Association Of Catholic Bloggers

I have never given a Marian focus to Lent before, but this seems to be the year for it. The picture that keeps coming to mind for me is of a young Mary packing up her infant child, all the earthly goods of her small family, and following where her husband leads her in the hope of escaping the wrath of Herod. What a lot of trust was required of her in unknown circumstances. We don’t know much of her life after that, until she appears in some of the gospel stories, most notably the wedding at Cana when she quite memorably advizes: Do as He tells you. The most striking image of all is that of Our Lady, standing at the foot of the Cross of her son, her Saviour. Everyone else has left Him, but her love of Him keeps her there. I am going to ponder those three points over the next six weeks: trust, obedience, love. Blessed Mother,grant me some measure of the faith you exhibited, so that I, too, may trust in God, be obedient to His Holy Will, and know His great Love for all. Help me to enter

I've become fascinated with a blog called "One for the Journey," written by a woman named Carrie who lives and works at McMurdo Station, Antarctica, at the bottom of the world. Her writing is detailed and clear. I feel like I am right there with her as she stands in awe of the landscape and also knits to pass time. Her photographs are spectacular. I learned from Carrie's blog the other day that Antarctica includes a statue of our Blessed Mother, called "Our Lady of the Snows," A.K.A. "Roll Cage Mary."  It is a memorial to a man who died when his bulldozer fell through the ice. In 1995, the statue was restored by a group of Carmelite nuns from Christchurch, New Zealand. Read more here

Among the news you read in won't read in thee aftermath of the Typhoon Sendong that hit southern Phillipines is the miraculous story of my brother's newborn nephew, Brennan Kyle Alcantara. Read more here...

Inspired by the blogger at Feast of the Immaculate Conception : Family in Feast and Feria as well as this thread, my daughter Izzy and I made our own candle for the Feast of the Immaculate Conception back in 2009. Two years later, it's still holding up! I bought a simple white candle at Walmart. Izzy found a picture of Mary to color on line. Then we glued it to the candle and to set it- we melted wax and rolled our candle in the wax to give it a coating and protect it to the candle. I think it turned out pretty well for a first effort! We will light it tonight for dinner!

The Most Blessed Virgin Mary, when the course of her earthly life was completed, was taken up body and soul into the glory of heaven where she already shares in the glory of her Son’s Resurrection, anticipating the resurrection of all members of His Body. CCC 974 For this great Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, I was drawn to reread portions of The Reed of God, by Caryll Houselander. This book has been instrumental in deepening my love for Our Lady. There used to be a stout wall between me and her, constructed of my inability to appreciate her humility and generosity. The Mary I thought I knew was cool and aloof and far too perfect to be appealing. Houselander, with all the gentleness, acceptance, and humility she ascribes to Mary, took me by the hand and ushered me into the Madonna’s presence. She taught me to see the generosity of Mary in action and in spirit, and was able to show me how to imitate it... more importantly, she inspired me to desir

Joachim and Anne.  Parents of a child conceived without sin.  The smug in me might like to think, oh, fortunate Joachim and Anne...to raise a child without sin!  But a moment of reflection reminds me that Joachim and Anne battled sin.  Just like me.  Just like all of us. Would I trade places? What might that be like?  While the idea of my own children being sinless sounds so...peaceful; the idea my children being sinless and me still in my present state ...sounds...disastrous. Such a high calling for Joachim and Anne .  Little Mary, always sweet, always obedient, always kind.  Joachim and Anne, sometimes tired from toil, sometimes anxious about their future, sometimes perhaps short tempered.  How any small acts that fall short of holiness might appear beside a sinless maiden.   "Of what small spots pure white complains." No, I would not trade.  Anne and Joachim were given their particular task.  And the grace to fulfill it.  I was given my particular task.  Mothers

The last few days have not been good ~ not because of anything that's happened, but because of my attitude. I allowed myself to sink into a whinging, self-pitying sorry-for-myself mood ~ just be glad I haven't blogged it! The crux of the matter though, to be brief, is my unwillingness to take up the task God has set before me, and ended up in the "I Wish" zone ~ I Wish I didn't have to do this/that, I Wish things were different, I Wish I didn't have all htis work to do etc. etc. The I Wish zone isn't a pleasant or a godly place to live! What's turned things around for me is pondering on Mary, encouraged by a book I am reading which looks at three statements she makes in the Gospel..."Here I am...Yes!...Magnificat!" These three words sum up most of Mary's words in the Gospel, but encapsulated in them is the blueprint I as a Christian need to follow. Ecce... When Mary receives the news that she is to become the Mother of G

To have known joy means you must have experienced despair, to recognise the light you must have passed through darkness. Life can be a bit hard sometimes, after great happiness periods of bleakness and sadness. well lets say its a bit like that for me just now. I have had some wonderful blessings recently, but just now I am beset my doubt, debt and despair.  My financial situation was the same last month but it wasn't so much of a burden. my physical health has not really changed but when I am down it feels much worse, My family situation is no different really but now its problems seem harder and more insoluble. My prayer life seems barren and stilted. What do I do? I ignore my doubts, I thrust them aside and bury them. My pain is a new pain an ache in a different place how do I cope with this challenge? I try to keep moving and doing something as long as I can, the pain is not less but I can ignore it while hands and eyes and brain are busy. How can I pray? I look at M