The first thing that echoes in our hearts and minds on reading this fragmentary extract of Claret’s letter, are the words of Jesus:
“The children of this world are more astute in dealing with their own kind than are the children of light.” (Luke 16:8)
And the letter talks about something that is a lively and burning topic, as is the mass media. Fr. Claret not only noted the importance of the written word and of it being widely distibuted, but searched for means by which to bring it about, by founding the publishing house of the ‘Religious Bookstore.’
In these lines there is a tone of complaint.
“We could do more, and better”, they seem to say, or “Those who have interests less honest than ours find the means to enable their claims to be spread to the wider public, while we, on the other hand, are straggling behind”
Sometimes it happens that we don’t have an evangelical spirit or the dynamism or inner fire that Claret had, which would be noticed at the time we need to be on fire with enthusiasm in order to inflame others.
But the challenge is there, defying our creative imagination, our capacity to work with others and to combine forces in order that the evangelical word be spread by all the means that technology has put within reach of humanity. With humility and simplicity, but also without fear or complexities.
If the first Christian communities had been afraid of the mass media of the time, we wouldn’t have the New Testament today. If we limit ourselves to criticising the present mass media without making a serious effort to enter into it positively, then we are preventing the Christian message reaching an increasing sector of society, especially new generations. Without a doubt, Claret would say to us today: “Brothers, never tire of doing good” (2 Thess. 3:13)
To what do I dedicate more time and energy: to criticising whatever doesn’t seem right to me, or creatively encouraging positive initiatives for building up the kingdom of God