Association Of Catholic Bloggers

My husband and I walked down the street the other day to an estate sale.Although we didn’t personally know the neighbor who had to move into a home, we often saw him from afar on our daily walks.
While we were in his house looking around for the sale, a man came in with a Vietnam Vet’s hat on.I thanked him for his service and we chatted a bit.He showed me the injury to his hand and joked that he could no longer catch change in his hand anymore when he goes through drive through windows.
I told him our neighbor was a Vietnam Vet and that he had been a cook.He remarked, “They got shot at, too, if the food wasn’t good!”He went on to tell me a story about sneaking in to get pie or bread or something like that, after hours, because you can only eat powdered eggs for so long.
Anyway, since I graduated high school the year of our bicentennial, I was in the habit of thinking Vietnam Vets are twenty-something young men.Stupid, I know, but I have such a lack of awareness of time passing that m…

Sharing Your Catholic Faith Story is a compilation of 30 conversion stories written by Catholic authors. Some of the authors are “cradle Catholics” like me, while other authors found their way to the Catholic Church after a long, and sometimes winding journey. Yet, the variety of experiences all point to one thing: a love for Christ and His One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. As a Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA) Coordinator, it is my responsibility to bring souls into full Communion with the Catholic Church. I walk with them on their journey. So, my heart was touched to read some of the stories in this book. For example, Cynthia Gill Bates writes of her conversion from Mormonism to Catholicism.  She came to realize that when faith is lost, in a human being like Joseph Smith, who founded Mormonism, faith in that religion goes with it. She drives it home when she writes: There are only two possible options: either Joseph Smith told the truth, or Joseph Smith lied. Ei…

Have you found yourself grumbling a lot lately?Complaining about work or the world around you?
Time to sing a new song!
Psalm 98 is just what we need when we feel like we are living in a vacuum that is overtaking the joy in our lives.
Today’s episode ofOpening God’s Wordwill help you make the shift you need!
I have also posted (below) a prayer of gratitude that I pray every day to encourage me to be thankful for all of the blessings God has given me.
I hope you will make it a part of your day as well.
Have a blessed day in God’s Word.
Janet Cassidy
janetcassidy.blurry.net Email:  johnseven38@yahoo.com
A Prayer of Gratitude to God
Father,
I am so grateful for everything that you have given me.  
Thank you so much for the loved ones in my life,
For the many ways in which I am cared for and supported.
Thank you for the many ways I can serve and give to others.
Thank you for the rich tapestry of colours in creation,
for the beauty which is all around me,
for the skies and the ever changin…

Moses Before the Burning Bush Domenico Fetti [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)
GospelLuke 20:27-38 (New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised Catholic Edition, Canada)
Some Sadducees, those who say there is no resurrection, came to him and asked him a question, ‘Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies, leaving a wife but no children, the man shall marry the widow and raise up children for his brother. Now there were seven brothers; the first married, and died childless; then the second and the third married her, and so in the same way all seven died childless. Finally the woman also died. In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife will the woman be? For the seven had married her.’ Jesus said to them, ‘Those who belong to this age marry and are given in marriage; but those who are considered worthy of a place in …

We were rushing to get to the movies to see the Downtown Abbey movie after we finished binge-watching the series and I was really excited to have the opportunity to go.
I had heard that they did some renovating at our theater, but when we got there, we were a little surprised.We thought it was a little weird that we had to pick our seats while buying our tickets.
I get that it will be convenient for those who buy their tickets online, so we don’t have to arrive “two hours before the movie starts” as the young ticket seller told us.I haven’t gone to a movie two hours early—ever—but then I tend to stay away from “opening nights” anyway.
So we stood in a short line behind two women who had never been to our theater before, and we listened as the young man explained the layout for seat selection on the computer screen in front of them.After some deliberation, they went on their way and it was our turn.
I quickly picked our seats without much thought as we were already running a little cl…

Do you place God first in your life? Today’s Gospel reading from Luke addresses this very question. In this Gospel reading we hear Jesus speaking with His disciples on the very topic of discipleship and what it takes to follow the Master. We learn what needs to be done to prepare ourselves to enter Heaven. In this Gospel reading Jesus asks two questions that need some interpretation: Which of you wishing to construct a tower does not first sit down and calculate the cost to see if there enough for its completion? (Luke 14:28) Or what king marching into battle would not first sit down and decide whether with ten thousand troops he can successfully oppose another king advancing with twenty thousand troops? (Luke 14:31) Are You Prepared to Enter Heaven? You are a Disciple of Jesus, but are you prepared to enter Heaven? We interpret the questions from today’s Gospel by asking ourselves some additional questions. Like the person building the tower, or the king readying for battle, we need to…