Live the Good Life - Live Devout

 
Confession... 05/03/2011
 
This short video was made by the students of a traditional academy in New York...what do you think?
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"I will hear what the Lord God will speak within me (Ps 85:9), says a devout soul.  Blessed is that soul who hears the Lord speaking within, and from His lips receives the words of comfort.

Blessed are they who acquire virtue and labor, by spiritual and corporal works, to receive daily more and more God's inward inspirations and teachings.  They also are blessed who determine to serve God alone, ridding themselves of every hindrance from the world."  Imitation of Christ, Book 3, Ch 1.
Prayer is the languagephoto © 2009 Leland Francisco | more info (via: Wylio)
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"At that time, when Jesus entered into the boat, His disciples followed Him: and behold a great tempest arose in the sea, so that the boat was covered with waves, but He was asleep. And His disciples came to Him and awaked Him, saying: Lord, save us, we perish. And Jesus saith to them: Why are you fearful, O ye a little faith? Then rising up, He commanded the winds and the sea, and there came a great calm. But the men wondered, saying: What manner of man is this, for the winds and the sea obey Him?"  Mt 8:23-27


This reading from the 4th Sunday after Epiphany gives us men a great deal to think about.  After all, we can each ask ourself, "What manner of man am I?"  

For us men that are blessed to be fathers, we can acknowledge those times where we are literally asleep during some familial "crisis".  It might be a sickness, an unfortunate bad dream, an impudent intruder of the rodent type, or at best - when your "woman-with-child" says, "Honey, it's time!"  Most of us are willing to spring into action when needed, and I would hope that most of us would have the will power and reserve to remain calm in whatever situation we find ourselves in.  This is that magnanimity of heart that Dr. Dilsaver speaks of in his book, "The Three Marks of Manhood".   "Magnanimity depends on the greatness of a man's concerns, which he can choose and develop, and upon his natural baseline aptitude."  Thus, Christ could say to the winds and sea to be calm, because His concerns were with the eternal, and in the "big picture" the storm at sea was a small matter.  Remember the parable of the mustard seed?

The the magnanimous man leading his family, the ebb and flow of life, the ups and downs, are met with a calm reserve and trust in the Divine Hand of God.  This man knows that God the Father is the ultimate Father from whom all other fathers get their name and calling.  He places his firm trust in God for all things and does not make a "mountain out of a mole-hill."  Dilsaver quotes Josef Pieper's explanation of magnanimity:

"Magnanimity is the expansion of the spirit toward great things;  one who expects great things of himself and makes himself worthy of it is magnanimous.  The magnanimous man is to a certain extent "particular": he does not allow himself to become concerned with everything that comes along, but rather only with those great things that are suitable for him....The magnanimous man does not complain, for his heart does not permit him to be overcome by any external evil.  Magnanimity encompasses an unshakable firmness of hope, a plainly defiant certainty, and the thorough calm of a fearless heart."  (cited from TMM)

Taking this manly spirit into consideration, one wonders how the fearful disciples could have been concerned with the tempest.  While us men may strive to be magnanimous and of a "stout heart" we may find ourselves, at times, confused, bewildered, fearful, and struggling under our weakness.  In these times we must, just as these fearful disciples did, "submit [ourselves] not to the confusion of feelings or to any human being or to fate -- but only to God." (Pieper)  By the very virtue of our calling to Patriarchal leadership, we must take our concerns to God the Father, and then, with our enlarged hearts, accept the burden of our cross.  At times this may be answering the call of duty at 3am with a sick child, at other times it may mean deciding to forgo some comfort for the sake of the Gospel and our family.


So what manner of men are we?


(this was also posted on the ChristianManhood.org site - be sure to visit us there for more on becoming a holy, Christian man in today's world)
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Happy Feast Day 01/29/2011
 
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St. Francis de Sales, pray for us!
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It is no easy task to wrap one's head around the simplicity and complexity of the traditional liturgy and its calendar.  A good start is to try to read and meditate upon the Epistle and Gospel for the day utilizing the following form taken from Fr. Goffine's book "The Church's Year" published by Sarto House.

"1. Place yourself in the presence of God.
2. Humble yourself before Him, sincerely imploring His forgiveness.
3. Pray that you may be enlightened, that you may love Him.  Recommend yourself to the Blessed Virgin and to the saints.

Then, step by step, read the [readings] carefully.  After each point reflect upon the truth you have just read, asking yourself:  1) What must I believe?  Then make an act of faith, saying:  "O Lord!  I will believe this truth, help my faith, increase my faith!"  2) What must I now do?  I must correct the faults opposed to this truth.  3) What have I done heretofore?  Unhappily, O God, I have acted in contradiction to this truth;  how differently, O Jesus, from Thee and from Thy saints!  4)  What shall I now do?  Here make a firm resolution to put these truths into immediate practice, to contend against and overcome the faults opposed to them, and to acquire new virtue.

Then finish the reading with acts of faith, hope, and charity, and contrition;  repeat the same each time you read [these readings] or any book of devotion, and you will soon perceive that great benefit for your soul is derived from such exercises."

These practices can easily be done directly before Holy Mass while sitting in the Church or, as many people do, set aside some time either Saturday evening or Sunday morning  to quietly reflect upon the Scripture for the day.  The more one dedicates to reading the Holy Writ, the more one finds himself drawn to it.  So do it and Live Devout!


Marking a Page in an Open Book (Washington, DC)photo © 2008 takomabibelot | more info (via: Wylio)
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Chestertonphoto © 2009 Ray MacLean | more info (via: Wylio)

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Today we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Innocents, a celebration of their martyrdom for Christ.  These little martyrs knew not Him whom they would die for.  These little martyrs could not make an expression of faith, except that they were to die at the command of a jealous ruler.  We rightly call these little ones, "Innocents" because they had not the ability to commit actual sin.  What of our little "Innocents" in our own homes?


"A voice in Rama was heard, lamentation and great mourning:  Rachel bewailing her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not."  Mt. 2:18

"But Jesus turning to them, said:  Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not over me;  but weep for yourselves, and for your children."  Luke 23:28

Now therefore, ye children, hear me:  Blessed are they that keep my ways."  Proverbs 8:32

This feast, embedded as it is, in the middle of the great octave feast of the Nativity reminds us of the great cost Christ paid for our salvation, as well as the cost to ourselves.  In the midst of our rejoicing comes the wailing of the mothers of Bethlehem.  One might wonder at how the Mother of Christ joined her tears to those of these poor mothers.  The loss of a child is a pain that not many are able to come to terms with, even after many years.  But what of those mothers that lose a child to sin, thus the death of the soul?


This death of soul seems to be less mourned my modern mothers and fathers.  How often do we overlook sin in our own children or even promote it through the activities, entertainment, and culture we thrust into our children's life?  I have often pointed out this obvious fact in regards to modern video games.  These, often extremely realistic games pull children into a fantasy world where they can kill and be killed, steal and rob, all in the name of reaching a high score, or simply for entertainment purposes.  Many toys could also be called out for similar problems, such as immodestly dressed dolls promoting anti-family values of consumerism, or toys grotesque and imitating demonic forms.  


As parents, we pay for these items, we go out shopping, we spend our hard-earned money for them, and why?  Have we so succumbed to the cult of entertainment as to forget what Christ said about thwarting the innocence of youth, "it were better for him that a millstone should be hanged about his neck, and that he should be drowned in the depth of the sea."?  Mt. 18:16  These are harsh words coming from the One who could forgive those who had crucified Him!  How can Christ look kindly on those that could forever mar the innocence of their own children in the name of entertainment!


This is a hard word, especially in this day of modern technology.  Many parents fear their children will somehow fall behind the times if they are not up-to-date with the newest video games, cell phones, mp3 players, or social media outlets.  Many parents, unthinkingly, give into their children's desires in order to please them or be on a "friend" level with them.  These parents have believed the modern lie that by "friending" their children they will have a better opportunity to raise them.  Unfortunately, many modern priests and bishops have too fallen for this fallacy.  One must not be either extremely distant or aloof, nor too familiar and friendly to be respected and honored.  Giving in to a child's fancy only lowers that child's respect for the parent, and in time, this will pay its own painful dividends.  Eventually the parent must say no and reject the desires of the child that has increasingly become worldly and at that time the child will simply, "unfriend" the parent like they would any other friend that insults them.   


So what are modern parents to do?  First we must truly weep for our children, for their souls and their salvation!  We must accept that we are called to raise up holy children for God and to give them a fighting chance of spiritual survival.  Until we gather up enough courage to fight the onslaught of immodest fashions, evil entertainment, and mindless technology, we will always fall into the trap of "giving in" to the modern evils that are constantly knocking on our homes door.  Once we have finally done this, we can begin to look for ways to encourage true Catholic culture in our homes.  This may mean changing dress code, throwing out the tv and video games, embracing the practical skills of homemaking and homesteading, fostering hands-on skills such as hunting, fishing, and woodworking, and developing a rich liturgical life with all its feasts, fasting, prayers, and rituals.  Our Catholic faith is the true antidote to the modern mess we find ourselves in, as Belloc observed even in his day, "Our generation lives in a world where Catholicism is the sole surviving positive force." 


http://www.christianmanhood.org/patriarchs-blog.html

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As we enter the second week of Advent, hopefully we have started strong and removed sinful habits from our life.  Of course, we can often overlook those little trifles of venial sin that continually threaten to pull us away from Christ.  These things we may consider small, but how does the old phrase go, "death by a thousand cuts".  To grow in prayer, holiness, and closeness to our Father in Heaven, we must fully separate ourselves from anything sinful, no matter how "small".  I encourage you this Advent to give God your all, clean our your "stable", and prepare fully for the coming of Christ.

Below is a great reading from St Francis' Introduction to A Devout Life.


"As daylight waxes, we, gazing into a mirror, see more plainly the soils and stains upon our face; and even so as the interior light of the Holy Spirit enlightens our conscience, we see more distinctly the sins, inclinations and imperfections which hinder our progress towards real devotion. And the selfsame light which shows us these blots and stains, kindles in us the desire to be cleansed and purged therefrom.

You will find then, my child, that besides the mortal sins and their affections from which your soul has already been purged, you are beset by sundry inclinations and tendencies to venial sin; mind, I do not say you will find venial sins, but the inclination and tendency to them. Now, one is quite different from the other. We can never be altogether free from venial sin,--at least not until after a very long persistence in this purity; but we can be without any affection for venial sin. It is altogether one thing to have said something unimportant not strictly true, out of carelessness or liveliness, and quite a different matter to take pleasure in lying, and in the habitual practice thereof. But I tell you that you must purify your soul from all inclination to venial sin;--that is to say, you must not voluntarily retain any deliberate intention of permitting yourself to commit any venial sin whatever. It would be most unworthy consciously to admit anything so displeasing to God, as the will to offend Him in anywise. Venial sin, however small, is displeasing to God, although it be not so displeasing as the greater sins which involve eternal condemnation; and if venial sin is displeasing to Him, any clinging which we tolerate to mortal sin is nothing less than a resolution to offend His Divine Majesty. Is it really possible that a rightly disposed soul can not only offend God, but take pleasure therein?

These inclinations, my child, are in direct opposition to devotion, as inclinations to mortal sin are to love:--they weaken the mental power, hinder Divine consolations, and open the door to temptations;--and although they may not destroy the soul, at least they bring on very serious disease. "Dead flies cause the ointment to send forth a stinking savour," says the Wise Man.He means that the flies which settle upon and taste of the ointment only damage it temporarily, leaving the mass intact, but if they fall into it, and die there, they spoil and corrupt it. Even so venial sins which pass over a devout soul without being harboured, do not permanently injure it, but if such sins are fostered and cherished, they destroy the sweet savour of that soul--that is to say, its devotion. The spider cannot kill bees, but it can spoil their honey, and so encumber their combs with its webs in course of time, as to hinder the bees materially. Just so, though venial sins may not lose the soul, they will spoil its devotion, and so cumber its faculties with bad habits and evil inclinations, as to deprive it of all that cheerful readiness which is the very essence of true devotion; that is to say, if they are harboured in the conscience by delight taken therein. A trifling inaccuracy, a little hastiness in word or action, some small excess in mirth, in dress, in gaiety, may not be very important, if these are forthwith heeded and swept out as spiritual cobwebs;--but if they are permitted to linger in the heart, or, worse still, if we take pleasure in them and indulge them, our honey will soon be spoilt, and the hive of our conscience will be cumbered and damaged. But I ask again, how can a generous heart take delight in anything it knows to be displeasing to its God, or wish to do what offends Him?"

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Here is the teaser trailer...looks good so far.
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Good words to reflect on today...and always.  
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