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On Saturday, my family visited St. Dominic’s in San Francisco. Sometimes we don’t even realize how thirsty we are for such beauty until we see it and it’s like our deprived soul comes back to life. It’s a foretaste of Heaven. “I have let my peace be disturbed by outside influences…too many things still upset this more exterior part of my soul and make it suffer. Worries, sad memories, an atmosphere of unbelief, indifference, or scorn…all this has battered me and knocked me to the ground, bruised like the gentle Savior.” —Servant of God Elisabeth Lesuer I don’t know what is going to happen today. I hate election season because it is a heavy weight that bears down nearly suffocating us. The hardest weight to bear is the loss of control we feel over it all. At Mass on Saturday, the priest said that he used to ask his students in high school if they wanted to be saints. And they all said no. They thought that being a saint would stifle who they really were and keep them from being their true selves. What a lie. This is the one thing we can control—whether we strive to be saints or not. Because to strive for sainthood doesn’t require perfect external conditions. Many saints worked and moved in terrible times. They didn’t need everything to feel good or be comfortable for them to bring the light of Christ into a dark world. In fact, many of them sought out the darkness in order to bring the light of Christ. Did they make a dent? To those they served, I think they did. We often wait with bated breath for someone else to fix all the problems, when really we just need to open ourselves up to allow God to work through us. No matter who gets elected today, the world will still need us to strive to be saints. It is our duty, Catholic Pilgrims, no matter who is in office, to bring truth, goodness, and beauty to a fallen world. Even if many in the world don’t realize how desperate they are for those things. Live the Faith boldly and travel well this Tuesday. St. Michael, pray for us!
Continue ReadingYesterday, my oldest and my husband ran the Golden Gate Bridge Half Marathon in San Francisco. It couldn’t have been a more beautiful day. As I was standing at the start line, watching the waves of runners go, a much older man came up to me and said, “I have a odd favor to ask of you.” I smiled hesitantly and said, “Okay.” “I didn’t realize that they would have us start in waves. Would you call my wife and let her know so that she doesn’t worry? She’s getting ready to come over soon. If I start fifteen minutes later than she thought I would, she will worry that I’m injured and I don’t want her to worry.” “Yes, I can call her and let her know,” I smiled back. So, he gave me her name and number and off he went. I called his wife and explained everything. She thanked me for letting her know. Later, as his wave of runners went by, he spotted me and yelled with a thumbs up, “Did you get her?!” I yelled back with a thumbs up, “Yes, she knows! It’s all good!” And off he went. It was a small interaction but as I thought about it and this husband’s request, he was essentially asking me to help him love his wife well. What an honor to be brought in, even if briefly, to that moment. St Paul says the Philippians, “Humbly regard others as more important than yourselves.” Here was this husband getting ready to run a hard race and, yet, his main concern was for his wife. He didn’t want her to worry. That’s how I knew he loved her very much and all it took was a one minute conversation. Have a beautiful and blessed day, Catholic Pilgrims.
Continue ReadingThere are so many misunderstandings about what Catholics believe about the Saints. Some think that we think they are gods and goddesses. We don’t. There is only One God. Some are quick to remind us that there is only one mediator between God and man and His name is Jesus. We agree. We just know that the Saints can bring your intentions to Jesus, as well. Same as a friend on earth. Some think that we believe the statues we have are idols we worship, like the literal golden calf. We don’t. The statues are representations of our brothers and sisters in Christ. Some think that by loving and honoring the Saints we are taking from God. If you praised my children, you wouldn’t be taking from me as their parent, you’d be giving me honor by praising them. To add to that, love is not finite, it increases. The more you love, the more love grows in your heart. Some think that relationships with the Saints are unnecessary, all you need is Jesus. That would mean that community with believers on earth is also unnecessary. Christianity is about relationships and community. Some people accuse us of necromancy—conjuring up the dead. Those in Heaven are alive in Christ, even more fully alive than we are here on earth. To add to that, we do not attempt to conjure their spirits nor seek information from them. We ask them to pray for us. Through the many years that I’ve been Catholic now, I can’t imagine not having the Saints involved in my spiritual life. St. Maria Goretti, St. Faustina, St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Francis de Sales, St. Teresa of Avila, Blessed Giorgio Pier Frassti, Venerable Fulton Sheen, and Our Mother Mary have all been such powerful friends to me. They are gifts from God. Their prayers are gifts. Their examples of holiness are gifts. Their friendship is a gift. Today, we celebrate All Saints’ Day, Catholic Pilgrims. We are blessed by this great crowd of witnesses. Have a blessed day and get thee to church!
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