And they were bringing even their babies to Him so that He would touch them, but when the disciples saw it, they began rebuking them. But Jesus called for them, saying, ‘Permit the children to come to Me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.’ -Luke 18:… [Read More]
When Holidays Are Sad
Even though Christmas is “the most wonderful time of the year” and the world seems awash with cheerfulness, color and lights, the holidays can be sad for some. It’s sad for some because of the death of a loved one or because it can be a reminder of the broken family someone comes from or… [Read More]
He Waited for Me, So I’ll Wait for Him
I waited and waited and waited, then God finally showed up about three decades later. Actually, I have that backwards. It's the Lord who waited so long for me, and I finally showed up. With all that waiting in mind, Advent is a prudent time to ponder the past and prepare for the future. My… [Read More]
Called to Love (Review: Gay & Catholic)
If not for my particular faith journey, I might never have read this book. I started going to church at the age many people first stop. Campus ministry is how I met Gabriel, who blogs at Mudblood Catholic. His writing is highly philosophical and remarkably eloquent. I enjoy his writing because he is honest, faithful,… [Read More]
Sunday Says – December 7, 2014 Mass Readings and Reflection
Sunday December 7, 2014 Second Sunday of Advent Lectionary: 5 Reading 1 Isaiah 40:1-5, 9-11 This week’s first reading from the Prophet Isaiah takes place in an high point for the Hebrews. At this time, this was a whole generation that had never lived in Jerusalem, and they were on a return journey to… [Read More]
What Are We Waiting For?
What are we waiting for? We are waiting for Jesus to come, yes, for his advent. He makes the first move. It is true that we love him only because he has first loved us (1 Jn 4:19). It is true that it is he who has called us out of the darkness of sin into… [Read More]
12 Faces that Show the Struggles of Advent
We often take ourselves too seriously, especially when it comes to the pursuit of holiness. Too often do I come across misconceptions about the many limitations and boxes people confine their notions of what saintliness can or should look like. I often think it’s because of the misunderstanding of what it means to seek God…. [Read More]
Shopping with Jesus
“When Black Friday comes, I’m gonna dig myself a hole, I’m gonna lay down in it ‘till I satisfy my soul.” -Steely Dan The Advent Season is at the same time as the Shopping Season. I wish it wasn’t so. I wish, when December comes, that I could spend my Advent and Christmas as a… [Read More]
The Advent of Our Mission
I spent this Thanksgiving looking into our country from the outside, since right now I’m doing a bit of traveling in South America. So naturally, I had to explain to lots of curious friends and strangers what exactly we were celebrating last Thursday. And being the typical American that I am, I had to research… [Read More]
The Challenge of Advent
“Jesus said to his disciples: ‘Be watchful! Be alert!…’ ” Advent is a challenging time for Catholics. With the exception of Mass, it’s easy to let Advent be consumed and overshadowed in our daily lives, as society pushes Halloween into Christmas with a small glint of Thanksgiving thrown in. “….You do not know when the… [Read More]
Do You “Like” God?
What’s the last thing you do as your head hits the pillow at night or the first thing you do at the moment you wake up in the morning? In this age of constant connectedness, many of us take one last look at our email or social media before hitting the sack and another quick… [Read More]
The Church’s Teaching on Marriage Hasn’t Changed (A Response to #Synod14 and the Humanum Colloquium)
I think it’s safe to say that the synod was a media fiasco. The last time Catholics looked quite that bad was during the U.S. clerical sex abuse scandal, but that was twelve years ago, and the Church has come so far since then (thanks be to God). We might never recover our damaged reputation… [Read More]
5 Ways to Survive Awkward Thanksgiving Moments
Let’s face it: not all of us have the 60’s-TV-sitcom-family experience during the holidays. Some of us may have small families, large families that never see each other, families that see each other too much, or maybe families that consist of friends and no actual blood relations. And while we may love our families however they… [Read More]
Sunday Says Podcast – November 23, 2014 Mass Readings and Reflection
Sunday November 23, 2014 The Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe [powerpress] Reflection starts at 6:30 minute mark. Lectionary: 160 (NAB Translation) (Jerusalem Bible Translation) This week is a special solemnity in the Church. This is the last Sunday in the Liturgical calendar, where we cap it off in… [Read More]
Does Forgiving Always Mean Forgetting?
Forgiveness is one of the most difficult admonitions that Christ has given to us. Its importance is highlighted by the specific reference to forgiving others in the Lord’s Prayer. The notion of forgiveness has evolved to an idea summarized in the common cliche “forgive and forget”, which in turn tends to bring Christianity within the… [Read More]
Gratefuls and Wishes: a Thanksgiving Tradition
Our family has, in spite of our quaintness, some of the same traditions at Thanksgiving as everyone else. We generally have eaten the usual things everyone does (except for myself and my daughters – vegetarian, no turkey for us.) My mom always spent days preparing the meal- stuffing and green bean casserole from scratch, “smashed”… [Read More]
I don’t want to be rescued – I want to be redeemed.
“I don’t want to be rescued. I want to be redeemed.” When I first heard JJ Heller sing these words (listen here) I didn’t quite understand the difference. Why not rescued? Don’t I want God to rescue me? What is the difference between being rescued and being redeemed? I listened to the song again and… [Read More]
Fall 2014 Austin CNM Meetup
Sometimes it’s easy to get lost behind a screen. In an effort to promote real community some of the contributors and followers will be gathering for a casual meetup in North Austin for an evening of fellowship. Join us for a social night of food, community, presentations, and discussions about Jesus, the Church, and new… [Read More]
Priests Say The Funniest Things!
“Well, the good Lord did invent humor.” I vaguely recall Fr. Mulcahy saying that once on MASH after someone apologized to him for cracking a joke. Fictional TV characters aside, priests are people too. While their primary job is to lead us to Jesus, it’s also okay for priests to be funny. To give… [Read More]
The Necessity of Hope (Review: The Children of Men)
Dystopia is hot right now. Perhaps, seeing how situations that were once born of slippery slope fallacies are becoming recent history, more and more people are drawn to depictions of worlds gone terribly wrong. How bad could it get? How would humanity be saved? Since we live in a culture where many people have separated… [Read More]
Getting Yelled At For Being Pro-Life: How to Deal
You’d think working in the world of therapists – full of feelings, acceptance, warm regard and the fluffiest Kleenex money can buy – that we would be loving and accepting of all people, no matter their beliefs or religious affiliations. But you’d be wrong. In my limited experience in this profession (6 years and counting)… [Read More]
Sunday Says – November 9, 2014 Mass Readings and Reflection
Sunday November 9, 2014 Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome Lectionary: 671 (NAB Translation) This is another Sunday with a unique feast. Instead of the 32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time, we are celebrating the feast of dedication of the world’s Cathedral – The Basilica of St John Lateran, seat of… [Read More]
Eucharist and Life Experience
“Only when we recognize the rich network of connections between the Eucharist and our life in the world can the Eucharist be “worldly” and our life “Eucharistic” – Henry J.M. Nouwen, With Burning Hearts: A Meditation on the Eucharistic Life. This quote from Nouwen’s book is so very true. All things in our lives are connected…. [Read More]
Roses are healing: a story of remembrance
When mom and I got out of the car, at the Antique Rose Emporium* it was as if she shed her dementia and I forgot all about it. We wandered into a timeless, and for us, almost mythical place. Roses are healing. She walked, smiling, down the lovely rose-lined paths with her now faltering steps,… [Read More]
La Media Social, la Familia: el Papa Francisco habla sobre una cultura de alianza
Momentos después de la audiencia del Papa Francisco con el Movimiento de Schoenstatt en Roma, sus palabras ya estaban repitiendo por twitter y la media social. ¿Cuales palabras? Las palabras que el Papa dijo sobre el estado del matrimonio y la familia hoy en día. Estas palabras fuertes y claras se tomaron rápido y las… [Read More]
New Media and the Family: Pope Francis speaking on Covenant Culture
Just moments after the Pope’s audience with the Schoenstatt Movement in Rome, his words were reverberating in twitter and in blogs. Which words? The Pope’s strong words about the state of marriage today. These clear and straightforward words were picked up quickly and passed on. The world of the media heard them. “Marriage has never… [Read More]
Sunday Says – November 2, 2014 Mass Readings and Reflection
The Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed (All Souls) Lectionary: 668 (NAB Translation) This Sunday we celebrate the commemoration of All Souls insteadof All Souls Day.Today is one of those celebrations that is very distinctly Catholic, and you will see that from the theme of praying for those that have died and also in the… [Read More]
All Saints Day
“Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.” “Follow me, as I follow Christ.” This call of St. Paul to the Corinthians is high. Notice he does not encourage the community (in this passage) to seek the straight and narrow pathway of the Christian life alone, nor does he give a list of vague… [Read More]
The Catholic Roots of Halloween
Every year the questions about the acceptability of celebrating Halloween arise in Catholic and Christian circles: Can my family to celebrate Halloween? Is it okay for my child to dress up and trick-or-treat? Is Halloween a pagan, satanic or secular holiday? These, and a myriad of other questions about Halloween haunt the consciousness of Catholics… [Read More]
It’s the Pope, not a Horoscope
Sometimes evil is unavoidable. But if we strive to make good moral choices, the good clearly outweighs the bad. A simple story in priest's homily really helped put this into perspective. Rev. Pedro Garcia-Ramirez, pastor of St. Elizabeth of Hungary Catholic Church in Pflugerville, explained how his parish provides copies of a Spanish language newspaper… [Read More]
Behold the Face of God with a Pure Heart (Review: “Bought with a Price”)
Much has been said regarding the celebrity nude photo leak involving Jennifer Lawrence, among others. Lawrence partly explained having such photos at all by saying her long-distance boyfriend would either look at porn or look at her. Wrong. No one should look at pornography. Reflecting on Lawrence’s statement and reading a post by Bishop Paul… [Read More]
Jabba the Hutt, “Sexy” Costumes and Other Things That Distract from All Souls Day
All Saints Day and All Souls Day are coming up this week, and instead of basking in the rich history and awesomeness of these days, I find myself looking at what constitutes for a female Halloween costume these days and fending off negative self-talk. So, yeah, I’m pregnant. I’m 25 weeks and while I understand… [Read More]
Sunday Says Podcast – October 26, 2014 Mass Readings and Reflections
[powerpress] Sunday Says Podcast – October 26, 2014 Mass Readings and Reflections Sunday October 26, 2014 Lectionary: 148 Thirtieth Sunday of Ordinary Time (NAB Translation) Welcome to the Sunday Says podcast for October 26, 2014, the Thirtieth Sunday of Ordinary Time. Thank you for joining us as we begin preparing our hearts and… [Read More]
Misconceptions About Death, Angels, and Dia de Los Muertos
I’ve been intrigued by how much interest there is about angels in the world today, especially from the secular world. In fact a 2011 poll found that 77% of Americans believe in Angels. Which is somewhat surprising considering that there is a growing number of people that don’t believe in God today. Sadly enough, angels are… [Read More]
When the Time Comes: Accepting Death Together
The room smelled like essential oils– the ones Peter brought to help Bob breath and to help with pain and anxiety: Eucalyptus, frankincense, myrrh, Inspiration (a blend), myrtle, peppermint. Every nurse who walked in commented on how good it smelled. I had continued the routine of rubbing them on Bob’s chest every 20 minutes or… [Read More]
Called to Life
Today I really can’t write about anything other than the crazy huge party that happened all over the world this past weekend! The Schoenstatt Movement celebrated 100 years since it’s foundation, on October 18th, 1914, when a group of boys and Fr Joseph Kentenich sealed the original Covenant of Love with the Blessed Mother. Rather than go into… [Read More]
Sunday Says Podcast – October 19, 2014 Mass Readings and Reflection
Sunday Says October 19, 2014 Twenty-ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time – Year A Lectionary: 145 (NAB Translation) (Jerusalem Bible Translation) Reading 1 Isaiah 45:1, 4-6 This week’s first reading from the prophet Isaiah starts out with an unexpected note calling the pagan king God’s instrument. During the Babylonian, he planned to free the captives and… [Read More]
Slow Down, It’s a Priest!
Priests and police officers have a lot in common, and it isn’t just the spiffy uniform. Think about this: You’re cruising down I-35 or MoPac, when traffic isn’t bumper to bumper if that’s possible, and in your mirror you notice a police car behind you. The officer isn’t after you — no lights and siren… [Read More]
Discernment Demands Wisdom (Review: Decision Making & the Will of God)
I put considerable time into thinking about the decisions I make. I’m pretty indecisive by nature, so I have things like the two-minute rule 1 and the alphabet rule 2 to keep me from being paralyzed by too many choices. Lately, I’ve been considering some of life’s most important choices. My friends and I talk… [Read More]
How Adoption Saved My Life
On September 22, 1966 a little boy was born in Minnesota. His mother, for reasons unknown, was unable to keep him and left him in the hands of a group of nuns who devoted their work to the care of children without parents. Unbeknownst to the boy and his mother, there was a young couple… [Read More]
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