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]
Economics and Envy
“The federal government’s most useful role is not to rush into a program of excessive increases in public expenditures, but to expand the incentives and opportunities of private expenditures.” – John F. Kennedy, 1962 A significant paradigm shift has occurred in our nation over the last fifty years. General attitudes toward war and national… [Read More]
The “Odd” Things of the Catholic Faith
I love our Catholic faith. There’s beauty in it, there’s wisdom in it, there’s love in it, there’s joy in it, there’s an acceptance and reason for pain and suffering, there’s forgiveness in it, there’s purpose in the rites and rituals in it and there’s so, so much more. There are also some very “odd”… [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]
Beginning the Year with Thomas Merton (Book Reviews and Shameless Plug!)
I’d like to take this post to do a total shameless plug for Thomas Merton – a holy man who has taught me so much that I consider him to be a spiritual father. At the end of the old year and to help me start the new year, I picked up his book Thoughts in… [Read More]
Holy Innocents, Then and Now
The past few years a feast day in the Catholic Church I had paid little attention to began to stand out to me: The Feast of the Holy Innocents. I don’t know why this Feast Day began to stand out to me a few years ago. Perhaps it is the reminder of innocent lives lost,… [Read More]
A Little Advent Scripture Study
Advent is a time of preparation for receiving Jesus into the world and into our hearts. My first Advent challenge to you is to sit down, ponder and meditate on the scriptural account of Jesus’ arrival in the world as your time allows. There are many wonderful resources for Scripture study, but for anyone seeking… [Read More]
Parenting the Popular Kid
Whether we admit it to ourselves or not, we all want to be popular. Well, popular in the sense that all of us want to be loved, recognized, accepted and appreciated. Our oldest son began middle school this year and it has been a {ahem} transition. Yes, there are glimpses of a little boy left… [Read More]
WOW! Women of the Well
In an effort to share their mission of “…serving anyone in need by strengthening families and promoting respect for human dignity and life” beyond those they provide direct service care, to increase awareness of their ministry and enrich the lives of woman of faith, Catholic Charities of Central Texas has begun a Faith and Fellowship… [Read More]
Modern Science: A Sin Against Intelligence?
Science as a quest for understanding of the workings of the universe had its formal beginnings in ancient Greece. It was augmented by the scholastics of the Middle Ages, who added the philosophical foundation on the notion that the universe is intelligible. However, as Henri de Lubac notes, there was more recently a shift in… [Read More]
Perfectly Imperfect
Pinterest is a dream come true for the aspiring perfectionist. If you have not encountered pinterest yet, it is a virtual and endless pin board where people can post and save photos of projects and ideas. (Be prepared to stay up until 4 am creating your pin boards, by the way). I was browsing the… [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]
What Does it Mean to “Vote Catholic”?
Well, I know what it doesn’t mean. Jesus loved both the elephant and the donkey. He created them both! For months (or has it been years?) we’ve been hearing from the two main political candidates running for office as to why they are the “right” choice for America. Today, millions of Americans will go to… [Read More]
On the Eve of the Election
This week you are going to be inundated with all things election, if it’s not pre-election news it will be an analysis of the results as they return, and then a series of reports as to who was elected and what they’ll do in the next four years. And if that wasn’t enough we still… [Read More]
Death & Your Marriage
This may be a little unusual for someone to admit, but, I’m not afraid to die. And I even look forward to death one day (not in a “I want to die today” type of way but in a “I look forward to being in God’s presence for eternity and in communion with the saints”… [Read More]
The Guardians of Time
It is possible that I am delusional enough that I see myself as a superhero, who is shielding her family from a gigantic unstoppable time-eating Monster on a daily basis. If you’re picturing it, I’m wearing red, since red is my power color. Also, you can imagine some jewel encrusted arm cuffs and boots. Fierce… [Read More]
Flesh-eating Bacteria & Leprosy: The Stories of Two Saints
I first heard about a young woman named Kateri Tekakwitha in 2002, when I was in Toronto, Canada for what would be Pope John Paul II’s last World Youth Day (WYD). I didn’t pay much attention to her then, but did keep her name in the back of my mind for future reference. A few… [Read More]
Authenticity & the Year of Faith
I have to be honest. When I heard that the Catholic Church had declared this year the “Year of Faith”, I wasn’t quite sure what to think. Maybe it’s my ‘convert’ status rising up again, but while those around me were excited about the upcoming Year of Faith, I wasn’t sure what I was supposed… [Read More]
The (Small & Much Needed) Signs That God Is Always There
I don’t like guess work. I like to see where I’ve come from and where I’m going with a single glance. I like to have a plan. Even though I’m not mathematically brilliant, in fact, in college I took one math class – Ideas of Mathematics – not even real math, just thinking about math,… [Read More]
75 Year of Faith: St.Ignatius Martyr Catholic Church
From simple beginnings, through tremendous growth, with a focus on educating the minds and hearts of Catholics and with a passion for serving, St. Ignatius Martyr Catholic Parish has been through quite a bit in its 75 years as a Catholic faith community. A parish founded by the Congregation of Holy Cross parish in 1937,… [Read More]
Seven Big Myths About the Catholic Church – Dr Kaczor Interview
I had the opportunity to interview Ignatius Press, author Dr. Christopher Kaczor by email through the Maximus Group this week. His new book is called The Seven Big Myths about the Catholic Church. The book has been released today, Wednesday, September 26. The book is very well written and describes in detail the seven biggest misunderstandings about the… [Read More]
they trusted and you rescued them…
In my complicated life, I find it amusing that God often reminds me of His eternal truths by demonstrating them through my children. As intellectual as I might like to think I am, I have probably learned more about the love of God for his people by watching my children play, learn and live in… [Read More]
Yeah, I Was SO Drunk. It Was Awesome!
“Yeah, I was so drunk…” I cringe whenever I hear that phrase. Drunkenness. It’s something I’ve never been comfortable hearing about, and definitely don’t like witnessing… Person 1: “So I was at this party, and everyone there was drinking like crazy and by the end of the night I was so drunk… it was awesome.”… [Read More]
Overcoming Failure in Evangelization
There is nothing sadder than seeing someone turn away from Christianity, especially from the Catholic Church. It breaks my heart every time. Even more so when they are friends or family. It’s a God given right to choose not to follow Jesus, but that doesn’t mean it’s right. “If there were no God, there would… [Read More]
Good Where We’ve Been Good Where We’re Going To
When you say yes to something you say no to something else. I learn this adage at a “Protecting Your Goals” class I had the honor of participating in last year. Whether you are addicted to volunteering or superbly balanced in your calendar-planning, this phrase is worth reflecting on. How do your time commitments reflect… [Read More]
Ten Tips for Dealing with Anger in Marriage
We may not like to talk about it, but if you’re married, you’ve been there. How do we deal with our anger in marriage? How do we argue? How do we reconcile? We all have different ways of handling our differences with our spouse, but here are a few things I’ve learned over the 13… [Read More]
Beauty of Truth Podcast – Ep 3 Is Heaven real and how to I get there?
[powerpress] Ep 3 Is Heaven real and how do I get there? Questions Is heaven a real place? Who is there? Does everyone go to heaven? Catechetical Moment CCC #1821 Living the Truth How can I know for sure that heaven is real? Hosted by Casey Truelove and Cristobal Almanza Feedback Line Number: (512) 200-ACNM (2266)… [Read More]
On Being Prophetic Under Pressure
As I was sitting in daily mass on Tuesday at St Catherine of Sienna in South Austin, the priest began to talk about the prophet Jeremiah. We’ve been hearing from Jeremiah during daily mass for quite some days now. The priest said that one of the main roles of a prophet was to give us… [Read More]
The Sister(and Brother)Hood of the Traveling Saint Medals
We didn’t expect to be friends. Eight of us. All Catholics at Baylor University. Two seniors, three juniors, two sophomores and one freshman. Our friendship was solidified over a rebellious act – staffers sneaking away on the last night of a new freshman retreat to sleep in the chapel next to the main buidling. We… [Read More]
The Olympics and the Catholic Faith
The Olympics are just around the corner. It’s a time that unites us across the country, and often the world. We cheer for those who are have shown they are some of the best athletes in the world, either from our own country, someone who is an underdog or someone with a remarkable story of… [Read More]
No Greater Love: 3 Heroes from Aurora
When I was sixteen, I had a boyfriend. My young heart was madly in love. I had also spent some time reading the Bible, inspired by my Baptist friends. One day, I came across this verse: “No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” John 15:13 In a… [Read More]
Beauty of Truth Podcast Episode 1: Why is the church so bossy?
Episode 1 [powerpress] Questions Is it abandoning reason and right judgement to blindly follow orders from the Vatican? What’s wrong with getting with the times, don’t things change with time? Who put them in charge anyways? Catechetical Moment CCC #890 Living the Truth Can we learn to be obedient? Hosted by Casey Truelove and… [Read More]
Fly Fishers of Men
Last week, I discovered a new obsession and, in the process, learned a thing or two about the new evangelization. While the nation celebrated the Fourth of July with hotdogs and hamburgers, my Dad and I headed into the New Mexico desert to the San Juan River for our first fly fishing trip. There is,… [Read More]
Comparing Conversions
When the well-known atheist, Leah Libresco, announced her entrance into the Catholic Church’s RCIA program I was blown away, like many others. I have to admit that, after reading her posts, much of what she said went over my head. I’m not up on ‘athiest’ speak. But, I was very excited and encouraged by the prospect… [Read More]
Yo, God, Are You There?
“Mrs. Whitaker, what do you want us to do?” Those are nine words I never thought I’d hear and I certainly never thought I’d have to answer them. Nearly three years ago I gave birth to our son prematurely. After nine days in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) he coded, had to be resuscitated, intubated and… [Read More]
Even Jesus Took Vacation!
As summer starts, we all begin to make summer plans. Much of what we decide to do will likely be local, and simple enough to do on a weekend or during the day/evening, such as a swim at the local swimming pool (if you’re in Austin, Barton Springs and Hamilton Pool are top choices), grabbing… [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]
VBS is for Catholics, Too
As a Protestant “it” was a must-do summer event. Every church I knew saw “it” as their greatest evangelizing week. Of course, I’m talking about one of the greatest weeks of summer, Vacation Bible School, otherwise known as VBS. Growing up as an evangelical and mainstream Christian, some of my fondest “Jesus memories” stem from… [Read More]
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