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I’m in the throes of moving from a large house to an apartment in Notre Dame Village in Chardon. This means reducing what now fills two floors, an attic, and a basement so that my personal belongings, furniture, and office will fit into four and a half rooms. Maybe you’ve had this experience. If so, you know it is an ordeal, especially if you’ve been a hoarder like me. I keep telling myself, “This too will pass, and soon I’ll be enjoying a brand new home with dozens of lovely companions.” In this Sunday’s epistle, Paul encourages himself and us to look past the hardships of today to the glory that awaits us in our heavenly home. He didn’t have to move many belongings since he was a nomad, but he endured much worse—beatings, whippings, and shipwreck—as he spread the Gospel. He is getting older and looks forward to his eternal home. Click to continue

            When I was in the first grade, I asked my teacher—a nun—what heaven is like.             She told me heaven is like the Mass.             That was absolutely the right answer.             That was absolutely the wrong answer.  https://reflections911.wordpress.com/2018/06/05/defining-heaven/

AT HEAVEN'S DOORSTEP CLICK HERE

In today’s Gospel reading from Mark 12:10-11, Jesus asks this question:  Have you not read this scripture passage: ‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; by the Lord has this been done, and it is wonderful in our eyes?’ Jesus refers to Psalm 118:22-23, where we learn that what is deemed “ insignificant to human beings has become great through divine election .” 1  This Psalm is a hymn of thanksgiving; praising God for His wondrous deeds. When Jesus references this passage from Psalm 118, He  foreshadows that He is the cornerstone for His Church. For it will be through His death and resurrection that His Church will be built. He will be that rejected stone that becomes the cornerstone. Is Jesus Your Cornerstone? Throughout your life, what place does Jesus hold? Is He your every reason, for every action, that you take? Or, does He barely register on your awareness meter? Perhaps He falls somewhere in between. With Jesus, as the cornerstone... Read mor

I've read that spiritualism and spiritism started in the 18th or 19th centuries. Folks who take one or both seriously seem to think spiritism isn't spiritualism. How the 'isms' are different depends on who's talking. Some say spiritualism is a religion, while spiritism is a social movement. Or spiritism is a science and spiritualism isn't. More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

Corpus Christ Procession , Carl Emil Doepler  [ Wikipedia ] Readings   (New American Bible: Philippines, USA) Readings   (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, England & Wales, India [optional], Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland, South Africa) Gospel   Mark 14:12-16, 22-26 ( New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised Catholic Edition) On the first day of Unleavened Bread, when the Passover lamb is sacrificed, Jesus’ disciples said to him, ‘Where do you want us to go and make the preparations for you to eat the Passover?’ So he sent two of his disciples, saying to them, ‘Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you; follow him, and wherever he enters, say to the owner of the house, “The Teacher asks, Where is my guest room where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?” He will show you a large room upstairs, furnished and ready. Make preparations for us there.’ So the disciples set out and went to the city, and found everything as he had

In reading  Wisdom from the Christian Mystics , by David Torkington, I learned a great deal about how I might go about having a more intimate relationship with Jesus. Torkington begins this book by informing the reader of the Church history of mysticism and how its reception by the faithful has changed over time, due to the course of human events.  As a result, today, we do not know Jesus as we well as we could, because we do not communicate with Him in the same manner as the early Christians. Find God in Prayer To know God, we must come to experience Him in prayer; a prayer that begins with vocal prayer, moves to meditation and culminates in contemplation. It is impossible to love someone that we do not know. Torkington tells us that prayer is the answer, if we want to get to know Jesus better. Therefore, we must first come to know Jesus, via... Read more...

As I reflected on Trinity Sunday, my thoughts flowed along this path:  We believe that the one God is three divine Persons. We also believe that we are made in the image and likeness of God. We are God's adopted children. It follows then, that we must bear a family resemblance. Of course, we will never be omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent...or perfect as God is. There are, however, ways we can be Godlike. God is love, and so we can reflect love to the world—pure, unconditional, undying love. Although the Trinity acts as one in everything, we attribute a certain role to each Person, a role that it is possible to imitate. This is what I concluded... We call God the Father the Creator. We resemble God in this way whenever we make something such as a new recipe, a piece of artwork, or a poem. As creator, God brings forth life. We bring forth life not only by bearing children, but by nurturing the lives of other people, which include our family members, friends, and even complete s

  The Nativity , Federico Fiori Barocci  [ Web Gallery of Art ] After I celebrated Mass yesterday in a Dublin parish a number of women approached me to tell me how devastated they were by the overwhelming majority that voted in the Republic of Ireland on Friday 25 May in favour of removing the Eighth Amendment from the Irish Constitution that protected the right to life of both the life of a pregnant mother and of the child she was carrying. The voters chose to replace this with a sentence that will allow the Oireachtas, the Irish legislature, to legalise abortion. The government plans to introduce legislation that will allow for abortion for any reason up to twelve weeks and in limited circumstances thereafter. The women who spoke to me were shell-shocked, as I was myself with the 67 percent to 33 percent in favour of change. One of them told me that she had felt very depressed going to Mass but that my homily had given her some hope. I had simply emphasised, without r

Ante ti, Señor, una vez más.... Me gusta recordar esas palabras que quedaron marcadas como con fuego en tus apóstoles, en tus amigos, cuando aquí en la Tierra eras su Maestro, su Señor. Les ibas enseñando poco a poco tu Doctrina, a veces les reprendías como buen padre a sus hijos, otras con parábolas poniendo ejemplos y siempre lleno de amor y paciencia. Hoy medito en lo que en tu despedida dijiste. ¿ Cuál podía ser tu último mensaje, un instante antes de elevarte y ocultarte en una nube en tu Ascensión a la Casa del Padre? Estas fueron tus últimas palabra Jesús : - " Me ha sido dado todo el poder en el Cielo y en la Tierra. Id, pues, y haced discípulos a todas las gentes, bautizándolas en el nombre del Padre, y del Hijo y del Espíritu Santo y enseñándolas a guardar todo lo que os he mandado. Y sabed que yo estoy con vosotros todos los días hasta el fin del mundo." Mt. 28,18-20. Claro como el agua, transparente, directo. 

In today’s Gospel, Jesus asks, why do you call me good (Mark 10:18)? In the Gospel reading, we hear the story of the rich young man who seeks information from Jesus about what is required to enter Heaven. The rich young man refers to Jesus as “Good Teacher.” It is an interesting, brief exchange between the rich young man and Jesus. The reference to the goodness of Jesus might easily be overlooked, when reading the passage, simply because Jesus gives a quick retort. “ No one is good but God alone ” (Mark 10:18). He then moves on to the gist of the story, that has nothing to do with His goodness. Yet, I find it to be a very intriguing question. The rich young man knew of Jesus’s work. That is why he approached Jesus in the first place. He must have had some personal experience to draw upon, and for that, chose to call Jesus good. With two thousand years of history, this question might be easier for us to answer in the 21 st  century, as hindsight is 20/20. We have the luxury of stu

1 . The most traditional and popular explanation of the Trinity is St. Patrick’s description. The Trinity is like the cloverleaf with three separate sections yet part of the same leaf. I arise today Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity, Through a belief in the Threeness, Through a confession of the Oneness Of the Creator of creation continue

Just over five hundred years ago, in 1509, Henry VIII became King of England and it was because of him that Protestantism was introduced into England.  In that same year, John Colet, son of the Lord Mayor of London introduced stoicism into the St Paul’s school that he founded, which became a paradigm for the other elite Public schools and then the Grammar Schools. John Colet was introduced to stoicism whilst glorying in the triumph of the Renaissance in his grand tour in Italy. While the Credo of the Catholic Church begins with “I believe in God,” the Credo of the Renaissance begins with “I believe in man.” The men he was going to form in his new school were going to be renaissance men who believed in themselves.  They were taught how to take control of themselves and make themselves into the modern equivalent of the ancient classical heroes whom they were inspired to emulate – namely, perfect English gentlemen. Instead of sandals and the toga, in came pinstripes and the bowler. Sad

When the Holy Spirit inspires artists to create art with, through and in Him, their creations touch our inner selves. They are not only beautiful but also imbued with a mystical essence which gives them spiritual power. continue

Have questions about homeschooling? Don't know where to start? Jump over to Veils and Vocations for answers to your most burning questions.

Fr FRANCIS J. KEANEY 4 November 1934 – 13 May  2018 Fr Frank Keaney was one of six children born to John Keaney and Nora Theresa Curristan Keaney. They lived in Immaculate Conception Parish, Winchester, MA, within the Archdiocese of Boston, USA.  (The parish  was suppressed  in 2004).   Winchester Town Hall  [ Wikipedia ] The young Frank attended Noonan Public School, and later studied at Winchester Junior High School, Winchester High School, and Bentley College, Boston.  As an adult, he worked in the accounting department of Revere Sugar Company, later renamed Domino Sugar. When Frank decided that he wanted to become a priest he studied   at the School of St Philip Neri for delayed vocations in order to  familiarize himself with Latin. He then entered the Columban  seminary in Milton, MA in 1957. Health issues centering on his thyroid gland resulted in the postponement of his ordination to the priesthood by six months. He   was ordained in June 1