.png)
One of the oddest things to me is when someone shows up to disagree with Catholicism and says something like the guy from yesterday: "Jesus didn't institute the sacrament of marriage or ordain priests." Okay. (Sigh) This is the equivalent of a neighborhood kid running into a crowd of other kids and throwing a water balloon hoping to really upset them. Yeah, it might be annoying, but who cares? These kinds of declarative comments used to really get me upset, but now, I simply ask if they want to hear a Catholic response to their statement and if they don't, well, "Have a nice day." I have found people who make these kinds of comments, don't even know what Catholics mean when we say something is a Sacrament. I'd love to educate them, but rarely do they take me up on the offer to hear what it is and why we believe Jesus instituted it. But in case anyone is wondering: "A Sacrament is an outward sign instituted by Christ to give grace." Baltimore Catechism for the win! The other thing that is curious to me is that people are constantly trying to find ways to downplay the power of Jesus. "No, He didn't do this." "No, He wouldn't do that." "No. NO. NOOOOOOO. NO, GRACE, OKAY! Just NO!" Jesus is always looking for ways to give us grace and it just so happens that He loves to do it at some of the most important moments of our lives. Our Baptism Our First Confession Receiving Jesus in the Holy Eucharist Being Confirmed in the Faith Getting Married Becoming a Priest When we are near death and/or are extremely sick. All of these events in our lives are opportunities for God to infuse us with grace. They also happen to be areas where we need grace to live out that Sacrament well. Marriage needs lots of grace. Being a priest needs lots of grace. Being a child of God requires lots of grace. When your earthly life may end, you need lots of grace. We are truly blessed to have the seven Sacraments, Catholic Pilgrims. May we never try to limit the ability to God to give us grace. Live the Faith boldly and travel well this Thursday.
Continue ReadingI was listening to a "Pints with Aquinas" episode the other day with Dr. John Bergsma as the guest. He said something truly profound, at least to me. "What they (Protestants) find uncomfortable about the Catholic Church is that the Church does things that they would reserve to Jesus. And I think that's the crux of it. And what they're objecting to is that the Church acts like Mrs. Jesus. It would be like, you know, my wife walks into the bank and cashes a check and the bank says, 'You can't do that. You're not John Bergsma.' But, wait, if she's really Mrs. Bergsma, she absolutely can. And if the Church is really Mrs. Jesus, then she absolutely can write checks on Jesus' account. She can act in persona Christi." When I heard Dr. Bergsma say this, I thought, "That is so true! That's the crux of everything I objected to when I was Protestant." When I'd argue with my husband about confession, the pope, priests, all that, I was upset because I didn't see the Church as the bride of Christ. When my husband was deployed, I had to act in his name several times. I could do this because I am his bride--his wife. We are one. Christ is not walking around on earth anymore. He's fully present in the Eucharist, but not in the same way that He was physically present to the Apostles. He gave us the Church--His Bride--to act in His name. If you take marriage seriously and see it as a true Sacrament, you will be in awe of the oneness of the married couple. Most people that know me well would tell you that they can't think about me without thinking about Dustin. In our culture's quest to water-down marriage into nothing more than a legal contract or to make marriage just whatever configuration anybody comes up, we've lost the idea of the oneness. Jesus is the Bridegroom, the Catholic Church--not a building, but the Body of Christ--is His Bride. We need the Church to administer the Sacraments using the correct matter and form, we need the Church to guide us to the Truth as new issues emerge through the ages, and we need her to dispense blessings on us from her treasury all in the name of Jesus. Have a blessed Tuesday, Catholic Pilgrims.
Continue ReadingI've moved 11 times in 23 years as a military spouse. That's an average of moving nearly every two years, which is nuts. As we finish cleaning the house we are leaving, I always walk one more time through the house by myself. I want to cement in my mind that home, the memories made there, and what I've learned from that particular place. There is always a sting of sadness as that chapter closes and a bit of uncertainty as we head to the next duty station. At the closing of the door, there's a weird period of time between the old place and new place. All your earthly stuff is gone on a moving truck, your car is loaded down with plants, animals, treasures that you don't want the movers to touch, cleaning supplies, and all your suitcases. You essentially are a vagabond now. The feelings are weird, too. Part of you grieves for what you leave behind and then part of you is excited for the next adventure. Everything feels a bit out of sorts. Some chapters are easy to close, but some are hard. Vegas was an easy chapter for me to close, leaving Turkey was hard. I imagine the Apostles and disciples felt like this at the Ascension of Our Lord. The chapter of their time with Jesus on this earth was being closed and there was the in-between time of waiting for the next chapter to begin. Oftentimes, we don't know what to do with ourselves in the in-between time. We feel a bit lost, lonely, unsure, and melancholy. What we must do is just keep moving forward until it all works itself out. The Ascension marks a closing of a chapter, but a new one is about to begin at Pentecost. It is then that the world is set on fire and the new mission begins--to bring the Gospel to the whole world. We are still a part of that mission, Catholic Pilgrims. It will be this way until the Second Coming. Then a new chapter will begin, but until then, live the Faith boldly and travel well.
Continue Reading.png)
.png)
.png)