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This Advent, Let Our Relationships Be Transformed

Published November 27, 2017 • Written by Rachel Filed Under: Blog, Faith, Family, Marriage and Love, Young Adult, Youth

The King’s Criteria        In the rhythm of this getting-back-to-normal after the long Thanksgiving holiday, if we glance up we see that Advent is just ahead. And while Thanksgiving can often bring many blessings as we enjoy time together, oftentimes relationship challenges surface as well. We speak of Advent as a time to prepare… [Read More]

Written by Rachel • Published November 27, 2017

Litany of the False Self

Published October 2, 2017 • Written by Rachel Filed Under: Faith, Family, Marriage and Love, Prayer, Young Adult, Youth

You know those moments at work which you wish you could take back? Where you make a mistake in front of a whole group of your coworkers and your cheeks flush and you shrink a size or two? I had a few of those moments this week. And in God’s fantastic sense of humor, on… [Read More]

Written by Rachel • Published October 2, 2017

Easter Joy, Family, and Heaven

Published May 10, 2017 • Written by William Rooney Filed Under: Column, Faith

On Easter Sunday 2017 my family and I gathered at the family home to celebrate Easter by partaking in our regular Easter feast (our family does food well). My grandparents and many of my dad’s graduate students joined us for the feast.  I enjoyed getting to know some of the graduate students better during dinner… [Read More]

Written by William Rooney • Published May 10, 2017

Meditation and Decisive Times

Published February 6, 2017 • Written by Rachel Filed Under: Blog, Events, Faith, Prayer, Resources, Young Adult

   We live in decisive times. And while perhaps that’s always true in some way, I think we can say that in a particle way about our times today. I don’t have to describe it for you too much, because you live it as well. Tensions are high. The pace of available information is frenetic. And… [Read More]

Written by Rachel • Published February 6, 2017

The Song and the Priesthood

Published October 13, 2016 • Written by William Rooney Filed Under: ACNM, Blog

Recently, thanks to my Old Testament Writings class, I have spent a lot of time reading, meditating on, and writing about the Song of Songs. It is a marvelous book which I highly encourage you to read. In some ways, the Song is a remarkable book to find in the Bible. The Making very little… [Read More]

Written by William Rooney • Published October 13, 2016

Therese of Lisieux & The Marian Jubilee of Mercy

Published October 3, 2016 • Written by Rachel Filed Under: Faith, Marriage and Love, Prayer, Young Adult

It’s possible that St Therese of Lisieux is one of those saints of whom we hear so often that we think, well, we already know that story – next! Yet I think we often only capture her “slogan” of childlikeness, and in skipping over it, we miss the profound and prophetic truth manifested in her life…. [Read More]

Written by Rachel • Published October 3, 2016

A Wedding Garment (Matt. 22:11)

Published September 10, 2016 • Written by Deacon Guadalupe Rodriguez Filed Under: Faith

In the Gospel of Matthew, we read about a guest who is not wearing “a wedding garment,” (22:11) and how the guest is bound hand and foot and expelled from the ceremony.  What is this all about?  This parable points to the sacraments of baptism, confirmation, and holy orders and much more.   We receive… [Read More]

Written by Deacon Guadalupe Rodriguez • Published September 10, 2016

Parents & Teens, Freedom & Boundaries

Published May 16, 2016 • Written by Rachel Filed Under: Family, Youth

Here at ATXCatholic I don’t often write about my job as a therapist, but today I’d like to delve a little bit into it, through the lens of good theology and a Christian understanding of the human person.  I’d like to delve into the concept of boundaries in relationships, specifically between parents and teens. Tricky for… [Read More]

Written by Rachel • Published May 16, 2016

Sunday Says – April 3, 2-2016 Mass Readings and Reflection

Published April 3, 2016 • Written by Cristóbal Almanza Herrera Filed Under: Sunday Says

Second Sunday of Easter (or Sunday of Divine Mercy) Lectionary: 45 (NAB Translation)   Happy Easter! Divine Mercy Sunday is the Octave of Easter, and this is a special celebration in which it falls in the Jubilee of Mercy. Reading 1 Acts 5:12-16 The first reading from the book of Acts is the first in… [Read More]

Written by Cristóbal Almanza Herrera • Published April 3, 2016

Weeping For Our Sins

Published March 9, 2016 • Written by William Rooney Filed Under: Blog

An older friend, whom I consider a mentor, once told me, “there is no shame in weeping. Crying only means that we have loved and continue to love something or someone.” We weep on occasions when, from our human perspective, the beloved is irretrievably lost. We weep at evil; evil and it effects, committed by… [Read More]

Written by William Rooney • Published March 9, 2016

Love Lessons: a Valentine’s Quiz

Published February 3, 2016 • Written by Adam Shaivitz Filed Under: Faith, Young Adult

It’s the season of love, so let’s take an early Valentine’s Day quiz. But it’s not like those silly social media quizzes. Even though the stores are stocked with flowers, candy, hearts, greeting cards, Cupid and more, this quiz will dig a little deeper.   Question number one: Read this passage slowly. Does it sound… [Read More]

Written by Adam Shaivitz • Published February 3, 2016

The Door to Mercy – Knowing We Are Loved

Published December 14, 2015 • Written by Rachel Filed Under: Blog, Faith, Family, Marriage and Love, Prayer, World and News, Young Adult

  For the opening of the Year of Mercy, I was late to mass. Late to mass! Imagine, this great event, once in a Jubilee, and I had even planned ahead to get out of work early – and still I was late to mass, and very late. Walking up to the mass-in-progress, I slid into… [Read More]

Written by Rachel • Published December 14, 2015

Love is [Always] in the Air

Published December 9, 2015 • Written by Adam Shaivitz Filed Under: Blog

Can you feel the love? I sure can. But until a few weeks ago, I had never felt it so clearly and so dramatically. “God is Love” and love is his first gift, containing all others. “God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” (Catechism of… [Read More]

Written by Adam Shaivitz • Published December 9, 2015

Advent: The longing in our hearts for Love Incarnate

Published November 30, 2015 • Written by Rachel Filed Under: Blog, Faith, Family, Marriage and Love, Prayer

“May the Lord make you increase and abound in love, for one another and for all, just as we have for you, so as to strengthen your hearts, to be blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his holy ones. Amen” (1 Thes 3:12) We heard… [Read More]

Written by Rachel • Published November 30, 2015

A Blue Bell Faith

Published September 3, 2015 • Written by Rita Suva Filed Under: Blog

The state of Texas’ favorite ice cream, Blue Bell, returned to shelves this week after four months of stopped production due to a Listeria problem and 3 deaths in April. Texans mourned the loss of this important dessert, especially during the summer. Memes were created, odes were written, t-shirts printed and people fasted from ice cream… [Read More]

Written by Rita Suva • Published September 3, 2015

Why Kids Are Pro-Life

Published August 17, 2015 • Written by Britt Echtenkamp Filed Under: Faith, Family, Young Adult

Yesterday afternoon, while walking through HEB with my family, a hurried mom with her two little girls rushed by us in the coffee aisle. The mom didn’t look at us or say anything as she moved past us, but one of her little girls (probably 4 or 5), stopped and said, “I like your baby!”… [Read More]

Written by Britt Echtenkamp • Published August 17, 2015

Dynamic Marriage Conference – July 17-18, 2015

Published July 15, 2015 • Written by Cristóbal Almanza Herrera Filed Under: Events, Marriage and Love

We are all in need of healing in some form from many of the past hurts and pains we have inevitably experienced in our life. One of the main missions of the public ministry of Jesus was to heal those that came to Him, and He still does it today. Marriage is an incredibly wonderful… [Read More]

Written by Cristóbal Almanza Herrera • Published July 15, 2015

“If You’re Happy and You Know It, It’s a Sin”- Catholic Youth Dating and Purity

Published July 2, 2015 • Written by Matthew Hartwick Filed Under: Blog, Marriage and Love, Youth

“If you’re happy and you know it, it’s a sin” was a statement my former coworker made as to how he thought the Catholic Church viewed sexuality and dating.  He made that statement because I had told them I was waiting for marriage and wanted to be chaste. Unfortunately, this is the viewpoint many people… [Read More]

Written by Matthew Hartwick • Published July 2, 2015

The Heart

Published June 15, 2015 • Written by Rachel Filed Under: Blog, Faith, Marriage and Love, Young Adult

This past weekend the wisdom of the Church invited us to experience a beautiful truth – the unity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary. The Church led us into this discovery of this union by celebrating the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart on Friday that leads us into the Memorial of… [Read More]

Written by Rachel • Published June 15, 2015

The First Steps on the Road (Review: “Loved As I Am”)

Published May 12, 2015 • Written by Lindsay Wilcox Filed Under: Blog, Faith, Marriage and Love, Reviews

To love is to do what is best for the beloved. Some people are easy to love, especially when we have great affection for them besides. Some people are rather more difficult to love. Consider God’s love for us. We rejected him from the very start of humanity, and we reject him individually now, in… [Read More]

Written by Lindsay Wilcox • Published May 12, 2015

You’re Not a Bad Mom If You Spend Time with People Who Are Not Your Baby

Published May 11, 2015 • Written by Britt Echtenkamp Filed Under: Blog, Faith, Family, Marriage and Love, Young Adult

This segment of “Bad Mom” brings us to Part Two of this three part series. (See Part One here.) Mother’s Day was yesterday, and if your guilt about not being Super Mom 24/7 kept you from enjoying your well-earned day, then please, read this post. Preferably with a coffee or piece of chocolate. You’ve earned a… [Read More]

Written by Britt Echtenkamp • Published May 11, 2015

“God is it!” Facing the fear of loss

Published April 21, 2015 • Written by Shawn Rain Chapman Filed Under: Blog

Something was wrong that day. I kept thinking maybe it was the pain med I was giving him for his broken ribs making him loopy. But something was wrong and I knew it. With an anguished heart I kept walking out into the back yard and breaking down sobbing, begging God to help us. I… [Read More]

Written by Shawn Rain Chapman • Published April 21, 2015

An Open Letter to Angry Christians Against Gay Persons

Published March 16, 2015 • Written by Britt Echtenkamp Filed Under: Blog, Faith, Family, Marriage and Love, Young Adult

Dear Reader, Before I begin, let me start off by explaining what this letter is NOT: It is not meant to be a theology lesson. (For info on the Catholic church’s teaching on gay “marriage”, look here and here.) It is not about the politics around being gay in the US. This letter is simply a reminder that we are… [Read More]

Written by Britt Echtenkamp • Published March 16, 2015

What Are We Waiting For?

Published December 6, 2014 • Written by Josue Filed Under: Faith, Young Adult

What are we waiting for? We are waiting for Jesus to come, yes, for his advent. He makes the first move. It is true that we love him only because he has first loved us (1 Jn 4:19). It is true that it is he who has called us out of the darkness of sin into… [Read More]

Written by Josue • Published December 6, 2014

One Love: the Diamond Gift of Chastity

Published October 7, 2014 • Written by Shawn Rain Chapman Filed Under: Blog

A good book I am reading* begins by saying that the legend of the origin of the Indian Koohinoor diamond is that Krishna gave it to one of his disciples in response to his meditations. I tried to imagine Jesus giving me a diamond. “Have you ever given me a diamond, Jesus?” “If so, what… [Read More]

Written by Shawn Rain Chapman • Published October 7, 2014

5 Relationship Myths Debunked

Published September 29, 2014 • Written by Britt Echtenkamp Filed Under: Blog, Faith, Family, Marriage and Love, Young Adult

Cinderella. Belle. Jasmine. Disney’s version of Rapunzel. Disney’s version of Ariel. All of these love stories have their struggles – what with missing glass slippers, evil sorcerers, solitary confinement and being half-fish – but they all end the same way: happily and without problems. Hundreds of other movies and songs tell us the problems in… [Read More]

Written by Britt Echtenkamp • Published September 29, 2014

First Comes Love, Then Comes…

Published September 18, 2014 • Written by Rita Suva Filed Under: Blog

This past Saturday Pope Francis presided over a Mass during which several couples celebrated the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony (aka, Marriage). What made these couples “unique” according to social understanding of the Catholic faith is that all of these couples were either living together or who have had annulments. It seemed odd to the media… [Read More]

Written by Rita Suva • Published September 18, 2014

Facing Death Together: A reflection on my husband’s death

Published August 12, 2014 • Written by Shawn Rain Chapman Filed Under: Blog, Marriage and Love

Over all these put on love, the perfect bond.  I checked his blood oxygen level. I brought him medicine, kissing him when I gave it to him, as I always had. He responded feebly with almost imperceptible nods. He had become too weak to even raise a trembling hand anymore. I held him, caressed him,… [Read More]

Written by Shawn Rain Chapman • Published August 12, 2014

Receptivity and Love in the Parable of the Sower

Published August 1, 2014 • Written by Rachel Filed Under: Blog

Over the last two Sundays and a  daily mass  in between  in between, we have been hearing the parables where Christ describes the Kingdom through the imagery of the sower and the seeds, and we also heard Psalm with the same imagery. Here is the version read two Sundays ago “A sower went out to sow. And as… [Read More]

Written by Rachel • Published August 1, 2014

Breaking the Girl, Part Two: The Hype of “Fifty Shades of Grey” and Why Slavery Isn’t Love

Published July 28, 2014 • Written by Britt Echtenkamp Filed Under: Blog, Events, Family, Social Media and Tech, Young Adult

Let me start off by admitting that when I was in college I was addicted to romance novels. I would binge-read stacks of them in bed while eating my way through a roll of cookie dough. Healthy, right? It started out as a means of escape from my seemingly soul-crushing breakup with my boyfriend of… [Read More]

Written by Britt Echtenkamp • Published July 28, 2014

Honeymoon & Newlywed Myths, Realized

Published June 9, 2014 • Written by Britt Echtenkamp Filed Under: Blog, Faith, Family, Marriage and Love, Young Adult

As a girl, and probably right up until I actually said “I do”, I assumed my honeymoon would be glamorous: all smiles and laughter, as my groom and I danced on the euphoric high of our perfectly magical nuptials, to the rhythm of tropical waves in the glow of a soft sunset. I mean, there… [Read More]

Written by Britt Echtenkamp • Published June 9, 2014

Sunday Says Podcast – June 8, 2014 Pentecost Mass Readings and Reflections

Published June 7, 2014 • Written by Cristóbal Almanza Herrera Filed Under: Sunday Says

Sunday June 8, 2014 – Pentecost Sunday (NAB Readings) Mass during the Day Lectionary: 63 “Come, Holy Spirit, come! And from your celestial home Shed a ray of light divine!” – From the Sequence of Pentecost Happy Pentecost! It gets it’s name from the 50 days of Easter. This is a great feast, the birthday of the… [Read More]

Written by Cristóbal Almanza Herrera • Published June 7, 2014

3 Ways the “My Five Wives” Pilot is Like a Punch to the Heart

Published March 17, 2014 • Written by Britt Echtenkamp Filed Under: Blog, Faith, Family, Marriage and Love, Young Adult

As I prepare to get married and live with a dude, there are many changes happening in my life. One of those changes is getting cable TV, since my darling fiance’s quality of life dramatically improves when he is able to watch the Cornhuskers year-round. I never considered myself a big TV person, but now… [Read More]

Written by Britt Echtenkamp • Published March 17, 2014

A Husband in Good Times and in Bad

Published February 27, 2014 • Written by Cristóbal Almanza Herrera Filed Under: Marriage and Love

There’s a real beauty to the cycle of life. Some are at the point where their friends are retiring, others, where they’re reaching the peaks of their professional careers. I’m in the time in my life when all my friends are getting married and having kids. It’s so common, that sometimes the excitement can be… [Read More]

Written by Cristóbal Almanza Herrera • Published February 27, 2014

The Organic Saint!

Published January 31, 2014 • Written by Rachel Filed Under: Blog

Here is something that I find heartening, and very telling, about the whole organic food movement. It seems to me that the organic food movement is a secular, concrete and very natural manifestation for our modern society’s hunger for harmony. We’re waking up to the damage we’ve done to our bodies and our social fabric… [Read More]

Written by Rachel • Published January 31, 2014

Faith and Frozen [the movie]

Published January 9, 2014 • Written by Rita Suva Filed Under: Blog

I admit it, even as an adult I love animated children’s movies. There’s something about the humor, the joy and the fun that children’s movies have that many adult movies don’t. Kids movies don’t take themselves too seriously, yet often have a life lesson or two to share with us. And Disney’s most recent animated… [Read More]

Written by Rita Suva • Published January 9, 2014

The Giver and the Gift: A New Year’s Resolution

Published January 4, 2014 • Written by Trey and Stephanie Cashion Filed Under: ACNM, Column

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]

Written by Trey and Stephanie Cashion • Published January 4, 2014

Another Dating Blog: Anatomy of a Stupid Fight, The Finale

Published November 25, 2013 • Written by Britt Echtenkamp Filed Under: Blog, Family, Marriage and Love, Young Adult

This is part two, the finale of “Anatomy of a Stupid Fight.” Part one can be seen here. Welcome back for part two, the last piece of the stupid fight. We left off with what appeared to be an easy truce between Danger and I, though there still was a hint that something was still… [Read More]

Written by Britt Echtenkamp • Published November 25, 2013

A Little Story About the Rosary, Love Stronger Than Death, and the Communion of Saints

Published October 23, 2013 • Written by Shawn Rain Chapman Filed Under: Blog

It was almost my wedding anniversary and my husband, Bob, had just died a couple of weeks before, of Brain Cancer.  I dreaded that “birthday of our marriage” even more because I remember how terrible it felt last time that  first wedding anniversary after the death of my first husband, Blaze. I knew that it… [Read More]

Written by Shawn Rain Chapman • Published October 23, 2013

Another Dating Blog: When Love Feels Conditional

Published October 14, 2013 • Written by Britt Echtenkamp Filed Under: ACNM, Blog, Family, Marriage and Love, Young Adult

Hello my dear blog-readers. This week’s blog is going to take a step away from the educational, and towards the personal. That’s right, my following blog posts are going to be dating blogs. Hooray! C’mon – you know you’re excited to read about my dating mishaps. I hope you can learn through my missteps, and… [Read More]

Written by Britt Echtenkamp • Published October 14, 2013

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