CatholicFamilyToday

As a Marriage and Family Therapist I celebrate the chance to help married couples come to a better understanding of the Sacrament of Marriage. Sadly we have lost a sense of marriage as it was intended by God in the beginning. This blog is about marriage as it applies to scripture and the lives of the saints. As a Marriage Counselor I invite you to walk with me on a journey within the rich anthropology of our faith. The sacredness of Marriage is what this blog, and my work is all about.

Friday, September 9, 2011

Feast of Saint Peter Claver

Good morning. Who we are as parents is clearly depicted in our children, and if we wish to see the best side of our children we need to show them the best side of ourselves. Jesus in today’s Gospel reminds us parents that in order to successfully parent we must first off master our own lives. In Gaudium et Spes there is a very instructive line for all of us parents: “As living members of the family, children contribute in their own way to making their parents holy.” In other words, if we approach our task as Christian parents from a loving and responsible position our children will put us on a path of being better people. While we attend to guiding our children along the right path, we first must forge the way. If we parent with our eyes on Christ, our children will see Christ in all that we do. “No disciple is superior to the teacher; but when fully trained, every disciple will be like his teacher.” So, what is the lesson for today? Make a great day!

Today we recall the good life, gifts, and works of Saint Peter Claver. “We must love nothing but Him, or if we love anything else, we must love it only for His sake.” ~Saint Peter Claver

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BOOK OF THE MONTH

Awhile back I was out splitting wood when someone in passing introduced himself. Knowing me to be the parent of three of our four children whom the passerby knows he took the time to compliment me on what nice children Linda and I have. I suggested that most of the credit truly belongs to their mother and he responded that I likely had a play in it in some way and that whatever we did it should perhaps be put into a book. I thanked him and he went on his way and I resumed splitting wood with increased energy as a result of his kind words. This kind man is possibly correct about putting into a book whatever wisdom I might have to offer, but short of my ever getting any such wisdom published I might suggest reading the work of Peter Kreeft Before I Go: Letters to Our Children About What Really Matters. This delightful collection of instructional and at times humorous reflections by the author would likely reflect the type of things I would be inclined to put into words myself for my own children. Among many enlightening points the author makes, one which really needs to influence all that we as parents do is his point that the greatest gift which we give to our children is the gift of faith—their awareness of God. He likewise makes another critical point that when we are gone, “when the parent is dead, it’s too late to share the most precious things he knows.” This book should be part of every Christian family’s collection.