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On the day I graduated from high school, my old piano teacher from when I was a kid showed up.
After the ceremony, I spied him standing off away from everyone and I went to see him. It had been years and I was surprised that he was there. He didn’t say much, but gave me a hug, handed me a piece of paper, and walked away.
The piece of paper simply said, “The cream always rises to the top.”
It was something he used to tell me when I was his very young pupil. It was his way of encouraging greatness in me and calling me to my best self.
That message had be drowned out as I got into high school and was replaced by a lot of very bad choices. When I received the message again that day, I felt a bit of sadness. I didn’t see myself as “cream” anymore. Sure, I had graduated top of my class, but good grades do not make a good person.
I think my teacher knew that I had forgotten my calling and he was reminding me.
One of the sayings that gets thrown around a lot today is, “Yeah, well, Jesus ate with sinners!”
This is always said as a way to justify condoning or affirming some sin—specifically s€xual sins. It’s always said in an effort to show that since Jesus ate with sinners, He was fine with their lives. Jesus was super tolerant, you see?
They always miss the point of WHY Jesus ate with them. It wasn’t because He was cool with prostitution or immoral tax collecting. He always, always, was calling them to repentance and holiness. He wanted them to be better.
He had to show them that their ways weren’t good. He didn’t condone anything or become an ally intent on never judging their behavior and hoping they just figured it out on their own. He didn’t eat with anybody to encourage them in their sin.
My old piano teacher was calling me to be better than I was because he cared. He reminded me that I was made for more and it stung to know that he saw through my facade.
Jesus called people to change their ways and strive for holiness because that’s what true love looks like.
If you aren’t calling people to holiness, Catholic Pilgrims, and are just merely “eating” with them, you aren’t doing them any favors.
Have a blessed Tuesday.
Day Two of US landmarks and Catholic connections in our lead up to America's 250th Birthday. Gateway Arch, St. Louis, Missouri The Arch was built between February 12, 1963, and October 28, 1965. Amazingly, there were no fatalities during the building of this incredible structure. You can ride all the way to the top, which is not for those who get weak in the knees over heights. (Looking at my sister) There is an amazing museum under the Arch, which actually gives loads of Catholic history. St. Louis was founded in 1764 by French Catholics and named after St. Louis IX, King of France. Very near the Arch is the Old Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis which is one of the oldest buildings in the downtown area and has survived fires. It really is a lovely church. If you are visiting the Arch, you can easily visit the Old Cathedral, as well. Have a blessed day, Catholic Pilgrims.
Continue ReadingIn a little more than 30 days, America will celebrate its 250th birthday. In a spirit of patriotism, I am going to take the next 30 days and show one US landmark per day until July 4th. My goal: To find some Catholic connection to those landmarks. It's not always going to be easy, but I will do my best. I have lived all over this country from sea to shining sea--literally. Our military life has taken us up, down, across, and back across numerous times. I've lived east coast, west coast, deep south, midwest, and lots of desert. Lots of desert. I've lived in big cities, mid-sized cities, smallish cities, and no city. Because I've lived here, there, and everywhere, I truly do know how great our country is and don't let anyone tell you otherwise. So, first up is Independence Hall where the document to declare our independence was signed. In 2015, my family went on a guided tour through Independence Hall. We went into the Assembly Room where the Declaration of Independence was signed. As everyone moved out of that room, I stayed back and stood in there all by myself. I said a word of thanks to the men who took a great risk to sign that document. I swear something about them still lingers in that room. The Catholic Connection? This one is easy. Charles Carroll of Carrolton was the only Catholic to sign the document. He is noted for being the longest-lived and last surviving signer. He died in 1832 at the age of 95. This series will only be positive, so if you feel the temptation to spout off some unpatriotic nonsense, Uncle Sam will see you to the door and promptly delete your comment. He and I are tired of it. 😎 Patriotism is a virtue, Catholic Pilgrims, and I hope this series reminds you that it's okay to love your country. Have a blessed day.
Continue ReadingWhen we were stationed in Turkey, my husband was commander of an air base squadron. The installation was literally on two floors of a hotel and, yes, we even had a commissary and a BX. We were a tight-knit group, as we were confined to a small space and saw each other frequently. I started to notice that when I would go into the club or, any place really, the younger troops would mind their P's and Q's. At first, I thought it was because my presence was like having mom around, but I later realized that when they saw me, they saw an extension of my husband. I knew it wasn't because they saw me as mom, as other older women did not affect the same kind of reaction. This always made me smile, not because I enjoyed the attention, but because it signaled the reality of the oneness of marriage. To see me, is to see my husband and vice versa. The other day, our oldest daughter was speaking to her dad and she said, "I don't know if what you are saying is coming from Momma's thoughts or yours." My husband said, "Well, that's hard to say, because your mom and I are pretty in sync about most things." Though it isn't perfect, I believe marriage is one of the strongest analogies for the Holy Trinity. Again, not perfect, but we can come to understand the Trinity just a bit by looking at a loving marriage. When my husband and I were married, we became one. Two distinct persons, yet still one. Most people will tell you that if you see me, they can't help but also think of Dustin. The same goes for him. The product of our love is our children. Our love created other distinct people and we are all united in the oneness of our family which is held by our marriage. God the Father is Lover, God the Son is the Beloved, and God the Holy Spirit is the Love that unites them. Because God is Love, Love is a person, the Holy Spirit. Three distinct Persons in One. It's a deep mystery and one that we can't fully grasp or comprehend. We will never be able to use human words to fully articulate the mystery of the Holy Trinity. That's because, well, we aren't God. But, these mysteries sure are wonderful things to ponder and be in awe of, Catholic Pilgrims.
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