At the risk of causing even more trouble than usual, last week I went to see Christopher Nolan’s version of The Odyssey.
What’s worse is that I enjoyed it immensely. But that’s because I know the story – or rather, the series of stories that makes up what we call “The Odyssey”. Knowing the original stories is part of whether you will enjoy this movie or not. If you don’t, the movie will be harder to follow, as there are flashbacks and stories within stories.
You may choose to compensate for this by getting pompous about what you consider to be woke casting decisions. Or you could just sit back, relax, and enjoy the spectacular scenery, epic battles, and truly awful monsters.
There are major themes in the movie that are consistent with what the original stories were trying to say. These include the fact that human beings are a rum lot, we do terrible things sometimes, and that you should always be wary of Robert Pattinson.
But seeing this movie led me to draw parallels with some recent chats I’ve had with my fellow Catholics about the Society of St Pius X (SSPX). This isn’t about epic battles and truly awful monsters. It’s more about engaging with and understanding the original sources and how this can completely change your life.
Some Catholics are very vocal about perceived injustices done to the SSPX. This is part of a broader complaint about what they think Vatican II unleashed on the church. I used to agree with this. But now I believe that Vatican II simply took the lid off a lot of awful stuff that was secretly thriving under all the big church buildings and social niceties.
I got to this point after I’d spent some serious time engaging with the church’s original sources, most notably the Bible. This remarkable document makes it so clear who God is, who we are, and what our real mission is. I should have done it a lot sooner, as I’d always been a fan of English historian G.R. Elton’s battle cry of, “Ad fontes” – “To the sources”.
When I learned that a whole school of theology did this – the ressourcement guys– I started to learn far more about the church and my faith than I’d bargained for.
One of the problems with being part of a very old institution is that we forget things over the centuries and need to be reminded of them. But last Sunday’s gospel reminded us that the church is a wise housekeeper who can bring out of her stores things both old and new. We just need to go and find what cupboard they’re in. That’s what ressourcement theology does, and I’m very grateful for it.
There are treasures in the church’s cupboards, but you have to be willing to receive them. You will do this best if you are brave enough to engage properly with some original sources. If you think this is beyond you, then do it with someone trustworthy. For example, I would recommend Fr Mike Schmitz taking you through the Bible in small doses over a year. Or you could use the Word on Fire website which has a lot of podcasts and videos on sacred scripture.
Another really simple way to start learning more about the treasures in the church is to start praying a bit of the Liturgy of the Hours every day. You don’t need expensive books; there are apps like Universalis that will help you here.
I’d recommend “Morning Prayer”, because it helps you to start the day by praising God. And the more you praise God, the more you realise that you can trust him to manage not only the church and its future, but whatever is eating at you today. But please don’t waste your precious time on Fr Apocalypto, Br Scaremonger, or Dr Cherrypicker ranting into their ringlights about a version of the church that’s as paralysed with Botox as some of them are.
So whether it’s The Odyssey or the scriptures, going back to the original sources has a lot to recommend it.
Yes, it will require some effort and using the brains God gave you. But it can clear your head, give you a sense of proportion, and calm you down. You might also have to reconsider your ideas about God, the church, and the world. I know I’ve been proved wrong about all of these.
Each time it’s been a huge blessing and a considerable relief. This is of course the scary part, but it’s also the best part.
