Association Of Catholic Bloggers

Homeschool moms, how is your planning coming along?  I have to be honest, I am way behind usual.  I am a planner. I started planning Christmas 2015 in November, 2014.  Yet, I'm having trouble getting this year together.  With all that has happened in my personal life and the world at large this past year, I'm feeling unfocused and a little lost. SO , to kick me into gear, I am starting a series of posts on the unit studies I am designing for next year.  I am going to try to keep up with my Wednesday Works of Mercy Bouquet posts, and run this series on Fridays as Seven Quick Takes posts.  I hope that makes sense. Continued on Veils and Vocations.

I just returned home from my eleventh annual week away at Catholic Heart Work Camp with teens and adult leaders from the parish where I am the Youth Minister. So much happened in those few days that I am still processing. It is impossible to explain a week at Work Camp to someone who has never been there.  To truly understand, it has to be experienced. Together we worked hard, played hard, sweat, got dirty, stood in long lines for the showers, got uncomfortable, found our way around a new place, ate what was provided, lost things, found things, did without caffeine, struggled with the wi-fi, got tense, learned patience, slept on the floor, woke up freezing,  made new friendships and deepened others,  danced, sang, adored, confessed, cried, wiped tears, embraced,  smiled, laughed, held hands, and  prayed... Read more:  http://www.restfulwaters.net/lessons-from-camp/

Thousands of people will pour into Philadelphia this September to celebrate the Eighth World Meeting of Families with Pope Francis.  On June 25 , the Vatican officially presented the theme for the event: Love is our mission: the family fully alive Lovely! On the other hand, do I want my family to be  fully  alive? That sounds like a handful. There are, after all, so many ways to be alive. My neighbor is alive at 6:50 am every Saturday and Sunday, cleaning his deck with a leaf blower powered by an engine from a Boeing 747. Alive was the man who cut me off in traffic yesterday, swearing at me colorfully through his open window. Children who fight over whose turn it is to wash the dishes? Very much alive. © ezepov/Getty Images Sometimes "alive" feels more like "undead." But the World Meeting theme recalls the famous line by the second century theologian St. Irenaeus: "The the Glory of God is man fully alive." Pope St. John Paul II admired Irenae

In my parish, there are a group of women who pray the rosary daily for our priests. We each have one decade to pray daily. In that way, we pray all the mysteries of the Rosary in one day for our priests. Pray for priests daily whether you pray a rosary, a decade of the rosary, or general prayers for priests. Here are some prayers you might like to pray, too. These prayers come from a collection by the Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia out of Nashville, Tennessee. Here’s the link to the pdf which you can download. Click HERE Read more at: Prayerfully Yours

Life gives us opportunities, blessings, trials and tribulations. Life is a journey; both physical and spiritual. It’s what we do with this life that matters most. How does one persevere in life when there are so many challenges, obstacles and hurdles to overcome? And why must they even exist? Why can’t life be just peachy? There is a simple answer to these questions: Without the challenges, obstacles and hurdles, you wouldn’t grow spiritually. Also, without difficulties in this life, you would take the opportunities and blessings for granted. You would take God for granted! Perseverance is such a necessary virtue. Anything worthwhile usually does not come instantly. It comes after we have put a lot of blood, sweat and tears into the situation. If we give up too soon, we... Read more...

Our first stop this summer in my continuing series, Touring Chicago's Beautiful Churches, is  Notre Dame de Chicago .   Notre Dame is the "round" church in the  "Little Italy"  neighborhood. You can read the rest at Being Catholic ... Really .

Curé of Ars    Saint Luke Productions  live plays are intellectually stimulating and an encouragement to devote more time to the study of the lives of the Saints. We were greatly inspired by Vianney  the dramatic performance of the vocation and life of the Cur é  of Ars. This presentation about the patron saint of parish priests enlightened us to the many holy victories won by perseverance in prayer and faithfulness to the sacramental life.

On our recent vacation, we were traveling from our vacation spot in South Carolina, back to our home in Tennessee, and we stopped at a Dairy Queen.  Inside, the restaurant, Christian music was playing over the loud speaker, and they had a statue of Jesus on the counter.  I was thinking, only in the South is a national chain also affiliated with Jesus Christ! Weird, right?!  What struck me was my three-year-old daughter's reaction to the statue. Her eyes lit up, and she turned to her Daddy and said, "Look! JESUS!!!"  This instance happened, coincidentally the day after the shootings in Charleston, South Carolina. This jives with all that I've been thinking about lately. Having my priorities in the right place, doing this parenting thing in love. Because if we're awesome parents, but we are not teaching them about Jesus, and holiness and most of all love, we are  nothing .  If we aren't teaching them the fear of the Lord and obedience to His Word, the Ho

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I've run into — and experienced — many flavors of angst over the decades. Back in my 'good old days,' some folks feared the communist menace, others the population bomb and imminent death of all the ocean's fish. And there's that perennial favorite — the End Times Bible Prophecy. ( June 9, 2012 ; October 3, 2009 ) I take the last things — death, judgment, Heaven and Hell — quite seriously. (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1021 - 1022 , 1023 - 1029 , 1033 - 1037 , 1681 - 1683 ) But recognizing that there's a really big closing ceremony for Creation 1.0 coming up — the Last Judgment — doesn't mean I think someone knows more than God the Father. ( Mark 13:32 - 37 ; 1038 - 1041 ) More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

This week, as my friends and colleagues can attest, I have been battling a rather persistent cold which has chosen to seize my vocal cords and keep me up at night. Lack of a solid night’s sleep and my stubborn refusal to call it a day or throw in the towel has not been helpful either. Yet, in waking this morning I had to smile. For in my stubborn courage, or selfless foolishness as some might see it, I realized that I had become the epitome of my own mother.   My mom, I know, had to have been sick at times, but as the sole provider I cannot ever really remember her taking off work. As a farm girl, she was conditioned to rise before dawn and work until sunset, giving her all to each and every day. Though later an adult, her modis operendi had not changed and if I slept past six, I could look forward to a discussion of  how I had chosen to sleep the better part of the day away. There was, in her mind, much to do, to be done, and discover in the day that could not be done whilst lyin

Keiko Shemura, First Communion Day, Dec. 1971, she  died April 1972, aged 14 Gospel   Mark 6:1-6  ( New Revised Standard Version, Catholic Edition ) Jesus left that place and came to his hometown, and his disciples followed him.   On the sabbath he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astounded. They said, “Where did this man get all this? What is this wisdom that has been given to him? What deeds of power are being done by his hands!   Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary   and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon, and are not his sisters here with us?” And they took offense   at him.   Then Jesus said to them, “Prophets are not without honor, except in their hometown, and among their own kin, and in their own house.”   And he could do no deed of power there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and cured them.   And he was amazed at their unbelief. Cherry blossoms [ Wikipedia ] Both the New American Bible and the

Public domain photo St. Francis before the crucifix “Always preach the gospel. If necessary, use words.” St. Francis of Assisi Together, St. Francis and his friars would travel through towns and the countryside, preaching the gospel. A stigmatist, a healer, a man who preached to the birds who listened to him, a miracle worker, and he lived in peace. He resisted many changs to his order. When they were approved, he became very sad and depressed. His peace left him. According to tradition, Francis had a dream in which the Lord said to him, “Poor little man, why are you so sad? Is not your order, My order? Is it not I who am its chief shepherd?  Cease to be afflicted, then, and take care rather of your own salvation.” Read more at: Prayerfully Yours

Golda Meir, 1 Henry Kissinger, 2 or someone else, said "even a paranoid can have enemies." I do not think humanity is doomed to extinction, or that life on Earth will end because we built factories. I do, however, think we need to use our brains: and take care of the planet we live on.... ...I also think remembering who we are — and what we've been learning about Earth — is important.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

When I was seven, I was snooping through my mother’s stuff, when something caught my eye. The book was titled  The Hidden Dangers of the Rainbow   by Constance Cumbey. To my innocent mind, rainbows were a wonder to behold, and I could not fathom anything dangerous about those glorious bursts of colors in the sky. The book’s cover, however, begged no alternative. A circle of red, yellow, green, orange, and blue sat front-and-center, while various symbols decorated the circumference… Symbols of the occult, I would later learn.

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