Association Of Catholic Bloggers

The Archdiocese of Chicago will  close six schools this year .  Despite the immediate uproar of parents and the usual snide comments from the trolls that the sex scandal that rocked the church is to blame, I can tell you what really closed those schools:  Low enrollment. Unfortunately I've been involved in the closing of two schools while my kids grew up.  When enrollment drops below 300 it's time to panic and no one seems to know what to do about it. To read more, please click here .

The Baptism of Christ , El Greco, painted 1608-28 [ 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 3:13-17  ( New RevisedStandard Version, Catholic Edition , Canada)  Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him.   John would have prevented him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?”   But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now; for thus it is fitting for us to fulfil all righteousness.” Then he consented.    And when Jesus was baptized, he went up immediately from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened   and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and alighting on him;   and lo, a voice from heaven, saying, “This is my beloved Son,   with whom I am well pleased.” To

‘Whoever flees from prayer flees all that is good.’ St. John of the Cross Prayer. We often think of prayer as something difficult, especially contemplative prayer. If we read the classics, written by the saints, it seems to take years of arduous training to pass through gradually ascending levels to reach the pinnacle of prayer, complete union with Christ where we can say with St. Paul,“No longer I that lives but Christ that lives in me.” Yet after living with children for 34 years, I have good news, tidings of great joy for you. If I allow myself to relax and surrender control,  like a child trusting in her heavenly Daddy, I discover that it is God who heals, purifies and transforms me into His presence on earth. This process is all about Him, NOT me. My efforts, discipline, asceticism will not earn me union with God. This is not a competitive race to see who will succeed. This is a difficult concept to grasp for the modern Western mindset. I experienced  an eurek

I am a woman who desires men, but I don't define myself that way. Who I am depends equally as much on the parents who raised me, the town where I grew up, and the schools I attended. I am an introverted and somewhat socially awkward intellectual, who likes Renaissance music, science fiction, and macaroni and cheese. I am all of these things and I like all of these things completely apart from my heterosexuality. I could identify myself as a Virginian born-and-bred or a New York transplant, as a blogger or a lawyer or a stay-at-home mom, but these categories don't constrain or pigeon-hole me. On a deeper level, I am a former WASP turned Catholic convert. I am a baptized Christian who bears on my brow and in my soul the seal of Him who died. I am bound to my husband through the Sacrament of Matrimony, and in some mystical way we have been made one. On a still deeper level, I am a creature of God brought into existence out of love and because He has a special plan for me. S

I'm fairly new to the Catholic blogging world, and I love it!  Although I've been a blogger for 8 years, I've never written a Catholic blog before.  My other blog is called, " For the Love of Beads."  In the secular part of my life, I make lampwork glass beads, polymer clay beads, fiber beads, metal beads, I crochet and make jewelry.  I have been a contributor to many nationally known beading magazines.   This Catholic blog, His Unending Love , came about because the Holy Spirit would not leave me alone!  He pestered me until I began to take His dictation.  I have dedicated my blog to Him, and when I write, and there is peace, I know the inspiration  and dictation comes from Him.  Well, that's my story, and I'm sticking to it!  Hope to see you soon at His Unending Love.

I have a real life incident seared into my memory that has become a symbol for a common type of piety that I call a  false martyr complex. A dear friend stood in a communion line, head bowed, shoulders slumped, one  arm across her chest with her hand clenched as she struck her heart. At first appearances she was a picture of perfect piety, a soul in torment, burdened by her sin, suffering in reparation.  Yet, she had stood like this for years if not decades with little change.  As I stood in the opposite line, I did something spontaneous and rather shocking; I bent my knees, leaned over, caught her eye, smiled and waved! My child like behaviour actually worked momentarily. She straightened up, smiled, with twinkling eyes and snapped out of her false, martyr complex for a few minutes at least, nearly laughing out loud in church. My friend was not as holy as she appeared to be, even though she lived a devout, disciplined, ascetic lifestyle. Her life was a daily round of mass, ros

We’ve been told they are “magic” words. A few simple words uttered with sincerity that can actually make all the difference. They can really be magical. Please. Thank you. The weight that each carries is immense; implies so much. Please: I trust that you hear me. I believe that you care enough to consider what I’m about to say. My faith is such that you can alter something for me. You, to whom I am speaking (or writing), have a power that I am asking to use. The ability to make an important difference in my life is in your hands. Thank you: You have made a significant difference for me. You cared enough about me to do something important for me. I am so grateful to you. My life is better because of you. The time you gave to me for this mattered—maybe more than you can ever know. Wow, right? In 2014 let us all consider how easy it is to spread a little magic and truly make the world a better place. Thank you! Cheryl Dickow       www.BezalelBooks.com        

Victor S E Moubarak Occasional contributor to this Blog, and published writer, Victor Moubarak was born at an early age as a baby a long time ago in a far away northern land where men were strong and big and tough and women told them what to do. He soon realized he was born into poverty when his mother carried him around in a supermarket plastic bag instead of a pram. Like many children Victor learnt a lot from his parents. They taught him quickly the love for adventure. He used to come home from school and find that they had moved house. Undeterred by these setbacks Victor never knew the meaning of failure; he always had to look it up in the dictionary. As a young man he determined to do well in life and decided to get on the stage … the first one out of town. He joined a traveling theater and performed many times as the front end of a pantomime horse; but he decided to quit whilst he was ahead. In life Victor has faced many ups and downs, especially when working

Eurasian Skylark   [ Wikipedia ] The other day  I posted  videos of jazz violinist Stephane Grappelli and classical violinist Yehudi Menuhin in very different interpretations of Bach's Concerto for Two Violins. In the 1970s these two made some recordings of standards together, one of them Hoagy Carmichael's  Skylark . Here is a link to their beautiful rendition of a beautiful melody. (For some reason I'm unable to upload the video itself.) Stephane Grappelli and Yehudi Menuhin, 1976,  photo  by Allan Warren [ Wikipedia ] Johnny Mercer wrote the  lyrics . The song is interpreted here by English singer Dame Cleo Laine and flautist Sir James Galway from Northern Ireland. Here is the link to the video . Skylark   [ Wikipedia ] You can see the original post on Bangor to Bobbio , with the videos embedded.

Hi, my name is Melanie Jean Juneau and I have been the administrator of this site since the summer. I dutifully introduced the first five new members to ACWB in the summer but then I pettered out. Pam just gave me a brilliant idea. She just posted an article today entitled, Yes, I'm Catholic...Really! I want to invite all new writers to introduce themselves and their blogs,then leave a link to their blog so that we can visit.If you are comfortable, a picture of you or a snapshot of your blog would help us connect and relate to you. I introduced myself five or six months ago but here is a short bio to start our new series. Melanie Jean Juneau is a petite wife, writer and mother of nine kids who blogs at  joyofnine9 .The very existence of a joyful mother of nine children seems to confound people. Her writing is humorous and heart warming; thoughtful and thought provoking with a strong current of spirituality running through it. Part of her call and her witness is to w

UBI CARITAS ET AMOR. DEUS IBI EST. Father Ignatius was certainly the product of his up-bringing. Raised in a poor family who had known real hardship; yet at the same time a family held together, despite all the turmoil that life threw at them, by a common bond of mutual love and basic Christian principles. It’s because of his up-bringing, and because he grew up with very little materially, that he developed a habit of frugality and saving whatever he could rather than wasting it away. He had taken a private vow of poverty when he became a priest, and since then he spent as little as possible on himself. He was not mean in the sense of avarice since anything he had, or whatever else came his way in terms of money or goods, he eagerly shared with the poor in his parish. The little he kept for himself was usually either books or certain items he had collected over the years and kept for their sentimental value. One Friday afternoon he decided to clear up the sp

Writing Trusting God with St. Therese , I have purchased or checked out from the library several book about the saint that I had not read before. I have also revisited some old favorites. There are countless books about Therese, but not all are of the same quality or focus. Here are some of my favorites, in brief. Throughout this year, I hope to give you more detailed critiques of them and others. I Believe in Love I Believe in Love: A Personal Retreat Based on the Teaching of St. Therese of Lisieux by Fr. Jean C. J. d’Elbee is by far my favorite book on Therese. In fact, it’s one of my favorite books of all time. I have given this book away twice before. I just received it for Christmas for the third time and am rereading it. The point that struck me most on my last reading was that we shouldn’t say, “I’m striving to love God.” Instead, we should simply say, “I love God.” Love is a matter of the will. If we truly will to love, we achieve love. Read the rest of

Since I'm new to the Association of Catholic Women Bloggers, I thought I would introduce myself. I started blogging at ChicagoNow  three years ago.  This was my very first post:   Yes I'm Catholic ... Really . I hope you'll stop by and take the time to read that and some of my other posts.  You can also find me on Facebook  and Twitter . Come join the conversation and the fun!

On the Feast of the Holy Family, December 29, 2013, Pope Francis invited all Catholics to pray for families as the Church prepares for an Extraordinary Synod to examine the troubling disconnect between Church teaching and the reality of modern family life. In his  Angelus address  given to the crowds in St. Peter's Square, Pope Francis recited for the first time his new Prayer to the Holy Family. (Full text available  here .) The prayer seeks the help of the Holy Family while at the same time revealing Pope Francis' vision of the family as it is and as it could be. It paints an ideal portrait of family life and yet acknowledges the severe difficulties faced by many. It concludes with a heart-felt petition for the renewal of the sacredness and inviolability of the family. Pope Francis' prayer is a short primer on the theology of the family and deserves careful contemplation. Let's see what he says. The Splendor of True Love Jesus, Mary and Joseph, in you we cont

Delivered... Because I'm truly Yours!   Thinking back, one year ago, January 2013, do you remember where you were in life; more-so, where you were in your prayer life? Surprisingly I do!  But this is because it involved a very special series of prayers for me (a “novena") dedicated to Our Lady, Undoer of Knots . So there I was, one year ago, on the 1st of January, Day 1, entrusting my very own ribbon,  with all its messy knots,  into the hands of our Blessed Mother.  And it just so happened at this same time, I was also reading Fr. Michael Gaitley’s “ 33 Days to Morning Glory ” (so good!) .   But what about these knots of mine? …Which one knot entangled my life the most?   It was a big one... ► Click HERE to read more at The Way to Nourish for Life including an Audrey Assad song .►

Forgiveness and the Lord's Prayer Of course, I could have written the title of this post the other way, but forgiveness seems to be the main lesson God is trying to get through my thick, red-haired head these days. Without any kind of a prayer life, how can we accomplish the least of the tasks in our daily lives, much less forgiveness of another.  Reflecting on the Lord's Prayer, I am completely in awe at how perfectly the words are, I know, consider the author.  Jesus taught the apostles this prayer which covers all bases in a very short and simple way.  But it also puts us to task in a very blunt and severe way in the forgiveness department; He will forgive us, AS we forgive others around us...ouch! "As" Now, we all remember the Clinton days when he fought the infidelity accusations with an idiotic argument on the meaning of the word "is".  He wanted to escape the reality of his marital sinfulness with a present/past tense wording. 

I've found some great new shows to watch whenever I read the tv guide's yearly "The Best Shows You Aren't Watching" article. And since I've been invited to guest on a number of radio programs this January to talk about great reading during the winter months, I thought that with a "twist" it was a great way to offer some books definitely worth reading for anyone's budget. I'll be talking about.... The best historical fiction you may not have read: The Green Coat: A Tale from the Dust Bowl Years by Rosemary McDunn which is just $2.99 on Kindle! Perfect for all ages. Really! http://www.amazon.com/Green-Coat-Tale-Dust-Years-ebook/dp/B005KLSL28/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1389006390&sr=8-1&keywords=green+coat+mcdunn Then there's Joan L. Kelly's Hiding the Stranger: The Trilogy which has received the prestigious Catholic Writer's Guild Seal of Approval. A great book for the kids and easy on the budget at $2.99! http:/

'Cloister thy mind, thy senses and thy heart, and keep within a silent sanctuary, where thou with Me may live a life apart... (click for more)

Today’s Gospel:  John 1:35-42 It is amazing, really, that John’s disciples simply hear their teacher announce that Jesus is “the Lamb of God” and they follow Him, without question, without speaking a word. They are on a journey, so they do not cling to John possessively but let go to continue their search for God. These men are hungry for God and they are open, recognizing the light when they see it. These former followers of John cannot even answer Jesus when He asks them, “What do you seek?” They probably don’t have a clue what they are really seeking: they simply know in their deepest selves that He is who John says He is—the Lamb of God—and that is enough for them. They are seekers of the truth. Yet they cannot articulate that fact,  so instead they answer with another mundane question, “Where are you staying?” Even that question is not answered because Jesus basically says, “Well, if you trust me, if you want to follow me and learn from me as my disciple, come, and you w

Tradition has it that the wisemen who came to honor the infant Jesus were named Caspar, Balthasar,and Melchior. So we mark everydoorway to the outside with their intials'plus a sign of the cross and year:  20+C+B+M+14 They had studied the Hebrew Scriptures and the Messianic prophecies of the Old Testament. Among these they found the words of Balaam: “A Star shall come out of Jacob; a Scepter shall rise out of Israel” (Numbers 24:17, ) . They were acquainted with the prophecy of Micah: “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall come forth to Me the One to be Ruler in Israel” (Micah 5:2, ; Matthew 2:5, 6). On the night of Christ’s birth, a mysterious light appeared in the sky which became a luminous star that persisted in the western heavens (see Matthew 2:1, 2). Impressed with its import, they determined to go in search of the Messiah. They knew not where they were to go, but followed as the guiding star led them

This Sunday we celebrate the Feast of the Epiphany, the twelfth day of Christmas. I've been trying to explain to people since the day after Christmas, that the twelve days of Christmas starts AFTER Christmas day.  I'm not getting through to them.  They are still complaining about the smattering of Christmas songs being played in the stores (imagine retailers acknowledging that!), but are horrified to see that Valentine's Day cards are out. You can read the whole article here . By the way, thanks for taking the time to read my article.  I do appreciate it!

Adoration of the Magi , Murillo, 1655-60 [ Web Gallery of Art ] THE EPIPHANY OF THE LORD In countries where this is a holyday of obligation, eg, Ireland, the solemnity is celebrated on the traditional date, 6 January. Where it is not a holyday of obligation, eg, the Philippines, it is observed on this Sunday. The Epiphany has two different Mass formularies,  At the Vigil Mass , celebrated on Saturday evening, and  At the Mass during the Day . While the prayers and chants are different, the same readings are used at both Masses. Readings   (New American Bible: Philippines, USA)                                   Readings   (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, England & Wales, India [optional], Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland, South Africa) SECOND SUNDAY AFTER THE NATIVITY (Years A, B, C) Readings   (Jerusalem Bible)  THE EPIPHANY OF THE LORD Gospel  Matthew 2:1-12  ( New RevisedStandard Version, Catholic Edition , Canada)  In the tim

That's right, I did ask you the question, has your saint for 2014 chosen you yet?  Actually, that has already happened, now, it's your job to find the saint who has chosen you to be your patron for 2014. How do you go about discovering which saint chose you?  The easiest way that I have discovered is to to HERE .  There is a list of saints who might have chosen you.  If you like, you can download a pdf file to cut up or you can do as I do and scroll down the list to find your saint.  I like my method the best! 1) Begin with a prayer to the Holy Spirit asking Him to guide you as you begin to scroll. Read More about this topic HERE at "His Unending Love."

It was just last year that I discovered the tradtion of asking for a word to focus on for the New Year. Well, when I asked for a word for this year with a fuzzy, mush brain on Jan.1, the word that popped into my head was quite unexpected, a surprise really because it is not a word that I would usually focus on. What popped into my head seemed boring and mundane at first..steadfast. Then, unexpectedly, I started to smile because I realized that when I remain constant and steady, all sorts of wonderful things happen deep within me, seemingly without my participation, if I just stay focused and constant, steady. My intuition, creativity, bubbles up when I remain still in one spot and give those gifts a chance to form and rise up. Now for some people , this might seem to be a boring, stodgy sort of word but for  some reason  I started to smile as bubbles of joy started to pop up and float through my whole system. In fact I a grinning quite foolishly right at this moment. umm why?.. I

2014 Version of Me Every year I make New Year resolutions. I believe that it's good to improve myself for the honor and glory of God. I know I need God's grace to improve. When God is gracious enough to bless me with a particular grace, I should cooperate with Him. That's where personal effort comes in. So many get discouraged if or when they break their resolutions that they give up. I understand the feeling. One of my Facebook friends has a good suggestion for that problem of perseverance. This is a slightly edited version of what Elizabeth wrote: Lots of us set goals - resolutions - for each New Year. Many of us do not achieve those goals over the course of that 365 days. We lose sight of the goal or we "cheat," and decide there is no point in continuing. But what if you made that your goal for just January? And then, make it a new goal for February, and so on through the year? Do you think you would be more successful? My answer is yes.  I think I

Today we honour Blessed Mary Ever-Virgin,  Most Holy Mother of God because she is  the True Theotokos – God Bearer – Dei Genitrix. Let us pray As we begin this New Year let us accompany the Mother of God in following her Son. Let us fall deeper in love with our Saviour. On this Solemnity of Mary,we focus on her vocation as the mother of Jesus; she is the “Theotokos,” the Holy Mother of God. The Church, at the Third Ecumenical Council in 431 AD, bestowed that name upon her emphasizing not only who Mary is but also who Jesus is – fully God and fully man. She was not the mother only of His human side but of God Himself in human form . As a mother I have written about the fact that when my babies were born, I was reborn as a mother.  This is what I see happening to the Blessed Virgin Mary as well; the birth of Jesus transformed her into a mother but not just of the physical infant Jesus but of God himself and of all of us. Mary is my mother, too.  So join me as I walk with th