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Let’s talk apologetics for today, Catholic Pilgrims. My past couple of posts have brought out some that don’t like what I have to say and I’ll let them be my muse.
A common tactic is to downplay something you are concerned about and treat it as though it’s not as important as “these things over here!”
For example, I am very passionate about fighting sexual abuse, especially the sexualization of children. I’m also very against abortion. If you’ve followed me for any length of time, you know and understand why. These are the evils I feel most equipped to fight against.
Dissenters will often show up and say, “Phssh, those are minor things. There are really IMPORTANT things to fight over here. Why not fight __________.” Then they will proceed to give you a long list of things they deem worthy of your attention. And—AND—they want to know why you aren’t in the trenches fighting them ALL.
They give you impossible standards and dismiss anything you are concerned about so that they never have to truly engage you on the arguments.
God gives each of us a mission field, maybe even a few. Dorothy Day was for helping the poor. St. Damien, the lepers of Hawaii. St. Teresa of Calcutta was helping the poor and spoke out against abortion. St. Augustine defended the Faith with his writings, St. John Bosco tended to the needs of neglected boys. St. Elizabeth Ann Seton taught and established schools. They all had their mission field and not a one of them could fight all the fires, except maybe St. Mother Cabrini. That woman seemed to do it all.
Don’t feel disheartened when you get these kinds of attacks. All these people are trying to do is take the focus off the issue so that they don’t have to actually engage in a logical argument.
Remember St. Paul’s words from our first reading today: “Keep watch over yourselves and over the whole flock of which the Holy Spirit has appointed you overseers, in which you tend the Church of God that He acquired with His own Blood.” Acts 20:28
We are the Body of Christ, Catholic Pilgrims. Each of us will have our own mission field and it takes us all, in our own way, to fight the different evils out there.
Have a blessed day.
I have this jar of mustard seeds on a shelf in my music room. It was given to me by my sister and sister-in-law at the baby shower they threw for me when I was pregnant with my son. After the loss of eight babies after my two daughters, I felt completely sunk in sadness. Yet, my husband and I held on to a mustard-seed-sized bit of faith that one day we would be blessed with one more child. My son is twelve now and I still keep this jar to remind me that no matter how bleak things seem, no matter how inadequate I think I am, no matter how far away God may feel, and no matter how impossible the ask, if I just hold on to a bit of faith and trust that God will see me through, He will. Jesus tells us today in our Gospel reading, “The mustard seed is the smallest of all seeds, when full grown it is the largest of all plants." Matthew 13 Even the smallest bit of faith can blossom into amazing things, Catholic Pilgrims. Don't ever let despair be an option. Have a blessed Monday.
Continue ReadingSeveral months ago, I got exceedingly angry about something. I won't go into details, but I was super angry right before Daily Mass and I was in the wrong. As I sat at home stewing, I knew that I couldn't go to Mass and receive Jesus with so much anger in my soul. So, I hurried my son along to get ready early because I wanted to go down to Confession before Mass. I went straight to Father's office, knocked on the down, and asked if I could come to Confession. He quickly smiled and said, "Of course!" After Confession, I went into the Blessed Sacrament to pray and was so grateful that I could come early and free my soul of my anger and my improper response to it. It just wouldn't have been right to come to Mass and try to receive Our Lord in such a state. There was a time when I would have refused to go to church after such a reaction. I would have just wanted to stay mad and fume for days. However, I've come to depend so much on going to Mass nearly every day that without it, I feel a bit lost. So, I wanted to go, but I also was aware that I needed to be cleansed in my soul before going. And, yes, I could have still gone to Mass without Confession, Jesus wants us there with Him. Even if we can't receive Jesus in the Eucharist, we still need to go to Mass, because He deserves our worship. Solomon asked for an "understanding heart" in our first reading today from Kings. The more I go to Mass, the more I pray, the more I try to foster a relationship with Jesus, the more aware I become that I am made, as St. Paul tells us, "in the image of His Son." I am more aware of how I need to conform myself to the image of Christ and part of that is receiving Him worthily. Thank God for the Sacraments that offer such healing and grace. Thank God that He is always ready to forgive us when we ask for forgiveness. Thank God He gives us such a fine pearl of great price. May we give all that we have to receive that pearl, Catholic Pilgrims. Have a beautiful Sunday.
Continue ReadingNobody grows up wanting to have a lot of baggage to carry around. But, (sigh) we make poor choices and before we know it, we are carrying around a figurative trunk of things that don't make us feel good about ourselves. Or, other people's bad choices have left us scarred and damaged and we don't really know how to feel whole again. For me, both of these situations are true, as I'm sure is the case for most people. And the lie that we are told by ourselves, the devil, and even the world is that we can't be redeemed. We are a lost cause, damaged beyond all repair. "Suck it up, Buttercup, because life just sucks and then you die." Mary Magdalene, whose feast day is today, shows us that we are never lost if Jesus comes to the rescue and He will always come. Either we have to ask or someone has to ask on our behalf if we are so far gone that we can't even think to ask for ourselves. Ah, I used to feel so awful about myself, so ashamed, so unworthy of even asking for forgiveness. Somehow, someway, I found my way to my first confession and through choking sobs, I asked Jesus for mercy, healing, and forgiveness. And my big trunk of poor choices and bad decisions was taken from my soul and I felt utterly restored to life. Mary Magdalene shows us, heck, even my life can show you, that you are never too far gone in this life for Jesus to redeem you. Live the Faith boldly and travel well, Catholic Pilgrims. St. Mary Magdalene, pray for us!
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