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To the casual observer, I appear to be a devoted Catholic mother who has lived a sacrificial life worthy of a modern saint. Little do people realize that although I did pour out my life struggling to raise nine kids on a small farm with little disposable income, I actually missed the core of Christ’s message; I tried too hard to be a perfect Christian rather than allowing myself to be loved by God. Refusing Love The stress of my lifestyle brought me low, low enough to finally realize I was not as Christian as I had once supposed. In fact, I realized I was actually a verified Pharisee, striving to please God. When I confessed this devastating insight about fifteen years ago, the priest told me he had never heard a better confession but I had missed the next step after my brutal self-examination, the most important step for a disciple of Jesus. I was refusing to accept the forgiveness and love of God. continue

(From European Press Agency , via BBC News, used w/o permission.) ("Thousands attended a vigil in Manchester earlier" (BBC News) Manchester is England's second-largest urban center, in terms of population. At around 10:30 Monday night, something like 21,000 folks — pre-teens, teenagers, adults — were leaving a music concert at the Manchester Arena. Someone with a bomb set it off in or near the arena's foyer. He's dead. So are more than 20 other folks. Except for the chap who killed them, the dead had been enjoying an Ariana Grande concert. The youngest victims I've read about were eight years old. Quite a few others are injured. Some are missing. I am not happy about this, putting it mildly.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

            Occasionally I watch the television show Pawn Stars , shown on the History Channel. It can provide a fascinating look at historical objects, some of which are museum quality.             In a recent episode, the owner of the pawn shop (located in Las Vegas) took a trip to Los Angeles to procure more merchandise for his store. In particular he was searching for movie memorabilia.             But my jaw dropped at the amount of cash he doled out for one item: more money than my husband and I paid for our house. So what was it? The ruby slippers from The Wizard of Oz ? Perhaps Sam's piano from Casablanca ?             Nope. https://reflections911.wordpress.com/2017/05/24/on-spending/  

As the Morning Rising: To walk with God in Realms of Light : It is always night in a soul that deprives itself of light. There is no glory there, no joy, no promise of dawn. But it need not be so....

The annual Novena to the Holy Spirit begins this coming Friday, May 26 th and continues through to the day before Pentecost, June 3 rd . In this Novena, we ask the Holy Spirit to grace us with seven gifts. Each one of theses gifts happen to be virtues as well: Awe (also known as Reverence) – We ask for a sovereign respect for God, as well as a filial submission to the Father. Piety – We ask for love and respect for those consecrated to God; including priests and religious, the Blessed Mother, the Saints, the Church, our parents, and our country and its rulers. Fortitude – We ask for the strengthening of our souls against natural fear. We also ask for support in performance of our duties; to endure without complaint. Read more...

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As the Morning Rising: Mercy by another Name : The door that had been closed over was now wide open and it seemed that the outside and inside were as one - colours, fragrances, pat...

I was long overdue, but recently, I finally sat down and read the classic, Mere Christianity , by C.S. Lewis. Once I opened the book, and read the first chapter, I questioned what took me so long to get to this masterpiece, centered on man’s reaction to moral concepts and what it truly means to be Christian. C.S. Lewis begins with a discussion on Natural Law: Whether we like it or not, we believe in the Law of Nature. If we do not believe in decent behaviour, why should we be so anxious to make excuses for not having behaved decently (p. 8)?   Hmm…that’s something to chew on! Lewis’ logic and common sense abound in Mere Christianity . Written during the Second World War, this book was aimed at helping people make sense out of tragedy. Lewis attempts to assist his fellowman in mentally processing the atrocity of evil acts, so prevalent at the time. He asserts that we, as Christians, are called to love our neighbors, of whom some of them might actually be our enemies. Yet, in

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            En este siglo XXI uno de las áreas de la vida humana que continúa siendo una prioridad en programas y políticas internacionales y de gobiernos del mundo es la salud. Se invierten millones en ella y sigue costando un gran porcentaje de sus ingresos a muchos países. Y en el caso en los que las condiciones son precarias, el costo en calidad de vida, enfermedades y muertes es muy alto. Pero en ambos casos, a lo largo de la historia, se ha comprobado que se necesita algo más que médicos, medicinas y campañas para alcanzar una vida sana para todos. Lo que se ha necesitado es prevención y hábitos de vida saludables para evitar muchas enfermedades y generar calidad en la forma de vivir de las personas. En los últimos años se ha encontrado una de las claves para lograr prevención sin importar el contexto de riqueza o pobreza de la población. Sorprendentemente, este eslabón perdido no consiste en campañas, mensajes, ni programas gubernamentales sino en algo

'Live on the divine Eucharist, like the Hebrews did on the manna.  Your soul can be entirely dedicated to the Eucharist,  and very holy in the midst of your work and contacts with the world'  St. Peter Julian Eymard   (from The Cloistered Heart)  

"Folks have thought truth is important for quite a while... "...I think truth is important, too. As a Christian, I'd better...." More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

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Today's world is remarkable for a lack of dinosaurs. Big ones, anyway. Those critters would have been among the first things someone would notice here for upwards of 200,000,000 years. Then, about 66,000,000 years back, something awful happened. The only dinosaurs left are those little tweeting, chirping, and cawing critters we call birds. Ammonites had been around for even longer, but whatever finished the 'thunder lizards' wiped them out, too. We showed up much more recently, and are learning that there's a very great deal of our past, and Earth's, that we don't know. Not yet.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

Last Supper , Lorenzo Ghiberti   [ Web Gallery of Art ] Readings and Reflections:   Sixth Sunday of Easter, Year A Posted by  Fr Seán Coyle   at  17:23      

I cannot think of anything more difficult for my ADHD brain then the sustained mental focus sometimes required to pray. The good news is prayer comes in many forms and these 5 strategies are sure to help you engage in meaningful prayer - whether you have an attention disorder or not!  Here are some of my tried and true methods for conversing with God even when I am completely out of focus. Walk and Talk Two Years ago I was struck with this crazy inspiration to get my butt outside to pray the Rosary.  Uncomfortable walking the streets alone, I decided to encircle my home. This was made easy, in my mind anyway, because I live on a fork-in-the-road and have a driveway that connects the two streets.  I am only on grass when I traverse my backyard.  Around and around I go,  praying the rosary , talking with God, the Blessed Mother, my Guardian Angel and whoever else in Heaven (or Purgatory) will listen. The practice has become so much more than I ever anticipated it to be.  Th

It is no secret that my husband has struggled with deep regret over us leaving the Catholic Church and being away for 10 years. He has since worked through it and has forgiven himself, especially now that the Lord has restored him and he is doing what he is passionate and gifted in. I on the other hand have not dealt with the same regret. I can honestly see how the Lord used our time away and coming back to give us a deeper appreciation for what we had. The Lord can work good out of anything! Also, sometimes, you have to go to the other side to realize the grass isn't always greener.  Continue Reading @ Beautifulthorns>

As the Morning Rising: Fill My Senses Lord : Fill My Senses Lord Fill my senses Lord Flood my eyes, my soul, my life With waves of light  Otherwise I sleep In sluggi...

In today’s Gospel reading from John 15:1-8, we hear one of my favorite Gospel readings. We learn how Jesus is the vine and we are the branches. God the Father is the vinedresser, who cares for the vine and its branches. What beautiful imagery of a life-giving force! Yet, even vine branches require pruning and trimming to promote further growth. When we hear about the pruning of the vine in this Gospel passage, take note that we are the ones of whom Jesus references! As God prunes His vine branches, He removes those aspects of our lives that hinder further growth. Pruning for Future Growth For me, God prunes my prideful ways, so that... Read more... 

How about a little taste of eight-year-old reasoning to act as a reality check to balance all those manipulative commercials and sentimental Mother’s Day cards flooding the market for Mother’s day? A warning. The following true comments are  not  politically correct . So simply laugh and enjoy these hilarious comments from little people; no need to flog me with feminist remarks afterward. continue

As the Morning Rising: The Healing Rose : The Healing Rose Intimate as woven threads Our prayers and hers Her tears the beads we tell Her heart a home Of mercy and of f...

I don’t know about you, but I am always thankful for the day after Mother’s Day, as Mother’s Day is a very difficult one for me. The television ads end. The happy wishes cease. I find the television ads for Mother’s Day gifts difficult to watch, as I have no reason to make a purchase. I cringe when people wish me a happy Mother’s Day, as I have no reason to celebrate, because I have no children. My mother-in-law died in 1985, and my mom died in 2000. So, for my husband and me, Mother’s Day is just... Read more... 

As the Morning Rising: Finding in Everything a Little Way : Finding in everything a little way.

From The Cloistered Heart

Upwards of 40 countries celebrate mothers at some point during each year. America's Mother's Day doesn't seem to connect with Phrygia's cult of Cybele or Japan's Haha no Hi , apart from being a recognition of motherhood. Our Mother's Day has roots in my country's civil war. Ann Jarvis organized a committee in 1868, promoting " Mother's Friendship Day ." The idea was "to reunite families that had been divided during the Civil War." More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

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Since mental illness is as common and invisible among the faithful as it is in secular circles,  concern for mental health cannot simply be relegated to the secular sphere, especially during Mental Health Awareness month in May. I admit the topic of how and why Catholics experience mental illness might seem completely irrelevant to most Catholics. After all, many of us are too busy with daily life to actually step back and evaluate the state of our mental health objectively. Meanwhile, our fellow parishioners are just as concerned as we are that they appear healthy, happy, and whole in public. Yet, I would wager that mental health issues are  especially  prevalent among the devout who are serious about their inner life because when people tackle deep inner issues which prevent God from working in their lives, their inner equilibrium is upset by stress, anxiety, and depression. This probably explains why most saints experienced profound periods of depression when they finally lo

¡De pronto te das cuenta que has rebasado los 40s! ¡Es en esa fiesta de cumpleaños cuando contienes la respiración (quizá con dificultad ya) para apagar las velitas, o cuando caes en la cuenta de que solo ponen velas de números...o cada velita representa una década! Algo esta cambiando, tu rendimiento, tus fuerzas, tu digestión, tus rodillas, a l verte al espejo son más evidentes las ojeras, las patitas de gallo, las comisuras de los labios son más marcadas, el pelo escasea, las canas son evidentes. En esta etapa se presenta la crisis de la mitad de la vida, algunos le llaman también crisis de la segunda adolescencia; se produce una evaluación de la vida en base a la comparación entre las metas fijadas y los logros, se puede experimentar una sensación de estancamiento, y vive en forma egocéntrica y sin mucha proyección hacia el futuro. Etapa de reevaluación que se extiende a las relaciones personales, intimas y otros aspectos del estilo de vida; sucede debido a un cambio en la orie

St Philip, Giuseppe Mazzuoli [ Web Gallery of Art ] Readings and Reflections: Fifth Sunday of Easter, Year A Canonisations in Fatima Lucia Santos, left, and her cousins Francisco and Jacinta Marto [ Wikipedia ] On Saturday 13 May Pope Francis will canonise Blessed Francisco Marto (1908 - 1919) and his sister Jacinta (1910 - 1920) in Fátima, Portugal, on the 100th anniversary of the first apparition of the Blessed Mother there to the three children. A good friend of mine who is a priest and a Scripture scholar once pointed out to me that in all the places where the Church has affirmed that our Blessed Mother truly appeared it was to poor people. We can see this in such places as Guadalupe (1531) in Mexico, La Salette (1846) and Lourdes (1858) in France, Beauraing (1932-33) and Banneux (1933) in Belgium, Fátima (1917) in Portugal and Knock (1879) in Ireland. I have been blessed by having taken part in pilgrimages to all of these except La Salette and Guadalupe. You may find this arti

School is almost out over here at the Academy of St Therese for the Glories of God .  It has me thinking quite a bit about next year.  There is so much I want to do, but only so many hours in a day and these kids are growing like weeds!  Here are some tips to keep the homeschool ball rolling AND enjoy your children's childhood. Visit Veils and Vocations to read more.