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Are you a parent who feels a bit guilty because you do not perform works of mercy like working in a soup kitchen or doing prison ministry?  Or do you know a mom or dad who might feel this way? I came across an excellent article about how parents carry out all of the works of mercy at home. So this week, instead of offering my reflections on this site, I give you the gift of someone else’s article. Just click on the link below. Enjoy!   Click to continue

As the Morning Rising: Our Light-Bearing Selves : The walking I did while in Dublin  allowed me time to think about the books I've been reading recently. There's a very strong...

When I was a kid, I stole a lollipop from the corner grocery store. It was a long time ago. That was when you knew the people who owned that little store on the corner, and they knew your parents. I snuck the candy out of the store in my pocket and I ran home, very happily, after I had eaten the lollipop. I didn’t know it, but a phone call had already been made to my home. I didn’t know that my lips were bright red from the candy I had eaten. When I walked home, I felt really good because of my sugar high. My grandmother was in the kitchen. She looked at me and shook her head. I knew I had been caught. “I’m so sorry,” I said. “I took the candy, and I didn’t pay for it.” I blurted the words out before I knew what I was saying.  Read more at Prayerfully Yours

Like practicing NFP , I've been feeling lately that we aren't doing anyone a service by pretending that everything is always perfect at The Academy of St Therese for the Glories of God (Buddy's name for our school) or whatever homeschool land you have set up for yourself.  I've been feeling overwhelmed with actually being home and schooling, but wondered if I just wasn't made of good enough stock that it was getting me down.  I'm glad to see I am not alone. Read more at Veils and Vocations .

Father Köder’s work was influenced by Chagall, using strong colours and chunky figures. His paintings are an earthy, yet spiritual interpretation of biblical themes. Father's painting is the visual expression of his priestly ministry. continue

Not too long ago, I wrote about how  I found God in Van Gogh's bedrooms  at  The Art Institute .  My friend and I had such a good time that we planned another visit.  This time we went to see the  Thorne Miniature Rooms .  These beautiful little rooms had us searching for the tiniest details.  Sometimes we would find eyeglasses on a table.  Chess sets were common as were the tiny place settings for the next meal. To view the gallery, please go to Being Catholic ... Really .

These past few months have been a roller coaster in my faith journey. I began experiencing the spiritual dryness that countless saints and elders have warned me about. I wanted to worship but I couldn't. I wanted to pray but I didn't. I felt so disappointed with myself. Friends think I m too religious and I think I m too unfaithful (to God). It was all getting too much. So then I decided to just do as I always loved to sing - all to Jesus I surrender. I began to surrender every little happening in my life. Every tricky situation,  every awkward conversation with friends, colleagues and family. And He breathed life, love and happiness into each and every of those dreaded moments. Those moments that would epitomize failure and disappointment to me, He drew out peace and joy out of those too. I began to rollick in the ocean of His mercy. I renewed my devotion to the Divine Mercy with Chaplet recitals at 3 o clock (mostly pm, at times am). As an example was a recent t

How's Lent going? We're coming up to the Fourth Sunday of Lent: Laetare ("Be joyful!") Sunday. Just a bit past the halfway mark in Lent, this rose-colored celebration encourages us to stay faithful to our fasting, almsgiving, and prayer. Here at the Apostleship of Prayer , of course, our favorite part of that Lenten trifecta is prayer. Our mission is to encourage children to cultivate vibrant, personal prayer lives of their own. The spiritual giant Romano Guardini warned against "empty reciting" in prayer, so the Apostleship of Prayer encourages ways of praying that will grow with young people as they mature. ©2015 APOSTLESHIP OF PRAYER One of my favorite resources for children in 3rd through 7th grade is our " 3 for 3 Prayer Experiment ." It challenges students to observe three deliberate times of prayer each day for three days, and then reflect on the results. Perfect for a middle-of-Lent prayer boost! Join me at Praying with Grac

Awesome, simply awesome! That is it in a nutshell regarding the fantastic book, Stay with Me , by Carolyn Astfalk. This Christian fiction novel centers around two young people in their 20’s, named Chris Reynolds and Rebecca Rhodes. Chris is Catholic and Rebecca is not. This fact comes out early in the story. From that point on, we see two people of different backgrounds with different beliefs and baggage, who fall in love with each other. We see how they face the challenges of maintaining chastity in their relationship. We see how they grow in purity and love for one another. This book is packed with virtue, displayed, oh so brilliantly, by Carolyn Astfalk in the most positive manner. For me, this book was a page turner.  I couldn’t put it down! I had to know... Read more...

There was Shirley, Leo, and Linda busy chopping veggies for the soup supper tonight after the Stations of the Cross. I had doubts about going, but when I smelled the soup cooking, I’m almost ready to leave! Any, back track a bit, I went downstairs to ask Shirley a question. Shirley is our church secretary, Leo and Linda, a married couple, are two dedicated volunteers at church. Leo was making the stew for tonight. I walked into the kitchen, and they all looked at me with hungry eyes. Read More at Prayerfully Yours

As the Morning Rising: Dublin in the Morning : I'm off to Dublin tomorrow. Going in February and coming back in March. I'm fortunate in having a brother who...

(from The Cloistered Heart)

(From USCCB, used w/o permission.) Depending on whether or not folks are going through RCIA, we could be hearing either Exodus 3:1 - 8a , 13 - 15 ; 1 Corinthians 10:1 - 6 , 10 - 12 ; and Luke 13:1 - 9 — or Exodus 17:3 - 7 ; Romans 5:1 - 2 , 5 - 8 ; and John 4:5 - 42 during Mass today.... ...Today's RCIA goes back to 1972, "as part of the liturgical renewal mandated by Vatican II." 1 Before that we'd been using a Rite of Baptism introduced in 1614: which was just baptism. I suppose some folks are upset that we changed something that'd been around since the year Pocahontas married John Rolfe and the Siege of Osaka began. Tokugawa Ieyasu became the next shogun, and yes: there are worse things than American presidential elections. My opinion. By the way — if this post seems a bit more scattershot than usual, you're quite right.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

A special and touching story shared by guest blogger, Michelle Arnold Paine : In the evening of February 27, 2015, I received a text message from my dear brother in Christ Alessandro: his sister Elisa had delivered her baby, was in surgery and they were not sure she would survive. He was asking me to spread the request for prayer to our network of American friends, those who have been students or faculty for the  Gordon College in Orvieto  program over nearly 20 years. Quickly I emailed and called several faculty and former Orvieto students to ask for their prayers. A few hours later another text – the hemorrhage that had begun during the birthing process was continuing and she was fighting for her life.   Through the night I was up several times nursing my own five-week-old baby, and that night checked my phone frequently. The next day, Saturday, we found out... read more 

Moses before the Burning Bush ,  Domenico Fetti, 1613-14 Gospel   Luke 13:1-9  ( NRSV, Catholic Edition , Can.)  At that very time there were some present who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices.   He asked them, “Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way they were worse sinners than all other Galileans?   No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish as they did.   Or those eighteen who were killed when the tower of Siloam fell on them—do you think  that they were worse offenders than all the others living in Jerusalem?   No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish just as they did.” Then he told this parable: “A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came looking for fruit on it and found none.   So he said to the gardener, ‘See here! For three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree, and still I find none. Cut it down! Why should it be wasting

As the Morning Rising: Invitations : Mercy Prayer Centre Belfast I'm delighted to have received invitations to two events taking place in the coming weeks and, occ...

Even immediately after his election Cardinal Bergoglio still hadn’t thought what name to choose. Then, a good friend of his, Cardinal Claudio Hummes, Archbishop Emeritus of Sao Paolo whispered in his ear, “Don’t forget the poor!” It was whilst thinking about the poor that he immediately thought of St Francis, and how he would like to preside over a Church that was poor, and which worked for the poor. However you cannot suddenly acquire all the virtues that were embodied in St Francis, even if you are elected Pope, if you have never practised them before. Yes, he already was a shining example of the virtues of   simplicity, humility, poverty, and care and the compassion for the poorest of the poor, there is no doubt about it.  But let there be no misunderstanding, nobody can acquire these virtues merely by desiring them. If this were so then we would already have our heaven on earth.  read on.............

Climate change is in the news: again. Scientists tracked where tiny critters called phytoplankton have been living: which may help us understand what's happening in Earth's ocean. Other scientists reconstructed glyptodont DNA: confirming that the Volkswagen-size mammals were armadillos: big armadillos.... ...Being offended by our increasing knowledge of how this universe works is an option: but not a sensible one, I think. Neither is getting upset over what sort of creatures we are.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

The last time I shared what I 'gave up' for Lent, I was severely chastised.  The person was horrified that I would seek glory for my Lenten sacrifice instead of doing it in secret where only God and I would know.  This made me sad - as it was not at all my intent.  Sharing our Lenten sacrifices, our fasts, instead allow us to do several things: Encouragement for each other .  Fasting is hard work - and we can get discouraged.  It is good to know how others are celebrating this season - it is not so much misery loves company but for me anyway.  I think more of the scripture that states a chord of 3 is not easily broken.  Accountability .  This is probably my greatest catalyst for blogging about and sharing with others my Lenten fasts.  If it is just between God and I, while that should surely be enough to keep me on track, often it is not.  I need those extra eyes on my behavior - to be sure I'm not sneaking TV apart from Sundays, or spending money (if you read Mond

As the Morning Rising: Companionship on Life's Journey : Looking back I can count seven parish groups/ committees I have been a member of at different stages since my teens. Apart from being dr...

Fallen man wants to run his own life and take control. Letting go of this control seems extremely difficult because it is hard to trust a God you cannot see and usually cannot feel or hear.  However, when we refuse to give up control and submit to the Father, we shut out the power of the Holy Spirit. Once we shut out the movement of the Spirit in our lives, we are left with only our own energy as we deal with our daily issues.  We are bereft, feeling like we must  fix our own problems and those around us. However,  man was not created to function like God. I think of it as acting like little vacuum cleaners sucking up everyone’s problems and pain when it is God’s job to purify us and our family in His power, mercy and grace. continue reading

I've always been a loyal Lands End customer until now. Why? Because the company has chosen to celebrate - of all people - Gloria Steinem, and donate money to her foundation. Her foundation supports equal rights for women, but pro life organizations warn that it can be used to further the pro abortion agenda. Here's my take on the story.... Lands End Just Lost My Business

“ Love endures all things ” (1 Corinthians 13:7). I have to admit that this well known passage on Love from 1 Corinthians is one of my favorites. At our wedding ceremony, my husband and I included this passage at our Wedding Mass some 36+ years ago. Little did I know then what this passage would mean over time. When you are young, you think you know everything as you enter the early years of adulthood. Yet, some 36+ years later, this passage continues to teach me what Love is all about. I am married to a wonderful man. We have endured times of financial stress together,... Read more...

Did you ever get the feeling you had a black cloud hanging over you, like nothing is going right? Maybe you've felt like you're in such a  deep hole, nothing ever will go right, that no matter what you do, you're trapped in the shadows, that storms were sent specifically to rock your boat, that every move you make brings you farther from safe shores and threatens to capsize you, pulling you down until you've sunk too far to rise again. I know that feeling. It certainly seemed a black cloud followed us for several months after my husband left. There were the every-divorce-case stresses of dividing up our things, meeting with lawyers, bills I couldn't pay - "normal" stuff...if you follow modern culture's call to "normalize" divorce, but there were other things too. To continue reading and discover how this Sunday's Gospel and your entering into a cloud like the Apostles did on the mountaintop changes life, please join me at

A lesson plan called for the teacher to cut out cardboard circles and print “TUIT” on them. Then she was to pass them out to her students and state that they now had no excuse for saying “I didn’t get around to it.” Part of the human condition is that we sometimes put off what should be done. We share the trait of all physical entities: inertia, a thing at rest tends to stay at rest. The tasks we do not undertake can be mundane, such as sewing on a button or washing the windows. Or they can be more serious: making an appointment for a mammogram, apologizing to someone we’ve hurt, or going to confession. Procrastination is akin to sloth, which is one of the ten deadly sins! It has negative consequences. The chore we haven’t accomplished weighs on our mind and heart until we tackle it. It induces stress and anxiety. When we do “get around to it,” we may do the job poorly. Here are some ideas for combating procrastination and taking action. Click to continue

Once a month, I sit in the chair behind the desk. Once a month, I answer phones and help the church secretary with whatever odds and ends she needs to get done, but doesn’t have the time to complete. This is my desk and my view for the morning.  Read more at Prayerfully Yours

This is the second in my series of Meditations on Mercy from the Old Testament. Read this post prayerfully and use it as the basis for a conversation with God. We often hear nonbelievers say that the God of the Old Testament was a tyrant. On the completely opposite side, some speak of the “Original Blessing,” instead of Original Sin. Today I’d like to examine what I call Original Mercy. Sometimes we focus too pointedly on sin. Original Sin and personal sin are not the whole story. There is also redemption. God’s mercy is so great that He does not allow sin to get the better of those of good will, ever. He gently leads us back to Himself. He uses all things, even our sin, for our good. We can see this all-encompassing mercy in the story of the Fall. Continue reading at Contemplative Homeschool.

Organic vs. non-organic is not only an issue of: antibiotics, synthetic hormones, toxic pesticides, or GMOs... but nutrition as well! Important differences really do exist within their nutrient profiles, as shown by an international team of experts led by Newcastle University, UK, in the largest systematic reviews of their kind. >> Click HERE to Read More About Key Findings at: The Way To Nourish For Life >>

Do you have a body? There's a theology for that! Today I review TOBET's (Theology of the Body Evangelization Team) Theology of the Body Marriage Preparation book. Author Monica Ashour created this book with her TOBET team. (You may remember other books by Monica Ashour I've reviewed before: her Theology of the Body board books for toddler s and paperbacks for children .) The book focuses on couples preparing for marriage, of course, but anyone wanting to learn more about the Theology of the Body could benefit from its clear, innovative format. Perhaps my favorite part of the book is a series of pages on personal health (16-18). This section proposes an integrated view of the human person, providing checklists for assessing physical, emotional, and spiritual health. How providential that I picked this book back up during Lent! The health checklists help me identify areas of personal growth I can cultivate intentionally during these 40 days before Easter. Join me at P