Five Things to Remember on Jan. 23

1.  Two inspiring stories of priesthood from relatively new ordinands: Father Eric Cadin and Father Ryan O’Neill.

2.  Great insights from on Pro-life matters from bloggers this week. See Lisa Hendey’s terrific blog on the USCCB site yesterday.

3.  Father Federico Lombardi, SJ, director of the Press Office of the Holy See, spoke about gun control January 19 in his weekly editorial on Vatican Radio. “The initiatives announced by the United States government in view of limiting and controlling the diffusion and use of arms are certainly a step in the right direction,” He said. “Forty-seven religious leaders of various confessions and religions have issued a call to American politicians to limit firearms, which “are making society pay an unacceptable price in terms of massacres and senseless deaths”. I’m with them.” He also noted the Vatican’s repeated “calls for disarmament, to oppose the production, trade, and smuggling of arms of all types, fuelled by dishonourable interests for power or financial gain. If results are achieved, such as international conventions, the ban of landmines and other deadly arms, the reduction of the immense and disproportionate number of nuclear warheads…all the better!”

4.  Father John Crossin, head of U.S. bishops’ Secretariat for Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs, notes seven steps toward Christian unity in a blog post as we mark the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, January 18-25.

5.  God loves you.