I hope everyone had a blessed Christmas spending time with loved ones. NCR headquarters was closed Dec. 24-26, so here is some weekend news you may have missed:
Havana, Cuba -- Cuba relations with Catholic church are at a high point
Kansas City, Mo. -- Woman plans to defy Catholic church and become a priest
Pope Francis' edict on climate change will anger deniers and US churches
Mexico City -- Kidnapped priest found murdered
Vatican City -- Gunman that shot Pope John Paul II lays flowers at tomb
Archbishop Kurtz: Pope Francis 'sees the person first'
Poll: Prince William, Kate and the Queen provide more moral leadership than the Archbishop of Canterbury
Looking for a little inspiration to begin your day? NCR's sister publication, Celebration, gives you two options, both based on the Scripture readings of the day:
Pencil Preaching is blog in which Celebration editor Pat Marrin combines Scripture and sketching to reflect on the Word.
Daily Bread is a series of short reflections written by four authors who meet regularly to share the readings. Daily Bread is intended to help daily preachers and others who pray from the assigned Scriptures each day to orient themselves to the Living Word addressed to the church in the world. It's a great way to begin the day.