In his book, Spirituality: A Brief History, Philip Sheldrake describes the emergence of new spiritual emphases in different historical periods as a response to the changing circumstances of the Christian Church. 

To take one example, Sheldrake points to the rise of monasticism in the period following the emperor Constantine’s institution of Christianity as the State religion. Almost overnight, Christians went from a persecuted minority to part of the establishment. Much was lost through this change, and monasticism represented a desire among fervent Christians to be faithful to the tradition of community, simplicity and non-violence.

Where is the Church in the early 21st century? In the Western world, her situation has changed drastically from 60 years ago at the conclusion of the Second Vatican Council. The council optimistically looked forward to the Church influencing society through the witness of the laity who would be the yeast permeating Western culture with the spirit of the Gospel.

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Instead, the commitment of the laity to Christian living collapsed for various reasons, including the expansion of consumerism and the entrenchment of secular modernity as the new State religion. The voice of the Church now goes largely unheard and is sometimes forcibly silenced. At least the media still pays attention to the pope, although that attention may also diminish.

Although some say society has transitioned from modernity to the rootlessness of post-modernity, this change is overstated. While the trajectory is toward postmodernism, the economy and culture are still deeply rooted in a thrust toward personal autonomy and the business of making stuff. The new “stuff” is increasingly digital, but artificial intelligence is only beginning to take over. 

The ethic of modernity is one of power and personal autonomy. The two go together like hand-in-glove. Autonomy too is a matter of power, and power aims at domination. To be sure, autonomy and personal power are far better than enslavement and other forms of forcibly controlling the people.

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However, the rise of the individual has serious downsides. Grasping for personal power compromises community, relationships, harmony, order and tradition. Those are conservative values, but without them the individual flounders in an ocean of isolation, loneliness, and material or spiritual poverty. No wonder mental health disorders, random violence, homelessness, a profound alienation of young men and assisted suicide afflict Western society. 

It is a brutal irony that one of the times a person can receive “compassionate” care is when they want to end their life. If you receive some form of social assistance, contact the government and see how eager it is to help. The response is pathetic. But if you seek to end your life, someone will soon be at your side. They will probably be nice about it too.

October is the month of the rosary, that is, of the greatest Marian prayer. I don’t expect that if we all regularly pray the rosary, God will miraculously set everything aright. Yet, while the increasing brutalization of society has marked the modern era, it has also been a time of Mary appearing to simple folks to urge them to repent, pray and be devoted to her Son. Mary also listens.

In contrast with the modern emphasis on feverishly working to manufacture and fix things, Mary is the exemplar of receptivity. To be receptive is not to be passive but to wait on the Lord, trust in his providence and respond to his call to mission. What you do is of secondary importance to what you are. Being takes priority over making. However, the receptive person is ready to act.

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Hans Urs von Balthasar, the greatest theologian of the last century, repeatedly emphasized the Marian character of the Church. The Church is our mother. “It is essential that it should be the true spirit of Mary which comes into the light: the spirit of the handmaid, of service, of inconspicuousness, the spirit which lives only to pass on what it has received, which lives only for others.” Like it or not, the Church is becoming inconspicuous. 

Forcing our way back into the public square is not our call. Instead, we should accept our inconspicuous place on the margins of society and assist others who are also on the sidelines. Our call is to become rooted in meditation and contemplation. With such roots, we can nurture harmony in relationships and build an order that is not based on compulsion. It is a low-key way to be faithful to who we are, a quiet means of bringing harmony amidst the growing chaos.