Catholic Kermit

When the public cries for more reports on “faith” topics, I can always count on 20/20 to sieze any opportunity to make Catholics into a “freak show.”  Today’s 2-hour special was called “Seeing and Believing: The Power of Faith.”  As soon as I heard Diane Sawyer’s voice, I knew the extremes of our faithful would be found and exploited with “Cloistered Monasteries” and “Exorcisms.”  The show can be seen on their website (if you hurry!).  The exorcism part was OK, but the monastery piece made those sisters (the Poor Clares in New Mexico) look so brainwashed, it hurt to watch.  Diane Sawyer was embarrassing to watch with her insulting questions like “celibacy in 2007?” and “do you really think your prayers make a difference in the world?”  Her shock and cluelessness when confronted with a committed faith was both sad and comical.  That “anti-vocation” piece should be shown at “vocation awareness” retreat to illustrate how “the world” tries to discredit the consecrate life with “the world’s” juvenile perspective.  Most are not called to live the monastic life (I can’t do all that!).  This community is just one out of hundreds of different religious orders and we’re each called to respond in “our” way.  I thank God for them and I hope their prayers help me better discern my response.  (I found a blog about the sisters here)