Christ the King Church
  • Home
    • Staff
    • Links
  • Bulletin
  • Parish News
    • Homilies
    • Parish Blog
    • Welcome
  • Ministries
    • Ministry Schedules
  • Sacraments
    • Baptism
    • Confirmation
  • Religious Education
    • CCD >
      • Catechist's Corner
    • Prayers
    • MERIT - for Special Needs
    • Columbus Catholic Schools
  • Youth Ministry
    • Adventure Camp
    • Serving the Community >
      • Rotary Winter Wonderland

From the Desk of Father Martin - December 2, 2018

12/5/2018

0 Comments

 
Picture
Praised be Jesus Christ! Once in a while I come across a quote that strikes a chord and so I save it for either a homily or an article. Given that it’s winter and people are more inclined to curl up with a good book, the following quote issues a timely reminder: “The art of not reading is a very important one. It consists in not taking an interest in whatever may be engaging the attention of the general public at any particular time. When some political or ecclesiastical pamphlet, or novel, or poem is making a great commotion, you should remember that he who writes for fools always finds a large public. A precondition for reading good books is not reading bad ones: for life is short,” (Arthur Schopenhauer). This insight rings true in that we need the gift of discernment if we’re to ultimately grow in wisdom and love. In the case of his quote, the main point is that for every good book there are many that are not and read- ing them would be at best a waste of time. Let me provide one recent example in my life: A friend passed on to me the book All the Light that We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr. After thoroughly enjoying that book sometime later I found myself in a Barnes and Noble bookstore and there in the middle of the store was an attractive display featuring Doerr’s book. Next to it was a new release titled The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins. The display said that if you enjoyed Doerr’s book you were sure to find the Hawkins book downright delightful. I fell for it hook, line and sinker. The Girl on the Train was a trashy book that I should have stopped reading many times (I did confess it later on). But sometimes we get sucked in and then the unhealthy curiosity in us takes over, wanting to know how it ends and who does what to whom. Read- ing trash is like eating junk food – it’s fun for a while but later on one feels dirty and unhealthy. And as Schopenhauer points out, our life on earth is finite, so why spend a moment of our limited time on garbage when there is so much greatness to consume? The ancient Greek pedagogy for education was to put a child’s mind in contact with the transcendentals of goodness, beauty, and truth, believing these realities to be formative of a person’s mind, heart, and soul. If you are not a reader, there are other sources of these things: great films, beautiful music and time spent in the great outdoors. If you are a reader, developing the skill of discern- ment leads us to material that ennobles us while simultaneously protecting us from the kind of bad ideas that damage us in ways that sometimes only later on become apparent. My parents were protective of what we watched on TV because they rightly under- stood that the innocence God gives children can easily be dam- aged. Living in a world that grants access to terrible images and ideas just by clicking a mouse button means that we must be all the more vigilant. This is never easy, especially when there are parents who abdicate their moral authority and allow their children to watch whatever they want. Our children are influenced by this and it will cost us if we’re going to establish a higher standard. Some years ago an article took issue with the mantra, “It’s not that bad” that we hear so often as a justification for the garbage we watch, listen to, or read. The response was an intriguing one: what if your Mom ran out of chocolate chips while baking cookies and decided instead to just mingle in a little of the canine fecal matter that she resourcefully found in the yard? It would only be a small amount and the rationalization of “It’s not that bad” she hoped would still be convincing . . . would you eat those cookies?! But without the gift of a moral compass (i.e. a well-formed con- science) we essentially eat these cookies when we indulge ideas and images that lead us away from God. Schopenhauer was right about life being short – let’s help our children use their limited time on earth in a way that best prepares them for eternity with God.

May God lead us to sources of goodness, beauty, and truth, and may He protect us from their many counterfeits!

Your friend in Christ, Father Martin 

​
0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    MASS SCHEDULE
      Tuesday - Friday: 8:00 AM
      Saturday: 4:00 PM
      Sunday: 8:00 AM & 10:00 AM

    RECONCILIATION
    ​   Saturday:  3:15 - 3:45 PM
    OFFICE HOURS
    ​   Monday - Thursday: 8:30 AM – 5:00 PM
       Friday:  8:30 AM – 12:30 PM​​

    Stay Connected with Our Parish

    Welcome from Our Pastor

    Picture
    Welcome to Christ the King Catholic Church!  Ever since 1938 this parish has been assisting souls in their quest for deeper union with God.  Our mission statement is essentially found in the stained glass window above the main altar:  “For Christ our King.”  Insofar as God made us and we belong to Him, we have come to... Read More

    Archives

    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015

    Categories

    All
    Catholic News
    Faith Formation
    Homilies
    Parish News
    Pastor's Desk
    Youth Ministry

    RSS Feed

All photos and videos on this site are used with permission. Unauthorized duplication, in whole or in part, is strictly prohibited.
​Copyright © 2020 Christ the King Parish. All Rights Reserved.

Mailing address:  306 S. LaSalle St, Spencer, WI 54479
(715) 659-4480