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Take the 14 Day "Heroic Minute" Challenge

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Are you addicted to the snooze button? Feel like the rest of your house has begun their day before you? Looking to grow in holiness, but struggling in controlling even the smallest of your desires? Wanting to carve out more time for prayer and silence in your busy life but don't know how? Join me at Saints 365 as we begin the 14 Day "Heroic Minute" challenge - click the link below to find out which great Saint coined the phrase "Heroic Minute" and read more about the challenge! http://saints365.blogspot.com/2014/10/take-14-day-heroic-minute-challenge.html

The foundation of St. Teresa's teaching

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On Wednesday the Church celebrated the feast of St. Teresa of Avila, founder of the Order of Discalced Carmelites and Doctor of the Church. The Carmelites are celebrating the 500th anniversary of her birth with an entire year of events beginning this month. Over that time period I hope to have many vibrant discussions here about Teresa, her life, and her teachings. Sometimes we become interested in a saint when we hear one story about him or her. We don’t always view that story from the total context of a saint’s life and teaching. With my melancholic temperament, I like to look for the unifying principles behind things. This gives me a greater grasp of the meaning of individual facts. For St. Therese, that unifying principle was a childlike trust in God. So what is the unifying principle behind true Teresian spirituality? Intimacy with Jesus. Continue reading at Contemplative Homeschool.

October Belonged to Mary First

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I wrote this quite a while ago, but never shared it here. I have gone back to praying the rosary every day.  Usually at night before I go to bed.  The rosary is a prayer that I can easily get lost in.  I can lose my place, lose my focus or even drop it and wonder which bead I'm on! You can read the rest at Being Catholic ... Really .

Ebola: Scary, and Beatable

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This year's Ebola outbreak has killed thousand of folks in West Africa: and one in the United States. By any reasonable standard, it's a very serious health problem.... ...As I've said before, being healthy is okay. ( June 13, 2014 ) Not being healthy is okay, too: but I'm expected to take care of my health: within reason.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

Being bullied

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I wrote this piece three years ago, but I thought it appropriate to publish it again.  Being bullied can stay with a child for years. October is a crowded month.   Hispanic Heritage  and  Breast Cancer Awareness  is but two of the many causes being touted.  It is also  Bullying Prevention Month .  Something I know a little bit about. You can read the rest at Being Catholic ... Really .

Too busy to care

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Alternative Medicine...Is It Right for a Woman of Faith?

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Many women today suffer from chronic illness. It may be autoimmune related diseases like Rheumatoid Arthritis or Lupus or it may be digestive issues like Colitis or Crohn’s.  And those are only the very tip of the iceberg.  I don’t think there are verifiable statistics for this phenomenon because it doesn’t appear that there is a real awareness of the seriousness of this trend—but it is there. I see it. I hear it, too. Since I’ve spent the better part of the past three decades (and probably even more time than that but I just didn’t put the pieces together) with what can best be described as “chronic illness” that evades concrete diagnosis, I may just be more sensitive to seeing and hearing the telltale signs of this trend among our female population. read more here

This Too Shall Pass

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I often use the phrase,  “this, too, shall pass”,  usually with a grin on my face because it puts my problems in perspective and helps me not become too dramatic about my suffering. Although the exact words  this too shall pass  are not in the Bible, the verse in 2 Corinthians 4:17-18 talks about things being temporary. “For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.   So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen,since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” Some think this phrase stems from a fable written by Persian Sufi poets. Others credit it to  Jewish folklore , saying it originated with  King Solomon , even though it is not recorded in the Bible.  It is said that the King, feeling blue, asked his advisors to find him a ring he had seen in a dream. “When I feel satisfied I’m afraid that it won’t last. And when I don’t, I am afraid my sorrow will go on forever. Find me th
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It’s that time of that year again when girls groups are starting in home settings and Catholic parishes. We’ve received many exciting inquires about the new release of  All Things Girl: Friends, Fashion and Faith  and wanted to share these two excerpts as an example of what you will find in the book for Catholic tween girls and the  accompanying journal .  The Table of Contents is also offered here. And if I can be of any help, please just let me know!  Cheryl@BezalelBooks.com Having a Soul Gives You Inherent Dignity… Joan  lives in a neighborhood where the houses are huge and everyone has a pool. Katie lives in a neighborhood where some of the houses have broken windows and lots of kids share bedrooms. Which person has more dignity? Tamar  is from the Middle East and has olive skin, she speaks with a thick accent. Mary has long, beautiful brunette hair and perfect skin. Betty is chubby and has greasy hair. Gertrude is skinny and cuts her own hair. Which girl h

Coming Soon a New Series:Teaching Vocations

So, my real passion and desire is to create a treasure chest of resources for leading little ones to vocations.  I am working on a series of posts for both boys and girls to do just that. My hope is to eventually write a book for children about the different orders, something that would have fascinated me as a child and even now.  I started this blog after searching for years to find these resources but never finding what I really wanted. Continue reading on Veils and Vocations .

Making Time to Pray:: Is it really possible?

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(Photo taken by:: Conniemod  Found on Wikimedia Commons)   Yes, you can.  Not only can you find more time to pray, you NEED to find more time to pray.  We all do!   Prayer is direct communication with God.  God wants to hear from us, and we need to hear from God.  Through prayer, we lift our hearts and minds to God.   Without prayer, we are dry.  God's love fills us with joy.  This is what happens when we pray--communicate--with God.  His graces flow to us and for us.  We need to find more time in our busy days to open our hearts to God in prayer. So, how can you find more time to pray?   Use Sacred Scripture to pray.  Dust off that family bible and begin to read.   If you have favorite verses,  find those in your Bible.  If you don't own a bible, you can download one into your e-reader.  There are also free resources online.  Check these out and use them. Read More at:: His Unending Love

To Be a Saint or a Saintly Sinner

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Since we are approaching the feast of the halloweds (the saints), I’ve been musing about sainthood. One of my favorite prayers as a teenager was, “O God Who art all powerful, make me a saint.” Some people exclaim, “I’m no saint,” yet we are all called to be saints. As French novelist Leon Bloy pointed out, “The only real failure in life is not to be a saint.” If we are not saints by the time we die, then we will have a miserable eternity. In view of our weakness, faults and temptations around us, being holy may appear farfetched, for some impossible! Keep in mind, though, that saints were sinners too—they had “tilted halos”— yet they loved God and others. The canonized saints are to serve as models for us, although the martyrs’ path to sanctity is not very appealing. The uncanonized saints, some of whom we rub shoulders with, may be easier to imitate. Click to continue

Encounter With The Virgin

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This encounter started sometime back, I will begin there.   For some time after my husband's death, I had been not living a good life.  I was breaking a commandment pretty regularly.  It wasn't I was mad at God for my husband's death, it was because of the intensity of the pain I was suffering because of grief.   In truth, it hurt worse to go to Church than it did to sin.   I knew better, I had already had the Vision of the Eucharist, so I knew the truth, and I would say to myself, "What are you doing! You know better!!"  After three years, when my heart had healed sufficiently, it was time to come home. Mother calls.  ....TO READ MORE OF THE ENCOUNTER WITH THE VIRGIN...CLICK HERE.
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Let Jesus be Your Shepherd. This Sunday's Responsorial Psalm has long been one of my favorite Bible readings, especially in times of crisis. If you know a family in crisis or if it is your family that is, unbelievably, falling apart while you watch powerlessly, I hope you find Psalm 23 comforting and strengthening as I have. Responsorial Psalm  PS 23:1-3A, 3B-4, 5, 6 R/ (6cd) I shall live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life. The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. In verdant pastures he gives me repose; beside restful waters he leads me; he refreshes my soul. Right away, this Psalm takes away our arguments. The marriage, the family, the car, the health insurance, the dreams of the house with the white picket fence…all are gone, and yet, the Lord tells us to not want. This verse reminds me of the Parable of the Prodigal Son. When the Good Son asked his father why he hadn't received the good the sinful brother had, the father replied, "all tha

God's Kingdom, a Wedding Parable, and the Rest of the Story

28th Sunday in Ordinary Time 2014: Isaiah 25:6 - 10a Philippians 4:12 - 14 , 19 - 20 Matthew 22:1 - 14 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time 2014 By Deacon Lawrence N. Kaas October 12, 2014 This is a story of an older couple to be married. Both had lost their spouses to death and had grown children. The combined children sent out this wedding invitation to their friends on behalf of their mother and father, Philip, Richard, Karen and Allison, John, Matt and Steve, we request your presence at the marriage of our mother and father. Because they are combining two households, they already have at least two of everything, so please! no presents! Reception and garage sale immediately following the ceremony.... (A guest post) More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

Can you Spare 3 Hail Marys a day this week to pray for Peace?

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Our Mother reminds us to pray for peace. Hail Mary, Full of Grace, the Lord is with you. Each of us must pray for the peace of God  in our hearts, in our lives, in our nation, and  in our world. Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus.  If our world converts, then there will be peace. The peace of God, which transcends all, will fill our hearts, our minds and our souls.   Read More at:: His Unending Love

Tribal Living

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Tribal Textiles   License : CC Fanny Schertzer Who’s your "tribe"? Who supports your mission as a family? Historically (and pre-historically), humans congregated in tribes. Tribal living made us safer, distributed our work, and connected us with strong bonds. Many people, especially women, probably didn’t have much choice about the tribe they belonged to or their place in it. Our modern, mobile society has improved things in this respect: if I don’t get along with my family or I hate the weather, I can always pack up and move. Yet this mobility has weakened our bonds. Read on at Praying with Grace !

Overcoming Discouragement Through the Stations of the Cross

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When I find myself in times of spiritual dryness and discouragement, my "go-to" devotion is the Stations of the Cross. My flesh is indeed weak, but the grace and power that flows from the Lord's crucified body is enough for me. Click here to read more...  and share what your favorite prayer or devotion is when you are experiencing discouragement.

Do you go to confession?

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Do you go to  confession ?  Do you still go to a priest one on one?  Or do you just do the Communal Confession at Mass? To read the rest of the article and to respond to my very scientific poll (!), go to Being Catholic ... Really .

Death Compared to Divorce - Lessons from Isaiah 25

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The Lord heals wounds caused by death & divorce. In a "normal" week (I'm a single Mom of five boys. Nothing in our lives is "normal!" ;) ) I'd talk about Sunday's Gospel reading and how it applies to hurting families. Today, I couldn't look at just the Gospel though. Today, every reading struck me as so applicable to what so many of us are facing, so this week, I'm taking separate looks at the  first reading, the responsorial Psalm, and the Gospel . Today, we start with the first message I got from reading: Isaiah 25: 6-10. Is Divorce Worse Than Death? The 1st Reading - Isaiah 25:6-10 Early in the reading, we are told that God will destroy death forever. What living death is more pronounced, what death is felt by more than a small group of people, what death impacts the entire society more than the destruction of the family? I can think of none. It has been said that divorce is worse than death. This is not at all bel

Time For a Smile

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It is good to laugh at ourselves. Thomas Merton wrote deep insights on contemplation and society but even he says that we often take ourselves too seriously. “I think the chief reason why we have so little joy is that we take ourselves too seriously. Joy can only be real if it is based on truth, and since the fall of Adam all man’s life is shot through falsehood and illusion. ”   The best response to life’s absurdities and our own weaknesses is laughter. Melanie Once when Merton was asked how you can tell if a man has been through inner transformation, he replied that it was very difficult to tell, but it is usually accompanied by a wonderful sense of humour. So with these thoughts in the back of my mind, I present  some Catholic humour for your enjoyment. if you to laugh some more>

Do You Know the Four Marks of the Church?

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Every time a Catholic recites the  Nicene Creed , he is proclaiming belief in the “Four Marks of the Church.” He joins with all other believers and professes a faith which says, “We believe in  one ,  holy ,  catholic , and  apostolic  church…” These “four marks” are called “indelible” in that they cannot be changed or removed. They are the same as when Christ founded the church and will remain the same until his return. As indicated in the  Nicene Creed , they bind together the believers in a unique and significant way. The first mark: the church is  one . As diverse as we are, we are also considered  one  in that we are one body in Christ. Even as we bring our different cultures to the one body of Christ, we all believe that this Christ is our Lord and Savior; in him we have our redemption.  All who have been baptized are part of his one, true church. read more here

New on the Blogroll: PrayTheRosary.com

There's something new on the blogroll , under ' Something Else :' PrayTheRosary.com " Prayer Change Everything ;" live Rosary online, prayer requests. A very little more at A Catholic Citizen in America .

Thank You, Sister Marcy Claudia!

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(This post is a repeat of a post I wrote in March.) Today, as we walk this Lenten Camino, let us remember those who influenced us, in a particular way, as Catholics.  Then, let us thank God, and if we can, thank them, for their influence in our spiritual development.  Let us also remember to reverence the Holy Name of Jesus. I’ll never forget Sister Mary Claudia. She was my first grade teacher at St. Mary’s.  She was a Sister of Charity from Cincinnati.  Sister Mary Claudia and her fellow sisters wore the full habit.  The sides of her face were encased in her wimple and veil.  How she could see us, I’ll never know, but she knew what we were going to do before we did it!  I remember that she was about 10 feet tall and did not put up with nonsense, at. all.  Once, she made me stay in from play during the lunch break for talking when we were supposed to be doing our arithmetic.  I didn’t dare tell my mother because I knew the kind of trouble I’d be in for disobeying Siste

The Grille Works Both Ways

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I realized something today. The grille works both ways. When we speak of seeing and responding to every person and every situation through the "grillwork of the will of God," we're not talking about hiding behind a one-way mirror. Ours is usually hidden "grillwork," yes, and we can love God with all our hearts without calling a lot of attention to that fact. But the grille works both ways. Not only do we see others through it; they can see us "through it" as well. Oh, they don't see our faces criss-crossed, and we generally look just like everyone else TO everyone else. But if we're interacting with the world "through the will of God," sooner or later our point of view is going to show..... (continue)

Synod 14: What I Expect, and What I Don't

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(From John Hart Studios, used w/o permission.) This post is not about global warming, the coming ice age, or manure burying London. Don't laugh: in 1894 the Times of London ran a warning that London would be under nine feet of manure by 1944. ( July 9, 2011 ) Wikipedia has a list of fizzled apocalypses, from 634 BC to 2013 AD; and that's another topic. Topics. ( February 25, 2014 ; November 29, 2013 ) Synod 14, an extraordinary assembly of the Synod of Bishops, is in progress. It's running from the 5th to the 19th of this month. In this post, I'll be looking at what I expect from the Synod; what I don't expect; and why I'm not upset that the Synod probably won't address the annual collision of Mother's Day and fishing season in Minnesota. More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

Atheists: Compassion Not Condemnation

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It is easy to become self-righteous or defensive when I feel attacked by  atheists. It is a natural, human reaction. However, indignant rants which bludgeon the unbeliever with the ‘truth’ treats them as objects and not an intelligent people who are also loved by God.  When I am  secure in the Love of God, I can love and respect everyone because I do not feel threatened.  Then it is possible to encourage real dialogue which actually listens to the crux of  atheists’ concerns and doubts. Such dialogue opens the door for the Holy Spirit to become the Divine Moderator of the discussion. 1 Corinthians 13: 4   Love is always patient and kind; love is never jealous; love is not boastful or conceited,  5   it is never rude and never seeks its own advantage, it does not take offence or store up grievances.  6   Love does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but finds its joy in the truth….. 9 For we know only imperfectly…  12  Now we see only reflections in a mirror, mere riddles, but then we shall

Imagine - New Version

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FATHER FRANCIS MAPLE A NEW VERSION OF THE SONG IMAGINE CLICK HERE

A Woman of Faith Ages Gracefully, Right?

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You’ve discovered what it truly means to be “young at heart.” The wrinkles around your mouth and the pouchy jowls have no effect on you. You see the varicose veins in your legs and feet as a sign of victory—having carried children and lifted the loads of life. You are able to make fun of your bat wings and still wear sleeveless shirts in the summer. That’s what it means to grow old gracefully; it is a sign of maturity of spirit. Something we attain while we nurture others and as we, ourselves, learn and grow from life’s experiences. Yeah, not so much… read mroe here

The Rosary with the Great Painters

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Virgin and Child with a Rosary , Murillo, 1650-55 Museo del Prado, Madrid ‘The Rosary belongs among the finest and most praiseworthy traditions of Christian contemplation. Developed in the West,it is a typically meditative prayer, corresponding in some way to the “prayer of the heart” or “Jesus prayer” which took root in the soil of the Christian East.' [St John Paul II,  Rosarium Virginis Mariae , No 5.]’ The Rosary here is the formula prayed by members of the  Legion of Mary . There are various ways of beginning and ending the Rosary but the Five Mysteries are the heart of the prayer. The most common formula of the Rosary is  here . I have posted the four sets of the Mysteries of the Rosary on the Forum page of MISYONonline.com , the magazine of the Columbans in the Philippines of which I am editor. The links are below. You can also find the same posts on my personal blog, Bangor to Bobbio . All paintings from   Web Gallery of Art    The Joyful Mysteries ,  The M

‘Go . . . and invite everyone you find to the wedding banquet.' Sunday Reflections, 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A

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The Inspiration of St Matthew , Caravaggio, 1602 Contarelli Chapel, San Luigi dei Francesi, Rome [ Web Gallery of Art ] Readings   (New American Bible: Philippines, USA) Readings   (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, England & Wales, India [optional], Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland, South Africa) Gospel   Matthew 22:1-14 [or 22:1-10]  ( New Revised Standard Version, Catholic Edition : Canada)  Jesus said to the chief priest and the elders of the people:  “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding banquet for his son.   He sent his slaves to call those who had been invited to the wedding banquet, but they would not come.   Again he sent other slaves, saying, ‘Tell those who have been invited: Look, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready; come to the wedding banquet.’   But they made light of it and went away, one to his farm, another to his business,   while the rest seized

Keeping God in U.S. History

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Whether acknowledged or not, there’s a real debate going on in today’s society over whether or not to keep God in U.S. history. And understandably so. It’s hard to justify getting rid of God and religion, or at least heavily regulating it to the private realm to the extent that speaking and acting on one’s personal belief can be construed as intolerant, bigoted or downright wrong, without sidelining the role and presence of God/religion in the past. It’s much harder to do away with something that has played a crucial role in history and culture than it is to get rid of something that we pretend never really existed, or at least didn’t exist the way we all “thought” it did. Funny thing is, though, that history doesn’t change. Our understanding of history and the way history is presented might change, but HISTORY itself doesn’t. What happened, happened, whether or not we acknowledge it. While the “penumbra” of the constitution might be constantly reinterpreted to support any which a