This morning I attended Mass, not at our regular parish where my husband serves as deacon, but at the Church of the Transfiguration which is nearer our home. My schedule change was providential: Transfiguration parish was planning a picnic and a grand celebration for the Feast of the Transfiguration, which will be observed in other parishes on Tuesday. So I was reminded of the great and beautiful story of Jesus’ revealing his true nature to three of the apostles... Read more
Today we celebrate the Feast of the Blessed Martyrs of Nowogródek. I saw this painting this morning and caught my breath: I recognized the habit, but what was this story!? In the twelve years I spent under the tutelage of the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth, I don’t remember ever hearing the story of how eleven of their Sisters died in 1943 in occupied Poland, executed by a Nazi firing squad. Here is their story. * * * ... Read more
Oh, Pat. Pat Robertson, the outspoken and controversial host of The 700 Club, has quite a reputation for bucking convention and sticking his foot in his mouth. He’s the guy who told a woman caller on his show that if her husband was unfaithful, she was to blame—that men had a “tendency to wander”, and it was the woman’s responsibility to entice him by providing a warm and happy home. In 1991, he focused his criticism on other Protestant denominations,... Read more
Several weeks ago, on July 6, I reported that Catholic evangelist and author Matthew Kelly was facing surgery for cancer. I thought I’d stop in to report the good news: Matthew’s surgery this week was successful–so successful, in fact, that no further treatment is planned. I know that Matthew and his family appreciate your prayers and well-wishes. Below is the statement which was released by his ministry, DynamicCatholic.com, just a short time ago. Read more
For weeks—no, for months—I’ve been watching from the dark corners as Catholic bloggers disparage and demean and dismiss fellow blogger Father John Zuhlsdorf (Father Z). “Who is he?” some have demanded to know. “Why doesn’t he have any parish responsibilities?” And what sport it isto assault an enemy of faith and reason, to fluff one’s feathers at the mere mention of his name! But the thing is, Father Z is not the enemy. HE IS A CATHOLIC PRIEST in good... Read more
Last week, things seemed to be going so well. Thomas Peters (aka the American Papist), who fractured the fifth cervical vertebra in a swimming accident on July 16, had been outfitted with a HALO and it appeared that spinal surgery would not be necessary. Today the report is not so good. Infection has set in, resulting in fever and exhaustion. Thomas’ vertebrae have shifted, making surgery likely. You may remember Thom from his excellent work with the National... Read more
When will Pope Francis canonize his two predecessors, Blessed Pope John Paul II and Blessed Pope John XXIII? Early speculation regarding the date for Blessed Pope John Paul II was October 20—the nearest Sunday to JPII’s October 22 feast day. Then it was announced that Pope Francis had also cleared the way for Pope John XXIII to be canonized. Would the date be changed? But now, Catholic News Service seems to have gotten the inside scoop. ... Read more
How charming is this man. The Holy Father, taking his seat in the helicopteer which will carry him away from his first World Youth Day, first makes the Sign of the Cross. Then, acknowledging the faithful who watched him in the window, he drew an imaginary heart in the air, and pointed to the crowd–a signal of his love. Thanks to Rome Reports for sharing this sweet moment. Read more
Do you remember when the HHS Mandate first made news across America? Early news reports seemed to suggest that this, the issue of whether to provide free contraception and abortifacients, was an issue which divided men and women. Opponents of the Mandate, according to the popular wisdom, were conservative, celibate churchmen who hated women and who didn’t understand or care about women’s needs. Proponents, a group which included all women and some reasonable and caring men, were victims of cruel... Read more
This… …just charmed my socks off. Poking around on the web, I stumbled upon this checker set. Monica, a self-described wife, mom of 5+ kids, designer, architecture school survivor, author and crafter—runs the Arma Dei blog and develops creative teaching tools like this for her family. The “checkers” are custom-painted peg dolls, designed to look like the folks in Monica’s family and their favorite patron saints. Monica suggests two ways to play: Mixed teams of family members and saints (with... Read more
Seasons of Grace
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