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AT A TIME OF EXTREMES, ODDITIES OF MANY KINDS ABOUND

Oddities abound. Some are physical phenomena. Some may have spiritual underpinnings. Others are -- well, just oddities, sometimes even wandering into the paranormal, which gives one pause.

Oddities all over.

What is the mysterious steam over the destroyed nuclear reactor in the Japanese tsunami zone? Is it an indication of another "meltdown" -- that radiation is spreading and remains out of control?

Is it poisoning the Pacific?

Those are questions that need to be answered (see Revelation and "wormwood"; wormwood is translated in Ukrainian as "Chernobyl"). And see this on possible major leaks. Traces of radiation in ocean fish as far away as San Diego and abnormalities in land animals elsewhere have been reported. There are many signs in creatures of various mysterious effects. As one writer points out: "Vast numbers of sea stars are 'melting' off the west coast of North America. There is an epidemic of sea lion deaths due to starvation along the California coastline. Polar bears, seals and walruses along the Alaska coastline are suffering from fur loss and open sores. Along the Pacific coast of Canada and the Alaska coastline, the population of sockeye salmon is at a historic low. Something is causing fish all along the west coast of Canada to bleed from their gills, bellies and eyeballs."

There are the rumbles and "booms" in the earth. They continue. Some may be explained. Others remain a mystery.

Recently, loud subterranean noises were heard in Connecticut not too far from Moodus -- known historically as a place for strange ground rumblings. There were also eerie sounds in Toronto, attributed to the tremendous cold. Indeed, weather events -- swerves, extremes -- continue to grind on, intensifying in a way that fulfills prophetic expectations. They do so gradually, however, that most don't perceive them. Explained the National Post: "The booms occur when moisture in the ground freezes and expands, putting pressure on ice and rock. This pressure is ultimately released with a loud boom and the rock cracks. According to the Maine Geological Survey, the phenomenon is also known as cryoseisms. The agency calls it “a literal ‘cold snap’ and describes the sounds variously as a 'deep rumbling' that sent windows shaking, a 'shudder' and a cracking sound." (Some occur during warm weather.)

Also, an area in Mississippi reports the mysterious. This time the word came from a TV news station, WDAM, which tells us that "the folks in Marion County have been reporting large explosions over the last month that have rattled windows and shaken houses. Speculative explanations have ranged from UFO's to meteors. In early December many residents from the Bunker Hill and Improve communities reported hearing a loud explosion. So many calls came into the Marion County Sheriff's Office that deputies were dispatched to looks for what was described as a plane crash, meteor, even a UFO.  Above the usual New Year's fireworks, residents again heard an explosion that shook houses across the county last night."

We take a wary view toward "UFOs," which if not a product of misidentification, exaggeration, or even hoax may have a negative spiritual dimension. In the news outlets -- the mainstream media (as opposed to blogs) -- was also the report of a strange aerial light in association with a "crop circle." Recently strange lights were filmed before an earthquake; some believe it's an electrical current caused by rock friction.

Strange stuff.

For us to discern.

There are coincidences. It's hard to avoid the news about an historic Bible that went missing after former President Bill Clinton used it to swear in the new New York City mayor (it was later located, although its disappearance seemed unusual).

"Strange" is a watchword of our time.

We are touched by the images of devout Filipinos in the aftermath of the natural disasters striking there -- sometimes sparing statues of the Blessed Mother in a way that seemed unusual.

Other times, there are statues that shed tears or blood (or bloody tears). These seem holy in some cases, simply eerie in others.

Fish washing ashore. Also  bloodied. Dead dolphins. Dogs. Birds. We have been carrying articles recently on spiritual events linked to pets in our homes.

Perhaps God is telling us something about nature.

Often, we ignore the spiritual dimension.

"This is not news but it is a lovely Christmas true story," wrote a woman named Helen from New Zealand.

"Tonight I had just finished reading Spirit Daily and watching EWTN. It was about animals, stories about animals and miracles. So it was in my mind. I decided to put a little Holy Water on my cat before going to bed. He normally sleeps in the lounge on a chair. But when I went to find him he was nowhere to be seen. All the doors were shut so it was not possible for him to be in another part of the house. This was unusual. Sometimes he sits under my maidenhair fern plant but he was not there either nor under the lounge curtains. There was simply nowhere else he could be.... well almost nowhere else. Buddy( my cat) had shown great interest in the crib since it went up before Christmas. It is quite a big crib made in Germany with a lovely large stable. To my complete dismay, there he was sitting between Mary and Joseph, right inside the stable as if he was part of the Holy family. Then he laid his head down right beside baby Jesus and toward Our Lady and went to sleep. I had been really thinking about animals going to Heaven tonight and suddenly, there he was. He jumped out after about fifteen minutes, leaving everything absolutely intact."

[resources: The God of Miracles and Michael Brown retreat, 1/25, Fort Myers, Florida]