Association Of Catholic Bloggers

"A False Alarm on the Fourth" Udo Keppler, Puck. (1902) "Uncle Sam — It's all right! There's no fighting! The noise you hear is just my family celebrating!" I like that double-page cartoon by Udo Keppler. And I like his image of America: a family of sorts, where everybody doesn't look just like me, but we can celebrate together anyway. Another Udo Keppler cartoon, made eight years earlier, shows a different attitude. I'll get back to that. I'll also be quoting John Adams, with a little more of the context than you probably see. Declaration of Independence: 248 Years Ago Today Flights of Oratory, Compromise, and a Missed Opportunity "...Our Pleasing Hopes..." and a Persistent Perception Being a Good Citizen AND a Catholic A "Patriot Dream That Sees Beyond the Years" More at A Catholic Citizen in America . (Two quotes by John Adams, two cartoons by Udo Keppler. Hopes, perceptions, and an America that is not perfe...

This week I'll be talking about what's changed over the last century, what hasn't, and why I think progress isn't inevitable. On the other hand, I don't think we're doomed. That last may take explaining. Yesterday's Future O Tempora, O Mores, O Wow! Progress is Inevitable Possible "...The Good or Evil Performed by Nations ... in a Cosmopolitical View..." Science, Religion, Progress, and — Maybe — Mything the Point Truth, Facts, Science: and Hope Works in Progress ... More at A Catholic Citizen in America . (Blind optimism does not make sense. Neither does blind pessimism. I look at what has changed in the last century, what has not: and works in progress.)

One, maybe two, articles by C. S. Lewis reappeared about a half-dozen years back. Not that they'd been invisible. Collectors had the articles in their copies of The Strand Magazine, but "A Christmas Sermon for Pagans" and "Cricketer's Progress" hadn't made it into lists of work by Lewis. Maybe it's just one new 'Lewis' article. "Cricketer's Progress: A Famous Reputation and What Became of It", was written by a "Clive Hamilton". Sure, Lewis published his first book under the Clive Hamilton pseudonym. But Lewis isn't known as a sports journalist. 1 And that's another topic. Anyway, I'll be talking about "A Christmas Sermon for Pagans" this week. Or, rather, I'm sharing a few excerpts; and talking about whatever comes to mind. "A Christmas Sermon for Pagans": No Longer Forgotten "... 'Objective' Right or Wrong...." "...Nature is ... A Kind of Machine fo...

This week I'll be looking at: Parts of that "...Progress of the Century..." lithograph A few lines from three poems by Tennyson What's changed over the last couple centuries What hasn't I'll also explain why I don't "believe in" Progress with a capital "P". On the other hand, I'd rather be living today than in 1923 or 1823. That's partly because we've made considerable progress, lowercase "p", on the technology side of our lives. And some remarkable lowercase progress on the social side, too. I've been running a fever this week, so the discussion of P rogress and p rogress is a whole lot shorter than I'd planned. Which may be a good thing. This week's post may be a trifle more digressive than usual. You have been warned. Mottoes and Viewpoints Principles Steam, Reform, and Poisoned Candy A Long-Overdue Change (Optionally) Rational Animals The Candy Man Could "Forward!...

"...Blue skies Smiling at me Nothing but blue skies Do I see..." (" Blue Skies ," Irving Berlin (1926) via Lyrics.com) But that's not literally true. We had blue skies with clouds Monday through Wednesday. Then it rained part of Wednesday night, pretty much all Thursday and part of Thursday night. So maybe this is more appropriate. Or was, until Friday's bright blue skies and sunshine.... (I have been feeling down, depressed and worse. So I wrote about emotions, personality disorders, predestination, flowers and making sense.) More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

Today is New Year's Eve. It's also Saint Sylvester's Day, the 420th anniversary of the British East India Company's charter and the 141st anniversary of Thomas Edison's incandescent light demo. But mainly, I figure, for most Americans, today is New Year's Eve.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

With all that we see on the news these days, it is easy to slip into despair, a feeling of hopelessness. Yet, we cannot lose hope! No matter how bad things seem, the light is ahead of us; the darkness will ebb. As Winston Churchill so aptly exclaimed: “If you’re going through hell, keep going.” There are better days ahead. So, keep looking forward and move toward God. Despair or hope – It is your choice! I choose hope. Despair or Hope God wants nothing but good things for us. He tells us as much in Scripture: For I know well the plans I have in mind for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare, not for woe!  Plans to give you a future full of hope . (Jer. 29:11). So, do not despair. Know that God has plans for you, and a purpose worthy of honor. Therefore, you will do great things for the glory of God. So, no matter how gloomy life may seem, hold onto hope, a hope in Christ. We Make A Series of Choices Daily Each day, we wake up and make a series of choices. We ca...

With only being able to attend Church services online, does this weakens one’s faith? Or, does this cause us to look deeper to keep the faith? Perhaps you might like to chime in, by using the comments section to share the impact of online services on you and your loved ones. I know for myself, that I crave the Eucharist, and will no longer take it for granted. I truly miss receiving Jesus weekly. Since I cannot receive the Real Presence in the Eucharist, I now look for other ways to keep the faith, in addition to attending Mass via online services. Keep the Faith: Read Scripture Although I cannot currently receive the Eucharist, God can nourish me with His Word. Reading scripture, more often, engages me in deep discussions with God.  And that is a good thing! Pray More Often I find myself praying more often, since there are so many people and causes that need prayers. Again, this engages me in... Read more...

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...

I love January! Why? Because I love the silence of winter, when everything slows down. We cozy up with a warm blanket, in front of the fire, while reading a good book, amidst the silence. Or, one could take a walk in the freshly fallen snow and hear silence. I find silence to be peaceful and that brings me joy! It is also, in the silence, that we open our ears to hear the whisper of God speaking to our hearts. Silence of Winter The silence of winter provides us with time to reflect on how we are doing, where we are going, and what we want to accomplish. When we assess how we are doing, we can count our blessings. This brings us both gratitude and joy. When we plan our futures, we set a course for ourselves. This fills us with the hope of endless possibilities. And when we crystallize our goals, God graces us with ... Read more...

Happy New Year everyone! I’m not sure how you viewed 2019, but I found 2019 challenging; both personally and professionally. I’m looking forward to 2020 with a clear sense of purpose. There’s something hopeful regarding the turning of the calendar to a new year. With hope, I look forward to better health, now that my ankle fusion has taken hold. I’ve suffered for several years with difficulty walking. The last few months prior to surgery resulted in several falls. Apparently, my ligaments in my ankle kept giving way and couldn’t support me any longer. Thus, the reasons for the falls. So, surgery became my only option. The difficulty in walking resulted in a good deal of inactivity on my part, and I gained a good deal of weight. With the ankle fusion nearly healed, I’m ready to take on new adventures. I simply want to walk, and in the process possibly lose the weight I gained by being inactive. It’s my own personal belief, that if you feel better about yourself, and live a healt...

Merry Christmas, one and all! I write to you today, wishing you Christmas blessings, because I intend to take Wednesday off and celebrate the day with my husband. I have much to be thankful for this year, having received many blessings throughout the year. However, I find the Christmas blessings that Christ bestows on us at this time of year to be very special. Christmas Blessings Peace  – Christ’s peace is ever present, but especially prescient at this time of year. We celebrate the Incarnation of Christ on this day. The revelation of God made man for our sakes, to free us from sin and death, is mind-boggling. Yet, Christ came to bring us Peace. Joy  – Knowing God’s immense love for each of us should bring us a deep and abiding sense of joy. Who else could love us that much to send His only Son to save us from sin and death? Read more...

One may look at the evening news and ask, “When did we lose our way?” We see rampant corruption bubbling to the surface within our government. There are immigrants in cages at our southern border. The opioid crisis seems to be on the back burner. Our priorities seem off-kilter. It’s at times like this, that it is very easy to lose hope. Yet, these are the very times when we need to hold onto hope. This is a time for hope! A Time for Hope Every day I pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet, with the intention of having truth and justice revealed, and God’s Will be done. Well, I would say that God is doing a very good job at getting the truth out in the open, but the justice part, I’m still waiting on that. I think it will be awhile before we see justice. The Truth needs to permeate our souls first. We need to face the ugliness of corruption, the maltreatment of the immigrant, and acknowledge the need to address the opioid crisis first. We need to find our moral compass, once again, and al...

I love Springtime, because it is a time for new beginnings. Blossoms pop up out of the ground, and leaves pop out on the trees, evidencing new life. This should give us all hope for better days ahead. Springtime is a season that comes around every year, but it is also a season of our lives. Hope in My Students My fondness for Springtime centers around my students; those graduating with undergraduate degrees. As an Adjunct Professor of Theology, it always gives me joy to see students graduate, filled with boundless energy to change the world with their newly earned degrees. As each student begins one of my classes, I meet with each of them, one-on-one. I want to know what it is that they want to do with their undergraduate Theology degree. If you could hear what I hear from them, you. too, would be filled with hope. Some students want to be priests or enter religious life. Others want to teach the faith in their parish. And still others want to take the route I took; to be an au...

Waiting for a Miracle , by Cyndi Peterson, M.D. is a story of faith, conversion of heart and a mother’s love, all wrapped up in one page-turning true story. Cyndi Peterson is a dermatologist, married to a pediatrician. She is a lukewarm Catholic, going through the motions. Too busy with the demands of the world, Cyndi paid little attention to faith and a relationship with Jesus. That is, until one day when that nagging emptiness became a bit much to take. To squelch the nagging feeling, Cyndi begins to sneak around trying to learn more about Jesus. She attends events at her Church, reads books and does some soul-searching. As Cyndi’s faith begins to blossom, we see a conversion of heart. She begins to place more trust in Jesus. Cyndi learns that she is pregnant and looks forward to the birth of her fourth child. However, when her little girl Kelly is born, we learn of Kelly’s debilitating situation that would break any mother’s heart. Yet, Cyndi finds hope and trust as a result...

Reflections and reality, Walking toward the light. Footprints lost to time and tide. Destination still unseen, Following rippled outlines, Walking toward the light. (From A Catholic Citizen in America (February 16, 2019))

It’s a new year, with new possibilities, and new beginnings. This new year offers us the opportunity to hope that our lives will be more fruitful and blessed. Perhaps you are hoping to get a new job this year. Or, maybe you hope to have a baby. Whatever you hope for in this new year, my wish for you is that you align it with Christ’s Hope for your life. What is God calling you to do? Have you sensed a pull in a certain direction? Maybe you are developing an interest in a certain ministry in your parish. Or, perhaps, you feel a tug toward getting that degree you’ve always wanted. What is holding you back from saying “yes” to God’s call? We find our happiness in responding positively to... Read more... 

This has been a year of ups and downs for me, as I’m sure it has been for you, as well. With the passage of time, (a long time I might add), I finally got my new front top teeth this past year (three implants, and a five-tooth bridge) – ka-ching! Then later in the year, two more crowns! My dentist loves me! Yet, with that money going out the door, God has also blessed me with new business (editing manuscripts for Catholic authors). So, all in all, as 2018 comes to an end, I am counting my blessings. I look forward to new opportunities in 2019, without having a clue what God might have in mind for me. But, I am open to His will. I know that He has plans for me, plans to give me hope and to make me prosper (Jer 29:11). For that, I am grateful for His blessings. Your Blessings What might God have done for you, or given you, in 2018, for which you are grateful?  What new opportunities might you hope would be on your horizon, as we enter 2019? Read more...

The grace of Hope that God bestows upon us, is not a hope for things of this world, but a hope in everlasting life. It is with the grace of Hope that we can place our trust in Christ and His promises. With Hope, we do not rely upon ourselves, but rather on the workings of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Hope gives us aspirations, rather than desperations. With the grace of Hope, we aspire to be happy, even in times of trial. Especially during times of trial, we can find joy and hope, because of Christ and His promises of salvation. Hope gives us encouragement, rather than discouragement. With the Grace of Hope: We know that Christ is always with us, and He will never abandon us. Hope is a... Read more...

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