Association Of Catholic Bloggers

When we see so much violence, hatred and evil, we sometimes wonder where God is and why He allows such atrocities to happen. As a result, we find it difficult to trust God, let alone anyone else. We walk away from Him, feeling all alone. And when we walk away, it is because we lack faithfulness in a God who is always with us; a God who will never abandon us. Yet, if He is always with us, and never abandons us, then how can He let such horrific things occur? Whether it be the mass shootings that seem to occur daily, or the diagnosis of cancer that steals the life of those we love, it can be difficult to be faithful to God. Maintaining faithfulness, in such times, may seem absurd, but that is what we must do. The Implication of Free Will First, let me answer the question as to why God lets such atrocities and devastation occur. When we experience violence, hatred and evil, it is solely at the hands of humans. God does not bring these things upon us. Rather, He witnesses what we w

Maintaining faithfulness to the Lenten pledge may not always be easy; especially when we gave up something that we truly craved – like chocolate! We go through withdrawal symptoms, feeling deprived, and we don’t like to feel that way. So, we give in and default on our Lenten pledge.  God is ever faithful to us, but because of our tendency to sin, we are not always faithful in return. Maintaining faithfulness to the Lenten pledge is a good example of where we easily fail to remain faithful. Maintaining Faithfulness is Not Trivial One might think a breakdown in faithfulness to a Lenten pledge is trivial. Yet, it might represent a microcosm of our relationship with God on a macro level. If we can’t be faithful in trivial matters, what makes us think we can be faithful with important matters? If we let a Lenten pledge slide and give it little thought, what else might we let slide? God never gives us more than we can handle. With something like a Lenten pledge, that we make to God

In today’s Gospel, from Luke 12:39-48, we learn of the parable of the faithful and prudent steward. When the master is away, some stewards fulfill their responsibilities. The master deems such people as trustworthy and capable of performing more important tasks. Other servants use the opportunity to take advantage of their positions and treat the staff cruelly. We can apply this parable to how we act in the workplace when the boss is away on business. How trustworthy are we to faithfully fulfill our responsibilities? If Jesus were standing in front of you now, would He be able to declare you as a faithful and prudent steward of the gifts He has given to you? He has blessed you with prudence, courtesy, kindness and many other virtues. Do you make use of these gifts by always treating others fairly? Even when the boss is away? Or do you place little value on what God has blessed you with to do your job? Instead, you deem it too burdensome to care for, and cultivate God’s gifts. B

Friday, I begin the Novena to St. Joseph, asking for his intercession to pray for me. St. Joseph is known for being a faithful servant to God, for his protection and caring for the infant Jesus throughout his life. I am trying to be faithful to Jesus’ call for me to be a public speaker for the Catholic faith. Who better to go to for encouragement and prayers said on my behalf, for the virtue of faithfulness, than the saint known for his faithfulness! This Novena culminates on the ninth day, which happens to be the Feast of St. Joseph (March 19 th ). Saint Joseph is known to intercede on our behalf when looking for work, which I am doing as well, as a public speaker. I have firsthand testimony on the power of prayer regarding this Novena, when it comes to looking for work. This time last year, my husband... Read more...  

The Internet is abuzz with a duel of sorts between Patheos blogger  Simcha Fisher  and young, engaged-to-be-married Emma Smith, who wrote on  Catholic Exchange  that she knows for a fact that she and her husband will never have to face the issue of infidelity. "God is faithful, but we're not marrying God," proclaimed Fisher. "What do we know about human beings? They sin. They sin, and they sin, and they sin. Sometimes they enter into a valid marriage and then they cheat. Sometimes they understand fully what they are supposed to do, and they just don’t feel like doing it," she explained. I'm inclined to agree with Fisher. Because the issue in Catholic marriage is not whether anything will go wrong, but how will you handle it when it does. Read more  here ...

Christians often like to say that God will not give you more than you can handle. They are well meaning people who usually like to say this to someone who is going through a tough time. Personally, I do not find these words encouraging. I think this idea comes from the scripture about God not testing us beyond our strength (1Cor.10:13). However, I see these as two different things. In my own life, I know that God has often given me more than I could handle. The reason however is so that I will learn to lean back in him and rely on his grace. I think if we limit ourselves to the things we think we can handle, we could really be missing out in life and limiting God.   Read more here .