I entered the Church officially at the age of 22, in 1990. It took me a long time. I attended daily mass for two years even though almost everything about the Catholic Church freaked me out. I had authority issues. I had spiritual issues. I had sexual abuse issues. I had issues with men. I… [Read More]
The Jesus We Never Knew
The Gospels we hear week by week focus on the venerable accomplishments of Jesus as He went about His ministry here on earth. And generally the homilies that follow focus on the message to be gained by these stories in conjunction with the other readings. We are exhorted to imitate this message in our… [Read More]
Summer Reading: A Few Quick Book Reviews
Here’s a glimpse at a few of the books I’ve been reading this summer. I hope these short reviews are a helpful inspiration on your journey. Edith Stein: The Life and Legacy of St Teresa Benedicta of the Cross by Maria Ruiz Scaperlanda I had long heard of Edith Stein, but had done no serious… [Read More]
Swimming Under Mary’s Mantle
The swimming instructor called for us to do the positions we had learned. She asked us to lay on our backs in the water. I was very happy on my back. I kicked hard and happily thought about how fast I was going – maybe faster than the others. It turns out I was definitely… [Read More]
Crowd Funding Hail Marys
After a week of losing sleep over the suffering of little children taken from their parents at the border, many days of speaking out and also of sending what money I could to organizations trying to help these separated families, I texted to one of my sisters in Carmel, still feeling very sad. I asked… [Read More]
The American Personality and our Mission as Catholics
It is a day to celebrate, to be with loved ones, and to pray for our nation. Let it also be a day to reflect on who we are, and who are called to be! What is our mission as Catholics in the US? And what does it mean to talk about our mission as… [Read More]
Blessed Isidore Bakanja – Martyr of the Brown Scapular
Blessed Isidore Bakanja is the first martyr of the Brown Scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel whose feast we celebrate on Monday, July 16th. Isidore Bakanja was a young black teenage martyr from the Boangi tribe in Zaire, Africa with plenty of zeal, valor, and faith for the gospel and Our Lady. Receiving the… [Read More]
We Went Away Sad
“Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said to him, ‘You are lacking in one thing. Go, and sell what you have, and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven; then, come, follow me.’ At that statement, his face fell, and he went away sad, for he had many possessions (Mark… [Read More]
Sin? Not a problem.
Sin? No problem. This Sunday we heard the Gospel reading on the Fall, of the moment sin entered creation and divided all that was meant to be united. Since then the human person has been faced with the conditions of inner division and brokenness as a personal reality and as a reality in creation. Yet,… [Read More]
Jesus, give us your Heart, make us strong to love!
I have to think, in these dark times, during this epidemic of heartlessness, that we need to look to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, that we need the refuge and the example of His Heart more than ever. Every day I think we are all having to find ways to decompress from all the hatred,… [Read More]
The Unofficial Start to Summer: Now What?
They say Memorial Day is the unofficial start to summer. Alongside being a day where we remember those who’ve given their lives for our country, and a day where families and friends gather to celebrate at the lake, at the parks, etc, it’s also a day that signals the end of the school year and… [Read More]
The Modest Ornaments of the Day: simple routines that re-center
I have a cup of coffee, and I am listening to jazz (Alice Coltrane today,) because it is 2 o’clock. That’s what I always do this time of day; jazz and coffee. Somehow this makes me feel more present in the day. The loose, open-ended routine of stopping the day, at least a little bit,… [Read More]
Following the Shepherd’s Voice
“My sheep know my voice and they follow me (John 10:27).” I read that line a long time ago, proclaimed in the week after we celebrated Good Shepherd Sunday. But it has stayed with me for weeks. I know His voice and I’m supposed to follow it. So, why do I so often follow my… [Read More]
The Corpus Christi Procession and Divine Mercy
The Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ (the feast of Corpus Christi) is the celebration of Christ’s Real Presence in the Holy Eucharist. As Our Lord is carried through the streets of cities and villages around the world, the faithful give public witness to their faith and devotion to the Holy… [Read More]
Come, Holy Spirit, renew my life
Something that seems to be returning to me as I very slowly recover from the grief and trauma (it’s complicated) of these past few years is a sense of self determination. I had not realized it was gone in the first place. What I did know is that for a long time it was… [Read More]
Love as presence
I want to talk about a great part of my life, Mac, who has Cerebral Palsey, and about what it’s like to spend my days with “his Eminent Lovableness. ” Mac and I don’t actually “do” much. I mean, not really. We mostly just hang out together. We mostly just “are.” Fortunately, we are really… [Read More]
The Older Sibling Comes Back
I recently went on a retreat that gave me a great deal of joy and then a great deal of pain. I was on the mountain. And then I fell off. Among other things, Father Charlie Garza’s day retreat focused on the seven deadly sins – how to recognize the false gods within them and… [Read More]
Properly Clothed for Holy Week
The man came to the turbulent mob scene of Jesus’ arrest wearing only a linen cloth. It was right after the 12 had fled. What a time to show up. And then he also fled, somehow losing the little bit of clothing he had. I find that passage curious each year when we follow the… [Read More]
Angels & Dragons X: St. Faustina’s Battles
For 40 days we have watched Jesus prepare for His final battle on Calvary. All His life He has trained for this day. He was born for this! And so are we. The life of a Christian is a constant battle. Against ourselves, the world, and the powers of darkness. As Gaudium et Spes states,… [Read More]
Dear Austin, let us pray…
It is a morning to pray. We woke up to the news today that the suspect behind the recent package bombs had been caught, and indeed had taken his own life in the process. Let us pray this morning together for peace in our city, for peace in our families, for peace in our own… [Read More]
A traditional St. Joseph altar in the Brazos Valley
He is sweating in the morning sun, easily turning a huge table top over in a cloud of wood shavings. I cough but he doesn’t break his concentration, only smiles as he measures an edge with his hands, squinting, nodding to himself as he stands up. “You still do this kind of thing in Heaven?”… [Read More]
The Betrothal and Love of Joseph and Mary
As the Solemnity of Saint Joseph approaches let us contemplate the betrothal and love of Joseph and Mary and how it can help couples today. It is mentioned very little in scripture. Yet it was the foundation for the family into which Jesus Christ was born. Blessed Pope John Paul II says in the church… [Read More]
The “Waze” of God
You know that moment when you plug your destination into Waze, and you hope and thinking, “Am I going to make it on time?…Waze says I’ll get there 5:23pm…but maybe the traffic will lighten up? Or it will find me a short cut??” A couple of weeks ago I was caught in that circumstance. Chugging… [Read More]
She Pondered the Greeting
“Hail, full of grace,” said the angel to the young woman. And Mary was perplexed. She pondered the greeting. I’ve spent a lot of time pondering this greeting too. It comes up every Monday and Saturday as the assigned meditation of the rosary. And I also heard it four times between Advent, Christmas and a… [Read More]
6th Annual Men’s Conference February 17
Saturday, February 17, 2018 at St William Catholic Church in Round Rock, TX will be the 6th Annual Men’s Conference. Speakers include Tom Peterson, Andreas Widmer, and John Pridmore. Regular tickets start at $45 ahead of time and $50 at the door. Premium tickets $100 includes private lunch with the speakers. Learn more… [Read More]
Angels & Dragons IX: 40 Days to Slay Your Dragon!
“Rise up; this matter is in your hands (Ezra 10:4)!” Your time has come Dragon Slayer! On your feet! You can no longer be “the brother of dragons,” (Job 30:29) for “Lent is the very badge of the Christian warfare!” (Pope Benedict XIV) How will you spend your 40 Days of Lent, in what may… [Read More]
The Presentation of the Lord; a story
I woke up early, long before my usual time. I could feel morning coming on as Yeshi slept deeply; still and warm between Joseph and me. He was on my arm, making it numb, but I didn’t mind. I enjoyed these moments of silence and warmth listening to Joseph’s and the baby’s breathing. I moved… [Read More]
I Will Go
Nine months after I had lost the ability to stand, walk, drive and care for myself or my family because illness damaged my left vestibular nerve, I have graduated from neurological physical therapy. I am blessed that I had a very good therapist. She has a doctorate in the field. She would encourage me… [Read More]
Angels & Dragons VIII: St. Gemma Galgani Relic
A fierce female dragon slayer! St. Gemma Galgani died at the young age of 25 on April 11, 1903 (Feast Day), but she lived an extraordinary life. She wanted to be a Passionist religious nun but was not accepted due to her health so she joined the lay Passionist association and took private vows as… [Read More]
CARITAS: Beginning the Year on Mission with the Mother of God
On January 1st, we were each invited to start the new year 2018 with the Mother of God through celebrating her Solemnity – what a clear message for us! This celebration of Mary the Mother of God is THE first day of the year. How seriously have we taken that invitation to begin this year… [Read More]
Angels & Dragons VII: Transferences
In the heat of the spiritual battle there is a lot clashing of swords, shields, spears, and other armor in the fight between St. Michael and his angels defending us against the dragon and his angels. (Rev. 12:7) Sometimes the good guys get wounded in the tussle and scuffle. Concerning deliverance prayers, the good news… [Read More]
Catholic Bioethics Seminar in Austin January 26-27
The National Catholic Certification Program in Health Care Ethics Seminar in Austin, TX will be January 26 & 27, 2018 at Seton Healthcare Family Administration Offices — Registration now open — see Schedule for the Seminar. Overview: Each Fall The National Catholic Bioethics Center presents a series of two-day seminars in various cities across the United States to address… [Read More]
Angels & Dragons VI: “Set the Oppressed Free!” (Luke 4:18)
This article is about setting the demonically oppressed free and “ proclaiming liberty to the captives” (Luke 4:18) using deliverance prayers. It is not about the demonically ‘possessed’ but about the everyday spiritual battle which Christians face against “the dragon and his angels” (Rev. 12:7) in these ominous times! Immediately after my diaconal ordination, 11 years ago,… [Read More]
Let Me Bless You
My five-year old has taken up a renewed interest in the Barbie movies she got when she was three. My house is filled with the sound of Barbie with her puppies or Barbie as a mermaid or Barbie in fairy wings. My little one sings along as Barbie plays a different character who is always… [Read More]
Arroja oraciones al cielo esta navidad contra el aborto
“Nuestra sociedad está tan herida a causa del aborto, estoy convencido de ello”. Estas fueron las contundentes palabras de un hombre extraordinario residente en Austin, Texas donde también vive esta servidora. Es extraordinario porque es un católico que se ha convertido en otro seguidor de Cristo que pasa en nuestra ciudad. Es co-fundador de Movile Loaves… [Read More]
Spiritual Nourishment for the Last Week of Advent
On the last leg of this Advent journey, I’d like to share with you two little bits of spiritual nourishment that I have found really helpful along the way. We are getting closer and closer to Bethlehem now, just one week away in this shortened Advent season. Can you feel the pace picking up? The… [Read More]
The Most Important Prayer in a Cataclysmic Event (Part II)
While the Act of Contrition prayer is the most important prayer for someone facing imminent death in a cataclysmic event, it is also the most important prayer for a survivor. During cataclysmic events like the current California fires, Hurricane Harvey, Hurricane Irma, Hurricane Maria, and the 7.1 earthquakes in Mexico, victims gather in huge numbers… [Read More]
A Sword Pierced Her Heart
Our Lady was sobbing. The sword had pierced her through. She wept for her son, who was going to die. We are soon to celebrate the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception and Our Lady of Guadalupe. But since September, I have been contemplating Holy Mother under the title of Our Lady of Sorrows. As I… [Read More]
Juan the stranger
As my son-in-law swept up the toddler for her evening nap, I stepped silently out the front door for an evening walk, rosary in hand. It was dusk, and the sky was alight with rose colored clouds. Everything looked pink. As I walked, the beads slipping quietly between my fingers, I alternately poured out my… [Read More]
Tiempo para el silencio
Ha sido un año intenso. Muchos de los que me leen dirán: “Ha sido el año más terrible de mi vida”. Otros pensaran: “¡Ha sido el mejor año para mí!” Y no faltará alguna persona que diga: “No pasó nada para mí, es como que si mi vida no avanzara y siempre fuera igual”. Hay… [Read More]
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