Association Of Catholic Bloggers

We four returned this afternoon from Pittsburgh, where we toured the University of Pittsburgh campus for an admitted students' day, ate at Primanti Brothers, and attended Mass at the Newman Catholic Center. A few insights: First, Pitt is a wonderful place. I had to stop myself from buying one of these sweatshirts; our oldest still is mulling his options for college and whether he prefers a large university to a small liberal arts college. Keep Reading...

Today's Gospel is probably my favorite story in the Bible and holds a very special place in my heart. You can read my take on this story here at Being Catholic ... Really .

Have you been to "Stations" this Lent? The Stations of the Cross at  St. Thérèse Chinese Catholic Church  can be prayed starting at 7 PM every Friday during Lent.  A fish fry dinner is served at 6 PM if you are coming straight from work.  At 8 PM there are special presentations by guest speakers. If you have not been able to attend Stations, you can do so here at Being Catholic ... Really .

This Lent I’m doing some different things. Or maybe I should say I’m doing things differently. Regardless of my intentions, I’ve noticed that the last few Lenten Seasons (and Advent, too) have started out as gangbusters but then have really petered out. I’m reminded of the saying “The road to Hell is paved with good intentions.” Talking with some friends, I’ve found that it is a far more common occurrence then most of us are willing to admit. We purchase the Lenten book, we buy all the pieces for the Advent wreath, we envision the holy and anointed times that will take place in our homes and in our hearts during these sacred seasons. Of course, the more we plan, the more likely we are to fail. After all, 40 days is a long time to stay committed. It is test of endurance and we unwittingly set ourselves up for failure because we aren’t always realistic in what we set out to do. So this Lent, I’m doing something different: I'm setting myself up for success. continue readin

Transfiguration of Christ Paolo Veronese, 1555-56 [ Web Gallery of Art ] Readings   (New American Bible: Philippines, USA)                               Readings   (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, England & Wales, India [optional], Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland, South Africa) Gospel   Matthew 17:1-9  ( New Revised Standard Version, Catholic Edition , Canada)   Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and his brother John and led them up a high mountain, by themselves.   And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became dazzling white.   Suddenly there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him.   Then Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if you wish, I   will make three dwellings   here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”   While he was still speaking, suddenly a bright cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud a voice said, “This is my Son, the

Sometimes I think we complicate Lent.  At least I do. I over think it, over plan for it and take on way too many things that I never seem to accomplish. This year, I'm keeping it much simpler.  I dug deep into my resolve and eliminated all sweets.  I've been using yogurt, fresh fruit and granola to make sundaes to kind of take the edge off.  So far it's worked.  The added bonus?  I lost three pounds that first week!  Who knew that Lent would be the successful way to diet? To read the rest and see a short video by Fr. Robert Barron, go to Being Catholic ... Really .

Sunday afternoon I took a brisk half hour walk in the late winter air to watch our son coach basketball. Along the way to Lucky's final game coaching a team of 9 and 10 year old girls, I heard water dripping. Snow is melting and findings its way to water drains. Keep Reading...

Who is your  John the Baptist ?  Who called you out of the desert and into faith?  Even if you are a cradle Catholic, was there someone in your life that influenced you so much, you were called to a deeper understanding of what being Catholic is? Image from Catholic.org For me, the answer is my  husband  and lately my  daughter  has inspired me with her faith.  I am also blessed to have some great  friends . You can read more at Being Catholic ... Really .

In these first days of Lent, the Church shows us exactly how God wants us to pray. fast and serve both His people and worship Him. The words of the first reading from Isaiah 58:1-9 are like brilliant beams of light, cutting through any false notions we might have about this season of repentance that we call Lent.  Often we tend to think of Lent as a time to share in the suffering of Christ yet when we do so, we become morose and end up centering more on our own sacrificial devotions than on God. Lent  is  a time to get rid of the flub in our lives but only so we are able to connect more to the Heart of our Beloved, more on the people around us who are in need. Lent is not an excuse for dramatic acts of fasting  by wearing sack cloth and ashes, figuratively or literally. As Isaiah says: Is this the manner of fasting I wish, of keeping a day of penance: That a man bow his head like a reed and lie in sackcloth and ashes? Do you call this a fast, a day acceptable

Call me crazy, but I'm excited and pumped up about  LENT! It didn't start out very well.  Ash Wednesday morning, I got to work early.  One of my coworkers had purchased some candy.  He's diabetic so he only wanted to taste it.  He hands me the rest, so  OF COURSE   I immediately pop one in my mouth!  ... the hell is that? Sorry, but swearing was not one of the things I promised to give up, though I probably should have. This year I feel differently.  I usually make my plan, screw it up, get back to my plan and by the time Lent is over ... well, it didn't go very well. You can read the rest at Being Catholic ... Really .

Yes, dear friends, we’re all about the  Shrove Tuesday  today. Now, when I began to research, I thought Shrove…hmmm Totes not a shrove... Then I thought it could mean this… Classy, but still not shrove. So what exactly is Shrove Tuesday? Quite simply, it’s the day before Ash Wednesday. That’s it. No royalty, no mushrooms, nothing crazy. Or is there more?   Click for more shenanigans and factoids at Filling my Prayer Closet.

Love thy neighbor as thyself. We've all heard it before.  It's  in the Bible as one of the  greatest commandments. "One of the scribes came and heard them arguing, and recognizing that He had answered them well, asked Him, “What commandment is the foremost of all?” Jesus answered, “The foremost is, ‘Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is one Lord; and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.' The second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these. "- Mark 12:28-31 But dang, it's just not that easy! Read more of Love Thy (fill in the blank) Neighbor

This whole winter it feels as if I have been stalled. In our small town, there is a seemingly never series of water main breaks, which means we can't use our tap water. A pipe burst under the river, which meant the air was filled with the smell of gas. There have been blackout after blackout in many neighborhoods because of our ailing electrical system. And despite all the efforts of so many, our public schools appear to be breaking and our elected officials indifferent. One of our sons is struggling in school. And the older child is still waiting to hear back from the many colleges to which he has applied. No word from any of them yet. Oh and then there is the snow, inch after inch of snow, day after day, delaying the start of so many school days. It feels as if my family will never unfreeze, never move forward from our permafrosted positions. Keep Reading...

I wrote this post last year.  I didn't do so well during Lent.  This year I hope to do much better! What happened?  I don't know.  Bad habits die hard and they die even harder when fighting the forces of evil.  My tights and cape have lost their super powers and all those bracelets I own that begin with  "T"  and  "P"  don't work like Wonder Woman's bracelets!  I've become a mere mortal Catholic.  Who knew? To read last year's post about my failing miserably at Lent, click here .

We all know that I am married to an atheist. Who gasped? Really, it's something that we work on in our marriage like anything else. Granted it was hard and there was arguing in the beginning. I even  ruined some tongs over it . A lot of it is a delicate balance of respect and a whole lot of  Holy Spirit intervention and trust! What does this have to to with Ash Wednesday ? It's a perfect example of that balance I wrote of earlier. We always try to compromise on the little stuff so it's easier to when the big stuff comes. Usually, when he compromises, I can tell, because he says funny things like "I accept you, and I love you", with a grin, especially when I come downstairs in the morning looking particularly groggy, or scratch my very dry legs while watching a basketball game, and even...burp! That last one doesn't happen often anymore. See, (tangent coming) I thought when you didn't let the burp out, no one could hear it. My husband finally fill

Catholic tradition holds us to three Lenten observances: prayer, fasting and almsgiving.     For most people though, it’s all about the fasting and the sacrifice. “What will I be giving up this lent.”   A new trend  that is gaining popularity is to give up Social Media, such as Facebook, for Lent.   This can seem like a worthwhile sacrifice, if we were to approach social media as if it were just technology and devices.     But the truth is social media is relationships.   I would no more give up my relationships for six weeks than I would give up church.     I do recognize that the problem for some is that they have gone to the extreme and thus neglect their face-to-face relationships.   For those folks it would be time to implement a Lenten Fast or a scaling back.   Just like our rules of fasting for Ash Wednesday or Good Friday We cut back to one main meal and the rest light meals.    Perhaps the same principal could apply. . To find out more click here         

How is your Lent going? Did you accidentally eat meat today? Did you give in and eat chocolate, drink coffee, or indulge in whatever else you promised to give up? Have you missed your prayer time, slept through daily Mass, or skipped your spiritual reading? Don't despair. This could still be your best Lent yet. Continue reading.

I'm going to go ahead and review Mary DeTourris Poust's latest book, Cravings: A Catholic Wrestles with Food, Self-Image and God, without having finished it. This is a wonderful book. This a book on the relationship of spirituality to food and the first, its publishers say, written from a Catholic perspective. Keep Reading...

I gave up processed food for Lent. If I want to eat bread before Easter, I have to bake it. Except, of course, on Sundays, which being Sundays, do not count as part of Lent. After 11 a.m. Mass with my son we headed next door to the Barnes and Noble because he said he needed a new sweatshirt. As I was walking over I thought: Oh! It's Sunday! I can have something sweet with my iced soy latte. The Rutgers B&N has a Starbucks inside. In line at the cafe, I spied blueberry scones. And ordered one. And sat down to sip my latte and eat my Sunday scone. It looked nothing like the scone depicted on the corporate website. Keep Reading...

My friend Melissa drove me to Staten Island tonight so we could attend an inspiring talk about St. Rita of Cascia at a parish called Saint Rita Church.  Call it food for our Lenten journeys. The speaker was Father Michael Di Gregorio, O.S.A., who grew up in the parish and graduated from its grammar school. He is an Augustinian priest who now serves as vicar general of the Augustinian order in Rome. He also is the author of a biography of Saint Rita called The Precious Pearl: The Story of Saint Rita of Cascia.  "We think of a saint as someone who is out of this world." he told the audience of about 70 in the church sanctuary. "But a saint is someone who is attuned to the Voice that speaks within and who tries to respond openly and honestly. " Saint Rita, he said. "had her feet on the ground." Keep Reading...