Sometimes you may notice yourself get sucked into a news story. You might spend hours watching a TV news channel, and then you'll go online and read articles about the news story. You may talk to someone about the story, and you might write about it and discuss it with friends.
This is exactly what I have seen happen to some people during the Terri Schiavo crisis and Pope John Paul II's last hours and death. I would caution people who find themselves enthralled by a particular news story to take a step back and think about what they're doing.
Instead of constantly trying to find the latest breaking news, try saying a prayer. Try doing something worthwhile with a family or friend—without a pager, phone, or other electronic gadget that can get the news. Think of our how our ancestors received important news: even as little as one hundred years ago, people did not have CNN, MSNBC, EWTN, sattelite communication, the Internet, blogs, etc. for finding literally thousands of pieces of information concerning a particular story in an instant!
People of earlier times waited for information and, instead of receiving twenty different news stories from twenty different perspectives in less than a few minutes, they might have only heard from a friend or relative, "The Pope has died."
I am not condemning the use of news gathering on the Internet, TV, or other media. However, I caution you to not grow addicted to news, especially when there is a very emotional and widely-reported story. Does it really profit you to spend so much time finding out every little bit of information you can about Terri's case, or the details of the Pope's death? How much more profitable to the world and to himself is the person who goes to a chapel and prays the Rosary or another devotional prayer rather than sits in front of the television, switching between channels watching a news story!
I pray that we all may become more careful with how we spend our time—on the computer, in front of the television, on the phone, reading magazines and papers.
May Terri Schiavo and Pope John Paul II rest in peace; Grant them eternal rest, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine on them.