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Photo by Juan Pablo Lara on Unsplash
Who are you wearing?
I was at a church potluck yesterday. I sat by my friend. She leaned forward and I noticed three medals around her neck.
“Who are you wearing?”
It’s the exact same question asked of celebrities on the red carpet. How funny!
She was wearing Saint Sharbel and Saint Benedict, by the way.
And best of all, the Holy Face of Jesus from the Shroud of Turin!
Questions of faith
As Catholics, instead of asking each other what fashion designer we’re wearing, in a sense we get to ask:
- What hero are you honoring?
- What title of Our Lady are you leaning on for support?
- What's on your heart today?
Instead of “what fashion designer?,” this Catholic what-are-you-wearing is a question of "How are you relating to the Designer of Life today?".
Just like on the red carpet where celebrities dress in accordance with the season of the year or the theme of an event, our medals can cycle with the liturgical calendar…
E.g. Sacred Heart jewelry on First Fridays, Marian jewelry on Saturdays, medals corresponding with the month’s dedication (e.g. the Immaculate Heart in August), and so on.
And of course, like timeless styles don't go out of fashion, any Catholic medal or scapular, etc, can be worn any day of the year.
Searching for stars
I spent a lot of time as an adolescent idolizing various pop stars. They may have been fascinating, talented, and hardworking women. But just like me, they weren’t saints.
How privileged we are as Catholics that we can point each other—and especially the children and adolescents in our lives—to the real stars who can help guide us!
The pop stars don’t know our names, can’t intercede for us, and pop in and out of popularity and relevance.
We know what the saints can do. And above and beyond them, Our Lady.
Like stars, do the saints dot our map to point us to the true Sun, i.e. the Son.
May we pray to be numbered among them.
“He took him outside and said: Look up at the sky and count the stars, if you can. Just so, he added, will your descendants be.” Genesis 15:5 NABRE
Related reflections
On the famous: One Celebrity Acknowledged My Christmas Card
On saints: The Beatles & the Communion of Saints
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