Association Of Catholic Bloggers

I love January! Why? Because I love the silence of winter, when everything slows down. We cozy up with a warm blanket, in front of the fire, while reading a good book, amidst the silence. Or, one could take a walk in the freshly fallen snow and hear silence. I find silence to be peaceful and that brings me joy! It is also, in the silence, that we open our ears to hear the whisper of God speaking to our hearts. Silence of Winter The silence of winter provides us with time to reflect on how we are doing, where we are going, and what we want to accomplish. When we assess how we are doing, we can count our blessings. This brings us both gratitude and joy. When we plan our futures, we set a course for ourselves. This fills us with the hope of endless possibilities. And when we crystallize our goals, God graces us with ... Read more...

In today’s reading Jesus calls Simon and his brother Andrew.   Where did he find them?   He found them doing their everyday work—casting their nets into the sea because they were fisherman. He simply walked up to them and said, “Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.”   They dropped everything and followed him. Then Jesus walked on and grabbed up James and John.   What were they doing?   Their everyday work of course!   They were mending their nets and when he called them, they left their father Zebedee in a boat with the hired help. What will YOUR discipleship story be? Simon, Andrew, James and John all acquired a story to tell.   But their call was so significant it changed their life.   Jesus called them to be his disciples and they responded with their lives. For most of us, our acceptance of our role as a disciple does not have to be as dramatic as that of those first century fisherman.   It is an error to think that we have to walk away from our w

How do you stand up to a giant? With one smooth stone--prayer! The giant that is looking to crush religious freedom is on a rampage across the country. New Jersey is his latest victim. As too many cower in their homes, afraid to make waves or get noticed, (or perhaps stay asleep in their comfort) the giant stomps through our freedoms. Our stone is prayer and gathering. Make our position known. Through peace and light, even the biggest obstacle can be overcome. Joshua marched with the footstool of Our Lord for seven days. The people of Jericho laughed, yelled horrible names at the Israelites, and did everything they could to make their efforts feel futile. Yet, he marched! One of the greatest warriors of all time went to battle on his feet in prayer. And what happened? The walls came tumbling down! Will you help to pull down the walls of a modern Jericho? Read more on Veils and Vocations blog.

I recently watched a special about Linda Ronstadt and I really enjoyed listening to the excerpts of her musical performances which offered some of her most popular songs. Having those songs flowing through my brain, I suppose, is the reason I thought of the first line of her song When Will I Be Loved when I read today’s reading. She sings, “I’ve been cheated.” I wonder how many of us feel like we’ve been cheated when we read about swift, miraculous healings in the bible like that from today’s reading from the Gospel of Luke, Chapter 5, Verse 13. A man was suffering from leprosy in one of the towns where Jesus was.   He fell down before Jesus, pleading with him, “Lord, if you wish, you can make me clean.”   The gospel tells us that Jesus “stretched out his hand, touched him, and said ‘I do will it. Be made clean.’”   The man was immediately made clean. I think it is important to recognize that some of us might feel cheated after we have pleaded and pleaded with God

It isn’t uncommon around this time of year for anxiety to set in, especially when the consequence of overspending at Christmas shows itself by way of incoming bills. I happened across a short segment on a morning show the other day that described a couple that was—I think hundreds of thousands of dollars—in debt.   They briefly described in the segment how they got there, as well as the steps they took to free themselves from debt.   They outlined the usual warnings about credit card interest, budgeting and so-forth. I think there are probably plenty of methods to help people figure out how to wrestle themselves out of financial ruin and it is, of course, always a good thing to try to do so in a responsible way through a trusted resource.   But part of the problem, I suppose, is that there is a need to change the way we do things, as well as what we do. A million years ago I went to a hair stylist who worked out of her home.   She started talking about a vacation that she

During my convalescence these past three months, as a result of my ankle fusion, Christ gave me the opportunity to appreciate the virtue of acceptance. You see, when you can’t place any weight on your foot, you are somewhat helpless.  I couldn’t stand in the kitchen and make any meals. Nor, could I do any housecleaning, or laundry. I couldn’t run any errands or do the grocery shopping. All I could do was sit in a Lazy-Boy chair, with my foot elevated, and let others do things for me. This is where I learned the gift of the virtue of acceptance. Putting my pride aside, I gratefully, and humbly accepted meals prepared by my neighbors and friends. (They were all delicious. by the way!). One friend vacuumed my entire house (better than I could ever do it)! Yet, it was my husband, who made the biggest impact on me. He was there, in the middle of the night, helping me go to the bathroom. He took on all my household responsibilities, in addition to his own; cooking, cleaning, laundry, g

The Gospel According to Matthew , Baptism scene Directed by Pier Paolo Pasolini Readings   (New American Bible: Philippines, USA) Readings   (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, England & Wales, India [optional], Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland, South Africa) Gospel  Matthew 3:13-17 ( New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised Catholic Edition, Canada)     Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan, to be baptized by him.  John would have prevented him, saying, ‘I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?’  But Jesus answered him, ‘Let it be so now; for it is proper for us in this way to fulfil all righteousness.’ Then he consented.  And when Jesus had been baptized, just as he came up from the water, suddenly the heavens were opened to him and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him.  And a voice from heaven said, ‘This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.’ Léachtaí i nGaeilge Baptism of

As I was writing out my Christmas cards this year, I was saddened by some of the people that are no longer with us. Flipping through the pages I see the address of an old friend from high school who died this year.   Her name has been in my address book for years, but she passed away without our ever being able to reconnect. The names and addresses of beloved family members that I hold close to my heart, including special aunts and uncles, as well as long ago neighbors, bring back sacred memories as I turn each page. While I keep current the addresses of several people on my phone today, our address book reads like a history book.   It speaks of moves, deaths and friends that have somehow slipped away. Why is it that we stay close with some people, but others have disappeared from our lives?   Is it simply a matter of losing touch, or do we grow apart as we grow up, and our life—and interests—change? This makes me think of a situation recently where I was talk

Today’s reading follows both the Baptism of Jesus (which we will celebrate January 12 th ) and the temptation of Jesus by the devil in the desert. In the Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 4, Jesus learns that John the Baptist has been arrested so Jesus goes to Galilee.   He has left Nazareth and gone to live in Capernaum “by the sea.”   See above map. Here’s what I want to focus on:   Jesus takes up the words of John the Baptist when he says, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Of course, the kingdom is at hand due to the presence of Jesus as he is speaking the words, as well as his presence with us today, but what does that message mean for us today? While listening to the latest episode of Opening God’s Word , let those words of John and Jesus sink in.   We are always wondering what we can DO to make a difference in this world, and here we have Jesus himself telling us! Are we ready to repent of our sins and the sins of the world?   Just imagine how

In my  last post , I related my reasons for gaining weight this past year. Now, as my ankle completely heals, it’s time to get serious about losing the weight. Increasing my walking will help me to lose weight, but that alone will not do the trick. I also need to stop eating the sweets! What better time to lose weight, than when we turn the page on the calendar? Or, for me, as my ankle completely heals. I have no more excuses, other than I lack Temperance.  Therefore, it’s time for Temperance, as well. We start each new year with hope. If I ever hope to get out of the sweatpants, and back into my clothes, then I need to call on God to give me some Temperance. I know that I cannot stop eating the sweets on my own, as sugar is so addictive. I need the strength of Christ to assist me in my endeavor to lose the weight. And while He’s indulging me with Temperance, a smidgen of... Read more...

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I’ve just finished writing out my Christmas cards a few days ago. We don’t send out nearly as many as we did when we were younger, but there are a few that we do still send. You may think I am late, but the way I figure it, I am right on time.   Since we are still in the Christmas season, I like to fill in my cards with notes about our Christmas festivities, and with the easy-going days following Christmas, I find I am not so hurried when I do so. As you know, Christmas isn’t just one day.   For us, we try to keep the celebration going until Epiphany (January 6 th ) when the wise men finally arrive after their long journey! I hope you had a truly beautiful Advent and maybe even took up some new practices related to those four weeks before Christmas.   When Christmas arrives with a genuine focus on Jesus, the season begins with increased gratitude for his saving work. One of the prayer practices I tried to add during Advent was to pray the Angelus.   I’ve tried it befor

Happy New Year everyone! I’m not sure how you viewed 2019, but I found 2019 challenging; both personally and professionally. I’m looking forward to 2020 with a clear sense of purpose. There’s something hopeful regarding the turning of the calendar to a new year. With hope, I look forward to better health, now that my ankle fusion has taken hold. I’ve suffered for several years with difficulty walking. The last few months prior to surgery resulted in several falls. Apparently, my ligaments in my ankle kept giving way and couldn’t support me any longer. Thus, the reasons for the falls. So, surgery became my only option. The difficulty in walking resulted in a good deal of inactivity on my part, and I gained a good deal of weight. With the ankle fusion nearly healed, I’m ready to take on new adventures. I simply want to walk, and in the process possibly lose the weight I gained by being inactive. It’s my own personal belief, that if you feel better about yourself, and live a healt

Adoration of the Magi Jan de Bray [ Web Gallery of Art ] In most countries where English is widely used The Epiphany is celebrated on this Sunday, 5 January 2020. However, in Ireland, where it is a holy day of obligation, the feast is observed on its traditional date, 6 January. Readings   (New American Bible: Philippines, USA) Readings (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, England & Wales, India [optional], Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland, South Africa) Gospel   Matthew 2:1-12 ( New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised Catholic Edition, Canada)     In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem,  asking, ‘Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage.’  When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him;  and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of