When we visited St. Mary’s Church in Fairfax Station, the church that became a field hospital during the Civil War, my son wanted to take a picture from the perspective of the priest.
This church is mostly used now for special occasions and because of this fact, Jesus was not in the Tabernacle, so I told him it was okay. I think he was interested to see what the priest looks out on.
I stood back there with him and anytime you see things from a different perspective, it feels odd. I mean, have you ever been across the street from your house and looked back on it, to see what your neighbor sees? It’s a weird feeling.
One of the things I love about being a military spouse is that I get the opportunity to see the country from different perspectives. Living in Las Vegas was much different than here in Alabama. Living in the middle of nowhere in the desert of California was different than in DC.
Each place we move, we want to see all that we can before the moving trucks roll up to carry us off to some place else. Often times, our fresh eyes bring a new perspective to people who have lived in an area for years and years. They are often surprised at all the things we find to explore and they gain a new sense of appreciation for where they live. Military families have a way of making people proud of their city or state by our ability to be excited by what has become mundane to them.
I was the thinking about the word “perspective” a lot this morning. Not all perspectives are valid or good nor should we entertain certain ones.
The perspective we should most try to see and understand is Christ’s. His is not just one among many, but the most perfect one of all. To try to see as Jesus sees us, fellow human beings, His creation, and life will give us the best understanding of ourselves and the purpose of our life.
We won’t be able to do this perfectly, Catholic Pilgrims, but we can strive to have eyes of Christ through reading Scripture daily, prayer, and attending Mass. The saints are great examples of how striving to understand Christ changes your life for the better.
Have a blessed Monday.
