A Delicate Subject

By -

I know this is a delicate subject, but just roll with me on this . . .

At the beginning of this pandemic, everybody went crazy buying toilet paper.  The experts labeled this panic buying.  They said we had a herd mentality.  However you want to describe it, all I know is that we got stuck with 1-ply from the dollar store, thank you very much.

As things calmed down, we were finally able to procure the highly coveted 2-ply; it’s like going from Wonder Bread to a crusty Italian loaf.  You never really get used to the 1, but you tolerate it because it’s all there is. 

Which got me to thinking, “Why do we even have 1-ply?  Who’s buying this stuff anyway?”  The reality is, you go through 1-ply twice as fast as 2, so it’s not like you are saving any money, and besides—really—which one is less wasteful?

In the end, like a Tootsie Pop, the world may never know. (If you get the Tootsie Pop reference, you may be older than you’re admitting; if you don’t, check out the high-tech commercial here.)

Anyway, the toilet paper and tootsie pops are not really my point. 

My point is that on this Memorial Day when we remember those who have died in service to our country, we have gotten used to a lot of things—and we take a lot of things for granted. 

In fact, most of us are so spoiled that the only things we can complain about is toilet paper and our lengthening locks.  Many of us can pretty much go through an “ordinary” day and not give a second thought to our troops, whose days are not very “ordinary” at all.

Their “ordinary day” comes with a price tag, and that price tag is very high.

For those who have had someone in their family, or a friend, who died in the service, there is a heightened sense of the cost of keeping our country safe.

As we pray for the souls of those who lost their lives protecting our country, let us continue to pray for those in active duty, as well as those who have retired.  The world may never really know the extent to which their service has made it possible for you and I to have an “ordinary” day.

Let us be careful not to ever waste one.

Janet Cassidy
janetcassidy.blogspot.com
janetcassidy.blubrry.net

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Memorare

By Helen Gonsalves -
Image
This popular prayer, a favorite of many Catholics, dates back to the 15th century and takes its name from the first Latin word of the prayer, "memorare," which means "remember." The Memorare is of unknown authorship, although it has been attributed to St. Augustine (354-430), St. John Chrysostom (c. 347-407) and, with more reason, to St. Bernard of Clairvaux (c. 1090-1153). St. Bernard's sermons on Mary were famous, and it was his Cistercian monks in the monastery of Citeaux in the 12th century who popularized the name "Our Lady" for Mary. The Memorare has also been attributed to the French cleric Claude Bernard (1588-1641), known as the "poor priest" of Paris, whose homilies contain passages that echo its words. No matter who wrote this prayer, it was Father Bernard who did much to popularize it, teaching it in hospitals and prisons, where Mary's intercession was effective in working miracles of grace. The first manuscript of the Mem
Read more

The Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary

By -
Image
This is the image most often associated with the writings of the Belgian mystic Berthe Petit. She promoted devotion to the Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary. During my preparation for the retreat I am giving at the end of the month in Pantasaph, North Wales, I began reading a book by the late John Haffert (once the lay leader of the Blue Army of Fatima). His theory in the book, which speaks of God's "last effort" to convert the world before the coming chastisement, is that we are now living in the third or fourth "day" of the Fatima week. At this time, according to Haffert, we should be promoting devotion to The Immaculate Heart of Mary. I also consulted another book by Dr. Courtnay Bartholomew (whom I have been privileged to meet) which also speaks of the importance of this devotion, linking it with the writings and visions of the mystic Berthe Petit, and the importance of the full title of the Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart. These things will feature in
Read more

Why Modesty Is Not Subjective

By -
Image
Hi there, ya'll!  The modest fashion world is one very diverse place.  Even among Catholics, the definition of "modest apparel" can vary greatly from person to person.  Recently I joined a Facebook group that advertised itself as a haven for Catholic women of all ages to share ideas for modest style and makeup and was hoping to learn more about modesty from my fellow Catholic sisters.  After a few days of being a member, though, I sadly left the group feeling a bit discouraged.  No two members seemed to agree on ANY aspect of modesty whatsoever, and the prevailing theme of the whole group was that modesty is subjective, it means something different for each woman and each woman gets to decide what she considers is "modest".  One woman very emphatically declared that she wears bikinis every summer to the beach and doesn't feel that this violates the virtue of modesty in the least.  The same woman also announced that she was never going to caution her d
Read more