Si Non Credideritis, Non Intellegetis (cf. Isaiah 7:9 Septuagint rendering)

UNLESS YOU BELIEVE YOU WILL NOT UNDERSTAND

That is the title of Chapter Two (nos. 23-36) of the last papal encyclical--Lumen Fidei--which was mostly written by Pope Emeritus Benedict and promulgated by Pope Francis 29 June 2013. After dealing with the problem of the translation, which has been mentioned elsewhere, He gives the following explanation for why faith and truth are inseparable.

"We need knowledge, we need truth, because without these we cannot stand firm, we cannot move forward. Faith without truth does not save, it does not provide a sure footing. It remains a beautiful story, the projection of our deep yearning for happiness, something capable of satisfying us to the extent that we are willing to deceive ourselves...But precisely because of its intrinsic link to truth, faith is instead able to offer a new light, superior to the king's calculations, for it sees further into the distance and takes into account the hand of God, who remains faithful to his covenant and his promises.

"Today more than ever, we need to be reminded of this bond between faith and truth, given the crisis of truth in our age. In contemporary culture, we often tend to consider the only real truth to be that of technology: truth is what we succeed in building and measuring by our scientific-know-how; truth is what works and what makes life easier and more comfortable...[the same kind of truth of the great destructive] totalitarian movements of the last century, a truth that imposed its own worldview in order to crush the actual lives of individuals. In the end, what we are left with is relativism, in which the question of God--is no longer relevant."

The encyclical goes on to show the necessary connection between faith and love and faith and divine revelation.

In his Commentary to the De Trinitate of Boethius, Saint Thomas Aquinas masterfully and systematically treated the same question (using the same scripture quote [at the end of the "response" below]) clearly distinguishing between the truth of faith and mere opinion. Here is the relevant question (Question III, Article 1).

QUESTION III Concerning Those Things That Pertain to the Knowledge Possessed by Faith

Article 1
Whether Faith Is Necessary for Mankind

Objections

1. It seems that faith should not be considered necessary for mankind. As is said in Eccles. 7:1, “Why does a man need to seek things that are above him?” This is to say, there is no need. But those things that are believed by faith are above man, as exceeding his reason; otherwise his reason, which is the cause of science, would suffice. Therefore it was not necessary for man that, over and above the truths of reason, he should be taught those of faith. 2. God established human nature as something perfect when He created it. Deut. 32:4, “The works of God are perfect.” But from the ability bestowed upon the human mind according to its original condition, man cannot attain to those things which must be known by faith; otherwise he would be able to possess scientific knowledge of them, a knowledge which is caused by the fact that conclusions are resolved into naturally known principles. Since, therefore, a thing is called perfect if it lacks nothing that it ought to possess, as is said in V Metaph., it seems that man does not require faith. 3. Every wise man makes choice of the shorter way to reach a goal: but it would appear exceedingly difficult for a creature to believe truths which are above reason and, in the case of men, extremely dangerous, since many fall away from the state of salvation because they do not believe; therefore, it seems that God, who is all-wise, ought not to have established faith as the way of salvation for men.

4. Whenever there is acceptance of knowledge without judgment, the road to error is easy; but we have in ourselves no ability by which we are able to judge of the things which we accept by faith, since our natural judgment does not extend to truths of this kind, as they exceed reason; therefore evidently the road to error is an easy one for us, and so it would appear rather harmful than useful for man that he should be directed to God by the way of faith.

5. As Dionysius says, it is an evil for man to exist apart from reason; but man in adhering to faith departs from reason, and in this he is even accustomed to despise reason; therefore it seems that such a way is evil for men.

Sed contra

But on the contrary, it is said in Heb. 11:6, “Without faith it is impossible to please God”; but it is supremely necessary for man that he be pleasing to God, since otherwise he can neither do nor possess any good; therefore faith is most necessary for man.

Again, it is most necessary for man to know the truth, since beatitude is joy in knowing the truth, as Augustine says; but faith establishes believers in truth and establishes truth in them, as Dionysius says (De div. nom., chap. 7); therefore faith is most necessary for man.

Again, that without which human society cannot be conserved is especially necessary for man, since man is a political animal, as is said in VIII Ethic.; but without faith human society cannot be preserved, since it is requisite that one man believe in the promises of another and in his testimony and the like, for this is necessary if they are to live together; therefore faith is most necessary for mankind.

Response. I answer that it must be said that faith has something in common with opinion, and something in common with knowledge and understanding, by reason of which it holds a position midway between opinion and understanding or science, according to Hugh of St. Victor. In common with understanding and knowledge, it possesses certain and fixed assent; and in this it differs from opinion, which accepts one of two opposites, though with fear that the other may be true, and on account of this doubt it fluctuates between two contraries. But, in common with opinion, faith is concerned with things that are not naturally possible to our understanding, and in this respect it differs from science and intellection.

That a thing should not be apparent to human understanding can arise for two reasons, as is said in II Metaph.: namely, because of lack of knowability in things themselves, and because of lack of intellectual ability on our part.

1. It may be due to lack on the part of things, as in the case of singular and contingent things which are remote from our senses, like the deeds and words and thoughts of men; for these are of such a nature that they may be known to one man, but unknown to others. And since among men dwelling together one man should deal with another as with himself in what he is not self-sufficient, therefore it is needful that he be able to stand with as much certainty on what another knows, but of which he himself is ignorant, as upon the truths which he himself knows. Hence it is that in human society faith is necessary in order that one man give credence to the words of another, and this is the foundation of justice, as Tullius says in his book, De officiis. Hence also it is that no lie is without sin, since every lie derogates from that faith which is so necessary.

2. The truth of things may also not be evident because of defect on our part, as in the case of divine and necessary things which, according to their own nature, are most knowable. Wherefore, to understand them, we are not capable of immediate intellection, from the very beginning, since it is in accordance with our nature to attain from things less knowable and posterior in themselves, to knowledge of those that are themselves more knowable and prior. But since from none of those things that we know last do we have any knowledge of those that we know first, it is needful for us even at first to have some notion of those things that are most knowable in themselves; but this cannot be except by believing. And this is evident even in the order of the sciences; since that science which is concerned with highest causes, namely, metaphysics, comes last in human knowledge; yet in sciences that are preambles to it there must be supposed certain truths which only in it are more fully revealed; therefore every science has some suppositions that must be believed in order to carry on the process of learning.

Since, therefore, the end of human life is beatitude, which consists in the full cognition of divine truths, it is necessary that human life be directed to this beatitude by an initial possession of divine truths by faith, truths which man can hope to know fully in the ultimate state of human perfection.

Certain of these truths that must be known can be attained by reason even in this life: however, although knowledge of them is possible and even possessed by certain men, nevertheless faith is necessary for five reasons, which Rabbi Moses enumerates:

1. First, on account of the depth and subtlety of the matter, by which divine truths are hidden from human understanding. Therefore, lest any man be without some knowledge of them, provision is made that through faith, at least, he know divine truths. Therefore, in Eccles. 7:25 it is said: “It is a great depth, who shall find it out?” 2. Secondly, on account of the weakness of the human intellect from the beginning. For perfection of knowledge does not belong to the human intellect except at the end; therefore, that it should at no time lack a knowledge of God, it requires faith by which it may accept divine truths from the very beginning. 3. Thirdly, because of the many preambles that are required for a knowledge of God according to reason. For this there is needed knowledge of almost all the sciences, since cognition of divine things is the end of them all. But few indeed would comprehend these preambulatory truths or investigate them completely. Therefore, lest large numbers of men should be left without knowledge of divine things, the way of faith has been provided by God Himself. 4. In the fourth place, many men on account of their natural constitution are unfitted for perfect intellectual investigation according to reason; therefore, that these might not lack knowledge of divine truths, the way of faith has been provided. 5. In the fifth place, because of numerous occupations with which men are busied, it would be impossible for all of them to discover, by way of reason, necessary truth in regard to God, and on this account the way of faith has been established, both as regards things that might in some way be known and as regards those that required revelation in order that they be believed. But in the case of certain divine truths, for a complete understanding of them the human mind in no way suffices, but full knowledge of them is to be awaited in that future life when there will be complete beatitude: such is the truth of the Trinity and the unity of one God; and man is led to knowledge of this, not in accordance with anything due his nature, but by divine grace alone. Therefore it is necessary that, for a perfection of knowledge of this kind, certain suppositions be proposed which must be believed at first, and from these one is directed into full cognition of those truths which at the outset he held on faith, even as in other sciences also, as has been said. Hence in Is. 7:9 it is said, according to one translation: “Unless you believed, you would not understand.” And suppositions of this sort are those that must be believed by all, since in this life they are neither known nor understood by, any one. Answers to objections 1. It may be said: Although matters of faith considered according to man’s natural powers are above him, they are not above man when he is illuminated by divine light; hence it is not necessary for man that he seek out such truths by his own power, but it is necessary for him to know them by divine revelation. 2. It may be said: God, in the first creation of things, established man as perfect in accordance with the perfection of his nature, and this consisted in the fact that man had all things due to his nature. But over and above that due to nature there were added afterward to the human race certain other perfections owing their source to divine grace alone, and among these was faith, as is evident from Eph. 2:8, where it is said of faith that it is “the gift of God.” 3. It may be said: For anyone striving to attain beatitude it is necessary to know in what he ought to seek this beatitude, and in what way. But this, indeed, can be done in no easier way than through faith, since investigation by reason cannot attain to such knowledge except after a previous knowledge of many other things, things not easy to know. Nor can one attain to such knowledge without danger, since human investigation, because of the weakness of our intellect, is prone to error; and this is clearly shown by reference to those philosophers who, in attempting to find out the purpose of human life by way of reason, did not find in themselves the true method, and so fell into many and shameful errors; and so greatly did they differ among themselves that scarcely two or three among them all were in agreement on any one question; yet, on the other hand, we see that by faith many peoples are brought to the acceptance of one common belief. 4. It may be said: Whenever there is acceptance of a truth, by whatever mode of assent, there must be something which moves the mind to assent: just as the naturally possessed light of the intellect causes assent to first principles, and the truth of those first principles causes assent to conclusions made from them; while in other ways we assent to things of which we have an opinion, though, if motives were a little stronger, they would incline us to belief, in so far as faith is said to be opinion. But that which inclines the mind to assent to the first principles of understanding or to conclusions known from these principles is a sufficient induction which forces assent, and is sufficient to judge of those things to which the mind gives its assent. On the other hand, whatever inclines one to form an opinion, even though with a good amount of conviction, is not that sufficient form of induction whereby assent is forced, nor by reason of it can there be perfect judgment of the things to which assent is given. Therefore also in faith by which we believe in God, not only is there acceptance of the truths to which we give assent, but also something which inclines us to that assent; and this is the special light which is the habit of faith, divinely infused into the human mind. This, moreover, is more sufficient for inducing belief than any demonstration, for, though from the latter no false conclusions are reached, still man frequently errs in this: that he thinks something is a demonstration which is not. The light of faith is also more sufficient than the natural light of reason by which we assent to first principles, since this natural light is often impeded by bodily infirmity, as is evident in the case of the. insane. But the light of faith, which is, as it were, a kind of impression of the First Truth in our minds, cannot fail, any more than God can deceive us or lie; therefore this light suffices for making judgment. This habit of faith, nevertheless, does not move us by way of intellectual understanding, but more by way of the will; therefore it does not make us comprehend those truths which we believe, nor does it force assent, but it causes us to assent to them voluntarily. And thus it is evident that faith comes in two ways: namely, from God by reason of the interior light which induces assent, and also by reason of those truths which are proposed exteriorly and take their source from divine revelation. These latter are related to the knowledge which is of faith as things known by the senses are to knowledge of first principles, because in both cases there is a certain determination given to cognition. Therefore, as cognition of first principles is received by way of sense experience, and yet the light by which those principles are known is innate, so faith comes by way of hearing, and yet the habit of faith is infused. 5. It may be said: To live in accordance with reason is the good of man inasmuch as he is man. Now, to live apart from reason, according to one meaning, can be understood as a defect, as it is in those who live according to sense; and this is an evil in man. But in another way, it may mean to live above reason as when, by divine grace, a man is led to that which exceeds reason: and in this case, to live apart from reason is not an evil in man, but a good above that which is human. And such is the cognition of truths of faith, although faith itself is not in every way outside reason; for, it is the natural reason which holds that assent ought to be given to truths declared by God.

The Effeminate in Scripture

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Douay-Rheims Bible + Latin Vulgate Table Of Contents Go To Index Whole Bible Old Testament New Testament     1 3 Kings (1 Kings) 14:24 There were also the effeminate in the land, and they did according to all the abominations of the people whom the Lord had destroyed before the face of the children of Israel. 2 3 Kings (1 Kings) 15:12 And he took away the effeminate out of the land, and he removed all the filth of the idols, which his fathers had made. 3 3 Kings (1 Kings) 22:47 And the remnant also of the effeminate, who remained in the days of Asa his father, he took out of the land. 4 4 Kings (2 Kings) 23:7 He destroyed also the pavilions of the effeminate, which were in the house of the Lord, for which the women wove as it were little dwellings for the grove. 5 Job 36:14 Their soul shall die in a storm, and their life among the effeminate. 6 Proverbs 18:8 The words of the double tongued are as if they were harmless: and they reach even to the inner parts of the bowels. Fear casteth down the slothful: and the souls of the effeminateshall be hungry. 7 Isaias (Isaiah) 3:4 And I will give children to be their princes, and the effeminate shall rule over them. 8 Osee (Hosea) 4:14 I will not visit upon your daughters when they shall commit fornication, and upon your spouses when they shall commit adultery: because themselves conversed with harlots, and offered sacrifice with the effeminate, and the people that doth not understand shall be beaten. 9 1 Corinthians 6:10 Nor the effeminate, nor liers with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor railers, nor extortioners, shall possess the kingdom of God.     9 lines found.   0.000 seconds

The $245,000 to Raise Child Myth

A USDA study estimates costs to raise a child at over $245,000 for median income families in 2013. The majority of the costs are in housing, child care and education, and transportation.

Here are four ways to totally eliminate most of those costs.

(I base these suggestions upon the fundamental rights of families as outlined in the Vatican document below: The Charter of Rights for the Family.)

1. Stay home moms. (The best child care, and it's free! Major transportation savings!)

2. Home school. (Often the best schooling, it's also practically free! More major transportation savings!)

3. Buy your own home. (No housing expense because your property becomes a lifetime investment!)

4. Have a large family (especially five children and more).

The estimated cost of raising a second child decreases substantially, and it decreases greatly with the third and successive children. All of the costs are proportionately less the more children you have.

Large families, raising their children well, will derive untold (including monetary) benefits from the industry of the older children: e.g. an older child who has learned to play the piano can serve as instructor for the very young siblings -- free!

Again, transportation costs go way down because long distance travel (for all members of the family) decreases as the family size increases. Have five children or more and your life will definitely change. You'll stay home more!

N.B. However, having said all of that, all of this depends upon a stable holy marriage (between a man and a woman). The greatest asset for the family is the sanctity of husband and wife. Faith and love are the sine qua non resources for a family and it all starts with marriage!

Lino, Mark. (2014). Expenditures on Children by Families, 2013. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion. Miscellaneous Publication No. 1528-2013.

CHARTER OF THE RIGHTS OF THE FAMILY Presented by the Holy See to all persons, institutions and authorities concerned with the mission of the family in today's world October 22, 1983 Preamble Considering that: A. The rights of the person, even though they are expressed as rights of the individual, have a fundamental social dimension which finds an innate and vital expression in the family; B. the family is based on marriage, that intimate union of life in complementarity between a man and a woman which is constituted in the freely contracted and publicly expressed indissoluble bond of matrimony and is open to the transmission of life; C. marriage is the natural institution to which the mission of transmitting life is exclusively entrusted; D. the family, a natural society, exists prior to the State or any other community, and possesses inherent rights which are inalienable; E. the family constitutes, much more than a mere juridical, social and economic unit, a community of love and solidarity, which is uniquely suited to teach and transmit cultural, ethical, social, spiritual and religious values, essential for the development and well-being of its own members and of society. F. the family is the place where different generations come together and help one another to grow in human wisdom and to harmonize the rights of individuals with other demands of social life; G. the family and society, which are mutually linked by vital and organic bonds, have a complementary function in the defense and advancement of the good of every person and of humanity; H. the experience of different cultures throughout history has shown the need for society to recognize and defend the institution of the family; I. society, and in a particular manner the State and International Organizations, must protect the family through measures of a political, economic, social and juridical character, which aim at consolidating the unity and stability of the family so that it can exercise its specific function; J. the rights, the fundamental needs, the well-being and the values of the family, even though they are progressively safeguarded in some cases, are often ignored and not rarely undermined by laws, institutions and socio-economic programs; K. many families are forced to live in situations of poverty which prevent them from carrying out their role with dignity; L. the Catholic Church, aware that the good of the person, of society and of the Church herself passes by way of the family, has always held it part of her mission to proclaim to all the plan of God instilled in human nature concerning marriage and the family, to promote these two institutions and to defend them against all those who attack them; M. the Synod of Bishops celebrated in 1980 explicitly recommended that a Charter of the Rights of the Family be drawn up and circulated to all concerned; the Holy See, having consulted the Bishops' Conferences, now presents this "Charter of the Rights of the Family" and urges all States, International Organizations, and all interested Institutions and persons to promote respect for these rights, and to secure their effective recognition and observance. Article 1 All persons have the right to the free choice of their state of life and thus to marry and establish a family or to remain single. a) Every man and every woman, having reached marriageable age and having the necessary capacity, has the right to marry and establish a family without any discrimination whatsoever; legal restrictions to the exercise of this right, whether they be of a permanent or temporary nature, can be introduced only when they are required by grave and objective demands of the institution of marriage itself and its social and public significance; they must respect in all cases the dignity and the fundamental rights of the person. b) Those who wish to marry and establish a family have the right to expect from society the moral, educational, social and economic conditions which will enable them to exercise their right to marry in all maturity and responsibility. c) The institutional value of marriage should be upheld by the public authorities; the situation of non-married couples must not be placed on the same level as marriage duly contracted. Article 2 Marriage cannot be contracted except by free and full consent duly expressed by the spouses. a) With due respect for the traditional role of the families in certain cultures in guiding the decision of their children, all pressure which would impede the choice of a specific person as spouse is to be avoided. b) The future spouses have the right to their religious liberty. Therefore to impose as a prior condition for marriage a denial of faith or a profession of faith which is contrary to conscience, constitutes a violation of this right. c) The spouses, in the natural complementarity which exists between man and woman, enjoy the same dignity and equal rights regarding the marriage. Article 3 The spouses have the inalienable right to found a family and to decide on the spacing of births and the number of children to be born, taking into full consideration their duties towards themselves, their children already born, the family and society, in a just hierarchy of values and in accordance with the objective moral order which excludes recourse to contraception, sterilization and abortion. a) The activities of public authorities and private organizations which attempt in any way to limit the freedom of couples in deciding about their children constitute a grave offense against human dignity and justice. b) In international relations, economic aid for the advancement of peoples must not be conditioned on acceptance of programs of contraception, sterilization or abortion. c) The family has a right to assistance by society in the bearing and rearing of children. Those married couples who have a large family have a right to adequate aid and should not be subjected to discrimination. Article 4 Human life must be respected and protected absolutely from the moment of conception. a) Abortion is a direct violation of the fundamental right to life of the human being. b) Respect of the dignity of the human being excludes all experimental manipulation or exploitation of the human embryo. c) All interventions on the genetic heritage of the human person that are not aimed at correcting anomalies constitute a violation of the right to bodily integrity and contradict the good of the family. d) Children, both before and after birth, have the right to special protection and assistance, as do their mothers during pregnancy and for a reasonable period of time after childbirth. e) All children, whether born in or out of wedlock, enjoy the same right to social protection, with a view to their integral personal development. f) Orphans or children who are deprived of the assistance of their parents or guardians must receive particular protection on the part of society. The State, with regard to foster-care or adoption, must provide legislation which assists suitable families to welcome into their homes children who are in need of permanent or temporary care. This legislation must, at the same time, respect the natural rights of the parents. g) Children who are handicapped have the right to find in the home and the school an environment suitable to their human development. Article 5 Since they have conferred life on their children, parents have the original, primary and inalienable right to educate them; hence they must be acknowledged as the first and foremost educators of their children. a) Parents have the right to educate their children in conformity with their moral and religious convictions, taking into account the cultural traditions of the family which favor the good and the dignity of the child; they should also receive from society the necessary aid and assistance to perform their educational role properly. b) Parents have the right to freely choose schools or other means necessary to educate their children in keeping with their convictions. Public authorities must ensure that public subsidies are so allocated that parents are truly free to exercise this right without incurring unjust burdens. Parents should not have to sustain, directly or indirectly, extra charges which would deny or unjustly limit the exercise of this freedom. c) Parents have the right to ensure that their children are not compelled to attend classes which are not in agreement with their own moral and religious convictions. In particular, sex education is a basic right of the parents and must always be carried out under their close supervision, whether at home or in educational centers chosen and controlled by them. d) The rights of parents are violated when a compulsory system of education is imposed by the State from which all religious formation is excluded. e) The primary right of parents to educate their children must be upheld in all forms of collaboration between parents, teachers and school authorities, and particularly in forms of participation designed to give citizens a voice in the functioning of schools and in the formulation and implementation of educational policies. f) The family has the right to expect that the means of social communication will be positive instruments for the building up of society, and will reinforce the fundamental values of the family. At the same time the family has the right to be adequately protected, especially with regard to its youngest members, from the negative effects and misuse of the mass media. Article 6 The family has the right to exist and to progress as a family. a) Public authorities must respect and foster the dignity, lawful independence, privacy, integrity and stability of every family. b) Divorce attacks the very institution of marriage and of the family. c) The extended family system, where it exists, should be held in esteem and helped to carry out better its traditional role of solidarity and mutual assistance, while at the same time respecting the rights of the nuclear family and the personal dignity of each member. Article 7 Every family has the right to live freely its own domestic religious life under the guidance of the parents, as well as the right to profess publicly and to propagate the faith, to take part in public worship and in freely chosen programs of religious instruction, without suffering discrimination. Article 8 The family has the right to exercise its social and political function in the construction of society. a) Families have the right to form associations with other families and institutions, in order to fulfill the family's role suitably and effectively, as well as to protect the rights, foster the good and represent the interests of the family. b) On the economic, social, juridical and cultural levels, the rightful role of families and family associations must be recognized in the planning and development of programs which touch on family life. Article 9 Families have the right to be able to rely on an adequate family policy on the part of public authorities in the juridical, economic, social and fiscal domains, without any discrimination whatsoever. a) Families have the right to economic conditions which assure them a standard of living appropriate to their dignity and full development. They should not be impeded from acquiring and maintaining private possessions which would favor stable family life; the laws concerning inheritance or transmission of property must respect the needs and rights of family members. b) Families have the right to measures in the social domain which take into account their needs, especially in the event of the premature death of one or both parents, of the abandonment of one of the spouses, of accident, or sickness or invalidity, in the case of unemployment, or whenever the family has to bear extra burdens on behalf of its members for reasons of old age, physical or mental handicaps or the education of children. c) The elderly have the right to find within their own family or, when this is not possible, in suitable institutions, an environment which will enable them to live their later years of life in serenity while pursuing those activities which are compatible with their age and which enable them to participate in social life. d) The rights and necessities of the family, and especially the value of family unity, must be taken into consideration in penal legislation and policy, in such a way that a detainee remains in contact with his or her family and that the family is adequately sustained during the period of detention. Article 10 Families have a right to a social and economic order in which the organization of work permits the members to live together, and does not hinder the unity, well-being, health and the stability of the family, while offering also the possibility of wholesome recreation. a) Remuneration for work must be sufficient for establishing and maintaining a family with dignity, either through a suitable salary, called a "family wage," or through other social measures such as family allowances or the remuneration of the work in the home of one of the parents; it should be such that mothers will not be obliged to work outside the home to the detriment of family life and especially of the education of the children. b) The work of the mother in the home must be recognized and respected because of its value for the family and for society. Article 11 The family has the right to decent housing, fitting for family life and commensurate to the number of the members, in a physical environment that provides the basic services for the life of the family and the community. Article 12 The families of migrants have the right to the same protection as that accorded other families. a) The families of immigrants have the right to respect for their own culture and to receive support and assistance towards their integration into the community to which they contribute. b) Emigrant workers have the right to see their family united as soon as possible. c) Refugees have the right to the assistance of public authorities and International Organizations in facilitating the reunion of their families. Sources and References A. "Rerum novarum", no. 9; "Gaudium et spes", no. 24. B. "Pacem in terris", Part 1; "Gaudium et spes", nos. 48 and 50; "Familiaris consortio", no. 19; "Codex Iuris Canonici", no. 1056. C. "Gaudium et spes", no. 50; "Humanae vitae", no. 12; "Familiaris consortio", no. 28. D. "Rerum novarum", nos. 9 and 10; "Familiaris consortio", no. 45. E. "Familiaris consortio", no. 43. F. "Gaudium et spes", no. 52; "Familiaris consortio", no. 21. G. "Gaudium et spes", no. 52; "Familiaris consortio", nos. 42 and 45. I. "Familiaris consortio", no. 45. J. "Familiaris consortio", nos. 46. K. "Familiaris consortio", nos. 6 and 77. L. "Familiaris consortio", nos. 3 and 46. M. "Familiaris consortio", no. 46. art. 1 "Rerum novarum", no. 9; "Pacem in terris", Part 1; "Gaudium et spes", no. 26; "Universal Declaration of Human Rights", no. 16, 1. a) "Codes Iuris Canonici", nos. 1058 and 1077; "Universal Declaration", no. 16, 1. b) "Gaudium et spes", no. 52, "Familiaris consortio", no. 81. c) "Gaudium et spes", no. 52; "Familiaris consortio", nos. 81 and 82. art. 2 "Gaudium et spes", no. 52; "Codex Iuris Canonici", no. 1057; "Universal Declaration", nos. 16, 2. a) "Gaudium et spes", no. 52. b) "Dignitatis humanae", no. 6. c) "Gaudium et spes", no. 49; "Familiaris consortio", nos. 19 and 22; "Codex Iuris Canonici", no. 1135; "Universal Declaration", no. 16, 1. art. 3 "Populorum progressio", no. 37; Gaudium et spes, nos. 50 and 87; Humanae vitae, no. 10; Familiaris consortio, nos. 30 and 46. a) Familiaris consortio, no. 30. b) Familiaris consortio, no. 30. c) Gaudium et spes, no. 50. art. 4 Gaudium et spes, no. 51; Familiaris consortio, no. 26. a) Humanae vitae, no. 14; Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Declaration on Procured Abortion, November 18, 1974; Familiaris consortio, no. 30. b) Pope John Paul II, Address to the Pontifical Academy of Sciences, October 23, 1982. d) Universal Declaration, no. 25, 2; Convention on the Rights of the Child, Preamble and no. 4. e) Universal Declaration, no. 25, 2. f) Familiaris consortio, no. 41. g) Familiaris consortio, no. 77. art. 5 Divini Illius Magistri, nos. 27-34; Gravissimum educationis, no. 3; Familiaris consortio, no. 36; Codex Iuris Canonici, nos. 793 and 1136. a) Familiaris consortio, no. 46. b) Gravissimum educationis, no. 7; Dignitatis humanae, no. 5; Pope John Paul II, Religious Freedom and the Helsinki Final Act (Letter to the Heads of State of the nations which signed the Helsinki Final Act), 4b; Familiaris consortio, no. 40; Codex Iuris Canonici, no. 797. c) Dignitatis humanae, no. 5; Familiaris consortio, nos. 37 and 40. d) Dignitatis humanae, no. 5; Familiaris consortio, no. 40. e) Familiaris consortio, no. 40; Codex Iuris Canonici, no. 796. f) Pope Paul VI, Message for the Third World Communications Day, 1969; Familiaris consortio, no. 76. art. 6 Familiaris consortio, no. 46. a) Rerum novarum, no. 10; Familiaris consortio, no. 46; International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, no. 17. b) Gaudium et spes, nos. 48 and 50. art. 7 Dignitatis humanae, no. 5; Religious Freedom and the Helsinki Final Act, 4b; International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, no. 18. art. 8 Familiaris consortio, nos. 44 and 48. a) Apostolicam actuositatem, no. 11; Familiaris consortio, nos. 46 and 72. b) Familiaris consortio, nos. 44 and 45. art. 9 Laborem exercens, nos. 10 and 19; Familiaris consortio, no. 45; Universal Declaration, nos. 16, 3 and 22; International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, nos. 10, 1. a) Mater et magistra, Part II; Laborem exercens, no. 10; Familiaris consortio, no. 45; Universal Declaration, nos. 22 and 25; International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, 7, a, ii. b) Familiaris consortio, nos. 45 and 46; Universal Declaration, no. 25, 1; International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, nos. 9, 10, 1 and 10, 2. c) Gaudium et spes, no. 52; Familiaris consortio, no. 27. art. 10 Laborem exercens, no. 19; Familiaris consortio, no. 77; Universal Declaration, no. 23, 3. a) Laborem exercens, no. 19; Familiaris consortio, nos. 23 and 81. b) Familiaris consortio, no. 23. art. 11 Apostolicam actuositatem, no. 8; Familiaris consortio, no. 81; International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, nos. 11, 1. art. 12 Familiaris consortio, no. 77; European Social Charter, 19.

"Camino de la Vida" A Classic Song On Holy Marriage

De prisa como el viento 

van pasando, 

los dias y las noches 

de la infancia... 

un angel nos depara 

sus cuidados, 

mientras tejen sus manos 

una esperanza... 

Despues llegan los años 

juveniles... 

los juegos, los amigos, 

el colegio... 

el alma ya define 

sus perfiles... 

de pronto el corazon 

comienza a cultivar 

un sueno... 

Y brotan como un manantial, 

las mieles del primer amor, 

el alma ya quiere volar 

y vuela tras una ilusion... 

y aprendemos que el dolor 

y la alegria 

son la esencia 

permanente de la vida. 

Y luego cuando somos dos, 

en busca de un mismo ideal, 

buscamos un nido de amor, 

refugio que se llama hogar. 

Y empezamos otra etapa del camino... 

un hombre, una mujer, 

unidos con la fe 

en un destino... 

Los frutos de ese amor, 

que Dios bendijo, 

alegran el hogar con su presencia, 

a quien se quiere mas, 

sino a los hijos, 

son la prolongacion 

de la existencia... 

despues cuantos esfuerzos y desvelos 

para que no les falte nunca nada 

para que cuando crezcan lleguen lejos 

y puedan alcanzar esa felicidad 

tan anhelada... 

Y luego como es natural 

la vida debe proseguir 

los hijos se quieren casar 

y lo tenemos que admitir 

y empezamos otra etapa de la vida 

una etapa que "ya no es desconocida"... 

Y luego cuando ellos se van, 

algunos sin decir adios, 

el frio de la soledad 

golpea nuestro corazon, 

es por eso amor mio que te digo 

por una y otra vez... 

si llego a la vejez... 

que estes conmigo.

"No Basta" A Great Song on Child Rearing

This is a (Spanish) video by Franco De Vita of Venezuela on the limits of parental love -- children need God! Parents need to introduce their children to God!

Here are the lyrics (Spanish then English)

No basta traerlos al mundo

porque es obligatorio

porque son la base del matrimonio

o porque te equivocaste en la cuenta.

No basta con llevarlos

a la escuela a que aprendan

porque la vida cada vez es más dura

ser lo que tu padre no pudo ser.

No basta que de afecto

tú le has dado bien poco

todo por culpa del maldito trabajo

y del tiempo.

No basta porque cuando quiso

hablar de un problema

tú le dijiste niño: "será mañana

es muy tarde, estoy cansado".

No basta comprarle todo

lo que quiso comprarse

el auto nuevo antes de graduarse

que viviera lo que tú no has vivido.

No basta con creerse

un padre excelente

porque eso te dice la gente

a tus hijos nunca les falta nada.

No basta porque cuando quiso

hablarte de sexo

se te subieron los colores al rostro

y te fuiste.

No basta porque de haber

tenido un problema

lo habia resuelto comprando en la esquina

lo que había, lo que había.

No basta con comprarle curiosos objetos

no basta cuando lo que necesita es afecto

aprender a dar valor a las cosas

por que tú no le serás eterno.

No basta castigarlo por haber llegado tarde

si no has caido ya tu chico es un hombre

ahoras más alto y más fuerte que tú

que tú...

It's not enough to bring them into this world

because it is required,

because they are the foundation a marriage,

or because you miscalculated.

It's not enough to take them

to school to learn,

because life always gets tougher...

to be what your father could never be.

It's not enough that you have

given him so little affection,

all because of damn work...

...and time.

It's not enough, because when he wanted

to talk about a problem

you said "we'll talk tomorrow,

it's late, I'm tired".

It's not enough to buy him

everything he wanted,

the new car before graduating,

so that he could live what you did not live.

It's not enough to believe you're

a great father

because that's what people say,

"your children never lack nothing".

It's not enough, because when he wanted

to talk about sex

you blushed

and you left.

It's not enough, because

if he had a problem

he would solve it by buying what was available

on the street corner,...what was available.

It's not enough to buy curious objects for him

it's not enough when what he needs is affection

and to learn to value things,

because you will not be eternal for him.

It's not enough to punish him for coming home late,

if you haven't noticed your child is already a man,

now taller and stronger than you...

...than you.

John Bird's Catholic Documentary Films

An excellent catechetical resource. Here is a webpage offering the DVD films about our illustrious Catholic heritage at marysmedia.org.

The Roman Catholic Church as the Most Successful Institution that Has Ever Existed

Thomas Babington Macaulay

Thomas Babington Macaulay, unusual for an Evangelical, became fascinated by the Church of Rome in which he found many things to admire, and in his essay on Ranke's History of the Pope's in the 1840 Edinburgh Review he both argued that it had proved itself the most successful and long-lived of all Western institutions and it had done so because — and this would certainly have been a point particularly surprising to Victorian Protestants — it handled dissent far more positively than had those who broke away from it. — George P. Landow

here is not, and there never was on this earth, a work of human policy so well deserving of examination as the Roman Catholic Church. The history of that Church joins together the two great ages of human civilisation. No other institution is left standing which carries the mind back to the times when the smoke of sacrifice rose from the Pantheon, and when camelopards and tigers bounded in the Flavian amphitheatre. The proudest royal houses are but of yesterday, when compared with the line of the Supreme Pontiffs. That line we trace back in an unbroken series, from the Pope who crowned Napoleon in the nineteenth century to the Pope who crowned Pepin in the eighth; and far beyond the time of Pepin the august dynasty extends, till it is lost in the twilight of fable. The republic of Venice came next in antiquity. But the republic of Venice was modern when compared with the Papacy; and the republic of Venice is gone, and the Papacy remains. The Papacy remains, not in decay, not a mere antique, but full of life and youthful vigour. The Catholic Church is still sending forth to the farthest ends of the world missionaries as zealous as those who landed in Kent with Augustin, and still confronting hostile kings with the same spirit with which she confronted Attila. The number of her children is greater than in any former age. Her acquisitions in the New World have more than compensated for what she has lost in the Old. Her spiritual ascendency extends over the vast countries which lie between the plains of the Missouri and Cape Horn, countries which a century hence, may not improbably contain a population as large as that which now inhabits Europe. The members of her communion are certainly not fewer than a hundred and fifty millions; and it will be difficult to show that all other Christian sects united amount to a hundred and twenty millions. Nor do we see any sign which indicates that the term of her long dominion is approaching. She saw the commencement of all the governments and of all the ecclesiastical establishments that now exist in the world; and we feel no assurance that she is not destined to see the end of them all. She was great and respected before the Saxon had set foot on Britain, before the Frank had passed the Rhine, when Grecian eloquence still flourished at Antioch, when idols were still worshipped in the temple of Mecca. And she may still exist in undiminished vigour when some traveller from New Zealand shall, in the midst of a vast solitude, take his stand on a broken arch of London Bridge to sketch the ruins of St. Paul's.

Copied from The Victorian Web.

The Gospel of the Three Little Pigs

Tomorrow's Gospel (Matt. 7:21,24-27) is about listening to Jesus Christ and doing what He tells you, i.e. obeying the will of God.

The commandments, the sacramental life, a life of prayer and meditation and service, always in conversation with Our Blessed Lord, is like a man who builds his house on rock which nothing will ever be able to shake.

The one who does not follow Christ is like the man who built his house on sand which will end in complete disaster.

This is much deeper than the simple moral of industriousness of the Three Little Pigs. The moral here is that the greatest industry, sine qua non, is loyalty to Jesus Christ, always and in everything.

Make the Lord the Lord of your life. Be sure He is Lord of everything! Do not put your trust in yourself or in anyone or anything.

The only real success and the source of every other success is fidelity!

As Mother Teresa so often said: God calls you to be faithful, not successful!