Father
Groeschel: Ongoing conversion in a confusing world
By
NADIA MARIA SMITH
CS&T Staff Writer
The beloved and well known Franciscan Friar of the Renewal Benedict Groeschel
made his third visit to Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church in Morton on
March 6. He led a Lenten night of recollection in honor of the parish’s
centennial anniversary.
An estimated 500 people attended the Eucharistic Holy Hour, in which Father
Groeschel gave an insightful reflection on developing virtue as the key
to ongoing conversion.
In his meditation, Father Groeschel talked about the sad state of affairs
in the present culture and how it poses a hardship for Catholics.
“We are all shaped by the world in which we live,” Father
Benedict began. “We are in a society in decline — the
family is under attack and has almost evaporated.... Today’s media
is a septic tank of toxic waste. In the middle of this collapse foretold
by the great prophetess of our times, Mother Teresa, who I heard say so
many times in the 30 years I knew her, that no culture can survive that
kills its own children, we are called to a continual conversion.”
How is that to happen? Developing virtue, Father Benedict says.
Learning from the Catholic giants such as St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Augustine
and St. Paul, as well as from the great philosophers, Aristotle and Socrates,
Catholics can discover a simple truth: Developing virtue will change your
life and make you a person of character and a true Christian witness.
Of course the most virtuous person who ever lived was Jesus Christ, and
He spent His life not only talking about virtue but living it, Father
Groeschel said. It was through that virtuous life, that to the world may
have seemed a failure, that God wrought our salvation, he said.
Therefore, Father Groeschel stressed, reading the Bible is key.
He explained that the cardinal virtues include temperance, prudence, justice
and fortitude and the theological virtues are hope, faith and charity.
The other virtues fall under those categories.
“Look at yourself and see what virtue could be strengthened,”
Father Groeschel said.
For those who aren’t sure: “The virtue of patience is a wonderful
place to start,” he said. Patience is “the ability and willingness
to put yourself in the other person’s shoes. It’s a gentle
virtue.”
Another virtue to consider is that of charity — the virtue
that “teaches us to help others on their way to salvation and teaches
us how to pray for our enemies.” And the virtue of faith, which
Father Groeschel called “a shining gift,” will lead us to
the Kingdom of God.
“If you know people who don’t have faith, you know how dreary
and dark their lives can be. Sometimes even in that darkness God sends
them a ray of light ... . Don’t give up on atheists. Tell them you
pray for them,” Father Groeschel said.
In the end, Catholics have to stand up for virtue, he said, both through
their own witness, but also by speaking out.
So much of what we see — whether television, films or fashion —
are directly attacking virtue, but “we are failing in our responsibility
to speak out against this evil,” Father Groeschel said.
He encourages Catholics to write letters of protest, boycott and use their
consumer power to take a stand.
He advises Catholics to develop virtue and speak up for it. “And
don’t worry; God is here and God will be here when it is all over.”
To learn more about Father Groeschel, his community and their work visit
www.franciscanfriars.com.
CS&T staff writer Nadia Maria Smith can be reached at npozo@adphila.org
or (215) 965-4614.