Association Of Catholic Bloggers

I cannot think of anything more difficult for my ADHD brain then the sustained mental focus sometimes required to pray. The good news is prayer comes in many forms and these 5 strategies are sure to help you engage in meaningful prayer - whether you have an attention disorder or not!  Here are some of my tried and true methods for conversing with God even when I am completely out of focus. Walk and Talk Two Years ago I was struck with this crazy inspiration to get my butt outside to pray the Rosary.  Uncomfortable walking the streets alone, I decided to encircle my home. This was made easy, in my mind anyway, because I live on a fork-in-the-road and have a driveway that connects the two streets.  I am only on grass when I traverse my backyard.  Around and around I go,  praying the rosary , talking with God, the Blessed Mother, my Guardian Angel and whoever else in Heaven (or Purgatory) will listen. The practice has become so much more than I ever anticipated it to be.  Th

Man cannot transform himself into a holy being. As my Irish grandmother would say,  "You can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear."  In other words, only Christ can transform us into His image and draw us into the heart of His Father. Stealing Christ's Job Although we don't really understand what we are doing when we tackle sanctity like a chore, we are basically trying to save ourselves with our religious works. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.  ( Ephesians 2:8,9 ) When religious practices are not motivated by love and humility but fueled by pride, they damage our intimacy with God. In fact, self-appointed spiritual disciplines that are  not  inspired and empowered by the Holy Spirit are self-centered, not God-centered. To put this thought in more shocking terms, when we try to perfect ourselves we are stealing Christ's job o

Although most respectable members of our parishes try to  look  healthy and content in public, mental illness is as common and invisible among the faithful as it is in secular circles. I would wager that mental health issues are especially prevalent among the devout who are serious about their inner life; when people tackle deep inner issues which prevent God from working in their lives, their inner equilibrium is upset by stress, anxiety, and depression.  This probably explains why most saints experienced profound periods of depression when they finally looked beneath their pious actions to face the reality of their own ingrained sin and subsequent need for inner purification. God offers His children the means to become free from sin, bad habits and mental illness through the Church, prayer, confession but also through therapy. Let's bring mental illness out of the shadows of shame and into the Light of Christ. continue

What kind of prayer life do you have? Father Jonathan Morris says that most people struggle with their prayer life and it usually comes down to praying when things get bad or asking God for "things." Though I pray daily, I am always conscious of asking God for anything for myself.  When it comes to my husband and children, I can be pretty demanding.  Their spiritual and physical health are of the utmost importance.  I also pray that God reveals Himself to them and that they do His will. You can read the full article here at Being Catholic ... Really .

Sometimes I think we complicate Lent.  At least I do. I over think it, over plan for it and take on way too many things that I never seem to accomplish. This year, I'm keeping it much simpler.  I dug deep into my resolve and eliminated all sweets.  I've been using yogurt, fresh fruit and granola to make sundaes to kind of take the edge off.  So far it's worked.  The added bonus?  I lost three pounds that first week!  Who knew that Lent would be the successful way to diet? To read the rest and see a short video by Fr. Robert Barron, go to Being Catholic ... Really .