Association Of Catholic Bloggers

Today, January 22, is the day established by the church as a day of penance for abortion.  It is officially called,  "Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children." You can read the rest at Being Catholic ... Really .

Are you friends with your boss on Facebook?  My boss and I had this discussion the other day.  Fortunately, we both agree that we will not be friends on Facebook. You can read the rest at Being Catholic ... Really .

What do you do when the Epiphany chalk means nothing to you? I actually got in a teeny-tiny little fight about this with myself this year. Where do I draw the line when my ignorance clashes with expectation. There are so many traditions in the Catholic Church, and keeping up with them, for a convert, is like speaking another language. The tradition of the blessing of the chalk on Epiphany, for one. I had never heard of it, nor did I understand its use or purpose. Not eating meat on Fridays.  Or midnight mass. There are so many new things to get accustomed to as a convert. I remember when we were in RCIA.... the teacher brought up Holy Days of Obligation.... crickets. NFP...crickets. Receiving the Eucharist on the tongue....crickets. Additionally, as a convert, it can be so overwhelming because there are so many people to know about that I truly knew so little about...  Who is Fulton Sheen? Father Robert Barron? Cardinal Dolan? I literally knew who the Pope was, and that was a

The past eleven days has been a real roller coaster ride! I am not a big fan of roller coasters, either at amusement parks or in real life! They make me nauseous and I'm not a fan of the thrill. Sometimes however the trials of life that feel like roller-coaster rides can help us grow the most in faith. Hopefully the story I am about to tell will produce growth in me. After all, the Lord can use anything (Romans 8:28)! Our children have been begging us for a while for a puppy. My husband and I have been researching what would be a good breed for our family. We have tried big breed dogs and they usually knock the children over and can be pretty destructive so that did not work for our family.    Read more @ Beautifulthorns >

Read More at:  His Unending Love

Company brands, or slogans, identify their purpose and are used in publicity. They become familiar to us. What fast-food restaurant’s is “I’m lovin’ it”? What insurance company assures us that we are in good hands? What drugstore is on the corner of happy and healthy? Unless you never watch television, you probably know the answers are McDonalds, Allstate, and Walgreens. On being consecrated, bishops choose a coat of arms and a motto. Pope Francis chose as his motto Miserando atque eligendo, which translated is “looking at him mercifully he chose him.” click to continue

    I've slowly been reading my way through Pope Francis' apostolic exhortation, Evangelii Gaudium (The Joy of the Gospel).   I will be sharing things that I find particularly edifying over the next several posts.  Today's snippet is talking about not allowing the immense evil we see all around us rob us of the joy of our faith.  He also calls us to not lose hope and become pessimistic sourpusses that want to separate "the wheat from the weeds" before it's time.  In other words, we shouldn't develop a separatist attitude from the Church and the world.  Although we are living in a spiritual desert right now, families are still called to preserve and communicate the faith.  We have to be vigilant in living the Spirit of the Gospel in our homes and workplace and do our part to "point out the way to the Promised Land and keep hope alive."  Pope Francis says "we are called to be living water from which others can drink."   

Do you find yourself in the midst of the mid-winter blues? I do too. In the middle of my pity party that seems to occur every January, the Lord intervened with a word from Scripture.  Click here to read more ....

There is no room in the new economy of God for Arrogant Catholics. We are arrogant about our faith with Protestants, and even arrogant among our selves as we have the Latin Mass click who thinks there's is the only Holy Mass.  Somehow their Mass is 'better' than any other.   Catholics who are arrogant have no clue what it means to truly be a Catholic.   The demon LOVES to see these squabbles!     The Catholic is for the OTHER, not for themselves, that mean's everyone.  There is no Holy Mass greater than another, for it is the same Jesus in the Holy Eucharist, and the same Jesus offered to God.    Is the Latin Mass beautiful, yes.  Is it awesome to kneel and receive Holy Communion, yes, but these are gifts, we have no "rights" to them.  To READ MORE...CLICK HERE!

I’ve been thinking a lot about the concept of family culture and identity recently. Partially because, with two rapidly growing children and a third ready to pop out, our own family identity is developing more and more, without us even focusing on it. As our kids grow, their individual personalities and likes and interests are emerging more and more, but so are some common characteristics – things that don’t apply only to one individual, but clearly reflect our family. A family culture and sense of identity is bound to occur, whether or not we focus on it. I’d rather focus on it and make it intentional in order to make sure that the culture we end up with is a culture we want and value. As an international family, both by virtue of moving around and by virtue of an inter-cultural marriage, I have come to appreciate greatly the reality of having a family culture. No matter where we live and what societal culture we form a part of, there are things we agree with and things that j

Jubilant crowd cheers His Holiness Pope Francis as the Papal convoy arrives for the welcome ceremony at the Kalayaan Grounds of the Malacañan Palace for the State Visit and Apostolic Journey to the Republic of the Philippines on Friday,  16 January 2015. Robert Viñas, Malacañang Photo Bureau, PD, Wikipedia Commons Papa Francisco! MAHAL NG PILIPINO! Papa Francisco! MAHAL NG PILIPINO! Papa Francisco! MAHAL NG PILIPINO! The rhythm of this energetic chant is stuck in my head. It's my own fault, really, since I keep playing videos of the Pope's visit to the Philippines last week. YouTube has hours and hours of "Pope in Philippines" footage, including a nearly  three-hour video  of Sunday Mass and a surplus of videos of joyous chanting. My friend Rena says the best translation of the chant's second part is "Love of the Filipinos."  Pope Francis, the love of the Filipinos . How beautiful, to be beloved by a country, an entire people. "I

NO to Ecumenicals CLICK HERE

Life has not been too hectic to write just too dry and noisy. I have sat down to write but have nothing to say--no interesting craft inspiration, no insightful posts to share, no desire to delve and research. Yet, my life is so full and my heart so at peace. I am incredibly thankful for the provision of my God and the prayers of so many of you. Read more at Veils and Vocations !

People are free to disagree with me; in fact, I am grateful to have people point out a fallacy in my facts or in my thinking because it helps me learn and grow as a person and as a writer. As for negative or angry comments, I have finally become smart enough to understand that the best response to angry comments is silence. Why? I can repeat or clarify a misunderstanding. I can attempt to reconcile opposing viewpoints but usually someone who is closed to any other opinion is the person to write a negative response. If they refuse to engage in positive dialogue, I don’t bother bashing my head against the wall. Often an angry person wants to engage in a verbal fight. In fact he is purposefully antagonizing me. Only when I am filled with divine love, only then will my words pierce hearts, console, bring peace or convict. Only when I live and move and breathe in the Holy Spirit, only then can I really love the angry, agitator who loves to attack and criticize.   continue.

Are you married to your soul mate?  To be honest, the phrase, soul mate makes me gag. Long before I met my husband, I thought I had met my "soul mate."  I was blindly in love and thought we would be together forever.  "Blindly" is the key word here because I chose to not see the many red flags in the relationship until it imploded. You can read the rest at Being Catholic ... Really .

'No one can approach God without withdrawing from the world.  By withdrawal I do not mean change of physical dwelling place,  but withdrawal from worldly affairs.  The virtue of withdrawal from the world  consists in not occupying your mind with the world.' St. Isaak of Syria (from The Cloistered Heart)

Muslims are still upset about those 'Mohammed' cartoons in Charlie Hebdo. That, I think, is understandable. Being upset is not an excuse for killing folks, though. ( January 11, 2015 ) I'm upset when my faith gets described as 'worshiping a cookie.' I was angry about a college professor's photo of a consecrated Host, a page from the Quran, and another book's page: treated as garbage. For that matter, I felt disgust when a preacher burned the Quran. ( July 20, 2012 ; April 1, 2011 ; March 5, 2010 ) Some of that comes from spending my youth in the '60s. When I became a Catholic, however, seeing humanity as one big family was no longer an optional: it's a requirement.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

Here is the key to the spiritual journey to which we are all called. It is to be found in the way in which the helpless child, who was born of the young Jewish virgin, Mary, grew into the masterpiece of God’s creation. As the years passed by, the growth of Jesus’ human body was paralleled by the growth of his inner spiritual being. Just as the exercise of the muscles of his body facilitated the growth of his body, so the exercise of the spiritual muscles of his mind and heart facilitated the growth of his soul. St Luke draws our attention to this spiritual journey when after the finding of Jesus in the temple he wrote that on returning to Nazareth with his parents, ‘He grew in understanding and in wisdom with the years’(Luke 2:52) . This growth was made possible by the action of the Holy Spirit who he received, both indirectly from his immaculate mother, and directly from his infinite Father, through his divine nature into his human nature. The writers of the Gospels show, not just

From  The Gospel of John , directed by Philip Saville Readings   (New American Bible: Philippines, USA) Readings   (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, England & Wales, India [optional], Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland, South Africa)  Gospel   John 1:35-42  ( New Revised Standard Version, Catholic Edition , Canada)   The next day John again was standing with two of his disciples,     and as he watched Jesus walk by, he exclaimed, “Look, here is the Lamb of God!”   The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus.     When Jesus turned and saw them following, he said to them, “What are you looking for?” They said to him, “Rabbi” (which translated means Teacher), “where are you staying?”   He said to them, “Come and see.” They came and saw where he was staying, and they remained with him that day. It was about four o’clock in the afternoon.     One of the two who heard John speak and followed him was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother.   He first found his

Praying the Rosary can be a challenge. The 15 minutes required to complete the meditation (for some reason) appear as 15 hours, longer than a session of heavy cleaning…or working out. Should you manage to overcome the “time constraint” and actually pick up some beads, you are faced with new obstacles. You must sit idle and focus – kind of like when you binge watch Netflix, only not. What’s more? You are expected to meditate, not only upon the words of the various prayers, but upon the Mysteries of the Rosary depicting key events in Christ’s life. Needless to say, the Rosary is not for the faint of heart.

European officials seem to think that planning about what to do when an asteroid heads their way is a good idea. I think they're right. A SpaceX cargo run to the International Space Station arrived on time, but the flight's experimental reusable booster didn't land properly. Actually, it crashed.... I started writing about asteroid impacts, which reminded me of ice ages, dodos, and responsibility. This isn't the most tightly-organized post I've ever done. More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

A few weeks ago, while entering our church I saw a stack of prayer cards on a table.  I found out through one of my Facebook followers that  Saint Expedite  is the patron saint of procrastination. You can read the rest at Being Catholic ... Really .

I write for Catholic 365. Most writers already attract a lot of exposure on this new site. The editors are looking for new writers, as well as for people to sign up for their newsletter. Sign up to Catholic 365 newsletter for your chance to win “The Gospel According to Morty”. Just go to their site at  http://www.catholic365.com/contests/giveaways/Jan2015/Morty/ “The Gospel According to Morty” is a collection of faith essays by humor writer and recovering atheist Bill Dunn. The title essay is the story of Mordecai “Morty” Thunder, the unofficial 13th apostle and cousin of James and John. Morty was an eye-witness of Jesus’ ministry, and he refutes the claim that Jesus never laughed, and explains that joy and laughter are crucial aspects of the Christian life. Also included in the book are these essays: “A Connecticut Yankee in King Jesus’ Court,” “Is the Real Presence Really Real?” and “The Unauthorized Homily.” read more

A whisper. A touch. A strong attraction or desire. A fork in the road. A turning point. God draws near and we want to follow. Sometimes his call is subtle. Other times it is confusing. Often we are led in a whole new direction. John was standing with two of his disciples, and as he watched Jesus walk by, he said, "Behold the Lamb of God." The two disciples heard what he said and followed Jesus.  Jesus turned and saw them following him and said to them, "What are you looking for?"  John 1:35-37 He walks by, without saying a word, yet he has your full attention. What are you looking for?  You don't know. You don't answer... Full Post:   http://www.restfulwaters.net/what-are-you-looking-for/

What is your prayer routine?  I have to admit, mine is not very impressive when compared to  Brandon Vogt's !  The fact that he engages his small children is award-winning parenting. You can read the rest at Being Catholic ... Really .

I asked myself today, "Do I understand the Holy Spirit?" No, I don't, but here's what I have learned in the Catechism of the Catholic Church. The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Holy Trinity, equal to the Father and Son. He is called:: Paraclete, Advocate, Counselor. He is also called:: Spirit of Truth, Spirit of Promise, Spirit of adoption,  Spirit of Christ, Spirit of the Lord,  Spirit of God. He is Holy. He anoints. He Heals. He Transforms. He writes on the human heart. He teaches. He lives. He gives strength in our weakness. He brings us into communion with God. Read more at:: His Unending Love

A friend, who is an Oblate Brother from Portugal, has always detested Canadian winters. Usually, he simply wants to hide from winter with its icy, raw coldness and grey skies. This year, he decided to tackle his grumbling attitude head-on looking for winter’s beauty and blessings. He inspired me to praise God for winter. It is time to welcome winter. Beautiful snowflakes absorb sound waves, Over a pure, white earth. It is time to discover beauty in winter and thank God. read more

According to the Church calendar, this is the first week in Ordinary Time. The weeks are referred to by ordinal numbers, which is why they are called ordinary. There are 34 of them. In the usual sense of the word ordinary , these weeks are not special seasons like Advent or Easter. But is any week actually “ordinary”? Considering that out of the zillion or so planets and other things floating in the limitless universe, our little planet daily sustains our lives, I’d say that any week is extraordinary. The fact we human beings can think, create, imagine, choose, and love, unlike other creatures such as the billions of insect species, I’d call that extraordinary. click to continue

Living an  unequally yoked marriage  is not easy, especially when one person is an atheist and the other decided six years into their marriage to convert to Catholicism. Whatever your faith denomination, or not, as the case may be, here are some quick Do's and Dont's that I've collected that may help you get through some of those tougher moments. Do ask your children to pray for your spouse.  I don't know where I heard this, but  children's prayer's are powerful . Maybe it's that scripture verse  Matthew 19:14 . Simply praying as a family for them to have a good day, or a safe flight is perfect. Don't tell your children to pray for the conversion of their parent's soul.  Don't create a divide in your marriage this way. In essence what you're doing is pitting your spouse against the rest of the family and if what you want is peace in your marriage, do your best to eliminate unnecessary us vs them scenarios. Do participate in church

I have written several times about guided meditations I do with my young boys. Now I am working with my oldest, who is in 7th grade, to help him take the next step in mental prayer. He is a choleric, and I hope to write in more detail about this method in my upcoming book A Spiritual Growth Plan for Your Choleric Child. I plan to make a template for children to fill out as they practice. Here is the method I am planning to use for my eldest now. I will show you an example along with the method. 1. Read a small section of the Gospels. First, choose one of the four Gospels to pray through from beginning to end. Then choose a passage of 10 to 20 verses. For this example, we’re using Mark 1:1-11 , last Sunday’s Gospel. Read it silently and slowly. 2. Use your senses. Record the sights, sounds, smells, etc. you would encounter if you were present when this story took place. Brainstorm as many as you can think of. Here are a few for our example: John’s camel hair

Just over a year ago, Pope Francis gave the world his Apostolic Exhortation  Evangelii Gaudium ,  in which he extends an invitation: I invite all Christians, everywhere, at this very moment, to a renewed personal encounter with Jesus Christ, or at least an openness to letting him encounter them; I ask all of you to do this unfailingly each day. So how are we doing? Check in at Praying with Grace to take a little prayer quiz!

I’m not sure if they are still around, but do you remember the “Love Is…” cartoons? They had simple little drawings and a completion to the “Love Is…” sentence starter that almost always made you say “Aww! How sweet!” You know: Love is…sharing your last cookie Love is…going skating when you’d rather be at the movies Love is…holding hands under a starry night sky Lately (okay I say “lately” but what I mean is in the last decade or two) I notice that just about everything I do could be a completion of a “Life is…” sentence starter. read more here

I see the tree cradling Your Body as You are delivered from its wood.  Oh, Blessed Tree to be blessed to hold Our Savior's body!  Shreds of flesh and blood absorbed in its fibers; deep, thunderous stains of heaven in the wood.  Iron nails, hardened and tempered in the fire, by the metal smith who pounded them, not knowing the nails would  be blessed to hold You prisoner on the Cross.  Blood stained, the nails are cast off to the side.  The crown, the crown You wore on the cross, the crown saturated with the storm of blood, hair, and flesh ripped from Your skull lays next to the nails.  King of the Jews!  King of All! Your Mother holds Your body and weeps in silence.   Her tears clean your face.  The storm is silent and past.  Your Mother gently wipes Your Sacred Contenance with her veil.  She carries Your Blood in her heart and on her hands.  Angels surround You both.  They worship and adore their Lord.  They give strength to Your Mother, the first Tabernacle of Yo

STARK REALITY CLICK HERE

(From Facebook, via SkyNews; and BBC News; used w/o permission.) ( Clarissa Jean-Philippe , and Ahmed Merabet : two of 20 dead so far, apparently in response to Charlie Hebdo's editorial policy.) Some of the 20 known dead are important by my culture's standards, others not so much.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

Even though you've sought forgiveness through the Sacrament of Reconciliation, do you still find yourself burdened with regret? Susan Bailey from beasone.org offers a prayerful way to use your imagination to let it all go. Click here to read ...

Michael Keaton pays tribute to his Catholic family at the Golden Globes. You may view the video at Being Catholic ... Really .

Before Advent, I began looking (here) into our calls to be heroes of the faith in our everyday lives.   Little you and little me: heroes of the faith. Imagine..... (continue)

He said to them, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer." Why. Why did He desire it, and for how long? He is God, how long can God desire one Passover? I'll tell you how long, since the fall of Adam and Eve. Before there was a Passover, God desired this one. Why this one? Because it is a sacrifice offered that would NEVER be rejected by God... TO READ MORE...CLICK HERE!

My words alone will not convince an atheist. Yes, Catholics need theology and apologetics, but these disciplines will  not convert  anybody, because Christianity is not primarily a moral theology or a philosophy, but a relationship of love. By focusing upon the reality of  our Christian experiences as they truly are, Christ becomes a living Messiah not only to us, but a visible light to others. Photo Credit:  Flickr/angelofsweetbitter2009 The contemplative  learns  about deep trust and complete abandonment to One he knows to be beyond all understanding.  The mystic does not have all the answers; he is not afraid to admit that he does not understand everything and he certainly  does  not berate or belittle those who are searching. The true mystic  experiences  God as unknowable, not an object nor a thing to be studied.  God cannot be boxed in, defined because He is a mystery. Such  experiential faith  reveals itself in the ground of our being.  This is where dialogue with atheis