Recent Articles
Advent in Miniature
“A voice cries out: In the desert prepare the way of the LORD! Make straight in the wasteland a highway for our God! Every valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill shall be made low; The rugged land shall be made a plain, the rough country, a broad valley. Then the glory of […]
Christmas Classics from a Father-Daughter Duo
Just down the Texas highways from me live Kevin McCormick and his daughter Rachel. A mutual friend introduced us, and I learned that Kevin and Rachel has just completed a Christmas album full of classic hymns and songs. The result is an endlessly listenable arrangement of beautiful Christmas favorites: “The First Noel” to “Silent Night” […]
Three Common Misconceptions on the Immaculate Conception
Today, December 8th, the Church would observe the feast of the Immaculate Conception. This year the feast is transferred to Monday the 9th, giving precedence to the Second Sunday of Advent. In my experience, the Immaculate Conception is one of the most misunderstood teachings of the Church. Today, I’d like to address three common misconceptions […]
Reflections on Generosity
The past month has been, for me, a month of humbling lessons in generosity as millions worldwide answered calls to help my fellow-Filipinos who survived Typhoon Haiyan. I learned, for example, that one need not be rich or powerful in order to be generous. Stories abound of such examples as a pre-schooler who donated his […]
Answers to a “Pagan Christmas”
Charlie gave Linus the pop quiz: what is Christmas all about? Of course, Linus proclaims the birth of Christ (was Linus named after the second Pope?) Today it would have looked more like this: The modern Catholic, and most Christians for that matter, has many fronts to defend, one of them being the so-called “pagan roots.” […]
Cardinal Dolan, Can You Please Clarify?
So I have to admit I’m pretty confused about something one of the leaders of the Church recently said. It seems to be the thing to do lately, so I might as well hop on the bandwagon. I’m not mad about something Pope Francis said, though. I know he’s been in the press a lot […]
Pro-Choice Violence and Radical Love
These men will be saints one day. Indeed, what other movement so calls for and creates saints as the pro-life movement? What movement challenges its people to such radical love, peace, and joy as the pro-life movement? To be Catholic is to be pro-life because to be pro-life is to acknowledge that there is, to quote Samwise Gamgi, “goodness out there, and it’s worth fighting for!
Tuesday Five: Liturgical Season of Advent
Advent is a season of preparation, waiting and expectation, but society all around us says otherwise. Christmas has been sprawled out in supermarkets and department stores since mid-October, manger scenes spread across suburban lawns and the music, oh the music that is jingle belling and deck the halling… I can’t stand it. Yes, maybe I […]
Venerable Fulton Sheen: Theologian? Timeless?
With the unofficial feast day of Ven. Fulton Sheen coming up, it seemed a good time to present some thoughts on Sheen. Most people who know him think of him as ”popularizer” of the Catholic Faith; does this mean he is not a theologian? Should he have stayed in the obscurity into which he seemed to […]
Singing Over Me
I wrote this in my journal a while back, and thought I’d share. It might be a poem–I’m not sure. Saint Cecilia was obviously here! I hope you enjoy! It’s inspired by this Bible verse: The LORD, your God … will exult over you with loud singing … Zeph 3:17, RSV God is always singing […]
Sorrowful Mysteries and Sin
It was a Friday evening as I sat in line for confession. I thought to myself, “This certainly isn’t how the average twenty-something gal spends a Friday night.” I sat in a quiet church with the Blessed Sacrament exposed, waiting for my turn to get my soul scrubbed clean. As I waited, I pulled out my rosary […]
Veiled Words: Modesty in Speech and Thought
“The Victorians pretended sex did not exist; the moderns pretend nothing else exists.” Archbishop Fulton J Sheen This is my first post writing for Ignitum Today, and in honour of that I thought I would try to ignite a little debate on a nice controversial topic, sex. Seven years into marriage I’m somewhere right between […]
Three Reasons to Pray the Angelus this Advent
Farmers pause in their fields at midday and bow their heads in prayer. Businessmen and women overhear the ringing bells of nearby churches during their lunch break in the downtown business district. Neighbors to Catholic Churches hear the church bells toll thrice daily at six, noon, and six, as an invitation to pray the traditional […]
What to Expect When You’re Converting to the Catholic Church
Becoming Catholic is a tricky business. When I left my wonderful Evangelical church two years ago, I didn’t know what to expect. Now I’m a self-confessed Converty Pants (a term I made up for nerdy converts/reverts like myself!) So I’d like to share with you what you can expect when you’re converting to the Catholic Church… Expect […]
Come Over Here and SayThat to My Face
Rape, incest, and mother’s life…oh, and abused children. Better aborted than abused. How many times have we heard these “acceptable” exceptions to an outright ban on abortions? It is easy to understand and even sympathize with the mindset that finds these exceptions to be allowable. No sane person wants to inflict further suffering on someone […]
Nic Davidson’s Black Friday Shopper’s Companion
Preface: This “Black Friday Shoppers Companion” was created to aid you in the many escapades, detours, pitfalls, and ecstasies that you’ll experience as you venture out on the day after Thanksgiving. It is meant to be read repeatedly on your phone as you shop, or printed off and crumpled in with the coupons, to be […]
