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When we lived in Turkey, my family experienced a 7.0 earthquake that lasted nearly 45 seconds, which in earthquake time is an eternity. It’s long enough to say an “Our Father,” I can tell you that.
Once the shaking stopped, my kids and I ran barefoot out of our building, flying down the 15 floors to the bottom. I’ll never forget the look of relief on our doorman’s face when he saw us safely down. In that brief look, I knew this man, who I had barely talked to because of language barriers, cared about us.
Making our way with my husband’s squadron to higher ground for fear of a tsunami, we ended in a very poor part of town. There we were a bunch of Americans standing among Syrian refugees. The contrast was great. Soon, little Turkish and Syrian boys were coming over to our guys to get a look at their big muscles. When the guys would flex, the boys would all yell, “Ohhhhhh!!!!” with big smiles on their faces and run away, only to return for another look. It was so endearing.
At one point, a very poor mother saw that my kids and I had on no shoes and she was concerned. Through mostly hand gestures, I tried to explain why. Within a few minutes, these destitute people brought shoes for the three of us. Shoes off their own feet. It was one of the most tragically beautiful moments of my life.
I loved living in Turkey, it was an amazing experience that changed me in a lot of ways. I grew to love a people very different from me in culture and custom, but so generous in their attention, gifts, and friendship.
My heart has been crushed over this earthquake that happened in Turkey and Syria. Nearly ten times worse than the one my family experienced there, and much more devastating.
Please pray, Catholic Pilgrims, for more survivors to be found. I know time is running out, but maybe there is still reason to hope. And if you can give, please do to a reputable group. A group of them once blessed me with literally the shoes off their feet, I feel most desperate to give back.
Türkiye ve Suriye için dualar.
*Picture is of the ancient city of Teos in Turkey.
In the Gospel reading from Mark today, Jesus lists off a bunch of actions which defile: unchastity, theft, envy, blasphemy, arrogance, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, etc. He is basically covering the Ten Commandments. At one time or another, I have broken all Ten Commandments in one way or another. I haven't murdered anyone, but I have raged so hard against a person that I'm afraid I aided in their leaving Christianity behind. I haven't committed adultery, but before marriage, I wasn't chaste. Sadly, though, I have blasphemed God, used His name in vain, neglected church, dishonored my parents, cut people to the quick, been unchaste, lied, stole, been greedy and envious. I am not usual, humans tend to struggle to follow the Ten Commandments. One reason that we struggle is because we all like to think we are a "good" person. How we decide this is we take the Ten Commandments and follow them out to the worst possible outcome. We will say to ourselves: "Well, I've never denied God." "I've never murdered anyone." "I've never cheated on my spouse." "I've never robbed a bank." "I've never lied under oath." We take everything to the extreme, conclude that we've never been "that bad" and therefore, we are a "good" person. "Sheesh, better than that guy over there." With the declaration that we are a "good" person, we slowly stop looking at our behaviors and keeping tabs on them to check ourselves. We feel we don't need Confession because that's for the big sinners. Sure, we'll acknowledge that we are a sinner just like the next person, but that's just something you're supposed to say. And yet, all the while, those small sins that we pay no attention to or brush aside, start to pile up and weaken our souls. They defile us and cloud our judgment and before we know it, we've slipped into mortal sin. I don't write this to be a downer. All that I've written here is what I know to be true in my own life and, for love of God, I don't want to be that way. So, stay close to Christ, recognize your need for Him and His grace, frequent the Sacraments, and be honest with yourself, Catholic Pilgrims. Live the faith boldly and travel well this Wednesday. *Santa Rosa Catholic Church, Lone Pine, CA
Continue ReadingLet's continue looking at the Sierra Nevadas today, shall we? This past weekend, my oldest daughter and husband got into a theological discussion that I thought was very interesting. My daughter was wondering that since we will get our bodies back after the Second Coming, and since time and matter are connected, will that mean there will be time in Heaven? We know from Einstein that time, space, and matter go hand-in-hand. So, my husband said: "Well, matter is something that changes and because it changes, time is part of the equation. God gave us free will. A lot of people don't see this as loving, but it is loving because it means that we aren't programmed robots built to "love." But, because we have free will, that means that we will make imperfect choices and do imperfect things, yet, God gives us time to change. Time is actually such a blessing because without the opportunity to change for the better and become more perfected and more Christ-like, we'd be doomed. Angels didn't get time, their decision to be with God or not was a one "time" decision. So, the greatest gift God gave us was existence itself and with that comes His love. Then, He gave us free will. And, He gave humans the gift of time, to learn to change and come to love Him, our Creator. What can be tempting then, and many of the great philosophers of the world have believed this, is to think that we can perfect ourselves. But nothing imperfect can perfect itself. This means, we need a Savior, and we need grace which is the Divine Life given to us. We can only get so far on our own. In Heaven, we will be perfected. Once we get our bodies back, they will be perfected and there will be no change. They won't decay, get old, need food, need sleep to recharge. They don't need time to change. So, while we don't know for sure what will happen in Heaven and how it will be, change will not be part of the equation and if there is not change, there is no time. Thought you might like to read this these thoughts from my husband, Catholic Pilgrims. And, I thought you might want to thank God that He gives us time. Have a good Tuesday.
Continue ReadingThis past weekend, I finally got to see the tallest point here in the Lower 48--Mt. Whitney. I didn't want to climb it, just see it. It stands at 14,495 ft. What's cool is that an hour east is the lowest place in the Lower 48--Death Valley. The peak you see here is Lone Pine Peak, which I thought was Mt. Whitney, but one of you kindly corrected me in a DM. So, Mt. Whitney is behind the Mobius Arch and you can't see it, but it's there! Lol. Read your map carefully, kids. Do you think I can find some connection with Mt. Whitney to our Catholic Faith? Why sure I can. Have I ever let you down? 😉 On September 12, 1934, Father John Crowley, the Padre of the Desert, was the first priest to celebrate Mass on the summit of Mt. Whitney. Up on the summit is a hut, or at least there used to be, called the Smithsonian hut, which was a place for scientific study. Fr. Crowley set up an altar out beside the hut and said Mass with the help of a deacon, Harry Clinch. Father Crowley worked in the Death Valley area and the eastern side of the Sierras and he was home-based out of Lone Pine, CA. Lone Pine is where you go to hike up to Whitney or around it. We spent the day hiking in the Alabama Hills which is in the Owen Valley and is where TONS of scenes from movies have been shot to include--Ironman, Man of Steel, Gladiator, Tremors, and oodles and oodles of Westerns. It's a beautiful place to visit. So, if you ever pass by Mt. Whitney, Catholic Pilgrims, you can smile, knowing that a Catholic priest hiked up there on a donkey to say Mass. Live the Faith boldly and travel well this Monday.
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