Bulletins

April 6, 2014

April Fool's Day has come and gone but foolishness will live on. Today Gmail informed me of a new feature I could add to my emails: shelfies:

Selfie custom themes are incredibly popular in Gmail and they just got better. With Shelfies (Shareable Selfies) you can set your own photo as a Gmail custom theme and share it with your friends so they can enjoy looking at you as much as you do."

Ugh.

Even though Pope Francis has posed for a few famous selfies, I don't think he enjoys contemplating his own visage. However, the selfie phenomenon is not restricted to young people with technology in hand that equals the GDP per capita in over fifteen countries. An unlocked iPhone5 costs about $600. We are all tempting to be obsessed with ourselves. It is as old as the sin of pride. Compare Google Dude above to Lady Pride to the right: They bear striking similarities. Mirror in hand. Pleased as punch to be just who they are now.

They stand in stark contrast to the manner in which Lady Prudence is depicted in classical art. She also has a mirror in hand, but also a snake or sometimes a book. Innocent as a dove and wise as a serpent, her self-knowledge is based on truth. Her good sense is based on wisdom.

Lent is a good time to grow in self- knowledge, beginning with a good examination of conscience. That then sets the stage for Faith in which we abandon self to contemplate the face of Jesus. Notice Lady Faith with mirror underfoot. May God bless your Lenten meditations. May the Gospels, the Rosary and the Stations lead you from yourself to your Savior.

God bless you.

Fr. Christopher J. Pollard

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