I was praying the decade of the rosary I try to say everyday for clergy and I had to stop. I was internally yelling and externally crying, and that emotion had to find another outlet. So, I’m writing. I’m glad to have the Eucharistic company of Jesus, consecrated by one of the priests at the… [Read More]
We Went Away Sad
“Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said to him, ‘You are lacking in one thing. Go, and sell what you have, and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven; then, come, follow me.’ At that statement, his face fell, and he went away sad, for he had many possessions (Mark… [Read More]
Following the Shepherd’s Voice
“My sheep know my voice and they follow me (John 10:27).” I read that line a long time ago, proclaimed in the week after we celebrated Good Shepherd Sunday. But it has stayed with me for weeks. I know His voice and I’m supposed to follow it. So, why do I so often follow my… [Read More]
How does modern man best hear the call the conversion?
In this liturgical season of conversion, we are faced with the question: Just exactly how does “conversion” happen? How is change possible in our daily lives, and in a lasting way? I’d like to go deeper into thoughts from my last post, as a kind of part II (see: Living Lent Like a Little One)…. [Read More]
Living Lent like a Little One
Lent is a season of conversion, a call to repentance, a time of turning back to God. To me, these are Christ’s most striking words on conversion: Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 18:3) Unless you turn and become! We shall not enter… [Read More]
You Are “That Man”
Once upon a time there was an important man who oversaw a big group. He was very wealthy and had many responsibilities. To his credit, the man loved the Lord and knew that everything he had was from God. But somewhere along the way his love of God began to slip. Feeling entitled and prideful,… [Read More]
Mercy: The force that overcomes everything (Or, thoughts on how to get unstuck)
Have you ever been in one of those arguments where you get sucked into the back and forth, like a frenzied game of tug-a-war? Except no one is playing, and in fact the whole emotional environment feels weighty and overly serious, like we’re arguing about way more than the dishwasher all of a sudden. Sometimes… [Read More]
A Fast Food Lesson in Prayer
“If there’s time to lean, there’s time to clean.” This old adage from the restaurant industry is frequently attributed to managers at McDonald’s. The idea is that if you are a fast food employee and are not particularly busy at the moment, then instead of just sitting around – or leaning – grab a broom,… [Read More]
The Mystery of Iniquity – Rejoicing in weakness
Each Lent it seems I come back to this theme – how do we think about sin and weakness? It’s been helpful for me to examine my own understanding – I can’t make much sense of redemption if I have a distorted view of the sin and weakness that necessitated such a Savior. And an unhealthy view… [Read More]
The Fine Line Between Sin and Virtue
40 miles per hour is the speed limit on University Drive going towards Highway 6. When I drive through that zone, I try to go exactly 45 miles per hour. Why? Because I can get where I’m going faster than if I drive 40, and few police officers aren’t going to pull someone over for only going 5… [Read More]
Bubble-wrapped Saints
Bubble-wrapped saints? Let’s take in that image…bubble-wrapped saints! How ridiculous, right? Saints are brave, tough, warriors and queens who sweat through struggle and shed blood fulfilling the will of God, steadfast and stouthearted no matter how difficult the task! But wrapped in insulating bubble wrap…? But, if you think about it, if we carried our… [Read More]
Shred Away Your Sins
You can learn a lot about sin from a paper shredder. At least I did. Stay with me. It’ll make sense eventually. With apologies to my local letter carrier, most of what arrives in my mailbox falls into the dreaded category of junk mail. It would be quick and easy to toss all that unwanted… [Read More]
Metanoia Explained by Cats
Catholics have a whole vocabulary that is unfamiliar to most people. Most of it is words that have stuck from the original greek or latin and are usually needed because there really is no other way to say it (e.g. Transubstantiation). In many recent conversations with other millennials, I have found that seeking purpose and… [Read More]
Spiritual Implications of Wasting Food
Growing up in the rural plains of the Texas panhandle, I was familiar with many farm animals. There were several times when I knew or had at least seen the animal that became our meal. Some people don’t like that, but it gave me a great appreciation for food. Knowing that the animal gave its life… [Read More]
Welcome to the Liar’s Club
Thank you for your interest in joining the Liar’s Club. You have been approved for membership. I would introduce you to the other members, but it would take an awfully long time to meet seven billion people. Don’t worry. You don’t have to learn everyone else’s name. Just call each of us Pinocchio. I discovered… [Read More]
The Catholic Roots of Halloween
Every year the questions about the acceptability of celebrating Halloween arise in Catholic and Christian circles: Can my family to celebrate Halloween? Is it okay for my child to dress up and trick-or-treat? Is Halloween a pagan, satanic or secular holiday? These, and a myriad of other questions about Halloween haunt the consciousness of Catholics… [Read More]
Confession, Interrupted
The Catholic sacrament of reconciliation evokes a wild ride of emotions. Waiting in a long line outside the confessional feels like a roller coaster slowly creeping up a steep incline. You’re nervous and perhaps a little scared about what’s about to happen. But suddenly when you’re absolved of your sins you get that exhilarating rush… [Read More]
First Comes Love, Then Comes…
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]
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]
Pray on Sunday, Cuss on Monday?
Shut the front door because we need to get real about our speech. This isn’t a flippant or unnecessary discussion about language. We are living in a time of dangerous persecution and wars, so it seems like this topic may not be as important, but our words are always needed and used, so it remains… [Read More]
What Do We Do With Weakness?
I heard an answer long ago to this question that really stuck with me. It has helped me deal with my own weaknesses and short comings on my spiritual journey (I’ll tell it as best as I remember, I seem to have lent out the book* it came from). What do we do with weakness?… [Read More]
Slipping Up in Lent – Questions about Lenten Sacrifices
When we start Lent with a day like Ash Wednesday, it sets a somewhat somber tone for the season. This is a season of sacrifice, penance, prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. Definitely sounds like a no-fun zone. Thinking about doing something that makes you happy? Save it for Easter! This is at least how many Catholics look… [Read More]
Sunday Says Podcast – March 9, 2014 Mass Readings and Reflections
March 9, 2014 Readings and Reflection First Sunday of Lent (NAB Readings) (Jerusalem Bible Readings) Lectionary: 22 We’re now in the season of Lent, our spiritual time in the desert as we prepare for the great season of Easter. It’s a time of penitential season, a time for prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. Reading 1 GN… [Read More]
Answering Your Questions: Heaven, Hell, Purgatory & Limbo
Last week we received a message from a group of students working on a class project at St. Michael’s Catholic Academy in Austin. They asked some great questions and while we can’t address all of their questions in one blog post, we wanted to be sure to respond to their main question and provide them… [Read More]
Why do we fast during Lent?
Lent is now upon us and it will soon be time for fasting and abstaining from meat. Why do we do these things and why is it necessary to fast in our spiritual life? A few days ago I was in line for confession and ended up staring at and thinking about the cross on… [Read More]
The Rope is Hope (Review: “Delivered”)
As you know, I read a lot. I believe that we read because it teaches us what it means to be human. Most of the nonfiction I read is for Austin CNM these days, so it doesn’t all apply to me. My job here is not just to share what I think and feel about… [Read More]
From Presumption to Discernment
Think about this statement: “We do not know what He is doing.” Is that true or false? Consider this, the more we seek, the more we find (Mt. 7:7), and the more we come to know Him. That quoted statement, then, is false! How often, though, can you say that you know what Jesus is… [Read More]
Beauty of Truth Podcast Ep 23 – What is the Purpose of Penance?
Ep 23 – What is the Purpose of Penance? Questions 1. How can prayer remedy sin? Penance: Prayer, Fasting, Almsgiving Disordered relationships (attachment to creatures) 2. Didn’t Jesus pay for all of our sins on the cross? 3. How can giving up something we need be good for us? Catechetical Moment CCC #1459 … [Read More]
Fraternity: A Place of Charity and Indulgence
What does it take to be a man of God? The place of fraternity cultivates what we as men aspire to, masculinity. It sounds easy enough, but we don’t always cultivate the word of God in our heart (Col 3:16). We don’t always act in charity toward our brothers, sometimes we indulge in sin. Sometimes… [Read More]
Falling Away With You
“[I] promise to hold you close and pray, watching the fantasies decay, nothing will ever stay the same. All of the love we threw away… making the same mistakes again making the same mistakes again I can feel my world crumbling I can feel my life crumbling… and falling away, falling away with you.” –… [Read More]
Prescription Strength Grace
Over thanksgiving I came down with a pretty nasty cold. My family treated me in their characteristically sympathetic manner. They griped at me for not doing more cardio. Bedside manner aside, I know my family is correct. In the three years I’ve been Catholic I’ve lost about 100 pounds (cardio). This process has proven to… [Read More]
Beauty of Truth Podcast – Ep 12 What is sin?
Ep 12 What is sin? Questions 1. What is sin? 2. If sin is wrong, why is it fun? 3. If God knew we were going to sin, why would He create us with the ability to do so? Catechetical Moment CCC #1865 Living the Truth How can we make a habit… [Read More]
Beauty of Truth Podcast – Ep 5 Why go to confession?
Ep 5 Why go to confession? Questions What good is it to tell a man your darkest secrets in private? Why go if we have to go again later? What if I always confess the same sins? Catechetical Moment CCC #1446 Living the Truth How can I go to confession more and grow holier? Hosted by Casey Truelove and Cristobal Almanza Feedback Line Number: (512) 200-ACNM (2266) feedback@austincnm.com http://www.austincnm.com Donations button is back! Music Credits… [Read More]
Soulless Zombies and the Pending Apocalypse
How often do you think about death? It’s 2012, and no year has brought on as much conversation about the end of the world since the new millennium. It seems like there is an ever-increasing collection of movies, shows, and even guidebooks warning us of our possible doom. Death is scary. It’s a violent act… [Read More]
God Has a Problem: It’s You (Review: “Sinner”)
I struggle a lot with my faith life. Many people think that I am somehow better or holier because I work for the Church. Correction: I am not. If anything, being so closely connected to the inner workings of my sort-of parish makes me more aware of how much of a mess I am (and… [Read More]
