Association Of Catholic Bloggers

I changed history.  Actually, it wasn’t anything that I did, it was the gift my mother gave me.  She gave me life instead of an abortion.    I was born.  Even though she was an unwed mother, she knew that life was a gift from God.  She protected my life, and I was born.  If I hadn’t been given the gift of life, history would have been different.  By being born, we change  “what could have been,” into what is.  There are no “what ifs.” Abortion changes history.  We don’t know what might have been.  The “what if’s” are always there.  The “what could have beens,” we will never know.  All we have is the grief of not knowing.  The child who could have been is gone and will not be able to come back.  As opposed to many adoptions, there is no child who will be looking for their birth parents in 20 years where there might be a glad reunion.  The “what if’s” and “what could have beens” are empty words when an abortion is performed. “A voice was heard in Ramah,     wailing

On this  most difficult day  I am thinking about death. Last night, on my way out of my graduate class in Jersey City, a friend texted me to let me know our next door neighbor's infant son had died suddenly. I spent the long drive home talking to Ruth. When I got home at 11 p.m., I sat in my car in the driveway, crying and still talking with her and noting that all the lights were on in the family's home and all the shades drawn. My friend and I were grieving, trying to make sense of the unimaginable. "There has been a lot of death lately," I told her. Keep Reading...

Saint John Paul II states in Mulieris Dignatem "Each woman inherits her femininity as an expression of the image and likeness of God that is hers."  We could say likewise about each man's masculinity.   Therefore, when man or woman thinks that one is somehow "less than" the other, they are also showing disdain for that which is part of the essence of God.    Masculinity and femininity, fully expressed, can teach mankind much about it's relationship to God and to each other.  Humanity suffers when women choose to squelch their feminine virtues in favor of masculine ones.   It also suffers when men feel they have to hide their masculine traits in our feminized culture.  The fact is, that the best of both  masculine and feminine virtues should be developed in both men and women rather than one in favor of the other.  Their expression, however, will differ.  St. Theresa Benedicta of the Cross (Edith Stein) wrote  " Christ embodies

I wrote this post on the tenth anniversary of  September 11. Ten years ago today, our country was viciously attacked like no other time in history.  Like the assassinations of John F. Kennedy, his brother Robert and Martin Luther King Jr., the day will ever be in my memory along with where I was and what I was doing. You can read the rest at Being Catholic ... Really .

About 3,000 folks died in attacks on New York City's World Trade Center and the Pentagon on this date, 13 years ago. The death toll would almost certainly have been higher, if passengers and surviving crew of United Airlines Flight 93 had not attacked their hijackers. They died, probably because the Al Qaeda pilot deliberately flew into the ground. Depending on their views, folks have commemorated the 9/11 attacks in many ways. Some have declared that the attacks were justified, because America is a big meany. They usually express the idea in more sophisticated terms, of course. Others say that Muslims are to blame: all Muslims. Still others take the more sweeping view that all religion is to blame. I think there is a tiny element of truth in 'all of the above.' Al Qaeda's leader at the time, Osama bin Laden, almost certainly had sincerely-held religious beliefs: and chose American targets in response to this country's profound lack of fidelity to his

On the anniversary of 9/11 every year, when I am watching the footage of the twin towers being hit by planes on TV, I am reminded of a dream I had exactly three years earlier in September of 1998. At the time I had the dream and until 9/11 happended in 2001, I did not realize the dream was going to be somewhat literal. I even prayed about and came up with a symbolic interpretation.  Continue Reading at Beautifulthorns >

Last week I lost my good umbrella, the compact one that pops upon immediately when you press a button. I’ve had it for many years, and I miss it. This is not the most valuable thing I’ve lost. I suppose the umbrella is in a special universe “lost and found” room along with my mysteriously missing driver’s license and my ID tag. Losing anything is annoying, not to mention sometimes expensive. Searching high and low for a lost item eats up valuable time. Click to continue

It's time. This is what I saw.  The words underneath the vision of the Eucharist is what I heard.  A man's voice, gentle, but with authority to it that you did not question.  Now the history.... TO READ MORE CLICK HERE.

It’s good to be posting again! I was in an unexpected blogging break because we moved on short notice from Iraq to the U.S. (Pittsburgh area). We aren’t fully settled in yet, and are still job hunting, hoping we find something soon so we know we can definitely stay in the area and start getting put together. It’s been an absolute whirlwind of a month, with so many unknowns and unexpected changes, hopes and disappointments, sad goodbyes and happy hellos as we left our friends, family and community in Iraq, and have started making new connections and renewing old ones here in the U.S. We are still praying so hard for the community we left behind in Erbil, and are so deified by the solidarity with which they have welcomed all the refugees that have come to the city from other places in Iraq. I think it’s going to take a long time to fully process everything that’s just happened (and still is happening as we try to keep getting settled on this end). God was blessing us so much

Looking for a spiritual read which is so interesting that you can hardly put it down but has the potential to change your life as well?  Trusting  God with St. Therese   by  Connie Rossini more than satisfies both these prerequisites. Connie delves not only into the biography of the Little Flower but also grapples with the ramifications of these facts as they affected her spiritually and psychologically. Connie then applies these in-depth reflections on the saint to her own struggle to trust God, applying the same magnifying glass to her life. The result is a unique book which  captures the reader’s curiosity, holds our interest and at the same time touches our heart and inner spirit, triggering a yearning for our own inner healing and spiritual growth. Because Connie humbly reveals both her own and St. Therese’s weaknesses and struggles, she connects personally with the reader, helping us understand that sanctity is possible for everyone.  To make it easier to apply her insights

I have homeschooled my children for five years, and currently I have four eager students in my charge. The question comes up occasionally why we homeschool. The question comes from our children as well as from my husband and me. To a large extent the answer is a listing of pro’s and con’s, where the pro’s quickly outweigh the con’s. Sometimes this is sufficient for all of us, and we continue with renewed vigor. Sometimes, however, the question takes the shape of a doubt: are we doing the right thing, or does there exist a better option? One answer to this doubt leads thus: a homeschool is one integrated part of a   family . It is a fruit of the life of the family, and will be there as long as there is a family, whether the children are formally enrolled in a private school, home-based or other-based, or they are enrolled in a public school. To whatever extent there is life in a family, there is a homeschool. Continue reading...

Joy is spontaneous. Joy is contagious. Joy is courageous. Joy is laughter. Joy is sharing. Joy is now. Joy is the Hand of God reaching down to touch His Children. Joy is the Love of His Sacred Heart. Joy is knowing that my God is madly in love with me. Joy is knowing that He offers forgiveness when I seek reconciliation. Joy is knowing that I am forgiven.  In my life, A brisk walk, dodging ice, brings me joy.  Making glass beads fills me with joy. Read more at:: His Unending Love

Photo Source . . . Suffering and sin pressed on me heavily this morning, making me feel constricted, helpless. Feeling burdened and discouraged, I boarded the bus for work. Immediately I noticed something new on the bus: a PA system recently installed that announces every upcoming stop. I couldn't help but notice the new system, because it's loud and relentless. The computerized voice blared out each bus stop as we approached: 120th Street! 118th Street! Watertown Plank Road and 116th Street! Watertown Plank Road and Mayfair Road! Transfer to Route 31, State Street Branch! Given how deflated I was feeling, my first reaction was to be annoyed by the new two-block warning system. And then, by God's providence, I started to imagine why the automated voice had been installed in the first place. Read on at Praying with Grace

As we announced last week , Ave Maria Press will be releasing our Catholic marriage help book in 2016. The working title (although publishers always change the title!) is Secrets of Turning Water into Wine. Why are we writing the book? What can you learn from the book? Read on to find out! SECRETS OF TURNING WATER INTO WINE Divorce rates for Catholic marriages have almost tripled since the early 1970s, proving that Catholic marriages are not immune from the terrible epidemic of divorce. Catholic couples today desperately need a transfusion of spiritual truths combined with solid practical advice.  Secrets of Turning Water into Wine  offers a warm catechesis that illustrates how God’s plan for marriage can free us to experience deep, lasting, and soul-satisfying love in our everyday lives. Weekend or one-day marriage preparation programs might not give couples all the information they need or want.  Secrets of Turning Water into Wine  shows how Biblical principles c

Sunday Morning by Thomas Waterman Wood (Wikimedia Commons) How can we know that God will hear and answer our prayers? I learned a new word the other day that I want to share with you: impetration. Impetration is a prayer that God infallibly answers. The concept comes from such New Testament passages as this: Ask and you will receive. Seek and you will find. Knock and the door will be opened to you.” (Mt. 7:7) Now we know from experience that God does not answer every prayer. Or, as we like to say, He sometimes answers with a “no.” So where is the fulfillment of this verse? St. Thomas Aquinas taught that there are four requirements for impetration: We must be praying for ourselves, since freewill is involved. We must be praying for something necessary for salvation (but theologians include in this all the goods that could help us grow in grace). We must pray piously–in Jesus’ name, with humility, trust, and attention. We must persevere in prayer wh

Columban Fr Noel O'Neill with Myeong Sek in Kore The  Universal Prayer Intention of Pope Francis  for September is  That the mentally disabled may receive the love and help they need for a dignified life . Fr Noel O'Neill is a Columban priest from Limerick, Ireland, who has been in Korea since 1957. In  this article  from the September-October 2014 issue of  MISYONonline.com , the magazine of the Columbans in the Philippines that I have been editing for 12 years now, he shows how he has been living this prayer intention - and how he himself has received love and help for a dignified life from two persons in particular, among others, whom he describes as 'differently abled' and who were on the fringes of society because others didn't recognise the gifts that God had given them. With Myeong Sek at the grave of  You Ha Myeong Sek, Theresa, was special. She was special because she was differently abled. She was special because it was she who a

You may have read  10 books that have stayed with me  by Tom Perna or have seen The Ten Books Challenge on Facebook this past week (though it's been around for a  long time ).  Someone asks you to list 10 books that have stayed with you the longest.   You can read my selections at Being Catholic ... Really .

Our Blessed Mother  Earnestly cradled Within her young heart  God's love and promises  ( Saint Anne's Shrine ~ Is le La Motte, VT ) Mother's lessons Inspired by the Holy Spirit  Sculpted Mary's life~and ours To Jesus through Mary! Happy Birthday to our Most Holy Virgin Mary~ ¡Feliz Cumpleaños a Nuestra Santísima Virgen María!

Sept. 8:  Feast  of the Nativity Mary see more images>

Today was a rough one.  But I knew it would be, I had been warned ahead of time.  I went to Holy Mass and as usual, I stay after and pray.  This situation is ideal, because no one sees me.  This is important.  If you are truly seeking the good of another soul in your petition to God, and nothing for yourself, then your petition, ideally, should just be between you and God.  Hidden from the eyes of everyone.  No guile, no hidden agendas, just you and God as you plead to Him for His mercy on those He has chosen you to pray for.  (Oh yeah, you usually don't get to pick whom or what you pray for.) .... to find out what happened when praying the stations , CLICK HERE!

  František Dvořák, in US public domain due to age  Just what IS Lectio Divina?   Is it something I can practice in my ordinary daily life? The answer to the second question is "yes." The answer to the first can be found here (continue) ...                                                                                      

Where I grew up, on the Minnesota-North Dakota border, quite a few folks said "morality" when they were talking about about ethics and sex. Their "morality" apparently focused on some zipper issues, plus a few cultural values. That myopic view of morality helped inspire stories of Chickenman's battle against "crime and/or evil," and that's almost another topic. "Morality of the Passions" — Emotions, Ethics, and All That The Catechism of the Catholic Church doesn't have particularly catchy titles for the different sections. For example — Part Three, Life in Christ; Section One, Man's Vocation Life in the Spirit; Chapter One, The Dignity of the Human Person; Article 5; is is called Morality of the Passions . Some of these "passions" might involve sex: but what the word means here is "emotions:"... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

Vian Dakhil MP ,  is the only  Yazidi  member of the Iraqi parliament. Though she gave this speech on 5 August I came across it only yesterday. It speaks for itself. The MP  was injured a week later  when an Iraqi helicopter on a mission to help the besieged Yazidi people crashed, killing the pilot.

The Repentant Peter , El Greco, c.1600 Phillips Collection, Washington [ 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 18:15-20  ( New Revised Standard Version, Catholic Edition : Canada)  Jesus said to his disciples: “If another member of the church   sins against you,   go and point out the fault when the two of you are alone. If the member listens to you, you have regained that one.     But if you are not listened to, take one or two others along with you, so that every word may be confirmed by the evidence of two or three witnesses.     If the member refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if the offender refuses to listen even to the church, let such a one be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.     Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and

Faithfulness to God was never equated with respectability in sacred scripture. Just look at those biblical characters who we raise up as examples of faith today. In their own time, these paragons, who obeyed God in their personal lives, were considered quacks and for good reason. What would you think about a fellow like Noah who built a huge ship, far from any large body of water? Or a man like Abraham who still trusted God for a son for decades, even after his wife was menopausal? Or what about a general  like Gideon who challenged a huge army by ordering his dwindling troops of 300 to bang on their shields and uncover lanterns after dismissing 31,700 men in his army? Jesus himself shocked the respected, religious of his day. He upset their conventions, shocked their sensibilities so much so that the Pharisees thought Jesus was a bad influence. In the opinion of the Pharisees, God Incarnate was not holy but from the evil one. From our perspective this reaction seems shock

I decided it was time to write down Joel and my story. It's a bit long so I've broken it into two parts with lots of photos (all for your amusement of course). Putting together the pieces of our full story is actually kind of hard to do because when we first met, we certainly didn’t think we’d ever get married (or at least I didn’t) so remembering important dates and events wasn’t important. However, we put our heads together and I think we’ve come up with what we’ll call Our Story with semi-accurate dates and timelines. I’m glad we’ve done this now… cause there is no way I’m going to remember this in 10 years unless I write it down! Read all the romance here .

A Wet Sunday Morning by Edmund Blair Leighton In the following piece of advise, St Francis talks about what is required for our Sunday obligation in which we receive Jesus in Holy Communion.  The last bit of counsel for married couples was quite interesting. "There is no danger in doing all sorts of good and necessary tasks and in working on the day when one has been to communion.  In the primitive  church when everyone went to communion everyday, do you think that they sat their with their arms folded for the rest of the day?  And St. Paul, who generally said Mass, went on earning his living by the work of his hands. To read the rest, visit The Sincere Gift

A Hermit Praying in the Ruins of a Roman Temple by Hubert Robert Last week I wrote about St. Teresa’s of Avila’s method of mental prayer. Today I want to discuss misunderstandings about prayer from a different angle. Since we desire contemplation, should we sit still in prayer and wait for it? Should we try to make it happen by quieting our minds? Like last Friday’s post, this series speaks to the differences between Carmelite teaching and Centering Prayer, yoga, and other types of meditation influenced by eastern religions. Some people falsely equate silence with supernatural (infused) contemplation. They read about the need for interior silence in prayer, and they mistakenly think that if they sit quietly, God will necessarily bestow contemplation upon them. They equate the peace they find in silence to communion with God. The Vatican has cautioned us about certain methods of prayer In 1989, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger (later Pope Benedict XVI), as head of the

About 39,000 years back, maybe more, Neanderthals made a mark that looks like a hashtag. Maybe it was a 'you are here' sign, the first tic-tac-toe game, or something completely different. I think humanity's back-story , implications of DNA's high phosphate levels, and why rocks (occasionally) move in Death Valley, are fascinating. Your experience may vary.... ...Folks have known that God's creation is vast and ancient for thousands of years: and seemed confident that God wasn't overextended. ... I figure that part of my job is appreciating God's creation: not telling the Almighty how it should have been designed.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

So, I had planned on posting a new {p,h,f,r} with Auntie Leila , since it has been a whole month since I have. Where does time go?  However, it seems God has other plans, since I cannot get my pictures to load and something has just come through my news feed that I must share!  So here is an unconventional, but important {p,h,f,r} post. Pretty   On September 20th at the beautiful Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, there will be a "kick-off" event for the International Week of Prayer and Fasting.  All Catholics are asked to pray, fast, give, adore, repent, and attend Mass during this week for the conversion and defeat of ISIS.  Please join in.  The Basilica's website has information as well as the official IWOPF website and this article from Zenit .   Please read more at Veils and Vocations .