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Today, February 8, is the  First International Day of Prayer and Awareness Against Human Trafficking .  This day was picked to coincide with the feast day of  St. Josephine Bakhita  who suffered horrific treatment by her kidnappers. You can read the rest at Being Catholic ... Really .

My wife and a friend are making bread, about 15 feet from my desk. They're having a great time, and I'm trying to not get distracted while writing this post. The results may be interesting. Or confusing. I'll let you decide which. Thanks to some very powerful prescriptions, my ADD-inattentive and major depression isn't nearly as hard to handle as it was: which reminds me of this morning's first reading. More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

DOES GOD EXIST? REALLY? CLICK HERE TO FIND OUT.

I am spreading the word about an online, free online conference called  The Catholic Conference for Moms  .  I think it’s going to be a great event.  And it’s not about organizers or the speakers–it’s about Jesus Christ and letting Him more and more into our lives and the lives of the those attending the conference. continue reading

Apostle St Peter , El Greco, 1610-14 Museo de El Greco, Toledo, Spain [ 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   Mark 1:29-39  ( New Revised Standard Version, Catholic Edition , Canada)   As soon as they   left the synagogue, they entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John.   Now Simon’s mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they told Jesus about her at once.   He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up. Then the fever left her, and she began to serve them. That evening, at sunset, they brought to him all who were sick or possessed with demons.   And the whole city was gathered around the door.     And he cured many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him. In the morning,

It's been a little while since I have posted anything. Life has been so busy. But I wanted to get a quick post in about this fun activity I did with my kids last Lent/Easter. Time to Hide the Alleluia! Blessings, Jen

I mentioned yesterday that I have been having some strange dreams lately. I wonder what you'll think of this one. I can't remember why, how or with whom I was having a conversation. I was being told that the lack of sacramental wine offered at parishes of late is causing the faithful to forget that Jesus shed his blood for our sins. How we need to sip and taste the sweet, stinging wine to remember, really remember. I don't dream like this and I am the kind of person that pays close attention to her feelings, the movement of thoughts and their possible origin. I'm always psychoanalyzing myself. To be honest, I think that's how I am able to separate, mentally, the bad from the good in my childhood and early adulthood from how I interact with my children and husband. So why this dream? Why now? What does it mean and where do I go from here? Of course that's rhetorical. Read more at Filling My Prayer Closet

Confession:  I have been writing (true) stories ... some of these are about events that happened years ago. Like a little old gently maturing lady penning her memoirs, I'm looking over events, old and new, and setting some down on paper. Or at least on screen.... (continue)

Chicks and humans associate small numbers with the left side and large ones with the right. A scientists says this may mean that our 'number line' is a very old piece of neural hardware. Other scientists are studying part of a skull that's from one of the earliest of today's sort of human to leave Africa. More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

I know I'm a little late to the game, but I have a few thoughts on the rabbits comment made by Pope Francis about two or three weeks ago. His words from the interview spurred MANY conversations among people I know in person, over the phone, and on social media.  And rather than push it aside because I'm late, I would rather share them... because I have thoughts -Deep Thoughts!- to share about the rabbits! (And Pope Francis!) I know, it's better late than never, right? To start, let's link to what Pope Francis  actually  said: Another curious thing in relation to this is that for the most poor people, a child is a treasure. It is true that you have to be prudent here too, but for them a child is a treasure. Some would say 'God knows how to help me' and perhaps some of them are not prudent, this is true. Responsible paternity, but let us also look at the generosity of that father and mother who see a treasure in every child. (read the rest  here ). {read the

The Offertory,  (Battle of Tears) Now is the time to fight.  Not with weapons or words, but with tears, the tears of a Mother pleading for her children.   Some time ago I prayed the words of Rachel during the stations, I said, "Give me children or I shall die."  I meant spiritual children that I can pray for.  God in His goodness gives me children that I cannot see or touch, that are somewhere in the world and in need of a Mother's tears for them.  At this moment in the Holy Mass He not only gives me these children but also fills my heart with love for them at the same moment.  My heart is pierced and tears flow for the children I love, although I do not know them, I love them no less.    The tears of a Mother pleading for her children before the throne of God is very powerful.  A Mother's heart willing to be pierced for her children to lead them to God can pluck those with the darkest of hearts directly from the demons grasp.  The heavens are opened and ... TO

I HAVE SINNED READ ALL ABOUT IT HERE

Learning to listen to a child’s unspoken communication is much like connecting to God. You must forget everything you think you know, let go of arrogance and humbly and silently listen. Just like in contemplation, our hearts  must open to God and to a little one’s heart and soul. It is God who will teach us how to connect spirit to spirit with His little child because babies are part of the Communion of Saints, one with us in the Body of Christ. Children — especially babies — are  little and vulnerable, vulnerable to the large, often clueless adults who care for them. Put yourself in a baby’s situation. Preverbal for years, it must be frustrating to be tired or in pain, only to have a bottle thrust into your mouth or have a tense, upset mother try to nurse you when your stomach is bloated with burps. continue

Be honest.  Have you ever worn your Rosary out?  Wait!  Do you know where your Rosary is?  Wait! Do you own a Rosary?  Wait!  Do you know how to pray the Rosary? These are important questions for a Catholic.  Next to the Mass, the Rosary is one of the most powerful prayers we have in our arsenal of faith.  Each mystery of the Rosary takes about 20 minutes to pray.  Through each decade we view the Gospels with the eyes of Mary, His Mother.  The prayers of the Rosary are simple.  We begin with the Apostles Creed which reminds us of the fundamentals of our faith.  The rest of the prayers are basic, prayers we should have learned as children.  There are a total of 6 Our Fathers, 6 Glory Be's, 53 Hail Mary's, and, between each decade the following prayer:: "Oh My Jesus, forgive us our sins.  Save us from the fires of Hell.  Lead all souls to heaven, especially those who are in most need of they mercy." The prayers are repetitive and meditative.  Each decade br

Today’s Gospel:  Mark 6:1-6   Jesus is not accepted in his hometown What is disturbing about this famous gospel passage about the reaction Christ receives in his hometown is Jesus’ neighbors  admit  He speaks with wisdom and He has performed great deeds. They are astonished, in fact, by His reputation. Yet they cannot admit His miracles and His words come from God. They sputter, “ Where  did this man get all this?” They know his family and He was a simple carpenter. So, they cannot even acknowledge His anointing as a prophet, never mind perceiving that He is the Son of God. The key to their negative attitude towards Jesus is their pride. They are  offended . Their pride shuts their hearts and souls to the truth. Perhaps their noses are out of joint because they are still ordinary. Ironically, it is precisely ordinary, little people who flock to Jesus and who are healed and loved and taught about the wonderful secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven. However, it is little people who ar

It’s been awhile since I’ve thought about Abraham, the great granddaddy of Christians, Jews, and Muslims. But as I prepare a talk on him, I’m renewing my acquaintance. Aspects of his life shed light on our own. If you recall, when Abraham was already 75 years old, the one and only true God told him to leave his land and relatives. Yet God didn’t reveal where he was to go. This command made no sense, but Abraham began walking. Talk about a leap of faith! click to continue

The Consecration: (The Battle Begins)  "This is my body..." This is when I am usually attacked.  When I know the consecration is near, I prepare myself, steel myself, get ready.   I do not know exactly why this is when I am attacked, but I think it is because I know what is coming and how to effectively utilize the gift God has given us in the Holy Mass for others.  The Catholic at the Holy Mass is for the  other .  We should rarely be there for ourselves, but we should be there for the rest of the world that is  NOT  there.    The demons do not want you to fully understand what is really happening in the Holy Mass, and will do everything in their power to distract you from the work that God is doing on the Earth.  To read more... CLICK HERE!

If you are looking for something unique and engaging, consider  Laura Pearl's online book club ! Join women from around the country and share thoughts, gain insights, and just have fun! Laura is the author of two novels:  Finding Grace  and her latest novel  Erin's Ring . She's a gifted storyteller and a funny and warm-hearted blogger (as well as mother of five grown sons...)  Nancy Carabio Belanger  (author of The Gate which won first place in the 2014 Catholic Press Awards for novels) has said about Laura's  latest novel : " This wholesome novel had me shed tears of sadness and joy, and these brave young Irish-Catholic women from different generations drew me in. Lovingly and tenderly written,  Erin's Ring  is a story of true friendship, sacrificial love, and above all, the God Who is never bound by time or space."

Looking to start a spiritual journal but getting stuck with writers block? Check out these Catholic journal prompts drawing from the Scriptures and the wisdom of the Saints in this new monthly series from Saints 365. Each month will provide journal prompts around a monthly theme drawn from the scriptures, the writings of the saints, and other spiritual books - this month's theme is love. Have any other ideas? Please share them in the comments?  Click here to read Catholic Journal Prompts: Love Edition...  

The next stage of prayer that we have to talk about has been called by so many names that it is often hard to tell that various writers are talking about the same thing. Teresa of Avila calls it recollection. But she also calls the first stage of infused contemplation recollection. This adds to our confusion. On my blog I will call this stage of prayer acquired recollection , as opposed to the infused recollection that is a pure gift of God. Other authors use the terms acquired contemplation, the prayer of simplicity, or the prayer of simple gaze . In Interior Castle Teresa doesn’t speak much of prayer in the third mansions, except to say that souls at this stage “spend hours in recollection.” If we find prayer tedious, tend to avoid it, or cut it short, we are probably not firmly in the third mansions. People in the third mansions love to pray and would spend much of their day praying if they could. In fact, they begin to recollect themselves throughout the day as t

Do you want to know my favorite thing about the New Evangelization? The pajamas. Yes, the pajamas! This all makes sense (I promise) at Praying with Grace . Visit the slick Catholic Conference 4 Moms  website  to register!

What did the cry look like? I always wondered what that cry sounded like? How amazing and how frightening it must have been for those around the man to witness. The scream of the demon always had an actual physical presence for me as well. I could see the scream. And it was horrifying. The Bible is amazing in the details it gives and in the details it omits. In this passage, as in many others, we see Jesus commanding an unclean spirit to leave, but we don't know many details about the man or about what made the spirit unclean. Volumes could probably have been written about this man and his life, his trials and the trials he put others through, but we are just not privy to that information. When I was younger, I always assumed the man was your typical "crazy" man. I pictured him calling out to Jesus that day, but also talking to himself, dancing foolishly, acting strangely. I pictured him unable to hold down a job or keep a girlfriend or support a fam

What are you doing for Lent?  Will you give up chocolate?  Will you give up wine (or whine)?  Will you remember to not eat meat on Fridays?  Will you read that classic Catholic book you've been promising yourself that you would read for years? You can read the rest at Being Catholic ... Really .

A writing prompt once asked, “Think about the last time you broke a rule (a  big one,  not just ripping the tags off  your pillows).  Were you burned, or did things turn out for the best? ” Just like most people, I do not simply break a rule here and there;  no,  like every other human being, I continually break the most fundamental law of the universe without any conscious effort by refusing to accept reality. Instead of realizing my place in the universe, as one of God’s creations, I put on masks and false personalities in a vain attempt to deny my very nature. In pride, I act like a queen at the centre my own little world. Even worse, I steal God’s job by trying to save myself by my own efforts. continue reading

I'm thrilled to announce  Marriage Rx , a  new monthly marriage advice column from me and my husband, Catholic psychiatrist Dr. Manuel P. Santos! It will appear monthly on CatholicMom.com on the fourth Monday. I'll also repost on the Can We Cana? blog. My husband and I have already received lots comments and questions to feature in future columns. Please keep them coming! How Marriage Rx Can Help You Most marriages encounter bumps and trouble spots along the way. But Catholics don’t view marriage as disposable. We want to fix our marriage, not throw it away. If you’re looking for Catholic marriage advice from someone who understands the powerful and healing graces of the Sacrament of Matrimony, Marriage Rx can give you answers that will truly help. It’s anonymous.  When you submit questions, you don’t have to use your full name, or even your real name. Just email us at  catholicmarriagerx@gmail.com  and look for the answer in an upcoming column. It’s free.  You

Many Christians (and non-Christians) find the hardest part of believing to be the problem of evil.  Whenever terrible things happen to people, there is always that lingering question of, "Why me?" You can read the rest at Being Catholic ... Really .

" Lord, I am Yours.  Lead me where You want.  I come to do Your will.  Let me be Your eyes.  Let me be Your mouth.  Let me Your Hands.  Let me be Your Feet.  I am here.  I come to do Your Will." When the Divine touches you. You will never be the same. You will go to places you never dreamed you'd go. You'll do things you never dreamed you could do. You'll sail seas you never dreamed you'd sail. You will walk in His Footsteps.   Read more at:: His Unending Love

'The more we pray, the more we wish to pray. Like a fish  which at first swims on the surface of the water, and afterwards plunges down and is always going  deeper; the soul plunges,  dives, and loses itself  in the sweetness  of conversing with God.' St. John Vianney   (from The Cloistered Heart)

You've heard this one before: or not. After church, one of the older folks said to the pastor: "you should talk more about sin." The pastor was puzzled, since he'd been talking about nothing but sin for the last few weeks. Then he realized that for this person "sin" was a handful of activities that the person either didn't enjoy, couldn't participate in, or actively disliked. Having well-defined personal preferences is okay. Expecting everyone to share them is unreasonable: Getting them confused with universal principles leads to trouble. I'll be talking about sin. I'm against it, by the way: which may not mean what you think it does. More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

Say again, please!   “Diet and Nutrition Essential for Mental Health” ? Yes, indeed...  “Evidence is rapidly growing showing vital relationships between both diet quality and potential nutritional deficiencies and mental health,” a new international collaboration revealed… “It is TIME for clinicians to consider diet and additional nutrients as part of the treating package to manage the enormous burden of mental ill health”… >> Click Here to Read More at: The Way to Nourish for Life >> Let us pray: “Christ Jesus, when all is darkness and we feel our weakness and helplessness, give us the sense of Your presence, Your love, and Your strength. Help us to have perfect trust in Your protecting love and strengthening power, so that nothing may frighten or worry us; for, living close to You, we shall see Your hand, Your purpose, Your will through all things.”–St. Ignatius of Loyola [In honor of young Gabby, whose funeral was today (1/31/2015), may she rest in peace.]

I was fed up being ripped off at motorway service stations. I found the price of ‘tea’ appalling and it invariably tasted like coffee-coloured dishwater. So I bought two 12 volt kettles at a sale and decided to make my own tea in the car. The good news was that it worked. The bad news was that the water took three hours to boil. I was so frustrated that when I returned home I plugged the kettle into the mains for a quick cup of tea. There was a flash, a puff of smoke, followed by the smell of burning and my poor kettle gave up the ghost. I had learnt my lesson – 240 volts into 12 volts will not go. It was the same in the Old Testament, the infinite love of God simply would not go into finite human beings. That’s why nobody could even see God and live, and the very thought of his infinite love entering into our finite human being was therefore total inconceivable.  read on ...

Vatican II can be properly understood only as being in continuity with the church's millennial traditions, not as a radical break with the past . Pope Benedict Man likes to be in control, even of God. Of course,  most of us would deny trying to box in the Almighty because we realize how ridiculous this sounds.  Yet because we really do not like to change, we end up resisting even God.  We like our comfort zone. We especially don't like the rug ripped from under us and that is usually how God must most often snag our attention. God is not stagnant. He is not the God of the past, but God of the present,  alive, a dynamic powerhouse seeking to heal, transform and draw us ever closer to His heart. This week I was wondering why so many Traditionalists are against Vatican II, labelling all the popes which came after as illegitimate and even heretics, especially Pope Francis. When I researched the question, an insightful homily popped up by Pope Francis from May 29,

Today is Thomas Merton's 100th birthday.   Thomas Merton  (January 31, 1915- December 10, 1968) was a Catholic convert who became a Trappist Monk, a writer and even a peace activist.  Why does  Merton still matter ? You can read the rest at Being Catholic ... Really .

St Joseph and the Christ Child , El Greco, c.1600 Museo de Santa Cruz, Toledo, Spain [ Web Gallery of Art They went to Capernaum; and when the sabbath came, Jesus entered the synagogue and taught.   They were astounded at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.   Just then there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit,   and he cried out, “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy One of God.”   But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be silent, and come out of him!”   And the unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying with a loud voice, came out of him.     They were all amazed, and they kept on asking one another, “What is this? A new teaching—with authority! He   commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him.”   At once his fame began to spread throughout the surrounding region of Galilee. Remains of the 4th century synagogue, Capernaum [ Wikipedi