Association Of Catholic Bloggers

In today’s Gospel, Jesus tells us the parable of the rich fool who wishes to tear down his smaller barns to build bigger ones, to store his massive harvest; a harvest, expected to last for years to come (Luke 12:13-21). Jesus refers to this man as a fool, because the man is clueless to the fact that the man will lose his life that very night. What good is all of those earthly possessions, if one is dead the next day? If the man had focused more on eternal life, the man would have been better prepared to meet his Maker. Jesus gives us this parable to alert us to the fact that earthly possessions cannot save us from death. Only Jesus’ salvific power and mercy can save us from our impending death; to give us eternal life, with Him, in Heaven. Therefore, our goal in life is not to accumulate as much wealth as possible, but to participate in the salvation of our own souls. How do we do that? Read more...

I think truth is important, so do many others. Some see truth in ways that doesn't line up with my views. Sometimes I can respect how they reached their conclusions. But I still think I'm right. Closer to what's true, at any rate. That doesn't make me one of humanity's paragons of candor and acceptance.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

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  The 10 Minutes Daily Retreat is currently focusing on the  art of spiritual journaling through a new site:    Season to Journal    Our 10 Minute reflections are guiding us through the beautiful biblical poem...  ' For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:'    Ecclesiaste s 3   Photo by Neropece used with permission                                                      We  would love you to share the blessings of Spiritual Journaling.

          No nos podemos quedar indiferentes al saber que millones de hombres redimidos, como nosotros, por la Sangre de Cristo, viven aún sin conocer a fondo el amor de Dios. Es el mandato de Cristo cuando vino a la Tierra.       La Iglesia católica es misionera por naturaleza y por lo tanto la evangelización constituye un deber,   un derecho y   una obligación de cada uno de sus miembros que somos nosotros   los fieles.  

Christ offers even adults an easy way to commune with Him.  Relax. Give up striving. Surrender to His love and let it saturate every cell of your body. Then simply let His love flow through you. It ends up being a long journey to such carefree lifestyle because pride and ego get in the way. It is so simple that it seems complicated to our adult, logical minds. No wonder Jesus praises children, I assure you,” He said, ‘unless you are converted and become like children, you will never get into the kingdom from heaven’ [ Matthew 18:4 ] continue 

So as of 3pm it will have been 24 hours without a cigarette! Everyone has been so encouraging and because of that I want to document my experience for the reality of what it is. One thing I did not expect was to wake up at exactly 12 hours without (3am-ish), with a runny nose and sore muscles. At that point it was the first  affirmation of quitting because these are symptoms of withdrawal. Which is disgusting, I had forgotten how nicotine is a drug! Silly me, I thought this would be easy! I have been super rude and irritable to my close friends and family which is super selfish of me. So Sorry Everyone! Especially my poor husband! I have probably already thrown too many nic-fits! The other gross thing is that my sweat smells like tar (patches probably don’t help)! I am actually sweating out toxins! I have been using  clove oil and bergamot oil  ( which are available in my shop ), on my hands to help fight the cravings and will be using them for a detoxifying shower wash which I can’t

Another gravitational wave observation gave scientists the best evidence yet about one aspect of merging stars. On August 17, 2017, folks with the LIGO/Virgo collaboration observed three clusters of gravitational waves. This time astronomers found an infrared, visible, and X-ray event near where the gravitational wave source. The August gravitational wave observation, GW170817, is the first one where astronomers found electromagnetic waves coming from the same spot. It's a very big deal. More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

Da mihi castitatem et continentiam, sed noli modo.  -St.Augustine A few weeks back, the incorrigible Milo Yiannopolus posted  his side of an unpublished interview with the Jesuit magazine  America.  (reader discretion advised, it is, after all, Milo) The general gist of it seemed to be “Yeah, I am a bad Catholic, but that’s okay. There were lots of saints that were bad Catholics.” He uses several quotes from St. Augustine’s  Confessions  to justify his behavior. The interview is a fascinating read. He professes his love for his Faith, Evelyn Waugh, Aquinas… He knows his stuff! It kinda sorta in a weird way made me really proud to be Catholic. Even this guy, so full of himself and so blatantly living in contradiction to the Faith recognizes the philosophical and moral supremacy of the Catholic Church. And yet it frustrated me so very much. Midway through, he suggests that someday, he will, like Augustine “recall his past foulness”. He is so charismatic, so intelligent, and extr

Today, we celebrate the Feast Day of Saint Luke, Gospel writer and doctor. Luke wrote both the Gospel According to Luke and Acts of the Apostles. Yet, Luke, himself, was not an Apostle. He learned of Jesus’ message via tradition, as did many people of the day, in circa 85 A.D. It is Saint Paul who refers to Saint Luke, in several places throughout Saint Paul’s epistles. Saint Paul refers to Saint Luke as his beloved friend and co-worker (Col 4:14, Phlm v24, and 2 Tim 4:11). Through the teachings from Saint Paul, as well as the writings of the Gospel of Saint Mark, Luke crafted his two masterpieces. Saint Luke, A Man Filled with Compassion Of the four Gospels, Luke provides us with the gentlest of approaches, with words filled with compassion and care. Writing in Greek for Gentile Christians, Luke crafted a message of mercy and forgiveness; calling on the faithful to be Christ-like. In Acts, Saint Luke gives us a ring-side seat to... Read more...

At every Mass we pray or sing a psalm after the first reading. A psalm is a prayer-song taken from the Old Testament and attributed to King David, who, as you know, played the harp. I thought of blogging about psalms today because we are in the month of the Holy Rosary, a devotion that is rooted in the Psalms. Originally people prayed the 150 psalms. Having them memorized was even the requirement for joining some communities. The many illiterate people were at a disadvantage. But then some creative person started praying 150 Our Fathers as a substitute for the psalms and thus began the paternoster beads, the forerunner to our rosaries. The psalms were an integral part of Hebrew worship and the prayers of Jesus and Mary. They are also appropriate for our worship and our personal prayer life. Because they express our every emotion, we can find a psalm to pray when we are glad, sad, mad, or have been bad. Being in Scripture, the ultimate source of the Psalms is God. They are

'I die His Majesty's good servant - but God's first.' St Thomas More A Man for all Seasons Readings   (New American Bible: Philippines, USA) Readings   (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, England & Wales, India [optional], Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland, South Africa) Gospel   Matthew 22:15-21 ( New Revised  Standard Version, Anglicised CatholicEdition )   Then the Pharisees went and plotted to entrap Jesus in what he said.  So they sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying, ‘Teacher, we know that you are sincere, and teach the way of God in accordance with truth, and show deference to no one; for you do not regard people with partiality.  Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to the emperor, or not?’  But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, ‘Why are you putting me to the test, you hypocrites?  Show me the coin used for the tax.’ And they brought him a denarius.  Then he said to them, ‘Whose head

I've heard a lot of varying reactions to Disney's live action Beauty and the Beast remake. I'm talking, thoughts that are so radically different they span the range of, “It was so beautiful that I cried,” to “It is evil and terrible.” Well, most of the evil-callers had not actually seen the movie and were just appalled at the supposed celebration of homosexuality it contained. There was even a movement to boycott the movie (complete with a petition) when it was in theaters, and a couple of foreign countries decided to ban the film over the matter. Now that the movie is on Netflix, I decided to see for myself... Continue Reading

There is a book called,  Guys are Waffles, Girls are Spaghetti  by Chad Eastham , which a review on Goodreads posits as the healthier alternative to  I Kissed Dating Goodbye  (more on THAT monstrosity another day). The premise is based on neurological research that shows how men and women process information differently. Men have little mental boxes they keep things in. At work, they are in their work box, and not thinking a ton about home. At home, they are in their home box, and not thinking much about work. On game day, they are in their football box, and lord help us then.... Women, on the other hand, have neurological connections that look more like a plate of spaghetti. Noodles wind in and out of each other, this thought connects to that, we're showering and thinking about what's for dinner, our husbands are trying to be romantic and all we are fixated on the dirty socks on the floor, we're playing organ and brainstorming for the next greatest revolution in m

I want to start off by saying to all those who attended my Bible Study last week that I am so sorry that I am just now posting the notes. I don’t even have an excuse, I completely forgot. What does it mean to commit? The dictionary says: “to carry out or penetrate” or ” to pledge or bind to a certain course or policy” When we become born again, this is the time that we pledge ourselves to a certain course and policy. That being of course God’s plan and policy. But how do we stay on this course? The first thing that we have to understand before we commit our actions is to understand how they work. Click here to continue

Today is the Feast Day of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque, a French nun and mystic, from the 17 th century. Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque was always religious, from early childhood on. However, as she grew into her teen years, she strayed a bit. Yet, even with the straying, and maybe because of it, she is known to have received visions of Jesus. One night, when she was out with friends, Jesus appeared to her, scourged at the pillar. In this vision, Jesus was not happy with Margaret Mary’s behavior. Thus, she... Read more... 

Today, Oct. 15, is the Feast of St. Teresa of Ávila, also called Saint Teresa of Jesus. I love this woman. Although she is a doctor of the Church and one of the three great 16th-century Spanish mystics (along with St. Ignatius of Loyola and St. John of the Cross), she is humorous as well as wise. St. Teresa of  Ávila  is the real deal; holy, down to earth, humble and best of all extremely articulate.  Her phrases are succinct, to the point yet those few words point to a deep, Divine wisdom. continue

Supper at Emmaus (detail), Caravaggio [ 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 22:1-14 [22:1-10] ( NRSV, Anglicised CatholicEdition ) Once more Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying: ‘The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding banquet for his son. He sent his slaves to call those who had been invited to the wedding banquet, but they would not come. Again he sent other slaves, saying, “Tell those who have been invited: Look, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready; come to the wedding banquet.” But they made light of it and went away, one to his farm, another to his business, while the rest seized his slaves, maltreated them, and killed them. The king was enraged. He sent his troops, destroyed those murderers, and burned th

(Adoration chapel windows in Sauk Centre, Minnesota.) I've spent an hour at the adoration chapel almost every week for a few years now. Signing up seemed like a good idea at the time. It still does. But this sort of spiritual practice doesn't come naturally to me. That's not a criticism of anything or anyone. We're "all one in Christ Jesus," as Galatians 3:28 says. And we're not all alike. This is a good thing, or should be.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

Innocent III had died a year after the Fourth Lateran Council in 1216, to be succeeded by Honorius III, so when St Francis returned from the Holy Land to deal with the disputes that had arisen about the interpretation of his first rule written in 1209, he went for help to Cardinal Hugolino who had been appointed Cardinal Protector of the Order by Pope Honorius.  The wrangles over the rule were long and lasted for almost three years. Inevitably a rule written by Francis at Rivo Torto for no more than twelve men would have to be rewritten when, as unexpected, almost four thousand or more had poured into the Order by the time he had returned.  However that was not the problem. The problem lay in the sort of rule many now wanted. A new generation of friars, many of whom were priests and highly educated, wanted to water down the rule that Francis believed had been given to him by God himself.  read on...

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See the Catholic Blogs List . The Best Catholic blogs from thousands of top Catholic blogs in our index using search and social metrics. Data will be refreshed once a week. These blogs are ranked based on following criteria Google reputation and Google search ranking Influence and popularity on Facebook, Twitter, and other social media sites Quality and consistency of posts. Feedspot’s editorial team and expert review Top 100 Catholic Blogs Winners CONGRATULATIONS to every blogger that has made this Top Catholic Blogs list! This is the most comprehensive list of best Catholic blogs on the internet and I’m honoured to have you as part of this! I personally give you a high-five and want to thank you for your contribution to this world. Our site is listed as no. 97. my own blog,  joy of nine9  is 71 and  Ginny Lieto's blog  is 91. Go to the site and submit YOUR blog for consideration because the list is revised every week. read more

We could detect oxygen in Proxima Centauri b's atmosphere. It's a biosignature, but not proof of life. Some extrasolar planets are like Earth, almost. Many are unlike anything in the Solar System. I'll be looking at recently-discovered worlds; some almost familiar, others wonderfully unexpected. Also an informal 'top 10 best exoplanets' list. More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

Había Boda, había alegría, pero… faltó el vino. María estaba en esa boda.   María como mujer observadora, amante del orden y el deseo de que la alegría de la fiesta no se perdiera, se acercó a su Hijo y le habló al oído :- “ No hay vino “… y después a los sirvientes : - “ Haced lo que El os diga”. Juan , 2 I-15.      En nuestro hogar, ¿ hay una invitada especial, MARÍA.? Porque María, como madre solícita, nos está diciendo :- “¿ Sientes que en tu hogar falta vino… y se acabó el amor?.”                   Esa pregunta me da miedo, me da frío… tal vez no,   pero pudiera ser que en mis “tinajas” donde llevé un día todos mis sueños, todas mis ilusiones y proyectos, haya grietas… y poco a poco se ha ido por ellas el amor.  

Jesus desires to heal the world with His Most Sacred Heart. He desires to purify the wounds of our hearts with the flames of His Most Healing Heart. The wounds that cause us to sin, to harbor hatred, anger, and rage, the wounds that turn into depression and anxiety, the wounds that cause racism and prejudice, the wounds that demand revenge over mercy, and the wounds that develop into sins of jealousy, vanity and the most destructive sin of pride. While Jesus desires to heal our wounds more than we could ever imagine, in His love for us, He will not force this healing upon us. He desires we come to Him freely, openly and without reserve. For it is then He can provide the greatest healing He so desires to give. Shall we wait a second longer to receive this healing? Shall we deny our Savior what He desires so much? His Heart yearns to surround us with His love and compassion. Let us turn to Him, completely surrender ourselves to Him and never more depart from His Heart. A Prayer to

From October 12-16, my Christian novel Rain from Heaven will be free on Amazon Kindle. https://www.amazon.com/Rain-Heaven-J-Avila-ebook/dp/B00DPO6A3E About the story: What would you sacrifice to save the eternal soul of your enemy? Dellan Whitcom has every reason to hate Eliat Rebysh, the man who has unleashed a deadly virus on the world. It has not only killed Dellan's parents and friends but threatens all of mankind. Rebysh also controls the only vaccine that can save everyone from certain death. God chooses Dellan to destroy this nefarious evil, and the young man is delighted with the opportunity to exact revenge. But the more he strays from God's path of love, the more Dellan becomes like Rebysh, the object of his hatred. Before it is over, the life of the woman both men love hangs in the balance. Only by making an extraordinary sacrifice will Dellan be able to destroy Rebysh's evil and free the world from a heinous plot that enslaves the entire

Today is the Feast Day of Saint Pope John XXIII, who opened the Second Vatican Council, in 1962, by proclaiming, “ open the windows and let in the fresh air .” His rationale for convening the Second Vatican Council was to usher in reform; refreshing the liturgy, and engaging the laity. Because of Saint Pope John XXIII’s vision, numerous church documents were promulgated. Yet, he did not live to see the finished products. His purpose was to plant the seed for change within the Church, and that he did well. Saint Pope John XXIII’s Teaching Saint Pope John the XXIII’s most popular encyclical was Pacem in Terris (Peace on Earth). In this encyclical Saint Pope John XXIII lays out man’s relationship with God and with each other; discussing human, economic and political rights and duties. He called for collaboration amongst men, respect for life, equality, and dignity– true foundations of peace. Saint Pope John XXIII elaborated on applying efforts that promote the common good, and go

We Americans are reeling from the unholy terror that was unleashed in Las Vegas. Our news is saturated with videos and details about the massacre. It will leave a deep scar in the memories of the families and friends who were directly affected by the attack as well as of people like me who grieve over the violence too often ruining our nation. Let’s pray for the victims: eternal peace for the dead, a speedy recovery for the injured, and comfort for those who loved them. Dare I say that we should also pray for the perpetrator, who for whatever reason committed this crime. Let’s also pray that God provides us with insight to find a solution to gun violence and heal our broken country. At times like this, it seems as though darkness is overcoming the light. When heinous acts of terror snuff out the lives of innocent people, we may struggle to hold onto our faith in the good God. We face the age-old mystery of the presence of evil in this world of ours that God created good.