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Flee Your Road to Emmaus; Turn Your Sights on Jesus

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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 ” (

Easter Symbols, Old and New

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The Easter season is fifty days long, affording us plenty of time to ponder this fantastic mystery of our faith: Jesus made it possible for us to live forever. We celebrate the death/rising phenomenon employing various symbols that point to new, abundant life: eggs, rabbits, lilies, the sun, spring. I’ve thought of a new Easter symbol for our modern world. The other day my computer “died.” For no apparent reason, the screen became dark. No amount of clicking and pushing buttons brought back the manuscripts I was working on, the artwork I saved, and access to my email account and Facebook. After several long minutes of panic, I pulled out all the plugs and replugged them, and then turned off the power on the surge protector and turned it on again. Miraculously the computer came back to life. You can imagine my relief and joy. This experience, like other metaphors, limps. Yes, what was dead was revived. But on Easter, Jesus came back different—with a new and glorious life.

Ad/hd & Anxiety How the Catholic Faith Helps me Cope

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Ad/ hd as an Asset My Ad/hd went diagnosed throughout my childhood and young adulthood.  Unfortunately, that resulted in some major self-esteem issues, among other things we'll be discussing in this series in the weeks to come.  The realization that I was blessed (and it is a blessing) with Attention Deficit/Hyperactive Disorder came in my early thirties when I was a young mother and an early childhood educator. My oldest was showing signs of Ad/hd so I began researching to learn more about the signs and symptoms.  I started with the book,  Driven to Distraction  by Ed Hallowell, in audio version on cassette from the library. Clue number one this wasn't just about my son should have been my reliance on audio books to finish books as staying focused reading has always been one of my biggest challenges. I will never forget having to pull over and rewind the cassette to re-listen to Dr. Hallowell list the 15 possible symptoms of Ad/hd.  I took out a scrap piece of paper f

Cherish: My Fourth Christian Novel

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My fourth Christian novel, Cherish , is now on Amazon. For a limited time, the Kindle version will be available for just 99 ¢. As usual, all net profits go to charity. Kindle version : Paperback version:   Here's the story: About to give the closing argument on the most important case of her career, District Attorney Candice Boulanger is struck down by a heart attack. When she comes to, however, she discovers she is not in a hospital but in an odd courtroom with no windows and no doors.   A judge explains she has been momentarily taken out of her life to prosecute a different case: the relationship she had with her former "best friend forever" Milly Winters. He promises Candice that, although she is allowed to return to her life at any time, if she sees the trial all the way through, she will receive supernatural aid to help her attain her greatest desire.   Candice and Milly had been best friends since kindergarten and had vowed their friendship would

As the Morning Rising: Touched by Grace

As the Morning Rising: Touched by Grace : To have the graces sufficient for our station in life is to know contentment. It does not matter what the station is, it can be anything...

That Time the Nice Boy Swore at Me

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Or ... Teaching the Faith Sometimes Means Carrying a Cross Teaching the faith can be a challenge. The Confirmation retreat was nearly over, so we settled back in the main hall after a few hours in the church to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation and spend time in Eucharistic Adoration. Though I’ve presented to teenagers for years, it never gets any easier. Corralling them for 8 hours, most against their own will, usually creates a less than friendly atmosphere. This particular group, despite my attempts to provide engaging activities and quick witted presentations, was very difficult to reach. It was a huge relief to glance at the clock and realize there were fewer than two hours left.“You got this,” I murmured to myself, and grabbed the microphone to begin my last presentation. I barely completed the sign of the cross, when suddenly a young man dressed in a suit stood up. “Excuse me,” I politely addressed him, “break is over and we are clearly about to pray. We are almos

Modern Catholic Artists Celebrate the Resurrection

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 The Resurrection by Ladislav Záborský, a Slovak painter who sentenced to seven years in prison by the communist government for his Christian art which was labeled corrupt. While imprisoned, Ladislav felt as if his hands were nailed to the cross because he could not paint but only seek God in the depths of his soul.  Ladislav expressed the deep spiritual transformation which occurred during his imprisonment. The result of his inner crucifixion meant he no longer fulfilled his own desires but only sought God and His desires. He died just this last December 31, 2016, in Martin, Slovakia. Resurrection by Father John Giuliani. He began painting modern icons with images of Native Americans as subjects. Father Giuliani, ” In my work I try to celebrate a union of a common spiritual understanding, to show how a single mystery can be approached through diverse cultures” continue

Hope in the Resurrection: Believe in Christ's Promises

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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...  

The Nature of Sin

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WHAT IS SIN? DO WE KNOW THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN VENIAL AND MORTAL SIN? HOW DOES GOD VIEW SIN? DOES THIS ALIGN WITH HOW THE CATHOLIC CHURCH VIEWS SIN? HOW DOES GOD JUDGE SIN? THESE AND OTHER QUESTIONS ARE DISCUSSED IN THIS ARTICLE YOUR VIEWS AND OPINIONS ARE MOST WELCOME CLICK HERE

The Eighth Day: Two Millennia and Counting

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Easter is when we celebrate "the crowning truth of our faith in Christ" (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 638 ) It's among the top major events so far. Depending on how you count them, there have been only three to six: the creation of this universe; humanity's creation and fall; and our Lord's arrival, execution, and resurrection. There's another big one coming, eventually, and I'll get back to that. The idea that the Son of God was human and divine has seemed insufficiently 'spiritual' to some folks for two millennia now. But like John 1:14 says, 1 "...the Word became flesh...." The crucifixion, and what happened later, wouldn't mean much otherwise.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

As the Morning Rising: Risen - Poem

As the Morning Rising: Risen - Poem : Risen No mere listeners to a story Passed down the generations For this, the miracle of all miracles Is ...

Grief and Gratitude on Good Friday

Great griefs are like great joys: they bend time. My sister died twenty years ago. Sometimes it seems so long ago that mercifully, I can barely remember the details. Other times, those details rush back at me so sharply I have to steel myself for impact. Suicide does that. I can smile now at the memory of my sister. I felt disloyal the first time I did that, as though permanent grief could be the only fitting monument to her memory. Time, mercy, and God’s grace have done their work, bit by bit. For the first time since her death, I am writing about her and about losing her. This is an anniversary, and the time is right. For years, I thought she had taken Easter away with her and left nothing behind but wreckage. Gradually I found that she left me other things: a greater appreciation for the gift of my family, and how to live with gratitude despite wounds that are bone-deep. Those aren’t compensations. They don’t cancel out anything. They are gifts nonetheless. I extend my hand

Light Just One Candle This Holy Saturday

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One image from Holy Saturday stays embedded in my mind my mind and never fails to move me to tears. Every Catholic Church in the world begins the Easter Vigil Mass plunged into darkness, a symbol of our world before the Resurrection.  After burning a bonfire outside and lighting the Pascal Candle, the main celebrant carries this bright symbol of Christ’s death and Resurrection. From this single candle, light spreads as each person turns to light all the candles around them and so a gentle wave of light ripples from the Pascal candle.  Do we really grasp the ramifications of this historical event? Do we really allow the reality of the Resurrection to sink in and save us, transform us? If we did, we would all be saints—real, miracle-working saints. Christ depends on us to be a light to the world. continue reading

Mars: Leaky Red Planet

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What we're learning about Mars, and a new type of really small spacecraft, reminded me of earth, air and kilts. Also pharaohs, Thomas Paine, and Lord Kelvin. By then I was running out of time to write something more tightly-organized. I figured you might be interested in some of what I have written. On on the other hand, maybe not. So I added links to my ramblings before and after what I said more-or-less about the science news, and figure you can decide what's interesting and what's not. More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

Time for Reflections

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JUST TEN MINUTES TO REFLECT ON HOLY WEEK PLEASE CLICK HERE

'For as yet they did not understand the scripture, that he must rise from the dead.' Sunday Reflections, Easter Sunday

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Easter Sunday Resurrection, Léonard Limo Sin The Easter Vigil in the Holy Night Readings (New American Bible: Philippines, USA) Readings (Jerusalem Bible At the Mass during the Day Readings (New American Bible: Philippines, USA) Readings (Jerusalem Bible) Note that the above links also give alternative gospels that may be read on Easter Sunday. Gospel John 20:1-9 ( NRSV, Catholic Ed .) Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb. So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, ‘They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.’ Then Peter and the other disciple set out and went towards the tomb. The two were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. He bent down to look in and saw the linen wrappings lying there, but he did not go in.

As the Morning Rising: Within the Wounds - Good Friday Poem

As the Morning Rising: Within the Wounds - Good Friday Poem : Within The Wounds Somewhere within the wounds There is a language deeper than words Deeper than wells Deeper than w...

Living With Only a Thin Veil Between Earth and Heaven

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I tend to rush through my daily duties like a solitary soul, disconnected from God and other people. However, I became aware that humans are actually intimately connected not just to God and the living but also to those who have died and are alive in Christ after recent encounters with birth, death, and dying. There is only a thin veil between heaven and earth; I can communicate with all who abide in the Mystical Body of Christ simply because I am a member of the communion of saints. A Near-Death-Experience Exactly three years ago, I finally became cognizant of how thin the line between life and death really is when I nearly lost one of my daughters as she struggled to give birth. During labour, she almost bled out when she lost a litre of blood in mere seconds after an emergency C-section, the result of a series of unforeseen complications, a one-in-ten-thousand chance. continue reading

10 Minute Daily Retreat - Thirteenth Station: Jesus Dies on the Cross

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  “But Jesus gave a loud cry and breathed his last’’.  Mark  15:36 Death has many  guises ‘This dying man  has no relatives, I want you to sit and hold his hand.'  What compassion this nurse had so many years ago. I was very young and in my first year of nursing. What did I know of death and pain and dying? ‘Dying is a  lonely process,' she said as she led me into the patient’s room. 'He is unconscious but on some level he will know that you are there.'  Read on: https://susannetimpani.blogspot.com.au/

Washing of feet

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WHAT IS THE REAL SIGNIFICANCE OF THE WASHING OF FEET? DO YOU REALLY KNOW? CLICK HERE

As the Morning Rising: The Way of The Cross

As the Morning Rising: The Way of The Cross : The Way of the Cross If someone should spit in your face, hold back, walk away, and go to the Cross. If someone by their ...

Emotional moments of His delicate love: Last supper. (Spanish) Amor delicado: servicio y entrega.

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Con el   Evangelio de San Juan 13,1-15 quedamos introducidos en la parte central de los acontecimientos más relevantes de nuestra fe. Ya estamos de lleno en ellos. LA ÚLTIMA CENA. Jesús quiere despedirse   de   sus seguidores, de sus compañeros, de sus amigos . Otra vez su gran humildad. Su gesto fino y lleno de ternura. Va lavándole los pies a aquellos hombres que lo habían visto ordenar a los vientos y a las   olas, la quietud en la   tormenta. . . que le habían visto dar la luz a los   ojos de los ciegos. . . hacer andar a los paralíticos.... sanar a los leprosos. . .   resucitar a los muertos, que lo habían visto radiante como el sol en su Transfiguración y ahora, con un amor inconmensurable, con una humildad sin límites les está lavando los pies.

I Am Loved Retreat: The Gift of Love

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What is the best gift you have ever received?  How about one that you have given? Learn how God loves and why the gift of love is the ultimate imitation of Christ.   Read the talk here at Veils and Vocations .

I Am Loved Retreat: The Royal Treatment

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Who doesn't like to be pampered like a princess?  This talk is the second in my retreat series and explores how a princess of God should be treated.   Read it at Veils and Vocations !

I Am Loved Retreat: In the Father's Eyes

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Early last summer, I had the pleasure of hosting a mini-retreat for preteen girls and their mothers.  It ahs been a long time in coming, but I finally am sharing the talks and resources from that retreat so that others can host their own.  To read the first talk, visit Veils and Vocations .

Forgiveness: A Lenten Message

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Who Do You Have to Forgive truth is, we all have someone to forgive(1)," writes R. Scott Hurd, in the very beginning of his life-changing book Forgiveness: The Catholic Approach ("Forgiveness"). The following is Scott's list of people we may need to forgive; the comments in the parentheses are my two cents. 1. Rude drivers (very appropriate for those of us who live in Massachusetts) 2. Spouses (thank goodness for Sacramental Grace - that is all I have to say!) 3. Friends (they can hurt or betray us, or over time may become our "frenemies") 4. Bosses (those who steal our ideas, treat us unjustly, or are just plain grumpy) 5. Bullies (even as adults we can find ourselves faced with cruel people) But Wait, There's More! I would add: 1. Ourselves (often the hardest person to forgive) 2. God (It is okay to admit this, He will not send down lightning to smote you for being honest. Furthermore, let's face it: He already knows you are angry. If He

Entering Into Good Friday as a Family

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When I was a young mom with four kids under the age of six, I had one emotion: OVERWHELM. I distinctly remember wanting to wear make-up or exercise or plant flowers. Mostly, I had a baby attached at the hip or the breast and toddlers in various stages of mess and undress. I.Was.Neck.Deep.In.Survival.Mode. SO, when I would hear of a mother and how she had created this beautiful Easter project for her two angelic kids, I would have this instant envy. Then I’d feel defeated. I just couldn’t muster up the energy or grace to do beauty. But I still wanted to honor Jesus and His Agony and Glorious Resurrection. I wanted to TEACH my children. So I stumbled upon this one idea and we have used it ever since that time. For three hours on Good Friday, from noon til three, we maintain silence in our home.

Holy Wednesday: The Day Before the World Would Change Forever

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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

10 Minute Daily Retreat - Twelfth Station: Jesus Speaks to His Mother and the Disciple

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By Jane Borg  When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple there whom he loved, he said to his mother, "Woman, behold, your son." Then he said to the disciple, "Behold, your mother." And from that hour the disciple took her into his home.  John 19: 25-27 This is the  moment Jesus commended his mother to us all. Just as she had been Jesus’ mother, she is now to be ours. Mary, the perfect  mother. She nurtured her son into a man – she fed him, she washed him, she taught him, fixed his scrapes, she faced his challenges with him as he grew, listened to him as he shared his life, watched him develop in his trade with his earthly father, supported him as he explored his vocation, and loved him unconditionally.   Read on:  https://susannetimpani.blogspot.com.au/

How to Celebrate Easter

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Weeks before Easter, my mother would begin creating Easter eggs. She used melted beeswax in a coffee tin lid to make strokes on the eggs using a straight pin in the end of a wooden matchstick. Then she soaked the eggs overnight in Chick-Chick dye. When she scraped off the wax with a butterknife, the white patterns stood out against vivid colors. My new book Living Faith at Home, which offers suggestions for nurturing the Catholic faith in “the domestic church,” includes ideas for celebrating Easter. You might adopt one or two from the following excerpt: Click to continue

As the Morning Rising: Dying - Poem

As the Morning Rising: Dying - Poem : Some people die Not on a cross as we know it Not with nails and mockery all around But yet they die A hundred little deaths In a daily t...

10 Minute Daily Retreat - Eleventh Station: Jesus Promises His Kingdom to the Good Thief

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And when they had crucified him, they divided his garments among them by casting lots; then they sat down and kept watch over him there.  And over his head they put the charge against him, which read: “This is Jesus the King of the Jews”.  Then two robbers were crucified with him, one on the right hand and one on the left.  And those who passed by derided him, wagging their heads and saying: “You who would destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself!  If you are the Son of God, come down from the Cross”.  So also the chief priests with the scribes and elders mocked him, saying: “He saved others; he cannot save himself.  He is the King of Israel; let him come down now from the Cross and we will believe in him”.  Matthew 27:35-42 As horrific as  this scene is, don’t we do it too in some ways?   Whenever we wonder why Jesus allows suffering, loneliness, starvation, aren’t we expecting Him to come down and save us, prove to us that He is there? Read on: 

The Judas Question

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SO ... DO YOU FEEL SORRY FOR JUDAS? OR DO YOU BLAME HIM FOR WHAT HE HAS DONE? DID HE HAVE A CHOICE?  OR WAS HE DOING GOD'S WILL? PLEASE CLICK HERE TO COMPARE YOUR VIEWS

Hungering in a Cold Darkness & My Marian Consecration

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My Marian Consecration was scheduled for February 11th, the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes. If you've ever thought of doing a Consecration, beginning now will have you finishing on the 100th Anniversary of the Feast of Our Lady of Fatima. Can there be anything better???  Here is my original Consecration post... An inspirational Christian friend once told me the prayer God always answers positively is her request to  want  to know Him more, to be made more hungry for Him. Her words stuck with me and describe what I have been experiencing the last several weeks. I hunger. With an intensity that is almost indescribable, I hunger. I have grown in my understanding of trust in, and love for the Lord in ways I didn't know were possible before ( Before now always means before my husband left...) . I am amazed by how far I've come and by the Peace and Joy in my life today. Make no mistake, this is no Peace and Joy from my own power, but a Peace and Joy that surp

Christ's Humility: A Teaching Moment, Then and Now

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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... 

You will always have the poor with you

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HOW MUCH DO YOU GIVE TO CHARITY? WHAT IS YOUR DONATION REALLY WORTH? CHECK HERE AND FIND OUT - YOU'D BE SURPRISED BY THE RESULT CLICK HERE

The Speckled Axe

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I'm a perfectionist, a frustrated one. Somewhere between childhood and adolescence, I felt that if adequacy had a numeric value, it'd be greater than two and less than one; or something equally impossible. More accurately, I felt as if that was the standard imposed on me. I realized that it wasn't possible, and that there was no point in trying to reach it. Like I said, frustrated. That goes a long way to explain, I think, why results from aptitude and intelligence tests showed that I should be getting stellar grades: and I wasn't. Autism Meets Perfectionism Academics interested me, and I was paying attention. I just didn't see a point in "good grades." Besides, there was a whole universe full of things not being covered at any particular moment: including some inside the classroom. More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

10 Minute Daily Retreat: 9th Station - Jesus Meets the Women of Jerusalem

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Jesus had drawn  support and loyalty  from a large group of people, especially from those regarded as misfits. Some of the women in this scene would have been amongst those who had left behind their homes, families and friends and travelled with Jesus from town to town. They then supported Him and his disciples, providing for all their needs. Read on https://susannetimpani.blogspot.com.au/

As the Morning Rising: Palm Sunday Reflection

As the Morning Rising: Palm Sunday Reflection : They say that heaven is not a place but is best described as another dimension. The picture that Palm Sunday paints is heavenly. There is jo...

As the Morning Rising: Lenten Prayer

As the Morning Rising: Lenten Prayer : By grace and mercy Lord, restore the walls, the floor, and roof, how vulnerable the house within when it is not rot - proof.

Are We Living a Shadow Life?

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Plato's allegory of the cave explains the difficulty that Christians have as they try to explain their life in the Spirit. to unbelievers. The worst possible fate for me would be to die and discover that I had lived an existence similar to the allegory described in Plato’s Cave. Plato describes man’s condition as similar to living chained in a cave, looking at shadows on the wall cast from a candle; believing that was what life was all about. When one person manages to break free and stumbles out into daylight, he realizes that what he thought was real was merely shadows of real objects. continue

You Cannot Fail at Lent

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Plans are Meant to be Altered All over social media, those still left after the Lenten Exodus, people are confessing to their inability to keep their Lenten promises.  According to Facebook and Twitter, there has been lots of coffee drunk, chocolate eaten, swears said, and prayer time skipped.  The hashtag #LentenFail started showing up just a day into the liturgical season.  The #LentFail numbers grew again after bacon bits, chicken broth and unintentional "Oh no, I totally forgot it was Lent" hamburger consumption on the first Friday of Lent. Here is the good news. YOU Cannot Fail Lent.  It is not a test. Lent is a time of looking at our lives and trying new ways to grow closer to Christ.  Through prayer, fasting and charity, these forty days can be used to challenge our current choices and behaviors, and try on new ones.    The fasting, prayer and alms we take on for Lent, can also enhance our lives well beyond Easter ... read more for ideas on how and extra encourag

Gifts Not Being Used are Simply Useless

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Prayer is a Gift that is Only Useful when Being Used When I was a child, my mother would wrap every single item in our Christmas stocking. Opening each individual present was what I looked forward to the most about Christmas; I enjoyed it so much I continue that tradition today with my own children. This is how I have experienced prayer in my life — as many small gifts. The first prayer gift to be unwrapped was opening up a more frequent line of communication with God. This came after reading St. Paul’s words in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 , which reads: “Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” After contemplating St. Paul’s words, I decided to change my self-absorbed habit  ... Read What Simple Change I Made to Revolutionize my Prayer Life !  All Rights Reserved. Allison Gingras 2017

Pesticides in the Water

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I live on Earth, so caring about what happens here makes sense. I've talked about enlightened self-interest, Yeats, Ehrlich, and getting a grip, before. Often, actually. ( February 17, 2017 ; January 20, 2017 ; September 16, 2016 ; August 12, 2016 ) A news item about scientists finding a particular sort of pesticide in America's drinking water got my attention. So did what they said about it: which made sense. Whether or not this becomes a hot news item, like the "Flint Water Crisis," depends partly on how badly editors need something to angst over. My opinion. What happened in Flint, Michigan, was real enough. There's a pretty good Wikipedia page on it. Briefly, Flint's drinking water was okay until the city started drawing from the Flint River instead of Lake Huron and the Detroit River. More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

10 Minute Daily Retreat - Eighth Station: Jesus is helped by Simon of Cyrenian

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They pressed into service a passer-by, Simon, a Cyrenian, who was coming in from the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to carry his cross. (Mark 15: 21 ) It is interesting  that we are told so much about Simon – that he had come in from the country and that he had two sons. He was a family man and had probably come in to Jerusalem for business so carrying the cross for  this ‘criminal’ was not likely to have been on his travel itinerary. He had responsibilities at home and in town;  things to do, places to be. Read on: https://susannetimpani.blogspot.com.au/

‘This is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth in Galilee.’ Sunday Reflections, Palm Sunday, Year A

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Christ's Entry into Jerusalem, Melozzo da Forli The Commemoration of the Lord's Entrance into Jerusalem Gospel Matthew 21:1-11 ( NRSV,Catholic E d. , Can .) When they had come near Jerusalem and had reached Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, ‘Go into the village ahead of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her; untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, just say this, “The Lord needs them.” And he will send them immediately.’ This took place to fulfil what had been spoken through the prophet, saying, ‘Tell the daughter of Zion, Look, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’ The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them; they brought the donkey and the colt, and put their cloaks on them, and he sat on them. A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and sprea

Good Works, While There's Time

...St. John of God –  “the Waif,”  as he is described in one account of his life -- spent the last few years of his life in unstinting service to the destitute, for the love of God. My Laudate app (I do love certain bits of modern technology) advised me this morning of something the saint said: “Labour without stopping; do all the good work you can while you still have the time.” Those words startled me, coming as they did after I’d had my morning helping of Twitter and its hashtags. St. John might have been speaking to me.  Put the phone down. Stop trying to be clever. There’s work to do. Read the full post at EllenKolb.com.

You Will Know the Truth, and the Truth Will Set You Free

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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 - Book Review

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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...