Today's Gospel

The Culture of Shame

So remember each day we're looking for a word or a phrase or an idea that jumps out at us, and your word be different to my word, your phrase, your idea. Why? Because we're trying to allow God to speak to us through His Word. And He speaks to us through our own experiences. He speaks to us through what is happening in our lives. And the word that struck me today was shame. And what the reading says was, "And her husband, Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame." I think we live in a culture where we put people to shame a lot. I think we live in a culture where putting people to shame has become a social sport. We live in a culture where putting people to shame has become an economic engine for large media conglomerates.

And so we have to ask ourselves, "What is it about this?" And of course, we all have our own shame, right? We feel shame for certain things. And it's interesting, sometimes that shame can be very—it can be very selfish actually. It can be very self-focused. And we ask ourselves, "Okay, what do I feel shame of? Should I feel shame? Maybe I should feel guilt." Maybe guilt is making a step forward because we realize there's guilt, then we can respond and try to seek forgiveness or make reparation.

But the shame can very often be very inwardly focused and doesn't lead anywhere, doesn't go anywhere. It's quite a dangerous emotion or psychological experience for people, shame. And sometimes you'll hear people say, "Shame on you," to a little kid, right? And so we do live in a culture that wants to put shame on people. And Joseph, I mean, he was a giant, right? He's a man of just towering virtue and courage, and unwilling to put her to shame. So let's go out in the world today, and no matter what happens, let's be unwilling to put people to shame. Have a great day, and remember, Be Bold, Be Catholic.