Association Of Catholic Bloggers

Who are we as women? How does motherhood change us? How have we been called? These are the universal questions that women ask as mothers. I love the response of one mothering friend who said I am more than just a mom, I am still ME! And that speaks to how motherhood changes us. It changes us subtly, profoundly and permanently: We will always be someones mother. Let's explore how we can be mother and still be ourselves. It is important that we look at our Baptismal roles. Through them we have idea of our mission with God, our responsibility to our family, community and self, and finally how these help us understand that all our roles are important and essential in creating who we are now and will become in the future. First let's look at the role of Priest. For those of us who are Roman Catholic, we understand that a Priest has a distinct role as minister to the community, to be of service to the community, to build up the community. These are all very nurturing aspe...

Readings ( New American Bible : Philippines, USA) Gospel , Matthew 21:28-32 ( Jerusalem Bible : Australia, England & Wales, India [optional], Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland, South Africa.) Jesus said to the chief priests and the elders of the people: 'What is your opinion? A man had two sons. He went and said to the first, "My boy, you go and work in the vineyard today". He answered, "I will not go", but afterwards thought better of it and went. The man then went and said the same thing to the second who answered, "Certainly, sir", but did not go. Which of the two did the father's will?' 'The first' they said. Jesus said to them, 'I tell you solemnly, tax collectors and prostitutes are making their way into the kingdom of God before you. For John came to you, a pattern of true righteousness, but you did not believe him, and yet the tax collectors and prostitutes did. Even after seeing that, you refused to think ...

Fr Finbarr Maxwell, a Columban from Dublin who worked before in Pakistan and is studying in the USA at present, drew this painting to my attention when he gave a group of us here in the Philippines a retreat three or four years ago. The gospel of today's Mass for the Feast of St Matthew has a starkness and urgency about it. It's not how most of us hear our vocation or call, whatever it may be, from Jesus. Fr Mike McGovern in the video points out that while Jesus and St Peter are dressed as men of their time and place, Matthew and his companions are dressed as contemporaries of Caravaggio. In other words, Jesus calls us where we are and in our times. Matthew 9:9-13 (RSV Catholic Edition) As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax office; and he said to him, "Follow me." And he rose and followed him. And as he sat at table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat down with Jesus and his dis...

I’m a planner. I like to be in control, to know what is going on now, and what is going to happen later. Fear and pride are at the heart of this of course, but the myth I tell myself is that only I can do it right. I have been on a slow journey to a goal. I believe that God has made the pursuit of this goal possible. It has to be God, because too many diverse circumstances resulted in just the right situation at the perfect time, incorporating several people and events – far too complex for me to have orchestrated. And yet. And yet I still hold on tight to the reigns; I still fret and worry and wonder and scheme. On top of that, I have noticed a disappointing tendency in myself: while I try to wrest control of my life away from God, I also expect Him to do most of the work, like the man who prays to the saints to help him win the lottery, but never buys a ticket. I’d been expecting to hear positive news regarding the goal I mentioned earlier. In this particular instance, I ...

+ Stella Maris +: Dana to run as Irish President : Dana - Rosemary Scallon - is making another attempt to be elected President of Ireland. Ireland needs her now more than ever. If it happens ...

. St Andrew Kim Taegon , (1821-1846), Myeongdong Cathedral, Seoul St Andrew Kim Taegon's last words : This is my last hour of life, listen to me attentively : if I have held communication with foreigners, it has been for my religion and for my God. It is for Him that I die. My immortal life is on the point of beginning. Become Christians if you wish to be happy after death, because God has eternal chastisements in store for those who have refused to know Him . Today the Church honours the 103 Korean martyrs canonized on 6 May 1984 by Blessed Pope John Paul II in Seoul. However, around 8,000 Korean Catholics were martyred during periodic persecutions between 1839 and 1868. Among the 8,000 was the grandfather of the first Korean cardinal.  In an article published in July-August 2009 in  Misyon , which I edit for the Columbans in the Philippines, after the death of Cardinal Kim Columban Fr Donal O'Keeffe told this extraordinary story:  Kim Sou-Hwan (Stephen) was b...

I have always felt that Maxime de la Rocheterie's description of Marie-Antoinette is one of the best: She was not a guilty woman, neither was she a saint; she was an upright, charming woman, a little frivolous, somewhat impulsive, but always pure; she was a queen, at times ardent in her fancies for her favourites and thoughtless in her policy, but proud and full of energy; a thorough woman in her winsome ways and tenderness of heart, until she became a martyr. ( The Life of Marie-Antoinette by M. de la Rocheterie, 1893) Marie-Antoinette spent the first fourteen years of her life in Austria, worshiping in Rococo churches and listening to the music of Haydn and the Italian composers. Architecture and music in that time and place celebrated the glory of God in the beauty of His creation. As Queen, her desire to promote beauty around her, especially in the lives of those whom she loved, was an outgrowth of the culture in which she was raised. She loved theater, acting, o...

Our Lady is such a perfect model to imitate! We need look no further than on her many virtues...so many good qualities that we can follow if we only ask for her help. For some of us, it will not be so easy a task but it will be well worth it because in doing so, our dear blessed Mother will lead us to her beloved Son and keep us close to Him. Imitation has its paradoxes. First, you cannot grow in Mary’s likeness unless you simultaneously dislike what makes you unlike her! Once a novice admitted to St. Therese: “I know there are many things I still have to acquire.” The Little Flower responded: “Say rather ‘have to lose!’ For Jesus will fill your soul with splendors in the measure that you disencumber it from its imperfections.” Quotation source There are countless ways we can be more like our Lady. Some of the virtues we should imitate are: - Her Humility - Her Docility - Her Silence - Her Faithfulness to God - Her Gentleness - Her Kindness - Her Compassion - ...

by Sherry Antonetti **First ran in The Catholic Standard, September 11, 2008.  “Will you accept the blessing of children lovingly from God?” In every Catholic wedding, the priest asks the question and the couple responds. There isn’t a caveat or a footnote or an asterisk to that particular answer or question, designed to explain away exceptions or alternatives. It is a promise a couple makes to God in the process of obediently submitting to the sacrament of marriage. The choice to have children was made on that altar amidst family and friends, prayers and flowers. “Yes.” As the mother of eight, soon to be nine children, even total strangers have remarked to me, “You must have wanted a large family.” No. I have to confess, that wasn’t my plan at all. I planned to get a PhD and run a school, and maybe one day teach English at my Alma Mater. That was my plan. I loved my husband to be and we had dutifully gone through the pre-marital inventory, had the interviews with our bish...

 Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard , Johann Christian Brand, (painted 1769) Readings   (New American Bible, used in the Philippines and the USA) Gospel Matthew 20:1-16a (Jerusalem Bible, used in Australia, England and Wales, Ireland, Scotland) 'Now the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner going out at daybreak to hire workers for his vineyard. He made an agreement with the workers for one denarius a day, and sent them to his vineyard. Going out at about the third hour he saw others standing idle in the market place and said to them, "You go to my vineyard too and I will give you a fair wage". So they went. At about the sixth hour and again at about the ninth hour, he went out and did the same. Then at about the eleventh hour he went out and found more men standing round, and he said to them, "Why have you been standing here idle all day?" "Because no one has hired us" they answered. He said to them, "You go into my vineyard too". I...

I would say that the last two weeks have shown that the faithful at my parish Church are coping admirably with the new Liturgy of the Mass, using laminated Mass cards as a help, for the tme being. Ok, so the rhythm's not quite right yet, but, given time... I can't quite describe my horror as, after Mass this morning, a huge PowerPoint screen, placed directly above the altar, was given a test run. This will be used on Saturday Vigil and Sunday Masses from now on. Such things may be acceptable in protestant, evangelical Churches, but during the Mass??? It is an aesthetic abomination, especially due to its positioning. Our beautiful crucifix of the risen Christ is obscured. I hae made my feelings known to my Priest and Deacon, but I doubt it will make any difference, sadly, even though others share my disquiet and concern. My Priest sais we need to "get up to date with the 21st century", and that "it will help the young people". The "young people"...