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Recently, I’ve had to shout out to several people to warn them or I’ve seen other people yell out to warn.
Awhile back, my son about strolled out in front of a car at church and I yelled to get his attention. Weeks later, in the same spot, I had to shout at an older women because she, too, was about to mosey out in front of a car.
My neighbor had to yell at his son because he was playing too close to the road and a big work truck came barreling down our street.
We all understand why someone raises their voice when sending up a warning for potential bodily harm. The point is to snap someone out of it, alert them to danger.
It would do absolutely no good if you saw someone about to be smashed by a car to say gently, “Um…excuse me, sorry, but, yeah…hey…that car is really coming. I don’t wanna tell you what to do but you might, if you want to, of course, be careful.”
This would be highly ineffective and, also, stupid, because it would be too late. Our niceties could get them killed.
More important than bodily health is spiritual health. I know that many don’t believe this but it’s true. The simple fact is that all of us will die, we can’t escape bodily death. But, where our souls end up is determined by the state of our souls. If there is unforgiven mortal sin on our souls, Hell will most likely be our reality.
If we love people, truly love them, we will not want this for them. We must be straightforward about sin and not beat around the bush. Obviously, we don’t have to be jerks, but the sugary sweet way many go about trying to warn people of spiritual danger isn’t effective. It makes people think it’s not that serious.
Today, St. Paul says in our second reading from Ephesians, “Take no part in the fruitless works of darkness; rather expose them.”
We have to call a sin a sin, Catholic Pilgrims. Will everyone listen? No. Will everyone like what we have to say? No. Am I suggesting shouting at people? No. But, I think you can look around and see where the nicey-nice approach has gotten us and it’s not a good place. Firmness, courage and tempered charity are what is needed to hopefully save souls.
Have a blessed fourth Sunday of Lent.
*Chapel in the Palace of Pena in Sintra, Portugal.
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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