From the Golden Calf to Burning Man: The Paganism of Today | Fr. Chris Alar, MIC
Homilies from the National Shrine
In his teaching on anger and the Seven Deadly Sins, Fr. Chris Alar, MIC, points to Burning Man as a striking microcosm of a culture increasingly confused about the meaning of freedom. Its emphasis on radical self-expression can reflect a deeper temptation of our age: I decide for myself what is good, what is true, and how I will live. When freedom becomes detached from God, truth, and moral responsibility, self-expression can become self-worship. Scripture gives us a different path: “Bad company ruins good morals” (1 Cor 15:33), and Christians are repeatedly called to flee from what leads us into sin. Like the golden calf, the danger is ultimately idolatry; not necessarily worshiping an animal or statue, but placing the human person and our desires where God belongs. This connects directly with anger and the deadly sins. Our culture increasingly promises instant pleasure, instant gratification, and freedom without restraint; when our desires are frustrated, anger easily follows. Christianity proposes something radically different: authentic freedom is not the ability to satisfy every desire, but the grace and strength to choose what is good, even when it requires sacrifice. The desert has long symbolized spiritual combat: Christ faced Satan there, and the early monks entered the desert to confront temptation through prayer and self-denial. Catholics should therefore discern carefully the environments they enter and what those environments celebrate. We do not need to “play with fire” to understand it. We are called instead to pursue holiness, discipline our passions, reject modern forms of idolatry, and worship God rather than ourselves. Readings for September 13th 2026: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/091326.cfm © 2026 Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception. All rights reserved. Fair Use Policy: https://www.thedivinemercy.org/house/fair-use-policy ⭐️ Support our Ministries: https://www.thedivinemercy.org/donate... ★ Support this podcast ★