Association Of Catholic Bloggers

I never believed in Santa.  Ever.  I have no memory of believing in Santa and that's because (according to my parents) I discovered them putting Christmas presents under the tree at the age of three. My parents saw no need to lie about what they were doing and so I never had the excitement of waking up Christmas morning and discovering presents.  Christmas was kind of boring.  I usually got my gifts Christmas Eve and I always knew what I was getting. You can read the rest here .

St John the Baptist , El Greco, c.1600 [ 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  Matthew 3:1-12  (Canadian Lectionary,  New Revised Standard Version, Catholic Edition )  In those days John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness of Judea, proclaiming,   “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”   This is the one of whom the prophet Isaiah spoke when he said, “The voice of one crying out in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord,      make his paths straight.’” Now John wore clothing of camel’s hair with a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey.   Then the people of Jerusalem and all Judea were going out to him, and all the region along the Jordan,     and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confess

Mary's Magnificent God “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant. For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name. And his mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation. He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts; he has brought down the mighty from their thrones and exalted those of humble estate; he has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his offspring forever.” —Luke 1:46–55 Mary sees clearly a most remarkable thing about God: He is about to change the course of all human history. The most important three decades in all of time are about to begin. And where

“When we are secretly cynical, we will not receive a thing, not a crumb of Light and we will cement our cynicism in place for another year.” Advent is a time of waiting, waiting in the dark.  In Canada, it is cold and it is also the darkest time of the year, so the image of lighting one candle each week is powerful. The flames are hot and bright, the exact opposite to the weather, to the physical reality that we see around us in our daily lives. If we are open and humble, the flames of the Advent candles shine as a beacon of hope in the darkness, symbols of the Light of   the world who will come on Christmas morning.  But how do we wait?   Do we wait stoically or with joy? Do we wait like a child, a child who trusts that his daddy will keep His promises or have life’s disappointments left us jaded and closed off to any spiritual surprises? Come to think of it, how many of us actually expect anything to happen to us on Christmas morning? When we are secretly cynical, we will

Sorry to keep you waiting on pins & pine-needles for more Holiday-Time Tips!  After all, it won’t be too long before we find ourselves entering our Super Bowl season here instead... But, thankfully, it’s still only the first week of Advent: our Season of Hope & Preparation. How Wonderful! Yet it can also be a season of many challenges—to body, mind, & spirit... A time of year that's well known for setting us back (if not completely derailing us) on the way of wellness & weight management. So is it hopeless, then, to believe our year should be ending [and our liturgical year beginning] in a better, more healthful way??    Of course, it’s not hopeless!!  ...And hope (& triumph) can certainly be found through the very thing that the Season itself proclaims to us with joy … Be Prepared ! :)  It is in being prepared that we will best meet the extra challenges of this extra busy time of year! And in recalling the initial “Tis a New Season” post

There is no better way to prepare our hearts to receive Christ than to light the candles of the Advent wreath every evening in the weeks leading up to Christmas.The Catholic Church understand the power of symbols and the physical act of lighting candles and saying short prayers really does open our spiritual selves to the real Light of the World, Christ. [On the Saturday before the First Sunday of Advent, the family gathers around the wreath decorated with greens. One candle should be lit.] Leader:  We gather around our wreath to begin the celebration of Advent. Let us ask our Father in heaven to fill our hearts with grace. Silent pause for prayer Heavenly Father, we look forward to the celebration of Christmas and to the coming of the Lord in glory. Bless this Advent wreath and all of us. As we pray daily around it, fill us with your life and strengthen us for our daily tasks. We ask this through Christ our Lord. All:  Amen. The First Week of Advent [One candle

UBI CARITAS ET AMOR. DEUS IBI EST. Time was when priests were more approachable and people felt more at ease discussing their problems with them and seeking guidance. But times change and with them habits and customs change too.  Nowadays people are more willing to spend their hard-earned cash consulting psychiatrists and counselors than asking the man of God for his wisdom and opinions.  Somehow, this distancing from one’s flock has been precipitated by busy modern lifestyles where people are working all hours at their disposal. And priests too are pre-occupied with Parish meetings, Ecumenical Councils, and various other tasks and targets set upon them by their clerical hierarchies. Father Ignatius was well aware of this changing trend, and being an old-fashioned old-school type of priest he did his utmost to keep in touch with grass roots in his church. He knew most people personally by first name, he visited them at hom

healing, illness  joy, suffering  success, failure  birth, death past memories, future dreams   everything allowed by God  adds to the beauty of His love for us En Los Corazones de Jesús y María  @ Camino La Mancha

Advent activities for your family December 3, 2013 By Connie Rossini Leave a Comment (Edit) D lights the first Advent candle a few years ago. Advent is here and with it our six-week break from homeschooling. Instead of doing school work, we do an activity each day preparing for Christmas. Some are distinctly religious. Others are not. Here are some ideas for activities you can do with your family. Learn and sing Advent hymns   Sunday at Mass, D was amazed that I knew many of the verses of O Come, O Come, Emanuel by heart. Well, that was the only Advent hymn I learned in Catholic school, and I don’t recall singing any other one at Mass in the 70s and 80s. It wasn’t until I started praying the Divine Office as an adult that I learned some of the beautiful hymns I had been missing. Here are some you will want to learn along with your kids, if you don’t know them already: People, Look East . This song by poet Eleanor Farjeon helps you to see all the prepar

On December 2, 2012, I started the Can We Cana? blog on a wing and a prayer, hoping to provide support for Catholic marriages and families. Thanks to you wonderful readers, the blog reached its  1000th pageview  in less than two months. By today, its one-year anniversary, the blog has attracted more than 30,000 pageviews from readers in all 50 states and in countries around the globe. Blogpost topics have included everything from sexuality and the Theology of the Body to staying married through sickness and health, unexpected pregnancies, first-year disillusionment, and the pressures of raising a big family. There are parenting tips, household tips, and reviews of awesome Catholic family resources. I've even included discussions of difficult issues like marital abandonment, abortion, annulment, virginity, and rape. Thanks to the support of some amazing on-line friends I've made, Can We Cana? posts have also appeared on CatholicMom.com, CatholicLane.com, AmazingCatechists.co

"Don't let the Targets or the Macys tell you what Christmas is about." That's what I heard the priest say at Mass this first Sunday of Advent. He's right. As Catholics and Christians, we've allowed society to dictate to us what Christmas is all about. How did we get to this point? You can read the rest here .

Friar Alessandro's  music is thrilling ; with his deep, rich voice, his music inspires but most of all it literally lifts my spirit into the Presence of God by lighting a fire of joy within me.  Just wanted to pass the word along about a documentary featuring Friar Alessandro that airs on EWTN  TONIGHT!  December 2, 2013 (TODAY) 6:30 PM in most regions, but check local listings for air times EWTN Catholic Television -  http://www.ewtn.com/ Below is a  new video  from the Friar. Friar Alessandro - Adeste Fideles - Recording in Bethlehem

On the first Sunday of Advent we open our hearts to the Lord by opening “ O Radiant-Dawn, 5-Minute Prayers Around the Advent Wreath ” as we prepare to light the first candle.   Lisa Hendey's beautiful booklet for Advent reflects her deep faith and willingness to share what’s important to her family as we all prepare for Christmas. Each of the 28 daily devotional services take only five minutes for individuals, couples, families or other groups.   Lisa was inspired to write this for us by a glorious sunrise she almost missed from her kitchen window. “Recently, while standing at that window on a particularly crisp, clear morning,” she writes, “my heart soared at the first rays of light. In that moment, one of the ‘O Antiphons’ of Advent came to mind and sparked in my heart a sense of amazement at the splendor of God's love for me: ‘O Radiant Dawn, splendor of eternal light, sun of justice; come, shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death.’”

I DESPISE BLACK FRIDAY. And I despise even more that Black Friday has given way to Black Thursday which is supposed to be Thanksgiving. So, here we are. National craziness somehow seen as patriotism because our entire economy rests on the hopes and dreams of retailers making money on a whole bunch of junk that diminishes Christmas to a ritual of hedonism, gluttony and greed. Okay, that's how I feel. I LOVE CHRISTMAS. I love the sentiment, the fuzzy soft colors, I love Santa, I love nativity scenes. I love the angels and the magi and the donkeys. I love the gaze of wonder in all the sentimental pictures of Mary and Joseph and shepherds and kings and cattle around the beautiful child with a golden glow emanating and surrounding him. I love the carols. I love remembering the hope and anticipation that is the right of all children and whatever is left of innocence in each of us. I love the mad craziness of hope and miracle and redemption in the midst of the ordinary and i

It is Advent.  Time to slow down, settle in for hours of prayer, and wait in hushed anticipation.  What?  It isn't that way in your world?  It isn't that way in mine, either.   Which makes it an ideal time for aspirations:  those brief prayers that we can lift to God inwardly, wherever we are and whatever we may be doing.  They are an ancient monastic practice, but they can be particularly practical for those of us striving to keep our hearts fixed on God in the midst of a bustling world.  Even as we join crowds of shoppers in the mall, wrap gifts, gather with friends and family, we can lift our hearts to God.  I find the doing of this hard to remember, but it seems the more I practice, the more it becomes habitual. We are entering the busiest time of the year.  If we can remember to offer little prayers even in this kind of hubbub, maybe doing so while we fold laundry on a quiet February morning won't turn out to be so tough.  Aspiration practice.  I

 I was just thinking that I had not shared about my pain, struggle or suffering, only about the joy of mothering, the joy of living as a daughter of God. I friend also pointed out to me the other day that I never really talk about the long, dark periods in my life. I guess it is because joy always triumphs in the end in my life, I tend to forget about the painful years. The love of little people, strong tea, laughter and the Presence of God in the midst of chaos seems to crack anxiety and stress but yes, I have been shattered by the demands of mothering . Yet God always manages to use those moments when I am shattered to crack my heart and soul open to more of His presence and healing. It is like childbirth, the pain is forgotten when I hold my newborn but on the other hand if there is no pain, there is no baby or new growth in the Spirit.  For me God speaks through books as well as my spiritual director and the written word has  often  changed my life, flipped an inner switched b

Did I say “confession”?  I'm sorry... I must have been mistaken (!), but I have found that having a sense of humor is very helpful to me!  I just wanted to talk a little today, though,  about a potentially big issue for many of us.  It's about the matter of an “ All-or-Nothing ” approach—because, unfortunately, this approach can have some very negative consequences at times that relate directly to our health & wellness. Now THAT would be A MISTAKE THAT TRULY MATTERS! It’s just that waiting to be able to do something the “right” way , or at the "right" time , with 100% effort & compliance [such as with a diet & exercise program], can easily mean never getting started at all— Or, if we have already begun, it might cause us to 100% give up! My Note to Self--EF So, on that note, I spotted a recent story in the news [noted below] that offers encouragement for positive perseverance, even when we think we can’t give it our “ALL”… A healthy message f

God is able to make every grace abundant for you, so that in all things, always having all you need, you may have an abundance for every good work, (2 Corinthians 9:8). Grace, the unearned, undeserved gift of God’s love manifested in Christ’s salvation and received by us through the gift of faith, is powerful, plentiful, essential and effective. We need never fear surrendering to the Lord who seeks us out with a love that no power on earth can weaken or destroy. Driven by his unconditional love, he pursues a love relationship with us. He can’t not love what he created. By his nature he pours out his love. That is why he is still alive in the world today and why so many love him.   People still renounce their possessions out of love for him, still surrender everything to him, and still build their daily lives around receiving his life in the sacraments. His pursuit of us makes him a sign of contradiction in our times. Few people are neutral about him. They either intensely lov

The Great Flood ,  Bonaventura I. Peeters [ 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   Matthew 24:37-44  (Canadian Lectionary,  New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition )  Jesus spoke to his disciples: “As the days of Noah were, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noah entered the ark, and they knew nothing until the flood came and swept them all away, so too will be the coming of the Son of Man. Then two will be in the field; one will be taken and one will be left. Two women will be grinding meal together; one will be taken and one will be left. “Keep awake, therefore, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. But understand this

The Chaplet consists of 5 Sets – one Our Father and three Hail Mary’s. Pray each set for the following intentions: Set 1 - The recognition by all that God creates human life at the moment of conception. Set 2 - An end to all legalized abortion. Set 3 - For all expectant mothers - that they value the precious life within them. Set 4 - The conviction of conscience in the Truth for anyone considering abortion. Set 5 - An inner healing for all who have been involved in any way with abortion:  Mothers and Fathers; Health Caregivers; Legislators; Those who, in their thoughts, words, actions or lack of action, have supported abortion. At the end, say the following prayer: Heavenly Father, please forgive this generation for the arrogance of abortion. Heal the many wounds abortion has caused in our hearts, in the world and in our relationship with You. Unite us in the Truth. Amen. (Blessed Mother 03/24/13) PROMISES OF PRAYING THE CHAPLET OF THE UNBORN • E

It is therefore a holy and wholesome thought  to pray for the dead that they may be loosed from sins. 2 Maccabees 12:46 Douay Rheims Roman Catholic Bible En Los Corazones de Jesús y María~Camino La Mancha

I'm standing near the edge of a cliff.  The land is barren with no vegetation.  The edge of the cliff is jagged.  I look over the edge and see a drop that takes my breath away.  This is the eternal pit that if you fall in, you never come out of.  The fall into this darkness is for miles and miles.  At the bottom of this pit are horrors that I will not mention here.   I look to my right and a mile wide along the edge of the cliff there are people standing at the edge ready to fall in.  Behind them, packed very tightly are thousands of souls behind the ones on the edge and they are so tightly packed that they cannot move even their arms easily.  They cannot run from the horror that awaits them as there is something constraining them, keeping them in place.  Occasionally one or two will break free of the bonds that are holding them and run away from the path of destruction.   Then I see the most horrible thing.  People were being added to the back of this horrible line and the ad

St. Joseph and the Infant Christ Christ the Great High Priest icon  top left-       Christ the Good Shepherd   bottom left-  Byzantine icon of Christ Pantocrator (Savior of the World),   “Christ Enthroned,” by Isaac Fanous,                           Holy Virgin Mary Coptic Orthodox Church, Los Angeles right column   The Church is the sacrament of the Kingdom,  the Good Shepherd icon by Fadi Mikhail,                       Jesus with John by Ann Chapman

Tis the Season to Eat, Drink, and… a. ) be unhealthy—and stressed? b. ) be bloated—and fatigued? c. ) be joyful—AND nourished! Hmmm. Yes, it’s that time of year again… “the most wonderful time of the year”, of course! But as we begin to unpack our Christmas decorations, do you feel as though it's time once again to leave all your wellness goals, and good intentions for health, back upon the shelf?   Have you been lead to believe that being joyful and well nourished, at the very same time, just isn’t an option during the holidays??  But it is!  It is!  It’s a very real option… a pro-active choice that we have---that can actually make us feel better when we awake on January 1st – in body, mind, & spirit .  Oh, what a great new start that could be!  OUR OPTION "C" !! But it’s really less about our actual Thanksgiving and Christmas-day meals; and rather more about our approach to the whole 35-day season [last year it was 41 days] that will reall

Do you know what you are doing when you walk into the confessional?  Such a grace is present there that it cannot be adequately put into words.  The confessional is one of the greatest gifts God gives us to reconcile us to Himself and to have the possibility to attain heaven.  Walk quickly to the confessional when you err, but only with the true intention in your heart to amend your life and never hurt God again.  You cannot use the confessional as your own 'fire' protection, and then continue your life the same way you did before you walked into the confessional.  Don't you know that the confessional is the fire of heaven?  The same fire that Elijah called down and burned the wood that was soaked in the water, for there is nothing it cannot change. I went to Holy Confession to Father Bob at St. Matha's Catholic Church..  Father Bob laid his hands on my head at the end of my confession and gave me absolution.  The next day I was at St. Michael praying the Chaplet of