Association Of Catholic Bloggers

So ... Where Are We in this Process I thought I would take this week to share where Kevin (my hubby of 26 years) and I are mentally in this process. As I begin my Weight Watchers journey this month, I realized the similarity of the discipline the Lord is trying to create in my heart.  This mind shift from spending as we wish on what we wish, much like my eating what I want and when I want, is a process.  IT is not overnight.  As we say in the weight loss world - YOU did not get 20 lbs over weight overnight, you will NOT shed it overnight. It has been literally 32 years of mistakes and missteps; along with some serious emotional and mental baggage that has brought us to be this over our heads with debt.  Add to that my desire to serve God in the ever lucrative (read only for Joel Osteen) ministry world - and this is not going to be a quick fix.  The  Navigating Your Finances God's Way   study has truly been a God Send - but it has not been the miraculous fix all I had hope

“… we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.  And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.   Romans 5:3-5 With the Easter season upon us, once again my thoughts turn to the witness of the disciples and experience of new believers in an unbelieving world. Where, such witness of faith in a risen Christ required courage in the face of certain punishment or death. Here in the Western world, we may feel a measure of comfort, secluded from persecution or reproof. Though one glace at the evening news reminds us that death is but a daily reality for countless Christians in other parts of the world.  And yet we too are called to witness, resisting the temptation to become complacent or falsely secure in the practice of our faith. In this current culture of relative truth, quite often we might even fail to speak to the soundness of our belief for

Adventures of Faith, Hope, and Charity: Finding Patience (The Back Story) Faith was anxious about moving to a new town. That meant a new house, new school, and new friends. Faith was shy and found it difficult to make new friends. She dreaded the move and all of the change that would ensue. Faith had very little patience. She wanted to claim her “new normal,” ASAP, for she knew that once things settled down, she would feel more comfortable about this move. Faith did not welcome change! It was all her Daddy’s fault for getting that new job. If it wasn’t for him, she would be at home in her old house, with her friends from her old school. Being eight years old stunk! If it was up to her, she would have stayed put, where she felt most comfortable. Yet, it wasn’t up to her, so... Read more...

Archbishop Anthony Bloom gave one of the best retreats I ever attended. He began by telling the story of a retired headmistress who offered her services to him as his chauffeur. As they were returning home one Monday afternoon she stopped the car in London to pick up her new glasses from the opticians and proceeded to try them out for the remainder of the journey.  It was less than a mile, but it turned out to be the most terrifying journey either of them had ever made; her driving was simply atrocious.  She got out of the car shaking all over, opened her handbag, took out her driving licence and ceremoniously ripped it into little pieces.  "I'll never drive again".  she said.  "Why ever not?"  asked the Archbishop...  continue..

Nuns and monks dress anew in their habits every morning, usually turning even the act of dressing into an opportunity to renew their consecrations to Christ. And what about those of us who do not wear the pieces of a habit? I find great richness in the following morning prayer... (continue...)

A special collection was taken up today at Mass. It was for the seminarians in our diocese, for their continuing education, as they discern their call to the priesthood or not. We are extremely blessed in our parish. Read more at PrayerfullyYours

A dozen folks, three families, rode back to the Vatican with Pope Francis. I think that's a good thing, since their homes in Syria aren't there any more. They survived, obviously, and had made it as far as Lesbos, 1 an island in the Aegean Sea. "A Gesture of Welcome" (From AFP, via BBC News, used w/o permission.) (" The migrants are travelling on the same plane as the Pope back to the Vatican " (BBC News)) More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

As the Morning Rising: Vocations - Alleluia! Alleluia! : If I think of my life as a work in progress well then today is a good day in which to give thanks for the many, who through the graces o...

  John 10:27   " My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they ...[stop and listen].

(from The Breadbox Letters)

As the Morning Rising: World Day of Prayer for Vocations 2016 : Calling Over dew-wet fields Among the whisper of reeds The Spirit blows Gentle as a child’s knock On the door of time. He is gra...

The Good Shepherd , Marten van Cleve   Gospel   John 10:27-30  ( NRSV, Catholic Ed . , Canada)  Jesus said:  “My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me.   I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand.   What my Father has given me is greater than all else, and no one can snatch it out of the Father’s hand.   The Father and I are one.” 'My sheep hear my voice' I know nothing about tending sheep and until I looked at the video above never quite understood the reality of the words of Jesus in today's gospel:   ‘My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me' . An extraordinary example of the power of words is a story involving   Fr Willie Doyle SJ , the army chaplain who was killed in 1917 in Belgium during the Great War. Some years before the War he was giving a retreat to a community of nuns in Ireland. He got a telegram on the last day from his Provincial Superior telling him to

We may be within a generation of sending probes on flyby missions to other stars, high-energy jets from several distant galaxies all point in the same direction, and we're learning more about hot super-earths. That sort of thing fascinates me, your experience may vary. Meanwhile, SETI researchers will be checking out red dwarfs: which may be more promising places to look for neighbors than we thought. More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

The Good Shepherd by Jean Baptiste de Champaigne I’m going a bit off topic today to give you my thoughts on the recent apostolic exhortation Amoris Laetitia. Some traditionalists are up in arms, some “liberals” are dancing with glee. What did Pope Francis really say, how important was it, and what does it mean for you and me? No change in doctrine or discipline The first and most important thing to understand is that AL (as it is being called for short) does not propose changes to Catholic discipline on who can receive the Eucharist, let alone a change in the doctrine behind this practice. “I was happy to take up the request of the Fathers of the Synod to write this Exhortation. In so doing, I am reaping the rich fruits of the Synod’s labours. In addition, I have sought advice from a number of people and I intend to express my own concerns about this particular chapter of the Church’s work of evangelization..." Continue reading at Contemplative Homeschool.

Adulthood used to mean embracing adult ideals. A fellow blogger learned the hard way that a lapse in judgment can lead to heartache. Reflections on a fellow blogger's post, 1 Corinthians 13:11, and what it all means today on A Return to Elegance: You Lead by Example.

I’ve watched her many times. Pixie’s high maintenance, but she calms down with sleep. As I write this, I am thinking about a nap. It’s only 9:30 in the morning. I decided that Mass was a priority today, so when my alarm rang this morning, I got up rather than turn it off and go back to sleep.  Read more at Prayerfully Yours

We’ve only had this dishwasher since late February, but it broke. It wasn’t a particularly easy fix for the company, but they did fix it. In the meantime, I’ve had to do dishes by hand. (Insert a gasp here.) I haven’t done dishes by hand, all the dishes by hand, in a long time. (Insert another gasp and “The horror of it!”) It took about a week for the part to come in and to schedule and appointment with the repairman. (I’m not being politically correct, a man was sent to repair my dishwasher.)  Read more at Prayerfully Yours

A call which confounds the wise. A call which confounds the mentality of Western Society. I too was surprised to discover life and joy in the ordinary. Years ago, a mother to four little ones I was worried, actually frantic. Was I pregnant yet again? continue reading

Wisdom, Counsel, Understanding, Fortitude, Knowledge, Piety and Fear of the Lord (awe): These are the Gifts of the Holy Spirit. We specifically receive these gifts at our Confirmation, when we become full-fledged Christian adults. However, in my rather long lifetime, I seem to receive these gifts over and over. The well never seems to run dry. Apparently these gifts are important, since we seem to grasp for them at various junctures in our lives. We seek wisdom, counsel, knowledge and understanding whenever we need to make difficult, sometimes life-changing decisions. We seek Fortitude whenever hard times, suffering and persecution land... Read more...

I’ve had time to skim   The Joy of Love  (Amoris Laetitia)   by Pope Francis. It bears closer reading, and I’ll get there eventually. For now, it evokes words that had a profound effect on my life – words uttered a decade before Pope Francis even became a priest, and a year before I was born. The pope’s recent message reinforced the Catholic Church’s recognition of the truth about the dignity and indissolubility of marriage. At the same time, he urged readers to build bridges of mercy and patience and acceptance for other people as they are, where they are. Can one be “accepting” of people in unsanctioned unions, without compromising on truth? Let me tell you my family’s story, and you’ll know why I say yes. Read the rest of the post at ellenkolb.com.

Celebrating the liturgy WITH our children is one of those "acts of devotion" Pope Francis encourages us to experience. Today's article continues the series on what the Mass means for families. This fourth part reflects on the Liturgy of the Eucharist. I’m about to tell you something personal. It involves something my husband is still sensitive about, so if you see him, don’t let on that you know, OK? On May 21, 1995, a gloriously sunny day, I graduated with my bachelor’s degree. The commencement ceremony was a big deal to me; in addition to receiving my diploma, I also got to take the stage to sing the National Anthem and Alma Mater. My family traveled over 400 miles to attend. What’s more, the ceremony happened to be six days before my wedding. My soon-to-be-husband was graduating the same day, with his master’s degree. So much to celebrate! Neither my fiancé nor I owned a cell phone, so we simply agreed on a place to meet outside the arena. Join me at Prayin

As the Morning Rising: Thanking God in the Garden : The leaves and petals, although weighed down by last night's rain are still themselves. Their colour has not diminished nor th...

Yesterday, the Blu-Ray player that my son had given me for Christmas quit. It simply quit working. I tried the various steps that you go through to get it working again. I used the remote to turn it on and off. I unplugged the player from television. When I did, the screen came back on, but no matter what, I could not use my blu-ray player to access Netflix. So, I decided that I would let it rest until today. Read More at:  Prayerfully Yours

Your Calling Despite my occasional pondering - God really does have a purpose and plan for me and my life.  My skills are perfectly suited for what GOD has called me to do.  For me I am fairly sure of those things He has for me to do because they are things that I enjoy, feel confident at, and others have validated my talent in.  Perhaps you've encountered the same thing - it does not mean I WILL love every task associated with the position (think diapers and poopie pants as a childcare/preschool teacher) but the main skill set will be one that  fulfills the desires of my heart. This  line from part of Week 6  sums it up, "No one in all of history -- past, present or future - is like you." Read More ..  All Rights Reserved, Allison Gingras 2016

Spring has arrived! Hurrah! As we take to performing spring cleaning around our homes, perhaps it is time to think about the spring cleaning of our souls as well. What clutter of sin might be taking up room in your soul? What dust muffins of ambivalence might be swirling around you, but you pay no attention? Got some stains that might require a little “muscle” to remove? Is the window of your soul sparkling clean, or is there a murky film casting a shadow? How to “Spring Clean” Your Soul Remove the clutter of sin by... Read more...

I am a doer. I do and I do and I do, and sometimes I get so caught up in  doing that I forget things like eating, sleeping, and playing. Luckily, I have five boys who don't let me forget eating for very long, but the sleep and play part I have to remind myself about. I tend to put them on the back shelf behind the never ending list of responsibilities that assault my time. The truth is, I really do have important things that need doing for  my life coaching , my teaching, my children, my CCD classes, my home, and for so many other things. I often get so caught up in what needs to be done, that I forget that downtime needs to be done too. I forget to make time to rest, to play with my children, to feed my children without their reminders (I won't win Mother of the Year Award again this year!) I forget to make time to sit with the Lord and say the Rosary, quietly reflecting on Jesus' life as I move from verse to verse along each bead. I forget to take time to read

Should you prepare yourself and teach your children about Divine Mercy? Jesus’ words to Saint Faustina about the requirement to be merciful leave no room for misinterpretation: “Yes, the first Sunday after Easter is the Feast of Mercy, but there must also be acts of mercy … I demand from you deeds of mercy, which are to arise out of love for Me. You are to show mercy to your neighbors always and everywhere. You must not shrink from this or try to excuse or absolve yourself from it”   (742). To read more about St. Faustina and how Divine Mercy Sunday was conceived, please read our last post:  7 Facts about St. Faustina and the Conception of Divine Mercy Sunday  (This will open in a new tab so you can click in now and check it out after you read this post.  Resources for Moms: For the entire post and to read more resources for moms and your children, click here.

(from The Cloistered Heart)

(From Elia Kazan, via Petrusbarbygere/Wikimedia Commons, used w/o permission.) (Screenshot from a " Panic in the Streets " trailer. ( Elia Kazan , 1950)) Actually, "Amoris Laetitia" means " The Joy of Love ." Pope Francis signed "Amoris Laetitia," about 58,000 words about love in the family, March 19. The apostolic exhortation was released Friday. So far, I've heard an imaginative summary on radio news, read a few dramatic headlines, and one or two online remarks about it that make sense. The latter generally boil down to 'I haven't studied it yet, so I don't know what it says.' That's pretty much where I'm at, but that won't stop me from talking — briefly, for me — about what I have read. So far, I've finished the introduction, glanced at the index, and am working my way through the first chapter.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

Jesus said to  them, “Come and have breakfast.” Now none of the disciples dared to ask him, “Who are you?” because they knew it was the Lord. (John 21:12)     Lent is over  and many of us have returned to our pre-lenten routine. We've stored away those extra prayers and acts of good will for another year. Likewise, after Jesus died the disciples returned to their fishing business. Yet the Resurrection  changes everything.    Today we read how Jesus returns to His disciples, not as a vision or a ghost, but as the Risen Lord.  He calls His  disciples from their work and over breakfast explains how their life as His disciples can never be the same. They have His mission to continue.  Jesus extends the  same invitation to us.To join Him for 'breakfast' - per daily prayer – and discover new possibilities for a deeper relationship with Him, the Resurrected Lord.

As the Morning Ris ing: Peter: Peter Those that had gathered round a fire In the courtyard of Caiaphas's house Heard Peter's denial before Bitter t...

Efficiency is not a virtue. Efficiency is not a sign of holiness. I do not think Jesus was efficient; He was not a modern man. He was an Eastern sort of man Who delighted in long meals, conversations And long, inefficient times of silence listening to His Father. continue

Moving slowly? Trapped behind a fence spiritually? Can’t get that momentum going? The fence is too hight to climb? What’s going on? Did you ever have a pet who was literrally your “velcro” pet? I used to own a greayhound named Bailey who had been a racer. Racing dogs are not necessarily treated very well. When Bailey became our dog, he liked where he was, but he was very much afraid of being abandoned. He was my velcro dog. Where I went, he went. At times, he was, literally, attached to my hip. (He was a big greyhound!)  Read more at Prayerfully Yours

As the Morning Rising: A Blessed Moment : A Blessed Moment Nothing has seemed the same since then Neither hill nor stream Nor the pine trees' scent.  Even the cawing of crow...

You've been together for a while. You love this person, and you cannot wait to be Married! Marriage is a Good thing, a holy Sacrament given by God and reflective of the Trinity, and yet many Marriages now end in divorce. The Good news is - it doesn't have to be this way! There are many in the Catholic Church who say there are too many invalid annulments while others say there are too many invalid marriages. Either way, you don't want to be another sad statistic. You don't want to be on the end of a failed relationship wondering whether your marriage or your annulment was the invalid act, and you don't have to be! For the past several years, I've worked with women through life coaching. Some of these women are in the process of recovering from a failed relationship. Others are ready to start new relationships, and still others are considering taking current relationships to the next level. All want to be sure this is the right move at the right time

The Gospel of John   (2003) Directed by Philip Saville Narrator: Christopher Plummer Gospel  John 21:1-19  [or 21:1-14]   ( NRSV, Catholic Ed . , Canada)  read the full gospel here [ When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my lambs.”   A second time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Tend my sheep.”     He said to him the third time, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter felt hurt because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” And he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep.     Very truly, I tell you, when you were younger, you used to fasten your own belt and to go wherever you wished. But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, a

Do you remember that phrase from ages ago? You’d fall down and skin your knee and someone would say, “Offer it up.” You’d have to eat, oh. my. goodness!, gag, “beets” or “liver,” and even though you would fall on the floor gagging dramatically, you’d be told to get up off that floor, sit at the table, eat what you were given and “offer it up.” Maybe when , your favorite TV show was not on TV that night and something else was on, and you disappointed, you were told to “offer it up.” We don’t hear much about “offering it up” in this day and age, but the power of redemptive suffering is still as strong today as it was when I was a kid. Read More at Prayerfully Yours

(from The Breadbox Letters)

The BEAM Bigelow Aerospace habitat module, will be launched toward the International Space Station (ISS) today: if all goes well. BEAM is packed in the Dragon spacecraft's pressurized section. This cargo run also carries supplies for the ISS crew, and for several dozen of the roughly 250 experiments planned for Expeditions 47 and 48. ( SpaceX press kit ) After getting attached to the ISS and inflated, BEAM will mostly just sit there for at least two years: empty except when someone in the ISS takes samples and swaps out radiation sensors. I think that's a good idea, since BEAM is testing technology for Bigelow Aerospace rental properties in low Earth orbit. More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

Getting to the true roots of the problem [whether dealing in body, mind, or soul]... In The News: “People with high levels of good cholesterol, or high-density lipoprotein, are not as safe from heart disease when high levels of a newly identified biomarker of inflammation in the arteries are also found in their bloodstream, according to a new study.” “Historically, C-reactive protein has been used as an indicator of inflammation… ‘GlycA is a new particle we didn’t know much about...'" >> Click Here to Read More at: The Way To Nourish For Life >>