Association Of Catholic Bloggers

Wow. That quote says it all, doesn't it? St. Paul told the Corinthians to not just look at today, but look ahead to eternal life; to PLAN for eternal life. I am amazed at how words written so long ago still speak to us today in the 21st century. As I listened to this scripture reading, I kept thinking " Memento Mori "..."Remember your death". We have no idea when our lives on this earth will end so we must prepare for it with every waking breath. St. Paul urged them to be ready and to not procrastinate...just as he's telling us today.     CLICK HERE TO READ MORE..

Hello Friend, Sharing thoughts of inspiration.  Reflection on this is appropriate. I think it is always good and inspiring to reflect on scripture and the Holy Spirit. We are temples of the Holy Spirit. Right! This is the beginning of posts I am writing to give words of inspiration. Encouraging one another to go forward. Inspirational quote from scripture.   Click here to go to post.   Blessings

Welcome Friend, Have new posts set up. They are short inspirations . A quote from scripture and a quote from a person. Usually along with a reflection inspiring all. Maybe with a life story. Let me know what you think. Read all about it here.  See you there.

My hour of Perpetual Adoration was vastly different than I expected it to be. God has an incredible sense of humor, and he let me know right away who was in control. Click here   continue reading at  The Not So Perfect Catholic.

God does 'Impossible Things'  Spend just a few minutes  learning my story  and you'll know without a doubt that God truly does impossible things.  He mends the broken so  they are able to forgive  the seemingly unforgiveable. Prepares the unqualified and anxious to be soldiers in his army.  Jesus worked miracles to allow the blind to see and lame to walk; today he continues to give sight, but now perhaps moreso to those who are spiritually blind.  Offering strength to walk in His ways to those stumbling due more to circumstance than physical ailment.  He  raised Lazarus from death  to life; and awakens our hearts to new life in him. Close your eyes (after you hit play of course) and allow  Sarah Kroger's  beautiful voice to transport us in this moment to a place in our hearts where we believe - that God can truly do  Impossible Things.        CONTINUE HERE for the Seeking Scripture and Reflection ... All Rights Reserved, Allison Gingras 2016

Brilliantly simple! A letter from Seattle contains practical wisdom for praying through Holy Week and the Easter Season. Click over to Praying with Grace to read the letter.

I didn't think I would post here again so soon, but I really wanted to share this with you. As a Lay Dominican in training, I have to complete and present modules on various topics. For now, I am working on prayer . I presented on the Laity in the Church and the life of St. Dominic previously.  I won't share all of my reflections as I usually do. I wrote quite a bit for my presentation. There is a nugget that I felt called to share. I felt it needed more sharing than the presentation I will give tonight *shameless request for prayers inserted here* I was asked to locate a specific psalm, meditate upon it for 10-15 minutes and write down my reaction to it, as well as any insights, thoughts, and resolutions I could have. In my initial read, I wrote that I have to to trust in the Lord and only in the Lord no matter what – He is my portion and my cup.  I read it again and my eyes stopped here:  Psalm 16:4 Those who choose another god multiply their sorrows; t

Today’s Gospel:  John 1:35-42 It is amazing, really, that John’s disciples simply hear their teacher announce that Jesus is “the Lamb of God” and they follow Him, without question, without speaking a word. They are on a journey, so they do not cling to John possessively but let go to continue their search for God. These men are hungry for God and they are open, recognizing the light when they see it. These former followers of John cannot even answer Jesus when He asks them, “What do you seek?” They probably don’t have a clue what they are really seeking: they simply know in their deepest selves that He is who John says He is—the Lamb of God—and that is enough for them. They are seekers of the truth. Yet they cannot articulate that fact,  so instead they answer with another mundane question, “Where are you staying?” Even that question is not answered because Jesus basically says, “Well, if you trust me, if you want to follow me and learn from me as my disciple, come, and you w

God champions the underdog too! This mornings Mass was a very relaxed affair. It was a gentle resting in the presence of the Lord; a confirmation of the love of God touching the very heart of a broken world, and his healing, abiding presence, reverberating outwards. It was a joy to stand behind the altar and pray the words of the Mass. I felt so peaceful during Mass and afterwards too. The first reading about David and the Philistine was great food for thought too! The huge bully boy of the champion of the Philistines bearing down upon the little underdog David, the underdog triumphed! Encouragement for any embattled soul fighting to do good, in a world of temptation, where good is the underdog and does not always triumph. It was good to hear the friendship of the Lord is worth pursuing. The gospel saw a clash between the over fastidious Pharisees who were picking fault with Jesus for doing good. It reminds me not to take my eye of the reason for faith, not to become bogged d

A beautiful reminder for us today... Find more reflections and tips for enriching your faith over at www.trulyrichmom.com :-) For a peek at a Catholic Filipino homeschooling family's life, click  here .

Outside of the presbytery here in Cannock the leaves are falling off the trees and blowing around the drive. It is a sure sign of the onslaught of the autumn.   The wind is breezy but unusually mild for the middle of October, it seems that later this week the colder air will make a return. The leaves on the ground are dry and brown, decaying, obscuring the natural green of the grass, turning the landscape into a returning autumn canvass. There is something familiar about the scene as I stand in the garden. I am observing the passing of times and seasons, reflecting on the comings and goings, the toing and froing of living. I acknowledge my link with the past as a passing pilgrim on a journey. I am a humble part of a body of people who have praised God during their brief stay on earth. I am a part of a communion of people, who for centuries have uttered the name of God on their lips, in times of joy or sorrow, of fear or trust. I am a member of humanity, grateful for my being a c

Everyone knows by now that  Steve Jobs, the "visionary" behind Apple, has passed away,  at the "young old" age of 56. His was  a life well-lived , and in many ways, he "changed" the world as we know it. After all, where would the modern world be without the Mac, I-pod, I-pad and I-phone? (although admittedly, we don't have ANY of these in our possession.. yet! haha!) Steve Jobs  thought different  and challenged others to do the same. He said many things that inspired many, such as the quote below: “Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to  do what you believe is great work .  And the only way to do great work is to  love what you do . If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking.  Don’t settle . As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it.  And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking until you find it. Don’t settle.”

Whoever acts on these words of mine! Reading the gospel today I see the inspiration for the fairy tale the “Big Bad Wolf” published in 1843, the tale of the three pigs who huffed and puffed!   The gospel is a real goodie! It contains a wonderful few words from Jesus, words not to be missed! There is a practical reality of listening to and acting upon the words of Christ and this is demonstrated quite beautifully. The listener is left in no doubt about the importance of hearing Jesus’ words and putting them into practice. We all need to reside somewhere, a shelter, a place to base our lives, a sanctuary, a place to call our own, the Englishman’s home is his castle! The home is important whatever way we look at it. If my home is built on sand, the foundations will not keep the house in one piece, a downfall of rain and my home is gone!! So simple and so practical too, this for me is the essence of a good spiritual life simple and practical! Jesus tells us the importance of making a foun

Recently I won an online contest from  Glam-O-Mamas , which is a website for moms set up by Amanda Griffin-Jacob and Nicole Jacinto. This was the first time for me to ever win an online contest, so I was pretty psyched about it. My prize: a makeover from  Make Up Forever . This is what I looked like after the makeover: Thank you Glam-O-Mamas and Make Up Forever for the free makeup session! And this is what I looked like in my new dress, a gift from The Florence Fling, which was also part of my prize. Thank you The Florence Fling for this chic dress! But you know what made me even happier and feel most “glam” that day? Coming home to my family. Yup, I value my family a lot. (I guess you can glean that from my personal   blogs  too!) Right after the makeover at Bonifacio Global City, which incidentally took up my whole morning, including travel time, I rushed home to be with my ever-supportive and loving husband and adorable, sometimes-quite-a-handful kids. As a mom who has never re

Lourdes: This pilgrim reflects! Recently we had a successful pilgrimage Lourdes. The journey to Lourdes was by coach so not one for the faint hearted! Next year we are going to go via air and spend the whole time in Lourdes. Still the journey this year did not detract from the wonderful spiritual blessings which we received in Lourdes. Lourdes has a peaceful security that wraps itself around the discerning and unaware pilgrim alike. I like the coming together as a group but also the individual graces that we receive from our own time spent in prayer and awe at the place. Peace is difficult to find in this of world of ours that rushes around and seems to heading somewhere but at times loses its way. So finding peace is a bonus indeed! The peace in Lourdes from my perspective is a fulfilment of the craving to be close to God. Being in Lourdes is to be blest to experience the brushing of the earth with the imprint of heaven. Now I experience this peace every time I celebrate the Mass;

I posted this on my blog today but thought I would post my first post here! I am delighted to be associated with the "Association of Catholic Women Bloggers! I must explain that I am a priest from the Archdiocese of Birmingham. I qualify for the blog via invitation! I hope to post on here every now and again and I enjoy the inspiration found here so far! The Visitation Life is about the journey that anticipates the destination. There is an excitement about arriving. I remember with fondness many holidays spent with a good friend. Arriving at the Hotel, getting checked in and sitting down in the room brings a great satisfaction, now the holiday begins! The memories of a good holiday can impart joy and sustain us through moments when life can appear to be dull, when we hear a clock is ticking but the hands are moving slowly! These times are times of struggle when we endure difficulties, disappointments, sadness, at these points in the journey the clock slows down! In times of