Alleluia! “Ridding oneself of what is repugnant to God’s will should be understood not only of one’s acts but of one’s habits as well. Not only must actual voluntary imperfections cease, but habitual imperfections must be annihilated too.” -St. John of the Cross, Ascent of Mount Carmel On Sunday we celebrated the solemnity of the… [Read More]
Quiet Thunder
Photo: AFP Quiet Thunder From a canopy of umbrellas open, eyes and hearts are lifted heavenward. Flags are waved, and prayers are uttered through misty rain. Hope rushes smoky white from an ancient chimney for what seems an eternity. A stirring on the balcony and silence falls. Quiet thunder is coming. Millions gather to… [Read More]
The Purpose-Driven Catholic Church (Review: “Rebuilt”)
I am a parish employee. Campus ministry works in some significantly different ways than geographical parishes, but for practical purposes (such as when people ask what I do), I work in a parish. I’m betting pretty strongly that most of you reading this either currently belong to a parish, go to Mass, or used to… [Read More]
Blogging for God: What’s Holding You Back?
“Catholic bloggers can change the world,” proclaimed Jennifer Fulwiler, National Catholic Register contributor and blogger at the ever-popular Conversion Diary. She said those words at the recent Catholic New Media Conference, held in Dallas last week. I have to admit, when she first said those words, I tweeted them, but I wasn’t 100% sold. At… [Read More]
Stop Apologizing for Your Catholic Faith
I mean it. Stop it. Stop saying, “Well, you know, it’s because we’re Catholic.” I hear and see it all the time. We decide not to wear that religious necklace or that saint bracelet. We tell our kids to keep their Catholic Bibles home from summer camp. We find ourselves conveniently “busy” when a neighbor… [Read More]
Lessons from the Giving Tree and Thorns in our Side
Growing up did you ever read the Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein ? In this sad-for-a-kid-but-wonderful book, a tree and a boy become friends and the tree gives all it can to help the boy be happy. Here’s a video version if you haven’t read it, narrated by Shel). I’ve liked sappy stories my whole… [Read More]
With This Cross, I Thee Wed
Today my husband and I celebrate our 4 year anniversary! It seems like our wedding was just yesterday! With marriage comes a lot of unknowns. Saying “I do” in some ways is like walking the plank without knowing whether the plank gets you to land or to a long drop into the ocean! None of… [Read More]
We Can’t Be Catholic Robots
It’s easy to forget what something means when you’ve said it a million times. It’s kind of like when you say a word out loud over and over. Somehow it manages to lose its meaning. Fork. Fork. Fork. Fork. Fork. Fork. Fork. Does it sound funny now? It is possible that this happens to us… [Read More]
A New Media Guide for the New Evangelization (Review: “The Church and New Media”)
Here at Austin Catholic New Media, we strive to harness the most popular social technologies of the day to aid in the New Evangelization. In other words, since everyone and his grandma is on Facebook, can we share our Catholic lives in photos and status updates? Can we use YouTube to teach people about Catholicism?… [Read More]
The Year of Faith is 5 Months Away!
If you’re like me, you’ve heard snippets of conversations since last October about the upcoming “Year of Faith” that starts this October. You might have even heard that it was Pope Benedict XVI who announced it. But if you’re also like me, you’ve probably wondered what exactly we’ll have to do to live up to… [Read More]
The 2012 Non-Evangelizing Guide Every Catholic Needs To Read
Today’s post is an intro into a two {or three} part series depending on how feisty and “write-y” I feel this week about ways NOT to evangelize. Today’s piece is foundational, meaning I’m going to build on it by writing a series based on my own personal experiences. I should start this piece of brilliance by stating that… [Read More]
Henry VIII is Rolling in His Grave
In addition to ringing in the new year, on January 1st, the Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter was created in the Catholic Church. It is basically a diocese for the entire United States for those people—lay and cleric, individually or corporately—who are formerly Anglican/Episcopal and have “swam the Tiber” to join the Catholic… [Read More]
The Many Faces of Evangelization
Whenever I hear the words “New Evangelization,” my ears perk up, like a child who is watching those fabulous toy commercials that make them feel like they HAVE to have, well, everything under the sun. Except, I am assured that my grabby hands and “want want want” are necessary and needed in today’s society. So,… [Read More]
The Catholic Checklist
Sometimes, I feel like other Catholics measure another’s “true pedigree” with a pre-determined checklist of items. Are you pro-life? Check. Do you use NFP instead of artificial birth control? Check. Are you against the death penalty and euthanasia? Check. Do you homeschool? Check. Are you against co-habitation? Check. Do you participate in the Sacrament of Reconciliation… [Read More]
Two Guys, a Girl and a Catholic Podcast 25: Earthquakes, Hurricanes and Mascots…Oh My
Check @austincathmedia, FB feedback and G+ feedback for book winner!!Current Events: 5.8-Magnitude Quake Strikes East Coast – Chris http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/24/us/24quake.html 5.3 Magnitude earthquake in Colorado http://www.cnn.com/2011/US/08/23/colorado.quake/index.html?hpt=us_c2 Hurricane Irene – Jason http://www.foxnews.com/weather/2011/08/24/irenehttp://www.foxbusiness.com/technology/2011/08/24/steve-jobs-resigns-as-ceo-named-chairman-373386699/#ixzz1W02F21fj-strengthens-to-category-2-hurricane-as-it-closes-in-on-bahamas/?test=latestnews WYD concludes – Cristina Final numbers of WYD 2011 http://www.romereports.com/palio/index.php?newlang=english Next years’ theme http://www.romereports.com/palio/index.php?newlang=english A stirring account http://www.catholicherald.co.uk/commentandblogs/2011/08/23/after-the-storm-ceased-the-pope-thanked-the-two-million-for-their-%E2%80%98joy-and-resistance%E2%80%99-then-they-knelt-in-the-mud-before-the-blessed-sacrament-that%E2%80%99s-the-meaning-of-the-cath/ SQPN Coverage – http://thebreak.sqpn.com/ Steve Jobs Gives… [Read More]
Two Guys, a Girl and a Catholic Podcast Episode 16: Minus One Chris, Plus One Cris
Segment #1 – Current Events – Dallas Mavericks Win the NBA World Title – Jason http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t6cnOX4q1WA Arizona Wildfire is now largest in Arizona Wildfire history – Cristina http://www.cnn.com/2011/US/06/14/arizona.wildfires/index.html?hpt=hp_t2 http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/fires/main/usa/20110613-arizona.html USCCB meeting this week to discuss and vote on issues on physician assisted suicide and clerical sex abuse in the U.S. – Cris http://www.romereports.com/palio/index.php?newlang=english http://www.usccb.org/ Segment… [Read More]
1st Annual Children’s Corpus Christi Procession
On Sunday June 26, 2011, the Catholic Church celebrates the Feast of Corpus Christi universally around the world. This year Saint Mary Cathedral plans to have the 1st Annual Children’s Corpus Christi Procession. It will be geared toward children and Catholic youth so that they will come to give witness to the world of their… [Read More]
Glee, Gaga and God
Hi my name is Jason and I watch too much trash TV. I know that I really should be spending more time in prayer and deepening my spiritual life. Unfortunately more often then not the spare time I do have usually consist of watching an hour or so of mindless TV. That being said I… [Read More]
Chris Bartlett’s Notes From May’s Theology on Tap
Chris Bartlett is the director of Youth, Young Adult, and Campus Ministry for the Diocese of Austin. A graduate of Franciscan University, he is currently working on a master’s degree in theology at St. Mary’s San Antonio. He lives in Pflugerville with his wife, Kendra, and their two young daughters, and battles a crippling addiction… [Read More]
How To Get Banned From Catholic Radio: Challenges and Opportunities in The New Evangelization
On April 28th, 2011 Austin Catholic New Media held their 2011 Q2 Meet-up. We were lucky enough to have Dan Sealana (@catholicdan) come out and speak to us about his experiences in Catholic radio. Dan also spoke about what we can do as digital missionaries to spread the good news of Jesus Christ in new… [Read More]
Microevangelization
I was ordering checkbooks last night when a little blank text box got me thinking. When I first thought about it, I thought I had a “chicken or the egg” paradox on my hands. I was thinking, what came first? My love for Christ, or my thirst for a relationship with Him? Combined, both have… [Read More]
