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Father Frederic, our Parish priest, is away for two weeks and has been replaced by Father Gaston, a priest of French origin, until our regular priest returns. Father Gaston doesn’t say much, maybe because he hasn’t much to say to us. Who knows! He is tall and thin and looks very severe. He has one of those unfortunate white skinny faces which look like a skull. A long oval shape with sunken eyes and boney features revealing the contours of his jaws as he grins benignly rather than smile. I bet he could turn someone into a pillar of salt by just thinking it. I don’t mean that he is nasty or evil in any way; he just looks that way and would frighten any cat out of its nine lives. Maybe I should introduce him to mine. Last Saturday I went to confession. Father Gaston was in attendance. We have one of those wooden confessionals which consists of a compartment in the middle which the priest enters and sits on a bench, and we genuflect on either side, pulling the cur

Over the centuries many Saints have told us how powerful the Rosary is, but they didn’t tell us why or how the Rosary makes such a change in our world.  The following is an attempt at an explanation of the power of the Rosary The Rosary is one of the most powerful tools of portable semi- exorcism and soul purification.   Soul Purification: The Holy Rosary, if prayed with dedication, and singularity of heart, allows one that prays purification, a desire for the things of God's church which include the sacraments, and as God allows the soul will touch the edge of eternity in preparation for their judgment.  How can one prepare for eternity, if we have no tangible concept of the Holy Realm?  Can the finite touch the infinite? Yes, but only as God allows, for not by our own merit can man interact with eternity unless our hearts are aligned with God. God in His goodness has given us the Holy Sacraments of the Church as the way that a sinfully inclined man who will one day taste d

courtesy: pixabay PD The Sacrament of Reconciliation changed my life forever.   How's that for an opening line!! But it is not just a line, it is the truth ... and it continues to be the truth over 10 years later.  As  I shared yesterday , I have always been a huge  Confession Chicken  - until that fateful day when Jesus made me laugh - but there was more that happened that day that changed my heart toward this sacrament.  The Holy Spirit drew me to learn more about why Catholics come to a Priest to confess and don't just whisper our sins to God directly.  I started with the Catechism of the Catholic Church but ended with an deep inspiration that could have only been inspired by the Holy Spirit. First the Catechism lesson  .... did you know that the Sacrament of Reconciliation also known as the Sacrament of Conversion, aka the Sacrament of Penance, and the more probably well known moniker --  Confession  -- is a sacrament of healing?   I had NO idea. NONE.  I am not s

Today with the Saints: October 16: Saint Gerard Majella : St. Gerard Majella, St. Catherine Church Montfort, Netherlands History Saint Gerard Majella very devoted to Christ and very wise. T... continue reading

We're years away from safe pig-to-human organ transplants: but scientists using CRISPR gene editing tech are working toward that goal. Other scientists are discovering a chapter of humanity's family history: Eurasian immigrants returning to Africa, when the Shang dynasty and Egyptian Empire collapsed. More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

Faith: a very personal word stemming from a very personal relationship with God, resulting in an inability to clearly articulate just what it means to you. Sound familiar? Are you like so many people who steer clear from talking about religion, let alone your own personal faith, for fear of rejection, confrontation, or appearing ignorant? Fear no longer! Your faith sharing story is your story. No one else can write it and no one else can articulate it better than you. Easier said than done? I understand. That’s why I am excited to share with you a new DVD by my friend, Nancy Ward, titled, Sharing YOUR Faith Story DVD . In this three part DVD, Nancy tells of her... Read more...

I hear of a school where the Geometry class has been made more efficient by computers. Kids don’t need a ruler and compass anymore, as their homework and tests consist of multiple choice answers to questions about provided diagrams. They do no proofs, selecting instead the correct answer as a ‘given’. Sigh… This could make me crazy, but I’ll settle for sad. Geometry is about connection to the physical world! It is about constructing lines, triangles, equal angles, polygons and all that! How will a student wonder at the amazing development of man’s mind in correspondence to the actuality of form in the created world if Geometry is presented as an abstract, mental construct?  How will they appreciate mathematics as a language of God if Geometry – the subject which links the logos of verbal and numerical reasoning – does not involve them in the work of construction and logical proof by which the physical and metaphysical realms are realized through and in persons?? How

(From The Breadbox Letters)

The thrill-ride of book publishing continues as we hit our next milestone: the cover of our new book,  The Four Keys to Everlasting Love: How Your Catholic Marriage Can Bring You Joy for a Lifetime !!! This Catholic marriage help book is  already   available for pre-order at Amazon.com  (what a dream come true). Our editor called publisher Ave Maria Press' art department their "secret weapon" because of how great they are at developing attractive cover art, so we were overjoyed to work with them. Like everything else in publishing, coming up with a great cover is a long process. For the final cover and to see how the book got from rough sketch to finished product, click here !!

“You can be right. You can be dead right and bring death to all those around you." -  Jean Vanier ( founder of L’Arche)  Holy people realize the closer they actually get to God, the less they really know. They are the simple souls who simply look at God and let Him gaze with love on them in return. continue reading

Pope Francis and St. Teresa of Avila have a lot more in common than first impressions might lead you to think.  Click here to read more...

On the October 5th episode of A Seeking Heart with Allison Gingras on Breadboxmedia.com, I welcomed the truly delightful, insightful and sister-in-Christ author,  Sherry Boas : Sneak peek into Billowtail  - a SQUIRREL story!! that I will be featuring in 2016. I have a thing for the scatteredness of a squirrel.  Do yourself a favor and check out the book trailer! Sherry unpacks each of the  5 Lily Books  for us - incredible, thought-provoking must read novels Each is told from the point of person that Lily, a woman with Down Syndrome, has touched  - spanning her lifespan and beyond.  The ripple effect of one life - is incredible.  Her fiction mimics life! For more of the shows notes and TO LISTEN to the podcast - click here !   For more on upcoming books or past guests visit:   A Seeking Heart with Allison Gingras   All rights (text, audio and images) reserved Allison Gingras, 2015 Cover Image - Caritaspress.org / Sherry Boas

I was reminded recently that prayers are very often answered in the most unexpected ways.

My greatest barrier to moving from the safety net belief in God to a relational one has honestly always been fear.  A mix of fears too not a one size fits all fear.   My journey to embracing a more loving and trustworthy idea of God (the true image of God)  - began in 2007, when I began to search my heart for what was missing - and found it wasn't something from within but from above. But first came the apprehension fear - the I've read enough of bio-ops on the Saints to repeat St. Teresa of Avila's admonishment to Christ when she allegedly landed in the mud after her donkey bucked her.   "IF this is how you treat your friends, no wonder you have so few of them."   Exactly Teresa - fear that if I made this commitment to follow Christ beyond the Sunday obligation (aka keeping perfect attendance just in case this is all real) bad stuff would befall me.  I gave this some real thought too banishing these Saints from my thoughts and prayers because in some twiste

Tact has always eluded me, until I began researching and practicing the virtues. I saved this virtue for discussion until now, because I had much work to do in this area, myself, before I could write about it. Bluntness, or lack of tact, can diminish the quality of relationships. It is confession time for me. I have a classic example of how the lack of tact can destroy relationships. Here goes: While I was still working as a technology audit manager, I was attending one of those “off-site” kumbaya type meetings, where I thought complete truth would be openly accepted... Read more...

(PS for last week’s post: This Sunday’s Plain Dealer ran a story about a man who raised funds for a hospital in his native Congo. His storage trailer with $100,000 worth of supplies burned, destroying everything but rosaries. Wonder if the publisher knew October is the month of the Holy Rosary.)     Two of my ninth graders made a needlepoint illustration of creation. Note the second last square! After creating everything, God rested on the seventh day. For our physical, spiritual, and mental health, we need to rest too. It’s time to reclaim Sunday as a special day of the week, a day of rest and tranquility. Some of us, overwhelmed by the demands of life and work, are in sore need of “a sanctuary in time,” just to enjoy being alive. For good reason the third commandment, “Keep holy the Lord’s Day,” has the corollary: relax and have fun. Click to continue

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.  The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge. There is no speech, nor are there words, whose voice is not heard.  Their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them he has set a tent for the sun, which comes out like a bridegroom leaving his chamber, and, like a strong man, runs its course with joy. … continue reading

If ever anyone deserves a bouquet and thanks from all of us it is you Melanie Jean Juneau.  Not only do you manage this particular website so well on our behalf, but you also run a number of other websites too as well as contributing to various other Internet sources.  In particular, I am very grateful for the support and encouragement I receive from you in promoting my posts on Facebook and Google+ regardless whether the subject matter is one on Christianity or a more flippant humourous one. Thank you Melanie. God bless. Vic Moubarak

©Studio-Annika/Getty Images Prayer works. But how? When? To what extent?  These are the questions parents and teachers ask me at every talk I give for the Apostleship of Prayer. And so I tell a story. Join me at Praying with Grace , please!

  The Holy Family of Nazareth is the model par excellence of family life.  With so many questions about the true nature of family life running through the news and the culture, reflecting on God's design for family has never been more critical. This edition of Catholic Journal Prompts features reflections on the Holy Family and how their example can serve as a guide for all families.  As always, each edition of Catholic Journal Prompts features journal starters based on the Scriptures, the writings and lives of the Saints, as well as other personal reflections and a list of resources for further study and meditation. Click here to read more....