Association Of Catholic Bloggers

"For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected, provided it is received with thanksgiving;  for it is sanctified by God’s Word and by prayer.” 1 Timothy 4: 5 Paul’s teachings of thanksgiving never ceased. He continues to remind us to: Thank God! Thank God for everything and at all times! Thank God! Thank God! Thank God! For it is only with thanksgiving and praise for God that we will find true peace.  Read more at:  Prayerfully Yours

When I was little, I begged my Mom for a Barbie. Every Christmas I waited with bated breath for my Grandparents to arrive, knowing they’d bring me a beautiful, expensive, finely crafted Madame Alexander doll. I loved those dolls and still have them, but I didn’t really appreciate them. I played with them, brushing their real hair until the style was unrecognizable, wrinkling their finely made clothing, and tearing their delicate silk stockings. I enjoyed those dolls, but I failed to value them for their true worth. I really wanted that cheap Barbie. Finally one Christmas, because my Mother loved me despite my snubbing her lessons on value, I got my wish. I was really into gymnastics that year and was thrilled to get a Barbie gymnastics set along with the doll! The set included a bar I could snap Barbie’s wrists into and a crank that, to my delight, made Barbie spin wildly around the bar. To continue reading or to share this article with someone considering dating after a di

We knew this universe was fading, but now scientists have a much clearer picture of how fast the lights are going out.... ...Other scientists are pretty sure they're detecting neutrinos generated inside Earth. "Pretty sure" isn't "really sure," though, so they're still working on that research.... ...Right after a very quick glance at natural philosophy becoming science, I'm going to say why I do not believe that thinking is a sin — again. You've probably read that sort of thing on this blog before, so skip ahead to Portrait of a Fading Universe , teach yourself origami, read a good book, whatever.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

Face to Face Eye to Eye Spirit to Spirit Mary falls into her baby's gaze. Silent communion Deep understanding Infinity shared with a finite mortal. Finite Mother of an Infinite God. continue reading

Not for me, but for a young woman I met today at Michael’s. I saw her and she was buying glass bottles. Out of curiosity, I asked her why she was buying so many glass bottles. She asked me if I had ever heard of “Blue Water.” No, I hadn’t. Well, to shorten this story a bit, blue water is water that you “brew” in the sun. The water has to be in a blue bottle. Like sun brewed tea, blue water is, she said, healthy for you. She said that she drinks a lot each day. We chatted for a few minutes, and she told me that she was a music journalist. She gave me her card. I have discarded the card. The conversation continued. She said, “I have something to tell you.” She motioned for me to walk with her to a corner. She said, “I used to be very depressed, since I was a child, but I went to a shaman, a powerful shaman, and I found out that I had a spirit attached to me since I was born.”  Read More at::  Prayerfully Yours

a baby at 7 weeks gestation It's been disturbing to see all the Planned Parenthood videos recently. They are a reminder of how depraved the human heart can be. How God must grieve for His children. However...here's the positive nugget. These videos are an education on the abortion industry. Through the back door, a sliver of light has illuminated a dark evil.  We need to take advantage of this and LEARN. I came across the worst of the PP videos this week. It's fifteen minutes long, but eleven minutes in, the viewer sees discernible fetal remains. (To watch the video, click here: HARD FACTS.)   Bloody parts collected from a day's work are picked through with a pair of tweezers. It's horrific to watch, but important to see, because we have been in the dark too long about what abortion is. We don't really want to know, because then we'll be forced to reckon with what we think about it - we'll have to take responsibility for what we've seen - so

Doing the dishes. Cleaning the bathroom. Making the bed. Doing the Laundry. Feeding the cats. Walking the dog in the heat of the day, not because you want to do that… Cleaning the litter box!!!! UGH!!!!!!!!! Being silent. Watching TV. Opening the door for a stranger. Making cookies for a friend. Cooking breakfast. Making a Rosary. Not complaining. Being nice to someone who is not nice to you. Read more at:: Prayerfully Yours

Anyone who practices mental prayer for any length of time will reach a dry period. Why does this happen? What can we do about it? Sometimes prayer is dry because we are sick, depressed, anxious, or over-tired. In such cases, dryness is usually very temporary. A little bit of reflection can point out the reason for it. But other times, life seems to be going fine until we get to prayer. Then everything seems to fall apart. Dryness in prayer can indicate that we’re growing closer to God, or it can indicate the opposite. How do we know if our dryness is related to spiritual growth? St. John of the Cross is the master teacher about darkness in the spiritual life. His classic works, The Ascent of Mt. Carmel and Dark Night of the Soul talk about two periods of darkness in particular. Many souls struggle with darkness or dryness when they are transitioning from the purgative way to the illuminative way–from St. Teresa of Avila’s third to fourth mansions. The second com

Recently I posted on my beasone.org blog about big changes coming to my site (I have totally revamped it with a fresh new look and lots of extras). Even as I was gushing on and on in my post about how “this will translate into a more enjoyable experience for you,” I thought about how much I dislike website upgrades. I could hear myself grumbling: “Why change it; I like it just the way it is!” “I can’t find my favorite posts!” “Where is the contact information; I want to complain!”   Sound like you? Click here to read on , and offer your comments on how you feel about change.

Friendship as defined by Jesus through the writings of the Apostle, Saint John: No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. I no longer call you slaves, because a slave does not know what his master is doing. I have called you friends, because I have told you everything I have heard from my Father. It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you, and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he may give you. This I command you: love one another. (John 15:13-17). Let’s unpack this statement, one point at a time. Read more...

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