|
| |
Living Catholicism
Catholic blog focused on developing an authentic Catholic culture in the home.
|
Statistics
Unique Visitors:
Total Unique Visitors:
Visitors Out:
Total Visitors Out: |
117
590
1357
1357
|
|
|
| Articles
|
Stay-At-Home Moms Should Get More Public Praise
2008-05-09 18:37:06
As a society, we like to honor people who have done extraordinary things. People who have sacrificed something for the good of society often get recognized for their efforts. Since getting married and having children, I have been thinking a lot of the incredible value of mothers staying at home with their children and running a healthy household, and the little value they have in society's eyes.
The mother's place in the family is truly where the heart lies. A healthy household has a very capable, righteous, and respected mother. And healthy families make a healthy society. So why doesn't society honor its most honorable member - a mother who chooses to sacrifice honors, titles, and money for a healthy family and ultimately a healthy society? Other less honorable members are often praised. Though they might have done praiseworthy acts, they are often compensated in some way for their efforts.
This is where my duty as a husband steps in. At home, I need to give my wife all the ...
|
Building another great Catholic Carnival
2008-05-07 03:03:38
Go see this week's Catholic Carnival at Building the Ark. It's created with a wonderful theme that you'll love - oh, and you'll enjoy the posts as well. Don't miss it!
God bless,
Jay ...
|
Pope Benedict XVI comes to America
2008-04-13 23:20:45
Well, we're just a few days away from Pope Benedict XVI's first trip to the US. You can follow the details of the Pope's trip here, on the Vatican websites. The site includes the transcript of a special video message from the Pope to Americans before his trip.
This trip provides you with a great opportunity to see the Pope (in person if you live in Washington or New York City) and to teach your family more about the Pope's message of God to our world. I imagine he'll point out some of the big moral issues this country is facing and really push the salvation of Christ to a fallen world. Take this chance to watch the Pope's talks, since they will be specifically directed at our country. I'll keep posting updates during the trip.
God bless,
Jay ...
|
A fantastic Catholic Carnival
2008-04-11 03:12:13
Go see this week's Catholic Carnival here. As always, it's excellent and has several articles you might like.
God bless,
Jay ...
|
Enjoy the Catholic Carnival!
2008-04-03 12:41:40
Enjoy this week's Catholic Carnival here. As always, you'll find at least one article you really enjoy!
God bless,
Jay
...
|
The Easter Catholic Carnival is Up
2008-03-25 11:40:13
Go see this week's Easter Catholic Carnival here. It is also a podcast, which I believe marks a first for the Catholic Carnival - and makes an interesting alternative to the traditional way of looking at the Carnival.
Anyway, go enjoy! It's worth checking out (as it is every week).
God bless,
Jay ...
|
Happy Easter to You!
2008-03-23 18:39:42
Happy Easter to you. Jesus has saved us, now we celebrate!
'Gladly and lovingly, [God] dwells with souls that have acquired by loving meditation His Passion's grace, His Resurrection's glory. The Passion, you must understand, is as it were a harvest: all time before it led to it, the ages under sin's and death's dominion found in the cross their climax and fruition. But you must see the splendors of the Resurrection rather as flowers of the age of grace but now begun, blossoms of the new springtide of creation which, in the general resurrection at the end of time, will bear their boundless and eternal fruit. "For lo, the winter is past," says the Bride, "the rain is over and gone, the flowers have appeared in our land." By these words she would have us understand, summer has come with Him Who, loosed from out death's winter into the springtide of risen life, declares, "Behold, I made all things new." For, sown in death, His body has in His resurrection flowered anew; to greet its budd ...
|
The Holy Week Catholic Carnival is Up
2008-03-19 03:10:22
Go see this week's Catholic Carnival here. Loaded with great thoughts on Holy week (and our spirituality), it's worth looking at. If you haven't taken a look at the Carnival before, why not today?
God bless,
Jay ...
|
Realize the Sinner You Really Are
2008-03-17 03:51:34
Becoming aware of our sins and sinful tendencies can be very difficult, but it is necessary if we want to grow in our relationship with God. Good practices towards this end are to examine your actions throughout the day and constantly pray for the grace to recognize the attractions of good and evil. Some might think that God would not want to be close to a soul once she becomes aware of how sinful she has been (the soul being feminine in her receptive relationship to God). Their feelings of unworthiness can be overwhelming. However, this should not be the case. Rather, God's revelation of our sins is enabling because it gives us the courage to pick ourselves up and reform our lives. We cannot reform our lives on our own. A good example of this is when St. Ignatius of Loyola tried this early on in his conversion and it resulted in awful scruples and temptation to commit suicide. It must be founded on God and an effective way to achieve it is through an acute awareness of our sin ...
|
A great Lenten Catholic Carnival
2008-03-13 02:59:01
Go see this week's Catholic Carnival here. It's (obviously) a Lenten Carnival and full of great posts from blogs throughout the Catholic blogosphere. Enjoy!
Also, sorry for the sparse posting lately. All of the posters have some things going on in their lives on top of Lent. So we haven't had much time to post on our blogs, but hopefully things will settle down soon. And thanks for stopping by and reading our posts.
God bless,
Jay
...
|
The Fontanini Crucifix: The Family Behind the Fontanini Name
2008-02-20 19:50:11
The Fontanini Family is synonymous with Italian quality and craftsmanship. On their crucifixes, the figures of Christ are hand-painted by Italian artisans. Such artisan quality is becoming more and more rare as mass production and the "Made in China" logo become evermore common.
In Italian, fontanini means "little fountains". The House of Fontanini was founded in 1908 by Emanuele Fontanini in Bagni di Lucca, Italy. Bagni di Lucca is a small town in the hills of Tuscany, about 20 kilometers north of Lucca, a medieval Tuscan jewel. Fontanini is most famous for its nativity scenes, which have become collector's items. They also produce figurines for other New Testament scenes such as the Wedding Feast at Cana, the Last Supper, and the Resurrection. Today the company is run by the great-grandson, Emanuele Fontanini (same name), with other members of the family.
All Fontanini figurines begin as a clay prototype, created by the sculptor Eli Simonetti. Smaller figurines are reprodu ...
|
Catholic Carnival 159 is Up
2008-02-15 02:18:08
Go see this week's Catholic Carnival here. It's a Valentine's Carnival that you'll love (pun intended).
And we're at Catholic Carnival 159, which is over three years of Carnivals (they come out once a week). Wow! Can you believe it? If you haven't seen a Carnival, start this week with this Carnival.
God bless,
Jay ...
Carnival
Catholic
Catholic Carnival
|
The Power of Fasting as Prayer
2008-02-09 23:13:31
Fasting is a very important part of Christian life. For one thing, fasting helps us remain detached from a disordered love of food. This alone should motivate many American Christians to fast more. Additionally, the time that we gain from not eating should be spent on reflecting on God. The pain from hunger we feel should be offered to God as a sacrificial prayer. In my own experiences, I've found that God strongly responds to prayers of fasting.
For example, when I needed guidance on a decision that seemed to have no good answer, fasting gave me confidence in one choice over the others. Fasting helped answer my prayers to find a job. God also answered my prayers of fasting during the last election to help get Bush elected over Kerry. As a side note, the Christians who are able to, should fast to help get the Republican nominee elected for president this year. If either Clinton or Obama win the presidency, it would be a great defeat for family and pro-life causes.
Fasting ...
Power
Prayer
|
Catholic Carnival 156: Saints, Sin, Politics, and Life
2008-01-22 14:37:21
There is a little of everything in this Catholic Carnival - from great information about Saints and Cardinals to incisive looks at our political culture today. I started to organize it more, but it just felt more like life when I left it a little messy. Without any other jibber-jabber, here's the Catholic Carnival:
Spending a Year in Good Company at Just Another Day of Catholic Pondering reflects on Sarah's patron Saints for this year: Sts. Paul and Barnabas. She also includes links to find your patron Saint for this year.
Things I'm Learning from Saint Catherine of Siena at Postscripts from the Catholic Spitfire Grill does just what the title suggests and explores judgmentalism and personal holiness.
What's Intent Got to Do With It? at We Belong to the Lord answers the question with a few examples that perfectly explain. Relativism is everywhere.
Cardinal Arinze: "Stop Ad-Libbing the Mass!" at Contrariwise reflects on a speech about the language in the liturgy by Cardinal Arinze ...
Carnival
Catholic
Catholic Carnival
Life
Politics
|
The Dignity of Women and the Error of Feminism
2008-01-22 06:05:10
Modern wisdom tells us that the differences between the sexes do not matter; males and females have interchangeable roles. But our roles are not interchangeable because if this is the case, then the human person is reduced to functional roles such as worker, consumer, etc. We must realize that our sex is a natural specificity inscribed in the depth of our being. We must also respect biology, because in doing so we respect God himself, and protect ourselves from error.
One of these errors is feminism. Ironically, feminism hurts women most. Motherhood and virginity, the loftiest values in which women find their vocation, are under attack in our masculine society because they are neither productive nor efficient. Women are being convinced that in order to 'liberate' themselves, they must abandon these values and masculinize themselves by working for profit and earthly power. I believe this to be a crucial message for all in the modern world; not only for women, but for men too, ...
Feminism
Women
|
Catholic Carnival 154: Our Culture: Faith, Media, Politics
2008-01-08 14:12:24
This week's Catholic Carnival seems to be all about the pieces of our lives that make up our national culture. It seems appropriate to discuss our culture at the start of a new year - we even have posts challenging us to improve it (through learning and teaching our Faith). So without further adieu, here's the Catholic Carnival:
Faith: that sustains us and our culture.
As a first time religious ed teacher (I have first graders), I can attest to the truth of Catholic Matriarch in My Domestic Church's submission. But it's more than that! She offers A Catechetical Challenge for 2008. Are you up to the task?
Father V at Adam's Ale throws a little humor, a lot of truth, and some thoughtful opinion in a post on eulogizing called Not Such A Dead Topic. Think a eulogy should be done at Mass? Read this post first . . .
My Domestic Church gives us a little More on Saint Columba. It all starts with an email - and I would be surprised if you don't learn something new.
And with more to learn, ...
Carnival
Catholic
Catholic Carnival
Culture
Faith
Media
Politics
|
Mother of God by WB Yeats
2008-01-06 00:50:39
The threefold terror of love; a fallen flareThrough the hollow of an ear; Wings beating about the room; The terror of all terrors that I bore The Heavens in my womb. Had I not found content among the shows Every common woman knows, Chimney corner, garden walk, Or rocky cistern where we tread the clothes And gather all the talk? What is this flesh I purchased with my pains, This fallen star my milk sustains, This love that makes my heart's blood stop Or strikes a sudden chill into my bones And bids my hair stand up? ...
God
|
A New Year, A New Carnival
2008-01-03 02:47:47
Why not start a new year with a great new Catholic Carnival here. It's full of great articles and dedicated to Our Lady (on her feast day).
God bless,
Jay
...
Carnival
New Year
|
A Christmas Catholic Carnival
2007-12-29 18:49:56
Sorry for the light posting. We've been spending some great time with our families during the Christmas season (some vacation was in order!). However, we do have a great new Catholic Carnival here. It's the Christmas version, which makes it pretty special in itself.
Hope you are having a blessed, holy Christmas season. And remember: don't take down the decorations just yet. Christmas has only just begun!
God bless,
Jay
...
Carnival
Catholic
Catholic Carnival
Christmas
|
A Secular Celebration of Christmas is Impossible
2007-12-20 21:47:02
"If we do not recognize that God was made man, what sense does it have to celebrate Christmas?" asked the Holy Father at his weekly public audience on December 19.
Benedict XVI is truly a prophet in our times. Now more than ever, this is a question we as a society must ask ourselves during this time of year. Anyone reading this article knows how much opposition secular society has towards the Christian joy of the Nativity. Ironically, a society that prides itself on tolerance and pluralism is quite intolerant and narrow-minded on the true meaning of Christmas.
Christmas without Christ is as and impossible as it would be celebrating Independence Day as slaves or subjects. The celebration without its true meaning actually becomes a mockery of the real holiday. It is also truly sad when it is used mainly for material gain and exchange, as it seems to be so common in our times.
The Pope urges Christians to persist in proclaiming the truth, and speak about the reason for Christmas j ...
Celebration
Christmas
Impossible
|
On the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe
2007-12-13 00:23:07
Happy feast day to all. And some words of wisdom:
Let nothing trouble or afflict thee. Am I not here,I who am thy Mother? Thou art beneath my shadow and protection. And am not I life and health?In my lap art thou,and counted as mine. What more dost thou need? I shall show my tender clemency for those who love and seek me, for all who implore my protection,who call on me in their labors and afflictions. - - Our Lady of Guadalupe to Juan Diego
I also wanted to share this great video from Love to be Catholic:
God bless,
Jay ...
Feast
|
This week's Catholic Carnival: For Life
2007-12-06 01:33:38
Go take a look at this week's Catholic Carnival here. It is titled "For Life" and looks at the different phases of our lives through the entries from various Catholic blogs. It's another great Carnival and everyone is likely to find something of interest. Go see it! God bless,Jay ...
Carnival
Catholic
Catholic Carnival
Life
|
A Prayer Request
2007-12-04 04:19:26
A couple of prayer requests that I ask you to keep in mind:
Please pray for my great-aunt, Lois Pfarr, who was just hospitalized and is having difficulty recovering.
Also pray for Taylor, a twelve-year-old little girl with a serious staph infection.
Feel free to post additional prayer requests below.
God bless,
Jay
...
Prayer
|
Remembering the Holy Land
2007-12-01 17:46:31
During this time of the year I think it's especially important to remember the Holy Land. Jesus lived, performed miracles, and died for us in the faraway places like the Church of the Nativity. And we should remember to support the small Christian population that protects these holy places of our history. Recently we had a man from the Holy Land drop by our parish. He was selling olive wood products, which is one of the few ways that Christians in the Holy Land can still support themselves. While at our parish he made a point that I thought was very interesting: the Jews are willing to fight and die over their holy places. The Muslims refuse to give up in the holy land largely because of the importance they put on specific places and mosques. But Christians seem to have completely given up on these holy areas of our Faith - and the Muslims see this as another reason to show only contempt for us. It is our Christian duty to not only help the oppressed Christians in the area, but also to ...
|
Catholic Carnival 147: Giving, not Receiving
2007-11-27 14:18:44
We try to focus on the giving aspects of Advent and Christmas with our children and this Carnival just seemed to go along those lines (maybe it's just the way I was thinking!), so I carved it up in terms of Giving thanks, love, learning and even humor. Enjoy:
Giving Thanks
We Belong to the Lord celebrates Thanksgiving with her grandmother's recipes. And while cooking, why not reflect grandmother's life, love, and wisdom handed down over the years.
The Buckeyes are third, but Sarah is second in this Carnival. At just another day of Catholic pondering she brings us An Unexpected Gift from God. She explains how choosing a godparent became a special gift to her through the wisdom the godparent shared with his goddaughter.
Giving Love
luminousmiseries offers a great penitential devotion in On the Road to Purgatory. It recommends a book exploring how to devote 30 days of prayer for the souls in purgatory - a great devotion particularly during Advent.
Streams of Mercy brings us a wonde ...
Carnival
Catholic
Catholic Carnival
|
The Reality of Sex- the Unity of Sex, Love, and Life
2007-11-23 22:48:53
Sex is like a stick of dynamite; once engaged in, it has enormous emotional and physical consequences. God, in His infinite wisdom, designed sex so that it would be intricately intertwined with love and life. Woe to the one who tries to undo the connections between the three! He makes sex purposeless, with no past and no future. As Chesterton would say, this person truly does not know what he's doing, because he does not know what he's undoing.
The realities of sex, love, and life form a natural trinity that should not be disconnected. Ultimately this is true because our transcendent God is ever so close to the material world. First of all, the material world is good because God created it, and according to Genesis He Himself said that it was good. Matter has a certain value no matter what any mortal's opinion about it might be. Second, with the hypostatic union, Christ came into the world to redeem all the messy, mundane, and physical aspects of man. As God in the flesh He ...
Life
Love
Unity
|
[First] « Prev 1 2 3 4 Next » [Last]
3725 blogs in our database.
Statistics resets every week.
| |
Show All