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Catholic Humour? Yup

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Catholic humour almost seems like an oxymoron to the secular world, especially to cradle Catholics who no longer practice. Visions of grim, fasting, penitent saints wearing hair shirts rise up as phantoms from their childhood. Yet the truth is the saints are joyful, lighthearted and even funny. Enjoy this sample of Christian and Catholic humour, created by religious people who have learned to laugh at themselves. continue to laugh

Welcome Pope Francis

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Show your support and welcome to our Holy Father with these facebook covers Additional covers can be found   here ...

'Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all.' Sunday Reflections, 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B

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Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati (6 April 1901 - 4 July 1925) Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all. Gospel   Mark 9:30-37  ( New Revised Standard Version, Catholic Edition , Can,)  They went on from there and passed through Galilee. Jesus did not want anyone  to know it;   for he was teaching his disciples, saying to them, “The Son of Man is to be betrayed into human hands, and they will kill him, and three days after being killed, he will rise again.”   But they did not understand what he was saying and were afraid to ask him. Then they came to Capernaum; and when he was in the house he asked them, “What were you arguing about on the way?”   But they were silent, for on the way they had argued with one another who was the greatest.   He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, “Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all.”   Then he took a little child and put it among them; and taking it in his arms, he said to them

New Species, Old Burial Site

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Scientists from University of the Witwatersrand found skeletal remains in South Africa's Rising Star Cave . This is a big deal, since it's the largest collection of hominin bones found in a single spot: and these folks may have been burying their dead 2,500,000 years ago. More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

Two Christian Catch Phrases I Wish We'd Stop Saying

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I’m going to begin with a disclaimer. I believe faith is very important, and so is sacrifice, or “offering things up”. That being said, I wish we, as Christians, wouldn’t make “Have faith. It’ll be OK.” And “Offer it up” our go-to phrases when people we know (or don’t know) confide in us about their struggles. Not because I don’t believe, theologically, in the value of faith and sacrifice in such situations, but because I don’t think these two exhortations are the best pastoral approach to take. (Note: If the person themselves brings up wanting to talk about faith or sacrifice and how it can help them, it’s a different story.) Read more...

Fruit Always in Season

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(from The Breadbox Letters)

God Made Us For Joy

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God made us for joy.- St. John Paul II

Angels are REAL

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Angels’ deeds are more than simply the stuff of legends, children’s bedtime tales, wishful thinking or fantasies of illiterate, ancient minds. If you close your mind to these messengers of God, they sit like gold in a bank, useless unless we give them permission to act. An angel is a pure spirit created by God. The Old Testament theology included the belief in angels: the name applied to certain spiritual beings or intelligences of heavenly residence, employed by God as the ministers of His will. The English word “angel” comes from the Greek angelos , which means ‘messenger.’ In the Old Testament, with two exceptions, the Hebrew word for “angel” is  malak , also meaning ‘messenger.’ Some may never see with earthly eyes these heavenly beings or know that they exist. Many are unaware of the numerous ways they have protected and guided us. Angels saved my son’s life. The phone call comes on a Saturday night.  continue on CatholicMom

What is Your Recipe for Joy?

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I don’t envy the security guard for Pope Francis. He’s very unpredictable and spontaneous. I read that, one day as he was being driven in his motorcar that he saw and elderly woman standing by the road and smiling. He asked the driver to stop, and Pope Francis got out of the car and walked over to the woman. They chatted, and he asked her, “What is your recipe for joy?” Now, I am paraphrasing this story, so the words I use are not direct quotes. The elderly woman replied, “Ravioli. I make ravioli. That gives me joy.” Joy is supposed to be the mark of the Christian. Look around. Do you see much joy? I don’t. Yet, we are supposed to be joyous in the Lord! We are all called to be saints. That should bring us great joy, but, St. Teresa of Avila, sometimes lost her patience. Read More At Prayerfully Yours

Objective? Why Should I Be Objective?

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Objective? You mean that I can’t hold onto my ulterior motives? I can’t remain partisan? I can’t retain my prejudices? I can’t be self-righteous and pass judgment upon all those who cross my path? The answer is “no:” Plain and simple! When you do these things you stunt your own growth. In our humanity, we are all quick to judge others by how a person looks, speaks and acts. It is very difficult to stay objective and refrain from passing judgment. Yet that is exactly what we are all called to do. When our actions are based on ulterior motives… Read more...

How To Be Helpful, In Big Ways & Small

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Are you like me, wishing that you could make a big difference in the world in some way? Do you wish, like I do, that you could lend a hand to help to alleviate the suffering of the migrants in Europe? Or to help stop abortion, genocide, and suffering of all kinds? It can be a helpless feeling of overwhelming frustration to want so badly to help to end the suffering and pain and desperation around the world when we’re tethered to our life, to our family, and to our responsibilities. 

Spotlight on the Family 2: Prayer

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As a child, French author Anatole France heard about St. Simeon Stylites who lived on a pillar for 37 years in Syria so he could pray in solitude. In imitation of St. Simeon, little Anatole placed a chair on kitchen table and sat on it. But then at dinnertime his mother had him take it down. Anatole commented, “I perceive that it is a very difficult thing to be a saint while living with your family.” Yet, this is the goal of families: to raise saints. A saint is someone who has a wonderful relationship with God, a relationship that is fostered by prayer. Click to continue

Marian Art Reveals the Beautiful Face of Sorrow

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Near the cross of Jesus, there stood his mother. Jn 19:15.Most mother’s identify with their children, feeling joy and pain in their hearts as they watch their kids. Mary was and in fact still is in sync with her son, in deep communion with him, offering  us a pathway through her heart to the heart of Christ. Let’s celebrate the Memorial of Our Lady of  Sorrow with great art. continue reading

8 Ways to Help when You Feel Powerless to Stop a Monster

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Public Domain Photo from Anna Langova Can you imagine the horror of feeling a scalpel inserted into your brain, not knowing what is happening? Can you feel the seering pain as raw nerves are exposed and your heart, liver, or other organs ripped out? Your heart is beating. You’re naked and shivering, and no one cares. Then you feel the knife and your life ends. If the truth be told, I cannot watch the videos shot at planned parenthood. I cannot hear the silent cries of the baby who was ripped out of its mother’s womb in such a way that it is intact and ready for “harvest.” I could not watch videos of the suffering in the Holocaust which was the planned genocide of millions. Read More at Prayerfully Yours .

The Importance of Royalty

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The royalty alive in our world today are critically important. They are the key to the meaning of life. I'm talking a little bit about this kind of royalty: "The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge with Prince George" by  Christopher Neve . Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 via  Wikimedia Commons And a lot about this kind: ©StephanieFrey/Getty Images Jesus is King. It might be easy to forget about Christ's kingship, considering how humble Jesus was. While the Gospels share story after story of Jesus being humiliated, hated, and nearly tossed off cliffs, we glimpse his transfigured glory only in rare moments. But Christ, risen from the dead, is conqueror of death and King of Kings. We seem to have a thing for kings, queens, and all sorts of royalty--maybe especially darling little Prince George and Princess Charlotte. In all our stargazing, we tend to overlook our own royal heritage. And that could cost us our lives. Join me for more at Praying with G

The Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows

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"At the cross her station keeping, Stood the mournful mother weeping, Close to Jesus to the last. Through her heart, his sorrow sharing, All his bitter anguish bearing, Now at length the sword has passed." ( Stabat Mater )

Fill Up My Cup...

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If you know me in real life, you know that praise and worship music isn’t my thing – unless it’s to get a little entertainment by making fun of it. Don't get me wrong - I know that many people enjoy that type of music, and I have no problem with that - it just isn't my own way of praising God. That “Fill up my cup…” song, though, has a point to it. Half the time, discussing whether the glass is half-full or half-empty is a moot point.  Often enough, by the end of a given day, week or month, there’s no question involved: I’m running on empty. Does that make me a pessimist? I hope not. I prefer to agree with the anonymous genius who said that the most important point isn’t how full your glass is,  but that it’s refillable. So on those days when you’ve run ragged trying to hold yourself together, give your kids the love and care they need, be a good spouse and do everything else we’re expected to do for one reason or another, don’t get discouraged.  Just make a little ti

In the Stillness....

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Mother Teresa said, “We need to find God, and he cannot be found in noise and restlessness. God is the friend of silence. See how nature – trees, flowers, grass- grows in silence; see the stars, the moon and the sun, how they move in silence… We need silence to be able to touch souls. ― Mother Teresa At this moment, in my house, the fan over the stove is roaring. The dehumidifier is so loud I can’t hear anyone anywhere else in my home. It’s just loud! I want to go to my room, close the door, and drown out the noise. Read more at:  Prayerfully Yours

Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross Expressed in Art

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The origins of the holidays are related to the finding by St. Helena relics of the cross at the beginning of the fourth century and dedication in Jerusalem basilica in his honor in 335. At memento of this event – after September 14 – the Church celebrates the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. Jesus said to Nicodemus: “No one has gone up to heaven except the one who has come down from heaven, the Son of Man. And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life." continue reading

The Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross.

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“A tree has destroyed us,……. Another has brought us life.  To read more, go to The Sincere Gift

Virtue of Disinterestedness? What's That?

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Disinterestedness is one of the least known virtues. I have to admit, until I had read Father Romano Guardini’s book, Learning the Virtues That Lead You to God , I had never heard of it. So let’s start with a definition. Look in any dictionary and you will find definitions such as an absence of interest; objectivity; unbiased. So how does that make disinterestedness a virtue? Father Romano Guardini shows how: The more we seek to gain our own ends, the more the other person closes up and is put on the defensive. But the more clearly he perceives that… Read more...

Carry Your Cross - Surrender, But Never Quit, Never Give Up

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I don't know why divorce happens sometimes, why every year people who certainly aren't perfect, but who certainly have done nothing to deserve divorce or the kind of treatment a cruel, self-centered ex spouse delivers are forced to endure such trauma. Even less, do our innocent children deserve this kind of division, this kind of treatment, this kind of loss. This is not fair.  I do not deserve this. My children do not deserve this. And yet here we are.  Like most divorced women and children , we have seen a substantial change in our post-divorce lives. Even with state garnished child support, we live on less than half the income we had just a few years ago, with more expenses than we had just a few years ago, and less time than we had just a few years ago. Like most men, the abandoner's income has increased substantially. His expenses have also increased because of his purchase of a vacation/rental homes and other items hidden from the courts under th

Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross

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Via Franciscan Media Early in the fourth century St. Helena, mother of the Roman Emperor Constantine, went to Jerusalem in search of the holy places of Christ's life. She razed the second-century Temple of Aphrodite, which tradition held was built over the Savior's tomb, and her son built the Basilica of the Holy Sepulcher over the tomb. During the excavation, workers found three crosses. Legend has it that the one on which Jesus died was identified when its touch healed a dying woman. The cross immediately became an object of veneration. At a Good  Friday  celebration in Jerusalem toward the end of the fourth century, according to an eyewitness, the wood was taken out of its silver container and placed on a table together with the inscription Pilate ordered placed above Jesus' head: Then "all the people pass through one by one; all of them bow down, touching the cross and the inscription, first with their foreheads, then with their eyes; and, after kissi

A Smile Is A Gift

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DREAMING

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CLICK HERE

Turning Anger Around

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If you’re active in parenting social media groups and the blogosphere, you know that we talk a lot about ways we can be more patient with our kids, more kind, more balanced. We talk about ways to get over anger and stop yelling. And all of this is important. The next time I have a rough week with the kids, I’ll probably be reading more such tips. At the same time, there’s a different perspective I think we need to consider once in a while. Sometimes, it seems like we can place too much pressure on ourselves and, collectively, on each other, to be perfect.  Basically, if you take a look around at parenting pictures, stories and tips, we’re often telling each other in subtle ways that to be good parents, we need to be happy most if not all of the time. And, we’re sometimes saying:  when you’re not happy, try not to show it. The basic logic here is that we want to be fair and kind to our kids. We want to be strong for them. We don’t want to react hastily or for the wrong reasons

Some Links to Help You Prepare For Pope Francis' Visit to the United States

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Isn’t this amazing! Pope Francis will visit our country beginning next week. I won’t be going to visit him, but I will be glued to the television watching as much as I can of his visit. That aside, here’s where you can go to get ready for our Pontiff’s visit. If you go HERE , you’ll find the official schedule for Pope Francis’ visit. It’s nice and detailed, so you will be able to follow Pope Francis around. so to speak. Read More at:  Prayerfully Yours

DID JESUS HAVE A UNIVERSITY DEGREE?

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DID JESUS HAVE A UNIVERSITY DEGREE? I WONDER ... WHAT DO YOU THINK? YOU'D BE SURPRISED AT THE ANSWER THAT'S IF YOU CLICK HERE

A Homemaker's Vespers

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While our Sisters and Brothers in monasteries are chanting Vespers, we who live 'in the world' may well be in the busiest time of our day. The world, at Vespers-time, is right in the middle of rush hour. It is when many are leaving work, pouring into roads and trains to make the journey home. Some of us are preparing an evening meal, knowing that growling tummies will not be soothed if we hide away in prayer corners to sing and chant praise. So we do what must be done.... (click to continue)
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Spiritual Direction with St. Teresa of Jesus Two Types of Peace In this excerpt from the writings of St. Teresa, she instructs us to be on guard against the false experience of peace that comes from a conscience that has no sense of sin and no remorse when it has fallen into sin. It is the awful predicament of a soul without self-knowledge. St. Teresa teaches us that prayer and the gift of contemplation bring us to self-knowledge. In this blessed state, we have the light of the Holy Spirit to guide us and convict us when we have fallen into sin.   Continued Peace be with you! Rosemarie, OCDS