The Values of Storytelling for the Family

Storytelling is one element that can preserve the family. It is an main element that can bind family members together.

The Devolution of the Forms of Entertainment

Entertainment in the modern world has been reduced to watching sports, playing video games, surfing online, chatting in social media and watching television.

It used to be that the main form of entertainment in the family is storytelling. Does mankind still value the art of storytelling?

An Anecdote That Shows the Importance of Telling Anecdotes

I once did an experiment with three nephews and a niece. I had the joy of "babysitting" them while my sister and brother-in-law spent some alone time. I was intent in not using the television as the surrogate baby-sitter.

Instead we spent the night taking turns telling stories. When we ran out of stories to tell I encouraged them to make up stories. We spent hours entertaining ourselves in mysteries, anecdotes, and because they were so young (5 - 8 years old), the occasional silliness. As one who takes the art of conversation as a necessary social requirement, I channeled their creativity in a healthy way.

Before long, they sister and brother-in-law returns and our night of storytelling was sadly over. Did we have fun? One point will answer that question. Not once they any of them suggested turning on the TV or playing video games.

It is my strong opinion that many families are at constant risk of falling apart or being torn apart by the modern world because of the absence of conversation. By conversation, we cannot limit it to the we-need-to-talk conversation about the dreaded subjects teenagers need to hear from their parents concerning drugs or romantic relationship. Conversations can be about every topic including storytelling. It is likewise my strong opinion that the families who have a solid conversational life are the most intact and the strongest to face the dangers the institution of the family faces today.

Here are some tips from an interesting article to help you restore the art of storytelling: 

If you like the tips, consider reading the whole article by clicking on the picture below or by following this link: https://americaneedsfatima.org/Family-Tips/the-transforming-art-of-catholic-storytelling.html

Marriage should be honorable and pure

Marriage should be honorable and pure.

Many times we forget marriage is not only about intercourse. There is a holy aspect to marriage that has nothing to do with intercourse.

We live in a world where everything seems to be a euphemism for sex like love, romance, intimacy, affection, dancing, etc.

Marriage is not about legal intercourse. It is, as a contract, a mutual agreement to raise a family, and, as a sacrament, to help each other attain sanctity. It is also a vocation, and, as such, a calling from God to a form of perfection. Honor and purity are part of that perfection.

Feminism At Its Worse

https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/reverse-gendercide-feminist-boasts-i-aborted-my-baby-because-it-was-a-boy

One of the main movements that has contributed to the destruction of Holy Matrimony is the feminist movement.

This movement seeks to establish absolute equality between husband and wife, father and mother, male and female.

One thing is to advocate for equality. It's quite another to promote one over another to the point of selective breeding. This is a form of hatred that expresses the final stage of the feminist movement.

Let no man put asunder

What God has joined, let not man put asunder. Mk. 10:9

How permanent is marriage? How permanent should it be? Or, perhaps, the better question is how permanent did God intend it to be.

Modern man can try to redefine nature or the finality of nature. Despite all his efforts, he will never be able to change the limitations God has set upon creation. To each creature, its own finality has been determined by its very creator. 

There's no difference with marriage. As an institution established by God, its very nature and finality was defined already at its inception. The phrase "what God has joined" has a special meaning when we see that the word for "unite" in Greek is syzeúgnymi which actually means to be "jointly-yoked."

This denotes that marriage has the finality of joining man and woman under one common task, which is procreation and raising children. This yoke, in this sense, can synonymously be  called task, duty, obligation or finality. Once this yoke has been jointly taken, by its very nature, and, above all, by divine decree, the union must not be broken by man, neither by magistrate, king nor pope.

But from the beginning of the creation, God made them male and female. For this cause a man shall leave his father and mother; and shall cleave to his wife. And they two shall be in one flesh. Therefore now they are not two, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.

And in the house again his disciples asked him concerning the same thing.And he saith to them: Whosoever shall put away his wife and marry another, committeth adultery against her. And if the wife shall put away her husband, and be married to another, she committeth adultery. (Mk 10:6-12)

To defend holy matrimony, it's necessary to remind mankind of God's original intent for marriage. By knowing the creators intent, we can better understand the nature and finality of marriage and, in turn, attain its perfection.

Defending Innocence

To defend holy matrimony, it is also necessary to defend all the aspects of procreation and raising children. On top of that list is the main concern to preserve the innocence of children.

Innocence is above all expressed in the beatitude "Blessed are the pure of heart, for they will see God." What is purity but not being stained. What is innocence but the absence of stain.

This co-relation between innocence and purity is of utmost importance in raising children and in helping them transition into adulthood without the modern drama of adolescence.

Innocence is best seen in the face of a child as they begin to see the world. There's nothing more precious than when the child is lost in contemplation of even the simplest of things. Innocence is also best seen in the eyes of a saint who never abandoned their childhood innocence mistaking childish infantilism with the childlike view of the God's creation.

"Unless you become as one of these little ones," referring to innocence rather than size or naivete, "you shall not enter the kingdom of Heaven.

Western and Christian man has sensed this importance. The modern world does everything to distract us from this simple truth--that innocence, which gave us indelible soul-shifting experiences and true happiness, naturally matures into wisdom. We can see the drive to destroy this innocence in children expressed in the homosexual and transgender agendas. What hardness of heart and darkness of intention would lead regulations and policies that would introduce the world of impurity to the hearts of the pure? Only God can say.

As for our part, we need to steel our resolve by reminding ourselves the happiness we experienced in our time of innocence and how this is important for a child to experience that he may start and end his life always seeing God in his creation, in society and in his Church.

If innocence were preserved in children and guided to grow into wisdom, how much superior society would be?

The many faces of love - sibling bonding

Many times the modern family becomes so bogged down by the allure of modern technology and entertainment that we have relied on them entirely to build familial bonds. Much to the chagrin of many parents, children end up preferring to spend more time with gadgets than the parents themselves, much less the rest of the family. Older siblings don't see the value of truly bonding with their younger siblings. Many parents have lost the art of captivating the attention of their children. 

Without a doubt this is one of the common symptoms of the modern family. Uncorrected, it will eventually contribute to the dissolution of familial bonds. 

How precious were those moments when children hung on every word of the stories being told. Now, instead, and sadly, they sit mesmerized by the TV, computer or game console. 

In defending Holy Matrimony, it's necessary not to lose this custom and if lost strive to restore it. Man is a creature of habit. Habits can always be formed or forgotten. Leisure time focused on something simple is important to form lasting familial bonds. 

The true union bonded by marriage

Modern man has transformed everything into a pure economic contact. In the family, it became a trend in some circles to pit husbands and wives in a Marxist class struggle.

In holy matrimony, what exists is not class struggle but a natural and mutual caring that issues from two individuals who have vowed to be as one flesh.

The Homosexual Agenda (or rather Tyranny)

https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/breaking-christian-bus-driver-fired-after-refusing-to-drive-calgary-gay-pri

This type of thing is becoming more common as the homosexual agenda pushes its bid to reshape society to its image and likeness. What is most interesting about this is the details?

He was interrogated fascist-communist style for 5 hours! Since pro homosexuals don't care about morality (due to their submission to the vice by practice or collusion), they will not care about the other virtues like honesty, integrity, fairness, being principled, honor, etc.

One can sense the need of the employer to crush any opposition.

The Many Faces of Love

There are many faces of love and many expressions of its binding aspect. Friendship and mutual companionship are definitely two of them. There are also bonds that form between a pet and its owner, a child and his parents, a patient and his doctor, a customer and a local shop owner, a flock and the shepherd, pupil and teacher. Each of these bonds are unique to themselves based solely on the particular relationship established between those whose bonds are formed.

Yet of all these, the one formed by the bonds of marriage is unique, and the one formed by Holy Matrimony even greater. It is the only one whose union naturally leads to the creation of a new rational creature with an immortal soul. Its fruitfulness is beyond comprehension.

This is the true reality behind what marriage is. It is absolutely not about the irrational, hence immoral, pleasure derived from the sexual act divorced from the act of procreation. It may well be the highest form of union God gave mankind.

Holy Matrimony is marriage blessed by Christ through His Church.

Why does the persecution have to come?

This quote from George Orwell explains a process in human society that the good always tends to forget. There will always be an irreconcilable hatred for the good. Evil pretend to ask for tolerance but in reality seek to abolish all voice of opposition.

Why Was Jesus Crucified?

https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/seattle-gay-pride-marchers-viciously-beat-christian-street-preacher-video

Many people today forget why Jesus was crucified? 

Did he violate any laws? Not according to Pilate, the judge who declared him innocent but condemned him anyway.

Did he harm people? Not according to a contemporary historian who called him The Miracle Worker or the centurian who traveled to ask the favor of healing from him.

Was he a public that? Was he a traitor to the country? No none of these.

He was put to death simply because he preached repentance from sin.  "Go and sin no more." For those words, he was crucified.

How Same-sex "Marriage" Affects You 101

http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2014/06/03/baker-forced-to-make-gay-wedding-cakes-undergo-sensitivity-training-after.html

How Same-sex "Marriage" Affects You?

Many are told that this doesn't change anything in society. Everything will be like before but now homosexuals can get married and divorced just like everybody else.

What is neglected regarding this question is the cascading effect of bad laws and in this case Judicial Legislating.

One thing that is affected across the board are businesses. All businesses are governed by the Commerce laws.

With one strike of the pen, or rather five, Supreme Court judges have doomed all companies who refuse to recognize this immoral behavior.

How SSM Affect You 101

http://thelibertarianrepublic.com/millionaire-gay-couple-suing-force-church-hold-wedding/

How does same-sex "marriage"affect you?

As we've always suspected, the last stage of this process is religious persecution.

They'll force the Catholic religion and other Christian denominations to "bless" their "union". Putting the true followers of Christ in a moral dilemma. Abandon the moral principles of Christianity or disobey the law and suffer punishment.

From their point of view, if the Constitution gives them the right to be "equal" to everybody else, then no church should be able to deny them practicing their constitutional right in any church (i.e.the right to force a priest marry them)

While not all churches and faiths oppose the sin of homosexuality, the teachings of Our Lord Jesus Christ clearly does.

All the ingredients necessary to make a pot of religious persecution are already here.

We must resist by holding strong to our belief in Christ's teachings and the Christian values that gave birth to our people.

Patron Saint of Marriage

The great St. John the Baptist was beheaded because he opposed Herod's invalid marriage.

Many people are wondering how much we have to oppose the imposition of same sex "marriage?"

Let St. John the Baptist inspire you. Let the martyrs inspire you. Let the Passion and Death of Christ inspire you.

We don't fight because it's easy and popular. We fight because God and our country deserves heroic people who will die for them to diminish the offenses against the first and to preserve the honor of the second.

A Day of Infamy! Our resolve becomes stronger!

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/06/26/supreme-court-same-sex-couples-can-marry-in-all-50-states/

"But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach a gospel to you besides that which we have preached to you, let him be anathema."

The SCOTUS is no angel from Heaven.

There are two reactions in the conservative aisle. The first is discouragement. The second is the spirit to intensify our opposition.

America is not composed of laws. It is composed of a people whose union is helped by the Constitution. Judges may interpret those laws with utter disregard to the upright morals of the people and defy the people. But this does not conquer the people.

This is not the moment to get discouraged.  This is the moment when the moral majority will rise.

A ray of hope peirces through all the smoke and mirror

https://agendaeurope.wordpress.com/2015/06/20/austria-national-assembly-votes-110-26-against-same-sex-marriage/

The media, modern culture and politicians have all done their best to give the impression that the advance of homosexuality is conquering public opinion. This is far from the truth.

Time and again the general public has shown resistance to same sex marriage.

At large, despite all the propaganda, despite all the promotion, despite all the indoctrination, the vice of homosexuality appears to have gained little ground in the general public.

Once the general public sees the truth behind the agenda then things will change.

Is equality really equal?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/religion/children-need-heterosexual-parents-says-pope-after-gay-pride-march/2015/06/15/2e7867aa-1384-11e5-8457-4b431bf7ed4c_story.html

In this statement of Pope Francis the day after the Gay Pride parade in Rome, he stresses the profound difference between a father and mother relationship and two individuals in the state of adultery compounded by the vice of homosexuality.

The Sympathy to Deformity and the Ridiculous

Question: Why do homosexual activists like to be associated publicly in ridiculous and deformed ways? Whether it's the makeup, the drag clothing, the effeminate behavior, limp wristed, lisp talking, hair tossing mannerisms? Or the butch lesbians?

Answer: Man is a rational being. Our souls necessarily want to express exteriorly what it senses interiorly. Our personality is nothing but the external expression of our souls: artistically, morally, ethically, in fashion, in speech, etc.

With that in mind, by the exterior we can trace characteristics of the appetites of the soul. If one's exterior expresses the ridiculous and deformity, then logical one's soul has an appetite for that.

It's not fair to say that everyone with the inclination to homosexuality is open to this aspect.

But it's more than fair to say that it is such a public aspect of the homosexual movement that it's impossible to separate it from the identity of the movement. Apart from the medical, psychological and moral issues, there's this other aspect that shows the extreme ugliness the vice homosexuality brings to those who embrace it unreservedly.

The threats to God's Marriage

http://washington.cbslocal.com/2015/06/10/woman-with-wife-pleads-guilty-to-bigamy-for-failing-to-divorce-husband-first/

Bigamy, adultery,  abortion,  contraception,  divorce and homosexuality are all threats to a holy union blessed by God.

Though some sins only violate secondary principles, others, as the sin of homosexuality does, violate natural law.

The principal finality of marriage is the procreation of children. Not that marriage only becomes valid when the couples have children. If this were so then we couldn't accept the validity of a wedding ceremony between two celibate individuals. Rather, forming a union with the intention to procreate children which gives its validity.

Being childless doesn't invalidate the finality of marriage since,  according to nature,  a man and a woman are still physically capable of conceiving, even if only by extreme prayers or a miracle from God. It is a question of accidental (something not essential to human nature) infertility.

Whereas a relationship between homosexuals are naturally and physically infertile.

Defining Holy Matrimony

To defend Holy Matrimony, it's not only necessary to define the dangers threatening to destroy it, it's necessary to bring back the awareness of its sublime beauty in the hearts and minds of mankind.

Here is a beautiful quote defining an aspect of Holy Matrimony.

"It was God who brought Eve to Adam and gave her to him as his wife, and it is God, my friends, who with his invisible hand bound the know which united you and gave you to one another; therefore give good heed that you cherish a love which is holy, sacred and divine."

- Francis de Sales, the Devout Life