2 of 100 @Holy Trinity, Phoenixville

I don't understand my attraction to Holy Trinity, but it just feels like the most sacred place I have ever entered. A Polish church, built in the early 1900s, it's a different color and a different feel than the traditional Catholic churches I have attended. The statuary is more pronounced, and more colorful than in other places as well. There are some impressive frescos on the ceiling. It's a tough place to access these days - it had been twinned with another church in 1998, after looking at the possibility of being closed. But I made it a destination this afternoon, both for Chaplet #2, and in remembrance of my friend Lou Ann, who passed away last night.

Overcoming Doubts About the Devil

"he never sleeps, but ever goes about seeking whom he may devour" Thomas A Kempis, "Of The Imitation of Christ".

I don't remember when I stopped believing there was a Lucifer. It wasn't that I had proof of his non-existance, or that I had any specific reason, but I am certain I stopped. And any temptations, any troubles which might have been attributed to him (and there were a lot) were explained away with a casual "this is what happens". And to be honest, I have to admit I found some of the temptations quite enticing. Yeah, crazy, I know. Recurring motif.



So now - I don't know how to go from non-belief to possible belief, let alone full acceptance of the idea. There are things I believed in at one point in my life that have subsequently fallen onto the non-belief pile. And I don't believe anything on that list has ever made it back to the belief column. Even harder is listening to people attribute things to the devil, and struggling with the whole concept of understanding their conviction. Because I do not doubt their belief - I merely wish I had it.



There are some that belief the devil's greatest tactic is convincing us that he does not exist. That makes tremendous sense. It gives me pause to think that might have been what happened with me. Of course, that's today's thought. The shifts in my thinking as I have been returning to my Catholic roots scare me. One day things make perfect sense in a linear A-B-C kind of a way. And then, a new thought, a new idea, sends me scrambling.



I know some people who are so black and white on matters of faith. For them, things fall on this side, or that side, of some Christ inspired line of demarcation. I envy their clarity of thought. I might not necessarily agree with everything they say, but they have my utmost respect because they come at life with a soldly anchored belief structure. For me, a majority of things come with shades of gray.

1 of 100 - @ St. Ann's, Phoenixville, PA

Fittingly, the first chaplet is on New Year's Day, at St. Ann's Chapel, where I was probably one of the first altar boys. I'll look for the pics of the (laughingly) cherubic looking redhead that served with Father Griffin, Father Lavin and a few others back in the day.

I wanted to have a specific purpose to my prayers today, but I couldn't do it. I'm still searching for what is at the heart of this project. I know it is something specific, but what exactly that is remains elusive.

I always preferred St. Ann's Church to our Chapel. It's the classic vs. modern argument. Something about old stained glass, and marble altars. I am hoping to capture some pictures from their to share at one point.