CATHOLIC LIFE

What outcome do we expect if religious leaders emphasize style at the expense of thought—all the time? The cumulative effect is the cult of pleasantness and its rubrics of political correctness. The cult of pleasantness may be understood as a rigid and aggressive conformity to the aesthetic perception of equilibrium—whether or not such is actually the case.

Sacred Scripture teaches that a husband should be the head of his household. Avoiding troublesome and frankly suspect interpretations, I find the following understanding of St. Paul’s thought to be above criticism: A father’s “headship” is first and foremost one of personal example. In other words, a father should lead and guide his family strongly in faith by the being the best example of faith.

The relationship between man and woman in holy matrimony is characterized by integral fruitfulness: 1.) a self-less love for one another in the context of conscientious cooperation with God, and 2.) the establishment of a home in which children are conceived and reared in accordance with the "mind of Christ". [1Cor 2:16] Christ is the guarantor of the family's spiritual and existential integrity and the minister of its fulfillment.

THE EXPRESSION Jesus is my friend is out-of-balance. The more people repeat it the less meaning it has, the less anyone cares. Perhaps it's because the word my skews the idea and obscures the underlying truth on which the phrase depends. Herein lies the danger. The generation in which we live is remarkably self-centered. Selfish people love the word my—my this, my that, my way. What about Christ's relationship to me? What about his perspective? What about him?

ON OCTOBER 11, a cold overcast Monday in 1999, I was visiting my godson Adam and his family at their home in Springfield, Virginia. His mother and I spent the morning navigating shopping centers in the Washington area. After only one or two malls, I was wiped out. When we got back to the house, I crashed on the blue leather couch and took a nap.

Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see thee hungry and feed thee, or thirsty and give thee drink? And when did we see thee a stranger and welcome thee, or naked and clothe thee? And when did we see thee sick or in prison and visit thee?' And the King will answer them, 'Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me.'" [Mt 25:34-40]