Mark Mallett

I AM the spiritual head of my wife and children. When I said, "I do," I entered into a Sacrament in which I promised to love and honor my wife until death. That I would raise the children God may give us according to the Faith. This is my role, it is my duty. It is the first matter upon which I will be judged at the end of my life, after whether or not I have loved the Lord my God with all my heart, soul, and strength.

But most men think their duty is to bring home the bacon. To make ends meet. To fix the front door. These things are perhaps the duty of the moment. But they are not the ultimate goal.¹ A married man’s prime vocation is to lead His wife and children into the Kingdom by his leadership and example. For, as Jesus says:

All these things the pagans seek. Your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given you besides. (Matt 6:30-33)

That is, men, God wants to father you. He wants to provide for your needs. He wants you to know that you are carved in the palm of His hand. And that all the struggles and temptations you are facing are not as powerful as His grace available to your soul…

…for the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. (1 John 4:4)

Cling to that word, brother. For the times we are living in call for men to be courageous, not fearful; obedient, not unfaithful; prayerful, not distracted. But do not be afraid or shrink back from this standard you are called to:

I have the strength for everything through him who empowers me. (Phil 4:13)

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FOOTNOTES:

1. cf. The Heart of God [↩]

I remember a young man coming to my house several years ago with marital problems. He wanted my advice, or so he said. "She won’t listen to me!" he complained. "Isn’t she supposed to submit to me? Don’t the Scriptures say that I am the head of my wife? What’s her problem!?" I knew the relationship well enough to know that his view of himself was seriously skewed. So I replied, "Well, what does St. Paul say again?":

Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ loved the church and handed himself over for her to sanctify her, cleansing her by the bath of water with the word, that he might present to himself the church in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. So (also) husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. (Eph 5:25-28)

"So you see," I continued, "you are called to lay down your life for your wife. To serve her as Jesus served her. To love and sacrifice for her the way Jesus loved and sacrificed for you. If you do that, she likely won’t have any problems "submitting" to you." Well, that outraged the young man who promptly stormed out the house. What he really wanted was for me to give him ammunition to go home and continue treating his wife like a doormat. No, this is not what St. Paul meant then or now, cultural differences aside. What Paul was referring to was a relationship based on Christ’s example. But that model of true manhood has been pilloried…

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The Prodigal Son, by Liz Lemon Swindle

AFTER reading the merciful invitation from Christ in "To Those In Mortal Sin" a few people have written with great concern that friends and family members who have fallen away from the faith "don’t even know they’re in sin, let alone mortal sin."

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LAST week, I outlined four ways in which one can enter the spiritual battle for one’s self, family and friends, or others in these tumultuous times:  the Rosary, the Divine Mercy Chaplet, Fasting, and Praise. These prayers and devotions are powerful for they form a spiritual armor.* 

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MEMORIAL OF ST. PIO OF PIETRELCIAN

ONE of the most tragic elements in the modern Catholic Church, particularly in the West, is the loss of worship. It seems today as though singing (one form of praise) in Church is optional, rather than an integral part of the liturgical prayer.

When the Lord poured out His Holy Spirit on the Catholic Church in the late sixties in what became known as the “charismatic renewal”, worship and praise of God exploded! I witnessed over the decades how so many souls were transformed as they went beyond their comfort zones and began to worship God from the heart (I will share my own testimony below). I even witnessed physical healings just through simple praise!

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Our Lady of Guadalupe

"We shall break the cross and spill the wine. … God will (help) Muslims to conquer Rome. …God enable us to slit their throats, and make their money and descendants the bounty of the mujahideen."  —Mujahideen Shura Council, an umbrella group led by Iraq’s branch of al Qaeda, in a statement on the Pope’s recent speech; CNN Online, Sept. 22, 2006 

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HEAVEN has given us such practical means to enter the battle for souls. I’ve mentioned two thus far, the Rosary and the Chaplet of Divine Mercy.

For when we’re talking about family members who are caught in mortal sin, spouses who are battling addictions, or relationships bound in bitterness, anger, and division, we are most often dealing with a battle against strongholds:

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FEAST OF ST. MATTHEW, APOSTLE AND EVANGELIST

EVERYDAY, soup kitchens, whether in tents or in inner city buildings, whether in Africa or New York, open up to offer edible salvation:  soup, bread, and sometimes a little dessert.

Few people realize, however, that everyday at 3pm, a "divine soup kitchen" opens from which pours forth heavenly graces to feed the spiritually poor in our world.

So many of us have family members wandering about the inner streets of their hearts, hungry, tired, and cold—freezing from the winter of sin. In fact, that describes most of us. But, there is a place to go…

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THE explosion of division, divorce, and violence this past year is striking. 

The letters I’ve received of Christian marriages disintegrating, children abandoning their moral roots, family members falling away from the faith, spouses and siblings caught in addictions, and startling outbursts of anger and divisiveness among relatives is grievous.

And when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed; this must take place, but the end is not yet. (Mark 13:7)

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