We are now in the holy season of Advent, and we wait as Christmas approaches. I love to reflect on the infant God, the Incarnate Word. I don’t recall what caused me to be drawn to this passage several weeks ago, but I’m glad that I found it (or it found me). You may recall the time Jesus was at the Mount of Olives speaking to his disciples about the Final Judgment (Matthew 25:36) and he remarks that when we reach out to others we are reaching out to him: “I was naked and you clothed me.” So I have been thinking about this passage and the idea of “clothing the naked” but my thoughts drifted to the two special times in which Jesus himself was clothed literally. At his birth (Luke 2:7), our Blessed Mother wrapped the infant Jesus in “swaddling clothes.” Then at his death when Jesus was practically naked on the cross, and it is described that his body was taken down and “wrapped with linens and spices” (John 19:40). It is likely that our Blessed Mother may have been there as well.
Nearly 2000 years later, I wondered who are “the naked” in our world today. I realized that “clothing the naked” has become a significant issue for us. I am not talking about the poor who may have little money for clothes. Instead, I am thinking of this relatively recent development of the spread of pornography. Hugh Hefner spread pornography to mass audiences for the first time in the 1950s through his magazines. But the second major spread of pornography happened in the 1990s with the Internet. Pornography is now obtained privately, quickly, and largely free of charge. You can still find pornography in magazines and videos, but also on TV, computers of all types, and on cell phones and of course in the strip clubs.
Today I want to challenge all of my Christian brothers out there: let us be leaders in our culture but especially in our families by rejecting this temptation. Men and women take off their clothes in pornography sometimes because they are forced, but sometimes in order to earn money because we will pay for it and watch it. The basic fact is that the business of porn has proliferated because of the demand for it. I am asking you to take action starting today to secure your household from this evil as the good shepherd of your family. Protect and monitor all technology, including those technological gifts your family may receive at Christmas. You can purchase filtering and monitoring software for your phones and computers, make your inspections and talk with your wives and children about this issue. Yes, adult women look at porn also. The average age of first viewing porn is 11yo for boys and 13yo for girls. Trust me, in my work as a counselor and in my discussions with family law attorneys: pornography is harmful. This issue of pornography is connected to the problems of divorce, human trafficking, child abuse, rape, and abortion. The research suggests that even good Christian men are tempted by pornography. If we struggle with this issue, we need to get help. We can do it. We must take action to get ourselves free of this bondage. Our Blessed Mother can help us “clothe the naked” and we can call upon God’s grace to help us be strong when we are weak under this temptation. We must “clothe the naked” by turning away from pornography.
At Christmas we will be reminded of this idea in the readings of the Nativity. When we hear of our mother Mary wrapping her son Jesus in swaddling clothes, let us remember to “clothe the naked.” Then in the Pascal Triduum at the end of Lent we will hear the account of the burial of Christ, with his body wrapped in linens with spices, and let us remember then also to “clothe the naked.” We can do this, but we must take action because “our enemy is prowling like a lion, waiting to devour us” (1 Peter 5:8). Today, December 10th, is recognized as the “Day of Prayer to Strengthen Us in the Fight Against Pornography.” Here are suggested prayer intentions from the organization Porn Harms, an effort directed by Morality in Media:
- Help those who are struggling with pornography use;
- Strengthen the partners of pornography users that they will be healed, find understanding and know what is best for themselves and their family;
- Protect children from exposure as long as possible and help them make sense of right and wrong once they do. Help them to feel dignity and self-worth;
- Guide parents to teach their children real love and the value of others;
- Safeguard families and relationships;
- Aid those who are exploited and abused and who are suffering because of the demand for pornography. Help them to feel loved and valued;
- Inspire the individuals who are working around the country in this movement that they will know what to do and how to help;
- Provide the considerable funding needed to escalate the fight against pornography;
- Impress and enable leaders (political, business, community, etc.) to use their positions to oppose pornography;
- Motivate and give courage to individuals to take up this fight and join with us;
- Comfort the many who are hurting because of pornography.