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The Easter season ends today, Catholic Pilgrims, with our celebration of Pentecost.
A non-believer, who I was once close with, said to me once, “The point of life is to maximize pleasure, avoid suffering, be nice, and do what makes you happy until you turn into stardust. Then, it’s light out.”
I kid you not, that’s what she said and I admit it sounds a bit like a caricature of what a non-believer might say, but I’m not making it up. Several like-minded people in the crowd agreed with her.
I cannot think of a bleaker existence.
Other than the just blanket remark of “be nice,” it all, whether intended or not, turns into a self-serving existence. A self-serving existence can only ever provide temporal happiness and it will quickly devolve into believing any means justify the ends.
The quick, concise answer to what is the point of life is: The purpose of life is to know, love, and serve God in this life so that we may be happy with Him in the next.
Round of applause for all of you who still have the memorized.
The purpose of life is to use your God-given gifts to bring light and love into the world. That will require some sacrifice. It will require some suffering. It will require discipline. It will require that you place others before yourself. We hate to hear that in our self-obsessed society, but it’s true.
The more you focus on yourself, the less happy you will be. That is not to say you should utterly ignore yourself or don’t enjoy life or anything like that. But, I hope we can look around our “ME!” centered society and see that we are more unhappy, more anxious, more depressed, more listless than ever before.
The Holy Spirit animates our lives and helps us to use our gifts in service for the Lord, which will
always be fulfilling, challenging, engaging, and enriching for, not only ourselves, but others.
“If we live in the Spirit, let us also follow in the Spirit,” Catholic Pilgrims.
Have a very blessed Feast of Pentecost.
*Cathedral-Basilica of St. Louis, St. Louis, MO
What small town has over 100 buildings on the National Register of Historic Places and boasts a still-intact 1840s Merchant Row district? Main Street Perryville Well, that would be Perryville, Kentucky, which became an official town in 1817. The famous street in town is Buell Street and that is the same street where we find our very unique looking Catholic Church for today's small-town church showcase. This is St. Mary's. You may look at it and think, "Well, that does not look like a church building at all." Your eyes do not deceive you. This building used to be a bank, but it closed its doors in the 1970s and it was purchased to become St. Mary's Catholic Church. Looking online, it says that this is one of the smallest Catholic communities in central Kentucky and this church serves about 17 households. The building is super tiny, so it wouldn't hold much more than that. I think it is particularly quaint and I like the white with the light blue touch added for Our Lady's colors. It looks like there is a lot to do in this small town. The Merchant Row is still active and full of shops to visit, there is a Civil War battlefield to see, and you can also stop to see this tiny Catholic Church. Perryville seems like it would offer a nice day trip. Have a great Wednesday, Catholic Pilgrims!
Continue ReadingThis bridge in Alençon is where Sts. Zelie and Louis Martin first met in April of 1858. It is called Pont Saint-Léonard or St. Leonard's Bridge. These are the parents of St. Thérèse of Lisieux. As Zelie passed Louis on the bridge, she heard a voice say, "This is he whom I have prepared for you." I had a very similar experience when I first met my Dustin. When you learn about their life together, you can see that they were really in love. They loved spending time together, missed each other when they were apart and wrote romantic love letters to each other. They worked as a team, a very holy team. I think sometimes we think that if a couple is striving for holiness in their marriage that, in effect, means it will be bland, boring, and somber. Yes, it should be wholesome, but that doesn't mean it should lack fun, spontaneity, and romance. Even married Saints whispered sweet nothings in each other's ears. And God delights in this. He wants married couples to be in love and to have fun together. He wants them to enjoy each other's company and to build a meaningful life. Of course this means being faithful to each other, being decent and pure in your marriage (no vulgarity or indecent acts) and not subjecting people to over-the-top, awkward PDAs. When you build a marriage that is grounded on the foundation of Faith in Christ, you will build a good life together. Your children will be at peace knowing that their parents are one. Marriage isn't always easy and effort is required. Being in Alençon and seeing the places where these married Saints built a life together, reminded me that there is nothing quite so beautiful here on earth as a husband and wife striving to get each other and their children to Heaven. It makes a lasting impression. Live the Faith boldly and travel well this Tuesday, Catholic Pilgrims.
Continue ReadingAs most of you know, right after we moved across the country, my family went on pilgrimage to France. All throughout the pilgrimage, I was in awe of the art I witnessed--the amazing statues, the churches, the paintings, the little details in the quaint French villages, the lace, the flowers. Constantly, I was just astounded at the work of human hands. And throughout the pilgrimage, several of us mentioned the fact that beautiful things take time to make and "thank God people had the patience and fortitude to see these incredible projects through." Upon arriving home, my household goods were delivered--literally the day after we got back--and I set to work trying to make my house a home. After about a week in, I was frustrated that things weren't moving along. Then I got really mad and gripped about how long it was taking and stormed around saying, "This is taking forever!" I wanted the house to be beautiful, homey, and cozy within days. On Saturday, I was still feeling anxious about it all when my son said, "The boxes are really clearing out! It feels more like home." I looked around and where I saw a mess, he saw the effort and the effects of all the work. I had to kick myself. Here I was in awe of the time it took to make gorgeous sculptures like the one in the picture from Chartes, and I couldn't allow myself even a few weeks to get a house together. I wasn't allowing myself time to cultivate beauty, yet I appreciated artists ability to do so. Beautiful things do take time. Even the creation of the world didn't happen in an instant. God didn't snap His fingers and the earth was blue and green and perfect. He allowed things to develop over time, perhaps to teach us to allow time for beauty. Beautiful things take effort and patience, Catholic Pilgrims, and sometimes, they take a lifetime of work, yet the end result is worth it all. Have a great Monday.
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