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When I was first on the road to becoming Catholic, I frequently imagined that God would ask me to leave my family and go be a missionary in like the most obscure place. I'd literally see myself all alone trying to evangelize on the tundra of Siberia or the Amazon Rainforest in South America. There was that nagging voice that said, "This is what is looks like to fully give yourself to Christ. Is that really what you want? To leave your family? To go live in utter hardship?" Today, in my Magnificat, I read this, "Often we allow our imagination to conjure up vague, mysterious torments that surely await us if we give ourselves fully. And it's usually this purely imaginary suffering that holds us back." --Sister Mary David Totah After reading that, I laughed a little at how true that was for the way I used to think. This is what a lot of us do; we conjure up these horrible imaginary situations that we think Christ will call us to. Nearly always, we conjure up some situation where we are utterly alone and joyless. This, as Sister Mary David Totah says, causes us to lose heart. So, we play it safe and call ourselves a believer, but never fully give of ourselves to Christ. Consequently, we don't allow any growth in our faith and it becomes stagnant and bland. I had to learn to reject those imaginary scenarios. Are there some missionaries that go into uncharted territory and suffer much? Yes. Could I be called to that? Maybe. But even if I was, I would be on fire to go, as many missionaries are, and I'd be given the grace to live out that life. Christ would never ask me to go forth into something without equipping me with gifts or giving me the graces to handle it. "All this involves a strong conviction and faith in God's handling of our case, even if our life seems not to be what we previously expected." There is no greater life than a life given fully to Christ, Catholic Pilgrims. It won't be without suffering, but it will be full of purpose. No matter what God calls us to, if we trust Him and go willingly, we will find that it's exactly the right thing for us, whether or not we thought it would be. Live the faith boldly and travel well this Tuesday.
Continue ReadingLast week, I made a light-hearted reel about the supposed rumor of celebrities' likenesses being used on the faces of Saints at the Cathedral in LA. While the building itself is not architecturally my favorite, the tapestries depicting the Saints are absolutely wonderful. They are all a long the side of the nave and all the Saints are oriented towards the altar. I don't know if the celebrities thing is true. The goal was just to make a fun reel to see if people really thought St. John's face looked like Leonardo DiCaprio. But, I got a scathing comment from a follower on Youtube. He said, "I would never step into that place! Anything out there is tainted with evil!" The most concerning part about his comment is his write off of everything in California, LA specifically, because of politics. He is, in effect, saying that no Catholic Church can even be walked into. Our Lord in any tabernacle in California is "tainted with evil." This is also to write off all devoted Catholics who try really hard to live out their faith well here. Did he think I was tainted with evil because I am stationed here? How could he even watch my channel given that I currently live in California? And what if Christ needed this man to go to California to evangelize or be a missionary, like my daughter was at Berkeley? Would he say no and refuse because everything here is a lost cause? Must we only ever go to places that are already pristine and pure? The other part that bothers me is how so many people lack the ability to laugh and just have a moment of fun. St. Teresa of Avila is quoted as saying, ""God save us from gloomy saints!" Amen, Sister. There are parts of living in California that I don't particularly like, but that's with anywhere. Not only are there beautiful churches to visit where Our Lord is in the tabernacle, but I've also met so many wonderful people who are solid Catholics. We live in a fallen world and it is true that evil can be found, but let's not be irrational and extreme in seeing only the bad. A soul will suffocate that way, Catholic Pilgrims. Live the Faith boldly and travel well this Monday.
Continue ReadingOne of my favorite things to do with my kids is to read to them. Obviously, I don't read to my adult kids anymore, but all through their growing up years, I did. I still do, today, with my son. All the books they have to read for our homeschool curriculum are read by me. I will miss the day when I don't have one of my children sitting next to me as I read great literature to them. Also, at the end of the day, our family sits and listens to me read a book. While reading, I enjoy giving the characters "voices." From time-to-time, I'll purposely use the wrong voice for a character and it's funny to see how quickly they protest. Or, sometimes I'll pick up the book and start reading not using any voices and they will quickly stop me and tell me to "read it right." Oh, how I love reading to people. It's why I enjoy doing my podcast so much. I truly love reading out loud the writings of the Saints. I attend Daily Mass in this tiny little Blessed Sacrament room you see here in the picture. I'm grateful we have this reserved space here on base. There are just a handful of us that can make it, so I've become the unofficial Daily Mass lector. Most times when I read the first reading, I watch as those in attendance close their eyes and listen to the words. I find it to be a truly humbling experience to read the Word of God out loud to listening ears. Even though I'm reading to just a handful of people, the gravity of it all does hit me. I've been told that I have a good reading voice many times. Maybe it's the fact that I'm a Midwesterner. I used to think, "Well, what a no-big deal talent." But, maybe not. If God gave me such a talent, then it was meant to be used for good. Every time I read at Daily Mass and watch as people take in the words from the Bible, I'm reminded that with God, no gift or talent is menial or insignificant. Whatever your gifts are, Catholic Pilgrims, even if they seem insignificant or trivial, God gave them to you for a great purpose. Use them for His Glory. Have a great Thursday.
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