The name of this Catholic blog is taken from the story of the women in the Gospel who brought expensive perfumed oil to Christ in an alabaster jar that she "broke" open to anoint his feet and head. In order to offer God all that we have, and in fact to encounter him fully, we have to be broken and emptied out - like that jar. The scriptures give us other images to ponder this mystery. Think of the wheat that is thrashed, the seed that must fall to the ground and die, and Jesus' example of self-giving love on the cross -broken and poured out for all, "This is my body, broken for you..."
For a deeper reflection, read "Broken Alabaster," by Br. Jordan Herboth, LC
The Perfect Valentine
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I am not a very big fan of Valentine's Day. Even when I was dating and then
married, the day was not a big deal to me. On top of that St Valentine
really...
Lies, Damned Lies and 98 Percent of Catholic Women
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Guttmacher did say in its summary that “Among all women who have had sex,
99% have ever used a contraceptive method other than natural family
planning. T...
TUESDAY QUOTE OF THE WEEK CCXLIX
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FINDING TRUTH WHEREVER IT MAY BE FOUND: "*S*eek what you seek but not
where you seek it." Saint Augustine
QUOTE II: "*E*very man who knocks on the door ...
Berry on Barry
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I was reading Wendell Berry contra biologist E. O. Wilson, and the
following line kind of reminded me of Obama's "compromise": "Like a naive
politician, Mr...
Thoughts on the Church's Old Testament Canon
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The Canon of the Old Testament in th...
The Catholic Church in Russia
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The most significant date in the Christianisation of the Eastern Slavonic
peoples is the baptism of St Vladimir by missionaries from Constantinople
in 988,...
Assurances
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Last night on Sunday Night Prime with Father Benedict Groeschel on EWTN he
had Archbishop Dolan on as a guest and of course they talked about the lack
of e...
Fat Monday Report -3
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-3 this last week. . .not too bad at all.
Down to 325lbs.
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Follow *HancAquam* and visit the Kindle Wish List and the Books & Things
Wi...
Liar, liar, pants on fire
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Today the Obama administration has offered what it has styled as an
“accommodation” for religious institutions in the dispute over the HHS
mandate for cove...
Family Celebration
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When a nun in our monastery makes profession the day is usually taken up
with guests, reception and then clean-up! Lest the community be left out of
celebr...
Eucharistic Devotion
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Before we reflect on Eucharistic devotion, let us reflect for a moment on what it is we as Catholics believe about the Eucharist. Put simply, we believe that...
Five Minute Friday
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I have been reading a wonderful blog called The Gypsy Mama. Every Friday she does a really cool thing--she gives you a writing prompt and tells you to go at ...
Excerpt of Poem by Maxine Kumin
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ON VISITING FLANNERY
O'CONNOR'S GRAVE
Milledgeville, Ga., 1988
--MAXINE KUMIN
...but first, an historic detour just this side
of what the local intelligent...
Tell God We Love Him??!!!
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*"What a weakness it is to love Jesus Christ only when He Caresses us, and
to be cold immediately once He afflicts us. This is not true love. Those
who lo...
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The Assumption of MaryThe proclamation of this Marian dogma, like the event of Christ, came as a surprise. A surprise is not a casual event. It is an unexpec...
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+IHS+
Marian Saturday: The "Faithful Daughter of Our Lady" Speaks
"Darling, I know you were raised Catholic, and I know you don't see the
harm in it, but ...
Regnum Christi, Familia and Hope
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By Marjorie Campbell I've been offline from Deal's blog for a while - working, as many of you know, on my canon law thesis. What a bear - thank you for your ...
Important Catholic Spiritual Direction Update
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Dear Catholic Spiritual Direction subscribers, readers, and followers:
Well, this blog started out as an experiment this winter and wow - there
are thousan...
A Summary Defense of John Paul II
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… and why he should be canonized a saint. It is practically a foregone
conclusion that John Paul II will be canonized a saint in the coming years.
This mak...
Is There a Prayer for the President?
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In a scene from the movie Fiddler on the Roof, the rabbi is asked an important question: "Is there a prayer for the Tsar?" After some reflective thought, the...