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During my recent talk in Birmingham, I explained the difficulties my husband and I went through in our early years of marriage with me being Protestant and him being a cradle Catholic.
Initially, we thought we’d solve the problem by going one weekend to a Protestant church and the next to a Catholic one.
It never failed, after church we’d always end up in a fight. So, I eventually conceded that we could just go to a Catholic Church, because it was *so* important for my husband to remain Catholic.
Each Sunday, I got more and more irritated that I couldn’t go up and receive Communion. My husband tried to explain that it was Christ, but that all sounded like yada, yada, yada in my ears.
So, one Sunday, I decided that I was going to go up and receive Communion because nobody was gonna tell me what to do.
I went up, took it and immediately felt awful—spiritually, emotionally, and physically. I went back to my seat and wondered how just a simple piece of bread could do that. I knew, though, that I would never go up to receive the Eucharist again unless I was Catholic.
After that day, I stopped fighting with my husband about Catholicism and started looking into it.
During the Q&A section of the talk, a lady asked me why I think I felt bad after taking the Eucharist like I did.
I said, “Well, because I took it out of pride. I was taking it sacrilegiously.”
She said, “I think God gave you a gift.”
Her response caught me off guard because I’d never thought of it that way. She was right, though. So right. We often think of gifts as things that make us feel good, not things that make us feel bad.
But, it was that horrible feeling that woke me up from my pride and humbled me which allowed me to consider the possibility that maybe the Eucharist was more than mere bread.
You just never know how God is going to get through to you, Catholic Pilgrims. Thankfully, He never stops trying.
Have a blessed Monday.
*st. Augustine Church, Pittsburgh, PA
On our road trip, my husband and I stopped in Oklahoma City for the night. We got in town with time to go visit Blessed Stanley Rother's Shrine. It was one of the places I've been wanting to see. We got there kind of late in the day on a Wednesday, so there weren't many people around. As we were walking up the sidewalk, I saw a worker standing with a small group of people and she looked like she was trying to protect them. As I got closer, I could see that there was a lady there who clearly was causing problems. She looked a bit disheveled and agitated. She was not speaking kindly and it seemed she was maybe on drugs. As we approached, the worker tried to block her from us and, smiling nervously, encouraged us to make our way to the church. The second we passed by the small crowd, the upset woman immediately started following my husband and me. It was then that she started spewing the most vile things at us, specifically at my husband. I was so grateful that my son was not around to hear her words. There is a scene in "The Green Mile" where the wife of the warden is seriously ill. Normally she is the sweetest most gentle woman, but because of a brain tumor, her whole personality changed into what resembled demonic possession. That's exactly how the lady following us was acting. At first, given my background of working in a field that brings you in contact with awful behavior, I thought for sure she was using drugs. And she may have been. I was worried that she was going to follow us into the church and I couldn't bear to think of her language in such a holy place. But, as we opened the door, she stopped before the steps. Stopped like she hit a wall and couldn't go any further. Then I knew, this had to be possession. Part of me wanted to rebuke the demon within her, but I've never done anything like that before. Could I even do that? Do I have that power? I do as a baptized and confirmed Christian and I should have done it. The second I saw that she couldn't cross the threshold of the church and realized what was going on, I should have rebuked that demon and prayed for her out loud. In our Gospel reading today, the disciples realize that the demons are subject to them because of Jesus' name and Christ affirms that. To be sure, regular lay people shouldn't go around trying to be exorcists, but, if the situation calls for it, we should use the power of Jesus' name. Also, not everything is demonic possession and we shouldn’t jump to that conclusion in haste. The cops showed up and she ran off, but I've been thinking about her a lot. I've been praying for her and for myself to have courage if ever faced with that situation again. Spiritual warfare is real, Catholic Pilgrims, and we need to use all the tools available to us. The most powerful being the Holy Name of Jesus. Have a blessed Sunday.
Continue ReadingOur military family has lived all over this great country—up, down, down, east, west, middle and some repeats. I’m a Kansas girl, my hubby is a California guy. None of my kids were born in the same state. On our recent road trip, my husband and I commented numerous times about how truly incredible this country is. We, also, met many amazing and friendly people along the way. It’s easy to bag on something when you only prefer to see everything in a negative lense. It’s easy to find the bad when you constantly look for the bad because you want to find it. Ungrateful souls rarely appreciate anything. But, I am grateful for this country and I’m grateful for the people who fought to give us this country. Living all over and traveling all over gives one a deep appreciation for the varied beauty of our land and the interesting aspects of each region’s culture. America is good and beautiful and I love her. I will always love her. It is not uncommon for me to thank God above for the fact that I am an American. Have a wonderful Fourth of July, to my fellow American Catholic Pilgrims. God bless America.
Continue ReadingThese are St. Frances Cabrini's shoes. Of all the things I saw at the Mother Cabrini Shrine in Golden, Colorado, these were what stood out to me the most. My son and I went into the museum at the shrine and it was special for me to see her things—her nightgown, her habit, toiletry items, and such. When I came upon her shoes, I looked and I said to my son, “Wow. These are the shoes of a missionary.” Basically, they are the shoes of obedience. I’ve said this before but it bears repeating—obedience is an ugly word in our culture. Too many people only want to be obedient to themselves. Swaths of people don't want to feel obligated to do anything. In fact, most people see things done out of obligation as an utter burden and a form of oppression. The going thought is that everything you do must be done only if it’s super fun, super desirable, and something you really want to do. It’s why everyone whines about adulting these days. Being an adult carries with it a lot of obligations that we should be obedient to, but that puts a bad taste in our mouths. The shoes of someone who hates the word obedience would, I imagine, be clean and like-new. Why? Because they will not go where they need to go. Which in the end, means they only serve themselves as stagnant, unmoving people. Mother Cabrini was obedient to God and her shoes reflect that. Through reading her letters on my podcast, we’ve been with her as she’s traveled back and forth over the ocean, walked streets looking for a church, rode donkeys, climbed mountains, jumped chasms, and worked in the slums. She did not count the cost to herself, but instead was willing to go. Her shoes show that she went where God called her and she was obedient. Because of her obedience she did amazing things. She is still remembered to this day for her great works and all her sacrifices for others. Her worn-out shoes remind me of my favorite Bible verse, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” 2 Timothy 4:7 She ran the race of obedience and her shoes were worn out from perseverance, faithfulness, and love. May we all be obedient to Christ, Catholic Pilgrims.
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