Association Of Catholic Bloggers

  Over the past six and a half years my main message throughout this blog boils down to loving one’s neighbor. Whenever we embody virtue, which is good and comes from God, we become more Christ-like. So, the embrace of virtue makes it easier for us to follow Christ’s command to “ love one another. As I have loved you, so you should love one another ” (John 13:34) Love One Another When we show compassion or empathy for another person, we show that we care. If we lend a listening ear, when we are pressed for time, we demonstrate patience. The giving of our time to others is one way for us to love one another. When we ease the pain of those in distress by donating food to a food bank, or donating money to a good cause, we demonstrate charity. We lift others up in dignity by doing so. When we share our talents for the glory of God, and for the benefit of others, we love our neighbor. Volunteering at one’s church is a great place to start. Receive Love  When we give of our time, ta...

  Have you ever noticed that getting angry does not solve the problem? In fact, it most likely exacerbates the problem. Tensions rise and nothing gets resolved.  Therefore, anger is unproductive. Anger is Unproductive Anger disrupts the peace. It serves no good purpose. That is why it is considered one of the seven deadly sins, and therefore intrinsically evil. Anger also is a violation of the Fifth Commandment because anger laced upon someone else diminishes the dignity of the recipient. For anything that reduces the value of another is a violation of the Fifth Commandment. For examples, forms of anger like hatred, vindictiveness, resentment, revenge, and racism all violate the Fifth Commandment. These forms of anger have become pervasive in our society, which may explain the heightened divisiveness that we now all experience. Love is Productive Love is the emotion that is the antithesis to anger. It is both a fruit of the spirit and a virtue. With love, we... Read more......

Originally from New Jersey, I learned the hard way that aggressive behavior is a no winner, especially when you move to the south. I can easily remember a time when my department, at work, held a charitable event to raise money for cancer research. With such a food cause, I volunteered to sell doughnuts at this charitable event. This happened shortly after moving to Charlotte, North Carolina. Let’s just say that people in Charlotte are far more gentile than folks from up north. So, here I am in an unfamiliar setting trying to do my best. Aggressive Behavior Serves No Good Purpose Unfortunately, the planning committee decided that the best day to hold this charitable event was on an Ash Wednesday! So, needless to say, sales were slim to none, as many people were fasting that day. Here I am in a public place, with people whizzing by, heading to work, shouting, “Fight cancer. Buy doughnuts! Fight cancer. Buy doughnuts!” Well, my aggressive sales tactics got back to the chair of the charit...

  Have you ever told a lie, only to find the need to tell an additional lie to cover for the original lie? Such lying gets out of hand and becomes exhausting. Why? Because with lie after lie, you need to keep remembering the story you concocted, and it becomes difficult to not conflict your current story with previously told stories. Whereas, with Truth, there is no need to cover up. You tell the facts, as they are, with no change needed to your story. So, the truth sets you free (John 8:32)! Lying Gets You into Trouble Nothing good comes from lying. Eventually, the truth catches up with you. When that happens, you lose the respect and trust of others. It takes a lifetime to build respect and trust, but only takes one lie, to tear it all down. Lying is not worth it. Embrace Truthfulness So, how can you better embrace truth? Here are a few suggestions: Read more...

  Have you ever found that being rude served you well? I seriously doubt it! Why? Because rudeness gets you nowhere and serves no good purpose. If you find that others become offended by what you say and/or what you do, then you need to ask yourself why. Could it be because you made a rude remark or act? Rudeness does not increase your friends list or garner you any respect. So, why not make a change? Eliminate Rudeness by Embracing Courtesy Consider embracing courtesy. Here are some ways that you can make that happen: Rather than acting rude, be polite and respectful toward others. By doing so, you will see politeness and respect returned to you. Also, be considerate of others in both your acts and expression. Be Rather than pushing someone out of the way, so that you can proceed through the door first, hold the door open for the other person to enter first. Act out of a sense of... Read more...

  People who act selfishly do so because something is lacking in their life. There is a neediness to compensate for lack of self-esteem, money, prestige, and/or security. A selfish person looks out for himself, at the expense of others. By their actions alone, one can see that selfishness is unfulfilling. Selfishness is Unfulfilling For example: When a person must be seen as #1, the best at what they do, it is usually because of low self-esteem. Even when they receive praise for their work, it rings hollow due to disbelief. Because of the low self-esteem, the selfish person finds it difficult in sharing credit with teammates, resulting in the perennial jockeying for first place among one’s peers, even at the expense of the efforts of others. A selfish and greedy person can never have enough money. The fear of being poor is intolerable. So, the selfish person climbs over others to get what they want. Yet, once they get more money, the need to obtain even more money surfaces. A vicio...

Have you ever felt drawn to a petty person? I seriously doubt it. Why? Because pettiness is unattractive. Pettiness makes a person look small. Classic example: The Church lady who gripes and complains about the most trivial of matters. You never hear a kind word from her mouth, and you cannot wait to get away from her. Petty people usually act that way to make themselves feel superior; as if their way of doing something would have been the better approach. There is an emptiness within a petty person that only God can heal. Pettiness is Unattractive When someone feels so compelled to knock down the efforts of others, or to demean others, to build up themselves in comparison to others, we should feel pity for that person. The need for Christ’s healing is great, for the hole in that person’s heart and soul is great. I do not think anyone chooses to be petty, as it is an outcome of deeper fears and desires. Those fears and longings need to be addressed first, so that the healing can begin....

I think impatience must be at an all-time high for just about everyone these days, as we deal with the impacts of the coronavirus. How soon will we have a vaccine? How long before we can resume our lives as we once remembered them? Will life ever be “normal” again?  These questions are valid, and everyone wants the answers to them. But impatience solves nothing! We need to give the scientists the time needed to develop an efficacious vaccine. Otherwise, we will be back in the boat we are in now. Impatience Solves Nothing The only thing that impatience does is make us unhappy. So, right there that should tell us all that impatience does not come from God, because God is all good. He only wants us to be happy. Impatience is the work of the devil, trying to convince us that if we yell and whine louder, that somehow our desired results will come sooner. What folly! Patience, on the other hand, enables a person to endure elongated suffering with a graceful heart, all while maintaining o...

  We experience much division and disagreement in society today. The resulting intolerance is the work of the devil. He relishes in sowing division, because through this division, we collapse as a society. And Satan’s goal is to destroy us all. We see the intolerance in the political, religious, and racial arguments on the internet, television, and in the public square. Everyone chooses a camp and settles in, disregarding anything stated by anyone from the other camp. Here is my problem: I am a pro-life Democrat who believes in racial equality, as well as marriage between a man and a woman. So, I do not fit into any single political camp! I could say, I am divided within myself! Why? Because I espouse following God’s moral laws. No political camp, regardless of the issue, aligns totally with God’s moral laws. Even some religious camps do not always see things as God sees them. Why? Because we are all sinners. Intolerance is Intolerable I go back 30+ years to the Rodney King quote, ...

  In today’s Gospel (John 1:45-51), Jesus is in the process of recruiting his twelve Apostles. Jesus called Philip to follow, who in turn went to Nathanael to tell him about Jesus. Nathanael, the skeptic, doubted anything good could come from Nazareth. Yet, Philip persuaded Nathanael to come and meet Jesus. When the two met, Jesus commented about something that no one else would know.  “Before Philip called you, I saw you under the fig tree .” (John 1:48) Nathanael’s response to this comment is revelatory:  “Rabbi, you are the Son of God, you are the king of Israel.”  (John 1:49) I have always wondered how Nathanael came to such a conclusion, such a leap of faith. It can only be explained as a revelation of Truth. Jesus retorts back to Nathanael.  “Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree?”  (John 1:50) Under the Fig Tree “Under the Fig Tree” is a sign of messianic peace. Therefore, Nathanael comes from a place of peace. He finds ...

  Have you heard the idiom “Ignorance is not an excuse?” Well, there is some truth to that when it comes to understanding the depths of one’s sins. In the Catholic faith, we even have a specific name for it: Vincible Ignorance. We define Vincible Ignorance as the “lack of knowledge regarding some aspect of the moral law because of a failure of due diligence on our part.”  1  Vincible Ignorance applies when we fail to seek the necessary knowledge and understanding to grasp the consequences of our actions and the negative impact said actions will have on ourselves and others. We are still culpable, but to a lesser extent for lack of knowledge. Let’s take an example and apply it to the concept of Vincible Ignorance: As a bank auditor (in my past life), I audited several different departments of the bank. On this hypothetical assignment, I had to hit the ground running, with no time to learn the business. As I progressed through my work, I saw something that looked odd to me....

  Expressing greediness, at the expense of others, is a lonely existence. All you care about is how much money you have, or how you can get more. You erroneously think that money can take the place of love to fill the gaping hole in your heart. You spend too much energy looking in the wrong place. And it does not make you look good. Why? Because greediness is an insidious, unsightly trait. So, rather than living a life filled with greed, become gracious. Become Gracious To move from a life of greediness to a life of graciousness, the first step is to acknowledge that you cannot achieve happiness with money. In 1959, Frederick Herzberg proposed his Theory of Motivation, stating that money is a satisfier, but not a motivator. It is the desire for money that is the motivator, but the actual money, itself, once received, quickly loses its power over the human psyche. A greedy person is infatuated with the desire for more money. A greedy person will never have enough money. And money ca...

  Do you know anyone who thinks we are not a divided country? Whether it be based upon political, moral, or religious beliefs, we seem to be a society in disagreement. It is as if everyone walks around with blinders on, refusing to see anyone else’s opinion as valid. With that discounting of another’s opinion, we express disrespect. Well folks, it is time to dispel disrespect. Time to Dispel Disrespect I recently had a Facebook exchange with some people who did not like my post on  Freedom Comes with Responsibility . In that post, I expressed that we all have the freedom to use our intellect and reason and make decisions. I used the wearing of masks to combat the coronavirus as an example. Well, did I get an earful, from those who elect to not wear masks! Now, I could have gotten into an argument with these folks, furthering the division between us. Why? Because, in this post, I recommended wearing masks. When we choose to argue, for the sake of arguing, then ultimately, we ri...

It has been a very unsettling year, dealing with the coronavirus, and the fallout rippling effects of teaching children at home, massive unemployment, and cabin fever! We all seem to be getting to that point where we cannot take much more. And yet, with no end in sight, we most likely will deal with this coronavirus for some time to come. So, how might we ease our discontent and find contentment in these challenging times? Ease Our Discontent One way to ease our discontent is to learn how to make do with less. If, like my household, you have an unemployed loved one. because of COVID-19, well, then money is tighter than normal. Consider this: You save money on the cost of gasoline, because you shelter in place. You save money on meals when eating at home. Use this opportunity to sharpen your cooking skills. I know my husband has become quite the chef in our home! That’s just one example of how to look at life when facing adversity. One’s positive perspective, on any situation,...

Today we hear the famous Gospel reading of Jesus walking on water (Matt 14:22-36). When Peter hears Jesus telling them not to be afraid, that it is Him, Peter replies, “ Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water ” (Matt 14:28). Jesus tells Peter to come out to meet Him and Peter does just that. However, Peter sees how strong the wind is blowing, and he begins to sink in the water. What does Jesus say in response to that? “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” What was Peter’s Problem? Why do you think Peter made such a comment, if he did not have the faith needed to follow through on Jesus’ command? Sometimes, we think we have enough faith to weather a storm, only to learn, when faced with adversity, that we are weak. We doubt the efficacy of the saving power of God. Faith is a mysterious thing. We do not know how much faith we have until it is put to the test. Why did you doubt? When was the last time your faith was put to the test? How did you do? I ...

Today is the memorial of Saint Martha, a saint that I can easily relate to, as we are much alike. Now, you cannot call me a saint. However, we both share the same desire to complete our chores. We have priorities. And yet, like Martha, I tend to let those priorities get in the way of the better part; that of listening to Jesus. Martha, the Worry Wart As we read in the Gospel passage from Luke, Martha, the sister of Mary and Lazarus, was always concerned with the chores and serving: Martha “had a sister named Mary who sat beside the Lord at his feet listening to him speak. Martha burdened with much serving, came to him and said, ‘Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me by myself to do the serving? Tell her to help me.’ The Lord said to her in reply, ‘Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things. There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her’”  (Luke 10:39-42). Like Martha, I fixate on the dail...

When one fails to see the truth because of following a false ideology, one places their soul in peril. This ominous thought came to mind one day while I prepared to teach a session on suffering and persecution for one of my Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA) sessions. I came across the following passage found in the  Catechism of the Catholic Church : Before Christ’s second coming, the Church must pass through a final trial that will shake the faith of many believers. The persecution that accompanies her pilgrimage on earth will unveil the ‘mystery of iniquity’ in the form of a religious deception offering men an apparent solution to their problems at the price of apostasy from the truth. The supreme religious deception is that of the Antichrist  (CCC 675). The “mystery of iniquity” sounds threatening since the definition of inequity is evil. So, we are looking for an evil religious deception; a deception that will look like a solution to a problem but will...

I think everyone can agree, 2020 has been a tough year to date. One could hope for better days on the horizon, but the clouds look stormy. So, we must deal with reality. The coronavirus will be with us for the foreseeable future, causing uncertainty on Wall Street and Main Street, as well as within our own homes. Yet, when the clouds look their darkest, that is the time to count your blessings. Count Your Blessings When you count your blessings, it can be a real mood lift.  Here is my list. I suggest that you make one of your own. I am grateful for my: Husband of 41 years; for his love and support. Faith in God Hope in Christ’s promises Love for family, friends and neighbors, and their love for me Blessings bestowed upon me by God each day Parish priests Good health, and for my husband’s good health Job Roof over my head Clothes on my back and shoes on my feet Food on my table Cars in my garage Give Praise and Glory to God Perhaps you plan to “stay at home...

When we look at the concept of justice from a subjective point of view, we will wind up with a variety of “opinions” on how to define justice. What seems just and fair to one individual, might seem unjust to another. And therein lies the conflict. However, if we look at the definition of justice objectively, we can come to a consensus of truth in the definition of justice. So, to find justice in what seems like an unjust society we must first look at the objective definition of justice. Find Justice in the Objective Truth The Catechism of the Catholic Church defines Justice as respect for “the rights of each and to establish in human relationships the harmony that promotes equity with regard to persons and to the common good.”  1  So, here we see, that Justice is not what’s right for only me, but I must take into account respect for all persons and strive for equity among all. With a common definition to rely upon, we must now look at where we see injustice within so...

On this Feast of Saint Maria Goretti, I thought it worth revisiting this post from 2015 because her story on the power of forgiveness is a lesson for us all. (Originally posted on Oct 28, 2015). Does Forgiveness Elude You? Forgiveness is difficult for many of us; yet, not so for young St. Maria Goretti.  Maria died at age eleven, from mortal stab wounds caused by unwanted advances of a young man. Yet, astonishingly, Maria’s last words evoked forgiveness for this young man. She not only forgave him, she openly prayed for him, while suffering from those stab wounds prior to her death. How many of us would be so forgiving? How many of us pray for those who wish us harm or have hurt us physically, emotionally or spiritually? I had the honor of venerating her relics at a special ceremony at my parish in Charlotte, NC on Oct. 24, 2015. What does it mean to venerate saintly relics? …those who have an affection to any person hold in honor all that was intimately connecte...