John 12:24
“And I say unto you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it produces much fruit.”
After much reflection, I have decided to resign from my position as Director of the National Counterterrorism Center, effective today.
I cannot in good conscience support the ongoing war in Iran. Iran posed no imminent threat to our nation, and it is clear that we started this war due to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby.
It has been an honor serving under @POTUS and @DNIGabbard and leading the professionals at NCTC.
May God bless America.
On behalf of the Christians of the #MiddleEast, and of all women and men of good will, I appeal to those responsible for this conflict: cease fire! May paths of dialogue be reopened! Violence can never lead to the justice, stability and peace for which the peoples are waiting.
According to a spiritual interpretation inspired by the patristic tradition, the four days Lazarus spent in the tomb symbolize the progress of sin:
- Day 1: The initial sweetness of sin.
- Day 2: The consent of the conscience.
- Day 3: The actual commission of sin.
- Day 4: Habituation to sin, when man becomes a "spiritual corpse," enslaved to the devil, with a darkened mind and a mute conscience.
Lazarus represents the soul dead spiritually, buried in sinful habits (the grave clothes as "passions").
Christ's call – "Lazarus, come out!" – summons to authentic repentance, liberation through confession, and new life.
Martha and Mary symbolize the mind (with earthly cares) and the conscience (with heavenly love), which mourn the sin and intercede through the Church and the priest.
This interpretation emphasizes that the resurrection is repeated with every sincere confession, avoiding eternal death.
Say what you want about feudalism, but lords didn’t deprive peasants of their livelihoods just before the holidays to make some graph go up. I guess Amazon couldn’t have survived another few months to let these people down after they shared a happy Christmas with their families.