Archive for July, 2015

You Are What You Eat
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You Are What You Eat

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by on Jul 31, 2015 in Columnists, Featured, Learn & Live the Faith, Sunday Reflections
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A few years back George Gallup conducted a poll called “Religion in America.” He studied two groups of Americans, regular churchgoers from various Christian churches on the one hand, and totally unchurched people on the other. He quizzed both groups on issues ranging from the divinity of Jesus, to cheating on income tax, infidelity in […]

St. Ignatius of Loyola
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St. Ignatius of Loyola

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by on Jul 31, 2015 in Saint of the Day, Saint of the Day - Ex Form
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ST. IGNATIUS was born at Loyola in Spain, in the year 1491. He served his king as a courtier and a soldier till his thirtieth year. At that age, being laid low by a wound, he received the call of divine grace to leave the world. He embraced poverty and humiliation, that he might become […]

Movie Review <em>I Am Potential</em>
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Movie Review I Am Potential

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by on Jul 30, 2015 in Disability, Sickness & Suffering, Featured, Men, On TV and Movies, Parenting
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The new movie, I Am Potential, is based on the true story of the Hughes Family whose son was born without eyes and unable to walk. I almost didn’t want to even tell you that, because I had the experience of coming at the story cold, and was hit by the element of surprise at […]

The First Heralds
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The First Heralds

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by on Jul 30, 2015 in Education, Evangelization, Featured, Men, Parenting
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My husband was watching the morning news when footage of 433 hot air balloons in France lit the screen and he pressed pause, beckoning our daughter. “Look, Maria!” he said. They watched the segment together, but Ted wasn’t satisfied with its educational value, so he found an online video of another hot air balloon, kicking […]

Saint Peter Chrysologus, bishop and doctor
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Saint Peter Chrysologus, bishop and doctor

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by on Jul 30, 2015 in Saint of the Day
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Peter Chrysologus, (Peter the “golden-worded”) (c. 380 – c. 450) was Bishop of Ravenna from about AD 433 until his death. He was declared a Doctor of the Church by Pope Benedict XIII in 1729. Peter was born in Imola in northern Italy, where he was ordained a deacon by Cornelius, Bishop of Imola. He was […]

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St. Germanus, Bishop

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by on Jul 30, 2015 in Saint of the Day - Ex Form
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IN his youth Germanus gave little sign of sanctity. He was of noble birth, and at first practised the law at Rome. After a time the emperor placed him high in the army. But his one passion was the chase. He was so carried away as even to retain in his sports the superstitions of […]

Reflections for Sunday, August 2nd, 2015
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Reflections for Sunday, August 2nd, 2015

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by on Jul 29, 2015 in Catechesis, Featured, Learn & Live the Faith, Sunday Reflections
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Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion Mass Readings: 1st Reading Exodus 16:2-4, 12-15 2nd Reading: Ephesians 4:17, 20-24 Responsorial: Psalm 78:3-4, 23-25, 54 Gospel: John 6:24-35 Hold Fast to Jesus, No Matter the Circumstances What can we do? (John 6:28) You’ve probably heard of the Rubik’s Cube, a puzzle requiring tremendous concentration to […]

Poem: "Herself A Rose Who Bore The Rose"
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Poem: “Herself A Rose Who Bore The Rose”

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by on Jul 29, 2015 in Poetry
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Herself A Rose Who Bore The Rose Herself a rose, who bore the Rose, She bore the Rose and felt its thorn. All loveliness new-born Took on her bosom its repose, And slept and woke there night and morn. Lily herself, she bore the one Fair Lily; sweeter, whiter, far Than she or others are: […]

The ABC’s of Apologizing to Your Kids
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The ABC’s of Apologizing to Your Kids

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by on Jul 29, 2015 in Featured, Parenting
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Slammed door, yelling, and stomping feet. These are the sounds of the moody teenager, right? Sometimes. But sometimes, they are Mom or Dad. Reprinted with permission from Catholic Sistas. I was taught to control my emotions as a child, but I didn’t have to really practice it until I became a mother. We love our […]

The Feeding of the Five Thousand
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The Feeding of the Five Thousand

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by on Jul 29, 2015 in Catechesis, Columnists, Featured, Live in Christ
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Everybody loves a picnic. Summer is picnic season. This weekend we have our parish picnic over yonder on the green grass at Patriarch Park. Food, fun, fellowship. If there’s one thing that Catholics are good at it’s eating. Maybe I should speak for myself but the picnic is sure to provide a good time for […]

What the Sting Videos Will and Won't Achieve
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What the Sting Videos Will and Won’t Achieve

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by on Jul 29, 2015 in Contraception & Abortion, Featured, Law & Justice
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Much has been written since the breaking story on Planned Parenthood’s selling of fetal tissue from abortions. Not surprisingly, mainstream media outlets were slow to pick up the story, and many of them largely parroted the Planned Parenthood defense when writing their stories. The video caused quite the stir on social media, amassing countless shares […]

St. Martha, Virgin
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St. Martha, Virgin

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by on Jul 29, 2015 in Saint of the Day, Saint of the Day - Ex Form
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ST. JOHN tells us that “Jesus loved Martha and Mary and Lazarus,” and yet but few glimpses are vouchsafed us of them. First, the sisters are set before us with a word. Martha received Jesus into her house, and was busy in outward, loving, lavish service, while Mary sat in silence at the feet she […]

Filling Up My Nearly Empty Gas Tank
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Filling Up My Nearly Empty Gas Tank

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by on Jul 28, 2015 in Disability, Sickness & Suffering, Featured, Live in Christ
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For as long as I can remember, I have been an “11th-hour” guy. Some might call it procrastination. I prefer to say “I thrive under deadline.” That was a marketable skill for much of my life. Now, it has become an occasionally debilitating burden. It began, commonly enough, with working on high school term papers […]

St. Pantaleon, Martyr
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St. Pantaleon, Martyr

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by on Jul 27, 2015 in Saint of the Day - Ex Form
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ST. PANTALEON was physician to the Emperor Galerius Maximianus, and a Christian, but, deceived by often hearing the false maxims of the world applauded, was unhappily seduced into an apostasy. But a zealous Christian called Hermolaus awakened his conscience to a sense of his guilt, and brought him again into the fold of the Church. The […]

St. Anne
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St. Anne

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by on Jul 26, 2015 in Saint of the Day - Ex Form
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ST. ANNE was the spouse of St. Joachim, and was chosen by God to be the mother of Mary, His own blessed Mother on earth. They were both of the royal house of David, and their lives were wholly occupied in prayer and good works. One thing only was wanting to their union.—they were childless, […]

Saint James, apostle
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Saint James, apostle

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by on Jul 25, 2015 in Saint of the Day, Saint of the Day - Ex Form
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AMONG the twelve, three were chosen as the familiar companions of our blessed Lord, and of these James was one. He alone, with Peter and John, was admitted to the house of Jairus when the dead maiden was raised to life. They alone were taken up to the high mountain apart, and saw the face […]

Little Sisters of the Poor Appeal to the Supreme Court
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Little Sisters of the Poor Appeal to the Supreme Court

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by on Jul 24, 2015 in Contraception & Abortion, Featured, Law & Justice
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For the second time in two years, the Little Sisters of the Poor must ask the Supreme Court to protect them from the government. The order of Catholic nuns and other non-profits have been forced to ask the Court for relief due to the government’s refusal to exempt them from a regulation that makes them […]

Art and Ideals of a Culture
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Art and Ideals of a Culture

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by on Jul 24, 2015 in Art & Architecture, Featured, Music
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The arts are as important to education as math, science and language. In many ways the arts are a language capable of expressing the inexpressible human heart or the beauty of the world. The arts can express the dignity and worth of man and glorify God; this is art in its highest form. The arts […]

Will the Obama Admin Re-Define the Family for the World?
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Will the Obama Admin Re-Define the Family for the World?

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by on Jul 24, 2015 in Featured, International Issues, Marriage, The Homosexual Agenda
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The Obama administration’s placement of LGBT rights at the forefront of U.S. foreign policy has caused backlash against LGBT rights in many parts of the world. But after repeated failures to re-define the family to include homosexuality, something may be about to change at UN headquarters. Obama’s multi-year campaign to discard the Universal Declaration of […]

Hidden Meaning of the Loaves and the Fishes
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Hidden Meaning of the Loaves and the Fishes

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by on Jul 24, 2015 in Catechesis, Columnists, Featured, MyChurchParish.com
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Finding the hidden meanings.   Unraveling mysteries.  Deciphering symbols.  The thrill inherent in all this is partly why Dan Brown’s book, the Da Vinci Code, sold so well. But Brown’s secret code, the 2000 year chain of clues supposedly leading to the true identity of Jesus and his holy grail, is simply a parody of the […]

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St. Christina, Virgin and Martyr

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by on Jul 24, 2015 in Saint of the Day - Ex Form
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ST. CHRISTINA was the daughter of a rich and powerful magistrate named Urbain. Her father, who was deep in the practices of heathenism, had a number of golden idols, which our Saint destroyed, and distributed the pieces among the poor. Infuriated by this act, Urbain became the persecutor of his daughter; he had her whipped […]

St. Sharbel Makhluf
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St. Sharbel Makhluf

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by on Jul 24, 2015 in Saint of the Day
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St. Sharbel Makhluf (1828-1898).  Ordained in Lebanon in 1862, he lived as a hermit from 1875 until his death.  His body was examined and determined to be incorruptible in 1950.  Many miracles have been associated with his grave site.  Canonized in 1977.

Poem: "Morning Sigh"
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Poem: “Morning Sigh”

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by on Jul 23, 2015 in Poetry
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Morning Sigh A sigh of longing A sigh of love A sigh bidding to my side The Lord above. Breathe in the Spirit. Breathe in that Holy Ghost. Breathe deeply in the morning The God of hosts. Joann Nelander Copyright 2013

From Your Fellow Pilgrim
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From Your Fellow Pilgrim

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by on Jul 23, 2015 in Evangelization, Featured, Live in Christ
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I have a confession to make: Even though I know that at my age (54), I’m likely on the downhill side of life’s mountain … Even though I have seen numerous people pass away at ages much younger than me the last several years … Even though I have visited only 38 of the 50 […]