In this episode of the Bad Catholic Podcast, my sister Lisa and I discuss embracing divine detours and the unexpected growth and healing they can bring. Previously, I shared how we spontaneously decided to take a trip to Medjugorje. What we thought would be a casual day trip during our vacation in Croatia became something much more. And now we realize, it’s just one of the multiple divine detours we’ve found ourselves on together.

These detours aren’t just physical journeys; they’re unexpected spiritual paths that bring you face-to-face with old guilt, push you to reflect, and help you grow. Today, I want to dive deeper into the lessons we learned on our divine detours, and if you’ve ever struggled with guilt or felt distant from your faith, I hope these reflections resonate with you.

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Acknowledging and Embracing Guilt

One of the most liberating lessons from our Medjugorje trip was the necessity to acknowledge guilt rather than evade it. Lisa and I carried a burden of guilt from past family trips where, in hindsight, we hadn’t been as patient or grateful as we should have been.

Rome

Take our 2007 trip to Rome, for example. Our dad was deep in his diaconate formation. While we thought the trip was supposed to be a family vacation, it turned out to be more about worship than sightseeing. At the time, Lisa and I were young(er) and pretty selfish—we complained the whole time, upset that we didn’t get to see much outside of church walls. It’s a memory we carried for years, feeling guilty for not appreciating the experience.

Fatima

Then, in 2019, just a few years before our trip to Medjugorje, we went with our parents to Fatima, Portugal—a pilgrimage that meant everything to them. Our mom had promised Our Lady of Fatima that if our dad was healed from his terminal heart failure, she would bring him there. Fifteen years later, she kept that promise. But instead of being fully present, Lisa and I became impatient again. We were eager to move on, while our parents wanted to soak in every moment. Looking back, we felt the weight of that guilt all over again.

The Christmas Miracle

Lisa also struggled with guilt tied to a family miracle. When our dad was diagnosed with congestive heart failure, our mom prayed for a sign that he’d be healed, asking for something extraordinary—snow on Christmas Day in South Texas. And it snowed! But Lisa, at the time, doubted the miracle, which left her feeling like a “bad Catholic” and a terrible daughter for questioning it.

Medjugorje taught us that guilt is a natural part of life’s divine detours. Instead of running from it, we need to face it, accept it, and let it guide us toward healing.

Reflecting on Our Divine Detours

Realizing that our previous experiences were also divine detours- just ones we chose to ignore- reflection became an essential part of processing our trip to Medjugorje. It gave us the space to step back and see the bigger picture, to understand why we felt the way we did and what those experiences taught us.

If you’re struggling with guilt or reflecting on your divine detours, here are a few questions you might want to ask yourself:

– What specific moments are triggering feelings of guilt?

– How have these experiences impacted my life or faith journey?

– What lessons can I take away from them?

Taking time to reflect helps you loosen guilt’s grip and gain clarity. We found that expressing how we felt and releasing our emotions helped us begin to understand the spiritual lessons behind our divine detours.

Small Steps Forward on the Path of Growth

Here’s another insight we gained: Personal growth is not an instant transformation. Whether it’s a journey of faith or self-discovery, progress is made through small, consistent steps. These divine detours—Rome, Fatima, Medjugorje—were stepping stones in our spiritual growth.

I’ve realized that even just a few minutes of prayer, reflection, or quiet time each day can have a profound effect over time. So, if you’re feeling stuck or weighed down by guilt, try incorporating small spiritual practices into your daily routine. For my sister, that has meant reading or watching anything positive or inspirational. (Wayne Dyer is her personal favorite.) For you, that can mean attending a faith-based event or listening to a podcast that resonates with your journey. The key is consistency—those small efforts build momentum and lead to meaningful change.

Accepting Imperfection: A Key Lesson from Our Divine Detours

One of the most freeing things we discovered on our Medjugorje trip was this: None of us are perfect, and that’s okay. Perfection isn’t the goal—progress is. It’s easy to feel like you’re failing at being a good daughter, a good Catholic, or even just a good person, but those feelings only trap us in a cycle of guilt.

Our divine detours helped us see that it’s not about being flawless. Mistakes are part of life’s journey. They’re how we learn and grow. Instead of beating ourselves up for past shortcomings, we’ve learned to embrace imperfection and trust that forgiveness from ourselves and God is always within reach.

Gratitude and Self-Compassion: Essential Tools for Moving Forward

We also discovered the power of gratitude and self-compassion on our divine detours. Gratitude, especially, helped shift our mindset. Instead of focusing on where we fell short, we focused on what was going right. It enabled us to soften the guilt and let us appreciate the moment we were in rather than being stuck in the past.

Self-compassion is equally crucial. It’s easy to be hard on yourself when you’re feeling guilty, but what if you treated yourself the way you would treat a struggling friend? Being kind to yourself can make a significant difference. When guilt starts to surface, remind yourself of your strengths and how far you’ve come.

Staying Connected on Your Divine Detours

Finally, one of the most important lessons from our divine detours was staying connected with others. Whether it’s family, close friends, or a faith community, having people who understand your journey makes all the difference. They offer support, encouragement, and a sense of accountability as you work through your guilt and continue to grow.

The combination of family support, honest and open conversations, and shared experiences helped us along the way. Whatever your journey looks like, know you don’t have to go alone.

Final Thoughts on Our Divine Detours

Rome, Fatima, and Medjugorje weren’t just trips—they were divine detours that led us to confront our guilt, reflect on our lives, and grow spiritually. I hope these reflections encourage you to embrace your divine detours, whatever they may be, and to find faith, forgiveness, and peace as you move forward.

XO,
Trish

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Show Notes

Episode Description

In this episode of Bad Catholic, host Trisha and her sister Lisa recount how their spontaneous trip to Croatia took an unexpected turn after watching the documentary Apparition Hill, which inspired them to detour to the pilgrimage site of Medjugorje, known for its Marian apparitions.

They share the excitement, emotional and physical challenges, and wondrous moments they experienced—like the scent of roses filling their car and the profound peace they felt while praying. Yet, their pilgrimage also stirred memories of past divine detours to Mexico City, Rome, and Fatima—experiences they now regret not fully appreciating. 

One of the most pivotal moments they reflect on is their father’s miraculous healing from terminal congestive heart failure 20 years ago—a moment of grace neither sister truly acknowledged as a miracle at the time. Instead of seeing it as a blessing, they moved on as if nothing had changed. Now, they carry the pain of how they handled such a significant moment in their family’s history.

With unfiltered honesty, Trisha and Lisa grapple with feelings of guilt, admitting for the first time—both to themselves and each other—that they not only felt like bad Catholics but also bad daughters. It’s a painful admission that they wrestle with throughout the episode, as they reflect on how their younger selves failed to recognize the magnitude of those experiences.

Now, both sisters feel a renewed calling to deepen their relationship with God, committed to continuing their spiritual journey in the hope of growing in faith and making amends for past mistakes.

This episode offers a sincere, heartfelt exploration of imperfect faith, spiritual growth, and the life-changing impact of divine detours—sure to resonate with anyone coming to terms with their own imperfection.

Here’s a peek at what we cover:

• 00:13 Welcome to the Bad Catholic Podcast
• 00:48 The Medjugorje Journey Begins
• 01:39 Discovering Medjugorje
• 02:20 The Adventure to Medjugorje
• 05:54 Arriving in Medjugorje
• 08:07 Reflecting on Spiritual Experiences
• 13:25 Struggles with Faith and Guilt
• 19:45 Seeking Miracles and Spiritual Growth
• 22:10 Looking Forward to Future Pilgrimages