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You are here: Home / Archives for ACNM / Blog / Marriage and Love

The Presentation of the Lord; a story

Published February 2, 2018 • Written by Shawn Rain Chapman Filed Under: Blog, Faith, Family, Marriage and Love

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]

Written by Shawn Rain Chapman • Published February 2, 2018

This Advent, Let Our Relationships Be Transformed

Published November 27, 2017 • Written by Rachel Filed Under: Blog, Faith, Family, Marriage and Love, Young Adult, Youth

The King’s Criteria        In the rhythm of this getting-back-to-normal after the long Thanksgiving holiday, if we glance up we see that Advent is just ahead. And while Thanksgiving can often bring many blessings as we enjoy time together, oftentimes relationship challenges surface as well. We speak of Advent as a time to prepare… [Read More]

Written by Rachel • Published November 27, 2017

Litany of the False Self

Published October 2, 2017 • Written by Rachel Filed Under: Faith, Family, Marriage and Love, Prayer, Young Adult, Youth

You know those moments at work which you wish you could take back? Where you make a mistake in front of a whole group of your coworkers and your cheeks flush and you shrink a size or two? I had a few of those moments this week. And in God’s fantastic sense of humor, on… [Read More]

Written by Rachel • Published October 2, 2017

World Marriage Encounters 2017

Published June 1, 2017 • Written by ATX Catholic Filed Under: Events, Marriage and Love

WWME (Worldwide Marriage Encounter) weekends for 2017 03/31/2017 08:00 pm – 04/02/2017 04:00 pm Austin WWME Weekend Wingate Hotel in Round Rock 06/09/2017 08:00 pm – 06/11/2017 04:00 pm Austin WWME Weekend St Elizabeth Non-residential 09/08/2017 08:00 pm – 09/10/2017 04:00 pm Austin WWME Weekend Wingate Hotel in Round Rock 11/03/2017 08:00 pm – 11/05/2017… [Read More]

Written by ATX Catholic • Published June 1, 2017

Taboos and Resolutions (A Response to Archbishop Chaput’s Tocqueville Lecture)

Published January 3, 2017 • Written by Lindsay Wilcox Filed Under: Blog, Faith, Marriage and Love, Reviews, World and News

"The Gospel of John reminds us that the truth, and only the truth, makes us free. We're fully human and free only when we live under the authority of the truth." —Archbishop Charles J. Chaput

They say you shouldn’t talk about sex, politics, or religion in public. As an evangelization-minded Catholic, I live a little differently, but I do tend to stay away from politics. I just don’t like it. These days, however, there’s no getting away from politics, even when we’d rather talk about some of those other uncomfortable… [Read More]

Written by Lindsay Wilcox • Published January 3, 2017

Pocket-Sized Pointers for Picking a Partner (Review: “101 Tips for Marrying the Right Person”)

Published November 8, 2016 • Written by Lindsay Wilcox Filed Under: Blog, Marriage and Love, Young Adult

Today’s review is of a short book, so this will be a short review. Following on the heels of their successful book 101 Tips for a Happier Marriage, Jennifer Roback Morse and Betsy Kerekes have released a guide for getting to marriage in the first place. This new title basically begged me to read it:… [Read More]

Written by Lindsay Wilcox • Published November 8, 2016

Therese of Lisieux & The Marian Jubilee of Mercy

Published October 3, 2016 • Written by Rachel Filed Under: Faith, Marriage and Love, Prayer, Young Adult

It’s possible that St Therese of Lisieux is one of those saints of whom we hear so often that we think, well, we already know that story – next! Yet I think we often only capture her “slogan” of childlikeness, and in skipping over it, we miss the profound and prophetic truth manifested in her life…. [Read More]

Written by Rachel • Published October 3, 2016

What Does a Marriage Culture Look Like? (Review: Helen Alvaré, “Restoring Culture from Confusion”)

Published September 27, 2016 • Written by Lindsay Wilcox Filed Under: Blog, Family, Marriage and Love, Reviews

A review of "Restoring Culture from Confusion," by Helen Alvaré, at ATX Catholic

Since the decision of the Supreme Court in Obergefell v. Hodges effectively legalized civil marriage between two people of the same sex in all 50 states, many opponents of same-sex marriage have been wondering what to do. Is there anything to do? The law has clearly come down on one side, and it’s not the… [Read More]

Written by Lindsay Wilcox • Published September 27, 2016

Finding God, Funny Times, and Failing Health (Review: “Operating on Faith”)

Published August 2, 2016 • Written by Lindsay Wilcox Filed Under: Blog, Faith, Marriage and Love, Reviews, Young Adult

I tend not to like vignette-style books. I never did like The House on Mango Street, critical acclaim and racially diverse protagonist notwithstanding. I do, however, enjoy stories of young adults living the Catholic life with joy, not bitterness. It’s refreshing, and it’s my reality. With a lighthearted approach in mind, I read Operating on… [Read More]

Written by Lindsay Wilcox • Published August 2, 2016

Five minute mystic part II: deeper prayer as a couple

Published June 28, 2016 • Written by Shawn Rain Chapman Filed Under: Blog, Faith, Marriage and Love, Prayer

First try  I set the timer for an non-intimidating five minutes. We decided to begin with the Our Father, and at the end of the five minutes of silence, to pray the Glory Be. He said he was a little nervous. I agreed that it felt funny. Inner prayer, or “mental prayer,” as St. Teresa… [Read More]

Written by Shawn Rain Chapman • Published June 28, 2016

For Women Only… and A Little Bit for Men (Review: “Discovering the Feminine Genius”)

Published June 7, 2016 • Written by Lindsay Wilcox Filed Under: Faith, Marriage and Love, Reviews

circle of women

I finally found a book about women’s spirituality that is (a) not about single life and (b) one I like! That is a rare find. I read (and write) a lot about being a single Catholic woman. There’s a market for it. There’s also a need for materials that explore women’s spirituality, but that usually… [Read More]

Written by Lindsay Wilcox • Published June 7, 2016

The Healing Path of Catholic Psychotherapy – Quick takes

Published April 18, 2016 • Written by Rachel Filed Under: Blog, Faith, Family, Marriage and Love, Resources, Young Adult

These are my take-a-ways from the annual Catholic Psychotherapy Association Conference, The Face of Mercy: The Healing Path of Catholic Psychotherapy, which happened in Austin this past weekend. I’d like to distill a bit of the core message I experienced, and at the end, I’ll also share a few of the great resources we were given (Disclaimer – these… [Read More]

Written by Rachel • Published April 18, 2016

Your Battle Plan Against Porn (Review: “Cleansed”)

Published March 15, 2016 • Written by Lindsay Wilcox Filed Under: Blog, Faith, Marriage and Love, Resources, Young Adult, Youth

Man on Dock

I hate pornography, so I am a fan of resources for people who also hate pornography but have a better sense of how to fight the good fight than I do. I’m not foolish enough to think that the problem of porn addiction is going to quietly disappear from our society, so I keep my… [Read More]

Written by Lindsay Wilcox • Published March 15, 2016

Reflections of a Catholic Mom on her Daughter’s 1st Birthday

Published January 4, 2016 • Written by Britt Echtenkamp Filed Under: Blog, Faith, Family, Marriage and Love, Prayer

newborn in NICU

1 year ago, I was laying in a hospital room wondering what just happened. My daughter had been born just hours before, but wasn’t with me. Being 5 weeks early, she was whisked away to NICU to be hooked up to monitors, a heating pad, and oxygen. I, on the other hand, was whisked out… [Read More]

Written by Britt Echtenkamp • Published January 4, 2016

A Clarion Call to Catholic Men (Review: “Into the Breach”)

Published December 22, 2015 • Written by Lindsay Wilcox Filed Under: Blog, Faith, Family, Marriage and Love, Reviews, Young Adult

Although I am not a man, nor am I married to one, I greatly enjoy reading about Catholic men’s spirituality. I’m blessed to have so many examples of strong, outwardly faithful men in my life. Honestly, one of my favorite things is hearing my male friends talk about their personal religious lives as if it’s… [Read More]

Written by Lindsay Wilcox • Published December 22, 2015

The Door to Mercy – Knowing We Are Loved

Published December 14, 2015 • Written by Rachel Filed Under: Blog, Faith, Family, Marriage and Love, Prayer, World and News, Young Adult

Door of Mercy - Diocese of Austin

  For the opening of the Year of Mercy, I was late to mass. Late to mass! Imagine, this great event, once in a Jubilee, and I had even planned ahead to get out of work early – and still I was late to mass, and very late. Walking up to the mass-in-progress, I slid into… [Read More]

Written by Rachel • Published December 14, 2015

Advent: The longing in our hearts for Love Incarnate

Published November 30, 2015 • Written by Rachel Filed Under: Blog, Faith, Family, Marriage and Love, Prayer

“May the Lord make you increase and abound in love, for one another and for all, just as we have for you, so as to strengthen your hearts, to be blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his holy ones. Amen” (1 Thes 3:12) We heard… [Read More]

Written by Rachel • Published November 30, 2015

When Your Significant Other is Addicted to Porn: A Practical Guide

Published November 9, 2015 • Written by Britt Echtenkamp Filed Under: Marriage and Love, Resources, Social Media and Tech, Young Adult

Couple on couch

If you don’t know someone who is or has struggled with viewing pornography, then you are in the minority. Unfortunately – due to crazy-easy access, increased social acceptance, and the high chance of getting hooked – pornography habits or full-blown addiction, is something more and more Americans (Catholic and otherwise) are experiencing. For recent stats,… [Read More]

Written by Britt Echtenkamp • Published November 9, 2015

Making a Man Out of You

Published November 5, 2015 • Written by Ablaze Ministries Filed Under: Marriage and Love, Young Adult

You know, I really wish I could just go troll Instagram or Facebook without the lustful temptations that seem to be hiding around every other click. In the overly sexualized world that we live in, the idea of our sexuality is being seen less as a gift and more as a right. Unfortunately all this… [Read More]

Written by Ablaze Ministries • Published November 5, 2015

Coping with Grief on All Souls Day

Published October 26, 2015 • Written by Britt Echtenkamp Filed Under: Blog, Faith, Family, Marriage and Love, Resources, Young Adult

angel

One week from today, on November 2, 2015, we, the Church, will celebrate All Souls Day. All Souls Day is a time to remember those who have gone before us, a time to pray for them, and to ask them to pray for us. In doing so, we recognize that we are still connected, that… [Read More]

Written by Britt Echtenkamp • Published October 26, 2015

Marriage Advice for Singles: Scott Stanley on How to Lower Your Risk of Divorce

Published August 18, 2015 • Written by Lindsay Wilcox Filed Under: Faith, Marriage and Love, Reviews

Advice for lowering your risk of divorce that is a piece of cake. Wedding cake. See what I did there?

In case you were wondering, I am still not married. Thus, I still keep my eyes and ears open for marriage advice to tuck away for later (thanks, secret Pinterest boards!) and for advice on how to become unsingled. That’s like a conscious uncoupling, but in the other direction. Not all of the advice I… [Read More]

Written by Lindsay Wilcox • Published August 18, 2015

“Everything is Connected” – The Ecological Spirituality of Laudato Si

Published August 10, 2015 • Written by Rachel Filed Under: Blog, Faith, Marriage and Love, Social Justice

“Everything is connected.” This phrase of Pope Francis could be the link that ties the whole of “Laudato Si” together and also communicates the core of his message. “Everything is connected,” he says, in such a way that as humans and the earth are a part of the same ecological fabric, our actions in one part of… [Read More]

Written by Rachel • Published August 10, 2015

Lectio for Lovers: Praying Lectio Divina as a Couple

Published July 28, 2015 • Written by Shawn Rain Chapman Filed Under: Faith, Marriage and Love

In silent open-ness to God, we set aside our own agendas and open ourselves to God’s agenda, which is always love, love, and more love. What could be better than that? Lectio Divina (Holy Reading)  is an ancient Christian way to pray the Scriptures. It involves reading a passage of the Bible, listening to God… [Read More]

Written by Shawn Rain Chapman • Published July 28, 2015

The Hidden Sweetness of Marriage (Review: Humanum Series, Part Four)

Published July 21, 2015 • Written by Lindsay Wilcox Filed Under: Marriage and Love, Reviews

Humanum logo

“Marriage is hard.” I don’t quite know when it happened, but at some point, that became a movement. I’ve never been married, but from what I understand, it is, in fact, hard. The problem is that marriage is apparently so hard, and the “marriage is hard” movement so strong, that marriage now seems too hard…. [Read More]

Written by Lindsay Wilcox • Published July 21, 2015

Dynamic Marriage Conference – July 17-18, 2015

Published July 15, 2015 • Written by Cristóbal Almanza Filed Under: Events, Marriage and Love

We are all in need of healing in some form from many of the past hurts and pains we have inevitably experienced in our life. One of the main missions of the public ministry of Jesus was to heal those that came to Him, and He still does it today. Marriage is an incredibly wonderful… [Read More]

Written by Cristóbal Almanza • Published July 15, 2015

God always wins.

Published July 6, 2015 • Written by Britt Echtenkamp Filed Under: Blog, Faith, Marriage and Love, Social Media and Tech

church with sky

“If you are what you should be, you would set the whole world on fire.” – St. Catherine of Siena By now we are all quite aware of the Supreme Court ruling on same-sex marriage. I think this is the first time in my life that I’ve been nervous about being Catholic (I am so blessed because… [Read More]

Written by Britt Echtenkamp • Published July 6, 2015

“If You’re Happy and You Know It, It’s a Sin”- Catholic Youth Dating and Purity

Published July 2, 2015 • Written by Matthew Hartwick Filed Under: Blog, Marriage and Love, Youth

“If you’re happy and you know it, it’s a sin” was a statement my former coworker made as to how he thought the Catholic Church viewed sexuality and dating.  He made that statement because I had told them I was waiting for marriage and wanted to be chaste. Unfortunately, this is the viewpoint many people… [Read More]

Written by Matthew Hartwick • Published July 2, 2015

3 Annoying Traits of a Catholic Husband That Point You to Heaven

Published June 22, 2015 • Written by Britt Echtenkamp Filed Under: Family, Marriage and Love

woman plugging her ears

Last night something rare happened: My husband and I found ourselves at the MOVIES. Shocking, I know. I’ll pause to let you collect yourself. (Seriously, we don’t go to the movies. We usually watch Netflix with the volume so low that we only catch about half of the dialogue and have to ad-lib the rest… [Read More]

Written by Britt Echtenkamp • Published June 22, 2015

The Heart

Published June 15, 2015 • Written by Rachel Filed Under: Blog, Faith, Marriage and Love, Young Adult

This past weekend the wisdom of the Church invited us to experience a beautiful truth – the unity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary. The Church led us into this discovery of this union by celebrating the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart on Friday that leads us into the Memorial of… [Read More]

Written by Rachel • Published June 15, 2015

Miscarriage Loss, Revisted

Published June 8, 2015 • Written by Britt Echtenkamp Filed Under: Marriage and Love, Young Adult

meditation by lake

June is a beautiful month. Sure, it’s ridiculously hot, tornadoes and hurricanes abound, and you get so many mosquito bites it looks like you have chicken-pox, but it is still beautiful. People seem more carefree and plan vacations, the sunshine is lovely to behold (from inside an air-conditioned facility), and snow cones! Good stuff. Yet, June… [Read More]

Written by Britt Echtenkamp • Published June 8, 2015

The First Steps on the Road (Review: “Loved As I Am”)

Published May 12, 2015 • Written by Lindsay Wilcox Filed Under: Blog, Faith, Marriage and Love, Reviews

A curved road on a mountain.

To love is to do what is best for the beloved. Some people are easy to love, especially when we have great affection for them besides. Some people are rather more difficult to love. Consider God’s love for us. We rejected him from the very start of humanity, and we reject him individually now, in… [Read More]

Written by Lindsay Wilcox • Published May 12, 2015

You’re Not a Bad Mom If You Spend Time with People Who Are Not Your Baby

Published May 11, 2015 • Written by Britt Echtenkamp Filed Under: Blog, Faith, Family, Marriage and Love, Young Adult

hand to face

This segment of “Bad Mom” brings us to Part Two of this three part series. (See Part One here.) Mother’s Day was yesterday, and if your guilt about not being Super Mom 24/7 kept you from enjoying your well-earned day, then please, read this post. Preferably with a coffee or piece of chocolate. You’ve earned a… [Read More]

Written by Britt Echtenkamp • Published May 11, 2015

You’re Not a “Bad Mom” If You Don’t Breastfeed

Published May 1, 2015 • Written by Britt Echtenkamp Filed Under: Blog, Faith, Family, Marriage and Love

overwhelmed mother

I’ve only been a mom for about 4 months now, and I recognize that I’m definitely still in the newb phase of parenting. But these 4 months have felt like a crash course, full of guilty, stressed and confused feelings over what I should or shouldn’t be doing. In an effort to normalize these guilty… [Read More]

Written by Britt Echtenkamp • Published May 1, 2015

Learning to Follow (A Reflection on “The Three Parts of Dance & the Trinity”)

Published April 14, 2015 • Written by Lindsay Wilcox Filed Under: Blog, Faith, Marriage and Love, Reviews

A couple on the dance floor. The Theology of Dance connects a hobby with the union of the Holy Trinity.

I’m learning to dance. I’ve always loved to dance, even since I was the little girl in shiny gold shoes tearing it up at my uncle’s wedding. True story. I did tap and ballet for about a year when I was four. Since then, it’s been all about freestyle. I have rhythm, which helps a… [Read More]

Written by Lindsay Wilcox • Published April 14, 2015

What My Husband Taught Me About Lent

Published March 30, 2015 • Written by Britt Echtenkamp Filed Under: Blog, Faith, Family, Marriage and Love, Young Adult

Face of Jesus

This Lenten season is the first one Danger and I have experienced as husband and wife. We began the season as brand new parents, and didn’t spend much time discerning what our Lenten sacrifices would be, either individually and as a couple. At first, I declared I would give up Sonic for Lent. Those of you… [Read More]

Written by Britt Echtenkamp • Published March 30, 2015

An Open Letter to Angry Christians Against Gay Persons

Published March 16, 2015 • Written by Britt Echtenkamp Filed Under: Blog, Faith, Family, Marriage and Love, Young Adult

Fighting people

Dear Reader, Before I begin, let me start off by explaining what this letter is NOT: It is not meant to be a theology lesson. (For info on the Catholic church’s teaching on gay “marriage”, look here and here.) It is not about the politics around being gay in the US. This letter is simply a reminder that we are… [Read More]

Written by Britt Echtenkamp • Published March 16, 2015

Clothes On, Heart Full (Review: The Thrill of the Chaste, Catholic Edition)

Published March 3, 2015 • Written by Lindsay Wilcox Filed Under: Blog, Faith, Marriage and Love, Reviews, Young Adult

In my happy journey through every book on chastity known to Christian man, I made a stop at The Thrill of the Chaste back in 2012. The book had been out for years; I tend to be a later adopter. My favorite aspects of that edition were Eden’s utterly realistic experience and her comments about… [Read More]

Written by Lindsay Wilcox • Published March 3, 2015

Keeping Each Other Accountable: Fifty Shades of Grey

Published February 5, 2015 • Written by Rita Suva Filed Under: Marriage and Love, Young Adult

I enjoy movies. A lot. I appreciate great story lines. I get drawn by both great cinematography. I become invested in characters when an actor/actress does a good job. But this February, I won’t be watching the Valentine’s Day movie release Fifty Shades of Grey. Between the product description of the book on Amazon (which… [Read More]

Written by Rita Suva • Published February 5, 2015

Feminized, Feminine, or Human? (A Response to Cardinal Burke on the “Catholic Man-Crisis”)

Published January 20, 2015 • Written by Lindsay Wilcox Filed Under: Blog, Faith, Family, Marriage and Love

Man on Dock

It’s another hot season for high-ranking church officials making comments to the media. You may have heard about Cardinal Raymond Leo Burke’s recent assignment to patron of the Order of Malta. I will refrain from commenting on that because I don’t really know the story. I do know how to read an interview, though, so… [Read More]

Written by Lindsay Wilcox • Published January 20, 2015

Choosing to Love, Now and Every Day (Review: “Chastity Is for Lovers”)

Published January 6, 2015 • Written by Lindsay Wilcox Filed Under: Blog, Faith, Marriage and Love, Reviews, Young Adult

Whether or not you’re a virgin, chastity is for you. I read a lot about chastity. You might have noticed that if you’ve read any of my writing here at Austin CNM. I recently re-discovered the blog of Arleen Spenceley, a chastity advocate and professional journalist, when I got word of her new book for… [Read More]

Written by Lindsay Wilcox • Published January 6, 2015

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