Association Of Catholic Bloggers

During a past Lent, I shared a seemingly innocuous and informative post about the Jewish practice of Seder during Passover . The resulting confusion and charges of antisemitism bewildered me. The catalyst? A video, Seder Meals violate the First Commandment , from the blog of a priest. Strong Reactions Below are some of the questions posed by readers the next day: “This post only breeds anti-Jewish thinking and does not allow Catholics to ponder the roots of our faith, the richness of our heritage. Jesus longed to eat this meal with us and Judas did not participate at all, which tells us something.” “I think if you are of Jewish heritage then it is not sinful to celebrate the Passover.” “I’m confused. I grew up with a Jewish mother and a Christian father. We celebrated everything. Christmas and Hanukkah as well as occasionally Passover (it’s a lot harder to pull off successfully, so we didn’t do it every year). I was technically Jewish before I was baptized 5 years ago. I still ...

At Our House: St. Joseph's Day Feasting As I drove to the 65,000-square-foot wholesale bakery at the top of a hill, I could smell the bread baking, even behind my van's closed windows. Inside the retail store of  Anthony and Sons,  there were more smells - and sights - of bread baking. Some of my students work here and I have never visited. Today, being St. Joseph's Day, I decided to. I never tire of discovering the treasure troves of my faith; tonight my parish will celebrate with a special Mass so we might contemplate the man who raised the son of God. Keep Reading

    Today I got to help my friend K., who teaches at the same high school I do, celebrate her daughter's first birthday! It has been a long time since I have been to a child's birthday party, given that our own sons are 13 and 16 years old. So I didn't mind driving an hour each way to help her large extended family and circle of friends celebrate Joy's first year on the planet. Keep Reading...

Lent is approaching. Many of us, including yours truly, have food-related Lenten penances, good habits we want to develop and continue after this season of preparation. So one day after Ash Wednesday this year comes the Feast of Saint Valentine but better known as a secular day designed for indulgence in everything sugary. Keep Reading...

This morning, I am sitting in the family room, reading a memoir and nursing a sore throat with cough drops. Boy turning 13 tomorrow comes  bounding down the stairs in bare feet, wearing jeans, a white tee and black suspenders. He is dribbling a soccer ball.  Keep Reading...

This week, my dear friend Jane congratulated me on turning fifty. "I didn't do anything," I told her. "I just kept breathing." At the small Italian restaurant Greg took me to tonight to celebrate my turning 50 tomorrow, a man was playing the piano and singing. Among his tunes was "Happy Birthday." I knew he wasn't playing it for me. It would have embarrassed me and my husband, who knows me well, would not have requested the song. Still, it was sweet to hear as I sipped red Merlot beside my still-48-year-old husband. Keep Reading...

Greg is 48 today. He is a magnificent man. Our lives are happy and full. Today our oldest made us breakfast and while Greg and I continued our Mad Man marathon. We started watching the show this year, and a friend has loaned us Seasons One and Two DVDs. Greg went to the 11 a.m. Mass; I will take the boys to the 8 p.m. Mass. When he returned, we kept up our marathon. Read more here...

My mom was born 81 years ago today, in her parents' home outside Baltimore, Maryland. Her father was an investment banker and her mother was an immigrant from Argentina. My mother met my father, a surgeon and the son of Italian immigrants, on the beach in St. Croix, where she was vacationing with her parents. She was 25 when she converted to the Catholic faith and married my dad. When she opens her mouth, she does so wisely; on her tongue is kindly instruction. She keeps good watch on the conduct of her household, no bread of idleness for her. Her children stand up and proclaim her blessed, her husband, too, sings her praises: Many women have done admirable things, but you surpass them all!' Proverbs 31 Read more »