In the inaugural installment in our series Catholic FTW, Spirit Juice team member Melinda lays out a personal confession: despite all of her good efforts, years of practice, and good intentions, she is chronically late for mass. Follow along with the series to hear more thoughts, observations, and reflections of related to being a Catholic in everyday life.

Most consumers purchasing athletic clothes aren’t exercising in them at all; they are taking part in a fashion trend often called “athleisure”, because the aforementioned athletic clothes are often worn by people who aren’t working out. For instance, the Wall Street Journal found that sales of yoga apparel grew approximately 45% in 2013, but yoga participation that same year only grew 4.5%. In many social circles, it has already become the norm to wear athleisure clothes in everyday situations, and one could an analogous connection between a half-hearted spiritual life and the symbolic nature of portraying one’s self as active. Projection versus reality, passive facade versus beneficial behavior.

If you have had a child, have you found yourself playing the role of security guard, vetting the credentials of those who may access your newborn? However, when looking over the Nativity, strangers and those with little to no personal connection are part of a very intimate moment. But what was the significance of the shepherds at the Nativity? Why were shepherds, of all the people, invited to see Christ following His birth? The answer might be more significant than you think.