It is amazing how much I do not know. I came back to the Church seven years ago tomorrow (which was Ash Wednesday that year, too). I am a joiner by nature, so when I decided to become a practicing adult Catholic, I went in full-tilt. That led me to my current lifestyle, where I… [Read More]
HHS Mandate Revisited
When the Department of Health and Human Services announced the rules concerning the scope of the religious exemption for mandatory coverage of contraceptives, sterilizations and abortifacent drugs, there was an uproar. In response, on Friday afternoon, the President announced a compromise meant to allow Catholic organizations to stay true to their values and maintain the Administration’s… [Read More]
On Human Life – Revisiting the Prophetic Words of Pope Paul VI in Humanae Vitae
(In light of the current assault on religious liberty) On July 25, 1968 Pope Paul VI issued an encyclical letter that changed the Catholic Church in a way that few papal documents before or since have ever done. Unfortunately, the changes were not at all positive from an institutional standpoint. After this encyclical was published,… [Read More]
Hearing God’s call even while you’re sleeping, and maybe even if you’re stuck in a whale, figuratively
When is the last time you heard a direct message from God? To have a personal relationship with God means you are in conversation with Him – after all, communication is a key component of relationship. Is your conversation two ways, or does it seem like you’re doing all the talking? We’re only a few… [Read More]
Giving Something Up? Or Giving Something Freely?
Ash Wednesday is only two weeks away! Unlike last year, I’m trying to figure out what to “give up” ahead of time. The only requirements for Lent is fasting on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday and abstinence on Fridays throughout Lent. The practice of giving something up is what I grew up with though, so… [Read More]
A Catholic College Experience
It was the summer in between my junior and senior year in college. I was back at home volunteering at my parish’s vacation bible school. I was the designated photographer hoping to get some good shots for my portfolio due at the end of my summer photography course. It was during a break when I… [Read More]
Is Catholic School for You?
This week, January 30-February 3, marks Catholic Schools week around the country. Don’t worry, I’m not here to tell you that there are special indulgences for choosing Catholic school over public or home school. The truth is, no one option makes you more Catholic than the other. It’s always the spirit in how you live… [Read More]
Why We’re Here
Volunteering for education-related ministries is one of the ways that I’ve learned the most about our faith. This school year is my first year volunteering with high school teens. I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect, but I kept the slate blank to let God fill in the details with the wonderful people involved in… [Read More]
Figuring God into Weight Loss
Obesity is a pandemic in the US. I know from firsthand experience. But, not until recently had I thought God could help me with this problem. After all, my lack of exercise and love for chocolate are all my doing. God is strictly for prayer. Right? Wrong. Too long have I compartmentalized societal expectations from… [Read More]
Wishful Thinking
I saw a recent article in Forbes online magazine with the provocative headline, “Why Your New Year’s Resolution Will Fail by February 1.” The article goes on to say that if Gym Membership is an indicator, a third of resolutions are dropped by February 1. And while the Forbes headline seems cynical and maybe even… [Read More]
The Attack on Conscience
Last week, the Obama administration’s Department of Health and Human Services announced the final version of a rule that would require all employers and insurers to provide sterilization and contraceptives, including some abortion inducing drugs in their health plans. Although it was earlier announced that certain religious organizations would be exempt from the rule, the… [Read More]
A Catholic Burial . . . An Eternal Sign of our Faith
The primary mission of Austin Catholic New Media is to serve the Church. The obvious means in which we do that is by evangelizing via new media tools. Another way we can serve the Church and the Church community as a whole is by supporting and promoting local Catholic businesses. Here at ACNM we are… [Read More]
Sexuality—It’s a Slow Fade
I see it every day and I’m pretty sure you do, too. The sexualization of men and women, teenagers and young boys and girls is everywhere. The billboard on the highway. The front window of a store. Magazine ads. Television commercials. Mailers in my mailbox. And, it’s all over the internet. We can’t get away… [Read More]
Henry VIII is Rolling in His Grave
In addition to ringing in the new year, on January 1st, the Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter was created in the Catholic Church. It is basically a diocese for the entire United States for those people—lay and cleric, individually or corporately—who are formerly Anglican/Episcopal and have “swam the Tiber” to join the Catholic… [Read More]
The Power of Words
Our fifth child was born premature, spent time in the NICU and has various developmental delays. Recently, a friend and I were talking about any future children I might conceive when she made the comment, “Well, your early delivery with your fourth child was your warning sign.” What was that supposed to mean? That because we chose to… [Read More]
Offering the First and the Best of 2012
There is an abundance of speculation about this year, and like it or not, 2012 is here. Many joke around with the idea of the end of the world coming in 2012, and it seems as if proudly surviving countless prophecies of apocalyptic times before means it won’t happen this time. I’m not saying the… [Read More]
Making Time for God in the Present
The New Year is almost here. Have you done everything you planned to this year? Are your goals set for next year? Have you compared your state-of-me with your peers, coworkers, friends, to make sure you’re making the same strides that they are?In the midst of our reminiscing of the past and our dreaming in… [Read More]
Joseph: Carpenter, Saint, Daddy
I don’t know if it’s all the Nativity scenes that are around or that really vivid dream I had a few days ago about getting married, but St. Joseph has been on my mind a lot. I love St. Joseph like I love my own father and during the Christmas season especially I like to… [Read More]
Las Posadas and the Devil at the Nativity
I was born and raised here in Texas, but spent almost every Christmas of my childhood with my family in Mexico. Growing up in a very Catholic family, it was almost like a yearly pilgrimage we took to return to family and celebrate the birth of our Savior. We just celebrated Rorate Sunday (4th Sunday… [Read More]
Bishop Vasquez’s State of the Diocese Address
The following recording of Bishop Vasquez’s State of the Diocese Address was recorded on December 14th, 2011 at the Assembly of Catholic Professionals. A special thank you to our friends at Relevant Radio 970AM for providing this recording. [powerpress]
The Art of Making a Good Advent
During the past few years I have found that the first Sunday of Advent, much like its secular equivalent of New Year’s Day on January 1, is a great time of looking forward with hope and anticipation, a chance to “restart the spiritual clock” and to reflect on what we can do to better prepare… [Read More]
Be a New You: Advent and Renewal
Here at ACNM, we’re quite excited about Advent. And we all should be! I love Advent because it is a promise, and similtaneously a promise fulfilled. Christ is coming. Christ has come, and Christ will come again, and we’re so grateful of that fact that the Church celebrates it every year with joy and anticipation. Rita’s… [Read More]
The Long View (Review: “A Canticle for Leibowitz”)
I’ll admit it: I like sci-fi. My mom and I used to tease my dad endlessly about how much he liked to watch Star Trek. I finally sat down to watch an episode with him one day, though, and I was hooked. It’s not just the scientific aspects that draw me in, though, it’s the… [Read More]
The Required “Remember To Give Thanks” Post
We’re neck deep with family here at La Casa de Kraft. My mom is the sole representative of my family in for the holiday. My wife’s family includes her parents, her grandmother, a cousin in the military in San Antonio for training, an aunt, an uncle and a few more cousins. Virtually every room has… [Read More]
The Advent of Black Friday Shopping
Thanksgiving is an American holiday, but it is deeply based in Christian tradition. We give thanks only because there is someone that gives us the blessings we receive. It is a wonderful day that gives us an opportunity to gather with our loved ones and be grateful. The day after Thanksgiving Day has become known… [Read More]
What is the Sacrament of the Sick?
You see it depicted in Hollywood all the time – a priest praying “the last rites” over a dead/dying person. However, as many of us know, “last rites” is a misnomer. It is a combination of the Sacrament of the Sick and Viaticum (the Eucharist received at the time of death). However, the Sacrament of… [Read More]
The Sky is Not Falling
I am a news junkie. It’s probably a diagnosable sickness. I get out of bed in the morning and immediately grab my phone off of the alarm clock cradle in which it rests. The glow of the screen guides my steps to the bathroom. I turn on the water for the shower and get my… [Read More]
The Power of Positive
First, as a follow-up to my last post about how we get my two-year-old through Mass, I predicted that after a few months, our tactics wouldn’t work any longer and we’d be back to being “those parents” who can’t keep their kids under control. Well, I was wrong: Parenthood is about humility, eh? Moving… [Read More]
Young Adults and the Parish
Looking back on my childhood, I am very grateful for the role that our parish had in my life. We prayed together, and we played together. Outside of school, the parish was everything to me and my family. That community consists of only a couple hundred families and is the only Catholic church in that… [Read More]
Purgatory – A Sign of God’s Mercy and Hope for All Saint-Hopefuls
So I knew coming into this post that I was going to be writing after a few others had their pick of All Saints and All Souls topics. But my blog is about becoming a Saint! And we can never learn too much about them, right?So, let us place ourselves in God’s presence, and the… [Read More]
Nationwide Catholic Commercials to Air in December and How We Must Help
Television airtime is going to be a little bit more sparse for politicians this fall. An article on the National Catholic Register’s website has announced that Catholics Come Home has successfully acquired over 400 prime time commercial spots over three weeks starting December 16 on several national networks. (Just in time for Christmas!) NCR reports this campaign will… [Read More]
Dear Me: A Letter to my 80-year-old Self
I’ve been reading several blog posts about the fancy book full of celebrity advice to themselves. Blog authors all around have been posting similar letters to themselves. I’m sure there are plenty of bits of advice I could give my 16-year-old self, like “don’t try and sneak back into your house after curfew, your mom will… [Read More]
Engaging the Culture of Today
I’m often surprised by the way some people seem to think that God doesn’t put much thought into the details. Almost as if things accidentally fell into place and He just hopes for the best. He deserves a lot more credit than that – God is omnipotent and He has no limits. We are living… [Read More]
Spending Our Best Gifts First!
Halloween is coming! As a child, I loved to trick or treat. My efficiency-minded personality really shone in my Halloween planning – I made sure to use a strong pillowcase because they were bigger and stronger than plastic bags or bucket, and I strategically picked which streets I’d frequent based on the number of decorated… [Read More]
#OccupyYourParish
Last weekend was an oddity in Austin, TX… an overcast and rainy blip in an extended season of drought. As I got my family moving for Sunday mass, an email came in on my phone stating that the power was out in the religious education building and, thus, there would be no Sunday school for… [Read More]
Better Catholic Websites
For centuries, the Catholic Church supported the most talented, pioneering artists and designers to create churches, icons, altars and other religious art. Although spending all that money on art hasn’t gone without question. The Church has often been criticized for spending so much on fancy buildings and priceless paintings instead of using that money to feed… [Read More]
How Can I Keep from Singing?
I like to think I’m a funny person. I mean, my jokes are so funny, I laugh at them even though I know the punch line…But in this blog, I am going to be writing, comically at some times, about a serious issue – the issue of our very purpose on Earth….which is…. to be… [Read More]
Mass Starts Before You Walk In
Altar serving is one of those gigs that is virtually always reserved for youth and, sometimes, older, retired parishioners for funerals or daily Masses. I started serving as soon as I was a practicing Catholic at age 13 and it remains the venue of service by which I felt most fulfilled. I haven’t served since Easter Vigil… [Read More]
The Catholic Checklist
Sometimes, I feel like other Catholics measure another’s “true pedigree” with a pre-determined checklist of items. Are you pro-life? Check. Do you use NFP instead of artificial birth control? Check. Are you against the death penalty and euthanasia? Check. Do you homeschool? Check. Are you against co-habitation? Check. Do you participate in the Sacrament of Reconciliation… [Read More]
The Need for Catechists
Throughout the world, ordinary people carry out an important mission of the Church – catechises. I am no priest or doctor of theology, but I am a catechist for high school students. Often times, people will ask me why I would ever want to do such a thing, as if it were some kind of… [Read More]
