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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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Have you ever noticed how inconsolable you are when you are miserable? We can be miserable for a number of reasons: sickness, sadness, bitterness, or disappointment. We tend to wrap up in ourselves and we refuse help. Mary Magdalene was so distraught, understandably so, at finding Jesus’ tomb empty that she couldn’t appreciate the appearance of two angels. She couldn’t even recognize Jesus when He was right in front of her. She was so utterly consumed with grief that she couldn’t see Jesus—Goodness Itself—standing in front of her. Jesus had to forcefully say her name in order to shake her from her misery. There are certainly times when it is completely appropriate and understandable to be sad, distraught, depressed, or angry. What we can’t do, though, is allow these feelings to “potentially become a self-centeredness” that blinds us to goodness, beauty, redemption, and healing. Mary Magdalene had been at the foot of the Cross and was devastated by what she saw. I know she felt miserable that morning when she went to the tomb. For a brief period of time that misery blinded her from seeing Jesus. Thankfully, she snapped out of it and was witness to the greatest miracle the world has ever known—The Resurrected Christ. Have a blessed Tuesday, Catholic Pilgrims. St. Mary Magdalene, pray for us! *Statues of Christ and Mary Magdalene are found at Mission Santa Barbara
I have a funny quirk about me: The only time I feel like I can read a book is either very early in the morning or late at night once I'm in bed. Also, it's no problem for me while I'm teaching my kids for school. Between the hours of 7:30 am and 9:00 pm., I simply cannot convince myself to sit down and just read. The reason is that I feel I should be doing something. Reading seems so inactive and a waste of time during the daylight hours. Now, logically, I know it's not a waste of time and I know it's not just sitting idly by, but there is so much Martha in me that I struggle to see it any other way. To make matters worse, there are numerous times when I feel prompted--even pushed--to go sit and read Scripture during the afternoon and I won't. My son will be out playing, the house is quiet, and I have time to sit with God and His Word and I'll pass because I feel that to sit is beneath me. Now, if I'm writing something or engaging in research for something, I'll open the Bible, but that feels like "work" and so I deem it okay to read then. It's a ridiculous notion, I know. I've been this way since I can remember. I've always been a busy beaver moving about, doing this, doing that. I value my prayer time in the morning, so I understand and know how needed it is. But, what I need to learn is that sitting with God at anytime is never wasteful. It will always be fruitful and worth my time. Always. Maybe I'm like this because I'm trying to impress myself with all that I do in a day. Or maybe it's because our culture doesn't necessarily promote contemplation as a worthwhile activity. Either way, it is good to work like Martha, and it is good to sit at the feet of Jesus in prayer and reading of Scripture like Mary. God help us to understand that. Have a blessed Sunday, Catholic Pilgrims.
We’ve all experienced praying and then having our mind wander off to something else. “Dear God, things have been so hard lately…did I take the meat out of the freezer to thaw? “Thank you God for all your blessings and for taking care of my children and…what would be a good gift for them for their birthday?” We’ve all been there with the wandering mind. Just this week, I went to Daily Mass a little early because I wanted to talk to God about things that were weighing heavily on my heart. My prayer to God started out strong, but it wasn’t too long before my mind was off down rabbit holes. I think this happens most often for two reasons: 1. When we pray, we are slowing down and thinking. We stop all the busyness and try to focus, but our mind then feels permission to think of all the things. Which is a good reason to spend more time in silence and stillness. 2. We forget to have a conversation with God. As I was sitting there before Mass and I realized my mind was starting to think of all my worries, I just switched to telling God about my worries, much in the same way I would tell a friend. God already knows what I’m fretting over, but it was good to just think it out with Him. Servant of God Dorothy Day once wrote, “saying my prayers in bed, they are brief, half-conscious, and the planning, the considering, the figuring of ways to ‘make ends meet’ goes on. Until I catch myself and turn to God again.” Instead of giving up when you find your mind wandering, just turn back to God and invite Him into what you are thinking about, Catholic Pilgrims. Live the Faith boldly and travel well this Friday. *Mission San Gabriel
When I was in my late teens and into my twenties, I lived like a practical atheist. I'd be quick to label myself as a Christian, but there was not a single thing I did that would have alerted anyone to the fact that I was one. I didn't go to church. I didn't read my Bible. I used God's name in vain. I was not chaste. I lived with my husband before marriage. I had two issues: 1. I thought just believing in God was sufficient and 2. I had no real relationship with God. I didn't love Him. These two things, consequently, caused me to live as if God was just some distant being that didn't really factor into my life that much. Over the many years that I've been writing online, I've noticed that there are different ways that people "wear" the label of Christian. I was explaining this to my oldest daughter recently when she was home for a visit. I explained that there is the "social justice warrior" Christian, who likes to use Christianity to advance modern day social justice issues. What is striking is that the issues they are "warrioring" over are quite often in direct violation of Church teachings. They are all misguided heart and lack any obedience to Scripture or Christ's teaching. If we aren't obedient to Christ, then we do not really love Him. Another group is all intellectual. They appreciate the intellectual rigor that Christian theologians and scholars have brought to the table and they relish the opportunity to outsmart...well...anyone really. This group is all mind and no heart. If we aren't in love with the Sacred Heart of Jesus, we may enjoy the intellectual prowess of the Church's minds, but we won't have a true relationship with Jesus. A third group is the piety group. These are the people that nitpick everyone and everything to death in an attempt at moral superiority with regards to how the Faith is lived. As I've experienced this type of people over the years, I've noticed that they have a rigidity about them causing a lack of joy. Being in love with God should be a joyful thing and not cause scorn or bitterness. Lastly, there is the group that live like practical atheists, like I did. When you really love someone you want to know them and spend time with them. If as a Christian, you think you can do without church, Scripture, or adherence to Christ's teachings, then there is no love, but only the desire that the label of Christian will be enough to get you into Heaven. All of us are guilty of one or more of these things in our life, Catholic Pilgrims. What we must do is be aware and strive to love God with our whole mind, our whole heart, and our whole soul. Have a blessed Wednesday.
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