Association Of Catholic Bloggers

I have been living the missionary life for the past 12 years.  Many times, I need to "die" to myself, face persecutions with humility of heart, and submit completely to the will of God.  Being a missionary is not a perfect life.    But no matter what, it is a life worth living.  Today, World Mission Sunday, I honor all the missionaries around the world, who have selflessly devoted their life to spread the Good News about God, transform lives and inspire more people to strive to be living witnesses of God's unconditional love.  Significantly, it is also an honor for me to witness a fellow Filipino and Missionary canonized to sainthood - Saint Pedro Calungsod.  Reading more about his life, I am deeply inspired by his courage, loyalty, humility, and faith.  A young boy, with so much of life ahead, committed to serve God in a foreign land.  A choice, which not many young people his age would dare to make.  But it was a choice that will change many lives forever. 

Another repost from Costing Not Less Than Everything Saint Nonnos preaching From ‘The Life of St Pelagia the Harlot’  by Jacob the Deacon: “Pelagia was the name given to me by my parents, but the Antiochenes call me Margarita (Pearl), because of the masses of jewellery I had earned through my sins. I used to be the devil’s jewel , and reckoned to be part of his work force.”… On the second day, the devil appeared by night to Pelagia, the handmaid of the Lord, as she was asleep in the cell of her holy mother Romana, and woke her up. “Just answer me this, my lady Margarita,” he said. “Weren’t you plentifully supplied with god and silver? Wasn’t it I who decorated you with gold and precious stones? Tell me, what have I done to upset you? Tell me, so that I can put things right. Don’t make me a laughing stock for these Christians.” Pelagia, the handmaid of the Lord, crossed herself and breathed at the demon. “My God has snatched me out of your very jaws,” she said, “a

Another repost  from Costing Not Less Than Everything - I was ever so slightly furious when I wrote this but tried to be measured...update at the bottom. And for non-UK readers, we've had several unpleasant scandals of  late. And, no doubt, sadly, plenty more to come. I was discussing with some neighbours the Jimmy Saville matter and the Justin Lee Collins matter and the way in which, in previous decades, our mothers and grandmothers were the protectors of the family, figures of righteous wrath often belittled and derided by comedians and entertainers. So, 'Our Lady of the Rolling Pin' was vaguely on my mind when I wandered out on a sunny Sunday afternoon and walked straight into someone else’s nightmare. A young woman had found herself utterly alone and in great distress.  I sat with her in a cafe for the time it took for her mother to drive from Yorkshire to London to pick her up. Sad to say, but she was lucky she had a mother who would do that for her child.

Reposted from Costing Not Less Than Everything Because it just keeps raining….a formidable female saint. The patron saint of excessive rain is Saint Genevieve.  As a young girl, she was singled out by Saint Germain of Auxerre for her sanctity and she averted the sack of Paris by Attila the Hun through prayer and fasting. Acting as an intermediary between the city and Childeric I when he conquered Paris, she ensured the supply of grain to the inhabitants and persuaded him to release prisoners of war.  She was responsible for the conversion of Clovis I, Childeric’s successor. After her death, she worked many miracles; in her life, she was noted for her piety and asceticism. The Pantheon in Paris was originally designed to be a fitting resting place for the saint – but her relics were publicly burnt in 1793. To this day she is invoked as the patron saint of Paris, against fever and against flood, drought and disaster.

St James the Elder , Rembrandt Readings   (New American Bible: Philippines, USA) Readings (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, England & Wales, India [optional], Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland, South Africa)  Gospel  Mark 10:35-45 [42-25]  (Revised Standard Version – Catholic Edition) [James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came forward to Jesus, and said to him, "Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you." And he said to them, "What do you want me to do for you?" And they said to him, "Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory." But Jesus said to them, "You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?"  And they said to him, "We are able." And Jesus said to them, "The cup that I drink you will drink; and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be b

I don’t watch The View . I tried a few times, many moons ago; but found that even with the presence of conservative Elisabeth Hasslebeck, I couldn’t stomach the show. I’m also a huge fan of Ann Romney.  Huge. But even her guest spot on The View couldn’t entice me to tune in. Appearing the same week as the presidential debates wherein Candy Crowley made it know, once and for all, that the media bias was real and palpable—as if anyone still needed that confirmation—by derailing Romney with an intentional, unacceptable interruption meant to save Obama with a preposterous spin on Benghazi, I just wasn’t up to one second of Whoopi Goldberg. I’m no psychic but even I could have foretold what was going to happen. And I believe Ann Romney knew as well; and that is why I continue to admire this woman of courage and conviction. As I write this little opinion piece, I desperately want to avoid using the phrase “war on women.” However, having read about Goldberg’s incred

I am pro life because ... I feel – all your emotions, your fears, your passions, your love, your anger, your worry, your sadness, your desires.  I feel - dancing rhythms and swaying to the music, warm and cosseted blankets as soft as gossamer, secure, cared for, cherished, wanted.  I feel my toes, my thumb, my head, my legs.  I feel you. I hear - the sounds of traffic in the road, birdsong in the trees, music from a band playing on the corner, an aeroplane taking off, the news-seller down the street, my mother and father talking then singing, then talking, a bath running at bedtime, the alarm clock to wake you up from your slumber, a pram being pushed, the market traders, distant bells pealing from a church spire, laughter, children in the park, the television and the radio, the doctors and nurses at the hospital, nursery rhymes as you talk and sing to me. I know a God that surrounds me with his love and care and places an angel beside me to protect me.  I know of a place trans

Wrapped Up by Teresa Tomeo and Cheryl Dickow is a book for quiet reflection, focusing on ten aspects of the spiritual journey, including God's love and forgiveness, a joyful attitude, suffering and the sacraments. Each chapter is divided between the two authors, as Cheryl shares insights about the matriarchs of the Old Testament and Teresa provides data and anecdotes about the struggles faced by contemporary women. Both writers include snippets from their lives and how they have each found deeper peace in their vocations as Catholic women through becoming open to the gifts which God gives. Teresa comments on the discouragement with which so many women must contend, and which can be an obstacle to having a healthy spiritual life. In addition to the personal baggage we carry, the other signals constantly received or detected on the private sonar remind us that unless we can feed the family with  a fabulous 'yummo' Rachel Ray dinner in thirty minutes or

Catholic Moms Talk: My Excitement over the Year of Faith : I'm pleased to introduce Roxane Salonen to "Catholic Moms Talk" today. Roxane B. Salonen, a wife and mother of five children ages 7 to 16,...

On November 1 of this year, Mr. Pete and I will commemorate the tenth anniversary of the short life and death of our sixth child, Raphael. I can't believe how quickly the time has passed or how much things have changed since then. Since that time, I have tried to reach out to other women going through similar situations. The church knows that if a baby has died they can call me and I'll be very willing to come to the funeral or the calling hours. I try to bring a copy of Mothers' Manual  with me to give to the grieving mother so that she can have it, with the hopes that it will bring her comfort.  There are some beautiful prayers in there specifically for the loss of a child and the resignation to accept that loss.  I bought five of them about two years ago, and have given every single one of them away. Yesterday I went to the brief calling hours and funeral for a little baby that just never breathed on his own. His parents  were there, all sad and numb with grief.  

This morning, I am sitting in the family room, reading a memoir and nursing a sore throat with cough drops. Boy turning 13 tomorrow comes  bounding down the stairs in bare feet, wearing jeans, a white tee and black suspenders. He is dribbling a soccer ball.  Keep Reading...

From  Jesus of Nazareth , Franco Zeffirelli's TV mini-series of 1977. Readings (New American Bible: Philippines, USA) Readings   (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, England & Wales, India [optional], Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland, South Africa) Gospel  Mark 10:17-30  (Revised Standard Version – Catholic Edition) And as Jesus was setting out on his journey, a man ran up and knelt before him, and asked him, "Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" And Jesus said to him, "Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. You know the commandments: 'Do not kill, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother.'" And he said to him, "Teacher, all these I have observed from my youth." And Jesus looking upon him loved him, and said to him, "You lack one thing; go, sell what you have, and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in

Pilar Tilos (right) with Emma Pabera and Gloria Canama This morning I celebrated the Mass in honor of La Virgen del Pilar , the Virgin of the Pillar, a major feast in Spanish-speaking countries and in two areas in the Philippines where Chavacano , the only Spanish-based creole language in Asia, is spoken. However, Chavacano isn't spoken in Hinobaan, in the very south of Negros Occidental, where PIlar was from. Hiligaynon, a visayan language, is spoken there. She was born on 12 October and, like many a Filipino, 'brought her own name with her', as we say in Ireland. Her parents named her 'Pilar' because of the feast of Our Lady. Pilar was a public school teacher there but in 1990 headed for Pakistan with Gloria Canama from Tangub City, Misamis Occidental, and Emma Pabera, a public school prinicapl from Candoni, also in Negros Occidental. These were 'RP1' [Republic of the Philippines 1], the first team of Columban lay missionaries fro

Catholic Moms Talk: Being part of a FAITHFUL Church : How wonderful that we are part of a Church that lovingly reminds us about the importance of our faith and even our duties to prof...

Sunday, October 7, 2012: Greetings and blessings to you from the Eternal City! This Sunday morning I had the pleasure of joining in a special outdoor Mass celebrated by our Holy Father to mark the official opening of the synod and to canonize two saints – John of Avila and Hildegard of Bingen. The view from Archbishop Kurtz’s Room at North American College I looked for priests from Louisville in Rome at the Mass and did not find them, but met two retired priests of Covington, Kentucky, so I was partly successful. I spent most of my time beginning to meet bishops with whom I will participate in the synod. They come from every continent. It was wonderful to meet the other synod delegates. The real work of this three-week long synod – called the “New Evangelization for the Transmission of the Christian Faith” – begins tomorrow morning. Later this afternoon I will meet with Cardinal Dolan and the other United States bishop delegates to make final plans. The signal that the

What better gift than this? We purchased this beautiful painting of the Holy Mother from my friend  Ann Burt,  who lives and works in Raleigh, N.C. This is the largest piece she has created so far in her rustic barn series. She painted Mary on a piece of salvaged barn wood. I was unpacking Mary today from the cardboard box and bubble wrap she showed up in when my friend  Dan,  himself an artist, happened to stop by. (You know I don't believe in coincidences.) Keep reading...

Two friends were walking through the desert. During some point of the journey, they had an argument and one friend slapped the other one in the face. The one who had been slapped was hurt but without saying anything, wrote in the sand: Today my best friend slapped me in the face. They kept on walking until they found an oasis where they decided to take a bath. The one who had been slapped got stuck in the mire and started drowning. The friend saved her. After she recovered from the near drowning, she wrote on a stone: Today my best friend saved my life. The friend who had slapped and saved her best friend asked: After I hurt you, you wrote in the sand and now you write on stone. Why? The other friend replied: When someone hurts us we should write it down in sand where winds of forgiveness and waters of love can easily wash it away. When someone does something good for us we should engrave it in stone where it can remain for years to come. From this wonderful tale of two friends w

From  The Gospel of John  (2003)  Directed by Philip Saville. Jesus played by Henry Ian Cusick; narrator, Christopher Plummer. Readings   (New American Bible: Philippines, USA) Readings   (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, England & Wales, India [optional], Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland, South Africa) Gospel  Mark 10:2-16 [2-12, shorter form]   (Revised Standard Version – Catholic Edition) Pharisees came up and in order to test Jesus asked, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?" He answered them, "What did Moses command you?" They said, "Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of divorce, and to put her away." But Jesus said to them, "For your hardness of heart he wrote you this commandment. But from the beginning of creation, 'God made them male and female. For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one.' So they are no longer two bu

This week, my dear friend Jane congratulated me on turning fifty. "I didn't do anything," I told her. "I just kept breathing." At the small Italian restaurant Greg took me to tonight to celebrate my turning 50 tomorrow, a man was playing the piano and singing. Among his tunes was "Happy Birthday." I knew he wasn't playing it for me. It would have embarrassed me and my husband, who knows me well, would not have requested the song. Still, it was sweet to hear as I sipped red Merlot beside my still-48-year-old husband. Keep Reading...

General Intention New Evangelization.  That the New Evangelization may progress in the oldest Christian countries.   Mission Intention World Mission Day.  That the celebration of World Mission Day may result in a renewed commitment to evangelization. Traditional Daily Offering of the Apostleship of Prayer O Jesus, through the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I offer You my prayers, works, joys, and sufferings of this day in union with the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass throughout the world. I offer them for all the intentions of Your Sacred Heart: the salvation of souls, reparation for sin, and the reunion of all Christians. I offer them for the intentions of our bishops and of all Apostles of Prayer, and in particular for those recommended by our Holy Father this month. The videos are all produced by the  Apostleship of Prayer , Milwaukee, WI, USA.

Lately, I have been crabbier than usual, both inside church and out. People disappoint me. I disappoint myself.  Luckily, I have a friend, a mother, a confidante, to whom I always can turn. I ask the Blessed Mother to pray for me, and I believe she does. Read more here...

With the upcoming October 7th announcement that Pope Benedict XVI will pronounce that 12th century German mystic St. Hildegard of Bingen is a doctor of the church—as well as announcing that same honor being bestowed upon St. John of Avila—there is a renewed interest in the understanding of “mysticism” with our church. The church’s history with mystics actually goes back to the Jewish roots of the faith. Mysticism itself can best be explained as man’s need to connect with God in ways that transcend his mere day-to-day experiences. Man wants to know God intimately, deeply, privately—to fill that place within his heart which God created for His own indwelling. St. Augustine perfectly captured this earthly feeling when he said, “Our hearts are restless until they rest with Thee.” Augustine’s life (354-386), as told in his Confessions, reflects the ways in which man experiences earthly restlessness and pursues Divine intimacy.  Jewish mysticism, which dates back thousands of years, has a