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This Lent I’m doing some different things. Or maybe I should say I’m doing things differently. Regardless of my intentions, I’ve noticed that the last few Lenten Seasons (and Advent, too) have started out as gangbusters but then have really petered out. I’m reminded of the saying “The road to Hell is paved with good intentions.” Talking with some friends, I’ve found that it is a far more common occurrence then most of us are willing to admit. We purchase the Lenten book, we buy all the pieces for the Advent wreath, we envision the holy and anointed times that will take place in our homes and in our hearts during these sacred seasons. Of course, the more we plan, the more likely we are to fail. After all, 40 days is a long time to stay committed. It is test of endurance and we unwittingly set ourselves up for failure because we aren’t always realistic in what we set out to do. So this Lent, I’m doing something different: I'm setting myself up for success. continue readin

Prayer to Saint Joseph - HERE

A little over a year ago, I wrote  my first post dealing with religion and faith . At that time, and maybe a few times since then, I made a vague reference to some things that happened in my life that led me to begin to pray and search for something more than atheism had to offer. I wasn't really sure if I would ever share what happened as the impetus to my conversion. It might seem odd, considering all that I write about here, but I'm pretty private about certain things. But I've started to think that maybe I'd like to write about my conversion story. The whole thing. So naturally, in doing so I'd need to begin at the beginning. The beginning of this story starts with a positive pregnancy test. Read the rest of this post HERE .

God turns broken pieces into master pieces Discovered on Prayer for  Devotions

Mary Casset: breaking out into reality This move of the Spirit is quiet, subtle and entirely grassroots.  The stars have fallen. The big names have grown old. Society is weary of huge, dazzling Christian shows. People crave reality. Evangelism has gone through many stages to reach the place we are today.Up until the late 60′s, evangelists were mainly preachers of the Word. In the Protestant camp, Billy Graham shone the brightest while for Catholics,the first name that pops into my head as an example is Bishop Fulton Sheen and his radio program.These men focused on an evangelism of the word, a preached sermon or talk with the purpose of convincing people to repent, change and commit their lives to God. The primary way the Holy Spirit touched people in large crowds in the 70′s, 80′ and 90′s was through power evangelism. Rather than preaching long sermons, the evangelists who drew the largest crowds were prophets and healers. The Spirit fell in a tangible way.This was no

  Jesus, as I go about my day today, I will have many opportunities to put others ahead of myself. Help me to recognize those times and to respond as you would have me respond. My husband was working until around 9:30 p.m. one night last week, and I was eagerly anticipating bedtime. I love being a stay-at-home mom to my six children, ages 7 to 5 months. That is, I love it from around 7:15 (after the first cup of coffee) until around 4 p.m. (I'm not alone in thinking that the late afternoon brings out the worst in just about everyone...me included!). Luckily, after dinner is served, the mood around the house tends to pick up again until around 7 p.m. But, that time starts an hour of utter chaos! Even I if don't bathe all the children (it is easier to pick a few who aren't too stinky in the winter when they're not running around outside all day!), it is still a huge challenge to get everyone changed int

Elijah Wood as Frodo Baggins Today’s post is a throwback to last year’s series Finding God in Children’s Literature. J. R. R. Tolkein’s Lord of the Rings trilogy is not children’s literature, per se, but is suitable for reading aloud with the entire family. I’ve been thinking about a passage from The Fellowship of the Ring lately, and Sunday’s reading on Abraham fits perfectly with it. If your mind wanders to books during Mass, let it be to great literature that can teach you lessons about the spiritual life! (Yes, I admit I was thinking about Frodo at Church.) Traveling to an unknown land “The LORD said to Abram: ‘Go forth from the land of your kinsfolk and from your father’s house to a land that I will show you’” (Genesis 12:1).  To fully understand the import of this verse, we must look to the New Testament. By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place which he was to receive as an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was

I love those who love me, and those who seek me diligently find me. Proverbs 8:17 At the back of our property, I usually left the car parked and unlocked because we lived in a safe neighborhood.  One day, I opened the door of my car and there on the front seat was a pamphlet that read "The Whore of Babylon" and it went on to read all sorts of accusations against the Catholic church.  My first reaction was shock!  Why would someone open my car door and  leave a pamphlet in my car?  Was this a threat to my family?   The pamphlet had some pretty strong words against the Catholic Church.  My second reaction was... Go to: www.thoughtfulreflection.com to read more.

St Patrick   St Benin's Church, Kilbennan, County Galway, Ireland [ Wikipedia ] 'Ego Patricius peccator rusticissimus . . . Mise Pádraig, peacach róthuatach . . . I Patrick, a sinner, a most simple countryman . . .' The opening words of St Patrick's  Confession  in Latin, Irish and English. Please pray earnestly to St Patrick for a renewal of the Christian faith in Ireland.  Extracts from St Patrick's  Confessio   [ Christian Classics Ethereal Library ] I, Patrick, a sinner, a most simple countryman, the least of all the faithful and most contemptible to many, had for father the deacon Calpurnius, son of the late Potitus, a priest, of the settlement [vicus] of Bannavem Taburniae; he had a small villa nearby where I was taken captive. I was at that time about sixteen years of age. I did not, indeed, know the true God; and I was taken into captivity in Ireland with many thousands of people, according to our deserts, for quite drawn away from

The theologian Karl Adam summed up early Christian Spirituality  with the words,  ‘Christ Our Brother’ . Imagine  a circle with Christ at its centre, radiating the infinite love that has been transposed into human loving, in his own risen and glorified body. Those who choose to receive his love are drawn back into him,to begin the journey back whence they came into the fullness of the Father’s love,..... read on

                'Come with the dawn,                 shine in on me,                 and wake my soul                 with welcome light;                 Or let the twilight herald Thee,                 and falling dusk, Thy shelter be                 to shroud Thy coming                 from my sight.                 Or come by some forgotten way                 untrodden long, and overgrown...                                 (continue...)                                                           

Once upon a time an elderly man was making his way home through the park after a long day at work. Some youths set upon him. They were carrying knives. They mugged him, injured him badly and left him lying in a pool of blood. Please continue HERE

Transfiguration of Christ Paolo Veronese, 1555-56 [ 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 17:1-9  ( New Revised Standard Version, Catholic Edition , Canada)   Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and his brother John and led them up a high mountain, by themselves.   And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became dazzling white.   Suddenly there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him.   Then Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if you wish, I   will make three dwellings   here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”   While he was still speaking, suddenly a bright cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud a voice said, “This is my Son, the

Lent.  We tend to think of Advent as a time of joyful anticipation and Lent as a dismal period of sack cloth and ashes. How ridiculous. We are preparing to celebrate THE most joyful event in the history of humanity, the death and resurrection of our Saviour. Lent is the most joyful, light filled season for me because I empty myself so that I might die and rise with Christ in triumphant glory. The darkness of my sin, the sin of others or the sin of the world is not a malignant force as much as it is simply the absence of light. The light of just one candle banishes darkness. I have been pregnant during Advent and given birth right on Christmas Eve and I have been pregnant all of Lent and given birth right on Easter Morning. Both pregnancies and births were a time ” to give to the light”, to give new life to Christ. In a sense we are all pregnant during Advent and Lent every year and we all give birth to Christ within us more fully every Christmas and every Easter morning.

  “And whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, so that they may be seen by others.  Truly I tell you, they have received their reward.    But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you. When you are praying, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard because of their many words.  Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him." Matthew 6: 5-8  Read more at:  His Unending Love. See you there!

How important are you? Really? Who are you exactly? Find out HERE .

I know that today everyone is celebrating Pope Francis' first anniversary, but for me, this is my Dad's birthday. I wrote this post quite a while ago.  Memories of my father are never far away even though he passed away over twenty years ago. Today, I hope you celebrate Pope Francis' first year, but I hope you'll also remember your dad, too.  You can read the full blog post at Being Catholic ... Really .

This weekend the "arteeest" in me came to the forefront.  Knowing full well there would be reactions,  I dyed my hair pink.  After all, pink is my favorite color! Yesterday morning, at Mass, my hair was a lovely salt and pepper color.  Nothing was extraordinary or different. When I attended the Stations of the Cross, our soup supper, and the Novena of Grace, that evening, my hair was pink. I looked around.  Some people avoided me.  Others avoided looking at my hair when they talked with me.  (They were surprised.)  I finally told one young priest, "It's okay to look at my hair.  It's pink."  He laughed with me. One member of the parish came to me and said, "You did it!  I love it!"  Another person asked me if I knew how old I was.  Several laughed behind my back.  Truthfully, most people were surprised and did not know how to address this change.  Read More at His Unending Love. See you there!

Hi Everyone!  I know Melanie asked contributors to introduce themselves a while ago. I put it on my To Do List. I really did, and I know I am late to the party (again!), but I figured I'd finally throw my name out here and say hello. I am a single mom of five amazing, wonderful, adorable, active, loud, smelly (sometimes, really smelly!), fun boys. There are just not enough adjectives to describe our kids are there? Anyway… Being a single mom was about the last thing I ever thought I would be. I absolutely loved my husband, and, it may sound crazy, but I thought he was my best friend...right up until the day he told me he was leaving. We renewed our vows on Valentine's Day 2009. Unfortunately, it was also around that time that he discovered Facebook and reconnected with a woman he had dated 20 years before when they attended the same Catholic high school.  He told me he was leaving on Mother's Day 2009. Literally one week later, h

Please join Awestruck in this Novena to St. Joseph (March 11 to March 19).  I have reworded this prayer to suit my OWN prayer language. See the original on Awestruck. We will be praying for your intentions and for all men – that they will imitate Saint Joseph. NOVENA PRAYER Saint Joseph, you are the faithful protector and intercessor of all who love you. You know that I have special confidence in you and that, after Jesus and Mary, I place all my hope of salvation in you, for you are especially powerful with God and will never abandon your friend. I ask for your prayers and  your intercession for myself and my loved ones. Saint Joseph, spouse of Mary, pray  for me for the gift of a pure, humble  mind, and perfect surrender to Divine Will. Be my guide, my father, and my model through life. CONTINUE PRAYER  ON MY SITE OR AT AWESTRUCK