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Harvey was still a tropical storm when it went over the eastern Caribbean. That was a little over a week ago. Folks in Barbados were without power for a while. At least one house was destroyed, and more folks had to evacuate their homes. Pretty much the same thing happened in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. Suriname and Guyana had wind and rain: enough to kill at least one person, a woman whose house collapsed with her inside. Harvey was a category 4 hurricane when it reached the Texas coast, between Port Aransas and Port O'Connor . That was around 10:00 p.m. Friday.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

Right now, some of you are experiencing the Lord drawing you to himself. You have been like an arrow hidden in the Lord's quiver as you respond to the call,  "Come away with me, my Beloved!"  You have been called to a place of intimacy. Like an arrow being drawn back in a bow, you are being drawn back into Jesus' heart. You are called to stay there and drink from his life giving waters until the right moment he releases you. Continue Reading @ Beautifulthorns>

From The Cloistered Heart

As the Morning Rising: Who Do You Say I Am? : Who Do You Say I Am? In the blessed lonely stillness of the night When neither darkness nor sleep provide A safe house for those w...

Por Dulce Fernandez

A Solar eclipse sweeping from coast to coast dominated Monday's news in America. I saw headlines describing the event, weather in different states, how folks had prepared and how they reacted, and some of the science involved. It was nice while it lasted.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

As the Morning Rising: Beauty is a Name : http://holy-familyparish.com/ Beauty is a Name Beauty is a name framed among flowers And here the very walls imbibe the whisper...

Apostle Peter in Prison , Rembrandt  [ Web Gallery of Art ] Readings   (New American Bible: Philippines, USA) Readings   (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, England & Wales, India [optional], Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland, South Africa) Gospel   Matthew 16:13-20 ( NRSV,Catholic Ed )   Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, ‘Who do people say that the Son of Man is?’  And they said, ‘Some say John the Baptist, but others Elijah, and still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.’  He said to them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’  Simon Peter answered, ‘You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.’  And Jesus answered him, ‘Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven.  And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it.  I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and wha

ANTHROPOMORPHISM WHAT IS IT? HAVE YOU GOT IT? IS IT CATCHING? CAN IT BE CURED? CLICK HERE

I found myself placed next to a high powered High Court Judge at a dinner party in one of the most exclusive clubs in London.  What on earth  was I going to talk to her about I was thinking when, discovering that I was a Catholic writer, she made everything simple for me. She asked me to explain to her the mystery of the Holy Trinity! Fortunately I had just heard my parish priest avoiding a similar question on Trinity Sunday by telling the story of St Augustine at the seaside. There were no funfairs in those days, no amusement arcades to waste your money in, and no piers to walk along, so St Augustine settled down on a sand dune and started thinking about the Church Council that had pronounced that there were three persons in one God. He was having great difficulty understanding this profound mystery of God's love when he was distracted by a little boy who was filling a little bucket with water from the sea and pouring it into a hole that he had dug only a few yards away. &qu

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A selection of the some of the best art and icons capturing the humility, dignity, and nobility of Mary- The Queenship of Mary. continue

Danae's odd view of Papal infallibility isn't accurate. ( July 30, 2017 ) But I'm not upset by Non Sequitur's 'Church of Danae,' particularly since I see the funny side of the cultural quirks Wiley Miller highlights. I do, however, occasionally use Danae's distinctive theology and Eddie's "Biblical Prophecies" as a contrast to my faith. I'm a Christian, and a Catholic. I have well-defined views on social and legal issues: but I am not conservative or liberal. I'm Catholic. That means acting as if Jesus, love, and people matter.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

Do you have any idea WHY you must keep holy the Sabbath (Ex 20:8)? Do you view the “requirement” to go to Church on Sunday as just another chore that must be done over the weekend? Well, let me clear up a few things for you. Giving God His due, by attending services on Sunday is not something that God needs. You’re the one who needs it! God doesn’t need anything. So, the Commandment to “keep holy the Sabbath” is in place for your benefit. God created this Commandment for two reasons: God deserves at least one day per week where we honor, praise and thank Him for all that He blesses us with throughout the week. This is called giving God His due. He thinks we deserve a day of rest once per week. Giving God His Due Should Be a Joy So, rather than viewing the Sabbath as a “to do” that must be marked off on your list, think of it as... Read more... 

I sent out a couple of tweets about what happened in #Charlottesville, but when I did, I realized that my thoughts on bigotry just kept coming. I then read  this positive piece  about the events in C-ville and our approach as citizens working toward a civilization of love (a la Pope John Paul II) .. And, my ideas just kept swirling, until I discovered that I had to write a post about my thoughts! I read some Nietchze in college, whose atheist ideas were impactful on Hitler.  It is shocking to learn that people like  David Duke  still live and breathe and walk around among us today, in 2017. I thought we all read the right books-  Number the Stars ,  Night  by Elie Weisel, and of course  The Diary of Anne Frank.  I thought we all visited the Holocaust Museum in Washington D.C. (!!!) This empty philosophy comes straight from the Devil, and it props itself up on atheism at its very core. But the truth is, white supremacy is somehow still alive and kicking, as we learned last weekend. #= H

This week I have to agree with the movie title “It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World.” How do we cope with the anxiety and the frustration brought on by world events? We might take refuge in one of the lovely Catholic sanctuaries our country boasts, breathe deeply, relax, and pray to the God in whose hands we are. If you need help locating such a place, the following book makes an excellent resource for you . . . 101 Places to Pray Before You Die: A Roamin’ Catholic’s Guide Thomas J. Craughwell Franciscan Media, $18.99 In more ways than one, this book is a unique, fascinating read. A virtual tour of the United States, it is a handbook of sacred sites for every state: churches, shrines, missions, abbeys, retreat centers, museums, and hallowed grounds. The sites range from famous buildings like St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York to obscure ones like the Convent of St. Birgitta, which at one time was supported by Anne Morrow Lindbergh. There are surprising entries, like th

As the Morning Rising: The Rivers of Hope bring Joy to God's City : This is the final post regarding my pilgrimage to Knock, and it contains a very special message. On our journey there we praye...

I remember, at some point in my adolescence, a new prime-time comedy show came out on one of the networks, a show called “Baby Bob.” The premise was this: A baby secretly talks like an adult. But... what was to happen when the baby got slightly older – say, to legit talking age? Not a lot of forethought in the concept, even if a talking baby is kind of a funny idea. So when I saw the trailer for the animated movie The B oss Baby , I immediately realized how much better the idea of a talking, adult-like baby worked as a cartoon movie, as opposed to a live-action show. Especially since this movie looked freaking hilarious. I was eager to watch it, probably even more eager than my toddler... Continue Reading

Fr David Padrnos 7 September 1944 - 18 August 201 7 The son of Joseph E. and Rosalie (Bueltel) Padrnos, Father Dave grew up in Holy Name Parish in Omaha, Nebraska, USA. He had two sisters, Teresa (who preceded him in death) and Sally, as well as a brother, Wayne. Father Dave studied at Holy Name Grade School and Cathedral High School, Omaha, before going on to St Columban’s College and Seminary, Milton, Massachusetts, and St Columbans College and Seminary, Oconomowoc, Wisconsin. He did his Spiritual Year at St. Columbans, Bristol, Rhode Island. His theology studies were at St John’s Seminary Brighton, Massachusetts, (while residing at St Columbans, Milton, MA.). H e was ordained at St Cecilia Cathedral, Omaha, on 28 May 1971 by Archbishop Daniel Sheehan. St Cecilia Cathedral, Omaha   [ Wikipedia ] The young priest arrived in Japan in September 1971 and resided at the central house in Roppongi, Tokyo, during the twenty-two month period in which he was engag

As the Morning Rising: Launch of World Meeting of Families 2018 and Bless... : Below is a link to an album I created yesterday during my pilgrimage to Knock Shrine. In spite of very inclement weather the mood...

DOES GOD SPEAK TO US? IS GOD SPEAKING TO YOU? ARE YOU LISTENING? CLICK HERE PLEASE

Bad as news from Steubenville, Ohio, is — it could have been worse. Only one person is dead. Two are injured, but probably will recover. One of the injured people was with the man who is dead, so investigators may get some clue as to why he shot a judge. On the other hand, the man who drove the deceased to the courthouse says that he had not known what the shooter had in mind. More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

Hi there, ya'll! =) Is there anything easier to style than a black dress? I doubt it.  No matter what "capsule wardrobe" or "closet must-have" list you look at, every single one I've seen has been adamant about one thing: every woman MUST own at least one little black dress.  After seeing how versatile and flattering they are, I can understand why! My family and I just returned from a trip to Kansas City and, even though I had packed other clothes, I wore this black dress every one of the four days we were there, just switching up the accessories and tops I wore with it to make completely different outfits for each day.  I thought I'd share a few of the different ways I've styled it to give you some inspiration for your own LBD! The dress I'm wearing came from a thrift store, but I've linked some of my other favorites at the end of the post to help you find the one that fits your style best. =)

Hmm…Do you let the curse words fly, every now and then? Or perhaps it’s more like every other word that comes out of your mouth? Well, let me be old fashioned and tell you that cursing isn’t cool! In fact, cursing makes you sound crude, rude and undignified. Look at what happened to President Trump’s latest Communications Director, Anthony Scaramucci. Newly hired, he conducted a taped interview with the NY Times. When the tape was played, there were so many “bleeps,” because of foul language, that the audio was barely intelligible. Let’s just say that many people were offended after hearing the unfiltered recording, and the man was fired ten days into the job. Cursing isn’t cool! Cursing Violates the Second Commandment Did you know that? God gave us the Second Commandment to show us how to live a dignified life. Since we are made in His image and likeness, we are meant to... Read more...

We live in a big world. We've known that for a long time, and have been impressed. "How great are your works, LORD! How profound your designs!" ( Psalms 92:6 ) But impressive as what we see is, God is greater: almighty, infinite, eternal. Ineffable, beyond what can be expressed in words. That's pretty much what God told Moses in the 'burning bush' interview: "'But,' said Moses to God, 'if I go to the Israelites and say to them, "The God of your ancestors has sent me to you," and they ask me, "What is his name?" what do I tell them?' "God replied to Moses: I am who I am. Then he added: This is what you will tell the Israelites: I AM has sent me to you." ( Exodus 3:13 - 14 ) Moses said "but" three times before their talk was over. I've talked about him before, and other prophets. Mary also asked a question: a sensible one. I get the impression that her reaction was calmer than theirs. M

There is change in the air as a storm approaches. The wind picks up, clouds gather, there may be a distant clap of thunder. As lightning flashes around us, we race for shelter. Monastery grounds and walls are as subject to storms as those of any other building. They get slapped with rain, pelted with sleet.  Inhabitants of the cloister might find themselves standing at a window looking out, maybe with a touch of concern. What are those chunks of hail doing to the roof? Are the windows secure against the wind? The monastery of my life is vulnerable, too. I face storms, at times, of great magnitude. Sickness, sudden disaster, an unnerving news report. It helps me then to remember that I’m in the strongest cloister possible – the cloister of God’s loving embrace.  Everything that touches me must first come through His hands, through His “permissive will.” I can do as St. Francis de Sales advised, and say amid my contradictions: “ this is the very road to heaven..  I see the door, a

As the Morning Rising: Why wait? : Why wait till you're dead? Let someone be a beneficiary of your ( good ) will today! Bake a cake, visit someone in hospital, feed...

When Jesus invites us to die to ourselves, He is not referring to some pious act of self-sacrifice which will make us look or feel holy. No, He has something much more radical in mind. The kind of inner transformation Christ desires will literally rip the rug up from under our feet and shatter our world view. For the very brave, I suggest a quick method to facilitate this sanctifying process. Ask yourself, “Am I really Christ centred or do I live egocentrically, basically functioning psychologically the same as I did as an unbeliever?” Shocked When a spiritual director posed a similar question to me, I was shocked. His query was a verbal slap across my face, snapping me out of a spiritual fog.  continue reading

  DOES GOD EXIST? ARE YOU SURE? REALLY? CLICK HERE

As the Morning Rising: Beauty and a Searching Soul : A few years ago while out walking with my brother in Dublin I spotted a spire in the distance knowing at the same time it would be with...