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Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few.” Matthew 9: 37 Take a quiz: The phone rings.  Caller ID shows that someone from Church is calling you.  What do you do? a) Think of an excuse quickly because you know that they are looking for volunteers. b) Realize that because you are not going to tell the truth you will have to go to confession, and since it’s Lent you will have to go to confession anyway, if you have time, so that’s okay, but you don’t have time. c) You don’t answer the phone and let it go to voice mail because you don’t have time to help out at church.  (Whew!  You don’t have to lie because you didn’t answer the phone.) d) Answer the phone, but you do feel guilty because you don’t want to help out, I mean don’t have time. e) You answer the phone and politely say “No” to the appeal for help. Read More At:  His Unending Love

Dr. Regis Martin of Franciscan University of Steubenville is tired of Lent. Watch what he has to say here: I have a confession to make: I agree with him.  Here we are at day 17 of the Lenten season and I am tired of Lent. I am worn out by the struggle of giving up my favorite beverage. Like Dr. Martin, I am embarrassed by undertaking such a pathetic fast to begin with, when others around me seem so much more ambitious in their disciplines.  I am disappointed that all my Examinations of Conscience seem to be yielding little change in my day to day behaviors.  I am frustrated that my prayer time seems dry and quite honestly, a bit of a struggle. Each morning I find myself asking: "How many days are left?" Lent isn't easy. Jesus' 40 days in the desert were no picnic and not without temptation.... Read more here...

I’ve been writing, furiously, for April. I am participating in the A to Z challenge , writing through the alphabet entire in Catholic, with a twist, of course. About a month or so ago, I created an editorial calendar with ideas for each letter that I could research and write about. The twist, is that I also want to provide a reflection from my point of view, that could be slightly different for the myriad of readers and bloggers participating (over 1,500). This is pretty daunting. How can you keep anyone’s attention for longer than a paragraph? How do you do it if the reader is wholly uninterested in organized religion, let alone Christianity and specifically, Catholicism. That’s my hook. That’s my twist. What does that mean? It means everything. It’s what being Catholic, for me, means. Kata- according to, holos- the whole.  According to the whole . It’s not, as  Eddie Izzard  (whom I do love, by the way) defines in his stand up: “Catholicism, we believed in the teachings of Catho

The feast of the Annunciation of the Lord, March 25th,  celebrates the angel Gabriel’s appearance to Mary, announcing that she has been chosen to be the Mother of  God. Most of all it celebrates Mary’s  fiat,  her willing acceptance of God’s  plan, even though she is young, a virgin and in would face censure becoming pregnant in her culture. (Luke 1:26-38) The expressions on Mary’s face range from her initial fear, reverence, peaceful acceptance to her receiving of the Holy Spirit. Nicolas Poussin. The Annunciation. c.1655 Orazio  Gentileschi,The Annunciation 1623 The feast of the Annunciation dates back at least to the fifth century, and the d ate of the feast, which is determined by the date  of  Christmas, was set at March 25 by the seventh century.  The Annunciation, as much as or even more so than Christmas, represents Christ’s Incarnation. When Mary signaled to Gabriel her acceptance of God’s Will, Christ was conceived in her womb through the power of the Holy S

You've probably heard the expression, "we all have our own cross to bear."  No matter what denomination of Christianity you belong to, "bearing one's cross," is a significant part of that journey. I've been hearing that expression frequently lately.  I have friends going through some heartbreaking life situations.  Some of them have accepted their situation as their "cross to bear," and others ... well, they are not sure what to make of what life has thrown at them.  One friend literally looks like a deer in the headlights. You can read the rest at Being Catholic ... Really .

We four returned this afternoon from Pittsburgh, where we toured the University of Pittsburgh campus for an admitted students' day, ate at Primanti Brothers, and attended Mass at the Newman Catholic Center. A few insights: First, Pitt is a wonderful place. I had to stop myself from buying one of these sweatshirts; our oldest still is mulling his options for college and whether he prefers a large university to a small liberal arts college. Keep Reading...

I love this so much! The Cloistered Heart: A Bell and an Open Vein : One facet of monastic life that looks greener on the other side of the fence (to me) is the call to prayer.  The bell rings, it&#39...

One facet of monastic life that looks greener on the other side of the fence (to me) is the call to prayer.  The bell rings, it's prayer time, and there's no putting it off.  No opening a newspaper, no checking the morning news, no doing 'just this one thing' before settling down to pray. I don't know about you, but if I do just one thing before giving God a few minutes, all too often one thing turns into ten, and before I know it, 'things' have crowded out prayer altogether.  Again...... (read more)

We will soon be celebrating the feast of the Annunciation. The author of ‘ The Cloud of Unknowing’ draws to our attention that the very moment Mary made her Fiat, the Word was instantly made flesh in her womb….because there were no barriers. But we spend a lifetime trying to give birth to Christ in us. I believe in everything from instant coffee, instant Resurrection and even instant miracles, but there is no such thing as instant sanctity. We must first allow the Holy Spirit to purify us of all that prevents us from bringing Christ to birth in us, as he did in Mary. Have a look at my Mini History of Christian Spirituality given at my Lenten talk on 17/3/2014………

Who will support Catholic artists if not the Catholic community? It is time that these artists rise up in the public eye. It is time for a revival of Catholic art and literature. In this spirit I present one of my newest discoveries, wonderful Catholic art by talented artists at  Trinity Stores : Religious Artwork and Icons.  This online store represents  Br. Robert Lentz, OFM ,  Br. Mickey McGrath, OSFS ,  Julie Lonneman ,  Lewis Williams, SFO ,   Dan Paulos ,  Fr. Bob Gilroy, SJ ,  Louis Glanzman  and  Br. Arturo Olivas, SFO . I will feature a few of theses artists this week and next week. Do your self a favour and visit this online store. You will inspired by the talent and quality of these Catholic artists who need our support to continue their work. Trinity is running a the Crowd Funding Campaign. "I truly believe the Campaign is of interest due to the great Perks we offer such as signed prints and plaques and even original artworks from our 8 artists.  Owning a signed

Today's Gospel is probably my favorite story in the Bible and holds a very special place in my heart. You can read my take on this story here at Being Catholic ... Really .

People often face despair. Some more than others, and for longer periods than others. Periods when darkness haunts our lives for days on end. Sometimes, people suffering with incurable disease and constant pain decide they can take it no more and choose to end their lives. Others, in what they perceive to be totally unsolvable situations in total despair decide to commit suicide. Please continue reading HERE

Christ and the Samaritan Woman Bernardo Strozzi [ 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 4:5-42 [or John 4: 5:15, 19B-26, 39A, 40-52]  ( New Revised Standard Version, Catholic Edition , Canada)    [Shorter form of the Gospel: omit what is in square brackets] So Jesus came to a Samaritan city called Sychar, near the plot of ground that Jacob had given to his son Joseph.   Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, tired out by his journey, was sitting by the well. It was about noon. A Samaritan woman came to draw water, and Jesus said to her, “Give me a drink.”   (His disciples had gone to the city to buy food.)   The Samaritan woman said to him, “How is it that you, a Jew, ask a drink of me, a woman of Samaria?” (Jews do not share things in common with Sam

2 Corinthians 3:18 - And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being changed into his likeness from one degree of glory to another; for this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.  There is an ebb and flow in the spiritual life. As long as we are on this earth, we will always be in a process of transformation and being perfected in love. Sometimes the Lord will give us the freedom to fly for a bit but then he calls us back to himself and wraps us once again in a cocoon of grace and places us next to his heart. In the process of surrendering and placing our trust in Him we are transformed from glory to glory. We begin to see Him more clearly and know His will by getting in touch with His heartbeat. The more we become familiar with the heartbeat of God, the more effective we will be in advancing the Kingdom. We will also become better intercessors and better ambassadors of his love. It is then that we see our prayers being answered.  Continue Reading >

Have you been to "Stations" this Lent? The Stations of the Cross at  St. Thérèse Chinese Catholic Church  can be prayed starting at 7 PM every Friday during Lent.  A fish fry dinner is served at 6 PM if you are coming straight from work.  At 8 PM there are special presentations by guest speakers. If you have not been able to attend Stations, you can do so here at Being Catholic ... Really .

Just like C.S. Lewis, I was  Surprised by Joy . Of course there are certain serious Catholic bloggers who have a problem with my spirituality. Often traditional, Pre-Vatican ll prophets of doom, who religiously fast and recite prescribed set prayers for hours each day, take exception to my childlike spirit of joy. Yet this path was not of my choosing. I craved a life which would embrace an intense regime of self-sacrifice as a consecrated, contemplative religious.  When God called me to marriage and to be a mother, I really did feel like I was accepting second best. Then, twenty years ago, a consecrated, contemplative who served in a  listening house,  said to me, ” You really have been given the best of both worlds. You are married with children yet you are living the contemplative life.” Her response still brings tears to my eyes. To live a childlike spirituality of joy is not easy for a modern day adult.  Of course St. Therese understood this humble, little way

Christians often like to say that God will not give you more than you can handle. They are well meaning people who usually like to say this to someone who is going through a tough time. Personally, I do not find these words encouraging. I think this idea comes from the scripture about God not testing us beyond our strength (1Cor.10:13). However, I see these as two different things. In my own life, I know that God has often given me more than I could handle. The reason however is so that I will learn to lean back in him and rely on his grace. I think if we limit ourselves to the things we think we can handle, we could really be missing out in life and limiting God.   Read more here .

As sinners, we are all tempted before we sin.  The problem is there is not way to prevent being tempted.  It is the way it is.  However, when temptation strikes, there are ways to help us resist satan’s temptations. Step 1. When temptations come:  Pause.  Whether the temptation is to anger or sex, simply pause.  Step 2: Think about the temptation.   Is what you are contemplating or reacting to sinful? Step 3: Ask your self, what would God want you to do?  Would he want you to yell an obscenity at the other driver?  Would God want you to lust after another person?  Step 4: Ask the Holy Spirit for the graces to resist the temptation. Step 5: Say:  Hail Mary, Full of Grace, the Lord is with you.  Blessed are you among women, and Blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus.  Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death.  Amen. Step 6:  If necessary, skip steps 1-4 and go directly to step 5.  Use step 5 as often as you need to during the day. 

At Our House: St. Joseph's Day Feasting As I drove to the 65,000-square-foot wholesale bakery at the top of a hill, I could smell the bread baking, even behind my van's closed windows. Inside the retail store of  Anthony and Sons,  there were more smells - and sights - of bread baking. Some of my students work here and I have never visited. Today, being St. Joseph's Day, I decided to. I never tire of discovering the treasure troves of my faith; tonight my parish will celebrate with a special Mass so we might contemplate the man who raised the son of God. Keep Reading

Woman marries dog. Just another weird story, or a sign that marriage has lost validity as an institution? 47-year-old British divorcee Amanda Rodgers married her female Jack Russell terrier, Sheba, in a ceremony in Croatia, and the couple are now making rounds on  the British talk show circuit . Two hundred people attended the overseas ceremony, reported the  New York Daily News . It is unclear whether the well-wishers were merely curiosity-seekers or whether they truly believed that Ms. Rodgers (and the dog) had found their respective soulmates. In proposing marriage to Sheba, Ms. Rodgers followed the traditional custom of going down on one knee. "I could tell by her tail wagging that she said 'yes,'"  explained Ms. Rodgers . (For more on how to ascertain the consent of non-humans to marriage proposals, see my earlier article on the subject  here .) Ms. Rodgers married a man 20 years ago, but the marriage only lasted a few months. Although Sheba and Ms. Rodg

Marilyn Joan Pientka, aka Mimi or Auntie M started her blog when she was going through cancer three years ago, which is about the time she became a Catholic.   She is down to earth and has a humorous side in sharing information on her blog ( www.thoughtfulreflection.com ), which includes titles such as “My Cancer Story”, “Spiritual Encouragement”, “Why I became a Catholic”.   Her Facebook page called “The Catholic Way” shares spiritual encouragement and information about misconceptions many Protestants have about the Catholic Church with the mission of unity and understanding. Marilyn has been married to a wonderful husband for 36 years.   They are blessed with one daughter and son-in-law along with three beautiful grandchildren. They are facilitators for “God’s Plan for a Joy Filled Marriage”, a marriage preparation class within the Diocese of Madison WI.   She has volunteered for various organizations over the years and currently volunteers for the Women’s Care Center in Madi

This Lent I’m doing some different things. Or maybe I should say I’m doing things differently. Regardless of my intentions, I’ve noticed that the last few Lenten Seasons (and Advent, too) have started out as gangbusters but then have really petered out. I’m reminded of the saying “The road to Hell is paved with good intentions.” Talking with some friends, I’ve found that it is a far more common occurrence then most of us are willing to admit. We purchase the Lenten book, we buy all the pieces for the Advent wreath, we envision the holy and anointed times that will take place in our homes and in our hearts during these sacred seasons. Of course, the more we plan, the more likely we are to fail. After all, 40 days is a long time to stay committed. It is test of endurance and we unwittingly set ourselves up for failure because we aren’t always realistic in what we set out to do. So this Lent, I’m doing something different: I'm setting myself up for success. continue readin

Prayer to Saint Joseph - HERE

A little over a year ago, I wrote  my first post dealing with religion and faith . At that time, and maybe a few times since then, I made a vague reference to some things that happened in my life that led me to begin to pray and search for something more than atheism had to offer. I wasn't really sure if I would ever share what happened as the impetus to my conversion. It might seem odd, considering all that I write about here, but I'm pretty private about certain things. But I've started to think that maybe I'd like to write about my conversion story. The whole thing. So naturally, in doing so I'd need to begin at the beginning. The beginning of this story starts with a positive pregnancy test. Read the rest of this post HERE .

God turns broken pieces into master pieces Discovered on Prayer for  Devotions

Mary Casset: breaking out into reality This move of the Spirit is quiet, subtle and entirely grassroots.  The stars have fallen. The big names have grown old. Society is weary of huge, dazzling Christian shows. People crave reality. Evangelism has gone through many stages to reach the place we are today.Up until the late 60′s, evangelists were mainly preachers of the Word. In the Protestant camp, Billy Graham shone the brightest while for Catholics,the first name that pops into my head as an example is Bishop Fulton Sheen and his radio program.These men focused on an evangelism of the word, a preached sermon or talk with the purpose of convincing people to repent, change and commit their lives to God. The primary way the Holy Spirit touched people in large crowds in the 70′s, 80′ and 90′s was through power evangelism. Rather than preaching long sermons, the evangelists who drew the largest crowds were prophets and healers. The Spirit fell in a tangible way.This was no

  Jesus, as I go about my day today, I will have many opportunities to put others ahead of myself. Help me to recognize those times and to respond as you would have me respond. My husband was working until around 9:30 p.m. one night last week, and I was eagerly anticipating bedtime. I love being a stay-at-home mom to my six children, ages 7 to 5 months. That is, I love it from around 7:15 (after the first cup of coffee) until around 4 p.m. (I'm not alone in thinking that the late afternoon brings out the worst in just about everyone...me included!). Luckily, after dinner is served, the mood around the house tends to pick up again until around 7 p.m. But, that time starts an hour of utter chaos! Even I if don't bathe all the children (it is easier to pick a few who aren't too stinky in the winter when they're not running around outside all day!), it is still a huge challenge to get everyone changed int

Elijah Wood as Frodo Baggins Today’s post is a throwback to last year’s series Finding God in Children’s Literature. J. R. R. Tolkein’s Lord of the Rings trilogy is not children’s literature, per se, but is suitable for reading aloud with the entire family. I’ve been thinking about a passage from The Fellowship of the Ring lately, and Sunday’s reading on Abraham fits perfectly with it. If your mind wanders to books during Mass, let it be to great literature that can teach you lessons about the spiritual life! (Yes, I admit I was thinking about Frodo at Church.) Traveling to an unknown land “The LORD said to Abram: ‘Go forth from the land of your kinsfolk and from your father’s house to a land that I will show you’” (Genesis 12:1).  To fully understand the import of this verse, we must look to the New Testament. By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place which he was to receive as an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was

I love those who love me, and those who seek me diligently find me. Proverbs 8:17 At the back of our property, I usually left the car parked and unlocked because we lived in a safe neighborhood.  One day, I opened the door of my car and there on the front seat was a pamphlet that read "The Whore of Babylon" and it went on to read all sorts of accusations against the Catholic church.  My first reaction was shock!  Why would someone open my car door and  leave a pamphlet in my car?  Was this a threat to my family?   The pamphlet had some pretty strong words against the Catholic Church.  My second reaction was... Go to: www.thoughtfulreflection.com to read more.

St Patrick   St Benin's Church, Kilbennan, County Galway, Ireland [ Wikipedia ] 'Ego Patricius peccator rusticissimus . . . Mise Pádraig, peacach róthuatach . . . I Patrick, a sinner, a most simple countryman . . .' The opening words of St Patrick's  Confession  in Latin, Irish and English. Please pray earnestly to St Patrick for a renewal of the Christian faith in Ireland.  Extracts from St Patrick's  Confessio   [ Christian Classics Ethereal Library ] I, Patrick, a sinner, a most simple countryman, the least of all the faithful and most contemptible to many, had for father the deacon Calpurnius, son of the late Potitus, a priest, of the settlement [vicus] of Bannavem Taburniae; he had a small villa nearby where I was taken captive. I was at that time about sixteen years of age. I did not, indeed, know the true God; and I was taken into captivity in Ireland with many thousands of people, according to our deserts, for quite drawn away from