Catholic Carnival 119 the 6th Week of Easter

Catholic Carnival 119 the 6th Week of Easter

The calendar of readings for Canada and the States is different for this week. Tuesday May 15th in the US is a feast of St. Isidore the Farmer, A Man known for his piety and good works, Isidore was a laborer his whole life. To some extent that is what we all are, we are laborers in the fields of the world. One of my favorite parts about being Catholic is our recognition of sins both of commission and omission. By our words and our silences, things we have done and things we should have done. St. Isidore is an example of that we have to work hard each day, do our labor and labor also for God. Thank each of you for sharing your thoughts, writings, musings and life with us as examples of how to live out our faith in the world.

(An apology from me and from St. Blogs. Eric at St. Blogs for being slow in processing submissions and me for missing his submission so it gets bumped here to the top.)

Eric at Ales Rarus Writes to us about Ladder of Divine Ascent: Vainglory and Pride he provides for us some edification and meditation on some quotes from "The Ladder of Divine Ascent".

Eric also stated "I'm the admin for the St. Blog's Parish Aggregator. Please add a notice to the Catholic Carnival informing folks that I'm sorry for being so behind on processing submissions. Grad school (among other things) has been keeping me quite busy of late." So let's extend to him the grace we would like to receive.

"You don't conquer yourself, you don't practice self— denial, because you are proud. You lead a life of penance? Don't forget that pride is compatible with penance... Furthermore: your sorrow, after your falls, after your failures in generosity — is it true sorrow or is it the petty disappointment of seeing yourself so small and helpless? How far you are from Jesus if you are not humble..., even though your disciplines each day bring forth fresh roses!"
-St. Josemaria Escriva The Way #200

Bryan McKenzie at THEOdssey Blogger writes about how reality is beginning to imitate fiction in his post on Down Syndrome and Gattaca.

Consult not your fears but your hopes and your dreams. Think not about your frustrations, but about your unfulfilled potential. Concern yourself not with what you tried and failed in, but with what it is still possible for you to do."
-Pope John XXIII

Liza from Ever hopeful Ever Thankful writes in Just Follow The Signs that "Directions to how we should live our lives have been laid out for us, if we believe and just follow the signs." What signs are in your life currently.

"I, like god, do not play with dice and do not believe in coincidence"
-V for Vendeta

At Deus Caritas Est we have a great essay about John Paul's Legacy It is a look at the life of John Paul II and his illness through the lens of his teaching on human dignity.

"And yet I do not altogether die
what is indestructible in me remains…
what is imperishable in me
now stands face to face before Him Who Is!"
-John Paul II

At Deep Furrows Fred has some quotes on 'Humanity, the question that Christ Answers' that will really make you think. With Link to the full source of the quotes.

"Jesus for you I live,
for you I die;
I am yours,
in life and in death. Amen."
-Prayer of Pope Benedict XV

Ebeth writes "A Word about the question, "Are you Saved?" from her blog A Catholic Mom climbing the Pillars it has some great idea's for dealing with protestants who doubt the salvation of Catholics.

"Words and concepts can only point to the Mystery of God; they cannot express it, explain it or prove hat it exists."
-Irma Zaleski

Red Neck Woman at Postscripts From the Catholic Spitfire Grill shares about Her Prayer Book and some specific prayers. She was encouraged to do this by some friends and now it is a resource for us all.

"Prayer begets faith,
faith begets love,
and love begets
service on behalf of the poor."
-Mother Teresa of Calcutta

"The wish to pray is prayer itself."
-Georges Bernanos

Next kevin at HMS Blog writes about Christ and the Christian it is a reflection on what the Mass readings for the sixth Sunday of Easter tell us about how we should put Christ at the center of our lives.

"Help me to cry: Jesus, souls! Apostolic souls! They are for you, for your glory. You'll see how in the end he will hear us."
-St. Josemaria Escriva
-The Way #804

Tom at Fighting Irish Thomas writes about Blessed George Preca: The Maltese Beacon whom I must find out and read more about after reading this post.

“Anything that doesn’t lead us to that – to better know and serve God – is a waste of time.”
-Charles de Foucauld

Confessions of a Hot Carmel Sundae declares 'Maybe they've bought into the myth that Catholic isn't Christian' in a post about criticism of liturgical music that makes no mention of God.

"Should you eat only once a week? How could you live? The same goes for your soul. Nourish it with the Holy Eucharist if you want to live."
-Brother Andre

SFO Mom asks us Do You Hear What I Hear? and helps us look at our motivation for working on chnages in ourselves.What do we say? And how do we say it? Do we speak differently to our family members if we think no one else can hear? Are but some of the questions this book will leave you with.

"What do I want?
What do I desire?
What do I burn for?
Why do I live?
There is only one reason: so that together we might live with Christ."
-Augustine of Hippo

And last but not least Melissa at A Third Way writes about her 'well-worn friend'. A well-worn and well-prayed prayer booklet is a true friend. And I would say one indespensable to living the life we are called to live.

"It is when things go wrong, when the good things do not happen, when our prayers seem to have been lost, that God is most present. We do not need the sheltering wings when things go smoothly. We are closest to God in the darkness, stumbling along blindly."
-Madeleine L'Engle

A late edition, from Catholic Fire with a post called: '15 Ways to Purity for Men' which is about some15 ways men can become more manly men by cultivating purity.

"Locked inside each of us is the person we want to be. Others might not recognize it yet, but I'm telling you, it's in there. The passion shouldn't die before we do. Even against rediculous odds, what propels you forward and seperates you from the rest? P.R.I.D.E., which stands for perseverance, Responsibility, integrity, determination, and excitement. If you have these five elements in your life, you can accomplish almost anything."
-Sylvester Stallone - Sly Moves p. 201

(P.S. This one was not submitted but it was so good when I read it I had to share it here.) Jeff Vehige at Thursday Night Gumbo writes a great piece called 'The 10 Most Important Issues Facing the Catholic Church in America' Well worth your reading.

"Among all the aims of our lives, there is only one which is truly necessary: it is to reach the goal which God has set for us; to attain to heaven, by living our own individual vocation to the full. In order to achieve this we have to be ready to lose everything else, to clear away anything which would obstruct our way. Everything must be a means for reaching God, and if anything whatever proves not to be a means but an obstacle, then we must put it right or give it up in sacrifice."
-Francis Fernandez

This is my first time hosting so any errors and omissions are solely my responsibility. Thanks for the opportunity and all the great submissions, I will have to be adding a few of these to my blogroll.

Yours Steven

"When I get a little money I buy books; and if any is left over I buy food and clothes!"
-Erasmus