Association Of Catholic Bloggers

Women are very good multitaskers. We’re planning supper while juggling laundry and making notes for Friday’s big presentation. Being able to do more than one thing at a time makes us capable of handling the many demands of a modern woman’s daily life. Have we become too good at doing too much? Are we ticking off our to do lists, or are we really living each day? Are we fully alive, or are we merely getting by? Days can become years without us noticing. Have you ever asked, ”Where has the time gone?” or commented to your friends how quickly your children are growing up? “Before you know it, they’ll be gone,” you say. And indeed, you could find yourself looking back, regretting not pay8ing more attention to the toddler or teenager; not taking a paycut to pursue the job of your dreams; not learning Latin American Ballroom before sciatica and bunions made it too painful to contemplate. Paying attention is not my strong suit. Efficiency is the name of my game: no dawdling, just get t...

In ‘A Landscape with dragons’, Michael O’Brien writes about children knowing whether something (or someone) is good or bad. Their little souls are still sensitive, whereas we adults have taught ourselves to disregard that awareness. Perhaps the world or our busyness drowns out the voice of our guardian angel who is prompting us to steer clear of a certain person, to turn off a particular movie, or to not try to drive home in a heavy snow storm. O`Brien advises parents to not scoff when children talk about monsters under the bed, because doing so teaches them to distrust their own discernment. Good discernment is so important in living a Godly life. Just as our conscience must be formed, our morality developed, our code of ethics established, so our ability to discern needs to grow in strength and maturity. That discernment is a gift we all have, men and women both. There is a lot of emphasis on `women`s intuition` but men have it, too. The inherent differences between me...

First of all, I ask that supplications, prayers, petitions, and thanksgivings be offered for everyone, for kings and for all in authority, that we may lead a quiet and tranquil life in all devotion and dignity. This is good and pleasing to God our saviour, who wills everyone to be saved and to come to knowledge of the truth. 1 Tim 2: 1-8 That we may lead a quiet and tranquil life in all devotion and dignity . St. Paul probably wasn’t thinking ahead to his 21 st Century readers when he put pen to paper in this letter to Timothy, but these words ring out clear and true to this particular modern girl. We’ve all heard the litany of the ills of our time, and probably each have a version of our own we can riff on with the smallest provocation. Your litany would likely include some of these themes: stress, over-commitment, broken families, Godlessness, hopelessness, degraded culture, lowered standards, the noise, the expectations, the evening news.... Doesn’t it make you want to c...

On Saturday evening, before Mass, I went to confession, after a rather long gap of 2 months After the Priest absolved me, for my penance (in addition to praying the Pater Noster before the Blessed Sacrament) he asked me to do one small thing as well as I could this week for God. I came away feeling this was an easy penance! But on reflection I realised that this is something I should do every day, and don’t. More often, I do things in a hurried, slapdash and unrecollected way, often without considering God at all. Immediately, my thoughts turned to the Little Flower, whose hidden life was made up of an accumulation of small things. She had neither need or opportunity to do great things, but she had plenty of opportunity to do “small things with great love”. St. Therese wrote: To strew flowers is the only means of proving my love, and these flowers will be each word and look, each little daily sacrifice. Whether working in the laundry or at prayer, Therese offered everything, as w...