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This past week, our priest was TDY to Georgia, so we didn't have daily Mass on base. TDY means temporary duty for military members in a different location than where they are stationed. Nearly every day for Mass, it's me, my son, and another lady that works on base. We'll call her Maria. Other people come and go, but we are kind of the constants. I love when we have a full little chapel. Anyway, Maria and I decided that we would still come up to the chapel to pray the Rosary together during Mass time. Well, I quickly found myself making excuse after excuse not to go up. "Oh, we need to finish up some school." "Oh, the door will be locked. Who wants to bother trying to find someone with a key." "Oh, I can pray it here at home." "Oh, this. Oh, that." Maria, though, has such a beautiful level of piety that it's infectious. She has a bag of religious books that she carries with her everywhere. She says her daily prayers with such love and devotion. She is always excited to do anything that brings her closer to God. I love her and her beautiful spirit. Because I knew she would be up there to pray, I went even when the inertia of my soul wanted to keep me at home being lazy. One day, I got there early and the door to the Blessed Sacrament room was locked and I was so sloth-like that I didn't even put forth the effort to go find someone with a key. I just kind of was like, "Oh well, guess not today." But, when Maria showed up and heard that the door was locked, she immediately turned around and went to find someone. In that moment, I felt so pitiful. Here I was standing around, not on my lunch break, but with time and I couldn't even move to go get someone to open the door. Maria on the other hand didn't even think twice. And I thought to myself right then and there, "God, I still have much work to do. Please forgive my lazy ways and help me be more like Maria." This is why we need each other, Catholic Pilgrims. This is why our Catholic Faith can't just be about a personal relationship with us and Jesus. We will easily slip into the deadly sin of sloth. Maria is a shining example for me and she holds me accountable. I need her witness. Have a blessed Monday.
Continue ReadingMost people want to go to Heaven. I was thinking today, though, at Mass, that while most people want to go to Heaven, they don't want to bring Heaven to earth quite yet. What do I mean by this? Well, early on in my Christian life, I wanted to go to Heaven. Mostly, it was because I just wanted to see departed loved ones again. And, it sounded nice, to be in a perfect place. I felt kind of like I was owed it simply by the sheer fact that I called myself a Christian. But, in the meantime, I didn't really want to live a holy and pleasing life here on earth. I wanted to indulge in a few choice sins, if you know what I mean. Heaven sounded good for after I'd had all the "fun." Though I felt I was owed it, I certainly didn't want to try to create Heaven here on earth through my own actions or cooperation with God. So, when suffering came my way, I was appalled that God would allow me to go through that. I felt I was owed a suffering-free life and Heaven. "Don't ask anything of me, yet give me all that I feel I deserve." This is what we call insufferable pride. I just didn't really understand anything about sacrifice or suffering as it should be understood to a Christian. When you are constantly told that Jesus did it all, there's nothing for you to do but sit back, call yourself a Christian, enjoy the ride because Jesus has got you, and live however you would like, because, again, you are covered by the Blood of Jesus, well, you will grow lukewarm real quick. Baptized believers are the Body of Christ, and that means, that we all make up Jesus' Body in a mystical, spiritual way. Christ suffered for us. As part of His Body, we can unite our suffering to His suffering and offer it to the Father. We are to participate with Him, not just hit cruise control. God has always wanted our participation and the craziest thing about Christ's suffering is that it was/is redemptive. Our suffering and sacrifices when united to His are redemptive, too. This is one of the ways we become more Christ-like. And so, this means, that we have to necessarily live differently. We can't "conform ourselves to this age" but instead "be transformed," as St. Paul tells us, Catholic Pilgrims. Our lives should look different. Have a blessed Sunday.
Continue ReadingWith each season of my podcast, Journeying with the Saints, I grow in love for the Saint whose work I'm reading. To be honest, I was scared to read St. Augustine's "Confessions." Mostly I was afraid because I thought I'd be too dumb to keep up with his mind, but I've found this book really approachable. There are some parts that stretch the mind--thinking here of his talk on time--but it's good to stretch the mind a bit. How else can we grow and learn new things? I very much relate to St. Augustine. I, too, dropped my Faith in my late teens, went off to live a very worldly life, found nothing was satisfying me, became desperate for the truth, took a long time to wrestle it out, and finally converted to Catholicism. All the while, I had a mother ferverently praying for me. Season Six isn't done yet, but already I've grown in my love and appreciation of this Doctor the Faith. He will forever be in my bevy of Saints that I call on frequently. Reading their works helps us to see that they were real people and they struggled and sinned and eventually opened themselves up to grace and then went on to do amazing things. They give us hope that we can all be Saints. Today is St. Augustine's feast day, Catholic Pilgrims. I'm so grateful that I've come to know him better. St. Augustine, pray for us!
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