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As we are nearing the end of St. Augustine's "Confessions" on my podcast, we got a short writing about what we are allowed to judge and what we aren't. We can judge actions, because, duh, we absolutely must and our judgment of actions needs to be in keeping with what the Church teaches. We don't get to judge Scripture. What he means by that is that if something is hard to understand or we don't necessarily like what it says, we don't get to judge that God is wrong. We must submit to hard teachings and we must realize that sometimes we may not fully understand right away, but we don't get to make up our own interpretation. St. Augustine says that we were given dominion of the earth and the creatures, but we were not given dominion over heaven. We don't get to decide who is there and who isn't. This makes sense because we are not the judges of people's souls at the end of their lives--God is. Yet, for all the talk about not judging, people are quick as a flash to judge where someone's soul is. If they like the person, no matter how they lived their life, they are "an angel now in Heaven." If they don't like the person, no matter how they lived their life, they declare them in Hell. But, we don't get to judge where a person spends eternity, because we have no clue on earth what God is going to say to them. So, the best we can do is hope that they found their way to purgatory (not a permanent place) where they can be purged of any venial sins that they clung to in this life. Once that purging has happened, they can enter Heaven, because remember, nothing imperfect can enter Heaven. So, most of us are going to need to be purged. This is God's mercy, not a denial of Christ's Sacrifice. It's because of Christ's Sacrifice that we can even be made pure before our entrance to Heaven. For our loved ones that have passed on, the best thing we can do is pray for them as they suffer through that purging. It will be like a refiner's fire. They need our prayers. The month of November is specifically set aside to pray for our dearly departed. I have set up the pictures of my loved ones on my piano so that I can be constantly reminded to offer my prayers for them. May you have a blessed All Souls’ Day, Catholic Pilgrims.
Continue ReadingWhat 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.
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