Association Of Catholic Bloggers

Over 30 years ago, when earth tones were all the rage, I started an afghan that was brown, rust and cream colored.   It was an ambitious project and quite boring, mostly due to the fact that it was made entirely by using the afghan stitch. If you don’t know the afghan stitch, let me explain it to you.   You put a bunch of loops on one large knitting needle, and then you take them all off.   Then you put them all on again, and then you take them all off again.   You do this—I don’t know—a couple of hundred times at least. Suffice it to say that as we were preparing for a garage sale, I had to make a decision about my afghan that was about 1/3 of the way done.   It has been moved from place to place around my basement for several years.   It was kept in a big box with big skeins of yarn. I had to accept reality.   I was not going to finish this monster.   But, what should I do with it?   I thought maybe I could sell it in the garage sale, but people smarter than I knew not t

When someone seems aggressive or arrogant don’t you want to run away as soon as possible? Aggressiveness and arrogance are unseemly; definitely not traits that draw people closer. So why are so many people aggressive and arrogant?   If you’ve ever been told that you come on too strong, then the virtue that you want to practice is gentleness. For when we seek gentleness, our entire disposition changes for the better. Seek Gentleness Gentleness is not only a fruit of the Spirit, but also the state of possessing a kind, amiable, mild-tempered nature, where one judges conscience by reason rather than by passion. Gentleness calls us to be prudent in forming judgments logically, rather than impulsively. Now, doesn’t that sound like a persona that you would be attracted to, rather than someone who is aggressive or arrogant? We could use more gentle spirits in our society today. Seeking gentleness within our own spirits is... Read more... 

St Francis and Brother Leo Meditating on Death El Greco  [ Web Gallery of Art ] Readings   (New American Bible: Philippines, USA) Readings   (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, England & Wales, India [optional], Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland, SouthAfrica) Gospel   Luke 12:32-48 [or 35-40] ( New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised Catholic Edition, Canada)     Jesus said to his disciples: ‘Do not be afraid, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.  Sell your possessions, and give alms. Make purses for yourselves that do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys.  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.  ‘Be dressed for action and have your lamps lit;   be like those who are waiting for their master to return from the wedding banquet, so that they may open the door for him as soon as he comes and knocks.  Blessed are those slaves whom the mas

I came across a thought-provoking article my a writer named Gustavo Razzetti that gave me great pause.   His article was titled, “Why Accepting Death Will Make You Worry Less.” While I don’t necessarily agree with his proposition that the acceptance of death will make you worry less, for me the interesting part of his article was the exercise he said he learned from someone named Bernie Roth at Stanford.   Here’s how it goes: “Imagine you have 10 min to live, what would you do?” Answering the questions one at a time with great thought, we are to continue the exercise moving from 10 minutes, to ten days, ten months, ten years and the rest of your life; then see what happens to your perspective. I don’t normally spend much time on these sorts of questions, but for some reason, this one caught my attention.   As I reflected on what I would do, beginning with 10 minutes, the first one was easy. Without hesitation and with great urgency, I would go to confession and rec

Saturday night had been Sunday morning for just over an hour when death came to a street in Dayton, Ohio. A young man killed eight folks who had been outside a bar. He's dead. too. Probably killed by police. One of the killer's victims was his sister. Maybe she was an intended victim. Maybe she'd just been in the wrong place at the wrong time.... ...We know who, how, where and how many were killed. The crime's "why" is another matter. The killer is dead, so investigators can't ask him. More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

I do not like the hatred and divisiveness, overtly promoted by the President of the United States, permeating throughout our country. His words are hurtful and racist. They are demeaning, and filled with vindictiveness. By his actions, I have witnessed him violating the Fifth Commandment many times. To violate the Fifth Commandment, you need not merely kill someone. You can violate the Fifth Commandment through expressions of hatred, anger, abusive language, resentment, vindictiveness, and yes, via expressions of racism. We CANNOT follow his example by jeering racist chants at rallies. Nor, should we follow his example by tweeting offensive commentary on Twitter. Nor, should we condone his despicable behavior toward the vulnerable immigrant, the person of color, and the marginalized. Instead, we need to cling to respect, for respect breeds love. Respect Breeds Love We need to: Channel our energy towards doing good. Express respect for others, especially those who do not look

In today’s episode of Cassidy Comments I offer my response to the idea that “sadness is not a Christian attitude” as mentioned in an article from the website Vatican News quoting Pope Francis. What is the Pope saying?   Is he implying that Christians cannot/should not be sad?   Is that even possible? I dig a little deeper and check out some scriptural references and uncover the relationship between sadness, joy and what Jesus and the Pope have to say about it. I invite you to subscribe to this blog as well as my podcasts, which are always found at janetcassidy.blubrry.com If you would like to contact me to arrange to have me speak to your group or organization, please email me at: johnseven38@yahoo.com Here is a link to the article I mention in my podcast. Have a blessed day in God’s Word!

Today marks the 20 th  anniversary of the passing of my father. I never stopped missing my dad over these past twenty years. He was a quiet man of little words, but when he did speak, I would listen. I learned at a young age, to not ask for my dad’s opinion, unless I really wanted it. You see, he kept things to himself, unless asked. I remember writing a fifth-grade essay, for which I was very proud of my efforts; so proud, that I asked my father to read it and tell me what he thought. Of course, he would love it because I thought it was so good. NOT! Oh, did he give me an earful of commentary. Humbly, I went away making the corrections. I don’t remember the grade for that essay, but I do remember the value I placed upon my father’s opinions. I treasure them. My dad’s words of wisdom greatly impacted my life. Today, I am a published author and editor of self-published manuscripts. My Dad and His Words of Wisdom From fifth grade on, I listened well to my father, and took his w

Las mujeres lesbianas han captado la atención por décadas , pero solo como un apéndice de los movimientos LGBTI, que parecieran haber logrado solucionar los problemas de discriminación de esta pequeña parte de la población, pero sacrificando la salud de muchos. Pequeña, sí, pues a nivel mundial, solo el .0012 de la población son mujeres lesbianas , de la cual , el .0008 mas bien son bisexuales (1). Estos movimientos politicosociales, al ser sobrerepresentados han derivado en mayor exposición a riesgos de salud y de vida de muchas jóvenes y niñas a las que ahora se les presenta como una “ opción liberadora” de un “menú” de como ejercer su sexualidad y además glamorosa y sin mayor repercusiones. leer más...

As you may know by now, I like to collect quotes.   Well, as might be expected, I found a piece of paper the other day with a quote on it from the movie As Good as it Gets .   I have no idea how it ended up on my desk because I don’t remember watching the movie recently, but then again, I don’t really remember yesterday, so no surprise there. Anyway, it comes from the character Jack.   He says, “I’m drowning and you’re describing the water.” Isn’t that a great quote? I have no idea of the context of his line in the movie, but whenever lines like that jump out at me, I have to write them down. Jack’s line makes me think of how unhelpful we can be sometimes to those who are in crisis. If you take his drowning metaphorically, it could mean any number of things. Maybe the person you work with is drowning emotionally.   Maybe the stranger you meet on the street is struggling just to get by.   Maybe you are feeling overwhelmed, exhausted or desperate. Then there are those th

The Corn Harvest (detail) Pieter Bruegel the Elder  [ Web Gallery of Art ] The land of a rich man produced abundantly (John 12:16). Readings   (New American Bible: Philippines, USA) Readings   (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, England & Wales, India [optional], Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland, South Africa) Gospel   Luke 12:13-21 ( New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised Catholic Edition, Canada)     Someone in the crowd said to Jesus, ‘Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me.’  But he said to him, ‘Friend, who set me to be a judge or arbitrator over you?’  And he said to them, ‘Take care! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of possessions.’  Then he told them a parable: ‘The land of a rich man produced abundantly.  And he thought to himself, “What should I do, for I have no place to store my crops?”  Then he said, “I will do this: I will pull down my barns and bui