Association Of Catholic Bloggers

It takes a special person to walk into danger when everyone else is fleeing to safety. I have great admiration for the courage and bravery of the first responders from 9/11. Their virtue exhibited on that day, and the weeks afterward is a result of possessing Fortitude. You see, Fortitude gives us the capability to face fear, while courage and bravery allow us to act upon our fortitude. Therefore, the fortitude of first responders is something to behold. They are living witnesses of what it means to truly serve for the glory of God. Fortitude of First Responders Inside each of the first responders is a desire to serve others, even at the expense of one’s own life. How could that be, that the first responder would be willing to die, just to save the life of another? It is that way, because the first responder possesses Fortitude! We are all graced with this virtue at Confirmation, but I think that people of this vein are... Read more...

#CualEsTuValor Eduardo Verástegui nos demuestra que en cualquier ambiente y profesión, Dios puede hacer maravillas a través de nosotros. Un testimonio excepcional  que vale la pena ver y compartir en este video exclusivo de VALORAR PLAY. Por: Valorar Play You tube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dAmqi8XAeNs&feature=youtu.be

As the new school year gets underway, this is the time of year when transitions for children can be unsettling. What results? A lack of patience on everyone’s part. Everyone is looking for their new “norm” and it can’t come fast enough. For children, especially, finding patience can seem impossible. Whether you have moved to a new home, in the same school district, or to a totally new town, change can be difficult for children. Everything they know is in a state of upheaval. Moving to a new town means going to a new school and making new friends. To help children navigate transition more easily, I wrote a children’s book for ages 6-8, to help them through this process. The story is set at the beginning of the new school year. Faith, the oldest of the three sisters is heading into second grade in a new town and a new school. She doesn’t know any of her new classmates, but they all seem to know each other. This makes Faith feel uncomfortably like an outsider. The story line has a

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Prayer is a process of continual inner conversion that involves gently trying to turn, open and surrender the heart to God. As the process is practised, the heart of man is made accessible to the heart of God, and his love shafts down to purify and empty it, so that Christ can come to birth again in all of us. Keep Gently Trying       read on ....

I was rummaging through some things that have been laying around the house for awhile and I came across my old charm bracelet.   I don’t really remember when I wore it last, but it is probably safe to say it was at least 45 years ago! Looking through the charms it occurred to me that the things I liked then, I still like today. On my charm bracelet, among other things, was a horse, a piano and a typewriter.   All things I definitely associated with back then, and still do today. It made me think back to about 15 years ago when I started an * online retreat.   Near the beginning of the retreat, I was supposed to write out sort of a history of my past.   As I started the retreat, I thought, “I don’t need to do this part; I know my past really well.”   No surprise, I figured I could jump to the next step. But, wisdom took hold and I decided I would bother to write down what it asked me to.   Boy was I surprised! It wasn’t that anything knew came out of the inf

St Paul in Prison , 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  Luke 14:25-33 ( New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised Catholic Edition, Canada)     Now large crowds were travelling with Jesus; and he turned and said to them,  ‘Whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even life itself, cannot be my disciple.  Whoever does not carry the cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.  For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not first sit down and estimate the cost, to see whether he has enough to complete it?  Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it will begin to ridicule him,  saying, “This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.”  Or what king, going ou

Sitting on the filing cabinet in my office is a set of Raggedy Ann and Andy dolls.   When I was in my twenties I ordered them from someone who made them.   It was a reminder of my childhood and the beloved characters. I realized when I was looking at them recently that the stitching on their faces is exactly the same.   There is no defining features that distinguish them as boy or girl, except for their clothes. In light of today’s culture that revels in attempting to meld distinct genders into one neutral gender, my dolls duplicated faces gave me reason to pause. It really is a confusing time. We have been created male and female by God, who knew what he was doing when he fashioned us into being.   My heart pours out to people today who are struggling with gender identity issues.   I am truly sad for their pain and the challenge they have of trying to live in a body that doesn’t feel like it matches who they sense they are. I believe that we cannot really know wha

Waiting with Elmer , by Deanna Klingel is excellent book for the young adult in your life who needs to learn patience. Learning to wait for God’s timing can be an impossible task for anyone, but especially for a child. Meet Willy Skyes, left at a train station, by his father, to fend for himself. As Willy sits on a bench, waiting for the father who will never return, he meets Elmer, who seems to run the town of Waitnsee. Elmer introduces Willy to all the town’s residents, especially Rake, who runs the Union Street Mission. Willy and his dad were always running from town to town because of the misdeeds of Willy’s dad. Now Willy was alone, but not for long. The men of the Union Street Mission take Willy under their wings, and Elmer makes sure that Willy has what he needs; a place to sleep, food, new clothes, and an education. As the story progresses, we see Willy grow in virtue, especially patience, building bonds with the men of the Union Street Mission. He finds a “family” in t

   “Era un mandamiento nuevo“... ... era algo que rebasaba toda doctrina, toda ley. Era algo que estremecía las entrañas y el corazón, era algo que sobrepasaba todo sentimiento humano para llegar a tocar lo que a "natural" no correspondía a nuestro sentir, a nuestro apasionado corazón y razón cuando alguien o algo nos daña... Recordando las palabras de SAN MARCOS 5,43-48. leer más...

When we see so much violence, hatred and evil, we sometimes wonder where God is and why He allows such atrocities to happen. As a result, we find it difficult to trust God, let alone anyone else. We walk away from Him, feeling all alone. And when we walk away, it is because we lack faithfulness in a God who is always with us; a God who will never abandon us. Yet, if He is always with us, and never abandons us, then how can He let such horrific things occur? Whether it be the mass shootings that seem to occur daily, or the diagnosis of cancer that steals the life of those we love, it can be difficult to be faithful to God. Maintaining faithfulness, in such times, may seem absurd, but that is what we must do. The Implication of Free Will First, let me answer the question as to why God lets such atrocities and devastation occur. When we experience violence, hatred and evil, it is solely at the hands of humans. God does not bring these things upon us. Rather, He witnesses what we w

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                                           Courtesy foxsports.com.au As we were nearing the end of the dramatic NBA (basketball) finals, I half-jokingly said to our son one night at dinner, “What should I write about on my next blog?” to which he quickly replied, “Your loser team.” You see, throughout the ramp up to the final games, I was supporting the Toronto Raptors.   I have no idea why.   I really don’t need a reason.   They seemed to be playing well, so I figured, “Why not root for them?” But when it came down to Golden State versus Toronto, I switched and had to cheer for the home team—Golden State—or as my son said, my “loser team.”  Turns out he was right. Anyway, when it comes to winning and losing in the spirit world, I am happy to know that God is victorious over evil. I find that very comforting, but the challenge for believers is to remember it when evil does happen.   The tendency is to ask, “Where was God when this was going on?” The answer, of

Baptism, Confirmation and First Holy Communion at Holy Family Home for Girls, Bacolod City Readings   (New American Bible: Philippines, USA) Readings   (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, England & Wales, India [optional], Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland, South Africa) Gospel   Luke 14:1, 7-14 ( New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised Catholic Edition, Canada)     On one occasion when Jesus  was going to the house of a leader of the Pharisees to eat a meal on the sabbath, they were watching him closely. When he noticed how the guests chose the places of honour, he told them a parable. ‘When you are invited by someone to a wedding banquet, do not sit down at the place of honour, in case someone more distinguished than you has been invited by your host; and the host who invited both of you may come and say to you, “Give this person your place”, and then in disgrace you would start to take the lowest place. But when you are invited, go and sit down at the lo