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Fatima: The Apparition That Changed the World Blog Tour

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Fatima book cover

I’m happy to host the blog tour for Jean M. Heimann’s latest book:

Fatima: The Apparition That Changed the World

About the Book:

Fatima. Few place-names in the Christian world conjure up such powerful images and associations as that of this humble town in Portugal. For it was there that Our Lady appeared to three shepherd children beginning in 1917 apparitions that are intimately linked to pious Catholic practices such as devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, the five first Saturdays, daily recitation of the Rosary with the Fatima prayer, as well as miracles attested to even by non-believers, such as the day the sun danced. The Virgin’s message, as it always is, was penance. But she also predicted world historical events such as the rise and fall of communism, the second world war, and the attempted assassination of Pope St. John Paul II. She promised refuge in her Immaculate Heart to all who approach her – a promise extended, and urgently needed, today. Continue reading →

Catholic Writers Guild Writers Retreat Slated for October 2017

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Catholic Writers Guild logoIf you are surrounded by sufficient silence and solicitude to nourish your creativity . . . I simply cannot relate. My dearly beloved noisemakers are always nearby, sometimes physically clinging to me. Often completing thoughts, let alone sentences strung together to complete a novel, is a struggle of epic proportions.

Even if you, however, have ideal conditions for writing, a change of environment, away from the daily distractions of home or office, could be just what you need to get your creative juices flowing.

Dangling the words “writers retreat” before me when I am unable to participate, tempts me to envy. But maybe your circumstances are different. If they are, I recommend a writing getaway. Continue reading →

The Unexpected Confirmation Saint: One of God’s Mercies

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My oldest son will be confirmed in the Catholic Church at the end of the month. The link in the previous sentence explains the sacrament in a thorough, easy-to-understand fashion. Regarding names chosen at confirmation, it explains that:

“At Baptism, the name was chosen without the child’s consent because the child was too little to make the selection alone. Now, in Confirmation, another name — in addition to the first and middle names — can be added, or the original baptismal name may be used. It must be a Christian name, though, such as one of the canonized saints of the Church or a hero from the Bible.”

[As an aside, I highly recommend Catholicism for Dummies by Rev. John Trigilio, Jr. and Rev. Kenneth Brighenti, whether you are a”dummy” about Catholicism or not. Fully orthodox and plainly written, it’s a great reference.] Continue reading →

When Doing Everything Right Doesn’t Work

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Where do our expectations come from? We’d like to think that if we do a, b, and c, d will result. If I take care of my body, I’ll remain healthy. If I work hard and make smart financial decisions, my wealth will grow. If I choose a spouse wisely and honor my vows, my marriage will flourish. If I raise my children with certain values, they will adopt them and enjoy the fruits of their virtue.

But we all know the woman who never touched a cigarette yet contracted lung cancer. The successful entrepreneur who lost everything through theft or a change in the market. A woman whose husband decided he didn’t love her anymore and left. Children who abandon their faith and every value their parents held dear.

Sometimes the equation falls apart on our end. After all, am I that certain of my righteousness or do I merely fail to see my sin? Have I accounted for the fallen nature of not only myself but of my spouse, my children, this whole gosh-darn fallen world we inhabit?

There are no guarantees in life. As I tell my children so often, life isn’t fair. Continue reading →

Ready or Not, Jesus Is Coming

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On the first Sunday of Advent, I had the rare opportunity to attend Mass with only my older children, which meant that I could mostly pay attention without having to disentangle a child from my clothes or jewelry or retrieve fallen missals from beneath the pews. Any mind wandering was on me, and not my little cherubs.

I’ve heard the messages of Advent for decades, but despite their familiarity, their repetition seems both more urgent and more fruitful to me as I age. I love the interplay between preparing for this Christmas, this annual celebration of Jesus’s coming, and preparing for Jesus’s second coming.

O Come Emmanuel

Continue reading →

Guest Posts: Vocations Chalice, Divine Mercy for Moms Book Club

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CatholicMom.com

Praying for Priests with a Vocations Chalice (November 7, 2016)

“In truth, I spent the week half afraid I would discover my youngest children playing with the chalice. And not pious ‘let’s play Mass’ playing. I’m thinking glubbing orange juice or slurping pasta as if we’d brought home a miniature version of the Stanley Cup.”

Divine Mercy for Moms Book Club: Chapter 6 (October 22, 2016)

“And isn’t that part of what endears our mothers to us? No matter the number of siblings who share the same mother, the relationship is unique – it’s special and exclusive from the first loving gaze exchanged at the mother’s breast.”

Have Mercy!

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Can you hear those words delivered by John Stamos, aka Jesse Katsopolis? I can. In fact, it seems like everywhere I’ve turned these last months, I’ve heard and read “Have mercy.”

Maybe it’s me. Did you ever notice how once you discover something or purchase something, it’s everywhere, bringing on either affirmation or remorse? More than likely, nothing’s changed but you; you’re now attuned and alert to whatever it is. Maybe that’s what’s going on with me and mercy. Or maybe there’s something to this Jubilee Year of Mercy. Or maybe God’s trying to tell me something. Continue reading →

Walk in Her Sandals: A Creative Approach to the Passion

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Walk in Her Sandals“Walk in Her Sandals will allow you to enter more fully into life in Christ by praying over his passion, death, and resurrection. It will help you experience a conversion of heart and recognize your own giftedness.”

Walk In Her Sandals, edited by Kelly M. Wahlquist, takes an innovate approach to meditating on the Passion of Christ. By combining fiction and nonfiction, this little volume offers the best of both types of writing. It draws you into the heart of Holy Week with Scripture and Stephanie Landsem’s wonderful prose, then takes you a step beyond with reflection and questions designed to draw you closer to Jesus.

Best of fiction & nonfiction to draw you into the Passion. Walk In Her Sandals https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01KOLL59O/ Share on X

If you’ve read Stephanie Landsem’s Living Water Series, which I highly recommend, you’ll recognize her hand here as she draws you into the life of Christ from the margins. By offering the perspectives of women of various ages on the periphery of Jesus’s ministry, you’ll become immersed in the life-changing events of Holy Week. Continue reading →