Association Of Catholic Bloggers

With all of the violence experienced recently, I am at the point where I can’t take much more. Although far removed from the direct impact of the violence, I am nonetheless negatively impacted. I can only imagine the nightmare for those experiencing the loss of their loved ones. My heart goes out to the survivors and family members of gun violence. Like them, I’m tired of the violence. One Sunday, after the ambush of police officers in Baton Rouge, and wall-to-wall coverage on cable news,  I found myself looking for some kind of escape... 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...

People hunger for goodness and happiness in their lives. Yet, when I mention the words morality or virtue in a conversation, I see eyes glaze over and minds shut down. What is it about these words that turn people off, especially since these words represent all that one actually hopes for in this life? There is a definite disconnect. So, as an adjunct professor of Theology, who happens to teach a course called the Fundamentals of Catholic Moral Theology , let me help by connecting the dots. First, let’s define morality and virtue: Morality refers to the standards by which we judge actions to be good or evil. 1 Virtues assist the Christian in living the commandments as well as effectively pursuing a holy life in Christ. 2 At birth, God infused within each of us, His Natural Law; “ which enables man to discern by reason the good and the evil, the truth and the lie. ” 3 So, there is no getting around it: We all know when... Read more...

The conventions are upon us. Today begins the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, Ohio, running though to Thursday, the 21 st . The following week we have the Democratic National Convention beginning July 25 th through to the 28 th . With that said, I have a request to make: Could we, as a nation, show a little tact please? I think it is sad that I have to ask that our political candidates use some tact in their political discourse. Needless to say, it requires that I make a plea for civility, given recent historical experience. If history is any guide, then we are all in for a few months of rough seas. I get to this time of year, every year, and November can’t come fast enough for me; Read more...

How we communicate truth is the starting place for how to admonish the sinner while remaining unscathed. In this Year of Mercy, I write about a different corporal or spiritual work of mercy each month. This month we address the spiritual work of mercy to “admonish the sinner.” Perception of truth – wait a minute! Isn’t truth simply truth, and considered undeniable? Yes; but how we communicate the truth makes all the difference. If you come from the corporate world, like I did, then one of the first things you learned about dealing with conflict, is that... 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...  

With excitement, I share some great news with all of you! Please celebrate with me! Adventures of Faith, Hope, and Charity – Finding Patience , received the Catholic Writers Guild Seal of Approval. The Guild awards this honor to literature that embodies and reinforces teachings of the Catholic Church. The Guild’s Seal of Approval provides retailers, and the public, with assurance that what they purchase contains quality. Seal of Approval books are known for their Catholicity and editorial quality. Each submission goes through much scrutiny. The Guild prides itself in only recommending those books that positively add to the spiritual life of the reader, in accordance with Catholic teaching. Therefore, I am humbled and honored that Adventures of Faith, Hope, and Charity: Finding Patience now counts among what the Guild considers quality, Catholic literature. FREE Giveaway – Kindle Version   Read more...

Today we celebrate the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul (formerly considered a day to honor all twelve apostles). We honor Saint Peter, the first Pope, and Apostle to Jesus, as well as Saint Paul, the Apostle to the Gentiles. Saint Peter It was to Saint Peter that Jesus declared that whatever Peter and the Apostles determined to be bound on earth would be bound in Heaven, and whatever is loosed on earth would be loose in Heaven (Matt 16:19); and with that Jesus bestowed upon Peter, as the first Pope, the keys to Heaven. Peter came from humble beginnings and grew to become a fisherman, until that day when he met Jesus, and after that became a “fisher of men.” With a simple style of humble means, Peter grew in courage and perseverance, wisdom and understanding to become the first leader of the Church as Christ’s successor, and to this day, through apostolic succession, the line of leadership as Peter’s successor remains unbroken. Saint Paul It was to Saint Paul that Jesus pai

Return to Paradise , by Tim Speer, makes for an interesting read. David Martin, a Catholic investment banker from Dallas, Texas, is in the process of driving to his hometown in Missouri.  OOPS! His car suffers a little mishap near Spring River Missouri, requiring that he stay in town for a few days. While in Spring River, David learns of some unsavory financial happenings in town.  Such dealings promise to make life miserable for many of the local citizens. David suspects that the action is illegal. His moral values of truth and righteousness urge his conscience to investigate the unsavory business dealings. Might there be anything he could do about it? Read more...

Today marks the first day of Summer. It’s a time of year when families come together to refresh mind, body and spirit. Perhaps it’s a trip to the mountains, or a week at the beach; whatever your pleasure, I hope that you experience much peace, joy and fond memories this summer. Summer is a time when we can sit back and take stock of all of our blessings. Perhaps it is a stable job and health insurance. Perhaps it is news of improved health of a loved one. Whatever your blessings, I pray that the Holy Spirit fills you with... Read more...  

In Adventures of Faith, Hope, and Charity: Finding Patience , Mr. Luke Gabriel lives next door to his new neighbors, the Livingstone family. He is retired from corporate life, and a widower. To fill his spare time these days, he breeds Westminster Terriers. Why, you might ask? Because the loss of his dear wife left such a hole, that he attempts to fill that hole with the unconditional love from puppies. He has developed quite a passion for these dogs, and they are fun to have around an empty house. When Faith, Hope, and Charity moved in next door, Mr. Gabriel was delighted. He loved having children around. Not only did he miss his beloved wife, but he also missed... Read more... 

On this Feast of Saint Anthony of Padua, I just had to share an experience that my husband and I had while visiting the Basilica of Saint Anthony in Padua, Italy. We had planned on visiting Rome, Florence and a day trip to Tuscany. Padua was not originally on our schedule. However, while travelling from Rome to Florence on their high-speed train, I saw that a trip to Padua from Florence was only a 90-minute high-speed train ride away. With Saint Anthony of Padua being my all-time favorite saint, I couldn’t travel all the way to Italy and not visit his tomb, when he was only a 90-minute train ride away. So, my husband and I made the trip on June 16, 2011. I’ll never forget this day. As we entered the Basilica, my husband noticed that Saint Anthony’s tomb was immediately to our left. As we approached the tomb, my husband noticed that everyone was heading toward the back side of the tomb. So we followed. Then we saw people touching the tomb. So we followed suit. Wow! What happened

Wow! Oh, wow! Dying for Revenge , the debut novel by Barbara Golder is fantastic! Talk about page-turners! Barbara Golder had me hooked from page one. The characters are deep and riveting, to the point where you won’t truly understand the depth of each character until you read the last page of the book. And don’t skip a word! Everything within the storyline is important – very well laid out. The lead character, Dr. Jane Wallace, is the Forensic Pathologist for western Colorado, unable to forgive, let alone have any mercy for the murderer of her own husband. To handle the pain, she steels herself from human interaction by engrossing herself with autopsies on the dead in the little resort town of Telluride, Colorado. To Jane’s surprise, murder follows her to Telluride, and she finds herself in... Read more (and enter to win your copy) 

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...   

Have you ever really given this question much thought: What are you doing with the rest of your life? I ask from the perspective of what you plan to do with your eternal life. At the time of your departure from this earthly life, you will go down one of two paths: a life with God, or a life without God – for all eternity! What is your preference? If you prefer an eternal life with God, then the question begs to ask: How involved do you allow God to be in your earthly life? What kind of relationship do you have with Him now? Might it be that you tend to keep Him somewhat at a distance? You think that if He were actively involved, then you... Read more...

How do you want to be perceived by others? Do you want to be perceived in light of honesty and trustworthiness? I’m sure the answer is yes; who wouldn’t want to be perceived in such a manner? Well, to be considered honest and trustworthy, you have to be honest and trustworthy in your words and actions. Even con men get found out sooner or later; so deception will never win the day for you. So, “everyone lies,” you say? Even if that were true, does that give you the right to lie? Just because everyone else does it, does that make it morally right for you? The answer is “no!” For 36 years, I was a banking professional; more specifically, for 23 of those 36 years I was an auditor for a few banks. Therefore, I know what it feels like to be lied to by an audit client. It’s amazing... Read more...

This past weekend, I was honored to present my “ Living a Virtuous Life ” day retreat to my home parish. I have to admit, that I was nervous at first. I kept thinking about the biblical passage where Jesus wasn’t accepted within His own home town of Nazareth (Luke 4:14-30). Would my own parish family treat me the same? It wasn’t like I was claiming “ Today this scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing ” (Luke 4:21), but I was proclaiming what we as followers of Christ need to do to become more Christ-like; more virtuous. I kept wondering, “why should I be treated any better than Jesus was treated?” If anything, I should be treated worse, because I don’t deserve the level of respect that Jesus deserved. He is God; I am a mere human servant. Yet, Sunday was Pentecost Sunday; a day to celebrate when the Apostles received the power of the Holy Spirit. My pastor and I decided to... Read more...

The Back Story to Hope's Character Hope Livingstone, and her family, had just moved into a new house, in a new town. Life was chaotic. Boxes were everywhere. Peanuts were flying out of boxes, thanks to Hope’s little sister Charity. Hope didn’t mind that it would mean that Hope would need to clean it all up. Hope thought moving was exciting! Everywhere she turned, she found a new surprise, as she explored every nook and cranny of their new house! Hope always looks at life as if it were an adventure; something to explore; treasures to find. So moving was thrilling to Hope, who possesses an optimistic nature. She approaches life with an easy-breezy style. Nothing ever really bothers her; that is, until she couldn’t find... Read more...

Live Today Well: Saint Francis de Sales’s Simple Approach to Holiness , by Fr. Thomas F. Dailey, O.S.F.S is a gem! This five-star book offers anyone wanting to grow closer to God a practical means of doing so. Fr. Dailey takes the reader through Saint Francis de Sales’ Spiritual Directory , using contemporary ways of applying this ever useful, and timeless instruction of St Francis on how to live today well; from one’s first rising in the morning until one lays their head down to sleep at night. This book offers prayerful ways that we can grow in virtue; thus grow in holiness. My favorite line from Fr. Dailey’s book is this: By seeking ways to practice a particular virtue throughout the day, we can counteract those imperfections toward which prior examinations have revealed we may be inclined (page 113). How to Live Each Day Well How often have we looked back on our day and said to ourselves... Read more...

Not sure if y’all knew this or not, but I am a big country music fan. I heard Tim McGraw sing his new song, Humble and Kind , at a recent Country Music Awards show. Then, I seemed to catch it every time it played on the radio. Tim McGraw has a wonderfully distinct voice and this song speaks to my heart. Being the lover of virtue that I am, I immediately honed in on the lyrics, as well as the melody, of the song. I had some thoughts on the underlying message, but I was interested in learning how Tim McGraw interpreted the lyrics. So, I went to YouTube to see the video. Visual messages seem to have a way of really drilling the concept home. The video... Read more...