Mike Ashcraft, the pastor of Port City Community Church in Wilmington, N.C., joins Currents News to talk about rethinking resolutions, and replacing them with a different concept.
It’s called “My One Word” and it’s something he’s been doing for over a decade. It’s all about changing your focus instead of your behavior. And he says the results are life changing.
Currents News Staff
Two full weeks shut down – that’s what the government is facing as the partial shutdown carries into its 14th day.
“Open up the government and let’s continue discussions,” said Sen. Chuck Schumer.
Congressional leaders were once again at the White House Friday, in the situation room, trying to reach a compromise on the government’s situation.
“How do you define progress in a meeting? When you have a better understanding of each other’s position, when you eliminate some possibilities? If that’s a judgment, then yes, we made some progress,” said Rep. Nancy Pelosi.
“I thought it was really a very good meeting. Were all on the same path in terms of wanting the government open,” said President Trump.
But the President has been insistent on securing additional funding for a border wall.
“This is national security we’re talking about. We’re not playing games, we have to do it,” he said.
Meanwhile Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has insisted he will not allow a vote in the senate until there is a compromise the president endorses.
“They know that a solution will need to be palatable to House Democrats and Senate Republicans alike, they know that making laws needs the president’s signature, we all learnt that in grade school,” said McConnell.
All the while hundreds of thousands of government employees are working without pay over a period that included the holidays.
This shutdown is now the 4th longest in United States history.
Currents News Staff
The labor department’s monthly jobs numbers, delivering good news for President Trump.
“This really took people by surprise. This is a great number,” said Trump.
The U.S. economy created 312,000 jobs in December, rounding out 2.6 million jobs added in 2018.
Unemployment, at 3.9-percent, a slight uptick over the last update, but the result of more Americans getting into the labor force.
The report, beating expectations, and tamping down recession fears amid recent market volatility.
“There is no recession around the corner. Growth is slowing, and that’ll become more obvious as we make our way through 2019, but I don’t think a recession is likely, and that’s the message in this report,” said Mark Zandi, Chief Economist, Moody’s Analytics.
The ongoing trade dispute with China has dragged on U.S. and global markets and investors have been wary of the fed’s plan for more interest rate hikes.
On Friday Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell, noting the strengths in the U.S. economy like the jobs market said, the fed will remain flexible.
“Markets are expressing concerns, again about global growth in particular, and trade negotiations that are related to that. And I’ll just say, we’re listening carefully to that,” said Powell.
380,000 furloughed government workers were not factored into the report, the numbers were collected before the partial government shutdown began.
A shutdown that continues could show up in the numbers released next month.
On the newscast: Pope Francis sends a message to the USCCB; Crackdown on charity – one local Catholic was shutdown while raising money for kids with cancer; President Trump has dragged the Vatican into his fight over the border wall; The new Congress convenes.
By Tim Harfmann
Greg Maugeri received a $4,000 fine for operating a food stand outside his home last month. “It was scary. The way they came up was almost like a SWAT team,” Maugeri said. “Six police officers and three health inspectors came onto my property and basically shut me down.”
It was part of his Christmas display. The Dyker Heights neighborhood is renowned for its decorations, drawing thousands of visitors each year.
It was the fourth year Maugeri opened the stand in his driveway. He said he never had a problem before and previously donated proceeds to Toys For Tots, but after he lost his stepfather to cancer last year, the Brooklyn businessman pledged $2,500 to the charity – Cookies For Kids’ Cancer. “Owning a bakery, it was easy to chime into the bakery, cookies idea. It was a great idea when it was hatched, and it got not to such a good idea when it opened,” said Maugeri.
He applied for a certificate from the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance, but the city’s Department of Health claimed that wasn’t enough and released a statement, reading in part, “Mr.Maugeri had a New York State certificate of taxing authority, which allows a holder to collect sales tax, but not to prepare, store, hold and serve food to the public.”
A parishioner of Saint Ephrem Church, Maugeri said he understood the real reason for the season, but raising money during Christmas was all for the cause. “Just like the Girl Scout cookies and the chocolate bars in Catholic school, we’re doing this for the good of children.”
Maugeri set up a GoFundMe page and still plans on donating to the charity. “We’re not going to leave anybody hanging or on the hook for anything. We’re going to come up with some of the money, or most of the money,” the homeowner said.
Maugeri will appear in court on January 25th to fight the fine. After his day in court, he plans on donating the money to Cookies For Kids’ Cancer.
By Christopher White, The Tablet’s National Correspondent
In a landmark 8-page letter to U.S. bishops who are on retreat in response to the clergy sexual abuse crisis that has engulfed the American Church, Pope Francis called for a “new ecclesial season” led by bishops who are more than administrators interested in “pointing fingers,” and instead, leadership marked by “collegial spiritual fatherhood,” rooted in humility and unity.
Prior to offering a prescription for the current predicament, Pope Francis began by diagnosing the problem of the Church’s loss of credibility, not only for the “sins and crimes” of abuse, but “even more by the efforts to deny or conceal them.”
“This has led to a growing sense of uncertainty, distrust and vulnerability among the faithful,” he lamented.
The pope’s letter was presented on Wednesday at the start of an unprecedented weeklong retreat at Mundelein Seminary near Chicago.
“These have been times of turbulence in the lives of all those victims who suffered in their flesh the abuse of power and conscience and sexual abuse on the part of ordained ministers, male and female religious, and lay faithful. But times of turbulence and suffering also for families and for the entire People of God,” he decried.
“We know that, given the seriousness of the situation, no response or approach seems adequate,” he wrote.
The retreat, which was announced in October 23, comes at the invitation of Pope Francis following a September meeting between the pontiff and a delegation from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) over an American request for a Vatican-led investigation into former Cardinal Archbishop Theodore McCarrick, whose downfall ignited a crisis in the American Catholic Church’s response to sexual abuse.
Although the pope did not grant the request for an investigation – with the Vatican later noting that a release of McCarrick-related evidence would be forthcoming – the pontiff instead proposed the retreat as a way of addressing the crisis.
In his letter, the pope noted that he could not be physically present for the retreat, he expressed his hope that his words could “accompany” the bishops during their time together.
In acknowledging the “culture of abuse,” that is currently roiling the U.S. Church, Pope Francis said “the hurt caused by these sins and crimes has also deeply affected the communion of bishops, and generated not the sort of healthy and necessary disagreements and tensions found within any living body, but rather division and dispersion.”
In outlining a way forward, Pope Francis said the solution to the bishops’ loss of credibility “cannot be regained by issuing stern decrees or by simply creating new committees or improving flow charts, as if we were in charge of a department of human resources.”
Such a move would reduce the role of bishops and the Church to “administrative or organizational function in the ‘evangelization business,’” he warned.
Rather than issues of mere management, Pope Francis challenged the U.S. bishops that they must seek a new mindset that reorients the manner in which they approach prayer, power, money, and relating to the world in general.
In short, he re-upped his call for a “pastoral conversion” to change a culture which he posited allowed for a culture of abuse to fester.
Pope Francis went on to challenge that the “new ecclesial season” which he was calling for is not one merely driven by ideas, but spiritual discernment among the people of God, further cautioning “our catholicity is at stake.”
“We know that times of trial and tribulation can threaten our fraternal communion,” he wrote, “Yet we also know that they can be times of grace sustaining our commitment to Christ and making it credible.”
Pope Francis went on to heed that pastors must be willing to listen and learn from mistakes and not to act defensively as a necessary step for reconciliation, both among one another and with their larger flock.
He concluded his letter with a challenge to bishops must work to restore holiness and regain trust – a trust evidenced by “humble and generous service to all, but especially to those dearest to the Lord’s heart.”
At the start of the retreat, president of the USCCB, Cardinal Daniel DiNardo sent a message to Francis where he said “We carry with us these days the pain and hope of all who may feel let down by the Church. Yet, we find ourselves grateful for the reminder that the future does not rest with any of us alone, but rather belongs to God. Hope is to be found in Christ. In Him, hope becomes unshakable.”
“Holy Father, we also draw near to you in our prayer and ministry,” he continued. “Your witness to those suffering around the world strengthens us. May our days together reflect the communion of the Universal Church.”
The letter was provided to the bishops on Wednesday in both English and Spanish for reflection during the retreat’s Holy Hours. Each evening of the retreat includes an optional hour of Eucharistic Adoration.
Last April, Pope Francis penned a similar letter to the bishops of Chile during their visit to Rome following his January trip to the country in which the pope was widely criticized for his handling of the Chilean sex abuse crisis.
In that letter he admitted to “serious mistakes” and asked for forgiveness to his response to the crisis in which a number of prelates had been accused of covering up for known abusers.
During their time together, the U.S. bishops will hear twice daily reflections from the preacher to the papal household, Capuchin friar Father Raniero Cantalamessa.
The retreat, which is largely being held in silence, will conclude on January 8.
By Emily Drooby
Once again, the sound of guitar music fills the air at Shrine Church of Saint Gerard Majella in Queens, and it’s all because of a generous donor.
In October a theft took $4,000 worth of guitars. First the suspect disrespected the sanctuary, then he attempting to get into the poor box, eventually entering the sacristy where he grabbed two guitars before heading out the door.
A generous benefactor heard what happened and donated two guitars.
Father JosephJude Gannon, the pastor at Saint Gerard Majella said; “It’s a very joyful thing especially around this time of the year to know there are really good people out there that only want to help the church and only want to bring the gift of music to parishioners.”
The church’s music director, Anne Smith-Thompson, says after hearing their story, a New Jersey donor, who wanted to remain anonymous, remembered a promise she made to her since deceased grandmother.
Smith-Thompson, said, “These guitars belonged to this woman’s grandmother who had been a church musician and her grandmother had made her promise that she would donate them to a church.”
The donation has struck a heartwarming cord with those involved, but they are still searching for the stolen instruments.
Smith-Thompson, said, “It’s not just the guitar, you know it was something very special to us.”
Smith-Thompson explains one of the stolen guitars was given to her by her father, who has since passed. The family heirloom has also become synonymous with the church’s music. But Smith-Thompson says this generous donation will allow for the show to go on.
Smith-Thompson, said, “It touched me so deeply that someone would give a family heirloom like that to replace our own family heirloom.”
NYPD are asking for the public’s help in identifying the suspect, call CRIMESTOPPERS at 1-800-577-tips or you can text your tips to CRIMES and then enter tips577.
Currents News Staff
The 116th Congress is in session and its members are already breaking barriers.
This freshman class is the most racially diverse in the history of Congress and there are more women serving than ever before.
Nancy Pelosi now holds the third-highest position in government.
“Let me be clear, House Democrats are down with NDP Nancy D’Alesandro Pelosi,” said Rep Hakeem Jeffries from New York.
Elected as the 63rd Speaker Of The House she’s the first person in more than six decades to return to the speakership since Sam Rayburn in 1955.
“I’m particularly proud to be a woman speaker of the house of this congress which marks the 100th year of women having the right to vote,” said Pelosi.
The powerful position doesn’t come without its challenges. Washington is now faced with divided government with republicans ruling the Senate and democrats taking control of the house.
“We are now entering a period of divided government, but that is no excuse for gridlock or inaction,” said Minority Leader Rep. Kevin McCarthy.
Pelosi plans to go toe-to-toe with President Trump in the middle of a partial government shutdown spanning almost two weeks.
The battle is over funding for a wall at the southern border. Democrats are expected to vote tonight on proposals to reopen the government.
But the President doesn’t support those measures because they don’t include $5 billion for a border wall.
Senate republicans say they won’t vote on anything until it gets the President’s seal of approval.
Currents News Staff
During President Trump’s first cabinet meeting of 2019 on Wednesday, he further demanded funds to build the wall separating the United States and Mexico.
And, he also mentioned this wall behind me, which separates the Holy See from Italy saying: “You got to do something about the Vatican, because the Vatican has the biggest wall of them all.”
It is true, the 110-acre sovereign state is surrounded by a 39-foot-tall wall, originally built by Pope Leo IV in the ninth century to keep out Saracen Muslim raiders. Then, it remained as other outsiders threatened to take some of the precious art and treasures contained within the walls over the centuries.
Yet, there are some areas allowing outsiders to enter into the smallest country on Earth. Both St. Peter’s Basilica and the Vatican Museums are available for pilgrims to enter, only blocked by metal detectors.
Parts of St Peter’s Square, those belonging to the Vatican, are complete freely accessible for anyone to enter. They are only blocked off by a short, metal railing, deciphering Vatican property from Italian property. Yet, in order to enter the established Vatican walls, blocked off and guarded by the Swiss Guards, visitors must show a form of identification. They also must explain the purpose of their visit, many times needing an official letter from the Vatican allowing access. At the same time, it’s also no secret that Pope Francis has criticized this desire of President Donald Trump, even before he was elected.
“However, a person who only thinks about building walls, wherever they may be, and does not focus on building bridges is not a Christian. This is not the Gospel,” said Francis back in 2016.
Yet, Trump is repeatedly demanding the $5 billion he says he needs to build this wall, separating the two countries on the American continent, continuing the government shutdown the United States is currently facing.
However, as for the Vatican walls, with their rich historical significance and being an ancient symbol of papal power, it does not seem as though they will be torn down any time soon.
Fr. Robert Lauder has a deep connection to the arts including film, stage and literature. THE CATHOLIC NOVEL is a lecture series that will focus on some of his favorite novels where Catholicism is treated favorably. This 32nd episode will feature J.F. Power’s, THE PRESENCE OF GRACE!