Association Of Catholic Bloggers

As a "casual Catholic" growing up in an affluent Long Island suburb, I never thought about shopping for clothes as a moral act. I just went out and bought what I wanted. But as my faith has deepened in adulthood, and I take my promises as a Catholic woman to heart, so too has my awareness that every choice that I make, from the car I drive to the clothes I wear, makes a statement about who I am and what I believe. One choice that most of us take for granted is the choice of what we wear. I'm not talking about whether to wear pants or a skirt, no makeup or makeup. I'm talking about where your clothes come from, and the impact that their manufacture, shipping and sales have made on countless people along the way. From the people making the fabric to the people hunched over sewing machines for 12 hours a day sewing cuffs and collars, your clothing choices can either help or hurt the world around you.   Read more .

From Saul to Saint Paul Saint Paul, whose Feast Day is celebrated today, serves as the perfect example of a person who turned away from sin and turned toward God. Before his astounding conversion, Saint Paul was known as Saul. As Saul, he participated in the stoning (and killing) of Saint Stephen, our first Martyr of the Christian faith. Saint Paul is well known as originally starting out as a persecutor of the early Christians, as he was a zealot for the Jewish faith. In his efforts to remain true to the Jewish faith, Saul departed Jerusalem for Damascus, in search of men and women who had sworn allegiance to Jesus. Saul wanted to bring them back to Jerusalem in chains (Acts 9:1). However, Jesus had other designs... Read more...

As the Morning Rising: God the Gatherer : God the Gatherer If I am full of myself Where will God who is much bigger than me, find rest? If the house of my ...

Tonight, God assured me that He is in charge and working in our lives. Kelly, Fred, and my daughter showed me that God works in the quiet of our hearts and souls. He seems to have more room to work in silence. Read More at Prayerfully Yours

The Curé d'Ars said that,  “All that we do, without offering it to God, is wasted,”  and he is of course right, but it must be emphasized that the Morning Offering isn’t a magic formula. It does not automatically transform the forthcoming day, that’s why something further is required.  My mother told me that after she had made her Morning Offering she would spent a few minutes reviewing the day ahead and making a few resolutions that would enable her   to try and consecrate every moment of the day to loving God directly in prayer , and indirectly  to loving our neighbours through all we say and do. It might be to do humdrum tasks that we keep putting off, like changing the sheets on the bed, putting air into the car tires, defrosting the freezer, or something that’s more important. There’s always that friend or relative who’s sick or in need, who we should ‘phone, or write to, or even visit for a few minutes. Alternatively, perhaps we should make a resolution to apologize to one

We are called to find Christ in them, to lend our voice to their causes, but also to be their friends, to listen to them, to speak for them and to embrace the mysterious wisdom which God wishes to share with us through them. — from   Pope Francis and our Call to Joy It’s a balmy 40 degrees outside today, yet even this isn’t meant to stay for very long. Temps will be dropping along with continual rain for the next few days. With a supply of hand and feet warmers and aluminum blanket in hand I prayed “Dear Lord help me to find who these warm essentials are meant for. Help them to know that they are thought of and loved.” Walking up I recognize one woman who I know to be apprehensive of human connection, keeping to herself even among her fellow homeless.  Read More.. .

(From The Cloistered Heart)

The prospect of a long winter ahead is daunting especially with memories of the epic snowfall amounts of last year still haunting many of us. I once anticipated January with dread. Winter can be dark, oppressive and confining: the arctic air and biting winds… the deep snows burying the landscape … ice covering the streets and sidewalks … darkness that greets us when we rise and meets us at the end of each work day. January is a quiet month. Birds don’t come to the feeder; their songs no longer greet me in the morning. Crickets and locusts have gone silent at night. January was a month without life. Then I read Henry Beston’s classic, The Outermost House and it changed my perception of winter forever ...   Click here to continue reading ...

William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne, saw a connection between power and responsibility: " The possession of great power necessarily implies great responsibility. " (" The Parliamentary Debates From The Year 1803 To The Present Time ," Vol. 36. (1817)) Quite a few other folks have said pretty much the same thing, including a now-famous comic book writer: " With great power there must also come — great responsibility! " ( Stan Lee , in Amazing Fantasy #15 (August 1962) (the first Spider-Man story)) It's hardly a new idea: " ...Much will be required of the person entrusted with much, and still more will be demanded of the person entrusted with more. " ( Luke 12:48 ) - - - and that gets me to today's second Scripture reading, 1 Corinthians 12:12 - 30 ; the gist of which is in the shorter option.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

Beloved: For love is strong as death   SS 8:6 Read on Blog: http://susannetimpani.blogspot.com.au

Join Allison Gingras, host of A Seeking Heart on BreadboxMedia.com as she takes a 30 day incredible reflection book and SQUISHES it into one hour! An uplifting, often witty, discussion about this insightful b ook about Spiritual Resilience: Theme's covered include:  Childish vs Childlike faith and relationship with trusting God (tantrum anyone?) Patience LIKE Job -- In Scriptures Job spend 6 chapters in patient trust and waiting, and 36 complaining and lamenting!!  How does this relate to resilience?  Anxiety, Depression, Tragedy --  My desire to get God to do things my way and the pseudo-independent game we play when facing the many trials of life Jacobs wrestles with an angel - an analogy for how we should persist in prayer and pursuit of God Communion of Heaven - saints and us.  The gift God bestows to be connected beyond the veil - when the unseen and seen interact and bring us strength! "People LIVE cautiously because they PRAY cautiously" find out how

We in the flesh are hindered in such a way that with our senses we cannot perceive eternity.   The God who took flesh in the form of Jesus in order to be like us in all things chose to forgo some knowledge in agreement that such temporarily 'forgetting' was part of the perfection of the plan of God.  As God shielded Moses when God passed by, Moses was denied a knowledge of God because his flesh could not look upon the face of God and live.  So to Jesus while incarnate in the flesh would suffer a 'shielding', or a lack of knowledge of some things that He would have had access to prior to the incarnation and would again gain access at the exact moment of His last heart beat.  This 'forgetting' of certain things for a time was part of God's participation in our humanity and the perfection of His passion on the Cross.  The God who knows all could by His own will decide to forgo knowledge in order that an infinite benefit could be given to us by His Passion.

Snow is NOT the most popular weather topic in the Scriptures, but where it is mentioned it teaches us some valuable lessons about the Lord, His goodness and mercy, and our response to Him.  Click here to transform a snowy day into a powerful encounter with the Lord through his word:

As the Morning Rising: Miracles of Love : How many times has it happened? You're sorting or tidying or moving books about when all of a sudden a little prayer card falls out ...

Beloved: Set me as a seal upon your heart,      as a seal upon your arm;   SS 8:6 Read on Blog:  http://susannetimpani.blogspot.com.au/

The most effective way to refill the  ‘grace well’  at the heart of how we may more easily choose the things of God over that of the world is by participating, in what I affectionately refer to as, the “ Grace Trifecta” . The secret is simple – immerse yourself in God’s abundant grace through the frequent, it not daily, practice of prayer, sacrament and scripture. For specific ideas on how to embrace the grace God has abundantly available for us through prayer, sacrament and scripture  - read more ...

The long Christmas break is over and the letdown is leaving me a bit melancholy. The stretching of the heart that comes with the empty nest made full, and then made empty again, hurts. Both of our adult children were home for the holidays. Our daughter spent both Christmas Eve and morning with us despite the fact that she also needed to see her fiancé’s family (she got engaged in November). Our son spent the week with us, having come up from New York. Each time they come it’s an adjustment, requiring me to make room, not just in my house, but in my heart. Of course I do it without hesitation, but it is still an adjustment. It took me ten years to get to where I enjoy the empty nest. Robert S. Donovan empty nest,Flickr Creative Commons Click here to continue reading.

We've been learning quite a bit about humanity's family history recently: thanks partly to our increasingly-detailed knowledge of DNA and the human genome . I'll be taking a look at what scientists are learning about Roman Britain, Anglo-Saxons, and headless skeletons.... ...I'll also indulge in an uncharacteristically-terse (for me) explanation of what science is doing in a 'religious' blog.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

Beloved   I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem,     do not stir up or awaken love     until it is ready!  SS 8:4 Read on Blog: http://susannetimpani.blogspot.com.au/

The second  Catholic Conference 4 Moms: Faces of Mercy  is  coming up in February. It is hard to find childcare or travel to a conference, so Tami brings the Catholic Conference 4 Mom right to us. The 2016 “Faces of Mercy” Catholic Conference 4 Moms will offer: 20+ all new popular presenters and presentations  (see them here) a Spanish Track, featuring presentations specifically for Hispanic moms access to all the videos all the time throughout Lent Live-streamed sessions on Saturday morning featuring Jennifer Fulwiler and on Saturday afternoon of the Divine Mercy Chaplet HD videos also available as MP3 /Podcasts for download read more

An extract from Franco Zeffirelli's  Jesus of Nazareth  [Today's gospel ends at 2:28] Gospel Luke 1:1-4; 4:14-21 (NRSV, Catholic Edition, Canada) Since many have undertaken to set down an orderly account of the events that have been fulfilled among us, just as they were handed on to us by those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and servants of the word, I too decided, after investigating everything carefully from the very first, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may know the truth concerning the things about which you have been instructed. Then Jesus, filled with the power of the Spirit, returned to Galilee, and a report about him spread through all the surrounding country. He began to teach in their synagogues and was praised by everyone. When he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, he went to the synagogue on the sabbath day, as was his custom. He stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isa

As the Morning Rising: What On Earth Are We Doing? : The church in Ireland has had many heroes of the faith. Edmund Rice, Matt Talbot,Catherine McAuley, Edel Quinn, Alfie L...

She’s busy. She knows her Son is on His way to the wedding with His friends. She came with other members of her family since the wedding was more than an hour’s walk. They have been busy since they arrived at Cana. The bride and groom are very excited and shy. The wedding had been arranged, but the couple had known each other since childhood and had grown to love each other through the years. They were pleased that their parents, with some encouragement from Mary, had chosen them to be wed. Read more at:  Prayerfully Yours

As the Morning Rising: Kissing the Wood of the Cross :  In kissing the wood of the cross,  The thorn becomes the rose, Good triumphs over evil,   Light over darkness.

10 I am my beloved’s,      and his desire is for me.  SS 7:10 Read on Blog: http://susannetimpani.blogspot.com.au/

I ran across paintings by the Catholic artist Ladislav Zaborsky this morning.  His art helped clarify and communicate my experiences with God because the essence of his work is linked to the experience of his inner life. Each painting is an attempt to discover God, eternity. He is a painter of spiritual light. “The substance of my work is the experience of God transferred into my heart (…) Art that seeks truth and beauty is the anticipation of eternity.” continue reading

Mercy in the City by Kerry Weber Mercy flows in abundance during the Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy. With that in mind, I thought it would be a good time to share with you my review of Kerry Weber’s book, Mercy in the City . Kerry is a young, single woman living in New York City. This book tells her true life story of her attempt to perform all of the Corporal Acts of Mercy within one Lenten season. In this book, we traverse through the season of Lent with Kerry chronicling her adventures. She shows us how to... Read more...

My theology class at Cleveland Central Catholic was on the fifth floor of St. Michael School. One of the topics was death and dying. As one student entered the room, he commented, “Sister, do you know what it’s like to climb those stairs knowing that for the next forty minutes you’ll be thinking about death?” (This, despite the fact that most of the dramas on TV deal with murder!) Usually, though, we find death depressing. Why not? On the surface it seems like it’s the end of existence, not to mention that it takes away our family and friends. Now that we are in the dead of winter and so many beloved movie stars, pop stars, and people we know personally are departing—not to mention the homicide victims in the daily news—I dare to bring up the subject of death. It’s important. After all, no one leaves this world alive. As my father commented on his deathbed, “Someone has to go first.” We all can look forward to being harvested by “the grim reaper” someday. But I don’t in

Lover: and your kisses[ a ] like the best wine     that goes down[ b ] smoothly,     gliding over lips and teeth.[ c ] SS 7:9 Read on Blog: http://susannetimpani.blogspot.com.au/

I am so happy to introduce you to an amazing lady, who I never had the pleasure of meeting in this lifetime, but in true testimony to the divine connection of heaven and earth; through the Church, I have come to know Irene quite well! If you have ever found yourself bouncing without a care in the world to the fun and energetic Celtic rock music of the band  Scythian ,  in a crowded bar, arena, then you might have an idea of what I am talking about in the article’s introduction. If not, I recommend a fun date night of dancing the night away in your near future! Never have I had an experience quite like this one; in which someone I have never met (other than a recognized saint) has had such an impact on me, and a continuing relationship at that. Irene’s story continues to impact me, challenge me, and I have truly found her interceding for me as well! Here is my interview with  Aleteia  Irene Fedoryka, a Musician, Mother of Ten and Icon of Self-Giving An upon researching he

Materialism. Atheism. Secularism. Call it what you like, but the vortex created through these beliefs will suck your soul dry and leave you battered and broken and, maybe, still believing the lies. the prince of lies, in his greatest defeat, has convinced a generation that he doesn’t exist. he has convinced our society that nothing is wrong. “What about the Commandments?” they used to say? he lied because he knew they’d want to believe. It’s easier that way.  Read more at Prayerfully Yours

I wanted to pray "for families" today. Then I looked in my little book of Ignatian thoughts and realized that's too vague. His words challenge me to become a better wife and mother myself--THAT is an important step in praying for families! Open this booklet with me at Praying with Grace !

Lover: How fair and pleasant you are,     O loved one, delectable maiden![ a ] SS 7:6 Read on Blog: http://susannetimpani.blogspot.com.au/

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. – A Man of Peace Martin Luther King Jr. was a man of peace, receiving the 1964 Nobel Peace Prize for his non-violent efforts to bring racial equality to the forefront of American society. He organized peaceful protests, as in the case of Rosa Parks, where he was known to have said: “ We have no alternative but to protest. For many years we have shown an amazing patience. We have sometimes given our white brothers the feeling that we liked the way we were being treated. But we come here tonight to be saved from that patience that makes us patient with anything less than freedom and justice .” 1 Martin Luther King Jr.’s rhetorical skills, calm demeanor, and peace loving nature, combined with his theological training, ... Read more...

Lover   Your hair is like royal tapestry;      the king is held captive by its tresses.   Song of Songs 7:5 Read on Blog:  http://susannetimpani.blogspot.com.au/

As the Morning Rising: Make Her Known to The World

Lover 2  Your navel is a rounded bowl      that never lacks mixed wine. Your belly is a heap of wheat,      encircled with lilies.  SS 7:2 Read on Blog:  http://susannetimpani.blogspot.com.au/

How can a man or woman leave home, possessions, career, entertainment - and so many things the world considers important - in order to take up residence behind monastery walls?      For what reason would a person even consider such a thing? (click to continue)

I'm in the lower half of America's economic ladder, but I've never been homeless. That's just as well, since I've spent the bulk of my life in Minnesota and North Dakota. Winters get cold up here. I am, however, a recovering English teacher; and I like to verify my assumptions about what words mean. Here's part of my country's definition of "homeless." There will not be a test on this.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

Instead of 'Christmas crackers' the parish priest had bought 'Christian crackers' for the parish party. So instead of wearing paper hats everyone wore paper halos instead and received miniature plastic saints, and instead of side-splitting jokes they had to meditate on mind-bending religious epigrams. Mine not only bent my mind but also tied it in knots for weeks trying to work out what on earth it meant. It was ascribed to a certain  H Smith (circa 1630)  and went something like this  ‘He is not thankful before God who only thanks him for his benefits’ . I don't think I would ever have fully unravelled its meaning had I not been to a retreat given by Archbishop Anthony Bloom three weeks later. .... read on