Housewife Definition And finally, never lose hope in God’s mercy. (Rule of St. Benedict 4. 74-77) Despair is a housewife with a televisionpeering through channels at the world passing her by.She seeks hope, but what a difficult decisionto turn off the screen and go sing a lullaby. So, what do you do all day, Ms. …
Tag Archives: parenting
Wholly Holy And Hale
Do not aspire to be called holy before you really are, but first be holy that you may more truly be called so. Live by God’s commandments every day. (Rule of St. Benedict 4. 62-63) Of all the archaic vocabulary words that have become vestigial, holy has to be the most vacuous. We have no …
Bless Those Who Blast You
If people curse you, do not curse them back but bless them instead. (Rule of St. Benedict 4. 32) Sadly, the right to retaliate is not an inalienable right. It may be necessary to fight your enemies and to defeat them, for the sake of the common good. But the Christian must not inflict harm merely …
Hallow Your Speech Or Hollow Your Home
Rid your heart of all deceit. Never give a hollow greeting of peace or turn away when someone needs your love. Bind yourself to no oath lest it prove false, but speak the truth with heart and tongue. (Rule of St. Benedict 4. 24-28) Do not lie to your children. What about Santa Claus and …
King Once And King To Be
It is love that impels them to pursue everlasting life; therefore, they are eager to take the narrow road of which the Lord says: Narrow is the road that leads to life Matthew 7:14. (Rule of St. Benedict 5.10-11) When my son was not yet six years old, he asked me at Christmas: “How can God be …
Let Go Of Your Grudge
You are not to act in anger or nurse a grudge. (Rule of St. Benedict 4.22-23) Do not nurse a grudge against your spouse. There’s nothing so corrosive to a marriage as silent bitterness cultivated in secret. Whenever bitterness begins to fester, get it out in the open! Express honestly whatever the problem is. Work …
Rid Yourself Of Anger
You are not to act in anger… (Rule of St. Benedict 4.22) It’s easy to be angry when interacting with children, because children are constantly doing things wrong. The more children you’re responsible for, the easier it is to remain in a state of perpetual irritation. But just because it’s a chronic feeling doesn’t mean …
Trick Or Treat
Obey the orders of the abbot unreservedly, even if his own conduct—which God forbid—be at odds with what he says. Remember the teaching of the Lord: Do what they say, not what they do Matthew 23:3. (RB 4.61) Do what I say, not what I do? Well, we’ve all been there. We shouldn’t be too quick to …
Contend Courteously
The brothers, for their part, are to express their opinions with all humility, and not presume to defend their own views obstinately.…In the monastery no one is to follow his own heart’s desire.… (Rule of St. Benedict 3. 4-8) Sure, you have freedom of expression. But is it going to be the expression of a …
Eat Your Vegetables
Raising Kids …we must be vigilant every hour… (Rule of St. Benedict 7.29) The kid who is old enough to chew solid food will also be smart enough to realize that you’re cooking peas with his pasta. He’s willful enough to feel insulted. He’s passionate enough to throw a screaming fit. Because you’re a Christian …