The associated reading for this reflection can be found in your Every Sacred Sunday Mass journal or online here.
As a cradle Catholic, the 10 commandments can become a tired list from grade school that I forget to meditate over. However, in reflecting on the first reading from Exodus, I realized that while I do my best to avoid worshiping anything other than God Himself, I have been unconsciously carving idols anyway. I carve these idols by spending my time and putting trust in endeavors that do not provide the everlasting life that the Psalmist promises can be found in the Word of the Lord.
I find myself opening my phone and having the anxious hope that I’ll stumble upon the perfect Instagram Reel from the perfect Catholic or fitness influencer that will change my life and be the key to creating great and holy habits in my life. I’m inevitably disappointed and I come away from my consumption of content just as empty as I entered.
In my scrolling, I’m looking to realize a virtuous goal of honoring God through physical fitness or learning how to lead myself and my family to heaven. However, as I see post after post of carefully curated content, I begin to compare myself to each profile. Thoughts are placed before my consciousness by the demon specifically assigned by Lucifer to discourage my spirit…I wish I were as diligent in prayer as that guy. Is my house as “Catholic” as that family’s? I wish I was as disciplined in the gym as this guy…
These thoughts begin to undermine my motivations for holiness and sanctity. If I’m praying a daily rosary in order to measure up to the person I follow on Instagram – I need to bring that to prayer. If I’m putting up Catholic art in the house to have a Catholic aesthetic like that cool family on social media – I need to ask the Holy Spirit to purify my motivations. I’m doing the right things for the wrong reasons.
I encourage you to grow in holiness for the sake of your salvation and the salvation of those souls entrusted to you by your vocation. Husbands and wives, this means your spouse and children. Priests and religious, this means your flock. Take good ideas and motivation from social media but don’t compare your holiness to what you find there.
Where in your spiritual life are you idolizing the “aesthetic” over being intimately close to the person of Jesus Christ? Repent, and take it to the Lord
Tomás Aguilar is a husband, dad, and Marine Corps Officer from Pennsylvania living just north of Jacksonville, Florida. Check out his Instagram (@taguilar70) to see his world travels, his beautifully pregnant wife, Natalye, and his attempts to find and imitate the face of Christ in everyday life.