Association Of Catholic Bloggers

Christ Raises the Daughter of Jairus , Friedrich Overbeck, painted 1815. Readings   (New American Bible: Philippines, USA) Readings   (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, England & Wales, India [optional], Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland, South Africa) Gospel  Mark 5:21-43  (Revised Standard Version – Catholic Edition) When Jesus had crossed again in the boat to the other side, a great crowd gathered about him; and he was beside the sea. Then came one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name; and seeing him, he fell at his feet, and besought him, saying, "My little daughter is at the point of death. Come and lay your hands on her, so that she may be made well, and live." And he went with him. And a great crowd followed him and thronged about him.  And there was a woman who had had a flow of blood for twelve years, and who had suffered much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was no better but rather grew w

NeverSeconds: Porridge Party! : This morning we were told that the menu had changed so the kitchens could use up what they had left. I am not sure what the menu should have...

Having children is not for dummies | CatholicHerald.co.uk

Does anyone know what has happened to Ros and "Fire of their love" blog? I just found out that it has been removed.

 Jules Breton (French Realist painter) 1827 - 1906 The Communicants, 1884 oil on canvas

Today our 12-year-old son tidied up garbage in Abuelita's garage, where their spaniel went snacking.  Today he stayed with Grandpapi so I could take Abuelita grocery shopping.   Read more here...

Birth of the Baptist , Andrea Pisano 1330 Gilt Bronze (panel of southern door), Baptistry,  Florence, Italy Readings (New American Bible: Philippines, USA) Vigil Mass   During the Day    Readings  (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, England & Wales, India [optional], Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland, South Africa) Vigil Mass and Mass During the Day   [The readings for the Vigil Mass are on the upper part of the page, those for the Mass During the Day on the lower part of the page.] Liturgical Note. The Solemnity of the Birth of St John the Baptist, like Easter and some other solemnities, has a Vigil, properly so-called. This is not an ‘anticipated Mass’ but a Vigil Mass in its own right, with its own set of prayers and readings. It fulfils our Sunday obligation. The prayers and readings of the Mass During the Day should not be used for the Vigil Mass, nor those of the Vigil Mass for the Mass During the Day. As a solemnity, this celebration take

The New Evangelization: why do we need it? Justin Stroh , is an amazing Catholic speaker and podcaster that I listen to on one of my favorite podcasts, Catholic Vitamins.  His ministry is focusing on "The New Evangelization" of the Catholic Church.  Right now he is discussing the recently released document from the USCCB called, "Disciples Called to Witness: The New Evangelization"  In this document, which is only 26 pages, the bishops cover the condition of the Catholic Church today and what we need to do to get her back up to where she should be with her believers. For starters, in our current situation only 23% of Catholics attend Mass each week, below are the many reasons why the other 77% didn't.  Surprisingly, it's not due to current controversial issues. One of the most important thing we need to be doing as Catholic parents is spending time with our families, especially and most importantly on Sundays!  You can listen to Justin

Redemptoristines: Corpus Christi: Mass and Procession

I often get asked questions about my family's food consumption:  how much we spend in a week, how much food do I cook for dinner, how do I get dinner on the table when I get home from work, what do we eat?  All are very legitimate questions. I function better when I write things down, whether it's stuff I have to do for work,  or running a household.  Since I was a newlywed working shifts at the hospital, I've made a weekly menu so I'm not  constantly trying to figure out what to make for dinner.  Over the years, I have come to rely more heavily on menu planning. Along with the menu, I've kept a weekly list of groceries to buy.  Since I work for myself, I can schedule in my weekly Costco grocery spree during the day.  Costco has the best overall prices,  selection and convenience for our needs.  The total monthly damage to our wallet is roughly $1200 - $1500, including food, household supplies, toiletries. I've collected recipes that are easy

Why, even though I argue with him regularly, I respect him, Linen on the hedgerow Richard. (I'll still continue to argue, by the way)

Reality has a way of intervening into my own little bubble of bliss. In our small family of four, our Father's Day was fine. And yet, over the past few days I have encountered no fewer than 10 children of our acquaintance who are essentially fatherless. Read more here...

Though We Are Many - Official Hymn of the 32nd International Eucharistic Congress Readings (New American Bible: Philippines, USA)  Readings (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, England & Wales, India [optional], Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland, South Africa)  The black mustard plant Gospel Mark 4:26-14 (Revised Standard Version – Catholic Edition) Jesus said, "The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed upon the ground, and should sleep and rise night and day, and the seed should sprout and grow, he knows not how. The earth produces of itself, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. But when the grain is ripe, at once he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come."  And he said, "With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable shall we use for it? It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when sown upon the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on ea

Christians in the Holy Land and the Church I recomend you watch Carrying Jesus, through the streets of Bethlehem,

Prayers please. Ros

Pomp and ceremony: Royal family reunite in magnificent style for Trooping the Colour on Queen's official birthday | Mail Online

Happy Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus ! My God, my Savior, I adore your Sacred Heart, for that heart is the seat and source of all your tenderest human affections for us sinners. It is the instrument and organ of your love. ~ Blessed John Henry Newman

NeverSeconds This nine year old girl bloggs her school lunches and raises money for Marys Meals theres a bit of a brou ha ha about wether or not her school will allow her to continue!

As a mom, I don't think I'll ever learn everything there is to know about parenting several individuals at one time.  As much as I read, listen, and watch, there is always something new to be discovered about these amazing individuals that my knight, God and I brought into the world. Just recently, another "A-HA!!!" moment happened, it was absolutely amazing, exciting, and enlightening all at the same time.....Oh I can't stand it, it's that good!  ReadY???? My daughters have been talking about filters recently, "So-and So has no filters...or  "whatshername has way too many filters."  We have also been talking about how some fit in at school and why some don't.  I got to experience an exchange between one of the quiet students and a fellow student once earlier this year and began to understand why this quiet student hasn't fit in.  The exchange went like this: Fitting in student:  "Hey let's move the des

Dom Donald's Blog: St. Juliana - West Window Women, Roscrea lovely Catholic women of the past described on this very good Blogg

This week, I went to see Iris (not her real name), one of my most challenging patients.  Iris has managed to ostracize, infuriate and frustrate almost everyone in her life, from her offspring to her neighbours.  She's a tiny but mighty force to contend with, passing judgements, criticisms, threats of lawsuits to anyone who gets in her way as she conducts life from her wheeled walker.  Is it any wonder that when I first went to see her months ago, the concierge in her building was shocked that anyone at all was coming to see her.  "No one visits her," he informed me. When I care for Iris' feet, I get an earful about everything and everyone who has crossed her path since the last month.  How this person wronged her, how that one cheated her, how another one let her down.  What I notice is that Iris is never at fault; it's always the other guy.  There's a lot of bitterness and regret in her conversation, but no forgiveness or self-examination.  S

http://www.saintanthonyofpadua.net/portale/home.asp A link for st anthony of padua, a great Saint and a close friend of many of us! Ora pro nobis st anthony

Mary Cassatt painting in US public domain How can the sun and moon praise God as the prophet exhorts them to do?  By perfectly carrying out the role God has given them.  Thus they render Him great praise.  Behold, therefore, a wonderful means by which you can praise God all day:  Do your duty, and whatever else you are given to do, well.                                                                                                                     - St. Jerome

Greg is 48 today. He is a magnificent man. Our lives are happy and full. Today our oldest made us breakfast and while Greg and I continued our Mad Man marathon. We started watching the show this year, and a friend has loaned us Seasons One and Two DVDs. Greg went to the 11 a.m. Mass; I will take the boys to the 8 p.m. Mass. When he returned, we kept up our marathon. Read more here...

Yesterday was the anniversary of the birth and death of my precious nephew, Daniel. My brother and sister-in-law had been trying to conceive for a very long time, and at long last, she was pregnant. We all were ecstatic and waited impatiently for his arrival. But sometimes things don't turn out as you plan, sometimes tremendous crosses are planned for us, instead of joy. On June 7th, Daniel was born prematurely. My sister-in-law had eaten some food out that didn't seem quite right, and it threw her into early labor. Daniel's little organs were not fully prepared to function yet. And so, my brother and sister-in-law welcomed their long-awaited child into the world, had the most memorable 45 minutes of their life, and were then asked to let him go, whisked away to the loving hands of God. Read more...

La Disputà (Disputation of the Holy Sacrament) , Raffaello Sanzio, painted 1510-11 You will find a description of this magnificent fresco here and a video on its restoration here . The Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ Readings (New American Bible: Philippines, USA)  Readings (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, England & Wales, India [optional], Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland, South Africa)  Gospel Mark 14:12-16, 22-26 (Revised Standard Version – Catholic Edition) On the first day of Unleavened Bread, when they sacrificed the passover lamb, his disciples said to him, "Where will you have us go and prepare for you to eat the passover?" And he sent two of his disciples, and said to them, "Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you; follow him, and wherever he enters, say to the householder, 'The Teacher says, Where is my guest room, where I am to eat the passover with my disciples?'

The Gift Of Spiritual Direction “You ask very existential questions,” observed Wise Friend. “Huh?  What does that even mean?” “Don’t worry, it’s good,” he said reassuringly, with that slight laugh he gets when I look at him like he’s speaking a lost language. I’ve had the same Spiritual Director for about 2-1/2 years.  He’s the person I trust the most with the care and feeding of my soul. Three years ago, I started praying for a Spiritual Director after reading what Catherine Doherty said about spiritual direction and the importance of having a Director.  She advised that it’s important to pray for a spiritual director and to pray for your spiritual director, even if you don’t know who he/she is yet.  So I did.  For months, I asked our Blessed Mother to find me a Spiritual Director. After awhile, the same name kept popping into my head every time I prayed.  I had heard him preach and had gone to him once for confession.  I decided to approach h

Hundreds of teenagers sat in hushed silence this morning as the high school football coach shared  about how 20 years ago his brother, then 29, was airlifted to a trauma center after being hit by a drunken driver one Friday night. The brother had not been out drinking; he was returning home with friends after time spent at a batting cage.  Read more here...

I recorded this video some weeks ago at the request of a friend in Ireland. I mention my concern about the diminishing numbers attending Sunday Mass and of the loss of faith in the Real Presence. The report in yesterday's edition of  The Irish Times,  Many Catholics 'do not believe' church teachings , confirms what I express in the video. I posted about the report yesterday  with links to related articles. Please pray that the 50th International Eucharistic Congress to be held in Dublin 10-17 June will bring a renewal of faith in Ireland.

  First Holy Communion at  Holy Family Home for Girls , Bacolod City ,  Philippines A few months ago, at a large funeral in a mid-western Irish town for a devout, much-loved 88-year-old family man, his 13 handsome, 20- and 30-something grandchildren brought joy and life to the occasion. The one thing they failed to bring was a knowledge of basic Mass etiquette. Throughout the consecration, oblivious to the bowed and kneeling congregation behind them, all 13 remained seated, exchanging the odd friendly word. Then they all trooped solemnly up for Communion. It generated some quiet exchanges afterwards. The local priest said cheerfully that all were welcome in his church, regardless of their knowledge or devotion – “sure, isn’t that what we’re here for?” A visiting priest remarked mildly that “nearly all Irish Catholics were infantilised – their spiritual development was arrested back around First Communion time”. A 50-something layman shrugged and said : “They’re gone in a

Demands for perfection and moms

Blessed Chiara Luce Badano (1971-1990) The patron of the   Congress Youth Space   at the   50 th   International Eucharistic Congress   to be held in Dublin from 10 to 17 June is Blessed Chiara Luce Badano (1971-1990). In the September-October 2010 issue of Misyon   we published an article about her,   TheSaint Who Failed Math .    Ruggero and Maria Teresa Badano with their infant daughter In the June 2012 issue of   Intercom , the monthly published by the Irish Catholic Bishops’ Conference, Fr Patrick Leahy tells a lovely story about this only child who was born to her parents Ruggero and Maria Teresa on 29 October 1971, eleven years after they married and who died 22 days short of her 19 th   birthday. On St Valentine’s Day 1990, when she was already very sick, Blessed Chiara Luce booked a meal for her parents at a local restaurant. Before they went there she said to them, ‘This evening look at one another in the eyes, and don’t come home before midnight!’ She the

Apostleship of Prayer - Eucharistic Youth Movement

HolyTrinity , Jusepe de Ribera, painted 1635-36   Readings (New American Bible: Philippines, USA)  Readings (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, England & Wales, India [optional], Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland, South Africa)  Gospel Matthew 28:16-20 (Revised Standard Version – Catholic Edition) The eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. And when they saw him they worshipped him; but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age."  +++ From the evening of 23 May until the morning of 1 June I was giving a retreat to a group of Canossian Sisters  , also known as Daughters of Charity, Servants of th