Out now on all the streaming platforms! 

SisterSmokeMusic.com

Keep up the good () work, Moderation staff!

I was wondering how do you delete your account on this site? Thanks!

Thanks!

The crimson worm, or tola'ath shani, is a small insect in the Middle East, historically valued for producing a brilliant red dye. Its unique life cycle, where the mother attaches to a tree and dies to protect her young with a red stain that later turns white, is widely cited in Christian theology as a living prophecy of Jesus Christ’s crucifixion and resurrection.

Scientific Name: Coccus ilicis (often referred to as Kermes ilicis or Kermes biblicus).

The Sacrifice: When the female is ready to lay eggs, she attaches herself permanently to a tree, forming a hard crimson shell. She protects her young beneath this body, providing food for them, and dies upon this tree.

The Stain: As the mother dies, she secretes a crimson red dye that stains the wood and her young, who remain red for the rest of their lives.

Color Transformation: After three days, the dead body of the mother loses its crimson color, turning white (resembling wool or snow) 

Biblical and Historical Significance

Dye Source: The dye produced from this insect was used in the ancient world for high-value items, specifically in the construction of the Tabernacle and the priestly garments (Exodus 26).

Psalm 22:6: In this messianic Psalm, David writes, "I am a worm [tola], and no man," symbolizing deep humility and sacrifice.

Isaiah 1:18: This passage highlights the transformation of the stain: "...though your sins be as scarlet [tola], they shall be as white as snow".

Symbolic Connection

The life cycle of the tola is often cited to parallel the crucifixion (attaching to wood), the shedding of blood (the stain), and the resurrection (turning white).

Here are some of my suggestions:

1. A good Catholic Bible. I personally like the Douay-Rheims and the RSV-CE.

2. The Imitation of Christ by Thomas a Kempis.

3. The Story of a Soul by St. Therese of Lisieux.

4. The Secret of the Rosary by St. Louis de Montfort.

5. A Right to Be Merry by Mother Mary Francis P.C.C.. I'm currently reading it and really enjoying it! It's about life in a Poor Clare monastery. There's a lot of humor and light-heartedness in the writing and you really get a feel for the sacred in their community. It's also great for anyone discerning a vocation to the religious life, especially a contemplative vocation.

https://www.instagram.com/tremaynecollins001/

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‘Would it help if I told you I’m Pope Leo?’ Pope attempts to update his banking information himself, gets hung up on

by: Ben Bradley, Katharin Czink

Posted: May 7, 2026 / 01:10 PM CDT

Updated: May 7, 2026 / 01:10 PM CDT

We all have to deal with the ordinary tasks of daily living and so does The Pope, apparently.

A very relatable story making a big splash on social media this week, as told by Father Tom McCarthy a fellow Augustinian and long-time friend to Pope Leo.

“He is one of us,” he said. “He’s a Chicagoan a Southsider, he really is.”

Shortly after that Southsider became the leader of the Catholic Church one year ago, the former Robert Prevost simply wanted to update his contact information on his bank account. He was moving to Rome and wanted to let the local branch in Chicago know where to find him.

“He is as normal as they come,” McCarthy said.

And that’s why it was no surprise Pope Leo himself made the call.

More Coverage: Chicago’s Pope Leo

“This is how humble he was that he didn’t have an assistant or a secretary do it, which he could have done,” McCarthy said. “But he said, ‘Oh I’ll just quick call and change.’ He answered all the questions. They said, ‘Sorry, sir. You have to come in person.’ So finally he says, ‘I really can’t come in person. Would it help if I told you I’m Pope Leo?’ They hung up! … I’d hang up on him! If someone is telling me, ‘This is the Pope,’ I’d hang up on them. So I’m not blaming the employee.”

Of course, it all got resolved. The pontiff asked a friend here in Chicago to help him verify his identity. And the bank was happy to keep the pope’s business.

@dUSt

Compared to other situations on the face of the earth, this is a First World problem. It's not the worst thing that could happen, although it does slow down the process of finding a topic one has been following. 

I respectfully suggest to dUSt and the other administrators that it might be time to change Phatmass' open enrollment process. At the moment, anyone who answers a few questions, about which one can easily lie, can join the phamily. In the past that was enough to fiddler out most trolls.  But technology has changed (bots, AI, whatnot) so that our decent little corner of the interwebz has now been turned into a sleazy neighborhood. 

I'd be willing to e-mail back & forth with new applicants to see if they're really Catholic, or actually interested in debates about religious topics. In most cases, it would be easy enough to spot bad actors because they don't know Catholic terminology; and if one or two bad actors slip through the interview/discussion process, it's easy enough to hit 'em with the ban hammer. 

Waddaya think? 

I am so happy to have Phatmass back.  To celebrate, last night I did something that is very rare.  I ordered in Dominos and had Southern Fried Chicken, Garlic Bread, Chocolate Thickshake...and a bottle of Solo.  After that, I made coffee and sat out under the pergola on a beautiful night having a smoke........or two...........perhaps it was three....or so.  Can't remember!   In thanking God, I like to give thanks spiritually and quite humanly to celebrate in thankfulness and gratitude, Joy, He who became fully human for our sake.

A true blue Catholic girlfriend said to me years ago: "You would find something spiritual in Lady Chatterley's Lover! So I read the book.  Next cuppa with her, I was so excited because I had indeed found spiritual stuff in LCL.  "Oh gosh, Barb, I can understand you but no one else ever will"

Thanks dUSt, thank you very much.  I mean, Boss, what else can one say knowing it doesn't say it all.  God bless you and yours richly.  I did not miss Phatmass so much, as I realised just how very much I need it.

Thanks guys!  Good to be back!

https://www.cnbc.com/2019/01/23/bill-gates-turns-10-billion-into-200-billion-worth-of-economic-benefit.html

https://www.modernatx.com/ecosystem/strategic-collaborators/foundations-advancing-mrna-science-and-research

Bill Gates has directly funded a number of vaccines and vaccine manufacturers and made unimaginable monetary profit doing so.  He has directly funded at least the Moderna vaccine for the Wuhan virus.

Motive: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8BobKXkrt8M

Bill Gates wants to use vaccines specifically to depopulate the world and has said so publicly several times.

Opportunity: 

The entire world is experiencing a pandemic, or at least perceives itself to be experiencing a pandemic.  Fear is everywhere.  Governments are pushing haphazardly for vaccines to save lives.  Vaccines have been developed using relatively new technology, so new that they've never been approved for widespread use for a specific vaccine in the US before, and in order to get the vaccine out as fast as possible, they've skipped critical testing steps.  

Repercussions:

None.  

https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2011/02/22/133964322/supreme-court-upholds-liability-shield-for-vaccine-makers

https://lawandcrime.com/legal-analysis/this-law-says-youre-mostly-screwed-if-you-receive-bad-coronavirus-products-vaccines-or-treatments/