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As the Morning Rising: In Memoriam : Bishop Edward Daly : In Memoriam His anointed hand bore A simple white handkerchief Bloodied, poppy-bright: An Olympian forerunner With a tor...

What Do You Know of Death? In the opening scene of the movie  Gran Torino ,  Walt, a hardened soldier stands rigidly, scowling at family and friends during his wife’s funeral mass. Dying from lung disease and tormented by the fact he slaughtered men and boys during the Korean War, Walt accuses his parish priest of knowing nothing of death as he quotes from the funeral homily: ‘Death is bittersweet? Bitter in the pain, sweet in the salvation.’ That’s what you know of life and death? Good, God. It’s pathetic. A similar accusation could be leveled at most Catholics. If Christians want to speak out against euthanasia, we better know a bit more about life and death than pious, memorized phrases. continue reading

Day 8 Prayer: Immaculate  Virgin of Candelaria, give me your Son Jesus and let him live permanently in my heart. May Jesus’ presence in my heart enable me to be humble, serene, and at peace, enjoy the purity of heart, body, and spirit. May he inspire me to be persevering and patient, prayerful and always looking forward for my final union with him in heaven. Amen. First I really want to say that with tonight being my last day of my Novena there is a bitter sweet feeling. I definitely feel that the Holy Spirit has been working in me and that my prayers did not fall on deaf ears. This has been a very humbling experience. The wording of the prayer for day 8 was extremely intense. This Novena is for protection against poverty and illness. And as I recited this prayer last night, I silently contemplated the meaning of each word.         Click here to continue. 

August 9 is the feast of St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (also known as Edith Stein), virgin and martyr, a Jewish convert to Catholicism, who later became a Discalced Carmelite nun and was martyred at Auschwitz. She is the patron saint of converted Jews, loss of parents, martyrs, and World Youth Day. Edith Stein was born on October 12, 1891, of Jewish parents, Siegried Stein and Auguste Courant, in Breslau, Germany, the youngest of eleven children. Although her parents were practicing Jews, Edith became an atheist during her adolescent years.  A critical thinker and a gifted scholar, Edith studied philology and philosophy at the universities of Breslau and Goettingen. Read the entire article at Catholic Fire.

My earnest striving to be perfect, to pair all the socks, for example, was a weakness, not a virtue. My diligence was rooted in insecurity, unbelief but most of all in pride. Again and again, as I read spiritual material, God tried to teach me that true Christianity is not focused on personal perfection but founded on the power of the Cross and Resurrection to set us free. “We are not the sum of our weaknesses and failures, we are the sum of the Father’s love for us.”  -St. Pope John Paul II  “Don’t worry about being effective. Just concentrate on being faithful to the truth.”- Dorthy Day for a humourous look at letting go of control, continue

As they continued their journey he entered a village where a woman whose name was Martha welcomed him. She had a sister named Mary [who] sat beside the Lord at his feet listening to him speak. Martha, burdened with much serving, came to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me by myself to do the serving? Tell her to help me" The Lord said to her in reply, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things. There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her.” Luke 10:38-42 Personally, I have always been able to identify strongly with the personality and perspective of Martha. Ingrained with a strong work ethic and desire to serve, I have been often called and always quick to step forward. Discernment and ample grace have even helped me to see how best to use my gifts to help others.  Yet, with a "Martha" disposition there can also be a temptation to frustration and jump to judgemen

Day 7 Prayer: O Holy Virgin of Candelaria, conscious of our defects, we take refuge in you. We know that you have Jesus in your arms and you give him to those who seek and wait for him. Ask your Son to give us the necessary grace  we may be able to live our Christian vocation, to imitate your virtues and win the promise of life eternal. Amen. After saying this last night a saying my father tells me popped in my head. "If God wants you to have money, you will have money. Money doesn't define success." Click here to continue. 

This is the end of the First week of my 30-day Prayer Journal Challenge! I am very happy to share this experience with all of you and I hope you will join me in the challenge. It is so simple and only takes about 15 minutes. I used my Holy Bible App to search for verses but you can use google as well.  Also as you can see with mine. Do not go crazy and spend money on a journal. This is a .97 cents binder from Wal-Mart and Paper. Seriously don't get crazy, you will miss the point.  Week 1 Questions. How do I feel today? What does the Bible say about my feelings (only 2 or 3 verses that speak to you)? Where was I weak today? What does the Bible say about overcoming my shortcomings (only 2 or 3 verses that speak to you) What is God's message for me today? Write a Prayer to help you deal with your day according to what you feel you should pray about. Week 1 Reflections :  At the end of each week, you will reflect on the week prior and take note on how the journal

Saint Dominic, a 13th-century theologian, tends to get overshadowed by his fellow, more renowned Dominican, Saint Thomas Aquinas. Yet, not today! Today, we celebrate the Feast Day of Saint Dominic, founder of the Dominican Order of Preachers. During his life, Dominic, a native Spaniard, traveled abroad to France. There, he witnessed a great need to combat heresies. He believed that people needed to fully understand the true teachings of Jesus Christ. If they did, they would embrace the Catholic faith. Dominic also realized that to achieve success in his preaching, he must meet the heretics were they were at: living a life of austerity. He met austerity with austerity, by preaching and walking barefoot! From his efforts, Dominic gave birth to true “evangelical preaching.” He established... Read more...

August 8 is a special day for me because not only is it my birthday, but it is also the feast day of one of my favorite saints -- St. Dominic, a Castilian priest and founder of the Dominican Order. In addition, the founder of my Oblate community, Fr. Marie-Dominique Philippe, is a Dominican. This is a special feast day for the Community of St. John. St. Dominic was a remarkable man – a bold and brilliant priest who is the patron saint of astronomers and scientists. As the saint who preached the mysteries of the Holy Rosary, he converted the Albigensians and set the world on fire with the Truth of the Gospel message. Dominic Guzman was born in Castile (Spain) in 1170 to affluent aristocrats, Blessed Joan of Aza and Felix Guzman. When she was pregnant, Joan had three dreams. First, she dreamed that she would give birth to a son who would be a brilliant light to the Church.  Second, she dreamed that she gave birth to a dog and that it broke away from her, carrying in its mouth a

"..As I was crossing the street...a big red truck rounded the corner and hit me. The impact sounded like a terrible explosion, and I was thrown to the ground. The police and ambulance came, they strapped me onto the stretcher, and we were off to the hospital... "The fact that I was alive just overwhelmed me. As I lay flat on my back in the emergency room, just staring at the ceiling, I had time to think...." (click to continue)

Day 6 Prayer:  O Holy Virgin of Candelaria, we beg you to help us reach your Son, Jesus, that he may give us the grace to imitate his virtues, fulfill the commandments, and have a horror for mortal sins. Thus, one day, we will also enjoy eternal life with you in heaven. Amen "Give us the grace to imitate his virtues."  Wow what a statement! As Christians we all strive to be Christ like (hence the name lol). Everyday we struggle to be more God like. It is a struggle that every Christian has whether they admit it or not. The Christ like thing to do by the way is to admit that you are not as Christ like as you would like to be. Luckily God accepts us and forgives us for our shortcomings.  Click here to continue. 

(From Wiley Miller's Non Sequitur, used w/o permission.) You've heard this one before. At the Vatican, a Cardinal's secretary bursts into a meeting. “Your Eminence! He's here! Jesus! He landed in St Peter's Square! What do we do?!” The Cardinal runs to the Pope's office, repeats the news and question. The Pope says, "look busy." It's pretty good advice, actually, which brings me to this morning's Gospel reading: Luke 12:32 – 48 — or Luke 12:35 – 40 , which covers the main idea.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

  During the Olympic competition this summer, champions and the emblematic figures of the sport emerge. They are the new gods of human physical perfection and outstanding ability. This sport feast bring us memories of past idols, specially the stunning case of the Jamaican sprinter Bolt, protruding on the Olympic horizon.   But success has its price, and already for some time, incredible physical ability was the only área of his personal life that he was interested in, for in his personal life, training and preparation were not his main objective.

Day 5 Prayer: Immaculate  Virgin of Candelaria, on presenting Jesus at the temple, you did not talk about your honor of being the Mother of God in order to demonstrate your importance and emphasize the value of humility. Pray that we, too, may follow your footsteps, that we may avoid making importance of ourselves and to grow daily in humility. This prayer struck a cord I did not even see coming. I am the type of person who throws myself completely into everything I am doing. If I am successful I want to be acknowledge. I forget sometimes that your success can be acknowledged with out bragging or being prideful. It is one of those things however that is easier said than done. John 5:41 "I do not accept the glory of human beings". Click  here  to continue. 

I’ve made some changes in my life recently or should I say the Lord made some changes in my life. I  quit my job  which allowed me to  attend daily Mass  (something I’ve wanted to do for a very long time). It has also allowed me to get in the habit of writing every day. Sometimes I just make notes in a small notebook about the readings at Mass or what the priest had to say and other times it turns into whole blog posts. Every once in a while it’s a random idea that I jot down. Of course, if I don’t write it down immediately, well … some of you know how that goes. You can read the full article here .

As the Morning Rising: Rose Garden Poem : Rose Garden Every rose is an emblem of love, A composition of colour and scent. The stemmed flower triumphs Over the thorns twisted a...

St Francis and Brother Leo Meditating on Death   El Greco, 1600-02 National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa  [ Web Gallery of Art ] Gospel   Luke 12:32-48  NRS V   Jesus said to his disciples:  “Be dressed for action and have your lamps lit;   be like those who are waiting for their master to return from the wedding banquet, so that they may open the door for him as soon as he comes and knocks. Blessed are those slaves whom the master finds alert when he comes; truly I tell you, he will fasten his belt and have them sit down to eat, and he will come and serve them.   If he comes during the middle of the night, or near dawn, and finds them so, blessed are those slaves. “But know this: if the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he   would not have let his house be broken into.     You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour.”   A stamp with Liam Whelan's photo, issued by An Post, the Irish Postal Servi

DOES GOD LOVE EVERYONE EQUALLY? DOES HE HAVE FAVOURITES? DOES HE LOVE SOME PEOPLE MORE THAN OTHERS? HOW ABOUT YOU?   HOW LOVED DO YOU FEEL RIGHT NOW? CLICK HERE TO FIND OUT MORE

English Bulldogs aren’t what they used to be: which is a problem for folks who want the breed to survive. A team of scientists says that the British mascot’s bloodline is more than a bit too pure. Other scientists developed MouSensor, mutant mice with open slots for plug and play genetic code. Finally, a tiny robot with rat muscles that swims like a fish. More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

Day Four Prayer: Immaculate Virgin of Candelaria, on presenting Jesus at the temple, you heard the announcement of sorrows and you accepted them as God’s will. May we not be the sword and the evil that would cause you to weep. Pray for us that we, too, may accept pain and sorrow in our life. Amen. I have to say that day four's prayer was more intense. After saying the prayer all I could was silently contemplate its meaning. "Hearing the announcement of sorrows and accepting them as God's will." To continue click  here.

And here we are on day three. It has been an interesting 3 days so far. Even though I enjoy Bible studies. I am surprised by difficult it has been to write about my prayer life. And sharing it with all of you has been a very interesting to say the least. Anyways.... Click here to continue. 

Hello everyone! Day 2 of my novena went slightly different from the first day. If you are interested in Day 1 check it out  here . The day 2 prayer went as follows: Immaculate Virgin of Candelaria, while living full of sanctity you presented yourself in the temple in order to fulfill God’s law. Enable us that we, too, following your footsteps may be able to love our church and temples, considering it as a place where we come near God. Amen. To continue reading click here.

In July, Pope Francis issued an Apostolic Constitution on women’s contemplative life, called  Vultum Dei quarere.  Although aimed at orders of cloistered women religious, this document can also teach lay people how to enter into a more authentic relationship with Christ. Vultum Dei quarere  is Latin for “Seeking the Face of God.” The phrase comes from Psalm 27, my favorite Bible passage on prayer. I encourage you to prayerfully read and meditate upon the entire Psalm. Vultum Dei quarere  was addressed to women because they comprise the majority of contemplative orders. It is the first apostolic constitution for contemplative orders issued since Vatican II. Pope Francis wished to address problems in contemplative life that have gone unaddressed for decades, as well as encourage contemplatives in their increasingly counter-cultural vocation. Read the rest at Contemplative Homeschool.

When introducing the Corporal and Spiritual works of mercy, in her book  Blessed Are You , Melanie Rigney  writes “both types can come free and easy, … or hard and challenging”. Sort of like the healthy benefits of exercise – I can stroll around the park with the kids or I can strap on the boxing gloves and go a round with the punching bag. As I read about Blessed Mother Teresa, St Maria Karlowska, St. Frances Xavier Cabrini and others,  in this chapter about mercy , it brought one important question to mind.  How do I approach that responsibility in my own life to show mercy to others – and not just the “even though you hurt me (again) and this is all your fault, and you are being a toad -- I will still forgive you” kind.  The words into action kind of mercy.  The works of mercy encourages us beyond ourselves, like Blessed Mother Teresa beyond ourselves. Though we may not all be called to the streets of India, we are responsible to care for the poorest of the poor – spiritually

As the Morning Rising: On Every Incoming Tide : Photo courtesy of Gerry Murray Photo courtesy of John McKeever This would be us were it not for Christ as the head of the Chur...

First off I would like to say that I am honored that I was chosen to review this amazing book. City of Saints, is a biographical story about Saint Pope John Paul II. JP II is one of my favorite Saints. I also feel that he is one of the most amazing people to be apart of the Catholic Church in a long time. As a Catholic I truly feel BLESSED to call him our Pope. This book was amazing and let me tell you a spiritual pilgrimage to Poland is now definitely in my future. To read the rest of this review click  here.

When we got a brand new garage door opener, it required installation. Fortunately, a friend of ours was a whiz at this sort of thing. He came over to help so we of course offered him food and drink. Since he wanted root beer, my husband got a six-pack to stick into the fridge. Except one of the cans fell out of the plastic ring and exploded on the floor. If this has ever happened to you, you know what an icky, sticky mess soda pop makes. Since the can’s contents were under pressure, it sprayed everywhere: the floor, the walls, the ceiling and all over me. In our case, since the fridge was open, it splattered the shelves and the food inside.  continue

With all of the violence experienced recently, I am at the point where I can’t take much more. Although far removed from the direct impact of the violence, I am nonetheless negatively impacted. I can only imagine the nightmare for those experiencing the loss of their loved ones. My heart goes out to the survivors and family members of gun violence. Like them, I’m tired of the violence. One Sunday, after the ambush of police officers in Baton Rouge, and wall-to-wall coverage on cable news,  I found myself looking for some kind of escape... Read more...

Providentially, I received my newest book, The Heartbeat of Faith: 59 Poems, Fingerplays, and Prayers, on my birthday. I wrote this book because a teacher at a workshop I gave commented how useful she found my poem about etiquette in church. Strangely I didn’t even remember writing it! If this poem was a help to her, I reasoned that a book full of such poems would be welcomed by other teachers, parents, and grandparents. The faith is caught at an early age. Psychologists tell us that basic attitudes are formed in the first five years of life. My book is for children from ages 3 to 7. I like to tell the story of the father whose son was very quiet in his room. The dad cracked open the door and peered inside just in time to see his little boy get up from his train set, run to the statue of the Sacred Heart and kiss it. “Why did you do that?” the father asked. “Because he’s a good guy,” the tot replied. He already knew about Jesus. Click to continue

(Via  http://ourladyofcandlesnationalshrine.com/prayers/  This the picture of the actual shrine. It is truly breath taking!)  Although she is the Saint of the Carney Islands, Our Lady of Candelaria is prayed to for protection against poverty, a rich harvest, and success in business. She also is prayed to prevent illness. I have begun this Novena to her because well mainly I need help with all of those things. This is a very personal thing for me that I am about to share with all of you. However, the Holy Spirit has influenced me to share my Novena experience with all of you!  To read more click  here.

As the Morning Rising: Glens of Antrim Photo Album

While some may consider strange occurrences in the world as coincidence - I definitely prescribe to what I refer to as the GODCIDENCE mindset! Why wouldn't the God of the universe, who created me out of love, not also want to show himself to me -- especially when I am seeking!!   "Seek and ye shall find!" Today's godcidence is brought to you by the letter J for JOY!! Though when this all began to fall into place, one would have never seen joy as the end result. Late Saturday night I received a private message on Facebook to pray for a young man who had been in a serious accident. I prayed, but went rather quickly back to my reading - feeling confident that all would be fine.   The next morning I learned, sadly he did not make it. My heart ached for the family's great loss; but also within those emotions was great shame and guilt for not praying harder. If it had been my son; I would have gone to my knees to beg God's mercy - regardless of

Today we celebrate the Feast Day of Saint Alphonsus Liguori, an 18 th century Catholic priest, who founded the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer in 1732. He created this Congregation with the charism of preaching parish missions to the faithful. He believed that by evangelizing on the moral virtues, in the parish missions, he could bring souls closer to Christ. And that he did! Saint Aphonsus Liguori taught that by embracing virtue, we grow closer to Christ. He authored several popular books informing the faithful on how to make this happen. Read more...

(from The Cloistered Heart)

Truthfulness and humility are virtues, pride is a sin, and we’re supposed to practice humility. 1 So Olympic athletes should say they're puny? Small wonder some folks think faith makes no sense. More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

Life's path is  never straight.  There may be smooth stretches, but they don’t last. A dead end causes our plans to screech to a halt. A fork in the road forces us to make an unexpected decision. A hidden obstacle trips us up.  If we fall hard enough, the injury is not only painfully inconvenient, but sometimes it signals the end. Or does it?  Would it make any difference if we followed the voice of a trusted Global Positioning System? (GPS) This examines all the possible routes and – within its robotic limitations – directs us away from the no through roads and back onto the path. If we switched  on our inner GPS, by sitting in quiet prayer, we are likely to hear the Voice of God. However, there is one significant difference... Read More:  http://susannetimpani.blogspot.com.au/

Fr Jacques Hamel (3o November 1930 - 26 July 2016) Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth,  for you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.  When Christ who is your life is revealed, then you also will be revealed with him in glory (Colossians 3: 2-4. Second Reading.) Gospel   Luke 12:13-21  ( NRSV, Catholic Ed . , Can.)  Someone in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me.”   But he said to him, “Friend, who set me to be a judge or arbitrator over you?”   And he said to them, “Take care! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of possessions.”   Then he told them a parable: “The land of a rich man produced abundantly.   And he thought to himself, ‘What should I do, for I have no place to store my crops?’     Then he said, ‘I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will stor