During our Bible reading the other night with our son, my husband asked him, “Why do some people, like Zechariah, get punished for asking how something could happen but others don’t? Mary asks how it is that she’s going to be with child and she doesn’t get punished. What’s the difference?” My son sat there for a moment thinking and then he said, “I think maybe it’s about doubt.” “Can you explain?” “Well, some people are like, ‘Oh, yeah, how’s that gonna happen?’ Like they don’t really think it can happen ‘cause they doubt. Mary didn’t doubt, she just wanted to understand how God was going to do what He was going to do.” “That’s a really good answer, Buddy. Can you think of anyone else who gets punished for doubting God’s power?” “Yes, Moses. He saw all these things from God and then he doubted God about the water from the rock.” It’s one thing, Catholic Pilgrims, to ask God how His plan is going to unfold and to ask for the graces to understand. To doubt His power and ability to make something happen is quite another. Trust and have faith that God can do the impossible. Live the Faith boldly and travel well this Thursday.
Continue ReadingI spoke a few weeks back about how I had recently made a comment on a pro-life page and ended up being attacked pretty ruthlessly by a number of people. Several men showed up to share their affinity for killing babies in the womb. One guy was interested in killing born and unborn to rid the world of people with "genes like yours." Margaret Sanger would be so proud. Anyway, I told one of the guys who was less insane that it was unbecoming of him as a man to want to "kill as many embryos as he could so that I can't make a difference." Those were his words. "You should use your strength to protect the most vulnerable," I told him. I remember so vividly each time my husband held each one of our children for the first time. Such a proud dad. With a small child in their arms, a man's masculinity is pronounced to the fullest extent because his strength is set in contrast to the most vulnerable. It is his honor and duty to be the protector for mother and child. A man fully comes into his manhood when he is entrusted with protecting those placed in his care and he takes that responsibility seriously. St. Joseph loved Mary. The situation of her being with child through the Holy Spirit before living together was a bit difficult for him to navigate, I'm sure. He decided to not bring shame upon her and divorce her quietly. But, then, he gets his great commission: "Take Mary your wife into your home." "You are to name him Jesus." He was being entrusted with the care of two people--The Son of God and His mother. They were under his protection now. How beautifully he arose--awakened--to the occasion. "When Joseph awoke, he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took his wife into his home." May the men out there, especially the young men, look to St. Joseph as a model of what masculinity should look like. Thank you to those men who use their power and strength for good and who lovingly care for those that rely on them. Live the faith boldly and travel well this Wednesday, Catholic Pilgrims. *Painting by Bartolomé Esteban Perez Murillo
Continue ReadingDuring my few attempts to read the Bible when I was younger, I loathed the beginning of Matthew's Gospel. Old names upon old names. Who cares?????? As I got older, though, I began to truly value my ancestry. I felt a huge desire to know who my people were and where they came from. I'm mostly Scottish and Scandinavian, or as I say, Viking. 😅 When I learned this, it explained a lot about me. I can be a bit like the female version of William Wallace mixed with Eric the Red. Spicy. Lol. As I explored my history, I was fascinated to learn what I could about my ancestors. I think seeing your line helps you to see how you got to you. What all did it take from my ancestors to get to my point in time? Once I started to appreciate my line, I began to appreciate the beginning of Matthew's Gospel. What it truly shows is God's plan for salvation. For whatever reason, God wanted a story through all these people's lives before Jesus came through the Incarnation. It's a line full of messy lives, but, in the end, it all worked out for our great benefit. I think it also takes reading the Bible to become familiar with the names in the ancestry list in Matthew's Gospel. When you become more familiar, you can then say, "Oh, yes, that person did this. Or that's what happened with them." It makes the picture more clear. I don't mind reading the beginning of Matthew's Gospel anymore because it's the line that led to my Savior. Just as I can know myself better by learning about my family that has gone before me, I can learn more about Christ in the same way. Have a blessed Tuesday, Catholic Pilgrims.
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