By Marc Massery
Turn to any page of St. Faustina’s Diary and you find spiritual gems, like this one:
Jesus: Do not be absorbed in your misery — you are still too weak to speak of it — but, rather, gaze on My Heart filled with goodness, and be imbued with My sentiments. … when you feel your strength failing, if you come to the fountain of mercy to fortify your soul, you will not grow weary on your journey (Diary, 1486).
Have you ever heard the phrase “you are what you eat?” This implication holds true when it comes to the type of media you consume.
If you ingest a steady diet of news feeds, TV shows, video games, raunchy movies, and pop music, chances are you're going to feel miserable. You're not meant to consume media that glorifies promiscuity, dishonesty, and other forms of debauchery. If consuming immoral media doesn’t consciously affect your moral decision making, it’s sure to seep into your subconsciouses. One good way to judge whether a certain form of media is appropriate is to ask yourself: “Would I watch or listen to this with my pastor or with my parents?”
Of course, you need to have fun. Thankfully, there are good television shows, video games, movies, and music that reflect the good, truth, and beauty of God. You should stick to those. In this digital world, you have so much to choose from. Of course, too much of even quality entertainment can lead to problems, too.
That’s why you need to regularly consume Christ. You can do this by going to Mass, praying the Rosary and the Divine Mercy Chaplet, meditating on Scripture, listening to pious music, and reading holy books. When you consistently turn to Christ to fill you up, misery won’t get the best of you. As St. Paul says, “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things” (Phil 4:8).
The more you consume Christ, the more you become like Him. The more you become like Him, the more He can transform your misery into blessing. So, if today you feel your strength failing, consider whether you’ve been consuming junk or consuming Christ. You might just need an extra helping of the Lord.
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Photo by Glenn Carstens-Peters on Unsplash
