Catholic Carnival 170

Today is Monday of the Sixth Week of Easter. In today's reading from In Conversation With God focuses on the Gifts of the Holy Spirit, it focuses on the supernatural virtues, the gifts of the spirit and devotion to the holy spirit. I read this devotion before diving into the submission for this week's Catholic Carnival, Carnival #170. The best advantage of hosting the Carnival is the opportunity to read the posts before everybody else. The drawback is that you read them in bits and pieces as they come into your mailbox, and thus don't get the comprehensive feel of reading the carnival. So this week I will share with you the posts in the order they arrived.

This weeks posts are gifts, gifts from the authors who share of their life, joys, sorrows and struggles. They are also gift's from God, who often speaks to us through what we read so before we begin thank you to all of you who contributed from your wisdom, your life experience and your journey. May God bless each and every one of you.

Kelly presents Bible Catholics posted at Visits to Candyland.

Theresa L. Twogood offers us the Big Picture Progressive Exposure posted at OLIN e-Book e-Publishing.

Margaret at The Earthly Paradise presents Gothic Revival and Spirituality: John Henry Newman and AWN Pugin.

Barb from at SFO Mom has two submissions this week, first Cast Your Cares Upon Him and also she offers us Earth Day According to One Secular Franciscan.

Elena challanges us with her submission How to Have a Domestic Church part 2 - It takes two to tango! posted at My Domestic Church.

At Christus Vincit - the BLOG! we have a post called 'I Got to Hear a Really Nice Lost 45' about a rare find you don't hear too often at Mass: Spirit Seeking Light and Beauty. It's set to a hauntingly beautiful Gaelic tune, Dohmnach Trionoide. If you have a Pius X Hymnal lying around, check it out at #133.

Denise Hunnell presents The Most Confusing Sacrament--This Was A Surprise! posted at Catholic Matriarch in my Domestic Church aka Catholic Mom.

Michelle from Philly Catholic Spirituality say that we sometimes put off prayer to the "right" time or place. But listen to St. Hilary's advice from 16 centuries in the past and pour out our prayer in everyplace - in the flames, or locked in the bathroom so the kids can't interrupt! So she encourages us to 'Don't Wait for the Right Room to Pray'

Sean writing to us from close to home at A Catholic Canadian writes a post called 'To Join or Not to Join?' – Social Media is inspiring people to join old fashioned community groups he states that 'I've noticed that many of the Catholics involved in social media are finding themselves getting more involved in their local parish communities.' I am one of 5 or 6 social media types I know that have joined the Knights of Columbus in their local parishes.

Heidi from Mommy Monsters writes about the Day in the Life of a Foster Mom Five years later, looking back on my first parenting efforts, I'm so grateful for how far ALL of us have come!

Kate Wicker presents Letting Jesus Be in the Limelight posted at Kate Wicker.

Kasclar at Journal of a Nobody in a post called A Name, An Identity she is sharing her thoughts and prayers about the name we gave our child after we lost him to miscarriage almost four weeks ago. Contains a link to a previous post about our loss. Be sure not to miss it and to keep the family in your prayers.

Sarah in a post As We Enter Your First Spring from just another day of Catholic pondering shares a letter to her 6-month-old daughter to try and capture the wonder of seeing the new world through her daughter's eyes.

Christine from A Catholic View in a post about Miley Cyrus on Semi-Topless Pic: 'I Feel So Embarrassed'! Miley (Hannah Montana) Cyrus' decision to pose semi-topless spurs some thoughts on what it means to be Christian.

Kevin from HMS Blog writes about OUR ADVOCATES A reflection on the Mass readings for the sixth Sunday of Easter.

Aggie Catholics (aka Mary's Aggies) writes about In-Vitro Fertilization and Catholics
he ponders about the morality of in-vitro fertilization and Catholic teaching.

Laura Fetters presents Catholic Teacher Musings: Graceful Exits posted at Catholic Teacher Musings.

Red Neck Woman writing from Postscripts from the Catholic Spitfire Grill reflects on the question 'Do Catholics Worship Images of Christ?'....my thoughts.

Jean from Catholic Fire writes about St. Louis Marie de Monfort, Apostle of Devotion to Our Holy Mother A brief bio of St. Louis de Montfort, with a few of my favorite quotes, why he is special to me, and links to making your consecration, a Litany to St. Louis, his hymns and writings, and to his Fire Prayer, in which he pleads for his apostles to remedy the present-day crisis of the Church that he foresaw.

Laura from Children, Chocolate & Other Paths to God writes 'In All Things Give Thanks' she states that in the midst of mommy madness, sometimes just a shift in perspective is needed.

Mark Koester presents Vengeful Paths to Truth posted at The Mystic Atheist.

All of the Icons from from Joao D. Filipe who wrote inviting us to see his art site. He is a painter of icons in the Byzantine classic style.

Tomorrow is the feast of Saint Catherine of Siena, in Francis Fernandez's devotion series In Conversation With God he reminds us of Catherine's passion and love for the Church, the pope and the example her life was to us to love the church, and to make truth known. Each of you attempt to do that through your blogging and I applaud you all. Keep up the good work. And May God's most holy spirit infuse you afresh for your service to the church, local and universal.

(Note: Any late submission will be appended to the post.)