Association Of Catholic Bloggers

  The Salt Lake Tribune                             I'd like to share a 5-minute reflection with you by Fr. John Riccardo, which you can read or listen to online at First Things First . (I have included the direct link below as well.) His reflection reminds us that St. Paul asked for prayers  "for kings and for all in authority, that we may lead a quiet and tranquil life in all devotion and dignity." Fr. Riccardo goes on to describe the king that Paul is probably referring to (Nero), sharing some history about the circumstances under which Paul was living, a s well as how Peter and Paul likely died. You see, young Nero, as Emperor of Rome at the age of 17, liked to hold gruesome games where Christians were killed.  This is the king that Paul is likely asking people to pray for! It might go against our nature to pray for someone that is bringing chaos, death and destruction to our lives, but pray...

Only 3,000 or so of Nova's 3,500 on-site drones were in the air at any one time during the Vatican's "Grace for the World" Saturday evening concert (September 13, 2025). LEDs on those 12-ounce mini-helicopters can display 16,000,000 different colors. I don't know how many the Nova team used during the concert. Colors, I mean. The 3,000 drones airborne with 500 recharging at any given time is pretty clear. However many colors they used, the show made quite an impression on folks in St. Peter's Square.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America . (My response to the first Vatican drone show, a short video by someone attending the concert: and how I see drones, art, and being human.)

Dives and Lazarus Leandro Bassano [ Web Gallery of Art ] Readings   (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, Ireland, New Zealand) Readings   (English Standard Version, Catholic Edition: England & Wales, India, Scotland)  Readings   (New American Bible: Philippines, USA) Gospel   Luke 16:19-31  (English Standard Version, Anglicised) At that time: Jesus said to the Pharisees, ‘There was a rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. And at his gate was laid a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover, even the dogs came and licked his sores. The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s side.  The rich man also died and was buried, and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. And he called out, “Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finge...

  Almost everyone was against him. That is what stuck out for me in today's gospel reading from Luke, Chapter 9. Jesus was telling Peter and the other disciples with him: "The Son of Man [meaning himself] must suffer greatly and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed and on the third day be raised." Ugh. Seriously. Doesn't sound like very good news. Just imagine yourself in a situation where most everyone who should be supporting you is against you. Just imagine that you are not only being rejected, but you know that the worst thing anyone can imagine, is going to happen to you. It would be a good reason to get discouraged! But the key is those last few words at the end of this passage: "on the third day [he will] be raised." You see, no matter what you might be going through today, the good news is that your story is not over, it is not fully written. There is light that follows all darkness. The fact that Je...

Lala  with Jordan who died in November 2023 I try to mark Lala's birthday every year. Fewer and fewer persons with Down Syndrome  are being born in European countries.  This is because more and more children with Down Syndrome are being aborted. Below, with some minor changes, is what I have posted over the last three years. +++ I first wrote this post in October 2008 and used it again in 2011 under the title  Lala and Queen Elizabeth II . I have re-posted it a number of times, with variations, because Lala's story is one that should be told over and over again.  This year I am re-posting what I have posted over the last three years, with a couple of updates on ages. I am posting the day before  Lala's birthday in the Philippines, 27 September, the feast of St Vincent de Paul. No doubt, the occasion will be marked at  Punla, Ang Arko, where Lala lives, the only  L'Arche community  in the Philippines, in Cainta, Rizal, part of the metropolitan...

      I used to read Bishop Kenneth Povish  (†)  in our local * Catholic newspaper, and if I am remembering correctly, he would often divide his column into sections, covering various, unrelated topics. Since there is so much I'd like to cover today, I'm going to make an attempt to imitate his model. Christian Behavior As Christians, since we are human, we, too, can struggle with liking people who are not likeable, but Jesus was very clear when he said: “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’  But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you,  that you may be children of your heavenly Father, for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust.'" Trump's press secretary, in defending him for proudly saying, "I hate my opponent and I don't want the best for them. I'm sorry," said he was being "authentically himsel...

One of our daughters and her husband run a milling company on the homestead where my mother grew up. Nothing about running a small business is, I suspect, "routine", but some days are less routine than other. Take, for example, the fire that didn't get out of control earlier this summer. There's an old Red River Valley joke where a newcomer asks "does it always blow this way?" and the local replies, "no: sometimes it blows the other way". This particular day was windier than usual.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America . (Strong south wind and a small fire in the waste pile: keeping it small depended on being prepared and knowing how to use hoe and hose.)

Girl with a Pearl Earring Vermeer [ Web Gallery of Art ] I mention two diamond rings below. I couldn't find a painting with a diamond ring but Vermeer's   Girl with a Pearl Earring   is a work of such extraordinary beauty that I used it instea d. Readings   (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, Ireland, New Zealand) Readings   (English Standard Version, Catholic Edition: England & Wales, India, Scotland)  Readings   (New American Bible: Philippines, USA) Gospel  Luke 16:1-13  (English Standard Version, Anglicised) At that time: Jesus said to the disciples, ‘There was a rich man who had a manager, and charges were brought to him that this man was wasting his possessions. And he called him and said to him, “What is this that I hear about you? Turn in the account of your management, for you can no longer be manager.” And the manager said to himself, “What shall I do, since my master is taking the management away from me? I am not strong enough to dig, and...

Someone's written a book about Pope Leo XIV: "León XIV: ciudadano del mundo, misionero del siglo XXI"; or "Leo XIV: Citizen of the World, Missionary of the 21st Century". The book, in Spanish, was released today, September 18, 2025. I gather it'll be available in English next year. A whiff of this biography, and a recent interview, popped up in my news feed, along with the usual sound and fury. Since I prefer reading specifically "Catholic" news through outlets that aren't marinated in my native culture, I did a little digging and came up with this.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America . (A quick look at a recent interview related to a new book: Leo XIV: Citizen of the World, Missionary of the 21st Century. Plus how I see news and dramatics.)

      Back in July I wrote a * post about the couple caught on camera at the Coldplay concert. I took the side of not publicly mocking them for their scandalous behavior, quoting a blogger who said, " saints treated sinners like wounded members of their own body. They were grieved, not scandalized." I still support my position, recalling how Jesus reacted to the Woman Caught in Adultery: "Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.”   John 8:7   " Then Jesus straightened up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?  She replied, “No one, sir.” Then Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you. Go, [and] from now on do not sin any more.”   John 8:10-11   Notice Jesus did not laugh at her. Her didn't humiliate or shame her like the scribes and the pharisees who put her right in the middle of the crowd. This came up for me again after hearing the popular Christian activist say, "We should ...

    Ever since the death of Charlie Kirk, I have been trying to put my finger on what it was about his approach that bugs me. At times, there was a thread of truth in what he was saying--and at times, not-so-much--but, particularly his humiliation of others and his arrogance didn't set well with me. Something was off. It goes without saying that his assassination was tragic and we need to pray for his family, and certainly not bash the person he was. I certainly hope you are not among those who have celebrated his death.  I'd like to share an excerpt of a post I came across. Even if you are sick of all the media surrounding Charlie Kirk, please take a moment to read this. I think it's a good dissection of his approach. I don't know anything about this blogger, so I can't, in general, recommend her or her opinions, but this particular post is good. I've edited her post for space and relevancy to my point.  Please take the time to read this. It's...