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Pope Francis has recommended a daily examination of conscience as an “indispensable” practice in spiritual life. An examination of conscience is a prayerful reflection on one’s thoughts, words, and deeds that helps to identify moments of sin and ask for God’s mercy. This daily examination can be “an invitation to learn from our experiences” and “not to continue to repeat the same mistakes,” the pope said. Speaking at his general audience on November 30, Pope Francis said that the devil’s temptation “starts from what is most dear to us and then, little by little, reels us in.” The pope noted that prayer during the day should not be viewed as a way to avoid a job or task that needs to be done, as in “every time I have to wash the dishes or clean the house, I have a strong urge to pray!” “Prayer is not an escape from one’s responsibilities,” he said. “On the contrary, it is an aid in realizing the good we are required to do, here and now.”
https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/252944/pope-francis-spiritual-life-tip-a-daily-examination-of-conscience-helps-to-avoid-repeating-mistakes
The US Catholic bishops strongly condemned in a November 28 statement what they called a “reemergence of antisemitism in new forms.” “Outraged by the deeply hurtful proliferations of antisemitic rhetoric, both online and in person, and the violent attacks on Jewish individuals, homes, and institutions, we wish to convey our sincere support to the Jewish people,” the bishops wrote. The statement was issued on the 60th anniversary of Pope Paul VI’s encyclical Nostrae Aetate, which made clear the Church’s condemnation of hatred and violence against Judaism, beginning a new era of understanding and cooperation between the two faiths. The bishops went on to remind the faithful of Christianity’s shared heritage with Judaism.
https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/252939/us-bishops-express-outrage-at-increase-in-antisemitic-attacks
The US Senate voted Tuesday evening to pass the Respect for Marriage Act, sending the bill back to the House for a final vote before it reaches the president’s desk. The bill, which would repeal the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act and provide for federal recognition of same-sex marriages, has drawn criticism from Catholic leaders for not providing strong enough legal protections for individuals who believe marriage to be between one man and one woman, as taught by the Catholic Church. The present bill would not require any state to allow same-sex couples to marry, but would require states to recognize any and all marriages — regardless of “sex, race, ethnicity, or national origin” — contracted in other states. The Catholic bishops of the United States had urged Senators to oppose the Respect for Marriage Act, expressing concerns about the bill’s effect on the religious freedom of those who hold to a traditional definition of marriage. Should the House pass this amended version, the bill will proceed to President Joe Biden’s desk for his signature, which he has pledged to give.
https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/252938/senate-passes-same-sex-marriage-bill-sending-it-back-to-the-house
Today, the Church celebrates the feast of Saint Andrew, apostle and martyr. A fisherman from Bethsaida and brother of Simon Peter, Saint Andrew is said to have spread Christianity in Russia and Asia minor after Pentecost in the first century. He was crucified by the Romans in Greece on an X-shaped cross, which is now his distinctive symbol as well as the symbol of Scotland, of which he is the patron.
https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-andrew-apostle-403