Association Of Catholic Bloggers

Fr David Jones is a Welsh hermit who lives in Duleek, (or should that be a hermit from Wales?) which is not far from where I live in Drogheda, Ireland. He was on Spirit Radio on Monday, and gave an interesting interview. If you missed it, you can listen to the interview on his website . Yes, the hermit has a website! He uploads various homilies etc. His sermon on the Feast of the Epiphany is really very good. He addresses the Irish habits of blasphemy, foul language and smoking! It is not your standard irish sermon. Watch it, and share it with your friends on facebook, if you are brave enough!

The title of this post is a text message I received from a friend whose daughter and grandchildren survived Typhoon Sendong that hit northern Mindanao a week before Christmas. I use it in   Pulong ng Editor , 'Editor's Word', in the January-February issue of Misyon , which I edit for the Columbans here in the Philippines. My friend is no stranger to suffering. When he was a small child his father was murdered. Yet he powerfully expresses his faith in a simple text message, an expression of the resilience of the faith of so many Filipinos.

Today is the Feast Day of Blessed William Carter... A Courageous Individual who wrote for and to Catholic Christians to be firm in their Faith during a time when it was not just Un-Popular, but Life-Threatening to do so... I am a huge fan of American Catholic.org and normally I agree with most of what they share, but today, this is not the case. In their Saint of the Day Comment it says the following: These days, our brothers and sisters also need encouragement—not because their lives are at risk, but because many other factors besiege their faith. They look to us. I beg to differ... Many of our Catholic Christian Brothers and Sisters DO lose their lives for their Faith these days...these days as in Only the last few years, for if you count in the last decade or last few decades, the numbers grow exponentially. Egypt Nigeria   Iraq Pakistan And many more that are not as publicized... The figures are startling, a Christian is killed every 5 minut...

Reaching Out to a Love-Starved World

A Report by Fr Pat O'Donoghue Fr Pat O'Donoghue is the Regional Director of the Columbans in the Philippines. He visited Cagayan de Oro City and Iligan Ciy last week. He wrote this report on 8 January, the Solemnity of the Epiphany here in the Philippines.  I arrived in Cagayan de Oro in the early afternoon of Monday, 2 January. The signs of the calamity were visible from the air as we approached the airport, but the full extent of the damage hits you when you stand on the river bank or visit those places where whole neighborhoods were simply washed away. The damage to the water system was such that most of Cagayan still did not have running water when I arrived. On the way from the airport we saw groups of people surrounding trucks or fire hydrants where water was being dispensed while others were coming and going with all kinds of water containers – the innovative spirit of people once more shining through the difficulties. Drinking water was also being dispensed at poi...

"If the writing is honest it cannot be separated from the man who wrote it."   ~  Tennessee Williams This Great Group of Blogger's has taken a huge risk and allowed me to contribute my Rants and Raves. I Pray that I do not disappoint... My Most Sincere, Thank You... Oh, and I ask that you bear with me as I get the hang of Blogger... Please!

It is an error, or rather a heresy, to try to banish the devout life from the regiment of soldiers, the shop of the mechanic, the court of princes, or the home of married folk. ~St. Francis de Sales, Introduction to the Devout Life   But he that shall deny me before men, shall be denied before the angels of God. ~Luke 12:9 Holiness in the workplace is the theme of Randy Hain's new book The Catholic Briefcase: Tools for Integrating Faith and Work . A convert to Catholicism since 2005, Mr. Hain, co-founder of the site The Integrated Catholic Life , shares the methods which have helped him to combine faith and work in the business world. He demonstrates how our Christian beliefs must be just as alive at the office as they are at home or at church. We do not know when we may have been chosen to be the sole instrument of grace to persons in a certain venue, therefore with prudence and charity we must always be ready to speak of our love of Christ and His Church. As...