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How do you get those sinful thoughts out of your head, that keep returning unwanted? Today's video by Fr. John McKenzie gives us practical advice about how to do just that.  A former monk, his thoughtful approach is fitting for everyone. Here is the link, but I have also embedded the video in today's blog as well. https://bible.usccb.org/podcasts/video/2024-06-14-reflection-363 God bless you in your striving for holiness.   Janet Cassidy janetcassidy.com https://www.facebook.com/reflectionsinfaith/ https://www.youtube.com/@janetcassidy

    My head is spinning with multiple things to contemplate and write about--from pride and humility to spiritual practices and acceptance of God's will. But, before all of that can be processed, I was glad to come across a quote considered to be a motto of St. Therese of Lisieux: "To make the Lord known and loved." Upon further investigation, I found a similar quote within the following prayer of hers in a "Letter to her Missionary Brothers": "This little prayer which includes all my desires I ask you to say for me each day: “Merciful Father, in the name of Thy sweet Jesus, of the Blessed Virgin and of the Saints, I pray Thee that my sister be fired with Thy spirit of love, and that Thou wilt grant her the grace to make Thee greatly loved.” If God should take me soon to Himself, I ask you to continue each day this same prayer, for in Heaven my desire will be the same as upon earth; to love Jesus and to make Him loved."  https://www.littlef

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        I was reading this verse from today's Psalm (16): " They multiply their sorrows who court other gods." What would you consider to be "other gods" that you court? I'll bet you could come up with a few, if you think about it. Do you overwork yourself in order to acquire extras, seeking wants (gods) that go far beyond needs? Do you ignore other, important people or things in your life, in order to acquire these?  What do you tell yourself about why you do this? The Psalmist points out that our sorrows will be multiplied when our seeking is misplaced. We need to have a healthy relationship that balances good things, against a desire to accumulate, accumulate, accumulate, no matter the cost. For young people, it might be the idea of working like crazy so that you can be rich by the time your 40, thinking you will then be able to retire and just play.  But, what are you trading away today for?   There is no guarantee of tomorrow, nor your health or s

    Must I be a shiny penny in order to receive Holy Communion? This question has popped into my mind since I read someone's list online of the things that I must do to prepare myself to receive Jesus. It wasn't a bad list, but I have some thoughts on this topic. (I would share the list with you, but I can no longer find it online!) The "Catechism of the Catholic Church" simplifies what we need to do to be prepared: " Anyone who desires to receive Christ in Eucharistic communion must be in the state of grace. Anyone aware of having sinned mortally must not receive communion without having received absolution in the sacrament of penance."(1415) Seems pretty straightforward. For the life of me, I don't know why people have to add so much more to it. Another way the "Catechism" puts it, is this way, in Paragraph 1355: Because this bread and wine have been made Eucharist ("eucharisted," according to an ancient expression), "we

  I picked a super windy day to bring you today's reflection video because I wanted a reminder of the Holy Spirit.  Throughout the centuries, we have come to associate the wind and the Holy Spirit. In fact, in the very first book of the Bible--Genesis--in the very first chapter, in the very first paragraph, we read, "while a mighty wind swept over the waters."   Yes, from the beginning, the Holy Spirit was active, as should be the case in each of our lives. When we teach about the Holy Spirit, we also note that while you may not be able to see the spirit, like the wind, you can see its impact. Notice in my video, you can see the wind's effect on the trees, my voice and even my hair! Please take to heart the words from Fr. John Riccardo's book "Rescued" which I am highlighting today. Janet Cassidy janetcassidy.com https://www.facebook.com/reflectionsinfaith Y ouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@janetcassidy     

When I was young, the future was exciting: cities on the Moon, computers that can fly spaceships, and more. Then we tried making those dreams a reality; which we've been doing. In part. One goal of this week's Starliner test flight was having a human pilot handle part of the spacecraft's approach and docking at the International Space Station. It was a methodical process, pretty much the opposite of dramatic. Starliner handled the actual docking; which, again, was a methodical process. And successful. If you read nothing else in today's post, by the way, read Butch Wilmore's "Just a Thought", a Few Minutes Before Liftoff . Or check out whatever looks interesting: Boeing Starliner Crew Flight Test Saturday's Attempt, a Ground Launch Sequencer, and Paying Attention Another Glimpse Inside Starliner's Crew Capsule Launch Complex 41, Crew Access Arm, and — Starliner: Lucky 13?? Butch Wilmore's "Just a Thought", a Few Minutes Before

      "Is it just me?" I asked my husband.  Is it just me that thinks the energy of drivers lately has significantly increased?  It feels like people are driving faster, more recklessly and more inconsiderate than ever before. We were coming home from the cemetery the other day, driving up an inner city, two lane road, and just before we reached the top of the small hill (and JUST before the curve), some guy flew past us, on the left, crossing the double yellow line.  He pulled back in front of us literally five seconds before oncoming traffic came around the curve and over the hill. Whew! I praised Jesus in the moment that those other people were not hit head-on. The carelessness of that driver could have changed all of our lives in an instant. In the back seat, I heard our son quietly, fearfully say, "My heart is pounding."  Mine was, too.   Ironically, I thought later, we could be IN the cemetery now rather than visiting it. Speaking of heart, did y

  The Sanctuary of Christ the King in Almada, Portugal, a monument dedicated to the Sacred Heart [ Wikipedia ;  photo ] June is the month of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Come to me, all you that labour and are burdened; I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon yourselves, and learn from me; I am gentle and  humble  of heart; and you shall find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light  (Matthew 11:29-30, Knox). Young Jew as Christ Rembrandt [ Web Gallery of Art ] Readings   (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, England & Wales, Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland) Readings   (New American Bible: Philippines, USA) Gospel    Mark 3:20-35     (English Standard Version, Anglicised) Then Jesus went home, and the crowd gathered again, so that they could not even eat.   And when his family heard it, they went out to seize him, for they were saying, “He is out of his mind.” And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem were saying, “He is possessed by Beelzebul,” and “by the pri

    As I was sitting in a lobby, people passed by me heading to rehab.  Various levels of aids, such as wheelchairs, canes and assistants, accompanied those in recovery who were trying to manage the doors to the entrance. I was listening to a recording of Pope Benedict XVI talking about the Eucharist being a blend of humanity and divinity while observing all of these people coming in and going out. It was very powerful listening to the esoteric words of the Pope while witnessing humanity at its best. Everyone coming through those doors had people helping them.  Whether it was their driver, or strangers spontaneous jumping into action, the outpouring of care I witnessed in these exchanges, combined with the Pope's words, was quite thought-provoking. It was as if these interactions brought together exactly what the Pope was talking about in regards to the Eucharist. I hadn't quite thought of the Eucharist in this way. He said, in part: "Eucharist as blending

      I remember having a conversation with an employee at the nursing home where my mom was living.  We were chatting around a table and the lady was talking about her mom. She said that although her mom had died several years before, she still would go to pick up the phone to call her.  My mom and I listened and acknowledged we understood, especially since my grandma had also died several years before. Even at the time, I knew how precious that moment was for me since I could still enjoy my mom's company.  Today, as I remember her on her birthday, I know all to well the longing to talk to her, to call her up, to share something that is going on. Naturally, I pray for her every day.  Those who have gone before us rely on our prayers.  They are no longer in a position to pray for themselves, nor make any changes they may have liked to make while living. That is a good reminder for us, that we should always do our best to grow in holiness, care for others, and avoid

    I looked down and there was one of those super tiny, literally less than a pinhead-sized creature.  I went to take it up and it flew away, I think. It was so small it was almost invisible to the naked eye.  Too small, it seemed, to be able to eat anything, and definitely not much of a meal itself. But doesn't every living, moving thing need to eat?  What could possibly be small enough that this microscopic creature could consume it as its own food? I have questions. One of which is, "Why?"  Why does this minuscule speck-of-dust even exist?  If it is too small to be someone's food source, and probably doesn't contribute much of anything to the insect world, why is it here, and did God actually create it? Like I said, I have questions. Oddly, all of this got me to thinking about my presentation--years ago-- on euthanasia.  I was talking to Confirmation students and their sponsors. One of the questions I posed to them was this: "If grandma (o

                                                                                       News4 JAX                            My husband was poking at a pile of decorative grass that we saved for our garden when all of a sudden we heard SQUEAK, SQUEAK, SQUEAK! Working nearby, I said, "What was THAT?" He carefully uncovered a nest of three baby bunnies.  Naturally, he replaced the grass (which had bunny fur embedded in it) and left them alone. Over the next few days, I would gently lift the grass to see if they were still alive.  Then, one day, as I lifted it, one of the bunnies literally shot out of the nest and took off, bounding into the neighbor's yard. When I lifted it again, the other two shot out, one running in one direction and the other in the opposite direction. I was glad they weren't fragile, but my husband spoke my very thoughts. "I wonder if they will make it out there on their own now." About a week later, we were sitting on the dec

    Today is a special day in the Church and although I don't normally post on the weekend, this is worth mentioning. As we celebrate Corpus Christi today, I did a little research for you.  Today we focus on the Body and Blood of Christ in its two expressions:  The actual, physical body of Jesus (in the Eucharist), and the Church as the Body of Christ. I found this link with more information, that I thought you might like:  https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/solemnity-of-the-most-holy-body-and-blood-of-christ-270 Basically, today draws our attention to the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist, and many Catholic churches will hold processions in the street.  The intention is to draw us toward Jesus' Body, which is carried in a monstrance, out into our communities. Please take time today to fill your heart with gratitude for all that Jesus has done for us and honor his sacred Body, especially in the Eucharist and the Church. Don't forget to honor the poo

It's been 30 years since a Mexican theoretical physicist said that a warp drive was possible: hypothetically. And published math that backed up his claim. Last month, a team of scientists showed how we could build a warp drive: again, with math backing up their claim. This year's variation on the Alcubierre drive couldn't travel faster than light. But it can, they say, be built with materials we have today. This is a very big deal. And it's what I'm talking about this week. Along with whatever else comes to mind. Speed of Light, Math, and Approaching Infinity New "Warp Drive" Approach: This One is Testable Gravity, Newton's Law, Einstein's Math, and — Negative Mass? Math, My Father, and Me: A Digression "Exotic Solutions" Offering a "Novel Means of Transportation" A Testable Warp Solution: Exciting! The Day "Warp Field Mechanics 101" Disappeared History — — And Being Human More at A Catholic Citize

    If I am being honest, this jumped out at me in light of the recent conviction of the former president of the United States, in New York yesterday.   His behavior seems to correspond to this passage, which comes from today's reading from The Book of Zephaniah: "It listens to no voice, accepts no correction." Zephaniah included this in his prophesy, hundreds of years before Jesus, during a time of darkness for Judah and Jerusalem.  The people were stubborn, and his prophecy announced the "fire" of God's passion, his anger at the way they were behaving. BUT, at the end of this very short book, we learn that God has left a remnant of people, who "do no wrong and speak no lies."  It was good news to the people of Jerusalem. What stood out for me yesterday at the former president's conviction, was the lack of humility found in one who will not listen to anyone and who cannot take being corrected.  How can anyone be a good leader if t

      We had a chance to tour an out-of-commission lightship called the Huron.  It was a very nice ship museum (dry-docked).  As we began to walk around it, I felt like I was in one of those roadside Mystery Spot houses that make you feel like you are walking on an angle. I asked about it and the museum docent explained that it was related to the anchor and how it affected the tilt of the ship.  This ship that we call the Church also has an anchor--Jesus.  As we move about, there may be times when we feel a little off-kilter, always being challenged as we are, to steady ourselves when our steps feel a little off. But the truth is, it is Jesus on whom we should rely during those times we need steadying, when we just can't seem to get our bearings.  He is the one who gives us direction, keeps us upright when we feel like we are going to fall, and ultimately, the one who never leaves us alone in the storms of life.  There are lots of ways we describe Jesus--the light in

St Margaret Mary Alacoque Contemplating the Sacred Heart of Jesus Corrado Giaquinto [Web Gallery of Art Web Gallery of Art ] June is the month of the Sacred Heart of Jesus He guides the humble in the right path;  He teaches his way to the poor  (Ps 24[25]:9).   Supper at Emmaus Caravaggio [ Web Gallery of Art ] Corpus Christi, Year B The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, Year B   In most countries  this solemnity, formerly celebrated on the Thursday after Trinity Sunday, is now celebrated on the Sunday after Trinity Sunday, this year replacing the Ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time. In communities where the Traditional Latin Mass is celebrated Corpus Christi is observed on the traditional day, the Thursday after Trinity Sunday, this year 30 May. Readings   (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, England & Wales, India [optional], Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland) Readings   (New American Bible: Philippines, USA) Gospel   Mark 14:12-16, 22-26   (English Standard Version, Anglicised) And o

  Remember my butter fiasco while I was attempting to make banana bread with my new-to-me mixer? (See "What a Morning!") Well, I got brave and decided to make some homemade bread, using the recipe that came with the mixer. Making bread and not having to knead it was the one thing I was really anticipating. I excitedly got all of my ingredients together and put on the dough hooks. As I pushed the buttons and turned up the speed, there was an awful screeeeccchhh that I could barely tolerate. After fussing with it a bit, I resorted to hand kneading, as my husband recognized he had a job to do. The bread turned out very good, but my husband spent a few hours in the garage taking the whole mixer apart. Since the mixer is quite old, he figured it probably needed some oil. When he got it all oiled and put back together, he brought it in the house and the offensive screech was gone! He said something still isn't quite right, but it certainly runs fine now. I can hardly wait