Since we can learn much from what we pray day in and day out in our Liturgy it would be profitable for us to reflect more profoundly upon the prayers of each day. We should especially do this over the season of Advent which marks the end of one liturgical year, and the beginning of… [Read More]
Advent: The longing in our hearts for Love Incarnate
“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]
The Prayers – 1st Sunday of Advent
One of the guiding principles of the early church in formulating her doctrine was the phrase, lex orandi lex credenti, which translated means “the law of prayer [is] the law of believing.” In that time, the Church Fathers, plagued as they were with heresies no less than we are and faced with formidable intellectual rhetoricians… [Read More]
8 Minute Guided “Prayer of Recollection” of St. Teresa of Avila [Audio Post]
Prayer Break! Take a break in your day and enter into interior prayer in this brief, guided version of the Prayer of Recollection of St. Teresa of Jesus, with Shawn. [powerpress] Whoever has not begun the practice of prayer, I beg for the love of the Lord, not to go without so great… [Read More]
A Fruit of Discipleship – Authentic Praise and Worship
This summer I had the amazing experience of visiting my friend, Katie Smith, who is a supervisor with the National Evangelization Team (NET) in St. Paul, MN. In case you have not heard of NET, here’s a quick background: NET is devoted to challenging “young Catholics to love Christ and embrace the life of the… [Read More]
Friendship with Mary: Teresian Prayer and the Rosary
The rosary has been a part of my spiritual life since I learned it from my first husband, Blaze, during our courtship, years before I was ever Catholic (or Christian at all.) It became a natural part of my daily life over the years and has grown and changed with my prayer life. As… [Read More]
When Everything Falls Apart: A Reflection on the Exaltation of the Holy Cross
Sometimes things just fall apart. No matter how much you prepare yourself, how much planning you do, how much you know or how much you try, everything just falls to pieces before you. Then you are left standing in the rubble, mouth agape, and brain spinning with so many thoughts that none of them come… [Read More]
The Beauty of The Dark Night
Saint John of the Cross has a reputation for being a guy who does not care much for your feelings. His name sometimes sounds like a penance. People hear “dark night” and think of an isolated exile with little or no hope. While I cannot correct that error in a short article, I would like to… [Read More]
A Demon’s Memo- What Happens When You Return From A Retreat
The following excerpt is meant to be a Screwtape Letters’ type of writing. It;s written from the perspective of the demon. Because of this, “the enemy” is actually God. In this letter, Slubgob, a senior demon, tells his colleagues about a group that came back from a retreat and how to attack. I decided to… [Read More]
Mary, Sister of the Carmelite Soul
We are holding hands as we walk together along a rocky path on a hot July evening. We are talking about this and that. She asks me questions, listens thoughtfully as I talk about my life. She has a lot going on too, these days, and she unburdens her heart to me about her work,… [Read More]
An Open Letter to Sr. Simone Campbell (of the Nuns on the Bus)
This blog is in response to an interview aired by the radio program On Being, hosted by Krista Tippett, on June 11, 2015. I invite you to listen to the interview before reading this post, and would especially point your attention to the unedited version of the interview. The time stamps I’ve included are from the… [Read More]
3 Annoying Traits of a Catholic Husband That Point You to Heaven
Last night something rare happened: My husband and I found ourselves at the MOVIES. Shocking, I know. I’ll pause to let you collect yourself. (Seriously, we don’t go to the movies. We usually watch Netflix with the volume so low that we only catch about half of the dialogue and have to ad-lib the rest… [Read More]
The Heart
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]
Signs of the Times
As I was walking through Hobby Lobby last week to buy material to make a gift, I was struck by the number of cute little plaques with words on them – tons of displays for any occasion – teacher gifts, inspirational Bible verses, kitchen signs, man-cave signs – words for everyone.They also had the material to… [Read More]
Novena to the Holy Spirit for Pentecost (or any time, really)
Special Novena to the Holy Spirit Day 1 Come, Holy Spirit, fill our hearts and kindle in us the Fire of Love. Send forth your Spirit and we shall be created and You Shall renew the face of the earth. O God who instructs us by the light of the Holy Spirit grant us… [Read More]
How to Fix Infidelity
This article is a reflection on part of Mark 6 (verses 7-13 and 30-44). The first passage is the mission of the twelve given by Jesus. The second passage is the multiplication of the loaves. Not much of that is reflected on. Most of it is good to have in mind, though (context). This gospel passage… [Read More]
What Are You Ordering for Lent?
What are you ordering for Lent? The blue-plate Friday special with a big t-bone steak! Ha, just kidding! That’s not the kind of order I meant, but I couldn’t resist the silly pun. What are you ordering for Lent – in your life? In my last post I wrote about how changeful my Lenten season is… [Read More]
Coincidence? I don’t think so!
I am starting to think there is no such thing as a coincidence. (Were you thinking the same thing?) Whenever someone says, “Wow, what a coincidence,” I usually give a quick nod to the Lord knowing that whatever the person is describing must have been holy handiwork. For your reading pleasure I will share a… [Read More]
Parenting teens with mace… I mean, GRACE
After a fierce conflict on the battle- field that parenting a teenager is at times, I was standing in my front yard trying to calm down. I was furious, so calm was not easy to come by. I tried to look around and notice my surroundings, to take refuge in the present moment. It was… [Read More]
5 Things to Do When You Don’t Know What to Do: A Survival Kit
When you are in a time of intense suffering; grief, dread, or emotional overload, when you are walking around the house just staring at things, when getting through the day seems impossible, and you don’t know what to do with yourself, read this: 1. Do the next right thing. This might be eating a sandwich,… [Read More]
Oh Speciosam Altaris Sacramento: How Powerful and Loving
In my time of being in the seminary my love and awe of the Blessed Sacrament of the Eucharist has increased tremendously and I am convinced with full conviction that when I receive the Eucharist at Mass, I am receiving the fullness of Christ within me and I am being received into full communion with… [Read More]
Prayer without “Praying”
“Today, the vegetables would like to be chopped By someone who is singing God’s Name.” ~ Hafiz A few mornings ago, sitting at the table with my coffee, looking out over the meadow, I noticed with a smile, the moon in the brightening sky. It was a rich gold, shining out momentarily as the… [Read More]
Time To Say No To Greatness
Have you ever asked Jesus what his new year resolution was? Use that cute “WWJD” question form and ask him. It might be a silly question, considering the degree of his perfection (you know, infinitely perfect and what not). But really, what would Jesus do? Would he tell you to let your yes mean yes… [Read More]
When Holidays Are Sad
Even though Christmas is “the most wonderful time of the year” and the world seems awash with cheerfulness, color and lights, the holidays can be sad for some. It’s sad for some because of the death of a loved one or because it can be a reminder of the broken family someone comes from or… [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]
Jabba the Hutt, “Sexy” Costumes and Other Things That Distract from All Souls Day
All Saints Day and All Souls Day are coming up this week, and instead of basking in the rich history and awesomeness of these days, I find myself looking at what constitutes for a female Halloween costume these days and fending off negative self-talk. So, yeah, I’m pregnant. I’m 25 weeks and while I understand… [Read More]
Satisfaction Guaranteed or Taste and See
In our consumer culture, we’re used to investigating products before we purchase them. We want our satisfaction guaranteed before we commit to spending the money. Makes perfect sense from a market standpoint. It is safe and healthy to be a bit critical (and very healthy to practice daily discernment), but this structure of trying to guarantee satisfaction first… [Read More]
Spiritual Combat: Fight Like a Catholic
I remember coming away from a conversation with a very holy person years ago, feeling thoughtful. I was much inspired to pray. At the same time I felt like cranking up the Led Zepplin in the car for some relief from too much holy. The friend I was with asked, “What did you think?” I… [Read More]
The Psychology of Terrorism and What We Can Do About It
Unless you’ve been living under a rock without cable or wifi your entire life, you have most likely heard about and been horrified by the plethora of terrorist attack stories lately (and since the dawn of mankind, really). Barbarism – acts that include severe cruelty, not the male hair-cutting profession – have daunted us from… [Read More]
A Response to “Why Nuns Don’t Have Mid-Life Crises”
I probably watch more YouTube videos than I should, and I probably also think about nuns more than your average YouTube video viewer. I love it when those sides of me unite, though. In my wandering about the Internet, I stumbled across a delightful video from a TEDx talk at Virginia Tech, “Why Nuns Don’t… [Read More]
Late Have I Loved You
Yesterday I found myself bringing St Augustine’s Feast Day to a close by reciting passages from his writings with a small gathering of friends; we raised a glass to the Doctor and Saint, and celebrated this man who was so dearly human. The passage I recited had been had been reverberating in my mind since that… [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]
Transparency, Not Hypocrisy
Sometimes the Scripture is approached as if Jesus was an authoritarian parent, giving us demanding lists of do’s and don’ts. As I was listening to the readings at daily Mass on Wednesday, and to the priest’s beautiful homily that followed, I could see how someone might only hear the do’s and don’ts. Don’t blow trumpets when you… [Read More]
Eucharist: God will bless Texas on the feast of Corpus Christi June 22
Download the PDF Flyer – 2014_CorpusChristi Everyone is invited to join St. Mary Cathedral for the annual Corpus Christi Eucharistic Procession on June 22, the feast of Corpus Christi. This year’s procession will not only go to the steps of the State Capitol as in years past, but it will actually go inside the Rotunda of… [Read More]
Memorial Day the St. Michael Way
Hello dear readers. It has been awhile since my last post, but that’s because I just got married (AUGH!!!) and have subsequently been dealing with this: My house has become a whirlwind of leftover wedding decor, moving boxes, gifts, empty gift boxes, and other random wedding paraphernalia that I will wade through once I… [Read More]
Pickin’ up the Crumbs
I wasn’t going to write a post this week. But I came across a quote on my friend Maria Scaperlanda’s facebook that made me pause – and since there are no coincidences, here is the post. That’s my take away for the week – from this very long, wearying, pushing-the-limits week: There are no coincidences. Starting Sunday… [Read More]
3 Ways for 3 Days: How to Grow Spiritually During the Easter Triduum
Easter Triduum 2014 is upon us. It begins this Thursday evening. Yes, THIS Thursday, April 17, 2014. Are you ready? Are you sure? Okay, Pop Quiz time! I promise, it’s not too hard. Pop Quiz 1. What does the word Triduum mean? Answer: Three days. 2. When does Lent officially end and the Easter Triduum… [Read More]
Pray for Fort Hood
As the details emerge in the coming weeks about the shooting that occurred at Fort Hood yesterday, Wednesday, April 2, 2014, for us Central Texans, our thoughts naturally turn to how we might be able to help the community. And as information is released to how the public may be able to help, let us… [Read More]
Almsgiving in Lent: Amplify Your 2014
During Lent, Catholics are asked to pray, fast and give alms. However, of the three, almsgiving is the most neglected. Prayer & Fasting We usually do pretty good on the prayer part. This is easy because our parishes help us with this one very well, providing increased opportunities for spiritual development at our parishes through… [Read More]
Four Attitudes of Evangelical Parenthood: Readiness for Dialogue – Part 3
The second attitude of Evangelical Parenthood lies in a readiness for dialogue. All too often, as a parent, we can be “preachy”. That is, we desire to control any conversation to the extent that there may be a difference of opinion or lack of time. We, some of us more than others, really need to… [Read More]
