Posts

The Highs and Lows of CBS's "Life in Pieces."

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I had literally never heard of “Life in Pieces” when it came to Netflix a couple months ago. Apparently it premiered on CBS in 2015, but I guess I missed it. When I saw it in the Netflix “trending” list, I read its description and was mildly intrigued. It's essentially just a sitcom about a group of adult siblings, their families, and their aging parents. So, kind of the comedy version of “Parenthood”? Except with the gimmick that this show is divided into four short stories per episode. Honestly, I don't think the premise is that much to be excited about. And some of the show's moral issues almost made me want to stop watching it. Yet, it had some surprising high points that made me really quite glad that I had watched it... Continue Reading

'God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.' Sunday Reflections, Trinity Sunday, Year A

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The Trinity. El Greco [ Web  Gallery of Art ] For Readings and Reflections for Trinity Sunday click on the following: Trinity Sunday, Year A Benedictus sit Deus, Mozart Antiphona ad introitum  Entrance Antiphon Benedictus sit Deus Pater, Blest be God the Father, Unigenitusque Dei Filius, and the Only Begotten Son of God, Sanctus quoque Spiritus, and also the Holy Spirit, quia fecit nobiscum misericordian suam. for he has shown us is merciful love.

Dear Diary

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DO YOU KEEP A DIARY? HOW HONEST ARE YOU IN WHAT YOU WRITE THERE? IS IT LIKE A PERSONAL CONFESSION? CLICK HERE

GSLV, Rocket Lab: Looking Good

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India's 'monster rocket,' the GSLV Mark III, successfully put the GSAT-19 E satellite in orbit this week. BBC News called some coverage of ISRO's launch "euphoric." That's understandable. India is like America in the late 20th century, where spaceflight is involved: and is rapidly catching up. I'm not euphoric, quite, but I see what's happening as very good news for everyone. Rocket Lab's Electron test launch wasn't entirely successful. But the company thinks they can get the system working, and plan to start commercial launches later this year. More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

As the Morning Rising: A Delight to Your Eyes

As the Morning Rising: A Delight to Your Eyes : Lord, after the Resurrection You were mistaken for a gardener. As I walk the earth may I see the hidden You present in others, in ...

As the Morning Rising: His Heart Will Find A Way

As the Morning Rising: His Heart Will Find A Way : When all other considered ways seem blocked, do not despair. Trust in God, and His Heart will find a way.

AMC's Turn is an Excellent Historical Drama

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I've been a fan of historical drama since my pre-teen days of reading things like  Little Women  and wondering why  Little House on the Prairie  was so boring. So I do love when I happen upon a movie, or even more so a series, that is set in some interesting time period of the past and is well-done. Enter AMC's “Turn,” a series set in the time of the revolutionary war about a guy from a loyalist family who becomes a spy for George Washington. Even the premise itself intrigues me... Continue Reading

Hope is the Wind Beneath All Virtue

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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... 

How to Beat the Blahs: Banishing Bad Moods

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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

Beauty Tuesday Linkup Party

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Do you have a post full of beauty, truth, goodness, or joy? Please stop over at Veils and Vocations and join the party.

THE LAWNMOWER

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WHAT CAN YOU LEARN FROM A LAWNMOWER? CLICK HERE

5 Practical Ways to Organize Your ADHD Life (and Feel Good about Yourself)

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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

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

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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...  

London: Death, Hope, and Love

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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 .

Help Me Make Time

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"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

We are Many, We are One

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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 .

Pentecost Revealed Through Art

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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

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...

Eucharistic Adoration Doesn't Have To Be Silent

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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!

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 Important for Catholics to Understand Mental Illness

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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 

New Worlds: The Search Continues

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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

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...

NO CONFESSIONS HERE

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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

'Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.' Sunday Reflections, Pentecost, Year A

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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

Publicity war reveals true nature of campaigns. (Spanish) Batalla publicitaria que desnuda naturaleza de sus autores.

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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.

Gifts of the Visitation, by Denise Bossert - Book Review

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Gifts of the Visitation – Nine Spiritual Encounters with Mary and Elizabeth , by Denise Bossert, is filled with virtue! I thoroughly enjoyed how Bossert took Luke’s accounting of Mary’s visit to Elizabeth and highlighted all the virtue contained within it (Luke 1: 39-80). Bossert devotes nine chapters to discuss nine virtues; so beautifully brought to life in her book. She brings a whole new, refreshing outlook to this passage. From Mary’s spontaneous yes, to her courage needed to fulfill God’s word, to the thanksgiving Mary expresses to God for entrusting her with such an important honor, we traverse with Mary to visit Elizabeth. As a mother herself, Denise Bossert, correlates stories from her own life with Luke’s Gospel passage. She peppers her life’s stories; intertwined with the story of Mary’s visit to Elizabeth. The reality of Denise Bossert’s life makes the story of Mary’s visit to Elizabeth that much more enchanting and meaningful. Read more...

Oscar Winners on Netflix: Reviews on The Big Short and Spotlight

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My husband Luke was in a journalism class last semester, and he had a homework assignment to watch one of two journalist-themed movies, one of which was the 2016 Oscar winner  Spotlight . Because he had already made his Catholicism known to the rest of the class, he thought he ought to choose that movie for evangelization's sake. Because it's a movie about the exposition of the priest abuse scandal... Continue Reading Sometimes when I look up Oscar-nominated movies (since I often haven't heard of them until they are nominated), I get really excited about them.  The Big Short  was not one of those movies. It's about some guys predicting the housing market cash of the mid-2000s and making a bunch of money off it. Oops, I think I might have dozed off already... Continue Reading

Family Fun: Dinner and a Movie at Home? Yup!

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I think God delights more in joyful chaos than in miserable, tight perfection  in our family life. It is a simple fact: there is no better way to form deep relationships and a sense of family unity than conversation over a home-cooked meal, then sharing a good movie afterward. It was our large family’s version of going out for dinner and a movie in town. Life around our dinner table was relaxed and happy because I allowed my children to behave in age appropriate ways. I did not demand adult perfection. The consequences of this decision were messy but well worth the time it took to mop up after meal time. Best of all dinner and a movie at home was a cheap, affordable way to have fun together, no need to spend a lot of money at a restaurant and a movie theater. If you’re looking to save some money too, and check out some wholesome, Christian content, give Pure Flix’s  free month trial  a look continue

As the Morning Rising: The Visitation - Poem

As the Morning Rising: The Visitation - Poem : The Visitation  Kinship and kindness meet Bringing Mary far, Road-weary And excited at the thought of       Greeting El...

Why the Wichita Diocese has so Many Priests

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On Saturday, May 13, 2017, Bishop Carl A. Kemme of the Wichita Diocese ordained ten men to the traditional diaconate. God willing, those men, next May, will be ordained priests. Just one week later, on Saturday, May 20, 2017, Bishop Kemme ordained ten men to the priesthood. TWENTY.PRIESTS.IN.TWO.YEARS. Twenty men have decided to follow Jesus no matter where He leads. Which kind of begs the question, What the heck is going on in the Wichita Diocese? Why have so many men made this decision? As I have watched and studied our priests, I have to tell you some things. We have remarkable priests, each and every one with different personalities and gifts. Some are crazy intelligent. Some are deeply, deeply spiritual.

Rigid Trads, Judging Catholics & The Demon of Medjugorje: A Brief Update

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Here are my latest posts: One post is an excellent article I reposted, that focuses on Traditional Catholic's and how there is some rigidity concerning how (we) use the term " Novus Ordo " in things we do not like. It wraps up wonderfully with reminding us trads how blessed we truly are to know our Faith and Tradition, but that we mustn't judge that others know it as well and just refuse to take part in it.  Another post is on "JUDGING" . Anyone ever hear of Matthew 7;1 "Judge not lest ye be judged" ? It is used so much nowadays to cover a multitude of sins and to keep quiet about the Faith. But then, there IS a large problem with Catholic's judging others ! So what does the Bible really mean when it talks about "judging" ?   We take a look at the meaning between judging and "admonishing", and look at other sources concerning this issue such as Saint Thomas Aquinas and Mother Angelica.  "The Demon of Medjug

As the Morning Rising: The Long Haul

As the Morning Rising: The Long Haul : Are the poor, the refugees, the homeless and the dispossessed far more aware of the distance between us and them than we are? It is eas...

Memorial Day: Remembering the Dead and The Family Left Behind

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With today being Memorial Day, I thought I would use the power of my space to tell you about a fine young man who died serving his country in Vietnam. PFC Thomas Wayne Myers, born on March 9, 1943, was my next-door neighbor. I was just a child of 12 years old, on that warm Spring morning of May 27, 1969, when Tommy died at Dinh Tuong Province, Vietnam. Memories I remember being outside, playing by myself, when the Army car pulled up in front of the house, on Saturday, May 31st. It was Memorial Day weekend! Two men, dressed in uniforms, got out of the car and walked up the driveway to ring Mrs. Myers’ doorbell. I stood on my front lawn and watched as they approached Mrs. Myers’ front door to tell her that her son had died in service to his country. From that moment on... Read more...

To Be or Not to Be . . . a Saint

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This past week I was interviewed about saints for a podcast, so I thought I’d share some thoughts about them this week. I believe it was Leon Bloy who noted, “The only failure in life is not to be a saint.” A saint is someone who made it to heaven. Consider the alternative. Sometimes people say (or think) “I’m no saint.” No, none of us earthlings are yet. We still have time to determine our eternal future. Our concept of a saint might be a grim person, a goody-goody, a priest or nun . . . but not us. But saints were as human as we are. They too had failings, as someone put it, “tilted haloes.” St. Jerome had a temper, St. Therese was sensitive, St. Augustine once stole pears—not to mention his other sins. But the saints lived in a way that mattered: they loved God and people the way Jesus did. A youngster was asked what a saint was.  Thinking of stained-glass windows, he replied: “A saint is someone the light shines through.”  Yes, saints let the light and love of Chr

"The Federation of the World"

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Tennyson said " Locksley Hall " expresses "...young life, its good side, its deficiencies, and its yearnings." I'm inclined to believe him, partly because I was young when I first read the poem. A half-century later, these are still among my favorite lines of poetry: "...For I dipt into the future, far as human eye could see, "Saw the vision of the world, and all the wonder that would be;... "...Till the war-drum throbbed no longer, and the battle-flags were furl'd "In the Parliament of man, the Federation of the world. "There the common sense of most shall hold a fretful realm in awe, "And the kindly earth shall slumber, lapt in universal law...." (" Locksley Hall ," Alfred, Lord Tennyson) I still think building something like Tennyson's "Federation of the world" is a good idea. I'm quite certain that it will be a long, hard, process. But we're already making some progress....

More Than a 3-Day Weekend

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Tomorrow is Memorial Day. It's equivalent to Dodenherdenking in the Netherlands, or Remembrance Day in the Commonwealth of Nations. The holiday's original purpose was to honor those who have been killed while serving in our nation's military. That's still the holiday's official purpose. Recent generations have used the three-day weekend as an unofficial start of summer vacation season. That's not, I think, entirely inappropriate. I'll get back to that. More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

My Life on the Fence

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The life of a nun would be impossible for me, because I don't have grace for it. Sometimes, however, I long for the framework of such a life. I long for physical structure to securely fence me in and keep me from getting sidetracked by things that are unimportant, frivolous or even sinful. In the midst of a society that finds the very thought of living "for God" repressive, fanatical, and politically incorrect, I find myself not securely fenced in, but camped out and living on the fence. I don't intend to embrace the world's standards, but in my attempts to blend in with the rest of society, sometimes I just might find myself compromising. The fence is where I settle in to watch a PG-13 movie while trying to close my ears to the language and my eyes to "those scenes." It's where I enter a party determined not to gossip, but wind up laughing along with those who do. It is where I know I'm to stand up for Christ, for life, for morality, f

What Catholics Should Know About Netflix's Daredevil

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My husband and I started watching the Netflix Original series “Daredevil” a few months after it was released, kind of on a whim, knowing very little about it, beyond that it looked at least mildly interesting. The premise is basically: blind guy becomes a vigilante/superhero in “Hell's Kitchen” (which is apparently what a part of New York is called). We don't mind a superhero story now and then, so we gave it a whirl, with very few expectations.  A Pleasant Surprise Out of the blue, bam, Catholicism. I think it's pretty rare to happen upon a Catholic character... Continue Reading

The Big Bang

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There may be evidence for a Big Bang, but there is no evidence that there was simply nothing, ‘no thing’ whatsoever before it. What went bang? ‘Nothing’ cannot go bang. You do not need to be a scientist to know that, a two year old child knows that. What created this surge of energy that has been bursting outward for 13.82 billion years? Energy does not come from nowhere, it comes from somewhere. Only atheists believe that it comes from nothing, because they are terrified of hell which for them is believing in God and having to throw in their lot with, what they call the ‘god-lot,’ who they cannot abide.   read on ...

St. Augustine: Catholics Should Learn How to Dance

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The average Catholic probably thinks sanctity is for a select few and certainly does not associate play with holiness. Most of us are deaf to God's invitation to join His glorious, cosmic dance. Yet, life in Christ is all about surrender, letting go of control, not labouring in our own puny strength to the point of exhaustion. In fact, once we have been purified and transformed, life in Christ is child’s play, a dance of joy. Dancing demands a freed person, one who vibrates with the equipoise of all his powers. I praise the dance. O man, learn to dance, or else the angels in heaven will not know what to do with you.  Saint Augustine continue 

Climate Change, Whirligig Icebergs

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Climate change is still in the news. Don't worry, I won't rant about impending doom, or say that Earth's climate isn't changing. This planet's climate has been changing for several billion years. I'd be astounded if it stopped changing now. How much we know and understand about our own past, and Earth's, is also changing. I'll be talking about that, and why I'm not upset that we're learning. I'll also take a look at (real) climate change, why I think we are not doomed, and choices we must make soon. "Soon," in this case, is somewhere in the next millennium or so. My opinion. We really do not want to make these decisions hastily.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

'The Lord goes up with shouts of joy.' Sunday Reflections, The Ascension

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The Ascension , Andrea della Robbia   [ Web Gallery of Art ] For Readings for the Ascension and the Seventh Sunday of Easter and for Reflections on the Ascension click on the following:   The Ascension Three White Cottages in Saintes-Maries , van Gogh  [ Web Gallery of Art ] A work of art is the fruit of the creative capacity of the human being who stands in wonder before the visible reality, and who seeks to discover the depths of its meaning and to communicate it through the language of forms, colors and sounds. Art has the capacity to express and to make visible man’s need to go beyond what he sees; it manifests his thirst and his search for the infinite. In fact, it is like a door opened to the infinite — to a beauty and a truth that goes beyond the everyday. And a work of art can open the eyes of the mind and heart, carrying them higher .  ( Pope Benedict XVI ).

Catholic TV and Movie Reviews

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Hello, my name is Adrienne, and I am very happy to join this network! I recently started a blog of TV and movie reviews from a Catholic perspective. I am a screenwriter and have a background in film/TV analysis, so I love sharing my thoughts on both the artistic merit and the moral quality of things I've watched. I'd love for you to check out my site, and feel free to comment or even debate me if you disagree with my take -- I could talk about this stuff all day!  https://thorneintheflesh.com/

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ENTER COMPETITION TO WIN ONE OF MY BOOKS CLICK HERE

God is Not Fair - Insights and A-ha's (Book Review Reflection)

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"WOW" Moments  The Month of May has been trying but also one of the most spiritually fruitful of my life.  After putting off a routine mammogram for nearly 5 years, I finally went.  The test revealed an enlarged lymph node - I am happy to report it was finally determined to be due to inflammation [You can listen to the MIRACULOUS story evolving that on t his special episode of A Seeking Heart with Allison Gingras  - it is NOT everyday one receives a favor from a Almost-Saint]. As the Lord, slowly walked me through this valley, Fr. Horan's words were equal parts comforting and inspiring. This was a time of acute awareness to pray always with urgency but without anxiety.  Here are some other "WOW" moments gleamed during that time from the pages of  God is Not Fair : We are not better than anyone else.  Regardless of what blessings God has allowed in your life, what talents you posses, or how you use them.  Additionally, those gifts that God bestows o

So, HOW Do We Live in the Love of Christ?

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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

Death in Manchester

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(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 .

On Spending

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            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/