Association Of Catholic Bloggers

Why do  Faithful American Catholics Label  Pope Francis: A Modernist Heretic? Every time Pope Francis speaks, the papers are filled with sensational headlines; he does not emphasize many of the popular, hot issues like abortion and homosexuality, issues which often simply serve to divide voters into an  us  and  them  mentality. When did these issues become  the  only  issue that concerns the Church? Yet when the pope reminds us that our life in Christ is so much more, vocal advocates become extremely angry, denouncing the pope as the anti-pope. How ridiculous! Why such a strong reaction? Perhaps many Americans do not like this South American because Catholics in America were taught that God loves capitalism and that Greed is Good. The Pope has made some pretty negative remarks about the freebooter capitalism that has flourished since the 1990′s and that will make him very unpopular with the freebooters in the US. Some of his comments about greed, avarice, and freebooter capi

I won’t lie; getting permission from Libreria Editrice Vaticana to gather a dozen papal encyclicals together for a unique Marian study was, well, awesome! Holding the contract in hand, gave me goose bumps. To share my excitement, the contract in part reads: Libreria Editrice Vaticana, located in the Vatican City State, in the person of the its Director and pro tempore legal representative, Prof. Don Giuseppe COSTA, sdb and Bezalel Books, A Catholic Publishing Company and Bookstore, Box 300427 Waterford, MI 48330 , in the person of its President and pro tempore legal representative, Cheryl DICKOW. Libreria Editrice Vaticana grants to Bezalel Books, a non exclusive permission to reproduce , in the work entitled:  MARY EVER VIRGIN FULL OF GRACE. A STUDY OF PAPAL ENCYCLICALS ON MARY, by Cheryl Dickow, the following excerpts: The contract then goes on to list the dozen encyclicals that are in the book which begin with Octobri Menseo the September 22, 1891 encyclical of Pop

painting by J. Kirk Richards Think about the last time you broke a rule (a big one,  not just ripping the tags off your pillows).  Were you burned, or did things turn out for the best?  I did not simply break a rule here and there;  no, like every other human being, I continually break the most fundamental law of the universe without any conscious effort by refusing to accept reality. Instead of realizing my place in the universe, as one of God's creations, I put on masks and false personalities in a vain attempt to deny my very nature. In pride, I act like a queen at the centre my own little world. According to Thomas Merton ( Seeds of   Contemplation ), a frog or tree are holy simply because they are who they were created to be. On the other hand, I broke all laws of nature out of pride. Steeped in delusion, I clung to a false persona and refused to relax and accept the reality that I am not the centre of the universe. The result? I was not simply burned. Oh

  At four o'clock o ne balmy spring morning, I was blessed to walk with my eldest daughter, a contemplative, focused, young woman of very few words.  Quietly, and serenely, she whispered to me,  "Mom, look at that shooting star! It's the third one I've seen this morning."  It was the only one I'd seen... She was looking up!     We set our hearts upon heavenly things          Our Heavenly Father promised innumerable descendants to Abraham and safety to Noah, for their obedience and trust. Someone once told me that by looking up at the starlit night sky, Adam could comprehend God's truths. These followers of the Lord had to "look up" to "see" His message of love for all humankind.       Sacred Scripture instructs us to set our hearts upon Heavenly things.  Many are the Heavenly Treasures I have missed by not looking up  with my heart during my life's journey !  En Los Corazones de Jesús y María Originally posted @ Cam

We all know that all good things come from God. We just accept this and give it little thought. How profound is this reality. The universe, containing over 40 billion trillion stars, that science is aware of, is comprised of the “stuff”, in varying amounts and combinations, of the Elements listed in the Periodic Chart.  This comprises perhaps 20% of the known universe; the rest being made up of dark matter and dark energy; of which science has no fundamental understanding.  How profound is this reality. In God’s design of His Universe He has built in mechanisms for stars to be born, live their lives, and to die a violent death.  Their death creates an explosion far more powerful than any person could  possibly  comprehend.  How profound is this reality.  [continue]

At the Secular Carmelite retreat I went to last weekend, I heard a message I didn't expect and it has changed the way I'm hearing scripture, liturgy and homilies. I have different ears somehow. The topic of our retreat was, "Rediscovering the Riches of Divine Intimacy," with retreat master Father Robert Barcelos, OCD. I had been wondering how to grow in intimacy with God, pondering how it was that I had been feeling stuck for so long and even having a hard time following through on my prayer commitments.  Father Robert said that Jesus loves us MOST where we are weak. He doesn't love us DESPITE when  we're weak, but loves us MOST when we are weak. It's his preference. Whenever Jesus picks a place of encounter, it is in a place where life is messy, shameful or overwhelming for us. Where did Jesus choose to encounter mankind, face to face, in the flesh, for the first time? In a dank, smelly stable, in the middle of the night. He coul

I’m currently in the middle of a life application of the Bible’s teaching on persevering in prayer. I tell you this, because I want you to know I’m learning as I go…I have NOT arrived, by any means, I am simply processing here what the Lord is laying on my heart as I read His word.  For sure, my attempt to walk out the instructions He’s given looks more like a crippled limp at best, and a slow crawl at worst. You should know, I fall often in this area of watching and praying. I give up easily. I forget. I even purposely ignore it sometimes. As embarrassing as that is to admit, I feel you should be aware, for the sake of your own conscience.  The warning here is, don’t do as I do .  And if you have mastered this, I’m open to learning from you, how do you do it?  How do you “watch and pray” without falling asleep, or finding your mind has wandered off mid session?  How do you stay focused and intent in your conversations with the Father?  And, if you are

My friend and I purchased tickets to a local event in which our Detroit Archbishop Allen Vigneron was engaging in a dialogue with Rabbi Joseph Krakoff from the Shaarey Zedek congregation in Southfield, Michigan on the topic of Genesis. The event—which was co-sponsored by the Archdiocese of Detroit and the Jewish Federation—took place at the Maple Theatres in Bloomfield, Michigan on a humid Sunday afternoon. Fortunately, seating at the Maple Theatres is awesome: it is roomy and comfortable and really ideal for just such an occasion. Sherry and I made an outing out of the whole thing and had a late lunch at a local deli before heading over to the venue. We were greeted by surprisingly long lines that immediately created a sense of excitement and anticipation. Everyone just knew this was going to be “something.” The damp, muggy afternoon air didn’t hinder anyone’s mood. It felt rather exhilarating and, well, sort of heavenly. The theatre holds a few hundred people and it was

UBI CARITAS ET AMOR. DEUS IBI EST. The first “Any Questions” session held by Father Ignatius in the church center proved so successful that some members of the congregation asked him to hold another one. They enjoyed asking questions about church matters in general and the Catholic Church’s teachings in particular, and learning from both Father Ignatius and Father Donald answering honestly rather than “toeing the party line”; as one parishioner called it. “Are you sure that the hot chocolate drinks and free cakes aren’t the real attraction here?” asked Father Ignatius. He was assured that this was not the case and it was agreed to hold another meeting at which parishioners could invite guests. The night in question was well attended with about sixty people packing the church center and sitting cinema style facing the top table. Father Donald was not available and he was replaced by the Reverend Harold Barnstable, the vicar from a neighbou

Surprised? An important part of our Christian duty is to fulfill our mandate to help Jesus save our brothers and sisters. Our Father gave His children a very important part to play in the redemption of their brothers and sisters. History is filled with amazing stories of conversion, where Jesus Christ uses the prayers of God’s children and applies them to what Christians call a “change of heart”. It’s true, I believe, that God gives every soul many chances to turn away from sin and accept His love for them.  So, why do some souls reject God’s attempts at drawing them to Himself? We are responsible, because we are not giving God what He needs to convert all the souls that reject Him.  The more we pray for conversions, the more Jesus can do to help lost souls. Christians are called by Jesus to help their brothers and sisters in many different ways. But none are as important as helping Jesus save souls; for this is the “bottom line” of a soul’s eternal existence.

"Jesus entered a village  where a woman whose name  was Martha welcomed him. She had a sister named Mary who sat beside the Lord at His  feet listening to him speak.  Martha, burdened with much serving, came to Him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me  by myself to do the serving?  Tell her to help me.”  The Lord said to her in reply, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and  worried about many things.  There is need of only one thing.  Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her.” ~ Sometimes it seems as if we're on a never-ending cycle, a carousel.  We don't want to be hurled off of it; it's moving too quickly, if we fall, we'll be crushed.  Each week, it's as if the carousel begins anew; it starts slowly.  All too soon, it's whirling around in a vicious, downward spiral.  No matter how hard I try to organize my life, to center it around Our Lord and mode

I went on a image  search binge  this week, unearthing countless images of Mary onto and from Pinterest.  It is an eclectic mixture with everything from obscure fine art, modern abstracts, old, icons, stained glass, statues and even ethnic and folk art.  So in honour of the Feast of the Holy Rosary, a collection:  Mary in the art of J. Kirk Richards Annunciation many more images> >

October 7 is the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary. This feast was instituted by Pope St. Pius V in thanksgiving for the great naval victory over the Turks at the battle of Lepanto on this day in the year 1570, a favor due to the recitation of the Rosary. This victory saved Europe from being overrun by the forces of Islam. Lepanto, perhaps the most complete victory ever gained over the Ottoman Empire, on October 7, 1571, is commemorated by the invocation "Help of Christians," inserted in the Litany of Loretto. At Belgrade the Turks were defeated on the Feast of Our Lady ad Nives in 1716. A second victory gained that year on the Octave of the Assumption determined Pope Clement XI to command the Feast of the Rosary to be celebrated by the universal Church. Leo XIII added the invocation "Queen of the most Holy Rosary, pray for us," to the Litany of Loretto. The Feast is in reality a great festival of thanksgiving for the signal and countless benefits bestowed on

  Art: Michelangelo's "God" from "the Creation of Adam" “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, on your own intelligence do not rely,” (Proverbs 3:5). God sees everything. He sees the clerk short-changing the old man, the boy stealing the heroin, the man cheating on his wife, the girl lying to her teacher. He also sees the teenager turning in the $100 bill he finds in the parking lot, the wife praying for her non-Christian husband, the daughter loving unconditionally her siblings who taunt her. He sees everything. He is a just and loving God and that’s why we can trust in him. His 360-degree vision takes in the full panorama of time and space. He sees behind closed doors and around corners. He sees things that happen at work, things that happen in our government, things that happen in our schools. He not only sees all in the present, he sees all that is beyond us and he sees all that is behind us. He sees it in the full context we will never see. An

A number of years ago I read von Hildebrand’s Privilege of Being a Woman . To say it was life-changing would be an understatement. Of course, there is a saying that “when the student is ready the teacher will appear” and that may have well been the case with Alice’s book. As a grown woman I can safely say that I was ready for the truth that was found in her words—hence “life-changing.” The problem with life-changing experiences, per se, is that they sort of leave you wondering “Now what? Where do I go from here?” In the years since reading Privilege of Being a Woman I have read countless other non-fiction books that have been touted as “must reads” and yet without exception each has left me feeling a bit empty. Not quite doing it for me. They are okay, don’t get me wrong; but of the caliber of the von Hildebrand book? Nope. And I know they serve a purpose—but I have yearned for something more than a book that seems to be a mere collection of blog articles (as a dear friend

There is very good reason why St. John Vianney is the patron Saint of Parish Priests. He speaks directly to the fundamental structure of Christian living.  Here is one of his few short sermons. If people would do for God what they do for the world, my dear people, what a great number of Christians would go to Heaven! But if you, dear children, had to pass three or four hours praying in a church, as you pass them at a dance or in a cabaret, how heavily the time would press upon you! If you had to go to a great many different places in order to hear a sermon, as you go for your pastimes or to satisfy your avarice and greed, what pretexts there would be, and how many detours would be taken to avoid going at all. But nothing is too much trouble when done for the world.  What is more, people are not afraid of losing either God or their souls or Heaven. With what good reason did Jesus Christ, my dear people, say that the children of this world are more zealous in serving their maste

  'It is only after Christ has been given full control of our heart-boat that the winds cease.  This is the struggle of our life:  to let Christ rule.  So long as He must come over the water to us, there will be lonely struggles;  but when, through great generosity on our part, we have emptied our lives of everything that could raise a tempest in the heart, then Christ will sit at the helm,  and the waves may toss,  and the winds blow about the boat, but we are calm, for we have no cause to fear.  Christ sits at the helm and rules.' (Sheltering the Divine Outcast, compiled by A Religious, The Peter Reilly Co, Philadelphia, 1952, pp. 138-139)   Painting:  James Tissot, Jesus Stilling the Tempest From The Cloistered Heart 

Children of Prayer  Each week we will choose a few prayers in the hope that one or more of these them will touch your heart and you will add them to your daily prayer time. The archives will be placed on a page, so they are all at your fingertips.  Oct. 5, 2013 Our first selection are prayers by Saint Faustina, since it is her feast day today. 3 Prayers for the Conversion of Sinners Jesus’ promise to St. Faustina When you say this prayer, with a contrite heart and with faith on behalf of some sinner, I will give him the grace of conversion. This is the prayer: “O Blood and Water, which gushed forth from the Heart of Jesus as a fount of Mercy for us, I trust in You”. (Diary 186-187) Dearest Jesus, I present to you my brother and sister who have abandoned their soul to Satan. Take this soul and redeem it in Your Holy Eyes. Free this soul from slavery to the beast, and bring it eternal salvation. Amen. O dear Jesus, I call on You to embrac

I was barely out of college. My journalism degree helped me land a part-time office job with the publisher of a Texas restaurant guide. The hours were flexible and so I could continue my prayer time schedule of 8 a.m. mass, then prayer until 9. The publication folded in less than a year. Then came the God-incidence. I worked as a volunteer one weekend in the pressroom of a large Catholic conference. The manager of the pressroom was the editor of the diocesan newspaper. He was looking for a copyeditor. The job would bring some opportunities to write stories, interview people and get published with a byline! After a short interview in his office the next week, he hired me. Then he smiled and asked, “Can you type?” He became my mentor.

Who can help but love this simple, humble, loving nun? Sister Faustina wrote and suffered in secret, with only her spiritual director and some of her superiors aware that anything special was taking place in her life. After her death from tuberculosis in 1938, even her closest associates surprised as they began to discover what Jesus had done in the life of this cheerful and humble nun. "be merciful even as your heavenly Father is merciful " She was merciful to others because God was merciful to her; she lived so everyone who came in contact with her went away   joyful . The message of mercy that Sister Faustina received is now being spread throughout the world; her diary, Divine Mercy in my Soul, has become the handbook for devotion to the Divine Mercy. Maria Faustyna Kowalska , commonly known as  Saint Faustina  (born Helena Kowalska),  was a mystic and visionary. Just look at her face; she radiates loving mercy and joy. Her family was poor and ha