Association Of Catholic Bloggers

Sharing Your Catholic Faith Story  is a compilation of 30 conversion stories written by Catholic authors. Some of the authors are “cradle Catholics” like me, while other authors found their way to the Catholic Church after a long, and sometimes winding journey. Yet, the variety of experiences all point to one thing: a love for Christ and His One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. As a Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA) Coordinator, it is my responsibility to bring souls into full Communion with the Catholic Church. I walk with them on their journey. So, my heart was touched to read some of the stories in this book. For example, Cynthia Gill Bates writes of her conversion from Mormonism to Catholicism.  She came to realize that when faith is lost, in a human being like Joseph Smith, who founded Mormonism, faith in that religion goes with it. She drives it home when she writes: There are only two possible options: either Joseph Smith told the truth, or Joseph Smith

Have you found yourself grumbling a lot lately?   Complaining about work or the world around you? Time to sing a new song! Psalm 98 is just what we need when we feel like we are living in a vacuum that is overtaking the joy in our lives. Today’s episode of Opening God’s Word will help you make the shift you need! I have also posted (below) a prayer of gratitude that I pray every day to encourage me to be thankful for all of the blessings God has given me. I hope you will make it a part of your day as well. Have a blessed day in God’s Word. Janet Cassidy janetcassidy.blurry.net Email:  johnseven38@yahoo.com A Prayer of Gratitude to God Father, I am so grateful for everything that you have given me.   Thank you so much for the loved ones in my life, For the many ways in which I am cared for and supported. Thank you for the many ways I can serve and give to others. Thank you for the rich tapestry of colours in creation, for

Moses Before the Burning Bush Domenico Fetti  [ 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 20:27-38 ( New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised Catholic Edition, Canada)     Some Sadducees, those who say there is no resurrection, came to him and asked him a question, ‘Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies, leaving a wife but no children, the man shall marry the widow and raise up children for his brother. Now there were seven brothers; the first married, and died childless; then the second and the third married her, and so in the same way all seven died childless. Finally the woman also died. In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife will the woman be? For the seven had married her.’ Jesus said to them, ‘Those who belong to this age marry and are given in marriage; 

We were rushing to get to the movies to see the Downtown Abbey movie after we finished binge-watching the series and I was really excited to have the opportunity to go. I had heard that they did some renovating at our theater, but when we got there, we were a little surprised.   We thought it was a little weird that we had to pick our seats while buying our tickets.    I get that it will be convenient for those who buy their tickets online, so we don’t have to arrive “two hours before the movie starts” as the young ticket seller told us.   I haven’t gone to a movie two hours early—ever—but then I tend to stay away from “opening nights” anyway. So we stood in a short line behind two women who had never been to our theater before, and we listened as the young man explained the layout for seat selection on the computer screen in front of them.   After some deliberation, they went on their way and it was our turn. I quickly picked our seats without much thought as we were

Do you place God first in your life? Today’s Gospel reading from Luke addresses this very question. In this Gospel reading we hear Jesus speaking with His disciples on the very topic of discipleship and what it takes to follow the Master. We learn what needs to be done to prepare ourselves to enter Heaven. In this Gospel reading Jesus asks two questions that need some interpretation: Which of you wishing to construct a tower does not first sit down and calculate the cost to see if there enough for its completion?  (Luke 14:28) Or what king marching into battle would not first sit down and decide whether with ten thousand troops he can successfully oppose another king advancing with twenty thousand troops?  (Luke 14:31) Are You Prepared to Enter Heaven? You are a Disciple of Jesus, but are you prepared to enter Heaven? We interpret the questions from today’s Gospel by asking ourselves some additional questions. Like the person building the tower, or the king readying for b

This is it!  This is all we need to know and we can find it in Paul's Letter to the Romans, Chapter 13. Paul brings up the commandments, but then, he says it:  "Love is the fulfillment of the law." Are you being loving?  Are you giving of yourself?  Are you looking at a situation and thinking, "How can I help?" or, are you thinking, "I'll let someone else do it." Listen to today's episode of Opening God's Word from Romans Chapter 13. Below, I have posted the special prayer that I use, which I mentioned in the podcast.  Have a blessed day in God's Word. Janet Cassidy janetcassidyinspirations.wordpress.com (for the rest of the Uplifting Prayers for Times of Distress) Here is the prayer about being In Union with God which always helps me when I need to look outward.  I hope you will like it as well. In Union Dear God, To be in union with you is to want what you want, to do what you ask, to love

Have you ever thought, "I really don't have any gifts to use"? When you look at the great saints, do you ever think, "I could NEVER do that"? Are you kind of quiet and don't feel like you can "get out there" and make a splash like some people do? Or are you an extrovert but you can't seem to find your niche? Today's passage from the Letter to the Romans, Chapter 12, is for you! Check it out at Opening God's Word . Are you a pinky finger or a foot?  Doesn't matter.  The important thing is that with God's help you try to identify what it is you can do, and do that! One more thing.  Let's not ever deny our gifts.  Today I talk about humility and accepting what God has given you. Please share this with a friend.  This is a pivotal passage that so many of us need to hear. I hope you have a blessed day in God's Word! Janet Cassidy janetcassidy.blubrry.net

In today’s gospel passage Jesus talks about how you should behave if you are an invited guest to a lunch or dinner, and if you are the host, who you should be inviting. This passage can be difficult for us today as we ask ourselves, “Am I supposed to be inviting strangers into my home and feeding them?” What if you are not in a position to do that?   Do you just ignore this passage altogether? While contextually Jesus is speaking about the people of Israel and the Gentiles of his time, his ultimate teaching about unconditional love and selfless giving is everlasting and very relevant for us today. Tune in and share with a friend! You can find today's episode of Opening God's Word at janetcassidy.blubrry.net . Also, if you are looking for Uplifting Prayers in Times of Distress, go to janetcassidyinspirations.wordpress.com   Janet Cassidy

A Shot in the Arm , by Kevin Luksus, MD, offers us some great insight into the connection between our physical and spiritual health. In a very practical manner, Luksus shares his experiences in promoting both physical and spiritual health. He helps the reader diagnose spiritual disorders and offers the remedy to better equip the person for improvement. How so, you might ask? A Shot in the Arm to Improve Spiritual Health Luksus starts each topic (whether it be the mind, heart, vision, etc.), by giving a brief description of how a healthy body part should operate, with each chapter devoted to a different body part.  Then, within each chapter, he draws the correlation to how the healthy spiritual aspect should work, in relation to the body part in question. After we level set on both counts, Luksus introduces the spiritual disorders that can plague us; such disorders as spiritual ischemia, “when we fail to live our life by grace” (p. 32). Like any good doctor would do, Luksus give