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I must start this post by telling you that I have been a friend and fan of Tony Agnesi for approximately four years now. Several years ago, as a fledgling Catholic blogger, I reached out to him, seeking advice. You see, Tony has an awesome blog over at tonyagnesi.com , where he blogs about virtue as well. Where I write more from a theological/academic point of view on virtue, Tony writes from experience. I once asked him, “How do you come up with such great stories? You are quite creative!” His reply, “Those things really happened to me!” God uses Tony, daily, to reach out to the less fortunate; to witness to the faith; and to use his gift for storytelling to reach the hearts of many. In A Storytellers Guide to a Grace Filled Life , we see Tony Agnesi at work in God’s Garden of life. A Storytellers Guide to a Grace Filled Life … captures the best of Tony Agnesi’s stories aimed at showing you how to find God’s Grace in your own life. As a master storyteller, Agnesi shares with u

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Lent is fast approaching. How I see it and what I do is up to me. Ash Wednesday is next week, so I don't have much time to decide. Christians, Catholic and otherwise, in my culture generally change what we eat for this season. I'm a Catholic, so I've got rules. But not all that many. Mostly they're guidelines. I put a link to my territory's rules about diet under ' Fast & Abstinence ' near the end of this post.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

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I have worked with Pete Socks online for years.  Pete is an example of someone who volunteered to serve the Church by writing articles on his blog and for online Catholic sites without pay for years till God opened the door to a full-time paying job creating  Catholic podcasts and helping manage BreadBox Media. He is a humble guy, was a manager at a factory, and a happily married father of five who converted to the Catholic faith in 1996. After a few years, he found himself simply going through the motions, just trudging to weekly Mass.  God had other plans, though. Pete experienced a reconversion when he stumbled on a book by Father Larry Richards and then attended one of his conferences. It was a turning point. Pete had discovered the key to reviving his lackluster faith in books; he began reading voraciously, a book a week, to nourish his spirit. In 2012, he decided to start a self-hosted blog writing book reviews, writing a review each week. continue reading

Scientists figure a comet started breaking up about 12,800 years back. Nothing unusual there. Many comets break up while they're this close to our sun. This time Earth got in the way before the fragments spread out much. Fire rained from the sky, consuming forest and meadow alike. Sounds a bit like Genesis 19:1 , now that I think of it. Except we didn't start building cities until a few millennia later. Or maybe we haven't found our first cities yet. And that's another topic or two.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

Christ as Saviour, El Greco [ Web Gallery of Art ] Readings (New American Bible: Philippines, USA) Readings (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, England & Wales, India, Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland, South Africa) Gospel Mark 1:40-45 (NRSV, Anglicised Catholic Edition) A leper came to Jesus begging him, and kneeling he said to him, ‘If you choose, you can make me clean.’ Moved with pity, Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, and said to him, ‘I do choose. Be made clean!’ Immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean. After sternly warning him he sent him away at once, saying to him, ‘See that you say nothing to anyone; but go, show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.’ But he went out and began to proclaim it freely, and to spread the word, so that Jesus could no longer go into a town openly, but stayed out in the country; and people came to him from every quarter. Dr Carlo Urbani - (1956 - 2004)

Last week the kids and I met Tom at the church for an event. Fifteen minutes before we had to leave a neighbor kid came to the door. It was her birthday so she brought everyone cupcakes. She left and my kids were scarfing down the chocolate cupcakes before we had to leave. Thick globs of chocolate icing ended up on my new rug. We were supposed to leave the house by this time but instead I was frantically scrubbing my rug trying to get the stains out. In the hectic chaos, I guess I forgot to lock the front door.   Continue Reading@ Beautifulthorns>

Can you believe it? Lent is only one week away! We’ve barely left the Christmas season, and we are about to walk the journey, with Christ, to Calvary. Are you prepared to enter the Lenten season? Are you ready to make the most of it? Things You Can Do to Make Your Lent Fruitful Prayer : Make a point to set aside a few minutes each day to pray. If you have enough time to say a full Rosary, great! But, sometimes, the day gets away from us. So, a vow to say a single Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory Be is a commitment I think we all could easily make. Prayer is talking with God. He wants to hear from you! Fasting : At a minimum, make the effort to fast on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. By fasting, I mean a reduced breakfast and lunch, and a full dinner. No desserts! If you can do this on a set day of the week, once weekly during Lent, all the better! Fasting helps us to understand that without God, we are nothing. It is God who provides for us: our homes, our jobs, our food, ever

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Are you weary of snow, slush, and black ice? Are you tired of putting on layers of clothing to protect against the cold? Take heart! Spring is March 20—only a few weeks away. Then it will be time for spring cleaning, when we move the sofa and wash the windows. We are quickly approaching Lent, which is called the springtime of the soul. It’s a time to do some serious spiritual cleaning.The undertaking will not be difficult because we have a willing partner. The Gospel recounts that once a leper said to Jesus, “If you wish, you can make me clean,” and he heard, “I do wish it.” And at Jesus’ touch, the man’s body marred with ugly sores became as good as new. We too can appeal to Jesus to help renew us, and we can be confident that he will respond eagerly. Click to continue

I grew frustrated with quotes from the saints paired with pictures of gloomy saints with their eyes rolled back in their heads. Even worse, are insipid flowers surrounding profound spiritual insights. So, using the free site Pixter, I searched for great Catholic art, sharp, colourful graphics and paired them with some of my favourite……  Continue reading

Solomon and the Queen of Sheba Solomon and the Queen of Sheba, Lorenzo Ghiberti [ Web Gallery of Art ] The first reading in tomorrow's Mass, Wednesday of the Fifth Week in Ordinary Time, is 1 Kings 10:1-10 . It tells of the visit of the Queen of Sheba to King Solomon. Sheba is believed to have been located in modern-day Yemen. When the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon, (fame due to the name of the Lord), she came to test him with hard questions. She came to Jerusalem with a very great retinue, with camels bearing spices, and very much gold, and precious stones; and when she came to Solomon, she told him all that was on her mind. Solomon answered all her questions; there was nothing hidden from the king that he could not explain to her. When the queen of Sheba had observed all the wisdom of Solomon, the house that he had built, the food of his table, the seating of his officials, and the attendance of his servants, their clothing, his valets, and his burnt-offerings that

In today’s Gospel reading from Mark 6:53-56, we hear of Christ giving His healing touch to so many people. More than that though, we learn of the faith of the people who believed that “ they might touch only the tassel on his cloak ” (Matt 6:56) and be healed. And yes, merely touching the tassel of his cloak was sufficient. Fast forward 2,000 years. Do you believe today, that Jesus can heal you? Do you believe in His power? I do! Jesus Christ Responds to Prayer Recently, my sister, a paraplegic, entered the hospital, with medical concerns. Many people said many prayers for her healing. The doctors were concerned because after two tries at some tests, the results were inclusive. Her situation required consultation with experts, to obtain a proper diagnosis. For a few weeks, (over the Christmas holidays), we all held our breath, and said many prayers. Then... Read more... 

Dicen que "Las palabras se las lleva el viento" pero también "que lo escrito, escrito queda Pues bien nos impulsa a escribir este artículo la idea esperanzadora de que alguien que tiene decidido a abortar recapacite y no lo haga. Es un crimen que siempre va acompañado del castigo del remordimiento que quemará su conciencia hasta el final de sus días.  Tengo en mis manos un escrito sobre este tema que se debe al cardenal Wyszhinski, que fue Primado de Polonia y que ya hace años se dio a conocer.  Así escribió el cardenal Wyszhinski : " 5 de OCTUBRE: Hoy comienza mi vida. Mis padres todavía lo ignoran. Soy tan pequeña como una semilla de manzana, pero ya tengo mi vida. Y yo voy a se una niña. Tendré los cabellos rubios y los ojos azules. Todo está dispuesto por anticipado, incluso me gustarán las flores.

Today's tech and social norms aren't what they were in my youth. It's exciting. Or bewildering. Or unstable. Or dynamic. or any of a myriad other options. Change happens, even if I don't approve. What matters is making good choices. More about that later. These are the 'Good Old Days' I'll indulge in nostalgia. Occasionally. Parts of my past are nice places to visit. But I wouldn't like living there. Taking a stroll down memory lane lets me see the best times places, people and experiences. It's a 'best-of' selection. But I certainly don't yearn for the days before social media, smart appliances, and online search software. More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

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Folks in the United Kingdom may be changing their rules for wood and coal fires. Or maybe not. It depends on whether their rules match Europe's. Volkswagen paid researchers to mistreat monkeys and people. Or maybe not. We know the research happened. It's complicated, a bunch of folks are upset, and I'll get back to that. Fireplaces, outdoor grills, and coal-burning furnaces aren't basically bad. Neither is learning how stuff in the air affects animals. And us. But having smoky fires upwind of our neighbors isn't a good idea. Neither is mistreating critters. Or people. More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

After a few decades of dry spiritual exercises, Catholics either become just like the Pharisees who thought they were holy because they acted and looked holy on the outside or if they are honest with themselves, they become so frustrated they lose hope, believing communion with God is only for ancient saints or a few chosen ones. Most settle for a man-made spirituality when God offers all intimate communion with Him. The truth is a vibrant, joyful relationship with Christ is simply the normal Christian life when we learn how to surrender to God and let go of control. For years, I did not understand the subtle difference between authentic and man-made spirituality.  It is not an easy distinction to make; most of us remain in delusion until a spiritual director can shake some sense into us. For myself, I tried to force God to relate to me on my own terms. Since God refused to be manipulated, the harder I tried to grow closer to Him, the more I hit a wall. The experience often broug

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Christ Raises the Daughter of Jairus- Friedrich Overbeck [ Web Gallery of Art ] Readings (New American Bible: Philippines, USA) Readings (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, England & Wales, India, Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland, South Africa) Gospel Mark 1:29-39 ( NRSV, Anglicised Catholic Edition ) As soon as they left the synagogue, Jesus entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. Now Simon’s mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they told him about her at once. He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up. Then the fever left her, and she began to serve them. That evening, at sunset, they brought to him all who were sick or possessed with demons. And the whole city was gathered around the door. And he cured many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him. In the morning, while it was still very dark, he got up and went out to a deserted place, and there he p

I have a great deal of personal experience when it comes to bullying. You see, I was bullied for eight consecutive years, while attending a Catholic grade school. There were only 38 children in my class, so I was an easy target. Because of my physical deformity of clubbed feet, I wore braces on my legs. This set me apart from the others, making me the “outcast.” (The photo to the left was taken in 1962, at age 5). After what I experienced, it is amazing that I am still alive to tell my story today. Bullying Has No Grace The ugliness of the constant and consistent verbal abuse, demeaning my dignity and self-worth, proves to me that bullying has no grace. Bullying is an evil act. My bullies constantly referred to me as “metal legs,” “cootie bug,” – you get the picture. Their derisive behavior played havoc on my self-worth, leaving me changed, and not for the better. They scarred my psyche. The Lingering Effects of Bullying As I progressed through high school and college, I a

These days I am busy preparing to give a three-day parish mission on our Blessed Mother entitled "Mary Calls Us to Lent." My aim is twofold: 1) to convince the parishioners to pray to Mary as their God-given loving mother and powerful intercessor and 2) to inspire them to imitate her as the first and best Christian. Because my mind is focused on the Mother of God today, this post includes an excerpt from my new book Heart to Heart with Mary: A Yearly Devotional . It is the reading for Wednesday, January 31. The realistic statue of Mary on the cover is in our chapel at the provincial center. I love how she looks—not like a distant goddess but like a simple, approachable woman, someone you can converse with and pour out your heart. Click to continue

Entre las grandes tragedias de la historia humana hay una que ha sido especialmente recordada, llorada y enmarcada con museos, monumentos y aniversarios a través de los años y alrededor del orbe por nuestros hermanos en la fe, los judíos para que su recuerdo y remembranza prevenga otra atrocidad de tanto odio: el Holocausto. Pero, tristemente, estas memorias del sufrimiento del hombre a manos del mismo hombre se han mostrado, en su mayoría parciales, pues reflejan solo parte del gran horror perpetrado contra millones de personas, olvidando el contexto completo del genocidio. Esto sucede porque la mayoría de las veces no recuerdan cómo sufrieron una suerte parecida judíos, católicos y cristianos y borran la forma como se apoyaron entre hermanos de fe, poniendo a un lado sus diferencias para ayudarse a sobrevivir.  

Many years ago Bishop Casey of Brentwood, England,  asked me to set up a Residential Retreat and Conference Centre in Chingford, London. He wanted to use it as a place where priests, religious and laity could come to learn about the Biblical Theology that had made the Second Vatican Council possible. I made it my prime objective to recruit the best and most qualified lecturers in the country to  this end, from whom I too could learn with everyone else. One particular theologian was outstanding in his mastery of what we then called the New Biblical Theology, although he was initially trained in Thomistic Theology in Rome where he received the highest degree possible, a summa cum laude. I therefore approached him with my misgivings about the demise of Mystical Theology. Until four hundred years ago its practical teaching from the very beginning was the bedrock of authentic Catholic Spirituality.       read on.....

Last week for World Communications Day, Pope Francis released a statement saying that “fake news” is as old as the Garden of Eden. He urged the faithful to share information responsibly. He said that the spread of fake news leads to an increase of arrogance and hatred. He’s right. The devil isn’t just the inventor of fake news. He hasn’t let up since that story in Genesis. He is and always will be the Father of Lies and yes, the Prince of Fake News too. To prove my point, take a look at some of his best (or worst, I suppose) headlines. THE NEW SUPERFOOD THAT GOD DOESN'T WANT YOU TO KNOW ABOUT!! Ah, yes. The First Fake News. Pope Francis talked about how this incident was so similar to what happens today. The devil used manipulation and fabrication of facts to confuse and trick Eve. She thought she was getting an easy way to find equal footing with God. Boy, was she in for a miserable surprise! CONTINUE READING 

Have you ever wondered why Catholics do the things they do, and why they call themselves “Christians?” Then Evangelical Catholic , by Troy Guy, is the book for you! Guy takes us through the evangelical arguments, one by one, and shows us the truth of the Catholic faith. He then addresses the faith, pre-Protestantism (from year 1 AD to 1500 AD). Guy then ventures into the hot topics: sola scriptura, papal infallibility, Mary, and the Eucharist. Evangelical Catholic is for Everyone! As a Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA) Coordinator for my parish, I propose that this book should be given to every individual seeking to understand the Catholic faith. Guy does a masterful job at laying out the facts; facts that convinced him to convert to the Catholic faith. Guy’s use of language makes this book easy to understand. His source referencing is outstanding. He draws on the early Church fathers to convey the facts, so that you need not take his word for it. Read more...

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