Association Of Catholic Bloggers

Laudato Si' has caused a media sensation, both positive and negative.  Pope Francis' exhortation of the environment is consistent with his honoring of St Francis of Assisi who sung God's praises through the beauty of Creation.  However, I must admit, when I first heard the topic of the newest pontifical encyclical, I was very disappointed and dismayed.  The environment-- when there are thousands being persecuted, rises in violence, assaults on children both born and unborn, human trafficking, neglect, anger, abuse, darkness--so much going on in our fallen world! Shouldn't the Catholic Church take a stand on some of the grave issues facing humanity and our Church? Now, I must clarify here, I am not anti-environmental protection.  I reduce, reuse, recycle, compost and upcycle as much as possible and then some.  My family uses cloth napkins, diapers, feminine hygiene products, and cleaning cloths.  I make my own non-toxic, all natural, cleaning solutions and soaps. 

On June 10th, the Pope’s Wednesday general audience continued his catecheses on the family, focusing on the theme of sickness and suffering. Man experiences his own fragility primarily in the family, first as a child and, then, as an elderly person. While family sickness presents obvious challenges, it can also be a source of quiet strength and deepening of faith. Pope Francis stresses that we must “educate children as little ones to solidarity in the time of sickness”: Contrary to contemporary society which tends to recoil from sickness, the pope understands the “weakness and suffering of loved ones can be, for our children and our grandchildren, a school of life.” An “education that lacks sensitivity for human sickness hardens the heart.”  Obviously, Catholics must learn not to shelter our children from suffering because it is an integral part of our faith. Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi shed light on the pope’s teaching when he said there is “an unavoidable spiritual dimension

HAVE YOU EVER HAD TO DEFEND YOUR FAITH? ESPECIALLY IN RELATION TO PRAYING TO SAINTS HOW SHOULD CATHOLICS RESPOND TO ACCUSATIONS OF IDOLATRY? READ THIS.

Many Catholics are writing about " Why I Remain Catholic ." Besides the good answers given elsewhere, here is one reason of mine: for the funerals. I came into the Church in the Easter Vigil of 2012. A year or so ago I attended a funeral for a man in the parish whom I did not know, but whose wife I knew. I had never seen a Catholic funeral and did not know what to expect. So what follows are my impressions of what I saw, being a Catholic but still a very new one and one who did not grow up in an environment with any Catholicism near it. This was a funeral Mass, not a Requiem Mass. The casket was brought to the front of the church, to rest at the base of the lit Baptismal/Paschal candle. What a symbol, to remind us of the man's baptism and ours, and of the Resurrection. The vestments in this case were white, also a reminder of the Resurrection, and instead of a big spray of flowers made by a florist, the casket had a pall, a drape of the same material as the priest's

Years ago when I was in Vancouver, my companion and I went up a snow-covered mountain to a ski lodge. From that height, the view was  spectacular: a vision of pale blue water and islands wrapped in lavender mist. Not having a camera, I tried to imprint the scene on my mind for future reference. Such revelations of the world’s beauty touch the heart and can move us to tears. We see awesome sights not only in person, but in the National Geographic and posted on the Internet. Our earth, a blue and green gem floating in black space, was entrusted to us by God, its creator. We have dominion over it and all the plants and animals in it. Apparently we are failing in our responsibility—so much so that Pope Francis has written a letter to the world in which he doesn’t mince words. He states, “The earth, our home, is beginning to look more and more like an immense pile of filth.” Click to continue

Prayer is essential. How many times have you heard that, but wondered just how essential is it really? Or, what’s in it for me to pray? How many times have you prayed and heard silence? How many times have you given up on prayer, because your prayers weren’t answered the way you wanted? In the Catechism of the Catholic Church, we look to quotations from Saint John Damascene and Psalm 130:1 to define prayer: Prayer is the raising of one’s mind and heart to God or the requesting of good things from God. But when we pray, do we speak… Read more...

Like many others out there in the Catholic blogosphere, I have been rocked by the Supreme Court decision last Friday.  I really never realized before how much it would rattle me.  The victory call of "Love has won!" aggravated me.  What did love have to do with it, really?  The decision was not one of love, true love did not ever enter the equation.  We have lost our sense of love.  We confuse attraction for love, excitement for compatibility, and sexual pleasure for commitment.  However, when we got down to the nitty gritty of the law, we realize that our society has forgotten love and what true, unending, unfailing, sacrificial love is. Are there same-sex couples who are loving and devoted to each other?  Surely there are.  Just as a deep friendship is a love that two share.  The truest definition of love is God.  He loves not only be complete surrender of Himself for good, but also by Creation.  God loves all people, He rejoices in the creation of each new

By Booyabazooka (Own work) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons Feeling blue? I've been feeling sad lately, and maybe I'm not the only one. Despite the magnificent warm weather and glorious summer vacation, life just seems more difficult than usual--like walking through Jell-o. Often, during times like these, I try to count my blessings. But then again, when I remember the millions of things for which I should be thankful, I grow angry with myself for feeling useless and oppressed. So then I'm sad  and  frustrated. How do  you  shake the blues? Join in the conversation about the Works of Mercy at Praying with Grace .

People are writing with fear and panic underlying their comments and articles in the face of the States sanctioning same-sex marriages. Why?  We are people of hope, not doomsayers or fearmongers. Christ has already triumphed over sin and death. We are  not called to focus on disaster, on evil, on sin. Christ commanded us to refrain from condemnation and judgment so  we will not be judged and condemned by our Master.  Our mandate is simple; allow the Light of Christ to grow ever more brightly within us, especially as the darkness deepens. Then we will be a light unto the world. He will conquer darkness through us. We are simply channels of truth, light and mercy.  This is the central message of the New Testament. continue 

My Top 8 Reactions to the Supreme Court Gay-Marriage Ruling. After Friday's Supreme Court Ruling I got a number of Facebook messages and e-mails asking for my opinion or asking me to explain my opinion. 1. The hashtag #lovewins, was all over social media.  Did that mean that #hatelost?  Of course not.  This wasn't a love vs. hate conflict.   To frame it that way is really the  logical fallacy  of f alse dilemma. I have known many wonderful gay and lesbian people in my life time. All of them have been gifted, talented, funny and really enjoyable folks to be around. I fully believe what the  Catechism of the Catholic Church  teaches, that these people must be:   accepted  with  respect ,  compassion , and  sensitivity . I believe that we are called to do all of those things for all of God's people, and that one can do that and still oppose so-called same sex marriage. In fact, to really love our fellow human beings, one MUST oppose SSM. Read More Here.

By the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Department of Justice, Peace and Development In Partnership with Loyola Press In this beautifully illustrated book, we follow a young girl named Sylvie from the small country of Burkina Faso in Western Africa and the experience of Mike, a Catholic Relief Services worker working in the region.  Having been invited to speak to the classroom of Sr. Mary Jerome, Mike shares with the students the day-to-day challenges of living in an area of immense poverty.  Read More..

Persevere in Faith To persevere in Faith, “we must nourish it with the Word of God.” 1 That means that we need to read Scripture. The more we become acquainted with the Word of God, the more we come to know God, trust God and love God. Through the nourishment of the Word, we are able to believe in Him and all that He promises. This helps us to grow in trusting the Lord. Yet there are times when He is silent, and during these times we quickly feel abandoned. It is at these times that we must persevere in Faith. We must trust in God’s timing, and never give up. Read more...

The 2015 winners for the Catholic Press Awards were announced last week in Buffalo, NY. Congratulations to Bezalel Books author Laura Pearl for two wins for her charming YA novel  Erin's Ring! Erin's Ring  won 2nd place in Books for Teens and Young Adults  Erin's Ring  also won 3rd place in Catholic Novels Laura is also the author of  Finding Grace  and blogs at  String of Pearls .

The worst result of the SCOTUS marriage decision  is an article I posted to my  Being Catholic ... Really page  (scroll down to find the article and the comments made) and I got a lot of flack for it.  Some thought I wrote it and became very angry with me.  I didn't correct them because I agree with what was stated.  I lost a few likes over it too.  That's happened before so it doesn't bother me like it used to when I first started blogging. You can read the rest at Being Catholic ... Really .

I was thrilled and honored to learn that my YA Catholic novel, Erin's Ring (Bezalel Books, 2014), was a recipient of two 2015 book awards from the Catholic Press Association. If you'd like to read more about it, the full post is over at String of Pearls .

From The Cloistered Heart

"...'Brother Wolf, you have killed and pillaged like a wanton criminal, and for that you deserve punishment! But accept instead the forgiveness of all the men you have wronged. Come now, here is my hand. In the name of the Holy One, come to me, and pledge that from this day on you will live at peace with men. Come!'... "...He was only in time to see the berserker-wolf take the last hesitant step of its advance. To see it raise one metal paw — and with its steel claw-fingers gently touch the kneeling friar's extended hand...." That's from Fred Saberhagen's "Brother Berserker." The "berserker-wolf" part of Saberhagen's tale is based on a legend in " Fioretti di San Francesco ," written a century and a half after Francis of Assisi died. "Firoetti" is probably the most popular collection of stories about Saint Francis: but "Scripta Leonis, Rufini et Angeli Sociorum S. Francisci," compiled by Brot

What is the most effective way to preserve marriage?   How can Catholics preserve the sacrament of  holy matrimony? My husband and I often talk about the disintegration of marriage.  My husband feels that the baby boomers (our generation) have destroyed marriage.  We were the ones who brought about free love, living together and the divorce epidemic.  Divorce has become common place and the  "starter marriage"  is part of our vernacular. You can read the rest of the article at Being Catholic ... Really

As long as the Supreme Court is basing a big ruling on equal protection, how about protecting something even more fundamental than marriage? Read more ...

For children, waiting for anything seems endless! Faith Livingstone would agree, having just moved to a new town, and about to enter a new school. Faith wants so badly to make new friends.  She wants to feel like she belongs in her new surroundings. It all can’t happen fast enough for Faith. Journey with Faith as she struggles to make new friends; yet, learns the value of the virtue of patience in the process. More info about Adventures of Faith, Hope and Charity - Finding Patience can be found here  and here .

Beavers are back in England, which is good news or bad news: opinions differ on that point. Quite a few folks died when drains blocked up in Nigeria's capital. Then a gas station exploded. There's more rain in the forecast, so their troubles are far from over. Finally, there's a new doomsday prediction in a brand-new publication. Madagascan lemurs are imperiled: but not, I think, cockroaches, rats — or humans. More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

T he Father Capranica Mysteries: Stories of the Strange and Supernatural  by Fr. Mike Driscoll is now available on  Kindle  and  Nook . Driscoll's fiction book is an excellent accompaniment to his non-fiction book Demons, Deliverance and Discernment. 

Welcome to Indie Catholic Authors first ebook-only joint sale! Grab 17 ebooks from 16 different Catholic authors for $.99 or less each. For details on all the books, their authors, and buy links, read on Echoes of the Divine  by Melanie Jean Juneau Although babies are pre-verbal, they are perceptive and remember, even their time in the womb. Since infants come from God, they are more spiritual than adults ever imagined. Melanie offers insights through slice-of-life stories which will surprise you and make you laugh. Her writing is humorous and heartwarming, thoughtful and thought-provoking, with a current of spirituality running through it.   #1 Rated Nonfiction-Religion&Spirituality-Christian Life/Family on Smashwords Blue Hydrangeas: an Alzheimer’s love story  by Marianne Sciucco What if the person who knew you best and loved you most forgot your face, and couldn’t remember your name?  Jack has made an impossible promise: He and Sara will stay togethe

Things happen. That's the way of life. A flare of the sun does not mean that this is an omen from God. A "blood moon" only means that this is a blood moon. Many people are now obsessed with the end of times.  Events, even of the most ordinary, become predictive of the "end of times." Many people live in fear because these "prophets" of our time say that everything will change.  Millions upon millions of people will die. I've seen this happen in my church where a group of fervent women pray, but they live in fear. Whereas prayer is good, fear is not from God.   Read More at:: His Unending Love

There are steadfast hearts that still beat strong In the valley of their torment There are hearts with walls built all around Misfortune and pain to prevent There are mended  hearts in the aftermath of healing from sorrow and pain But let my heart be the house that becomes your abode And let your Spirit reign. Let my heart be the house that becomes your abode Let my will to yours comply Your plans that are good, meet the hopes that I had As you set to purify. I cannot fulfill my hopes and dreams By trying to dodge Your plan Let my heart be the house that becomes your abode And let your Spirit reign. Read the rest of my latest poem at New Things  and give me some feedback please. Blessings, Lyn

To sit, even for a single moment, in the Presence of God during adoration or in the tabernacle, is the source of amazing graces for our souls. Even the angels cannot measure the graces poured into our hearts and souls for they are too many to count. In these times when our world has gone crazy and our hearts are troubled, we need to humble ourselves in the Presence of God and say, “My Lord and My God!” Read more at:: Prayerfully Yours

This is the third in my series on the works of mercy and how to live them in everyday life.  You can find posts about feeding the hungry and giving drink to the thirsty in the archives.  The Works of Mercy are integral to living our faith, yet they are often overlooked because we do not know how to do them even though we know that we should.  Also, as parents we must teach the Faith to our children, but teaching does not mean just book knowledge.  To truly teach Faith, a Faith that is ingrained on the soul and in the heart and throughout the mind, it must be lived.  As St Paul said, "Faith without works is dead." Here are five ways that you and your family can learn to clothe the naked and so be the hands and feet of Christ here on earth. 1 In the Gospel of Luke,  John the Baptist says, "The man who has two tunics is to share with him who has none"  We all have more than one shirt, and St John is not advocating only having one outfit. Conti

THIS MAN What if you were there when He walked on earth? What then? CLICK HERE

Be Patient! Just Be Patient! Oh my goodness – how many times have you heard that line, or better yet, delivered that line to your children? If you are like me, you have heard it over and over again; and if a mom or dad, delivered it over and over again. However, that is exactly what we need to do; be patient and let things work themselves out in accordance with God’s will and His timeline. He calls us to stick with it and persevere. How can we even think of persevering (another virtue) without patience? If we become impatient… Read more...

One of the most delightful gifts we human beings have is music. Thank God we can enjoy listening to it, making it, singing to it, whistling it, humming it, and dancing to it. Although preferences range from stirring classical pieces like Beethoven’s “Fifth Symphony” and operatic arias to rock numbers and toe-tapping songs like “Happy,” everyone likes music. It’s no surprise that music plays a dominant role in our worship. Singing is a way to use our body to praise God. As St. Augustine remarked, “Singing is praying twice,” or as my friend pointed out, the saint really said, “Singing well is praying twice”!   Click to continue