Association Of Catholic Bloggers

My cousin died, very unexpectedly, last week.  She made her husband's  lunch.  She called her children, then she went to bed and sleep.  The next morning, her husband was not able to wake her.  She was pronounced dead in spite of heroic efforts of her husband to revive her. I received a text at morning Mass regarding her death.  The text came in the middle of Mass, so I shut my phone off without looking at the text.  It wasn't until later that I read the message. The name on the text was not familiar to me, but it came off of Facebook.  I checked the sender's page to discover that the sender was my second cousin who had been requested by Facebook to use his actual name, instead of the nickname he had chosen.  (No judgment, just frustration.) I was sitting at breakfast when I realized that it was my 58 year old first cousin who had died in her sleep.   Read more at:: His Unending Love

Our neighbor, Maria Magdalena, whom we know and love as Magda, died alone in the middle of the night. Her lungs collapsed from a respiratory infection after a bout with the flu. We prepared food for many of her family when they came in from Mexico.   After her husband, Adrian, drowned in the lake behind our homes almost 5 years ago she was too sad to worship at the Romanian Baptist Church where they had married 19 years ago. She was active in a nearby Bible church with others in the neighborhood. At the visitation we were a little surprised that a Hispanic deacon we know was there to say the Rosary. But of course, those from Mexico needed to say those prayers. It is part of their culture, part of who they are, and who Magda was as a child. The deacon alternated between Spanish and English decades. We were the only ones in our area of the chapel saying the decades. The row of teachers from the school where Magda taught first grade, all remained seated in front

For the past several years, the order of my planning and preparation goes like this: Thanksgiving, December festivities (all those parties, concerts, shopping trips and other things happen in December), Christmas, Advent.  See anything wrong with this picture?  I sure do. In my world, Advent has become an afterthought - something that I scramble to focus on around the time we light the pink candle. Here's a few ideas to prepare, in advance, for Advent. Click to read 7 tips here....

The sconces that hung above the fireplace were a bit medieval-looking. Sort of blackened silver and with ornate, swirly designs on the plating that was attached to the wall, they really needed to go. I’m not exactly sure what I was thinking when I bought them but since my husband wasn’t keen on them from the beginning—and I was the one who insisted they were “perfect”—well, I had to live with them. Preparing for the painting of the living room was, finally, the perfect time for them to be replaced and for me to keep my deep dark secret about the mistake of purchasing them in the first place. Cool. So while we moved furniture out of the way and into the center of the room to get covered in drop clothes, my husband also removed the sconces from the wall. He was happy to get rid of them—but probably not as happy as was I! Now, instead of ugly sconces, the living room had, as its focal point, two 5” round holes with a bit of insulation sticking out and some wires that had li

Hero: someone admired for great courage. Thus says my dictionary. Heroic saints: those in Heaven who had the courage to get there. Which is everyone who IS there. Thus says me. Yes, that second is my own definition and it's cumbersome, but I believe it's accurate. After all, it takes courage to... 1. admit I am a sinner in need of a Savior 2. put my faith in Jesus Christ, especially when the world around considers Him insignificant 3. choose to believe Scripture 4. choose to believe 2,000 years of authentic Church teaching 5. choose to live according to Scripture and Church teaching 6. choose to live according to the teachings of Christ, no matter what 7. overcome obstacles to living for Christ.... (continue reading here...)

Behind wheels, one of the most dangerous spots on the road is the blind spot. One needs to accept that one cannot see ahead and throw caution to the winds. So it is with a personal spirituality. Read on at http://silpapaul.blogspot.com/2014/06/beware-blind-spot-ahead.html

(From John Martin, via Wikimedia Commons, used w/o permission.) (Detail from John Martin's "The Destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah." (1852)) By some standards, this isn't a particularly "Christian" blog. I don't rant about the unending fires of Hell, or dwell on cheerful thoughts like this: " ...The God that holds you over the pit of hell, much as one holds a spider or some loathsome insect over the fire, abhors you.... " ( Sinners in the Hand of an Angry God ," Jonathan Edwards (1741)) That's because it's not 1741 any more, and I'm Catholic. I've talked about the Great Awakening, Jonathan Edwards, and Mark Twain, before. ( December 1, 2013 ) As a Christian, I agree with Simon Peter.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

After having five girls and then a boy, you can't tell me that there's no difference between boys and girls. My son, who will be two in January, makes animals growl at each other, says "vroom vroom" every time he sees a car, makes swords out of just about everything and loves to throw things. He does these things without any promptings. None of my girls did these things. Having a son is giving me a better understanding of what Jesus must have been like as a child as well as adding to our joy.  Continue Reading @ Beautifulthorns>

My very first post: Yes I'm Catholic. Really. I go to church every week with my husband ... no matter what. I wasn't always Catholic. Heck, there was a time when I wasn't Christian, but I always believed in God. I always knew there was a higher power. You can read the rest at Being Catholic ... Really .

Today I'm celebrating 4 years with ChicagoNow!  You can read all my posts at Being Catholic ... Really .

Archbasilica of St John Latera   Cathedral of the Diocese of Rome. Readings   ( New American Bible: Philippines, USA) Readings   (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, England & Wales, India [optional], Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland, South Africa)   Gospel  J ohn 2:13-22   ( New Revised Standard Version, Catholic Edition , Canada) The Passover of the Jews was near, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.   In the temple he found people selling cattle, sheep, and doves, and the money changers seated at their tables.   Making a whip of cords, he drove all of them out of the temple, both the sheep and the cattle. He also poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables.   He told those who were selling the doves, “Take these things out of here! Stop making my Father’s house a marketplace!”   continue Christ driving the money-changers from the Temple , Rembrandt, c.1626 Pushkin Museum, Moscow [ Web Gallery of Art] We are not isolated and we are not

If all goes well, a robot spaceship will harpoon a comet next week. Meanwhile, science and daily routine go on in the International Space Station, nobody was hurt when an Antares cargo carrier exploded, and someone's done a survey about faith and space aliens...." ...Some comets and asteroids are shaped like potatoes. Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko looks like two potatoes and a bit of corn stalk: or a rubber duck.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

The Christmas season—which ought to be one of peace and good cheer—is often everything other than tranquility and happiness. For many people (women especially), family events, shopping, and fractured relationships bring stress and steal the joy of Christmas. Before the stress sets in, consider these few tips to take into the Christmas season so that this year it will truly be a season of harmony, peace and pleasure. 1.       Remember that Christmas is about the celebration of the birth of Christ; see others through His eyes. If you are in the process of forgiving someone, don’t feel you’ve failed if this Christmas you aren’t jumping up and down with joy to see that person. Forgiveness is a process. Take it one step at a time—and be okay with that. read more here

"Pray for the forgotten," Pope Francis said in his Angelus Address delivered for the  Feast of All Souls. In November, Catholics pray for the forgotten.  We all want to be remembered.  Some of us more than others. You can continue reading at Being Catholic ... Really .

One of the most beautiful images of heaven in the scriptures is the royal banquet and  the  wedding celebration given by the Bridegroom.  We have been invited to the most important banquet of all . However, Jesus’ parable of this Great Banquet takes an unexpected twist  when “they all alike began to make excuses”. Nobody could come to the great banquet. Seems preposterous.  Why on earth would everyone who had been invited to a great banquet in advance,  not drop everything and attend?   They knew ahead of time. They had a warning it was coming.  Don’t you think that they would be planning their days, weeks even months around this extravagant feast? continue reading

There isn’t anyone among us who hasn’t enjoyed a Christmas movie wherein an angel earns his or her wings. We love to hear the bell jingle because at that moment we know that heaven’s angel population has increased by one. Wrong. As much as those movies endear themselves to us, the fact is, the angel population neither increases nor decreases over time. But it does make those of us interested in angels sit up and take notice—and want to learn more about these heavenly creatures. What are they? Who are they? Why are they? Angels are spirits created by God (Colossians 1:16, Hebrews 1:14). They are the invisible created things that have a hierarchy. These invisible created things are spirits meant to serve those who are to inherit salvation—fallen man who now freely chooses Christ. This establishes our relationship with angels in that they are to help us in ways that we may not fully know or understand; however, we shouldn’t be trying to discover how to boss them

“ See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and that is what we are. The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.  Beloved, we are God’s children now; what we will be has not yet been revealed. What we do know is this: when he is revealed, we will be like him, for we will see him as he is.  And all who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure." 1 John 3: 1-3 What is the purpose of life? To Know God. To Love God. To Serve God in this world  and in the next. Do you know God? Do you love God? Do you seek to serve God? Read More at:: His Unending Love

My photo reminds me of my visits to Arabia. The November issue of Smithsonian carries an article about two scientists who added a false frightening memory to a rat’s brain. The rat then reacted with fear although it was in a safe box. Having located the source of our memories promises to yield discoveries that will help with Alzheimer’s and PTSD. Imagine if memories of horrible events could be obliterated! I don’t think I would risk tampering with my memories. They can be a blessing or a curse. Sure, some are painful, but they all contribute to making me who I am today. Click to continue

I know you're there, waiting for me.  So, how's heaven, really?  Are the angels always flying around or do they stop and talk with you?  Do they walk with you?  Do you have a home where you live, or do you travel all over heaven walking with the angels or Our Loving Lord?     I have a friend you've never met, and she's quickly nearing the day when she will fall into  the open arms of God.  She and I have decided that we will meet at the river that flows through heaven when we both cross over.  How big is that river?  Will I be able to see her across the river?  Do you ever walk the banks of that river?  Are the waters really living?     Is there food in heaven?  I know the Heavenly Food, the Eucharist, will always be enthroned there, but do you gather for meals or prayer times?  Are there parties and celebrations?  What do you say when you see each other in heaven?  Do you have a heavenly name?     Are you there waiting for me?  I miss you so much!  Do yo

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