We often hear chastity spoken about in regards to priests and religious, but this virtue is to be lived out by everyone. Chastity opens up the possibility for love and the gift of oneself. Tune into this Catholic Bytes episode to learn more about chast…
Search Results for: chastity
Chastity: Heroic Love
Yes, chastity applies to everyone. Love is a wonderful thing and chastity teaches us not only how to love, but how to love heroically.
The Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ June 6, 2021
The Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ June 6, 2021 Thank YOU! Two very important words. Today we celebrate the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and…
Ignorance of Religious Life is Ignorance of Christ
One of the key figures of the Gospels is John the Baptist, and I don’t think we give him as much attention as we should. If you look at the Gospels, they all start off talking about the public life of Jesus Christ by talking about John the Baptist…
Judas and Peter, Mary and the Children in the Church Abuse Crisis
Amid the violent chaos of the impending crucifixion of Jesus were at least a few children. The eighth station shows they were in the crowd with their mothers, maybe the same ones who once asked the indignant Apostles whether Jesus could bless them. Jesus, who once said the meek were blessed, has also said the… [Read More]
There is only one vocation that will heal the world
The solutions we give for humanity’s problem reveals our understanding of the human person. Medicine, for example, is often something we feel the world desperately needs. It is often high on our list, and we think highly of those who become doctor…
We Are All Teachers of Virtue (A Response to Archbishop Cordileone’s “Knowledge, Virtue, and Holiness”)
You may remember the news headlines about Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone of the Archdiocese of San Francisco. They focused on the bristling of some archdiocesan school teachers at the prospect of having to sign a statement affirming their support of the Catholic faith. As a former Catholic high school teacher myself, I thought it was much… [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]
One Way to Be An Answer to the Current Crisis
We’ve had a lot of difficult news to absorb these last few weeks. It would be easy to look at the Church’s current situation and wonder if we’re not splitting apart at the seams. Some have called this the US Church’s worst crisis in history (see interview below). So before sharing my thoughts on… [Read More]
Clerical Celibacy: Why?
Many in the Catholic and non-Catholic world alike wonder why Roman Catholic priests give up sex for their vocation. This episode explains why the Church practices this discipline, and offers reasons for why it’s a good idea.
Environmentalism is not a bad word.
I’ve always thought that the whole discussion about proving or disproving global warming was a distracting and irrelevant conversation.It has always seemed to me that whether or not global warming is true, or whether or not it is man made or naturally …
In Defense of Large Families
The other day I encountered another sad story. A woman who was filled with joy that she was carrying her fifth child but was afraid to tell anybody about it, a woman who was afraid of the comments she would receive for her gift of fertility and the joy…
Spiritual Communion and Vocation
The practice of making a Spiritual Communion is something you don’t hear too often these days. Devout Catholics recall this practice and may remember a prayer like this:My Jesus,I believe that Youare present in the Most Holy Sacrament.I love You above …
“If You’re Happy and You Know It, It’s a Sin”- Catholic Youth Dating and Purity
“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]
Choosing to Love, Now and Every Day (Review: “Chastity Is for Lovers”)
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]
Clothes On, Heart Full (Review: The Thrill of the Chaste, Catholic Edition)
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]
Whom Should I Vote For In 2016
The other day I was scammed by an individual posing as a Sprint employee. I had to change my credit card and accounts; not fun. Luckily there was no significant damage and life goes on; it happens. The greater damage was to my pride, a little dose of h…
One Love: the Diamond Gift of Chastity
A good book I am reading* begins by saying that the legend of the origin of the Indian Koohinoor diamond is that Krishna gave it to one of his disciples in response to his meditations. I tried to imagine Jesus giving me a diamond. “Have you ever given me a diamond, Jesus?” “If so, what… [Read More]
A Clarion Call to Catholic Men (Review: “Into the Breach”)
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]
Your Battle Plan Against Porn (Review: “Cleansed”)
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]
The Garment of Grace
On the Brown Scapular around my neck it reads, “Whosoever dies wearing this Scapular shall not suffer eternal fire.” What a promise Our Lady of Mount Carmel made to St. Simon Stock in 1251! On July 16, 2015, the Memorial of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, more than 50 people at St. Elizabeth of… [Read More]
Contemplative Prayer Workshop
The Secular Discalced Carmelites of the Diocese of Austin will hold a workshop on contemplation and prayer at St. Elizabeth’s Catholic Church in Pflugerville in honor of the 500th Anniversary of the birth of Doctor of the Church, St. Teresa of Jesus (St. Teresa of Avila), Carmelite reformer and co-foundress of the Discalced Carmelites, to… [Read More]
The World’s Greatest Love
As the Solemnity of Saint Joseph, Husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary approaches on March 19th let us contemplate the betrothal and love of Joseph and Mary, and how it can help couples and also single people in their search for a spouse. Pope Benedict XVI reminded us on July 5, 2010 that the “The… [Read More]
Chastity: Getting Real with Something No One Likes to Talk About
This blog starts with a definition, followed by a confession: Firstly, I want to define chastity. If you look up the definition of “chastity” in a dictionary, the first few definitions will say something like “abstaining for all sexual intercourse” or “see – chastity belt”. Not exactly the definition I’m going for here. If you… [Read More]
Priesthood and the Crucifixion
Do you remember the Pilgrimage of Prayer? In the last week, I have “stopped, looked, and listened.” It is beautiful when you and I can share with one other the fruits of our contemplation, the fruits and thoughts of our prayer. The Order of Preachers (nicknamed the Dominicans) uses that phrase to describe their vocation,… [Read More]
A Single Gal’s Girl Code
[girl·code] n. the unwritten understanding between girls (If you haven’t already figured out, this one is for the ladies. Sorry gentlemen.) My friend and I’s “Girl Code” from the third grade probably contained the following nuggets of wisdom: Boys have cooties. Stay away from them unless you’ve got your cootie shot. Don’t reveal who-likes-who when sworn… [Read More]
What Engagement Taught Me About Single Life
When I was single and all of my close friends were single, life was pretty great. We stayed up watching movies, talking, or going out dancing. We had girls night all the time, talked about boys, and attended as many Catholic happy-hours that we could manage, always looking out for that one Catholic guy who… [Read More]
Why I Believe in Gay Equality
First things first: I apologize for my extended hiatus from posting blogs. Let’s just say a lot of very significant and life-changing things happened to me one after another. Second things second: I’d like to return to my regularly scheduled programming by speaking about a rather snaggly issue in our state/country/world at the moment: gay… [Read More]
Almsgiving in Lent: Amplify Your 2014
During Lent, Catholics are asked to pray, fast and give alms. However, of the three, almsgiving is the most neglected. Prayer & Fasting We usually do pretty good on the prayer part. This is easy because our parishes help us with this one very well, providing increased opportunities for spiritual development at our parishes through… [Read More]
Relic of Patron Saint of Physicians to be Enshrined in Austin Clinic
AUSTIN, Texas— Austin Diocese Bishop Joe Vásquez and St. Gianna Physician Guild President Thomas McKenna conducted an enshrinement and blessing of a St. Gianna relic and picture at The Vitae Clinic, an Austin-based OB/GYN practice, on April 16. St. Gianna Molla is one of the Catholic Church’s newest saints – and is the patron saint of physicians and… [Read More]
New Evangelization, Reality TV, and Parenting
Effective parenting calls for new ways of communicating the Faith to children. In essence, parents must answer the call to the New Evangelization in their own homes with their own children. As parents, we’re called to find ways in every day life to convey the truths of the faith in ways that, perhaps, are a… [Read More]
Discernment As It Should Be
I was born into a wonderful catholic family with two amazing parents and the blessing of four siblings. My parents did a wonderful job in instilling the faith in me, showing me the gift of wonder and awe from a very early age. Looking back on my childhood, there is never a moment where Jesus… [Read More]
Thrive – Adult Education Nights
Despite seemingly endless debates and legislation on sex education, teenage pregnancy rates and the spread of STDs doesn’t seem to be getting any better. As a society, this is causing us to completely freak out about the future of the individual lives of these students as well as the future of our society as a… [Read More]
Dominican Sisters and The American Bible Challenge
As you might be aware of the Dominican Sisters of Mary have been contestants on this season’s “The American Bible Challenge” and will be appearing in the final at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT Thursday, May 23 on The Game Show Network. We had the opportunity to ask Sr. Maria Suso some questions about her and her follow Sister’s… [Read More]
Meditations on Mama Mary (Review: “The World’s First Love”)
Oh, May: the month of flowers, of the fullness of spring, of mothers, and especially of the Blessed Mother, Mary, the Mother of God. I must confess that I didn’t quite realize the convergence of these annual symbols when I selected my next book for this column; the Holy Spirit surprises me like that sometimes…. [Read More]
Parents: Quit Dumbing Down Sex for Your Kids
“Oh, we haven’t had ‘the talk’, but I’m dreading the day he asks,” a friend recently lamented. I was at a loss for what to say. You see, I think we dumb down the wrong things for our kids and focus, instead, on the silly things.We’re quick to buy that ticket to “Magic Mike” or… [Read More]
The Pro’s and Con of Dating A Catholic Man
Dating in the secular world is interesting, to put it mildly. It also happens to be confusing, messy, disordered and sometimes scary. I say this because I’ve done it. Because I’ve done it, I have had all too much practice having awkward conversations about why I go to mass as much as possible, why I… [Read More]
Jesus Had Battle Scars, Too (Review: “My Peace I Give You”)
Some things are difficult to talk about. There’s an adage that some things should never be discussed in mixed company: sex, politics, money, and religion. Well, I work in religion, and this is a Catholic blog, so brace yourselves. Now that the Church is ten years from the horror of the public revelation of the… [Read More]
Clothes On, Eyes Open (Review: “The Thrill of the Chaste”)
As I’ve mentioned before, I am a big fan of the theology of the body (TOB). It has changed the way I view past and future relationships and the way I relate to other people in my life, male and female. Most of what I’ve learned about TOB has been from Christopher West or from… [Read More]
John Paul II Life Center Hosts Second Annual Benefit: Let Freedom Ring
Hosts Second Annual Benefit Let Freedom Ring *** Austin, Texas, October 16, 2012 – On Wednesday, December 5th, the John Paul II Life Center is hosting their 2nd Inaugural Benefit Dinner at the AT&T Center at 7:00 p.m. His Eminence Cardinal Daniel DiNardo, Archbishop of Galveston-Houston and Pro-Life Chair of the US Catholic Conference… [Read More]
