What is a Dragon? The Hebrew word “tanniyn” is used to depict a mysterious and vile creature similar to a giant reptile. “Tanniyn” is found 28 times in the Old Testament, with English translations sometimes referring to it as dragon, sea-monster, serpent, whale, or jackal. In the New Testament the Book of Revelation uses the… [Read More]
Agnostic Modernists vs The Church
Modernists and modernism have left a significant impact upon our post-modern world. One major impact has been the increasing prevalence of agnosticism or practical atheism within the world’s population. Agnosticism is the belief that man is unable to know whether God exists. Practical atheism is the resulting ethic or morality which is derived from such… [Read More]
Corpus Christi Procession: “Where the Body is, there the eagles will be gathered together” (Part 4)
“Where the Body is, there the eagles will be gathered together.” (Lk. 17:37 RSV) This scripture is also found in Matthew 24:28. This scripture is taken from the Revised Standard Version Bible which is the bible translation used for the Catechism of the Catholic Church since the New American Bible uses the word “vultures” instead… [Read More]
Corpus Christi Procession – “That Your Joy May Be Complete” (Part 3)
The Corpus Christ procession is one of those cosmic events in our lives that recalls the words of Jesus, “That your joy may be complete.” (Jn. 16:24) In the gospel Zacchaeus climbs a tree to see Jesus in procession (Lk. 19: 1-9) and this encounter fills him with an over abundance of joy. To keep… [Read More]
Corpus Christi Procession – “One Heart and Soul” (Part 2)
The upcoming, June 7, 2015, Corpus Christi procession unites the Austin, English and Spanish communities, as when the early Church was a “Community of believers [that] was of one heart and soul.” (Acts 4:32) From the very beginning the early Christians were a convergence of a trilingual culture, so public statements were often, “Written in… [Read More]
Corpus Christi Procession – “That They May All Be One” (Part 1)
The Corpus Christi Procession in Austin, Texas, is a very special one. This year, two communities are coming together to praise and adore the Lamb of God on the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ. For the first time in Central Texas history, the English and Spanish Corpus Christi Processions will… [Read More]
The World’s Greatest Love
As the Solemnity of Saint Joseph, Husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary approaches on March 19th let us contemplate the betrothal and love of Joseph and Mary, and how it can help couples and also single people in their search for a spouse. Pope Benedict XVI reminded us on July 5, 2010 that the “The… [Read More]
Angels & Dragons
“Proclaim a War! Let the weak man say, ‘I am a warrior!’” (Joel 4:9-10) In these dark times we must contemplate and understand the spiritual battle we are facing. We must take a step back and ask ourselves, “What is happening to the world and to us?” The answer is that mankind is at the… [Read More]
Oh Speciosam Altaris Sacramento: How Powerful and Loving
In my time of being in the seminary my love and awe of the Blessed Sacrament of the Eucharist has increased tremendously and I am convinced with full conviction that when I receive the Eucharist at Mass, I am receiving the fullness of Christ within me and I am being received into full communion with… [Read More]
Our Christian Vocation Is Like That of The Three Kings!
Every Christmas we ready ourselves for the birth of our Lord with lights, lights, and more lights. We string lights on Christmas trees, wreaths, and nativity sets; we outline windows, rooftops and walkways. We decorate our downtown trees and light poles with lights and some neighborhood yards are aglow with lighted reindeer, snowmen, and nativity… [Read More]
The Perfect Christmas Gift
This Christmas give your child “the perfect Christmas gift”: Your Blessing! According the Church’s official book on blessings Jesus loved blessing children for when God took on our human flesh he, “Gave us a new gift in every blessing.” (Book of Blessings # 2,3) Even when Jesus was most exhausted and the apostles wanted him… [Read More]
Eucharist and Life Experience
“Only when we recognize the rich network of connections between the Eucharist and our life in the world can the Eucharist be “worldly” and our life “Eucharistic” – Henry J.M. Nouwen, With Burning Hearts: A Meditation on the Eucharistic Life. This quote from Nouwen’s book is so very true. All things in our lives are connected…. [Read More]
Reflection: Evangelii Gaudium: Temptations Faced by Pastoral Workers
In his apostolic exhortation, Pope Francis touches on many important topics regarding evangelization. He speaks of all that we, pastoral workers, should focus on when working to proclaim the Gospel in the modern world. The Pope calls all of us to work to spread the gospel with a great joy based in Christ. In one… [Read More]
Four Attitudes of Evangelical Parenthood: A Non-Judgmental Warmth and Welcome
Judge not, that you be not judged (Matthew 7:1) The last attitude of evangelism laid out by Pope Francis is a non-judgmental warmth and welcome. As parents, our children need to know that we love them regardless of what they do. They need to know that they can come to us about anything and that they… [Read More]
Four Attitudes of Evangelical Parenthood: Patience – Part 4
The third attitude of evangelical parenthood is patience. As we write this, we’ve just returned from a stint at the grocery store – one that we thought was going to be 30 minutes. An hour and a half later, we’ve just put up the last of the groceries. And …. where are/were our children? Somewhere… [Read More]
Lent: A Time for Conversion
WHAT DOES LENT MEAN? Today we begin a very special season in our liturgical year, Lent. Our English word “Lent” is derived from the Anglo-Saxon word “lencten” which is roughly translated to mean Spring. So, like the season of spring, we are called to be rejuvinated, to be given life once again and to spread… [Read More]
Four Attitudes of Evangelical Parenthood: Readiness for Dialogue – Part 3
The second attitude of Evangelical Parenthood lies in a readiness for dialogue. All too often, as a parent, we can be “preachy”. That is, we desire to control any conversation to the extent that there may be a difference of opinion or lack of time. We, some of us more than others, really need to… [Read More]
A Seminarian’s Reflection on Faith
The Lord Our God, Our Father, sees all things. No matter how much we try to hide from him, and no matter how much we might think we are doing things in secret, he sees all things. Night is not dark enough to hide us away from his loving view. He does not look upon… [Read More]
Four Attitudes of Evangelical Parenthood: Approachability – Part 2
In order to answer our parental vocation to evangelize our children, Pope Francis says we must be approachable to our kids. We must develop and cultivate an attitude of approachability. As a parent, you want your children coming to you to ask difficult questions, right?! After all, if they don’t come to you, to whom… [Read More]
Four Attitudes of Evangelical Parenthood
Parents are called to evangelize their children – to be evangelical parents. Yet, all too frequently many of us fail to answer the call to share the “Good News” with them because we never preach the Gospel to our children. We leave that to the priest in the Sunday homily or the religious education teacher… [Read More]
Are You the “Disciplinarian” in Your Family?
The description of someone as a “disciplinarian” carries certain connotations. Typically, the “disciplinarian” in the family is considered to be the person who administers punishment, who is considered the more strict of the parents. You may remember when you were a child hearing your mother say (after disobeying her or talking back) something along the… [Read More]
The Giver and the Gift: A New Year’s Resolution
Every good endowment and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights – James 1:17 A little over 40 years ago, my mom taught me a lesson that I will never forget: The giver of a gift is always more important than the gift itself. I believe that it was either… [Read More]
Pope Francis, Parenthood, and Relationship
The end of our parenting should be to build relationships with our children. Without a relationship, teaching, questioning, admitting, and giving example – the topics addressed in the previous columns – become less effective. This is part of the point the Pope Francis has been trying to make with regard to dealing with people… [Read More]
Is Sacred Art Wrong?
Sacred Art Art, for centuries, has been a method of communicating different information on the history and truths of people. The prehistoric human used art to communicate or record their great historical stories and achievements. One example of this is the images found in the Lascaux Cave in Southwestern France. Many centuries later the Egyptians… [Read More]
Part 5 of 6 – Pope Francis, Teaching, and Parenthood
As with previous Popes, Francis teaches. It’s his job so to speak. As parents, we also are called to be the first and primary teachers, the “first heralds” of the faith to our children. We can learn a great deal about fulfilling that role by watching him do his job. In order to help us… [Read More]
Part 4 of 6 – Pope Francis, Parenthood, and the Importance of Admission
By knowing how to acknowledge their own failings to their children, parents will be better able to guide and correct them. (Cathechism of the Catholic Church, 2223) Early in his pontificate, Pope Francis has given parents yet another tip – admitting our failings to our children. One of the common themes of Pope Francis has… [Read More]
Methods of Meditation
When we think of prayer, most of us think of praying as saying prayers, talking to God. When we think of prayer we think of the prayers we were made to memorize as a youth. We think of prayer as the prayers we say before bed, before meals or in church. These prayers are important… [Read More]
Part 3 of 6 – Pope Francis, Parenthood, and Questions
Another important tool for parents that we have learned from Pope Francis is the use of questions in our parenting. In his interview with an atheist, when asked a question, Pope Francis responded with a question on several occasions. We, as parents, can learn from this. Questions are frequently the best response initially to… [Read More]
Pope Francis and Parenting by Example – Part 2 of 6
Parents have a grave responsibility to give good example to their children. (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2223) From the beginning of his pontificate, Pope Francis has led by example. He has put flesh on the message, so to speak. He as our “Papa” has taken ideas, concepts, and truths and concretely put them into… [Read More]
5 Things Pope Francis Can Teach Parents About Parenthood – Part 1 of 6
Pope Francis has taught us quite a bit about parenthood. In word and deed and in just the first six months as “Papa”, his words and his actions have taught us and can teach any parent something about raising children. Today, we’d like to share some of what we’ve learned from him and to challenge… [Read More]
New Evangelization, Reality TV, and Parenting
Effective parenting calls for new ways of communicating the Faith to children. In essence, parents must answer the call to the New Evangelization in their own homes with their own children. As parents, we’re called to find ways in every day life to convey the truths of the faith in ways that, perhaps, are a… [Read More]
Signs of Contradiction
Three Persons, One God. 100% God, yet 100% man. To save your life, you must lose it. The first shall be last, and the last shall be first. Christianity is full of seeming contradictions. Life is full of contradictions. The Christian must be comfortable with these apparent contradictions. In fact, part of the mystery of… [Read More]
The Mystery of Parenthood: God’s Vulnerability
Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and as innocent as doves. (Matthew 10:16) We’ve been contemplating this concept of the mystery of parenthood for years – the idea of living parenthood with a heightened sacramental sense. We’ve attempted to be outward, visible signs… [Read More]
Reflection on the Love of God
He sees all The Lord Our God, Our Father, sees all things. No matter how much we try to hide from him, and no matter how much we might think we are doing things in secret, he sees all things. Night is not dark enough to hide us away from his loving view. He does… [Read More]
Parenthood, Faith, and Mystery
In reality, it is only in the mystery of the Word made flesh that the mystery of man truly becomes clear … Christ the Lord, Christ the new Adam, in the very revelation of the mystery of the Father and of His love, fully reveals man to himself…He, who is the “image of the… [Read More]
Setting Your Family Ablaze – Part 5 of 5 – Evangelization
The last key to setting your family ablaze is to embrace the call to evangelization, “that is, the proclamation of Christ by word and testimony of life” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 905). For most Catholics, this seems to be the hardest one to embrace. Faith and Integration, the first two keys, can be done… [Read More]
Erroneous Eros…
In the last column “Quid Amor? (What is Love?)”, I wrote about the different loves as explained by C.S. Lewis and by the Holy Scriptures. Love is so much more complicated than being a simple emotion without reason. According to Lewis there are four loves; Storge, Philia, Eros and Agape. Each love plays an important… [Read More]
Pope Francis Homily to Seminarians, Novices and Young People Discerning their Vocations
“You know well enough that Our Lord does not look so much at the greatness of our actions, nor even at their difficulty, but at the love with which we do them.” -St. Therese of Lisieux, Doctor of the Church On Sunday July 7th, Pope Francis celebrated the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass with many… [Read More]
Setting Your Family Ablaze – Relationships – Part 4 of 5
Relationships must be cultivated if we are to set our families ablaze and begin to change this culture. Relationships are the third necessary piece to the puzzle of transforming our families. For them to flourish, three elements, properly understood, must consciously and actively be made present in our families through the parents. As with all… [Read More]
Setting Your Family Ablaze – Integration – Part 3 of 5
“There cannot be two parallel lives in [the Christian’s] existence on the one hand, the so-called “spiritual” life, with its values and demands; and on the other, the so-called “secular” life that is life in a family, at work, in social relationships, in the responsibilities of public life and in culture… Therefore, I have maintained… [Read More]
