If you’ve ever prayed the rosary as a group, you may have noticed that not everyone prays at the same pace. Usually, this drives my OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder) crazy. However, recently, while we were praying the rosary I couldn’t help but laugh as our prayers were anything but together until the very end when every Amen seemed to be in unison. I couldn’t help but think how similar this is to our Faith life. As brothers and sisters in Christ we aren’t always at the same place in our spiritual journey. It matters less how we reach our goal, but that we reach it together, the goal of Heaven.
 
For example, it has become a bad stereotype that if you don’t dress nice for Mass, you aren’t a “good” Catholic. This fails to take into account that for some people, what they are wearing IS dressing up nicer. One of my best friends will come to Mass in nice jeans and a plain shirt and for her this is the equivalent to me wearing a dress. Some people may be unable to afford what we call our “Sunday best.” Some people truly don’t care what they wear to Mass, but this may or may not be associated with whether they are attending out of obligation or love.
 
In reality, it doesn’t matter what anyone else’s reason for their behavior is, because their story is not my story. Each and every person’s story is as unique as it is beautiful. We simply can’t judge or compare ourselves to other people in our lives. Whether or not we are judging them as better or worse than ourselves, it is wrong unless it leads to real conversion. For example, does seeing someone we consider a holy person cause us to put ourselves down, put them down as an unattainable religious fanatic, or do we instead see the beauty and strive for it ourselves. No matter what the situation, God is there, and where God is there is beauty.
 
Once again, it matters less how we finish, who of us was first and who was last, what matters is that we finish together and help each other out on the way. As Jesus says in the Gospel, the first shall be last and the last shall be first. Someone we see as less than ourselves may be far closer to God than we are.
 
If we are constantly trying to go at the same speed as those around us, we will miss our own “turn off.” Once again, our goal is to be a saint, but how we get there is different. Not only does God have a plan for us, but he has a second plan, third, fourth, fifth, hundredth plan as we make mistakes along the way. He re-plans and reroutes. He uses us to help lead one another on His path. Which means, we need to stop worrying about how fast our brothers and sisters are going on their own faith journey. We are called to be an example and encourage one another. We are not called to be the judge or put others down, as this only hinders our journey.
 
So travel together, I promise it is much easier. And no matter what speed you are going, rest assured, you are not alone. Someday soon, we hope to all be together in Paradise. Amen!