Get $5 Walmart Cash when you purchase Pampers Easy Ups

Le Musée Marmottan, qui fête ses 90 ans cette année, propose une nouvelle exposition sur un thème vaste et fascinant – la représentation du réel dans l’art. Si le terme trompe-l’œil a été utilisé pour la première fois autour de 1800, le courant artistique date de bien avant, et le musée en présente plus de […]

The Marmottan Museum, which celebrates its 90th birthday this year, has a new exhibition on the vast and fascinating topic of trompe-l’œil – the representation of the real in art. And while the term trompe-l’œil was coined sometime around 1800, the art it describes existed many centuries previously, as the museum shows with over 80 […]

From setting goals to following race day etiquette, this guide prepares newcomers for their first competitive swim meet, ensuring a splash-making debut.

Photos and video compilation of bodybuilders in different categories competing and posing in this bodybuilding competition.

(Birmingham, AL) The most recent fallout from the mortgage crisis that began last summer is now rearing it's ugly head in the form of Fannie Mae approved loans that cannot get insured by Mortgage Insurance companies.

Mortgage insurance companies, spurred on by recent recommendations in congress, are tightening their credit standards for providing insurance. Without mortgage insurance, borrowers are forced to provide a down payment equal to 20% of the purchase price of a home - something very few home buyers can afford to do. Just this past week, mortgage insurance companies raised their credit score requirement to 620, effectively cutting out 50% of home buyers from the home buying market. The move came unnanounced and without any notice to lenders or to Fannie Mae.

In fact, lenders are still approving loans that meet Fannie Mae guidelines for purchase in the secondary market, but then find, just before closing, that there is no mortgage insurance available to insure the loan. Without insurance on money loaned that is over 80% of the value of the property, the loan is declined. Buyers that have a "loan approval" from a lender should immediately ask their lender if the lender can get their loan insured. Otherwise, homebuyers could spend hundreds and even thousands in the days leading up to the closing only to find, at the last minute, that loan insurance is not available to them.

This move by the Mortgage Insurance companies will only add fuel to the fire that is the current US Housing market. By effectively eliminating more home buyers from the market, at a time when the housing market needs more buyers, not fewer, the mortgage insurance companies have put another nail in the coffin of the housing market. The resulting effect on the market will be an even bigger drop in home prices. The immediate impact of this new policy will be felt quickly in the market, not over time as has been the case with loan defaults, adjusting loan interest rates, and foreclosures.

Be forewarned: if you are a seller, drop your price now before the market itself forces an even larger price reduction. If you are a home buyer, your credit score must be above 620 or you cannot get a loan.

General Motors has apparently figured out how to build the right car for the right market - in this case, $5,000 minivans that get 43 miles to the gallon in city driving. The minivans, which GM builds in a...

Happy New Year! I hope you all had as great a holiday season as I did, but I imagine you're also eager to get back in the swing of things as well. So, here are some highlights from today's edition...

[Premium Times] Because of the detention, which lasted for almost 30 months, Mr Adeoye lost his two houses and is now diagnosed with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PSTD), his lawyer, Femi Ogunjumelo, said.

[MAP] Salé -- Morocco's football head coach, Walid Regragui said on Tuesday that competition for spots on the national soccer team is fierce.

We've seen 3D printers used for everything from tiny houses to US marine barracks and now we can add teardrop trailer to the list too, courtesy of Lemki Robotix and iScale3D.

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Category: Outdoors, Lifestyle

Tags: Trailer, teardrop trailers, 3D Printing, Camping

Sure, maybe it's blasphemy to say that any new Volkswagen California camper van is better than the icons that came before it. But Volkswagen has worked quite hard to optimize the freshly launched California eHybrid 4Motion for smart, affordable, carefree road trips. Not only does the new camper bus pack standard all-wheel drive to master the slick conditions inevitable in van life, it boasts a virtually silent, zero-emissions electric range over 80 km (50 miles) per charge. And given it adds only a 6.5% premium over the 2.0-liter turbo-diesel California, why wouldn't a buyer go for the 4Motion PHEV?

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Category: Automotive, Transport

Tags: Volkswagen, Campervan, PHEV, Plug-In, RV, dusseldorf-caravan-salon-2024, Camping, Outdoors and Camping, electric-camper

IMA condemns the stabbing of an on-duty government doctor in Chennai

"No amount of superficial damage control exercises by Governments is going to make doctors work without fear in this country. Strong deterrent legislation, exemplary punishments and proactive safety measures are required now and here. All Governments have been put on notice with this heinous crime. The medical profession of the country is deeply disturbed and is skeptical of the remedial measures on this ever-recurring violence. Only a comprehensive overhaul of the security atmosphere in the hospitals could restore the confidence of doctors. The nation owes this to its doctors," a letter from the IMA says.

On the Sunday before the 2023 Munich Mobility show, BMW handed me the keys to one of its press cars for a drive, so rather than walk around taking in the sights of the city, my plan changed to seeing the countryside from behind the windscreen of the second-generation M4 Competition Coupé! How much would I see, though, I wasn’t sure; the M4 is fast. Really fast. 

BMW M4 Competition: Powertrain and performance

This M4 gets a new 3.0-litre twin-turbo, inline-six petrol motor (code: S58) that produces 510hp: appreciably more than the previous car’s 450hp S55. Torque is also up – 650Nm from 550Nm. Fire it up and you know there’s muscle under that hood, thanks to a nice and sporty growl. It’s not an aural symphony though; you expect more. So the exhaust amplification button stayed on for my entire drive, even when easing it out of the BMW Media Centre garage. Can’t blame me, right? 

Amped-up exhaust sound aside, driving it out was a pretty laidback affair, as was driving it through the little traffic and few traffic lights before we hit the expressway. The engine really is the superstar of this car. On one hand, it’s docile and civil, and yet, engage one of the sportier drive modes, and it’s wild. What I particularly like is the way power comes in. It’s hard and fast, not punchy in the mid-range; just a massively strong push all through the rev range. On the unrestricted stretch of the German autobahn, I’m at ridiculously high triple-digit speeds in no time, and it’s only the sight of other cars sharing the same road that makes me back off. The car? It simply wants to motor on faster still. 0-100kph comes up in a claimed 3.5sec, and mash your foot down and you’ll be in no doubt of that claim. 

Throttle response is also very quick, as is the gearbox, which is also smooth in its operation, due to the switch from a 7-speed DCT to an 8-speed torque-converter. Even in Sport Plus, shifts don’t have a hard edge, and while I was fine with that, some drivers will miss that aggressive feel, which does add to the thrill. 

BMW M4 Competition: Ride and handling

The way the M4 drives is very customisable via the drive modes, and specific setups can be called up via two customisable and cool red hotkeys right behind the steering wheel. Engine, transmission, steering, dampers, brakes and ESC can all be tweaked, and there’s even a drift score analyser that will rate your drifts based on length, angle of rotation, speed and more. The car we have has the xDrive all-wheel-drive setup, but it can drift, says BMW. Given that we were on public roads, I didn’t try this, but it’s an indication of just how much focus BMW has put into making this car fun.

It’s fun around corners even if the wheels don’t break traction, and on a country road that leads us to a lovely riverside café – our planned lunch stop – the M4’s chassis balance really shines. There’s plenty of grip and no body roll going around corners quickly; you can turn in with remarkable precision, knowing exactly what the tyres and suspension are doing. BMW says the AWD is rear biased, which it is, but it does feel like it engages the front axle quite often and not just for off-the-line getaways. There’s a remarkable neutral grip through fast corners but, of course, on a racetrack you can switch to 2WD with the ESC off and get the tail out. The ride quality over a few broken edges is firm but we’ll only know how pliant the suspension is when we drive it here over our rough and tumble.  

BMW M4 Competition: Exterior design

I wouldn’t call the M4 an attractive car. Apart from the large grille, the lines too seem in discordance with each other; the front ones are sharp whereas towards the rear they go soft, and the rear itself appears quite bulky. But it has presence: rather than a handsome Captain America, the M4 is more like the Hulk. Its large and gargantuan grille, massive size – and assuming you choose brighter paintwork – all scream for attention. Being a Sunday, the riverside café we’ve arrived at has plenty of family patrons and a lot of the kids are pretty excited looking at the M4.

We got a lot of stares, even from an older gentleman parking his sedan next to it. But he’s not impressed at all; I suspect it had less to do with the M4’s appearance, and more with its huge bulk, which took up a chaunk of his parking space too. Yes, at 4,794mm in length, this 2-door coupé is a big car and, in fact, is only about 30mm shorter than the long-wheelbase 3 Series sedan. That at least means it’s roomy for a 2-door. The rear seats are okay for adults for short durations, but let’s just say, in our group of journos, no one was in a hurry to sit there; not with a 7 Series also part of the convoy. 

BMW M4 Competition: Interior and features 

The M4 is comfortable up front though. Our test car came with carbon-fibre-backed seats, which reduce the overall weight and give you a snug racing feel, even with the seat base divided into two separate areas for your thighs. There’s plenty of carbon-fibre around the cabin too and everything is built and finished to the typical high standards of BMW. The switches, fabrics and surfaces feel good to touch and it’s nice to see that, despite its strong sporty character, the insides are premium and well loaded too. There’s a three-zone climate control, powered seats, a HUD, a Harman/Kardon sound system and a 10.25-inch touchscreen. I’m not a fan of the 12.3-inch digital instrument panel though. There’s no traditional ‘dial’ look, and what’s provided instead isn’t easy to read or aesthetic in nature. The car we get in India now though has BMW’s new ‘Live Cockpit’ setup, which uses a single panel curved display housing a 12.3-inch instrument panel and a 14.9-inch central touchscreen, and its graphics are different. 

So then, while I hate working Sundays, driving an M4 through the gorgeous European countryside really didn’t feel like one. Yes, I did look at the sights as they whizzed by, and this was a Sunday like no other. The M4 is fast, and that’s its main appeal, and while you can easily blast down an autobahn, it also allows you to enjoy an engaging drive through some lovely twisty country roads. If there ever was a car that signified substance over style, this is it.

Also see: 

Hardcore BMW M4 CSL adds 40hp, sheds 100kg

The hampers will have handmade, homemade products made by the women entrepreneurs in Thiruvananthapuram

Critics of the Diebold touch-screen voting machines turned their attention Wednesday from the machines themselves to the computers that will tally the final vote, saying the outcome is so easy to manipulate that even a monkey could do it. And...

Bidding on branded terms is an essential PPC strategy. Understand how your company can improve performance by bidding on your competitor’s branded terms.

The post Why You Should Bid on Your Competitor’s Branded Terms appeared first on Portent.

El sábado 1 de julio de 2023, tuvo lugar el evento más destacado del mundo del streaming. Ibai Llanos, el reconocido streamer, youtuber y presentador español, organizó 'La Velada del Año 3', un emocionante encuentro que reunió a varios streamers, youtubers y artistas de España y Latinoamérica en un ring de boxeo ubicado en el estadio Cívitas Metropolitano de Madrid. El evento fue todo un éxito, con una gran multitud de fanáticos entusiastas que disfrutaron del espectáculo en vivo, mientras que muchos otros lo siguieron a través de Twitch.

Almost every news cycle is dominated with stories of both leaders and ordinary people who lost their way. Bill Marianes is joined by special guests Steven Laduzinsky, Chris Mandaleris, and Fr. Barnabas Powell, to explore Trust and ITA from the legal, financial, accounting and spiritual perspectives.

Frederica interviews her son Stephen, a seminarian at Holy Cross and a part-time piano tuner, about the musical concept of temperament.

This past weekend Google sent out a round of manual penalty notices citing “unnatural outbound links” – later confirmed to be targeting sites publishing compensated content and reviews where the blogger is linking out to the brand or site that compensated them. If your site received the notice, you'll find some advice for fixing your…

The post How Bloggers Can Fix a Manual Penalty Caused by Compensated Content & Reviews appeared first on Sugarrae.

Today I’m going to reveal some of the most interesting online niches where there is a lot of money to be made. These are niches which have a level of competition that allows you to compete, and fast. In other words, I wouldn’t expect to be waiting years (or even months, in many cases) to […]

The post 51 Profitable SEO Niches to Dominate with Low Competition appeared first on ViperChill.

Saint Constantine was born in 272, the son of Constantius Chlorus, ruler of the western part of the Roman Empire, and St Helen. When his father died in 306 he was proclaimed successor to the throne. The empire was ruled at that time by several Caesars, each with his own territory. When Constantine learned that the Caesars Maxentius and Maximinus had joined against him, he marched on Italy. It was there that, on the eve of a decisive battle outside Rome, he saw in the sky a radiant Cross with the words "In this sign conquer." He ordered that a battle-standard be made bearing the image of a cross and inscribed with the Name of Jesus Christ. The following day he and his forces attacked and won a spectacular victory. He entered Rome in triumph and in 312 was proclaimed "Emperor of the West" by the Senate. (His brother-in-law Licinius ruled in the East.) Soon thereafter he issued his "Edict of Milan," whereby Christianity was officially tolerated for the first time, and persecution of Christians ceased. (Many believe, mistakenly, that the Edict made Christianity the only legal religion; in fact, it proclaimed freedom of religion throughout the Empire).   Licinius, though he pretended to accept the Edict, soon began persecuting Christians in his domain. In response, Constantine fought and defeated him in 324, becoming sole Emperor of the entire Roman Empire. In 324 he laid the foundations of a new capital in the town of Byzantium; in 330 he inaugurated the new capital city, naming it "New Rome" and "Constantinople." In 325 he called the First Ecumenical Council at Nicea, attending its sessions himself. Shortly before his repose in 337, he received Holy Baptism; he died on Holy Pentecost, at the age of sixty-five, and was interred in the Church of the Holy Apostles in Constantinople.   St Constantine's holy mother Helen, in her role as "Augusta" of the Empire, founded countless churches. She traveled to Jerusalem and found the True Cross on which the Lord was crucified. In the Holy Land she established churches at the sites of Christ's Nativity and burial, which still stand today in much-modified form. She died at about eighty years of age.

He was born in Spain, became a general in the Imperial Army, and was crowned Emperor of the East in 379. He quickly made his Orthodoxy clear by decisively rejecting Arianism, which had divided Christians, troubled the Church, and confused previous emperors, for many years. He summoned the Second Ecumenical Council at Constantinople in 381, which reaffirmed the doctrine of Nicaea and proclaimed the divinity of the Holy Spirit. While Constantine had outlawed the persecution of Christians and made Christianity the religion of the state, Theodosius outlawed the worship of idols within the Empire.   Theodosius was several times guilty of anger and bloodshed during his reign, but, when corrected, always expressed sincere repentance and submitted himself to the authority and discipline of the Church. He endured a long excommunication and penance from Ambrose, bishop of Milan (December 7), for a massacre perpetrated at his order. Once he was about to enact bloody punishment of the people of Antioch for a rebellion, but relented when St Placilla (September 14) and Patriarch Flavian enjoined him to be merciful. In this, he showed a humility and submission to the Church almost unknown in Christian rulers before or since.   Having reigned for sixteen years, the Emperor Theodosius reposed in peace in 395 at the age of sixty.

Saint Constantine was born in 272, the son of Constantius Chlorus, ruler of the western part of the Roman Empire, and St Helen. When his father died in 306 he was proclaimed successor to the throne. The empire was ruled at that time by several Caesars, each with his own territory. When Constantine learned that the Caesars Maxentius and Maximinus had joined against him, he marched on Italy. It was there that, on the eve of a decisive battle outside Rome, he saw in the sky a radiant Cross with the words "In this sign conquer." He ordered that a battle-standard be made bearing the image of a cross and inscribed with the Name of Jesus Christ. The following day he and his forces attacked and won a spectacular victory. He entered Rome in triumph and in 312 was proclaimed "Emperor of the West" by the Senate. (His brother-in-law Licinius ruled in the East.) Soon thereafter he issued his "Edict of Milan," whereby Christianity was officially tolerated for the first time, and persecution of Christians ceased. (Many believe, mistakenly, that the Edict made Christianity the only legal religion; in fact, it proclaimed freedom of religion throughout the Empire).   Licinius, though he pretended to accept the Edict, soon began persecuting Christians in his domain. In response, Constantine fought and defeated him in 324, becoming sole Emperor of the entire Roman Empire. In 324 he laid the foundations of a new capital in the town of Byzantium; in 330 he inaugurated the new capital city, naming it "New Rome" and "Constantinople." In 325 he called the First Ecumenical Council at Nicea, attending its sessions himself. Shortly before his repose in 337, he received Holy Baptism; he died on Holy Pentecost, at the age of sixty-five, and was interred in the Church of the Holy Apostles in Constantinople.   St Constantine's holy mother Helen, in her role as "Augusta" of the Empire, founded countless churches. She traveled to Jerusalem and found the True Cross on which the Lord was crucified. In the Holy Land she established churches at the sites of Christ's Nativity and burial, which still stand today in much-modified form. She died at about eighty years of age.

Saint Constantine was born in 272, the son of Constantius Chlorus, ruler of the western part of the Roman Empire, and St Helen. When his father died in 306 he was proclaimed successor to the throne. The empire was ruled at that time by several Caesars, each with his own territory. When Constantine learned that the Caesars Maxentius and Maximinus had joined against him, he marched on Italy. It was there that, on the eve of a decisive battle outside Rome, he saw in the sky a radiant Cross with the words "In this sign conquer." He ordered that a battle-standard be made bearing the image of a cross and inscribed with the Name of Jesus Christ. The following day he and his forces attacked and won a spectacular victory. He entered Rome in triumph and in 312 was proclaimed "Emperor of the West" by the Senate. (His brother-in-law Licinius ruled in the East.) Soon thereafter he issued his "Edict of Milan," whereby Christianity was officially tolerated for the first time, and persecution of Christians ceased. (Many believe, mistakenly, that the Edict made Christianity the only legal religion; in fact, it proclaimed freedom of religion throughout the Empire).   Licinius, though he pretended to accept the Edict, soon began persecuting Christians in his domain. In response, Constantine fought and defeated him in 324, becoming sole Emperor of the entire Roman Empire. In 324 he laid the foundations of a new capital in the town of Byzantium; in 330 he inaugurated the new capital city, naming it "New Rome" and "Constantinople." In 325 he called the First Ecumenical Council at Nicea, attending its sessions himself. Shortly before his repose in 337, he received Holy Baptism; he died on Holy Pentecost, at the age of sixty-five, and was interred in the Church of the Holy Apostles in Constantinople.   St Constantine's holy mother Helen, in her role as "Augusta" of the Empire, founded countless churches. She traveled to Jerusalem and found the True Cross on which the Lord was crucified. In the Holy Land she established churches at the sites of Christ's Nativity and burial, which still stand today in much-modified form. She died at about eighty years of age.

He seems to have lived in Constantinople for his entire life, but lived there as if in the desert, devoting himself entirely to solitude, fasting and prayer. For most of his adult life he ate only a few vegetables without salt once or twice a week; by his prayers many miracles were wrought in the City.   In time he was made a priest and served in the church of St Antipas, where he lived in seclusion. When the church was destroyed in the earthquake of 879, he withdrew to a dank pit in the ruins where the air was so unwholesome that he lost his hair and teeth and was almost paralyzed. He only emerged from this ascesis after twelve years. Thereafter he served the Divine Liturgy only on Feasts of the Lord, allowing himself some water and fruit after the service; otherwise he spent his time alone in silent prayer. He reposed in peace in 912 at the age of seventy-three.

These African Christians suffered during the persecution of the Church by the emperor Decius, during which a great many Christians denied the faith rather than suffer. These faithful few boldly upheld the Faith and, after many torments, were condemned to death by beheading. The went to their execution singing psalms and hymns of thanksgiving, and received the crown of martyrdom in 250.   In the early centuries of the Church, North Africa, especially the region of Carthage, was one of the centers of the Christian Faith, comparable to Asia Minor.

Saint Constantine was born in 272, the son of Constantius Chlorus, ruler of the western part of the Roman Empire, and St Helen. When his father died in 306 he was proclaimed successor to the throne. The empire was ruled at that time by several Caesars, each with his own territory. When Constantine learned that the Caesars Maxentius and Maximinus had joined against him, he marched on Italy. It was there that, on the eve of a decisive battle outside Rome, he saw in the sky a radiant Cross with the words "In this sign conquer." He ordered that a battle-standard be made bearing the image of a cross and inscribed with the Name of Jesus Christ. The following day he and his forces attacked and won a spectacular victory. He entered Rome in triumph and in 312 was proclaimed "Emperor of the West" by the Senate. (His brother-in-law Licinius ruled in the East.) Soon thereafter he issued his "Edict of Milan," whereby Christianity was officially tolerated for the first time, and persecution of Christians ceased. (Many believe, mistakenly, that the Edict made Christianity the only legal religion; in fact, it proclaimed freedom of religion throughout the Empire).   Licinius, though he pretended to accept the Edict, soon began persecuting Christians in his domain. In response, Constantine fought and defeated him in 324, becoming sole Emperor of the entire Roman Empire. In 324 he laid the foundations of a new capital in the town of Byzantium; in 330 he inaugurated the new capital city, naming it "New Rome" and "Constantinople." In 325 he called the First Ecumenical Council at Nicea, attending its sessions himself. Shortly before his repose in 337, he received Holy Baptism; he died on Holy Pentecost, at the age of sixty-five, and was interred in the Church of the Holy Apostles in Constantinople.   St Constantine's holy mother Helen, in her role as "Augusta" of the Empire, founded countless churches. She traveled to Jerusalem and found the True Cross on which the Lord was crucified. In the Holy Land she established churches at the sites of Christ's Nativity and burial, which still stand today in much-modified form. She died at about eighty years of age.

He seems to have lived in Constantinople for his entire life, but lived there as if in the desert, devoting himself entirely to solitude, fasting and prayer. For most of his adult life he ate only a few vegetables without salt once or twice a week; by his prayers many miracles were wrought in the City.   In time he was made a priest and served in the church of St Antipas, where he lived in seclusion. When the church was destroyed in the earthquake of 879, he withdrew to a dank pit in the ruins where the air was so unwholesome that he lost his hair and teeth and was almost paralyzed. He only emerged from this ascesis after twelve years. Thereafter he served the Divine Liturgy only on Feasts of the Lord, allowing himself some water and fruit after the service; otherwise he spent his time alone in silent prayer. He reposed in peace in 912 at the age of seventy-three.

These African Christians suffered during the persecution of the Church by the emperor Decius, during which a great many Christians denied the faith rather than suffer. These faithful few boldly upheld the Faith and, after many torments, were condemned to death by beheading. The went to their execution singing psalms and hymns of thanksgiving, and received the crown of martyrdom in 250.   In the early centuries of the Church, North Africa, especially the region of Carthage, was one of the centers of the Christian Faith, comparable to Asia Minor.

Saint Constantine was born in 272, the son of Constantius Chlorus, ruler of the western part of the Roman Empire, and St Helen. When his father died in 306 he was proclaimed successor to the throne. The empire was ruled at that time by several Caesars, each with his own territory. When Constantine learned that the Caesars Maxentius and Maximinus had joined against him, he marched on Italy. It was there that, on the eve of a decisive battle outside Rome, he saw in the sky a radiant Cross with the words "In this sign conquer." He ordered that a battle-standard be made bearing the image of a cross and inscribed with the Name of Jesus Christ. The following day he and his forces attacked and won a spectacular victory. He entered Rome in triumph and in 312 was proclaimed "Emperor of the West" by the Senate. (His brother-in-law Licinius ruled in the East.) Soon thereafter he issued his "Edict of Milan," whereby Christianity was officially tolerated for the first time, and persecution of Christians ceased. (Many believe, mistakenly, that the Edict made Christianity the only legal religion; in fact, it proclaimed freedom of religion throughout the Empire).   Licinius, though he pretended to accept the Edict, soon began persecuting Christians in his domain. In response, Constantine fought and defeated him in 324, becoming sole Emperor of the entire Roman Empire. In 324 he laid the foundations of a new capital in the town of Byzantium; in 330 he inaugurated the new capital city, naming it "New Rome" and "Constantinople." In 325 he called the First Ecumenical Council at Nicea, attending its sessions himself. Shortly before his repose in 337, he received Holy Baptism; he died on Holy Pentecost, at the age of sixty-five, and was interred in the Church of the Holy Apostles in Constantinople.   St Constantine's holy mother Helen, in her role as "Augusta" of the Empire, founded countless churches. She traveled to Jerusalem and found the True Cross on which the Lord was crucified. In the Holy Land she established churches at the sites of Christ's Nativity and burial, which still stand today in much-modified form. She died at about eighty years of age.

Honk 40 times if you are Orthodox!

Elissa expresses how important it is to be honest and humble when teaching children, freely showing our imperfections.

The Lord’s genealogy in St. Matthew’s gospel traces the Savior’s human ancestry back through many generations to Abraham. The story of the ancestors of Christ, who helped to prepare the way across the centuries for the incarnation of the God-Man, certainly does not read like a Facebook posting. The Old Testament presents them realistically as unlikely members of His family tree.

Fr. John evaluates the impact that the Christianization of Rome had on the state's conception of sacrifice.

Fr. John delineates the various ways in which Constantine contributed to the Christianization of the Roman state.

We encounter the silence of heaven and the difficult warnings of the first four trumpets in Rev. 8, with the help of passages from Exodus, Ezekiel, Isaiah, and Zechariah. In the presence of mystery, we wait for God to fulfill His promises, knowing that His will is for all to turn to Him.

This week we look to Rev 11:15-19, clarifying the scene that we find there by means of Psalm 2, 2 Sam 6, Luke 1:42-45. Does the Theotokos make a mysterious appearance here?