What's the point of fasting, anyway?

God commanded it, Jesus practiced it, Church Fathers have preached the importance of it – fasting is a powerful and fundamental part of the Christian life.

But for many Catholics today, it's more of an afterthought: something we grudgingly do on Good Friday, perhaps on Ash Wednesday if we remember it. Would we fast more, especially during Lent, if we understood how helpful it is for our lives?

The answer to this, say both saints of the past and experts today, is a resounding “yes.”

“Let us take for our standard and for our example those that have run the race, and have won,” said Deacon Sabatino Carnazzo, founding executive director of the Institute of Catholic Culture and a deacon at Holy Transfiguration Melkite Greek Catholic Church in Mclean, Va., of the saints.

“And...those that have run the race and won have been men and women of prayer and fasting.”

So what, in essence, is fasting?

Pope Francis makes historic retreat by accepting Nigerian Bishop's resignation

Pope Francis made a historic climb-down on Monday as he accepted the resignation of a Nigerian bishop who had long been rejected by his diocesan priests but had been vocally backed by the pontiff.

Francis had warned priests in Nigeria's southern Ahiara diocese that they could lose their jobs if they did not accept Monsignor Peter Ebere Okpaleke as their bishop, according to Associated Press. The priests were given 30 days to confirm their obedience to the appointment, and the pope told rebellious priests to write a letter of apology to Okpaleke. Though 200 priests backed Okpaleke, several others did not, the Vatican said yesterday.

Okpaleke was appointed as bishop of Ahiara, in the Mbaise region, by Pope Benedict XVI in 2012, but had been opposed by local priests who rejected the leadership of a bishop who hailed from Anambra region, outside of Mbaise. The opposition was such that Okpaleke had to be installed as bishop outside the diocese.

James Goll: 15 Essential Keys for Dream Interpretation

Walking in dream language and tapping into the mind and heart of God can be an exciting and exhilarating journey. But understanding and interpreting the revelation He gives in dreams can often be a complex and even confusing process.

These 15 keys will help you to simplify the process of dream interpretation:

Palestine asks Vatican to defend Jerusalem’s status quo

Ryadh al Maliki

The Palestinian Foreign Affairs minister, Ryadh al Maliki, met officials of the Vatican Secretariat of State Feb. 16, asking the Holy See to amplify its voice defending the status quo in Jerusalem.

“It is important to understand that the situation of Jerusalem also deals with Christians,” the minister told CNA after the meeting, during a short briefing with journalists in the State of Palestine’s recently opened embassy to the Holy See.

“We would like the Holy See lead a conference of Christians in the Middle East, in order to make their voice stronger.”

Chronic shortage in Religious Education teachers could fuel prejudice

Religious Education is facing a chronic shortage in teachers prompting warnings of an increase in prejudice and stereotyping because pupils will grow up with knowing about other faiths.

The Department for Education is failing to recruit enough religious studies teachers, the Religious Education Council (REC) said, after government statistics revealed it was one of the worst subject for attracting new teachers.

Lust and Being in This World but Not of It

The concept of being in the world but not of it has been interpreted in different ways. There are those who believe that you need to physically move away from society and put yourself in a monastery or some other isolated place in order not to be of this world. I don't believe that this is biblical even though some people may temporarily go to an isolated place for prayer.

The biblical alternative is found in 2 Peter 1:4, which speaks of "having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust." Lust is what makes us participants in the corrupting influences of the world. Lust is a form of desire, which makes us believe that our happiness or contentment depends upon acquiring a certain thing. It could be a person or any material object. The world presents us with many false promises of happiness. Our primary source of peace and contentment should be from God.

Florida school shooting: America must 'call on the Lord' after 17 killed in deadly attack

At least 17 people are dead in yet another horrific school shooting in the US after a teenage gunman opened fire on Marjory Stoneman Douglas high school in Parkland, Florida, with an AR-15 assault rifle.

The suspect has been named as 19-year-old Nikolas Cruz, a former pupil who was expelled from the school. It is the 18th school shooting incident in 2018 alone and the deadliest since 26 people were killed at Sandy Hook school in 2012.

Emergency services attend to one of the victims outside the school. Another 12 were shot inside the school building.

Three were shot dead outside the school when the attack began at 14.30 local time (19.30GMT) before the attacker went inside the building and killed another 12, Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel told reporters. Another two later died in hospital. Some victims are still being identified and three people remain in a critical condition while three others are in stable condition.

South African bishops welcome president's resignation

Catholic leaders in South Africa applauded news of President Jacob Zuma’s resignation, stressing the need to root out corruption at all levels of government.

A Feb. 14 statement from the South African Catholic Bishops’ Conference welcomed news of the resignation, calling it “long overdue.”

“While for some it may be a painful event, we call on all to accept his decision as part of our democratic process,” said the statement, signed by Archbishop Stephen Brislin, president of the bishops’ conference.

9 Churches Burned to the Ground In New Wave of Attacks

In Nigeria, a new wave of attacks has seen dozens killed in Christian communities across the country.

The violence has hit the northeastern state of Adamawa, one of the most affected by Boko Haram, and also the Middle Belt states of Nasarawa and Benue, where Fulani herdsmen have caused havoc in recent years.

In Adamawa state, a Christian student was killed, and others injured, in an attack by Muslim students at the Modibbo Adama University of Technology (MAUTECH) of Yola, the state capital, on Feb. 4.

A local source, who wanted to remain anonymous, told World Watch Monitor that the incident started around 7 p.m., as some students were in their classes, studying for their exams scheduled the following day.

Why Churches and Religious Organizations Should Celebrate This New Law

Previously we have told you how churches and places of worship were being discriminated against and were prohibited from even applying to receive grants from the Federal Emergency Management Association (FEMA) in the wake of natural disasters.

Thankfully, FEMA announced in January of 2018 that they would put an end to these discriminating policies and that churches and places of worship would no longer be prohibiting from receiving these grants.

Are Selfies Evidence of the 'Last Days'? John Piper Answers

Theologian and Desiring God founder John Piper is weighing in on selfies, urging Christians and social media users to recognize that in a self-obsessed culture their self is actually meant to point to God.

In response to a question he was asked Monday about whether the large presence of selfies and self-centered social media is an indication that the last days are near — where 2 Timothy 3:1-2 speaks of "difficult times" and people being "lovers of self" — the theologian said yes and no.

Muslim teens sentenced to studying Qur'an references to Virgin Mary after mocking Christianity

In a refreshing twist on blasphemy sentences from the Middle East, three Lebanese teenagers who were charged with insulting Christianity have been given the unusual sentence of studying the references to the Virgin Mary found in the Qur'an.

It is relatively little-known that Muslims believe in the Virgin birth of Jesus Christ. And in a move that is being hailed as a progressive step towards interfaith relations, a Christian judge, Joceline Matta, found the Muslim boys guilty of 'contempt of religion' for insulting Mary.

Why Your Jealousy Might Be a Sign You Have a Poverty Mindset

What's the thing in your life that you desperately want God to change? Is it a cycle of insecurity, your personal health and fitness, the courage to get over your fear of speaking in front of people? Perhaps it's that you're longing for reconciliation in a particular relationship? I know that when you're in a season of waiting and holding onto God's promises, that one of the most painful things is seeing someone else walking in the very breakthrough you'd give anything to have. It feels like salt in a wound, and if you're not careful, you can allow this to magnify your perceived lack.

Today I want to tell you that this thinking is not helping you in any way, and in fact, it could be keeping you from your breakthrough. What if I told you that the thing you're jealous of might very well be the answer you're looking for?

Pope, Bangladesh Prime Minister discuss Rohingya crisis at Vatican

Just two months after his recent visit to Bangladesh, Pope Francis Monday welcomed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to the Vatican, where they discussed positive inter-faith relations in the country and the need to find a lasting solution to the ongoing Rohingya refugee crisis.

According to a Feb. 12 Vatican communique, the conversation was cordial and highlighted the positive bilateral relations between the two and the success of Francis' recent, Nov. 30-Dec. 2 visit to Bangladesh.

Winter Olympics already setting records with 110k condoms available to athletes

Both men and women Olympic athletes at the Winter Games in South Korea will be given an average of 37 condoms each.

Olympic officials are distributing 110,000 prophylactics in grab-as-many-as-you-want baskets at athlete bathrooms, apartments, medical clinics, media rooms, and wherever the competitors gather, according to the South China Morning Post.

CNN asked if Olympic organizers are “expecting the most promiscuous Winter Games in modern history?”

Spirit-Filled TV Station Reaches Even More Viewers

GEB continues to expand its availability to viewers across the country. The Faith-and-Family Network is now on Amazon Fire TV. Viewers just need to search for GEB to watch live 24/7.

"We want viewers to find great faith and family programming on every platform possible," said GEB's Chief Executive Officer Ossie Mills. "Amazon Fire TV joins a long list of options for viewers to find GEB's inspirational programming."

Cardinal Marx: Bill banning circumcision in Iceland a threat to religious freedom

A new bill proposed in Iceland that would make circumcision punishable by up to six years in prison is a “dangerous attack” on religious freedom, Cardinal Reinhard Marx has said.

“Protecting the health of children is a legitimate goal of every society, but in this case this concern is instrumentalized, without any scientific basis, to stigmatise certain religious communities. This is extremely worrying,” Marx said in a statement.

Mike Pence Will Be Replaced By This Famous Face at National Prayer Breakfast

It has been quite the hectic week for star quarterback Carson Wentz, and it looks like it just got even more exciting.
After the Eagles took home the Lombardi trophy at the weekend, Wentz announced his engagement to long-term girlfriend Madison Oberg. Here's the third piece of the trifecta: Wentz is reportedly replacing Vice President Mike Pence as the keynote speaker for the National Prayer Breakfast, taking place Thursday in Washington D.C.

Baptist Theologian Likens Football to 'Gladiators Killing Each Other'

While much of America was watching Super Bowl LII and hailing the Philadelphia Eagles' championship win, a Baptist theologian argued that the sport causes brain damage and likened its celebration to people cheering on gladiators fighting to the death.

Roger E. Olson, professor of Christian Theology of Ethics at George W. Truett Theological Seminary of Baylor University, wrote in a blog post Saturday, the day before the Super Bowl, that the facts are "irrefutable" when it comes to "long-term and irreversible brain damage in many players."

"Anyone who doesn't know this simply hasn't been paying attention. And in some cases, that brain damage has probably led to violent behavior, including suicides and murders, that probably would not have happened otherwise," he argued.

RISE up and be a man – 30 day challenge builds masculine and Catholic habits

A new 30-day challenge maps out daily actions for men hoping to live authentic masculine Catholicism by reclaiming the identities of sons, brothers, fathers, and spouses, its creators say.

“This program is rooted in four primary identities that sum up masculinity … that all men share in the call to fatherhood, all men are sons, all men are brothers, and all men are spouses,” said Chris Stefanick, host of EWTN’s “Real Life Catholic” and co-creator of RISE.

Mass Graves of Rohingya Refugees Discovered in Myanmar Reveal Shocking Horror of Faces Burned by Acid

Mass graves where Rohingya Muslims refugees have been buried in Myanmar reveal the shocking extent of the genocide that has been taking place, an investigative report has found.

"The faces of the men half-buried in the mass graves had been burned away by acid or blasted by bullets," began an Associated Press report documenting the graves on Thursday.

The 21 Day Challenge: How 3 weeks could revolutionise your spiritual life

Christian commitment to a year of spiritual resolve can be a daunting prospect, but three weeks may be all it takes to revolutionise your life. YouVersion, the team behind the popular Bible App, is once again inviting users to undertake the 21 Day Challenge, starting February 1.

The task is to commit to a Bible-reading plan (or several), of which there are many hosted by the app, for 21 consecutive days. Succeeding at this relatively modest commitment is believed to be the path to establishing a long-term habit.

YouVersion wrote: 'Just three weeks of consistent behaviour can carry you well on your way to a new habit. That's why we created the annual 21-Day Challenge: to help you engage with the Bible every day. Start a new plan now... and start each day in this new year with a fresh perspective.'

The approach draws on the popular notion, drawn from the thought of Dr Maxwell Maltz, that 21 days of resolve are what it takes to form a habit. It may also be a complete myth that the idea belongs to Maltz or that it reliably works, but it remains influential. Like the progressive stretching of a muscle, daily, dedicated exercise of the human will can train and expand its potential.

One Dead After Train Carrying GOP Members Crashes Into Dump Truck

An Amtrak passenger train carrying Republican members of the U.S. Congress from Washington to a retreat in West Virginia slammed into a garbage truck on Wednesday in Crozet, Virginia, killing one person aboard the truck, authorities said.

There was one confirmed fatality and one serious injury in the collision, the White House said. Republican Senator Bill Cassidy, who was aboard the train, said on Twitter that three people were in the truck and one was killed. Of the other two, Cassidy said, one sustained major injuries and one had minor injuries.

The Rise of Generation Z

It was 1971 when I was a young teen like my grandson. Back then, we wrote our assignments in cursive, went home to houses that cost about $25,000 to build. Our parents paid 35 cents for a gallon of gas, while they earned about $10 thousand per year. No kid imagined having an iPhone.

There's another change since then. More Americans have no religious identity—many have no need for God.

This is especially true in my grandson's generation—the so-called Generation Z. The Barna Group recently published their findings about those born between 1999-2015. While you couldn't pick a better time to live in a technologically advanced society, it looks grim for the American faith community. Only 4 in 100 teens in this group have a Biblical worldview. Generation Z is the least Christian generation in American history.

Does this matter?

‘Google Home’ refuses to answer ‘Who is Jesus,’ but has lots to say about Muhammed, Buddha, Satan

While 'smart' technology gives the impression that it knows just about everything, it appears that Google Home cannot answer the question, "who is Jesus?"

Author and television producer David Sams conducted an experiment and streamed it live on Facebook. He noted answers from the most popular “smart” machines when asked, “Who is Jesus Christ?”

When he asked Google Home “Who is Jesus Christ?” the reply he received was, “I’m not sure how to help you with that.”