Finding virtue through the Catholic faith

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It will come as no surprise to most people, even Catholics, that what we have experienced over the past 30 months has created indifference: a lack of interest, concern or empathy for the predicament of others. Even if an individual is commonly known for being compassionate, the past two-and-a-half years have created exhaustion and fatigue.

This condition is called “compassion fatigue” in the mental health field. It refers to the weariness providers experience because of the number of emotional appeals made by people in need. Some refer to this condition as “burnout.”

You might be in some level of indifference or burnout due to the continued flair-ups of COVID-19, the economic inflation encountered every time we walk into a grocery store, or the gasoline prices that unpredictably fluctuate and prompt many of us to question the necessity of driving to any number of intended destinations.

As Catholics, we have four remedies for indifference. First, our Catholic identity offers us a daily antidote to the maladies of the time. The summit of our Catholic identity is the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist, which is a salvific reality, especially when we feel overwhelmed. We also venerate more than 3,000 Catholic saints, holy men and women who provide an example of the Christian life. We experience God’s presence through the seven sacraments at key moments in our lives. We honor the Virgin Mary and her obedience to bear and give birth to the Son of God. Our identity as Catholics reminds us that we form one community of faith in Jesus’ holy and precious name as we go out to transform the world.

Second, our Catholic social doctrine provides specific ways for us to extend compassion to one another, which help us address indifference. It is difficult to remain indifferent toward the needs of others when we are filled with the power of the Holy Spirit, who calls us to care for others in his name. The greatest antidote when we experience indifference is to look at Jesus’ broken body and know that he went to the cross to demonstrate for us how to be one body in his name through his presence, offering compassion to others who are suffering.

Third and fourth, we are encouraged to develop our critical thinking skills and life leadership skills, which help us become virtuous, or morally good and holy. Peter Kreeft, a professor of philosophy at Boston College, explains that critical thinking skills are fundamentally a gift from God that should help us order our world. He encourages us to ask these questions: What is critical thinking? How is it God’s gift to us? How does critical thinking order our thoughts and actions? Finally, we must ask: How will critical thinking order our heavenly victory and peace when we have accomplished these earthly tasks?

Life leadership skills in the Catholic tradition are often referred to as servant leadership, which is the form of leadership most often espoused by Pope Francis. John 13 teaches us that we must be servants of all, which is best modeled as bottom-up, not top-down, leadership. The servant leader puts service above self-interest, listens to affirm others, inspires trust by being trustworthy and nourishes others by helping them become whole.

The best remedy for burnout or indifference is to serve others and to care about their predicament. You could offer to volunteer at the food shelf, as food insecurity has become a reality for many families. You could provide a fully-equipped backpack for a child to begin school this fall. You could offer to work at a homeless shelter in whatever capacity works best for you and your family. These few suggestions will help counteract the disease of indifference that is sabotaging our culture.

Be one who makes a difference against these hardships and allow Christ to fill you with his compassion for others in need, while allowing yourself to experience the healing ointment of his touch in your own life.

Soucheray is a licensed marriage and family therapist emeritus and a member of St. Ambrose in Woodbury. Learn more at her website ifhwb.com.