Association Of Catholic Bloggers

    On Ash Wednesday there was a line from a reading from 2 Corinthians (5:20-6:2) that hits at the heart of our responsibility as a Christian. Paul tells us that WE are "ambassadors for Christ."   Wow! Think about that. YOU are an ambassador. YOU represent Christ in the world! If that doesn't influence how you are in this world, I don't know what will. Paul tells us that, so significant is our role, that it is "as if God were appealing through us." This reminds me of the famous quote from St. Teresa of Avila:  Christ has no body but yours, No hands, no feet on earth but yours, Yours are the eyes with which he looks Compassion on this world, Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good, Yours are the hands, with which he blesses all the world. Yours are the hands, yours are the feet, Yours are the eyes, you are his body. Christ has no body now but yours, No hands, no feet on earth but yours, Yours are the eyes with which he looks compass...

    My husband and I were recalling this week that when we were kids, the most tangible thing we could understand about Lent involved giving up candy.  Not yet mature in the deeper meaning of Lent, candy (or chips, pop, etc.) is the most immediate act of self-discipline any young child can comprehend. This practice can still work because food is a staple so many of us are attached to, but, if we expand our thinking and consider what might be better for us as adults, we may find greater beauty in our experience of Lent. For instance, as I approach Lent this year, I want to focus my "giving up" on something that will help me move closer to God and others.  What can I spend less time on, or turn away from, in order to dedicate more time or energy on my family or my spiritual life?  If desserts or chips (or coffee or whatever) will not accomplish this, maybe I need to choose a different self-discipline. Maybe I need to pray more (or differently), or go...

One way or another, I've been part of a family all my life: as a child, as a husband and father, as a grandfather. The experience has never been perfect. But I think Pope Francis is right. We do, occasionally, have "tremendous joys". I also think the pope's March prayer intention is a good idea.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America . (Families in crisis: prayer intention for March, from Pope Francis. A link to the Vatican News article, and an embedded video. Sounds like a good idea.)

    Disney                             How can God still love us and want us when we are stuck in our sins and cannot let go of THAT PARTICULAR SIN that seems unforgivable? Like a gift straight from God as we head into Lent this coming Wednesday, we are given a reading today from the 17th chapter of Sirach (20-24) that answers that nagging question. If you have been struggling with sin, your sense of unworthiness and a feeling of separation from God, maybe this will help.  Sirach starts with these inspired words: "To the penitent God provides a way back, he encourages those who are losing hope and has chosen for them the lot of truth." And there you have it. God doesn't put up a wall to keep you out because you have sinned, rather, he encourages you to return to him. Sirach continues: "Return to him and give up sin, pray to the L...

A happy memory from our time on Buford Avenue in the early 1960s — I talked about that a couple weeks back 1 — is planting an acorn from one of the oaks there. An Acorn and Memories Among the many things I don't remember from that time is when we planted it. I suspect it was in the fall, since that's apparently a good season for starting an oak seedling. 2 And by spring; well, life was getting interesting, and that's another topic. Now that I think of it, I'm pretty sure we planted the acorn after we returned to Moorhead. Seasons Whatever season it was, I remember being happy when the acorn sprouted: and impressed at the size of the leaf. A full-size oak leaf on a tiny stem. My oak flourished in the back yard of 818. 3 Time passed.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America . (Happy memories involving an acorn, two trees, three homes, and a library. Legacies and a few thoughts about trees, the Sixties, and all that.)

Regina Pacis - Queen of Peace University of Bonn [ Wikipedia ;  photo ] Our Lady, Queen of Peace, pray for peace in Ukraine. Readings   (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan,)   Reading s  (English Standard Version, Catholic Edition: England & Wales, India, Scotland)  Readings   (New American Bible: Philippines, USA) Gospel   Luke 6:39-45  (English Standard Version, Anglicised) At that time: Jesus told his disciples a parable: ‘Can a blind man lead a blind man? Will they not both fall into a pit? A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone when he is fully trained will be like his teacher. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, “Brother, let me take out the speck that is in your eye”, when you yourself do not see the log that is in your own eye? You hypocrite! First take the log out of your own eye, and then you will...

  There are any number of things I don't know about any number of things.  This I will admit. But with my nose, I can smell stink a mile away. And it's getting pretty fishy around here. Of the many, many disturbing things coming out of the current administration, and the many, many things I'd like to write about, a big one that we should really be paying attention to follows this headline: "White House takes control of press pool that covers Trump." (BBC)  I'm no expert, but from what I have learned, the * First Amendment mess we are currently in began when the White House refused the Associated Press access to covering Trump because the AP continued to use "Gulf of Mexico" in its reporting, rather than the name Trump arbitrarily uses, "Gulf of America." Make no mistake, it doesn't matter if you are Republican or Democrat, this should concern all of us. If like me, you didn't know how the press pool works, you should know ...

We prayed for Pope Francis at Mass yesterday. I've added a prayer to my daily routine. It sounds like there'll be more prayers in St. Peter's Square this evening. Our pope's health is emphatically not good. But as the old Minnesota saying goes: "it could be worse".... In this case, part of the good news is that Pope Francis hasn't had a repeat of Saturday morning's "respiratory crisis", his kidney issues are still not his major health problem, and "...the thrombocytopenia remains stable...". (Vatican News (February 24, 2024))... More at A Catholic Citizen in America . (Pope Francis, health, and prayer. News from the Vatican: and Minnesota. Why I pray and take my prescriptions: and why that makes sense.) ( "thrombocytopenia"?!! Don't worry: reined myself in and didn't ramble on about it.)

I Googled Sauk Centre history this week. I learned that the Minnesota Historical Society's website has back issues of our town's Sauk Centre Herald — and an impressive set of records connected with the Sauk Centre Home School for Girls, AKA Minnesota Correctional Facility-Sauk Centre. Focusing on conventional publications, government officials, and their institutions, has some merit. But so does remembering what happened when schoolkids found a skunk in a woodpile. A literal skunk in an actual woodpile.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America . (Bringing explosives to school: cultural and historical context. Or: what happened when kids found a skunk in a woodpile.)

Christ as Saviour El Greco [ Web Gallery of Art ] It is he who forgives all your guilt,  who heals every one of your ills (Ps 102 [103]:2; Responsorial Psalm). Readings   (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan,) Readings   (English Standard Version, Catholic Edition: England & Wales, India, Scotland)  Readings   (New American Bible: Philippines, USA) Gospel   Luke 6:27-38  (English Standard Version, Anglicised) At that time: Jesus said to his disciples, ‘I say to you who hear: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. To one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also; and from one who takes away your cloak do not withhold your tunic either. Give to everyone who begs from you; and from one who takes away your goods, do not demand them back. And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them. ‘If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to y...

      I was watching a video interview in which the guest mentioned fear. I don't remember what she said because it was kind of an off-hand remark. But it gave me pause, as I asked myself if there is anything I fear. I assumed there wasn't, because I don't think I tend to be a fearful person. Imagine my surprise when the list I came up with, spontaneously, was literally endless! I had no idea that fear likely impacts so much of my thought. I decided to look up fear in scripture, and it is there, in many places. We have tons of reminders in the Bible about God delivering us from fear, about trusting in God, and holding on to him as our refuge and strength. Ask yourself if fear has seeped its way into your life, maybe without you even realizing. Remember, that in our perfect love of God, fear cannot find a home. As you loosen the hold fear has on you, may you have less anxiety and more pure joy. Janet Cassidy Email me at:  jmctm2@gmail.com janetcassidy.co...

      I was searching the internet to figure out how to do something, when I became distracted and HAD to click on a video about how marshmallows are made. Is it just me? I've always been a curious person, so unimportant information like that is right up my alley. Now don't ask me what gives marshmallows their bounce (something they covered in the video), because I typically don't retain useless information very long. And in case you care, just the other day I came across a video about how to bake marshmallows so they get crispy on the outside and soft and gooey on the inside. Maybe I'm just hopeless. I'm often frustrated by distractions that land right in front of me. It takes a lot of determination to stay focused in prayer and spiritual reading for instance--even with an actual book at hand. It's so hard to resist the temptation to move on to something else. But then, there are those occasions when I get lost in contemplation--say, maybe for a...

Saint Anthony Park public library looks about the way I remember it, back in the early 1960s: from this angle, at any rate. It was on the other side of a small 'downtown', between Carter and Doswell Avenues on Como. I visited that shopping area recently, using Google Street View. I'd hoped to spot the grocery my mother sent me to, but the library's the only thing that looked familiar: hardly surprising, after upwards of six decades.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America . (Breaking a bottle of ketchup when I was 12 felt awful. But I learned about priorities, how families work, and how to be a parent.)

        I was observing our tall maple trees after our snowstorm and I noticed that one side of the tree had snow resting on its branches, but snow had not landed on the trunk facing the other side. For a minute I thought I could deduce the direction the storm came from (the side that held the snow on its branches), until, duh, I realized that the trunk had nothing in its makeup for the snow to rest on. I started thinking about how we are perfectly designed, like the  branches, to receive whatever God offers. I'm sure if I thought this through more, I would be able to see that the snow on the branches adds beauty to the tree, as God makes our life beautiful as well. And the still snow is a reminder of the activity that has taken place--even when we are at rest or not paying attention--deep within our hearts. God is always pouring out his love on us. The Holy Spirit is always active in our lives, even when we don't perceive it. Where have you seen evid...

Three Poplars, Summer Claude Monet [ Web Gallery of Art ] He is like a tree planted by water,      that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes,      for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought,      for it does not cease to bear fruit  (Jeremiah 17:8; First Reading). He is like a tree      planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season,      and its leaf does not wither  (Psalm 1:3; Responsorial Psalm). Readings (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan,) Readings   (English Standard Version, Catholic Edition: England & Wales, India, Scotland)  Reading s  (New American Bible: Philippines, USA) Gospel   Luke 6:17, 20-26  (English Standard Version, Anglicised) At that time: Jesus came down with the Twelve and stood on a level place, with a great c...

  Shrine of St Valentine Church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Whitefriar St, Dublin [ Source ] I first posted this two years ago and included material I used on 12 February 2009. The core of the stories about St Valentine is that this young Roman priest, who was what we would now call a diocesan priest, was martyred for officiating at weddings when Emperor Claudius II, ‘the Cruel’, forbade them because he was engaged in so many wars and needed the young men to fight in them. In the Philippines  (where I was based most of the time from 1971 to 2017)  St Valentine’s Day is almost always referred to as ‘Valentine’s Day’. Indeed the ‘St’ is left out in most English-speaking countries. For many young people it is simply a day to express innocent friendship. For many married couples it is a day for renewing their love for one another. But for many unmarried young adults it is, quite frankly, a day for fornicating. This would be the case in many other countries, as would adultery....

      Many years ago when I was working on my undergraduate degree, I needed permission to write a paper on the importance of the Catholic Church speaking out on things that were happening in the world. The professor in charge of giving me that permission couldn't understand the necessity of the Church speaking about current and cultural topics. My immediate teacher--a Catholic priest--understood that this was a legitimate topic to write on, and so I was given permission. You can see that this argument against the necessity of the Church speaking out, continues to be a problem today. (I will write more about the "pope's letter," referenced, below.) Here's what I just read on Newsmax.com: " Border Czar Tom Homan, responding on Newsmax to Pope Francis' stern rebuke to the Trump administration over its mass deportation efforts,  said the pontiff should concentrate on the Catholic church's woes instead. "You ought to get out of the bus...

      Are you among those who think Pope Francis is a heretic? There are plenty of people who express their frustration at some of the things he says and does. Well, I say, not so fast. Some of what he says may be challenging, especially to those who want to make the Catholic Church into an exclusive club.  I was thinking about that today when I was reflecting on the Gospel of Luke, Chapter 5, Verses 1-11. It's the passage that recalls Simon being told by Jesus to lower his nets--after a long night of fishing and catching nothing. On Jesus' command, Simon (Peter) lowers his nets and catches an abundance of fish. Jump forward. Pope Francis, as the successor of Peter, has a responsibility to open wide the doors of the Church so as to draw in an abundance (of people). When we follow what God calls us to do, the consequences go far beyond what we can ever imagine. Let's not be so quick to discount Pope Francis. People were quick to discount Jesus in his day ...