Action Heroes Out of Action

(This is response to Fr. Charle Pope's column, "It Happened on Our Watch," of May 25th, 2012 http://blog.adw.org/2012/05/it-happened-on-our-watch-as-seen-on-tv/)


IF our bishops were 1) to instruct all pastors to have daily Mass at an hour when people of working age can attend ( 7AM?) and to make Confession available before (during, when possible) and after Mass; as well as strongly urge their people to make plentiful use of these sacraments,  we would be adopting in our times the essential strategy that led to the the victory of the Israelites over Canaan.  They made themselves ritually pure, they prayed and offered sacrifice, and went into battle singing.  The Lord fought for them.  The battle is STILL the Lord's, and we have far better methods of purification and a far better Sacrifice.

Beyond that, our people are being de-catechized by the hour through mass media.  Since the way to victory is not  convincing anyone of anything ("Our task is not to produce convincing propaganda," said St Ignatius of Antioch), but rather SELF-SACRIFICE, isn't it time for priests and bishops to cleanse their rectories of the abomination of desolation (otherwise known as TV) and to urge their people to do the same?  People are more than ready for some leadership in this area.

To this the argument is, "People would never do it," but leadership consists in getting people to do what otherwise they would not.  We need to see the Catholic home cleaned up and to become the prayerful, peaceful, holy place that it should be.  From this would come all kinds of vocations to the priesthood and religious life.

The other well worn argument is that we cannot hide our heads in the sand like ostriches.  So then, we are seeing the world clearly, we are well-informed, well-instructed, strengthened in our faith, by watching TV?  No, we would be far better informed, more in tune with reality, by turning it OFF and throwing it out, and the sooner the better.  Without it we would not be the hyper-distracted, tempted, slothful action heroes that we are.  Just that one deed would do more to propel Catholics and their families into deeper sanctity than any other one (non-sacramental) deed they could do.  With deeper sanctity would come victory, for the Lord would fight for us.  But if we are not going to do ALL, neither is He.