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Have you ever smelled nard, from the spikenard plant? If you haven’t, I hope you get the chance someday. The first time I smelled it in the Holy Land, I couldn’t stop bringing the bottle up to my nose. Imagine what the house smelled like when Mary was anointing Jesus’ feet with the costly nard. The house would have smelled amazing—like mystery and deep love. What strikes me about Mary’s actions in our reading today from John 12 is that Mary can only think of Jesus and her devotion to Him. Her actions signify a desire to pour out every thing for Christ. Judas doesn’t see the pious action for what it’s worth. To him, it’s a waste and ridiculous. When we make a move to give our lives to Christ, Catholic Pilgrims, there will be people who don’t get it. Our devotion will look silly to them or even stupid. They will think we are missing out on something better, like worldly treasures. They may even be envious. At some point in your move to be closer to Christ, someone will try to talk you out of it. It’s “too much” or “a bit over the top.” Pour it all out anyway. Have a blessed Monday of Holy Week. *Picture is of the Spikenard plant
Continue ReadingToday was the Lentiest day of all Lent. My car has been in the shop for nearly two weeks…and that’s a whole story. So, with no car, I’ve been having to walk everywhere. Which is fine for the first couple of times, but when you just want to do something quick, it’s not, especially when you live on a base that covers a lot of ground. My hubby is gone, so I’m rolling solo. I miss my cat. And as my son and I were walking to basketball practice, he had to bring all his baseball gear for practice after that. It’s not normally like this, it’s just a few days of overlap. Anywho, we were walking and his bag was weighing him down and he was anxious to get to practice, so, I said, “I’ll carry it, you go on.” He thanked me, lugged me the bag, and ran off to practice. The bag weighs 9,000 pounds. He has approximately 25,000 baseballs, two bats, a helmet, and an entire dugout inside the bag. The thing was heavy and I had to carry it a mile. Today was the day when I was ready for Lent to be done. I wanted some sweets, I wanted to sleep in, I wanted to not have to think of my Lenten practices. As I was hiking with the bag on my back, I was grumping to myself and whining about Lent. And then, I thought, “Amy. That’s enough. These are minor inconveniences. Jesus carried a cross after being scourged up a hill. You’ll be fine and you can always unite this to Christ’s suffering.” It’s so tempting to throw in the towel at this point in our Lenten practices. We’re weary. We’re ready for fun and feasting. But, hang in there, Catholic Pilgrims. It’s all worth it for Christ. *sorry for the mad momma face. I couldn’t see. 😅
Continue ReadingA Catholic PSA: Social media does not always bring out the best in people. Social media can be used for a lot of positive things, but we must be prudent and choosey on who we allow to speak to our minds and hearts. What I want to caution against today is following any "influencer" that shames or belittles their spouse on social media. We shouldn't be belittling our spouses in private either, but it is especially egregious to trumpet out your criticisms to the wide world. When you married your spouse, you did not marry yourself. You married another unique individual with their own mind and own way of seeing the world. They do not have your brain or thought processes. They are flawed, just as you are and it's important to remember that. There is no perfect marriage out there and we shouldn't pretend that our marriage is perfect. Acknowledging that no marriage is perfect doesn't mean that we have permission to drag our grievances towards our spouse out into the public square, especially when they can't defend themselves. Remember with influencers that we often only hear one side of the story. It's good to talk about issues that may arise in marriage and how to work through them. But, be very wary of following someone that gripes and complains about their spouse for likes and views. And be even more wary of the person that views themselves as never in the wrong and thinks their spouse is the only one that needs to work on themselves. Your spouse is yours to love. Will they always do everything right? No. Will they sin? Yes. Will they hurt you at some point? It is certain. Will you do the same to them? Yes and I highly doubt you would want them creating videos criticizing you to everyone. One of your jobs as a spouse is to guard your spouses dignity and help them get to Heaven. This is not always an easy task, but it is what we are called to do in the Sacrament of Marriage. Follow people that seek to be edifying, Catholic Pilgrims, especially when it comes to living out the married life. Live the Faith boldly and travel well.
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