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The next stop on my Touring Chicago's beautiful churches is  Holy Family .  Holy Family began its journey in 1857 when  Fr. Arnold Damen  began it's construction. You can read the rest of the article at Being Catholic ... Really .

In a society where secular values bombard our children, Catholics must encourage those who create Catholic culture so we can introduce our children to their rich heritage.  Of course we should become aware of great Catholic artists, authors, bloggers and columnists but we must actively support those artists who craft beautiful toys for our kids, toys which promote Catholic values in a way which appeals to real kids. .  I am  personally delighted with the look of a doll created by Kiczek Family, Their first doll is  the young and beautiful St. Theresa. . As a mum, I just know she will appeal to little girls, inspiring them to identify with her. St. Theresa’s story is a wonderful springboard for imaginative play. continue

Generous to a fault – Have you ever heard that phrase? It describes a person who gives until he has nothing else to give; he gives from the heart for the benefit of others. He gives in a self-sacrificing manner, making the gesture magnanimous. The saints are great examples of people who do things for the right reason, with the right intention – that of self-sacrificing love. Saint Francis of Assisi is one of the most magnanimous saints, according to Father Romano Guardini: The perfection of expression can be seen in the saints. God appears in them. But since man is the image of God, and God is the model of man, this manifestation also reveals the essential nature of man, of every man. He becomes truly himself. How did St. Francis of Assisi become truly himself? By not... Read more...  

Early in the second season of  Parenthood,  there is a situation where we see a struggle for power between parents and child. The characters Joel and Julia's six year old daughter, Sydney, all of a sudden becomes a self-declared Vegetarian. She can, therefore, justify refusing the chicken on her plate that night at dinner,  especially  since a friend at school has convinced her that eating meat is morally wrong, and disgusting.  After her parents struggle a bit with how to respond, and after telling her she needs her protein and the whole bit, they decide to be completely supportive of her position, for various reasons. However, the next night, her Grandparents are slated to babysit her, and they bring a big pan of lasagna along.  The parents- feeling greatly defeated- explain her decision, and say that they desire to be supportive.   {read the rest at Picture a Skyline}

What is the difference between your job, whatever it may be, and Christ making a wooden table? Find out HERE

I've again posted a video that captures, more than anything I've ever found, The Cloistered Heart as I have 'seen' it.... No matter where we are, no matter how dense the crowds or chaotic the traffic, in the cloisters of our hearts we can sing..... (click here to continue)

This post is about sex, Catholic Style. Now that I've got your attention, a little background. I'm a Catholic: an adult convert, so I'm rather gung-ho about my faith. This post is longer than most 'Sunday' ones: mostly because I discuss a recent Supreme Court decision in the context of love, free will, and Addams Family Values... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

Young Jew as Christ , Rembrandt, c.1656 Stattliche Museen, Berlin [ Web Gallery of Art ] Gospel   Mark 6:7-13  New Revised Standard Version, Catholic Edition , Can.  Jesus  called the twelve and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits.   He ordered them to take nothing for their journey except a staff; no bread, no bag, no money in their belts;   but to wear sandals and not to put on two tunics.   He said to them, “Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you leave the place.   If any place will not welcome you and they refuse to hear you, as you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet as a testimony against them.”   So they went out and proclaimed that all should repent.   They cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them. Green Drove, Pewsey , with the Pewsey White Horse, south of the village Today's gospel reminds me of experi...

My Beloved Child,      Do you realize how much I love you?  You are precious in My eyes.  You are a jewel in the crown of My Mother.  You are a delicate flower moistened by gentle rain on a spring morning.  I hold you in my hand.  Your name really is carved in my palm and  is etched in the stars above heaven.      I love you, and I long to be with you.  I crave the moments when we are united in prayer.  I seek you out so that our hearts may be joined as one.  I long to hear about your day.  I long to hear you tell Me that you love Me!  I thirst for you.  I seek to envelope you in My joy, My Love, My Sacred Heart! Read More At::  His Unending Love

We are accustom to beautiful images of Mary picturing her as a white, European. However, she was from the Middle East and most likely looked Middle Eastern. Artist’s models and concepts of beauty are influenced by their culture.  Now artists are emerging who are painting Mary as if she was born in their country because they can relate and connect better to the living Mary when their prayer is triggered by an image they are familiar with.  The results are stunning, opening our hearts and souls to different qualities and graces of Mary.  continue

Most of us mean well, but, often, we mess it up when we try to comfort those who are suffering greatly, those who have lost a loved one, those whose pain we cannot know because we haven’t walked in their shoes. Holy Spirit, please fill us with Your love, and remind us that, sometimes, the best thing we can say is nothing. Remind us that holding a hand, touching a shoulder, giving a hug, say more than mere words could. Read More at: Prayerfully Yours

New Horizons is closer to Pluto than it was when I started writing this post, and should send back about 5,000 times as much data as Mariner did in its Mars flyby, 50 years ago. ( BBC News ) The ESA's Philae lander 'woke up' last month, but the big news from the Rosetta mission are Comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko's sinkholes: and the jets of gas and dust coming from at least some of them. More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

Today, my neighbor told me that she was dehydrating rhubarb so that she could make tea with it later. My rhubarb has produced abundantly this year, and there is a lot still on the plant, so I came home and picked the best of what remained. My neighbor told me how to dehydrate the rhubarb, but I had a better idea. I pulled out a small, tabletop oven that I own and use for many other baking ideas. I thought, this would be a quick way to dehydrate the rhubarb rather than waiting 6-10 hours for it to dehydrate in the oven. As you can see, the results were less than successful. I burnt the rhubarb. It tastes burnt. I’m going to throw it out. This rhubarb is not fit for tea. Read more at:: Prayerfully Yours

Well, people are writing with fear and panic underlying their comments and  articles in the face of the States sanctioning same-sex marriages. Why?  We are people of hope, not doomsayers or fearmongers. Christ has already triumphed over sin and death. We are  not called to focus on disasters, on evil, on sin. Christ commanded us to refrain from condemnation and judgment so  we will not be judged and condemned by our Master.  Our mandate is simple; allow the Light of Christ to grow ever more brightly within us, especially as the darkness deepens. Then we will be a light unto the world. He will conquer darkness through us. We are simply channels of truth, light and mercy. This is the central message of the New Testament. continue

Ahhh....summer vacation - long relaxing days at the pool, followed by barbecues, late nights and no schedules.  Sounds like a dream - right? Yes and no. If the overload of summer fun along with its corresponding lack of routine is getting you down, you are not alone.  Here are 7 suggestions for managing summer overload without turning into the poolside version of the Grinch! Read more here....

Mother Teresa is the model for the virtue of magnanimity. Yet, my guess is that most of us know little about this noble virtue. So let’s start with a definition: Magnanimity : The virtue which prompts one to do morally good acts of exceptional quality. Magnanimous persons are disposed to perform actions of extraordinary generosity, kindness, fortitude and charity; not in order to gain fame, glory or recognition, but simply to do what is right, good, just or needed. Magnanimous actions are usually only possible for those who, as a matter of habit and custom, practice the other virtues with great regularity and ease. Magnanimity supports and enhances Fortitude, and it is one of the highest forms of charitable self-sacrifice. 1   The best, contemporary example of magnanimous behavior would be Blessed Mother Teresa. She lived and breathed the virtue of magnanimity by practicing all of the other virtues. She shunned fame, and lived amongst the poorest of the poor. She gave of h...

This week I came across a book that was a collection of little known facts in the Bible. It reminded me of the time I heard that God shut the door of Noah's ark after all were boarded. Really? I had to look it up and, sure enough, there it was. (See Genesis 7:16.) At this morning's Mass we heard the story of Jacob wrestling with God, and again, a detail I didn't realize before stood out. When Jacob politely asked God's name, the only response he received was "Why is it it that you ask my name?" Now why did God tell his name to Moses but not to Jacob, I wonder. If you're like me, sometimes when Scripture is proclaimed at Mass I think, "I know that story," and I tune out. Instead of listening attentively for God's message, maybe I plan my next writing project or decide what to have for dinner. This is not smart, for our memories have holes in them, and besides, no matter how often we read or hear God's word, there is always s...

Homeschool moms, how is your planning coming along?  I have to be honest, I am way behind usual.  I am a planner. I started planning Christmas 2015 in November, 2014.  Yet, I'm having trouble getting this year together.  With all that has happened in my personal life and the world at large this past year, I'm feeling unfocused and a little lost. SO , to kick me into gear, I am starting a series of posts on the unit studies I am designing for next year.  I am going to try to keep up with my Wednesday Works of Mercy Bouquet posts, and run this series on Fridays as Seven Quick Takes posts.  I hope that makes sense. Continued on Veils and Vocations.

I just returned home from my eleventh annual week away at Catholic Heart Work Camp with teens and adult leaders from the parish where I am the Youth Minister. So much happened in those few days that I am still processing. It is impossible to explain a week at Work Camp to someone who has never been there.  To truly understand, it has to be experienced. Together we worked hard, played hard, sweat, got dirty, stood in long lines for the showers, got uncomfortable, found our way around a new place, ate what was provided, lost things, found things, did without caffeine, struggled with the wi-fi, got tense, learned patience, slept on the floor, woke up freezing,  made new friendships and deepened others,  danced, sang, adored, confessed, cried, wiped tears, embraced,  smiled, laughed, held hands, and  prayed... Read more:  http://www.restfulwaters.net/lessons-from-camp/

Thousands of people will pour into Philadelphia this September to celebrate the Eighth World Meeting of Families with Pope Francis.  On June 25 , the Vatican officially presented the theme for the event: Love is our mission: the family fully alive Lovely! On the other hand, do I want my family to be  fully  alive? That sounds like a handful. There are, after all, so many ways to be alive. My neighbor is alive at 6:50 am every Saturday and Sunday, cleaning his deck with a leaf blower powered by an engine from a Boeing 747. Alive was the man who cut me off in traffic yesterday, swearing at me colorfully through his open window. Children who fight over whose turn it is to wash the dishes? Very much alive. © ezepov/Getty Images Sometimes "alive" feels more like "undead." But the World Meeting theme recalls the famous line by the second century theologian St. Irenaeus: "The the Glory of God is man fully alive." Pope St. John Paul II admired Irenae...

In my parish, there are a group of women who pray the rosary daily for our priests. We each have one decade to pray daily. In that way, we pray all the mysteries of the Rosary in one day for our priests. Pray for priests daily whether you pray a rosary, a decade of the rosary, or general prayers for priests. Here are some prayers you might like to pray, too. These prayers come from a collection by the Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia out of Nashville, Tennessee. Here’s the link to the pdf which you can download. Click HERE Read more at: Prayerfully Yours

Life gives us opportunities, blessings, trials and tribulations. Life is a journey; both physical and spiritual. It’s what we do with this life that matters most. How does one persevere in life when there are so many challenges, obstacles and hurdles to overcome? And why must they even exist? Why can’t life be just peachy? There is a simple answer to these questions: Without the challenges, obstacles and hurdles, you wouldn’t grow spiritually. Also, without difficulties in this life, you would take the opportunities and blessings for granted. You would take God for granted! Perseverance is such a necessary virtue. Anything worthwhile usually does not come instantly. It comes after we have put a lot of blood, sweat and tears into the situation. If we give up too soon, we... Read more...

Our first stop this summer in my continuing series, Touring Chicago's Beautiful Churches, is  Notre Dame de Chicago .   Notre Dame is the "round" church in the  "Little Italy"  neighborhood. You can read the rest at Being Catholic ... Really .

Curé of Ars    Saint Luke Productions  live plays are intellectually stimulating and an encouragement to devote more time to the study of the lives of the Saints. We were greatly inspired by Vianney  the dramatic performance of the vocation and life of the Cur é  of Ars. This presentation about the patron saint of parish priests enlightened us to the many holy victories won by perseverance in prayer and faithfulness to the sacramental life.

On our recent vacation, we were traveling from our vacation spot in South Carolina, back to our home in Tennessee, and we stopped at a Dairy Queen.  Inside, the restaurant, Christian music was playing over the loud speaker, and they had a statue of Jesus on the counter.  I was thinking, only in the South is a national chain also affiliated with Jesus Christ! Weird, right?!  What struck me was my three-year-old daughter's reaction to the statue. Her eyes lit up, and she turned to her Daddy and said, "Look! JESUS!!!"  This instance happened, coincidentally the day after the shootings in Charleston, South Carolina. This jives with all that I've been thinking about lately. Having my priorities in the right place, doing this parenting thing in love. Because if we're awesome parents, but we are not teaching them about Jesus, and holiness and most of all love, we are  nothing .  If we aren't teaching them the fear of the Lord and obedience to His Word, the...

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I've run into — and experienced — many flavors of angst over the decades. Back in my 'good old days,' some folks feared the communist menace, others the population bomb and imminent death of all the ocean's fish. And there's that perennial favorite — the End Times Bible Prophecy. ( June 9, 2012 ; October 3, 2009 ) I take the last things — death, judgment, Heaven and Hell — quite seriously. (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1021 - 1022 , 1023 - 1029 , 1033 - 1037 , 1681 - 1683 ) But recognizing that there's a really big closing ceremony for Creation 1.0 coming up — the Last Judgment — doesn't mean I think someone knows more than God the Father. ( Mark 13:32 - 37 ; 1038 - 1041 ) More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

This week, as my friends and colleagues can attest, I have been battling a rather persistent cold which has chosen to seize my vocal cords and keep me up at night. Lack of a solid night’s sleep and my stubborn refusal to call it a day or throw in the towel has not been helpful either. Yet, in waking this morning I had to smile. For in my stubborn courage, or selfless foolishness as some might see it, I realized that I had become the epitome of my own mother.   My mom, I know, had to have been sick at times, but as the sole provider I cannot ever really remember her taking off work. As a farm girl, she was conditioned to rise before dawn and work until sunset, giving her all to each and every day. Though later an adult, her modis operendi had not changed and if I slept past six, I could look forward to a discussion of  how I had chosen to sleep the better part of the day away. There was, in her mind, much to do, to be done, and discover in the day that could not be done wh...

Keiko Shemura, First Communion Day, Dec. 1971, she  died April 1972, aged 14 Gospel   Mark 6:1-6  ( New Revised Standard Version, Catholic Edition ) Jesus left that place and came to his hometown, and his disciples followed him.   On the sabbath he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astounded. They said, “Where did this man get all this? What is this wisdom that has been given to him? What deeds of power are being done by his hands!   Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary   and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon, and are not his sisters here with us?” And they took offense   at him.   Then Jesus said to them, “Prophets are not without honor, except in their hometown, and among their own kin, and in their own house.”   And he could do no deed of power there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and cured them.   And he was amazed at their unbelief. Cherry blossoms...