“Hail, full of grace,” said the angel to the young woman. And Mary was perplexed. She pondered the greeting. I’ve spent a lot of time pondering this greeting too. It comes up every Monday and Saturday as the assigned meditation of the rosary. And I also heard it four times between Advent, Christmas and a… [Read More]
Let Me Bless You
My five-year old has taken up a renewed interest in the Barbie movies she got when she was three. My house is filled with the sound of Barbie with her puppies or Barbie as a mermaid or Barbie in fairy wings. My little one sings along as Barbie plays a different character who is always… [Read More]
Faith in Action (Review: 7 Habits That Define Our Catholic Identity)
I wasn’t raised Catholic, but I’m not a convert, either. My mom’s side of the family is Catholic, so I was baptized as a baby and received my other sacraments of initiation on the usual timeline. I never say that I was raised Catholic, though. We didn’t go to church, not even for Christmas or… [Read More]
Introducing ATX Catholic
We are pleased to announce that we are changing our name from Austin Catholic New Media to ATX Catholic. Over the past several years, our group has undergone changes from its beginning as a social group of Catholic techies. While we still strive to unite the Catholic content creators of the diocese, creating content as… [Read More]
Asking Back: Asking Jesus His Own Question
We are sitting in a bar on a hot summer day. I stare at my dejected feet on the bar stool, then out the door at the hot day, the burning sidewalk, the occasional overheated human being passing by. I don’t want to look at him, though I am relieved by his presence. I glance… [Read More]
Religious and Happy About It (Review: “OyMG”)
Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, ends tonight at sundown. That might not be terribly significant to readers of a Catholic blog like ACNM, but it is to me. Not only do my work responsibilities include frequent, delightful interaction with non-Catholic religious professionals, but I like knowing that other religions have non-secularized holidays, too. The… [Read More]
I am not Brandon Vogt
I know you can’t hear me sigh when I type these words, so you’ll just have to imagine it. I am not Brandon Vogt. A couple of months back, I made the fortunate mistake of following Brandon Vogt on Facebook. For those who don’t know who Brandon is, he’s what I’d call a celebrity. Not… [Read More]
Better Catholic Websites
For centuries, the Catholic Church supported the most talented, pioneering artists and designers to create churches, icons, altars and other religious art. Although spending all that money on art hasn’t gone without question. The Church has often been criticized for spending so much on fancy buildings and priceless paintings instead of using that money to feed… [Read More]