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John 2:1-11 from  The Gospel of John Directed by  Philip Saville Readings   (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, Ireland, New Zealand) Readings   (English Standard Version, Catholic Edition: England & Wales, India, Scotland)   Readings   (New American Bible: Philippines, USA) Gospel   John 2:1-11  (English Standard Version, Anglicised)    At that time: There was a wedding at Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Jesus also was invited to the wedding with his disciples. When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to him, ‘They have no wine.’ And Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come.’ His mother said to the servants, ‘Do whatever he tells you.’ Now there were six stone water jars there for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding seventy or one hundred litres. Jesus said to the servants, ‘Fill the jars with water.’ And they filled them up to the brim. And he said to...

      Way back in Season 10 (Episode 14) of the television show Blue Bloods, the detective character Danny (son of the police commissioner played by Tom Selleck), made this statement: "Don't rehearse for bad news."  I don't remember the context of his comment, but it stood out for me because I think many of us do "rehearse for bad news." My husband, who worked in the medical field, always had a different saying, which I really appreciated: "Don't worry until you have something to worry about." Now he wasn't advocating worrying, of course, but his reminder always helped me whenever I "rehearsed for bad news." It's pretty much pointless to worry when you don't even have all of the necessary information, not to mention any control of the outcome! Whatever you are worried about today, sit quietly with our Lord, and through prayer, spiritual reading, or even inspirational podcasts, receive the peace and calm he is alw...

I learned, long ago, that being "pretty sure" about something wasn't necessarily the same as being right. Take what I was "pretty sure" about last month, for example: "...Folks living in the next block north of our house have inflatable yard decorations out and lit up for this Christmas season. So, on my way to Mass, I drove by Baby Yoda and SpongeBob SquarePants wearing a festive Santa hat. "Baby Yoda is holding what I’m pretty sure is an orange Halloween treat bag...." ("Christmas: Family, Lights, and a Little Weirdness" > Holiday Weirdness (December 28, 2024)) The neighbor's Baby Yoda/Grogu's Christmas stocking didn't seem as bright red as the one in that promotional photo. But the symbol on it was the same. And it was clearly a Christmas stocking.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America . (Correcting what I said about an inflatable holiday lawn decoration and about the Christmas season. Includes a link to the...

      Today's reflection by Bishop Robert Barron (Why was Jesus Baptized?) is a good one for today as we celebrate The Baptism of the Lord. This twelve minute video will be well worth your time!  If you have ever wondered why Jesus was baptized (even though he was free of sin), this will explain it all! If you are a believer, you will find this very clarifying. If you are not a believer, you will definitely learn why others are! Enjoy! Janet Cassidy Email me at:  jmctm2@gmail.com janetcassidy.com https://www.facebook.com/reflectionsinfaith/ https://www.youtube.com/@janetcassidy For the link, just search "Sunday Sermons" at wordonfire.org

I missed Mass on Epiphany Sunday. I'm not happy about that, at all. But we had very cold weather outside — and I'd been noticing a serious mismatch between temperature readings my body was giving me, and what I saw on a room thermometer. I'm not a 40-year-old kid any more, so I played it safe. Other members of the household have been quite distinctly not up to par, so playing it safe was probably a good idea.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America . (Remembering a happy three-legged dog. Plus why I missed Epiphany Sunday Mass, links to Jubilee 2025 resources: and links to vinaigrette/pomander exhibits.)

  The Baptism of Christ Francesco Mochi [ Web Gallery of Art ]   Readings   (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan,) Readings   (English Standard Version, Catholic Edition: England & Wales, India, Scotland)   Readings   (New American Bible: Philippines, USA) Gospel   Luke 3:15-16, 21-22  (English Standard Version, Anglicised)    At that time: As the people were filled with expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Christ, John answered them all, saying, ‘I baptise you with water, but he who is mightier than I is coming, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptise you with the Holy Spirit and fire.’ Now when all the people were baptised by John the Baptist and when Jesus also had been baptised and was praying, the heavens were opened, and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form, like a dove; and a voice came from heaven, ‘Yo...

Former President Jimmy Carter's funeral was at the top of my news feed briefly, earlier this morning. Then the California wildfire headlines bobbed back up: reminding me that living in the frozen north does have advantages. More at A Catholic Citizen in America . (Fire, winter storm warnings, a weather map, headlines: and why I prefer living in central Minnesota. We have experience, dealing with our weather.)

    Before you begin reading today's reflection, would you please consider subscribing to my blog and following my Facebook page (if you have not already done so)?  My contact information for you to do so is listed below.  Thank you! Now on to today's post . . . I came home from the eye doctor after having had a shot in my eye. Not being able to do much, comfortably, I decided to lay down and listen to Bishop Robert Barron's recitation of the Joyful Mysteries of the rosary. Not surprisingly, I was fast asleep before I barely started the first decade (a decade of the rosary is ten Hail Marys.) Reflecting on this later, I came to the conclusion that it's not a bad thing, this resting with Jesus and Mary. Resting your heart in a soft-spoken meditation of the rosary brings about such a sense of peace. I have concluded that God is perfectly fine with me doing this, because my heart is at rest in him, or as Saint Augustine famously said: “You have made us for you...

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  Have you ever given it much thought? Why are you here? What is the purpose of your life? Apart from living, bringing up a family, making money and so on. What is the real purpose of your life? CLICK HERE

Adoration of the Magi  (Bern) Blessed Fra Angelico [ Web Gallery of Art ] Where the Epiphany is celebrated this year on its proper date, Monday 6 January, it is a holyday of obligation. This applies in England & Wales and in Ireland. In countries where the Epiphany is not a holyday of obligation the feast is celebrated on Sunday 5 January. These countries include Philippines, Scotland and the USA. Readings   (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, Ireland) Readings   (English Standard Version, Catholic Edition: England & Wales)   Readings   (New American Bible: Philippines, USA)   Gospel   Matthew 2:1-12   ( New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised Catholic Edition, Canada)     I n the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem,  asking, ‘Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage.’...

First off, I don't know the dog's name. Ulysses was the name I had for him. He, or maybe she, was the sort of dog I think of as a hound-dog: medium size, long legs. Bear in mind that I don't know much about dog breeds. I didn't call him Ulysses for the way he looked, but for the way he acted. That brings me to what's still one of my favorite poems: Tennyson's "Ulysses".... More at A Catholic Citizen in America . (Remembering a disabled dog and a poem by Tennyson.)

The Virgin and Child with the Infant St John the Baptist  Francisco de Zurbarán [ Web Gallery of Art ] In England & Wales and in Ireland the Solemnity of the Epiphany is a Holy Day of Obligation and is celebrated this year on Monday 6 January. In many countries, including Australia, Philippines, Scotland and the USA, the Epiphany is celebrated on this Sunday, 5 January.  The readings below are those for the Second Sunday After the Nativity, observed in England & Wales and in Ireland. The Link to Sunday Reflections for the Epiphany is here . Readings   (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan,) Readings   (English Standard Version, Catholic Edition: England & Wales) Gospel   John 1:1-18  (English Standard Version, Anglicised)    In the beginning was the Word: and the Word was with God and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things came to be, not one thing had its being but through him....

    On the Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God, January 1st, our celebrating priest included some insight into the beginning of the new year. He noted that while we always say "Happy" New Year, he tends to lean into the idea of hoping for "joy" in the new year. We don't know if our year will be happy, since happiness doesn't always come with discipleship (nor necessarily our human experience) but we can always have joy, because that is always found in our Lord. It can be challenging to see joy through our heartache at times. To do so requires us to develop habits that have us turning to God in gratitude-- consistently. When we focus too much on, say, our phones or social media, we can find ourselves spending hours upon hours on reels, recipes and mindless entertainment that does absolutely nothing to further our engagement with God. The further we move away from God, the more difficult it can be to experience true joy. Look closely at ...

    I was watching an interview with Ina Garten (the "Barefoot Contessa, cook & author) where she was talking about her memoir and discussing her difficult childhood. In the interview, she said something that really struck me: "What goes in early, goes in deep and you should not let somebody else's voice be the one that you're hearing in your head." As I recall, she was talking about being negatively characterized as a child (by her parent), which contributed to the development of her poor self-esteem. You have to rise above that voice and find your own, which can be difficult if the voice of chastisement keeps floating around in your head. I mention all of this as we start a new year, hoping that you can work your way through whatever baggage you have been carrying around for the past year--or years--and finally be unburdened and free to re-imagine yourself as a child of God, loved beyond limits. This kind of "life work" goes far beyon...

Adoration of the Shepherds Jacopo Bassano [ Web Gallery of Art ] Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God The Octave Day of the Nativity of the Lord This is a Holyday of Obligation in the Philippines, the USA and some other countries. Readings   (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan,) Readings   (English Standard Version, Catholic Edition: England & Wales, India, Scotland)  Readings   (New American Bible: Philippines, USA) Gospel   Luke 2:16-21  (English Standard Version, Anglicised)    At that time: the shepherds went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had hea...

As I said Saturday, getting to Mass is a big deal for me. I stayed in all day Sunday, and probably will do the same today. That's doubly frustrating, since Sunday morning Mass is one of the two times I get out each week, and I prefer doing my weekly errands Monday afternoon.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America . (Getting to church matters, but I missed Sunday Mass. I talk about that; mothers, making sense, and two Bible readings.)

    Have you ever felt trapped? Some people feel trapped in their life, in their work or family. Some people feel trapped by their schedules, like they are on a wheel, running in circles like a gerbil. I came across Psalm 124 on the Feast of the Holy Innocents, and I read: " Our soul has been rescued like a bird from the fowler's snare. Broken was the snare, and we were freed. Our help is in the name of the LORD, who made heaven and earth." Jesus, our help, whose birth we are now celebrating, did that for us.  He broke through into our humanity and freed us from being snared by sin and death. What a joyous time we are in now, as we continue to celebrate this season of Christmas. I hope you are continuing to have a Merry Christmas, and enjoying the love and freedom our Savior brings! Janet Cassidy Email me at:  jmctm2@gmail.com janetcassidy.com https://www.facebook.com/reflectionsinfaith/ https://www.youtube.com/@janetcassidy

This week I started writing about a holiday visit from family up in North Dakota. By Friday afternoon I was looking at depression and a prayer: Good Times, Good Visit Mass in Minnesota: Freezing Fog and Celebrating Anyway Babies and Expectations Holiday Weirdness Meanwhile, at Our House Two Incidents After Mass Desolation, Dissatisfaction, Depression, and a Prayer ... More at A Catholic Citizen in America . (A family visit, freezing fog for Christmas, celebrating anyway. A little holiday weirdness. Depression, a prayer, and St. Ignatius of Loyola: very briefly.)

The Holy Family Heinrich Meyring [ Web Gallery of Art ] Readings   (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan,) Readings   (English Standard Version, Catholic Edition: England & Wales, India, Scotland)  Readings   (New American Bible: Philippines, USA) Gospel   Luke 2:41-52  (English Standard Version, Anglicised)    The parents of Jesus went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover.   And when he was twelve years old, they went up according to custom.   And when the feast was ended, as they were returning, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents did not know it,   but supposing him to be in the group they went a day's journey, but then they began to search for him among their relatives and acquaintances,   and when they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem, searching for him.   After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among...