Marian Devotions for Newbies
The Green Catholic Burrow
by Desiree
2y ago
Today, we’re going to briefly cover some of the more common Marian devotions. I’ll also share some of my favorite Marian resources for converts! Now, one of the things that I thought was really weird, coming into the church, was all of Mary’s names and titles that she has. I remember, when I was first becoming Catholic, I would I hear Mary referred to by all of these different names. They sound so normal now, but in my particular case, I was predisposed to be very suspicious of Catholic devotion to Mary. So, to me, all of that sounded like – oh gosh, I don’t know. Different aspects of a goddes ..read more
Visit website
How do you pray the Rosary? (And other “beaded” prayers)
The Green Catholic Burrow
by Desiree
3y ago
How do you pray the Rosary, the Divine Mercy, and the Franciscan Crown Rosary?  As we’re starting to think about converting to the church or when we’re new to the church, one of the biggest hang-ups that a lot of us have is Marian devotions and prayers. So, I decided more or less on a whim last month to create a short series of live videos on Facebook covering some of the basics of Marian piety. It was a lot of fun, and I’m definitely planning more videos in the future! If you want in on those when they happen, come over and join my free group, Catholic Convert Gathering Space. Sometimes ..read more
Visit website
Catholic Converts: Safety in Christ in the In-Between Spaces
The Green Catholic Burrow
by Desiree
3y ago
The other day, someone asked me how I, as a Catholic convert, had come to accept the Catholic view of Mary, given that I had previously been a committed, conservative Presbyterian protestant. Conservative Presbyterians hold that prayer to and veneration of Mary and the saints is a grave sin, so this was a huge about face for me. A scary one, too! (I talk more about how I came to terms with it all in this post.) It was so scary, in fact, that for quite some time, I would ask forgiveness in advance before praying the rosary. I would ask God to forgive me if I was headed down the wrong path and c ..read more
Visit website
Obligation to Attend Mass: How the Dispensations are an Act of Christian Love
The Green Catholic Burrow
by Desiree
3y ago
Dispensing the obligation to attend Mass for COVID-19 is an act of love, and it’s not novel. On New Year’s Day, 2021, my town had an ice storm.  The roads, I assume, were pretty bad. I wouldn’t know – I looked out my window, saw the trees outlined in a layer of ice, as though every twig had been turned to glass. The neighbor kid was doing a passable Michelle Kwan, right there on his driveway.  I stayed home.  Now, New Year’s is a Holy Day of Obligation. I take these things seriously – I mean, I’m Catholic. Missing Mass on a Sunday or another Day of Obligation (without good cause ..read more
Visit website
What is a Catholic Lay Order?
The Green Catholic Burrow
by Desiree
3y ago
When you hang around the Catholic Church for a while, sooner or later you will hear about something called a “lay order,” or a “secular religious order.” If your background, (like mine), is any kind of evangelical protestant, you probably will react negatively to that name (unless you are too confused to have a reaction. I get that. I feel that way a lot.) See, since many of us used to use the term “secular” to mean things like, “not Christian,” “worldly,” or “evil,” the idea of a secular religious order sounds like a contradiction at best – and a terrible compromise at worst. Like this is pos ..read more
Visit website
Radical Traditionalism: a Pitfall for New Catholics
The Green Catholic Burrow
by Desiree
3y ago
How Radical Traditionalism endangers new converts to the Catholic Church. The road home to the Catholic Church can be a long, hard pilgrimage. The road can be straight and smooth, or winding and rough. There are breathtaking views, heartbreaking losses, and everything in between. There are perils and pitfalls along the way. Today, I want to warn you away from one hazard that, while it is a real danger to all Catholics, is particularly dangerous to new converts. It’s a pitfall that appeals to those who are zealous, on fire, aflame with passion for the Gospel and consumed with the new and astoni ..read more
Visit website
The (non)Catholicity of Clutter
The Green Catholic Burrow
by Desiree
4y ago
“Simplify your life, so that you have something to share with others.” – author unknown Let’s talk about clutter. I have written and rewritten this post more times than I can count, because… I’m different than most people who talk about clutter. First, I don’t agree that clutter is ALWAYS bad. Clutter is USUALLY bad – but whether or not it’s bad for you depends on the impact it has on your life, your relationships, and your soul. Second, I don’t have my clutter completely under control. Full transparency here.  I think it’s something to do with a combination of the way my brain works (nat ..read more
Visit website
Hearing What is Being Said – Or, How to Stop a Riot According to MLK
The Green Catholic Burrow
by Desiree
4y ago
In a previous post on making peace between friends and family members when relationships are disrupted by a conversion to the Church, I wrote up five simple tips on how to talk to folks you disagree with. Today, I want to dig a little deeper into tip number 2, and apply it to a totally different situation – the riots that have engulfed our cities in the last week since the inexcusable, reprehensible killing of George Floyd. Hearing the Heart So, people don’t always phrase things perfectly. In everyday life, when a subject is touchy, painful, or heated, the likelihood that somebody will get a l ..read more
Visit website
Can Nonbelievers go to Heaven?
The Green Catholic Burrow
by Desiree
4y ago
Can nonbelievers go to Heaven? The Catholic Church has had a mellowing effect on me in a lot of ways. See, I used to be a really intense, conservative Protestant. The Church pulled me out of those knotty weeds in right field into a more centered and balanced place. In areas like women’s roles, family planning, and observance of the Lord’s Day, I have grown and, well, calmed down a bit in how I see the world. I’m grateful for that centering – I picked up a certain judginess and negativity from the mindset that I held before, and I don’t miss it. (My in-laws probably don’t, either.) When I say ..read more
Visit website
Five Reasons to Plant a Mary Garden
The Green Catholic Burrow
by Desiree
4y ago
Guys, I’ve had an idea. I think we should all plant a Mary garden while we’re staying home this spring. (You ARE staying home, right??) The more I think about this idea, the better it sounds. I have a statue of Mary out in a little corner of the yard, but I have never planted anything around it, in the three years that I have had it. Neither have I gone to any special trouble to trim back that one crazy bush that overwhelms her every year come August. See, every spring for the past 3 years has been marked by personal tragedy for me. Not little hurts or frustration, but the big stuff. It’s happ ..read more
Visit website

Follow The Green Catholic Burrow on FeedSpot

Continue with Google
Continue with Apple
OR