Association Of Catholic Bloggers

Reality has a way of intervening into my own little bubble of bliss. In our small family of four, our Father's Day was fine. And yet, over the past few days I have encountered no fewer than 10 children of our acquaintance who are essentially fatherless. Read more here...

Though We Are Many - Official Hymn of the 32nd International Eucharistic Congress Readings (New American Bible: Philippines, USA)  Readings (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, England & Wales, India [optional], Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland, South Africa)  The black mustard plant Gospel Mark 4:26-14 (Revised Standard Version – Catholic Edition) Jesus said, "The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed upon the ground, and should sleep and rise night and day, and the seed should sprout and grow, he knows not how. The earth produces of itself, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. But when the grain is ripe, at once he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come."  And he said, "With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable shall we use for it? It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when sown upon the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on ea

Christians in the Holy Land and the Church I recomend you watch Carrying Jesus, through the streets of Bethlehem,

Prayers please. Ros

Pomp and ceremony: Royal family reunite in magnificent style for Trooping the Colour on Queen's official birthday | Mail Online

Happy Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus ! My God, my Savior, I adore your Sacred Heart, for that heart is the seat and source of all your tenderest human affections for us sinners. It is the instrument and organ of your love. ~ Blessed John Henry Newman

NeverSeconds This nine year old girl bloggs her school lunches and raises money for Marys Meals theres a bit of a brou ha ha about wether or not her school will allow her to continue!

As a mom, I don't think I'll ever learn everything there is to know about parenting several individuals at one time.  As much as I read, listen, and watch, there is always something new to be discovered about these amazing individuals that my knight, God and I brought into the world. Just recently, another "A-HA!!!" moment happened, it was absolutely amazing, exciting, and enlightening all at the same time.....Oh I can't stand it, it's that good!  ReadY???? My daughters have been talking about filters recently, "So-and So has no filters...or  "whatshername has way too many filters."  We have also been talking about how some fit in at school and why some don't.  I got to experience an exchange between one of the quiet students and a fellow student once earlier this year and began to understand why this quiet student hasn't fit in.  The exchange went like this: Fitting in student:  "Hey let's move the des

Dom Donald's Blog: St. Juliana - West Window Women, Roscrea lovely Catholic women of the past described on this very good Blogg

This week, I went to see Iris (not her real name), one of my most challenging patients.  Iris has managed to ostracize, infuriate and frustrate almost everyone in her life, from her offspring to her neighbours.  She's a tiny but mighty force to contend with, passing judgements, criticisms, threats of lawsuits to anyone who gets in her way as she conducts life from her wheeled walker.  Is it any wonder that when I first went to see her months ago, the concierge in her building was shocked that anyone at all was coming to see her.  "No one visits her," he informed me. When I care for Iris' feet, I get an earful about everything and everyone who has crossed her path since the last month.  How this person wronged her, how that one cheated her, how another one let her down.  What I notice is that Iris is never at fault; it's always the other guy.  There's a lot of bitterness and regret in her conversation, but no forgiveness or self-examination.  S

http://www.saintanthonyofpadua.net/portale/home.asp A link for st anthony of padua, a great Saint and a close friend of many of us! Ora pro nobis st anthony

Mary Cassatt painting in US public domain How can the sun and moon praise God as the prophet exhorts them to do?  By perfectly carrying out the role God has given them.  Thus they render Him great praise.  Behold, therefore, a wonderful means by which you can praise God all day:  Do your duty, and whatever else you are given to do, well.                                                                                                                     - St. Jerome

Greg is 48 today. He is a magnificent man. Our lives are happy and full. Today our oldest made us breakfast and while Greg and I continued our Mad Man marathon. We started watching the show this year, and a friend has loaned us Seasons One and Two DVDs. Greg went to the 11 a.m. Mass; I will take the boys to the 8 p.m. Mass. When he returned, we kept up our marathon. Read more here...

Yesterday was the anniversary of the birth and death of my precious nephew, Daniel. My brother and sister-in-law had been trying to conceive for a very long time, and at long last, she was pregnant. We all were ecstatic and waited impatiently for his arrival. But sometimes things don't turn out as you plan, sometimes tremendous crosses are planned for us, instead of joy. On June 7th, Daniel was born prematurely. My sister-in-law had eaten some food out that didn't seem quite right, and it threw her into early labor. Daniel's little organs were not fully prepared to function yet. And so, my brother and sister-in-law welcomed their long-awaited child into the world, had the most memorable 45 minutes of their life, and were then asked to let him go, whisked away to the loving hands of God. Read more...

La Disputà (Disputation of the Holy Sacrament) , Raffaello Sanzio, painted 1510-11 You will find a description of this magnificent fresco here and a video on its restoration here . The Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ Readings (New American Bible: Philippines, USA)  Readings (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, England & Wales, India [optional], Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland, South Africa)  Gospel Mark 14:12-16, 22-26 (Revised Standard Version – Catholic Edition) On the first day of Unleavened Bread, when they sacrificed the passover lamb, his disciples said to him, "Where will you have us go and prepare for you to eat the passover?" And he sent two of his disciples, and said to them, "Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you; follow him, and wherever he enters, say to the householder, 'The Teacher says, Where is my guest room, where I am to eat the passover with my disciples?'

The Gift Of Spiritual Direction “You ask very existential questions,” observed Wise Friend. “Huh?  What does that even mean?” “Don’t worry, it’s good,” he said reassuringly, with that slight laugh he gets when I look at him like he’s speaking a lost language. I’ve had the same Spiritual Director for about 2-1/2 years.  He’s the person I trust the most with the care and feeding of my soul. Three years ago, I started praying for a Spiritual Director after reading what Catherine Doherty said about spiritual direction and the importance of having a Director.  She advised that it’s important to pray for a spiritual director and to pray for your spiritual director, even if you don’t know who he/she is yet.  So I did.  For months, I asked our Blessed Mother to find me a Spiritual Director. After awhile, the same name kept popping into my head every time I prayed.  I had heard him preach and had gone to him once for confession.  I decided to approach h

Hundreds of teenagers sat in hushed silence this morning as the high school football coach shared  about how 20 years ago his brother, then 29, was airlifted to a trauma center after being hit by a drunken driver one Friday night. The brother had not been out drinking; he was returning home with friends after time spent at a batting cage.  Read more here...

I recorded this video some weeks ago at the request of a friend in Ireland. I mention my concern about the diminishing numbers attending Sunday Mass and of the loss of faith in the Real Presence. The report in yesterday's edition of  The Irish Times,  Many Catholics 'do not believe' church teachings , confirms what I express in the video. I posted about the report yesterday  with links to related articles. Please pray that the 50th International Eucharistic Congress to be held in Dublin 10-17 June will bring a renewal of faith in Ireland.

  First Holy Communion at  Holy Family Home for Girls , Bacolod City ,  Philippines A few months ago, at a large funeral in a mid-western Irish town for a devout, much-loved 88-year-old family man, his 13 handsome, 20- and 30-something grandchildren brought joy and life to the occasion. The one thing they failed to bring was a knowledge of basic Mass etiquette. Throughout the consecration, oblivious to the bowed and kneeling congregation behind them, all 13 remained seated, exchanging the odd friendly word. Then they all trooped solemnly up for Communion. It generated some quiet exchanges afterwards. The local priest said cheerfully that all were welcome in his church, regardless of their knowledge or devotion – “sure, isn’t that what we’re here for?” A visiting priest remarked mildly that “nearly all Irish Catholics were infantilised – their spiritual development was arrested back around First Communion time”. A 50-something layman shrugged and said : “They’re gone in a

Demands for perfection and moms