What I wore Sunday: Divine Mercy Sunday



A pop of color on a gray spring day.

Outfit deets:

Scarf - Old Navy

Sweater - Old Navy

Skirt - Banana Republic via a friend's closet purge

Boots - Christmas gift from my husband (DSW) 

 

Mass behavior: Emily gets an A+ from me. Dan and Erin ended up sitting in the back of the church outside the sanctuary, while Emily and I sat in a pew. We had trouble finding parking so Dan dropped Emily and me off and brought Erin later. I don't know if Emily behaved better without her sister to egg her on (Erin's usually the one who starts things) or if she just liked having my attention and being in the Ergo. Either way, she spent most of Mass playing with the medal and cross on the chain I wear and teething on my scarf, and fell asleep during the consecration. I think it was the most focused I'd been at Mass since Emily and Erin were born, though I did find my mind momentarily wandering to the sad day when both babies will be too big for Ergo front carrying.

 

I love the story in the Gospel reading today about how Thomas wouldn't believe Jesus until he saw the wounds with his own eyes and felt them with his own hands. Faith is about so much more than believing because we see the proof of God's existence. It's about believing God is there even when He doesn't seem obvious. I saw a wonderful quote from Pope Francis the other day where he talked in a homily about trying to complain less, because when we're complaining about what goes wrong, we're closing ourselves in and distancing ourselves from Jesus. We focus on the concrete details; the driver that cut us off and the irritating interaction with another person. Our lives begin to revolve around those same negative thoughts. Thinking that way doesn't leave any room for the beauty of true faith in God. Thomas' doubts about Jesus are well known, and I think most of us hear the story and imagine that we would react differently, that we too would believe. But how often do we actually look for God in our day-to-day struggles? Do we just notice His perceived absence?

 

One of my favorite songs is by George Strait, "I Saw God Today," about a man seeing the beauty of God when he steps out of the hospital after his daughter is born. The refrain fits in pretty well with today's Gospel:

 

"I've been to church
I've read the book
I know he's here
But I don't look
Near as often as I should
Yeah, I know I should
His fingerprints are everywhere
I just slowed down to stop and stare
Opened my eyes and man I swear
I saw God today..."

 

Faith is about more than just knowing God exists. It's about allowing Him to enter every aspect of our lives, and seeing His fingerprints in the midst of the chaos and despair that so often penetrate our days. I know I have a lot of work to do in this area. It's easy, at least for me, to get caught up in the details of the day and feel as though I'm alone, like Jesus is taking a breather for the afternoon. But to sum up Pope Francis' wise words, we're really only alone if we choose to feel that way. God is there - we just have to open our eyes and our hearts to His presence.

 

I'm linking up with Fine Linen and Purple for What I Wore Sunday! Head on over to check out Kendra and Henry's adorable coordinating outfits!