Association Of Catholic Bloggers

Saint Joseph is so special to the Catholic faithful, that we have two feast days set aside each year to honor him: March 19 th (unless this date falls on a Sunday like it did this year, then it’s March 20th), and May 1 st . Typically, on March 19 th , we honor Saint Joseph as husband of Mary, and foster father to Jesus. We thank him for being such a good role model as a faithful husband and father. Today, we honor Saint Joseph, the Worker, a carpenter, by trade. He worked diligently to provide for his family. Humble in nature, compassionate in heart, Saint Joseph remained ever faithful to God, and Mary. Beyond his humility and compassionate nature, there is so much to admire about Saint Joseph, as he truly was a virtuous man in every respect. To this day, he continues to serve as an exemplar of virtue for men to follow. Read more...

In Back to Virtue , Peter Kreeft takes you into the classroom of moral theology, where you will learn why we need virtue to preserve human existence. For starters, Kreeft clearly defines the differentiation between virtue and vice. He discusses the cardinal Virtues of Prudence, Justice, Temperance and Fortitude, as well as the Theological Virtues of Faith, Hope and Charity. Then, using the Beatitudes, he teaches us about each virtue that counters each of the seven deadly sins of anger, envy, gluttony, greed, lust, sloth and the root of all evil, pride. His words of wisdom percolate throughout this book. Here’s just one example: If we can conquer everything except ourselves, the result is that we do not hold the power. 1   Once we learn that God is in control, and that He holds the power, then we begin to learn that... Read more...

There’s a lot of mercy talk these days in the Church. Why?  Because it’s the time of mercy! Yesterday was Divine Mercy Sunday. If you’re not familiar with this message and devotion, take a moment to learn a little more here . We should strive to show mercy to everyone we meet. Mercy is a great virtue, no doubt.  But today I want to ask you, how often do you show mercy to yourself? Are you your own worst critic? Are you hyperaware of your faults and not sure how to actually improve?  Do you ever beat yourself up at the end of the day for not doing a better job at keeping it all together? I’ve been working on kicking these bad attitudes for a while now, with great success. How?  Divine Mercy! Read more...

Today’s Gospel reading from Luke 24:13-35 speaks to us of Jesus’ walk with two men on the Road to Emmaus. We begin with two men departing Jerusalem, saddened in the realization that Jesus was not who they thought him to be. They were disappointed, for they thought He was their savior; yet He died. So much for being a savior! How often can we say that we are like the two men on the Road to Emmaus? Do we give up on Jesus when He does not do what we wish, or what we think is right?  These men wanted Jesus to rise to the level of King, but He died, and with that their belief in Him. Road to Emmaus: Signs of Faith As the men were walking, Jesus approached them. However, Jesus disguised Himself, disabling them to “see” Jesus as the Risen Lord. While walking with the men, Jesus asked them what they were discussing. The two men informed Jesus about the events of recent days: Jesus’ arrest, humiliation, crucifixion and death. They had hoped that “ he would be the one to redeem Israel ” (

The Lord is risen! Alleluia! Alleluia! Happy Easter Monday everyone! Jesus’ resurrection from the dead, on Easter Sunday morning, is such a glorious reason to celebrate, that the Church gives us seven weeks to soak in this wonderful event! Easter runs from Easter Sunday to Pentecost Sunday. The meaning of Jesus’ resurrection is so profound that we need this much time to discern its impact for all mankind. Jesus conquered death, and in the process, showed us all the way to new life – eternal life! In Jesus, we all have the hope of one day being resurrected with glorious bodies. Hope for the Eternal As Christians, we place all our hope in the promises of Christ, because Jesus spoke Truth, and only the truth. So, if He says something... Read more...  

Many people approach Holy Week in great anticipation of liturgical rites scheduled for Holy Thursday and Good Friday. Many even enjoy taking part in the blessing of their Easter food on Holy Saturday. For me, I find Holy Wednesday to be quite intriguing every year; for Holy Wednesday is representative of the day before the world would change forever! By that I mean that on Holy Thursday, the Lord would institute the sacrament of the Eucharist, where He would, for the first time, change bread and wine into His own Precious Body and Blood. Jesus knew exactly what would happen over the Sacred Triduum (Holy Thursday-Friday-Saturday). Therefore, everything was in place,  with a plan ready to execute. I often wonder what was going through Jesus’ mind on Holy Wednesday. I’m sure that He made the most of the day, surrounded by His mother, friends and followers – loving others and being loved in return. Approaching Holy Wednesday Holy Wednesday is the “calm before the storm.” I always

Jesus didn’t enter Jerusalem on a beautiful stallion, or better yet in a covered canapé. No, He entered Jerusalem on the back of an ass; one of the simplest and hardest working creatures known to man. In Christ’s simplicity, we see Christ’s humility. Throughout Christ’s entire Passion and death, He consistently placed the wellbeing of each one of us ahead of Himself. He thought more about us that He thought of Himself.  For example, He took the verbal abuse of His accusers in silence, not wanting to draw attention to His followers. When tensions escalated, He took... Read more... 

This very famous bible passage, “ you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free “(John 8: 32), is the subject of today’s Gospel reading. What is Jesus trying to say to us? Didn’t He give us free will, which automatically makes us free? Why then, would we need to know the truth to be free? We need to read a few more verses to get the full gist of Jesus’ message. In John 8:34, Jesus states, “ everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin .” When we sin, we give up our freedom and become enslaved to the sin. We diminish our relationship with God. We reject God’s grace. This begs us to ask then, what is freedom and free will? Apparently, it does NOT... Read more...

Rightfully Ours , by Carolyn Astfalk, rightfully belongs on your “Want to Read” list! In Astfalk’s third Christian fiction novel, she introduces us to two teenagers: Rachel Mueller and Paul Porter. At the beginning of the book, when Rachel and Paul meet, they are only 14 and 16, respectively. Throughout the story, we see a deep friendship blossom between the two characters. As they get to know each other, we see that friendship grow into love, young love. Rightfully Ours deals with the virtue of chastity head on; yet in a manner that would make any teen want to be like Rachel and Paul. These two characters serve as excellent role models for teenagers coming to grips with burgeoning love and sexual desire, contrasted against all that they have been taught concerning morals and virtue. I found Rightfully Ours... Read more...

So, how is doing the dishes well, or any other mundane task for that matter, virtuous? Well, let’s answer that question by first defining virtue: “A virtue is an habitual and firm disposition to do the good. It allows the person not only to perform good acts, but to give the best of himself.” 1   If you strive to always give your best to every task performed, even something so mundane as doing the dishes, then your action can be virtuous. I remember, as a child, having the chore of doing the dinner dishes with my two sisters. The oldest sister always needed to go to the bathroom immediately after dinner. How convenient for her! She always got out of doing the dishes, unbeknownst to my mother. That left my middle sister and me, the youngest, to clear the table, wash and dry the dishes. (Yes, I am old! This was in the day before every household had an automatic dishwasher. But I digress.) My middle sister and I always fought over who would do what, and... Read more... 

The Virtue Driven Life , by Fr. Benedict J. Groeschel, C.F.R., offers insightful information about the cardinal virtues of Prudence, Justice, Fortitude and Temperance, along with scriptural passages, simple prayers, and citations from the Catechism of the Catholic Church . This gem of a book offers the basic information on these virtues in part I. He saves the best for last, though, when in part II, we learn some in-depth information on the Theological virtues of Faith, Hope and Charity. Part II also provides scriptural passages, prayers and citations from the Catechism , in relation to the Theological virtues. I was most impressed with Fr. Groeschel’s insight into the... Read more...

I’ve been slowly reading the Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska; a little each week during my time in Adoration. I read a few pages and then stop to meditate on what she and Christ are communicating to me. You see, it is a story of Saint Faustina’s visions of the Lord, who instructed her on His mercy. It’s packed with a lot of great information; digestible in small bits. At this point, maybe I’ll finish the book by the end of this year! I started this book prior to the end of the Year of Mercy, because I wanted to learn more about Christ’s mercy. My Lenten mission is one of seeking mercy from Christ. Oh, am I learning a lot about His mercy! Seeking Mercy: A “See” Change This Lenten season has been fruitful in that I see a change occurring within me because of reading this book. I find myself seeking mercy a lot more than I had ever done in the past, and not just for myself. I find myself saying the Divine Mercy Chaplet for our country, my family and friends. And, to be hone

Saint Joseph, a man of few words; no – make that no words –had a huge impact on salvation history. He is portrayed in the Bible, without ever having spoken one word. All mention of him is in the third person. Yet, silent Saint Joseph was one of the most important instruments of Christ’s salvific action. Had Joseph refused to take Mary as his wife, Mary would have been placed in a tenuous situation, and so would the safety of her child, Jesus. You see, in Mary’s day, if a woman was caught having relations with a man out of wedlock, she could have been stoned to death. Because Mary was pregnant with Jesus, everyone else would have assumed that Mary was having relations with a man. Therefore, no one would have understood that Mary’s pregnancy was a result of the Holy Spirit’s overshadowing of Mary. Saint Joseph’s silent “yes,” – his own “fiat,” to taking Mary as his wife – paved the way for fulfilling God’s plan for salvation. Thus, Jesus could be given a safe and secure means to gr

Seeking forgiveness can be painful for a few reasons: Facing the reality of the hurt you caused another requires you to look the person in the eye when seeking forgiveness. When you do so, you see the pain caused by your actions/words. Seeking forgiveness requires humility. Many times our pride stands in the way of embracing humility. It is painful to humble ourselves and admit wrong-doing. When seeking forgiveness, we are beholden to another to graciously grant our request. We face the possibility of rejection, and that can be painful. Seeking Forgiveness from Others Over the course of my lifetime, I have found it much easier to forgive another, than to... Read more...

In this scenario, determine the prudent thing to do: Johnny, a high school student, was in the process of applying to colleges. He had his heart set on attending State University, as it had an excellent mathematics program. One problem though, the school requires an essay on how Johnny would make a positive impact on the university community, should he be accepted. Johnny wanted to major in math because he hated writing essays. Math is numbers, and Johnny was good at numbers; but not so good, when it came to writing essays. A Prudent Course of Action? Johnny’s friend, Matt, stopped by one afternoon after school, and Johnny let Matt know about the essay requirement. Johnny also knew that Matt was a good writer, as he was editor for the school’s newspaper. Johnny thought, maybe Matt could help me with the essay . Better yet, maybe ... Read more...

Today, I turn 60 and enter the winter of my life. I am starting it off with a bang! Tomorrow, I am having three teeth extracted, getting a partial temporary denture, and ultimately a four-tooth permanent (implant) bridge. I’m getting old! But with age, comes wisdom; the earthly kind. Earthly wisdom comes from life’s experiences. Those of us in the winter of our lives have a keen awareness for what is important: a strong faith, good health, and our family’s welfare. We find that if we have these three things, then we have all that we need. However, even with the 60 years under my belt, I still seek more Wisdom. When you get to my age, you find yourself asking those soul searching questions: Am I on the right course? Am I living my life doing everything I can to accomplish God’s will? Do I need to make amends with anyone? Read more...

I don’t know about you, but I have come to realize that I no longer need to look at the bottom of a TV screen to determine if the person speaking is a Democrat or a Republican. Those days of sharing common interests, across the aisles, are long gone. Today, each side toes the party line, tossing aside one’s own personal beliefs for the sake of the party. Somewhere in that logic, people forgot about God first, country second. You can hear it in the tone and rhetoric of discord. This ever-present disunity is the last thing Jesus would want for us. Putting God First Jesus was rather specific when He said: Father, keep them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one as we are (John 17:11).   As Christians, in Jesus’ name, we are expected... Read more...

Today is Presidents Day in the United States. On this day, we celebrate the contributions of past Presidents. What we remember most about these men stems from their character – their virtuous values. Cherishing Virtuous Values For example, we have the adage of George Washington, “I cannot tell a lie,” leading us to see George Washington as a man of truth and honor . We remember Abraham Lincoln for his fight for justice and peace ; where “all men are created equal,” including those of color. Franklin D. Roosevelt said that “The only thing we have to fear, is fear itself,” making Roosevelt a man of fortitude and courage . These men possessed virtuous values. Read more...

Have you ever given it much thought: What does it take to truly be kind? What does it cost you in terms of time, talent or treasure? Be Kind with Your Time In terms of time, it can cost you nothing more than a fleeting second to smile at someone. Or, it can cost you all you have to give, to care for someone that you love who is ill. Many acts of kindness run somewhere in between these two extremes. Be Kind with Your Talent As to talent, perhaps you are gifted in understanding mathematical equations (I know I am not). Perhaps you could give of your time, as a tutor, one hour a week. Or, perhaps you are a subject matter expert on a given topic. If so, you can lend your life’s work to solving problems for the common good. Odds are that... Read more...

Do you ever give much thought to the afterlife? Or do you live in the here and now? Do you know why you live and what you are living for? Or are you oblivious to your purpose for existence? Did you know that you were created by God to live with Him, in Heaven, for all eternity? Do you realize that life on earth is only your temporary home; that your real home is with God in Heaven? Do you live for this world, or the next? If you answered for the next, then the virtue of Hope is your... Read more...