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As we were rumbling down the road to Sedona, my husband and I were talking about one of my recent posts on why it’s important to attend Mass. I was explaining to him the revelation I’d had after reading Thomas Merton talk about the necessity for joining others to worship God. My husband then said, “That’s a really great insight. Coming together to worship at Mass is participation in what we will be doing together in Heaven.” He continued, “I don’t think we think about who we will be in Heaven very much either. We need to think about that. Because everything we do on earth should be helping us to become our saintly self.” Josemariá Escrivá once wrote: “Conversion is the matter of a moment, sanctification is the work of a lifetime.” Sanctification is what makes us into who we will be in Heaven and who we were born to be. The reason so many are displeased, unhappy, and restless is because we haven’t reached our full potential of becoming a saint. We need to think about our Heavenly self, Catholic Pilgrims. That’s who we should be striving to become because a saint is one with a heart of Christ. Live the faith boldly and travel well this Thursday.
Continue ReadingSo, on Friday, when I asked you to guess where I was headed for Spring Break, I hinted by saying that the place holds one of the most architecturally interesting churches…or chapels. One of you guessed correctly, though I enjoyed reading all the guesses. As you’ve all found out, I went to Sedona, AZ and this was the chapel I was referring to—Chapel of the Holy Cross. In 1956, this little chapel was completed and, believe it or not, only cost $300,000. It’s built right into the rock and it creates a stunning view when you see it standing out of the rocks with the natural beauty of Sedona in the background. It also is a stark contrast to the pagan shops and energy parlors everywhere in town. There are dozens of them and, for the most part, they were empty. However, floods of people were flocking to this chapel to pray. I walked in and it was heartwarming to see people on their knees in front of the tabernacle worshipping the one true God. Even with all the people, it was relatively quiet. Believe it or not, three million people visit this chapel each year. My family came here as we were heading back home. It was a great place to come and cap-off our trip with prayers of gratitude for family and the wonder of nature. If ever in Sedona, Catholic Pilgrims, be sure to see this chapel and spend some time in prayer. Have a blessed Wednesday.
Continue ReadingOne thing that we often hear from people is that they don't want to go to church because they'd just rather worship God on their own. Now, it is true that you can worship God anywhere. Nature is a great place to connect with the Creator. Even going to Adoration by yourself to sit in silence with Jesus is excellent for our souls. However... Thomas Merton once wrote reflecting on attending church as a little kid, "It is a law of man's nature, written into his very essence, and just as much a part of him as the desire to build houses and cultivate the land and marry and have children and read books and sing song, that he should want to stand together with other men in order to acknowledge their common dependence of God, their Father and Creator." In Heaven, we will not be alone as we worship God. We will be with all the Saints and angels at the great Heavenly banquet. Imagine the multitudes. Mass is that participation here on earth. Don't neglect going to Mass, Catholic Pilgrims. We need to be united with our brothers and sisters in Christ at the Supper of the Lamb. Have a blessed Wednesday.
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