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On Tuesday, my family was at the bedside of a loved one on my husband's side as they left this world. It was the first time my husband or I ever had that experience and, boy, does it really get you to thinking. Such a strange thing: To one minute know that they are there and then, at their last breath, to know that they are gone. I think it speaks so much to the reality of the soul. When a person is asleep, they are still animated by the soul. You know that, while not responsive, they are still there. But in death, even though the loved one looks asleep, it is clear that what animated them--made them who they are--is no longer present. Even their body no longer gives us comfort--there it is, lying in front of you, it hasn't gone away, but the pain of the loss sets in, because they just aren't there anymore. Then, it's so strange that the pain of that loss comes out as tears. Isn't that weird to think about? We express sorrow through tears streaming down our face. That very real pain has to come out somehow--through cries, tears, groans. I read something at the beginning of the month, this month where we especially pray for our dearly departed, that I found really beautiful. "At the funeral Mass and the burial service, not once does the Church ask that the loved ones' pain be taken away. For the pain at the death of a loved one is a reflection of that very love. To deny the pain would be to deny the love. The Church asks that Jesus be with us in our pain." On my mantle during November, I place pictures of the loved ones in our family that have gone before us. I just added a new picture to the group on Tuesday. As I stood there looking at their faces, missing them, I felt the tears quietly slide down my face. The pain I feel is because of the love I have for them all. Love is such a mystery--all at the same time, it can bring us the greatest joy and the deepest heartache. May we continue to pray for the souls of our dearly departed, Catholic Pilgrims. How great a gift that we were able to love them and, hopefully, be reunited with them again. Live the Faith boldly and travel well this Wednesday.
Continue ReadingHappy Veterans Day! To all my Catholic Pilgrims that have served, this military family thanks you. It's a hard life in many ways from deployments, injuries, family far away, lost friends, left friends, moves with bad movers, upended roots, long days and long nights, and even loss of life. But, it's, also, a life filled with many blessings--community, lifelong friends, purpose, new destinations to explore, resilient hearts, and the ability to serve your countrymen. Thank you to those that have hung up your uniform after serving your country. This family will always be grateful for your sacrifice.
Continue ReadingOver the years, I've asked people if they know what grace is. After thinking for a while, they usually say something like, "I don't really know how to define it." Some people have said to me that they don't really get what it is. I wasn't able to define it once upon a time, too. But, I've homeschooled my kids using the Baltimore Catechism and the answer to what grace is in that book makes everything clear. Grace is the Divine Life within you. How do we get grace within us? Well, the Catholic Church has seven beautiful Sacraments that give grace. "A Sacrament is an outward sign instituted by Jesus Christ to give grace." Baltimore Catechism for the win! At Baptism, Original Sin is washed away and we are flooded with grace. At Confession, we rid ourselves of sin hogging up space in our souls and grace can come pouring back in. Receiving Holy Communion is literally receiving Christ's Body and Blood and with that comes the Source of grace. You can receive grace in others ways, too. For example, actual grace comes to us when we pray and ask for help in a certain situation. Once I understood what grace is and could define it, it made it so much easier to see myself as a "temple of God," as St. Paul tells us today in Corinthians. Crazy as it sounds, I think of grace like the game Zelda. In that game, Link starts out with a heart full of life. As he wanders around and gets hurt, the life in the heart starts to drain out. That's how I see grace, funny enough. Our souls get flooded with grace from some Sacrament, it is full of Divine Life. But, as we go about our lives, we sin and little-by-little grace drains out of our soul. To revive it, we need to go to a source of grace--Confession. Then our soul is filled up. It's why we feel so good after receiving a Sacrament. I want that Divine Life--God's grace--within me, Catholic Pilgrims. It's what makes us holy and Christ-like. So protect your temple, that is your soul. Seek to keep it full of grace. Have a beautiful Sunday.
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