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When we visited St. Mary’s Church in Fairfax Station, the church that became a field hospital during the Civil War, my son wanted to take a picture from the perspective of the priest.
This church is mostly used now for special occasions and because of this fact, Jesus was not in the Tabernacle, so I told him it was okay. I think he was interested to see what the priest looks out on.
I stood back there with him and anytime you see things from a different perspective, it feels odd. I mean, have you ever been across the street from your house and looked back on it, to see what your neighbor sees? It’s a weird feeling.
One of the things I love about being a military spouse is that I get the opportunity to see the country from different perspectives. Living in Las Vegas was much different than here in Alabama. Living in the middle of nowhere in the desert of California was different than in DC.
Each place we move, we want to see all that we can before the moving trucks roll up to carry us off to some place else. Often times, our fresh eyes bring a new perspective to people who have lived in an area for years and years. They are often surprised at all the things we find to explore and they gain a new sense of appreciation for where they live. Military families have a way of making people proud of their city or state by our ability to be excited by what has become mundane to them.
I was the thinking about the word “perspective” a lot this morning. Not all perspectives are valid or good nor should we entertain certain ones.
The perspective we should most try to see and understand is Christ’s. His is not just one among many, but the most perfect one of all. To try to see as Jesus sees us, fellow human beings, His creation, and life will give us the best understanding of ourselves and the purpose of our life.
We won’t be able to do this perfectly, Catholic Pilgrims, but we can strive to have eyes of Christ through reading Scripture daily, prayer, and attending Mass. The saints are great examples of how striving to understand Christ changes your life for the better.
Have a blessed Monday.
In 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.
Continue ReadingToday, let's head to an island off the coast of South Carolina for our small-town church showcase. This is Stella Maris Catholic Church located on Sullivan's Island, SC. I have cruised past this island twice when I was in Charleston a few Spring Breaks ago: One day on a sailing ship and the next day on a ferry taking me over to Fort Sumter. Sullivan's Island is named after Captain Florence O'Sullivan. He was an Irishman who was granted land on the island to help with the building up of the South Carolina colony. He was a military officer, a surveyor, a colonial official, and he helped establish Charleston. Sullivan's Island was used to protect Charleston from enemy attacks. This parish was founded in 1843 by Bishop Ignatius Reynolds. During the Civil War, this island saw a lot of military action and that affected church life, as you can imagine. The original church was just a small wooden building that no longer exists; this church you see here came about in the late 1800s and has undergone lots of renovations. The inside of the church seems to harken back to its wooden-structure days, as it was built with pine and painted a warm color. We don't know for sure if Captain O'Sullivan was Catholic or not. There are no surviving documents to give clarity. Most historians say that he was "likely Catholic" given his Irish roots, but if he was, he most likely had to keep it quiet. But, there is no definitive way of knowing. I loved my time in Charleston and if you are ever in the area, Catholic Pilgrims, maybe take a trip over to Sullivan's Island to check out Stella Maris Parish. Have a blessed Wednesday!
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