Is the “bad news” cycle getting you down? If it is, you’re not alone. Remember the old expression regarding news media: “If it bleeds, it leads”? Professional fear-mongering has reached some sort of peak lately. Is it because things really are that bad and the news is simply reporting it? I would say, yes and no. Without making a long list of what is going wrong in the world in these troubled times—which you are most likely already aware of—we could verifiably state that things are pretty bad. Different parts of the world, and even different areas of the same country, are experiencing diverse calamities and challenges with no easy solutions in sight. 

Yes, we could choose to focus on the good news, the love and good actions, the heroic, helping feats that are done by individuals and organizations every day (of which only a fraction become news stories). And there’s great benefit in this—especially if we click “share,” and make others aware of the goodness. But we can also do something we call in the convent: “praying the news.” Did you hear a news item that disturbed you? Stop and pray for the situation and all those involved. Imagine if everyone prayed the news—all the petitions and intercessions that would be rising to the heavens!

I don’t consider myself a true news junkie, because I don’t feel I have to catch breaking news as it happens, but I did begin reading a newspaper from cover to cover at age 12, and always felt it was important to be informed. Not only informed about events, but to care about our world and the people in it. But lately, I’ve been stepping back from the news. It wasn’t easy to do. If you miss even one day’s happenings, you lose the thread, you’re not “keeping up,” you might overlook an important piece of the puzzle, and worst of all, someone might mention something to you and you would have to say: “I’m sorry, what is this you’re talking about? I hadn’t heard.” You risk ridicule or excoriation for not being a responsible citizen (or responsible media nun). But I was spending too much time with my nose and my head in things that don’t really concern me, things I can’t do much about (besides pray), things “too lofty for me” (Ps. 131:1).

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And most of all, I am not God, who is omniscient, omnipresent and omnipotent—even though 24/7 access to all kinds of news from all over the world can make us feel that we are. I need my precious time for other things right here, right now. Excessively reading/watching and trying to “figure out” the news can make us feel wise, or even like we’re doing something constructive, but are we? Or are we more or less passive spectators, taking the bait? How do we know what’s totally accurate and true? I now only spend one hour per day (yes, I time it) newsgathering online, not including reading all the headlines that come into my email inbox (that I signed up for) from news outlets and other organizations I respect.

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Recently, in Dublin, Ireland, a “chosen soul” received an alleged message from Our Lord. I share it here for your discernment. I find it very encouraging and pertinent to our topic. For those who are wary of such purported messages, I recall something from the life of our Founder, Blessed Fr. James Alberione. One night he had a dream, but felt like it might have been more than a dream, so he brought it to his spiritual director who, after hearing the content, told him: “Dream or not, it’s solid advice. Use it.” Perhaps that could apply here as well.

“Let My words wash away all negativity. Let Me carry you away from the noise and darkness of a fallen world, from the bombardment of this world’s news of wars and rumours of wars. Do not get caught up in focusing on these things. In this way, you are allowing the darkness to envelop you. Turn instead to My light by coming close to Me, spending time with Me. I will raise you up. I will take you away from all that fills you with fear and anxiety…but you must spend time with Me. Do you not realize that I love you with an everlasting love?”