Association Of Catholic Bloggers

I was doing an Examination of Conscience recently, fretting over my lackluster practice of Christianity, when something occurred to me. God was showing me how HE sees me, how I really am, so I have a chance to make some corrections, here and now, before judgment day.  Yes, that is our just and loving God.  Always giving us a chance to become all he calls us to be.  These moments of clarity are a gift.  God is saying, "Don't wait, get on this today! Draw closer to me." Honestly, it's not like we don't know how to do that.  It's not like he hasn't shown us.  I mean, after all, he has revealed himself to us in scripture and Tradition.  He left us the Church and all of the sacraments. I encourage you to take a moment--today--and do an honest, self-assessment.  Why aren't you really going to Mass?  Why are you skipping your daily prayers?  Why are you being unkind, selfish or even greedy?  Why are you swearing so much?  Impatient, complaining o

  4th Dec 2022 Today is Day 11 of Christmas.  We have nearly come to the ends of our twelve day journey. So many of you have been on this little pilgrimage with me. Thank you for your loyalty, for reading my thoughts and for your wise  comments, which I always find most helpful.  I love this this image of the Holy Family, which is  in St Joseph's Chapel in Westminster Cathedral, London. I look at all the lovely Christmas cards around my home. Nearly all of them have the nativity scene on them. I have a crib too. They all speak to me. I go to the baby - they are all different - I sit  there with Mary His Mother and with St Joseph and silently I'm part of the wonder of it all. i imagine them eating their breakfast - maybe a kind inn keeper or his son, brings it to them and they  engage in an uplifting conversation. And so I continue, putting myself there, living it with them, The Holy Family. I ask them for many graces for my own family, I ask that they all grow close to The Lord

  3rd Dec 2022 Today is Day 10 of Christmas. The season is slipping away. For many the blessings and joy of Christmas 2021 are already a distant memory, way in the past. Life has moved on to 2022 and the rush of life has resumed. Like little gerbils on a wheel they go round and round and get nowhere and maybe, also like the gerbils they enjoy their frenzied days. For them the fear is the silence, the stillness, the now. But, isn't it there, in the present moment, spending time, wasting time with God, where all things come together, where we, just for a moment enter into the now of eternity? The crib scene still has the possibility to bring us to that place, as we contemplate, the baby, who is our God. Let's spend some time today and tomorrow and the next day in front of the crib and let the baby speak to us.  Today is the feast of The Most Holy Name of Jesus      Jesus Call on Him many times a day. Jesus, help - repeat over and over Jesus, I love you - repeat over and over Jesu

Is today one of those days that you wonder how you are going to get through?  Your fear is overtaking your joy and your endurance is limited? To help us through such challenging days, we can turn to scripture, where God speaks into our situations, bringing us comfort and hope.   St. Francis de Sales wrote: "Let us frequently call to mind that as our Lord has saved us by patient suffering, so we also ought to work out our salvation by sufferings and afflictions; enduring injuries and contradictions with all possible meekness." If we take a moment to reflect on what it means to give ourselves completely to God, then we cannot help but see that while our lives may not be playing out as we imagined they would, that is not the most important thing.   Most helpful is to remember that our lives are not our own.  They were freely given to us through the Creator, and one day, when he calls us home, we will, indeed, find greater joy and happiness than we could ever find on this earth.

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  Day 9 of the Christmas Season. Hope you are all still enjoying the celebrations of this joyful time. Christmas  Blessings Ephesians 1:3-6  Before the world was made, God chose us in Christ. Blessed be God the Father of Our Lord, Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with all the spiritual blessings of heaven in Christ. Before the world was made, he chose us in Christ, to be holy and spotless, and to live through love in his presence, determining that we should become his adopted sons, through Jesus Christ, for his own kind purposes, to make us praise the glory of his grace, his free gift to us in the Beloved. Comment:  I find these words from St Paul's letter so beautiful. That I have been chosen before the world was made, that I am a child of God, that I am a daughter of God. A daughter of God. I love that. I need to remind myself often of this sublime truth. What a gift it is.    Thank you, God, my Father.  Thank you, God, my Lord Jesus. Thank you, God, Holy Spirit.   

I was reading today's first reading from the Book of Numbers, Chapter 6 (Verse 22+) and thought the Priestly Blessing from this Old Testament book was a wonderful prayer for the start of the new year: The Lord bless you and keep you! The Lord let his face shine upon you, and be gracious to you! The Lord look upon you kindly and give you peace!  (This is the prayer that Moses was told by the Lord to give to Aaron and his sons to bless the Israelites.) May this divine blessing carry you throughout the new year.  Receive it in hope. Janet Cassidy janetcassidy.blogspot.com

   Ist January 2022            HAPPY NEW YEAR Have you made any New Years resolutions? Looking back over this past year I feel so blessed. It has been a good year. I am looking forward to more adventures in 2022 ( just trying to get used to writing that now) and I have made a few small resolutions, little areas of improvement for myself. I'm no good with the big ones. I find if they are small I'm more likely to keep to them.  Today, is the wonderful Feast of Mary, the Mother of God Gospel Luke 2:16-21  The shepherds hurried to Bethlehem and found the baby lying in the manger The shepherds hurried away to Bethlehem and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in the manger. When they saw the child they repeated what they had been told about him, and everyone who heard it was astonished at what the shepherds had to say. As for Mary, she treasured all these things and pondered them in her heart. And the shepherds went back glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and se

(From James Tissot, via Wikidata, used w/o permission.) (James Tissot's "Journey of the Magi." (1890s)) "We Three Kings of Orient are, Bearing gifts we traverse afar. Field and fountain, Moor and mountain, Following yonder Star...." (" We Three Kings ," John Henry Hopkins Jr. (1857)) As a child, "We Three Kings" was among my favorite Christmas songs. It still is. The song's gold, frankincense and myrrh are "Biblical," in the sense that they're mentioned in Matthew's Gospel. So is the star. As for the "Three Kings of Orient:" well, there were more than one of them, and Matthew says they were from the east. But he also called them magi.... More about Matthew's magi, Herod the Great, Bethlehem's dead boys, the Ark and more, at A Catholic Citizen in America .

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   7th Day of Christmas - 31st Dec 2021 The last post of 2021.  We go into 2022 with renewed hope.  In the meantime it's still the Christmas season , the season of hope. Yes, I'm keeping my crib up - probably till the 2nd Feb, the feast of the "Presentation of the Lord", when the Christmastide is definitely over. I'll keep my tree and cards up until after the feast of the Kings, The Epiphany, on 6th Jan. I invite you to join me in keeping Christmas.  So, again    Happy Christmas  Alleluia, alleluia. The Word of God became flesh and dwelt among us. To those who accepted him he gave power to become the children of God. Gospel:  John 1:  1-18  In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God.  All things were made by him: and without him was made nothing that was made.  In him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. The

    Adoration of the Shepherds Jacopo Bassano [Web Gallery of Art] Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God The Octave Day of the Nativity of the Lord This is a Holyday of Obligation in the Philippines, the USA and some other countries. Readings   (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, England & Wales, Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland, South Africa) Readings   (New American Bible: Philippines, USA)   Gospel   Luke 2:16-21  (E nglish Standard Version Anglicised: India)     The Shepherds went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them. And at the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was called Jesus, the name giv

  6th Day of Christmas- 30th Dec2021  Happy Christmas Yes, OK, you've noticed, I'm a day behind in my twelve day journey. I hope to catch up today.  Gospel Luke 2:36-40 Anna speaks of the child to all who looked forward to the deliverance of Jerusalem There was a prophetess, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was well on in years. Her days of girlhood over, she had been married for seven years before becoming a widow. She was now eighty-four years old and never left the Temple, serving God night and day with fasting and prayer. She came by just at that moment and began to praise God; and she spoke of the child to all who looked forward to the deliverance of Jerusalem. When they had done everything the Law of the Lord required, they went back to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. Meanwhile the child grew to maturity, and he was filled with wisdom; and God’s favour was with him. Comment: Jesus went back with Mary and Joseph to Nazareth and grew to matur

I was watching the recording of the funeral of a beloved sacristan from our former church, when I heard something I have never heard before at a funeral. In his homily, the priest conveyed the request that she be forgiven "if she may have wronged you in any way and let her go in peace and be free."  He continued, asking that any grudges be let go of as well. I shouldn't be surprised.  She was a humble servant of God and lived out her call as a secular Franciscan to the benefit of all who knew her.  If you know me, you, too, shouldn't be surprised to learn that when I hear something I like at a funeral, I ask my family to use it.  This day was no different.  I told my husband that I would like a statement made like that at my funeral. Over the years, I am confident--and saddened--that I have undoubtedly hurt people, so this is a statement that would be necessary, I think. Anyway, my husband's response, understandably, was, "How am I going to remem

  5th Day of Christmas       Happy Christmas Today is the Feast of St Thomas of Canterbury. Gospel Luke 22:24-30 I confer a kingdom on you, just as the Father conferred one on me A dispute arose between the disciples about which should be reckoned the greatest, but Jesus said to them: ‘Among pagans it is the kings who lord it over them, and those who have authority over them are given the title Benefactor. This must not happen with you. No; the greatest among you must behave as if he were the youngest, the leader as if he were the one who serves. For who is the greater: the one at table or the one who serves? The one at table, surely? Yet here am I among you as one who serves! ‘You are the men who have stood by me faithfully in my trials; and now I confer a kingdom on you, just as my Father conferred one on me: you will eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and you will sit on thrones to judge the twelve tribes of Israel.’ Comment: St Thomas was a loyal servant of King Henry 2nd. Bu

  4th Day of Christmas         Happy Christmas                                  The Feast of the Holy Innocents G OSPEL            Matthew 2:13-18 W hen the magi had departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, "Rise, take the child and his mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you. Herod is going to search for the child to destroy him." Joseph rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed for Egypt. He stayed there until the death of Herod, that what the Lord had said through the prophet might be fulfilled, Out of Egypt I called my son. When Herod realized that he had been deceived by the magi, he became furious. He ordered the massacre of all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had ascertained from the magi. Then was fulfilled what had been said through Jeremiah the prophet: A voice was heard in Ramah, sobbing and loud lamentation; Rachel weeping for her

While preparing for a formation session for one of our inquirers who is studying to become a Lay Dominican, I was reviewing a section of one of the Church's documents from Vatican II ( Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World ,  Gaudium et Spes ). The section I was reading was about Marriage and the Family (Part II, Chapter I).   Stay with me.  The point about marriage is one that is mostly overlooked, but is definitely profound. As human beings, we not only exist as physical beings, but we are spiritual as well.  We are created in God's image. God modeled marriage on his own union with the Church.  He so loved the Church that he handed himself over on her behalf (remember Jesus!).  In a similar way, this happens through a spouse's self-giving, and like God's covenant with his people, perpetual fidelity. "Authentic married love is caught up into divine love and is governed and enriched by Christ's redeeming power and the saving activity

 27th Dec 2021 3rd Day of Christmas                    Happy Christmas Today is the Feast of John, Apostle and Evangelist. In the Gospel we have those words : "On the first day of the week Mary of Magdala cam running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved."  They tell us how John felt, they are his own words, about the  deep relationship he had with The Lord.  I too, am the one Jesus loves. Do I really believe it?  I want to, that's for sure.  Jesus, you love me just as I am. Teach me your Love. I want to be in Love with you - Always 🙏  

  2nd Day of Christmas.                The Feast of the Holy Family              HAPPY CHRISTMAS “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” Today the Gospel gives us the story of Jesus being lost when He was twelve years old.  After three days of looking for Him  and travelling all the way back to Jerusalem Mary and Joseph find Him in the temple. As a mother I know I would be beside myself if one of my children went missing for even a short time, but three days?  We are told:   "They were overcome when they saw Him and His mother said to Him, "My child, why have you done this to us? See  how worried your father and I have been, looking for you."" Jesus was born into a family, with a mother and father ( albeit foster father) , and, for me this episode in their family life gives us a peak into the reality. We don't have many of our Holy mother's words recorded for us , so

  1 st  Day of Christmas       H A P P Y  C H R I S T M A S “Therefore, the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.” Isaiah   Wishing all my faithful readers the Peace, and the Joy and the love of Christmas.

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(From James Tissot; via European Art Collection, Wikimedia Commons; used w/o permission.) ("Adoration of the Shepherds," James Tissot. (ca. 1890)) We're celebrating the birth of Jesus this weekend. Saturday night's Gospel reading starts with "...a decree went out from Caesar Augustus...." About halfway along, we hear that Joseph finally found a place to stay in Bethlehem: but not exactly five-star accommodations. When Jesus was born, Mary laid our Lord in a manger. Two millennia later, in my language, "manger" sounds a bit classy. But it's a feeding trough. More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

I'm working on a "Christmas" post that should be ready by tomorrow morning. But in case it's not, here's something seasonal and slightly silly. Pip's Christmas 'Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the shop Nothing was stirring, you could hear a pin drop. The sleigh was not ready, the toys were not packed, Santa was fuming, quite lacking in tact.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

  The Holy Family Heinrich Meyring [ Web Gallery of Art ] Readings   (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, England & Wales, Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland, South Africa) Readings   (New American Bible: Philippines, USA) Gospel   Luke 2:41-52  ( English Standard Version Anglicised: India)     Now the parents of Jesus went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover.   And when he was twelve years old, they went up according to custom.   And when the feast was ended, as they were returning, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents did not know it,   but supposing him to be in the group they went a day's journey, but then they began to search for him among their relatives and acquaintances,   and when they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem, searching for him.   After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions.   And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answ

Sometimes, when we are going through challenging stretches, I think about whether God is refining us, or if life just happens. I knew someone years ago who was having difficulty with a priest, and for a few weeks, she grumbled and complained about his behavior.  Then one day, everything seemed to turn and I asked her what changed. "I realized," she said, "that maybe God figured I needed some pruning." That always stuck with me, because from then on, her perspective toward the priest changed.  In her humility, she was able to see beyond how he irritated her and recognized God's presence in the situation.  Of course, that always leads to the question as to whether God brings us these challenges.  I was thinking about all of this because I was reflecting on today's reading, which comes from the Book of Malachi in the Old Testament.  In Chapter 3 we are reminded that a messenger shall come who "will purify the sons of Levi, refining them like go

  Adoration of the Shepherds Murillo [ Web Gallery of Art ] Christmas Day, Years ABC The Solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord  has four different Mass formularies, each with its own prayers and readings. Any of the four fulfils our obligation to attend Mass. These are: Vigil Mass , celebrated 'either before or after First Vespers (Evening Prayer) of the Nativity'; that means starting between 5pm and 7pm. Mass During the Night , known before as 'Midnight Mass'. Mass at Dawn .   Mass During the Day . The readings from the Jerusalem Bible for the four Masses are all on one page but with links to each individual Mass. When you click on 'Readings' below from the New American Bible you will find links to the readings for each of the four Masses.   Readings   (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, England & Wales, Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland, South Africa) Readings   (New American Bible: Philippines, USA) Gospel   (Mass During the Night)  Luke 2:1-14  ( English