For each of the 12 days of Christmas, I’ll review and fill out one of the “12 Ways of Christmas” …

It’s the feast of St. Thomas Becket. We watched the movie Becket on one of our “Catholic movie nights” and found:

1. It’s awkward to watch with kids. Lots of fast-forwarding through womanizing escapades.

2. In the film, Becket’s life follows this trajectory: The personal secretary (and enabler) of the morally weak King Henry, he rises in the ranks of England until Henry makes him the archbishop of Canterbury so that the king can have control over this position. Becket then decides that his Church office is more important than his political office and enrages King Henry by becoming a saint.

Catholic Americans today can literally imitate Thomas Becket. We live in a democracy, so the laws of the nation are up to us — both our individual votes and the extent to which we influence others. And the Church’s emphasis on the role of the laity means our participation in the New Evangelization is also key to the Church’s future.

Politically, we need to deepen and extend our majorities. But ultimately, in the tension between Church and state, the Church is the more important entity. As it was for St. Thomas Becket, so for us: What we do for the Church will last longer and do more good.

In his apostolic letter at the end of the Jubilee Year, Pope John Paul II asked Catholics to promote four things. The priorities are brilliantly conceived: Sunday Mass, confession, prayer and community service.

Promoting these practices is an easy sell. People already realize they should worship. The therapeutic aspects of confession and meditation are better understood in our day. All people may need is an invitation, and if people respond to your invitation, these practices will change their lives.

Click on “Resources” above then “How to be a Catholic Guides” for aids in following Benedict’s advice. Distribute them far and wide.

Our fifth way of Christmas was:  “5. God puts politics in its place. Especially in an election year, many concerned Catholics invest great effort and high hopes in politics. That’s good; we’re supposed to. But we need to guard against considering political victories total victories, or political defeats total disasters. Yes, the stakes are high when the right to life is the central political issue of our time. But our attitude should be the same as the angels who sang ‘Hosanna’ and ‘Peace on earth,’ in complete confidence in Christ, even though, in their day, Herod was in charge and he was gearing up for the massacre of the innocents.”

— Tom Hoopes

Regarding our political vocation, see the Hope for America Series:

1. The Pro-Life Majority
2. The Marriage Majority
3. The New Springtime of the Faith