Association Of Catholic Bloggers

I am from an era when everything was closed by 5 PM on Saturday and all day Sunday.  Not a gas station, grocery store, department store or anything else I can think of was open.  Sunday was truly a day of rest and for family. You can read the rest at Being Catholic ... Really .

Humans have hands . So do apes, monkeys, lemurs, and koalas. For that matter, a chameleon's feet look and act a lot like hands. But they don't have precision-grip thumbs that can line up with any finger. We do: and apparently have had a firm grip on tools for over two million years. Scientists had a pretty good idea about how the common ancestor of dinosaurs, crocodiles and alligators, and birds, developed. A quarter-billion-year-old fossil shows that the situation is more complicated than scientists thought.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

The darkest month. The sky is mostly gray. The wind is cold. The trees are bare.  The days are short and the nights are long. My  mind fills with memories. My daughter's cancer diagnosis several years ago. My dad's short, final bout with cancer three years ago. Day after day I relive the pain I felt through their struggles. Each day of this month I can tell you what I was doing on this day then.  It is as if no time has passed at all. Some days I feel as if I am lost in the past.  Other days I worry what is out there in my future. I find it difficult to fully embrace the present. I spend my time turning back, looking forward--unsettled. I have lost my focus. I ask my husband if this is all there is.  Struggling to get up in the morning. Going back to bed at night. With little thought of what I have done in between.  To an outsider, I may look still, but my mind is racing. Thinking. Remembering.  To read more:  http://www.restfulwaters.net/january/

'One of the glories of Scripture is that it can embrace many meanings in a single passage.' St. Thomas Aquinas From The Breadbox Letters

Every month, my dear friend Tiffany at Life of a Catholic Librarian and I pair up and share a saint whose feast day is celebrated within the respective month. The saint has to speak to us. This month, I didn't know who I would "adopt". I opened my Magnificat for January, and flipped to read the last pages first, don't you? The artwork is always stunning. There she was, St. Agnes found me. St. Agnes was born c. 291 A.D. Her feast day is January 21st, but before 1970, an additional feast was celebrated on January 28th. More important than when St. Agnes was born was when and how she died. When St. Agnes was thirteen years old, she refused Eutropius, then the son of the prefect of Rome. Eutropius fell in love (some say lust) with the young girl and just had to have her. He tried to win her over with gold and jewels, asking her parents for Agnes' hand in marriage. She flatly refused claiming that she already belonged to someone else. How could this be? How could

Those of us of a certain age will remember the singer,  Perry Como . You can listen to Perry at Being Catholic ... Really .

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With cleaning out my childhood home and house hunting, the concept of home has been on my mind a lot. Where is home? What makes it home? What happens when home is no longer your own? We have been evaluating foreclosures and pursuing real estate listing--often getting side tracked with the absurd, such as the home that is listed so cheaply that it obviously is barely standing but has "tons of potential for those with vision" and the $8 million estate with 15 bedrooms and it's own lake.  So far, nothing has felt right and the homes we have seriously considered have all fallen through for various reasons. Source Read more on Veils and Vocations.

Praise God. Adore God. Acknowledge Him as your Creator. Thank God. Love God. Talk to God. Rest in the presence of God. Sing to God. Love God. Adore God. Read more at:: His Unending Love

“More than one half of an average person’s day is spent being sedentary—sitting, watching television, or working at a computer,” said Dr. David Alter [Senior Scientist, Toronto Rehab...]. Okay, you may want to stand for this… He goes on to say: “It is not good enough to exercise for 30 minutes a day and be sedentary for 23 and half hours.”  [...ah, yes, just like with our spiritual lives] >> Click Here to Read More at: The Way to Nourish for Life >> with simple strategies from Dr. Atler on how to reduce sitting time, plus a little extra motivation to STAND ... in the place where you live ... and work ... think about it. ;) ;)

Since faith influences every part of  Sandra Dettori’s life, she creates religious art. As a Catholic mom and artist, she loves images which bring  glory to God and  blessings to others. Sandra understands that beautiful religious art can uplift our spirit and our thoughts. Through her art, Sandra shares her faith with others and offers her talents to God. read and see more

Vocations being at home - as small seeds planted in the hearts of children, that, with the proper care and feeding can develop into lives of self-giving witness to the Gospel. Parents can and should plant these seeds in their domestic churches. If you are looking for ways to promote an openness to priesthood or religious life in your children, grandchildren, classroom, homeschool group, etc. -  click here   for ideas, resources and prayer support for giving your children a vocations' mindset.

Scripture says, “The Word of God is living and effective.” It speaks to us personally. In the terrific book The Greatest Reformer, a biography of Pope Francis, there is an incident that illustrates this. Shortly after Pope Francis was made pope, a few evangelical pastors he used to pray with in Argentina visited him. One confided that God had given him a word for the new pope. From his iPad he read from Jeremiah, chapter 1: “Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations . . . . See, today I appoint you over nations and over kingdoms, to pluck up and to pull down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant.” With that, another pastor handed the pope a paper with a word he had brought for him. It had the same word on it. click to continue

February 11 Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes From this grotto I issue a special call to women. Appearing here, Mary entrusted her message to a young girl, as if to emphasize the special mission of women in our own time, tempted as it is by materialism and secularism: to be in today's society a witness of those essential values which are seen only with the eyes of the heart. To you, women, falls the task of being sentinels of the Invisible!  P ope John Paul II H ow fortunate we are to have so many ways and so many days to honor Mother Mary. Through her  fiat —the yes, let it be done—that she answered to God, the omnipotent Lord of the universe took on human flesh to redeem us. Countless great saints and learned theologians, from St. Bernard of Clairvaux to St. Albert the Great to Pope John Paul II in our own time have felt and expressed their powerful and heartfelt devotions to Mary. read more here

We’re going to start discussing the third mansions from St. Teresa of Avila’s Interior Castle with the most exciting part–prayer. In the third mansions, prayer begins simplifying, as the soul prepares herself to receive infused contemplation. Now, when I say prayer begins simplifying in the third mansions, that doesn’t mean that a stark line lies between one mansion and another. We don’t one day say, “I’m going to take one step forward and leave second mansions behind forever, entering the third.” More likely, we peer through the doorway, thinking, “Those rooms look interesting.” Then we look over our shoulder and say,” But I’m comfortable here.” We might go through the door, make a small circle, and go back out. We might lean against the door frame, with one foot on each side. My point is that our prayer might start simplifying long before we leave second mansions completely behind. But when it is habitually simpler–and accompanied by growth in virtue–we can

I am not crafty. When normal women set out glue guns, fabric, and paint, I see magic wands, mithril, and pixie dust. The mere thought of "craft time" with my children makes my palms sweat. Pope Francis, however, inspired me to overcome my fears. This is the Pope's  universal prayer intention for January 2015 : " Peace: That those from diverse religious traditions and all people of good will may work together for peace. " In honor of this prayer intention, I stepped out of my comfort zone. I adapted, published, AND EXECUTED the following Apostleship of Prayer "Sea Bottle" craft activity with my daughter Rose. A little whisper popped into my head just as Rose and I were delighting in our teamwork. Here I was, spending time with my daughter, relishing the moment, and joining our prayers to the Pope's universal intention for peace. And then, BAM! My heart grew restless; my mind became distracted. With one little whisper, peace vanished. In

In the second century Bishop Marcion was the son of the Bishop of Sinope, a town on the southern coast of the Black Sea in present day Turkey. He didn’t intend to become a heretic. It was only because of his admiration and adulation for his ‘Divine Lord’ that he became horrified at the very idea that he had to undergo the indignity of being born into, and growing up in, a degraded and decadent material world like the rest of us. That’s why he wrote his own Gospel to put matters right. It began with Jesus fully grown - ‘In the fifteenth year of the Emperor Tiberius, God descended into Capharnaum and taught on the Sabbath’. Now the truth of the matter is that this is how God could have planned the incarnation, but he didn’t. He didn’t, because he wanted to be like us in every way possible, as St Paul insisted. This would enable us to learn from him and from his own personal spirituality. ...read on..

 Seek the LORD and His strength; Seek His face continually.  1 Chronicles 16:11 Images to inspire us to seek His face. Face of Jesus Crucified - Saints and Sculptures: Stations of the Cross at Kawa-kawa Hills, The Philippines Bernini sculpture Christ by Brenda Ahearn Sage Chapel, Cornell University see more imag es

Do you praydream?  I had never heard of this term until I read Vinita Hampton Wright's article,  Imagination and Praydreaming . You can read the rest at Being Catholic ... Really .

Celibacy of Priests Please click HERE

This is a fan letter. It’s my blog and I can rant or rave however I want. Today, it’s rave. It’s my thank-you to Catherine Adair. She has a life full of blessings; she and her husband are rearing five children. My husband and I brought up five children, too, and we know that’s a pro-life ministry in itself (and it never ends). Catherine, with support from her family, goes above and beyond. She has a story to tell about her own experiences and about women in crisis who didn’t get the help they needed. Her story is also about pro-life conversion. Catherine came to pro-life commitment by a route different from mine. I’ve learned from that. She makes me think in fresh ways about what it means and takes to be pro-life. About Catherine : New Hampshire Right to Life scored a coup this year by bringing Massachusetts neighbor Catherine to Concord for the state’s biggest annual outdoor pro-life rally and march. Catherine’s description of herself, from her blog  The Harvest is Abundant :

'Blessed is he whom  You choose to call  to dwell in Your courts.  We are filled  with the blessings  of Your house,  of Your holy temple....'   Psalm 65:5   (continue) Painting: Noia llegint

Today's second reading reminded me of Harold Camping's high-profile End Times predictions, a few years back.... ...I've read that Hero of Alexandria used Pythagorean cups in his robotic systems. That's probably a reference to Heron's fountain , Heron is another version of Hero's name, and I am not going to wander off-topic again. Not for another paragraph or two, anyway. Pythagoras of Samos didn't invent the Pythagorean theorem , but he's the first chap to show why it works - -- Let's try this again. It's one of those days. A Pythagorean cup is a thinking person's dribble glass , sort of.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

A noun is a person, place or thing. A verb is an action word. In God, there is joy. He is the source of all that is good. God is love. God is Joy. God is all that is good. He is our Shepherd. He protects us from the evil one. If we let Him, He leads us on the right paths. Joy is in the hearts of the believers because Jesus Christ is Lord! We are both loved and lovable, a verb and a noun. Read more at:: His Unending Love

St. Francis de Sales is patron of Catholic writers. As a blogger, therefore, I happily claim him as patron of me.  As the Church celebrates his feast today, I can easily imagine him sitting with a laptop, clicking out the good news...   I like to imagine him patting today's Catholic bloggers on the back, encouraging us to 'keep it up' as we distribute our witness to the Truth in THIS age of the Church...   (continue)

Is Purgatory like a car wash? CLICK HERE

The other day, a friend of mine at OLPH came up to me and said, "I just wanted to say that at Mass, you just light up!  You glow. It makes my heart leap to see you.  I don't know if you know, but I wanted to tell you."   My first thought was, I don't want her looking at me!  I in no way want to be a distraction from what is REALLY happening at Holy Mass.   Do I know? Yes, in a way I do.   After Holy Mass, I prayed and sought an answer of the Lord.   I know how important the Holy Mass is for not just those in attendance but for the whole world, and I in no way want to be a stumbling block from those coming to this gift from God.   "Lord, I don't want to be a distraction, I don't want people looking at me.  What do you want me to do, I can go somewhere else to Mass, (then I thought, it's going to happen their too!) or I can sit in the back or I can cover my face."  At that last suggestion I could feel that Lord did not want that...at all.  I almo

The Calling of St Peter and St Andrew   Jacob Willemsz de Wet the Elder Private collection [ Web Gallery of Art ] Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news   of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near;   repent, and believe in the good news.” As Jesus passed along the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the sea—for they were fishermen.   And Jesus said to them, “Follow me and I will make you fish for people.”   And immediately they left their nets and followed him.   As he went a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John, who were in their boat mending the nets.   Immediately he called them; and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men, and followed him. Speaking in Rome  to members of ecclesial movements on the evening of Saturday 17 May 2013, the Vigil of Pentecost, Pope Francis told this story: One day

Kids don't have to listen to dinner-time conversations about the politics of the pro-life and pro-choice movements in order to know that babies matter. I've never known a little kid who hasn't asked his parents, "Please, can't we have another baby?" Babies are a gift, and sometimes little kids know that more instinctively than the rest of us. So, with the anniversary of the Supreme Court's  Roe v. Wade  decision looming, I'd like to highlight a Live Action News list of pro-life kids' books brought to my attention by blog reader Tara Sayani. Thanks, Tara!! From "Simple ideas for communicating the pro-life message to children": Storytime is another prime opportunity to instill pro-life values in our children. In general, it’s important to be selective about which books we choose to read to our little ones. And with a little effort, we can find excellent stories that teach why every life matters. Here are some pro-life values t

Malaria that's resistant to a very successful anti-malaria drug is spreading. The good news is that scientists know where this particular strain's immunity came from. Other scientists say that "society needs to be prepared" for designer babies, and that "it is time for a serious public debate on the issue." More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

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I do not want to die, only to discover I was playing society’s games,  games which were dependant  on the time and place I was born, rules which changed constantly.   I do not want to be so caught up in work, business, squabbles about doctrine and ritual, that I lose sight of Truth. How devastating to stand before Christ and realize that I could have been His presence on earth, a window of light and joy, radiating His love and mercy but lost my way. I can be His hands and feet and ears and whisper words I hear the Father speak to his little ones   I need to allow Love to transform me, so Love flows through me. Period. I flooded my mind with these verses from scripture today to remind myself everything  turns to ash when we die, everything but His Love in us. continue

How to use Facebook for Prayer , an article written by  Annie Turner  for  Busted Halo  caught my attention right away. There are days when I spend an inordinate amount of time on Facebook.  I have to admit that I don't pay a lot of attention to my friends' posts.  Most of the time I'm looking for inspiration for my blog or just something to brighten my own day.  It didn't occur to me as I scrolled through my news feed that some of my friends might need a prayer or two. You can read the rest at Being Catholic ... Really .

 You find yourself sitting by the sea, alone with your thoughts, watching the activity going on all around you.  You see him in the distance, walking you way.   You have heard his name mentioned and you think you might want to meet him, someday. Maybe you don't know how you would approach him. What would you say? But there is something about him that draws your attention. You can't explain it, but it's there.  Others have felt it too. People are drawn towards him. Why? He has your full attention now, even though his gaze is towards the water. Read more:  http://www.restfulwaters.net/come-after-me/

Today, January 22, is the day established by the church as a day of penance for abortion.  It is officially called,  "Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children." You can read the rest at Being Catholic ... Really .

Are you friends with your boss on Facebook?  My boss and I had this discussion the other day.  Fortunately, we both agree that we will not be friends on Facebook. You can read the rest at Being Catholic ... Really .

What do you do when the Epiphany chalk means nothing to you? I actually got in a teeny-tiny little fight about this with myself this year. Where do I draw the line when my ignorance clashes with expectation. There are so many traditions in the Catholic Church, and keeping up with them, for a convert, is like speaking another language. The tradition of the blessing of the chalk on Epiphany, for one. I had never heard of it, nor did I understand its use or purpose. Not eating meat on Fridays.  Or midnight mass. There are so many new things to get accustomed to as a convert. I remember when we were in RCIA.... the teacher brought up Holy Days of Obligation.... crickets. NFP...crickets. Receiving the Eucharist on the tongue....crickets. Additionally, as a convert, it can be so overwhelming because there are so many people to know about that I truly knew so little about...  Who is Fulton Sheen? Father Robert Barron? Cardinal Dolan? I literally knew who the Pope was, and that was a

The past eleven days has been a real roller coaster ride! I am not a big fan of roller coasters, either at amusement parks or in real life! They make me nauseous and I'm not a fan of the thrill. Sometimes however the trials of life that feel like roller-coaster rides can help us grow the most in faith. Hopefully the story I am about to tell will produce growth in me. After all, the Lord can use anything (Romans 8:28)! Our children have been begging us for a while for a puppy. My husband and I have been researching what would be a good breed for our family. We have tried big breed dogs and they usually knock the children over and can be pretty destructive so that did not work for our family.    Read more @ Beautifulthorns >

Read More at:  His Unending Love

Company brands, or slogans, identify their purpose and are used in publicity. They become familiar to us. What fast-food restaurant’s is “I’m lovin’ it”? What insurance company assures us that we are in good hands? What drugstore is on the corner of happy and healthy? Unless you never watch television, you probably know the answers are McDonalds, Allstate, and Walgreens. On being consecrated, bishops choose a coat of arms and a motto. Pope Francis chose as his motto Miserando atque eligendo, which translated is “looking at him mercifully he chose him.” click to continue