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I'm pretty sure that the current Pope's 'communist crucifix' will be as well-remembered in the mid-22nd century as Leo XIII's tricycle is today. Pope Francis called it "protest art," said he understands the idea behind it, and isn't offended by the gift. I think that's reasonable. (From PA, via The Telegraph, used w/o permission.) (" The table, which is called an EVO 8000, came with customised bats painted with the Union Jack and the Stars and Stripes flags " ( The Telegraph ) Sometimes diplomatic gifts aren't very diplomatic. For example — the pingpong table British Prime Minister David Cameron gave the American president was a great idea, with just one problem: it was made in China. That was in 2012, so maybe the fuss about a "best of Britain" being made in China has stopped. More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

Flock of Sheep in the Campagna , Claude Lorrain Akademie der bildenden Künste, Vienna [ Web Gallery of Art ] Gospel   Mark 6:30-34  ( NRV,Version, Catholic Edition , Canada)    The apostles gathered around Jesus, and told him all that they had done and taught.   He said to them, “Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while.” For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat.   And they went away in the boat to a deserted place by themselves.   Now many saw them going and recognized them, and they hurried there on foot from all the towns and arrived ahead of them.   As he went ashore, he saw a great crowd; and he had compassion for them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things.   Fr Ragheed Aziz Ganni  (20 January 1972 - 3 June 2007) I will raise up shepherds over them who will shepherd them, and they shall not fear any longer, or be dismayed, nor shall any be missing, says the

5 Catholic mum bloggers challenge today’s culture on the value of motherhood Ontario, Canadian mum Melanie Jean Juneau is a love rebel— one of 5 moms who have chosen to pursue the vocation of motherhood over their careers or personal goals. Along with four other Catholic moms, she shares her stories of mothering despite living in a culture that belittles their efforts in  Love Rebel: Reclaiming Motherhood. Compiled and edited by Roberta Cottam, this slender anthology aspires to encourage today’s moms in their vocation of motherhood. From inspiring poetry to practical tips, essays that capture the small moments of motherhood and reflections on mothering in today’s world, this anthology brings together a wealth of wisdom from five ordinary yet inspiring moms. ebook Coming out July 21, paperback available now on Amazon continue reading

New Horizons has started sending back data from its Pluto flyby on July 14, 2015. Pluto and Charon don't have nearly as many craters as scientists expected. One patch, at least, seems to be very new, on the cosmic time scale. Something, maybe Pluto's equivalent of volcanic eruptions, resurfaced that terrain in the last 100,000,000 years. There's something odd about Charon's north polar region, too. Interesting, anyway. More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

All about  ingrained anxiety and growing in trust. Anxiety   makes us ill in body, mind, and spirit. Yet worry is ingrained in our nature from the moment we are born, part of original sin. Babies are not simply empty slates; they are complex little people who just happen to be preverbal. Babies are born with more than simply inherited physical characteristics but personalities and even inherited blessings and curses passed down through the generations. .......  I must let go of worry and control, even though it goes against every fiber of my being. My Lord is God and I am not. I am simply His child.  I love to control so God often must shatter my safe little world because this is the only way I would step out of my comfort zone. continue reading

I was recently asked to do a post about a new doll company and thought, "Why not make it into a {p, h, f, r} post ?  I am a doll lover!!! ( I know, technically, I cannot love a doll because it is incapable of sharing emotions, but the English language is so limited in this capacity).  So I am pleased to introduce Dolls from Heaven and their heavenly dolls PRETTY The picture speaks for itself as far as beauty, but let me add a little information.  This is the first prototype doll.  She is St Therese.  Who doesn't love St Therese?  (Yes, I know I used the same word, and this time it was genuine, lets come up with a new, useful word to add to our lexicon instead of all these texting abbreviations, please!) She is gorgeous.  Her habit is well designed with much attention to detail.  At $100, she easily competes with those other 18" dolls that are quickly losing their appeal in my opinion.  This is a doll that can be treasured for many years and speak to a child&

Twenty years ago this week, Chicago experienced the worst heat wave in recent history.  According to the  Chicago Tribune , the temperature was 106 degrees on July 13, 1995.  Over 700 victims were claimed by the intensity of that heat and our city was left reeling. You can read the rest of the article at Being Catholic ... Really .

The statistics on homelessness is staggering--while it is hard to get an accurate number, all told it is in the millions just in the United States.  Sadly, the fasting growing population of homeless is children.  Here are five ways that you and your family can help in five really quick bites. 1 Support Habitat for Humanity.   It is an incredible organization, changing the lives of homeless people and families, one simple house at a time.  In high school, I did a lot of fundraising and publicity for Habitat for Humanity.  At that point, it was not as well known as today.  I have never gotten to actually work on a Habitat house, but I think I am going to try to find a project near by that Buddy and I can support with a little elbow grease.  He loves to build and I miss getting to, wood shop was my favorite class in middle school. Even if you can't swing a hammer, you can help out and save money at the same time.  Check out one of their Re-Store thrift shops selling all kind of

The Church celebrates the Feast of St. Bonaventure, Bishop and Doctor on July 15 with a beautiful selection in the Office of Readings from his book The Journey of the Mind to God ; a treatise about the ascent of the soul to the Lord. St. Bonaventure describes this ascent, this longing for the Lord as something that is possible only with the assistance of the Lord himself. The key to unlocking this flood of grace - of divine assistance, is prayer.  St. Bonaventure tells us, "This divine aid is available for all who seek it with a truly humble and devout heart, that is by sighing for it in this vale of tears by fervent prayer. Prayer is the mother and origin of every upward striving of the soul." The enemy #1 of this ascent to God is sin. "Sin", according to St. Bonaventure, "deforms nature." Once again, the antidote to sin that he prescribes is prayer and the living of a holy life. He encourages detachment in order to pursue this journey towards God say

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Going from good to great sounds daunting, doesn’t it? It need not be so. To be magnanimous or noble-minded, to be great, simply means that we need to recognize the talents that God has given us and use them to the best of our abilities for the benefit of others. That added extra phrase, ‘for the benefit of others,’ marks the clear distinction of intention between self-sacrificing love for one’s neighbor and self-serving love. Where do you start? Take an honest assessment of your talents. Perhaps you are a good listener. If so, be magnanimous with your time and give a listening ear to those in need. Perhaps you are a good communicator/teacher. If so, share your knowledge with others. God gave each of us talents, differing talents, which is a good thing. Read more...

I crawled literally on my hands and knees in the dark. The grass was cool beneath me; the tears were hot streaming down my cheeks. I searched for the Crosses I'd flung across the backyard earlier. I was hurt. I was terrified. I was mad at God. What had happened to my life? To the lives of my children? To my family? To our whole world? So often during those first couple of years I'd run images in my head trying to figure out what had happened. My husband and I had been best friends and had renewed our vows on Valentine's Day 2009. What had happened to change him so drastically? Had he changed or had I misjudged him the entire time? I couldn't know. What I did know is that shortly before we renewed our vows, he reconnected with an ex-girlfriend on Facebook and that on Mother's Day of that same year he suddenly announced he was leaving, moving out just a week later. I was also five months pregnant with our fifth little boy. I went to church Sunday after

Pluto is the brightest of many objects orbiting the sun in what is known as the Kuiper Belt. Yesterday, the NASA probe New Horizons  going 31,000 mph passed Pluto, snapping pictures and recording data. The 3-billion-mile journey there took nine years. This is an awesome feat for the human race. When Pluto was discovered in 1930, it was hailed as a planet. Now that we know more, it has been re-dubbed as a “dwarf planet.” Pondering the immensity of the universe beyond earth gives me vertigo. It’s impossible to fathom the mind-boggling distances and seemingly endless number of extraterrestial bodies—stars, asteroids, planets, and black holes—surrounding our little blue and green Earth hurtling through space. No wonder some Jewish man ages ago gazing at the breathtaking night sky exclaimed, “When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars that you have established; what are human beings that you are mindful of them, mortals that you care for th

Dozens of times in the Gospels, Jesus "amazes" his listeners. Here are a few of my favorites: They were amazed, saying "What sort of man is this, whom even the winds and the sea obey?" -Matthew 8:27 They were on the way, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus went ahead of them. They were amazed, and those who followed were afraid. Taking the Twelve aside again, he began to tell them what was going to happen to him. -Mark 10:32 And all who were with him were amazed at the catch.  -Luke 5:9 Does Jesus amaze us? Is he so shockingly unique that we, his followers, are sometimes a little afraid of him? Read on at Praying with Grace ! Gold Aurei of the Twelve Caesars. Gift of C. Ruxton Love Jr., 1967.  www.metmuseum.or

The next stop on my Touring Chicago's beautiful churches is  Holy Family .  Holy Family began its journey in 1857 when  Fr. Arnold Damen  began it's construction. You can read the rest of the article at Being Catholic ... Really .

In a society where secular values bombard our children, Catholics must encourage those who create Catholic culture so we can introduce our children to their rich heritage.  Of course we should become aware of great Catholic artists, authors, bloggers and columnists but we must actively support those artists who craft beautiful toys for our kids, toys which promote Catholic values in a way which appeals to real kids. .  I am  personally delighted with the look of a doll created by Kiczek Family, Their first doll is  the young and beautiful St. Theresa. . As a mum, I just know she will appeal to little girls, inspiring them to identify with her. St. Theresa’s story is a wonderful springboard for imaginative play. continue

Generous to a fault – Have you ever heard that phrase? It describes a person who gives until he has nothing else to give; he gives from the heart for the benefit of others. He gives in a self-sacrificing manner, making the gesture magnanimous. The saints are great examples of people who do things for the right reason, with the right intention – that of self-sacrificing love. Saint Francis of Assisi is one of the most magnanimous saints, according to Father Romano Guardini: The perfection of expression can be seen in the saints. God appears in them. But since man is the image of God, and God is the model of man, this manifestation also reveals the essential nature of man, of every man. He becomes truly himself. How did St. Francis of Assisi become truly himself? By not... Read more...  

Early in the second season of  Parenthood,  there is a situation where we see a struggle for power between parents and child. The characters Joel and Julia's six year old daughter, Sydney, all of a sudden becomes a self-declared Vegetarian. She can, therefore, justify refusing the chicken on her plate that night at dinner,  especially  since a friend at school has convinced her that eating meat is morally wrong, and disgusting.  After her parents struggle a bit with how to respond, and after telling her she needs her protein and the whole bit, they decide to be completely supportive of her position, for various reasons. However, the next night, her Grandparents are slated to babysit her, and they bring a big pan of lasagna along.  The parents- feeling greatly defeated- explain her decision, and say that they desire to be supportive.   {read the rest at Picture a Skyline}

What is the difference between your job, whatever it may be, and Christ making a wooden table? Find out HERE

I've again posted a video that captures, more than anything I've ever found, The Cloistered Heart as I have 'seen' it.... No matter where we are, no matter how dense the crowds or chaotic the traffic, in the cloisters of our hearts we can sing..... (click here to continue)

This post is about sex, Catholic Style. Now that I've got your attention, a little background. I'm a Catholic: an adult convert, so I'm rather gung-ho about my faith. This post is longer than most 'Sunday' ones: mostly because I discuss a recent Supreme Court decision in the context of love, free will, and Addams Family Values... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

Young Jew as Christ , Rembrandt, c.1656 Stattliche Museen, Berlin [ Web Gallery of Art ] Gospel   Mark 6:7-13  New Revised Standard Version, Catholic Edition , Can.  Jesus  called the twelve and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits.   He ordered them to take nothing for their journey except a staff; no bread, no bag, no money in their belts;   but to wear sandals and not to put on two tunics.   He said to them, “Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you leave the place.   If any place will not welcome you and they refuse to hear you, as you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet as a testimony against them.”   So they went out and proclaimed that all should repent.   They cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them. Green Drove, Pewsey , with the Pewsey White Horse, south of the village Today's gospel reminds me of experiences as a seminarian while on  Peregrinatio

My Beloved Child,      Do you realize how much I love you?  You are precious in My eyes.  You are a jewel in the crown of My Mother.  You are a delicate flower moistened by gentle rain on a spring morning.  I hold you in my hand.  Your name really is carved in my palm and  is etched in the stars above heaven.      I love you, and I long to be with you.  I crave the moments when we are united in prayer.  I seek you out so that our hearts may be joined as one.  I long to hear about your day.  I long to hear you tell Me that you love Me!  I thirst for you.  I seek to envelope you in My joy, My Love, My Sacred Heart! Read More At::  His Unending Love

We are accustom to beautiful images of Mary picturing her as a white, European. However, she was from the Middle East and most likely looked Middle Eastern. Artist’s models and concepts of beauty are influenced by their culture.  Now artists are emerging who are painting Mary as if she was born in their country because they can relate and connect better to the living Mary when their prayer is triggered by an image they are familiar with.  The results are stunning, opening our hearts and souls to different qualities and graces of Mary.  continue

Most of us mean well, but, often, we mess it up when we try to comfort those who are suffering greatly, those who have lost a loved one, those whose pain we cannot know because we haven’t walked in their shoes. Holy Spirit, please fill us with Your love, and remind us that, sometimes, the best thing we can say is nothing. Remind us that holding a hand, touching a shoulder, giving a hug, say more than mere words could. Read More at: Prayerfully Yours

New Horizons is closer to Pluto than it was when I started writing this post, and should send back about 5,000 times as much data as Mariner did in its Mars flyby, 50 years ago. ( BBC News ) The ESA's Philae lander 'woke up' last month, but the big news from the Rosetta mission are Comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko's sinkholes: and the jets of gas and dust coming from at least some of them. More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

Today, my neighbor told me that she was dehydrating rhubarb so that she could make tea with it later. My rhubarb has produced abundantly this year, and there is a lot still on the plant, so I came home and picked the best of what remained. My neighbor told me how to dehydrate the rhubarb, but I had a better idea. I pulled out a small, tabletop oven that I own and use for many other baking ideas. I thought, this would be a quick way to dehydrate the rhubarb rather than waiting 6-10 hours for it to dehydrate in the oven. As you can see, the results were less than successful. I burnt the rhubarb. It tastes burnt. I’m going to throw it out. This rhubarb is not fit for tea. Read more at:: Prayerfully Yours

Well, people are writing with fear and panic underlying their comments and  articles in the face of the States sanctioning same-sex marriages. Why?  We are people of hope, not doomsayers or fearmongers. Christ has already triumphed over sin and death. We are  not called to focus on disasters, on evil, on sin. Christ commanded us to refrain from condemnation and judgment so  we will not be judged and condemned by our Master.  Our mandate is simple; allow the Light of Christ to grow ever more brightly within us, especially as the darkness deepens. Then we will be a light unto the world. He will conquer darkness through us. We are simply channels of truth, light and mercy. This is the central message of the New Testament. continue

Ahhh....summer vacation - long relaxing days at the pool, followed by barbecues, late nights and no schedules.  Sounds like a dream - right? Yes and no. If the overload of summer fun along with its corresponding lack of routine is getting you down, you are not alone.  Here are 7 suggestions for managing summer overload without turning into the poolside version of the Grinch! Read more here....

Mother Teresa is the model for the virtue of magnanimity. Yet, my guess is that most of us know little about this noble virtue. So let’s start with a definition: Magnanimity : The virtue which prompts one to do morally good acts of exceptional quality. Magnanimous persons are disposed to perform actions of extraordinary generosity, kindness, fortitude and charity; not in order to gain fame, glory or recognition, but simply to do what is right, good, just or needed. Magnanimous actions are usually only possible for those who, as a matter of habit and custom, practice the other virtues with great regularity and ease. Magnanimity supports and enhances Fortitude, and it is one of the highest forms of charitable self-sacrifice. 1   The best, contemporary example of magnanimous behavior would be Blessed Mother Teresa. She lived and breathed the virtue of magnanimity by practicing all of the other virtues. She shunned fame, and lived amongst the poorest of the poor. She gave of herse

This week I came across a book that was a collection of little known facts in the Bible. It reminded me of the time I heard that God shut the door of Noah's ark after all were boarded. Really? I had to look it up and, sure enough, there it was. (See Genesis 7:16.) At this morning's Mass we heard the story of Jacob wrestling with God, and again, a detail I didn't realize before stood out. When Jacob politely asked God's name, the only response he received was "Why is it it that you ask my name?" Now why did God tell his name to Moses but not to Jacob, I wonder. If you're like me, sometimes when Scripture is proclaimed at Mass I think, "I know that story," and I tune out. Instead of listening attentively for God's message, maybe I plan my next writing project or decide what to have for dinner. This is not smart, for our memories have holes in them, and besides, no matter how often we read or hear God's word, there is always s