Association Of Catholic Bloggers

In today's Gospel reading we learn  that Jesus explained to Martha  that what her sister Mary chose, that is, to remain in the presence of Jesus,  lovingly listening to Him,  could not be taken away from her. Continued @ mommynovenas

There's something new on the blogroll : #CathBlogsGPlus On RebelMouse " We are glad you are here. Join us to read the best Catholic Bloggers around. Grab your coffee, tea or beverage of choice and visit for a while. " A tip of the hat to Cyndi Marlow , on Google Plus.

Want to start a fight? Ask two teachers what they think about memorization as a learning tool. (Go ahead! Try! I'll wait here with some bandages and antiseptic ointment.) Click here to watch the video! Personally, I have always been a fan of memorization, even though (or perhaps because) I don't have a great memory. In the Google Age, of course, facts are always just a click away! But I often feel annoyed with myself when I am forced to do an Internet search for something I should just . . . know. When Afghanistan and other Middle Eastern countries flew into the news after 9/11, I was ashamed that I had never memorized the geography of that region. When the US invaded Iraq, I had no mental context for the battle and had to spend time searching for maps of the Middle East. Sure, the maps I needed were easy to access, but I was frustrated, even embarrassed, that my brain had never permanently recorded a basic image of that region of the globe. Memorization provides perpetua

What would be the absolute worst thing that could happen to a nice Protestant girl? Madonna and child sculpture at the Vatican. Mary praising God Why Mary, the Blessed Virgin, would do a little interior house cleaning, then make a home for herself in the poor girl’s heart, that’s what! If that was not bad enough, this perplexed young woman’s belief system would stay staunchly anti-Catholic for oh, about another 10 years, even though she had converted to Catholicism. I mean, what choice did she have? Nobody but the Catholic Church even wants someone who craves the Eucharist and has a relationship with Mary, the Mother of Christ. Obviously this young woman was and is me. God has a peculiar sense of humor and now I can look back and laugh at my dilemma. At the time, though, I was shaken up. I was reluctant to turn to Mary.  continue>

As part of our effort to introduce Catholic families to our work at Bezalel Books, we are now offering some of our titles for free on Kindle! For girls we are offering  All Things Girl: Truth for Teens  for free! The second edition offers a great new section on health and fitness by best-selling author Peggy Bowes ( The Rosary Workout ) as well as new content on vocations and social media. For boys our popular  All Things Guy: A Guide to Becoming a Man that Matters  is now free! Filled with stories, facts about being a young Catholic man, and lots of encouragement, All Things Guy is a book young men really enjoy. read more here

Guardian Angels  exist.   They are real.   When we were little we knew and understood this teaching of the Church.  “The doctrine on angels is not fantasist. No, it’s reality,” said Pope Francis recently.     They are companions that will speak to us and guide us, if we but listen.   Visit EmbeddedFaith for a few more angel photo quote images and a facebook cover that  are free to share or use.  

I was sixteen when I learned that trees had individual leaves; at least, ones visible from more than a few feet away. I literally gasped in wonder when I put on my first pair of glasses and watched wide blobs of green become defined, distinct, individual shapes that waved and fluttered in the wind.   Having been nearsighted since childhood, I'd grown up unaware that the world was anything other than one huge, smeary blur.     In an instant my faulty perception changed.... (continue)

By Deacon Lawrence N. Kaas I've been asked, to write something for this Sunday's bulletin, but what to write? How about something of an 80-year-old, celibate, Deacon. Right off someone is going to ask, "well, priests retire at 70 what about Deacons?" We are required to send a letter of retirement to our Bishop when we turned 70 years of age and so I did. I got a letter back from the Bishop when we turned 70 years of age and so I did. I got a letter back from the Bishop saying, "your time clock is not run out yet, you can go on for a while." I was so proud of him that he even remembered that I worked on clocks. So now 10 years later having had lunch with our Bishop a few months ago and for some reason telling him I was 80 years old, he said, "Ak, only 20 more years ago." I'm not sure what that means, are you stuck with me or am I stuck with you? Ha.... (Guest post) More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

My father reminded me of this good advice when I was in my teens: "...whatever is true, ... whatever is lovely, ... think about these things." My response was something like '...because they won't last.' I wasn't happy about saying that at the time. Decades later, I still regret the statement. I can't, of course, undo what was done: and the time for telling my father "I'm sorry" has long since passed. In any case, I said "I'm sorry" too often, and that's almost another topic. That quote is from today's second reading, Philippians 4:6 - 9 . I'll get back to that. Today, thanks to very powerful antidepressants and a few other psychoactive prescriptions, I no longer have to fight the controls to make my brain work. I even have moments when I feel good about who I am and what I do. That's a nice change of pace.... Joy, Zest, and Mud As it is, I had an opportunity to reason my way out of suicide : and dev

I believe in one God, maker of all things visible and invisible …including angels! And you, too, can rest assured of the existence of these wonderful, spiritual beings—because it’s a truth of our wonderful faith [ CCC , 328]… Angels of God who can help us [amongst the other everyday, practical approaches we must take] in maintaining a healthy perspective on life & upon stress… so that we may be aided in this combat against a kind of stress which may otherwise paralyze or overtake us—as we learn to no longer try to control the uncontrollable (something which only leads to more stress & pervading misery!), as being discussed within our series here on stress. >> Read More at: The Way to Nourish for Life >> [ which will include 10 prayers for angelic help !]

On Instagram a few weeks ago, I snapped a picture of our anniversary and writing in our journals for the kids. A few of you had questions on what we do, so I wanted to share this very easy family tradition with you. Read more here...

The very moment a person is sufficiently purified of the selfishness that keeps the pure unadulterated love of God out then that love comes flooding in instantly, not just into the mind, where it had already been partially experienced before, but into every part of the personality. The receiver swoons with the sheer delight of experiencing what Jesus Christ had experienced throughout his life on earth. Before, mystical experiences had come and gone, but now in the ‘Transforming Union’ the experience of being possessed by the love of God is all but permanent. That’s why it is often called the ‘Mystical Marriage’. Now marriage is not the end, but the beginning of a love that grows deeper and deeper, as with years of mutual self-giving, lovers are irrevocably bonded together. It would be all but impossible to pinpoint the exact moment when this happened to St Francis. However the sources enable us to see quite clearly the immediate effects of this profound transformation within him.....

The Virgin of the Grapes , 1640s, Pierre Mignard  Musée du Louvre, Paris  [ Web Gallery of Art ] Winegrowers in France celebrated the Feast of the Nativity of Mary  as the  Feast of Our Lady of the Grape Harvest . Readings   (New American Bible: Philippines, USA) Readings   (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, England & Wales, India [optional], Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland, South Africa) Gospel   Matthew 21:33-43  ( New Revised Standard Version, Catholic Edition : Canada)  Jesus said to the chief priest and the elders of the people:   “Listen to another parable. There was a landowner who planted a vineyard, put a fence around it, dug a wine press in it, and built a watchtower. Then he leased it to tenants and went to another country.   When the harvest time had come, he sent his slaves to the tenants to collect his produce.   But the tenants seized his slaves and beat one, killed another, and stoned another.  Again he sent other slaves, more than the first;

In my last blog I tried to distinguish between true contemplative prayer and its counterfeit, but now I want to show how authentic contemplative prayer begins, by describing the prayer that usually precedes it. But before proceeding let me make two important points. Firstly I want to make it clear that contemplation is a pure gift of God. In short it cannot be attained by man-made methods or techniques that promise instant states of transcendental awareness. The whole of the authentic Christian tradition is unanimous about this truth. Secondly that God gives it to those who have proved that they are ready to receive it by the serious way they have persevered in what has been described as ‘ordinary prayer’ for many years.  read on...

   As wives and mothers, we often carry worries and anxiety about many things. If we're not careful these can often take hold of our heart and leave us in an even worse state than when our troubles began.  Here is St. Francis de Sales' advise concerning anxiety of mind and how to handle it from Introduction to the Devout Life.  "Anxiety of mind is not so much an abstract temptation, as it is the source from where various temptations arise. Sadness, when defined, is the mental grief we feel because of our involuntary ailments;--whether the evil be exterior, such as poverty, sickness or contempt; or interior, such as ignorance, dryness, depression or temptation. When the soul is conscious of some such trouble, it is downcast, and so trouble sets in. Then we at once begin to try to get rid of it, and find means to shake it off; and so far rightly enough, for it is natural to us all to desire good, and shun that which we hold to be evil.  If any one strives to be deliver

FACEBOOK FOLLOW FRENZY! Our ACWB Facebook page is not well known. Come visit and add your link to our community.  We fill our own feeds with  awesome Catholic blogs AND grow our own FB pages as well!? Add your page, as we have so many new members to meet...... The how-to: 1 In a comment box below, type @ and then your page name, which will pop up, similar to when you tag a fr iend. This way we need only hover over the comment to see the blog page appear in a bubble and "like" it. 2. Like all pages in comments above and below you and "like" the comment as well. 3 Don't link and run...please revisit this thread in days to come to like more pages that are added. Enjoy discovering new Catholic blogs and thanks for participating!  OUR FACEBOOK PAGE   https://www.facebook.com/associationofcatholicwomenbloggers When you put your  facebook URL in comments, this is what will pop up

Scientists have found a complex organic molecule near this galaxy's core; and water vapor in a planet's atmosphere, some 122 light-years away. Closer to home, America's Congress is deliberating on a bill that could allow asteroid mining: if other nations don't get conniptions.... ...As usual, I'll explain why I think being human is okay. If you've been here before, feel free to skip to "Organic Molecules in Sagittarius B2," click to something else online, take a coffee break, or whatever.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

Autumn Leaves is one of those iconic songs that transcends generations.  Fall has always been my favorite season.  Leaves remind me of my father. You can read the rest at Being Catholic ... Really .

One of God's greatest gifts to us is our Guardian Angel.  He is assigned to us at our conception, and is with us throughout our whole life.  But our Guardian Angel is more than just to protect us various mishaps or evil persons that seek to hinder or even do damage to us.  To know how to effectively communicate with and receive from our Guardian angel all that God wishes us to have, then we have to know more who our Guardian Angel is.  Who Is He?,,,read more here. 

Remember this prayer? Angel of God, my Guardian Dear,  to whom God's love, entrusts me here.    Ever this day (night), be at my side, to light, to rule, to guide.  Amen. Aren't we blessed?  Every person ever conceived has been assigned a guardian angel to watch over them, to protect them, and to strengthen them in temptation.  Defined as "beings of light," they are gifts of God to His children. The Catechism of the Catholic Church tells us this about angels:: 328: The existence of the spiritual, non-corporeal beings that Sacred Scripture usually calls "angels" is a truth of faith. The witness of Scripture is as clear as the unanimity of Tradition.  The Catechism continues:: Read More at:: His Unending Love

Today is the Feast of the Holy Guardian Angels.  It is a good time to get reacquainted with your Divine appointed guardian.  Throughout my life there have been times that my Angel has been so close I could physically feel him.  I suppose that our angels are always close, we just aren't attuned to their presence.  When I was twenty years old, I was in a bad car accident.  The exact details of what happened, I don't remember. What I do remember is that I was bit by some type of insect while driving and then I was barreling toward a telephone pole. The pole snapped when I hit it, sprung up and then came through the windshield. It landed in the passenger seat. My friend, Lucy, was supposed to be in that seat, she changed her mind about joining me at the last minute.  I never touched the brakes nor panicked. The irony is that I had just had the brakes replaced the day before. As my car headed straight for the telephone pole, I remember thinking, "I'm going to crash into tha

Thoughts amd images for the feast day of the Guardian Angels    “Miracles are not contrary to nature, but only contrary to what we know about nature.”  St. Augustine  continue>

Without exception, God calls each believer to become a prayer warrior. While some believers are uniquely gifted as intercessors and their prayers seem to flow right out of their spirit,  all  are nonetheless expected to intercede for others. But how do we respond to that call to mediate for another person—especially if intercession is not one of our gifts and we stumble along in our attempts at intercession, feeling inadequate and even inept? How can we answer God’s call upon us and become the best prayer warriors this side of heaven? Abraham is the first example of intercession as he speaks to God about Sodom and Gomorrah and gives us a couple of excellent clues on how to be a prayer warrior. First and foremost, Abraham models a personal relationship with his God. Think about it: which of our personal relationships allow us to be most like our real selves? Which of our relationships encourage us to be open and honest? It is always those relationships that are

Lord, that I may focus on the present moment, and fill it with love! …on what it is I can do today-- in pursuit of wellness… body, mind, and soul. MY SONG for TODAY * … “My life is but an instant, a passing hour. My life is but a day that escapes and flies away... O Immaculate Virgin! You are my Sweet Star... O Mother! Let me rest under your veil Just for today ..." Dear Little Flower, our sweet Saint Thérèse, pray for us!   ... >> Read More at: The Way to Nourish for Life >> .

1) God told us.  "See, I have inscribed you on the palms of my hands!" Isaiah 49: 16 2) He sent us His Son so that we might have abundant life. "I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly." John 10:10 3) His only begotten Son died for us on the cross. "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. " John 3:16  Read more at:  His Unending Love

In her short life – she was only twenty-four when she died – St. Thérèse of Lisieux discovered profound truths, truths that I have stumbled on as well. Thérèse is my soul mate, perhaps the soul mate of many mothers. “ Everything is a grace. Everything is the direct effect of our Father’s love – difficulties, contradictions, humiliations, all the soul’s miseries, her burdens, her needs – everything. Because through them she learns humility, realizes her weakness. Everything is a grace because everything is God’s gift.  I have recently discovered that my spirituality is very similar to that of St. Thérèse the Little Flower probably because I have lived with children under the age of 18 for 33 years.  I think that many mothers can relate to this saint as well. She lived  the  little way   like all people who are not rich and famous but want to serve God their loving Father through their littleness and simplicity. She chose to stay as a child in they eyes of God, performing all

Brandon Vogt's,  6 Ways to turn your daily commute into a retreat  got me thinking about how I spend my time on my way to work and on my way home. I know so many people who have at least a two hour commute one way to work every day.  I can't even imagine that.  My daughter told me the other day that she never thought she'd tire of driving, but her daily drive to school, to home, to work and back has been an unexpected drain on her both mentally and physically. You can read the rest at Being Catholic ... Really .

Note: In celebration of the feast of St. Therese on Wednesday, October 1, the Kindle version of Trusting God with St. Therese is only $.99 until 8 AM Pacific Thursday. This may be the only time I run such a sale, so it’s a great opportunity to pick up a copy if you haven’t already. St. Therese of Lisieux is one of the most popular saints in history. Almost immediately after her death, her little way of spiritual childhood began to spread. She was canonized less than thirty later and named a Doctor of the Church by Pope John Paul II. St. Therese’s childhood Marie-François-Therese Martin was born in Alençon, France in 1873. Her parents were Louis Martin and Marie-Azelie Guerin Martin. She was the youngest of their nine children, four of whom died before age six. Louis and Zelie were committed Catholics. They were standouts even in the Catholic subculture that had grown up in the larger, anti-Catholic culture of their place and time. Both had considered religious

The Apostleship of Prayer is happy to share our new video series: " Praying with Children ." Check in  here  each week for a new prayer tip! Watch the video  here I've had conversations with countless parents and educators over the past few months. These gracious people have helped me enormously as I finalize the manuscript for my upcoming book, cleverly named  Praying with Children . And while we look forward to the fall 2015 release of the book from Ave Maria Press, many parents and educators requested that the Apostleship of Prayer also make brief videos of the most practical, succinct prayer tips from the book. Ta Da! Read on at Praying with Grace !

"Innovative, insightful, practical, and inspiring! A great gift for teens." +Ronald P. Herzog Diocesan Bishop of Alexandria, Louisiana  "If the first few moments of the day set the tone and mood for the rest of the day, then Catherine Brown's words will fill you with energy, optimism, and joy. This work will make you excited to be alive and inspire you to move through the day with greater confidence. A must for anyone who desires to make a difference and live each day to the fullest." B. David Brooks, Pastor Calvary Baptist Church, Alexandria, Louisiana  "Putting teens in touch with our God is a remarkable work today! I believe Daily Direction for Teenz is an opportunity for such moments to happen." Sr. Ann Lacour, MSC, Superintendent of Catholic Schools Diocese of Alexandria. Daily Direction for Teenz  is back by popular demand so if you are looking for a fun daily devotional for your teen or tween, you won't want to miss this one!

One of the biggest gifts we can give our kids is the gift of our time, meaningfully spent with them. Everything else, including all the things we provide for them, could come from somewhere else, but our time and our love can only come from us. I loved the text of an audience in which Pope Francis said that he often asks married couples - parents - if they waste time with their kids. "Wasting" time with our kids, in the sense of putting aside more "productive" or "urgent" or "important" things to just BE with our kids, is priceless, both for us and for them. To read about three simple strategies that have helped me make the time I spend with our kids more meaningful, head over to Eyes On Heaven .

Angels are not wispy, sweet little things but rather powerful, spiritual entities of light who guard us, fight for us, bring us the word of God and heal us. Angels always point us towards heaven, to join in worship and praise of Christ .  Their deeds are more than simply the stuff of legends, children’s bedtime tales, wishful thinking or fantasies of illiterate, ancient minds. If you close your mind to these messengers of God, they sit like gold in a bank, useless unless we give them permission to act. An angel is a pure spirit created by God.  The Old Testament theology included the belief in angels: the name applied to certain spiritual beings or intelligences of heavenly residence, employed by God as the ministers of His will.   The English word “angel” comes from the Greek angelos which means‘messenger’.  Some may never see with earthly eyes these heavenly beings or know that they exist. Many are unaware of the many ways they have protected and guided us.  My family kno

Do you think your job as a mom is insignificant? I have wondered if all the little tasks that can overwhelm me are actually worth much to God. Here are my thoughts on the matter. God bless, Jen

There’s growing evidence to support the idea that fiction books can be good or bad for you. It’s a drum I’ve been beating on for a very long time. I begin supporting my own belief about this by going directly to Scripture: Brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things (Philippians 4:8). Books, after all, cause us to think of things. Whatever fills the pages ultimately fills our mind. read more here

To look at a few of the "walls" we sometimes find between ourselves and God, please join me here....

'Kids these days! Nobody takes responsibility! Back in my day, nobody tried blaming the other guy!' I've been hearing variations on that complaint for more than a half-century now. I started wondering if it was true in my teens. By now, I'm pretty sure that it's not: partly because now I remember the 'good old days:' and like I've said before, they weren't. One of 'Those Crazy Kids:' Five Decades Later I was one of "those kids" in the late '60s and early '70s. Some of us were lazy bums, and others were only too eager to blame our parents, the government, or anyone else, for our problems. But others were "irresponsible" only in the sense that we wouldn't accept the status quo. That attitude didn't appeal to folks who believed in buying stuff they didn't need, with money they didn't have, to impress people they didn't like. We thought we could reform the world: and certain that we

The tribunal seal made it official I am sitting here with my annulment letter in my hand. I have yet to open the envelope which arrived two days ago. I had more important things to do - like be a mom to my 5 boys. But now I am sitting here in a house that I know for the next few hours will be quiet, if not exactly peaceful as I look around at the clutter five active boys have left for me while they are at their father's this weekend. This is what I was waiting for. Time alone to cry if I feel like it, to jump up and dance and sing if I feel like it, to do whatever feels right in the moment. I am not sure how I will feel when the verdict is read, but by having a few moments alone to digest whatever the outcome is, I am giving myself freedom to just Be in God and let Him handle my future. I don't have to worry about the boys seeing my tears or pretend all is okay - when I feel like dying inside. I really am not sure what I will feel when I open this envelope, and

Let go and let God is a simple, catchy phrase but utterly profound, deep and true. +  It has taken decades to relax my grasp on control, to let go, but as I do, the joy I experience is a delightful surprise. +  The stumbling block to surrender was not as much pride for me as fear.  continue reading>