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
News You Need to Know: Sherlock returns to U.S. TV
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On the upcoming CBS series *Elementary*, Holmes is a respected
criminologist, formerly a consultant for the Yard but now a recovering
addict fresh out of...
Feasibility studies and you.
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Admiral Miklos Horthy was the dictator of Hungary from 1920 until was deposed in a pro-Nazi coup in 1944. He had served as a reasonably competent officer in ...
Jefferson on Religious Liberty
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[Archbishop Niederauer] cited an exchange between an Ursuline sister in New
Orleans, who, in the early 1800s, wrote to President Thomas Jefferson to
ask ...
TUESDAY QUOTE OF THE WEEK CCLI
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FINDING TRUTH WHEREVER IT MAY BE FOUND: "*T*here may be no more urgent
task today than that of renouncing religious superstition and freeing
ourselves of ...
Tuesday of the First Week of Lent - Gift and Duty
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Readings: Isaiah 55:10-11, Matthew 6:7-15.
In today’s gospel, Jesus gives his disciples a new way of praying that
distinguishes them from the “babbling pag...
“I want to see where you write!” meme
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Jennifer Fulwiler of Conversion Diary starts a meme. I want to see where
you write! On Wednesday, I’m going to put up a linky list where fellow
bloggers an...
An offering
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Saturday morning got off to a grim start. As soon as I stepped into the
girls’ bedroom, my sense of smell told me that my day just took a turn for
the wors...
The Heavens Proclaim the Glory of God
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Seek him that maketh the seven stars and Orion, and turneth the shadow of
death into the morning, and maketh the day dark with night… The LORD is his
name....
Our Appeal To God
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I love today's reading from St Peter. He speaks about baptism being an
appeal to God, not for the removal of bodily dirt, but for a clean
conscience~ mor...
Natural Revelation in the Catholic Tradition
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Natural revelation refers to God’s self-disclosure in creation, through the things that have been made. Scripture and magisterial teaching are equally clear...
Pray & Fast
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I normally provide a list of Lenten links, such as the page at Catholic Culture.
But I can't imagine any list being more complete than the Lent 2012 mega-po...
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...