Estimated reading time: ~ 7 minutes TLDR: We are more primed now than ever to enter into Holy Week. Make this week truly holy by joining us in celebrating Palm Sunday, Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and the Easter Vigil. After the sun has set on Saturday and night falls upon the earth, the faithful gather in vigil – awaiting the light that will shine in the darkness, awaiting the hope that will illuminate their way, awaiting the news that Christ is risen. So begins the Easter Vigil.  The Easter Vigil, during the holy night when Christ rose from the dead, ranks as the “the mother of all vigil ..read more

Estimated reading time: ~ 3 minutes TLDR – Porn is a cruel slave driver, but it doesn’t have to be ours. Let’s take back the crown and give glory to God by sharing Christ’s freedom. Like many other parishes, we have certainly expanded our online footprint in the past week, which is great news! We had three times as many views of our one Sunday Mass than we usually have at our 7 Masses on a weekend! With the live-streamed Masses, the podcast, and the blogs, we have been able to continue sharing the Gospel of Christ. It has been one consolation easing the pain of all the disruption in this time ..read more

Estimated reading time ~ 7 minutes Here’s the TLDR – God binds Himself to the sacraments, but He is not bound by them. Continue to receive God’s grace even without access to the sacraments through spiritual communion and acts of perfect contrition. Beginning Wednesday, we will no longer be able to offer Confessions due to the Shelter-In-Place order of the Brazos County. At this time, it’s good to remember this theological principle: God binds Himself to the sacraments, but He is not bound by the sacraments. God is faithful, and He will always give the grace of the sacraments when they are cele ..read more

Estimated reading time: ~8 minutes Here’s the TLDR – Respond with faith, hope, and love to this time of social distancing. Don’t let these new circumstances cause you to settle for idleness. Flourish as students by making a rule of life. For a printable PDF version of this rule of life click here! Well, Ags – school is starting again, even if it is only online. With all that is going on, I am drawn back to this famous line from The Lord of the Rings: I wish it need not have happened in my time,” said Frodo. “So do I,” said Gandalf, “and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not f ..read more

We’ve written on the morality of Ring dunks in the past. Here’s the TLDR: Intentionally getting drunk is a grave sin, potentially a mortal sin. (Also, see CCC 2284) Dunk your Ring in holy water, not beer, as part of our Aggie Ring blessing at St. Mary’s. But what do I do if my friends and family are expecting some kind of event that is a bit more exciting than dunking my Ring in holy water? In the same blog post, we mentioned that dunking your Ring in a glass of beer and drinking it – without chugging – is not wrong. Admittedly, this option is still not momentous. Let me offer a possible sol ..read more

Lent is barely here, and I find myself already a bit nervous. I still have a little box of stray Christmas ornaments that were found around the house, waiting to be stowed away in the attic. My younger children are still enjoying their Valentines from their friends at school. And now, Lent is upon us. I really want to be all in. Just as late winter brings about the desire for cleaning and purging our homes in anticipation for Spring, our hearts naturally yearn for restoration… we know something good is coming, but this ‘good’ requires something of us. So, there is Lent. Let us join in, shall w ..read more

God, being rich in faithful love, through the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our sins, brought us to life with Christ… Ephesians 2:4-5 On this day of love, we want to remember One who is Love itself. Here’s a collection of quotes from the saints on what love is, to help us strive for greatness in love, so that we can be more like Jesus. And, we have something new and exciting to share with you! Our design team at St. Mary’s will be creating wallpapers for your mobile devices and computer backgrounds! Yes! Look for a new design every two weeks from Katie and Lauren ..read more

A few weeks ago, I was sitting in Oaks Park after a round of disc golf, which has become a staple of the routine on my day off. It also happened to be Martin Luther King Jr. Day. As I watched the sun begin to set, I began to reflect on how I might have lived if I were alive during the civil rights movement. I certainly hope that I would have stood in solidarity with my African American neighbors in their pursuit of justice. From the vantage point of three generations later, it is easy to see how deplorable racism is. But would I have been able to see so clearly if I had lived during that time ..read more

Advent is such a wonderful time! We prepare ourselves to celebrate the coming of sweet baby Jesus, the lover of our souls and king of our hearts. And we ponder the humility, gentleness, and openness of Mary and Joseph as they prepare to welcome into the world their Son, who also happens to be the Son of God. There is always so much to be grateful for, to anticipate, and to celebrate in this period of waiting, yet this year was a stretch for joy for me. I walked into Mass each week leading up to Christmas to hear songs exclaiming that I should “rejoice” and that I should “prepare him room.” But ..read more

Prepare the way of the Lord. In many ways, this verse from the Gospel could be the entire theme of Advent. We are preparing for the Lord’s coming. If there are any obstacles in His way, Advent is about removing them. Prepare the way of the Lord. There are many beautiful images from Scripture that help us visualize the importance of being ready for the coming of Christ, of preparing His way. Perhaps the most popular one would be the Holy Family not finding any room in the inn at Bethlehem. If our hearts are too full with sin and vice, with worldly attachments and concerns, then there is an obst ..read more