Association Of Catholic Bloggers

It's been a while since I talked about what I'm doing here and why I'm doing it. And even longer since I talked about Nancy H. C. Ward's "Sharing Your Catholic Faith Story: Tools, Tips, and Testimonies." The book's a big deal for me, since it's the first time I wrote for the Red River Valley Historical Society’s Heritage Press that I've had an in-print byline. More to the point, as Lisa Hendey said, it's "an enjoyable template for the challenge of evangelization." So today I'll talk about social media, evangelization, science, history, art, "Sharing Your Catholic Faith Story" and why I post something here weekly. Not necessarily in that order. More at A Catholic Citizen in America . Being evangelical but not an Evangelical. Options and opportunities. Social media: good and bad news. Evangelism: a DIY book. Attitudes, ideas and me.

It's that time of year. Daily reminders of how many shopping days remain before Christmas fill some with dread, others with relief. Folks enjoy, endure or try to ignore another season of "Jingle Bells," "Santa Baby" and "Frosty the Snowman." Some of my neighbors have deployed their Christmas displays. So have we, thanks to my son. It's part of our Advent preparations. We're getting ready for Christmas, looking back at the first time Jesus came; and ahead to when our Lord returns. More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

I enjoy reading. Some folks don't. I have no idea what fraction of readers boast of their bookish practices. Or how many non-readers argue that reading is a waste of time. Apart, perhaps, from their occasional dip into a how-2 article. Since there's little tumult and shouting on the reader/non-reader front, it's probably not among today's major issues.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America : A brief look at readers: avid, picky and practical. Fiction, ethics and making sense. Fashionable melancholy, the Great Commission and why I write.

I still see the occasional "REPENT, THOU WRETCHED SINNER" stuff in my social media feeds. But I very strongly suspect that fire and brimstone fundraisers are passé, and have been for decades. Maybe I'd get more attention if I ranted, raved and seethed with (self?) righteous anger about those sinners over there. You know the ones I mean: reprobates, rogues and rascals who aren't like me. Yeah. Maybe I could. And it would be a bad idea. I'm pretty sure the attention I'd get isn't the sort I'd like. Not in the long run. And I'm quite sure that God wouldn't appreciate my marketing efforts.... ...Something else I haven't noticed on MeWe is folks saying they're giving up social media for Lent. Or Advent. Or whatever. Maybe they have, and I didn't notice. Or maybe more non-crackpot Catholics are paying attention to advice like this.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

Nancy H. C. Ward's " Sharing Your Catholic Faith Story " has been in print and available on Amazon.com since April, 2019. Back cover blurbs include Lisa Hendey's "an enjoyable template for the challenge of evangelization" and Gary Zimak's "a book that needed to be written." "Sharing Your Catholic Faith Story" is a big deal for me, too. It's the first time I've had a byline in print since I wrote articles for the Red River Valley Historical Society's Heritage Press. That was in the 1970s. More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

" The New Evangelization calls each of us to deepen our faith, believe in the Gospel message and go forth to proclaim the Gospel. The focus of the New Evangelization calls all Catholics to be evangelized and then go forth to evangelize.... " (" New Evangelization ," USCCB 1 ) In a way, the "new" evangelization isn't new. Matthew 28:19 means the same thing now that it did two millennia ago. But it isn't the first, or the 11th, century any more. We're in the 21st, and the world is changing. This isn't a new situation: " ...the world is on fire. Men try to condemn Christ once again, as it were, for they bring a thousand false witnesses against him. They would raze his Church to the ground.... No, my sisters, this is no time to treat with God for things of little importance.... " (Camino de perfección, 1, 5; St. Teresa of Avila; quoted by Benedict XVI on July 16, 2012) 1 ) St. Teresa of Avila wrote Camino de perfección ...

I grew up in a mainstream Protestant household, so I think of today's Gospel reading, Matthew 28:16 - 20 , as describing the "great commission." The phrase started rattling around in various European languages a few centuries back. Hudson Taylor , a Protestant missionary, popularized the English translation. Folks at the Vatican describe evangelization as the "great commission" occasionally, generally when communicating with those who are more familiar with Protestant culture.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

About 150 people stopped living on April 2, 2015, in Kenya: Thursday of last week. They were killed at Garissa University College . Quite a few folks are upset about this.That's reasonable. (From AP, via Al Jazeera, used w/o permission) (" Several ceremonies to mourn the victims have been held in Nairobi " Al Jazeera)... ...The body count would have been higher, but the killers were very careful about choosing their victims. After collecting about 700 students, they only killed those who said they are Christians. Don't expect a rant about those [hated group] who always commit [atrocity of the day]. I think that's as foolish as making excuses for members of [approved group] who behave badly.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

Matthew 25:14 - 30 , the parable of the talents, isn't one of those 'feel-good' stories. You know how it goes: a man gives three of his servants sizable chunks of money: five talents to one, three to another, and one to the third. The third servant ends up thrown "into the darkness outside, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth." ( Matthew 25:30 ) The line before that is just as grim, and a bit disturbing.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

Some mainstream news isn't "journalistic infotainment-like art-product," as Hyraxx , the alien reporter in Buck Godot, described her work. That said, there's a reason for my concentrating on News.va , the Vatican's official news source, for Synod 14 coverage.... ...Emotions are part of being human. We're supposed to feel happy, sad, or whatever. But God gave us brains: and expects us to think , too. I have no problem with emotions: which is a good thing, since I'm a very emotional man. I've enjoyed shows like Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade and Revenge of the Cybermen , but that's entertainment.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

(From Dosso Dossi, via Wikimedia Commons, used w/o permission.) ("The Ascension," by Dosso Dossi /Giovanni di Niccolò de Luteri.) This is one of my favorite bits of the Bible: " 8 The eleven 9 disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had ordered them.   " teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. 13 And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age." ( Matthew 28:16 - 20 ) So, for slightly different reasons, is this: " When they had gathered together they asked him, 'Lord, are you at this time going 4 to restore the kingdom to Israel?'   " They said, 'Men of Galilee, why are you standing there looking at the sky? This Jesus who has been taken up from you into heaven will return in the same way as you have seen him going into heaven.' " ( Acts 1:6 - 11 ) Acts 1:11 reminds me of stories where, after the general's address, a sergeant says 'you heard the orders: Mov...

(From Hel-hama, via Wikimedia Commons, used w/o permission.) ( Kingdom of the Avars , and surrounding lands: 814.) A dozen centuries back, a warlord brought order and a measure of stability to lands from Vasdomia to Chrobatia, and from the Kingdom of the Lombards to Jutland. For the first time since Rome's empire had dissolved, lands from the Mediterranean to the North sea had some hope of peace and stability. We call this leader Charles the Great. Charlemagne is also known as Karl der Große, Carolus, and Karolus Magnus. Charlemagne has been mythologized as a shining light of civilization, and a demonic slayer of 'true' Europeans. There's a very slight element of truth to both images. Scholarship, arts, architecture, and literature, flourished during Charlemagne's reign. On the other hand, he gave those he conquered a choice: say that they were Christian, or die. Some of my wife's relatives may have been among those who chose to die, rather than give u...