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]
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]
Redemption Through Reflection (Review: “Remembering God’s Mercy”)
We all have memories of things we’d rather forget. Some things are embarrassing. Some are painful. Some are traumatic. Dawn Eden is no stranger to the latter, as she revealed in her previous books about chaste love (The Thrill of the Chaste and its recent Catholic edition) and about healing sexual wounds with the help… [Read More]
Stabat Mater: the strength to be still
She remained still, even inside herself. She was still because she was listening for God, and she was occupied with His will, and, because of her love, being completely present as the unthinkable happened to her Son. The Scripture says only that she was there. There was no way her instincts as a mother were… [Read More]
Keep Worship Weird
You might say that the speed at which “Keep Austin Weird” took off says something about how innate this motto is to the nature of our city. It captures in a just few words one essential part of that “something else” about the this town that keeps native here and draws new neighbors in droves…. [Read More]
Like A Runaway Train
So, my last couple of Lents have been, lack luster, so to say. I mean I went through the motions and all that but have just had the sense that I could do more / better. A couple of weeks before Lent this year, I started praying and planning how I was going to make… [Read More]
Let yourself be loved: a challenge for Lent
The sunlight obscures him in its intense brightness on the horizon, but I can still see his figure walking ahead as I follow at a distance. I have to run a little just to keep him in sight. I am wondering if he wanted some desert alone time and whether I should let him… [Read More]
How to Stay Motivated During Lent
If you’re anything like me, you get to Day 6 of Lent and you start amending your sacrifices, making them easier and less painful. You may even have a conversation with yourself that looks like this: Scene: I’m quietly engaged in a task. My brain is wandering in thought. Suddenly, Brain taps me on the… [Read More]
Tending the Souls of Aggie Catholics: an interview with Sister Celestina Menin of the Apostles of the Interior Life
Recently, St. Mary’s held a “School of Prayer.” This was a series of talks on various forms of prayer as a response to popular request from the students. The Busy Student’s Retreat is largely based on daily spiritual direction over a week’s time, and is very successful here. I asked Sister Celestina if that enthusiasm… [Read More]
Longhorns Forging a Culture of Encounter In Our Own Backyard – CARITAS 2016
The week before classes started at UT this January, nearly 80 Longhorn Catholics came back to town early – to go out in mission. This is the 4th year of Austin CARITAS (Catholics Answering the Redeemer’s Invitation to Authentic Sanctity), where UT students give up a week of their winter break to serve those in need… [Read More]
You, Too, Can Discern the Will of God (Review of Fr. Mike Schmitz and Peter Kreeft)
A little over a year ago, I reviewed a book about discernment, decision-making, and the will of God by a non-Catholic Bible scholar and teacher, Gary Friesen. I haven’t run out of things to discern in the meantime, though, so this year, I decided to share some Catholic advice. In the spirit of teaching to… [Read More]
Reflections of a Catholic Mom on her Daughter’s 1st Birthday
1 year ago, I was laying in a hospital room wondering what just happened. My daughter had been born just hours before, but wasn’t with me. Being 5 weeks early, she was whisked away to NICU to be hooked up to monitors, a heating pad, and oxygen. I, on the other hand, was whisked out… [Read More]
Humility Alone Conceives the Truth – a poem
I hope you are all having a restful and blessed Christmas season! Pope Francis invites us to contemplate what God teaches us in coming as a child: “He makes himself small, he becomes a child, to attract us with love, to touch our hearts with his humble goodness,” and also”Pope Francis said the creche reminds us that… [Read More]
The Door to Mercy – Knowing We Are Loved
For the opening of the Year of Mercy, I was late to mass. Late to mass! Imagine, this great event, once in a Jubilee, and I had even planned ahead to get out of work early – and still I was late to mass, and very late. Walking up to the mass-in-progress, I slid into… [Read More]
Advent: The longing in our hearts for Love Incarnate
“May the Lord make you increase and abound in love, for one another and for all, just as we have for you, so as to strengthen your hearts, to be blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his holy ones. Amen” (1 Thes 3:12) We heard… [Read More]
Novena for Religious Liberty
Join the March for Religious Freedom November 22 at the Texas State Capitol. There will be veneration of the relics of the 6 Knights of Columbus saints at St. Austin Catholic Church at 1 pm after the march. Join us in prayer for the 9 days leading up to the march. Read Part I and… [Read More]
8 Minute Guided “Prayer of Recollection” of St. Teresa of Avila [Audio Post]
Prayer Break! Take a break in your day and enter into interior prayer in this brief, guided version of the Prayer of Recollection of St. Teresa of Jesus, with Shawn. [powerpress] Whoever has not begun the practice of prayer, I beg for the love of the Lord, not to go without so great… [Read More]
Joyful Mysteries of the Rosary [Audio]
Join us in the Joyful mysteries of the Holy Rosary of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary. Each mystery is led by one of our contributors. [powerpress] The First Joyful Mystery THE ANNUNCIATION – Shawn Chapman The Second Joyful Mystery THE VISITATION – Brit Echtenkamp The Third Joyful Mystery THE NATIVITY – Cristóbal Almanza The Fourth Joyful… [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]
