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Pope Francis’s Wednesday General Audience on September 30 focused on his apostolic visit to Cuba and the United States. It was refreshing to hear the pope’s personal reflections on his visit, rather than the opinions of the media. By defining the family unit as the economic measure of society, the pope is espousing traditional Catholic social doctrine. Subsidiarity is one of the core principles which states that human affairs are best handled at the lowest possible level, closest to the people who are involved. Pope Francis also warned against the danger of individualized consumerism, the hedonistic tendency for self-gratification, which creates a “throw-away culture.” The danger is that people will put careers or self-realization before marriage and starting a family. This trend will distort the needs of natural families and represents an “ideological colonization” which will disfavor most human families, especially the poor. read more 

Looking to teach your children more about Pope Francis? Here is a listing of a variety of resources for parents and catechists including: books, prayers, videos and a FREE downloadable crossword puzzle chock-full of cool facts about Pope Francis. Kids and adults alike will be able to learn and grow from these resources: Read more here...

Pope Francis’s Wednesday General Audience, on September 30, focused on his apostolic visit to Cuba and the United States.  It was refreshing to hear the pope’s personal reflections on his visit and not opinions of the media. The pope reminded the faithful that he had specifically timed his visit to coincided with the 8th World Meeting of Families, at Philadelphia.  In addition,  as a symbol of God’s desire to build bridges,  he decided to visit Cuba  first before addressing the U.S. Congress in Washington and the main headquarters of the United Nations in New York. His goal as a “Missionary of Mercy” was two-fold: to build bridges and to encourage both those in authority and ordinary families to remain faithful to their religious roots. continue reading

Photo ©2015 Grace Mazza Urbanski. All rights reserved. I found her! The only crabby lady in Philadelphia! And Jesus loves her like crazy. Read all about it at Praying with Grace .

“The Internet…is something truly good, a gift from God.”   Pope Francis The pope speaks out loudly and clearly, without compromise on a variety of topics such as: true charity, women, part-time Christians, the internet as a gift from God, prayer, each child as a gift,  a Church which is bruised,  Peter denying Christ, climate change, and the fact we have a Lord who is capable of crying with us…. continue reading

The first few weeks of September are always challenging. Trading the lazy days of summer for the regular routine of school work and after-school activities generally does not bring out the best in myself or the rest of my family. This past week was no exception.  Filled with sibling squabbles, Mommy melt-downs and an empty gas tank (both literally and figuratively), let's just say that no one would mistake us for the Holy Family. I suppose I should not be surprised considering that I live in a factory and life in a factory can be messy, imperfect and downright hard work.  Read more here....

Pope Francis is capturing the media’s attention with his visit to Cuba and the United States this week.  So, a young woman currently working as a journalist in New York City, who is part of Columbia University’s M.S. program, interviewed me over the phone on Monday about Pope Francis’ announcement regarding abortion forgiveness for women. My positive reaction to the pope’s decision shocked this journalist at first. It seems almost everyone she has interviewed so far were, to use her words, “judgmental” and against Pope Francis’s  decision.  Thus, it was my turn to be shocked. In my opinion, what could be more fitting than to open the Jubilee Year of Mercy 2016 by welcoming women who have suffered an abortion back into full communion with the Church? Who were these practicing Catholics  she interviewed who refuse to extend  forgiveness to women who are burdened with guilt after having an abortion? Have they never sinned? Are they so perfect they fall into the trap of demandin

“Take note: if the Church is alive, she must always surprise. It is incumbent upon the living Church to astound.” I will never forget the words I heard at the  EASTER VIGIL  on  30 March 2013  during the homily of Pope Francis at the  Vatican Basilica. His words surprised me and gave me a glimpse of his own, inner spirituality. The pope understands Christianity is a vibrant relationship with the Living God. Yes, Catholicism has dogma, teachings, rules with roots back to St. Peter but rules to not define our faith.  A Catholic is a son of God The Father,  a brother to Christ and a person whose constant companion is the Holy Spirit. This is not a static life, a routine of monotonous prayers and ritual. Ritual is merely a way to interact with the Living God who constantly draws us closer to His heart. continue

A variety of wholesome vegetables are steaming in their matching crockery. Tall glasses of cool, filtered water reflect the light streaming in from the bay window. The smiling children are not only washed, but dressed in clean, properly sized clothing. The angels are singing. Just another typical mealtime at your house. Because you are a stock photo. ©Monkey Business Images Ltd/Getty Images OR No one started the dishwasher, so the tableware is an adventurous collection of paper plates and "probably clean" dishes. The three-year old is screaming because her Dino-Nugget head is burnt. Ketchup is the vegetable. Again. Oh, and does anyone know where the baby is? Whichever scenario looks more like your family, have I got a dinner game for you! World Meeting of Families: The Trivia Game Let the trivia begin at Praying with Grace !

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Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati (6 April 1901 - 4 July 1925) Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all. Gospel   Mark 9:30-37  ( New Revised Standard Version, Catholic Edition , Can,)  They went on from there and passed through Galilee. Jesus did not want anyone  to know it;   for he was teaching his disciples, saying to them, “The Son of Man is to be betrayed into human hands, and they will kill him, and three days after being killed, he will rise again.”   But they did not understand what he was saying and were afraid to ask him. Then they came to Capernaum; and when he was in the house he asked them, “What were you arguing about on the way?”   But they were silent, for on the way they had argued with one another who was the greatest.   He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, “Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all.”   Then he took a little child and put it among them; and taking it in his arms, he said to them

Why do  many faithful, American Catholics label  Pope Francis a modernist heretic? Every time Pope Francis speaks, the papers are filled with sensational headlines; he does not emphasize many of the popular, hot issues like abortion and homosexuality, issues which often simply serve to divide voters into an  us  and  them  mentality. When did these issues become  the  only  issue that concerns the Church? Yet when the pope reminds us that our life in Christ is so much more, vocal advocates become extremely angry, denouncing the pope as the anti-pope. How ridiculous!  Why such a strong reaction? continue reading

Two weeks ago, Pope Francis used his  General Audience  to implore parents to teach their children how to pray: “There are children who have not learned how to make the sign of the cross!” the Holy Father lamented. “You, mother, father! Teach your children how to pray, how to make the sign of the cross!” Many parents I know make family prayer a joyful priority in their homes. They pray with their children at church, at bedtime, at meals, and at random moments throughout the day. But most Catholic parents in this country are shy about praying with their children. Georgetown University's Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA) and Holy Cross Family Ministries are gradually releasing a four-part study on young Catholic families. More than 1,000 adults aged 25-45 responded to the survey, providing insights into faith and family that the Family Feud show would never have dreamed of. Family Feud by Dennis Crowley (2008) via  Flickr . Read excerpts from t

Gospel for September 04, 2015:  Luke 5:33-39    The disciples of John the Baptist were upset with Jesus’ disciples because they did not fast. Jesus simply explains the obvious; there’s a time for fasting and a time for feasting. The disciples of Jesus are experiencing joy, just like the joy of the wedding party in celebrating with the groom. For the disciples, this is a time for rejoicing in the Lord’s presence. The time for seeking the Lord with fasting will come after His death. Jesus goes on to warn his disciples about closed minds that refuse to learn new ways of thinking with the example of new and old wine skins. New wine poured into skins was still fermenting which released gases and exerted pressure. New wine skins were flexible enough to handle this pressure, but old wine skins were too rigid and would burst. Jesus doesn’t want us to hold rigidly to the past or be resistant to the filling of the Holy Spirit in our hearts. He wants our minds and hearts to be like the new wi

For his 100th general audience,Pope Francis continued his catechesis on the family by considering f amily prayer. In his opening statements, the pope pointed out that most people find it difficult to find time to pray. Pope Francis teaches that love of God, not guilt will inspire us to pray. Pope Francis zeroed in on the crux our lives as Catholic families by asking if we actually love God. Although we are called to believe in God, thank Him, turn to Him in difficulty, fulfilling our duties to God is not Christianity. Love is at the core of our relationship to God. continue reading 

O  Lord , how manifold are your works!  Psalm 104  [103]:24 [ Tagaytay, Philippines] In a letter dated 6 August 2015 , the Feast of the Transfiguration, Pope Francis established the First of September each year as  World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation . He stated that the Catholic Church will be following what the Orthodox Church has been doing for some time. The letter states:  The ecological crisis thus summons us to a profound spiritual conversion: Christians are called to 'an ecological conversion whereby the effects of their encounter with Jesus Christ become evident in their relationship with the world around them'. For 'living our vocation to be protectors of God’s handiwork is essential to a life of virtue; it is not an optional or a secondary aspect of our Christian experience'.  The quotations are from the Pope's recent encyclical  Laudato Si' , Nos 216 and 217 respectively. You make springs gush forth in the valleys;     

Warning: If you don't like books, then STOP READING! If, on the other hand, you agree with Cicero that “a room without books is like a body without a soul,” then come with me. . . . I'm continuing  my articles  about interesting books for children. I keep running into authors at conventions and discovering new books, you see, so what else can a book lover do?! Here's the latest from  Catholic Kids : (Enjoy a video of sample book pages  here !) In  Gifts from Our Father: A Catholic Prayer Book for Kids , author Tom Wall and illustrator Martin Whitmore offer a truly unique collection of All Things Catholic: prayers, definitions, teachings, devotions, and feast days. Read all about it at Praying with Grace !

Sooner than I expected, the gender-identity crisis has hit my family. A friend of my high school children recently announced that she occupies the wrong body. She is adopting a male name and look, and asks that everyone embrace the new identity. My children are struggling to respond. I was about to write that my children are  agonizing  over how to respond (which is true), but whatever confusion they are experiencing is nothing compared to the agony of their friend. A bright, talented young person, their friend has decided--at the age of eighteen--that her body is a mistake. Every conscious moment must be torture for her. Every time she moves, looks at herself, or speaks, she regrets having the "wrong" body. Please join me at Praying with Grace to get a glimpse of a new set of books for children (ages 4-7) that can help adults respond with love to gender issues.

Saint Peter , El Greco, 1610-13  [ Web Gallery of Art ] Monasterio de San Lorenzo, El Escorial, Madrid  John 6:60-69  ( NRV, Catholic Edition , Canada)  When many of Jesus’ disciples heard it, they said, “This teaching is difficult; who can accept it?” But Jesus, being aware that his disciples were complaining about it, said to them, “Does this offend you? Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? It is the spirit that gives life; the flesh is useless. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. But among you there are some who do not believe.” For Jesus knew from the first who were the ones that did not believe, and who was the one that would betray him. And he said, “For this reason I have told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted by the Father.” Because of this many of his disciples turned back and no longer went about with him. So Jesus asked the twelve, “Do you also wish to go away?”   Simon Peter

Dozens of times in the Gospels, Jesus "amazes" his listeners. Here are a few of my favorites: They were amazed, saying "What sort of man is this, whom even the winds and the sea obey?" -Matthew 8:27 They were on the way, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus went ahead of them. They were amazed, and those who followed were afraid. Taking the Twelve aside again, he began to tell them what was going to happen to him. -Mark 10:32 And all who were with him were amazed at the catch.  -Luke 5:9 Does Jesus amaze us? Is he so shockingly unique that we, his followers, are sometimes a little afraid of him? Read on at Praying with Grace ! Gold Aurei of the Twelve Caesars. Gift of C. Ruxton Love Jr., 1967.  www.metmuseum.or