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This picture is from the monastery founded by St. Basil the Great, who along with St. Gregory Nazianzen, is celebrated today. It is located in Cappadocia, Turkey. This part of the structure comes centuries after St. Basil's time which was in the late 300s. My daughter and I took a walk the other day out in the desert and I asked her if she had any resolutions for the new year. She said, "No, not really. If I want to do something or change something, I just do it. There's no reason to wait until the start of a new year." I get the desire to start something with the freshness of a new year. It's like a reset button. But, if something is good for you and should be done, it should be done once you realize you need to make the change. If you know you should read the Bible more, start when your conscience is pricked. If you need to get healthy, start as soon as you can. If you need to give up an addiction, don't wait for a new year. One of the reasons that New Year's resolutions don't stick for so many is that the motive very often is too inwardly focused. If the change desired is attached to a vice, such as vanity, it will be difficult to sustain. St. Basil founded the monastery in this area to reform lives and to combat heresy. Once he knew it was what he needed to do, he set out to do it. And the motive was God-focused, not self-focused. If our desire to change or grow is attached to a desire to be able to live out God's will better, it is more likely it will stick. Our purpose in this life is to live out God's will and when we align growth and change with His Will, it means we are doing it for someone outside ourself. Ultimately, this will make us more happy. There is nothing wrong with starting a resolution at the beginning of the year, Catholic Pilgrims. We just have to make sure we are doing it for the right reasons and the main reason, above all else, is to be better equipped to live out God's purpose for us. Have a blessed Thursday.
Welcome to 2025, Catholic Pilgrims! If you are a newbie to the page, here's an introduction to start the new year. I'm Amy, the Catholic Pilgrim, and I've been writing nearly everyday for 11 years on here. The only way that's maintained is by the Holy Spirit giving me inspiration every morning in my prayer time. I'm an Air Force wife and I've been married to my handsome airman for 23 years. I've been following him around for a *couple* rotations around the sun and I love this military life. We've lived in Ohio (twice), Florida, California (twice), Virginia (twice), Las Vegas, Turkey (yes, the country), Alabama, and a stint in there when I went back home to Kansas while he was deployed. I'm, also, a convert to the faith. My husband (cradle Catholic) and I used to battle it out in our early years of marriage over whether to be Protestant or Catholic. He dismantled every one of my arguments and in 2009, I converted. My husband opened my mind to the Faith, the Eucharist opened my heart. I have three beautiful children--two girls, one boy. Two of them are adults and have flown the nest, but it has been a joy to see them out in the world doing their thing. My son is still at home and it's been fun living the boy-life with him. I, also, have 10 saints in Heaven who are constant intercessors for their Momma. I love my sweet babes in Heaven and at every Mass, I ask them to be with me. I've homeschooled for 14 years, though I'm not a teacher by trade. Criminology is where my education lies and I specialized in dealing with sexual violence crimes. I love football and have been known to scare away children with my...ahem...enthusiasm. Go K-State and go Chiefs! My favorite Bible verse is 2 Timothy 4:7: "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith." I'm opinionated, stubborn, sarcastic, a lover of rock-n-roll, hater of turkey (the meat), sentimental, and fiercely loyal. I love Christ with all my heart and I love writing about our Catholic Faith--to me, it's on the same level as needing air and water. So, welcome to my page, fellow Pilgrims. I'm glad you found me. Live the faith boldly and travel well in 2025!
Where do I start to list the blessings from this year? I've been doing this social media thing for over a decade. To think of where I started and where I'm at now is truly astounding. In my early days, I wanted to quit every other day. Mostly because I had like five followers and I wasn't gaining any ground. But, I kept plugging away. I continued to stay to true to myself and my goal of wanting to create an online community where we helped each other along the pilgrimage of life. It's been such a joy for me to write for you all and have us share our ups and downs in the spiritual life. So, let's go through a few highlights of this year! 1. At the beginning of the year, I visited St. Augustine and got to see where some of the earliest Catholic seeds were planted in the US. Visiting The Shrine of Our Lady of Leche and the cathedral were great mini-pilgrimages. 2. In early spring, I visited Charleston, SC and laid eyes on the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist. Beautiful! I, also, quickly got to see the oldest church in town before it closed for the day. 3. Around Easter time, I got to visit one of the most gorgeous Catholic Churches in the US. The Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament in Hanceville, AL made my jaw drop. The monstrance is truly fit for Our King. 4. My family PCS'd from Alabama to California in June. I made a trip to see another mission, so now my number is up to 10 out of the 21 missions in California. 5. I finished Season Four of my "Journeying with the Saints" podcast. Together, we listened to and reflected on St. Francis de Sales' book "Introduction to the Devout Life." It is one of my favorite spiritual books now. I'm, also, happy to know St. Francis better and call him friend. Those are some of my highlights and I thank you all for joining along with me. I have a lot of exciting things planned for this next year and I can't wait to share it all with you. I hope you are able to look back on this past year and find many blessings, Catholic Pilgrims. If it's be a trying year with not so many highs, I pray that God has sustained you through your sufferings. You know what to do in 2025--Live the Faith boldly and travel well!
Well, it's Friday, Catholic Pilgrims, and you know I like to be a bit more relaxed on Fridays. So, here are some Christmas-themed things about me! 1. My favorite Christmas movie is "White Christmas." I wanna dance in the pink dress worn by Vera-Ellen, because the "best things, happen when you're dancing." 2. My favorite non-religious Christmas song is the "The Christmas Song" sung by Nat King Cole. 3. My favorite religious Christmas song is "O Holy Night." 4. My favorite Christmas dessert is one I can't have anymore. Growing up, my grandma used to get these iced sugar cookies from a bakery in her hometown. They are the best sugar cookies, hands down. The icing was perfect smoothness and the cookies were buttery deliciousness. I'm gluten-intolerant so I can't have them anymore and I think the bakery is gone now, but sometimes, I dream about those sugar cookies. 5. One of the best presents I got back when I was young was a silver trumpet. I wanted one so badly because I was planning on being in the K-State marching band and you have to have a silver trumpet. I was so excited to see one on Christmas morning. I played three years for the K-State marching band and those were some good times. I played at the Fiesta Bowl, Alamo Bowl, and Holiday Bowl, marched through Disneyland, had a battle of the bands on the Midway aircraft carrier, played in Chief's stadium, sweated it out in August and froze in November. I loved being a band nerd. 6. Our Christmas tree is filled, and I mean filled, with ornaments from all the places we've visited as a family. Usually, the only souvenirs we buy when we travel are ornaments. That was quite the challenge in Turkey because generally they don't celebrate Christmas. A lot of magnets got turned into ornaments. Lol. What I love about this tradition of ours is that so many fantastic memories are on our tree and when I look at it, I am overwhelmed with gratitude. 7. I can pretty much recite the entire poem of "Twas the Night Before Christmas" from memory. There's a little bit about me. I hope to hear some fun things about you, Catholic Pilgrims. I'm headed home and this Kansas girl says, "There's no place like home."
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.
I 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
During 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.
Yesterday at church, my son was altar serving. As the three altar servers made their way down to kneel, one of the boys grabbed the bells and my son and another boy grabbed their kneeling pads. I thought to myself, "I wish Jeremiah had grabbed the other boy's. I'll be sure to remind him." But, as the boys knelt down, the other one with the kneeling pad put it down in front of the boy without one. I was so touched by his charity, especially since the floor is concert with just a thin carpet over it. But, then, I saw the bell boy, remove it and just lay it aside, as if to say, "If you're not going to use it, then neither am I." I've seen him use it before when he brought it himself, so I know it wasn't that he's against it. My heart felt a little pained for the boy who had tried to give a gift. I don't think the other boy was trying to be malicious, in fact, his intention was probably a good one. Still, though, to have your gift denied always stings a bit. We do this with Christ all the time. How many of us deny Christ's gifts of the Sacraments because we feign humility? “Oh, no, I'm not worthy to partake." That's the thing with a gift, though. Maybe you aren't worthy, but the gift-giver still wants you to have the gift. To add to that, how many of us deny Christ's gifts of love and mercy because we don't think we deserve it, or others deserve it more, or we think that we'll let God give it to someone more worthy? The truth is that everything Jesus gives us is a gift: His sacrifice, His love, His mercy, Himself in the Eucharist, His forgiveness in Confession. These are all gifts. We didn't earn them, we aren't worthy, but He still wants us to have them. So, don't set them aside. Accept the gifts Christ gives you with a humble heart and be grateful. It makes Him so happy to have you receive them, Catholic Pilgrims.
One of the most difficult things about me, and one that most people dislike very much, is that I will exhort people if I see that you are doing something wrong. Nobody likes this in our “don’t judge me” culture. Heck, I struggle when people try to exhort me. We all struggle with being called out. I’ve been called out at different times and in different ways by my sister, brother, mom, dad, husband, children, and followers. Initially, I buck against it because nobody wants to hear that they aren’t perfect. Eventually, though, I see that they are correct in their assessment and I work to change. We have to be willing to hear some uncomfortable things about ourselves or we will never grow, we will never get better. Yes, yes, it’s always true that we need to work to remove the plank from our own eye before noticing the speck in others. People are quick to point this out as a way to shut down hearing that they could be doing something better. It’s the ole self-preservation technique. However, we all need a John the Baptist in our lives. We need someone who cares enough about the state of our soul that they are willing to take heat to hopefully wake us up or break through our self-preservation barrier. Since I don’t like hearing that I’m wrong, I sometimes take the initiative and ask my husband if there’s anything I can work on, much like the people in our Gospel reading from Luke. They ask John the Baptist what they need to do and St. John tells them straight up—get your souls right. “Exhorting them in many other ways…” Luke 3:18 Again, during Advent, we can offer things to God as we prepare for Jesus’ birth. One thing we can offer is a soul ready to hear a few exhortations; a soul that is interested and open to growth and transformation. We all need a John the Baptist in our lives, Catholic Pilgrims. People who love you should actually care about the state of your soul and we should be grateful that they do. Have a blessed third Sunday of Advent.
There is rarely a day that goes by without me telling someone about my kids. Especially now that two of my children are out of the house, I feel even more compelled to bring them up. Mostly because I miss them and they are always on my mind. Both motherhood and fatherhood are indispensable and each parent brings a unique perspective on how they describe their children and what they have to say about them. A mother, though, because she bore her children in her womb and her body sustained their life while they grew and developed has the most unique perspective of all. And because she labored to give them birth, she is so very proud of the fruit of her labor. At the moment of motherhood, a good mother seeks to let the world know about her children. She wants them to shine instead of her. She would take any pain they have if she could. She would do anything to let you know how much she loves them. If you asked me about my children, I would go on and on. I'd tell you about their goodness, their talents and gifts, their funny moments, what I miss about their younger years, and how proud I am of them. I'd rather talk about them than me, because my love for them simply spills out of me and it's hard to contain. If you want to know about a person, ask their mother. Mary always points to her Son. Because of her perfect pureness and her complete alignment with God's will, she shows up in different places and at different times, not for her own fanfare, but to draw people to her Son. She loves Him and she wants you to know and love Him, too. Today, we celebrate The Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, where Mary's appearance converted over a million people to the Catholic Faith and brought them to the heart of her Son. If you want to know a person, ask their mother. Have a blessed day! Our Lady of Guadalupe, pray for us!
Several years back, I was home in Kansas during the summer. I drove my cousin and daughter out to tend to horses on the back country roads of my town. After dropping them off, I decided to go another way, because I wanted to go through town. The road I chose was the road where one of my high school boyfriends lived--the really bad guy. As I approached his old home, I slowed to a stop and just sat there looking at it. You know that scene in “Forrest Gump” when Jenny finds herself standing in front of her childhood home where she had been abused? And she starts throwing rocks? That's a bit of how I felt that day. The house was abandoned, given over to nature. It looked like nobody had lived there in years. Not that it ever looked good, but time had done its job of decay. I sat there in my car for a long time. I thought about the girl I was back then. I thought about how even the house showed the state of my old boyfriend's soul. I thought about the burden I carried for so long trying to deal with all the pain and anger I felt. I thought about how chaotic my soul felt and how little peace I knew. Initially, it was my pride that made me think that I could deal with the sins that were inflicted on me--mostly because I thought God had abandoned me. Who else was going to deal with things but me? Eventually, I drove away. The memories were dealt with and, a part of me, buried them for good that day. Maybe I needed to see that home just to see how far I've come. The only reason I've come far is because I finally went to Christ. "Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest." With a humble heart, I finally took on Christ's yoke instead of the world's yoke and that has made forgiveness and healing easy. Christ's yoke has made my soul light again. This Advent, I pray, Catholic Pilgrims, that you bring your hurt and pain to Christ and give Him your yoke in exchange for His. It's sounds crazy to say that any yoke could lighten your soul, but Christ's can and does. Have a blessed Wednesday.
One of the biggest misconceptions about Mary's Immaculate Conception is the idea that she was sinless by her own power. This couldn't be further from the truth. People get so upset when you mention the fact that from the moment of Mary's conception, she was free from the stain of Original Sin and she was kept from sin her entire life. Her soul was and has always been immaculate. In some way, people think this takes away from God. How could it? It was by His grace and the pre-applied merits of her Son that this was her reality. Yes, Mary still needed a savior. This shows God's power and His plan--The Son of God should enter the world through a spotless, perfectly pure womb. This doesn't diminish God, but instead is another piece of evidence of His awesome power and might. We should be so grateful that Our Lord grew in the womb of a perfect woman. It is so fitting that He should have resided there before His birth. Honoring Mary's Immaculate Conception is to honor her as the holy woman chosen to carry Jesus. It is, also, to honor God's perfect plan of preparing a woman of purity to be the mother of Our Savior. Have a blessed Feast Day of the Immaculate Conception, Catholic Pilgrims. Though it is technically on December 8th, the Church moved it to today as it fell on a Sunday. Get thee to Mass! *Side altar is found in the Cathedral of St. Augustine in St. Augustine, Florida.
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