“Many innocent and totally loyal men become involved in these activities; but the trouble is that they come upon the scene after the first provocations have been made, and they are generally unaware of them. An allowance must be made for the fact that the provocation can come from either side. Neither side is all right or all wrong.
But the fact remains that most of the men who become involved in these activities do so after there has already been some clandestine exchange. They are trying to correct what they believe has been a serious abuse. They do not know where the real action began; to put it simply, they don’t know whether they came in on the first or the second retaliation strike. Very few would ever be party to striking first in any event. So the first strike takes place in deep secrecy.
It is always of paramount importance to know that the information we have is not planted, false or a product of deception.”
L. Fletcher Prouty, Chief of Special Operations, the Joint Chiefs of Staff under John F. Kennedy
"For the hearts of these people are hardened, and their ears cannot hear, and they have closed their eyes, so their eyes cannot see, and their ears cannot hear,
and their hearts cannot understand, and they cannot turn to me and let me heal them."
Matthew 13:15
"They do not see the image of Almighty God before them, and ask themselves what He wishes: if once they did this they would begin to see how much He requires, and they would earnestly come to Him, both to be pardoned for what they do wrong, and for the power to do better. And, for the same reason that they do not please Him, they succeed in pleasing themselves.
Surely, there is at this day a confederacy of evil, marshalling its hosts from all parts of the world, organizing itself, taking its measures, enclosing the Church of Christ as in a net, and preparing the way for a general Apostasy from it. Whether this very Apostasy is to give birth to Antichrist, or whether he is still to be delayed, as he has already been delayed so long, we cannot know; but at any rate this Apostasy, and all its tokens and instruments, are of the Evil One, and savour of death."
John Henry Newman
"The real conflict is the inner conflict. Beyond armies of occupation and the catacombs of extermination camps, there are two irreconcilable enemies in the depth of every soul: good and evil, sin and love. And what use are the victories on the battlefield if we are ourselves are defeated in our innermost personal selves?”
Maximilian Kolbe
"Those who have faith had better keep in the state of grace, and those who have neither had better find out what they mean, for in the coming age there will be only one way to stop your trembling knees, and that will be to get down on them and pray. The most important problem in the world today is your soul, for that is what the struggle is about."
Fulton J. Sheen
Stocks slumped, but the SP 500 managed to creep its way to unchanged by the close.
The tech heavy NDX continues its slide lower from its locus of the bubble heights.
Gold and silver traded weakly today as the Dollar edged a little higher.
Next week is Valentine's Day.
And as a special valentine the CPI will come out that morning.
An significant result may move markets one way or another.
And then we will enjoy the index options expiration on Friday.
Not nearly as big a deal as a quad witch, but the pigmen may take any excuse to party.
Many Americans are distracted and almost oblivious to what is going on, particularly the rest of the world.
In his mercy God does not call but a few to be martyrs, as a light to the nations.
But he does call every one of us to be repentant, to seek and accept his forgiveness, and then to be thankful, and go and sin no more.
This is what it is to be a child of God.
"Mere waiting and looking on is not Christian behavior. Christians are called to compassion and to action. "
Dietrich Bonhoeffer
And this does not mean to draw a figurative sword in your 'righteous anger.'
You have none.
None of your anger is righteous, but a trap and a snare, a diversion intended to distract you from your true calling, which is mercy and compassion.
Shun those who in the darkness of their misery would lead you astray, to be lost and devoured.
You know in your hearts this is the temptation. Remember also then the costs.
Have a pleasant weekend.
