Something borrowed

As a young parent 35 yrs ago I also was very concerned about television and the "culture," mostly because it had totally undermined our family when I was growing up.

Providentially, we lived across the hall from a young Korean couple who also had a baby boy. From their apartment came very strong cooking odors and a lot of Korean chatter.

It occurred to me one day that their child might as well be growing up in Seoul. And with that came the realization that we could create in our own home whatever culture we wished. We did that.

We threw out the TV, and eventually spent our evenings as a family reading 30 minutes of good secular literature such as the Chronicles of Narnia, 30 minutes of the life of a saint, and 15 to 20 minutes of catechism.

We never experienced any teen-age rebellion. The kids never asked, "Why do we have to go to Mass?" At 28 and 30 yrs old now they are daily communicants, and my daughter a contemplative nun.

Ironically, the one decision to throw out the TV kept me from coming across as the censorious parent: "Don't watch this, don't watch that," etc. That causes a lot of resentment and rebellion in itself.

It was the best financial decision I ever made, because it opened up aeons of time and a quiet atmosphere in which to study. My son became a fantastic guitarist, my daughter an artist. All this paid off handsomely in scholarships. My daughter was a National Merit Scholar Finalist..

There is a very popular counsel of despair that goes like this, "What is the point of our getting rid of our television, since they will see it at their friends' homes anyway?"

The self-interest underlying this question is obvious, and televised sports has everything to do with it.

Of course, they saw television at their friends' homes nor were they forbidden from doing so. But their own home was a quiet, prayerful, peaceful refuge from the "world."

Beyond that, we emphatically wanted and needed the Lord to protect our kids from "the world, the flesh and the devil" (otherwise known as "the culture") but I could not reasonably expect Him to do that if I did not do all in my power. If we will do ALL, He will do ALL. If not, not.

If I was not going to do my part, and be the gatekeeper of my own home, how could I expect Him to be the gatekeeper of their hearts?

If I did my part, He would do His. And so it proved. To God be the glory! It was His warnings, His chastisements, His instruction that brought us around to this way of thinking.

In other words, the alarming reality is that the entire responsibility and opportunity for the formation of children rests on parents. The "culture" has little to do with it.

Friday February 25

7:00 PM

Rectory - Fr. Weldon's House

Topic - History of Mexico and its current crisis

The goal of life

The 7th Sunday makes it very clear that we are called to holiness.

1st Reading: Be holy, for I, the LORD, your God, am holy.
and, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.

2nd Reading: Do you not know that you are the temple of God,
and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?

Gospel: be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect.

In the Gospel Jesus reminds us that God's is poured forth on the good and the wicked, and that our love is supposed to be the same as God's. God does not ask us to do something that is impossible. Yes, it is beyond our nature, especially our fallen nature. But this holiness is not beyond God's grace, which is God's life within us.

Friendship with God and Teresa of Avila

Teresa of Avila, in her masterpiece, Interior Castle, after describing all kinds of grades of prayer and mystical experience of the Lord, goes on to say that in addition to all these kinds of union, there is another kind of union with the Lord - a union of wills. What she is saying is that the Christian life of prayer is suppose to be a life of friendship with God - a real friendship that ought to bring out the very best in us, and a friendship that reveals the very best of God. She explains that the measure and standard by which we know our prayer is real, that our friendship with the Lord is real, is through our obedience, our readiness to do his will come what come may. His will is, as described by her, that we love one another,


"He desires that if you see a Sister who is sick to whom you can bring some relief, you have compassion on her and not worry about losing devotion: and that if she is suffering pain, you also feel it: and that , if necessary, you fast so that she might eat." Interior Castle, V:3.11 (translators Rodriguez and Kavanaugh, Washington D.C.: ICS, 1980, p 352).


As noted in the last post, the presence of the Lord in prayer is above all performative, a life of love I must live out not only for his sake, but even for my own sake, if I am to be true to my deepest self. This means, if we are not to betray the Lord or ourselves or abandon the One who awaits us with love, we must act on what we know the desires of Christ to be - desires that He discloses to his friends in both prayer and daily life.

One of the harder things to accept in life is when others correct us. Usually when confronted by a shortcoming of ours we are fearful, and our egos, which tend to be fragile, react with anger and resentment. But Scripture reminds us in many places that to be corrected is in fact a gift:

1. When the Just man corrects me it is kindness. Let him rebuke me–it is oil on my head. My head will not refuse it. (Psalm 141:5)
2. It is better to heed a wise man’s rebuke than to listen to the song of fools. (Eccl 7:5)
3. He who ignores discipline comes to poverty and shame, but whoever heeds correction is honored. (Prov 13:18)
4. He who listens to a life-giving rebuke will be at home among the wise. He who ignores discipline despises himself, but whoever heeds correction gains understanding.. (Prov 15:31-32)
5. To one who listens, valid criticism is like a gold earring or other gold jewelry. (Prov 25:12)

Our Lady of Lourdes

Matthew 5

Jesus said to his disciples:
“I tell you, unless your righteousness surpasses
that of the scribes and Pharisees,
you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.

“You have heard that it was said to your ancestors,
You shall not kill; and whoever kills will be liable to judgment.
But I say to you,
whoever is angry with brother
will be liable to judgment.

“You have heard that it was said, You shall not commit adultery.
But I say to you,
everyone who looks at a woman with lust
has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

“Again you have heard that it was said to your ancestors,
Do not take a false oath,
but make good to the Lord all that you vow.
But I say to you, do not swear at all.
Let your ‘Yes’ mean ‘Yes,’and your ‘No’ mean ‘No.’
Anything more is from the evil one.”

The Beatitudes

“Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Humility is the beginning of the spiritual life. In order take up this supernatural task we must begin by acknowledging our complete dependence on God.

Blessed are they who mourn,
for they will be comforted.

While there are many things that cause us sadness, the worst of these is sin.
The second step of the spiritual life is to repent of our sins. Only the humble can truthfully acknowledge their sinfulness.

Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the land.
Meek does not mean weak or wishy washy. Meek means to be free of covetousness. The meek person possesses the land rather than let the land possess him.

Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be satisfied.
We can only achieve that which is difficult if we have desire, the strength of will to achieve a goal. Those who are blessed have a firm and unwavering desire for holiness

Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
In many places Jesus teaches us to forgive those who sin against us.
The blessed freely give mercy to others because they have received mercy from God.

Blessed are the clean of heart,
for they will see God.
Only those who have faith can see God. Purity of mind and body allows faith to blossom in the soul.

Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.
The Son of God came to heal wounds of sin and division. If we too want be God’s children we must also work for peace. Do we stir up strife and discord or do we cultivate peace.


Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you
and utter every kind of evil against you falsely because of me.
Rejoice and be glad,
for your reward will be great in heaven.”
From the beginning Christians have always been persecuted for their faith. The world hates the ideals and the values of those who follow Christ. When the world rejects Jesus do we remain faithful to him or do we pretend like we do not know him out of respect for the world.

pope Leo XIII

“Christians are,” Leo continues, “born for combat.” It is part of their nature to follow Christ by espousing unpopular ideas and by defending the truth at great cost to themselves. One of their main duties is “professing openly and unflinchingly the Catholic doctrine”; a second is “propagating it to the utmost of their power.” As many today insist, they should preach the Catholic faith through personal example; at the same time, though, they should also preach the faith “by open and constant profession of the obligations it imposes.” A negative reaction from the public, far from being a sign of mistaken ideas, can serve as evidence of exactly the opposite fact. “Jesus Christ,” the pope points out, “has clearly intimated that the hatred and hostility of men, which he first and foremost experienced, would be shown in like degree toward the work founded by him.”

Keeping our eyes on Jesus

Brothers and sisters:
Since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses,
let us rid ourselves of every burden and sin that clings to us
and persevere in running the race that lies before us
while keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus,
the leader and perfecter of faith.
For the sake of the joy that lay before him
Jesus endured the cross, despising its shame,
and has taken his seat at the right of the throne of God.
Consider how he endured such opposition from sinners,
in order that you may not grow weary and lose heart.
In your struggle against sin
you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood.