Association Of Catholic Bloggers

As Christians, we are all called to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We can do this in several ways. You don’t need to be a Catholic blogger/author/public speaker like myself. You can preach the Gospel, without ever saying a word; by the mere witness of your charitable actions. Most people will never remember eloquent words spoken to them. But, they will remember a kindness done for them. Deeds speak volumes! A police officer who runs toward danger, when others run away. The witness of his or her bravery and courage speaks volumes. A man or woman who volunteers at the local soup kitchen to serve the needy. The witness of his or her generosity and love speaks volumes. A child who... Read more...

Do you believe in Jesus’ power? I don’t ask this question flippantly. I really want to know if you place your full faith and trust in Jesus Christ. Do you believe that all things are possible with God (Matt 19:26)? Can you begin to fathom the extent of Jesus’ power? We live in turbulent, vitriol times. It would be hard to miss the massive corruption, dishonesty and incivility, originating from the halls of government, that permeate throughout our society as well. As human beings, we like to think that we are in charge. We don’t like anyone else trying to usurp the power that we think we possess. When someone tries to usurp our perceived power, times become even more turbulent and vitriol. It’s a vicious cycle. All the while, we lose focus on who really has the power – Jesus Christ! I believe in Jesus’ Power! I’ll admit, that I’ve been grappling with this internal tug-of-war. I want to place my full faith and trust in Jesus. But, there are days when I ask, “ God, where are you

Are you doing things that you prefer would never see the light of day? Things that might bring you shame? Or, do you live the truth, and walk in the light of Christ; where your deeds are worthy of God’s praise? “Whoever lives the truth comes to the light, so that his works may be clearly seen as done in God” (John 3:21).   If you live with shame, then I invite you to live the truth. Come bask in the light of Christ. I invite you to change your ways. Choose to Live the Truth When you do the right thing, with good intentions, then your deeds are good and clearly done in service to the Lord. God has given each one of us a conscience. This conscience informs us of right from wrong. It’s amazing how our consciences speak to us. It’s as if God hard-wired each of us with a rule book, and that rule book is called God’s Natural Law. When we listen to our consciences, we receive error-free advice from the Holy Spirit. Sometimes, we disregard what our consciences tell us. When this

Today, we celebrate the Feast of the Annunciation, the day when Mary gave her “fiat,” her yes, to becoming the Mother of God. Because of her fiat, she plays a pivotal role in God’s plan for salvation. Can you imagine where we would all be, if she had declined? I shudder to think! Yet, it was because of her fiat, that she conceived, without sin, her Son, Jesus; Our Lord and Redeemer. Her simple, yes, to God, set God’s plan in motion for His Son, Jesus, to be our Messiah; Our Savior. Mary’s Fiat Took Faith and Courage Agreeing to become the Mother of Our Lord was not an easy thing to agree to at this point in human history. You see, women who became pregnant outside of marriage were subject to being stoned to death. In addition, Mary had pledged her virginity to God. Therefore, conceiving a son, albeit the Son of God, would be seen by others as sinning against God and her betrothed, Saint Joseph. Mary’s fiat, placed her in danger. Yet her faith, and trust, in God gave her the cou

I was graced to receive Kingdom of Happiness , by Fr. Jeffrey Kirby S.T.D., as a Christmas present from my church, in appreciation for my volunteer efforts. I thought, “ what a nice idea .” I’m a big fan of Fr. Kirby, having read his last book, Doors of Mercy . So, receiving Kingdom of Happiness seemed like a nice gesture to me. It turned out to be more than a nice gesture. It was a God-incidence! You see, I’ve been looking for a good book to share with you, one with lots of virtue built into it. As always, Fr. Kirby never lets me down! Embracing the Beatitudes brings the Kingdom of Happiness to Our Doorsteps In Kingdom of Happiness , Fr. Jeffrey Kirby not only tells us about the eight Beatitudes, but he masterfully connects the dots of each beatitude, to: An aligned phrase from the Our Father, A specific Gift of the Holy Spirit that we received at Confirmation, The corresponding virtue, AND The antithesis of that virtue, or as Fr. Kirby calls it, the anti-beatitude (the

Today is the feast day of one of my favorite saints – Saint Joseph. I claim him as one of my favorites, because he was such a virtuous man; a man for anyone to emulate. Saint Joseph, A Man of Patience Saint Joseph exhibited patience, a virtue that seems to elude me! With patience, he quietly persevered through many trials and tribulations. For example, he didn’t seem to get flustered, or annoyed, when told to quickly take Jesus and Mary to Egypt, and to remain there for several years, before returning to his homeland. No, he patiently waited for the sign that it was safe to return. A Man of Humility, Simplicity and Obedience Saint Joseph, known for his humility, always placed the needs of Jesus and Mary ahead of his own. In his humility, he... Read more...

Do you hear the voice of God speaking to you? Sometimes it may come as an inner feeling of peace. Other times it may come to you through the voice of a trusted spouse, or friend. And then there are those times when you might read a piece of Scripture, and in your heart, you know that God is directing you to do something. In today’s Gospel from John 5:17-30, we read, Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes in the one who sent me has eternal life, and will not come to condemnation, but has passed from death to life. (John 5:24).   This passage affirms for me that my belief in Christ, and His salvific action of dying on the Cross and rising from the dead, will one day lead me to spending eternity with the Blessed Trinity. Some days, when doubt creeps in, I need to hear this message. How do you hear the voice of God? For me, one day, God spoke directly to me through... Read more...

We hear from St Luke in the Gospel reading today (Luke 11:14-23) where Jesus is casting out demons with divine authority. Fast forward 2,000+ years. Jesus continues to cast out demons in our lives; those demons we call vice. What vices do you need driven out from your life? Is it one of the seven deadly sins? Do you suffer from unresolved anger that bubbles to the surface in a moment’s notice? Or perhaps you envy the nice things/attributes possessed by others? Let’s not forget greed and gluttony; an overzealous desire for money, power, fame or food/drink. Maybe your “demons” are more sexually oriented, due to lust. Perhaps you just don’t give a darn about anything because you suffer from sloth. And then there is pride – the root of all evil – deemed the deadliest of the seven deadly sins. With pride, we exhibit a lack of humility, thinking we can handle everything on our own. Well, that’s a surefire sign of pride. Driving Out Demons We may suffer from some, or all, of these v

Molly McBride is back! I was so excited to see Molly McBride and the Party Invitation , by Jean Schoonover-Egolf hit the shelves. This is Egolf’s third installment, in the Molly McBride series. I’m a big fan of Molly McBride, as I love her spunky attitude. I’ve enjoyed reading all three books, courtesy of Egolf. You can read my review of the first two books here . Molly McBride and the Party Invitation Now, let’s talk about Molly McBride and the Party Invitation. In this installment, Molly’s birthday is about to occur, and of course, we must have a party! Yet, Momma says that ALL of Molly’s classmates MUST be invited to the party. That includes that mean boy, named Sam. If Sam comes to the party, he’ll ruin it! What is Molly to do? How can she have a great party, AND make sure that Sam doesn’t come? What ensues is a tale of... Read more...

The Battle Against Yourself is a gripping real-life story from Greg J. Vogt. In Vogt’s debut novel, a memoir, he takes us from despair to hope, from sadness to happiness. He tells us of his battle with depression and attempts at suicide. It started in high school; with what many might overlook as typical teen angst. Yet, if we were to peel away at the layers of the onion, so to speak, we would see that Greg’s depression, at its root, stemmed from an internal feeling of lack of control, coupled with external factors/occurrences that sent him “off the deep-end.” Greg Vogt artfully articulates his internal loneliness, his low self-esteem and feelings of worthlessness, brought on by those eternal factors that exasperated his situation. Rather Than Battle Against Yourself, Take Control I found Vogt’s story extremely compelling, authentic and well written. He doesn’t sugar-coat the harshness of reality; nor does he gloss over trivialities. His story is down-to-earth, and uplifting a

For approximately one year, I have been reading the Diary of Saint Faustina. It started out as a Lenten practice to learn more about Christ’s mercy. Usually, I can read a book within a few days. However, in this instance, it’s taking me quite a long time to work my way through this book. It is so jam-packed with information concerning Christ’s mercy. I read a few pages, at a time, on Mondays, when I attend Adoration. Then I reflect on what Saint Faustina is trying to convey regarding how Christ’s mercy works, and why we should all be seeking mercy. Seeking Mercy – A Few Tips as to Why We Should From what I have read to date, here is what I want to share with you: Christ’s mercy is readily accessible to everyone willing to seek it from Our Lord. Jesus wants... Read more...  

Lent is an excellent time for seeking God’s forgiveness, via the Sacrament of Reconciliation. In this sacrament, God cleanses us from our sins and reunites us to Christ. Although you may be apprehensive at the onset of disclosing your sins to priest, it is really Christ in whom you are confessing your sins, as the priest is acting in persona Christi , in the person of Christ. You will exit the Confessional filled with God’s graces of gratitude, humility, joy and peace. As a Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA) Coordinator for my parish, I work with people coming from other Christian faiths, (or no faith), who wish to consider becoming Catholic. One of the most common questions I get is “Why do Catholics confess their sins to a priest? Why can’t you just ask God directly for forgiveness?” To answer these questions, this video from Bustedhalo.com gives the best answers: Read more...

Did you know that Saturday was Random Act of Kindness Day? Might someone have provided you with a random act of kindness that simply made you smile? If so, please share the experience in the comments section below. We could all use a little good news about now. It would be nice to know that some people are out there doing good for others. How grand it would be if we applied the principle of Random Act of Kindness Day to our everyday lives! Oh, just think of what a nicer world it would be, if we were all kinder to each other. Kindness Produces Good Ripples When someone is kind to you, you naturally want to respond in a positive way. Kindness produces good ripples!!! If everyone did one kind thing for someone else every day, then kindness would spread everywhere. For example, ... Read more...

Wow! Ash Wednesday & Valentine’s Day on the same day! Hearts and Ashes in one fell swoop! Today is the day when we show our love for our spouses and loved ones, with valentines. It is also a day that we show our love for Christ, with ashes on our foreheads; marking ourselves as belonging to Christ. Today, we can consider the ashes on our foreheads as our own personal valentine to God, acknowledging Christ’s sacrifice on the cross because of His love for us. Talk about bittersweet days! No hearts filled with assorted chocolates this year! Considering that Ash Wednesday is a day of fasting and abstinence, there is no going out to dinner tonight either. Yet, the love of Christ is ever-present on this day, and we soak it up. I’ll give up a candy heart, and a steak dinner, knowing that Jesus loves me. There is no better Valentine than that! My fasting and abstinence is a small sacrifice of self-giving love back to Jesus for His sacrifice on the Cross. Read more...

I must start this post by telling you that I have been a friend and fan of Tony Agnesi for approximately four years now. Several years ago, as a fledgling Catholic blogger, I reached out to him, seeking advice. You see, Tony has an awesome blog over at tonyagnesi.com , where he blogs about virtue as well. Where I write more from a theological/academic point of view on virtue, Tony writes from experience. I once asked him, “How do you come up with such great stories? You are quite creative!” His reply, “Those things really happened to me!” God uses Tony, daily, to reach out to the less fortunate; to witness to the faith; and to use his gift for storytelling to reach the hearts of many. In A Storytellers Guide to a Grace Filled Life , we see Tony Agnesi at work in God’s Garden of life. A Storytellers Guide to a Grace Filled Life … captures the best of Tony Agnesi’s stories aimed at showing you how to find God’s Grace in your own life. As a master storyteller, Agnesi shares with u

Can you believe it? Lent is only one week away! We’ve barely left the Christmas season, and we are about to walk the journey, with Christ, to Calvary. Are you prepared to enter the Lenten season? Are you ready to make the most of it? Things You Can Do to Make Your Lent Fruitful Prayer : Make a point to set aside a few minutes each day to pray. If you have enough time to say a full Rosary, great! But, sometimes, the day gets away from us. So, a vow to say a single Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory Be is a commitment I think we all could easily make. Prayer is talking with God. He wants to hear from you! Fasting : At a minimum, make the effort to fast on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. By fasting, I mean a reduced breakfast and lunch, and a full dinner. No desserts! If you can do this on a set day of the week, once weekly during Lent, all the better! Fasting helps us to understand that without God, we are nothing. It is God who provides for us: our homes, our jobs, our food, ever

In today’s Gospel reading from Mark 6:53-56, we hear of Christ giving His healing touch to so many people. More than that though, we learn of the faith of the people who believed that “ they might touch only the tassel on his cloak ” (Matt 6:56) and be healed. And yes, merely touching the tassel of his cloak was sufficient. Fast forward 2,000 years. Do you believe today, that Jesus can heal you? Do you believe in His power? I do! Jesus Christ Responds to Prayer Recently, my sister, a paraplegic, entered the hospital, with medical concerns. Many people said many prayers for her healing. The doctors were concerned because after two tries at some tests, the results were inclusive. Her situation required consultation with experts, to obtain a proper diagnosis. For a few weeks, (over the Christmas holidays), we all held our breath, and said many prayers. Then... Read more... 

I have a great deal of personal experience when it comes to bullying. You see, I was bullied for eight consecutive years, while attending a Catholic grade school. There were only 38 children in my class, so I was an easy target. Because of my physical deformity of clubbed feet, I wore braces on my legs. This set me apart from the others, making me the “outcast.” (The photo to the left was taken in 1962, at age 5). After what I experienced, it is amazing that I am still alive to tell my story today. Bullying Has No Grace The ugliness of the constant and consistent verbal abuse, demeaning my dignity and self-worth, proves to me that bullying has no grace. Bullying is an evil act. My bullies constantly referred to me as “metal legs,” “cootie bug,” – you get the picture. Their derisive behavior played havoc on my self-worth, leaving me changed, and not for the better. They scarred my psyche. The Lingering Effects of Bullying As I progressed through high school and college, I a

Today we celebrate the Feast of Saint Francis de Sales, a 16 th century Bishop of Geneva, who is also designated as a Doctor of the Church. What better way to celebrate this man, then to discuss one of his masterpieces. I found Philothea, or An Introduction to a Devout Life  to be a gem! We start with the title. “Philothea” translates to the study of God. How better to study God than by trying to emulate Him via living a devout life. How does one go about living a devout life? By embracing virtue and incorporating said virtue into the fabric of one’s life. Saint Francis de Sales, A Master of Virtue In Philothea or An Introduction to a Devout Life, Saint Francis de Sales does a masterful job of setting the stage by counseling us in understanding a desire for a devout life. He then instructs us on our approach to God in prayer and through the sacraments. Then, de Sales devotes an entire part of the book to the practice of virtue. He places special emphasis on dealing with temp

You know what you do well, and you know where you fall short. The question is do you know why? In the areas that you do well, where the task comes easy to you, these are the results of God’s grace. He has showered you with talents. In the areas in need of improvement, these are your imperfections. It is with the imperfections, aka faults, that God gives us an opportunity to transcend beyond our current state, and grow in virtue; come closer to perfection. But, before we can strive for perfection, we first need to assess our Virtue Maturity. Assessing Virtue Maturity So, how do we assess our good qualities and those areas in need of improvement? We do so by evaluating how well we... Read more...