Association Of Catholic Bloggers

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...

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...

Joy is a deep and lasting feeling of contentment and happiness graced by the Holy Spirit. For me, deep and abiding joy comes to me when I reflect on God’s love for me – that unconditional love that will never end. I also experience a deep and abiding sense of joy when I think of how much my husband loves me, because his love for me is a manifestation of God’s love for me. My list could go on, but I have a question for you. How do you find joy in your life? Christmas – The Season of Joy We also find joy at Christmastime, when we reflect on the Word made flesh – the Incarnation. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him might not perish but might have eternal life” (John 3:16). Knowing that God loves us so much that He would sacrifice His Son to death by a Cross, for our sins, is a love unmatched by anyone. This love brings us ... Read more...

Still got the Easter joy? We’re only half way through the Easter season, yet most people have moved on. They’re thinking of summer vacation, or better yet, Christmas! I know a handful of people that are already counting the days to Christmas, shopping year-round for Christmas presents. But today, I want you to stop for a second and think about the power of the Resurrection. The fact that Jesus loved each of us so much that He would suffer and die on the Cross for our sins, and then rise from the dead, is so over-the-top love, that we need to stop and let that soak in. Who else in your life could claim that feat? No one. Who else shows that depth of unconditional love toward you? No one. This life-changing event was so momentous, in the arc of history, that we need seven weeks to celebrate the awesome power and love of God; an unparalleled power waged against sin and death; a supreme love that is never-ending and filled with mercy and forgiveness. Keeping the Easter Joy I hope...

Happy Easter, everyone! The Lord is risen! Alleluia! Alleluia! I hope and pray that you each had a wonderful Easter Sunday with family and friends. Easter is so special that we have an entire season (seven weeks) to celebrate the joy in the Resurrection. The Easter season runs from yesterday through to Pentecost Sunday. But the focus this week is on the Easter octave, an eight-day period, that ends on Divine Mercy Sunday. It is within this week that we reflect on Jesus’ resurrection from the dead and what that means for each of us. We Believe in the Resurrection of the Dead As Christians, we look at Jesus’ Resurrection and realize that we, too, will be resurrected when Christ comes again, at the end of the world. How do we know this? We read it in 1 Corinthians 15:21, where it states, ... Read more...

I know some people who dread the season of Lent because all they can see is sacrifice and loss and they don’t want to participate in either. They don’t want to give anything up for Lent. Nor, do they want to refrain from eating meat on Fridays. In addition, little to no interest exists in giving of their time and/or talent for the love of God and neighbor. Yet, sacrifice has a purpose meant to draw us closer to God. We can find joy in Lenten sacrifices. Those who do wish to partake in the Lenten season usually give up their favorite foods/drink. Others sacrifice their free time and use it to do good deeds for others. This year my husband and I are taking a different approach. We’re combing through our house, looking for items to donate to charity. We’ve found old clothes that are perfectly good but don’t fit anymore. These clothes would be best placed with someone who needs them. That gives us joy! We’re also looking for household items – things from throughout the house that I h...

Christ’s joy is not fleeting. His joy abides in the human heart, even in times of stress. Christ’s joy is what I wish for you this holiday season. How does one receive such a joy, so deep, that even crises cannot set it a kilter? Such joy resides in the heart of one who places their full faith and trust in Jesus. I can give personal testimony to this fact. Christ’s Joy Touched My Life Back in 2011, I felt much discontent in my job. Therefore, I knew I needed a change. So, I handed in my retirement notice. I went back to school for my Masters in Pastoral Theology and gave my life to God to do with as He sees fit. Walking away from a sure salary, and entering the unknown, took faith and trust in God. It’s been seven plus years now, and I’ve never looked back. No, I don’t make the kind of money I made in my previous life, but I have Christ’s joy, instead. And His joy is priceless! Read more...

Our culture isn’t really atheist. It isn’t even agnostic. It’s just really apathetic and has a horrible case of  FOMO . “Let’s live it up now, try everything, have all the fun, and then after we’ve had all the fun, then think about our eternal salvation. Maybe.” There’s a way to reach the FOMO Millenials (and others) before they land themselves in that proverbial foxhole. The way to do that is through  joy. The fear is that when we turn to God, all the good and fun things we used to do will be taken away. We’ll be sour-faced saints, sitting in Church for hours at a time being bored out of our brains, turning down every party invitation, and never having a raucous Friday night again. For some, that might be what Christianity looks like, but not for us! Read more at Messy Buns & Latin Chant

“The secret of happiness is to live moment by moment and to thank God for what He is sending us every day in His goodness.” –St. Gianna Beretta Molla As I raised a large family on a small farm with little disposable income, I received free Christian cognitive therapy. It was my children who taught me how to live in the present moment with joy. I couldn’t help but learn how to live a child of God because I was surrounded by a crew of little people who greeted each morning with wonder and awe. Gratefulness is the key to spiritual joy, no matter how little we think we have in the eyes of modern society. In fact, St. Teresa of Avila once said she “thanked God for the things she did NOT own.” St. Teresa always stressed the need for gratitude: “In all created things discern the providence and wisdom of God, and in all things give Him thanks.” When Joy Eludes Us continue reading

I received free cognitive therapy because I was surrounded by a crew of little people who greeted each morning with wonder and awe . Gratefulness is the key to spiritual joy, no matter how little we think we have in the eyes of modern society. In fact, St. Teresa thanked God for the Things she did NOT own. The fleeting dream which eludes many of us is happiness. We are running around, miserable in our insular little worlds, only catching glimpses of the world around us through dung coloured glasses. The solution to our dilemma is easy. continue reading

2 Votes Lent. We tend to think of Advent as a time of joyful anticipation and Lent as a dismal period of sackcloth and ashes. How ridiculous. We are preparing to celebrate THE most joyful event in the history of humanity, the death and resurrection of our Saviour. Lent is the most joyful, light-filled season for me because I empty myself so that I might die and rise with Christ in triumphant glory. The darkness of my sin, the sin of others or the sin of the world is not a malignant force as much as it is simply the absence of light. The light of just one candle banishes darkness. continue reading

“In my deepest wound, I saw your glory and it dazzled me.”- Saint Augustine.  Most people assume they will automatically feel cheerful during Christmas.  Not only does the Church celebrate the birth of our Saviour with joy, secular society also promotes the idea that everybody is happy during this season, bombarding us with images in the media  of lighthearted people giving gifts and enjoying each other’s company.  In fact, there is so much pressure on people to be in good spirits during Christmas, many sink even deeper into depression when they are unable to force themselves to even crack a smile.   Continue reading

Do we wait for Christmas morning with a joyful expectation or has life’s disappointments left us jaded and closed to any spiritual surprises or gifts from God? Many of us are actually just like Scrooge, that traditional symbol for someone who has been so wounded by disappointment and jaded by life that he cannot embrace the spirit of giving during Christmas. Scrooge wasn’t just stingy, he was miserable, with his heart closed to other people and to love and joy. Come to think of it, how many of us actually expect to receive any spiritual joy on Christmas morning? When we are secretly cynical, we will not receive a thing, not even a tiny flicker of Light because we have locked the door to our hearts. Then, our cynicism will be confirmed once again, just like last year and we will cement our cynicism in place until next year. Yet we all long for the dark, empty places within us to be flooded with His light. The answer to our dilemma can be discovered when we observe children becau...

By Laura Durant There are many reasons why Christmas is special to me, many reasons why it is the second most special time of the year for me (second only to Easter). However, last year, Christmas became infinitely more special.  The Gift of Peace in God’s Will My husband and I began trying to have a child after a couple of years into our marriage. That was eight years ago, and we have not been able to conceive. We have been to the Vitae Clinic in Austin, Texas, which I highly recommend to anyone trying to conceive. While we were not able to become pregnant ourselves, I know many people who have through the help of this wonderful clinic. They were always very kind, always mindful of the struggle we were going through. I could go on and on about the kind and thoughtful ways in which they treated us and others struggling with infertility, but that is the subject for a different blog. After some time, and with a sense of peace from God to do so, we decided to discontinue...

The average Catholic probably thinks sanctity is for a select few and certainly does not associate play with holiness. Most of us are deaf to God's invitation to join His glorious, cosmic dance. Yet, life in Christ is all about surrender, letting go of control, not labouring in our own puny strength to the point of exhaustion. In fact, once we have been purified and transformed, life in Christ is child’s play, a dance of joy. Dancing demands a freed person, one who vibrates with the equipoise of all his powers. I praise the dance. O man, learn to dance, or else the angels in heaven will not know what to do with you.  Saint Augustine continue 

Out with the old, in with the new! As we welcome the promise of the New Year, let us not forget all that God provides. Everything God gives us is a gift, right down to every breath we take. Many times when we experience struggle and illness, we want to push the pain away as soon as we can, and forget the incident. Out of sight – out of mind! We certainly do not consider struggle and illness as gifts coming from God! However, that is not necessarily true. Even times of difficulty can be a gift from God. It is at these times that He graces us with opportunity to grow closer to Him. No – He does not give you hardships and illnesses. Let’s make that perfectly clear. But, He is with you always through the struggle and the pain. He graces you with... Read more...

Yesterday, we began the season of Advent, a time of preparation, repentance, waiting and joy. Sunday’s second reading from Romans 13:11-14 tells us to clothe ourselves in virtue: Brothers and sisters: You know the time; it is the hour now for you to awake from sleep. For our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed; the night is advanced, the day is at hand. Let us then throw off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light; let us conduct ourselves properly as in the day, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in promiscuity and lust, not in rivalry and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the desires of the flesh.   When we put on the armor of light, we embrace virtue to... Read more...

Dancing demands a freed person, one who vibrates with the equipoise of all his powers. I praise the dance. O man, learn to dance, or else the angels in heaven will not know what to do with you.                 Saint Augustine Is joy at the heart of your life in Christ? Many Catholics feel beleaguered as they struggle to stand up for the truth in an increasingly hostile environment. Of course, it is easy to become so busy addressing serious moral and religious issues that our spirituality is relegated to Sunday Mass and a few Hail Marys rattled off on the run.  However, if we are determined to be effective agents of change in society, we must make time to learn how to live in, with, and through Christ. Only when we are filled with the power of Holy Spirit, we will witness effectively with joy, with a dance in our step. The average Catholic probably thinks sanctity is for a select few and certainly does not associate play with holiness...

August 11 is the memorial of St. Clare, one of my favorite saints. She was the first woman to follow the life of radical poverty practiced by St. Francis of Assisi and is the co-founder of the Poor Clares. Although I am not a Franciscan, I have had Franciscan friends, clergy, and spiritual directors instruct me on the beauty of St. Clare's spirituality. I have also learned a great deal from reading about her over the years. Clare and Francis (2007) is a film which depicts the fascinating story of her dramatic conversion and surrender to the will of God. St. Clare is the patron saint of television. She is also the patron of eye disorders, embroiderers, good weather, and telephones. The Contemplative Life The Lady Clare was born into a noble family in Assisi in 1193 and was admired for her great beauty. When she heard Francis of Assisi preach his Lenten homilies at the Church of San Giorgio, she was captivated by his words. At age eighteen, she heard him say: "When the...

While some may consider strange occurrences in the world as coincidence - I definitely prescribe to what I refer to as the GODCIDENCE mindset! Why wouldn't the God of the universe, who created me out of love, not also want to show himself to me -- especially when I am seeking!!   "Seek and ye shall find!" Today's godcidence is brought to you by the letter J for JOY!! Though when this all began to fall into place, one would have never seen joy as the end result. Late Saturday night I received a private message on Facebook to pray for a young man who had been in a serious accident. I prayed, but went rather quickly back to my reading - feeling confident that all would be fine.   The next morning I learned, sadly he did not make it. My heart ached for the family's great loss; but also within those emotions was great shame and guilt for not praying harder. If it had been my son; I would have gone to my knees to beg God's mercy - regardless of...