Updated Reading Plan

These are the categories I'm now reading in:

The Bible book I'm currently reading

My daily devotional book for the year

1 work of Catholic spirituality 

1 work of Judaica 

1 collection of poetry

1 play or collection of plays

1 book of essays

1-3 works of nonfiction

1 autobiography, biography, or collection of  short biographies

1 collection of letters, not counting the Epistles in the Bible

1-3 works of fiction, which may or may not include a collection of short stories

1 comic book, both for enjoyment and as a safeguard against literary snobbishness

1 collection of potpourri, containing writings in several categories.

I've also started reading one picture book a day.  This is the only book I read through in one sitting.

Some books fit more than one category.  For example,
 "The Chosen," by Chaim Potok, would  count as both fiction and Judaica.  

News About EWTN's Fr. Anthony

I've found out why Fr. Anthony hasn't been celebrating the televised Mass on EWTN.

I'm having computer issues, and can't create a link, but here is the URL for the post. 

https://www.facebook.com/MFVAFriars/posts/1857478694300879

New Post At Last

After a prolonged, and not entirely planned hiatus, I'm back to writing new posts.

I'll start with a brief statement:

I have not been, as someone said in a comment which I deleted, in a spiritual coma.  

So why haven't I posted anything new in such a long time?

For one thing, I was dealing with stuff I did not want to blog about.  For another, I was tired of putting up weekly reading lists.

I may, now and then, mention a book I am reading or have recently read, but there will be, at least for now, no more reading lists. I will, however, say that I've just added "Letters" to the categories I read in every day.

I will, however, say that I've added "Letters" to the categories I read in every day.  Epistles in the Bible don't count.

  

Little Things [reposted]

I love this quote from my Patron Saint, Therese of Lisieux, whose feast we celebrate today:

"Pick up a pin for the love of God, and you may save a soul."
How right, how wise! We may not be called to do great things, but we can do the little, everyday tasks for the love of God, and then how great, how valuable those little tasks become.
No work is menial if it is done for the love of God.

My Friend Tony [old post]

And yep, I mean St. Anthony of Padua, whose Feast is today!

How many times have people prayed some version of the prayer:

"Tony, Tony, come around.

Something's lost and must be found"?

I know St. Anthony is ALWAYS helping me find stuff.

Years ago, when I had just recently converted to Catholicism, I called

Mom at work (It was her usual break time.)

Mom said, "I can't talk right now. We're missing an important file and

we've looked all over for it."

"Okay," I said, "call me back when it turns up."

Well, within five minutes she called me. The file had been found.

"Aren't you going to thank me?" I asked.

"Thank you? What for? You're not even here."

"I know," I said, "but who do you think prayed to St. Anthony?"

More recently, I was chatting with a couple of my online friends, and

one of them was going slightly nuts because she had misplaced something, and couldn't find it anywhere. I said a prayer to St. Anthony, and then typed,

"Try looking again."

She didn't want to, but I persuaded her. And then she typed, in caps

"I FOUND IT!!!!!!"

I wasn't a bit surprised!

Does St. Anthony ALWAYS get lost articles back for me? Well, almost! One morning I couldn't find my Rosary. I looked. I prayed. To my surprise, I still did

not find it. But later that morning, I received a brand-new, beautiful Rosary from a Catholic organization. I'm almost SURE I heard St. Anthony chuckling.

BTW, the lost Rosary did turn up eventually.

Of course, there's much more to St. Anthony than just running the Lost and Found! :)

St. Anthony of Padua

Updated in 2013 to add Fr. Anthony's very inspirational homily.

Anniversary

Some of you may remember the time when I was trying... oh, was I trying... to form a good, active online group, but with no success, until................

Rochelle Browncreated the group The Share-Care-Prayer Club

I just needed to find a really good, reliable host site.

That was four years ago today, and The Share-Care-Prayer Club is still going strong, with over 700 members.

I'm not bragging, but I most definitely AM thankful.

Sample Reading Lists [Updated]

Here are some strictly  hypothetical examples of how my current reading list might look at any given time.  A # means that I'm actually reading the book mentioned at the time of this writing.  Books that fit two categories are listed twice, and are marked with an asterisk. *

I'm giving the titles only.

1
The shortest list I could have... 11 books

Bible book :
Romans

Daily Devotional: 
Saint And Thought For Every Day#

Catholic spirituality or biography/autobiography:
The Story Of A Soul*

Judaica:
Try For A Dream*

Play or collection of plays:
As You Like It

Poetry:
Come Hither#

Essays:
Enjoy, Enjoy


Nonfiction:
What A Word! 

Educational:
Teach Yourself Visually Algebra

Autobiography, biography, or collection of short biographies:
The Story Of A Soul*

Fiction:
Try For A Dream*

Comic book:

Sugar And Spike Archives Vol. 1

Potpourri:
Peppermint: The Best From The Scholastic Writing Awards Junior Division#

2
The longest list I could have.... 17 books

Bible book :
Sirach

Daily Devotional: 
Saint And Thought For Every Day#

Catholic spirituality or biography/autobiography:
The Secret of the Rosary

Judaica:
The Other Side Of The Story

Play or collection of plays:
Humorous Plays For Teenagers 

Poetry:
Leaves of Grass

Essays:
Emerson's Essays


Nonfiction:
What A Word! 
Of Swedish Ways
Spice On The Wind

Educational:
Teach Yourself Visually Algebra

Autobiography, biography, or collection of short biographies:
The Alcotts As I Knew Them

Fiction:
Rose In Bloom#
How Green Was My Valley
Told Under The Stars and Stripes

Comic book:

Little Lulu In Paris

Potpourri:
A Jesse Stuart Reader

 3
A list that falls in the middle... 14  books

Bible book :
1st Corinthians

Daily Devotional: 
Saint And Thought For Every Day#

Catholic spirituality or biography/autobiography:
The Imitation of Christ

Judaica:
The Chosen

Play or collection of plays:
The Glass Menagerie#

Poetry: 
This Singing World

Essays:
Reproachfully Yours#

Nonfiction:
Why Did They Name It?
Love and Knishes

Educational:
Journey Through Genius: The Great Theorems of Mathematics#

Autobiography, biography, or collection of short biographies:
Fifth Chinese Daughter

Fiction:
The Chosen
Told Under The Stars And Stripes

Comic book:

The Greatest Batman Stories Ever Told

Potpourri:
The Saturday Evening Post Treasury