Most young adults aren’t working their dream jobs, and it commonly leads to a lingering restlessness. Few people grow up wanting to have a desk job or work in service, and most of us never considered the amount of monotonous tasks required in the daily routine in regular jobs. When we search our hearts, we all want… [Read More]
Parenting teens with mace… I mean, GRACE
After a fierce conflict on the battle- field that parenting a teenager is at times, I was standing in my front yard trying to calm down. I was furious, so calm was not easy to come by. I tried to look around and notice my surroundings, to take refuge in the present moment. It was… [Read More]
Sunday Says Podcast – February 8, 2015 Mass Readings and Reflection
Sunday, February 8, 2015 Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time Lectionary: 74 (NAB Translation)(Jerusalem Bible Translation) [powerpress] Reading 1 Job 7:1-4, 6-7 This first reading from the Prophet Job is very characteristic of this classic prophet. You can clearly hear a tone of suffering in the excerpt from a conversation between Job and his friends. This… [Read More]
Keeping Each Other Accountable: Fifty Shades of Grey
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]
Wails from the Cry Room: A Design for the Future
What’s the least desirable place inside any church to attend Mass? The cry room, of course. Spending time inside a cry room is a little bit like visiting a mini war zone or taking a trip back to the wild, wild west. You step into a crowded cry room and immediately feel, and sometimes smell,… [Read More]
When Religion Gets Real (Review: “Yom Kippur as Manifest in an Approaching Dorsal Fin”)
If I were Jewish, I would still write about my faith. I’m not Jewish, and I don’t plan on becoming a Jew. But I am Catholic, and you can probably tell from my writing here at Austin CNM or on my personal blog that I write a lot about my faith. It’s such a huge… [Read More]
Sunday Says – February 1, 2015 Mass Readings and Reflection
Sunday February 1, 2015 Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time Lectionary: 71 (NAB Readings) (Jerusalem Bible) Reading 1 Deuteronomy 18:15-20 This week’s first reading from the book of Deuteronomy is an introduction to the concept of the prophet as a singular voice from God. There was a fear that a direct encounter with God, even just… [Read More]
Hope Is Beneath Despair
Too often we fail to recognize the fidelity of God in our lives. I could quote to you every other line of Psalm 136: “…his steadfast love endures forever,” but that’s not always the response we’re looking for, is it? The answer is true, sure. Thomas Merton calls the Book of Psalms bread in the… [Read More]
3rd Annual Catholic Men’s Conference in Austin – February 21, 2015
One of the most important issues in the world today is the need for a clear understanding of masculinity. It goes beyond the stereotypes and machismo. There is on perfect mold that all men can fit into, but there is a singular call to live out our lives in pursuit of Jesus in the way… [Read More]
5 Things to Do When You Don’t Know What to Do: A Survival Kit
When you are in a time of intense suffering; grief, dread, or emotional overload, when you are walking around the house just staring at things, when getting through the day seems impossible, and you don’t know what to do with yourself, read this: 1. Do the next right thing. This might be eating a sandwich,… [Read More]
Interview with a Lay Missionary Going to Asia
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to go to take the Gospel to people that don’t know about Him? In our current era, it’s hard to imagine a way that one could live without hearing the name of Jesus, but there are still a vast amount of people that do no know… [Read More]
Sunday Says Podcast – January 25, 2015 Mass Readings and Reflections
[powerpress] Sunday January 25, 2015 Lectionary: 68 Third Sunday of Ordinary Time (NAB Translation) Welcome to the Sunday Says podcast for January 25, 2015, the 3rd Sunday of Ordinary Time. We’re glad that you have joined us as we break open the Word of God in preparation for Mass. This week we continue the theme… [Read More]
Congrats Bishop-Elect Danny Garcia!
Fr. Danny Garcia, the vicar general of the Diocese of Austin and the former longtime pastor of St. Vincent de Paul Parish in north Austin has been named by Pope Francis as the first auxiliary bishop of Austin! UPDATE: More about Bishop-Elect Garcia can be found in the Diocesan announcement. Bishop-Elect Garcia will be ordained… [Read More]
Martha on the Wall
Some of us are Marthas, and some of us are Marys. For me, the writing — or at least the picture — was on the wall. I had never given too much thought into Luke’s story about Martha welcoming Jesus and associates into her home, getting right to work serving them and eventually learning to… [Read More]
Feminized, Feminine, or Human? (A Response to Cardinal Burke on the “Catholic Man-Crisis”)
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]
Let Yourself be Surprised and Transformed!
I started this year in a different way: going on a mission trip with a group of Schoenstatt girl’s youth in a small, humble town in the countryside of Chile. Now I am convinced that there is no better way to have begun 2015! I am deeply grateful for all that happened; the experience was a… [Read More]
Oh Speciosam Altaris Sacramento: How Powerful and Loving
In my time of being in the seminary my love and awe of the Blessed Sacrament of the Eucharist has increased tremendously and I am convinced with full conviction that when I receive the Eucharist at Mass, I am receiving the fullness of Christ within me and I am being received into full communion with… [Read More]
Dejarte Sorprender y Transformar
Empecé este año de manera diferente: yendo a misiones con un grupo de jóvenes de Schoenstatt en un pueblito del campo en Chile. Ahora estoy convencido que no hay mejor manera de haber empezado 2015. Estoy profundamente agradecida por todo lo que pasó y todo lo que Dios me hizo experimentar, regalar y sacrificar… [Read More]
Sunday Says Podcast – January 18, 2015 Mass Readings and Reflection
Sunday, January 18. 2015 Second Sunday of Ordinary Time Lectionary: 65 (NAB Translation) (Jerusalem Translation) [powerpress] We’re back in Ordinary time after several weeks of preparation and celebration. This week there is a clear and obvious message that we get from the readings – hearing the call from God. Reading 1 1 Samuel 3:3B-10, 19… [Read More]
Local Workshop for Music Ministry
The arts are a necessary part of the work of the Church. The beauty of good art is not just superficial positive emotions about Jesus, rather beauty is in support and extension of Truth. It requires craftsmanship and skill to execute effectively. In recent generations, with a lack of training and attention on the arts, parishes scrambled to find… [Read More]
Prayer without “Praying”
“Today, the vegetables would like to be chopped By someone who is singing God’s Name.” ~ Hafiz A few mornings ago, sitting at the table with my coffee, looking out over the meadow, I noticed with a smile, the moon in the brightening sky. It was a rich gold, shining out momentarily as the… [Read More]
Sunday Says Podcast – January 11, 2015 Mass Readings and Reflection
The Baptism of the Lord Sunday January 11, 2015 Lectionary: 21 (NAB Translation) (Jerusalem Bible Translation) [powerpress] We celebrate the official end to the great season of Christmas with this week’s Solemnity. Reading 1 Isaiah 42:1-4, 6-7 The first reading from the prophet Isaiah returns to a period where we placed a lot of our… [Read More]
A Centenarian’s Lesson: Don’t Wait for Tomorrow
Raise your hand if you are a procrastinator. (If you raise your hand later, I’ll understand.) Of all the things we sometimes put off during the course of our lives, there is one thing far more important than anything else that we should never wait to do: follow Christ. Never was this point made more… [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]
Sunday Says Podcast – January 04, 2015 Mass Readings and Reflections
[powerpress] Sunday Says Podcast – January 04, 2015 Mass Readings and Reflections Sunday January 04, 2015 Lectionary: 20 Feast of the Epiphany (NAB Translation) Welcome to the Sunday Says podcast for January 4, 2015, the Feast of the Epiphany of our Lord. Thank you for joining us as we familiarize ourselves with the Liturgy of… [Read More]
Time To Say No To Greatness
Have you ever asked Jesus what his new year resolution was? Use that cute “WWJD” question form and ask him. It might be a silly question, considering the degree of his perfection (you know, infinitely perfect and what not). But really, what would Jesus do? Would he tell you to let your yes mean yes… [Read More]
Our Christian Vocation Is Like That of The Three Kings!
Every Christmas we ready ourselves for the birth of our Lord with lights, lights, and more lights. We string lights on Christmas trees, wreaths, and nativity sets; we outline windows, rooftops and walkways. We decorate our downtown trees and light poles with lights and some neighborhood yards are aglow with lighted reindeer, snowmen, and nativity… [Read More]
Top 12 Austin CNM Posts of 2014
The end of a year always presents a good time for reflection. This year, Facebook’s algorithms have filled our news feeds with an auto-generated look back at our friend’s years. This one wasn’t automatically computed because the following list only includes posts that were written in 2014 and also excludes our popular Sunday Says Podcast… [Read More]
“What do nuns do for Christmas?” Learning about Consecrated Life
During Advent, I asked the Friars, Priests and Sisters what they do for Christmas in their communities. I called a cloistered Carmelite convent and asked what the nuns do for Christmas. I read accounts in articles and on web sites of Christmas at monasteries. I didn’t really know why I was doing it, or… [Read More]
To All Adults, at Christmas
I would like to give you, dear reader, this poem as a gift, in the spirit of the 12 days of Christmas and traveling with the Magi towards Epiphany, to give our humble gifts to the Christ Child. Many Christmas blessings to you all, and a joyful New Year! My dear Adult, ‘tis Christmas time,… [Read More]
Sunday Says – December 28, 2014 Mass Readings and Reflection
December 28, 2014 Feast of The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph Lectionary: 17 (NAB Readings) (Jerusalem Bible Translation) This is a Sunday mass that has several options for the each of the readings, Responsorial Psalm, Gospel Acclamation, and Gospel lengths. The version or length could vary grately from parish to parish, but the… [Read More]
Dear Little Sister: A Christmas Letter
It’s a little late in the game to issue you an Advent challenge. Instead, as my gift to you this Christmas Eve, I’m turning over this blog space to a distinguished guest author: my eight-year-old daughter. First, some background information: In our household we’ve always tried to focus much more on Jesus than Santa during… [Read More]
Pope Francis Calls Out the Curia (and All of Us)
This is the time of year when many of us begin narrowing down our New Year’s resolutions. I have had great success with resolutions I make throughout the year: drinking water, managing a better to-do list, and blogging more frequently. Your mileage may vary. Pope Francis, however, seems to be on top of the end-of-the-year… [Read More]
Holiday Stress During the “Most Wonderful Time of the Year”
This is what happens: you’re strolling along in September, enjoying football season and pretending that Texas actually has a season called “fall”, and you begin to anticipate the joy of the holidays. Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas… so much fun to be had! Then you step into Halloween and somehow, also into a time warp that hurls… [Read More]
Sunday Says Podcast – December 21, 2014 Mass Readings and Reflections
[powerpress] Sunday December 21, 2014 Lectionary: 11 Fourth Sunday of Advent (NAB Translation) Welcome to the Sunday Says podcast for December 21, 2014, the Fourth Sunday of Advent. Thank you for joining us as we begin preparing our hearts and minds for Mass by previewing and reflecting on the readings. The selected readings this week place… [Read More]
The Perfect Christmas Gift
This Christmas give your child “the perfect Christmas gift”: Your Blessing! According the Church’s official book on blessings Jesus loved blessing children for when God took on our human flesh he, “Gave us a new gift in every blessing.” (Book of Blessings # 2,3) Even when Jesus was most exhausted and the apostles wanted him… [Read More]
Where’s Baby Jesus? – The Empty Manger
Getting ready for Christmas was my favorite time of year as a little boy. I was blessed to grow up in a very Catholic family, and I was always fascinated by nativity scenes and their symbolism. There is something about baby Jesus that really spoke to me as a kid. My biggest issue was that He… [Read More]
A Bobly Day of Skin Religion
He was feeling more emotional than usual because of a new seizure medication we were trying, and a steroid he had to take for brain swelling. We decided a brisk night walk would do both of us good, so he put on his big poncho, I put on my coat, and we headed out. In… [Read More]
Austin CARITAS Mission 2015!
Dear readers! We are in the Third Week of Advent, with Gaudete Sunday! How are you going to share the joy of Christ? This is my Advent Challenge, simply put – how you will go out, as Pope Francis as said so many times, to the periphery to share the joy of the Gospel, to… [Read More]
Sunday Says – December 14, 2014 Mass Readings and Reflection
Sunday December 14, 2014 Third Sunday of Advent Lectionary: 8 (NAB Readings)(Jerusalem Bible Translation) The Third Sunday of Advent, Gaudete Sunday, is unique among the four weeks. On the Advent wreath, this is the one week that is pink instead of purple. You might also see the liturgical vestments change color to rose, but most… [Read More]
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