Association Of Catholic Bloggers

Catholicseeking: St. Louis de Montfort on The Blessed Sacrament : "'In the Blessed Sacrament God loves us so tenderly, He empties Himself completely. O, who could believe it? Withholding nothing, ..."

Yesterday, after coming back from the hospital at tea-time, picking Mum's elderly cat up on the way, I had chance to finally sit and think about what had happened and its implications, but by this time tiredness had brought with it a sense of peace. I thought of the verse in Psalm 15(16) v 6: The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; I have a goodly heritage . How difficult it is at times like this to acknowledge that God has drawn my boundary lines in "pleasant places"!! But He sees this situation from above, on the beautiful side of the tapestry so to speak, whereas I see only the messy knotted threads underneath. I'm not saying that this is a pleasant place for my Mum, but it has to be God's will for me, and God's will is for His glory and my good. I have written this verse on my heart, as I have also Deuteronomy 33:12 which I blogged about last time. Once again, a picture speaks to my heart. The above is a scene of beauty, and yet the s

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Just a brief note...we have 19 blog authors now...if you prefer not to have a link at the side you can remove it yourselves...also if you are added as a blog author & we haven't added your blog as a link or if you wish to change your link name, just go ahead & do so yourselves. Also if you change your mind you can delete your name as blog author & always come back another time. There are no rules & we aim to keep it flexible. You can contact Marion as at side link or possibly me on rosary@blueyonder.co.uk I'm very much enjoying the contributions & I think it's great we have a forum to pray for each other. God bless.

(I love to take photos of churches) I was thrilled to be asked to participate in this blog.  I have had a few days of technical difficulties, coinciding with Blogger's meltdown, but I think we are all good now.  I am humbled and honored to be here. Let me introduce myself.  I call myself a Catholic Revert.  I was a cradle Catholic.  I came from a family with two Catholic priest uncles.  I went to Catholic schools until I was in 10th grade.  As a child, I wanted to be a nun.  When I became a teenager, I hit a brick wall and turned left... I went off the deep end and stayed there for a while.  I left the church and became a detractor of most things Catholic (but kept a Rosary, and prayed it relatively frequently). At the age of 39, while going through another divorce, a friend very frankly said to me "Don't you think it is time you went back to church?"  I couldn't argue with her since my life was clearly a mess.   I was terribly afraid to go back, but I did.  

I spent 9 hours at the local hospital yesterday with my Mum , who fell off her mobility scooter and fractured her upper arm and broke her hip. Things are not good, as Mum's hip is badly broken (bone crushed) and she is having a hip replacement hopefully some time today (depending on emergencies, as it's weekend!) She's going to be in for at least 2 weeks and possibly a rehabilitation centre afterwards She's also very frightened, understandably, and was in a lot of pain, but morphine has helped. The ward staff were lovely, and she'll be cared for. I have also gained an elderly cat one-eyed cat called Rameses who is coming here to live with us until she's home! But on my mind all day yesterday was a verse I found in a Catholic Women's Devotional the other day, which really impressed upon me, this one: About Benjamin he said: “Let the beloved of the Lord rest secure in him, for he shields him all day long, and the one the Lord loves rests between his sho

Its Good Sheherd Sunday. The Image of the Good Shepherd seems very masculine, but as a women and mother I think the idea is very close to my role in the family, after all what mother would not give her life for her children and always puts their best interests before her own? It is a hard road and fraught with pitfalls and nothing really prepares one for it, although watching and learning from a good role model helps! So I thank God for the role models of my Shepherdess my Mother and my Mother in Law and above all for the Heavenly Mother and The Good Shepherd.

Be the kind of woman that when your feet hit the ground each morning the Devil says, "Uh oh....she's awake!" Lord, teach and guide us to be the women YOU intended us to be! Amen.

I thought you might enjoy this hymn just posted on my blog Lead Kindly Light . They talk about the bloggers "guild" being inspired by the Holy Spirit. I like to think the same Spirit is leading us ladies in true Christian fellowship & support. There is room in the world for all of us in the Universal Church! Blessed John Henry Newman of course wrote the hymn. More of him soon & his beatification, which we were fortunate enough to attend.

Little Flower's Crown of Roses...: God's little dwelling place.... : "This morning I was praying the Liturgy of the Hours and read the following. It touched my heart so, I thought I would share it. It is take..."

LINEN ON THE HEDGEROW: AT LAST! THE GUILD OF BLESSED TITUS! : "I think that, by now, I must be the last of the bloggers present at Westminster Cathedral's meeting last Saturday to make a comment. I think..." so if it cant be called the Guild of Catholic Bloggers can we be AWCB ??probably not Why and what should we do? I haven't noticed an any activity by crack squads of prelates stopping us yet,so I presume no body has noticed us yet.Advice please!

I have been asked to blog along with all of you and am very happy to do so! But, first I'd like to introduce myself! My name is Lindy and I have been happily married for 29 years to my hubby, Steve and we have 2 great sons...Nick is 28 and Alex is 23. I am a member of the 'Divine Will' chapter of The Secular Order of Discalced Carmelites and have been learning so much! Mass, the Holy Eucharist and Adoration are very important to me! I would love to meet others who are also Secular Carmelites!! I am also a facilitator for the Women of Grace Series, and am enjoying the fellowship that the program offers! Also, I would like to ask for prayers for our son Alex who just finished up his first year of seminary!! We are very proud of him! He is a Seminarian with the Ogdensburg Diocese in upstate (waaay upstate) in New York! I look forward to 'blogging' with all of you! I can be found at crownofroses.blogspot.com Blessings! Lindy

I posted a short introduction last night, but it disappeared due to recent Blogger troubles. Just watch, it will probably turn up again now I'm re-posting! ...and guess what? It just did! Just scroll down a bit to read my introduction and I shall post something more meaty tomorrow ;) Autumn xx

Well that was fun! Not! Blogger is misbehaving! I've had to jump through hoops to post this! Thanks to Marion for holding the fort! We have 11 blog authors now who all have admin authorisation. Marion is our main "man!" woops at the moment! I like Marion's advice re posting. I've had to behave myself & speak nicely! lol I'm really sorry that we seem to have lost some of the excellent posts. Blogger state they will re-post them but so far they are still missing. What a time to set up a new blog! That said we have already some excellent fellowship & I urge you to spread the word to your friends & fellow bloggers. If you or they could send your emails to Marion on Marion Banks -Wilkinson m.bankswilkinson@btinternet.com & give blog details if they have one.I'm back to packing now!

Catholic Witness - Friday Penance By the practice of penance every Catholic identifies with Christ in his death on the cross. We do so in prayer, through uniting the sufferings and sacrifices in our lives with those of Christ’s passion; in fasting, by dying to self in order to be close to Christ; in almsgiving, by demonstrating our solidarity with the sufferings of Christ in those in need. All three forms of penance form a vital part of Christian living. When this is visible in the public arena, then it is also an important act of witness. Every Friday is set aside by the Church as a special day of penance, for it is the day of the death of our Lord. The law of the Church requires Catholics to abstain from meat on Fridays, or some other form of food, or to observe some other form of penance laid down by the Bishops’ Conference. The Bishops wish to re-establish the practice of Friday penance in the lives of the faithful as a clear and distinctive mark of their own Catholic identity. Th

Under the Oak: Irish Saints of April: Luith of Druim-Dairbhreach this blog is well worth a visit.

Well ladies, blogger is back and I am introducing myself. Jackie who started this ACWB site is a bit busy so she asked me to help out.My blog is here http://fortysomething-diddleymaz.blogspot.com/ and I am known as diddleymaz here and on facebook by  my proper name Marion Banks-Wilkinson . I'm a 51 year old English woman who lives in south wales with my husband of 30 plus years and assorted family and pets. I am convert from Anglicanism (11plus years ago) Please Ladies no rubbishing others, but lets all pray for the success of each other and this Blog if God wills it!

So here we have an Association of Catholic Women Bloggers and why not? as long as there is a Girl Guides and a Scouts, a Union of Catholic Mothers and a Rosary Confraternity, its OK to have men or women only clubs if that's what people want! We are not talking about stopping anything ,just starting things. So I am happy to be here and may well be here too http://areluctantsinner.blogspot.com/search/label/Guild%20of%20Catholic%20Bloggers  if they want me..if I can contribute anything to both I will do so  and why not? It doesn't matter what its called or who is "in"it if its legal, and in keeping with Roman Catholic doctrine and I enjoy reading and so do others. Lets just go for it! too much thinking is the downfall of many ,and while I do think a little planning is good I also love spontaneity too. So if I feel moved I will post and if I'm interested I will read. If its not my thing I may comment or just disappear but lets just get on with it.

  http://www.catholicherald.co.uk/commentandblogs/2011/05/12/a-guild-of-catholic-bloggers-is-a-terrific-idea-are-we-really-too-divided-to-form-one/

Hello to you all, and thanks to Jackie for inviting me to be a contributor to this new and exciting venture. I have also enjoyed reading everyone else's contributions so far. I am an almost 50 year old (just a few months of my 40s left!) Catholic wife, mother and grandmother (or "Mamar" as I am known) to a husband of 29 years, 2 daughters and 3 blue grandchildren and 1 pink ;) I work part-time as a counsellor in a Further Education College, but my heart is fixed firmly on God, family and home, where I seek, like Brother Lawrence, to find Him amongst the pots and pans. I love cooking and baking and creating a home which is hopefully one of welcome and warmth. I am currently discerning a vocation to the Third Order of Carmelites, which is exciting ~ I started attending a Carmelite Spirituality Group earlier this year, and am now "hooked". My life's aim is to seek God, follow Christ and be transformed by the Spirit, with the help of my Mother Mary, to whom

As a Catholic and mother of an artist student with a speciality in photography, I looked forward to reading “Framing Faith” a book by author Sarah Piccini and photographer Ivana Pavelka. I was not disappointed. It tells the story of ten churches and the migrants and their communities that fame the history of the churches in. It is an absorbing and well written book which will not be out of place on any bookshelf for personal reading and reference or even your Catholic Book Club! There is such a rich history and architecture that you cannot help to become involved in the personal histories attached to the churches and an opportunity to look at the architecture in a fresh light. The book is also interspersed with quotes from scripture and makes an enjoyable read. Framing Faith Synopsis: Framing Faith tells the story of the faith of immigrants and their descendants, spotlighting ten Catholic churches in the Diocese of Scranton that were closed due to restructuring. . T

The bodyguard of high-profile televangelist Joyce Meyer has gone on trial accused of strangling his wife and two young sons so he could marry his mistress. Prosecutors claim Christopher Coleman, 34, feared he would lose his $100,000-a-year job if he split from his wife. But his lover, Tara Lintz, revealed to a court in Illinois he had promised he would serve divorce papers on May 5, 2009 - the same day his family were found murdered in their beds. Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1383199/Christopher-Coleman-trial-strangling-wife-sons-marry-mistress.html#ixzz1LNpRB1EU I think this story in the Mail reflects the wrong 'spirit' that is in these "positive affirmation" churches - it is a spirit of 'self' and seems to be far remote from the spirit of humility and serving that is in the Catholic Church in the main and their priests. In the Catholic Church we worship Jesus and honour Mary and the Saints and our focus is on holiness ad hum

I think Rob Bell's new book "Love Wins: A Book About Heaven, Hell, and the Fate of Every Person Who Has Ever Lived" is typical of what happens when Protestant religions break away from the Catholic Faith because they all interpret the scriptures themselves and all have their own version of what 'Truth' is. Rob Bell, a respected Preacher in his own field, is preaching a type of Universalism where everybody gets to go to heaven and there is no suffering away from God, no demons, no devil. This is a 'false' gospel and follows on very much from the preaching of the 'health, wealth and prosperity' gospel that is common in America especially but also in some churches here. If you are not rooted in the truth of the Catholic faith then you are open to all sorts of interpretations of the Bible and to some fairy tale ending where everyone 'lives happily ever after'. Don't be fooled - there is an eternity - an eternity with heaven or with hell. Ev

Pray for the souls in purgatory Eternal Father I offer you the Most Precious Blood of Jesus together with all the masses being said this day all over the world for the souls in purgatory. Amen  

Cheryl has kindly signed up as one of our blog authors. Please check out her site here (Cheryl Dickow is a Catholic wife, mother, author and speaker. She co-authored and published the best-selling All Things Girl books and co-hosted the EWTN 13 part televison series of the same name. Her company is Bezalel Books (Bezalel is Hebrew and means "in the shadow of God") where her goal is to publish great Catholic books for families and classrooms that entertain while uplifting the Catholic faith. Her website is http://www.bezalelbooks.com/ where parents, teachers and catechists are invited to browse through titles that include Patti Maguire Armstrong's book Dear God, I don't get it! and Cheryl's most recent book is Our Jewish Roots: A Catholic Woman's Guide where she explores the role of Matriarch from a Catholic perspective. To invite Cheryl to speak at your event, write her at Cheryl@BezalelBooks.com or phone her at 248.917.3865.) ( This article of her

I was thinking about persistent prayer and how long do we keep praying? Do we give up after a month, six months, a year? We may see small answers to prayer and yet not achieve the 'miracle' that we are waiting for. St John Chrysotom says " Whether, therefore we receive what we ask for, or do not receive it, let us continue steadfast in prayer". Waiting for our own personal miracle in the family we continue in prayer even after a year. We have seen many answers to prayer and many miracles and trust like my daughter when she had a separate prayer need - when she had a partial answer to prayer, she trusted in God to fill in the blanks - and He did. That God intended to bring some greater good out of it - so we continue to believe for our miracle. "Ask, and it shall be given to you, seek and ye shall find, knock and it shall be opened. For everyone that asks receives and he that seeks finds and to him that knocks, it shall be opened" Matthew 7:7 So we nee

I am pleased to be writing a post on the new Blog for women bloggers. Fellow bloggers have been a great source of comfort, inspiration and teachings on my Catholic journey. It’s encouraging to see so many Catholics sharing their faith on Blogs and social network sites like Facebook. The Pope is encouraging the use of social media to spread the gospel. There is certainly a lot of coverage of matters specific to the Catholic faith and the pro-life movement and a lot of opportunity to make change for the good through such formats as on line petitions in order to make real changes in the world. There is time for us to encourage one another in the faith and share a little humour and discuss matters close to our hearts. It was interesting that the Pope made sure that the Beatification of Pope John Paul II was streamed live on line and met with fellow Bloggers from all nations the day after on 2nd May! I look forward to reading my fellow female blogger posts. So get Blogging!

A Day at the Ranch looking at all those well cared for kittys always cheers me up!

Any Christian woman or woman interested in Christianity can post even if you don't have your own blog! Just send me your email address to rosary@blueyonder.co.uk

Pictured Fr Sean Coyle (I have ongoing discussions with Fr Sean Coyle about what is most important..the couple or the couple as parents? He writes a provocative piece at Bangor to Bobbio, here & below. What do you all think?) Today's news reports the separation of a prominent American couple (not the couple in the photo at whose marriage I officiated!), both Catholics, after 25 years of marriage. Their four children range in age from 21 to 14. The couple issued this statement, part of which I emphasise: 'This has been a time of great personal and professional transition for each of us. After a great deal of thought, reflection, discussion, and prayer, we came to this decision together. 'At this time, we are living apart while we work on the future of our relationship. We are continuing to parent our four children together. They are the light and the centre of both of our lives.' I do not know all that is behind this particular separation and clearly it

Several men are in the locker room of a golf club. A cellular phone on a bench rings and a man engages the hands-free speaker function and begins to talk. Everyone else in the room stops to listen. MAN: "Hello" WOMAN: "Hi Honey, it's me. Are you at the club?" MAN: "Yes." WOMAN: "I'm at the shops now and found this beautiful leather coat. It's only $2,000; is it OK if I buy it?" MAN: "Sure, go ahead if you like it that much." WOMAN: "I also stopped by the Lexus dealership and saw the new models. I saw one I really liked.." MAN: "How much?" WOMAN: "$90,000." MAN: "OK, but for that price I want it with all the options." WOMAN: Great! Oh, and one more thing... I was just talking to Janie and found out that the house I wanted last year is back on the market. They're asking $980,000 for it." MAN: "Well, then go ahead and make an offer of $900,000. They'll probab

At  Mass last  Father Tim, preached with his customary vigour, trust me,no one snoozes at the back when he is on the Altar! He is a knowledgeable priest who customarily takes Bible Classes and last night he preached on the gospel of the day Easter Sunday 3 ,The road to Emmaus, and he said at one point that current scholarship is of the idea that as well as Cleophas the second un-named follower of Jesus was not some unknown male as has always been portrayed in art ,but Mary the wife of Cleophas, one of the women who stood at the cross and went to the empty tomb! You may be familiar with this but I had never heard it before, as Father explained all the implications of this, Cleophas and Mary,his wife as a new Adam and Eve partaking not of the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil,but of the new feast of Holy Mass served by the Great High Priest and knowing at that moment ,but not as Adam and Eve saw their sin and nakedness, they saw Salvation.What a marvelous story and what great trut

This is just a rough start! Any Catholic or Christian woman with a blog or even without one can post. To do so send me an email to rosary@blueyonder.co.uk & I will add you as blog authors. Others - including men may post comments in the usual way. Please advertise the blog & do visit & introduce yourselves! Also send in suggestions.. I am Jackie Parkes..mom of ten. My blog is Lead Kindly Light