The Sacred Liturgy is rich in ritual and ceremony, and that is fitting. It is the meeting of heaven and earth. It is humanity’s encounter with God that happens in no other on earth. In the Mass earthly bonds are transcended, and the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is re-presented. We are there by […]
Yesterday in the Basilica of St. John Lateran, Pope Francis celebrated Mass for the Solemnity of Corpus Christi. He then led, on foot, the Eucharistic procession that wound along Rome’s Via Merulana, until reaching the Basilica of Saint Mary Major. Following are ample extracts from the Holy Father’s homily, which focused on the Gospel story […]
meandfolly.blogspot.com Like Us On Facebook FollowMeOnTwitter meandfolly.blogspot.com Like Us On Facebook FollowMeOnTwitter
Pixie Led Pixie led, bewildered in the darkness Follow flame that flickers in the wildness, Near or farther off cannot be told, Sheep you wandered silly from the fold Come closer, then – but how to know how far The beacon floats ahead – or who you are, Whether in the air or in the mind, […]
As the Kermit Gosnell trial has led to a renewed surge in pro-life regulations, the abortion lobby and its allies on the political Left are suing to overturn the will of the people, on often confusing grounds. And California leads the way with multiple laws to expand abortion, punish those who object to homosexuality, and […]
Some things make you feel just a little more alive. Hearing a moving song. Helping someone in need. Reading words that make you cry. Seeing a sunset with breath-taking colors. And the feeling is multiplied immeasurably if you are sharing those experiences with someone special. Indeed, love completes us as human beings. Do you remember […]
A Catholic radio station in Uganda has been integral in calling home hundreds of child soldiers, according to a local Catholic leader. Bishop Giuseppe Franzelli told international Catholic pastoral charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) that “Radio Wa” had encouraged more than 1500 child soldiers to flee and return home in the period […]
My wife was in the basement going through an old box filled with personal mementos and yellowed family photographs. She came up the stairs and put an old love letter in front me that I wrote to her in 1973 — the year we married. We were both very young. At one point in the […]
In one of his typically simple, direct, and forceful homilies, Pope Francis warned recently against idols and idolatry. “We have to empty ourselves of the many small or great idols that we have and in which we take refuge, on which we often seek to base our security,” he told a congregation in Rome. The […]
To: Marybeth From: Annoyed by Unhealthy Questions I’m a freshman in high school. Our health teacher has a policy that there is no such thing as a stupid question about health, or no topic that is off limits. She makes a point to stress that she is willing to answer any question about sex and […]
In Wrapped Up: God’s Ten Gifts for Women by Cheryl Dickow and Teresa Tomeo, Tomeo shares the following story, which she originally heard from a young pastor: A little girl saves her pennies and buys what she believes is the most beautiful thing in the world: an imitation pearl necklace. She wears the dime-store accessory […]
The mystery of the Church will be the theme of Pope Francis’ new cycle of catechesis during the Wednesday general audiences. “A mystery,” he said, “that we all live and in which we all take part.” The Pope, who will discuss this topic in light of Vatican Council II texts, began from the parable of […]
Aussie boy: “Hey Ma, where are we going on vacation this year?” Aussie mom: “We are doing something very special. We are going to circumvent the laws of our country and we are going to travel all the way to Thailand, stay in a fancy hotel for a week, and buy you a little sister!” […]
Catholic nuns. When you think of them, you may harken back to grade school, or your great aunt Sister Mary, or maybe even Sally Field flying around your TV screen. But consider taking another look at Catholic nuns. They’re not all rulers, dunce chairs, and old women anymore. They’re marketing geniuses. (Crazy about nuns? So […]
It didn’t take long for the mud to start flying. The Boy Scouts’ decision to lift its membership ban on gay youth was but hours old, and already the commenters on the Washington Post’s story about the decision were divided into warring camps—“bigots” versus “perverts” (as described by their respective opponents). The dialogue, such is […]
I was named after a tugboat. Seriously. I was born in the late 1950s and many girls I went to high school with shared that tugboat’s name: Cheryl Ann. Apparently in the mid 1950s there was a popular show called “Waterfront” which starred Preston Foster as the captain of the L.A. Harbor tugboat. To this […]
Frozen eggs, babies created by science, money dictating whether or not a couple can have a baby. All things that go against the natural law. Whatever happened to babies created out of love and in the context of marriage?
I have a love/hate relationship with the comment box. On my blog where it’s moderated and readers are spiritually mature and have attended Combox-Finnishing school, I can kick my shoes off and put my feet up like I do on my sister’s coffee table. But elsewhere on the world wide web, writing about politics or […]
In November, the United Nations Population Fund released their “State of World Population 2012: By Choice, Not By Chance – Family Planning, Human Rights and Development,” which stated: “Recent statistics show that 867 million women of childbearing age in developing countries have a need for modern contraceptives. Of that total, 645 million have access to […]
We still buy the lie. Women are told that if they want to be successful in the world, they have to be more like men, or like a how-to-succeed-in-business stereotype: aggressive; detached from commitments; and self serving. No softness, no vulnerability, and certainly no thinking of others. We have to put ourselves first or we […]
A hand shot up from among the troops sitting on the ground. It was an eager sergeant who raised his hand and asked if he could help. In front of the troops was an enthusiastic young lady who was a volunteer with the YMCA. The sergeant’s offer to assist her came as somewhat of a surprise. She was […]
An army of millions is worth little, without the warrior’s tale.
Memorial Day is a wonderful constant.
A Consecration Arms extended to heaven, he raises the chalice, The silver family heirloom, The one bequeathed to him by his priest uncle. Fingers cradle the priceless cup, The vessel that contains the Precious Blood. Pointed directly towards the heavenly throne The open mouth Of the chalice Of the priest Of the people gathered Readies […]
