Ok, so maybe Gaffigan isn’t the main attraction. Or Mark Wahlberg, Aretha Franklin, or Andrea Bocelli. The Catholic comedian explained to Conan O’Brien last night how he got booked to perform stand-up before a million or so pilgrims and one Roman Pontiff (brief language warning–someone uses the A-word):
Kidding aside, there’s something noteworthy here. While the media is abuzz with talk about the political impact of the Papal visit, and what he will say, and who will it help or hurt in 2016, something else is happening, too. Listen to the audience in that clip. Listen to the enthusiasm and excitement. Not to make too much of it, but when was the last time you heard a late night talk show treat Catholicism as a cause excitement, rather than a punchline to a crude joke?
Evangelization is an daily task, but opportunities like the one presented by this Papal Visit don’t come around too often. Are we ready to make the most of it?