Association Of Catholic Bloggers

God's Justice.  As God is complete in all that He is, we are not able to take away or add to His measure.  Since this is so, then God is whole. If God is perfect then His attributes must also be perfect.  God is one, God is the divine Trinity, the three divine persons in one God.  God is pure, and His purity must be perfect, with nothing lacking.  God is just, and His justice must also be perfect.  So God is pure, just and perfect.  As a result, if God's justice is perfect then His justice must not allow any one who is impure, vile or sinful into his presence, for this would not be just and it would be torture for the soul stained by sin to behold the beatific vision of God.   God is also mercy, and His mercy, because He is timeless is for all time God's mercy must also be infinite.  The fact of God's infinite mercy has lead souls down the path to the conclusion that no matter what they do, God's mercy is infinite and God will not allow them to go to Hel

Peace between warring nations comes with a hard-fought truce. Peace between the oppressor and those afraid to resist comes at the price of slavery. Peace pursued constantly through pleasure and consumption is a fantasy that leads to obsession with whatever it takes to live stress-free:   comfort foods, constant distraction of entertainment, addictions. We strive to live so that we don’t hurt anywhere. Our relationships work to our advantage. We have everything we want on our happiness checklist. For now. Are we depending on ideal circumstances for a transient peace? Peace on our terms? We ask God for peace. We ask him to take away our pain and struggles so that we can have peace. Yet in the middle of a health crisis, a faith crisis or a relationships crisis, where is God? We find him there with us. Like the soldier in battle or the cowering slave, we stay poised to discover the peace that defies our understanding—and our control. No one can take that peace away from us. Peac

Where does Evil Come From? In the beginning God Said, "Let there be light."  And there was light.  God creates with His word, and when He gave the angels free will He also gave them this ability to create out of their words, although to a much lesser degree.  God is all good, there is no darkness in Him.  However, having infinite knowledge of His creation, He knew of evil as a concept (because God knows all things), but evil only existed in the mind of God as a concept, a potentiality.  When he gave the angels free will they two had a knowledge of what rebellion what evil was as a concept, otherwise their will would not be free because they would have no other choice but the good God.  It was a concept, and so as to truly choose God freely, they were given knowledge of "another way".  Again, this was only a concept in the mind of God and the angels, at this time evil did not yet exist.   God did not create evil, even though He knew about it.  By his

Why do  Faithful American Catholics Label  Pope Francis: A Modernist Heretic? Every time Pope Francis speaks, the papers are filled with sensational headlines; he does not emphasize many of the popular, hot issues like abortion and homosexuality, issues which often simply serve to divide voters into an  us  and  them  mentality. When did these issues become  the  only  issue that concerns the Church? Yet when the pope reminds us that our life in Christ is so much more, vocal advocates become extremely angry, denouncing the pope as the anti-pope. How ridiculous! Why such a strong reaction? Perhaps many Americans do not like this South American because Catholics in America were taught that God loves capitalism and that Greed is Good. The Pope has made some pretty negative remarks about the freebooter capitalism that has flourished since the 1990′s and that will make him very unpopular with the freebooters in the US. Some of his comments about greed, avarice, and freebooter capi

painting by J. Kirk Richards Think about the last time you broke a rule (a big one,  not just ripping the tags off your pillows).  Were you burned, or did things turn out for the best?  I did not simply break a rule here and there;  no, like every other human being, I continually break the most fundamental law of the universe without any conscious effort by refusing to accept reality. Instead of realizing my place in the universe, as one of God's creations, I put on masks and false personalities in a vain attempt to deny my very nature. In pride, I act like a queen at the centre my own little world. According to Thomas Merton ( Seeds of   Contemplation ), a frog or tree are holy simply because they are who they were created to be. On the other hand, I broke all laws of nature out of pride. Steeped in delusion, I clung to a false persona and refused to relax and accept the reality that I am not the centre of the universe. The result? I was not simply burned. Oh

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 Angel is always before t

It was Padre Pio da Pietrelcina’s feast day, yesterday, September 23. 40 years after his death, Padre Pio looks like this. Padre Pio quotes  “Don’t allow any sadness to dwell in your soul, for sadness prevents the Holy Spirit from entering freely.”​ “Joy, with peace, is the sister of charity. Serve the Lord with laughter. ”  “Pray, hope, and don’t worry. Worry is useless. read more>

What would be the absolute worst thing that could happen to a nice Protestant girl? Why Mary, the Blessed Virgin, would do a little interior house cleaning, then make a home for herself in the poor girl’s heart, that’s what! If that was not bad enough, this perplexed young woman’s belief system would stay staunchly anti-Catholic for oh, about another 10 years, even though she had converted to Catholicism. I mean what choice did she have? Nobody but the Catholic Church even wants someone who craves the Eucharist and has a relationship with the Mother of Christ. Obviously this young woman was and is me. God has a peculiar sense of humor and now I can look back and laugh at my dilemma. At the time, though I was shook up. As Pope Francis said at the Easter Vigil, God delights in shaking us up, or as I like to say, ripping the rug from underneath us. Nope, God will not stay in a nice, neat little box of our own making. Just when we think we have Him all figured out, He pulls an

The seed pod dropped on the sidewalk and split. I see the ruddy shine through a slit in the spiked orb and wonder at its depth of color, the certain slant of light spent on its creation and its becoming. I hold the sharp husk gingerly between my fingers and thumb and wonder at the satisfaction in prying apart the halves, the silken rip at the pith.  Notions of Autumn’s approach, the colored leaves, the drying bits of grass and flower are upon me.  The death and dormancy that fit beneath the harvest ground conceal a greater thing: Latent energy bursting into fullness, our God blossoming into the son of man ripening into the fullness of his mystery. I am tempted to hold fast the shells and face the blank wall, keep myself hidden within the pointed case and find my way to fullness turned inward.  Yet I strain against the covering, press into the exterior a plain and arching back.  I drop against the ground and split to see a shining depth of light in which death and birth work to

The worst possible fate for me would be to die and discover that I had lived an existence similar to the allegory described in Plato’s Cave. Plato describes man’s condition similar to living in a cave, chained, only seeing shadows on a wall cast from a candle. Yet the human race believes that this is all there is to life. When one person manages to break free and stumbles out into daylight, he realizes that what he thought was real were actually shadows of real objects. After this messenger makes his way back into the cave to explain this revelation of the real world, no one believes him. No one else has any reference point; they simply cannot grasp this alternate reality. When I speak with someone who is curious about the faith, I realize my revelations about the spiritual life in the Mystical Body of Christ are completely foreign. I might as well be a fantasy character explaining life in an alternate reality. Psychologically speaking, people need to hear a completely new concep

If my children could  remember only three things to take with them into their adult life, what would I want them to be? 1 .  I love you ,  believe in you. Let that love be your foundation and your springboard into life. 2.   God loves you,    just as you are. Relax in that  Love, let it sink in , heal you, strengthen you and  release you into freedom and joy. Don’t try to save  yourself and  everybody else on your own because  He   is the only Saviour . Notice that I called  God   Lord.   Let  God be the Lord and don’t steal His job. 3.   Reach out and allow that   Divine Love to flow through you  to your partner, children, neighbours and in doing so discover your unique vocation, your work in the world. A child rooted in love becomes a secure, warm, giving adult who attracts as much light as he reflects. He can live in relative peace with himself and others. With his basic emotional needs fulfilled, he is free to love and serve other people and to develop intel

Jesus said, “I have observed Satan fall like lightning  from the sky ."  Luke 10:18  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ We know that the devil's sin was pride that caused him to fall for all time.  Let us examine this.  Lucifer is an Angelic intelligence.  Before the fall he was constantly before the face of God, so he knew God, and he knew all God's attributes.  Lucifer knew that God's justice was perfect, if God said it was so, it was right and just. Lucifer new that the will of God was perfect, that if God willed something it was perfect and right.  Lucifer knew God and he knew the love of God.  Yes, God loved Lucifer, His light bearer. The angels have free will just like we do, the danger came when in being God's light bearer, that Lucifer saw himself as having the attributes of God.  He thought because he bore the light, he was the light.  Lucifer also thought God could not do without him.  Lucifer was the light bearer, only  he  could do this job for God, no one else

I was skimming the channels and happened upon some of those "Ghost" shows where they talk to the dead. The only problem is that they  DO NOT KNOW  who or  WHAT  they are talking to.  DEMONS DO NOT CARRY IDENTITY CARDS!  The 'spirit' took on attributes of a person's mother that had recently passed.  The 'spirit' even knew the Mother and Daughter's 'secret' word that they had chosen in advance of the Mother's passing.  Well that must be proof that was the Mother, right?   NO.   Let me explain.  Demons are constantly around us trying to trip us up so that we lose our salvation, they will  DO ANYTHING , let me repeat : ANYTHING  including taking on the shape, voice, smell, and even provide secret code words in order that you will seek the paranormal (their playing field) and as a result putting you at risk of losing your salvation.  How did the 'spirit' know the code word? Simple, the demon assigned to the Mother or Daughter was p

Mary Crushes Satan  -  We cannot allow fear of the devil and deception to be stronger than our trust in God’s Mercy and Grace. Fear freezes us, often preventing the inner spiritual journey that leads to fullness of life in Christ.  As Catholics, we are often leery of personal revelation. Of course we should be cautious but what are we so worried about? The Church protects us with the gift of confession, the mystical tradition of the Church, spiritual direction and encourages us to study the bible. All theses tools act as personal sign posts and safe guards. Like all  Christians, Catholics  have received the Holy Spirit to lead them into all truth. Why don’t we, as Catholics,  give the Holy Spirit permission to do His job? The Holy Spirit is our inner Companion who leads us; we do not  live in fear of  spiritual revelations. Many of God the Father’s children are so afraid that the devil will lead them astray, they do not even listen to His interior whispers of love. Surely w

The Way, The Truth and the Life. Dear ______ The reason I am writing you is because I hope that by my witness you would come to know the truth. My dear friend, I have experienced God personally.  If God is love for each of us individually, there will be no “evidence” or “proof” of that love, the love of God is a personal experience and when a soul experiences it, it is for that soul alone, not to be proven.   If God must “prove” his love, doesn't that cheapen it?  We have loved men in our life, how it would hurt us, if in loving someone they turn to us and say,  “Prove it!” .  No.  God provides no proof for what He gives a soul in love, because it IS love, the purest love of all.    There is no greater intimacy than the love of God that He pours out on a soul that He loves.  I have felt this love.  During prayer, I felt the love of God fill me to the brim.  I was given the knowledge that it was only a small part of the love He has for me, yet I knew that if he ga

To understand why Jesus has to be God, we have to understand the Father also.  The Father is infinite, with no beginning and no end.  Therefore, his attributes are also infinite.  His knowledge is infinite and, most important to us, his memory is infinite.  We were created, and we have a beginning, but with a soul that shall exist forever.  God is the creator of life, and if the angels shall not taste death or annihilation, then neither shall we, to say that our souls face an annihilation is not consistent with the nature of God as creator of life.  We shall be "somewhere" for all time.  A short time, (very short when you think about it) in the flesh, and then eternity either with God or banished from His presence.   So let's go back to the Father's memory.  The Father's memory is infinite, which means He will remember all things for all time.  (He is actually not bound by time, but that is another blog post) So think about that, what you do in the flesh G

I have recently discovered that my spirituality is very similar to that of St. Thérèse the Little Flower probably because I have lived with children under the age of 18 for 33 years.   I think that many mothers can relate to this saint as well. She lived  the   little way   like all people  who are not rich and famous but want to serve God their loving Father through their littleness and simplicity. She chose to stay as a child in they eyes of God, performing all of her duties with love and obedience, no matter how small and insignificant they were.  Matthew 18:3: and said, "Truly, I say to you,   unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.    I like to say that a child, frog and tree are holy because they are who they called to be without a mask or false persona or large ego. St. Thérèse said,    “Holiness consists simply in doing God's will, and being just what Go d wants us to be.”  I pray now by simply resti

Pregnant with my seventh child, I was bedridden in the high-risk, neo-natal wing of the maternity ward for a week while waiting for a housekeeper to come to run my home and help tend my six children. I faced 6 months of bed rest but that one week gave me perspective and kept me from sinking into self-pity. The other two women in my room were desperate to keep their babies in uteri and finally become mothers. One of the two had suffered five miscarriages. She was stuck in a ward room for months, only going home after the birth of her baby. Secretly we all feared that we would lose our babies. Suddenly our fears materialized as a high-risk woman’s baby died in her womb. That poor woman had to endure an induction and labour for hours, only to push out a dead baby. The pain in that wing of the hospital was tangible. Tears ran down women’s’ faces as they grieved with their neighbour. It did not matter that none of us had even glimpsed her face. Nurses as well as patients mourned for

As David waited expectantly for my wise response, I scrambled to think quickly but answer truthfully. I was preparing dinner one afternoon, when five-year old David came running up to me with a serious look on his face. He was always full of energy and mischief but he also had a delightful spirituality that was not taught but inborn. Once again, David had  another  theological question for me, “Mum, does Mary live in my heart?” I did some  fast  thinking. Heaven is within us and Mary is in heaven, I thought. So I answered, “Yes sweetie, Mary is in your heart.” David sighed and concluded the discussion,“I guess that means that God is in my feet.” I laughed silently to myself and thought that was a very theologically correct concept since God is our foundation. I had no idea what went on in David’s head after that answer but I soon found out. It was about a week later, when all the kids who were old enough (and one who wasn't really old enough)

In our prayer God gives us usually only three answers when we pray. 1.  Yes  - your prayer is answered. 2.  No.  - your prayer is refused by God.  Don't loose heart - this is not a bad thing - this is a good thing!  A no from God is a time to reflect on what you were asking for, if it was asked in the right heart.  Was it a selfish desire? If you have asked in the right mindset then know that this is your personal lesson that the will and justice of God, for the will of God and the justice of God is always perfect.  You may even never know why the answer is no.  But if you go forth and submit to the will of God then you usually find the answer for the "No" was because if He had said yes it would have diminished or cancelled a grace or gift He wished to give you later.   3.  Not yet.   God's timing is not our timing and we have to understand this, we will wait patiently for what He said He will do, we may even have to wait our lives for it, but tru