The Catholic Wife

When the Modern Serves the Timeless

by Rachel Hayden

Life in the 21st century is undeniably crazy. Regardless of where we live, what we do, and who we know, we are constantly pounded with tidbits of pop culture that zip into our ears, sneak into our eyes, and imbed themselves in our already over-taxed brains. What is up with Brittney Spears? When are Brad and Angelina going to have their twins? Who will be the next American Idol? Filtering out the secular world of money, skin, and sin takes a concerted effort. But 21st century technology, with all its confusing buttons/knobs/touchpads and manuals the size of the Manhattan phone book, allows us to filter OUT the junk just as easily as we allow it to seep in. In fact, 21st century technology allows us to surround ourselves with faith-filled, inspirational, and moving entertainment if we only seek it out. What, exactly, do I mean?

Television
Our TV is 32” of never-ending entertainment for my husband. With a lifelong love of Star Trek, alien movies, bad 70s Bigfoot films, and Fred Sanford, my husband finds great joy in television. Except for a few shows that I dearly love from my childhood (Little House on the Prairie and The Wonder Years), I am really lukewarm on TV. I find myself having it on for noise background way too often. When the TV is on, it’s sex on Grey’s Anatomy, sex on The Real World, sex on the news, sex on commercials – whatever is on, it is probably about sex! But there is a little beacon of light out there in the channel lineup, probably somewhere in between HGTV and SoapNet called EWTN. I will be honest and say that I love EWTN greatly. I have a deep affinity for Mother Angelica. It is where I first discovered the Chaplet of Divine Mercy in song, which I find to be one of the most beautiful and comforting prayers in my Catholic life (for a link to it, please check out my main page.) I have learned more about the life of Christ, saints, popes, Church history, and apologetics through resources offered by EWTN than through any other avenues. However, because we only have EWTN on the main TV, which is in the strict domain of my husband (who is currently a politics junkie and removing the TV remote from his hand is like removing a steak from a starving lion), I rely on other avenues to be spiritually fed. That leads me to….

iPod
One of the greatest inventions of the modern age (besides air conditioning) is the iPod. Add to that the amazing little digital file that is the podcast and you find yourself with never-ending sources of entertainment. I love podcasts! Through iTunes, I subscribe to many (all completely free), including all of the programs that I love on EWTN but don’t always get to watch, such as Mother Angelica Classics, The Journey Home, Threshold of Hope, and Sunday Night Live. I also subscribe to the Rosary Army Podcast, homilies by Father Dave Dwyer, and others. While I do homework, I often listen to podcasts. To help me sleep at night, I listen to beautiful, prayerful music that is loaded on my beloved iPod Nano. My iPod is filled with joyful and prayerful music. And because I’m a country girl at heart, I love a series of CDs called Solitudes, which combines nature sounds with instrumental music.

Radio
Sirius Satellite Radio has two channels – The Catholic Channel and EWTN. Both offer great programming and allow me to think about God on my way to work. For those without satellite radio, seek out your local Catholic radio station. Chances are that there is one around. Its probably going to be on the AM dial and will probably not come in all that well, but if it’s the only way to hear such great broadcasters as Dr. Ray and Al Kresta, it’s worth listening to a little AM fuzz.

Magazines/Reading material
Throw down that “O” magazine (don’t even get me started on Oprah), toss aside that Cosmopolitan, and pick up a Catholic magazine. There are many out there to choose from. No, you won’t learn a new technique for kissing your husband that will knock his pants off. But you may learn a better way of loving and caring for your husband that will knock his socks off.

Websites
There are hundreds of thousands of websites out there for Catholics. Some are designed to deceive Catholics into lies about the faith but most, like this one, are designed to share the beauty of a life in Christ through His Church. Seek out those sites that can edify you…and check back often!

Quiet time
No, quiet time is not a sleek, 21st century piece of technology. In fact, it’s the antidote to that. But with all this technology and all these resources, it’s easy to get overloaded. Many of us cannot imagine a house without the noise of TV/radio/music. Perhaps you’re filled to capacity by the constant noise that surrounds you. If that is the case, it is time to find a quiet spot. Mine is here at my little dining nook turned study table, where I write articles, do homework, email, and plan out my daily life. Directly across from me is a beautiful crystal cross from my godmother/RCIA sponsor, a small porcelain statue of Our Lady, a Divine Mercy image, a small crucifix, several rosaries, and my baptismal candle. When the whole world is roiling in my ears, I can shut the door, light a candle, turn on my little water fountain, and sit in my rocking chair. Life is still waiting for me both at my table and outside the study room door but I know it can wait a little while. For a while, I know it’s okay to sit back, close my eyes, and rock. I can pray fervently or I can avoid thinking altogether. As women, we often struggle with getting our minds to quiet down. I lie awake into the early morning hours quite often simply because I cannot turn my mind off. But deep breathing, a little (or a lot) of prayer, and a wonderful rocking chair can work wonders.

The important thing to remember is that, to make our lives as holy as possible, we have to make sure we are surrounding ourselves with things that are positive. The saying, “Garbage in, garbage out” is very true. How can we lead lives that honor Christ if we are watching/listening to/reading things that would offend Him? And no, I’m not recommending we all disconnect ourselves from the electric grid and live like the Amish. We are all modern women living in a very modern world. But we are trying to learn and emulate lessons taught over 2000 years ago. If listening to a podcast about the Beatitudes gives us a little time to pause and thank Jesus for His message, or watching Mother Angelica helps us to understand Jesus’ sacrifice in a different way, modern technology can truly serve an ancient purpose. Besides, we all know that the love of God and the power of the Holy Spirit to speak to us has no limitations. Not even a really confusing remote control can stop Him!