXXXVI: The 51st Anniversary of Apollo 9, Part II
Moonshot Songs o' the Day
Moonshot Songs o' the Day
Moonshot Songs o' the Day
Moonshot Songs o' the Day
"The Explorers' Club," № DCCXXXVII: The 51st Anniversary of Apollo 9, Part III

Saints + Scripture

Simplex Edition | Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea máxima culpa!

The Popish Plot
"Agnes Mary Clerke"

'Tis the Friday of the Fifteenth Week in Ordinary Time (Tempus per annum, "time through the year"): Wikipedia-link.

Saints of the Day
Commentary: Wayback Machine.

Scripture of the Day
Mass Readings—Friday of the Fifteenth Week in Ordinary Time
The Book of Isaiah, chapter thirty-eight, verses one thru six, twenty-one, twenty-two, seven, & eight;
The Book of Isaiah, chapter thirty-eight, verses (R/. cf. seventeen[b]) ten, eleven, twelve(a/b/c/d), & sixteen;
The Gospel according to Matthew, chapter twelve, verses one thru eight.

Commentary: Daily Readings.

Gospel reflection by Bishop Robert Barron (Word on Fire):
Friends, in today’s Gospel, Jesus corrects the Pharisees with this theme of his ministry: “I desire mercy, not sacrifice.”

Every saint had a past, and every sinner has a future. That is key to Catholic spirituality. In the lives of every one of these heroes of the faith, there is some conversion. And every sinner—every one of us—has a future. That is why we soak in the mercy of God.

There is a beautiful reference in the Psalms to oil running down upon your beard, upon the collar of your robe. The divine mercy is like that: poured out upon us, poured out without reservation—and not because it’s earned, because it can’t be earned.

God doesn’t love us because we’re worthy. We’re worthy because he loves us. We don’t deserve his mercy, but we soak it in and thereby are transformed.
Video reflection by Jem Sullivan, Ph.D. (U.S.C.C.B.): Daily Reflection.