The Wisdom of the Ages- or maybe just the Aged

It's been a busy month for me, and Primal Loss  is a very long book, but a necessary documentary of the evil that results from divorce; even when that divorce is caused by physical abuse.  It's a hard read for anybody whose lives have only been tangentially touched by divorce like myself, I think it would be a downright impossible read for some of my cousins whose lives have been devastated by divorce. Having said that, I think this book should be on the shelf or in the Kindle of every priest, and should be lent to anybody in the United States who is contemplating marriage.  Questions should be asked before any marriage, and this book explains why communication and commitment are important.  Also, seeing how other people's marriages have failed, will lead you to do things differently to make sure your own marriage will not.

Msgr. Charles Pope points out to us that one cannot prevent a divorce by banishing the couple in trouble from one's life, or by being so forceful that the couple, so intent on divorce, removes you from their life. But I am adamant that all divorce is a worse abuse than the abuse it is trying to prevent. I have never known any situation where adding the complication of divorce makes it better. Nothing has proven this more to me than reading Leila Miller's new book Primal Loss , the book that Msgr Pope was reviewing in the above article. This book shows the lies that marriage is primarily about the married couple, and that children are resilient; rather it shows that the damage done by even the most innocent and friendly of divorces, has philosophical revelations that reverberate down through many future generations. Likewise, the real life horror story of Moira Greyland's The Last Closet shows us just how bad a mindset based in the possibility of divorce can become ...

With an excellent article for the new year on making 2018 The Year of the Family .  Some points we should all think about: Speak out and vote against pro-abortion politicians. Stop using contraception and reserve sex for marriage. Affirm the goodness of marriage by encouraging young married couples and practicing  agape  love within your own relationships. Teach your kids how to pray, and attend church as a family. Make it a point to honor  stay-at-home moms  for the invaluable work they do in raising and educating the next generation. Be open to life and trust God to provide for your needs. Seek help and accountability for your substance or porn addiction. I can think of no better way for an already faithful family to further reduce chances of divorce than this.

While this is a Catholic Blog, following the Traditional Magisterial Teaching when it comes to the subject of marriage, children, and economics, it is also intended as a curriculum intended for 21st century Catholics living in Post-Protestant America.  As such, while it will draw heavily on the references and church documents listed below, there will also be a discussion of home economics, centered around the often lost, but always true, success formula for American Capitalism: The Success Formula, modified for Catholic Teaching and with a couple of other steps, is this: Get your education- finish school. Date/Get a Job/Start a Business (if you have a wealthy relative, that last) Get Engaged/if to a non Catholic, RCIA/Pre-marital Counseling (hopefully using this cirriculum!) Find and buy a house Get Married Have sex (without contraception) and kids Never get divorced. 93% of couples who achieve these seven steps in this order in the United States, regardless of family...