Association Of Catholic Bloggers

Come on you lot ... cheer up. I don't know about you, but 2018 has been a year of ups and downs for me, and no doubt 2019 will be the same. I work as an elevator attendant in a department store. I noticed in Church over Christmas that everyone was miserable with long faces as if they had a permanent bad smell under their nose. Even when singing hymns. Come on you Christians ... is that what joy feels like? Is that the way to spread Christ's message of love and hope? I know we should be serious about God's message to us; but He also meant us to be happy in life, not to endure it as a punishment. Here's my New Year's resolution. Join me: CLICK HERE  

This has been a year of ups and downs for me, as I’m sure it has been for you, as well. With the passage of time, (a long time I might add), I finally got my new front top teeth this past year (three implants, and a five-tooth bridge) – ka-ching! Then later in the year, two more crowns! My dentist loves me! Yet, with that money going out the door, God has also blessed me with new business (editing manuscripts for Catholic authors). So, all in all, as 2018 comes to an end, I am counting my blessings. I look forward to new opportunities in 2019, without having a clue what God might have in mind for me. But, I am open to His will. I know that He has plans for me, plans to give me hope and to make me prosper (Jer 29:11). For that, I am grateful for His blessings. Your Blessings What might God have done for you, or given you, in 2018, for which you are grateful?  What new opportunities might you hope would be on your horizon, as we enter 2019? Read more...

Suenan las campanas en el reloj, Son las 12. Las 12 de la noche. Parece que los meses del año que termina, con sus días y sus horas se columpian en cada una de ellas...Doce meses, doce campanadas. El año se va. El año se acaba. Se esfuman los doce meses como en un conjuro de tiempo y eternidad. Los tuvimos en nuestras manos pero ya no volverán. Fueron instantes nuestros, únicos e irrepetibles, vividos dentro de nuestro libre albedrío, hora tras hora y ahora se van, perdiéndose en la noche última del año. La noche vieja.   El poeta dice:-  "El indivisible tiempo/ lo hemos dividido en años/ y así decimos que pasa/ cuando nosotros pasamos".  leer más...  

Christmas is not an event within history but is rather the invasion of time by eternity. (Hans Urs Von Balthasar) Eternity Is Not Linear From our point of view, the Infant Jesus was born in a moment in history more than 2,000 years ago. People see time as linear, measurable and so view the first Christmas from their point of view as creatures who are bound by time. This egocentric view completely misses the real ramifications of the Incarnation in our lives. Rather than fondly recounting the tale of Christ’s birth as if it were simply a charming tale we tell children on December 25th, we must stop and really think about this mystery. The fact that God became a man should baffle our mortal minds. If we step back and at least try to view the birth of the Son of God from the point of view of the Holy, Immortal, Almighty One, we can begin to open ourselves to a reality of cosmic proportions. The Eternal God entered time. He also invades us personally if we allow Him to...

Throughout his life St Francis was consumed by a desire to give his life for Christ.  This desire burst into an unquenchable flame when he received news that six of his brothers had been martyred preaching to the Moslems in Morocco. Taking Peter Cattani, Brother Illuminato and several others he set out without delay for the Holy Land to visit the place where Christ was born, lived, preached and then died for us . read on.....

After all the baking, shopping, wrapping, partying and entertaining guests, do you experience post-Christmas blues? It can be quite a shock to the system, to suddenly slow down so much, that you don’t know what to do with your time. Rather than get depressed about it, use this time to reconnect with God. He is there waiting to hear from you; waiting to recharge your batteries. Reconnect with God Through Prayer Seek the solace of His guidance, friendship and love. I find the recitation of the daily Rosary and the Divine Mercy Chaplet to be a great way to start the conversation with God, who knows me better than I know myself. He knows what’s in my heart, what is causing me concern, as well as my dreams. He also knows how to solve my problems. Through prayer, be ready to listen. Reconnect with God Through Reading of Scripture God has so much to tell us, and it’s all written down in the Bible, which is not some old book meant for people from ancient times. God’s Word is... Rea...

Merry Christmas! As we celebrate the birth of Christ, let us remember the reason for the Incarnation of God made man. Out of sheer unconditional love for mankind, “ God gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him might not perish but might have eternal life ” (John 3:16). Therefore, through the power of the Holy Spirit, Mary conceived Jesus in her womb, and He entered humanity. The Father sent His Son to conquer sin and death for us, so that we might live eternally with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Why did God go through so much trouble? Because He loves each one of us – unconditionally!!! The depth of God’s love is unfathomable because “ God is love ” (1 John 4:8). God’s love is available to us all! The gift of God’s love is available to us all, every day, not only at Christmas. No matter what we have done, or will do, that goes against His will, He will continue to love us unconditionally. Why? Because He wants to have loving relationships with each one of us....

In the middle of what I call mental kung-fu, (picture words battling with each other in my head), I could “hear” a musical version of the  Our Father,  deep in my spirit, at the same time as I indulged in my own whirling thoughts. When I paid attention, the words Jesus taught His disciples rose up, sweeping away all my own thoughts, ushering in joyful worship and thanksgiving. Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

The Holy Family , Heinrich Meyring  [ 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) Gospel  Luke 2:41-52 ( New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised Catholic Edition)      Now every year the parents of Jesus went to Jerusalem for the festival of the Passover.  And when he was twelve years old, they went up as usual for the festival.  When the festival was ended and they started to return, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but his parents did not know it.  Assuming that he was in the group of travellers, they went a day’s journey. Then they started to look for him among their relatives and friends.  When they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem to search for him.  After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teac...

Adoration of the Shepherds , Murillo  [ Web Gallery of Art ] The Solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord  has four different Mass formularies, each with its own prayer and readings. Any of the four fulfills our obligation to attend Mass. These are: Vigil Mass , celebrated 'either before or after First Vespers (Evening Prayer) of the Nativity'; that means starting between 5pm and 7pm. Mass During the Night , known before as 'Midnight Mass'.  Mass at Dawn . Mass During the Day . When you click on 'Readings' below from the New American Bible you will find links to the readings for each of the four Masses. The readings from the Jerusalem Bible for the four Masses are all on one page. Readings   (New American Bible: Philippines, USA) Readings   (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, England & Wales, India [optional], Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland, South Africa) Gospel   (Mass During the Day)   John 1:1-18...

Visitation , Luca della Robbia  [ 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) Gospel   Luke 1:39-45 ( New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised Catholic Edition)      In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country,  where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth.  When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leapt in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit  and exclaimed with a loud cry, ‘Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.  And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me?  For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leapt for joy.   And blessed is she who believed that there would be...