Sin and a lack of friendship Sin is nothing new to the world; since our first parents fell from the state of paradise sin and its effects have plagued us in our persons, our families, and nations. It is clear that we are mired in sin. It seems like each day we hear of another… [Read More]
America: On the Forces that Shape Us
It’s always difficult to put into words the transformation that happens within a human heart as it works to grasp the reality of tragic news unfolding. I hopped into my car Friday morning totally ignorant of what happened in Dallas Thursday night. When I switched on NPR like usual, my mind tripped over itself trying to comprehend. It was… [Read More]
Carmelite Spirituality for the Analytical Mind (Review: “The Dark Night of the Soul” by Gerald May)
I have a relatively new interest in the intersection of psychology and spirituality. I have some good friends who are Catholics and counselors, and while I treasure the opportunities I’ve had to walk alongside people on their spiritual journeys, I’ve never wanted to pursue that path myself. I don’t even have much interest in spiritual… [Read More]
Are You At Peace?
Are you at peace in the sight of Christ? Am I at peace in the sight of Christ? I remember one time; we had adoration as part of our parish mission. At one point the deacon walked all around the church with the Blessed Sacrament. As Jesus approached me I was filled with an incredible… [Read More]
Sunday Says Podcast – July 3, 2016 Mass Readings and Reflections
Fourteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time Sunday July 3, 2016 Lectionary: 102 (NAB Translation) Reading 1 Isaiah 66:10-14c This week’s first reading is from the book of Isaiah in the Old Testament near the end of the book. The people of Israel and Judah have suffered much since their time in exile in Babylon and now… [Read More]
Five minute mystic part II: deeper prayer as a couple
First try I set the timer for an non-intimidating five minutes. We decided to begin with the Our Father, and at the end of the five minutes of silence, to pray the Glory Be. He said he was a little nervous. I agreed that it felt funny. Inner prayer, or “mental prayer,” as St. Teresa… [Read More]
Mercy: The force that overcomes everything (Or, thoughts on how to get unstuck)
Have you ever been in one of those arguments where you get sucked into the back and forth, like a frenzied game of tug-a-war? Except no one is playing, and in fact the whole emotional environment feels weighty and overly serious, like we’re arguing about way more than the dishwasher all of a sudden. Sometimes… [Read More]
Corpus Christi, Faith, and Culture
Here in Guatemala, the feast of Corpus Christi is awesome. The whole diocese celebrates it together on the appointed day but in the following weeks, each particular parish church has its own celebration of Corpus Christi. These celebrations are a big deal… A really big deal. In the larger churches, they are celebrated as an… [Read More]
Mango Ministry: Fruitful Lessons from a Family Tree
Everybody gets a mango! Today’s gospel reading from Matthew reminded me of the huge mango tree that was in my side yard when I was growing up in South Florida. Jesus said to his disciples: “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but underneath are ravenous wolves. By their fruits you will… [Read More]
5 Things You Should Do at the End of Mass
In my five years of blessings as a contributor here at ATX Catholic, I have taken one post per year to write something that is not a review. Instead, I write about something a little closer to my heart. They’re more like the things I post at my personal blog, Lindsay Loves. In my very… [Read More]
A Good, Good Father
Father’s Day was yesterday. When we think about fathers where does one even start? I don’t really think you can start anywhere else but with the Father, God. He is the Creator, the original and eternal Father, the Good, Good Father. Seriously, there are a lot of great fathers out there but there is only… [Read More]
Gazing at the Image or Icon of Divine Mercy
What does gazing at an image or icon of Divine Mercy do for my mind, body, and soul? The Catechism of the Catholic Church states, “The beauty of images moves me [us] to contemplation…” (1162) So what is contemplation? “Contemplation is a gaze of faith, fixed on Jesus, ‘I look at him and he… [Read More]
A Commemoration of Bishop-Elect “Fr. David” Konderla
“With great joy, St. Mary’s Catholic Center At Texas A & M announces: “Fr. David” Konderla beloved pastor and director of campus ministry, will be ordained and installed as the Bishop of the Diocese of Tulsa On June 29, 2016” I remember Fr. David as a grinning, ramrod straight young priest who laughed at… [Read More]
Who is Mary as Mediatrix?
So I know it’s not May anymore, but I’d like to share a post that was planned for May, but providentially is being published today. What does a name for Mary have to do with the incredible suffering happening now in Orlando? The following is my humble reflection in answer to that question. I had been… [Read More]
Learning to Speak Spanish
As I write this blog, I am sitting in the beautiful city of Antigua, Guatemala. I’ve been here in Guatemala for a little over a week. The primary purpose of me coming to this ancient ciudad is to learn Spanish so that in the future I will be able to speak the language of many… [Read More]
For Women Only… and A Little Bit for Men (Review: “Discovering the Feminine Genius”)
I finally found a book about women’s spirituality that is (a) not about single life and (b) one I like! That is a rare find. I read (and write) a lot about being a single Catholic woman. There’s a market for it. There’s also a need for materials that explore women’s spirituality, but that usually… [Read More]
Our Call And Election
We are called to make our call and election firm, to take the gift of faith we have been given strengthen it against the attacks of the devil. As we have moved back into ordinary time, I have been amazed at how beautiful the daily readings are. They seem to reach out and touch my… [Read More]
Diversity in Ministry Part 1 – Gifts and Talents
We all have a tendency to surround ourselves with people that are similar to ourselves. There are plenty of reasons this facilitates relationships and can be beneficial. In fact, searching for things in common is often how many friendships begin. This is a normal part of the process of getting to know new people, but… [Read More]
The Hail Mary, the Visitation: a reflection
Mary… the name of that beautiful flower which I always invoke morning and evening.” ~ Dante I remember learning the Hail Mary when I was 20. I was dating the Catholic boy who I would one day marry. I was curious about the Hail Mary, never having heard more than the first line of… [Read More]
The Dignity of Women in Fashion: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow
“Who has to tell me how to dress up? … I am more the type of girl who likes to dress in a comfortable and practical way, with high heels and skirts I feel strange, but… nobody can tell me how to dress!… not men. It is driving me crazy, leave us alone now. Man… [Read More]
Presentation: Mary and the New Evangelization
This presentation was given at the ATX Catholic Day of Reflection at Our Lady of Schoenstatt Shrine on April 30, 2016. [powerpress] The slideshow below was part of the presentation.
Spiritual Lessons from a Lake Travis Tragedy
[This is a guest post from Norine Shaivitz.] Ten years ago today, I opened the newspaper and saw the story I had very briefly covered the day before took a turn I wasn’t expecting. Back then, I was a news anchor at a radio station and the day before had been busy. The few reporters… [Read More]
Mercy, Justice, and the Truth (Review: “To Render the Deeds of Mercy”)
I don’t understand the Jubilee Year of Mercy, but I’m trying to. I love learning, so, as I said on my panel during the ATX Catholic Retreat, I’m taking this year as an opportunity to learn what mercy means. I encounter tons of media already, so my learning mostly consists of keeping my eyes and… [Read More]
What Are Your Intentions?
Being intentional doesn’t just happen! I remember some old movies where the father would ask the young man, “What are your intentions with my daughter?” I have had a lot of thought and discussion about this whole idea of being intentional. In my last post, I talked about goals and how it is important to… [Read More]
How is self-esteem linked to the image and likeness of God? – Part II
“We humans have not self-esteem, we have dignity, we are the children of God”. Sheila Morataya The root of our dignity and value It seems that one of King Louis XV of France, Luisa, was once the object of some reproach by one of her nannies. The princess did not like the correction and angrily… [Read More]
Catholic Life Online Today Panel
This audio is from the second panel at the ATX Catholic Day of Reflection 2016 at Our Lady of Schoenstatt Shrine in Austin, TX on April 30, 2016. [powerpress] Moderator: Brandon Kraft Panelist: Laura Gonzales, Cristina Almanza, and Steve Scott Panel 2 – Catholic Life Online Today St. John Paul II called us to propose anew the… [Read More]
Mary teaches Lumen Gentium Chapter VIII
What I want to do is fall to my knees at her feet, to take hold of, and touch to my face, the hem of her long blue skirt. But I can tell she doesn’t want me to do this. What she really wants is some help in the kitchen. She motions to me to… [Read More]
Parents & Teens, Freedom & Boundaries
Here at ATXCatholic I don’t often write about my job as a therapist, but today I’d like to delve a little bit into it, through the lens of good theology and a Christian understanding of the human person. I’d like to delve into the concept of boundaries in relationships, specifically between parents and teens. Tricky for… [Read More]
Popular Misconceptions About the Catholic Mass, Part III: Communion Reception
“The concept that communion in the hand is the only or preferred form of reception for Catholics since Vatican II is mistaken.” Also in this series: Popular Misconceptions about the Catholic Mass Part I: Music Popular Misconceptions about the Catholic Mass Part II: Ad Orientem With this third and final piece in our series on… [Read More]
Mercy and Technology Panel
This audio is from the first panel at the ATX Catholic Day of Reflection 2016 at Our Lady of Schoenstatt Shrine in Austin, TX on April 30, 2016. [powerpress] Moderator: Rachel Gardner Panelist: Trenton Hendrichson, Lindsay Wilcox, and Brandon Kraft Panel 1 – Mercy and Technology What does the Jubilee of Mercy mean to… [Read More]
How is Self-esteem Linked to the Image and Likeness of God?
You and I are children of God: “Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God” (John 1:12). God wanted to imprint deeply in our being the exclusive union to be a human being, and that is why, and only this… [Read More]
Freedom – Part 1 – Of garden tillers
Freedom is the God-given state of man’s natural existence, which makes it possible for man to achieve his natural end of flourishing in relationships with other people and his supernatural end of a communion of love with the Blessed Trinity. To be loved by the Father and to love Him in return by receiving this great… [Read More]
Pentecost, Inspiration, and Hope
It’s almost Pentecost! I developed a great relationship with the Holy Spirit when I was in undergrad, so Pentecost is one of my favorite feasts. For some reason, it pulls other people who like to dress liturgically out of the woodwork: we all wear red. Join me on all the other Sundays! It’s awesome! In… [Read More]
Goals, Plans and Motivation – Oh My!
What is your goal? During this time of Easter we read story after story about the life of the early church and more precisely about the lives of the apostles. What made them so effective? What motivated them? Thousands of people converted in a single day, people were cured and they faced persecution bravely. I… [Read More]
Saints Who Gave Satan Big Trouble
I had written an article on Saints with Sass, particularly against Satan, awhile back and decided to write a “spiritual successor” to it. In the events I mentioned in “Saintly Sass” post, I talked about how the Devil was utterly humiliated by snarky comments, from Saints, directed at him. In this article, I want to… [Read More]
For Catholic Bloggers (ATX Catholic Reflection Day Quick Takes)
For bloggers, as people who are often plugged in, absorbing information, writing and interacting online, etc – how blessed a day of reflection can be! I think this was a common sentiment for all of us that attended the ATX Catholic Day of Reflection last weekend. Speaking for myself, it was a great gift to… [Read More]
Forming Teens Into Evangelical Catholics
Youth ministry is a unique challenge for the Church, and by challenge, I mean opportunity. A decade ago, I started to dabble in youth ministry, but I have spent the last 7 years working with great people in the Church to develop a program that can form young Evangelical Catholics. An understandably lofty goal, but one… [Read More]
A Mother’s letter to her daughter for her Confirmation
“Mary treasured all these things, reflecting on them in her heart.” (Luke 2:19) Dear Roise, Treasuring the life of her child is what a mother does. At this culminating moment in our lives, as you prepare for your Confirmation, this letter is a reflection, a letter of love, encouragement and appreciation, and it is a… [Read More]
My Testimony of Reversion
The world today has forgotten so much about the mercy and passion and power of our true Lord and savior Jesus Christ. I grew up in Montgomery County, Maryland in a small town called Damascus. I was 6 years old when I was first in Damascus, and our governor at the time, Governor Martin O’Malley,… [Read More]
Don’t Forget About Tomorrow
Something really important is happening tomorrow. And the next day. And the day after that. A sneaky question in a priest’s homily a couple of weeks ago ties in perfectly with today’s Gospel reading. It was a first communion Mass for an enthusiastic group of second graders on a Saturday morning. During a wonderfully interactive… [Read More]
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