Association Of Catholic Bloggers

I had an adorable conversation with my three year old right before he went to sleep tonight. In fact, I have a pretty adorable conversation with my three year old almost every night before he’s off to bed, so I thought I’d share what we talk about. In addition to warming my heart, these conversations, I believer, are paving the way for future communication. As part of our bedtime routine, I ask Charbel three questions each night: What is something that made you smile today? What is something that made you cry today? What is something that you learned today? With these three questions, our little son opens his heart to me each evening, and starts smiling and laughing all over again as he remember what he enjoyed that day, gets more serious as he talks about something that made him sad, and feels proud when tells me what he learned. Head over to Eyes On Heaven to read the full post and why these 3 questions can be so helpful, both for the child and the parent!

Pope Francis said this at a Sunday afternoon Regina Caeli address: These words struck me hard for several reasons: I hate to be a bother. I always feel like I am being a bother when I have a question (or several). I preface nearly every conversation with my priest/spiritual director with either the thought in my head or the words on my lips: "Father, I hope I am not bothering you, but..." I don't think I am alone in this. I have heard many friends express the same hesitations. The conversations go something like this..."I really don't know what God expects me to do and I would love to ask Father, but I don't want to bother him." of "I have a question about church teaching x, but I can't ask Father because I don't want to bother him." Are you with me?  Have you said that too?  I bet you have. It seems to be a nearly universal sentiment among the Catholic faithful I know.  Click here for some practical suggestions about "

Threats to religious liberty are nearer to us than most young people imagine, and the story of Castro's Cuba brings that lesson home in a powerful way. Born of Cuban exiles, journalist Liz Lantigua has written an eye-opening fictionalized account of a Catholic family escaping Cuba on a small raft with a mission to achieve freedom in the United States. Lantigua's book,  Mission Libertad , cleverly weaves true historical details with a compelling plot and introduces readers to common Spanish words and sayings along the way. The main character is 14-year-old Luisito, who braves a dangerous sea crossing with his parents in order to reach their relatives in America. Luisito's elderly grandmother has insisted that he carry a secret message to a priest in the United States once Luisito arrives there. The message involves Luisito in a cat-and-mouse game involving Cuban spies, FBI agents, and international smuggling. Mission Libertad  offers teens a surprising view of the U

Our Fathe r - Repentance On the  feast of Pentecost the Jews celebrated the day on which God had given the Law to Moses. However the first Pentecost after the Resurrection was the day on which God gave his new law -  the law of love . This law was not primarily a  list of rules and regulations  like the laws that were given to Moses, but the same personal  love that God had showered on Jesus. It was this love that enabled Jesus to practise to perfection the New Commandments that he taught his disciples. Namely, to Love God with their whole hearts and minds, and with their whole being, as he did, and to love others as he did too, and still does.  read on

I fell once, and the pain was great for me. My foot swelled up, and, when I tried to walk, I winced with pain. My foot, bruised, turned purple. My foot, injured, swelled, so that I could not fit in my shoes. I yelped in pain and refused to walk. Jesus fell three times. His feet, which carried Our Savior, were wounded and beaten. His precious feet were bruised and swollen, screamed in pain as they tried to bear the weight of Our God and His Cross of Love. His sandals were gone. Each step an exercise in pain, but He uttered not a word. He took His beatings. He bore the pain. His love for us, His mission of Love, Read More at:  His Unending Love

Holy Family (Barberini    Andrea del Sarto, c.1528 Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Antica, Rome [ Web Gallery of Art ] Richelle Verdeprado, the editorial assistant of  Misyon , the Columban online magazine in the Philippines that I edit, posted a link on Facebook to the article below that we published in the May-June 2004 printed issue. I have always found the writings of  Catherine Doherty   inspiring. She would very much approve of the 'smell of the sheep' imagery of Pope Francis. I've highlighted one paragraph in the article because too many times I've heard of Catholics, especially in the Philippines, who may not have enough knowledge of our faith, being led astray by 'Born Again' Christians and who reject our Blessed Mother. If you asked the same persons to reject their own mother, to tear up photos of her, never to speak to her again, they would be horrified.   An Ordinary Woman and Mother of God Adapted from  Bogoroditza  by Cath

The word of God flows like liquid sunshine into the shadows of our hearts.

Have you ever thought of having a spiritual director for your kids or grandkids? Have you ever thought of being one? It’s not enough to teach children “religion”–i.e., Catechism. We also need to teach them how to become saints. I am developing a spiritual growth plan for my three older children. (J is a little too young at age three!) Here are the areas I am considering: Temperament D is almost purely choleric, M is melancholic-phlegmatic, and C is primarily phlegmatic. (I haven’t completely figured him out yet–he’s eight and doesn’t know himself as well as the others do.) Each of the four classical temperaments has a different perspective on life. Each has typical strengths and weaknesses. I seek to encourage my boys in their strengths and help them fight their weaknesses. I plan to do much of this through reading. Books will inspire them where lectures won’t. Continue reading at Contemplative Homeschool.

 An excerpt from Finding Grace ;   Grace's musings on  Fatima after she learns that her elderly neighbors  are Holocaust survivors:           And something was nagging at the back of her mind.  What dire warning had Mary given to Francisco and Jacinta Marto and Lucy Santos, the three peasant children to whom She'd appeared at Fatima?  Wasn't it that there would be a terrible war, worse than the most recent one the world had witnessed?  Our Blessed Mother had appeared to the three Portuguese children in 1917, not long after the Great War, the "War to End All Wars": World War I.  Through three poor, humble, young shepherds, the Mother of God had sought to warn the people of the world that if they didn't change their ways and consecrate themselves to Her Immaculate Heart, an even more terrible holocaust would be visited on the earth.           The horrible chastisement to which She referred was World War II!           Aside from just the testimonies of the

The last two weekly words have been Faith & Trust . As I prayed about what comes next, it occurred to me that Faith, Trust, and Surrender make a perfect trilogy; three essentials for true peace-of-mind and peace-of-heart. I see them as being cyclical, a reinforcing and continual process to living our God-designed life. Faith and trust sound nice, don’t they? Very reassuring and positive. Surrender, on the other hand…that can be a tough one for many of us! When I looked up the definition of surrender, I found: to give in, give up, concede defeat, cave in, and (from Merriam-Webster) “agree to stop fighting because you know that you will not win or succeed.” Yikes, no wonder I’m not usually in a big hurry to surrender! The truth is, surrendering my will in favor of God’s will, has NEVER left me feeling defeated or unsuccessful. Read More...

As Christians, we know very well that we're flawed. We're sinful. Less than perfect. Fallen. Or whatever else you want to call it. For those of us that are mothers, I think our awareness of the less than perfect in us doubles. We become acutely conscious of every mistake and shortcoming, because we don't want them to affect our kids. In fact, we sometimes (might I say often?) even beat ourselves up over tiny things that aren't worth it. Nine out of ten moms that I know, including myself, focus mostly on sacrificing themselves and loving  others. This might be all well and good, but at the same time, it's impossible for us to truly give the best of ourselves to our family if we don't also love ourselves rightly. In our efforts to always give more, it's easy to see where we fall short, and easy to overlook all the good things God has created in us. Head over to Eyes On Heaven to read more about this Mom-to-Mom challenge!

                        19 yrs ago I learned most profoundly the meaning of this statement, when my son was 11 and a boy, not even his close friend, told me he would do sacrifices for my son’s vocation. He never noticed, but those words hit me like I had heard the voice of God, that moment. Those words shat thru me, changing me into someone I had never been before. Since then, that statement  lights my life at every level, not like a lighthouse in the fog, not like headlights of my car in the rain, not like a candle during prayers, but like the sun, brilliantly detailing the intricacy of how love rules every moment, every thought, every step, every temptation to not.                 next   http://theoutlawedgod.wordpress.com/2012/03/24/what-would-you-do-for-love/

Posted on  12/05/2014 An Examination of Conscience -   When we begin to experience God making his home within us, we are beginning to experience the most  momentous and the most moving moments  possible on earth. They are not just moments of blissful happiness, but moments when we enable the love of God to surcharge our weak human loving, so that we can be more and more like Jesus, enabling his loving to be alive and active again in the world through us, through all we say and do. This is how God’s sway, his sacred sovereignty  is spread, how his secret plan or his  Mysterion  can finally be brought to completion here on earth, as it is in heaven.  read on

I LOVE hearing my three year old pray. There is something so special and endearing in hearing such a tiny voice talking to God. Granted, he might not fully understand what he’s saying, but I think the tender sweetness of a child’s prayer is enough to more than melt God’s heart. No matter how young your child is, it’s never too early to start teaching them how to pray! Head over to Eyes on Heaven for 8 ways that can help teach young children how to pray.

Lovely Lady dressed in blue, teach me how to pray! ... God was just your little boy, and you know The Way. Click Here to Read More at The Way to Nourish for Life HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

This seemed a good day to talk about motherhood, family, and why Minnesota has the start of fishing season fall on Mother's Day weekend. My wife says it may be so that mothers can have some time alone . If that's so, Minnesota's DNR blundered. They say this weekend is "Take-a-Mom fishing weekend." Ephesians and Diapers 'Family' is very important to Catholics, or should be. The Catechism devotes quite a bit of space to what a family is, and how families should work. (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2201 - 2233 ) . ( September 24, 2009 ) On the other hand, I'm not allowed see marriage as a casual agreement between consenting adults. For starters, we all have duties: children and parents (Catechism, 2214 - 2220 , 2221 - 2231 ). When I married my wife, I knew what I was signing up for. Ephesians 5:22 - 25 points out that as her husband, I must love my wife "even as Christ loved the church and handed himself over for her." That

Madonna in Prayer by Sassoferrato, c1640-50 One afternoon, I was making dinner, standing at the counter with my back to our three youngest children. Katie and Anthony were lounging around the kitchen table, with three-year-old Lucy perched like a little elf on a high stool, happily swinging her legs. Simply making conversation, Katie who was about eight, asked Lucy, “Lucy, who’s your favorite, mum or dad?” Lucy replied,”Both!” I looked over my shoulder and intruded on their conversation, “Smart answer, Lucy.” Lucy was not done, though, “But she’s not my real mum, Mary is.” continue

' 'Faith tells us that  our heart is a Sanctuary,  because it is the Temple of God,  the dwelling-place of the Holy Trinity.   Let us often visit this Sanctuary,  and see that the lamps are alight -  that is to say,  Faith, Hope and Charity... '   (St. Paul of the Cross)  continue at The Cloistered Heart...

If you’ve been a parent for longer than a week, you already know that helping your child calm down is a regular part of parenting. Getting upset is a normal way for your child to express themselves, when there’s something they need or want that they don’t know how to get on their own. When you’re child is a baby, helping them calm down is, comparatively, easy. It’s predictable. There are a limited number of things that could be upsetting your baby. They’re hungry, they’re tired, they want to be held, they have a dirty diaper, or they’re annoyed by the environment – light, noise, etc. Respond to the items on that list – feed them, put them to bed, hold them, change their diaper, or move them from one room to another, and, chances are, your child has calmed down. But when you’re child gets a little older, thinks aren’t as straightforward anymore. There could be a plethora of causes for their emotions, and chances are, there’s no one cause at all, but a complicated mix. You can’t

Mother's Day is a day we celebrate, a day we should be filled with joy, and yet, it is a day too many are hurting, a day too many mourn the loss of their beloved Mother, a day too many mourn the Mother they always wanted but never had, a day too many long to hold the Child they never held or held for too short a time. I know firsthand some of the agony Mother's Day can bring, but I also know the New Beginnings that come from the pain of being made new, of being born again on this day. May 10th is listed as my "birthday" on my Google+ profile because it is on May 10th, Mother's Day 2009, that my husband suddenly announced he was leaving. Although I didn't see it at the time, the pain I experienced was part of the birthing process making me into the person I am meant to be. If Mother's Day is less than perfect for you, if it is a day met with a bit of sadness in your heart or a day met with complete and utter earth shattering agony, know that Mary al

Last weekend, my family and I were blessed to attend the “Awakening the Domestic Church Conference” in Norfolk, VA .  There we were privileged to hear Fr. Raniero Cantalamessa, who has been the preacher to the Papal Household for the past 30 years, deliver three powerful teachings. I have read many of Fr. Cantalamessa's books and articles and have learned so much from him. Being able to hear him in person, and to witness the joy and love of the Lord on his face, was such a blessing.  Click here to read 7 lessons which struck me most powerfully in the talks he gave.  

The choice is simple. Choose HERE

Christ the Good Shepherd Murillo, c.1660, Museo del Prado, Madrid [ 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   John 10:1-10   ( New Revised Standard Version, Catholic Edition , Canada)  Jesus said:  "Very truly, I tell you, anyone who does not enter the sheepfold by the gate but climbs in by another way is a thief and a bandit.   The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep.   The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. They will not follow a stranger, but they will run from him because they do not know the voice of strangers.” Jesus used this figure of speech with them,

The Empty Tomb -  It was almost twenty years ago that I was offered my first free holiday. It came like a bolt from the blue. All I had to do was to meet up with a group of pilgrims from the Outer Hebrides, bundle them on to a plane at Luton airport, and deliver them in one piece to Fr Kenneth, a Franciscan priest in Tel Aviv. It all sounded too good to be true, but it was true, and it turned out to be one of the most important spiritual experiences of my life.   read on

How do you evangelize?  Do you wave a bible in someone's face?  Do you quote scripture in every conversation?  Do you tout the Catholic Church at every opportunity? Before I converted, any of the above techniques was an immediate turn off for me.  The people who were attempting to get me to know Jesus were just heads with mouths moving. I would turn the sound off, smile weakly and nod my head in bobble head fashion. Please continue reading at Being Catholic ... Really .

I’m divorced, but not annulled – It’s weird having an anniversary that’s not an anniversary,  being married to someone, but not really married to him,  being grateful to be out of that marriage,  but saddened at its death and dismayed by the load dumped upon you. Its weird having an anniversary that’s not an anniversary. I didn’t even think about it for a while after I woke up. It’s weird that each year your anniversary becomes – somehow less , but still there . It’s weird how, despite the passing of time, the awareness of what you promised on this day creeps in and you think to yourself Oh yeah…Today’s the day we promised forever… or at least I did.   I don’t know what he promised.   And then you start thinking of the wedding day. Some people have picture perfect weddings. Maybe our day should have served as an omen.  I thought it was a sign that we could make it through anything. I guess he didn’t share the same optimism. But the wedding is a distant memory, a stor

Scientists at the University of Puerto Rico at Arecibo's Planetary Habitability Laboratory simulated Kepler-186f's sunsets. Others studied possibly-habitable regions in Jovian moons and around double stars. Meanwhile, some chap at Oxford trotted out opportunities for angst and dread.... ...Over the last million years, we've learned to use fire without killing ourselves, weren't cut to shreds by flint tools, and developed an alternative to horse-drawn wagons before burying London in manure. If anything, we're smarter now than we were in the 'good old days:' so I don't think that steam engines or integrated circuits will kill us all. ( November 22, 2013 ; July 9, 2011 ) The trick is using humanity's accumulated wisdom, and applying it to everyday life. Most of the time, we do a pretty good job: my opinion. Sometimes mistakes are made. Then, most of the time, we clean up the mess and move on.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America

God gives reconciliation and forgiveness, even after many years of separation The Catholic Community of difficult marriages operates in Poland and helps the spouses to protect this gift of the Sacrament. SYCHAR  - link in Polish Community charism SYCHAR - Difficult Marriages  is the desire of its members to the healing sacrament of marriage, which is in crisis. If you do not agree to the divorce, be faithful to your conscience. You can write a response to divorce: model answer (in Polish, use the translator)

At some point or other, kids start ignoring their parents. I call it selective hearing, and its already begun with my 3 year old. Selective hearing is when your child's ears work perfectly well when you're saying something they want to hear, but just don't seem to work at all when you're saying something they don't want to hear (you know - dreaded things like "It's bedtime!"). When adults ignore each other, it's usually disrespectful. While we want to teach our kids that ignoring others is disrespectful, it's also important for us as parents to remember that kids usually aren't trying to be rude. They've just disconnected for one reason or another. They might be simply distracted or tired. Or they might be afraid of the topic you're bringing up, or they might be hearing the same thing for the 10th time and be retreating internally because they just don't know how to handle the subject. Or maybe, they don't know how to

Looking for some free Catholic gift ideas for Mother's Day?  Here are a few suggestions that will provide blessing, honor and encouragement to your Mom, Grandmother or Godmother. These are great ways for the entire family to join together in giving Mom a gift that she will treasure. To read more visit Saints 365 at the following link: Mother's Day Gift Ideas: Catholic Style A blessed Mother's Day to all!