A Salutary Antidote To All the Exaggeration, Manipulation and Lies That Pour From The Usual Sources

We thought this salutary note appropriate to assuage all the exaggeration, manipulation and lies that the usual sources dump on us daily. Before we get to it, a most recent example.

It seems all the chatter about cease fire with Iran, quick end to that war, opening of the shipping lanes, etc., etc. has now been shelved this week. Bombing resumes - on both sides. (Surprised?) It gives way to resumed bombing, threats to shut down the shipping lanes issued by Tehran, the all to familiar litany of threats issued from the Big Orange Guy. Looks like we may be subjected yet again to the exaggeration, manipulation and lies that serve governments at war.

Now, we must acknowledge that in this case war is the culprit. And governments typically aren't forthcoming with the truth when they're at war - frequently for understandable reasons - But what of the exaggeration, manipulation and lies that are ginned up in so many areas besides war. You know the drill already, right? We've perhaps focused far too much on all this when it comes to the economy, including such areas as inflation, jobs, GDP; and the markets, including how the manic AI industry will save the stock markets bacon despite its historic over-valuation - and even drive the economy to the stars despite the increasing number of folks losing their jobs. Oh, and let's not forget the relentless efforts to either ignore of dismiss the growing decline in the value of real estate, both residential and commercial.

So there's the context. We won't pile on anymore. Instead, we'll turn to a beloved source of spiritual inspiration, Father Willie Doyle. You can read about him at willidoyle.org. And if the spirit moves you, tune in each day for posts from his personal diary, recovered after his death at the front in World War I. For now, just know that he served as a chaplain to Irish soldiers, serving in the trenches with them until he was killed in the line of duty. He was, arguably, a saint in uniform. Indeed, his cause for canonization is now ongoing.

With that, we reprint something published in O'Rahilly's Life of Fr. Doyle, published after his death. We'll find some respite from the daily assault of those who offer us nothing better than exaggeration, manipulation, and lies. Instead, we find Willie Doyle, in this case as a child, engaging in the sort of works that we would presage his service to his soldiers. We could all learn a lesson here. (Dalkey Hill is where Father grew up.) 

For the poor people on Dalkey Hill Willie constituted himself into a Conference of St. Vincent de Paul. He raised funds by saving up his pocket-money, by numberless acts of economy and self-denial; he begged for his poor, he got the cook to make soup, he pleaded for delicacies to carry to the sick. Once he went to the family apothecary and ordered several large bottles of cod-liver oil for a poor consumptive woman, and then presented the bill to his father! He bought a store of tea with which under many pledges of secrecy he entrusted the parlourmaid. On this he used to draw when in the course of his wanderings he happened to come across some poor creature without the means of providing herself with the cup that cheers. He by no means confined himself merely to the bringing of relief. He worked for his poor, he served them, he sat down and talked familiarly with them, he read books for the sick, he helped to tidy the house, he provided snuff and tobacco for the aged. One of Willie’s cases if such an impersonal word may be used was a desolate old woman whose children were far away. One day noticing that the house was dirty and neglected, he went off and purchased some lime and a brush, and then returned and whitewashed the whole house from top to bottom. He then went down on his knees and scrubbed the floors, amid the poor woman’s ejaculations of protest and gratitude. No one knew of this but the cook and parlour maid who lent him their aprons to save his clothes and kept dinner hot for him until he returned late in the evening. While thus aiding his poor friends temporally, he did not forget their souls. He contrived skilfully to remind them of their prayers and the sacraments; he also strongly advocated temperance. There was one old fellow on the Hill whom Willie had often unsuccessfully tried to reform. After years of hard drinking he lay dying, and could not be induced to see a priest. For eight hours Willie stayed praying by the bedside of the half-conscious dying sinner. Shortly before the end he came to himself, asked for the priest and made his peace with God. Only when he had breathed his last, did Willie return to Melrose. His first missionary victory!