Association Of Catholic Bloggers

      It made the news recently when golfer extraordinaire, Scottie Scheffler, made this comment about golfing: “This is not a fulfilling life. It’s fulfilling from the sense of accomplishment, but it’s not fulfilling from a sense of the deepest places of your heart,” he said. “There’s a lot of people that make it to what they thought was going to fulfill them in life, and you get there, you get to No. 1 in the world, and they’re like what’s the point? What is the point? Why do I want to win this tournament so bad? That’s something that I wrestle with on a daily basis.” (golf.com)  Afterward he qualified it by saying how much he enjoys the game, etc., but his introspective moment didn't go unnoticed. I was thinking about this because I'm guessing there are a lot of people who may share his perspective. For those of you who may be feeling not-so-happy in life, even though you have many blessings and everything you ever dreamed of, I'd like to add a different ...

This week's post is a follow-up on two posts: last week's, when I talked about flash floods in central Texas; and another where I talked about a biopsy and storms. Briefly, the sore on my leg looked awful, but was "benign". The situation in central Texas is still very bad news: the number of known dead is upwards of 100 now. Someone in emergency services tried getting a warning out. But then — it looks like something went badly wrong. Living in the Upper Midwest: Last Month's Storms Biopsy and Good News How It Was Done, Reading the Results Central Texas Flash Floods: Waiting for a Supervisor's Approval? So What? Loving Neighbors, Making Sense ... More at A Catholic Citizen in America . (Following up on two previous posts: discussing a biopsy, Upper Midwest storms, and flash floods in central Texas. Plus why I am reacting the way I am.)

Fr Pat McCaffrey with friends in Pakistan 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 10:25-37  (English Standard Version, Anglicised)   At that time: Behold, a lawyer stood up to put Jesus to the test, saying, ‘Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?’ He said to him, ‘What is written in the Law? How do you read it?’ And he answered, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbour as yourself.’ And he said to him, ‘You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live.’ But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, ‘And who is my neighbour?’ Jesus replied, ‘A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him an...

Folks living in central Texas are not having a good time. A heavy storm's rain overloaded waterways before sunrise Friday morning. Some folks enjoying an Independence Day weekend in that region's picture-postcard landscapes survived. Others didn't.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America . (A quick look at the Independence Day flash floods in central Texas: a rising death toll, emerging details. How I see the disaster, and a brief prayer.)

Many towns here in central Minnesota host fireworks displays on Independence Day, but not Sauk Centre. Fireworks and Family It's not that the town disapproves of the Fourth of July, or fireworks, or loud noises: our big-deal midsummer celebration is Sinclair Lewis Days, later this month.... ...today I'll focus, briefly — very briefly — on one of the earliest times my folks took me to see fireworks.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America . (Remembering one of the earliest times my folks took me to see fireworks. Love of country, within reason; human nature; future generations.)

  Madonna and Child Francisco de Zurbarán [ Web G allery of Art ] For thus says the  Lord : “Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river,      and the glory of the nations like an overflowing stream; and you shall nurse, you shall be carried upon her hip,      and bounced upon her knees. 13  As one whom his mother comforts,      so I will comfort you;      you shall be comforted in Jerusalem. ( Isaiah 66:12-13 ; First Reading) 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 10:1-12, 17-20 or 10:1-9  (English Standard Version, Anglicised) At that time: The Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them on ahead of him, two by two, into every town and place where he ...

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    This seems pretty straightforward. I wonder why we are having such a hard time following it . . . Fourteenth Amendment, Section 1 (of the United States Constitution): "All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws." I know the recent Supreme Court ruling was directly aimed at the scope of lower court decisions, but still, we need to be sure we protect the birthright of those born in the United States by following the Constitution. And not only that, but according to the Fourteenth Amendment, we shouldn't deprive any PERSON due process and equa...

I'll have my oldest daughter tell most of this 'family story'. That's partly because this is shaping up to be a distracted week. The family was on one of our rare vacations. Our third-oldest daughter was old enough to remember the trip, and our son hadn't been born yet. That puts it some time back. Decades. We'd planned the vacation pretty well, so we had a place to stay for each night. But we ran into one of those stock comedy situations: a big-deal family vacation where it rains. A lot. I'll have our oldest daughter pick up the narrative at this point.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America . (My daughter and I remembering a rain-soaked vacation, comic books, and being part of a family.)

Sts Peter and Paul  Guido Reni  [ Web Gallery of Art ] Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul. Solemnities take precedence over Sundays in Ordinary Time. At the Vigil Mass (Saturday evening) NB: The Vigil Mass has its own prayers and readings. Those for the Mass During the Day on Sunday should not be used – though some priests seem to be unaware of this. It is incorrect to refer to the Vigil Mass as an ‘anticipated Mass’. It is a celebration proper to the evening before. The Vigil Mass also fulfills the Sunday obligation. Vigil Mass Readings   (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan,) Readings  (English Standard Version, Catholic Edition: England & Wales, India, Scotland)  Readings   (New American Bible: Philippines, USA) Mass During the Day Readings   (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan,) Readings  (English Standard Version, Catholic Edition: England & Wales, India, Scotland)  Readings   (...

                                                                                                                       The New York Times                                     Bombs will never bring peace. They can't. They are designed to destroy their target, so it is not within their design to bring peace. We can always hope for peace, and that is a good thing. The problem is, we equate quiet and idleness with peace, which they are not. We can have quiet between countries for awhile, but that in no way represents that we have long-term peace. The illusion of peace is deceptive. To achieve true, la...

    Every summer as a celebration of our son's birthday, we find a Detroit Tigers game to go to. To say he is a big sports fan (any sport) is a tremendous understatement. We have a system that works for us. We always go on a Saturday night to avoid the Friday night work traffic. We always pick a night game so we do not swelter in the afternoon sun. We even pick our favorite seats up above home plate. Yes, we have it figured out as we have been doing this for decades, and it works for us.  I was thinking about this as I listened to a baseball team analogy by Fr. Al Lauer (decd.) on "Daily Bread" by Presentation Ministries (May 29, 2025.)   Fr. Lauer imagined a baseball team that only had four players--a pitcher, an infielder, an outfielder and a catcher. He talked about how ridiculous it would be if the other 20 something players were either sitting in the dugout or observing from the stands. Then he went on to describe how ridiculous it would be if ...

First it was storms, now (I'm writing this Sunday evening) sincerely noticeable heat.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America . (A quick review of how weather affected this family, and an even quicker look ahead.)

    I was sitting in the backyard listening to the morning doves and a variety of birds, as I watched the bunnies hop around. It's a funny thing about bunnies. It is as if they are trying to hide in the high grass, but they can't, really, because of those tall ears sticking up! The backyard is like an animal paradise on this morning, but by 10 o'clock it seems like everybody dispersed to their own tree or bush, and it quieted down, leaving me to my thoughts.  It is nice when you can find a peaceful place to relax and observe what God has created. Sometimes it can be hard not to follow your instincts to pop up to do something, but staying put is the best thing we can do.  I hope you can enjoy a place for yourself that provides a sense of wonderment, so that you can connect with God's creation. Find a place where you can really speak to God and listen in the quiet. Take care of yourself today, or maybe treat seriously the adage about not working on Sunday...

Although there's the occasional glint of good news in my news feed — like " Firefighters Free Sauk Centre Man from Submerged Tanker " (KNSI (June 17, 2025)) — most of what I see is no reason for celebration. That said, attacks on politicians in Minnesota — bad as they were — could have ended with many more dead bodies and hurting families. Even so, there's precious little to celebrate. This week I'll be looking at what happened, what's being said about it, and both how I feel and what I think of the situation. Murders, Motives, and Responses A "Deeply Religious" Assassin What Two Bishops and an Executive Director Said Gladness, Regret, Life, and Beliefs Taking My Faith Seriously Each Human Life Matters .... More at A Catholic Citizen in America . (A week after lethal attacks on Minnesota lawmakers, I look at responses and viewpoints, and how what I believe affects my reaction to the deaths and arrest. )

  Blessed Carlo Acutis 3 May 1991 - 12 October 2006 Beatified 10 October 2020; to be canonized 7 September 2025 [ Wikipedia ;  photo ] In the countries where this blog is read the Solemnity of Corpus Christi is celebrated on Sunday 22 June rather than on Thursday 19 June, the Thursday after Trinity Sunday being the traditional day. 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 9:11-17  (English Standard Version, Anglicised) At that time: Jesus spoke to the crowd of the kingdom of God and cured those who needed healing. Now the day began to wear away, and the Twelve came and said to him, ‘Send the crowd away to go into the surrounding villages and countryside to find lodging and get provisions, for we are here in a desolate place.’ But he said to them, ‘You give them...

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Now and then there’s something nice in my news feed. Like this: More at A Catholic Citizen in America . (A very short note and excerpt from a Vatican News article about astronomy, the Vatican Observatory's Summer School Program.)

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    stock photo                              I've taken up a little battle on my front porch railin gs. I started noticing little red specks moving up and down my handrails and across the front. This didn't set very well with me because I use those railings. It has always been our philosophy, as former campers, that when we are in nature, we need to respect the life that lives within it. We would often say, "We're in their home."  So when my railings became inhabited--even though they are outside and I do respect creatures in their own home--I had to do something. Wiping them away just left red stains (sorry to be gross), so I read up on what to do. It seems we may have clover mites, and these little creatures, which are many times smaller than a pencil tip, can be eliminated by a mixture of vinegar, water and dish soap. So, apart from my hands smelling like a pickle (from the sprayer...

I've lived in Minnesota for most of my life. My home state doesn't often make international news, and I'm not happy about why it' making headlines today... More at A Catholic Citizen in America . (One couple is dead, another may survive. The killer was impersonating a police officer. There is little I can do. But I can pray, so I will.)

    What Act are you in, in this chapter in your life? Are you in Act One, where you are just beginning, Act Two where your story is unfolding, or Act Three, which we could call Pentecost? I love Pentecost, which we celebrated last week. I love the movement of the Holy Spirit in our lives. I love reading about the Apostles. I love how beautiful our churches are decorated. I love it all. I love that Pentecost really covers our journey in its entirety, as the Holy Spirit moves in many and varied ways throughout our lifetime.  This weekend we celebrate Trinity Sunday (Father, Son & Holy Spirit.) The Holy Spirit is present at the beginning of our life, when we are baptized in the Trinity. Upon our awakening to the movement of the Holy Spirit, we gain some wisdom and knowledge, and lastly, the grace we received at the beginning, which has been with us all along, is activated in a unique way through our increased participation in living out the gospel. While th...