Something Greater Than Myself

Batman is a good example of the male as representational of something beyond himself. There is no way that Bruce Wayne, for all his sophistication and wealth, could combat the mega-crime and giga-characters of Gotham on his own resources. He had to become something far greater than himself: something preternatural or supernatural, Batman! Star Wars, Lord of the Rings,Zoro and the Superheros...all have the same Drama: the powers of evil are so great that something far greater than ordinary human prowess is required. These dramas are accurate, realistic if graphic portrays of our real situation: we are in (eternally) mortal combat with the supernatural powers of evil, Satan, his demons, all the worldly powers and our own profound weakness. To prevail and triumph we must ally ourselves with a power far greater than ourselves, the very Spirit of God. How silly and futile is the liberal humanist, fancying himself a "good person," imagining that once we get the Republicans out of office and everyone into counseling, everything will be okay. In the sacraments of the Church we put on Christ; we unite ourselves with his greater power; we count our very weakness as a vehicle for His strenth. Consider the priest who absolves sin, confects the Eucharist, and teaches with authority...none of this through his own efficacy. But every Catholic, by virtue of baptism, confirmation and Eucharist, is able to cast out demons, forgive the enemy, heal the sick, and bring comfort and peace to the desolate. In Christ we have the power to triumph over evil, but we always need something far greater than ourselves, we need our light saber, batmobile, and mask, not to mention our alliance with all the angels, saints, hierarchs and choirs of heaven.