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SO ... DO YOU FEEL SORRY FOR JUDAS? OR DO YOU BLAME HIM FOR WHAT HE HAS DONE? DID HE HAVE A CHOICE?  OR WAS HE DOING GOD'S WILL? PLEASE CLICK HERE TO COMPARE YOUR VIEWS

My Marian Consecration was scheduled for February 11th, the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes. If you've ever thought of doing a Consecration, beginning now will have you finishing on the 100th Anniversary of the Feast of Our Lady of Fatima. Can there be anything better???  Here is my original Consecration post... An inspirational Christian friend once told me the prayer God always answers positively is her request to  want  to know Him more, to be made more hungry for Him. Her words stuck with me and describe what I have been experiencing the last several weeks. I hunger. With an intensity that is almost indescribable, I hunger. I have grown in my understanding of trust in, and love for the Lord in ways I didn't know were possible before ( Before now always means before my husband left...) . I am amazed by how far I've come and by the Peace and Joy in my life today. Make no mistake, this is no Peace and Joy from my own power, but a Peace and Joy that surp

Jesus didn’t enter Jerusalem on a beautiful stallion, or better yet in a covered canapé. No, He entered Jerusalem on the back of an ass; one of the simplest and hardest working creatures known to man. In Christ’s simplicity, we see Christ’s humility. Throughout Christ’s entire Passion and death, He consistently placed the wellbeing of each one of us ahead of Himself. He thought more about us that He thought of Himself.  For example, He took the verbal abuse of His accusers in silence, not wanting to draw attention to His followers. When tensions escalated, He took... Read more... 

HOW MUCH DO YOU GIVE TO CHARITY? WHAT IS YOUR DONATION REALLY WORTH? CHECK HERE AND FIND OUT - YOU'D BE SURPRISED BY THE RESULT CLICK HERE

I'm a perfectionist, a frustrated one. Somewhere between childhood and adolescence, I felt that if adequacy had a numeric value, it'd be greater than two and less than one; or something equally impossible. More accurately, I felt as if that was the standard imposed on me. I realized that it wasn't possible, and that there was no point in trying to reach it. Like I said, frustrated. That goes a long way to explain, I think, why results from aptitude and intelligence tests showed that I should be getting stellar grades: and I wasn't. Autism Meets Perfectionism Academics interested me, and I was paying attention. I just didn't see a point in "good grades." Besides, there was a whole universe full of things not being covered at any particular moment: including some inside the classroom. More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

Jesus had drawn  support and loyalty  from a large group of people, especially from those regarded as misfits. Some of the women in this scene would have been amongst those who had left behind their homes, families and friends and travelled with Jesus from town to town. They then supported Him and his disciples, providing for all their needs. Read on https://susannetimpani.blogspot.com.au/

As the Morning Rising: Palm Sunday Reflection : They say that heaven is not a place but is best described as another dimension. The picture that Palm Sunday paints is heavenly. There is jo...

As the Morning Rising: Lenten Prayer : By grace and mercy Lord, restore the walls, the floor, and roof, how vulnerable the house within when it is not rot - proof.

Plato's allegory of the cave explains the difficulty that Christians have as they try to explain their life in the Spirit. to unbelievers. The worst possible fate for me would be to die and discover that I had lived an existence similar to the allegory described in Plato’s Cave. Plato describes man’s condition as similar to living chained in a cave, looking at shadows on the wall cast from a candle; believing that was what life was all about. When one person manages to break free and stumbles out into daylight, he realizes that what he thought was real was merely shadows of real objects. continue

Plans are Meant to be Altered All over social media, those still left after the Lenten Exodus, people are confessing to their inability to keep their Lenten promises.  According to Facebook and Twitter, there has been lots of coffee drunk, chocolate eaten, swears said, and prayer time skipped.  The hashtag #LentenFail started showing up just a day into the liturgical season.  The #LentFail numbers grew again after bacon bits, chicken broth and unintentional "Oh no, I totally forgot it was Lent" hamburger consumption on the first Friday of Lent. Here is the good news. YOU Cannot Fail Lent.  It is not a test. Lent is a time of looking at our lives and trying new ways to grow closer to Christ.  Through prayer, fasting and charity, these forty days can be used to challenge our current choices and behaviors, and try on new ones.    The fasting, prayer and alms we take on for Lent, can also enhance our lives well beyond Easter ... read more for ideas on how and extra encourag

Prayer is a Gift that is Only Useful when Being Used 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 St. Paul’s words in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 , which reads: “Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” After contemplating St. Paul’s words, I decided to change my self-absorbed habit  ... Read What Simple Change I Made to Revolutionize my Prayer Life !  All Rights Reserved. Allison Gingras 2017

I live on Earth, so caring about what happens here makes sense. I've talked about enlightened self-interest, Yeats, Ehrlich, and getting a grip, before. Often, actually. ( February 17, 2017 ; January 20, 2017 ; September 16, 2016 ; August 12, 2016 ) A news item about scientists finding a particular sort of pesticide in America's drinking water got my attention. So did what they said about it: which made sense. Whether or not this becomes a hot news item, like the "Flint Water Crisis," depends partly on how badly editors need something to angst over. My opinion. What happened in Flint, Michigan, was real enough. There's a pretty good Wikipedia page on it. Briefly, Flint's drinking water was okay until the city started drawing from the Flint River instead of Lake Huron and the Detroit River. More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

They pressed into service a passer-by, Simon, a Cyrenian, who was coming in from the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to carry his cross. (Mark 15: 21 ) It is interesting  that we are told so much about Simon – that he had come in from the country and that he had two sons. He was a family man and had probably come in to Jerusalem for business so carrying the cross for  this ‘criminal’ was not likely to have been on his travel itinerary. He had responsibilities at home and in town;  things to do, places to be. Read on: https://susannetimpani.blogspot.com.au/

Christ's Entry into Jerusalem, Melozzo da Forli The Commemoration of the Lord's Entrance into Jerusalem Gospel Matthew 21:1-11 ( NRSV,Catholic E d. , Can .) When they had come near Jerusalem and had reached Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, ‘Go into the village ahead of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her; untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, just say this, “The Lord needs them.” And he will send them immediately.’ This took place to fulfil what had been spoken through the prophet, saying, ‘Tell the daughter of Zion, Look, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’ The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them; they brought the donkey and the colt, and put their cloaks on them, and he sat on them. A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and sprea

...St. John of God –  “the Waif,”  as he is described in one account of his life -- spent the last few years of his life in unstinting service to the destitute, for the love of God. My Laudate app (I do love certain bits of modern technology) advised me this morning of something the saint said: “Labour without stopping; do all the good work you can while you still have the time.” Those words startled me, coming as they did after I’d had my morning helping of Twitter and its hashtags. St. John might have been speaking to me.  Put the phone down. Stop trying to be clever. There’s work to do. Read the full post at EllenKolb.com.

This very famous bible passage, “ you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free “(John 8: 32), is the subject of today’s Gospel reading. What is Jesus trying to say to us? Didn’t He give us free will, which automatically makes us free? Why then, would we need to know the truth to be free? We need to read a few more verses to get the full gist of Jesus’ message. In John 8:34, Jesus states, “ everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin .” When we sin, we give up our freedom and become enslaved to the sin. We diminish our relationship with God. We reject God’s grace. This begs us to ask then, what is freedom and free will? Apparently, it does NOT... Read more...

Rightfully Ours , by Carolyn Astfalk, rightfully belongs on your “Want to Read” list! In Astfalk’s third Christian fiction novel, she introduces us to two teenagers: Rachel Mueller and Paul Porter. At the beginning of the book, when Rachel and Paul meet, they are only 14 and 16, respectively. Throughout the story, we see a deep friendship blossom between the two characters. As they get to know each other, we see that friendship grow into love, young love. Rightfully Ours deals with the virtue of chastity head on; yet in a manner that would make any teen want to be like Rachel and Paul. These two characters serve as excellent role models for teenagers coming to grips with burgeoning love and sexual desire, contrasted against all that they have been taught concerning morals and virtue. I found Rightfully Ours... Read more...

Are your sins forgiven when you go to Confession? Has God forgiven you? Have you forgiven yourself? PLEASE CLICK HERE

Estamos avanzando ya sobre el tiempo de cuaresma.      Es increíble con qué velocidad pasan los días y las horas. Las semanas apenas nos parecen empezarlas y ya nos encontramos en su final. Pero aún es tiempo, si no lo hicimos en su comienzo, de dedicar un poco de atención a este tiempo cuaresmal.    Pronto diremos: -" Ya llegó la Semana Santa, ¡ qué rápido!. " pero ya dijimos aún estamos a tiempo para prepararnos precisamente para esa Semana Santa.  

 (from The Cloistered Heart)

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/

I'm a week late in sharing this, but I always love learning new Irish things, and I thought you might too! My March column at CatholicMom.com has some fun info about the Irish love for Our Lady: Our Lady: Queen of Ireland . Happy Feast of the Annunciation!

Modern artists are still fascinated by Mary and her encounter with the angel Gabriel. There are so many moments to capture her initial shock, fear, sense of awe and wonder, questions, acceptance and final glorious infilling by the Holy Spirit. Each artist reflects a different facet of truth with the Spirit of God shining through each painting in a myriad of different hues and tones and nuances. continue

As the Morning Rising: A Paste of Clay and Spittle : Sight I did not see the wind But I saw a rain drop Blown clean off a leaf That had been shaken I did not see the secret ...

So, if you have been following my blog for any length of time, you have probably figured out that I like analogies. It is also the way God gets my attention and speaks to me. I believe the Lord gave me an analogy that some people reading this blog post may need to hear. I share it in order to encourage you in your walk with the Lord. Continue Reading @ beautifulthorns>

Once upon a time there was an old priest who became rather forgetful and tired of giving sermons at Mass on Sunday. He used to write down his sermons and then read them at Mass; but more often than not he used to forget bringing his sermons to church; so at sermon time he had nothing to read anyway. He reasoned that if he had to write down his sermons in order to remember them, then how could the congregation be expected to remember them after leaving church. PLEASE CLICK HERE TO FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENED NEXT

These are exciting, or disquieting, times. Which it is depends partly on how much a person likes living in a world where scientific knowledge is rapidly changing. I like it, a lot.... ...Since this is a "religious" blog, I'll be discussing — briefly, for me — how my faith relates to experiments using CERN's Large Hadron Collider and science in general.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

Blind Pensioner with a Stick, Van Gogh [ Web Gallery of Ar t] Readings (New American Bible: Philippines, USA) Readings (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, England & Wales, India Gospel John 9:1-41 [9: 1, 6-9, 13-17, 34-38] ( NRSV, Anglicised Catholic Ed ) As Jesus walked along, he saw a man blind from birth. [His disciples asked him, ‘Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?’ Jesus answered, ‘Neither this man nor his parents sinned; he was born blind so that God’s works might be revealed in him. We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming when no one can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.’] When he had said this, he spat on the ground and made mud with the saliva and spread the mud on the man’s eyes, saying to him, ‘Go, wash in the pool of Siloam’ (which means Sent). Then he went and washed and came back able to see. The neighbours and those who had seen him before as a beggar began to ask, ‘I

March 24, 2017 Media Release – Flooding in Peru. In wake of the unprecedented flooding in Peru, Columban Fr Kevin McDonagh in his parish in Samanco near Chimbote [420 kms north of Lima], has been cut off from the outside world. He is managing ok, but the situation is getting precarious for the people. The worst is not quite yet over as rain is still expected over the next few weeks, with some of it moving south. The challenges ahead are enormous in terms of reconstruction, etc. There is little bottled water available, but fortunately there is water flowing again in Lima though with low pressure. It is worrying to think of so many people without clean water especially in the provincial areas. So far there are 75 known deaths and over 100,000 people who are homeless. That figure will be multiplied when help reaches all the areas that have been incommunicado since the flooding began. It is mind boggling. We had bad flooding in 1982, and we all thought it was terrible. But that was