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As a parent, I have a responsibility to imitate God’s loving guidance for my children. God, in His infinite perfection, is the Perfect Father, and parents have to model their child-rearing after Him. Consequently, the way we parent our children will have lasting effects on the way they perceive God. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve become acutely aware of the similarities in how I talk to God and how I talk to my own dad. It’s amazing how my mind has categorized the two so closely. Now that puts a lot of pressure (as if we didn’t have enough already) on parents. I have wonderful parents who were exemplary models of God to my siblings and myself, but that is not a universal experience. I constantly remind myself of my need to be loving, just, kind, merciful, and forgiving to my children, lest I place a stumbling block in their path to God. One of the big perks of this responsibility is the ability to say, “Because I told you so.” .... Click to read the rest at "Messy Buns &a

A Shepherd’s Song , by Janice Lane Palko, is a wonderful Christmas romance, set in snowy Pittsburgh, PA, on the campus of Three Rivers University. The lead character, Tom Shepherd, a declared atheist, finds more than romance, with Gloria Davidson, in this Christmas tale. Gloria, a devout Catholic, shines the light of true Christmas spirit directly into Tom Shepherd’s heart. What awaits him, is all that he ever desired: to love and to be loved. In the end, isn’t that what we all look for in this life: to love and be loved? What we learn at the start of the book is that Tom and his college roommate are... Read more... 

Each of the suggestions below is a link to a blog post on the topic:     1.  Stay Awake   2.  Seek Him Who Seeks You   3.  Hold on to Hope 4.  Celebrate the Season   5.  Rejoice and Be Glad   6.  Give the Gift of Quality Time   7.  Wait Patiently       What is God calling you to this Advent that will bring you closer to Him?

'Tis the season for frantic shopping, eye-popping light shows in suburban front yards, and Christmas television specials. It's also the start of Advent. This is a season when we look back at ancient hopes for a Messiah, and our Lord's first arrival. And look ahead to when Jesus will be back.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

HAVE YOU EVER BEEN TO A FORTUNE TELLER? HAVE YOU EVER CHECKED WHAT YOUR FUTURE HOLDS FOR YOU? LOOKED IN THE CRYSTAL BALL, TEA LEAVES, TAROT CARDS OR LUIGI BOARD EVEN? THIS POST IS FUN AND WILL MAKE YOU THINK ... ... CLICK HERE

When Charles Dickens wrote, "God is love," on the workhouse wall, he was of course being sarcastic. He knew there was no love in that workhouse, as Oliver Twist was about to find when he begged for more gruel.  Yet, Dickens was right;  unlike any other religion, Christianity is founded on love, not on our love of God, but as St John insisted, on his love of us. The word Gospel means 'good news' because it is the best news that any human being can receive. It is the news that God's love has been embodied in the flesh and blood of the most perfect man who has ever walked on this earth, so that he could transmit it to us too. All those who came to love him, not only wanted to be close to him  and to be with him always, but to enter into him, to experience the love that had inspired them, and which animated him.  After his Resurrection this became possible like never before. The enduring love of the first Christians became for them like a mystical ladder, enabl

Por: Lourdes Domenzain

We've known about 55 Cancri e since 2004. It may have lakes and rivers of lava. But that's probably not what keeps its night side hot enough to melt copper. Ross 128 b, discovered this year, is a bit more massive than Earth, warm enough for liquid water, and too hot. It's not quite 'Earth 2.0,' but it may support life.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

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E l trabajo infantil sigue siendo una necesidad para muchos niños en países en desarrollo, donde la pobreza es la principal causa que los empuja a salir de sus hogares   y a veces dejar su educación básica para sobrevivir. En México, el 29% de los niños que trabajan son menores de 14 años (1) y el 40 % de estos pequeños que trabajan ya no asisten a la escuela.(2) Ante esta problemática que implica para ellos un sacrificio en su desarrollo normal, diversas soluciones económicas y legales han   creado condiciones que hacen más posible el acceso a sus derechos como niños y adolescentes, pero no del todo. Sus condiciones sí han mejorado al elevar, a través de los años, el nivel económico y el ingreso familiar, pero no han alcanzado a desterrar por completo el problema. Hay otros ingredientes sociales y familiares que perpetúan las condiciones adversas. Esta se ha debido a que   estas medidas no tocan la parte social que cultiva condiciones familiares y de entorno comunitario que

Young Jew as Christ, 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 Mark 13:33-37 ( NRSV,CatholicEd .) Jesus said to his disciples: ‘Beware, keep alert; for you do not know when the time will come. It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his slaves in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to be on the watch. Therefore, keep awake—for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or at cockcrow, or at dawn, or else he may find you asleep when he comes suddenly. And what I say to you I say to all: Keep awake.’ Liam Whelan (1 April 1935 - 5 February 1958) If this is the end, then I'm ready for it. These were the last words of Liam Whelan who died in a plane crash at Munich Airport on 6 February 1958 along with other members o

Hello Friend, Vlogging on simplicity. Simplicity in life is a precious commodity. Not to be ignored. Especially during the Advent Season. All the Christmas prep and such can have us coming going. In mind, body and spirit. I learned through my hardships/disabilities and such. To slow it down. Not easy, but I can tried. View it here on how you can slow down. Through Jesus yes!!! click here 

As we bravely embark on completing all the “tasks” needed to make Christmas merry, we sometimes fail to forget the real reason for the Christmas season. You purchase gifts for everyone on your list. Let me share with you a gift that you will want to purchase for yourself, today! Time to Get Ready, An Advent, Christmas Reader to Wake Your Soul , by Mark A. Villano is a treasure that you will cherish for years to come! Amid the holiday hustle and bustle, Villano gives us a daily retreat that takes only two to three minutes to read each day’s offering. It will spark the imagination and provide food for spiritual thought. Each day’s offering is filled with golden nuggets, helping us to make Advent more spiritual; less commercial. By interspersing Scripture with his own reflections on the biblical passages, Villano offers insight and encouragement. One of my favorite “golden nuggets” was: When we come to see how far God will go to save us, when we come to know how God sees us, how m

Recently I came across this suggestion in a devotional book:  "For the next thirty days, treat everyone you encounter as the most important person in the world." Now that is quite a challenge. This activity ties in with our Advent season in which we focus on the comings of Christ. As our Sunday readings remind us, he came in history announced by John the Baptist and he will come in majesty at the end of the world. But Jesus also comes to us in the form of other people. That, along with his coming in the Eucharist, is indeed his coming in mystery! God’s presence in people is the theme of Leo Tolstoy’s short story about Martin the cobbler who dreamed that God would visit him the next day. All day as the cobbler served the people he encountered, he waited for Jesus. At the end of the day, it was revealed to him that Jesus had indeed come—in those people.  Click to continue

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Yesterday’s celebration of Christ the King is such a perfect way to end out the liturgical year. It’s one of the better changes made in the new missal; I think it seems out of place in the Old Rite, stuck in October. So here we are, at the end of the year, and we get to meditate on the Kingship of Christ. The homily I heard mentioned that God isn’t a genie that we can call up when we need Him, He is a King that we owe our allegiance to. Father also mentioned that we Americans tend to take issue with the idea of being subject to anyone and specifically to a King, but that there is no better monarch to swear our fealty to. Pretty basic thoughts, but I want to go a little more in depth on them. A genie is a fairly simple creature. Rub the lamp, get your wish, genie goes back  in the bottle. Notwithstanding an evil sorcerer and a deranged parrot, you could carry the lamp around with you and call up phenomenal cosmic power every time you get in a pinch. That’s all there is to it.

Most of you have gotten to know me through my blog posts on this website. By sharing my thoughts and experiences, I hope that you grow in virtue and grow closer to God. I am blessed that my blog has been named in the top 100 websites worldwide by Feedspot.com. Yet, a blog can only reach so many people. There are so many more who need to hear the message of Jesus’ Way – via the virtues, prayer and spirituality. So, in addition to blogging on the virtues (and other points of interest), I also do public speaking engagements on matters related to the Catholic faith. In my engagements, I bring the virtues, prayer and spirituality to life, showing others how they can more easily incorporate them into their daily lives. It is truly a rewarding experience. It is my mission to bring to life Jesus’ Way to others. And now, my mission expands. In moving from my desktop computer, to the parish hall, I take Christ’s words of wisdom to His faithful. To date, my speaking engagements have been at

My name is Ann Marie, and I'm a writer living in North Carolina.  I write a blog called Faith and Reason .  Every week, I post an essay in which I explore a topic from a Catholic perspective.  I enjoy discovering new insights by weaving together information and ideas from theology, philosophy, literature, art, history, current events, and science. I hope that you'll visit my blog at https://faithandreason.blog/ and share your thoughts!

Today's Mass is something new, introduced by Pius XI in 1925. We've had it on the last Sunday in Ordinary Time since 1970. Focusing on who and what our Lord is seems like a good way to wrap up the Church calendar. That's how I see it. Today's Gospel reading is Matthew 25:31 - 46 . That's the one starting with "When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him...." It's an important part of the Gospels, and not what I'll be talking about today. I'd better explain that. I'm okay with what the Church says about Mass, including how the annual schedule works. I'm not a religious scofflaw, disdaining the laws of God and man. But I don't try to coordinate these 'Sunday' posts with what happens in Mass. I figure it's not a problem, since I'm a Catholic layman — and you're probably not here looking for a homily.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

It has never been easy to discern a vocation, but it is especially difficult for people in the current milieu because modern society is complex and messy. Yet it’s precisely in the complexity and messiness where some of the most important answers in life are found. The good news is no matter how confused we feel, our own unique purpose in life lies deep within our own soul: Discovering vocation does not mean scrambling toward some prize just beyond my reach but accepting the treasure of true self I already possess. Vocation does not come from a voice ‘out there’ calling me to be something I am not. It comes from a voice ‘in here’ calling me to be the person I was born to be, to fulfill the original selfhood given me at birth by God.  ( Fr. Thomas Merton, O.C.S.O ) continue