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Are you tired of Lent? Debbie, over at  Saints 365  is definitely tired of Lent and so is Regis Martin, who appears in the video below. You can read the rest at Being Catholic ... Really .

The other day, I baked chocolate chip cookies for my kids, and didn’t eat a one. I then decided to Who eats their kids' leftover milkshakes, anyway?  I wondered to myself. forgo my usual afternoon cup of tea. Insert personal pity party right here. Earlier in the week, I had bought them a couple of chocolate milkshakes, and completely forgetting that I gave up chocolate for Lent, I took a sip, upon noticing Anders wasn't going to come close to finishing his, then remembered and had to watch them drink their shakes while I drank water.  I threw a tiny pity party in my head again as I threw the leftovers away, but I sat down with a good book, and I felt a flooding of relief and peace coming from nowhere. I’m finally doing some spiritual reading, and the book  Catherine of Siena , by Sigrid Undset, mingled with the deep conviction that observing Lent is so important to me, and I love it for my family, is giving me deep joy. Even though the momentary sacrifice feels painful, the

From  The Gospel of John  (2003) directed by Philip Saville Gospel   John 2:13-25  The Passover of the Jews was near, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.    In the temple he found people selling cattle, sheep, and doves, and the money changers seated at their tables. Making a whip of cords, he drove all of them out of the temple, both the sheep and the cattle. He also poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. He told those who were selling the doves, “Take these things out of here! Stop making my Father’s house a marketplace!” His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for your house will consume me.” The Jews then said to him, “What sign can you show us for doing this?” Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” continue reading the gospel Christ Driving the Moneychangers from the Temple   Rembrandt, c.1626. Pushkin Museum, Moscow [ Web Gallery of Art ] In 1990 I went to renew my driving lice

Order Online! Pope Francis encourages us to pray from the heart. In his Message for Lent 2015, he invokes the Sacred Heart of Jesus: During this Lent, then, brothers and sisters, let us all ask the Lord: "Fac cor nostrum secundum cor tuum": Make our hearts like yours (Litany of the Sacred Heart of Jesus). In this way we will receive a heart which is firm and merciful, attentive and generous, a heart which is not closed, indifferent or prey to the globalization of indifference. I'm guessing a bunch of us have never seen--let alone prayed--the Litany of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, so let's get to it! Some words may be unfamiliar, so use the handy little glossary as needed. Join me at  Praying with Grace   to discover the version  available  from the Apostleship of Prayer, which accommodates group prayer or inspires profound  private prayer, just you and Jesus.

Transfiguration of Christ , Paolo Veronese,1556, Cathedral of Santa Maria, Montagnana, Italy  Gospel   Mark 9:2-10      Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain apart, by themselves. And he was transfigured before them,   and his clothes became dazzling white, such as no one   on earth could bleach them.   And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses, who were talking with Jesus.   Then Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good for us to be here; let us make three dwellings,   one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”   He did not know what to say, for they were terrified.     Then a cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud there came a voice, “This is my Son, the Beloved;   listen to him!”   Suddenly when they looked around, they saw no one with them any more, but only Jesus. continue reading Bishop Edward Galvin (1882 - 1956) After his ordination in 1909 for his native Diocese of Cork in the sou

How is your Lent going?  I know it's only a week in, but I'm asking for a friend. Not really.  I'm asking for me because mine got off to a rocky start and I'm hoping I'm not the only one. You can read and comment here at Being Catholic ... Really .

Getty Images Driving to work yesterday, I   heard a story on NPR   about scientists studying the "hygiene hypothesis." The thinking behind the hypothesis goes like this: Developed countries have detergents, sanitizers, and machines to clean things in ways humans have never cleaned things before. We also don't hang out around livestock like our ancestors did Back In The Day. Children who grow up in these super-clean environments lose contact with good old-fashioned GERMS, tricking their bodies into thinking every microbe in town is hazardous. Thus, their adorable little immune systems go berserk: #eczema #allergies # asthma Are we  too clean ? Please join me at Praying with Grace to reflect and comment on how our faith might be too sterile, as well. Do children need to suffer?

  Thoughts to Ponder I choose to surrender the clutter in my life, heart, spirit So Jesus will set me free from stuff, Then fill me with His Loving Presence. May the things of this world fall away  so I may fall in love with God. God can only fill the empty places. Grace does what I cannot do. Jesus will have to do everything. This is true humility Pride  entices me to work harder,  pray more,  fast religiously,  perform heroic acts of virtue.  Humility  accepts that only God can save me  and other people. It is my job simply to surrender in prayer  and give Him permission to flow through me. continue

DON'T STOP DOING IT FOR LENT !!! This is the time when people try to give up something for Lent - which is good. But let's remember first of all that there is nothing we can do which would repay the great sacrifice Christ made for us on the Cross. Not a million prayers, a million candles, or a million flowers ... God does not need any of these "gifts" or sacrifices as repayment for His love for us. He is in no way diminished, lacking in any way, if we stop doing these things. But we do them all the same. We do them as a sign of reverence, love, and respect. And I repeat - this is good. Here's a short list of things we could do during Lent. 1 Give up something (chocolates) and give the proceeds to charity. 2 Do someone a good turn or a kindness. 3 Pray for someone without them knowing it. Just anyone, not only your  loved ones. If you see an old person struggling as they shuffle along in the street, or you hear of someone with a problem or difficulty;

Don't go away sad like the rich young ruler! Are you ready to begin the season of Lent? What does Lent have to do with St. Teresa of Avila’s teaching about the third mansions in the interior castle? Teresa offers us many images to aid our understanding of the interior life. First, she asks us to imagine the soul as a castle, with God the Divine King dwelling in the central room. Then she speaks of the first mansions as filled with reptiles. The second mansions are a battlefield. What of the third? The person in the third mansions, she says, is like the rich young man of the Gospel. He has great desires. He wants to inherit eternal life. He even goes so far as to keep the commandments. But, as we know, that wasn’t the end of the story. Jesus said to him, ‘If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.’ When the young man heard this he went away sorrowful; for he had great possess

I'll be giving up skydiving for Lent again this year: also mountain climbing, another activity I am profoundly unqualified for and uninterested in. ( February 13, 2013 ) So, what am I doing for Lent? Some folks in my circles are going offline for Lent — refraining from socializing online. That's a good idea: but I won't be changing my online habits. Not much, anyway.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

I can't believe how long it has taken me to write this post, nor how soon it is until Ash Wednesday. We all know that it is customary to give something up for Lent, but before we choose what that is this year, I wanted to share some different perspectives on "giving up" that will bring us closer to the LORD. Here they are in seven quick takes. Source 1 Look beyond chocolate and soda. Give up those bad habits. We all have them. Lent is the perfect time to refocus our lives off of our selves and onto God. Nail biting and chewing on pen caps aren't sins, but they are bad habits that are controlling you instead of the other way around.  Practicing self denial not only reigns in your impulses and ground you in more conscious behavior. While it may seem woeful to live without ice cream for forty days, finally kicking that habit will be harder but more fulfilling. Being conscious of your every behavior affords the ability to put God first in all things because you

It's been a little while since I have posted anything. Life has been so busy. But I wanted to get a quick post in about this fun activity I did with my kids last Lent/Easter. Time to Hide the Alleluia! Blessings, Jen

What are you doing for Lent?  Will you give up chocolate?  Will you give up wine (or whine)?  Will you remember to not eat meat on Fridays?  Will you read that classic Catholic book you've been promising yourself that you would read for years? You can read the rest at Being Catholic ... Really .

Our daughter wrote about her reflections on the Lenten season last year for me.  She had it as her status on Facebook and I asked her to turn it into a blog post. You can read her reflection at Being Catholic ... Really .

Memorial to the Japanese martyrs of Unzen. (Photo by Connie Rossini.) This is the week for keeping watch with Jesus in a special way. Although God calls us to spend time with Him in prayer daily, we rightly feel that we should spend extra time with Him during Holy Week. But how should we go about it? When I was a teenager, my family started a tradition of an all-night prayer vigil on Holy Thursday. Beginning at 10 p.m., my parents, siblings, and I took turns praying in one or two one-hour slots for the next eight hours. I loved offering this extra sacrifice to Jesus, this extra sign of love. Jesus would not be alone in the Garden of Gethsemane if I could help it. After I graduated from college, I spent two years as a lay missionary in Japan, teaching English to support the evangelization work of an American priest. During spring break of the first year, my roommate Mary Beth and I traveled to the island of Kyushu. We planned to be in Nagasaki for Easter. Read th

Ready to celebrate the rest of Lent as a family? Here are several activities you can do together, whether or not you homeschool. p=suitable for grades 1-3 m=suitable for grades 4-6 j=suitable for grades 7-9 s=suitable for grades 10-12  Books Besides reading the Gospel accounts of Holy Week, try reading and discussing the following books that deal with sacrifice, martyrdom, or resurrection: The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams (p). The Tale of Three Trees by Angela Elwell Hunt (p+). The Queen and the Cross: The Story of St. Helen by Cornelia Mary Bilinsky (p, m) The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis (p+ for reading aloud; m+ for independent reading). Continue reading at Contemplative Homeschool.

Blind Pensioner with a Stick , Van Gogh, November 1882 [ 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  John 9:1-41 [or John 9:1, 6-9, 13-17, 34-38]  ( New Revised Standard Version, Catholic Edition , Canada)    [Shorter form of the Gospel: omit what is in square brackets] As Jesus walked along, he saw a man blind from birth. [ His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”     Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned; he was born blind so that God’s works might be revealed in him.   We   must work the works of him who sent me   while it is day; night is coming when no one can work.     As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”]   When he had said this, he spat on the ground and made mu

What are you reading for Lent?  Christians who observe Lent know that reading during this time can be a great spiritual exercise ... or not.  I have attempted some books in the past that I eventually abandoned for various reasons. You can see the photo gallery of the books I'm reading for Lent here at Being Catholic ... Really .

You've probably heard the expression, "we all have our own cross to bear."  No matter what denomination of Christianity you belong to, "bearing one's cross," is a significant part of that journey. I've been hearing that expression frequently lately.  I have friends going through some heartbreaking life situations.  Some of them have accepted their situation as their "cross to bear," and others ... well, they are not sure what to make of what life has thrown at them.  One friend literally looks like a deer in the headlights. You can read the rest at Being Catholic ... Really .