Association Of Catholic Bloggers

Two tourists in Canada asked someone which city they were in. The man replied, "Saskatoon, Saskatchewan". One of the tourists said "oh! They don't speak English here!" I haven't heard that one in more than a half-century, there's a lead-up that makes it funnier, but never mind. This week I'm talking about a place in Minnesota, and a salesman who asked for help. Destination: Bemidji A Reasonable Question, Basically Rentals and Regional Transportation Routes and Decisions Deep in the Heart of Darkest Minnesota — Perceptions and Living in Minnesota An Impression, and Something to Remember More at A Catholic Citizen in America . (Asking questions makes sense. So does remembering that what everybody knows may not be accurate. That goes double for unconsidered impressions.)

    Deeper Well - Musgraves                               My accidental introduction to Kacey Musgraves was her 2013 pro-LGBTQ+ song, "Follow your Arrow." After watching some of her other videos and interviews, I must say she is quite a free spirit. Throughout the Arrow song, she sort of encourages people to do whatever they want, without limits, rationalizing that you might as well, because people are always going to criticize you anyway. The truth is, while it may be fun and inventive to create music without boundaries, that philosophy doesn't transfer quite so well in life. If we start down a border-less path, doing whatever we FEEL like, that's not so good for us long-term.  Musgraves has a beautiful voice, and is very creative, so it's no wonder she's won eight Grammys, but I had no idea who she was, so I did a little digging.   I always wonder about the faith of someone wh...

The Ascension of Christ Rembrandt [ Web Gallery of Art ] Ascension, Year C The Ascension is celebrated on Ascension Thursday, 26 May, in England & Wales, Scotland. In the USA it is celebrated on Ascension Thursday in the Ecclesiastical Provinces of Boston, Hartford, New York, Newark, Omaha, Philadelphia, elsewhere on Sunday 29 May. In all of these areas Ascension Thursday is a Holyday of Obligation. The Ascension is observed on Sunday, 29 May, in Aotearoa-New Zealand, Australia, Canada, Ireland, Philippines. Readings   (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan) Readings   (English Standard Version, Catholic Edition: England & Wales, India, Scotland)  Readings   (New American Bible: Philippines, USA) Gospel   Luke 24:46-53 ( English Standard Version Anglicised)    At that time: Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance for the for...

Since I'm mostly doing something else this week, I'll talk about two mice. I didn't see either, but I did hear one; and that's the one I'll start with. The Resident Mouse and Me: Another San Francisco Memory I was working at Pellegrini Refrigeration's office/warehouse for most of the time I lived in San Francisco. The office section was big enough for — a dozen or more folks, I suppose. The break corner, between the front office where I worked and the main room, was just an L-shaped bench, wrapped around a small table: very basic. It wouldn't have held more than maybe four or five people comfortably.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America . (My brief encounter with the resident mouse at a warehouse, and an experience my father had with a mouse which was making great haste but no speed.)

  CAN YOU IMAGINE ...    What the world would be like  if only ... ... ...   CLICK HERE

The Trinity El Greco [ Web Gallery of Art ] Readings   (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan,) Readings   (English Standard Version, Catholic Edition: England & Wales, India, Scotland)  Readings   (New American Bible: Philippines, USA) Gospel  John 14:23-39  (English Standard Version, Anglicised) At that time: Jesus said to his disciples, ‘If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not mine but the Father’s who sent me. ‘These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be...

    Traditionally, the way I have reflected on the popular picture of Jesus knocking at the door, comes from the Book of Revelation, Chapter 3, Verse 20: “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, [then] I will enter his house and dine with him, and he with me." I recently came across another way to look at this on the internet, which is attributed to Pope Francis. It has been said that as a Cardinal at the conclave before he was elected Pope, he reversed the traditional way of looking at this picture, inviting us to consider that Jesus is knocking on the door, asking us to come out into the world with him. Since "going out" was a typical theme of Francis, it wouldn't surprise me a bit if this were true. I've often pondered the doorknob in this picture. Is it hidden? Missing? Why? What might that symbolism imply? I really like the interpretation that has Jesus inviting us outward, since I am rather steeped in e...

     CNBC   I was watching the meeting in the Oval Office with the U.S. President and the South African President, Cyril Ramaphosa . Impressively, Ramaphosa expressed his way of working out problems by referencing Nelson Mandela's approach. And you could tell he was being genuine. The incredible patience and integrity shown by Ramaphosa, including his amazing self-restraint was very impressive. Admittedly, I don't know much accept what I observed, but his country could certainly be proud of how he conducted himself. He certainly was not an embarrassment to them at all. The members that he brought with him were likewise impressive. They admitted the violence problem they have in South Africa, while correcting the (apparently) false information that has been in the news lately about white farmers being killed and their land confiscated. One of the members said that the farmers (many of whom are black), actually get compensated for their land, beyond its va...