It is a day to celebrate, to be with loved ones, and to pray for our nation. Let it also be a day to reflect on who we are, and who are called to be! What is our mission as Catholics in the US? And what does it mean to talk about our mission as… [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]
Masculine Spirituality Thrives in Brotherhood
Adult men often have a difficult time making friends. It’s easy to have passive relationships with coworkers, guys at the gym, or even at church, but intentional friendship takes work. This is true for both men and women, but my focus here will be particular to men. Deep Connections Aren’t Accidental It’s easy to feel… [Read More]
8th Annual Diocesan Men’s Fellowship Mass – July 23
Post Update July 25, 2016: The event was a great success, and you can see photos from the Mass below. Full photo gallery by Raphael Riojas. https://riojasphotography.smugmug.com/CTFCM/2016-Mens-Mass For the 8th year in a row, there will be a Holy Mass celebrated as an encouragement to men. It’s easy to feel discouraged in a world that… [Read More]
The Power of Christian Unity
Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly; never be conceited. -Romans 12:14-16 This verse is thematic of what we call Christian unity: peace, harmony, listening to… [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]
Come and You Will See
The tents are packed up; the rented chairs have been stacked and taken away. The land is empty and yet not quiet. Mulch covers large patches where grass will need to be planted. Bricklayers come each morning and work on finishing the main walkway. You can usually see the builder around finishing this or… [Read More]
Making Friends As A Young Adult
When you are in school it is easy to meet other people with similar perspectives and interests because the educational systems categorize and do the grouping for you. For most of us, it’s so natural that we miss how easy it makes it to begin friendships. Once you leave school, making friends is a very… [Read More]
Austin CNM Retreat – July 19, 2014
Join us for a day of reflection at a retreat hosted by Austin CNM at St. Thomas More Catholic Church in North Austin located at 10205 N Fm 620, Austin, Texas 78726 on Saturday July, 19, 2014 10 am – 5 pm. This day will be dedicated to prayer, discussion, and collaboration all with a strong… [Read More]
Breaking Down Our Babel: A Response to “An Open Letter to the Catholic Blogosphere”
For a church that professes to be “one,” we sure do have a lot of divisions. A few months ago, I wrote about the claim of being one church versus the reality and the ability of that disconnect to scandalize non-Catholics. This weekend, I read Fr. Denis Lemieux’s “Open Letter to the Catholic Blogosphere, On… [Read More]
Spiritual Brotherhood and Christian Joy
A good wedding is always fun, and it brings out the happiness in everyone. Holy Matrimony is one of the best reasons to party, and it’s usually what Catholics are best at doing. The Holy Mass, a great feast, and all out dance and celebration are appropriate for such an occasion. Not because weddings are… [Read More]
Groundbreaking of the First Marian Shrine in Austin
Making Austin History: Last Sunday, atop a small hill in Bee Caves, beneath grey skies and cold winds, history was made. It was the ground breaking of the first Marian Shrine in the Diocese of Austin. Approximately 300 people from across the Diocese and across Texas participated in the mass and groundbreaking ceremony. During the… [Read More]
A Tradition-less Christmas
When I was younger, the lack of any sort of stable Advent traditions was a point of pride. I’ve spent many a Christmas eve camping out on the floor of the Miami airport during a 5-hour layover playing cards with my siblings, waiting to spend Christmas with family in the Caribbean. But, on the risk… [Read More]
This I Believe* – I Believe in Community
The human reality of community has been on my mind and heart a lot lately. How we experience community is so foundational to how we experience Church. Pope Francis recently put forth a challenge to each of us: “What do I do to make the Church a community in which everyone feels welcomed and understood, [in which]… [Read More]
Tech Disconnect and World Communications Day 2013
I’m becoming increasingly convinced that our world has left a generation feeling isolated through its attempts to connect everyone and everything through technology. Sure, we see each other’s tweets and see our loved one’s experiences on Instagram, but I’m not convinced that I’ve grown closer to those friends through that. I’ve noticed that I make… [Read More]
Zombie Survival Guide: Phase 2 Fighting Back!
If you haven’t heard the news today, our world is on the verge of becoming a desolate wasteland. We have been steadily losing faith in our ideals, our institutions, and even our loving creator. Our hope for the future has been shaken by too many missteps and false positives. Division and misunderstanding has eroded the… [Read More]
Batman vs The Savior We Need
As a newly converted Catholic, I get asked some pesky questions. Cradle Catholics seem to expect me to have taken the time to have a defense for everything or at least some insight into the differences in theology. Once a deacon asked me how I had made it over the ‘Marian Bridge’. The truth is… [Read More]
A Morning Opposing the Abortion Giant – Reflections From the Sidewalk
It was only 9:37 a.m. on a muggy summer morning in June 2011 and I’d already had one of those mornings that forces you to stop and think about who you are and the world around you. It started off as a photojournalism project. Just a simple photostory. Snap a couple of pictures, record an… [Read More]
On a Mission from Grace
My conversion to Catholicism occurred about eight years after the events I described in Grace Made Man. Only 3 short months after I was confirmed, God’s providence allowed me to serve with the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal and the Missionaries de Christe in Honduras. This would become my greatest lesson in community to date…. [Read More]
Prescription Strength Grace
Over thanksgiving I came down with a pretty nasty cold. My family treated me in their characteristically sympathetic manner. They griped at me for not doing more cardio. Bedside manner aside, I know my family is correct. In the three years I’ve been Catholic I’ve lost about 100 pounds (cardio). This process has proven to… [Read More]
In All Circumstances Give Thanks
That’s all for today, friends. Happy Thanksgiving!!!
The House That Grace Builds
In the third grade, my English teacher asked us to write a paper defining love in 500 words. I put all of my third grade wisdom and discipline into the task. I dug down deep to find profound truths and carefully crafted them into intricate yet elementary sentences. When I at last I presented my… [Read More]
Being Connected
I tend to face life’s challenges and situations looking for the correct answer – Lord, what is the right thing to do? Lord, show me the right way to go! I was doing that yesterday in mass, seeking how to follow God’s will “correctly” – job stuff, grad school, the elections, friends and relationships were all on… [Read More]
Grace Made Man
I didn’t get here on my own. Many people have helped me out. I owe everything I have to the grace of others. Evidently I am unique from every political pundit around these days. I was raised with the good values. I am bright. I am hardworking. I grew up in the land of the… [Read More]
When Mass Hits Home
Sometimes Mass just hits home. Completely out of the blue, you’re showered with the Holy Spirit. That happened this weekend and it was awesome. During this weekend’s Mass, newly ordained Deacon Barry Cuba gave the homily. He always approaches the pulpit with humility, humor and insight so I was excited to hear what he had to say. … [Read More]
Young Adults and the Parish
Looking back on my childhood, I am very grateful for the role that our parish had in my life. We prayed together, and we played together. Outside of school, the parish was everything to me and my family. That community consists of only a couple hundred families and is the only Catholic church in that… [Read More]
How Can I Keep from Singing?
I like to think I’m a funny person. I mean, my jokes are so funny, I laugh at them even though I know the punch line…But in this blog, I am going to be writing, comically at some times, about a serious issue – the issue of our very purpose on Earth….which is…. to be… [Read More]
Why Are Christians Always Judging?
One of the most unattractive challenges in joining a Christian group is the fear of being judged. Honestly, most people fear the judgement of Christians over the judgment of God Himself. How can this be if Saint Paul reminds us not to judge others, “For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of God…”… [Read More]
