'People are going to try and kill him': Catholic priest who gave rally benediction recalls assassination attempt on Trump



The man entrusted with giving the invocation at former President Donald Trump's rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, recalled his experience that fateful day both before and after Trump was nearly assassinated.

A few days before the event, members of Trump's team contacted Fr. Jason Charron — a Ukrainian Catholic pastor in charge of churches in Carnegie, Pennsylvania, and Wheeling, West Virginia — to see whether he would be willing to lead rally attendees in prayer. Charron agreed.

'We are called to a bloody faith,' Charron claimed. 'Christ calls us to get dirty and to have a nail go through the hand sometimes and a crown of thorns through the temple.'

So on Saturday evening, Charron stood before the podium on the rally stage and asked God to send His Holy Spirit to help make America and the world "great again in God's sight."

"Through Christ, Our Lord, amen," his prayer closed to thunderous applause from the crowd, which Trump estimated to be some 55,000 people.

Charron had to leave the rally shortly thereafter, but before departing the main area, he instructed a small group of a couple dozen people to pray for God's protection over President Trump. "The reason I said that is because people are going to try and kill him," he said. "They're going to try and shoot him."

His words were remarkably prescient.

By the time Charron reached his car just a few minutes after the benediction, he heard reports of gunshots and then witnessed an eruption of chaos. "That's how the devil works," the good father explained. "He loves chaos."

Charron then left the rally and soon after sat down for an interview with popular Catholic YouTube channel "Pints with Aquinas." In fact, the interview began so soon afterward that Charron learned from the host about the death of beloved father, husband, and former fire chief Corey Comperatore and the injuries to two other individuals.

When asked about a priest's role during such horrific tragedies, Charron resolutely insisted that suffering is a necessary part of the Christian experience, pointing to Christ's suffering on the cross as the example all Christians must follow.

"We are called to a bloody faith," Charron claimed. "Christ calls us to get dirty and to have a nail go through the hand sometimes and a crown of thorns through the temple."

Regardless of circumstances, Charron continued, all Catholics — and Catholic priests in particular — must stand firm in their faith "without apology."

"It's important that we Catholics and particularly me, as a priest, that I be present to advocate for the gospel of Christ in the public square without apology," he said.

When some raised objections to Charron appearing at a Trump rally despite Trump's quibbling about abortion — an act that the Catholic Church calls a "moral evil" — Charron claimed that far too many people fall for "the fallacy of perfection," which convinces them not to vote for any candidate who is not "absolutely perfect."

Even though Charron unequivocally opposes abortion and "the anti-life culture in general," he expressed admiration for Trump — whom Charron believes to be a "baptized Christian" — and his work appointing pro-life justices who overturned Roe v. Wade.

Though grateful for the ending of Roe, Charron takes issue with some of Trump's beliefs regarding abortion. In fact, Charron views abortion as the source of almost all the violence plaguing America today.

"We have raised generations of of children with the understanding that it is okay to butcher and dispose of precious human life in the most sacred place, the womb of a mother," Charron explained with conviction. "And if that sacred gift is disposable in that sacred place, then we are all up for extinction."

But abortion, Charron insisted, is not the only pro-life issue. As a man of Ukrainian descent, he also sees the war in Ukraine as an important component of it, and he admires Trump for sending "defensive weapons" to Ukraine while in office in contravention to policies established under Barack Obama.

During a brief meeting with Trump just before the rally, Charron had the opportunity to thank the former president for his work on behalf of the Ukrainian people. "I said, 'Thank you,' and he was very grateful and he said, 'You know, it's heartbreaking to see what's happening in Ukraine with all these young men dying, and it's because weakness was projected,'" Charron recalled of their conversation.

In addition to his pitch for grace for Trump, Charron also encouraged Americans to offer forgiveness to the shooter, whom Charron characterized as "a madman."

"There are only two responses in the face of such evil like this. ... One is you become the evil, and the other is you forgive it," Charron claimed. "And the sooner we can go through that valley and come out on the other side, the better it is for us and for the lost souls in this world."

Charron suggested on "Pints with Aquinas" that Trump forgive the shooter and share this forgiveness with the public, citing Christ's forgiveness of his executioners and Pope John Paul II's forgiveness of his would-be assailant as models of Christian forgiveness properly understood.

"I think if President Trump is going to win over his enemies, then the greatest opportunity to win over the undecided and the hostile will be found the day when he can forgive his would-be assassin."

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Holy Week Provides A Time To Offer Forgiveness — And Seek It Out

We forgive someone not necessarily because they deserve it, but because we want to bring out the best in them and in ourselves.

The gift of turning 60



I celebrated my 60th birthday last week. I want to thank all of the lovely people for their kind birthday wishes. I am the luckiest man in the world. I have a wonderful partner in life in my beautiful wife, Patricia, and three lovely daughters, Elle, Miranda, and Madeline.

Turning 60 reminded me of something Dr. M. Scott Peck told me over 30 years ago: At 40, you feel like you can conquer the world, and there is a sense that nothing can stop you. But at 60, you realize the very real fragility of life and the temporariness of it all. It’s humbling to know there is indeed a time limit for all things and that God’s design, though perfect, is precious far beyond its brevity.

I am also reminded of the Hindu story that my friend Bill from Lowell, Arkansas, shared with me about a man at his funeral. “Would this man lying here ask for more riches and gold from the world? Would this man ask to be more famous and well regarded by others? Would he ask to be taller or look more handsome?”

“No. The only thing this man lying here today would ask for was much simpler: more time.”

If you are reading this now, then you, too, have time! Use it wisely. Use it unwisely, too! But use it. Be in it. Be aware that you are part of all of it and that the separateness you sometimes feel is an illusion. Just as your heart beats without being told, you are as integral to the sun that fires and the planets that circle it as your heart is to you.

For the atheists, God loves you, too. The mistake you make is to think the universe is a stupid thing that just bumps into things and expands ignorantly and without reason or intelligence. And that somehow, we human beings, with our intelligence, emerged as just some kind of freak universal accident. To you, I say: If kindness, empathy, compassion, and love exist, those things exist because you found them in other people.

As my dear friend Norm Macdonald once said, “We are part of this universe, indeed a mere fraction of it, so if we have kindness and love, how much more the universe itself.” For if we are capable of love, it is because it is endemic to the universe itself. To quote Alan Watts, “For we didn’t come 'in' to the world, we came 'out' of it. We are the universe evolving to the point of consciousness, so that the universe, us, can experience existence and life in all its wonder and beauty and glorious exuberance.”

Lastly, as I am a new convert to Catholicism, I offer my apology for my lack of Christ’s forgiveness to my fellow man. I was so angry at the people who shut down schools — who shut down the world! — and who coerced others to do things against their will, which hurt many people deeply. I offer my unconditional forgiveness and amnesty.

How can I stay mad at the famous singer who would not let others into his Broadway show unless they had an experiential jab? I will never forget how kind he was to me and my friends when he was the musical guest on “Saturday Night Live.”

How can I continue to hold a grudge against the actor who shamed people like me but who has been such a great example for other actors never to give up and keep fighting for their dreams?

How can I remain angry at the lovely actress who said she could no longer be friends with people like me who didn’t “get it,” knowing how incredibly kind she is with every child she meets?

I am humbled by the example of my mother, Pilar, and how she was able to forgive the occupiers of her Philippines in World War II who killed both of her brothers. At last, it is forgiveness itself that is the gift that we give ourselves because it frees us as Jesus Christ intends for all of us to be free. For His gift of ultimate and unlimited forgiveness is indeed the gift for all humanity. May God bless you and your families now and forever.

Living 'Unconquered' After Trauma | Adam Davis | Rick & Bubba University | Ep 175

Living 'Unconquered' After Trauma | Adam Davis | Rick & Bubba University | Ep 175

A Professor Abandoning A Spouse And Kids For A College Student Isn’t Brave, But Wicked

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Boyfriend allegedly stabbed 21-year-old soldier and set car on fire with her inside, family wants justice but willing to forgive



A 21-year-old soldier was found dead in a burning car in Honolulu, Hawaii. The boyfriend of the victim has been charged with murder. Police say he stabbed Spc. Laau Jordan Laulusa, a member of the Hawaii National Guard, in the neck before lighting a car on fire with her inside the vehicle.

Witnesses called police to report a car fire near Mililani High School in Honolulu at around 6:40 a.m. on Monday, according to the Honolulu Star-Advertiser. Witnesses informed police that they saw a man "opening and closing doors" of the car during the fire. They said he "then fled on foot" from the crime scene. Witnesses followed the man, who they say was brandishing a "blade" or weapon.

Officers arrested 25-year-old Samuel Jones in connection with the death of his girlfriend, Laau Jordan Laulusa. He was charged with second-degree murder and first-degree arson. His bail was set at $1 million.

Laulusa's body was found in the torched car.

KHON reported, "The family said the suspect in custody was the girl’s boyfriend."

Laulusa joined the Hawaii National Guard in 2019. She was a supply specialist for the 227th Brigade Engineer Battalion, 29th Infantry Brigade Combat Team.

Brig. Gen. Stephen F. Logan, commanding general of the Hawaii Army National Guard, said in a statement, "Our Aloha and prayers are with her 'ohana and those who knew this soldier personally and professionally. This is a tragic loss for the entire Hawai‘i Army National Guard. We are cooperating with authorities during the ongoing investigation."

Laulusa's family wants justice for the tragic death of the 21-year-old soldier.

Her uncle, Sasoa Feagai, told KHON, "It's too bad because she's still young, a beautiful girl, real kind, and she didn’t deserve this."

Feagai told KITV, "Where's the love? What happened? It's so hard to think about something like this happening to anybody. But it does happen. Without the aloha and love that we should give people."

He added, "We're just dealing with the tragedy of it and try to make sense of what had happened."

Feagai said Laulusa's mother is willing to forgive the killer.

"My sister said she's willing to forgive," Feagai said. "I guess it's about all we can do now."

The family said, "Whatever the outcome is, is justice for Jordan."

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Murder suspect to appear in court www.youtube.com

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There’s Nothing ‘Christian’ About Biden’s Student Debt ‘Forgiveness,’ And Here’s Why

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Watch: Retired Navy SEAL Jocko Willink delivers powerful defense of Joe Rogan while providing eye-opening warning about living in an unforgiving world of 'judgment and destruction'



Following the latest controversy regarding resurfaced clips of Joe Rogan using a racial slur, former guests of "The Joe Rogan Experience" voiced their support to the besieged podcast host. On Sunday afternoon, retired U.S. Navy SEAL Jocko Willink delivered a well-crafted and powerful defense of Rogan.

Willink has been a guest on "The Joe Rogan Experience" five times, but none of his episodes were of the 113 episodes that Spotify deleted. Willink addressed the ongoing attempts to get Spotify to cancel Rogan's podcast in an Instagram video. Willink also discussed Rogan's positives and "mistakes." While talking about his "friend" Rogan, Willink urged people to avoid becoming a society of "judgment and destruction" at all costs.

"I wanted to take a minute to talk to you about my friend Joe and talk to you about something that's going on in the world that I don't think is very good for us," Willink opened his video address.

"So my friend Joe, well, he's a good guy," Willink said. "He's good in a bunch of different ways. He's a good athlete, kind of a meathead, I guess, like me, he cares about his health and he works out, stays in good shape. He knows how to fight. He's got a bunch of physical prowess, but he's also smart and he's curious and he reads a bunch and he talks to all different kinds of people all the time."

"And he's a very successful individual," the former Navy SEAL stated of the stand-up comedian. "He's made a bunch of money. He has some cool business ventures. He's been on some TV shows. And of course, he's a really funny guy. That's I think what he was first known for, for being funny, for being hilarious."

Willink noted, "But Joe can also be a serious guy. He can be introspective, and those are great qualities for a person to have."

"My friend Joe is smart and athletic and rich and articulate, and he's got a beautiful family, and he's got a pretty cool life," he continued. "It's pretty impressive."

"And he's always been cool to me. And he opened up his world and helped me out along the way," Willink explained. "And not just me, he's helped all kinds of people, all kinds of people from all kinds of different backgrounds. Because he's a nice guy; because he's a nice guy with a good heart."

"And I've known him for a long time," Willink said in the video. "I've known Joe before he was who he is, and I've seen him behind the scenes in normal situations. And he's just a genuinely nice guy with a good heart. And maybe that's why even with all of his success and all that he does for people, he's still humble."

"He's self-deprecating and modest, and he never asks for anything in return from me," Willink continued. "He's just a really good guy in a really good spot in life."

"He's the kind of guy that if you're not careful, you might become jealous of," Willink warned, but added, "But if you ever actually meet him, you'll realize that he's worked hard to get where he is, and he's thankful for his success, and he's thankful for the people that helped him along the way."

Willink admitted that Rogan isn't perfect, and said that he thinks that the prolific podcaster "probably drinks too much sometimes" and is "maybe a little more enthusiastic about psychedelic drugs than I would like him to be."

Willink – who served 20 years as a Navy SEAL and was honored with the Silver Star and Bronze Star Medal for his service – also admitted that Rogan "sometimes maybe does things or says things that he shouldn't say or shouldn't do."

"He, like any of us, has definitely said some things that he doesn't think he should have said. Things that upset people. Things that are offensive. Things that he said that he wished he could take back," he noted. "But when you speak words, you cannot take them back, especially when those spoken words are recorded. And much of what my friend Joe says is recorded. So he said some things that he wished he didn't say. So what did he do? How did he handle it?"

Willink talked about Rogan's apology for the recent compilation video of Rogan saying the n-word, which the UFC commentator said the clips were taken "out of context" from "12 years of conversations."

"He said he was sorry," Willink said of Rogan. "He didn't make any excuses. He didn't dig in and go on the attack. He didn't point out all the other people who have said all kinds of other offensive things that they shouldn't have said. He didn't do that."

"Most impressive, he didn't bring up or talk about the countless examples in his own life that show the type of person he really is," he said. "And that is a generous guy, a caring guy, a thoughtful, kind, warmhearted, father, husband, and friend."

"He didn't point out any of that. Instead, he simply said, 'I was wrong. I'm sorry.'"

Willink asked, "So what do we do with that?"

"I can tell you that some people are not accepting that apology," he acknowledged. "And I get that that's their right. No one has to accept an apology."

Then Willink gave a stern warning about a society that is not forgiving.

"But that does concern me. It concerns me to think that we live in a country or we live in a world where we can't forgive someone," Willink declared. "We can't forgive someone who's genuinely a nice guy, a nice human being for something that they said. Something that they apologize for saying. No, in this day and age, it seems that we don't forgive."

An impassioned Willink proclaimed, "Instead, we sit and we judge. We judge others. That's what we seem to do now."

"But I want to tell you that I think we should be careful with that attitude, because when we judge others, oftentimes we seem to forget about ourselves being judged," he cautioned. "We forget about our own shortfalls. Like Joe, we are not perfect. I am not perfect. No one is perfect."

"We do things and we say things that we regret," Willink pointed out. "We miss the mark. We make emotional comments. We lash out when we shouldn't have. We see things the wrong way or we don't understand them correctly. We make mistakes. We all make mistakes."

"But if we have entered a world now where there's no mercy, there's no understanding," Willink articulated. "If we've entered a world now where there's no forgiveness, where there's only judgment and destruction, well, that does not bode well for any of us, because that judgment and that destruction will eventually visit upon your door."

"So I've got an idea, and it's actually an ancient idea," he proposed. "While, of course, we should try as people to be better and do better, let us also remember that we aren't perfect. When we make a mistake, let's own it, but also we need to remember that no one else is perfect either."

"Let's remember that we need to understand others, we need to forgive others, and then let's hope that they can forgive us as well," he continued.

"Because without forgiveness, there's only judgment and devastation. Without forgiveness, there's only hostility. Without forgiveness, there's only anger. And life is hard enough without all that."

"So instead, let's help each other," he said. "Let's practice forgiveness. Let's lift each other up instead of tearing each other down."

Willink then pivoted back to Joe Rogan, and said, "Some people have been trying to tear him down and shut him up for a long time."

I will keep listening, I will keep listening not because he's perfect, not because he's flawless, not because he's right about everything. But actually, because he's not. He's not perfect. He's not flawless. And he's not right about everything. He makes mistakes. He's a person. He's a human being like me. And like me, he's trying to learn, he's trying to grow. Hes trying to be better. And like me, he's failing sometimes along the way. He's made mistakes. And he will make more mistakes, and I will forgive him. And I know he will inevitably forgive me when I mess something up myself. And that's what friends do. And I'm thinking, that maybe, that's what we all should do. Less judgment and more forgiveness. I think it will make the world a better place.