By Fr. Glenn Jones:

There was a rather persistent headline on a news site recently in which an actor was disparaging religion and, by extension, those adhering to religion. But what is always mystifying to most of us is why celebrities’ opinions of things they either know little about or don’t understand are considered “newsworthy” in the first place. There are a great many celebrities and, as the pastors in and around Los Alamos can testify, world-class scientists and engineers who are devout believers; why are their opinions not trumpeted as this person’s were?

Well, of course, it is lamentable that many news outlets’ simply desire for max readership rather than accuracy or relevance—the more fantastic and controversial, the better. As with popular social media, clicks mean $$–a consideration which tends to be uppermost. It is a rare, admirable and praiseworthy (and vital!) outlet indeed which adheres to objective principle rather than to profit.

A great many persons go in pursuit of fame almost at any cost, but often later to much regret, especially in this unforgetting (and unforgiving) internet age. Also in the news recently was a story of a teenage boy being taunted/ridiculed with very revealing pictures of his mother on an Only Fans account, to the point of depression and feeling suicidal—apparently a modern type of bullying. Again, one of many negative sides of seeking fame and fortune without due consideration of consequences. But be a good Samaritan? So tragically, people will scour search engines and social media accounts for any possible negative information or postings to diminish or even destroy reputations of even those.

In our daily Mass the other day was read the account of Sts. Paul and Barnabas, after healing a cripple in Greece, subsequently had the local people imagining them to be gods, even the priest of Zeus wanting to sacrifice to them. Much to these evangelizers’ credit, they frantically tried to prevent the people from claiming they were divine, affirming that they themselves were also just men, through whom God was working. The account reminds us of the angel in St. John’s vision in Revelation chastising as John bowed to him: “You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your comrades the prophets, and with those who keep the words of this book. Worship God!” (Revelation 22:9)

While an angel would have no similar temptation, one can imagine how easily someone in Paul and Barnabas’ place might have been tempted to leverage their newfound prestige. “Sacrifice? Why, yes! Gold denarii, Mastercard and Venmo only.”

When we see fans falling all over themselves for celebrities, we can imagine the allure of praise and idol worship. “Yes…adore me.” As is evident, some celebrities and notables handle fame and power a lot better than others. Even the Bible remarks about how the wealthy are fawned over: “If the rich person slips, many come to the rescue; he speaks unseemly words, but they justify him. If the humble person slips, they even criticize him; he talks sense, but is not given a hearing.” (Sirach 13:22)

But, as Lucilla told her brother Commodus in “Gladiator”: “The crowd is fickle, brother; he’ll be forgotten in a month,” and, in the words of John Henry Cardinal Newman about even Jesus, who had worked healings and miracles among the people: “Let us take warning, too, from that fickle multitude who cried, first ‘Hosanna!’, then ‘Crucify!’”

In that saying often attributed to St. Francis of Assisi, we are what we are in God’s eyes, and nothing more. What are accolades and applause of the crowd when the silence of our final rest envelopes us? Nothing at all. To whom shall we look for our commendations (or condemnation) then? As Job reminds us: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return there …” (Job 1:21) Stripped of both self-delusion and manufactured façade, we will be seen for what we truly are.

I often think about the verse: “…since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses [of faith’s heroes gone before], let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith … “ (Hebrews 12:1-2) So … will the vast crowd of angels and saints be receiving us either with cheers of joy … or with ominous silence and stares as we traverse the hall of God? For Jesus says in John’s vision: “See, I am coming soon; my reward is with me, to repay according to everyone’s work.” (Revelation 22:12).

While our earthly fortune and status are influenced much by our choices, our souls’ eternal fate is entirely dependent upon them. So, do we live moral lives, or not? Do we choose goodness and virtue, or not? To live forever with God…or not? As Jesus teaches: “… what will it profit them if they gain the whole world but forfeit their life? Or what will they give in return for their life? For the Son of Man is to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay everyone for what has been done.” (Matthew 26:27), and we read elsewhere: “Before a man are life and death; he is given whichever he chooses.” (Sirach 15:17)

Therefore, “Choose life so that you and your descendants may live, loving the Lord your God, obeying him, and holding fast to him; for that means life to you …” (Deuteronomy 30:19-20)

Editor’s note: Rev. Glenn Jones is the Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe and former pastor of Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church in Los Alamos.