We are sitting in a bar on a hot summer day. I stare at my dejected feet on the bar stool, then out the door at the hot day, the burning sidewalk, the occasional overheated human being passing by. I don’t want to look at him, though I am relieved by his presence. I glance… [Read More]
Back to Busy – Inspiration for Fall 2015
Fall is in the air! Well not actually in the air weather-wise – I wish! But despite Texas’ insistence outdoors that summer persists, this week kiddos are loading back into school buses, parents are cheering, teachers are groaning, and the boost of energy and activity seems to pervade many realms of economic and social life…. [Read More]
Our Lady, Consoler of Souls – When You See A Loved One Suffer
When I was burdened with the cross of anxiety, depression, and suicidal thoughts, my mother, who loved me dearly, was heartbroken. She saw that I was mocked by bullies, lived in fear, and how much I wished death upon myself. She did anything she could possibly do to help by taking me to therapy, finding… [Read More]
Marriage Advice for Singles: Scott Stanley on How to Lower Your Risk of Divorce
In case you were wondering, I am still not married. Thus, I still keep my eyes and ears open for marriage advice to tuck away for later (thanks, secret Pinterest boards!) and for advice on how to become unsingled. That’s like a conscious uncoupling, but in the other direction. Not all of the advice I… [Read More]
Why Kids Are Pro-Life
Yesterday afternoon, while walking through HEB with my family, a hurried mom with her two little girls rushed by us in the coffee aisle. The mom didn’t look at us or say anything as she moved past us, but one of her little girls (probably 4 or 5), stopped and said, “I like your baby!”… [Read More]
The Beauty of The Dark Night
Saint John of the Cross has a reputation for being a guy who does not care much for your feelings. His name sometimes sounds like a penance. People hear “dark night” and think of an isolated exile with little or no hope. While I cannot correct that error in a short article, I would like to… [Read More]
Binge Watching is Holding You Back
We need to have a talk about viewing habits. Netflix and other streaming services have become the new staple in media consumption because of it’s low prices and on-demand access to massive collections of media. For just a few dollars a month, we have access to more media than we could actually consume in a… [Read More]
Clothesline (a Summer Poem)
The hours of this day stretch out before me Like sheets on a clothesline. I know I need to take them And fold them, Arrange them neatly, That they might fulfill their purpose. But I am mesmerized by their gentle movement in the breeze, By the white morning sun’s shimmering glow on them as they… [Read More]
“Everything is Connected” – The Ecological Spirituality of Laudato Si
“Everything is connected.” This phrase of Pope Francis could be the link that ties the whole of “Laudato Si” together and also communicates the core of his message. “Everything is connected,” he says, in such a way that as humans and the earth are a part of the same ecological fabric, our actions in one part of… [Read More]
Fearless
“You will only go where your fear allows you to go.” Well, isn’t that just a crippling statement? We like to think of ourselves as limitless. In our day to day lives we think, “I will say that hard truth that needs to be said. This time, I know I’m going to do it.” Or… [Read More]
From Old Adam to New in 7 Easy Sketches (Review: “Bible Basics for Catholics”)
You can learn the story of the Bible in seven easy stick figures. Several summers ago, I took a weekly crash course on salvation history. It absolutely changed the way I see the Bible. Have you ever heard the prophets or psalms talking about Israel and Judah as though they’re separate places and been very… [Read More]
7 Signs It Could Be Depression
Mental pain is less dramatic than physical pain, but it is more common and also more hard to bear. The frequent attempt to conceal mental pain increases the burden: it is easier to say “My tooth is aching” than to say “My heart is broken. – C.S. Lewis We’ve all felt “down” before. Perhaps we’ve… [Read More]
Spiritual Implications of Wasting Food
Growing up in the rural plains of the Texas panhandle, I was familiar with many farm animals. There were several times when I knew or had at least seen the animal that became our meal. Some people don’t like that, but it gave me a great appreciation for food. Knowing that the animal gave its life… [Read More]
See No Evil: Reflections on Laudato Si’ Part II
This is my second reflection on Pope Francis’ new Encyclical Laudato Si addressed to every person living on this planet and added to the official Catholic doctrine. I hope my reflection is beneficial to you, but I (and Austin CNM) encourage you to read the document yourself here. Last year my family found a great… [Read More]
Lectio for Lovers: Praying Lectio Divina as a Couple
In silent open-ness to God, we set aside our own agendas and open ourselves to God’s agenda, which is always love, love, and more love. What could be better than that? Lectio Divina (Holy Reading) is an ancient Christian way to pray the Scriptures. It involves reading a passage of the Bible, listening to God… [Read More]
I want you to be MORE than happy
I find myself thinking and saying to the people I love that “I just want you to be happy.” Don’t we all want that for the people we care about, and for ourselves? Happiness is a good thing to want for one another. On the surface, I believe it is good… [Read More]
The Garment of Grace
On the Brown Scapular around my neck it reads, “Whosoever dies wearing this Scapular shall not suffer eternal fire.” What a promise Our Lady of Mount Carmel made to St. Simon Stock in 1251! On July 16, 2015, the Memorial of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, more than 50 people at St. Elizabeth of… [Read More]
The Hidden Sweetness of Marriage (Review: Humanum Series, Part Four)
“Marriage is hard.” I don’t quite know when it happened, but at some point, that became a movement. I’ve never been married, but from what I understand, it is, in fact, hard. The problem is that marriage is apparently so hard, and the “marriage is hard” movement so strong, that marriage now seems too hard…. [Read More]
A Demon’s Memo- What Happens When You Return From A Retreat
The following excerpt is meant to be a Screwtape Letters’ type of writing. It;s written from the perspective of the demon. Because of this, “the enemy” is actually God. In this letter, Slubgob, a senior demon, tells his colleagues about a group that came back from a retreat and how to attack. I decided to… [Read More]
Dynamic Marriage Conference – July 17-18, 2015
We are all in need of healing in some form from many of the past hurts and pains we have inevitably experienced in our life. One of the main missions of the public ministry of Jesus was to heal those that came to Him, and He still does it today. Marriage is an incredibly wonderful… [Read More]
Becoming Fearless Women’s Conference – July 18th
Women’s Conference Becoming FEARLESS is a conference for Christian women who are discouraged by the times we live in and are concerned for the future of their children. It is designed to show women that with the power of the Holy Spirit, we can be much braver than we feel and can widen our sphere… [Read More]
Mary, Sister of the Carmelite Soul
We are holding hands as we walk together along a rocky path on a hot July evening. We are talking about this and that. She asks me questions, listens thoughtfully as I talk about my life. She has a lot going on too, these days, and she unburdens her heart to me about her work,… [Read More]
Confessions of a Technocrat: Reflections on Laudato Si, Part I
This is a reflection on Pope Francis’ new Encyclical Laudato Si addressed to every person living on this planet and added to the official Catholic doctrine. I hope my reflection is beneficial to you, but I (and the Austin CNM) encourage you to read the document yourself here. I was seduced by technology in high… [Read More]
7th Annual Men’s Fellowship Mass – July 18th
Masculinity is increasingly confused and misunderstood in society today. In a world that seeks to blur the lines of gender, we men seek to discover the wonderful gift and identity of our masculinity. God has blessed us with a unique and intentional role as men in world and Church. The struggles of this life can… [Read More]
Running Slowly Up the Ramp (Review: “UnSouled”)
It takes incredible skill to be a master storyteller. After Unwind and even UnWholly, I would have easily put Neal Shusterman on that list. I read UnSouled, though, so I’m withholding final judgment for now. I’m not as encouraged to keep reading, but I’m glad I did. I have to push through to the end,… [Read More]
God always wins.
“If you are what you should be, you would set the whole world on fire.” – St. Catherine of Siena By now we are all quite aware of the Supreme Court ruling on same-sex marriage. I think this is the first time in my life that I’ve been nervous about being Catholic (I am so blessed because… [Read More]
“If You’re Happy and You Know It, It’s a Sin”- Catholic Youth Dating and Purity
“If you’re happy and you know it, it’s a sin” was a statement my former coworker made as to how he thought the Catholic Church viewed sexuality and dating. He made that statement because I had told them I was waiting for marriage and wanted to be chaste. Unfortunately, this is the viewpoint many people… [Read More]
The Story of San Salvador Mission
She remembers walking barefoot on pilgrimage up the road to San Salvador Mission as a child, praying the rosary together with her family and friends, each August, lead by her grandmother, Ouida, to commemorate a healing, a vision, and a community coming together in response to a message from Heaven to build a church. She… [Read More]
An Open Letter to Sr. Simone Campbell (of the Nuns on the Bus)
This blog is in response to an interview aired by the radio program On Being, hosted by Krista Tippett, on June 11, 2015. I invite you to listen to the interview before reading this post, and would especially point your attention to the unedited version of the interview. The time stamps I’ve included are from the… [Read More]
Miracle Stories: The Case of the Missing Tumor
Quick, I need the number to the Vatican SMU (Special Miracles Unit). Okay, maybe this one is not worthy of getting on the Pope's calendar. But it is certainly the most amazing miracle I have experienced. It involves my eight-year-old daughter who is a happy, healthy cancer survivor. In fact, just a couple of years… [Read More]
A Response to “What Sucks about the Catholic Church”
Every spring brings the Church a batch of shiny new Catholics, and every year I see the same list of complaints. No, not the ones about people “taking your pew.” The ones about the niggling weaknesses in the Church. Many adults who enter the Catholic Church, especially those who were members of other Christian traditions… [Read More]
3 Annoying Traits of a Catholic Husband That Point You to Heaven
Last night something rare happened: My husband and I found ourselves at the MOVIES. Shocking, I know. I’ll pause to let you collect yourself. (Seriously, we don’t go to the movies. We usually watch Netflix with the volume so low that we only catch about half of the dialogue and have to ad-lib the rest… [Read More]
Encouraging Latin in the Mass
Latin is no longer a well-known language, even in the Church, few people know it. It’s not quite dead, but it’s far from common. After Vatican II, even many of the priest never went through any formation in Latin. In the US, it has become more important to learn other heavily used languages like Spanish… [Read More]
How The Bible Can Lead To Atheism
I came across a YouTube video where Penn Jillette, the famous comedian/magician and notorious atheist, starred on a YouTube channel called Big Think where he made a comment that made me ponder. The video can be summed up in one question, “What made you become an atheist?” He responded, “I read the Bible.” He went… [Read More]
Easy Green: A Reflection on Ordinary Time
My daughter, Maire, got in trouble at her Catholic middle school for wearing green nail polish, which was against the rules. (Only clear or light pink nail polish allowed, if I remember right.) When asked about her indiscretion, she said, “It’s for Ordinary Time!” I laughed hearing about that. At least she remembered what season… [Read More]
The Heart
This past weekend the wisdom of the Church invited us to experience a beautiful truth – the unity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary. The Church led us into this discovery of this union by celebrating the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart on Friday that leads us into the Memorial of… [Read More]
Love Seeking Justice and Mercy (Review: “Change of Heart”)
I do not support the death penalty. I don’t think any Catholic ought to, although I respect the option Catholics have within our tradition to do so. The Catechism of the Catholic Church notes that, in the modern world, sufficient means exist to contain dangerous criminals indefinitely without ending their lives, so the cases in… [Read More]
Miscarriage Loss, Revisted
June is a beautiful month. Sure, it’s ridiculously hot, tornadoes and hurricanes abound, and you get so many mosquito bites it looks like you have chicken-pox, but it is still beautiful. People seem more carefree and plan vacations, the sunshine is lovely to behold (from inside an air-conditioned facility), and snow cones! Good stuff. Yet, June… [Read More]
Drink like a Catholic (at a Bar)
Catholics sometimes have a bad reputation about drinking. Austin is a fun-loving city that enjoys listening to live music and drinking delicious local beers and liquors. In the professional world, drinking cocktails is often a part of doing business and working as a team. In the church world, several ministries for Catholics in their 20s… [Read More]
Holy Naps
When I go to sleep, I take time, after I get comfortable, to let myself be loved and to feel that God surrounds and fills me with His loving, protective presence. Early in my young widowhood, I used to make it a habit to say, as I sank into my bed, “Into Your hands, I… [Read More]
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