By Br. André Marie, M.I.C.M.

A Sunday talk in August.

If the doctor doesn't ascertain the cause of the sickness, treating only the symptoms, his remedy stands to be useless, perhaps even harmful.  In this very discerning talk Brother André presents his audience with both causes and symptoms of the disease that is turning our country into a land of "cultural barbarians." He specifically addresses those who believe that all that is necessary to restore Catholic culture is the true Faith. This is wrong, he argues. You may convert a "cultural barbarian" to the Catholic Faith, but the bad habits must be eradicated if grace is going to do its work.  As the Church teaches, "Grace builds on nature." It elevates what is good in someone's nature, or in other cultures, and by lifting it to divine activity crowns it with perfection. Simply put, Brother says, someone accustomed to an unhealthy diet is not going to get healthy until he stops eating junk food.  Someone who has fed himself on the noise known as "rock," and worse, is not going to find the joy and peace of Catholic culture in good music until he makes it a habit to accustom his soul to appreciate true beauty. If we are going to convert America, then we have to build on what is good in American culture.