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"Because I said so": Modeling the Love of God to Our Children

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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, A Christmas Romance- Book Review

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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... 

Seven Suggestions for Having an Excellent Advent

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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?

Advent: Our Long Watch

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'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 .

FUTURE FORETOLD

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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

Deus Caritas - God is Love

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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

For a fulfilling Christmas, a profound advent. (Spanish) ¿UNA NAVIDAD PLENA? SOLO CON UN BUEN ADVIENTO

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Por: Lourdes Domenzain

Still Seeking Earth 2.0

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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 .

The Sound Of Laughter

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HAVE YOU HAD YOUR DOSE OF LAUGHTER TODAY? CLICK HERE

Traditional Family: Antidote to children labour problems.(Spanish) La familia tradicional blinda a menores de peligros del trabajao infantil.

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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

'If this is the end, then I'm ready for it.' Sunday Reflections, 1st Sunday of Advent, Year B

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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
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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 

Time to Get Ready, An Advent, Christmas Reader to Wake Your Soul – Book Review

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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

Christ "Advents" in People

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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

Would you play poker with the devil?

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WOULD YOU PLAY POKER WITH THE DEVIL? CLICK HERE AND SEE IF YOU WIN

Is Christ your King or Genie?

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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.

My Mission Expands: Coming to a Parish Near You

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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

Introducing a New Blogger- Ann Marie

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!

Seeing the Big Picture

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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 .

Discovering Our Vocation In A Complex, Messy World

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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 

Prayer to Surrender All to Jesus and His Most Sacred Heart

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By Laura Durant Jesus desires we give ourselves to Him completely, without reserve. In every moment, every situation, in every interaction, in every decision, renouncing our every desire, so He can fill us completely with His desires. This prayer was written in a response to the great love He has for us and how He desires we have recourse to Him in everything, with a desire to devote ourselves more completely to Him in each moment we live and breathe, with anticipation of our final resting place with Him for eternity. In English: Prayer Surrendering All to Jesus and His Most Sacred Heart In Spanish:  Oración Para Entregar Todo a Jesús y Su Corazón Más Sagrado

'Just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.' Sunday Reflections, Christ the King, Year A

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The Last Judgement, Michelangelo [ 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 25:31-46 ( NRSV,CatholicEd ) Jesus said to his disciples: ‘When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left. Then the king will say to those at his right hand, “Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of

Visitor from the Stars

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" Scientists thought ‘Oumuamua was a comet when they spotted it last month. "Follow-up observations showed it was more like an asteroid: and going too fast to be from the solar system. "‘Oumuamua is from interstellar space. It's the first object of its kind we've seen. "What scientists are learning about ‘Oumuamua tells us a bit about other planetary systems, and raises intriguing new questions...." More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

Happy Thanksgiving!

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("A Holiday Haven," another installment in a tale of two turkeys.) If you are in or from the United States, I hope you are having a good Thanksgiving Day. If not, I trust that you're having a good November 24th. Some folks write sober monographs for this holiday, thoroughly discussing the myriad reasons we have for being thankful. Others present schmaltzy pieces on the same topic: about as deep as a rain puddle.... More, but not much more, at A Catholic Citizen in America .

The nordic paradox: a living proof of ateist gender culture failure. ( Spanish) La paradoja nórdica cuestiona el alcance de cultura ateista de género.

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  Cada año, en estas fechas, el mundo se avoca a promover el fin de la violencia hacia la mujer que tanto daño ha provocado a generaciones enteras de mujeres en el mundo. Los años recorridos con el impulso de la equidad de género del feminismo parecían dar alivio a la mujer en estas últimas décadas al dar una mayor “igualdad” con el hombre. Pero los últimos estudios han encontrado síntomas de un   fondo agresivo que no ha cambiado con las políticas progresistas de esta ideología y que, además ha resurgido en formas inesperadas. Tal es el caso de la mayor violencia doméstica que sufren las mujeres de algunos países del primer mundo, campeones en los niveles de equidad de género. Así es, sorprendentemente   en los países donde   el “progreso laicista” ha “liberado” a las personas de la esclavitud de la espiritualidad cristiana para lograr prósperas naciones estructuralmente laicas, las mujeres son objeto de una mayor violencia intima por parte de sus parejas.

The Morning Before Thanksgiving for the Divorced or Single Parent

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It's the morning before Thanksgiving, and I was unprepared for the single parent melancholy that hit me the second I woke up. This evening, my boys will go with their father. I will pick them up tomorrow afternoon for Thanksgiving dinner with my family so I know I am luckier than many single parents. That does not make it much less difficult or any less unfair that my children and I have to sacrifice because of choices my ex-husband made single handedly. It doesn't make it any less unfair that our happiness is continually sacrificed for his. I felt myself sinking into a bad case of the: I'll-Nevers... I wrote this piece in 2011, but it still applies today. Divorce has no earthly end, but there are always reasons to be thankful! To read about what goes through the mind of a single mom in this holiday season, please join me at SingleMomSmiling.com God Bless & Happy Thanksgiving!  Kerri Lynn

Give Thanks This Thanksgiving - Join Me in Showing Gratitude

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I can’t believe that another holiday season is upon us! This year just zoomed past me. Yet, I have much to be thankful for this year. On this eve of Thanksgiving, I give thanks for: Each of you, for your support and friendship. May God bless every one of you. My loving husband of 38+ years. May we have many more together. Good health for both my husband and me. We had a health scare earlier this year, but God is good, and all is well. May we all continue to be in good health. The opportunity to serve as RCIA Coordinator for my parish. What a blessing to be able to share the faith with people who really want to have a close relationship with Jesus. We have seven women going through the program, with the hope of entering into full communion with the Catholic Church at Easter. Please keep them, and me, in your prayers. A roof over my head, clothes on my back, shoes on my feet, and food on my table. God provides! Sometimes, I don’t know how He does it, but He does it! Give Th

Worth Revisiting: Art Celebrates the Presentation

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In the apoc ryphal Infancy Narrative of James, Mary’s parents,  Joachim and Anne,  had been childless but received a heavenly message- they would have a child. In thanksgiving for the gift of their daughter, they brought her, when still a child, to the Temple in Jerusalem to consecrate her to God. Tradition held that she was to remain there to be educated in preparation for her role as Mother of God. most of the paintings capture a sense of Mary’s purity, of course, but also a combination of youth, vulnerability and her core strength at the all at the same time. continue

Wonder Woman: Very Good (Though Perhaps Not Amazing)

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After months of hearing nothing but praise for the new female-driven superhero movie Wonder Woman , it's now out on DVD so I finally saw it. Needless to say, I went into it with pretty high hopes, given the massive praise I'd seen. My verdict: The praise was mostly well-founded. Mostly. Because it is quite good, and definitely filling a very real gap in female-driven content. And yet, it still wasn't as mind-blowingly amazing as I might have hoped... Continue Reading

2 Major Events that Changed the World

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Welcome Friend, 2 - Major Events to talk about with you today that changed the entire world: Birth of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. Going to keep this short, because there are many things I could write about Jesus. Read more