Association Of Catholic Bloggers

Three times this week kindness has been the topic of a homily I heard or a reflection I read. I'm taking this as a sign that I should write about it. Besides, the world sorely needs this virtue today. My community has created the decal pictured here to promote kindness. Aristotle defined kindness: "Helpfulness towards someone in need, not in return for anything, nor for the advantage of the helper himself, but for that of the person helped." The first step in being kind is to be aware of someone who needs help. For example, we see a woman burdened with packages approaching the door we just passed through. Then we can be prompted to hold it open for her. Or we notice that a friend has a troubled look. Then we can inquire, "Is something bothering you?" Click to continue

Lately, I feel like there has been a major assault on the objective truth. We hear phrases like “alternative facts,” or “truth isn’t truth!” Politicians and the media put so much spin on the truth, that we feel like we are spiraling out of orbit! No longer do we know who, or what, to believe. Whatever happened to everyone having a clear understanding of objective truth based upon facts? The Old Testament attests that God is  the source of all truth . His Word is truth. His Law is truth…Since God is ‘true,’ the members of his people are called to live in the truth.  1 Subjective Truth vs. Objective Truth Apparently, we are living in some sort of truth. It’s subjective truth, rather than objective truth. Subjective truth is when we choose to believe what we want to believe because it is convenient for us. We discard some facts, because they don’t fit our preconceived notions. When we embrace subjective truth, we... Read more...

Kendra Von Esh, author of  Am I Catholic?:  A Struggle with Faith, Humility, and Surrendering to God , has written a humorous, frank account about her own journey back to the Catholic Church. Her audience includes clueless/ uncatechized Catholics as well as faithful Catholics at a loss about how to evangelize. Kendra has a passion for people who don’t know where to turn for answers but keep looking for “something more”. Surprised by a conversion experience, Kendra, in turn, shocked her family and associates a few years later by leaving a high powered  executive career  to work full time for God. Melanie:   Kendra, describe your career before God intervened in your life. continue

In today’s Gospel, Jesus asks. “ is it lawful to do good on the sabbath rather than to do evil, to save life rather than destroy it ” (Luke 6:9)?  In the Theology course that I teach, on the Fundamentals of Catholic Moral Theology, I specifically address this question with my students. The scenario goes something like this: A doctor and her family are on their way to Sunday Mass when they come upon a serious car accident. The doctor stopped her car to give comfort and aid to the victims of the crash, until the paramedics arrived. As a result, she and her family missed the last Mass of the day. What I ask of my students is to tell me whether missing Mass is a sin, in this case. What do you think is the correct answer? Do Good in the Spirit of the Law In today’s passage from Luke, Jesus is asking a similar question of the Pharisees. In Jesus’ questioning, He debates the Pharisees on the strictness of the law, versus the spirit of the law. What Jesus tried to convey is... Read

Es frecuente que nos pongamos a pensar, si algo tenemos, en cómo serán repartidos esos bienes cuando dejemos este mundo. Bien sabemos que nada nos vamos a llevar, aunque haya personas que lo deben de poner en duda por el empeño y la obsesión en acumular fortunas, objetos, joyas, propiedades, etcétera, pero...aunque no sea mayor cosa lo que poseemos siempre hay una inquietud sobre el destino de lo que hoy y ahora es nuestro. Naturalmente que, como cosa normal, será el cónyuge o los hijos los que recibirán ese beneficio. Y pensando en estas cosas es que hacemos Testamento. Hay personas que les da miedo hacerlo, pues les parece que es como rozar un poco la mano fría de la muerte, como un mal presagio, como soltar las ataduras de esos bienes y sentir que ya no son tan nuestros, ... en fin, conceptos totalmente equivocados, pues el tomar la decisión de hacer Testamento es, bien podría decirse, una obligación para que a nuestra partida no dejemos enredos y disgus

I said to the almond tree, “Sister, speak to me of God.” And the almond tree blossomed. ~ Nikos Kazantzakis My new home, an apartment on Pine Grove Trail, faces east, and the view is the lovely pine forest—a place I've always considered sacred. Lately I've been hearing a great deal about trees: how they support one another through their root systems, how they even "speak."  A Facebook post last week was Advice from a Tree:  Stand tall and proud, go out on a limb, remember your roots, drink plenty of water, be content with your natural beauty, and don’t forget to enjoy the view! Here is my chapter on trees from my book "Voices ~ God Speaking in Creation." Click to continue

Today is the feast day of Saint Teresa of Calcutta. She is one of my heroines! Never a woman of noble wealth, Saint Teresa founded the Missionaries of Charity, through the grace of God. This organization, established in 1950, with a handful of followers, now has more than 5,000 Sisters, in over 750 houses, in 139 countries! Starting with nothing more than a command from Jesus to satiate His thirst for souls, Saint Teresa set to work serving the poorest of the poor. Through her witness to the love of God, Saint Teresa drew those souls to Christ, thus fulfilling God’s plan for her. Saint Teresa of Calcutta – Our Example Saint Teresa laid the groundwork for us to follow in her footsteps. It is now our job to satiate Christ’s thirst for souls. How might we accomplish that? Read more...

Mark 7:31-37 in Filipino Sign Language Readings   (New American Bible: Philippines, USA) Readings   (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, England & Wales, India [optional], Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland, South Africa) Gospel   Mark 7:31-37 ( New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised Catholic Edition) Then Jesus returned from the region of Tyre, and went by way of Sidon towards the Sea of Galilee, in the region of the Decapolis.  They brought to him a deaf man who had an impediment in his speech; and they begged him to lay his hand on him.  He took him aside in private, away from the crowd, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spat and touched his tongue.  Then looking up to heaven, he sighed and said to him, ‘Ephphatha’, that is, ‘Be opened.’  And immediately his ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly.  Then Jesus ordered them to tell no one; but the more he ordered them, the more zealously they proclaimed it.  They were astoun

Mommy, Mommy, When You Pray , is a delightful children’s book for ages 3-5, written and illustrated by Kimberly Cook. In this little gem of a book, children learn about the virtue of gratitude. Mommy is thankful to God for all He blesses her with, and she shares those thoughts with her children. The illustrations are colorful and engaging; surely to capture your child’s attention and interest. This little story will open up dialogue between you and your child; for the two of you share what you are thankful for, and why. Kimberly Cook has a knack for capturing the everyday occurrences of life and highlighting them as special – worthy of thanks! Cook has a lot of love packed into 24 pages. As you traverse through each page/scene, you will quickly see... Read more...

A TRUE STORY BASED ON MY POST YESTERDAY "IN DEFENCE OF DIVORCE" WHAT DO YOU THINK? CLICK HERE

IS DIVORCE ALWAYS WRONG? WHAT ABOUT RE-MARRIAGE? SHOULD MARRIAGES ALWAYS BE NULLIFIED BEFORE RE-MARRIAGE? WHAT ARE YOUR VIEWS ABOUT OUR CHURCH'S TEACHINGS? JOIN THE DISCUSSION CLICK HERE

DID YOU KNOW GILBERT? YOU SHOULD HAVE CLICK HERE

The Scullery Maid , Giuseppe Maria Crespi  [ 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 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23 ( New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised Catholic Edition) Now when the Pharisees and some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem gathered around Jesus,  they noticed that some of his disciples were eating with defiled hands, that is, without washing them.  (For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, do not eat unless they thoroughly wash their hands, thus observing the tradition of the elders;  and they do not eat anything from the market unless they wash it; and there are also many other traditions that they observe, the washing of cups, pots, and bronze kettles.)     So the Pharisees and the scribes asked him, ‘Why do your disciples not live according to the tradition of the elders

Susan Peek has a knack for bringing the lives of obscure saints to the forefront. For example, in  Saint Magnus, the Last Viking , she took us on a swashbuckling adventure. Today, Peek enthralls us with  A Soldier Surrenders, the Conversion of St. Camillus de Lellis . In this action-packed adventure, we follow the life of Camillus de Lellis, mercenary for the Turks, and a baptized Catholic! We see contradiction from the start. How can a Catholic fight Catholics on behalf of the Moslems? You can, if you are hungry and have no other means to support yourself. Camillus de Lellis is a strong-willed, and stubborn young man, who thinks that all he can do is fight, gamble and drink excessively. Why would God want anything to do with the likes of Camillus de Lellis? Well, apparently, God has other designs. Things happen throughout Camillus’ life, that we only come to understand why, when... Read more... 

What to say? With each new revelation that has come to light in the Catholic Church since this past June, I have been sent into an emotional tail spin. It is all rather horrifying and almost unbelievable that these things have been going on and others have been covering them up. I am glad these things are finally coming into the light. How grievious it must have been for our Lord when he was the only one that knew about these things and they were allowed to continue. Continue Reading @ Beautifulthorns>

Today’s Gospel reading comes from Matt 23:13-22. In this very cryptic passage, Jesus asks a couple of piercing questions: Blind fools, which is greater, the gold, or the temple that made the gold sacred?  Matt 23:17 You blind ones, which is greater, the gift, or the altar that makes the gift sacred?  Matt 23:19 Jesus asks these questions because He is not happy with the actions of the Scribes and the Pharisees. He sees them as hypocrites, as they do not “walk the talk.” Their actions differ from their speech. The Scribes and Pharisees speak of the promotion of piety, but do not act pious. They believe their words alone will suffice in garnering the desired prestige of the community. Their intentions are corrupt; thereby making their actions immoral. In this passage, Jesus points out that the source of all goodness comes from God, not from man’s piety. Jesus uses the metaphor of the temple being more sacred than the gold within the temple. He reinforces His argument, by noti

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The Crucifixion of St Peter , 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   John 6:60-69 ( New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised Catholic Edition) When many of Jesus’ disciples heard it, they said, ‘This teaching is difficult; who can accept it?’ But Jesus, being aware that his disciples were complaining about it, said to them, ‘Does this offend you? Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? It is the spirit that gives life; the flesh is useless. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. But among you there are some who do not believe.’ For Jesus knew from the first who were the ones that did not believe, and who was the one that would betray him. And he said, ‘For this reason I have told you that no one can come to me unless it