Where Do We Go from Here?

Posted on January 9, 2011 by Father Joe

Television, which mirrors and also forms so many of our ideas and behavior patterns, has vividly shown the shift in family values. Programs like “Father Knows Best,” “Leave It to Beaver,” and “Make Room for Daddy” are a far cry from “The Simpsons,” “Married with Children,” and “Murphy Brown.” A sign of hope is that a number of shows are returning to the older format and even go a step further by explicitly bringing in religious faith. I am thinking, in particular, about the short-lived but popular “Christy,” and the more viable “Touched by an Angel” and “Seventh Heaven.” But, we must be wary of the media that trusts more in profits than in prophets. If we want strong traditional families, then America must rediscover her soul. Statistics verify that families attending regular Sunday worship usually stay together and find contentment. Frequently, they are happier than those who have more money and material things. Many successful families also limit the amount of television they watch; parents review the music to which the children listen; they actively participate in their religious formation; and they pray together. They make family and not work or hobby the center of their lives. It is here where they find God. Regarding the flip side, children are increasingly bringing parents back to God and the Church, evidence of a mysterious movement of the Holy Spirit.