Association Of Catholic Bloggers

Several decades back, while I was living with my parents in Moorhead, Minnesota, a radio announcer read the day's weather forecast.... After finishing the official forecast, the announcer paused before rhetorically asking "what? No burning hail?" Or maybe it was "fiery hail." Something like that.... ...Maybe it's the sudden and temporary sunshine, but I'm even almost upbeat about the COVID-19 pandemic. Folks here in Minnesota aren't dying of the disease nearly as fast as we were a month or two ago.... ...The politics thing is pretty much inevitable. There's a presidential election on, so sound and fury is the order of the day.... ' More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

My Fourth of July plans include watching an episode or two of Marvel Ultimate Spider-Man, contemplating the whichness of what while sitting on the front stoop, relaxing and getting a few chores done. And enjoying a virtual fireworks show. Probably one of these.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

This Saturday is the Fourth of July: America's Independence Day. It's a day for picnics and parades, barbecues and ice cream. We celebrate with fireworks and carnivals, picnics and concerts, fairs and baseball games. Usually. This year will be different. Plans and Parade Permits Blow Hot, Blow Cold Fireworks Parade Permit Perplexity Street Legal Vehicles and Skimmed News Vanilla Ice and Common Sense Patriotic? Me?! Definitions Viewpoints and Obligations Big Country, Small World Living in Small Town Minnesota, and Loving It "...My Family Celebrating!" Remembering And In Conclusion More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

COVID-19, a coronavirus disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, is still spreading. Thousands have died. Nearly 900,000 have been infected. A great many more are affected, directly or indirectly. Some are behaving badly. We cannot cure this disease. We can only endure it, or die trying. That's the bad news. The good news, part of it, is that this isn't the 14th century. We've learned a bit since the Black Death was spreading across Eurasia. Quite a bit, actually. More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

I'm writing this partly as a followup on Thursday's "Self-Isolation in the Family" post. And partly because I got frustrated with what I'd been trying to write today. My son is still sick, and it's a damply dismal Saturday afternoon. Outside temperature is 40 degrees Fahrenheit, 4 Celsius.... ...The family’s self-isolation went up a notch when Bishop Kettler said that churches should close their doors.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

COVID-19, the pandemic coronavirus disease, has come to my house. Maybe. My son has been sick. Yesterday he had a telephone checkup. I don't know what the official term is for a medical interview conducted via telephone. He's been told to self-isolate.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

COVID-19, a coronavirus disease, has been headline news since last December. By March 11, 2020, we had more than 122,000 known cases in 120 countries and territories. 6,100 of those were serious. The March 11 death toll was 4,300 — 3,200 in China. On the 'up' side, 67,000 have recovered from the disease. Folks are dealing with travel restrictions, quarantines and cancelled events. And, as of today (March 11, 2020), COVID-19 is officially a pandemic. UPDATE March 12, 2020 That didn't take long. The nearest known case of COVID-19 is an hour's drive or less away.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

Just when you thought it was safe to grow up — Folks in their 20s may afoul of a quarter-life crisis: the doubt and disappointment of student loans, dull careers and iffy relationships. Others learn that they're terminally ill. I learned about Michelle Pittman at Mass last Sunday. An inoperable brain tumor will kill her. She and her family have unexpected expenses. That's why a Michelle Pittman Benefit fund was set up at a local bank: Michelle Pittman Benefit c/o MN National Bank PO Box 306 Sauk Centre, MN 56378 Michelle Pittman's situation and the benefit fund are the important part of this post. I'd planned on writing about assorted crises, including terminal illness. 1 That started me thinking about life, death and not having all the answers.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

Revived pig brains, memory backups and ethical questions have been in the news. It sounds like a B movie scenario, but the research is quite real. So are the questions. I'll be talking about research, technology, and I'm glad that folks at MIT decided that brain backups were a dubious goal. More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

I’d like you to meet Michael.  He’s one of my heroes. Michael is the nephew of my second-born son’s wife, the third-born of her sister's six children. He just turned nine years old and I am going on sixty; but believe me when I say that when I grow up, I want to be just like him .  When you hear his story, you will undoubtedly feel the same way. T-shirts were made for Michael's friends and family to wear in support while he fights the toughest battle of his young life against a bitter foe, a disease that has ravaged his body but not his spirit.  The shirts have this logo on the front: #MICHAELSTRONG And oh, is he ever strong!  His poor body has been through the wringer ever since he was diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer, T-cell leukemia, in March of 2017.  He's gone through a series of intense chemo treatments with their merciless and horrendous side effects, treatments that would test the spirit of a person of any age.  To read more about

Lent is fast approaching. How I see it and what I do is up to me. Ash Wednesday is next week, so I don't have much time to decide. Christians, Catholic and otherwise, in my culture generally change what we eat for this season. I'm a Catholic, so I've got rules. But not all that many. Mostly they're guidelines. I put a link to my territory's rules about diet under ' Fast & Abstinence ' near the end of this post.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

It's Epiphany Sunday. It's not about the magi, wise men from the east. Not exactly. They're involved; along with King Herod, religious experts, Mary and Jesus. But they're not what this is all about. More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

If I thought my faith depended on feeling cheerful, I'd be worried.If I thought my faith depended on feeling cheerful, I'd be worried. Since I'm a Catholic, I think faith is willingly and consciously embracing "the whole truth that God has revealed." (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 142 - 150 ) Faith is easier when my emotions are in sync with my reason. So is acting as if what I believe matters. Emotions can tell me that something needs attention, but "...conscience is a law of the mind...." (Catechism, 1777 - 1782 ) More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

Whether you call it mental illness, lunacy, or insanity, being crazy isn't fun. It's not a lifestyle choice either. Not for most. Certainly not in my case. I'll get back to that.... ...Somewhere along the line "mental hygiene" got repackaged as "mental health." I think it wasn't just a new coat of paint on old ideas. We were learning more about how minds work, and sometimes don't. We were also learning what we can do: and what we shouldn't.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

That's Devin Patrick Kelley, and First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, Texas. We're still not sure why he opened fire on the folks gathered for worship yesterday morning. At the moment, it looks like he was in a snit because he’d been arguing with his former wife and in-laws. That doesn’t mean I think we should ban marriage because it leads to mass murder. That makes about as much sense as my SADIST proposal. ( November 6, 2017 More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

Perhaps I should remember my station, and be respectfully silent before the weekend's mighty display of power and glory. I am, after all, but one of those who live neither in the Northeast megalopolis nor the shining lands of San Francisco and Los Angeles. Daylight Saving Time — Again — Still Enough of that 'umble posturing. If you live in America, there's a pretty good chance that you remembered to set your clock back an hour during the weekend. We've gone through this routine every year for — too long, I think. More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

Today's second reading from Philippians 4 says to have "no anxiety at all," praise God, and "your requests known to God." Then we'll have the "peace of God...." I think that's a good idea: but it's not the whole picture. More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

Hi there, ya'll! =) Habits are part of life, both good and bad ones.  All of us struggle with bad habits we have acquired and are trying to break, but we often forget to form good habits to replace them.  I've noticed that when I focus on developing good habits instead of being so fixed on breaking the bad ones, it is much easier and less tiresome to overcome the habits I wish to rid myself of.  It takes approximately twenty one days to make something habitual to you, and there's no time like the present to begin. 1. Early To Bed, Early To Rise

Scientists at England's John Innes Centre learned how to grow plants that produce polio vaccine. That sounds like a very good idea, particularly since the process should work for other vaccines, too. The other 'genetic engineering' news raises issues that can spark strong feelings: and should encourage serious thought. More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

I picked a mix from 'science news' this week: tardigrade genes, fertility fears, and what is probably the world's oldest living culture. Folks in Western civilization have known about our neighbors in Australia for about four centuries. Understanding their beliefs became easier, I think, when some of us realized that respecting them makes sense. More at A Catholic Citizen in America .