Association Of Catholic Bloggers

 Love   Exodus 3:14 I AM 1 John 4:8 

Here is the first step in readying for the International Week of Prayer and Fasting.  Decide what you as an individual, family, group, and/or parish will be offering for the conversion of our enemies and end of the dark culture of death.  The IWOPF website has a registration page where you can pledge actions, prayers, and alms.  This is a great place to start but is not an exhaustive list. For action as a family, I have the following steps planned: 1.  Hold a family meeting to discuss the week of prayer and fasting. 2.  Come up with a prayer plan and fast to complete as a family and individually. (For example, add an additional family prayer such as a decade or litany, and also choose a personal prayer addition such as a novena.) Read more at Veils and Vocations.

“God loves us, so He makes us the gift of suffering.  MICHAEL DUDASH The Comforter Through suffering, we release our hold on the toys of this world,  and know our true good lies in another world. We’re like blocks of stone, out of which the sculptor carves the forms of men. The blows of his chisel, which hurt us so much, are what make us perfect. The suffering in this world is not the failure of God’s love for us; it is that love in action. For believe me, this world that seems to us so substantial is no more than the shadlowlands. Real life has not begun yet.” (“Shadowlands,” p. 1) continue to read article>

I've seen it, and I've never liked it. The Catholic Church I attend when I'm home is a beautiful church.  At the center of the church is the tabernacle where Jesus resides, body and blood, soul and divinity.   I love this. The Catholic Church I attend when I'm away from home has a brick wall in front of the tabernacle.  At Last this issue is being addressed! Read More at:: His Unending Love

  Please listen to this and  comment below.

Not long ago, a wonderful woman came to visit me at the Apostleship of Prayer. She is helping her son prepare for the sacrament of Reconciliation, and she wanted to show me the materials she was using. Here they are: Adaptive Reconciliation Kit by Loyola Press Beautiful. The vibrant colors, the simple text, the attractive art--everything draws me in to these materials. They are part of Loyola Press's offerings for students with special needs. Loyola Press's adaptive kits have been on my mind a great deal this month, because September is the month Pope Francis asks us to pray for people with mental disabilities. My  reflection  this month is about my own brother, Mark, who enriched many lives through his challenges. And each September morning, as I rise and pray my Morning Offering, I remember Pope Francis' prayer intention, keeping his prayer close to my heart throughout the day. Today I give thanks to Loyola Press for their excellent materials for children with s

We are each given a unique Cross to carry.. Ask a young Christian child what the most important verse in the Bible is and many will tell you John 3:16, 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. Ask a young Catholic child how much Christ loves her and she will smilingly respond, "He Loves me this much!" As she throws her arms wide to show Jesus' sacrifice on the Cross. And yet somewhere in between that trusting child and our cynical adulthood      Life Happens And we question the Crosses we are given. I sat in church yesterday listening to this Gospel of John, looking around at my friends, and thinking of how every one of them is carrying some sort of burden. No matter how perfect they seem, many have shouldered painful, frustrating, anger-provoking experiences. Many have questioned why, and listening to their stories, I have questioned why too. I st

I have never come across Christians, who belonged to 'The World Community for Christian Meditation Movement', inspired by Fr John Main, who have not been thoroughly good people. They don't just take the external practice of their faith seriously, but also put aside regular time for daily going into 'the inner room' to pray. I identified so closely with their personal sincerity and the sincerity of their search that I have until now found it difficult to make any criticism of them. Sadly they have been misled into thinking that methods of Eastern mysticism involving the continual repetition of mantras is not only in conformity with the Christian mystical tradition, but the high point at which Eastern and Western religion meet. However contemplative prayer is so important for the future reform in the Church, as it has been in the past that it must be protected from its counterfeit.  read on.....

Summer has come to an abrupt halt here in Chicago.  We went from 90 degrees to a low 60 degrees in one day! Now that the cooler weather has arrived, I started to reflect on what I did on my summer vacation. You can read the rest at Being Catholic ... Really .

“Everything will be fine…” How many times a mother says just this, with or without words… Are these spontaneous words empty of content? No! God guarantees the fulfillment of a mother’s promise! In fact, the words are a  prayer,  even when they are just a sigh or an ache we feel. When a mother consoles her children, God sees to it that her consolations become reality, in one way or another. Everything will be fine. Don’t worry. Don’t cry.  Rest  in my arms… Continue reading...

The Crucifixion , El Greco, 1596-1600 Museo del Prado, Madrid    Gospel: John 19:25-27 Meanwhile, standing near the cross of Jesus were his mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.  When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing beside her, he said to his mother, “Woman, here is your son.”   Then he said to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” And from that hour the disciple took her into his own home. Simeon with the Infant Jesus in the Temple , Rembrandt, 166 Alternative Gospel: Luke 2:33-35 And the child’s father and mother were amazed at what was being said about him.   Then Simeon blessed them and said to his mother Mary, “This child is destined for the falling and the rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be opposed   so that the inner thoughts of many will be revealed—and a sword will pierce your own soul too.” Our Lady of the Seven Sorrows , Adr iaen Isenbrant, 1518-35 O

The only reason to exalt the cross is because of the work of salvation Jesus accomplished on that piece of wood and our unending , incredulous  gratitude. If we really stop and think about it, this sacrifice  is ‘ mind blowing’  because the Almighty God of the Universe suffered agony and humiliation to save us from ourselves, our guilt, shame and utter failure to save ourselves. read more and delight in more art>

Studying Art history in college, I wondered why we spent a good chunk of the semester concentrating on Catholic church architecture. This was especially puzzling because I was in a State University, and the teacher was outspoken about her own atheism. In time, I understood. Churches are built to "speak." They are intended to offer, along with the printed or spoken words uttered within them, a special language of their own... (continue...)

Between spending my teens in the '60s and stubbornness worthy of a mule, my attitude toward "authority" had been less than fawning. Happily, I married a woman with a very low tolerance for nonsense. She pointed out that I had no problem with authority. It was pompous nitwits who claim authority that set my teeth on edge. ( December 2, 2012 ; March 30, 2011 ) That helped explain why I became a Catholic , and that's another topic. More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

In the gospel of Luke, Jesus says that to be His disciple, we must deny ourselves, and take up our cross and follow Him (Luke 9:23). When Jesus took up His Cross, He knew He was on His way to die. Taking up my cross and following Him means I must be willing to die to myself in order to live more fully for Jesus.  It’s a call to absolute surrender. Read more...

When I learned who currently held the authority my Lord gave Simon Peter, recorded in Matthew 16:13 - 19 , I didn't have much choice: I had to join the Catholic Church. In a sense, I 'knew too much.' I could either claim to follow Jesus and acknowledge the Son of God's authority, passed along in unbroken succession through the rise and fall of kingdoms, empires, and civilizations — or not. As Simon Peter said, it's a simple choice.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

I have been told that I have "a flare for language", a "talent for writing", a "gift for the word."  For many years, family members and friends have at times "commissioned" a piece of writing from me.  In fact, my grandmother has told me that she has in her will that I must compose a poem for her funeral.  I have tried to explain that it doesn't work that way, that I can't just make myself write.  She will hear none of it, she says that she has it in writing and since it is her final wish, I must obey.  (She is a feisty one!) However, it is true.  There is nothing that I have written that has come solely from me.  When I have attempted to force the gift, it has failed miserably.  That is because the gift, is not my own, but the LORD's.  I am only His instrument.  I never feel this more acutely than when an entire essay, poem, or story comes to me in an instant, like a stiff breeze blowing into my mind, yet I cannot nor

HEAVENLY VERDICT WHAT'S YOURS LIKE? CLICK HERE

Christ in Agony on the Cross , El Greco, 1600s Art Museum, Cincinnati, USA [ Web Gallery of Art ] Readings   (New American Bible: Philippines, USA) Readings   (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, England & Wales, India [optional], Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland, South Africa)  Gospel   John 3:13-17  ( New Revised Standard Version, Catholic Edition ; Canada)    Jesus said to Nicodemus:  No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven, the Son of Man.   And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up,   that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.   “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. “ Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Nicodemus ,  Unknown Master, Flemish Museum voor Schone

We're learning more about life on Earth: and finding that there's more to learn. For example, those aren't mushrooms. Scientists think they're animals. Probably.... ...God Thinks Big If you've read other posts here, you probably know why I think God works on a cosmic scale, isn't overextended, and doesn't mind if we use our brains. ( September 5, 2014 ; June 6, 2014 ) If you haven't: here's what I think about God's universe.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

Our oldest son was a senior in high school on September 11, 2001.  In his valedictory speech on his graduation day in June of 2002, he mentioned the tragic event that forever scarred the hearts of  all Americans.  In part, here is what he said:  ...this year we looked on in disbelief on September 11th as innocent lives were taken by the evil of terrorism.  The pain we felt...was acute, but strength is often forged in the fires of misfortune...through the 9/11 tragedy, I hope, we learned to respect and protect life, every human life.  It is this that our society needs most today.  Our society's moral values have been in a downward spiral for quite a while, and this trend shows no sign of getting better unless there is a change in the way we think.  At the heart of this moral decline is a cheapening of human life.  Pope John Paul II has called this the "Culture of Death."  Choices once unanimously considered criminal and rejected by the common moral sense are gradual

I changed history.  Actually, it wasn’t anything that I did, it was the gift my mother gave me.  She gave me life instead of an abortion.    I was born.  Even though she was an unwed mother, she knew that life was a gift from God.  She protected my life, and I was born.  If I hadn’t been given the gift of life, history would have been different.  By being born, we change  “what could have been,” into what is.  There are no “what ifs.” Abortion changes history.  We don’t know what might have been.  The “what if’s” are always there.  The “what could have beens,” we will never know.  All we have is the grief of not knowing.  The child who could have been is gone and will not be able to come back.  As opposed to many adoptions, there is no child who will be looking for their birth parents in 20 years where there might be a glad reunion.  The “what if’s” and “what could have beens” are empty words when an abortion is performed. “A voice was heard in Ramah,     wailing

On this  most difficult day  I am thinking about death. Last night, on my way out of my graduate class in Jersey City, a friend texted me to let me know our next door neighbor's infant son had died suddenly. I spent the long drive home talking to Ruth. When I got home at 11 p.m., I sat in my car in the driveway, crying and still talking with her and noting that all the lights were on in the family's home and all the shades drawn. My friend and I were grieving, trying to make sense of the unimaginable. "There has been a lot of death lately," I told her. Keep Reading...

Saint John Paul II states in Mulieris Dignatem "Each woman inherits her femininity as an expression of the image and likeness of God that is hers."  We could say likewise about each man's masculinity.   Therefore, when man or woman thinks that one is somehow "less than" the other, they are also showing disdain for that which is part of the essence of God.    Masculinity and femininity, fully expressed, can teach mankind much about it's relationship to God and to each other.  Humanity suffers when women choose to squelch their feminine virtues in favor of masculine ones.   It also suffers when men feel they have to hide their masculine traits in our feminized culture.  The fact is, that the best of both  masculine and feminine virtues should be developed in both men and women rather than one in favor of the other.  Their expression, however, will differ.  St. Theresa Benedicta of the Cross (Edith Stein) wrote  " Christ embodies

I wrote this post on the tenth anniversary of  September 11. Ten years ago today, our country was viciously attacked like no other time in history.  Like the assassinations of John F. Kennedy, his brother Robert and Martin Luther King Jr., the day will ever be in my memory along with where I was and what I was doing. You can read the rest at Being Catholic ... Really .

About 3,000 folks died in attacks on New York City's World Trade Center and the Pentagon on this date, 13 years ago. The death toll would almost certainly have been higher, if passengers and surviving crew of United Airlines Flight 93 had not attacked their hijackers. They died, probably because the Al Qaeda pilot deliberately flew into the ground. Depending on their views, folks have commemorated the 9/11 attacks in many ways. Some have declared that the attacks were justified, because America is a big meany. They usually express the idea in more sophisticated terms, of course. Others say that Muslims are to blame: all Muslims. Still others take the more sweeping view that all religion is to blame. I think there is a tiny element of truth in 'all of the above.' Al Qaeda's leader at the time, Osama bin Laden, almost certainly had sincerely-held religious beliefs: and chose American targets in response to this country's profound lack of fidelity to his

On the anniversary of 9/11 every year, when I am watching the footage of the twin towers being hit by planes on TV, I am reminded of a dream I had exactly three years earlier in September of 1998. At the time I had the dream and until 9/11 happended in 2001, I did not realize the dream was going to be somewhat literal. I even prayed about and came up with a symbolic interpretation.  Continue Reading at Beautifulthorns >

Last week I lost my good umbrella, the compact one that pops upon immediately when you press a button. I’ve had it for many years, and I miss it. This is not the most valuable thing I’ve lost. I suppose the umbrella is in a special universe “lost and found” room along with my mysteriously missing driver’s license and my ID tag. Losing anything is annoying, not to mention sometimes expensive. Searching high and low for a lost item eats up valuable time. Click to continue

It's time. This is what I saw.  The words underneath the vision of the Eucharist is what I heard.  A man's voice, gentle, but with authority to it that you did not question.  Now the history.... TO READ MORE CLICK HERE.

It’s good to be posting again! I was in an unexpected blogging break because we moved on short notice from Iraq to the U.S. (Pittsburgh area). We aren’t fully settled in yet, and are still job hunting, hoping we find something soon so we know we can definitely stay in the area and start getting put together. It’s been an absolute whirlwind of a month, with so many unknowns and unexpected changes, hopes and disappointments, sad goodbyes and happy hellos as we left our friends, family and community in Iraq, and have started making new connections and renewing old ones here in the U.S. We are still praying so hard for the community we left behind in Erbil, and are so deified by the solidarity with which they have welcomed all the refugees that have come to the city from other places in Iraq. I think it’s going to take a long time to fully process everything that’s just happened (and still is happening as we try to keep getting settled on this end). God was blessing us so much

Looking for a spiritual read which is so interesting that you can hardly put it down but has the potential to change your life as well?  Trusting  God with St. Therese   by  Connie Rossini more than satisfies both these prerequisites. Connie delves not only into the biography of the Little Flower but also grapples with the ramifications of these facts as they affected her spiritually and psychologically. Connie then applies these in-depth reflections on the saint to her own struggle to trust God, applying the same magnifying glass to her life. The result is a unique book which  captures the reader’s curiosity, holds our interest and at the same time touches our heart and inner spirit, triggering a yearning for our own inner healing and spiritual growth. Because Connie humbly reveals both her own and St. Therese’s weaknesses and struggles, she connects personally with the reader, helping us understand that sanctity is possible for everyone.  To make it easier to apply her insights

I have homeschooled my children for five years, and currently I have four eager students in my charge. The question comes up occasionally why we homeschool. The question comes from our children as well as from my husband and me. To a large extent the answer is a listing of pro’s and con’s, where the pro’s quickly outweigh the con’s. Sometimes this is sufficient for all of us, and we continue with renewed vigor. Sometimes, however, the question takes the shape of a doubt: are we doing the right thing, or does there exist a better option? One answer to this doubt leads thus: a homeschool is one integrated part of a   family . It is a fruit of the life of the family, and will be there as long as there is a family, whether the children are formally enrolled in a private school, home-based or other-based, or they are enrolled in a public school. To whatever extent there is life in a family, there is a homeschool. Continue reading...

Joy is spontaneous. Joy is contagious. Joy is courageous. Joy is laughter. Joy is sharing. Joy is now. Joy is the Hand of God reaching down to touch His Children. Joy is the Love of His Sacred Heart. Joy is knowing that my God is madly in love with me. Joy is knowing that He offers forgiveness when I seek reconciliation. Joy is knowing that I am forgiven.  In my life, A brisk walk, dodging ice, brings me joy.  Making glass beads fills me with joy. Read more at:: His Unending Love

Photo Source . . . Suffering and sin pressed on me heavily this morning, making me feel constricted, helpless. Feeling burdened and discouraged, I boarded the bus for work. Immediately I noticed something new on the bus: a PA system recently installed that announces every upcoming stop. I couldn't help but notice the new system, because it's loud and relentless. The computerized voice blared out each bus stop as we approached: 120th Street! 118th Street! Watertown Plank Road and 116th Street! Watertown Plank Road and Mayfair Road! Transfer to Route 31, State Street Branch! Given how deflated I was feeling, my first reaction was to be annoyed by the new two-block warning system. And then, by God's providence, I started to imagine why the automated voice had been installed in the first place. Read on at Praying with Grace

As we announced last week , Ave Maria Press will be releasing our Catholic marriage help book in 2016. The working title (although publishers always change the title!) is Secrets of Turning Water into Wine. Why are we writing the book? What can you learn from the book? Read on to find out! SECRETS OF TURNING WATER INTO WINE Divorce rates for Catholic marriages have almost tripled since the early 1970s, proving that Catholic marriages are not immune from the terrible epidemic of divorce. Catholic couples today desperately need a transfusion of spiritual truths combined with solid practical advice.  Secrets of Turning Water into Wine  offers a warm catechesis that illustrates how God’s plan for marriage can free us to experience deep, lasting, and soul-satisfying love in our everyday lives. Weekend or one-day marriage preparation programs might not give couples all the information they need or want.  Secrets of Turning Water into Wine  shows how Biblical principles c

Sunday Morning by Thomas Waterman Wood (Wikimedia Commons) How can we know that God will hear and answer our prayers? I learned a new word the other day that I want to share with you: impetration. Impetration is a prayer that God infallibly answers. The concept comes from such New Testament passages as this: Ask and you will receive. Seek and you will find. Knock and the door will be opened to you.” (Mt. 7:7) Now we know from experience that God does not answer every prayer. Or, as we like to say, He sometimes answers with a “no.” So where is the fulfillment of this verse? St. Thomas Aquinas taught that there are four requirements for impetration: We must be praying for ourselves, since freewill is involved. We must be praying for something necessary for salvation (but theologians include in this all the goods that could help us grow in grace). We must pray piously–in Jesus’ name, with humility, trust, and attention. We must persevere in prayer wh

Columban Fr Noel O'Neill with Myeong Sek in Kore The  Universal Prayer Intention of Pope Francis  for September is  That the mentally disabled may receive the love and help they need for a dignified life . Fr Noel O'Neill is a Columban priest from Limerick, Ireland, who has been in Korea since 1957. In  this article  from the September-October 2014 issue of  MISYONonline.com , the magazine of the Columbans in the Philippines that I have been editing for 12 years now, he shows how he has been living this prayer intention - and how he himself has received love and help for a dignified life from two persons in particular, among others, whom he describes as 'differently abled' and who were on the fringes of society because others didn't recognise the gifts that God had given them. With Myeong Sek at the grave of  You Ha Myeong Sek, Theresa, was special. She was special because she was differently abled. She was special because it was she who a