Association Of Catholic Bloggers

St John the Evangelist , El Greco, 1614 Museo de El Greco,Toledo,Spain Web Gallery of Art Gospel Mark 9:38-43, 45, 47-48 ( NRV – Catholic Edition , Can) John said to Jesus, "Teacher, we saw a man casting out demons in your name, and we forbade him, because he was not following us."But Jesus said, "Do not forbid him; for no one who does a mighty work in my name will be able soon after to speak evil of me. For he that is not against us is for us. For truly, I say to you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you bear the name of Christ, will by no means lose his reward. Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone were hung round his neck and 1he were thrown into the sea. And if your hand causes you to sin, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go to hell, to the unquenchable fire. And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off; it is better...

Tomorrow, it’s another full day for our beloved Pontiff, Francis, then he will be returning to Rome. I don’t know about you, but I have been glued to the TV watcing every bit of coverage that I could of Pope Francis’ visit. I laughed. I cried very often just to be in his telelvision presence. God blessed our country with this Papal visit! There were those who said cruel and unkind word about our Holy Father, claiming that they are true to Christ and His Church, but rejecting His Vicar, who follows in Peter’s footsteps. That is so very sad. They need our prayers. They cannot be Catholics if they reject the leader of the Church. I feel very badly for them. Read More at Prayerfully Yours.

SOURCE If you've been living in a cave this week, you might not know Pope Francis is in the U.S. for a few days. He's drawing record crowds. Even non-Catholics seem to like him.  He's humble and welcoming.  He's not going to change Catholic doctrine, but he extends genuine love and compassion to all.  Here are some facts about him you might not know. 1.  As a young man, he had part of one lung removed due to an infection. 2.  While in college, he worked as a bouncer in a bar to pay for his studies.  The makes me chuckle. CONTINUE READING HERE...

I have to admit, I was a brat. Now, I’m not so much of a brat as I am awestruck by the realization that my mother allowed me to survive into adulthood. I’m convinced she paid her purgatorial debt on earth by raising me. She had her hands full! I stumbled on this prayer today, and I remembered it from my childhood. I was “forced” to lead the grace when we ate, at times. I thought of my brathood, I mean, my childhood, and I have to smile. I feel a bit younger when I slip into the sing song of leading this grace when I didin’t want to when we ate. My mother’s name was Grayce. I’m sure the Blessed Mother poured down the graces she needed to raise me.  Read more at Prayerfully Yours

I have not been able to shake a heavy feeling I've had since I first heard the news about the Kentucky clerk who refused to issue same-sex marriage licenses. The heaviness, I’ve come to realize, has had very little to do with the issue of same-sex marriage. What I’ve been feeling is embarrassed by my fellow Christians.

ARE YOU IN CONTROL OF YOUR EMOTIONS? REALLY? CLICK HERE

Kidney failure isn't always fatal these days. Hemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis can keep someone alive until a transplant donor shows up. Kidney problems kill about a million folks each year. It's not the leading cause of death for my 7,250,000,000-plus neighbors, but that's still a lot of deaths. Scientists in Japan grew working kidneys in rats and pigs. We're years away from grow-your-own kidneys for patients: but I think that's coming. Meanwhile, a scientist in England wants permission to collect people for genetic experiments. The Francis Crick Institute, Human Fertilization and Embryology Authority, and BBC News describe the proposal more discretely. More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

Pope Francis is capturing the media’s attention with his visit to Cuba and the United States this week.  So, a young woman currently working as a journalist in New York City, who is part of Columbia University’s M.S. program, interviewed me over the phone on Monday about Pope Francis’ announcement regarding abortion forgiveness for women. My positive reaction to the pope’s decision shocked this journalist at first. It seems almost everyone she has interviewed so far were, to use her words, “judgmental” and against Pope Francis’s  decision.  Thus, it was my turn to be shocked. In my opinion, what could be more fitting than to open the Jubilee Year of Mercy 2016 by welcoming women who have suffered an abortion back into full communion with the Church? Who were these practicing Catholics  she interviewed who refuse to extend  forgiveness to women who are burdened with guilt after having an abortion? Have they never sinned? Are they so perfect they f...

“Take note: if the Church is alive, she must always surprise. It is incumbent upon the living Church to astound.” I will never forget the words I heard at the  EASTER VIGIL  on  30 March 2013  during the homily of Pope Francis at the  Vatican Basilica. His words surprised me and gave me a glimpse of his own, inner spirituality. The pope understands Christianity is a vibrant relationship with the Living God. Yes, Catholicism has dogma, teachings, rules with roots back to St. Peter but rules to not define our faith.  A Catholic is a son of God The Father,  a brother to Christ and a person whose constant companion is the Holy Spirit. This is not a static life, a routine of monotonous prayers and ritual. Ritual is merely a way to interact with the Living God who constantly draws us closer to His heart. continue

Ken Kistler: Photo attribution When I was 8, we had a project, in school, in which we were to describe something about, the now, Saint Junipero Serra. Of course we had learned the story of the missions he had established to bring the native American population to Jesus, all along the coast of California. He risked life and limb to bring as many converts into the Catholic Church. Today, September 23, 2015, Blessed Junipero Serra became Saint Junipero Serra by Pope Francis as he visits our country! Saint Junipero Serra! At the time, our new saint was simply known as Father Junipero Serra. To enrich our studies of this holy man and the missions he established, my godparents took me to the San Jaun Capistrono Mission. The wonder of this mission is that every year, the birds return on the same day, every year. We weren’t there when the birds returned, but that was all right. Read More at: Prayerfully Yours

Reflection Choosing the topic of holiness, I provided a quote on day 1 that addressed holiness stemming from the family. On day two, we moved to the workplace, and today we speak of holiness’ impact when allowed to permeate society: “How little people know who think that holiness is dull. When one meets the real thing, it is irresistible.” – C.S. Lewis When we pray together as a family, within the confines of our homes, we become more comfortable with prayer in general. When we pray, we grow closer to Christ. Through our prayers, Jesus gives us the strength to take virtue into the workplace to act with honesty, integrity, generosity, and kindness. These virtues help us to grow in holiness and we become beacons of light to others; beacons of joy. As a beacon of light shone outward, our holiness begins to permeate society. Others see our beacon of light and are drawn to it. Our joy is infectious. Our virtue is esteemed by others. People want what we have – they want holiness, b...

Heaven How often do you think about it? Do you ever wonder what it is going to be like? Mansions in the sky? A feast to top all feasts? Whatever your concept of Heaven might be, there is something that you need to be working on right now if you ever want to see it: developing the virtue of Piety, in the here and now. Piety is both a gift from the Holy Spirit and a virtue. To be pious, or in other words, to possess piety, means that you are holy, or saintly, in your thoughts words and deeds. Do you think of others’ needs and address them before your own? Do you speak well of others, and of God, or... Read more...

St. Padre Pio Via Franciscan Media: In one of the largest such ceremonies in history, Pope John Paul II canonized Padre Pio of Pietrelcina on June 16, 2002. It was the 45th canonization ceremony in Pope John Paul's pontificate. More than 300,000 people braved blistering heat as they filled St. Peter's Square and nearby streets.  They heard the Holy Father praise the new saint for his prayer and charity. "This is the most concrete synthesis of Padre Pio's teaching," said the pope. He also stressed Padre Pio's witness to the power of suffering. If accepted with love, the Holy Father stressed, such suffering can lead to "a privileged path of sanctity."

When someone sneezes, we automatically respond, “God bless you.” (Supposedly this practice was begun by Pope Gregory the Great during the plague.) My answering machine message ends with “Have a blessed day!” Just what is a blessing? It is a prayer to call down God’s goodness and protection on someone or something. When Jacob was dying, he gave a special blessing to each of the twelve tribes of Israel. People brought their children to Jesus so that he might bless them. A papal blessing is the gift of the pope’s apostolic blessing on the occasion of a special anniversary or celebration and certified by a beautiful document from Rome. Priests bless us at the end of Mass, and they bless rosaries, pets, and houses. But popes, priests, and deacons are not the only ones who can bless. The catechism states, “Every baptized person is called to be a blessing and to bless.” (2669) We can bestow blessings because our baptism made us a priestly people. It makes sense that family memb...

Troy is away at college now and has earned the respect of his brothers as you can see by the placement of his photo. I may have stopped them from removing the pictures, but they've discovered other ways of showing how much greater they are than their brothers! I SO Love these Great but foolish children We moved into this house in a rush. I was a little down about having to leave the house I thought we'd live in forever, the house I thought my ex and I would welcome grandchildren in for sleepovers and host family barbecues like those my Grandparents threw. Moving into this house didn't leave me the energy or desire to do much decorating so when I hung the photos of the boys in the living room, it really stood out. To me, it wasn't a big deal. I didn't place them in any particular order. I didn't put one child's photo ahead of another. I simply measured halfheartedly, hammered a few nails in the wall, and voila - pictures of my boys were hung. To co...

I felt so inspired by Pope Francis’ homily during his last Mass in Santiago, Cuba — relating to the Visitation — on Tuesday, Sept 22 [thanks to EWTN] that I wanted to share it with you here. Below, therefore, is some of what I heard this day on being CALLED OUT (using my own notes which I took via the live translation on EWTN) ...and on the REVOLUTION OF TENDERNESS! >> Click Here To Read More At: The Way To Nourish For Life >>

“Faith is passed by contact, from one person to another,  just as a candle is lighted from another.” This quote and image illustrate the Holy Saturday Vigil. The church is dark. A bonfire, made from last years blessed palms, blazes outside. A priest lights the Pascal candle from this fire. He chants three times- once at the back of the church, once in the middle and again in front of the altar “Christ is the light of the world.” Then the celebrant invites the faithful to reach up and light their own tiny taper from this Pascal candle. The scene is powerful, as a slow but steady tidal wave of light sweeps through the congregation as each person lights their own candle, one from another. Soon the whole sanctuary is ablaze with a warm light, reflected on each face. read more

As we looked around the kitchen, something caught my eye. The curtains in the living room--the only curtains still up in the house--jogged my memory. As I had been cleaning out my grandmother's cedar chest, I kept coming back to this one pair of curtains. I didn't know why and couldn't figure out why they were speaking to me. They definitely weren't her prettiest curtains. After picking them up for the fifth time, I decided to take them and maybe I would figure out their significance later---and there they were, the same curtains! Read more on Veils and Vocations .

Holiness is achievable for you!Do you believe me, or do you buy into the greatest lie ever told? “ Holiness is not possible…is the greatest lie that we tell ourselves .” – Matthew Kelly, renowned Catholic public speaker, Dynamic Catholic I thought this to be an appropriate quote to share for the second of three days in meeting the Three Day Quote Challenge offered to me by Melanie Jean Juneau of Joy of Nine9 . Thanks Melanie for this challenge. I am having a lot of fun with it, addressing the virtue of piety that begins at home (day 1’s post), moves to the workplace (today’s post) and permeates throughout society (tomorrow’s post). The rules of this challenge: Post one quotation a day for three days (they can be from other sources or one of your own). Nominate 3 other bloggers to participate per post. Thank the blogger who nominated you. Reflection It was just yesterday, that I was listening to Matthew Kelly’s audio broadcast, Faith at Work and the Holy Moment , cour...

I found this on Facebook. The source that is credited there is the Catholic News Agency . I looked at that schedule. Pope Francis is 78 years old. How will Pope Francis keep up with the schedule? I don’t think that I could, even though I am much younger than he is. My only conclusion is that the Holy Spirit fills him with love and that love turns into endurance that endurance turns into even greater love for the people whom  Pope Francis serves. Pope Francis has chosen his service. His service is to love all, not just a select few, but everyone. His love for humanity fills the heavens with prayer and service to them.  Read more at Prayerfully Yours

A variety of wholesome vegetables are steaming in their matching crockery. Tall glasses of cool, filtered water reflect the light streaming in from the bay window. The smiling children are not only washed, but dressed in clean, properly sized clothing. The angels are singing. Just another typical mealtime at your house. Because you are a stock photo. ©Monkey Business Images Ltd/Getty Images OR No one started the dishwasher, so the tableware is an adventurous collection of paper plates and "probably clean" dishes. The three-year old is screaming because her Dino-Nugget head is burnt. Ketchup is the vegetable. Again. Oh, and does anyone know where the baby is? Whichever scenario looks more like your family, have I got a dinner game for you! World Meeting of Families: The Trivia Game Let the trivia begin at Praying with Grace !

Since Pope Francis is once again capturing the media’s attention with his visit to Cuba and the United States this week,  my response to this challenge will focus on quotes from the pope. My dilemma will be in choosing only three quotes from a man who embodies  the mercy and love of Christ. Thanks to   Virginia for reminding me to post my blog's first post in the Three- Day Quote Challenge on ACWB. continue

Melanie Jean Juneau, of Joy of Nine 9 , noted for her sense of humor, and motherly skills, has tagged me for the Three Day Quote Challenge . I’m always up for a challenge, so thanks Melanie for the honor of participating in this little endeavor to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ.The rules of this challenge: Post one quotation a day for three days (they can be from other sources or one of your own). Nominate 3 other bloggers to participate per post. Thank the blogger who nominated you. Being one to blog about the virtues, of course, my quotes will center on the virtues that bring us to holiness. There are so many to choose from, it is going to be hard to pick. However,... Read more...

When you are grateful, you know you are loved. To be loved is to be held in high esteem and closeness by another person. To give thanks to the giver, elevates the joy and love that we are given when we return that joy and love to our beloved. When we praise and thank God for all the gifts He has given us, we return to Him the joy and love of His children. “So we know and believe the love God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.” 1 John 4:16 Read more at Prayerfully Yours

One of the things I decided to do while on vacation was to visit the  Swedish American Museum  in Andersonville in Chicago.  I hadn't been there in at least ten years.  It was nice to see the exhibits again and to visit my dad's brick on the Immigrant Wall. You can read the article and view the photo gallery at Being Catholic ... Really .

Bias serves no good purpose. To be biased means to have preconceived notions, or prejudices; in essence to pre-judge someone based upon their looks, words and/or actions. Therefore, bias is the opposite of disinterestedness. We are all guilty of some degree of bias. Sometimes, to remove bias from our lives, we need to step outside of our comfort zones, and open our minds and hearts to others. How often do you avoid talking to someone that you don’t know well, just because of their looks, assuming that you have nothing in common? Ever hear the phrase, ‘don’t judge a book by its cover?’ Well, here’s a great example... Read more...

As a Bible-loving Christian and practicing Catholic, I have many reasons to believe in the importance of forgiving others. But even if we put aside “theology”, I believe our common human experience gives us several reasons why we should all forgive people who offend us. It’s quite possible that no offense was intended.  Think for a moment about how many times you have unintentionally offended someone. Then think of how many times you have  deliberately  offended someone else just to hurt them. My guess is that the first number is significantly larger than the second. Now think of how many times you’ve been offended. Is it possible that you are upset about unintentional offenses? If so, why further the conflict instead of forgiving the person and moving on? If you knew all your transgressor has been through, you would probably feel more pity than anger.  When a person does lash out, deliberately intended to hurt another person, it usually means they themsel...

(From Libreria Editrice Vaticana, used w/o permission.) Pope Francis arrived in Havana, Cuba, yesterday. It's his first stop on the latest apostolic journey.... ...Getting back to the Pope's visit to Cuba and the United States, the Philadelphia Phillies have been giving away Pope Francis Rookie Cards.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

Taking a block of time for prayer each day can be a life-changer. Yet keeping the commitment to do so is a struggle for me. I sometimes put it off until I'm ready to fall into bed, and then find myself omitting it entirely. I wonder what I might have missed on such days. What inspiration, guidance and insights did God have waiting for me? Were there special gifts? Was there a precious jewel that I left, ignored and unwrapped, while I ooohed and aaahed over the world's offerings of glitter and plastic? (continue...)

Catholic humour almost seems like an oxymoron to the secular world, especially to cradle Catholics who no longer practice. Visions of grim, fasting, penitent saints wearing hair shirts rise up as phantoms from their childhood. Yet the truth is the saints are joyful, lighthearted and even funny. Enjoy this sample of Christian and Catholic humour, created by religious people who have learned to laugh at themselves. continue to laugh

Show your support and welcome to our Holy Father with these facebook covers Additional covers can be found   here ...

Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati (6 April 1901 - 4 July 1925) Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all. Gospel   Mark 9:30-37  ( New Revised Standard Version, Catholic Edition , Can,)  They went on from there and passed through Galilee. Jesus did not want anyone  to know it;   for he was teaching his disciples, saying to them, “The Son of Man is to be betrayed into human hands, and they will kill him, and three days after being killed, he will rise again.”   But they did not understand what he was saying and were afraid to ask him. Then they came to Capernaum; and when he was in the house he asked them, “What were you arguing about on the way?”   But they were silent, for on the way they had argued with one another who was the greatest.   He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, “Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all.”   Then he took a little child and put it among them...

Scientists from University of the Witwatersrand found skeletal remains in South Africa's Rising Star Cave . This is a big deal, since it's the largest collection of hominin bones found in a single spot: and these folks may have been burying their dead 2,500,000 years ago. More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

I’m going to begin with a disclaimer. I believe faith is very important, and so is sacrifice, or “offering things up”. That being said, I wish we, as Christians, wouldn’t make “Have faith. It’ll be OK.” And “Offer it up” our go-to phrases when people we know (or don’t know) confide in us about their struggles. Not because I don’t believe, theologically, in the value of faith and sacrifice in such situations, but because I don’t think these two exhortations are the best pastoral approach to take. (Note: If the person themselves brings up wanting to talk about faith or sacrifice and how it can help them, it’s a different story.) Read more...

(from The Breadbox Letters)

God made us for joy.- St. John Paul II

Angels’ deeds are more than simply the stuff of legends, children’s bedtime tales, wishful thinking or fantasies of illiterate, ancient minds. If you close your mind to these messengers of God, they sit like gold in a bank, useless unless we give them permission to act. An angel is a pure spirit created by God. The Old Testament theology included the belief in angels: the name applied to certain spiritual beings or intelligences of heavenly residence, employed by God as the ministers of His will. The English word “angel” comes from the Greek angelos , which means ‘messenger.’ In the Old Testament, with two exceptions, the Hebrew word for “angel” is  malak , also meaning ‘messenger.’ Some may never see with earthly eyes these heavenly beings or know that they exist. Many are unaware of the numerous ways they have protected and guided us. Angels saved my son’s life. The phone call comes on a Saturday night.  continue on CatholicMom

I don’t envy the security guard for Pope Francis. He’s very unpredictable and spontaneous. I read that, one day as he was being driven in his motorcar that he saw and elderly woman standing by the road and smiling. He asked the driver to stop, and Pope Francis got out of the car and walked over to the woman. They chatted, and he asked her, “What is your recipe for joy?” Now, I am paraphrasing this story, so the words I use are not direct quotes. The elderly woman replied, “Ravioli. I make ravioli. That gives me joy.” Joy is supposed to be the mark of the Christian. Look around. Do you see much joy? I don’t. Yet, we are supposed to be joyous in the Lord! We are all called to be saints. That should bring us great joy, but, St. Teresa of Avila, sometimes lost her patience. Read More At Prayerfully Yours

Objective? You mean that I can’t hold onto my ulterior motives? I can’t remain partisan? I can’t retain my prejudices? I can’t be self-righteous and pass judgment upon all those who cross my path? The answer is “no:” Plain and simple! When you do these things you stunt your own growth. In our humanity, we are all quick to judge others by how a person looks, speaks and acts. It is very difficult to stay objective and refrain from passing judgment. Yet that is exactly what we are all called to do. When our actions are based on ulterior motives… Read more...

Are you like me, wishing that you could make a big difference in the world in some way? Do you wish, like I do, that you could lend a hand to help to alleviate the suffering of the migrants in Europe? Or to help stop abortion, genocide, and suffering of all kinds? It can be a helpless feeling of overwhelming frustration to want so badly to help to end the suffering and pain and desperation around the world when we’re tethered to our life, to our family, and to our responsibilities. 

As a child, French author Anatole France heard about St. Simeon Stylites who lived on a pillar for 37 years in Syria so he could pray in solitude. In imitation of St. Simeon, little Anatole placed a chair on kitchen table and sat on it. But then at dinnertime his mother had him take it down. Anatole commented, “I perceive that it is a very difficult thing to be a saint while living with your family.” Yet, this is the goal of families: to raise saints. A saint is someone who has a wonderful relationship with God, a relationship that is fostered by prayer. Click to continue

Near the cross of Jesus, there stood his mother. Jn 19:15.Most mother’s identify with their children, feeling joy and pain in their hearts as they watch their kids. Mary was and in fact still is in sync with her son, in deep communion with him, offering  us a pathway through her heart to the heart of Christ. Let’s celebrate the Memorial of Our Lady of  Sorrow with great art. continue reading

Public Domain Photo from Anna Langova Can you imagine the horror of feeling a scalpel inserted into your brain, not knowing what is happening? Can you feel the seering pain as raw nerves are exposed and your heart, liver, or other organs ripped out? Your heart is beating. You’re naked and shivering, and no one cares. Then you feel the knife and your life ends. If the truth be told, I cannot watch the videos shot at planned parenthood. I cannot hear the silent cries of the baby who was ripped out of its mother’s womb in such a way that it is intact and ready for “harvest.” I could not watch videos of the suffering in the Holocaust which was the planned genocide of millions. Read More at Prayerfully Yours .

The royalty alive in our world today are critically important. They are the key to the meaning of life. I'm talking a little bit about this kind of royalty: "The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge with Prince George" by  Christopher Neve . Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 via  Wikimedia Commons And a lot about this kind: ©StephanieFrey/Getty Images Jesus is King. It might be easy to forget about Christ's kingship, considering how humble Jesus was. While the Gospels share story after story of Jesus being humiliated, hated, and nearly tossed off cliffs, we glimpse his transfigured glory only in rare moments. But Christ, risen from the dead, is conqueror of death and King of Kings. We seem to have a thing for kings, queens, and all sorts of royalty--maybe especially darling little Prince George and Princess Charlotte. In all our stargazing, we tend to overlook our own royal heritage. And that could cost us our lives. Join me for more at Praying with G...

"At the cross her station keeping, Stood the mournful mother weeping, Close to Jesus to the last. Through her heart, his sorrow sharing, All his bitter anguish bearing, Now at length the sword has passed." ( Stabat Mater )

If you know me in real life, you know that praise and worship music isn’t my thing – unless it’s to get a little entertainment by making fun of it. Don't get me wrong - I know that many people enjoy that type of music, and I have no problem with that - it just isn't my own way of praising God. That “Fill up my cup…” song, though, has a point to it. Half the time, discussing whether the glass is half-full or half-empty is a moot point.  Often enough, by the end of a given day, week or month, there’s no question involved: I’m running on empty. Does that make me a pessimist? I hope not. I prefer to agree with the anonymous genius who said that the most important point isn’t how full your glass is,  but that it’s refillable. So on those days when you’ve run ragged trying to hold yourself together, give your kids the love and care they need, be a good spouse and do everything else we’re expected to do for one reason or another, don’t get discouraged.  Just make ...

Mother Teresa said, “We need to find God, and he cannot be found in noise and restlessness. God is the friend of silence. See how nature – trees, flowers, grass- grows in silence; see the stars, the moon and the sun, how they move in silence… We need silence to be able to touch souls. ― Mother Teresa At this moment, in my house, the fan over the stove is roaring. The dehumidifier is so loud I can’t hear anyone anywhere else in my home. It’s just loud! I want to go to my room, close the door, and drown out the noise. Read more at:  Prayerfully Yours

The origins of the holidays are related to the finding by St. Helena relics of the cross at the beginning of the fourth century and dedication in Jerusalem basilica in his honor in 335. At memento of this event – after September 14 – the Church celebrates the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. Jesus said to Nicodemus: “No one has gone up to heaven except the one who has come down from heaven, the Son of Man. And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life." continue reading