Association Of Catholic Bloggers

Most normal people are happy around Thanksgiving for family, friends, food and all of the good things in life. Me?   Well, I didn’t have to peel any potatoes or wash any dishes—because I sliced my thumb on a can of cream of mushroom soup as we were preparing our meal. I think I may have found a unique tradition for Thanksgiving!   It really worked quite well. Fortunately, it wasn’t so bad that I needed stitches, just a good bandaid, which I am now considering wearing well-beyond the stage where my thumb is healed up. Deceitful?   Nah, not me.   I just know a silver lining when I see one! We were talking quite a bit about ethics over Thanksgiving as one of our daughters had an issue come up that necessitated her making an ethical decision that some of us might have found very difficult.   For her, it was a no-brainer, and she made the right decision; we are very proud of her. Curiosity and temptation were the base issue surrounding her decision. Curiosity has su

Madonna del Terremoto (Our Lady of the Earthquake) Francesco di Giorgio Martini  [ 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  Matthew 24:37-44 ( New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised Catholic Edition, Canada)     Jesus said to his disciples: ‘For as the days of Noah were, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noah entered the ark, and they knew nothing until the flood came and swept them all away, so too will be the coming of the Son of Man. Then two will be in the field; one will be taken and one will be left. Two women will be grinding meal together; one will be taken and one will be left.  ‘Keep awake therefore, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming.

        ¿QUÉ HACEIS AHÍ PARADOS, MIRANDO AL CIELO? ESE MISMO JESÚS QUE OS HA DEJADO PARA SUBIR AL CIELO, VOLVERÁ COMO LOS HABEIS VISTO ALEJARSE    Hechos de los Apóstoles 1,1-11 .       A estos hombres que veían como el Maestro, el amigo Jesús, el resucitado de entre los muertos, el que había pasado cuarenta días con ellos después de haberlo visto morir en la cruz un día viernes, hablando y comiendo con ellos… se iba, como ya les había dicho terminada su misión, a volver con el Padre…. Pero también que un día volvería…..    leer más...

As we approach Thanksgiving Day, tomorrow, I have much to be thankful for and, therefore, consider this time of year to be a time for Gratitude. I am grateful for a deep, strong faith in God, who is always there for me. He blesses me with all that I need, and graces me with even more. I am thankful for my husband of 40+ years, and for his love; a mirror of God’s love for me. When we count our blessings our moods lift. When we realize all for which we are grateful, we come to realize that we have much. I don’t have a palace. Yet, I do have a very nice home that keeps me warm and dry in the winter, and cool in the summer. I don’t dine in fine restaurants every evening. Yet, I have enough food on the table every day, so that I do not go hungry. My clothes do not come from designer racks. Yet,they do what they need to do, and I dress just fine. I don’t need the fanciest car to make my life complete. Rather, I just need ... Read more...

What would you do if a mysterious hand appeared on a wall in front of you and wrote and message that you couldn’t read? I’ll bet you would search for someone who could give you the message. Well, that’s what happened to the king in today’s reading from the Book of Daniel. Tune in to the latest episode of Opening God's Word and find out the three things that were in that message and who it came from. Is it possible that from this Old Testament book we can find an important word for us today?   This is a striking passage and I hope you will check it out for yourself. And after you do that, please spend some time learning a little more about this book and give yourself some quiet time to see if God might be speaking into your life. I hope you have a blessed day in God’s Word. Janet Cassidy janetcassidy.blogspot.com janetcassidy.blubrry.net

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I’ve got a secret that I will share with you today.   I want to make sure that you are ready for the end.   Like the followers of Jesus in Luke 21, you might be asking, “What sign will there be when all these things are about to happen?” What does Jesus say about the coming of the end of the world? You won’t want to miss this episode of Opening God’s Word ! Give me just a few minutes of your time today so you, too, will be in on the secret. I would bet that you know a few people that would be interested in this topic.   Please share this podcast with anyone you think might benefit from it. I hope you have a blessed day in God’s Word! Janet Cassidy janetcassidy.blogspot.com janetcassidy.blubrry.net

Thoughts on the Scandal I remember my heartbreak over the sexual abuse scandal, when it broke a little over a year ago.  As survivors came forward, it was clear that there was something rotten within the heads of the Catholic Church and in the Vatican. Mccarrick was subsequently defrocked (in February of this year.) My conversation with friends about the state of the Church as this scandal was unfolding was basically the same thing: heartbreak.  The decades-long crisis cut across generations, denominations, states, and countries. Despite my disgust at the state of the unity of the Catholic Church, and my literal distance from the abuse crisis, my conviction is in staying with the Church and focusing on her beauty, even in her darkest times. The biggest question, in my humble opinion, is to ask who is to blame? Cardinal Dinardo stated in the wake of the scandal, "Innocent men may be tainted by false accusation, or guilty men may be left to repeat the sins of the past.&quo

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Let’s talk money! Wait! Before you decide you don’t want to hear anything about money + church, just give me a few minutes of your time. In today’s episode of Opening God’s Word I reflect on what Jesus has to say about our contribution and give my own testimony from “behind the scenes” as to the importance of our—long, sustained—financial support of the church’s ministry and overall mission. Even St. Paul understood the need for a community’s support and it’s no different today! Let’s talk about giving for the decaying church roof vs long-term giving. I’m going to share with you my view of tithing as well! This is an important passage that shows us that even Jesus didn’t shy away from financial stuff, so neither should we! Janet Cassidy janetcassidy.blogspot.com janetcassidy.blubrry.net

We’ve reached that point during the year where showing compassion seems to be on turbo-drive. For some reason, as we approach Thanksgiving and Christmas our hearts melt and compassion gushes forth from all of us. Maybe it’s because when we show compassion, we become more like Christ, and that’s a great feeling. Well, I’ve got a plan to make that feeling come alive 24/7/365. Show Compassion My wish is that the depth of compassion that we experience during this time of year could be spread over the entire year, 24/7/365. Yet, just like in the retail business, where stores enter the “black” on Black Friday (the day after Thanksgiving), our souls enter the “white” of purity at this time of year when we open our hearts to others. Maybe we could “go white” year-round! We show our compassion when we: Read more...

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I was sitting in Mass one day and three women and a child were in front of me.   I noticed they started sort of huddling together and then I realized they were passing around hand sanitizer before receiving Holy Communion. I get that. But, what was so very sad to me was that they were doing all of this fussing, which included a quiet exchange about the smell of the sanitizer, during the Lamb of God prayer. They were 100% clueless of the prayer that was being prayed because they were focused on the smell of their hand sanitizer.   For those of you who do not know this prayer that comes at a significant time during the Mass, it goes like this: Lamb of God you take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us. Lamb of God you take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us. Lamb of God you take away the sins of the world, grant us peace. I would like to refer you to a blog ( To Jesus Sincerely ) that gives some more information about the significance of the pray

Do you need a kick in the pants?   Looking for some motivation?    Is it time to change your ways, or are you ready to make a difference? Today’s episode of Opening God’s Word may be just what you need. Jesus is in the temple, cleaning it out.   The prophet Jeremiah—centuries before Jesus—is speaking very candidly to the people about changing their ways. Let God speak to you today.   Take his words to heart and see what he might be asking you to do! I hope you have a blessed day in God’s Word!   Please subscribe to this podcast and my blog  and join me in spreading God’s Word by sharing this with a friend. Janet Cassidy janetcassidy.blogspot.com janetcassidy.blubrry.net

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Christ in Majesty   Italian Mosaic Artist  [ 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 23:35-43 ( New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised Catholic Edition, Canada)     And the people stood by, watching; but the leaders scoffed at Jesus, saying, ‘He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Messiah of God, his chosen one!’ The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine, and saying, ‘If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!’ There was also an inscription over him, ‘This is the King of the Jews.’ One of the criminals who were hanged there kept deriding him and saying, ‘Are you not the Messiah?    Save yourself and us!’ But the other rebuked him, saying, ‘Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed have bee

Looking for a simple way to extend your prayer time throughout the day?   I have a very easy suggestion for you in today’s episode of Opening God’s Word . Join me in the Gospel of Luke, Chapter 1 as we take a little detour from our regular daily readings.   Today we celebrate the Memorial of the Presentation of the Virgin Mary!    We’re celebrating Mary, the Mother of Jesus, and you can join in! If you are enjoying these daily scripture reflections, I hope you will subscribe so they are delivered right to you.   Don’t forget to share them with a friend! I hope you have a blessed day in God’s Word! Janet Cassidy janetcassidy.blogspot.com janetcassidy.blubrry.com

If you were entrusted with ten gold coins to take care of for someone, what would you do with them? That is the question in today’s parable in the Gospel of Luke, Chapter 19. What does that mean for us today? Well, we could ask the question, “What will you do with the Good News of salvation that you have been given?” Will you keep it to yourself or try to bring others into it? Tune in to today’s Opening God’s Word to see what God expects of us as shown in this parable. I hope you have a blessed day in God’s Word. Janet Cassidy janetcassidy.blogspot.com     janetcassidy.blubrry.net

Self-control and the holiday season go together like a pair of mismatched socks! Yet, if we were willing to embrace self-control during this holiday season, rather than get carried away by all the scrumptious food, drink and purchases, then our wallets will be fatter, and our waistlines will be thinner. I consider that a win-win situation. Embrace Self-Control It’s not easy cutting back on the sweets or foregoing the purchase of what seems like the perfect gift. And no one is saying that we shouldn’t partake in either. I’m just saying that we need to maintain a healthy balance. We can accomplish this if we have a game plan. As to the calories, ... Read more...

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Need a change in your life?  Do what the Blind Beggar did in yesterday’s passage and what Zacchaeus did in the Gospel of Luke, Chapter 19 today. Seek Jesus.  Look for him and open your house to him.  Open your heart to him. It doesn’t take much, that’s for sure.  Just open your eyes and look for him.  You will see his presence everywhere. Don’t miss today’s episode of Opening God's Word ! I pray that you desire to seek Jesus just as much as the blind beggar and the sinful tax collector did. Have a blessed day in God’s Word. Janet Cassidy janetcassidy.blubrry.net janetcassidy.blogspot.com

Today we tune in to a special event in the Gospel of Luke, Chapter 18.   Jesus performs a miracle!   He heals a blind beggar! You might want to write this off as just a nice story, but there are so many elements of this real event that speak to us today, I hope you will listen in to this episode of Opening God’s Word to hear Jesus speaking to you. What is your blindness? Are you calling other people to Jesus? Are you persistent in seeking him yourself? Of what do you need healing? Lots of questions and lots of insight to be gained from this brief passage. I hope you will subscribe to my daily podcasts and blog and share them with a friend! Have a blessed day in God’s Word! Janet Cassidy janetcassidy.blubrry.net janetcassidy.blogspot.com