Association Of Catholic Bloggers

(from The Cloistered Heart)

(From Silar, Wikimedia Commons, used w/o permission.) (Nativity scene at the Christ the King Church in Sanok , Poland, 2010.) Shepherding is a comparatively new occupation, compared to hunting and knapping . The earliest evidence we've found so far puts the first shepherds north of Sargon 's Akkadian Empire , where the Hittite Kingdom was, a dozen or so centuries later. I've mentioned them before. ( August 21, 2015 ; October 16, 2015 ) That was about the time someone carved a bit of siltstone into the Narmer Palette , and folks started building Stonehenge ; and that's another topic. Around the time Emperor Ping died, leaving Wang Mang in charge — he was either a great reformer or conniving scoundrel, depending on who you read, and that's yet another topic — the Roman Emperor ordered an empire-wide census. More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

16 Catholic ebooks are on sale today through Monday. $.99 or free each. Great authors. Fiction and non-fiction. Visit Indie Catholic Authors' blog for details and buy links. Merry Christmas!

As I clean and get ready for our adult children to come home from university and work in the city, it is nice to remember the magic of Christmases when they were little. In fact, the scent of magic is still in the air, especially as our  five grandchildren join our family! When you live with nine children, even the most crusty curmudgeon cannot resist the magic of Christmas. continue

The headlines on the news scream disaster, struggle, violence, and hatred.  The world stage is filled with uncertainty and anxiety about the future. Innocent people are slaughtered mercilessly; politicians rage at each other, and even the church seems filled with discord and division. Temptations to fear and despair close in from every side.  This Christmas, I find that it is the hauntingly beautiful ancient hymn "Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence" that whispers peace and comfort into my anxious heart. Read my reflections here...    

Last winter Pope Francis visited the Roman parish of St. Joseph. One of his remarks there was eagerly snatched up by social media: "Babies cry, make noise, go here and there. But it annoys me when a baby cries in church and there are those who say he needs to go out. The cry of a baby is God's voice: never drive them away from the church!" ©Johanna Goodyear/Getty Images Being a mother of five children, I've had my share of those who say my baby "needs to go out." A friend of mine was once asked to leave with her baby--by the priest, during his homily! And sure enough, there are times when an inconsolable child needs a change of scenery so other churchgoers can have a little peace. But children belong in church. Let's bring them on Christmas, the day when God's voice actually became the cry of a baby. Let's bring our older children too, who, crying in their pre-adult way, sometimes protest having to go to church. Let's bring our children t

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” With these memorable words, Charles Dickens has captured the sentiment of every enthusiastic Catholic evangelist regarding Christmas. On the one hand, Christmas is an evangelist’s dream – a time of joy and hope , with an abundance of opportunities to share the good news of Jesus Christ with a weary world. On the other hand, Christmas can be an evangelist’s worst nightmare – a time of stress and struggle, when it seems like the world in general and the people around one’s own dining room table in particular, are indifferent or openly hostile to all things related to Christ. Click here  to read seven simple tips for sharing Christ this Christmas with your family, friends, co-worers and even the guy who just cut you off in the parking lot on the way to Midnight Mass.

It's a bad time of year to be hurting.  Not that there is a good time for pain, of course, but the weeks around Christmas and New Year's can be particularly poignant for some. I suspect many of us have had such seasons. Times when we can't be with loved ones, or a relative or close friend has died, or we've suffered a miscarriage, or we're sick, or we've lost our job, or there is illness in the family.  Even the time of year can make us feel blue.  Here in the northern hemisphere, night falls early in these months of bleak midwinter. We may be struggling to adjust to the long, long, long dark. For anyone reading this who is sad, in pain, or maybe just wishing the holidays would be over and gone - know that you're not alone. In fact, you are so 'not alone' that I'm going to ask a favor of everyone reading this..... (continue)

Today's first Bible reading doesn't include the last part of Micah 5:4.... ...I'm guessing that's because we see these verses mostly as they relate to our Lord's birth, about seven centuries later. Folks in Micah's day had more immediate concerns: " 3 he shall be peace. If Assyria invades our country and treads upon our land, We shall raise against it seven shepherds, eight men of royal rank; " 4 And they shall tend the land of Assyria with the sword, and the land of Nimrod with the drawn sword; And we shall be delivered from Assyria, if it invades our land and treads upon our borders. " ( Micah 5:4 - 5 ) Micah lived around Isaiah 's time, a bit over 27 centuries back. Assyria's leaders were trying to unite the (western) world into a single empire, and succeeding: for the moment.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

O Holy Night is my favorite Christmas Carol. The lyrics are rich in meaning and so many of them have provided much thought for meditation and spiritual journaling. Here are five facts, images and inspirations from the song. Read more here...

Immaculate Heart of Mary - CHRISTMASTIME by Mark Knobil (2007) via  FLICKR , CC Feeling conflicted about navigating the sudden CROWDS at church this Christmas? Thinking about coming to church for the first time in a while? Be not afraid! There's room for everyone. Today's post continues the series on what happens in the liturgy, and why we're all essential to what happens there. "Keep Your Fork!" Join me at Praying with Grace !

"The traditional Christmas tree is a very ancient custom which exalts the value of life, as in winter the evergreen becomes a sign of undying life...." (continue)

Sometimes the activities of Advent and Christmas can feel like an intrusion. Day to day life is more or less put on hold by an urgent need to shop and wrap and plan. Chairs and tables are displaced by, of all things, a tree in the middle of our house.  There is no time to do ordinary things, as everyday life is seriously disrupted for weeks on end. It can seem like a major interruption.   A few years ago, the truth of it hit me. This is what Christmas has been since the instant of the Incarnation: an interruption. Please stay with me here, because our first reaction to the word “interruption” could be negative.  But interruptions are often quite positive, and this Interruption was the most positive of them all.... (continue...)

It came to me in the sudden realization, "This is what Hell is." I didn't see the burning, unending agony the Saints have seen. I thank the Lord He knows me well enough to understand I'm not strong enough to witness such suffering even in those justly condemned by their own choices. But I understood what must be one of the greatest agonies of Hell, and it wasn't an eternity of physical torture. It was no gnawing and gnashing of teeth. It was what was not in Hell that hurt souls most. It was their inability to give or receive Love. What made Hell so awful was, quite simply, a complete absence of Love. And I knew this is what Hell would be. To continue reading, please join me at SingleMomSmiliing.com

"Some people are crying this week. Not everyone is in the mood for Christmas."  Those were providential words for me one Advent as I came to terms with a death in my family. Some people are in mourning this week. You, perhaps? Death of a loved one, loss of a job, a relationship falling apart: grief and pain and loss don’t take the season  off. Christmas can be hard to take. I learned this firsthand a few years back. Think of the people hurting this Advent. Please, reach out. It makes a difference. I’ve felt it. It might be the best pro-life ministry you could perform right now. The Friday before Advent in 2000, my father succumbed to cancer. Read the full post at Leaven for the Loaf .  

In the midst of a secular, godless, 'we're-doing-fine-by-ourselves' world, there appears in this one season a window of opportunity. There is a slot, a crack in the Everyday. A few short weeks during which the whisper of God might be heard through carol or card.... (continue)

The tradition of giving and receiving gifts at Christmas time is a bit of a double edged sword – lots of good things involved, lots of parenting challenges as well. Lots of things I don’t want:  I DON’T want Christmas gift giving to become the focus. But  also I DON’T want our kids to miss out on a fun tradition that, done in moderation, can teach a lot about the meaning of both giving and receiving. I DON’T want to break the piggy bank and live like a pauper for the rest of the year because all our money went into gifts. I DON’T want to end up with a house full of toys and “stuff” that gets excitedly used for a few hours, starts more than a few fights and ultimately ends up lying around tripping people. I DON’T want our kids to set high expectations, or feel entitled to getting the latest and greatest each year. Lots of things I do want:  I DO want my kids to experience the love behind the gifts they receive from friends and relatives. I DO want my kids to experience the grati

Christmas stories add to the joy of the Christmas season, and Seven Stories for Christmas by Henry von Blumenthal, provides a wonderful take on the birth and life of Jesus from St. Luke’s perspective. Mr. von Blumenthal takes us back in time, to when St. Luke was doing his research for, what we today call, the Gospel according to St. Luke. In his research, Luke, known as Dr. Lucan, first visited with Mary to learn what Jesus was like as a child. He then met up with Zacchaeus, the tax collector to hear his story of what Jesus was like. Mr. von Blumenthal weaves through each chapter discussing... Read more...

It's been nearly a week since I've seen someone's announcement that the end of days is upon us. False alarms are nothing new. It's been about 18 centuries since St. Hippolytus of Rome figured the Second Coming would happen in the year 500. Swedenborg speculated, in 1758, that the Last Judgment happened in the previous year — I give him points for originality — and Harold Camping got it wrong twice. ( January 25, 2015 ; April 19, 2015 ) Me? I believe what our Lord said: including what's recorded in Mark 13:32 - 37 , which ties in with today's Gospel reading.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

Christmas is on its way, whether you are ready for it or not! What better way to get your Christmas shopping started than with the purchase of a beautifully illustrated book about the very first Christmas morning of Christ’s birth! This lovely story, written by Catherine C. Gilmore, presents the morning of Christ’s birth from the animals point of view, that of a lamb, but also of a lion. The lamb represents the young and weak of society, and the lion represents the strong and mature; where both come together and recognize the babe as their King and true leader.… Read more...