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  "We can live our lives on earth without faith . . . but there's a flatness to all of that. Life blossoms with faith. Life has meaning with faith. And you and I are called to find the yeast of the kingdom and work it into our lives."  "Another thing about yeast is that once it is in the dough, it's changed forever . . . once we have the yeast of the kingdom within us, we're changed forever. We can't take it out." I was watching a video by Msgr. James Vlaun (President/CEO of Catholic Faith Network) where he was reflecting on yeast and bread. He went on to talk about the yeast of the kingdom of God and how just a small amount of it can make a difference in our life.  Is your life animated by the yeast of the kingdom, by your faith, so that it raises up those around you? I am including the link to his video and I encourage you to watch it. https://bible.usccb.org/podcasts/video/2026-07-27-reflection-401  Pray for peace, joy, and an end to ...

This is going to be another comparatively-short one. Today I'm focusing on part of another step in those family property/estate/whatever arrangements I mentioned last week. Or, rather, on something that came up during the process.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America . (How, as a Catholic, I see marriage, a brief and personal look: starting with what a priest asked me.How, as a Catholic, I see marriage, a brief and personal look: starting with what a priest asked me.)

Girl with a Pearl Earring Vermeer [ Web Gallery of art ] Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it (Matthew 13: 45-46; Gospel). I n his Introduction to the Devout Life (1608) the mystic St Francis De Sales (1567-1622) wrote: 'Both now and in the past it has been customary for women to hang pearls from their ears; as Pliny observed, they gain pleasure from the sensation of the swinging pearls touching them. But I know that God's friend, Isaac, sent earrings to chaste Rebecca as a first token of his love. This leads me to think that this jewel has a spiritual meaning, namely that the first part of the body that a man wants, and which a woman must loyally protect, is the ear; no word or sound should enter it other than the sweet sound of chaste words, which are the oriental pearls of the gospel.' [ Web Gallery of Art ] Readings (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, Ir...

      I was listening to a few different reflections the other day when this twofold prayer came up: "Lord, let me praise and please you this day."  Wow.  I mean, Wow.  This little prayer says it all, and it's really not complicated. What does it mean to praise God?   We praise God by appreciating all that he is, and living humbly and gratefully, before him.  We praise God by adoring him. What does it mean to please God? We please God by wanting what he wants, loving how he loves, forgiving how he forgives (as best we can.) We please God by living a life of trust in him.  Ultimately, we please God by being the person he has called us to be, and by putting him before all else. So if you struggle with how to pray, or you get lost or bored in long, tangled words and thoughts, just pray: "Lord, let me praise and please you this day."  As you go through your day, offer everything you do to praise and please him. It's really that simple. ...

Sauk Centre weather and forecast Wednesday, July 15, 2026: briefly, hot. It's been quite a week. Smoke, probably from fires near the Minnesota-Canada border and elsewhere raised — or lowered — air quality here to hazardous levels. I've probably got the best respiratory system in the household, but even I was feeling less than perky. More at A Catholic Citizen in America . (A brief, for me, recap of this week: a family visit, and two science news articles.)

Sheaves of Wheat Vincent van Gogh [ Web Gallery of Art ] Readings (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, Ireland, New Zealand) Readings (English Standard Version, Catholic Edition: England & Wales, Scotland, India) Readings (New American Bible: Philippines, USA) Gospel Matthew 13:23-43   [Shorter version: 24-30] (English Standard Version) At that time: Jesus put another parable before the crowd, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field, but while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away. So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared also. And the servants of the master of the house came and said to him, “Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have weeds?” He said to them, “An enemy has done this.” So the servants said to him, “Then do you want us to go and gather them?” But he said, “No, lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along...

    I was listening to  A Classic Edition of Daily Bread  and Fr. Al Lauer (may he rest in peace) made an interesting statement. He said that it's really sad that people, are "choosing to live without electricity, like choosing to live with a blindfold on, like choosing to live in a cave and never seeing the light of day, that is the way people live now, even Christians, living out of God's revelation . . ."  That is a powerful image when you think about it. Who would intentionally choose to go through life with a blindfold on? Or without electricity? But as Father Lauer indicated, that is  exactly  what people do when they try to live outside an awareness that God is revealing himself to us in so many ways. That is exactly what we do when we try to live as if God doesn't exist. Think about it. If you are living in a cave, never seeing the light of day, you are missing so much.  Turn on the light of faith and take off your blindfold so that yo...

  One more post about the Parable of the Sower. Bear with me. Here is a great, short video that challenges us to think a little differently about this parable, and ourselves. Take a minute to watch this video and sit quietly and seriously consider how you fit into the parable. https://faithandreason.com/episodes/the-parable-of-the-sower/  Pray for peace, joy, and an end to war. Janet Cassidy Email me at:  jmctm2@gmail.com janetcassidy.com https://www.facebook.com/reflectionsinfaith/ https://www.youtube.com/@janetcassidy   The Parable of the Sower: July 12, 2026