Pious Forwards: January 2005 Archives

I just received this missive by Dr. Jennifer Roback Morse from To The Source on engageculture.com. No clue how I got subscribed to this list, but it has some interesting stuff:

Dr. Phil’s new book Family First has one feature that sets it apart from the crowded shelves of family self-help books: his chapter on divorced and blended families. He has seen first hand that the official line we’ve been given about divorce and remarriage is misleading at best and down-right false at worst. You know the the “happy talk” I’m talking about: Divorce is no problem, if....

If the mother has enough money, if she spends enough time with the kids, they’ll do just fine. If the parents continue to work together in a loving cooperative way, the children will be better off than with a family life of continual strife. If the stepdad is loving and attentive, remarriage is no problem for kids. If the children know that their parents love them, they will have minimal difficulties adjusting to the necessary changes in their parents’ lives.

Dr. Phil knows from experience that those huge “ifs” don’t automatically occur in real life. Making those “ifs” come true takes an almost super-human effort. Because he is a positive type of guy, he doesn’t focus on the negatives. But by spelling out in detail what the biological and step parents need to do and not do, he makes it clear that divorce, remarriage and stepparenting is no picnic.

I received this interesting forward today:

Read below how non-Christian sociologists have proven that the Catholic Church’s teachings upholding the bond of marriage and against artificial contraception are necessary for a healthy society. This news article should be reprinted in every newspaper, and especially every Catholic newspaper.

The Facts of Life & Marriage

http://www.touchstonemag.com/archives/article.php?id=18-01-038-f

The Seven Daily Habits of Holy Apostolic People by Father John McCloskey

I read it and his Seven Habits will surprise no one. While not all of them are my style, they can certainly bear fruit if done sincerely and with devotion.

I'd like to present a list of Seven Daily Prayers for Effective Holiness:

1) Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, have mercy on me, a sinner.
2) Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, glory to you.
3) Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, I put my trust in you.
4) Lord, increase my faith: I believe, help my unbelief.
5) Give me a heart of unconditional love; may I love as You love.
6) May every word I speak be full of grace and truth and sincerity; may I always speak your word and do your will.
7) Give me all the fruits and gifts of the Holy Spirit.

#2 is a bit vague but it means glorifying God for whatever happens, in all circumstances good and bad, and accepting all the suffering that comes your way in reparation for yours own sins, for the sins of those you know and love, and for the sins of the whole world.

These are basically a summary of the much longer prayers I put on the web page I posted earlier.