Association Of Catholic Bloggers

Hope is like a cool breeze on a hot summer day. It propels us to persevere in times of struggle. It whisks us along when we don’t know what else to do. Hope carries us when life seems at its worst. It also acts as a prelude for receipt of many other virtues. For example, if I want to lose weight, I would need the virtues of self-control and temperance to successfully lose the weight; but, without hope at the onset, how could self-control and temperance ever take hold? If I feel defeated before starting, then how could I ever achieve my goal? So, I must have... Read more... 

On some days we leap out of bed and say, “Good morning, Lord.” On other days we drag ourselves out from under the covers, muttering “Good Lord, it’s morning.” I think it’s a human condition that we encounter stretches in our life’s journey when we don’t feel like doing anything, going anywhere, or talking to anyone. These periods may last a few days or more. Being deluged with horrors and disappointments in the daily news does nothing to alleviate our heavy feeling. Here are a few remedies to dispel gray days. Click to continue

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WHAT CAN YOU LEARN FROM A LAWNMOWER? CLICK HERE

When I first began to realize that I had ADHD, I came across an invaluable list of  50 tips for managing Attention Deficit  from Drs. Ed Hallowell and John Ratey.  I still have my original copy of the list printed off from AOL! In today's blog, I am sharing not only their life-changing advice on managing your tasks but also  my personal experience with Attention Deficit with Hyperactivity disorder  and how I used these suggestions to transform my life.   Set up your Environment to Reward Rather than Deflate. " To understand what a deflating environment is, all most adult ADD'ers need do is think back to school. Now that you have the freedom of adulthood, try to set things up so that you will not constantly be reminded of your limitations." During the last 3 decades since graduating from High School, I have dabbled in many different professions with the best fits being the careers with task versatility and work from home capabilities. Not coincidentally

As the Morning Rising: Moving forward perfectly still : Sometimes moving forward happens when we allow ourselves to be perfectly still.

Common ground can lead to Peace throughout our country and throughout the world; yet, most importantly through faith. How so? Well, common ground is the starting place for dialogue; for finding that shared perspective upon which good relationships can be built. Here’s some places where we can start: Abraham is the father of our faiths. Whether one is Christian, Muslim or Jewish, we all share this common ground, as all three religions stem from this one man who placed his faith in God. The Christian Bible, Islamic Quran and Jewish Torah all contain... Read more...  

This is bad, but could have been much worse. Yesterday evening, starting around 10:00, three people in a van drove across London Bridge, deliberately running down pedestrians. 1 After crossing the bridge, they left the van and attacked folks out for an evening with friends and family near Borough Market. A few minutes later, they were dead; shot by police. They had killed seven folks by then, 48, were taken to hospitals, 36 are still hospitalized, 21 in critical condition, as I write this.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

"Lord, help me to make time today to serve You  in those who are most in need of encouragement or assistance." St. Vincent de Paul   (from The Cloistered Heart) Painting: Rostislav Felitsin

One my favorite bits from the Bible is in this morning's readings.... ...A "noise like a strong driving wind" in the sky had gotten their attention. Maybe they'd also seen the "tongues as of fire," too. Or maybe that was visible only to the disciples inside. Now that I think of it, a loud 'whooshing' sound in the sky and descending fire might easily have started a stampede. Anyway, folks outside were puzzled, since they had been hearing what the folks inside were saying. That's not the puzzling part. I gather that Jerusalem in those days didn't provide nearly as much acoustic privacy as we're accustomed to. The decidedly odd part was that each person "heard them speaking in his own language." Hence the roll call of nationalities.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

When the Holy Spirit inspires artists to create art with, through and in Him, their creations touch our inner selves. They are not only beautiful but also imbued with a mystical essence which gives them spiritual power. continue

As the Morning Rising: Pentecost Poem - The Fire of God :  St Michael the Archangel Church Belfast  The Holy Spirit Chapel St Anne's Cathedral Belfast  Sacred Heart Church Bel...

My hour of Perpetual Adoration was vastly different than I expected it to be. God has an incredible sense of humor, and he let me know right away who was in control. Click here   continue reading at  The Not So Perfect Catholic.

As the Morning Rising: The Advocate comes to us! : A good father or mother if going away for a while would leave food in the cupboards for those who were staying, and leave instructions ...

It is especially important for Catholics to understand the causes of mental illness, instead of judging those who suffer as lazy or at fault for some reason or other. It is even worse when believers deny their own need for help. When people cannot understand these unseen illnesses, they simply fall back on age-old admonishments, Well, we all have our cross to bear. Pull yourself up by your bootstraps. You’d feel better if you went to Mass more often. What do you have to be depressed about? Have you been praying/ going to confession? Volunteer and you won’t have time to brood. No one actually believes people are to blame if they need eyeglasses to read or insulin to fight diabetes but they still heap abuse on people with depression or anxiety as if these diseases were signs of a weak character or a lack of faith. continue 

There's a huge telescope under construction in Chile: the E-ELT. When compete, astronomers using it plan plan on looking for new worlds, and observing the early universe. We may have spotted a second super-Saturn. We'll know more about that in September.... ...Telescopes have come a long way since Galileo repurposed the " Dutch perspective glass " for astronomical observation. About Galileo, Copernicus, the sun, and the Church: it's true.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

As the Morning Rising: Sacred Heart : Only the Sacred Heart has capacity for Divine Mercy, but our hearts are tributaries of that great and flowing river. Sacred Heart of Jesu...

DO YOU GO TO CONFESSION REGULARLY? WHAT SINS DO YOU CONFESS? DO YOU TELL THE WHOLE TRUTH? OR DO YOU NOT CONFESS SOME SINS? THIS IS WHAT HAPPENED ONCE AT THE CONFESSIONAL CLICK HERE

Pentecost, Sir Anthony van Dyck [ Web Gallery of Art ] For the readings of the Vigil Mass of Pentecost and of the Mass during the day, and for Reflections on Pentecost click on the following: Pentecost Antiphona ad introitum Alternative Entrance Antiphon [Rom 5: 5; Cf 8:11] Cáritas Dei diffúsa est in córdibus nostris per inhabitántem Spíritum ejus in nobis. Allelúia, allelúia. The love of God has been poured into our hearts through the Spirit of God dwelling within us, alleluia, alleluia. Vs. Benedic, ánima mea, Dómino: et ómnia, quæ intra me sunt, nómini sancto ejus. Vs. Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Vs. Glória Patri, et Fílio, et Spirítui Sancto.  Sicut erat in princípio, et nunc, et semper, et in saécula sæculórum. Amen. Vs. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. Cáritas Dei diffúsa est in córdibus nostris pe

Al principio de este año surgieron en España dos campañas publicitarias sobre niños y sexualidad que llamaron mi atención por su contenido pero, sobre todo, por los acontecimientos y reacciones que se dieron alrededor de ellas. Porque la forma como se promovieron y   el modo en que fueron atacadas revelaron la naturaleza y fondo de los grupos que las iniciaron. Ambos con la misma intención de ayudar y proteger a los niños en su sexualidad, pero con métodos y formas muy diferentes y contrastantes que, en una de ellas, no lograron su objetivo sino todo lo contrario.