Association Of Catholic Bloggers

Hope in a Prison of Despair :Wikimedia Commons  The food we feed our minds and the things we tell ourselves make a great deal of difference in whether our cross feels light or heavy. Half the problem with feeling "doubly yoked" is what we believe about ourselves and others mixed with what we may not believe nor trust about God. Many people feel overwhelmed and weighed down but the truth is that feeling heavily burdened is often the result of a lack of hope. Despair is the heaviest thing in the whole universe. Even a little bit is hard to carry. What we believe or disbelieve about ourselves can leave us locked into patterns of living that make it more difficult to respond to God's freely given grace. If we don't believe that we, or others, or even a situation, can change we have the tendency to slam the door on grace. Very often there are hidden areas of hopelessness in our lives that God yearns to touch deeply with his grace but because of the things

Hi everyone!  My name is Mary Nicewarner. I am happily married  and the mother of one beautiful "miracle" daughter - a huge blessing to us after struggling for nine years with infertility. I love my Catholic faith and share my thoughts and reflections on my blog, The Beautiful Gate . I hope you will stop by for a visit! God is good!

When All Things Girl first came on the scene there were a lot of mixed reviews. People said things like "it is terrible; it seems homemade" to "the best book EVER for young Catholic girls." Of course, once those books went out of production (there are new ones now in print), everyone clamored for them. I suppose that's how it always goes, right? We don't know what we have until it is gone. We are now excited to say that the newest All Things Girl book is out! In the 2014 release of Truth for Teens you are going to find the same great open and honest talk that girls love (and moms and grandmas are so appreciative of) but with fresh, new, relevant voices! Peggy Bowes (best-selling author of The Rosary Workout and popular speaker) writes about health and fitness. Heather Renshaw, mother of 5 youngsters, somehow found the time to write about vocations in general and motherhood in particular. Kayla Brandon, a journalism major with time in at Fox and othe

Victor is an occasional contributor to this Blog and a frequent reader too. He is well recognised in his town by the blue cowboy hat with orange feather which he always wears and colorful shirts with red tartan trousers. He also wears different colored socks - red and blue, or yellow and orange, green and mauve - to remind him which one is the left and right foot. He started a campaign that socks should be sold in threes rather than in pairs, to make it easier to get a matching pair when you pull them out of the drawer. He speaks French fluently and once ordered a whole meal in a restaurant in French to impress his guests. it was an Italian restaurant. Whilst in Paris years ago he had lunch at one of those out-door open-air restaurants where they put the tables on the sidewalk so that you may enjoy the view. As soon as he was served his meal it started to rain ... not much rain, just a light constant drizzle. It took him ages to finish the soup! A very cautious man who

My name is Melanie Jean Juneau and I have been the administrator of this site since the summer.  I invite ALL WRITERS, even if you are veterans, to introduce yourselves and your blogs,then leave a link. If you are comfortable, a picture of you or a snapshot of your blog would help us connect with you. With the help of Cristina T, a new writer here, I just organized my blog and added a static home page. With my mush brain, I needed a bit of guidance but I really like it now. I am starting to think how to organize archives for ACWB next! Come see my new home page on joy of nine9   Melanie Jean Juneau is a 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 write the truth about children, family, marriage and the sacre

Part mommy memoir and part single woman's lament,  Accidentally on Purpose: The True Tale of a Happy Single Mother  is an intimate look at one woman's choice to keep the baby she conceived on a one-night stand. Written by journalist Mary Pols and published by HarperCollins, the book did so well that it spawned a one-season CBS series starring Jenna Elfman. What is the source of the book's appeal? At 39 years old, the author Mary faced the all-too-common question of why she stayed single while her friends and siblings made it to the altar. When Mary became unexpectedly pregnant, her reaction was to keep the baby, but not the father. The father, despite his washboard abs, lacked ambition and, as he quietly confided, had no "J-O-B." Scarred by his parents' divorce, he had little hope in his own future. Nonetheless, he badly wanted Mary to keep the baby and was willing to help her as much as he could. They ultimately stumbled their way to a co-parenting arran

This is a must-read story whereby Father Ignatius preaches and warns about the perils of hell. Father Ignatius’ sermon started with a warning. “You will not like my sermon today!” he declared. “In fact I don’t like it myself and I would rather be giving you a different sermon. A gentle one which tickles your ears and makes you feel warm and comfortable. “The reason I don’t particularly like this sermon is because perhaps it speaks to me too as well as all of you. Continue reading HERE

"The Bible is a letter from Almighty God to His creatures,"  wrote Pope St. Gregory. What a missive!  The length of it, the poetry, the repeated declarations of total and absolute LOVE.  " I have loved you with an everlasting love... I am constant in My affection for you."  (Jeremiah 31:3) " Though the mountains leave their place and the hills be shaken, My love shall never leave you."  (Isaiah 54:10) " My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow Me.  I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish.  No one shall snatch them out of my hand."  (John 10:27-28)  I can turn page after page of Scripture and find such love.  Love that would suffer and die for me, declaring itself over and over and over - a definite sign of not at all secret Love.... from The Cloistered Heart Samuel Melton Fisher painting

God whispered: You think that you are building my church with all your business  but you are hindering my work on earth,  not helping me. All I want, all I need, is for you to stand before the cross and allow the love of my Son to transform you into His Presence on earth.  stained glass windows,Mount Carmel Retreat Centre           Revised Litany of Love   L ord have mercy on us  Christ, have mercy on us. Lord, have mercy on us. Christ, hear us. God the Father in heaven, Have mercy on us. God the Son, Redeemer of the world, Have mercy on us. God, the Holy Spirit Have mercy on us. Holy Trinity, one God, Have mercy on us. You Who art Infinite Love, You Who first loved me,      I Let Your love flow back to You.  I love You * You Who fill me with Your love , With all my heart,  With all my soul,  With all my mind , With all my strength, I let Your love flow back to You.   I love You * read more>

This past year had been a challenge both professionally and personally. For reasons not all clear to me, feelings of inadequacies set in and clouded my year. I was troubled by the challenges that I felt were being propelled at me in seeking to live and understand my faith. This past year brought us a Pope, who if nothing else, challenges us by word and example how to live a joyful and humble Christian life. Due in a great part to his words, I have begun to question what I am called to do and how I am meant to live. Time and again, I hear something our Pope has said (or done) that resonates deeply with my soul. I have been filled with a much deeper awareness of those who suffer only to find myself caught in the abyss of my doubts and fears, trying to determine how it is that I am called to action. My insecurities and feelings of inadequacies abound. ....   Click to read more of one mother's struggles and doubts in the face of challenges and trials . A Beautiful Tapestry of

RED ... What a beautiful color !   Are you seeing it ?   I t’s really all around us these days, especially in the month that's been so dedicated to the heart ... from National Wear Red Day to Valentine’s Day ... Red hearts & roses, and so much more !   But what about this color red ?   Why so special ? … s o nourishing ?    ► Click HERE to Read More at The Way to Nourish for Life ► [A prayer of love is also included: " Praise to the One "]  

This may come as a shock, but February 14 isn't  St. Valentine's Day .  It is the feast day of  Saints Cyril and Methodius !  You can read the rest here .

Did you know you can download ALL Father Ignatius books FREE? And once downloaded they can be either printed or copied onto CD/DVD or whatever electronic media you wish? Just click HERE

This post is Part 2 of guest blogger Carlos X's defense of traditional marriage in honor of National Marriage Week.  Part 1  of Carlos' post explored the common mythological roots of the male-female union as expression of the divine in Christianity, Judaism, and Hinduism. Part 2 details the scientific acceptance of male-female union as the essential archetype of humanity. Read on to enjoy Carlos' post, and for more National Marriage Week resources, be sure to check out  Catholic Match Institute ! **************************** The Pioneer plaque, created by NASA Love between a man and a woman has a mystical dimension in the sacred texts of Christianity, Judaism, and Hinduism. But the ultimate manifestation of “the mysticism of sexual love” is when “the love experience becomes cosmic.”  (Joseph Campbell,  The Hero with a Thousand Faces ). So it's appropriate that when the world's scientists wanted to introduce humanity to possible alien races, they showed a pi

It is true, it is REALLY true. It is not an allegory. It is not for a few select saints. Life in Christ is for me;  I was created for this, designed for this life. I have been crucified with Christ and  I no longer live,  but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body,  I live by faith in the Son of God, for me. -Galatians 2:20 Twenty-five years ago, my husband discovered a book at a Trappist monastery that changed our lives, called  “Guideline to Mystical Prayer”  by a British Carmelite nun, Ruth Burrows. She describes Petra, who is a woman who lives only by faith without any experiences of God, and Claire  who is a “light on” nun who experiences mystical encounters. Both women know with absolute clarity that it was no longer they that lived but Christ who lived in them. My husband and I  were filled with an exuberant joy because we felt legitimized. We identified with Claire  and realized that holiness was real and was possible. read more

Sermon on the Mount , Carl Bloch [ Wikipedia ] Readings   (New American Bible: Philippines, USA)                                    Readings   (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, England & Wales, India [optional], Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland, South Africa Gospel:  Matthew 5:17-37 [ or 5:20-22a, 27-28, 33-34a, 37]  ( New Revised Standard Version, Catholic Edition , Canada)  [May be omitted] Jesus said to his disciples:  [“Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfill.   For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one letter,   not one stroke of a letter, will pass from the law until all is accomplished.     Therefore, whoever breaks   one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, will be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.]   For I tell you, unless your righteou

It's been another crazy week. Preparing for an NFP talk scheduled for next week, really praying it will go well and asking all my peeps to please pray for Ben and I, as well please pray for our audience, that they will be open and willing to receive our the message. As always I will be keeping the Holy Spirit close to me as I prepare to talk and then of course throughout the talk. Honestly, the message of pro life, anti-contraception, pro-NFP, is never easy to deliver. to read more click here  http://www.yearsofmilkandhoney.blogspot.ca

There are various stories and legends about St Valentine. Some say he was a bishop, some that he was a priest. But at the heart of the stories is the reality that he was martyred for officiating at weddings. His feast day is no longer on the universal calendar of the Catholic Church where the Ordinary Form of the Mass is celebrated, the form of the Mass introduced after the Second Vatican Council, in 1969, the only form of the Mass that most Catholics today have experienced. But his feast day is still on the calendar used by those who celebrate the Extraordinary Form of the Mass, using the Missal promulgated by Blessed John XXIII in 1962.  In many parts of the world St Valentine's Day has become a largely secular affair and the word 'Saint' dropped. Here in the Philippines it is for more than a few an excuse for fornication and adultery, though not by any means for all. For some it is a day to celebrate innocent friendship. For some years the Catholic Church

  I am enchanted by snow when it softens a city.  It's like the gentleness of God blanketing all that is sharp and angular, and somehow this is magical to me.  Maybe that's because, in grade school, I rode the city bus twice a day, and I got to see a chunk of my town in its sooty as well as whitewashed conditions.  The bus made stops and starts along Main Street, its doors whooshing open to let in soggy passengers toting briefcases and shopping bags.  I could hear sighs of relief as these weary ones fell into seats; I knew they were grateful to simply let chilled bones thaw.....  (continue ...)

Hope is not an emotional affair. The Christian perspective suggests that hope involves something more than the projection of material success. I used to think a lot about   realistic   hope. I had come across a sort of ethereal hope that had no more substance than the wish a Dr. Seuss "ish wish dish" might produce. I was frustrated with it and wanted something more, something better, something more   realistic.   Going through dark times have taught me that hope is impossible without the trust and the abandonment to God where one is willing to trust Him and in fact hope against the sometimes stark realistic circumstances. It is a matter of love, because nothing other than the simple act of love can prompt the act of hope and trust.  JESUS, I TRUST IN YOU!

http://melaniejeanjuneau.wordpress.com/ Thank-you first to the Holy Spirit and then to all our writers, especially all our new ones; since July 2013, our reads have risen from 5,000-6,000 a month to 16,323 and even 34,296 views in December! Keep writing and praying that the Lord will continue to inspire, teach, heal and transform all of us, both writers and readers, drawing us closer to His Heart. Oh, and the door is still open for new Catholic women bloggers to come join our family. Just email me a request at mjmjuneau@gmail.com., giving me a link to your blog.

  I don’t know about you, but I’m always looking for a magic bullet to bring me closer to God. Let’s be honest: the Christian life can be a slog. Day in, day out, struggling against sin and making little measurable progress. I’m always looking for the secret to help me reach sanctity faster. But is there one? St. Therese asked herself this same question. She sought a fast way to climb the ladder to Heaven, as it were. The Little Way of Spiritual Childhood was her discovery. She said that if she made herself little, Jesus could lift her up in His arms. His arms would be her elevator to help her advance quickly. Why am I still not a saint? But there is a catch. As much as we might think the Little Way means Jesus does all the work for us, we still have to strive against ourselves. The Little Way is not magic. We can’t just say a few words and be instant saints. Continue reading at Contemplative Homeschool.

I  am so very excited to share this post with you. As far as I'm concerned we need to hear more from our husbands who are also part of the NFP journey. Tom writes a beautifully written piece on his and his wife's journey with NFP and I am proud to have it be part of the NFP collection. Thank you so much Tom for allowing me to have your post on my blog. I am truly grateful. Please check out Tom's blog  http://www.prodigal-dumb-ox.blogspot.ca/  where he writes more about his return to God through the Catholic Church, you're going to love it! Writing History Before it Happens: Pope Paul VI, me, my wife and our journey toward NFP  By Tom at  http://www.prodigal-dumb-ox.blogspot.ca/ Recently I was considering what my primary responsibility to my wife is as her husband. Is it helping out with the dishes? Folding the laundry? Taking out the trash? The nearest thing I could come up with is that, although all of those things are helpful and contribute to running the hous