Catholic Carnival 160: For Catholic bloggers, it's always Lent

Lent is a season of reflection. We're called to be quiet, to be still and to draw closer to Christ.

When you think about the season as such, you realize that when it comes to Catholic blogging, it's always Lent. Catholic bloggers are, well...we're rarely quiet. We're rarely still. But, we do seek to draw closer to Christ constantly. We think, we share, and we write. And, boy, do we learn!

So sit back, grab a nice, cool drink and enjoy the past week of Catholic blogging, in which we're all seeking to draw closer to Christ. And thank the Lord for that.

At the end of Lent looms the Cross. Cathy_of_Alex looks ahead to the end of these 40 days by reflecting on the cross - with or without a corpus.

Dovetailing nicely, Adoro te Devote tackles a hard subject to view and ponder (but one we must), the blood of Christ on the Cross, and the significance of that to you.

Elena at My Domestic Church says one of the best gifts we can give our children is a brother or sister. Bookmark this one for the days your kids don't agree, and Elena will get them to see the light.

Kevin at Heart Mind and Strength examines the Mass readings for the second sunday of Lent, sharing how God's promises to Abraham relates to the Transfiguration.

I love a good Mary story. Do you have one? Heidi at Behold Your Mother: A Blog for "Mary's Girls" invites you to share a story, quote, thought, or prayer to or about our Blessed Mother.

Red Neck Woman's always working the Catholic Spitfire Grill, this week serving up A Bug on the Windshield of Truth. What do you tell someone who had decided to embrace the Fullness of the Faith, only to meet with an RCIA team that thinks it's OK to take nips and tucks in it?

Valentine's Day is once a year, but in our faith we've got our Saints and their love every day. Jean at Catholic Fire shares her favorite quotes on love from a dozen different saints.

Sarah writes about something I've considered: bringing little ones to Adoration. However, Sarah showed a lot more faith than me, and has a beautiful experience to share in When Jesus Takes the Time to Call.

Steven at Book Reviews and More takes a look at Michael Dubruiel's book The Church's Most Powerful Novenas, dubbing it "a great little treasure!" I agree with Steven. I'm a big fan of all of Dubruiel's books, and this one is no exception.

Over at Mommy Monsters, Heidi reports from the front lines of the Great No-TV-For-Lent Experiment, which took an unexpected turn.

Teresa (and her Two Cents) shares what I always think are the best lessons - those learned through prayer.

David at Apostolate of the Laity examines why some find wanting eternal life difficult in From Eternity to Here.

Fasting always gets a lot of attention at Lent, and Daniel at Living Catholicism takes a look at it via The Power of Fasting as Prayer. I've always associated fasting with penance, and this post really made me look at fasting in a whole new way.

As Catholics we're called to be in this world, but not of this world. Mary's Aggies tackle this with a reflection on the meaning of the Human Person in light of the Incarnation, and what it means to have an identity in Christ rather than the answers that modern culture has for us.

You see the Mass Intentions for the week in your parish bulletin, and during each Mass you hear the person or persons for whom it's being offered. But do you know how Mass Intentions are made and why we make them? Fr. V gets us up to speed with Good Intentions.

Given I live outside the great city of Boston, you can be sure I'll be checking out Sean's interview with Zina Gomez-Liss, who has just launched Catholic City with Zina, a video podcast exploring the Catholic history and Culture of her hometown of Boston.

Sieglinde at Eastward Catholic Soldiers, looks at a movie I've been meaning to Netflix, Into the Great Silence. But, warning, there are spoilers, so if you don't want to be spoiled, read this post after you see the movie.

Catholic homeschooler Kelly shares her experience with The White Ram , a picture book about a white ram made by God on the sixth day of creation for a single purpose. What's the single purpose? I don't want to ruin it; go check out that post. ;-)

Have a continued thoughtful Lent, friends, and thanks for reading.