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How does the resurrection of Lazarus affect us - if at all? What message is there in that story for us? Is there any significance in that miracle? PLEASE CLICK HERE TO READ MORE

As the Morning Rising: A Future We Cannot See : God leads us blindfold to a future we cannot see, but all our trust is in Him who is our Shepherd and friend.

Reflection by Louise Crossley When I gave  birth for the first time, I felt that it was more than I could bear.  I vividly remember fearing I could literally break in half. The other births, while still painful, where less overwhelming as my body was strengthened by past experience. When I first  experienced a broken heart, I thought I could not live on.  The pain seeped through my body as though my heart was leaking venom that was poisoning my will to go on. While heartbreak is never easy, it gets a little less intense as a result of knowing what to expect or from bracing ourselves somewhat. Jesus carrying the  cross at this Station represents the impact of first times...read on:  https://susannetimpani.blogspot.com.au/

The Raising of Lazarus, Rembrandt [ Web Gallery of Art ] Readings (New American Bible: Philippines, USA) Readings (Jerusalem Bible) For the shorter form of the Gospel omit the passages [in square brackets]. Gospel John 11:1-44 [11:3-7, 17, 20-27, 33b-45] ( NRSV,Catholic Ed )  [Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. Mary was the one who anointed the Lord with perfume and wiped his feet with her hair; her brother Lazarus was ill.] So the sisters sent a message to Jesus, ‘Lord, he whom you love is ill.’ But when Jesus heard it, he said, ‘This illness does not lead to death; rather it is for God’s glory, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.’ Accordingly, though Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus, after having heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was. Then after this he said to the disciples, ‘Let us go to Judea again.’ [The disciples said to him, ‘Rabbi, the Je

Gifts are Meant to be Used “What is the gift of prayer?” is the first question asked in the  Walk in Her Sandals’ journal  with regard to Pat’s reflection. Personally, I see prayer as part of what I’ve dubbed, “The Grace Trifecta.” This trifecta consists of one engaging in prayer, participating in the Sacraments, as well as reading and reflecting on Scripture — prayer, Sacrament and Scripture. It truly amazes me that God allows us to communicate with Him in this intimate way. What a gift that he allows us to enter into conversation with Him. When I was a child, my mother would wrap every single item in our Christmas stocking. Opening each individual present was what I looked forward to the most about Christmas; I enjoyed it so much I continue that tradition today with my own children. This is how I have experienced prayer in my life — as many small gifts. The first prayer gift to be unwrapped was opening up a more frequent line of communication with God. This came after reading S

Apparently quiet a few sorts of cancer 'just happen,' no matter how much fiber we eat, how much we don't smoke, and how far we run each day. Or exercise, in my case. Thanks in part to now-replaced defective hips, my running days never really happened. That doesn't mean that we're all gonna die from random cancer. I think it means we should think about paying more attention to testing before symptoms appear.... After talking about oddly-under-reported 'cancer' news, I kept going; mostly about mutations, and why being healthy is okay... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

Then Pilate took Jesus and had him scourged. And the soldiers wove a crown out of thorns and placed it on his head, and clothed him in a purple cloak, and they came to him and said,"Hail, King of the Jews!" And they struck him repeatedly.  John 19:1-3 By Margaret Kirchener The bathroom seems  so far away. My arthritis has flared up and every step is torture. I crawl through  the house using a broom as a crutch. I desperately need my medication. Everything else in  my life fades. All that exists is me and the throbbing pain... Read on: https://susannetimpani.blogspot.com.au/

  I would appreciate your views and comments about this video.

I was writing about cancer and medical knowledge we've accumulated over the last few millennia, when I realized that I'd gotten more off-topic than usual. For me, that's saying something. When I catch myself rambling I've got options. Sometimes I delete and start over from where I was making sense; or copy and paste the ramble into a text file for later use, delete and start over. Sometimes I delete, get up, make myself a cup of coffee, and try desperately to remember what, if anything, I had in mind.... ...Like the title says, it's about what we know and what we don't about the past: and why we're not all that certain about so much.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

As the Morning Rising: The Trees and Countless Stars : Sometimes all we need do is take God in, the way a new-born baby takes a first breath – this too is prayer. To look in awe at a...

Raising children  is not a default chore for women who were  not successful  in the world of business, power, and wealth. However, the trend in the last few decades has been to  delegate childcare  to women who are often treated like second-class citizens. Society seems to dismiss and even ridicule  women’s most sacred, natural role  as  nurturing mothers . continue reading on CTS Catholic Compass

So, how is doing the dishes well, or any other mundane task for that matter, virtuous? Well, let’s answer that question by first defining virtue: “A virtue is an habitual and firm disposition to do the good. It allows the person not only to perform good acts, but to give the best of himself.” 1   If you strive to always give your best to every task performed, even something so mundane as doing the dishes, then your action can be virtuous. I remember, as a child, having the chore of doing the dinner dishes with my two sisters. The oldest sister always needed to go to the bathroom immediately after dinner. How convenient for her! She always got out of doing the dishes, unbeknownst to my mother. That left my middle sister and me, the youngest, to clear the table, wash and dry the dishes. (Yes, I am old! This was in the day before every household had an automatic dishwasher. But I digress.) My middle sister and I always fought over who would do what, and... Read more... 

Spring is upon us, so venture outside! Recent reports claim that contact with nature makes us healthier and happier. In Greek mythology, Antaeus was invincible as long as he was in contact with his mother, Earth. Apparently we too gain strength by being in touch with Mother Earth, whose clay we were made from. Spring is a good time to be refreshed and renewed by taking a walk though the woods, in a park, along a beach, or in your own backyard. When I walk outside in the country— gazing on violets, mushrooms, and honeybees and filling my lungs with fresh air— I feel at peace. I’m sure my blood pressure sinks.  click to continue

As the Morning Rising: Prodigal - Lenten Poem : Prodigal Sometime between now and Easter I will die to my old self Rise to the challenge Of putting on a new garment Befitting one ...

The Virtue Driven Life , by Fr. Benedict J. Groeschel, C.F.R., offers insightful information about the cardinal virtues of Prudence, Justice, Fortitude and Temperance, along with scriptural passages, simple prayers, and citations from the Catechism of the Catholic Church . This gem of a book offers the basic information on these virtues in part I. He saves the best for last, though, when in part II, we learn some in-depth information on the Theological virtues of Faith, Hope and Charity. Part II also provides scriptural passages, prayers and citations from the Catechism , in relation to the Theological virtues. I was most impressed with Fr. Groeschel’s insight into the... Read more...

Do you ever pray for dead relatives and friends? Do you offer Masses for them? Do you sometimes "speak" to them; perhaps in your thoughts? Do you visit their graves? Why do you do these things? Where are your dead relatives and friends anyway? Heaven? Hell? Purgatory? If they are in one of these places then God has decided their fate anyway. So why pray for them? Your comments and thoughts are very welcome. JOIN THE DISCUSSION HERE

    Las plantas y los animales para crecer y desarrollarse, necesitan luz y aire, agua y alimento. Si estos le faltan pierden color, frescura, energía, y poco a poco mueren. Y los animales necesitan crecer sin ataduras, para llegar a ser lo que tienen que ser. Por ejemplo, a un águila cuando le cortan las alas, no puede volar a las alturas, que es su medio natural. Se quedará a ras del suelo. Y si le empiezan a crecer las alas pero está atada con un cordel, tampoco podrá volar, y aunque lo intente, el resultado será el mismo: se quedará en el suelo y no podrá evitar la muerte.   Pues lo mismo sucede con nosotros los hombres. Fuimos creados por Nuestro Padre Dios con todo amor, pero por el pecado estamos atados y no podemos llegar a ser lo que Él quiere que seamos. Y porque nos quiere tanto, porque somos tan importantes para Él, envió a su único hijo, Jesucristo, a liberarnos del pecado y abrirnos las puertas del cielo.  

Recently I read something touting a "politically correct" (but unmistakably warned against in Scripture) lifestyle as being something Jesus would applaud.  I immediately thought:  "Oh, really?"   Just who, I asked, is this jesus of whom the writer is speaking?  It's definitely not the Jesus quoted and taught about in Scripture and 2,000 years of the Church.  The real Christ clearly taught against what the author was endorsing. This is extremely important.  Nothing in our lives could be more important.  If we intend to respond to the world through the "grillwork" of God's will, a knowledge of the real Jesus is critical.  If I am going to see the world through Scripture and the teachings of the Church, I must have a working knowledge of what these are. I cannot make them up for myself. And certainly I can't invent my own jesus, one who will approve of everything I do.. even sin. The real Jesus loves me; He genuinely loves me. He cares

The quote is from Tennyson's " Ulysses ," among my favorite poems; and the source for my Google Plus tagline: "...To follow knowledge, like a sinking star, "Beyond the utmost bound of human thought...." (" Ulysses ," Tennyson (1833)) I'm not "an idle king," and take my family obligations seriously, so I won't be setting off on a voyage of discovery. Thanks to a pretty good Internet connection and research skills, I can "follow knowledge" without leaving my desk. My shameless curiosity may need some explanation. Or maybe not, if you read my Friday 'science' posts. More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

Being judged and  wrongly declared guilty is a horrible experience. I had a taste of this once when a valuable item went missing in my share household and everything pointed to me. It's equally as devastating when you are judged and victimised for standing up for something you believe in. A sense of our own powerlessness can make us feel incredibly vulnerable and rejected. What kind of  God is willingly vulnerable to the opinions and judgements of humans? Standing before Pilate, was Jesus thinking about the divine power He could invoke to escape from the fate of death? Read on:  https://susannetimpani.blogspot.com.au/