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Yesterday, my family went to the movies to watch “You Gotta Believe.” It’s a baseball movie based off a true story.
One of the coaches of the team comes down with brain cancer and it’s serious. He has to step back from coaching while he does chemo.
At one point in the story, this coach’s son, devastated that his father isn’t getting better, runs out on the ballfield at night and yells out to the sky, “I hate you! I hate you!”
That was enough to make the tears flow hot on my face because I once did just about the same thing, except it was a football field and I was 17.
After my night on the football field, I went on to “wrestle with God,” much like Jacob in the Bible for years.
Yesterday, after I got home from the movie, I read a comment on my post from the other day that was wildly misunderstood. So many people missed the point of my post on burdensome rules.
Anyway, a woman, still missing the point, commented that respecting Christ in the Eucharist means that we dress up for church and women cover their heads. Boom. End of discussion.
Part of me wanted to defend my deep love of Christ, but the Holy Spirit kept saying, “Stay. Just stay. Don’t do it.”
While I was standing there at the stove with tears in my eyes, I asked, “Why not? Why not let me defend my love for You?”
What I heard was, “Because for some, it will never be enough what you do. Let me handle it. I know your heart.”
I realized how true that is. Because we humans are always trying to one up each other and prove we are better, sometimes, it will never be enough for many.
I have been to the depths with God and fought my way back to a relationship that I never thought possible after that night on the football field. Nobody but God truly understands my love and respect and nobody ever will.
There are a million and one ways, Catholic Pilgrims, that we can practice our Faith. And even if we did all those ways, there would still be someone who comes along and says, “Not enough.”
Of course with God, we can never give Him enough, but the only one we need to prove anything to is Him. He knows our hearts and His understanding of our hearts is all that really matters.
Live the Faith boldly and travel well this Tuesday.
*Picture is from the synagogue in Capernaum from our Gospel reading today.
As most of you know, right after we moved across the country, my family went on pilgrimage to France. All throughout the pilgrimage, I was in awe of the art I witnessed--the amazing statues, the churches, the paintings, the little details in the quaint French villages, the lace, the flowers. Constantly, I was just astounded at the work of human hands. And throughout the pilgrimage, several of us mentioned the fact that beautiful things take time to make and "thank God people had the patience and fortitude to see these incredible projects through." Upon arriving home, my household goods were delivered--literally the day after we got back--and I set to work trying to make my house a home. After about a week in, I was frustrated that things weren't moving along. Then I got really mad and gripped about how long it was taking and stormed around saying, "This is taking forever!" I wanted the house to be beautiful, homey, and cozy within days. On Saturday, I was still feeling anxious about it all when my son said, "The boxes are really clearing out! It feels more like home." I looked around and where I saw a mess, he saw the effort and the effects of all the work. I had to kick myself. Here I was in awe of the time it took to make gorgeous sculptures like the one in the picture from Chartes, and I couldn't allow myself even a few weeks to get a house together. I wasn't allowing myself time to cultivate beauty, yet I appreciated artists ability to do so. Beautiful things do take time. Even the creation of the world didn't happen in an instant. God didn't snap His fingers and the earth was blue and green and perfect. He allowed things to develop over time, perhaps to teach us to allow time for beauty. Beautiful things take effort and patience, Catholic Pilgrims, and sometimes, they take a lifetime of work, yet the end result is worth it all. Have a great Monday.
Continue ReadingToday's small-town church showcase comes to us from Ammannsville, TX, a tiny unincorporated town between San Antonio and Houston. This is St. John the Baptist Catholic Church and it is one of the famous painted churches of Texas. Stop in Schulenburg Chamber of Commerce for a Painted Churches Tour map if you plan to cruise around and see these works of art. I'm getting conflicting numbers on exactly how many churches are on the tour, so maybe one of you in the know can fill us in. They are called painted churches not because of the outside, but because of the inside. St. John the Baptist is known for its pink interior, which looks like it is always ready for Gaudete and Laetare Sunday. The inside is lovely and shows how the German and Czech people put a lot of devotion into making these churches beautiful. I've never been on the Painted Churches Tour, but it definitely looks like a "pilgrimage" I need to take. All the churches are on the Registry of National Historical Places. So, if ever wandering around the big 'ole state of Texas and you need something to do, go on the Painted Churches Tour. I think you'll love it. Live the Faith boldly, Catholic Pilgrims, and travel well.
Continue ReadingIt’s been almost half a year, but I finally finished “The Brothers Karamazov.” It’s not because I didn’t like it that it took me so long. It’s just that other book clubs, traveling, and moving got in the way. This is probably the most complex fiction book I have ever read. It feels like Dostoevsky took a year, watched his town and the people in it, and then weaved all their lives together in this story. There are at least five different stories running through this book and, in my opinion, they don’t all fit together in a way that is satisfying. The central story follows four brothers—Mitya, Ivan, Alyosha, and Smerdyakov—as they live out their very different lives. Alyosha being the only one who isn’t sunk in some kind of sin. Only two of the boys—Ivan and Alyosha—have the same mother. Their father is not a good man and he ends up murdered. Mitya is the one arrested for his murder and put on trial. By the time you finish the book, the beginning with Father Zosima seems like a lifetime ago. I was disappointed in the ending. After such a long book with so many details, I was frustrated that it kind of just leaves you hanging and ends abruptly. Overall, I enjoyed the book and am happy I read it. It is a book that is referenced so much that it is good to gain an understanding of it. It is very involved and isn’t a light-hearted read, so be ready to put in some effort. The man, Luke Thompson, who reads it on Audible does a fantastic job of giving the characters voices and dramatizing the sentences. He really makes it come alive and helps you to see how something should be read. So, I would recommend his reading of it. All in all, a great piece of literature that probably takes more than one reading to fully let it seep into your bones. Not my favorite book of all time, but worth the read. Have a great Wednesday, Catholic Pilgrims!
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