On this week’s Deacon Moment, Deacon Tom tells of preaching a RED, WHITE and BLUE homily. It was the blue that caused a little bit of problem. Or was Tom preaching truth?

Avery has some words of wisdom on the topic of prayer and Lisa Mladnich recommends implementing the Bible into your classroom or home.

This week, during our Mary Moment, Sarah Reinhard takes us beyond being fed up with snow to a reflection on Our Lady of the Snows (taken in part from a column at Today’s Catholic Woman last year).

This episode of Catholic Moments is sponsored by CatholicMatch.com, the Leading Catholic Singles Community.  Share your feedback at 206-339-9272, comment here on the blog or email lisa@catholicmom.com.

Links for this Episode:

• Thomas Peters – Blog, Twitter
• Music by Popple, Matt Maher
• Lent at CatholicMom.com
• Current CatholicMom.com Contests
• CatholicMom.com Book Club
• The Catholic Company
• The Handbook for Catholic Moms:  The Catholic Company, Amazon, Aquinas and More or Barnes & Noble
• Lisa’s Facebook Profile, SQPN Connect Page, Plurk, Twitter
• Catholic Mom Logo Store
• Yoursphere

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Go to the newly redesigned and very spiffy website of Aftermass Records to read all about this team effort.  Fifteen awesome songs, two uplifting videos and your opportunity to help make a difference with your prayers and support – it all awaits you at www.aftermassrecords.com.  As I’m writing this, I’m jamming to some great music by some of my favorites and a few newly discovered friends too. I have to say that I’m absolutely in love with “Simple Song” by Rich Dittus, and the Popple guys already know how much I LOVE “Salt & Light”.  With this download you’ll get these, and tons of other great songs as well – lots of different styles, but all great music!

I hope we’ll all support this amazing effort – if you’re a blogger, please help me share this good news by posting this on your site, or share it with your friends at Facebook.  Great job Aftermass!

In other news, the Catholic News Service takes a fascinating look at “Who’s Tweeting for the Vatican?” in this post.

Raise your hand if you’d follow the REAL Vatican on Twitter! I’ll bet an official Vatican Twitter account could give Ashton Kutcher a run for his money…

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A proud wife and mother of five children (both biological and adopted, ranging in age from 4-17 years old), Mary Kay Hoal faces the same challenges every parent does: keeping her kids safe; raising them to be good, happy and well-balanced people; and providing them with the tools and support to create their own future.  While Mary Kay readily admits that she didn’t “get” the whole online social networking phenomenon at first, she quickly recognized its importance in her kids’ lives. After researching the disturbing landscape of social networking sites—including endless inappropriate content and thousands of predators targeting youth—Mary Kay’s mission became clear: raise the bar.  Yoursphere is a terrific online community where kids and teens connect, share and inspire — all in a place the puts Internet safety first. Parents can relax while kids and teens have fun.

A visit to a U. S. military cemetery near Florence Italy is the fodder for this week’s Deacon Moment with Deacon Tom Fox. Tom suggests we applaud all our veterans and to pray for them on this, their special day.

Sarah Reinhard’s struggling with prayer, and her Mary Moment reflection this week includes a quote from Mother Teresa’s Secret Fire: The Encounter That Changed Her Life and How It Can Transform Your Own, by Joseph Langford, and thoughts on tapping into Mary’s desire to help us succeed.

This episode of Catholic Moments is sponsored by CatholicMatch.com, the Leading Catholic Singles Community.  Share your feedback at 206-339-9272, comment here on the blog or email lisa@catholicmom.com.

Links for this Episode:

• Yoursphere
• Mary Kay Hoal’s Blog
• Current CatholicMom.com Contests – Pregnancy Product Giveaway
• CatholicMom.com Book Club
• The Catholic Company
• Lisa’s Facebook Profile, SQPN Connect Page, Plurk, Twitter
• Catholic Mom Logo Store

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Like many of you, I have admired Dr. Coleen’s work on her terrific Ave Maria Radio program, “The Doctor is In”.  But there is much more to know and love about this terrific wife and mother of five.    Her professional bio from TMG Speakers gives a great overview of the breadth of her expertise:

Coleen Kelly Mast, an author, public speaker and radio talk show host, is a pioneer in the field of chastity education. Dr. Mast currently hosts a popular call-in radio advice show, The Doctor Is In produced and syndicated by Ave Maria Radio for more than 100 stations of the Catholic Radio Association, EWTN and Sirius Satellite Radio. She provides Catholic-flavored practical solutions to callers who seek her advice on a variety of personal, spiritual and family problems.

Mast holds an Honorary Doctorate in Humane Letters from Quincy University, a Masters Degree in Health Education and Secondary teaching certificates in four specialty fields: Theology, Health, Physical Education and Science. She has taught at the elementary, junior high and high school levels and has been involved in Family Life Education since 1975.

Mast has written both the ‘Love and Life’ and ‘Sex Respect’ chastity education programs, which include books, seminars and videos for teachers, teens and parents. Mast’s programs have been sold in 23 countries and all 50 states. She has appeared on Oprah, Geraldo, Mother Angelica Live, 60 Minutes, andat Steubenville High School Youth Conferences. Mast has debated the Presidents of SEICUS and Planned Parenthood on television and debated ACLU representatives on public radio.

She assisted with the writing of the USCC Bishops 1992 document on Human Sexuality Education Guidelines, and in 1997 Mast was one of four people from the United States invited to the Vatican by the Pontifical Council for the Family for an in-depth study of the ‘Truth and Meaning of Human Sexuality’ document when it was released. Based on those teachings and the need for additional parent catechesis today, her ‘Love and Life’ Parent and Teen Series was updated for 2006 complete with Imprimatur and published by Ignatius Press.

She has been married for 30 years to Kent Mast. They have five children and live in Illinois.

Several times a month, I find myself referring parents who contact me to Coleen’s website at www.SexRespect.com.  Her resources, aimed at providing a Christian moral framework for sexual abstinence, are a life saver for families struggling with the pressures placed on today’s teens by their peers and society.  While I’ve never had the pleasure of meeting Coleen Kelly Mast in person, I remain a tremendous fan of her work and thank Matthew Warner for the opportunity to introduce this Catholic speaking champion to our readers.

Ever hear of SERRA International? Deacon Tom issues an invitation for activities you might consider during this Year of the Priest which is being celebrated by the worldwide Catholic Church.

Do you find yourself, at the end of this Month of the Rosary, feeling like you’ve failed?  Sarah Reinhard encourages all of us to keep trying in this week’s Mary Moment.

Sean McGaughey, host of the Catholic Roundup, gives us a great digest of news and activities in the Catholic New Media.

We are thrilled to announce our partnership with CatholicMatch.com as they begin sponsoring this podcast.  Please support CatholicMatch.com and be sure to enter our current CatholicMatch.com for your opportunity to win a three month membership to the Leading Catholic Singles Community.

This episode of Catholic Moments is sponsored by CatholicMatch.com, the Leading Catholic Singles Community.  Share your feedback at 206-339-9272, comment here on the blog or email lisa@catholicmom.com.

Links for this Episode:

• Mike St. Pierre – The Daily Saint, Morris Catholic High School
• Sarah Bauer – Livin’ for Jesus, Radiance
• On This Day Designs
• Current CatholicMom.com Contests – Rosary Workout Book Contest, CatholicMatch.com Membership Contest
• CatholicMom.com Book Club
• The Catholic Company
• Lisa’s Facebook Profile, SQPN Connect Page, Plurk, Twitter
• Catholic Mom Logo Store

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That’s why this wonderful story about Poker Playing Priest Fr. Andrew Trapp caught my attention.  I had heard Fr. Trapp on The Catholic Guy show last week, and am so happy to hear that he has already earned $100,000 towards the building fund for St. Michael Church in Garden City, South Carolina.  During this Year for Priests, I think Fr. Trapp’s story is refreshing and inspiring.  Our young men need positive role models of priests who are real people doing real things, and enjoying happy lives.  Please take a few minutes and watch this hilarious video Fr. Trapp put together for his Poker Stars Challenge audition – his Bishop approved both the video and his appearance.  Come December, I’ll be rooting for Fr. Trapp and his parishioners, and in the mean time I’ll be praying for his priestly vocation.

Congrats to my friend and awesome Catholic musician Bryan Murdaugh sharing the good news about his ministry group 5thousand.  It seems that the guys, Bryan and Mike, will be making a big splash at the upcoming NCYC.  I’m still trying to figure out how to get someone to sponsor my attendance at this mega event for Catholic youth  (LOL – big sponsors, I promise to wear your patches and stickers all over my body if you’ll just pay for me to go!).  Anyway, just in case you’re lucky enough to be going, be sure to check out 5thousand and tell Bryan I said hello!

Kansas City, MO, — The event ministry group 5thousand will be saying “hello” to teenagers from around the country at the Kansas City Convention Center on November 19th, 2009. As the exhibit hall – known to participants as the “Reign Forest” – opens, Mike Sylvester and Bryan Murdaugh (the co-founders and principals of the ministry) will be greeting and challenging young people to live their faith, just as they do in the events that they put on for Dioceses and Parishes in their travels. Sylvester, a seasoned youth minister and vibrant speaker, said “the conference is really the first chance we’ve had to introduce ourselves on the National level, and it’s really exciting.” Though the duo has been running retreats, rallies, prayer services, and other ministry work as 5thousand for about a year, they hope that exhibiting at the National Catholic Youth Conference will enable them to share the Gospel with young people in an increasing number of parishes, schools, and at large diocesan events.

5thousand focuses on being an all-inclusive event ministry. They specialize in covering the planning from start to finish, helping coordinate themes and then running the entire event. Murdaugh, a Catholic worship leader, recording artist, speaker, and parish youth minister says “we really are soup-to-nuts. When we arrive for an event we want the local team to relax and know that everything will be taken care of. You bring the teens, we bring the rest.”

To find out more information about 5thousand’s offerings and events, visit their website at www.5thousand.com.

If you are a blogger, I hope you will support Matthew Warner and all of the speakers on the list by participating in this initiative.  I know your help would be greatly appreciated.  Most of these hard working speakers conduct their apostolates on a shoe string budget while working full time jobs.  They deserve our support and encouragement.  If you’d like to adopt a speaker, contact Matthew through his blog FallibleBlogma.com.

Sunday, October 4, 2009: Liturgy Reflection from JP Catholic University on Vimeo.

Thanks again to Pat for having me on her show and for all of the terrific work she is doing Among Women!  Click here to listen to our conversation.