This is a reminder to take a few moments to simply rest in the Divine Mercy of God. If you have a few minutes, join me in praying the Chaplet of Divine Mercy. Blessings in Jesus Christ! You are dearly loved. If you have more time, or would like to listen while you work, here’s a beautiful sung version of the prayers of Divine Mercy: Read more
We are people of joy because of our hope in the Lord–even in the midst of darkness and suffering. King David once danced ecstatically before the Ark of the Covenant–blowing horns all the way to Bethlehem and jumping for joy in the presence of the people of Israel –which rather annoyed his wife (see 2 Samuel 6:14-16). (Killjoys are nothing new.) The Catechism of the Catholic Church tells us that we humans are a unity of both body and soul, not just souls trapped... Read more
Stripped: At The Intersection of Cancer, Culture, and Christ is a boldly insightful and compelling read, chronicling the physical and spiritual journey of a Catholic woman facing a cancer diagnosis. The author, Heather King, is a phenomenally gifted writer. I am underlining and turning down page corners, a sure sign that her insights are sparking in me an uncommon thrill of recognition: I am simultaneously seeing myself more clearly and being drawn into the mystery of another human life, with its... Read more
My mom and her little sister grew up in poverty in Boston during the 1930s. The two girls were raised by their single mother, a gentle, pretty woman who wore red lipstick, smoked, and sang in supper clubs. In somewhat fragile health, she once took a break from the exhaustion of raising two children alone and brought them to live with a sort of foster family, on a farm in the country. My mother loved her time on the farm,... Read more
Here’s an interesting juxtaposition: An article from the New York Post that shares charming and fascinating details about the formidable and likeable Pope Francis, and another one from the National Catholic Register about our American president’s insulting guest list for welcoming the Holy Father to the United States, at the White House, next week. The results of this meeting of powerful men and the Pope’s address to Congress should be very interesting, indeed. I can not wait to see how Pope Francis will... Read more
Papa Francis is coming soon to the USA for the World Meeting of Families! Let’s quickly round up a few piping hot resources to share around to our parishes, families, schools, and friends to help everybody get ready for some in-depth conversations about love, family, and a few of the cultural phenomena that are impacting us all. To set the mood, I’ll include some of the photos my husband took of the Holy Father at the Wednesday audience we attended... Read more
I’d like to share an exciting new resource and ask for your prayers. Radio Maria recently launched a new call-in show on Friday evenings (7 PM ET), hosted by Father James Reynolds, called Occult and the New Age. The program promotes prayer, the study of Scripture, and the knowledge and wisdom of the Catholic Church’s doctrines concerning the Occult and the New Age. Father Reynolds also explains the dangers of participating in Occult and New Age activities and mentalities. You... Read more
On this day in 2001, my daughter was a toddler and my husband was at work near the World Trade Center in Manhattan. When he called home, that morning, to say that a pilot had committed suicide by crashing a small plane into one of the towers (the first reports said this), I turned on the local news to watch the horrifying images as they were broadcast in real time. I started praying for the souls of those who were lost in... Read more
I’m not kidding. Anyone with ears and a sense of humor will be amused and enriched by Christian LeBlanc’s tour-de-force video series of 12 hour-long classes about the Catholicism of the Bible. It would be a great resource for anything from pre-Confirmation to Youth Ministry to RCIA/Adult Ed programs. Using speed-drawing (stick figures), linguistics, solid scholarship, and a rapid-fire delivery that makes this catechetical series (which LeBlanc admits is by no means comprehensive) as enjoyable as it is educational, the southern-born LeBlanc knocks his catechesis out... Read more
Yesterday, my Facebook account was hacked and someone sent out a pornographic image with my name on it. Some of my friends were hacked, too, so I’m busy deleting other images. I have done a security check and changed my password. These attacks on Catholic/Christian pages are increasing in frequency. It’s obviously related to the demonic influences in society. I’m getting so many positive messages, however, from various sources that recommend we do a lot more fasting, in order to fight... Read more
Water into Wine by Lisa Mladinich
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