My Catholic Life

The newest episode of "Showing Up Catholic" has been posted to the Vericast Network. In this episode of "Showing Up Catholic", Vickie talks about the importance of the Advent Season. She also talks about the simile of salt and relates it to how we might conduct ourselves during Advent. She describes how seasoning our season may be one way of winning the culture war to put Christ back into Christmas. You can see the episode here

Episode 5 of Showing Up Catholic is now available on the Vericast Network The Sword and Shield Vickie presents a perspective on intercessory prayer. Petitioning for assistance is only one aspect of this type of prayer. Seeking a deeper relationship with God brings a greater dimension and more confidence to intercessory prayer. Using scripture Vickie talks about battling in prayer, the armor of God and using our sword and shield for the benefit of others. Watch it here

Episode 4 of "Showing Up Catholic" is up on the Vericast Network. Good, Bad, Ugly This episode of "Showing Up Catholic" takes a look at what might be good, bad or ugly in Catholic and social media on the internet. Vickie asks the question of when we might be crossing a line in expressing our opinions, through articles, blogs and discussions, into what potentially could be causing damage in the Church and to others. Where do we draw the line between what is productive and what might be participating in what St. Francis De Sales termed "spiritual suicide"? Vickie examines some ways of discerning where that line might be. Watch it here

Another episode of "Showing Up Catholic" has been posted on Vericast.net. Chasing Prophecy When we Catholics chase prophecy we sometimes find ourselves heading off of the road. In this episode Vickie talks about using discernment when it comes to private revelation. When we come across messages "directly from heaven" can we trust them? Vickie talks about some red flags that we can look for in dealing with private revelations that have not been (or not YET been) approved by the Church. Grounded in our faith we can test the spirit of messages and prophecies to determine if they will bring us to truth or to error. http://www.vericast.net/blog/2015/10/28/chasing-prophecy-showing-up-catholice-ep-3/ If you want to catch past episodes of "Showing Up Catholic" check out the profile page with a link to all of the episodes. http://www.vericast.net/shows/showing-up-catholic/

 The second episode of my show for the Vericast Network, "Showing Up Catholic", is available. To "show up Catholic" requires an understanding of what that word "Catholic" means. In this episode Vickie takes a look at the word Catholic and gives a perspective on Catholicity and how our Catholic character relates to evangelization and our relationship with each other as the Mystical Body of Christ. You can watch it here.

I will be presenting a new show for the Vericast Network (Vericast.net) called "Showing Up Catholic". This first episode is called "Built on the Rock". In this first episode of Showing Up Catholic, Vickie gives a perspective on the scripture of Mt 16:13 - 20, in which Peter answers the question "Who do you say I am?". She gives some interesting background regarding where this event occurred as well as discussing the Rock on which Jesus builds his Church and what it means to say the Gates of Hell will not prevail against it.

Did another podcast for Vericast Vickie is talking about the authority of the Catholic Church in this episode. She talks about relying on the Catholic Church’s ability to interpret herself  “in keeping with the whole”.   It’s all about the continuity of the Magisterium of the Church, and of the authority of the Pope.  She also talks about understanding Vatican II within this context and having confidence in the Church’s understanding of it rather than our own. http://www.vericast.net/blog/2015/05/09/interpreting-catholic-church-vickie-armstrong/

My first podcast for Vericast.  In this episode Vickie Armstrong gives a perspective on the Conquering Power of the Church. She talks about the Obelisk at St. Peter’s square as a symbol and witness of that conquering power and discusses a model from the early Church. Christ conquered through the Gospel and through the Church that he established. In today’s world true cooperation with him and true witness to him must include an increased confidence in his Church as well. You can watch that episode  here

A blog I wrote for Vericast. On a recent Tim Haines show,  Parading Mistruth , Tim discussed some of the controversy that surrounded the St. Patrick’s Day parade in New York and Boston.  One thing that controversies like this manage to do, is generate lots of drama. Catholics seem to be just as susceptible to drama as anyone else. The thing is, often we find ourselves debating the drama and not the real issues.  We debate whether or not Cardinal Dolan gave an order for the police to give a faithful Catholic the bum’s rush. We then prove it with frame by frame video evidence. We accuse one person of employing a goon squad of thugs, yet will willing gather in mobs of our own. Gang banging across the internet, seemingly unaware that there is a difference and a line between making our voice heard and harassment tactics. We attempt to take by force what may instead be taken by grace. We resort to discrediting reputations rather than clarifying issues.  It is not only wi...

A blog post I wrote for Vericast.net In the Christmas Present    Tim, Wilson and Father Paul Nicholson discussed some current attitudes about Christmas and the need for us to reclaim it. We attempt to reclaim the day, the season and even the greetings of Christmas from the secular that endeavors to wrap it in relativism, social cohesion, consumerism, commercialism and the narcissism of self.  Yet our attempts may prove themselves powerless if we are not, at the same time, responding to and actively reflecting the essence of Christmas ourselves Read entire article here