Our parish is located next to Marine Corp Base Quantico, headquarters of the US Marine Corp. And as you’d expect we have lots of military families and members that make up the parish. They are quite familiar with the term “force multiplier.” In military terminology, the expression refers to any factor or capability that enhances the effectiveness and overall combat power of a military force beyond its basic capabilities. It denotes a tool, strategy, or resource that amplifies the impact of a military force, enabling it to achieve greater results or exert more influence on the battlefield. Examples can include advanced technology, air superiority, logistics, specialized units, e.g. recon, and more.

“The one who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed and increase the harvest of your righteousness.” (2 Cor 9:10)

The grace of God: the divine force multiplier.

For those among us who are fans of the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy, there is interesting news from the world of  entomology. A new genus of butterflies has been discovered and named after Sauron, the arch-villain of the trilogy whose gaze lingers malevolently over the lands of Middle-earth. The butterfly sports dark, eye-like spots on its distinctive orange wings. An international team of scientists identified two species in the new genus — Saurona triangula and Saurona aurigera — but said there were most likely more.

In addition to the newly designated butterflies, Sauron has a namesake dinosaur, a dung beetle and a frog, according to the Natural History Museum. There’s also NGC 4151, a faraway galaxy that astronomers have dubbed “the eye of Sauron.”

Credits: image Warner Brothers, source for article, Chris Stanford, “New Butterflies Are Named for Sauron, ‘Lord of the Rings’ Villain” New York Times

Continuing to geek out As the NCAA Division I swimming championships reached Day 3. The team championship race is as close as I ever remember, but the talk of the meet remains Leon Marchand, the sophmore from Arizona State. His performance in the 400 IM was beyond amazing, pre-race expectations were sky high and he raced passed all of those. Here are his splits on his way to a 3:28.83

• 100 fly – 47.10
• 100 back – 52.20
• 100 breast – 58.59
• 100 free – 50.93

The Arizona State sophomore now owns the three fastest swims in history and seven of the top 10, with his prelim swim standing up 10th.

Leon Marchand (Arizona State), 3:28.82 – 2023 NCAA Championships
Leon Marchand (Arizona State), 3:31.57 – 2023 Pac-12 Championships
Leon Marchand (Arizona State), 3:31.84 – 2023 ASU v. Cal
Hugo Gonzalez (Cal), 3:32.88 – 2022 NCAA Championships
Chase Kalisz (Georgia), 3:33.42 – 2017 NCAA Championships
Leon Marchand (Arizona State), 3:33.65 – 2022 Wolfpack Invite
Carson Foster (Texas), 3:33.79 – 2022 NCAA Championships
Leon Marchand (Arizona State), 3:34.08 – 2022 NCAA Championships
Leon Marchand (Arizona State), 3:34.45 – 2022 Pac-12 Championships
Leon Marchand (Arizona State), 3:34.47 – 2023 NCAA Championships

Take a moment to watch the video and see just how far he finished ahead of Carson Foster who is the World Championship silver medalist.

In the first reading today, there is no missing the straight-up idolatry. It is the classic text of the story from Exodus:

The LORD said to Moses, “Go down at once to your people whom you brought out of the land of Egypt, for they have become depraved. They have soon turned aside from the way I pointed out to them, making for themselves a molten calf and worshiping it, sacrificing to it and crying out, ‘This is your God, O Israel, who brought you out of the land of Egypt!’ The LORD said to Moses, “I see how stiff-necked this people is.

Even the Responsorial Psalm (Ps 106) gets in comment: “Our fathers made a calf in Horeb and adored a molten image; They exchanged their glory for the image of a grass-eating bullock.” The line is almost humorous if it weren’t so serious. And God’s reaction is as serious as it gets.

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