Are you Obedient?

The virtue of obedience has frequently been at the forefront of my desire and practices lately. I have picked up here and there many teaching on this virtue and have pieced together an idea of it that I feel is one of the foundations of the primary virtue of humility. I have also been reading a lot from "The Rule of St. Benedict" as well as a "Commentary for Benedictine Oblates On the Rule of St. Benedict" by G. A. Simon. The theme of this blog comes from both of these works and a number of the ideas I express are found in them.

I think we all know how important humility is in attaining sanctity. St. Gregory said "whoever accumulates the other virtues without humility is like one throwing chaff into the wind." So we know our goal is to increase in humility. But how do we get humility? 

First I would recommend praying for it. Every time you pray your rosary you should dedicate the first joyful mystery for the increase of the virtue of humility because our lady humbled herself to receive the Lord in her womb. Her "Fiat" was a perfect example of this virtue. Another method of increasing in humility is by obedience. I have been striving to become more obedient at work and at home and I admit, it has given me much peace. I would have never guessed that obedience can increase peace to the degree it has in my life. There is much freedom in knowing you are doing Gods will and I pray from this blog you can learn a little about how to glean more of it. The first point that I want to expound on, is the importance of obedientia sine mora, or obedience without delay as St. Benedict says. It is easy to say to your superior "yes" and come to postpone or forget to do what you were asked. I know that I have readily consented in my heart to accomplish what i was asked, but I finished what I was doing at the time and forgot to perform the task given. In Psalm 17:45 we see "As soon as he heard, he obeyed Me"  and to teachers, which is all of you parents "He who hears you, hear me" (Luke 10:16). We see from these scriptures that it is good to drop what you are doing, and perform the will of the one you have heard. If we continue with our project we are working on and decide to delay what was asked until later, we are indicating that our will is better and more important than that of him who is over us; this is disobedience. As a resolution pray that you will be swift in fulfilling the command of your superiors. This reminds me of a lesson I learned a long time ago growing up. I was a teenager and my mother asked me to do the dishes. I decided I would do them later and left them there. Later on my father came into the room asked me to do the dishes and I said "no, I will do them later." this pretty much infuriated him and he made it very clear to me with the extreme change in temper that that was not acceptable. That scene was burned into my memory banks and it is a lesson that I should recall often. I would assume we have all been in similar circumstances.
Another aspect of this virtue that I have learned, is that it is more of an attitude than it is an act. It is an attitude of submission to authority out of love. Yes love! Love for Christ. It is love for our lord that we submit, because it is our Lord that you are ultimately working for. If this is at the forefront of our minds and we truly believe it, work becomes love. It becomes an expression of our affection for Jesus. "For this is the charity of God, that we keep His commandments: and His commandments are not heavy." (1John 5:3-5).
The second motive that I would like to remind you is that if you are Catholic, then you are bound to obey. We are baptised into the Church and with that we are under the hierarchy of the Church. This is significant for us Traditional Catholics who can very easily slip into a spirit of disobedience to our current magesterium. That does not mean we are to revert to a resigned submission, much less an unwilling submission, but a thoughtful ready compliance.  If we just give lip service to God and say we love Him, while we do not fulfill our duties, then we are not fulfilling our call as Christians.
One motivation that drives me from time to time is also the fear of Hell. "Is not hell the lot of the disobedient?" (G. A. Simon) Sin is disobedience to God. Based on this statement, any sin we perform is disobedience. Our whole life, everything we do is dependent on whether we obey God, the Church, our Spouse, our supervisors and even ourselves. We must be whipped into submission by ourselves through penance and frequent mortification's.
The last motivation would be our final hope; life with God in Heaven. This reward is only for those who have set aside their own will and led a life replete with obedience in all its forms.
We should pray that we do not fall into lassitude over time and start backtracking into our old prideful habits.
One of the best examples to encourage us and to remind us of our duty is to look to Jesus. He is our perfect model for obedience. He says "I am not come to do My will, but the will of Him who sent Me." (John 6: 38). The Gospels is nothing but a record of the Jesus doing the will of His Father.
I would also like to remind you of the petition we make to the Father daily when we say the Lords prayer: "Thy will be done". How else is this will to be done, if we do not obey? I still sometimes ask myself, what God will is, even though I know it is simple tasks that are right in front of me.
The practice of this virtue manifests itself incessantly. There is always something to be done, but it is the spirit in which we do it that transforms it to an act of love for God.
I recommend we pray for in increase of desire for the virtue of obedience because this leads to peace, joy and humility. To put an bow on this, remember that Jesus "humbled himself, becoming obedient unto death, even to the death of the cross." (Philippians 2:8) Let us follow our Lord. 

Pax Tecum

P.S. I don't think this would be complete without a few more quotes from the saints. So here's a few for you:

The Devil doesn't fear austerity but hold obedience. - St. Francis de Sales

A single instant passed under simple obedience is immeasurably more valuable in the sight of God than an entire day spent in the most sublime contemplation. - St. Mary Magdalene de Pazzi

Obedience is the true holocaust which we sacrifice to God on the altar of our hearts - St. Philip Neri

Naturally we all have an inclination to command, and a great aversion to obey; and yet it is certain that it is more for our good to obey than to command: hence perfect souls have always had a great affection for obedience, and have found all their joy and comfort in it. - St. Francis de Sales

The Bookshelf "St. Lydwine of Schiedam"

One of the things I will try to frequently post about will be my bookbinding projects. I'm a bit traditional when it comes to the medium i use in reading. I prefer a well bound book for many reasons. The most important of these reasons to m would most likely be the comfortability of holding a book. The texture of the leather, feel of the papers and smell all make a difference.
So what is a well bound book? Well, I would say one that is sewn, so that it opens well and you do not have to fight to keep it open. Secondly it must be made of leather or a very good quality book cloth. This makes the book feel real and comfortable in the hand. A good quality book cloth also protects the text from moisture and or any other damages. A book may also have decorative end-sheets or decorative paper covering all or a portion of the case. This makes the book appear very elegant and adds a certain charm to the book. Another aspect may be the paper used in the text block. Book paper generally is smooth and off white in color. There are numerous textures and colors to choose from depending on your tastes.
There are many more styles and features a bookbinder may employ when making a book, it is primarily how he was trained and his personal preference. I haven't been book binding for a long time, but I already do have my preferences. I love Marbled papers and half bound books. My sewing techniques vary based on the type of book i'm binding.
OK, so I'm obviously a book worm and I wont bore you too much with the details. But I will just say that I love books and I think there will always be a need for bookbinders in the future. Bookbinding is an art form that is dying. There aren't many more bookbinders around, due to the increase of digital media and hand-held devices. A lot of people are scanning books into digital format for archival purposes too. This is fine, but what are you going to do when your hard drive fails, or the on line storage company goes out of business. I also think there is nothing more attractive than a bookshelf full of well bound classic works.
So lets look at my most recent project.
This book is "St. Lydwine of Schiedam Virgin"  It was written by Thomas A. Kempis. It is a mystical exposition of her life. One of my passions is to read the lives and works of the Saints. It is often very difficult to find their works and most of the time, they are old or poorly bound. I plan on bequeathing my library to my children when I die, so I plan on having a good one for them.

 So what I did here was a half bind in green goat skin leather. The leather was pretty old. I got it for a great price from a lady at paper shop in Dallas. It turned out to be usable and I think it looks really nice. The paper you see is one of my designs that I marbled a few months ago. It contrasted pretty well with the green.

 In this shot you can see the spine titled in gold leaf. It didn't come out as well as id like, due to the graininess of the old leather, but it kind of gives it a nostalgic look.

 These are the end sheets made from the same paper as the cover. Due to the books small size, I was able to use the whole sheet of marbled paper for the cover and end sheets.

The text block was sewn with a lock stitch method and rounded and backed to create a French groove on the covers. The headbands were sewn with a yellow silk thread that I think contrast the green well. This is one of the better books I have made recently, but there were still a number of things I would have liked to have done differently. Overall though, I think it came out good and I cant wait to start reading it. 

There was a sermon on Audiosancto not too long ago that described the life of St. Lydwine and that prompted me to purchase this book. 

Let me know if you have any questions on my work or if you have any ideas please let me know. I would also like to encourage anyone out there to read the old fashioned way. 

Pax Tecum

NFP Confusion "A shift in mentality"

Recently my wife and I have had many discussions about NFP and how ambiguous it is among Catholics. My wife heard on the radio a snippet from Dr. Popcak about how a family should use NFP and pray diligently to determine Gods will for their family size. This sparked up the question  "Why would you use NFP while discerning this?" I was under the impression that NFP was only to be used in serious circumstances. I don't believe it is eligible to use as a 'time out" until YOU decide what God will is for your family size. I did some web searching and found some great and not so great info out there. We all know there are NFP junkies out there that seem to believe it is the Catholic way of contracepting and that it can be used anytime in place of the pill, IUDs, etc..  I also frequently see brochures on parish book shelves describing how great NFP is and its good for your relationship too. I beg to differ here. NFP is an alternative to abstinence for couple who unfortunately have to make the sacrifice of not conceiving for some sad and hopefully serious reason. The priests at my parish have also given many sermons on the topic. 

The point is, you have some with a conservative understanding of it and others with a liberal understanding. I really wish the magesterium would give clarification as to what constitutes a "serious reason" for using NFP. Until that happens, were left with our traditions and the help of your confessor. 

The division that this problem has caused is very embarrassing to me. It reminds me of my protestant days. I mean the disagreement on doctrine and interpretations of texts etc.

So what are the "serious reasons" were talking about here? It may be serious to someone that their child attend a good college, have a newer car, wear good clothing and maybe have their own room in the house. Then there are others who are on the other end of the spectrum. They would say a serious reason would be something like not having the money to pay for  food, not having shoes or living in a one bedroom apartment with 4 kids. I think we can all agree on the seriousness of a lethal illness for the baby and or the mother, but some of the more everyday situations are pretty much up in the air for the individuals discernment. Or are they?

In situations like these the best thing Catholics can do is look at Scripture and Tradition. Some people would argue, "well, your looking at people from a different time and location. That cant apply to us today." I disagree, especially when it comes to the saints and their families. That is why they were canonized, so we can look at their lives and emulate them to the best of our ability.

Before we get into the resources, Ive heard it mentioned from a priest that "having as many kids as possible is not the goal." I would like to evaluate that statement and see what we can make of it. 

What is the correct frame of mind we as Catholics should have toward having many children? Hands down, it should be a positive mentality one of gratitude and pride in ones progeny. We see in so many scripture verses that fecundity is a direct blessing from God. We should hope to have such blessing from Him, because it the direct fruit from the love a couple shares with one another. I admit, the idea of taking care of a house full of children would be draining mentally and physically, but that in my opinion is the pessimistic view of it. The better choice is relishing the love, joy and contentment you get when spending time with your wife and children.

I get sick of hearing "Your wife is pregnant again? You know what causes that right?". That is another statement that labels children as some sort of condition that needs to be prevented. I believe Satan has succeeded in brainwashing Christians into thinking children are some sort of burden or drain on their lives. We should all start praying for a change in attitude. Now to the Word of God.

Lets crack open the old Duey-Rheims Bible. 

Psalms 126:3 Behold the inheritance of the Lord are children: the reward, the fruit of the womb.

126:4 As arrows in the hand of the mighty, so the children of them that have been shaken.

126:5 Blessed is the man that hath filled the desire with them; he shall not be confounded when he shall speak to his enemies in the gate."

This is by far my favorite scripture quote in regard to the blessing of children. It has some warlike connotation to it with the arrows mentioned in verse 4. This is not surprising considering Israel is from all time persecuted and in need of defense. 

In the Haddock commentary we read:

S. Jerome. --- "Such may be able to assist their aged parents, whereas those who are born in their old age must frequently be left orphans."

We also read from St. Alphonsus' commentary "Blessed is he that shall see his desire satisfied by the birth of so many children; he shall not suffer confusion when he shall have to treat with his enemies at the gate of the city, that is according to Bellermine, at the last judgment, which shall take place at the great gate, or before the whole world, when Jesus Christ shall confound the demons, who thought to drag the whole human race down to Hell."

So we see here that having children in some way gives us understanding, the opposite of being confounded, that we may us to our advantage at the judgment.  

Children really are are a blessing from the Lord. I think most people are too caught up in themselves to even notice this. If children are our inheritance from God, then we should not put our own limit on the gifts God gives us. 

The second verse I want to look at is Genesis

1:27 And God created man to his own image: to the image of God he created him: male and female he created them.

1:28 And God blessed them, saying: Increase and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it, and rule over the fishes of the sea, and the fowls of the air, and all living creatures that move upon the earth.

We are encouraged by God to be fruitful. Never have I seen in scripture "Be fruitful and multiply, up until the 1960s when contraception becomes available". Also importantly I also don't see it said in scripture "Be fruitful and multiply up until the practice of NFP has become scandalously popular". Never have I seen it encouraged in scripture to only have a couple of children. In fact I would argue that just about anytime family or children are mentioned in scripture it is in a mindset of a great blessing and the more the merrier. I would encourage you to do a google search on on scriptures for large families etc. and Id be willing to bet you wont find a single verse discouraging them. 

God said, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth . . ." (Gen. 1:28). The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches, "Sacred Scripture and the Church’s traditional practice see in large families a sign of God’s blessing and the parents’ generosity" (CCC 2373).For just reasons, spouses may wish to space the births of their children. It is their duty to make certain that their desire is not motivated by selfishness but is in conformity with the generosity appropriate to responsible parenthood. (CCC 2368).

People have been practicing some forms of contraception for centuries. Ive read evidence of this well be before Christianity. But the point I'm making is that this widespread 'contraceptive mentality' among Catholic Christians is a novel idea and has become supported by some within the church. I think the most confusing part of all this for me, is that its pretty much spelled out in the Catechism and other encyclicals and people just seem to ignore it. 

Let me summarize the CCC for you in the most basics terms I can. 

Children = Blessing (CCC 2373)

Contraception = intrinsically evil (CCC 2370)

NFP= only for serious reasons until its safe to stop practicing it (CCC 2368)

Just Reasons= physical, psychological, economic and social reasons (Humanae Vitae par. 10.)

Physical Reasons= You may become seriously ill during a pregnancy that may cause harm to you or the baby. 

Psychological= Diagnosed mental diseases. There are many of these, but I would guess clinical depression, schizophrenia, Bi-polar etc. 

Economic= You are in the poverty range and cant afford clothes and food. However, there are government programs that help with this. Not paying for college I would bet is not included in this section or other luxuries. I hope you get the idea. 

Social= Wars or like China's one child policy. 

These reasons are from a good orthodox priest. They are not my definitions. I'm speaking mostly to people who live in America, where most of the poor people are obese. If you live in America, you really have to try hard not to be fed. 

Now lets look at some of the lives of the Saints. 

This is a list I found on the Blog "Are We There Yet" It is pretty much just a listing of Saints who were formed in large families. This isn't an exhaustive list, but it is impressive.

Queen St. Margaret of Scotland, the mother of eight children
St. Therese of Lisieux, the ninth child
St. Gabriel of the Sorrowful Mother was the eleventh of thirteen children
St. Thomas Aquinas was the sixth son of the noble Aquino family
Gianna Beretta Molla was the tenth of thirteen children, mother of four, the last of whom she died to save
Pope St. Pius X was the second of eleven children in the Sarto family
Queen St. Clotilda bore five children
St. Catherine of Genoa was the youngest of five children
Faustina Kowalska of the Most Blessed Sacrament, the third of ten children
St. Bridget of Sweden was the mother of eight children
St. Hedwig was one of eight children and the mother of seven
St. Charles Borromeo was the third of six children
St. Thomas More was the father of four children, but also had a stepdaughter and two wards, plus several other students whom he mentored
St. Bernadette of Lourdes , one of six named children
St. Leonides, a martyr of the third century , was the father of seven sons
St. Lous de Montfort was one of eighteen children
St. Joan of Arc was one of five siblings
St. Francis de Sales was the oldest of six brothers
St. Casimir of Poland the third of thirteen children
Now lets look and see what some of the Saints say about family planning and children. 

"If we marry, it is only so that we may bring up children."  St. Justin Martyr, "First Apology," c. 160 A.D.

"God made the male and female for the propagation of the human race."  St. Irenaeus, "Against All Heresies," c. 180 A.D.

"Because of its divine institution for the propagation of man, the seed is not to be vainly ejaculated, nor is it to be damaged, nor is it to be wasted.  To have coitus other than to procreate children is to do injury to nature."  St. Clement ofAlexandria, "The Instructor of Children," 191 A.D.

"On account of their prominent ancestry and great property, the so-called faithful want no more children from slaves or lowborn commoners, they use drugs or sterility or bind themselves tightly in order to expel a fetus which has already been engendered."  St. Hippolytus, "Refutation of All Heresies," 225 A.D.

They (certain Egyptian heretics) exercise genital acts, yet prevent the conceiving of children.  Not in order to produce offspring, but to satisfy lust, are they eager for corruption."  St. Epiphanius of Salamis, "Medicine Chest Against Heresies," 375 A.D.

"...and that which is sweet, and universally desirable, the having of children, they esteem grievous and unwelcome.  Many at least with this view have even paid money to be childless, and have mutilated nature, not only killing the newborn, but even acting to prevent their beginning to live."  St. JohnChrysostom, "Homilies on Matthew," 391 A.D.

"But I wonder why he (the heretic Jovianianus) set Judah and Tamar before us for an example, unless perchance even harlots give him pleasure; or Onan, who was slain because he grudged his brother seed.  Does he imagine that we approve of any sexual intercourse except for the procreation of children?"  St. Jerome, "Against Jovinian," 393 A.D.

"You may see a number of women who are widows before they are wives. Other, indeed, will drink sterility and murder a man not yet born."  St. Jerome, "Letter 22," 396 A.D.

"And then, fearing because of your law against child-bearing...they copulate in a shameful union only to satisfy lust for their wives.  They are unwilling to have children, on whose account alone marriages are made.  When this is taken away, husbands are shameful lovers, wives are harlots, bridal chambers are brothels, fathers-in-law pimps."  St. Augustine of Hippo, "Against Faustus," 400 A.D.

"For necessary sexual intercourse for begetting (children) is alone worthy of marriage.  But that which goes beyond this necessity no longer follows reason but lust."  St. Augustine of Hippo, "The Good of Marriage," 401 A.D.

We see here from these quotes, the church fathers are pretty cut and dry on many aspects of family planing, contraception and abortion. Some of these quotes deal specifically on contraception and abortion, but the prevailing theme we see in that the purpose of marriage for the begetting and rearing of children. 

I think I will sum up this with just a few thoughts I think that we should walk away with. The biggest issue we are facing is the corruption of our modern way of thinking that children are some sort of burden as opposed to a great blessing. We all know how demanding raising children can be, but that is not a just reason for preventing child birth, no matter what means you use to prevent it. Also, I would argue that the Church has provided NFP for those couples who are in situations where becoming pregnant may be dangerous to the health of the infant or the mother, in some sort of economic downturn where there is difficulty in paying bills and feeding children and or in a state of social unrest; i have provided examples above for these situations. If a couple were not to prevent conception with these dangers present, then that would be irresponsible and worthy of criticism. At that time it would be "responsible parenthood" to prevent conception by either abstinence or NFP. I would greatly encourage people to trust the Lord with their family size and consider the possibility of being a proud parent of a large traditional Catholic family. Open yourself to the will of God for procreation and for generosity. One of the most selfless acts anyone can do in this life is to lay down ones life for another. Lay down your life by giving it to your children and then continue to lay it down as many times as God blesses you with the opportunity. 

Pax Tecum

Marian Shrine with the Kids

So here are a couple of icons my wife and kids made. Fun stuff! What a great family activity during the Marian month of May. Im going to try and mix up the Hymns and prayers we say in the evening so we can have a little variety. Last night we prayed The Total Devotion Prayer after the Rosary. It’s a bit lengthy, but it is a gem of a Marian prayer. 

Prayer to Mary, by St. Louis-Marie de Montfort

Hail MARY, beloved Daughter of the Eternal Father. Hail MARY, admirable Mother of the Son. Hail MARY, faithful Spouse of the Holy Ghost. Hail MARY, my Mother, my loving Mistress, my powerful sovereign. Hail, my joy, my glory, my heart and my soul. Thou art all mine by mercy, and I am Thine by justice. But I am not yet sufficiently Thine. I now give myself wholly to Thee without keeping anything back for myself or others. If Thou seest anything in me which does not belong to Thee, I beseech Thee to take it and make Thyself the absolute Mistress of all that is mine.

Destroy in me all that may displease GOD; root it up and bring it to nought. Place and cultivate in me everything that is pleasing to Thee. May the light of Thy faith dispel the darkness of my mind. May Thy profound humility take the place of my pride; may Thy sublime contemplation check the distractions of my wandering imagination. May Thy continuous sight of GOD fill my memory with His presence; may the burning love of Thy heart inflame the lukewarmness of mine. May Thy virtues take the place of my sins; may Thy merits be my only adornment in the sight of GOD and make up for all that is wanting in me. Finally, dearly beloved Mother, grant, if it be possible, that I may have no other spirit but Thine to know JESUS and His Divine Will; that I may have no other soul but Thine to praise and glorify GOD; that I may have no other heart but Thine to love GOD with a love as pure and ardent as Thine.

I do not ask Thee for visions, revelations, sensible devotions, or spiritual pleasures. It is Thy privilege to see GOD clearly; it is Thy privilege to enjoy heavenly bliss; it is Thy privilege to triumph gloriously in Heaven at the right hand of Thy Son and to hold absolute sway over angels, men and demons. It is Thy privilege to dispose of all the gifts of GOD, just as Thou willest. Such, O heavenly MARY, is the ʻbest partʼ, which the Lord has given Thee, and which shall never be taken away from Thee, and this thought fills my heart with joy. As for my part here below, I wish for no other than that which was Thine, to believe sincerely without spiritual pleasures, to suffer joyfully without human consolation, to die continually to myself without respite, and to work zealously and unselfishly for Thee until death, as the humblest of Thy servants. The only grace I beg Thee, for me, is that every moment of the day, and every moment of my life, I may say, “Amen, so be it, to all that Thou art doing in Heaven. Amen, so be it, to all Thou didst do while on earth. Amen, so be it, to all Thou art doing in my soul,” so that Thou alone mayest fully glorify JESUS in me for time and eternity. Amen.

I think this weekend if theres time we might start a garden in Marys honor as well. My backyard is a barren wasteland when it comes to floral embellishment. Lets just say my thumb isnt exactly green. More like a dusty brown color. This task is a bit more labor intensive, so it may take me some time. Ill post what i can.

Pax Tecum! 

May Crowning

Today was the May crowning at our parish. I have provided a beautiful photo from the service.

The service started with hymns and a procession of the young girls into the parish. Two of my daughters were among them. They were all wearing veils, which was very cute. At the end of the procession two of the girls were lifted up and crowns were placed on the statues of Mary. After the crowning there was a prossession around the church while a litany was being sung. Once the procession came back inside the church, we all sang the Salve Regina. It was very fun for the kids and it is a great May devotion for Our Lady.

May devotions to Mary originated in Italy around the early eighteenth century. The Archbishop of Genoa recommended the May devotion as a devotion for the home. One of the common ways of doing it is by creating a shrine in a prominent  location in the home.  You could set up an Icon of Mary and place flowers around it, then say a prayer and sing a hymn each night around the time you say your family rosary.  I believe Pope Pius XII in his encyclical Ingruentium Malorum recommends such devotions. 

I plan on setting up a shrine this evening. Ill try and post pics of it. 

Pax Tecum

The Tripple Tiara

Ave!

This blogs aim is to help Catholics  grow in their faith and also to find support and encouragement  in living out our Holy Catholic Religion. One of my goals is to take a look at the practical aspect of how a large catholic family operates in our post Christian society. I plan to discuss topics ranging from  how to plan meals with your spouse, to the mysteries contained in the mass. There is a tendency for blogs to frequently drift towards a spirit of criticism of abuses and disorders among the magisterium and the laity. I will try to be more positive in my posts and at the same time not cowering and being silent in what needs to be said. I tend to get emotionally drained if I read too many negative posts, so I will try to keep my posts more educational and up-lifting. I hope you enjoy my blog and gain some blessings from it.