There is a deep, rich, and ancient movement growing in the heart of the Church. It is an answer to the longing of countless souls who are tired of the false promises and counterfeits of a technocratic, consumer-driven age. More and more people are waking up to the futility and emptiness of the worldly way of doing things that cannot be reconciled with the radicality of the Gospel. It is being led—as it has been in every age—by the witness of religious who are vowed to the evangelical counsels of poverty, obedience, and chastity.
Younger generations are seeking authenticity and depth. They are moving away from banal and egocentric forms of living and worship. Instead, people are turning to the ancient practices of our forebearers, especially desert spiritualities. This longing started growing within my own heart in the last few years, and I have witnessed it in young people, as well as in other spheres of influence within the Church.
One of the most overt is Exodus 90’s partnership with Bishop Erik Varden of Trondheim, Norway. Bishop Varden is a Trappist monk who is steeped in the tradition of the Desert Fathers. In order to draw men into deeper intimacy with Christ, Exodus 90 started a year-long series with Bishop Varden on the Desert Fathers and the wisdom that can be gleaned from their writings and examples.
It is true in every age that the saints represent a profoundly counter-cultural way of living. In an age of greed, consumerism, materialism, and the unreality of the virtual world created through social media, Artificial Intelligence, and the recesses of the Internet, the Desert Fathers and other desert spiritualities such as the Carmelites, are awakening within the Church a deep desire for what is true, good, and beautiful. These spiritualities are answering the thirst of generations of parched souls who are seeking the living water of Christ, rather than the false prophets and promises of our age.
It makes sense in an age of incessant noise, greed, gluttony, lust, pleasure, worldliness, and uncertainty, that the religious orders dedicated to giving up everything for the Lord in order to intercede for the Church would begin to arise in the consciousness of believers in a powerful way. This is especially true since their voices have been stifled by a much too worldly Church that in many places does not want their witness of simplicity and poverty.
While there is much good that came out of the Charlie Kirk memorial, I do not agree that it will be fireworks and political speeches tinged with Gospel references that will lead to our ultimate renewal. There is too much worldliness wrapped up in that method. In the history of the Church, renewal has always been grassroots, through the saints—holy men and women seeking to live obedience, poverty, and chastity radically in order to witness fully to the Gospel.
Catholics are too rooted in the nihilism of our day. We want power, but that is not the Gospel. Religious communities dedicated to the evangelical counsels temper and counteract these false tendencies within our ranks.
The Lord did not come into this world in wealth and comfort. He came with nowhere to lay His head except on the hard wood of a manger, which would prefigure His bed 33 years later on the Cross. Only by living with dedicated devotion the fullness of the Gospel can we hope to rebuild the shipwrecked West. It will not be technology, AI, or politicians who will ultimately be able to renew us. It will be the men and women living in the backwaters, who are dedicated to prayer, the Sacraments, penance, mortification, the stripping away of self, and love of neighbor.
The reason spiritual leaders like Bishop Varden are so captivating is because the sheep know the sound of Christ’s voice and they hear Him in his teaching. The Lord’s voice is extremely challenging and requires everything of our lives. This is not what we have been fed for the last few decades, which is why so many of the sheep have been scattered. The futile desire of some in the Church to “get with the times” led many to abandon the Gospel all together. The Gospel is not of this world even as it is proclaimed in this world. We do not get to keep our pet sins and worldly ways if we want to become holy and lead others to Christ.
The promises of unbridled wealth and technology are beginning to leave more and more people cold. As they unplug from the addictive forces of this technology, people begin to realize that they are more lost than ever. Even those who scroll Catholic social media find themselves overwhelmed, angry, and confused. The answer is to look to the wisdom of those in religious life who have chosen instead to seek the voice of God over influencers.
While one does not need to fully disengage from the chatter of the virtual world, we need to cut it out more than most of us like. Being “in the know” on everything happening in the world is bad for our souls. It leaves us anxious, frustrated, tired, and uncertain. If we are honest with ourselves, we would acknowledge that we are seeking to control outcomes outside of our control by staying online too much. This is an illusion that is meant to keep us in the enemy’s grasp rather than in the loving arms of Christ.
Our culture wants us addicted and trapped in sloth, hedonism, and greed. Countless slogans vie for our restless hearts. This food will make you happy. If only you were sexy enough. Social media is connection. If you had more money, you would be better off. Have you ever paid attention to advertising campaigns? All of them focus on money, power, pleasure, and counterfeit forms of happiness. All of them are lies. Our happiness lies in Christ alone.
The wisdom of the Desert Fathers and the religious in the heart of the Church points to our true source of joy. Their lives are meant to awaken in those of us in the lay state and secular priesthood, the fullness of the Gospel and the joy that comes with it. The more we cling to the things of this world, the unhappier we will be. The fleeting sensation of happiness in the face of worldly goods is not grounded in Christ. We are made for something much deeper and infinite.
It is in many ways that the Trappists, Carmelites, Benedictines, Franciscan Friars of the Renewal, and countless other Orders dedicated to the fullness of the Gospel will bring renewal in the Church and the world. Their witness will propel us forward towards our heavenly goal. Their example will give us the courage and strength by God’s grace to live more radically and to forsake the counterfeits within reach every single day.
If we truly long for renewal, we need to stop placing our hope in princes. We need to stop believing that a political or material answer will fix everything. That is impossible. The real answer is to live a life of radical prayer, the Sacraments, sacrifice, mortification, and simplicity. Freedom can only be found when we surrender everything to Christ. The only question we should be asking ourselves is: Do we want freedom in Christ, or do we want worldly slavery? Our religious brothers and sisters can show us the way to authentic freedom.
Image from Wikimedia Commons
