God is definitely somebody who is very unpredictable once a person first experiences the real world, because he made all of us with gifts of course, including with all the wonderful fruits of the Holy Spirit, but how can a person tell the difference between a gift and a charism? I can say that from… [Read More]
Is it possible entitlement & individualism go hand in hand? (On the parable of the attitude of a servant)
Last Tuesday I was at St William’s in Round Rock for daily mass, and Fr Dean’s homily got me thinking. That day the gospel was from Luke, on the servant who comes in from the field: “Who among you would say to your servant who has just come in from plowing or tending sheep in the… [Read More]
Martha on the Wall
Some of us are Marthas, and some of us are Marys. For me, the writing — or at least the picture — was on the wall. I had never given too much thought into Luke’s story about Martha welcoming Jesus and associates into her home, getting right to work serving them and eventually learning to… [Read More]
A Bobly Day of Skin Religion
He was feeling more emotional than usual because of a new seizure medication we were trying, and a steroid he had to take for brain swelling. We decided a brisk night walk would do both of us good, so he put on his big poncho, I put on my coat, and we headed out. In… [Read More]
Austin CARITAS Mission 2015!
Dear readers! We are in the Third Week of Advent, with Gaudete Sunday! How are you going to share the joy of Christ? This is my Advent Challenge, simply put – how you will go out, as Pope Francis as said so many times, to the periphery to share the joy of the Gospel, to… [Read More]
Giving Thanks in All Things
My husband and I built a Good Cents certified home last year, and we have been over the moon with the new space for our family and friends who come to visit. The house seemed so spacious when we first moved in. In fact, after the frame was up, I looked to my husband… [Read More]
Sunday Says Podcast – September 1, 2013 Mass Readings and Reflection
Twenty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time (Jerusalem Bible Translation) Liturgy of the Word for September 1, 2013 (USCCB NAB Readings) Lectionary: 126 Reflection begins at the 4:00 minute mark. Reading 1 SIR 3:17-18, 20, 28-29 The book of Sirach, also referred to as the book of Ecclesiasticus in some translations, is a collection of wisdom of the Jewish… [Read More]
On a Mission from Grace
My conversion to Catholicism occurred about eight years after the events I described in Grace Made Man. Only 3 short months after I was confirmed, God’s providence allowed me to serve with the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal and the Missionaries de Christe in Honduras. This would become my greatest lesson in community to date…. [Read More]
How to think outside of the “gift box” at Christmas.
The other day, I was kindly asked what my children would like for Christmas. So, I surveyed their bedrooms, looked through their toy bins and took stock of their clothes and shoes. But I came up totally empty. My husband is an unabashed geek and being technologically savvy is the bread and butter of our… [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]
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]