“The world offers you comfort, but you were not made for comfort, you were made for greatness.”

This quote is often attributed to Pope Benedict XVI, even though he never said those exact words. What does greatness mean? We often identify greatness with achievements — winning first place, getting a high score, making a lot of money, being great at something. There is physical greatness, such as sporting achievements and healthy living. There is mental greatness, being smart and collecting knowledge. But these were not the things that made America a great nation. America was built by the moral and spiritual greatness of its citizens. We devote an awful lot of time and energy to physical greatness through sports and mental greatness through education. But moral or spiritual greatness gets very little attention. We have forgotten how important it is to build character, to become great human beings.

There is an old traditional saying in the Catholic Church:

If the parish priest is a Saint, his people will be holy;
If the priest is holy, his people will be good;
If the priest is good, his people will be lukewarm;
If the priest is lukewarm, his people will be bad;

And if the priest is bad, his people will be horrid.

Now, there isn’t exactly a one-to-one relationship between priest and people. Some people will be holy, and even saints, regardless of how bad their priest is. And some parishioners are bound to be horrid no matter how good their priest is. But generally speaking, the pastor sets the tone and climate of the church, and people tend to follow his or her lead. Pastors cannot ask more from their people than they themselves are willing to give.

Parents have the same moral and spiritual leadership within their families. The Bible says, “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. ‘Honor your father and mother’ (this is the first commandment with a promise), ‘that it may be well with you and that you may live long on the earth.’ Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.” (Ephesians 6:1-4)

You cannot direct people towards being excellent human beings with “discipline and instruction” if you don’t know the ideal we are shooting for. Most cultures have worked hard to teach their children how to live a good life. Young people would learn the history of their tribe and the expectations that came with being a Spartan or a Mohawk or a Viking. Heroes of old (usually a mix of real and legendary) were put forward as inspiring examples of these ideals in action. Past generations knew that the quality of a democratic society, and indeed any society, depends on the virtue and moral character of the populace. It was essential for the health of society to raise quality human beings. Children’s reading primers from the 1800s were filled with moral lessons meant to teach virtues such as honesty, industriousness, and thrift. Young people in general, and young men in particular, had a clear sense of who they were and what was expected of them.

For some reason, this world of clear expectations has faded into our past. “You can be whatever you want to be,” is the modern answer. Apparently, our society is willing to coddle a lot of mediocre men, because, without a clear sense of the goal we are shooting for, it’s virtually impossible to be great just by accident. I think this lack of mission and purpose drives a lot of selfish and immature behavior and also a deep sense of dissatisfaction. People stumble about pursuing things that aren’t truly good.

Fortunately, Christians have been given the perfect example of greatness. Jesus is the “golden measure” of a truly great human being. We can also look to spiritual giants, men and women who lived truly excellent lives, such as Pierre Toussaint, Black Elk, Katherine Drexel, or Desmond Doss. Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “Sow a thought and you reap an action; sow an act and you reap a habit; sow a habit and you reap a character; sow a character and you reap a destiny.” The destiny of America depends on the character of her citizens. Are you living an excellent life of virtue, or a mediocre life of comfort?
 
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Fr. Joel Sember is a Catholic priest and local pastor of St. John the Evangelist and SS. Mary & Hyacinth, Antigo; St. Wenceslaus, Neva; and SS. James & Stanislaus, White Lake. His book, Oriens 2024: A Pilgrimage Through Advent and Christmas, is available now at Amazon.com. You can find him online at www.PilgrimPriest.us and on the Antigo Area Catholic Churches YouTube channel.

Published in the Antigo Daily Journal 15 Nov 2024. [image source]