“[…E]ven in situations where culture and the Church are far apart, art remains a kind of bridge to religious experience. In so far as it seeks the beautiful, fruit of an imagination which rises above the everyday, art is by its nature a kind of appeal to the mystery. Even when they explore the darkest depths of the soul or the most unsettling aspects of evil, artists give voice in a way to the universal desire for redemption.”  —St. John Paul II, “Letter to Artists”

Here’s a follow-up to Friday’s post, “50 Shades of Me, Angry at Catholics.”  Apparently, that post inspired Barb, Franciscan Mom, to make her own list in her post “Read This Instead:  50 WAY Better Novels.”  Christine at Domestic Vocation made a list of things to do besides enjoy the glorification of sexual assault.  And, it seems, the three of us are not the only ones sick of trash entertainment taking center stage while faithful fun gets ignored—by the faithful themselves.

Are you tired of Catholic media telling you what not to watch or read but not giving any suggestions of what is worth reading?  Have you had it with struggling to find entertainment that doesn’t downright soil your mind, heart and soul?  Do you wish that Catholic media would spend less time complaining about the popular and scandalous and more time celebrating positive entertainment?

Then #showusyourlist. 

Are you in?  Here’s how it works:

1. Make your list.  Blog a list of at least three works of quality fiction that illustrate truth, beauty and goodness.  These can be books, movies, podcasts, whatever, but they MUST BE ENTERTAINING and they MAY NOT BE NON-FICTION.  Seriously, people, non-fiction already gets plenty of help from Catholic media.
2. Include some version of the following:  “I challenge anyone who complained about 50 shades of anything to now spend some time and energy promoting entertainment that is true, beautiful and good.”
3. Also, kindly include a link back to this post just for clarification as to where this whole cockamamie idea originated.  Blame me, people.  And feel free to use the logo at the top of this page.
4. Pick at least three people who work in Catholic media and find their Twitter handles.  Go for the big names.  Don’t be afraid.  The worst they can do is ignore you.
5. On Tuesday, February 17, 2015, Mardi Gras, a day originally designed to be a festival of joyful entertainment, Tweet the link to your blog post to those Catholic media folks, using the hashtag #showusyourlist.
6. Note:  Say that hashtag out loud.  Sounds like something said on Mardi Gras for illicit purposes, doesn’t it?  And that’s the point.  We have the power to turn the bad to God’s service.  It’s high time we did so.

Anyway, this will not work if it’s just me doing this.  One whacko tagging with a lone hashtag will be dismissed, and rightfully so, as just that:  a whacko.  If you want the faithful to have entertainment options, YOPP it up, people! Demand more than complaints over the scandalous!  Promote the celebration of the good, beautiful and true!

My list is back here, but there’s another one here, and you can even get another version by clicking here.

Saint John Paul II, pope and poet, pray for us.