Archives for 2011

Apparently, I came into the Church just a few weeks too soon. According to some of my Protestant friends, the Rapture is going to occur on Saturday. Too bad I’ve already signed my deal with the Devil. It’s okay – I’ll be following my Rapture Ready friends around, waiting to scavenge any awesome clothes and/or… [Read More]

There’s a song on the radio called “I Will Follow” by Chris Tomlin. The song is about following God no matter where he  takes us. After listening to that song, I began to think about what it means to follow Jesus in our every day lives, which then got me thinking, what does it mean… [Read More]

In light of the killing of Osama bin Laden, it is difficult for many of us Catholic Christians to truly express and articulate how we feel. Yes, there is a definite sense or relief, and almost joy, in the fact that this man who killed & hated many, including Americans and Christians, can no longer… [Read More]

Each month, the Pope asks the Catholic world to join him in a common prayer. This month, we pray that those who work in the media may always respect truth, solidarity and the dignity of each person. For our missionaries, we pray that the Lord may grant the Church in China the capacity to persevere… [Read More]

About two months ago, I wrote a post on my personal blog entitled, “Why is the Catholic Mass So Boring?”  Now, let me offer this disclaimer: I do not find the Mass boring.  The Mass is the intermingling of heaven and earth, where the body of Christ (both the heavenly and earthly Church) meet the… [Read More]

The time has come for our second meet up of 2011. Last fall when we began trying to coordinate details for meet ups, we were unsure of how many people would be interested in getting together. Meet ups are very common these days, and it seems like you can find one for every niche discovered… [Read More]

Continued from Here and Here I knew I wasn’t going to be able to enter the Church that Easter, but I still wanted to participate in Lent. Being the OH so brilliant person that I am (sarcasm), I decided that giving up caffeine and coffee for Lent would be an adequate sacrifice. Except I was… [Read More]

The following blog post was provide to us by Martina Kreitzer, Austin Catholic New Media’s newest contributor. I was chatting earlier today with an online Catholic “sista,” someone I’ve known through my online Catholic community for several years now.  On her Facebook wall, she had posted a link from Abby Johnson, a friend and former Planned… [Read More]

A Mormon approached me the other day while I was walking through my neighborhood and started talking to me about his beliefs. I always enjoy talking to people of other faiths, especially those that are convicted enough to try and teach others what they believe at random. They are no real threat to my faith,… [Read More]

Bishop Joe Vásquez of the Diocese of Austin has done it again. People are protesting. Among the protesters are former Austin Mayor Gus Garcia and local activists. And people are upset. According to the local paper, “More than a dozen Catholic parishioners” are upset. Yup, Bishop Joe has done it again. He’s stood up for… [Read More]

Continued from Part 1. That first Mass I visited with my fiance (we’ll call him Tom) was an experience I’ll never forget. I had been reading about Catholic theology, but had done next-to-no research about what actually happens at Mass. I scoured message boards, trying desperately to find a post that broke it down into… [Read More]

I was on a retreat last summer when my friend Elizabeth, a novice with the Servants of the 11th Hour, taught us to pray “and bless the hands that made the food” after grace. At first, I was a little flattered as I was one of those who helped cook lunch. By end of the… [Read More]

When this post goes live, there will be just twenty days remaining before Easter Sunday.  I can’t help but wonder where the time has gone. It seems like just a few days ago when we entered into prayer and fasting on Ash Wednesday.  The whole season of Lent, with its promises of sacrifice and devotion,… [Read More]

The fact that God permits physical and even moral evil is a mystery that God illuminates by his Son Jesus Christ who died and rose to vanquish evil. Faith gives us the certainty that God would not permit an evil if he did not cause a good to come from that very evil, by ways… [Read More]

“Life without Jesus, is like a donut, like a donut, like a donut. . .” Rob Evans, aka, The Donut Man, penned the song that was the overarching musical theme of my childhood. (For all you cradle Catholics who haven’t a clue what I’m talking about, the punchline to the song is ‘Cause there’s a… [Read More]

This past Sunday Archbishop Timothy Dolan took another step towards cementing his position as one of the leading voices in the American church. In an interview conducted on “60 Minutes” the Archbishop tackled the subjects that are always at the forefront when anyone from the Church is put in front of the camera. Those being… [Read More]

[The following posting, written by Joe Sales, originally appeared on his blog on April 25, 2010 and is reprinted with his permission.]  There are so many prayers i have gotten to know over the years. If  someone were to ask me the question, what are your favorite prayers? Well in all honesty, the prayers that reach heaven  And yes i… [Read More]

Each month, the Pope asks the Catholic world to join him in a common prayer. This month, we pray that the Church may offer new generations, through the believable proclamation of the Gospel, ever-new reasons of life and hope. For our missionaries, we pray that missionaries, with the proclamation of the Gospel and their witness… [Read More]

I’m a story-teller. I love to write and I am a photographer. Short stories, poetry, blogs, faith reflections, a single photo or a series of photos… pretty much anything that can evoke a sense of peace, a sense of worry, a sense of anger, a sense of joy, a sense of faith, or evoke memories… [Read More]

My wife and I moved last summer from a little condo to a house. In both cases, there was a homeowners’ association (HOA). Our previous HOA wasn’t very active–there were a few active folks, but everyone else was apathetic. The new place is a whole different story. Many active people in many different committees and… [Read More]