Luceat!

I know–it’s an overly dramatic title, but I liked it because it sounded like a modern novel. However, what I would really like to briefly discuss is a reflection I heard this past weekend at a great retreat given by the CFRs to young adults in Florida.

One of the priests asserted that Jesus calls each of us to be a “participant and protagonist in human history.” He pointed out the effect of the “entertain me” culture that has caused many of us to live the life of a spectator, rotating between Ipods, YouTube videos, movies, tv shows, sports games, shows, etc. In these activities, our participation is merely passive or reactive. Our participation is, in a sense, instinctual; it does not employ the unique gift of human freedom. Entertainment is not bad in itself, but if it is the center of a lukewarm and unmotivated life, then we will quickly find that life to be dull and lackluster. We need to immerse ourselves in activities that engage our humanity, our personality, our intellect, and our will–activities that make us come alive. What does this look like? [not an exhaustive list, just a couple suggestions]

Serve others: Gaudium et Spes says that we can only find ourselves through a sincere gift of self. Those whom I admire as men and women of great character were also servant leaders. Through their selflessness they purified their base inclinations, gained a greater knowledge of themselves and humanity, and administered to the needs of Christ through helping His children. Their actions were intrinsically tied in to who they were, because those actions reflected the virtuous life and choices that a human is capable of attaining through God’s grace.

Have REAL conversations: Don’t just quote movies back and forth; discuss the characters, the plot, the moral implications of the protagonist’s actions, or how that work of art expresses something about culture, humanity, God, the truth, or yourself. Also, ask people sincerely how they are doing. Then, ask them specific questions about the things that they are intrigued by or love or hate. We are each called to be part of the human community. Take an active interest in the people around you. C. S. Lewis once said, “There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal. Nations, cultures, arts, civilizations–these are mortal, and their life is to ours as the life of a gnat. But it is immortals whom we joke with, work with, marry, snub, and exploit–immortal horrors or everlasting splendours.”

Pursue virtue heroically: In order to do this, you must seek to engage the world in which God placed you. If you really try to do this by working hard to live as Christ would in every little thing, you will discover that you are living an adventure. Sometimes the biggest mountains to climb may be the stairs to the front door of your school or office to persevere for another day. Sometimes the most frightening storms can be the emotions in your own heart or another’s that seek to unleash themselves in frustration upon the next person who comes along. Sometimes the fight for peace is battled out in your own heart as you struggle to find time to be quiet with Our Lord in a busy schedule. The Christian life is not boring. I once heard it said that if you are bored with life, it is probably because you are becoming boring [ouch!]–seek out the unique adventure towards greatness that Christ offers you.

I mentioned that we should each be a “protagonist.” What does a protagonist do in a story? He or she makes decisions and acts on them and, in doing so, changes the whole story and propels the plot forward to its climax and conclusion. A true hero also goes through personal growth and revelation. How do you live your life? Do you ask the Divine Author what His plans are for your life? Do you then act boldly in His service? Discern as best you can and then act, for Our Lord will guide you in your active struggle to become the person He created you to be. Chesterton notes, “Joan of Arc was not stuck at the cross-roads…She chose a path, and went down it like a thunderbolt.” In a similar strain, a friend once advised me, “God can’t move a parked car.” Our culture is obsessed with being busy for the sake of success or just to be as busy as the person next door. What modern man lacks is an understanding that we are not to “do” for the sake of action or material reward, we are to “be” and then our good actions and pursuits will flow out from who we are. Be a protagonist–become a heroic man or woman, and in doing so, God will write a beautiful story with your life.

This struggle between the spectator (who just does what everyone else does and may look busy, but is not authentically engaging his humanity in anything he does) and the protagonist (who lives aggressively in pursuit of ultimate goods) deeply affects our relationship with Our Lord. A relationship with Christ, and, especially, the power of the Sacraments are not magical or mechanical things. We cannot just show up to Church and have the graces we need downloaded into us like a cellphone being recharged when it is returned to its port. We must engage our freedom and choose to ask for the graces and receive them. The priest who spoke at my retreat said that the Sacraments are guaranteed opportunities for grace, BUT they require an authentic human response in order for them to be transformative for us personally. Our receptivity does not change the nature of the Sacrament (for example the power of the True Presence in the Eucharist), but our participation does change how the Sacrament will affect us interiorly. We are not simply the objects of redemption, we are participants in Christ’s redemptive act insofar as we accept the gifts offered to us.

Life is not a lazy river–you cannot just float in a circle and go neither forward nor backwards. Life is a powerful river and we, like the salmon, are meant to fight our way back to the source of the river of life and the place of our humble beginnings. We must fight against the undercurrents of our culture that seeks to sweep us away from our goal. You, my friends, cannot afford to be floating spectators of life in this journey. When the salmon are all fighting to swim upstream, you’ll notice that the only ones floating away with the current are the dead ones.

I’ll leave you with some final words from our beloved Pope Benedict:

“Fulfillment does not lie in comfort, ease, and following one’s inclinations but precisely in allowing demands to be made upon you, in taking the harder path. Everything else turns out somehow boring anyway. Only the person who recognizes and ideal he must satisfy, who takes on real responsibility, will find fulfillment.”