Association Of Catholic Bloggers

My Christmas film reviews conclude with The Spirit of Christmas (2015) directed by David Jackson, and starring Thomas Beaudoin and Jen Lilley. This is an unusual addition to Lifetime's Christmas film catalogue---still a romance, but one that's part ghost story/part mystery. It seems an odd blend of genres for a Christmas film. Or perhaps not so odd when one considers the famous ghostly Christmas tale we're all familiar with, Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carole . There are huge differences, of course. This is no Dickens classic, though it is still enjoyable. Also, this film's hero, Daniel (Thomas Beaudoin), is already dead. His journey of self-discovery, however, is similarly focused on exploring the ghosts of his past. The plot summary: big-city lawyer Kate (Jen Lilley) is tasked with arranging the sale of a deceased client's property before the new year. The house is actually an antique mansion in a small, snowy town upstate. Read the rest of the rev

I 'blessed the house' today, sprinkling holy water in each room. It isn't the formal blessing of the home and household that's sometimes done on Epiphany. The formal blessing is a wonderful ceremony: and one we don't do. By not performing the formal blessing, we're missing out on part of what it is to be Catholic. That doesn't bother me. More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

'During this new year I resolve to begin a new life. I do not know what will happen to me during this year. But I abandon myself entirely to You, my God. And my aspirations and all my affections will be for You. I feel so weak, dear Jesus, but with Your help I hope and resolve to  live a different life; that is, a life closer to You.'   St. Gemma Galgani (from The Cloistered Heart)

Even though I live in southern California, my family went to see the Tournament of Roses Parade only once. Battling traffic and hunting for the ever elusive parking space made it more worth our time to watch it on television. One year, back when I was quite young, my older sister and I viewed the parade, in glorious black and white, with all its brass bands and spectacular floats. I imagined myself as the Rose Queen, waving to hordes of cheering spectators. At the end of the parade, Sis came up with a brilliant idea. We would build a float!We got the wagon out of the garage. Now all we needed were some rose petals.And there, lining the chain-link fence along the driveway, were my mother’s prize roses.  Continue

Altar of Our Lady, Church of St Nicholas, Überlingen, Germany, Jörg Zurn  Gospel Luke 2:16-21 ( NRSV, Catholic Ed )  The shepherds went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger. When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child; and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them. After eight days had passed, it was time to circumcise the child; and he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb. The Adoration of the Name of Jesus, El Greco At the moment I am re-reading Finola Kennedy's Frank Duff: A Life Story published by Burns and Oates in 2011. Frank Duff founded the Legion of Mary on 7 September 1921, though for a very long time he did not consider himself the founder. The biographer rel

As the Morning Rising: Peace Prayer/Poem : Peace I wish you peace of a thousand years Bedded in valleys of silent snows I wish you peace of eternal beauty Enshrined in a...

As the Morning Rising: Mary Mother of God : Mary, Mother of God Mother of the Son of God Mother of the Eternal Word Mother of the child divine Mother Mary, Mothe...

Modern Holy Family Sculpture often focuses on the intimacy and love Joseph and Mary have for their son, Jesus. They also depict Joseph’s protective strength which is something that I really had not considered before looking at these statues. continue reading

As the Morning Rising: The Holy Family : The Holy Family To think of their saintliness would place them far beyond our reach so we come first to contemplate their humanity...

Today’s Gospel:  Matthew 2, 13-18  – Holy Innocents Today is the Feast of the Holy Innocents, a day when Catholics remember the baby boys in Bethlehem slaughtered by Herod. It is also called Childermas, instituted around 450 AD, and celebrated during the octave of Christmas to not only remember but honour the Church’s first martyrs who gave their life for Christ. More recently, the modern Church annually reaffirms her commitment to the sanctity of life on this feast. However, I want to focus on the question of the existence of evil in our world.  continue reading

With every years’ end, we tend to enter a time for reflection. We assess our lives, our dreams, and the course we are on. We look to see where we need to make changes; therein lies the proverbial need for the “New Year’s Resolution.” I bring you suggestions for how to approach making your New Year’s resolutions this year – resolutions that will last! These suggestions might be considered as slightly off the beaten path; nonetheless, they are a path work taking. Rather than: Going on a diet to lose weight, try to better understand why you overeat, or eat the unhealthy foods, and then resolve to fix the underlying cause instead. Going cold turkey to stop drinking or smoking, try to better understand why you do it in the first place, and then resolve to fix the underlying cause instead. Do you see where I am going here with these suggestions? .. Read more...

My present to you:  An encouraging poem as we face this new year. Happy New Year! God Knows  by Minnie Louise Hoskins And I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year: “Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown.” And he replied: “Go out into the darkness and put your hand into the Hand of God. That shall be to you better than light and safer than a known way.” So I went forth, and finding the Hand of God, trod gladly into the night. And He led me towards the hills and the breaking of day in the lone East. So heart be still: Click to continue

KINDLE EDITION ONLY - $1.28 PLEASE CLICK HERE

Even after the celebration of Christ’s coming, we need to create space and time each day at Christmastide and in the New Year, to enable God’s fatherly love to penetrate us ever more fully until we begin to experience it welling up from within to possess every part of us. Almost 25 years ago, I spent Christmas with a family who had one son who was adored by everyone. However, that Christmas there was another child present who had been semi-fostered. She stayed with them for some weekends and most of the school holidays. At first, the girl looked bewildered and not a little disappointed when she was given her Christmas present from under the tree, for when she unwrapped the parcel all she found was a bundle of papers. Then it was explained to her that they were her papers of adoption. From then on, she was a full member of the family. She didn’t need to go back to the orphanage at the end of the holiday. In fact, she did not need to go back ever again. Tears of joy just rolled down

As the Morning Rising: St John : Two thousand years after the birth of Jesus and yet there are still thousands of babies born in  places that are cold and forbidding. Yet. ...

En la era moderna en la que las comunicaciones han evolucionado con más rapidez y que han conectado a más personas que nunca, encontramos, paradójicamente menos entendimiento y compresión. Hemos aprendido a usar el móvil pero se nos ha olvidado cómo escuchar al otro. Recibimos miles de opciones de información instantáneamente pero nos seguimos hipnotizando con lo estruendoso, sensacionalista y amarillista. Por eso, la fe católica se ha preocupado por insistir en la humanización de los medios de comunicación y la centralidad de una cultura del encuentro en los múltiples mensajes y formatos comunicativos Buscando hacer relevante este tema, El Papa ha centrado la Jornada Mundial de las Comunicaciones del 2017, que se celebrará el domingo anterior a Pentecostés, alrededor de la responsabilidad del comunicador, que en esta era virtual somos todos, al aseverar que el “periodista” ( léase yo, tú y ellos) “escribe el primer borrador de la historia.”.  

Merry Christmas to all of you! And happy feast of St. Stephen! I was looking through some old posts of mine and thought any name lovers that might be reading would be interested in listening to this podcast I was featured in a year ago with the amazing Haley from Carrots for Michaelmas and Christy from Fountains of Home , chatting about Catholic baby names. A fun little diversion on a cozy day!

From now through December 30, my novel Nearer the Dawn  is absolutely free on Amazon Kindle.  If you got a Kindle for Christmas or know someone who did, here's the chance to put a book on it free.  For ages thirteen and up. Top Rated on catholicfiction.net and, as of this posting, all four and five-star reviews. https://www.amazon.com/Nearer-Dawn-J-Avila-ebook/dp/B00J1AVQLM

We officially entered the winter season last Wednesday, and are now in that time of year when life slows down dramatically, in comparison to the hustle and bustle of the holidays. We welcome the opportunity to come in out of the cold and seek the warmth of a roaring fire. Unlike many people, I love this time of year! I appreciate a good snowfall, especially when I get to stay inside, all cozy and warm. As an avid reader, I love sitting by the fire, curled up with my favorite afghan and a good book. I appreciate the solitude that winter blessings bring! Even in winter, when all life seems dormant, God is at work, renewing us. The lull of winter is a gracious gift from God, filled with winter blessings. Read more...

The Christmas Mass marathon — that's not what it's called — started yesterday with the Vigil Mass. Mass During the Night was next, followed by Mass at Dawn and Mass During the Day. I didn't go to all four, I don't know how many folks do, but I looked up the Gospel readings for each.... "...We heard parts of the Vigil Mass Gospel last week. That's Matthew 1:18 - 24 , when Joseph learns why Mary is pregnant...." More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

O Holy Night  is my hands-down favorite Christmas hymn and much to my children's chagrin I can listen to it over and over and over again (especially if Josh Groban is crooning it). This song is rich in meaning and has provided much over the years for me to meditate on and pray about. Click here to read my reflections on  a few of it's most powerful lines.....

It's a bad time of year to be hurting.  Not that there is a good time for pain, of course, but the days around Christmas and New Year's can be particularly poignant for some. Many of us have had such seasons. Times when we can't be with loved ones, or a close friend has died, or we've suffered a miscarriage, or we're sick, or we've lost our job, or there is illness in the family.  Even the time of year can make us feel blue.  Here in the northern hemisphere, night falls early in these months of bleak midwinter. We may be struggling to adjust to the long, long, long dark. For anyone reading this who is sad, in pain, or maybe just wishing the holidays would be over and gone - know that you're not alone... (continue reading)

As the Morning Rising: Every Tear Wiped Away : Tears at Christmas For many there is silent weeping at Christmas. A sorrowful mystery is lived out in a quiet place of the hear...

In my deepest wound, I saw your glory and it dazzled me.”- Saint Augustine. Most people assume they will automatically feel cheerful during Christmas.  Not only does the Church celebrate the birth of our Saviour with joy, secular society also promotes the idea that everybody is happy during this season, bombarding us with images in the media of lighthearted people giving gifts and enjoying each other’s company.   In fact, there is so much pressure on people to be in good spirits during Christmas, many sink even deeper into depression when they are unable to force themselves to even crack a smile.  Often, I also feel depleted and empty during the days leading up to Christmas, dismayed my emotions do not line up with my beliefs and certain there is something wrong with my spiritual life.  The more I try with my own willpower to get in the Christmas spirit, the worse I feel. continue reading

Adoration of the Shepherds- Jacopo Bassano  What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people (John 1:4). The Solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord has four different Mass formularies, each with its own prayer and readings. Any of the four fulfills our obligation to attend Mass. These are: Vigil Mass, celebrated 'either before or after First Vespers (Evening Prayer) of the Nativity'; that means starting between 5pm and 7pm. Mass During the Night, known before as 'Midnight Mass'. In many parts of the world it does begin at midnight but here in the Philippines since the 1980s it begins earlier, usually at 8:30pm or 9pm. Mass at Dawn, Mass During the Day. When you click on 'Readings' below from the New American Bible you will find links to the readings for each of the four Masses. The readings from the Jerusalem Bible for the four Masses are all on one page. Readings (New American Bible: Philippines, USA) Readings (Jerus

Contacting extraterrestrial intelligence, meeting people whose ancestors developed on another world, has been a staple of pulp fiction for generations. Lately, it's become a matter for serious discussion. I'll be looking at an op-ed's take on how learning that we're not alone might affect folks with various religious beliefs. I'll also share what I expect: and what I don't.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

My great uncle found himself in hell during the First World War. He was trapped in a shell hole made by enemy artillery. He was cold, hungry and half submerged in more than a foot of mud for almost twenty-four hours. He could not raise himself more than a few inches or he would have been caught in the crossfire between the two warring armies. The bullets that passed to and fro between the armies symbolised the hatred that set them apart. In this hell he thought of heaven, the heaven that had been his home before leaving for the front. He dreamed about the warm, cosy security of bathing in his parents’ love when he was a child. He remembered that when he was ill his mother would gather him in her arms and take him back to bed with her, where he was placed between her and his father. It was here, experiencing the mutual love that bonded his parents together, that he felt safe and secure and loved. That love that had conceived him in the first place made him happier than in any other pl

The best Merry Christmas I can give you is to repeat the simple, unvarnished story of the first Christmas paired with wonderful, modern, Catholic art. Luke 2: And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed. (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) And all went to be taxed, everyone into his own city. continue reading

As the Morning Rising: Name above all names : I'm not saying we should sit back now and pat ourselves on the back but at the same time I find it very encouraging to see so many p...

It’s almost time to celebrate Jesus’ birthday! Christmas is almost here! I want to wish you and yours a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! If you are traveling, safe travels. As we close out 2016, and look forward, with hope, to 2017, I want to share with you one of my favorite Christmas carols, performed by the late Bing Crosby and the late David Bowie. It’s called, Little Drummer Boy. The message of the song is that one little child “can give all the love he can.” Enjoy the video, then read my comments below on how we can take this message and bring it to life this Christmas season. Read more...

The first chapter of my new book out this month, Voices: God Speaking in Creation, is “Manger.” It makes a fitting post this week as we celebrate Christmas . . . "And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger"  ( Luke 2:7)   J esus could have been born at home in Nazareth and placed in a wooden crib fashioned by his carpenter-father, Joseph. Instead, because he makes his appearance on Earth while his mother and father are en route, he has no suitable place to lay his head. This circumstance is prophetic, for more than thirty years later, as an itinerant teacher Jesus will claim, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head” ( Matthew 8:20 ).  Click to continue

Is peace on  earth even possible amidst the violence and grief our world suffers? ' Peace on earth …' The opening verse of 'Hark the Herald Angels Sing' infers a link between peace on earth and Christmas. Christians use an  old fashioned word for this devastation. Sin. In 1739, the song writer for this carol, Charles Wesley, summed up the connection between Christmas and peace. 'God and sinners reconciled.' We all add  to the lack of peace and devastation in our world. We all qualify for the best Christmas present of all. The gift of forgiveness, and the return of peace. Wesley writes that everyone is entitled to this free gift. 'Light and life to all He brings, Ris’n with healing in His wings.'  If we are  struggling with a lack of peace in our lives we can use this time to sit in God's presence and experience His precious gift. 

Who do you trust? Your mother? Your father? Your children, spouse, neighbor? Your girlfriend's brother's cousin's friend? Do you trust an ad on tv or a product endorsed by a celebrity? How about what you read online? Who can trust you and why? When you give your word or say that you'll do something, do people believe you? How do you know? Do you look them in the eye, extend a firm handshake, or write up a contract? After agreeing, do you back out, come up with excuses, or simply forget? How does that affect how others view your trustworthiness? In Marriage, more than in almost any other human relationship, trust is vital... To finish the rest of the post on recovering from betrayal in Marriage and in learning who and how to Trust, please join me at Single Mom Smiling. God Bless...

On a message board on Facebook, (which has been one of the most amazing support groups ever) one of the members asked if it was okay to pray for money. Is it okay to pray for money?This was my opinion: “I believe that praying for money for a need like a light bill would be okay but it would be wrong to ask for a million dollars”.The Holy Spirit touched my heart to go searching for answers. Matthew 22:18-21  New International Version (NIV) 18 “ But Jesus, knowing their evil intent, said,  “You hypocrites, why are you trying to trap me?   19  Show me the coin used for paying the tax.”  They brought him a denarius, 20  and he asked them,  “Whose image is this? And whose inscription?” 21  “Caesar’s,” they replied. Then he said to them,  “So give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.”” So this above verse is about taxes but it makes some very good points about money. “Whose image is this?” Jesus said. The point he is making is that money is a tool of the state

Most Highly Favored Daughter , by Janice Lane Palko is salacious, intriguing and an all-around winner! If you are looking for a good book to read on a cold winter’s day, look no further than Most Highly Favored Daughter , set in Pittsburgh, PA during Super Bowl weekend. Janice Lane Palko creates compelling, deeply fraught characters who lure you in from page one. Cara Hawthorne Wells, the socialite elite of the Pittsburgh area, finds herself in a real pickle early on in the book. Yet, Janice Lane Palko shows us that Cara is much more than a former debutante. Cara, a seeker of truth, demonstrates courage and integrity when faced with a sordid adversity. Cara’s sister, Sophia, originally comes across as the flighty, irresponsible sister. Yet, when adversity strikes, Sophia... Read more...

  Desde hace décadas el tema del aborto ha ocupado un lugar central en la agenda feminista y las políticas demográficas de los organismos internacionales como un derecho reproductivo de la mujer, pero si se analiza la naturaleza del problema se nota que se ha dejado fuera un elemento central de la ecuación de este tema tan controversial. Este elemento es el aportador del esperma que contribuyó al embarazo no deseado o, en palabras anticuadas, el padre del niño. Ese ser totalmente borrado del horizonte dentro de una escena de toma de decisiones que, hoy por hoy, está marcado por la soledad, desesperación y la desesperanza para la mujer.

(from The Cloistered Heart)

Looking for some inexpensive electronic stocking stuffers to give your Christian friends this Christmas? All three of my Christian novels– Rain from Heaven, Nearer the Dawn,  and  Amaranth –are now on sale for just 99¢ each on Amazon Kindle. That’s less than $3 for all three!  And, as of this posting, all the reviews are 4 and 5 stars. For ages young adult and above. As usual, all net profits go to charity. Rain from Heaven  https://www.amazon.com/Rain-Heaven-J-Avila-ebook/dp/B00DPO6A3E Nearer the Dawn  https://www.amazon.com/Nearer-Dawn-J-Avila-ebook/dp/B00J1AVQLM Amaranth  https://www.amazon.com/Amaranth-J-Avila-ebook/dp/B00WSCJT64

I want to let you into a secret. It is the secret of sanctity, and St Paul was the first to pen it. It is simply this, “ God’s power works most perfectly in weakness”  (2 Corinthians 12:9). That is why God always seems to choose the wrong person for the job, the person who appears to be unfit-for- purpose. Take Abraham and his wife as a case in point. He was a ‘not-fit-for-purpose, hundred years old’ and his wife was eighty, yet he was chosen to become the father of God’s chosen people. Moses had a speech impediment, yet he was the one God chose to be his spokesman before Pharaoh. The strippling David was chosen to fell the giant Goliath. The whole point of God choosing someone who we would think unfit-for-purpose, was to make it quite clear that it is not this man’s potency, or that man’s eloquence, or this boy’s strength that triumphed, but God’s power working through human weakness.   read on...