All Daily Reflections

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My maternal grandfather served in WW2 in the Army. When I was a little kid, neither one of my grandfathers spoke of their time in the war. It made sense, they weren't going to burden a small child with the horrific things they witnessed. But, as I got older, both of my grandfathers began to open up. At the old country dining room table in my grandparent's home, my grandfather started to tell stories of his time serving under General Patton. At the end of the war, we were surprised to hear him talk about how he liberated a concentration camp. He closed his eyes, as if recalling the scene in his mind. He quietly said through tears, "You just can't imagine the evil that people can inflict on others." Even with all the pain he carried through the years of what he saw and dealt with, he was a wonderful man and a top-tier grandpa. I miss him dearly. We often wonder why God allows evil to exist. It's one of the strongest arguments atheists have against the existence of God. There is no slam-dunk argument to counter it, but I think the answer can be found in Christ and His Saints, like Maximillian Kolbe. Where we find terrible evil, that is where you will find the greatest stories of supernatural love. I only know what light is because I experience the absence of it--darkness. I only know what warmth is because I experience the absence of it--cold. I only know what truth is because I experience the absence of it--lies. I only know what love is because I have experienced the absence of it--hate. If you ever read the book "The Giver," you will understand this better. Now, God didn't want evil to be in this world, but He had to give us free will, otherwise, we'd be robots programmed to "love" Him. As we know, that is not real love. Through our fallen humanity, evil entered the world. It is devastating and tragic. But, when terrible evil shows up, great love always shows up, too: Christ on the Cross, St. Maximillian Kolbe giving up his life in Auschwitz for another man. It is that immense love that moves us to tears, the only way our bodies know how to express such intense feelings of awe and gratitude over people that have the courage to face evil and remind us of what our humanity should look like. The paradox of this life is that we know love because we know the absence of it, Catholic Pilgrims. We know Christ loves us because we understand the evil that put Him to death. Thank you, God, for giving us people that know how to love like Christ. St. Maximillian Kolbe, pray for us!

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"Get over yourself and give Christ the Glory He deserves by honoring His Word instead of wasting time on pilgrimages that clearly satisfy the lusts of your flesh." --A Concerned Protestant But...what if...just what if, I meant the pilgrimage of life? Yesterday, I received this piece of advice from a person who has never once taken the time to come to my page and find out about who I am. She saw my page name, the Catholic Pilgrim, and assumed--to assume makes a donkey out of you and me--that I'm just going on pilgrimages right and left while probably getting mega rich. And she'd be right, though not in the way she thinks. When I first started out on this social media journey, I called myself "Passionate Purpose." It was vague, ironically purposeless, and I was often mistaken as a, eh hem, lady of the night. But, then I saw the movie "The Way,” a fantastic story centered around the pilgrimage of walking The Way--the Camino de Santiago. I was a pretty new Catholic and it was the first time I was introduced to the idea of pilgrimage. After watching that movie, I realized that our journey to Heaven is the ultimate pilgrimage. In that moment of realization, I knew that I had to call myself “The Catholic Pilgrim.” I love pilgrimages in the more "earthly" sense of the term, but my goal is never to satisfy the lusts of my flesh, but a desire to satisfy my thirst for God and His Kingdom. As one of my long-time fellow pilgrims said on here, "What is a pilgrimage but a field trip you do for the love of God?" That couldn't be more true and, because of this, I have been richly blessed. My quest for God as I travel through this life seeking beautiful churches, Adoration chapels, shrines of Saints, and places where my Lord actually walked has filled my soul with joy and love. And I love sharing it all with you because I count you all as dear brothers and sisters in Christ. Nearly every day for the last thirteen-almost fourteen years--of being Catholic, I have written about God to encourage others to persevere on this pilgrimage through life because of love for Him. Today, I ask two things of you, my fellow Pilgrims. 1. Please, always represent our faith well and 2. as you know, always live the Faith boldly and travel well.

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At 17, I became the one out of a hundred that went astray. There's a lot of reasons for it. I was worldly. I didn't trust God with my happiness. I felt betrayed by God because several terrible things happened to me at the hands of bad guys. I didn't know what to do with suffering. I had been baptized, but my Protestant upbringing gave me no other Sacraments. My level of understanding of God had stalled out at a "Father Abraham, had many sons" VBS level. There's more reasons, but you get the point. So, off I went astray, trying to figure things out on my own. Looking back now, I see very clearly all the ways the Hound of Heaven came after me. He knew my prideful heart needed to be humbled. He knew my intellectual thirst needed to be satiated. He knew I needed the Sacrament of Confession desperately. God found a way to reach me. It took years and years, mind you, but it is fascinating to me how tailor-made my rescue mission was. The thing is, is that God is always coming after us when we go astray. The key ingredient that has to be there is that we must come to a place where we desire to be found and brought back among the fold. God respects our free will, but, thankfully, I do believe that most people get to a place where they do want to be found and loved by God--even if they can't articulate it. And so, Catholic Pilgrims, we must be aware that our voice may be the instrument God uses to help them see that they really do want to be found and rescued. Live the Faith boldly and travel well this Tuesday.

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I once listened to audio of Bishop Fulton Sheen telling a story about a time he was called to the hospital to see a dying man. The dying man had been raised Catholic, but left his faith behind and bitterness, rage, and hate were all that was left within the man after a lifetime of rejecting God. Bishop Sheen talks about how he went into his hospital room to attempt to get him to confess his sins, but he was yelled out of the room. Time-after-time, Bishop Sheen tried and was met with absolute contempt. See, many people, and I was one of them, think they can set God off to the side and maybe get back to Him once they’ve lived life how they want to live life. However, as I also know, trying to live this way drowns you in shallow waters. You become addicted to finding the next thrill or pleasure to feel happy, but soon that fades. Slowly your heart slips into despair and people that feel despair are miserable, unhappy people. If you’ve set God aside, thinking you’ll come back to Him at the end of your days, you are fooling yourself. Your sunken soul will be so weak and lost that it’s not like it can just flip a switch and be full of light and grace. Instead, that despair will cause you to fight against God even more, just like the guy Bishop Sheen dealt with at the hospital. We must always stand ready to meet our Maker, whether we are a teen, young adult, middle-aged, or a senior. We simply cannot wait to get right with God until after we’ve indulged ourselves in sin. As Jesus tells us, the master will come at an “unexpected day and at an unknown hour.” We must always be ready to meet our Maker with a clean heart and joyful heart, Catholic Pilgrims. Have a blessed Sunday. *St. John’s Chapel at Mercy Hospital

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A movie I quote pretty much everyday is “Christmas Vacation.” Don’t worry, I watch the edited version now. There’s a scene where Clark has brought his whole family outside to see the house lights. He’s finally got them to turn on and the house is ablaze with white lights. Clark is happily tearful and moves his way down the line of family members, hugging them all. This is something he hopes enhances their Christmas. When he gets to his father-in-law, he says, “Dad, thanks for being here.” His FIL grumpily says back, “Those little lights aren’t twinkling.” Clark through a bit of a disappointed smile says, “I know that, Art, and thanks for noticing.” Why do I bring this up? If someone is trying to share a good thing with you, a happy moment, good news, refrain from making a negative comment. As Christians, we are called to be joyful and grateful. We are, also, called to be aware of the bad in the world so we can combat it. But, if someone is trying to share something positive with you, strive to leave your negative comment in your head. We all complain that there is too much darkness and ugliness in the world, but the second someone tries to share something positive, the Grumplestilskins in the crowd always feel the need to throw cold water on the situation, just like Art. Smile. Laugh. Enjoy the moment. Take a breather from politics for one minute. Be grateful that someone has invited you into a good experience to share with them. Yes, Catholics Pilgrims, not everything will be perfect this side of Heaven. Sometimes the lights won’t twinkle when they are supposed to, but we can still be grateful that they are on and shining for us. Live the Faith boldly and travel well this Thursday.

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Every morning, I listen to Jeff Cavins give his reflection on the day's Gospel reading. Usually, I take what he says and chew it over in my mind for the rest of the day. A few days ago, he asked a question that I can't stop thinking about. He asked, "Would your old self listen to your new self?" This question was in reference to trying to share the Gospel or the truth of Catholicism with people that are personally close to you. Oftentimes, those closest to us don't want to hear what we have to say, especially when it regards matters of faith. So, I asked myself, "Would my old self listen to my new self?" Old meaning like, life before converting to Catholicism. No. The answer is no. I was a very stubborn woman and, in my younger years, I was a big hot head who thought she knew everything. I'm still stubborn, but I'm less prone to fiery outbursts. However, the biggest reason that I wouldn't have listened is because old me and new me are too much alike--stubborn, quick to fight, not the most patient person, and prone to getting flustered when people just don't get it. I'm better than I was, but these are still my struggles. So, who did the old me--the me before converting to Catholicism listen to when it came to matters of Faith? Well, it was someone very close to me, but he's not like me in the areas that I struggle. It was my husband. He is determined, but not stubborn, slow to anger, patient, and he gives people space to work stuff out in their heads. When we would argue about Catholicism (he's a cradle Catholic), I would dig my heels in, get super mad, and not want to be patient enough to hear his arguments. He, however, just stayed the course and, eventually, I listened. He wasn't a push-over and he challenged me, which is what I needed. It let me know that he was serious. The truth is, though, my way of being would rarely win anyone over to at least hearing me out. It will always be the way of my husband--determined, firm, calm, and patient. I try my darnedest to be more like him. And sometimes, people close to you just aren't going to want to listen to you. That's okay. Pray that someone else can be the voice that they will hear. Have a blessed Tuesday, Catholic Pilgrims.

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I saw a woman on a video last week chastising Catholics for being "gatekeepers" with Communion. At one point in her long rant, she said something to the effect of, "We can take Communion however we want. If we want to take it with some Coke and beef jerky, you have no right to tell us we can't." I said out loud to no one, "That's exactly why we gatekeep." After Mass two Sundays ago, my husband and I were having coffee and he said, "You know, I had a profound thought today at church. Jesus tells us to love God with our whole heart, mind, body and soul. What I realized today is that He loves us with His whole heart, mind, body and soul. Not only did He do this on the Cross, but He does it through the Eucharist. This is totally "duh," but it really hit me at Communion today." Even if Communion were purely symbolic--which many believe--it would still be wildly unloving to receive Communion in a nonchalant, I'll-do-whatever-I-want-attitude. Symbolic things attached with great meaning should still be shown respect and honor. What the woman in the video fails to understand is that Holy Communion isn't symbolic for Catholics. By the power of Christ, through the hands of the priest, the bread and wine are changed into the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Christ. It is no mere symbol, but the Living God given to us in love. We "gatekeep" because the Eucharist is God. Jesus is literally loving us with His complete being; the best we can do is love Him back with our complete being, not treat Him like a snack to have with our favorite soft drink. There is a sever lack of reverence in our world when it comes to the things of God. We cannot properly love God if we view Him and the things connected with Him as ordinary or familiar. Any attitude of "I'll do things how I want" is stunningly unloving. May we always come to Holy Communion to receive Jesus as worthily as we possibly can by being humble, grateful, and reverent, Catholic Pilgrims. Live the Faith boldly and travel well this Monday. *St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Springfield, MO.

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You know what is striking in today's Gospel reading from Matthew 13? The people--the ones that knew Jesus--clearly were impressed with His "wisdom and mighty deeds" and, yet, they were offended by HIm. They knew He was good, they knew what He was saying was good, and they knew what He was doing was good, but they "took offense at Him." What would they rather? For Jesus to be stupid and do bad things? Ahhhh...maybe. But, why? Well, because then they could gossip about HIm. "Do you hear how Mary's son is messing everything up? Tsk, Tsk, Tsk. Sure am glad I don't have to deal with all the trouble He's causing her." But, also, because they wanted to think they were better than Him. We all like that deception especially when it comes to people we know well. It's pride and it's envy. You would think that they would be so happy to see Jesus doing mighty deeds and speaking with wisdom. These are good, honorable things. Instead, they take offense. This is a tale as old as time. So, we must be aware of two things: 1. Don't take offense when someone is growing in wisdom and goodness. Don't get envious when people do good deeds. There is not a limit on wisdom or good works. You can do them, too. Let the person be an inspiration to you, not an offense. 2. Know that if you try to walk that Narrow Way, people will be offended because...forgive me for quoting a Taylor Swift song, but "people throw rocks at things that shine." Keep walking that Way anyway, because their offense is their problem, not yours. You don't need honor from them. Wisdom, goodness, and good deeds are all things we should delight in, Catholic Pilgrims, whether they come from us or others. Live the Faith boldly and travel well.

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Now with the power of AI, when a famous celebrity dies, we are inundated with AI-generated pictures of that person entering Heaven with a bevy of other famous people there to greet them. Recently, there have been a slew of these depicting Ozzie Osborne entering Heaven and other heavy metal rockers are there to greet him. I have no idea if Ozzie is in Heaven or not. I, also, have no idea about those other rockers. Our eternal judgment is the domain that is left to God alone. However, there are two things that I find curious. 1. We as humans like to declare that all people we like are in Heaven and all people we don't like aren't. While I have no idea the eternal resting place of many of the deceased rockers I've seen in these pictures, there are quite a few that I know did not live with God in mind--at all. It is dangerous to lead people to believe that literally everyone ends up in Heaven especially if you like or love them. Or just want them to be. It's dangerous because it sets a tone that there really isn't anything required of you to get to Heaven. This isn't true. Jesus says in our Gospel reading today, "The angels will go out and separate the wicked from the righteous and throw them into the fiery furnace." Some do go to Hell by their own choosing. Who exactly? I'm not privy to that and neither are you. However, it's dangerous to set the tone that, no matter what, everybody just ends up in Heaven. 2. In all these AI-generated picture, one thing, rather one Person, is missing. I wrote in the comments to one of these pictures of Heaven, "Where's Jesus?" In all these pictures, it is extremely rare to see Jesus standing there to greet the person into Heaven. He is utterly absent 99.9% of the time. Heaven is depicted as just the place where you get to hang with your people again. I get that to an extent. Yes, there are people I look forward to seeing again in Heaven--hopefully. There is nothing wrong with looking forward to seeing your loved ones. Being with Jesus in Heaven often seems like an afterthought to many, but it should be the highest of desires, Catholic Pilgrims. This picture I have shared is the ultimate goal. Have a blessed day.

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There are many that have been deceived into thinking that we can "knock on the door" and get whatever we wish for. Money Health The perfect spouse Perfect children That dream vacation We want to knock, ask for said thing, and expect it to--POOF--be granted to us. I once knocked, begging the Lord to give me something, and the response I heard deep in my heart was, "I'm saving you from something." I didn't understand it at the time, but I did years later. I was being saved from my ungrateful, selfish heart. What I needed to knock and ask for was faith and hope. We often read this passage from Luke 11 about knocking and receiving without noticing verse 13. Jesus tells us what we are to ask for--The Holy Spirit. If we ask--truly ask for the Holy Spirit to come to us, we will never be denied--ever. And what does the Holy Spirit bring with Him? The Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit, which are wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord. He brings into your soul the virtues of Faith, Hope, and Charity. He, also, brings grace which is the Divine Life dwelling within us. These gifts will allow us to find The Way, the only way that will satisfy the longings of our hearts. If you are lost, lonely, hurt, confused, desperate, or unhappy, knock and ask for the Holy Spirit to come and aid you, Catholic Pilgrims. We will never be denied. Have a blessed Sunday.

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Yesterday, I went on YouTube to finish watching a video I’d started from Bishop Robert Barron. As I was finding it, another video was suggested to me with a title that said, “Bishop Robert Barron: Stop Wearing This To Mass—It’s a Serious Sin.” It was just an audio recording. I thought, “Huh, that’s weird. Bishop Barron doesn’t use titles like that.” Curious, I pushed play and immediately knew it wasn’t really him. I’ve been listening to Bishop Barron for years. Every Sunday, I listen to his homily and I know the cadence of his voice, the way he pauses, and even how he takes hard swallows. This recording has none of that. Sure, it sounded like his voice, but I knew it wasn’t him. So, I looked at the show notes and there was a disclaimer that said that “This isn’t actually Bishop Barron but the messaging is like what he would say.” (Paraphrasing) I knew it! It was a stupid AI mimic of him and all the people in the comments were fooled into believing it was actually him. I was livid. You know what else is a serious sin? Using people’s names and voice-likeness to make recordings that get you thousands of likes and views so you make money off of them. I wrote as much in the comments. As a creative person, I absolutely 💯 percent hate AI. And if you are here to talk me into it, save your breath because I will not be convinced. AI destroys our humanity and it really destroys art in any form—writing, music, painting. I work very hard to make content that is meaningful and captures who I am. I use pictures my family takes, I write my own stuff. It’s all coming from my mind. It is deplorable when people use AI to make money off other people’s hard work and use their name to generate interest because they are too lazy to build or make their own content. Just burns me up. I don’t wanna see your AI generated cartoon-y Lisa Frank circa 1989 picture of Mary and Jesus that took all of five seconds to make. I wanna see art that a person put time, effort, and their SOUL into. Be watchful, Catholic Pilgrims, and support people who actually try and produce their own stuff. God did not create us to be surrounded by trash made by a soulless robot. Live the Faith boldly and travel well.

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When was the last time you fretted about something and it didn’t come to pass? The honest truth is that I fret about a lot of things and most of those things never happen AND I can’t even tell you what I was stressing over. Now, obviously, bad things happen, but quite a lot of what stresses us out never materializes. Yet we are encouraged to freak, freak, freak. Be angry, be angry, be angry. Lose hope, lose hope, lose hope. In reading the Gospel today on the sower and the seeds, I realized that the thorns are those things that choke out our hope and faith. The thorns start to creep into our lives when we lose our sense of humor, see everything with a pessimistic attitude, and grumble and gripe pretty consistently. The thorns choke out laughter, gratitude, and hope. We should definitely be aware of the things that are happening in the world that pose a threat, but if we only look out at the world through our prison of thorns, our faith in God will die. Make sure to keep the thorns at bay, Catholic Pilgrims, or you will be too bitter to make positive change in your life and your community. Live the Faith boldly and travel well this Wednesday.