Association Of Catholic Bloggers

On 17 April Fr John Zuhlsdorf posted on  Fr.Z's Blog  a video interview with Fr Jean-Marc Fournier, a chaplain to the firefighters of Paris. Fr Fournier told of how he rescued the Crown of Thorns and the Blessed Sacrament. Fr Zuhlsdorf translated what Fr Fournier said in French. Here is an extract, with my  emphasis  added. Everybody understands that the Crown of Thorns is an absolutely unique and extraordinary relic,  but the Blessed Sacrament is Our Lord, really present in his body, soul, divinity and humanity and you understand that it is hard to see someone you love perish in the blaze . As firefighters we often see casualties from fire and we know its effects,  this is why I sought to preserve above all the real presence of Our Lord Jesus Christ . Fr Fournier was telling clearly what the Church has always taught: in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, by the power of the Holy Spirit acting through the priest, the bread and wine beco...

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 ...

By Laura Durant ....I ’ve seen blessings of great proportion due to regular visits to the Blessed Sacrament not just in my life, but in the lives of others around me. I’ve seen courage develop to follow the Lord’s Will, especially with great uncertainty in the outcome, in those whom otherwise would not have taken the leap of faith. I’ve seen, and experienced for myself, leaving behind dreams and plans which had sensible and seemingly certain outcomes, for roads less traveled and less in line with the way of the world which resulted in many blessings, in the development of devout faith and a fast track to great spiritual growth. I’ve seen hearts transform in a matter of months, sometimes weeks, being purified of deeply entrenched sins of the flesh, of mind and heart, such as pride and prejudice, and in their place, be filled with virtue and greater love for the Lord and all His children. All of this through regular visits to the Blessed Sacrament and devotion to Mary and Jesus’ Most...

From the Cloistered Heart

by   childlogiclabs I know the devils plan.  The devil has been working up to this moment for a very long time. You see the devil has a lot of time to think and he is constantly retracing his steps to see where he went wrong ... TO READ THE REST OF THE DEVIL'S PLAN: CLICK HERE!

The Grace Trifecta Standing before a room of 30 or so women facilitating my first faith sharing back in 2006, I fumbled around for the proper words as I tried to answer one participant's seemingly simple question on the grace of God.   What is grace?  While I had this innate understanding, I could not formulate the right words to express what I believed it to be. I realized, I had no definition. Fast forward a few years, I am sitting in a small chapel in adoration of the Blessed Sacrament ( aka Jesus in the Eucharist ). In my reading I once again face the question, what is grace? This time I open the  Catechism of the Catholic Church ; and prayed for guidance from the Holy Spirit.   That day the  Allison abridged version  of how I define the grace of God, was born (see image above) and I discovered the GRACE TRIFECTA ... Read More   All rights reserved, Allison Gingras 2016

Wisdom, Counsel, Understanding, Fortitude, Knowledge, Piety and Fear of the Lord (awe): These are the Gifts of the Holy Spirit. We specifically receive these gifts at our Confirmation, when we become full-fledged Christian adults. However, in my rather long lifetime, I seem to receive these gifts over and over. The well never seems to run dry. Apparently these gifts are important, since we seem to grasp for them at various junctures in our lives. We seek wisdom, counsel, knowledge and understanding whenever we need to make difficult, sometimes life-changing decisions. We seek Fortitude whenever hard times, suffering and persecution land... Read more...

I mentioned yesterday that I have been having some strange dreams lately. I wonder what you'll think of this one. I can't remember why, how or with whom I was having a conversation. I was being told that the lack of sacramental wine offered at parishes of late is causing the faithful to forget that Jesus shed his blood for our sins. How we need to sip and taste the sweet, stinging wine to remember, really remember. I don't dream like this and I am the kind of person that pays close attention to her feelings, the movement of thoughts and their possible origin. I'm always psychoanalyzing myself. To be honest, I think that's how I am able to separate, mentally, the bad from the good in my childhood and early adulthood from how I interact with my children and husband. So why this dream? Why now? What does it mean and where do I go from here? Of course that's rhetorical. Read more at Filling My Prayer Closet

This encounter started sometime back, I will begin there.   For some time after my husband's death, I had been not living a good life.  I was breaking a commandment pretty regularly.  It wasn't I was mad at God for my husband's death, it was because of the intensity of the pain I was suffering because of grief.   In truth, it hurt worse to go to Church than it did to sin.   I knew better, I had already had the Vision of the Eucharist, so I knew the truth, and I would say to myself, "What are you doing! You know better!!"  After three years, when my heart had healed sufficiently, it was time to come home. Mother calls.  ....TO READ MORE OF THE ENCOUNTER WITH THE VIRGIN...CLICK HERE.

It's time. This is what I saw.  The words underneath the vision of the Eucharist is what I heard.  A man's voice, gentle, but with authority to it that you did not question.  Now the history.... TO READ MORE CLICK HERE.

Storm the Gates (Part 2) NOTE:  The following of what you are about to read, is for your discernment.  I do not ask nor require anyone's belief.  Also, God did everything in what I am about to tell you, I only asked.  Even in the asking, God gave me the breath to speak it, the will to ask it, so really He did it all.  I am only writing this now because I was told to write, and write I will.   To Find Out What Happened During My Prayer on the 11th Station, CLICK HERE.

photo by Connie Wells

The Institution of the Eucharist , Federico Fiori Barocci, 1609 Basilica di Santa Maria sopra Minerva, Rome [ Web Gallery of Art ] The Solemnity of Corpus Christi is on the Universal Calendar of the Church for the Thursday after Trinity Sunday, this year 19 June, and is a holy day of obligation. However, in the Philippines and in many other countries it has been transferred to the following Sunday. Readings   (New American Bible: Philippines, USA ) Readings   (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, England & Wales, India [optional], Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland, South Africa)   [This link is to the readings for the Vigil Mass and for the Mass on Sunday] Gospel   John 6:51-58   ( New Revised Standard Version, Catholic Edition , Canada)  Jesus said to the Jews: I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.” Th...

The Casino The Lord had put it on my heart to go to the Casino.  I wondered why I had to actually go to the Casino, so I asked Him, "Lord, why do I have to go?  I can pray for them in front of the Blessed Sacrament!"   The answer was silence.  So, in obedience, I filled up my car and went to the Horseshoe Casino.... To find out what happened at the Casino, click HERE!

What Really Happens at the Holy Mass. This is where I am happiest, at the Holy Mass.  Now I will tell you what really happens at Holy Mass. The Lord told me some time ago, "I want you to go to Holy Mass everyday."  I thought, "O.k., I can do that."   At the time I was only going to Holy Mass once a week, an occasional day Mass but I mostly just prayed in front of the Blessed Sacrament.  I didn't understand, but I obeyed.  Going to Holy Mass everyday required some coordination, I would have to get up earlier and find a Mass along the way to work.  Also, the Mass would have to be close enough to work that when it was finished I could still get to work on time.  I found several different permanent options, and a few back up plans if for some reason I couldn't get to my regular daily Mass. It took about a year of going to Holy Mass daily, but then things started to change.   This was no longer an obligation, but a joy!    God star...

Many of us never know how close we have come to going to hell.  I found out today just how close I really came to being in the place of eternal torment.  Really close. When my husband was alive I had come back to the Catholic Church and I prayed my Rosary and loved to spend time with our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament.  After my husband died, everything hurt, and I mean everything.  Little things like going to the grocery store or watching t.v. was painful, and yes going to church was painful too because everywhere I was, I could feel his absence.  (He never went to church with me, but I prayed for him much there.)  Well, after his death, I was hurting so bad, that I just didn't care about anything, myself included.  All I wanted was to not hurt just for a little while.  I worked 50 hours a week, because I knew if I kept busy the 'demon' of sadness was kept at bay.  (There is a physical law that you can't think of two things at the sa...

One of God's greatest gifts to us is our Guardian Angel.  He is assigned to us at our conception, and is with us throughout our whole life.  But our Guardian Angel is more than just to protect us various mishaps or evil persons that seek to hinder or even do damage to us.  To know how to effectively communicate with and receive from our Guardian angel all that God wishes us to have, then we have to know more who our Guardian Angel is.  Who Is He? The Guardian Angel's back is never turned to God.  In truth, they really don't have 'backs' as such.  The Guardian Angel always has a face turned to God and always has a face turned to you.  The Angel does not turn from God to face you, nor does he turn from you to face God, it is a constant communion, the God with the Angel and the Angel with You.  As a result, there is a constant communication from God to your Guardian Angel for what is best for you in your path to the Father.  The Guardian ...

Father was a no show at the 8 a.m. Holy Mass today.  The old man stood at the back door waiting for him, he said he had talked to Father and that he had said he would be there.  At 8:02, we decided to have a communion service.  Jim, wonderful servant of God, did the service for us.  One of the men came up to me and a woman that I was speaking to after the service.  You never saw this man without his rosary in his hand.  It gave me such hope to see one so faithful every day to the Rosary of our Blessed Mother.  He came over and speaking to the woman spewed a derogatory comment about Father.  My heart dropped.  The woman agreed and joined in the bashing.  This isn't the first I had heard of this, and every time I hear it, it broke my heart.   They invited me to McDonald's for breakfast, I declined and said I would stay and pray.  The woman said to me, "Well he needs it!" (Meaning Father.)  What she didn't know was...