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For years, I have tried to embrace a little hidden 'apostolate' of being a sanctuary light in the midst of the world.  To me, this is a natural extension of life as a cloistered heart.  I can go through my days gently pointing to Jesus, for He is present always and ever deserving of love.   This is generally a quiet 'activity.'  After all, a sanctuary light does not draw attention to itself.  It simply stands for and alongside Christ, and in His presence it glows......  Some years ago, friends and I were discussing ways in which we could call attention to the fact that Jesus is present....   (continue)

Trinity Icon - In Progress This icon of the Trinity is just about complete – it’s a medium size, 18×24 inches.  Also on wood, this is a mixture of egg tempera and oils to get a complex texture and vibrant colors.  The Trinity icon has gone through lots of stages in its history, with Rublev’s ending up being the one most popular now. His version is the first one that focused on the equality of the persons, so to speak, by intentionally NOT calling out with obvious symbols which figure represented the Father, Son or Holy Spirit.  However it’s generally understood that the Father is on the left, the Son is the center figure, and the Holy Spirit is on the left.  There are no special markings in the halo of the Son, as typically seen as well, but in some older forms of this icon, one does find the traditional cross in the center figure’s halo.  Here in this version I’ve put in an unbroken Celtic pattern to represent the Eternal.  More images are here .

I remember the 'good old days:' seeing house-size gobs of suds floating down the Mississippi; and a year when my eyes stung, except on Sundays, when the city's air cleared up. I don't miss the 'good old days.' ( April 11, 2011 ; November 10, 2010 ) I was already concerned about pollution, wildlife management, and other environmental issues, when the first green Earth Day flag went up in 1972. At the time, I was glad that environmental awareness was spreading; and thought that some 'environmentalists' had more enthusiasm than good sense. I'm still glad that more folks started 'thinking green;' and think that Captain Planet helped make environmentalism look silly. Sadly, some folks still seem to have learned their facts about science and ecology by watching Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull and Tentacles . Delicate and Fragile as Cockroaches and Thistles The good news is that some scientists, at least, have apparent

As I’ve been preparing for our Fathers’ Day celebration, I’ve been reflecting on the importance of family traditions. I have always innately appreciated family traditions. To be honest, my own family wasn’t huge on recurring traditions, largely because we moved around a lot and adjusting our traditions to meet our situation and needs each year. But we did have traditions, even if they changed in shape and form, and I valued those traditions heavily. I loved our faith traditions, our holiday traditions, and our family celebration traditions (birthdays, Mothers’ Day, Fathers’ Day, etc.). Even now, thinking about our traditions and different family experiences brings a warm, fuzzy feeling to my heart. Traditions were more than just another thing to do; they were an irreplaceable part of our family life – something we thought of together and did because they fit  our family , helped  us  learn and always meant quality family time. In my personal opinion, the more a tradition is spec

Pray for me. Have you also, like me, wondered sometimes if these words are any use at all? Well, from recent personal experience , i v had the powerful realisation that prayer is the most effective tool to achieve any sort of good. From material needs to emotional conversions, there is only one action , that can bring all things to pass. It is more powerful than clever arguments and wonderful abilities. Its called prayer. A prayer works like a stone dropped into still water. The ripples travel wide and impact the situation or person one is praying for. But first,  it alters the point of origin, which is you. So every prayer one makes will first affect a change in oneself and this change will, in ripple effect, impact and bring to pass what one is praying for. Read the whole blog post at http://silpapaul.blogspot.in/2014/06/pray-for-me.html

The Trinity with the Dead Christ   Lodovico Carracci, c.1590.  Pinacoteca, Vatican [ 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 3:16-18   ( New Revised Standard Version, Catholic Edition , Canada)  Jesus said to Nicodemus: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.   “Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.   Those who believe in him are not condemned; but those who do not believe are condemned already, because they have not believed in the name of the only Son of God. ” The Two Trinities   Murillo 1675-82.  National Gallery, London [ Web Gallery of Art ] A few years ago we in

Support Catholic Artists by spreading the word A new website is up for the Catholic Arts Conference http://www.catholic-artists.com/ read more>

Here’s my response to Sarah Reinhard's challenge to four questions she threw out to her readers who are writers: 1. What are you working on? With a couple of trips coming up, I’m blogging ahead using my huge Blog Ideas folder. I need to reorganize it because I found a wonderful quote on holiness yesterday and couldn’t decide which of the three holiness files to put it in. Need I say more? In the long term, I’m working on the last two chapters of a book about generosity while I wait for a publisher to accept my proposal on this gem. I’m also waiting to hear from another publisher about a proposal for two books I’ve worked on for the last few years. Whether this publisher accepts the proposal or not, I plan to revise it yet again after Catholic Writers Guild Live Conference, using some new perceptions.   What-How-Why continued on JoyAlive.net  

'Too late have I loved You, O beauty so ancient and so new!  Too late have I loved You. And behold, You were within me and I was away outside, and there I searched for you, deformed, plunging, absorbed in those beautiful things You had made....' (continue) (St. Augustine)

After an utterly unscientific survey, I found that lists of dangerous animals include critters like sidewinders, piranha, and tarangual hawks . The latter are smaller than hawks but big for insects: and that's another topic. A few list-makers are savvy enough to include mosquitoes. These blood-sucking pests aren't dangerous by themselves: it's the lethal diseases they carry. The good news is that scientists are learning how to kill mosquitoes without poisoning people.... ...Health and Using the Brains God Gave Us... ..."Is being healthy okay?" Maybe that sounds like a daft question, or maybe not. Reading some of the more maudlin 19th-century 'lives of the saints,' a person could get the impression that sainthood required either a messy martyrdom, or dying of some horrible disease: smiling all the way. There's more to sainthood than that, and that's yet another topic. ( February 14, 2010 ) I occasionally run into news about someone who

School's out and it is time for sun and fun!  We're excited at Bezalel Books to offer  All Things Girl: Truth for Teen s--one of our most popular teen books--at an amazing price of .99 on Kindle to kick start summer for our precious Catholic teens! As one Amazon reviewer wrote: All Things Girl is jam-packed with Catholic girl awesomeness and we think you will agree! Contributors include best-selling author  Peggy Bowe s and the effervescent Heather Renshaw.   So for this week only we are offering "Catholic girl awesomeness" for the special Catholic teen in your life!

In prayer I asked the Lord, "Lord guide my steps to where you want me to be and give the words you wish me to say." This is apparently a very powerful prayer as I am about to explain.   After praying this prayer, I got a strong inclination that I needed to go to the hospital.   So I drove to Clark Memorial and sat at the end of the long hallway and began to pray my Rosary. To find out what happened in the Hospital Waiting Room, click HERE!

"Music is the soundtrack of our lives." -  Dick Clark  (or  Berry Gordy , depending on who you believe said it first). Ever since I can remember, music has been in my life. My father could pick up any instrument and figure out how to play it. He was my first guitar teacher. Music kept me sane when I thought I would go insane living with my  mother . To read the rest of the article and listen to some amazing music that I posted at the end, go to Being Catholic ... Really .

How do you explain the Holy Spirit to someone who knows Him not? How do you explain fire      to someone who has never warmed her hands over a blazing wood stove on a bitter winter night? How do you explain anointing      to someone who has never been healed by a Mother's gentle touch? How do you explain water      to someone who has never gazed at the sea and wondered what lies on the other side? How do you explain wind      to someone who has never raised a sail and been sent to where she needs to be? How do you explain clouds and Light      to someone who has never seen the sun's rays sing through the darkness after the violence of a storm? How do you explain the dove      to someone who has never seen the purity of its whiteness           the graceful curves of its form                or heard the compelling coo of its call? How do you explain the Holy Spirit to someone who knows Him not? To read more on this post or to add your own explanations

There are times in life when a piece of music, or an item, suddenly bring memories from the past flashing back. What is it that Father Ignatius suddenly remembers from his past? And how does it affect him now? Do not miss this story which will no doubt strike a chord with many of you ... CLICK HERE .

A picture's worth a thousand words, so when I went off to lunch with super-popular author Jen Fulwiler and 7 other lovely ladies I was dead set on getting a picture. Except then I forgot. "You've got to Photoshop  something ," one of my friends insisted. So with Jen's permission and the guidance of my 9-year-old daughter, I produced this expertly-crafted image, which proves beyond doubt that Jen and I were in the same room on the same day having lunch together. Who says old bloggers can't learn new tricks? Jen and I lunching together. Clearly. The reason I forgot a picture was because the conversation was so awesomely distracting. We started off talking about recipes, since women do cook. The equivalent for men would be something like "How 'bout those Mets?" The discussion quickly moved on from the genius of bacon-stuffed deviled eggs to who are you, where do you blog, and what was your favorite part of Jen's new memoir/conversion s

What are you doing this summer? Are you going on vacation? Are you staying home? Our choir will be on summer hiatus so that only means one thing for my husband and myself: Road trip! Whenever we get the chance, Dan and I like to go to different parishes and see what they are doing in regards to music. Or as my friend put it, "Spy and collect data." You can read the rest of the article and see a great summer song video at Being Catholic ... Really .

In a recent Sunday Parade magazine there was an article about two young men who were best friends. One died fighting in Afghanistan and the other in Iraq. Their families had the two friends buried side by side in Arlington Cemetery. Similarly, Blessed John Henry Cardinal Newman asked to be buried in the same grave as his best friend (something that was done in those days).  The Sisters of Notre Dame began with two French friends, and our branch originated with two German friends. Working together, saints support each other and accomplish great things. Friends encourage, give advice, warn, share, and simply journey through life with you. Writer Francois Mauriac noted, "No love, no friendship can cross the path of our destiny without leaving some mark on it forever." Friendship is a blessing to be enjoyed and cherished. Like a lovely flower, it is to be cultivated. Click to continue

Bezalel Books has published a 2014 second edition of All Things Girl, Truth for Teens (the first edition came out in 2009).  This fabulous book, written by Cheryl Dickow, Peggy Bowes, Heather Renshaw, and Kayla Brandon, contains a wealth of information and practical advice for teenaged girls who are navigating the treacherous minefield known as adolescence.  For the next four days, the Kindle version, originally priced at $5.99, is on sale for $0.99.   If you are currently raising, or will one day raise, a daughter, you should really get your hands on a copy of this book.  Written in a conversational style that makes material that might otherwise seem too dry very entertaining and compelling, this book covers a variety of important topics. All Things Girl, Truth for Teens includes chapters on Relationships, Fashion, and Skin, Hair, and Make-Up, among a number of others.  It discusses practicing virtues, imitating the saints, and dating the right types of boys.  But most of all, t

The Casino The Lord had put it on my heart to go to the Casino.  I wondered why I had to actually go to the Casino, so I asked Him, "Lord, why do I have to go?  I can pray for them in front of the Blessed Sacrament!"   The answer was silence.  So, in obedience, I filled up my car and went to the Horseshoe Casino.... To find out what happened at the Casino, click HERE!