Association Of Catholic Bloggers

My parish is Our Lady of the Angles in Sauk Centre, Minnesota. It's part of the Parishes on the Prairie Catholic Community — and that's a topic for another time. Aside from routine matters, we're not exactly at the center of diocesan activity. That's why I think our priest, Fr. Greg Paffel, getting this year's diocesan Humanae Vitae Award is a big deal. I'll be talking about that, briefly, "Humanae Vitae", and why I think human life matters. Cultural, Historical, and Personal Context "The True Voice of the Church...." My First Look at Catholic Thought Why Human Life Matters Obedience and Using my Brain Natural Law, Positive Law, and Paying Attention Seeing Human Beings as People Meanwhile, Across the Pacific Fr. Greg Paffel: The Journey Home Interview Valuing Human Life: All Human Life More at A Catholic Citizen in America . (Humanae Vitae, On Human Life: cultural, historical, and personal context; natural law, positiv...

I'll be talking about a cartoon, a bishop, and brittle bigwigs. But first, an explanation or three may be in order. Politics, Pigeonholes, and Me Conservative? Liberal? Republican? Democrat? No: Catholic Out of Step: a Half-Century-Plus and Counting Protecting Americans From Unsanctioned Ideas Caricature and Sensitivity "...War Rages as Outcry Grows...." Self-Appointed Guardians of Freedom and Decency: Then and Now American and Catholic He Said WHAT? Resources: Political Life From a Catholic Perspective Irks, Ilks, Ethics, and Being Catholic Cancel Culture: New Phrase, Old Habit (Only) Free to Agree With Me is Not Freedom "Leaves of Grass", Underground Comix, and "Banned in Boston" More at A Catholic Citizen in America . How I see a cartoon, a bishop, and brittle bigwigs. Also politics, pigeonholes and me; caricature and unsanctioned ideas; and McCarthyism as cancel culture.

I was at the Eucharistic Adoration chapel yesterday, and the week before. Nothing unusual there. What was different about week before yesterday was that I left early. I'd arrived a half-hour early, again nothing unusual. It's not that I'm so pious that I can't wait to go. I'd reached a stopping point in what I was writing, and figured that showing up early was a good idea. Which it would have been, if we hadn't had new rules. More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

As a child, were you ever told to do something, and when you asked “Why?” you received this response: “because I said so!” If you were like me that response didn’t settle with you well. I’m the kind of person that needs rationale for compliance with obedience. Perhaps it’s a trust issue, or maybe a control issue. I’m not sure – maybe its both! But I do know this: Obedience has its place. There are times and/or reasons when obedience is called for and we must obey. For example: What happens when a person doesn’t follow traffic laws and runs a red light? Lives are put at risk. Therefore, we must obey traffic laws. If we do not follow the doctor’s orders, what happens? We may not get well, or worse, we might die. Therefore, we must obey the doctor’s orders. What could go wrong if we fail to follow our supervisor’s instructions? We could get written up, or worse, get fired, and lose our means for financial support. Therefore, we must obey our supervisors. Obedience Has Its Place...

Jean Schoonover-Egolf does it again, with the fourth installment of the Molly McBride series. She continuously brings entertaining, yet educational stories to children, teaching them a different virtue in each book. In  Molly McBride and the Christmas Pageant , Molly learns all about the virtue of obedience. She has her heart set on taking the leading role of “Mary” in the Christmas pageant, only to learn she has been assigned the role of a sheep! Now, let’s be honest. That’s quite a letdown, if you ask me, especially when you think you deserve the leading role. Yet, we see as the story progresses how important it is for us to be obedient to authority. Molly McBride Learns About Obedience Molly’s teacher helps Molly see the need for obedience. The teacher shows Molly the manger and tells Molly about Mary. She explains what it was like for Mary at such a young age to say “yes” to God and become the mother of Jesus. Molly comes to understand... Read more...

A tsunami flooded the Fukushima-Daiichi nuclear power plant eight years ago. Fires, explosions and meltdowns followed. Folks living within 20 kilometers were told to leave the area. Radiation levels are dropping. A few folks are moving back. Clearing debris and removing radioactive fuel rods is taking more time than expected.... (More, at A Catholic Citizen in America )

I'm not sure how the 'defrocked Cardinal' story will play out in America's news. Assorted presidential campaigns will be building up steam, and there's no shortage of other newsworthy angst. Maybe the McCarrick case will be a nine day wonder, maybe not. Either way, I did a little checking, and shared what I found.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

Today is the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Therefore, it is a day to remember and reflect upon Our Blessed Mother’s appearance to Juan Diego. When Our Blessed Mother appeared to Juan Diego, his country was under the influence of pagan beliefs in false gods. Mary appeared to him, so that she could set in motion a means for personally evangelizing the people of Central America. Her specific words to Juan Diego were: I greatly desire that a church be built in my honor, in which I will show my love, compassion, and protection. I am your Mother, full of mercy and love for you and all those who love Me, trust in Me, and have recourse to Me. I will hear their complaints and I will comfort their affliction and their sufferings. So that I might show all My love, go now to the bishop in Mexico City and tell him that I am sending you to make known to him the great desire I have to see a church dedicated to me built here .  1 Our Lady of Guadalupe Would Not Be Deterred Naturally, w...

4th Sunday of Advent, 2017 By Deacon Lawrence N. Kaas December 24, 2017 Good! Now try to imagine yourself describing the scene in which the Angel Gabriel seeks and speaks to Mary as one that could be played out spectacularly on film or a TV program, it would begin with the panoramic vision or an overall view of the world that solemnly zooms in and spotlights in one tiny little place. We could imagine the overview from the film score to the mission behind Google Earth.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

Today’s first reading from Romans 6:12-18 speaks to the heart of whether we choose vice or virtue to guide us in this life. When we walk towards vice, or sin, we become slaves to sin. We lose our freedom, because the sin rules our life; very similarly to an addiction. Think about how a drug addict will do anything to get the next fix. Sin and vice have that same kind of hold on a person. So, the question is, do you want to be a slave to sin, or might you prefer moving in the opposite direction? Obedience vs. Slavery: What’s Your Choice? God and sin are polar opposites, because God is all good and sin is all evil. So, when we turn our backs on sin, we move 180 degrees toward God. When we turn toward God, we reject sin. We opt for obedience to God, the Supreme Good, because we want that goodness. To get that goodness, we choose to obey God’s commands. We willingly embrace virtue! We choose to... Read more...

The "most disturbing image" gag in Wiley Miller's Non Sequitur comic depends on a fairly common misunderstanding of Catholic belief. The important word in that sentence is misunderstanding. Papal infallibility doesn't mean that. I'm none too pleased that Catholic beliefs are misunderstood by non-Catholics: and by some Catholics. But I can't fault a cartoonist for poking fun at cultural quirks I see as silly. Not reasonably. Besides, strips featuring the Church of Danae's "so-called holy scriptures" have given me pretty good illustrations of what I don't believe.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

Monday's Gospel reading, Luke 1:26 - 38 , is a repeat from December 8. It starts with.... ...A little earlier in that chapter we get an account of Gabriel's interview with Zachariah: Luke 1:10 - 20 . That's when Gabriel personally delivers God's response to Zachariah's prayer — and Zachariah demands proof. Zachariah got proof, all right. He couldn't talk for for months. Not until he agreed with his wife about his son's name: in writing. Elizabeth said the boy's name was John, the same name Gabriel had specified.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

Today is the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe; a day to remember and reflect upon Our Blessed Mother’s appearance to Juan Diego. When Our Blessed Mother appeared to Juan Diego, his country was under the influence of pagan beliefs in false gods. Mary appeared to him to set into motion a means for personally evangelizing the people of Central America. Her specific words to Juan Diego were: I greatly desire that a church be built in my honor, in which I will show my love, compassion, and protection. I am your Mother, full of mercy and love for you and all those who love Me, trust in Me, and have recourse to Me. I will hear their complaints and I will comfort their affliction and their sufferings. So that I might show all My love, go now to... Read more...  

Twenty-seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time, 2016: Habakkuk 1:2 – 3 , 2:2 – 4 2 Timothy 1:6 - 8 , 13 - 14 Luke 17:5 - 10 Twenty-seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time, 2016 By Deacon Lawrence N. Kaas October 2, 2016 I'm sure we are all saddened to hear that by this time Father Tom is back home. ... He will be missed! There is one word that is repeated in all of the readings for this day. That word is Faith.... ...Now we can't just let this word Faith hang out there alone without some support.... ...If now we should take our Catechism and referred to paragraphs 142 through 165 we get a far more complete explanation of Obedience and Faith.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

Saint Dominic, a 13th-century theologian, tends to get overshadowed by his fellow, more renowned Dominican, Saint Thomas Aquinas. Yet, not today! Today, we celebrate the Feast Day of Saint Dominic, founder of the Dominican Order of Preachers. During his life, Dominic, a native Spaniard, traveled abroad to France. There, he witnessed a great need to combat heresies. He believed that people needed to fully understand the true teachings of Jesus Christ. If they did, they would embrace the Catholic faith. Dominic also realized that to achieve success in his preaching, he must meet the heretics were they were at: living a life of austerity. He met austerity with austerity, by preaching and walking barefoot! From his efforts, Dominic gave birth to true “evangelical preaching.” He established... Read more...

Jesus is the quintessential model for obedience. We see the first example of obedience in Luke 2:49, where we read, “Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” Jesus had an awareness of the Father’s will and was obedient to the calling to discuss scripture with the learned men in the Temple. Yet, on the heels of this statement, in verse 51, we also see that Jesus was obedient to his step-father, St. Joseph and his mother Mary, when once reunited with His parents. Luke tells us, “He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them” (Luke 2:51). We see another example of Jesus’ obedience to the Father in the passages of the Temptation of Jesus... Read more...

Obedience, what does it really entail? Everyone always wants to know just how much we can get away with before we are deemed disobedient. Instead, how about giving some thought to what it means to truly obey God, with our free will fully exercised? Does that concept sound daunting? Well, Peter Kreeft offers an excellent definition of obedience to God while fully exercising our free will, and this quote gives me hope that I can be obedient to God: Since our highest freedom means freedom to be ourselves, we are most free when we are most obedient to God’s will,… Read more...

Obedient Do you cringe when you hear the word? Does simply hearing the word make you assess how obedient you are in this life; whether it be at work, at home, but most importantly in following Christ’s teachings? I think everyone could easily come to the conclusion that when it comes to being obedient, we could all improve. There is this natural tension within us to want to rebel; to do things our own way, especially in our ever-growing secular, relativistic society. Being obedient requires us to follow certain laws, or rules, set forth by governing bodies. There are four… Read more...

What victory is this, that all suffering that we suffer now will pass away, and every tear, every pain along with every joy, and shout of praise will bring to fruition the fulfillment of the Kingdom of God. I have seen the victory, and it is wondrous. In a moment at God's will I was shown the end.... TO READ MORE..CLICK HERE!

Virgin with Jesus giving Holy Rosary to St. Dominic The most treacherous path you will ever take is the Warrior's Path You do not choose to be a Warrior,  God  chooses you , and His choice is quite terrifying.    When God chooses the Warrior, there is no false humility.  When God says to you,  "You ARE a Warrior,"  you don't say, "Oh no God...not me."  On the contrary, you say,  "Yes sir!"  and then you tremble  at what being a Warrior for God could truly mean.    The fear at being called as a Warrior, is to shake so violently before the Lord that you think every bone in your body will break.    The fear comes on the realization that a warrior will be given souls to fight for, and  will be asked to account  for them. When you are called to the path of the Warrior, it is a responsibility to be pure, obey,  and seek only the good of the other ,  never  thinking that you are do...