Association Of Catholic Bloggers

This will be a short post because during my week retreat, the projects have piled up! (The photo of our provincial house from our cemetery shows the beautiful skies we had every day of retreat despite the prediction of three days of rain.) A recent experience gave me an idea for this post. At lunch I was with someone who was struggling to open her ice cream bar. She pulled and pulled on the paper and even used her napkin to get a better grasp. I stretched out my strong “piano hands” to help, but she wanted to do it herself. Eventually she was successful. Why do we often refuse help? I too am guilty of this. I say things like, “No, thank you” and “I can carry it myself.” (And then sometimes I suffer the consequences!) Our stubbornness in doing things by ourselves could be because we are Americans, known for independence. I can think of two cases where people were in dire straits but either too proud or too ashamed to ask for help. So they were miserable. Click to continue

An unborn child hears and reacts emotionally, not only to his mother but also to the people and activity around him.   Prenatal babies have personalities before they are born. As any mother can tell you some babies move around energetically both in and out of the womb, while other infants are physically passive. Some infants are night owls both in and out of the womb and others actually sleep well at night. As nurses will point out to new parents, newborns quickly turn towards the voices of their mother, father, siblings and even grandparents.  So that means that an unborn child hears what is happening and remembers what he has heard while he was still in the womb. These memories are conscious for the first couple of years of a young child’s life but later they lay deep within their subconscious. continue

I’m thinking out loud. The Catechism of the Catholic Church says that “prayer is the lifting up of the mind and heart to God.” I think that’s amazing! We can actually communicate with God! He listens to us, and, if we still our minds and hearts, we might be able to hear His responses to us. Why does God need prayer? The truth of the matter is that God does not need our prayers, but we need prayer to become closer to God. Prayers don’t change God, but God changes us through prayer. Why doesn’t God answer my prayers? Doesn’t He hear me?  Read More at:  Prayerfully Yours

I am blessed and humbled to have such great, and talented friends, who have agreed to review my new book, Adventures of Faith, Hope, and Charity - Finding Patience , available on Tuesday, August 25th. That’s just two weeks from today! Let me introduce you to my friends. Tony Agnesi from Finding God’s Grace Allison Gingras from Reconciled to You  and A Seeking Heart (on Real Life Radio) Nancy Ward from Joy Alive Cathy Gilmore from Catherine C. Gilmore Elizabeth Reardon from Theology is a Verb and An Engaging Faith  (on Real Life Radio) Jeff Marlett from Spiritual Diabetes Sarah Damm from Sarah C. Damm Connie Rossini from Contemplative Homeschool Emily Davis from Our Home Under Mary’s Mantle Jeannie Ewing from Love Alone Creates Oh, did you see that box titled, “YOU!” in the picture? Well, you will have many opportunities to join in on the fun! Read more...

from The Breadbox Letters

Sarah Hart is a prolific songwriter of faith-based songs. She has won a Grammy award for song she co-wrote for Amy Grant and a earned a gold record for a song she co-wrote for the Newsboys. This is her first video for a song called “Praying with a Broken Heart,” from her album, Above Earth’s Lamentation . In this song she describes a common prayer experience of “Where are you, God?” Click here to see the video.

Out of the blue my youngest resolutely proclaimed from the other room,  “Mom when I get older I am going to Rome.”    Having grabbed my attention, I called back,  “Well certainly you can, but why do you say that?”    “ Well, mom if this is anything like the granite and gelato served in Rome..I’m there!”   No surprise as I walked into the kitchen to spy him sitting and consuming a cup of lemon Italian ice.  “Ah, Thomas but it is oh so much better in Rome!” From the very first day of our arrival in Rome, my friends and I struck out on a pilgrimage of a different sort…to taste test as many different places and varieties of these frozen delicacies as possible during our stay.  It became almost an adventure, asking cabbies and locals for their own personal favorites and to discover new ones as well.  Our first find, within walking distance of our hotel, was to be our evening stop regardless of whether we had found another gelateria earlier that day. Read More..

Do you accept God in your life? It’s a very simple question. My guess is the answer is “yes” or you would probably not be wasting your time reading this post. I want for you to give your answer more thought. Go deeper. Would the answer still be yes, after answering the following questions? Do you accept all of Christ’s teachings, as delivered by Him? Or, do you pick and choose what you think is relevant to accept as appropriate for the 21 st century? Do you believe and accept that Christ’s moral teachings are unchanging; meaning... Read more...  

Tween and Teen fiction readers deserve honest, compelling and engaging stories. They don't want to be pandered to any more than discerning adult fiction readers. Tween and Teen fiction readers are a particular breed of readers. They have just enough life experience to know realities of struggle or worry and yet ought to know that life really does offer hope and resolution. The Green Coat: A Tale from the Dust Bowl Years  by Rosemary McDunn is deservedly one of the most popular tween and teen fiction books in homes and classrooms. Available in paperback and kindle,  The Green Coat  offers a story of hardship and hope in the midst of one of the greatest struggles in American history: the dust bowl. The Green Coat's tale of perseverance is one that readers of all ages enjoy.  read more here

The Divine Office is part of the liturgy, the official public prayer of the Church, just like the Mass and the sacraments. Like all liturgy, it is the sacred work of the people. Other names for the Divine Office are the Liturgy of the Hours and the Prayer of Christians. Although priests are obliged to pray it (the breviary), and many men and women religious pray it, the Divine Office is intended to be the prayer of all Christians. One year I offered to teach parishioners at my parish how to pray the Divine Office, and our pastor provided them with the prayer books. Most of the people who learned this way of praying continue to do so. In fact, one man whom I taught prayed the Office on a plane during a pilgrimage. When he finished, a woman he didn’t know asked to borrow his book because she forgot hers. Not long after, I attended their wedding and took partial credit for their happiness! Click to continue

  (From The Cloistered Heart)

I was getting ready to talk about 1 Kings 4 - 8 and John 6:41 - 51 , two of today's Bible readings, when I read about Niloy Neel: (From Facebook, via BBC News, used w/o permission.) (" Niloy Neel was an atheist from a Hindu background " (BBC News))... Niloy Neel's killers probably thought they were committing an execution, not a murder. Either way, Niloy Neel is dead: and quite a few other folks in Bangladesh are in serious danger. At first glance, this looks like something that doesn't matter to me. I'm not an atheist; my life hasn't been threatened; and I live in central North America: a long way from Bangladesh. But "atheist" bloggers in Bangladesh are human, I'm Catholic: so I must care about them, and everyone else.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

From  The Gospel of John  (2003)    Directed by Philip Saville. Jesus played by Henry Ian Cusick; narrator, Christopher Plummer. Gospel   John 6:41-51  ( New Revised Standard Version, Catholic Edition , Canada) Then the Jews began to complain about Jesus because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.”   They were saying, “Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How can he now say, ‘I have come down from heaven’?”   Jesus answered them, “Do not complain among yourselves.   No one can come to me unless drawn by the Father who sent me; and I will raise that person up on the last day.   It is written in the prophets, ‘And they shall all be taught by God.’ Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me.   Not that anyone has seen the Father except the one who is from God; he has seen the Father.   Very truly, I tell you, whoever believes has eternal life.   I am the bread of life.   Your ancestors ate the manna in t

When I was younger, my husband used to tell me that I “never forgot anything.” He was right that time. I remembered how he came home late when I needed him to help with the kids. I reminded him how I cried when he washed my new white blouse with my beautiful red, wool sweater that shrunk to the size of a 5 year old. (I think he did that on purpose so that he wouldn’t have to help with the laundry.) I also remembered how he slept through the night when the babies were crying.  Read More at:  Prayerfully Yours

 I have been trying to blog, but quite honestly, I have been reeling from the recent videos released about Planned Parenthood.  I've watched undercover videos of them before, but these are the most raw and troubling ever.  I had so much to say, yet no words to share it.  Last night, as I was getting my little guy to bed, this article came to me.  It is not a debate of the abortion issue but why we cannot let this drop, we cannot let it be forgotten, we cannot throw up our hands and accept perceived defeat. 1 There are many who say this is just more right wing extremist reactionary to nothing. Get over it and move on, it means nothing.  However, the most significant development for me, is that Congree convened to debate this issue and vote in late July.  That is prime time for summer recess.  They were not just hanging around working on more important issues and squeezed this incidental item in to appease the right wing.  In all likelihood, most if not all members were in th

You and your smartphone are tied at the hip. Emails, phone calls and Google Calendar reminders direct your day’s activities. What if that same smartphone could help you develop spiritual discipline? I love technology and I use it to keep me aware of God throughout the day. Using my iPhone to remind me hourly to pray has probably been the most helpful in creating this mindfulness. Click here to continue reading.

Scientists found evidence that Earth's magnetic field is more than a half-billion years older than we'd thought. As usual, that raises more questions. The European Space Agency's Philae lander detected a "rich array" of organic compounds on Comet Churyumov-Gerasimenko 67P, including hydrogen cyanide (HCN). This is a big deal, since much of Earth's water came from comets: and HCN may have helped life begin on our world. More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

The recent ruling by the Supreme Court on the legal state of marriage has reverberated across the country. People cannot stop talking about it and the conversations are often heated. A seismic shift has taken place in our culture. It caught me unprepared for the personal storm of confusion and fear that I would experience as a result. Facing the inevitable KatLevPhoto fear of rejection, Flickr Creative Commons Christians are facing a “brave new world.” Confrontation is now inevitable; I cannot avoid it no matter how uncomfortable it makes me feel. I have to be clear as to what I think and how I feel and learn how to express it both firmly and in love, as Jesus would do. Confession These recent events have revealed in broad daylight what had been concealed in the shadows of my soul: I am a weak-kneed, timid Christian, locked in the tyrannical grip of caring about what others think of me. My instinct to self-protect causes me to hide away my faith and avoid discuss

I have prayed on a roller coaster that I thought would be the death of me. I have prayed in the village of Medjugorje on Apparation Hill and on Mount Podbrdo where the Mother of God prays at 5 AM each day. I have prayed on my deck at the break of dawn. I have prayed on a hospital gurney as I lay sick, prepped for surgery. I have prayed in Chicago riding the train. I have prayed in New Mexico at the Santuario de Chimayo. I have prayed in the bathroom. I’m sure your list will be long or longer than mine. Read More at: Prayerfully Yours

If Planned Parenthood was defunded where would women go for help? All over social media I've seen this question asked and now there is an answer. You can read the rest of the article at Being Catholic ... Really .

Accepting someone else’s reality can be difficult; especially when someone else’s reality does not jive with our own. What are we to do? How are we to behave when we see what we deem to be unacceptable behavior, and/or hear inappropriate speech? People’s perceptions (realities) and points of origin will differ, resulting in a need for diversity; the accepting of another’s reality. The need for diversity could stem from a myriad of origin points: race, creed, gender, sexual orientation, nationality, culture – just to name a few. We must understand and accept another person’s reality, to practice the virtue of acceptance. No one is asking you to condone sinful behavior. However, we must remember to love our neighbor as Christ loves each of us. As Saint Augustine originally coined in Letter 211 of his writings, we are to have “love for mankind and hatred of sins.” To do so is acting in a Christ-like manner. Here is a perfect example: Read more...

Looking for a woman's study for your small (or large) group but not sure where to start? Whether you are new to women's studies or well-versed, you will enjoy the Servant Books publication of W rapped Up: God's Ten Gifts for Women . It has all the pieces that make it an ideal choice. There is the book itself which explores the ten gifts God gives every woman. These include such things as living a sacramental life, forgiveness and accepting God's love. . Each chapter is explored from an Old Testament perspective and a New Testament perspective. ( The book is also available on Kindle.) The accompanying journal  gives general instructions on running a study and encourages every woman to explore the gifts in-depth. What makes this a particularly enjoyable study is that there is also an  audio component  where you can hear each author (Teresa Tomeo and myself) read her chapter. A nice way to use this is play the audio for the group and then let the Spirit move the

(From The Breadbox Letters)

                                                                        “There is quite a lot written by our Holy Church regarding Freemasonry… So that you understand where the Holy Catholic Church is coming from in condemning Masonry, a general statement is in order. The Catholic Church exists to assist Jesus in saving our souls and getting us to heaven. Holy Church does not make a habit of condemning people or organizations. Holy Church will only admonish a person or an organization that is involved in mortal sin for the purpose of helping the individual(s) involved to repent and convert.” "Therefore the Church’s negative judgement in regard to Masonic associations remains unchanged since their principals have always been considered irreconcilable with the doctrine of the Church and therefore membership in them remains forbidden.  The faithful who enroll in Masonic associations are in a state of grave sin and may not receive Holy Communion ." [1] [1]  Declarati

Many of you have patiently followed the saga of our Catholic marriage advice book through the stages of  proposal ,   publishing contract , and  editing .  Over the summer, we found out our title: The Four Keys to Everlasting Love: How Your Catholic Marriage Can Bring You Joy for a Lifetime And.... we found out that  Christopher West  had agreed to write the foreword!!!! In every informal poll we conducted on social media, when we asked who would be the BEST person to write a foreword to a Catholic marriage advice book, you overwhelmingly responded, "Chris West." Read more here...

Acceptance is a two-fold virtue: accepting yourself and accepting others. How difficult is it for you to acknowledge and accept your own limitations and weaknesses? How difficult is it for you to accept the same in others? Do you hold others to a higher standard than yourself, because you expect more from others than you do of yourself? Finding acceptance in our lives requires that we first unlock the door to the interior self. It is there that we commune with God. We discover and come to accept who we are, as God has created us to be: in His image and likeness. In looking at the interior self, we assess our strengths and weaknesses; our possibilities and limitations. We acknowledge our sins. Within the depths of the interior self, we come to accept... Read more...

I recently received a question in my email box, and  I thought it was an interesting question and the thoughts it brought out seemed like they would be beneficial to share in this space. Now, my prior disclaimer is twofold: first, that I am a convert, and none of my (extended) family is Catholic. And two: I'm not sharing this to threaten anyone into converting. I'm just doing so because it gives me joy to share more about my faith. So. There's that to contend with- I'm new at this- and two, keep in mind as I answer this and perhaps other questions in the future that I'm doing this simply in response to a question I received.  I still wanted to address it here on the blog, and do so anonymously, just to remain, as always, on the safe side. The person asked: Tacy, As someone who was Protestant and is now Catholic, what do you think of the following article? The Gospel for Roman Catholics @ For the Church Is he representing Catholic doctrine fairly?  If he i

Touring Chicago's beautiful churches brought my husband and I to  Old St. Mary , Chicago's oldest (founded in 1833 by the  Paulist Fathers ) and the first Catholic parish in the area.  Old St. Mary is on it's  sixth building .  You can read the rest of the article and view the photo gallery at Being Catholic ... Really .

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(From The Cloistered Heart)