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Easter is almost here, Alleluia! How has your Holy Week been? Have you been walking with Jesus this week? Come over to Veils and Vocations to learn how to live Holy Week with Jesus!

From   The Gospel of John   (2003) directed by Philip Saville Gospel of the Mass during the Day,  John 20:1-9 The Easter Vigil in the Holy Night Readings   (New American Bible: Philippines, USA) Readings   (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, England & Wales, India [optional], Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland, South Africa) Gospel  Mark 16:1-7 ( New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised Catholic Edition) When the sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. They had been saying to one another, ‘Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?’ When they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had already been rolled back. As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man, dressed in a white robe, s...

My husband talks in his sleep. I may not get a lot of sleep some nights, but I always get entertained. Like the night when we happened to both be lying on our sides, turned toward each other. He opened his eyes, gazed at me intently, and said, “You look like . . .” As I was thinking  Now what ? he completed his sentence. “. . . a turtle.” I look like a turtle? Squinting and staring at me more intensely, he asked, “How’d you do that?”   https://reflections911.wordpress.com/2016/01/07/living-in-another-reality/

I am writing this on the morning of Good Friday so I am in the throes of feeling the grief at Jesus being betrayed and left by his disciples to die on the cross. I am feeling the hatred that He must have felt during the Way of the Cross. I am feeling lonely, rejected, and just downright sad. Continue reading here.

EASTER THE LIES THE FACTS CLICK HERE

“The summit of the Liturgical Year is the Easter Triduum—from the evening of Holy Thursday to the evening of Easter Sunday. Though chronologically three days, they are liturgically one day unfolding for us the unity of Christ’s Paschal Mystery.” – USCCB The single celebration of the Easter Triduum marks the end of the Lenten season, and leads to the Mass of the Resurrection of the Lord at the Easter Vigil. The liturgical services that take place during the Easter Triduum are: Mass of the Lord’s Supper Good Friday of the Lord’s Passion Mass of the Resurrection of the Lord Continue reading.

The question which naturally arises on this night, on the eve of Christ’s death, is where do I stand? Do I stand among the righteous, pure, self-sufficient ones or do I stand with the poor in spirit,  those captive to their woundedness, and oppressed in the face of their innate sinfulness? Do I need saved and am I humble enough to ask for help? If I can’t, then Jesus died in vain, the power of his crucifixion is wasted on me and I will be unable to rejoice on Easter Sunday. continue reading

Launching Free First of many e-books Dear Friend, Happy St Joseph’s Day  Launched on Monday 19 March 2018.  Joseph and child Jesus Glad you are here.  I did it!!! Yeah!!! Add caption You are going to  love  my  free e-book.  There is some prose but mostly poetry prayer. Seek preview here 

As we observe Holy Week, we might ask ourselves a question, "Are We Politically Correct Like Pilate?"  Saint Mark’s Gospel tells us that he was certainly a biblical version of the ‘go along to get along’ crowd. When he asked the throng what to do with Jesus, he clearly demonstrated that he knew Jesus was blameless. We got further confirmation of culpability when Pilate cited the jealousy of the Chief Priests for the arrest of Jesus. In washing his hands of the entire affair, he showed his lack of conviction and profound failure to take a stand. In this final period of heightened anticipation, will examining our consciences find us similarly weak-spined? By scrutinizing our actions in relation to prominent issues of the day, we might find an answer that does little to vindicate us. Here, then, is an opportunity to search our hearts and find His Truth. 1. Are We Politically Correct About Abortion? 2. Same Sex ‘Marriage’, a Leading Politically Correct Issue 3. Leaving...

Why are we blaming society when we ourselves dismantled the village? In the essay  In the absence of ‘the village,’ mothers struggle most  by Beth Berry, the author decries the loss of “the village” (by her definition, “referring to the way of life inherent to relatively small, relatively contained multigenerational communities”) and calls it an “injustice.” The author writes that the loss of the extended family hurts mothers the most. Motherhood is, by all accounts, a lonely occupation, and an exhausting one. I wouldn’t know – I do not have children and have had, throughout my life, little inclination to motherhood. Yet I agree with her premise that the loss of an extended, multigenerational community does hurt mothers and by extension, children. Read more:   Writer Jeanne Grunert - Blog

Growing up, I heard a lot of stories about World War II. The most bizarre one I ever heard, however, took place on our own shores. It involved the man who would one day become my father-in-law. Jake (not his real name), was drafted into the army and sent to fight in Europe. Before he left, he arranged for his salary to be deposited into his brother’s bank account. His brother agreed that when he came back, the cash would be waiting for him. But if he didn’t return, there would be no question where the money was supposed to go, and there wouldn’t be any problems about a will and probate. When he came back from the war, Jake asked his brother for his money. And it was gone. His brother had spent every penny. https://reflections911.wordpress.com/2017/12/16/on-trust-and-forgiveness/

Life has gotten in the way a little bit.  I've neglected to post here in quite a while.  If you would like to catch up with my articles you can do so here: Being Catholic ... Really  (Lenten articles and my attendance at SLS18 FOCUS Conference in Chicago) And also at: CatholicMom.com  (My interview with Sister Bethany at SLS18, and other randoms thoughts) Have a joyous and blessed Easter!

Jesus asks! How do we respond? How often do we neglect to give God His due? He blesses us with so much, and at times, we barely acknowledge His existence. When was the last time you gave Him one hour of your time in Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament? In the reading of the Passion of the Lord that we heard on Palm Sunday, we hear Jesus ask His Disciples, “Could you not keep watch for one hour?” (Mark 14:37). If Jesus were physically present, in front of you today, how might you answer this question? Where, or when, might you have given more of yourself to God, and failed to do so? At a minimum, as Catholics, we MUST attend Mass every weekend, to be considered a “practicing Catholic.” However, Jesus wants more; for Himself and for us! He wants to have a loving relationship with each of us. Yet, relationships take work! Relationships require the giving of one’s time, energy and focus to another; to have a fruitful and sustainable relationship. So, He asks, “Could you not keep watch ...

This week a white oak tree in Lakewood, Ohio, that was about two hundred years old was cut down because it was decaying. However, efforts are being made to keep it alive by grafting parts of it. We are all in favor of keeping things alive. When one of our plants is withering, we feed it fertilizer, water it, and maybe talk or sing to it in hopes of reviving it! We are saddened to hear about species going extinct. Our strongest instinct, humans and animals alike, is self-preservation. God too promotes life. God brings babies into the world every day. Scripture says he is God of the living, not the dead. God went to extreme lengths to preserve our eternal life. During Holy Week we ponder the mystery of Jesus undergoing an excruciating death just so we could live forever with him. On Easter we celebrate that he burst forth from his tomb with new, glorious life. His triumph is our triumph too, for it means that we can trust his promise of new life for us. Someday after we die, we too wil...

WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT THE WASHING OF FEET CLICK HERE

Hi there, ya'll!  The modest fashion world is one very diverse place.  Even among Catholics, the definition of "modest apparel" can vary greatly from person to person.  Recently I joined a Facebook group that advertised itself as a haven for Catholic women of all ages to share ideas for modest style and makeup and was hoping to learn more about modesty from my fellow Catholic sisters.  After a few days of being a member, though, I sadly left the group feeling a bit discouraged.  No two members seemed to agree on ANY aspect of modesty whatsoever, and the prevailing theme of the whole group was that modesty is subjective, it means something different for each woman and each woman gets to decide what she considers is "modest".  One woman very emphatically declared that she wears bikinis every summer to the beach and doesn't feel that this violates the virtue of modesty in the least.  The same woman also announced that she was never g...

The Passion Façade, on the exterior of the Basílica de la Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, Spain, is a unique portrayal of Christ’s passion. It is rugged and dramatic with a stark simplicity. The effect is powerful. continue reading

During a past Lent, I shared a seemingly innocuous and informative post about the Jewish practice of Seder during Passover . The resulting confusion and charges of antisemitism bewildered me. The catalyst? A video, Seder Meals violate the First Commandment , from the blog of a priest. Strong Reactions Below are some of the questions posed by readers the next day: “This post only breeds anti-Jewish thinking and does not allow Catholics to ponder the roots of our faith, the richness of our heritage. Jesus longed to eat this meal with us and Judas did not participate at all, which tells us something.” “I think if you are of Jewish heritage then it is not sinful to celebrate the Passover.” “I’m confused. I grew up with a Jewish mother and a Christian father. We celebrated everything. Christmas and Hanukkah as well as occasionally Passover (it’s a lot harder to pull off successfully, so we didn’t do it every year). I was technically Jewish before I was baptized 5 years ago. I still ...

NFP is billed as a magical system that helps unite a couple and foster deep communication, even during times of abstinence. The Couple to Couple League International’s website is full of words like “liberating”, “selfless”, “empowering”, “teamwork”, and “enriching”. Our peppy instructors seemed so in love, so confident, and so in sync with each other. NFP was clearly my ticket to marital bliss. So why then, is practicing NFP actually so miserable? The frustration, arguments, frigidity, distrust, and temptation of using NFP is by no means the rare exception. This is not what we were promised! But nevertheless, we continue using NFP, cuz it beats the alternatives, right? And when people complain, sometimes they are met with a sympathetic, “yeah, I know it sucks, don’t it?” but more often they are met with, “Offer it up.” Both accurate responses, I think. But neither one is particularly helpful. It’s time to stop sugarcoating NFP. We need to start being honest about what it act...

We begin Holy Week, with Palm Sunday, where we remember Jesus’ entrance into Jerusalem. At Palm Sunday Mass, we hear the Passion of Our Lord and receive blessed palms. Then, we place those blessed palms in cherished places of honor within our homes. We spend Holy Week in quiet reflection of Jesus and His sacrifice, as it is the holiest week of the Christian year. We remember Christ’s passion, death and resurrection; His sacrifice for our sins. We also scurry around in preparation for our Easter Feast, just as our ancestors scurried to prepare the Passover Feast. Yet, let’s stop for a moment and bring ourselves back in time 2,000+ years: It’s time to sacrifice the Passover lamb. We need to make plans to use the Upper Room for the feast. We must prepare the food for the occasion, and Judas Iscariot must make plans as well. Satan enters Judas (Luke 22:3), who meets with the chief priests to plot a plan for Jesus’ arrest. By handing Jesus over to the chief priests, Judas assures paym...

Finding stone tools isn't remarkable. Folks have been making, and occasionally losing, tools for a long time. Scientists think folks upgraded their tech to deal with a changing climate. Or maybe someone else who had done so moved in.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

Only a few weeks before she passed, I could not sleep and got up in the middle of the night. I heard God say, "Go see her." I drove to Nashville and back a few Saturdays before her death and am so glad I did. I was so worried because I knew she had been on hospice for nearly 2 years, so I wasn't sure if she would be ok or just wasting away in agony.  I was so surprised when I got there. She was smiling, giving me advice even in her last weeks.  Her witness was, "Life is fragile, handle with prayer." She pointed to the gold cross on the wall and told me the youth pastor at her church in Franklin Pastor Wayne had given it to her, and she had it ever since. This experience reminded me of the movie I saw recently:   A Wrinkle in Time.   As the children look for their father, they see images of him trapped in a dark web, struggling to get out.  When Meg Murry finally gets to him, he is standing in a glowing orange and red square, and he's not just OK, he is down...

The local Charismatic group were celebrating  forty years since their foundation and were preparing a special Mass for that purpose. The readings, the psalms and the prayers had all been chosen to echo the overall theme of asking God to give his love to all those present and to the whole world that would be lost without it. The visiting preacher came straight to the point. “Why waste your time praying for God to pour out his love. Whether you pray for it or not, his love has been sent, is being sent and will continue to be sent whether you pray for it or not. Why not save your breathe to cool your porridge, or rather save your breathe to pray that we will be given the knowledge and the  strength to take whatever steps are necessary in our lives to receive that love, no matter what the cost. Our spiritual lives and our ultimate well-being and destiny depends upon it." read on ...

WHO IS THIS MAN? CLICK HERE TO FIND OUT

2 Votes Lent. We tend to think of Advent as a time of joyful anticipation and Lent as a dismal period of sackcloth and ashes. How ridiculous. We are preparing to celebrate THE most joyful event in the history of humanity, the death and resurrection of our Saviour. Lent is the most joyful, light-filled season for me because I empty myself so that I might die and rise with Christ in triumphant glory. The darkness of my sin, the sin of others or the sin of the world is not a malignant force as much as it is simply the absence of light. The light of just one candle banishes darkness. continue reading

IS IGNORANCE A SIN? CLICK HERE

¡Qué sería yo en este mundo Sin familia! digo yo. ¡Dónde aprendería la vida Y el cariño y el amor! Dónde mis primeros pasos rodeados de candor, de esperanza y de alegría. ¡Dónde! Sin familia, no. Dónde encontraría refugio en mis ratos de dolor Y en dónde me miraría para conocer mi yo. Qué me importaría mi patria, qué me importaría soñar, si no fuera en la familia que me enseña a valorar. Dónde aprendería justicia. Dónde encontraría el honor. Dónde ensayaría con gusto el trabajar con tesón.

From The Gospel of John (2003) directed by Philip Saville [John 12:12-16 runs from 0:00 to 0:56] The Commemoration of the Lord’s Entrance into Jerusalem Mark 11:1-10 (NRSVACE) When they were approaching Jerusalem, at Bethphage and Bethany, near the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples and said to them, ‘Go into the village ahead of you, and immediately as you enter it, you will find tied there a colt that has never been ridden; untie it and bring it. If anyone says to you, “Why are you doing this?” just say this, “The Lord needs it and will send it back here immediately.”’ They went away and found a colt tied near a door, outside in the street. As they were untying it, some of the bystanders said to them, ‘What are you doing, untying the colt?’ They told them what Jesus had said; and they allowed them to take it. Then they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks on it; and he sat on it. Many people spread their cloaks on the road, and others spread leafy b...

Recently a video on Facebook showed a little girl about six-years-old trying to jump onto a green stool almost her height. She falls to the floor over and over again, but never stops trying. Finally her dad stands behind her, holds her shoulders, and says something to her we can't hear. I thought he was going to lift her onto the chair. But no. He disappears. The girl gives one mighty leap and stands on top of the stool, triumphant. What a lesson in perseverance!  Better than Aesop's fable of the hare and the tortoise. It made me think of times I persevered...and times I didn't. For example, sometimes when I start a crossword puzzle, many of the clues stump me, and I think, I can't do this one. But as I tackle it, little by little the grid is filled in, sometimes without even cheating! But then there are the times I tried to learn Spanish and quit. Even now the books and tapes are gathering dust. Click to continue