.png)
“Take nothing for the journey.” I was thinking about the Apostles this morning as I read where Jesus sent them out to proclaim the Kingdom of God. Before Jesus came into their lives, they probably all had a plan for how their lives would go. Keep fishing. Collect taxes. Find a girl and settle down. Jesus disrupts their regularly scheduled program in the biggest of ways. To be an Apostle of the God-man was probably not what they envisioned for their lives, to say the least. We can get pigeon-holed in the plan we have for our lives. Graduate. Go to college. Get a job. Have a stellar career. Add in spouse once established. Have 1.5 children if it makes sense. Do things I like to do. Stave off old age. Make sure I do something that people see as a big deal. For many, there is little tolerance for any deviation off the path WE want to go down. We don’t want obstacles or anything to disrupt our journey. I think about my plan for my life and not a single bit of it turned out like I thought. I didn’t stay in Kansas. I married a military man. I had my first child when I was “too young” by the world’s standards. I got married “too young.” I haven’t had a noteworthy career. I became Catholic. I could go on and on. All along the way, though, I’ve learned to follow Christ’s Will and that has meant the journey has been more fulfilling than anything I could have planned. Just like the Apostles, we have to realize that our planned journey may not work out, but God definitely has something in mind for you. It won’t necessarily be easy, but it will be worthwhile. Live the Faith boldly and travel well, Catholic Pilgrims. *Picture is of the path leading into the amphitheater at Ephesus and an Ephesus kitty.
Several months ago, a guy commented on one of my videos. I think it was the one on why we have statues in our churches. Anyway, he told me that he had left Catholicism behind and found a real relationship with Jesus. Trying to insult me, he told me that I should read my Bible. This is often a tactic used by people: The ole “read your Bible” slam. And then he made some snide remark about Mary and the Hail Mary prayer. So, I said, “Speaking of reading the Bible, do you know where we get the words of the Hail Mary?” He said, “I don’t know, I guess an angel said it to her.” To which I said, “That’s right. The first part, ‘Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee” comes from the words that the Angel Gabriel said to Mary. Now, where do we get the next line?” He said, “I don’t know.” I responded, “The next line comes from the words St. Elizabeth spoke to Mary when Mary came to visit her. ‘Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus.’ Elizabeth was her cousin.” “I know who Elizabeth is.” “Great. So, you see, the words of the prayer come straight out of the Bible. The second half of the prayer asks Mary to pray for us, same as asking a friend here on earth to pray for you.” That was the end of the conversation. As Catholics, we are often accused of not being Biblical, but that’s so far from the truth that it just takes a few explanations to show how untrue it is. Poor catechesis causes many to stray from the Catholic Church. It is imperative, Catholic Pilgrims, that we educate ourselves about our faith. Live the faith boldly and travel well this Tuesday. *Picture is from the church I attended while living in Turkey. St. Mary’s Church. My friend sent this picture to me.
Someone asked an important question of me yesterday and I thought I’d answer it to the broader audience here, as I’m sure others feel the same. I was asked, “With the way the world is, how are you and others not angry or depressed all the time?” Let me answer in a roundabout way. Last Thursday, my son and I were out on the beach. He found a piece of washed-up kelp with mussels attached to it. He was so excited and wanted to “help them live.” So, we dug a hole, filled it with water, and put them in. Sure enough, they were alive and for an hour, we sat watching these basically motionless mollusks slowly dig themselves into the sand. He, also, found this big clam and we put it into the hole, too, and just like that we had a mollusk aquarium. My son was so excited to just watch them, see them open, touch them, and, eventually, observe them dig themselves out of sight. For one hour we did this and time went by so quickly, peacefully, and joyfully. It is a memory I will cherish forever with my son: The day we sat and watched mussels. 😅 Back to the question above. It’s not as if I don’t get angry. I struggle mightily with anger. It’s not as if I don’t feel depressed from time-to-time. All humans do. These are emotions and states that all humans experience. Since the Fall, there has never been a period of time where the world has been a peaceful, well-adjusted place, it’s just now we know about ALL the bad things everywhere because of technology and the news feeding us one disaster after another. We hear about all the bad and we want to fix it, but there’s just no way any single individual can fix it all and this makes us anxious, depressed, and angry. We start to see the world as all bad and we are just suckers living in a hellhole. It’s too much for us to consume so much. But, that day with my son, I was reminded that there is so much to enjoy and cherish. Kids are in awe of everything and they want to share that with us. It’s just we miss it while we are worked up over a million things. We forget to stop and just look around and notice the good. It is imperative, Catholic Pilgrims, that we take breaks from social media and the news. It’s important that we take care of our family and the community around us, because that is effectively where we can do the most good. And, get out in God’s creation and foster a sense of wonder again. Have a blessed Monday.
The rock you see is Point Loma in San Diego. In September 1542, Portuguese navigator, Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo made landfall here and explored for six days. Because he was in the service of Spain, he raised the Spanish flag here and moved on. Then in 1602, a Spanish trader named, Sebastian Vizcaino, visited this spot and named it San Diego in honor of St. Diego de Alcala. His records establish this site as the location of the first Mass said in what would become the state of California. There’s your bit of Catholic history for today, Catholic Pilgrims. 😀 Live the Faith boldly and travel well.
On Sunday, during our OCIA class, the main teacher said, “You know, there is no logical or rational reason why Christianity should exist today. It started with no money, no infrastructure. The Apostles and the first Christians had to go up against the Roman Empire with no military might and no violence. Travel was hard and dangerous. Sharing the Good News meant, almost certainly, death. What else do we know that exists where the early members were picked off one-by-one and as soon as one member was added, one would die a terrible death? And, yet, here we are today teaching you. It defies logic. That can only mean that it has been held together by something more powerful than anything found here on earth.” One of the ladies then asked, “So, why do you think Jesus chose to enter time when He did?” I replied, “I can’t pretend to know God’s mind, but it seems to me that He came for the exact reasons just shared with you. For us today, it is incredible that 12 guys and some disciples were able to spread the Good News with no technology, no money, no earthly power, they weren’t the most educated men, and they had to go up against Rome. I think it shows us that God is and was in control even among seemingly impossible odds. I’m sure there are other reasons, too, but that’s what I think.” It’s important for us to remember today: No matter all the turmoil, all the strife inside and outside the Church, God is still in control. He will hold His Church until the end of time and while things may seem hopeless at times, we are still here nearly 2,000 years later. Live the Faith boldly and travel well, Catholic Pilgrims. *Picture is of the ruins of the Basilica of St. John’s near Ephesus, Turkey.
When I started out with this page, I had a loose idea of what I wanted to do with it. I knew I wanted to share the Faith, but I was still kind of all over the place with my focus and my purpose for the page. I was called Passionate Purpose back in the day and I mostly limped along with like five followers, one of them being my husband who never gets on social media. 😅 Then I saw the movie, “The Way” and, as a new convert, I was introduced to the idea of pilgrimage. It was a message that resonated with me so intensely that for days I could think of little else. I knew I wanted to call myself The Catholic Pilgrim because I love going on pilgrimages, but I also love the concept of our whole life as a pilgrimage. I, also, knew that I wanted a page for both men and women, which is a hard feat to attempt. I didn’t want to just be a mommy blogger. There’s nothing wrong with that, it’s just I wanted to attempt to appeal to both sexes. Another thing I knew is that I had to be authentically me. I say hard things sometimes not in the softest manner. I’m sarcastic and goofy. I love a good spar. I have a low tolerance for stupidity. Those all may be faults; I am fully aware of that. Most importantly, though, I knew I had to challenge people. I couldn’t just show up here everyday and say nice things like “Jesus, loves you” (which He does) and leave it at that. We need to be rocked a bit and shaken in our boots. Our culture is decaying before our very eyes and, for better or worse, I am incapable of just being the nice gal. I know I’m not perfect and I know I don’t have all the answers. Sometimes I’m too harsh and more justice minded than maybe I should be. But, if we are afraid to offend or be seen as big meaners, we will cease to be relevant in any fashion. Doesn’t mean we have to be jerks, but we do need to weigh into the fray and battle evil. My motto here is: Live the Faith boldly and travel well. We need to have courage and conviction on this pilgrimage through life, Catholic Pilgrims. You may not have a temperament just like me but we do need courage from all Catholics, especially right now. Have a blessed Wednesday.
“The Alamo shuddered, Pearl Harbor, as well The Statue of Liberty wept as they fell And echoes were heard in the Liberty Bell When they came for the soul of America And the Manhattan skyline Blew my mind the first time We went down to the scene of the crime Lookin' for the soul of America” —Ian Hunter The best way, Catholic Pilgrims, to honor our beloved dead is to strengthen our soul. The true soul of America has courage, strength, resiliency, gratitude, moral convictions, and a deep faith in Our Creator. May we never forget our fellow Americans who lost their lives on this day. Our Lady, Queen of Peace, pray for us!
I was looking at something the other day from this couple that was all about helping people find their purpose. Everywhere on their site was about purpose this and purpose that. Basically, it all boiled down to this message: Working a 9-5 is lame. We’ll show you how to ditch that and start making millions and then you can be like us and wear fancy clothes, drive a cool car, and be smoking’ hot like us. That was the purpose they would help you find. Everything was intentional vague and ambiguous because, of course, they want you to pay them to help you find your purpose. Here’s the thing, your purpose is not to make a lot of money. You may make a lot of money in this life, but that’s not your purpose. Your purpose is not to ditch a 9-5 job. You may not be cut out for a 9-5 job, but whether you work a 9-5 or work two hours a day has no bearing on your purpose. Your purpose is not to accumulate expensive things. You may be one of those people that can afford expensive things and quality products are nice, but that’s not your purpose. Your purpose is not to be the hot babe or the stud muffin. You may be a beautiful woman or a handsome man, but that’s not your purpose. If anyone talks about purpose and that doesn’t involve talking about God, they can’t even begin to help you. They might help you make money. They might help you “be your own boss.” But, they will not even come close to helping you find your purpose. The Baltimore Catechism says it the best: Your purpose is to know, love, and serve God in this life so that you can be happy with Him in the next. How you serve Him, Catholic Pilgrims, will be based off of your talents and gifts given to you by God and the vocation you enter into, so it will look different for all of us. The purpose, however, is the same for us all. One more thing, finding your purpose in God is free. Live the Faith boldly and travel well this Tuesday.
This past weekend our church community on base got together to clean the chapel and the grounds before the start of R.E. We spent all Saturday cleaning, washing, organizing, and bringing the chapel back to life. The chapel isn’t anything to be excited over. It’s a simple white concrete block building that can’t be too Catholic because we share the space with the Protestant community. Anyway, the whole day, was spent working hard but it seemed we all really enjoyed each other’s company and it felt good to make the buildings looked lived in again. Then, yesterday, was Mass, I helped to teach RCIA, my husband went to a Bible study, and my son went to his R.E. class. To top off the weekend, we had a dinner with other Catholic families over at our neighbor’s house to celebrate Mary’s birthday. We ate and prayed a Rosary together. Our chapel isn’t the prettiest, we can’t even have a Tabernacle visible. We are stationed in a remote area and so this is what we have. Everything is plain and simple and the church community has to pitch in for everything. Yet, we are bonded in community over our love for Christ. Even when things aren’t perfect or stunningly beautiful, the community makes it a place you want to be. Sometimes, it’s in the imperfect, that you find the perfect at a deeper level, Catholic Pilgrims. The sound of reveille just went off here on base, so time to start the day. 🎺 🫡 🇺🇸 Have a blessed Monday.
This past Wednesday, my Jeep’s battery died and I was super frustrated because I had things to get to. My son had soccer practice and since it’s still been in the 100s here, we were going to attempt riding our bikes to his practice, all while carrying a soccer ball, water bottles, and his other gear. There was also a holy hour in front of the Blessed Sacrament at our base chapel and I wanted to go but didn’t think it would work given the lack of car situation, the heat, and all the things we had to carry to practice. A friend from church called me to ask about something else and she asked if I was coming to the holy hour. I explained my dilemma and she said very matter-of-factly, “I’ll come get you, we will make it work. It will be good for you to have some time with Jesus.” She was right. The hour with Christ was just what I needed. At one point, right before Benediction, she turned around and smiled a big smile at me and whispered, “It’s good you are here.” In today’s Gospel reading, I’m impressed by the people who bring the deaf and mute man to Christ. We see that a lot in the Bible: Someone has a bodily sickness and they seek healing for their loved one. And we would most likely do the same if we had a loved one that needed to be restored to bodily health. But, how often do we bring people to Christ that need Him spiritually? We forget the soul needs healing just as much. It’s harder to help people, though, because they are less willing to be helped spiritually than they are bodily. Nevertheless, we still need to try and be ready to “come and get” them as my friend did for me. Even if you are as healthy as can be in your body, Catholic Pilgrims, we still need time with Christ. Our soul always needs Him. Have a blessed Sunday. *Picture is an old Holy Water font in Mission San Francisco de Solano.
I was listening to a song the other day that reminds me of my maternal grandma. As I was thinking of her, I wondered, “What trait did I take from her? Does a part of her shine through me?” That got me thinking of my grandparents and the best parts of them that I have tried to incorporate into my life. From my maternal grandmother, I got my feistiness and love of laughing and being silly. From my paternal grandmother, I got my romantic side and love of the arts. From her, I have learned to feel deeply and seek beauty. From my maternal grandfather, I got my hard work ethic and love of simplicity. He also gave me the realization that we always need to make time for those we love. From my paternal grandfather, I got my understanding that blood and is blood and you fight for your family. I, also, got from him a bit of a rebel heart. God makes each one of us unique. It’s what I love about the saints. They weren’t lemmings, they didn’t try to be just like the crowd. They are all different individuals with different paths, but all the same goal—to be the unique person God created them to be. I’m not going to look just like my grandparents, but I have taken the parts of them that are the absolute best and tried to incorporate those character traits into my life. It’s my way of keeping them alive in my life. Living out the virtues is one of the ways we keep Christ alive in us, Catholic Pilgrims. He is every virtue. When we attempt to incorporate Him into our lives, we will still be us, only better. Have a great Friday and a blessed weekend.
I’ve been learning a lot about false humility the past couple of years through reading the works of different saints. Most of us, especially those of us that have committed grave sins, try to live out the virtue of humility by living out this false sense of it. “I’m just the worst. I don’t deserve Jesus’ love or forgiveness.” “There’s no hope for someone as bad as me. I’m just a lost cause.” (Sigh) “I’ve done so many bad things, I can’t even begin to ask Jesus into my life.” “Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man.” That last one is Peter after doubting Jesus when He told Peter to keep fishing after a fruitless night.” I love Jesus’ response. He doesn’t play along with the pity party. He doesn’t try to overly console Peter. He just says, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.” God already knows all we’ve done. It’s no surprise to Him. He didn’t come to save people with just some minor sins. He’s not so weak in power that He’d ever say, “Oh, boy, sorry, pal. Your sins are just too big for me to forgive. Guess you’re out of luck.” We aren’t honoring God with false humility. We think we are, though. The I’m-so-bad-I’ll remove-myself-from-God schtick doesn’t give God any glory or show your littleness. In fact, it says, “I’m beyond your help, God.” Don’t be afraid to come to Christ, Catholic Pilgrims, with all your hurt and all your sins that need forgiven. He’s not going to turn you away. Live the Faith boldly and travel well this Thursday. *Picture is from the Sea of Galilee.
.png)
.png)
.png)