When I was 16, in a last ditch effort to be seen by my neglectful boyfriend, I drove to his house to beg for his love.
He was home, playing some game on the computer. Though I tried with all my might, I couldn’t get him to engage in conversation with me. In cruel fashion, he simply ignored me.
Right before I gave up and left the house, I went and knelt by his side and begged him for his love. Not once did he look my way. He silently went on playing his game.
It was humiliation like I’ve never known.
I’ve thought of that day many times since it happened. It showed me that when we are desperate to be seen by those around us, we will go to humiliating lengths.
We may try to be shocking.
We may try to break from the norm just to seem different.
We may compromise our dignity just for a chance that someone will notice us.
We may play the victim.
We may degrade our appearance in an effort to stand out and draw eyes.
Through all these attempts, we lose our dignity and become obsessed with ourselves. That obsession turns to self-loathing and desperate attempts to get attention somehow.
When we forget that we are a child of God and we have His love, we seek validation elsewhere and it’s never satisfying.
But, when we remember that we are loved beyond measure by God and He created our unique soul for a purpose, we can rest in that love and assurance without a desperation to be seen by the world.
Too many people have forgotten this or have never been introduced to God’s love and that’s why so many are figuratively begging on their knees to been seen by the world.
We must remind them, Catholic Pilgrims.
