Association Of Catholic Bloggers

"Doctor Faustus..." starts with a 194-word soliloquy. Sort of. It's delivered by Chorus, named last in Marlowe's "Dramatis Personae." Ancient Greek tragedies had a chorus, acting like today's narrators. Again, sort of. Aristotle said that chorus was a character, so maybe Marlowe saw it that way, too. Make that probably did, since his "Dramtis Personae" lists Chorus. Anyway, here's Marlowe's first whacking great chunk of soliloquy, whittled down considerably, in "Dr. Faustus." Assuming that what Chorus says is soliloquy.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

  We experience much division and disagreement in society today. The resulting intolerance is the work of the devil. He relishes in sowing division, because through this division, we collapse as a society. And Satan’s goal is to destroy us all. We see the intolerance in the political, religious, and racial arguments on the internet, television, and in the public square. Everyone chooses a camp and settles in, disregarding anything stated by anyone from the other camp. Here is my problem: I am a pro-life Democrat who believes in racial equality, as well as marriage between a man and a woman. So, I do not fit into any single political camp! I could say, I am divided within myself! Why? Because I espouse following God’s moral laws. No political camp, regardless of the issue, aligns totally with God’s moral laws. Even some religious camps do not always see things as God sees them. Why? Because we are all sinners. Intolerance is Intolerable I go back 30+ years to the Rodney King quote, ...

Where the Ten Commandments tell us, for the most part, what not to do, the Beatitudes tell us how to live in a Christ-like manner. They highlight all the good virtues that we should possess. The Beatitudes serve us well. Virtues Associated with the Beatitudes Humility : “Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matt 5:3). Caring/Compassion : “Blessed are they who mourn, for they will be comforted (Matt 5:4). Meekness : “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the land” (Matt 5:5). Justice : “Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied” (Matt 5:6). Mercy : “Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy” (Matt 5:7). Piety :  “Blessed are the clean of heart, for they will see God (Matt 5:8). Peace : “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called the children of God” (Matt 5:9). Faith : “Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingd...

Today is April Fool’s Day, but the Coronavirus is no joke! I’ve seen the footage of young people partying in Florida on Spring Break. I’ve also seen the footage of people congregating in large groups to see the cherry blossoms in Washington, DC. Hello people!!! We have a crisis here that calls for individuals to think more of others and less of themselves – a call for humility. Those partying in Florida, went back home after Spring Break and now run the risk of giving this virus to their parents and/or grandparents. People congregating in large groups place themselves at higher risk of contracting this pandemic of a disease. Coronavirus – Call to Action Everyone needs to follow the latest advice put out by the... Read more...

Lent is the perfect time to embrace humility, as it is a time when God calls us to think less of ourselves and more of others. What stands in the way of you embracing humility? Is it your pride? It was for me! Only after I learned what held me back from being the person God calls me to be, could I embrace humility. For me, I cared too much what others thought of me. I sought my validation from my friends and peers, rather than from the one true source – God. My friends and peers could never fill the hole. I needed constant validation of my self-worth. Once I realized that only God could fill the void and validate me, could I begin thinking less of myself and more about others. This happened many years ago, and I have to say that He still works on me. Every time I slip and cling to my pride, God points that out to me. He tells me to “Let go.” God continuously chisels away at my huge chunk of pride. Bit by bit, He forms me into the person that He wants me to be. Read more...

What do you gain by being uncivil? How do you benefit by thinking more of yourself and less of others? Why must your needs and desires supersede anyone else’s needs and desires? Incivility, a lack of humility, and a sense of superiority are at the root of our nation’s divisiveness. It is time that we foster goodness for the sake of the common good. It’s time that we begin acting more Christ-like and love our neighbor. Picture yourself standing in line waiting to check out at a department store. In front of you is a woman berating the sales clerk because she can’t use more than one coupon. What are you thinking? Are you saying to yourself, “You go girl! Give it to that clerk!” Or, might you be thinking, “Wow, I’m glad I’m not that clerk!” How is being uncivil making the woman look good? Certainly, she is not virtuous, as she lacks civility. When someone makes such outbursts, they do not foster goodness for the sake of the common good. Such actions demonstrate that the woman is onl...

Today is the Feast day of Saint Therese of Lisieux, a 19 th  century Carmelite nun, and Doctor of the Church. Saint Therese comes from a very devout Catholic family, where her parents, Marie-Azelle Guerin and Louis Martin, are also canonized saints of the Church. She was one of nine children, of which four died in childhood. Her remaining siblings were four sisters, who also became nuns. Saint Therese and Her “Little Way” Saint Therese is known for her “Little Way” – a way of simplicity and humility in serving Our Lord in the most mundane ways. For example, Saint Therese found value in doing the dishes without complaint. Although a Doctor of the Church, Therese was not a scholar of theology. Having lived only to the age of twenty-four, her education was not that extensive. Therefore, her “Little Way” is more of an example for all of us; educated and uneducated. Therese shows us how to ... Read more...

Kendra Von Esh, author of  Am I Catholic?:  A Struggle with Faith, Humility, and Surrendering to God , has written a humorous, frank account about her own journey back to the Catholic Church. Her audience includes clueless/ uncatechized Catholics as well as faithful Catholics at a loss about how to evangelize. Kendra has a passion for people who don’t know where to turn for answers but keep looking for “something more”. Surprised by a conversion experience, Kendra, in turn, shocked her family and associates a few years later by leaving a high powered  executive career  to work full time for God. Melanie:   Kendra, describe your career before God intervened in your life. continue

In today’s Gospel reading from Matt 5:1-12, we hear Jesus teach about the Beatitudes. I am quite partial to the Beatitudes, as they embody virtue. As you all know, virtue is my “thing.” When we look at each one of the Beatitudes, we see that they are actually God’s gift of grace. That is because, to master the Beatitudes, we must embrace virtue. To embrace virtue, we need God’s grace. The Beatitudes – Jesus’ Way! To be poor in spirit, one must embrace and exemplify   humility If you are one who mourns, you are   compassionate Meekness is obvious. Yet to be   meek , one requires great strength ( fortitude ). If you hunger and thirst for righteousness, you embody   justice Merciful is obvious, like meekness. However, to be   merciful,   to the extent necessary, one must be ready to also   forgive ... Read more... 

The question which naturally arises on this night, on the eve of Christ’s death, is where do I stand? Do I stand among the righteous, pure, self-sufficient ones or do I stand with the poor in spirit,  those captive to their woundedness, and oppressed in the face of their innate sinfulness? Do I need saved and am I humble enough to ask for help? If I can’t, then Jesus died in vain, the power of his crucifixion is wasted on me and I will be unable to rejoice on Easter Sunday. continue reading

Quite a few parts of the Bible don't talk about forgiveness. But quite a few do, and they're not just in the New Testament. This morning's second reading doesn't mention forgiveness directly, but the verse right after it does. They all say why forgiving is a good idea. It's enlightened self-interest, in the long run.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

My husband, Michael, and I will have been married for 39 years on Sept. 1, 2017. After a difficult life, we are happy and still in love. Surprisingly, we have become one in reality, deeply in tune with each other’s spirits even though we are still opposites in personality. Our tangible joy is inexplicable through secular eyes because from all outward appearances our life together has been a tough journey through poverty, raising nine kids, facing overwhelming chores on a small family farm and dealing with long-term, clinical depression. Accessing Power in the Sacrament of Marriage How did our marriage survive never mind thrive? The grace available in the Sacrament of Marriage is not some esoteric theology;  it is real and it is powerful. The power available in the sacrament is what kept my husband and me together through the rough years. We both understood, beyond a doubt, that God brought us together. We never questioned this basic call from God, our vocation t...

To the casual observer, I appear to be a devoted Catholic mother who has lived a sacrificial life worthy of a modern saint. Little do people realize that although I did pour out my life struggling to raise nine kids on a small farm with little disposable income, I actually missed the core of Christ’s message; I tried too hard to be a perfect Christian rather than allowing myself to be loved by God. The stress of my lifestyle brought me low, low enough to finally realize I was not as Christian as I had once supposed. In fact, I realized I was actually a verified Pharisee, striving to please God. When I confessed this devastating insight about fifteen years ago, the priest told me he had never heard a better confession but I had missed the next step after my brutal self-examination, the most important step for a disciple of Jesus. I was refusing to accept the forgiveness and love of God. continue reading

When we suffer in isolation for our own failings or act like a scapegoat who suffers as the result of others who sin against us, we like to think of ourselves as saintly martyrs, but our suffering is anything but holy and especially not redemptive.  In fact, there is no act filled with more pride because we are in fact stealing Christ’s job. It takes humility to realize our miserable, self-inflicted suffering does not save anyone, least of all ourselves. The only way to become humble is to trust in God to save us because we realized our own efforts have failed. continue

Jesus didn’t enter Jerusalem on a beautiful stallion, or better yet in a covered canapé. No, He entered Jerusalem on the back of an ass; one of the simplest and hardest working creatures known to man. In Christ’s simplicity, we see Christ’s humility. Throughout Christ’s entire Passion and death, He consistently placed the wellbeing of each one of us ahead of Himself. He thought more about us that He thought of Himself.  For example, He took the verbal abuse of His accusers in silence, not wanting to draw attention to His followers. When tensions escalated, He took... Read more... 

Saint Joseph, a man of few words; no – make that no words –had a huge impact on salvation history. He is portrayed in the Bible, without ever having spoken one word. All mention of him is in the third person. Yet, silent Saint Joseph was one of the most important instruments of Christ’s salvific action. Had Joseph refused to take Mary as his wife, Mary would have been placed in a tenuous situation, and so would the safety of her child, Jesus. You see, in Mary’s day, if a woman was caught having relations with a man out of wedlock, she could have been stoned to death. Because Mary was pregnant with Jesus, everyone else would have assumed that Mary was having relations with a man. Therefore, no one would have understood that Mary’s pregnancy was a result of the Holy Spirit’s overshadowing of Mary. Saint Joseph’s silent “yes,” – his own “fiat,” to taking Mary as his wife – paved the way for fulfilling God’s plan for salvation. Thus, Jesus could be given a safe and secure means to gr...

Scientists are pretty sure that Saccorhytus coronarius is an ancestor of lancets, sea squirts, fish, amphibians, reptiles, dinosaurs, and mammals: including us. Much more recently, about 3,660,000 years back, five Australopithecus afarensis strolled across volcanic ash. One of them was "astonishingly larger" than any other A. afarensis we know of. Exactly what that means isn't, I think, clear. Not yet. More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

Just like most people, I do 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. Even worse, I steal God’s job by trying to save myself by my own efforts. continue reading

I generally identify with the tax collector in today's Gospel reading: Luke 18:9 - 14 . That's okay, since emulating "those who were convinced of their own righteousness," despising everyone else, is a bad idea. The problem wasn't what the Pharisee was doing. Fasting, within reason, is a good idea. It can be part of penance. (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1434 , 1438 , 2043 ) Along with tithing , it's part of being a Catholic. More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

We conclude with the seventh installment of our seven-part series on the seven deadly sins. Today we discuss Pride: the root of all evil! Pride will infiltrate your soul, leaving no room for anything else. It will drive your thoughts and actions, if you let it. You don’t even know what is happening to you at the time. Unbeknownst to me, that is exactly what happened to me! Only upon reflection, and with a true dose of honesty, can one start the process of moving from prideful to humble. Here is my story: When I was a child,... Read more...