• A Voice in the Church of Central TX

ATX Catholic

A Voice in the Church in Central Texas

  • Articles
  • Podcast Archive
  • About ATX Catholic
    • Contact Us
    • Contributors
You are here: Home / Archives for Rachel

About Rachel

Cradle Catholic in a family of 6. Austin native. UT Alumna. Bachelor's in Psychology and Latin American Studies. Master's in Counseling. Bi-lingual. Currently living out the vocation to be an every day saint serving Him as a family therapist. Trying anew each day to be faithful to that Eternal Love that is the Reason for everything.

Look Up, Child: An Invitation for Holy Week

Published April 16, 2019 • Written by Rachel Filed Under: Blog

Lent has ended and Holy Week has begun. And you might say that we have all lived a really “good” Lent. The beginning of Lent was marked in a special way, coming as it did on the heels of Pope Francis’ meeting about the abuse crisis with all of the bishops in Rome. Now as… [Read More]

Written by Rachel • Published April 16, 2019

A “Small” Christmas Poem

Published December 25, 2018 • Written by Rachel Filed Under: Blog

Merry Christmas dear readers! May you be drawn this Christmas into the humility and smallness of the Christ Child – for our world is hungry for hearts that are uncomplicated and open, humble and warm. Let us make a home for others in our hearts this Christmas, through the grace of smallness that the God-Made-Man… [Read More]

Written by Rachel • Published December 25, 2018

Order, Disorder and Grace in Advent

Published December 15, 2018 • Written by Rachel Filed Under: Blog

I’m looking forward to offering these thoughts to you, dear readers, to be a small light on your Advent journey towards Christ. In His Providence, all these pieces fell together over the past few weeks. That doesn’t always happen in blogging, but when it does, it gives me the sense that the Lord is up… [Read More]

Written by Rachel • Published December 15, 2018

Bishop Joe calls for a Novena of Reparation – this week!

Published October 8, 2018 • Written by Rachel Filed Under: Blog

Bishop Joe Vasquez of the Diocese of Austin has called all faithful to join in a Novena of Reparation starting Tuesday, October 9th through October 17th to pray for victims of abuse and offer prayers of reparation. In an interview from August, when the Pennsylvania grand jury news broke, Bishop Joe said the following:  Editor:… [Read More]

Written by Rachel • Published October 8, 2018

One Way to Be An Answer to the Current Crisis

Published September 7, 2018 • Written by Rachel Filed Under: Blog

  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]

Written by Rachel • Published September 7, 2018

Summer Reading: A Few Quick Book Reviews

Published August 6, 2018 • Written by Rachel Filed Under: Blog

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]

Written by Rachel • Published August 6, 2018

The American Personality and our Mission as Catholics

Published July 4, 2018 • Written by Rachel Filed Under: Blog

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]

Written by Rachel • Published July 4, 2018

Sin? Not a problem.

Published June 11, 2018 • Written by Rachel Filed Under: Faith, Prayer, Resources, Young Adult

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]

Written by Rachel • Published June 11, 2018

The Unofficial Start to Summer: Now What?

Published May 28, 2018 • Written by Rachel Filed Under: Blog

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]

Written by Rachel • Published May 28, 2018

Dear Austin, let us pray…

Published March 21, 2018 • Written by Rachel Filed Under: Blog, Faith, Prayer, Resources, Social Justice, World and News

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]

Written by Rachel • Published March 21, 2018

The “Waze” of God

Published March 3, 2018 • Written by Rachel Filed Under: Blog

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]

Written by Rachel • Published March 3, 2018

CARITAS: Beginning the Year on Mission with the Mother of God

Published January 19, 2018 • Written by Rachel Filed Under: Blog

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]

Written by Rachel • Published January 19, 2018

Spiritual Nourishment for the Last Week of Advent

Published December 18, 2017 • Written by Rachel Filed Under: Blog

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]

Written by Rachel • Published December 18, 2017

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

Making the Root of Holy Wisdom Our Own

Published November 13, 2017 • Written by Rachel Filed Under: Blog, Faith, Prayer, Resources, World and News, Young Adult

“…and he shall find her sitting by his gate.” You know those moments when you’ve been thinking about or reading about something, and then it happens to come up at Sunday mass? When the readings or the homily are about exactly what’s been on your mind/heart? I love when that happens! That happened to me… [Read More]

Written by Rachel • Published November 13, 2017

I Already Love You (The False Self Part II)

Published October 16, 2017 • Written by Rachel Filed Under: Blog, Faith, Prayer, Young Adult

Since the last post seemed have struck a chord with y’all (I received quite a response!) I wanted to pick up where we left off, and give you my two best “signposts” for how to move forward in this whole allow-your-false-self-to-be-chiseled-away thing. Signpost #1: Keep your eyes fixed on our merciful, loving Father There is… [Read More]

Written by Rachel • Published October 16, 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

The Crowd Mentality of Today (Conviction & Stress Part II)

Published September 4, 2017 • Written by Rachel Filed Under: Blog, Faith, Family, Prayer, Resources, Social Media and Tech, Young Adult, Youth

When I was young I had an odd, somewhat unconscious anxious habit. Someone would say, “It’s like in that movie _______, ya know?” and I would say, “Yeah,” and they’d continue with their story. The conversation kept flowing, the other thought I was in tune with them, and all was well. Except that I had… [Read More]

Written by Rachel • Published September 4, 2017

Conviction, Belief & Stress

Published August 21, 2017 • Written by Rachel Filed Under: Blog

I hope this isn’t like every other blog about stress management. Rather than practical techniques to reduce stress (which are important nonetheless), I’d like to draw attention to the longer term project that you might say awaits each of us: How do I manage myself when things get difficult? And how can I work on… [Read More]

Written by Rachel • Published August 21, 2017

Calling all young adults! – An invitation to sit down with our Bishops

Published August 1, 2017 • Written by Rachel Filed Under: Events, Young Adult, Youth

What are you doing next Monday evening? Young adults between the ages of 18 and 35 are invited to attend a Diocese of Austin listening session with Bishop Joe Vásquez and Bishop Danny Garcia on August 7 from 6-8 pm at St. Louis, Austin. This listening session will assist the diocese in preparation for the… [Read More]

Written by Rachel • Published August 1, 2017

¿Tienes planes ESTE VIERNES? ¡El Obispo de Austin quiere hablar contigo!

Published August 1, 2017 • Written by Rachel Filed Under: En Español, Eventos Locales

  Si tienes 18-35 años de edad y hablas español, esta invitación para ti! Aparta el 4 de agosto de 6-8 p.m. y acompaña al Obispo Joe Vásquez, y al Obispo Danny García, en la parroquia de St. Helen en Georgetown. Sera una sesión de escucha que ayudara a la diócesis en preparación al Sínodo… [Read More]

Written by Rachel • Published August 1, 2017

#CatholicConvo Through the Eyes of an Texan

Published July 13, 2017 • Written by Rachel Filed Under: Blog, Events, Faith, Resources, Social Media and Tech, Young Adult

  “Uplifting, motivating, challenging, community, transformative.” That’s how Theresa Prudhomme, a mid 20s young professional from Katy, describes her experience of #CatholicConvo in 5 words or less.  The weekend before last, while we were all firing up the grill and making July 4th plans, Theresa joined thousands of lay leaders, religious, priests and bishops from across… [Read More]

Written by Rachel • Published July 13, 2017

Summer for your Soul

Published June 26, 2017 • Written by Rachel Filed Under: Blog, Faith, Family, Prayer, Young Adult

  In the Sunday homily yesterday, the priest preached about the relationship between the body and the soul, taking this line of scripture from the Gospel reading as a starting place: “And do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather, be afraid of the one who can destroy… [Read More]

Written by Rachel • Published June 26, 2017

Freedom & our relationship to God: Are we galley slaves or free children?

Published June 12, 2017 • Written by Rachel Filed Under: Blog, Faith, Prayer, Young Adult

In the echoes of Trinity Sunday, I found myself thinking about how we are called to relate to this mystery that is the Triune God, and how we are made in the image of God.  The priest reflected on this during his Sunday homily, about how it’s pretty much impossible for our minds to capture how… [Read More]

Written by Rachel • Published June 12, 2017

Why Mary?

Published May 20, 2017 • Written by Rachel Filed Under: Blog

In our culture and our American church, I come across this question quite often – Why Mary? Sometimes its connected to other related questions like: Can you ever pray too much to Mary? How do I know if I’m worshipping Mary or praying to her for intercession? Does praying to Mary distract from Jesus? And… [Read More]

Written by Rachel • Published May 20, 2017

The Freedom that Comes When Our “Yes” Means “Yes”

Published May 1, 2017 • Written by Rachel Filed Under: Blog

I was late the other day (again) on my way somewhere, and I was driving, this scripture came to mind: Let your ‘Yes’ mean ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No’ mean ‘No.’ Anything more is from the evil one. Matt 5:37  (NABRE) Have you ever made a decision, and then tried to avoid the consequences of that… [Read More]

Written by Rachel • Published May 1, 2017

How does modern man best hear the call the conversion?

Published April 3, 2017 • Written by Rachel Filed Under: Blog, Faith, Young Adult, Youth

In this liturgical season of conversion, we are faced with the question: Just exactly how does “conversion” happen? How is change possible in our daily lives, and in a lasting way? I’d like to go deeper into thoughts from my last post, as a kind of part II (see: Living Lent Like a Little One)…. [Read More]

Written by Rachel • Published April 3, 2017

Living Lent like a Little One

Published March 20, 2017 • Written by Rachel Filed Under: Blog, Faith, Family, Prayer, Resources, Young Adult, Youth

Lent is a season of conversion, a call to repentance, a time of turning back to God. To me, these are Christ’s most striking words on conversion: Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.  (Matthew 18:3) Unless you turn and become! We shall not enter… [Read More]

Written by Rachel • Published March 20, 2017

Meditation and Emotions (Part II)

Published February 20, 2017 • Written by Rachel Filed Under: Blog, Faith, Prayer, Resources, Young Adult

This is a follow up to my last post, Meditation and Decisive Times, where I attempted to sketch the basics of what it means to meditate on life, as a way to grow in love and closeness to God, and a way to help foster a deep and integrated inner life.  Out of this deep inner… [Read More]

Written by Rachel • Published February 20, 2017

Meditation and Decisive Times

Published February 6, 2017 • Written by Rachel Filed Under: Blog, Events, Faith, Prayer, Resources, Young Adult

   We live in decisive times. And while perhaps that’s always true in some way, I think we can say that in a particle way about our times today. I don’t have to describe it for you too much, because you live it as well. Tensions are high. The pace of available information is frenetic. And… [Read More]

Written by Rachel • Published February 6, 2017

Tis Humility

Published December 26, 2016 • Written by Rachel Filed Under: Faith, Family, Prayer, Young Adult

A remark during the homily at midnight mass really struck me. The priest reflected how each Christmas is different, not because the Gospel story changes -indeed the story is everlasting – but because we come to Christmas each year a little bit different. Each year we bring with us the lived experiences of the whole past year…. [Read More]

Written by Rachel • Published December 26, 2016

Of Mary, Never Enough

Published December 22, 2016 • Written by Rachel Filed Under: Blog, Faith, Family, Prayer

“De Maria, nunquam satis!,” St Bernard of Clairvaux once said. Of Mary, never enough!  In these last few days before the great feast of Christmas, perhaps you’re feeling harried or haven’t had time to prayerfully prepare, or just aren’t quite into the Christmas. Or perhaps you’re drowning in carols all day, but not feeling very contemplative or… [Read More]

Written by Rachel • Published December 22, 2016

Objectivity & Healthy Self-love: An Advent reflection on “Catholic Guilt”

Published November 28, 2016 • Written by Rachel Filed Under: Blog, Faith, Prayer, Young Adult

“Catholic guilt” came up recently in a conversation about psychology and religion. It also came up sometimes back in my grad school counseling classes. In these conversations, I often hear the question, “Isn’t “Catholic guilt” psychologically unhealthy?” I think it’s a great question. Can there be something unhealthy about guilt? I think so. How can we clarify… [Read More]

Written by Rachel • Published November 28, 2016

An Age of Mercy & Misericordia et Misera

Published November 21, 2016 • Written by Rachel Filed Under: Blog

Last Sunday as we were celebrating the closing of the Year of Mercy around the Diocese, my friend and I were talking about how we were kinda sad to see the Year of Mercy end. She turned to me and said – you know how we had the age of Enlightenment? And the age of the… [Read More]

Written by Rachel • Published November 21, 2016

Challenges (and answers?) of Election 2016

Published October 31, 2016 • Written by Rachel Filed Under: Blog

It’s not really surprising to me how this election has gone. The fact that we ‘ended up’ with the nominees that we did on both sides, the trend of seemingly ever-increasing polarization, each side out-doing the other in ad-hominem attacks and blow backs each day, frequent new leaks of scandal-inducing info that triggers media frenzy, each… [Read More]

Written by Rachel • Published October 31, 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

A Labor of Love

Published September 5, 2016 • Written by Rachel Filed Under: Faith, Family, Prayer, Young Adult, Youth

We often get distracted from the best thing because we pursue many good things. This thought is the key with which Fr Patricio Rodriguez, ISP, opened up this passage from the Gospel of Luke in a recent homily: At daybreak, Jesus left and went to a deserted place. The crowds went looking for him, and when they… [Read More]

Written by Rachel • Published September 5, 2016

An Organic Approach to the Assumption & Queenship of Mary

Published August 22, 2016 • Written by Rachel Filed Under: Blog

I’d like to offer some thoughts on an organic approach to understanding the Assumption and Queenship of Mary. What do I mean by organic? Mostly I mean an understanding that captures the organic connection between ideas and life. For example, you think about it something but those thoughts don’t permeate your actual life, don’t actually shape your… [Read More]

Written by Rachel • Published August 22, 2016

Leadership in Difficult Times: Thanking God for Pope Francis

Published August 8, 2016 • Written by Rachel Filed Under: Blog

There’s plenty to be anxious about right now. Plenty to sweat over and stress over and just wear ourselves out with worry over. It could make anyone want to live under a rock — honestly I kinda understand the appeal of living under a rock as a reactive response to everything that’s happening. Against the… [Read More]

Written by Rachel • Published August 8, 2016

America: On the Forces that Shape Us

Published July 11, 2016 • Written by Rachel Filed Under: Blog, Events, Faith, Prayer, Social Justice

It’s always difficult to put into words the transformation that happens within a human heart as it works to grasp the reality of tragic news unfolding. I hopped into my car Friday morning totally ignorant of what happened in Dallas Thursday night. When I switched on NPR like usual, my mind tripped over itself trying to comprehend. It was… [Read More]

Written by Rachel • Published July 11, 2016

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • Next Page »

Translate Site

Subscribe via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 1,516 other subscribers

Latest Posts

August 2022 Pilgrimage to Shrines in Mexico

By Deacon Guadalupe Rodriguez

Pilgrimage to Shrines of Mexico Fall 2021

By Deacon Guadalupe Rodriguez

Site Stats

  • 1,811,880 Views

Today’s Top Posts

  • A Mother's letter to her daughter for her Confirmation
    A Mother's letter to her daughter for her Confirmation
  • Angels & Dragons XXIV: The Scapular of Saint Michael the Archangel
    Angels & Dragons XXIV: The Scapular of Saint Michael the Archangel
  • Angels & Dragons III: The St. Michael Relic Stone
    Angels & Dragons III: The St. Michael Relic Stone
  • ATX Catholic
We are dedicated to bringing the good news of Jesus Christ into the world through engaging new and social media, with particular focus on Catholics in the Diocese of Austin.

Ora Pro Nobis

St John Paul II
St John Paul II
Our Lady of Guadalupe
Our Lady of Guadalupe
Ven. Fulton Sheen
Ven. Fulton Sheen

Catholic News Service

2023 Catholic Social Ministry Gathering a ‘sign of faith, hope and love coming alive’

• Copyright © 2023 ATX Catholic • All content posted on this site is copyright of ATX Catholic unless credited otherwise. All links and partners are indirectly affiliated with ATX Catholic and do not necessarily express the views of this group. We work to support the local church in the Diocese of Austin, but ATX Catholic does not directly represent or speak for Bishop Joe Vásquez or the Diocese of Austin.

 

Loading Comments...