Some people are upset about the “thoughts and prayers” response to mass shootings. I understand. I am tired of hearing that myself. It seems such a fill in the blank response; even glib and inappropriate when we all feel sickened by this cycle of seemingly endless gun violence followed by the same responses and counter… [Read More]
Angels & Dragons V: Minor Exorcisms
With today’s increase in pagan practices such as astrology, mediums, psychic readings, cleansings, New Age religion, Reiki, magic, angel touch, witchcraft, tarot cards, séances, Ouija boards, ghost hunters, Satanic music or worship, etc., people who have participated in any of these occult practices, including Christians, may feel demonically oppressed. When combating evil spirits there are… [Read More]
Is God Punishing Us with Nuclear War and Meteors
This article is a continuation of two previous articles (Is God Punishing Us with Hurricanes and Earthquakes? and Is God Punishing Us with Fires and Shootings?). The church approved private revelations of Fatima and Akita seem to disagree with the conclusions of those articles, “The Father will inflict a terrible punishment on all humanity. It… [Read More]
How to Show Gratitude to Your Guardian Angel
Since the moment of your conception, you are accompanied by a great spiritual being known as a guardian angel. Their mission is to guide and protect you and do everything they can to guide you to heaven. They are the faithful companions that have never left our side. It feels almost too incredible to be… [Read More]
Note to Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament
I run to the place we always meet, all the way crying angry tears. In the candle light, I kneel. I cross myself. I breathe. Breathe. In this quiet room is my refuge, the nearness of the One I love. I know I have come close to Jesus. I know the Eucharist is truly a beating… [Read More]
Philosophy in Catholicism and Everyday Life
Modern Catholicism has roots all the way back to when Jesus Christ was alive, but the ideas and values of Catholicism originated long before Jesus himself. Plato, one of the first Greek philosophers, believed in two separate worlds known as the world of being and the world of becoming. The world of becoming is where… [Read More]
I Already Love You (The False Self Part II)
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]
Is God Punishing Us with Fires and Shootings? Part II
This article is a continuation of “Is God Punishing Us with Hurricanes and Earthquakes?” More specifically exploring the fourth possible option mentioned in the first article if God is indeed punishing us with evil? The answer is yes and no. YES, when we die, and NO, while we are living here on earth. NO PHYSICAL… [Read More]
Carmelized Fatima Clips
During the final apparition of Fatima Mary appeared briefly in the brown habit of Carmel, or as “Our Lady of Mt. Carmel,” a silent witness to Carmelite spirituality and the order’s special and unique relationship with her. Carmel is a Marian order. Our devotion to Mary is intimate and deep. We have long considered ourselves… [Read More]
Litany of the False Self
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]
Angels & Dragons IV: St. Michael’s Protection
September 29th is the Feast Day of the Archangels. With the evil and cataclysmic events occurring in the world, surely it is time for St. Michael the Archangel to arise… “At that time Michael, the great prince who protects your people, will arise. There will be a TIME OF DISTRESS such as has not happened… [Read More]
St. Therese Day Family Traditions
Here is how my daughters and I celebrated St. Therese day, (October 1) when they were growing up, and we still do! After dinner on the evening of St. Therese day, we read the book God’s Little Flower, the story of St. Therese. Even after the girls were “too old” for this book, we… [Read More]
The Most Important Prayer in a Cataclysmic Event
During a life-threatening cataclysmic event like a major hurricane, earthquake, tornado, fire, tsunami, or other disasters, our most important goal is to save our lives but most especially our souls if we are facing imminent death. To save our souls there are four ways to forgive mortal sins, but three of them will most likely… [Read More]
Holy Name of Mary (Miriam)
[Jewish parents,] choosing a name is a big deal. A person’s name is not a mere label; it expresses the essence of its bearer. The letters that make up your name, its sound and its meaning are descriptions of your soul. Only a prophet has the vision and foresight to know which name fits the… [Read More]
Is God Punishing Us with Hurricanes and Earthquakes?
We are having unprecedented hurricanes and earthquakes plus many deaths from the “destructive forces of nature.” (CCC 309) The big questions in the back of everyone’s mind is are we at the point in the bible where it says, “There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and on earth nations… [Read More]
Differences Between Gifts and Charisms
God is definitely somebody who is very unpredictable once a person first experiences the real world, because he made all of us with gifts of course, including with all the wonderful fruits of the Holy Spirit, but how can a person tell the difference between a gift and a charism? I can say that from… [Read More]
The Crowd Mentality of Today (Conviction & Stress Part II)
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]
Angels & Dragons III: The St. Michael Relic Stone
In 490 AD, through a series of miraculous events, St. Michael the Archangel indicated that he had chosen a cave in Gargano, Italy, to be a shrine in his honor. He appeared to the local bishop, and he explained how unique and special this cave was to him, “I am the Archangel Michael, and am… [Read More]
The Immaculate Heart of Mary – The New Ark
“Go into the ark, you and your whole family.” (Gen.7:1) This year, 2017, is the centenary year of the messages of Fatima. On May 13, 2010 when visiting Fatima, Pope Benedict XVI said, “[May] the centenary of the apparitions HASTEN the fulfillment of the prophecy of the triumph of the Immaculate Heart of Mary,” and… [Read More]
Pilgrimage to Jerusalem (Ps. 84:5)
“Every year his parents went to Jerusalem for the Feast of Passover.” (Lk.2:41) Jesus went on pilgrimage to the “Holy City” (Mt. 4:5) from infancy until His death. We don’t often think of Jesus on pilgrimage to the “City of David,” (1Chron.15:1) but Jesus’ parents would make pilgrimages three times a year as God decreed,… [Read More]
Speaking ill of the dead and why we should
As we walked out of my mom’s funeral, my brother said, “Let’s talk about how Mom used to cheat at scrabble.” We chuckled. “Really,” he said. There’s a tendency to make people perfect after they die. But if we talk about their faults it keeps them human and real to us.” “Well,” I said, “She… [Read More]
A visit to St.Mary Magdalene
I have come to the top of the mountain to a place we now call, St. Baume (Holy Balm) * to visit my patroness, St.Mary Magdalene. I am not in as good a shape as I used to be. Getting myself up this mountain was not that much fun for me, plus I’m very banged… [Read More]
#CatholicConvo Through the Eyes of an Texan
“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]
The Brown Scapular and “The First Born” (Col. 1:15)
July 16th is the Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel where the faithful have their Brown Scapulars blessed, and they are enrolled into the Order of Mount Carmel. The feast originated when Our Lady appeared to St. Simon Stock on July 16, 1251 and said, “Receive my beloved son, the scapular of thy Order…. [Read More]
July 4th is Love
I know that today we’re supposed to think about the history of winning our independence. I do. I think that is OK. We think about freedom and the Constitution too. We are glad we don’t live somewhere there isn’t freedom. We are grateful to be Americans. We are proud of ourselves. That is cool. But… [Read More]
Summer for your Soul
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]
Pray with me: the Luminous Mysteries of the Rosary
Opening Prayers for the Luminous Mysteries of the Rosary “In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, amen. Come, Holy Spirit, come by means of the powerful intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Thy well beloved spouse, and Queen of the Holy Rosary. Help us to… [Read More]
Diversity in Ministry Part III – Financial
In the first two posts of this series, I explored how diversity in Gifts and Age can provide a richer experience of the faith and allow parishes to better minister to the community. Christians of all denominations today tend to look for communities where they feel like they can belong to the larger group. Sometimes the neighborhoods have similarities… [Read More]
Freedom & our relationship to God: Are we galley slaves or free children?
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]
A little shisha, a little Nostra Aetate, a slice of real life
We are sitting on cushions at a low table, enjoying shisha from a shared hookah in the corner of a light, airy building in a shopping center in Central Texas. There is country music on the radio, and a minty, fruity smoke rising around us in the late afternoon sun. Frank, (or as I call… [Read More]
Strewing Flowers at the Corpus Christi Procession
For centuries one of the customs at Corpus Christi processions is strewing (throwing) flowers before Jesus in the monstrance to proclaim Him our King in a very special and public manner. Many saints have written about this wonderful experience but one of the most well known is St Therese of Lisieux (Doctor of the Church),… [Read More]
It Is Finished! (Jn. 19:30)
The fight went the distance! Fifteen rounds of pure guts, grit, and blood! It was a courageous nail-biting fight of perseverance and determination that left the onlookers spellbound. Those on the sidelines witnessed a tenacious battle against our oldest and unseen enemy – death. My mom, Gloria Rodriguez age 89, passed away on May… [Read More]
Tiny Dynamine: a reflection on my mom, Delphia
Today is my mom’s birthday. She would have been 68 today. And I feel like talking about her. She was a warrior for love, justice, and for her children. I want you to know her. I want everyone to know her. She had several names but the one she liked best, and that suited her… [Read More]
Easter Joy, Family, and Heaven
On Easter Sunday 2017 my family and I gathered at the family home to celebrate Easter by partaking in our regular Easter feast (our family does food well). My grandparents and many of my dad’s graduate students joined us for the feast. I enjoyed getting to know some of the graduate students better during dinner… [Read More]
The 7 Contemplative Gazes
Peter constantly gazed at Our Lord but like most of us listened poorly. The Catechism of the Catholic Church explains how “gazing” at Jesus is a form of contemplation by stating, “Contemplation is a gaze of faith fixed on Jesus.” (2715) Contemplation is the highest form of worship, and it is none other than two… [Read More]
“Do you want to live?”
I had had a big fight with my mom and brother. I was walking super fast across town. It was cold and I had forgotten a jacket. A car full of girls from school drove by, rolling their windows down to jeer and shout insults. I picked up a few rocks and bottles to throw… [Read More]
To My Father For All His Love: A Lenten Reflection
Guest Post by Deacon Dan Lupo In Chicago, where I grew up, March days are shrouded in gray, blasted by icy wind, and blanketed by snow. Perfect Lent weather. The weather is Lent-perfect because the gray skies evoke a somber mood, which matches the serious attitude Lent fosters. Lent calls for soberly examining our faith… [Read More]
How does modern man best hear the call the conversion?
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]
Living Lent like a Little One
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]
The Importance of Consecration to Mary’s Immaculate Heart
Here is a homily from Sunday, February 19, 2017 at St Mary’s Cathedral in downtown Austin, TX, promoting Marian consecration to the Immaculate Heart. You can find resources for doing the Total Consecration to Jesus through Mary at MyConsecration.org. Here is a homily from Fr. Kevin Rai on the Total Consecration to the Immaculate… [Read More]
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