Association Of Catholic Bloggers

”  It is not the beauty of a building you should look at; It is the construction of the foundation that will hold the test of time” – David Allen Coe Now that my husband and I can start laying the foundation for our lives, we have become so overwhelmed we end up slowly but surely making little to no progress. However the Holy Spirit touched my heart and I realized “If I can adjust to being sick then I can go back to my life slowly but surely. I have faith that God will guide me there”. As if a light bulb went off instantly. But how does one just get up and go after being down for so long. The first step is always asking for help. So I prayed “God please guide me through the readjustment process”. I knew that my first step would be to reestablish God as my foundation for my life. Click here to continue 

As the Morning Rising: Light Irreducible : Thank you God for the people I have met, continue to meet, and will meet in the future, for all that is deigned by You in Y...

Today is Flag Day! Happy Flag Day to all my fellow United States citizens. Today in America, we celebrate what the U.S. flag means to us all. With that in mind, I thought I would hone in on some virtues, for which I think the U.S. flag proudly represents. Virtues of the U.S. Flag Courage : The U.S. flag is a symbol of courage. Many men and women have given their lives in defense of our freedom and democracy. It represents all the blood, sweat and tears shed, so that we might enjoy our freedom accorded by our Constitution and Bill of Rights. Acceptance : Read more...

I gave my condolences to a young friend after his great-grandfather passed away by saying "I'm sorry", which sparked a conversation between the 2 of us. We spoke of what part our faith plays in our grieving. Read more here .

The most traditional and popular explanation of the Trinity is St. Patrick’s description that t he Trinity is like the cloverleaf with three separate sections yet part of the same leaf. I arise today Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity, Through a belief in the Threeness, Through a confession of the Oneness Of the Creator of creation St. Patrick (ca. 377) for more analogies and images

      El mes de junio está consagrado por la Iglesia católica y sus fieles al Sagrado Corazón de Jesús y en este mes también tenemos la fiesta del Corpus-Christi.       La fiesta del Corpus.Christi, (El Cuerpo de Cristo) es una fiesta muy antigua y parece que se introdujo en las festividades de la Iglesia en el siglo XIII.       La tradición cuenta que una visión reveladora del Señor demostró su deseo a la religiosa Juliana Retiné de dar comienzo a esta fiesta y una comisión encargada por el obispo   de Lieja, Bélgica, la aprobó y en 1246 se ordenó su celebración en la diócesis. El Papa Urbano IV, con la Bula Transiturus del 11 de agosto de 1264, decretó fuese fiesta universal del Santísimo Cuerpo de Nuestro Señor Jesucristo. EL Papa Clemente V y el Concilio de Viena, confirmaron la fiesta y tuvo una rápida propagación y un inmenso movimiento de piedad en todo el mundo.

As the Morning Rising: St Anthony, pray for us. : St Anthony pray for us. Assist those who are lost so that they may be guided by the stars of faith and hope and find new life in God.

As the Morning Rising: Pilgrimage to Knock 2017 : https://www.facebook.com/ann.murray.940/posts/10212002726636292?pnref=story

It is wedding season and love is in the air! In the United States, June is always a very popular month to get married. The weather is usually wonderful; the flowers are in bloom, and it’s a great time for family and friends to come together. Yet, marriage is more than a celebration. What brings two people to the altar of marriage is a love formed by God; a uniting in a covenant; the giving of one, fully to another. Remember asking your mom, “When will I ever fall in love?” or asking a friend, “When will I find my soul mate?” Loving any another person is always a choice; but falling in love, with your soul mate, that’s a whole different thing! That’s because... Read more...

The Sin I Hate to Admit to is Envy A few years ago I was sitting in a conference hall awaiting the next speaker.  It was Jeff Cavins and he was coming up to speak about envy.  I actually contemplated going to do something else for that hour because although I knew I had an occasional issue with jealousy, I was all set in the envy arena. OH my, was I wrong!!  Probably why the Spirit sat me mid-row that day; and as I looked down the row and realized how many people I'd have to vault and navigate to leave, I decided to leave my bottom planted and listen.

LOVE THY NEIGHBOUR ??? INDEED !!! WHAT NONSENSE CLICK HERE IF YOU MUST

From The Cloistered Heart

It's about four months since I started a new daily prayer routine. ( February 19, 2017 ) I sometimes forget the morning set, but not often. Having a printout of both sets next to my keyboard helps. The evening prayers are another matter. Happily, I remember the gist of what's between the Lord's prayer and "glory be." That lets me catch up: if I remember before falling asleep, which doesn't always happen. More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT THE HOLY SPIRIT? REALLY? CLICK HERE

I had literally never heard of “Life in Pieces” when it came to Netflix a couple months ago. Apparently it premiered on CBS in 2015, but I guess I missed it. When I saw it in the Netflix “trending” list, I read its description and was mildly intrigued. It's essentially just a sitcom about a group of adult siblings, their families, and their aging parents. So, kind of the comedy version of “Parenthood”? Except with the gimmick that this show is divided into four short stories per episode. Honestly, I don't think the premise is that much to be excited about. And some of the show's moral issues almost made me want to stop watching it. Yet, it had some surprising high points that made me really quite glad that I had watched it... Continue Reading

The Trinity. El Greco [ Web  Gallery of Art ] For Readings and Reflections for Trinity Sunday click on the following: Trinity Sunday, Year A Benedictus sit Deus, Mozart Antiphona ad introitum  Entrance Antiphon Benedictus sit Deus Pater, Blest be God the Father, Unigenitusque Dei Filius, and the Only Begotten Son of God, Sanctus quoque Spiritus, and also the Holy Spirit, quia fecit nobiscum misericordian suam. for he has shown us is merciful love.

DO YOU KEEP A DIARY? HOW HONEST ARE YOU IN WHAT YOU WRITE THERE? IS IT LIKE A PERSONAL CONFESSION? CLICK HERE

India's 'monster rocket,' the GSLV Mark III, successfully put the GSAT-19 E satellite in orbit this week. BBC News called some coverage of ISRO's launch "euphoric." That's understandable. India is like America in the late 20th century, where spaceflight is involved: and is rapidly catching up. I'm not euphoric, quite, but I see what's happening as very good news for everyone. Rocket Lab's Electron test launch wasn't entirely successful. But the company thinks they can get the system working, and plan to start commercial launches later this year. More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

As the Morning Rising: A Delight to Your Eyes : Lord, after the Resurrection You were mistaken for a gardener. As I walk the earth may I see the hidden You present in others, in ...

As the Morning Rising: His Heart Will Find A Way : When all other considered ways seem blocked, do not despair. Trust in God, and His Heart will find a way.

I've been a fan of historical drama since my pre-teen days of reading things like  Little Women  and wondering why  Little House on the Prairie  was so boring. So I do love when I happen upon a movie, or even more so a series, that is set in some interesting time period of the past and is well-done. Enter AMC's “Turn,” a series set in the time of the revolutionary war about a guy from a loyalist family who becomes a spy for George Washington. Even the premise itself intrigues me... Continue Reading

Hope is like a cool breeze on a hot summer day. It propels us to persevere in times of struggle. It whisks us along when we don’t know what else to do. Hope carries us when life seems at its worst. It also acts as a prelude for receipt of many other virtues. For example, if I want to lose weight, I would need the virtues of self-control and temperance to successfully lose the weight; but, without hope at the onset, how could self-control and temperance ever take hold? If I feel defeated before starting, then how could I ever achieve my goal? So, I must have... Read more... 

On some days we leap out of bed and say, “Good morning, Lord.” On other days we drag ourselves out from under the covers, muttering “Good Lord, it’s morning.” I think it’s a human condition that we encounter stretches in our life’s journey when we don’t feel like doing anything, going anywhere, or talking to anyone. These periods may last a few days or more. Being deluged with horrors and disappointments in the daily news does nothing to alleviate our heavy feeling. Here are a few remedies to dispel gray days. Click to continue

Do you have a post full of beauty, truth, goodness, or joy? Please stop over at Veils and Vocations and join the party.

WHAT CAN YOU LEARN FROM A LAWNMOWER? CLICK HERE

When I first began to realize that I had ADHD, I came across an invaluable list of  50 tips for managing Attention Deficit  from Drs. Ed Hallowell and John Ratey.  I still have my original copy of the list printed off from AOL! In today's blog, I am sharing not only their life-changing advice on managing your tasks but also  my personal experience with Attention Deficit with Hyperactivity disorder  and how I used these suggestions to transform my life.   Set up your Environment to Reward Rather than Deflate. " To understand what a deflating environment is, all most adult ADD'ers need do is think back to school. Now that you have the freedom of adulthood, try to set things up so that you will not constantly be reminded of your limitations." During the last 3 decades since graduating from High School, I have dabbled in many different professions with the best fits being the careers with task versatility and work from home capabilities. Not coincidentally

As the Morning Rising: Moving forward perfectly still : Sometimes moving forward happens when we allow ourselves to be perfectly still.

Common ground can lead to Peace throughout our country and throughout the world; yet, most importantly through faith. How so? Well, common ground is the starting place for dialogue; for finding that shared perspective upon which good relationships can be built. Here’s some places where we can start: Abraham is the father of our faiths. Whether one is Christian, Muslim or Jewish, we all share this common ground, as all three religions stem from this one man who placed his faith in God. The Christian Bible, Islamic Quran and Jewish Torah all contain... Read more...  

This is bad, but could have been much worse. Yesterday evening, starting around 10:00, three people in a van drove across London Bridge, deliberately running down pedestrians. 1 After crossing the bridge, they left the van and attacked folks out for an evening with friends and family near Borough Market. A few minutes later, they were dead; shot by police. They had killed seven folks by then, 48, were taken to hospitals, 36 are still hospitalized, 21 in critical condition, as I write this.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

"Lord, help me to make time today to serve You  in those who are most in need of encouragement or assistance." St. Vincent de Paul   (from The Cloistered Heart) Painting: Rostislav Felitsin

One my favorite bits from the Bible is in this morning's readings.... ...A "noise like a strong driving wind" in the sky had gotten their attention. Maybe they'd also seen the "tongues as of fire," too. Or maybe that was visible only to the disciples inside. Now that I think of it, a loud 'whooshing' sound in the sky and descending fire might easily have started a stampede. Anyway, folks outside were puzzled, since they had been hearing what the folks inside were saying. That's not the puzzling part. I gather that Jerusalem in those days didn't provide nearly as much acoustic privacy as we're accustomed to. The decidedly odd part was that each person "heard them speaking in his own language." Hence the roll call of nationalities.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

When the Holy Spirit inspires artists to create art with, through and in Him, their creations touch our inner selves. They are not only beautiful but also imbued with a mystical essence which gives them spiritual power. continue

As the Morning Rising: Pentecost Poem - The Fire of God :  St Michael the Archangel Church Belfast  The Holy Spirit Chapel St Anne's Cathedral Belfast  Sacred Heart Church Bel...

My hour of Perpetual Adoration was vastly different than I expected it to be. God has an incredible sense of humor, and he let me know right away who was in control. Click here   continue reading at  The Not So Perfect Catholic.

As the Morning Rising: The Advocate comes to us! : A good father or mother if going away for a while would leave food in the cupboards for those who were staying, and leave instructions ...

It is especially important for Catholics to understand the causes of mental illness, instead of judging those who suffer as lazy or at fault for some reason or other. It is even worse when believers deny their own need for help. When people cannot understand these unseen illnesses, they simply fall back on age-old admonishments, Well, we all have our cross to bear. Pull yourself up by your bootstraps. You’d feel better if you went to Mass more often. What do you have to be depressed about? Have you been praying/ going to confession? Volunteer and you won’t have time to brood. No one actually believes people are to blame if they need eyeglasses to read or insulin to fight diabetes but they still heap abuse on people with depression or anxiety as if these diseases were signs of a weak character or a lack of faith. continue 

There's a huge telescope under construction in Chile: the E-ELT. When compete, astronomers using it plan plan on looking for new worlds, and observing the early universe. We may have spotted a second super-Saturn. We'll know more about that in September.... ...Telescopes have come a long way since Galileo repurposed the " Dutch perspective glass " for astronomical observation. About Galileo, Copernicus, the sun, and the Church: it's true.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

As the Morning Rising: Sacred Heart : Only the Sacred Heart has capacity for Divine Mercy, but our hearts are tributaries of that great and flowing river. Sacred Heart of Jesu...

DO YOU GO TO CONFESSION REGULARLY? WHAT SINS DO YOU CONFESS? DO YOU TELL THE WHOLE TRUTH? OR DO YOU NOT CONFESS SOME SINS? THIS IS WHAT HAPPENED ONCE AT THE CONFESSIONAL CLICK HERE

Pentecost, Sir Anthony van Dyck [ Web Gallery of Art ] For the readings of the Vigil Mass of Pentecost and of the Mass during the day, and for Reflections on Pentecost click on the following: Pentecost Antiphona ad introitum Alternative Entrance Antiphon [Rom 5: 5; Cf 8:11] Cáritas Dei diffúsa est in córdibus nostris per inhabitántem Spíritum ejus in nobis. Allelúia, allelúia. The love of God has been poured into our hearts through the Spirit of God dwelling within us, alleluia, alleluia. Vs. Benedic, ánima mea, Dómino: et ómnia, quæ intra me sunt, nómini sancto ejus. Vs. Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Vs. Glória Patri, et Fílio, et Spirítui Sancto.  Sicut erat in princípio, et nunc, et semper, et in saécula sæculórum. Amen. Vs. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. Cáritas Dei diffúsa est in córdibus nostris pe

Al principio de este año surgieron en España dos campañas publicitarias sobre niños y sexualidad que llamaron mi atención por su contenido pero, sobre todo, por los acontecimientos y reacciones que se dieron alrededor de ellas. Porque la forma como se promovieron y   el modo en que fueron atacadas revelaron la naturaleza y fondo de los grupos que las iniciaron. Ambos con la misma intención de ayudar y proteger a los niños en su sexualidad, pero con métodos y formas muy diferentes y contrastantes que, en una de ellas, no lograron su objetivo sino todo lo contrario.

Gifts of the Visitation – Nine Spiritual Encounters with Mary and Elizabeth , by Denise Bossert, is filled with virtue! I thoroughly enjoyed how Bossert took Luke’s accounting of Mary’s visit to Elizabeth and highlighted all the virtue contained within it (Luke 1: 39-80). Bossert devotes nine chapters to discuss nine virtues; so beautifully brought to life in her book. She brings a whole new, refreshing outlook to this passage. From Mary’s spontaneous yes, to her courage needed to fulfill God’s word, to the thanksgiving Mary expresses to God for entrusting her with such an important honor, we traverse with Mary to visit Elizabeth. As a mother herself, Denise Bossert, correlates stories from her own life with Luke’s Gospel passage. She peppers her life’s stories; intertwined with the story of Mary’s visit to Elizabeth. The reality of Denise Bossert’s life makes the story of Mary’s visit to Elizabeth that much more enchanting and meaningful. Read more...

My husband Luke was in a journalism class last semester, and he had a homework assignment to watch one of two journalist-themed movies, one of which was the 2016 Oscar winner  Spotlight . Because he had already made his Catholicism known to the rest of the class, he thought he ought to choose that movie for evangelization's sake. Because it's a movie about the exposition of the priest abuse scandal... Continue Reading Sometimes when I look up Oscar-nominated movies (since I often haven't heard of them until they are nominated), I get really excited about them.  The Big Short  was not one of those movies. It's about some guys predicting the housing market cash of the mid-2000s and making a bunch of money off it. Oops, I think I might have dozed off already... Continue Reading

I think God delights more in joyful chaos than in miserable, tight perfection  in our family life. It is a simple fact: there is no better way to form deep relationships and a sense of family unity than conversation over a home-cooked meal, then sharing a good movie afterward. It was our large family’s version of going out for dinner and a movie in town. Life around our dinner table was relaxed and happy because I allowed my children to behave in age appropriate ways. I did not demand adult perfection. The consequences of this decision were messy but well worth the time it took to mop up after meal time. Best of all dinner and a movie at home was a cheap, affordable way to have fun together, no need to spend a lot of money at a restaurant and a movie theater. If you’re looking to save some money too, and check out some wholesome, Christian content, give Pure Flix’s  free month trial  a look continue

As the Morning Rising: The Visitation - Poem : The Visitation  Kinship and kindness meet Bringing Mary far, Road-weary And excited at the thought of       Greeting El...

On Saturday, May 13, 2017, Bishop Carl A. Kemme of the Wichita Diocese ordained ten men to the traditional diaconate. God willing, those men, next May, will be ordained priests. Just one week later, on Saturday, May 20, 2017, Bishop Kemme ordained ten men to the priesthood. TWENTY.PRIESTS.IN.TWO.YEARS. Twenty men have decided to follow Jesus no matter where He leads. Which kind of begs the question, What the heck is going on in the Wichita Diocese? Why have so many men made this decision? As I have watched and studied our priests, I have to tell you some things. We have remarkable priests, each and every one with different personalities and gifts. Some are crazy intelligent. Some are deeply, deeply spiritual.

Here are my latest posts: One post is an excellent article I reposted, that focuses on Traditional Catholic's and how there is some rigidity concerning how (we) use the term " Novus Ordo " in things we do not like. It wraps up wonderfully with reminding us trads how blessed we truly are to know our Faith and Tradition, but that we mustn't judge that others know it as well and just refuse to take part in it.  Another post is on "JUDGING" . Anyone ever hear of Matthew 7;1 "Judge not lest ye be judged" ? It is used so much nowadays to cover a multitude of sins and to keep quiet about the Faith. But then, there IS a large problem with Catholic's judging others ! So what does the Bible really mean when it talks about "judging" ?   We take a look at the meaning between judging and "admonishing", and look at other sources concerning this issue such as Saint Thomas Aquinas and Mother Angelica.  "The Demon of Medjug

As the Morning Rising: The Long Haul : Are the poor, the refugees, the homeless and the dispossessed far more aware of the distance between us and them than we are? It is eas...

With today being Memorial Day, I thought I would use the power of my space to tell you about a fine young man who died serving his country in Vietnam. PFC Thomas Wayne Myers, born on March 9, 1943, was my next-door neighbor. I was just a child of 12 years old, on that warm Spring morning of May 27, 1969, when Tommy died at Dinh Tuong Province, Vietnam. Memories I remember being outside, playing by myself, when the Army car pulled up in front of the house, on Saturday, May 31st. It was Memorial Day weekend! Two men, dressed in uniforms, got out of the car and walked up the driveway to ring Mrs. Myers’ doorbell. I stood on my front lawn and watched as they approached Mrs. Myers’ front door to tell her that her son had died in service to his country. From that moment on... Read more...

This past week I was interviewed about saints for a podcast, so I thought I’d share some thoughts about them this week. I believe it was Leon Bloy who noted, “The only failure in life is not to be a saint.” A saint is someone who made it to heaven. Consider the alternative. Sometimes people say (or think) “I’m no saint.” No, none of us earthlings are yet. We still have time to determine our eternal future. Our concept of a saint might be a grim person, a goody-goody, a priest or nun . . . but not us. But saints were as human as we are. They too had failings, as someone put it, “tilted haloes.” St. Jerome had a temper, St. Therese was sensitive, St. Augustine once stole pears—not to mention his other sins. But the saints lived in a way that mattered: they loved God and people the way Jesus did. A youngster was asked what a saint was.  Thinking of stained-glass windows, he replied: “A saint is someone the light shines through.”  Yes, saints let the light and love of Chr