Association Of Catholic Bloggers

A Christian is one who is invited… to join in the feast, to the joy of being saved, to the joy of being redeemed, to the joy of sharing life with Christ. This is a joy! You are called to a party!   Pope Francis  The Saints Were Not Miserable Even though some old Catholic icons and holy cards often depict saints and the Holy Family looking miserable, with tears streaming down their pale faces, the truth is the saints lived in God’s Presence and in His joy. Even when saints suffered, their suffering was lived out in, with and through Divine Love. St. Francis of Assisi, a famous joyful saint, wrote  “The Canticle of the Sun”  while almost completely blind, with a body ravaged by poverty and hard labour, bearing the stigmata. Look at our pope, whose namesake is Francis; his very countenance radiates kindness and joy even as he bears the burden of shepherding the world’s Catholics and a grueling schedule as the pontiff. Some traditional Catholics disapprove of our joyful pope

Jesus warned to not be like the scribes and Pharisees, “For they preach but they do not practice,” another way of looking at that, “ practice what you preach .”    Sadly, I can think of at least one (okay, who am I fooling really MANY more than one) example in our lives, either now or in the past, when this could be said about me. However, as I read these words, I thought of something I am far more often guilty of, “I practice but I do not preach,”  Instead of the ole'  do as I say, not as I do,  I have created my own version with  do as I do, not as I fail to say .  Which is fine, because as St. Francis of Assisi is credited with saying, "Pray the Gospel always, when necessary use words," but sometimes WORDS are necessary.  As this lifelong Catholic, who has just in the last 10 years begun truly practicing her faith, has learned; Catholicism is a very rich and beautiful faith about which most people know very little.  Those who have discovered it ought to be sharing i

I simply worshipped the heroes of ancient Greece when I was at school. I loved to hear stories about Troy and the heroes who fought there. I loved to read about the Persian wars and about the warriors who fought for freedom at Marathon, Salamis and Thermopylae. Most of all I worshipped Alexander the Great and marvelled at the mighty empire that he set up before he was even thirty. I couldn't help it if the hero I was introduced to in the religious class seemed to be rather weak compared with them. He didn't actually triumph over his enemies as my Greek heroes did, and there wasn't much in it for his followers either, unless you happen to like being thrown to the lions!  However, I had something of a conversion experience shortly before leaving school     that led me to join a prayer group run by the school’s spiritual director.        read on....

As the Morning Rising: Clonard Novena Mother of Perpetual Help 2016 : http://www.clonard.com/ The annual nine day novena to Our Mother of Perpetual Help has started at Clonard Monastery. The first se...

Now the Spirit of God is moving among the grassroots.  It is the time  for the little people to shine.  God is choosing humble, ordinary people who have suffered and lived obscure lives faithful to Him and allowed Him to purify and mold them into His presence.  Such men and women attract others who are hungry for God because people sense the love and power of God in them. There is no room for pride or ego because it is all about God saving them in their littleness. continue reading

I think most, if not all, Catholics like the idea of becoming a saint. Not because everyone wants official recognition but because the bottom line is: saints are in heaven and that’s where we want to be. In this way, the saints become a beacon of hope, a confirmation that the daily struggle is worth plowing through, because success is possible. Raised in a strong Catholic family, I grew up reading and loving the lives of the saints. I knew from a young age that these people were close to Jesus, and I hoped that some day, I would be close to Jesus too. Our desire for sanctity, in itself, is a good thing – it’s a reflection of our longing for God and innate sense that our hearts are made for him. So looking for some sort of formula or solid role model to follow is natural. Hence the importance we place in our faith on the saints and their example. Over time, however, I realized that finding inspiration in the saints was different from finding a realistic and imitable example in

In Adventures of Faith, Hope, and Charity: Finding Patience , Mr. Luke Gabriel lives next door to his new neighbors, the Livingstone family. He is retired from corporate life, and a widower. To fill his spare time these days, he breeds Westminster Terriers. Why, you might ask? Because the loss of his dear wife left such a hole, that he attempts to fill that hole with the unconditional love from puppies. He has developed quite a passion for these dogs, and they are fun to have around an empty house. When Faith, Hope, and Charity moved in next door, Mr. Gabriel was delighted. He loved having children around. Not only did he miss his beloved wife, but he also missed... Read more... 

Here is an excerpt from Chapter 2 of my latest book, Praying with Scripture. Come to the Bible, not to study the history of God’s action, but to be its object; not to learn what it achieves throughout the centuries and still does, but to be the subject of its operation. ~ Jean-Pierre de Caussade, S.J. There once was an elderly lady in Scotland who was very poor, even though her son had become a wealthy man in America. Neighbors, who charitably supported the woman, wondered why her son had apparently forgotten her. One day they questioned her about this. The mother stood up for her boy. She said, “Every week he writes me and sends a little picture. See,” she said, opening her Bible. “I keep them in here.” Stashed inside her Bible were hundreds of U.S. bank notes. Ironically the pages of the woman’s Bible held much wealth, but she was unaware of it. Just as the woman’s Bible contained a hidden gift, so our Bibles hold hidden treasures for us. The Bible is one of the greatest gi

The 49 folks killed at an Orlando entertainment venue late Saturday night/early Sunday morning, and the person who killed them, are still dead. Others are hospitalized, and may or may not survive. A whole lot of folks are mourning the loss of family and friends. Repeating what I wrote Sunday afternoon, I should love God, love my neighbors, see everybody as my neighbor, and treat others as I want to be treated.... ...Here's what a Bishop, an Archbishop, and someone at the Vatican, had to say.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

A young man killed more than four dozen folks at an entertainment venue last night/early this morning. He took some of the survivors hostage, and is now dead, too. I've run into several assumptions about what happened: and a few facts.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

On this Feast of Saint Anthony of Padua, I just had to share an experience that my husband and I had while visiting the Basilica of Saint Anthony in Padua, Italy. We had planned on visiting Rome, Florence and a day trip to Tuscany. Padua was not originally on our schedule. However, while travelling from Rome to Florence on their high-speed train, I saw that a trip to Padua from Florence was only a 90-minute high-speed train ride away. With Saint Anthony of Padua being my all-time favorite saint, I couldn’t travel all the way to Italy and not visit his tomb, when he was only a 90-minute train ride away. So, my husband and I made the trip on June 16, 2011. I’ll never forget this day. As we entered the Basilica, my husband noticed that Saint Anthony’s tomb was immediately to our left. As we approached the tomb, my husband noticed that everyone was heading toward the back side of the tomb. So we followed. Then we saw people touching the tomb. So we followed suit. Wow! What happened

As the Morning Rising: Down and Connor Pilgrimage to Knock 2016 : http://www.knockshrine.ie/ Pilgrims recite the rosary as hey process to the basilica. http://www.downandconnor.org/ ...

I have never faced the challenge of praying where lions wait. I've never been like Daniel, prohibited from praying, and I haven't endured threats of hungry animals waiting to feast on me if I did ... (....continue....)   

When Jesus said we will always have the poor with us - Mark 14 3-7 Why did no one ask Him why this is so? What did He mean exactly? Will we never eradicate poverty? Is all our charity work a waste of time? Please CLICK HERE for some possible answers.

Wisdom Reflection by Malcolm Davies I've spent many working hours traveling around the country, waiting in airports. The most powerful experiences of prayer were facing the rising sun out of the windows at Adelaide airport. Those opportunities opened me to the gift of Wisdom - the integration of spirit and flesh. The one who gets wisdom loves life; Proverbs 19:8 Excerpt from: http://susannetimpani.blogspot.com.au/

Feast in the House of Simon (detail) , Paolo Veronese, 1567-70 Gospel Luke 7:36 – 8:3 or 7:36-50 NRSV, Catholic Ed , One of the Pharisees asked Jesus to eat with him, and he went into the Pharisee’s house and took his place at the table. And a woman in the city, who was a sinner, having learned that he was eating in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster jar of ointment. She stood behind him at his feet, weeping, and began to bathe his feet with her tears and to dry them with her hair. Then she continued kissing his feet and anointing them with the ointment. Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw it, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what kind of woman this is who is touching him—that she is a sinner.” Jesus spoke up and said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” “Teacher,” he replied, “speak.” “A certain creditor had two debtors; one owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. When they could not pay, he canceled

En la actualidad la migración forzado de millones de personas que huyen de sus hogares, forzados por la violencia y el peligro, y que ingresan en calidad de refugiados a otros países o regiones es considerada una de las mayores tragedias humanitarias de la historia. Entre las más afectadas por esta situación, que da señales de no ceder pronto, se encuentran las mujeres y sobre todo las cristianas que sufren doble persecución, acoso y hasta vejaciones por su condición de mujer y de creyente. Las comunidades cristianas, incluida la Iglesia Católica están construyendo puentes de ayuda y vías políticas para dar solución en algunos de los puntos más marcados por este horror. De acuerdo al registro realizado por la asociación cristiana Open Doors de Gran Bretaña e Irlanda, solo el número registrado de cristianos obligados a refugiarse al ser perseguidos por su fe ha ido en aumento en estos últimos años de 2,123 en 2013 a 7,100 en 2015. Las principales zonas afectadas Medio Oriente, Áfri

Until fifteen years ago, I had never met anyone "interesting" on a plane.  Oh, I know amazing persons were all around me, but I'd never struck up a conversation with one. That changed the day I decided to say a prayer.... (read more...)

Pain and fear of inadequacy,   Instantly swept aside. Surprised as A surge of motherly love Rose up in my heart. A sense of awe at The miracle of creation. We examined tiny, Perfectly formed Fingers and toes. continue

As the Morning Rising: The Soul : The Soul The soul Is composer And interpreter Of beauty. The soul is a fruit Split open Glistening in the sun ...

Hello Everyone! My name is Bella Bricks and I feel truly blessed to be apart of this association! I have recently come back to the church and I have been compelled by the Holy Spirit to share my testimony on the interwebs with all of you. I have been recently studying Judith and I would like to share it with all of you. So a few days ago I was having a discussion with a friend about strong women in the Bible. We spoke of course of the “Proverbs 31” woman, Esther, Mary etc. I brought up Judith and my friend had never heard of her. It is amazing how we can be inspired by the Holy Spirit. So because of this conversation I am now compelled to do this Bible study. Judith has to be one of my favorite books in the Bible. Judith is a strong independent woman who gets the job done! So some of you may have not heard of Judith, most Protestants consider this book to be part of the Apocrypha so she will not be in a NIV Bible. It makes me said that Martin Luther chose not to translate her but

I have been praying to Our Lady of Sorrows the last few weeks after learning more about the devotion through two lectures (links at the bottom). I’ll be honest. When I first saw or heard of this devotion, the image of Mary crying made me want to turn away. I don’t know why exactly. I didn’t understand it, and I rather my other images of Mary that brought me comfort. The image and idea didn’t make sense to me at the time. Only when I compared it to the crucifixion did it become clear. Understanding the significance When I heard Mary’s sorrows explained, I was moved. Aside from the Rosary, it has become my main devotion. My children are still babies, and there isn’t much time to devote to long devotions. I have found this devotion so perfect for mothers, both in practicality and in its meaning. For I see Our Lady of Sorrows specifically in context of Mary’s vocation as a mother. I can turn most of the mundane tasks of my day into a segway to meditation on the life of Mary.

For those of you who start Christmas shopping really early, here is a post of some practical but fun gift ideas! "I know it is very early for Christmas for most of you, but as I have shared before, I try to avoid shopping during Advent.  Autumn is an extremely busy time with birthdays, back to school, and getting ready for winter around here.  Therefore, I start my shopping around now and try to finish up by the end of August.  There are always those little things that need to be purchased last minute, for those I know exactly what I am buying and where to get it, to make the last minute shopping as painless as possible.  My children have gotten so used to me Christmasing in July that they have already proposed gift ideas--aren't they lovely. :)" Click over to Veils and Vocations for more.

Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church is participating in a mission. Our Missionaries are about 70 strong, both priests, sisters, brothers, seminarians and lay people. The goal of this mission is bring the living Gospel of Jesus to the people of our town. The missionaires are hitting the streets of town, visiting the members of our parish, whether or not they are still active in the parish. Some parishioners cannot attend Mass because they are sick or elderly or both. Some have fallen away, but each individual in our parish, or not in our parish, is loved with the love of Jesus, by the missionaries. Loving and lovable, they seek to take Jesus to all whom they encounter along the way. Read More at Prayerfully Yours

VISIONS (paperback ISBN 978-1-60477-032-2) By VICTOR S. E. MOUBARAK On their way to the Church Youth Club, one Friday evening, June, Helen and Tim see Jesus sitting on a park bench. He speaks to them and asks them to deliver a message to their priest. The three children tell the priest and their parents. News soon spreads throughout town. There has been an Apparition in the park. People react to this differently. Some believe. Others mock. Whilst some behave violently. The Church tries to hush the story down, whilst the priest has a crisis of Faith. Meanwhile, Jesus appears to the children again and again ... This is a challenging Christian book you must not miss. A vibrant tale of supernatural events with strong believable characters and a fast-paced exciting storyline.  The author skilfully combines humour with suspense to deliver a Christian message rel

Wow! Oh, wow! Dying for Revenge , the debut novel by Barbara Golder is fantastic! Talk about page-turners! Barbara Golder had me hooked from page one. The characters are deep and riveting, to the point where you won’t truly understand the depth of each character until you read the last page of the book. And don’t skip a word! Everything within the storyline is important – very well laid out. The lead character, Dr. Jane Wallace, is the Forensic Pathologist for western Colorado, unable to forgive, let alone have any mercy for the murderer of her own husband. To handle the pain, she steels herself from human interaction by engrossing herself with autopsies on the dead in the little resort town of Telluride, Colorado. To Jane’s surprise, murder follows her to Telluride, and she finds herself in... Read more (and enter to win your copy) 

It occurred to me that I am free to post excerpts from my books on this website. (This will give me additional time each week to write more books!) So here is the Introduction from my latest book: “Praying with Scripture: The Bible—You’ve Got Mail!” . . . I would like so much for all Christians to be able to comprehend “the surpassing worth of knowing Jesus Christ” through the diligent reading of the Word of God, for the sacred text is the nourishment of the soul and the pure and perennial source of the spiritual life of all of us.   ~ Pope Francis Click to continue

June is traditionally dedicated to the  Sacred Heart of Jesus  in Catholic tradition.  Here's the picture of the Sacred Heart I saw most often growing up. Source For a long time I have not really understood this devotion, based on revelations to St Margaret Mary (1647-1690).  She saw Jesus with His heart exposed in His chest.  It all seemed a bit odd to me.  Why would you have your heart on the outside of your clothes?  Read more at "From the Coalface"

I’m sure I’m not the only one who has plenty to worry about in daily life. Worry seems to be one of those things you just can’t get away from. As soon as we let go of one worry, another comes along. Major worries take priority, but when those run out, there are plenty of trivial ones to fill their place. I can worry about world peace, the future of this nation, and whether or not there’s too much fluoride in my toothpaste all in the same breath. I worry about catastrophes that never take place (thank heaven!) but certainly do drain a lot of mental energy as I envision every possible ending to the story. I second-guess things that I can’t change and aren’t that important anyway in the grand scheme of things. I worry that there just isn’t enough of me to go around enough for my family and people I care about. Sometimes it helps me to step back for a minute and remember where God is in all of this (...) Continue reading about ways faith can help move away from stress and restore

As the Morning Rising: Cuckoo in the Glens : Occasionally when we go to the Glens of Antrim, I opt to stay on flatter ground while my husband, weather permitting, sets out in...

This month we begin our discussion of the spiritual works of mercy. In this post, we focus on counseling the doubtful and instructing the ignorant. These two spiritual works of mercy seem to go hand in hand; similar on one level, but in actuality, different on another level. Yet, both of these works of mercy offer us opportunities to evangelize our faith. Counseling the Doubtful Everyone is at a different point on their faith journey. Some of us have progressed rather far along. Others have doubts. Those with doubts are not quite sure what to believe about God, religion, and... Read more...   

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