Hello, fellow pilgrims! My name is Amy Thomas. In 2009, I converted to Catholicism and I started writing to share the Faith. I’m a military spouse and my lifestyle has afforded me the opportunity to travel all over, exploring Catholic places. I have since expanded my writing to include a podcast and videos. My goal is to travel with fellow pilgrims and help them to discover the richness of the Catholic Church and grow closer to Christ. If interested in having me speak at your event or ask me a question, please click below.
Today, my family is busting out of the desert and going on a road trip. Oooohhhh, there are so many things I have on my list to see and most of them are special Catholic places. I’m not going to share them with you now, but surprise you with them as we go. Because that’s just way more fun. So, if you have prayer intentions for me to pray for on this trip, let me know. As always, you don’t have to share details if you aren’t comfortable with that. Each day for two weeks, I’ll pray for all your intentions. This will be one of the ways I can bring you along on the journey, or shall I say, pilgrimage. Please keep me and my family in your prayers, look for videos, and I hope to bring you some cool pictures. Live the Faith boldly and travel well, Catholic Pilgrims.
Continue ReadingIn 2023, my family went to Portugal and we got there on a Sunday. Upon getting to our home, we had to change clothes and find a church for Mass. We were tired, hungry, but it was getting late and we were running out of time to find a church. We winded through the streets trying to find the church my husband had located, but the GPS was working right. We never found that church. But then, we ended up at the St. Anthony’s Church built on the site where his home once was and Mass was just starting. We sat in the very back in the dark, warm, and richly colored church and I saw my family struggling to stay awake, especially during the lengthy homily in Portuguese. My son fell asleep on my lap. There was a time in my life when I wouldn’t have even thought twice about passing up Mass for food and rest. I have realized, though, that these are the times when I can greatly show my love for God—when it’s not necessarily convenient to get to Mass. As I sat on that back bench in the dark, rubbing my son’s head, I was happy that we made the effort to come. All for love of God. Have a blessed weekend, Catholic Pilgrims. St. Anthony of Padua, pray for us!
Continue ReadingEach morning, I get up to pray and write. It just so happens that sometimes my adult daughters will call or FaceTime me at this time. They know it’s probably safe to call after 5:30am, because they know Mom will be up. Like this morning, I was listening to my Sacred Heart Retreat and my oldest called. I answered and she was bubbling over with good news. We chatted and then she had to go. After we hung up, I thought to myself, “I’m so happy my kids call me. Even if it’s just for a moment to pop in and share a quick bit of news.” What I’m even more happy about is that they know I will always answer. Unless I simply can’t, they can interrupt me at anytime. This got me thinking about God and how we can always, always come to Him to talk. Because I am human, there are times when I can’t take my kids’ calls. I can be interrupted from something, but God can never be interrupted. We often think that we have to have a long prayer session in order for our prayers to be worthwhile, but that’s not true. Sometimes, I get long phone calls with my kids which I love. But, sometimes, I get just a minute or two and I love that, too. We can check in with God at anytime. No matter what. He is always waiting and He is delighted when we check in with Him. To the best of my ability, I try to let my children know that I am available or I will do my best to be available. With God, we never have to wonder—He is always available to us. Live the Faith boldly and travel well, Catholic Pilgrims.
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