Association Of Catholic Bloggers

Good morning and greetings from America's Heartland! My name is Valerie, and recently I was invited by Jackie to become a contributing author here at the Association of Catholic Women Bloggers .  What an honor and a privilege to be asked to keep company with such deeply spiritual and courageously-active faith-filled Catholics!  I have to admit...it's been a couple of weeks since Jackie read this post and offered up her invitation to me.  Since then, I have had a bit of writer's block...perhaps allowing the Deadly Sins of pride and sloth to interfere with me sharing my walk of faith!  I often allow my fear of "being wrong" to paralyze me, thus missing out on some incredible opportunities to share the richness of our faith with others...and to learn some lessons myself.  Believe me when I say, I'm striving to better display those holy virtues of humility and diligence! Right now, the season of life that I am in is that of parenthood.  And while

Serbian Icon Depicting Our Lady of Sorrows 19th Century “As we contemplate this Mother, whose heart a sword has pierced (cf. Luke 2:35), our thoughts go to all the suffering women in the world, suffering either physically or morally. In this suffering a woman’s sensitivity plays a role, even though she often succeeds in resisting suffering better than a man. It is difficult to enumerate these sufferings; it is difficult to call them all by name. We may recall her maternal care for her children, especially when they fall sick or fall into bad ways; the death of those most dear to her; the loneliness of mothers forgotten by their grown-up children; the loneliness of widows; the sufferings of women who struggle alone to make a living; and women who have been wronged or exploited. Then there are the sufferings of consciences as a result of sin, which has wounded the woman’s human or maternal dignity: the wounds of consciences which do not heal easily. With these sufferings too we must plac

Jeremy Irons and Dame Kiri Te Kanawa in a concert version of My Fair Lady. If one wants to see what connection this has with last Sunday's Mass as celebrated in English in the USA and the Philippines one should check here .

First of all, I ask that supplications, prayers, petitions, and thanksgivings be offered for everyone, for kings and for all in authority, that we may lead a quiet and tranquil life in all devotion and dignity. This is good and pleasing to God our saviour, who wills everyone to be saved and to come to knowledge of the truth. 1 Tim 2: 1-8 That we may lead a quiet and tranquil life in all devotion and dignity . St. Paul probably wasn’t thinking ahead to his 21 st Century readers when he put pen to paper in this letter to Timothy, but these words ring out clear and true to this particular modern girl. We’ve all heard the litany of the ills of our time, and probably each have a version of our own we can riff on with the smallest provocation. Your litany would likely include some of these themes: stress, over-commitment, broken families, Godlessness, hopelessness, degraded culture, lowered standards, the noise, the expectations, the evening news.... Doesn’t it make you want to c

Hello to all the readers and bloggers, here at the Association of Catholic Woman Bloggers. I am delighted to have been asked to blog here occasionally. Thanks for the invite. I live in the historic town of Drogheda, on the east coast of Ireland (home to the shrine of St Oliver Plunkett ). I am happily married to Christopher (who blogs at Catholicus ), we have four children, whom we are trying to raise in the Faith in what now feels like "post Catholic" Ireland. Ireland is in a difficult place at the moment, the economic recession has hit hard, and our new "liberal agenda" government seem intent on as many social changes as possible, while no one is looking, (as many people are simply too busy worrying about day to day living). In terms of the Catholic faith, it simply feels like the Church is under continuous attack, both from within and without. (Well, that's enough misery for one paragraph, but remember if you can, spare a prayer for Ireland, we really need it

On Saturday evening, before Mass, I went to confession, after a rather long gap of 2 months After the Priest absolved me, for my penance (in addition to praying the Pater Noster before the Blessed Sacrament) he asked me to do one small thing as well as I could this week for God. I came away feeling this was an easy penance! But on reflection I realised that this is something I should do every day, and don’t. More often, I do things in a hurried, slapdash and unrecollected way, often without considering God at all. Immediately, my thoughts turned to the Little Flower, whose hidden life was made up of an accumulation of small things. She had neither need or opportunity to do great things, but she had plenty of opportunity to do “small things with great love”. St. Therese wrote: To strew flowers is the only means of proving my love, and these flowers will be each word and look, each little daily sacrifice. Whether working in the laundry or at prayer, Therese offered everything, as well

Let women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted them to speak, but to be subject, as also the law saith. But if they would learn any thing, let them ask their husbands at home. For it is a shame for a woman to speak in the church. ~I Corinthians 14: 34 This elusive verse, when not totally ignored, is a matter of controversy, as scholars and theologians try to explain it away. St. Paul, not caring a fig for political correctness, past or present, wanted it to be clear that women were not to usurp the functions of priests at the altar. On another level, the spiritual director at our Secular Carmelite meeting said that the verse is not to be seen as a negation of women but as a call, a call to silence, both interior and exterior. It is in the deep silence of the soul that spiritual warfare on behalf of the Church, her ministers and her people, is best waged. Many women have sought a life of prayer and have become prayer warriors, from the earliest days of the

In the gospel today the Roman centurion makes his confession of faith which forms the wording of our own confession of faith before we receive Holy Communion. This confession of faith demonstrates the unworthiness we all have when approaching the wonderful gift of the Body and Blood of Christ. Standing before this throne of God’s grace we simply confess I am not worthy, never will be, a wretched sinner! I am living only for the grace that my Lord and Saviour gives to me. Despite my unworthiness just say your Word Lord and it will heal me, revive me, thrill me and enable me to be nurtured into a dim shadow, a pale reflection of the glory that is the Christ I receive.   It is the interior life that allows us to express outwardly our spiritual selves. I make a show to others of my saintliness when I live out the gospel not when I make a show for others of my piety! The spiritual life is not about the show, the face I put on, the mask I use to hide my shortcomings, it is about the

Look carefully and you’ll notice that, to a greater or lesser degree, we’re all wounded.         At different times in our lives, through disappointments, rejection, betrayals, maybe through losses, mistakes, poor judgments, failures and broken dreams. Some of us hide our wounds better than others, but none of us are spared from being wounded. It's not something any of us can escape. Life wounds us all. Wounding can take many forms. Some of us have been damaged in childhood, bullied or abused at home or in school, maybe trying to rise above harsh words or unrelenting criticism from parents or peers, that in itself, erodes self confidence and leaves its own scars. Then later in life through a series of unhealthy relationships and poor choices, we find ourselves insecure and unable to reach out and reconcile, make peace with the past so we can move on. Finding it difficulty to love and trust and feel confident enough to let people into our lives again. Not ev

An article about Edith Stein was published in the August issue of the magazine Bible Alive . This monthly magazine provides a reflection on the Scripture readings at Mass each day, along with one or two feature articles. The article on Edith Stein was published to coincide with her feast day which is celebrated on 9th August. The proximity of its appearance to the anniversary of the beatification of John Henry Newman prompts the comparison drawn in the article to the life of Cardinal Newman. The article has been posted to the website of Alive Publishing, publishers of Bible Alive , and can be read here . A little note on the sources used for the writing of the article. Hedwig Conrad-Martius and Edith Stein first met through the group of philosphy students and teachers at Gottingen University, and she was Edith's closest friend. In the late 1950's, Hedwig gave a talk about Edith to a group dedicated to Jewish-Christian dialogue. The text of that talk was published in a Germa

I have been reading Thomas Merton’s autobiography, The Seven Story Mountain (written before he ventured into less Catholic philosophies)  the last 2 weeks, which my sister recently lent me. It’s been a good experience for me, but has been exasperating, baffling, uplifitng and enlightening in equal measure!! I feel confused about some of the concepts he writes about, but clear about others. It’s certainly left its mark on me… There are two particular passages which stood out. One where he talks about his first Mass (as an adult) in the Catholic Church, and the other his first Mass in a Monastic community as a guest. In both cases, he comments on the recollection of those around him: a young girl completely engrossed in prayer in the first instance; a group of novices also engrossed in prayer and seemingly oblivious to what’s going on around them in the second. It really made me think of my behaviour during the Mass. I have been reading some rather ugly stuff in the blog

 St Peter in Penitence , El Greco, painted c.1605 Readings   (New American Bible, used in the Philippines and the USA). Gospel Matthew 18:21-35 (Jerusalem Bible, used in Australia, England & Wales, Ireland, Scotland). Peter went up to Jesus and said, 'Lord, how often must I forgive my brother if he wrongs me? As often as seven times?' Jesus answered, 'Not seven, I tell you, but seventy-seven times.   'And so the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who decided to settle his accounts with his servants. When the reckoning began, they brought him a man who owed ten thousand talents; but he had no means of paying, so his master gave orders that he should be sold, together with his wife and children and all his possessions, to meet the debt. At this, the servant threw himself down at his master's feet. "Give me time" he said "and I will pay the whole sum." And the servant's master felt so sorry for him that he let him go and canc

When I was asked by Jackie if I would like to write something for the ACWB website my initial reaction was Cool swiftly followed by the realisation (and panic) that I might actually have to write something sensible for a change . You will be relieved to hear that I decided against it... The other day I put my finger in a rat trap. Not a small one but a proper industrial trap designed to catch rats in such a way that you would never have to catch the same one twice. I did this for a simple reason. It was because I am a man and I wanted to know if it would hurt. It did . As a man I have a need to seek validation of the thoughts and opinions that I have formed through observation of my environment combined with theoretical knowledge and directed by past experience. I need to do this in order to prove to myself that my reasoning abilities are superior to anyone else's and that my judgements on the world are sound and based on logic and not guesswork. Or to put that another

By Greg Trevor When the moment finally came – after nearly 10 years of waiting – I was so overwhelmed I couldn’t move. I was falling asleep on the night of May 1, 2011, when my wife, Allison, walked into our bedroom, tapped me on the shoulder and said: “The president is about to go on TV. They got bin Laden and he’s dead.” “Thank God,” I replied. I tried to get out of bed but couldn’t. The death of bin Laden brought back so many painful memories from surviving the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. Read more here...

Over the last few weeks, there have been a lot of bloggers, catholic ones, heralding a cry of "Why don't 'they' just leave?" or "why are 'they' Catholic anyway" I am not pointing one finger at one voice, I am pointing eight fingers and two thumbs twice at-at least twenty bloggers!!! I am so infuriated I have turned protestant, as a protest. Just for a week or so. To make a point. (And because it's dead cool going around shouting 'Praise the Lord' in a protestant sort of way). I actually quite like the zeal of prods, truth be told. I do not mean anyone who is a part of this blog, by the way. I happen to think this blog is a shining example of witness to the unity of the body of Christ. A safe oasis to visit, always. So, perhaps some of the sheep being challenged in their religion, by fellow R C bloggers might like to see this short clip about how Jesus will respond, if they choose to leave. Also notice His reactions on their retu

Birth of the Virgin , Murillo, 1660  Lord God, the day of our salvation dawned when the Blessed Virgin gave birth to your Son. As we celebrate her nativity grant us your grace and your peace. We make our prayer through our Lord Jesus Christ your Son who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. (From the Divine Office approved by the Episcopal Conferences of Australia, England and Wales, Ireland, Scotland).  Salve, Regina, Mater misericordiae, vita, dulcedo, et spes nostra, salve. ad te clamamus exsules filii Hevae, ad te suspiramus, gementes et flentes in hac lacrimarum valle. Eia, ergo, advocata nostra, illos tuos misericordes oculos ad nos converte; et Jesum, benedictum fructum ventris tui, nobis post hoc exsilium ostende. O clemens, O pia, O dulcis Virgo Maria.

Fr Aedan McGrath On the first Tuesday of September 1961 - the date was the 5th - I and more than 40 other young men entered St Columban's College, Dalgan Park, Navan, about 40 kms north-west of my native Dublin, hoping to be Columban priests one day and heading off to Chile, Fiji, Japan, Korea, Peru or the Philippines about seven years later. As it happened, some were to find their way to Pakistan, which became a Columban mission in 1978 along with Taiwan. I was then 18 but since I was 14 had wanted to be a missionary priest. I decided on the Columbans when I was 16 but had to wait to do my Leaving Certificate. I went to Dalgan Park in Easter Week 1961 to be interviewed and have a medical examination. I was very happy when accepted. Then I had to get a black suit, some white shirts and a black tie, not to mention a black hat, required in those days. One thing was niggling me: what would my parents think if I ever decided to leave? The term 'spoiled priest'

Wisdom builds her house, but folly with her own hands tears it down. —Proverbs 14:1 I was clueless as a young wife mother and– on top of my naivety…I was alone a lot raising the boys while my husband traveled extensively with the corporation that owned us but paid our bills. We had moved far from any family or friends, had no church yet and nights were very difficult for me because I was still in the throws of PTSD and those dreadful nightmares . It was a really difficult time in our marriage and I had a choice to make; Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding.. —Proverbs 3:5 Or, become a noisy, contentious, irritating wife that would make her husband prefer to live on the corner of a roof, rather than in the house with her. —Prov 21:9 Contentiousness doesn’t occur in a vacuum, but there was only one heart I could do something about. God will have nothing by halves….all my heart meant, All. This is when Scripture became practical for me. Proverb

heart speaks unto heart: Catholic Witness – Friday Penance | Peter Jennings... : Catholic Witness – Friday Penance | Peter Jennings.co.uk

Besides the  Feast Day of Blessed Mother Teresa , there are a couple of other memorable events coming up this September, namely Mama Mary's birthday (or  Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary ) on September 8,  The Exaltation of the Holy Cross  on September 14 and The  Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows  on September 15. Exciting huh?! ;-)  Let's take a look at what two of my favorite Catholic mommy bloggers have posted with regard to ideas and activities for celebrating these feast days: First of all, may I just say that  Lacy  is really one of my favorite Catholic mommy bloggers?!! She is so blessed with creativity and resourcefulness, and I always refer to  her blog  for crafts and activities that highlight the beauty of the Catholic faith. Here is  her compilation of ideas  (from other amazing Catholic moms!) for celebrating Mama Mary's birthday: So the most obvious idea for celebrating this feast day is to make a birthday cake for Mary. Anything blue is a great idea si

While I was at the Adoration Chapel recently, an older Italian gentleman came in to pray. After taking some time before the Blessed Sacrament, he approached my chair. Standing at a respectful distance, he said something along the lines of, "It is very warm today. May I turn the fan on for you?" No thank you, I said. "Please do let me know you would like me to turn it on later, or perhaps open the doors for you." I was struck by his dignified demeanour. He was carefully, though not formally dressed. He didn't crouch by my chair or put his hand familiarly on my shoulder. He didn't press his case, and he deferred to my preference. I was comfortable in his presence and felt cared for - by this complete stranger. This episode came to mind again a few days ago when watching a movie set in the early 1960s. The opening montage showed students of a London school for girls going through their paces: walking with a book balanced on their head, taking