I was reading the story of Samuel and Hannah in today’s readings (1 Samuel 1:24-28 and 1 Sam 2:1-8 as our Psalm) and thinking about Hannah. She waited her whole life for a baby and was told she never would have one. God gave her one despite the non-believers that surrounded her. Once she has … Continue reading Listen, Ponder, Trust
Hope
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The People in Darkness
Advent is a great time to pray with this line from Isaiah.
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Beat Steady
For Didi.
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The White Star
Looking through lenses of faith during the Feasts of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary makes it easy to see the Holy Spirit at work in the little moments.
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Saying Goodbye to Papa
Mothers are our universe, but dads make or break us.
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Where is God waiting for YOU?
Where is God connecting the dots of your life? I am finding my faith and writing are starting to intersect with drawing and painting! Comment with your answer!
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Stop Abiding at the Altar of Disappointment
If you want the world to be better, stop abiding at the altar of disappointment.
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The Four Degrees of Love: Part 2
Only a humbled heart can experience gratitude because gratitude it directed to something outside of our own doing.
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The Four Loves: A Four-Part Reflection
Love is such a simple word but has so many meanings. The degrees to which we are loved and we love is not so simple. Let's take it one degree at a time.
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The More Empty, the More Room
While we may not think of being "empty" as a good thing, we must realized that these moments of spiritual and physical "poverty" happen in life. Sometimes this emptiness comes to us like the widow in today's gospel (who gave all she had from her poverty) and sometimes someone like Fr Leger, a Cardinal of … Continue reading The More Empty, the More Room
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Yearning for the Stable Moon
Last night we ventured out as a small group of friends to an area nearby on a mountain where the Vanderbilt Observatory is tucked at the top of a clearing. Saturday nights once a month, the famous Bluebird Cafe offers live music with some of the originals and best singer/songwriters in this talented place called … Continue reading Yearning for the Stable Moon
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Strengthened By Brokeness
I recently hit a bit of darkness in my spiritual life when I went through several important changes in the late spring/early summer. They were all challenging to say the least, but God is faithful and He led me one step at a time through those dark woods. My friend, "Dred" who is training to … Continue reading Strengthened By Brokeness
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Annoyance is a Luxury
In a culture of comfort we can follow the example of St Junipero in fortitude for mission.
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Time Adds Beauty
It’s never too late. Just before COVID hit I found a book at the library in preparation for our trip to England. I didn’t realize that this book was about to open a new world to me, not just in travel, not just in history, but in illustration. Susan Branch is an artist and writer … Continue reading Time Adds Beauty
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The Rock: Blunder or Buoyant?
Is Peter written in order to teach us how to be faithful in our humanity? Through blunders and dives, the faith of this buoyant fisherman is the foundation Jesus chose to build his church.
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Three Chords 🎵 and the Truth; Friend of Franciscan Uses Music to Heal
What do a musician, St Francis and a Native American have in common? It takes three chords and the truth to tell this story.
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Recycling For Dummies
Recycling our minds to make the most of the moment we are living.
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Amending The Soil
Time to render your spiritual soil...
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Our Hope is in God Alone — The Simple Catholic
A friend's reminder that we need not fear.
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A Pandemic Love Letter
By meg God is restoring something in you during these days of change...what is it? I decided to write a love letter to God, thanking Him for these challenging times. I will review it in six months and see what I am leaning about my relationship with God, myself and others. Dear Heavenly Father; these … Continue reading A Pandemic Love Letter
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How to Increase Our Trust in Times of Desperation
A text popped up on my phone the other night, "Jesus, I trust in you." One of my bestie's pics popped up with her name. "Everything ok?" I texted back. The response was not surprising, that anxieties are mounting. Sometimes, all we can do is muster a short act of faith like one prayer St. … Continue reading How to Increase Our Trust in Times of Desperation
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Mr Tom’s Gift of Transportation
Sitting at the booth next to me at the annual Christmas Bazaar, we engaged in warm and friendly chatter. He and she had grandchildren that were in my kids' grades and the kids were all friends. I would see them when I worked in the parish office at the front desk, as they were active … Continue reading Mr Tom’s Gift of Transportation
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One Word of Hope
Sometimes it only takes a word of hope to help someone else. And sometimes, an image of hope and love can speak a thousand...
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These Words From Mother Teresa Will Give You Hope
By Kristine Bruce, founder of "Praying for Our Prodigals" When thinking about my kids who are away from the church, my “prodigals”, I so want to wake them up to the urgency of getting back into the fold of faith. I know many parents feel this pressing desire. I often feel so burdened not only … Continue reading These Words From Mother Teresa Will Give You Hope
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Gentle Heart
An chapel outpouring for the ones who think they can't, they aren't or they won't.
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Peace and Division
Back to school week for most of us means back to business, including meeting to Encounter Christ in the upcoming Sunday gospel together as a group. Usually one of our well-attended gatherings, we were happy there were a few more than normal in attendance for digesting the challenging nature of this gospel passage. Christ explains … Continue reading Peace and Division
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2019 Draft Picks From a Late August Dream Team
2019 Draft Picks From a Late August Dream Team https://thesimplecatholic.blog/2019/08/08/2019-draft-picks-from-a-late-august-dream-team/ — Read on thesimplecatholic.blog/2019/08/08/2019-draft-picks-from-a-late-august-dream-team/ Thanks @thesimplecatholic.blog for the fun collaboration!
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Bedtime Stories
When my children were little, we would have what was called a "Book Picnic". Sometimes we would read together in an elaborate "fort" made from kitchen chairs, couch cushions and blankets. Sometimes we would pile all the blankets and pillows on the floor and lay on our tummies together reading our favorite books. My personal … Continue reading Bedtime Stories
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Don’t Speak Your Fear
This week's "soul lesson" is brought to you by many revelations through person experiences and conversations over the past week. I encapsulate what I believe I am supposed to have learned.
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Mercy, Mercy, Mercy
"Doubting Thomas." Aren't we all at some point a "Doubting Thomas?" I am sure that the beautiful things St Thomas did while accompanying Jesus in his ministry as an apostle would much outshine the one part of scripture that seems to have pigeon-holed him into being just a doubter, but I believe this Sunday's gospel … Continue reading Mercy, Mercy, Mercy
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Dad’s Easter Blessing
Easter this year was the most perfect, glorious day. Our plan was church followed by a lovely meal and precious moments before our almost-college grad and his sweetheart were headed back to school. A stubborn eye infection, nasty medicine, and a migraine kept the joy at bay for me. Nauseated, I … Continue reading Dad’s Easter Blessing
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Kids and Confession Verses Cancer
Changing things up this week, I am introducing you to a blogger who has a huge beautiful family and a wonderful sense of humor. The very name of his blog expresses who he is "Fortitudine", meaning fortitude. And, oh yea...he has brain cancer. But that is a post script, because as all people with this … Continue reading Kids and Confession Verses Cancer
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A Happy Death
This past week we celebrated the Feast Day of St Joseph. St Joseph, is considered to be a great intercessor for Christians, especially in the area of a "happy death". I wanted to deepen my relationship with St Joseph this year, so I attempted to do the 9-day Novena and ask for his help on … Continue reading A Happy Death
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The Ridiculous
Listening to a radio talk show this morning, one of our friends heard a caller relate the story of her son who is in college. When he had chosen to study the Swahili language, she questioned him. Why? He had no specific answer at the time, but four years later, God would chose to use … Continue reading The Ridiculous
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Put Out Into The Deep Water
This weekend's gospel teaches us about the abundant blessings that await us in the "deep water", a timely indication of the need for deep prayer, especially just having finished our silent retreat which was themed around hope. Traditionally, we use the first Encounter With Christ meeting after our retreat to talk about the beautiful things … Continue reading Put Out Into The Deep Water
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All That I Have Is Yours
HEB 6:10-20 Brothers and sisters:God is not unjust so as to overlook your workand the love you have demonstrated for his nameby having served and continuing to serve the holy ones.We earnestly desire each of you to demonstrate the same eagernessfor the fulfillment of hope until the end,so that you may not become sluggish, but … Continue reading All That I Have Is Yours
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Make Haste Not Bustle
Looking up "haste" on thesarus.com , ("extreme speed, hurry") I noticed an almost perfectly divided list of 43 synonyms that have nearly as many negative connotations as positive. I was thinking about "haste" as I reflected on this upcoming gospel reading for the fourth Sunday in Advent, and I have to ask myself the question, … Continue reading Make Haste Not Bustle
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Why Wait? Advent and Austen
When I think of Advent, the word "waiting" comes to mind. As we light the first two purple candles this past Sunday and this coming Sunday, we anticipate Christ's return to his people in a time of preparation and hope. The readings of the church these past few weeks seem foreboding, speaking of the last … Continue reading Why Wait? Advent and Austen
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Tender Embers
A devastating wildfire and a fig tree don't seem to have much in common from the outset, but in this week's Encounter With Christ, the Holy Spirit connected the scourge of wildfire with the hope of human tenderness, likened to the branches of the fig tree. The watchful warning of a consuming wildfire speaks to … Continue reading Tender Embers
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The Thinning Veil
Christ is truly present when two or more are gathered in his name, and we certainly qualified this week as a long awaited reunion took place for several of us. All things come together to glorify God. The difficult but amazing coincidence of several of our members in the past few weeks were no different. … Continue reading The Thinning Veil
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The Fifteenth Time
It's been a week of great loss and trials for many people I know. My heart was heavy as I drove to church this morning. Having trouble distinguishing between my tears and the pelting rain on the windshield, I knew deep inside that I must shake off this dreariness immediately. In my car, I began … Continue reading The Fifteenth Time
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Be Opened
Riding through the desert nearing Palm Springs, we noticed the field of often photographed wind turbines. I was transfixed by their soothing flow; all coming from wind and solar energy, but spinning at different speeds and even different directions. These turbines stand together in a crowd but starkly individual, drawing their power from the same source. … Continue reading Be Opened
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Membership
Getting ready to head back to school, LB wanted to get a few items to replenish his apartment before senior year begins. "Let's go to the warehouse club...I have coupons!" With that we were off, deliberating through the long isles of bulk grocery and home items, only to find at check out that our coupons … Continue reading Membership
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God Said No
Cradle Catholic I am a cradle Catholic, which means I was brought up in the church; but for many Catholics this is a catch phrase for "I don't' know what I am doing here" or "My mom made me come". Until I became a young adult, I fit into this category (going to church but … Continue reading God Said No
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13 Reasons Why You Should Watch Joe Verses The Volcano Instead
My kids forewarned me that a new season of "13 Reasons Why" just came out on Netflix, knowing how I felt when this series originally came out. The schools and youth groups were sending texts and emails warning us that this suicidal story aimed at youth audiences was a talking point, if not a warning … Continue reading 13 Reasons Why You Should Watch Joe Verses The Volcano Instead
The Domestic Church of Bosco 