The beginning of a new year is a good time to think about our blogging goals. Here are five thoughts on how you can become a better blogger in 2014! 1. Remember Who You Are Sometimes we get wrapped up in expectations, in blogging strategies or in what all the other people are doing!… [Read More]
The Rope is Hope (Review: “Delivered”)
As you know, I read a lot. I believe that we read because it teaches us what it means to be human. Most of the nonfiction I read is for Austin CNM these days, so it doesn’t all apply to me. My job here is not just to share what I think and feel about… [Read More]
In Living Reparation: The Mother of God Revealed
I have to kneel at her bedside since it is just a mattress on the floor. When she nods a go-ahead to me, I peel her blankets carefully aside. I am moved to see that underneath these she holds a wall crucifix against her heart. I smile. “Jesus!” I exclaim, and she smiles hesitantly back… [Read More]
The Holy Innocents
Christmas was only three days ago. The day after Christmas we honored St. Stephen, the first martyr. Think about that: we honor a martyr- the first martyr- the day after Christmas. The day after that we honor St. John the Evangelist, whose authorship is attributed to one Gospel and four books in the New Testament…. [Read More]
Don’t Just Read the Bible; Pray It (Review: “Praying Scripture for a Change”)
Praying is hard. I’ll admit it: I find it difficult to pray. Do you? Whether you struggle to pay attention while praying (“Lord, I know I need to—hey, what’s that noise?—focus more”), you don’t know what to pray about (“Let’s see…. Hmm. Am I supposed to pray about what to pray about?”), or you don’t… [Read More]
Getting Back Into the Box; a Reflective Guide to Confession
When I first came into the Church, the Sacrament that stumped me the most was Confession, the Sacrament of Reconciliation. It wasn’t the idea of it. It wasn’t the theology of it. It wasn’t even claustrophobia. It was learning how to contain myself into this little ritual. This was difficult for me because of my… [Read More]
I Need Advent Because I am a Sinner
On the outside, sometimes it can look like I have it all together. The truth is that my life would fall apart if it wasn’t for Jesus. Even if all the external and material things were the same, I would be missing part of the only part of my life that really gives me peace…. [Read More]
Beginning Advent With A Challenge
This year, the number of days in this holiday season are the shortest it possibly can be. 27 days. Just 27 days separate Thanksgiving and Christmas. Perhaps, As a result this begins to explain how and why retailers have combated the unusually short shopping window by putting out Christmas merchandise even earlier than normal. Completely… [Read More]
Lying, Confession, and St. Andrew
Lying Have you ever lied to someone? Did you mean to? Did you feel bad afterwards? What about during prayer? A friend and I recently shared a conversation about lying. In our own way, we each had entered into a state of sin; we fell short of our call to holiness and virtue. We shared… [Read More]
Grieving with God (Review: “A Grief Observed”)
As we near the end of November, the month in which we remember the dead, it seems appropriate to think about how death affects those left behind. As believers in particular, we carry the hope of the resurrection, but we were never promised we wouldn’t feel pain, loneliness, and loss. Theology can only console a… [Read More]
The Year of Faith: What’s Next?
Growing up in a family whose roots are deep in the small Caribbean island of Trinidad and Tobago I’ve always heard December 31st referred to as “Old Year’s Night” instead of “New Year’s Eve.” I’ve always kind of liked calling it “Old Year’s Night.” Calling it that, in a way, gives us an opportunity to… [Read More]
Knowing Your Testimony
Evangelization Tool #1 is to learn how to share your testimony, to describe how you have encountered Jesus. It is important to learn how to communicate your story because that is one of the only ways others will be open to receive the good news that you are about to share. The truth is, we… [Read More]
Never Be Ashamed of Your Mother (Review: “Hail, Holy Queen”)
To be Catholic is to love Mary. Although Marian devotion is not nearly as much of a dividing line now (between Catholics and those who could be Catholics) as it once was, it remains a hallmark of Catholicism. If I see a rosary hanging from a rearview mirror, I know that car is probably driven… [Read More]
Methods of Meditation
When we think of prayer, most of us think of praying as saying prayers, talking to God. When we think of prayer we think of the prayers we were made to memorize as a youth. We think of prayer as the prayers we say before bed, before meals or in church. These prayers are important… [Read More]
J. Budziszewski’s New Website
My blog post ideas, particularly recently, come primarily from the books, articles, and other blog posts I read. What I describe to my wife as “taking notes” involves an hour with a random book held open to a random chapter or passage while I type into my laptop the words I would otherwise underline or highlight. There are… [Read More]
On Homecomings
There’s something captivating about the season of Fall. And before you think it’s because of the cooler temperatures, pumpkin spiced lattes and a football season in full swing – it’s not. There’s this one aspect of fall is exciting every time I see it approaching on my calendar – Homecoming. The occasion is just as… [Read More]
Why we can’t stop listening.
Back when I was in high school, I became close friends with two girls. They were Baptist. They taught me that God really loved me, that I could talk to Him like I talked to my best friend, and that most music played on the radio was evil. In fact, one friend went so far… [Read More]
ICYMI: Good Samaritan, Catholic Bands, Respect Life & Wisdom From the Pope
Did you have a good weekend? I hope your Monday (and week) are off to a great start! The following is a collection of cool news, resources and even some wisdom from the Pope you may or may not have heard about – hence the title – In Case You Missed It. Is there anything… [Read More]
The Soul’s Movement at the Moment of Communion
Consider this article as a monologue or an interior thought, as if someone was thinking out loud and searching for an answer within themselves. At some points, I address the soul as “her,” instead of “it.” I do this partly because St. John of the Cross uses that kind of language in his writings. It… [Read More]
You Too Will Be Famous!
“You too will be famous!” How those words cause starry-eyed young hearts to flutter! What great fortune have they who achieve this pinnacle of worldly aspirations. And to what great lengths go so many souls to be able to claim it for themselves. But how many consider that something valuable might be lost in the… [Read More]
Short Meditation on Saints
The other evening I watched the biographical movie of Saint Hildegard of Bingen. As I sat there and watched this very beautifully made movie about the inspiring life of this very wise and holy Saint, I began to think how by today’s standards all the Saints that had heavenly visions, the mystics, would be considered… [Read More]
Relationships 101: The #1 Way the Internet is Messing Up Your Love Life
Part Four of “Relationships 101”. See part three here. We left off the last post with the number one way the Internet is messing up your love life. Remember what it was? It has become so pervasive that about 30,000 people use it EVERY SECOND (Daily Infographic, 2013). It’s a multi-billion dollar industry that has been around… [Read More]
An Accidental Pilgrimage
This weekend I happened to stumbled upon two pilgrimage sites for the Year of Faith in Denver, CO in less than 48 hours. It was quite the blessed surprise (and not so much an accident!). I was in Denver last week for work and decided to stay the weekend to spend some time sightseeing with… [Read More]
From Presumption to Discernment
Think about this statement: “We do not know what He is doing.” Is that true or false? Consider this, the more we seek, the more we find (Mt. 7:7), and the more we come to know Him. That quoted statement, then, is false! How often, though, can you say that you know what Jesus is… [Read More]
Your Intro to RCIA (Review: “Waking Up Catholic”)
The journey to Catholicism can be a winding one. Some sharp stones have been pressed in by years of habit, and some gems are waiting just around the next bend. It can be tricky to navigate the path. Sometimes you want a companion on the journey. Sometimes you just want a simple road map. Waking… [Read More]
Must Hell Really Be Eternal?
She opened Her hands once more, as She had done the two previous months. The rays [of light] appeared to penetrate the earth, and we saw, as it were, a vast sea of fire. Plunged in this fire, we saw the demons and the souls [of the damned]. The latter were like transparent burning embers,… [Read More]
Be Not Afraid: The Story of a Catechist Who Almost Quit
My first time teaching religious education was as a 22 year old, living at home with my parents after college, working in my first (miserable) full-time job and trying to plan a wedding remotely with no friends within a 45 mile radius. I was looking forward to a bright spot in my week of sharing… [Read More]
Taxing the Churches: Going for the Jugular
“Now, Matt, aren’t you’re getting a little carried away in your political paranoia? After all, no politicians are seriously discussing removing the tax-exempt status of the churches.” True, but lest you think I’ve gone off the deep end, first consider that on the long list of “political enemies” targeted by the IRS is Catholic contributor… [Read More]
On the education of children
Often I wonder if my writing isn’t just redirected self-therapy. Journaling sent out into the digital cosmos. A way of expressing my emotions, reading them, and moving on. Sometimes I wonder, but today I am sure. Last week I completed the enrollment of all four of my children in our local public schools. I made… [Read More]
Wandering Through Worldviews (Review: “Starting at the End”)
Living in a Catholic bubble can be nice, but I like to pop my head outside and take a look around every now and then. In the context of Austin CNM, that means reading books by non-Catholics or without explicit religious themes for this Catholic book review column. Sometimes that leads me to gems like… [Read More]
Relationships 101: Is Male Self-Confidence Attractive?
Part Two of the Relationship 101 Series. See Part One here. I was recently asked about self-confidence in men, and if it is attractive to women. I’m no expert, but below is my attempt to answer specifically the posed questions: In closing, healthy self-confidence is attractive to lots of women (that I know, anyway). But… [Read More]
When to Receive the Anointing of the Sick
One of the seven sacraments that is the least talked about is the Anointing of the sick. The Anointing of the sick is especially intended for those who are baptized Catholic and are ill physically and/or emotionally. “It is especially intended to strengthen those who are being tried by an illness.” (CCC 1511) The Priest… [Read More]
NFP and the Holy Spirit
In October 1994 I was part of a nine day intensive training in Omaha, Nebraska given by the Pope Paul VI Institute for the Study of Human Reproduction, together with Creighton University. It was my “Phase I” to become an NFP Instructor. I was learning so much, even though my husband Blaze and I… [Read More]
Prayer and Self Confidence: An Interior Reflection
What does it mean to be humble? What kind of self-denial (Lk 9:23) does that entail? Is the desire for humility contrary to that of self-confidence? Is one good and the other beautiful? I’d like these thoughts to continue in the Comment section. Does prayer nurture my humility? It would seem so – that the… [Read More]
Breaking Open Revelation (Review: “The Lamb’s Supper”)
I love learning. That sounds so cheesy, but I really do! My favorite learning experiences are always connected to finding out earth-shattering new information about something I thought I already knew well. I used to think that car turn signals were activated by the car (not the driver; in-car navigation systems seemed unremarkable at first!),… [Read More]
Vulnerability is Strength
“Do you really believe God loves you?” If you’ve ever heard this question internally (or been asked it directly), then chances are you’re very familiar with that half-second sinking feeling in your gut that follows. The feeling when you doubt, even if for just a split second, and don’t know the answer. Or how about… [Read More]
The Theology of Sound Part II: The Key to Beauty
For Part I, click here. In Part I, we talked briefly about how we are part of creation, yet we are set apart from it, and that there is something, some quality about us that the all rest of the universe does not possess. As it turns out, there are many different ways to talk about… [Read More]
Things I Learned From This Past Week
First, this week has been physically, emotionally and spiritual exhausting, and not just in the context of pro-life legislation. I am thankful that our courage, strength and perseverance all comes from the Lord. Secondly, we cannot underestimate the power of our presence online, in person and in witness to Faith and Truth. During the pro-life… [Read More]
We’re All in This Together (Review: “Bound Together”)
If you’ve been following my reviews for a while, you’ll have noticed that I don’t always review Catholic books. This will be one of those other reviews. As Catholics, we are committed to ecumenism. If other Christians are reflecting on beliefs that we share, we should at least be willing to listen, even if we… [Read More]
Striving Towards the Promised Land; Pro-Life Advocacy After Special Session 1
Then Moses led Israel from the Red Sea and they went into the Desert of Shur. For three days they traveled in the desert without finding water. When they came to Marah, they could not drink its water because it was bitter. (That is why the place is called Marah.) Exodus 15: 22-23 When… [Read More]
- « Previous Page
- 1
- …
- 8
- 9
- 10
- 11
- 12
- …
- 17
- Next Page »
