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Causa Nostrae Laetitiae

Catholic Moms Talk: My Children are the Heart of God Himself : I am pleased to welcome Kate Wicker to "Catholic Moms Talk" today. Kate shares a special story with us today. I suspect many moms will ...

The St Genesius Blog: Clive Dunn R.I.P.

Catholicseeking: Daily Strength : “He has not made us for nought;  He has brought us thus far, in order to bring us further, in order to bring us on to the end.  He wi...

Humblepiety: Cup or Chalice? : Cup or Chalice? In the Greek original of all the New Testament accounts of the Last Supper, after the blessing of the bread, Jesu...

Rambling Follower: Hurricane Furniture and Other Blessings : I realize this photo of our backyard, which is a slate patio, might not say much to you. But this picture says a lot to me about enduranc...

Causa Nostrae Laetitiae

And Jesus answering said unto them, Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's.  Mark 12:17

Pope sends Cardinal Robert Sarah to Lebanon to help Syrian refugees

Saint Willibrord was born in Northumbria in 658 from pious, newly converted parents . His father Wilgils entrusted the boy as an oblate to the monastery of Ripon, and became a recluse at the mouth of the Humber. Willibrord grew up under the influence of St Wilfrid, bishop of York, who preferred the Roman practice to Celtic church characteristics . At the age of twenty Willibrord was irresistibly drawn towards Ireland, the „Isle of Saints“, where he submitted to strict asceticism at the monastery of Rathmelsigi. He was ordained priest in 558. Willibrord was filled with the spirit of „peregrinatio“, the mystic desire of renouncing an earthly home, in order to preach the gospel to heathen peoples. In the year 690 he crossed over to the European mainland with 11 companions, to bring the Christian faith to the people of the Frisians, who had so far resisted evangelisation. Contrary to the mission practice of the Iro-Scottish monks, who tackled evangelisation unsystematically, Willibrord

All Souls Day

A Woman's Place...: Why I'm Not Voting: An Unhappy Confession : I'm not voting today. Not because I don't want to or don't know who I would vote for.  No, I wouldn't have a moral dilemma when it came ...

New Blog: The Association of Catholic Women Bloggers

St. Illtyd - from Catholic Online St. Illtyd are on emai Sh All Wikipedia Comments Feastday:  November 6 Died: 7th Century One of the most revered saints of Wales, by tradition a cousin of the fabled Kin Arthur of the Britons. Reportedly a Briton, he and his wife Tyrnihild lived as members of a Glamorgan chief’s army until they became  hermits  near the river Nadafan. Illtyd then studied with St. Dudricius and founded the great  abbey  of Llanilltud Fawr in Glamorgan, Wales. He was a  disciple  of St. Cadoc. According to one Welsh legend, Illtyd was one of the three Knights of the Holy Grail. He died in Brittany.   from Wikipedia Illtyd  (also spelled  Illtud  and, in corrupt English,  Eltut , and, in Latin,  Hildutus ) was the Welsh founder-abbot and teacher of Llanilltud Fawr (Llantwit Major) in the Welshcounty of Glamorgan, where he is said to have re-established the monastery school known as Cor Tewdws around the beginning of the sixth c

Guy Walters had this to say in the Telegraph in 2010: Which is better – Guy Fawkes' Night or Halloween. Personally, I'm with my namesake (no predictable jokes please), as I find the manner in which Halloween is celebrated to be tacky. Give me a box of fireworks and a plastic cup of scalding tomato soup over trick or treating any day. As soon as I mentioned I was going on air to champion Guy Fawkes' Night, a good friend sent me a message on Facebook indicating that he found November 5th a 'celebration of religious persecution'. Like many Roman Catholics, my friend takes offence at the burning of an effigy of the Pope that takes place at Lewes and I can quite see why. However, I'm certain that most people who attend Guy Fawkes' Nights – which are, after all, more commonly just called Bonfire or Firework Nights – do not do so out of intolerance towards Roman Catholics, but simply to have a get-together and ooh and aah at a few fireworks. Yes, we

Hi everyone! We currently have 50 wonderful blog authors, all of whom have full admin access. The ACWB blog runs very smoothly and the standard of posting is amazingly high. Thankyou to all those women, priests and friends who have and continue to  share their insight and love of our Catholic Faith. I'm hoping to take an internet break! Joanna Bennett has kindly agreed to oversee the running of the blog. She can be contacted at  j.bennett150@btinternet.com .

Yesterday while driving out of the Home Depot parking lot,  I began to tear up. Our 16 year old son's words kept me going. See, I had checked my facebook before heading into the store. I discovered two CL friends are homeless. The boiler in their apartment building in Manhattan's financial district blew up as Hurricane Sandy plowed through. They are scrambling for a warm place to sleep. (They have temporary lodging in New Jersey). Then, as we walked into the store, I was puzzled by rows of people sitting in cloth folding chairs by the customer service counter. Some were reading books; one woman was asleep. Why were they sitting there? And then it struck me: they have no heat in their homes thanks to Hurricane Sandy. Keep Reading....

CCC 166 Faith is a personal act — the free response of the human person to the initiative of God who reveals himself. But faith is not an isolated act. No one can believe alone, just as no one can live alone. You have not given yourself faith as you have not given yourself life. The believer has received faith from others and should hand it on to others. Our love for Jesus and for our neighbor impels us to speak to others about our faith. Each believer is thus a link in the great chain of believers. I cannot believe without being carried by the faith of others, and by my faith I help support others in the faith. In 2002, I , the mother of two girls, became the mother of a baby girl with Down syndrome. It was something I never imagined I could handle, I rationalized that I didn’t have enough patience, that my marriage could not withstand the stress, nevertheless, one Sunday morning, while attending Mass halfway through my pregnancy, I heard a voice in my heart, which said, “You are go

A repost from Costing Not Less Than Everything Seventh-century Abbess of Gwytherin in Denbighshire, miraculously restored to life by Saint Bueno after being beheaded by an angry rejected suitor. Her miraculous healing well is still busy today at Holywell, known as the Lourdes of Wales, and remains a place of pilgrimage. There is also a healing well named after the saint at Woolston in Shropshire. For fans of Brother Cadfael, the monk detective, her relics feature in A Morbid Taste for Bones , by Ellis Peters. Here is an ancient hymn to St Winifred: Virgo Venans Velut Rosa – Virgin Blossoming as the Rose More fair than all the vernal flowers  Embosom’d in the dales,  St. Winifred in beauty bloom’d  The rose of ancient Wales.  With every loveliest grace adorn’d,  The Lamb’s unsullied Bride,  Apart from all the world she dwelt  Upon this mountain side.  Till Caradoc, with impious love,  Her fleeing steps pursued,  And in her sacred maiden blood  H

For All the Saints Words by William Walsham How, music by Ralph Vaughan Williams This is sung in Cardiff, Wales, a country noted for its choral singing and for its brass bands. Both are here. Williams gave the name  Sine Nomine , 'Without a Name', to the melody. Readings   (New American Bible: Philippines, USA) Readings   (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, England & Wales, India [optional], Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland, South Africa)  Gospel  Matthew 5:1-12a  (Revised Standard Version – Catholic Edition) Seeing the crowds, Jesus went up on the mountain, and when he sat down his disciples came to him. And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying: "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. "Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they

Catholic Moms Talk: "Change" for Mothers in the Year of Faith : It’s only natural to be thinking about possible new beginnings and changes in our lives at this time of year. After all, we as Catholics...

Hurricane Sandy, the late-season storm that already has taken 43 souls in the Caribbean, is heading here to the East Coast of the United States. The radio stations are full of advice and warnings about what some forecasters are calling "Frankenstorm," because the cyclone is expected to meet a winter storm sometime close to Halloween.  I don't know if what happen in New Jersey, though I feel certain we will lose power for several hours, if not days. That happens a lot in our old town with its ancient trees that tend to fall right on power lines. Our power grid is pretty fragile. My next-door neighbor is putting gas in his  generator. Keep Reading...

Christ healing the Blind Man ,  Eustache Le Sueur  [ Web Gallery of Art ]     Readings   (New American Bible: Philippines, USA)  Readings   (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, England & Wales, India [optional], Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland, South Africa)  Gospel  Mark 10:46-52  (Revised Standard Version – Catholic Edition) As Jesus was leaving Jericho with his disciples and a great multitude, Bartimaeus, a blind beggar, the son of Timaeus, was sitting by the roadside. And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" And many rebuked him, telling him to be silent; but he cried out all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!" And Jesus stopped and said, "Call him." And they called the blind man, saying to him, "Take heart; rise, he is calling you." And throwing off his mantle he sprang up and came to Jesus. And Jesus said to him, "What do y

My wife, Mary Jo, starts chemo treatments today a great story and song that if I keep trusting Him and singing His songs, everything's gonna be OK. Keep us in your prayers. Deacon Gerry The song that silenced the cappuccino machine by John Thomas Oaks It was chilly in Manhattan but warm inside the Starbucks shop on 51st Street and Broadway, just a skip up from Times Square. Early November weather in New York City holds only the slightest hint of the bitter chill of late December and January, but it's enough to send the masses crowding indoors to vie for available space and warmth. For a musician, it's the most lucrative Starbucks location in the world, I'm told, and consequently, the tips can be substantial if you play your tunes right. Apparently, we were striking all the right chords that night, because our basket was almost overflowing. It was a fun, low-pressure gig - I was playing keyboard and singing backup for my friend who also added rhythm with an arsenal of pe

Hello everyone, Some bad news about my wife, Mary Jo. They admitted Mary Jo to Baptist East yesterday to do additional CT Scans and other tests. They have confirmed that her lymphoma has become very aggressive. She had one lymph node that had become enlarged that they were watching. Now, they are all enlarged. She will be having an endoscopy and a colonoscopy tomorrow to try to determine other things she has going on. They put a port in her neck this evening for the chemo treatments. They will be using a regimen of four powerful chemo medicines to shrink the lymph nodes, and to send it back to an indolent state. The lymphoma she has is not cureable, but is treatable with the chemo regimen they will be using. I am sure that the drugs they will be using will knock Mary Jo for a loop. My focus for the foreseeable future is to do my best taking care of the grandkids that we help with, and being a rock for Mary Jo . We aren't sure at this point when the chemo treatme

New John Paul II feast day prayer  Blessed John Paul II should have a while week - not just one day. If you attended Mass Monday for Blessed John Paul II. Here is the Collect for Blessed John Paul II’s feast day  O God, who are rich in mercy  and who willed that the blessed John Paul the Second  should preside as Pope over your universal Church,  grant, we pray, that instructed by his teaching,  we may open our hearts to the saving grace of Christ,  the sole Redeemer of mankind.   Who lives and reigns. In Latin: Deus, dives in misericrdia, qui beátum Ioánnem Paulum, papam, univérsae Ecclésiae tuae praeésse voluísti, praesta, quaésumus, ut, eius institútis edócti, corda nostra salutíferae grátiae Christi, uníus redemptoria hominus, fidénter aperiámus. Qui tecum. Note that embedded within the prayer are the titles of John Paul II’s first two encyclicals:  Redemptor Hominis  (altered slightly to fit the prayer’s grammatical structure) and  Dives in Misericordi

Planning to be on Long Island this weekend? Stop by and say hello to some Patheosians!

The story of Aaron and his parents can be told by many if they are enabled to do so. One such place where women and men can tell this story is  Rachel's Vineyard . After this video was made Vanessa Ore, who plays Aaron's mother,  told her own story . The video was published on LifeSiteNews.com .