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“So basically you are a ‘vanity press,’” was the question posed to me that really sounded more like a statement of fact—and an unattractive one at that. “Well, we offer a variety of publishing services and some of those services are that authors do, indeed, pay to have their books published with us,” were the words I said that didn’t even begin to cover the true response. What I’ve come to see over these past six years working with different authors is that there isn’t a vain one among them. In fact, what I’ve come to know and be blessed by are the men and women who have made the conscious choice to answer the call the Holy Spirit has put upon their hearts to bring a work of fiction or non-fiction to fruition. These are men and women who have taken the “new springtime of evangelization” to heart and have responded. They aren’t in positions of power where their names can open doors; rather, they are the simplest and most humble of people who have prayed and discerned to know God’s c

BBC News - London 2012: A 12-part guide to the UK in 212 words each

From  The Gospel of John  (2003)  Directed by Philip Saville. Jesus played by Henry Ian Cusick; narrator, Christopher Plummer. Readings   (New American Bible: Philippines, USA)  Readings   (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, England & Wales, India [optional], Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland, South Africa) Gospel  John 6:1-15  (Revised Standard Version – Catholic Edition) After this Jesus went to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiberi-as. And a multitude followed him, because they saw the signs which he did on those who were diseased. Jesus went up on the mountain, and there sat down with his disciples. Now the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was at hand. Lifting up his eyes, then, and seeing that a multitude was coming to him, Jesus said to Philip, "How are we to buy bread, so that these people may eat?" This he said to test him, for he himself knew what he would do. Philip answered him, "Two hundred denarii would

E F pastoremeritus: Novena to St John Vianney, Cure d'Ars Ive not seen this Novena before but the Holy Cure of Ars is one of my personal favorites and I love to pray for Priests!

Can we know the heart and mind of God? Yes.  He has given us so much to show His heart.  We have His word, and upon reading the Holy Word of God, if we just read what God says through His prophets, we see the love of God expressed, but we also see a desire of God to be with His creation.   He walked with us in the garden of Eden, then He visited Abraham in a physical form, but we can almost feel that He wishes more.  So as we read the Word we see the desire of God's heart to be with us.  Not just walk with us, but to "dwell within us."   This is the highest desire of God is to dwell within the heart of those that love Him and seek Him.  For a heart that can have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit within it is a heart that has to be purified before God can enter, for God cannot come into anything impure or corrupt.  What great joy God knows when he dwells within a heart that has been purified and strives after His own heart!  For if that soul will persevere in seeking a

I enjoyed speaking with Brian Patrick this morning on Sonrise Morning Show about Catholic alternatives to 50 Shades of Grey . Alternatives that engage and still bring the journey of a lost soul to a Christian close. In particular I found sharing Philippians 4:8 rather important: Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. If you are interested in such a book--one that speaks to the human condition with a Christian tone and resolution--then I invite you to download Elizabeth: A Holy Land Pilgrimage on your Kindle for free if you are an Amazon Prime Member.  Lisa Hendey gives  Elizabeth: A Holy Land Pilgrimage 5 stars and calls it "engrossing" and "rewarding."  And who doesn't like a free book? Cheryl Dickow www.BezalelBooks.com

LAST WELSH MARTYR: OUR LADY OF BRITANNIA : I found this beautiful poem on Richard's blog, "STABAT MATER" .  The poem was written by Pearl of Tyburn and Richard found it on her blog,...

Okay, so my son helped me get set up with a Twitter account yesterday. And while I am not sure about this latest foray--mostly because I don't want it to gobble up my God-time--I wonder what the strange new world will hold. As I shopped this morning for some ingredients to a new recipe that I will be trying out tonight, I found myself thinking of things to tweet. For instance I needed something called Kaffir Lime Grass and was clueless; I suddenly thought of my 4 followers and wondered if any could help... Just what I was afraid of! Usually I am thinking about God when I grocery shop. I think I need to talk with some Twitter czars and see how they do it all! Any suggestions? Cheryl Dickow www.BezalelBooks.com

As you might know, my husband is a  trauma survivor   who faces post-traumatic stress disorder. Greg somehow survived the Sept. 11 terror attacks and he also lost dozens of colleagues. He and I continue to consider what it all means. We both have what we call "trauma fatigue" meaning we are not able to immerse ourselves in the details of other acts of inhumanity, such as the deadly violence that occurred in an Aurora, Colorado movie theater last week. We haven't watched the nonstop cable news reports, or read any of the extensive newspaper coverage. Keep Reading...

~ It doesn't take 45 minutes to get a dog ready to go outside in the winter. ~ Dogs cannot lie. ~ Dogs never resist nap time. ~ You don't need to get extra phone lines for a dog. ~ Dogs don't pester you about getting a kid. ~ Dogs don't care if the peas have been touched by the mashed potatoes. ~ Dogs are housebroken by the time they are 12 weeks old. ~ Your dog is not embarrassed if you sing in public. ~ Average cost of sending a dog to school: $142 Average cost of sending a kid to school: $103,000 (note: more if sent to Catholic schools) [forwarded by Gretchen Patti] today'sTHOT============================ If at first you don't succeed, try doing it the way your wife told you to. ======================================= PASS IT ON! Yeah, you can send this Funny to anybody you want. And, if you're REAL nice, you'll tell them where you got it! www.mikeysFunnies.com ===============================

The Kings Banquet – A Love Story... Who I am is not important. My story is. In my life I rebelled against everything, including my faith, and looked to nature as my source for the divine. Having grown up in the country, I could truly appreciate all of God’s gifts in nature for it was constantly around me. As I walked among nature’s gifts I knew that everything that my eye could see was a gift from God. I sat down underneath a tree and began to wonder why God had been so good to give us all these things. My eyes began to get heavy, as I watched the leaves sway to the tune that the wind had played. As I began to nod off to sleep I prayed, “ God, are there any greater gifts than these?” ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I was awakened by a hand shaking. “Wake up, it is almost time.” I awoke to find a strange man standing over me, shaking my shoulder. Again he repeated His plea to me, “Come, it is almost time.” I looked strangely a

Lately, I've been debating with myself (and my family) about whether or not to wear a mantilla at Mass.  Part of me wants to veil and the other part of me is too chicken and self-conscious. The style of my parish church is very modern and minimalist and doesn't lend itself to inspiring any woman to cover her head. "Why do you want to wear a mantilla?" My older daughter asked me this question yesterday when I brought the subject up again. Why indeed.  I've read this blog, Will You Mantilla With Me? .  It makes a strong case for covering up, reasons which I like:  reverence, respect, humility, purity, solemnity, imitation of Mary. A reminder that I am participating in something much bigger than myself.  An external representation of my belief in the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. (And maybe I want a reason to wear a lovely piece of lace). So why am I still hesitating?  Pride and fear.   I'm worried about what other parishioners will t

If you are like me, you have at least one room in your house that visitors never see. For me, that would be the master bedroom. Every horizontal surface, excepting our bed but including much of the floor, is cluttered - with books, an ironing board, clean laundry, a busted vacuum cleaner, manila file folders, you name it. When visitors come,  I simply close the door.  My pastor, Fr. Jeff Calia, C.O., recently told me that if Christ were visiting, that's just the room He would want to see. In fact, He already knows all about it.  Keep Reading

Jesus ,  detail  from  The Calling of St Matthew , Caravaggio, 1599-1600 Readings   (New American Bible: Philippines, USA) Readings   (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, England & Wales, India [optional], Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland, South Africa) Gospel  Mark 6:30-34  (Revised Standard Version – Catholic Edition) The apostles returned to Jesus, and told him all that they had done and taught. And he said to them, "Come away by yourselves to a lonely place, and rest a while." For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. And they went away in the boat to a lonely place by themselves. Now many saw them going, and knew them, and they ran there on foot from all the towns, and got there ahead of them. As he went ashore he saw a great throng, and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things. +++ 'Come away . . . to a lonely place' Lake Taal, Philippi

I will openly admit that I drove myself—and my husband—a bit crazy in the 2008 election cycle. I’m not sure why since I had never, ever been that impassioned about an election. Specifically, the pro-life issue mattered to me in a whole new, surprising way. I also turned 50 that year so I’d like to place some of the blame on that fact—but who knows for sure. This year I decided to do my best to keep my passions, emotions, and opinions more to myself. I wasn’t going to write dozens of articles and try to convince anyone of anything. Depending on where you sit in the political arena, that either sounds cowardly if you are a passionate pro-life citizen or that sounds perfectly fine if you aren’t much into politics and feel that it is always “the lesser of two evils” anyhow. As things heat up this 2012 election cycle, I admit that it isn’t easy for me to sit on the sidelines; but sit I have been. Let me clarify that: I sit on the sidelines while I do the Patriotic Rosary—one o

We have to face the fact that the future of our Church means a "Leaner, and Meaner" Church.  With the secular/modernist society, we are facing Catholics leaving the faith and going to other faiths that 'fit their particular needs'.  I heard a 'lesbian' Catholic say it was HER church... Her church??? Last time I checked it was and is Christ's Church.   The fact is this, we don't get to go to Jesus after we realise that we want birth control because it makes 'our' life more convenient so we can enjoy sex, or we don't think that abortion is such a bad thing 'in some situations'.  We don't get to go to Jesus and say, "Look Jesus, this is the deal, this is what is going on in MY life and this is what I need..."  Because those eyes will look back at you, those eyes full not only of His intense love for us, but of His Majesty and his JUDGEMENT...(He is God..remember?).. and He will say, " I AM the deal.."

Eucharistic Witness: Ven. Laszlo Strattman Every day I learn of a new Saint, always a lesson and nice to know how many ordinary people have live truly Christ centered lives in so many different walks of life.

Fr Michael Sinnott arriving in Dublin in December 2009 after his release The website of the Catholic Bishops's Conference of the Philippines (CBCP)   carried this story  yesterday .  MANILA, July 18, 2012— An Irish missionary kidnapped and freed by gunmen in 2009 in Mindanao is leaving the Philippines for good. Father Michael Sinnott of the Society of St. Columban is leaving for Ireland Friday and will retire there after many years of serving the Catholic Church and various communities in Mindanao. In a send-off party held at the Malate Church on Tuesday night, Sinnott admitted how difficult it was for him to decide whether to retire in the Philippines or in his native land. Greeted by President Gloria M. Arroyo the day of his release, 12 November 2009 Full post on Misyononline here and on Bangor to Bobbio here.

I was reading a book recently and one of the quotes in it really affected me. It was written centuries ago and yet seemed as if it had been written last week, it was quite prophetic. I guess that is what happens when there is real truth in something well-written: it transcends time. Anyhow, it got me to thinking how fun it would be to write an article with some of these enduring words of wisdom—either words written long ago or words written in our lifetime but that will undoubtedly reach far into the future. Just read these and see if you can figure out who said or wrote them. You may have to recall some of your history lessons or call to mind some of your Bible study sessions or some current news; but give it a go! Challenge yourself and don’t be shy about being incorrect. Mostly my hope is that while you read them and reflect upon them, you let them resonate with you. I believe you will find them valuable words to contemplate. 1.      And when you work with love you

An Apostle , Sir Anthony van Dyck, c.1618 Readings   (New American Bible: Philippines, USA)  Readings   (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, England & Wales, India [optional], Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland, South Africa) Gospel  Mark 6:7-13  (Revised Standard Version – Catholic Edition)             Jesus called to him the twelve, and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits. He charged them to take nothing for their journey except a staff; no bread, no bag, no money in their belts; but to wear sandals and not put on two tunics. And he said to them, "Where you enter a house, stay there until you leave the place. And if any place will not receive you and they refuse to hear you, when you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet for a testimony against them." So they went out and preached that men should repent. And they cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many that were sick and healed th

View from the Domestic Church: I didn't plan to go back into the Post Office

Here is the 3rd part to the "Disciples Called to Witness, the New Evangelization" document written by the USCCB.  This post is my thoughts on part 3, and I am attaching Justin Stroh's mini-podcasts which are great in that they are short and explains the bishop's intent in easy terms. Part III:  The Focus of the New Evangelization “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest”  Mt 11:28 Pope Benedict XVI describes some of the contemporary situation confronting modern man, including secularism, globalization, and social communications, the economy, scientific and technological research, and civic and political life.   Many of these societal realities are positive, but when taken to the extreme, they can lead to disillusionment and weariness. This is where the New Evangelization comes in.  As fellow Christians, as kindred spirits in the Church, it is our mission to continue to be evangelized, refreshed, and to seek out the h

In Gethsemane the restorers and the mosaic workers of tomorrow are preparing themselves : Associazione di Terra Santa a supporto della Custodia di Terra Santa

Wing Commander Brendan 'Paddy' Finucane (16 October 1920 - 15 July 1942) I'm not sure when or how I first came to know of Brendan Finucane, one of the greatest 'aces' in the Royal Air Force during World War II and whose 70th death anniversary occurs on Sunday. Maybe it was in reading English 'comics' when I was in primary school. Weeklies such as The Rover , Adventure , The Hotspur , The Wizard ,  featured adventure stories for boys and sometimes had real-life stories. My Uncle Joe Kiernan drove a delivery van for Easons newsagents in Dublin and kept me well supplied. At some stage I discovered that this airman, known in England as 'Paddy', had become the youngest ever Wing Commander - equivalent to Lieutenant colonel - in the RAF and that he had studied in the same school as myself, O'Connell Christian Brothers' School, Dublin. By the time I began in secondary school there (I was in primary from 1951 to 1956 and in

The Path Less Taken: Meet 10 of the World's Most Amazing Priests