Association Of Catholic Bloggers

I have this recipe that I like to make at this time of year. We call it Meat in the Gravy .  It is a recipe that my husband got from a friend’s father back in the 1970’s and it’s been a favorite of our family for decades! As I contemplated making it recently, I drew a correlation of Meat in the Gravy to that of life. Those meaty chunks represent those big moments in our lives: the births, graduations, weddings, etc. The seasonings and spices represent the flavor of the stew, but are also those occasions that added spice to our lives: that special kiss, the memorable family vacation, the romantic dinner at our favorite restaurant. And then there is the gravy; that soupy mess that... Read more...

Father Jeffrey Kirby, STL, does a fantastic job of describing God’s limitless mercy in Doors of Mercy; A Journey Through Salvation History . Father Kirby tells us of the six covenants made between God and man, and how in every instance man was unfaithful to God. Yet, through God’s mercy, we were evermore blessed. Father Kirby walks us through the covenants made between God and Adam and Eve, Noah, Abraham, Moses, David and ultimately though the New Covenant, Jesus. He tells us of the importance of the Prophets and the Church in God’s plan for salvation; a salvation brimming with Mercy. He gives special attention to Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska who experienced visions from Jesus teaching her about His mercy. Divine Mercy Message I especially enjoyed Father’s Kirby chapter devoted to the life of St. Maria Faustina Kowalska, and her Divine Mercy Message and Devotion. In addition to the dedicated chapter on Saint Maria Faustina, Father Kirby provides... Read more...

Have you ever been accused of something for which you were innocent? Perhaps your spouse blamed you for leaving the dirty dishes in the sink. Or perhaps your neighbor accused you of calling the police on them because of their rowdy party this past weekend. Whatever the reason, we all bear wrongs of others. Yet, do we do it patiently? Do we look at these incidents and become defensive? Do we feel the need to defend our honor and the truth? Or, do we weigh the situation and come to realize that the grace of peace and harmony far outweighs the need to be right? If the answer to this last question is yes, then... Read more...

We conclude with the seventh installment of our seven-part series on the seven deadly sins. Today we discuss Pride: the root of all evil! Pride will infiltrate your soul, leaving no room for anything else. It will drive your thoughts and actions, if you let it. You don’t even know what is happening to you at the time. Unbeknownst to me, that is exactly what happened to me! Only upon reflection, and with a true dose of honesty, can one start the process of moving from prideful to humble. Here is my story: When I was a child,... Read more...

We continue with the fifth installment of our seven-part series on the seven deadly sins. Today we discuss Greed. Greed, also known as avarice, will debilitate you because you’re dealing with a bottomless pit; an abyss. The unending desire for more money, power or fame, leaves a person feeling empty, insecure and unfulfilled no matter how much one tries to garner. There is no amount of money that guarantees security, for the fear of losing it all is ever-present. No amount of power garners confidence and self-assuredness, for the fear of losing control is ever-present. No amount of fame makes one feel like he/she “has arrived,” for the fear of being discounted and dismissed never goes away. Anyone who seeks more money, power or fame, for the purpose of filling a void, fights a losing battle. Read more...

Airliners were flown into New York City's World Trade Center and the Pentagon 15 years ago today, killing nearly 3,000 folks whose chief offense had been living in an American city and going to work Tuesday morning. The 19 immediately responsible died with their victims. They were waging Osama bin Laden's religious war against the United States. Osama bin Laden is dead now, and so are a great many others: perpetrators and victims; Christians, Muslims, and folks who were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. On top of that, about 1,800,000 folks were stopped last year, while trying to get into Europe. Some may have had ulterior motives; but most were trying to stay alive, fleeing because their former homes had become a war zone. It's the biggest problem of that sort Europe's had since the 1940s. Quite a few folks are upset: partly because most of the refugees hadn't had opportunities to fill out all their paperwork before entering Europe. More at A

The Return of the Prodigal Son , Rembrandt, c.166 Gospel Luke 15:1-32 (or 1-10) ( NRSV, Catholic ) Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to Jesus. And the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and saying, “This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them.” So he told them this parable: “Which one of you, having a hundred sheep and losing one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the one that is lost until he finds it? When he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders and rejoices. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’ Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance. “Or what woman having ten silver coins, if she loses one of them, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds

As with every month, during this Year of Mercy, we choose a different corporal or spiritual work of mercy and dive into the details. This month we discuss the spiritual work of mercy to comfort the sorrowful. It seems like every time I attend a wake for someone’s passing, I never know what to say to the bereft family members. Does that happen to you as well? How does one truly comfort the sorrowful at such a time of great loss? Words seem so inadequate; well, at least my words seem inadequate. At such times, I try to remember what it was like when I was on the receiving end, at the wakes of both of my parents. For me, the mere presence of a trusted friend, who did not need to say a single word, brought me much comfort. She showed how much she cared, just by being present. Sometimes all that is needed is... Read more...   

Today we celebrate the Feast Day of Saint Alphonsus Liguori, an 18 th century Catholic priest, who founded the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer in 1732. He created this Congregation with the charism of preaching parish missions to the faithful. He believed that by evangelizing on the moral virtues, in the parish missions, he could bring souls closer to Christ. And that he did! Saint Aphonsus Liguori taught that by embracing virtue, we grow closer to Christ. He authored several popular books informing the faithful on how to make this happen. Read more...

I noticed a profound difference in myself since venerating the relics of Saint Maria Goretti last October (2015). Her relics visited my parish in Charlotte, NC as part of a national tour. As part of the veneration process, I took the time to learn more about this saint, of whose Feast Day we celebrate today. She is the saint associated with the virtues of forgiveness and mercy . As a result of my visit with her relics, Saint Maria Goretti left a lasting impact on me. Since last October, I seem to more easily identify my sins of omission; for example, when I fail to put God first in my life; or when I fail to... Read more...  

This month we begin our discussion of the spiritual works of mercy. In this post, we focus on counseling the doubtful and instructing the ignorant. These two spiritual works of mercy seem to go hand in hand; similar on one level, but in actuality, different on another level. Yet, both of these works of mercy offer us opportunities to evangelize our faith. Counseling the Doubtful Everyone is at a different point on their faith journey. Some of us have progressed rather far along. Others have doubts. Those with doubts are not quite sure what to believe about God, religion, and... Read more...   

Pentecost , El Greco, 1596-160 Gospel John 20:19-23 ( NRSV, Catholic Ed ., Can.) When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.” Or Gospel John 14:15-16, 23b-26( NRSV,Catholic Ed ., Can) Jesus said to his disciples: “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever. “Those who love me will keep my word, and my Father will love them, an

The Trinity , El Greco, 1577, Madrid  Gospel John 14:23-29 ( NRSV,Catholic Ed , Can) Jesus said to his disciples: “Those who love me will keep my word, and my Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. Whoever does not love me does not keep my words; and the word that you hear is not mine, but is from the Father who sent me. “I have said these things to you while I am still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid. You heard me say to you, ‘I am going away, and I am coming to you.’ If you loved me, you would rejoice that I am going to the Father, because the Father is greater than I. And now I have told you this before it occurs, so that when it does occur, you may believe.

Visiting Those in Prison – A Corporal Act of Mercy As promised, each month this year, I will cover an act, or acts of mercy. This month we will focus on visiting those in prison as part of the Year of Mercy series, where we explore the corporal and spiritual works of mercy. Visiting the imprisoned is a corporal act of mercy. My guess is that you are thinking of the incarcerated, as the only people who fit this bill. Think again! Anyone enslaved to sin is in some sort of prison. Anyone in need, who can find no way out, is in some sort of prison. When thinking of the imprisoned, I am reminded of a line from... Read more...

(From John Martin, via Wikimedia Commons, used w/o permission.) I care about God's mercy because I'm a sinner, which doesn't mean what you may think. First, a quick review of what I don't believe is true. ( March 15, 2015 ) I'm not "some loathsome insect," and neither are you: " ...every unconverted Man properly belongs to Hell.... " " ...The God that holds you over the Pit of Hell, much as one holds a Spider, or some loathsome Insect, over the Fire, abhors you.... " " ...you will be wholly lost and thrown away of God.... " (" Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God ," pp. 6, 9, 15, 18; Jonathan Edwards (July 8, 1741) (via Digital Commons@University of Nebraska-Lincoln)) Samuel Clemens apparently had a well-defined attitude regarding "converted" folks, and I can't say that I blame him.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

Working with children (and raising a batch with my husband), I've picked up a few critical pieces of information about how children learn. For example, children require simple explanations in terms they can understand instinctively. Children also have little patience for information or activities that seem irrelevant to their concerns; they learn new concepts best when they can relate to the topic personally. Pope Francis knows this well, which is why he hopes families, in this Year of Mercy, will provide children with an experience of mercy. In his book-length interview, The Name of God Is Mercy, Pope Francis helps us all understand mercy by defining it in theological terms and then also giving us concrete, practical examples of what mercy feels like in daily life. Parents, grandparents, and teachers who want to share the Year of Mercy with children in their lives will find a wealth of wisdom in Pope Francis. Join me at Praying with Grace for the rest of the story. . . .

(From Rembrandt, via Wikimedia Commons, used w/o permission.) (Jesus and the Adulteress, Rembrandt .) I figure you know what happens in John 8:1 - 11 . The scribes and Pharisees haul one of two folks who were committing adultery to the temple, tell Jesus what she'd done, and remind our Lord that it's a capital crime under their law.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

Have you ever had to stay in the hospital for an extended period of time? Or, have you ever been homebound while convalescing to better health? I have, and I can attest to the fact that it gets very lonely and scary, while lying in a hospital bed. Because of my clubbed feet, I spent almost half of my childhood either in the hospital, or recuperating at home. The nights in the hospital were the worst. Especially for a child, it gets scary being in a strange place at night. I just wanted to be at home, surrounded by my family, in my own bed. Therefore, anyone who would come to visit me, especially at night, made my day! Visits help... Read more...

This is the second in my series of Meditations on Mercy from the Old Testament. Read this post prayerfully and use it as the basis for a conversation with God. We often hear nonbelievers say that the God of the Old Testament was a tyrant. On the completely opposite side, some speak of the “Original Blessing,” instead of Original Sin. Today I’d like to examine what I call Original Mercy. Sometimes we focus too pointedly on sin. Original Sin and personal sin are not the whole story. There is also redemption. God’s mercy is so great that He does not allow sin to get the better of those of good will, ever. He gently leads us back to Himself. He uses all things, even our sin, for our good. We can see this all-encompassing mercy in the story of the Fall. Continue reading at Contemplative Homeschool.

The Church of Mercy, by Pope Francis: Book Review For the Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy, I decided to learn more about the virtue of Mercy. What better book to read than Pope Francis’  The Church of Mercy ? I found this book very insightful. In this book, Pope Francis provides a selection of his 2013 speeches and homilies. Taking into consideration his election as Pope occurred in March 2013, these speeches and homilies were some of his first. Mercy, a hallmark of Pope Francis’ papacy, remains a priority for moving the church forward, as evidenced by his declaration of the Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy. Throughout the book, Pope Francis... Read more...