Matthew Balan ن
@MatthewJLB
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Catholic; American (Filipino Dad/mixed-European Mom); supports the Social Reign of Christ the King; space geek; #NASASocial vet; Phillies phan. Viva Cristo Rey!
Washington, DC Region
Joined May 2009
The uncertainty is still ongoing with the below about my Mom. Now, my Dad could have a new health issue (he’s had them on & off his entire life—ever since he was in a motorcycle accident as a young man in the Philippines). Please pray for them both.
Please pray for the success of a meeting tomorrow about making arrangements for the long-term care of my elderly mother.
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@adaquano @MihchaelO @BaritusCatholic It’s a problem of the modern age. It’s hard to given an impression of sanctity when we have actual pictures of people now. I’ve had a devotion to St. Gemma Galgani for a long time. I’ve rarely seen good artistic depictions of her. This statue is the closest I’ve seen (so far).
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@MihchaelO She’s no better or worse personally. The worst part is grinding up against multiple bureaucracies in order to obtain a merciful & acceptable solution to her long-term care. We’re not there yet.
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@MihchaelO @BaritusCatholic This also is closer to what is fitting:
Today is the Feast of Blessed Carlo Acutis, English-born Italian youth with a deep devotion for the Eucharist and Our Lady of Fatima, who documented Eucharistic miracles and catalogued them onto a website, which he created before his death from leukemia, aged 15. Ora pro nobis
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@MihchaelO We have a strict standard from Our Lord—we shouldn’t be a stumbling block to others. Rupnik’s mosaics cause grave scandal to many of our brethren—& gives the impression that the hierarchy is still OK with sexual abuse.
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@MihchaelO Governments (up until recent decades) commissioned inspiring depictions of secular heroes with greater dignity than this devotee to Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament. Shouldn’t the Church do better than secular authorities?
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@MihchaelO I apologize for not noticing. There have long been blessings of profane items (including vehicles & wine). However, sacred art is a sacramental—pointing us ultimately to God. We’re also not talking about sacraments, so ex ore operato doesn’t apply. It’s too close to this:
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RT @LeahLibresco: “As words spread around the Tallahassee campus about my charges, it was almost a daily occurrence that people were coming…
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The below showed the proper reverence to a relic. I experienced something opposite yesterday. I went to see a relic that made a stop nearby. The venue had a makeshift, but appropriate setup—but a woman held the reliquary the whole time while seated. It was completely…off.
Well, I never thought I’d get to see this in real life. #Aquinas #skull #Catholic Thanks to @opeast!
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RT @Jason_R_Burt: Chuck Yeager absolutely had the right stuff 👇🏼 - Air Force DSM ✈️ - Army DSM 🪖 - 2 Silver Stars ⭐️ - 2 Legions of Merit…
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RT @hf_222222: There is a fundamentally Orwellian quality to so much trans ideology - An absolute insistence everyone must participate in t…
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RT @ScottJenningsKY: Not usually a breaking news reporter but I was in Union Station when this happened. Heard the shots. Saw the victim hi…
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RT @AmSolidarity: “The degree of civilization in a society can be judged by entering its prisons.” It’s a tremendous failure of American j…
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@TruthHu67334066 @progrummer @Tybo828282 @metathomist “All the dead are waiting for the judgement day.” Ah, the heresy of “soul sleep”
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People in the comments: “Did they steal those horses!?” Reality: there’s a “Fletcher Street Urban Riding Club” in Philly.
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