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Scientists at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography discovered thousands of previously-unknown submerged mountains in data from satellites designed for measuring ice caps and ocean currents. Other scientists found a long-buried rift system on Earth's moon, and India's space program put a spacecraft in Mars orbit — on their first try.... ...I'm pretty sure that most ' pure science ' has practical applications: given time. Sometimes, given a lot of time. It took about two millennia for the aeolipiles of Vitruvius and Hero of Alexandria to make the transition from laboratory curiosities to steam engines and spaceship motors.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

Rosemary McDunn, author of the Catholic favorite,  The Green Coat: A Tale from the Dust Bowl Years  has been named Teacher of the Year by the Archdiocese of Detroit! We're so proud of Rosie--but not surprised! As both her publisher and a former colleague, I personally know that she has a sincere love for her students and I feel honored to have her popular book as part of our Bezalel Books lineup of great fiction for Catholic families. Rosie's heart for teaching is evident in this wonderful historical fiction story as well as in the thought-provoking questions and vocabulary section found in the back of the book making it a favorite for homeschoolers and parochial schools. Congratulations Rosie!

This week I saw the rough sketches for my next book, which is about funny stories from Sisters of Notre Dame classrooms. I suggested that the artist add a large rosary to the drawing of a Sister and e-mailed this photo of the one I used to wear. Although the rosary no longer hangs from our waist, warning students that we are approaching, we still pray it everyday. It is a powerful prayer, and one that Mary urged us to pray when she appeared at Fatima. She prayed it with Saint Bernadette at Lourdes (except for the Hail Marys!). In fact, after the catastrophe of September 11, Pope John Paul II asked us to pray the rosary for peace. October 7 is the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary, and the whole month is dedicated to this beloved prayer. It’s a good time to renew the practice of praying the rosary. It is not old-fashioned but ever new because while we say the formula prayers, we mediate on Gospel events. Click to continue

This month's Natural Family Planning poster couple (so-to-speak) are Ben & Tina Butera from Bloomingdale, Illinois. They've used NFP for all of their 14-year marriage, and they have three children -- Antonio, age 12, Francesca, age 10, and Marianna, age 7. Although their main reason for using NFP is "doing what God wants," Tina and Ben also received an immense medical benefit when NFP helped them recognize warning signs early in Tina's last pregnancy, leading them to take steps to avoid possible miscarriage. To learn more about Ben and his faith, you can visit his Faith & Reason blog called   Two Catholic Men & a Blog . 1. Why do you use NFP? Aside from the obvious of wanting to live as God wants, we’ve always been uncomfortable with hypocrisy with ourselves or in others. We’re either in or out when doing something important, hot or cold. We live by either all Church teaching or none, and NFP certainly offers better family planning than no

The gift of discernment is a much needed gift right now especially with the times that we live in. There are several types of discernment that is important for members of the Body of Christ to walk in. There is the supernatural gift of discernment, where through the Holy Spirit, you know something about a person or situation that you wouldn't otherwise know. There is discernment that comes out of a relationship with Christ, enabling a person to recognize what the Holy Spirit wants to do and say in a given situation. And there is a natural discernment a person acquires from life experiences. When a Christian walks in all these dimensions of the gift, rooted in love, it can be very powerful!  Continue Reading @ Beautifulthorns>

Several years ago, as I was on my way into St. Patrick’s Church, a man approached me. His eyes looked straight into mine, searching for something. Perhaps directions to some place in the neighborhood? Then he inquired, “Let me ask you something. Why do you go to church?” Spontaneously, I answered, ”Because I love Jesus.” My answer surprised me. It sounded like a slogan from Vacation Bible School. Sometimes the Holy Spirit catches me with my barriers down and blurts out the truth. The man smiled, and then leaned toward me intently. ”But why do you go to this church? He pointed to the church building in front of us. I shrugged, "This is where I live, and Jesus is here. If I lived in a different neighborhood, I’d go to a church there.” He nodded and slowly walked away. That encounter came to mind as I thought about the many opportunities the Lord puts right in front of me to tell about my faith in God. My natural shyness prevents many of these occasions from making any im

“You saved $58.00,” the cashier said to me as she handed me the receipt for the cute summer dress. “And that’s exactly what I tell my husband,” I replied. She chuckled and we exchanged a knowing nod. We each fully understood that this dress, marked down twice on clearance and then with a coupon tendered, was a total deal—it would almost be wrong not to have bought it. Where men ask “What did it cost?” women say “This is what I saved…” Somewhere into our second decade (yes, decade) of marriage my husband stopped trying to understand my logic when shopping. He stopped pointing out what I had to spend to save because he finally realized that my brain simply did not compute his logic. Around the same time, I gave up trying to understand why he had 32 different kinds of string and dozens of power strips hanging on the pegboard in the basement. For me, what was most frustrating was that whenever we needed string—or a power strip—what we already owned “wasn’t the ri

Of course, first on my list of women from Sacred Scripture that I would like to list is: Our Mother Mary. I think, other than the Trinity, I would love to meet her. I would like to sit down and have a glass of iced tea with her and some cookies. I don't know if she likes coffee, but I don't, so I didn't include that in my list of questions for her. I'd love to sit under and olive tree with her and feel the the warm breeze on our faces. I would love to sit and pray with her. Perhaps, even an angel might visit? I have so many questions for her.         Here's what I would like to learn.   Read More at:: His Unending Love

Come Sunday is the classic song written by Duke Ellington and performed in the video with Mahalia Jackson. If you are a certain age, like I am, you remember a time when everything was closed on Sunday. I mean everything.  You couldn't get a gallon of milk or eggs.  You couldn't even buy anything at the gas station because that was closed, too.  Sundays were for going to church and having that big Sunday family dinner. You can read the rest at Being Catholic ... Really  and I hope you will!

The Latin Mass is often called “the closest thing to heaven on earth.” Rich in history with a language that most closely resembles the spirit of the Gospels, the Latin Mass is considered, by many, to most accurately reflect the mystery of the presence of Christ at the altar. After decades of Novus Ordo (Latin for “New Order” is the 1969 Mass of Pope Paul VI in which the Mass was offered in English with additional changes such as the priest facing the congregation instead of the altar), there is a renewed interest in the Latin Mass. Indeed, with Benedict’s 2007 interest in revising the Latin Mass, many Catholics have been introduced to the beauty of the Latin language for the first time while others are recalling their great love for Latin. read more here

  May is Mary's month, but we celebrate "Our Lady of the Rosary" October 7th, which commemorates the naval victory of Lepanto over the Turks. The pope at the time, St. Pope Pius V, had asked the all of Europe to pray the rosary for victory because the Turks were poised to invade Italy. The victory was won, even though the odds were stacked against the Catholic forces, freeing many Christian slaves on board the Turkish ships. The Art of Anna Szmatuła . By 250 A.D. Christian Prayer to Mary was widespread, rising to the level of liturgical prayer. In a beautiful Coptic papyrus, dated circa 250 A.D., is inscribed the following prayer:  Under thy compassion we take refuge, Theotokos [Birthgiver-of-God]; do not disregard our prayers in the midst of tribulation, but deliver us from danger, O Only Pure, Only Blessed One. continue>

I was recently asked to contact a young woman who was attempting to write a book. The request came from a friend whose life in the church has resulted in her path begin crossed with a whole lot of people from all walks of life with all sorts of varying gifts, talents, and calls. In particular, I was told that the young woman had an “emerging gift of writing” which is why I was asked to meet with her and help in her discernment process. This “emerging gift of writing” is something, according to the friend who made the request, which is happening more and more often in the lay populace. I agree. I’m receiving more and more requests from people—everyday people who live their lives as nurses, mothers, engineers, government employees, teachers and even priests—who feel they are being called to write and would like me to help assess if this is a real call or just a wild goose chase. Catholics are on-fire for their faith in a new way and with that fire comes a wish, desire and

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 .