Association Of Catholic Bloggers

We all experience prejudice. Sometimes we deliver it, and sometimes we receive it. Either way – not good. Sometimes prejudice is unconscious and not deliberate. Yet, for the person on the receiving end – there’s no difference. The pain caused by such vitriolic speech, and behavior, still stings. In our society, and across the world, this insidious behavior is rapidly on the rise; becoming acceptable in our discourse. And that, is totally unacceptable. Prejudice is not restricted to rearing its ugly head only in cases of race, gender or sexual orientation. Oh no – it can be far more subtle, yet just as insidious as the more overt expressions. For example: When you consider yourself superior in intelligence to someone else simply because you have a degree and the other does not. You express prejudice against that person. You discount what that person contributes. What does he/she know? When you consider yourself superior in status because you have a lovely home, and the other do...

What if we started thinking like the executive of a Fortune 500 company who compared the effort he put into his secular job to the effort he put into his faith? This executive decided he would be fired from his job if he approached it the same way he approached his responsibilities as a disciple. This is good food for thought.  Pause with me a moment on this edition of Cassidy Comments and see if you are giving like the widow whose contribution Jesus praised, or if you would be fired from your job as a disciple!! If you enjoy these podcasts, please be sure to subscribe and share with a friend.  Don't forget to check out my blog at janetcassidy.blogspot.com.   As always, I welcome your comments! God bless, Janet Cassidy janetcassidy.blubrry.net janetcassidy.blogspot.com

Do you feel compelled to always be right? Does the slightest offense send you on a warpath? Do you find yourself complaining, a lot? Your common sense tells you that no one likes to be around a know-it-all. Nor, do others appreciate interacting with people who get so easily offended. And let’s face it, chronic complainers have few friends. So, if you exhibit any of this unwanted behavior, then it’s time to seek Magnanimity! Seek Magnanimity What is Magnanimity? It is the pursuit of honor and greatness, even in the presence of adversity, in correlation to one’s own ability. It is a call to use the talents given to us by God, to the best of our ability. Magnanimity pursues perfection of soul. To pursue honor and greatness, rather than pettiness, consider that it might be better to... Read more...

Can I just say, from where I sit in Michigan, I think I am ready to start complaining about being too hot.   I know that over the years I have favored the 75 degree mark, complained about the over-80 heat and humidity.    But, I think I’m ready, if given the chance to say once again it is too hot.   I’m waiting for that opportunity.   I have confidence that it will one day soon be possible. I now have to accept that we have officially skipped spring, as summer is coming next week and I am yet to plant my beans.   Because of the overabundance of rain, I will have to pot my tomato plants this year, rather than plant them in the ground.   The special area where I unintentionally feed the rabbits with my budding bean plants every year will not be able to outlast the sogginess. Speaking of rabbits, when I am not mad at them for eating my bean plants, I appreciate their cute fuzziness. The other day as my husband was transplanting plants, he dug...

Have you ever run into a pushy person, on fire with the Lord, who insists that you have to take up their devotional practice?  You HAVE to do the Divine Mercy Prayer!  You HAVE to pray the rosary twice a day!  You HAVE to read scripture! What they don't realize is that instead of attracting you to the Lord, or showing you a meaningful way to pray, they make you want to run for the hills! Join me today for a balanced perspective and see if you can answer my question about a young adult's reason for feeling like she didn't belong.   In this episode of Cassidy Comments I will give you a gentle way to respond to that person who just doesn't know how to "let it go." Don't forget to subscribe and share with a friend! God bless, Janet Cassidy janetcassidy.blogspot.com janetcassidy.blubrry.net

The Two Trinities , Murillo  [ 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 16:12-15 ( New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised Catholic Edition, Canada)     Jesus said to his disiples: ‘I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.  When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth; for he will not speak on his own, but will speak whatever he hears, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.  He will glorify me, because he will take what is mine and declare it to you.  All that the Father has is mine. For this reason I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you. Léachtaí i nGaeilge John 16:12-15 in Filipino Sign Language During my kindergarten, primary...

As a Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA) Coordinator, I work with people who search for a deeper relationship with Christ.  Some come from other faiths, and others come to my program having never been baptized. When I hear their stories, I hear a common theme; a search for truth. Those that come from the Protestant denominations, come with questions that their former pastors/preachers cannot answer. The unbaptized appear like a clean slate; open to learning how to develop a relationship with Jesus. What is everyone’s goal? To find faith! If you are feeling lost, then look for the gift of faith in your own heart. God infused within you, at birth, the capability to believe in Him, along with a desire to know and love Him.  He also gifted you with reason and an intellect that He expects you to use to come to know the Truth. Where can you find the Truth? You will find it in Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition. Faith in Sacred Scripture Sacred Scripture is th...

Por Tessy Gil y Blanca en nuestra nueva sección ¿VERDAD QUE SÍ?  en nuestro canal de You tube, en el que nos acercan a nuestras realidades humanas con un sentido más humano y solidario que la fe católica nos brinda.

Parents of special needs children face additional challenges taking their children to church. But parents with children on the autism spectrum struggle mightily to ensure their children learn the faith.   This weekend, on Pentecost (of course - thanks, Holy Spirit for the gift of wisdom), I learned why one of my friends was unable to attend church - and the huge hurdles facings parents with autistic children, children with learning disabilities, children with intellectual disabilities and sensory processing disorders and more - to even take their children to church. Read the whole piece on my website, here: When Church Means Pain, What's a Parent to Do?

We live in a very intolerant society. We see it in the actions of our politicians, as well as our co-workers. Intolerance rears its ugly head in our communities, and even in our churches. It shows its spiny bristles in the forms of anger, hatred, racism, vengeance and vindictiveness – all violations of the Fifth Commandment! How so? Well each one of these forms of behavior, when applied, diminishes the dignity of others – each behavior kills the spirit of the victim. How do we combat intolerance? We seek Charity. If we would embrace the concept of loving our neighbor, we can eradicate intolerance from our society. So, what does it really mean to love one’s neighbor? Well, if we were to follow Christ’s teaching, it means to love others unconditionally. Regardless of one’s color, gender, nationality, or other difference, we are called to love everyone with respect. I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you should love one another  (John 13:34...

I’ve been thinking about breathing a lot lately.   Because my mom has end-stage COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease), we are beginning to accumulate various fans for her, because when you have trouble breathing, sometimes the airflow from fans eases the struggle to breathe. Whenever I exercise, I think about this with every deep breath I have to take to continue my workout.   I think about how precious the simple act of breathing actually is and how we take it for granted, because for most of us, it comes without difficulty. All this pondering about flowing air is rather timely now that we are celebrating Pentecost.   Pentecost is 50 days after the resurrection of Jesus (Easter) and is often called the birthday of the Church.   It is the day that the Holy Spirit came down upon the apostles in the upper room. This event is beautifully described in the second chapter of the Acts of the Apostles, which can be found in the New Testament. Forty d...

Pentecost , Sir Anthony van Dyck  [ Web Gallery of Art ] Readings   (New American Bible: Philippines, USA) Vigil Mass    (Years A, B and C) Mass during the Day Readings   (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, England & Wales, India [optional], Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland, South Africa)  [This page gives the readings for both the Vigil Mass and the Mass during the Day] Liturgical Note.  Pentecost, like Easter and some other solemnities, has a Vigil, properly so-called. This is not an ‘anticipated Mass’ but a Vigil Mass in its own right, with its own set of prayers and readings. It fulfils our Sunday obligation. There may be an extended Liturgy of the Word, similar to the Easter Vigil, with all the Old Testament readings used.   The prayers and readings of the Mass During the Day should not be used for the Vigil Mass, nor those of the Vigil Mass for the Mass During the Day.  Gospel    J...