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Chameleons may be more famous for changing color than for their rapid-fire tongues: but today I'll be talking about both.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

The logo in honor of the extraordinary jubilee year of mercy, designed by Father Marko Rupnik, S.J., is in the style of an icon. This means that all of its elements symbolize something. Learning about the significance of these various parts can deepen our understanding of this year established, “in hopes that a new flood of mercy will flow over the world.” In case you aren’t aware of the meaning of icon features—and if you haven’t been introduced to the mercy logo already,—here is some information. The two figures stand for Christ, who has the halo, and “Adam” or humanity…us. Christ carries the person over his shoulders the way a shepherd carries a sheep. This obviously refers to the Good Shepherd, Jesus who rescued the human race that had gone astray. The Divine Shepherd laid down his life for his sheep. The black slats Jesus stands on in the logo remind us of the cross. The wounds in his hands and feet are scars from his redeeming sacrifice. The redemption of the worl

COME ON - CHEER UP IT COULD BE WORSE CLICK HERE (If you dare).

For me, gardening helps me relax as I allow the Spirit of God to heal and soothe my inner spirit. It is the perfect way to let go of distractions to prepare to receive even more of God’s Presence. ( All the photos in this article, including the header, were taken at our home.) continue reading

I don’t know when it happened, but things have changed. Today would have been my husband’s 70th birthday. I met friends today at a local “hangout” to “celebrate” the day. When I walked into the restaurant, before my friends arrived, I I saw them! All the “OLD” people there! Oh, my goodness! I almost ran out of the restaurant. This can’t be! What happened? When did it happen? Read more at Prayerfully Yours

To invite God into our hearts to love and heal us is an act of Mercy, a gift from God, the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. The invitiation is ours, but the gift is from God. This offer to come into our beings is not a request that God will refuse. He seeks us, but waits until we are ready, if ever.  Read more at Prayerfully Yours

On our 6th wedding anniversary, sitting in a busy pizza place, I was flipping through our local diocesan paper when an article jumped out at me. I was excited as I read a statement by Pope JPII which stated that using contraceptives not only damaged a couple’s intimacy but also harmed their spirituality. We were both struck dumb, sensing a powerful Presence of God as this truth pierced our hearts. Michael and I try to never let anything hinder our journey into God’s heart, so this truth now meant artificial contraception was definitely not an option. Of course, I cannot find the exact quotes we read that day but the following is close enough: read more  

“… the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control ” (Gal. 5:22-23) Do you notice something in common with all of these fruits of the Spirit? Each one of them is also a virtue! As I was studying for my Master of Arts Degree in Pastoral Theology, I came across this passage from Galatians, and it hit me: Virtue must be very important to the Holy Spirit, when six of the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, received at Confirmation are virtues, and all nine of the fruits of the Spirit are virtues. Bearing fruits of the Spirit is the outcome that results from... Read more...

#WorthRevisit - Praying Your Newsfeed          4/20/2016 0 Comments Prayer is a power gift . Perhaps you have not thought prayer in terms of gift. The interesting thing about gifts to be USEFUL — they need to be: Received, Opened, and well...Used. In putting it to use the receiver can truly express gratitude for the gift. If we are presented with a new book, dress or game, and put it in a drawer never to be touched again, couldn’t we be considered ungracious?  The irony is the only one missing out from not using the gift is the recipient.  Even Great Aunt Hilda’s itchy multi-color sweater can be put to some use with a little imagination; and should we not want to try to figure out how to do that, after all Great Aunt Hilda put into getting it for us? Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above.     James 1:17 If it is important to be attentive to sweet Auntie Hilda, how much more should my response be then to  every good gift God offers  

As the Morning Rising: Bread of Life : Bread of Life The bread of life come down from heaven Is alive in me. I will live forever If I abide in the One who loves me - The same...

I’ve been watching the old series, The Twilight Zone . I think I’m on season 3 now. Even by modern standards, the series is strong on odd and unexpected. One of my favorite shows in the series, so far, has been the one in which a woman is tormented because the doctors have tried everything to make her beautiful rather than the hideous woman that she is. The woman’s face is wrapped in bandages until the end of the show. When her face is revealed, she is a beautiful, blond haired woman. She is in despair because the doctors and nurses have told her that nothing else can be done, and she is going to be sent away to live with other people who look like she does. Read more at Prayerfully Yours

Cover design by Rhonda Ortiz: a thing of beauty My first e-book,  The Lost Sun: Looking for Light in the Midst of Depression , was about acedia, spiritual sloth, and the need for medication in cases of anxiety and depression and other mental disorders.  I'm thankful to God for this opportunity to write another e-book, and I am so thankful for all of you, my wonderful, faithful readers! It is because of you that this was possible. I have learned so much from this process, and I'm taking that into the next step of my writing journey. My newest e-book,  Beautiful Souls  was born out of a realization. I suddenly realized that  autonomous, I am not . It was a process that has been actualized with help. The e-book was written entirely by me, but it did not end there. The helper was  Rhonda Ortiz . The copyediting and formatting was all done by her. The editing was done by her. The inspiration for the cover was conceived and carried out by her! The end product of that team e

SANTACROCE'S LAST SUPPER ©SEDMAK/GETTY IMAGES Most paintings of the Last Supper show the Apostles shifting restlessly--just like our children at Mass! How long is your child’s attention span? Most research suggests that children’s attention spans relate to their age: how many years old are they? That’s the same number of minutes they can sustain interest in an activity. Four-year-old children, for example, can pay attention for four minutes. Some studies claim attention spans extend up to two times the child’s age. In that case, under the right circumstances, our 4-year-old children can accomplish eight minutes of acceptable church behavior. Depending on your parish, the eucharistic prayer occurs about 40 minutes into the celebration of Mass. Forty minutes of liturgy is FIVE TIMES those eight minutes we can expect from our little ones. And some of our children struggle with medical or behavioral challenges that make the basic eight-minute mark a miracle. Read the rest at

As the Morning Rising: Breath of the Living God : There's a kind of quiet we experience when the din of traffic noise dies down after the rush hour. Then there's the kind of silence...

So ... Where Are We in this Process I thought I would take this week to share where Kevin (my hubby of 26 years) and I are mentally in this process. As I begin my Weight Watchers journey this month, I realized the similarity of the discipline the Lord is trying to create in my heart.  This mind shift from spending as we wish on what we wish, much like my eating what I want and when I want, is a process.  IT is not overnight.  As we say in the weight loss world - YOU did not get 20 lbs over weight overnight, you will NOT shed it overnight. It has been literally 32 years of mistakes and missteps; along with some serious emotional and mental baggage that has brought us to be this over our heads with debt.  Add to that my desire to serve God in the ever lucrative (read only for Joel Osteen) ministry world - and this is not going to be a quick fix.  The  Navigating Your Finances God's Way   study has truly been a God Send - but it has not been the miraculous fix all I had hope

“… we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.  And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.   Romans 5:3-5 With the Easter season upon us, once again my thoughts turn to the witness of the disciples and experience of new believers in an unbelieving world. Where, such witness of faith in a risen Christ required courage in the face of certain punishment or death. Here in the Western world, we may feel a measure of comfort, secluded from persecution or reproof. Though one glace at the evening news reminds us that death is but a daily reality for countless Christians in other parts of the world.  And yet we too are called to witness, resisting the temptation to become complacent or falsely secure in the practice of our faith. In this current culture of relative truth, quite often we might even fail to speak to the soundness of our belief for

Adventures of Faith, Hope, and Charity: Finding Patience (The Back Story) Faith was anxious about moving to a new town. That meant a new house, new school, and new friends. Faith was shy and found it difficult to make new friends. She dreaded the move and all of the change that would ensue. Faith had very little patience. She wanted to claim her “new normal,” ASAP, for she knew that once things settled down, she would feel more comfortable about this move. Faith did not welcome change! It was all her Daddy’s fault for getting that new job. If it wasn’t for him, she would be at home in her old house, with her friends from her old school. Being eight years old stunk! If it was up to her, she would have stayed put, where she felt most comfortable. Yet, it wasn’t up to her, so... Read more...

Archbishop Anthony Bloom gave one of the best retreats I ever attended. He began by telling the story of a retired headmistress who offered her services to him as his chauffeur. As they were returning home one Monday afternoon she stopped the car in London to pick up her new glasses from the opticians and proceeded to try them out for the remainder of the journey.  It was less than a mile, but it turned out to be the most terrifying journey either of them had ever made; her driving was simply atrocious.  She got out of the car shaking all over, opened her handbag, took out her driving licence and ceremoniously ripped it into little pieces.  "I'll never drive again".  she said.  "Why ever not?"  asked the Archbishop...  continue..

Nuns and monks dress anew in their habits every morning, usually turning even the act of dressing into an opportunity to renew their consecrations to Christ. And what about those of us who do not wear the pieces of a habit? I find great richness in the following morning prayer... (continue...)

A special collection was taken up today at Mass. It was for the seminarians in our diocese, for their continuing education, as they discern their call to the priesthood or not. We are extremely blessed in our parish. Read more at PrayerfullyYours

A dozen folks, three families, rode back to the Vatican with Pope Francis. I think that's a good thing, since their homes in Syria aren't there any more. They survived, obviously, and had made it as far as Lesbos, 1 an island in the Aegean Sea. "A Gesture of Welcome" (From AFP, via BBC News, used w/o permission.) (" The migrants are travelling on the same plane as the Pope back to the Vatican " (BBC News)) More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

As the Morning Rising: Vocations - Alleluia! Alleluia! : If I think of my life as a work in progress well then today is a good day in which to give thanks for the many, who through the graces o...

  John 10:27   " My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they ...[stop and listen].

(from The Breadbox Letters)

As the Morning Rising: World Day of Prayer for Vocations 2016 : Calling Over dew-wet fields Among the whisper of reeds The Spirit blows Gentle as a child’s knock On the door of time. He is gra...

The Good Shepherd , Marten van Cleve   Gospel   John 10:27-30  ( NRSV, Catholic Ed . , Canada)  Jesus said:  “My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me.   I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand.   What my Father has given me is greater than all else, and no one can snatch it out of the Father’s hand.   The Father and I are one.” 'My sheep hear my voice' I know nothing about tending sheep and until I looked at the video above never quite understood the reality of the words of Jesus in today's gospel:   ‘My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me' . An extraordinary example of the power of words is a story involving   Fr Willie Doyle SJ , the army chaplain who was killed in 1917 in Belgium during the Great War. Some years before the War he was giving a retreat to a community of nuns in Ireland. He got a telegram on the last day from his Provincial Superior telling him to

We may be within a generation of sending probes on flyby missions to other stars, high-energy jets from several distant galaxies all point in the same direction, and we're learning more about hot super-earths. That sort of thing fascinates me, your experience may vary. Meanwhile, SETI researchers will be checking out red dwarfs: which may be more promising places to look for neighbors than we thought. More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

The Good Shepherd by Jean Baptiste de Champaigne I’m going a bit off topic today to give you my thoughts on the recent apostolic exhortation Amoris Laetitia. Some traditionalists are up in arms, some “liberals” are dancing with glee. What did Pope Francis really say, how important was it, and what does it mean for you and me? No change in doctrine or discipline The first and most important thing to understand is that AL (as it is being called for short) does not propose changes to Catholic discipline on who can receive the Eucharist, let alone a change in the doctrine behind this practice. “I was happy to take up the request of the Fathers of the Synod to write this Exhortation. In so doing, I am reaping the rich fruits of the Synod’s labours. In addition, I have sought advice from a number of people and I intend to express my own concerns about this particular chapter of the Church’s work of evangelization..." Continue reading at Contemplative Homeschool.

Adulthood used to mean embracing adult ideals. A fellow blogger learned the hard way that a lapse in judgment can lead to heartache. Reflections on a fellow blogger's post, 1 Corinthians 13:11, and what it all means today on A Return to Elegance: You Lead by Example.

I’ve watched her many times. Pixie’s high maintenance, but she calms down with sleep. As I write this, I am thinking about a nap. It’s only 9:30 in the morning. I decided that Mass was a priority today, so when my alarm rang this morning, I got up rather than turn it off and go back to sleep.  Read more at Prayerfully Yours

We’ve only had this dishwasher since late February, but it broke. It wasn’t a particularly easy fix for the company, but they did fix it. In the meantime, I’ve had to do dishes by hand. (Insert a gasp here.) I haven’t done dishes by hand, all the dishes by hand, in a long time. (Insert another gasp and “The horror of it!”) It took about a week for the part to come in and to schedule and appointment with the repairman. (I’m not being politically correct, a man was sent to repair my dishwasher.)  Read more at Prayerfully Yours

A call which confounds the wise. A call which confounds the mentality of Western Society. I too was surprised to discover life and joy in the ordinary. Years ago, a mother to four little ones I was worried, actually frantic. Was I pregnant yet again? continue reading

Wisdom, Counsel, Understanding, Fortitude, Knowledge, Piety and Fear of the Lord (awe): These are the Gifts of the Holy Spirit. We specifically receive these gifts at our Confirmation, when we become full-fledged Christian adults. However, in my rather long lifetime, I seem to receive these gifts over and over. The well never seems to run dry. Apparently these gifts are important, since we seem to grasp for them at various junctures in our lives. We seek wisdom, counsel, knowledge and understanding whenever we need to make difficult, sometimes life-changing decisions. We seek Fortitude whenever hard times, suffering and persecution land... Read more...

I’ve had time to skim   The Joy of Love  (Amoris Laetitia)   by Pope Francis. It bears closer reading, and I’ll get there eventually. For now, it evokes words that had a profound effect on my life – words uttered a decade before Pope Francis even became a priest, and a year before I was born. The pope’s recent message reinforced the Catholic Church’s recognition of the truth about the dignity and indissolubility of marriage. At the same time, he urged readers to build bridges of mercy and patience and acceptance for other people as they are, where they are. Can one be “accepting” of people in unsanctioned unions, without compromising on truth? Let me tell you my family’s story, and you’ll know why I say yes. Read the rest of the post at ellenkolb.com.

Celebrating the liturgy WITH our children is one of those "acts of devotion" Pope Francis encourages us to experience. Today's article continues the series on what the Mass means for families. This fourth part reflects on the Liturgy of the Eucharist. I’m about to tell you something personal. It involves something my husband is still sensitive about, so if you see him, don’t let on that you know, OK? On May 21, 1995, a gloriously sunny day, I graduated with my bachelor’s degree. The commencement ceremony was a big deal to me; in addition to receiving my diploma, I also got to take the stage to sing the National Anthem and Alma Mater. My family traveled over 400 miles to attend. What’s more, the ceremony happened to be six days before my wedding. My soon-to-be-husband was graduating the same day, with his master’s degree. So much to celebrate! Neither my fiancé nor I owned a cell phone, so we simply agreed on a place to meet outside the arena. Join me at Prayin

As the Morning Rising: Thanking God in the Garden : The leaves and petals, although weighed down by last night's rain are still themselves. Their colour has not diminished nor th...

Yesterday, the Blu-Ray player that my son had given me for Christmas quit. It simply quit working. I tried the various steps that you go through to get it working again. I used the remote to turn it on and off. I unplugged the player from television. When I did, the screen came back on, but no matter what, I could not use my blu-ray player to access Netflix. So, I decided that I would let it rest until today. Read More at:  Prayerfully Yours

Your Calling Despite my occasional pondering - God really does have a purpose and plan for me and my life.  My skills are perfectly suited for what GOD has called me to do.  For me I am fairly sure of those things He has for me to do because they are things that I enjoy, feel confident at, and others have validated my talent in.  Perhaps you've encountered the same thing - it does not mean I WILL love every task associated with the position (think diapers and poopie pants as a childcare/preschool teacher) but the main skill set will be one that  fulfills the desires of my heart. This  line from part of Week 6  sums it up, "No one in all of history -- past, present or future - is like you." Read More ..  All Rights Reserved, Allison Gingras 2016

Spring has arrived! Hurrah! As we take to performing spring cleaning around our homes, perhaps it is time to think about the spring cleaning of our souls as well. What clutter of sin might be taking up room in your soul? What dust muffins of ambivalence might be swirling around you, but you pay no attention? Got some stains that might require a little “muscle” to remove? Is the window of your soul sparkling clean, or is there a murky film casting a shadow? How to “Spring Clean” Your Soul Remove the clutter of sin by... Read more...

I am a doer. I do and I do and I do, and sometimes I get so caught up in  doing that I forget things like eating, sleeping, and playing. Luckily, I have five boys who don't let me forget eating for very long, but the sleep and play part I have to remind myself about. I tend to put them on the back shelf behind the never ending list of responsibilities that assault my time. The truth is, I really do have important things that need doing for  my life coaching , my teaching, my children, my CCD classes, my home, and for so many other things. I often get so caught up in what needs to be done, that I forget that downtime needs to be done too. I forget to make time to rest, to play with my children, to feed my children without their reminders (I won't win Mother of the Year Award again this year!) I forget to make time to sit with the Lord and say the Rosary, quietly reflecting on Jesus' life as I move from verse to verse along each bead. I forget to take time to read