Association Of Catholic Bloggers

I will not comment on these quotes from  G. K. Chesterton because they pack the most punch just the way they were written. The Bible tells us to love our neighbors, and also to love our enemies; probably because generally they are the same people. To love means loving the unlovable. To forgive means pardoning the unpardonable. Faith means believing the unbelievable. Hope means hoping when everything seems hopeless. The way to love anything is to realize that it may be lost. continue>

On May 9, our second-oldest son got engaged to a lovely young lady whom we are thrilled to welcome as a fourth daughter.  This is a date my husband and I will never forget because it is also the birthday of my late father-in-law, a figure beloved by so many, who would be 86 if he hadn't been taken from us--way too soon--back in 2003.  Papa lived for his grandchildren, and he would have certainly approved of his grandson's choice of a mate. Three of our other sons are married already; son #1 got married in December of 2009, son #3 in December of 2013, and son #4 in February of 2014.  Now son #2 and his bride-to-be are looking at a November 2014 wedding date.  Our firstborn pointed out recently that the oldest four in our family were born less than five years apart, and now they're going to all be married within five years of each other.  He had quite a head start on his younger brothers, but the three of them are making up for lost time by getting married in one 11-mont

My husband and I are very involved in our children’s lives. If you’re parents, I’m guessing you are too. It’s very natural for parents to care deeply about what happens to their children and how their kids grow and develop. And, because we care, we work. We get involved. We guide and instruct. We try to open opportunities for them. We’re proud when they succeed, and can get disappointed when they don’t. All of these thoughts and feelings are VERY, VERY natural. But they can also get overwhelming, especially when our kids test our patience or fail to live up to our hopes. In these cases, while it’s important to continue being positive, responsible parents and staying closely involved in our child’s life, it’s also important to remember a few things we might forget. Head over to Eyes On Heaven to read 4 things parents can easily forget!

This is a wonderful website with many contributors posting articles and links to their Blogs. I had a thought the other day. I started reading the contributors'/writers' bios every day (see link at top of page) - one a day - and pray for that individual on that day. And also visit their Blog and leave a message. If we all did that, can you imagine how many prayers will be sent for each other? That will certainly keep the Angels up there busy filing all prayers for personal attention by Our Lord. Prayers are the greatest gifts we can send and receive. So why not join in praying for one author a day. And whilst we're at it. Let's visit that author's Blog and leave an encourageing message. God bless.

creation of the heavens michelangelo  While I was still in university, a Jesuit once asked me this question, ‘Is it alright for someone to smoke while they pray?’ My immediate, indignant response was,  ‘Of course not.’ So he challenged me, ‘Would it be alright for someone to pray while they smoke?’ read more>

Why are we tempted to sin? How can we know when a thought is simply a temptation and when we actually consent to sin? How should we avoid and resist temptation? I’d like to explore these questions over several blog posts, starting with the sources of temptation. Traditionally, the three sources are called the world, the flesh, and the Devil. The Devil is real and active All temptation began with the Devil. Before God created the material world, He created the spiritual world, including angels and archangels. God gave angels and archangels a chance to choose to obey or disobey Him. Lucifer led a third of the angels and archangels to rebel against God. Lucifer was transformed into the Devil (Satan). His followers became demons. After God made man, the Devil tempted Adam and Eve. Hating God, he also hated creatures made in God’s image. Although he cannot experience real joy, he takes a perverse pleasure in seeing man turn away from God. Jordan Aumann, O.P., in

My family and I were blessed this past weekend to attend the Ordination to the Transitional Diaconate in our Diocese. A young man, whose journey to the priesthood we have been privileged to witness and be part of, was being ordained along with three other men. The Ordination Mass was just heavenly. There was so much richness to the various parts of the ceremony, from the candidates lying prostrate while the choir and congregation intoned the Litany of the Saints, to the laying on of hands by the Bishop, and the vesting of the new Deacons in stole and dalmatic. Click hear to read my familiy's slightly less-than-heavenly preparations for the day. 

Everyone has their share of bad days and, unfortunately, sometimes someone’s bad mood rubs off on others and you end up having a bad day as a family.Ever had this happen? When you  and  your kids seem to be all out of sorts together, don’t let the day just run its course. There are many ways you can turn a bad day around. Head over to  Eyes On Heaven to read 12 creative and fun ways to stop a bad day in its tracks.

As a wife and mother of two children working outside of the home , I am always asked how I manage to find time to pray. Add flu season, quick jaunts to the doctor and pharmacist a couple of times a week, and it’s daunting. Recently, my youngest, Gabriel, was sick with an ear infection. He gets these often enough to know the routine of the in-and-out visit and his favorite “bubble gum medicine” being magically sent to the pharmacist for pick up. After a few days, Gabriel always ends up feeling better and our world goes back to the break-neck speed I can handle. This last time, I forgot a dose and mentioned it to him. Gabriel assured me it was ok because he was feeling better and probably didn’t need it. I quickly explained the need to take medicine exactly as it’s prescribed by the doctor. “Just because we feel better, doesn’t mean we stop taking medicine, Gabriel”.  Can you see my finger wagging? He nodded like the little man he is (did I mention, he’s 6 years old?). I r

           I don´t think she stands 4 ft tall. She wears several sweaters, all of different colors. Any one of them could match with the turban she wears; sometimes she wears a crocheted orange hat, sometimes yellow..          I first met her last Sept, she was a new client of the nurses I work for and I came to interpret for her. She was in bed; the only light was a 40 light bulb which made it difficult for the nurse to read her equipment, like the thermometer or blood pressure gage.           I introduced myself without seeing her face, just so she would know I was also in the room with her nurse. She needed some intimate caring for so I stood behind the furniture by the door, so she would know she had privacy. The sound of her voice was tense, she was in such pain but even then, her voice sounded like little fairy dust falling on water.            Light.  Buoyant.  Were I to close my eyes, her voice sounded like a glittery ball that bounces over the words so lightly. It was g

I love combining my passion for my faith with my passion for education, and sometimes do so by creating resources - some for free, some for sale. I'm sharing a few with you in case any of you are interested, or know people that might be: Free Resources: A Brief Guide to the History of the Catholic Church  (Suggested Ages: 12 and up) Saints Activity Book for Kids  (I made this shortly before All Saints Day, but the content could work all year round... The Saints are never out of season! There are 3 different activity books differentiated for different ages.) Printable Prayer Journal for Kids (Suggested Ages: 8-13) For Sale: Noah - A 35 page printable transdisciplinary activity book that includes activities about the story of Noah, as well as vocabulary, science, literary and art extensions. Suggested ages: 8-13 Abraham - A 28 page printable transdisciplinary activity book that includes activities about the story of Abraham, as well as vocabulary, math, science and histor

If you’re a parent, you know the “I can’t help it, I’m about to yell” feeling we sometimes get faced with our children’s behavior. We don’t like to yell. We don’t want to yell. But sometimes, it just comes out. Looking for alternatives? Here are 9 ways you can try to react instead of yelling, when you feel like yelling. I’m not promising they’ll all work all of the time, but they’re worth a try! Head over to Eyes On Heaven to read the full post!

As I was reading Jennifer Fulwiler's new book,  Something Other Than God , I kept having the strangest feeling of deja vu...the feelings of satisfaction and gratification as I finished each chapter were so familiar to me. Then it hit me - the feelings I had from this book were very similar to the ones I experienced more than ten years ago when I read Scott and Kimberly Hahn's  Rome Sweet Home . In retrospect that seems very fitting, because in my opinion, Something Other Than God will probably bring as many conversions from atheists and agnostics looking for truth, as Rome Sweet Home did for Protestants in the 90s. There are 10 reasons I really loved this book.   Continue reading here - spoiler alert!  

"My body is set apart, dedicated to God's use as something holy, never to be profaned by worldliness, by selfishness, or by sin. My body is the Spirit's chosen dwelling place, a privileged altar. It must then not be looked upon as a market place for the transaction of business, or a school for study, or a playground for amusement. It is none of these.  Indeed, it is not really my property at all, but Your very own... " (continue)

(From Hel-hama, via Wikimedia Commons, used w/o permission.) ( Kingdom of the Avars , and surrounding lands: 814.) A dozen centuries back, a warlord brought order and a measure of stability to lands from Vasdomia to Chrobatia, and from the Kingdom of the Lombards to Jutland. For the first time since Rome's empire had dissolved, lands from the Mediterranean to the North sea had some hope of peace and stability. We call this leader Charles the Great. Charlemagne is also known as Karl der Große, Carolus, and Karolus Magnus. Charlemagne has been mythologized as a shining light of civilization, and a demonic slayer of 'true' Europeans. There's a very slight element of truth to both images. Scholarship, arts, architecture, and literature, flourished during Charlemagne's reign. On the other hand, he gave those he conquered a choice: say that they were Christian, or die. Some of my wife's relatives may have been among those who chose to die, rather than give u

When life seems cold, you can offer Hope. Something has to change. When tragedy strikes, your door (and your heart) opens for others. It wasn’t long after my husband left that the first stranger literally showed up on my doorstep... And it continued. With other women. In church. In town. Online. Marriage is not just between a man and a woman. It is a tripod, built on the foundation of the Trinity –  1 Father-1 Son-1 Holy Spirit  reflected in  1 Man-1 Woman-1 God. We must not invite the government into our marriage and into our faith, in marriage contracts, divorce courts, and tax benefits. Doing so throws off the balance of the tripod. The women have written to Single Mom Smiling know this better than anyone.  Some have stories I will hold in confidence forever, b ut others   want a voice.  They want the lies and the apathy to end. Tara is a single mom of three boys whose husband turned abusive after marriage -                                                            

Hold on… “Re-calculating” … We have actually reached our first official 66-day mark on The Route 66 Challenge ™ this week!! Wow— Where did these 66 days go?   [ or, more importantly]  Where did they bring us? Did we “arrive” yet??   [or]  Are we still out on a rather bumpy roadway? …maybe even back where we began!   No worry, though, on this Route ... Click Here to Read More on The Way to Nourish for Life

The joy of living as a child of God   Matthew 18:2-4   He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them.     And he said:  “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.     Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. THIS AWARD HAS NO STRINGS ATTACHED, NO RULES and NO OBLIGATIONS It is a SIMPLE ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF GREAT CATHOLIC WRITING WHICH BRINGS  JOY, TRUTH, FREEDOM OR  ENCOURAGEMENT TO OTHERS IT CAN BE SOMEONE WHO WRITES ABOUT PRAYER, THEIR STRUGGLES AND PAIN. BRINGING HOPE TO OTHERS, LIFE IN GOD or even FAITH STORIES THAT MAKE YOU LAUGH PASS THIS AWARD ON TO A FELLOW CATHOLIC WRITER OR TWO in an article if you want, posting THE RECIPIENT’S NAME AND BLOG IF APPLICABLE, AWARD TITLE, LOGO WITH A SIMPLE LINK BACK TO  http://melaniejeanjuneau.wordpress.com/ read more>   

When my first baby and I had made it through the first critical months of feeding and sleeping, the result was a very plump little girl and a very quickly melting-away mother. I recall how I was carrying my daughter in the back of the church while I listened to the reading where John the Baptist says, “Christ must increase, and I must decrease”. I thought--with the weight of my baby daughter on my hip--that so it was with us: She was increasing and I was decreasing…   Read More.

I cannot remember how long ago Melanie asked that we introduce or reintroduce ourselves, but at last I have put something together.  This is a reintroduction. Some Things about Me that You Might Like to Know Lifelong Catholic Married 35 years and still going strong Mother of one Mother-in-law of one Retired since 2008 Professed Lay Carmelite Born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, but now living in Northern California, after having lived in a few other places as well Educated at Palmer School, St. Edward School, Sacred Heart Academy, Resurrection High School, DePaul University, Northeastern Illinois University, Franciscan School of Theology Employment history: waitress, lab tech, school teacher, U.S.A.F sergeant, Chicago police officer, director of religious education, and more Learning guitar and Spanish You can find more, if you like, at my blog, From the Pulpit of My Life, on the " Meet Ruth Ann " page.  I would enjoy hearing from you!

If you ever get tired of the predictable Campbell's tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwich combo, why not kick it up a notch? Add a little gourmet to your kitchen by making cold tomato soup (Spanish-style!) and grilled Brie sandwiches on a tasty baguette. With a little time and effort, you can turn tried-and-true into new and exciting. My husband's family is from Spain, so the cold tomato soup known as gazpacho is a summer staple in my mother-in-law's kitchen. Salmorejo is a lesser known version, which ups the kid-friendly factor by eliminating vegetables like green pepper and onion from the recipe. Read more here...

 Max Lucado's children's book "You Are Special" is a favorite of mine and a beautiful story with many fac ets to it and much to be learned from it. It is a sad story of judgment; of pride and slavery; of sin and brokenness.  It is also a beautiful story of witness and hope - a story of intercession and prayer. Ultimately it is a story of love and the heart of God. Click here to read 7 lessons from the story that I shared a few years back with a women's group at our parish. Please note that I will include the main plot line as I go, so you should be able to follow along even if you have not read the book.  I do highly recommend that you pick up a copy for yourself  - it is a story whose message is ageless and timeless.

Have you ever consider what hell is like? Not many people these days believe in fire and brimstone. And devils with horns and tails and long forks. Read how Father Ignatius experienced hell. Share his vision and beware. Click HERE

Apostle St Thomas   El Greco, 1610-14, Museo de El Greco, Toledo [ 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 14:1-12   ( New Revised Standard Version, Catholic Edition , Canada Jesus said to his disciples: “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe   in God, believe also in me.   In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?   And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also.     And you know the way to the place where I am going.”   Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?”   Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one c

I don’t want “Because you said so” to be a regular chorus in our household. It’s OK when the kids are two or three, don’t understand why it’s wrong to play with the electrical socket or touch the hot stove, but need to avoid it “because we say so”. In the said situation, we are fulfilling our role as parents – protecting and teaching our kids, and they are doing what they are capable of doing at that age: learning to respect our “no”. But I don’t buy it for kids older than that. Even why my three year old makes reference to doing something “because we said so”, I try to focus him on the cause and consequence of his action. Don’t get me wrong – I am NOT advocating for less respect or letting your kids do whatever as long as they give a reason for it. The bottom line is, we ARE their parents, and they DO have to respect what we tell them to as long as we are responsible for them. Head over to Eyes On Heaven to read more about how to help your child make a connection between wh

Scientists seeking niches for life in the universe have a new tool, we've finding stars that shared our sun's origin, and have more clues about Earth's early years.... A Hypothetical Habitable Moon (From Lucianomendez, via Wikimedia Commons, used w/o permission. (" Artist's impression of a hypothetical habitable moon of Upsilon Andromedae d. ") That's a cool picture, but we don't know if Upsilon Andromedae d has moons: let alone one with an atmosphere, ocean, and clouds. Using a new exomoon detecting technique, we may soon know how closely the artist's impression matches reality.... ...A few years ago I ran into an intriguing bit of informed speculation: Earth may be about as small as a planet can be, and still support life: and that's another topic. Exoplanets: Hot Jupiters, Super-Earths, and More Scientists have cataloged 1786 planets orbiting other stars. These exoplanets are in 1106 planetary systems, including 460 multiple p

There is great evil in the world.  One need only turn on the news and see that.  As such I have cause to pray much about what I see on the news.  When I see death, I kiss the crucifix and ask for mercy for a soul before the judgement and when I hear of great evil acted from one soul to another, I ask for conversion of that most blackest of heart that did the evil. I don't usually get a direct answer to these prayers.  I don't even know the results of my prayers, and nor do I want to.  One day, God will show me all, I am happy to wait till then. However, during one prayer I realized that I was taking the very act of being able to ask God for mercy for someone for granted.   For even the ability to pray is a gift from God.  read more HERE

Lombard artist (ca. 1520), Madonna and Child Seeking Asking Not content to live on the surface Aware of a hollow within Eating, drinking, shopping or buried in entertainment Thirsty for more of God’s presence. Searching for meaning. Empty, even though  ’saved’ It drove me to Question Listen. continue>

'A mother's heart is always full of pity  for the erring and the sinner and the fallen.'   Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen Painting:  Madonna, Herman Richir;  in US public domain due to age  From The Breadbox Letters

Our local Right to Life Chapter is holding a rally today at our provincial legislature: the issue of government funded abortion being at the forefront of their concerns. Being pro-life is fundamental to   our faith and its implications bleed into every aspect of our lives. I’m not sure though that we consider all the areas of life that allow us to be truly pro-life. What does being pro-life look like? What does it really mean for how we live our day-to-day lives? Read the rest here .