Humanity has always been captivated by the idea of the hero. We have never stopped telling stories about heroes. Why is that? I think it is because we thrive on examples. We can do a job much more effectively if we see someone else do it first. In the same way, we can be better people if we see someone else model the right attitudes and behaviors. So we look to heroes to give us that inspiration, that push in the right direction. If our desire to be a hero is great enough, we start to live like a hero. And living like a hero is the only way to become a hero.
Lately the movie Captain America has been on my mind. In a strange way, I was pulled into the heartwarming but heart-wrenching story of the Cap. But more than that, I was drawn to the character as he is portrayed in the film, as well as its mind-blowingly awesome sequel, The Avengers.
In Captain America you have the quintessential fish out of water. Plunged into science-defying (but plot-satisfying) sleep for 70 years under polar icebergs, Captain America is thawed out to a rude awakening just in time to answer another call of duty: the Earth and its inhabitants are now threatened by an enemy both supernatural and extraterrestrial. What does Cap do? Does he mourn the lost promise of love he left behind in 1943? Does he wallow in the unbelievable changes the world has gone through since his era? Does he change who he is to blend in with his surroundings?
Well, yes to all of those, for a time. He is human. He mourns. He wallows. He even responds uncertainly to the pressure of his new surroundings. But soon enough, when the need arises, Cap gets out of himself, suits up for action, and proceeds to risk life and limb for what he believes in, which is protecting the innocent, fighting injustice, and promoting the ideals of our free country.
God has used this fictional character to turn my heart toward an important truth: Heroism is about doing the best thing possible whenever you have an opportunity. But we also learn that a hero quickly becomes a loser (and sometimes an instrument of evil) when he starts to focus on himself. What is inspiring about Captain America is that he never does this. It's always about the mission, the objective, the well-being of others. Self-sacrifice is not a stumbling block, not even the subject of a moment's hesitation. Giving it all he's got is standard operating procedure.
In many ways, he reminds me of the very real Theodore Roosevelt, who said:
The true Christian is the true citizen, lofty of purpose, resolute in endeavor, ready for a hero’s deeds, but never looking down on his task because it is cast in the day of small things; scornful of baseness, awake to his own duties as well as to his rights, following the higher law with reverence, and in this world doing all that in him lies, so that when death comes he may feel that mankind is in some degree better because he has lived.
Was Theodore Roosevelt the real-life version of Captain America? In his youth, he was a tiny whelp of a child, weakened by asthma. Through sheer determination and unrelenting discipline, he conquered his weakness and grew into a brawny barrel of a man. More importantly, he grew on the inside as well. Roosevelt became one of the most dynamic, confident, and inspiring leaders this country has ever seen. He represented our country to the world as a place of freedom and opportunity, looking out for the poor and downtrodden workers while refusing to dump all the country's problems on the rich. He paraded a brand-new, state-of-the-art fleet of battleships around the world, painted stark white--a stunningly eloquent symbol of America's commitment to peace and its power to defend it against bullies. Was Theodore Roosevelt Captain America? I'm convinced.
Heroes like these, both fictional and real-life, point to the person I would call the quintessential human hero of our history: the Virgin Mary. Catholicism teaches that Mary was conceived without sin, and lived a sinless life. So great was her virtue that at the time of what would have been her earthly death, she was simply "assumed" bodily into Heaven. No Purgatory, no penitence, no perfecting necessary. She was simply the ideal that all the rest of us poor human saps should live up to.
Mary comes onto the scene in the Bible with such an inspiring message. On her lips is the motto of all true heroes: "May it be done to me according to your word." (Luke 1:38) This, ultimately, is what life is all about—discerning the will of God, our marching orders for life, and answering that call of duty. Each day when we get up, we must spring into action, unhampered by negative pressures from both without and within, never losing sight of that purpose. At the end of the day, if we have looked up to God and said "May it be done to me according to your word," and really offered our day in accordance with His will, then we are heroes. And, ultimately, we are happy.
So I'd like to thank God for both Theodore Roosevelt, and all the people who contributed to the Captain America film. Both of these rather macho figures ironically but understandably pushed me toward a greater devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, and a more personal understanding of why she is given such great honor in our tradition.
I could talk about heroes all day. But then I'd have no time to actually try to be one. Perhaps you, too, need to connect with Home Base and figure out what exactly you're supposed to be doing. I hope your communication is successful and clear. See you in the trenches.
Hail Mary!
Joezilla
