As we strive to bring the Catholic faith back into dominance in the public sphere, it is essential that we not only study and spread the robust theological and political aspects of the faith, but also the literary and poetic. It is apparent that the vast majority of artistic expression these days is little more than filth designed to take the viewers’ attention away from the good, true and the beautiful. Blatant sexualization, atheism, relativism and nihilism are being put before our nations, and is it therefore a surprise that the populus reflects these very values? No, rather it is the case that in order to combat this, we must familiarize ourselves with the great works of the past in order to understand what it is to live in a Catholic culture, and through that understanding, begin to bring it about.
I have no memory of a time where there was a consensus on how the world operated. It has also been the case in my life that I have had to figure out which of the many competing ideologies has the best claim on reality. A people is reflected by the art it produces, we produce art which is very confused. It still holds on to some sort of moral code but it cannot answer why, besides saying “It’s the right thing to do” with no argumentative backing. Thanks be to God for this, for he does not let us fall too far from the natural law. But the wonderful thing is that the Church, as well as Her sons and daughters, have spent thousands of years giving us their collective wisdom to answer this all-important, why? But we must as Catholics be willing to take whatever time we are able to study our tradition, and this tradition is not just limited to the great theological treatises of the time. It also includes the stories, poems, myths, and songs of the Church and even of some pagans. For God contains within Himself all things that are good, all things that are true, and all things that are beautiful, nothing is good apart from Him. Therefore, if we see in others the virtues of our Catholic faith, we can take that and use it for ourselves.
To list a couple of examples, one sees in the virtuous pagan epic poets, especially Homer, give an affirmation of the masculine values that we are sorely lacking in our generation. This is especially true with honor. I find that many people I talk to do not regard their promises as worth much of anything. And making any sort of oath is almost laughable to our generation. But in Homer we see that honor is part of what defines us as men, it is what allows trust in those around us. For with honor, we know that there are certain lines that good men are not willing to cross, this also allows us to easily separate bad men from the good.
We find in the Greek philosophers, Plato and Aristotle particularly, a certainty in the order of nature towards the good. Virtue exists and it is derived from the divine, and there are certain actions which drive us either away from participation in the divine, or closer to it. While the philosophers may have lacked what has been revealed to us Catholics, they still possess a strong grasp on the importance of virtue, and on the importance of the rational. Rationality should be a corner stone of any functional culture. As we no longer have a functional culture, we see that reason is not only sorely lacking in modern discourse, but also in our own individual lives. Consumerism despises reason. As the goal of reason is creating an ordered and examined life, this sort of life is not particularly open to the impulsiveness that is encouraged in order to make this consumeristic economy tick. However, these pagans, though flawed, can help us reestablish control over our lives, free from the influence the culture around us.
The final example I wish to bring up is that of the greatest Catholic epic poet, Dante. Dante, more than any other Catholic poet, shows us what the Christian imagination is capable of. He gives us a holistic understanding of the past, with a blending of pagan imagery, and a thoroughly Catholic view reality which is somehow able to bring together the two contradictory worlds and make them whole in Mother Church.
The Church has always been willing to baptize the culture around it. While She is a heavenly institution, She has a mission on earth to convert all peoples, and She can bring the worst of sinners and turn them into the greatest of saints. Though without Her guidance we will surely be swallowed up in the muck which we find ourselves in now. I would recommend to everyone to read the whole of the divine comedy (Inferno, Purgatory, Paradise) as they best show what heights Catholic literary expression can reach.
As St. Thomas Aquinas stated, “Among all human pursuits, the pursuit of wisdom is more perfect, more noble, more useful, and more full of joy.” I implore you, dear reader, devote yourself as much as you are capable to this pursuit. In order to fight for the preservation of our culture and Faith, which is under constant assault as our Lord predicted, we must understand what we are fighting for. And through this understanding we develop a greater love towards that which is lovable. What sets us as Catholics apart from the rulers of darkness of this age is that we do not fight full of hatred towards those who came before us as they do, but rather we are called to action through love of our culture, our ancestors, and most essentially our Church. Learn what you are fighting for, study the great books of the past. For love requires a beloved, and if you claim to love our Culture and our Church but do not understand them, what are you loving if not your own image of the past.
Pray for me and thank you for your time.