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Honor Your Inner Monk is an app I came across recently.  What I like best about it, is that the prayers are short and to the point.  In a sentence or two, the prayer is thoughtful, helpful and practical.  You can read the article and view the photo gallery at  Being Catholic ... Really

BLESSED ARE THE CHEESE MAKERS CLICK HERE TO FIND OUT WHY

If we are brutally honest, most Catholics must concede we view the world as if we stood at the centre of the universe with everyone and everything else revolving around us. This egocentric stance affects how we think, feel, act, and pray. Even though many committed disciples have renounced a ruthless pursuit of power and money to serve God and His people, most of us still function more conscious of self than God, living daily life in a state of interior isolation, not in communion with the Holy Spirit. What this self-centered viewpoint meant in my own life was I only appeared saintly on the surface as I mothered nine little people. Despite the fact I honestly longed to live in constant communion with the Holy Spirit, I was focused more on myself than on Christ. read more

As the Morning Rising: Sacred Heart of Jesus Have Mercy : Draw near. Lay down your cares. Settle yourself as you would on a comfortable chair pulled up to the hearth and avail of the warmth of...

(from The Cloistered Heart)

Reflection by Louise Crossley When I think of the Gift of Wisdom, I think of the famous poem 'Even this shall pass away.' It follows the life of a king and his happy and sad occasions through life. While this king has many opportunities to satisfy his desires, he realises that everything in this world is temporary. In the end, even death shall pass away.                                                                                                                                                     Wisdom is knowing that in the end... 'Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire other than you.' Psalm 73:25 Wisdom is knowing that God alone can give us this desire....and that it's a free gift. Struck with palsy, sore and old, Waiting at the Gates of Gold, Said he with his dying breath, “Life is done, but what is Death?” Then, in answer to the king, Fell a sunbeam on his ring, Showing by a heavenly ray, “Even thi

I AM LOSING MY FAITH Please click HERE

Portrait of a Widow at her Devotions , Leandro Bassano Gospel Luke 7:11-17 ( NRSV, Catholic Ed ., Can) Soon afterwards he went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a large crowd went with him. As he approached the gate of the town, a man who had died was being carried out. He was his mother’s only son, and she was a widow; and with her was a large crowd from the town. When the Lord saw her, he had compassion for her and said to her, “Do not weep.” Then he came forward and touched the bier, and the bearers stood still. And he said, “Young man, I say to you, rise!” The dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him to his mother. Fear seized all of them; and they glorified God, saying, “A great prophet has risen among us!” and “God has looked favorably on his people!” This word about him spread throughout Judea and all the surrounding country. Back in the late 1970s when I was working in St Mary's Seminary, Ozamiz City, in northern Mindanao - an island tha

Fr Vincent Batchelor died in Box Hill Hospital in Melbourne on 28 May at around 5:30pm in his 96th year. He had been living in Nazareth Care Camberwell , under the care of the Sisters of Nazareth. Camberwell is a suburb of Melbourne. Father Vincent had a fall after which the staff decided to send him to hospital for observation. The doctor suspected that the fall was brought on by a heart attack. He had been visited by his sister Mary and niece and Fr Ray Scanlon who kept in constant contact with him and with Fr Gary Walker, the Regional Director of the Columbans in Australia and New Zealand, that afternoon. He died shortly after they left. Vincent Batchelor had little interest in money or possessions and once sold his car after a cyclone in Fiji to buy food and essentials for people who had lost everything. He was clear in his desire to be a missionary, always willing to accept whatever appointment was asked of him. He was childlike in the best sense and God’s word was reveale

I just didn’t know I had the answer. I have been suffering from severe pain in my back and in my knee for a while now. I saw one doctor who told me that I needed a new knee, in the meantime, I had to grin and bear it. Ok, so I offer the pain up. That’s fine. My back pain, was the worst pain I have endured. I was referred to a pain clinic in town. The first time I went there, I felt that something was not right about the place. I had heard there were people who would go there, but would not return. I felt, though, because my pain was so intense, I had to give it a chance. Read more at Prayerfully Yours

For me, it was easy to look like a saint on the outside as I mothered nine little people. The trouble was, although I looked like I lived a life of self-denial, losing myself to give life to others, I tended to over control. I depended on my strength to get through the overwhelming chores which were part of running a household of eleven.   I slowly learned how to let some things go and centre on the essentials, on loving and not maintaining a perfectly clean house with all the laundry folded in dresser drawers. I learned to let go of control in my daily life which spilled over into my inner life. Surrendering to the power of the Holy Spirit within our spirits can seem like a rather esoteric activity, something to talk about, write about, and perhaps pray about but not part of our daily lives but our inner and outer lives are intricately entwined. continue

LOVE THY NEIGHBOR Yeah ... right ... After what he has done ... You must be joking ... Please click HERE

Diana von Glahn - also know as  The Faithful Traveler  -- visits A Seeking Heart with Allison Gingras ( BreadboxMedia) to discuss her new MAGNIFICENT series:  A PAPAL PILGRIMAGE IN THE HOLY LAND  We look at the 3 main locations featured in the series:  Jordan, Bethlehem and Israel​ We learn how Diana came to produce  A Papal Pilgrimage in the Holy Land Hear about the SUPER embarrassing thing I did concerning Diana back in 2008 Let your mouth water as Diana shares some of the amazing Holy Land meals and treats  Did you know why Pope Francis made this historic trip?  Diana makes some compelling arguments  for joining her some day on a pilgrimage  to the Holy Land .... you will be sold too!!   To READ MORE - or listen to Diana's Podcast visit:  Reconciled To You / Radio Show All Rights Reserved, Allison Gingras 2016

St Nicolaaskerk Church, Amsterdam, the Netherlands When light shines through stained glass windows, they can lift our souls up from our own narrow miserable awareness into His Presence as we contemplate them. Light is more powerful than darkness and beautiful colourful glass works of art can touch us with a mystical, heavenly light that moves our hearts and souls towards God. No wonder stained glass windows were crafted in the Middle Ages as a way of teaching illiterate parishioners the basic Christian message and inspiring them to live holy, prayerful lives. CONTINUE

As the Morning Rising: Peace from the Prince of Peace : http://holy-familyparish.com/ There is a statuary of the Holy Family in my local parish church in a little side chapel and because th...

Lying on his deathbed, Jane de Chantal’s husband forgave his cousin who had accidentally shot him while hunting. His young, devoted, heart-broken widow—now a single mother of four young children—was not as fast to reconcile. Jane approached forgiveness with great contemplation. A woman of deep faith, Jane knew that this task would not only take God’s grace to accomplish  but would also require time. At first, she could only greet the man on the street—slowly progressing to inviting him to their home. Jane eventually reached such peace in her relationship with this man that she became the godmother of one of his children. Forgiveness is a process. Sometimes a very long, arduous one but with God's grace it is possible to forgive even in the most difficult of circumstances. As St. Jane experienced herself... READ MORE All Rights Reserved, Allison Gingras 2016 *First appeared in  7 Qualities of Mercy  --   Light Along the Way.

Have you ever really given this question much thought: What are you doing with the rest of your life? I ask from the perspective of what you plan to do with your eternal life. At the time of your departure from this earthly life, you will go down one of two paths: a life with God, or a life without God – for all eternity! What is your preference? If you prefer an eternal life with God, then the question begs to ask: How involved do you allow God to be in your earthly life? What kind of relationship do you have with Him now? Might it be that you tend to keep Him somewhat at a distance? You think that if He were actively involved, then you... Read more...

In honor of the Feast of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ (or Corpus Christi, the Body of Christ) celebrated this Sunday, here is a Eucharist IQ Quiz that I use in my workshops on the liturgy. You simply have to tell whether each statement is true or false. The answers are at the end. Don’t peek! The Eucharist is the source and summit of Christian life. The Mass is our highest form of worship. The word Eucharist means “thanksgiving.” Jesus gave us the Eucharist at the Last Supper. He told us to do it in remembrance of him. At Mass we remember his death and resurrection. Click to continue

Who doesn't enjoy  a beautiful wedding? Our senses are delighted with music, food, flowers, the colours and textures of fabrics, the transforming impact of hairstyles and makeup and the elegance of jewellery. Our spirit is lifted by the palpable joy between the couple. Like any event, weddings  don't just happen.  Hours of hard work, negotiation - conflict management - and careful planning have set the scene. My own wedding preparation was no different. When we requested a non-traditional hymn in the church repertoire, the musician obliged, but not before muttering, 'that's an odd choice of song for a wedding.'

As the Morning Rising: Belfast : Belfast If you press an ear to the pillow of ground beneath this pulsing city You may hear the river of collected tears that Runs under...