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    My husband and I were joking around in the kitchen one night while doing dishes. We have a pot whose handled is a little loose. He said it couldn't be tightened (because of the design) when I suggested all that needed to be done was to tighten the screw. Confidently, I said I thought I could fix it. Maybe a new screw was needed. Humoring me, he said go ahead. Quickly trying to get out of it, I responded, "Well, you know where all the screws are," to which he instantly replied, "Yeah, they're all loose in your head!" I couldn't stop laughing; his timing was priceless. St. Catherine of Siena, one of our great Dominican saints, said: "Zealously do what is in your power, giving honor to God and your best efforts to your neighbors, trusting that the Holy Spirit will do what seems impossible to you." Anyone seen the Holy Spirit running around with a screwdriver? I sure could use his help about now. Have a joy-filled day! Janet Cas

  If God said to you, like he did Solomon (1 Kings 3:9), "Whatever you ask, I will give you," what would you ask for? When reading the Gospel of Matthew (7:7), we often think Jesus is simply saying he will give us everything we want, when he says: “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you." But what did Solomon ask for when Jesus visited him in that dream? He said: "Give your servant . . . a listening heart to judge your people and to distinguish between good and evil . . . .” (1 Kings 3:9) God liked this and told Solomon he would indeed give him a wise and discerning heart, and a long life, because "you did not ask for a long life for yourself, nor for riches, nor for the life of your enemies—but you asked for discernment to know what is right." This exchange gives us a sense of what God wants us to desire. and when you think about it, what we are in desperate need of today--discernment of what is

It seems that, no matter how bad things are: they could be worse. Take Alabama's recent execution of a Mr. Smith, for example. There's been discussion of whether or not using nitrogen gas was okay, along with the ongoing capital punishment debate. But at least the State of Alabama didn't defray expenses by livecasting the execution: despite pay-per-view being a well-established part of our society. I'll be talking about capital punishment this week: along with Hammurabi's laws, the breaking wheel, and a trend that might be good news. Death Sentences: An Ancient Practice The Breaking Wheel But We've Always Done It This Way Statistics, a Little History, and Science Nitrogen Asphyxiation: Bad News, Good News Excessive Bail, Excessive Fines, Cruel and Unusual Punishment Graphs and Charts, Numbers and — Maybe — a Trend Growth Curves: Executions Go Down as Population Goes Up Acting As If Human Life Matters Responsibility and Dignity: For Everyon

      Today, as we celebrate the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord, I'd like you to listen to a wonderful, four-minute reflection by Fr. John McKenzie of the Archdiocese of Detroit. This very inspiring, thoughtful reflection will have you thinking about how you can present, or re-present, yourself to the Father for whatever mission you have been given to do. Here's the LINK . Janet Cassidy janetcassidy.com Follow my Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/reflectionsinfaith/ Check out my YouTube Channel at: https://www.youtube.com/@janetcassidy

  Jan Josef Horemans II A Sick Woman [ Web Gallery of Art ] Now  Simon's mother-in-law lay ill with a fever, and immediately they told him about her  (Mark 1:30; Gospel}. Readings   (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, England & Wales, Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland) Readings   (New American Bible: Philippines, USA) Gospel   Mark 1:29-39 ( English Standard Version Anglicised: India) And immediately Jesus left the synagogue and entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John.   Now Simon's mother-in-law lay ill with a fever, and immediately they told him about her.   And he came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and the fever left her, and she began to serve them. That evening at sunset they brought to him all who were sick or oppressed by demons. And the whole city was gathered together at the door. And he healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons. And he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him. And

    I like to listen to a short podcast called "Benedictus Moments." They are readings from the writings of Pope Benedict. In the one I recently listened to, he was talking about how an image directs you beyond the image itself. For instance, if you were looking at a picture of a sunset, the intention isn't for you to just stare at the painting, or the frame or the materials, but for it to draw you deeper into the sunset. It is like that with God and us. He created us, but he created us in his image. When we encounter each other, we might first notice height, weight, skin color and so forth, but in actuality, our physical being should draw others beyond us, to God. Here's another example: During the homily for the funeral Mass for our friend Fr. Bill Lugger, the homilist told us that Fr. Bill said he wanted the homily to be focused on Jesus, not him.  Jesus, Jesus, Jesus. That's who needs to be preached. (Thankfully, we got some of both!) Indeed,

      Something occurred to me when doing lectio divina (a way to pray with scripture) on the Gospel of Mark, Chapter 6:1-6. It's the passage where Jesus is teaching in the synagogue and everyone is shocked at his wisdom. Not recognizing him as God, they start asking: “Where did this man get all this? What kind of wisdom has been given him? What mighty deeds are wrought by his hands! Is he not the carpenter, the son of Mary . . ." You see, they thought they knew Jesus. He was just the guy next door. We know Jesus is so much more.  He makes the point that among his own kin, in his own house, there's not a whole lot he can do, except cure a few sick people. No mighty deeds here, where there is a great lack of faith. What can we learn from this exchange?    How do we see Jesus? Do we have a "lack of faith" that affects the potential to receive mighty deeds from him? In our eyes, has Jesus become too much our buddy, ordinary and so familiar, that w

We celebrate the Feast of John Bosco today. I've always had a great love for this Saint. With a particular concern and care for the young, first with evening classes where hundreds came to listen to his teachings about God and Heaven. he eventually set up a boarding house for apprentices and workshops for education and training, which is wonderful , thinking about them working and doing well and not just thinking about their spiritual lives. After all it's all one , our struggle with sanctity and our whole life is part of that.  Some of his sayings: "My children, jump, run, and play and make all the noise you want but avoid sin like the plague and you will surely gain Heaven" "learn to flee from bad companions and bad books" "Without confidence and love , there can be no true education. If you want to be loved ... you must love yourselves, and make your children feel that you love them." "Act today in such a way that you need not blush tomorro

    Sometimes I have this thought when someone close to me dies--"Now you're gone and you know everything. Can't you just somehow tell me what you know?" Naturally, they don't, but still I wonder about what they now know that we don't. Then two things occur to me: 1) Maybe we're not supposed to know, in this life. Maybe it would negatively impact our lives in some way to know prematurely. You know, too much information. But then, how would I live differently if I knew all there was to know, and wouldn't that be a good thing? 2) Secondly, what more is it that I want them to tell me, that Jesus didn't cover? Now you know how my brain works. Scary, isn't it? Both of those questions lead to layers of thought that I can't even begin to cover in this little post. The bottom line is, we have questions, right? For instance, "Will we recognize each other in heaven?"    That, we can actually sort out here. I am including a h

    I was listening to an interview by the CBS anchor Norah O'Donnell and Oprah Winfrey. I find Winfrey interesting, but I don't really go in so much for her philosophical ideology, which I often find shallow, if not altogether seriously lacking. But, in this interview I heard her define happiness as satisfaction, enjoyment and purpose. I thought this was interesting because I wonder how many of us, upon reflection, can say we have all three of these, or at least all three at one time. That might be worth thinking about. What do you think? How do you define happiness? As Winfrey continued, she recited the last two lines of the popular Invictus poem: "I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul." (William Ernest Henley, 1875) As a Christian, something seemed off to me, since those words were missing a sense of dependence on God, an awareness that we are not alone in our life. Naturally, I had to look up Henley, and, not surprisingly, learne

    I just love some of the memes you find online (the nice ones, that is.)   Like this one: "Don't bother walking a mile in my shoes, that would be boring. Spend 30 seconds in my head, that'll freak you right out." (Wittitudes) I can see so many of you shaking your heads in agreement right now, as you can immediately relate. I like this popular question: "What are you allowing to live in your head rent free?" Supposedly, this idea came from the columnist Ann Landers, who reportedly said:   “Hanging onto resentment is letting someone you despise live rent-free in your head.” What are you hanging onto that is disturbing your peace of mind, that is not contributing to your mental or physical well-being? Free up some of that space and allow God to enter. He will bring you peace and lessen your anxiety. Janet Cassidy janetcassidy.com Follow me on my Facebook page:  https://www.facebook.com/reflectionsinfaith/

It is with mixed emotion that I am writing about the passing of our friend Fr. Bill Lugger. Many of you knew Fr. Bill and I am appreciating the many, many pictures and comments that I have seen online. They are a great reminder of what a wonderful, generous, faith-filled Catholic priest he was. Here is a LINK to his obituary. He was ready to see God, and patiently waited in God's time. Please pray for Fr. Bill and his family and friends. May God receive his soul in heaven. If it is a comfort to you, I am also sharing the LINK to my interview with him from last August. My hope is that his acceptance, joy, and anticipation of heaven, which he witnessed to so beautifully in our conversation, will continue to bring hope to all of us. Eternal rest grant unto Fr. Bill, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him. May his soul and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen. Janet Cassidy janetcaassidy.com

First, the good news. Our number-two daughter's cancer is slow-growing. The not-so-good news is that it's aggressive. And, of course, that she's got cancer. I learned about the cancer in early January. 1 The family knows a little more now, and I've gotten the okay to talk about it. Which isn't easy. I've been — distracted — and that'll very likely continue. Putting Feelings in Perspective Previous Experience "...Feelings, Woah, Woah, Woah, Feelings...." Diagnoses, Definitions, Surgery, and (Probably) Good News Another Operation, Radiation, and Prayer More at A Catholic Citizen in America . (I learned that one of our grown children has cancer a few weeks ago. I know a little more now. This week I talk about feelings, health, and what comes next.)

Christ as Teacher (Cristo Docente) Fourth Century Roman Sculptor  [ Web Gallery of Art ] Readings   (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, England & Wales, Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland) Readings   (New American Bible: Philippines, USA) Gospel   Mark 1:21-28 ( English Standard Version Anglicised: India) [Jesus and his disciples] went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath he entered the synagogue and was teaching.   And they were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one who had authority, and not as the scribes.   And immediately there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit. And he cried out,   “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God.”   But Jesus rebuked him, saying,  “Be silent, and come out of him!”   And the unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying out with a loud voice, came out of him.   And they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, “W

  The Conversion of St. Paul yesterday, made me think about those who are causing division in the Church today. So many people are speaking out against Pope Francis, because, in their opinion, he is leading the Church in the wrong direction. This is similar to Saul in his early days when he persecuted Jesus (the Church), until his eyes were opened and God showed him the error of his ways. When he realized his persecution of the Church was not of God, he had a change of heart and reversed his actions. There are people today--out of pride or ignorance or whatever--who are attempting to lead people away from the Church by claiming Vatican II was a farce that should be ignored, and that their way to worship is the only way, and that Pope Francis himself is the devil incarnate. They seriously need a conversion like St. Paul. They think, in their self-righteousness, that they are protecting people, when in fact, they are leading others to sin, and further away from God. If