I can understand why people (Catholics) who don't read much literature like Chesterton, but why do people who do? Intellectual content. Yes, there's good stuff there; maybe they feel he's the best they can hope for and still be Catholic. But there is Hopkins and Merton, and it's such fun to pick through the great morass of contemporary religious work. Endo's DEEP RIVER--very Catholic, but slightly suspect. I guess folks just want to feel at home, dance there.
Hollywood, of course, has no excuse, and it will eventually die; the lie of it.
Had a great moment coming out of St. Pete's after Adoration. I have this thing with photographed faces: covering each side of the person's face to see the other. It's often and public/private deat, the private being the one is more shadow. You can see all the pain, all the courage: stuff you miss if you look at the whole. (Linda is always encouraging me to do this, to tell her what I see.) Anyway, I'm coming past a statue of the Sacred Heart, and I see real pain on the face of Jesus, on my right side of his face (his left). So I tough it, want to assuage it (the way I often do with the face of JP II in a photo at school near the Theology Dept. But the weirdest thing happened this time. The face of Jesus changed somehow. There was gratitude in his face. The great King of the universe felt comforted by me! Anyone who knows me will tell you that I'm somewhat of a spiritual bumbler, like most of us are, I suppose.
I was shocked, really. It made me want to ease His pain more. (Chesterton's wonderful words about obedience in his play would be a great place to start!)
But I'd never felt how personal a moment could be with Him before. I hope I grow in that!
