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Scientists at England's John Innes Centre learned how to grow plants that produce polio vaccine. That sounds like a very good idea, particularly since the process should work for other vaccines, too. The other 'genetic engineering' news raises issues that can spark strong feelings: and should encourage serious thought. More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

The Canaanite Woman,  Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry   [ Wikipedia ] For Readings and Reflections for the 20th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A,  click on the following:   Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A Sunday Reflections  for this Sunday three years ago  links the situation of the Canaanite woman in the gospel with the situation of Christians in war-torn Iraq and Syria. The video above features the celebration of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass in Qaraqosh, near Mosul, after it  was liberated from ISIS  last October. The vast majority of Catholics in Iraq and Syria belong to the Chaldean Catholic Church and Syrian Catholic Church. There are  more than twenty Eastern Catholic Churches , though the vast majority of Catholics worldwide are Roman (or Latin) Catholics. All are equally Catholic and all are in full communion with Rome. Archbishop Mouche (also spelled  Moshe ), belongs to the Syrian Catholic Church. May we continue to pray for t

El tema de hoy es un tema que muchos considerarán intrascendente, pero sin embargo y en lo personal nos parece de gran importancia y valor. Valioso e importante para nuestro caminar por la vida, para nuestro trato con los demás, para nuestro beneficio y hasta para nuestra salud.  

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Because this week we celebrate Mary’s Assumption into heaven, I thought it fitting that this blog be the introduction from my book The Catholic Companion to Mary. Hope you enjoy it! . . . In Amy Tan’s novel The Joy Luck Club, four young women, who are estranged from their mothers to varying degrees, come to understand them after hearing the stories of their lives back in China. This new knowledge lets the girls really see their mothers for the first time and leads to deeper relationships with them. Mary, the mother of Jesus, the Mother of God, was given to us by him as a gift when he was hanging on the cross, looking down on her and St. John the apostle. He told John (who stood for all of us), “Behold your Mother.” Click to continue

How well do you think you adhere to the First Commandment to worship no other gods besides the one true God? Do you think that because you “believe” in the one true God, that you’re good? Think again. When we place money, power, fame, or anything else first in our lives, we ask God to take a back seat. By doing that, we violate the First Commandment. Do You ask God to Take a Back Seat? We are all guilty of asking God to take a back seat in our lives, from time to time. For example, when we obsess about finances, feeling compelled to find a better paying job, we ask God to take a back seat. Rather than trusting in the Lord to provide, we feel obligated to fix the situation ourselves. This is because... Read more...

“Therefore the Virgin is immortal to this day, seeing that he who had dwelt in her transported her to the regions of her assumption”  (Timothy of Jerusalem Homily on Simeon and Anna ; 400 AD). continue

As the Morning Rising: Alone with none but thee, my God..... : Charles McAuley painting of the Assumption St Patrick's Church Craigagh Cushendun “Alone with none but thee, my God, I jour...

A vehicular homicide case near the intersection of Fourth and Water streets in Charlottesville, Virginia, is international news. I regret the loss of life, particularly since the driver apparently intended to harm or kill the victims. I'll get back to that. Heather Heyer had been with several other folks there, protesting something — or maybe someone — which or who she felt should be inspiring more outrage. More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

Okay, time for another movie rant. The other day, I was browsing the $5 DVD bin on a Walmart run when I found The Intern and snatched it up. I'd remembered hearing good things about the film from Facebook friends when it first came out, and I tend to like Anne Hathaway. So I figured it was a safe bet to throw down five of our hard earned dollars... Continue Reading

Today is the Feast Day of Saint Maximillian Kolbe, a 20 th century Franciscan monk. He died in the Auschwitz concentration camp, in Poland, during World War II. In true Christian fashion, he laid down his life for another person, by volunteering to take the place of another man. This one action shows fortitude, courage, bravery, and self-giving love in a truly Christ-like manner. Who among us could say that we would have the strength of faith to do the same? At the time of his death, he was only 47 years old. But what he accomplished, in such a short life, is forever memorable. Maximillian Kolbe’s Love for the Immaculate Conception As a young boy, Mary, the Immaculate Conception, appeared to Maximillian Kolbe and offered him a choice between two crowns; one white, for perseverance in piety, and the other red, for martyrdom. Maximillian bravely replied... Read more... 

The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd was inspired by Mari Montessori, a devout Catholic, in Rome in 1954.  Just like in Montessori schools, in an Atrium, children use their bodies, along with all their senses, to meditate on the Sacraments and Holy Scripture. A catechist creates a sacred space and then adds to the atmosphere by lighting a candle before reading from the Gospel much like a lector in Church. Little children are invited to reflect on the passage using physical materials which help children experience each Gospel message. When contemplating the mystery of the Incarnation, the catechist uses figures from the Christmas nativity scene. continue

I'll be talking about miracles today. Also religious art and kitsch, the Mayan apocalypse, and why folks occasionally see faces that aren't there. Even by my standards, this post rambles a bit. Quite a few folks act as if they think faith and reason, religion and science, have about as much to do with each other as cheese and Wednesday. Some go a step further, and blame the world's woes on religion. The antics of loudly-religious folks don't help make faith look like a reasonable, or safe, part of today's world. I think faith isn't reason, but that it's reasonable. I also think that an honest search for truth doesn't threaten faith. (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 31 - 35 , 159 ; " Fides et Ratio ;" " Gaudium et Spes ," 36) More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

As the Morning Rising: Intimate Bond: Father and Child : That moment when the light gets in The bond is so intimate that I can address Him as Father, the relationship so clos...

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Salvation of Peter , Andrea da Firenze   [ Web Gallery of Art ] Readings   (New American Bible: Philippines, USA) Readings   (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, England & Wales, India, Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland, South Africa) Gospel   Matthew 14:22-33 ( NRSV, Anglicised Catholic Edition )   Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds.  And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone,  but by this time the boat, battered by the waves, was far from the land, for the wind was against them.  And early in the morning he came walking towards them on the lake.  But when the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified, saying, ‘It is a ghost!’ And they cried out in fear.  But immediately Jesus spoke to them and said, ‘Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid.’ Peter answered him, ‘Lord, if it is y

I think being concerned about air quality, recycling, and other environmental issues, makes sense. But I don't think only being concerned about the environment is a good idea. People matter, too. I don't think it's an either/or thing. More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

As the Morning Rising: Perseverance : When I began to journey a bit deeper into my faith the word perseverance kept coming up. It was clearly a quality and often associate...

As the Morning Rising: Keeping the Home Fires Burning : Catholic University Church Dublin While out shopping today I met a man who lives not far from me and who has a cheery greetin...

Dying for Compassion , by Barbara Golder is sure to be a hit! As with Golder’s first book, Dying for Revenge , familiar characters return for more mysteries to solve. Once again, we meet our Lady Doc, Jane Wallace, the lead character. She is a strong, feminine role model carrying the titles of forensic pathologist, medical examiner, AND lawyer – quite an accomplished woman!  In Dying for Compassion , Jane is faced with several deaths occurring in her town; unexplained poisonings and a possible case of euthanasia. As the intentions behind these deaths stump Jane, she is thrown off-kilter in her personal life. The storyline from Dying for Revenge carries through to Dying for Compassion . In Dying for Revenge , Jane processed grief from the loss of her husband, John. She meets author, Eoin Connor, who helps her through her grief and the two develop a romantic relationship. Fast forward to Dying for Compassion , and Eoin Connor becomes a central character. Everything is going swimm

Yesterday about four hundred people gathered in our provincial house chapel to witness the final, perpetual vows of Sister Mary Kelley Rush. It was a glorious (and long) celebration of Mass. Today when religious Sisters are few and far between some people, even Catholics, don’t know one. Neither do they know about Sisters. Several times I’ve heard the comment, “When the church allows women to be priests, you sisters will be able to be priests.” Wrong! A consecrated religious woman and an ordained priest are two different species. (I have no desire to be a priest.) A Sister is called by God to offer her whole life to him. She follows Jesus and imitates him usually by making the three vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience. She belongs to a particular congregation founded for a certain purpose and marked by a charism, that is, a special gift for the benefit of the whole Church. Congregations can be devoted to social action, promoting life, giving retreats, missionary wo

I hated Netflix's “13 Reasons Why” adaptation for lots of reasons. You can read my rant in The 13 Reasons Why Issues No One is Talking About . But despite the travesty that that show was, my love of young adult stories prevails. So now, there's this young adult movie out on DVD . I wondered if it might sneak under everyone's radar, but I saw it was actually one of the most popular rentals in Redbox right now. It's called Before I Fall , and I just had to watch it... Continue Reading

As the Morning Rising: Trust in God : Sometimes you find that all that it takes is all that takes, and you're there! You've climbed the mountain! Praise be to God!

      Una vez más, Señor, ante ti. y Tu siempre ahí esperando....       Estás en todos los Sagrarios de la Tierra desde hace más de dos mil años. Estás desde aquella "noche" en que te quisiste quedar para no dejarnos solos, para acompañarnos como se acompaña al amigo en sus momentos felices, en sus horas tristes y amargas,   también en el lecho de la enfermedad, en la soledad de los años viejos.... Estuviste, estás y estarás. La generaciones pasan, el tiempo no se detiene y Tu quisiste quedarte porque sabías que te íbamos a necesitar.

 Hi there, ya'll! =) I realize that wool floppy hats are generally more of a Autumn/Winter accessory, but this weekend the temperatures dropped and it FELT like Autumn, so I thought it would be acceptable.  Plus, it was raining and gloomy most of the day, and this hat protects my hair perfectly.  Sometimes you just have to step out of the box and break some fashion rules to save yourself...and your hair. ;P Sometimes life can be completely overwhelming...actually, it would be more honest to say life is GENERALLY overwhelming.  Balancing relationships, housework, self-care, your spiritual life, etc., is tough, and can keep you so busy and wrapped up in your responsibilities that you fail to actually live your life, which is the whole point behind having all these responsibilities! As important as they all are, sometimes we need to take a step back and evaluate their purpose.

As the Morning Rising: The Garden of the Soul : My fears may not be voiced aloud, my anxieties may not all be shared, my dreams may or may not be aired so that other human ear...

I’m the type of person that treasures truth. Therefore, if I learn that a person has lied to me, I tend to lose all respect for the person. My husband and I discussed this very topic early on in our courting relationship. After 38 years of marriage, I can say that being truthful with each other is what held us together. There have been times when the truth was painful, but my husband knew that lying would result in worse consequences. So, it is in the sharing of truth, that we have stayed together, through the good times and the bad. Lying Breeds Mistrust It is through the sharing of the truth that trust is built. A marriage without trust is not a good marriage; just as any relationship, without trust, is not a good relationship. It takes a lifetime to build a relationship based upon truth and trust. Yet, it takes only five minutes and one lie to smash it all to smithereens! Read more...

As the Morning Rising: Absence and Agony : St Mary's Catholic Church Cushendall Co Antrim Asleep, and but a stone's throw from His agony!  Sweat like beads of blood s...

First, the good news. Nobody was hurt or killed. Folks at a prayer service say they were surprised. That's understandable, since someone set off a bomb near them yesterday. My guess is that many of them are still feeling uneasy. This sort of thing is uncommon in Minnesota's Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area. More at A Catholic Citizen in America .