Association Of Catholic Bloggers

As the Morning Rising: The Mansion of Your Heart : Be present to me Lord, even when I am distanced from You. From a maze of streets rescue me and bring me to the mansion of Your heart. ...

“Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.” -Matthew 5:7 Mercy bestows freedom on the one who receives it, as well as the one who gives it. When I experience the Lord’s mercy in confession or in a state of surrender after realizing a wrong I committed against another, and ultimately, against God, I feel as though I am being cleansed with a refreshing spring of life-giving water, which I know is the Holy blood and water which flows from Jesus’ pierced side. I feel humbled at the realization of how unworthy I am of this mercy. How so many sins I have committed in this life are deserving of endless suffering. Of how in the garden, when Jesus was bearing the sins of the whole world, both committed and all those to be committed, how many of those sins were my own. How this saddens me to know I was a part of Jesus’ pain in that moment of time. And with what great love He took on the sins of the world, including my own. He knew what would happen. He knew I would turn aga

FATHER IGNATIUS IN HELL CLICK HERE

The Repentant Peter , El Greco  [ 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 16:21-27 ( New Revised  Standard Version, Anglicised Catholic Edition )   From that time on, Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and undergo great suffering at the hands of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, ‘God forbid it, Lord! This must never happen to you.’ But he turned and said to Peter, ‘Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling-block to me; for you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.’ Then Jesus told his disciples, ‘If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want t

Hi there, ya'll! =) One of the most common complaints you will ever hear from a woman is "I have nothing to wear!"  Often it is pronounced by a woman standing in front of a closet overflowing with clothing, shoes, and accessories, and yet she still is insistent; she cannot find anything to wear.  We (myself most definitely included) all have our weaknesses when it comes to shopping, and tend to buy certain items impulsively without actually considering whether or not we will ever wear them.  As a result, we have a closet filled to the brim with things that do not match and we very well may never put on.  Having too many options can be overwhelming and prevent us from seeing which options are actually good ones, so if you are one of those women who have "nothing to wear", the first thing you must do is narrow down the list of options.  Anything that you have not worn in the last year simply has to go; if you haven't worn it in the last year, chances a

As the Morning Rising: Clad my Soul in Gladness : As well as September 1st marking World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation the month of September is dedicated to Our...

As a new contributor to this blog site, I am humbled to be able to join so many other wonderful writers that contribute to spreading the Love of Jesus and our wonderful Catholic faith. My background: My name is Laura Durant, and I live near Austin, Texas, with my wonderful husband, John. I grew up in the faith, and met my husband as he was converting to Catholicism (what a joy that was!). I am also a member of the Austin Community of the Secular Order of Discalced Carmelites. I have developed over time a strong love and tenderness for the Sacred Heart of Jesus and Immaculate Heart of Mary. It started first with my relationship with Mary, who as she so easily and surely does, lead me straight into the loving flames of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Healing Heart of Jesus ( www.healingheartofjesus.com ) The blog I felt called to create is all about the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and focuses on the transformation of my heart and the transformation Jesus wants to do in each of our hearts -

As the Morning Rising: Clad My Soul in Gladness : Joy Clad my soul in gladness Lord So that the threads that bind heaven and earth Will hold fast through ever...

Harvey's in the news, a lot, and probably will be for days. I noticed stuff piling up in my notes, and decided that getting part of my 'Friday' post done early was a good idea.... ...News reporting generally uses more superlatives than I like. "Unprecedented" seems to be particularly popular with BBC News editors at the moment. I don't mind things being biggest, smallest, newest, or whatever. But I've learned to be rationally skeptical when I read that something is the biggest, worst, or most devastating thing of its kind.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

Emoji Virtues in our emotions? Is that even possible? When we encounter characters in the books we read, the movies and TV we watch, as well as in the ever-unfolding story we call real life, we can witness virtues. Virtue comes alive in people’s beliefs, perceptions, thoughts, decisions and actions. But, how often do we consider the way that virtue can operate in human feelings and emotions? A lifetime of research by a Catholic spiritual psychology pioneer, Richard Johnson, PhD. revealed that we  have special spiritual strengths, otherwise known as virtues; which specifically operate in the part of our personality whose function is emotion. He identifies Joyfulness, Trust , Devotion , Empathy and Gratitude as personality traits that we can cultivate as holy habits of virtue in a unique way in our emotions. Often, we think of emotions as something reactive; triggered by some new situation, or a recalled memory. However, through the miracle of virtue, aided by God’s grace, we ca

On August 21, the eyes of the world were on the skies, hoping to catch a glimpse of the solar eclipse. Thousands gathered to witness the stunning event and celebrate. Lucky were those whose view was not blocked by clouds! The sun’s corona, the diamonds, the ring were awesome. The phenomenon made me think of the astronomer’s psalm: “When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars that you have established; what are human beings that you are mindful of them, mortals that you care for them?” (Psalm 8:3–4) The beauty of the eclipse and of the universe captured in photos makes the heart swell and lifts our minds to the mighty God whose wisdom created all this wonder. We’ve seen our planet like a white and blue jewel in pictures shot by astronauts. We’ve seen other planets invisible to the naked eye spinning in all their glory. We’ve even seen galaxies, one looking mysteriously like the eye of God. No wonder the psalmist concludes his psalm by ex

YOU WILL LIKE THIS I DID WHEN I WROTE IT CLICK HERE

It seems to me that, in the library of Netflix original series, there is a glut of both sci-fi options and mystery/detective-type shows. We've tried our fair share of the sci-fi ones and not really found any that impressed us enough/didn't disgust us with unexpected graphic sexual material. But we hadn't really tried many of the mystery options, I think mostly because a lot of them just sound pretty much the same as one another and rather bland. But recently I looked a little more closely at those mystery options and discovered that one called “Paranoid” sounded fairly promising. We gave it a try... Continue Reading

My husband, Michael, and I will have been married for 39 years on Sept. 1, 2017. After a difficult life, we are happy and still in love. Surprisingly, we have become one in reality, deeply in tune with each other’s spirits even though we are still opposites in personality. Our tangible joy is inexplicable through secular eyes because from all outward appearances our life together has been a tough journey through poverty, raising nine kids, facing overwhelming chores on a small family farm and dealing with long-term, clinical depression. Accessing Power in the Sacrament of Marriage How did our marriage survive never mind thrive? The grace available in the Sacrament of Marriage is not some esoteric theology;  it is real and it is powerful. The power available in the sacrament is what kept my husband and me together through the rough years. We both understood, beyond a doubt, that God brought us together. We never questioned this basic call from God, our vocation together, even

Hi there, ya'll! =) I've been going through a slight (cough) Grace Kelly obsession lately.  A friend had me watch "High Society" a few months ago, and I was utterly captivated by Grace's style, poise, elegance, beauty...in short, everything about her.  Her grace (wink) was such a contrast to pretty much every female actress and celebrity today that it really inspired me to try and develop these traits more in myself.  Now, Grace Kelly certainly wasn't perfect, and there are many aspects of her life I do NOT want to imitate, but from reading several of her biographies and learning about her life, I feel I can safely say she possessed many excellent qualities that young ladies of today would do well to imitate.  With celebrities such as Katy Perry, Taylor Swift, and Miley Cyrus being paraded in front of all our young women today as examples of "female power" and "strong women", it's no wonder we have all these poor, confused girls ru

Today, we celebrate the Feast of Saint Augustine, born in 354 in Tagaste, northern Africa. Augustine was the son of Saint Monica, a devout Christian. However, one might say that in Augustine’s youth, he wasn’t one to follow in his mother’s saintly footsteps. In his early adulthood, Augustine had a concubine, who bore him a son; yet they never married. He dabbled is a few heresies such as Manicheanism (rooted in Gnosticism) and Neoplatonism (heavily influenced by the works of Plato). The Conversion of Saint Augustine It was only after moving to Italy, where he took a position in rhetoric, and after meeting Saint Ambrose, that Augustine began to explore the Christian faith. Although Augustine was gifted in rhetoric, he was no match for Saint Ambrose, who evangelized to Augustine on the truths of the faith. In 387, at the age of 33, after experiencing a profound personal crisis, Augustine converted to Christianity, with Saint Ambrose baptizing him. Augustine’s baptism became a...

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

GUARANTEED BANISH ANXIETY INSTANTLY ONCE AND FOR ALL CLICK HERE

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...