Association Of Catholic Bloggers

I don’t know about you, but I had to turn away from politics. I couldn’t stand the backbiting and vitriolic comments slung in every direction. Yesterday was super Tuesday, so in recent weeks, the political ads were coming at me  ad nauseum . I live in North Carolina, one of the super Tuesday states with primaries. The lack of common courtesy, so prevalent, in our society today, especially in the political ads, gets me down, to the point where I need to walk away, close myself off, and regroup. Why can’t we be civil with each other? Maybe we should all try courtesy as a Lenten sacrifice. Courtesy as a Lenten Sacrifice Who would have thought that we would ever stoop so low that we need to suggest common courtesy as a Lenten sacrifice? That extending courtesy to another person should be a sacrifice? Courtesy is something that every one of us should be excellent at. Yet, here we are, begging for courtesy. If you find it difficult to accept the political opinions of your neighbor,

Is there that certain someone in your life that you just can’t forgive? Do you believe their actions defy forgiveness? Or, is it that you just can’t bring yourself to the point where you can let go? If you can’t forgive, then seek Mercy first.  Mercy is the first step toward forgiveness. Ask God to give you what you need to grant mercy to the offender. Your Mercy is not forgiveness, but it is an attitude that causes you to react with kindness and compassion toward someone who offends you. Seek Mercy First God will grant mercy to each of us to the extent that we grant mercy to others; just as He will grant forgiveness to each of us to the extent that we forgive others. So, if you hold onto pain caused by an offense against you, and cannot grant mercy to the offender, then you will wallow in the pain. But, if you grant mercy to the offender, you rise above the pain. You free yourself from the shackles, thus enabling yourself to forgive others. Then Seek the Ability to Forgive

In today’s Gospel reading, we see Jesus conduct an exorcism of an evil spirit from a young boy.  But, before He performs the exorcism, He takes note of the people arguing among themselves.  He asks the crowd, “ What have you been arguing about? ” (Mark 9:16). We’ll never know, because the father of the young man interrupts, asking Jesus to heal his son. Jesus finds more importance in the healing of the young man as compared to  the crowd’s argument with the scribes. He addresses the father’s plea and drops any discussion of His question. What Have You Been Arguing About? Imagine if Jesus came for the Second Coming and asked us what we have been arguing about? How would we respond? We would have to answer with the following: We’ve been arguing about the definition of truth. We each see things differently and fail to acknowledge facts and objective truth. There has been much argument in the political arena, with everyone taking sides, unwilling to listen to the other, and ther

In today’s Gospel reading, we learn of Jesus’ healing of a blind man. As Jesus cures the man, He asks him, “ Do you see anything? ” (Mark 8:23). The man’s sight begins to clear, but not completely. Jesus lays His hands on the man to complete the process. How often in our lives have we seen gradual healing, like this blind man? Do You See Anything? Last fall, while I recuperated from my ankle fusion, at first, all I saw was lots of recuperation time ahead (four months). But, as time progressed, I began to see the healing aspects take place. God sent people to me who shared their love with me (friends, neighbors, and family). That outpouring of love did something good for my heart. Then, God sent my priest to my home, near Christmas, to hear my confession (Since I couldn’t stand in line on any given Saturday, he came to me). That healed my soul. My Pastor’s actions touched me greatly, knowing how busy priests are at Christmastime. And all the while, throughout the entire four-mon

In today’s Gospel reading, the Pharisees test Jesus, by asking for signs from Heaven. With exasperation, Jesus retorts, “ Why does this generation seek a sign? ” (Mark 8:12). The Pharisees found Jesus’ previous miraculous acts insufficient proof of His divinity. In fact, they find Jesus to be suspiciously fraudulent.  Therefore, they seek human signs from someone who is both human and divine. They cannot understand the God-Man in their midst. The Pharisees can only see with their humanity and cannot fathom God in the flesh. Do You Seek a Sign? How often do you doubt the omnipotence, omniscience and omnipresence of God in your life? Do you seek a sign of God’s power when all seems lost? Or perhaps you question whether God could really know everything happening in everyone’s life, at every moment. Or maybe you find it unfathomable that God can be everywhere at once. When these doubts and questions come to mind, we act very much like the Pharisees and we seek a sign – a human sign

In today’s Gospel from Mark we hear Jesus teach about the sinfulness of man coming from what is in the heart, not from what he eats. In accordance with Jewish law, certain foods had always been considered off limits and deemed “unclean.” Therefore, if a Jewish person ate an unclean food, then that person committed a sin. Yet, in this teaching, Jesus declares all foods clean. This is because it is not the food that we eat that separates us from God. Through Jesus’ teaching they gained an understanding of the causation of sin. For, it is our sin of words (our malicious speech, hatred, etc.) that make us move away from God. Jesus could understand why the Jewish people needed to hear this message. It directly contradicted what they practiced. However, once alone with the Disciples, Jesus noticed that they continued to question Him about this teaching. Jesus responded with a question: “ Are even you likewise without understanding? ” (Mark 7:18) Such a question makes you think that Jes

When you see someone approach you, wearing a low-cut blouse, showing her “wears,” do you rush to judgment? Do you think less of the woman? Odds are your answer is yes. Now, if a woman approaches you wearing a scooped-necked sundress, cut at the knee, do you even give her clothing a second thought? Or, might you be looking more at the whole person, the persona, instead? This example proves that modesty breeds respect because in the case of the woman in the sundress, no negative opinion rises to your consciousness. Rather, you look beyond the outfit and see the woman for who she wishes to be seen, as someone who deserves respect. Modesty Breeds Respect Embracing the virtue of Modesty not only garners the respect of others, but it also garners self-respect.  How we view ourselves is more important than how others view us. Yet, we tend to place more weight on what others think than on what we think of ourselves.  We believe what the magazines and television ads tell us about how we

As a child, were you ever told to do something, and when you asked “Why?” you received this response: “because I said so!” If you were like me that response didn’t settle with you well. I’m the kind of person that needs rationale for compliance with obedience. Perhaps it’s a trust issue, or maybe a control issue. I’m not sure – maybe its both! But I do know this: Obedience has its place. There are times and/or reasons when obedience is called for and we must obey. For example: What happens when a person doesn’t follow traffic laws and runs a red light? Lives are put at risk. Therefore, we must obey traffic laws. If we do not follow the doctor’s orders, what happens? We may not get well, or worse, we might die. Therefore, we must obey the doctor’s orders. What could go wrong if we fail to follow our supervisor’s instructions? We could get written up, or worse, get fired, and lose our means for financial support. Therefore, we must obey our supervisors. Obedience Has Its Place

When we stay entrenched in a specific point of view, many times it is because our biases contradict disinterestedness.  The virtue of disinterestedness calls for us to assess situations and/or perform actions without biased motives. Jurors, for example, are called to places their biases at the door and act with objectivity; to be open to listening to all the facts, forming an impartial decision on guilt or innocence. Biases Contradict Disinterestedness in the United States As citizens of the United States, we entrench ourselves in our camps of liberal and conservative, with a virtual 50/50 split. The biases embraced by both sides inhibit us all from seeing God’s objective truth. As citizens, we fail to listen to the facts; the objective truth. Instead, we spin the truth to meet our previously conceived opinions. By doing so, we embrace moral relativism and diverge from objective truth. As individuals, and as a country, we need to ... Read more...

If we have no desire for growth in piety in this life, then why should God think that we would want to spend eternal life with Him? You see, the soul must be perfected and made holy before it can stand before God. So, even though we dismiss piety in this life, we must embrace it wholeheartedly in the next life, if we are to obtain eternal bliss. The holiness we ignore today will result in more time in Purgatory, as our souls will need more work to reach perfection. I don’t know about you, but I would welcome a minimal sentence in Purgatory. Therefore, I am working on my growth in piety, in the here and now. Obtaining Growth in Piety How can we become holier now? Here are a few suggestions:  Read more,,,

Does it cost you anything to be nice? No. When you give a stranger a smile, it can be the opening to a new friendship. If you lend a helping hand, you learn what it means to meet the needs of others. People who always have a smile on their face, or who are the first to lend a hand, are the kind of people everyone wants to know. Why? Because they engage in friendliness! Engage in Friendliness If we each have one or two close friends in life, we are fortunate. These friends are the type of people who would do anything for us, and we would do the same in return. They are the very people who we feel safe to share our deepest thoughts, dreams and concerns. But, that relationship with one’s closest friend first started with the two of you being strangers. One of you engaged in friendliness toward the other, and from there the relationship blossomed. Think of the possibilities, if you were to engage in friendliness with others.  You just might meet the love of your life. Or, you mig

When you need to make a big decision, do you take time for discernment? Do you gather all the facts and weigh your options? It is important to make the time to discern the appropriate course of action when facing life-altering decisions. As a Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA) Coordinator, I see all too often, those wishing to become Catholic wanting to rush through the process. I get questions like, “What’s the big deal?” “Why do I have to wait?” Using RCIA as an example, let me explain why it is important to gather all the facts and weigh all options. My example could apply to anything occurring in your life as well. Take Time for Discernment A desire to embrace faith, when there has been none in your life, to date, is a big deal! Therefore, it is one, big, life-altering decision. When you embrace the Christian faith, you make a commitment to living a Christ-like life. Now, that can seem like a tall order to one who has been raised with no, or little, faith. First

I love January! Why? Because I love the silence of winter, when everything slows down. We cozy up with a warm blanket, in front of the fire, while reading a good book, amidst the silence. Or, one could take a walk in the freshly fallen snow and hear silence. I find silence to be peaceful and that brings me joy! It is also, in the silence, that we open our ears to hear the whisper of God speaking to our hearts. Silence of Winter The silence of winter provides us with time to reflect on how we are doing, where we are going, and what we want to accomplish. When we assess how we are doing, we can count our blessings. This brings us both gratitude and joy. When we plan our futures, we set a course for ourselves. This fills us with the hope of endless possibilities. And when we crystallize our goals, God graces us with ... Read more...

During my convalescence these past three months, as a result of my ankle fusion, Christ gave me the opportunity to appreciate the virtue of acceptance. You see, when you can’t place any weight on your foot, you are somewhat helpless.  I couldn’t stand in the kitchen and make any meals. Nor, could I do any housecleaning, or laundry. I couldn’t run any errands or do the grocery shopping. All I could do was sit in a Lazy-Boy chair, with my foot elevated, and let others do things for me. This is where I learned the gift of the virtue of acceptance. Putting my pride aside, I gratefully, and humbly accepted meals prepared by my neighbors and friends. (They were all delicious. by the way!). One friend vacuumed my entire house (better than I could ever do it)! Yet, it was my husband, who made the biggest impact on me. He was there, in the middle of the night, helping me go to the bathroom. He took on all my household responsibilities, in addition to his own; cooking, cleaning, laundry, g

In my  last post , I related my reasons for gaining weight this past year. Now, as my ankle completely heals, it’s time to get serious about losing the weight. Increasing my walking will help me to lose weight, but that alone will not do the trick. I also need to stop eating the sweets! What better time to lose weight, than when we turn the page on the calendar? Or, for me, as my ankle completely heals. I have no more excuses, other than I lack Temperance.  Therefore, it’s time for Temperance, as well. We start each new year with hope. If I ever hope to get out of the sweatpants, and back into my clothes, then I need to call on God to give me some Temperance. I know that I cannot stop eating the sweets on my own, as sugar is so addictive. I need the strength of Christ to assist me in my endeavor to lose the weight. And while He’s indulging me with Temperance, a smidgen of... Read more...

Happy New Year everyone! I’m not sure how you viewed 2019, but I found 2019 challenging; both personally and professionally. I’m looking forward to 2020 with a clear sense of purpose. There’s something hopeful regarding the turning of the calendar to a new year. With hope, I look forward to better health, now that my ankle fusion has taken hold. I’ve suffered for several years with difficulty walking. The last few months prior to surgery resulted in several falls. Apparently, my ligaments in my ankle kept giving way and couldn’t support me any longer. Thus, the reasons for the falls. So, surgery became my only option. The difficulty in walking resulted in a good deal of inactivity on my part, and I gained a good deal of weight. With the ankle fusion nearly healed, I’m ready to take on new adventures. I simply want to walk, and in the process possibly lose the weight I gained by being inactive. It’s my own personal belief, that if you feel better about yourself, and live a healt

Looking for a New Year’s resolution, as we close out 2019, and move toward 2020? I have the best New Year’s resolution ever, considering the degree of divisiveness and vitriol language permeating our society.  Embrace friendliness! Make it a point to make friends with someone new each month, especially someone with whom you may not see eye to eye. You might be surprised at what you do have in common. Embrace Friendliness It never hurts to be kind and amiable to others; to offer support. Perhaps you have a relatively new coworker who could use a friend. Help that person navigate the politics of the work environment. Or, maybe, a new neighbor recently moved in. Show some kindness by inviting them for dinner or assist them in finding their way around town. Maybe, you see a new face at Church on Sunday. Introduce yourself and your family. Welcome the new parishioners and let them know some of the great things happening at your parish. As you can see, there are numerous opportunit

Merry Christmas, one and all! I write to you today, wishing you Christmas blessings, because I intend to take Wednesday off and celebrate the day with my husband. I have much to be thankful for this year, having received many blessings throughout the year. However, I find the Christmas blessings that Christ bestows on us at this time of year to be very special. Christmas Blessings Peace  – Christ’s peace is ever present, but especially prescient at this time of year. We celebrate the Incarnation of Christ on this day. The revelation of God made man for our sakes, to free us from sin and death, is mind-boggling. Yet, Christ came to bring us Peace. Joy  – Knowing God’s immense love for each of us should bring us a deep and abiding sense of joy. Who else could love us that much to send His only Son to save us from sin and death? Read more...

You know the saying, “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35). Perhaps what you did not know was that this adage comes from Scripture. Saint Paul made this comment while giving a farewell speech to the people of Miletus. He instructed them on the importance of helping the weak. For, it is through the goodness of charity, that we make life more bearable for others. In return, we experience inner peace and joy because of the goodness of our actions. How to Embrace the Goodness of Charity Christmas is a wonderful time to step outside of our comfort zones and pay heed to the less fortunate; to make their lives more bearable; to strengthen the weak. Here are some ways in which you can bring the goodness of charity to others: Read more...

Joy is a deep and lasting feeling of contentment and happiness graced by the Holy Spirit. For me, deep and abiding joy comes to me when I reflect on God’s love for me – that unconditional love that will never end. I also experience a deep and abiding sense of joy when I think of how much my husband loves me, because his love for me is a manifestation of God’s love for me. My list could go on, but I have a question for you. How do you find joy in your life? Christmas – The Season of Joy We also find joy at Christmastime, when we reflect on the Word made flesh – the Incarnation. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him might not perish but might have eternal life” (John 3:16). Knowing that God loves us so much that He would sacrifice His Son to death by a Cross, for our sins, is a love unmatched by anyone. This love brings us ... Read more...