Last week a new video game came out. "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2" is a first person shooter game (where what you see on the screen is what the character is seeing). In Call of Duty you play the role of a soldier and are put into several scenarios with tasks that you have to accomplish. It is a pretty violent and bloody game but I did not hear a single bad review. So obviously, I had to go buy it for my X-Box 360. I spent several hours on Saturday playing it shooting things and blowing them up and getting aggravated when I couldn't find my way to accomplish my task.Fast forward to Sunday afternoon and I'm a small group leader at Senior High Youth Group. My small group of four high school boys is tasked with answering the question, "What do you do when you are faced with obstacles in your spiritual life." (For the record, that my have not been the exact phrasing).
I told my group that the spiritual life can be like MW2. You have an ultimate objective-a closer life with God but sometimes there all types of obstacles thrown in front of you. Satan is throwing everything he has at you trying to kill you and sometimes you run into a wall. Everything seems to be pointing in this direction but you are just stuck. You have to take a step back and look around. Rest and regroup. Look for a way around. Maybe use a different weapon.
Fortunately for us, the Catholic Church gives us everything we need to to help us in our spiritual journey. We are given a road map with the scriptures and the teachings of the magisterium. Through the sacraments we are given rest and nourishment. And weapons?? The church is an arsenal. The rosary isn't working for you?? Try the liturgy of the hours. If that one isn't working try the chaplet of divine mercy. If that's not working try another devotion. There are so many that you will never be unarmed.
Ultimately though, we have to trust in God. It is only through Him that we are going to reach our goal. We have all these weapons and guides at our disposal but in the end, it is only through the death and resurrection of Jesus that we are able to make it to Heaven.
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Hey, thanks for the blog. I am a Christian and have always been ignorant of many Catholic practices. Could you explain how the Rosary, Liturgy of the Hours, and Chaplet of Divine are used as an arsenal in spiritual life? I've heard of the rosary before, but never the other two. What is the proper use of these three for a serious and honest believer?
ReplyDeleteThanks!
Roger from Washington
My 12 year old wants the game (MW2). What is your opinion of it? We don't mind violence, even graphic violence, when there's a clear good and a clear bad at work. Is there anything "relative" in the game that might train the spirit in the wrong direction?
ReplyDeleteThanks.
Matt from St. Louis.