Here is this week's installment of "Five Faith Friday" which contains five, faith-based things I found interesting and am sharing on Friday.
What Fun History I Learned --
How Presidents have used the Bible on their inauguration day. And more specifically, I learned that before recent history, the majority of Presidents actually used an open Bible to swear in and often times selected a particular Bible chapter/verse to open to which had some sort of symbolism to them. What verses did the Presidents choose? Check out this list here - it's fascinating!
Which Artist I'm Loving --
Kristyn Brown of The Saints Project. This woman is impressive!!!! Back on August 14th, the feast of St. Maximilian Kolbe, I stumbled upon this image:
I fell in love! There is so much symbolism and beauty here and after some research, I've found that her project is to provide a modern portrayal of our Saints. You can check out a video about her here or check out her Instagram account.
What New Encyclical Came Out --
"FRATELLI TUTTI" by Pope Francis. For those who don't want to read a 43K word (think: approximately 150 pages of a book) document, here is a summary of it. Before you listen to one of the "Ctrl+F critics" like Taylor Marshall, do your own analysis. At least educate yourself with multiple commentaries such as from the Allentown Diocese.
Which New Website I Found --
HeroicMen.com. A buddy sent it to me and it's perfect! It's a free repository of Catholic movies, shows, and other content with men in mind. Here is a link to easily view all of their free content. While men are who the site is geared toward, the majority of the content is applicable to both males and women alike. I was recommended "The Search" video series hosted by Chris Stefanick and sure enough, it's on the website for free.
What I Found Interesting --
How word choices become offensive based on who uses them. Merriam-Webster quickly updated the dictionary to change "sexual preference" into an offensive term after Judge Barrett used it during her confirmation hearings. The word preference means "a greater liking for one alternative over another or others." Hmmmm seems like an accurate word choice. Either way, if it's always and automatically wrong to use the term "sexual preference" should Joe Biden, Justice Ginsburg, and others have to apologize for using the word choice too? Was Biden implying that he thinks being gay is a choice, or was he just using a term that is obviously, in many contexts, a synonym for sexual orientation, just as Barrett was? What does the Catholic Church teach about same sex attraction? Check out these excerpts from the Catechism.
Have a wonderful weekend and may God bless you and your family!