I've Been Tagged, Baby! Three Favorite Scripture Verses.

Many thanks to Celeste Behe at Perpetual Jubilee for tagging me in a blogging meme! The theme for this meme is "Three Favorite Scripture Verses."


Gulp! I humbly confess that I am not very good at following through with Memes.


This is how a meme works:
1. Write a post on your three favorite verses from the Bible and why you like them.
2. Link back to this post.
3. In your post, tag three other bloggers to carry this theme forward, link back to you, and tag additional bloggers.

It's step 3 that usually stops me in my tracks. I can give you a long explanation why, but let's just skip that to save you some time and spare you the annoyance of my explaining myself  to you so I'll feel better. Let's jump right into step 1.

Well, about that. For step 1, I can't say that I have a favorite Bible verse, like a favorite color (blue) or a favorite food (homemade white pizza with handmade kielbasa and caramelized onions and cured olives and ched.... er...let's move on!). No, I have to say that every time I open the Bible, I find something new, revealing, and refreshing.

So here are the three verses I've chosen for today.

(Luke 1: 38) Mary said, "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word." Then the angel departed from her.

I adore this verse, and I adore this mystery of the Rosary. Mary said Yes to God with great love and with a desire to do His will in even the smallest ways (and thus she calls herself a handmaid) each and every day. This is why I love St. Therese of Lisieux, too, and her little ways.

(Matthew 23: 24) Blind guides, who strain out the gnat and swallow the camel!

I read this verse earlier this week, and I was in awe of it. In this part of Matthew, Jesus is denouncing the Scribes and the Pharisees, telling them that they use the law and all its minutiae to keep people from entering Heaven. He tells them that they are guards: that is, they won't enter but they won't let anyone else enter either. They pick at tiny faults (gnat) and have clearly lost the big picture of God's commandments, which are vehicles of mercy and love, and thus sin (camel) against their Father in Heaven. Also, I know I am guilty of swallowing the camel, too!

As a writer and a lover of the written word, I can't help but marvel over Christ's command of language, especially in His use of imagery. Regardless of the translation, His words must indeed be the finest of all literature. Of course, He is Heaven, so His use of language must be the most high, the most perfect, and I am glad to be His writing student!

(John 13: 14) If I, therefore, the master and teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash one another's feet.

I thought about this often last year, when my husband was very sick and spent a lot of time in bed. I'd pray to God to show me His will, and He usually sent me small tasks to complete. It puzzled me. Of all the things that could be accomplished, why send me to give my husband an extra blanket when he didn't ask for one, or to give him a foot rub, or to bring him a cup of tea (which he usually didn't drink because he knew he wouldn't keep it down)? But St. Therese, Mary's fiat, and the scripture of the washing of the feet made me realize that sometimes our callings are very small. Nevertheless, they are just as important as the big measures, especially when God Himself sends you to do them., and we must embrace them with all our hearts.

So those are my scripture choices for today. Thanks, Celeste, for including me!

Readers, you might want to check out my page, Links for the Family and also Other Catholic Blogs in the right column to learn about other Catholic bloggers who are loyal to the Magisterium and in love with the One True Faith.

God bless!

Late and Frazzled? How Did You Do This Lent?

Christ is always pleased to see you, even if you arrive late and are a little frazzled.

Holy Week is now upon us. If you are still searching for something special you can do for Our Dear Lord, there is still time! Don't give up!

Of course, your home parish should be providing opportunities to you, such as Confession and Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. But if you're feeling a little down because your Lent was not as fruitful as you would have liked, then you and I have something in common! But fear not. There is still time.

Here are a few ideas to encourage you and get your creative and spiritual juices flowing:

*You might want to check out my page Links For The Family. It's loaded with lots of genuinely Catholic resources, from other blogs posted by Catholic moms to homilies from wonderful priests.

*Maybe you'd like to begin following the daily Mass readings. You can do this by clicking on the Daily Mass Readings box in this blog's right column. Sit quietly, then read or listen. Take notice at how these readings are inter-connected and think about their themes.

*Go for a walking Rosary. Take a nice walk in your neighborhood and take along a decade Rosary.  Reflect on Mary and the life of her Son through her eyes while you feel the ground under your feet and notice your surroundings. This would be a good week to reflect on the Sorrowful Mysteries. Even just two decades of walking and praying will help you clear your mind and reflect on Our Lord's Passion. If you need a refresher in how to say the Rosary, click here.

*Time with scripture is always well spent, even if you have just a few minutes. Choose any gospel from the New Testament. (I've been reading John.) First, prayerfully ask the Lord to open your mind and heart. He will open your intellect, so you will be able understand the meaning of Our Lord's words and insert them into your life. Then read just a bit of the scripture and reflect. You might be interested in this short post, called It's a Jungle! Let The Little Bird Guide You. In fact, if you are able to attend Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, take your scripture reading with you and do this as you visit with Jesus.

*Believe it or not, it's not too late to begin a good spiritual book. Whatever book you begin now during Holy Week can follow and help you throughout the entire fifty days of the Easter Season, right into Pentecost...and then into the summer. If you'd like to begin by reading a book review, you can find some in the right column. Just scroll down to "labels" and click on "books." You'll get a whole list of reviews of Catholic books.

You needn't be afraid if you cannot make a big sacrifice this Holy Week. Even the smallest acts are pleasing to God and will be blessed, if they are done with a full heart in both love and earnest, with your eyes on Heaven. It is simply your heart Our Lord wants.

I hope these ideas help! Have a blessed Holy Week.

May Our Lord, Jesus Christ, bless you in your efforts to draw closer to Him. God bless.

Just What IS a Woman's Role if She Cannot Be Ordained?

 One day, I came across a post on Facebook from a man who, for the life of him, couldn't reason why women aren't ordained priests. Still quite young, he reminded me very much of myself at that age, and he was quick to argue that the Church is sexist in its methods. Many years ago, I too had the argument that since the Church was in dire need of priests, then women should be ordained and given all the privileges of men.

How naive could I have been? Now, many years later, I see the wisdom of the Church, and I'm grateful youngsters such as I was had no authority in the matter.

So what is the role of woman in the Church if she cannot be ordained? Indeed, women hold the highest role! Yes, you read that correctly--the highest role. This is not my opinion. It is the teaching of the Church herself, one which has been underscored by Pope John Paul II.

If you don't believe this, consider:

Mary, Mother of God, is the highest of all saints--including all the men--and the Queen of Heaven, crowned solely for her singular and perfect role as a mother. In all her perfection, her own Son did not choose her to be a priest. She remained his mother, who raised and nurtured Him, who prayed for Him during His ministry and while He was absent from her. It was Mary who also gave comfort to the Apostles, who suffered at the foot of the cross, and whose divine agony became divine mercy, making God's grace evident on Earth.

It was a mother--a woman--through which God made Himself present among His Creation. Remember, God could have manifested Himself in any form and under any circumstance. If He so desired, He could have come to us from the sky a mighty warrior and claimed Israel in one strike. Yet, He came to us through the womb of a lowly and simple, yet perfect, woman. If this does not clearly define the power of motherhood and God's elevation of the woman, then nothing will convince you.

Well, let's try this, too...

Among the saints are Doctors of the Church. These are saints who are considered the most edified among the holy, and they are named such by the Pope himself. Two of my favorites are St. Therese of Lisieux and St. Teresa of Avila. Their gender has nothing to do with their ultimate status!

Now how can anyone call the Catholic Church sexist? But, no, the young man on Facebook wouldn't give up. His final question: "Just where does it say in Scripture that only men can be priests?" Margie Prox Sindelar, a wonderful lady on my friends list, wanted to help him out. Here's what she had to say, reprinted with her permission. Make yourself comfortable, this is a long list that will make you think...and think...and think.


Just because women and men have different roles, does not make us unequal in dignity.... men can not bear children.... So was God sexist when he created us that way? and Yes, there are many places in Scripture that support a male only priesthood, so the church has no authority to change what God has commanded:


Gen. 3:15; Luke 1:26-55-- Mary is God's greatest creation, was the closest person to Jesus, and yet Jesus did not choose her to become a priest. God chose only men to be priests to reflect the complimentarity of the sexes. Just as the man (the royal priest) gives natural life to the woman in the marital covenant, the ministerial priest gives supernatural life in the New Covenant sacraments.

Judges 17:10; 18:19 – fatherhood and priesthood are synonymous terms. Micah says, “Stay with me, and be to me a father and a priest.” Fathers/priests give life, and mothers receive and nurture life. This reflects God our Father who gives the life of grace through the Priesthood of His Divine Son, and Mother Church who receives the life of grace and nourishes her children. In summary, women cannot be priests because women cannot be fathers.

Mark 16:9; Luke 7: 37-50; John 8:3-11 - Jesus allowed women to uniquely join in His mission, exalting them above cultural norms. His decision not to ordain women had nothing to do with culture. The Gospel writers are also clear that women participated in Jesus' ministry and, unlike men, never betrayed Jesus. Women have always been held with the highest regard in the Church (e.g., the Church's greatest saint and model of faith is a woman; the Church's constant teaching on the dignity of motherhood; the Church's understanding of humanity as being the Bride united to Christ, etc.).

Mark 14:17,20; Luke 22:14 - the language "the twelve" and "apostles" shows Jesus commissioned the Eucharistic priesthood by giving holy orders only to men.

Gen. 14:10; Heb. 5:6,10; 6:20; 7:15,17 - Jesus, the Son of God, is both priest and King after the priest-king Melchizedek. Jesus' priesthood embodies both Kingship and Sonship.

Gen. 22:9-13 - as foreshadowed, God chose our redemption to be secured by the sacrificial love that the Son gives to the Father.

Matt. 26:26; Mark 14:22; Luke 22:19 - because the priest acts in persona Christi in the offering to the Father, the priest cannot be a woman.

Mark 3:13 - Jesus selected the apostles "as He desired," according to His will, and not according to the demands of His culture. Because Jesus acted according to His will which was perfectly united to that of the Father, one cannot criticize Jesus' selection of men to be His priests without criticizing God.

John 20:22 - Jesus only breathed on the male apostles, the first bishops, giving them the authority to forgive and retain sins. In fact, the male priesthood of Christianity was a distinction from the priestesses of paganism that existed during these times. A female priesthood would be a reversion to non-Christian practices. The sacred tradition of a male priesthood has existed uncompromised in the Church for 2,000 years.

1 Cor. 14:34-35 - Paul says a woman is not permitted to preach the word of God in the Church. It has always been the tradition of the Church for the priest or deacon alone (an ordained male) to read and preach the Gospel.

1 Tim. 2:12 - Paul also says that a woman is not permitted to hold teaching authority in the Church. Can you imagine how much Mary, the Mother of God, would have been able to teach Christians about Jesus her Son in the Church? Yet, she was not permitted to hold such teaching authority in the Church. (A note from Kathleen: Note that this is not referring to CCD teachers and mothers. This is referring to the teaching authority we now call The Vatican, The Pope, who provides us with the infallible teachings of The Church, which is protected by Our God from error.)

Rom. 16:1-2 - while many Protestants point to this verse denounce the Church's tradition of a male priesthood, deaconesses, like Phoebe, were helpers to the priests (for example, preparing women for naked baptism so as to prevent scandal). But these helpers were never ordained.

Luke 2:36-37 - prophetesses, like Anna, were women who consecrated themselves to religious life, but were not ordained.

Isaiah 3:12 – Isaiah complains that the priests of ancient Israel were having their authority usurped by women, and this was at the height of Israel’s covenant apostasy.

I'll bet you never thought there was this much available in Scripture. To all Catholic women, I'd like to say: if you are a mother, you know that your tasks are endless and can seem overwhelming. Indeed, we have a habit of using the word "mundane." But the truth is, motherhood can seem to be too much not because it is mundane but because it is so huge! Embrace the task Our Lord has granted you. You are the moral gate keeper of your home, and it is your most urgent task to raise the next generation in a way Moses instructed his people. That is, teach your children while you are at home and away, at work and at rest. Teach your children so they can teach their children and all the generations will know Him.


God bless!

Big Heaven, Small Government

by Kathleen Blease

Last year, we over paid the State of Pennsylvania tax by about twenty dollars. Not only did the State keep the twenty bucks, but it also penalized us another fifty. Imagine getting THAT notice in the mail: You gave us too much money, so now you have to give us more! Amazing but true. You did indeed read that correctly: we were penalized for over paying. Tax collectors never change. Jesus knew them well, too. And he loved them dearly as His Father's children.


Well, Our Dear Lord’s advice to the Pharisees and the Herodians comes to mind (Mark 12:13-17): Repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God. Thank goodness, we can look to Heaven for our afterlife and to guide us in this life. Thank goodness, Our Lord Jesus Christ has risen to open the gates of Heaven, to relieve our souls of our misdeeds, to guide us to true love and happiness. I can’t help but think about the ancient pagans who believed their rulers to be demigods. Oh my, imagine if our idea of a heavenly afterlife were based on serving the government. I think if my only hope for an afterlife were with the State of Pennsylvania, I would prefer to remain six feet under!

So as we struggle with this world, I, for one, will keep my eyes on the Kingdom of Heaven. Despite the frustrations of this life, I’ll rejoice in how Our Lord conquered all by conquering death. Even a powerful empire couldn’t hold Him down, the government who condemned Him in their faulty and obscured wisdom. In fact, it was this empire that was crushed, and out of its ashes grew the holy seat of the Vatican.

As the government slips its hands into my shallow pocketbook, I’ll be diving deep into the depths of our Catholic Truth. While the government plans to grow, I plan to lose myself and make myself smaller so Christ will be my refuge.

So I will give to Caesar what is Caesar’s. And surely—surely!—I will give to God what is God’s.

God bless.

Daily Mass Readings and Reflections

I've added a new feature to Kathleen's Catholic. In the right column, you will find this little box.


(You can click on the box here, too, to try it out.)
Click on it for the daily readings and reflections, based on the Catholic Liturgical calendar. You can opt to listen or read; all professionally produced and easy to follow. Dig deep into our rich Catholic faith.

God bless.

Jesus' Compassion: Greater than Greatest Sin

by Kathleen Blease

As Catholics, we receive a great blessing that only Christ can give us: Complete absolution of our sins. He cleanses our souls and He removes the chains that bind us.

God’s love is greater than any sin we can commit. Any. Can you imagine that?

When I think about this, I recall when I was in high school. I was sitting in world history class at the votech where I was enrolled in the engineering program. An administrator popped her head into the door and said to my teacher, Mr. De Beauclaire, “I thought you’d like to know that the Pope has been shot.” I was stunned. And then later, I was stunned by a second image. It was of John Paul II listening to his attacker’s confession. John Paul softly drapped his hand around this man’s neck and pulled him close. No one knows exactly what he said, but their expressions showed compassion and gratitude. It was all over the news. John Paul was gentle and compassionate; he was truly the hands of Christ.

I can’t but wonder what would have happened to Judas Iscariot had he not committed suicide, and then, upon Jesus’ resurrection asked Him for His forgiveness. It is just something to think about. Think about Peter, too, denying our Lord at His crucifixion. Then seeing the Lord after His Resurrection and being elated and filled with the Holy Spirit. About his becoming the Bishop of Rome, our first Pope, then dying for Christ, crucified upside down at his request, as he believed he was not worthy to die in the same way Christ died. How he was moved by Christ’s forgiveness and compassion! How moved would Judas had been had he asked for forgiveness, considering that his sin was far greater than Peter's? How joyful would he have been to see Christ and receive His forgiveness for his heinous act?

As Catholics, we are the recipients of the complete faith, just as Christ handed it to Peter, the same faith into which He ordained His Twelve Apostles. The Catholic Church’s seven sacraments come directly from scripture. None of them are man-made. They are Christ-made and thus divine! Complete and Divine!

We receive Baptism to receive the light of Christ (John 1:29-34). We receive the Eucharist—Christ Himself, spiritually and physically (Matt 26: 26-30). And in receiving Him, we are never alone carrying our daily cross. In Confirmation (Acts 2: 1-13), we are sealed with the Holy Spirit forever and ever, the same Holy Spirit that moved Peter and the Apostles on Pentecost. It is our personal Pentecost. In Reconciliation (also called Confession and Penance), we receive complete absolution of our sins (John 20:19-23). Our souls are cleansed and purified.

In addition, we can also receive the guidance and intercession of Mother Mary, St. Joseph and all the saints of Heaven. We need only ask. Just ask. That’s all. Imagine!

Just what did we do to deserve all this? We did nothing. It’s God who does all this, because He is crazy in love with us. He loves His Creation so much, He has not only given us Christ, He gave us His Church. This is why we say, “Glory to God in the Highest!” And the priest says, “Blessed are you, Lord God of all creation!” And it is pleasing to Him that we come to Him as His people.

In John 20: 19-23, Jesus appeared to the Apostles after His Resurrection and ordained them, saying, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” The gospel continues with: And when he said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.”
Now, Christ didn’t say to His Apostles, our first priests, “Go tell the people that if they pray to God for His forgiveness, then they are forgiven.” No. There is one more requirement He made. An apostle must hear the confession. Jesus specifically instructed, “Whose sins YOU forgive are forgiven…”. And He preceded that instruction with “As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” He instructed them to sit in His place. This is why we Catholics go to a priest, our modern day Apostles, to confess our sins to God. It is the only way we can receive absolution.

Think about it: In the Eucharist, we receive Christ Himself in a physical form. And in Reconciliation, we receive the love and mercy of Christ Himself…directly!

Let’s also think about what we are doing when we go to Confession. First, we stand in line, right? By this very simple act, we are doing something remarkable and pleasing to God. We are making a public statement that we recognize we are sinners and we need God’s grace and mercy. We also make an examination of conscience and ask ourselves, “What have I done to walk away from God or offend Him?” This is a significant step to building our character. To admit that we have done wrong, and to actively try to improve upon this. Then we confess our sins out loud…well, perhaps in a whisper…which can be very humbling.

We can be cleansed. We need only ask. And then when we receive Holy Communion, the body, blood, soul and divinity of Christ—the very essence of Christ himself—we are then letting Him reside in vessels (that’s us) that have been cleansed and purified.

If it has been a long time since your last Confession, please don’t worry. Priests today are very happy to help you. Just tell your confessor that it’s been a long while and you would like his help. I’ve been told by a priest that when someone comes to him in this way, it is a joyful time for him. After all, one of Christ’s lambs is finding the way home!

If you’d like to hear from a very worthy witness of Christ’s compassion, maybe you’d like to watch the conversion story of Fr. Corapi on You Tube. It all began with his confession after twenty years lost. Simply click on the title of this article, above. Or click on this link www.youtube.com/watch?v=mhAyEZR4gUk. I hope you enjoy his story as much I. God Bless.