Am I a Pilgrim or a Tourist?

 “Tourists want everything to go exactly as they have planned. Tourists get upset if there are delays. They demand prompt attention to their every need. They focus on themselves… Pilgrims look for signs. If delayed, they ask, “What is God trying to say to me?” Pilgrims are aware of the needs of others. Pilgrims count their blessings.” Matthew Kelly

I am doing a Journey to Eucharistic Consecration during this Lent. It is based on Matthew Kelly’s book “33 Days to Eucharistic Glory.” On one of the meditations, I was asked: “Are you a pilgrim or a tourist?” This question really got me thinking. How do I approach life? Do I live my life as a tourist or a pilgrim?

I think the answer lies in between. Sometimes I’m a tourist and other times I’m a pilgrim. And there is a huge difference between the two. When I’m a tourist, I get annoyed easily when my carefully planned life doesn’t go the way I want it. I place more attention to the things of the world than I do to my spiritual life. I become more superficial, focusing on how people see me rather than how God sees me. 

When I’m a pilgrim, on the other hand, I see changes in plans as an opportunity from God to try something different. I ask myself: “Is God trying to tell me something here?” Is this delay God’s way of keeping me out of trouble? As a pilgrim, I pay more attention to my spiritual life and I try to see God’s message to me in everything I do. When I’m a pilgrim, I live my life as if everything is a miracle. 

I had the opportunity last weekend to put this concept into action. On Sunday, the only day I’m giving myself permission to drink wine during Lent, the hubby and I decided to go to an Italian wine bar near our son’s house in New York. As we were leaving, my son said: “That wine bar you are going to is not that great, but there’s another one on the other side of Central Park that is really good.” We took his word for it, and decided to walk the mile across the park, even though it was extremely cold. He had sent us the link to the place, so we just opened it up in Google Maps and headed to our destination.

When we finally arrived, the wine bar was no where to be found. I checked the address, saw that we were at the right avenue but the wrong number. We started walking north trying to find the right number, but the addresses in New York are not like in Miami. They don’t follow the same numbering system. In Miami, if the house number is 4763, you know that the location is between 47th and 48th. In New York, the numbers don’t match the streets. We were at number 1300 on 79th St and 3rd Ave, and we had to get to number 1614. In Miami, that would have been three blocks. In New York, we had to walk all the way to 92nd St. Thirteen blocks in 30 degree temperatures. 

By this time, I was getting pretty hangry. I was hungry, I was cold, and I was tired. I had mentally prepared myself to walk one mile, not two. But then, I remembered. I could treat this as a tourist or a pilgrim. I decided for the latter. Maybe God had sent us on a longer route for a reason. I began to pay attention to the people around me, to the signs, but nothing really stood out to me.

Finally, we arrived at the wine bar. I was expecting an Italian wine bar, but instead, when we sat down, we realized that we were at a South African wine bar. At this point, I was ready to kill my son. The entire wine list was wines from South Africa, which we knew nothing about. And the menu… I couldn’t recognize a single dish: “Kombuis… what in the world is kombuis?” I was very close to getting up and walking out, but once again, I told myself: “I can take the attitude of a tourist and be upset, or I can be a pilgrim and make the best of this experience.” And what a wonderful experience it turned out to be. 

The young man that took care of us was a sweetheart. He moved from South Africa to New York at the end of 2019, right before the pandemic hit. He gave us a lesson on South African wines, which turned out to be delicious. He talked about his country with such pride, it was contagious. I was ready to book a trip to Zimbabwe. And he recommended some items from the menu which were amazing: Lam Sosaties (lamb skewers), Roasted oesters (oysters), Viskoekie sliders (crusted fishcake) and a few others. In the end, we told him how we had ended up at his place, and were ready to bolt out of there, but we were so happy to have stayed. He was so grateful that even though we didn’t want dessert, he treated us to one of the most delicious bread puddings I have ever tasted. And the best treat came at the end, when we went to pay and he told us that Benedict and Dominic (our grandsons) had paid for our food.

Sometimes, life is full of surprises. We could have left the place as upset tourists because it was not what we were expecting, and we would have missed out on a great experience. But because we chose to remain as pilgrims, we ended up meeting a wonderful young man, and we tried some delicious South African dishes, which we would have never discovered on our own. 

Definitely, it’s much better to live life as a pilgrim than a tourist. I can’t wait to see what next surprise God has in store for me.

Copyright © 2024 Christy Romero. All rights reserved.

Two for the price of one

This Lent, I have two invitations for you. You can pick one or both, it’s up to you. The first one, I had already decided to do it since Advent. The second one felt on my lap last week. I have been praying about it, and it finally hit me this morning. Why pick just one? Let everyone choose depending on their time and schedules. If you can only do one, that’s great, but if you can do both, wonderful. You’ll get two for the price of one. And what’s the price? Immeasurable blessings. 

So here are the two Lenten journeys:

1. A Lenten Journey with Mary: from Bethlehem to Jerusalem. 

This is part two of the journey that I shared during Advent. We will walk with Mary from Jesus’ birth to the cross. We will be with her when the Magi arrive at the stable, when she presents Jesus to God in the Temple, when she has to escape to Egypt, and we will accompany her on the way to Calvary. I published this journey on my blog in 2020 during the pandemic and it helped a lot of people. I hope it does the same this year for those that decide to join us.

I will send/post the link to the meditations every morning during the 40 days of Lent, which means I will not be posting on Sundays. If you would like to receive the link to the meditations by text, WhatsApp or email, please send me a private message.

2. A Journey to Eucharistic Consecration. 

Last week I found out that Matthew Kelly will be leading a spiritual pilgrimage this Lent using his book “33 Days to Eucharistic Glory.” I received this book by mail at the end of 2023, and it confirmed my decision to use the “Eucharist” as my theme for this year’s blog posts. I have not read the book yet because I was waiting for the right time. Lent is the right time. I will be doing this pilgrimage this Lent to consecrate myself to the Eucharist. If you want to join me, here’s the link to sign up and receive daily email reflections starting on Ash Wednesday.

https://www.dynamiccatholic.com/lent.html

This link will also give you the option to order the book. You don’t need to buy the book, the reflections are free, but I highly recommend that you get the book too. And if the book doesn’t arrive by Ash Wednesday, no worries, they will send you a free download of the first seven days.

If you choose to join both journeys, you will receive both meditations in the morning. You can then decide if you want to read them back to back, or do one in the morning and one at night. It’s up to you. Let the Holy Spirit guide you, and to quote Matthew Kelly, let this be your “best Lent ever.”

God bless you and happy journey(s).

I Have Been Invited

“Many are invited, but few are chosen.” Matthew 22:14

The invitation has arrived. I have been invited to the wedding banquet. I’m so excited that I’m on the guest list. I read the invitation over and over again. And then, something I had not noticed before catches my eye. In the bottom right corner there is a little note that says “Attire: Black Tie.” What in the world? 

What does black tie mean exactly? I grab my phone and I google: “black tie.” I find that black tie for gentlemen means a tuxedo jacket and bow tie, and for women, a floor length gown is typically preferred, but midi dresses and appropriate cocktail dresses work as well. Not in Miami, they don’t. I learned that the hard way many moons ago. The very first time that I was invited to a black tie affair, I did not own a floor length gown, so I opted for the prettiest cocktail dress in my closet. It was a black silk gown that felt to my knees. I was the only one wearing a short dress. Every single woman at the event was wearing a floor length gown. I felt so out of place. Luckily, I was not thrown out.

There was once “a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son… When the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes. He asked, ‘How did you get in here without wedding clothes, friend?’ The man was speechless. Then the king told the attendants, ‘Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. For many are invited, but few are chosen.’” Matthew 22:2,11-14

Every time I hear this reading my first thought goes to the poor guest who maybe didn’t own the proper attire. But then I think that if the King throws him out, there had to be a deeper reason. It’s like when you are invited to be part of the wedding court. The guys are asked to go to the Men’s Wearhouse to rent their white tuxedos. But one refuses to abide by the request and shows up wearing a black one. Most likely the groom will tell him that he will not be part of the wedding party. The same thing probably happened here. The King probably provided the necessary guidelines and maybe even the garments for his guests. But one guest simply refused to wear it, and that’s why he was kicked out of the banquet. 

Every Sunday, the King invites us to a wedding feast. We are all invited. We are all on the guest list. The King wants all of us to join the celebration. But not all of us will show up. Some of us will be too busy or too tired to attend the feast. We don’t value the invitation. We have better things to do or better places to be. 

The rest of us will show up, but some will be wearing the wrong attire. We do not care enough to take the time to prepare ourselves, to be worthy of the invitation. We must prepare ourselves, not just on the outside but also on the inside. As a matter of fact, it’s the inside attire that the King cares about. He couldn’t care less if we show up with a floor length gown or a short one, but He does care that we show up with the right attitude. Many times we are at the banquet physically, but our minds are a thousand miles away. We approach the banquet not paying attention to what we are about to receive.

The King has extended the invitation and the attire is black tie. Black tie means to show up with the proper attitude, the one that makes us worthy to be present in front of Our King. It means letting go of all distractions to really hear what the King has to say. It means offering Him all that we are and all that we have as our gift to Him for extending His invitation to us. And the King will thank us and say to us: “I’m so glad you accepted my invitation. I’m so glad you are here. I’m so glad you wore your black tie gown.”

Copyright © 2024 Christy Romero. All rights reserved.

Preparing for the Meal

“The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son. He sent his servants to those who had been invited to the banquet to tell them to come, but they refused to come.” Matthew 22:2-3

When I invite friends over to my house for a dinner, I spend a few days preparing for the meal. My favorite part is setting the table. I take out the prettiest tablecloth and the good china. I then grab the silverware that gets used only on special occasions, and just like I was taught as a little girl by my grandmother, I place the knife on the right side of the plate, the large fork on the left with the smaller fork next to it, and the dessert spoon diagonally above the plate. Then comes the napkins. If I’m feeling particularly creative, I try to turn the napkin into a work of art. Unfortunately, I was not gifted with creative hands. They are actually pretty clumsy. So after spending half an hour trying to turn a napkin into a swan, I usually have to resign myself to just using pretty napkin rings. 

After the napkins, I take out the wine glasses. First, I check to make sure they don’t have any water marks. If they do, I polish them until they are sparkling clean. Once they are, I set them on the table right above the knife. One goblet for wine and another one for water. Last but not least, I stop by the store to buy fresh flowers. I select a beautiful vase from my collection, and I place them in the middle of the table. And if the meal is at night, I may also add a couple of candles. 

Imagine if after I go through all this preparation, my guests call to cancel. I would be devastated. And that is exactly how Jesus feels when He invites us to the Sacred Meal, and we don’t show up. 

Jesus prepares a banquet for us every single day. He hires helpers to get the altar table ready for the meal. We take it for granted, but if we pay attention, the Lord’s Table is beautifully set when we arrive to the Church. It usually has a beautiful mantle. On the corners, there may be two candles. There is probably a crucifix as the center piece. And most likely, the Bible will be there as well. There will be flowers at the foot of the altar. All these things don’t happen on its own. There are specific people that volunteer to help out, and every day they prepare the altar for the banquet. How sad if no one were to show up. 

A while back, I was part of the team that served at an Emmaus retreat. I was assigned the task of preparing the Adoration Chapel where the Blessed Sacrament would be exposed during the entire weekend. I had never done this before, so I asked for help. I was told to prepare it as beautiful as if the King Himself would be coming to a banquet. I brought from my house the tablecloth that I had used at my wedding, which is absolutely beautiful. I borrowed two gorgeous candleholders. I bought fresh flowers which I placed in front of the altar. And the centerpiece would be the Blessed Sacrament exposed inside a gorgeous monstrance. 

The image of the King remained with me, and now, every time I go to mass, I think that I am attending a banquet prepared for me by the King of Heaven. The altar may look splendid, but even more important is the Sacred Meal that He has prepared for me with so much love. He has poured His Body, His Blood, His Soul and His Divinity into that meal. All His love for me is contained in that little wafer. How can I refuse the invitation?

Even though I love setting a beautiful table when I have guests coming over for dinner, it would be meaningless if I don’t provide a meal. Imagine what they would think if we sit at the table, and I don’t even serve them a glass of water. They would think I lost my marbles. The most important ingredients are the meal itself, and the guests sitting around the table. 

Let’s not leave the King waiting for us. He invites us to His banquet each and every day. Are we going to leave Him waiting? Or are we going to join Him at the very least once a week?

Copyright © 2024 Christy Romero. All rights reserved.

Starving for the Eucharist

“Can anyone receive Jesus into his heart and not die?” Blessed Imelda Lambertini

I lived in Spain during my childhood and it was there where I received my first Holy Communion. I attended mass every morning with the nuns, and when they went up to receive Communion, I longed to go with them. I had been given a book about the lives of saints, and one of the stories that caught my attention was about Blessed Imelda Lambertini. Imelda, just like me, longed to be allowed to receive Holy Communion, but in the 1300s, such a thing was not possible for a nine-year-old child. She would have to wait three years. On the Vigil of the Ascension when she was eleven years old, Imelda was quietly praying in the chapel as the sisters received Communion. Then Jesus did a little “miracle” of His own. After Mass, as one of the nuns was clearing the altar, she looked up to see Imelda with a Sacred Host suspended above her head in the middle of a glowing light. The priest was called at once, and he understood that Jesus Himself was making His desire known. The priest gave Imelda her First Holy Communion. Oh, how I longed for the same thing to happen to me. I would pray to Jesus to send one of the Holy Hosts to the pew where I was kneeling. Of course, that never happened. I had to patiently wait for May 20th to arrive, the day when I would finally receive Him for the first time. I was 8 years old.

As I grew older, my zest for the Communion waned. I still received it every time I went to Mass, but I was not as passionate about receiving it as I was as a child. I was more interested in the homily than in the Communion. As a matter of fact, I would try to find out in advance which priest was giving the mass. If it was a boring priest or one that tended to talk too long, I would try to go to a different mass. And yes, the Word and the homily are important, but that is just a tiny fraction of the mass. The most important part of the mass is the Eucharist when we receive Jesus in Body and Blood.

When the churches closed in 2020 due to the pandemic, and we were not able to receive Holy Communion, that’s when I realized what I was missing. Even though I attended virtual mass and received Spiritual Communion, it just wasn’t the same. My soul was starving for the Eucharist. Oh, how happy I was when the churches reopened. Even if I had to wear a mask, just the fact that I could receive once again Communion made it all worth it. And once again, my passion for the Eucharist was restored.

I confess that I still prefer to attend a mass with a priest that is a good speaker. This past Sunday, I went to mass to Church of the Little Flower. When Father Manny Alvarez entered the church, I did an internal happy dance because I love his homilies. But I no longer check in advance who is giving the mass. Even if the priest is not a great speaker, that is not going to keep me from receiving the gift of the Sacred Meal. In recent years, I have started taking a journal with me to mass. Taking notes during the homily helps me to turn a boring, long sermon into an interesting one. Even in the midst of a 20-minute long homily, the priest is going to say something interesting that catches my attention. By writing it down, I can meditate on it and it helps me concentrate better on the message that God has for me at that particular moment.

I hope that we never have to go again through another pandemic that shuts down our churches because that was a very tragic time. We never know what we have until we lose it, and not being able to receive the Eucharist at least once a week made most of us hungry for the Eucharist. 

I hope that just like Blessed Imelda, I always feel a deep desire to receive the Eucharist. Imelda was only able to receive it once because Jesus took her to heaven on the same day that she received her First Communion, but what a joyful moment to be able to be in an eternal communion with God. She is now the patroness of First Communicants. 

Blessed Imelda, pray for us.

Copyright © 2024 Christy Romero. All rights reserved.

The Miracle of the Eucharist

“There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.” Albert Einstein

A few years ago, I went to see an “Eucharistic Miracles” exhibition created and designed by Blessed Carlo Acutis. I was impressed by the exhibition but even more by the young boy that put it together. Carlo was a typical Italian teenager who loved soccer, video games and movies. He also developed a love for Jesus and the Eucharist at an early age. He went to mass every single day in order to receive Communion, and he spent a lot of his time in front of the Blessed Sacrament. 

This time spent with Jesus gave value to his teenage years. He developed a website with information on Eucharistic miracles that have taken place around the world. He begged his parents to take him to 17 different countries where he journaled and took copious notes on everything he witnessed. Over a span of two-and-a-half years, he documented 187 Eucharistic miracles.

In the midst of his research of Eucharistic Miracles, he was diagnosed with advanced leukemia. God was merciful and did not prolong his suffering, taking him to his heavenly home just four days after his diagnosis. He was just 15 years old.

I have always believed in Christ’s real presence in the Eucharist, but after learning about Carlo Acutis and all the Eucharistic miracles that have taken place around the world, I have come to realize that the Eucharist is indeed a miracle. We live our lives searching for miracles, and all we need to do is go to mass to experience a miracle. Every time a priest consecrates a host, a miracle is taking place in that altar. If more people believed this, our churches would be filled to capacity. 

I know so many young people that grew up in Catholic homes, went to mass every Sunday, attended Catholic schools, and now, they no longer participate of the Sacred Meal. The only reason I can think for their departure is that they don’t truly believe in the real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. It breaks my heart that they are missing out on such an amazing gift. And I ask myself, where did we go wrong? Was it the schools that did not teach them properly? Or was it us, their families, who took them to mass but did not take the time to explain what was truly taking place in that altar?

I pray to Blessed Carlo Acutis for his intercession so that our young people return to the Church. I pray that they come to realize that the Eucharist is the Miracle that Jesus left us, and that by receiving this Sacred Meal, their lives will be so much more valuable. I know, from personal experience, that when I receive this Blessed nourishment, my day has more meaning. And I ask myself, why don’t I make the effort to receive it daily?

Blessed Carlo Acutis, pray for our young and pray for us.

Copyright © 2024 Christy Romero. All rights reserved.

Join me in a Sacred Meal

“This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” Luke 22:19

A couple of years ago, I decided to pick a yearly theme for my meditations. In 2022, the theme was hope. Last year, it was surrender and trust. This year, I have been struggling with what my theme should be, but the more I pondered and prayed about it, the word that kept coming to my mind was “Eucharist.”

In case I had any doubt, two unexpected things happened at the end of 2023. First, I received a gift by mail. The gift was a book by Matthew Kelly titled “33 days to Eucharistic Glory.” This title called my attention because last year I did the consecration to Mary and the title of the book I used was “33 days to Morning Glory.” When the book arrived, right away I opened it and  read the introduction: “Prepare yourself for an explosion of grace in your life. Grace is the assistance God gives us to do what is good, true, noble, and right. And there is no better way to receive God's grace than through the Eucharist.” I have not began this 33-day journey to consecrate myself to the Eucharist yet, because I feel that I need to ready my heart for it. I’m working on it, but this gift reassured me that the “Eucharist” must be this year’s theme.

The second unexpected thing took place just a few days after the first one. I walked into church and they always have a table in the back with the weekly bulletin and other reading material. Most of the time it’s newspapers like “The Florida Catholic,” but on this particular Sunday, there was a small book, just one copy left. The title of the book, “This is my Body: A Call to Eucharistic Revival” by Bishop Robert Barron. I knew that God had saved that last copy of the book just for me. I grabbed it and I have been reading a few pages every night.

The first chapter of the book is titled “The Eucharist as Sacred Meal.” And that is what my first blog posts this year will be about. I invite you to join me in a Sacred Meal as we journey together towards “Eucharistic Glory.”

Copyright © 2024 Christy Romero. All rights reserved.