Association Of Catholic Bloggers

Where the Ten Commandments tell us, for the most part, what not to do, the Beatitudes tell us how to live in a Christ-like manner. They highlight all the good virtues that we should possess. The Beatitudes serve us well. Virtues Associated with the Beatitudes Humility : “Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matt 5:3). Caring/Compassion : “Blessed are they who mourn, for they will be comforted (Matt 5:4). Meekness : “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the land” (Matt 5:5). Justice : “Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied” (Matt 5:6). Mercy : “Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy” (Matt 5:7). Piety :  “Blessed are the clean of heart, for they will see God (Matt 5:8). Peace : “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called the children of God” (Matt 5:9). Faith : “Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom o

Compassion is different from pity. Pity merely means that we feel sorry for someone and/or their situation. Compassion, on the other hand, goes deeper. It is with compassion that we enter into the suffering with others. For example, I feel compassion for those who died alone in the hospital, due to the coronavirus. I also feel compassion for their loved ones who could not be with them as they each took their last breaths. Now, when I say enter into the suffering with the ones who suffer, it means that I, too, feel their pain. So, rather than pity, we need to show compassion to those who suffer. Show Compassion My heart breaks at the thought of dying alone in a hospital bed. No one can visit with the sick and dying. Anecdotally, I hear that priests cannot visit with the dying due to the shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE). This equipment must be reserved for the hospital workers. So, the patients die without receiving Last Rights. Compound that pain, with the loved o

With all the illness and death, due to the coronavirus, possibly affecting our relatives and friends, we may find it difficult to see virtue. Yet, the virtues of caring, kindness, patience, generosity, gentleness, love, compassion, courage and hope abound. Especially in times of crisis, we need to find virtue, or we might just go insane! Find Virtue Caring : We don’t need to look far to see caring eyes behind those masks of the nurses and doctors. Kindness : When we see the 7 p.m. round of applause for all of the hospital workers; that is a pure act of kindness, showing gratitude. Patience : We show patience while waiting for our turn to get that coveted toilet paper. Generosity : Oregon and California’s generosity were on full display in the lending of ventilators and sharing supplies with those states in more dire need. Read more...

We’ve reached that point during the year where showing compassion seems to be on turbo-drive. For some reason, as we approach Thanksgiving and Christmas our hearts melt and compassion gushes forth from all of us. Maybe it’s because when we show compassion, we become more like Christ, and that’s a great feeling. Well, I’ve got a plan to make that feeling come alive 24/7/365. Show Compassion My wish is that the depth of compassion that we experience during this time of year could be spread over the entire year, 24/7/365. Yet, just like in the retail business, where stores enter the “black” on Black Friday (the day after Thanksgiving), our souls enter the “white” of purity at this time of year when we open our hearts to others. Maybe we could “go white” year-round! We show our compassion when we: Read more...

It’s that time of year, when the leaves fall from the trees, signaling winter is on the way. The smell of pumpkin pies waft through the air. The flag football game ends with a round of beers and good cheer. It’s also the time of year that we tend to open our hearts and our pocketbooks and look to ease the strain of those less fortunate. We enter the season of compassion. The holidays can be a difficult time for some people; especially if someone we love has recently passed away. Or, perhaps someone we love has lost a job. Loss and holiday cheer are at opposite ends of the celebration spectrum. Enter the Season of Compassion Those of us with much are called to give to those with little. Might you have an extra seat around your dinner table, at Thanksgiving and/or Christmas? If so, invite a family member, or friend, who is going through a tough time. Let them know you love them. Show compassion. Might you have a few extra dollars in your wallet to purchase some food for your

In today’s Gospel reading from Matt 5:1-12, we hear Jesus teach about the Beatitudes. I am quite partial to the Beatitudes, as they embody virtue. As you all know, virtue is my “thing.” When we look at each one of the Beatitudes, we see that they are actually God’s gift of grace. That is because, to master the Beatitudes, we must embrace virtue. To embrace virtue, we need God’s grace. The Beatitudes – Jesus’ Way! To be poor in spirit, one must embrace and exemplify   humility If you are one who mourns, you are   compassionate Meekness is obvious. Yet to be   meek , one requires great strength ( fortitude ). If you hunger and thirst for righteousness, you embody   justice Merciful is obvious, like meekness. However, to be   merciful,   to the extent necessary, one must be ready to also   forgive ... Read more... 

Today, we celebrate the Feast Day of Saint Luke, Gospel writer and doctor. Luke wrote both the Gospel According to Luke and Acts of the Apostles. Yet, Luke, himself, was not an Apostle. He learned of Jesus’ message via tradition, as did many people of the day, in circa 85 A.D. It is Saint Paul who refers to Saint Luke, in several places throughout Saint Paul’s epistles. Saint Paul refers to Saint Luke as his beloved friend and co-worker (Col 4:14, Phlm v24, and 2 Tim 4:11). Through the teachings from Saint Paul, as well as the writings of the Gospel of Saint Mark, Luke crafted his two masterpieces. Saint Luke, A Man Filled with Compassion Of the four Gospels, Luke provides us with the gentlest of approaches, with words filled with compassion and care. Writing in Greek for Gentile Christians, Luke crafted a message of mercy and forgiveness; calling on the faithful to be Christ-like. In Acts, Saint Luke gives us a ring-side seat to... Read more...

Dying for Compassion , by Barbara Golder is sure to be a hit! As with Golder’s first book, Dying for Revenge , familiar characters return for more mysteries to solve. Once again, we meet our Lady Doc, Jane Wallace, the lead character. She is a strong, feminine role model carrying the titles of forensic pathologist, medical examiner, AND lawyer – quite an accomplished woman!  In Dying for Compassion , Jane is faced with several deaths occurring in her town; unexplained poisonings and a possible case of euthanasia. As the intentions behind these deaths stump Jane, she is thrown off-kilter in her personal life. The storyline from Dying for Revenge carries through to Dying for Compassion . In Dying for Revenge , Jane processed grief from the loss of her husband, John. She meets author, Eoin Connor, who helps her through her grief and the two develop a romantic relationship. Fast forward to Dying for Compassion , and Eoin Connor becomes a central character. Everything is going swimm

As with every month, during this Year of Mercy, we choose a different corporal or spiritual work of mercy and dive into the details. This month we discuss the spiritual work of mercy to comfort the sorrowful. It seems like every time I attend a wake for someone’s passing, I never know what to say to the bereft family members. Does that happen to you as well? How does one truly comfort the sorrowful at such a time of great loss? Words seem so inadequate; well, at least my words seem inadequate. At such times, I try to remember what it was like when I was on the receiving end, at the wakes of both of my parents. For me, the mere presence of a trusted friend, who did not need to say a single word, brought me much comfort. She showed how much she cared, just by being present. Sometimes all that is needed is... Read more...   

In my day, if I wanted to increase my tennis prowess, I would watch Chris Evert Lloyd’s moves on the court. When my mother cut my hair in the iconic ‘Dorothy Hamill’ pixie , my whole world revolved around the dream of being an Olympic skater. I watched her every skating competition, eager to pick up even the tiniest trick to hone my skills. For the record, my moves were ample for the make-believe Pond Capades but never truly worthy of the hairdo. Here is a sampling of what I have to learn from Jesus Expert, Mary ...   SEE them here All Rights Reserved, Allison Gingras 2016

April is a time of renewal; new beginnings! I spent most of this past month of April caring for a friend, who underwent her second hip replacement. Throughout the month, I was repeatedly reminded of God’s presence in the midst of all that went on; from the day of her surgery, until she departed to return to her own home, with her brand, spanking, new hip. It started with the day of her surgery (March 30 th ). While walking down the hall to my friend’s hospital room, I noticed that each room had signs under the room numbers with unique quotes . For my friend’s room we had a quote from Saint Thomas Aquinas (my virtues mentor!). It read: “ There is nothing on this earth more to be prized than true friendship .” As I read this quote I realized... Read more...

"Some people are crying this week. Not everyone is in the mood for Christmas."  Those were providential words for me one Advent as I came to terms with a death in my family. Some people are in mourning this week. You, perhaps? Death of a loved one, loss of a job, a relationship falling apart: grief and pain and loss don’t take the season  off. Christmas can be hard to take. I learned this firsthand a few years back. Think of the people hurting this Advent. Please, reach out. It makes a difference. I’ve felt it. It might be the best pro-life ministry you could perform right now. The Friday before Advent in 2000, my father succumbed to cancer. Read the full post at Leaven for the Loaf .  

Compassion is not seasonal! Compassion seems popular this time of year. We tend to share our abundance with those less fortunate in the form of donations to shelters and food banks. Why is it that we only tend to take this action predominantly in November and December? People are hungry and homeless all year round. I don’t have a definitive answer for this question, but I think it has something to do with processing tax deductions. Perhaps I’m being a bit cynical. However, I think we need to... Read more...