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I have never met them, but I know of them.  I don't know their names.  But I know what they did, and what they continue to do.   They abuse children which is a great evil before the Lord.   I don't want anyone to go to hell, so I prayed and asked God that if it was possible, if they could know a little of what they would suffer for all eternity HERE so that they would repent of their evil and turn back to God.  Basically, put the fear of Hell in them.   The answer made my heart drop... .TO READ MORE CLICK HERE. 

Now that the trees are about to burst in autumn glory, I thought the introduction to the first book I ever had published (Voices) would be appropriate. (It’s out of print now.) Here it is: Creators are mirrored in their creations, A song reflects the composer; a painter, the artist; a book the author. In the same way the universe, the masterpiece of the supreme Creator, reveals God. Its variety, its intricacy, and its magnitude attest to God’s wisdom and power. Every created thing is an epiphany, echoing some aspect of the divine Being. click to continue

Some of us know how to follow God earlier than others. As a busy single mom of five (wonderful) boys, you can bet I hear the phrase, "That's not fair," several times each week.  Sometimes, no matter what I do or how I try to explain, one of my boys will feel slighted and march off in a huff. "Sometimes," I tell them, "fair isn't always equal, and often times fair isn't right." Equal is giving all 5 boys the same amount of dinner, but fair is giving my 17 year old more than my 5 year old.  Fair seems to be giving them all the same bedtime; right is allowing my older boys to stay up and watch football Sunday nights (It's also simple self-preservation since they'd riot if I didn't! ;)  One of my favorite sayings is "A Mother's Love is multiplied not divided."  Followed closely by, "I Love You 100%" My boys have a hard time getting those concepts, but any Good Mother or Father will tell you

I've heard it said that there are many priests in purgatory simply because they have no one to pray for them.  We so often forget that our shepards need prayer and support as well, they are human and face the same challenges as we do. Whenever our choir sings hymns that remind me of my parish priest from college, I offer up prayers for the peaceful repose of Father Joe's gentle soul. As attacks rage throughout the world against clergy, Christian faithful, and ancient churches, the militants have turned their sights to the Chair of St Peter.  The children of Fatima reported seeing a vision of the Holy Father kneeling at the foot of a cross praying in tears.  Could this be what they saw? Could Pope Francis be who they saw in great turmoil?  Surely many popes have prayed through tears as they pleaded with God on behalf of their flock. Pope Francis himself spent three hours praying the Rosary for peaceful resolution to the escalating conflict in Syria. As he has prayed fo

Forty years after his death, Padre Pio looks amazing. I love this image because it is a wonderful example of the power of being transformed  by the Holy Spirit. It is such a sign of hope for all of us. A visible sign of what it actually means to live in, with and through the Holy Spirit. It is not just words or theology but an in the flesh experience, sharing in the life of Christ. continue reading>

In these last days of September, we continue to pray for Pope Francis' Evangelization Intention this month: Service to the Poor. Pope Francis knows serving the poor is a divine mandate: "Whatever you do for one of these least brothers of mine, you do for me" (Matthew 25:40). We must serve the poor as Jesus did, as he continues to call us to do as the Body of Christ on earth. But the Pope calls this month's prayer request an  evangelization  intention, because he knows serving the poor also attracts others to Jesus and his Church. We share the Good News of Jesus in our deeds--if not also in our words--when we care for the poor and disenfranchised. As a mother and as the director of children's ministry at the Apostleship of Prayer, I love to consider how to help children encounter poverty in a prayerful way. Many, many children know poverty from the inside, of course. Even in this prosperous country of ours, too many children experience hunger, poor nutrition, ho

It seems to makes perfect sense, especially to me—a person who loves autumn!—to find the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashana, during autumn. Rosh Hashana is the New Year which begins with a ten day period of prayer, self-examination, and desire to repent and return to God. These ten days end with Yom Kippur (this year it is at sundown on October 3 rd ) which is the holiest day for Jews; it is the day in which requests are made to be written in the Book of Life. Part of the Rosh Hashana celebrations will include sounding the shofar and eating foods that are rich in symbolism as well as flavor! The significance of the shofar is found throughout Scripture but the specific reason for the sound of it during Rosh Hashana is found in  Leviticus  23:23-25: The Lord said to Moses, “Tell the Israelites: On the first day of the seventh month you shall keep a Sabbath rest, with a sacred assembly and with the trumpet blasts as a reminder; you shall then do no sort of work, and you shall offer an o

It’s normal for kids, especially toddlers, to go through phases when they are contrary and contradictory toward just about everything. I know this. I’ve known this since before having kids, so I knew to expect it. But KNOWING that all kids go through a phase like this is very different than handling it when it comes. To be honest, I know that I have it pretty easy. Both of our kids are willing and eager to learn, and the “terrible twos” haven’t been that terrible for either of them. They’re both very verbal kids (I know where that’s coming from!), which also makes things easier, because they works hard to express themselves in words, so we’re able to talk a lot of things through and avoid potential explosions. But, there are still days when it seems like one (or both!) of our kids is contradicting us ALL DAY LONG. And today was one of those days. BOTH of our little ones have been absolutely determined to make sure we thoroughly understand that they have strong minds and wills

 "Preach the Gospel at all times and when necessary use words." St. Francis of Assisi Today, Pope Francis tells us:: "In the Gospel there's the beautiful passage about the shepherd who realizes that one of his sheep is missing, and he leaves the 99 to go out and find the one," Pope Francis told the parish leaders. "But, brothers and sisters, we have only one. We're missing 99! We must go out and find them."  National Catholic Reporter Preach the Gospel! Evangelize! Is standing on the corner not your forte?   Most likely, that's not an option.  Many are home bound. Read More at:: His Unending Love

The award-winning “Down Right Good” tells the poignant adventures of ten-year-old Angie who was born with Down syndrome, a limited vocabulary and the ability to see angels. She bikes around her town, delivering the weekly community tabloid, seeing the pain in the people who live at each stop. Their stories of abuse and bitterness, unforgiveness and self-hatred, loneliness and grief, bullying and sacrifice, are woven into the events of one Saturday. Whatever hurt she finds, she names it, and she speaks simple truths with almost heavenly insight. Not everyone can accept her frank evaluation. Author Karen Kelly Boyce based the protagonist on a childhood acquaintance. Her character, Moma, who is raising Angie and her older brother, embodies all those grandmothers faithfully caring for a second generation. T he theme of the book centers on the third joyful mystery, the birth of Christ, as Karen presents the joy of the good news of salvation. She weaves the truth of the Catholic Churc

Bishop  Blase  Cupich is the next Archbishop of Chicago.  Bishop Cupich (pronounced sue-pitch or SOUP-ich) expressed his surprise when he received the call about a week ago.  With Cardinal George's health in decline (and his official retirement already offered), I'm happy that his replacement has been named. You can read the read of the article at Being Catholic ... Really .

' Jane's car became a monastery on wheels.  It was as if grillwork had been stretched across her windshield. Through the noise and the bustle and the rush and the traffic, her gaze was set firmly on God....' (continue)

When I speak with someone who is curious about the faith but unfamiliar with Christianity, I realize my revelations about the spiritual life in the Mystical Body of Christ are completely foreign. I might as well be a fantasy character explaining life in an alternate reality. Psychologically speaking, people need to hear a completely new concept at least three times before it even begins to register in their minds. Sharing about spiritual reality is like helping God make new neurological connections, and this transformation takes time. Seekers who have existed on the surface, experiencing only physical reality are wearing God-filtered glasses; the life in Christ that I share with them is completely alien.  How would you communicate the message of salvation and the subsequent new life in Christ with the unchurched, with people who have no Christian frame of reference or Christian vocabulary?   read the whole article >

This universe has been around for about 13,798,000,000 years, give or take 37,000,000. That's the current best estimate, from 2013 . It's big, too. The photo shows part of the Hercules Cluster of galaxies. Light from that bunch of galaxies traveled for about 500,000,000 years before reaching us. What we see is the Hercules Cluster as it was around the middle of the Cambrian here, roughly when the first trilobite showed up. Taking the universe 'as is' makes sense: for me, anyway. I would much rather learn more about this wonder-filled creation, than insist that the Almighty is limited to what folks knew a few centuries back. More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

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Sunday “The most beautiful people we have known are those who have known defeat, known suffering, known struggle, known loss, and have found their way out of the depths. These persons have an appreciation, a sensitivity, and an understanding of life that fills them with compassion, gentleness, and a deep loving concern. Beautiful people do not just happen.” ― Elisabeth Kübler-Ross Read More at::  His Unending Love

Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard , Johann Christian Brand, 1769 Akademie der bildenden Künste, Vienna [ 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 20:1-16a  ( New Revised Standard Version, Catholic Edition : Canada)    Jesus said to his disciples: “For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard.   After agreeing with the laborers for the usual daily wage,   he sent them into his vineyard.     When he went out about nine o’clock, he saw others standing idle in the marketplace;   and he said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.’ So they went.     When he went out again about noon and about three o’clock, he did the same.     And about five o’clock he went out and found others stan

"Those who love to be feared, fear to be loved, and they themselves are more afraid than anyone, for whereas other men fear only them, they fear everyone."  St. Francis de Sales We've all come across those who seem to "love to be feared".   Most of the time, we just turn away and ignore their chest thumping.  Sometimes, we want to stand toe-to-toe and let them know what's what; especially when we see injustice. No matter how we decide to react to these persons who cross our path, we should try to remember that behind the bravado is really someone who is fighting a battle from within. Those who "love to be feared" choose to cling to the inclinations that we've all inherited as the result of the fall in the Garden of Eden.  They've developed a deep distrust of the world and have forgotten that it is God who is in charge. They take on the world with an "It's me or them." attitude.  They forget that God's

Scientists are are learning more about Africa's wildlife: as it was some 100,000,000 years ago.... ...Maybe you've seen that "are you satisfied? " cartoon chap, Mr. Squibbs, in another 'A Catholic Citizen in America' post. If so, feel free to skip straight to my take on dinosaurs in the news. If you're wondering what "tampering with things man was not supposed to know" and dinosaurs have to do with my faith — the short answer is that I'm Catholic, so using my brain is okay. Despite what some tightly-wound folks seem to believe, science and Christianity, faith and reason, get along fine. (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 159 ) I suspect part of problem some have with science is how big the universe is — and how years it's been since life began here on Earth.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

Does your heart look like this pantry? Two weeks ago I began a series on whether we should sit quietly during prayer. Part 1 talked about the false silence of Centering Prayer . Part 2 talked about Teresa of Avila’s teaching on prayer and silence. Today I’d like to talk briefly about the silence of detachment. If we want God to enter our lives in a significant way, we must make room for Him. He never forces Himself on anyone. Counterfeit spiritual silence can exist alongside mortal sin. But sin is incompatible with union with God. The writer to the Hebrews urges us: Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Heb 12:1-2)

"How can we better manifest our faithfulness than by being faithful amid distractions. Alas! Solitude has its temptations, and the world has its trials; but through all we must have good courage, because help from Heaven is ever nearest to those who put their whole trust in God, and who earnestly seek His Fatherly help with humility and patience. Be not distressed, then, at the little vexations and troubles that a multiplicity of domestic affairs bring upon you. No! rather be thankful that..... To read more, visit The Sincere Gift

The Coat of Arms on the envelope told me this was official. I reached into the mailbox and took out an unusually large number of envelopes of various shapes and sizes. Back to school time was here, and for a single mom of five boys, that means a crazy amount of paperwork. But as I sorted through the material, one envelope caught my attention. It was a plain, innocent looking white envelope of standard business size. Only the red stamp of our Archdiocesan headquarters made it stand out.      I guessed that I held the result of our annulment in my hand. The envelope was addressed to me using my maiden name , something the Archdiocese had done in all correspondence since the case was opened, something I still disagree with. I cannot understand why the church eliminates the married name, denying the marriage before the investigation even begins.  Why would the church revert to pre-Sacrament practices before it was proven that the Sacrament had not occurred? I prefer

I'm so happy to announce that Laura Pearl (author  Finding Grace  and upcoming Erin's Ring) is going to be offering an online book club this winter! Right about now, people are settling into their routines and especially in the midwest we are feeling the beauty of autumn begin to descend. Some trees are changing colors and many of us are ready to settle in with a good book at the ready. Honestly, nothing is better to do during the shorter days where there is a bit of time now and again than to turn to a great read and Laura's book, Finding Grace, is just such a read. It is a book that takes you deep into the story (Just read any of the great Amazon reviews!) and brings you out the other end incredibly satisfied. So if you are looking for something that is extra fun, consider reading Finding Grace this fall and joining Laura for her online bookclub come early 2015 for Grace-Filled Tuesdays! Right now  Finding Grace is available on Kindle for just $4.99  and you can

One of the greatest gifts that God gives us in the Holy Mass, and the Holy Eucharist is to prepare us for Eternity.  There is no where you can go on the planet and prepare for your own Judgement and Eternity like you can by going to Holy Mass, Holy Confession and taking the Blessed Sacrament.   There is no Preacher or Church service in the world that prepares you for heaven like what happens every day at Holy Mass.   To Read More CLICK HERE.

The Blog Begins:   Life is Tough.  Nuns are Tougher. I love this blog!  Who says that Catholics don't have a sense of humor?  Sister Mary Martha dispenses her "advice" in such a way that you laugh, and if you were ever taught by nuns wearing a veil, you remember the days when you didn't dare tell your parents that the nuns were mean to you.  If you did, you'd be marched back to school and told to apologize to the "good sisters" who were teaching you.  The nuns never got in trouble, but you sure did! If you click HERE , you will go directly to the blog. Read More at:: His Unending Love

'Few souls understand what God would accomplish in them if they were to abandon themselves unreservedly to Him...' St. Ignatius Loyola from The Breadbox Letters Painting: Joseph Rodefer DeCamp, The Blue Mandarin Coat

 Love   Exodus 3:14 I AM 1 John 4:8 

Here is the first step in readying for the International Week of Prayer and Fasting.  Decide what you as an individual, family, group, and/or parish will be offering for the conversion of our enemies and end of the dark culture of death.  The IWOPF website has a registration page where you can pledge actions, prayers, and alms.  This is a great place to start but is not an exhaustive list. For action as a family, I have the following steps planned: 1.  Hold a family meeting to discuss the week of prayer and fasting. 2.  Come up with a prayer plan and fast to complete as a family and individually. (For example, add an additional family prayer such as a decade or litany, and also choose a personal prayer addition such as a novena.) Read more at Veils and Vocations.

“God loves us, so He makes us the gift of suffering.  MICHAEL DUDASH The Comforter Through suffering, we release our hold on the toys of this world,  and know our true good lies in another world. We’re like blocks of stone, out of which the sculptor carves the forms of men. The blows of his chisel, which hurt us so much, are what make us perfect. The suffering in this world is not the failure of God’s love for us; it is that love in action. For believe me, this world that seems to us so substantial is no more than the shadlowlands. Real life has not begun yet.” (“Shadowlands,” p. 1) continue to read article>

I've seen it, and I've never liked it. The Catholic Church I attend when I'm home is a beautiful church.  At the center of the church is the tabernacle where Jesus resides, body and blood, soul and divinity.   I love this. The Catholic Church I attend when I'm away from home has a brick wall in front of the tabernacle.  At Last this issue is being addressed! Read More at:: His Unending Love

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Not long ago, a wonderful woman came to visit me at the Apostleship of Prayer. She is helping her son prepare for the sacrament of Reconciliation, and she wanted to show me the materials she was using. Here they are: Adaptive Reconciliation Kit by Loyola Press Beautiful. The vibrant colors, the simple text, the attractive art--everything draws me in to these materials. They are part of Loyola Press's offerings for students with special needs. Loyola Press's adaptive kits have been on my mind a great deal this month, because September is the month Pope Francis asks us to pray for people with mental disabilities. My  reflection  this month is about my own brother, Mark, who enriched many lives through his challenges. And each September morning, as I rise and pray my Morning Offering, I remember Pope Francis' prayer intention, keeping his prayer close to my heart throughout the day. Today I give thanks to Loyola Press for their excellent materials for children with s

We are each given a unique Cross to carry.. Ask a young Christian child what the most important verse in the Bible is and many will tell you John 3:16, For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life. Ask a young Catholic child how much Christ loves her and she will smilingly respond, "He Loves me this much!" As she throws her arms wide to show Jesus' sacrifice on the Cross. And yet somewhere in between that trusting child and our cynical adulthood      Life Happens And we question the Crosses we are given. I sat in church yesterday listening to this Gospel of John, looking around at my friends, and thinking of how every one of them is carrying some sort of burden. No matter how perfect they seem, many have shouldered painful, frustrating, anger-provoking experiences. Many have questioned why, and listening to their stories, I have questioned why too. I st

I have never come across Christians, who belonged to 'The World Community for Christian Meditation Movement', inspired by Fr John Main, who have not been thoroughly good people. They don't just take the external practice of their faith seriously, but also put aside regular time for daily going into 'the inner room' to pray. I identified so closely with their personal sincerity and the sincerity of their search that I have until now found it difficult to make any criticism of them. Sadly they have been misled into thinking that methods of Eastern mysticism involving the continual repetition of mantras is not only in conformity with the Christian mystical tradition, but the high point at which Eastern and Western religion meet. However contemplative prayer is so important for the future reform in the Church, as it has been in the past that it must be protected from its counterfeit.  read on.....